#i feel like jess would be the only person not annoyed by me tagging them hehe

[ghostflowerhotpotch]

Let's Talk Peter B

@iwasbored777 (Since you ask to be tagged)

Okay! I was on the fence about writing this post, but after doing this response and some encouragement, I decided that fuck it, let’s do this.

While I had seen multiple things about Gwen being a bad friend, a bad person, and other things I don’t want to say because I will start ranting- Peter B for the most part, has come out scotch free.

Don’t get me wrong, I had seen some people address his issues, but it has been a few posts in a sea of him with Mayday and people shipping with Miguel. Which hey, is okay with me, but when you see you a character you love be given the short end of the stick despite the circumstances yet another character that has much less to lose has their mistakes largely been ignored and basically be woobify.

Is not just Gwen, I had also seen people take beef with Jess as a mentor yet somehow leave Peter out of that conversation. Don’t get me wrong Jess is far from perfect (which is something I discussed before,) but again, Peter is far from perfect too.

Does this has to do with Peter being a beloved main character in the first movie? Yes. Does it also has to do with misogynoir and misogyny? Oh I don’t doubt it.

I don’t hate Peter B, far from it, I think he is a great adaptation of our spidey, and while I am not the biggest spiderman fan out there, I did grew up with Peter Parker in movies and cartoons so I do have love for this characters as well as his incarnation in Sony movies.

I will do my best to remain as unbiased and neutral as possible, but not gonna lie this entire thing is annoying me enough that I will say when I am aware of my own biases, as I always try to do.

But if you think liking a character stops me from calling them on their bullshit you are wrong.

I know this post is more about how Peter is with Miles and his role as a mentor, but I decided to address some other things I had seen people talk about because there is a reason I choose "Let's talk Peter B Parker" as a title.

Believe it or not, I am fine with this. Seriously.

Peter wasn’t here when Miles arrived, and considering they did a small tour and got an empanada on the way, I think wouldn’t be odd to say he wasn’t around when Miles arrived. My theory is that he was taking care of his own stuff, and once he knew that Miles was around, went to get Mayday to present her to Miles.

I think that’s pretty normal all things consider, he loves Miles and wouldn’t had fixed things with MJ and had his daughter without her, of course he would want the two of to met.

The enthusiasm is all things consider pretty sweet, and while I don’t approve of some things he does (like giving her a web shooter while being just a few months old?) Is one of those things that are part of superhero writing that has the children technically doing things that they shouldn’t be doing for their age, so I just let it slide because if I get hung up every time I see something like this, it would not end.

I’m the only one who is actually mad about this comment?

Yes, is a joke, I get that, and Peter is trying to take as much as steam off Miles by trying to frame him on the light that he messes up, but is just who he is.

It doesn’t make me any less annoyed.

For starters, I feel like I am rereading Percy Jackson again (No I will not explain that reference.) Because despite everyone more or less knowing what’s going on (Hobie said before he didn’t know what Miguel was hiding so how much he knows is unsure,) no one has attempted to explain the situation to Miles.

This is a trope I had seen enough (including WAY too many times in the books I mentioned,) and I really resent when characters act as if the protagonist or someone else is stupid just because they are unaware of something. ESPECIALLY if the characters saying so are aware they don’t know.

They are also letting him believe is a good thing he is in HQ, but that is actually not Peter’s fault. I am mad with Gwen on this one, but also Jessica, and Hobie well, he should have known enough to be able to tell him seeing Miguel is not good news. At least Hobie tries to warn him as subtly as possible.

Sure, Peter just got here, but the fact that he is already accusing Miles of just messing up with the universe carelessly is not something that doesn’t sit well with me. Either he knows that Miles doesn’t know and is making an insulting comment, or thinks Miles is aware of the situation and just acted recklessly. The second one is the best scenario, but I feel Peter is presuming way too much for someone that just came around and should have known better than believe Miles knew all of these details while Miguel basically has a giant banner of “Not Earth-1610 Anomalies allowed.”

Also, sidetrack but what exactly does Miles do that isn’t just your typical spidey behaviour? Yes he doesn’t always have full-formed plans before acting but you can say that about EVERYONE in the room at that moment.

“He wasn’t thinking, is not like he works!” My ass.

Want my two cents about this moment? Peter has zero business telling this to Miles.

When Miles asks Gwen about her dad, she is crestfallen, she doesn’t like to believe this more than he does; but unlike anyone else in this room, Gwen cannot return to her home dimension. The best case scenario is if she isn’t there, her dad may not die; but that’s the best case scenario, and that involves again, not stepping again in her home dimension ever again. Her best bet is never to see her home, or anyone she knows including her dad, because not only she may end up in prison, her presence may lead to the death of her dad.

And who knows, it may happen regardless; he may be dead already because he is a police officer and she couldn’t be there to give a hand or save him (As she said she did in Into the Spider-verse, by the way.)

Yet at least, she is coming to this with the idea that her life is going to have to SUCK for a few years, things happening or not happening depending on where she is but none of this is pretty or fair.

Peter? As far as we know, he is done.

Considering the age range of the Spidey-characters, chances are Peter already lived the canon events he needed to live, at best they don’t know what’s next, which means he can operate as he feels is the best course of action.

Miles asked him if he would have let his uncle die, but Peter lost his uncle over twenty years ago, he had enough time to grieve, to accept the outcome, and find happiness after it. And to top it all off, HE DIDN’T HAVE THAT MORAL DILEMMA PLACED IN FRONT OF HIM BEFORE IT HAPPENED.

I find Peter’s words hollow because unlike Miles, he was never asked to not intervene in a canon event, he hasn’t needed to deal with someone from his universe dying while he let it play out.

I am not saying he didn't suffer, he did, and a lot; yet he was unaware that this would happen, is way different having someone tell you “Oh those tragedies you lived? It’s the destiny that keeps everything together, it’s rough but it is what it is,” than someone telling you “Oh you are going to live a bunch of different personal tragedies, and you need to suffer with the burden of this knowledge because is this or everyone in every universe dies.”

(How much do you guys bet someone will use this as an example of the trolley problem in a philosophy class.)

Since we are going in kind of a chronological order, let’s go to something a tad lighter both because it deserves mention, and so I can cool down before I start ranting in Spanish (which is not going to be saying pretty things about B precisely.)

Yes, Peter recognizes this is bad parenting, which is good because it certainly isn’t good; I also have trouble believing he didn’t know AT LEAST ONE spider that could stay behind and watch Mayday while he went to the chase.

However, I do think the chase was never going to be dangerous, nor Peter thought it would be. He has been Spider-man for a quarter of a century, he has been swinging around for so long is second nature to him, I bet he has taken Mayday on “strolls” which is him swinging around.

There is also another screenshot that really encapsulates that Peter didn’t realize how dire the situation is, but that’s for later.

There is also the possibility that he asked Miguel to do this as a way to distract him, but considering this is the only time he does this and is going around him being obsessed with Mayday (Which I think is a bit too much, but I blame more the writers than Peter for that.) I am inclined to believe this is not the case.

(Sigh) I promise to try to be neutral, so I need to bring this up.

What they were talking about earlier can be lumped to a bit later on, and I decided to bring this instead of talking about it when Miles and Peter saw each other (which is I didn’t bring because what I could say would be the same as this.) Because this is something really beautiful that I didn’t want to leave out.

I think that’s what angers me the most about this, because in a vacuum? I love this.

I am a sucker for found family tropes, I love the idea that Miles would grow to see people like Peter B, Noir, and so forth as a family. I love how Peter says how much Miles means to him and meeting him changed his life for the better.

Peter B loves Miles, he said that in the last movie; I can’t just erase that.

However, is exactly because of this scene, that what happens next makes me so sad.

Oh, Miles.

I didn’t mention it in the previous image nor did I took detailed screenshots for the sake of my sanity and to not turn this way too long. (Though I may do it in another moment- Ok I need to focus.)

Miles was obviously affected by what Peter said to him, it obviously means a lot because Miles also loves Peter; of all the spiders in the gang he was the one who he spent the most time initially; he wouldn’t be the Spider-man he is today without him.

And it breaks my heart how Miles says this.

Look at the angle, at his posture; Miles can’t even turn to say this to Peter’s face because it hurts so much. He looks so small in that shot, trying to emphasize how he is just a teen, how he really loves them so much, and it breaks his heart to know that they could visit him, and they didn’t.

Let’s remember what he was doing at the beginning of the movie; he was trying to study physics. He is great at it, and he was since the first movie, however, this is clearly not his passion; he loves his art and even if he didn’t know what he wanted to do yet in the first movie, you can see how much he loves what he does.

And he was willing to leave all of that aside, just to see Gwen, Peter and the others again; because as far as he knew there wasn’t any other way. Remember, he was aiming at Princeton; he would need to bleed and work hard to get there, and even after, being in this field it was not going to be a walk in the park; getting to make the dimensional travel work (At least without seeing Miguel’s technology like Hobie seemed to do;) was also going to be hard.

Miles wanted to do all of that for them, and them? They didn’t.

Now; I don’t blame Gwen in this scenario.

I had said this much in this post before, and a bunch of others too. Gwen was stuck with the Spider Society; and yet she risked losing everything, from homelessness to prison, to spend an afternoon with Miles the second she had an excuse.

What is Peter’s excuse?

He couldn't, he couldn't.

That's what he had to say for himself.

Here is the thing: I am not sure I buy it.

Gwen makes sense to me, Miguel didn't want Gwen to be involved since the beginning and obviously doesn't trust her when is about Miles; Gwen wasn't exactly wrong to fear she would get kicked out if she acted out of line.

Peter? I have my doubts.

We don't know Miguel's and Peter B's relationship (I know some shippers have some ideas, not my cup of tea but I have no problem if people like it.) However, we know that Peter B was there when Miguel's dimension collapsed, later in the movie we saw what Miguel did to Gwen for what happened (believe me, we will get there.)

Even if that was the case; Peter’s situation is much less dire than Gwen’s. Even if Peter could be kicked out of the organization for disobeying Miguel; he would still have his wife, his house, his daughter. He would had been in the same spot he was at the end of the first movie, if not better because now he would had a chance to know both him and Miles would be okay.

I am getting ahead of the post here, but I honestly don’t know how much of Canon BS Peter believes; he clearly doesn’t think Miles is bad for being an anomaly, nor his daughter (technically because Peter wasn’t supposed to meet Miles, he wouldn’t have his daughter. Is certainly a NO in the comics.) Miguel is convinced that Miles’ presence is enough to create more holes in the multiverse; Gwen obviously doesn’t share that view. Peter? I don’t know if he thinks there is actually something to lose for visiting him.

One way or another, he doesn’t really give me a reason here; who knows, maybe when Beyond comes there would be enough information for me to admit Peter did the right thing. For now? No.

Here, we have Miles telling Peter he wanted to meet them so badly, and even if Peter doesn't have a clue of how literal Miles is; you can hear it in his voice, in his posture, how he still cannot look at Peter because to that point it hurts.

And what's Peter's response to this?

(Deep breath,) Boy at moments like this I really wish I didn't think so hard about media.

It hurts me, and it angers me, because it is a pretty sweet moment, but when you think hard about it, it just becomes messy.

I could make an entire discussion about how Peter literally ignored Miles’ feelings about not being there, about how he and others (Gwen not really, the others eehhh hard to say;) didn’t try too reach him, which obviously makes him feel like they don’t care about him as he does. And Peter decide to ignored it.

But! I will try to give him the benefit that this is a tense situation, there is hundreds of spiders looking for them, and there only have so much time. I am going to believe, Peter couldn’t address that at the moment because they had other issues.

Yet even if we omit that point, do you guys realize this is literally no different that his entire spiel about Uncle Ben, right?

Because that’s what he is trying to say, “Spider-man has to suffer, but hey sometimes good things can happen anyways.” This entire conversation is about trying to make Miles follow him, do whatever Miguel is trying to do to avoid having Miles go to his dimension (or at least stop him from saving his dad,) and basically let her dad die.

Look, there is nuance to this situation; Peter isn’t saying this to manipulate Miles, he believes this. He truly believes bad things had to happen to keep the universe from falling apart; I am convinced Miguel’s second universe didn’t fall for his Canon theory, yet Peter B was there, I can’t blame the guy for drinking the kool-aid a bit more than the others.

This doesn’t change the fact that this scene has Peter ignoring Miles’ pain, and try to tell him he needs to suffer some more because “is just how the universe works!”

(Sidenote but anyone can’t help to see this and think of a random Christian telling someone after they lived a personal tragedy “Is just G-d’s plan”? Because I saw that a lot.)

Now, I guess the next question someone may be wondering is, do I believe Peter was being honest with Miles here?

...I don’t know, I really, don’t know.

I had seen this scene multiple times, and I lost count how many times when I was in the theatre, seeing this scene, and thinking “he knew” just for the next moment thinking “he didn’t know.”

If you want my two cents, the part that keeps tripping me over is how he looks at his watch, then Miles, then the watch, it makes me wonder if he is screaming that he doesn’t have his location to Miguel, or to Miles.

I don’t want to believe Peter purposefully drive Miles away so he could get trapped, when he says to Miles “I didn’t know, I promise;” I want to believe him.

The thing is, the outcome he hoped wasn’t that much different, now was it?

He wanted it to be Miles decision, yet again, he was trying to get Miles to not just abandon his morals (as well as the ones every Spider-person should have,) but also try to tell him he needs to suffer for the good of the world.

(I am having SO many flashbacks to things I read about cults, I need to continue working on that post about the Spider Society ffs.)

This is a small detail, but I gotta say; Peter do you really have nothing on your defense?

Look, feel free to believe I am playing favourites, but unlike many people who had a problem with Gwen, I don't blame her for hiding this.

No, I don't think what she did was right. Let’s not get things twisted. I definitely think Gwen shouldn’t had hide this stuff, yet she in general NEVER, had a good idea of how much to say and how much to keep with anyone she talks to; from her dad to Jess to Miles. Once again this is an aspect I can’t get mad at her because she is sixteen and traumatized with a minimal support network and irresponsible guardians.

Now Peter, what’s YOUR excuse?

Not just for not telling something to Miles earlier, I could believe he would have done it if the situation has calmed down. No, Miles asked them about it, and even a bit later says “That’s why you guys never came to see me;” (Which I think is kind of BS but let’s not get ahead of myself on this one.) The thing is that when he has the teen he mentored being manhandled by his ‘friend,’ and said thing asks them to answer him; Peter just ducks.

Like he cannot even see Miles and admit he shouldn’t have done that.

Gwen’s excuse isn’t much better but at least she is answering and you can see in her face how much she knows she fucked up.

I am going to be honest, this little detail wouldn’t bother me as much if what has happened before and what’s yet to happened didn’t exist, yet it does.

There is a difference in “Well you did a little mistake but I can let slide” vs “There are so many things wrong here that I will call you out even for the tiny ones.” Granted Peter isn’t that bad, but is a nuance I think a lot of people don’t think of.

Could Peter haven't said anything because the scene is trying to focus on Miles and Gwen for this part? Yes; it doesn't stop me from getting annoying.

Okay, Miles says this, do I believe it? Ehh not sure.

Gwen definitely not the case, if she truly thought him being an anomaly was a problem, she wouldn't have gone to see him directly.

Peter? Again, I have no idea how much of the kool-aid he has been drinking, the fact that he speaks highly of him and his daughter as good things that has happened makes me inclined to believe he doesn't.

We don't have an answer either way, right?

Not that Peter does much to help him feel better here. Yes yes trying to keep focus on certain characters I know.

(Looks at the camera like is the office.) And now THIS is the time where I wish I wasn’t aware of how writing works.

Okay, I know what the purpose of Peter is, aside of being here as a mentor, he is here kind of as a comic relief. He doesn’t have the same narrative weight as he had in the last movie, and he is here to be cute with his baby for the most part. That’s his purpose at this moment.

It-doesn’t-change-anything.

He has this recurring joke on the third act about if he is or not a good mentor, and it kind of has to do with the last movie, specially this joke, since at the end he was also talking how he taught him something he definitely didn’t do. Last movie I found it cute, here? Not so much.

I am trying not to be hard here and why I would not address the “son of a mother” moment (which I honestly really hate,) because this is not even Peter B’s fault at this point; the writers were trying very hard to have a way to make the situation a tad lighter while also having an important character be in character. I can’t say is truly out of character, but I’m not appreciating it.

Especially having him insist on being a good mentor after letting down his protege MULTIPLE TIMES.

Don't you guys love when you see a grown-ass adult go apeshit on a teen, and his friends aren't doing anything to stop him?

Sorry, yeah I understand that for narrative purposes, they have to be stuck to the ground, but after someone pointed this out a few weeks ago, I can't stop thinking of this shot so I needed to bring it out.

(BIG sidenote but, Margo is the biggest MVP here; girl met Miles once and probably has little to no context, yet she is helping him out. Queen behavior.)

Now let's talk about some bullshit.

I know this is technically not about Peter, considering this is Miguel talking to Gwen, yet I find LAUGHABLE this response.

I will give this to the spider//dad shippers, I would also be inclined to believe Miguel has a thing for Peter B if between the guy who had the "fugitive" in close quarters for a few minutes yet did not attempt to trap him, vs the teen girl who tries to help out her mentor to catch the dude (even if she didn't try too hard,) you decide the teen girl is the problem.

Is funny because really all this scene needs is Miguel saying "If it wasn't for you, he wouldn't have come here, he wouldn't had know and the Spot wouldn't have escaped," at least that much couldn't have been said for Peter B.

I think the writers were trying to make Miguel just look less and less reasonable the more we saw on screen; which is why he would go with route.

It doesn't change the fact that Mighel accusing Gwen of not capturing him is laughable.

YOU 👏 ARE 👏 A 👏 TERRIBLE 👏 MENTOR.

(This moment could be addressed individually, but they are basically the same thing and this post is DEFINITELY too long; seriously I had written fics shorter than this wtf.)

Here is my problem with this: He just decides that oh well, what can he do.

SERIOUSLY?!

Forget the "Oh but he doesn't do this the story-" for a moment; are you seriously telling me that not only this guy knows Miles is in a PRETTY fucked up situation, but also that Gwen is in her home universe where she will be homeless (because there is no way in hell Peter B doesn't know what happened to her,) and you decide to just, go brooding in your dimension?

You know is absolutely amazing how I had heard people grill Miguel and Jess for their behavior with Gwen (which I agree with for the most part,) yet I haven't seen anyone say "Isn't it a bit fucked up that Peter B should have known what would happen to Gwen if she went home and didn't decide to help her?"

Miguel is on Earth 1610 and hellbent on finding Miles, you cannot tell me if Peter B left his daughter with his wife, and then went to fetch Gwen, Miguel would have noticed. At the very least Peter could had try to check on her.

Peter B has known Gwen for longer than Jess and Miguel, even if he couldn't be a proper guardian for her because he was busy with his life, he could have been more present. He definitely could have attempted to defend her better when Miguel was screaming at her, or to look after her when she was kicked to her universe.

Jess is determined to act as if Gwen is more of an employee than a teen, but Peter B should be known better.

But is not his idea to help Miles, is Gwen's; because right now he is too focused on his life and his duty as spiderman to think of the younger generations that are hurting. Just like Miguel and Jess.

Yet not the narrative, nor the fandom, truly recognizes that.

Let’s wrap this up, you guys have no idea the amount of hours I had spend on this and I would be surprised if someone got this far.

As a small detail, Peter is seen with Mayday, and this time I DO have a problem with it.

I honestly hope Peter isn’t with Mayday in Beyond, I will pretend Peter doesn’t have Mayday during the events on Beyond in my fics for as long as I can; because this is the moment where I feel the joke is being pushed too far.

They don’t know what would happen next, they don’t know in what type of situation they are in, they know whatever universe ended was one with no spiderman so it has to be dangerous; yet he brings the baby because that’s his recurring theme for this movie.

And truly, that’s really the problem with his character here: He was given a small role to do with very limited things to do.

I am not saying this is bad writing; I may not like Peter’s decisions in this movie, and I am really hoping beyond gives a big ass cup of “Adults need to start protecting the younger generations instead of insist they need to toughen up” to all of them. Because more than his role, I am annoyed that neither the movie nor the fandom is addressing the failings of Peter B.

He is not a bad character, I don’t even think he is a bad character in this movie. I like him, and even if writing all of this down made realize I am more bitter about it than I would had liked; I just don’t think is fair.

I want Peter to be better, as a mentor, as a father; and I am really hoping the next movie shows him grow that way too. I do believe the writers can pull it off.

Now, the fandom addressing that?...That I have MUCH less confidence. But not gonna lie this post was made mostly to get this out of my chest rather than expect a reaction out of it.

If anyone made this far, first of, wow; I know some people were interesting in reading this, but even I think I went for a while I put a lot of things that are small details but you guys now me, it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t do that.

Be thankful I don’t talk about micro-expressions in frames or this would truly would had ended up as a novelette.

Second, thank you for reading! Give a like and your opinion if you want; because I am pretty sure this post is doing to have fewer notes.

