#honestly- you need to get over yourselves. people are allowed to like BAD things.

[woomycritiques543]

Helluva Boss and Hazbin’s most toxic fans:

“YOU’RE ALLOWED TO LIKE BAD THINGS!”

*uses this as an excuse to romanticize terrible things such as murder or sexual assault in their stories, shits on trauma victims to defend doing so, and are racist, homophobic, and ableist as all hell*

Regular Fans:

“Helluva Boss is bad, but-“

Helluva Boss and Hazbin’s most toxic fans:

“SO YOU’RE SAYING I CANT ENJOY IT?! YOU CANT LIKE BAD THINGS! IT MUST BE GOOOD! *invent millions of headcannons to make it look a thousand times better than it actually is* I CAN’T LIKE VILLAINS- SO THEY MUST ALWAYS BE EXCUSED OR SUGARCOATED SO THEY “DONT” LOOK LIKE THE VILLAIN! YOU’RE A HATER-”

Regular Fans:

“…. but I still enjoy it, understand that you can like/enjoy a villain character without justifying or romanticizing their actions and that simply liking a villain doesn’t make you a bad person. You are not a “hater/morally bad person” for being negative about anything, and saying otherwise is toxic positivity. Which is a real psychological term for people who take positivity to harmful extremes.”

Helluva Boss and Hazbin’s most toxic fans:

[soobnny]

classmate au | kim sunoo

❝ no one is allowed to borrow my art materials except for (name) ❞

heeseung | jay | jake | sunghoon | SUNOO | jungwon | ni-ki

kim sunoo

sweet, sunshine, best friend kim sunoo

it was kind of SO obvious he wanted to be friends

like he wants to be close to you soooo bad and maybe it’s bc he saw u playfully bullying riki

it was love at first sight and an instant best friendship the moment you finally met

your seats were assigned so u were sat next to each other

THANK GOD U WERE

you two are basically inseparable now

sunoo strikes me as the type to just walk into the classroom and walk straight towards where you’re seated

at school events, he’d leave his backpack on the seat next to him to reserve you a seat

then he’d go “(name)!” while waving from his seat it’s actually kind of embarrassing

there is never anxiety of being seated next to a stranger bc sunoo has your back

he’d grab an extra mini fan from his bag to give to U bc these school events r always so scorching hot

sunoo does that “leaning against your locker while you get things” thing

he is so unaware of how HANDSOME he looks

oh and btw if you don’t attend class, he probably won’t in solidarity

in the chances that he does attend class, he usually sends you photos of his notes and everything you need to know

he’d be like i’m soooooo bored 2 minutes into the class without you like it hasn’t even STARTED

just prepare for his spam messages

after class, you’d buy street food and just gossip over it

you’d stare at what he bought and he’d roll his eyes before pushing the stick towards you so you can bite off it

YES feeding each other … normal best friend things

anyways moving on

another thing in my vision is that he’s the provider of art materials

the teacher suddenly lets you make a poster????

you know you’re secured bc sunoo is ur bff and will let only YOU borrow his supplies

“sunoo, let me borrow your colored markers”

“ok, which colors do you want” ☺️☺️☺️☺️

flat out will say no to everyone else tho

he’s kind of intimidating honestly despite having the sweetest smile

LIKE he’s friends with everyone but not friends friends

do you guys get what i mean

he is just a completely different person with you bc he trusts u the most and he just becomes CRAZY

like yall let him keep his crazy too much .. thank god you’re there for him to unleash it to

he’s one of the people who plays volleyball with riki and friends

but he’s absolutely horrible please save him

altho … why does he look so handsome playing even tho he can’t receive the ball? 🤨

he’d just laugh and crumble in embarrassment and you’d be the number one person cheering for him

(update after ella’s rb,, full credits to her) u would def put the blame on his teammates

“RIKI DO BETTER” even if it was 100% sunoo’s fault like so real

weird specific love language? buying each other water

he’s playing volleyball? you have a bottle of water for him in case he wants to sit out the game and watch with you

you’re finished with your physical education practical exam? he’s waiting for you with his big ass water jug

BUT LIKEEEE why is there a change in the air suddenly 😩😩😩

why is your best friend so boyfriend material actually

he holds your hand… holds it so firmly

sunoo gives the best hugs too

he makes you laugh and he’s so thoughtful with his stupid water and his art materials

even carries your things for you sometimes

AND yall take good photos of each other

“does my hair look fine?”

he’d reach out to fix it … tuck it behind your ear or look at you so intensely before going back to smiling n saying yup all good!

during the sports festival, yall are off joining some type of singing jingle cheer competition which is usually the first event

so you guys just joke around for the rest of the week, watch some events, and take LOTS of photos

you would laugh at your classmates

maybe even cheer for some of your friends

just as long as you’re next to each other

you probably bad mouth the opposite team BUT TO YOURSELVES .. not out loud

would clap so hard when your team wins a point !!!

also back to the taking photos detail

he’d just be dragging you everywhere to take photos bc when is the best time but NOW

ofc u do take his photos .. u ltrly take the Best

“sunoo, look, you’re so handsome here!”

and then you look up at him to see his reaction and he’s already looking at you

uh oh.

your faces are so close to each other like SO close

let’s step back and check the label 😂

BEST FRIENDS !!!!!

tho he does save u out of ur misery by asking you out a week later

bc apparently the sudden shift in air also happened to HIM

he brings it up as a joke first bc he’s testing the waters and he’s not trynna get rejected

“imagine if we were dating…..” and a long lingering pause in the air afterward

if you joked back with like a “LOL”, he’d know u don’t feel the same

but you ltrly go 😮 and so speechless bc why is he suddenly bringing this up when you’ve spent the last few nights thinking about him

did those tiktok manifestations work

did that tiktok audio actually get sunoo to like u back

“um… well! well, you see…”

“i like you”

“THANK GOD”

you guys are like waaaaay more inseparable now that you’re dating

your friends will fake vomit around u .. but don’t worry it’s just bc they’re bitchless

while u and ur bf sunoo are happily in love

btw he gets jealous easily TEARSSSSSS

he gets all pouty but don’t worry, you just have to Hug him and give him a kiss and he’s all smiles again

oh, and i feel the need to inform you that hugs are his favorite thing in the world

and CHEEK kisses like specifically cheek kisses.. he loves them

his ideal dates r just when you’re at each other’s house

you can order takeout and do your skincare together … watch the latest movies

his family loves you too

so much that they include your favorite snacks when they go grocery shopping

“sunoo, get those chips that (name) rly likes. u dont know when she might come over next!”

like they are ANTICIPATING you

enjoy dating i love sunoo

note. credits to user @.luvknow for the layout of this post! let me know what you think! please discuss these with me i’m crazy

[ggswaywardgifrepository]

It boggles the mind that the Bi-Han ship tier list seems to always put Sektor at the bottom below:

-the dude who convinced him to betray his entire realm for power that he never even got (Don't @ me, I love Shang Tsung, BiShang is my MK1 OTP, and my favorite Bi-Han ship.)

-one or both of his brothers (Not my thing 99% of the time but knock yourselves out. MK draws on loads of mythology for its lore and inc@st isn't exactly a foreign topic there.)

-his creator god (Despite loads and loads of baggage and a pretty significant power imbalance. There's also not much acknowledgment that Liu Kang had Bi-Han's entire life to notice his resentment brewing and try to reasonably intervene. Or he did try and failed--still, not a whiff of blame for Liu Kang, though. That's why I personally find this one off-putting, but again, enjoy what you enjoy.)

-Sareena (This one I totally get. We craved redemption for Bi-Han and saw a compelling and fulfilling possibility here. Tracks. 100%. It's also not as one-sided as other redemption focused Bi-Han ships because we know he positively influenced Sareena as well)

The bulk of the SekHan hate is directed at Sektor, and it makes me angry the more I think about it. But I admit this was my reaction for a long time as well.

In my case, at least, my discontent stemmed from Sektor not being a savior to Bi-Han, which suggests she has no value as a character other than to further his arc. And that's such a one-dimensional way to see both of them. By this logic, Sektor is worthless if she doesn't bring Bi-Han back to the light. Then also by this logic, Bi-Han isn't capable of championing his own redemption, rather, he needs another character holding the reins. (Sareena, Kuai Liang, or Liu Kang, most commonly.)

The DLC trailers were edited in such a way that we all had this preconceived notion of who Sektor was going to be in Khaos Reigns and a lot of it didn't hold up. She was hinted to be in love with Bi-Han but we all assumed it was one-sided--I did, at least. And somehow we all preferred the idea of that love being unrequited because heaven forbid two flawed, grown ass people be in a relationship. I also honestly think there's an aesthetic disconnect. I think there are a lot of people who either wanted him to not be in a ship, or to be in one with someone prettier.

I do still think they might've parted ways over the Cyber Lin Kuei, had that plot seen the light of day. But it's yet another 'what if' that never came to pass that I preemptively held against Sektor.

There's also a lot of speculation that Sektor is just manipulating Bi-Han, which can be used to invalidate romantic feelings but also suggests he's much more easily taken advantage of than I'd like to think he is. Him falling for Shang's shit was enough, alright. (And Shang is prettier. Sorry not sorry. Sektor is v attractive but Shang is much more attractiver.)

But Bi-Han is not a stupid man. At least, I don't want to see him that way. And the bulk of the anti-SekHan arguments paint him like this.

Honestly, anyone who says, "I know they're canon, I see the logic behind it, and I just fucking don't like it" resonates more because there are things I'm never gonna be jazzed about with them, and they're intangible, too.

SekHan is nowhere near my favorite ship, but I am sad to see it get hate. I think it was poorly introduced and left a bad taste in our mouths. But it still bums me out to know that that's why so few people even care to try and write the characters well together and rectify that.

And please, you're obviously allowed to disagree with every word here and ship or not ship whatever the hell you want. These are just my frustrations.

[luckykiwiii101]

Clarification #!

Hey Upper East Siders.

Clarification #1

Unfortunately there is drama going on my blog right now. I do NOT want to be portrayed as a bad person. And I also do not want any other bloggers to be portrayed as a bad person. And I do not want @noddingofcat to be portrayed as a bad person. Because believe it or not, I actually think the opposite.

Clarification #2

I know, I know, my blog is sassy and “mean”. People may get offended by the wording on my posts. Yes my “wake up call” type posts are harsh but that’s how I intend them to be. But what I do not intend is for people to get offended by my posts. The sole purpose of my posts are to help you all. As i’ve mentioned previously in many of my posts, babying people and letting them victimise themselves is something i’m strongly against!

Clarification #3

Behind “- gossip girl” I’m a kind and caring person. I don’t want people to feel like they can’t talk to me. If I didn’t care about you guys I wouldn’t make posts and share them with you and answer your asks. But know that if you want my respect you have to reciprocate the respect you give to others.

Clarification #4

I want everyone to acknowledge that I spend on average over 2 hours on my posts, gathering information and drafting it so that I can turn it into the beautiful posts that reside in my master list, on my home page that can be accessed very very easily. So it is frustrating when you guys don’t read them and proceed to send me an anonymous ask asking me the same question when there’s a whole entire long ass hell detailed post in my master list titled in big bold letters. 💀

Clarification #5

Please do not send me an ask if there is clearly a post in my master list that addresses it. I do NOT mind if you made a simple mistake and could not find it but please let me know.

Clarification #6

I do not allow private messages as it’s unfair for me to basically “privately coach” people selectively whilst rejecting others. I also simply just do not have time during the day for that.

Clarification #7

If somebody genuinely needs help and is going through something terrible, I understand if you would want to speak to me since i am a blogger who is educated on the law. I’m still learning new things aswell, and whenever I do I share it with you guys. But I want to let you know in the nicest way that I am not a therapist and I CANNOT guide you about things outside the law of assumption.

Clarification #8

I’ve received many asks in the past of people wishing death on me, calling me a psychopath, insulting me etc. Please understand that if you send me a passive aggressive ask like that I will not be nice and sweet about it. I’m not talking about @noddingofcat btw i’m just clarifying because this isn’t the first time and I DON’T want it to happen again.

Clarification #9

This is personal to @noddingofcat

I genuinely think you are a nice person. You tried to defend me thinking that @queenofuniverses was harassing me. I cannot express how much I respect that. Then you defended @queenofuniverses when I falsely accused her of sending me an anonymous ask. Honestly I really respect that. I’m not trying to get on your good side i’m seriously just saying what I truly feel. And I think everyone knows by now, I speak my thoughts.

