#i loved doing my take on their signatures right after the character profiles drop

[kuroartsdotcom]

it took me a bajillion years to actually finish this stupid thing it just mocked me for two months ANYWAY

Alien Stage main cast as mages of different schools! fun lil AU to think about

[goldentournesol]

to be true, to not be true (part 1)

Spencer Reid x Reader

Summary: early in y/n’s and spencer’s relationship, y/n fears the growing distance between them, although what seemed to be possible infidelity, is actually much worse–for spencer.

Length: 2.9k

A/N: i wrote this in collaboration with one of my favorite writers on here, Mia over at @mggpleasedontlookhere​. She is so wonderful and hopefully you can see both of our writing styles here! 

masterlist

The sunlight streaming through the windows made the hairs on my skin dance in glee, although it was the soft breeze invading the space that contrasted the radiant warmth. An equilibrium was achieved–a needed balance. The same can be said about the nerves crawling about my stomach and the naive excitement that made me light-headed whenever I was around Spencer. I glanced up at him from where my head lay in his lap. The reflected glow from the TV danced across his features making my heart jolt. My stare caught his attention and he sent me a small smile, his hand leaving traces in my hair. It was his day off and I had no problem spending it in suffocating proximity with him.

“This is nice,” I breathed, leaning back into his soft touch. He hummed in response, almost in contentment, if not for the moment his eyes seemed far off, entangled in a distant thought. It was so brief, I might have missed it. His job took a lot from him and I knew that, which is why I never pushed him. Instead, I let the subtle aroma of morning coffee and fresh linen confine my senses, leaving me oblivious to reality.

Although not a few moments later, the ping from Spencer’s phone burst the fantastical bubble that surrounded us. My eyes lingered on the cartoon characters plastered on the screen but I couldn’t help noticing the way Spencer’s fingers would thump rhythmically against the floor. Adjacent to his palm, rested his phone, revealing several notifications as it came alive. Albeit I paid no mind to their context given I was enamored by the picture of me on his homescreen. A faint smile graced my lips at the observation, feeling a wave of warmth rush my cheeks.

“I wonder who that is,” I teased, referring to the image. Spencer must have misunderstood my point of reference, hastily explaining that new language that Morgan had introduced him to through text messages.

“Spencer, using emojis does not constitute a new language.”

“Considering its context, I would argue it is–I mean look at hieroglyphics!” I covered my face in amusement, running my hands over my eyes. A sharp exhale left my lungs as my chest filled with contagious giggles. It seems that I was too consumed in my fit of laughter to notice Spencer stealthily concealing the device and turning off his ringer.

“First of all, hieroglyphics is a formal writing system-”

“And does that not ‘constitute’ a portion of language? Also, isn’t texting a writing system in itself?” His lips formed into a sly smirk, thinking he’d gotten the best of me.

“You’re right in the way that hieroglyphics is part of the language, however it’s all but the ‘expression’ of that language.” I debated, gesturing to the air as I explained my point. For a moment our eyes met, and I could feel my playful resolve melt away under his gaze. Despite the pause in my confidence, my stubbornness shone through.

“All I heard was that I was right,” he jested, tickling the side of my waist. I jumped at his mischief, collapsing into pleas and begs as he continued his assault at my skin. My stomach churned in delight as my hands attempted to pry him off of me, the premise of our conversation vanishing into air like wisps of smoke.

-

Spencer’s days off were becoming increasingly rare, I’d barely seen him in the last two weeks, but we’ve managed to salvage enough time between cases for a date. The excitement buzzed through my veins as the clock ticked closer to 7 pm. I was growing restless in the apartment, obsessively checking my phone for the time. Spencer is usually right on time, if not early. Dread and anxiety clogged up my throat as I waited for him. For hours, call after call would be sent straight to voicemail. The weather outside seemed to be in tandem with the way I felt. The rain was as unforgiving as the tears that striped my face.

I was never one to hold a grudge. But it happened once, then it happened twice. Slowly, it became a habit and it was impossible to reach him.

I guess date nights on Thursdays were now obsolete.

He came over to my apartment maybe once whenever he was in town and even then he was nearly unrecognizable. His shy, loving demeanor was replaced by explosive irritability and general unease. I wished he’d just talk to me, but he continued to brush me off. He was being distant and strange, his behavior was so unlike him. Knowing him though, he was probably too stressed or busy to get around to doing simple tasks like eating a balanced meal. Spencer can be quite scatterbrained, and I hadn’t seen him in around a week. So, around lunch time, I made Spencer a healthy meal packed with proteins and veggies and decided to pop into the BAU and drop it off. It felt like a good way to cheer him up. Maybe we’d have lunch together at the park he always liked to visit. It wasn’t that far from headquarters. Hell, I’d even eat lunch with him at his desk at this point.

The walk into the BAU was strangely nerve wracking, I could feel my heart in my throat. I had an uneasy feeling in my gut but I took a deep breath and pushed the heavy glass doors open. My eyes scanned the bullpen for my boyfriend but I couldn’t find him. Standing there in confusion, I was only snapped out of my trance when someone bumped into me from behind.

“I’m so sorry–oh, it’s you! Hey Y/N, what are you doing here?” JJ said, closing the file she held in her hands and wrapping me in a one-armed hug.

“Hey JJ! I was looking for Spence, I got him lunch, but I can’t seem to find him anywhere? Do you know where he is?” I said as I pulled back from the hug, she began to say something but was interrupted.

“Woah hey, sunshine! I was wondering why it suddenly got so bright in here.” The deep voice of none other than Derek Morgan came from beside us and he was, of course, donning his signature cheeky grin. I couldn’t help but grin back, even though my chest was nearly caving in on itself.

“Did Spence come in today?” JJ asked Morgan, whose brows immediately furrowed.

“No, I haven’t seen him today. I think he might be coming in late, I’m not sure. He’s been kind of off, lately.” Morgan said, eyes searching my own for an answer.

“He has, hasn’t he?” I exclaimed and the two nodded in agreement, “I’ve been worried about him, maybe all that emoji-talk finally got to him.” I laughed slightly, but stopped when I found Morgan’s expression shift.

“What do you mean? I stopped trying to explain emojis to him like months ago, if the genius doesn’t get it, he doesn’t get it.” Morgan shrugged, unknowingly allowing the literal caving in of my chest to take place. JJ noticed the change in me immediately.

“What’s wrong, Y/N?” She asked in her usual caring manner, but I could barely hear her over the rushing of my blood in my ears.

“Nothing, nothing. Um, if he comes in today, can you just give him this?” I dismissed the conversation and handed over the brown bag with the lunch I made, disguising the sharp exhale that left my lungs. Before JJ had the opportunity to utilize her profiling skills, I gave both of them a cordial nod and left the office.

My steps felt heavier with every collision against the tile, albeit the loud thumping of my heart drowned out reality around me. My mind warped itself around irrational thoughts as my loyalty to Spencer attempted to retaliate against the invaders. The concept of Spencer as dubious and sly fell foreign to me. However, that lack of knowledge only added fuel to the imminent blaze that engulfed my head and stomach.

I swarmed with alternate realities, trying to make sense of the unknown. If Spencer was aware of my method of defining a solution, I would’ve been scolded by my naivety and illogical thinking. Oh to be a scientist–to have a mind like his. It’s a gift yet a heavy burden to carry. Is that it? Was that it? Does he not believe I’m capable of understanding a mind like his? Was I stupid? No. He had shared intimate momentos of his life before, so what was it? What can I not offer…What can I not promise to make him drift away like this?

It must have been me, right? I must’ve hit a boundary the last time we spoke! Or was it his work? No. By the time my thoughts stopped buzzing, I realized my feet carried me to the park I intended to visit earlier with Spencer. An unfamiliar pang hit my chest, sending reverbing waves throughout the cavity. A sort of ache rested in the core of my heart–something I didn’t think I would feel when reflecting on my relationship with Spencer–my Spencer. I guess I was so used to the warm bubble he fabricated that I forgot how cold the real world was.

Was that it? Did I stop being that for him too?

The thought of the slow degradation of our relationship sent a chilling shock through my veins while I swallowed pins and needles. My hand rested on a park bench next to me, letting myself use the wooden beams as support. Looking out into the far pond in the center of the park, I pulled myself to take a seat. The wind began to whistle through the trees, and the lake of glitter–the nickname I gave whenever the sun casted its glow onto the surface–lost all of its beauty. Crickets didn’t even dare to sing their usual melody and birds flew south to their homes. The breaths I took kept going nowhere, dissolving into nothing even though my chest expanded and retracted.

I pulled at the ends of my sleeves, tucking my knees into my chest as the air grew crisp. Questions of infidelity and unfounded justifications collided creating a mass of insatiable curiosity. My head coincided with entropy–it enjoyed the chaos–until suddenly it went blank. Every tether that kept me grounded vanished, my consciousness going into autopilot. I didn’t even realize the burn that resided in my eyelids or the wet streaks coating my cheeks–maybe from the dryness or something more. It was only the small drop of water landed on the back of my palm that pushed me out of the addicting trance.

Another one had landed on my forehead. And another one. And another one. I cringed as I felt the water drip from my head to the crevice of my ear. The clouds began to rumble a somber tune as it began to rain. Plucking myself from the bench, I made no hurry to make it back to the house. In a way, the droplets cascading the skin distracted me–seemingly blissful compared to the former events.

Once again, my feet held a prominent consciousness as it was the only part of me that was stable, leading me to the doorstep of my apartment complex. With what felt like a last ditch effort, I checked my phone for any new messages from Spencer. My heart lurched seeing a new notification pop up. To my surprise, it was from him.

With a deep breath and newfound hope, I unlocked the device, taking a moment to gaze at the picture of I and Spencer on the screen, before proceeding. My shoulders dropped, the tight squirming in my stomach halting. A hopeful smile crept on the corners of my lips, the previous distrust dissipating from my unreliable mind as I read the words displayed in front of me.

“Date night tomorrow?”

-

Tomorrow night couldn’t come quick enough. It somehow felt like I was holding my breath the entire day until I finally saw him. He was apologetic and sweet enough that it quieted my anxieties for a while. If he held any guilt or shame, it wasn’t apparent, or maybe he hid it well. Or maybe I was being ridiculous and reading far too much into things that could be circumstantial. But this was Spencer…my Spencer, the tenderhearted, gentle soul who made way too many corny physics jokes.

Dinner went by much smoother than I expected, but I still felt like there were things unsaid. The words felt lodged in my throat, almost like an itch I couldn’t reach. Either by mindless habit or by sheer deliberacy, we ended up in our favorite park. The very park that I found myself running to in a fit of frustration yesterday. Our feet seemed to know the way of our usual path along the pavement. I wondered briefly if there was a place I stepped in twice without noticing it. There was a lull in conversation and before I realized it, the words escaped me stealthily.

“Hey, Spence?” I started, and he took his attention off his shoes to look at me, “I, uh, I wanted to talk to you about something.” The way the words stumbled ungracefully from my lips had me cringing. He lifted a brow in intrigue and caught my eye, silently profiling me and my nervous behavior.

“Anything, love.” The use of the amorous term caught me off guard and I had to swallow under his intense gaze. I felt myself open my mouth, but the words died on my tongue as the blaring of his ringtone took the place of my voice between us. It was almost as if the scratchy melody startled him because the way he snatched himself away from me to look at his phone was worrisome.

His brows bunched together as he took a look at it, “I’m sorry, I have to take this.”

Without waiting for my confirmation, he pressed the phone to his ear and took a few large steps away from me, as if the space would give him more privacy. I suddenly felt extremely exposed without him by my side.

The emptiness beside me lingered of his scent, almost mocking me, the words constricting my tongue. If I had a second longer, maybe the phone call would’ve been obsolete, maybe for the first time in a long time he would’ve been selfishly mine, even for another moment. I found myself suffocating in the same place I was yesterday like some poetic injustice. Perhaps I’m just a marionette, dangling from loose strings as the universe had their way with me. Frankly that would be less upsetting than watching Spencer slip through my fingers, knowing that it was possibly me who sealed that fate, and not some otherworldly being. It would’ve been my doing, and that’s something I’m not yet ready to realize.

Maybe it was my undying curiosity or growing twinge in my chest every second passed that led me to consult the moral figures weighing down my shoulders. At two opposing extremes, they debated the right course of action–or if doing the right thing was even the course of action to consider. Surprisingly in the end, it was my impulsivity that answered for me, wasting no time to stipulate consequences.

I shook off the twisting feeling in my stomach, pushing myself off in Spencer’s direction. I kept justifying my actions by telling myself that all I would be doing is checking on him, although the underlying motive was nothing under disguise. I whispered the same mantra to myself with every inch closer. I gritted my teeth as the antsy sensation traveled to my shoulders, slowing my steps to contemplate my reasoning.

What am I doing? A harsh exhale of detest left my lungs, leaving a light yet deserved burn in my esophagus. It seemed incredulous to me that I was willing to eavesdrop on my own boyfriend, although it didn’t seem like that minutes ago. I bit the inside of my cheek in shame, turning myself around.

Has this all been in my head? No, it can’t. Then why would he lie? He wouldn’t, but he did. Confusion set deep within me, however it was my guilt that left an everlasting mark. Maybe Spencer had his reasons, he would never deliberately fib–at least the Spencer I knew would never. But what if that’s it? Did I really know Spencer that well? The world around me closed in rapidly, my senses overwhelmed. Did I make him lie? It would make sense considering my recent possessiveness. Did he see that? Did I drive him away?

I bit down on my bottom lip, threatening to break the skin. I ran my hand through my hair several times, taking a few calming breaths to compose myself. No, I can’t think like that. This is Spencer, he’s my Spe–no, maybe he never was mine?

Unable to contain my contradicting thoughts any longer, I shifted around with a newfound determination. Pushing the bile building up at the bottom of my stomach, I prepared to march my way to him. My body set aflame with feigned confidence, hopefully enough to fuel the overpowering desire to know the truth.

To know whether the truth actually lied in the irrationality of my mind

To know whether the truth lied in the coarseness of my behavior.

To know whether the truth  lied in the prospects of Spencer’s job.  

To know whether the truth-

“I guess I’ll see you on Thursday!” Spencer smiled with endearment–a smile I thought was reserved for me. “It’s a date…”

To know whether the truth was that he was no longer mine.

part 2  feedback is always appreciated!

[appples]

Fire V Fire [1/???]

Summary: Endeavour assigns Bakugou to an unregistered case about a mysterious quirk user

Pairing: Bakugou x Reader, Dabi x Reader

Warning: 18+

Word Count: 1,025 words

Notes: This is still a working first draft, so I would love any feedback!

The rainy season had yet to set in; it seemed to be running late this year. A common theme Bakugou was beginning to notice.  He had been waiting to talk to Endeavour as he had personally called him into a meeting he would only discuss in person but was still seated at his desk, a half-hour after he was anticipating the meeting to start. He grumbled to himself, crimson eyes drifting between the door and nearby window. Lately, Bakugou had been stuck inside, finishing paperwork he tended to neglect from most of his assignments and despising every moment of it.

"I would do just about anything other than this right now." Scribbling away his signature next to each appropriate mark, the door in front of him opened. Hawks abruptly stepped through, lips sealed tightly into a frown and walking away without hesitation. Endeavour's laugh echoed from the less occupied room and into the general office workspace. His laughter became a booming voice,

"Bakugou. Now." Kurt and to the points, Bakugou felt himself instantly pulled from his seat and towards Japan's number one hero. Walking into the room, Bakugou briefly looked around before closing the door behind him. Not a single paper was out of place, typical of Enji Todoroki. His eyes were focused on a single file from which he was currently reading from.

"I want you to work on this case for me but under no circumstance can you mention it to anyone." The flames around his face intensified. "Very few people are even aware of it and I do not want that changing."

"What are you on about, old man?" Bakugou barked at Enji. Finally, his glare found the young hero standing in front of him. He stood up, closing the distance between the two and reminding Bakugou who he worked for.

"I'm assigning you to a case that isn't registered. You need to bring in a quirk user who has been extorting on an increasingly large scale. So much much so that we can no longer ignore it."

"That's straightforward enough, why not register it?"

"This is not a place or situation for you to be asking questions. You're being trusted with this is an indication of my trust in your character and as a hero." Bakugou's crimson eyes flared. He knew when he was being manipulated and despised it.

"Tsh-." Scoffing, he folded his arms. Enji dropped the file before him on the desk.

"Everything you need is in there. Call me when you have the user secured."

"What then?"

"I will inform you how to proceed from there. Now, get out." His words ended with a definitive silence. Bakugou took the papers and left the office before his temper could get the better of him. Sitting back down at his desk, he pushed his unfinished worked to the side and laid out the unregistered case. There wasn't much to the file, a few papers, an incomplete quirk profile, and two photos of varying quality. First, he inspected the photos: both appeared to be of the same person at a different point in life. One was obviously torn out of a larger photograph and showed a smiling girl dressed for Shichi-Go-San. The other was a blurred, low-grade digital photo of a woman inside a building, standing behind someone else. In both images, one thing was obvious, the person in question had silver hair, draping past her shoulders and framing her face. Turning the photos revealed a name, 'Yui.'

"Huh, I guess that's who this is all about." Turning the photos over between the image and the name, Bakugou tried to make out the color of her eyes, but they never stayed the same color. Instead, changing like the clouds sailing by on a breezy summer afternoon. He began scanning the reports. Yui's quirk is listed as oxygen manipulation; clapping her hands allows her to add or extract oxygen from a small space around the clapping hands. Practical enough, but the clapping seems like it could be a drawback, Bakugou hummed to himself. Not much was known about the specifics of the quirk, and the information provided was several years out of date, but it was better than nothing. Addresses for work locations were listed in order of likely success. At the top was a new hostess club in town. It stood out among its competition as it was themed around goddesses and various forms of what they refer to as 'worship.' Bakugou's thoughts snapped back to Enji's emphasis on this case staying off the record, was he being sent to take care of a mess that could damage Endeavour and his position? Whatever it was had to be some sort of personal connection.

The hostess club was set to open in a few hours. Papers were shuffled and placed back in their folder as Bakugou gathered his belongings before leaving the office for the day. This case was already hinting at overtime becoming a more regular occurrence. He would need to begin patrols around the club, allowing him to formulate a plan to get inside and grab Yui. Tonight wouldn't be his official start on the assignment, but Bakugou figured it wouldn't hurt to talk a stroll by the club to help frame his plan of attack. Thankfully the location wasn't too far from the agency, although it made it more suspicious. Wearing a medical mask and beanie to cover his trademark smirk and hair allowed him to move more freely and unobstructed. The last thing he needed to deal with was being identified at a place like this. His previous relationship ended more publicly than he would have liked, and since then, there has been a keen interest in his love life and bachelor eligibility. Ignoring that demographic wouldn't be ideal when it comes to favourability, but overall, Bakugou didn't want any drama detracting him from working towards being the best hero out there.

A contemporary design with traditional elements, the *Kami-Sama* hostess club radiated a certain intensity that drew a steady clientele. In all honesty, it seemed like the exact place Enji would frequent.

[spencersawkward]

switchblade faith // spencer reid - chapter 1

summary: one month after joining the BAU, Clea is still settling in. between solving murders and getting acclimated to DC, the only comfortable thing in her life is her friendship with Dr. Spencer Reid.

relationship: fem!OC/Spencer Reid

word count: 3.4k

hi all! welcome to my new story.

I've never written a baby Spence fic before, but I'm gonna try my best. I just wanted to get something out of the way before the book starts:

aside from the fact that it's young Spencer, this book isn't placed in a specific season. I might pull cases from different episodes, but the characters will remain the same. I've included Emily and Rossi as characters because I couldn't bear to have a story without either of them (wouldn't want to subject any of you to a Prentiss-less world).

that's pretty much it. I'm glad you're here. if you wanna read my other stories, my masterlist is here.

happy reading :)

"HA!" I slap my hand down on the pile of cards and slide it towards me, organizing them in a neat pile with a smug expression.

"this game is a sham." Spencer sighs, reaching for his book.

"you're just mad you lost." I raise an eyebrow and shuffle the cards again. "you don't wanna play another round?"

"why would I? the only skill this game requires is fast reflexes." he runs hazel eyes down the page with an alarming quickness. I scoff at his disinterest.

"maybe if you trained those reflexes as much as you trained that big genius brain of yours, you'd get a leg up." Morgan teases from his spot next to me. Spencer glances at him with a frown, his cheeks turning a light pink, before looking to me. I throw up my hands.

"he said it, not me." secretly, I smile at the fact that Derek is backing me up.

"I could beat any of you in poker." Reid defends.

"easily. it helps that I don't even know how to play." I slide the cards back into the holder and cross my arms over my chest with a sigh.

"you don't know how to play poker?" he's shocked.

"I told you, I hate card games like that!" I emphasize. things like poker, blackjack, anything that involves multiple players, I usually don't enjoy much. Emily glances up from her case file with a tiny smirk.

"why?"

"I'm a sore loser." I admit, averting my eyes. there's also the risk factor involved, which includes giving up coins or pretzels or peanuts if I lose. I tend to cling tightly to all three. Prentiss lets out a laugh and Spencer flips the page of his book.

"and winner, apparently."

"you're sassy today, aren't you?" I grin at him, pleasantly surprised.

in the month I've been working here, I haven't spoken to Spencer very much. he's been polite and I've gotten to know his intellect quite well, but he doesn't spend a lot of time with us outside of work. when we go out to get drinks, he either declines or heads home before we can even ask, a bag full of books pressed to his side.

I think he just takes a while to get comfortable around new people-- that's what JJ said when I asked why he seemed to be avoiding me. the fact that he played cards with me today felt like a victory in itself, so I'll take what I can get.

Spencer doesn't reply to my dig, only crosses his long, narrow legs and settles into his book.

"we should start briefing before we land." Hotch and Rossi walk over from their spots at the front of the plane to sit on the couch by our table. I nod eagerly and watch as Emily flips open her laptop to FaceTime Penelope about the case.

the first couple cases were more difficult than I expected because I had never worked in the field before joining the BAU, but I'm starting to get used to flying around constantly and examining actual dead bodies. working sex crimes meant I spent most of my time in front of a computer screen or just staying in the office. this is incredibly different-- which I'm starting to find might not to be a bad thing.

"--the virus killed her hard drive and left that on the screen." Penelope explains, referring to the picture of Heather Woodland's computer.

"'for heaven's sake, catch me before I kill more. I cannot control myself'." Morgan reads the message aloud from the case file. the words feel familiar in my mind and I try to remember where I've heard them before.

"that's exactly what William Heirens left behind." Spencer sparks the memory. I sit up straighter.

"the Lipstick Killer?" my fingertips trace over the case details. it's a weird aspect of the murder to emulate, especially because he didn't even leave the message in lipstick. I guess he's not really concerned with that; based on the unsub's previous victims, we have just under 36 hours to find her.

"his first victim was Melissa Kirsh, 26," Reid scratches his nose as he reads, frowning so hard that I start to think he'll form permanent wrinkles. he's got such a baby face, it's almost funny. "stab wounds, strangulation."