[chvoswxtch]

i'm not good at this

pairing: jessica jones x fem!reader

summary: having jessica jones for a neighbor is complicated, especially when alcohol and feelings are involved.

warnings: swearing, angst, mentions of alcohol

word count: 6.9k

a/n: this is purely me being selfish & in love with jessica jones. as always, feedback is welcomed/appreciated!

tags: @itwasthereaminuteago @dark-academia-slut @natashasotherhalf @zhanylai @redzie02 @th1ccwinchester

It had been a week. A long, exhausting, draining week. Hunger roared from the pit of your stomach like a war cry, but all that you could think about was a hot shower. The entire walk home you ignored the ache in your feet, reminding yourself of the prize that was getting closer and closer with each step. Soon you’d be home, free to strip down completely, and let the scalding water singe away all the pent up stress and chaos that was lingering in your body. Relief flooded throughout your nervous system the second you entered your apartment building, but as soon as you stepped out of the elevator and onto your floor, you were met with a sight that you had grown all too accustomed to in the past few months; Jessica Jones passed out drunk in front of her door.

Letting out a quiet groan of frustration, you fished your keys out of your purse, stopping at your own door to unlock it and throw your things inside. Flipping through your key ring, you wrapped your fingers around the one that belonged to Jessica’s door and made the short walk down the hall. She appeared to be sleeping contently, which only fueled your annoyance, huffing as you slipped the key into the lock. 

Let me just get her to bed. Then I can-

Your brows abruptly knit in confusion when you noticed the lock wouldn’t turn. Trying to twist it in either direction, another annoyed groan slipped past your lips as you realized the lock wouldn’t budge. Glaring down at the brunette peacefully passed out by your feet, you grabbed your phone from your back pocket and dialed Malcolm’s number. The familiar greeting of his voicemail had you banging your forehead against Jessica’s door rather ungently. 

“Shit.”

Is something wrong with Jess’s door? My key won’t work

Three little dots appeared under your message, and you hoped he had a quick fix so you could get back to the relaxing evening you had planned.

Shit my bad 

I forgot to tell you she changed the locks

A louder noise of exasperation sounded from your chest as you furiously responded to Malcolm’s text.

Why??

Forgot her key and broke the door last week

That sounded about right. Patience was not exactly in her vocabulary. 

Just leave her and I’ll let her in when I get home

Glancing between Malcolm’s text and Jessica’s sleeping form, you nibbled at your bottom lip. Part of you knew she would be fine there. She’d passed out drunk in far worse places before. And on top of that she was powered, so it wasn’t like she couldn’t defend herself. But a bigger part of you felt guilty leaving her there all alone, even if she wasn’t your favorite person at the moment. Grumbling in vexation under your breath, you sent a quick text back to Malcolm and pocketed your phone, bending down to loop your arms underneath Jessica’s shoulders.

I’ll just bring her home with me, it’s my turn anyway

»»———　　———««

Having Jessica Jones for a neighbor was…interesting to say the least. When you first met her six months ago, you were just moving in. Struggling with two heavy boxes of books that you had brought up, you dropped them with a loud thud and paused outside your open door to catch your breath. A tall, dark haired woman stopped on her way out of the elevator after passing by you. Furrowing her dark brows as she glanced between the boxes and the open apartment door, the puzzlement on her face only grew as she glanced around before letting her eyes settle on you.

“You moving all this shit on your own?”

“Uh, yeah. It was either put down a deposit on this place, or hire movers. Besides, I figure this is like…an entire year’s worth of going to the gym, so.”

Her brows lifted in an expression of either respect or an indication that she was impressed. She bent down to pick up both boxes by your feet, and you watched in complete surprise as she easily lifted them and carried them through the threshold to place by the others that were neatly stacked by the wall. Your shock must have been evident on your features when she turned around, wiping her hands off on her jeans and giving you a nonchalant shrug as she slipped past you back into the hallway.

“There’s some shithead kids that hang around out front. Ask them if they wanna make twenty bucks, they'll take care of whatever else you got.”

Blinking a few times, you watched almost in a trance as she continued her path down the hallway towards a door that read ‘Alias Investigations’ on the glass. Suddenly seeming to remember words, you called out to her as she unlocked her door.

“Thank you!”

Turning her head to look at you over her shoulder, her lips parted slightly as she went to respond. Eventually she looked away, throwing back a ‘don’t mention it’ before kicking the door shut with her foot.

The second interaction you had with her was about two weeks after that day. Coming home from a late shift one night, you instantly paused stepping off the elevator when you found the familiar brunette slumped over in front of her door at the end of the hall. Anxiety shot through your nervous system as you ran over to check if she was hurt, automatically assuming the worst had happened, but you quickly halted your inspection when you heard soft snores coming from her. Confusion creased in the middle of your forehead as you stared at her, momentarily glancing around the empty hallway. Unsure of what to do, you knocked on the door across the hall from yours that you knew belonged to her friend. You had seen the two of them together frequently in passing, and had figured out that they worked together. As he opened his door, you stared at him blankly for a moment before gesturing towards Jessica.

“Hi, uh…sorry. I know we haven’t met but…I know that you guys…um, is she okay? Like that?”

The man poked his head out the door, following the direction of your hand. He sighed deeply as he shook his head, looking at you with an apologetic expression.

“She’s fine, just drunk. Happens a lot. Give me a second.”

You took a step back to give him room to step out of his apartment after he grabbed a set of keys off a hook by his door. He held out a silver one towards you and motioned his head towards the door.

“You mind unlocking it for me? I’ll get her in.”

“Oh, yeah. Sure.”

Taking the key from his hand, you followed him back down the hall to Jessica’s door, unlocking it and twisting the door knob to push it open for him. He bent down to pick her up into his arms and carried her inside.

“Come on, Jess. Let’s get you to bed.”

Several minutes later when he reappeared, you gave him a timid smile as you handed the keys back to him. He returned it with a grateful one of his own, pulling the door shut quietly and locking it back into place.

“I’m Malcolm, by the way.”

“I’m Y/N, nice to meet you.”

He gave you another thankful smile as he shook your hand, glancing at Jessica’s door before he met your eyes again.

“Thanks for coming to get me.”

“Yeah, of course. I thought…she might have been hurt or something.”

“Takes a lot to hurt her.”

There was a playful expression on his lips, like he was letting you in on some kind of inside joke. It brought back the memory of her carrying those boxes into your place like they were full of feathers instead of books, and you found yourself mirroring his smile. Letting out another deep exhale, he glanced at her door once again as a dry laugh escaped his mouth.

“She does drink like a fish though. Can’t promise this won’t happen again.”

“Good to know. I guess I’ll be on the lookout then.”

“I appreciate the help.”

The following afternoon, there was an envelope taped to your front door with your name on it. Your curiosity got the better of you as you opened it, finding a silver key with a ‘J’ written in black permanent marker on it and a note on the inside.

In case I’m not home next time. Welcome to the neighborhood.

-Malcolm

»»———　　———««

That was primarily how it had gone over the past few months. You and Malcolm fell into a routine with each other of taking turns based on whoever was home to take care of an inebriated Jessica that couldn’t make it through her own front door. However, most of that responsibility had fallen on him lately since you’d started picking up extra shifts. 

Luckily you’d already unlocked your own door, so at least you weren’t having to juggle doing that with carrying Jessica. She didn’t weigh as much as you thought she would for someone who could knock down a brick wall with her bare fist, but she was a lot taller than you and completely dead weight when she was asleep. Kicking the door shut behind you with your foot, you somehow managed to get her into your bedroom where you let her fall back onto the mattress. Ignoring her incoherent sleepy grumbles, you unzipped her boots, pulling them off along with the black leather jacket that she always wore. You were in the process of unzipping her jeans when her hand quickly shot out to grab onto your wrist.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to get your pants off.”

“Not even gonna buy me a drink first?”

Glancing up at her, you paused seeing the flirty smile that was plastered on her full lips. Shaking your head slowly, you grabbed onto the top of her jeans and attempted to pull them down her legs.

“You shut down bars, Jessica. You don’t need my help in that department.”

“Do too. Always need you.”

You tried to block out her slurred rambling, knowing exactly where this was headed. 

“You don’t need anyone. You make that pretty clear every chance you get.”

“That’s not true. I-wait, why am I in your bed?”

“Because you broke your door so my key doesn’t work.”

“You have a key to my place? Huh, guess we’re getting pretty serious.”

Fighting the urge to roll your eyes when she wiggled her eyebrows, you folded her jeans neatly and set them on your nightstand. 

“Malcolm gave it to me months ago. How did you think I was getting you in bed all those other times?”

“Thought I left the door unlocked.” 

“I’ll get you some water.”

The grip that she had on your wrist tightened, not enough to hurt you, but enough to keep you in place. Turning to look down at her, you noticed her full lips were pursed into a pout as she tugged you closer to the bed.

“Don’t go. C’mere.”

“Jess-”

“Come on, I’ll help you get undressed too.”

“I’m not doing this with you again.”

Having Jessica Jones for a neighbor was frustrating. Not because trouble followed her wherever she went, including her home, and thus yours too. Not because she had a short fuse and a drinking problem. Not even because she let you in on her powered secret, making you a part of everything that came with that.

It was because she liked to kiss you when she was drunk and then act like you didn’t exist the next day. 

»»———　　———««

The first time it happened three months ago, you weren’t even sure it actually happened. Jessica had woken up in the midst of you putting her to bed, and immediately sat up to protest, insisting that she was fine and didn’t need any help. She only stopped fighting you when you let it slip that you’d been doing this for months now, finding her staring at you with those big green eyes that had an emotion floating around in them you couldn’t decipher.

You couldn’t place if she was upset, embarrassed, or something else. The only thing Jessica seemed to be able to emote was varying shades of annoyance, with the rare smirk every now and then when she was pleased with herself. Trying to ease whatever it was she was feeling, you took her hand into yours gently and did your best to reassure her that you didn’t really mind taking care of her. In the midst of your confession, she had grabbed your face in her hands and kissed you so passionately, it made your head spin. 

Before you even had a chance to react, her leg was hooked around your waist, and she had pushed you back onto her mattress to crawl over you, making herself comfortable between your hips. Every nerve ending in your body was on high alert, and you only broke the kiss because your lungs burned due to the lack of oxygen. Jessica had started to trail her lips along your jawline and down your neck as you panted, whispering her name either in a question or a plea, you weren’t sure. But the closer she got to your collarbones, the softer and less fervent the kisses became. She momentarily hid her face in the crook of your neck as she paused, and while you were still trying to figure out what was going on, you heard faint snores leaving her as her body suddenly became a lot heavier on top of yours. After quite literally leaving you breathless, she’d passed out on top of your chest.

You laid there for a few moments staring at her, brain going completely haywire as it tried to process the past ten minutes. Deciding it was better to leave and go back to your own apartment, you spent the rest of the night trying to figure out what had happened. Jessica was never particularly rude to you, but you also wouldn’t consider the two of you friends. It felt as though she tolerated your existence as much as everyone else’s. A piece of you felt exhilarated, continuously touching your tingling lips, tangible proof that it had happened. It would be an outright lie to say that you didn’t have a bit of a crush on your neighbor. You wanted her to like you, as a person, but also as something…more. The thought that she actually might kept you awake for the rest of the night, along with the nerves about how the hell you were gonna bring it up to her.

But you never got the chance.

The following morning, you spent an hour building up and tearing down your own confidence, eventually deciding to wait until you caught her in the hall to say something. You were far too nervous to go knock on her door, and you figured she was probably busy, so you decided to wait it out. But when she did eventually emerge that evening just as you were stepping off the elevator, she didn’t return the bashful smile you gave her. She barely even responded to your timid greeting with a passive expression before disappearing behind the metal doors. As you stood staring blankly at your murky reflection in the lusterless metal, an epiphany had your heart sinking into the depths of your stomach.

She didn’t remember.

A week of silence following that night solidified the reality you were struggling to accept, and that ember of hope finally died out. It was a drunken mistake that she had no memory of, and she probably hadn’t even meant for it to happen. You did your best not to dwell on it too much, deciding it was probably best to just try to forget it and move on, even if it had been the best kiss of your entire life.

But then it happened again.

Malcolm had stopped by your apartment a few days later, asking if you minded helping them out with a case they were working on. They had apparently been working on it tirelessly for days, feeling like there was something that they were missing, and he claimed they could use a fresh set of eyes. Malcolm had very easily become a really good friend to you after the first night you met, so you really didn’t mind helping him. And it gave you the excuse to be around Jessica. As you stepped through the door, you could’ve sworn you saw Jessica’s eyes widen slightly, but she quickly recovered as her face twisted into annoyance and confusion while staring at Malcolm.

“We need someone else’s perspective that hasn’t been staring at this for the past forty-eight hours.”

Jessica glared at him silently before turning her attention to you, leaning back in the chair at her desk as she let out a deep irritated exhale.

“I can’t pay you. I can barely afford him.”

“Well, lucky for you I accept payment in alcohol and food.”

The corner of her mouth curled up into a pleased smirk, and you couldn’t help but mirror it. Forcing yourself to tear your gaze away from Jessica, you turned to Malcolm and gestured around the makeshift office.

“What do you need me to do?”

After helping find the missing puzzle pieces for that case, you started seeing a lot more of Jessica. You practically spent just as much time in her apartment as you did your own. Eventually it wasn’t Malcolm knocking on your door, it was her barging in asking for your input about a case, rummaging through your cabinets for a plate because she smelt you cooking from down the hall, or literally making you stop whatever you were doing to drag you back to her apartment to settle a debate between her and Malcolm.

One night a month ago after Malcolm had gone home, you had gathered all your things to leave when Jessica handed you a glass of bourbon and motioned towards the couch.

“Stay. Don’t make me drink alone.”

“Don’t you prefer to do that?”

“Not when you’re around.”

You hadn’t spent too much alone time with Jessica, but enough to notice that her face looked significantly softer when it was just you and her. She didn’t look annoyed or irritated, her banter was more playful than scorning, and you could see tiny glimpses of a real smile beneath the curtain of that damn smirk that made your knees weak. 

It felt…comfortable, natural even, sitting on the couch with her and talking like you two had known each other your entire lives. She asked you questions she seemed genuinely interested to know the answers to, and even gave some of her own to your careful inquisitions. Your heart nearly stopped when you heard her laugh for the first time, chest swelling with copious amounts of pride that you had been able to elicit that reaction from her, reveling in the way the melodic sound echoed off the walls and nestled into your ears. 

But then you noticed that she was smiling. Your breath hitched in your throat seeing a real full-blown smile, and you were certain your heart had stopped.

It was the most beautiful fucking sight you had ever seen. Her full pink lips were split completely wide open in a grin displaying the entire dazzling top row of her teeth. Her large eyes had become half moons, eclipsed by the apples of her cheeks that had risen above the horizon of the upturned tip of her nose. She looked so different without the weight of her past and present tugging down her features. A crease formed between her dark brows when her laughter died down, eyeing you curiously with a tilt of her head.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

A fresh layer of scarlet blanketed your cheeks when you realized that you had been caught staring.

“S-Sorry. I just…think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you smile.”

Jessica’s smile fell slightly, becoming less carefree and more cautious, her lips concealing her teeth again as she stared at you with an indecipherable look in her eyes. She tapped her index finger against her glass, dragging her teeth along her bottom lip before downing the amber liquid that remained.

“Haven’t really had a reason to in awhile.”

“And you do now?”

“I think so.”

Her eyes momentarily fell to your lips for a moment before focusing back on your own. Your mouth went dry as you tried to think of something to say, averting your gaze to anywhere but her. In one swift movement Jessica had pulled you onto her lap, grabbing onto the back of your neck to crash your lips together in a heated kiss. Her lips felt so soft…so good against your own. It was so easy to get lost in her, threading your fingers through her dark hair as you held each other as close as possible. 

There was a spark that shot through you every time her fingers touched a new part of you. As she tugged at the hem of your shirt, you silently obeyed her command and lifted your arms, allowing her to pull it over your head to toss carelessly aside. Desire completely clouded your brain as you rocked your hips slowly against her lap, seeking out anything that she would give you. You didn’t necessarily like the taste of bourbon, but you loved the way it tasted on her tongue. Jessica didn’t wait for permission as her hands explored your exposed chest, demanding entry to your mouth with her tongue, sinking her teeth into the sensitive flesh on your neck to leave possessive marks as if you both knew already you belonged to her.

The warmth spreading throughout your body had nothing to do with the alcohol burning in your veins and everything to do with her. Every swipe of her teeth and tongue on your skin was another ounce of gasoline being poured on the bonfire that blazed between the apex of your thighs. Lulling your head to the side to allow her to take whatever she wanted, the flames rose higher and higher inside you, nearly consuming you completely when you felt her hand slip beneath the barrier of your jeans.

Maybe you shouldn’t have opened your eyes. The second they landed on the empty bottle on her desk, it was like an alarm went off in your head, and you found yourself hesitantly struggling to untangle from Jessica.

“Jess…wait-”

“I got you, baby. Let me take care of you for once.”

“Jess…just…wait, please.”

Jessica’s sage green eyes had darkened considerably with lust as she stared at you, searching your face for the source of your hesitation.

“I…I don’t want you to forget again.”

The corner of Jessica’s mouth curved upwards into that signature smirk, and she shook her head as she eyed you with hunger.

“I didn’t forget that. I won’t pass out on you this time, I promise.”

Jessica’s confession had the intoxicated haze that was enveloping you quickly disappearing, and it felt like the sky had just opened up with an unforgiving downpour, dousing that fire within you. 

“What? Why…why didn’t you say anything?”

She shook her head quickly as she licked her lips, cradling your face in her hand as she leaned in to capture your lips again while nearly ripping your jeans to shreds.

“Doesn’t matter. Come here.”

Wrapping your fingers around her wrist tightly, you placed your palm against her chest to keep space between the two of you as you tried to capture her attention.

“It matters to me. Jess, I don’t…I don’t want it to be…like this.”

“Like what?”

“You’re drunk. Again.”

Any lingering trace of a smile vanished completely at your admission. Jessica dropped her hand from your face and sank back into the cushion of the couch, a dry scoff leaving her lips as she stared up at you with a familiar shade of annoyance.

“I’m tipsy at best.”

“You’ve still been drinking-”

“I’m always drinking. Why the hell is that a goddamn problem now?”

“Because you only treat me like this when you have been drinking. You don’t…you don’t act like this with me when you’re sober. Sometimes I don’t even know if you actually like me when you’re sober.”

“For fucks sake-”

“Jess you’ve kissed me twice now, and I have no idea what it means to you. The first time…you didn’t even speak to me when you saw me the next day. You completely ignored me-”

“So what, because I didn’t show up at your goddamn door with some flowers, I’m the bad guy? Jesus Y/N, it’s just sex. It’s not that big of a deal.”

Jessica’s words hit you like a sucker punch, and you honestly thought it would’ve hurt less if she had actually punched you. That sinking feeling was back in your gut, and it had you climbing down from her lap, tears of humiliation stinging your eyes as you searched for your shirt in the dim light.

A heavy exhale sounded from Jessica’s chest as she leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees, watching you with an expression of pure annoyance.

“I don’t know why you’re making such a big deal out of this-”

“Because it matters to me, Jessica. This isn’t fair. You don’t get to act like you need me when you’re drunk and then-”

“I don’t need you.”

Jessica’s features were rigid as she stared at you, and the harshness of her voice had your heart plummeting all the way down to the lobby. It definitely would’ve hurt less if she’d actually just hit you. Letting out another humorless laugh, she stood and walked past you to retrieve a fresh bottle from one of her desk drawers before retreating back to her bedroom.

“You can let yourself out.”

»»———　　———««

That had been a month ago. You hadn’t spoken to her since you left her apartment that night, and she hadn’t tried to speak to you once. Malcolm knew something had happened. Your lack of presence disrupted the routine the three of you had set, and he knew he wasn’t getting any answers out of Jessica, but you refused to talk about it and instead picked up extra shifts so you didn’t have to make excuses. Or even see her. 

But it didn’t stop the pain that pierced through your heart every time you did see her in passing, or see another unfamiliar face doing the walk of shame past your door. You’d gone through various stages of grief in the past thirty days; beginning with anger, slipping into depression, skipping denial and bargaining altogether as you worked your way towards acceptance. 

A huge part of you was pissed at Jessica. Several nights you wanted to kick down her door, as if you could, and show her the same cruelty she had shown you that night. You wanted to scream at her, throw every bottle of bourbon she had at the wall since that was as close to shattering her heart as you were ever gonna get. 

A bigger part of you mourned her. As much as you hated to admit it, you missed her. That loneliness that you’d felt before her and Malcolm came into your life weighed heavy in your bones like lead. Your heart kept questioning what you had done wrong, and why she didn’t feel the same way about you. Maybe you had tricked yourself into believing in something that wasn’t real, buying into an illusion of your own creation. Your brain tried to rationalize that you hadn’t done anything wrong, that Jessica simply couldn’t love anyone like that. It was something you should’ve known all along, but you continuously refused to accept.

Now, you had no choice but to accept it.

The wound she had left was still healing, but being this close to her had ripped it wide open, and you weren’t going to bleed in front of her again. Not after the way she had reacted last time. Yanking your hand away from her grasp, you shook your head as you avoided looking her in the eye and tried to keep your emotions in tact until you could make it to the refuge of your bathroom.

“I’ll take the couch.”

