#honestly a fair bit of them are slowburn kind of guys

[ensuists]

i just realized i forgot to continue my lil list of shipping difficulty-whatever i was doing for the last three so here it is. kai, ry, and wren are here / benji, takeshi, and reo are here if ur curious about them.

julien: slowburn kind of guy. he's still mourning dax in his own way and his heart is a bit closed off to the idea of love at the moment. he's focusing on work and the gang, so it's really not a priority. in a sense, he's also kind of afraid to fall and he can sometimes be picky with his romantic partners. julien knows what he wants and he's not afraid to wait for it, but at the same time, very dedicated guy once he does fall and super romantic and patient. type to sweep someone off their feet if they let him and if he wants to.

dax: also slowburn, but he's not as picky as julien. similar to julien, romance is the last thing on his mind considering he literally... doesn't even know who tf he really is. he's like not completely shutoff to it, like if it happened, he wouldn't fight it too hard, but he'd also be a bit more hesitant to really try too much with someone unless he really liked them.

anya: not too hard, but not necessarily easy either!! anya can sometimes fall quickly for someone, but overall, it does take her a bit of time to get comfortable with the idea of being with someone. she had a relationship before but it wasn't a very meaningful one, so it's still kind of new to her. she's also a bit jaded when it comes to love due to her issues with her parents and their divorce, so she needs some time to kind of trust that the person she's with is a good person to her and whatever.

overall, from most difficult to ship with to least, i'd rate it as:

kai

ryouta

takeshi

julien

benji

dax

anya

reo

wren

[chuluoyi]

noooo 😭😭 who you gonna use the s-chips on then 😭

UNHOLY BLOOD!!! It's my 1st Vampire-related manhwa and it's so good!!! Hayan is such a GIRLBOSS! I LOVE THE MAGICIAN DUDE AND HIS LION 🥹🥹🥹 But yes Euntae and Hayan's relationship was too slow I couldn't take it... But at least they had such a cute relationship at the end 🫶🏻

do you know the manga artist has a new webtoon? I'm not sure what it's called but I heard it's good! I've yet to read it myself... On another note, I love the art so much it's so unique and different from other manhwas!

And hmm few of my faves are "Death is the only end for the villainess", "No longer a heroine!", and "The Couple breaker". The last 2 are by the same artist! The 1st is a regular "I died and was reincarnated as a villainess" kind of story, BUT It has a twist! It's in an otome game instead of a storybook! Quite interesting... The 2nd is based on the life of an actress. It's pretty realistic and is a little dark... Not much romance tho...The last is really drama HAHAH It's crazy like the name says it all. As for childhood friends to lovers, I recommend "The Secret Bedroom of a Dejected Royal Daughter". It's a little bit enemies to lovers too. And it has 18+ Scenes 😁🤭 That's a bonus.

For status?! Honestly I don't get how that works LIKE you don't feel anything for him? And yeah! I agree that we definitely want the real thing. Woahh but 23 isn't that bad! Exactly I don't wanr boys I want men.

And HAHAHA don't worry bae you're not lecturing at all! I kinda like it when people give me advice.

It's not hot but it's too rainy 😭 I love the rain but I'm on school break now and I wanna go out with my friends 🫠

HAHAHAH I FEEL YOU OMG! Like its so gut-wretching and painful but IT FEELS SO GOOD TO READ!

Impulse buying HAHAH Makeup ain't Impulse buying it's a necessity 🫶🏻 WOAH 10 EPS IS A LOT- My best was like 4 eps maybe HAHAHHA

Omg You're so right my Twitter was always untouched until I started receiving notifs of Gojo being alive theories... And Gege continues toying with us till the very end...

AHHAHA To be fair I started Aot cause of Levi like PLS HE'S SO HOT idc if he's like 8cm shorter than me- But it's really ... complicated.... Too complicated for my liking...I understand where your girl friends are coming from ...

HAHAHAHA Karma hitting him hardddd

Also Karma is the guy on the screen (Gojo) coming straight home to youuuuu [If you listen to Taylor Swift you'll understand haha]

Also I flunked my excel exam... Idk why I have this module it sucks cause I'm not tech savvy... I think I aced my accounting test tho so that's good! Thanks for believing in me tho 😭😭😭 so touched rn..

We'd PAY to be Suguru's monkeys 🐒 🙈

Lmk once you read it omg I wanna know what happens I LOVE this AU it's so cute!

And hang in there, Chu!!!! You can do it!! Ik its already Saturday but still!!! Atb for next week babe!!

p.s. so sorry I took so long to reply, I'm overseas now...

-🪩

hii disco anon!! sorry for the late reply too i was just back from my weekend break!🥹

for christmas event?🥹 there must be a christmas event… right? i haven’t checked the chinese server yet but there must be! (#trust💁🏻‍♀️)

RIGHT it was so good and i’m glad i found people who also like them bcs my friends don’t seem to be interested😭 i know it’s so slowburn but the story is so great too. I KNOW I LOVE HIM TOO but wait i also forgot his name😭 but euntae is so hot i can’t—

really?! i’m looking into it now!! i really love her story and art so it must be good🤭

oooh i never have much affinity for isekai manga but now that you said it’s good then i’ll def check it out!!👀 i read no longer heroine too!! aaah that was so good i was on the edge of my seat every chapter🤧 and hey couple breaker seems interesting?? i’ll eat that up this weekend and oooh what’s that in the end👀👀 okay thank you sm for the recs!!🫶🏻

i have a rec too!! must be a happy ending! have you read it? the art is soooo majestic and the plot got me like 😩🥲🫣🤭 many times i love it so much from the start to the end!!

honestly i don’t really understand to till this day actually, but yeah she didn’t seem to like him that much because as she said it herself it was all out of “curiosity” which is a big red flag in and of itself💀 mind you not even a year later they broke up 🙄

(aww i’m glad you feel that way <3 when we’re close i tend to run off my mouth so…)

ahh school break!! i used to sleep in most of the time🤭🤭

it’s necessity for us but some boys are just too nosy *sigh* they be like “i love natural look!” and then be 🙃 when they see our bare face 😩 HAHAH yeah back when i had so much free time i spent it all on binge-watching🥲 do you have any show recs?? can be anything, even anime too!!

HAHAHHAA omg there’s this one twt account that always makes points about how gojo will live until this day 😭😭 i have accepted it by this point but evidently twitter nation is still going strong🥹

OMG SAME like i know levi but i didn’t know eren at firstt🤧🤧 he seems so cool and so fine (my bf 🙄 again at me when i mentioned that) even with one eye missing in the recent last part of aot too!!

OH YEAH I LISTEN TO HER THESE DAAAYS omg i must make a confession; her songs are the inspiration for my fics these days🥹🥹 like everything is so relatable and the tune are so easy to remember i love her songs 🫶🏻

ohmy i’m sorry🥺 i used to be sooo bad at excel (esp macros) too but ever since i’m following some yt tutorials i started getting better! and let me give you some shortcuts too:

chat gpt. believe it or not it works on codes! my friend who is a programmer cheats from chat gpt sometimes🥲 not totally recommended but it can be your last resort

excel forum. whenever i get confused regarding codes or formulas, i drop by the forum to ask. there are many kind people there! and most of their codes and formulas work too

whaa accounting!! i used to be so bad at it like i would tear my hair out to find “why are they not balanced?!” 😭😭 i love science subjects better🥹 and aw you’re welcome!!

i haven’t read the bakerlon card yet but i will tonight!! will update you once i do!!🥹

awww thank youuu disco anon!!😭🫶🏻 you’re so sweet thank you for interacting with me!!! and it’s totally okay! waaa i hope you enjoy your vacation!!✨

[literalite]

17, 25, 38, 39, 40 for suniko 🥲😭 WAAAAAAAAA

17. who made the first move? what was it?

depends what we're quantifying as a first move 😳 if its first wilful physical contact its niko- after they have their first kind of fight i guess (sunny's fault, he overstepped trying to be funny and endes up more hurtful💀) which snowballed somewhat into sunny drunkenly admitting his own perspective on his past i suppose. niko gives him a big hug and its the first time they r like touching each other on purpose

if we're going with an action thats something other than pure friendly intention, it'd be sunny kind of just... hm giving niko things while he's unaware? tucks him in when he's passed out too exhausted to do it on his own and stuff, gives him a better blanket instead of the probable sensory nightmare that arctis just leaves to niko and his engine room cot.

technically the reason they start talking at all is sunny kind of marks niko in his head as The One He Wants (carnally) on this specific mission because he'd die of boredom otherwise 💀 but it becomes a lot more than just that for either of them without sunny realising so i'm not counting that

25. who said i love you first? how did it go?

niko says i love you first! like a month into their like. more official thing where they are like more 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨 rather than just dancing around each other after years of slowburn it's not planned. hes kind of just holding sunny from behind like in the airt... kiss on back of head... i love you. it just kind of slips out- oh he absolutely means it but sometimes when the truth is just that undeniable there's not really a way for it to just say unsaid. i think sunny after hearing it just like. pauses. turns to look at him. actually lost for words (which. rare occurance bcos this mf does not shut up 😭) starts tearing up a lil bit maybe? its the truth for him too he just never really expected he'd be i guess worthy enough to hear it reciprocated. but he knows. holy shit i love you too... anyways they probs kiss for a bit after this LMAO

38. what do they love most about each other?

not answered previously here

39. who worries and who calms?

tbh in this world i feel like it's reasonable to say they do a fair amount of both over their own things... theres never a person who freaks out over things "more" bcos theyve both been thru their own personal hells and are in some ways still going thru it so they're kind of just like. there for each other in equal measure i believe

40. do they have any jealous tendencies over each other?

for niko? "any" jealous tendencies lets try "all" instead... not in the sense that hes controlling or anything because he isn't but hes pretty verbal about it when he's feeling that way. little twinges and moments of Ugh he's more protective than outright jealous we think- he's not like a freak 😭 he's not stopping sunny from hanging out with friends and other people they live in whats basically a giant flying dorm its always full of people. it stems a lot from him just continually losing people he cares for over and over... but he is def jealous and sunny loves it tbh

sunny (i'm going by crew sunny because imposter sunny is kind of undeveloped) is sort of. not as jealous as niko but still . yeah i think idk 😭 gets worser if provoked honestly and he gets irritated when other people take up all of niko's time... miloš and ashe i like you guys so much. leave engines now before that changes 😊 the more comfortable with monopolising niko's attention he gets the more like confident he is with it. if that makes sense

[nypmphetsbastard]

Paradis Island ch2

Genre: slowburn fanfiction, college!au

Pairings: yelena x fem!oc

Summary: college becomes a whirlpool of new people and emotions once you meet a woman by the name of yelena manages to weasel her way into your once perfect life and tear down everything you ever thought to be true. together, she introduces you to new world she likes to call 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱.

Warnings: angst, smut, hurt/comfort, struggles with religion, homophobia

A/N: reminder that this story is also posted on ao3 [NYMPHETSBASTARD]

————————

PIECK'S FRIENDS couldn't be described anything short of...odd. Porco didn't talk much and when he did it was always sarcasm slipping out of his tongue and multiple eye rolls. Hange was....a character. You had recently come to find out about their wild science obsession that they swore up and down wasn't an obsession, was the main part of their personality. They rambled about random scientific theories that were proven right, wrong, unidentifiable and theories they believed to be correct. It was interesting and gave you a new perceptive on a lot of things you haven't thought about before.

Hange tackled you into a hug and rocked the two of you back and forth on the sidewalk outside of the library. Porco both tried and failed trying to get them off you and with a sigh he just gave up.

"I'm gonna miss you so much! Thank you for listening to me!" They pulled away with a gasp, "We need to hang out again soon! I have so much to tell you about!" You laughed at their excitement

"Okay okay Hange, I think she gets it." Pieck chuckled lightly, Hange dismissively waved their hand at their dark haired friend and pushed up their satchel.

"Bye! It was nice meeting you!" Hange exclaimed, waving their arm around wildly and almost smacking Porco in the face, earning them a glare from the blonde.

"See ya." Porco waved, ignoring Hange's air talking towards you that said 'call me' with a fake phone in their hand.

Laughing at Hange being yanked away by Porco for taking too long, you turned back to Pieck as she linked her arm in yours.

"You're friends are interesting." You pointed out, Pieck giggled and nodded

"Yeah they're definitely different, but I prefer a couple of weirdos than a big group of fake friends." Nodding in understanding, you began to think back to your home town.

"I wouldn't know. I've never had many friends and the one friend I did have barley paid attention to me or my life so..." you mumbled, drifting off thinking about how sad your life actually was.

"Well don't worry, you're not missing out on much." Pieck nudged you, "I had a big group of friends in high school and the one thing I learned is that popular people are only popular for their looks, definitely not personality." You two laughed together, "The group ended up being problematic for a lot of reasons and the only ones left that were still close were me and Porco. Funny thing is, Hange used to be considered a huge nerd in our school and our group made fun of them but me and Porco hung out with them and for some reason we just..,couldn't shake em off. They love us and we love them, even they do have a little screws loose in the head."

You laughed her joke but couldn't help but think about yourself. Wishing you had friends that cared about you and talked about you like Pieck did even when you weren't around.

Noticing your frown, Pieck nudged you once more, "And now you're our friend" you smiled at her and nodded. The one question that had been itching at your for hours finally felt like enough as you looked down at your moving feet.

"So...what's the deal with...Yelena?" It felt almost sinful saying her name, Pieck's attention instantly turned to you at the mention of her name.

"What do you mean?"

"Like...are you guys friends or....? How did you become close?" You asked hesitantly, the fair skinned girl looked over at you with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you asking me how to get a date with Yelena?" Pieck questioned, you stopped in your tracks and looked at her with wide eyes.

"No no no no no, I-I'm not— I don't— my religion I-" you sputtered out nervously, Pieck's eyebrows came together at your random word vomit as she crossed her arms staring at you, "I mean! I'm fine with gay people I just— I'm not" your words were cut off by Pieck's soft angelic laugh.

"Relax, kid. I don't think you're homophobic but your questions were a little...off putting" She searched for the words to say and cringed at the one she came up with, you shook you head and sighed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."

"No it's fine. I'm not actually close with Yelena...in that way, I am in other ways but we're not really good with day to day conversations. That's Zeke's job. They've been friends since middle school I think and I guess it's stayed that way, don't know why but I guess history keeps friendship alive." She shrugged, you nodded and fished out your dorm room key out of your pocket, unlocking the door and bringing the two of you inside.

Honestly, you didn't understand why you felt such a pull towards Yelena. She was nothing short of intimidating, she wasn't short of anything actually. Her tall stature loomed over everybody in the room no matter how tall they believed they were, she was taller. Not only that, her dark colored sanpaku eyes made her already bored expressions look so blank yet so intimidating at the same time. She was an enigma to you. One you couldn't figure out.

"Shit, we don't have anything to drink." Pieck cursed, taking a look inside the mini fridge she had under her desk. Technically there wasn't enough space in the door to get an actual fridge so Pieck had just bought a mini fridge and insisted the two of you share it.

"I'll get some juice from the vending machine." You offered, Pieck let out a breath and gratefully took your offer.

"Here, buy me a cranberry juice, please?" You took the money Pieck handed you and nodded, sliding on some frog slippers and making your way own out of the dorm and towards the vending machine.

