#his glow up over the series tho my goodness

[sweetteainthesummerx]

THE LOVE LASTS SO LONG (12)

In which the Ferrari gang tackles Austria

series masterlist

Note: YAY their relationship is finally starting to develop more teehee. Let me know if you have feedback or if you want to be added to the taglist. Warning: mentions of an erection, mildly sexual

★・・・・★・・・・ ★・・・・★

aubreyyang posted

aubreyyang sound of music type beat

liked by dior.n.goodjohn, alexandrasaintmleux and 100,753

dior.n.goodjohn OMG THE COWS ARE SO CUTE

-- aubreyyang ikr I got to pet them I can die happy

user1 MOTHERS they're so pretty ughhh

-- user2 oh to be traveling with f1 drivers over europe

charles_leclerc pic creds for first slide and also THATS MY GF

-- aubreyyang not with that attitude

-- user3 BAHAH they're so funny bye

walker.scobell oh look its you on the third slide

-- aubreyyang I bought you a t shirt im throwing it out the window

-- walker.scobell NOOO I TAKE IT BACK

-- pjo.fandom.08 aww shes so older sibling

MESSAGES

alex 🖼️

hey cherie! I think Charles and I are going to stay in for today the hiking yesterday knocked us out

aubrey 🎬

aww okayy

we'll have dinner or lunch today tho?

alex 🖼️

bien sur!!

MESSAGES

aubrey

morning!

ollie

good morning :)

aubrey

charl and lex aren't coming to explore the city are you still up for it?

ollie

yeah ill come pick you up at ur room

Ollie silently thanked Charles and his old age: a whole morning alone with Aubrey.

“Hey.” Ollie smiled down at Aubrey when she cracked open her door at his knock.

“Morning! You wanna come in for a second? I need to put my shoes on before we go.” She pushed her earring backing on, turning as he let himself in. 

She was wearing a tiny top with no straps the colour of a ripe peach and a white skirt. The heat was unbearable, so her hair was pushed from her face in a long, pretty tail. He wondered how she would react if he smoothed his fingers along her soft, tanned skin  or if he ran his tugged at her dark hair. 

Friends, he reminded himself. But she was so…

He thumped onto her bed face down, earning a giggle from Aubrey. He flipped back up goofily, a little taken a back by the strong smell of her shampoo and perfume while she puttered around the room, retrieving knick knacks and dropping them into her little handbag. 

He pretended for one moment that she was his, and that he didn’t have to take her presence in like a drowning man gasping for air. He wouldn’t mind drowning in her, if this was the sight he would be greeted by everyday. 

“Dude. Stop staring at me like that.” She scrunched her nose. 

“Sorry.” He murmured, not sounding sorry at all. 

She tugged her sambas on, falling onto the bed next to him. He sighed, closing his eyes when she ran one hand through his hair, fingernails catching pleasantly on his scalp. 

He bit back a noise that would surely embarrass himself. 

“Tired? We can stay back today if you want.” The morning light glowed yellow beyond his eyelids, and her soft, accented voice was husky. His chest ached for her, and she was barely a foot away. 

“No, s’alright.” His eyes fluttered open. He realized with a start that while he was flat on his back, Aubrey had propped herself up on one elbow on her side next to him. He tried his best not to look at the slender expanse of her neck and chest. He failed miserably. 

“Hmm. Some shopping, some food and then we’ll head back and take a nap?” She asked, standing and reaching a small hand out to help him. Who was he to refuse? He let her drag him up, laughing when she had to put her whole body weight behind it. 

They spent the rest of the morning perusing shops after the subway ride, not really buying anything but looking and talking. He loved having her near, loved making her smile and laugh and hit his chest when his jokes were inappropriate and childish. 

Every time she turned to tell him something - that usually made him laugh - his hand twitched to reach out to touch her. Her hand, her bare face, the small of her back. 

When they realized that they’d missed breakfast and lunch (Ollie’s stomach was starting to growl, he was still growing, thank you very much) they decided to head back and see if Charles and Alex wanted a late lunch together. 

They made their way to the subway, and Ollie grabbed her hand and slid it into the crook of his elbow with the excuse of not wanting to lose her in the crowd. He threw in a short joke with it, hoping that his need to touch her was not so obvious. 

Ever since she told him that she turned her brain off when she was with him in public, he made sure to show her that this trust she held for him was very much safe and sound. 

She hummed some pop tune as he guided her onto the train, settling them both onto seats. She was showing him Formula memes when someone beside her jostled, tossing her across his lap. 

He glared at the careless man, and hauled her easily onto his lap by her waist without thinking. She went very still, and he was about to apologize profusely or dig a hole and bury himself in it (or both) but she wiggled into a comfortable position. Even sitting on his lap, he could see past her head. As she leaned back against his chest, he carefully pulled her hair up so it was resting against his shoulder and not crushed between them. 

“Let me know if I’m too heavy, I can stand-“

He kissed his teeth with his tongue, “You weigh like 5 kilos, love.”

She let out a contented hum, turning her face into his neck. Her warm breath, her scent and the tip of her nose against his jaw was too much. 

He was a man, after all. And Aubrey was objectively one of the most beautiful, kind and decent people he’d ever met. So with her moving around on his lap and her mouth dangerously close to his neck…

“Is your phone in your pocket?” She asked, reaching behind her. Panicked, he caught her wrist. 

“That’s not-“ his ears felt hot, and she stiffened. 

“Oh.”

Great, now she thought he was a pervert who-

She was laughing. At him, because they were on a subway in Vienna with her on his lap while he had a hard on. 

She was laughing, that bright, clear sound that made him melt like wax on a candle. 

He poked her side, whining, “It’s not funny!”

“It’s a little bit-“ she moved to stand, but he locked his forearm around her waist.

“Give me a second.” He muttered, and much to his chagrin she was giggling again. 

"You know, you had me worried. I thought you weren't..." she started, shrugging, face flushed prettily, "sorry, this is weird, isn't it? You're...you're my best friend."

"You're more than my best friend. You know that." he murmured and he felt her cheek tense into a smile, "What were you going to say?"

"I thought you didn't find me attractive." she bit out, mortified.

"I'm sorry? Have you seen yourself? Of course I'm attracted to you, love. I just didn't want to scare you off."

Finally, it was their station, and they walked back to the hotel, hand in hand. 

She made fun of him all the way there, and he found that he really didn’t mind, especially if she kept smiling that wide, rosy smile. 

olliebearman posted on their story

caption: bit of shopping

aubreyyang posted on their story

caption: collecting mirror selfies in bathrooms with my girl

tagged: alexandrasaintmleux

"Good to head back?"

"Oui." Alex smoothed her hair one more time, and they returned to their boys at the small restaurant in Vienna they were eating dinner at.

When they returned to the table from the bathroom - she was seriously collecting mirror selfies from bathrooms - and sat, Ollie wrapped one large hand around the leg of her chair ( and if she had wished that it had been her calf, that was nobody’s business) and tugged her closer to himself. He slung his arm around the back of her chair, fingers grazing her shoulder. 

“Hi.” He grinned, proud of himself. Across the table, Charles made a gagging sound. Alex rolled her eyes while smiling at her boyfriend, passing Aubrey the plate of fruit. 

“Okay, so tonight we leave for France and we stay there for two days, n’est-ce pas?”

“Oui, and then do we have plans?” Charles asked as Ollie swiped a piece of orange off of Aubrey’s plate.

“Le Tour Eiffel, obviously. Louvre, maybe some shopping?” Aubrey suggested, and the boys groaned. 

“It will be fun.” She protested, and Alex smiled sweetly. 

“Sure, Aubs.” His finger traced down her shoulder, and she resisted the urge to shiver. Ollie was getting brave. Ever since their day together exploring the city, he seemed to be getting more affectionate and clingy - which she didn’t not mind one bit. 

Before the Vienna Train Incident, as Alex and Aubrey dubbed it, he had been so sweet. The perfect gentleman, always respectful and kind. She had actually wondered if he’d found her attractive at all. 

But when he had whispered low and panicked in her ear that the hardness nudging into her thigh was indeed not his phone, it was almost like a confirmation for her. In fact, she started to notice the little things: his ears would turn red when she traced the veins on his forearms while they waited for Alex and Charles to come down to the lobby, his eyes seemed to be magnetic against her back whenever she wore a sundress (floral usually. He really liked pale yellow. Not that she was taking note) and his hands almost always drifted to her like he wasn’t thinking. 

She was gaining confidence; that little voice in her head that kept telling her she would be so happy and safe with him if she would just her herself try…

He could make her so happy. If being friends with him was that great, being his girlfriend would be a dream. She just wanted to make sure. 

An idea came to her head, and she looked down. Ollie liked to manspread, so his knee was knocking into her crossed legs. Aha. The shoes she’d chosen for tonight were nice white heels with pointed toes. Very slowly and deliberately, she hooked the point of the shoe under his pant leg and dragged it up his skin. He choked on his water, coughing. And, bingo. His ears were turning that endearing Ferrari colour. 

“You alright, mate?” Charles asked. Aubrey saw through her peripheral that the tall man beside her was most definitely looking at her accusingly. Cute. 

“Yeah, sorry. Choked. So-“ he cleared his throat. “Shopping probably the second day, yeah? Maybe a nice dinner and then we leave for the south?”

“Mm. I think you are right, Ollie,” Alex brushed a crumb off of Charles’s shirt, “the Louvre will take a while. I want pictures.”

“Sounds good.” A very large, warm calloused hand just landed on her knee, sliding slowly up to her thigh. His pinky finger - probably as long as her pointer - slipped under her skirt. Her breath caught, but no choking occurred. 

“Let’s head out then?” Charles asked, waving for the check. 

Disappointed, Aubrey felt Ollie’s hand leave her skin, feeling suddenly cold. But then he draped a heavy arm around her shoulder when they stood, waiting for the other couple to join them in their trek back to the hotel. 

★・・・・★・・・・ ★・・・・★

Taglist: @callsignwidow @iloveyou3000morgan @honethatty12 @taygrls @destinyg237 @ilivbullyingjeongin

© sweetteainthesummerx.tumblr. all rights reserved. unauthorized copying, translation, or claiming of my writing or any works as your own is strictly prohibited.

[consistencynevermether]

Astarion x Rouge! Tav

A/N: I am, as the professionals would say, back on my bullshit. anyways here's another in my series of Astarion x a certain class 

part 1 (Paladin Tav version)- https://www.tumblr.com/consistencynevermether/730256251991310336/astarion-x-gn-paladin-reader-hcs-an-this-man?source=share

Bastard x bastard 

You two are absolute little SHITS together let me tell y’all that 

Your love language? CRIME. 

No but seriously imagine this- one of you had this plain steel ring, nothing special or anything just collecting dust at the bottom of your bags. Honestly, you don’t even remember which one of you it originally belonged to

When you first met, one of you had stolen the ring from the other to prove they were “superior with their hands” to the other. Eventually, it became a game between the two of you, every few days stealing this little trinket from each other. And bragging until the other stole it back. It didn’t matter whether either of you wore it on your fingers, around your necks, or even hiding it in folds of clothing. Neither could hold onto it for more than a week before the other snatched it up 

The most memorable little moment with this ring- once you had both gone on a late night walk, hand in hand. The moon's soft glow bathing you both in silver, it was like a scene out of a romance novel, especially when you leaned in to press your lips against his

And then- 

While he was distracted you slipped it off his finger and booked it. Immediately running as fast as you could, not daring to look back, laughing as you sped off with your prize

Unfortunately for you, Astarion happens to be a vampire spawn. Vampire spawn are quite physically inclined, and Astarion is pretty fit

What I’m saying is you made it a good 30 feet before getting tackled to the ground and had the ring wrestled out of your hand 

Honestly, though, you were laughing so hard you didn’t even mind losing the game, you were just happy that for a second your master plan had worked. 

Astarion complained about how his outfit got all dusty because of you, but you had heard him laughing right along with you when he had tackled you to the ground

Astarion won’t admit this, but that ring means more to him than any bejeweled precious jewelry ever could, because it connects him to you

Both of you claim to have the best set of knives and take every opportunity to show off to each other with your skills. Once you actually picked a lock with a smaller blade and you could swear it caused Astarion to be a little flustered. 

Sharing clothes? Sharing clothes. Listen, I'm just saying, will you let your vampire boyfriend burn up in the sun or will you lend him that nice new cloak you just got? Yea, that’s what I thought now it’s joint property. Dw tho it all evens out when you steal one of his nightshirts (it’s the comfiest thing ever, and not just because it always faintly smells like him) 

You guys definitely do couples' heists together. Sneaking, pickpocketing, lockpicking, running from the law, it's all in a day's work for the most shifty couple in Faerun. One of you might distract a lord while the other snuck into his vault to retrieve some valuable magical item. 

Ok but in all seriousness, y’all must be the most ethereal couple around. Imagine seeing two people glide over the rooftops of Baldur's gate, each jump almost like steps to a dance they both know by heart. Flitting around each other like ribbons in the breeze, one with soft silver hair and the other face obscured by their pitch-black cloak, hood pulled up and rippling in the night air. They dance across rooftops, swift as shadows, graceful as spirits, never touching, and yet somehow the rare onlooker knows they are meant to be a pair.

Some bard has definitely written a song about that last bullet point I promise you. 

You two probably had a million cons just waiting to be used. I imagine during your time together trying to get rid of the tadpole, you would both talk late into the night, bouncing ideas off each other, throwing out ideas of different tricks you could pull on the unsuspecting. Some genuinely clever, most just absurd attempts at making the other person laugh.  

If you ever actually got the chance to you it though? Oh ho HO. let me tell you how this went down. Your party had gotten into a situation, attempting to be as inconspicuous as possible. But by a bout of bad luck, someone had started harassing Karlach and at the same time, Lazel had started yelling at a guard, hand on her sword, inches away from striking. The party needed some sort of distraction, and luckily you both had just the thing. 

Astarion had grabbed the nearest glass of wine and splashed it on you, then putting on his best offended face he anguished, “How could you cheat on me?!?! And with my own BROTHER!?!?” That sentence made everyone's head snap up, including the guards as you both laid the theatrics on thick. You kept this act up with Astarion for a good 10 minutes, with fake tears and dramatics from both of you. At one point on the spot, you made up that he had slept with your mother and it was revenge, and the crowd was extremely invested, people taking sides, guards trying to calm down the chaos. But hey you're fake out worked, Karlach and Lazel were able to sneak away quietly and you had both given the distraction of a lifetime. Shadowheart disapproves.

Occasionally the two of you will talk in Thieves cant to each other when you don’t want the party to overhear certain conversations. Originally you were both probably talking about important things like strategies and debating about how to go about getting rid of the tadpole. But now you kind of both just use it to piss off Lazel a little. 

Ultimately you two really understand each other on a deep level, you really are 2 people with one mind. And together there's a world of adventure out there for you both, and infinite fun magical items for you both too “acquire”.

[bigtreefest]

Chapter 6: San Antonio Stroll

From: You Catch More Bees With Honey Series

Pairing: Mob! Bucky x Farmer! Reader

Summary: You can’t ask for much more than good friends and good times.

Word count: 3,620

Content/warnings: heavy drinking, accidental misogyny, friendship, flirting, country close dancing (that’s not an innuendo…yet), mentions of puke, curdled milk, improper treatment of plants (it’s ok tho bc they’re ugly flowers), swears

Author’s Note: Another chapter that made me giggle and kick my feet as I wrote it. I hope you enjoy—let me know if you did through comments, reblogs, and asks!! (And also likes)

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

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You were in the corner of Bucky’s room, laying sideways across the armchair reading a book when he began to stir. He stretched and looked around, the late morning sun lighting up his sharp features and causing him to squint.

“Well good morning, sleeping beauty.” Bucky’s eyes finally found you as he let out a groan and flopped back into bed, turning over and pulling the covers with him.

“What happened?” Came muffled from under the comforter. You laughed and shifted to get up, walking to the side of his bed and crouching down. You carefully slid your hand under the bedding and flipped it open to be met by the sapphire eyes of the mob boss, framed by his messy morning hair. He smiled slightly at the sight of you, causing his eyes to sparkle even more on top of the way they were lit up by the sun’s morning glow.

“You passed out. Do you remember?” You didn’t specifically mention the kiss, but based on the way Bucky hid his face against the mattress and nodded, you knew he did.

“Why? How did I get here? What time is it?” You laughed and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Well, according to Steve, you haven’t been sleeping all week and were being kept up by the adrenaline with that whole situation Thursday into yesterday. The second I got out, you collapsed, probably from a mixture of exhaustion and finally feeling safety, which counteracted that adrenaline. That’s what Decks said, at least.”

Bucky’s head cocked to the side as he looked at you, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Yesterday? You got out yesterday? I thought you got out today.”

