#i really wanna do something more substantial with them in the future.. just not sure what yet

[anatomical-puppet]

updated my gavinners ocs a bit !! i like these guys they have issues and problems

[id in alt text]

[crystalelemental]

I've actually been playing two games in parallel, depending on whether my wife is using the Switch. Final Fantasy 9 was my turn on the console, but while she's playing, I picked up Bravely Second. I'll be honest, Bravely Default was...very bad, in my estimation, to the point I consider it one of the worst games I've played. But I got both on what I considered good authority at the time that these played and felt like classic Final Fantasy games, and since I own it, I have to beat it at some point. So I've been playing through it, and have finally completed it. If finishing FF9 today was like finishing a delightful meal, finishing Bravely Second is like chasing it with a nice glass of bleach and lighter fluid.

So yeah, I did not care for this game very much! Unless you wanna stick around for me bitching for 15 paragraphs (it's actually 19, I can't believe I went over estimate), there is no reason to read further, I am just venting at this point. But if you do want to hear it, welcome aboard.

Bravely Second is, thematically, fixated primarily on second chances and the means of accomplishing them. Specifically, a big portion of the game is on the notion that you can't change the past, but you can change the future by working on the present to correct past mistakes. The final arc flows around concepts of hope and despair, the notion that nothing can change and falling into anguish and creating greater problems for yourself, or finding hope and moving forward. Conceptually, the pieces are there, and I see what they're trying to do. Bravely Second's problems, at least narratively, come from a complete lack of dramatic weight, coupled with intense cast deficiencies.

I need to talk cast to explain the failure in drama. Bravely Second's primary four suffer intensely from being genericized. I mentioned FF9, and have been playing all of the FF games (through 12) this summer, and one thing that really stands out is that, for every game, characters feel dynamic. They can have quirks and particular frames, but dialogue is varied and organic, in a way that makes them all feel alive. Bravely Second does not do this. Character dialogue is highly repetitive and pigeon-holed into particular gimmicks and tropes with little embellishment. Yew is going to go on about gravy, Edea about her sweets, Magnolia will say something in French then translate for us, and Tiz will have just the worst opinions you're likely to hear. The characters never really grow past these little boxes for themselves, and this hinders the drama.

Aside from trying to experience a profound emotion while three separate people keep unironically using the phrase "my coup de gravy," this creates situations where character developments follow expected and obvious lines. "Aha Yew, don't you see? Your family history is awful and the organization you support has done terrible things to the world, and we wish to unmake them!" This could be grounds for many directions to begin taking things, as we delve into specifics around a theme. But it's always in generic and immediate terms of "my parents died because of corruption" and "I've seen so many things you wouldn't believe." Would you care to elaborate? "No." So it's all met in equally generic terms, as all Yew has to do is go on about how yeah sure, but that's the past, and he's gonna change things going forward! Which flops ethically if you know literally anything about reform efforts or certain institutions, but this is just what happens when your narrative wants to play at being deep while wading in the kiddie pool.

I can't even say the others have relevance. I imagine Tiz and Edea are supposed to just carry over from last game, but there's no real substantial reason for their presence here. Magnolia gets hit hardest, as I can't for the life of me figure out a good reason for her, specifically, to be there. Beyond her job busting Ba'als, it's not like her presence adds much more than just "Yew's love interest." A big thing the game wants to play with is romance and not letting your feelings go unsaid, which realistically only applies to Yew toward Magnolia, but it's not like she presents with much of her own. Which...alright.

It would be one thing to leave it at just "boring concept, boring execution," but there is, unfortunately, more to the problem. Despite its focus on "you can only look forward," your party fails, the Kaiser takes Agnes back in time, and the fairy shit obliterates the moon, leaving you all in a dark, dead world. What is your solution to this? You use some magic time powers to boot New Game+ at the Kaiser fight, use the SP skill, and get your party back, changing the events of the start of the game. Ie, the past. Because yeah, it turns out you can alter the past here. Which thematically undermines the point, and dramatically reduces any tension to 0. We had potential quences to conse, but instead of sticking to your storytelling guns and having protagonists sincerely think of a way through this, you just circumvent the problem like it never happened, redo the whole world so no one died or had anything bad happen, and boom, problem solve. See? Second chances.

