#i don't know if i'm writing this guy's thoughts right!!! is this still present tense??? should this BE present tense???

[hazmatazz]

i hjgghavahsjd hate writingggg

[melminli]

I LOVEDDDDDDD your Thanos “bang bang bang” post and it made me very curious abt how they know eo and stuff and like I’d love to read more about it in general if you don’t mind. It’s so great and I love your writing <333 have a fun day / night 🫶🏻

BANG BANG BANG ll

summary - thanos was always just such an easy person to argue with. you really hated the guy and that was something that was never going to change, even if your life was on the line and it fucking was.

pairing: (thanos) choi su-bong x fem. reader

word count: 1.8k

contains: violence, angst, death, drug use and addiction, dark content - just usual squid game stuff really

a/n: ty so much! this turned out kinda freaky but that is because thanos is a freak so, i didn't really have a choice.

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There was an eerie silence among all the participants for the first few seconds after the first death happened. The realization of what this meant for everyone present slowly sank in, and you thought that maybe the crazy man with all his screaming, wasn't quite as crazy as you originally thought. The real madman was probably the person somewhere upstairs or - you didn't know exactly where, but you knew that they were watching you.

“Don't move!” His voice shouted again, but this time with a completely different force. It may be that this was the most logical conclusion one could draw from what had just happened, but some seemed to throw all logic out of the window as soon as the fear of death hit. It only took one person to panic to set off a domino effect and from one second to the next loud gunshots could be heard, following the fearful screams of one person after another. The participants were being slaughtered like frightened animals in a cage, what kind of sick game was really going on here?

You too began to tremble as you looked down at the floor, dissociating and trying to ignore your surroundings as best you could. You had to stop yourself from flinching when the person right next to you was killed, even as you felt his still warm blood covering your cheek, even as a small river of it started pooling around your foot. You were most likely going to leave a trace of him all over the ground as soon as you started walking again - whoever he was. It didn't take very long for everyone who had moved to be shot, maybe half a minute - and yet it must have been the worst half minute of your life so far.

“Don't you dare move,” Thanos said in a voice you weren't used to hearing from him. “I'm serious, don't make me mad.”

You just looked at his back from behind, with a tense posture while you tried to regain control of your breathing again. Finally, there was complete silence on the pitch again. Even if it wasn't an entirely welcome silence.

The voice from the loudspeakers began to speak again and you already knew that this would be a voice that would haunt you in your nightmares. “Let me repeat: You can move forward while the tagger shouts, Green light, red light. If your movement is detected afterward, you will be eliminated.”

Ah, so that's what you meant with eliminated. A bit literal but no biggie! The game continued, but no one really dared to move a muscle even when the puppet looked away. You then saw Thanos shift slightly out of the corner of your eye and noticed that he was pulling his cross necklace out of his t-shirt. Safe to say, that you could barely believe what you were seeing right before your very eyes. You've got to be kidding me, they took everything we had from us, but he was allowed to keep that old thing? “Are you seriously going to take that stuff now?” you whispered in disbelief but didn't really judge him for it. You were this close to just laughing out loud at the absurdity of the scene, but you didn't.

“You don't have to be jealous, sweetheart,” he replied with slightly shaky hands as he stopped his movement abruptly when the doll finished talking. He just stared longingly at the colorful pills in front of him. “I don't mind sharing with you, you know that.”

You sighed inwardly at the thing you were about to do. You had been clean for maybe about six years by now and quitting drugs of any kind overnight was really fucking hard - definitely one of the hardest things you had to do in your life. On the other hand, your life was still as shitty as before, the only difference being that you were now consciously depressed and unhappy, so who cares? You could die every second anyway. “Thanks.” you just said after taking the pill out of his hand and threw the thing as quickly as possible in your mouth as soon as the doll looked away. Yeah, you were the biggest hypocrite on earth, old news.

It only took maybe a few seconds after that for you to feel the effects of the pill and then finally, all the stress started to dissipate. Your muscles relaxed, all the shouting about whatever felt like a soft pillow hugging you and the weird laying positions of the dead around you suddenly seemed incredibly funny. These were really strong pills, you could practically feel your whole body tingling. “Why are they all suddenly forming a line?” you asked with a grin and Thanos just hummed, not knowing the answer himself. “No idea, but watch this,” he said and waited until the puppet had turned towards you to push the person next to him, causing everyone in front of them to fall over too. “Ding! You lost,” he told them while wiggling his eyebrows and smirking after he watched them get shot.

You didn't even try to stifle your laughter at the scene. “You really are such an asshole.” you replied, shoving him aside this time after the doll averted its gaze. You then ran away as fast and as far away as you could so that he couldn't take revenge on you for what you had just done. However, you quickly stopped moving with both hands in the air as soon as the girlish voice emitted red light as if you were surrendering to her. You stifled your grin and pretty much failed when you noticed a slightly older woman standing relatively close to you. “Hey, are you trying to hide behind me to use me as a shield?” you spoke out without moving your mouth much and watched as she began to sweat more after you realized what she was doing. Still, she didn't pay you any further attention. “And now you're ignoring me too?” you spat out annoyed and grabbed her by the arm when you were free to move and pulled her in front of you against her will.

She tried to fight you off but you forced her further forward while she tried to defend herself. “You're older than me, aren't you ashamed of yourself?” You asked her and stopped walking before the robot's face turned towards you.

Number 57, who was still resisting your grip, stumbled a little to the side when you suddenly let go of her. She was about to howl in delight when she noticed how everyone else stood still. “No…” she mumbled out fearfully. “It's because of that bitch! I didn't -” she tried to defend herself to someone as she looked around the room, but her head caught the bullet before she could even finish her sentence.

“I may be a bitch, but at least I'm still alive.” you sang to her dead body on the floor before running past her. You didn't know how much time was left, but you had almost made it to the finish line anyway. You stopped with your back to the robot girl this time and it didn't take you long to spot the purple hair in the crowd. “Su-bong!” you shouted his name, since you had somehow gotten separated while running. You waited until he yelled back with a what?! “Last one there, gets fucked in the ass!” you yelled out without any shame or filter and saw his facial expression turn serious at the challenge. “Let's Go!”

The whole game went by relatively quickly once you took the pill from Thanos. It was actually quite fun, you thought to yourself as you both jumped around like two crazy people with grinning faces, waving your arms around wildly. I know it's not socially acceptable to say this, but I fucking love doing drugs! It was like everything around you was happening in slow motion and all the decisions you made felt foggy, like you didn't even realize what you were doing.

You loved being this person, it felt great to forget everything and just - not think. “I have won! No, really! You crossed the line two steps after me, I saw it!” you exclaimed before Thanos could object to a single thing. “Didn't anyone else see that?” you exclaimed in disbelief as if the others weren't busy staying alive while watching several others die right before their faces. You didn't care about the looks they gave you as you waved your hand. “No, they definitely saw it. I won.”

Thanos just gave in with a heavy sigh and a roll of his eyes. “Yeah yeah, I'm getting fucked in the ass which is gay, very funny.” he just mumbled to himself annoyed, and continued to avoid your gaze, but couldn't help grin again when you slapped him on the shoulder laughing. “Hey, why did we stop doing all this again?” he asked you when he couldn't remember the reason. All he knew was that he hadn't had this much fun in a long time, even though he knew that he always had a great time with you - no matter what.

You laughed. “Oh, that's because you promised me that we'd both get clean together, and then you spent the money I gave you for rehab on more drugs behind my back.“ you laughed along with him, even if Thanos frowned a little at the memory and you started to smile forcedly after remembering again how he had betrayed you. “Or what was it again? Was it something about that Youtuber you told me about…” you mumbled to yourself obliviously, feeling any sense of happiness begin to fade. You finally gave up, the details weren't that important anyway. “It doesn't really matter though, right? In any case, you used the money for something else, whatever it was. Even though you knew how hard I worked for it - hell, I didn't even eat most days to scrape it together, man.” you stated while you looked him in the face, even though he averted his gaze from you. “That's just fucked up dude.”

Exactly. You actually hated being this person. You might not remember it right now, but you would as soon as the effects of the pill wore off, which hopefully wasn't soon. You really hoped it wasn't soon, because you didn't want to be aware of anything that had happened today.

[mochamvgz]

stay a while.n.ki

; your boyfriend breaks the news to you about him moving away after high school, leaving you devastated.

; nishimura riki x reader

; genre: angst, hurt/comfort, established relationship, high school au

; warnings: implied break-up, crying, intrusive thoughts

; 0.6k words

; tags: @sobun1est @kbookshelf

“we're running out of time.”

it's as if time halts for a moment as you utter those words into existence. your voice was quiet but that obviously did nothing to soften the blow, for you feel riki freeze mid-action.

your eyes remain trained on your fingers as you fidget with them on your lap. you don't look up. you don't want to see whatever expression is painted on his face, you're too scared to.

“i'm right, aren't i? you've been dodging the question for weeks now.”

your voice comes out choked but you force your face to remain passive.

a defeated sigh rings out from beside you and you notice his shoulders slump in your peripheral vision.

the room is quiet for a moment. you can sense your boyfriend, soon to be your ex, trying to find the right words to say, mulling them over in his brain before saying them out loud. his hand reaches for yours but you pull away before you can even register what you're doing. his fingers collapse into a loose fist, as though even they were dejected, and his hand slowly retreats from your vision, almost begging you to change your mind.

“i’m sorry.”

“for what? keeping me waiting and letting me cry every night for the past week over the mere thought of losing you? us? that's not a big deal at all!”

“what? you-you've been... crying?”

riki is facing you now, his tone carries a noticeable undertone of surprise, but you still don't look up. your silence answers for you.

“at least tell me now, are you moving away or not?”

you ask after a beat, finally turning to face him. his lips purse as he avoids eye contact and you already know the answer. regardless, you wait for verbal confirmation.

part of your brain screams at you to back away, take back the question and lock him in a closet because you weren't ready to let go, not so soon.

“most probably, yes”

“you told me you would decide last month.”

another sigh, “fine. yes, I am going.”

the admission plunges you in a whirlwind of emotions. your ears are ringing now. memories flash in your mind of the unfulfilled promises you made to one another, the seemingly insignificant ones as well as the big ones. you're watching a movie in your head where the scenes are moving too quick to allow any space for comprehension.

“then why did you lie earlier?”

“i didn't want to talk about this right now, i didn't want to tell you…”

you can't deal with this right now, you need to clear your head.

your body works on autopilot as you stand up abruptly. his fingers clasp around your wrist almost reflexively, keeping you from walking away. you can't find the willpower to look at him.

he pulls you towards him and you fall on his lap.

“we've still got a couple of months…”

there's the faintest hint of hope in the sentence. maybe hope wasn't exactly the right word for it but for it but you were too lost in the moment to give a damn.

“i love you.”

riki tenderly whispers into your ear and that's all it takes for the floodgates to open. you curl in closer to him, clutching his t-shirt as your sobs break loose. he wastes no time wrapping his arms around your quivering frame.

“i love you too.”

he buries his face into the side of your neck and it's not long before you feel your collar dampen from his tears. he isn't ready to let go either.

both of you had known this moment would come one day, and dreaded its arrival, but none of you were prepared for heartache to come knocking on your door so soon.

; a/n: i wasn't planning on writing anything in 10th grade bc I had a massive case of writer's block but here i am! i tried writing in present tense for the first time, did you guys like it better? sorry, it's pretty short. my exams are around the corner so i probably won't be putting anything out again for a few months at least. hope you liked the fic!

© mochamvgz on tumblr | all rights reserved | do not plagiarise, repost, or translate

[yuseirra]

Kamiki is such a weird character. I keep talking about him because he's like a puzzle. I want to make sense of him because I'm... really confused when it gets to him. I really enjoy analyzing characters, but I usually don't even feel the need to write things down to figure out their character: for his case though?

There are so many claims about him being a horrible, evil, maniac, a heartless psychopath serial killer selfishly using others for his own gain.

Since he's supposedly the father of the protagonist and who had a relationship with Ai, I look at him intently whenever he makes an appearance, because I get curious just what is UP with this man and see him for myself, and I find that when he ACTUALLY does something, he.. tends to be so mild compared to what he's been thought to be. It's so weird. He's nothing like all those things he's said to be when he shows up in person, so the information I've been given to interpret him and the actual character does not match up. I keep feeling he has a kind nature. I think I believe that more compared to the descriptions he has because... it's what he actually is, you know.