You shook your head. “No, Bucky. You’ve been sleeping for twenty hours. It’s Saturday.”

His eyes went wide and he shot up out of bed. “What!? You’re telling me I lost a whole day!? What about all the chores that needed finished? Or the rest of the other business dealings I had to direct?”

You ran your hand through his hair and down to his cheek to calm him down. “It’s all been taken care of. Steve closed up the rest of your business dealings, including Jake. Said he did his job and you would’ve called him ‘a good boy,’ so he’s visiting his mom right now before the jet flies him back tomorrow.”

Bucky nodded along, letting out an exhale of a small laugh at how well Steve knew him. You continued. “While Steve took care of things here, Sam drove back to the city to handle everything there, but otherwise everyone else stayed and is leaving tomorrow. Well, everyone except your construction crew. They’re staying until all tunnels are stabilized.”

“And the farm?” You were surprised at his concern over the land, something more than what directly applied to him.

“Curtis is out there right now. There’s not much to do, because according to him, ‘Bucky ran around like a busy bee doing all the chores with his nervous energy.’”

Bucky laughed. “He’s not wrong. And I encouraged Steve to do the same.”

“Yeah, I’m not surprised. But speaking of Curtis, you should thank him. He’s the one who carried you all the way over here and up the stairs.”

“So what do you think? Another night at the bar will do it? Drinks on me?” Bucky waggled his eyebrows.

When Bucky got up and showered, he changed into jeans and a comfy shirt before galloping down the steps. There, he saw Decks and Steve sitting on the couch chatting, each drinking a small glass of chocolate milk, as he made his way to your office.

The door was open, so he peeked his head in to see you closely examining several papers sprawled out. You tore your glance from the blinding white sheets and rubbed your eyes with the heels of your hands. “Hey, you were in here? I saw some stuff was moved around.”

Bucky nodded slowly, coming into your office fully and gently closing the door. “Yeah. I took a look at that contract the dairy girl left on your desk.” Bucky gestured to the one in your hand.

You felt the compulsion to laugh at his statement, the way he refused to say Cole’s name, but kept your lips tight and sighed instead. “Now, Bucky, you know I’m technically a ‘dairy girl,’ right? Please don’t insult me and my efforts in your attempts to make a jab at Cole. I know he sucks, trust me.”

Bucky winced at his mistake. No one in his line of work would’ve batted an eye at a statement like that, but he was starting to realize just how deep the misogyny ran. You were so capable, and Cole and Lloyd really thought they had the authority to push you out. Although, they probably would have done that no matter your gender, but the point was, they were entitled pricks.

“My bad, Honeybee. Won’t happen again. But yes, I do want to tell you that the law firm that Cole’s associated with has ties to a bad guy. Like, certifiably insane. He fights dirty, so I’ve got Sam looking into it all. That’s probably why he went back so soon.”

You nodded slowly, trying to hide the concern of how your small operation had gotten itself into this entangled web of a mess, but honestly, it could have been a coincidence. You had also read a page of Bucky’s notes which had been scrawled haphazardly, denoting everything that Jake had said about their interaction. At the bottom of that page was an additional note ‘train to handle interrogation better on plane ride home.’ You laughed at that; Jake was always a little too honest for his own good.

But thinking back to the mess you were in, Cole probably would have gone for your farm either way, tied with Lloyd or not, thanks to Jake’s loose lips.

Bucky could see you ruminating and making connections. He confirmed your thoughts. “If it helps at all, I don’t think Lloyd or Cole know who you’re working with. Lloyd hasn’t been around, and Cole can’t put my name to a face. If they had done so already, we might be dealing with something different.” He shrugged.

You knew it shouldn’t have that quickly, but Bucky’s statement provided you with relief. After the past few days, you could see how many men he must’ve had at his disposal if he only sent you a skeleton crew for what was done at the farm. He was calculated and smart, and it was beyond comforting.

Just then, there was a knock at the door and Decks came in, holding a large vase at full arm’s length. It was stuffed with blueish hydrangeas: your least favorite flower.

That was when the smell hit you and Bucky like a wall, the both of you squeezing your noses shut as you shouted with a nasally voice. “Ugh! Decks, get that out of here. Where the hell did those come from?”

She ran back towards the front door, where Steve was holding it open, to set them on the porch. “Just got delivered. Don’t worry, I’ve smelled worse. There’s a card here.”

Everyone else stood back, hands covering their airways as she plucked the small piece of paper from the petals and read it out loud.

“Peach, can’t wait to milk our deal together. -Cole”

Everyone exchanged glances, disgusted by the weirdly suggestive statement, as Decks pulled the hydrangeas out of the vase and tossed them into the yard. She knew how much you hated them. She peered into the vase and gave it a sniff.

“He put the flowers in milk…and,” she sniffed again, “lemon juice?”

The two of you exchanged a glance and you laughed at how foolish Cole was. You could tell Bucky and Steve were utterly confused, so you explained as Decks walked into the yard with the vase. The smell was far away enough now that you didn’t need to cover your nose.

“First off, I hate hydrangeas, so I’m glad Decks knew to get those little bitches out of my face. The only cool thing about them is they change color based on pH. So if they’re in an acidic environment, they’ll turn blue, one of the Turner farms signature colors. I’m sure Cole thought he was being so cute, putting flowers in a vase of milk, but milk is hardly acidic enough to cause any color change, so his smart ass thought lemon juice would be the solution. It worked, but at the cost of curdling the milk.”

You scrunched your face in disgust as Steve and Bucky mirrored it, the three of you looking out into the yard where Decks was shaking the vase vigorously, trying to get all the solids out. She reached for the garden hose and sprayed it out, the force of the stream moving the vase a few feet. She turned off the hose and grabbed the vase, stomping back into the house and slipping off her shoes.

Decks shoved the vase into Steve’s chest and he cradled it with an oof.

“Finish cleaning that. And dump out my glass. I won’t be able to drink milk again for months.” She grumbled. You looked to her as she was retreating from the living room.

“Where are you going?” She turned to look at you briefly.

“To take a shower.” Her head whipped back around.

She continued to stomp up the stairs before gesturing aggressively with her arms above her head. “WHY DO GUYS ALWAYS SEND YOU WEIRD SHIT LIKE THAT!?”

Steve looked at the vase in his hands and rubbed the back of his neck. “I think I’m gonna need a shower, too, after this.”

Once evening came, everyone was finally clean and ready to go, including Curtis, who had come back shortly after the hydrangea incident.

You considered piling the five of you into one car, but Curtis offered to drive, as well, taking Steve and Decks with him as you and Bucky drove in your truck. Curtis figured he’d go home after the bar, anyway, since your house was crowded enough with the extra guests.

As you and Bucky wound around the country roads toward town, he spoke up. “So Decks, she’s quite the character…”

You laughed and nodded, one hand on the wheel while you continued to look forward at the road. “Oh yeah, for sure. I mean, she’s been there for a lot. You’ve gotta be a little crazy to live in close quarters with someone for four years straight like we did. We’ve each got our own things.”

Bucky gave a small chuckle. “I guess it’s good to have someone who knows you so well, though.”

You hummed in agreement, not sure where he was leading this. “And she and Curtis seem close, too. Did she spend a lot of time out here when you were in school?”

You stole a glance at Bucky quickly, catching his inquisitive face. “Yeah, she’d come here for summers and some long weekends. The three of us get along really well.”

Both of you paused before Bucky broke the silence. “So did anything ever happen between the two of them?”

There it was. Who was he asking this for? “Why, asking for a friend? Asking for Stevie?”

Bucky shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. “Just curious.”

You gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “Uh huh, well you’re lucky I’ll indulge your curiosity because I’m rooting for them, too. To answer your question, no, nothing ever happened. Her place is in the city, and I don’t think Curtis will ever leave here. This is home. They are really good friends, though, sometimes I think they like each other more than they like me.”

Bucky laughed. “That’s how I feel about you and Steve, even though I’m the one who’s been around here the most.”

You gave him a shrug. “Some people just get each other.”

You and Curtis pulled into the bar, parking next to each other. The five of you emerged from the trucks, denim and flannel-clad and ready for a night out.

As you walked in and up to a few empty stools. Curtis hung back, having a word with the bouncer and handing him a sheet of paper, then patting him on the back. The bartender who took your orders was super sweet, and she must’ve been new since you’d never seen her around before.

“I’m not sure what the big guy back there wants quite yet, but I say just make him something good and he’ll be happy.” You pointed a thumb over your shoulder towards Curtis, bumping into where Bucky’s hand was draped as he stood to your other side. The bartender smiled and nodded as Bucky pulled you in closer to his ribs and talked lowly by your ear.

“You and Decks wanna pick out some food while Steve and I grab a booth and a pool table?” You nodded and patted his chest before holding out your hand.

“Sounds good, Bucket. Gimme your black card so I can start a tab.” He smiled and obliged, digging into his back pocket and pulling out his wallet. Once you handed the card to the bartender, he walked away and Decks came up beside you.

“Oh, we’re definitely pushing that card to the limit tonight.”

You laughed and nodded with her. “Agreed.”

You sat under Bucky’s arm in the booth, watching Steve teach Decks how to play pool. Little did he know, Decks was even better than you, in fact, at all games you played.

You laughed into your empty beer glass and reached for the pitcher to refill it when you saw Curtis leaning over the bar.

“It’s been forever. I can’t believe he went back over there.” You noted. “Something must’ve caught his eye.” You knew exactly what. It was someone.

When Curtis had come to join the four of you at the table earlier, Bucky had made a toast. “To new friends and the safety of Honeybee.”

Everyone clinked their glasses together. “To Honeybee.” You giggled as everyone took a sip and Curtis was gone the next second.

He claimed a seat at the bar and hadn’t moved since, making heart eyes at the new bartender. You were happy for him. He worked so hard, he deserved this kind of break, and she seemed sweet.

Bucky nodded along to your previous statement, but you could tell something else in the corner had drawn his attention. You were an hour in and Bucky had already probably doubled the rounds you’d taken.

He looked at you with a mischievous glint in his eye. “I’m gonna ride the mechanical bull.” You put a hand on his chest and could feel his speeding heartbeat.

“Slow down. Learn how to ride a horse first, champ. And then, maybe you can do it.”

Bucky shook his head, not wanting to hear what you had to say as he slid out of the booth and walked past the bar, slapping a hand on Curtis’s shoulder as he made his way to the mechanical bull on the far end.

You rose from your seat as Steve and Decks set down their pool cues, following you to stand by Curtis. The four of you, along with the new bartender, watched as Bucky spoke to the operator and got up on the bull. Steve and Decks were clapping and shouting words of encouragement while you looked on in terror. This man could literally not sit on a stationary horse by himself, and he wanted to ride the bull? Well, no use in trying to talk him down now.

You could hear Curtis through the other screams coming around you. “Buck, hold on tight! I am not carrying you up the stairs again if you get knocked down.”

You laughed at that as you began to clap, a huge, yet tentative, smile beaming on you face in anticipation of what was about to go down. The bull started off slow, rocking Bucky back and forth, but it picked up quickly. You watched as his body began to flail, the bull whipping around until it spun, launching him off to the side from the inertia.

The whole bar began to cheer and whoop. He lasted 8.7 seconds.

Another hour later found you and Decks standing by the bar, sipping another drink the bartender who Curtis called ‘Cherry’ had made for you. You were talking about the two mob bosses over at the pool table. Well, you knew what they were, but Decks didn’t yet, although you believed she and Curtis had their suspicions.

You jolted with excitement when a familiar song came through the speakers.

“Oh! You love this one! You remember the dance I showed you in college? I think you’ve got some new guests to teach!” You looked over to Decks as she playfully rolled her eyes.

You danced your way over to Bucky and dragged him out on the dance floor, catching Steve having an animated conversation across the bar on your way over.

You spun Bucky around and pulled him close. “You ready to learn, cowboy?”

Bucky laughed, taking his hat off and putting it on your head. “Lead the way, partner.”

You two-stepped around the dance floor with the music, keeping your eyes on the top of Bucky’s head as he stared down at your feet, trying not to step on them. Unsuccessfully, you might add, but it was adorable to see him trying to fit himself into another part of your world.

“I think it’s time for a break.” This came after a particularly hard stomp on your big toe, you holding in a yelp and Bucky sheepishly looking up at you as he guided you both back to the bar.

Another drink later, and you were spry as a young calf, ready to go for a round of line dancing.

“Come on Bucket, let’s go boot scoot!” Your voice grew louder with another drink, and Bucky was already three sheets to the wind.

After the two intensive rounds, you both flopped down into the booth, Bucky slumped with his head on your shoulder and arm wrapped tightly around your waist. He was being surprisingly affectionate, speaking against your neck.

“How are you so good at everything?” He mumbled. You stroked his hair and kissed the top of his sweaty head, looking around the bar for your friends. You spotted Decks an Steve making their way over to you from where they had just been chatting with Curtis.

You continued to pet Bucky’s head. “If you guys are, I think we’re ready to go. Bucket here is gonna need one for himself. If we get another drink, I fear he might puke.”

Steve bent down to get a better look at Bucky’s face, flicking him in the temple. Bucky’s face scrunched up in annoyance as he sloppily threw out an arm, swatting at Steve.

Steve stood back up. “Yeah, I think we’re good to go, too. Curtis is gonna stay through closing to give Cherry a ride home. I can drive your truck, though. We already closed out the tab.”

He held out his hand and you tossed him the keys. Steve stuffed them in his pocket as you did your best to shove Bucky’s dense, muscular body out of the booth. You watched as Steve bent down and lifted Bucky over his shoulder.

“Steeb, you’re so strong.” You faintly heard Bucky whisper.

Steve chuckled and adjusted him in a fireman’s carry and took him out of the bar, Decks ahead to get the doors.

You hopped up in the back of the truck to help as Steve tossed Bucky in behind you and drove home. Upon arriving, Steve lifted Bucky again, this time setting him down in his bed.

Bucky woke up to the sound of laughter, causing his head to bounce slightly. He looked up and hardly opened his eyes to see your smiling face.

You were laying on your back, propped up against some pillows. Bucky’s arm was slung across your stomach, his leg thrown to be in between yours and his head nestled in your chest.

“I can’t believe you crawled into bed with me.” Bucky smirked and spoke through his cheek smushed against you.

You laughed even harder. “Bucky, what are you talking about? This is my room. You crawled into bed with me.”

His eyes grew wide before he closed them again in satisfaction, nestling in closer to you, getting more comfortable.

“I don’t know when or how that happened, but I’ll own it.” A soft, sleepy smile took over his face.

You continued to stroke his hair. “Despite your rough exterior you put on for strangers, you’ve really got a way with people, ya know? Like when you helped the Carters and got us those free drinks?”

Bucky hummed and squeezed your waist tighter.

“Decks told me you helped them out again. They offered to pay for drinks last night, too?” Bucky nodded.

“Well it’s not as easy as it seems, Honey. But yeah, she thought we were best friends, Mrs. Carter. She even called me Jamie.”

You looked down as Bucky began to trace shapes against the bare skin under your sleep shirt. “Jamie? I like that. What’s wrong with that?”

“Well, nothing’s really wrong, I guess, it’s just that no one has called me that since my ma. It’s kinda reserved for someone special… But I do like the way it sounds coming from you.”

He turned to kiss your palm that had made its way to his cheek.

“Okay, Jamie.”

Next >

Bonus A/N: I’m not sorry for my hate of hydrangeas. They suck.

Series Taglist:

@scuzmunkie @openup-yourmind @vicmc624 @hawkeyes-queen @blackhawkfanatic @morgthemagpie @buckybarnessimpp

[skywalker1dream]

part of the stuck with the stranger series

Title:Unexpected Connections

part one | part three

note: hello, how are you guys hope you are having a good day or night, my day is fantastic so far I driking my second cup of coffee exams are coming and writing those fics kind of helping me to relive my stress (even tho I have so little time for myself) so this is part 2 of stuck with the stranger and I changed many things cause I didn't liked my previous writing and add plot twist too ( I don't know if it is a good plot twist tho my friend saw it coming mile away, but maybe its because she knows me better then I know myself, okay I won't bore you even more and I hope you like it <3

Summary: Carlos Sainz and the reader's romance takes an unexpected turn when it's revealed she's the little sister of Carlos's best friend, Lando Norris. As secrets unravel, they must navigate the complexities of their relationship. Will love conquer all, or will fate intervene?

warnings: none, I guess?

The first date with Carlos was like stepping into a fairy tale. The soft glow of candlelight illuminated the intimate restaurant as you sat across from him, lost in conversation that flowed effortlessly between you.

"So, tell me something about yourself that I wouldn't learn from twitter," Carlos said, leaning forward with genuine interest.

You chuckled, feeling a warmth spread through you at his easy charm. "Well, I have a secret talent for making the world's best pancakes," you confessed with a grin.