“Wait, just-fuck, hang on a second.”

“Jessica, I’m exhausted. All I want to do is shower and go to bed, okay. I don’t have the energy for this right now.”

“Then stop taking so many shifts just so you don’t have to see me.”

There was an accusatory tone to Jessica’s voice, but it contrasted significantly with the guilt pooling in her eyes. For someone who had just been completely passed out ten minutes ago, she looked painfully sober as she stared at you with a thin veil of dejection settling over her face. 

“I know that’s what you’re doing. And I…look, I was a dick. I didn’t mean that shit.”

“Fine.”

“Come on, I’m trying here-”

“Then try when you’re sober. Because I’m really sick of you only wanting to be vulnerable with me when you get to pretend it didn’t happen the next day. You don’t know how that makes me feel-”

“Shitty. It makes you feel shitty. And it makes me feel shitty for doing it to you.”

There was a crestfallen smile on Jessica’s lips, and as you finally looked at her, you could see a layer of remorse building along her waterline. She moved to sit on the edge of the bed in front of you, reaching out to grasp your wrist again. Slipping her loose hold from your wrist down to wrap her fingers around yours, she brushed her thumb lightly over your knuckles. 

“I…I’m not good at this shit.”

“I’ve noticed.”

Tilting her head back to look up at you, a pang of guilt sliced through your chest seeing her eyes completely glassed over with regret. Jessica gave you a somber smile, nodding her head slightly as she dropped her hand from yours.

“I’m not taking your bed from you. I’ll go-”

“You’re already here. Just…get some sleep.”

“Then I’ll take the couch.”

There was a firmness in her voice that let you know she wasn’t going to argue with you. Dragging your palms slowly down your face, you let out a deep breath and nodded in agreement.

“Alright. You know where everything is.”

Jessica tucked her hair behind her ears as she stood up, pausing as she went to reach for her jeans. There was a look of contemplation on her face, but before you could question it, she was pulling you into her chest to wrap her arms tightly around you. Instinctively your arms came up her back to grab onto her shoulders, sighing softly as you pressed your forehead against her chest.

“Jess-”

“I’m sorry, okay? I’m really fucking sorry. I’m an asshole, I know that. I didn’t mean to be, not to you. I just…I wasn’t…”

She pulled back slightly to look at you, and your heart broke at the sight of tears faintly rolling down her cheeks. 

“I know you had a long day and, shit-I’m sorry. Can we just…talk in the morning? Please?”

“Yeah…okay.”

Jessica pressed her lips together in a tight smile, giving a slight nod of her head as she leaned in to press a soft kiss to your forehead. Quickly wiping at her face and grabbing her things, she quietly retreated to your living room, leaving you restless once again as thoughts of her kept you awake for the entirety of the night.

»»———　　———««

Incessant noise coming from your kitchen roused you out of the sleep you’d somehow managed to fall into. Rubbing at your eyes, you let out a quiet yawn as you slowly got up from bed, opening the door to your bedroom to figure out who the hell was causing all the commotion that seemed to be coming from your kitchen.

Pausing in the entryway, your brows pulled together in confusion as you glanced between Jessica and your dining room table, noticing two dry bowls of cereal placed by each other. Jessica had paused in the midst of pulling on her jacket, following your gaze to the bowls before she looked at you with a sheepish expression.

“I was gonna go get some milk from my place.”

“You have milk?”

Jessica clicked her tongue against her cheek as she pulled her jacket over her shoulders, shifting her weight onto her other foot as she glanced around your kitchen with a sigh before meeting your eyes and throwing her hands up.

“Fine. I was gonna go steal some from Malcolm.”

Crossing your arms over your chest, you leaned your head against the wall as you looked at her with a curious smile tugging at your lips.

“You don’t even like cereal.”

“Yeah well…I can’t cook and it was all you had that was…easy. Or supposed to be at least. But I guess now breakfast in bed is ruined.”

The impassive joking tone of Jessica’s voice didn’t match the serious look on her face, or the apprehension in her eyes. Confusion once again coveted your face as you stared at her.

“Breakfast in bed?”

Jessica averted her gaze down to her worn boots, lightly tugging at the zipper at the bottom of her jacket as she let out a deep exhale. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips as she glanced out the window, lightly shrugging her shoulders.

“I told you I’m not good at this.”

“Making breakfast?”

Rolling her eyes, Jessica looked at you and used her hand to gesture between the two of you. 

“No, smartass. This.”

“Uh…having a normal conversation? Small talk? What? I can’t read your mind, Jess.”

Jessica clenched her hands at her sides, clearly in a state of frustration, but it didn’t seem to be aimed at you. She pulled one of the chairs away from the table and plopped down, lightly slapping her hands against her thighs before looking up at you.

“Romance. Relationships. Feelings. Talking about said feelings. Letting…letting people in and all that other shit. I’m not good at it.”

She stared at you expectantly, like she was waiting for you to go next, but you weren’t sure exactly what it was that she wanted from you. You stood up a little straighter, keeping your arms crossed over your chest as you pursed your lips and waited for her to continue. She let out a defeated sigh at your reaction, falling back against the chair as she stared at you with a complicated expression.

“Everyone that I have ever cared about, or…loved, has been taken from me. Or I’ve run them off before they could be, because I couldn’t deal with losing another goddamn person.”

Your heart ached at her confession. You were well versed in Jessica’s past. You knew what she had gone through, and what she had lost. That truth echoed in your head every time you got close to losing your patience with her. Pushing yourself away from the wall, you took a seat in the chair closest to her and shook your head slowly.

“That’s a lonely way to live, Jess. I wouldn’t even consider what you’re doing living. It’s…surviving at best.”

“It’s easier.”

“Is it?”

Jessica stared at you silently with parted lips, seemingly searching for the right response. You could see her answer in her eyes though. You could even still feel it on your lips. 

“Jessica, I don’t think you’d ever let anything happen to me. So if that’s what you’re worried about-”

“It isn’t just that. If I don’t get you hurt or…worse because of what I am, I’m gonna run you off eventually.”

“Is that what you want?”

“No, but it’s what’s going to happen. I…I am an asshole. Sooner or later, I’m gonna fuck up. I’m gonna lose my shit and say something I don’t mean. Shit, I’ve already done that. I’m gonna…forget something important. I…I’m gonna do something you can’t forgive, and then I’m gonna lose you. Either way, I lose you. And I don’t wanna do that because you…you’re the one person that looks at me and sees me.” 

The vulnerability in her voice made your fingers tremble, and you couldn’t handle seeing her eyes glass over with hurt again. You took your bottom lip tightly between your teeth, staring down at your lap to fight off your own overwhelming emotions. You had never seen or heard Jessica so broken, and you felt somewhat guilty for unraveling whatever it was that helped keep her together. 

“Jess-”

Jessica reached for one of your hands and held onto it tightly, giving it a gentle squeeze to capture your attention.

“You don’t look at me like I’m a freak. You don’t look at me like I’m an asshole, even when I’m being one. You are the one goddamn person that always looks like they’re actually happy to see me. And not because you need something from me, or what you think I can do for you, you’re just…genuinely happy to see me. You call me out on my shit, and then offer to help me fix it. You come home fucking exhausted, and still come by to help. You leave those goddamn addicting cookies on my desk when you know I’ve had a shit week, and you make my favorite foods when you think I’ve had too much take out. You have made those shitty four walls feel like a real home, and given me a goddamn sense of normalcy. I mean you, me…Malcolm, we’re like…this…family. And I-I am scared to death of having that feeling ripped away again. I am scared that I’m gonna be the one to rip it away when you see my worst.”

“Your worst?”

Even though your face was streaked in tears, you couldn’t help but laugh. Jessica clearly didn’t see the humor in what she had just said, because she was staring at you through her own teary eyes incredulously.

“Jessica Jones, you have shown me nothing but your worst since the moment I met you, and I am still here. Do you think I’d leave if you finally started showing me your best?”

Jessica pulled her bottom lip behind her teeth as she shook her head slowly, letting out a breathless laugh as she looked down at your hand in hers.

“Might give you whiplash.”

Pulling your hand from hers, you cupped her jaw and brushed away the wetness on her cheeks with your thumbs, a warm smile covering your lips as you stared into her mesmerizing green eyes.

“You are the most impatient, hard-drinking, grumpy mess I have ever met. But you also have the biggest heart I’ve ever seen, and despite what you think of yourself, you are a hero. I have never felt more safe in my entire life than I have living down the hall from you. You’ve been my hero from the day I met you. I’m not asking you to change who you are Jessica. I just…I want you to let me in. But I want you to want to do that.”

“I do-”

“And not need liquid courage to do it.”

“I know.”

Jessica sucked in a deep breath before exhaling slowly, placing her hand over yours and staring into your eyes with a soft smile. Closing her eyes for a moment, she cleared her throat before opening her eyes to look at the clock on your microwave, diverting her attention back to you with that signature smirk on her lips.

“Okay. It’s eight thirty-seven in the morning, and I have absolutely nothing in my system. No booze, no energy drink, nothing. I am ridiculously sober, and also starving. I am also very much into you, and to make up for being such a dick, I’d like to take you to breakfast.”

Your eyes widened slightly in surprise, and you couldn’t hold back the grin that enveloped your entire mouth as you stared at her.

“Jessica Jones, are you asking me on a date?”

“Nope. I’m asking you to breakfast. Then, tomorrow night, I’m taking you to your favorite Italian place. That is the date, and I’m not asking.”

A childlike sense of giddiness bubbled in your stomach, and you felt heat spreading across your cheeks and throughout your lower half from the way she was staring at you. Gently biting down on your bottom lip, you arched one of your brows playfully.

“Oh?”

“Mhm. Then you can decide if you forgive me, and if I can take you on another after that.”

“You know for someone who’s not good at…this, you’re doing pretty damn good.”

“I think I’m just good with you.”

Jessica’s lips parted into a wide victorious grin, and there was a twinkle of mischief in her eyes as she leaned in closer. You giggled softly as you pressed your index finger against her mouth, shaking your head slowly.

“Less seducing, more feeding. I need caffeine.”

“God, I forget you without coffee is like me without bourbon. You’re really not gonna let me kiss you?”

“We’ll see how the date goes, Jones. You have a lot of making up to do.”

[panelshowsource]

i feel like i'm so annoying being like JOE WILKINSON ROISIN CONATY but please understand i say it because it would be guaranteed hilarious 🥹

but okay okay let's think

first i think it would be funny to have some of the well-known bonafide smartypantses on, like jo brand, david and victoria, charlie brooker, clive anderson, richard osman, dara, and john oliver, because it's just funny as heck to see them get tripped up or stumped hehe and you may be thinking "what about stephen fry and sandi toksvig?" THERE IS NO STUMPING THEM. EVER. AND DON'T YOU FORGET IT.

there are lots of other lowkey smartypantses who would be so funny — paul foot, armando iannucci, adam buxton, elis james, lee mack, rhod gilbert, bill bailey, miles jupp, wild card suggestion is darragh from the chase he cracks me up. now, random people smartypants and otherwise i think would kill the format hmmm okay besides joe and roisin who mean everything to me, guz khan, lucy beaumont, prof. hannah fry, ed gamble, chloe petts, mel giedroyc, vic reeves, claudia, matt forde? could be quite funny actually and i think guy would laugh at him a lot?, ahir shah, jess hynes, nish kumar, judi love, johnny vegas, jamie laing, jessica knappett, sara barron, kerry godliman, fatiha el-ghorri, ivo graham, get william hanson on there why not

🚨 danny dyer, susie dent, catherine tate, alan carr 🚨 HANDS DOWN!!!

don't you think this format would be perfect for chris addison to come back into our panel show lives

and omg mark watson because remember when guy was having a lil go at him 😭😭😭💀💀💀

CUZ THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT guy is the host and he needs to think the guests are funny... hmm who would have a hilarious dynamic with guy...well...everyone😁 guy is the best😁

it makes sense, too, that some of the funniest dynamics on a format like cats does countdown would work on guy mont spelling bee, since it's all about being a lil smarty — so russell howard and roisin on the same panel would be great because she does her best and he takes the piss out of her. people who take the piss out of each other...hmm...fatiha el-ghorri and phil wang lmfao...alan carr and romesh one of my underrated faves...frankie boyle and miles jupp would be so good omg

I SHOULD STOP NOW hehehe sorry for the block of text i answered this stream of consciousness i hope you don't mind heheheheh

what about you??

aww what a cute question 🥰 honestly i do associate it with autumn because it often comes out in september/october (so i think of it as part of the fall tv schedule)! but, really, i associate different series with different seasons? like i think of s7 as being winter time because kerry made that big circle in the snow hahaha that kind of thing! it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of people think of taskmaster + summer tho?

omg i love map men they're so funny

thanks for taking the time to send in these other recs i'll check them out 🥹🫶 posting these for everyone else to enjoy too!!!

i haven't seen either yet!!! how are they? they're both on my drive waiting for me to watch them 🥹 i might watch ahir's tonight

sorry anon i don't, only the epub version is easily available 😞 maybe someone reading this will be able to help out?

someone sent it over!! i added it to the drive :)<3

hello anon yes! i threw it in the alex horne collection folder here it is :)

hello! you're not the first person to ask me this but i really don't think you can! as far as i know there is no proshot, it was never streamed in cinemas, never streamed online... someone can correct me if i'm wrong but :(

i think we just missed seeing it at the actual theatre (▱˘︹˘▱)

—

PANEL SHOW WATCH LINKS / NON-PANEL SHOW WATCH LINKS FAQ / TAGS / ASK

[pinksugarscrub]

Seriously, there's two sides to people's feelings towards Miguel. Positive and negative. I was of course, one of those people who did not like Miguel for his aggressiveness and his authoritative demeanor but the more I rewatched the movie the more I felt like I understood the complexity of his character. We always root for the protagonist so of course we're not going to look into the details of the antagonist's character right away. Surprisingly I think people have generally grasped your point because they always exploit Miguel's vulnerability and need for stability. I'm not trying to shame Miguel writer/lovers, this is just what I've observed.

At the beginning of the film I actually found myself liking him. He was much more relatable in his interactions with Gwen because he wasn't given a chance to put up these walls. She kept undermining his authority. Everything in their conversation was authentic. She interrupted his intro. Called him various different names. At this point he's pissed and decides to tell Gwen about the effects of ITSV. If Miguel really didn't want Gwen involved in the society I would have expected he would have sent someone else in his stead or, kept a tighter clamp on his information. Instead, he gives her a chance. I guarantee you he's the type of person to listen to another spider's ideas because he knows their unique and are geniuses in their own right. He was wowed by Gwen remember? (Just not ideas concerning trying to change the cannon, he's been down that road with Gabby).

That leads me to a thought I'd had before. Why Miguel made the society. Yes, it's to keep track and take care of anomalies but digging deeper I think, 'This man did not want to be alone'. He could have easily kept the watch to himself and dealt with things on his own but he hands over some semblance of control to potential allies. To work together. Not for manpower but a greater effect of good.

When Gwen is sent home and everyone is shaken by her "I thought we were supposed to be the good guys". Miguel speaks up and says they are, they are doing the right thing. He feels the need to reassure them because he does not want to lose their trust.

Earlier in the story, he basically tells the audience he has to be the one to make these hard choices and these choices affect who? The society. The entire society is there to help support the spiders' journeys as spiderpeople. Miguel didn't have to do that but he did. He used up an entire building in his universe. Set up a gym, cafeteria, in essence, a home. Somewhere to feel comforted and somewhere to feel safe. Example, fast food chains make their restaurants in a specific way to have you leave sooner. Uncomfortable chairs, small cramped areas, etc.

And what does he do for Gwen? Gives her a home away from the one where she was rejected by her father. Who also says sometimes and only sometimes, she crashes with Hobie. Where does she stay the rest of the time? Bunkers I bet, or the type of rooms they have in hospitals to allow the staff to rest.

Miguel is not an absolute tyrant. Obviously, he trusts Jess enough to let her handle Gwen and trusts Gwen enough not to go see Miles which backfires but let's not go there- We can argue that he didn't know because Jess herself says "If Miguel finds out I let you blah blah blah" but think about it. Miguel keeps tags on every one. He could have restricted Gwen's watch to keep her from traveling to Miles' universe but he doesn't. I know he has that kind of control of his tech. Gwen couldn't use her watch after being sent home. He also has Lyla if you want to counteract with, "he can't be everyone at once".

He doesn't force the spiders' to act or dress a certain way. Hobie is a great example because despite how annoyed he seems to make him. He never tells Hobie to tone it down. He just ignores him.

Maybe, in Miguel's mind, preparing them (the society) for the inevitable will help make them stronger. Maybe he can help and can make a difference because he can't change the cannon.

*I loved each and every one of your points. You pointing out the parallels between characters has made me fall even more in love with the complexity of this movie. All of the people who worked together to create it are an inspiration and I would like to think they find joy/pride in us fans for analyzing it.

Another case for Mild!Miguel:

HOBIE is the reason I think Mild!Miguel exists. Hear me Out:

Inversions & Parallels in ATSV

[A post where I talk about how the existence of Hobie's arc backs up and/or proves my Mild Miguel theory.

MEDIUM length, I talk about plot connections and writing stuff as well as my predictions for Miguel in BTSV.]

Subversions: Character Building in ATSV

One thing that sets ATSV apart from a lot of other Superhero movies is that it's centered around not 'heroing', but the characters and the relationships they hold.

Each character in ATSV has a Subversion in their arc.

Subversions being the defying of the audience's expectations pre-conceived notion of a character. Almost every character we see experiences a conflict with how we first understand them.

Gwen goes from being closeted and closed off both emotionally and literally in terms of her Spider-identity. She starts the movie pushing away her close friends, and ends her arc embracing her dad.

With Jess, she is introduced as a family woman, who talks about her husband and child openly. When in reality, she's not a familial or a parental figure in the slightest.

Pavitr is introduced as a confident guy, who can effortlessly save everybody and still have time for school, a relationship, and a collection of streetdogs. But in reality, he's still just a kid who hasn't taken an L yet. He needs help, panics and sucks at hiding his secret identity.

Peter is shown as a happy comfortable new father who has perfected the art of being a full time dad and changing avocado poop pampers. But later, we see he's just a guy, still figuring this whole dad thing out.

With Rio & Jeff, they start the movie literally grounding Miles, and by the end, they're forced to trust him out there in the big world.

Even Miles experiences this, as he goes from a kid who wants to be apart of something bigger - before realizing that he only needs himself.

The writers of ATSV use these subversion in order to make three dimensional characters.

And Hobie Brown, may be the best example of this. The Writers preying on our pre-conceived notions of punk, and love triangles to give us a vision of Hobie before he even appears on screen.

In the film Hobie, is the only subversion that is purposeful. He's the only one doing this behavior on conscious effort.

Hobie is an outlier. His subversion is intentional - and doing this gives him enough power to exercise a lot of influence over the plot going forward.

Hobie Brown is the king of Subversion.

But who doesn't have a Subversion? Miguel.

But let's hold that thought for a second.

Parallels: Relationship Building in ATSV

All of the subversions are what cause conflict in plot. And in ATSV, ever character and their conflict, as an a equal reflection of their situation - A Parallel.

And the same way each character experiences a subversion, that leads to conflict -

Each Conflict has a Parallel situation that mirrors theirs.

And these parallels can help us predict the story.

Gwen & Miles Parallel each other:

Miles' family is desperate to be apart of his life, while Gwen's family - her father, openly rejects her. And in the end: Miles ends up as far away from his parents as possible, around the same time Gwen returns to her fathers arms.

Jess & Peter Parallel each other:

Jess begins the story with a hands-off mentoring approach - while Peter's is more emotionally driven. And in the end: Jess begins questioning her callousness towards Gwen, meanwhile Peter questions if his approach and babying of Miles is actually what he needs.

Rio & Jeff Parallel each other:

Rio starting the film being more stern on Miles - the last one in the guidance consolers office and the one to remind him of the cake. Meanwhile, Miles' dad is the one trying to cut Miles some slack. And in the end: Rio is the more open one - she's the one who lets Miles go with Gwen, and the one who hears when out at the end. Meanwhile Miles' dad is the opposite - ready to jump at the accusation of drugs. (lmao)

Hell, even characters that we see on screen for less than ten minutes could be considered parallels:

Pavitr & Margo Parallel each other:

Pavitr is inexperienced, but loving life. He's out in the field enjoying himself and his universe. While Margo is more experienced. She works the Go-Home Machine. But unlike Pavitr, she's not out in the field, and she doesn't enjoy her universe. By the end of their arcs: Pavitr is humbled and realizes there's some dark moments that come with Spider-man, and some close calls. While Margo regains her motivation and spark through Miles, heading out in the field again.

Every character has a subversion - Ever subversion causes conflict - and every conflict leads to a parallel. And through that, the story is made.

Just one problem:

Hobie doesn't have a Parallel. Neither does Miguel.

Why does Hobie - the only one who purposely uses subversion - not have a parallel?

If Hobie is 'The guy playing a pretentious fake punk based on people's preconceived notions of his ideology and appearance, who uses it to his advantage only when he wants to, and uses it for good - that results in a growth in community'

Where is 'The guy playing a pretentious authority figure based on people's preconceived notions of his ideology and appearance, who uses it to his advantage only when he wants to, and uses it for evil that results in a loss of community.'