Truthfully? You had no idea where the vending machine was. A small glance towards it while walking past gave you idea enough that the machine existed, where? Well you'd have to figure that out. Trying to retrace your steps at any was hard enough given how short your memory was so you tried your best to think of the last time you crossed it. You probably looked crazy peaking over every corner you came across and looking up at the sky trying to remember but it was nearly one in the morning so you doubted anyone was just casually walking around for fun.

"Are you looking for something?" Asked a familiar voice from behind you, you whipped around and definitely did not make eye contact with whoever was in front of you. Your eyes slowly slid up till they landed on the two eyes you couldn't get out of your mind.

"Huh?" You choked out

"You're walking around like you don't know where you're going, are you looking for something?" She explained patiently, you blinked as the wheels in your head finally began turning.

"O-oh yeah, I am actually! Do you know where the vending machine is?" You asked despite your nervousness, the short haired girl looked at you with a blank face for a moment before she titled her head to the side and let her eyes fall behind you to the large vending machine that sat at the end of the open alleyway. Nearly heating up in embarrassment, you quietly thanked her and walked over to the large machine.

Your mind was so clouded with forcing yourself to not embarrass yourself while also trying to remember what drink Pieck asked you to get her that you didn't even notice the steps getting closer. Her steps got closer and closer till she walked around your crouched frame and leaned against the wall. You could barley look over at her, only catching the click of metal and the hiss of a lighter. Yelena snapped the metal lighter shut and looked over at you.

"You like cranberry juice?" She asked, pointing at the small bottle in your hand as a small smirk gracing her lips as she popped the cigarette in her mouth.

"Mmh? Oh no this isn't for me it's...it's for Pieck." You explained, Yelena simply nodded and continued taking a drag from the deadly paper wrapped nicotine. Deciding to finally make a move, you walked over to her and leaned against the wall as she'd done previously.

"Smoking is bad for you." You said bluntly, Yelena chuckled and blew the smoke out of her nose.

"I know." She stated simply.

It was a one word response, not much for a conversation but it didn't need to be. You were fine just staring at her while she stared right back, not a word being said. For once in your life, silence wasn't awkward or condescending. It was just...quiet. The kind of quiet you seeked in the middle of the night when your parents fought or when the day felt like too much, the kind of quiet you craved in the middle of an overcrowded area, the kind of quiet you longed for. You didn't mind the quiet. You didn't mind the quiet with her.

In your eyes is your humanity, the person you really are. There are times it gets lost, when you wear that facade, the facade of not caring about anyone or anything. But in that alleyway you stared into each other's souls. She said cheeky was good; she let you be yourself. You laughed so much, at times stopping because you knew a torrent of giggles would wake any scholars in nearby dorms. That's all you ever needed to connect to her in that moment, you and her, just eyes, no words. If you were mute your words and hushed giggled it would be all the same.

You bit your lip, trying to hold back to the unattractive snort that nearly made it out as Yelena chuckled at you,

"Hey, I'm serious! It was a very traumatizing experience." She joked, pushing your shoulder lightly

"And you just had to share that traumatic experience with me of all people?"

"Well, who else was I gonna tell the story of how I found a birthmark in the shape of Texas on Zeke's ass?" At that point you couldn't let it in and just begin laughing at her serious face, you looked away and leaned your head on your hand that rested on your knees as the two of you sat on the sidewalk.

"Literally anyone else! You have so many friends." You exclaimed. Yelena sighed and leaned back, holding herself up on one arm and running the other hand through her short blond hair.

"Not real friends. My 'friends' haven't laughed with me like this in...years." She revealed

"What about Zeke?" Just as the words slipped out, the blond woman's eyes widened as she side eyed you.

"Zeke? You think Zeke has any humors bone in his body?" Yelena asked incredulously, at that you truly snorted and let your head fall forward.

"Okay, okay, fair point." You agreed, lifting your head up just on time to see the woman letting her tongue slip out from her mouth and wet her pink lips, a silver shine of metal catching your eye in a quick second.

"You have a tongue piercing?" You asked curiously, besides the obvious silver septum piercing with horns pointing out the end, you never even noticed the metal piece in her mouth.

"Yeah" was all she said, dropping her hand between her man spread legs and looking at you with a head tilt.

"Can I see?" Yelena looked at you and smirked before leaning in closer

"Well you'd have to take your pants off for that." You blinked

"h-huh?" You stuttered, not expecting the answer. The blond chuckled at your nervous state and stood up in front of you, leaning down and grabbing your chin in her hand, her face getting closer to yours.

"You're an adorable little kitten, aren't you?" She whispered, you sat paralyzed as the two of you stared into each other's eyes once more, your eyes faltering down to her lips once more.

Sucking your teeth, you looked away from her sharp gaze and focused your attention on a random garbage bag a couple feet away from you .

"I have a name, you know?" You asked with a raised eyebrow, Yelena stood up at her full height and tucked her hands into her pockets looking down at you.

"Of course you do. See you around, kitten." Were her final words before she sauntered off, leaving you starstruck on the sidewalk.

You dropped your head backwards till it hit the soft plush bed you'd been craving the entire day. Falling asleep was one of the best parts of the day, there in the cozy blankets, snug and safe was where you could finally let go and let the world of dreams come to you in its dancing way. Let your mind rewind recent events and turn it into some weird ball of a mess that you would t even remember once the sun rose and your tired eyes blinked open.

Warm hands shrugged you somewhat roughly, effectively waking you up and not giving your mind enough time to catch up.

"Psst, it's time to wake up." Whispered a soft voice, you groaned and rubbed your eyes.

Once you adjusted to the natural lights beaming through the window, your mind finally processed Pieck running around your shared bedroom and dropping random clothes onto your bed hurriedly.

"What's going on?" You asked groggily

"You told me you have Professor Erwin first period, I had him last year and trust me you do not want to be late to his class, especially on the first day." She rushed out, handing you a random pair of sneakers as the wheels in your head finally began turning and you realized you had to get your ass out the door and to his classroom in 15 minutes.

"Oh fuck-" you cursed, throwing on the clothes Pieck had picked out for you and being stopped in your tracks by the short woman who shoved a croissant in your mouth and pushed you out of the dorm, not waiting to hear your mumble of gratitude from behind the piece of bread and butter.

Honestly, it hadn't processed how much Pieck for you beforehand until you made it to class and realized she'd packed your school laptop, a notebook and pencil in your bag as you made it to a random seat in Erwin's class just before he closed the door. You sent a prayer to the goddess known as Pieck Finger and immediately began immersing yourself into whatever came out of your professors mouth.

A small noise from behind you caused you to turn around and notice Hange sitting directly behind you with a wide smile. They waved excitedly at you but put their pen up to their lips as a way to tell you to be quiet. You smiled at them and turned back to focus to the lesson, making sure to write down anything that seemed slightly important. It was only after class that you felt you could finally breathe.

"Hey again!" Exclaimed a voice beside you, you looked over and smiled over at Hange.

"Hey Hange, what's up?"

"Nothing much, I woke up super early today and even got in a early jog before class."

"Pfft, cant relate. I woke up so later today by the time I even gained consciousness Pieck had already packed my bags, thrown a random outfit at me, put a croissant in my mouth and threw me out the door" you explained, Hange laughed and nodded.

"Yep, sounds like Pieck. She's just naturally like that, although I'm surprised she didn't wake you up earlier rather than just shoving you out the door." Hange observed, you shrugged.

"Oh well, at least I made it on time. I'm pretty sure Erwin was about two seconds from shoving the door in my face." The two of you laughed at the joke till you finally made it to a cross way.

"I gotta go but I'll see you later, okay?" Hange patted your shoulder and you nodded at their words, agreeing to meet up with them sometime after your classes.

Picking a random seat, you slumped down in your chair and began pulling out your laptop as the teacher started to set their things up as well. The warm hand in your cheek nearly lulled you into a slumber as the class dragged on for a while. After the 4th period, you could finally rest your head on your arms and lean against the desk as your teacher just rambled on about their life story, effectively dragging out the period even longer.

Finally, you lifted your head and rubbed the back of your neck as you made your way back to your dorm room. A mistake on your part to lay your head on a hard desk and ruin your posture even more, straining your neck in order to find a comfortable position. This tiredness didn't seem to pick up on the 'Do Not Disturb' sign at the handle of your door as you pushed your way into the room. Mistake.

The two bodies occupying the bed on the right jumped apart at the sound of the door opening but didn't turn around to face you.

"Can't you read?!" Shouted a familiar voice, your eyes adjusted to the darkness in the room and noticed Pieck laying under a mess of short blonde hair, her eyes not meeting yours until you spoke up.

"Oh shit...I- sorry" you stuttered out in a moment of shock, and only then did Pieck's brown eyes met yours. They widened significantly and pushed the blonde body off of them, revealing the same face you had been staring and blushing at the night before.

"Wait—!"

Now that was when you well and truly slammed the door shut and stepped back, not waiting to hear Pieck's response before immediately doing a 180 and started walking down the hallway. The squeak of a door behind you and the rush of steps trying to catch up to you was all you needed to hear to know that Pieck had run out after you.

She grabbed your arm and spinner you around, "Oh my god, I am so sorry! I forgot to tell you about the sign and—" she sputtered out

"Pieck it's fine! I'm not your mom, I can't stop you from having sex." your eyes lifted away from Pieck's, taking notice of Yelena who stood outside your dorm room door watching the interaction with the same blank expression she always wore. "But a warning would be very much appreciated next time." She sighed and pulled you into her arms.

"Of course, of course. I'm so sorry, it completely slipped my mind today." Pieck apologized profusely, while you wanted to be even a bit mad, you couldn't help but wrap your arms around her as well yet let your eyes fall back onto Yelena.

It was only now that you felt awful about last night, the moment you and Yelena shared made you feel like you had gone behind Pieck's back and made out with her girlfriend or something. You pulled away from the hug and adjusted the straps of your bag on your shoulders.

"Um you guys can...continue, I'm just gonna go." You said, motioning away awkwardly trying to hint at your new escape.

"No no no you don't have to, we could just find somewhere else to go, I don't wanna kick you out of your own room." Pieck insisted, regret flashing in her eyes at your words.

Subconsciously, your eyes went back to Yelena again. "No it's fine, I'm meeting up with Hange in the library anyway. You two...do what you do. I'll bring you back something to eat." You dismissed Pieck's suggestion, waving her off and turning around to make your way to the library, not turning your back once to see not only one but two eyes burning into the back of your skull.

Mistakes were all you seemed to be making today.

[overdrivels]

TWtaH Notes

I’m finally free. It took three years and nearly 150k words, but I’m finally done. I can’t believe it. 

It started off as a simple idea and a simple premise: a chef!reader who, while knife sharpening, catches Hanzo’s attention. It then evolved into a full-fledged fic with a plot and plot twists. Originally, it was supposed to be around 10 chapters long, but then it grew out of control over the years as I tried to figure out how to end what I started. 

In addition to being a redemption fic, this was also an information dump fic. Since this is the very first slowburn I have ever finished and I have the feeling I won’t have much opportunity to do the same ever again--I don’t think any other fandom would give me the ability to showcase all these tidbits like Overwatch does--I literally threw as much knowledge as I could reasonably incorporate as possible.

About plot changes:

Most of the original plot points survived the writing process, some minor ones didn’t for plot related reasons, so this surprisingly went better than I thought it would. 

There was supposed to be another scene where Chef faced off against Reaper in chapter 20 or so, but upon reassessing Reaper’s character, I decided he wouldn’t do that, especially not against civilians or put himself in harm’s way just to say something to Chef. He wouldn’t even say anything to his family in the comics, what makes anyone think he’d do anything to someone he had even less of a personal relationship with?

There were supposed to be more scenes about Chef’s fencing, but I couldn’t fit it in and it ended up being a one-trick pony plot device. It wasn’t supposed to be that way, but that’s how it turned out. There was supposed to be a scene where Chef fights back against Talon during their infiltration of the Watchpoint.

There were points where Hanzo himself talked his way out of situations and forced me to change the plot. In the kitchen when he first meets Chef face-to-face, he wasn’t supposed to get the chef to forgive him which is the biggest plot deviation I’ve had and it forced me to reconsider large sections of the story. Honestly, I think it’s for the better though because I was really at a loss as to how to progress the original plot under those conditions.

I also wanted to emphasize that when Chef left, there was increased tension between the members. There was little commonality joining them all together except for the fact they all needed to eat. In order for some parties to work, you have to have your support characters, and in that case, it’d be Chef. But I seem to have bumbled through that bit and made it less impactful so if I ever got a chance to rewrite this, I’d probably stress this bit more.

Symmetra was supposed to have a much bigger role in this, somehow she fell to the wayside with that one plot change in the kitchen I mentioned before. On the flipside, Ana and McCree got a way bigger role than expected. 

One of the biggest plot changes was Hanzo hating peppers. Originally he was supposed to hate onions but I thought there was way too much onion in Japanese cuisine to omit them, so I thought of something that would seem more ‘childish’.

To be fair, I also don’t really like peppers all that much either. But I sure as hell love onions.

The proposal with the miso soup at the end, the plot twist where the chefs are the real treasure, and some other minor details have been there since the beginning of the idea’s conception. Things like Reaper trading Overwatch’s life for the tamale, the name of the restaurant, and Hanzo’s fight with Genji only came after the fic was being written. 

Real life:

Covid really took its toll on me since a lot of this fic revolved around food, tasting it, experiencing it, making it, etc. I lost a good portion of my taste and smell, and it’s not back 100% even months later, so a lot of what I begin to describe after a certain point is just based on memory. If a pre-pandemic world, I would have been running around the city, sampling foods and writing down my impressions, but with things as they were, it didn’t pan out that way.

I tried to stuff as many of my favorite foods (and not so favorite foods) here as much as possible. There were a lot of foods I omitted because there’s only so much I could fit in here. A companion compilation fic of the Overwatch characters eating their favorite foods or just eating food in general made by Chef sounds really appealing right now.

May, June, and July made me really want to expand the story and include things in the fic that would turn it ‘problematic’ or at least morally ambiguous. If I did that, this fic would never be finished. 

Characterization and development:

Junkrat and Roadhog are much more docile in this story than I would have headcanoned them simply because food security is life-changing. I really liked the idea of Roadhog using his farming skills and being less homicidal with the right environment. They both know food is sacred. 

Argus 20 is in reference to Argus Panoptes, the all-seeing many eyed giant from greek mythology. The 20 comes from “hindsight is 20-20” (but now 2020 has a very different connotation and I’m thinking it’s pretty fitting). The reason for this is because she oversaw a lot of what was happening especially in the front of house. It’s not mentioned in the story, but she oversaw things like purchasing the restaurant, setting up the dummy accounts, organizing and obfuscating the donations, etc.

In case there was any confusion, ‘Tanuja Deshmukh Singh�� is Asim’s deadname. When he left Overwatch and became Asim Singh, his family disowned him. He was then free to live as himself, but he never discarded his last name because he still wanted to be connected to his family in some vague way no matter how much they disliked or denied his existence.

Head Chef Richard has been in jail. His backstory is basically after firing his staff to protect them from the fall out, he basically told the press he fired them for insubordination and took the fall for the kitchens and got quietly arrested. He was sent to the same prison that Chef would end up at. He’s not a very honest man, I don’t think, but he’s a character who was molded by the story and its needs rather than being a pre-established OC. 