"so he stabbed her first, and then strangled her to finish the job?" Morgan repeats.

"what's with using a belt for the second murder?" Emily flips through the papers, confused. Spencer stiffens in his spot as he realizes this is the perfect time to share his freakishly expansive forensic knowledge.

"strangulation with your bare hands actually isn't as easy as you would believe. he probably tried it, found that it took too long, then stabbed her. and blood takes a long time to clean, so he decided a belt would be more efficient."

"he's perfecting his method." I can't tear my eyes away from the photos, despite the roiling sensation they put in my stomach. even with the things I've already seen, I don't think I'll ever get over photographs like this.

"we'll be landing soon and then we're meeting up with the Seattle field office. be ready to split up once we hit the ground." Hotch snaps shut his case file and stands up, breaking off to go sit alone. Rossi takes note of the old card deck that sits on the table.

"poker?" he looks between the four of us.

"nope." Emily chuckles.

"this one doesn't know how to play." Morgan gestures to me, causing Rossi to turn to me.

"were you raised in a barn?" he asks in his usual manner of speaking: blunt sarcasm with a hint of mockery. I frown sarcastically.

"something like that."

"at some point this week, we'll sit down and I'll teach you." he gets up, pats my shoulder, and walks over to join Hotch. I lower my voice once he's far enough away.

"is he actually gonna make me do that?"

"you don't know Rossi." Morgan shakes his head slowly, slides his headphones back on, and sinks into his seat.

"I'll join and bring JJ with me." Emily winks at me reassuringly, noting the tapping of my nail against the surface of the table. Rossi is a legend in the field and I've read all of his books, but didn't want to freak him out by telling him so. it was embarrassing enough when I met him and got tongue-tied while shaking his hand. he's got an elusive energy that intimidates me, and I'd prefer not to showcase that by humiliating myself with poker.

instead of dwelling on thoughts of how I'm going to fail in front of my idol, I open up one of my books and try to pass the time.

...

while I'm writing some notes on one of the many white boards scattered throughout the field office, I realize that I'm one of four other women in the room, including Emily. she's talking to Hotch and another agent at the opposite end of the room; Reid is unpacking his signature book bag and seems deep in thought. Rossi is reading a document. everyone around me seems to be in a hurry to do something, and I begin to feel dumb.

"you okay?" Morgan asks me. I realize that I've been standing with my marker hovering over the board. my fingertips press into my temple before I turn to him.

"yeah, definitely. just thinking." my mind travels to the map we've got pasted up and the red marker lines that Spencer has already created with the geographical profile.

"looks like we're getting the classic Seattle treatment." Derek points outside to the rain pelting the windows, streaming down the glass and distorting the glow of the city outside. it's gloomy today, with a slight chill running through the streets. I nod and turn back to my task, suddenly realizing something.

"he's willing to travel with the body." I mutter to myself. Morgan steps up next to me, crosses his arms across his chest.

"he must drive a vehicle that can conceal one, then." he glances over to Hotch to see what the unit chief has to say, but Spencer speaks up first.

"one in seven point four drivers in Seattle owns an SUV." it's like a flip switches at the mention of a statistic, diverting his attention from something nebulous in his mind to the tangible case. he's a little similar to a robot.

"an Explorer with tinted windows?" Morgan speaks again as he looks over the case photos.

"those rate higher among women." Spencer again.

"sure, but how do we know it's his car?" I wonder.

"what about a Jeep Cherokee?" Hotch chimes in, almost startling me with the deep register of his voice. I pull my bottom lip between my teeth as I think on it.

"Jeeps are more masculine." Reid comes close to me in order to examine the picture I'm holding. he smells like clean laundry and some nice soap scent that I can't place. maybe it's the gel he uses to slick back his hair. no cologne or aftershave. I don't think he'd need to shave, what with his smooth baby face.

Spencer has some special quirks that make him a little more interesting. he usually avoids physical contact with other people-- doesn't shake hands-- but at other times, he doesn't seem to have self-awareness. like right now, where the shoulder of his red sweater is just barely touching mine. I hand him the picture and step away.

"unsubs love to assert their masculinity."

Hotch nods along, encouraging me to share more of what I'm thinking. after swallowing down a lingering nervousness, I tap the push pin marking where the last body was dumped. "he dropped her out-of-state, so he probably has a previous knowledge of law enforcement. maybe he's got a criminal record?"

"good, Williams." Hotch praises me. my fist clenches triumphantly at my side as he turns to the agent who has been watching us intently. "when do we meet with your task force?"

"four." the man replies. I balk at this, my posture shifting. the shortest time constraint I've ever had here has been a full day. it's already one in the afternoon.

"you want an accurate profile by four today?" I glance between Morgan and Spencer, but the latter is rocking back and forth on his heels with his eyes glued to the white board. Morgan doesn't seem put off by it.

"we can do that." Hotch scowls, snapping shut the case file with a finality that tells me we're about to split up. "Dave and Morgan, head to the last dump site. Williams, Reid, I want you to talk to Heather's brother and try to find out what you can about her life. Prentiss and I will stay here in case of new developments."

I nod curtly, grab my jacket, and glance over at Spencer. he runs his hand over his hair, although I can't imagine what there is to smooth down, then walks over to me.

"you ready to go?" I ask, brandishing the file. he and I have only done two interviews together; I spent most of my beginning weeks working with Emily to get a feel for the job. both times with the boy genius have been fine, if not a little awkward.

he nods in answer to my question. "would you mind driving?"

"no license?" I tease to lighten the mood, but he doesn't get the joke. instead, he frowns at me with something of a distracted expression, adjusts his bag.

"no, I don't like driving in the rain."

"oh," I recover quickly and put a friendly smile on my face. "no problem."

"thanks." he walks ahead of me and I cringe at my own behavior. he acts so differently from earlier on the jet that I start to wonder if I did something wrong. maybe he's just in his head or something; I know I would be if I had an IQ that enormous.

when we get to the house of Heather Woodland's brother, a gorgeous golden lab greets us in the entryway. she puts her paws up on my legs and I reach down to scratch behind her ears with a smile on my face.

"Sandy, calm down." her owner grabs her collar gently to calm her. "sorry."

"no, it's fine, I love dogs." I wave it off and step inside. Spencer is eyeing Sandy warily, but she seems just as eager to say hi to him as she was to me. when she lets out a singular, enthusiastic bark, he startles.

"Mr. Woodland," I suppress my laugh by changing the subject. "I'm Special Agent Williams and this is Special Agent Dr. Reid."

we shake hands, my colleague giving his usual wave and polite smile. the interviewee takes in Spencer's appearance. I know what's coming.

"you look too young for medical school." Woodland says to Reid. this has happened a couple times since I joined the team, but Spencer never seems to mind. if anything, he lights up at the opportunity to share the reason for his official title.

"they're PhD's. three of them." he gives a little smile as we walk into the house, me shaking a few stray raindrops from my hair.

"so... are you a genius or something?" Heather's brother leads us past the hallway into the living room, which is unkempt and littered with pictures, catalogs, and toys. he must have kids in school right now. that would also explain the breed of dog.

"I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified."

"he's being modest," I glance over at Spencer. "Dr. Reid can read 20,000 words a minute-- he's definitely a genius."

Woodland stares at Spencer for a second as he tries to fathom the speed at which someone's mind would have to turn in order to process all that information. I still can't imagine it. Spencer's eyes avoid Woodland's shyly. instead, he watches me as I pet Sandy.

soon after, we ask him about Heather's personality and tendencies. her brother is more than willing to give us all the information we need. I'm surprised, however, by my partner's ease at wandering around Woodland's house, flipping through the magazines on top of the TV and reading the spines of books on shelves. he's quite conspicuous about it.

about halfway through my mental list of questions, Sandy keeps jumping up and wagging her til.

"I'm gonna take her to the backyard quick," Woodland tells us. "one second."

he ducks out of the room and I wait until I know he's out of earshot before sidling up beside Reid.

"there's an immediate relationship established between a buyer and a seller," he tells me, holding up a Datsun Z catalog. we know that she was in the market for one. "if I want to coax a young woman into my car..."

"offer her a test drive." I finish his sentence. of course, within ten minutes of sifting through this woman's house, Spencer has figured out the ruse used to lure her. Woodland returns a moment later with a smile, but we tell him that we've gotten the information we need before leaving.

in the car, Spencer theorizes about the unsub's mental condition as I try to navigate traffic in the storm. thunder rumbles overhead, occasionally sending a vibration through the car. my knuckles tighten around the wheel a bit. I also hate driving in the rain. his rambles fills the silence, however, and somewhat soothe my nerves.

"he doesn't have the MO of a paranoid psychotic. dumping the bodies out in the open, with a weapon nearby... that doesn't align."

"he covers their eyes with duct tape multiple times over, though. he knows he's going to kill them, but he doesn't want them to see his face?" my fingertips drum over the wheel nervously.

"what's wrong?" Spencer asks suddenly, glancing at my hands and then at my face. I still my movements at the change in subject.

"huh? nothing. I just don't like driving in the rain, either."

"oh. I'm sorry." he straightens a bit in his seat. the apology surprises me a little, but he seems genuinely sympathetic. I guess I really don't know him that well.

"it's cool."

we fall into an awkward silence and I bite my lip. we should get back to talking about the case. heaven knows Spencer has more facts to spew, more theories to share about this unsub. anything is better than the gap in conversation. I open my mouth to say more about what we learned at the house, except Spencer speaks first.

"so... how are you liking working here?" he asks awkwardly. it takes a second for the question to register with me. he sounds uncomfortable whenever we're alone and that makes me uncomfortable in turn. where everyone else was quick to include me in their jokes and discussions, Reid always sounds like talking to me exhausts him. it's obvious that he's socially awkward. there's no judgement from me; I'm just surprised that he's pushing to talk about non work-related subjects.

"I like it," not really an accurate summation. I don't think a heart-to-heart is exactly the right move when talking to him. "a little stressful, though."

"you worked in sex crimes before, right?" he looks out the window. there isn't much to see except for the rain-blurred skyline. I nod.

"yep."

"that sounds... hard." he shifts in his seat as he tries to come up with more points of conversation. it's kind of endearing, honestly. I throw him a bone.

"so is profiling."

"why'd you switch?" his eyes flit over to mine as he quickly adds, "if you don't mind me asking."

I take a second to come up with an answer. of course, there's the classic response: I've always wanted to help people— which isn't wrong— it's also not the whole answer. all through college and the Academy, I had my head focused on one thing. I could interview killers and get inside their heads, but there's something entirely different that you don't get from pure research. and one person inspired that in me before I had finished high school.

"don't tell him I said this, but I really wanted to work with Rossi." I say in a hushed tone. there's a slight smile on my lips because I haven't told anyone on the team in fear of being teased. I don't think Spencer is likely to gossip with Rossi about me, though.

"really?" now he sounds surprised.

"I've read all his books and I've been to a couple lectures. he doesn't remember me, evidently." the thought is more funny than embarrassing. he spoke at my college a few years back and I recall being on the edge of my seat, trying to come up with the courage to ask the questions that filled my head. I was too shy.

"does he know you're a fan?" Spencer loosens up a bit.

"nope," we pull off the freeway as we near the field office. I stop at a red light and look over. "I didn't want to embarrass myself with the whole 'your work changed my life' spiel."

at this, Spencer lets out a short, nervous giggle. it's a nice sound, that laugh. it makes me smile when he seems to relax in his seat.

"that's exactly what I did." he says. I frown.

"you told him his books changed your life?" I blush as I realize I just inadvertently made fun of him.

"I, um... well, I got excited to talk about his research." he averts his gaze again and his cheeks turn a slight pink. there's a dimple in his cheek, I notice, that keeps tugging upward. this is my first time having a non-forced moment with Spencer alone; a wave of satisfaction washes over me as I realize the potential for another friend here.

"trust me, I get it." I laugh. we pull into the parking ramp for the field office and I find a spot by the door. Spencer hoists that bag into his lap and runs his hand through his hair. when I pull the key out of the ignition, he waits for me to get out of the car before we start walking toward the door.

it's small, but I appreciate that he doesn't run off without me. we don't talk as we walk, our footsteps echoing along the cement walls.

oh my god first chapter holy fuck! it's short, but I don't wanna overwhelm. I'm so excited for this book!

[rex101111]

For a glass of Cactus Wine

Summary: Migelo does both his duties at the fete, one to the Empire, and the other to his kids. 

Rating: T

Fandom: Final Fantasy XII

Well! Been a while since I wrote something substantial, but @sevi007 has been doing a live blog of this game, thus reminding me how much I love it, and so here’s a fic depicting the one missing scene in this game I really wanted to see, also to give Lizard dad the content he deserves. Enjoy!

Seeing Arcadian troops stomp in the halls of the Royal Palace made Migelo want to crawl right out of his hide. It’s been two years since those bastards in their tin plates stomped into his home and his city and still he could only barely keep his anger in check at how disrespectful the whole lot of them were.

Leaning on pillars built centuries past, wiping their feet on rugs that took months to weave, pointing and laughing like children at art that they would never understand the importance of. If he heard another one of these piss-drunk bureaucrats call one more thing in this palace “quaint” he’s going to use that same thing to break it over their heads.

Still, years of experience in burying his feelings and opinions about his costumers helped him plaster a smile on his snout. This was simply business, he was providing sundries and food for an event, like he’s done dozens and dozens of times over his long career.

“Watch that crate!” He yelled out to one of the servants, “it’s got wine in it, worth more than ten of your lifetimes! Handle it with a bit of care why don’t you?” The servant sheepishly apologized and asked for help from another servant as Migelo turned his gaze elsewhere, “dear girl, you’ll break your back like that!” He went to a maid and corrected her posture and how she held her tray of food, “there we go now, better?”

“Thanks Migelo.” The maid smiled gratefully, before her face turned sour, “these imperials get nasty when they’re drunk, they keep asking me to run back and forth for all sorts of nonsense.” She sighed harshly, “probably just want a peek up my skirt.”

“You let ol’ Migelo handle them, Meina.” He soothes, turning her to a different direction, “empty that tray and take a break for ten minutes, I’ll have someone else make sure they don’t notice you gone, yes?”

She went off with a smile and Migelo continued like that, his time cleaved cleanly between ordering servants this way and that soothing fraying nerves. This fete needed to go flawlessly, with the consul himself attending every hand on deck needed to give it their all and then some. If the pompous royal left this evening with a good opinion of his food, he might transfer said opinion to the rest of the city. If he did that, maybe his boys and girls could have more room to breathe.

He looked ruefully over the staff, some of the younger ones he’s known since they were children, helped them train for applying for work in the palace. Rabanastre was a small city, everyone knew everyone, and that only became stronger as the plague and the war ravaged the place. Seeing these kids, his kids, running around like cockatrices with their heads cut off for the sake of their invaders made a lick of fire burn in his gut, no matter how hard he tried to douse it.

Worse of all was that he knew he was delaying the inevitable, he had an invitation to answer soon, and the longer he ignored the worse things would get not only for himself, but everyone else living in Rabanastre.

He took a few long breathes, practiced his best servile smile in a nearby plate, pictured the smiling face of every single child under his care in his mind, and went off to sit at the right of the eldest living son of Emperor Gramis, Vayne Carudas Solidor.      

The consul was deep in debate with the others sitting at his table, something about tax rates and territory dispute that went right over Migelo’s head, but as soon as the old bangaa drew close enough, as if he could hear his footsteps over the rancor of the room, Vayne stopped talking and turned his head to meet his gaze.

“Ah, Sir Migelo, so nice of you to finally join me.” He motioned for one of the nearby soldiers to pull back the chair at his right side, “please, sit.”

With practice ease, and complaining stomach, Migelo bowed in apology, “I hope you would forgive me, Lord Consul, I had so many things to fix and move, my responsibilities nearly made me forget your most gracious offer.”

“Think nothing of it good Sir,” Vayne waved off easily, “We should all wish to have your work ethic Migelo, so we could accomplish our own work half as well.” Vayne complimented him smoothly as Migelo finally sat, the others at the table nodding sycophantically, before beginning to pour the store owner a glass of red wine. “But, let me remind you that I asked of you to refer to me by my first name.”

Taking the glass with all the grace he could manage, Migelo bowed his head again with an outwardly warm smile, “ah, forgive this old lizard sir consul, I still feel ill at ease referring to one of your station so informally.” The other reason was the only people he called by name were his friends and his kids, and Vayne is not, would never be, either. “Perhaps I’ll manage that better,” he made a show of laughing from his belly, “with a bit of fine Arcadian wine in my system, eh?”

“Of course.” Vayne’s sharp eyes and sharper smile made Migelo feel as if he were strapped to a table, “please, indulge as you please, we have all night after all.”

Nodding, Migelo started to drain his glass, and had to fight his gag reflex with every gulp. Arcadian wine made you feel like someone was trying to prove something to you, too rich, too fruity, too damn much. Seeing the people around him gulp this stuff down was aggravating as it was confusing, you could stuff as many flowers into a bottle of Slaven piss as you wanted, it was still a drink of cold piss.

Decades of honing his poker face in the interest of more returning costumers made sure none of that disgust was visible on his face of course, to any casual observer Migelo savored every drop of the expensive Slaven piss, finishing his glass with a pleasured sigh. “Ahh, what an excellent, uh, flavor profile! So full of life and character!” He turned to the consul with a toothy grin, “How’s about you give me another to loosen my tongue?”

“You are a man of great taste, Sir Migelo.” Vayne complimented, smiling thinly as he filled the offered cup before filling his own. “I’ve heard Dalmascans do not have a high opinion of my home’s signature brew.”

“Bah.” Migelo scoffed easily, “children with no experience on their tongues Lord Consul, nothing to be offended by.” He internally grits his teeth, he heard some of the younger men voice some of their very loud opinions about Arcadian wine in a place where a couple of soldiers could hear them. It ended well for absolutely no one, and he was only glad to make sure his kids didn’t see or hear it. “We Dalmascans are very proud of our own drinks, I think you would see it would make sense to be a bit defensive.” He took another gulp, “pardon m’candor, of course.”

“Indeed.” Vayne nodded, finishing his own glass, “and you have a great many things to be proud of, I’ve heard a fair share of good things about Dalmascan cactus wine.” He looked at Migelo with a gaze that made his scales itch, “have you tried it before?”

He was almost insulted the man had to ask, “o’course I did lord consul!” He tried to be casual about it, but a bit of hometown pride seemed to seep in every other word, “Cactus Wine is easy to brew in large amounts, made from Cactoid fruit and the sands are absolutely littered with the little buggers, it’s what you order when you have something to celebrate or as a victory drink.” Migelo could go for an entire barrel of it right now. “It’s a…simple drink. Simple but hearty.”

Vayne nodded politely as the bangaa went on, before he took the bottle of his expensive wine and looked at it quietly, “…I suppose there hasn’t been much call for it, lately.”

Migelo nearly swallowed his tongue, for all his talk of taking in all of Dalmasca’s hatred onto himself, the consul seemed adept at choosing words to inspire said hatred. “Y-No, Lord Consul, not a lot to celebrate.” He quickly recovered, smiling again as he waved his glass about, “b-but fret not! Us Dalmascans find reason to celebrate no matter the weather! You’ll have your taste of cactus wine before long don’t you worry!”

“Why wait my friend?” Vayne said smoothly, Migelo barely exerting the restraint he needed to stop himself from cursing the consul out on considering himself something he is not, “I have found myself a few bottles for this grand occasion.”

Migelo was stopped short, he had double checked every scrap of food and drink meant for this fete, triple checking the alcohol in particular, and he was sure there wasn’t a drop of cactus wine in the whole palace, he figured the imperials wouldn’t want to touch the stuff. “Y-you did? F-from where lord consul?”

“From the palace cellars of course.” He replied, motioning with his hand to another maid, Kayta if Migelo remembers right, who held a very familiar clay jug in her hands. “If one kind of wine isn’t enough to call me friend, perhaps two would suffice.”

Migelo held Kayta’s conflicted gaze for a moment, before he turned to Vayne with a doubtful expression, “the cellars my lord? Those haven’t been disturbed since the war ended! Who knows what kind of vermin have found their way to the stores?”

“I had my men carefully inspect each bottle.” Vayne assured, which only made Migelo more ill thinking about what Imperial soldiers considered inspecting. “Please, do not be reticent, I find myself curious what a man of your expertise has to say about the difference between one wine and the other.”

Kayta poured Migelo a glass with a sorrowful expression, Migelo soothing the girl as best he could with a smile only she could see, and the bangaa took a long whiff of the drink, before slowly draining his glass.

Cactus wine was sweet, almost sweet enough you could give it to a child without them puffing their little face. Its taste was subtle, airy, doing nothing more than what a wine ought to do and made your face and belly warm. It was cheap drink, cheap enough that working folk could indulge in it without endangering their pay over-much.

It was Dalmasca to the last drop, warm and honest.

“So, sir Migelo?” Vayne inquired when the bangaa finished and had not said a word, “how is your home’s brew compared to mine?”

He was quiet for a few more moments before he turned to the consul, “I must admit to having a bias sir.” He put the glass back down on the table gently, reaching over to grab a grape nearby to soak some of the alcohol in his system, “I’ve been drinking cactus wine since I was a whelp, y’see, it’s a drink for the heart as much for the stomach nowadays.”

Vayne chuckled good naturedly, “well, now you have me curious.” He picked up his own glass and motioned for Kayta to fill it, the girl nearly tripping over herself to bow as she poured without spilling it on him. He took a careful sip…and stopped, an emotion Migelo could not name fliting across his face. “…it tastes…” The consul was quiet for a moment, the rest of the table perfectly silent to await his judgment, “…honest.”

Migelo released a breath he didn’t know he was holding, allowing himself the tiniest amount of pride as he looked at Vayne, “Dalmasca knows no other way, Lord Consul.”

“Pritas.” Vayne looked at one of the people sitting at the table, some peacock in a stuffy red shirt with a pencil moustache, “you should try it, I am certain people in Archades would flock to try this, exotic yet gentle on the tongue.”

Pritas hurriedly motioned for Kayta to pour him a glass, and no sooner than he had a drop of it he was nodding enthusiastically, “y-yes Lord Vayne! You are absolutely correct; everyone will want a bottle of this for any price!”

Migelo, despite his mood and the alcohol in his system, found himself smiling at the sound of it, feeling someone patting his shoulder. “Migelo, after the fete be sure to grant Pritas here the information for whoever you get your cactus wine from, they’ll find more business than ever.”

Migelo could picture the family of brewers in his head, nearly jumping for joy at the chance that fell into their laps, a contract to sell cactus wine halfway across Ivalice. He then imagined their faces when he told them to which half of Ivalice the wine would go. He imagines the shock, the outrage, the sorrow.

He imagines the table with one more chair then they needed, the extra gathering dust for two years now.

“Yes, Lord Consul.” He said as calmly as he could manage, looking into the face of a man whose night has gone exactly as he had planned, down to the last detail, painting a smiling on his snout. “Thank you for this opportunity, I’m sure they’ll see this as a chance to build their life back up to how it was…” He could feel his lips curling over his teeth. “…before the war, that is.”