Clarification #10

Thanking everyone who follows me for supporting me and my blog. I don’t think you guys actually understand that I care about you guys. I want you to all manifest your dream lives. And i’m DYING to hear your success stories. I completely freak out when l see a success story in my inbox because of how happy it makes me. So keep them coming!!! Not for me but for yourselves ❤️

P.S. I might stop my gossip girl theme and soon my blog as a whole because I don’t want to get caught up into any more miscommunications. This was honestly stressful because I know a lot of you look up to my blog and trust me when I KNOW it hurts to see someone you look up to, turn out to not be someone you expected. I’m far from being that person

Love you, XoXo

- gossip girl

[themandjetofra]

The Nejeru and the Presidential Election in America

Hey everyone, I know I’ve been a bit dead recently. Sorry about that! I haven’t had much new art to share lately, though I’m hoping to work on a drawing of Ammut sometime this weekend. Honestly, I think I’m done trying to stick with weird blog format. It just feels too forced and doesn’t align with what I want this space to be lol.

Im not going to give you the "Oh, not to get political, but..." stuff here. Yes, yes to get political. I am going to get political because, frankly, this is my blog, my space, and I can express my thoughts freely. If you don’t fw with that, you’re more than welcome to leave. I genuinely can’t stand Trump supporters. This isn't the place for you.

Yes, both Trump and Kamala have massive flaws, but let’s face it, American presidential elections have always been choosing between two evils. But the fact that an actual felon managed to win just blows my mind. It’s appalling to think that people are willing to overlook his blatant disrespect toward women and the LGBTQ community (both of which I’m a part of). Sure I might lose my rights, but at least gas will be cheaper... /s

This election has been a heavy blow to me, and honestly my soul. I’ve been pouring my heart into prayers and spells, asking the Nejeru for guidance. And yeah, I’ll admit, it stung a lot when it felt like my prayers fell on deaf ears to them. I’ve spoken to others in my faith and even folks who follow other ancient pantheons, and I’m not alone in feeling upset and betrayed.

So, I had to take a step back. I needed to breathe, to distance myself from everything—my work, my faith. But that doesn’t mean I lost my belief in the Nejeru. They’ve been there for me countless times, and I know that. Instead of letting my frustration consume me, I chose to reflect on it. Why couldn’t they intervene this time? Or, maybe, why wouldn’t they? And after some time to think, I eventually reconnected with my faith.

One thing I know is that we need to see the Nejeru in the context of their origins— Ancient Egypt. If you didn’t know, every Pharaoh was essentially a dictator. Even under divine guidance, bad things still happened. Some years, the Nile didn’t flood. Sometimes, things just went wrong. The Nejeru aren’t like the God of Christianity or Catholicism. They’re not “all-powerful.” If they were, they wouldn’t need a pantheon of over a hundred gods to manage different forces. They’re incredibly powerful, yes, but there are limits to what they can influence.

A major factor is the concept of free will, something that was deeply important to the Nejeru. They believed in allowing humans to make their own choices, to live their lives as they wished, even with rules in place. As Ra said in the Coffin Texts (1130): "I made every man like his fellow; and I did not command that they do wrong. It is their hearts that disobey what I have said. This is one of the deeds."

No god controls our souls. They don’t dictate our choices. Sure, they may judge us after death, but what we do in this life is entirely up to us. I highly recommend checking out “The Dispute of a Man with His Ba”, a translated story that implies much about free will in Ancient Egypt. When it comes to elections, that is free will. The Nejeru aren’t going to intervene in a democratic process where individuals are making their own choices. Whether people are misinformed or not, it’s still their decision. The outcome, as frustrating as it might be, is not something that the Nejeru can or should control. Doing so would mean infringing on the free will of millions of people. So, please, do not put the blame on the Nejeru. They’re not responsible for the choices people make. But we can lean on them for guidance through these hard times. Take care of each other. Take care of yourselves, check in on your friends, and remember, you are not a burden to anyone. Let’s focus on how we can support one another through this. Sending love and strength to you all.

- spheenx

💗

[freezerbnuuy]

I think something a lot of predominantly-white trans people need to come to terms with on this site is that

being trans doesn't purify you morally.

I see the absolute worst fucking takes coming from certain people on here, especially by binary trans people - who seem to think their transness is a get-out-of-shit-free card that allows them to downplay, ignore or be shitty towards intersex people, butch lesbians and cis people of colour (especially Black, Indigenous, Arab women and Latinas as well) who speak out about how gendered prejudice, violence and similar affects them as well as just perisex (non-intersex) trans people. And even more issues under the cut.

I see TERF bullshit reframed with a trans framework and considered 'progressive' as a result by white transfems, I occasionally see transmascs trying to act like transmisogyny is fine because a handful of trans women said something they didn't like / something bad. I see intersex and Black folk only ever bought up to win an argument and that's it. People who do or don't share our identities don't exist solely so we can use them as 'gotchas' toward other people, we actually have to listen to what they have to say about their oppression and the ways we have been leaving them out of discussions or ignoring what they have to say.

Black trans women constantly speak out about how they deal with much more violence and hatred then white trans women (both from people within our own community and outside of it) and a number of white transfems don't care to listen or include them in discussions of transmisogyny. Intersex people always speak out about the ways they're ignored and how the TMA / TME label divisions do practically no-one any favours, especially not for intersex people, but predominantly-white trans people are honestly too busy trying to play Olympics with one another to listen or care for what intersex people have to say.

Nonbinary people like myself are also sick of not just being left out of these discussions but often being considered 'fake' by the standards of binary trans people or trans and cis people alike obsessing over our bodies and birth sex, and if I see another trans person say shit like 'theyfabs' and 'theymabs' I'm going to lose my mind. The obsession with other people's birth sex in the 'don't be obsessed with other people's birth sex' community is SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY!

It's disgusting the way people will bank on their marginalised identity being the thing that purifies them and absolves them or excuses them of all toxicity, prejudices, and general shitty behaviour. Yes every marginalised identity is capable of being like this, but lately I have seen it way more with my own community than in any other. Being trans does not suddenly make you a good person. (It doesn't suddenly make you a terrible person as well, I've seen what you assholes are like to trans men or transmascs, and what people are like considering trans women some kind of imminent danger the moment they realise they're trans. Nor the 'umming' and 'ahhing' and being Judged By The Binary Trans Council how good or bad you might be when you're nonbinary, lmao. )

You don't get to use slurs against other trans people because you consider yourselves more oppressed than they are or because you don't like them. People don't lose their identities because you don't like them or because they are bad people - if you want to be helpful, focus your anger on the thing they did wrong, which WAS NOT being trans / being trans in a way you don't agree with.

You are still capable of harbouring all the prejudices and toxic behaviours you had before you realised you were trans. You are still capable of being racist, sexist, homophobic...you are still capable of being any flavour of prejudiced or shitty.

'But you're white and trans too!' Yup I am, and I know a lot of people on Tumblr consider themselves the One Good One but I am open to the fact that I am capable of being prejudiced, subconsciously or otherwise. All of the above applies to me as well. I need to constantly keep an eye on myself too. I've made the error of speaking over people on their own issues a number of times outside of Tumblr and it's something I definitely should not do.

And for those of you who aren't trans cheering this on, this applies to you too. Like I said, anyone marginalised or otherwise is capable of trying to hyper-justify their own prejudices and it needs to stop.

TERFS, do not think any of this means I care about how people treat you. You constantly use being a woman to be cunts to literally everyone who isn't a skinny white cis woman, you use it to get other people harassed, attacked and killed whilst maintaining yourselves as the victims of everything. You can all go fuck yourselves.

[solarbird]

Let’s talk a little about the recently-noticed hatred of in vitro fertilisation coming from Trump’s MAGA base, because while it’s being treated as new, it’s not actually new. It’s only recently risen back up to visibility – ahead, even, of their hatred of contraception – thanks to Trump’s success in overturning Roe v. Wade using his Republican-packed Supreme Court.

I’ve seen a lot of people publicly wonder why the Christofash are so against IVF, given that their whole procedure is about “more babies,” and they say they actually want “more [white] babies.” I’ve also seen people suggest that it’s solely about controlling women, and, well, of course that’s kind of true, because so very very much of what they do is about control over women.

But while there is some “separating procreation and sex is bad” thought out there – particularly amongst far-right Catholics – it’s actually far more consistent than that. At least, in its origins and early discussion.

It is, in fact, the direct result of them finding out more about IVF. They found out that multiple eggs are fertilised at once, with the most apparently healthy being implanted, and the others kept frozen. They then asked themselves a couple of… I hate to say it, but reasonable questions:

If every fertilised egg is a person, why doesn’t that apply in cases of destroyed fertilised eggs left over from IVF treatments? Why aren’t we condemning the destruction of human life that happens as part of IVF?

If you hold their professed beliefs – and some of them actually do – then the answer is obvious. They naturally then came to that obvious conclusion, one that’s entirely reasonable for those who have decided against all reason that a fertilised egg is in fact an actual whole person. They decided that yes, this is the same thing, it is a person, and no, IVF should not be allowed in its current form because yes, it is murder.

All of this is, again, nonsense. But it’s a rare bit of consistent nonsense from them, and you can see how it follows from a certain point of view.

And as they came to this conclusion – some decades ago now – they knew it would be impossible in the near term to even approach it, politically. Certainly not with Roe v. Wade the law of the land, which even to those with a focused interest in IVF was a far, far bigger issue to tackle.

Besides, the people involved in this – the Beverly LaHaye crowd were involved, but not just them – actually did empathise with people trying to have children. The goal, that was fine; the method, however, was not.

So they started a campaign to try to “save” what they started calling “snowflake babies.” It was a campaign, a recruitment effort to find volunteers who would have these leftover zygotes implanted, and then carry them to term as their own. Married heterosexual women only need apply, of course – their secondary worries about IVF included thoughts that it would somehow let THE HOMOSEXUALS have children, and they were, naturally, stridently opposed.

But honestly? If someone wants to get pregnant with a leftover IVF-fertilised egg, great! Go for it. I hate the whole “married heterosexual cisgendered women only” part of course, but the rest? It’s fine! Knock yourselves out.

At the time, it almost sounded like them trying to take positive action themselves for once, rather than just driving hate against others. I even allocated a little bit of hope that maybe it marked the beginning of a healthier trend.

Alas, it did not. But at that time, it couldn’t be ruled out.

Regardless, none of this ever went away. Bush II threw them a token amount of money in his first term to promote the idea, there are some small organisations still promoting “embryo adoption,” and the term “snowflake babies” still shows up once in a while.

Really, though, they see it as a stopgap, or even harm reduction. At its core, their fight is still to define every fertilised egg as a full human being with not just full rights, but more rights than anyone carrying it.

So those aren’t backup or redundant fertilised eggs, those are “snowflake babies,” and therefore cleaning the dish containing them is murder – no matter how many actual, real new parents and actual, real new children IVF procedures help create.

Accordingly, IVF must go, for the heartache of would-be parents pales to nothing next to the God-given inalienable rights of…

…a single frozen cell in a dish, which matters ever so impossibly more than any real child ever could matter to any of them.

Now you know how they got here, and you know that this isn’t a fad, and that it will not be something they easily give up. And since this whole line of thought is absolute batshittery to anyone not buried deep in the inner nooks and crannies of their bizarre cult, hopefully you have a better idea how to use this particular bullshit against them.

Good luck out there, and good hunting.

75 days remain.

[springcatalyst]

5, 8, 16, 17 for that ask game :] i dont know a lot of your ocs yet so surprise me!

hell yesssss lets GO

5: Does your oc have a signature weapon and/or attack? How long did they have to train to master it?

I answered this one for Liliana already! SO I'll give you Brooke!

Brooke's weapon of choice is a hand-and-a-half sword she's had for years and years and years. It was granted to her when she reached the level of skill in her guild that allowed her to go on formal hunts. It being hand-and-a-half means its versatile: it can be used two-handed or one-handed. She values adaptability and flexibility in a fight, and is very bad at both of these things in everywhere else in her life. Being in a familial-based guild, she's honed her skills over, again, years and years and years and years, pretty much since she could physically perform the necessary motions. Even after dividing from it, she keeps the sword, as well as the pendant and armor, because to fully divest herself from the image of the guild feels like lying, like hiding some nasty truth, and she doesn't want to do that anymore. She keeps these things as symbols of what she was, but in doing so prevents herself from being able to be anything but that.

8: What was your ocs most embarrassing moment? Does it still bother them or are they able to shrug it off?