I kind of wanted to write the fic in a way where Argus and Asim weren’t bad guys but people who were forced to make difficult decisions because of the position they were put in by Chef and by Talon. Cause, you know, sometimes you do things to hurt people without realizing it.

I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to push another ship in the background. If you see hints of different pairings here and there, you may be seeing it right because I kept flip-flopping between chapters as to whether I wanted to or not, and if I decided I did, I kept changing the pairings.

Hanzo. Where do I even start with this guy? I had a really tough time trying to stick to one interpretation of his character. I kept reading other fics and going, “Yeah. Yeah! I want that!” But then it just became a huge mish-mash of characterizations until I wasn’t sure who he was anymore. But I clung onto the thought of “he’s the first son of an Asian household dealing with his spoiled brother” to help get me through it. It reminds me of that tweet that goes, “You think you can hurt me? I’m the eldest daughter in an asian family.” It was so relatable. Channeling eldest sibling in asian family vibes. 

Chef. It was so hard. It was so damn hard writing a faceless character for so many words. I can usually do it in a one-shot because I can get away with not mentioning stuff, but in a slowburn?? It’s so difficult. Multiple times I had to stop myself or revise things because there were characters talking about Chef and I didn’t want to make the dialogue unnatural by saying ‘chef’ ‘chef’ over and over again. There were other moments like Soldier carrying Chef out of the Cellar and I was like: “What if the reader is taller than Soldier?!” It was a struggle. The other struggle was characterization. There were so many in-story stressful moments that I wanted Chef to start crying at but the timing of it was so frequent that I had to nix most of them or risk making Chef unrelatable. 

lol i’ve made several pseudo-cameos in the story because I’m shameless. 

Miscellaneous:

Man, my style changed so many times throughout the story. At some point I ended up writing outlines made solely of dialogue and wrote the story around it. It was oddly distressing when I realized my words wouldn’t come out like they used to.  

This fic has seen me through a ridiculous amount of crap. I kind of wished I kept a journal or something because these past three years have been nuts. 

After this, I’ll probably retire from writing Overwatch and then go into my usual writing hibernation that spans about 4 years before I reemerge with an unquenchable thirst for something stupid. 

In my nearly 20 years of writing fanfic, this is the first slowburn I’ve ever completed. To be fair, the last time I even tried was like...over 10 years ago when mediaminer was still a thing and didn’t ban CYOAs.

This was also the longest single fic I’ve ever written. I have wirtten 200k in a year before but never for any single thing.

God, this was hard. I partially did it to prove that you don’t need to use placeholders like ‘Y/N’ and stuff like that and it was possible to write a slowburn with gender neutral stuff, but I had to cheat a bit. But it’s done. 

I’ve worked in the restaurant business for a few years but not as a chef. It wasn’t even high-end either. I wanted to talk about the work conditions because it’s pretty tough in the kitchens and the amount of drugs and vices people turn to and the conditions in which people come to work is nuts. 

I wanted to cover a lot of controversial topics to see if I could but it just didn’t fit in the story. I wanted to tap into things like social justice, racism, prejudices, political landscapes, and so on. Even within Overwatch, I’d imagine there’s a lot of tensions stemming from just basic ideologies. I wanted to see if I could write about both (or more) sides of challenging arguments and still remove the author’s opinions from the story, but I’d imagine that’ll bring its own complications. Last thing I wanted was to start a fight in the comments or something.

I almost made the crew travel to Asia with implications of a changed geo-political sphere from today. Like...the status of Taiwan would’ve been interesting to touch upon, but I didn’t feel like I had the knowledge to expand on it enough.

Almost every waking of my life, I have thought or worked on this fic. During meetings, during conferences, during client calls, while I’m on public transportation, in different countries. I don’t know what to do with myself now.

Anyway, if you have any questions or anything or just want to shout at me, inbox is open.. For now I’m just going to lament over the fact that Genshin Impact gives me motion sickness and I can’t play despite working so hard to roll Mona.

[conaionaru]

Moral of the story (Modern Bjorn)

Who knew

Synopsis: As a single father, Bjorn doesn't have much time to move on from his wife Thorunn. When Marjorie Potts stumbles into his life.

Warning: Slowburn, friends to lovers, modern au, Siggy lives, abusive ex

I don't own the gifs.

Unstrapping his little daughter from her car seat, Bjorn made his way to his house. It was new, a gift from his father to have a fresh start. It was closer to Ragnar's new family. Siggy liked being close to her uncles and little cousins.

The five-year-old run after him; her pigtails were bouncing happily as she clutched her stuffed bear in her hands.

Banging caused the two to stop. By the neighbor's house, a car parked on the lawn, ruining the grass. A man stood by the door, trying to get in. But somebody from the inside struggled to keep him out.

"Who is he?" He heard an older lady ask as three grandmas walked by.

"No idea. Never seen him before. The girl lives all alone."

"Maybe an old boyfriend. Mabel. Call the police on him. He is up to no good."

True to their word, the drunken man banged on the door and screamed loudly. "Let go, you, bitch! Fuxking whore, though you could fool me? Moving won't save you, Marjorie!"

Bjorn frowned at the yelling and left his daughter with the three women. He marched to the man just as he managed to rip the door open.

"Stop running!"

"Hey! Let her go."

The man turned around to look at Bjorn stalking towards him. "Don't interrupt. We are in the middle of something."

The redheaded girl used the moment to try and slam the door closed, but the man put his foot in the crack and slammed the door open. The force bashed the girl's head against the wood and collapsing on the ground in pain. She cursed as he raised his arm to hit her, but Bjorn wrapped her arm around his wrist and wrenched him off her.

The flashing lights of the police alerted them that the fight was over. The man ripped himself out of Bjorn's chokehold and pointed an accusing finger at him. The Ragnarsson ignored him and helped the girl up from the ground. "Are you alright? Do you see double?"

"Thanks."

The ginger looked over her shoulder at the yelling men getting restrained by the police. "I will fucking kill you, bitch! How dare you cuff me! Wait till my father hears about this! He will get you all fired! Do you hear me?!"

"Maam." A policewoman called out and walked to Bjorn and his neighbor with a medical kit in her hands. "How about we patch you up, and you can make a statement."

"I can do it here too."

The policewoman nodded and took out a notepad after patching up her head wound. The scratch on her forehead was bleeding a little bit and probably hurt like a bitch. The old ladies carried Siggy to Bjorn, who also had to make a statement. 

During his interview, he heard the girl's conversation with the cops. "He is my ex. Andrew Doyle. D-O-Y-L-E."

"Has he beat you before? Any attacks of any kind? Before or after your break-up."

"During. This is the first time he saw me since we split up. I moved to have a new start."

When all the turmoil slowed, Bjorn was left alone with his daughter and neighbor, who looked at her busted door in disdain. "I know someone who can repair it. I could call him."

The ginger looked back at him and frowned before sighing and nodding. She put her hands in her pockets as she watched the tall, broad man fish his phone out of his pocket while his little daughter runs around him in circles.

She was a cute child with dark brown eyes and strawberry blonde curly hair in two pigtails. Attentive and curious, stealing glances at the strange woman every once in a while. 

"He will come to look at it in two hours."

"Thanks... I don't know your name."

Bjorn chuckled and extended his hand to her. "Bjorn Lothbrok. This is my daughter Siggy. We are new here."

She smiled at him halfheartedly and shrugged, shaking his hand. "Joy Potts. A resident for a month. Welcome to the neighborhood, I guess." She turned on her heel to go into her home, but Bjorn called out to her once more.

"You could wait at my house. It would be safer." Joy frowned at his offer and tried to decline, but Siggy run-up to her, smiling. 

"You could play with me! Or do my hair. My Daddy is bad at it."

"I am not." He tried to protest, but Siggy shook her head and looked up at the ginger with puppy dog eyes. 

Fuck me. "Sure."

And so she ended up in a house way too huge for a single father and his little daughter. The guy had five guest bedrooms! If he rented the thing out, he could buy another car instead of the Mercedes parked out front. But the tall blonde seemed like a good guy, you know, for a rich dude. 

Joy subtly looked over his kitchen as he tried to cook something for all of them. The wine bottle on the top shelf seemed old, judging by the lair of dust on it, and very welcoming. "Do you want some? I could open it." 

She shook her head and smiled sheepishly at Bjorn's confused look. "Just trying to seize you up. You know, if I am not in the house of a psychopath." 

He chuckled and pointed at the five-year-old girl painting behind the dinner table. "I have a kid."

"Psychos have sperm too. I am sure attractive ones have some kids. Ted Bundy made on in prison." She shrugged and smirked at his bewildered expression. He invited her into his home, let him bear the consequences. She was way too fucking tired to tip-toe around him.

"Fair point." He shrugged and stirred the sauce in the pot. Joy shook her head at the technique and walked over to him to peer into the pot.

"Does food involve my stay here?" Bjorn nodded and grinned proudly at his creation that...honestly looked poisoned. "I will pass then."

"It doesn't look that bad!"

"Daddy's right! It smells worse!" Siggy called from her spot on the dinner table and run over to Joy and her father to show them her picture. It was a cute scene of her, her father, and many other people with names over them. Some of the letters were backward. But Joy could make out the words "Ubbe" and "Ivar." The last one looked like an angry troll.

"It's not so bad. I am sure it can be saved." With an unsure grin, Joy tasted the pasta sauce. It tasted horrid, so she spent the next two minutes perfecting the disaster enough so it could be edible. 

The dinner was rather quiet; Siggy ate the spaghetti happily, getting the sauce all over her. Bjorn opened the bottle of white wine, so hopefully, the awkward tension would ease. Joy was never really a people person. She liked her privacy and scandals to be her own business. After her relationship with Andrew, she lost all her friends and wasn't that bummed about it. Moving far away is easier when you had no attachments. No need to burn bridges to keep yourself safe when they were all ashes already.

"So... Why did you move here? Usually, people like you don't move into neighborhoods filled with old ladies. Or is that your type?" Maybe the wine wasn't the best decision, but she always made the wrong choices. So no surprise there, let her big mouth insult the guy that gave her shelter and fed her.

Bjorn just chuckled and looked at Siggy's adorable happy face. "I needed a quiet place to raise my daughter. Far away from my teenage brothers and my dad's new wife. And you? What's a girl like you doing here?"

Joy smirked and finished her third glass of red wine. "Escaping mostly."

"From him?"

The smile dropped from her face. Why was she even shocked at the answer? He did save her from Andrew and heard her talk with the cops. "Him and other people. Rumors, knowing eyes, judgment. It was tiring, and I needed an escape. So I thought, where would no one normally want to move? And I came here."

"No one but me, I guess. Or do I not count as normal? A guy like me? What does that even mean, by the way?"

She poured the rest of the bottle into her glass and swirled the liquid around, trying to sort her thoughts. "A guy that came from money, obviously. Otherwise, you couldn't afford a place like this. And you also invited a stranger you just met into your home. What if I was a psychopath that could kill you?"

"We can't both by psychos, can we? What would the odds be?" They both shared a laugh, Siggy asking for seconds right after. Joy couldn't look at the messy face, so she took a napkin and wiped at Siggy's face. 

"Nooo. I want to be messy. It's like make-up. It will make me pretty." Siggy whined while Joy and Bjorn laughed at her. 

"It doesn't match your skin tone, honey." Joy joked and threw the dirty napkin away. The doorbell rang right after, so Bjorn went to open the door. The man that walked in after him, was tall and lanky. 

He was the one that was supposed to fix the door. So Floki, Bjorn, Siggy, and Joy went to her home to look at the damage. The ginger led them into her living room, where Floki spread his tools and went to hang down the door. She would need a new lock and some damage control, but it would be working within the hour. 

Siggy looked around the room and then settled on the couch to watch TV. After asking Joy to do something with her hair, of course. Bjorn used the moment to look around. Despite her living here longer than him, Joy's house was impersonal. Just easily decorated to pack up faster if needed. 

The Lothbrok understood that she was probably on the run from Andrew, but the house looked so empty. No photos or anything to show that someone actually lived here. One thing that caught his attention were dog tags on the wall. "They were my dad's. Marine."

"My brother wanted to enlist, but our Dad talked him out of it. Said Ubbe wouldn't handle the violence and blood full time. Ivar still holds it over him until now." Bjorn snorted in amusement, causing Joy to laugh too. 

"Annoying little shit, brother? Know what that's like."

"Brothers?"

Joy rolled her eyes and looked at him, resting her chin against the back of the beige couch. "Two. One older, one younger. Annoying, overprotective, and a nightmare to live with as a teenage girl."

"Well, there are 13 years between me and Ubbe, who's the oldest. Bringing girls home was very hard when a little boy is following you like a lost puppy." 

Joy snorted and grinned at Bjorn's confused look. "Boohoo. Poor Bjorn couldn't get it on. My brothers threatened my first boy friend, not even dating, just project partners. The guy couldn't even walk in the same hall as me. My youngest brother banged pots outside my door after I came home from a party for the first time."

"My dad used to blast Queen right next to my ear. Sat there and laughed at my misery when he found me hugging the toilet. I still think he has blackmail material from that time."

Laughing at their pasts was so easy. As if they had known each other for years. It has been a long time since Bjorn could spend time with someone that wasn't family or work-related. "So the door is fixed. It looks like nothing ever happened."

Floki giggled while walking in. Joy jumped up to pay him, but the tall stranger stopped her. "Anything for a friend of Bjorn."

"We aren't exactly-"

"Thank you, Floki. Say hi to Helga and Angrboða for me!" Bjorn cut her off and led the men out, saying something about a playdate between their girls.

Floki looked the tall man over and grinned. "You know, you could bring Siggy tomorrow and ask the girl out. You aren't really subtle."

"I don't like Joy like that. I know her for a few hours."

"Never stop you before, Big Bear." The younger male mock glared at Floki, who just snickered and left.

When he walked back into the room, Joy and Siggy played a card game, and his daughter's hair was in two braids. "Strange fellow, isn't he?"

He shrugged and went to help Siggy win. "Known him since birth. He is my parent's friend since they were all my age. His wife and daughter are sweet, though."

After the game, Bjorn took Siggy to leave, the little girl hugging Joy as a goodbye. He looked at them and sighed. "I wanted to ask you... Would you like to go out for a drink? As neighbors and new friends, nothing serious."

Joy smirked at his stammering and nodded. "Are you going to ask the old ladies out too? I would like to see that."

"Oh yes, I have a knitting lesson planned out with each one." They laughed again and parted ways.

Joy stood there, dreading what would come during the "date." She was in no mood for a relationship so soon after Andrew. Especially after today. But if he really wants to just be friends, then fine. If he ends up in the friend zone, that's on him. 

So the next day, she spent minimal time on her make-up and clothes. If he wants to be friends, he should get used to her looking like a gremlin. But she better ease him into it; we don't want him to get a heart attack so young, do we?

Sitting at the bar and waiting for him felt weird. Joy felt desperate and ridiculous in her jeans and leather jacket. She felt like everyone kept staring, and every laugh felt like it was meant to be about her. 