Vayne’s face drew downwards slightly, an almost robotic motion, “yes, the war has devastated both sides long enough,” He squeezed the shoulder he was holding, in a move meant to be reassuring, “it is past time we helped each other back onto our feet.”

Vaan crying into his shoulder, cursing and yelling and screaming every curse he knew. Penelo holding him tightly as she sobbed. Fire in the sky, visible from his window.

His home, under siege and under iron boots.

Migelo bit his tongue, brought to mind every orphan he and Old Dalan have struggled to keep fed and working and warm, and managed an impossible smile, “yes…way past time…Lord Consul.”

Vayne shook his head with a fond smile, and poured Migelo another cup of Arcadian wine. Migelo drained it without tasting a drop.

(Not long after, barely an hour after, he sees his boy in chains and his girl crying for his freedom, and all the wine in his veins is cold and freezing.  

As they dragged his boy away, as his girl fell into the arms of Kayta as she sobbed, Vayne Carudas Solidor came to him, smiled, and clapped his shoulder.)  

[you-are-crazy-beautiful]

What is something that you'd like to see on the next seasons? What were your Top 5 scenes and/or dialogues? Who's your favorite character? Why? What's the character you relate to the most? What's your favorite friendship dynamic? What are some of your headcanons for Kieutou? Cashqueens? Instas? Maybe a mix between all three? You don't have to answer all of these questions, you can pick the ones you want to answer to aldhs

Anon, I f*cking love you! 💛😂 These questions are all amazing, so I will answer them all. I'll make separate posts for them 😉

Top 5 scenes:

1. NYE clip 2

I absolutely love the clip itself, but I also remember all the emotions that I felt the 1st time, and they come back everytime I watch it! When the music fades out when Kieu My bumps into Fatou when they're dancing, my heart nearly came out my chest it was beating so hard!😲 The first time Kieu My spoke and was revealed as a Space nerd on screen! Kieu My once again being vulnerable and sharing her dreams while being shy and avoiding eye contact. While Fatou does that signature look with the head tilt🥰 Kieu My calling Fatou 'butch' by mistake😂. The production of the blow torch (I still have so many questions...😅), the hand holding. Kieu My's reaction to the gum in her hair. I got such a fright when they kissed that I screamed out loud! Fatou looking up to space afterwards and the shot of the moon 👌

2. Museum date. I have to. This is one of the best clips of all time. Although, no.2 and no.3 are interchangeable for me. The cute awkwardness at the beginning. The tango under the blue lighting while the audio is talking about young galaxies colliding. The blue and red galaxies colliding when they kiss symbolizing the Ice queen and the warmest person. Kieu My opening up about her different fears and dreams. The bonding over being 3rd generation immigrants. The song and them just messing around! Lieu My saying she likes the person standing in front of her in Vietnamese. The dance and twirl into the kiss paralleling moments in S5. The freaking birthmark throwback!!! I will never be over it! I burst out crying and it was during this I truly realised they were like no other couple before! ❤

3. The reunion/ R+J clip. My galaxy brain predicting this as soon as Mailin posted the IG content of the axolotl 😂

The song 😭 I don't think I've seen a more beautiful clip! The direction of Fatou hiding when she heard Kieu My enter, Kieu My looking at the fish though the hole in the coral and then meeting Fatou's gaze. The vulnerability that Kieu My displays when she looks down avoiding Fatou's gaze and when she looks up, Fatou is just staring at her with confidence and gives a smile and the nod. She's finally secure after her dyscalculia diagnosis and so sure of her and Kieu My. Again, the blue lighting!👌 The line 'love when you laugh because then I see you and how much love there is inside you' is my favourite line in Skam history. The 360 shot of them and running past where they were 1st clip of the season. The happiness and laughter, the explicit consent, the way the sex scene was handled. The whole thing was just stunning!!

4. Gay silence. This clip has it all, tension, cuteness, vulnerable Kieu My. Imo, Kieu My knows she has a thing for Fatou but didn't realise it was that serious until this moment. She knew exactly what she was doing. My girl totally tried to Fingersmith Fatou 😂 I love how Kieu My shares her insecurity about talking to girls, and Fatou's reaction 😂 She's like 'this is the best moment of my life'. The playful Zombie bit, joking about stereotypes, Fatou reassuring Kieu My when she's sees Kieu My feels insecure about her nails💞 The camera panning to Kieu My when Fatou says about 'just kiss her already' showing that's what Kieu My is thinking 💀The staring, especially the Peter Pan moment when Kieu My is staring intensely and when Fatou turns to look at her, she quickly turns to the tv😆 Kieu My asking 'purely hypothetically' who would Fatou date out of their friends, hoping Fatou would say her. Then the annoyed look she gives Fatou at the end because she thinks Fatou doesn't want to date her and she shakes her head, and angrily takes popcorn. While Fatou is avoiding eye contact and you can see her realising her mistake 😂 Idiots!

5. Tie between dyscalculia diagnosis and it's a match!

I love the dyscalculia test clip so much!! The way it's shot is again beautiful with Fatou using the different counters. It didn't just rush into the dialogue. Fatou being cute and nearly getting the right answers by using really complicated tricks 🤗 Sira's acting when he said she had it, and the tears just filled her eyes with relief, realising that's why she has struggled. The alarm bit when she said she thought she was stupid killed me!! 😂🤣 Nora and Mailin being there with vanilla fries and Fatou smiling and saying she's not stupid. It brings me so much happiness that clip 💛

It's a match being dropped at midnight unexpectedly. The way Fatou stops breathing when Kieu My's profile comes up. Kieu My swiping right first! And Fatou caressing her phone with happiness and relief that her instinct has been right! Kieu My messaging 5 seconds later. Bringing back the comment about the guys with pets, and Fatou having to slap herself and squeal into her duvet (same!❤) Them just being the nerds they are and coming up with Axolotlgirl and Zombiewoman. They talked for 11hrs!!! I actually think this was one of the smartest decisions I've seen in Skamverse. That one interaction, which Kieu My wasn't even physically in, expanded upon their connection, and for me that's the moment they really fell head over heels for each other into deep feelings territory. Especially with them having to keep the eps shorten than S5, it was such a clever decision 👏👏

Thank you so much for your questions!! I will look forward to answering the rest tomorrow 💛

[sxveme-2]

strawberry pancakes // bucky barnes

MASTERLIST

SEQUEL TO BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

DESCRIPTION: Lily Osborne and Bucky Barnes were never blessed with an easy relationship. Whether it be emotional trauma, or Lily's parents trying to be evil scientists. But they somehow made it work, after coming together once again after the birth of Lily's nephew. They were smooth sailing for a while. He proposed, they got engaged, but have yet to marry. While also juggling raising a teenager together as Hunter reaches the age of 16 now. All the while struggling with adjusting to their new lives in Long Island, balancing careers. Meanwhile, Lily struggles with the new found fame of being the fiancé of The White Wolf; and handling the tabloids critiques on her life and gossip columns digging up any information they can on her. While trying to maintain a low profile; and handle her life as it is. And becoming parents. Lily for the second time, while Bucky, well, this is his first attempt at a biological child. All the while a new threat from their past rises up once again, blind siding the family. Bringing forward old hatchets that had been buried, and putting their relationship at risk once more.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any original Marvel characters! All canon plots and canon characters belong to Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios. This is an original work. You may not publish it anywhere else

STATUS: Unedited

NOTES: Takes place after endgame. I have elected to ignore Tony's death and Steve's leaving. Did not happen. Quick Reminder! My works are only published here, AO3 and on Wattpad, thank you.

Chapter Three: The One With Their Marriage

Warnings: N/A

Word Count: 2923

    “Don’t start this right now Lily,” Bucky sighed, running his hands down his face, “It’s been a long day.”

“Been a long two years,” she muttered, staring at the ring on her finger, fiddling with it, “You know in a month it’ll be two years since you proposed?”

“Yes I know,” he grunted, readjusting in the bed to face the blonde, “We’ve both been so busy.”

Sure, they had been busy. With both working full-time, raising Stella, and handling teenage mood swings from Hunter, there wasn’t a whole lot of time left in the day for them to plan a wedding. But it’s not like they had no time at all, it had been two years since Bucky had dropped down on one knee and asked Lily to marry him. Two years later, she went by his last name, mothered his child, and lived her life with him. But he was always the one to push the marriage portion of their relationship aside. He never wanted to talk about it or even consider planning something.

“Steve and Nat are busy,” Lily retorted, turning to look at the brunette as he readjusted the reading glasses on his face, “But they’re getting married next week, Bucky.”

Lily longed for the security of a marriage. Many people thought that because of her traumatic experience with being married in the past, she wouldn’t want to go through that again. But in reality, she wanted it more than ever with Bucky. She knew he loved her and vice versa, but having an official concrete answer is something she longed for. They’d already had a kid, she’d taken his last name, they had done everything that traditionally happens after marriage. But then again, their relationship was anything but traditional.

“Steve’s retired,” Bucky countered, dropping his book down onto the bed with a sigh, “Where is this coming from? I thought we’d agreed on this.”

“First of all, no, we didn’t agree on anything,” Lily chuckled, rolling her eyes, “You got frustrated and walked away. And I don’t know...the comments people make are just…”

Groaning, Bucky flopped back down onto his back, “You’re shitting me? That’s what’s causing this? God, Lily.”

“Well, what do you want me to do?” Lily scoffed back, looking at the man, “When all I see are rumours about why you won’t marry your child’s mother and your own damn fiance!”

One thing about Bucky and Lily’s relationship is the fact that it was something so human, that both of them were shocked by it most of the time. Neither had experienced much normalcy in their love lives throughout their time but brought it to each other at such a domestic level that it freaked them out. Specifically Bucky. He had always dreamed of something as simple and organic as what he had with Lily, but after becoming the Winter Soldier, he was never sure he’d be able to have it.

But the small arguments and squabbles between them reminded Bucky that he had achieved something great. He had beat his demons and found love with someone who didn’t see him as an Avenger, or ex HYDRA agent, but as Bucky. He wasn’t Steve Rogers’s best friend or Sam Wilson’s partner in crime. He was just Bucky. Lover, fiance, father. Whenever they visited his sister in Manhattan, he would always pull the man aside and tell him just how lucky he had been to score someone like Lily.

-----

“Hunter, why don’t we go see how the chicken’s doing in the kitchen while Auntie Rebecca talks with Bucky?” Lily whispered, leading the young boy out of the room with a knowing nod to her boyfriend’s sister.

Bucky sat just adjacent to his sister, sipping on a glass of water. He watched Lily walk out with Hunter, admiring the wait her hair moved gently across her back as she moved. Every day he saw her, he fell deeper in love with the blonde. She was everything Bucky longed for in life and so much more. From the moment she handed him his wallet in the cafe a year ago, he knew she was the one for him. Just the way her eyes looked at him. Through the facade and through the public’s interpretation of him.

“I’ve never seen that look on your face before,” Rebecca commented, crossing her legs and lowering her gaze at her brother, “It’s something I only ever see when you’re looking at Lily.”

“I can’t help it,” he whispered, voice trailing off as he admired her in the kitchen, watching as her hands traced patterns on her already swollen stomach, “I didn’t think I’d be able to get someone like her to love me.”

“You didn’t get her to do anything,” Rebecca scoffed, “She fell in love with you willingly...Even after all of these years, you’re still so dramatic.”

“We’re talking about me legally adopting Hunter,” Bucky trailed off, eyes going soft as he met his sisters matching ones, “Becoming a proper family.”

The man’s younger sister rolled her eyes, tucking a piece of her white hair behind her ear, “You became a real family the moment you realized you were in love with her.”

-----

They had never officially filed the adoption paperwork, despite having Scott’s signature. It sat in Lily’s office in a drawer alone, waiting for them to make Hunter an official Barnes. But something always held them back, not necessarily in a bad way. It wasn’t something that really solidified anything for the family. As far as they were all concerned, Hunter was already Bucky’s son. Not by blood, but through the soul. The two were similar in ways Lily found hard to believe sometimes. She wondered if in some freak accident it was really Bucky’s son. She chalked it up to the two merely being kindred spirits.

However, Bucky knew Lily’s insecurities. How she kept every small comment made by the public about their private lives. Whether it be what she wore at an event, or when they were out as a family. Lily had grown more confident in herself but Bucky still saw that scared single mom living in Manhattan he had met all those years ago. Still healing from a broken marriage with an emotionally manipulative husband.

Sighing, the brunette rolled over and caged the blonde underneath him. She stared at him with confused eyes, looking up at the man on top of her with her eyebrows furrowed. He sat there for a second, staring at her face. He already had everything about her memorized, but sometimes, she just took his breath away. How he had managed to fall in love with someone as perfect as Lily was in his eyes...he didn’t have any words for it.

“Is there something I can do for you?” Lily questioned, lifting an eyebrow.

“Do you know how in love with you I am?” He whispered, lifting his flesh hand and brushing his thumb across her cheekbone.

Lowering her amber eyes at him, the blonde shook her head, “Don’t think this is getting you out of this conversation, Barnes.”

Bending down, Bucky placed a soft peck to his girl’s forehead before pushing himself onto his back again, “We’ll start planning tomorrow.”

This time, it was Lily rolling on top of the man, a bright smile on her face as she pressed a passionate and powerful kiss to his lips. He chuckled and laid his hands on her waist, running small patterns into her hips as she continued the assault on his lips. Both of their eyes fluttered shut as they revelled in one another’s touch and presence. The two had found each other in a cafe and became the other half to each other’s hearts that same day. When the blonde pulled back, Bucky chuckled, raising his eyebrow.

“What was that for exactly?” He chuckled, removing his glasses.

“A little sneak peek for what you get tonight,” she cooed, hand reaching down to the hem of his shirt, earning a chuckle from Bucky.

“That’s my girl.”

----

A week later, Lily found herself fussing at her computer as she attempted to find a place to book a wedding dress appointment. Everywhere she had tried was either booked or too far away for her to drive. She didn’t exactly feel like leaving her state to go and find a wedding dress. She had spent her entire day off on the phone with various stores, trying to get an appointment within the next month.

A task that had proven itself to be impossible.

“Whatchu doin’ mom?” Stella hummed as she pushed open the door to Lily’s office, making her way over to the desk.

Glancing down, Lily smiled gently at her daughter, “Trying to find a wedding dress store. Wanna help?” the blonde asked, chuckling as her daughter tried to see over the desk.

Stella nodded, climbing into her mom’s lap as the blonde continued to scroll through a website before the young girl chimed in, “Where?”

Lily sighed as she stroked the brunette’s hair, “Well that’s the problem. Mama can’t seem to find a place. Nowhere I’ve looked has any bookings or any dresses that I like.”

“Where’d you get your first?” she asked, looking up at her mother.

Lily pursed her lips as she looked at her daughter. The memory of her first wedding was something Lily tended to block out of her mind. It was the first night she felt fear that Scott was going to physically harm her. Years after, she had hidden her wedding dress away in a box that now sat in a storage cellar that they had. Stella knew that her mother had been married before and that it was to the man that had helped create Hunter, but nothing more than that. She had seen Scott a few times when he came to give Hunter his birthday or Christmas presents, but that was it. Even then, Stella wouldn’t be able to pick out her mom’s ex-husband in a crowd.

“Well your Uncle had taken me somewhere we had found, but it closed a few years back, bub,” she cooed, tucking a dark strand of hair behind Stella’s ear.

“Will I ever meet him?” She asked, bright blue eyes staring right through Lily, “Uncle Cedar?”

Lily’s heart sunk. She knew that it probably wasn’t the best idea to tell Stella about her Uncle, but she couldn’t just pretend Cedar didn’t exist. He was still Lily’s brother, despite the terrible things he and her parents had done. Bucky and Lily told Stella that her uncle lived in a place they couldn’t go and that it was too far away. But she knew that in a few years, when Stella was older, that she’d find out the truth.

“I don’t think so, darling,” Lily hummed, pressing a kiss to the girl’s temple, “But, why don’t you help mommy get ready for Uncle Steve and Aunt Nat’s dinner tonight?”

“Okay!”

-----

"It's so nice of you guys to come." Nat cooed as she pressed a kiss to Lily's cheek, beckoning her and the man that accompanied her further into the room, "But you're so early!"

"I wanted to make sure we weren't late." Lily hummed.

"We're an hour early, doll." He whispered into her ear, pressing a kiss to the shell of it as he pulled away.

"Well someone wanted to do something else," Lily laughed, her lips tight as she nudged him in the ribs, "But I figured we could help out too if we came a bit earlier."

"There's an empty room in the back if he can't contain himself." Steve laughed as he approached, nodding his head at the couple, "Nice to see my best man show up early though."

"Don't get all emotional on me, punk." Bucky chuckled as he removed his arm from Lily's waist, walking forward and wrapping his arms around Steve's shoulders.

"C'mon Lily, let's let these two have their moment to gaze into each other's eyes," Nat chuckled, lacing her arm with the blondes and tugging her away, "Okay what was the real reason you came so early."

"It's true, I was worried that we'd be late." Lily chuckled, taking a seat at a table with the redhead.

It was true. The dinner didn't start until 7:30, and it was only 6:30. But Lily was a punctual person, the last thing she wanted to do was be late for two of her close friend’s rehearsal dinner. Plus, they lived an hour away from Brooklyn, all the way on the coast of Long Island. Lily's hometown. The two were lucky to find the home of their dreams mere weeks after their own engagement and packed up from Lily's suburban colonial in Manhattan to a beautiful beach house on the lake.

The Avengers paid well.

Lily had switched positions to a superhuman consultant at an Avengers-funded hospital in Long Island. She mainly handled child mutants who were developing abilities and helping them through the changes in their body. Bucky on the other hand ran a therapy/group session for veterans, and those who served alongside the Avengers in various battles. It was the perfect outcome for the two, allowing them to work alongside each other in the same building, in opposite wings though. Of course, the two didn't really interact during the day unless a patient was attending a session across the way.

But it also meant that Lily was in direct contact with Tony Stark so often that she wanted to throttle him.

"Look who decided to crash the party!" Tony's voice rang out as he entered the room, a tight smile stretching across Lily's lips.

"Always a pleasure, Stark," Lily sighed, glancing up from her drink and tilting her head as the man walked over, "What brings you here so early?"

"Well I'm the stand-in father of the bride, can't miss my daughter's rehearsal dinner now can I?" Stark chuckled, taking a seat next to Nat, "You look lovely tonight Lily."

Glancing down, Lily assessed her outfit for the night. A flowy dress that reached down to just at her mid-shin. It had slight ruffles at the top along the neckline and near the bottom of the dress and was a lighter shade of black with small red rose decals covering it. It was a nice dress, she had to admit. Rose had brought it over the week before when she visited with Leo.

"You clean up well too, Stark," Lily quipped back, smiling softly when Bucky brought her over a vodka-cranberry, "And I had to look nice, couldn't let robocop over here outshine me."

A light-hearted conversation ensued, allowing Lily to relax a bit more. Bucky kept his hand resting gently on her knee the entire time, rubbing small patterns whenever her words became jumbled or cheek heated up. Small tells that let him know that her mind was racing at a million miles a minute. It was something the two had developed over the last few years of their relationship. It worked vice versa as well, though typically Lily just escorted Bucky away from the conversation.

The two worked together with one another in tandem. Both levelling out what the other was lacking. He reminded her just how loved and beautiful she was, and that he wouldn't change anything about her. While she reminded him that he was not a monster, and what happened was not his own doing. Each was the other's safety net in the crazy lives they lived. But it worked well for them, for four years now.

"Now when are you two going to figure it out and start planning your own wedding," Steve asked as everyone mingled after dinner was finished, "It's been two years since Buck popped the question."

"Oh come on now Steve," Sam chuckled, walking over towards the group, "Let's not raz these two. You'll only make them push it back further."

"In Bucky and Lily's defence, they did have a few unexpected events pop up along the way." Nat chuckled, leaning her head on Steve's shoulder.

Lily shook her head, sipping her water. In all honesty, she was wondering herself when the two were going to officially tie the knot. Bucky had proposed on their two-year anniversary, and here they were four years strong with no official marriage certificate in their name. Lily had naturally begun to start going by Dr. Barnes, and no one really questioned it. Hunter even said that multiple kids at school asked if Bucky was his real father. It would only make sense for the two to make it legally official soon.

She worried sometimes, that he was regretting his decision about proposing to her. That he changed his mind and wanted to leave it so the breakup wasn't a messy legal battle. Despite the fact, it would be because of outside factors like the house and other influences. But their conversation the other night created a sense of ease in Lily, especially since they had found a venue they both loved.

"We’ve actually just started our planning," Bucky stated simply, sipping his old-fashioned and squeezing Lily's waist gently.

"Yeah so bugger off Steve." Lily teased tensley, pursing her lips. This earned a barked laugh from the former Avenger, prompting his response.

“That’s awesome, about time,” Steve chuckled, clapping his best friend on the shoulder.

The following half an hour continued on like that, people wondering things about Bucky and Lily’s wedding. But honestly, Lily could barely keep her own excitement about it to herself. But she contained it, knowing that this was a night about Natasha and Steve. After tomorrow, she’d be able to be a bit more excited about things.

She hoped, at least.

[goeymoey]

What if you tricked me?

A BBS short! (Part 1/??)

Hope you enjoy :) !

——-

Nogla’s mic popped as he sat down in his chair. The signature black headphones already perched on his head.

“ Okaay, what we doin’ today boys?”

Miles away, in a different country, Tyler sighed. “ You really gotta get that mic fixed, man.” He turned on his web cam for emphasis and gave Nogla’s profile picture a frown. “ It sounds like shit.”

“ What do ya mean?” Nogla faked a whine. “ It sounds great! everybody loves the sound of my voice through this here mic! Am I rights boys?”. While turning on his web cam as he talked, Nogla leans back in his chair with both arms spread wide open.

“ I sound like a god!”

A neon green light highlights around Brian’s box as he snickers. “ Yeah...the god of shit!” Brian flicks his web cam on but, instead of being greeted with a smiling Irishman, he shows his middle finger.

Nogla sticks out his tongue. “ Shut yer fuckin mouth, traitor.” He crossed his arms with a pout. “ You’re the one who gave me the mic in the first place!”

Tyler and Brian lock eyes on the screen as the later smirks widely.

“ Why do you think that was?”

Nogla shrugs. “ I don’t know! I thought it was because you were being a good friend but-“ He gives Brian a hard stare through his screen “-OBVIOUSLY I was incorrect in my assumption! Hmpf!”

Another mic pop echos through the others headphones after Nogla’s shout, and it makes the two begin to snicker.

“ Sorry for trying to be a GREAT FRIEND and give you something of mine!” Brian says through a laugh. “ I guess I’ll go fuck myself next time!”

“ Shut yer cunt mouth you dirty-“

Nogla’s mic pops as it cuts off the final word to his sentence.

“- Next time I see ya, I’ll make sure to stick my foot up your dirty arse!”

Tyler bangs on his desk with a closed fist before taking off his head seat and walking away from the screen.