Where is that guy? Can you find him?

Oh, damn it's Miguel.

Story Structure in ATSV:

If we look at the story structure of ATSV not only do we see that there's subversions and parallels, but we see a hole in the story.

With each character going on an arc the completely subverts audiences expectations - Why doesn't Miguel? (he does.)

And with each subversion, in Hobie's case, if everyone has an reflection of themselves and their situation that tie them into the story by common themes - Why doesn't Hobie? (he does.)

Why is Hobie the face of 'fake rebel that leads to great purposeful action' - and there's no 'fake leader than leads to horrible un-purposeful action'? (there is)

Did the Writers just leave this hole, and not tie Miguel and Hobie's arc in the same way as everyone elses?

No. There is a connection there.

Hobie is Miguel's reflection. Miguel is his parallel. Miguel's subversion is that he's not mean. He's putting on a persona.

Their parallel is - that they're both putting on an act. One for rebellion, one for order.

The difference is - Hobie enjoys his act, he uses it for good, and good things come of it. When he drops his mask as the 'fake punk', he does it out of the urge to empower himself.

Hence why he demasks himself in the comics.

And on Miguel's hand - He doesn't enjoy his act, he uses it for bad, and bad things come of it. When Miguel drops his mask and tells Miles two days, that is his mask dropping. It happens not out of empowerment, but vulnerability.

The whole scene in the lair is a purposeful ACT. That's why when he looks at Hobie (ironically, his parallel) he is able to turn it off immediately. Within seconds.

Whereas Hobie drops his mask in times of trust or action and rebellion - Miguel drops his in times of apathy or vulnerability - aka HIM SHOWING MILES GAB'S DEATH.

Miguel's conversation with Miles here - is the only time we see him not putting on the 'evil, angry, grumpy boss' mask.

He's vulnerable. This is Miguel unmasked. MILD MIGUEL.

While they were walking - Hobie takes his 'fake punk' mask off to be candid with Miles. He speaks honestly and offers empathy - and that is the GOOD inciting incident for Miles' rebellion.

Miguel is the parallel.

He purposely strips his 'fake mean boss' mask off in order to be candid with Miles. He speaks honestly and offers empathy - by telling him how long his father had to live (something he didn't have to do). And that empathy that Miguel gives is the BAD inciting incident for Miles' rebellion.

And when Miles is faced with the parallel of both Hobie and Miguel in rapid succession - it's enough to spawn him to escape.

Hobie and Miguel are opposing but mirrored forces on Miles.

Every character has a subversion. Every subversion causes conflict. Every conflict causes a parallel that spans action.

If Miguel doesn't have a subversion - and Hobie doesn't have a parallel, then how can those conflicts meet? Why this gap in the writing.

If Hobie does have a parallel, the only one left is Miguel.

But, if we're to believe that Hobie does have a parallel, and Miguel is that parallel - then naturally, they're mirrors of each other - and just like Hobie is - Miguel is putting on an act too.

And because the strongest representation of Miguel we see is anger, we know the anger is a mask for something else; aka MILD!MIGUEL

Which is what we see at the climax scene, the real Miguel.

Miguel and Hobie reveal their true colors at the same time, because they're parallels.

Hobie chuckles - the next shot - Miguel snaps.

It's meant to show in that moment in those two shots, these two characters are at their emotional peak. A battle between the two of them - convincing Miles - that Miguel doesn't even know about.

Hobie wins in this moment, Miguel loses, and we see them completely demasked, come to find out - we were wrong, Hobie the one in control and calm - and Miguel is not, he's grasping for control in anyway possible and it's literally slipping from his hands.

There stories are linked, and they barely share any lines at all.

Mild!Miguel exists because Anarchist!Hobie exists.

And all of this is why I think the following:

My predictions for BTSV:

Looking at Hobie's arc:

Fake Persona - Persuasive Set-Up (Talk with Miles) - Inciting Incident around Miles that leads to action (Miles breaks out, Hobie leaves to give Gwen the watch) - Self evaluation and commitment to the cause (joining the gang)

I think Miguel's is gonna follow the same thing

Fake Persona - Persuasive Set Up (This is Everything Speech) - Inciting Incident around Miles (Miles breaks out, Miguel snaps) - Self evaluation and commitment to the cause

Miguel re-evaluates himself and changes sides, turning the Societies resources on Spot.

Based on the subversions, parallels and plot arcs we see in ATSV, my most honest guess is:

Miguel is gonna redeem himself by choice very early into the film.

You know how the first half of ATSV is writen so when you rewatch it again, you'll see the complexities of Hobie's character?

I think the whole movie is written that way. So when you rewatch it AFTER Beyond the Spider-Verse, you can see the complexities of Miguel's character as well.

______________________________ THERE THATS WHY I THINK MILD MIGUEL EXISTS BESIDES EVERYTHING ELSE AND ALL THE VISUAL QUES AND STUFF. THIS IS THE MAIN REASON.

THAT'S WHAT I MEANT I'm so relieved to finally make sense of it. GOSSSSHHH

If you read this far, thank you for your time and entertaining me I'm SO SERIOUS THANK YOU

Please let me know what you think I'm DYING to know

Anyway closing RANT BELOW

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

[Warning: I go Miguel Mode below]

Thats why this WHOLE TIME I've been like he's RIGHT THERE HJSGDGKDS Cause like -- the story calls for it. if hes not faking why does he have that platform???? Why doesn't Hobie have a paralllel?? Like why is Hobie just this random ass OP character randomly dropped in for funsies - he isn't he's there to reflect Miguel's fake power. Hobie hides his true power the way Miguel hides his powerlessness AHHHHH

THATS WHAT IVE BEEN TRYING TO PUT IN WORDS!! THAT LIKE...I WAS WATCHING THE MOVIE *deep breath* I FEEL SO RELIEVED.

I was watching the movie and feeling like somethings missing in the story - that there's a whole connection that's MISSING There's SOMETHING we're not getting - there's something there. Something that can tells us SO much about the next movie

and seeing peoples interpretations of Miguel made me be like no.... he cant be the only 3 dimensional one. Everyone is the OPPOSITE of what we think they are. Everyone.

And everyone has a parallel. And this is the connection that is missing.

tTHIS IS WHAT I MEANT HOLY FUCK I FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO SAY IT.

When I say 'He's in the room with us, he's standing right there' - I mean 'His existence as a character is what completes the plot. Mild!Miguel HAS to be there logically speaking'

DO YOU GET WHAT I MEAN LIKE MILD MIGUEL AND MIGUELS ACT AS THE LEADER IS CENTRAL TO THIS MOVIE AND THE NEXT.

MILD MIGUEL IS GONNA BE A HUGE PART OF THE NEXT MOVIE

ahhhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Anyway if you're still here after THAT Hello hi I love you - Please tell me your thoughts and if you think it makes sense!

Here's Hobie for your travels!

Bye.

[noire-pandora]

OC interview: Elluin Lavellan

I was tagged by @emerald-amidst-gold @fade-and-loathing-in-thedas @samuraisaucefrites @ammocharis  @oxygenforthewicked thanks for the tag! 

Let us imagine this is an interview for the curious citizens of Thedas who want to know more about the Inquisitor. It takes place a few months after their arrival to Skyhold.

Introduction

Can you introduce yourself?

"Of course. I am Elluin of the clan Lavellan. I am currently the leader of the Inquisition.”

What is your gender identity, orientation, and relationship status?

"That's a bit too personal, isn't it? Why do people in Thedas care if I am with someone?" She sighs. "I am a woman, and my sexual orientation and relationship status are my business, and I want you to respect that. (She's a taken bisexual xD)”

Where and when were you born?

"I was born 37 years ago in the Free Marches. I don't know the exact place, but I was born in Clan Lavellan and that's all that matters to me."

What is your weapon of choice and fighting style?

"Until a few months ago I would have refused to answer that question, but it seems I am in a place of power that makes people forget I am  a ‘dangerous mage’. My weapon is my fire and my fighting style is....me to be extremely careful not to die and avoid any fight if possible. If not, I prefer to stay away from my enemies. But since that does not work so well these days, I'm training to become a Knight Enchanter and not be afraid of my enemies anymore. It's going to take a while, but I am trying.”

And finally, are you happy?

She shrugs. "Are any of us really happy? I do not think I have a choice but to think I am happy. Even if sometimes I am not."

Family and friends

What is your family like? What is your relationship like with them?

 "My idea of family is different from what everyone thinks. The members of Clan Lavellan are my family, but so are some other people I have met over the years. Since I rarely stay in one place, my family is getting bigger. I get along well with them, so I call them family."

Have you ever run away from home?

She grins. "I think I am running away from home right now. I left home when I was nineteen, and I am still on the move."

"Would you want to get married or have children?

"I can barely take care of myself, I do not think I am cut out to be a parent, but... A family sounds good. Maybe? I do not know yet. Ask me again when I am done being the leader of a rogue religious organisation, and maybe I'll have a better answer.”

Do you secretly hate any of your friends?

“No. If I hate someone, I will let them know. I will never swallow my words just to make someone feel comfortable around me. If I hate you, you'll be the first to know.”

What friend knows everything about you?

“No one. My secrets are mine, and I like to keep my secrets. I did not survive for 36 years by giving away my thoughts like they were apples to be  shared. There are a few people in my life who know more than others, but... some things are better left unsaid.”

Asked by fans

Can you read and write? Did you go to school?

"Yes. I didn’t  to one of your schools, but I was lucky enough to be raised by brilliant people who wanted to share their brilliance with me." She scoffs. "I tried to get into your university, but I was rejected before I could open my mouth. All because of my ears."

The scariest prediction you made that later came true?

"I don’t like to think about bad things. I try to keep a positive attitude and only think about happy things." She laughs. "Reality does not need my lame imagination to surprise me with scary situations. Never in a million years would I have imagined that my l would be forced to be a responsible leader and save the world.”

What is something you embarrassingly realised too late?

"Hmmmm. The painful truth that I do not know as much about the world and its people as I thought I did. I was sure I was wise and smart, but... in the few months I have been here, I have been shown that I am just an ignorant child."

Do you have mental or physical problems?

“If so, why do you think I will share them with you? Remember when I said I like to keep my secrets? Well, this is one secret I do not want you to know.”

What's your main goal right now?

“Oh, nothing big. Survival. And keeping Thedas whole while I do.”

Choices

Drink or eat?

“To survive, I need both. Why should I choose?”

Cats or dogs?

"Yes!" she grins. "I love animals and I want them all. No matter what."

Optimist or pessimist?

“I like to think of myself as an optimist. Or at least I try to be. I can be a scary pessimist and I do not want to scare my friends.”

Sassy or sarcastic?

“None, if I have a choice. I reserve my sarcasm for those who annoy me.”

HAVE YOU EVER:

Been caught sneaking out?

“Yes. Even now I am watched by many eyes and I try to escape every night. Unfortunately, I cannot escape the watchful eyes of my dear advisors.”

Broken a bone?

“Yes. Many times. That's one of the hazards of being on the road all the time.”

Did you get flowers?

“Yes! I love flowers and when I get them I am very happy. Now almost every day I get a flower from... " she stops and grins. "Do not you want to know from whom? That's another secret of mine."

Ghosting someone?

She blinks and tilts her head to the right like a confused dog. "Ghosted? How can I do that if I am not dead?"

You pretended to laugh at a joke you did not get?

“I rarely do, because I like jokes and I like to laugh at them. I do brag a bit, but I rarely miss the point of a joke."

If you’re wondering why she is using so little contractions even if she uses a lot of them in my fic, is because she is in an official position, talking as the Inquisitor and she is trying to sound smart. 

Tagging:

 @silvanils | @musetta3 | @lorkaji-writes | @morganlefaye79  |  @darethshirl | @rosella-writes| @melisusthewee

And:  @little-lightning-lavellan  @sidhelives  @roguelioness @juliafied  @aricazorel  @raflesia65  @cleverblackcat  @the-dreadful-canine @enasallavellan @aymayzing @wavesofinkdrops   @dalishkadan  @charlatron @dalish-rogue @starsandskies @rosella-writes @thevikingwoman @1000generations @bearlytolerant @charmcity-jess  @barkspawn-says-mage-rights @rakshadow @pinkfadespirit @pookydraws @dreadfutures @for-the-ninth  @kumaronoa @blueheaded @a11sha11fade 

@inquisitoracorn 

[raflesia65]

OC interview: Diana Trevelyan

I was tagged by @noire-pandora thank you lovely, for this opportunity to talk a little about Diana.

Being now the inquisitor Diana must also endure the interviews that Josephine organizes for her, it is a duty to which she cannot exempt herself.

Introduction

Can you introduce yourself?

"Okay, I'm Diana Trevelyan and I'm the leader of the inquisition."

What is your gender identity, orientation, and relationship status?

"But how curious we are! Sorry (laughs), but I won't tell you anything personal, I'm a private person."

Where and when were you born?

"I was born 30 years ago in Ostwick in the Free Marches and I belong to the Trevelyan family, my father is the Bann of the area."

What is your weapon of choice and fighting style?

"I am a sword and shield warrior and I took the path of the Champion when I specialized."

And finally, are you happy?

"You ask me if I'm happy? I treasure the little things, but with a war going on, talking about happiness is a bit risky. But there are moments and people that are important to me that often make me happy."

Family and friends

What is your family like? What is your relationship like with them?

"My family if you mean mom and dad are in Ostwick and I haven't seen them since all the chaos of the conclave broke out. I miss them. Mom is a sweet and patient woman, endowed with a grace that I lack. Dad a little sterner, you know he's the Bann and he has a reputation to keep, but he's very affectionate with me. When I look at him as a puppy he can't resist me (ed: he smiles, but his gaze is veiled with melancholy). Then there are my beloved brothers Jaden and Eleonora. Eleonora is the youngest, she is 20 and is a bookworm, she loves to study unlike me and Jaden, who have studied yes, but how could we we escaped and went to train in the barracks. Jaden is my twin, he is very protective of me so much so that he has joined me and being skilled with daggers and the bow now works for Leliana our spymaster".

Have you ever run away from home?

"No, but I've traveled a lot, so I've been away from home for months."

Would you want to get married or have children?

"Maybe someday who knows. Now I don't even dare to think about it."

Do you secretly hate any of your friends?

"Hate. But what a big word. No I don't hate any of my friends. They are my friends and hate is a feeling that does not belong to me. I like to be clear so I never leave anything unfinished with anyone"

What friend knows everything about you?

"My brother, we grew up together."

Asked by fans

Can you read and write? Did you go to school?

"Yes, yes and yes. I am the daughter of the Bann I had no escape"

The scariest prediction you made that later came true?

"Before the conclave I had a life, I traveled. Now I travel again, but to close the breaches and honestly I have so much to do that I have no idea what will happen tomorrow, much less make predictions."

What is something you embarrassingly realised too late?

"When I asked Commander Cullen about certain vows of chastity. OMG how embarrassed, but by now I had asked him. But his face was very funny hahaha !! Ehmm let's go back to the interview."

Do you have mental or physical problems?

"No, I'm in perfect health."

What’s your main goal right now?

"End this conflict and return Thedas to a normal life."

Choices

Drink or eat?

"What? Obviously both, without food and water you can't go anywhere."

Cats or dogs?

"Cats, dogs, horses, goats, chickens, donkeys, sheep, nugs, fennecs, etc. etc. I love them all."

Optimist or pessimist?

"Absolutely optimistic."

Sassy or sarcastic?

"Sometimes sarcastic, but only if you annoy me."

HAVE YOU EVER:

Been caught sneaking out?

"More than once. As a girl I ran away from my teachers with Jaden. Now I try to sneak out of the war room, but Leliana always stops me."

Broken a bone?

"Lately often, thank goodness there are healing mages."

Did you get flowers?

"I love flowers and someone often gives them to me, but I won't tell you who it is. I am a private person."

Ghosting someone?

"What?"

You pretended to laugh at a joke you did not get?

"It is difficult for me not to understand a joke, I like to joke and I am very self-deprecating."

I tag @princessvicky01 @gugle1980 @pookydraws @charlatron @aricazorel @kemvee @charmcity-jess @jentrevellan @jonogueira @jellysharkbat @elellan @tessa1972 @a-shakespearean-in-paris and anyone who wants to play. No pressure , just fun!!

[spaceskam]

only then i am human

Summary: Rosa and Alex have a talk.

Tags: friendship, asexual rosa

ao3

It was cold in Colorado.

Rosa felt a chill go down her spine, but it felt nice and sobering and she didn’t want to go inside to get a jacket. Instead, she swung her feet off the edge of the balcony, beneath the bars, and stared out to the nothingness around the hotel that Michael had picked.

She had listened to Alex and Michael old-married-couple argue the entire way up to the suite. Alex thought going somewhere expensive with a more obvious paper trail was stupid, but Michael had never been to a nice hotel and this was his only shot to do it with money he didn’t care about‒Jesse Manes’ life insurance. Alex stopped complaining whenever they got up to the suite and there was a separated bedroom and a pullout couch and the two of them would get to be alone for the first time since they left Roswell to go investigate.

Rosa had practically begged them to let her tag along, needing new scenery and to get away from everything that came with Isobel Evans. She was, again, too close for comfort and Rosa was starting to get anxiety whenever she came around, progress be damned. When she found out Michael and Alex were going to investigate Weird Alien Shit™, she jumped at the chance to put space between them.

But her mind was still hazy, still not liking the way she felt uncomfortable when Isobel texted to check-in. It was fine at first. She even liked talking to her for a while. And then it wasn’t fine.

Rosa flinched out of her daze as a blanket touched her shoulders and she looked to see Alex easing himself to sit beside her, placing his crutches on the ground beside him. He was in his nightclothes, his hair was wet, and he looked more relaxed than he had in a few days.

“Finally got laid?” Rosa asked. Alex snorted and rolled his eyes, but he didn’t deny it. Rosa let her eyes drift back out to the nothingness.

“You okay? It’s getting late,” he said instead. Rosa shrugged, resting her head against the bars. “Michael’s out cold, so you can talk without thinking he’s gonna overhear.”

Rosa huffed a laugh and looked back out. She didn’t actually care what Guerin heard. He was probably the only alien that didn’t make her skin crawl. She wasn’t sure if it was because Alex trusted him or if it was because he was brutally honest with her about everything, but she preferred him to even most people. Besides, he made Alex soft and fed him hot fudge sundaes and Alex deserved that.

“Isobel keeps texting me,” Rosa said.

“I thought you two were friends,” Alex said carefully. Rosa bit the inside of her cheek and swung her legs a bit harder.

“We‒are, but,” Rosa said, pausing as she tried to find the words, “I don’t know. Something is making it weird. Like, I’m not scared of her. But it’s close to fear. Or something. I don’t know, Alex, I don’t do feelings well.”

“Uncomfortable?” Alex guessed, slowly like he didn’t want to assume anything. Rosa shrugged but then nodded, though she wasn’t sure if that was the right word either. “How’s she acting?”

“I… I don’t know. She’s just too close sometimes. Leans too close and talks too close, like we’re a part of some inside joke together but I missed the memo. Kinda like it was before, Rosa tried, though it wasn’t quite right, “But not really. Like I don’t think she’s trying to make it weird. Does that make sense?”

“You think it might be PTSD?” Alex asked. Rosa instantly shook her head.

“No, it’s not just her.”

“Yeah, but you literally got murdered. Like… that can fuck someone up for more than just one person,” Alex said. Rosa’s lips twitched into a small smile and she shook her head.

“No, it’s not like that. It… It kinda happened before then. Drugs helped, honestly,” Rosa admitted, “Anyone who gets too comfortable with me in that way makes me feel weird and like I need to get away. And I usually can and do, but with her it’s a little different because we’re actually friends. And before everything, I either got high to deal with it or I pushed them away. But I’m friends with her, so I should be fine. I don’t know why I’m not fine. I don’t know, it’s weird, I don’t know how to explain it.” 

Rosa groaned, letting her head hit the bars with a bit of force. She hated trying to put her feelings into words.

“I mean, we’re close. I act close. You and Michael have been weirdly buddy-buddy. And Maria. Do you feel that with us?” Alex asked, though it sounded like he already knew the answer. Rosa eyed him until he quirked a small smile, a silent confirmation that he basically had her pegged.

“No. You two are gross, but I feel fine. Mostly.”

“So, do you think it might be, like, flirting? Is that what sets off the sirens in your head?” Alex asked. Rosa scrunched up her nose.

“Are they flirting?”

“I mean, I don’t know, I’m asking you,” Alex said, shrugging. Rosa looked more directly at him and wished he could just give her the answers. He was older than her now, so, really, he should be able to do that. “If they’re being close and stuff, it might be because she likes you. Just tell her you’re not interested.”

The idea of doing that made Rosa feel like locking herself in a small room and never coming out.

“Unless… You are interested.”

“No,” Rosa said instantly, shaking her head, “I’m not.”

“It’s okay if you are.”

“I’m not though,” Rosa said firmly, “But if I say something, she’s probably not going to be my friend anymore, right? Like she’ll get mad. And then I won’t have friends.”