Carlos's eyes lit up with amusement. "Really? I'll have to put your skills to the test sometime. My pancake game could use some serious improvement."

The laughter that followed was infectious, filling the air with a sense of warmth and comfort. As the evening progressed, you found yourselves diving deeper into conversation, exploring topics ranging from your favorite childhood memories to your wildest dreams for the future.

Hours passed in the blink of an eye, and before you knew it, the restaurant was closing around you. Reluctantly, you and Carlos said your goodbyes, promising to meet again soon.

........

On your second date, Carlos surprised you by taking you to a local amusement park. The sound of laughter filled the air as you rode roller coasters and indulged in cotton candy.

"This is amazing," you exclaimed, your heart racing with excitement as you clutched Carlos's hand tightly on the Ferris wheel.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Carlos replied, a smile playing on his lips as he looked at you fondly. "I've been wanting to take you here since our first date."

As the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange, you leaned against Carlos's shoulder, feeling a sense of contentment wash over you. In that moment, surrounded by the bright lights and joyful laughter of the amusement park, you knew that this was where you were meant to be.

The evening ended with a cozy dinner at a nearby cafe, where you and Carlos shared stories and laughed until your sides hurt. It was a night you would never forget, a perfect blend of excitement and intimacy that left you craving more.

.....

dates followed, each one more memorable than the last. From picnics in the park to late-night stargazing sessions, you and Carlos reveled in each other's company, savoring every moment you spent together.

One evening, Carlos surprised you by taking you to a quaint bookstore nestled in the heart of the city. You spent hours browsing the shelves, exchanging book recommendations and sharing snippets of your favorite passages. It was a simple yet meaningful date, one that allowed you to connect on a deeper level.

As you walked hand in hand through the quiet streets, the night air filled with the soft glow of streetlights, you couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the man beside you. In Carlos, you had found not only a romantic partner but also a kindred spirit, someone who understood you in a way that no one else ever had.

.....

But amidst the blissful haze of new love, there was a looming complication, one that neither of you had anticipated. It all came to a head one week later, on a race weekend, when Lando brought you to the paddock, and Carlos's world collided with yours in an unexpected twist of fate.

As you walked through the bustling paddock beside Lando, Carlos's familiar figure came into view, his brown eyes widening in shock as he caught sight of you.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his tone laced with confusion as he approached.

Before you could respond, Lando stepped forward, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "Carlos, meet my little sister," he said, gesturing towards you. "She wanted to see what all the fuss was about."

Carlos froze, his expression shifting from confusion to disbelief in the span of a heartbeat. His gaze darted between you and Lando, realization dawning on him like a bolt of lightning.

"Your sister?" he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. "But... but I had no idea... that you....."

You watched as the shock registered on Carlos's face, his features contorting with a mix of disbelief and dawning realization. It was as if the ground had shifted beneath his feet, leaving him adrift in a sea of uncertainty.

In that moment, you knew that nothing would ever be the same again. The revelation had shaken Carlos to his core, casting a shadow over the fragile bond you had built together. And as you stood there, caught between past and present, you couldn't help but wonder what the future held in store for you and Carlos.

.....

[hoeforhao]

🏷 Kidult ▪︎Choi Seungcheol Fic▪︎ Epilogue

↷ pairing: dad!seungcheol × fem!reader (feat!jeonghan)

↷ genre: heavy angst, fluff towards the end, mentions of childhood trauma, sort of arranged marriage? cheol and reader have a daughter together, lots of dad seungcheol content!!!

↷ summary: can trying to relive the childhood you never got to experience, through your daughter be the reason of your husband's irk?

↷ part: 4/4 pt.1, pt.2, pt.3

↷ w.c: 1.03K

↷ author's note: originally I didn't plan on any epilogue to the series as I was like 'eh let me just end it with some smut'. But after reading the reviews I realized that few wanted a closure with some fluffy content! So here it is. A happy ending to my most loved series♡

“Yah Hana stop running away!” you’ve been sprinting after your two year old ball of mischief for the past couple of minutes, with various failed attempts of trying to make her gulp down the last few drops of the butterscotch shake that took almost thirty minutes to make, just because it was the only way you could manage get some milk into her system.

She has completely inherited her dad’s genes when it comes to annoying the shit out of you!!! Sometimes you really wonder whether she is even your daughter or not, because be it her boba eyes, or the way she sulks into a pout whenever you refuse to give her pickies, her juicy pink lips, the little peets, all are literal second copies of her dad. “ Was it you or me who carried her for 9 months CHOI SEUNGCHEOL” you internally curse at him whenever you look you two’s sweetest berry.

You were about to give up on this mission of feeding Hana when you suddenly felt a heavy pair of arms wrap oh so gently around your tummy, chin resting into the crest of your neck. “Don’t stress out your mother like this baby. Aren’t you daddy’s good girl, hmm?” Seungcheol’s face moves from the nest of your shoulder’s to his now slightly guilt stricken daughter’s face.

“You wanna be able to carry your little brother, right? Be a good elder sister for him?” his palms now ghost over the swell in your belly, carefully caressing the bump as if trying to pat his little champ, the new and beautiful addition to his small happy family, his son upon whom he’s ready to shower all the world’s love. Definitely not more than his princess tho-

Hana’s face was stricken with a view of remorse topped with the excitement from the mere thoughts of being able hold her small brother in her own soft arms, play with him, dress him up for her playtimes and most importantly be the home he can always rely on after his parents, even though she herself was just a child.

“Yes yes yes i want to be the best sister for Siu. I’ll be right, dada?” her doe eyes instantly light up, awaiting her father’s approval onto whether or not she will be the best elder sister for the new ball of happiness entering all three of you’s life.

“YAH YOU TWO ALREADY DECIDED THE NAME? Who will ask the mother hmph!!!!” you push off Cheol’s hands from your bump and turn around to now face the slightly laughing face of your husband, corners of his lips turning up into a slight curve, as if smiling at your angy face.

Seungcheol’s heart was swelling from the view before him; his wife, the bane of his existence, looking at him with that sulky pout, the one he loves so dearly, the one that makes him wanna kiss her then and there, that peaceful face of her that felt like home to him, adorned with fluffed up chipmunk cheeks and skin all glistening like snow from the pregnancy glow…while his daughter, the apple of his eyes, stood behind her, smiling wide like the brightest ray of light.

“I wanted the name to be a surprise for you, as Siu brought in new beginnings to the family that was falling apart! But looks like someone can’t keep secrets huh.” Cheol moves past you to pick up Hana in his arms, swaying her around and putting her in air jail as a punishment for disclosing his long thought gift to you, while you fondly look at them; isn’t this is the sight you’ve always wanted to cherish… your own happy and content family. Since that night at the resort, your life finally took a the turn you’ve wishing upon for years. Seungcheol started treating you as a literal cloud, too fragile to touch, taking you on the cutest dates every weekend even if he’s drowned with work, showering with love, hugs and kisses at every chance he gets….and most significantly adore you like a completely love stricken man whenever you acted as a kid alongside your little muffin. As Hana’s giggles echoed around the walls followed by her dad’s soft laughs, the only thing you could think to yourself was “This house is finally a home”

The entire day went by like this with your daughter’s shenanigans and her father supporting all the little tricks she kept on pulling on you. Annoying you is really the father-daughter duo’s best hobby!!! The sunlight was bidding its last goodbyes as you busied yourself in the kitchen, trying to put down a good feast for the guests….who were about to knock at any moment now.

A ring of the bell and you quickly realize who it could be. Pulling off your apron in seconds, you literally run towards the door, arms wide open to greet none other than the Yoon Jeonghan, aka your annoying ass devil spawn of a bestfriend. The moment the long haired man sees your figure waiting for him at the doorway, he wraps his hands around your torso tightly, a bit too tight for your now swelled up belly, earning him a hard smack on his non existent butt.

“You’ll suffocate the baby, you idiot” you playfully slap Han’s shoulders while welcoming his wife alongside the two year old version of your friend aka his daughter Byul. “Instead of being thankful to me you’re hitting me dumbo. Afterall it was my evil plan that led to you being round with Cheol’s child now right!!! Such an ungrateful friend you’re y/n”

You truly had no comeback for Han’s words this time as for the first ocassion the man was speaking completely correct facts. It was indeed because of the vacation he planned that Seungcheol apologized to you for his mistreatment, made you believe that he will wait to earn your trust and love,heal the broken relationships and gift you the family and home you’ve always craved for.

[frozenmoonshine]

Ok, so, I just randomly decided to make a list of Top 10 hottest (male) TR charcters... No idea why, it just popped in my head, lmao.

I wrote this 97% for the lolz, so don't take it too seriously.

So, here it is:

Top 10 Hottest Guys of Tokyo Revengers

10. MITSUYA - It's common knowledge that he's the Husband Material ™️ of the series! He was introduced as this responsible, mature, reliable guy with a somewhat eccentric hobby, and you may be into the cool, calm, collected, talented, kind ones, who're good with kids and house chores, but you can't convince me that your ovaries didn't do a happy little backflip with his glow-up in the last arc! You just know he's a little devil behind that whole boy-next-door act. 😏

9. SHIN - Ok, throughout the most part of the story, he was just Mikey's dead brother, who Mikey himself led us to believe was weak, generally lame, and a hopeless loser with women. Then we got the flashback chapters in the last arc, and what did we see? Capable, hardworking, caring, loving, selfless, persistant man, strong both in a fight and in holding his ground. Hell, he cared for vegetative Mikey for four years, pretty much all alone, sacrificing his own dreams and life in the process. Also, black turtlenecks and bomber jackets. That's all I'm gonna say.

8. HANMA - Who doesn't love a bit of occasional insanity?! The ultimate troll, both in the verse and in the fandom, tricked us all good! That's just how bored he was. Annoying, completely random and unpredictable, grinning madman who's only there to watch the world burn, by setting it ablaze with his own hotness! I mean, tall, tattoed, well dressed, cocky, handsome bastard, with sleepy eyes, anyone?! I hate the fact that he's giving an inexplicably strong 'boyfriend vibe'! But, I just wanna call him 'Shuuji'... 🤭

7. HAKKAI - This cutie is criminally underrated and slept on! I know Wakui did him dirty by not giving him a more complex personality than just a Mitsuya simp, but look at him! Tall, handsome, strong, blue eyes, lip scar, piercing. No wonder he ended up with a modeling career! And on top of the stunning looks, he's just a pure, shy baby! �� Makes you wanna tease and corrupt the hell out of him! 🤭 Besides, his implied clinginess and loyalty suggest he's a keeper, and if that isn't hot, I don't know what is!

6. MIKEY - The definition and the school example of that old proverb - the strongest poisons are kept in the tiniest flasks. Yes, having incredible fighting prowess is hot, being a capable leader is hot, having endless authority is hot, being "emo" is hot, being painfully cute is hot... We don't care that he's pocket sized (and mentally unstable), with his endless charisma, our favorite gang leader very well deserved his place on this list!

5. WAKA - Simply, he's sexy and he knows it. And we know it. You know it. Your grandma knows it. Everyone knows it. Teen or adult, law abiding citizen or a crime lord, the White Leopard could make anyone anywhere fall for him at the snap of his fingers! ...if he only cared enough to do so, tho.

4. KOKO - Intelligent, smart, sassy, sarcastic, and plain insolent = perfection. This cheeky, well-read, super stylish, handsome motherfucker had us fawning over his strong, passion-driven personality, hidden under the cool façade. What's not to love about a blindly devoted guy?! It doesn't matter if it's the devotion to a cause or a person he deems important (#lucky Inui siblings). But fair be fair, that habit of sticking his tongue out should be X rated...

3. BAJI - If his fiery, man-among-the-men personality, undying loyalty, and endless kindness aren't enough to make you burn like a car, just take a look at that perfectly chiseled face, cocky smirk, and glorious raven locks! Still not convinced? Well, you're either blind, dead, or not into guys at all! We should actually be grateful that his adult version was only ever shown at the very last chapter, cause anything more than that would have been beyond too hot to handle!

2. KAZUTORA - There's just something indescribably magnetic about the whole "redeemed sinner" trope, and that alone would have been enough to get him a spot on this list! But since he also happens to have the handsomest face in the show, a beauty mark under the eye, the cutest smile, a piercing, a tattoo, and a fair amount of badassery and strength, it all sums up to the total of our dear banana tiger being the runner-up!

1. HARUCHIYO - Does this one really need any explanation? Pathological loyalty is beyond hot, wearing a mask is hot, scars are super hot (as already established), suits are hot, piercings are hot, long lashes are hot, pale blond/albino is hot, green eyes are hot, skillfully wielding a sword is hot, smarts are hot, being a little bit deranged is hot... the list could really go on for days, there's literally nothing about him that doesn't make him hot. "...Being a homicidal maniac and a drug addict?" No, he's excused for all red flags on the account of pretty privilege!

[bitwynn]

Not a fan

A SAGAU Impostor AU Songfic

Song used: Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

...so I caved. Yep. Starting a new series even though i already have one. To be fair, i felt like i needed a break from that series since that beast needs a whole lotta world building and im planning for it to get into some heavy fucken subjects. This one tho is more chill and light-hearted, since theyre all just a bunch of kind of disconnected one shots that are all kind of connected. So like-- when this series gets a lil longer, you can literally start from any fic since its all connectedly disconnected. A better example was my original idea of me just writing the end goal where they finally defeat the impostor like-- directly after the Castaway fic to rlly show how connectedly disconnected it is but i refrained myself since i wanted to write more wanderer. Been playing as him a lot but i havent rlly done the archon quest yet lol but hes just a blast. Hes an annoying lil shit (affectionate)

Blue for Barbara, Yellow/Gold for Zhongli, Green for Wanderer, red for Diluc, Italics is Reader/General, Combined is Everyone. Colors only used for singing parts.

---

Is this the real life?

You were running again, the spears and arrows of the Millelith chasing you all across Liyue.

Is this just fantasy?

Zhongli was by your side, steadfast as a rock as he shielded you from their weapons-- both with his Jade Shields and his body.

Caught in a landslide,

A loose rock almost sent you tumbling down into the depths of the Chasm, Barbara grabbing you just in time.

No escape from reality.

Diluc recognizes the path you were taking towards Tiangong Gorge, immediately rushing off to the Chasm's Maw and letting loose Dawn-- his phoenix rising up into the sky like a blazing beacon, just buy the rest of you more time. He'll rejoin you once again, he knows the path you'd take. He's your main afterall.

Open your eyes,

The three of you make it, the relief from seeing the glow of the blue Waypoint almost bringing you to your knees.

Look up to the skies and see,

You stumble in, Barbara hauling your arm over her shoulder as Zhongli collapses the tunnel behind you. You may be Overseer of Teyvat but he is the Overseer of Liyue, and its stones still answers to his call. There is nothing left but the browns and greens that creep towards the borders of Liyue.

I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy,

Your little group exit the cavern, the fresh air of the rainforest cooling the sweat on your backs and you see Haypasia's "little neighbor" peeking up from behind a leaf.

Because I'm easy come, easy go,

The tiny Aranara, though a little hesitant that more people could see him now, takes your hand and guides you through Avidya Forest. Thank goodness you had caved from your siblings nagging and finally done at least a part of the Sumeru quest.

Little high, little low,

You were still unfamiliar with the lands of Sumeru, trusting your little lettuce friend to lead you to a place of safety, of rest.

Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me,

Lettuce, as you had affectionately named him, lead you all deep into the rainforests of Sumeru all while deftly avoiding the little village of forest rangers and the rangers themselves. You hadn't said a word to him but you knew, deep in somewhere, that he would be leading you somewhere safe. Somewhere protected.

Though this... wasn't what you expected.

To me.

He turns to your group, the smell of tea faintly wafting from the pot he was tending. "I don't think I need to introduce myself, do I?"

-

After the short but silent panic that washed over the three of you (it took the you and Barbara 5 minutes to even get a centimeter pulling Vortex Vanquisher out the cave wall while Zhongli aggressively apologized to him), the four of you were sat on the floor watching the Wanderer tend to the bubbling pots of food he was making.

There was a strange... very not tense(?), and very awkward energy in the air as he set aside cups and bowls for all of you, his own cup still full with steaming almost black water. Zhongli was very noticeably trying not to stare at his oversteeped tea.

Little Lettuce had already left, presumably to keep an eye on the area or watch out for Diluc. You didn't want to use him as a shield or a way to break the ice or something but god-- the energy in the air was just so uncomfortable.

You all watched Wanderer in this terse silence prepare your food, his soft chopping of the grilled unagi sounding like death knells in your cave. He took each of the bowls he set out, placing a considerable amount of rice in each and a small handful of dried seaweed and sesame seeds. Bringing out a jar of umeboshi from his inventory, he placed each slab of unagi with a single umeboshi atop the bed of rice and seaweed.

