#i have a photo of Remy somewhere

[tyrannysaurusfloof]

13 and 33 from fifty more rook qs?

Ofc! Thanks for asking 😁 love the excuse to talk about my Rook! His name is Remy, he’s a Grey Warden, and he romances Emmrich. Under the cut because minor spoilers ig

13. What would Rook's LI(s) say are their flaws?

Emmrich thinks that Remy’s confidence can be a flaw at times because it can make it a little harder for Remy to see other points of view. Also his lack of care for eating properly, and his tendency to put other people in front of himself.

33. What does the Inquisitor think, when they first meet Rook?

My Inky (Lassie Lavellen, male, romanced Dorian (and Cullen technically xD)), saw some of himself in Remy when he first met him, so young and suddenly thrust into a position of power with people questioning him. He’s impressed by Remy too, he knew Remy’s Grey Warden Uncle and he thinks the man would have been proud of who Rook has become. Honestly wishes they had met in different times because he thinks they could be friends, but knows Northern Thedas is in good hands with Remy.

[inkyquince]

headcanon that the portfolio Niki turned in when applying to work at the studio had photos of bullboy. not sexual or anything, just some candinds he took one day, laying on the grass against a tree gazing at his big brother. its too hot that day so he ditched his shirt and stands there with just his overalls, feet sinking into the dirt below. Niki still has a copy of those pics somewhere in his home, just to reminisce. ((bc remy is a jealous bitch who doesn’t let him into the second floor where he keeps bullboy now ):<))

Niki, turning his portfolio into Leighton to look over and send off: Yeah, I think it shows a lot about the state of being, the satisfaction of being alive in the still of the moment, how just a moment is all we need to have bliss.

Leighton, so hard in his trousers that he can breath, staring at Bullboy's fat bulge: yeag.

[petra-creat0r]

Deltarune: Fool's Fate - Dusty Fields

Now that I've got the main/important characters of the attic world posted, time for some of the enemies, NPCs, and minibosses! Starting with the first area of the chapter, the Dusty Fields! A purple plain with some wheat grass and pink trees, with a sub section known as Memory Lane. It's in this area, somewhere before you get to Memory Lane that you encounter Jeanie's tent! Speaking of Jeanie, have a riddle. Can you solve it?

21. I can be a place of fun or a measure of justice, add four letters and I can be viewed as equality yet remove one and you won't see me at all. What am I?

Let's start with the enemies, hmm? Ssnekmer, Accessa-Ray, and Jazzarunic can all be encountered and fought in the fields proper, though Jazzarunic also appears on Memory Lane. Pirolette is only found on Memory Lane. For what they're based on, Ssnekmer is a ribbon snake, literally, Accessa-Ray are piles of acessories, Jazzarunic are old jazzercise equipment/tapes, and Piroletter are little ballerina figures. Not a lot else to say about them. ... Here, have another riddle. Leave the answer in the comments.

22. You can not escape me, yet you have the chance to change me. What am I?

For the NPCs, a good amount of the NPCs you encounter in the Fields are just non-fightable versions of the enemies, but there are a few unique ones. Jewelry Lizard and Gamiguy are both found in the Fields, while Phototy and Scraptrgeist are found on Memory Lane. Jewelry Lizard is just there to brag about her jewelry, Gamiguys (there are multiple) function similarly to the Tutorial Masters in Chapter 1 of Deltarune and are mostly business guys hard on their luck. Photory gives you a piece of armor in the Treasured Photo, which increases D$ earned in battle. Scraptrgeist is found near Photory and mostly just says a few lines. Jewelry Lizard is a jewelry rack/pile of old jewelry, the Gamiguys are old paperwork/origami projects, Photory is a disposable camera, and Scraptrgeist is an old scapbook/photo album

23. No matter what you add to the end, I always come last. Yet replace three of my letters and I am first. What am I?

Now the minibosses! Chronolion is found in the middle of the Fields, somewhere right before Jeanie's shop. It's based off a grandfather clock and a lion, with it's mane being a gear that was needed to unlock a door halting progression. Once you spare Chronolion, it pushes it's face into the door to let you go forward.

Sir Slinkwriggles is fought at the end of Memory Lane, right before the next area and is based off Broadway's stuffed snake of the same name. Magician traps and uses Slinky to fight the party, against Broadway's wishes, causing her to get mad and betray him. After wards Magician hops on Sir Slinkywriggles and escapes into the forest before CK and Remie run after him, causing a party split.

Slinky does not appreciate all this abuse.

24. What's value is 0 yet journey's through the deck? Is seen as stupid yet can be used as a trick?

And that's all I have for the first area! I'm almost done coloring the Feather Forest characters, so expect that to be out soon. Just need to color the minibosses. In the meantime...

I believe y'all have some riddles to solve.

25. The imprisoned wish to be me, yet those that are me rarely think they are truly. My domain holds no rulers, yet my land is open to all. Many find me valuable, yet I cost nothing. What am I?

26. I'm always a question but never a person, place, or thing. I am the odd one out among my family. What am I?

27. Two on a side, four on a field. A steed without jockey, yet still I don't yield. What am I?

28. To be me you must learn yet the more you have me the less you have me. Put me before a ledge and I am power. What am I?

29. What can take many forms, from canine friend to valiant knight, and can be always seen through support or sacrifice?

30. I trick people yet I am praised, make people disappear yet they give me a stage, can slip a man’s wallet from out his pack, yet when the shows over I’ll always give it back. What am I?

💣︎♓︎⬧︎⬧︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ⬧︎□︎❍︎♏︎ ■︎◆︎❍︎♌︎♏︎❒︎⬧︎✍︎ 💧︎♏︎♏︎🙵 ♒︎♏︎●︎◻︎ ♐︎❒︎□︎❍︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♐︎❒︎□︎♑︎📬︎

[luverofralts]

Arkhelios Adventures

Dear Adam,

I snuck out with Brion yesterday. No, not how we sneak out after class, don't worry. I just had to get out of there or I'd lose control of my powers again, despite how good my control has gotten. Oh shit, you don't want to hear about that, it's just going to make you worry. Dammit! I swore I had white out here. Well, forget I said that. I'm never going to hurt you again, but this place is another story. I'd destroy it in an instant if I could. There's just so much pressure on me. I'm getting closer to the end of the curriculum they gave me, which is great, but the tests I have to do are exhausting.

I think they can sense how stressed I've been, which is the only reason I was able to sneak out in the first place. The usual magic circle on the floor had the edges smudged in a very noticeable pattern. I don't care if this wasn't the school's actual plan. I need some small piece of sanity to hold onto.

Brion makes escaping at night a habit too, though for much different reasons. With the magic circle broken, I could send him a message via spell to meet up with me. I tried sending you one too, and the message turned to ash in my hand in an instant. Either the magical barrier between us is that thick, or whatever spell your mother cast against me is incredibly strong. You get these messages, so I'm not too worried. All it said was that I missed you (with a hint about what I especially missed about you 😉).

There's this weird abandoned house outside of town that Brion likes to visit. Pleasantview was founded on Old Tredony, and this strange country is just as old. The people who used to live in the house were from Ticktop. We had a quiz about them I think in second year. They were the ones with wooden golems and spells that messed with time. I wonder if my stalker, Reogus, knew anything about them. If he suddenly shows up to kidnap me again, I'll have to ask.

There were all these cool pictures on the wall, like a memorial to three different ladies who must have lived here ages ago. They were pretty cool to look at. I think I've seen at least one of those women in a textbook somewhere at school. Maybe they went to school here when they were my age.

Of course, in a weird memorial in the middle of nowhere in the strangest place I've ever been, there was a familiar face in one of the photos. How the hell did Lukas end up here and when? I'm probably better off not knowing. Seeing them pop up here at least reminded me of you and the life I've left behind. I hope I can come home to bad talk deities with you soon.

Brion likes coming here because it's out of the way of most people. Every one else thinks it's haunted. There's way too many creepy buildings that you don't want to mess with here and this is no exception. No one is alive to maintain the property, but the grass is cut and the memorial is well maintained by something. Probably a vengeful ghost, I think. If I had a creepy memorial, I'd make sure it was able to stand the centuries. The words "the question" are carved all over the wood door like it's some kind of horror movie. There might even be blood caked in the carvings. 👻 it would be a great place to make out at on Halloween.

Anyway, Brion took me there to tell me a secret. He looked really nervous, but he said that he could tell that I was different like him. (That's when I told him that my hot girlfriend, Remy, was really my hot boyfriend, Adam. He looked at me funny and said, "No, not like that." Well, at least someone knows about you here)

He was kinda creeping me out with how intense he looked. Then I thought about how a guy with a secret had lured me out of school to the middle of nowhere in a haunted house. I should really think things through better in the future. I would obviously win if he tried to murder me, but still. I don't need more trouble in this place.

Anyway, Brion didn't try to murder me. Instead, he began shaking and glowing with this intense light. It was sort of like watching a demon form emerge.

Except he wasn't a demon.

I've never seen a werewolf before, Adam. Have you? I've never heard of them in Arkhelios or seen them in Pleasantview. They're really rare. It turns out Brion was born a werewolf. He's adopted and his adoptive parents don't know about it. He comes out to the middle of nowhere to transform when he has to.

It only seemed fair to tell him my secret (I personally think it's more interesting that I have a boyfriend, but I guess being a demon with a dark form is interesting too)

I told him a bit about my family and all the people who have tried to kill me or my dad. He'd never heard of the Great Demons before. Well, he's heard stories of the unholy, evil daemons of old, but they're not allowed to study them or their history. I think anything relevant would be stored in my school, because there are definitely demons here. They're my teachers. It's what I study. I for sure have proof there are demons here.

He didn't scream or anything at my dark form like I thought he might. He thought it was cool.

We swore to keep each other's secrets. His fur looked really soft and he could smell things from miles away. Werewolves are kind of awesome. We've got to find some at home to hang out with.

Maybe Brion wasn't surprised by my relevation about having a boyfriend because his sister seemed to be sneaking out to meet with a werewolf of her own. Security outside of the schools must be pretty lax. Lucky for them.

It was nice to sit outside and watch the stars again. I have no idea where I am, but I like to imagine that somewhere, you're sitting under the same stars, thinking about me.

I can't wait until I'm back in Pleasantview again and seeing you face to face. My dads are coming to see me soon. They're asking me to perform a demonic wedding ceremony for them, just like the Sovereign asked of them years ago. She doesn't care anymore about it, but apparently, they do. I asked them to sneak you along with them, but they said no and that I wasn't taking my studies here seriously. If I can use this to prove to the school that I'm in control of myself, maybe I can go home even sooner.

Love,

Theo ❤️

[detectivewoof-a]

From the files of one Manuel Morales on the oddities that live in the town:

Photo 1: A rather tall, odd, and almost sickly looking young man Photo 2: A very handsome looking young man Photo 3: A woman dressed up for a night in the next city Photo 4: A rather spunky individual that seems to be trying to fight a man Suspected current names: Nila, Philip, Quinn, Remy, Bianca, William

The number of people that seem to live in the blue house have been bothering me. 

It’s a two bedroom, had belonged to this couple Richard and Kelly Smith and their two boys, minus the part where Kelly had left him and took the kids. Or at least that was the story I heard from old Jimmy. Richard still lived there though. 

Except we found Richard dead in the cemetery behind the abandoned church four months ago, along with his face missing. 

DNA was the only thing that really identified him, and calling Kelly was... haunting. I still think I made the right decision to not tell her what had happened, but that wasn’t the weird part. The weird part was the next day when I saw a woman leave the house. 

It hadn’t been up for sale, impossible when repo jobs don’t hit the market for another year around here, but she introduced herself as Lacey. Nice woman, an artist, wanted a change of scenery to help with her inspiration. Said that her brother Dan was moving in the next day, too. Military type, just discharged, surprisingly well tempered... 

Never saw them together at the same time. Suppose it made sleeping with them less weird, but that changed when I saw the update on a missing person’s case on the news. A couple: Lacey and Daniel Thompson. 

Except they found them in a shallow grave somewhere off the freeway. Faces again missing. 

And it’d happen again, like clockwork. Caleb, Spencer, Yelena, Kenji, Min-soo... all missing, yet all living here. All missing, some found, but their faces always torn off. 

What the fuck could even be possible of this kind of thing? 