 'Cause I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby

Yeah, I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby

Listen to Iron Maiden, baby, with me, ooh

The song on the stereo made her feel old. It was released in the 2000s when she was a kid. She listened to that song constantly when it came up on the radio and sang along. Now the young people in the bar looked at the stereo in confusion, unfamiliar to the hit. 

"But he doesn't know who I am. And he doesn't give a damn about me." Bjorn sang from behind her, grinning at her shocked expression.

"You sing fine, but your timing's shit." Joy teased as he sat down and ordered a whiskey like her.

"I was held up, spilled something over my shirt, and had to change. But I am here." He grinned at her and froze. What were they supposed to talk about now? The weather? Sports? Since when was he so bad at this?!

Joy looked at him with curious eyes and sighed. "I just want to remind you, no feelings."

"That won't be hard." Bjorn shook his head; Joy raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's that supposed to mean? Am I that ugly?"

"More like I am too busy with Siggy. And I guess you aren't ready either. Moving on from her mom is... hard. I would rather like a friend that doesn't want to see me naked or something from me other than company."

Joy smiled at nodded. "Good. I am not the best adept for that, but your funeral."

"Why do you think that?"

Telling him about her severe self-hate problems and antisocial lifestyle wasn't an option. So she decided to go another route. "Just saying that how we met isn't the best friendship set up. You don't usually see that in movies."

Bjorn shrugged and took a sip of his drink. "Well, this isn't a movie. Or do you see hidden cameras here, huh?"

"You got me there, Lothbrok. So tell me, neighbor... Where are you from?"

"My Dad lives in Kattegat, Mom, and sister in Hedeby. I lived in between and with Dad at the end. What about you?"

Joy played with a strand of her hair, bobbing her head to the end of "teenage dirtbag." 

How does she know who I am?

And why does she give a damn about me?

I've got two tickets to Iron Maiden, baby

Come with me Friday, don't say maybe

I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby, like you

She looked down into her glass and smiled nostalgically. "We moved from Topeka, Kansas, to Oslo when Mom was pregnant with my big brother. Lived there ever since. So when the shit with Andrew was over, I moved here to Copenhagen. I figured big city, fewer people to know me. But I wanted a quieter neighborhood, so here I am."

"What about work? Do you work here in the city?" 

"Right now, nowhere. I used to bartend before, but right now, I do occasional work. Watching kids, cleaning houses, I tried gardening once. It ended badly."

"So that's why your lawn looks shitty." 

Joy gasped and hit the giggling Bjorn on the shoulder. "What's your job? Profesional asshole? Is that just part-time?"

"A hobby, really. I worked in my dad's company with Ubbe but didn't have time for Siggy. So now I am a personal trainer. So if you want to learn how to beat people up, tell me." She smiled at the invitation and clanged glasses with him.

"To a nice friendship between two idiots." 

"Skol!"

[malyceaduncastellan]

Another random Open Heart rant: Ethan x MC slowburn

WOW. Okay. Just need to settle down for a bit because Ethan fucked me up today.

First, Naveen TOTALLY ships MC and Ethan and I love it x)

Second, the fact Ethan thinks MC is the only one he can trust with all of this? YES. YES. MC IS BITCH. MC’S A FUCKING CUTIE PIE AND PROBABLY ONE OF THE KINDEST MC EVER.

Third? Hum, his diamond scene? Guys? Just how much does that hurt? I like that Ethan doesn’t try to act like nothing happened. Something happened between him and MC. He even KNOWS something is still happening but he’s not letting himself go once again. And it hurts him like crazy.

Wanna let me rant again? Honestly, I’m good at analyzing all of this so I’ll do it. I don’t think any LI so far in the books loves MC as much as Ethan does. I’m not saying it won’t happen, but so far, that man is the only one who’s fully acknowledging there truly is something between him and MC.

Not to be mean, but Bryce and Jackie seem more like hook-ups for now than anything serious. Kyra and Rafael? Barely see them enough to have built anything. So well, I know about what you say when it comes to this : “Nanana, forced LI blablabla” Well I’m not there to dwell on it pals, sorry, not fair to you guys.

What I mean is, you’ve been complimenting PB about this AMAZING SLOWBURN for a week (it’s not stopping anytime soon with what we got today) but why is it so well done?

Personaly, I think slowburns are boring. I mean, intended slowburns. Like, for real. I’m not one to spend much time on people getting together in my stories. I can develop relationships, make a crush obvious, make you ship my characters but this won’t be what defines their relationship.

And I think this is exactly WHY this one is so good. When I spoke about how Ethan had a good character evolution before, it’s actually part of it. MC’s also a really good character when you think about it but for now I’ll let this case open for later.

What makes a relationship? Hugs, stares? Maybe thoughts or feelings? TUDUD, you’re wrong. What makes a relationship is actually the people who compose that relationship. Their own story, beliefs, past and thoughts, and whatever links all of that.

Ethan and MC’s relationship is unconventional to say the least. They share a secret that was first kept exclusively by Ethan. Having this discovered forced Ethan to open. He needed MC to understand him so he would have them as an ally.

Before, yelling at MC, or belittling them for the likes of it wasn’t a problem, because they were an intern, not “Someone” to him, this I developed earlier. In addition, MC and Ethan share something : They don’t give up. Never. Or, at least, they don’t want to give up. That sets their relationship as a friendly one, with professionnal and personal respect for both parts, and mutual understanding.

Then we’re going on the romantic aspect of that relationship. Ethan ain’t someone to get close to anyone. If anything, having to become close all of a sudden to MC... Well, I’m pretty sure it messed him up big time. Ethan didn’t have anyone who challenged him emotionaly speaking. Naveen’s case is making him desperate and then MC’s showing up and understands everything? Gift from heaven.

On both sides, there’s this kind of duality:While MC craves for Ethan’s recognition and for his approval professionnaly speaking, they’re personnally connected with him and it makes him more human, less frightening : MC is becoming bold with him lately. He’s not just the boss, the role model or the inspiration, he’s a man who needs help and goody two shoes MC’s willing to see him as what he really is to achieve that.

Ethan, on the other hand? Completely forced out of his comfort zone. First, he’s the boss, he’s the one controlling everything, including MC, all of the other interns, his patient’s case, the diagnosis team, the intern competition... He’s the man, a man of capacity, a man of decision. And on the other side? He doesn’t control anything. MC’s an intern but an intern who knows his secret, he can’t suddenly order them around for anything for suddenly they’re equals. MC’s the one leading their relationship actually, he doesn’t control it, he’s merely under the influence of it. Suddenly by his side is someone caring, confident and competent enough they can’t help him, someone’s who’s seen him truly.

MC’s totally controlling that relationship and I think Ethan’s been telling himself he’d let them. And by letting himself go he went into “dangerous” thoughts and he let MC in way more than he thought he did, hence the “What are you doing to me?” from last week. He never meant for this relationship to cross that line and I’m beginning to believe he didn’t realize how far it had gone until that night in Miami.

On MC’s side, I could find you proof the same development happened but honestly MC’s more an open book for us so I won’t develop. 

Therefore, they built this relationship on the evolution of it. They went with the flow, MC dwelling more and more in Ethan’s life and Ethan’s letting them in, leading them to THIS situation where MC asks for honesty and the only honest response is that a line was crossed.

But THIS is why that slowburn is good. Because the characters are feeling it. They’re hurting about it. There is SOMETHING. Something that hurts, something that slightly burns. Something they can name, something they can talk about, something they know they will lose the fight to.

“We’re doctors, we fight the inevitable” I mean, Ethan doesn’t believe a word of what he says. He can try and force himself to stop crossing those lines but he knows there’s a chance he won’t be able to. MC needs honesty for it’s well deserved, because there is something and nothing’s happening yet and they know this something can change in a nick of time.

The slowburn is working because they know they’re in one. They’re characters before they are a relationship and both their character make it so they perfectly know something lit a flame, the flame is still burning swiftly, it’s only a matter of time until grows and only a matter of time until it bursts.

They both want more, and because they’re characters and we can relate to them, we want more to, making the slowburn efficient.

That’s it, I’m done for that one.

[myndopeus]

you give me something to think about (chapter 7)

Read on ao3

Summary: Trini’s never been good at making friends, which only makes being stuck in the same school for seven years even more miserable. But when she finally does meet someone nice, she ends up with a whole lot more than she bargained for.

It’s gonna be one hell of a year.

The Slowburn Hogwarts AU that no one asked for.

Trini starts noticing a change in her routine. Normally, the days usually seem to blur together in a sort of haze, passing both incredibly quickly and agonizingly slowly. Now though, it’s like things have slowed down just enough for her to see everything around her.

It helps that she’s kept decently busy with quidditch and studying, not to mention hanging out with her new friends (she thinks they’ve known each other long enough to be friends, now). She has less time to isolate herself and brood. It certainly makes her more tired, but that also makes it easier for her to fall asleep at night.

The constant social interaction isn’t a bad thing, per se, but it is a bit of a jarring change. Trini isn’t used to being noticed so much. More than that, she’s not used to having people who look for her. Whether it’s Jen after morning practice, or Zack before they head to the library, the idea that people are acknowledging her existence is… interesting.

For example, in Herbology, Professor Longbottom had assigned them the arduous and incredibly painful task of trimming the Snargaluffs for the Fifth Year classes. Trini is busy sizing up the plants to find which one is the least deadly when two large hands clap down on her shoulders, causing her to jump.

“Found you,” Zack’s voice says in her ear, and she groans in mock despair.

“As if I don’t see enough of you already.”

“You know you love looking at this handsome face, T. Now come on, we’re gonna take on the biggest one.” This time, the despair she feels is real.

Jason is waiting by the Snargaluff stump with a mildly pained look on his face, and Billy is eyeing the plant nervously, fiddling with his gloves. 

“Now the party can get started!” Zack declares while Trini sulks by his side.

“Remind me why I agreed to this, again?”

“For the glory, Jace. We’re Gryffindors, it’s what we do.”

“We’re not Gryffindors,” Billy pipes up, scooting over to stand by Trini. “So if you don’t mind, I think we’ll just—”

“No take backs, dude. We’re doing this!” Zack’s confidence is not reassuring in the slightest, and Billy and Trini share a glance.

“It was worth a try, B.” Trini takes a deep breath, readying her clippers, while Zack seems to be brandishing a variety of different rakes and retractors. Jason looks like he just made the worst decision of his life.

“Ready… Go!” Zack promptly dives at the Snargaluff, and the others scramble to catch up and make sure that he doesn’t get himself seriously injured.

After several near-death experiences, and what seemed like an endless amount of spiny vines, the Snargaluff is reduced to an appropriate size for 15-year-old children to be handling, and they retreat to the corner of the greenhouse to nurse their injuries.

“Told you we could do it,” Zack crows triumphantly as they’re dismissed. Despite the numerous scratches on his face, he gives Trini a big smile.

She pouts. “We just got our asses kicked by a plant, how are you still so chipper?”

“I don’t know about you guys, but I found it to be an exhilarating experience.”

“Well, you’re not wrong,” Billy says, frowning as he plucks some spines out of his robes. “There were quite a few times I feared for my life, if you can call that exhilarating. Ow!”

“But did you die, though?”

“No. Obviously.”

“See? All good.”

Jason notices Trini starting to drift off from the rest of the group. “Trini,” he calls, and the other boys turn to look. “You coming to the library later?”

She nods. “Yeah, I just left some of my reference books in the common room. I’ll see you guys there.”

“You better, because I totally wasn’t paying attention during Divination, so I’ll need your help.”

“That’s your own damn fault, Taylor.” She hears the boys start to poke fun at each other as she leaves, and she smiles to herself.

It’s certainly a change. But it’s not necessarily an unwelcome one.

* * *

Billy and Zack are waiting for her when she gets to the pitch. She easily catches the quaffle that Zack hurls her way, throwing it straight back to him. He’s surprised at first, but he quickly recovers, grinning at her devilishly.

“Damn, Crazy Girl,” he chuckles, tossing the ball in his hand. “ Quidditch training is definitely paying off. I’m excited to see what else you’ve got in store.” After a moment’s though, he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, and she groans.

“Gross, dude, it’s way too early for you to be popping a boner over quidditch.” She notices Billy surreptitiously sneak a concerned glance at Zack’s crotch, and it’s not long before they’re both practically on the ground laughing.

Zack looks between his two laughing friends, confused. “Wait, did I miss something? What’s happening?” Trini can’t catch her breath to form words, and Billy just shakes his head sheepishly.

“You two are clearly in cahoots about something, and honestly? It’s kind of terrifying.”

They’ve been goofing around for a bit when Billy suddenly comes to a halt. Trini almost crashes into him, and Zack barely stops himself from hitting Billy in the face with the quaffle. Billy, bless his soul, barely notices, as he waves at the seemingly empty entrance to the pitch.

“Hey!” he yells out, and Trini and Zack share an equally lost look. Billy turns back to them and notices their confused expressions. “What? It’s Kim, she’s over there,” he says, pointing over his shoulder. Trini looks again, and this time she can make out a small figure leaning against the wall of the boundaries.

“Should we go say hi? I’m gonna go say hi.” Before the others can respond, he’s flying down to meet her. Zack looks at her, and they both shrug before following after him.

“Clearly you guys haven’t been training hard enough, if you’ve still got the energy to play quidditch at this ungodly hour.” Kimberly smirks, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Zack makes an indignant noise, and Billy laughs, before immediately launching into a conversation with Kim, who takes it all in stride.

Trini hangs back a little as the boys talk with her. After spending so much time around each other, Trini thinks she and Kimberly are starting to approach something close to friendship, especially after seeing her in Hogsmeade. She still hasn’t gotten to know Kimberly nearly as well as she knows the boys, but there certainly isn’t the same animosity that was present when they first met.

That doesn’t mean she feels any more at ease around her, though. She used to feel almost… threatened whenever Kimberly was around, like this sort of intense discomfort mixed with fear. She’s no longer afraid of her, but that slight discomfort still remains. There’s just something about being around Kimberly that makes Trini feel like she’s constantly caught off guard. It’s fine when she’s concentrating on something else, but every time Kimberly catches her attention, it leaves her feeling—

There’s a hint of motion, and Trini comes back to focus just in time to see Kimberly tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Trini blinks, suddenly distracted, and she scrambles to regain her train of thought.

It leaves her feeling confused.

“So what brings you out here?” Trini gradually tunes back in, and she realizes that the question was directed at Kimberly.

“Felt like getting some fresh air,” she replies breezily, and the boys seem to take her at face value. But Trini remembers seeing Kimberly sitting alone at the Three Broomsticks, how she was walking through Hogsmeade by herself, and she knows that nine times out of ten, it’s more complicated than just ‘getting some fresh air’. In that moment, she makes a split-second decision.

“Since you’re out here, you should play with us.”

As soon as she says it, she regrets how juvenile the phrasing was, and how awkwardly she jumped into the conversation. All eyes turn to her, and she tries to act nonchalant, shrugging and looking to the side to avoid eye contact. She’s unsuccessful, it seems, because Zack seems to be giving her a peculiar sort of side-eye.

“I mean, it would give us an even number, so we could have two teams,” Billy adds. “Cause, you know, it’s not as fair when it’s two versus one.”

Kimberly bites her lip in thought, and Trini, for some reason, feels the intense need to either stare or look away. She chooses the latter, which leads her to look directly into Zack’s eyes, as his side-eyeing has progressed to full-on suspicious staring. She gives him a stern look, mouthing “what”, and he quickly turns away.