He pours out the tea onto the rice, 1, 2, 3... and stops. He cocks his head. Frowns.

"Wasn't there supposed to be four of you?"

And the silence was broken.

"W-well, little lettuce already left--"

"Not the aranara-- wait, you named him lettuce? Tsk, whatever. Where's the other one? The red one?"

"Oh, uhm, Diluc?"

He nods, the small scowl on his face almost carved into him. You feel your face heat as you turn your face away from him.

"He ran off. To the Maw. Let out his burst as a diversion to buy us time --but he'll find us. He'll come back. He knows the way, he knows how I think, he knows what I'll do. He'll come back."

Wanderer sighs, disappearing the extra bowl. You're not sure whether you said all that to stop his retort or to diminish your own worry.

You're shaken from your thoughts by Barbara holding your hand. She gives it a squeeze, and you squeeze back, thankful for the comfort.

"Are you just gonna keep staring at your food or do you want to die of both exhaustion and starvation?"

"Okay, eating now!"

You're handed a warm bowl of Shimi Chazuke, Wanderer's specialty. It didn't look like its in game icon, only having the plump umeboshi on top of a bed of rice and seaweed with the pale tea glistening in the light. But you had come to learn that many things in game didn't translate directly, there sure as hell no quest or mention of a "Divine Overseer, and yet-- and yet.

You bring the bowl up to your face, the warmth soaking into your aching, tired hands and its steam gently caressing your face. You mix a portion of the rice together with the tea, scoop it up, and put it into your mouth.

And practically turn into jelly at the taste.

"Umai...!" you moan, savoring the taste of it all.

The fresh rice soaked in the bitter tea tasted amazing, each bite slowly turning into a different flavor as the oils and sauce from the grilled unagi gradually mixed in with the rice. Cutting up a bit of the eel with your spoon, you mix it with the rice and your mouth burst with deliciousness.

The eel was grilled to perfection, plump and juicy and flaky. And with the addition of the tea, it introduced flavors you hadn't even imagined from a simple grilled fish.

As you were about to burst that plump little plum, the Wanderer stopped you, a strange look on his face. He handed you a handkerchief.

"Wipe your face, the flavor's gonna be off if you mix it with your tears."

Stunned, you took the handkerchief. "Oh."

It... had been a long time since you've eaten good food and found a place to rest. Too long.

You hold it close to your chest, eyes squeezed shut as you tried to calm down. After a moment, you wipe away the sweat, and tears, and snot, and grime that had accumulated on your journey. It had been such a long time since you first found kindness in this world, even if that kindness came from an emotionally stunned automaton designed to be a god.

You chuckled to yourself, a wet little thing, as you realize that you kept weeping harder and harder with each swipe of the cloth. You bury your face in it, the handkerchief practically soaked with your tears as you take a few calming breaths to finally stop your tears.

"I'm... I'm sorry, I-- its been a while since I've... yeah. Uhm..."

You take a breath, still wet with your snot. "I, uh... I'm gonna keep this, I uh-- ruined it. I'll, I'll clean it though! If you want it back."

Wanderer, handily ignoring your breakdown just earlier, cringes in disgust. "No thanks. Keep it, you need it more than me if you decide to bawl your eyes out again."

Despite the harshness of it, you soften, tucking the offending handkerchief away. "Thanks." "Don't ever mention it."

He reclines back into his little designated space in your cave, and hesitantly stokes the fire with his anemo vision. You pick your unfinished bowl of chazuke, umeboshi still waiting to be eaten. It was good to know that at least there was a few things that didn't change now that you're here.

"Are you finished yet? Stop gawking at your food and finish it so I can do the dishes."

Yep, some things just never change.

You finally finish your meal with the silence in the cave now something much more comfortable, the crackling of the fire and the quiet rushing and clanking of dishes almost lulling you into a sense of "you don't have a bounty placed on your head and are definitely not running from anyone and everyone for fear of them betraying you and handing you over to your megalomaniacal doppelganger".

Wanderer, having lost the argument of who does the dishes against Barbara, was definitely not sulking in his little corner and absolutely not fiddling with his new(?) anemo vision. "So, why'd you come here to Sumeru anyways? I know you definitely were not looking for me, considering the fact you tried to impale my head on sight. Which to be fair," he chuckles at Zhongli's sheepish face, stood near the cavern entrance. "I would do the same."

You absentmindedly plucked the strings of your Windblume Lyre, the instrument becoming a sort of stimming/coping device, helping you deal with everything that had happened to you. He hummed to himself, the cogs turning in his head. "I can't think of any other reason why you'd come here-- finding and trusting in me is a huge gamble that you won," he clarified, turning away from Barbara's blank stare. "the ancient Khaenri'ahn technology scattered around Sumeru won't be of any use if you were considering taking the fight to your impostor, the Irminsul Tree could be a good reason but I can't see any way you'd use it to help you, though knowledge is always good to have anyways."

He scoffed, reclining into the dirt of your cave. "Archons, imagine how ridiculous it would be if you just ran here because you had no choice but to! Like a bunch of scared animals, ahaha!"

You slowly sink behind your lyre as he continues.

"In my time here, you're infamous for always evading their grasp-- heck, there's even an entire division of scholars here dedicated to just trying to figure out how in the world you do it. Some say you're a master at faking trails, some say you have some sort of... psychic power that lets you read the mind of your enemies so you can anticipate their moves."

He shrugs.

"Honestly, I'm more inclined to believe that last one-- in my brief time as your Vessel before your descent, you somehow managed to find information about me, despite my entire existence being wiped from the Irminsul Tree. Add to that the experiences that your other Vessels had, and it's a pretty compelling case." A sigh. "Shame that probing is one-sided though, a peek into the mind of the 'Divine Deceiver' or 'Overseer' or whatever fancy title you call yourself would be quite intriguing. Who knows what schemes are you cooking up in there. Now tell me,"

He straightens, eyes boring into yours from where you were, at this point, hiding in shame behind your lyre. "why are you here in Sumeru?"

"Aha... ha... haaa..." If you had a pyro vision, your face would be on fire by now. You had to turn away, the warmth of embarrassment creeping down your neck. "Well, uhm..." You clear your throat, gulping as you try to even find the words to explain how much of a legitimately normal person you are, who was practically forced to grow brain cells specifically for scheming because if you didn't you would die.

"So, uh...ah he he he... heh..." you take a breath, a shaky grin on your lips. "So, you know how reality is sometimes stranger than fiction?"

He raises an eyebrow.

"Well..."

You vaguely gesture, hoping that your flailing would get your message across.

He stares at you. He stares some more. He blinks.

"No."

"Yeah."

"No..."

"Yeah...

"NO."

"YEAH--"

His mouth drops in shock as he tries to process what you're implying. The rumors painted a... much prettier and mightier picture of you than the both of you thought.

"I-- you-- wha-- how-- what?!"

He takes a breath, chest rising despite his lack of a need for air. He pinches the bridge of his nose, and you get the feeling that he's restraining himself from grabbing you by the shoulders and shaking you stupid.

"So, you're telling me. That the 'Divine Deceiver' and their little posse made of a literal god, the once-captain of Mondstat's Knights of Favonius, and Mondstat's most renowned healer idol, have, quite literally, been running around like rats all over Teyvat and somehow, somehow staying alive by a thread?!"

"I KNOW MAN, I HAVE NO IDEA HOW WE'RE STILL ALIVE--"

"Oh my--"

He begins to growl, a black orb of anemo energy collecting in his palm. You squeak as you try to scramble to your feet, his face full of rage.

And the whirling winds in your cavern suddenly stops, Wanderer dismissing the dark energy in his hand. "Oh, relax."

He blows a raspberry at you, as you groan and sit back down. You bring your lyre back out from where you unconsciously disappeared it and clutch it like a lifeline.

"God, I never knew your idle could be that scary."

"...Idle?"

Barbara waves off his question, a sheepish expression on her face as she fixes her curls back into place. "Its... complicated. You'll learn more about it as you travel with us." She hands him the used and cleaned bowls and utensils. "You... will travel with us, right?"

He scoffs, taking the bowls and disappearing them with a flash of light. "Of course I will. Its literally in my name. Besides, I have nothing that ties me down anymore so I might as well wander with you guys."

She smiles at him, ever sweet and ever kind. She settles back down near the fire, drying her soaking hands. Though Zhongli is still taking watch by the cavern entrance, you could see the slightest look of pleased approval in his face. "Though if you are going to be travelling and running from the law with me, we need to make a plan instead of scurrying around like rats."

And at that, the entire cavern groans in exhaustion. "Not now, please." "We'd like to have some rest first, Wanderer!" "Please, fuck, no-- I've had enough scheming for 3 thousand years--"

"Wait, so you did have a plan going into Sumeru?!"

You wave him off, hands going to rest back upon the strings of your trusty lyre. "Well, it was more of like... a guideline? A safety net? We had a couple ideas on what to do if we ever ended up in Sumeru and we, yknow, ended up in Sumeru so we'll probably do that."

You pluck a couple strings as you remember what you "planned". "I hadn't finished the Sumeru main quest yet and I hadn't unlocked all of the Statues of the Seven yet either. We were thinking of unlocking all the Statues first since, without them, my 'all-encompassing' game map is jack shit here in Sumeru, and then we were thinking of finishing the main quest to both progress the story and better the... political? climate here along with a few other benefits. After that..."

You make a face, much more aggressively playing at your lyre. "We really didn't want to split up the party but, I kinda wanna finish the main story quest in the Chasm but also we need to collect all the Dendroculous and Electroculous for more stamina and stuff. But also, I kinda wanna visit Dragonspine since..." You let yourself trail off, the makings and ideas of plans evident in your voice.

Wanderer merely stares at you for a moment, the game terms flying over his head as Barbara mouths at him, "I'll tell you about it later". You sigh, dreading the planning of tomorrow as your fingers calm on the strings. "But, we can plan tomorrow. Please. We almost died multiple times again." He sighs, relenting. "At least you have the skeleton of a plan."

"Yes!"

Humming, you sink into the soft ground, thanking the soils of Teyvat for giving you some comforts in this trying time. What little grass in the cave caresses you in gratitude, as you pluck at your instrument.

The Wanderer sighs, as he prepares a small pot of tea. "You've been messing with that thing all night and its about to grate at my ears. Do you even know how to play?"

You chuckle a bit, sheepish as you hand the lyre over to Barbara who plays a quick, jaunty tune with a flourish. "Well, I can sing...?"

He sighs again, bowing his head and resigned to the confirmation that you were much more... ridiculous than the gossip and rumors painted you as. "Then why are you the one with the lyre?"

You shrug as Barbara starts up another little song. "Gives me something to do with my hands. Helps me calm down. Diluc and Barbara have been teaching me though when we have the time."

Your soft smile at Barbara's song turns cheeky as you turn to him. "Wanna hear what they've taught me?"

"Sure, better than forcing this inane conversation."

You giggle maniacally as you smile at Barbara, the singer immediately catching your drift. "Follow me?" "To the ends of the earth."

You laugh, as she tunes the instrument to the right notes. "Not like that you sap!" "I know, I know! But yes, of course. His song right?"

You nod. "Yep."

"'My' song...?" Wanderer tilts his head in confusion, before realization dawns on his face.

"Hey, just because it has my-- ...that name, does not immediately mean its 'my song'."

The two of you handily ignore his slip up, you drinking some water in preparation for singing and Barbara testing the lyre if its in tune. "Oh, please," you say, sitting up. "you haven't even heard the full thing yet! It's definitely your song."

He sighs, leaning back against the cavern wall. "Very well then. Indulge me."

-

You start, reciting the beginning "poem" from memory. Barbara watches and waits, fingers hovering above the strings. Wanderer cocks his head, clearly interested. She begins playing as you get halfway, the lyre an excellent substitute for the piano. You continue, the Wanderer scoffing a little at the poem's mention of a poor boy needing no sympathy, but you pay it no mind. He hasn't heard the rest of the song yet.

"Mama,"

Barbara picks up on her playing, wringing the lyre out for all its worth for those deep chords and piano-like sounds.

"Just killed a man,"

You summoned the small drum you bought from a merchant in Inazuma in preparation.

"Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger now he's dead,"

You close your eyes, swaying to the tune of the song.

"Mama, life had just begun,"

You didn't need to open your eyes to know that he's really listening now.

"But now I've gone and thrown it all away!"

You quickly tap on the drum, trying in vain to mimic the band's performance.

"Mama!, oooh,"

Zhongli was sat at the entrance with his legs crossed and humming along.

"Didn't mean to make you cry,"

Wanderer was still. You could almost hear the turning of the cogs in his mind.

"If I'm not back again this time tomorrow,"

The steady beat of the drum was a stark contrast to the deep, heavy feeling inside his chest.

"Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters."

His Vision pulsed, as his hand unconsciously came to caress it. Was this what it was like to have a heart?

Barbara's fingers were gentle on the strings as a set of footsteps approached the entrance of the cave. You could hear Little Lettuce's pitter-pattering and the dulcet tones of Zhongli and Diluc's voices as they catch up in the short time they've been separated.

"Too late, my time has come,"

He had closed his eyes, listening intently to the music as the waves of sound rocked him gently and deeply into his sea of memories.

"Sends shivers down my spine,"

He can see it now, those old fleeting moments of happiness before they were all ultimately destroyed.

"Body's aching all the time."

He could feel it, suddenly hyper aware of his joints and limbs. The feeling of phantom strings and hands pulling and pushing him like he was some puppet. (But it wasn't like he was ever anything else.)

"Goodbye, everybody. I've got to go,"

He could hear it, everyone's cries and wails of despair filling his ears as he sailed towards Inazuma City to beg the Shogunate (his mother) for mercy that they would not grant.

"Gotta leave you all behind to face the truth."

He could also hear the Doctor's cackling laughter as he began to weave his web of lies, webs that would replace the strings that she had put on him. That he had cut away.

"Mama!, oooh,"

He could see it, the light shining through the patches in the walls and the roof of that old hut. The kind and innocent smile on that sickly, young face.

"I don't wanna die,"

He could see it, red, red, red lapping up and eating away at the walls and roof of the house. Red, red, red all around them. As if he was asleep in a meadow of flowers. (or sinking into a pool of blood)

"I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all.!"

You all gave him his moment, deep in his sea of memories. Diluc was wordlessly playing the zither, an imperfect substitute for an electric guitar. He'd noiselessly joined into your impromptu concert after he was caught up on the situation by Zhongli who had promptly disguised the mouth of the cavern as some kind of rock formation.

As he played, you thought back to the Wanderer's words. To the moment you first heard him say that-- his character teaser. Your heart had clenched back then, tears pricking the corners of your eyes but you couldn't help chuckling at his words-- that ever iconic song playing in your head. But you know that there was nothing to chuckle about here, Wanderer holding the brim of his hat in an almost vice-like grip. His jaw is clenched.

You all silently agreed to let the solo drag on at least a little bit longer. He takes a sharp breath. (You all know its his way of saying his thanks.)

Barbara begins plucking the lyre in a jaunty little tune, and you couldn't help but crack a grin. The atmosphere's heavy, but it's beginning to lift anyway.

"I see a little silhouetto of a man,"

The Wanderer scoffs, already knowing the next few lines by heart thanks to you. You all readily ignore the wetness in his sound.

"Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the fandango?!"

You were surprised at everyone joining in. Wanderer especially, being caught so off-guard that he jumped in his seat. "For the nth time, no I won't!" Barbara giggles as you push onwards, a manic grin on your face.

"Thunderbolt and lightning!"

Diluc only smiles at the mildly disgruntled Wanderer, his Divine Overseer and Mondstadt's Deaconess having stood up to sing their hearts out. "I'm pretty sure that's not gonna be the last time you say that to them."

"Very, very frightening, me!"

The singing duo once again became lost in the music of the song, belting their hearts and lungs out for their one audience member. Said audience member could only crack a smile and reply, "I had a feeling."

"Galileo, Galileo,"

You had all but screeched out said scientist's name as you pointed to Zhongli. When faced with the Wanderer's incredulous look, he could only gain a fond look in his eyes, shrug and say, "You get used to it over time."

"Galileo, Galileo,"

"Wait, you're all used to this?!" Barbara's sheepish as she answers. "They sing as a coping mechanism. We kind of picked it up over time as well." Diluc shrugs again. "It's better than alcoholism."

"Galileo, Figaro! - Magnifico, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,"

Wanderer cringes-- despite this, a smile is growing on his face. "You don't have to vocalize the echoes, you imbecile!" You merely put a hand to your forehead, aiming to up the drama with your next lyrics.

"I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me,"

He feels the tug of old memories, of old traumas still clinging to his skin. But he pays them no mind, knowing he must march onwards to the future. A future paved by a ragtag group of wanted divine beings and important people that are beginning to worm his way into his chest.