“She won’t. And if she does then she’s the problem and fuck her,” Alex said simply. Rosa sighed, tilting her head back to look up at the moon. “Is this really like… a recurring problem? Where you get uncomfortable whenever you think someone might be flirting with you?”

“I mean, I’m just not interested in a relationship and I don’t want to lead anyone on and I don’t want to make anyone angry,” Rosa said, “It was much easier when I could just take something and not feel it.”

“Okay, but we’re not doing that. We’re working through it. Is it a rejection thing? A sexuality thing? Whenever I was in high school, I’d get that way when girls flirted with me, didn’t know what to do without giving them the wrong idea,” Alex offered, scooting closer as he tried to help. She appreciated it, but she also wished he’d leave her alone and go away. “You say you’re not interested. Are you, like, not interested at all… ever?”

“No offense, Alex, but I don’t want to have this conversation with you,” Rosa said. Alex huffed a small laugh.

“Who else is there to have it with?” Alex wondered. Rosa made a face and looked at him. He seemed open and earnest. He seemed grown up.

With a sigh, Rosa asked, “What does it feel like? When you like someone like that?”

“Like the scariest thing in the world and also the best. Like all the movie cliches make sense and half the time they’re all you can think about. You just want to be with them and have them pay attention to you. You just want them in anyway you can have them, like a craving you can’t satisfy. Like, with Michael, when we were younger, I was so scared of how much I wanted him, but he’d look at me and it felt like he trusted me and it made me feel brave. And, I don’t know, I guess I made him feel brave too. You just want to be close and to keep them safe and have them always,” Alex rambled, clearly trying his best to explain it.

For the first time, Rosa didn’t feel like she was drowning in confusion.

“Okay,” she said, “I’ve never felt like that before.”

“Ever?”

“No,” she said, laughing softly, “I thought that was fake.”

“Definitely not fake,” Alex said, looking at her with a soft look. Sort of like the one she tried so desperately to give him when he came to her, thirteen and miserable, to say he thought he liked boys and didn’t think he could tell anyone else.

He probably pulled it off much better than she did.

“Okay, then what does that make me? Heartless?” Rosa asked, though she didn't really feel bad about realizing what she wasn’t feeling. At least she knew that she was actually not feeling it and she wasn’t just drastically misunderstanding something. “A prude, maybe?”

“Have you ever looked into asexuality?” Alex asked. Rosa shook her head. “I haven’t really either to be fair. I actually learned about it from Michael. He apparently got really into queer literature and history whenever Max was dead, would read it to him as a way to be caring and annoying at the same time. Sometimes he’ll spout fun facts at me. Anyway, sounds like it might be something you wanna look into.”

“Okay, I will,” Rosa agreed, though she still found herself looking out to the nothingness.

“Not that you need labels. I just think sometimes knowing we’re not the only ones out there like us is helpful. And you’re already an anomaly in other ways, so might as well not make yourself feel more alone than you are, you know? It’s clearly upsetting you,” Alex said. Rosa nodded.

“I get it. Thanks.”

“And maybe talk to Isobel, tell her to give you some space.”

Rosa sighed, tilting her head back and closing her eyes for a moment. She just wanted everything to make since. She didn’t like navigating new friendships in the first place, it was scary and she was never able to gauge how they felt about her. It was easier, especially when she was sober, to just not deal with it. To just keep the friends she had now and push everyone else away.

But that wasn’t plausible or healthy and she knew it. That would lead a lonely existence and she was already lonely. She never felt like she was anyone’s person in the way she wanted to be someone’s person. And, really, it was a hard thing to request because she wasn’t sure how to explain it herself.

She supposed, however, that she would never get anywhere if she didn’t try.

“Seriously, trust me. Avoiding the tough conversations only leads to shitty situations. Like, you know, a decade of complications because you never speak,” Alex pointed out. Rosa rolled her eyes at him.

“You can’t pull that card with me, it’s you and Guerin’s fault for all that.”

Alex grinned and shrugged.

“Yeah, but once we talked, we got to a place that we’ve both been wanting for a long time. So cut out the bullshit and just tell her what you want and don’t want. Again, if she gets mad, fuck her,” Alex said. Rosa nodded and sighed all over again. Sometimes she hated having to be grown up. “Okay, I’m gonna go to bed. We’ve got a big week, so try to get some sleep yourself, okay? Love you.”

“Love you too,” Rosa said, accepting his smile as he pushed himself up and made his way back into the suite and into the room he was sharing with Michael.

It was weird hearing it put into words. She obviously knew people liked each other in a way different than she could understand, but she had never really clocked how real it was to them. She understood craving someone’s attention and presence, but it wasn’t in the way it seemed to be for Michael and Alex or even Liz and Max. She thought they were just being fucking annoying.

Maybe there was something she was missing.

Reluctantly, Rosa pulled out her phone and opened the text thread she’d had with Isobel.

Rosa: Hey, I think we should talk when I get back. Set some boundaries, maybe.

Before it could even show that Isobel had seen it, Rosa exited out and put her phone on do not disturb. She stared out at the trees and nothingness for a few more minutes before she eventually got the courage to get up and go inside. She shut the glass door and laid down on the pullout couch that Alex had set up for her. 

She hadn’t realized how tired she’d been until her head hit the pillow, a wave of exhaustion hitting her at full force. And she was thankful for that, honestly. It was easier to keep a clear head when you couldn’t stay awake.

Still, before she could fall asleep, she opened her notes app to type a reminder.

Asexuality. Ask guerin to borrow some of his books.

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

The Ambassador: Part 1/3

Captain Rex x Reader, Female!Reader

Summary: Captain Rex is a man of honor, never losing sight of his code and his duty to the Republic. Well...almost never. Whenever you, the unofficial Ambassador to the GAR, grace the 501st with you presence, the lines between what he wants to do and what he should do become blurry.

A/N: Guess who decided to make another series when they haven’t finished like...five of them! Anyway, at least this one is short and there’s an actual end in sight. Let me know if you want to be tagged. And remeber REBLOG AND COMMENT IF YOU LIKE THIS!!!

Word Count: 1.9K

    Another day, another mission, Rex thought idly as he stared down at the holo map before him.

    Pustin was, on a whole, rather unremarkable; a small desert planet on the edge of the Outer Rim with a small primitive native population. The Republic had kept its distance for the most part in order to avoid disturbing its development.  Unfortunately for the Pustins, the Seperatist had decided to set up shop along the borders of their land. 

    The Republic knew Separatists were shipping raw material in and out of the system, but they had no idea what or how much.  Recon missions had proved inconclusive given the strategic placement of the outpost.  So far, they had only been able to see some of the facility from the air, and even then at a great distance.  A ground team couldn’t sneak in from the front because of the vast desert landscape, giving no room for cover.  The rear was just as dangerous.  While it rested against a mountain side providing easy cover, the mountain itself was treacherous to climb. They had learned enough to know a labyrinth of caverns ran through the mountain which the natives used as a short-cut, but it would be impossible for any trooper to get through without a proper guide. 

    It was a tricky situation.  Luckily, General Skywalker has the foresight to bring in reinforcements. 

    Rex felt his cheeks warm at the thought.  He shook it off as best he could, staring more intently at the map as if expecting to find some brilliant pathway through the mountain he hadn’t noticed to suddenly spring out at him. 

 He was not going to think about the person currently riding the elevator up to the bridge.  He was going to focus on the mission.  That was his duty. That was what he understood, not whatever was making his heart hammer against his chest.

   But, it was all the naught the moment the elevator doors hissed open.

   “Eyes up! Ambassador on the bridge!” General Skywalker called, walking into the command center with you just a step behind. 

   You gave an exasperated, but good natured smile in response as all eyes turned to you. 

   “At ease,” you said.

   The men returned to their duties, but it was clear from the smiles and sudden lightness in the air that they didn’t need the order to be at ease. 

   You weren’t really a representative, at least not in any official capacity.  What you were was a tactical consultant; your expertise being extractions, espionage, or anything which required careful navigation of neutral systems and local treaties. 

   It was a common joke among the ranks that you could talk Master Windu into buying a bridge if you talked long enough.  This skill set, along with your easy comradery with every clone you met, earned you the honorary title of “Ambassador to the Grand Army of the Republic” or “The Ambassador” for short. 

    You took the title with pride, earning some side eyes from Senators, but nothing you couldn’t brush off.  Rex had even heard you claim to, “represent the interests of Kamino’s second population”.  And you did, not just on the battlefield. 

   While many in the Senate wanted to push off the issue to a later date, you were adamant in your fight for Clone rights.  Anytime you weren’t on assignment you were on Coruscant, meeting with Senators and influencers, and speaking out for recognition of Clones' personhood. 

   If getting squadrons out of trouble with local tribal leaders didn’t endear you to the troops, your advocacy certainly did. 

   “Commander,” Rex greeted.

   Your eyes turned to him and a genuine smile slipped onto your lips.  The kind that made his heart clench and his ears warm.  This was a common occurrence whenever he saw you; a mix of uncomfortable and pleasant sensations, making it impossible for him to decide if he liked it or not. 

   “Captain Rex,” you said.  “It’s good to see you again.” 

   You meant it. He knew you did. And that only made it worse.

   You then turned your attention back to General Skywalker.  “So, what’s the situation?  Or did you just miss me?”

   General Skywalker raised an eyebrow.  “Straight to the point then?”

   “Might as well.” You shrugged. “Besides, Senator Burtoni will be headed back to Coruscant soon which is never a good sign.  I’d rather be there to argue the old bat myself. If anything, it’ll just annoy her.” 

   He laughed.  “Don’t worry Ambassador. If all goes according to plan, we’ll have you back pestering senators in no time.”

   “You’d better.  Now, what brilliant scheme have you come up with?”

   “Captain Rex?”

   Rex stepped forward. “Me and a squadron of men will escort you to the village on the other side of the mountain here. With any luck we’ll be able to convince the chief to guide us through the caverns we know link the two sides.  After that, it’s purely reconnaissance.  We need to find out what they’re shipping, the placement of their gun, and approximately how many droids they have stationed there.”

   “And then just pop back out the other side with the Separatist none the wiser,” you finished.  “Is that it?”

   “That’s the idea.”

   You nodded.  “Sounds easy enough.  One objection, no squadron.”

   “Commander--”

   You held up a hand for silence.  “I understand the instinct, but you said I need to persuade the chief to guide us.  If I go down there with a bunch of armored troopers demanding safe passage through the mountain, that’s not persuading, that’s threatening.”

   “And if the natives prove hostile?” 

   “That’s a risk we’ll have to take.  But if I know anything about the Separatists, the Pustins will be jumping at the chance to get them off their world. Provided, we don’t come across as the bad guys.” 

   Rex stayed silent a moment.  He wanted to put up more of a fight.  The idea of you going down there essentially unarmed into a hostile environment made his stomach turn.  But, you were still a Commander and if anyone could talk their way out from under the barrel of a blaster, it was you.

   “What do you suggest, sir?”

   “Just myself and two other troopers as escort,” you said. “This is still a recon mission after all, the fewer the better.  I’d also recommend no armor and concealed blasters.”

   He stiffened. “Sir, with all due respect, we’ll need some protection in case something goes wrong.”

   “Things will go wrong a lot faster if we waltz into their villages armed for battle.”

   “The Pustins have never even seen Republic armor before.”

   “No, but they will recognize it as armor.” 

   He opened his mouth ready to protest, but immediately closed it.  You were right. 

   This entire mission hinged on getting the Pustins to trust you, and them. If you didn’t gain that trust, the entire mission was forfeit. It’s why General Skywalker asked for you. 

   So, that meant following your lead and putting the minds of the natives at ease, even if that ran the risk of leaving yourself vulnerable to attack. 

   He let out a long breath. “I don’t like it.”

   “No one is forcing you to join me, Captain.”

   He shook his head.  “No, I’m going.  I can’t say I’m thrilled with this plan, but I can’t think of a better one.”

   A small smile quirked at the corner of your lips. “Good.  Between you, me and Jesse we should have this wrapped in no time.”

   His brow furrowed. “Jesse?”

   “Did you have someone else in mind?”

   Rex paused.  Fives and Echo were out, having been sent to assist General Kenobi and the 212th. Hardcase had an itchy trigger finger.  Tup didn’t have any recon experience, neither did Kix.  Dogma was still too shiny...

   He ran down the list of available troopers and came to the same conclusion you did. Jesse really was the only logical choice.  

   He felt a small tug at annoyance. Jesse was undoubtedly a good soldier, one of the best.  But he also made no secret about his interest in you.  Whenever you joined them on any kind of mission Jesse just had to open his mouth and share every little flirtatious comment that came into his head.  

   He held back a sigh.  He was liking this mission less and less.  But for the sake of said mission he had to put whatever personal issues he had with his brother aside, because that’s all they were, personal.

   “No, sir,” he said, making a point to keep his tone as free from emotion as possible.

   You nodded in acknowledgement before turning to Skywalker. “Anything else, General?”

   He shook his head. “No, I think that settles it. Captain Rex you inform Jesse about his assignment.  Plan to meet in the hanger bay in one hour.”

   “Yes, sir.” 

   “Dismissed.”

   Both you and Rex saluted before you turned and entered the elevator together. 

   “So, on a scale from one to ten, how much is Jesse going to hate this plan,” you asked, just as the doors hissed shut. 

   “I’d say about a seven,” Rex answered dryly. 

   “That much faith in me, huh?”

   “The men have plenty of faith in you Commander.  I can’t say the same for the Pustins.” 

   You gave a short laugh before playfully nudging him in the side. “Don’t worry Captain, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

   “It’s not me I’m worried about it.” 

   You paused, the teasing expression fading. 

   His gut twisted; had he said that out loud? He didn’t so much as breath as he watched your face for some kind of reaction. 

   To his surprise, your gaze softened and your lips turned into an understanding smile. 

   “I know,” you said.  You placed a hand on his arm.  Even through his armor, he could swear he could feel the heat of your skin. 

   “But, I can take care of myself.  Believe it or no, I’ve been at this for a while.  You don’t have to worry about me.”

   Your look was so earnest, it made what he wanted to say that much easier. 

   “With all do respect sir, I think I will anyway.” 

   Your eyes brightened and he became suddenly aware of how close he was to you. 

   “Well, I can’t argue with that,” you said, the more playful smile returning. “Thank you, Captain.” 

   You kept your hand on his arm and he let you.  The urge to pull you even closer tugged at his insides.  You were so close already it wouldn’t take much to find out if your lips were as soft as they looked. 

   Rex stopped, realizing his own thoughts and flickered his eyes back to yours.

You didn’t meet gaze. Instead your attention appeared fully on his mouth.

   The hiss of the elevator doors broke the spell, opening to the barracks. 

   You dropped your hand quickly.  A flash of something danced across your features as you took a small step back.

   “I’ll see you in the hanger, Captain.”

   He couldn’t trust his voice and nodded before stepping out the doors, only managing to let out a quiet, “Commander” as he did so.

   He took a glance over his shoulder just in time to see the doors fully close and you descend further down into the ship. 

   He let out a long breath. 

   He was just imagining things.  You weren’t looking at him that way.  It was just him projecting his...thoughts about you.  That was all. 

   He ran a hand over his face.  He needed to get a hold of himself.  The sooner this mission got started the better.  At least then he could have something else to focus on.  Honor and duty were what he knew, not this. 

   This is going to be a long mission. 

[danny-chase]

if you want, maybe you could do "severed artery" with Dick and have Roy (or one of the other Titans) take care of him? love your writing and I hope you're having a nice day!

AHH thank you so much! I hope you enjoy!

Severed Artery - read on AO3

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Titans (Comics), Nightwing (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Roy Harper & Dick Grayson Characters: Roy Harper, Dick Grayson, Garth (DCU), Donna Troy (minor) Additional Tags: Can be read as pre-slash, POV Roy Harper, POV Dick Grayson, vomitting, Blood, Guns, Hospitals, Canon-Typical Violence, dick is a little shit, Roy is a Little Shit, Homophobia, Roy Harper Needs a Hug, Roy Harper gets/gives a hug, Dick Grayson Whump, Roy Harper emotional whump, Protective Roy Harper, Hurt Dick Grayson, Garth is the best, Titans as family, Confused Dick Grayson, Medical Inaccuracies Series: Part 6 of Bad Things Happen Bingo Summary:

Dick and Roy are little shits to each other, until the night takes a turn for the worse.

Full story under cut

“Aight, Donna, you ready to go?” Roy chirped, taking a second to look himself over in the mirror, running his fingers through his (surprisingly) soft hair (he’d be stealing Dick’s shampoo more often) – getting that perfect messy, but stylish look. He fired off finger guns at his reflection – he was killing it, somehow listening to Gar of people had worked out – he gave shockingly good fashion advice.

Feeling optimistic, he sauntered into the hall, only to be met with Donna’s confused expression.

“Roy, I’m going out with the girls tonight, I told you like four times.” She leaned against the wall, gesturing to Jesse and Toni, car keys dangling from her hand. Jesse stared at him, an eyebrow cocked judgmentally, as Toni smiled, offering a little wave. He waved back, watching Jesse’s expression morph into disapproval.

“Hey, I didn’t even do anything!” He complained, glaring at Jesse. She rolled her eyes, not deigning to verbally respond. Ice queen.

Reaching out, Donna patted his shoulder, waiting until he met her eyes. “I’m sorry, hun, but we’ve got tickets to a concert, could we go out next weekend?” She fluttered her eyelids slightly, sending chills up his spine. “Why don’t you take one of the boys with you?”

“Terrible company, but babe, have fun, I’ll figure something out.” He cupped her chin in his hand, leaning forward to peck a kiss to the top of her head, ignoring the fact she squatted down to make the moment work.

“Mm, thanks.” With that, the girls were off for the night, leaving him stranded in a deserted hallway.

Well. He could do what Donna suggested and take out one of the guys – he had the reservation, and Lian was already situated with the sitter. But which guy was the question… Wally was out with the league, Garth was visiting home, Vic was with Gar, and Grant had a date. Which left Dick – no - Dick was busy working – actually yes – he likely needed a break.

Actually – was he even here?

He started towards the central control room, poking a head in Dick’s room on the way and had to do a double take.

“You’re actually in <em>your room</em>?” Dick threw a pencil at him without looking up from his desk, child’s play to dodge – Dick speak for hmm, maybe something like ‘asshole’, but he took it as an invitation to enter. But if Dick was going to call him an asshole, he had expectations to live up to.

He took a standing leap, twisting and flopping across Dick’s immaculately made bed, sending blankets and pillows careening off the side. Dick ignored him, scribbling down some notes on a pad of paper. Roy waited for a few minutes, listening to the scratch of pen on paper. Quick and noisy – Dick was likely stressed – he was pushing down harder than normal; he gave it an eighty/twenty chance something was up.

Ripping paper proved him right, as Dick frustratedly crumpled up the page of notes, throwing them behind him, hitting the recycling bin with ease. Groaning, he dropped his head into his hands, rubbing his eyes.

“Showoff.” Dick startled, jumping out of his chair, Roy’s own reflexes were the only thing that saved him from taking a pen between the eyes.

“What the fuck, Richard?!” He yelled, yanking the little missile out of the air. A faint flush tinted the top of Dick’s ears.

“I forgot you were there.” The admission was almost too quiet to hear, but combined with the minute sign of embarrassment, it rang of truth. Roy could milk this, oh he totally could.

“What was that, why did you almost kill me?” If he played his cards right, he wouldn’t be dining alone tonight.

“I didn’t think you were…” Dick trailed off, glaring at him. “You heard what I said.” He retorted, catching on. Sucks to suck, Dickie – he was obviously tired if that spooked him – he was likely running on caffeine.

“Oh, you misunderstand.” Scooching off the edge of the bed, he hopped lightly onto the balls of his feet. “Why’d the batboy forget I was there, hmm?” He pulled a half-eaten energy bar off the desk, inspecting the wrapper. Dick casually rocked back in his chair.

“See, completely decaf, I told you I’d-” Roy yanked open a drawer, Dick darting to stop him. “This is my desk!” He slammed the drawer shut a moment too late – Roy had good eyes after all.

“Hmm, so how do you explain the-”

“Get out, I have stuff to do – aren’t you supposed to be on a date with-”

“-CAFFIENE PILLS IN YOUR DRAWER!” He shouted through Dick’s response, effectively shutting him up. There’d been an intervention years ago after too many days spent on one hour or less of sleep. “You know the deal.” Dick groaned as he ruffled his hair.

“I have to-”

“Eat, shower, and sleep. And I have reservations. For two. You’re coming with me.” Ah yes, a romantic dinner date with Dick Grayson. People would kill for this. Dick crossed his arms. Roy picked up his chair, staggering towards the door. Dick was going whether he liked it or not, a real meal (not protein shakes or energy bars) would do him good.

“No one’s even done this to me in like, a year.” He noted, gracefully leaping out of the seat. “Asshole.” Grumbling he lightly punching him in the arm before heading into his walk-in closet, stripping off his shirt as he went. Automatically, Roy scanned for any new injuries, his eyes lingering over a few of the old.

“Liar, Wally caught you two months ago. Besides, the restaurant is nice, Donna likes it and you two are basically the same person, so you’ll love it.” Dick scoffed, stepping out of view.

“Is that all I am to you? Your replacement for Donna?” He sounded mildly offended.