“Yeah, Kim, it’ll be fun. Besides, it’ll be good practice for the GvS game.” They all stare at Zack, perplexed. He frowns. “Gryffindor versus Slytherin? I mean, you can’t expect me to say the full thing every time.”

“That’s true, it’s a few too many syllables for you to manage.” Kimberly’s comment draws a small laugh from Trini, and she quickly hides it behind her usual blank expression when the others look at her. Zack raises an eyebrow, and she feels the sudden urge to punch him. But Kimberly is giving her a small smile, and she decides that punching Zack isn’t quite a priority at the moment.

Kimberly nods. “Alright, sure. Why not.”

Billy manages to clap his hands without dropping his broom. “Right, so, are you gonna go get your broom, or…?”

Kimberly gives him a sly grin, before taking her wand out of her sleeve and giving it a wave. There’s a large crashing noise, and the sound of splintering wood, before a broom shoots out to hover next to Kimberly. They all look in the direction where it came from, and Kimberly winces.

“Oops. I’ll fix it later.” Without a second glance, she kicks off, followed shortly by Billy.

Trini is smiling to herself when she notices Zack staring at her again. “So,” he drawls, wiggling his eyebrows. Trini contemplates him for a moment before casually kneeing him in the side of the leg.

Zack stumbles, clutching his now tingling limb. “Why,” he moans.

“Your face was looking suspiciously pain-free.”

Eventually, they join the other two in the air. In the spirit of fairness, Billy puts Zack and Kim on opposite teams, since they’re both somewhat veteran players. Trini is grateful that she’s paired with Zack, since it’ll be easier to work with him. On the other hand, this now means that she’s going up against Kimberly, and if she’s anything like Zack, it was gonna be a pretty legit match.

As it turns out, Kimberly isn’t just good at quidditch: she’s amazing. Instead of just having a casual game, Trini actually finds herself working hard to keep up. She and Zack vibe pretty well as a team, but Kim and Billy are still kicking their asses.

It doesn’t help that Trini is a little off her game. In her defense, she’s never seen Kimberly play before, and it’s a little hard to watch and fly at the same time. Kimberly, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be having any trouble at all. And Trini has to admit, Kimberly is probably the best flyer out of all of them. Zack is probably the most powerful, and most… unpredictable, and Billy is the most technical, but Kimberly flies with a natural ease and elegance. It’s almost mesmerizing, and Trini can’t help but admire her.

Zack has the quaffle, and he’s racing down towards the goalposts. Billy is keeping close to her on defense, but she manages to shake him off with a sudden swerve that’s undeniably a trademark Zack Taylor move. She hears Billy’s impressed whoop as she darts out to make herself open for a pass, catching a straight toss from Zack. She feels a breeze on her other side, and she looks to see Kimberly flanking her.

“Nice one,” Kimberly compliments her with a smile, and Trini’s heart practically stops—because her grip on the quaffle had somehow loosened, and she almost dropped it completely, fumbling. It’s enough of a mistake that Kimberly is able to swipe it from her, swiftly making a U-turn and heading across the pitch. Trini shakes her head, her ears burning, as she hears Zack yell “Come on, T!”

They’re all so caught up in the game that they don’t realize how much time has passed until they hear the castle bells clanging.

“Shit,” Trini swears. “Already?” They immediately head straight out of the pitch, the four of them jogging to get back to their dorms before breakfast starts.

Halfway to the castle, Kimberly suddenly screeches to a halt, a look of alarm on her face. Billy looks about nervously. “What?” he asks.

Kimberly stares at him. “I forgot about the broom closet.” They all recall the damage she had caused by summoning her broom.

There’s a pause, and then Kimberly makes a face and keeps running. “Someone else’s problem now!” The others hurry to catch up.

“Damn,” Zack pants. “She’s just as crazy as you, T.”

 The comparison makes Trini’s stomach twist in an unfamiliar way. She shakes it off as they race back to the castle.

* * *

Although she had fun earlier, Trini is really starting to regret it. She spent way too much energy, and now she feels like she could eat an entire feast and then sleep for twelve hours. She’s just awake enough to pile food onto her plate, and she isn’t fully aware of what’s going on around her, so it takes her a few seconds to register that Zack and Jason are suddenly sitting across from.

“Oh hell,” she sputters, dropping her cutlery. The boys laugh at her reaction, but she silences them with a glare, going back to eating her breakfast.

Jason raises an eyebrow, glancing at her plate. “Damn, Trini, what kind of workout were you doing this morning?”

Before she can say anything, Zack gasps dramatically, turning to face his friend. “Jason,” he says, aghast, “you should never comment on a person’s appetite! Rude!”

Trini puts on a similarly affronted expression. “Yeah, dude. What, were you raised in a barn or something?”

“I-… What… I was just-” Jason stutters with a deer in the headlights look. After a few moments of watching him fumble, Zack finally reaches over to ruffle Jason’s hair.

“We’re just kidding man,” he chortles, and Jason shakes him off. He’s unsure as he looks to Trini for confirmation. The corner of her mouth quirks in a half-smile, and he sighs, relieved.

“So are you two just gonna sit there and watch me eat?” she says.

“Fair point, Crazy Girl.” Zack reaches out and snags a chocolate croissant off a nearby platter, taking a huge bite and littering the table in front of him with crumbs. Jason rolls his eyes as he grabs some toast and eggs.

Trini shifts in her seat nervously. It technically isn’t against the rules to sit at other houses’ tables during breakfast, but it isn’t exactly a common occurrence. It’s going to seem even weirder for Jason Scott and Zack Taylor to be sitting next to some random nobody at the Hufflepuff table. The boys don’t seem to be bothered, and Trini forces herself to relax a little.

“How are you still so alive after this morning?” she asks Zack, who is chewing on what is probably his second or third breakfast pastry. “I’m exhausted.”

Zack covers his mouth with his hand as he swallows. “I’ve got amazing stamina,” he answers, and Trini prays that that’s all, but in true Zack fashion, he follows it with a wink. Trini slowly puts her head down on the table, and she hears Jason groan.

“C’mon Zack, we’re eating.”

“Well, I’m not the one with my mind in the gutter, here. Blame yourselves.”

The solid table feels incredibly comfy to Trini’s tired brain, and she’s tempted to just drift off into a quick nap when she hears another voice approaching.

“Didn’t expect to find a Gryffindor invasion when I came to breakfast, but life is full of surprises.” Trini immediately straightens up when she hears Jen, suddenly seized with the need to look like she’s being productive.

“Good to see you too, Jen,” Jason greets her as she comes to a stop by Trini. “We’re just having breakfast, would you care to join us?”

His tone is suspiciously innocent, and Zack is also far too quietly minding his own business. Trini isn’t sure whether to laugh or cry at the fact that they’re pulling this stunt with Jen, of all people.

The Hufflepuff captain crosses her arms intimidatingly, and Jason refuses to break eye contact as he lifts a forkful of food to his mouth. After a tension-filled moment, Jen turns to Trini, who tenses.

“These guys giving you trouble?” It’s not the question she expects, and it takes Trini a moment before she responds.

“No, no, they’re uh… they’re friends.” It’s the first time she’s said it out loud, to anyone, and it’s strangely anticlimactic. Trini feels a little shaken after the words leave her mouth, but the boys are unperturbed, watching Jen’s reaction.

Jen raises an eyebrow. “So you’re fraternizing with the enemy now, is it?” she says, and Trini is completely lost for a defense. She’s somewhat relieved when Zack speaks up, since she probably looks like a fish with the way her mouth is hanging open.

“Isn’t quidditch all about the spirit of camaraderie, or whatever,” Zack jokes. “It’s not like she’s dating us or anything. Or is she…?” He grins slyly, and Trini lets out a strangled noise, wondering if he’s trying to get them all killed.

“No! No, it’s not like that, I swear,” she hurriedly reassures Jen, before fixing Zack with the best death stare she can muster. Jen’s eyes narrow, and Zack’s grin wavers when he comes under the full force of both the girls’ glares.

“You’re lucky I have a sense of humor, Taylor,” Jen warns. “But I suppose you’re right, there’s no harm in some friendly conversation. You better not be messing with my team, though, otherwise, I will end you.” She starts to leave, but then she turns back to Trini. “Oh, by the way, change of schedule: practice has been moved to tomorrow, there was a mix-up with the Ravenclaw team and the pitch bookings.” She makes a face before walking off without a backwards glance.

Trini sighs with relief before turning to Jason. “Has she always been that… intense?”

He laughs. “Only when it comes to quidditch. Usually she’s pretty chill. When she gets angry though…” He and Trini shudder in unison, while Zack scoffs. “Seriously Zack, you weren’t there during the incident with what’s-his-face last year, when he was talking shit about Ernie? The only reason Jen didn’t get suspended was because the dude was scared shitless.”

“Oh come on, I’m not that stupid. Besides, it’s not like she’ll actually kill me.”

“Maybe not, but she’ll definitely kick your ass.”

“Zack is probably into that,” Trini mumbles, just loud enough for the boys to hear, and Jason chokes on his water. It’s at that moment that Billy suddenly materializes behind Zack and Jason.

“Just dropping by to say hi,” he greets them, before focusing on Jason, who quickly wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Hey, are you finished with breakfast? Because I wanted to talk to Slughorn about my independent project before class. It’s cool if you’re not, though, because I can definitely just wait outside.”

“No, no, yeah, I’m good.” Jason stands, grabbing his bag.

“…is that a yes or a no?”

“It’s a yes.”

“Cool.” Billy smiles at Zack and Trini, waving goodbye, before grabbing Jason’s hand and heading for the exit. Jason is so caught off-guard that Billy ends up practically dragging him along for a bit before he finds his footing. Trini watches them go, noticing how Jason’s face suddenly matches the shade of his tie.

She hums in thought, drawing the attention of Zack, who follows her gaze.

“What? Those two?”

“Not that it’s any of my business, but… is there anything going on there?”

“Between Jason and Billy? Uh… I don’t think so.”

“Well if there isn’t, then there should be.”

Zack’s eyes widen. “Oh thank god, I thought I was the only one who thought so. They’re so cute together! I mean, of course I want them to figure it out on their own, but honestly, it’s taking forever,” he gushes.

He reaches for the last chocolate croissant, but he stops when he sees that Trini is reaching for it too. They stare at each other, Trini with a steely look in her eyes, Zack with a challenging glint in his. There’s a long pause before they both simultaneously lunge for the pastry.

* * *

They ended up almost being late to potions, because in their scuffle, they’d knocked over their glasses, as well as upending the pastry platter. They’d been forced to clean up the mess by hand afterwards. It had all been in vain, too, as the croissant had ended up getting squished and then landing in a puddle of water.

Which brought Trini to her current predicament; the day has barely started, and she’s already so tired that she’s on the verge of falling asleep standing up. The atmosphere of the potions dungeon certainly doesn’t help. The temperature of the room ranges somewhere between hot and sweltering, and it’s always incredibly humid. It’s a struggle to stay awake on a good day, so Trini is somewhat proud of the fact that she hasn’t faceplanted into her cauldron yet.

Admittedly, part of the reason she hasn’t done so yet is currently standing next to her, mumbling the instructions to herself. Kimberly is definitely more awake than Trini is, and she is definitely not as confused and lost as Trini is. Trini hates having to talk to people, and while she would usually prefer to work in silence, sharing a table with someone who talks to herself is probably the better option at this point.

She stifles a yawn behind her hand, and blinks to clear her watery eyes. She’s reaching for the next ingredient when someone suddenly grabs her arm. She has her sleeves rolled up, and the warmth of the hand grasping her wrist startles her. She looks at it, and her eyes track up the offending appendage to reach Kimberly. Trini raises her eyebrow dangerously, and Kimberly quickly releases her.

To her credit, Kimberly looks a little embarrassed. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I just, uh… you’re not supposed to add dragon gallstone yet,” she explains.

Trini frowns. “But that’s the next step, right? ‘Stir three times counter-clockwise, once clockwise, and then add dragon gallstone’,” she quotes the textbook.

“Yeah, but you’re only supposed to add it when the potion is at a simmer. Yours is still boiling.”

“Wait, really? When did he say that?”

“He didn’t,” Kimberly says, rolling her eyes. “It was mentioned in the last lesson, though. It’s probably one of Slughorn’s little tests, or something, I don’t know.”

“You’d think they’d put those kinds of warnings in the instructions,” Trini huffs out, and Kimberly makes an amused noise. Trini waves her wand, decreasing the intensity of the fire beneath her cauldron, and waits for the potion to cool a bit. She sees that Kimberly is doing the same thing, which leaves them both without something to occupy themselves with.

Trini is staring forward, half-spacing out and half-avoiding looking at Kimberly. She’s idly watching Jason at the table in front of her as he struggles with his potion. He looks around the classroom confusedly, as if he’s wondering if he’s in the right room, and Trini smirks a little. She watches him examine an ingredient for a moment, before shrugging in a way that clearly means “fuck it”, before moving to add it to the cauldron. He’s already halfway there when she realizes what it is, and her eyes widen. She hears a gasp of recognition from Kimberly as well.

“Jason, wait-”

“No, stop-”

BOOM!

* * *

“Well, I think we can safely say that Slughorn’s little tests are definitely a bad idea,” Trini grumbles, spreading healing cream on the burns on her arm. There’s a peculiar prickling sensation as the cream takes effect.

Jason’s small explosion had ended up sending several students to the hospital wing, so they’d been forced to cut the day’s lesson a bit short. Professor Slughorn was in the corner giving Madam Pomfrey a very flustered apology and promising to, in the future, “provide more explicit instructions in the name of safety”.

“Are you kidding?” Zack says, sprawled out on one of the hospital beds. “You got class cancelled, we all win.”

“That… No, Zack.” Billy shakes his head from where he’s sitting next to Jason, who nods.

“Yeah, I’d hardly call this a win.” He gestures to the bandages wrapped around his eyes. Trini’s sleeves had gotten singed, but the front of Jason’s robe had practically caught fire, and his tie had been completely ruined. He looked slightly ridiculous, covered in soot, but they all pitied his temporary blindness too much to make fun of him.

“Well, Madam Pomfrey said that you’ll probably be able to see by the time the next lesson starts. Although if you’re still kinda blind, then I guess you won’t have to go…”

 “Guess there’s a bright side to everything, then,” Jason chuckles wryly. He frowns. “I’m uh, really sorry, by the way. Hope you guys weren’t hurt too badly.”

“This, coming from the guy who temporarily blinded himself?” Kim points out, earning a chuckle from the whole group.

“Damn, I never thought you’d fuck up this badly, Jace,” Zack chortles. Jason doesn’t seem bothered by the comment; if anything, he finds it funny too. Trini is the one who rolls her eyes.

“Oh please, we all know that if Jason hadn’t done it, it would have been you instead.”

“Me? What about Billy?” They all stare at him, nonplussed, and he shrugs. “You’re right, not realistic. Still, what makes you think I would’ve made the same mistake? Maybe I was gonna do it perfectly, huh?”

“Oh really?” Kim smirks, leaning forward. “Remind me how the second half of the potion goes?”