"He's just a poor boy from a poor family,"

Oh no. He's feeling it again.

"Spare him his life from this monstrosity!"

He cannot help but watch you all sing.

Barbara's fingers fly on the strings.

"Easy come,"

He felt what he felt back then, before she had forsaken him.

"Easy go,"

He felt what he felt back then, before he was fooled into thinking he had left him-- left them.

"Will you let me go?"

He felt what he felt back then, before he was torn away from him with no bigger enemy to blame but his own mortality.

"Bismillah! No!"

It was affection. It was care.

"We will not let you go!

(Let him go!)"

Oh archons, he's starting to care.

"Bismillah! We will not let you go!

(Let him go!)"

For hundreds of years, he's hardened his heart and closed himself off from everyone and everything. Sworn to scrub himself clean of human emotions.

"Bismillah! We will not let you go!

(Let me go!)"

And yet, for those same hundreds of years, he had never fully closed himself off-- never fully scrubbed away the feeling of... feeling.

"Will not let you go! (Let me go!)"

He couldn't help but glance at those two, fingers flying across the strings of their instruments. Humans, can they really be trusted?

"Will not let you go! (Let me go!)

His eyes slowly drifted to the other two, one ancient and the other practically a newborn. Can the gods really make him feel anything other than loathing?

"Never let you go!

(Never, never, never let me go!)"

He takes in their entire performance, all of them being their pure, complete, and unadulterated selves. With no masks to keep on, or roles to maintain. Merely singing, and dancing, and playing these instruments just for the heck of it.

"Oh, oh, oh!

No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

For centuries, he has roamed this world-- seeing and meeting many new people, and yet never regarding any of them as his companions.

"Oh, mama mia, mama mia!"

Would he be able to regard these people as such?

"Mama mia, let me go!"

Would he be able to trust them, like the did with the others? To stay and not break their promises with him?

"Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me,"

Would he be able to hold on to them, and they not let go as they had been claiming over and over?

"For me!"

Well, he has no choice in the matter. He's stuck with them now, as wanted fugitives.

"For me!"

Only time will tell if they forsake him like those before him. At least he's safe in the comfort that the world had forsaken them as well. Just like him. He hopes that strange sort of kinship makes you understand. He hopes it makes you stay.

You whooped with joy as Barbara absolutely nailed that note, Diluc quickly shredding on the zither afterwards. You would've given it to Zhongli but-- the man hasn't played a guitar before. And you need a certain "je ne sais quoi" to really pull off what Queen was doing. ...Also, you needed the sound of a guitar for the song.

You glance back to the Wanderer, mostly silently listening this whole time. He was lightly bopping his hand to the beat. You smile, taking whatever victories you can get. "Beelzebub? Really?" You blow a raspberry at him, preparing for the next part of the song. "I'll tell you about it later!" You clear your throat.

"So, you think you can stone me and spit in my eye!"

Diluc hits that sick riff.

"So, you think you can love me and leave me to die?!"

Barbara, even if she's practically undetectable underneath Diluc's strumming and your-- excuse me, Zhongli's drum beating, is still managing to bring up and compliment every single one of you performing.

"Oh, baby!"

You swear, if you all weren't wanted fugitives forced to live on the LAM because of a crime you didn't commit, you'd be a killer band.

"Can't do this to me baby!"

You do gotta thank Zhongli for subtly swiping away the drums from you-- you frankly weren't quite sure how you'd be able to focus on giving this song the power ballad it deservers while also playing an instrument.

"Just gotta get out,"

Despite all your peeking on Wanderer for his opinions on the song and to check on his emotional state, you weren't exactly omniscient. You were, afterall, still performing and still getting lost in the music.

"Just gotta get right outta here!"

So you didn't notice the twinge of an... almost fond emotion lacing his face as he watches you rock out to this classic. What can you say, Diluc kills it on the zither.

The sound builds and builds, Barbara layering on top of it and you not being able to resist the urge to air guitar to it as it slowly reaches its crescendo... And crashes back down, Zhongli and Diluc humming along to the sound.

"Ooh, yeah, ooh, yeah,"

You gasp for breath, the end of the song finally coming up. Diluc's energetic playing slows down, signaling the finale.

"Nothing really matters,"

You feel sweat dripping down your skin, having danced and moved around-- possessed by the power of the song.

"Anyone can see,"

You lean your back against the cave wall, relishing in its coolness as you bring the song to a close.

"Nothing really matters... Nothing really matters, to me..."

You sigh as you sink, pleased and satisfied at everyone's performance.

"Any way the wind blows..."

Zhongli finishes it off with the rapping of the drum, mimicking a cymbal crash to his best ability. Barbara beams at the Wanderer, who looks like he's regretting singing along to that last part.

"So," you ask, out of breath. "what'cha think about the song?"

Wanderer waves off Barbara's tired but happy smile, poofing the fourth bowl back into existence and busying his hands. He prepares Diluc's Shimi Chazuke as he hums.

"Well, despite it being a complete emotional roller coaster and the utter gibberish that it contains, I suppose that its worthy being called 'my song', as you will."

"I'll fucking take it! Fives all around guys, good job!" You quickly double high five everyone in the group-- Zhongli letting you slam your hands down on his, Barbara being a quick pair of one-two taps, and Diluc just lightly bumping his full hands into yours. You turn to Wanderer, waiting for him to high five you. "You too, hat boy-- you joined in the song, you get some fives."

At least Diluc had the decency to look away when he huffed in amusement. "Hat boy?! Let me tell you, I've gone through many names and titles during my journey. And each one is more eminent than any ordinary mortal could ever imagine!"

As he said these words, his heart slowly sank to his feet as he saw the stupid, cheeky smile growing on your face. "Yes, yes... But! and I quote, 'they're all just water under the bridge to me now.

Call me whatever you like. Go ahead, let me see what you can come up with.'" The Wanderer's eye twitched.

"And that's the best you can come up with?! If you know me so well, oh, great Overseer, then you would very much know that I'm also telling you to not disappoint me! Tell me, All-Knowing Guide, am I not disappointed?!" You snorted, too tired from the day's events to feel any sort of proper fear and trepidation at this situation. "Then, I'll just keep thinking of names until something sticks, mushroom head." You pat his head. "Now, how in the world did you even get here Lulu?"

He sips from his bowl full of rice and tea. "Doro44 Sumeru Chasm sneakpeek. Would've gotten here faster if the place wasn't absolutely surrounded by treasure hoarders and Fatui. Had a bit of trouble finding it as well, since it was behind some rock walls." He grabs a small twig from the ground and starts drawing. "Its a sort of cave that's absolutely overgrown by giant roots." "You dare to ignore me?!"

You flash that same cheeky grin at him again. "We didn't ignore you, we just changed the subject!"

Nope, he takes it all back. He hates all of you.

---

AND THATS A FUCKING WRAP AUGHHHHHHHHH-- broooooo, you would not BELIEVE how hard this was to write. both because Bohemian Rhapsody is SUCH a long song but also because of SOOOO many outside circumstances. like BRUH i was supposed to release this like a day after my castaways fic but NOOOOOOOO-- life got so in the way man. my parents started breathing down my neck for chores, we had to visit my relatives in the province (still in the province btw lol), i got FUCKING SICK BECAUSE OF STRESS AND DUST ALLERGIES and i literally spent like-- my first few days sick making my sickness FUCKING WORSE since our house was literally covered in dust and i was the only one who could clean it fucking apparently. bro, i even spent this goddamn christmas fucking sick. ugh this has been such a hell week. literally the only comfort i found this week was all genshin related AHAHA-- i was playing genshin, visiting the SAGAU tag a lot, waiting for fanfics to update, just generally genshin brainrotting.

ugh thank god i finally released this one. i do have a lot of ideas for this down the road and hell dawg! i even got a request! thats the one thatll be coming up next. i wrote like-- a massive part of this sick and it got sOOOOO out of hand ever since i didnt get to finish it that day so i hope it sticks together well and is mostly coherent. enjoy!! :))

[calico-heart]

10 fandoms, 10 characters, 10 tags

Basic rules: choose 10 fandoms that you are part of/support, and choose a favorite character from each of those. Then, tag ten folks!

Thanks for the tag @briar-ffxiv :3 idk how i'm supposed to pick a single favorite out of all these tho cries. Obvious fandoms are up top, but some (maybe. a little.) less common ones show up further down!

FFXIV // Alisaie Leveilluer

I think she's one of the most dynamic characters in the series, and I love love love seeing her come out of her shell as the expansions go on. Her personal arc focuses so heavily on surviving grief and learning to keep an open heart even when faced with loss over and over again, and I appreciate how well that ties into the main storyline, too.

Fallout 4 // Piper Wright

My wife <333 Piper's reckless go-gettem attitude and propensity for ruffling feathers on her quest to out the baddies really endeared me to her. Finding her soft heart under all the bravado and banter is really rewarding, and I love how committed she is to standing for her ideals, even if it means standing alone. Fo4 has such a cool setting to get immersed in overall, and I really do enjoy all the 50s/60s US tropes thrown into the mix with it.

Reth // Palia

The epitome of making objectively horrible choices for arguably noble reasons. I love this walking disaster. He made me soup. I like how most of the Palia characters have more to them than meets the eye at first meeting, and how many ways they can surprise you as you build relationships with them. But gaining the disgraced pariah Reth's trust? Becoming someone he's brave enough to ask for help from? I treasure it above all the others LOL

Gale Dekarios // Baldur's Gate 3

I'm NOT going to essay I'm NOT going to essay I'm not -- But seriously I do adore this guy's arc. I like how messy it is, even if in more subtle ways than, say, Astarion (ilu too boo.) Gale has so many "gifted kid" trademarks and strikes me as someone who's entire self worth has been based on how useful or interesting he is to others. It's hard to fault him for his ambition, when his magical prowess was the only avenue he had to make meaningful bonds up until the whole tadpole nonsense. BG3 exceeded my wildest expectations out of an RPG and continues to do so every time I pick it up.

Anders // Dragon Age II

I feel obligated to say I don't really consider myself part of the DA fandom because every time I've poked my head in I've found it to be a wretched hive of scum and villainy with the most inane batshit discourse I've ever seen in my life. But the game itself? Love the game. Love the characters. Anders broke my heart. I really enjoyed his internal turmoil and the very literal ideological battle between justice and vengeance he faced throughout the game. I'll eat that up.

Obi-Wan Kenobi // Star Wars

He's baby.

I definitely pick and choose which installations of the behemoth that is the Star Wars franchise to consider canon, and like Dragon Age I try not to actually get involved in fandom spaces. Ever. But I love Obi-Wan's story in the prequels especially, and if you've followed me very long I'm sure you know how much I like my hurt/comfort and angst, which he has in spades.

Halo 1-3, ODST, & Reach // The Arbiter

I grew up on Halo and even have a little poseable model of this guy decorating my bookshelf. Halo's a shooter game first, of course, and I spent a good chunk of my childhood rerunning levels, and playing ninjanaut with friends on splitscreen. But its lore also fell into that sort of early TES space for me, where you had enough of an idea of the world for it to capture your imagination and inspire you, without being overwhelming to keep track of. The angst. The mystique. The badass alien with a glowing sword. 10/10. My Spartan OC is called Artemis and my brother has one named Ares and yes we did slay in PvP as teenagers.

Firefly // Simon Tam

Choosing Firefly is predictable af but thats ok. It still makes me ache wishing we got to know more about the world, the characters - and maybe that unfinished homesick feeling is part of the appeal. I loved watching Simon be so out of his depth in the frontier of space, but willing to giving up everything for someone he cared about and learning to make a new place for himself with Firefly's motley crew.

Mizu // Blue Eye Samurai

I was not prepared for this show to WRECK me like it did. I thought it was going to be a run of the mill cheesy samurai anime and GOD. The thoughtful, clever storytelling and dynamic characters knocked me on my ass. I couldn't stop watching. The cast is incredible, the art style is gorgeous. Every single aspect of this show ties into this theme of being caught between two worlds, and Mizu's story is one I am not going to forget any time soon. If you haven't watched this, you're missing out.

Mal // The Dog Master

I'm not sure there's even really a FANDOM for this book. I haven't ever met anyone else who'd even heard of it, let alone read it. But a fandom can just be me, occasionally pitching it desperately to friends, right? XD The story follows several tribes, but the "main" character is Mal, who was kicked out of his tribe and survives partly by befriending a wolf and raising it. It's pretty cleverly written, with several timelines converging at unexpected moments to offer up plot twists and tie-ins that really wouldn't have been possible if it was written another way. I'm a little geeky about it just for the structural approach. But there's honestly not enough good caveman books out there, and this one has a wide cast of unique and interesting characters who feel very human.

--

I will tag @ronqueesha @bogglebabbles-main @sayonaramidnight @traveleorzea @orime-stories @silentletterwords @ellastara @rinka-fortemps @eriyu @jameswrites

And anyone else who wants to! I'd love to see your lists! But no pressure ofc <3

[feuqueerfire]

GMMTV 2024 Part 2 Showcase

GMMTV 2024 Part 1 Reaction

April 23, 2024

When I watched Part 1 I was barely into series and watched certain trailers that I thought might be interesting but this time I'm planning on watching it live and am so into watching shows again.

The actors I'm actively following right now are Fourth and Gemini, along with some Phuwin (and by extension PondPhuwin) but none of them are getting ship work. So I'm mostly just gonna be there for the stories and concepts we get (though I'm curious about the GemPrim series and what Fourth is gonna be in). I hope I'm really excited by some concept (like The Warp Effect) or a cast/ship (like a surprise one).

Anticipation Ranking:

My Top 3:

The Heart Killers (BL) [omg KhaoFirst (and Joongdunk) in a show directed by Jojo where they commit crimes and possibly are there for nefarious reasons etc]

The Ex-Morning (BL) [KristSingto + exes-to-lovers ahhhhh]

US (GL) [it seems so moody and angsty and I love Emi's face]

Okay I lied it's Top 4:

Thame-Po (BL) [love a celebrity/idol romance and the trailer is so good and also I'm suddenly invested in William/Est]

Interested, will watch if it turns out well:

Hide & Sis (ensemble, women-focus, by Snap25, dark)

Revamp (BL) [hope they do the supernatural aspect well]

The Dark Dice (ensemble) [Alice in Wonderland vibes, hope it's done well]

Only if they get glowing reviews:

Ossan's Love TH (BL)

Friendshit Forever (messy - 2 pairs)

Break-Up Service

Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist (BL)

Not Really Interested:

Leap Day

Perfect 10 Liners (BL)

Scarlet Heart TH

Trailer-by-trailer thoughts below the cut.

Ended up waking up at 5:30am while the live started at 6:20am and the first trailer released at 6:35am lol

It’s fine tho bc my semester is over, i was afraid it’d happen before im done my exam or worse, on exam day.

Oh, Yfind project which looks for plots for novels and series? and some fandom name in Thailand?

Title: Ossan’s Life trailer

Pair: Earth/Mix

Did I know about this? Yes

Thoughts: omg? I didn’t realize Earth is the one who’s being pursued by Mix and the boss character, I thought it’d be Mix! this is fun. oh, putting on someone’s shoe scene. I finally know what the show is about because of The Conversation Podcast’s episode on it yesterday and this seems in line with the Japanese version. Very comedic, so we’ll see how it goes.

Title: Leap Day

Pair: Dew/Pahn, Pond & Gun

Did I know about this? No

Thoughts: Could be interesting but I’m not super into it yet because it doesn’t seem super developed yet beyond the concept of “people around them die.”

Title: The Heart Killers

Pair: Khao/First, Joong/Dunk

Did I know about this? Yes, specifically some sort of KhaoFirst series directed by Joni

Thoughts: I’M SO EXCITED! I was watching the whole trailer while intrigued and giggling. It’s definitely something I want from KhaoFirst, something a little risqué and has some actual plot while it’s different from anything JoongDunk have done so far, so i’d be curious to see how it goes. I hope the actual plot ends up good ahh. I’ll try not to get too attached to the mock trailer bc things will probably be different but I really like it. The song was covered in My School President but the vibe is different here.