“Nah, you’re too ugly to replace her.” Dick hmphed. “And your personality sucks.” Roy added.

“Why the hell am I going with you?”

“It’s not like your night could get any worse.” Dinner was better than casework after all.

Dick’s head poked out the doorway, looking completely unamused. “Asshole.” He chirped a second time, ducking back away.

Roy sat across from him, speaking between mouthfuls of pasta, smacking his lips together. “So anyways this kid, Johnny is like, sitting next to Lian in class, and he keeps taking her crayons and won’t give them back.” Dick thought for a moment, watching Roy drum his fingers rhythmically on the table. “And the teacher is being ridiculous, she just believes Johnny over Lian. My Lian! Can you believe it?” He slammed his fork down, articulating the point.

<em>And you’re sure Lian gave you the whole story?</em> Was what Dick wondered, but he’d prefer not to die for questioning Lian’s integrity tonight. “Why don’t you mark her crayons with a sharpie and let the teacher know?” Roy’s fingers stopped.

“Huh, hadn’t thought of that.” He leaned back in his seat, distantly looking out the window. People trickled down the street, passing by the little café, kicking up crimson leaves from half empty trees. Streetlights flickered on; fairy lights crisscrossing the avenue, as the sun lazily sunk in the sky. It was a beautiful night – Roy was right, he did love it, the food was good – catching up with Roy was refreshing – and the location was stunning; as always, Roy always picked the perfect places for dates. Dick was past the point of being annoyed at the situation but was still determined to give Roy a hard time.

“Well, maybe if you thought about that instead of harassing me.” He leaned forward, resting his head on his hand, dramatically looking out the window – Babs was going to kill him for being late with his case reports. Again. Roy smirked as he rocked forward, reaching across the table to lay a hand on his forearm. He at least had the decency to look apologetic.

“Look, you know the deal.” Brushing his thumb against his skin placatingly, he waited until Dick met his eyes. “You’re working full time, and have your nightly duties, and you’re with us.” His voice dropped, his nostrils flaring in irritation. “It’s not like you’ll leave Bruce alone any time soon either. Dick.” His eyes crinkled around the edges – concern. “You’ve got to start taking care of yourself.” Dick rolled his eyes; he was doing fine.

“You’re working with Ollie, you have a daughter, and you’re working with us, look I had one breakdown-”

“More than one-”

“-Only one that wasn’t the result of external influences.” Fuck Brother Blood for the other ones. “We made the caffeine deal after,” he grimaced reflexively “I broke up with Kory but, Roy.” He clasped Roy’s hand with his other hand reassuringly. “I promise I’m doing better now.” Tilting his head to the side, he cracked his neck. “Plus, you only brought me along because Donna was busy, that’s not what the deal was for.”

“Okay, maybe that was shitty of me, but it’s nice seeing you without the tights.” Roy flashed a winning smile. “Not that I don’t like seeing you in them, the new stuff looks great.”

“Oh, so I don’t look great now?” He teased. He’d picked out his brightest shirt for the occasion – a polo patterned after bowling alley carpet paired with the tightest red jeans he could find, and of course, a pair of heels borrowed from Donna. A single giant hoop earring dangled off his left ear. If he was going out with Roy, he wanted people taking pictures. Payback. This would be in the news tomorrow.

“Babe,” Roy lifted up his hand, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “You look stunning.” He grinned goofily, seemingly happy to play along. Welp. If that’s how they were going to play it. He booped Roy’s nose, watching his pupils dilate. Dick recoiled in surprise – Roy wasn’t -

“Wait, you’re not actually-”

A scream cut him off, whirling around in his seat he saw a large man storming into the café brandishing a gun, his face red beet red and angry. He turned back, squeezing Roy’s hand, nodding towards the silverware.

“No-no one else move!” The guests around them stayed frozen in place. Three older ladies on their right, a family of four on their left (he guessed it was the young girl who screamed), and a couple across from them. The staff ducked behind the counter as people outside the restaurant scrambled away.

Dick raised his hands slowly. “I said no one move!” The gun pointed directly at him. Perfect.

“Okay, I won’t move.” He said steadily, watching sweat bead on the man’s head – he was nervous, his hands twitched uneasily on the gun – possibly his first time, and he kept muttering to himself. He watched Roy’s hand carefully creep towards silverware in his peripheral. “Do you want money? My father is rich.” Watching the man jitter about, he slowly stood up. Roy’s hand closed around the fork.

“Okay? You-you can get me money?” The man mused to himself, shifting his weight back and forth. He started lowering his gun, taking a step forward, he reached out his other hand. Dick took a few steps to the right, away from his chair, shifting attention away from Roy. “Okay the-”

*BANG* The world sped up around him, he rushed forward as the man fell-

*BANG* The man hadn’t even hit the ground – he was already dead – already-

“DICK-”

*BANG* Blood and brain matter poured out of the man’s head, someone was screaming, it didn’t need to-

*BANG*

“STOP!” Someone slammed into his side, and he hurtled to the ground. “HOLD YOUR FIRE!”

Roy’s face hovered above him. “Dick! You’re going to be fine.” His hands clamped napkins to his left shoulder, one on his front the other on his back – and shit – that was a lot of blood. “Hey, look at me.” Pain radiated out for the spot as Roy doubled the weight on the wound, blood seeping out past his fingers, waves pulsating in time to his heartbeat.

Cops burst in through the door, rushing to swarm the dead body. One glanced their way. “Oh shit, you hit the fa-”

“Fucking call an ambulance you dipshits!” Roy’s voice sounded farther away. “Slow your heart, fuck, do your Jedi weirdo bat tricks.” He hissed. Too late, sometimes, things happen too fast. “They hit an artery.” The blood wasn’t stopping, the napkin was soaked through, Dick felt himself slipping into shock. “Dick, stay awake!”

“Lo-ve y-ou.” He stumbled over the words as the world exploded – a million things happening at once – his thoughts scattering as black tinged his vision, overcoming everything.

Roy scrubbed his hands, pausing over the sink, watching the pink water rush down the drain, gurgling as it went. He rubbed a hand further, tackling the blood crusted over his elbow. He made a mistake of catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror –Dick’s blood was everywhere, coating his shirt, arms, pants, even some on his face. His stomach flipped, clenching tightly as he started to gag - fuck.

Throwing himself over the toilet, dinner rising back up in his throat, he threw up the seat. Shaking, he held himself over the porcelain toilet, fingertips staining it red, as he heaved. Soap bubbles dripped from his hands over the edge of the bowl, spattering on the ground.

Each drop spurred a recollection of the night’s events.

*Plop* The man was dead before he hit the grown, brain matter spattering the wall.

*Plop* A bullet whistled through the air, missing Dick by millimeters, lodging six inches next to the little girl’s head. He ran, screaming <em>“Dick!”</em>

*Plop* Blood sprayed out, a bullet ripping through Dick’s shoulder, as he kept moving towards the man.

*Plop* <em>“Stop!”</em> Tackling Dick out of the way, he screamed for them to stop, ripping napkins off a table and desperately trying to stop Dick’s life from slipping through his fingers.

He fell to his knees, a pit growing in his stomach spreading to his chest, rooting him to the spot. He curled his knees to his chest. Fuck. Dick had been shot before. But this? It was different. They weren’t in costume, they hadn’t been ready – the man hadn’t even shot anyone, only the bastard cops had.

<em>“Love you.”</em>

What kind of final words were those! He sat on the tile floor, banging his head into the side of the wall. Dick couldn’t die. Not because he forced him on some dumb dinner date! It wasn’t fucking fair!

His vision blurred, but he couldn’t do anything to stop the tears, unless he wanted blood in his eyes. Just – fuck. “FUCK!” His shout reverberated around the room. This was all his fault – he should have stayed home with Lian, guilt pooled in the bottom of his stomach. Why couldn’t he just leave well enough alone? Why’d he always have to have the last word? What was wrong with him!? Normal people didn’t antagonize each other like that!

The door creaked open. “Roy?” Garth called, the door squealing as it slowly opened. “Donna’s here too, are you ohhhhhhhhh-kay?” His jaw dropped, though he quickly recovered. Roy looked away, in a failed attempt to hide the tear tracks on his cheeks.

Garth stared at his hands. “That’s a lot of blood.” He muttered, his eyes darting around the room. “I mean, I brought you clean clothes.” He placed pair of sweats and a ratty t-shirt he’d stolen from Dick years ago on the counter. Roy’s eyes lingered on the shirt, no doubt the choice had been intentional.

The sound of rushing water cut through the silence, seeming to grow louder with each passing moment. Garth leaned back against the counter, hopping up next to the sink. “He’ll be fine.”

“Yep.” Dick was always fine. Always fine until he wasn’t.

“It’s not your fault.” Wrong.

“Debatable.” Garth frowned at the response but held his tongue. Instead, he let his head fall back against the mirror, staring up at the ceiling.

Softly, barely above a whisper, he continued. “I left you all alone for one day and this is how it ends up.” Roy bit his lip. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” Guilt bubbled in the bottom of his stomach, and annoyance overcame him; they’d had these conversations before.

“Are you kidding me? I know what you want me to say. It’s not your fault – of course not. But then you’ll say ah but it’s not my fault either.” Angrily throwing his arms in the air, he continued, his voice growing louder. “And no – Garth – actually it is my fault!” He could feel the blood rushing to his face. “I’m the one who made him go to the restaurant. I’m the one was too late getting him out of the line of fire!” His voice resounded around the cramped room. He banged his head against the wall again. “Look, I know what you’re trying to do and thanks. But no thanks.”

Nonchalantly shrugging, Garth gestured to the water. “Wallowing here won’t make you feel less guilty. Apologizing when he wakes up will help, and I’m sure you’d prefer to be clean when the time comes.”

“Garth? Could you just…” He trailed off; anger quickly overcome by a wave of guilt. Shut up? Leave? Stop? He wasn’t sure, but he was sure he didn’t deserve whatever pity Garth was feeling. A wet paper towel smacked him in the face.

“Kick you in the rear so you’ll get off your sorry ass and clean yourself up?” Hopping off the counter, Garth strode over, lifting Roy by the elbow. “That’s not my style. But I’ll help you get cleaned up.” He let himself be dragged towards the running water, facing himself in the mirror once more, though this time he focused on Garth.

Sometimes Dick could swear he was actually a time traveler. Or maybe had latent teleportation abilities. Realistically, he’d probably just blacked out from blood loss or a concussion, but eh, that option wasn’t as fun. Blinking, he found himself in a familiar setting; a hospital room in a private wing, at – a clock ticked to his left, looking up – it was 4:19am.

He waited a minute, watching the clock turn to 4:20 - nice.

What was he doing again? How long was he out?

He struggled for a moment before remembering that he went out with Roy at 6pm last night, so he was out for… god math was hard. Six to twelve is six hours plus four, uh, ten hours and twenty minutes. Right. As long as it was the same day, he was set.

“Shit.” He promptly realized he couldn’t move his left arm. A sling. UGH. “Son of a-” he cut himself off, realizing he wasn’t alone in the room, Donna was gently snoring in a nearby chair, a little throw blanket covering her. The patterns had fish people… there was a word for that… mer-somethings-maids, mermaids. Mermaids – Garth – Garth was here, that was his blanket.

Dick scanned the room, checking for signs of life. Someone’s bag was on the floor, but he didn’t feel like expending the brain power to figure out who’s. Alright. He steeled himself. Now was the perfect time for escape.

The room spun as he sat up, turning around and round again before his eyes. Hah. Count Vertigo was way worse than this. Yep, head empty, room spinning, this was fine. Swinging his legs over the bed, an alarm blared next to his head.

“Fuck!” He jumped out of his skin, springing to his feet, in a defensive position. Well. He thought he did. The room was tilting on its side, the high-pitched noise shattering his thoughts. Instinctively, he tried to run.

“Woah there, shorty.” He found himself held by strong arms, the world turning once more. The familiar scent of Roy’s aftershave overpowered his senses. Distantly he was aware of the alarm turning off, his legs hitting the back of the bed. Roy’s face swam into view as he was guided back onto the bed, now propped up by soft pillows. So much for escape…

He closed his eyes, waiting for the rush of dizziness to pass. “Roy?” Warm arms wrapped around his torso, snaking tenderly around the sling. “What?” He mumbled - not that he was complaining, as he nestled his chin on Roy’s shoulder. He sighed contentedly, pressing his face into Roy’s stiff neck, closing his eyes and basking in the warmth.

For some reason, the wheels in his brain began turning. Roy. Dinner. Gunshots. His eyes shot open. “Fuck did you get hit, are you okay?” He pulled back, scanning Roy for injuries.

“I’m fine.” Roy facepalmed.

“What?”

“You got shot and you’re asking if <em>I’m</em> okay?” Roy shook his head, exhaustion clear in his voice. Dick looked at his sling again.

“I got shot?” It was like a piece of a puzzle clicking into place. “I got shot…” Wasn’t he supposed to be somewhere else? “How the fuck am I supposed to explain this to my boss?”

Sighing, Roy took a seat on the edge of the bed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Why are you like this?” Turning, he looked Dick in the eyes. “Don’t answer that actually. Look, I’m sorry I made you go out to dinner.”

“Why? It was nice.” The food was good. Sputtering, Roy searched for words.

“Well. Don’t say I never apologized.” A little bit of a blush crept up his neck.

His mind abruptly recalled something he’d heard Roy saying to Lian. “Apologies come with hugs.” Roy rolled his eyes but moved closer anyways.

“You don’t even know why I’m apologizing.” He mumbled, brushing Dick’s bangs to the side. Dick grinned as Roy pecked his forehead, sweeping him into a second embrace. Two hugs in one day – that was a pretty good day. Roy’s fingers stroked through his hair, as Dick leaned into his muscular side, the world spinning slightly, though he’d found a solid rock to lean on.

[lizwontcry]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Breaking Bad Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Jesse Pinkman/Walter White Characters: Jesse Pinkman, Walter White Additional Tags: I hope y'all like kissing Summary:

A small, quiet conversation that turns into more. AU take on the scene from 5x6, Buyout.

Jesse lets go of Walt’s hand and Walt questions why he immediately feels so intensely disappointed, but Jesse doesn’t alter his gaze off Walt’s face. Instead, he gently removes Walt’s glasses and puts them on the coffee table. Walt is so moved by this seemingly innocuous gesture that it renders him speechless. And apparently Jesse has decided they don’t need words, anyway.

____

He's losing him. Walt is losing Jesse and it's making him feel the worst kind of helpless. Ever since he took down Gus, their partnership--hell, their relationship--has been thriving, and now he feels like he has to think quick to get them back on track. Ha, back on track--ironic since they almost got away with robbing the train of its methylamine, and then...

He can't lose Jesse. Not now.

Walt reaches out and puts his hand on Jesse's shoulder. It's a little damp from sweating under their cumbersome, restrictive protective gear. The occupational hazards of cooking meth, Walt supposes. They were just taking a lunch break in another random stranger’s house when Jesse stumbled upon a news story about the kid in the desert.

Jesse is, understandably, still unhinged about Drew Sharp. Walt gives a half-hearted speech about “running the business their way” and soul-searching after they’ve made all their money, but he knows he's not getting through to Jesse. It's so frustrating to feel like Jesse is slipping further and further away from him when Jesse is the only person who remains faithful and loyal. The only person he can truly trust.

"Listen, why don't I finish this up? Why don't you... why don't you go on home, hmm?" Walt says. Maybe if Jesse had more time to himself, some peace and quiet, he'll calm down. Walt’s starting to see that’s not likely, however. He may not ever be the same. Walt is almost certain he at least used to possess as much empathy as Jesse has, but he can’t actually remember a time when he did. It’s sort of disconcerting.

“You sure?” Jesse asks.

“Absolutely,” Walt says. “Yeah. I’ll take care of this.” He claps Jesse one more time on the shoulder and gets up to go back into the tent. But Jesse grabs his hand and causes Walt to abruptly turn around. Walt is a little shocked by this gesture--Jesse rarely touches him; in fact it seems like he goes out of his way not to most of the time.

“Mr. White… I can’t go home--what's the point? I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. I want to find Todd and I want to--ugh, I want to strangle that piece of shit!”

“I know. I know you do, and I've told you over and over again--we will deal with Todd."

"Oh, yeah? How is that? How are we going to deal with this nazi asshole who just shot a kid right in front of us? We have to talk to Drew Sharp’s parents, Mr. White. We have to do something."

"Saul is going to handle all of that, don't worry. That's why we pay him, Jesse. To deal with things like this. And Todd is not going to go unpunished. I promise you."

Jesse does not look convinced. Walt gets it--Jesse has a certain affinity for children; he can relate to their innocent young souls, or something. Walt is not made of stone--he mourns the senseless death of the kid, too, but he's become numb. It's just easier to be numb than to think about all the carnage that has fallen around him. Because of him, some might say. Walt disagrees, but that's another subject entirely.

Perhaps giving in to Walt's attempt at compassion, Jesse sinks into the couch next to him. Walt pats Jesse on the shoulder again; Jesse looks up at him, a somber expression on his face. His eyes are wet with silent tears.

"I just... don't know how we're going to move on from this," Jesse says softly.

"I know, but I will handle it. Come on, don't you trust me?" Walt asks.

Jesse shakes his head. "I don't know, Mr. White. I want to. But it just keeps happening, yo. Everywhere we go, someone dies. I can’t… I can’t do it. I can't keep doing this.”

Walt’s heart sinks a little. Again, he wishes he had the gift of comfort, but he’s never been very good at that. So instead he sits down with Jesse and awkwardly puts his arm around him. To his surprise, Jesse sighs and puts his head on his shoulder. Again, Jesse rarely shows any signs of physical affection towards him, but Walt isn't going to deny him of it. Jesse seems to need it now more than ever. The weight of Jesse’s head on his chest, his steady breathing, the warmth of his body… Walt feels like his heart is beating a little faster now. He tries not to think about that too much.

"Jesse... listen to me," Walt says in a low, controlled voice. “We've been through a lot together this past year, haven't we? And with everything that happens, I've managed to keep us moving forward."

"Yeah... I guess," Jesse says, sniffing a little.

"We got out of the Tuco situation, remember? My plan worked."

"Yeah, but you kinda got us into that one, too," Jesse points out. "I know you went all Rambo or whatever on him when I was in the hospital, but still... you got us mixed up with him in the first place."

Walt nods; he'd concede Jesse the point. "Okay, well, how about killing those dealers before they could kill you first?"

"Yeah, but I pretty much repaid you for that one, yo," Jesse says. He squeezed Walt's hand for emphasis. "Don't you think?"

Walt nods, and sort of feels bad for making Jesse think about Gale yet again.

"Yes, you did. Of course you did, Jesse. And I can never thank you enough for that.”

Walt is quiet for a moment. He doesn't want to lose this momentum they've been building up together, so he continues. "The point is... you can trust me. Saul will deal with the boy's parents and Mike will figure out what to do with Todd. We can overcome this. And I want you by my side when we do--I can't do this without you."

Jesse chuckles. "That's bullshit. You can get any asshole off the street and teach him what you've taught me. No big deal."

"That's not true. And even if it were, I wouldn't want to. It's you and me, Jesse. It's always been you and me."

Jesse looks at him again, his glistening blue eyes shining in the harsh light of the living room. Walt knows firsthand how much Jesse can get away with, with those eyes of his. How charming he can be when he really wants to. Walt admires the ease of Jesse's good looks.

“One more thing… one more reason to trust me--I got you into rehab, Jesse. I found you in that disgusting hellhole you were in and I picked you up and I brought you out of there. But first I held you in my arms, remember? I held you while you cried. And I made sure you would be okay. Doesn't that mean anything?" He's not trying to lay it on so thick, but Walt is getting a little emotional just thinking about it. The way Jesse clung to him that day, never wanting to let go. Walt's shirt was drenched in Jesse's anguished tears by the time he finally got him out of that godforsaken house.

"Yeah... I remember," Jesse says. He finds Walt's hand again and lightly intertwines their fingers together. Walt wonders where this is coming from, but he doesn’t want it to stop. In fact, just like everything else in his life lately, he needs more.

"I don't know what would have happened if you didn't take me out of there, yo. Honestly, I don’t even know how I ended up there in the first place. It’s all a blur."

“Well, that’s all over now. You’re safe, and I will always do my best to make sure you stay that way. That’s all I want, Jesse. That’s all I want you to know.”

“I get it,” Jesse says, but there’s no hint of the usual annoyance in his voice. Instead his voice is calm and unwavering.

Jesse lets go of Walt’s hand and Walt questions why he immediately feels so intensely disappointed, but Jesse doesn’t alter his gaze off Walt’s face. Instead, he gently removes Walt’s glasses and puts them on the coffee table. Walt is so moved by this seemingly innocuous gesture that it renders him speechless. And apparently Jesse has decided they don’t need words, anyway.

As Jesse leans in, Walt grabs his neck--maybe a little more forcefully than necessary, but god, in the moment in between Jesse looking at him and then meeting his lips, Walt decides he needs this. He needs Jesse, and more than that, he wants Jesse.

Jesse groans a little as Walt crashes into his lips. It’s as though if Walt doesn’t immediately claim Jesse as his own, this will all come to an abrupt end. And Walt can’t have that.