[astralfms]

“call  me  a  photographer  or  whatever,"  she  jokes,  phone  pulling  out  to  fulfill  her  end  of  the  deal.  figuring  that  remy  likely  doesn't  want  to  see  every  single  photo  she's  taken  tonight,  she  settles  on  the  ones  she'd  taken  in  the  same  spot.  they  cover  every  pose  in  ronnie's  book,  feeling  sheepishness  creep  in  as  she  passes  it  over.  “the  lights  match  my  outfit,  so  you  know  i  couldn't  miss  the  opportunity.”  laughs  a  little  at  remy's  endearingly  nervous  demeanor,  choosing  to  go  out  on  a  limb.  “wanna  take  one  together  ?  i  heard  they  have  props  somewhere  around  here,  could  be  fun.”

remy's cheeks burn , ever so slightly intimidated by how effortlessly beautiful and seemingly cool the other girl was . remy scanned through the photos , not wanting to have to actually look too hard . there was no way in hell she was going to ask for veronica to retake anything . as far as she was concerned , they were perfect . “ i love them , ” she uttered , momentarily lost in thought . snapping out of it , she turned to the other , “ yes ! please show me yours . i bet they're gorg . ” remy winced , why did she say it like that ? 

[yumeka36]

Yumeka’s adventure in the Frozen Realm (Disney Dreamlight Valley) - part 5

*if you haven’t seen part 4 of this series, click here*

This is the final part of the 5-part series where I explore the Frozen stories in Disney Dreamlight Valley!

Continuing from where I left off in the previous post, Anna told me that Elsa seems frustrated lately about the mystery of the ice cave seal.

I visited Anna at her house that night to discuss further and found her lounging around, lol.

We decided gifts would make Elsa feel better - Anna suggested a book of portraits from Arendelle, as well as making Elsa a birthday cake (even though it’s not her birthday).

I got what I needed for the birthday cake ingredients and, with Remy’s help, we made a lovely cake~

Elsa was surprised at first for randomly getting a birthday cake, but she soon realized it was just another token of love from Anna.

Anna was delighted that Elsa liked the cake. When I told her that Elsa mentioned how they used to build snowmen together, she suggested we do the same!

Later on when I went looking for Elsa, I found her and Anna once again out to dinner. She had the below interesting dialogue when I asked her about the dresses she wears around Arendelle (perhaps she’s referring to dresses such as her winter dress from OFA and her lavender dress from the prologue of F2).

Meanwhile I was also helping Kristoff with a few things, namely helping him open a stall in the village. After I helped him get his sled out of some ice, he offered to give it to me since he can now afford another one! Great addition to my Frozen items (though I’ll probably move the sled outside - it’s not exactly an indoor item, lol).

Later on, Elsa reminded me that we still have one more crest to find in order to open the seal in the ice cave. Seems like her memories about it are coming back! I met her there the next day so we could investigate further.

As we took a stroll through her ice cave, more of her memories came back - memories that will help us find the final crest!

Thankfully Anna’s memory of the event is more clear! She hid the crest somewhere in her house.

After getting a clue from Anna, I found the crest inside the clock!

And sure enough, upon placing the final crest in its place, Elsa regained more of her memories.

The “magic links” were very specific, but relevant, items. Thankfully it didn’t take me long to gather them all.

After placing the items on the pedestals, the seal was finally broken! And with it, the ice around the nearby treasure chest disappeared.

The item inside the chest was actually one of Elsa’s ice gowns...and the reason it was so special was because it contained the first snowflake that ever fell in the valley - a snowflake that Elsa created!

Elsa nearly brought tears to my eyes as she went on about what a great friend I was for all the help I’d given her. And because of that, she insisted that I keep the dress.

Fancy dresses aren’t really my style, but I at least tried it on in front of her so as not to be rude.

And as a way to conclude my adventures with the Frozen gang, I gathered what we needed to make the “snowman family” and reported back to Anna...

With that, we all huddled together for our new family photo!

Anna was beyond grateful and gave me one of her dresses, reminiscent of her coronation dress. Again, not my style but a lovely memento nonetheless!

And that’s a wrap! This concludes the quests for the Frozen characters. Although I still have a lot to do as far as the other characters, I only wanted to post about the Frozen quests. However, I may write a full review of the game if/when I feel motivated.

For those of you who’ve enjoyed this 5-post series, thanks for sticking around! It was a lot of fun to make. Despite being a bit buggy in its early access version, Disney Dreamlight Valley has been a joy to play. I highly recommend getting it, especially next year when its free and updated version.

[angrelysimpping]

so my friend got me a *gift*, and it's a blanket with photos of my celeb crush printed all over it. and it got me thinking: what would the LI's do if they saw you in FULL merch of them. like water bottle, blanket, hoodie, underwear, you name it. please add Remy bc i <3 him

Ffffffff

Alex backs away. They do not know how to handle this and they're not sure they want to.

Avery's conflicted. If you're some mega fan of theirs, then you'll always be on your best behavior for them, right? But...how did you get all this stuff?

Eden will like the fact that you've made them the center of your life but how did you get underwear with their face on it?!

Kylar is busting out their own merch. Look! They got a shirt with you on it and a blanket and a pillo- actually don't look at the pillow.

Show up to the riding school wearing head to toe Remy merch and you have successfully defended Alex's farm until the end of time. They will avoid you. Doesn’t matter that you probably bought the merch from the riding school, either. Remy's self-conscious about their looks and they will avoid you if you're wearing a shirt with their face on it. On the farm, they get angry. You're cattle, and animals don't wear clothes. If you want something to claim you as Remy's so bad, they've got a brand they're more than willing to use.

Robin doesn't know what to do. Might try to act like nothing is out of the ordinary while blushing. Don't let them know about the underwear. Quickly tries to drag you somewhere private.

Pure Sydney thinks it's a bit odd. Only really objects to the undies. Corrupt Sydney is asking specifically about your undies. Might try to drag you somewhere private so they can have a peek.

Are you surprised that Whitney wants to fuck you while you're wearing their merch? Because they do. They love claiming you as theirs and what better way then you giving them head while wearing a shirt with their face on it? Or by making you cum while wearing Whitney themed underwear? The no underwear rule gets amended. No undies or only Whitney themed undies.

[murdcrofcrows]

the light in their brother's ( holy shit they have a brother??? ) voice almost made raven want to lie about their time in the great white north. say it was a beautiful place and a wonderful addition to the childhood they couldn't remember. but what would a reunion be if it started with a large amount of dishonesty? raven did not want that. this could be the only family they have left, the only piece of their past to cling to and he obviously didn't hate them.

"i didn't see much of it and what i did was mostly snow and ice." cold, very cold. likely to prevent their 'recruits' from running. raven paused, lacing decorated fingers in and out while they thought how best to describe it without going into too much detail. most people thought red eye was a myth and others wanted to wipe the lot of them out, whether defected or not. hell, raven hadn't even gone into much detail about it with remy ( though he probably knew the most out of everyone who'd touched raven's life besides fellow red eye operatives ). "i can't speak in too much detail about it, but it wasn't a place many would want to be. certainly not a home. more of a prison than anything." they offered a light shrug, unsure of a better way to describe it.

raven didn't want to talk so much about themselves as they wanted to hear more about donnie and their childhood and what he'd been doing since they were split apart ( whenever that was ). "it's not - i didn't exactly choose to forget, it's hard to explain? um, something happened and i don't remember a lot before fifteen or sixteen. just pieces - like a puzzle." they took the photo from him gently and stared at it, an eleven year old them staring back at them. "you did that?" raven smiled, eyes watering at the overwhelming sense of sentiment. he must've really cared to put that kind of effort in at such a young age. "i think it looks perfect," they nodded. "twelve? my stars you were just a baby, i guess so was i, huh?"

the time had drifted on and they knew they needed to get back to work but they didn't want this moment to end, either. "listen i get off in a few hours if you're still around otherwise i'm off tomorrow. i'd like to talk more - somewhere i don't look so ridiculous and maybe when you're head is less cloudy." el anhelo's pills were coveted for a reason. they jotted their number down on a napkin and pushed it over. "that's my number, text me or call, whatever. whenever. i keep weird hours but i'm usually awake." rave moved in for another tight hug - a grasp on someone they knew they loved at some point and loved them back. family. "i can't wait to hear more about you - us - everything, donnie. please call, i want you in my life - need it, really."

it took a while for twin realities to settle in, it seemed, though donovan couldn't hide the beaming smile on his face once raven relaxed, and even returned, the given hug. in such a small moment, it felt as if everything he'd been through was worth it, for it all lead up to this singular place in time. reuniting with the only family donovan had.

"canada?" there was soft awe in his voice, wondering then what happened to raven. were they adopted, then? taken out to a different country for a better life? donovan's romanticism of such a thing came from his lack of knowledge regarding what truly happened, and his own childish wish. that's what he had told himself, as he grew older, that the other two kowalski's were doing better. neither of them needed scum like donnie in their lives. "that's amazing. i've never been out of the country," barely out of the state.

hesitance, perhaps, to believe such a thing. or - simply too young to remember. raven was too young to remember him. did he even know he existed? long fingers fumble quickly to reach into his pockets, producing a dog-eared wallet that contains 3 equally crumpled school photographs. samples, mom and dad never bought the real things, donovan pulls out one of raven. hair braided, messily, donnie had done it best he could.

"no. it's - it's alright. think i'd choose to forget it to, if i could," there is no mirth in the joke, handing over the photo. "see? that's you. your hair's always been super long, rae, i tried to do somethin' nice with it but," a shrug. "pennsylvania. i was 12 when we were split up,"

[oya-noya04-archived]

I'm so happy your requests are open! May I request one where Kuroo and the reader go to spend a summer day at his s/o family house and they meet him for the first time, and it happens that there is a voleyball ball and her little cousins or nephews/nieces want to play, so Kuroo kinds of teaches them and everyone loves him? 🥺 extra points if they talk about having kids in the future, I'm a sucker for soft Kuroo 😭

meeting your parents + teaching your nephew how to play volleyball | kuroo tetsuro | headcanons

pairing | kuroo x gn! reader

a/n | ahh this was so cute !! 🥺 I hope you enjoy it, thank you sm for requesting ☺️💕 I too, love soft kuroo 🌝

kuroo tetsuro

 “they’re gonna think my rooster hair stupid,” kuroo grumbles as he follows the directions you set on the gps, to your parents house

 “maybe you should’ve done something about it his morning,” you tease, poking his cheek lightly

 “you don’t think i tried?” he defends, bringing a hand up to squish it down, before it bounces back up to its original state

 giggling, you lean over to press a light kiss on his cheek

 “you’re going to be fine,” attempting to calm his nerves

 you arrive to your parents house and they immediately greet you and kuroo warmly

 “i’m so sorry, our house is a mess! we haven’t even gotten started on lunch yet, y/n do me a favour and help out your nephew?”

 you leave and kuroo PANICS TF OUT- bc now he’s alone with your parents

 you quickly sprint back to help kuroo out, but to your surprise, he’s getting along with both of them so well

 “right? they’re adorable when they drool a bit in their sleep, I took photos, do you wanna see?”

 “of course!”

 “NO—“

 ..at least they’re bonding 💀💀

 to make it worse, your dad shows your boyfriend your fucking baby photos

 not even the cute ones,, he shows him the ones where you have food all over your face

 “they’re so cute! do you mind sending these to me?”

 “no not at all! we have more!”

 queue you banging your head on the wall

 after lunch, you’re forced to help clean up by your parents so you ask kuroo to keep your nephew and niece busy since they wanted to play

 “are you y/n’s boyfriend?”

 “yuhh”

 “are you here to play with us?”

 “yuhh”

 “nice.”

 SJDHSJD PLS IDK WHAT THAT WAS—

 he picks them up and carries them on his shoulder, forgetting that his hair was uh- at its rooster form”

 “woAH- your hair is so cool!”

 your nephew,, is just- s o entranced by his hair and cannot keep his hands off of it

 your nephew starts controlling kuroo by his hair like remy with linguini

 all while asking him questions abt you SJDH

 “do you love y/n?”

 “how’s y/n like at home?”

 “does she do your hair in the morning?”