People say he's done things, but we never see it in present tense with him actually carrying out these actions in person. It's all speculation.

You see, the thing is, we NEVER get to see him actually DO things on screen. We still don't know what he's said on the phone with Ai (and it turns out that he probably really didn't say much. I say he really DID want to only just send her the bouquet. Anyhow, Ai doesn't seem that uncomfortable talking to him, and we find she had him in her heart all along.) In that phone call with Nino as well, if you see her reactions, it was about turning themselves in?? How was that supposed to be a trigger to go stab a person? Could he have predicted this? Claims that he's manipulated and caused people to become killers? Well, we see ONE case of it something like it happening right now in 161 OH MY GOD even our main protagonist, Aqua could not escape this weird.. turn of events, and here we see Kamiki ACTUALLY wanting to keep Aqua from trying to kill him/become a murderer for whatever intent he has behind it. Aqua still ends up doing something really reckless. In this case, it's exactly the OPPOSITE result of what Kamiki's desired.

I really feel like he never intends for these things to happen and yet, it does. What is there for him to gain from this??? At least for Ai, Gorou and this current.. 161's case, I don't think he even dreamed of this happening. I don't know about the other cases if there are but, Nino says all he did was "talk", and that must be it... he could have some powers to make people grow insane by just talking maybe, but even if it's so, I think it's happening against his wishes and it's not something he can control.

To add, there really isn't much solid base for these claims he's facing STILL, even till the series reaches its end. Some accusations are being thrown at him, but just how much has ACTUALLY taken place? What's the truth? If he's a murderer, just how many lives did he take? I guess... that could be revealed later but; why.. keep it so hidden if he really is that kind of person? In 160, he says he didn't do anything. What if that's true? Why do we never see him take some direct action, even till the final arc? To be fair, there IS the case of Yura, but even that is very vague. I'll talk about that a little more later.

At this point, I feel like they've never shown these scenes to us BECAUSE that would make for a twist. If things go as expected and he is just a mere serial killer who's killed anyone who surpasses Ai for his self-satisfaction, it wouldn't need to be kept so hidden;; in fact, it should have been revealed more because that'd make this guy a menacing antagonist our heroes must defeat. It would add more drive and flavor and make us want to cheer for Aqua's revenge, but it isn't that way. The twist would be that, he could have really done nothing much.. been pretty sensible all along.

In cases like Nino or Ryosuke, we've seen situations where they expressed hatred, stabbed someone, or did something drastic. We see them being dangerous people.

But with Kamiki, whenever they actually do something, it’s not really a big deal, and they come across as rather gentle. To the point where their actions could even be interpreted as kindness. From what I see, they seem to have a genuinely good nature, and apparently, they used to be like that.

There’s just one thing that bothers me—Yura’s case. Honestly, their reaction back then was really strange. When I look at Kamiki’s behavior patterns, whenever they’re dealing with something overwhelming or hiding their true feelings, they always smile. He says some really weird things and he smiles... anyhow, yeah, he does seem to feel guilt about it...

I mean, if they were going to kill Yura, there wouldn’t be any reason to warn her to 'watch her step,' right? That’s what confuses me. What needs to be cleared up now is this: Ai, Ryosuke, and Gorou—he wasn't responsible for those three deaths at least. So, if this suspicion can be resolved, unless there's solid proof that they’ve killed others, it all just sounds like speculation. Is there anything that’s really been confirmed to be their doing? Tsukuyomi was wrong once already; should I trust her about Kamiki's true motives?

Why do I keep feeling like this person is actually a good person every time they appear? Their actions and the accusations are so different.

It’s starting to feel like, 'Could this kind of person really have killed anyone?' Is this supposed to happen or am I reading this story wrong? But here’s the thing—I think the author and I are on the same wavelength with some things; I’ve guessed so many things correctly...

There’s something more to this. This isn’t the end… It feels too suspicious.

If Kamiki's really, truly bad, I’ll accept it—I’ve already said that they should die if they are. But there’s still something nagging at me. I wouldn't be the only one, right?

A truly bad person with real fault wouldn’t behave this way. Of course, people act in all sorts of ways. But this character… something always feels off, so I can’t be certain.

And honestly, that would make for a better story. In the grander context and message of the narrative, it would be more fitting if this character were actually innocent but wrongly accused over and over. That’s what I think.

Also, the fact that Ai left a message asking someone to help this person… that’s partly why I keep thinking about this. They seem really kind…

It makes sense why Ai might have loved them. I get it. I think this person is actually good.

You see, I didn't hold much thought about the guy and just went along with the claims he faced until I heard "Fatal", and having seen Ai wanting to help the guy. Just three seconds in the song (I didn't even know the lyrics at first) I get this...rush of sensation... it's so hard to describe, but I just knew, this emotion there, that must be his.. and so I started drawing him and Ai a lot. I rarely get these wrong. It was such a strong wave of feelings I got.. I guess that's been one of my biggest fuel for the past few months! I really hope I'm right! I felt very.. stunned and sure back then. It was a very strong type of feeling that anchored my thoughts. I trust my intuition when it comes to emotions, I'm usually good with them! It's hard to ask others to trust with me, but I can write posts like these with the reasoning that stems from those feelings I have along with some evidence I find from the work! I've already stepped too deep into this pit and I'll be so embarrassed if I'm wrong but, at least I had fun. I think I've been learning a lot.. having thought a lot... it's been good practice, trying to read characters- I really want to be good at it! It's fun!

[ilikemicrowaves]

MOURNING

Summary: Jax won't admit it, but he misses his friend Kaufmo, and the most healthy way to cope? Crying in Kaufmo's room away from everyone!

Notes: Yeah...longer than expected because of ✨️family drama✨️ and I needed to focus on my grades lol enjoy

@tadssstrange <- not the one I was working on, but I did finish this one

♡————☆◇☆————♡

Slowly creaking open the entrance to the Kaufmo's room, he flicked the lights, stepping into the clowns bedroom.  Paints, mini confetti bombs, fake daisys, all of his old stuff.

     The once clean floors and walls where still covered with his sloppy but still legible handwriting. Nobody had bothered to come to his room, yet until now. Jax couldn't bare to go.

     Steadily, the purple rabbit stepped his way to the old friends unmade bed. He hopped onto it and curled his legs up to his chess as he leaned against the wall, mourning his friends absents.

     Jax still remembered his silly little grins from just a week before, one of the only thinks that was nice in this digital hell. His favorite memories where their pranks on the others, hiding Zoobles parts, scaring Ragatha with centipedes, and even crashing an adventure if it wasn't much fun.

     Jax smiled at the thought, of Kaufmo and him making jokes or just hanging out in general. He actually enjoyed his presents, and found his startled honks and squeaks silly. He shivered thinking of the day of his abstraction. Why hadn't he put the thought on checking on him? Could he have fixed him before it was too late? It didn't matter now, he was gone; deep in the cellar with the other lost ones.

     Shakey breath, he layed his head on a pillow and stared at the ceiling. Nothing but "Exit, Exit, Exit." Endlessly repeating itself until someone would be drove mad. He turned his head away from it, and faced the desk next to the bed.

     A pot with some daisys, a lamp, and a peice of crumbled paper..

     Paper?

Jax lifted his arm enough to reach out and grab it, unfolding it until he could see the rest of the page. It was a note, or rather, letter. His pupils scanned the writing.

     I know I will be gone soon, I can feel it. Just yesterday I started hacking up thick black goo. I can't leave without proving them I'm right. Caine is a LIAR. I seen it, large and red. I probably couldn't even reach the handle if I got to it. I've seen it twice, outside and in the tent. I'm not having digital hallucinations, I've been here long enough. Once I show everyone that Exit, we can all leave together. I don't know what's on the other side, or even if our family's are still out, if we had any. I just cant leave them all behind, especially Jax's. But maybe then, I can find Jax afterwards, and we can be best buds outside of this hell  and be free.

     Those last few sentences... It made him tear. So many emotions filled his head and heart all at once. Breaking down, he held onto the paper fiercely and began to slowly but surely, break into a sob. Thankfully these rooms where all soundproof, he couldn't have any of the others seeing him so weak and cowardly.

     He couldn't stop the tears from flowing down his face leaving wet spots on the pillow and blanket. Soon enough, he started to whimper. Embarrassing squeaks and whines croaked from his throat that he couldn't control.

     Being in this room didn't help. Kaufmo wasn't coming back but he still felt there.

     He buried his face into the pillow to try and quiet his sobs even though no one but him could hear it. He couldn't bare his sobs, he wasn't supposed to cry. He's the tough guy, that listens to nobody and has no soft spots.

     His heart rate began to slow and his sobs and whines softened after about a good 5 minutes. He grabbed the blanket and curled himself into it, tucking each corner in to trap the heat and let his tense muscles relax. His breathing calmed and he was able to stop shaking from his cries. Finally, he let his mind drift to some place else, and with a few sighs he muttered, "I miss you, Kauffy," and fell into a deep, calming sleep.

♡————☆◇☆————♡

Notes: the fluff one should be done within next month, I've been bussier than expected.

PLEASE REBLOG

[green-kat331]

My friend Spider-man

Pt:6 "helpless"

(Spider-man x reader)

Pt1/ Pt2/ Pt3/ Pt4 /Pt5

Warnings: Violence, descriptions of injuries, other heavy topics

You laid in bed, feeling the softness of your blankets wrapped snugly around you. Not a single identifiable sound was made, only the rustling of your roommate as he goes about his own day. Aside from that, your room felt an eerie sense of stillness, A few days after your encounter with the monster. You haven’t had the energy to get out of bed, was it fear? You weren’t sure, just that you didn’t want to get out of bed. Your door opens slowly and you see Mikey’s head peeking into your room. 

“Hey, I’m gonna be at my girlfriend’s place for the night. Don’t just lay in bed all day, alright?” 

You don’t answer. Mikey was a nice guy, seeing you under the weather was worrying him, but you couldn’t bring yourself to respond. You hear him sigh and the soft clicking of your door closing. You closed your eyes and pulled the blankets tighter around you. 

Peter tried texting you after the attack. You stared at that message for what felt like hours, only to never respond. Too many scenarios, too many uncertainties. You feel shitty about blowing him off. He is always the first to worry and sometimes, you can't decide if you like being the target of his caring nature or if it only makes you think about them even more. Another ping from your phone catches your attention and after a few seconds of pondering, as you reach for it on your nightstand, you hear your doorknob turn and open. In walks your brown haired best friend with a white bag at his side and phone in his hand. 

You sat up immediately and unconsciously tried to fix your ghastly appearance. “Peter.” You exclaim and he walks in. “Hey, how are you feeling?” He asks, sitting at the foot of your bed. You sigh and snuggle back into your cocoon, pulling it over your face. He laughs quietly and not in a mocking, but something more like understanding. He leans over and lifts the side of the blanket. “Not great, huh?” 

You blink up at Peter meeting his soft brown eyes. “I don't know how to feel. I guess I'm scared, but… I'm not at the same time.” 

Peter doesn't respond to your admission. He lets the silence between you sit for a moment until eventually you crawled out of your cocoon to sit next to him. You lean into his shoulder, which he is happy to provide. Your arm slipped under his to hug the limb. “You know I did something really stupid at the shop?” His head turns to look at you. 

“I…I just ran in. I didn't even think twice about running into danger. It felt instinctual, like I had to help those people.” You look down. 

“At that moment I just thought, what would Spider-man do? And that's all it took for me to run into a breaking down building.” Peter tensed for a minute. 

“...That's…admirable _____.” He states gently, moving so he can look at you face to face. Peter takes your hand, brushing his thumb over your knuckles, making your cheeks heat up.

“Really?” You asked with breathy words.

“yeah. I'm just relieved…you're okay and I'm glad Spider-man was there. To help you when you needed him, I don't know what would happen if we lost you.” 

Your expression softens with his words. You slowly wrap your arms around his neck, hugging Peter tightly. “You won't lose me Pete.” 

He hugs back, resting his head against your neck. You breathe in the smell of coffee and the cologne Aunt May bought him for Christmas since he always somehow went home smelling like the New York alleyways. You laugh at the thought before pulling away. 