“Easy. Tap with the wand, three times to the left, once to the right, then add dragon gallstone.” His confidence is replaced with confusion when the girls and Jason start giggling. “What… don’t tell me that’s not right.”

“How do you think we ended up here, Zack?” Jason says, and Zack deflates. Crestfallen, he turns back to the girls, who are watching him with self-satisfied expectancy.

“Alright, I admit defeat. You guys were right.”

“Course we were.” At that, Kim grins at Trini. It’s an unexpected gesture, and one that implies a closer friendship than Trini had previously thought they had. Unsure how to respond, she just turns to look at the toes of her boots, tapping them together slightly.

They’re kept in the hospital wing until the end of the class period, and after a brief but thorough check-up from Madam Pomfrey, they’re all dismissed. Jason is still squinting in the light, but Billy takes it upon himself to guide Jason to their next class. Trini and Zack say goodbye to the others before heading to the Divination Tower. Trini dimly recognizes that she still smells like burning metal, but she’s too tired to care, and Professor Trelawney’s triumphant assertion that she had predicted such a disaster washes over her as she proceeds to space out for the next hour or so.

* * *

“…-ing here? Hey. Trini.”

She’s snapped out of her reverie by a hand poking her in the shoulder. She assumes that it’s Zack, and she swats at it off-handedly, mumbling something incoherent as she tries to focus on her work again.

“Wow, I’m hurt,” the voice says jokingly, and it’s definitely not Zack. Trini blinks fully back to reality, and she realizes that the table is empty, and Kimberly is standing next to her. She tilts her head as Trini looks up.

“Sorry, I was spaced out. What were you saying?”

“Spaced out is putting it lightly. Anyhow, I’m heading back to the dorm. Are you going to stick around?”

“Uh yeah, I have to finish this.” It’s not the real reason why she’s staying late. She’s avoiding her dorm, more specifically, the letters resting on her bedside table from this morning. She’s too tired to deal with that today, and she had hoped that some physical distance from them would help to ease the nagging anxiety in the back of her mind.

Kimberly is watching her with an unreadable expression. It’s the same look that she used to wear before they actually met, back when Trini only knew her as that popular girl from Slytherin. Trini squirms slightly under her gaze, not sure what it means or why it’s come back now. She turns away, pretending to glance over her work. After a moment, she hears a little exhale.

“Ok. Goodnight, Trini.” She realizes that there’s something else behind Kimberly’s expression, but before she can figure out what it is, the other girl is already turning to leave. Trini hesitates for a split second before opening her mouth.

“Night, Kim.” She turns away to hide her face as she hears Kimberly’s footsteps pause. There’s a second of silence before the footsteps continue, receding into the quiet of the almost-empty library.

Trini tries to actually be productive, but after a while it’s clear that she is not in the right mind-space to be doing anything school-related, so she resigns herself to packing up and heading back to her dorm. She’s clearing all her things up when she notices the book sitting on the edge of the table. The title is indecipherable to her, which leads to the realization that it’s probably about Ancient Runes. She knows that Zack and Jason aren’t taking that class, and Billy is too organized to forget a book, so that just leaves Kimberly. Out of curiosity, Trini decides to thumb through the pages a little.

HISS!

 Something leaps out at her from the book, and she reflexively slams the book shut. The hissing is cut off, and when the initial shock clears, she sees the head of a paper snake poking out from the pages of the closed book.

The first thing her partially-incoherent brain comes up with is that Kimberly left it there as a prank on her. The thought has more impact that she expects, and she takes a deep breath as her stomach tightens. She gingerly pulls the paper snake out, going to crumple it. She stops when she notices the markings on its back, in bold black ink. She unfolds it to read the message.

TRAITOR

Trini is even more confused. She hasn’t betrayed Kimberly in any way, not that she’s had much opportunity to. The realization hits Trini that this message was meant for Kimberly, not her. It makes sense that she would have some enemies, what with how popular she is, but this stunt was way too menacing to be a simple prank. Trini can’t help but wonder who has it out for Kimberly, and why.

Shaken, she shoves the book in her bag before hurriedly walking out of the library, looking over her shoulder as she goes.

[theclaravoyant]

I saw that you were taking fitzskimmons prompts on ao3, and my prompt was an AU fitzskimmons where they meet in highschool or at the academy of something... or an AU where Fitz and Simmons meet vigilante Daisy

AN ~ Hi! sorry for taking so (sooooo) long to respond to this, I was already in the process of writing a College AU and an Academy AU so I wanted to make sure I got to the part of your request that hadn’t been requested before. I hope you enjoyed the others if you’ve had a chance to read them, but either way, here is yours! It’s a bit of a slowburn, but not too much, and if you/anyone is interested in a second part let me know bc I’m loving this verse... anyway, I’ll let it speak for itself, without further ado

Poly FitzSkimmons. Rated T for some political themes & light sexual references.Read on AO3 (~3700wd)

Evolution

Doctors Leopold Fitz and Jemma Simmons were, famously, amongst the brightest minds of their age. Young, attractive, ambitious and intelligent beyond belief, they had the world at their feet. As is the case with many bright, passionate young people however, these two had good and gentle hearts and were content to live pleasantly, but modestly. They worked hard and loved each other, and over the years they built a home together, in a classic brownstone near where they’d met, near where they’d worked together; a warm and steady place to come back to as their projects and everything else struggled to pull them apart.

Then, one night, they had a visitor.

The pair were mulling over a new research proposal, in front of the fireplace and over glasses of red wine - the picture of warmth and quiet decadence – when all of a sudden a woman who was a hurricane burst into their living room. She was moving quickly and it was hard to tell anything except that she was short, with short hair, a blur of black and white desperate to make sure that she had not been followed. Then she turned to the Doctors, eyes wide and desperate, and demanded breathlessly –

“Are you with Shield?”

It was not long after they assured her that they were, that their intruder pulled a face of extraordinary agony and staggered toward their sofa, slowly collapsing.

“Water,” she begged, and Fitz hurried to comply while Jemma looked over the state of their new arrival, who was finally still as she lay out on the sofa, breathing shakily. The need for an explanation faded to a prickling curiosity as they all concerned themselves with the stranger’s survival. She’d taken a bullet to the gut, and there was blood and pain to patch up and a good amount of brandy to drink – split between the stranger and Fitz, who had never had the stomach for medical operations, ad-hoc or otherwise.

“Honestly, Fitz!” Jemma rolled her eyes and snatched the bottle away. “Get the poor girl a change of clothes. Everything’s covered in blood here.”

The stranger tracked him to the doorway with her eyes, smiling, and Fitz felt strangely comforted by her friendliness and optimism in such dire circumstances. He paused for a moment, to smile back.

“The poor girl’s name is Daisy,” the stranger murmured.

“Sorry. Daisy. Of course,” Jemma corrected herself. “I didn’t think you were listening.”

“It’s better than feeling,” Daisy said, as if that was an explanation.

Fitz disappeared upstairs, and returned with clothes and bedding. Jemma finished cleaning and dressing Daisy’s wound, and insisted upon feeding her.

“Oh, no, it’s okay,” Daisy insisted, waving it off. “I’ve already bled all over your place. I’m starting to regret this. I think I’d better go.”

“Nonsense!” Jemma declared. “I’ll just heat up a plate of leftovers, it’s no trouble. And if you’re with Shield, you can stay however long you want, especially since you can barely sit.”

Daisy broke off eye contact, and Jemma frowned. For a moment, her heart accelerated and the floor seemed to shift beneath her. Had they invited an enemy into their home?

“Actually,” Daisy confessed, “I’m not with Shield. I used to be, but I… left. For personal reasons. A friend of mine told me you two were good people to go to if I needed help and, well – “

She gestured to her prone body. Jemma smiled softly, reassured a little.

“Are you with anyone else?” she wondered.

“No. Just me.”

“How did the injury happen then, if you don’t mind?”

Daisy pressed her lips together. “Uh, I’m not sure if I should –“

“You did bleed all over my living room,” Jemma pointed out, more sternly. “I think I have the right to know why.”

Daisy sighed.

“Have you heard of the Watchdogs?”

The flinty spark of fury that crossed behind Jemma’s eyes was reflected in Daisy’s own, and a trust formed between them at the thought.

“Of course,” Jemma said, nonetheless. “Human supremicists. I’ve heard their next big plan is to get hold of the Sokovia Accords registry and do who-knows-what to the Gifted people on it.”

Daisy frowned.

“From my research, they’ve already got the records. Some of them, anyhow. People are feeding them information from the inside. Shield wanted to be part of it. Not the corruption thing, obviously, but the Accords, so I couldn’t stay.”

Jemma pieced it all together slowly in her mind.

“You’re Inhuman,” she breathed.

“Are you scared?” Daisy returned.

Objectively, it was hard to be scared of a fairly drunk, fairly immobile young woman who’d stumbled quite literally into you while bleeding, even if the blood was from a rather serious bullet wound she seemed to have successfully ignored for some time. On top of that, Daisy seemed friendly and kind and open, and did not invite nor threaten violence, Inhuman or no. Jemma shook her head.

“You’ve given me no reason to be afraid.”

At the simply stated reassurance, Daisy felt herself settle a little. She took a few deep breaths in silence; letting it sink in; letting herself be reassured of her safety and of the legitimacy of Coulson’s recommendations.

“You should tell Fitz when he comes down, though,” Jemma prompted. “He won’t be bothered at all, unless you try to keep something from him.”

“Fair enough,” Daisy agreed. “Now about these clothes – sorry, but I may need your help.”

-

One night of emergency accommodation turned into a few days, and then weeks. At first, Daisy only stayed at Jemma’s insistence as a medical professional, and then, like when Jemma left for a conference in Kyoto, out of simple ease and preference. She was welcome here, and Fitz was a kind and safe, if slightly obscure, person to be around. As Daisy recovered, she began to pick up household chores to repay her hosts, and one night, she even cooked for herself and Fitz while he was out.

From the kitchen, Daisy heard him – them? - stumble through the door in a bundle of bags and suitcases. She stuck her head into the hall and saw Jemma in loose tracksuit pants and a cardigan, held and guided by Fitz, who was still suited-up and well-groomed but for the slight wear of a day in the office (and at least one very enthusiastic kiss, Daisy added, observing his hair).

“Daisy!” Jemma cheered, though her exhaustion was obvious from frazzled hair and bags under her eyes. “Good to see you!”

“You too!” Daisy greeted, her genuine joy mixing with the sinking feeling of being unwelcome as she realised what she might be interrupting. “Uh – I didn’t know you’d be back so soon, Jemma, but if you guys want a night off from babysitting the Inhuman, I’ll make myself scarce. I made vindaloo, it’s on the stove.”

“Nonsense!” Jemma waved her off, at the same time Fitz perked up.

“You cooked?”

Daisy’s smile returned, hearing their enthusiasm.

“Well, if you’re sure,” she said, “I’ll put some rice on and dish up. We’ll spread it between three, easy.”

They reconvened in the lounge room, since none of them were feeling particularly formal, and Daisy passed around the plates. Over dinner, they got to talking about what Jemma had been up to, a few recent stories from the lab at Fitz’s work, and a brief, if incomplete update on Daisy’s goings-on.

“Mm-“ Jemma leapt to interrupt over a mouthful of sweet potato. Hurrying to swallow it down, she continued: “I was talking to my colleagues the other day, and it got me thinking – what do you think about an Inhuman cure?”

Daisy stiffened. “Cure?”

“It doesn’t exist yet,” Jemma clarified, “but apparently there’s a group in Toronto working on it. I know medicalisation of things has caused a lot of trouble in the past, but Inhumanity’s quite new, and – in the academic field, anyway – there’s a lot of debate about what it – well, what it is.”

Daisy clenched a hand around her fork.

“I don’t really know what it is,” she confessed, a little stiffly. “But I really don’t think a cure is a good idea. My powers are a part of me. I couldn’t decide not to be Inhuman any more than I could decide not to be half Chinese. Other people deciding that for me? No thank you.”

“But if it could be assured to be voluntary,” Jemma clarified. “Hypothetically.”

Daisy pushed a piece of chicken around with her fork.

“Don’t you think each Inhuman should have that choice?” Jemma pressed.

Daisy took a deep breath. She could feel Jemma’s eyes burning into her, where she was intently avoiding their gaze. She was just trying to be kind, trying to be interested, it wasn’t her fault she was tweaking nerves. Not any more than it was Daisy’s fault that the windows and the ornaments on the bookshelves around them started shaking.

“Jemma,” Fitz warned quietly, looking around. “I don’t think she wants to talk about that anymore.”

Jemma looked around too, then, and noticed. She stood up, turning on the spot to observe the quake.

“Oh, my…”

“Excuse me.”

Daisy leapt out of her seat and bolted up the stairs, and slammed the door behind her. A few seconds later, the shaking ceased, and Fitz and Jemma were left to finish their meal in silence.

When they were done, and Daisy still had not come down, Jemma heated her plate and took it up instead. She knocked on the door, and waited for Daisy to call her before she pushed in a little way. Daisy perked up at the sight of her food, and of Jemma’s apologetic face.

“I’m sorry,” Jemma said. “I’m a scientist, I’m used to having more… willing subjects. I shouldn’t have pushed. I didn’t mean to make you feel abnormal or unwelcome. You’re safe here, and loved. I promise. I just get really interrogative sometimes.”

“I get it,” Daisy promised, to Jemma’s relief. “And to be honest, it’s nice that you care about my opinions. I’m sick of everyone else having discussions about ‘the Inhuman problem’. Like hello. I’m a person.”

She rolled her eyes, and Jemma nodded in agreement and sympathy. Then Daisy sighed.

“Thanks for coming to see me. And bringing me dinner. I didn’t want to run out back there, I just didn’t want to…quake up your lounge room.”

“That was you?” Jemma checked, the sparkle of fascination lighting up her face again. “How does it work? – I mean, maybe we can talk about it another day?”“Sure thing.” Daisy smiled. She was too tired to deal with an intense conversation now, but Jemma’s interest – and the way her face lit up when she was interested – were too inviting to pass up.

“Okay. Great! Well, I’m going to head to bed, then,” Jemma said. “Fitz has got a monkey documentary on downstairs, orangutans I think, if you want to join him, or steal the telly after.”

Daisy shrugged again, but smiled a little this time.

“I could go for some monkeys.”

Jemma smiled back.

“Good,” she said. “Goodnight then. And thanks for dinner.”

“You’re welcome.”

Extracting herself from Daisy’s side, Jemma made her way toward the door, but stopped when she was called back for one last offering.

“Something to put to your colleagues,” Daisy suggested. “If it really is choice you’re worried about. Can an Inhuman really make a free choice, on whether or not to take the cure, if the other choice means being outcast, outlawed and killed? That’s coercion, isn’t it?”

Jemma milled it over.

“Excellent suggestion,” she said. “I’ll put it to them.”

-

The brief tension that night was quickly forgotten, and in fact, after that, their coexistence of convenience became, increasingly, a mobilised partnership. Daisy helped Fitz and Jemma learn about Inhumans, and they helped her get information and learn who to avoid and who to talk to. Fitz and Jemma set her up with technology for the field, and at home, a proper bed in the room that used to be study, and their study spread throughout their house as a result, but they made it work. Daisy participated in their research, not always related to Inhumans – sometimes about counting birds, or testing virtual reality. More than that, she baked with Jemma, and played intense and vibrant video games with Fitz. She became a staple of the household, and of the relationship, before any of them had even noticed.