This inability to just live with a decision also leads to what I am now calling, without question, the single most cringe scene in any video game ever. Not even in an arguable "cringe is dead, let things be sincere" way, but in a way that's just...sad. The final boss is a literal god of the world, who is tormenting a dead soul for giggles I guess. It just wanted to mess with someone. When you interfere, your party starts winning against the true form, only for it to look directly at the camera and start talking to you. The player. Talking about how making them fight is only hurting them. Then it switches to the title screen where every input moves to delete your save data, until Yew cuts through it, producing the title of the game, now saying "Bravely Second: Send Player," with the SP taken away as a source of time power to show the proper title, "End Layer." We then have to cycle through every antagonist character talking to you, player, about how your actions saved all of them and you can surely beat this god thing, until you do. When I say "cringeworthy," I mean I actually, physically cringed. This then plays into more scenes of some third moon spirit coming around to bring your time compass where it needs to be to save Tiz and shows all the couples getting together, exactly zero of which I care about since I dislike Tiz and Ringabel, and Magnolia and Yew's romance kinda fell stale after like one chapter.

Seriously, the romance aspect sucks. Early on, I was kinda alright with it. A social faux pas had Magnolia interested in Yew from what she clearly thought was a marriage proposal, and it's clear he's taken with her too. While they have a few cute scenes early on, it kinda just...fizzles away into people telling him not to keep his feelings bottled in and to tell her, but they never do anything particularly cute after that, so there's no longer connection. Especially given, again, Magnolia brings nothing to this table aside from "is girl." Zero chemistry hetero romance strikes again.

But now we must shift gears, to possibly the worst part of this game. Throughout the first three chapters, you will get access to side-quests, where Edea specifically must resolve an ethical dilemma between two of the former asterisk holders. Each dilemma will give you the asterisk of whoever you side against. In the early dilemmas, the game just feels like it's throwing softball tosses at you, or it has a really messed up sense of ethics, because you'll get choices like "provide water to the orphans of the desert, or potentially blow up the entire continent in hopes you'll harness free energy for real this time," or "allow this man to pursue his passion career in a field he studied for and excelled in, or force him back into a dead-end job because he needs to learn the value of hard work I guess." Given that choosing the obvious decision results in some gnashing of teeth from the other side, it may be that the game has a fucked sense of ethics, but it could also be they felt they needed to present it like a legitimate dilemma, so I'll let it slide.

The worse ones are the middle ones, where the stakes are far, far lower, but the game kinda reveals it has no clue what it's talking about. One involves the performer and pirate classes. A new song from a famous old composer has come to light, and the pop start girl wants to remix it in her style, while the pirate thinks it should only be performed as is, as a ballad for the men of the sea. In ordinary circumstances, I feel both positions are fair. Different genres arranging music is a thing that happens, but some people do feel like one version reigns supreme because of its artistic merits. The game go over both sides, then hits you with the grandson confirming the grandfather wanted this song to only be in this style, dedicated to the men of the sea. And just like that, problem resolved. The ethical dilemma is no more, the creator specifically requested no alteration to this music. To do otherwise is unethical. So I sided with pirate. Only for the game to spend an insane amount of time harping on "Yeah, that gross girly pop music is so vapid and uninspired," as if (1) that isn't misogynistic as hell, and (2) the actual problem at hand. The game just completely misses the point of where ethics are.