After Rewatch: I definitely understood more after the rewatch because on my first watch I was so excited that I definitely missed some scenes and dialogue there loll I'm soooo excited for criminal killer brothers Khao and Joong, tattooist First who is trying to get dirt on them to clear his own car debt record, and Dunk who has been unleashed upon Joong to distract him from KhaoFirst in exchange for a car. KhaoFirst were my pull when I first watched it and they still are because I fucking love to see them on screen but I definitely got the JoongDunk thing more in this watch. Love to see Dunk be wild (kissing Joong when he's threatening him etc) and bold and actually take action this time while Joong is the one who is evasive, a different dynamic than their usuals. I... will try to enjoy this one regardless of plot to be honest lol because people were like meh on the Only Friends storyline. I think it'll help knowing that it's a Romcom with a side of drama rather than an assassin/crime plot with side of romance. I'm also not looking forward to KhaoFirst and JoongDunk's fandoms possibly fighting based on like screentime/acting prowess/"better treatment" and favouritsm/etc. but hopefully it'll turn out okay. I actually don't mind that KhaoFirst got a 2-pair main lead instead of a solo pair show because the pairs seem very connected with each other. Seems like it's inspired by Taming of the Shrew and 10 Things I Hate About You rather than a novel. I wonder if I should watch 10TIHAY just to see what references and such they put in.

A few hours later and I just watched 10 Things I Hate About You lol I get the "date my older brother so that we can date" thing now. I suppose Dunk's character is the "wild" character who can handle his brother Joong's character.

Title: Friendshit Forever

Pair: messy

Did I know about this? No

Thoughts: Mook and Pat and New and Boun. It Could be good but idk if i’ll watch it. Pat playing a character who is a shitty friend, a la PSIHY. Title reminds me of Dead Friend Forever. I will say the best part of the trailer was the first few seconds when I was wondering if we’d get a Pat/Mook GL.

Title: Perfect 10 Liners

Pair: Force/Book, Perth/Chimon, girl too many

Did I know about this? No

Thoughts: It could be good but I don’t care about any of the actors or pairings in this. PerthChimon were the most intriguing in this though, I liked the parallel on”Are you dating anyone?” Directed by New Siwat, yeah dunno about this one tbh. bruh so many people on stage, were they all actually there in the trailer? There are a bunch of side BL couples in addition to the main 3? crazy fr. and they couldn’t throw in a side GL either?

Apparently this is gonna be 30 eps with 10 eps each of ForceBook, MarkJunior, and PerthChimon... gonna take months and months to air fr, meaning stuff could have to wait while this show keeps airing... agh. or maybe this could prevent another rerun so who knows.

Title: Us

Pair: gorgeous girls who i don’t know the names of. Emi/Bonnie

Did I know about this? I knew about a possible Emi/Bonnie GL but I didn’t know who they were. hm Us, did we expect this novel as well, I vaguely remember having seen this novel rumored to be a series.

Thoughts: GL? These GLs being about your brother/sister’s girlfriends. omg she’s the one pairing the postcards? ahhh GL KISS IN TRAILER! Oh I’m excited and also love the short haired girl’s face sooooo much. Another melodramatic GL a la Pluto, I’m looking forward to it! Is this by the same author as GAP/Pluto/Blank? People always mention how problematic her novels are and somebody mentioned they don’t like the source material for this show either but I love a little problematic romance, so we shall see. Fon is the director.

After Rewatch: Went to MDL to double-check that the girl with cropped hair is Emi (she is! beautiful!) and the rights to this were brought like 2 years ago or what? Over a year ago at least since the comments have been waiting for announcement since then. Dang the acquirement rumour was on r/GMMTV back in February last year, so I probably saw it back then. The plot is quite straightforward, seems like it's focused way more on interpersonal relationships. Love the moody, indie nature of the angsty scenes but then they're so charming and bright when they're like happy and together! Also very happy to see like passionate kissing and romantic physical affection between the women even in the trailer, I'm hoping they have great romantic chemistry in the show. Doubt we'll get this one before 2025 though since it's directed by P'Fon and she's directing High School Frenemy right now and also has Scarlet Heart TH to do. I doubt GMMTV would air 3 GLs in a year already lol, so I'm hoping at least Pluto comes out this year and US is one of the first things out last year at the latest.

Title: Hide & Sis

Pair: ensemble and messy, focused on sisters

Did I know about this? No

Thoughts: PSIHY flashbacks. Snap25 is in charge of this, which makes sense. Very vibey, eerie, hope it’s good. Focus on morally corrupt women and sisters yay. Pepper/Lookjun are dating IRL right? hehe cute

Title: Thame Po | Heart That Skips A Beat

Pair: Est/William

Did I know about this? That there is expected to be an EstWilliam

Thoughts: Oh, a BL? So many GMMTV people who I don’t know these days. Another idol BL similar to Only Boo but more mature ig? Is this EstWilliam? I’ve seen so many people excited for their BL but idk their faces lol. It’s a Parbdee project? Exciting. I like the vibes of it. I hope they do the celebrity/commoner aspect well, I like an idol romance in theory (and in fic lol) but I don't think I've yet watched one that I've enjoyed.

After Rewatch: I randomly started seeing Est and William posts start popping up on r/GMMTV a few weeks ago and then this master thread was created for it as well. I didn't know who they were (apparently a LYKN boy and a new GMMTV actor with side roles in the past) so I was just mildly curious but it's fun that this came true. When the trailer first started, I didn't know this guy was Est, so I was like oh nooo I don't wanna watch a show about not being able to find jobs and being a loser or something lol but seems like he finds his gig early enough into the show. The trailer is even better on the 2nd watch when I know what's going on lol. The background music really suits it, it stood out to be during the first watch as well. The trailer is 4 minutes and seems fairly fleshed out, I wonder... if we can hope that it's one of the first ones to film from the 2nd half? It's done by Parbdee who have a few projects this year but the director is Mui Aticha who doesn't have anything else lined up for the year since Beauty Newbie? So maybe she can work on this soon? Crazy resume though, The Gifted, F4, Girl From Nowhere, etc. I wonder how she'll do with this one though since it's a more grounded romance like Beauty Newbie (which didn't receive good feedback rip).

Thame is William and Po is Est and from the characters + how people referred to them during the conference after the trailer, seems like they're going for WilliamEst? Interesting because everybody on the subreddit was just reading calling them EstWilliam lol I enjoy them switching it up a bit to play with expectations and cast based on the characters rather than which order people think the people themselves should be. WilliamEstWilliam would've been fun too. The next day and Est has posted pictures with #WilliamEst. Funny to have William-Williamer-Williamest.

I hope the mood and vibe of it being calmer and romantic and the drama from the celebrity idol life remains true, I don't want it to become more light-hearted and comedic, nor do I want it to become Extra Angsty or anything.

Also, it's such a fascinating yet baffling choice to me to have LYKN star as Mars. You're going to have your own boy group act as the group that's getting broken up by their company and who some company exec calls "losers" except the one guy who's gonna debut in Korea? And also, it's gonna show how not being able to date or come out sucks but it's not like GMMTV is gonna change that for LYKN like group, only for Mars the fictional band in the show lol. and fans wouldn't like it if William has a partner other than Est either. hilarious idk

Side note but every time I think of the title Thame-Po, I think of the song Thaam Lo even though the pronunciation isn't the same.

WilliamEst ship: Okay it's the night of the 24th, so it's been like a day but I'm quite into the ship itself idkkk man, I get why people on the gmmtv sub were going crazy about them for the past month. The thing is they're like so shy on stage when talking about the show omg, I enjoy seeing a ship being shy and unsure when first introduced to the public and they haven't quite figured out how to work everything out yet, it's cute. I also have learned that William is a 05 liner while Est is 01 and I need them to have the same age gap in the show pleaseee, I love a younger pursuer character for real. I know Thame calls Po Phi in the trailer though, so we know William plays a younger character at least

Title: Break-Up Service

Pair: Off/Jorin

Did I know about this? No

Thoughts: Fun concept, I’ll wait to hear if it’s good before I watch.

Title: Revamp: The Undead Story

Pair: Boun/Prem

Did I know about this? Yes

Thoughts: Ah, trailer for the BounPrem vampire story and it seems more serious and sinister than the campy nature of the other vampire BL: Golden Blood. Kinda reminds me of Midnight Museum actually. It looks good, I’ll probably give it a watch.

Title: Sweet Tooth, Good Dentist

Pair: Mark/Ohm

Did I know about this? Yes (Mark was hinting at it)

Thoughts: Two BLs back to back? Uni BL with dentistry student Mark based on Jittitain novel. It’s not super intriguing based on the more exciting stories but I need a good easy-watching, cute, uni BL once in a while in between he heavier hits. So this could be that. The trailer just seems long-winded

Title: The Dark Dice

Pair: Gemini/Prim

Did I know about this? Yes

Thoughts: Ohh kinda reminds me of The Gifted and the trailer for Enigma. A high school show about them trapped in some game. Wish there were more girls in the cast though. Less romantic than I thought. I hope it’s good and not like Homeschool which has a Very Good trailer but didn’t get good reviews.

Title: The Ex-Morning

Pair: Krist/Singto

Did I know about this? Yes, KS were shooting mock trailer with P’Lit

Thoughts: girl I was already like hehe KristSingto as expected BUT THEY ATE EXES!!!!! I love exes-to-lovers and it’s kinda funny since it parallels their ship work. huhhh wtf was that random ass car accident? hah I’m excited for this too. We knew the director is P’Lit who directed SOTUS.

After Rewatch: I thought it parallels KS's journey of Singto leaving GMMTV then him coming back and doing a BL with Krist again (kinda of exes-to-lovers if you squint) while the guy-fucks-up-and-is-crucified-on-the-internet could be parallel Krist's journey and turns out P'Aof wrote the script based on Krist Singto themselves, that's wild. The university days drinking pink milk really gives me a visceral reaction. I LOVE the look on Krist's face when he looks back at Singto in the towel and then quickly turns have his face like O.O it's very cute, I giggled the first time too. They seem to show stuff toward the end like with Krist winning the award again and Singto deciding to leave and also this random ass accident (seems like people are trying to kill Krist? What with the random motorcycle guy as well). I don't tend to like too much info in a trailer (over 4 minutes?!) but maybe if it means that we'll get it as one of the earlier part 2 shows because the script is written, I'll take it. I don't know if that's the case though because Aof is overseeing/scriptwriting and he's a busy man (though Director Lit doesn't have other shows I don't think)

Title: Scarlet Heart Thailand

Pair: Tu and ?Win?

Did I know about this? no

Thoughts: Not really a trailer, as they sometimes arent with these remakes. Scot’s are all pretty big hitters, especially Tu and Win, along with some people I’m looking forward to like Fourth, Phuwin, Tay, Nanon. Directed by Fon. I don’t know what this show is about at all though.

Expectations: based on rumours I've seen mostly

GemPrim: Yes

KhaoFirst: Yes

MarkOhm: Yes

EstWilliam: Yes

KristSingto: Yes

a GL: Yes

BounPrem and Wabi Sabi updates: Yes

I'm hoping for a large ensemble cast show centering women (PSIHY and Ploy’s Yearbook to a lesser extent, both by Snap25) or some mystery/sff (Homeschool, Gifted): Yes

My expectations were basic and based on some very well-believed rumours, so I'm not surprised they're correct.

Actor Attendance

Observations:

Interesting to go from watching The Warp Effect where I knew pretty much everybody to these trailers where there are so many people whom I don’t know, including main actors for BLs and GLs (Est/William, Emi/Bonnie). Good chance to get to know them if the shows turn out well though!

On that note, it's always interesting when they choose completely new ships to be the main couple of a show, again like Us and Thame-Po. This also means a lot of the familiar main or side BL couples are in ensemble shows like Perfect 10 Liners (there were so many people in that, I couldn't even keep track of them all).

High School: 1

University: 2

Non-School: 10 (or 11 with Ossan's Love)

Very few school shows comparatively, just 3/13, less than a quarter. That's exciting, I'm especially glad that being out of school doesn't just mean office worker shows lol

The puns never end: Friendshit, Revamped, Hide & Sis, Thame-Po (Tempo - 50% pun), The Ex-Morning. Hilarious that there are more shows with puns in their names than school shows.

Overall:

More shows grabbed my interest in this round I think. It seems like a more somber/serious set of trailers than part 1, which is cool.

Also, most of the trailers seem well-made, not necessarily in terms of story because they don't have full plots and stories yet, but in terms of production/quality.

I just hope the scriptwriting for these shows are strong, especially because they're dealing with interesting concepts like idol romance and exes-to-lovers. The concepts are soooo good but bad screenwriting or a story that doesn't deal with the interesting aspects can make the show fall flat.

I'm also glad that there is a mix of old ships, new ships, and totally new faces for these BLs and GL Like we have shows with established main pairs like KhaoFirst-Joongdunk and Forcebook-PerthChimon in ensemble shows, we have interesting situations like KristSingto which is a returning main couple and BounPrem which is an old series but revamped ;) for their GMMTV debut, but then we have a ship like MarkOhm where Mark has been in multiple shows and ships but he's leading in a series with somebody completely different. Then we have Emi-Bonnie and WilliamEst who are new faces as GMMTV leads and their ships are completely brand new.

In Part 1, it was similar in that we had stuff like main roles for existing ships with OffGun - The Trainee and GeminiFourth - My Love Mix-Up, ensemble with existing ships (We Are - PondPhuwin etc), had existing actors in new ships like OhmLeng in Kidnap or JossGawin in My Golden Blood, we had new ships like GreatInn in Wandee Goodday,

All in all, a good part 2, I'm glad I watched it live, it was exciting and I'm looking forward to these shows (though I'm not holding my breath though lol because part 1 shows still gotta be released). I really like these showcases and I'm kinda glad that now it's split into 2 because I get a new one every 6-7 months instead of once a year haha

Actually no my main gripe: Where are all the women? Us, Hide & Sis, and Friendshit Forever seem to be the only shows that focus on more than one woman and the BLs basically have no women, or possibly 1 female side character. Why can't they have side GL pairings or multiple women in the same show, truly what the heck? I hope that more women are cast in the shows as they start writing scripts and such, like a side GL in Us or a side GL in Perfect 10 Liners among all the BL pairs.

[alyss-kelly]

My opinion about Another Code : Recollection Part 1

First of all, I'm an old fan of the serie, so of course I compared the Switch compilation and the DS and Wii version.

I don't want to discourage people who are curious and want to play the game. If you're even a lil bit interested in them, play them, on DS, Wii or Switch, pick your poison and make your own opinion on it. Don't take my word as the absolute thing or whatever. It's not because I'm mixed about it that people shouldn't play it. Because I still think that a game that was, to me, very niche, from a studio that went bankrupt AND from 2005, is incredible. For a game like that to get a fully voiced remake almost twenty year after the release of its first installment, with most of the old crew working on them is to be celebrated ! Even if I didn't like everything, they still did an amazing job and I'm glad to see the franchise alive again in 2024.

I have strong feelings and I feel the need to share them to see if someone "relates" or not.

I may talk about spoilers but I'll try to limit them, be vague and put a warning before and after if I state it clearly.

Soo, now that this "introduction is over ~

In this essay I will

I have a LOT to say about Another Code Recollection. Good and Bad. Sadly, I have more things to say about the bad than the good. I have mixed feeling about it. I was very VERY excited when Recollection was first announced, I cried even, because I care about "Another Code Two Memories" and "Another Code R" A LOT, it's my childhood, they're in my top fav games list, they were very meaningful to me and I was sad it ended with Cing and with no hope of seeing the conclusion of Matthew's story. Even tho I was happy, I was still a bit scared about how they would adapt some of the puzzle on the switch. And I think I was right to have this fear. They did some cool things and others that I disliked.

I'll say my "+" and "-" and develop them further bellow each point.

+ Positive :

The graphism They're very nice, the characters's models are nicely done, the scenery and everything else is definitely a BIG glow up (mostly compared to the DS graphics)

The Redesign I like some of them a LOT, big glow up for almost everyone. I particularly love Charlotte and Janet. Charlotte finally looks her age! I kinda miss the old Matthew but his new version is also good.

Puzzles use the Switch motions thingy Just a few of them tho. I think that's cool, because they sadly don't use it very much in other games. And it's nice to see them try to replicate the same feeling you had with the DS and Wii games.

Confirmation of theories and new bits of story It's nice to see that after all these years. /!\SPOILER/!\ I'm thinking about Frannie's relative. /!\END OF SPOILER/!\

Musics They nailed the music; it still has that nostalgic and lonely vibe for Two Memories and the carefree with a hint of sadness vibe in R.

Voice Acting A very nice addition and very well done. I know there's English Dub but I played it with the Japanese voices. And being able to choose between them is nice.

Possibility to switch language That's maybe a very "me" + point, but the fact that I could change the game in every language available is cool. Even more for the jp, cause now if I want to I could try and practice my reading skills because there's an option to have katakana and hiragana on top of kanji. I just think that's neat.

Hint mode I just tried it in the tutorial but I think it's a nice touch for when you don't know where to go or how to resolve a puzzle.

Relationship between Ashley and D The way they would mimic each other poses was all I ever wanted. I love them a lot and seeing them being a little bit closer than I remember them to be in the DS version was great !

Art The new sprites are very pretty and it's nice to see the improvement the artist made. The endcredits was very pretty !