Peter still holds onto your hands. “Hey, how about we head over to the library and think up some new stuff to write about?. Jameson asked for news, right? We'll, let's give him news.” He laughs, pulling you up to stand.

“Yeah, uhh… later though, I probably look terrible right now.” You admit pulling your hands out of his. 

His gaze lingers on you, sure you weren't as presentable as you usually are, noticing the signs of your prolonged stay in bed through your tousled hair and unchanged attire, but in Peter's mind you could never look less than beautiful. 

He tears his eyes from your face and takes a step back. “Well…um then get yourself changed and meet me there later.” 

With a chuckle and a nod, you watch as Peter grabs his bag and leaves your room. Feeling as your face warms slightly after he leaves. You quickly get into the shower and clean yourself off.

Finally, you let out a sigh of relief, feeling the tension leave your body as you dry yourself off and put on your clothes. You glance over to the window. The day had mimicked your mood and clouded over, on the verge of releasing into a heavy rain.

With an annoyed groan, you pull out your phone and message Peter.

You: Hey Pete. You can go ahead before me. I'll drive over there in a few, looks like it's gonna rain. -_-

Peter: Ok see you soon. 

You put your phone down, finished getting dressed and fixed your hair. You dug through your backpack to go over what you plan on bringing.

 Suddenly, an enormous boom echoed in the distance. You look out the window and your breath hitches. You see, the monster from the other day climbing up one building. It roared, sounding all the way to your apartment. This monster was bigger than the last tentacles tangling around the skyscrapers and claws digging into the steel like sheets of paper.

Your eyes widened seeing the monster jump off the building on top of the library, crushing the stone under the weight of its feet. “Peter…” you whisper, running to your phone to begin rapidly texting him.

You: Peter!? Are you okay!? Are you at the library? you need to get out now!

Another loud thud bangs against the floors and your balcony doors swing open. “____? _____!” You turn around and see Spider-man rush up to you. 

“You’re here…you're okay…” He breathes relieved. Your eyes stare at the masked vigilante for a few seconds before returning to your phone. No response from Peter. Your grip on your phone tightens, as if holding onto it for dear life. With little thought, you turned and rushed over to your balcony. “Peter…my friend! Peter, he's still out there!” Spider-man quickly ran after you, tugging your arm back. “It's okay…I'll get him, don't worry-” 

With a thunderous roar, the monster jumps up and demolishes a smaller building, similar to the shop from the other day, except this time the building crumbled, entirely sending debris flying in all directions. You both watch in shock at the sheer power this Monster displayed. With newfound seriousness, Spider-man pushes you back into your room and turns away. 

"No, no! I'm not going to let you leave, Spider! This is worse than you've seen. You can't take him on by yourself!" You exclaim, gripping his arm before he could run off.

"You need to stay put _____. You hear me? Stay put." He demands, rushing back to your balcony 

You ran up, pushing through the doorway and grabbing his arm in a desperate attempt to keep him from jumping off again to save the city from that…that thing… "No! He'll kill you. Don't be stupid, this is reckless!" 

He turned to face you. Holding onto your shoulders and guiding you back into your room. He held the sides of your head despite the adrenaline rushing in his veins. He held you so tenderly his thumb pressed over your cheeks, brushing over them. His touch reminds you of Peter's gentleness, making your entire body feel weighed from the guilt of not being there at the library with him. "____, I need you to stay here. Stay inside, please. I'll be back. I will always come back -" you stared into his masked eyes, then closed yours with a pained expression burning tears pricking your lashes."it’ll kill you..." you whispered. He rested his forehead on yours, shutting his eyes for a second.

"... I need you to be safe." 

He releases your head and begins to hurry away again. "Don't make me web you," he jokingly warned, trying to lighten your mood, but didn't wait to hear if you laughed or not. You didn't. He was already swinging away. 

You slowly back away from your spot and sink onto the plush bed, feeling the gentle bounce of the soft cushion beneath your full weight, folding your hands together, fiddling with your thumbs. Praying that he would return to you.

Alive.

---

“We are starting this broadcast to proudly announce that Spider-Man, the web-slinging hero of New York, has once again defeated a massive threat to the city. Here, you can see Spiderman destroying the source of the enemy's power, a large energy source attached to the enemy's chest; it is suspected that this is yet another ploy to stop this hero. But fortunately, Spider-man was able to outsmart the beast and incapacitate him. Although The city is left with more construction work to finish. This fight has concluded with no casualties as far as we know..."

You replay the live broadcast over and over, watching as he swung around the villain and tied them up in his web. When the tape ends, you play it back again. 

He was being risky... again; He got closer than he needed to be. This enemy was so powerful, worse than he had ever fought before. Like a hybrid of some of the worst people he's faced. You couldn't keep track of the amount of times he was thrown into a building or struck with a deadly blow.

Luckily, the battle stayed far away from your apartment, so you stayed inside by his demand. Spidey was insistent that you stayed safe.As the camera panned out, the sight of multiple fires and shattered windows filled the screen, evidence of the aftermath of the altercation.. You didn't care about them, something... someone was more important than any amount of damage compensation or any building. 

The rain starts, droplets pattering all over the city and immediately killing the fires. 

After what felt like hours of pacing, worrying, and anxiously biting your nails, you see a silhouette on your balcony followed by the dark figure dropping with a thud.

Your body tensed. The booming noise in the silence gave you chills. 

Opening the doors, you see your suited friend laid on the ground, gripping his side. You listen closely, a faint groan escapes from him. His costume was torn, and peaks of his skin were bruised. His blood pooled under his body, mixing with the water making puddles of red. 

"Spidey!!" you shout and rush over to kneel over him. You hold his head in your hands and tilt his head to look at you, although the lenses on his rain soaked mask were clearly closed shut. Your hands tremble as you reach out, fingers brushing against his skin, feeling the heat of his pain. Your forehead rests on his and your lungs release the breath you’ve been holding. You try not to cry. You try and try but fail. 

"I can't- I don’t- I can’t help you....I can't spidey… i-- i can't -" Tears stream down your face as you gasp for breath, the weight of your despair hanging heavy in the air. The sight of his battered body fills your vision, wounds glistening with a mix of blood and rain. You are left feeling hopeless, unable to properly care for his wounds. His life is in your hands, and you are completely useless. How could he be so strong all the time? He worried about so much, yet always had the strength to push forward. 

You didn't want to be weak. This wasn't the time. 

He depends on you. At this moment. You can't let him go. You weren't going to. You wipe your tears away and positioned behind him, to drag his unconscious body into your room. A path of deep red follows him, staining your bedroom floor. You open your door to drag his heavy body down so you can take him to the hospital, but pause… If you take him to the hospital, they’ll take his mask off and reveal his identity. He’s so vulnerable.

With his body now on the floor, you pace nervously around the room, desperately trying to come up with a plan. Finally, you act.

You run into your roommate's room and grab a few clothes, and run back to the passed out hero. You stare at him for a minute debating if you were really going to do this you take a breath and began to take his suit off piece by piece, despite the embarrassment of undressing him screaming in your mind. You start by removing his gloves, peeling the fabric from his palm and fingers to set it aside. 

You do the same with his red spandex boots, quickly replacing them with leather black boots. You nervously pulled up his suit top. The room was dim, barely able to make out any shapes, but still you keep your eyes up to avoid looking at his torso, littered with deep purple bruises and multiple scratches. Replacing it with a loose gray T-shirt. You thanked god that his suit pants were a solid blue, so you didn’t have to change him out of those. 

Finally, you only had to remove his mask. Slowly, you slip your thumbs under the hem of it, pulling the fabric up his bruised neck from being strangled by the tentacles of the beast. With each inch you came closer to revealing Spider-man’s identity to you. After all this time, you were finally going to find out who he really was. You were gonna see his face and reveal his identity, but you stop. The mask rests just below his chin. 

This is wrong. 

Of course, you were curious about who he was, what his face looked like, and what kind of guy would risk his life like that every day, but this wasn't right. He trusted you enough to come here when he was beaten down.

Ironically, taking off his mask felt more exposing than switching out his clothes.

Once again, you walk to your roommate's room and gather a hat, sunglasses, and a face mask. 

You sat in front of Spidey, took a deep breath to prepare yourself. Then, you closed your eyes; you felt around his head, down his neck and removed the mask. You glide your hands through his hair to put the hat over it. With a brief pause you analyze the soft loose curls between your fingers, he was so familiar to you, so comfortable to be around. He smelled of blood and rain with a hint of… something else… but your mind was in such a haze you couldn't put the pieces together or your brain just wouldn't allow you to finally slip the beanie over his head, and cover most of the top of his head. With eyes still closed you added the glasses and mask on Spider-man’s face, then opened them again, still avoiding looking directly at his covered face, to drag him outside into your car to the nearest hospital. 

On the drive, you continuously checked your mirror to see if he would move or talk or do anything… you were desperate for anything. He just laid on the backseat with the occasional groan. Those noises of pain gave you a bit of relief that he is still alive. Finally, you reach the hospital and stop the car, not even parking it. Quickly you get out of the car and drag Spidey out of the back seat resting his arm over your shoulder to carry him into the hospital doors. 

"Help! Help this guy! He's hurt!!" You yelled in the hospital, which was clearly in a state of emergency due to the recent attack. Several staff ran up to you and took Spidey laying him down on a gurney. As they reach to remove the glasses and mask, you quickly turn around to walk out. "You need to wait. Hold on, who is this?" A nurse blocked your way with a clipboard in hand.

"I- I don't know. I just found him on the ground. He didn't have an ID on him, so i have no idea who he is—" You quickly answer then step to the side to leave the hospital before the urge to look back became too overwhelming. 

Sitting in the confines of your car, you tightly grip the leather of the steering wheel. Your quivering lips betrays the overwhelming feeling coursing through you. 

You pressed your forehead against the cool surface of the wheel and let out a soft sob. The distress eating you up on the inside made you sick and dizzy. 

"Please be okay… please be okay Spider-man." You sobbed.

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Hi! I was searching through some about SVE fanfics and didn't find much, I was starting to lose hope but then I found yours. Thank you for sharing your amazing ideas and stories. They made me really happy. Please keep writing more! ❤️☺️

I also have a fun idea for a headcanon/fic with these two guys Lance and Jio. In my world, I have two farmers and both are sisters, Lance married the first sister and Jio also married the second. Which makes Lance and Jio are brother-in-laws. Makes me wonder how those two get along while living together on the same roof with their wives. With their personalities are complete opposites with each other.

Hewwo :3 Thank you very much for your kind words, dear anon! 💕 It gives me great pleasure to write about this game and my favorite mods. I'm glad you're enjoying it too, and hope you enjoy the little headcanon about the interaction between these two (I love the opportunity to write about the Lance and Jio dynamic, so many possibilities for a funny scenario!).

_________________________________________

The encounter was... awkward and a little tense, to say the least. Neither Lance nor Jio had caused each other any problems, not at all. But the lives of both had changed dramatically, for sure.

Firstly, Lance was struck by the fact that elves, a race that is thought to be extinct, is actually far from extinct. At least one living representative stands right in front of him. Jio's disguise won't fool Lance's violet eyes: he can see through the enchantment. Naturally, the curious adventurer will have a bunch of questions, which, naturally, the antisocial elf does not want to answer. This situation can be described as, "This is Jio, he likes his personal space. And this is Lance, he likes Jio's personal space." Lance isn't that intrusive, but let's be honest - a living elf who is now a brother-in-law.... Lance won't miss an opportunity to shower Jio with questions, and he's pretty stubborn. Although the elf is also stubborn as well. It's hard to say who would win.

Secondly, is the realisation and distinction of their unconventional professions. As far as we know, the Cult of the Lady with the Red Tail is not an official organisation, but is even a criminal clan engaged in assassination. At least, most people don't know the motive of the cult's followers and only listen to gossip about the next murder of someone unknown politic. Only Jio, his friends and his lover know that these people are no longer people, but soulless puppets of Gabriella, but still their cult deservedly has the status of "dangerous". Lance, on the other hand, is an adventurer and the right-hand man of The First Slash Clan. All of the Clans and the Ministry of Magic have an unspoken neutrality with the Cult, but each side always has a hand on the hilt of the sword if one side starts to get dangerous. Lance understands the situation perfectly well, so he approaches it rather cautiously. He truly understands the motive of Jio and the others, tho he's not too fond of the methods. But he also loves his spouse and will try to keep peace both within the family and among the Clan and Guilds. Lance is a good diplomat.