 “yuh”

 eventually they get tired and run off somewhere leaving kuroo to relax on the couch

 it wasn’t long before your nephew comes running back carrying something in his arms, he quickly sets it aside and pulls on kuroo’s pants

 “kuroo! i have something to show you!” your boyfriend chuckles and follows them

 your nephew brings out a volleyball that he was hiding behind the couch and holds it up

 “look! y/n told us that you were captain of the volleyball team,”

 kuroo, like the little shit he is, makes a mental note in his head to tease you about that later

 “y/n takes abt ME to their family??”

 he’s so annoying BYE-

 “can you teach me please?” your nephew asks shyly, “i still don’t know how to play yet.”

 kuroo’s heart couLD BURST SJDHSJD

 “of course bud, let’s go right now,”

 by the time you were finished your chores, you take a peek outside and you almost cry

 “just like that bud, bend your knees a bit more,”

 you watch as kuroo adjusts your nephew’s arms as to help him with his receives more

 eventually, they come back inside at the end of the day, and your nephew comes running straight for you

 “y/n! uncle kuroo taught me how to play volleyball today!”

 you almost chOKE on the uncle part but pull yourself together

 “did he now?”

 it wasn’t long before his mom came in to pick him up, thanking both you and kuroo for taking such good care of him

you turn to tetsu who was still waving back at your nephew

 “you’d make a great dad,” you smile

 kuroo narrows his eyes, before shaking his head, chuckling, and then pulling you close

 “I would, wouldn’t I?”

 you smack him on the chest for that

[dreamkenn]

I'd love to know about draken and go ham with strong, sexy, or both :D do what feels right.

no edit we die like men, mention of biting/leaving bruises in the sexie bit (there’s no actual smut)

🩰the move draken's most proud of: for this one i had an internal debate but! i think if draken were to start pole the moves which are big and flashy, so dead lifts or something like a iorn x, would be less challenging to him since he already has a lot of upper body strength & core. so when he got remi bridge* he was so surprised with how much more flexible he'd gotten inadvertently through practice, and how despite having an easy start with some moves given his strength- his balance & technique had really improved. how he can now so easily lift his legs into this knot like formation also the kinda pole cred that comes with doing remi bridge because it hurts!! also also it's a v good move to show off well developed shoulder muscles & abs in lmao

🩰the move draken's most impressed by: okay okay so, draken is a protective soul, the moment he sees you lift into an invert** his heart is already racing away from him in concern as you seeming float upside down- no matter how many times he's seen it before, his heart will always saw in wounder and concern much like at anything you do. as you shift and adjust your leg, bringing it up to the pole he's sure that if your hands were to even shift on the pole he'd have a heart attack. it's as you hook your outside leg on that he slowly starts to relax, releasing an intentionally held breath as he sees your leg lock securely around the pole- back arching and extending to for a gentle curve. his moment of brief respite & appreciation is short lived as, having found your if not comfy then secure grip, you lift your hands away back arching into a gemini***

on a slightly more sexie note, there's another difference with gemini, how the familiar plush of your thigh is distorted by the grip on the pole, now instead of moving  wrapped up in his large hands, it’s pushed against by the pole, holding you so delicately in the air. it’s fun when the class ends too! as not only is gemini a beautiful move, but (especially when learning) it has a tendency to leave a small line of bruises along the inside of your thigh- somewhere draken is determined to keep his monopoly over 

i didn't know whether you wanted him or like reader poling so i did both because i love draken & you!! pls ignore that i'm attempting to run a writing blog without reading comprehension lmao    for this ask game

photos under the cut tumblr don't kill my blog for me talking about a sport owo

*remi bridge! draken doesn't have this good of lower back flexibility but don't tell him i said that- it hurts your feet like hell, next to the right/bellow is **an invert! this is how you get upside down lol! (you don't hold that position that's it's own move called a chopper! but it's a position you should move through to do a clean basic invert)

and lastly! *** gemini, i'm not sure how clear the transition is from the images but you can quite naturally move from an invert or held chopper to a gemini, in the case of the above photo you do so by hooking your left knee & allowing your body to naturally tip backwards (i'll find a gif if that is you want that'll be much easier to explain)

[onestowatch]

The Top 21 Artists to Watch in 2021

In a world where the only universal certainty seems to be opening every email with “hope you’re doing well,” the only other surefire guarantee is that there will continue to be new music worth discovering. And, we figured with the start of a new year, what better way to say to spend the waking hours of 2021 than introduce you to a few of the artists we currently have a close eye on. Often genreless and belonging to Gen Z, these are the 21 artists we are watching in 2021. 

spill tab

Where to Start: “Calvaire” 

In her breakout single “Calvaire,” spill tab sings in French over an intoxicating backbeat. The effect is akin to a spell, ushering into existence something inherently danceable and transfixing, like an Angèle B-side finding new life as a Billie Eilish cut. It is a standout moment that would be followed by similar standout moments in the form of a series of varied singles, culminating in spill tab’s debut EP, Oatmilk. Short and sweet, the four-song collection holds all the promise of a 2021 artist to watch.

Joesef

Where to Start: “The Sun Is Up Forever”

Emerging from the fog of Glasgow, Scotland, Joesef’s marriage of heartbreak, desire, regret, hope, and sublime joy is nothing short of intoxicating. Immediately making an impression with his tender, heartfelt croon, the Glasgow artist’s songs soon give way to emotionally rife personal recollections–some beautiful in their understated minimalism, some breathtaking in their expansive scope. Whatever the setting, the result is always the same–a passionate, shared moment you will not be forgetting anytime soon.

brakence

Where to Start: “dropout”

Self-described as “self-care punk,” brakence effortlessly pairs the unmatched energy of punk with an impressive showing of vulnerability. While the past few years saw the Ohio native experiment over a range of singles and on his debut album, 2020 was without a doubt the year he found his sound in the noteworthy punk2. Blending Midwest emo, trap production, hip-hop, and alternative, brakence’s sophomore effort is a masterclass in infectious emotional catharsis.

Mustafa

Where to Start: “Stay Alive”

Few artists embody the sentiment of music as poetry as emphatically as Mustafa. First leaving a mark with 2020’s “Stay Alive,” Mustafa introduced himself to the world with a breathtaking, earth-shattering ballad rife with impassioned emotional imagery. Soft-spoken but never lacking for impact, the poet, activist, filmmaker, and songwriter brings to life the lived realities of Toronto’s Regent Park, a public housing project that shaped Mustafa into the once in a lifetime artist he is today.

Holly Humberstone

Where to Start: “Falling Asleep At The Wheel”

In her 2020 debut EP, Falling Asleep at the Wheel, Holly Humberstone proves herself a master at crafting a palpable atmosphere. Rife with emotional highs and cathartic lows, all backed by Humberstone’s magnetic and graceful songwriting, the British artist lays her heart on her sleeve and in turn lays the groundwork for a debut offering poised to stand the test of time. It is no mere hyperbole to say that Humberstone is an artist to watch out for not only in 2021 but in the years to come.

AG Club

Where to Start: “Memphis”

The initial comparison of AG Club to collectives like BROCKHAMPTON and A$AP may be an easy one to draw, but a single listen tells another story. While the genreless Bay Area collective may radiate the same rapturous energy of the aforementioned groups, AG Club is clearly riding high on their own wavelength. Aiming to make hip-hop but not as you know it, the idiosyncratic collective made their vision clear with the release of 2020’s Halfway Off the Porch, an electrifying amalgamation of disparate genres, sights, sounds, and moods.

347aidan

Where to Start: “Dancing in My Room”

Euphoric, difficult to perfectly define, and haphazardly brilliant, aidan347 embodies the adventurousness and inventiveness of Gen Z. The project of 17-year-old Aidan Fuller, the Cambridge, Ontario native has spent the past five years making music. Yet at the beginning of 2020, the Cambridge artist had less than three thousand monthly listeners; now, that number sits well above five million. A testament to 347aidan’s tenacity, his devoted fanbase, and the power of a TikTok-fueled viral hit–arriving in the form of “Dancing in My Room”–it really feels we are only witnessing the prologue of what’s to come.

Frances Forever

Where to Start: “Space Girl”

When thinking of music’s future stars, what better place to look than to the galactic, lovelorn musings of Frances Forever. Making less of a splash and more of a tidal wave with the release of “Space Girl” late last year, the Boston bedroom artist’s ode to intergalactic love has been rapidly climbing the TikTok and indie charts. Now signed to Mom+Pop records, Frances Forever is more than ready to shoot for the stars and beyond in 2021.

Hope Tala

Where to Start: “Lovestained”

Hope Tala is impossible to ignore. A West Londoner to her core, the UK singer-songwriter finds inspiration in everything from ‘90s movies, classic literature, to the constantly changing world around her. Transforming what feels like a lifetime, and some, of inspiration into an undeniably spellbinding fusion of R&B and bossa nova, Hope Tala’s musings of daydreams, heartache, and fear are the sort ready to define a generation’s ails, joys, and mundane triumphs and anxieties. Universal in scope yet deeply personal, Hope Tala is without doubt an artist to keep your eye on in 2021. 

Q

Where to Start: “Take Me Your Heart Is”

Q, much like his name, is an anomaly. Releasing one album a year since 2018, the ineffable soul and R&B artist has somehow coasted under the radar in spite of releasing some of the most breathtaking music out there. And with the release of 2020’s The Shave Experiment, Q feels like he’s finally stepping into the much-deserved limelight. Leading with the striking “Take Me Your Heart Is,” Q brought to life a nostalgic, hyper-emotive track sure to stop you in your tracks. Hopefully, it’s one of many to come. 

Claire Rosinkranz

Where to Start: “Backyard Boy”

16-year-old Claire Rosinkranz has been making music for the better part of her life, and 2020 was the year that scribbling down lyrics and helping her father compose music for TV shows and ad jingles paid off in a major way. The California native’s single, “Backyard Boy,” taken from her debut EP, BeVerly Hills BoYfRiEnd, soon became a TikTok hit, racking up over 80 million streams to date, on Spotify alone. If there are two things to look out for in 2021, make sure it’s your mental wellbeing and Claire’s euphoric self-dubbed “alternative-blues-pop.”

KennyHoopla

Where to Start: “how will i rest in peace if i'm buried by a highway?//”

KennyHoopla is nothing if not electrifying. The alternative, punk, and ‘80s new wave-evoking artist moves through each track with a sense of world-ending hunger, jumping from one ensuing mosh pit to the next. It is a balancing act of new wave nostalgia and genuine inventive alternative that results in a maelstrom of palpable excitement. To best experience this cathartic form of self-expression firsthand, look no further than his debut EP, last year’s how will i rest in peace if i'm buried by a highway?//. No one is quite making music like KennyHoopla, in 2021 or beyond.

MICHELLE

Where to Start: “THE BOTTOM”

New York collective MICHELLE deftly imbues the sincerity of soul and R&B into a uniquely tender pop outlook, and the result is nothing short of infectious. The project of six predominantly queer POC individuals, the group originally earned widespread critical acclaim for their 2018 album HEATWAVE, but it was arguably their subsequent signing with Atlantic Records last year that has them set to be one of 2021’s most promising acts. Quickly making the most of their newfound major label status, MICHELLE released “Sunrise,” the sonic equivalent of the first rays of light breaking through the clouds, signaling the end of a rainy day. It’s safe to say the future is looking bright for MICHELLE.

glaive

Where to Start: “eyesore”

Few artists define and defy the label of hyperpop as readily as glaive. Falling somewhere between 100 gecs and the second coming of mid-2000s pop punk, the newly-signed Interscope artist released his major debut label EP, cypress grove, earlier this year. Yet before finding a home at Interscope, glaive’s official discography only stretched back as far as 2020. Making the most of a year we all would rather soon forget, the 15-year-old wunderkind showcased to the world a continual musical evolution that is looking to only further pick up steam in the coming year.

Claud

Where to Start: “Wish You Were Gay”

From opening for Clairo to releasing a steady stream of resonant singles, Claud has spent the last couple of years making a name for themselves in the indie music world, but 2020 saw arguably their biggest breakthrough moment yet. With the release of “Gold,” Claud became the first artist signed to Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records. Arriving as the first taste of their upcoming debut album, Super Monster, 2021 is looking absolutely golden for Claud. And not to mention the fact they recently started a band with Clairo and friends.

María Isabel

Where to Start: “The 1”

Where has María Isabel been all our lives? First making herself known with the release of “The 1,” an ode to long-distance relationships, which soon became more prophetic than we ever could have imagined, the debut single served as lovely an introduction as they come. Thankfully, we would not have to wait too long to hear more dreamlike R&B from María, who graced us with her debut EP, Stuck in the Sky shortly thereafter. Uniquely heartfelt and velvety smooth, María’s voice is just the thing to carry you through 2021.

Remi Wolf

Where to Start: “Photo ID”

The past couple of years have seen avant-garde pop wunderkind Remi Wolf test the waters with one out of this world single after another, and 2020 felt like the year everything finally fell into place. Arriving on the Bay Area native’s sophomore album, I’m Allergic To Dogs!, “Photo ID,” and its unafraid, in your face anti pop mentality cemented itself as a surefire hit, and TikTok soon took notice. Serving as a testament to Remi Wolf’s mainstream appeal in spite of her outsider approach, “Photo ID” merely set the stage for what is to come.  