Flowchart & Map I like to see flowchart in any type of game, it's helpfull and pretty. I like that it was updated along with the story. And I also enjoy the map and the little commentary Ashley was "writing" on it.

End of Part 1

---

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

[anna-neko]

wait wait wait... hol up... book!! so is Kal extra super-special ✧˖Chosen One˖✧ or what?!?!?! The uhh... sentient singing mushrooms* weave jewels into their beards w/ mana stormlight (maybe? their song is def catalyst fr something here)... Szeth just does it on power of internal hate alone (deus-ex mofo Loading Screen tutorial of a chara, am not changing my mind here) but this idiot (affectionate) seems to be the only one who gotta sell his soul oath up & bond with spren here

*listen, if the book can't be bothered to elaborate, im building my own explanation. with blackjack! and hookers!

Gotta love the chara progression - keep living just to breathe, be depressed, 5seconds from death, pour self into crazy plan to protect a team, depressed again, forget to stop moving, stay alive outta sheer spite .... paint literal target on yourself with remains of your enemies and taunt the torrent of arrows .... SWAN DIVE INTO A WHOLE ARMY TO SOLO 'EM ALL jfc... good thing the plot planted an entire refill mana pool over there (for realz tho, heroics aside... frm the speedrun of energy expansion multiple times over, his dumb ass shoulda passed out for good after the final lil glow demonstration. You establish in-world mechanics (it speeds up healing, but not instantaneous) you damn better stick to them!

DAMN SON all your major life events seem to really hinge on freakin magical swords don't they! (or i guess, - someone - walking away from one)

yeah ok, it does look like 'stormblessed' just.... a name people keep giving him. I am sticking to my earlier assessment that its the "that bastard"(affectionately)

ooooh hey there throwaway line buried in walls of text - the King can see same ghostly shapes as Shallan, eh??? You don't say!

'sup Dalinar's final vision. I've played this video game before

wooooow, well then! matching Plate-and-Sword sets can't possibly be thaaaaat priceless if Sadeas was willing to give up TWO of them! to the enemy! in one go!

Taravangian's lil hospitals, yeah I've seen that episode of SLIDERS too. They really should look into researching some blood uses. Does that world have blood-types? Can they do infusions? refill the dead poors back to life and see if could squeeze couple more lines outta 'em?

so yeah... that was The Way of Kings .... remain of my previous view that clearly this was planned out as some kinda magazine serial, or for a specifically budgeted word count [dun know enuff about the author, maybe thats just his writing style] The wannabe-palindrome poetry dun work in english ... hey can someone check if such things can work in kanji?? I know certain characters if placed too close become 'wrong' words as it were (the entire joke behind Sayonara Zetsubo-sensei series)

The way freakin EVERYTHING from pain to fire generates floaty pyroflies spren must be exhausting! Those poor people must have permanent itchy eyeballs from so much flickering everywhere

___________________

hey @misterdadguy I finished the book! You are free to keyboard smash ALL the things 'bout it. do share!

[chevvy-yates]

Another thing that came to me when writing down Vijay's and Ryder's stories:

It occured to me that lets say: if my memory got wiped and I could enjoy playing the story of cp77 for the first time again — I strongly believe Ryder would have been my 'first' and 'real' Cyberpunk character.

Looking at him, he's the guy that totally fits to this kind of game and his visual appearance is of that what I like to create (especially when I look back at my Skyrim thief — the two look very similar). I've always loved to make darker characters. Not the evil type but the one who likes black and looks at you with a stare that says 'don't look at me or you gonna regret it'.

I'm not saying that Vijay wouldn't be 'the cyberpunk character' — after all he is still the one I played 2/3 of the entire game with, he's my first one and I love him to eternity (as much as I love Ryder to eternity too).

But it's likely that Vijay only happened first to be created only because when I bought Cyberpunk shortly after its release I was heavily into cowboy fandom (rdr2 and old 60s tv series Rawhide + serveral Clint cowboy movies). I wanted Vijay to be a solo cyber cowboy. It's why I let him only use pistols, chose no blades, not much cyberware at all and even gave him cowboy clothes to make him look like one (except fot the hats bc they look awful). To use at least a bit of the skills you can aquire I made him go thepath of a netrunner and everything took its course. Until I found that yellow bomber jacket and he started to slowly change into the Vijay he's now today. Thanks to switiching over to the pc version he developed further, found his true clothing stlye and got a glow up being the sweet ginger boy he deserves to be.

Idk, I find it very amusing looking at this realizing. I'm usually not the type for doing cute guys. Tho I think that ps4 version was only so cute bc I had no other options concerning face expressions, therefore always chose happy and smirk. Since I got his pc version he's more reserved, looks neutral. detached, spending time in his head. Like he uses to do.

Vijay also happens to – how do I say it? – impersonate features I find most beautiful in a face. I always say to myself when looking at him, If my two most favorite characters of all time, Dean W. and Rowdy Y. (and Manco). had a son, it would be Vijay. He's got their looks. And the two actors (Jensen and Clint) are men I consider to be the most beautiful guys walking on this planet (Clint in his younger days ofc since he's an old man now).

And Ryder baby? Ry just smiles so much I can't. One thing is said here: It took a whole lot to get this grin back onto his lips. He may be grumpy sometimes, and carries a lot of anger in him, but he's a very funny and good hearted man.

I'm happy to have both of them in my life. <3

[milksnake-tea]

✩ CHAPTER SUMMARY : Despite what you tell Sunday, you can't sleep. Instead, you opt to join Sam at the top of the ship for some company.

✩ SERIES SYNOPSIS : Following the catastrophe of the Charmony Festival, rather than in one of Penacony's hospitals or prisons, Sunday awakens right in the base of one of the most notorious criminals in the galaxies. With nowhere else to go, he's left to follow you, the Stellaron Hunters' medic, in his attempts to become accustomed to his new life.

✩ WORD COUNT : 4.0k

✩ TAGLIST : @felibrary, @vxnuslogy, @https-mika, @greyrain23, @red-ninja15, @arienic , @immahuman , @sund4ykisser , @mysteriaqueen , @kiopanxp , @isa-l0v3r , @hesper-houkai-kat , @gamekillera , @nayukiyukihira , @randomidk-123 , @universetrash , @forevernyeong , @thedepartedcryptid , @heyhazelnut101 , @1000-leaves , @lowkeyren , @zhayur , @jellofishuu , @kascar-chronicle , @azaleaflowerr , @neigee , @fallintothechasm , @veritusratio , @astolary , @xphantasmagoriax , @semi-orangeapple , @ezra1yn , @xynthevoid , @apinu , @crysangria , @shenwi , @louchive , @mave-in , @mutiachan , @meerpea , @tetrxctys , @emiken-070907 , @tragedy-of-commons (send me an ask off anon if you want to be added !! if your name is bolded, it means i cant tag you )

✩ ADDITIONAL NOTES : LORD i don't know why this took so long actually … my bad guys 😭😭 luckily i grabbed back motivation tho !! so hopefully the next chapter will come out sooner (or not. college is starting in like a week). honestly tho, im not that happy with this chapter :(( but thank you for reading, and for sticking w me !! eating every one of u up

<< previous || series masterlist || next chapter >>

“Watching the stars again, I see.”

The mechanized suit towers over you. In the darkness of the endless night sky, Sam’s flames, a duet of orange and teal, are all the more brighter. If you weren’t one of his comrades, you would’ve found him threatening.

Sam turns his head. Your footsteps are near-silent as you come up besides him, your arms crossed leisurely with a glass held carelessly in your hand.

“I thought you’d be asleep by now.” Such a stark contrast from the sweet voice of his pilot, but your years spent alongside him have turned intimidation into consolation. “Are you drinking again?”

“Not alcohol this time,” you chuckle, waving the glass. “Thought I’d try out some of that SoulGlad you bought me. It is a luxury item, after all.”

“Is it good?”

“It’s alright. I still prefer wine.”

Shaking his head, Sam returns his gaze to the cosmos. The topmost floor of the Delphi is like that of a greenhouse, minus the planets. A glass dome covers it from head to toe, allowing for a breathtaking view of the universe. The ship itself moves languidly so that the various nebulae pass in multi-colored clouds.

“It’s better in the dream,” Sam says. You look up curiously.

“So I’ve heard. ‘As rich and sweet as divine nectar’, was it?”

“Yes.” Sam’s robotic voice turns wistful. “Even though I was already in a dream, with just a sip of that, I felt as though I was floating. It was truly… a sweet dream.”

You smile softly. “I’m glad.”

The glass is cold against your lips as you drink the last of the soda. True to its advertisements, the carbonation leaves you feeling giddy and joyful… but it’s not enough. It’s too gentle, too kind, too… pliant. After all, knowing that you are asleep and dreaming- ruins the dream itself.

A sigh leaves you. Light gently shines down on you from the kaleidoscope of distant stars. Soft piano music plays in the background, courtesy of Kafka.

“I looked at the dream bubble earlier.”

Sam hums, his flames glowing brighter momentarily.

“Did you… like it?” he asks hesitantly. His meekness was kind of cute, like a puppy. It was one of the things that you like about him, though.

You spy a faraway planet in the sky. From here, it looks like a small speck amongst the vast universe. But to someone else, it might’ve been their whole world.

“Where did you find such a dream?” you say instead. “It couldn’t have been easy.”

It should’ve been impossible.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Sam admits. “Dr. Edward - he’s the person who runs the Dreamscape Sales Store - didn’t specify. Then again, the nature of his products is… peculiar, to say the least.”

“Hm.” Your eyes become lidded. “That’s unfortunate. I would’ve liked to know who had made such a wonderful dream.”

Sam glances at you hopefully. “You liked it, then?”

You hum idly. “Yes, it was… nice. Not totally accurate, but nice.”

You don’t have to see Firefly’s face to know that she’s smiling. “I’m glad. I was worried that, well…”

“That I’d get offended?” you chuckle. “Sparky, you know me better than that. Besides…”

Your arms uncross, and the glass disappears into multiple speckles of light.

“All that matters is that someone remembers it. As the years pass, accuracy holds less and less value.”

“I… I guess that’s true,” Sam admits. “Still, though...”

There’s a contrast in temperature as your hand comes to Sam’s shoulder, warm flames battling against cold metal.

“Don’t worry about it,” you comfort. Your lips are pulled into a smile, but you don’t know what expression lies in your eyes - nor are you sure you want to know. “I enjoyed that dream.”

Firefly doesn’t seem to be entirely convinced, but she doesn’t need to know what happened when you touched that bubble. She doesn’t need to know, and so she never will.

“How's our little superstar?” you ask, changing the subject. Sam hums.

“Still as fiery as ever,” he reminisces, head tilting upwards towards the sky. “They don’t remember us, which is to be expected. But their heart and antics are still the same. They’ve recently developed a… peculiar hobby, though.”

“Oh?” You raise a brow curiously. “And what’s that?”

“Trashcans,” he says flatly. The sudden change from gentle fondness makes you laugh.

“That sounds about right,” you chuckle. “They’ve always been a little weird.”

“I guess so,” Sam shrugs. “Then again, we all are, aren’t we?”

“Hm… maybe more than a little.”

“Hey now.”

The two of you burst into uncharacteristic giggles. With the effects of SoulGlad still ebbing away at your rationality combined with your lack of sleep, it wouldn’t be off to say that you’re somewhat delirious right now. Of course, it can’t compare to the numb bliss that came with alcohol, but it was still something.

Weariness beginning to take its toll on you, you lean against Sam, ignoring how some of the metal digs into your body. He looks down at you curiously, before patting you lightly on the head.

“You should sleep,” he advises gently. You hum, before shaking your head.

“Don’t feel like it.”

Hearing another distorted sigh, you laugh airily, only to let out a small yelp when Sam scoops you up. The mechanized suit is already huge, being at least twice your size, and so he only needs one of his arms to hold your entire body. He cradles you against his core, allowing the heat to warm you. It’s a sweet gesture, but truthfully, it’s unneeded - the Delphi is always at the perfect temperature, after all. But you appreciate the sentiment nevertheless.

“Sleep,” Sam urges once more. You look up at the metallic face that shows little emotion, if any.

“Why so insistent?”  you question, raising a brow.

“Is it so wrong to care for a comrade?” Sam shakes his head. “You aren’t as resilient as you think you are. Even you will fall if you fail to get adequate rest.”

“So you say.”

“Don’t you have a mission soon? Staying up too late isn’t a good idea.”

You snort. “Then that makes two of us with bad habits, Miss Defies-the-Script-at-Whenever-Possible.”

Sam falls quiet for a moment. Initially, you’d think that it was out of guilt or because Blade had already scolded him about his habit a few weeks prior to Sam’s assignment in Penacony, but after staring at him for a bit longer, you realize that that’s not the case.

You shift so that you can sit somewhat upright in Sam’s hold. “Hey, lighten up. I was just joking.”

“I know.” Sam sighs again. “I was just thinking about Penacony.”

“What about it?”

“It isn’t anything bad,” he hastens to say. “It’s just… I felt so alive in that dream. I could jump and run and- do all sorts of things that I couldn’t in reality. It got me thinking.”

Uh oh. Not another philosophical talk. You’re not good at those.

Despite this though, you nod, encouraging him to continue.

Sam raises the hand that isn’t holding you and curls it into a fist. “I know I will die one day. That’s just a part of life that I can’t avoid, nor can anyone else. But if life itself, and everything else that comes with it, is already determined by fate, do we really have free will? Is my freedom of choice real, or simply an illusion?”

At his imploring gaze, you shrug.

“Well, think about it. Do you think Elio’s script is absolute?”

“Of course it is.”

You lightly poke where Sam’s nose should be. “Not exactly. It has holes and spaces. You know what Webs always says.”

“Yes, but…”

“Think of it this way,” you suggest lightly. “Elio gets his script from Terminus, and Terminus only knows the future because THEY’RE from said future. Meaning, they come from a future that we created, not them.”

Sam stays silent, so you continue.

“If we don’t have free will, then who holds that will? Terminus? HooH? Ena? We don’t know, and we may never know. But does it matter?”

Sam’s flames pulsate from under your palm as you place it over his chest plate. Your eyes have become downcast, hiding what may be brewing beneath your irises.

“In the end, we still choose in the end. Like right now - you’re holding me, but you could’ve also incinerated me.”

Sam deadpans. “That’s a horrible example. I am not so careless.”

“Yes,” you say, “because that’s the kind of person you are. You made that choice not to cook me alive, not Terminus or any other omnipotent being that cares so much that they feel the need to control the movements of insects like you and me.”

Your tone comes out a bit harsher than you intend, and it’s not until the words leave your mouth that you realize. Blinking rapidly, you still, your brain catching up with your mouth in real time. Sam too seems startled by your outburst, the flames flickering.

“Is everything alright?” he asks after a brief moment of silence.

You sigh, leaning back against his shoulder. Burying your face in your hands, you let out a tired groan.

“Sorry about that,” you mutter. “I think the lack of sleep is getting to me.”

“It’s fine. May I ask what happened, though?”

No, you may not, you think, but shove it to the back of your mind.

“It’s just-” you drop your hand to your side, “-it’s the usual.”

“This is why I keep telling you to calm down with the drinking,” Sam scolds gently. You grumble, leaning into him.

“You’re so insistent,” you mumble against the cold steel. “Kafka and Blade have already given up; why haven’t you?”

“Blade only stopped because he shares that same stubbornness you cling onto,” Sam points out, flicking your forehead with as much gentleness a mechanized suit can. “And Kafka wouldn’t know real concern if it shot her in the face.”

You give Sam a look, the red spot on your forehead already healing. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

Sam sighs again - there’s been a lot of that as of late. “I don’t want to see my friend destroy themself. The longer you drink, the longer it takes for you to heal.”

“My healing capabilities exceed Blade’s,” you couldn’t help but point out. “You’ve worked with me long enough to know that I won’t keel over so easily.”

Sam shakes his head.

“You know what I mean,” he says. “When it comes to the mind, you’re the weakest out of all of us - and you will only grow worse if you continue down this path.”

You blink. It’s easy to forget, with Firefly’s typically softer demeanor, the bluntness that comes whenever she takes on SAM’s suit. Granted, you’ve been working with her the longest out of everyone, so you really should be used to this by now. Maybe it’s the SoulGlad hitting.

“Fine,” you eventually give in. “I’ll sleep.”

Without hearing what Sam has to say next, you curl up in his hold and shut your eyes, ending the conversation right then there. Should you go to your room instead of inconveniencing your coworker? Probably. That’s the logical thing to do.

But Sam made the decision to pick you up, and you don’t feel like leaving any time soon. Besides, you know Firefly can get rather lonely during the night. As the only Hunter that doesn’t need that much sleep, she often spends the night by her lonesome, watching the stars from the Delphi’s roof and waiting for everyone to wake up.