I can't even say that's the worst one. Another is between Monk and Valkyrie. In Florem, they're making a school, but they're deciding whether it should be an all-girls school, or a co-ed school. Given the history of the place favoring women, the co-ed angle is initially posited as a sort of equality measure. Which...correct. Moreover, you can't really have school segregation without creating inequality, it's the entire problem driving private education, homeschooling, an charter schools. You kinda need to dump everyone in the same pot, or the rich will voluntarily exclude their children from the public to receive more favorable conditions to the non-rich. The ethical angle is integration for these reasons. However, the game frames the co-ed side as "students should be able to pursue romance!" This argued from a character literally named "Sweaty Tracksuit." It is so viciously disgusting on an emotional level I almost sided with segregation on principle. But I stuck with the ethical decision, and was greeted with the reveal that Sweaty over here has the hots for the lady arguing for all-girls, and felt a deep sickness in my stomach.

But don't worry! When you go back in time, you can just do these decisions over anyway! How else would you get all classes in one run? Good thing none of your choices mattered!

Ugh. I'm done with this. We have to talk mechanics.

Bravely Default, as a series, wants to emulate Final Fantasy 5. The focus on jobs, the focus on abilities and mixing and matching, they want to be FF5 so bad. But they are not FF5. They are much, much worse. Because they don't understand what made FF5 so good, and want to insert their own idea of difficulty that hinders the experience.

FF5, as a game, is fairly challenging because there are a lot of unknowns, and bosses are rough. However, with a bit of foreknowledge and some experimentation, most bosses can be trivialized without much investment. A major late-game boss, the Omniscient, can be rendered entirely impotent just by having two Reflect Rings equipped. One of the hardest bosses, skeleton dinosaur, can be instantly killed with Raise because undead. Shinryu can be Berserked, allowing Blink to just trivialized the fight. Even early game bosses like Garula can be hilariously circumvented with the right tools. Did you know it can be hit by Pond's Chorus if your Blue Mage learns it in the tower, negating its counterattacks and boosting your damage? FF5 is a difficult game, but the puzzle aspect of its boss fights is you with a ton of tools, against an opponent that will cream you if you don't put together a solid counterplay.

Bravely Second, conceptually, does not do this. Your skills are both largely unavailable, and functionally useless half the time. For example, let's say you picked up Black Mage, but you decide to keep working a different class for skills. When you shift to Black Mage in the endgame, you will find out that the only spells you can use right now are the basics. It turns out, to get the high-level -aga spells, you must grind out job level to 8, something unthinkable in FF5 if you're main is BM. Every aspect of this game involves grinding, and I will get back to complaining about that soon. But the other issue is skills are useless. One combo I hit upon in my choices was Red Mage + Ninja. Red Mage has a skill to grant 1BP when you dodge an attack, while NInja has a skill that caps evasion for six whole turns, wow! I don't think I ever dodged a boss attack. Despite maximized evasion, that didn't translate to any functional effect. Both the points I put into learning Ninjitsu, as well as the time spent getting that Red Mage skill, were meaningless. The puzzle box aspect of solving boss fights is no longer against the boss, it's against your own characters, finding out what you can get access to and what actually does anything.

This leads to grinding. Not just any grinding, mind you! Bravely Second has a system where, if you win a fight in one round, you can fight another right after, with boosted points added. The longer the streak, the better the boost, up to 3x EXP, gil, and AP. This is where the problems start. Early on, I was into this system, because it felt sane. I can farm a bit at each location before pushing on. But this stalled out in Chapter 1, when I realized nothing was as efficient as training on the high seas in the row boat. See, enemies past that point now have an assload of HP, and it is very difficult for one character to win in a single round. Comparatively, it is very easy to do so on the sea. And the level of multiplier made this unquestionably the best AP farming location. The majority of the game doesn't even offer better AP for random encounters, so it's not like single fights later on outpace this. Its bigger problem is scale. Again, FF5 has slow AP gains, but the tradeoff is that you always have your passives when you main a class, and the highest job level is 7. Bravely Second? No passives until unlocked and equipped, and hell no actives until unlocked, also there are ten levels in each class, and the scale is broken. In FF5, when you get 1-2 ABP per battle, and have a 500 ABP need for your final level, that's rough, but achievable. When you get 10 AP in Bravely Second and your seventh level costs 1500 points? You see what I'm saying?