His faint laughter can be heard even as he walks out of his office and down the hall.

Brian smiles wide at the echoing laughter of his friend. He hunches over his keyboard, to be closer to the screen, as if he was about to follow Tyler himself.

“ You made the man leave the room, Nogla! how do you feel?”

Nogla scowls. “ I feel nothing towards any of ye cunts now...fuckin hate y’all...”. He mumbles. “ Especially-...Hey! Brock!”. Nogla cuts himself off as the discord ping of someone joining the voice call rings in his headset.

“ Just the man I wanted to see!”

Brock sighs and turns his web cam on. He stares at Nogla with a slack face of indifference.

“ Hey Nogla.”

The tall Irishman smiles wide. “ Did ya miss me?”

Brock scratches at his chin. “ No.”

“ What? Come on, Brock! I’m giving you all my love right here and you just-“ Nogla exaggerates his movements while shaking his hand in front of his face. “-give me this!” He slouches back in his chair. “ You give me nothing.”

Brock smiles. “ Okay...Hey Brian.”

The other Irishman smiles at the acknowledgment and tips his head. “ Hey Brock. How’ve ya been?”

“ Oh, y’know...” Brock holds in his laughter at the sight of Nogla giving him a deadly stare through the screen. “...same old things everyday, every night...the use’.”

Brian stretches his arms behind his back causing the bottom of his shirt to ride up a bit. “ Oh the woes of a single man in he early twenties. Never having any fun.” He rests back into his chair with both arms laying in his lap. “ Bet you wish you would have taken me up on that trip to Ireland, huh?”

Brock rubs at the back of his neck. “ Kinda...but not really.”

Nogla has given up trying to get Brock’s attention back and is now glued to his phone.

He mumbles something under his breath, but the other two males don’t catch it.

The door to Tyler’s office shutting muffles in the back ground of everyone’s head phones as the tall man comes stalking back to his chair. His attention is also focused on his phone, but his face is a mix of confusion and frustration.

He doesn’t reciprocate the others greetings and instead hastily shows the screen of his phone to the web camera.

“ Did any of you guys get this message from Evan?” Tyler’s grip on the blue cases phone tightens as he asks the question.

“ It says he sent it to me a while ago, but I left it down stairs.”

While listening to Tyler speak, both Brian and Brock brought out their phones.

“ Ummm...Yeah...” Brian starts awkwardly. “ I got a message from him too but...but it’s just a link with no url...” He mimics Tyler by holding up his phone to the web cam. “ It’s just a grey box...is that what you got?”

Tyler nods and sets his phone out of view from his camera. The screen facing up at him...just in case.

“ Yeah...it’s weird...How about you, Brock? Nogla?”

“ I got the box.” Brock shows the two his phone.

From his slouched position, Nogla mumbles. “ Same here.” His eyes stay glued to the screen. “ I already clicked on it, and it doesn’t seem...weird.”

The three watch as Nogla sits up and exposes his screen. “ I think it’s just a new game, or something like that.” He faces his phone towards him and then scrolls up on the screen. “ It’s like asking for my email and stuff like that so, I’m just guessing that’s what it is.”

Brock puffs out his cheeks. “ But what if it’s a virus?”

Brian shakes his head while tapping on the link. “ Evan wouldn’t send us a virus. He’s too smart for that.” His eyes shine against the brightness of the phone.

He flips up and down on the screen and then nods with a hum. “ Yeah, I think this might just be a new game for us to play. It all looks that way.....you wanna check it out togther?” Brian looks up from his phone. “ It says it’s multiplayer.”

Tyler purses his lips in an unsavory frown. “ I don’t know...it still seems a little sketchy.”

“ Aww, please, Tyler?! Please!” Nogla clamps his hands together in a plea while bowing his head. “ I’ve already set up my account and made my avatar! It’s too late to back out now!”

Brock huffs. “ Maybe for you.”

Nogla points at the screen with a strict finger. “ You shut yer fuckin mouth you god damn short prick!”

“ Hey! Don’t call me short!”

“ But you are!”

“ No I’m not! I’m 5’9!” Brock glares with his arms crossed. “ It’s like the average height.”

Nogla makes a ‘pft’ noise. “ That’s just what short people say! Now-“ bouncing up from his seat, Nogla waves his phone around dramatically “- hurry up and make y’all’s profiles before I start without ya! I’m getting bored!”

The others sigh at Nogla’s childish behavior, but fill out the link anyway.

It takes a few more minutes then Nogla would have liked- since Brian couldn’t decide whether he wanted his character to have blue or brown hair- but he refrained himself from succumbing to his impatience.

Brock was the last to finish his avatar with a worrying smirk as he tapped the ‘save’ button.

“ Okay, I’m ready. Who’s making the game?”

Nogla pipped up with shimmering eyes. “ I will you slow cunts! I’ve been waiting forever, let’s do this!”

Tyler rolled his eyes. “ It’s been like five minutes.”

“ Well, it felt like a long time!”

Brian scoffed at his friends whining. “ And yer just making it longer by complaining about it.” His arms sit across a wide chest as he laid back with the black cased phone sitting on his desk.

“ Just make the game already, jeez.”

Nogla huffed. “ I’m going I’m going....Okay, what are your guys usernames? The same as always?”

All three nod in agreement.

“ Yeah.”

“ Mhm.”

“ Weirdly, yes. I didn’t even have to change the ‘s’ in ‘Terroriser’ to a ‘z’ or add a 0.”

Brock hummed. “ Same here, and usually my names the first to go.”

Nogla rolls his eyes. “ Whatever, boring. It should be sending you an invite riiight....now.” He points to the screen just as three simultaneous dings pop in the others headphones.

“ The game won’t be able to start unless we all accept so, hurry up!”

Tyler looks down at the acceptance button suspiciously. “ I still don’t feel good about this...but fuck it! Let’s do this!” He taps the button and waits for the others to join.

Brock nods. “ Yeah, it might actually be fun!” He accepts the request.

Brian hesitates as he reads the short paragraph of rules before accepting.

“...this may be too much for some audiences...viewer discretion is-...I think this might be a horror game!” Brian exclaims with glee.

Brock’s face turns pale. “ A horror game? Does it say what it’s about? I didn’t read the warnings!” Brock looks down at his phone with worry as his free hand fiddles with his hair.

“ I wouldn’t of accepted if I had read that...”

Tyler snorts. “ Quit being such a pussy, Brock. It’s a mobile game. No mobile games are scary.”

“ Except for Five Nights at Freddie’s.” Nogla interjects.

“ That’s different.” Tyler responds.

“ How is that different? It’s a mobile horror game?”

“ It’s different because FNAF is based off of real life human things...like the fear that toys are alive or...yeah.” Tyler bites his lips in thought. “ Stuff like that.”

“ That sounds dumb.”

“ You’re dumb!”

“ Shut the fuck up, Nogla.”

“ No. You shut up.”

Brock sighs in irritation. “ Brian, hurry up and accept the invite before I blow my brains out from listening to these two.”

Brian absently nods as he reaches the end of the paragraph. “ Yeah yeah...im almost done.”

He taps the accept button.

“ I was just-“

“ Ooh Shit-“

The world turns black for all four men as their bodies slump down into their chairs. Phones slip carelessly from hands as headphones ride up on their heads and chairs creak beneath pounds of dead weight.

Tyler’s web came shakes as his head slams down on the desk in a dead black out. The door to his office jiggles behind him, but stays shut.

Brock’s head rolls back over his chair as his jaw unhinges to let his mouth hang open freely. The top of his headphones slide forward onto his forehead while his shoulders rise up on the chair.

Nogla’s arms simply drop dead and hang off the armrests of his chair while his head props up, unmoving, on his shoulder.

Brian’s body fully slips out of his chair as all dead weight transfers to the front of his seat and sends the furniture flying backwards. His camera also shakes as his body slams against the ground without trying to catch himself.

Then everything is still.

A green highlight appears around Tyler’s web cam as a bird chirps outside, but nobody moves and nobody talks.

...

Soon, their chests stop rising.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Moriarty 8 - 11 (FINAL) | HypMic 12 - 13 (FINAL) | Taiso Samurai 7 - 9 | Akudama 9 - 12 (FINAL)

Hopefully I’ll be able to get on to all that backlog soon, because...I don’t want it to keep accumulating and Skate-Leading Stars (first winter 2021 anime) already has an advance 1st ep. up...

Moriarty 8

(Moriarty 8 notes deleted accidentally…)

Moriarty 9

If you want a modern equivalent to the Baker Street Irregulars, then I’d suggest you look this way *jabs finger at Odd Jobs Yamada (from HypMic)*.

These CGI background horse and carriages are…kind of distracting…

I’m guessing back in those days, the Irregulars were better than Google at finding info…because Google didn’t exist until the internet did.

Moriarty 10

Just this ep and one more until the end…at least, until spring 2021.

Wow, the use of colour here is really striking!

White lilies mean…purity/chastity…?

I’ve never heard of “bending someone’s ear” until now. It means to talk to someone, especially to ask a favour or to talk at length.

Probatio diabolica: the devil’s proof. I didn’t even know that was a concept until now…(I never once studied law, as you can tell.)

“William” isn’t normally shortened to “Liam”…It’s normally “Will”…also, notice all the footprints on the floor…

Moriarty 11 (FINAL)

Last ep. before spring 2021.

LOL, kabedon.

The fishy thing about Brits is that they’ve named things across the world names from Britain. I know there’s a Doncaster which isn’t anywhere near Britain, for one thing…

Observe the weird finger-like marking made by one of the bloodstains and the scratches on the suitcase. The latter was probably forced open.

Considering the number of signs the killer left, he was clearly in a hurry…

Well, based on that shoeprint we can find the killer if we can find traces of blood on his shoe.

“Duram” (sic).

Ah! If it was raining in Durham, then there would be traces of mud on the killer’s shoes. I remember early on in Detective Conan Shinichi, then newly shrunk, deduced Agasa was running in the rain based on the mud on his pants…this is similar.

Chloral (hydrate…?).

The “washroom” (apparently a Canadian term, the British term is “water closet”) has privacy and a place to get rid of the evidence, to some extent.

What about the rest of Eddie’s clothes?

Considering there are still 5 minutes of the ep. left…there’s going to be some kind of stinger for the next season. I can feel it.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait…Director Holmes??? Y’mean, Mycroft?! That is a good stinger! See you next time.

HypMic 12

“Ever since I was born, there was never a time I’d felt I’d accomplished something.” – Aw, Doppo, sweetpea (<- this blogger calls people “sweetpea” when they’re feeling lots of moe feels for them). Please don’t say that. You’ve accomplished more than enough in your life!

…Oh, almost didn’t notice it until Hifumi hid behind Doppo and the angle changed to confirm the jacket was on the bed, but Hifumi doesn’t have his jacket on.

I think I saw a tweet that said something about a wall being wrecked (specifically “Wall: Ow…”) but I wasn’t sure of the context, so I saved it in my bookmarks…LOL, so that’s what it means?

Samatoki, I know you don’t like Ichiro…but please stop trying to preach what his 2nd character song says in the title…(i.e. Break the Wall, LOL)

Jyuto’s very much a “I’ll leave this problem to the other guy” guy.

When the Funi subs say “dame”, I think Samatoki is just referring to an “onna” (woman). It’s a bit of an odd choice, really…although I can’t go and interrogate whoever was responsible for it. I don’t have the authority or the contacts that will allow me to.

This is not the time for fighting one another!!!

Notably, in the manga, Jakurai was going to chaffeur Hifumi and Doppo to their place, but then he had to go to work and so they rode the train with their prize money. This “run from Special Forces” ending is better, I think, since people got grumpy at Jakurai for having to abandon them with the money.

“…permission to cover a story.” - Permission from…who?

*screams* I was thinking Tom, Rex and Iris worked for a foreign government! They work for Ichijiku – why didn’t I think of that?!

LOL, I couldn’t even tell what Tom was saying until I played it back…it’s English, just…said in a spot where you don’t expect it.

“…that scares me.” – This may be nitpicky of me, but osoreru is actually a derivative of osore (fear), so “it strikes fear in me”…? “It strikes fear in my heart”? What would sound right…?

Go, host mode Hifumi! (...but does that imply host mode Hifumi is the only “version” of Hifumi able to rap? Certainly, he was able to do Wrap and Rap without his jacket, right…?)

You can tell Tom still respects Jakurai after all this time because he (the former) calls him (the latter) “Sensei”. Also, this’ll be interesting, we haven’t seen many mics and speakers beyond the standard bad guy ones (depicted in both the anime and the manga).

My gosh! All I knew of this song was that m-flo, also responsible for Human Lost’s theme song (and notably they’re a hip hop group with techno influences), was responsible for this song. Man, this s*** slaps! It’s great! (Sorry, I’ve just never really had the chance to capitalise on all the info I gathered on EDM DJs when talking in terms of things from Japan…m-flo is basically the only act I know which does that, so I’m really excited…can’t you tell from how verbose I’m getting in this note?)

That’s interesting that Matenrou won and Tom still took the gold chair symbolism to represent him and the Secret Aliens as the victor instead.

Iris’s parts are awesome. M-flo has a female vocalist and so I’d assume Iris takes on Lisa’s (m-flo’s vocalist’s) parts.

…Hmm, Gentaro’s made a reference to the track “Me Against the World”, has he?...Maybe.

I’m not quite sure, but I think Ramuda said “majo” (witch) when he was referring to Beauty and the Beast in the English subs.

…gosh, what is up with that airhorn…? Still, next time is the last time. See you on Christmas…no, Boxing Day.

HypMic 13 (FINAL)

This is the beginning of the end and the end of the beginning…y’know, considering how stuff trended on Twitter, I’d say this anime’s gonna get a 2nd season, but you can’t really say that until it actually happens. I mean, Boueibu is much less popular than HypMic and that got a 2nd season…

This is the 1st episode where I woke up early enough to watch without spoilers and had no obligations to place over it, so…this is exciting, in its own sense, but in a sense, it could also be called “profoundly disappointing” because this experience is only available to me as of the final episode.

One of the tweets I saw a few weeks back came to mind – someone became interested in sakuga houkai (terrible animation, literally “animation collapse”) because of HypMic…I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing…

…Dude, you probably shouldn’t answer a call from someone who just revealed themselves to be a traitor last episode…*sweatdrops*

(Spoiler for rest of franchise) Hmm…Dice’s face is pretty straight. Assuming at this point we knew Dice was Otome’s son, this is a good poker face from him…!

This thing about gangs was mentioned in their profiles (although the words used implies they “went delinquent”), so it actually doesn’t surprise me.

I wonder if this subway exists in the mainline story…?

According to the next ep. preview I saw on Twitter, TDD will reform to take down the Secret Aliens. I’m not sure if that was a guess or whether that’s true, so I’m waiting for the shoe to drop on it.

Samatoki-san, not -sama. Hmm…

There was definitely the word “team” in Dice’s line, so it’s “what the legendary team was made of”.

…oh gosh…they’re still using that airhorn…?

Again with the play on “lonely thunder”. It’s a really fun pun, but one I’d like to see in the rest of the series more.

Notably, Iris’s rap in English missed the word “charisma” where it could have fit (unless I missed reading it the first time).

Note Samatoki does actually use the word “shinsensa” (freshness), so there’s no lie there.

I still love how much they went in on Rex’s theme, even in his raps.

Huh, that’s new. Never seen a tag team like this before.

It seems Tom’s signature is using a lot of English, which makes it easy for us English/Japanese pair translators.

Saburo didn’t actually say “Ichi-nii”, did he…?

…based on the rock intro, this is Rhyme Anima, the OP, or something that sounds similar. What I’d need to confirm this is the “nautilus” line and the “ends corruption” line, which are the OP’s two biggest tells for AMQ.

“rainmaking” – Hmm, another link from Gentaro to Rei. This might be a different part of Rhyme Anima (OP) that wasn’t used as the OP proper.

“this white light invites and heals” (<- paraphrased) – Sounds like Sensei, alright!

…now that (rainbow bit). That’s sakuga!

*a silhouette appears* - Oh nooooooooooooooo! Now they‘ve done it! They’ve included Rei! That’s more than enough spoilers to last a lifetime for y’all anime-onlys!

I wish someone would work on this collaboration between Saburo and Riou…

Hmm…what is the series endgame? Putting in Dice as the new ruler??? I mean, Dice is the worst possible politician ever. He’s far too lax about things.

*Nemu enters* - No! Nemu!

Not only is Iris a “ramen shop owner”, it’s Tom’s favourite food…No wonder ramen has significance to her.

…ooh! A new song! Update: I don’t know what this song’s name is, although it probably will become clear what its name is on the 13th. I’ll keep my eye on Twitter in case the answer is there.

…I knew it was far too early to say if there was an s2 – the DVD’s live events go until September 5th and the 2nd DRB finishes in March. That almost felt like a stinger right there. Oh well, I’m more than happy to call this anime a success, even if I would call it the worst of the arms of the franchise. All HypMic’s anime had to do was deliver fun, before anything else, and it delivered on that front. See you around!

Taiso Samurai 7

Anime burnout means I’m coming back to the anime after the day it finishes.

This dancing scene is kind of like the one at the start of ep. 2 of IWGP, except it has the owl to represent the setting as well as the dance stage.

Leo doesn’t seem to know kanji or katakana, only hiragana.

Even though this part of the anime is set in London, the characters are still speaking Japanese (lel…?).

LOL, Edward Scissorhands much?

LOL, these background gossips are like the Plastics from Mean Girls…haha.

…LOL, that’s not one of those dismounting moves, is it? It’s just kind of…jumping off the bar.

Lookit how Leo’s sticker is 90 deg. sideways from what it should be, haha.

I don’t think it’s true that Olympic gymnasts have never failed. Like other people at the top of their game, they’re probably failed millions of times, but only outside the view of most of the world. Persistence and passion are what’s key to becoming the best at what you are, no matter what field you’re in.

Now Aragaki’s what I call a “determinator” (see TV Tropes on what that is).

Taiso Samurai 8

Notably, the word used for “clothes” is specifically for Western clothing, like dresses.

Well, now we know why Leo can do those stretches…

They’ve clearly sped up the dance here, but…it’s basically the same sort of movements Yuri on Ice used to suck me in. I’m here for it!

Leo seems to be the type who tries to push away his worries by distracting people (including himself) with other things…I see. I didn’t have much of a grasp of his character beforehand.

Britney! F*** you, Britney!

Ah, that must be the (a?) fabled owl of Ikebukuro. I’ve never actually been to Ikebukuro…the closest I got was Akihabara (to memory) and even then, that was for electronics, not anime…so I’ve never seen the owl statue I’ve been talking about close up.

Rei does kind of look like her mother like this.

Ah! Rei and Kitty have a pair look now! “Twinsies”, they call it.

Amakusa’s head is located right next to Leo’s butt, so I end up staring at it…LOL.

The Hoover mission.

“I <3 Ninja”, LOL.

LOL, “Nyapoo!”

*sighs* The problem with being multi-talented is that you’re going to be told to one day put one passion above the others, even if you don’t want that.

LOL, you can be a ninja with this WikiHow article. (I was looking for Kitty’s quote, but found that instead. It seems to be a quote from one of Tomoyo’s movies.) Update: I was right.

There’s a movie in the back where the title is “Black Rainmaker”. (Tomoyo, I presume) Mifune is the 1st person credited.

Considering this is 2003…you won’t be on Mars in 2013, Kitty.

Wow, a tape! That brings me back to 2003, indeed.

Charlie’s Angels…so that’s what the tape was.

LOL, a shoebill.

“blade in your heart” – That would refer to the character for “ninja”, which has a blade over a heart. Y’know Kiss Shot Acerola Heart-Under-Blade (from Monogatari), yeah? Like that.

…you might think emails were out of place in 2003, but a virus from an email caused me to be an avid reader and that virus was unleashed around the late 90s – early 2000s.

LOL, Kitty’s cat belt buckle.

You said it, Rei. You said it.

Taiso Samurai 9

Lausanne, Switzerland.

I noticed one of the boxes at the start of the OP says “Horizontal Bars”, rather than some random name to make the boxes look like they were discarded.

Someone encoded the video funny…

LOL, BB’s getting possessive of his territory.

Fuku-chan the fukurou (owl) in Ikebukuro…LOL.

LOL, randomly there’s a skeleton with a hat in the background of Britney’s clinic.

Notably, one of the wall hangings says “heart” on it – alternatively, “soul”.

Notably, Atlanta was the 1996 Summer Olympics…there is no 1997 Lausanne Olympics, as far as I know.

Akudama 9

I watched the part where it glitches twice and I can’t quite figure out what that circular symbol is…maybe it’s Hacker’s symbol…?

Ah! Only now they properly confirm Swindler used to work in the Seal centre.

“Life that never dies is defective.” – Doctor

Does that mean Doctor is actually older than she looks, due to plastic surgery…?

Marker? What marker?

Apparently that flower is a cherry blossom…according to Detective Conan.

…I know this anime wasn’t made in America (it wouldn’t be “anime” otherwise), but Anime Feminist is going to have a field day with this one…if they haven’t abandoned it already due to their idea of morals.

…now I can even see parallels between HypMic’s authorities and Akudama’s. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not.

“Why did this have to happen when I’m chief?” – Sounds like…basically every authority during COVID and BLM, to be honest.

See? Akudama likes the S word. I told you.

I haven’t watched The Shining, but reading the synopsis, you can figure out why Cutthroat is the way he is…sort of.

How does the iconic quote go? “Heeeeeeeeeeeere’s Danny!” (or something…?)

They even copied the iconic eye shot! There you go!

Way to take a guy out (with the door, LOL).

…with all this killing, I can see why Akudama Drive was only in one magazine now. (Then again, HypMic was in basically all of them and that also has a tonne of problems…)

Akudama 10

万死 literally means “10000 deaths”.

Babel.

That police chief is such a mood, LOL.

I can see why people didn’t recognise Swindler, but Courier never changes his look, so…uh…

You can’t become a police chief without a sense of justice, no?

“Since when did you know that I’m not-“ - *facepalms*

Is this what they call an “ass-kickin’ Christmas”? (LOL)

Y’know, Sister, you could just do the whole “wherever you are, I’m also seeing the same sky as you” thing some other anime do.

Notably, there are shide (the paper strips) and a rope over the vault…they really do treat the shinkansen and its immortal children as a single god, huh?

Hmm? They don’t care about Sister anymore? Just Brother? (Somewhere along the way, the priorities must have shifted.)

In the end, the best ship is Brawler and Hoodlum (lel).

Akudama 11

One more ep after this. I’m gonna miss this anime, even if it was crazy over-the-top and I didn’t finish it until after the day it ended.

I think the scariest scene in all of Akudama Drive is the one where the “cleaner” tosses the girl aside.

“This nowhere place!” – Around this time, the bunny and shark’s shirts say “morning”/”afternoon” (shark) and “evening” (bunny).

The blue bird of happiness…literally. That character on the birds is the one for “happy”.

…LOL, that one glitched Courier looks more like Cutthroat.