PawPaw Rod

Where to Start: “HIT EM WHERE IT HURTS”

PawPaw Rod may be the only artist on this list with only one single to their name, but in no way does that disqualify him from being an artist to watch in 2021. Releasing his debut single, “HIT EM WHERE IT HURTS,” out into the ether, the Los Angeles artist immediately landed on something special. Blending elements of hip-hop, funk, and alternative under a mellow, syrupy flow, PawPaw Rod wasted no time in setting himself apart from the pack. And with godmode–the same development company that brought us Yaeji, Channel Tres, LoveLeo, and more–it is safe to say that this is only the beginning.

Evann Mcintosh

Where to Start: “WIYULD”

In her dreamlike take on alternative R&B, Evann Mcintosh attempts to capture the turbulent act of coming-of-age. At times delicate to the touch and at times emanating a self-assured confidence well beyond her 16 years of age, Evann Mcintosh’s 2019 debut album, MOJO, laid the groundwork for an act whose promise knows no bounds. It was a promise she made good on during the tail end of 2020, with the release of singles “WIYULD” and “BULL$HIT.” Showing off two different sides of her continued musical growth, 2021 has us all the more excited for what Evann has in store.

Serena Isioma

Where to Start: “Sensitive”

In her breakout single, “Sensitive,” Serena Isioma fuses modern-day R&B and woozy indie pop with reckless abandon. The outcome is a song that not only sounds quite unlike anything else out there, but one whose own vibe seems to shift and evolve from one moment to the next. It is an electrifying opening moment that begins to define the Isioma’s artistry and her debut EP, Sensitive. The first of two EPs the Chicago-based artist would release in 2020, it is hard not to feel like Isioma is already in the process of creating a one-of-a-kind discography.

Blu DeTiger

Where to Start: “Figure It Out”

Whether you know her as the touring bassist for acts like FLETCHER and Caroline Polachek or as the TikTok famous bassist, the fact of the matter is that Blu DeTiger is an artist you need to know. A bassist since age seven and crowned the “coolest DJ around” by Vogue, the New York native’s music skirts the realms of funk, indie, and dance. Unmistakable, nonchalantly cool, and unsurprisingly bass-heavy, you deserve doing yourself the favor of diving headfirst into Blu DeTiger’s music. Just be sure to come up for air, when you’re ready.

[pixie88]

Christmas Shopping

Chapter 3 - Addicted to you.  

A/N: It felt so weird writing/editing this chapter in the middle of summer, but that’s how their timeline worked out! I can’t remember the last time I released a H&L chapter or wrote one to be fair, I think after this I have 2 more in drafts. Better get back to it! I hope you like it 😘  

Tagging those who asked to be tagged but if you want to be added let me know!

Read previous chapters HERE!

Warnings: Fluff & NSFW

Songs: Kelly Rowland - Commander, Rihanna - Only girl, Magic - Rude & Wyclef Jean - Perfect gentleman.

Word Count: 2673

Pairings: Laila x Harry

Enjoy! 😘  

A couple days later.

"So what are you going to get Harry for Christmas?" Nikki asks her as they had taken a break from shopping to have some lunch. "I have no idea what to get him!" she sighs. "I'm sure he'll be happy with you in some sexy lingerie," Nikki winks at her Laila lets out a loud laugh making people turn to look at her. "Or you can get him a Santa costume?" she laughs.

"What are you getting Stu?" Laila changes the subject. "He wants a new aftershave, I can't remember what he normally wears. What does Harry wear?" Laila has a think "Erm...a few different ones really Paco Rabanne One Million, Davidoff cool water, Boss Bottle that one what's his face is in the advert....the guy that plays Thor. Is one he smelt recently and liked but he didn't get it because they sold out and only had the sample bottle."

"You can get him that! I might have a sniff to see if it's something Stu would wear too!"

After lunch, they are walking through the shopping centre, Nikki ended up getting Stu some aftershave. Laila was still unsure what to get Harry, so Nikki drags her into Ann Summers. "What about these??" Nikki holds up some fluffy handcuff, Laila snorts. "We already have some, but without the fluff!" Nikki puts down the cuffs "What about cock ring? Closest Harry will get to sticking a ring on it!"

"We have that too," Laila blushes. "Crotch less knickers?" Laila nods signalling she has those. "Weighted love ball?" she asks and Laila again nods. "Feather tickler?" nod, "Blind fold? Riding crop?" Laila again nods, "Jeez, it would be easier to ask what you haven't got!" the pair laugh, "What? It has been eight years remember!" Laila winks at her.

"What about anal beads or ball gag?" Laila pulls a disgusted face "Finally! What about nipple clamps?" Laila laughs, "Only if they're being used on him!" she laughs. "God! Just think 6 months ago you were a born again virgin...now look at you! Getting more action than all of us put together!" Nikki giggles "Just over 7 months actually!" Laila corrects her.

Laila's phone Pings.

"Nikki! Look what Harry has done to Mabel!" she hands her the phone. "Awwww! Laila how adorable do she look!" the pair coo over the photo. "Has she met her new dog walker yet?" Nikki asks as she hands back the phone "She's met her, she's actually taking her out today." she smiles.

They ended up leaving the shop with some Christmas theme lingerie.

Later.

Laila arrives home all the lights are out "Harry?" Laila calls out. "I'm in the living room!" he calls back, she hangs up her coat and makes her way across the hall. When she opens the living room door the room is lit with tea and fairy lights, there are blankets and cushions on the floor in front of the coffee table. On the coffee table there is a chocolate fondue with fruit and marshmallows next to it "Aww Bear! What's all this?" she wanders over to him on the floor. "Where's Mabel?" she looks round the room as she sits next to him.

"She's gone to bed, Nessa took her for a 2 mile walk today!" he cups her face pulling her in for a soft kiss. "Aww, are they getting on OK?" he smiles, "Yeah, I've booked her in for Monday to Friday this week coming about lunchtime, so you'll met her this week."

"Right, enough about this dog walker. Are you going to let me feed you?" she winks, he leans forward grabbing a strawberry and hands it to her. She dips it into the chocolate and guilds it towards his lips, he's just about to take a bite when she redirects it to her mouth and takes a bite. He laughs and reaches over and pulls her lips to his. His tongue swirls with hers tasting the chocolate covered strawberry, he pulls away "That was amazing!" he grins at her.

She grabs another strawberry covers it in chocolate and traces it against his pulse line. Her tongue follows the same path, he groans and his breathing hitches as she pulls away she places the strawberry against his lips, he takes a bite. His lips brush over her finger tips making her every nerve ending stand on end. He knows the affect he has on her "How was that?" 

"Tasty!" he grins and winks at her "Your turn." he picks up a marshmallow covers it in chocolate holds it out for her to bite into it. "Hmmm..!" she smiles at him "Did you get all your shopping done?"

"I need to order a couple of bits online, but after that..I'm done."

"Christmas day, what are we doing?" he asks.

She sighs, "I don't know how we are going to split between them all!" she leans against him and his arm comes around her. "I have an idea....as it's our first Christmas together, what if we did Christmas day just me, you and Mabel? In bed in our PJ's? I'll cook us Christmas dinner. Then Boxing day we do a buffet for both families?" she sits up to look at him "So, a lazy Christmas day? In bed?"

"Yeah...PJ's, snuggles in bed and a Harry Taylor roast. What more could a girl ask for?!" he winks waiting for her answer. "I love it!" his face lights up "Really?!" he questions her. "Yeah, Christmas day in bed with my hunky boyfriend, but I have one alteration....no pajamas!" He raises a brow to her, "Noted!" he jokes. "Instead Christmas jumpers!!!" this wasn't the answer he was expecting.

She giggles "Your face! But I want matching Christmas pajamas!" He chuckles "OK, but no photos my brothers will rip into me!" she sighs "Oh! Come on, one photo? Just to make me happy?" she pouts. "Fine, if it makes you happy." she claps getting her own way, "I think you owe it to Mabel after today!"

He chuckles "She looked cute!" "She did! Oh are you working Saturday?" she asks. "I don't think so?" he questions. "Every Christmas we do a friends Christmas party, kinda like a blow out before the family stuff. Nikki has planned it for Friday night and she has found somewhere that is having a 90's to 2020's night"

"Sounds good, who's going?" he asks. "Remy, Alec, Nikki, Stu, Alene, Daniel and now us!" she smiles. "I'm guessing we get completely smashed then?" she laughs.

Friday evening.

They arrive at the club Nikki found, Laila and Harry are the last to arrive.

Laila notices Stu and Nikki at the bar, she sneaks up behind her Stu spy's her, but Laila puts her index finger to her lips signalling him not to say anything. As she reaches Nikki, she wraps her arms around waist, making Nikki whip round with a face like thunder until she realises it was her friend "Laila, I was just about to...whatever. Glad you guys are here." she shouts over the music.

"Sorry, Mabel's walker got back late. Where are the others?" Laila calls back, Nikki points over to a table where the rest of the group are sat. Harry leans in, "Shall we get a drink first?" Laila nods "What you guys having?" Stu asks. "I know Laila's drink, Harry what ya having?" Nikki asks.

After they make their way over to the others "Hey!!" Laila call out as she takes a seat next to Alec, who hugs her and Harry. They are sat for a few minutes when Kelly Rowland - Commander begins to play Nikki jumps up, grabbing Laila's hand dragging her to the dance floor.

Nikki starts to sing along.

"From here on out

I'll be your commander (I'll be your commander)

No fear no doubt

I'll provide the answer

Right now I command you to dance"

She points to Laila, who starts to sing along with her. The pair are dancing on the edge of the dance floor in view of the table, laughing, their bodies swaying to the music the pair attract a couple of strangers, who slowly move closer to them waiting to make their move to become their unwanted dance partners.

Completely oblivious to the unwanted strangers, the song switches to Rihanna - Only Girl they continue to dance. Suddenly both girls feel someone behind them as they turn they saw Stu and Harry, Laila looks up at him confused "I thought you don't dance?" she laughs. He wraps his hands round her, swaying her as he leans in, "I don't, but those blokes behind me were inches away from trying to dance with you two."

She looks behind him "Oh, you didn't want me dancing with a stranger?" she laughs, he shook his head and they continued dancing away.

The next song was Magic - Rude as it starts up Laila starts singing it to Harry when she gets to the chorus he joins in.....

"Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life?

Say yes, say yes, 'cause I need to know

You say I'll never get your blessing till the day I die

'Tough luck, my friend, but the answer is no!'

Why you gotta be so Rude?

Don't you know I'm human too?

Why you gotta be so Rude?

I'm gonna marry her anyway

Marry that girl, marry her anyway

Marry that girl, yeah, no matter what you say

Marry that girl, and we'll be a family

Why you gotta be so Rude?"

Both grinning and smiling, he cups her face pulling her in for a kiss.

A little later back at the table "Laila, Boxing day....is it OK to bring Melissa?" Alene asks, Laila looks over to Rem. "Is Rem OK with that?" she looks to Alene who nods "If it's OK with Rem it's OK with me." when she looks up Rem mouths "Thank you." to her.

Daniel comes over from the bar with a tray of drinks "Sex on the beach anyone?" he passes them around the group. "Damn Daniel at least buy a girl a drink first!" Alene teases him "Sorry Len, but you aren't my type!" he winks at her, the group laugh.

A little later Perfect Gentleman - Wyclef Jean starts playing a tipsy Harry pulls Laila away from the bar and onto the dance floor. He spins her before pulling her close to him swaying them together. "Hey, you are a liar!! You can dance!" Laila giggles as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"My moo....ves only get bet...ter after I've add....a few." his words are slurred, his hips move with hers. He spins her round again, her body collides with his "I think you need to get drunk at every party or night out if it improves your dance moves!" he smirks before claiming her lips. As they sway with their lips locked, Laila can feel him begin to stiffen against her hips "Hmmm....someone seems to be enjoy themselves a little to much!" She winks.

He looks round checking no one is near, his lips brush against her ear "Can we head home? I got some other kinda moves I want to show you!" she giggles and bites her lip, "Let's go!" they say their goodbyes and head for the tube.

10 Minutes later.

Their underground train arrives empty, he sits and pulls her onto his lap. He captures her lips, the kiss becomes heated, Harry pulls off his coat and places it on her lap. His hand creeps under his coat snaking into her jeans "Bear, not here!" she whispers, he smirks against her lips continuing his trail. He lets out a soft growl. He reaches her hidden jewel, her head rolls back as his lip pepper down her neck.