Despite their different personalities, the two have settled in quite peacefully. Lance occasionally teases the elf, and Jio can point his katana in Lance's direction (it doesn't come to fights, because they both don't want to upset and anger their sisters' wives), but they can become friends. Even if they don't socialise, just sit in complete silence.

If the sisters want to introduce their husbands to their friends and family..... Jio's and Lance's reactions might be different. Of course, Lance will present himself as an adventurer, while Jio will make up a story (for "assassin elf" doesn't sound like... much) for the friends and parents of the two farmers. If it's about friends who are also adventurers, or with Daia, Kiwi and other Cult members... This is where both men will try to delay the meeting a bit to figure out how not to create conflict. Belinda certainly won't be thrilled that one of her long-time friend's granddaughters having an adventurer as a spouse, and the Ministry of Magic will be tearing their hair out when Lance introduces his 'brother in law' to them. It's a delicate matter, so you have to be careful here. It'll take time, but everyone will get used to this chaotic family. Especially since the sister farmers have done more chaotic things before, and it all ended peacefully.

[nowoyas]

Koi no Yokan 10: Get it out of your system (Nishinoya Yuu/Reader)

First - Prev - Next - M.list - Ao3

A/N: this chapter was tough to write. please enjoy however you can.

Summary: The long ride back to Miyagi comes to an end. You open old wounds and gain a new one.

Warnings and tags: blanket series warnings. this chapter contains explicit death of a parent. also: implied animal death and implied/assumed homophobia (light). some suggestive themes.

Words: ~4700

The foretold Soba albums are remarkable. Despite his promise of unlimited access, Noya curates the photos for you, starting at the very beginning and not quite handing his phone over to you directly. You suspect this has more to do with the fact that you saw the text his phone unlocked on, and given the opportunity, you're fucking deleting the photo Tanaka sent him of the two of you napping together before lunch.

Instead, you lean in close to see his screen properly, head resting against his side. Initially, he'd shown a split second of awkwardness at the contact, but your attempt to respect his comfort level and pull away had seen him wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you right back down.

The photo he shows you now is one of the earliest: a girl, a bit thicker than Noya or the other sister you've seen but looking to be around his age now at the time of the photo, holds what's clearly Soba as a kitten—99% fluff and 1% anger. "This's Mei and Soba," Noya tells you in a low voice. "Mei and I were the ones that rescued her—I think this picture was right after we brought her back from getting checked at the vet? He said she was barely old enough to be separated from her mom, but when Mei found her, the mom was…"

You get the implication. "That's so sad. Do you guys know what happened to her mom?"

"We think she was hit by a car," he answers.

You nearly laugh. It's too perfect. "Mine, too," you whisper bitterly.

He tenses against you. "What?"

"Right in front of the house."

"Fuck, I'm so—"

You wind your arm around him, eyes locked on Soba and Mei. "Don't, Senpai. I don't want it."

He clears his throat awkwardly. Drags his thumb in mindless circles over your waist. "Okay. I won't, then."

"Tell me more about Soba?"

He obeys without a second thought, scrolling through to show you more as he continues telling you about Soba—early days, the household war over her name that the mysterious third sister, Satsuki, eventually won. (Apparently, he'd wanted to name her Miku. He refused to elaborate on this.) His arm doesn't leave you after that, either—one hand flicking through his photos, one resting too-hot on your waist.

It's a little weird, hearing him talk without raising his voice. Part of it, you think, is the weird tension that still hasn't quite left the others—the rest of the bus is relatively quiet. There's still noise, of course. But normally, Hinata and Kageyama would be at each other's throats, or else Hinata would be loudly chattering to someone—pissing off Tsukishima, or excitedly hyping up Tanaka. Unlike the bus ride down here, where the two boys weren't present, you're dimly aware in the back of your mind that they should be disrupting the peace.

"Hey. Where's your head?"

"Sorry."

"Oh, don't say that. You were all out of it earlier, too."

"Just… worried about those two," you whisper.

"Who, Shouyo and Kageyama?"

A nod.

"Is worrying about it gonna change anything?"

"It's not like I can just not worry about it. What, do you just decide not to worry and then not do it?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

You blink up at him, somewhere between awe and disgust. "That's insane."

"It took some practice. But, you know, unless you're gonna do something about it, looking at pictures of my cat is a way better use of your time. Otherwise you're just stressing yourself out, and that's the opposite of what we're trying to do right now."

"I don't understand how you can not worry about it."

"I mean, I'm worried. I'm just not paying too much attention to it 'cus there's not much point. Especially not when there's this picture of Soba in a bowtie Satsuki made for her you need to look at before I move on."

Oh my god that's the cutest thing you've ever seen. You coo, eyes sparkling at baby Soba.

"The fact that you have this many photos of your cat is still the most jarring thing to me," you tease. "Tough guy and his two thousand photos of his cat wearing cowboy hats and bowties."

"It's closer to one thousand, thank you very much. Soba's a very important cat." He clears his throat, drops his voice even lower, like he doesn't want anyone else to hear him. "My… I'm pretty sure she saved my sister's life."

"Oh. Like…"

He nods. "I don't really remember much, but our dad left when I was pretty young. I guess it probably messed me up pretty bad, and I used to be a lot more like Mei when I was a kid, but she always took it way harder than even Okaa-san did. She started doing stuff after we found Soba. I don't know where she went, but it was kinda like she brought my sister back."

"Are you just telling me this because I told you about my mom?"

He shrugs, the movement awkward with you pressed so completely into his side. "A little. It didn't seem fair."

…well, at least he's honest.

"But, I mean, I also just want you to know. That's okay, right?"

"…yeah." You shuffle a little, press your thigh into his in a way that's meant to be comforting. "Soba's a good cat."

He nods. "The best cat."

"And… thanks. For sharing and—and all that. I'm sorry about your dad and your sister."

He goes back to showing you photos of Soba in relative silence until his phone battery hits red. Then, it's you actually reading your book, half-resting it on his lap so he can read along if he wants. Impressively, he actually seems to be. He taps your side whenever he's done reading the page, and you nod whenever you're ready for the page to turn.

You don't untangle for the rest of the several-hour bus ride.

~

Back at the school gets you all a meeting, sat in a circle on the gym floor, and reminds you with stunning clarity that promising to tell Noya the story over dinner means you have to make a real dinner and actually tell him the story. The teasing from a few of the others on the way you were cuddled up when you got back to the school falls completely flat—you're too wrapped up in dread to even think about being embarrassed for the tangled legs or the comfort of Noya's chest beneath your ear.

So you respond the way you always do: get changed slow, linger in the changing room until Shimizu and Yachi have both gotten into their school uniforms and gone on ahead for the night. Check your phone in slow motion, pretending like you would have received any texts when the only people you talk to have been on a bus with you for the past five hours.

(Tanaka has texted you. Multiple times, in fact; you now have two pictures of you cuddling Noya awake and asleep, as well as several teasing messages about your new boyfriend.)

Eventually, you can't justify wasting any more time. Noya will come drag you out if you take too much longer. You meander past the gym just in time to see a panicked Yachi run past, yelling for an upperclassman—any upperclassman.

Then you hear the shouting inside the gym.

You poke your head inside, drop your bag as you watch Hinata clock Kageyama right in the face.

Not on your fucking watch.

~

Noya leans against the school gate with Ryu. He's waiting, of course, for you. His side feels buzzy where you'd spent the majority of the past three hours pressed into him. He keeps thinking, guiltily, about your leg pressed into his, migrating over the course of two hours until neither of you were acknowledging the fact that you were halfway in his lap. And now, dinner.

Later tonight, he'll text Ryu, a series of all-caps messages begging for divine answers on what the fuck it's supposed to mean when a girl goes out of her way to cuddle up to you. He won't include your dinner conversation, but he'll include a too-detailed description of how it felt when you sighed against him, the way you melted slowly over the course of the ride. He'll give even more details to Satsuki, red-faced and falling apart, desperate for a straight answer from the only sister available to give advice, and when she teases him—you should have just pulled her into your lap the rest of the way, stupid—he'll feel no more enlightened than before he debased himself asking for his sister's advice. He'll end the night with an embarrassing new search history that starts with how to tell if a girl meant anything by cuddling with you and ends with a browser in incognito mode, no new insights, a profound sense of guilt, and a mess to clean up in his bedroom.

For now though, he's fully not processing what Ryu's saying to him, though he knows it's about you, about the leap from teasing jokes to napping together.

He's processing it even less when Yachi runs up to them, white as a sheet and nearly screaming.

"Woah, Yacchan, what's—"

"P-please! I-in the gym, they're—they're gonna die!" she babbles, already crying.

Noya shares a look with Ryu and runs off ahead. Ryu can be the one to calm her down—Noya's faster.

This is how he finds Shouyo: rage in his eyes, voice hoarse as he shouts, cut off abruptly as he's thrown to the ground.

This is how he finds Kageyama: swinging back, hardly paying attention to anything except the middle blocker he's fighting before a fist closes in his shirt and roughly shoves him back.

This is how he finds you: right in the middle of it, taking a punch in the mouth clearly not meant for you as you throw one to the ground and roughly force the other back a good few steps.

"That's enough!" you snap. The other two are shell-shocked at the sight of you. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?"

"[surname]-san—" Kageyama starts, eyes wide. "I didn't mean to—"

"Be quiet. Both of you, sit. Don't even look at each other. You scared the hell out of Yachi-san, you know that?"

Noya stands, frozen, watching you stand over them with your hands on your hips like you didn't just take a punch to the mouth.

"Right. I'm sorry," they mutter in sync.

"I'm sure you are. Is this about the spike thing?"

They both look instantly incensed, talking over each other.

"He said he wasn't gonna set to me—"

"We don't have time to focus on this—"

Your voice cuts them off sharply. "I asked you both a yes or no question. I'm not interested in hearing anything else right now."

"…yes."

"Oi oi oi!" Ryu's voice cuts in, footsteps stuttering to a stop beside him in the doorway. "You two—"

You don't even look up at the intrusion. "One of you, find me a first aid kit. The other, go find me a couple rags and get them wet. Cold water, please. Yachi-san, take a seat. Your heart needs to rest before I enlist you in anything."

Noya's muscles tense, and he moves, remembering vaguely where the first aid kit is normally hung on the wall. Ryu silently moves to the storage closet to find some rags.

"Now. Admittedly, I'm still not that informed on volleyball. Is getting into fistfights with your teammates how you make it to nationals?"

"…no," Shouyo mutters.

"Do you win matches by scaring the shit out of the most gentle-hearted manager in existence?"

"…no."

"So what the hell do you think you're accomplishing right now? Fifty words or less from each of you. Hinata, you can start."

"He—he said that he wasn't going to set to me anymore! I'm just trying to improve what we have! If that quick is our greatest weapon, then—"

Kageyama growls. "Then you need to—"

"It's not your turn to talk." Silence. "You've got twelve more words, Hinata."

"…I'm not worth anything on the court without that attack," he finishes lamely. Noya might not have heard him if he hadn't come up beside you, placing the first aid kit in your waiting hand.

You crouch down, start rifling through the kit with a nod of thanks to Noya. "You're trying to improve things because you want to keep being a regular."

"…yeah. I just want to keep playing volleyball."

"Alright. Kageyama. Fifty words or less."

Kageyama grits his teeth. You're not even looking at him—instead, you're looking over Hinata, a bandage in hand.

"If we spend all our time and energy working on making a change that might not work, it's just going to hurt us more later. Hinata should be focusing on improving as an all-around player instead of wasting time on something we've tried before and couldn't make work. All this—"

"That's fifty."

"Oi—"

"I said fifty words or less."

"But—"

"You just punched me in the face, so sorry, but you get to talk when I say you get to talk. You used your fifty." You accept a cold rag from Ryu, press it firmly against a red spot on Hinata's cheek. "Hold that there. It's not quite an ice pack, but it'll help with the swelling and maybe prevent later bruising."

"Um, [surname]-san, your lip—"

"This isn't about me, but thank you for your concern."

"Oi, did Kageyama seriously—" Ryu whispers to Noya.

Noya nods. "I don't think she even noticed. He got her right in the mouth."