Hacker’s drone matches Courier’s head angles, LOL.

I guess if you think you’re falling in Kanto, you’re falling in Kanto and if you think you’re floating (like Courier did), you float. I always liked that concept.

War Games. Now the title makes sense!

…but they can be together if they stay here in Kanto as vessels for the citizens? (That sounds mighty antagonistic of me, but…that logic does compute.)

Maybe swindlers play games with the truth…? (What an interesting concept.)

“Just fine.” – I think Hacker needs a “This is fine” meme.

“We can hear your heart talking.” – It means something like “We can hear you spouting your true intentions.”

“…worth every last penny…” – That’s a weird thing to say for someone whose life got changed by 500 yen…Just goes to tell you how American the subbers can be sometimes.

Swindler’s smug face is so good, LOL.

Akudama 12 (FINAL)

This episode isn’t named after a movie. It’s named after the anime itself.

The TV says “Please watch away from the TV”, i.e. stand back from the TV while you watch.

“They came and stole the offerings…” – At this point, bunny’s shirt says “freedom” and shark’s says honpou, meaning “wild, uninhibited, rampant, extravagant”.

…where did Shikoku come from? Is that where Swindler and Sister landed after they tried going to the moon?

Ohh! That Christian imagery! That’s scary!

Is Akudama Drive a tragedy? No, I think…on the contrary, it’s a story of hope.

LOL, “s*** guy”.

I thought the girl had a bomb. Turns out she has a gun, which is…far worse, come to think of it.

Instead of red characters which say things about the situation, now Shark and Bunny have Hacker’s symbol on them.

There’s no way anyone who wasn’t immortal would survive the attack Courier took…

…why is it that falling over represents vulnerability in children in all of these stores where a war has happened and/or there’s a chase? Hmm?

Wow, Sister did everything with heels on…?!

Anyways, that was a fun time. See you next time!

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #360

“we are the ones that wanna play  /  always wanna go, but you never wanna stay”

"Crawling" or "In The End?" I want to say "Crawling," but I really can't be sure. Both are bomb. Is your window open? No. Monsters Inc. or Shrek? Shrek, my man. What did you last hear that made your jaw drop? Jason's mom died. What is the longest shower or bath you have ever taken? I remember as kids, Nicole and I would sometimes play 'til Mom made us finish because the water was cold by then. As an adult, idk about my longest shower. Do you have a preference of chocolate? Yeah, milk chocolate. Is there anyone you’d like to hug right now? Yeah. Could you ever picture someone writing a biography about you? Definitely not. Do you have a clock in your room? No. Do you shut off the computer when you’re done using it? No, I just close it. Do you usually catch a cold during the winter? No. I just about never get sick. Are you a good multi-tasker? NOOOOOOOOOOO. Do you know any deaf people? If so, is it easy or difficult to have conversations with them? No. Is there a door knocker on your front door? No. Were you ever into Pokémon? Bitch I still am. Do you drink a lot of water? Sigh, no. I'm definitely better than I used to be, though; once upon a time, I literally never drank it unless I was extremely hot and dehydrated. Nowadays, it's usually after I finish my soda for the day that I then only drink water, normally around one full tall cup of it. Do you like fireworks? They're beautiful, but I'm personally against them out of respect for veterans suffering from PTSD as well as animals, because I'm not exactly interested in traumatizing them, either. Is respect given or earned with you? It's given, the way I think it should be. Are you “in the closet” about anything? No. Are you missing any teeth? No. Do you like scrapbooking? I've never gotten into it and am not really interested in doing so. What was or will be your first tattoo? It's a semicolon butterfly on my right wrist. Sometimes I've thought about getting it covered with a cooler design but the same concept; it was literally from Google, and I'm very much not into "sharing" tattoo designs with probably thousands of other people. But, I still think it really is cute, and it's just very special to me as my first, so idk. Do you have any tattoos dedicated to someone special? I have one written in Sara's handwriting inside a heart, and my "ohana" tattoo that I am 100% getting covered was dedicated to my former best friend Colleen. I've talked before about why "ohana" has never really resonated with me, and I just don't like it anymore at all. Thank God it's small. Do you like ghost stories? Oh HELL yeah, lay 'em on me. What was your favorite movie as a kid? The Lion King. Some things never change, ha. Do you own a lot of cookbooks? Mom has looooots, but never uses any. I think her mom gave them to her, so she just keeps 'em. What’s your father’s handwriting like? It looks like every other man's handwriting I've ever seen lol. All the letters are capitalized. Did you wash your hair last time you showered? I wash my hair every time I shower. I have to with it naturally being so oily. What does your shampoo smell like? Coconut. Do you listen to Guns N' Roses? Not a lot, but yeah. They've got some bangers. I actually want "Sweet Child O' Mine" to be the father/daughter dance at my wedding. Have you ever been a bridesmaid? Yeah, at my sister's wedding. What was the last video game that you beat? I replayed Silent Hill 2 a long time ago. Have you ever hyperventilated? Yep. Do you talk in your sleep? I scream in my sleep. Nightmares/terrors are a blast. Whose house did you last sleep over? Sara's. Have you ever been cut by scissors? No. Do you like peaches? It's odd, I like canned sliced peaches, but the actual, full fruit, I don't. I love peach flavored juice, though. Do you enjoy being surrounded by neighbors, or would you be more comfortable someplace secluded? Take me back to the middle of nowhere, please. I'm really not digging being in an actual neighborhood. Is there any sibling rivalry between you and your siblings, if you have any? Not at all. Do you usually root for the good guys or the bad guys? Ha, the baddies... Are you allowed to have pets at your house? We're allowed to have what we currently own and then maybe one dog if Mom finally finds one. Have you ever lived in a trailer park? No. Is there anyone that you know through the internet that you would feel comfortable meeting in person? There's quite a few, actually! Have you ever had a dream involving characters from a game/movie/television show? Yeah. What’s the last thing you wrote down? My signature, I think? Do you remember any phone numbers from years ago that now belong to someone you don’t know? No. Have you ever found something strange in your mailbox? No. Who was the last relative that came to visit you? My half-sister and her husband. Does your bedding all match? Not currently. Are you more comfortable with having short hair or long hair? SHORT. Are you interested in fantasy movies/shows? That's my preference. Have you ever gone whale-watching? No, but that'd be dope. What is something that you have a large amount of? Meerkat plushies. Who is it that you’re in love with? Nobody. Have you ever gotten love and infatuation confused? No. Do you have a steady income? No. Do you take your medications in the morning or at night? Both. Have you ever bought a YouTuber’s merch? No, I wish. :( Do you think oatmeal tastes better when made with water or milk? MILK. I don't eat it with water. When was the last time you ran into someone that you didn’t want to see? Idk. Have you ever tried vlogging, and if yes, did you stick with it? Noooo, I'm completely disinterested in doing that myself. If you go to church, what is your favorite thing about it? I don't go. Even as a kid when Mom made me, I hated it. ^and what is your least favorite thing about it? N/A What do you do for exercise? I don't. .-. I want a pool SO badly to swim and strengthen my legs without having to worry about sweating or collapsing, though. Mom says we don't have space, but we definitely do. Not a lot, but enough. Do you have a birthmark? If yes, what color is it? Yeah, it's just a bit darker than the rest of my skin. Do you need to lose weight? Yes. My sister, Mom, and I very recently started a Weight Watchers subscription and we're all working our asses off to stick to it. Ash has already lost like, 12 pounds (she started before Mom and me), so I'm kinda hopeful. Have you ever had a cat? Growing up, after we took in a stray female, we ended up with a fucking empire of cats, literally around three dozen, I'd say. They were all outdoors, too, and not fixed because we couldn't afford it, so tomcats would come around and, y'know, make matters worse. Eventually, animal control took them all and I was DEVASTATED, but looking back, I understand it was necessary. Anyway, I have one cat now. Indoors and fixed and the prince of my world, haha. Have you ever had a dog? We've had a few. I was born with my dad having a collie named Trigger, but I don't remember her at all; she died of old age I believe when I was very young. Then we briefly had a pup named Angel, but she died due to that disease some puppies just have. We didn't get another dog until Teddy, who was my Christmas present, and he was put to sleep only last year, rest my baby's soul. We also had Dale, Cali, Delilah, and Bentley. Have you ever any other kind of animal? A LOT. I'm probably going to forget some, but we've had hamsters, rats, snakes, fish, a turtle, two lizards, gerbils, guinea pigs... just a lot. Animals have always been very important in my life. Have you ever had a pet rock? HA, yeah. I didn't take it seriously at all, but I had one. When was the last time you painted something? Not since my Painting course in my final college attempt. Do you have any disabilities? Not in the traditional sense, no. My social anxiety though is at such a severity that it majorly infringes upon my ability to do a LOT of things, though. What are five of your favorite stores at the mall? I couldn't name five. Just Hot Topic and Spencer's, really. What season do you want to get married in? AUTUMN. The actual dream situation would be to get married in the snow in a black dress, like can you IMAGINE the pictures, but realistically, it'd be in the fall to avoid the biting cold. Has anyone ever spread lies about you? Yeah. Anything special planned for today? Nope. Blue or green? Blue. How much older/younger than you was the person you lost your virginity to? He's two years older than me. Do you still care for that person? Very much. Can you completely annihilate the first Mario game in less than an hour? I haven't even played the first game. I've never really been into the games to begin with. Did you make it all the way through the Oregon Trail game? Yes! I was OOOOOBSESSEEEEEED as a kid. I would usually play it after school when my mom was an assistant teacher and was finishing up her work for the day. Have you ever contemplated climbing a water tower? Uh, no. Those kind of people got some wanderlust levels that I ain't got, haha. If you have a Facebook, when was the last time you changed your profile picture? It's been a few months. Would you ever marry someone who was lower class? Um, yes? You can deny it all you want, but answering "no" is pretty much the same as saying you'd marry for money. Is there a guy you wish you hadn’t let slip away? ugh Which do you prefer: English or math? English, by light years. Who is a singer that has given you chills? David Draiman's voice in the Disturbed cover of "Sound of Silence" is fucking haunting. Greatest cover of all time. Do you watch America’s Got Talent? I did when Sharon was a judge. Do you think you could win America’s Got Talent? Hell no. What act would you perform in a talent show? uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Have you ever practiced yoga? Yes. I used to be BANGIN at it. What is your favorite thing to buy at the Farmer’s Market? Fruit! Do you get carsickness? No. What color is the rim of your full-length mirror? Black. What is your state’s bird (if you live in the US)? Cardinal. Which style of wedding dress is your favorite? I'm a sucker for ballgown dresses. Do you enjoy editing videos? I used to love it, for many many years. Now, I just don't have the dedication or motivation to. Do you enjoy editing photos? Yes. If you gave birth, do you think you would want it filmed? Um, absolutely not. I would have NO desire to look back on me shrieking my lungs out and essentially dying. I handle abdominal pain very poorly, so I've got a goooood feeling that if I actually wanted to have kids, I'd be that woman screeching like a banshee.

[ksj-com]

Request #4 Signature Dish

- Pairing: Seokjin x Reader

- Genre: Cooking show!AU, fluff, smut

- Warnings/Tags: slightly anxious reader, famous chef Jin, cooking date, dom Jin, oral fixation, fingering, sex in public place, angry Jin, rough sex, choking, making out, hair pulling, mark making, nipple sucking, ear licking/sucking, juice tasting, slight m. masturbation, cumming on stomach

- Word Count: 4203 words

- Summary: You thought you were lucky when the famous chef, Kim Seokjin slid right on you on a dating app. Both having a great time spending a romantic night together, cooking and talking. What you both didn’t know was that he was going to be the surprise guest judge on the cooking competition you were going to be in the next day. Will your previous date with him get in the way of your dream to become the next best chef, or will his judging be unbiased?

    “Are you serious?!” Emily, your best friend, screeched on the other end of the phone call.

     “Yes! He invited me over tonight!” Jumping up and down in the middle of your living room, your inner fangirl unleashed her excitement. Better to do it now than on the date.

     “Text me when it’s over and let me know how it went! Get ready and don’t look like a roach or I’ll kill you,” she avowed while laughing.

      Both sharing a laughing fit before saying your goodbyes, you found yourself alone with butterflies in your stomach. After work, you noticed that the famous chef Kim Seokjin showed interest in you on one of the dating apps you had in your phone. After texting him while keeping your cool, he asked you on a date at his house where he insisted on cooking you a great dinner. That date was tonight.

     Still dressed in your work clothes, you rummage through your closet frantically trying to find something remotely attractive to your figure. Finally managing to pull out a cute outfit, you fluffed up your hair and touched up your light makeup. You wore a loose fitted light blue blouse tucked into a high-waisted jean skirt with buttons going all the way down. To complete the look you had a simple gold bracelet, super small light brown purse, and white and black leopard print pumps that had a gold chain that traveled up your foot and around your ankles.

     “Don’t be a spaz tonight,” you point to yourself in the mirror. Since you were also a chef, it may be super easy for you two to hit it off. Maybe he could give you some tips tonight on cooking more difficult dishes. And, god, did you hope that he looked just as good as he did on TV. 

     Soon you find yourself standing in front of his house after your Uber drops you off. His house was enormous, wrapping around the end of a neighborhood that looked off to a view of mountains in the backyard. You take a quick breath before your heels click up to his front door and buzz the doorbell. The sound echoes through the house before he opens the door. His eyes light up when he motions for you to come in.

     “You look great!” he exclaimed with a bright smile spread across his face. Meeting your eyes with his made you almost freeze up. He was just as hot in person. His scruffy black hair to his dark plump lips to his tall, broad body. His light blue button up fell loosely around his toned body along with his khaki colored slacks.

     “Thank you,” you blush. He could read your body language that you were shy with him.

     “Don’t be so shy. I’m not intimidating in person like how I am on TV. I promise,” his hand found the middle of your back, guiding you to kitchen.

     His appearances on TV were somewhat comical from the hard-ass persona he created for himself. From yelling insults to cooks that made minor mistakes, he made people scared of him. But, he was known as one of the best cooks there was and that’s how he kept himself going. With that, the gentleness of the touch on your back seemed completely out of character.

     “You can sit down at the counter while I cook dinner—if you’d like,” he proposed by pulling out one of the chairs for you to sit in. 

     “Well I was thinking that I could give you a hand. You can give me pointers and, maybe, I have a few things up my sleeve as well. I’m a cook too,” you say, curious as to what his response would be.

     “I must’ve skimmed over that on your profile! Where do you work?” he sounds impressed.

     “I have my own restaurant. It’s called La Bella Cucina,” you answer, eating up the look he gives you as his eyes travel up and down your frame.

     “Italian...maybe you should be cooking dinner tonight,” he laughs. He walks over to his kitchen to sort all of the ingredients he had across his countertops.

     Scooting over next to him, you observe the ingredients out. “What were you planning on making?”

     His gaze drifts down at you with a look of admiration. “I was thinking of a spring pea risotto,” he states.

     “Piece of cake,” you give him a wink. 

     He ended up agreeing to you joining him. Standing side by side chopping up food, showing each other tricks and tips, and talking about the two different lives you both live. Normally, cooking next to such a famous chef would make you think that you would be a nervous wreck; yet it was so comfortable with him. Soon enough he was scooping the risotto onto a plate and you sprinkled some parmesan cheese on top to finish it off.

     “Wallah,” he smiles at you. Risotto was a more difficult dish to make and he was thrilled that you guys could work together to make such a delicious meal. Not to mention, you both really hit it off while cooking as well. 

     Once he set the dishes on the table, he pours some wine into both of your glasses. The wine had Picpoul de Pinet written on the olive colored bottle. “This wine has a nice acidity that pairs well with the lush risotto,” he sets the bottle aside after pouring both glasses.

     “Thank you for inviting me over to your home. It’s beautiful by the way,” you unfold the napkin onto your lap before sorting out the silverware in front of you. His gentle touch makes its way back onto your hand when he reaches across the table to place his palm over the top of your hand. The gliding of his thumb made your skin tingle under his touch. 

     “Definitely not as beautiful as you...the second I saw your picture I was so taken aback. And then when you said you’re cook as well? You’re amazing!” he enthused with bright eyes.

     “You have no idea what it means for a great chef like you to say that,” you marvel at his words and this whole situation unfolding.

     He shakes his head while raising his glass and you follow to clink against his, taking a sip afterwards. “Let’s eat shall we?” He sets down his glass.

     You both dive into the dish, immediately falling in love with the forkful in your mouth. Instantly the dish became one of your favorites from the flavor and the person you got to talk to while making it.

     “This is delicious,” you both say in unison causing you both to laugh.

•••

     When the night came to an end, you were quite surprised that he never lead you to his bedroom— a bit disappointed too. He opened his car door for you, a kind act you don’t see a lot of guys do anymore these days. As he drove you home, his hand rested on your thigh lightly. The size of his hands and lengthy fingers made your mind go elsewhere. You really wanted to invite him inside your home when you got there, but you figured that if he wanted to he wouldn't have waited this long. He walked you up to your front door and you couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed at the size difference between your guys’ houses.

     “Maybe on our second date, you can stay the night and we’ll cook breakfast together too,” he shoves his hands in his pockets. For the first time tonight he looked nervous.

     “Second date, huh?” You couldn’t help but smile. He did like you after all. 

     “I would love to, but only if you would like to as well,” his eyes dance across your face, searching for your answer.

     “Of course!” you exclaimed.

     Watching him inch closer to you, the butterflies in your stomach started to flutter immensely. “Perfect,” his voice breathes before his lips press against yours softly. It was an innocent kiss that left you feeling like you were on cloud nine when he pulled away, his hand still cupping one of your cheeks. “Goodnight (Y/N).”

     “Goodnight, drive safe!” you wave goodbye after he walks down your steps. You push open your door and flip the lights on. Standing by the window, you wait until he drives off before you realize that your cheeks hurt from the intense smile pastured across your face. Leaning against your closed door, you squeal from excitement from the kiss that you never thought you would have. You tossed and turned in your sheets for a while that night, nervous for the big day you had tomorrow and the lingering happiness you had from the night before.

•••

     The Uber ride was silent on your way to the film set. Nervousness coursed through your body, leading you to fiddle with your own fingers to occupy your anxiety. Today was the day that you had the opportunity to show the world the cooking skills you had. Hopefully, giving your restaurant publicity to become the best in town. The show you were arriving to was one of your favorites to watch on TV— called In The Flames. It was a cooking competition show where two people were chosen to make up a dish— based off of the theme for the episode— and the chef with the better dish wins $10,000 and a winner title. In this episode, you were going against a master chef named Min Yoongi who was another restaurant owner in your town. Having never met him, you hoped that he did not have the skill level you did.

     “We’re here,” the Uber driver wakes you out of your overthinking state of mind. When you walk into the building, people lead you to the dressing room where they made you change into a black chef jacket and matching black pants. They placed your hair in a half up-half down style, slapped on some warm brown eyeshadow, and amaranth colored lipstick on your lips. You didn’t have the time to say that you weren’t really feeling the look before you were pushed out to the filming set where you were able to meet your competitor Yoongi.

     You shake each other’s hands, his grip tighter than it should be. “May the best cook win,” his face was deadpan and the opposite of friendly.

     Giving him a warm smile and a nod, you turn away from him immediately after. You had to admit that meeting him gave you an uneasy feeling. Nothing about him seemed welcoming. Winning may be harder than you think today.

     It was almost time for the director to start filming, so you took the remaining time to check out the set. It was a big room with two kitchens next to each other. In the back, there was all the ingredients for any possible dish and in the front there was a small booth with three seats for the judges.

     “Are you guys ready? We’re filming in about a minute,” the director asks, both you and Yoongi nodding in response. The introduction of the show consisted of you and Yoongi sharing your backgrounds in cooking and what it meant for you if you won the money. Once filming the intro was over, you and Yoongi both stood in each of the kitchens.

     “And now we welcome our judges: Kim Namjoon, Jung Hoseok, and our special surprise judge… Kim Seokjin!” The host, Park Jimin, announces. Your stomach drops as you watch Jin walk towards the booth. His gaze meets yours and you watch him eyes widen and then narrow. Is that anger? You shrink into yourself. “Are you chefs ready to cook all you got tonight?” Jimin turns to face us.

     “Yes!” you both shout back in unison.

     “Tonight’s theme is...date night. Cook up your best dinner for a one on one night with that special someone,” he declares before the timer begins to tick on the huge clock hanging on the wall. You almost laugh from the irony, but then the idea hits you: make what you and Jin made last night!

     Jin’s eyes follow your every move as the timer ticks down to zero. You run to the back to collect all your ingredients and spread them across the counter. “You got this,” you whisper to yourself.

     To begin, you boil water for the peas and heat up the chicken stock while waiting for the water to boil. When the water is done boiling, you try to reach for the peas but they’re not there. Panic smacks you in the chest as you forget how to breathe while you look all over; until you find them buried back in the fridge you pulled them out of.

     “What the hell?” Your face twists with confusion as to how they were put back in there. You remember clearly that you pulled them out to begin with. You look around and catch a glimpse of Yoongi smirking to himself. Sabotage.

     Thankfully, after that the rest of the time went smoothly even though you lost a few minutes searching for your missing peas and, soon enough, you were dishing all three of the judge’s plates. You thought you were done with a minute to spare, but another idea came about when you looked at the wine rack. You ran across the room to grab Picpoul de Pinet wine and three wine glasses. The timer rings just as you pour the last glass, setting down the bottle with a wash of relief.

     “Cut! You guys can take a couple minute break before they try your dishes,” the director instructs. To your surprise, Jin approaches you.

     “So was last night a date or a way you can use me for today?” His enduring presence from last night was long gone as he looks at you with disgust. You stood there dumbfounded and a bit annoyed that he would think about you like that.

     “Excuse me? I didn’t even know you were going to be on this show today,” you stand your ground and cross your arms in front of him.

     “It’s really a shame because I thought we really hit it off,” he huffed, not believing a word you just said.

     “No, it’s really a shame that your ego is that big to think that I used you when I’m the one who helped you with dinner last night,” a ring buzzed through the room, signifying it’s time to start filming again. Jin resorts to sitting back down in his chair and waits for the director to start again. Meanwhile, you and Yoongi stood in front of the judge booth, you avoiding to make eye contact with Jin.

     “Action!” the director yells.

     Jimin’s voice begins right after saying, “(Y/N), let’s start out with your dish. Tell us what it is.”

     “I made a spring pea risotto with Picpoul de Pinet that has a nice acidity that pairs well with the lush risotto,” you quote the exact words Jin said about the wine last night. You smugly smile at Jin, “Enjoy.”

     If looks could kill, you’d be split in half by the way Jin stared at your while sipping the wine. You watch him pick up his fork and scoop a pile of the risotto in his mouth. “It’s a bit bland,” he mumbled. In response, the other two judges look at him in disbelief.

     “I think this dish is absolutely amazing! Great job on the risotto,” Jung Hoseok gives you a thumbs up before taking another bite.

     “Yeah ignore what Jin said… this is excellent,” Kim Namjoon nods his head to assure you. Jin sits there in silence as he rolls his eyes at the judges. 