She bites back a moan as he works between her slick slits.

Through the speaker they hear the next station is their stop, they both groan with disappointment. "Come on, we can continue this at home!" she gets up as the train pulls into their station.

2 Weeks later.

It's the day before Christmas Eve, Laila has just finished her last day until the new year, she wanders into the kitchen, "Oh, Harry! You're home early!" she was sure he mentioned he was training Stu tonight.

He's leaning against the kitchen counter with a whiskey in his hand, he looks over to her "I canceled Stu's PT session....Laila, there's something I need to tell you..."

He looks as if what he's about to tell her is tearing him up inside, her minds goes into overdrive....Was history repeating itself?

"Bear?" she looks at him concerned, he takes a deep breath "When I came back today to take Mabel for a walk at lunch....I bumped into Nessa." she laughs, "What is she annoyed we didn't get her to take Mabel out today?" he silently chuckles, but it quickly fades. "She was walking another client's dog, she asked if she could join Mabel as I was taking her over to the fields. We were just sat on a bench talking...she asked me about work and us. Then this afternoon she turned up at my work for a PT session, I didn't even know she booked. I was giving her a tour of the gym and she tried to kiss me..."

Laila's cheeks burn, but soon drain cold "What?!" was all she could conjure up from her lips. "Laila, I promise you as soon as she leaned in I stepped back. I was just as confused as you are, I asked her to leave after that." she can see he's just as shocked as she is "Laila? Please say something!" he softly pleads with her.

She sighs, making her way over to him cupping his face "Looks like we need to find a new dog walker." she laughs, he rolls his eyes at her. "Hey, It's not the first and probably won't be the last time a client tries to make a move on you....I remember a client making some more steamier moves on you about 7 months ago," she grins at him. He laughs, "Those were wanted moves!" he reminds her. "More than wanted...just look at what happened that night...but I'm glad you told me about Nessa." she pushes up on her tiptoes to kiss his nose.

"I've never given another woman a tour of the changing rooms since." he laughs before continuing "That is how and why we work because we are honest with one another!" he kisses her nose. "OK, can I be really honest..Bear?" he nods, "You stink!! Did you not shower before coming home?" Laila baits him. "Oh, I do? Do I?" he raises a brow to her.

With that he throws her over his shoulder "Harry?! Put me down!" she screams between her laughter. "Sorry, my love that's a no!"  his hand strikes her arse cheek as he begins to climb the stairs with her over his shoulder. "Harry!!"

Later.

Cuddled up on the sofa watching a film "Bear?" he hums in response. "Can I be the one to sack Nessa?" she giggle, he starts searching her hair, "Harry, what are you doing?" she asks. "Looking for your devil horns," he chuckles, "But if it makes you happy...Yes, you can sack her.... to be fair, it means I don't have to deal with her," he starts to stroke her hair back down "Now how to do it? Mwahahaha!!" she fakes an evil laugh, "You really are the devil!" he smiles at her "Oh, you've seen nothing yet, Bear!" she winks.

@aussieez​ @secretaryunpaid​ @lem-20​ @irisofpurple​ @khoicesbyk​ @txemrn​ @wombatsxkookaburras​ @beautifuluknownvoid​

He pulls her onto his lap, so she's straddling him, he cups her face "Why don't you show me?" his lips crash to hers.

Chapter 4

[ordinaryunordinary]

Change

After receiving some alarming news Valerie ask to meet with Arlo in an attempt to make sure his views haven’t changed

4000+ Words

CW: Death/mentions of murder

In the Bureau of Authority, a blonde woman sat at her desk typing away on her computer. For the second time that morning her phone buzzed away next to her. A sigh escaped her, she knew it was her nephew calling, but she was so absorbed with work that she didn’t have to time to answer him. She had just finished typing up another referral when the door to her office opened and a young man stepped in.

“Hello Kingsley, is there something you need?” The man fiddled with his fingers as he approached her desk, looking nervous as the blonde stood and now towered over him. “I’m V-Valerie I received some news.” But before he could speak anymore, Valerie lifted a hand in the air to stop him. “Chin up and stop stuttering.” The man nodded and took a deep breath.

”ma’am, I received some news about your nephew today. It involves one of the three students you are inspected and I just thought you want want to know.” Valerie arched an eyebrow, “continue.” The man dug in his pocket and pulled out his phone and came to stand beside Valerie. “I found these on a social media account run by a woman named Elizabeth, who I believe is the mother of Remi.” Valerie nodded as the man opened his files and presented the screen to her.

She frowned, the photo was of four individuals. Arlo, Remi, a greenette and bluette. “Who are the two older boys,” she asked. “Rei and Kuyo. Rei is the superhero known as X-Static that was successfully terminated three months ago and we still have no connection as to where Kuyo is. However, we do know the two boys attended the same college so we have a lead.” The woman hummed before studying the picture once more.

In the picture Arlo was still clearly a first year, his ever present frown on his face but his eyes, showed joy. The group of four was sitting on the steps of Wellston highschool, though this “Kuyo” bore a brown uniform rather than the Wellston one and Remi was in casual clothing.

“This picture was taken the day before Rei’s graduation, and the group later went to the park and hung out until the stars were out.”

Valerie frowned once more, the Arlo she remembers was never the social type. Preferring to stay on the side lines and watch rather than take part in the activities. “There’s more,” the man spoke before swiping to the next photo.

In this one, Arlo was a second year, him and Remi wearing matching uniforms while the older boys wore matching black uniforms. In the back there were fireworks going off and a clear crowd could be seen gathered around them, but the four were huddled together and everyone was smiling. Including her nephew Arlo. Valerie looked to the male for context.

”The group went to a concert for Kuyo’s birthday.”

Now Valerie was even more confused. Arlo had his moments where he could be social, but she knew for a fact that the blonde would never attended a concert such as the one in the photo. “Is there more,” she asked and the man nodded. “There’s two more, this next one was taken at Remi’s birthday party during your nephews third year of highschool.”

Valerie scoffed, that Remi girl was sitting on top of the green guys shoulders while Arlo sat on the blue guys, the older males standing in a pool while Remi and Arlo held pool noodles in their arms. “This one is actually a video,” the man spoke and pressed play.

”En garde, Arlo!”

“You think you could beat me Remi, you forget that I took fencing in middle school.”

Kuyo laughed while Rei giggled, “don’t fall Remi.” Remi looked down at her brother offended giving Arlo the perfect chance to strike. He whacked her one with the noodle causing her to lose her balance which then cause Rei to lose his and they both fell back into the pool. “That was fast,” Kuyo laughed and reached up to high-five the blonde.

However, Kuyo was soon knocked off his feet and he and Arlo splashed into the pool with Rei and Remi coming up behind them. “This is revenge, you won’t get rid of us that easily.” A woman’s laugh could be heard from behind the camera before the video stopped. Valerie blinked, she could feel a vein in her head throbbing and urged the man to move to the last one.

In the final photo, it was Arlo taking the photo and from his stance it was a selfie with the other three behind him. This was the same Arlo she had met with just a few weeks ago but this Arlo held a warm smile and his eyes had shown happiness. “This was taken on Arlo’s birthday in his fourth year. The group surprised him with an ice cream cake and they spent the night at his apartment playing board games.”

The man paused when Valerie slowly pushed the phone away and turned toward the window. “Ma’am?” Valerie didn’t turn, “thank you for bringing this to my attention, but I think I see the point you were trying to make.” The man understood when he was excused and quickly thanked Valerie for her time before briskly leaving the room.

Valerie glared at the sky, Arlo has always cared about the hierarchy and keeping a clean image. Her mind flashed between the photos and video she had seen, but around those three, it seems as though he couldn’t care less. The woman looked back to her phone to see two missed call notifications looking back at her. She sighed before picking up the phone and pressing the call back button. I have to be sure that his opinions haven’t been swayed.

———

Valerie drummed her fingers on the table of the cafe. She arrived a little earlier than the time she had suggested to reserve a table in the back so they could talk privately. The doorbell chimed and she looked over to see Arlo come in and thank the person who opened the door for him. Valerie smiled as her nephew came over and joined him. “Hello Arlo, how have you been.” Arlo shrugged, looking unimpressed as usually, but there was a certain apprehension hidden in his eyes that wasn’t there when they met before.

“I’m the same as I was last time Aunt Val.” The woman nodded and kept a kind smile hoping it would prompt her nephew to do the same but he simply blinked at her. “Anyway, what did you call me here for?” Valerie sighed, “well I figured last time we talked too much about business and such so I figured we could have a more personal conversation.” Arlo drummed lightly on the table before nodding, “sure.”

Arlo moved to rest his arms on the table folded over one another, “what have you been doing these past years? I haven’t gotten to speak personally with you since my first year of highschool.” The woman nodded, “I’ve been so absorbed with work I hardly have time to myself. However, I did manage to sneak away for a beach excursion a few months ago.” Her nephew nodded, “you enjoyed it.”

”Oh yes, very much. It was exactly what the getaway I needed.” Valerie smiles recalling her moments relaxing in the sand. “Getaway huh?”

Arlo still drummed away on the table, never looking interested in the slightest. His aunt frowned, “and you? How have you been?” Arlo shrugged, “same old.” Valerie let out a deep exhale. Her nephew had never been one for many words, but she had never experienced this much difficulty in getting him to talk.

“How are your friends,” she decided to subtle approach the topic. She couldn’t outright ask if it’s opinion on the hierarchy had changed without offending him, so she would have to creep slowly. Arlo narrowed his eyes before glancing at the table, “they’re fine.”

“What about your classmate who lost her ability?”

Arlo’s eyes widened and she watched as he chewed on his lip before speaking, “she’s fine as well.” The woman hummed, leaning back in her chair and eyeing her nephew. “Any news on her recovery?” Arlo shook his head, “there’s no sign that she’ll ever get it back.” Valerie nodded, “I’m sure the authorities will figure it out.” To her dismay, Arlo let out a huff, his face set to a small smirk, “sure.”

A few seconds of silence passed, enough time for their drinks to come out, before Valerie spoke again. “Any progress toward getting your king position back?” She seemed to strike a nerve, Arlo’s grip on his drink tightening and eyes falling down into a glare. “I already told you I’m fine without it, I don’t want it back.” The woman scowled, “and why is that, you should aim to be at the top.” Arlo scoffed, “I’m number three aunt Val, I’m high enough. I’m comfortable where I am, and I still help around the school. I don’t need to be the king to better the kingdom.”

The blonde sighed, taking a sip of his drink before speaking, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so aggressive.” Though Valerie dismissed the behavior, she had a feeling that his words had been genuine. “Well, what have you done around the school since you lost your title?” Arlo rolled his eyes, “just small things, I’ve mostly been helping with Remi and the safe house.” Valerie arched an eyebrow, “safe house?”

Arlo nodded, “it’s a space where students can hang out, get school work done, or just chill regardless of their rank or ability and feel safe.” Under the table, Valerie clenched her fist. Remi, that was the name of the girl from the files and the photos. So she is having an effect on Arlo, that will have to end . She knew her next words would be a low blow, but she had to see her nephews reaction to gauge how far these people had drug him down.

“So in your first few years of highschool you were friends with Remi, Rei, and Kuyo, why don’t you guys do that now?”

———

Arlo froze, his hands rolled into fist and he stared down at his lap.

“How come you never told me about this little friend group you had?”

I have never mentioned anything about them to my aunt, so she must’ve gone through some files somewhere and found info on them. However, that thought unnerved him. That was implying that Valerie was looking for information related to the four of them, which could potentially mean that they were in danger.

He took a deep breath, he had to play this safe. The worst thing that could happen was him revealing that he knew that EMBER was created by the authorities;he couldn’t allow that to happen. Although he was nervous about how to answer his aunt, he was also hurt. He knew, that she knew that Rei was dead. And from that she could likely assume why the group didn’t get together anymore, so what was her reason for bringing them up?

“Aunt Val, Rei died three months ago. We discussed this a few weeks ago when you met Remi.” His aunt nodded, his chin resting in her palm and her eyes narrowing at him to where he felt she was trying to stare into his soul.

He felt like he was sitting in front of someone with a lie detector ability. If he said the wrong thing some alert would go off in their head and they would take immediate action. Though he assumed that was how it had to be in the authorities. In all honesty, he never expected himself to be in this situation, choosing his words carefully to avoid punishment from the authorities. He had always been in their side, but now, he quite despised his past self that defended them without any hesitation.