You shift to looking over Kageyama for injuries, roughly smoothing a bandaid in place on his face. "I know I'm new to all this stuff, but you two weren't there for the start of the training camp. Right now, the team is built around that attack. Without it, you can't win against high-level teams. And with it, you also can't seem to win, but you're much closer."

Noya winces. You're right, but…

When you're satisfied with the first aid administered, another damp rag being pressed against Kageyama's own bruises, you lean back, settling on your knees to look at them both. "I don't think Hinata's wrong for wanting to improve it when it's not working. And I don't think Kageyama-san is wrong for wanting there to be focus on improving in other areas. It seems to me, as someone whose entire job is to watch you guys and pay attention, that both of those things are going to be necessary if you want to start winning. But that's just me."

After a long moment of silence, you sigh. "How are both of you feeling?"

"Fine," Shouyo mutters. Kageyama simply glares at the floor.

"Good enough. Let's get this mess cleaned up and go home. Gym inspections tomorrow, so you have a day to work through your shit before practicing together again. Do us all a favor and use it wisely. Solve it however, I don't care, but no more scaring Yachi-san and no more actual fistfights."

You rise, move to help them clean up the scattered volleyballs and take down the net. Noya grabs your shoulder immediately, turns you to inspect the damage.

That would be what Hinata was trying to point out. Now that you're actually facing him, he can see the split in your lip, the blood lazily trailing down your chin.

"Nope," he says immediately. "Come on, it's your turn to get first aid."

"Senpai, I'm—"

"Bleeding. Those three can clean up just fine. Let me take a look."

You roll your eyes, but let him guide you to sit against the wall while he inspects your bleeding mouth. Yachi seems no better for the wear after returning—the fight's done, which leaves her full brainspace to panic over you and your bloody lip.

"[s-surname]-chan, h-how did you—"

You scoff at her panic, pat the ground next to you. "Sit down. You look like you're gonna pass out."

She obediently sits. Noya crouches in front of you, tilts your chin so he can dab at the blood running down your face. "I'm gonna kill him," he growls.

"Don't. I knew what I was getting into. 'Sides, he clearly didn't mean to hit me."

"But he did," he grumbles.

Your eyes slide Yachi-ways, amusement clear in your features. "Senpai. You realize you can't really do anything for a split lip, right? It's stop the bleeding and then go about your life."

"But—"

"Yachi-san, are you okay?" you interrupt him, turning to the poor girl. "You're still super pale."

She nods slowly. "I… it's not like I got involved in the fight or anything. It was just… scary…"

You flash a reassuring smile, reach over to pat her on the shoulder. "You did good. It's over now, yeah?"

"Right… d-do you think they'll be… okay…?"

"They will if they've got their friends with them through it."

Noya stands, helps you to your feet. Offers a hand to Yachi, too, who politely refuses. "I seriously thought you might pass out back there."

She shakes her head. "I'll be okay. Thank you."

You brush yourself off. "Sorry you guys had to see that, though. Yachi-san, if you're feeling alright, maybe walk back with Hinata? You gel pretty well with him, and I don't think either of them want to hear any more from me tonight."

She nods. You ask the same favor of Ryu with walking back Kageyama; effortlessly, everything is cleaned up, the two first-years involved in the fight get sent on, and you walk back with Noya, carrying the bloodied rag in your hand.

"You're learning a lot about me today, I guess," you comment, a thin veneer of amusement over your voice. "We haven't even gotten to the part where I cook you dinner to make up for telling you all about my trauma immediately after."

"Hey, I'm not complaining," he jokes. If he runs right at the dinner thing, you'll probably clam up again. "Stern [name]-san back there was kinda hot, though. You need a husband?"

Wrong thing to say, Noya, wrong thing to say—

You toss your head back and laugh. "I dunno. I've gotten a lot of applications recently. Pretty sure they're all the same guy, though."

"Damn. He must have eyes or something."

"I'm not sure he does, really. I'm kinda a mess."

He pulls you into a side hug. "You do a really good job of pretending not to be."

"You're not even going to deny it?"

"Oh, sorry, you're not a mess. You alone are the one human being in existence who has ever had it together."

"Thank you, thank you." You pat his chest. His nerves light on fire at the contact—he nearly misses a step.

You lead him past his own house, where you normally part. Your mind is somewhere else—he lets it drift there for now. There'll be plenty of time over dinner to figure out what's going on inside your head.

~

Your hands shake as you prepare dinner. You didn't really have much of a plan, but curry makes a lot and lets you eat well for over a week after cooking once, so you tie an apron around your waist, peel potatoes, chop garlic, and get nearly half an hour to think about the elephant before you let it into the room.

Noya, for his part, waits as you work. He sits at the table, watches you swish about the kitchen, watches you grate an apple and wipe down the salt container and dump lemon juice into your bowl of grated apple. He's patient, just to surprise you. When you throw stock into the pot and drop a lid on top, you turn to him at last, feeling the dread so acutely that you end up turning back to the sink and washing whatever dishes you've dirtied in the past half an hour.

"Did you want to wait until we were eating to talk to me about it?" he asks at last, head propped up against his hand as he watches you. "I can help with dishes."

"No," you say, too quickly. "I just—I need to do something with my hands. Sorry. I'm nervous."

"It's alright. You've got good reason to be. How's your lip feeling?"

"I've had worse."

He raises an eyebrow at that, but doesn't press.

You wipe the knife clean and sigh.

"Alright. I think—I think I'm ready."

~

Twenty months and five days before you make curry with Nishinoya Yuu sitting in your kitchen, your parents finally figure out how hard it is to love you.

Ten days before that, you'd taken midterms and simply chosen not to care about them. You did whatever, you rushed in, you didn't prepare. And you bombed two exams.

For ten days, you didn't tell anyone. You crumpled the test papers into the bottom of your bookbag and forgot about them. Who cared, anyway? It was midterms and you were fourteen. They weren't even final exams. You had other, more important things to worry about, like the new game that just came out and impressing Kasumi from your homeroom—so cool, so pretty, so unabashed.

(To Noya, you don't mention her name. You don't mention her gender, or her shiny black hair, or how soft it felt between your fingers. How easy it was to find excuses to touch it.)

Your parents cared. They were rarely both home after school. They both loved their jobs, loved to work, loved each other, and loved you less. Love was real and it was different from person to person—shameless, bubbly affection between your parents, the thrilling swoop of your stomach as you stole kisses with Kasumi behind the arcade and fished for extra yen to try one more time for the rabbit plush in the crane game.

The parent you got to have on November 11th, 2010 was your mom. You took an early bath, left your bag a mess on the living room floor. Emerged with skin tinged pink from too-hot water, already in your pajamas long before dinner.

Your mother stood in the living room, a crumpled piece of paper in her hand.

Your math exam, a stunning twelve points out of a potential hundred at the top. You'd understood all the concepts, you just hadn't cared.

You always wanted to test whether people actually liked you.

If your mother loved you, she'd look at the paper and love you anyway. She'd work to love you, fourteen years old and filling out two answers on your answer sheet before doodling over the rest because you just didn't care anymore. She'd smile, exasperated, and ask why, and then no matter what you said, she wouldn't care about the answer because she'd love you anyway.

If your mother loved you, whenever she inevitably learned about Kasumi, about your infatuation with her berry-flavored chapstick and soft skin, there wouldn't be a fight. She'd look at you and see you happy with another girl. She'd smile, exasperated. She'd ask why, but wouldn't care about the answer. No matter what you said, she would love you anyway.

The way she looked at you wasn't loving. It was disappointed.

"Why does your test paper look like this, [name]?" she asked. In your memories, her voice sounds like ice, almost pretty in how cold it is. You're sure it probably sounded a little nicer at the time.

You'd mumbled something halfway truthful, something about you'll love me even if I'm a failure, right? and she'd looked actually hurt.

"You're not a failure," she said simply. "My daughter is not a failure. She's brilliant. She's just lost her way a little."

You didn't lose your way you loved her you loved her YOU LOVED HER—

You remember your temper flaring. You remember yelling.

You remember your mother going out for a walk—give me a minute. You calm yourself down, like we talked about, and I'm going to calm myself down outside, and then we can come back to this conversation, okay, sweetheart?

You remember sitting, arms crossed, on the couch. Screaming into a pillow. Screaming not into a pillow.

You remember laying on the couch, the way you always would with her when waiting for Dad to come home, late at the office again. The way you and Dad would when she was the one working late.

There was love in this house—once. The last time it had been here was November 10th, 2010.

Eventually, still angry, hoping to maybe yell at Mom in public so the neighbors would see how much she didn't love you, you stormed outside.

You saw your mom, returning from her walk.

You saw the car.

You're told that you screamed, but you don't remember it.

~

"So… yeah." The roux block breaks harshly in your hands with a crisp snap. Noya doesn't speak, so you keep talking. "Otoo-san has barely looked at me ever since. I don't blame him. I swing between trying to get him to be my father again and just not giving a fuck."

"Holy shit, [name]-san."

"I thought the whole neighborhood knew I got my mom killed."

He shakes his head. "I had no idea. Fuck, I'm—I'm so sorry."

"Please," you say, voice too sharp and jagged. You have to pause before you try again. "Don't be."

"What should I be, then?"

You stare at him a long moment, not quite understanding the question.

"…I don't know."

He stands, joins you at the stove. You stare into the pot, skim the scum pointedly to avoid looking at him.

"You know it wasn't your fault, right?"

"They never caught the driver of the car. He slowed down a little bit, started to get out, and then saw me and sped off."

"Holy shit."

"Yeah."

There was love in this house once. It was real, and took work, and it was earned.

It was warm and comforting. It felt like a hug from behind, standing at the stove and dissolving blocks of curry roux into a pot. It felt like quiet acceptance, like choosing not to leave when the door wasn't locked and no one was stopping you. It was sitting up on the couch, waiting for someone to come home from wherever they'd been out late to make life good for everyone else in the house.

It felt like the secret moments behind the shift from a question—why—to a smile, a decision.

There are realities you have to accept, and as far as you're concerned, there's realities you don't. One of the former is your mom's absence, the love that left with her. Still another is the raw facts of this scene: mixing curry, adding too much spice and still not enough, sitting in the living room and talking and laughing with Noya as he tastes your curry and promptly lets a marriage proposal leave his lips, breezy, easy, familiar.

"Nine hundred sixty-one," you say with a smile.

One of the latter types of realities looks more like this: a warm feeling in your chest, a familiar flutter in your stomach. The heat of his arm on your shoulder, the persistence of the smile on your lips. Complaints about the spice of the curry hurting your split lip met with playful teasing that you'll still think about laying on your futon tonight, long after he's gone home.

And you'll need one damn good yes to accept a reality you don't have to.

Later, you'll feel hollowed out from the mood swings of the day. Tomorrow, you'll feel too wrung-out to get out of bed in the morning. Tonight, you just feel warm. So warm, in fact, that you're not even mad when he pulls out his phone and produces a video of you, half-asleep and pressed into his side on the bus a few hours earlier, as proof that actually, [name]-san, you'll find I only need to ask nine hundred and sixty more times.

Nine hundred and sixty it is.

Tags: @deeplightgarden @idonthaveanameideayet @dusstory @kazunish

[pllat30]

Pilot Rewatch

A warning that my posts may contain spoilers for FIRST time watchers!!

I'm going to be sharing my original thoughts during the first time watching this when I was 17, and my current thoughts rewatching at 30. Some things have changed a lot for over the years lol

I'd also like to add that I may talk about characters being attractive or whatever, but I'm most likely talking about the ACTORS. **For example, Ezra, when I first watched PLL I fell in love with him. Of course, now things have changed with how I feel about the character, but I still find the actor, Ian Harding, incredibly attractive. So if it seems like I'm complimenting Ezra in my current thoughts, I'm talking about Ian.

The Barn Scene:

Right off the bat, the song, DONTTRUSTME by 3OH!3 throws so much nostalgia in my face!! I loved that song so much when it came out!!

Do they really only have the one glass of alcohol they're passing around? Why not a whole bottle?

I know the girls seem really cringy a lot of times but really, that's how a lot of teens are lol so cringe. I definitely was!

First Watch: Hmm. What was Spencer doing awake first??