     “Okay judges flip through your scores and show us what you think,” Jimin tucks his arms behind his back as he watches them fiddle with their number cards.

     “Okay, I think we’re ready,” Namjoon says. They turned their cards around at the same time: Hoseok-9, Namjoon-9, Jin-4. Your jaw drops when you see Jin’s card. You knew that your dish wasn’t bad; his pettiness making your blood boil.

     “Okay that averages out to 7.3! Well done (Y/N). Show us what you have for us Yoongi,” Jimin says. 

     “I made you guys a lobster fra diavolo,” Yoongi watches intently as the judges twirl their forks within the dish.

     “Wow… this is magnificent. Super creamy,” Jin wipes his mouth with a napkin.

     “Yes, it’s creamy, but I think it could’ve used a bit more salt,” said Namjoon.

     “Yeah and the lobster is a bit tough on mine,” Hoseok chews. You bite the inside of your cheek to try to hold the flustered look on Jin and Yoongi. When showing the scores for Yoongi: Hoseok-5, Namjoon-6, Jin-8.

     “Okay and that averages out to 6.3. Congratulations (Y/N)! You are the winner of In The Flames!” Jimin applauds along with the judges. Everyone had a smile on their face, but Jin’s face was stone cold. Yoongi nods, obviously disappointed in the outcome.

     “Thank you for having me on the show,” he says before walking out with his head down. The camera follows him out the door and then pans to you celebrating. The thought of $10,000 made you jump and hug all the judges to thank them.

     When the cameras turn off, you walk back over to Jin. “Looks like I didn’t need your approval to win,” you articulated. Everyone leaves the set but you two.

     “I guess not, but apparently you needed my recipe,” he barked back.

     “Maybe so, but at least I don’t have to lie about the food tasting good,” you laugh, jumping back to sit on the judge booth while still facing him.

     “Who said I lied?” a smile finally cracks his face.

     “The other judges’ opinions weren’t coming from an angry egotistical boy like yourself, so I assumed,” you retort.

     He closes the space between you both. “What did you just call me?”

     “An angry. egotistical. boy,” you eye him up and down.

     “Usually I wait a couple more dates for this, but it looks like you need to be shown a lesson right now,” he pulls the middle of your back against his torso as his body stood between your dangling legs. You couldn’t lie and act like his other hand pulling your hair back didn’t make you pool at the bottom of your panties. The way his tongue traveled up your neck to meet your lips made your eyes flutter closed. Once he reached your lips, he connected his to them in a deep kiss. His plump lips wrapped and pulled yours at a quick pace. Your arms wrap around his neck to deepen the kiss even more, his tongue sliding to lick up your mouth. His grip that he had on your hair tightened along with his jeans resting between your thighs. You could feel it pushing against you, so you wrapped your legs around his waist to pull him against you more as you yearned for the pressure. Your bodies pressed against one another when he pulled your head back to expose your neck. His lips roamed around the sensitive skin, leaving marks along the way. He tugs at the collar of your jacket before ripping the buttons off, leaving your chest bare for him to squeeze your breasts. You moan as he dips his head down to suck your nipples raw, licking around the tender area. His hand travels down to slip beneath your pants to rub you hard and quick against your underwear. Your breath hitches from his touch, grabbing his hair and bucking your hips to his fingers. To contain your moans, he connects his lips to yours. The dreadful colored lipstick was smeared on both of your faces at this point.

     He fumbled to unbuckle his belt, pants dropping to his ankles when he finally undid them. He didn’t hesitate to slide your pants and panties off as well, leaving you completely naked in the open filming set. He positioned your legs by having your feet up on the table, knees pulled apart, and your pussy propped up for him to enter into. You held yourself up with your arms slanted backward behind you on the table, biting your lip as you watched him look at you with his dilated pupils. Your pussy was dripping for his dick the second you first met him, and now was the time you’ve been waiting for.

     He spread your lips apart with his fingers, moaning as he takes in the sight. “Such a pretty pussy. I shouldn’t have contained myself on the first date,” he curls his finger inside. You whine from him only starting with one finger, but his other hand’s finger pushed into your mouth. You swirl your tongue around it and suck as you watch his reaction. He pulls his bottom lip in his mouth as he watches you. When he curls a second finger inside your cunt, he adds another finger to your mouth as well. As pumps into you faster, you thrust up into his fingers to go deeper. Moans getting muffled from the fingers in your mouth.

     “How about one more finger, hmm?” he whispers in your ear, licking and sucking the lobe.

     You nod and flutter your lashes up to meet his gaze. He moans as he watches you squirm while he slips his third finger in. Instead of adding a third finger to your mouth, he pulled them out to latch around your neck. Squeezing slightly, your moans manage to squeak out as his fingers slam into your soaking pussy. His grip loosens when he slowly pulls his fingers out to stick them in his mouth. He groans as he sucks your juices clean off his fingers. 

     He waited at your entrance with his huge length, wiggling it up and down your folds. Getting impatient, your scoot closer and whine for more. Feeding his ego a bit, he smirks. He’s sure to rub circles around your swollen clit as he inches himself inside of you. Your head drops back from the delicious stretch. Your loud moans echo throughout the large empty room. His breath stutters when he reaches balls deep inside of you. The suction of your tight pussy while he pulled out made him grip on your neck to contain himself. He sucked and nibbled your earlobe as he thrusted into you slowly, enjoying every second of it.

     “Harder,” you whimper. Doing exactly as said, he quickens the pace. The fronts of his thighs smacked into the edge of the table. The position he placed you in made it feel like his cock was being thrusted deep into your abdomen. To get a grip of the immense pleasure, you dug your nails into his shoulders. His hands dropped to your lower back to pull you into him more. As he ground circles inside of you, your eyes rolled to the back of your head as you pushed your hips up and down his groin. The moans started to become high pitched as you felt yourself growing closer to your high. He took that as an opportunity to push you over the edge by thrusting at an insane rate of quickness. He watched as your mouth opened into an ‘O’ shape and your eyes screwed shut. Your grip on him tightened as you poured all over him still thrusting into you to reach his own bliss.

     Not long after, he pulled out of you quickly. Pumping his length as he laid you down across the table, his load shot and drizzled on your stomach. His moans become guttural as he tugs his last drips on top of you, making eye contact with you when he’s done.

     “One second...they have to have paper towels in this kitchen somewhere,” he picks up his pants before scanning the kitchen. “Ah ha!” he grabs a towel from one of the cabinets and wipes you up gently. Pulling you up from the booth, you now stood in front of each other once again. The disbelief that you just had sex with one of the most famous chefs makes you shy to look at him again normally. He cuts the awkwardness by pulling you into one more kiss.

     “I’m sorry for lying about your dish. I just didn’t want to admit that it was better than mine last night,” he confesses with a laugh.

     You giggle from his words. “I guess you’ll just have to prove your famous cooking to me on our next date,” you nudge his shoulder.

     “Yeah and my manners,” he blushes.

Requested by: I lost the usernames from the rest of my requests, so I’m sorry :(

[camillemontespan]

top of the world [interview with raleigh carerra]

I love writing interviews from character’s perspectives, sort of like a study of them. I got to say, you know when words just flow and it’s like the character takes over? Raleigh did this for me. 

Think of this as in the same universe as my Raleigh fanfic ‘Oblivion.’ Master list here:

Oblivion 

Warnings: Discussion about drug abuse. 

I’ve tagged those who liked the teaser of this, hope that’s okay. 

@emichelle @omgjasminesimone @ibldw-main @katedrakeohd @ritachacha @boneandfur @moonlightgem7 @gardeningourmet @pug-bitch @msjpuddleduck

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

Watching Raleigh Carrera perform to an arena of 60,000 people is a masterclass in performing art.

For two hours, he owns the stage.

His voice, that husky, deep voice that has made countless fans swoon, fills the arena. He plays his guitar as if it's an extension of himself. He crowd surfs, basking in the love of his loyal fans. He takes the time to talk to the audience, though everytime he pauses, they all scream.

Raleigh Carrera has allowed Tidal Magazine to shadow him for one week on his US tour. The tour will last a month, taking in gigantic arenas and small dive bars alike. I'm interested to see what the singer is like off stage. Is he as wild as he appears on the tabloid covers or is it all an act?

The show ends with fireworks and Raleigh jumping back into the audience for a final crowd surf. From the screens placed around the arena, I can see the look of pure joy on his face as he is carried over his adoring fans. He is in his element.

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

Later, we are sat in the back of his tour bus. His entourage are hanging out at the front, high with adrenaline from Raleigh's performance. They consist of his manager, publicist, stage manager and back up musicians. His publicist seemed keen to stay in the room with us but Raleigh told her to 'relax at the front with a drink.'

He has showered after his energetic concert. Now, he's changed from his signature ripped jeans and holey vests into sweatpants and a navy sweater.

'Hope you don't mind,' he says politely. 'I like to chill out after being on stage.'

He sits cross legged on a slouchy sofa. Yet, despite wanting to be chilled, Raleigh is anything but. His fingers are always moving, as if playing an invisible guitar. Occasionally he will play with his beaded bracelets or tap his hand on his leg making a drum beat.

The energy that infuses his performances still flows through him even when he is in private. He pulls you in.

I thank him for allowing me to write this profile on him. Raleigh grins. 'No problem,' he says. 'Happy to have ya.'

Is he a good interviewee, I wonder? Many music journalists have commented in the past that Raleigh puts them through their paces. He is known for discussing the most risqué topics and is brutally honest. I tell him this.

'I think I'm refreshing,' he says. 'So many musicians I know are really funny about interviews, you know? They always need a publicist present or they give a list of everything they won't talk about. They're scared that their image will be put under the microscope and they'll be judged, so they draw all these red lines around them. What's the point? If you're gonna be in the spotlight, you need to be prepared to deal with all the shit. All the ugly stuff. That's life. You can't pick and choose.'

I'm surprised at how vocal Raleigh is on this subject. He shrugs. 'I'm just saying,' he continues, 'you sign up for this life when you sign the dotted line on that contract. You give up your rights to a private life.'

We are silent for a moment as I consider his words. Raleigh laughs and let's out a groan. 'Was I brutally honest there?' he asks. 'Jesus Christ, sorry. I get all passionate about shit.'

Raleigh's life is certainly not private. Ever since he arrived on the rock scene, Raleigh has been a riot. Tabloids are always plastered with his image and latest antics. Pictures of him falling out of nightclubs, kissing girls and giving the finger to paparazzi are part of his image. To place a stereotype on him, he is the 'Bad Boy' of the LA music scene. Does he agree with that?

Raleigh chuckles. 'I guess? Look, we all conform to a certain image. You see those new singers from those talent shows and when they record their first record, they're told what image they have to have. Like.. Okay, take Britney Spears. She became huge when she was 17 thanks to that Hit Me song, but what made her iconic was the school girl outfit but she was still innocent right? She had that 'you can look but can't touch' vibe. So many artists now do that and it's not real. It's all fucking plastic.'

Does he conform to his bad boy persona? He shoots me a lazy smile. 'What do you think?' he asks.

I think he does.

'Then you're right,' he says. 'Except I was always like this. I always broke the rules. My label picked up on that and told me to keep doing it but ten times harder. So I did. I pushed it to the point where I forgot who I was. I guess I'm still trying to work that out..'

He trails off.

Raleigh has been vocal about his stints in rehab. He was first admitted to The Priory three years ago, citing cocaine addiction as the reason. He stayed in rehab for two months.

'It worked for a while,' he tells me. 'It really did. I was so eager to get clean and stick to it. But this industry.. It's a cess pit. You're clean for one day and turn you go to an awards show and people are snorting that shit in the toilets. You go to these parties and its getting passed around like fucking party favours. You can't get clean in this business. '

I suggest that maybe he stops going to these parties. He leans back and scrutinises me. 'That's quite naive,' he says. 'You need the parties and the people otherwise you'll be dropped. You need to remain on the radar of this industry because if you're not careful, one minute you're on top of the world, the next you're in the gutter. I fought so hard to become noticed and to make music for the world to hear. I live to make music. All the shit that comes with it.. I gotta accept.’

He shoots me an apologetic smile before beginning to speak again.

'Music is everything to me,' he says quietly, playing with the bead bracelets wrapped around his wrist. 'I know I act like an asshole a lot of the time, like I really fucking push it.. But I never forget how much I owe music my life. It keeps me alive. Nothing else compares to it.'

I ask if there is anything - or anyone - else that makes him feel similar emotions. He cracks a smile.

'You want me to say her name, don't you?' he asks wryly. He leans forward, his brown eyes focused on mine.

'I'll talk about anything you want me to,' he says, his voice steady. 'But I'm not going to say her name. Given what she's going through right now, she doesn't need anymore press attention.'

He leans back. 'But yeah,' he finally says after a long silence. 'She does.'

He means Marina Cortez.

She was his mentee on the reality music show One in a Million. Although the show producers wanted her to be paired with Raleigh's fellow judge, Avery Wiltshire, Marina was often photographed spending time with Raleigh.

Rumours of a blossoming relationship swirled around them. As the magazines continued to publish articles on the potential romance, Marina went from strength to strength in the competition.

She won the competition a year ago and released her first record to critical acclaim. The music showed her soul and it was a far cry from the bubblegum pop that dominates the music scene.

All she needed was her guitar - which used to belong to Raleigh himself - and her voice that sounded like summer. Deep, throaty vocals and passion flooded her singing, making her a front runner at awards shows.

She was on top of the world. Soon after winning the show, she and Raleigh performed a duet of their hit song, 'Senorita' at the AMAs - the performance went viral. The following day, Raleigh and Marina confirmed they were in a relationship in the most millennial way possible - an Instagram post.

But that all changed six months ago.

Raleigh and Marina broke up.

She was pictured spending more time at night clubs. She fell out of taxis and photographers took up skirt pictures of her. She was filmed screaming at paparazzi who surrounded her car. The final warning came from a picture taken of her at a party with her credit card in her hand and cocaine on the table in front of her.

Marina checked into rehab but discharged herself two days later. The drama surrounding Marina Cortez continues with new news stories being published every day.

Right now, we are watching a young girl who is free falling and nobody is there to catch her and the one person who seems to care about her is sitting right in front of me and he won't say one word or do one thing about it. 

He cuts our first interview short. 'We'll talk tomorrow,' he says tightly. 'We're at the hotel now anyway.'

We all head into the first hotel of the tour. Raleigh slams the door of his suite in my face.

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

Raleigh is at my hotel room door the following morning brandishing a takeaway cup of coffee at me. ‘I’m sorry for being a dick last night,’ he tells me with a weak smile. ‘Can we walk and talk to the tour bus?’

I grab my suitcase and we walk together through the hotel corridor.  We talk about the upcoming concert this evening but when we reach the tour bus, the mood changes and becomes more serious.  He gestures for me to take out my dictaphone so this conversation will be on record. 

‘I’m sorry I got pissed about Marina,’ he says when we sit down at the back. ‘I wasn’t pissed at you. I was pissed at myself. I’m always pissed at myself these days.’

I ask why. 

‘Because it’s my fault Marina has fallen on hard times,’ he explains, surprising me. ‘I’m the one who introduced her to drugs and parties. It’s all my fault. I feel guilty about it every day and we broke up because I wanted to save her. In my own fucked up way, I thought that if we ended things, she would be safe from me and my influence. But I didn’t realise that she was too far gone. Too far down the rabbit hole..’

He looks away and sips his coffee. His hands are shaking. 

‘Anytime someone mentions her, I feel those guilty emotions all over again and I get mad. I take it on the person that’s beside me instead of taking responsibility. I’m the reason why Marina has been in rehab. It’s all my fault.’

I ask if he has been in touch with her since they broke up. He shakes his head. ‘No. Her manager won’t let me, nor will her publicist. I get it. If we’re in the same room together..’

They’ll fight?

He laughs dryly. ‘No, actually. The opposite. The complete opposite.’ 

I ask if they have broken up before. Raleigh nods. ‘Yeah but only for like, a week or so and then I was at her door begging for a second chance. It was all very romantic and angsty. But when we got back together, I was determined to keep on the straight and narrow. I wanted us to be together for the long haul. I loved her.’ 

Had he loved anyone before her? 

‘Do I look like the loving kind?’ he asks me. ‘No. So it was a big deal when I realised that I was head over fucking heels for this girl. She’s honestly the best thing that ever happened to me and I fucked it up.’

I tell him that it wasn’t his responsibility to keep her clean. He shakes his head now. ‘It was,’ he says. ‘I knew this industry. I knew what it was like and instead of warning her, I sat with her and showed her how to take the first hit of coke. I’m a fucking nightmare.’ 

Raleigh is known for his songwriting. His songs bear his soul and open a window into his life. A lot of his music focuses on lost love; is Marina an influence?

He swallows. ‘She was,’ he says. ‘My song Addicted is about her.’ He breaks off to sing softly under his breath: ‘I'm not afraid of dying but I am afraid of losing you…’ 

This is a different side to Raleigh that I was not expecting. The wild, carefree rockstar who is plastered on billboards and has legions of fans screaming his name is completely different in private. He lives his life to the full and isn’t afraid to show his flaws; but right now, I feel like I am talking to a different person. 

‘Marina makes me different,’ he answers when I tell him this. ‘When we were good, we were fucking good. I was more kind. I was a good guy. But when we were at our worst, we brought each other down. So really, it’s a good thing we’re apart. But I see these photos of her and the headlines and fucking hell, I just.. I feel helpless. Fucking helpless.’ 

He sighs and stands up. ‘I’m gonna yell at my manager to get everyone moving,’ he says. ‘Talk after the show tonight?’

When we meet his team, he is jovial, clapping his friends on the back and fist bumping. Cigarettes are lit, insults shared and jokes are made. Raleigh is back to being the Raleigh Carerra that we all know. His vulnerability has been put in a box, locked away. 

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

Tonight, he plays the arena with his usual spectacular showmanship. The concert is a sell out and his fans chant his name, sing along to his songs and scream constantly. Raleigh relishes it. He even spontaneously grabs a fan and brings her on stage, singing to her. She cries. 

When we’re back in the tour bus after, Raleigh is giddy with adrenaline and can’t stop talking about the show and how it was the best concert he’s performed. Joints are passed around and Raleigh lights up, inhaling. I watch as he soon becomes more relaxed, his voice softer, his eyes bloodshot. 

We reach the hotel and his entourage slope in, ready for their beds. Raleigh takes a moment to compose himself, placing his hands on his knees and his face down turned to the floor. 

 ‘I miss her,’ he whispers, his voice cracking. 

I don’t ask him to elaborate. I know who he means. 

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

The next day, we’re back in the tour bus and Raleigh is writing another song. His writing is haphazard, a messy scrawl that I can’t decipher. His fingers are quick and he writes out lyrics as if he has pulled them out of water. His ideas come fast and he writes for two hours, occasionally stopping to drink more coffee or to ask me what I think of a certain line. 

He works hard. Too many musicians his age are reliant on ghost writers but not Raleigh. He puts in the time and effort, laying down his soul on the page.  When he takes a break, I ask him what made him want to be a singer. 

‘I loved performing as a kid,’ he tells me, smiling. ‘I would always put on shows for my mom. It was just us, you see. Single mom. Dead beat dad who abandoned her when she got pregnant with me. Asshole. But I would  sing for her and she would film me. I hope she’s got rid of the tapes, pretty embarrassing if she ever shows them to potential girlfriends..’

Marina never met his mom?

He doesn’t blanch at the mention of her name; I think he expects me to bring her up now. ‘No,’ he says. ‘My mom doesn’t live in LA.’

I ask where she lives but he won’t tell me. ‘She’s my mom, I’m keeping her private,’ he says, but fairly. ‘I’ll just tell you that she’s a stand up woman. The OG.’

He was in a boyband when he was younger but split off from them to pursue a solo career. I ask him what prompted the decision. 

‘I didn’t want to be forced to dance those awful routines and sing songs that someone else wrote,’ he explains. ‘I wanted to forge my own path and make my own identity. I know it was a dick move but I wasn’t cut out for boyband life. Fuck that.’

Raleigh is one of the best in the business right now. His star burns bright. I tell him he made the right decision. He smiles warmly and bows his head. ‘Thank you,’ he says. ‘That’s really nice. I’m just glad I get to do what I love. I want to keep doing it until I die. I’m gonna be like Keith Richards. Fucking legend.’ 

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

He plays his next three shows even better than the last. Everywhere we go, his voice is chanted around the arenas and my ears are buzzing from the sound of girlish screams. I wonder how he copes with this level of fame.

‘You roll with it,’ he tells me when he’s getting ready for the performance. ‘One day, all of it will be gone. So right now, I’m just trying to live in the moment.’ 

On the last night I have with him, he sings his song Addicted which is about Marina and the audience hold up their flashing orb lights that are part of the merchandise. The arena is filled with gold light from the orbs and I swear it looks like Raleigh is surrounded by a galaxy of stars. They sing along with him, echoing his words about Marina back at him. 

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

As this article was being prepared for print, media outlets worldwide were shocked to find out that Marina Cortez was admitted to hospital. After further investigation, it came to light that she had overdosed and nearly drowned in her bath tub. Thanks to her publicist, she was found before tragedy struck. 

Raleigh cancels the last leg of his tour as soon as the news breaks. Fans p are divided. Some post abuse about him on his social media, telling him that Marina is a waste of space and not worth it. They call him weak.  Others call him the perfect boyfriend. Some beg for them to get back together. 

I’m watching the news when the bulletin announces that Raleigh has arrived at the hospital where Marina is being looked after. I watch as he exits his car and barges through the throng of paparazzi. He is wearing sunglasses but his face looks drawn and his lips are set in a tight line. 

I spent quality time with Raleigh but nobody can speak for him. But from my experience with him, I think he is going after the one thing he loves that is equal to music in his heart. 

I wish them both all the luck in the world. I hope Marina finds her way back with Raleigh by her side. I’m sure she will rise again, like a phoenix, and she and Raleigh will blaze a trail of fire together,  on top of the world, right where they belong. 

[marshmallow-phd]

Innocent Intentions

Part of The Untamed - EXO Wolf Universe

Genre: Supernatural, Wolf Au

Pairing: Tao x Reader

Summary: There was one thing you couldn’t stand in all your years at college: playboys. And the campus was riddled with them. So when Tao - a player with a particularly well-known reputation - inserts himself into your life, you come up with a plan to get rid of him, whether he makes your heart race or not. But the more he’s the around, the more you just might find there’s a hidden layer underneath all the rumors, including a secret you never could have guessed….

Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5��I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I 11 I 12 I 13 I 14 I Final

**

This was kind of the last place you wanted to be. You didn’t have anywhere else to be and the idea of coming up with an excuse to not be here never crossed your mind.

It wasn’t like you weren’t happy for your friend; she was ecstatic to be going out on a date, so you were supportive like a good friend was supposed to be. Somewhat. It was kind of hard to be supportive when you didn’t agree with the method that in which she gained said date.

“Who is this guy again?” you asked, sitting up on Kendall’s bed after staring at the ceiling for the last hour while she put together her hair and make-up.