So I don't have a One Right Answer BUT I'll say that Diana is pretty intimately familiar with embarrassment and humiliation on a small scale? The thing about needing to do things Correctly and the emphasis placed on respectability and decency and being polite and doing what you're told and not making a fuss and Form and Function is that well. It gives you a lot of little ways in which you can fail and be punished for it. Typically the punishment is failing in of itself. Diana, by nature of the culture she lived in, was weighed down by reputation in a manner where her own leaks out to her family, meaning people other than her have a stake in it. It's kind of a self-assuring cycle even without that, but. It is also enforced. Did I even answer the question? Peace and love on planet earth.

16: How does your oc make money?

Julian is maybe the only bitch in here who had an actual normal source of income for a significant portion of the plot. Once he fucked off to the sea he hops around ships going wherever and is paid to work them- he gravitated more towards cargo ships because they sailed farther and longer than ferries or other passenger ships. Eventually he joins the Siren's Song- an interislandary that, because it's rougher work out far far longer and requires just a bit more experience and is less appealing to most, paid a bit more. He didn't really join it for the pay, though. It had a certain energy in the air that, at the time, he envied. This turns out to be a bad choice.

17: Does your oc have an enemy?

I also answered this one for Liliana teehee so. This other guy ->

Julian beefs with everybody all the time forever but there's this One Fucking Guy on the Siren's Song that he just. Hates for all he's worth. It IS two-way because Julian also gets on Warren's nerves All The Fucking Time. Sometimes it's on purpose, because seeing how far he can push him without real consequences is fun, but sometimes it's not, because they are two people with very different ideas of how they function in the world. To Julian, Warren is a sort of needless cruelty, nose where it doesn't belong, breaking unspoken rules that exist for a reason type of person. To Warren, Julian is a kind of high horse, careless for the other men in the crew, manipulating his favor with the people in power to get what he wants type of person. Honestly, they're both right. They don't get to just throw hands about it because they are crewmates- you can't fight amongst yourselves at sea, it hinders the function of the ship, the first mate stops anything from starting (the captain... he doesn't care as much. he'll let it happen if it's entertaining enough). So they just sit there boiling hatred at each other until eventually.,.. well the first mate can't always be around.

OC ASK GAME :]

[scribeforchrist-blog]

Anchored , So I Won’t Drift Away

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

=========================

+ 1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

=========================

VERSE OF THE DAY

========================

+ Hebrews 2:1 So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.

=========================

** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN AFFIRMATION **

I AM ANCHORED

I AM FOCUSED

I AM OPEN TO CHANGE

I AM DEVOTED TO CHRIST

********************************

THOUGHTS:

=======================

When people go fishing, they usually have an anchor that drops from the boat to help the boat stay in one place; if the fisherman doesn’t use an anchor or some sort of thing to keep their boat in one place, most likely, the boat will go everywhere. I would think it be hard to fish, I would imagine; it would be hard to focus on fishing when you have your boat going everywhere. So to keep the focus on fishing, they lower an anchor into the water so that it can stay in one place.

What usually happens with a person that drifts a way it usually starts with minor distractions and everyday cares of life; they become so fixated on what’s going on that they stop praying! They stop reading the word, and they stop meditating; they stop doing everything that connects them with God; they stop entirely connecting, and that’s what we don’t need in our life! ; we need to keep connecting even if WE FEEL LIKE DRIFTING AWAY. EVEN IF WE FEEL SOMETHING, WE MUST IGNORE IT AND PUSH TOWARD CONNECTING TO GOD.

“Luke 8:15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.”

We must decide how we will allow the word of God to affect us. Will we allow ourselves to hear it and hold on to it, or will we allow it to change us and help us to have a good heart and help us to bear good fruit and patience? Will we allow it to keep us anchored? Sometimes if we don’t remain anchored, we drift away.

This has happened a lot in our life! Were we have allowed life to take over because, honestly, we get so mentally tired; we allow the cares of life to make us so tired that we become numb, or do we allow what’s happening in our body to distract us like sickened or pain and then we feel so drained from the issues of our body, where ever we are in life we can’t allow it to disconnect us from being anchored.

“Proverbs 7:1 My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;

The Bible tells us here and in other places to keep the word of God as treasures, or close to our hearts or written on our hearts. When we do this, the word of God becomes alive, and when this happens, we live it; it becomes natural to us every day; when we read the word of God and we allow the power of the word to penetrate us, we become changed, that’s what we must do is change so we won’t drift away and that we have the strength to stay connected with OUR ANCHOR!

It’s easy to drift away, and it’s easy just to sit and allow life to take us by storm and to kill our joy, I KNOW! I know, but we can’t allow anything to make us float away! We have to stay focused and allow our anchor to keep us in one place; we must allow our anchor to keep us from floating away! Every day we have to ask for strength because the enemy is waiting for us to let go of our anchor; he’s waiting for us to drift away.

“2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

As believers and followers of God, we must ask God to examine us, we must take our own personal assessment and say what we are doing and how we are thinking isn’t of God and ask God to change it because when we realize that Christ doesn’t live in us, we must change that, or if we realize that our level of commitment has changed we must change it, but it’s all UP TO US! IT IS UP TO US WHAT WE WANT TO DO. Do we want Christ to be our anchor, or would we whether allow what we FEEL to be our anchor ??

The Holy Spirit wants us to see that we must keep the commandments of God as treasures! We must keep them, treasure them, and meditate on them; when we do this, the word of God becomes exactly what we need; the word of God kills the flesh, but it can only kill what we allow it to, a lot of times we want God to change pieces of us, but that’s not actual change, and we won’t remain anchored if we continue on that path !!.

*** Today, life can cause us to go in so many directions, it can cause us to feel so many ways and our opinions to change, but I can tell you this, friends as long as we use God's word and let it be our anchor and guideline our lives will change over and over but when we allow what we THINK and what we WANT to dictate to us we will fall, but the Holy Spirit wants us to entirely rely on our anchor to keep us from drifting away. ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

========================

PRAYER

========================

Heavenly Father, please forgive us of any sins we have done! Lord, forgive us if we didn’t listen or heed your word. We ask today that you allow us to hear your voice, speak to us show us what we need to change in you! Please help us to connect with you and not to allow what we desire to run our lives; Father, we want you to have control; we desire for you to create change; we surrender everything to you! Lord, help us to have a Christ-like mind, help us to have the desire to chase after the thing of the light and not things of the flesh; lord, we decree and declare victory over the drought that’s in our life! We decree and declare victory over stubbornness! In Jesus' Name Amen

========================

REFERENCES

========================

+Deuteronomy 4:9 “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children

+1 Chronicles 22:13 Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed.

+Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

========================

FURTHER READINGS

=========================

Judges 11:1-12:15

John 1:1-28

Psalm 101:1-8

Proverbs 14:13-14

=========================

[callu-na]

things i love and hate about the signs

Aries

Love: the enthusiasm behind everything you do

Hate: Sometimes that energy isoverwhelming, especially when there’s nothing to help temper it.

Taurus

Love: I really admire your determination to reach your goals, and how reliable you guys are!

Hate: On the flip side of that determination though is... your stubbornness. It’s okay to let others win the argument sometimes! I swear you guys like to argue just for argument’s sake.

Gemini

Love: They always seem like they care about you and that they’re your friend. Are actually a great friend to have around.

Hate: Can’t keep things between the two of you - will spill your shit or talk about you behind your back. (I still like u guys tho no shade :P)

Cancer

Love: They’re always willing to lend an ear or offer advice to a friend in need

Hate: Their holier-than-thou attitudes, emotional manipulation, their constant fucking drama, and general overall neediness. I’m an Aquarius, that shit doesn’t vibe. (please note I’m a Cancer rising I’m allOWED)

Leo

Love: Literal sunshine; gorgeous, the best friends you could ever have because they want to build you up to their standards

Hate: Sometimes they project themselves onto you too much, and not always as wise as they pretend to be

Virgo

Love: Your organization, your penchant for cleanliness, how you know exactly how everything should be.

Hate: Sometimes the perfectionist tendencies get too much into your head and you get more naggy than helpful. Not the warmest of people either (I’m a Virgo moon - I feel u guys. Literally. Lmao)

Libra

Love: You're fun and upbeat and incredibly wild. Nothing is ever boring with you guys, and you act like life is a party.

Hate: Okay, no shade but... every Libra I’ve met has been mildly insane. Lying, manipulative, spoiled brats. (I only know three of you guys so that may just be them!)

Scorpio

Love: You guys are the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Slytherin. Sly, cunning, ambitious, and always ready for anything coming your way. Like honestly, that’s amazing. Makes sense though, with Pluto as your ruling body - he is heavily associated with snakes.

Hate:  And since you are snakes... I gotta say, your egos are on a level even more intense than our dear Leos. Like, calm down. And you think I thought Cancers were bad? Don’t even get me started on the emotional manipulation and neediness of Scorpios. Damn guys, let me breathe. (You have better positive qualities though - I like u guys ur chill)

Sagittarius

Love: Loyal, loyal, loyal to a fault. They will always be there for you when you need it, and their adventurous spirit means you’re never bored.

Hate: They are also very good emotional manipulators when they feel they have to be

Capricorn

Love: Your passion for knowledge and pursuit of perfection - everything they do is done right

Hate: How hard you guys are on yourselves - you’re amazing as you are, I promise!

Aquarius

Love: I love our uniqueness and our original take on the world. We always seem to have a different viewpoint on issues, too.

Hate: We’re cold, aloof, and some of us try too hard to be weird or quirky. It ain’t cute, guys. Come on... :(

Pisces

Love: The ‘mom friend’, kind and sweet, genuinely loves you and will tell you so

Hate: Can be a over-dramatic at times but not so much as Cancer so it’s only mildly irritating

Originally posted on @callu-na on October 4, 2019

[letmetellyouaboutmyfeels]

Hi. So. Y’know, I hate doing these things? I hate them. The loathing I feel right now is visceral. I hate asking for help just in general. I really hate sharing my life, just in general. So when I have to share my life and ask for help publicly... honestly I’d prefer to immolate myself but I’ve been informed that’s not allowed so. here we are.

This morning I got some really upsetting news about work that will effectively slash my income into a third of what it was. That’s not enough to pay for rent, never mind groceries or utilities. This is temporary and things should get better for me, if all goes well, in about six months. But in the meantime... yeah.

I’ve spent the day slashing my expenses, from what groceries I buy to canceling subscriptions to my summer plans. I never thought I would be in this position again, where I was facing the possibility of being unable to feed myself or pay rent. My car needs to be taken in. I have people depending on me for financial support. I feel humiliated, blindsided, and frankly my mental health just took a horrible nosedive. Welcome to capitalism!

All this to say - I have a ko-fi, here. It would mean the world to me if I could get a little help. I can’t offer much in response, but I do have the epilogue to the Castle AU, and two hiatus fics I was hoping to write. I can share info about them, and really give those my attention. I originally didn’t know when I’d have time to write them since I was going to be very busy but in light of this I can make them a priority in exchange for some assistance.

Very few people know this but the last month/month and a half has been very upsetting and exhausting for me, both physically and emotionally. I’ve been in a place of severe burnout, and my one comfort was that I didn’t have to worry about money. Now that’s gone.

Those of you who’ve followed me for a long time will know that I’ve been in bad places before and I always made it through. I’ll make it through this. But I would deeply appreciate any help you can offer in the meantime, whether that’s a tiny donation or by reblogging this post. When I lost work because of the pandemic and unemployment took over six months to get back to me and send me money, it was generous, loving donations through my ko-fi that kept me fed and kept the lights on. I’d recently thought, with gratitude, I would never be in such a situation of having to ask for help again. But life likes to fuck me up the ass, so here I am.

I appreciate everyone’s support, in whatever way you can give it. I hope you’re all taking care of yourselves. I’m sorry to take up everyone’s time, and thank you for reading.

[blackgirlsuperherorants]

Stuckys, we need to talk. Like, seriously.

I understand you're upset that Stucky is not canon in the MCU, but you have got to stop yourselves from using that fact to shit all over Black characters just because of their newfound proximity to Bucky Barnes. Seriously. No, seriously. I'm going to call a bunch of you out, now, but I hope you listen and take heed.

1) This isn't about queer representation for you. It's about Chris and Sebastian being hot white men and you wanting to see them make out on screen. And that's literally fine, who doesn't want to see that? But you need to start admitting that's what it is. Because if it wasn't about that, and it was really about queer representation, so many of you wouldn't be calling Sam Wilson "sloppy seconds", and y'all wouldn't treat both Sam and Anthony like an afterthought. Even with a lot of y'all becoming Sambucky shippers, you're doing it under the guise of Sam being some sort of consolation prize because Bucky can't have Steve. Sam has no agency, and also is treated like he isn't as good. Literally, I saw a TikTok with some girl pretending to be Bucky and Sam, and having Bucky literally tell Sam he's sloppy seconds because he can't have Steve. Literally yikes, guys.