After a moment of desperate kissing, Jesse roughly pushes Walt back. “Jesus, Mr. White, you kiss like a fuckin’ bull in a china shop. Slow down, yo. I’m not… I’m not going anywhere.” He sounds so vulnerable (albeit somewhat annoyed), and Walt is finding himself captivated by this kid he’s taught so much. It makes him feel... defenseless. Exposed. He’s so used to feeling the exact opposite towards Jesse that this is really throwing him off his game. But Walt kind of enjoys the sense of being out of control for once. Especially with Jesse.

“Show me,” Walt says softly, almost in a whisper. “Teach me.”

Walt can’t prove it but he swears Jesse’s eyes get even bluer as he leans in again and places a gentle kiss on Walt’s lips. He moves even closer to him, nearly in his lap, and the tenderness of Jesse’s delicate kisses makes Walt weak in his already bad knees. If he wasn’t sitting down, he’d probably be falling to the ground right about now. And although they both probably smell like the chemicals they're using to cook, Walt can't help but appreciate Jesse’s natural scent as the kissing intensifies. Somehow the smell of tobacco on Jesse’s breath and the taste of saltiness from the chips he ate for lunch is only turning Walt on more.

“Come here,” Walt murmurs. “Come closer.” As always, Jesse obeys. He faces Walt on his lap, straddling him, his knees buried in the couch. He wraps his arms around Walt’s neck as he kisses him even more fiercely, while still keeping it soft and steady. Walt takes Jesse's lead, melting into the kisses, not being aggressive or rough; just enjoying how Jesse can't seem to get enough of him.

Walt moans as Jesse’s tongue finds his own. He moves his hand under Jesse’s thin black t-shirt and strokes his back as their lips continue to meet, over and over again, almost uncompromisingly. His back is so warm, and Walt can’t help but sink his fingertips into Jesse’s lean muscles, slightly scraping his skin with his nails. Jesse gasps and stops kissing Walt for just a moment, and Walt gets another look into those moody ocean eyes.

“Mr. White…” Jesse whispers, and Walt gets it. They should stop doing this. They never should have started in the first place. Why are they even doing it? To distract themselves? There's a million other ways to accomplish that, none that involve sticking their tongues in each other's mouths. This way does seem to be the most effective for the time being, though.

“I know, Jesse. It’s okay. I want this, too."

This seems to be what Jesse needs to hear, because his lips make their way back to Walt’s. Walt bites Jesse’s lip just slightly. Jesse groans a little.

"Sorry... you just taste so good," Walt says into Jesse's ear. He licks Jesse's earlobe and enjoys how Jesse trembles under the tender touch of Walt's tongue.

When Walt returns to his waiting lips, Jesse makes this humming noise that goes straight to Walt’s groin. He moves his hands down to Jesse’s hips; his pants seem to fit him better these days but Walt is still able to run his fingertips over the tender curves of his hip bones. Jesse gasps into Walt’s mouth. Walt’s heart is positively racing now and all he wants to do is lay Jesse down and explore every inch of his slight, diminutive body.

Walt loses track of time as they keep coming together. All he knows now is Jesse's lips, his tongue searching his mouth, his fingertips brushing Walt's neck, his shoulders, his collarbone.

Jesse finally pulls away, which is probably a smart idea because Walt’s about to consume him whole if they don’t stop soon.

They both try to calm down and steady their ragged breaths before either of them figure out something to say. Or if they even need to say anything at all.

Jesse manages to speak first. “I think I’ll go ahead and take off, man. Um… Look. I’ll be at home. For the night. If like… you want to stop by or whatever.” Jesse is so cute when he can’t even meet Walt’s eyes.

“Good,” Walt says, nodding. “I might just take you up on that.” Might? Walt has never looked forward to anything so much in his entire 51 years. He can just imagine pulling up to Jesse’s house, finding his way to his bedroom, slowly undressing him… but he’s getting ahead of himself. Maybe steady heads will prevail by then; maybe either or both of them will have come to their senses. But from the way Jesse’s gazing at him now--and the heat coming from Jesse’s jeans that grew stiff while he was on top of Walt--he knows that’s probably not a possibility. He hopes it’s not a possibility.

“Yo, that’s cool. See you later. Oh, and thanks for finishing up here,” Jesse says. Walt just nods, and watches as Jesse gets his things, takes one last look at Walt, and hesitantly leaves the house, closing the door behind him.

Walt can’t help but whistle as he finishes the cook.

[k-sunwoo]

♡ ult groups tag.

tagged by @getawaymp3​ (thanks jess for tagging me! ily !!! take care, sweets ♡)

groups: tbz, skz (and like i’m doing two because doing more than two would be so so exhaustive honestly!)

1. who was your first bias? tbz: sunwoo ♡ skz: jisung !!

2. who is your bias now? tbz: sunwoo, hyunjae, changmin, haknyeon (why stop at 1, am I right?) skz: jisung!

3. what was the first mv you watched by them? tbz: no air. when it came out like back then and I did not stan them? yeah- skz: hellevator! i casually listened to them for so long! and thought the hellevator was an insanely cool song with an insanely cool mv.

4. what’s your favorite mv.? tbz: on the cuteness factor, bloom bloom. on the basis of aesthetics, reveal. skz: (can i please choose a b side? if so, then b me.) if not, i'll choose its prequel: mixtape: on track. i like plotted mvs...a lot.

5. if you could only listen to one of their songs for the rest of your life, which would it be? in a typical situation, the answer is no. because i hate listening to any song for that loooong, but just to humor you. tbz: stupid sorry, or flag. skz: phobia, haven, mixtape #1, #2

6. who would you want to see them collab with? maybe with like svt, or kang daniel. or even gaho!

7. what (mv) concept do you want to see them do? tbz: a crafted story based one? (i'm prolly being biased with my excessive love for story plots but yes- for ref, my favorite plotted one is winner's fool) or i want tbz to do either a monster (by irene and seulgi) concept or jungle by cix concept? or I KNOW! a royalty!au like the enhypen's fever one- skz: please please do some summer tropical vibe bop! or a.c.e's favorite boys?

8. have you ever had a dream with any of the members in it? i haven't. the only dream i have ever had is of nct's johnny (it was a biker!bff au), svt's mingyu (childhood-bff2l!au)

9. if you could spend the day with one member, who would it be and what would you do? tbz: one person??? :((((( well, i would lean to say sunwoo, because he'd be so cool to go grab something at like a fast food place and roam around near some playground. but then i do want to eat out with hak sooooo badly because you must always eat with people that know how to enjoy food and he's that! but on pure language basis, i want to hang out with kevin and probably being two annoying humans in a neighbourhood, walking and talking and laughing loudly and ringing doorbells before running or going and visiting houses just because they have doggos there!!! skz: felix. god, i want to spend a day with felix and i'll get him to teach me baking and have him take anger management classes sksksk!!!

10. which member do you think you would get on with best? tbz: honestly, i personally believe opposite traits get along well because that has proven true in my case so far. so i know, in a hypothetical situation, eric and i would be best friends when i take classes with changmin and have him as my seatmate and go on study dates with him all while i harbour a crush on sunwoo. we are in the same friend circle and changmin and i constantly o]pull sunwoo's leg by prompting horror movie nights! skz: honestly, jisung itself. i do believe in the you bias your best friend like people concept!

11: which member do you think you would argue with? tbz: i know i'll be arguing with kevin moon over something stupid like mint choco ice cream or toppings on pizza or dip it pour concept! skz: minho. minho will see these hands if we were friends irl. my best friend is a scorpio and rest assured, i have wanted to stab him and then myself several times. it is literally: death (affectionately)

12: if you had to let one member scroll through your tumblr, who would it be? tbz: definitely not sunwoo. that i know- maybe sangyeon? skz: i guess, chan. honestly, chan. yeah. the leaders.

i’m tagging: @s-angyeon @sangyus @saltys @sunnew @lhyunjaes @cheolgyu @kdongyoung @chrisbangs @jichangmin and anyone who wants to do it! also, to the people who I tagged, please don't feel pressured to do it !!! this is still a super new blog so i tagged a few of my other blog mutuals. hi, it's rue !!! i hope you are having a lovely day!

[certifiedchillona]

15 Tags About Your Bias

hehe it took a while bc i was busy but here it is. Thanks for tagging me @gyeomsluna

Here are my dumbass tags about the love of my life. 

1) #a whole man

2)#fashion king????

3)#YOU N YOUR FINE GUCCI ASS #WHY ISNT HE MY HUSBANDDDDD

4)#THATS 👏👏 #MY 😩😩 #MANS ✊️💯💯 #I LOVE HIM LOOK AT HIS CUTE HEADBAND #AND HIM!!!!!!!!!

5)#I'll reblog anything that's Taehyung with Gucci tbh

6)#my cute little bub #I love my soft baby

7)#his handssss😩😩😩 #I love my baby look at him!!!!#his cute ass face which I love sos so sososososososoosossososososo mucb #his beautiful hands which I also love sososoosososososososoossoos much #and him who I love SOSOSOSOSOOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOOSOSOSOSOSO MUCH

8)#no words #just beauty

9)#little shit

10)#hot to dork real quick

11)#my boi turned into my mans #seriously tae has grown so much since debut what the hek

12)#😭💕😖💕😭💕😖💕😭💕😖💕😭💕😖💕I love him so so so so so so so much

13)#YES #THESE PICS WERE FUCKING ME UP #WHY IS HE SO HOT #BE CUTE!!!!! #BE A BABY!!!!!! #BE MY LITTLE 5 YEAR OLD AGAIN!!!! #I can't take this 😭😭 #he looks too good #💕💕😖💕😖💕😖💕😖💕

14)#HYPE HIM UP YALL #HES JUST LIKE ME #TBH IM ALWAYS TRYNA GET INTO ALL TYPES OF HOBBIES AND STUFF #THATS MY HUSBAND 🤧🤧😖😖😖🙌🙌👏🙌👏💯

15)#he makes me smile so much #I'm head over heels for a man who don't even know me #I still love him tho

I don’t know if I did this right but yeah. Ima tag @youngjaesloudlaugh bc  hehe I wanna see her tags about our sunshine.

[gobayern16]

This is my gift work for @bad-batch-of-fics for the Star Wars Valentines Exchange! I hope you enjoy!!! And thank you so much @lilhawkeye3 for hosting @starwarsfandomfests !

Tags: Reader/Fives, Enemies to Lovers, Modern AU, Fives being annoying gym bro, but he has a good reason!, Gender Neutral Reader

The loud clang of weights hitting the floor startles you so badly you nearly hit yourself in the face with your dumbbell. You whirl around to glare at the culprit, getting your first good look at the two loudmouths.

They’re both incredibly fit, skin tight shirts highlighting well-defined muscles. And incredibly handsome, your mind unhelpfully points out.

Or: Your morning gym routine, and your life, gets interrupted by the appearance of a well-intentioned nuisance.

No Y/N used.

There’s a bird outside your bedroom window, singing the song of its people as loudly as it can. You blink blearily at the ceiling, mind hazy with sleep. A quick glance at the alarm clock indicates five minutes until it rings, so with a sigh you roll out of bed, shutting the alarm off as you go. 

The bright light of the bathroom does an excellent job of waking you up, and you hum under your breath as you go about your morning routine. 

Dressed in workout clothes, you double check you have your keys, phone, and a towel before leaving your apartment. You take the stairs down to the complex gym, jumping the last four steps in a sudden burst of energy.

You don’t see anyone on the short walk to the entrance, 630am being apparently too early for many of the residents of your complex to be awake. The sun is barely peeking in through the windows, and the snow piled on the sidewalk makes you glad everything is indoors. 

There are a handful of people already there, but not so many that you have to worry about getting adequate time on the various machines.

You’re almost done with your last set of bicep curls when they walk in. You pay just enough attention to check which equipment the two men are going to use, just a quick glance in the mirror, as you couldn’t care less about the other patrons, before concentrating on your workout again. 

But then the talking starts. 

It’s easy to tune out at first, focused as you are on counting your reps.

The loud clang of weights hitting the floor startles you so badly you nearly hit yourself in the face with your dumbbell. You whirl around to glare at the culprit, getting your first good look at the two loudmouths.

They’re both incredibly fit, skin tight shirts highlighting well-defined muscles. And incredibly handsome, your mind unhelpfully points out.

The bald one with the huge facial tattoo smacks the other on the arm with a loud “Watch it, dipshit! If you break it, they’re gonna kick us out!”

His friend just laughs, a warm, vibrant sound that makes you flush. His eyes crinkle, drawing attention to the blocky ‘5’ tattooed on the side of his forehead. Who the hell tattoos their face?

“It’s fine, Jesse.” He dismisses the other man’s concerns with a wave of his hand. “Now, you gonna try and beat my number? Or you just gonna stand there, complaining and stalling?”

Jesse squawks in outrage, immediately reaching for the discarded weights.

You huff, turning back to your own weights as the bickering picks up volume again. You hurry through your set, all the while mentally cursing the handsome nuisances with their powerful arms and thick thighs for cutting your workout short. It’d be too distracting to finish on the rowing machine like you usually do — the machine is across the room and it’d only give you a better view of their shifting muscles and gorgeous tan skin on display. 

You glance at the stranger with the ‘5’ tattoo one last time as you walk past them to the exit, blushing but staring back in challenge when you accidentally make eye contact. You pick up your pace to the exit, hearing laughter and a smack behind you.

You never notice the third man sitting on a nearby bench, prosthetics gleaming in the light.

🏋🏽‍♂️🏋🏽‍♂️🏋🏽‍♂️🏋🏽‍♂️🏋🏽‍♂️

Pushing through the gym doors, you groan at the sounds that greet you. The loudmouth and his equally aggravating friend were here again. This was the sixth time in two weeks! Your coworkers were even starting to ask if something was wrong, since you were coming in grumpy so often, mood soured by an unenjoyable workout.

You make your way over to the mats that are unfortunately right next to them, grabbing a resistance band on the way. Settling into the first of your stretches, you try to ignore the running commentary and aggressive grunting. You would not injure yourself because one disgustingly handsome tattooed stranger caused you to cut your stretching short!

You shake out all your limbs, checking for any soreness or tight muscles. Feeling loose and limber, you replace the resistance band and move to the treadmill slightly further away.

The only upside to those two clowns, you think as you program the treadmill, is that I’ve become stronger, faster because I try to spend as little time here as possible. Working out at a different time isn’t an option; work is too demanding for you to exercise after you get home in the evenings and you refuse to skip mornings just to avoid them.

So your only option is early morning and dealing with the Terrible Twosome.

You take a deep breath, centering yourself, before turning on the treadmill.

As the bickering behind you turns into an argument, you think you might set a personal best just to get away from them. 

🏋🏽‍♂️🏋🏽‍♂️🏋🏽‍♂️🏋🏽‍♂️🏋🏽‍♂️

The clack of billiard balls colliding recedes into the background as you lean against the bar counter, patiently waiting for the bartender to finish with their current customer. It’s pretty empty for a Wednesday evening, so you don’t mind watching them as they mix the drinks with quick, efficient movements, placing them on the bar counter with little fanfare. Transaction completed, they wipe their hands on a towel and move towards you.

“What can I get you?”

“Could I please get a Manhattan, a Rum Collins, a Tequila Sunrise, and a Diet Coke?” You pause, trying to remember what else your friends had requested.  “Oh, and three shots of your best tequila, please.” The bartender nods, pulling down the requisite glasses for the drinks, starting with the shot glasses.

“That’s gonna be a lot to carry for one person,” a voice interjects from your left. “Need a hand?”

“No thanks, I can—” You turn, breaking off as you get a good look at the stranger next to you. At the blocky ‘5’ tattooed on the side of his forehead. “YOU!” You’d laugh at his look of shock if you weren’t overcome with sudden anger. “Do you know how hard it is to concentrate with the racket you’re always making?”

He gapes, helpless in the face of the outburst a month in the making.

“Mornings are supposed to be calm and peaceful! And your grunting and smack talking ruin it!”

“Is everything alright here?” The bartender’s stern interruption makes you abruptly aware of how you’ve gotten up in the stranger’s face, finger poking his chest. You flush in shame at making a scene, ducking your head and opening your mouth to apologize when the stranger beats you to it.

“We’re fine. I was just leaving actually. I don’t want to cause any trouble.” The reasonable voice cuts you, deepens your shame, and you reach out to catch the stranger’s arm before he can leave.

“Wait! I’m sorry. That was incredibly rude of me.” You lift your head, determined to make eye contact and fully own up to your behavior. “I’ve needed to get that off my chest for a while, but that doesn’t mean you deserved to be ranted at. Can I buy your next drink to make up for it?”

He regards you for several long moments, dark eyes intense before brightening with humor, one side of his mouth quirking up in a half-smile. “Sure, why not. Never turn down a free drink, huh?”

His full attention is enough to leave you tongue-tied, and you barely manage a nod. Glad I tried to stay away from him at the gym. I’d have definitely hurt myself if he looked at me like this. 

He stares at you, lifting an eyebrow as he glances down at his arm. You follow his gaze, choking on your breath as you realize you’re still clutching his arm. You hurriedly let go, cheeks heating as you mumble another apology.

“No harm done,” he chuckles, relaxing to slouch against the bar counter. “I’ll have the IPA on tap, please.” 

At his order, you’re reminded the bartender witnessed everything and you cringe, hoping they don’t throw you out for yelling at another patron for no apparent reason. But to your relief they simply move to fill the beer.

“So.” 

You look up at your companion (you should really ask him for his name). “Mind telling me what I’ve done that warranted getting ranted at?” He cocks an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side. It serves to make him even cuter and you have to look away, face burning.

“Well, you see, um…” Just spit it out, can’t embarrass yourself any worse. “We go to the same gym at the same time, and you’re always talking and being loud, and it’s really annoying and distracting.” 

When several seconds tick by with no reply, you look up to find him grimacing.

“Oh, that. Ah,” he pauses, rubs the back of his head sheepishly. “I promise I’m not trying to be an asshole and that I have a really good reason for it.” 

Really? There’s a good reason for dropping weights and getting into arguments with your gym partner? 

Your disbelief must be obvious, because he straightens up from his slouch, fire kindling in his eyes. “I draw attention to myself so people ignore my twin. He’s there every morning too, and if you haven’t noticed him, then what I’m doing seems to be working.”

“You mean the guy with the huge, questionable face tattoo?” you interrupt, eyebrow raised. “I hate to break it to you, but he’s just as noticeable as you are.”

He laughs, shaking his head. “Nah, Jesse’s my friend. He comes with me so it’s easier. Echo has prosthetics from a really bad car accident that left him a triple amputee. He doesn’t want people to stare at them while he works out, so I act up so people focus on me. ”

Shit. You laugh awkwardly. “Uh, congrats then. It definitely worked. I only remember ever seeing you and Jesse.” You lapse into silence, not sure how to continue the conversation.

Eventually, the stranger huffs. “Look, let’s start over, okay? Clearly neither of us is good at first impressions.”

That’s a massive understatement. You snort, ruefully shaking your head. “Sure. Let me take these drinks back to my friends, and then we can find somewhere to talk?” The last part drifts up in a question. 

“Sounds like a plan.” He grins crookedly. You ignore the butterflies in your stomach, inclining your head at him in a short goodbye before turning to grab the now full tray of drinks. You head back to your friends, the weight of his eyes on your back making something inside you shiver in anticipation. You hope your friends didn’t notice how long it took you to come back, but that hope is dashed immediately.

“What was that all about? You got kind of up in that guy’s face. Mirage was about to check on you when the bartender interrupted you guys.” Their palpable concern brings your shame rushing back. You squash it down, reminding yourself that not only had you already apologized, but you were going to reintroduce yourself. 

“Nah, it was just a misunderstanding. I’m actually going to sit down and talk with him.” That sets the wolf among the hens, and you do your best to ignore their questions and suggestions as you grab your jacket. 

Diet Coke in hand, you gaze around the bar until you find the stranger. You slide into the booth across from him and smile nervously, butterflies making a reappearance. He smiles back at you, and you sit in silence for a moment, neither of you sure how to restart the conversation. Gathering your courage, you take a deep breath.

“So, I gotta ask.”

He visibly tenses, smile growing a little strained.

“What’s with the tattoo? Does it have some special meaning?”

He relaxes at the question, clearly having expected something else. In fact, if he wasn’t so tan, you would say he was blushing. 

“It has to do with my name.” He coughs. “Well, my nickname.”

“Oh?” Now you’re really intrigued.

“Yeah. I’m the fifth of five kids, fifth with the name Felix, and part of the fifth set of twins to be born in my extended family that year. I heard it a lot, and at some point decided my name was gonna be Fives.”

You raise your eyebrows, amusement coloring your voice. “Really? You decided to name yourself after a number?” 

“In my defense, I was four and Great Uncle Felix spent the whole party counting all the Felixes, and always pointed at me when he said five.” 

You don’t try to stop the laugh bubbling up in your chest, Fives joining in with a rueful chuckle of his own. “Not my finest moment. What about you? Does your name have any “special” meaning?” 

“Not really,” you shrug. “It’s kind of the opposite of yours, actually. My parents had two names in mind for me and went with the one that wasn’t shared with five of their immediate relatives.” 