It's not even just EXP and AP, god no. Catmancer, you Blue Mage equivalent, as well as the Confectioner, a sort of debuff-centric class, both require consumables to use their skills. Yes, their Blue Mage, not content to just track down these spells to learn from enemies by having them cast on you complete with Reflect demands, also demands you farm out resources to use them at all. "But they have a skill to search during comba-" I AM NOT DOING THAT! No one should have to do that!

This doesn't even touch on the two major combat issues. BP is everything in this game, and its management is more important than any other form of strategy. Most of the time, your solution is Defaulting to 3BP, then unloading on the enemy. I'm not going to lie, almost none of them can do anything about this. The toughest fights are the two who can. One of them can't if you know his move pattern, the other is only a problem if you continue to use Healing Mist because he'll possess your character and get like 14k HP back each round. The other is that, because of the dearth of actual skills, there's not a whole lot you actually...do. Combat is the same every time, and there's very little variance. You just find the maximum DPS number you can hit and move on with your life. My Ninja never stopped just dual-wield attacking, my Fencer never stopped stance changing, and my mage never stopped Hammer Spellcrafting for 9999 damage. Every fight, without question, went the same way. Which, again, does not fit the FF5 puzzle box mode, where switching your classes and altering your approach to suit the given battle is paramount. It's just a DPS check. It's not even that hard. Once I hit a certain point, I just turned encounters off and swept bosses until I couldn't anymore, and a quick lookup of the most efficient training grounds got me what I needed.

For my final gripe: I have been historically positive regarding turning off encounters. I do not like the random encounter system, I think it's butt when I'm trying to explore and get jumped by enemies I don't want to deal with, only to find run mechanics don't work this game. But turning everything off also yields disappointing results. I couldn't tell you anything about the dungeons in this game, and the exploration phase feels even more annoying because instead of something I'm experiencing, it's just a block to the next boss fight as I try to piece together how to get all the treasure. I do think this game has a bit of an issue where puzzles are overly complex, but even beyond that, removing random encounters entirely does remove a sense of identity from locations.

"It's optional." It's also smart. Because the game inflates HP values like fucking crazy. In random encounters, it's to prevent abuse of the multiplier, but it makes all encounters frustrating as hell. If I can't take down a random mob of three enemies with all four characters unleashing four attacks in a row, then I do not want to deal with that mob. But oddly, this also happens with bosses. While I mowed down the majority, I did notice that, without fail, my mage ran out of MP every single time, while my physical units tended to lag behind the DPS curve. I found this strange, because often, I was at the forefront of the level range recommended for the zone, and I'm only playing on Normal, so what gives? It's possible I failed to maximize DPS somehow, but I think there's another reason. See, there's a way to break the 9999 damage cap, and to sneak in extra damage and actions for free. Through your Bravely Second system. Which you accumulate up to three points of, one for every 8 human hours of gameplay, or by purchasing them with actual, literal human dollars. There are microtransactions in this game. As if things weren't bad enough, they have microtransactions, and I suspect put in some frustrations to try and sell them. It's absolutely possible to do without. I did. But good god.

*sigh* I think I'm done. God I hated this game. Bravely Default stays losing. Can you believe they tried to sequel hook this game, then had to release Bravely Default 2 with an entirely different cast? And that these initial games were so bad, that even though that one is also generic as shit with equal problems, I wound up giving it a pass for managing to be okay?

[rightsockjin]

BTS Reaction: Baby mama love

warnings: Pregnancy kink, kissing, touching, baby bump kink(?), honestly all of bts would love the frick out of their baby mama’s, lost of love, fluff, nipple play, breast play, cursing, mentions of insecurity. Please let me know if there is something I missed. 

a/n: OMG... I was so excited about this ask as of now I’m the only one writing reactions and I hope you enjoy this anon and of course anyone who is interested in this topic hehe... this was very fun to write but it took me too long to do it because of school but its done none the less.