Checking the hair that was currently wrapped around the curling iron, Kendall rolled her eyes. “Do you selectively erase information that I’ve told you a hundred times? His name is Tao. He’s in our graduating year.”

Wyatt snorted from his spot in Kendall’s papasan chair. “With the things I’ve heard about this guy, Ken, I think you should cancel.”

“I am not canceling,” she snapped as she moved on to a new section of hair. “He’s too hot to ditch.”

You closed your eyes, massaging your temples with your fingertips. “I’m sorry. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you met this guy at a bar and immediately agreed to go out on a date with him?”

“Yeah, why not?” Putting the curler down, Kendall swiveled in her chair to face you. “It’s our last year of college and I think we’re entitled for a little bit of fun before graduation.”

“What if he’s a serial killer?” you lifted your hands, palms facing up, as if that suggestion was actually a strong possibility.

“He’s not,” Wyatt intervened. “I know this guy. But he is a dog.”

You frowned. “What?”

That got you a heavy sigh. You weren’t sure why Wyatt was being so dramatic. Deep down, he loved the fact that he was given the opportunity to dish out the drama he had filed away in his head.

“That boy is a down right mutt.” Wyatt adjusted his position in the chair before continuing, “He’s slept with at least half of the volleyball and who knows how many sorority sisters. And none of them stick around for long. I’d say any girl he gets with last one – two weeks tops and then he’s on to the next one.”

“Everyone knows this and girls still go out with him?” you sneered. That was just setting yourself up for failure. You didn’t care how pretty a guy’s face was, if he was a jerk who got bored of girls so easily, then you wanted nothing to do with him. How could someone be so heartless?

“Trust me, (y/n),” Kendall turned back to the mirror, dabbing at her eyelid to really smudge in the shadow, “if you saw this guy, you would understand. He just oozes sexiness; not to mention charming to the max.”

“Hot or not, I wouldn’t touch that with a ten-foot pole,” Wyatt insisted. “He doesn’t ooze sex, he oozes player. No, thank you. I prefer my guys to actually have a heart. Cold tin men aren’t my type.”

Kendall rolled her eyes. “You are so judgmental.”

Before Wyatt could let out one of his signature sassy comments, Kendall’s phone chimed. As soon as she saw the screen, she squealed, jumping up from her chair and hurrying to slip on her heels.

“He’s here, he’s here, oh my god!” she ranted excitedly. Just as she hit her bedroom door, she turned and saluted you and Wyatt. “See you later, losers!”

You simply waived goodbye to her as she left. It wasn’t until the front door was closed that you turned to Wyatt, “You agree with me that her going on this date is a horrible idea, right?”

Wyatt smirked at you. “Yeah, I do. But I think our reasoning for it are two completely different spheres.”

“Why do you say that?” You were sure whatever Wyatt was about to say was going to rub you the wrong way, so you picked up your still somewhat full glass of water and headed for the kitchen.

Quick to follow you, Wyatt hopped up out of the chair and stayed close on your heels.

“I’m concerned because I know this guy’s reputation,” he explained over the ice maker on the fridge pouring into your cup. “You simply think she shouldn’t go out on a date at all.”

“That’s a bold assumption.” Taking a sip of water, you turned around and leaned up against the fridge. “I am genuinely concerned about her.”

“I never said that you weren’t,” he countered. “But your genuine concern comes from some deep rooted hatred of men.”

You scoffed. “I do not hate men. I’m friends with you, aren’t I?”

“Like I count.”

Okay… he had a slight point.

“I still don’t hate all men,” you argued. “I just happen to know that there is a huge portion of college boys that treat the girls they date like crap and it’s not worth it to me.”

Leaning his elbow on the counter, Wyatt plopped his chin into his palm. “Oh, girl. What horrible member of my sex burned you so badly?”

You flicked his forehead, yearning a loud yelp from him. “No one burned me. I’ve just been witness to way too many games to be fooled by the players.”

“So sour.” Wyatt tapped his chin. “Maybe if you went on a date, you wouldn’t be so bitter about the idea?”

“I do not need a guy to be happy.” You couldn’t even believe you were having this conversation with your friend who always told you to stand firm in who you are. “I am happy. I’m very pleased with the direction my life is going. I don’t have any plans to change that in the impending future.”

“And I agree with that whole heartedly,” Wyatt nodded. “I practically sell t-shirts with that motto. All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t knock someone who might come along. And that Kendall’s a little right. Some fun our last semester wouldn’t hurt.”

You threw your hands up in the air. “Fine! I’ll try to keep an open mind!”

Practically ignoring your declaration, Wyatt pursed his lips. His eyes were getting that terrifying look that told you an idea was brewing in that scary brain of his. You’d seen it one too many times to think anything good or logical was about to come from his mouth.

“What are you thinking about so hard?” you asked cautiously. If you tried to ignore your friend, he’d just keep sighing or clicking his tongue like a bored puppy until you finally acknowledged him.

“I was thinking about what you said in regards to watching the games and ignoring the players.” Straightening up, Wyatt started to head for his shoes located by the front door. “Admittedly, we’re both worried about Kendall’s date, so why don’t we just go keep an eye on them?”

Your jaw dropped. “You want to go spy on Kendall? Do you realize that if we’re spotted, she will kill us?”

“I’m highly aware of that fact.” Wyatt didn’t seem the least bit worried. Of course he didn’t. Nothing scared him.

Oh, you wanted to try and talk Wyatt out of this idiotic idea any way you could, but nothing that you knew would win him over came to fruition. And… well, you were kind of curious about this Tao character and what made him so “irresistible”.

Holding up a finger, you warned, “If we’re spotted, I’m telling Kendall you blackmailed me and dragged me along in this fiasco of a plan, got it?”

Wyatt rolled his eyes as pulled on his jacket. “You are so dramatic. Just come on. Kendall told me this morning which restaurant the dog is taking her to.”

You chuckled. “Are you just going just refer to him as ‘the dog’ from now on?”

“Do you think if I held out a biscuit, he lie down and roll over?”

That comment did not deserve any response.

Even as you slid into Wyatt’s car, you debated on whether or not you should bail. To you, this fell into the territory of invading privacy and telling Kendall that you didn’t trust her make her own decisions. But something about this Tao piqued your interest and that kept you from running away before Wyatt could catch you. It wasn’t any sort of interest that veered into the lane of romance or attraction. More so, you were just intrigued by what kind of guy could build up a reputation like that and still get girls to trot after him.

Wyatt pulled up at The Hurricane, a beach-themed bar and grill that was a popular starting point for most of the university students before they got going on their until-three a.m. binges. With a firm grip on Wyatt’s hand, you let him lead the way into the restaurant. It was open seating tonight, giving you the ultimate cover. You kept your face hidden anyway, hoping that you didn’t accidentally trip or run into a waiter and bring the attention of the entire room onto you like in the movies.

By a miracle, you made it to the table Wyatt had zoned in on without any sort of incident. However, even after taking a seat, you didn’t dare look up, keeping your eyes glued to the laminated menu in front of you.

“We’re not exactly here to eat, remember?” he said as he tapped on the menu.

“We’re taking up seats so we might as well,” you countered.

“No, because if they suddenly leave then we have to as well.”

“We’re stalking them the whole night?”

Wyatt threw you a look. “If need be, yes.”

Grumbling, you threw down the menu.

“Oh, he is such a smoozer,” Wyatt whispered harshly.

Following his line of sight, you finally looked over at the couple.

Kendall’s back was to you, so all you saw of her was her hair and the occasional profile. Tao, however… you got a very good look at him.

And, okay, you got it. He was handsome – not even that conventional handsome that was all too common and boring, but an intriguing sort. The kind that made you double take just make sure you were actually seeing what your eyes were telling you. His tanned skin seemed to glow under the high lighting and there was something about the way he smiled-

No, (y/n)!

You curled your hand into a fist on the table to keep from slapping yourself. Not only was this guy a notorious playboy, he was on a date with Kendall, your best friend. Get a grip on yourself.

Something funny was going on with your heart and you didn’t like it one bit. Since when did it beat so fast for a decent face? Maybe something else was going on and the timing was just coincidence? Maybe you should go to the hospital. At least that would get you out of this mess.

For most of their dinner (and your drinks since one of the waitresses told you and Wyatt that you either had to order something or be forced to leave), everything seemed to be going fine. Kendall was laughing and genuinely looked like she was having a good time. Tao treated her with nothing less than respect.

Just as they were finishing desert, Wyatt sighed. “Okay. I’m bored. Let’s get out of here.”

Finally.

There were absolutely no arguments from you as you jumped up out of your seat, ready to head for the door. Just before you could step outside, you glanced behind towards Tao and Kendall one more time and instantly regretted it.

Tao was staring at you, eyebrows pulled together so tightly only a harsh line separated them. His mouth was hanging open slightly. Seeing the change in her date, Kendall turned in her chair just in time to see you duck out of the restaurant.

Perfect. Just perfect.

Back in the car, you gave Wyatt a heads up about Kendall spotting you. He didn’t seem that worried, but even as he dropped you off at your house and you goodbye, you were dreading the guillotine that would waiting for you tomorrow.

Your parents were watching TV when you stepped into the living room from the dropping temperature outside. On the screen was just another sitcom about a dysfunctional group of friends, but it caught your attention anyway, making you round the couch and take the empty spot next to your mother.

“Hey, sweetie,” your father greeted. “How was your day?”

You shrugged. “It was fine. How was yours?”

“Pretty good.” Your dad was smiling so that must have meant it was a very good day at the office.

“Kendall’s date was tonight, right?” your mother asked. “How did that go?”

You lifted your shoulders and dropped them, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. “Yeah, it was. And I don’t know. I haven’t heard from her. I’m sure she’s enjoying herself, though.”

Tao’s face crept up in your mind; the way he was laughing, the way his striking blonde hair matched his confident smirk perfectly, the way he-

Smack!

This time, you couldn’t stop from slapping yourself. Both of your parents looked at you like you’d gone temporarily insane.

Pointing to your stinging cheek, you chuckled, “I thought I felt a bug.” They still stared at you without changing their expression, so you hopped up off the couch. “I’m going to get ready for bed. I’m exhausted.” You even threw in a fake yawn and stretched for good measure.

“Okay,” your mother said warily. “Good night.”

You nearly ran up the stairs, hurrying to lock yourself away and just be alone.

Getting your pajamas on turned into a slow affair. You got distracted by little things in between picking out a clean shirt and pair of shorts; from poking and pulling at your face in the mirror to picking a simple song out on your phone to drown out the silence.

Finally, you considered yourself dressed for bed and quickly brushed your teeth in the bathroom before hustling back across the hall and jumping between the covers. The act of actually falling asleep turned into an ordeal within itself.

No matter which way you turned it, flipped it, or spun it around, you couldn’t make heads or tails of why in the world you would be remotely interested that kind of guy. You up shot in bed.

You were not interested!

A momentary lapse of reason. That’s all it was. You were just in a little shock because he didn’t fit the typical frat boy stereotype you’d been envisioning, the kind that Kendall usually went for. Those guys wore t-shirts with the sleeves cut off, backwards hats, and socks with Nike sandals. While you couldn’t really understand the appeal of those kinds of guys, you didn’t say much to Kendall because, hey, everyone had a type.

If you had to pin down your own kind, you could say that it was the artistic kind of guy. Sensitive, sweet, strumming a guitar mindlessly as he searched for the right tune to go with his lyrics. Someone who wore a genuine smile, not a smirk that made you roll your eyes. Someone who looked at you with soft eyes, held you gently, closely. You needed someone serious, who would take your relationship serious, and not be afraid to be honest. You wanted vulnerability, but – according to your own experience – no one did that anymore.

Falling back down on the bed, you sighed. If there was one thing you knew for sure it was that Tao was not the vulnerable kind.  

Vrrmm. Vrrmm. Vrrmm.

Don’t answer it. Don’t answer it.

When your phone stopped vibrating against your night stand, you sighed in relief. You knew exactly who was calling and, honestly, you didn’t want to deal with that at the moment.

Vrrmm. Vrrmm. Vrrmm.

Kendall was not going to give up.

Whimpering, you managed to get yourself back up into a sitting position while grabbing your phone. After taking a deep breath, you swiped the little green icon and answered the call.

“Hey….”

“Alright.” Kendall’s voice was walking a fine line between snapping and remaining calm. You were so in for it. “I will give you one chance to explain yourself.”

“It was all Wyatt’s idea!” you blurted out. How loyal you were.

“No, shit, Sherlock. You’re not brave enough to suggest that on your own.”

As much of a stinger that one was, you decided to let it slide given the circumstances. “We were just a little concerned. After seeing that everything was fine, we left. We didn’t do anything.”

“Are you sure you didn’t do anything?” Kendall asked in a very accusing voice.

“Yeah, I’m positive,” you argued. “We sat a few tables away, had a drink, saw that you were fine and left. Why?”

Kendall huffed. “Because after you guys left, he just ended the date.”

Wait. What? “What do you mean he just ended the date?”

“I mean he paid the check right after you guys left, dropped me off at home, and just left,” she explained. “So something happened. Did Wyatt say anything? Did he make any sort of face at Tao?”

“No,” you insisted. “I swear, Wyatt didn’t do anything, but complain to me about how boring the stakeout was. I’m sorry, Kendall. I have no idea what happened.”

A high pitched whine screeched in your ear from the speaker on your phone. “He was so cute. And funny. I thought we were having a good time!”

“I’m really sorry, Kendall. Maybe something just came up and he’ll make it up to you?”

You actually did feel bad for your friend. Kendall had been looking forward to this all week and to have her night end just like that…. You felt partially responsible that it didn’t go the way she wanted it to. Why it was kind of your fault, you didn’t know. You just felt like it was.

After another a five minutes of Kendall ranting on about her date, she finally let you go. A little twinge of guilt still sat in your stomach as you laid down and closed your eyes. That is, until a stupid, blonde haired boy’s face floated behind your eyelids. And then you snapped your eyes open.

With a groan, you grabbed an extra pillow and shoved it over your face in a sad attempt to squish away the sight.

It didn’t work and you hoped that by the time you woke up the next day, you would be back to your normal self.

[queen-of-deans-booty]

She Knows My Name?

Characters: Artist!Sam Winchester x Reader

Word Count: 1,327

Warnings: just fluff

Summary: The mysterious stranger in your art class shows himself in unexpected ways.

Squared Filled: Artist!Sam

Author’s Note: This is for @samwinchesterbingo  and this is unbeta’d and any and all mistakes are all on me.

Feedback the glue that holds my writing together

Tags at the bottom

The only reason you signed up for this art class was because of Sam Winchester. Granted, you didn't know anything about him except for his name, but he was a mystery you would love to unravel. When the class started six weeks ago, your friend dragged you along as a guest since she didn’t know anyone and wanted some moral support from her friend. When you laid eyes on the mysterious stranger, she told you he never talked to anyone. She had a class with him a few semesters ago and recalled the time she spent with him, but it only added to your curiosity.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, shaggy-haired, and sported the brightest hazel eyes you have ever seen. He seemed nice by the way he politely said hi to the teacher every time he came into class, but he didn’t say anything else besides that. Maybe he wanted to keep to himself, or maybe he was overly shy, but you really wanted to know more about him.

Your friend had some complications with family and had to drop out of the class, but you quickly signed up to take her place. It was a good excuse to ogle the stranger without it being too weird. After all, this was an art class where expression was limitless. If you wanted to paint something that just so happened to be behind Sam, then you would.

After a few weeks of being there, you paid attention to his behavior and noticed something a bit off. Not off in a way that was threatening or alarming, but off in a way that seemed he was more aware of what was going on around him than he let on. Whenever you entered the class, you noticed a faint blush on his cheeks even though he wasn’t looking at you. When the painting began, you could see him look at you from the corner of his eye, and if you looked at him, he would look away. When class ended, he always made sure you were out of the classroom before he was. It was little things like this that you noticed which made you think there was something going on behind the scenes.

There was the option of going up to him and talking to him, but he gave off the vibe that he’d rather be alone which is why you never approached him. The only word you ever said to him directly was sorry and that was because you accidentally bumped into him on your first day in class. He seemed flushed and awkward, but you passed it off as him being socially nervous. Nonetheless, the class must go on, and you were eager for this one in particular.

“Alright, class today there will be no set inspirations for your drawings. I just want you to express anything you wish. The only limit is your imagination. I want to see what your minds can come up with on its own. When we’re all done, we will be posting them on the wall to share,” the teacher grinned before letting you all have the rest of the class to draw. Immediately, pencils were up and the only thing that could be heard was the scraping of the lead against the paper. From the corner of your eye, you could see Sam peeking at you every so often, but you didn’t dare look up. Maybe he was finding inspiration for something behind you, and if you look up, it might scare him off. Instead, you focused all your energy on your drawing. Admittingly, this has got to be one of your best works you’ve ever done.

The class went by a lot faster than you hoped, and by the time the bell rang, you had just put the finishing touches on your drawing. After packing up, you went to the board before pinning your drawing to the board. However, when you grabbed an available pin, you stopped short to see yourself staring back at you--well, your profile. The teacher loved anonymity, so there were no signatures or initials on the papers. Someone was drawing you the entire class period and you didn't even know it.

Sam watched from his seat as you admired the drawing of you on the wall. The small smile on your face told him you thought it was beautiful and well done, so he was content with the work he did that day. Without making a big deal out of it, you left the classroom with a grin on your face that you couldn’t seem to wipe off. Someone was paying attention to you close enough to draw you which meant someone had a crush on you. It was cliché and very high school-y, but it made your heart jump with possibility.

The teacher didn’t let you free draw that often, so when the next time came along, you were already itching to draw what you had in your mind since the first free drawing. As soon as the teacher gave the green light, you began working furiously on your canvas with such focus and concentration, you couldn’t even pay attention to Sam who had been watching you the entire time.

Halfway through the class, the only thing that could be heard besides the pencils on paper was the scrape of a chair. Looking up, you watched as Sam left the room with the key to the bathroom, and that is when you noticed it. There were color pencils behind his chair that would make a good addition to your black and white drawing. Getting up, you approached the counter before your eye caught what Sam was drawing. Right there on his canvas was the outline of you, and it clicked in your mind that the drawing you saw of you a few weeks ago was from him which made this all the more better.

Before Sam could come back and catch you looking at his drawing, you snatched the color pencils before returning to your own seat. Your concentration was broken after seeing that outline, and the only thing you could focus on was Sam looking at you every so often so that he could capture your profile perfectly.

At the end of class, everyone pinned their drawings to the board before shuffling out. Just like last time, the black and white drawing of you stood proudly for everyone to see, but now you looked at it with a new light. Sam would only draw you and pay attention to you if he liked you or had a small crush on you. If he wasn’t going to start something, then you were going to do it for him.

Exiting the classroom, you waited by the door until Sam came walking out. You had been so close to the door frame that he bumped into you immediately.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

���I really like your drawings. You’re very talented,” you complimented him as you began walking with him.

“O-oh, thank you. How do you know which one was mine? They don’t have signatures on them.”

“I can’t know for sure, but do you do more than profiles? Or are people your main focus?” you asked, hoping this would work.

“I can do animals well. I prefer people though. I like raw emotion.”

“And that is how I know which painting yours is. There was only one person on the board. Me.”

“I--you--well--” he stuttered.

“It’s okay, Sam, I like them. You know, if you wanted to talk to me, you could have come up to me. I don’t bite. If you ever want to grab some coffee after class, I’d really like that,” you grinned before walking away from him.

“S-sounds good,” he stuttered but frowned when he realized he was acting like an idiot. When his brain cleared, he finally heard what you had said. “Wait, she knows my name?”

Wanna get tagged? Add yourself to this document! If your tag doesn’t work, find out why!

@li-ssu  @babypink224221  @fluffydanger  @winchesterweirdo  @jennazeise  @calaofnoldor  @miraclesoflove

[rike-with-love]

Kagura’s birthday fic 2018 (chapter 1)

Summary: Happy birthday Kagura! You're the best heroine in all of anime/manga and I love you so much. I want to cosplay you so hard and I swear I'm going to find the perfect opportunity for that! : 3 For the celebration of our fierce queen I wrote a story in her honor.

Pairings: Okikagu, Soyoshin

Rating: T for bad language

Disclaimer: I don't own Gintama or it's characters, Sorachi Hideaki does. I only own this story.

Author’s notes: I have a link to my fanfiction masterlist on my profile. Please check it out for more chapters and fics!

Chapter 1 – Double dates are a good idea on paper

Kagura was strolling down the Kabukicho's streets, purple umbrella swinging nicely with the rhythm of her step. She had agreed to meet up with her best friend Tokugawa Soyo. Kagura was making her way to the palace with a pack of sukonbus as a snack for the trip.

Kagura, almost 17 years old had developed physically quite a bit, but mentally...well let's just say she was getting there. Kagura had gotten taller, even her vermillion hair was longer, but she still kept it under those signature hair ornaments. Red was her favourite colour and most of her cheongsams were playing with different shades of the colour of love.

In three short years, another person had grown up quite nicely as well. The straight man of the Yorozuya, Shimura Shinpachi had upgraded from a cinnamon bun into a dashing cinnamon man. Yes, it had taken Shinpachi three years to take full advantage of the saint spiritual power of puberty.

Shinpachi knew he had grown up, he just didn't know how to use this new manliness of his to its full extent. After all, Shinpachi was a simple man, he took care of the Yorozuya shop and his lazy co-workers. He had breakfasts with his sister and lived his regular life like he always had before. Of course, his duty as the Otsu's fan club leader he treated like he was the commander of the survey corps charging troops into the battlefield.

Lucky for him, he had caught someone's eye. On her 17th birthday, Princess Soyo had collected all of her courage and she wanted to make her move. Soyo had developed a little crush on Shinpachi and she had decided to tell him how she felt about him.

It was truly a glorious day, when princess Soyo marched into the Yorozuya shop with her bodyguard. Kagura was out with Sadaharu at the moment and she wasn't there to witness the moment.

Shinpachi welcomed the princess inside and even Gintoki sat up straight on the couch. Before Shinpachi had the time to ask about her visit to their humble shop, the princess dropped the bomb. Soyo asked Shinpachi out on a date with the sweetest smile there ever could be.

After Soyo's unexpected words Shinpachi's mind went blank, his ears couldn't see, his nose couldn't taste. Later, Shinpachi called it an out-of-glasses experience. The gorilla slid from behind the scenes to hang an out-of-order sign over Shinpachi's neck, then he returned to his corner to write another apology letter. Gintoki fell off the couch with a loud ”NANI”, because of course he did. After a moment of smiling and waiting for an answer, Soyo got a little worried of the silence.

Gintoki was still shocked about the situation, but he managed to see Soyo's smile dropping a bit. Gintoki didn't want to watch Shinpachi's change to date someone (in this case a freaking princess), so he picked himself up from the floor. The glasses known as Shinpachi were hovering  around the apartment, aimlessly wandering all over the place.