Rewatch: My poor baby Spencer! :(

Present time, Aria moved back:

I fell in love with Aria's style right away! And her storyline with the secret between her and her dad, Bryon, got me hooked for sure.

Even now, I find it hard to see a teen girl going into a bar alone and ordering food. Unless it's more of a bar and grill?? I'm not sure.

First watch: Ezra is so cute! Just a regular guy thinking he found a cute girl his age. He seems so sweet.

Rewatch: OMG noooo Aria! RED FLAG! He even mentioned writing a BOOK!! OMG!

DANG girl! Aria, you used to just kissing guys who you JUST MET???

Hanna, Mona, and Spencer at the Mall:

I did not like Hanna, Spencer, and Mona at all at in this scene. They seemed so bitchy and snobby. I could not relate to them at all at 17. Now I see awkwardness between Hanna and Spencer, they used to be so close and now they're not. I get that now whenever I run into people I went to school with lol still think Mona is a bitch.

First Watch: OMG Hanna is going to get caught! I can't watch! Rewatch: OMG Hanna your mom is going to hook up with that pervy detective now! I mean I'm not blaming you but damn it's going to suck for you!

Back to School with Aria:

Bryon and Aria are so tense in their scenes together talking about his stupid affair. With a student... I don't fail to see the irony. I actually love how that is written.

I love Emily and Aria's friendship. And I totally get falling out of touch with people.

Oh no... the new teacher... LMAO

Yuck, how Hanna and Mona walk into the classroom. Aria is shocked lol

First Watch: NO FUCKING WAY!! THE GUY FROM THE BAR IS HER TEACHER!! THATS HOT!

Rewatch: EW... OOOH OMG! Mona is at her desk kinda looking away and down like she's discreetly TEXTING under her desk! OHOHOHO!

Emily's House:

OMG I still hate Emily's mom, Pam. At least in the early parts of the show.

Not going to lie I almost forgot about Maya lol I wish her character lasted longer. Just meeting someone and hanging out in their room is wild to me now lol but at 17, totally normal lol but still a little awkward at first.

Spencer's House:

I HATE MELISSA SO MUCH!! ALWAYS HAVE AND ALWAYS WILL!! This is when I started liking Spencer, I felt so bad for her. She's such a hard worker.

First Watch: Oooh who is the hot British guy?? He deserves someone better than bitch Melissa. He's seems so sweet with Spencer. They should get together.

Rewatch: UGH, Wren is still so cute but... UGH I can't remember how exactly he ties into everything with the endgame. But now realizing that he's older and with Spencer's sister, he turned into a creeper.

Aria and Ezra alone in classroom:

First Watch: OMG Aria and Mr. Fitz is so sad. They like each other but can't be together!

Rewatch: Ezra should have stuck with saying he can't be involved with her, wtf!?!

Emily and Maya kiss:

First Watch: Aww, Emily and Maya are cute together. I don't get why Emily can't just come out and tell people.

Rewatch: This is so sad. I know why Emily doesn't want anyone to know, but still.

Spencer's house:

First Watch: I would love a hot British guy to rub my shoulders. So jealous.

Rewatch: I mean I would still love that, but not as a minor with an older guy who is dating and having sex with my older sister!! Get away from her Wren!

Bryon and Ella:

Like, IDK how Ella didn't just stop Bryon right there and ask him WTF is going on. He's acting so suspicious!

Spencer's room:

God I feel so bad for Spencer. I would have been so PISSED with someone moving into my space that I made! I wouldn't have been surprised if she just set the damn thing on fire lmao. WHO THE HELL DID SPENCER SEE IN ALSON'S BEDROOM WINDOW?? I STILL DON'T KNOW!!

FLASHBACKS:

ALI is such a bitch, how were the girls friends with her to begin with?? WTF!

Hanna's House:

OMG that detective is such a perv. He knew walking up to Hanna's door what was going to happen with Ashley making a deal,or at least hoped for it. That pervy grin he has walking inside... I forget exactly what the detective's connections are with Alison and A and everything... but he's sus.

I feel bad for Hanna, I had problems with my body and weight as a teen too... You don't need your father Hanna!! He's a little bitch.

OMG EWW the detective making out with Ashley right in front of Hanna, GROSS that Ashley knows Hanna is right there... WTF

Finding Alison's Body... This song… Suggestions by Orella Has Orchestra. It hits me RIGHT in the feels!!

LOL the recasting of some of the characters seen at the funeral.

First Watch: OMG Ezra and Aria are so cute! He stops her and they kiss again! Maybe things will work out.

Rewatch: Aria, STEP AWAY from Ezra!!!... EZRA!!! STOP!! POLICE!

"Popular in life and death." I love Spencer Quotes lol

OOOH the phone text notification!!

I'm still here bitches!!!

I was very entertained watching this again. I started to remember some things that are connected. I look forward to continuing watching and seeing what else I can catch! I love foreshadowing!

[galaxacious]

Surprise self-rec time! Pick 3 of your favorite things you’ve written and share them here, then put this in the inbox (anonymously or not) of your fellow writers to spread the positivity and help celebrate already written fics 💞

Yay hi hello 💜💜💜

Earn Your Wings- FAHC. My only one shot. (Written pre 2020 if you know, you know.) It was my first time writing magic realism and I loved it, plus wings, which I also love. It was also a chance to some quick artworks out there, which I haven't done much of. I tend to favour posting works that me 400 million years to complete. (And while I don't write for the fandom anymore, that world is still on my mind...)

Blood and Copper Oxide - Star Wars. I love a good enemies to friends (really? Me? The guy who's been writing enemies to friends or lovers since 2016???) And tossing a bunch of magic realism in there with Luke being a feral menace was truly enjoyable to write. It has the most complicated tense I've ever written in, all action in present tense and internal thought in past tense. I tried to write it like someone telling a story around a campfire, and sort of immediate action is emphasised. Very fun. I need to draw some scenes from that fic.

A Quadrillion Ways To Die on the Outer Rim - Star Wars. Man, it's the most world building I've ever done and with my favourite premise - what if the Emperor just fucking died? Plus I get Piett to say fuck, which he's earned. Every day I think he should get to day jesus fucking christ but I haven't found a reasonable way to work that in.

I would say Galaxy Revolves at a Million Miles a Day (Around Me) but the last chapter is doing my head in. I'm sure once it's complete I'll look back at it fondly but I am in the trenches right now with it. Did finish the world's hardest conversation last week though! That should make things easier. I'm an action writer at heart, not a dialogue person.

Thanks @musewrangler for asking me 💜💜💜

[dont-leafmealone]

So! Finished Legacy Of Yangchen yesterday, and hoo boy. Here are my thoughts (spoiler warning):

amazing. awesome. 10/10

really though I think this is the best of any of the novels so far. Like I really liked the others but this one was really good

love that there was no forced romance or pointless will-they-won't they, Kavik and Yangchen *aren't at that point* (and you know might never be, we don't know) so while there's potential and a lot of chemistry (and a fake-dating plot), they don't have a big kiss moment or anything resembling a love confession - their closing interaction is a pledge of companionship. Frankly I think aang/katara should've been handled this way. But alas...

absolutely loved all the parts where it would show the present happening, get to a really tense moment, then cut away to show the build-up to that event - helped keep the suspense up while also giving the necessary set-up. Very cool.

Love Chaisee. She's horrible and I love her bc she's also really smart? And there's moments where you almost feel like she genuinely wants to help even though she's doing all this terrible stuff behind the scenes. But it never feels like inconsistent writing

That said. The fact that she supposedly invented Lake-Laogai-esque brainwashing felt a little forced yk. Like cool reference, why'd it have to be here? Now you've created questions like, how does this technique get all the way to Ba Sing Se 800 (give-or-take) years from now?

That's basically my only complaint though, and other people have covered that issue better than I could

I liked getting some more info on how combustion-bending happens, we already knew it was a rigorous training but yikesss

kalyaan also is such a cool villain. like, Avatar has done 'villain is the hero's relative' before but it's always been 'well, they're an abusive monster who'd let their family die as easily as anyone'. The scene where they got Kalyaan to confess by 'torturing' Kavik? Wouldn't have worked with Ozai or any of Korra's or Kyoshi's villains; iirc even the lady from Imbalance wasn't terribly concerned about her kids. Same goes for Chaisee and her genuine concern for her family; I liked the departure from the typical villain formula.

Absolutely cruel to kill off Nujian?? That was uncalled for. I'll be suing for emotional damages. Rude.

Jujinta my little guy <3 (i have a lot of thoughts on Jujinta but mostly I just think he's pretty cool. Would still love to know how the whole Yuyan thing works, since the Legends RPG says they were established in Roku's era a whopping six centuries or so in the future? Was archery just like a family trade until that point when they formed an Organization of it or is it just inconsistent lore?)

didn't expect Akuudan and Tayagum coming back for this book, but I'm glad they were included. Love 'em

That's about all the thoughts I have right now lol

[smaller-comfort]

Well, it's the reason the story is rated M! I wish I could figure out how to tag this, but I'm pretty sure "sex from a non-human pov wherein everyone involved is completely alienated from their physical body in some way but they're just going to make the best of it" is over the character limit.

Technically the sex is not particularly explicit, but it kind of feels like it actually is, to me. I don't know anymore. I realize the line between an M and an E rating is often pretty blurry; the Ratings Police probably aren't going to arrest me for using the word "sphincter".

Anyway. Notes below the cut; you know the drill, I like to hear myself talk.

I really, really love some of the language in this, but I recognize that I may have gone overboard a little bit in places.

'I may have gone overboard' sums up my feelings about this one in general, actually. I'm not about to provide a fully annotated draft where I justify my word choice, phrasing, and characterization line-by-line, but I probably could. (I definitely could.) I kind of really, really love this story. A lot. I'm not gonna lie, I'm really proud of it, even if it probably could've been like...half as long. Anyway. You get a cookie if you can figure out which bits are my favorites.

I almost decided to rewrite this whole thing in past tense. I'm still not entirely sure I shouldn't have, but it would be way too much work at this point. I tend to write smut in present tense; make of that what you will.

The game itself has a fairly distinctive "voice," and I do try to mimic that at least a little. B'st in particular walks this funny line between a formal register (doesn't use many contractions, 'Great Alchemist') and goofiness (taking out the trash, his transformations). (When people tell me I hit the voices right it makes me giddy for hours.)

Still operating on the premise that Songsters are funky little guys and not humanoids. Don't ask me how they have sex, though, I really haven't gotten that far and I'm probably not going to. "Not like this," thanks B'st, that's extremely illuminating. He's never actually going to get around to drawing that diagram.

('Safe sex' for human/songster couplings typically involves earplugs. Ancient Repine sex ed would've been a trip.)

"Hey, v, anatomically speaking-" shhhhh. It's magic glass. Don't worry about it. (Is any of the sex here actually sexy? Is it supposed to be? These are questions I ask myself frequently; I have no answers. At any rate, I think I nailed the 'weirdly alienating with lots of feelings' vibe, and that's mostly what I was going for.)

I like to headcanon Songsters having extremely complicated extended familial structures. B'st and T'kor might not have had kids of their own, but they would have shared childrearing responsibilities for members of their extended family. In that respect, Mooncradle's communal society is very familiar to B'st.

I know about the T'kor=AI Core theory, and it feels like exactly the sort of thing where Thierry would go "Oh, I thought that one was way too obvious, actually." I kind of hate it, though, because it's too tragic and it makes me too sad.

Speaking of things that are too sad! I cut some extremely depressing dialogue about how the abandoned lab and the lost souls were actually left behind for Resh'an to find. Aephorul intended for them to be another "gift"- he knew about Resh'an's work on living glass, and what he needed to finish it. It wasn't a coincidence that all the materials Resh'an needed were there.

B'st was already aware of this; Resh'an figured it out on his own. At this point neither of them is going to bring it up. B'st assumes it will just make Resh'an feel pointlessly guilty all over again, and Resh'an...is already feeling extremely guilty about it! Imagine that.

Living Glass was supposed to be Resh'an's solution to their decaying bodies. But by now Resh'an doesn't actually think he has a strong enough will to live to survive the process anymore (as he's got the depression) and Aephorul was never a fan of the idea of having a non-organic body to begin with.

(Not to say that Resh'an doesn't have an unshakeable sense of purpose, but that's not quite the same thing. Living Glass vs Borrowed Time rules.)