Jin

You woke to Jin’s strong arms rubbing up and down your swollen stomach. You were towards the end of your second trimester and your baby bump had become very prominent. Your entire body ached, and you were an emotional wreck, but your husband, your wonderful, loving husband made sure to always put you at ease.

 ���Baby, wake up.” he placed a line of soft kisses down your spine. You hummed at his actions and attempted to move to face him.

“No, baby it’s okay.” He kissed the top of your head.

“Let’s stay like this for a bit.” His hands began to slide up and down your hips. You stay still and let yourself be appreciated by your husband. He moved closer to you so that his body was flush to yours. Jin loved to make it known how grateful he was for your generous contribution of ‘mother to our child’ as he likes to say not that you really had a choice since he wouldn’t be able to carry our baby.

“Jinnie, I wanna see your handsome face, help me turn over please.” You latch onto the hand which again rested on your pregnant belly. Jin grabbed onto your shoulders and unceremoniously flipped you over onto your other side. As soon as your eyes met his lips clashed with yours. 

“My anea is so beautiful.” He moved a loose strand of hair from your face and placed it behind your ear. He reached for the blanket covers and pulled it off of the bed. You whined his name as the cold air hit your warm body. He gestured for you to sit up against the headboard. You settled against it and waited to see what Jin wanted.

He sat next to me and just let his eyes run up and down your body. His hand settled on your tummy and his face came down next to his arms.

“Hi baby Haesol, it’s your appa…I just wanted to say thank you.” He placed a small peck on your belly right above your navel.  

“Your eomma looks absolutely beautiful right now and I cannot get enough of her gorgeous body.” he cupped his hand around his mouth as if he was whispering a secret to your little boy.

“Honestly… sometimes I just look at her and I just don’t think I can control myself. I just wanna eat her up. Like right now, she looks stunning. I have to go baby boy, I need to take care of your beautiful mama.”

“Oh, my gosh, Jin, don't tell him that!” you said as you gently smacked his shoulder. 

“What? This way he’ll hear me better!”

Yoongi

You reach for your favorite pair of jeans excited to get ready for the day. You gather up some accessories and a variety of tops to complete your look. It had been around three months since you found out you were pregnant and today you would have the first ultrasound. You had been doing some research and found out that today you might know the approximate birthday of your baby. Yoongi had decided to ask for a half day to accompany you to your appointment and he had messaged you saying that he was almost done with his work for the day. Yoongi being the loving husband he was, said he would pick up food on his way home to enjoy before you leave to the OBGYN clinic.

You took your belongings and set them on the bed and took a second to look at your reflection in the full-length mirror in your shared room. You lifted the large t-shirt you had worn to sleep and placed your delicate hand on your growing tummy. You looked at the way your body had begun to change. Your legs had swollen a little not used to the extra amount of weight you had put on. You look further up your body and you take notice of your hips. They had begun to widen, not a substantial amount but enough to be noticeable at least to you. Your eyes traveled further up and landed on your swollen tummy. You delicately placed your small hand on the swell of your stomach. You smiled happily at the thought of your future.

“You look beautiful,” Yoongi said from the doorway of your room. He walked slowly behind you and placed his hands on top of yours. He lowered his head to fit in the crook of my neck, he placed a few sparse kisses on the little skin that was exposed. He hummed into your ear. “and our baby is going to keep growing in here.” His hands rubbed up and down your exposed tummy.

 His soft hands left goosebumps in their wake. Yoongi had expressed to you how excited he was to see my body grow to accommodate your child and he made sure to never let you feel insecure in your developing body. So to accommodate for your growing insecurities he only ever presented you with love and adoration anytime you had the chance to be together.

“I’m excited for our appointment today,” you said as you nuzzled yourself into his warm body.

“Me too, but you look so good now baby,” his hands slid up under your oversized sized shirt and cupped your tender chest. “and you. Are just. Going. To keep. Getting. Sexier. And sexier.” His words were emphasized but his plush lips which pressed softly into the skin of your neck. His hands played tenderly with your soft skin.