Also, it's always girl fans who do this. I'm not saying there aren't any, but I never see gay men who are MCU fans shipping in this toxic way. And I definitely have seen gay men ship Stucky, but I swear to God there seems to be a clear difference in the way they ship vs the white girls who clearly just want to watch Chris and Sebastian make out. Literally every toxic Stucky I've ever seen who does stuff like this is a white girl. I'm not going to say no gay men are toxic fans, because there probably are some, but the amount of fans I see shitting on Sam who are white girls far outweighs any toxic Stucky gay man. Like I always say on here, Stucky is an obvious ship and I understand why people ship it, but it never had to be canon and treating it like it's the end all be all, and especially shitting on other ships like Sambucky, is really weird and, again, makes it obvious that it's not really about queer representation for you.

2) Bucky is allowed to flirt with Sarah Wilson. The same girl I saw saying Sam was "sloppy seconds" also said Bucky was only flirting with Sarah because she's an "extension of Sam", and because Kevin Feige won't let Sambucky happen so Sarah is the stand in. How insulting and sexist to insinuate that a woman is simply an extension of her male family member. No matter how you meant it, that's a really sexist notion. I've seen people make funnier jokes, like Bucky can't decide which Wilson sibling he likes, or he's going to become a Wilson one way or another. Neither of those jokes takes autonomy and humanity away from Sarah. ALSO, Sarah is a dark skinned Black woman being portrayed as desirable to the white boy fave on a major TV show that is part of the biggest film franchise in the world. I'm not sure if y'all know how much colorism effects Black women, especially dark skinned Black women. Hollywood almost never casts dark skinned Black women as desirable love interests. Especially one that isn't super modelesque with basically European features and bone straight hair. This is a positive thing for representation of dark skinned Black women, and I KNOW you've seen how happy Black girls were just seeing that 2 second interaction. How dare you reduce it to being there because Marvel stole your Stucky, and especially not because she's simply "an extension of Sam." At this point, there's no clear indication that Sarah and Bucky will literally happen, but goddamn, you can't let Black girls be a love interest for just one second? Even if you like "queer Bucky", bisexual men exist, damn. Sticking Bucky with Sharon for no reason, like they did with Steve, would have been weird and bad and you would have been more valid for questioning Marvel's motives for doing it, but letting Bucky be himself and flirt with a cute girl on a boat for 2 seconds isn't a bad thing. And if Sarah does actually become his girlfriend, it's an absolute win, and you need to let Black girls have this.

Like, I get Stucky, and I also understand wishing Marvel would just finally let any main character be actually queer. I seriously understand. But can you complain about that without shitting on the Black characters and the fans who are happy about them, right now?

I never was a fan of Stucky, because I don't think you have to have romantic feelings for someone to care about them that deeply, so I don't understand the Stucky shipper assertion that Marvel somehow stole something owed to them... but I also do understand why you ship it, and it's honestly not a bad ship. You guys just take it too far and make things uncomfortable for everyone else. And, as I've been saying for years, sometimes you make it lowkey racist. People have been shipping Stevesam since CA:TWS and you guys have downplayed it the entire time, and even used Sam as Steve's stand-in for Bucky in your fics and all of that. I remember reading fics tagged Stevesam where Steve would be having sex with Sam and then reminiscing about how it was with Bucky and wishing he were still with him, and y'all literally never saw how gross that was. Using Sam like a consolation prize. Now Steve is gone and you're still treating him like that.

And Sam and Bucky have never once treated each other like a stand-in for Steve. They treat each other like individuals with autonomy, and they even care for each other on the level that the other person needs it. It's actually really fucking good, the canon version of their relationship that's unfolded with the show. If y'all could let go of Steve for a second, literally, you would see how great Sambucky's dynamic is and that neither of them would ever see the other as "sloppy seconds" or some kind of consolation prize. It's gross.

Also, I hope Sarah gets that super soldier dick just to piss y'all off.

I'm done.

[jungshookz]

smitten: y/n's note is in jungkook's bag and she needs to get it back like, right now

➺ pairing; jeon jungkook x reader

➺ genre; smitten!miniseries!! bff!kook & smitten!y/n!! university!au!! honk honk humour!! the boo hoo angsty wattpad-energy fic of your dreams!! unrequited love!! it hurts so bad but that's what makes it so good!!

➺ wordcount; 7.1k

➺ summary; y/n realizes her meticulously written i love you note is burning a hole at the bottom of jungkook's bag and the mere thought of him finding it is enough to make her feel sick to her stomach.

➺ what to expect; "well, maybe the reason why you're just friends is because the two of you won't allow yourselves to be more than that."

➺ smitten: part one [the almost confession]

»»————- 🖤 ————-««

[previously, on smitten...]

what?

where the hell is it?

you reach into the side pockets and you're disappointed when you end up pulling out old tissues and empty gum wrappers

it's not in the front pocket either — just your keys, a pack of bubblegum, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer

your brows knit together in deep thought as you settle back against your seat, your eyes flickering to the side as you-

you immediately pale

oh my god.

you're positive that your heart stops beating for three whole seconds the moment you realize where exactly the note is — because no, you idiot, you didn't shove it into your own bag earlier-

the note is in jungkook's bag.

»»————- 🖤 ————-««

the next thirty or so minutes of class seem to drag on at a snail's pace and you find yourself checking the time on your phone every five seconds to see when you can finally dart out those doors

your first instinct was to immediately get up and leave because of course you wanted to immediately get up and leave, but with only twenty-ish people in the class and the fact that you're seated near the front... well, it would be a little awkward to just pack up your things and trek up towards the doors without a legitimate excuse (you were tempted to tell your professor that your stomach wasn't feeling very good but the thought of your peers associating you with explosive diarrhea quickly changed your mind)

so, you decided to be a good student and wait it out — but, being perfectly honest, you haven't really been paying much attention to the professor since the thought of you shoving your hi bestie, i'm head-over-heels in love with you note into jungkook's bag instead of yours contaminated your mind five minutes ago

...

you let out a little huff before shaking your head to yourself

how could you be so careless?!

you don't even know how it happened

your bag was sitting on your right thigh, jungkook's bag was sitting on your left thigh... so how the hell did you manage to shove it into his bag??

on the bright side, at least you know where it is, right?

it's in the right side pocket of the bag, so all you have to do is unzip it and stick your hand in and out really quickly without jungkook noticing you rummaging around in his belongings

...but what if he's already read the note?

your foot taps impatiently against the carpeted ground and you reach up and start tugging at your earlobe anxiously, your eyes flickering up towards the dusty analog clock hanging on the wall

c'mon... c'mon...

your grip tightens around your pencil as you continue to trace circles aimlessly on the page, the paper crinkling slightly from the amount of pressure you're putting on it

the stress that's currently eating away at you is probably going to take ten years off your life

"-so, that's pretty much it from me for the day!"

you don't think you've ever been so happy for a class to end as soon as the screen goes black at the front and you waste absolutely no time in packing up

you probably look insane trying to shove your laptop and your notebook into your bag at the same time but you couldn't care less at this point because you need to get the hell out of here

"-please remember to contribute to the discussion threads online... at least four responses, please, and none of those bullshit 'yes, i agree!' responses. i'm definitely not going to count those as participation marks-"

you close your bag with a sharp ziiiip! and you hurry to fold the squeaky desk back into place, a couple of people turning to glance at you for the sudden abundance of clattering and knocking coming from your direction

"excuse me, pardon me-" you pull your backpack on as you step over multiple sets of legs, trying your best not to trample on any feet or knock anyone's tooth out with your bag, "sorry! excuse me-"

you can feel the adrenaline pumping through your veins as you jog up the steps two at a time, your brain immediately mapping out the route to the library jungkook said he'd be at

best case scenario: he hasn't found the note and your friendship with him is still very much in tact

worst case scenario: he found the note and is currently reading it at this point in time and your friendship with him is starting to crumble but you still have a chance to swoop in and pick up the pieces

the absolutely worst case ever in the entire world scenario: he's found the note, he's read the note, he's processed the note, and your friendship with him has been completely annihilated and now he's planning to change his name and leave the country so that he doesn't have to confront you about it

you use your shoulder to shove the doors open before bursting out into the open air, ignoring the concerned glances you're starting to receive from your obviously frazzled state

"oh god, oh god, oh god-!" your backpack flops wildly against your back as you rush down the narrow brick steps leading towards the main boulevard

realistically, jungkook's probably found and read the note, so all you have to do is come up with a short monologue about how all of it was fake and that the note was just a sick, twisted prank of some kind

i know that the note makes it seem like i'm telling you that i'm in love with you, but that's not the truth at all!

"woah, watch it-!"

you accidentally knock into someone's shoulder while sprinting down the lane and you turn around for a second just to hold a hand out while flashing the stranger a sheepish smile

"sorry! so sorry-" you turn back around, reaching up to keep your glasses secured on the top of your head as you continue to sprint, your sneakers slapping down against the pavement

as you read in the note, i made a point about how since we're friends, we should be honest with each other... and honestly, there are nothing but lies in the note! and there's a lesson in that, you know? words can be full of lies but we, as human beings, should be full of truths-

"nope, hate that-" you shake your head and immediately scrunch up that mental piece of paper before tossing it into your brain's garbage bin

you'd sound like an obnoxious philosophy student if you hit him with that explanation

it was a prank! i want to start a prank war with you and this is how i'm kicking things off!

that... that could work, right?

that's not bad!

just tell him that you wanted to start a prank war with him so you decided to go big or go home with an i love you, best friend note to see how he would react!

"so stupid-" you mutter to yourself, slowing down to a jog as you approach the doors to the library, "so, so stupid-"

the Super Epic Prank War ROFL XD™ explanation isn't the greatest excuse but it's the best you can do on such short notice

thankfully, it doesn't take you very long to track down jungkook considering the fact he always sits in the same area every time the two of you come here

your feet come to a screeching halt the moment you spot him and you quickly step to the side to hide behind the wall

you slowly lean over a little to peek at him

he has his headphones on and he's busy typing away at his laptop and you can tell he's concentrating really hard because he has that cute frown on his face and occasionally he'll mutter something to himself

jungkook in intense focus mode is something you find to be very endearing :-)

...

you quickly shake your head to snap yourself out of your daze before focusing on jungkook's face again

he certainly doesn't look like he just read an explosive love letter...

hm

you could still be safe!

...for now, that is.

"okay, y/n-" you stand up straight and let out a breath, giving yourself a mental pat on the head in an effort to calm your nerves, "better sooner than later, right? just- you just have to rip it off like a bandaid-"

your anxiety seems to build with every step that brings you closer to jungkook and you can almost hear the jaws theme song playing all around you

da-dum

jungkook, i swear i have a perfectly logical explanation for this...

da-dum

i know the note does a very convincing job of making it seem like i'm in love with you, but that couldn't be farther from the truth!

da-dum, da-dum

consider this your initiation into our very serious prank war, my friend!

dadumdadumdumdumbdumbdumbthisissuchadumbdumbidea-

"hi!" you greet a little too enthusiastically, trying your best not to make it seem like you just sprinted across campus to get to him even though you very clearly did

"sorry, seat's reserv- y/n?" jungkook looks up from his laptop before frowning, quickly glancing back down at his screen to check the time as he pulls his headphones off to hang around his neck, "aren't you- didn't your class end, like, literally a minute ago? why are you so- did you run here??" he asks incredulously, getting up from his seat as his brows knit together in concern

"no, no! of course i didn't run here, silly- oh, god, give me a sec-" you wheeze, bending down and gripping onto the back of the wooden chair in front of you as you try to catch your breath, your chest still falling and rising at a concerning pace from the physical stress of sprinting and the mental stress of the current situation, "it was more of a- of a brisk walk, if you think about it- jesus, i think i'm gonna throw up-"

"okay, you need to drink some water- come and sit next to me-" jungkook reaches out to help lead you around the table towards him, "god, i don't know why you thought you had to run over, it's not like i was planning on going anywhere-"

"i'm fine, kook, it's fine-"

"you're, like, literally radiating heat," jungkook turns you around and pulls your bag off your back before pulling out a chair and helping you into it, "and your face is all red!" he frowns, setting your bag down on the table and unzipping it to pull out your water bottle

"my face is always this red!" you force out a casual laugh, waving your hand to dismiss him as you lean back against the seat, "i'm fine, it's fine-"

"shut up and take a sip-" jungkook untwists the cap of your water bottle before shoving it into your hands and gently lifting it up towards your mouth, his head tilting up a little so he can check and see if you're actually drinking anything, "c'mon, hydrate yourself-"

you swallow a couple gulps of water before pulling the bottle away and reaching up to wipe your mouth with the back of your hand, "god, i love water-"

"yeah, i bet." jungkook chuckles, visibly more relieved now that he knows you won't be passing out from exhaustion anytime soon

as you put your water bottle away, your eyes lower towards jungkook's backpack slouching against the leg of his chair and almost immediately the anxiety that you thought you'd just swallowed down bubbles right back up

"so, are you going to tell me why you're acting like the cops are after you?" jungkook jokes, taking his seat before pulling his headphones off and setting them down next to his laptop

"i just, um-" you press your lips together as you slowly start to lean down, stretching your arm out towards the pocket, "i just wanted to see you, buddy!"