The first time they noticed, was on the way to one of Jemma’s conferences, this one in Moscow. Most of the journey to the aiport had been spent with Fitz driving, and Daisy helping Jemma practice Russian phrases in the back seat, but once they had farewelled Jemma and returned to the car, was when it happened.

“Don’t you get a little, I don’t know, jealous?” Daisy wondered. “Stuck at home while Jemma’s galavanting all around the place?”

Fitz shrugged.

“I get my fair share too,” he explained. “In fact, I’ve recently been invited to Sumatra myself, for a few months starting in June. They’re exploring technological adaptation to climate change and they wanted my help. It’s an honour, really. I was going to bring it up at dinner, because I’ve been asked to bring a research associate, and I was thinking - why don’t you come?”

Daisy blinked.

“Shouldn’t you take someone who is like…you know, actually studying?”

“Yes,” Fitz acknowledged, “but I was thinking, as more of a disguise. Indonesia’s not so far from a lot of places, there could be a lot of Inhumans that need your help. Plus, a different policy context and some contacts in the Pacific region couldn’t hurt, right?”

“I just don’t know how many Inhumans I’m going to meet in Sumatra,” Daisy objected. Fitz snorted.

“There are 50 million people there, Daisy, I’m sure one of them will find meeting you to be useful.”

“Oi.” She shoved him playfully, and laughed for a bit, but afterward, shrugged him off nonetheless. “Nah. I shouldn’t.”

“Why not? If you have people here who rely on you, we’d be happy to set something up –“

“No,” Daisy interrupted. “Although, a bit of that. But no. I was thinking more about how it would look – respected scientist leaves his wife at home, travels for several months to balmy tropical island with a mysterious stranger, they swear nothing will happen but it does and then they have to decide whether to lie about it or tell the explosive truth…”

“You make it sound like a bad movie!” Fitz objected. “Nothing would happen.”“Mm-hmm. That’s what they all say.” Daisy nodded to herself, but then asked, more seriously: “Is it really that hard to imagine?”

And it wasn’t. And so the rest of the car trip passed in silence as the two of them tried not to reflect too much on how, or how much, they’d thought about each other. When they got home, they went their separate ways, and waited for a very different kind of tension to die out. Eventually, it did – or that’s what they told themselves, but that didn’t stop Jemma coming home in the middle of the night a week later to find the two of them tangled up in bed together. Sleeping. Just sleeping. Only ever sleeping. But no longer without that question over them.

“Jemma –“ Fitz checked, the next morning, following her around the kitchen while she busied herself making omelets. “I just want to make sure you know. Nothing happened. Our bed’s just better, and we were just watching TV. I swear.”

Jemma laughed.

“It’s okay, Fitz,” she insisted. “I believe you. And I know you’d never do anything untoward without asking me first.”

Fitz frowned, caught off-guard by her choice of words.“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Come on. Daisy is undeniably attractive, highly intelligent, and bright in a lot of other ways too. She’s confident, strong, a total bad-ass. A rebel with a heart of gold. It’s only reasonable to expect that your eyes might wander on occasion. I know mine have.”

“What?”

“I’m just saying: you don’t have to act like the thought of being interested in Daisy is repulsive. I understand it. I accept it! I also understand that you understand that this is, at present, a monogamous relationship and that you would never cheat on me or hurt me in any way. So I’m neither angry nor bothered. Please stop stressing about it, and start cutting tomatoes.”

Jemma pushed the chopping board, the tomatoes, and a knife toward him, and Fitz began to dice them, running mostly on muscle memory as in his head, he contemplated what she had said.

Without asking me first.

Was that all it would take? Could it be that he could, in fact, explore his relationship with Daisy without it turning into a sordid melodrama? He found the thought of it surprisingly enticing; emboldening, even. Could it be that all he had to do was ask?

Before he lost his nerve, Fitz called Daisy down for breakfast and spun the plates across the table with gusto. Daisy stepped off the stairwell with alarm in her eyes, but when she looked to Jemma for explanation, found only a slight, stifled, somewhat knowing smile. Fitz had his hands on his hips, as if prepared to speak, but it seemed the longer he stared at her the less he could think to say. She sat down without a word, trying not to laugh at the silence, crackling with mystery, that engulfed them all.

“Alright,” Fitz finally announced. “Okay. Here goes.”

He swung into his seat splaying his hands on the table as if to help him conceptualise something. Daisy and Jemma watched intently, one unknowing, and one with a good guess as to what he was about to propose, and not quite sure if she believed he would actually do it.

“So,” he began again. “As you both know, I’ve been invited to Sumatra in June. The placement is three months. Daisy knows I’ve been contemplating asking her along.”

Jemma looked to her, and Daisy nodded.

“Her main objection, as I saw it, was that it would be inappropriate for me to go away with her for so long, when we’re so close, and when I’m with you, Jemma. Now, I – I may be making a few leaps in assumptions here, but it seemed to me that, maybe, perhaps, if Jemma wasn’t… an obstacle, you – Daisy – would be inclined to take me up on that.”

“…Sure,” Daisy agreed. “I mean the rest of the stuff you said was good but – what’s going on here? Are you breaking up with Jemma? Are we having the Divorce Talk right now?”

“No,” Jemma answered for him, struggling and failing to stop herself smiling. Her heart ached for Fitz and his clearly wracked nerves, but he was doing a good job so far in putting forward his own case, so she gestured for him to continue.

“Jemma and I have been talking,” he said, “and she –um – opened up the possibility of…oh, jeez. Please don’t take this the wrong way, Daisy, but of an…open relationship. Of sorts.”

“What I said was,” Jemma clarified, “that as long as I was aware of the possibility of it, I wouldn’t mind at all if you two wanted to get together. On whatever terms the two of you are happy with, and of course, only if you’re interested. But if something happens between the two of you in Sumatra, say, I wouldn’t be bothered by it, that’s all. I love and trust the both of you and as long as you’re happy and I’m happy, there’s no reason for me to kick up a fuss.”

“And –“ Fitz jumped in. “And please don’t think this reflects negatively on our friendship at all. I don’t mean anything weird by it and I don’t just want to get in your pants, I really, really do love you as a friend too, I just – I think –“

Daisy nodded thoughtfully, seeing where he was going.

“It might not be so hard to imagine?” she posed, finishing his thought for him.

The two of them gazed between each other for a moment, thinking of all that had sat between them on the car ride home from the airport that day. Daisy checked over Jemma’s posture again, and rather than hesitation or jealousy, it seemed she was rather excited about the new development her relationships seemed to be taking. With her loyalty to Jemma no longer in question, Daisy thought maybe she could more freely consider the possibility of falling in love with sweet, awkward, heroic Fitz. (And he wasn’t half bad to look at, either.) It really wasn’t so hard to imagine it.

“Okay,” she decided. “I’m in. But, ah, one question - are we sure Jemma doesn’t want in on this? Is it just Fitz and me, or should it be all three of us? I mean, I’m down if you are.”

“It does seem natural, doesn’t it?” Jemma mused. “But are you and Fitz actually in a relationship as of this moment, or are you just testing the waters? It seems like asking for disaster if you two don’t work out, to put this much pressure on it. Maybe we shouldn’t get too ahead of ourselves.”

“That’s true,” Daisy agreed, “and this is all pretty new to all of us. I vote we see how it goes.”

“Alright.”

“Excellent!”

Fitz, blushing, slumped in his seat with relief and satisfaction. He smiled down at his breakfast, and then remembered –

“Speaking of eggs, eat up, I’ve got to go.”

Leaping out of his seat, he took his plate and shook the omelet into a carry-container to eat later. He rushed for his satchel and keys and Jemma and Daisy, bemused, followed him to the door. He pecked Jemma on the lips quickly, wishing her goodbye, and then turned to Daisy. They tried left, and right, and ducked out on each other until they were both grinning and laughing.

“Okay, nope, go to work. Definitely go to work,” Daisy insisted, waving him off, and then shouting down the driveway after him – “And for the love of God find a real research assistant!”

[edelgoth]

matchup commission

@irrationaljasmine thank you for commissioning me (and also for buying a ko-fi out of the goodness of your heart!!

thank you so, so much for being patient with me, and for being so understanding. i truly hope you enjoy this, and if there’s anything you’d like me to edit, explain, or add to, please let me know!! 

from the fire emblem three houses boys, i match you with...

ashe ubert!! 

i hope you’re okay with this, since he was the one i chose for your pba matchup!! but reading your extra info just makes me stick by it more ahaha

i also think he’s something of a middle-point between your two alternative matches?? i don’t know if that makes sense hhh

as i said in your first matchup, i think you two are quite similar in all the best ways; and that means that building a relationship would be pretty easy!! 

you’re both hardworking, kind and reliable, which are not only wonderful traits to have, but very important in building a relationship

you and ashe would definitely have a friendship before anything romantic happened, and you’d be very comfortable with each other before the question was even posed 

but i think ashe would like you off the bat, tbh; as i’ll expound upon earlier, you have a lot of traits that he admires, and he’d be really drawn to you because of that 

even though you can be shy and a little quieter, ashe’s supports show that he tends to notice the quieter types, and he tends to get along with them quite well

hell, even if you two weren’t to get into a romantic relationship, i think you and ashe are just so compatible that you’d end up close friends regardless 

i think that the friendship would soothe the shyness a bit (and the laughing)

but if you laugh at his jokes, he’ll adore you all the more for it 

and i headcanon ashe as a bit of a blusher too, so he’s going to be bright red, especially during the early days of your relationship

although, you can so much as compliment ashe and he breaks out in a full-body blush 

you’re both willing to stand up for what you care about and what you believe in, and especially when you defend your friends

honestly, i think you two would get a little starry-eyed whenever the other was standing up for their values; dare i say, couple goals?? 

ashe especially loves seeing that strong sense of justice he has reflected in you; he feels well understood, and like that little spark is well and alive in the world 

i think your values line up quite well?? and for ashe, that’s something integral for a relationship 

ashe is honestly the most encouraging partner you could ask for, and as i said in your first matchup, he’s the type to extol your virtues a lot

he wants you (and everyone else) to see yourself like he does, in all your wonder and beauty 

and he’s not shy about saying it!! his compliments are just so genuinely earnest, and you can tell that he means them from the bottom of his heart 

ashe would admire how hardworking you are, as it’s a virtue he wants to emulate himself

and as i mentioned last time too, he’d be grateful for the fact that you’re honest and tactful at the same time, because he seems to be the sort of person who always wants to improve 

so knowing that he could come to you for honest yet kind feedback would be something he’s very grateful for

he also deeply values your kindness; he thinks there should be more compassion in the world, and it warms his heart to see you practicing that 

i think both those traits in particular inspire him a little!! he feels this little bit of pride when he sees you being so wonderful, and that makes him want to do the same 

furthermore, you’d be very supportive of each other!! and it’s really delightful and adorable, and highlights the wholesomeness of your relationship 

you’d know that you could rely on ashe for anything, and he’d always have your back

ashe would adore the little notes you give loved ones, and he’d absolutely write them back; receiving one always warms his heart, and he wants to return that feeling to you 

i can imagine him keeping them in a little book or a little box, and whenever he was feeling down or defeated, he’d pull them out to help motivate him to keep going 

and honestly, i feel like the notes he’d write you would be quite poetic? he’s a big reader and all, so i’m sure he’s absorbed some of that 

he adores how you’re there for others, and would be your confidant; he wants to be there for you, partly because he loves you, partly because he sees how you support your friends

he’ll always be checking in with you and making sure that you’re feeling okay, and becomes an expert at reading your emotions tbh 

however, i think the more responsible and reliable side of your personality could ground him a little; it’s not that he’s doesn’t have those traits, it’s just that he can be a bit of a dreamer that has his head in the clouds 

this also couples nicely with your tendency to be more organized? essentially, i think you’ve got a nice mix of the idealist and the realist going on here

i can definitely see him making use of your tendency to use planners; he could honestly make use of them himself 

ashe is very patient and attentive, so hopefully that’d be very good with your anxiety

he’d be able to help you work through any cycles of overthinking, and i reckon he’d be a great grounding force 

and, as i said last time, he’s always there to offer a shoulder and a good cuddle 

that being said, ashe is also quite emotional, for good and ill; while it means he would understand that in your quite well, it could be,,, bad, if it lined up 

you both wear your hearts on your sleeves, and that counts for something  

but, you’d be very loyal to one another, and that means that you can trust each other deeply!

ashe strikes me as very affectionate and complimentary, and you can bet that he does his best to fight back against your low self-esteem 

so, he’d also love how affectionate you are, because it’d help prevent him from feeling like he was being overbearing 

also, he adores watching you dance or listening to you sing, and he always showers you with compliments whenever you perform         

as a cook, i think he’d be well-equipped to deal with your gastric issues

he’s definitely the sort to do a ton of research on what food is and isn’t beneficial to you, which foods with soothe your stomach, and so on

 he’d develop a strong arsenal of recipes, and you can count on him never failing to deliver a truly phenomenal meal 

i think your hobbies would also line up quite well

remember the domestic dates i mentioned in your other matchup?? yeah, i’m doubling down on that, the concept is adorable

reading and baking together!! i can see you guys having a ton of fun playing around with recipes and flavours, and meals are never boring with you two 

i get the feeling ashe has the capacity to get excited about media (i get the vibe he’d be a bit of a nerd in the modern day), and he’d be really interested in hearing your analyses!! 

he’s got a little bit of an adventurous spirit in him, so he’d enjoy exploring new places with you

archery couple!! 

honestly, i don’t think there’d be a ton of conflict between the two of you 

while there may be the occasional emotional episode, they’d pass very easily, because you’re both very level-headed and willing to talk things out!!

you’re both good at putting yourselves in others’ shoes and seeing other perspectives, so communication is a dream between the two of you

importantly, i think he’d be able to help you and be concerned for you without being condescending 

and honestly, he’s pretty petite and young-looking too (especially in the monastery days), so i feel like he’d know what it’s like to not be taken seriously 

and finally, i think he ha a lot of the traits that you look for in a partner!!

he’s definitely morally upright and respectful, as well as being kind and helpful

he’s a very hard-worker who’s dedicated to his dream

he’s very patient, considerate and supportive (a ton of his supports demonstrate this), and as mentioned, i think he’d be helpful for working through any anxious or paranoid episodes 

as i touched on earlier, i think he’s the best candidate when it comes to managing your stomach issues (and may i say? he’d do it in the most delicious way possible)

similar hobbies!! so that’s a bonus!! 

and, to top it all off, he’d definitely see you and treat you as an equal, while still being supportive and helpful (all while not being condescending)

honestly, you guys would be so precious and delightful, and would have a wonderfully supportive and enriching relationship!! 

dare i say, we stan?

for alternative matchups... 

claude von riegan!!