When I first started this one, it actually was going to be set in the same timeline as Loser Takes All, because it was much funnier that way. (Resh'an is not equipped to handle getting laid this much.) My thought was to make it a series where various characters find increasingly ridiculous ways to pin Resh'an down and fuck him stupid, since that's...kind of a recurring theme with me, I guess! Yomara was going to be next on the list.

Somehow my scrap file is almost 4000 words long, but I didn't actually end up cutting very much. The ending got rewritten like six times; the majority of the first chapter was originally supposed to take place after the sex. It flows better this way, though.

I did cut one of my favorite lines, though, so here you go:

“You may feel conflicted about what I am now and how I came to be, but I do not. Have faith in that, if nothing else. In this moment, in this time, I am exactly as I am meant to be.”

I'm not saying I'm not gonna write that eventually, mind you. Welcome to the niche corner, etc. Yomara deserves something nice, and the Three Sisters have been eating the corners of my brain a bit lately.

(B'st/Romaya is probably more likely at this point, though.) (Shout out to that one Serai/Romaya fic on ao3 that rewired my brain slightly, you're a real one.)

I've got Winter and Spring now, so the next story in the series should be Summer. But I might have more than 4 stories to tell in this particular universe. So maybe I'll jump straight to Autumn and keep with a general theme of "seasons" for everything.

[muzaktomyears]

Writing Pattern Game

Rules: Share the first line of your last ten published works or as many as you are able and see if there are any patterns! (from most recent to least recent, starting from the top)

(I've tagged myself, just to get more familiar with my own writing again. Also I only have 9 published Beatles fics, so the last one's an Alexander one)

Some Kind of Innocence: It’s not until Paul goes round to Mendips for the third or fourth time that he meets Tim.

I Gave Her My Heart (But She Wanted My Soul): So, for a little while after that, it’s fine.

A Taste of Honey (Tasting Much Sweeter Than Wine): They have already gone one round and are just having a quick inter-coital fag break.

What Do You See When You Turn Out the Light: They’re walking away from Mendips (Paul to the bus stop, John to the chippy) and Paul is trying, for what feels like the hundredth time, to persuade John into letting George join the band.

(I've Still Got) You All Over Me: Paul has just finished playing ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’’ for John on the church hall piano and they’re both noodling around on the keys, Paul seated, John still leaning over him, one arm on Paul’s shoulder to steady himself, watching the movements of Paul’s fingers with interest.

Well, You Know That I'm a Wicked Guy (Run for Your Life): When Ronnie Kray learns that Mr. Brian Epstein has run up massive gambling debts in their casino, it catches his attention.

Let Me into Your Heart: When Bob had first met them, in that New York hotel room, several lifetimes ago, he’d not really noticed George.

You Must Remember This (A Kiss is Just a Kiss): “Can’t believe it’s my birthday, my 21st birthday, and I’m in Paris, and no one wants to shag me,” John says.

(Come on and) Dream Baby Dream: It always happens like this.

Locum Tenens: The wine boy has been eyeing him up all evening.

I'm not sure that I put too much (intentional) thought into opening lines, so this is fun to look at. Most of these seem quite basic to me - right into what's happening/has just happened - though with some of them the story needs a bit more of a set up than what is assumed fandom knowledge/necessary for a PWP or the story itself is purposefully retrospective. I do quite like the conversational or confessional tone of the shorter, less info-dumpy lines, even if I don't tend to do them too much. I also don't seem to open with dialogue often.

Interesting that my latest Alexander fic (December '20) is in the present tense (like my Beatles fics), whereas my previous ones in that fandom are in the past!

[slickshoesareyoucrazy]

One of Many Reasons

I have written a literal book, the longest thing I've ever written by about 100 pages, about A being my best friend. He's in every other fictional piece I've ever written somewhere too, sometimes pretty prominently featured, even though he was never my Romantic Lead, in fiction or real life. I've written a shit ton of essays about him here and previous blogs too, way before he died, and obviously since. And I could write thousands more pages, millions more words, and still, I couldn't really ever capture why he's my best friend or show what the friendship truly means to me (yes I'm using the present tense, because he's still with me...I know he is). But since it's June, I thought I'd highlight a specific reason A has always been my bestie.

A's not LGBT+. Not even a flicker of doubt about his cis-straightness. Ever. But he got bullied a lot when we were kids for being skinny and artistic and smart and witty and not self-censoring or filtering any of that at all, regardless of his surroundings. He was perceived as 'weak.' Definitely nerdy. Maybe even 'effeminate,' which is basically just a needlessly gendered and sexist/homophobic form of 'weak.' But A was never weak. Hands down one of the absolute strongest people I've ever known in my life, particularly if you go with one of the classical definitions of strength, which is, 'how much bad shit can you just take, stacked up, without showing any cracks.' So he couldn't bench a refrigerator, or dunk a basketball, but man, I don't know a person who took more constant non-physical suffering with more grace than A. And while he isn't LGBT+, he sure got CALLED a lot of slurs related to the community when we were kids (and maybe also into adulthood, although I never personally heard those anymore; you can curate your own social experience in adulthood more than you can as a kid, so when I was around A as an adult, I was also decidedly NOT around any other people who would use a racial, or gender, or religious, or LGBT+ slur...ever). Particularly the f-word. THAT f-word. You all know I don't mean fuck. I type and say fuck ALL the TIME. Probably too much, if there is such a thing as too many fucks.

Anyway, since it's Pride, I felt like sharing this little piece of a conversation I had with A back in March of 2017 when we were watching tournament basketball together and had previously been talking about 1. the literal action in multiple games 2. head coaches we do not like, very unkindly and specifically and 3. why I will not get on Twitter to talk sports, despite the fact that he wanted me to (because on Twitter even back then, if it was discovered you were a woman and you had an opinion about sports at all, you were gonna get rape threats). And he said yeah, he understood, even though he was a guy, because then you 'just' get your manhood questioned and called LGBT+ slurs, which is horrible and stupid, but certainly not rape threats. And I said well that's shitty too; why do YOU stay?! 😂 And here's what he said.

Just one more reason why A's my best friend. He'd stand right in the middle of that shit and stop it. Even if it took a loooong time.

That's strength, motherfuckers. It was inspirational strength to me for our entire friendship. Every time I've defended myself or someone else, the roots of that came from A.

Anyway, Happy Pride from a straight-passing demisexual and her dead straight guy best friend. ❤️🏳️‍🌈🌈

[the-silver-peahen-residence]

||The Misadventures of the Phoenix and the Shadow Chimera Sorcerers Part 9-Under a cursed spell ||

Hi Dears, Peahen mom here and I'm going to be writing something but it's time to add another chapter for this mini series book. So I hope you like part 9.

If you wanna read up on what is happening in these adventures, the chapters are below.

~~Chapter List~~

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

((Your reading part 9))

||Drabble Summary||

It seems the others were still doing some training the next day to continue today though, it seems this one sorta went a little south. Knowing much, it involves Kisho, a curse that showed up, and a slip up. Now what could this be? Read to find out.

--- Warning ---

~Their will be swearing present

~One being possessed is present

~A little funny moment is seen in this

~~Guests in drabble~~

Taz Hellion, Kinie, Rioto Kir-IN, Daichi Pheon-X belong to my beloved amazing friend @demon-blood-youths

Ryomen Sukuna, Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, Maki Zenin, and Nobara Kugisaki is from the anime serious Jujutsu Kaisen. Also to me due to rping as them as muse

((Note: This drabble will have heavy grammar mistakes and errors but this was written for fun. I hope you understand but also enjoy please.))

It was another quiet afternoon here in Jujutsu high with all the students doing their usual thing. It was like nothing was wrong; well....seems not today.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO KISHO!?!" A angry shout was heard from the classroom while he shook Kisho harshly who was dizzy with swirls in his eyes.

"I'M SORRY, MEGUMI! I'M SO SO SORRY! I DIDN'T KNOW THE CURSE WOULD DO THAT IF I THOUGHT OF MIKO! PLEASE IT'S ONLY FOR 24 HOURS-"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 24 HOURS!?" Megumi said angry but Yuji and Nobara was trying to calm him down.

"Megumi calm down! It's not too bad!" Yuji said.

"HOW IS IT NOT BAD!? SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE'S UNDER SOME CURSE NOW!" He said angry.

"But not forever! Will you stop or you'll make Kisho get sick!" he said worried trying to calm them down.

Yuria and Taz sweatdrops while sitting by a happy dazed Miko who seems to be under some curse indeed. Though, she seems more happier with no worry in the world.

Now, you could be wondering how this happened? Well....

~~~~~~~~

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHAA!! You won't be able to stop me! I'll stop all of you no matter what. And curse this whole town!" a cursed spirit said giggling. Today was suppose to be a continued training session today but it all was put on hold when this curse spirit appeared in the school grounds!

"Oh no, you're going to be stopped right here and now!" Yuji points trying to attack the spirit but it ducks to hit him away right into Megumi who winces.

"We need to get rid of this thing!" Nobara said trying to attack but the curse ducks to smile.

"What's wrong? Can't hit me!!" she teased above Nobara who was getting more annoyed.

"Why you-Get down here and face me!" she said waving her arms in a angry way.

"No worries guys, I got it!" Kisho said aiming a flame arrow at it and lets it go. However, the curse ducks but giggled to look at Kisho. He tense to move away but aims again but the curse snickered.

"You guys are so much fun to play with! Lets play some more!" the spirit laughed now playing around more and more. The group kept trying to exorcist the spirit but that's when it got hit thanks to Taz who slashed it. The curse screeches out in pain but crashes while twitching feeling dark purple blood spill.

"No!! That's not fair!!" it said but Taz saw Megumi ready to get rid of it. "Too bad, you lost so now it's time to get rid of you!"

However, the curse snickered to smile. "Hold on now...."

"Huh?"

"Before you kill me, who is on your mind right now?" the curse asked Kisho who blinks to look confused.

"Uhhhhhh..what are you talking about?" he asked.

"Just tell me. I won't say much."

"Daichi, don't listen to her. It has to be a trick!" Nobara said pointing but the curse pouts.

"It's not my fault I was asking a question. I'm not a evil girl like you are." she said seeing Nobara's eye twitch with a vein popping.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY TO ME YOU-" She now tries to attack but Yuji and Megumi held her back.

"Nobara calm down!" Megumi said.

"She's just trying to get at you! DX" Yuji said.

"LET ME GO YOU GUYS! LET ME AT HER!! LET ME AT HER!" she shouted with the curse laughing holding it's stomach.

'Wow, this curse is just being a child now....' Kinie said on top of Taz's head but the curse saw it.

"Hey, that's not nice to say you dog!" she said but that also got Kinie angry to growl.

"Oh no-"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A DOG YOU FILTHY WORM!!" Kinie said but Taz was holding Kinie back.

"Kinie, calm down!" she yelped holding her back.

Daichi looks but was ready to exorcist the spirit. "That's it, your done!" he said but as he was about to do that....

"Guys! Did you get the curse s..spirit! It's domain is still around the school!" Miko said worried but Daichi looks to her.

"Miko! Where's-"

"Ohhhh so that's the one huh? Perfect!" the curse giggled but snaps her fingers. Miko blinks before she yelps, feeling something heavy or clouding her thoughts but held her head.

"Miko!!" Yuria was going to get her away but Daichi saw this but was worried to quickly see Megumi exorcist the spirit.

"Wait, wait! what did you do to our friend!?" he said but the curse giggled as it was being exorcised.

"Nothing..just a farewell present. Hope you have fun for the next 24 hours!" she laughed before disappearing. When she did, Miko passed out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Which brings us to now. Miko was awake but she was smiling, having a happy like cursed cloud around her with giggles. Taz and Yuria was worried but Megumi drops Kisho who winces when landing on his butt.

"Ow!"

"We need to find a way to break this curse quickly and now Kisho!" he said as Kisho was rubbing his butt but his eyes were still swirls.

"Ohh come on, it's not that bad! Maybe the curse was trying to trick us!" he said nervous but before Megumi speaks, he saw Miko happily rushing over to hug Kisho smiling. ".....!?!?"

"Kishoooooo...." she giggled more hugging him.

"Uhhh M...Miko?"

"Hi Kisho! Did you wanna still hang out later on after school? I still want to learn more about curses and know more about you too!" she smiled happily looking to him and nuzzling against his arm with a :3 expression.

"I..wait what!? Miko Y...you I....ummm.." Kisho blinks not sure on how to respond to this but he did try to speak but tenses seeing Megumi's scary angry look again.

"I CAN FIX THIS! I CAN JUST PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!" he said panicking again.

'And I thought he couldn't slip up again.....still runs in the group I see..' Sukuna said from Yuji's cheek but he sighed to look at the scene.

"Not helping Sukuna.." he said.

"Hey! It was not my fault the curse would do that to Miko! Stop blaming me for things, Sukuna!" Kisho said pointing at him but Sukuna didn't really care about it.

"Can't we ask Gojo sensei to help find a way to break it?" Yuria asked.

"We did but he said we have to let it run it's 24 and she will be normal again. We don't know what it could do.." Taz mutters after finally calming Kinie down.

"So she's like this for a while then?" Megumi asked but saw Miko happily nuzzling Kisho's arm with a smile.

"Seems so. We just need to be sure she don't get upset or anything..not after what happened a while back when she blew up the classroom when getting mad. -_-" Megumi said.

"Ohh..."

Yeah, when she got angry, Miko's body was flowing with strong cursed energy that she exploded the class room. They knew it was only due to that curse but at least Miko calmed down....well, after crying a little storm flooding the classroom too.

"Well, she's like this for 24 hours so I guess it's fine. We just need to be sure she stays happy and safe for now till it wears off. That means Kisho, your going to watch over her till she snaps out of it." Megumi said that Kisho blinks.

"M..Me!? But she-"

"Oh no! This is all because you got her involved! I keep saying we should have got the curse away from the school but we fought it here to look what happened! So your watching over her!" Megumi said.

"I'm not against it but aren't you guys going to help me!? T^T.." he said feeling Miko hugging him even if he was trying not to feel his face heat up.

"Don't worry we will help!" Yuji said as he was about to get near the two, he stops seeing Miko's body glowing with dangerous cursed energy that he stops to move back. "Orrrr not?" he said. Seeing her relax, Miko was happy again to hug him.

"What did the curse even do to Miko again?" Taz said worried.

"I think she place a cursed on Miko that would effect her emotions and it's due to her cursed energy mixed up with Miko's own. I say we are going to have to try to help without upsetting her too much to do anything harsh." Megumi sighed.

"So how can we help him?" Yuria said.

"For now, we'll just keep near if you need help. Why don't you get her to the dorm to let her rest up?" Nobara said but they sighed to see Kisho seeing Miko happy.

"This is unlike you Miko.." he said. "I'm so sorry I got you cursed!" he said.

"Ohhh it's fine. She will be awake in a few hours!" the curse said using Miko's voice.

"Eh?!"

"Hold on isn't that..."

"Yeah, still here. I had to live for a little longer but I will be gone within 24 hours though." she giggled but Kisho got up to look pointing with eyes wide.

"H..HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!? WE EXORCIST YOU!" he said.

"You did with my shell of a body but I took home in your friend for a bit. Trust me, I won't do anything bad! Just wanna have a little fun is all no worries! When the 24 hours is gone, I'll leave!" she laughed but the others blinks with a shocked expression seen. So that's why she asked who he was thinking about it which resulted in him thinking about Miko to end up taking over her for 24 hours.

"Your still not getting away with what you said to me you-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know! Still true though. "she snickered with Nobara's eye twitching. "So get over it. Your stuck with me for 24 hours and if you try to get me out, you'll end up hurting your friend. So lets just have some fun! X3" she said happy but the others groan mentally. This was going to be a long day.