"i don't believe that for a second." jungkook snorts, turning to look at you

you shoot straight back up and pull your arm up and behind your head as if you're in the middle of a good stretch, "hey, what's with that tone? it's not a crime for me to want to see you-"

"you saw me at lunch! and that was only like an hour and a half ago-" jungkook turns his head to look back at his screen and you quickly revert back to your mission impossible secret agent mode

the forced smile drops from your face and you lean back down, your fingers blindly feeling for the cool metal of the zipper

"you know, you actually came at just the right time-" jungkook speaks up again and you pause just in case you need to pull away from his bag, but he makes no move to turn and look at you, "ji-eun was about to leave for her class but now you can meet her before she goes off!"

"uh-huh..." your tongue pokes out in concentration as you unzip the pocket in one swift movement, immediately sticking your hand in and feeling around for the balled-up piece of paper, "sounds gre-"

hold on, what did he just say?

you shoot back up

"did you just-" you choke and reach up to pat your chest gently, "i'm sorry, did you just say that ji-eun was here?"

"uh-huh!" jungkook nods, "i didn't know she had a spare at the same time as i did so i was surprised when she came over to say hi- it turns out our schedules are, like, sort of similar which oddly makes me kind of happy-"

it's at that moment that you notice the cherry-patterned tote bag slumped in the chair sitting across from you and you let out a nervous chuckle as you shift in your seat, "great! great, that's so- great, it's great that i'm meeting ji-eun today, out of all days..." you trail off, glancing around warily as you try to come up with some kind of an exit strategy

you're just really not in the mood to meet the love of jungkook's life today

you've already been hit with so many blows and it's only two in the afternoon-

"sorry that took so long! i couldn't find a bin but i bumped into my friends and they said they'd throw it out for me-"

oh, you have got to be kidding me.

your eyes widen in mild panic upon immediately recognizing ji-eun to be the girl who had overheard your entire monologue in the bathroom earlier today — and from the way her eyes flicker, it seems as though she remembers exactly who you are as well

"oh, no worries!" jungkook beams at ji-eun before pointing to you with his thumb, "this is my friend, by the way. the one i was talking about earlier! y/n, this is ji-eun."

you stay quiet as you continue staring up at ji-eun, your mind racing a mile a minute as you consider your current options

you can pretend like you've never met her before or you can make things awkward by telling jungkook that you met her today after she'd emptied her bladder

"...y/n?" jungkook lowers his voice, nudging you with his elbow before letting out a nervous chuckle, "please say something."

"i- yes, hello!" you blurt out, the feet of your chair scraping against the rough carpet as you get up from your seat to stick your hand out towards ji-eun, "it's- ah- it's- it's so nice to meet you! i'm y/n."

ji-eun stays quiet for a second before her lips turn up in a polite smile and she reaches towards you, gently taking your outstretched hand in hers (for the record, her hands are shockingly soft and supple), "it's lovely to meet you... as well, y/n. i love your glasses!"

you can't help but notice the immediate warmth that seems to surround ji-eun and suddenly it makes a lot more sense as to why jungkook's attracted to her

you're about as comforting as stepping into a puddle of water while wearing socks

you feel a slight sense of relief seeing that ji-eun is playing along but your new concern is whether or not she's connected the dots that your monologue in the bathroom was dedicated to jungkook

you didn't actually say his name when you were talking out loud, so you might be able to get away with this...

"oh, these old things?" you reach up to feel the glasses sitting on top of your head before flicking your hand at her, "i bought them on amazon. they're blue-light glasses- i can totally send you the link if you want."

"that would actually be great!" she gasps, nodding enthusiastically, "i desperately need a pair of blue-light glasses- seriously, i stared at my laptop screen for, like, ten hours straight today and i really feel like they're about to roll out of my head-"

"oh my god, don't even get me started. at this point it'd probably feel better to rip them right out of their sockets-"

"ji-eun, you ready?"

"let's gooo, i wanna get an iced coffee before we head off to class."

you and ji-eun don't get a chance to continue bonding over the pain of sore eyes when you're suddenly interrupted by two new voices

you look up to see two guys approaching the table and you subtly push your seat back a bit as you prepare yourself to say hello again

"oh! yeah, i'm ready, sorry-" ji-eun gestures towards you with a smile, "this is- this is jungkook's friend, by the way. y/n, these are my friends."

"hi, hello-" you get up from your seat again to stick your hand out, offering the two (very handsome, might you add) strangers a friendly smile, "i'm y/n, jungkook's friend- but you- you already knew that because that's what ji-eun just said-"

"i'm taehyung! you can call me tae-" the corners of taehyung's mouth immediately raise in a bright grin and he gives your hand a firm shake before nodding next to him, "and this is jimin!"

"hi..." you trail off, turning to give jimin a handshake as well, "so nice to meet you!"

"oh, i just- i actually just washed my hands, so-" jimin chuckles, looking down at your hand before taking a small step back, "but it's nice to meet you... jungkook's friend."

ooh

is it just you or did it suddenly get a little icy in here?

"oh, no problem! um, yeah, you too." you pull your hand back before swallowing nervously and forcing the polite smile back on your face, "i like your jacket, by the way! it looks really cool."

maybe it's because he's wearing giant sunglasses indoors but you can't help but feel slightly intimidated by jimin

you can't see his eyes but you can certainly feel them on you and you're definitely getting the vibe that jimin is already not the biggest fan of you for some weird reason

"thank you." he responds curtly, smoothing a hand over the leather before looking down at ji-eun, "so can we go now?"

"mhm!" ji-eun gets up from her chair before pushing it back into place, pulling her tote back up onto her shoulder before flashing a sweet smile at jungkook, "see you later, alligator."

"in a while, crocodile!" jungkook responds enthusiastically, watching with twinkly eyes as she turns and heads off towards the exit with jimin and taehyung glued at either side of her

god

she even walks prettily

and you were literally clomping down the boulevard like a feral caveman a second ago

you wait until they've disappeared to turn and face jungkook with a raised eyebrow, "...jimin was kind of a bitch."

"hey, play nice!" jungkook frowns, reaching over to give your arm a gentle whack, "he's a fashion major! ji-eun says being snooty is part of the degree requirements-" he grins, shaking his head slightly before leaning back against his chair, "she's, like, super funny."

"mm." you hum, still feeling a little uneasy about your interaction with jimin

you just hate it when first meetings don't go well and that first meeting definitely wasn't super great

but it wasn't like you did anything wrong, right?

you were great!

snooty jimin was the one who was being rude

whatever

hopefully you won't have to hang out with him too often if jungkook and ji-eun become an item

maybe you can just stick with taehyung!

he seems to be a lot friendlier

"oh, by the way, i-" you're suddenly reminded of your main mission and you turn to point down at jungkook's bag, "it's not a big deal, but i- i accidentally shoved something in your bag earlier and- could i just get it back from you?"

"you did?" jungkook frowns, leaning down to pick his bag up before unzipping it all the way and pulling both flaps open, "what was it?"

"it was- uh- just some notes on a scrap piece of paper!" you immediately feel the weight lift from your shoulders at jungkook's cluelessness to the situation, "i put it in the right side pocket-"

"wait, are you talking about, like, a balled up thing of paper?" jungkook pauses before looking up at you with wide eyes, "oh, shit- was it important??"

"um, i wouldn't call it important-" you snort, shaking your head, "is it not there? i swore it was in the right side pocket-"

"no, no, it was there! it was there, i just- ji-eun needed to spit her gum out and i thought it was one of my scrap pieces of paper-" jungkook winces, grabbing his phone and unlocking it with fumbling fingers, "i'm so sorry, y/n- let me text ji-eun and ask her which garbage can she threw it into and i can go dig it out-"

"no, no, it's okay!" you nearly let out a screech of delight knowing that your note now has a slobbery wad of gum in it and is living at the bottom of a trash can, "it's fine, i just- they were just boring notes for something. i just wanted to see if i had really shoved it into your bag or not."

"oh, okay-" jungkook's shoulders immediately slump and he sets his phone down on the table, "you're sure it wasn't important?"

"100%." you hold both hands out with a chuckle, "i needed to throw it out anyway so i guess ji-eun actually did me a favour-"

"okay, phew." jungkook sighs, zipping his bag back up and plopping it back down on the ground next to his feet, "anyways- i'm actually glad you're here because now you can help me plan out my date! i was working on it but then ji-eun came and obviously i couldn't have that google doc open in front of her-" he turns his laptop to show you all of his hard work with a grin, "check it out! i have a list of things i need to buy, i have outfit ideas, i even went on pinterest for inspiration-"

"wow, kook-" your eyes bulge out for a second at the sight of the extensive and shockingly organized google doc before you reach over to pull his laptop closer towards you, "i... i really don't think i've ever seen you... even make a google doc before-"

he even has the sunset time written down for the date

why would he need to know what time the sun is setting??

"i have everything planned for next week." jungkook pulls his laptop back to him as you settle back against your seat, "i already emailed my landlord to ask if i would even be allowed to hang out on the rooftop and he said it would be fine! he also reminded me to keep a brick wedged between the door so that i don't lock us up on the rooftop-"

"so you're definitely going with the rooftop picnic, then?"

"oh, i'm actually changing it to a rooftop dinner instead of a picnic." jungkook shakes his head before giving you a half-hearted shrug, "i think a picnic is cute but i really wanna try to impress her, y'know? i ordered this thing on amazon just now- basically, it's a medium-sized inflatable bubble tent! the description says it's perfect for two people and- i'm gonna, like-" he pauses and looks away from his screen towards you with a smile, "well, you know, i'm gonna do what you said and i'm gonna stuff it full of blankets and pillows and... hopefully i can string up fairy lights and stuff on the inside... so that after the date we can go in there and just talk and not have to worry about getting attacked by mosquitos!"

"wow, that's-" you cross your arms over your chest before leaning back and looking up towards the ceiling, "huh. that's actually a cute idea, kook. i wouldn't have been able to come up with something like that. i didn't even know transparent tents existed."

"i know." jungkook gives you a smug little smile before bursting into a grin, "but yeah, that's it! all we have to do is go and pick up all the supplies and stuff."

"we?" you frown, looking back down at jungkook, "i... wasn't aware i was part of this plan..."

"what? of course you are!" jungkook snorts, looking at you as if a third eye just sprouted from your forehead, "obviously you have to help me-"

"well, i just don't know if that's-" you chuckle uneasily as you rub the back of your neck, "i really- i don't wanna get in your way, you know? maybe you should- maybe you should just take care of all of this yourself! i mean, you basically planned everything already-"

"what? but- but you're my-" jungkook deflates and you instantly feel bad upon seeing his eyes suddenly turn sad, "okay..."

you press your lips together and wait for him to say something else but the next few seconds are filled with nothing but awkward silence and the faint buzzing of the fluorescent lights hanging above you

you'd jump off a cliff if jungkook asked you to but helping him prepare and set up his date is something that you,.., definitely would not enjoy.,.,

but then again, this isn't about you, is it?

this is about jungkook, your friend, and he needs your help to set up this very important date that-

oh, damnit.

"i'm-" you clear your throat as you sit up in your seat, reaching over to give jungkook's hand a pat, "no, of course i'll help, kook. i just thought that- well, this date seems so important to you that i thought you wanted to take care of all the details yourself!"

the bright smile immediately returns to jungkook's face and you resist the urge to call him out on so blatantly guilt-tripping you like that-

"yes! you're the best!"

"i know."