claude is quite different from ashe slkdfjfkldj but you know what? he’s an excellent partner for you as well 

getting to know each other could go either one of two ways; either you bond quite quickly because claude decides that’s what he wants to happen (so that he can find out your “secrets”), or you’re going to be overwhelmed by him and avoid him because of it 

but, i’m sure you’d become friends over time, and trust me; claude strikes me as the slowburn type, so you’d have a long time to get comfortable before romance even crosses his mind 

first of all, he admires how hardworking you are; for all this lassiez-faire attitude, claude knows the value of dedication, and knows how vital that is to achieving his dreams 

so, he likes seeing it others, especially people who don’t take themselves too seriously for it 

he also admires your kindness; while it doesn’t appear that way on the surface, i think claude is quite kind, deep down. he wants to minimize suffering and discrimination, after all, and i think your values would line up quite nicely there 

claude would value how supportive and affirming you are, because while he’s someone who always strives to do better and benefits from criticism, it’s nice to be encouraged every once in a while

but, he appreciates that you’re still able to be honest with him; that balance is important to claude, and it’s something that’ll really help him grow 

he keeps your notes on him whenever he’s away for a while

doesn’t necessarily write them back (i don’t think he’s big on words as a way of expressing his affection for others, unless the mood grips him and he makes a lil speech), but he finds other creative ways to express his love and appreciation for you 

probably brings back fun trinkets that remind him of you whenever he goes to almyra, or buys you a book that he adores or finds interesting

i think that your more responsible and reliable personality would ground him quite well?? claude’s very intelligent and he certainly thinks things through, he could probably use a hand

please keep him organized oh my god

admittedly, he might not be the best when it comes to anxiety (and that’s a big reason as to why i chose ashe as your main match); his marianne supports go to show that he struggles to wrap his head around that sort of stuff

that being said, i think he’s capable of learning? it would just require a lot of talking things through, and trying to explain it to him 

honestly, if you just explained by focusing on the overthinking, it might click for him 

he’s a bit of an overthinker himself, but in a different way; but, the general principle might be enough to help him really get it 

loyalty hits well with claude, and it’s something he’s just not used to; having a partner that he knows he can rely on no matter what would provide a sense of relief that he’d never felt before

honestly, your more emotional personality may clash with him at first (he’s not the sort to wear his heart on his sleeve, and he likes to mess around with people -- which may cause some conflict), but i think that with post-timeskip claude, it means you’d have a good balance

claude has some very high-minded ideals, and his dreams are founded on the basis of compassion and acceptance; but, claude seems to struggle with being emotionally present and sensitive

i think you could help him develop those traits, and may bring a more humanistic, grounded edge to his goals 

claude is determined to up your self-esteem, so you can bet that he’s constantly giving you thoughtful compliments that really show he’s been paying attention 

his compliments are different to ashe’s, in that they’re less earnest; but he always notices little things you do, small acts of kindness or dedication that generally go unnoticed, and he’ll be sure to compliment you for them 

that doesn’t mean he’s above teasing you, though; he loves to tease you for wearing your heart on your sleeve, and the fact that you blush easily (and he’s delighted that teasing you makes you blush more). but, it’s affectionate, and due largely in part because he’s not the best at expressing his feelings for people 

side note: he likes that you tend to laugh when you’re attracted to someone because he likes to feel witty  

i think he’d like your approach to conflict

his entire arc and the themes of his route are all about trying to mend bridges (to varying success) and moving forward, and the best way to do that is to talk things through rationally and tactfully

dare i say, diplomatic power couple? 

on top that, i think it means that once you two were comfortable with each other, you’d be able to communicate pretty well?

i do think that claude would struggle with trust and vulnerability for quite a while into your relationship, but i believe that you’re ability to be honest with people would go a long way there 

but, in all honesty, he might patronize you a bit at first (just look at his supports with lysithea),,, but as long as you spoke up and told him to stop, and then explained why you didn’t like it, i think he’d stop

don’t think for a second that he’s underestimated you though; he knows what you’re worth and what your strengths are, and he’ll tell you about them in a second if you asked him to (albeit, with a touch of awkwardness) 

he’d give you almyran recipes to bake; he’s not going to help because he’s terrified of messing up (not that he’d admit that), but he loves it when you cook meals from his homeland; it warms his heart in a way not much else does 

claude would analyse things to death with you; it’d be one of his favourite ways to pass time, and he’s always picking out things that you didn’t -- and vice versa 

he’s also up for exploring new places, especially if you appeal to his curiosity; but, in true claude style, he somehow gets you into places you really shouldn’t be 

also, another archery couple!! iconic!! 

though i feel like claude would always be challenging you to a competition; it’s just how he be 

he’s not too far off your ideal partner, either; he’s definitely morally upright (well, in his own way), and he’s hardworking and patient (he has to be, to pull of the things he dreams of) 

and i think he’s capable of being very supportive and considerate when he really loves someone 

and, claude is the best person to talk to about various topics!! i think he’d be very good at playing “devil’s advocate” and considering different perspectives in a conversation 

i think the two of you would have a lot of fun just talking the night away

at the end of the day, claude definitely treats you as an equal (especially after he’s learnt to open up to you and share his real thoughts and feelings), while still supporting and helping each other!!

it’s a different vibe to ashe, but i think this relationship would still work wonderfully!

but also...

dimitri alexandre blaiddyd!! 

i chose him as your secret admirer, and once again, i stand by what i said!! 

as i said in your original matchup, he’d admire how hardworking and kind you are, because those are traits that he strives to have

like ashe and claude, i think he’d be quite drawn to the sense of justice you see to have; as i said in your original matchup, he’d admire how you stood up for yourself and others

dimitri himself has a strong sense of justice and compassion, and i feel like that’s something you’d bond over 

after all, dimitri implements democracy in his endings (it says so in his solo ending, and i believe a few others?)

dimitri always strives to improve himself, and because of that, he values your tactful honesty 

he wants to be the best leader -- and best person -- that he can be, and he needs people who are willing to help him grow 

even before you were romantically involved, he’d value your judgement and your counsel, and he’d come to you to talk through important issues 

i think that dimitri’s own struggles would give him an attentiveness and sensitivity that the others don’t quite have; while he confide in you as your other friends do, he’s also aware of your own struggles

and because of that, he’d be mindful to always be willing to lend an ear and a shoulder should you need it 

he knows how much he appreciates you doing that for him, so he never wants you to feel alone and like you had no one of your own to turn to  

dimitri would honestly be one of the most supportive partners you could ever have!! he’s constantly just,,, in awe of you, and thinks you’re wonderful!! and he’s so uncontrollably fond that it just comes across in everything he does (but more on that later) 

unlike the other two, dimitri’s quite organized himself!! but he’s also quite organized with his personal belongings (catch him cleaning your room every so often dkljfljk)

like the others, i think he’d value that responsible and reliable side of you, but in a different way; in dimitri’s case, it’s a relief, because he’d really value a person who can help him stay on top of things

dimitri would also deeply value your loyalty; he’s had a very tumultuous life, and having someone he can rely on and who he can really talk to means a lot to him 

more so than the other two, i think dimitri would have the best grasp on your anxiety, and would arguably be the best at helping you overcome it? 

his supports with marianne demonstrate that he’s very sensitive and tactful when it comes to other people’s mental health struggles, and he very much seems to be the type who’s there to hold your hand and support you while you work on yourself 

another textual example is when he comforts byleth after jeralt dies; he brings a wisdom and sensitivity to that conversation that demonstrates how understanding and even attentive he can be 

where i’m going with this is that i think he’d be very patient and helpful whenever you were spiralling; he’d speak from the heart and would do his absolute best to help calm you down and remind you that things will be okay 

similarly to ashe, i think that dimitri would be prone to constantly and earnestly complimenting you, and would honestly be distraught to know that you had low self-esteem

dimitri has a tendency to love people wholly and fully, and knowing that you don’t see yourself like he does breaks his heart 

and, once again like ashe, he would be almost embarrassingly sincere -- but it’s sweet, and it’s honest, and it’s all very dimitri 

he’s quite similar to you in that while he’s measured most of the time, he tends to feel strongly about things (just see his entire route)

this could be a double-edged sword, because it will deepen your understand of each other, but as with ashe, it could be a bit problematic if certain emotions lined up

but, it’s nothing that communication can’t help soothe, imo 

i think you guys would get quite well-acquainted with each other’s triggers and common overthinking cycles, and would do your best to help combat them 

dimitri is touch-starved imo, so i reckon he’d be clingy

and he’d love how affectionate you were, because it’d validate him

you’d likely end up just being,,, the cuddliest couple in the world. he’s going to hold you at each and every opportunity, no matter what 

side note: he loves that you laugh a lot around him because he’s never really seen as funny, so it makes him feel a little giddy 

honestly, i feel like you and dimitri would have a good rapport to start with? i know you say that you take time to warm up to people, but i just think again to his supports with marianne and how well he was able to get along with her 

i just think that dimitri’s whole demeanour and his attentiveness would make it very easy for you to get along with him from the get-go 

i feel like dimtiri would be mindful of how quiet you are, and how you tend to get underestimated, and would make a real effort to ask you for your opinion 

he hates seeing you be overlooked or underestimated just because you’re quieter and more thoughtful, and he wants to give you the opportunity -- and the platform -- to speak your mind and be heard

and as mentioned earlier, i feel like he’d value your counsel deeply, and would thoughtfully consider your opinions on things 

a lot of that is because he trusts you so much, but also because your values resonate and he likes how level-headed you are when talking about those sorts of issues 

and as i said in the other matchup, he deeply admires how you’re willing to stand up for your friends and your opinions; he thinks that take’s real courage

like with ashe, i feel like your relationship would be pretty free of conflict? dimitri is prone to the occasional emotional blow up (like in his early supports with ingrid), but i just can’t see you saying or doing anything that would upset him to that point

you both want to work things out with people and to meet in the middle (he tries to talk to edelgard to end the war, after all), so i genuinely think that you’d always work through your conflicts before they became anything to be concerned about 

and, even if you were being overly emotional or stubborn, i feel like he’d continue to be patient and understanding, and would know when to give you time to cool off 

while he can’t taste your cooking, he loves supporting you and encouraging you (and he can certainly give you his opinion on the texture of the things you make)

also a big fan of your singing and dancing!! he especially likes it when you sing him a lullaby; he has an easier time falling asleep when he’s listening to your voice 

being from fargheus, he doesn’t know much about marine life, so he’d find aquatic creatures fascinating!! he’d listen with rapt attention whenever you told him some interesting facts about sharks and whales and all the rest. 

his face just lights up whenever you start talking about the things you’re passionate about, because he loves seeing that fire in your eyes; so, he’s always asking thoughtful questions about your interests!!

finally, i think he also fits your profile of an ideal partner!!

morally upright? check (and he works hard for it). respectful? check. kind and helpful? check check check!!

considerate, hardworking, patient and supportive? that’s dimitri to a t. 

something tells me that dimitri would be a tad pedantic about making sure you’re eating on time and that you’re feeling comfortable; so there’s that, too!! 

and while your hobbies don’t line up perfectly, dimitri definitely seems like the type of partner who would make a real effort to take an interest in the things you’re passionate about!! 

and finally, he absolutely sees you as an equal, and would support and help you without a second thought; dimitri is so inherently thoughtful, and i’m sure that’ll come up all the time in your relationship 

bless you guys, you’d have such a wholesome, supportive relationship that has a lot of potential to encourage growth!! 

(fun fact: as i was writing this out i wanted to change around the order of the ships, but the formatting is being to difficult so!! ashe and dimitri are probably equal in terms of compatibility!!)

since there were only a few boys left, i thought i may as well say something about them, too!! 

dedue - i like dedue as an option for you!! you have a lot of qualities that he’d admire: you’re hardworking, kind and loyal, and you stay organized. 

dedue has this quiet composure to him, and that’d be a double-edged sword in this relationship. i think it’d be good in the sense that it’d ground you, and that could provide a sense of calm. the moments you’d get to steal away with dedue would be very peaceful, and full of more unspoken affection and sensitivity; a nice reprieve from the stresses of day-to-day life. at the same time, his stolidness wouldn’t be as effective a pick-me-up as the emotionality and brightness of your other picks. there may just be some tension there when it comes to expressing emotion and affection. basically it comes down to a fi vs fe issue; you just have different ways of handling your emotions. 

but, as said, i think you’d work really well together. i think you complement each other well, while also having similar virtues. also, just imagine baking together for a moment. bless. 

seteth - i wasn’t actually sure if i should include seteth (since i’m not including other staff members), but here’s the green man himself.

honestly, my feelings towards you and seteth are quite similar to those i had about you and dedue. i think seteth would value a similar set of traits in you; namely your kindness, your propensity for being organized and responsible, and how supportive you are. and while i think he’s got a bit of distance to him (because, you know,,, he’s seen a lot over the past few centuries), he’s very kind and very use, and i think he’d be quite good at helping you out with your anxiety and your tendency to overthink. 

he also fits your ideal profile pretty well, but i think there’s just this,,, air of distance to him, and that may mean that you won’t truly feel like you’re equals. it might not be a major issue, it’s enough to make me place him here on the list instead of higher up. 

ferdinand - i had a hard time trying to get a grasp on what a relationship between you and ferdinand would look like. i don’t know why it was so elusive, but i think you two would work quite well together?

he’s very hardworking, and he’s quite considerate and respectful (after he’s been berated for his tactlessness -- most of his supports work this way hdslkjfdsfs). he’d really like how organized, responsible and reliable you are, and would admire how kind, hardworking, loyal and supportive you are. so on a lot of levels, i think you’d find each other quite attractive!! also i think he’d love listening to you sing and watching you dance, as well; he adores that sort of thing. 

that being said, i think he can be just a bit too tactless at times (of course, he always rectifies that behaviour once he’s told, as shown in supports), but it could cause a few hiccups along the way. but, i do think he’s a good choice!! 

felix - i think things with felix could certainly be interesting. your personalities contrast a lot, but felix seems like he’d be a softie really deep down. while that side of him is never really going to come out (we love repressing ourselves because fargheus culture promotes toxic masculinity wOOHOO), it’s definitely there, and i think once he got to know you, it’d really come out around you. 

i think that the contrast between the two of you could incur great growth, especially in him, but that’d be a ton of work. i think the two of you certainly have the capacity to get along, but it’d take a long time to get to the point of being comfortable. also, can i just say? he’d be terrible with anxiety. absolutely awful. and self-esteem issues? a disaster. he means well and he wants to help, but again,,, fargheus culture. he just doesn’t know how to be comforting. love him tho, what an icon

sylvain - i flip-flopped on sylvain tbh. i think there are elements of him that would make a great partner for you, but i feel like you’d flourish more with someone mature? not that sylvain’s not mature -- he’s certainly capable of it -- but he chooses to act a fool. 

i think he’d find you very cute, and there’s some value to having a good contrast between partners, but i just don’t think he’s the best match for you?? he doesn’t really fit the bill in terms of what you’re looking for (i think he’d get there eventually, but it’d just take a lot of growth on his part), and i think his flippant, careless persona could cause some trouble for the two of you. once again, i think that if you stuck it out, great things could happen, but there’s just better matches for you!! 

hubert - honestly, i don’t see it working? honestly, because you sound too nice for him dsjlds 

your personalities come off as very different to me, and while that can provide some fun contrast, i feel like it’d be very unbalanced. while he’d value your hardworking and organized side, your emotionality and kindness just don’t seem like things he’d prioritize in a partner. there’s not much to say on this ahaha 

i think you’d have good comedic potential as friends?? *hubert voice* “someone will die.” “of love and support!”