Gintoki said something to reassure the princess and snatched the glasses. He smashed the glasses to their rightful place and ripped the sign of Shinpachi's neck. Gintoki slapped Shinpachi and called his name loudly (”Patsuan!”) and it woke him right up.

Shinpachi had a really hard time believing what he had just heard. Then, the following conversation happened:

Shinpachi scratched his neck and slowly let his eyes climb up to meet with Soyo's green ones. ”Uh, Soyo-hime. Sorry if I'm being rude, but are you serious?”

Soyo's smile lit up again. ”Of course I am, actually I've wanted to ask you on a date for a while now Shinpachi-san.”

Gintoki had given the two young ones some space, but he couldn't resist on eaves dropping just a little bit. He felt so happy for Shinpachi, like a proud father should feel.

”Really? I'm so honored hime-sama,” Shinpachi said and smiled widely with a light tint of pink appearing on his cheeks. The more he smiled, the more it made Soyo smile.

Soyo took a step closer to Shinpachi and he thought his virgin heart would burst out of his chest. ”Well Shinpachi-san, do you want to go on a date with me?”

”OF COURSE I WILL!” Shinpachi shouted, he couldn't quite contain his excitement. Gintoki face palmed himself and Soyo giggled sweetly.

”I'm glad,” Soyo said. ”Come to the palace tomorrow at noon Shinpachi-san.”

Soyo turned around and her bodyguard opened her the front door. ”See you tomorrow then hime-sama,” Shinpachi said with a smile. He could still feel his erratic heartbeat. Well, no-one could blame Shinpachi for feeling a little flustered and shocked, it's not an everyday thing to get a date invitation from a beautiful girl.

Soyo was already at the door frame, but she glanced gracefully behind her shoulder. ”You can call me Soyo-chan,” she giggled and left the shop.

Gintoki was sitting in the living-room, waiting for Shinpachi to come back from the entrance way. Neither said anything before Shinpachi slumped on the other couch. He slowly blinked his eyes a few times. ”Gin-san?”

”What is it Patsuan?”

”What just happened?”

Gintoki placed his hands behind his head. ”Well Pachi-kun, you just got yourself a date.”

”I guess I did.” Shinpachi had always liked Soyo as a person and admired her grace, but never in a million years did this kind of scenario ran through his mind.

”Are you nervous?” Gintoki asked.

”Well, yeah.”

”Oh Pachi-kun,” Gintoki said. ”Don't worry, Gin-san will teach you how to  woo a lady.”

Shinpachi leaned closer to Gintoki with a classic Shimura smile on his face. ”Gin-san, please don't.”

*

*

Long story short, Shinpachi and Soyo went on to their date. Then there was a second date, a third date, and so on. To put it simply, they were together now. Shimura Shinpachi had managed to get a wonderful girlfriend *insert choir and trumpets.

Soyo had told Kagura about her feelings before she asked Shinpachi out. Soyo wasn't sure how Kagura would see the situation, but as one could guess, she was fine with it. Shinpachi was like a brother to her and Soyo was her best friend, Kagura was simply happy for them.

When Soyo had sent an invitation to Kagura, she really had hoped it would be just the two of them spending tine. As much as Kagura was happy for Soyo and Shinpachi, it was a painful experience to be the third wheel. Actually Kagura was pretty sure that Shinpachi wouldn't be joining them today as him and Gintoki were on a job.

As the palace was on her sight Kagura could already taste all the different kind of delicacies Soyo usually offered her in there. They even had a special sukonbu cake and it was almost too good to be true.

Kagura entered the palace and she was guided to Soyo's room. Almost all of the guards already knew Kagura, she wasn't the easily forgettable type anyway. The second Kagura entered Soyo's room she smelled all the delicious food. (”Thank you Soyo-chan”)

After a brief hug Kagura and Soyo sat down to eat. They talked about the usual stuff like their daily lives and some girly stuff. Kagura shoved three cupcakes into her mouth and Soyo approved with a smile. This time, behind her smile, Soyo had a special reason for inviting Kagura over.

”Kagura-chan?”

”Mmmmmm?” Kagura munched.

”You know it's your birthday tomorrow, right?”

”Mmmmhhmmmm-aru”

”I want to do something special with you.”

”Like what?” Kagura asked after finally emptying her mouth.

Soyo's eyes sparkled and Kagura knew it would be very hard to decline her. ”I would like for us to go on a double date tomorrow!”

”Huh? Aren't double dates for couples? Four people, yes?”

”Yes.”

Kagura scratched her head. ”But I'm not a couple?”

”Oh Kagura-chan, don't worry. I have found you a very special date,” Soyo explained.

Kagura didn't know how to feel about going on a date with a stranger. ”Uh...I don't know.”

Soyo had predicted that Kagura might be a little hesitant, so she had a backup plan. ”You can pick the restaurant and he'll pay for your dinner, like a gentleman should.”

Her suggestion was tempting. There was that one all you can eat buffet that Kagura had dreamed for so long. It was just so damn expensive. Now, here on a silver platter was her golden ticket to go there. I mean, it didn't sound so bad to go on a fancy date with some nice guy.

Kagura took herself a piece of cake and turned back to Soyo. ”Who is this so-called gentleman-aru?”

For a micro second Soyo had a sort of mischievous smile, Kagura could swear she saw it. ”Don't worry! He is a fine young man, a very handsome one too,” Soyo said.

”Uh-huh, is he rich too?”

Soyo giggled. ”Oh, Kagura-chan. You'll love him,” Soyo assured with a smile. Then she looked straight into Kagura's soul an added: ”I'm sure of it.”

Well why not, Kagura thought to herself. ”I want to go to the Golden Piggy Buffet-aru.”

”Perfect! It's going to be so great!” Soyo said. ”I'll book us a table for tomorrow.”

”But uh, Soyo-chan?” Kagura asked, voice a bit lower than usual. ”I don't have anything so fancy to wear.”

”Oh Kagura-chan! I'll help you. You're going to look so beautiful!”

With those words, Kagura felt almost excited for the double date. She hadn't been on a date before, like a real date. That fiasco with the giant, she didn't count that as a date. It was more like a scam. This would be a different kind of birthday celebration. Who knows, maybe that mystery man will be as nice as Soyo described, Kagura thought and sucked a strip of sukonbu into her mouth.

*

*

The very next day, Kagura and Soyo were getting ready in the palace. Soyo made sure that Kagura would get the same treatment as she herself got, a princess edition. Soyo had chosen a green kimono to match her eyes and a golden diadem. Her hair was done in one big braid and she had a golden ribbon at the end of it.

Soyo was twirling in front of a mirror, waiting for Kagura to come. ”Soyo-chan?”

Soyo lifted her head and saw Kagura through the mirror. ”Oh Kagura-chan! You look beautiful!”

”Really?”

”Yes silly, come and see for yourself!” Soyo said and walked to Kagura. She pushed the Yato to stand in front of the mirror. ”Now look at that.”

Kagura's hair was loose and wild and it framed her face perfectly. She had a short (thigh length) white cheongsam with red piping. The white clothing made her hair and pink lips really stand out. Soyo had even borrowed her red heels. The shoes weren't that high-heeled, but the way her posture changed with them was something else. Her chest was pushed out and her legs looked longer than ever before.

Soyo observed as Kagura admired her reflection carefully. She saw her confidence slowly building up and Soyo couldn't help but to smile. ”Well?”

”Well I look damn good! My date is so lucky, uh-huh!”

”That's the Kagura-chan I know,” Soyo cheered. ”Now that we both are ready, we should get going. Our dates are waiting at the Golden Piggy.”

Kagura flicked her hair a little, testing out her sassy side and finding it to be very funny. ”Let's go then-aru.”

*

*

Soyo and Kagura's car stopped near the entrance of the restaurant. Their driver came to open the door and Soyo was the first one out. ”Shin-chan!” she chirped outside of the car. Megane must be out there, Kagura thought as she began to wiggle herself out of the car.

Kagura exited the car and straightened her dangerously short dress. She saw Soyo and Shinpachi standing in front of her, hugging like they always did. ”Ah, Kagura-chan! Happy birthday!” Shinpachi said.

”Thanks Patsuan!”

”You look really beautiful tonight,” Shinpachi said and turned to whisper something into Soyo's ear. ”You're such a good friend.” No matter how quietly Shinpachi said it, Kagura could hear him. She rolled her eyes quickly and smiled.

”So, Soyo-chan? Where's my lucky fellow-aru?”

”He's at the entrance, right there behind you,” Soyo informed and pointed to his direction.

Kagura turned around to greet the man with a smile, but that smile dropped as fast as it had rose up. Right in front of her eyes was her date. He was wearing a green shirt and a dark grey hakama. She could recognize that brown hair, those red eyes, that deadpan facial expression anywhere. ”Yo.”

”WHAT?” Kagura shouted and turned to Soyo and Shinpachi. ”What the hell is he doing here?”

”Well he is your date Kagura-chan,” Soyo said, knowing exactly why Kagura was asking her question. Okita Sougo of the Shinsengumi, Kagura's long time pain in the ass, wouldn't probably be her first choice to be her date. ”I thought it would be better for your date to be someone you know.”

Soyo and Shinpachi made their way to the front door of the entrance. ”Come on Kagura-chan! Soyo-chan has arranged all of this for us,” Shinpachi said, voice annoyingly defensive for his girlfriend.

”But he's a rude idiot, I don't want to go on a date with him!” Kagura shouted after the happy couple, but she couldn't get an answer.

”Oi oi, now who's being rude?” Sougo asked, his voice drawing Kagura's attention. ”You've hurt a police officer's feelings, do you want me to arrest-”

Kagura shut Sougo up with her elevated arm. ”Just shut up sadist,” she said and lowered her arm. ”My night is already ruined so if you annoy me even a little bit tonight, I'm going to kick your ass, 'kay?”

Sougo listened to Kagura's every word carefully, then he chuckled a little. ”What's so funny bastard?”

”Well China, I know how much you like games, so I have a proposition for you”, Sougo said with a smirk. ”With a little bet, maybe your night wouldn't be completely ruined, ne?”

Kagura crossed her arms and stared at Sougo for a moment. ”I'm listening-aru.”

”Perfect. What do you say if we both try our best to behave this evening. First one to lose their temper or ditch the date, loses.”

Kagura huffed arrogantly. ”And what's the prize when I win?”

”Well I was thinking about our usual wager, what do you say China?”

”The loser has to be the winner's slave for a day, yes? That's fine-aru.”

Sougo offered his hand for Kagura. ”Prepare to lose, my lady.”

Kagura took his hand and shook it. ”Watch me win, dear der.”

”It's 'sir' China.”

”Whatever!” she huffed.

As the handshake ended Kagura saw how Sougo's eyes dropped down to her dress. His eyes travelled even further down to her legs. Kagura smirked and threw a bold question for Sougo. ”Like what you see Sadist?”

Sougo's eyes connected back to hers. ”Well you aren't a total eyesore tonight China.”

She wasn't expecting him to answer like that, he even seemed to be honest about it. ”Oh,” Kagura said and slid her hand under her hair to rest on her neck. ”Thanks,” she said quietly.

”Aren't you going to say anything nice to me China?” Sougo asked and motioned his hands around him like he was showcasing himself.

Kagura looked at his crimson eyes, they always had a certain fire behind them. Yes, Sougo was infamous for his deadpanned demeanor, but for some reason, every time Sougo looked at her, his eyes lit up. It was the same thing when they fought, he had that same fire in his eyes. Kagura had figured that he saw her as a sparring partner and nothing more, maybe she reminded him of the rush of a battle.

Sougo had grown up too in these three years as any young man would. He was taller, his jaw was sharper, he was very handsome (just like Soyo had described), even Kagura couldn't completely deny that fact. ”I guess you aren't so bad yourself, yes.”

Sougo smirked and took a step closer to Kagura. She felt her heartbeat getting a little faster, then again, it wasn't the first time Kagura had felt this way. During their sparring her heartbeat was always rapid. But they weren't fighting right now, so it was really weird. Sougo poked Kagura's nose with his finger. ”I knew it China. You've always liked me.”

Kagura gasped a little and slapped his finger away. ”No I don't! You're such an-”

”China.” Sougo stopped Kagura before she exploded on him. ”China, remember our little bet. Don't make this so easy for me.”

”Hmph.” Kagura crossed her arms again and pouted her lips. Damn him, she thought. Sougo offered his arm for the suspicious Kagura. ”Do you want me to break that...or what is this?”

”Of course not. I want you to take my arm.”

”You want me to rip it off?”

Sougo sighed. ”No...” He kept his voice a bit gentler than normal. ”I want you to take my arm, because we are on a date you know.”

Kagura was a little hesitant. Did he really want her to latch on to his arm like they were a real couple on a real date. Sougo stepped closer to Kagura and offered his arm again. Slowly, she slid her right hand around his bicep. The other she rested near the bend of his arm.

It felt really weird to be this close to Sougo, and secretly Kagura thought it wasn't a bad kind of weird, but there was no way in hell Kagura would tell him that. Before Sougo and Kagura entered the restaurant, he looked like he had something to say.

Kagura glanced at him. ”Are you already giving up Sadist?”

Sougo shook his head and smirked. ”No, I just want to say one thing before we go in.”

Kagura accidentally gripped Sougo's arm a bit tighter. It was like she got a little nervous of what ever he was about to say, maybe? ”Spit it out then, yes.”

”The bet starts when we enter the restaurant, correct?”

”Uh-huh.”

”Mmh...China?”

Sougo turned his head to Kagura and their eyes locked. The evening sky had a great effect on that bastard, Kagura thought. ”Yeah?”

”I just want to say that couldn't have chosen a more fitting restaurant...miss piggy.”

Kagura's nails gnawed into Sougo's shirt. She gritted her teeth and felt furious as a shit-eating grin appeared on his face. ”You are such an asshole! I'm not going in with you! You-”

”Oh, are you giving up that easily?” Sougo teased. ”I'm sort of disappointed China.”

He sure knew how to pull her strings. ”Dammit”, Kagura mumbled to herself.

Kagura hadn't let go of Sougo's arm, her hold of him had only gotten firmer. Sougo stared at Kagura, who was still trying to make up her mind. ”Come on! I'm getting hungry,” he said. ”Think of all the food you're going to get China,” he added. Then with only a quiet whisper, he pointed out the most important part. ”...for free...”

It seemed he was persuading her to come in, did he really want to go on this double date or is he planning for something evil, Kagura asked herself. Again, with the mentioning of food, he really knew how to pull her strings.

”Are you guys coming?” Soyo asked from the entrance. She had wondered if the two rivals had already began another death match as they didn't follow her and Shinpachi into the restaurant. Soyo saw their close position and she tried her best to act natural for Kagura's sakes.

”Yeah, we're coming-aru!” Kagura said and swinged her loose hair a little from side to side. Her small and innocent motion didn't go unnoticed by Sougo. Soyo saw how he looked at her, he was good at hiding those almost longing looks, but Soyo's eyes were sharper.

Without wasting any more of precious buffet time, Sougo and Kagura followed the princess inside and the date could finally begin. Kagura wasn't sure was this a great way or the worst possible way to celebrate her 17th birthday.

Author's note: This was supposed to be a long one-shot, BUT life happened and my work ate all my damn time. Oh well, now this fic is going to be in two parts...maybe more...who knows. Anyway, thanks for reading! Stay tuned!

[vegetasblondehairdye]

Skin Pt.1

A/N: so this is my first ever bnha/MHA fan fic so I apologize if the characters seem to be ooc. I tried my best to make them as close to the original characters as possible.

Summary: (Dabi is a Todoroki theory) During a raid on the city by The League of Villains, Dabi comes face to face with Endeavor and Shouto Todoroki in hopes to bring the truth of his identity crashing down on their heads. There's nothing more he wants than to expose these so called hero's for what they truly are. Fakes who wear capes and pretend that they fight for justice rather than just themselves. The first person on his list to expose is Endeavor. Will his plan work or will it burn in flames?

__________________

A manic laugh left his lips as flames circled around the avenue. The sides of buildings were set aflame as debris tumbled to the ground, nearly crushing the civilians who tried to ran away in horror.

The #1 hero, Endeavor, has been forced to his knees by this fiend with the patch-worked face. The amusement in the man's icy blue eyes said it all. He had Endeavor right where he wanted him. Even better with the fact that he had his golden child fighting along side him.

"Shouto! Get out of here while you still can!" Endeavor shouted, blood dripping down the sides of his mouth. "Get these people to safet-!" A boot then collided swiftly with the side of his jaw, nearly sending him to the other side of the street.

The burned villain smirked as he watched on as an injured Todoroki laid face down on the cement, in shock at how his father was getting his ass handed to him by a member of the league. It wasn't a fair fight considering the villain, that he later learned who went by Dabi, had brought 3 nomu's to destroyed along his side.

Endeavor and Todoroki had held their own for a while, but the numbers game soon caught up to them. "The people?" Dabi laughed dryly, running his hand down his scaly face. "Do you really think I give a damn about the people? I don't give 2 shits about what happens to anybody around us!"

"Why have you been so fixated on us?" Todoroki struggled to push himself off the ground, but his muscles didn't allow him to push himself up anymore than a few inches. He fell back to the ground, still attempting to talk. "You already had us beat." he choked, "Why did you destroy those Nomu's when the League of Villains is clearly trying to take over the city? Why not let us die? What's your agenda?"

"You talk too much for a boy on the brink of death." Dabi stalked over his way, kneeling down and scrunching up a chunk of Todoroki's hair, forcing the boy to look at him. "Look at you. A pro hero in training and you're already lower than the scum on the bottom of my shoe. Do you know why?" he pointed to a bloody Endeavor, "By following in the footsteps of this prick. Listen kid, all this pain and suffering isn't worth it. Hell, look at me! I stopped caring a long time ago and I'm fine!" Dabi shoved the boys head back where it was.

"You don't look fine to me." he gritted.

"Oh? These?" he pointed at his visible burns. "This is what happens when you try to please people who are pieces of shit."

"Get away from him, you animal! Your fight is with me!" Endeavor stood on shaky knees, holding his broken ribs. Those Nomu's really did a number on him. "When I'm finished with you, you'll be sorry that you rid yourself of your only advantage of winning this fight!"

"Oh? You're still alive. Surprisingly, I'm pleased that you hadn't bled out, Enji Todoroki." he held his palms upwards, igniting his signature blue flames. "Stand down, or..." he stood on Todoroki's hand, before mangling the boys wrist with a harsh twist of his boot. He yelped in pain, gripping Dabi's ankle with his free hand to attempt to pry him off. "I break his other wrist and make sure he's out of action for a very long time."

Endeavor stared daggers into Dabi's being, before capturing the site of his injured son. He couldn't risk having his creation be put on the shelf before his hero career even began. How embarrassing would that be? The #1 hero's greatest creation, taken out by some thug who can't fight on his own. "Tch! You're clearly not here for just a fight. So what do you want?"

A twisted grin stretched across Dabi's face, making the staples on his lower jaw pull apart slightly. He finally lifted his foot off of Todoroki's wrist. He winced in pain. His eyes then grew wide, realizing that his injured hand was on his ice side. "No..." his voice shook, "Why did it have to be my ice side..."

"I want you to kneel." he demanded.

"I will never!"

"Such pride." he looked over his shoulder, "I'm sure your golden boy would absolutely love having only one hand, forced to use his damn fire quirk for the rest of his life."

"Leave him out of this, criminal."

"Do what I say and I won't break his entire hand off."

All Endeavor could think about was how hard he tried to make the perfect hybrid child. All of that would go to shit if he didn't obey this parasites demands. How pathetic. He cursed under his breath. This brat better appreciate all that I'm doing in order to secure his future!

Endeavor struggled back onto his knees. Dabi watched, looking pleased with the man's decision. He slowly approached him. The only thing hotter than the flames around, was the white hot fire in Endeavor's eyes. He mentally swore to himself that this villain will suffer a slow and painful punishment. Then make his death look like an accident.

Dabi, then lunged forward. Meeting the hero with a stiff shot to the gut. He hunched over in pain, nearly vomiting from the punch. "How does it feel? Getting knocked off of your pedestal and bowing down to someone like me. Tell me what's going through your mind, Enji." he turned around and spotted Todoroki who had barely made it back to his feet, while cradling his injured hand. "How about you... little Shouto Todoroki? Doesn't seeing your father like this just make your skin crawl?" he lifted Endeavor's chin up with the point of his shoe, "Look at him. He's weak."

Todoroki gazed at the scene, but all he saw was him as a 5 year old. In a pool of his own vomit and blood with his father standing over him with a wretched scowl. He mentally slapped himself for even thinking that his father was finally getting what was coming to him.

"You talk about us.... Like you know us..." Todoroki growled through clenched teeth. "I'll make you pay for all the destruction you've caused." he threatened.

"Like I know you?" Dabi let Endeavor's head drop after he removed his foot from underneath his chin. "For being a high profile student of UA, you sure do have a frail memory." he shoved his hands deep into his pockets like he always did. Now that he had them both wrapped around his finger, he became more comfortable with the direction things were going. "Not to be cliche, but you and I are more alike than you think."

"I'm nothing like you."

Dabi mockingly placed his hand over his eye, "Nice scar."

Todoroki touched his burn patch, "Our appearance doesn't mean a damn thing. I will defeat you, even if I only have to use my left side."

"Stand down. We both know that using your fire to save your Old Man isn't what you really want. Knowing that it's what he wants you to do."

"Stop trying to get into the boys head. It won't work! He's too smart for that!"

Dabi cocked his head, turning his attention to the man on his knees. He gripped him from the throat, "Shut up! You don't get to talk unless I ask you to!" he snapped. "What makes this boy so special? All I see is a brat who thinks he can't be touched." he tackled Todoroki to the ground. "What makes you so special?" he punched him. "Why are you the one seen with the most potential?" Dabi continued his assault. "You're nothing but a spoiled parasite that got everything handed to you!"

"What do you want from us, Dabi?" Todoroki coughed, blood dripping from both corners of his mouth.

He narrowed his eyes at the boy. "I want you all to come face to face with the truth." he pulled him up harshly from the ground. "I'm sick of being an after thought. A ghost in people's minds. Yet the only memory of me they may still hold onto is a frail, weak version of my former self." His hand gripped tighter around Endeavor's throat as he turned his attention back to him. "What do you see when you look at me?"

"I see a failure who will perish in a prison cell."

Dabi clenched his fist, striking him in the face. "Try again! I know you only have one good eye, but try to focus! Look at me! Look past the scars! Look past the hatred in my eyes! Tell me what you see, Enji!"

Endeavor stared deep into Dabi's teal eyes. Doing exactly what he said. Paying the hatred and burns no mind. He focused on the young man's face as best as he could. He imagined the purple burns being erased from his body. But when he looked deeper into his eyes, he didn't see hatred. What he saw was sorrow. Pain.

He continued to alter the villains image in his mind. Even seeing him with red hair for some strange reason. That's when reality hit the hero like a brutal Texas Smash.

"T...Touya?"

_______________

A/N: so this is chapter 1. Chapter 2 will be posted if this chapter gets a lil bit of love 😊

Edit: part 2