“Ah, that’s right, my apologies. However my second question still stands. How come you never told me about this?” Arlo shrugged, his next words weren’t even a lie, it was a truth he had come to terms with years ago. “I didn’t want to.” He couldn’t hide his slight wince at his aunt shocked look. Though she quickly covered it up, he could tell she was hurt by his statement. The young man sighed, “it was nothing against you personally. It was just,” he took a breath,” I want to make a friendship that wasn’t made through connections. I wanted someone to be friends with me because they liked me. Not because I was related to some high ranking authoritative figure.”

His aunt nodded, and he hoped that he worded that right. Because truthfully, Valerie herself had nothing to do with his decision. Leading up to his highschool years, most of Arlo’s “friends” had only been friends with him because of his level or affiliation with the authorities.

“So what was so special about them,” Valerie then asked. Arlo huffed, he could sense the interrogation coming from a mile away. But if he wanted to avoid raising any suspicion he would have to go along and answer her questions as truthfully as he could.

“Because that’s exactly what they did. Rei came first, I actually met him outside of school and only realized he was the king when I later saw him in the hallways. I just remember we were looking for the same book at a bookstore and got into a conversation about the series.” A faint smile made his way onto his face, “and our friendship simply grew from there. I don’t think we ever discussed ranks or ability until his graduation. And even then, it was an awkward conversation because we had never spoken about it before.”

Valerie shifted, crossing her legs over one another as she listened intently to her nephew. But at this point, Arlo had forgotten that she was there and was merely reminiscing.

“Because I made such quick friends with Rei, it was long until I met Remi. And Remi was like Rei on drugs. Rei was a lot more soft spoken and sometimes reserved, while Remi was always out there ready to change the world. Of course, so was Rei, but in his own time. When he was around others he was more focused on them than whatever worries he had.” A small laugh escaped his lips.

“I remember I didn’t like Remi that much when I first met her. She felt like she was just trying to be Rei, but the more I got to know her, the more I discovered the difference between the two. Even so, Remi was just like her brother in the fact that she accepted me for me and had no concern about my background or who I was related to.”

Arlo huffed, “and Kuyo, I absolutely hated Kuyo at first. But it was mostly because I had such high respect for Rei and valued him as a friend. Rei and Kuyo didn’t get along for their first two years of highschool and I heard from Kuyo that he used to say a lot of mean things to Rei that really damaged his mental state. But the reason I got to be friends with him, is because he’s the kind of person that realizes he’s made a mistake and tries to fix it. Of course, I’m sure Rei helped him with some of that, but Kuyo eventually became a better person. And I’m sure that’s the whole reason Rei introduced me to him. It gave me an example of someone who was obsessed with levels and all that stuff but eventually changed and went by their own values.”

Arlo had to swallow, his throat becoming slightly dry. Huh, he hadn’t talked about his friendships with anyone aside from his mom. And while he wasn’t the biggest fan of revealing all that stuff to his aunt, he was happy to remember those events again.

“Sounds like a blast,” Valerie hummed. Arlo nodded, taking a breath and forcing himself to focus on on the situation once more. He had allowed himself to be a bit vulnerable, hopefully that would throw Valerie off of him for a bit. “Now obviously,” she began, “you seem to hold these people very close to your heart.” Arlo nodded, “I consider those three my closest friends and they are among the people I trust the most.”

He could see his aunt bite her cheek, a sign that she was thinking of her next words. “So how did you handle having different viewpoints on things such as the hierarchy? Because it’s obvious that you firmly uphold the hierarchy, but these three don’t. With one of them being a vigilante and the other two having very close relationships with him.” Arlo sighed, he knew this question could get him in trouble.

A part of him wanted to believe that his aunt wouldn’t report anything he said to the authorities, but he also had a dreadful feeling that everything he said was being memorized and stored somewhere for Valerie to repeat his exact words later on to her superiors. Arlo didn’t know if his aunt had any connection to the part of the authorities that created EMBER, and he really hoped that she had nothing to do with it, but he had no guarantee that her words wouldn’t be overheard by someone who was involved with the shadow organization. So no matter how much he wanted to trust his aunt, he couldn’t bring himself to let her know everything.

“As I said before, it wasn’t really brought up. I’m sure we had conversations and debates every once in a while, but it was never the main focus of our friendship.” Valerie frowned, “you never brought it up? With it being such a controversial topic, I would assume that you would want to surround yourself by people with agreeing opinions.”

“Quite honestly aunt Val I didn’t care,” Arlo flinched, he didn’t mean to say that. Valerie narrowed her eyes into a glare at him, “you didn’t care?” The blonde boy gulped and shifted in his seat, “no, I didn’t. I mean, it was definitely something I thought about from time to time-“ Valerie held up a hand, “don’t make excuses Arlo, you meant exactly what you just said, you didn’t care.” Arlo took a shaky breath, he was walking on thin ice with his aunt. One wrong step and the ice would crack and welcome her into all of his past actions through the past month.

Helping Seraphina recover her ability, working in the safe house, discovering the truth about EMBER. There were too many secrets he was keeping from his aunt, and there was no way back, he had to tread carefully.

“I wanted it to be a genuine friendship, not a business rank related friendship.” The woman hummed, “I can understand that.” Arlo held in his sigh of relief, he wasn’t out of danger yet, his aunt still held a level of suspicion in her eyes. “So have you not met with the other two since the vigilante’s death?” Arlo nodded, “I see Remi nearly everyday at school so we often speak to one another,” by mentioning his school, he hoped Valerie would think of their friendship as a casual schoolmate relationship. “And the other boy,” Valerie continued. Arlo shook his head, “I haven’t spoken to Kuyo since Rei’s funeral, he kind of shut himself away from everyone after Rei died .”

That part wasn’t entirely true. He had talked to Kuyo over the phone about a month and a half ago to check up on him. Physically he actually hadn’t seen the blue haired man since the funeral, but they had stayed somewhat in touch. Arlo did know where Kuyo lived though, since he and Rei shared a dorm and Arlo would often visit, so it wasn’t impossible for him to see the other. But he understood that Kuyo wanted space and was willing to leave him alone for the time being.

“Interesting, most people seek comfort when they are grieving.”

“No, I understand where he’s coming from.”

Valerie arched an eyebrow, “you do?” Arlo nodded, “when Rei died…I didn’t know how to handle it. So I pretended to be angry, rather than admitting how hurt I was. I pushed everyone away, I went to the funeral, and then I never wanted to see any of those people again. I didn’t want anything to remind me that Rei was dead, I wanted to pretend that he never existed in the first place. I thought it would be less painful than admitting he was dead.”

Arlo swallowed, a lump forming in his throat as he spoke. “When…when my mom died, I want to be left alone. But I was instantly bombarded by every member of my family. And I understand that they all had good intentions, but it just became, overwhelming.”

Arlo shook his head, swallowing again to ease the tension in his chest. “Well, everyone handles death in different ways.” Arlo nodded, slightly glaring at his aunt. She had gotten over his mother’s death too quickly for his liking, but as she said, everyone had their ways of coping.

“But if anything, I feel that experience has made you stronger. Look at the person you are now Arlo, I feel like without that boys influence you wouldn’t be in this same position.” Arlo’s teeth grinded together. She isn’t wrong, if it hadn’t been for Rei, I would never be questioning the authorities. I wouldn’t be aiding the others in their own investigations .

“Be that as it may, I would trade everything I have gotten just to bring him back.” Valerie leaned back, not expecting the words that came out of her nephews mouth. “I may have grown stronger but I would become the weakest person on earth just to see him again. I would trade my position and rank in this world just to give him another hug.” Arlo’s head hung low, “if I had known that I would only get one more day with him, then I would’ve stopped running away from those hugs.”

Valerie tapped her fingers in the table as he continued, “I don’t care what it would take, I would do anything to get him back. I’d become a cripple, I’d throw myself at EMBER, I would become a vigilante just to see him smile one more time.” As Arlo’s voice rose, so did his emotions. “What did he do aunt Val? What did he do that made EMBER kill him? Did he know something about them, did he have the strength to take him down, what did he know that made them have to kill him?” Valerie simply blinked as Arlo balled his hands, his face pointed toward the table and teeth clenched as hard as he could.

“What was it? Was he too kind, too genuine, was it because he actually wanted to help people. He was a hero aunt Val, a hero ! He wanted to keep people safe, he didn’t even care if he got hurt in the process. So why? Why him!” Arlo panted, two tiny droplets of water resting in the table below him as he tried to regain his composure.

“I don’t remember you talking about your mother like that.”

The blonde flinched, “Valerie, I tolerate a lot of things.” He lifted his face, look at his aunt throw the hair of his bangs. “But I will not tolerate you talking about Rei or my mother with the tone you have now.” Valerie clicked her tongue, “continue.”

“My mom died of age, of an illness she had since she was a child. But she died happily, she fulfilled every goal she set in life, her bucket list was empty when she died. She left this world in piece.” Arlo stop to catch his breath, a few moments of silence passing between the two of them.

“Rei was murdered and left in a filthy alley.”

Valerie studied Arlo, watching as he tried to calm himself, but would ultimately tense up again. “My mom died surrounded by her family, we sent her away peacefully when she died in her sleep. Rei died alone and in pain. There was no one there with him, no one to tell him everything would be okay. He died from his injuries, so it probably took hours for him to finally bleed out and succumb to his wounds.”

Arlo sighed, “no one was there for him.”

Nothing more needed to be said, Valerie knew she had offended her nephew and Arlo didn’t plan on telling her anything else that was personal to him. “Well,” she sighed, “I apologize for bringing up such painful memories.” Arlo shook his head, “my mom liked them, she said they were good influences. I’m sure you disagree, however, I think I finally see what my mom was talking about.”

Arlo could see it, Valerie scratching her nails against the table as she grew frustrated. Those weren’t the answers she wanted to her and he knew that. But all he could do was paint a smug smile on his face and watched as his aunt glared. “Well, it was lovely to see you again Aunt Val, I have to get going now. Remi is organizing an event for the safe house and I volunteered to help.” The young man smiled to his aunt before he stood to take his leave.

“Arlo,” Valerie called, she had to try one last time before she was sure her nephew had turned his back on her. “I can recommend you to the authorities, they’d accept you on the spot, and then you can have anything you want. What do you want the most, the authorities can give that to you.” Arlo sighed, a bitter smile on his face, “I want Rei back.”

Valerie nodded as Arlo officially turned away from her. He could feel her stare burning into his back as he thanked the door person once again. Arlo left with a bitter taste in his mouth and an urge to visit the cemetery. To visit both his mother and Rei, but first he wanted to see if Remi was up for dinner.

——

Valerie watched through the window as Arlo walked away from her before she pulled out her phone and called one of her workers. It only took a single ring for them to pick up, they all knew not to keep her waiting. “Kingsley?”

“Yes ma’am.”

As much as it pained her to say so, “please add Arlo into our files along with the other three.” She swallowed, she wouldn’t allow her emotions to get in between herself and her work. “Moving on, how is our latest experiment going?”

“Surprisingly well, Keon finally managed to break down his walls and get into his head. We’ll have a war machine on our side here soon.” Valerie nodded to herself, a sinister smile making its way into her face.

Patrons in the cafe would say they felt a sudden chill and yet it also felt like flames were licking at their skin as the blonde woman left the cafe.

“Experiment Zero was a success Volcan.”

“Yes, tell Keon I will be there soon. Though he may have broken through, I have to be sure he stays broken.”

The woman hung up, pocketing her phone before cracking each of her fingers. A sudden thrill went through her and she found herself clicking her growing nails.

‘ I want Rei back.’

She smirked, the authorities can give you anything you want Arlo. I never said you would like it.

[vindicatedvirgil]

soulmate september / day thirteen: superhero

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Day Thirteen: Everyone is born with a super power, but when soulmates are together their powers are nullified by each other.

Summary: Virgil hates his superpower, and when too much time passes without his soulmate, he decides to become the villain that everyone thinks he is. Remy finally finds him, tasked with putting the Storm Cloud to rest, but finds that he no longer has his abilities.

Ship: Anxsleep (Virgil x Remy)

word count: 587

CW: anxiety attacks, kind of unsympathetic Virgil but only because of his superpower and the fact that he can’t control it

@tsshipmonth2020

---

Virgil couldn’t wait until he met his soulmate. He thought that his superpower was a curse and that everyone treated him like a villain because of it, so he searched everywhere he could. Travelled everywhere, interacted with everyone even though it set his teeth on edge and made his anxiety boil over until he was sitting in the corner on the floor, his head between his knees. And then, like clockwork, the anxiety would spread to those who were in the same room, in the building, on the block.