»»————- 🖤 ————-««

although you and jungkook are practically inseparable on campus (and some would say it might be healthy for the two of you to give each other a little bit of space) — you don't think you'll ever say no to hanging out with him downtown

of course, hanging out with jungkook downtown would be a lot more fun if it weren't for the fact that the two of you have basically spent the entire day shopping for all the things he needs for his date

and if it weren't for the fact that he paid for lunch and treated you to a cake pop and a venti-sized iced coffee, you would probably be livid about having to carry everything for him because you really feel like your arms are about to pop right off in about two seconds

fancy cutlery, porcelain plates, fluffy throw pillows, a giant blanket, fairy lights... at this point he might as well buy an entire house for ji-eun

and look, you know you probably sound bitter and that-should-be-me about this whole situation, but that couldn't be farther from the truth!

it's just that listening to someone you like gushing about the person that they like for an entire day while you're carrying bags full of things for their date can get a little mentally and physically exhausting so if you're grouchy right now it's really not your fault

"i think we might have to call an uber back to your place, jungkook-" you mutter, adjusting the hefty tote bag over your shoulder with a grunt as you trail behind him on the sidewalk, "bringing all of this on the bus is going to piss people off-"

you stumble over your feet a little when the bag in your right hand knocks into a garbage can and you curse to yourself while resisting the urge to kick the damn thing over

"okay, grumpy, we'll call an uber home-" jungkook spins around with a smile before raising the notepad in his hand and tapping against it with his pen, "i just have one more thing i have to take care of and then we can go!"

"okay, well-" you set the bags down onto the ground with a fwump! before rubbing your sore palms together, "what else do you have to get?"

jungkook offered to help carry a couple of things but you insisted that you'd take it all and that he should just focus on ticking off all of the items on his list

you wince at the sight of the pinkish-red imprints now embedded into your palms from the straps of the bags

obviously you've now come to regret your generous offer

"flowers!" jungkook chirps, using his pen to point to the flower shop a couple of shops down, "i have to greet ji-eun with a bouquet of flowers as pretty as she is-"

"yeah, i understand-" you adjust the two bags on both shoulders before bending down to pick up the other two on the ground, "also, i'm not a genius or anything but i'm pretty sure the flowers aren't going to survive until the date if you buy them now-"

"duh, obviously not- i'm going to place an order now and then pick them up on the day of the date!" jungkook tsks, waiting for you to join his side before he begins walking towards the flower shop, "thanks for doing all of this for me, by the way. you really are the best." he hums, hurrying over to open the door for you

"i... yeah, of course, kook." you feel yourself soften slightly as soon as you see the sweet little smile on his face and you quickly scold yourself in your head for being so curt with him all day, "that's what friends are for, right?"

"mhm!" jungkook slaps his hands down on your shoulders from behind before giving them a squeeze, "and i am so letting you choose whatever you want for dinner tonight-"

"hello!"

"oh, jesus-" you and jungkook are immediately greeted by an overenthusiastic employee as soon as you step into the shop and you honestly probably would've knocked him out with one of your shopping bags if they weren't so heavy-

"are you two looking for anything in particular?" he smiles kindly before gesturing towards the large selection of flowers all around you, "we have flowers of all kinds! roses, tulips, lilies- i can even show you flowers from our new tropical selection-"

"actually-" jungkook nudges you aside before glancing down at the employee's nametag, "seokjin, i'd like to place an order for a custom bouquet, if that's okay."

"ah, a custom bouquet!" seokjin claps his hands and rubs them together enticingly, "what are you celebrating? i need to know so that i can help pick out the perfect flowers for your bouquet."

"well, i don't know if it's a celebration-" jungkook chuckles, his cheeks pinking slightly as he reaches up to rub the back of his neck, "it's for a first date."

"a first date!!" seokjin gasps excitedly before turning his head to look at you, "you must be so-"

"-oh, not for me!" you let out a laugh before shaking your head quickly, "it's- it's definitely not for me. i'm just here to provide moral support and-" you lift one of the bags to show him, "muscular support."

"ah, i see... okay, well- why don't i take you around and introduce you to the different candidates you could consider for your bouquet?" seokjin turns back to look at jungkook, "each flower you choose will be very important in showing your future lover how much you care about them-" he pauses when he notices you hovering behind jungkook and he leans over a little with a bright smile, "why don't you go and wait by the front counter, darling? you can put everything down there and take a little break. there's some cucumber water and fresh puff pastry apple roses up at the front if you're interested!"

"well, i can't say no to free food." you snort, nodding before turning to head towards the front counter, "i'll just wait for you over there, then..."

you nearly let out a moan of relief as soon as you set all the bags down and you twist your upper body to the right and to the left until you feel the a satisfying pop! of your spine cracking back in place

your body was not made to carry heavy things

in fact, you'd like to argue that your body was made to lie down and do nothing

you take a seat on the wooden stool before turning to look at the apple roses sitting prettily in the display case and you almost feel like you shouldn't touch them even though seokjin offered them to you

even the pitcher of cucumber water looks too nice to touch

this place is awfully fancy

you didn't even know flower shops could be this fancy

you prop both elbows up on the counter before leaning back comfortably, your eyes lazily scanning around the store

"$15 for a single rose?" you gawk at the little wooden sign poking out from a large bouquet of neatly wrapped long-stem roses before making a face, "god."

you can't even imagine how much a custom bouquet is going to cost if a single rose is fifteen bucks

"-also write a note for you and attach it to the bouquet, if you're interested in that. it'll be an additional five dollars, but we handwrite it on the highest quality card stock with the most beautiful calligraphy and we even spray it with perfume-"

you perk up when you hear seokjin's voice and you look to see him and jungkook coming over to you

you have to admit that seokjin is great at his job because he's doing a good job at milking every dollar out of jungkook-

"yeah, that would be great!" jungkook nods enthusiastically, pulling his backpack off before unzipping it to grab his wallet, "i think a small note might be cute-"

"oh, that reminds me!" seokjin stops in his tracks right as he's about to lift the wooden slab to get behind the counter, "would you be interested in purchasing a teddy bear as well? if you add a teddy bear to your order, i'll give you a slight discount on the flowers."

"ooh, a discount!" jungkook gasps and you turn your head slightly so seokjin won't see you rolling your eyes at how much he's forcing jungkook to buy

you respect the hustle but this is too much

"where are the teddy bears?"

"right by the flowers!" seokjin smiles, wrapping an arm around jungkook's shoulders and spinning him around, "we can round back and take a look-"

"okay, i think i have to cut in here-" you chuckle, reaching out and grabbing the back of jungkook's elbow, "you don't- you don't think a bouquet of flowers and a teddy bear is a little too much for a first date?" you clear your throat quietly before offering a shrug, "i feel like that's just... a lot, kook. i mean, i would be overwhelmed if-"

"well, i guess it's a good thing i'm not taking you out on a date then, right?" jungkook teases, wiggling his arm out of your grip before turning back to look at seokjin, "onward to the bears, my good man!"

ouch

"yeah." you can't help but frown as jungkook and seokjin head back towards the flowers, "thanks for the reminder."

"that's gotta hurt."

"god-" you jump at the sudden appearance of an employee standing behind the counter and you place a hand over your chest before letting out a breath, "you scared me!"

"sorry." he shrugs, "we polished the floors this morning so my shoes are making, like, no noise."

"oh."

a moment of silence passes while you turn to face away from him again, but all of a sudden-

"so he really can't tell that you like him, huh?"

"you-" you immediately straighten up and your head spins around so fast that you're surprised you didn't complete decapitate yourself, "excuse me??"

"what? it's obvious." the employee snorts, spraying cleaner onto the counter before reaching up to yank the tattered rag off his shoulder, "it's painfully obvious, actually-"

you can feel your entire face starting to go red as this complete stranger continues to rip you a new one and you hold a hand out to shut him up, "no offense, but i-i don't think this is any of your business, sir-"

"it's yoongi." yoongi looks down at his apron for a second before frowning, "huh. i forgot to put my dumb name tag on again-"

"well, yoongi-" you place emphasis on his name in an effort to intimidate him and make him go away, "you don't know what you're talking about and i suggest you mind your own business-"

"you should tell him before it's too late." yoongi doesn't seem to be all that affected by your biting tone and you roll your eyes at the way he rounds back to the topic

"what are you even talking about?"

"well, i assume you're going to be his best man at his wedding. from the way it's looking, you're certainly not going to be the bride," yoongi purses his lips as he folds up the rag into a neat little square, "you don't wanna wait until you're fixing his tie at the wedding to tell him that you love him."

"what makes you think i lo-" you cut yourself off quickly before that word slips out of your mouth, "like him?"

"if you didn't, you wouldn't be here right now." yoongi points out with a tilt of his head, "and from how smudgy your eyeliner is, it looks like you've been working hard all day."

your jaw drops slightly and you can't help but scoff

the nerve of this guy!

"who do you think you are?!"

"i'm yoongi." yoongi raises a brow, "i told you that like a second ago- wow, you are not a good listener-"

"do you usually do this with all of the customers who come here?" you interrupt, crossing your arms defensively before leaning in slightly, "you're awfully nosy-"

"i only do this with the ones that seem to have something juicy going on." yoongi hums, leaning down to put the spray bottle of cleaner under the counter, "this is a flower shop. the most exciting part of my day is watching a bumblebee choose which flower to land on."

"well, nothing juicy is going on here so-" you twist back around before sticking your nose up in the air slightly, "sorry to disappoint."

"alright, fair enough." yoongi nods to himself, letting out a sigh as he slowly backs away from the counter, "i guess i'll just leave you to... wallow in self-pity... and continue staring at your friend with cartoon hearts floating around your head-"

"'you should tell him before it's too late-'" you swivel around and slap both your palms down on the counter, "why would you- why would even say something like that?! i can't tell him. are you insane?!"

a smirk twitches at the corner of yoongi's mouth at your sudden confession and he lets out a sigh before stepping back up towards you, "and why can't you tell him?"

"because- i just can't! he's-" you clear your throat before leaning in and lowering your voice, "he's literally taking someone else out on a date- we're here to buy flowers for his date-"

"so what?" yoongi interrupts, "it's just a date. it's not like you're stopping his wedding."

"so what? because he doesn't like me back, so what's the point?" you hiss, resisting the urge to reach over and smack some common sense into this very nosy and very stubborn stranger, "this isn't a romantic comedy- and even if it was, i'm very obviously not the main character-"

"you don't know that he doesn't like you back."

...

well now he's just toying with you

"i... i can't tell if you're kidding or not-"

"do i look like i'm kidding?" yoongi asks, pointing to his poker face before shaking his head, "you don't know that he doesn't like you back. you've obviously never asked him."

"oh, please." you scoff, turning around to lean back against the counter again, "trust me, i know it."

"well, did he ever explicitly say that he didn't like you?" yoongi leans over to peek at jungkook over your shoulder, "do you have a definitive answer to this particular question?"

"no, but he doesn't have to... we're just friends." you frown, your eyes wandering over to the back of jungkook's head, "he doesn't like me. i know he doesn't. we're just friends."

we're just friends.

(saying it out loud is a lot more depressing than you thought it'd be.)

"well, maybe the reason why you're just friends is because the two of you won't allow yourselves to be more than that," yoongi suggests, your head tilting to the side slightly as you force yourself to consider his surprisingly wise words, "it's obvious that you have a solid friendship so it would suck if a relationship ruined that- so maybe he does like you and is only asking someone else out to try to force himself not to like you..."

you feel your heart skip a beat when jungkook turns to glance at you over his shoulder with a soft smile while seokjin continues rattling off about the vast choice of teddy bears available for purchase

you bite back a giggle when he mouths a desperate 'help' at you before raising his hand and twirling his finger next to his head to tell you that seokjin is fully crazy

"...so i guess what i'm trying to say is that you're never really going to know how he feels about you if you don't ask him," you tune back in to the end of yoongi's little speech and you turn your head slightly to glance back at him, "but what do i know, right? i just polish counters at high-end flower shops."

🎙️tell jungkook he's being an idiot or tell y/n to get a backbone (send in an ask!)

✨why don’t you explore the rest of the library while you’re here? (full fics!)

💫or perhaps you want something shorter to read? (drabbles and mini series like smitten!)

🌟or something even shorter? (teeny tidbits!)

[aquanova99]

Playing with Fire (Demetri x Reader)

Part 1

Next >>

A/N: Wow another mini series in the works, who do I think I am. Thank you so much for the idea @artaxerxesthegreat! I hope it started out okay, if you have anything you want to see please let me know

A/N: Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this. I appreciate you!! As always requests are open!

┏━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┓

You heard knocking at your door. You checked your phone, two in the morning?? How had you stayed up so late? And who the hell was visiting you at this hour?