~~~~~~~~

Within the few hours, the others along with the curse taking over Miko's body was 'hanging out' even when it was making Miko do crazy things and just causing trouble. It was a headache for everyone! Even doing their best to keep her from upsetting Kinie and Nobara. Even Maki who was close to doing that till they explained what happened.

The girls were keeping a eye on possessed Miko who was happily trying to have fun with them while the boys were worried but thinking of some idea on how to keep the peace. Though, the hours kept going on for the time till later on. Now it was time for dinner but Taz was seeing the other girls speaking or eating ice cream before the possessed Miko happily eats some of the frozen treat.

"I swear a really want to just get rid of the curse from Miko. It's not fair she's under it all from today's little mission." Nobara grumbled but Taz sighed to pat her big sister's back.

"Even so, I hope Miko is alright.." Yuria said worried about her as well.

"Don't worry, it's only for a few more hours. We just have to keep a eye on her till the time passes like everyone says. Besides, she's not that bad...." Taz said.

'Pup, she's annoying. True, I hope Miko is alright even when that spirit said she's asleep right now. I really am holding back from ripping that spirit out of Miko and eating it!' Kinie hissed while looking annoyed.

"You know? I don't blame you Kinie though we have to wait till the hours pass first. We just need to keep a eye on her till the hours pass." Nobara said.

'I already find it annoying. That and the fact she's a pig!!' Kinie said seeing the possessed Miko eating some snacks happily while seeing it just looking at the window with a smile. However, it heard to look.

"Not my fault, dog! Why? Your all talk but you can't bite can you?!" the spirit said but KInie growls.

"LISTEN HERE YOU BITCH! YOU BETTER BE LUCKY I DON'T STRANGLE YOU OR I'LL-"

"Boring!! Your so boring!" she laughed. Taz was trying to calm Kinie down again as she was wanting to really get at this curse. The girls will just have to deal with it for the time being but heard the other speak.

"Do you girls have anymore ice cream!? This is really good!" She said with the girls sighing. This was going to be a long night.

After that night, the 24 hours was coming close with everyone trying to help Kisho with the possessed Miko who was enjoying the last few moments of their free time. Though, messing and getting the others angry was just as fun so why not. For now, that day on the final hour, the others were tired from watching this spirit but she was happy while smiling.

"Wow, you guys did well in keeping sane without trying to get rid of me. Good work." The possessed Miko said sweetly to see everyone else tired.

"Yeah, thanks a lot." Nobara was tired but she really wanted this curse to be gone now.

"Even so, we got through it so you can pass on now." she heard Megumi say this but the cursed spirit giggled before seeing the sun rising showing it was the last day.

"True but it was fun. I will say this; thanks for the fun with you all. And the jokes too. Though take this as a lesson in your so called training; you never know what sort of curses are out there. Just be happy it was not one that could really have hurt your friend here." she said but as the others were ready to speak, they saw Miko's body glowing a different cursed color but she leans back while seeing the curse that took over coming out showing their see through form.

"Miko!"

"Like I said, I didn't harm her just wanted some little fun. She is just sleeping but when i leave her fully, she's all yours. I will say thanks for the fun! I had a blast!" she laughed before leaving Miko fully then sees her falling back. Kisho and Taz quickly goes to catch Miko but saw the curse disappearing now into nothing.

The two look seeing it was gone but heard a tired groan looking down. Miko's face was scrunched up but she looked really tired to open her eyes. "H..Huh? W..wha?"

"Miko!" Taz said happy.

"Your back!" Kisho said as the two hug her but she blinks confused to what happened.

"B..back? What do you m..mean back? Did I go s..somewhere?" she mutters but the other two didn't say anything. They were happy to have her back.

"You know what? I think I'll write the short report on this...what a headache.." Nobara said grumbling to do that but she was happy to see Miko back to her self again. Megumi and Yuji goes to help the other two with Yuria so they can get Miko to bed to rest.

Well, that was a crazy side track little training session. Though, more will come in the future for the sorcerers. For now, it was time to rest.

[amethystandemma]

Just finished writing this little bit for the Captain Marvel family! Please tell me what you all think!

. . . . . . . . . .

Ages

Mary and Max: 16

Pedro: 15

Billy and Freddy: 14

Eugene: 11

Darla: 9

. . . . . . . . . . .

Ding dong.

Mary Bromfield looked away from the bathroom mirror at the closed door, still holding her pink hairbrush. Did she hear the doorbell, or was it her imagination?

Ding dong.

"I'll get it!" Mary yelled as she threw down her brush. She opened the door and started sprinting down the stairs.

Sitting on the couch engrossed in a computer game was her youngest foster brother, Eugene Choi. He was oblivious to the world around him thanks to his headphones. A gun could fire right next to him and he wouldn't bat an eye. That meant he wasn't a threat.

But he wasn't the only person in the house. There were others that she had to worry about.

Ding dong.

Mary pushed a strand of her brown hair behind her ear and took a deep breath. She opened the door.

Standing on the doorstep was who Mary thought was the most handsome boy in the entire world: Max Mardon. He had fluffy dark brown hair that curled behind his neck, a nice build from playing baseball, and a tender smile that was almost always on his face. What Mary most liked was his kind purple eyes.

"Hey Mary," Max greeted. "I brought you these." He handed her a bouquet of red roses.

"They're lovely," Mary said, blushing.

Mary heard more footsteps and grew tense, knowing what was coming next. A manicured hand gently patted her shoulder.

"Mi Vida, you didn't tell me that you had company coming over!" Rosa Vasquez, Mary's foster mom said.

More footsteps.

"Company?" Victor Vasquez, Mary's foster father asked. "Why don't you come in?"

"I don't want to intrude-" Max started.

"That's right, he doesn't." Mary interrupted.

Victor either didn't hear her or he ignored her because Max was inside the house before Mary could protest more.

"I'll make some tea." Rosa said with a smile, walking off to the kitchen. Victor made an "I'm watching you" motion at Max before following his wife.

Mary sat down on the sofa with a sigh. Max stood next to the couch, looking around the cluttered house. Eugene didn't even notice the movement around him.

"Sorry about the mess," Mary said. "We have a lot of people living here."

"I don't mind," Max smiled. "I actually find it charming. My mom doesn't let anything stay out of place."

"That's dumb." Freddy Freeman, another one of Mary's foster brothers said.

"Yeah, it kind of is." Billy Batson, the newest foster brother, agreed.

Mary glared at both of them. Freddy smiled innocently and leaned on his cane while Billy stuck his tongue out.

Boys, Mary thought with an eye roll.

"Mind if I ask you some questions?" Freddy asked.

"I-"

"Good." Freddy sat down on the armrest where Eugene sat playing his game. "Sit."

Max moved to sit next to Mary. Billy jumped in front of him and sat down on the sofa.

"Sorry, this seat's taken," Billy said, motioning to the open living chair. "You're welcome to sit there though."

Max shrugged and sat down.

"I'm sorry." Mary mouthed.

"It's fine." Max mouthed back, giving her a thumbs up.

"Oh, so you're throwing gang signs?" Freddy asked. "In a house with children present?"

Billy pointed at the archway where Darla Dudley stood watching everything while eating a banana.

"Don't you guys have something better to do? I mean, we don't need an interrogation." Mary said, crossing her arms.

"Mary, Mary, Mary," Freddy tutted. "If this was an interrogation we would be establishing background first."

"I stand corrected." Mary rolled her eyes. "C'mon Max, we're leaving."

Mary stood up just as her final foster brother, Pedro Peña, walked into the room.

"Oh, there you are Mary," Pedro said. He held up a notebook. "Can you help me with this equation real quick?"

Mary glanced at Max. He gave her an encouraging smile and started to do a thumbs up before looking at Freddy. He put his hand down.

"Sure Pedro, I can help." Mary said.

She walked up the stairs. Pedro started to go after her before turning around and giving the "okay" sign to Freddy. Freddy smirked, nodding.

"Oh, so he can do gang signs?" Max asked with a half-hearted laugh once Pedro was gone.

Neither Freddy nor Billy laughed. They just stared at him. Max wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans.

"Look, we're just going out for a movie," Max said. "I promise I won't hurt her."

"How do we know you can trust you?" Billy asked.

Max threw up his hands. "I don't know, you could trust Mary's judgment?"

"Please, when a female is in heat they rely on instinct, not thought." Freddy said.

"Dude." Billy gagged.

"Gross." Max added.

Freddy turned to Billy. "You're taking his side?"

"Well, yeah when you say stuff like that!" Billy yelled.

Mary popped her head out of the stairwell and quickly waved at Max. He glanced at the two bickering boys before running towards her. She grabbed his hand and ran out the front door.

"Sorry," she said. "They're... insane."

Max laughed, kissing her hand gently. Mary blushed.

"I love crazy," he said. "Now, let's go catch that movie."