“You know, I was going to ask you to play Egyptian War with me,” you murmur groggily. Sam hums.

“That card game again? The last time we played, I crushed your hand by accident.”

“I got better, though?” you point out.

“Still, I’d rather avoid that if possible. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”

There’s a pointed edge to his tone that you decide to ignore. With a shrug of your shoulders, you snuggle closer to Sam’s heated center. When he wasn’t committing mass arson or flaming up barbeque, he made for a surprisingly good pillow - as long as you didn’t mind the lack of cushioning for your head.

“Alright,” you hum. “Goodnight, Sam.”

Sam sighs, but shifts you in his hold so that you’re more comfortable regardless.

“Goodnight, [Name].”

As you slip in and out of consciousness, you think one last thought to yourself.

How nice it would be, to not have to dream.

Firefly… you don’t know how lucky you are.

—

Sunday finds himself unable to sleep much that night, and before he knows it, morning has come and the familiar chime of his phone’s alarm is rousing him from his bed. Even if he wanted to ignore it, he couldn’t. Just the sound is enough to send alarm bells through his nerves, essentially activating his fight-or-flight instincts.

As he drags himself through his morning routine, functioning on muscle memory more than anything, the same words that have been keeping him up last night drone on like a broken record.

I trust that you will make the right decision.

Why is the seer leaving it up to him? Does Elio not see all the possible futures? Is he not certain of what choice will be the right one? Why was he letting Sunday guess?

With a brief twitch of his wings, Sunday sighs.

“It seems that once again, the fate of an innocent world is in my hands.”

He shouldn’t be questioning Elio, truth be told. If this is all the information that the seer has elected to give him, then this is all the information he needs to know. Whatever decision he makes will be the right one, evidently.

Which, quite frankly, is both reassuring and terrifying.

There is always the possibility of accidentally damning the planet if he chooses wrongly. Mistrust or misread a candidate’s character, and the lives of billions of people will be turned significantly for the worse.

But Sunday isn’t that naive little priest anymore. He knows humanity for what they are, has seen their ugliness, and has embraced them regardless.

Elio trusts him, and he doesn’t plan on disappointing him.

And if he is to do that, he needs to get better at fighting.

With a twirl of his wrist, his rapier materializes in his hand. Once upon a time, he’d detested the feeling of weaponry in his hands. He’d vowed to never be the source of someone else’s suffering, and yet, he is, tossing and swinging his sword without so much as a care in the world.

Besides, that vow had been a foolish one. One simply could not live in a universe as cruel as this without harming another, intentionally or not. Even the most righteous have spilled blood.

And Sunday is no exception.

He studies the rapier carefully, making sure not to accidentally cut himself in the process (it has happened before). Even now, he can’t help but think of how uncanny it is, the way the sword is practically tailored to fit him and his aesthetic.

There was always the possibility that Blade could’ve forged it for him, except for one glaring problem: he’s learned from Kafka that Blade has long lost the dexterity of his hands, revoking his ability to craft forever. So then, to have such a sword pre-made and ready for him…

He smiles cynically.

Elio had already known he’d join, didn’t he?

That seer’s abilities never failed to unnerve and impress him.

He releases the rapier, and it shatters into multiple pinpricks of light. In the full body length mirror he’d bought on Euphrosyne, he rechecks his outfit, smoothing out any wrinkles and adjusting anything that’s out of place.

When he eventually steps out of his room, he’s greeted with an unexpected sight. Firefly - no, this was Sam, the Hunters have made sure to drill the difference into his head - freezes as Sunday stares at him dumbfoundedly.

“Ah-” Sunday watches in confused amusement as Sam sputters and scrambles for an explanation. The mechanized suit quickly straightens with an embarrassed cough. “Sorry. Just- pretend you didn’t see this.”

“Now, I couldn’t possibly do that,” Sunday chuckles, closing his door behind him. “What’s going on here?”

Sam sighs. “It’s well- it’s complicated…”

He shifts so that Sunday can see the being cradled in his arm - case in point, you. You appear to be asleep, cuddled up to Sam’s heated core, but once Sunday sees you, you peek your eyes open.

You shift, stretching a bit before nodding at him. “Oh, hey.”

“Hello, [Name].” Sunday returns the greeting as if this were a common reoccurrence. “What are you doing up there?”

“I was sleeping,” you say, propping up an elbow on Sam’s shoulder and leaning your cheek against your hand. “Now I’m in the middle of waking up.”

“On Sam?”

“Yeah? Everyone’s done it before.” You sit up, swinging your legs to dangle off of the crook in Sam’s elbow. “You should try it, he’s like a miniature fireplace.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Sunday would sooner die than let Sam pick him up and carry him around like that. Then he blinks, processing what you’ve just said. “Wait, did you say everyone? Does that include Blade?”

“It wasn’t willingly, if that eases your mind,” you laugh airily. “He was sleep-deprived and it was one of the rougher missions, so he ended up passing out. I don’t think I’ve seen that guy sleep so soundly.”

“And you are fine with this?” Sunday looks up at Sam.

“I don’t mind,” comes Sam’s reply. “Everyone looks so happy, and so I’m happy. The company isn’t so bad either, even though they’re often unconscious.”

“Love you too, Sam,” you chuckle. “Even if you watch me while I sleep.”

Sam makes a sound like a short-circuiting computer. “I do not-”

You pat the suit deftly on the head. "I'm just messing with you, Sparky. Don't go combusting on me now."

Swiftly jumping off of Sam’s arm, you stretch leisurely, not unlike a cat. Sunday can’t help but wonder, weren’t you supposed to be sleeping in your room last night, given your texts? What were you doing with Sam, and why did he have to carry you back to your room?

He doesn’t get to ask, though, as you beat him to the interrogation first.

“So, princess, where’re you headed to this early in the morning?”

“Ah,” Sunday straightens. His hand instinctively bends to behind his back. “I’m planning on doing some training with Blade, if possible. I’m afraid I’m still rusty when it comes to the sword.”

“Oh, good idea.” You nod approvingly. “Although, there’s one problem: the old man isn’t on the ship right now.”

Sunday blinks. “Sorry?”

“Silver Wolf kidnapped him,” says Sam bluntly, you shaking your head grimly beside him. “She found a new Xianzhou game and dragged Blade along so that he could help her out with some of the translations.”

“Translations?” Sunday repeats, trying to imagine the intimidating Hunter being dragged around by a girl as small and unassuming (given you don’t know who she is) as Silver Wolf. “But doesn’t she have a translating app on her devices?”

Sam sighs. “She does. But she wanted to bring Blade, and since he wasn’t doing anything beforehand, he played along.”

“So that’s why the old man’s kind of unavailable right now. As far as I know,” you say, “it’s just us three on the ship right now - Kafka left to do… something. I don’t know. You want to try sparring Sam?”

Sunday takes one good look at the hulking piece of flaming metal that is Sam. “I don’t think that’s wise.”

“It isn’t,” Sam confirms unnecessarily. “I would accidentally crush you or burn you in the heat of combat. Elio would not be pleased.”

“Could he really be mad if he already foresaw it?” Sunday isn’t sure how he feels about how casually you’re discussing his potential demise at Sam’s hands.

“How about we not let it get to that point?” he tries gently.

“Why don’t you spar him?” Sam suggests, tilting his head so that he looms over you. “You’re fine enough with a sword.”

Subconsciously, Sunday’s wings perk up. Glancing at you, he’s pleasantly surprised to see as you contemplating the suggestion.

“That’s true,” you admit. You nudge him with your elbow. “How about it then, princess? Wanna fight me?”

“We aren’t ‘fighting’,” sighs Sunday with a shake of his head. “It’s just sparring. But yes, I would be honored to spar against you.”

To be honest, he’s rather relieved that it’s you instead of anyone else on the ship. By no means is he saying that Blade is a bad teacher (as crass as his methods are, Sunday can’t deny that they work), but his fighting style is completely different from Sunday’s. Sunday prefers a lighter and more elegant approach to combat, while Blade’s style is, for lack of a better word, brutal - and from what little he knows of Sam, he doubts that his style is any more compatible.

But with what he saw from you yesterday, with your thinner sword and more relaxed body language, you won’t be as harsh nor as crushing as the other two - or at least, it’s less likely that you’ll throw him into the nearest wall.

You grin, flashing your teeth briefly. “Great. I still need to get washed up, so why don’t you head over there first and warm yourself up?”

Sunday nods with a slight bow. “Very well, I shall see you there.”

But just as he turns his heel and begins to make his way to the training room, his wings twitch as he catches snippets of your final conversation with Sam.

“Thanks for indulging me last night, Sparky,” you chuckle lightly. “And… sorry for making you deal with all of that.”

All of that? Sunday knows he shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but he can’t help it. It takes almost all of him not to glance back at you in curiosity.

No, he shakes his head, it’s none of his business. Whatever it is, it’s your private matter and he needn’t stick his nose into it.

Still… his bad habits get the better of him. Internally, he sighs as his wing raises just slightly to allow him to hear better.

“Don’t worry about it,” he hears Sam reply. “Are you feeling better?”

“Obviously. I think a nap on SAM could fix anything, really. You might even put me out of a job with how well it works.”

There’s a noise like a starting engine - Sunday thinks it’s Sam laughing. “I doubt that. Although, if you’re really sorry, you’ll lay off of the alcohol for me.”

“Yeah, no. Any other favor but that one.”

“[Name].”

Sunday imagines you raising your hand in surrender. “Alright, alright. I will try to not drink as much. Is that better?”

If Sam had said anything in response to that, Sunday didn’t hear it, for he’s already stepped out of the residency hall and into a much larger area of the ship. As the tinted glass doors slide close behind him, he finally allows himself a glance behind him.

What was that all about?

—

Once you hear the sound of the doors closing, you turn to Sam. Sam turns to you.

“He eavesdropped, didn’t he.”

“100%.” You shake your head. “I don’t think I’ve seen anyone take so long to walk down a hall. Plus, his wings gave it away.”

“He needs to work on his stealth skills,” Sam agrees.

“Well, to be fair, there’s not many places to hide in here. So I guess I can forgive him.” You look up at the robot. “I meant what I said, though.”

Walking to your door, you giggle as one of your plants nips lightly at your finger despite having been fed yesterday. You glance behind you. Sam’s already looking into the distance, at what, you’re not sure.

“Are you planning on taking a vacation?” you ask. Sam looks at you.

“Yes. There’s a tropical planet in the nearby system,” he says. “I think I’ll go have a visit.”

You nod with a smile. “Alright, have fun. Take pictures, okay?”

“I will. Good luck on your mission.”

With a snort, you push open your door, vines brushing against you as your plants greet you.

“With Kafka and Sunday on board? Yeah, I'll need it.”

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reblogs w comments are appreciated !!

[psychedelic-ink]

okay okay so I nerded out a bit and before starting up this chapter I read the beginning of the first chapter (believe me when this series is over I'm gonna read it from start to finish again and again, I especially cant wait to read it when i move to the states its gonna be super comforting when that happens)

I ended up talking too much again so I put everything under the cut whoops

Shadows pooled in the corners of your small living room, the lamp beside you casting a golden glow that didn’t quite reach them and you sat slumped on the couch in your sweats. One hand rested on the trackpad of your laptop scrolling through the NYU student group page, your other hand cradling a bowl of mac and cheese.

It was late — later than you should be up with school starting tomorrow, and even though your eyes were getting dry from staring at the screen, you were absorbed in your task; your face illuminated in the dusk of the room. 

Your finger stroked down, the page slowly moving. 

Gosh Birdie has gone through so much and so many things happened, it's just so beautiful to witness 😭😭😭 Also I will never get over how amazing you write smut because jfc i'm sweating???

Being with him has made you bolder, basking in the glow of his affection, love and guidance. Like he’s taken a piece of the confidence he holds within his being and gifted you with some of it, making you braver, more sure of yourself. 

I love this so much because I just feel like this is how a normal relationship should be like, strengthening each other and boosting eachother up when the other can't seem to do it on their own. You always manage to find new ways to strangle my hear (in a good way) 💜

I'm happy that Cee is finally coming around, as slow as that might be! honestly can't blame her, it's a super bizarre situation to be in and the doing it in secret sure as hell didn't help. I still feel like if they had been up and honest since the beginning she might've not been this angry. Sure she would still probably need time to obsess, but I always think of the first time Birdie realizes her crush on Ezra and what would've had happened if she just went said something about it, it would be a difficult convo for sure but idk it might've been better. But then again how do you even tell someone you have a crush on their dad, no matter from which angle you look at it it turns out a mess adcvsdvfdv

also ngl when cee just said "“She’s leaving, so I guess it doesn’t really matter in the end.” that hurt me just pls and go make up with birdie before I bawl my eyes out. I'm glad they both recognized their fault tho!

thank you so much for sharing, love! amazing chapter as always 💜💜

In The Dark: 11

Ezra x f!Reader

Rating: Explicit

Series Masterlist

A/N: Thank you endlessly to both @mourningbirds1​ and @the-ginger-hedge-witch​ for helping me with this one - they both gave me endless reassurance and great advice, and I couldn’t have done it without them. ❤️

—

“This?”

You look up from the stack of used notebooks in your hands, glancing at the cover of the book Ezra’s holding. 

“No.”

He nods, placing it next to him before reaching for his beer, taking a long pull. He sets the bottle back down next to his thigh, reaching for the next book in the stack in front of him. 

“This one?”

You look up again, nodding. Watching him set that one into a box on his right, you make an internal face at how full it is already. 

“This?” 

You shake your head, and he places it just so in the discard pile. He picks up the next book, thumbing through the worn pages scribbled with ink in the margins and he flips it over, reading the back. 

Sitting on your floor, he’s bathed in a warm glow, a line of light from your lamp highlighting the curve of his nose and bringing to surface the rich brown blended into the darker strands of his hair. The light fades in its reach around his face, the whiskered cheek facing you darkened with shadow and when he absentmindedly reaches for his beer again, you watch the movement of his mouth, and the swallow of his throat.  Rain patters against the glass of the window in your living room, and the contrast between the bleak weather and the warmth of the room is cozy and comforting. 

Keep reading

[ceebit]

hi cece how are you <33 i was wondering if you might be able to direct me to some good juyeon content (visual content, gifs/vids) ?? bc i need a gateway to getting into tbz finally and having seen his face before, i feel like he might be my way in, LOL. he’s just. SO beautiful. also, fave tbz songs/albums ? i think i have finally cleared up enough space in my head to make room for a new boy group, and it might be them. like i need more boys to be totally normal about 🫠 anyways hope your day/night is going good (it’s night here) ! ttyl !!

hiiiii i’m good ^_^ hope ur day was good too!! i had a bunch of rice krispies and feel kinda sick lol but NOREGRETS!!!! and now i am basking in the glow of moderate delulu and thinking thoughts and thinks on how to approach this idea cat has so cleverly stuffed into the crevices of my cranial cavity <3

AND I KNOW RIGHT…… ISNT JUYEON SO [WINDOWS SHUT DOWN NOISESHSHSJ)2/$/&2$1’]

as for how i got into tbz…….. i have cat and rose to thank for that 😭 yk, i myself am still kinda. is grasping a straws the right phrase to use here? i’m still pretty new! but what i like to do just follow a bunch of tags related to them so that they show up on my dash when i least expect it (which is why i’m reblogging a lot of hongjoong lately lol……. demon man 😵‍💫) but that’s pretty much it like. content wise* outside of their music. for me at least since i’m still digging a deeper hole myself 😭 but as for their MUSIC……..

their music is so [incoherent dying noises] do u get me…….. my ultimate fave song rn is definitely salty (beating kevin up i hate him he’s supposed to not be flirting w anyone vocally like that how dare he) and that’s from the reveal album !! which btw………………… what the fuck is that entire album laced with oh my god.??/?: listen to that and if u come back in one piece with ur sanity intact i commend u for having the wills of a god. the chaser album is so good too btw….. my fave off that one is the stealer (the piano intro i’m sorry oh my god—but let me stop before i melt into the floor)

ALSO I SAID THIS BEFORE BUT. mariah carey’s career is OVER the boyz r IN christmassy is the cutest fucking song i’ve ever heard in my life. all i want for christmas is DEAD it’s OVER (this is joke for legal reasons people get rlly defensive over that song pls don’t come for my head or life thank u—)

i also just. pinterest surf for hours bc time is a concept my brain simply refuses to keep with like. i will literally just pinterest surf for HOURS (i swear that’s how i learned most of their names) also watched a LOT of introductory videos just to get a feel of their individual personalities….. like this one on jacob and this one on juyeon plsim squeezinf them both so tight i’ll cry

(*content wise tho i’ve started watching their lil youtube series called stealer house if i’m not mistaken? it’s cute ^_^)