Part of him wanted to go and live in a cave somewhere so that he could suffer alone from his anxiety, but another part of him begged him to become the villain that everyone thought he was. And, unfortunately for the world, that was the part that prevailed.

-

“This guy’s tough, he inflicts anxiety upon everyone in whole cities and towns, and we need you to catch him, put him to sleep, and then bring him back so we can control him until his soulmate shows up,” Remy was staring at his nails, picking a fleck of dirt from under them as he listened to his boss drone on about his next target. He enlisted in a superhero program as an 18-year old in the hopes of bumping into his soulmate and never having to worry about accidentally putting others to sleep, but now he was nearing the age of 35 and, frankly, didn’t give a damn about if he’d ever meet them.

“Alright, babes, I’m on it,” he finally said, voice cool and nonchalant as ever. “What’s the name of this guy again?”

“Storm Cloud is what they call him.”

-

Remy scoured the building, rumored to be the last known location of Storm Cloud, and sighed as he reached the roof. He slid his glasses back over his eyes and leaned against the wall out at the city, feeling a sense of unease. Remy knew this guy was powerful, and if he had been in the building and that large of a sense of panic was still lingering… then Remy was definitely in for a treat.

He heard grumbling around the corner of the building and stepped around the corner a bit to see a man huddled against one of the walls, wearing only a pair of black jeans and a patched hoodie. But he knew immediately who it was, he’d seen the photos: it was Storm Cloud.

“Hey,” he said, and the man’s eyes snapped up, a hiss rising from the back of his throat. Remy held his hands out in warning, stepping closer. “Look, I don’t want to have to do this, but I need you to come with me.”

“Go away, Sleep,” the voice was low and grumbly and if Remy wasn’t trying to take this guy down then he’d probably try to take him out on a date. He saw the purple glow of Storm Cloud’s eyes fade, though, and furrowed his brow. “What the hell?? My powers…”

“They’re gone,” Remy said, sitting down beside him. He reached out a hand and set it on Virgil’s knee, but sleep did not come to the anxious man. “Huh. Looks like we’re soulmates, babe. Never thought I’d get to meet you.”

“I… I’m not the villain anymore,” Virgil’s voice and hands were trembling, and Remy pulled the man into his arms. “I’m free.” He looked up at Remy from under his bangs, and smiled weakly. “My name is Virgil.”

“I’m Remy. Do you like coffee?”

[jemej3m]

Dare You

anon asked:

If your still doing prompts... What about if Neil and Andrew are friends and Neil figures out that he likes Andrew and asks his friends how to woo him and then Andrew has to deal with Neil's terrible attempts at wooing. But everything neils doing is the same thing that Andrews been doing but in his own way? Idk, the idea just won't leave me alone and I'd love to see how amazing you could write it. Love your writing besides, it always makes my day :)

also on ao3!!

*

Neil and Andrew had been friends for 5 years when they have their first kiss. 

The context? Neil’s small-town friends had all found themselves at the same university. Obviously, they banded together. Obviously, there were parties. Neil’s not a party person himself, but he loved his eclectic family and wanted spend time with them whenever he could. He’d moved to Palmetto when he was 13 with his mother, and as the youngest of the group, watched as the rest of them moved on from middle school to high school, and then from high school to college. 

But now they were all back together again. 

Thus developed his (mild) enjoyment of Allison or Nicky’s chaotic fiascos, which were technically parties, just lacking any rhyme or reason. 

Andrew wasn’t a party person either: in high school, he, Neil and Renee would have movie nights instead, waiting for the rest of them to stumble home in drunken stupors. 

He still tagged along to these gatherings, though. Maybe because Neil and Renee were now commonly in attendance. Neil didn’t think that Andrew would come just for Neil, but he hadn’t worked out why Andrew had become so inclined to participate. Maybe because Aaron was there, and they were trying to patch things up with one another. Their mother’s accident had really put a rift between them. 

“Are you playing?” Allison demanded. “Neil, you’re playing. Renee’s managed to convince Andrew to play, so you’re playing.” 

“Fine,” Neil mused, mostly to appease the inebriated monster that Allison was. No attention was paid to him in these drinking games, mostly because he didn’t drink, but also because he didn’t do anything too unreserved. 

“Great!” she cheered, slinging an arm around his shoulder and brought him to the circle. He automatically took his seat next to Andrew, and felt his friend lean closer. 

Friend was a loose term. Neil and Andrew were almost attached at the hip: When Neil’s mom had died two years ago, Andrew snatched him away and got a spare mattress in his bedroom till Neil had enough money to afford rent somewhere. Andrew was the only one who knew every horrific detail of Neil’s violent childhood, and the only one who’d seen the scars left by his dead-beat dad. Neil was the only one who knew everything about Andrew, too. 

“Spin the bottle, Allison?” Dan leered as the girl put an empty beer bottle in the centre of the circle. Everyone was there. “We’ve got family members here!” Aaron mimed a retching action as Nicky laughed, clapping loudly. 

“It’s just to pick who has to do truth or dare,” Allison retorted, waving the bottle in Dan’s face. “You wanna go first, huh? I’ll pick out your dare for you, Wilds. A personal attribute!”

“No way,” Dan laughed, leaning back into Matt’s shoulder. The guy was half asleep: alcohol did that to him, sometimes.

“Fine, I’ll spin it,” Allison huffed. With a little too much vigour, she flicked the neck of the bottle, sending it spinning wildly. 

And of course, it had to land on Neil. 

“First of the night!” Nicky crowed. 

“Neil’s just going to pick truth,” Allison complained. “And make us all sad.”

Neil grinned at her. “Not my fault you grew up in a guilded bubble.” 

“Shut the fuck up. Choose!”

Neil hummed, cocking his head to the side. 

“Don’t do something stupid,” Andrew warned under his breath. 

“Dare,” Neil said. 

“Here we go,” his best friend sighed. 

“Fuck yeah,” Allison grinned. “What should we make you do, hm? We all know you can and will eat anything without even flinching, no clothes-off, no alcohol...” 

“Maybe he should go try and steal something,” Kevin slurred. “He’s good at it. Fuckin’ hot-wired a car once, for the hell of it.” 

“Fuck off, Kevin,” Neil managed, ignoring the incredulous looks that the others were giving him. 

“When the hell did you manage that?” Dan demanded. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.” 

“He should kiss Andrew,” Matt mumbled, burrowing his face into the crook of Dan’s shoulder. No one heard him. 

“We should see if he can jump from the dorm roof!” 

“No,” Andrew said. 

“He should shotgun three Caprisuns,”

“Too easy!”

“Fine, five!” 

“He should kiss Andrew,” Matt repeated, sitting up and blinking the sleepiness away. 

The circle grew quiet. 

“Yeah,” Allison breathed, grinning wildly. She looked to Neil. “You’ve gotta kiss Andrew.” 

Neil glanced at Andrew, whose gaze was hooded as he glared at the been in his hand. 

“I’m not doing that if Andrew doesn’t want to,” Neil said. 

Andrew shrugged. “I don’t care.”

“See?” Allison said, gesturing wildly. “Pucker up, Josten.” 

“Well, this isn’t how I expected this to go,” Neil muttered. Andrew looked up at him, something making his eyes sparkle. “Tonight, I mean.” 

“Right,” Andrew said. “Well? Hurry up.”

Neil hadn’t kissed many people before. Andrew knew that all too well: he’d heard about all three of Neil’s dating disasters in meandering rants about expectations and Neil’s lack of interest in - well, anyone, really. 

He was overthinking this. It was just a kiss. 

“And no measly pecks, either!” Dan insisted.

Andrew didn’t care. It was just a kiss.

Neil felt all stiff and awkward, because he had no idea what he was doing, but it was fine, because Andrew was tilting his head and lifting up his hand to press his fingertips to Neil’s cheek, tilting up his chin a bit. Neil let him. 

When Andrew drew back, all Neil could think was that his lips were so soft. So soft. Everything about the kiss had been feather light, which wasn’t like Andrew at all. 

Neil learned new things about Andrew every day. 

“Happy?” Andrew said, facing the circle once more. Allison was cheering as Nicky and Aaron gave each other all-knowing side eye: Dan was clapping, and Matt was looking right at Neil with his head tilted to the side. “Now: go pick on someone else.” 

“Someone your own size, might you say?” Nicky teased. Andrew flipped him off. 

It had been a nice kiss, Neil thought. He didn’t know Andrew could kiss like that. 

“You with us, Neil?” 

Neil glanced up and found everyone looking at him. “Yeah? Why?” He frowned. “Did it land on me again?” Did he have to kiss Andrew again? He didn’t want to: not in front of everyone, at least. 

Wait, what?

“You’ve been spared for now,” Allison grinned. Neil flipped her off. 

And that was Andrew and Neil’s first kiss. 

*

Neil burst into Matt and Kevin’s dorm room - obviously, he and Andrew shared one, and Aaron was in the fancy dormitory for academic scholarship students - in a small frenzy. 

“Hey,” he told Kevin, who was sitting on his bed minding his own business. “Fuck off.” 

Kevin glared at him. “You realise this is my room?”

Matt took off his headphones, looking over his shoulder from the tiny desk he’d crammed in at the end of his bed. It was comedically small in comparison with his gargantuan frame. 

“Please?” Neil begged. “I need to talk to Matt.” 

“Why can’t I hear it?” Kevin demanded. “I’ve literally known you longer than anyone else. We used to watch each other shit in toddler potties, Neil.” 

That was true. Still, Neil needed Matt, his not-childhood friend. 

“Dude,” Matt said. “Neil and I are bros. Somethings are just bro to bro. You talk to Andrew about shit you don’t talk to Neil about, yeah? Y’all are like brothers. That’s different from being bros.”

“None of that made sense,” Kevin muttered, packing up his shit. He glared at Neil. “I’ll be in the common room. You’re making up for this by editing my thesis.” 

“Looking forward to it,” Neil said dryly, ushering Kevin out the door and leaning against it, feeling a little breathless. 

Matt jumped onto his bed, patting the spot next to him. “Come hither, child.” 

“I hate it when you say that,” Neil complained, dutifully crossing the tiny room and curling up into a ball on the mattress next to him. Matt patted him on the shoulder gently, though it still managed to send shocks right to his fingers and toes. Matt was just a big guy. 

“What’s this all about?” Matt pushed, when Neil stayed in a curled ball. 

Neil’s head flopped back, thudding against the wall. He swallowed, staring at the ceiling. 

“I like Andrew.” 

“Well, that’s good news,” Matt laughed. 

“No, Matt.” Neil glared towards the window. “I think I’m in love with Andrew.” 

“Yes,” Matt said earnestly. “I know.” 

Neil’s neck nearly snapped what with how fast he looked at Matt. “What?”

His friend snorted. “Dude, you’ve always been infatuated with him. We’re best friends, Neil. You and Kevin are best friends. Do you really want to go cuddling up with either of us, like you do with Andrew? Do you spend hours with either of us at a time, just talking? Do you dream about us? Have you told us everything about you?”

“How do you know I’ve done those things with Andrew?” Neil accused, even though he was completely right. 

Matt shrugged. “That’s how I am with Dan.” 

“We’ve cuddled,” Neil said weakly. 

Matt slung his arm around Neil’s narrow shoulders. It was like wearing a blanket. “Hell yes, we have. But that’s not what I mean.” 

“We don’t do that.” 

“Head out of the gutter, bucko. Remember that photo Allison managed of the two of you? Asleep on the couch? You were literally asleep on Andrew’s chest: one of his legs was hooked over your hip. That’s some serious canoodling, bro.” 

“You’ve analysed us that intensely,” Neil said flatly. 

Matt snorted. “It’s kinda hard not to. You’re both all over each other. I’d say it’s sweet if it wasn’t, well, you and Andrew.”

“So if you knew I liked him,” Neil complained. “Why’d you dare me to kiss him? Now I’m aware of it, and I hate it!”

“That was kinda the point,” Matt admitted. “Why the hell do you hate it? Love is a good thing!” 

“Need I remind you of my parents?” 

Matt shoved him gently. “Don’t start pulling the parent card. Neil, you’ve loved Andrew for years. And - well, I can’t really read him, no one can - I think he likes you back.” 

“He does not,” Neil insisted. 

“He does!” Matt sung. “You know what you have to do now, Josten?”

“No,” Neil said, sullen. 

“You’ve gotta woo him.” 

“Here we go,” Neil mumbled. 

Matt winked. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you. Andrew will be head over heels for you in no time.”