You headed to the door. Whoever was knocking was becoming impatient. Anywhere beyond the reservation and opening the door without question could end up badly. You were surprised to find Leah there.

“Y/n. We need your help.”

*SLAM*

Nope. Absolutely not. Sam wasn’t ready to have another girl in the pack. Leah had proved to be one too many. At least in his mind. Leah was still head over heels for Sam and made effort to try and stick up for you. No one else had met you, and honestly in the end it had been a good thing. You hadn’t needed to phase since the confrontation with the two. You’d learned control with out them, you owed them nothing.

“Y/n please. Theres a war coming. We need as many people to testify for the Cullens.”

“Not my problem. I’m not part of the pack. Either one.”

“You heard about Jacob?”

“You forget Paul’s imprint was one of my closest friends. Until Sam found out about that too. Apparently, everyones buddy buddy with the Cullens now.”

“The leeches helped us get rid of some of their own kind to protect the reservation. Well—they needed to protect Bella and we all worked together in the end. Whatever, anyways. There are trained vampires to destroy Jacobs imprint. He needs us to be there if a fight breaks out. The blonde one is convinced we just have to be there to testify shes only half leech.”

Half vampire? Your hand reached for the doorknob. No. This wasn’t your fight.

“Leah, shes useless to us anyway shes never been in a fight.” Who was that? Doesn’t matter, now you definitely weren’t helping.

“Jacob for once in your life, shut up. We need everyone we can get. She had more control than even you when she first phased. If she had the same training we had, she’d be helpful.”

“You two need to leave.” You said through the door. You remembered why you left in the first place. For the most part the pack had this belief that they could do no wrong. Typical misogynistic assholes. Leah still had hope Sam would come to his senses, even if she had finally left the damage had been done.

After hearing very hushed whispering you heard Jacob come to the door. “Look, I’m sorry. I really need to protect my imprint.”

“The child? The very underage child? I am not getting into that. This whole imprinting thing…it’s weird. They choose what you are to them right? Yet, none of you accept that they aren’t into you. Sam didn’t stop chasing Emily, and you wont stop chasing whatever her name is.”

“Her name is Renesme.” You could practically hear his teeth gritting together, “If she chooses someone else, then so be it.”

“Yeah, okay. I’ve heard about all the kids shifting. You don’t need me. I’m not dying for people who would never do the same. Tell little Robitussin sorry on my behalf.” You marched back up to your room. You didn’t allow yourself to relax until the two were out of sight. It didn’t take long for them to disturb you again. This time you couldn’t escape. It was both Sams and Jacobs pack this time.

“I’m sorry did I not make myself clear last night?”

“Y/n, I need to apologize. Even if you decide that you don’t help. I shouldn’t have been so quick to dismiss you. You can still be part of the pack. You always had that right.”

You rolled your eyes, “Gee, thanks. Why do you guys need me at all? You have plenty of people to make yourselves scary to any vampire.”

“We’d like to leave some more experienced people on the reservation in case things get bad. They shouldn’t, but still.”

“You don’t trust the younger ones.” Their silence answered your question, “I have no experience to give you.”

“Cut the crap, y/n. I was on patrol when you got that bloodsucker near Seattle.” Everyone froze, apparently this was new information. It was news to you. You’d been so focused on getting rid of that vampire you hadn’t heard anyones thoughts.

“What about it?”

“You phased quick enough to kill them and then phased out as soon as you were finished. We may need you.” Sam continued

“Is—is that even possible?” Someone youd never met asked, he noticed you staring, “I’m Embry by the way. I’m sorry for what happened.” He said that very clearly aimed at Sam and Leah, maybe not everyone had agreed with what happened to you. You shook yourself out of those thoughts, it doesn’t matter, you told yourself.

“Look, before you say anything, if we don’t scare these guys. They will kill all of us. Apparently, they have leeches that can stop you just by looking at you. There are other werewolves that killed people and they were all destroyed. If we don’t stand up to them everyone we care about will be killed.”

“Well, lucky for me all I have is me myself and I.” you crossed your arms

“You’ve been alone this whole time?!?” Embry asked again, he seemed furious

“For the last almost ten years. My parents were never around much, and the last time I saw them was three years ago. They stopped by for a night.”

“And you—”

“Embry. Relax.” Ooh alpha voice, must be nice to be able to have people have to listen to you. “Y/n you will fight with us.”

Was he seriously trying it with you? You laughed. “Seriously?”

“Worth a shot.”

“Whatever you say alpha.”

“You shouldn’t be able to say no to us.” Jacob said.

“You shouldn’t be able to talk at all, but here we are.” You turned to look at the rest of the tribe, they looked anxious. “you guys must be desperate if you are still here.”

“They are.” One of the bigger guys said, “You don’t have to help us, but wed really appreciate if you did. Like Sam there isn’t supposed to be a fight.”

“You’re expecting one though. Otherwise you wouldn’t be so worried about the res.”

“Paul’s right y/n. Please, its just in case. But if what Sam remembers you’d really be helping us out.” Leah said

You sighed, realistically they wouldn’t stop until you said yes, “I’m telling you now. If I feel like theres no hope I’m out. I’m not risking my life for you or any imprint. That includes little ringtone.”

Jacob tensed up. You waved at him and headed to your car. You needed to take a breather. “Let me know when and where.” You closed the door behind you and started your car up. You didn’t even need to go anywhere yet, you just wanted to get away.

The snow had begun sticking to the ground. The battle would be coming up soon. A few of the pack members had actually tried to be nice to you. Apparently they had been ona ‘do not ask questions, do not engage order.’ Not that it really mattered. You’d kept your distance as much as possible. Sam tried to tell you to do patrols once, he wasn’t happy when he found you watching movies at home. The message went through, he didn’t want to be undermined again anyway. You never met Jacob’s imprint, the less involved you were the better.

There was no avoiding it the morning of the confrontation. You couldn’t believe this many vampires and werewolves were ready to die for this child. Well, the pack had no choice but still. The mass of cloaked vampires entered your view. These people had eons of training, there was no way your side would win. Not without major casualties. The ginger vampire glanced your way and snarled at you. Watch it, you thought, before I take out someone on your side and let you lose. His lips formed a tight line and he turned back. Sam looked at you and asked if you were serious. Honestly, yeah probably, something rubbed you the wrong way about the red head. Sam actually agreed with you and you both refocused on the conversations.

Jacob, the kid and her parents went up to talk to whoever the guy in charge was. You looked at the ones closer to him. They would be the most dangerous you figured. The tall one would probably be the biggest problem if you ran into him, your eyes landed on the two kids next. They could maybe, maybe pass as teenagers. Your heart hurt at the thought of having to kill kids, even if they were immortal kids. You froze at the next person your eyes landed on.

There was no way. No freaking way. This shouldn’t even be possible. You imprinted. You just freaking imprinted. And on a vampire no less. You took a step back. He hadn’t even looked at you yet. Theres no way he’d want anything to do with a wolf. Let alone one that was supposed to fight you. You looked at Sam. You had to get out of there. He hung his head down.

“what is it?”

“We cant fight. We aren’t allowed to mess with imprints.”

“I’m not officially part of the pack, you stay if you want.” You could say that all you wanted, with the mind link he knew how desperately you wanted to avoid fighting anymore.

“Y/n, if we stay we cant promise we wont hurt him.” He sighed, “We have to back down.” You would never doubt sam again. You thought to yourself, you didn’t care how many patrols you had to run.

“I’ll hold you to that.” He joked before he tried to get Jacobs attention. You were already getting a hard time from the pack. They all realized how hard it was to try and avoid feelings for your imprint. You would never stop being grateful to them. I bet they wished they hadn’t made me come out now. A chorus of disagreement came from them You felt tears prick your eyes.

The pack started heading out. Jacob and Sam argued for a minute before he realized it was pointless. The pack had given the Cullens an equalizer. You felt bad but you already felt the urge to protect your imprint. What the hell was happening to you? As the pack started backing away your eyes finally locked with him. You should have just kept walking. You didn’t wait to see his reaction, you turned and ran.

Taglist: @adaydreamaway08 @aunt-pipie @avyannadawn @imtoanonymousforyou @lacychick @minghao3o @quarthly @volturiwolf

[xaharadesert]

Badass & Chill MC - Headcanon

Arcana Characters (Main 6) x MC

A/N: This one is for @sam-gad, although Tumblr won’t let me tag them for some reason!! They were very helpful in determining where I would take this prompt! The premise is fairly self explanatory— MC who is chill for the most part, but can absolutely kick anyone’s butt if necessary! Please let me know if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes :) requests are open! And thank you everyone who has continued to send in support over this past week, it means the world to me!

❤️Julian❤️

Oh, this man is more than excited to find out that you can destroy anyone in a fight

When he first met you, and saw how relaxed you seemed to be, he was worried that you wouldn’t fit well with his more… dangerous lifestyle

But the moment the two of you had ended up in danger, with seemingly no way out, you practically changed into a different person

He had been ready to defend the both of you, but clearly there was no need

From then on, it was usually you who would do most of the fighting (Julian would do his best to help, but let’s be real, you could probably take down two or three people in the time it took him to take down one)

Julian would likely find himself getting injured or arrested significantly less than before, which he would only be mildly disappointed about

When you weren’t helping him out in a fight, your relatively chill demeanour would certainly help keep him from doing anything more reckless than necessary

In personality, you seemed to be opposites, but your lifestyles complimented each other perfectly

Where you will calm, he was dramatic, and where he was clumsy, you were infallible

🧡Portia🧡

Admittedly, Portia isn’t exactly the kind of woman to need much help in a fight

She more than makes up for her lack of combat training with enthusiasm, and, honestly, most people would flee after she tries to bite them

However, having someone as skilled as you around for when some stubborn jerks refuse to back down is always a good idea

Portia is super excited to see how awesome you are in a fight, and absolutely wants to learn some of your cooler moves

(You might have to break her heart a little by telling her it takes a very long time to learn, but she’s nothing if not determined)

Your relaxed personality is a big help to her in day to day life, seeing as she’s so excitable

That’s not to say her enthusiasm is a bad thing, it’s just good to have someone around who can keep a level head and work through things calmly when she tries to charge ahead with nothing but her emotions

You two balance each other out perfectly— she makes sure your day to day life is exciting, and you make sure the adventures you take her on are as safe as possible

💛Lucio💛

As we all know, Lucio is absolutely one to talk about his past battles; or, more specifically, one to tell grand tales about his many glorious victories

With that being said, you would likely allow him to ramble on about himself, not too concerned about comparing your own skills to his

So when the moment to fight comes, and Lucio tries to step in front of you in an attempt to protect you, and you absolutely demolish the enemy within moments, suffice to say, he was shocked (and maybe a bit disappointed he didn’t get to show off)

He shakes off his initial surprise easily enough, and immediately starts declaring that “of course you’re one of the strongest warriors to walk the Earth, I have impeccable taste in romantic partners”

(And let’s be honest, he’s only all the more attracted to you after he finds out how amazing you are in battle)

He brags to everyone he meets that his partner is an undefeated champion of combat, even if you may be significantly more humble

Admittedly, he is slightly insecure about the fact that you could beat even him in a fight— he always prided himself on his combat ability, and thought it would be one of his more charming aspects that he could bring to the relationship

If you agree to spar with him, it might be in your relationship’s best interest to let him win a round or two, if only to motivate him into practicing harder until he really can defeat you

You having a more calm approach to life definitely helps keep Lucio grounded; he sometimes struggles with his temper and pride, and having you with him helps him to keep himself from flying off the handle at whoever dared breathe wrong in his direction

💚Muriel💚

You never lose a fight? Thank goodness, then he can let you handle yourself

Muriel doesn’t enjoy fighting, and generally prefers to not be involved at all, but he knew that if it really came down to it, he would protect you however necessary

But when he found out that you were more than capable of looking after yourself, his relief was monumental

He was still somewhat irrationally nervous about you going to dangerous locations alone, and insisted on accompanying you, but every time he witnessed you knocking someone out it only served to reassure him that you genuinely would be fine without him

Furthermore, your calm personality helped reduce his anxieties greatly

Spending time with you, enjoying the simple pleasures of life, and seeing how you were supposedly never really worried about anything brought him great amounts of comfort

You were like a rock he could always rely on for support: unshakable, strong, and dependable

Honestly, not a lot of people picked fights with the two of you

Between your completely relaxed demeanour in even the most threatening of circumstances, and Muriel’s sheer size and intimidating presence, most people did their best to stay out of your way

💙Asra💙

Asra is, perhaps, the only person who could rival your calmness on a day to day basis