The ice properly broken between you two, the conversation flows easily. Fives is full of interesting stories, having led a very interesting and action-packed life, and you get lost in his passionate retellings, sucked in by his expressions and gestures. 

You’re so absorbed in your conversation that it’s a shock when the bartender comes over to inform you the bar is closing in half an hour. 

“Time flies when you’re having fun.” Fives winks at you, grinning roguishly. You laugh, shaking your head in amusement at his antics. 

Putting on your jacket, you call a goodbye to the bartender before leaving, Fives gallantly accompanying you to your car. 

“Don’t want anything to happen to you.” He shrugs, suddenly bashful.

Your heart warms at his thoughtfulness. Hours ago, you would have never considered thoughtfulness and Fives in the same sentence, but you knew better now. The regrettably short walk to your car passes in comfortable silence, the beep of unlocking startlingly loud in the late night quiet.  

“So…” 

You turn to Fives, head tilted in a silent question. He takes a deep breath, squaring his shoulders, seemingly gathering his courage before making eye contact.

“I had a really good time tonight, and I was wondering if I could get your number so we could meet up again.”

Your smile feels like it splits your face. “I’d love that.” 

Numbers exchanged, you pause, debating with yourself, before thinking fuck it and stepping close to press a kiss to Fives’ cheek.

“Thanks for a wonderful evening. I’m sure I’ll see you around, Fives.” You get into your car, Fives standing stockstill with a dopey smile on his face. He moves out of the way when you start your car, but he’s still grinning the whole time he’s visible in your rearview mirror.

(Next time turns into a coffee date, turns into lunch, turns into dinner, and pretty soon you’ve been dating for 6 months. He introduces you to Echo and Jesse, and they both question your taste in men. Fives’ feigned outrage (“I am a catch, thank you!”) hides his relief at all of you getting along. The gym routine doesn't get any less annoying.)

[fandomscombine]

I posted 1,499 times in 2021

94 posts created (6%)

1405 posts reblogged (94%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 14.9 posts.

I added 115 tags in 2021

#the flash - 16 posts

#harry potter x reader - 15 posts

#fandomscombine writes - 12 posts

#harry potter imagine - 12 posts

#cisco ramon - 12 posts

#fred weasley x reader - 12 posts

#fic rec - 10 posts

#weasley x reader - 9 posts

#harry potter - 9 posts

#fred weasley - 8 posts

Longest Tag: 105 characters

#i dont use social media where people i know irl cause i always end ul comparing and feeling absolute shit

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

No, Not Like This [Part 2]

George Weasley x Reader

BG: Rewatched the New Girl S2x15. You know the one with the ICONIC Nick and Jess 1st  Kiss? Now make it the reader and Geroge!

a/n: This second part follows more on their realization of what tf just happened. As did in S2x16. (so they don’t have scenes together, just their brains going into overdrive thinking they screwed up. don’t worry I’ll bring them back in pt3 hehe but first here’s some chaotic fun!)

This part’s voices of reason are.... Cho and Fred!

WC:1330

Read PART 1

>>>MASTERLIST<<<

>>JOIN MY WRITING CHALLENGE!<<

George made his way back up to his dorm in a surprising cool calm manner. It was not until late the next morning did what he did sunk in.

What George had thought was a very nice, vivid dream- one he wish he would have the courage to act upon in real life, had actually happened, he panicked.  ‘OH MY GOD! OH MY-YOU KISSED HER! YOU IDIOT!’

Fred, who had just arrived in their shared dorm, toast in hand, laughed at his very dishevelled twin queries. ‘Kissed who?’

‘Y/N. I kissed Y/N’

‘ohhh…’ George’s forwardness made Fred drop his toast. ‘FINALLY!’ He exclaimed, scooting George over.

‘wait What?’

Fred places his palms under his chin. ‘Now tell me how this all went down. Y/n made the first move, didn’t she? Please tell me she did or else I owe Ginny 5 galleons.’

~

While George had a rather peaceful slumber, you on the other hand, did not.

Twisting and turning, mind still stuck on the same sentence. Ranging between the perplexity of ‘George Weasley kissed me?’ to the absolute euphoria of ‘GEROGE WEASLEY KISSED ME!’ .

You touch you lips, gently as if by the feeling of his lips on yours would be washed away if not treated with care.

‘I meant something like that. I didn’t wanna kiss you because of a game. I want to kiss you because you mean something to me’

His parting words echoed in your head.

You Mean Something to Me.

That means he likes you too right? He has to… the boy literally said it…well in the bare minimum implied it. Who in their right mind would deliver a world-shattering kiss to someone they do not fancy?

Though there is one slight detail that could offset this whole theory……

He walked away.

The boy kissed, professed his feelings then exited.

And people say that women are enigmas.

You sighed, you definitely need a fresh pair of eyes here.

The alarm clock on your bedside table flashes 6:39am.

See the full post

115 notes • Posted 2021-01-10 18:11:10 GMT

#4

Cheeky Essence

BG: Helping Harry with his injured hand after his detention with Umbridge

WC:1614

Warnings: Angst then Fluff.

>>>MASTERLIST<<<

“I’m not asking you to write all of it. It’s just I’m busy studying for these stupid OWLS exams.” Ron reasons.

“Please…” You roll your eyes on his bullshit. “As if you actually study. Hermione don’t fall for that-”

“I’ll do the introductions that’s all.” Cuts in Hermione.

You can’t help but roll your eyes again. It was the same every time. Ron doesn’t do his homework and asks Hermione to help him last minute. Hermione gets annoyed but ends up doing it anyway. Ahh young love. It’s so obvious that your 2 best friends like each other but even the brightest witch of her age is someone not smart enough to see it.

“Hermione, you are honestly the most wonderful person I’ve ever met.” Ron boasts, raising 3 fingers to promise. “I’ll never be rude to you ever again”

Hermione shakes her head, not believing him for a moment “You’re only go back to normal”

This now reaches your daily limit of third wheeling. You quickly scan the common room for possible refuge, there sat on the sofa near the fireplace was the one and only ditcher, Harry Potter.

At times like this when Ron and Hermione are playfully teasing each other, you and Harry would confide in one another, both not wanting to be the third wheel. During dinner however the boy was not present, though he does have a get out of jail free card- being that he had to spend detention with that ugly toad of a professor.

“Harry!” You called after him, pushing your way towards the fireplace. “How was detention?”

Harry shifted in his seat, shrugging.

You squeeze into the spot he freed up while Hermione and Ron sat on his other side. “Here I got you your favorite.” Handing him a paper bag that contained a slice of treacle tart that you nicked off during dinner. “Knew you haven’t eaten anything…”

Taking the bag with his right hand. “Thanks, y/n” Harry places it in his lap, and hastily devoured the tart.

“Ahh!”

“What’s wrong?” You question.

“Nothing. Just hot.” Harry lied.

Just hot? You wonder, just hot? Dinner ended a half hour ago, yet it was still hot? You glanced over to Hermione, which too seemed to sense that something was off with Harry. Lying isn’t one of Harry’s strengths.

“What’s wrong with your hand” quipped Hermione.

“Nothing” Said Harry nonchalantly, holding out his right hand to prove his point.

Hermione ignored the outstretched hand, grabbing his left instead. “The other hand….”

The 3 of you were not prepared for what came into view.

Harry’s left hand was swollen and red, it was like it was burned. In the middle there were white scars forming, it ran across his hand. It seemed to look like words, but you can’t yet decipher them due to the redness and swelling around it.

“You’ve got to tell Dumbledore” Worry evident in your voice.

“No, Dumbledore has got a lot on his mind right now,” Pulling his hand away from Hermione’s grasp. “anyway I don’t wanna give Umbridge the satisfaction.”

Ron would always have his friend’s back no matter what, but even he knew that this was another level. This isn’t the usual ‘be the hero, save the day’ type of ordeal.

“Bloody hell Harry, the woman is torturing you. If the parents knew about this-”

See the full post

192 notes • Posted 2021-03-20 17:16:22 GMT

#3

Prank, Run & Hide

Fred Weasley x Reader

BG: Even in the middle of fleeing, Fred still has time to be sweet to his girl, mid-escape.

Warnings: Sweet fluffy goodness, Snape is a piece of shit.

a/n: Hi there, It’s me getting the hang of things after my unexpected hiatus. First day back, here’s a indulgent blurb fic. I’m going through my notifications, and will be catching up and reply to them soon. Thanks for still sticking with me tho!

WC: 571

>>>MASTERLIST<<<

Fred is leaping up the stairs, 4 steps at a time, daring to take as many as his long legs would allow.

George no doubt closely behind. Fred doesn’t dare look back, confidently on the panting heard on his left.

Both boys are speeding as if their lives depended on it- it’s a bit exaggerated but if caught, they would be facing a whole month’s detention in the Forbidden Forest at the very least or worst suspended- Molly would be furious.

No, the boys were determined to not get caught.

Yes, they love causing chaos and pranks- sticking mostly with temporary to not so serious consequences.

The one rule they hold themselves to is ‘No suspension and explosion.’

There were currently 5 Weasleys attending Hogwarts so imagine the total cost for school tuition.

They would just have to make it to another more floor then they would make it to one of Hogwarts secret passageways that would lead them to the safety of the Gryffindor Tower.

As they reach the flat landing, the unmistakable figure of Fred’s favourite person appears.

Focused on trying to neatly tuck away your notes into your book bag after being haphazardly kicked out of the library by Madam Pince near closing, having your feet lifted off the ground gave your heart a drop.

You feel a warm presence wrapped around you from behind, “MWAH” A kiss lands on your right cheek. “Hey there love!”

“FRED!” You scream, shoulders relaxing now knowing that it was not the Azkaban escapee that got you but instead your lovable yet unpredictable boyfriend.

“Sorry love, can’t talk!” He said, gently placing you back down before running again.

“And by the way y/n.” George called out, jogging backwards. “You DID NOT SEE US!”

Just as they rounded the corner, Snape appears in hot pursuit.

In his blind red anger, almost runs into you.

Regaining his composure he asks, “Ms. L/n did you perhaps see 2 bumbling idiots pass by?'

You can feel your face warm from blushing earlier but you can feel it get redder

Clearing your throat, you replied. “'No sir.”

“Are you sure ms l/n?” He presses on, staring you down. “And are not lying on behalf of your boyfriend and his immature twin?'

“Mm hmm”

It was the only reply you could muster without bursting into laughter.

Snape no doubt called your bluff... you were a well behaved student but you are still one of the pranksters girlfriend.

See the full post

229 notes • Posted 2021-02-22 16:52:36 GMT

#2

Sex Education S3

In which I enjoyed watching the supporting cast, namely: Ruby, Adam, Aimee, Cal, and Jackson more than the main trio.

233 notes • Posted 2021-09-20 16:04:11 GMT

#1

Harry Potter Masterlist

>> General Masterlist<<

DRACO MALFOY X READER

>The Power of Love

>Because You Noticed Me

>A Gift

>Words of Encouragement

————————————————————————-

OLIVER WOOD X READER

>Through Sickness and in Health

>The Only Distraction to Quidditch

>Taking Care of My Girl

See the full post

237 notes • Posted 2021-03-31 16:37:12 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[jj-lynn21]

SUMMER BURN: starring Bill Skarsgard as Brian ch.1

I got this idea from a game going around in which you pair the last picture you saved and last song you listened to. Mine was Bill as Clark in those short shorts with Taylor Swift's You Belong with Me being the song.  

Warnings: Not much for the the first chapter other than if mean bitchy girl is a trigger for you. There will be smut and killing later. Mutilated bodies possible. Let’s see where this goes. Original character. One played by Bill Skarsgard.  

Tagging: @bskarsgardlove92

read ch 2 click here

College was done for the semester. I had no reason to start up for the summer term because I was ready for some good times with friends. The fun, the sun and skin that most seemed to enjoy showing in the summertime. My body might not be perfect from how I see it, but I put on a new bathing suit for the first beach day with friends.  

It was unusually warm for May when they picked me up in the loud pink safari jeep Jess, got as her high school graduation gift. It was a bit flashy but so was she with a romper that matched the jeep over her bathing suit. She was an instigator. A rebel. The group leader if the group really acknowledged that. It was her idea to go to the beach that day. It was even her that started the beautiful nightmare that was summer.

Melissa and Tami were my other besties. They were game for whatever Jess suggested. I guess I was also, most of the time. We were settled in on that beach sunbathing and chat when he walked by on his cellphone. His thick and wild hair on the longer side. He was the only one that was still sporting a beard. He looked like the guy from the Bee Gees my mother had a crush on when she was my age. But what really got my heart fluttering was his legs. Damn his short white tight shorts did not leave much to the imagination.  His legs long and lean with powerful thighs. I was practically salivating along with most of the others on the beach that day.  

“You belong with me.” I whispered.  

Jess smirked as she took her eyes off the handsome stranger looking my way instead. “You want that? I can get it for you.”

“What?” Your cheeks burned with embarrassment.  

“If you cannot just walk over there to talk to him, I can.” She got up.

“He is on the phone.” You shook your head in protest. “It would be rude to interrupt...”

“Well, he just got off the phone.” She rubbed her hands together to get the sand off. “I am not spending another summer of you pining over someone right in front of you.”

“No, you shouldn’t bother...” It was too late for you to stop her.  

Tami and Melissa giggle. “You know there is no stopping her when she gets an idea in her head.” Tami reminded you.

“Besides you could use somebody this summer since the rest of us all have dates.” Mellissa reminded you.  

You did not need a reminder you were the only single in the group. It had been that way for two years. You would go with them for group outing and sometimes one of their dates would bring a relative that was in town to occupy you, but mostly you really did not like the set ups. If you did, they always left after their visit with no contact after.  

“What’s up butter.” Jess said as she stood in front of the stranger stopping him from walking away. “I’m Jess.”

He smirked. “What’s up with you?”

“Well, you see.” She started her spiel. “My friend over there hiding her face with her hands wants to, let’s say get to know you. I told her it was a done deal unless you are some asshole that walks around in white short shorts thinking he is too good for her. So, are you?”

“Am I what?” He held back a chuckle at the brash girl. “Am I an asshole? I can tell you I try not to be.”

“Good so you will come meet her?” Jess grabs the stranger's hand to pull him over to you and your other friends.  

He stopped her in her tracks with one rough tug. Jess glared at him. “What the fuck, dude?”

“I can’t join you right know.” He glanced at his buzzing cellphone. “I’ll catch you later.’  

“What are you a drug dealer? Hired killer?” She yelled after him joking.

“Something like that.” He grinned winking towards me. I could have died on the spot.

“Can we get your name short shorts?” She called after him.  

“Brian.” His deep voice echoed in your mind as he left the scene.

Jess skipped back over to you and the others. “His name is Brian. He could be a serial killer but do not let that stop you sis.” She laughed. “I bet he will be at the bonfire tonight so of course we are going.”

“Of course, we are.” Melissa and Tami sang in unison.

“You would set me up with a possible killer?” I asked in all seriousness.  

“You are desperate, and you like the way he looks.” Jess laughed. “I was joking. He is probably just a sale person. You can find that out for yourself later tonight.”

I through daggers at her with my eyes silently scolding her. It was early in our beach day, and I had already had enough of her ways. I swaer she could easily drive a person crazy enough to kill her without even knowing it.

“What?” She laughed uncomfortable. “I think we need to cool off in the water girls.”

“I need something to drink.” You started walking toward the beach bar in the distance. “I’ll be out after.”

“Suit yourself.” Jess and the other girls took their cover-ups off and ran towards the crashing waves.

I made my way trudging through sand in flip flops to the bar. The bar tender was so annoying as he flirted with another customer as I tried to get his attention for a drink. “You want me to take care of him for you?” A deep smooth voice offered in your ear. You did not recognize him at first. His beard and most the puffy wild hair were gone. But you couldn’t help but recognizing those legs in the short shorts and the tight striped shirt that hugged his broad chest as you looked him over.

“Sorry about Jess.” You figured if she wasn’t going to apologize you might as well. “I could just kill her.”

“Strangle to death in her sleep.” He added.

You both laughed uncomfortable. Brian snapped his fingers between the bar tender and his mark. “Two mimosas over here before you end up dying horrible tonight.”

The bar tender jumped to attention to get the drinks. His eyes were wide like he took Brian seriously.  

“That made him jump to it.” I smiled. “I guess threatening him worked.”

“Most of the time it does with anyone.” Brian smiled back. “Don’t you think?”

“I do.” I said coyly playing with a little piece of hair. “How come the fake hair and beard when we first saw you? Are you hiding from someone? How did you even remove it all so quick?”

“Whoa there little Miss interrogator.” He put his hand palm up between the two of you as the bar tender served the drinks. “Can I get your name before you accuse me of anything? My name is Brian. I enjoy my job even though I need to pretend to be other people sometimes to get done what my clients need done. My wig and beard are in my bag.” He pointed to the duffle bag laying on the sand at his feet.

“Sorry.” I looked down biting your bottom lip.

He stuck two fingers under my chin to lift my eyes to his gaze. His green eyes were bright and forgiving. “You don’t need to be sorry. You have every right to be curious, but I have every right not to tell you everything. Things can get dangerous when you get to know people too quickly. You understand sweetheart?”

I  shiver. That feeling of want warming in my core as I attempt to just nod yes. He held my chin in place with great strength but care in his stare. “Use your words that you understand me.”

“Yes, I understand.” I reply dreamily. No one had ever told you not to say, sorry. Or held your gaze so long. It was chilling and exciting. Goosebumps started covering your body.  

He let go of your chin before finishing his drink. “I have a few people to take care of this evening. I will see you at the bonfire when I am finished. Would you like that?”

“Yes.” You muttered.

Brian smiled as he leaned in to kiss your cheek. “Finish your drink slowly. Your friends are about to join you.” He pulled away walking off towards the docks as your friends came up behind you.  

[takeabreathandsmile]

The little tag talk in your reblog about Yakko and change got me thinking. From what I've seen with the 2020 series, a lot of it has changed, but I also think a lot of the same genuine charm of the Warners and Pinky and the Brain is still there, y'know? Animaniacs has always been "woke," talking about the muckiness of society and politics. It's just done it with more modern things because let's be real, so much has changed since the 90s.

I agree to an extent - Animaniacs has never pulled any punches with their jokes, that was part of their charm. 

However, it used to be that they poked fun at everyone and everything, without an obvious bias. They never worried about being “politically correct,” they were just there to provide a fun and silly escape from real world problems. The Warners, in particular, got a kick out of annoying every person they came across and poking fun at programs that tried to force an opinion down its audience’s throat (which is exactly what the reboot now does.)

Sure, the original had its share of political humor, but it was never the focus. The occasional jabs were well-dispersed between movie parodies, historical antics, musical numbers, and just general cartoony shenanigans.

Whether or not you agree with the crew’s politics, it still gets tiring hearing about the same 2-3 topics 20 times over. A comedy show should leave you feeling lighter than you did going in, but there were some episodes that I actually walked away feeling drained and frustrated.

Don’t get me wrong - I don’t dislike everything about the reboot. It definitely has its moments and I never expected everything to be exactly the same. Honestly, there were some episodes that I really enjoyed and felt captured the show’s spirit fairly well. I wish there were more of those episodes. But the problem is, those moments are few and far between, and so quickly overshadowed. 

Rob, Tress, Jess, and Maurice are doing a phenomenal job reprising their roles, but without the show’s (and the characters’) original creator, Tom Reugger, Animaniacs is missing its heart. And Reugger himself is not at all pleased with the approach the reboot is taking.

Taking a quote from a Rollingstones article that put it better than I could:

“In the original show...the Warners were superhumanly annoying, but in service of a greater good. As Ruegger says of their old stories, “Almost all of them are about going up against a**holes, authority figures, and puncturing the balloon of pomposity, hoisting them by their own petard.” The revival has them mostly reckoning with all the ways the world has changed since we last saw them. Where their powers of exasperation once made them unstoppable, now they’re the ones who seem impotent and irritated by the people and culture around them. Thanks to Paulsen, Harnell, and MacNeille, the Warners sound like they should, but the magic is otherwise missing.”

“ Ruegger noted that the original Animaniacs was just contemporary enough to prove more appealing to kids than the Looney Tunes shorts that shared their sensibility. But nods to modern life weren’t prevalent, outside of the line in the theme song about Bill Clinton playing the sax, plus Goodfellas only being a few years old at the time the Goodfeathers were introduced. (And even those shorts were often an excuse to get retro, like a West Side Story parody about dueling bird gangs.) The original writing staff didn’t worry much about whether their target audience would get old references, and just did whatever made their colleagues laugh.”

(I highly recommend reading the full article, it’s very informative.)

The fact that the old episodes are still loved and revered by fans (old & new) today is a testament to how timeless the comedy and the formula truly was. In comparison, a lot of the new episodes already feel dated because the writers are trying too hard to stay up-to-date with trends (which is impossible to do, the animation takes too much time to complete and fads change a lot more quickly these days.)

Honestly - I just don’t think Animaniacs can or should exist without Tom Reugger and the original team (or at least most of them.) Warner Bros was wrong to cut them out in the first place and my hope is that, if the fans demand it loudly enough, they’ll change their minds and invite Reugger back to help with future seasons.