*

“So,” Neil said, sitting on his bed. Andrew was reading a book, his reading glasses perched on the end of his nose. He only wore them in their room, even though everyone knew Aaron had reading glasses and thus Andrew would have to wear them too. He had his armbands off and a pair of knitted socks on. Neil had become so keenly aware over everything that constituted of Andrew recently: it was driving him up the wall.  

Andrew looked at Neil from over his book. “What?” 

Neil shrugged. “I don’t know. Do you want to go somewhere?” 

Andrew glanced at his watch. “Now?” 

Neil shrugged again. 

“What’s this about?” Andrew asked, sitting up.

“Nothing!” Neil stressed. “Just thought it might be good to - get out?” 

“It’s a Tuesday evening,” Andrew said flatly.

Neil deflated. “We don’t have to go.” 

Andrew sighed. “Fine.” Neil perked up. “Where did you want to go?” 

Neil hadn’t thought that far ahead. “David’s?” 

“David’s,” Andrew repeated. “Neil, you don’t like diner food.” 

“Well, now I do!” He really needed to stop the hiccups in his voice. Stuffing his feet into his shoes, he yanked on his coat and shoved his keys and phone into his pocket. 

“Now I’m even more suspicious,” Andrew said, watching Neil’s erratic behaviour with mild amusement. “You’ve never willingly taken that phone with you unless I forcefully reminded you too.” 

He needed it to text Matt. “We all learn and grow,” he said breezily, escaping out the door. “Hurry up, I want coffee!” 

“It’s nearly fucking midnight,” Andrew growled. 

He skipped ahead till he arrived at the dorm’s parking lot: Andrew’s was in the corner, where it couldn’t be scratched. After his mother’s death he’d used his portion of her life insurance to buy the thing, but it hadn’t got him more than a heap of junk. He’d spent a whole summer fixing it up: Neil had watched him from the corner of his garage, a little mesmerised. 

Fuck, he liked Andrew so much. He could hardly contain it within himself. 

He switched the radio to Andrew’s favourite channel as they drove to David’s, an old diner on the corner of campus. It was run by a grouchy old man by the name of David Wymack, hence the name. He served the only pancakes Andrew would speak well of, and sometimes Neil could withstand the fruit smoothies. 

Andrew glanced over at Neil at the music choice - Neil almost always usually bickered with him about playing heavy rock when it got past 9 o’clock - but said nothing, continuing to drive. 

There was almost no one in David’s when they arrived, even though he usually shut at one. Neil was relieved for that: he didn’t feel like anyone watching him as he failed miserably at wooing Andrew Minyard.

Andrew got his pancakes and Neil decided to try the blueberry smoothie, sans ice cream. 

“What is wrong with you,” Andrew muttered. 

It clearly wasn’t going well. Neil grimaced and shrugged. “Dunno.” 

Andrew squinted at him. “Are you upset?”

“What? No!”

“Can you bozos stop wasting my time?” Wymack huffed. 

“Fuck you too, old man,” Andrew said. Wymack flipped him off and proceeded to put an extra scoop of ice-cream onto Andrew’s plate. Their relationship was baffling, especially after Andrew worked the summer here with Renee. 

They sat at a corner table, a little ceramic jug with plucked daisies plonked in the centre of the red-and-white chequered table cloth. 

“You seem jittery,” Andrew said. 

“I’m fine,” Neil managed. Andrew reached out with his hand under the table to stop Neil’s leg from bouncing. The heat from his palm was addictive. Neil made a strange squawking noise, and Andrew immediately withdrew his hand. 

“You’re fine,” Andrew repeated. 

“Yup,” Neil insisted. Andrew’s pancakes arrived, so Neil tried to distract himself from the ruffled blonde hair and pale eyelashes and the freckles on his nose, sipping at the smoothie. Neil didn’t know what to do with that information. It was quite unnerving. 

They were done by half-past-twelve, when Andrew decided to get up and leave without warning. Neil - in a moment’s panic - took one of the daisies from the jug and hopped up after him. 

Andrew was leaning against his car door, lighting up two cigarettes. Moonlight shone down, curling in his hair and curving across his jaw. Neil found himself a little star struck. 

Andrew offered up the second cigarette and Neil took it from between his fingers with his lips, like he usually did. This time all he could notice was how close it put them, and the shape of Andrew’s lips. Now Neil knew what they felt like, too. 

This is ridiculous, Neil thought. 

“Why are you holding a flower?” Andrew asked. 

Neil looked down to where the daisy rested in his palm. He brought it up and tucked it behind Andrew’s ear. The tips of Andrew’s ears went very pink: he had to be warm in that large sweater of his. 

“Don’t know,” Neil answered truthfully, looking at where the daisy drooped down over the shell of Andrew’s ear. 

“Okay,” Andrew managed, though his voice was a bit strained. What if he was allergic to daisies? No, that was ridiculous. Neil would know if he was allergic to daisies. 

They finished their cigarettes in the quiet. Everything was so muddled. Neil just wanted it to go back to normal. And yet: he wanted to kiss Andrew. 

Fucking hell, he thought. 

*

“Back to the drawing board,” Neil announced, bursting into Matt’s dorm room again. Kevin wasn’t there, thankfully. 

Matt arched his brow. “Huh?”

“Date and flowers didn’t work. What the hell do I do?”

His friend hummed. “What about gifts? Is there something you could give him that’s romantic?” 

“He likes chocolate?” Neil hedged.

“Could work,” Matt acknowledged. “Or, you know, we could make him jealous.”

“Absolutely not,” Neil grimaced. 

“Just a thought.” 

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” Neil groaned, sinking into a puddle on the floor. 

The door opened as Kevin stepped through. He didn’t even pause, stepping right over where Neil had melted onto the floor. 

“Don’t mind him,” Matt acknowledged. 

Neil made an exasperated noise. 

“Have you always been so dramatic?” Kevin acknowledged. 

“Maybe you could recite a monologue to him,” Matt suggested. 

Kevin frowned. “Who?” 

Before Neil could shush him, Matt sung out “Andrew!” with a cheerful smile. 

Kevin signed. “Fucking finally. Everyone’s been waiting years for the two of you to sort yourselves out.” 

“What?” Neil sat up. “Are you serious?” 

Kevin shrugged. “It’s pretty obvious.” 

“For fuck’s sake,” Neil groused. 

“He’s trying to woo Andrew into liking him back,” Matt informed Kevin. 

Kevin frowned. “Why don’t you just tell him that you like him?”

“Because that’s mortifying?” 

“You’re such a horribly adjusted human being,” Kevin muttered. 

“He’s kinda right,” Matt acknowledged. “I just kept asking Dan on dates till she accepted.”

“No,” Neil hoisted himself to his feet. “I’ll figure it out. It won’t have to come to that.” He glared at both of them. “Thanks for nothing. Neither of you know anything about relationships.” 

“We are both in committed, loving, long-term partnerships,” Kevin pointed out. 

“Love you too!” Matt called as Neil stomped out.

*

Neil eventually developed a checklist. 

Spontaneous midnight date? Nope. Flowers? Definitely a no. Making him a mixtape? Not the right decade. 

Accompanying him places definitely didn’t work: Neil was late to all his classes for a week. Cooking for two also didn’t work, seeing as the only thing Neil could cook was 2 Minute Noodles. 

Chocolates was a moderate success, but it probably didn’t help the wooing cause. It didn’t help that they roomed together: Neil didn’t get much time to scheme, because neither of them were social butterflies, and their dorm room was their safe space. 

The only thing he thought could’ve been counted a success was when they decided to rewatch the last two Harry Potter movies together: Andrew yanked Neil over to his bed and they nestled into the corner to watch the films from Andrew’s laptop. Neil was so consumed by the thought kiss him kiss him kiss him that he barely registered either of the films. 

One month passed since Neil’s epiphany, then one and a half: It even got too the point that Neil jostled Andrew’s shoulder at another of Allison’s ‘parties’ and said “Remember the last time she made us participate?” to which Neil only received an odd look and stale silence.

He also tried to rig one of Allison’s silly games, giving Andrew a piece of paper that asked do you like someone? Andrew set the thing on fire with his lighter, and the dormitory nearly had to be evacuated.

Neil was beginning to lose hope. 

“You upset, Neil?” Renee asked, dropping into the chair next to him. He was studying in the library, one of the few places he knew Andrew wouldn’t follow. 

“Hi, Renee,” Neil said, sullen. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” She twisted herself around to face him. “What’s up?”

“Can’t talk to you about it,” Neil mumbled, resting his head on his folded arms and glaring at the table. 

“You know,” Renee said, slightly amused. “I overheard something about someone being interested in Andrew recently.”

Neil sat up. “You did? Who?” He’d fight them. Not that he was possessive, or jealous. 

Renee laughed. “You, silly.” 

Neil deflated. “Does everyone know? I feel like I was the last one to figure it out.”

Renee patted his shoulder gently. “Almost the last one.”

“What do you mean?”

“Andrew doesn’t know.”

“Good,” Neil huffed out. “That’d be embarrassing.”

Renee shook her head. 

“He’s never going to like me back,” Neil mumbled. “I’ve been trying so hard, but he won’t notice.”

“He did mention you were acting odd, recently,” Renee acknowledged. 

Neil huffed. “Yeah, well. There’s no point in keeping it up, is there? Not if nothing will happen.”

“You know,” she said. “I always found clarity in honesty.” With that, she winked and slid off her stool. “See you around, Neil.”

“Yeah,” Neil muttered. “See you.”

*

Neil dressed quickly in the shower stall and hooked his towel over his shoulder, carrying his small caddy back to his room. He was wearing old pyjamas: fire-engine truck flannels with one of Matt’s oversized (or normal sized, for him) hoodies that went all the way to his fingertips. He shook out his wet hair as he traversed from the bathroom back to his dorm room and shouldered his way in, the door unlocked. That meant Andrew was back. 

And back, Andrew was: facing the wall, he was tugging off a turtleneck sweater and yanking on a t-shirt that Neil recognised as his: he’d already changed into grey sweats that were too long for him, hanging around the ankles. 

Neil slowly put his soap back onto his little shelf, hanging his towel on a wall hook. Andrew glanced over his shoulder at him, acknowledging Neil’s presence, before going back to unpacking from his day and readying for bed. 

Neil felt sucker-punched. 

“Andrew?” 

He glanced back again, brows furrowing at Neil’s strange tone. “What?”

When Neil couldn’t answer, he dropped what he was doing and came closer. His fingers curled in Neil’s collar, tugging him closer. 

“You’re pale as shit,” he commented. “Are you going to collapse?”

“I’m already falling,” Neil joked weakly. 

“What?”

“What?”

Andrew stepped back. Dammit, Neil thought. “What the hell is going on, Neil? You’ve been acting fucking weird for ages, now.”

“I really like you,” Neil breathed out. 

Andrew froze. 

“I wasn’t meant to say that,” Neil bit out, folding his arms over his chest. “But I can’t get over it. Ever since we kissed I’ve been kinda losing my mind, and everyone’s told me I’ve liked you for years -” 

“Shut up,” Andrew said fiercely, stomping right up into Neil’s space, crowding him against the door.

“Um,” Neil mumbled, blinking. 

“You’re the worst,” Andrew hissed. “You’ve been doing all this shit because you like me? I thought you were working up to telling me you were leaving!”

“What?” Neil echoed. 

“Shut up,” Andrew complained. “You’re the fucking worst. I hate you.” 

And then he kissed him. Andrew kissed Neil, that is. It was definitely one of the best moments of Neil’s life, which wasn’t saying much, considering his track record. Still, Neil’s fingers spread out across Andrew’s shoulder blades as his hands grasped Neil’s jaw, kissing him for real, this time. 

Neil had been right: it was definitely better when there was no one else watching. 

Andrew’s shoulders were hunched over when he fell back, pressing his forehead to Neil’s shoulder. 

“You like me?” Neil asked, voice higher and breathier than he thought he could manage. “Since when?”

“I hate you,” Andrew retorted. Then, quieter, he said: “Since forever.” 

Neil’s hands pressed him closer: this wasn’t unfamiliar, the proximity, Andrew’s touch, breath wafting over bare skin. But the warmth encompassing it made sense now. 

“Okay,” he said. And then: “Me too.”

“Were you trying to woo me with 2 Minute Noodles?” Andrew inquired.

“No,” Neil said sheepishly. 

Andrew shook his head, tilting Neil’s head down for another kiss. Then he signed against Neil’s lips. “I hate you. So much.” 

Neil grinned.

*

HEEHEEE