The two of you seem to be completely in sync with your emotions (even without the help of your shared heart), and constantly exist in a state of relaxation

Even when you journey to the far ends of the Earth, the two of you seem to be completely comfortable with whatever situation you find yourselves in

You could be kidnapped and tied up in the back of a wagon, and you’d be joking with each other, seemingly not at all concerned with the circumstances

Of course, this is largely in part of the fact that both you and Asra now you could destroy anyone you really wanted to

Not that you would, but you absolutely could

Asra feels very reassured by the fact that he doesn’t have to protect you, even if he wants to do so anyway (although, the exception is anytime you appear to be sick, at which time he panics and refuses to allow you to do anything that may make it worse)

In all honesty, despite your skill, Asra doesn’t particularly want to encourage fighting

He would much prefer the two of you to cuddle up in the shop, drinking tea, and discussing what you did in the few parts of the day you weren’t together

💜Nadia💜

Admittedly, she’s a bit worried when she first witnesses your prowess on the battlefield

As incredible as your skills are, she worries about what you will do with him (her past with Lucio still makes her anxious, no matter how irrational the thought may be)

However, she’s greatly reassured when she sees how calm you are otherwise

She’s grateful to have someone relaxed in her life, to remind her to slow down and process what’s happening in her life, if even for a moment

Nadia enjoys hearing about your perspective on topics that are often emotionally charged— you seem to be able to remain level-headed when her couriers cannot

She also enjoys sparring with you when she has some time off

It’s a great way to relieve stress, and, since you’re a much more impressive fighter than she is (as outlandish as that may seem), she feels as though she’s actively improving for each moment longer she manages to stand against you

Please don’t go easy on her, she doesn’t appreciate being condescended to, and she’s eager to learn

Nadia appreciates that the two of you have so much to offer each other; learning and growing together is one of Nadia’s favourite parts of your relationship

[cas-kingdom]

Bad Blood

A/N: Set towards the end of season 3. 

Title: Bad Blood

Summary: After Peter discovers Neal stole the ship’s treasure, you’re worried he’ll be mad at you for keeping the secret.

Words: 2310

The problem with loving your brother so much you couldn’t possibly do something to put him in jail, despite your personal opinions, is that it puts you in an awkward position.

You had never had that problem. From the age of three, you’d gone everywhere with Neal. You’d grown up among thieves and criminals, and that’d been all you’d known. Until Neal was caught, and you’d lived a more subdued life for four years, learning things and picking up what it meant to have a normal life. You’d grown your own opinions, stemming from the simplest of things, and slowly come to realise that there was a life outside your brother’s antics.

Maybe that was why Neal hadn’t told you about the treasure. Perhaps he’d thought you might tell Peter. He should have known, though, that you’d never do that. So, more plausibly, maybe he’d simply wanted to keep you safe. Maybe he hadn’t wanted to put you in that kind of position – stuck between him and Peter. He’d been doing that a lot in the year and a bit he’d been out of jail; keeping secrets, only letting you in on what he thought you needed to know. It was a swerve in your relationship, and it was constantly hitting obstacles.

Peter had taken you aside a while after the fire and asked you if Neal had stolen the treasure. You could still remember the flurry of emotions that had hit you then.

“I need to know,” Peter said. His voice was gentle. He was leaning on his forearms, staring at you from his place behind his desk. His eyebrows were raised, and you would have squirmed uncomfortably if you knew what he was talking about.

You sputtered for a moment, glancing down at the floor, before shaking your head and looking back up at him. “Neal?” you asked. “You- you think Neal stole the treasure?” Peter lifted his chin and leaned back against his seat. “I thought it was all lost in the fire.”

Peter sighed. “We did, too,” he said. “But… we found something that leads us to think otherwise.”

Your frown deepened. You turned your head, just about seeing Neal immersed in conversation with Jones. He glanced up for a moment, your eyes meeting, and he gave you a questioning look. You bit the inside of your cheek and turned back around to look at Peter, who was watching you intently.

“I don’t know, Peter,” you said honestly.

Peter nodded. “If you did…” He tilted his head a little. “Would you tell me?”

It wasn’t an interrogative look that he was giving you. He loved you. Every moment he was with you was spent treating you as his own. But that love included protecting you, even from your brother, and he wanted – needed – to be sure that you weren’t withholding anything from him that could put you behind bars, because he knew he’d rather be behind them himself than let you go.

You bit your lip, absently fidgeting with your fingers. You glanced up and shrugged.

Peter nodded slowly. “Alright,” he said. He couldn’t say he hadn’t expected that response. He drew in a deep breath and stood up, rounding the desk. He leant down and pressed a kiss to the top of your head. “As long as you’re safe, kid. That’s all I ask. Don’t get yourself caught in something I can’t get you out of. And… try get that in your brother’s head, too. You know where I am if you need me.”

Really, it should’ve been obvious to you that Neal had stolen it. You hadn’t wanted it to be – it was for that reason you’d never told Neal that Peter had even asked you about it – but you knew the man better than you knew anyone and anything. If the opportunity was presented, he would grab it up.

You’d cried after overhearing Neal and Mozzie discussing the treasure. They’d been quiet, whispering among themselves, and Neal should have known really that you wouldn’t have been asleep. He’d heard you sob, your pillow over your head, and got up from his chair so fast he’d knocked it over. Eyes wide, heart pumping, mind whirring, he’d slid into the bed beside you. You’d pushed him away, but he’d stayed, he always stayed, and he’d slept with you until morning, your back to him, his hand on your shoulder. You hadn’t talked about it the next day, and you’d been blunt with him since. You figured he’d worried you would tell.

“You have the treasure!”

You could hear Peter’s words. You’d been sat at the table when he’d come in, telling them Elizabeth had been taken, and you’d decided then and there that if Neal didn’t tell him, you would. Thankfully, you hadn’t had to, but the look Peter had given you after that had seared into your brain, and you hadn’t been yourself since. So, the moment Neal had been cleared – officially, anyway – you’d ached to speak to the agent.

“Peter, can we talk?”

It was a Sunday, and you, Mozzie and Neal were at Peter and Elizabeth’s for lunch. There was a sense of normality around Sunday lunch at the Burkes’. A familiarity that you had been terrified you’d lost for a moment back then.

Elizabeth and Neal were sitting outside, the both of them laughing about something or other, and Mozzie was sleeping on the deck chair he’d brought from June’s – nobody was sure why and nobody had bothered to ask. He was Mozzie, after all. You had been putting the plates away, Satchmo your shadow, and Peter had followed close behind, that smile on his face which told you he was happy. You didn’t really want that smile to disappear, and you knew he probably didn’t have anything to talk to you about, you were just being paranoid, but it would make you feel better, and you were too selfish to let that pass.

Peter glanced over his shoulder as you leaned against the kitchen counter. He nodded. “Sure,” he said, shutting the dishwasher. He turned around and crossed his arms, a look of slight intrigue crossing his face. “What is it?”

You swallowed, rolling your shoulders a little. You saw Satchmo nudge your hand with his wet nose and felt all the better for it. “I don’t…” you started, before feeling the lump in your throat stop your words. Peter, ever the concerned stand-in parent, moved forward immediately, his eyebrows furrowing together, those frown lines creasing his forehead. He stopped beside you, not wanting to invade your privacy yet needing to be there for you all the same, despite his not knowing what it was you wished to say.

He was a patient man, and so he merely stood beside you for a moment, waiting for you to speak up again. The open door was letting in the fresh breeze, the sound of Elizabeth and Neal’s laughter wafting in through it. It was the perfect day.

“I don’t want there to be any bad blood between us,” you said eventually, in a voice softer than Peter ever believed he’d heard.

He took a little while to mull your words over, staring fixedly at a spot on the floor. He shook his head as though preparing his words. “There isn’t any,” he said after a small moment, tilting his head to look down at you. When you didn’t reply, your hand on top of Satchmo’s head, he darkened his frown. “Hey,” he said, almost as softly as you. He pushed himself from the counter to move partly in front of you, taking your hands into his and waiting for you to meet his gaze. “What makes you think that?”

You swallowed again, foolishly feeling tears in the corner of your eyes. “I knew about the treasure.”

Peter made a face of realisation immediately. He squeezed your hands. “You knew about it after I asked about it,” he reassured you, shaking you a little, “you’re fine. I’m fine. We’re fine.”

“Well, I should’ve told you anyway,” you said, sniffling. “I should’ve told you the moment I found out. That’s withholding evidence… or something.”

Peter huffed a short laugh, releasing your hands only to pull you against his chest in a strong hug. “Your mind’s been working on this one for a while, huh?” he said gently, rubbing his hand up and down your back. You rested against him, eyes staring blankly ahead, lips trembling as you tried to hold the tears back. You felt Peter rest his chin on the top of your head. “I’m telling you, kid,” he said, “there’s nothing bad between us. You didn’t know about the treasure when I asked, and you said you didn’t know whether or not you’d tell me if the odd chance you found out later came up. I accepted that. That’s all that matters.” He turned his head a little, looking into the garden. As he’d expected really, Neal was craning his neck, eyes concerned even from this far away. He rose a dark brow, a silent question passing between them, and Peter nodded his head once, causing the younger man to reluctantly turn back to his conversation with Elizabeth.

Peter imagined it was difficult for both you and Neal to have someone like him in your lives. It’d always been you for a long, long while, and allowing someone in, opening up to that person like you had, was something he felt almost honoured for. Holding you in his arms like this, feeling your hands grip his shirt and your head all but bury in his chest, simply because you were worried he was upset with you, made him feel something indescribable. It was a good feeling, though. The feeling he felt when Neal did as he was told without argument, and called him his friend, and just came into work that morning because he’d decided it wasn’t the day to cut his anklet and run.

Things had changed for the Caffreys. He hadn’t known you at all before a year and a bit ago, but even he could tell that. You were letting people in. Trusting people besides yourselves and each other.

He pat you on the back and pulled away from you a little, gently putting a finger under your chin. “I don’t blame you for wanting to keep Neal safe,” he assured you. “I know it was difficult enough to keep it a secret after you found out.”

You nodded, sniffling a little. Of course it’d been difficult. It’d been the reason you’d cried yourself to sleep that night. You hadn’t wanted the task of having to make a decision, and you were only grateful – and relieved, more than anything – that you hadn’t had to.

“I think...” You glanced down for a second, glassy eyes meeting the soft brown ones of Satchmo. “I think I would’ve told you eventually.”

Peter wasn’t sure if he was surprised at that revelation. He lifted his chin a little, dropping his finger from yours. "Really?"

"Somebody would have found out in the end,” you told him. “Better it be you. You’re the only person who cares about Neal enough to fight for him.”

Peter regarded you carefully, watching as you shuffled your feet and chewed anxiously at the inside of your cheek. He hadn’t really thought about it in that way before, but now you’d mentioned it, he could see it.

It was true, what you’d said. Mozzie and Neal’s treasure-hiding hadn’t been the smartest. There’d been enough leads to have found it eventually, and definitely enough to drive whoever was following those leads to them. Those people would not have been so lenient. They wouldn’t have understood Neal’s (partly) turned over leaf. They wouldn’t have understood his kindness, and his compassion, and his general humanity. And they definitely wouldn’t have understood his need to stay in front of the bars if only to keep Y/N happy.

Peter understood it all and more. If you had told him about the treasure before he – and Keller – had found out about it himself, he doubtlessly, with a small amount of consideration and hesitation, would have decided on some way or another to give Neal the lowest possible amount of punishment he could receive for a crime such as this. He wouldn’t have thrown the guy in jail and left you without your brother for another few years of your life, and New York without Neal.

He loved you both too much to do that to either of you, or to him.

“Yeah,” he said eventually, a little distant in his tone. He looked back out at the garden, Neal’s grin threatening to split his face as he laughed along with Elizabeth. Though Peter could still see his aching need to get up and ask what he and you were talking about. That was Neal Caffrey. The first responder to all his little sister’s life choices. All except some, Peter decided, and he didn’t half mind that.

He turned back to you and gave you a smile, letting it widen as you responded with your own, half genuine one. “You’re a good girl, sweetheart,” he said quietly, “and you help me keep that man within his limitations better than anyone. Make sure you talk to him. I’m getting a little tired seeing those puppy dog eyes every day.” Your chest heaved with a breath of amusement at that, and he counted it as a victory as he pulled you towards him once more. “The only way there could be any bad blood between us is if you killed Satchmo. Or Elizabeth. Or me. Now, go out and ask the beauty, the criminal, and the winter sunbather if they want cheesecake or profiteroles for dessert.”