“I won’t be able to keep my hands off of you jagiya.”

 Hoseok

“Baby mama what are you doin’?” Hobi walked into your shared room, excited to see what you had been up to while he was at work. You look back at him with a glowing smile.

“I want to see which of my clothes still fit me. As far as jeans, as of now… I have one pair that fits me.” You turn towards your husband, giddy with excitement now that he was home. You reach for the button of the jeans you had on and pull at it to hopefully shut it but to no avail.  Hoseok walked towards you and placed his hands on your hips and looked straight into your eyes. He moved his hands to the small of your back and slithered his hands into the back pockets. He rests his forehead against yours as you wrapped your arms around his waist. He begins to lead your body to the beat of the song playing in his head and together you sway in the silence of your house.

“I can’t wait to see you grow more pregnant, Sunshine. Though I won’t lie,” his hand moves down to where your butt meets your thighs and gives it a firm squeeze, followed by a soft pat. “I’m really going to miss your ass in these jeans.” He grabbed your hand and raised it above your head, procedeeding to spin you slowly. His free hand stops you when you're facing away from him. He pulls you so the swell of your behind is pressed up against his slim figure. Once again, he guides your body to the beat of the song that wasn’t playing. His slender hands roam over your developing curves. They move around you as if he’d never felt your body. Two years of dating and three years of marriage had made the two of you experts when it came to each other’s bodies. Though right now Hoseok seemed to be hesitant to let himself enjoy you like he did in the past.

“God, you're so perfect, Sunshine.” You led him to the bed that was in the middle of your room and sat him at the foot of it. He spread his legs on the edge of the bed which gave you the opportunity to slot yourself between his muscular thighs. He smiled up at you and let his hands settle on your small baby bump under the shirt you were wearing. He leaned forwards to press a couple of quaint kisses to the apex of your tummy.

“Thank you so much, beautiful.” His face nuzzled into your stomach and hummed into your warm skin.

Namjoon

You’d been lounging around your house all day watching Netflix and doing other random ‘busy work’ Namjoon asked you to do. Since you had gone onto maternity leave you had a lot of time on your hands, so your wonderful husband always came home with projects and things for you to keep busy around the house. Recently you had begun to decorate the nursery and the two of you had decided on the theme of the room. So you began to paint the walls to look like a forest, alongside some cute woodland creatures that are scattered across the room.

“Y/n baby, I’m home!” You heard the door open and your husband’s shoes hit the floor as he threw them on the ground after removing them. Ever since you had become pregnant, Namjoon was excited to get home and just spend time with you. Now that you were in the first week of your third trimester your husband had become extra protective of you. He made sure you were eating good foods, getting in the necessary amount of sleep and making sure to help you destress if you ever did manage to get wound up.

“Hey, hon I’m painting in the nursery.” The clap of Namjoon’s house slippers echoed through the house as he approached the room you were in.

“How’s it coming along?” He slid his arms under the straps of your overalls and massaged your straining shoulders. You rested your head on his large hand and enjoyed his impromptu massage.

“Pretty good I think, I just need to try to match this brown and a few other colors, but I have a pretty good idea of what I want it to look like.” You point with your palette knife in the direction of the deer you had been working on for the past few days. You and Namjoon stood looking at the doe. It seemed like time stopped as you both looked at the solitary animal.

“You and the doe have the same eyes.” He placed a small kiss on your collar bone and smiled into your skin. “Also, I like what you're wearing today.”

He grabbed the straps of your tank top and snapped them on your shoulder. You scoffed at his small transgression and patted his thigh behind you. A moan slipped out of Namjoon’s plush lips and a smug smile crept its way on your glowing face.

“Oh, now I know why you were excited to get home?” You shift back into his hold while his hands slither down to your inner thighs.

“Baby, I mean come on,” he whined “just look at you.” He kissed the nape of your neck “You look so beautiful pregnant, Mama. From the ways your eyes glitter, to the way your lips got plumper, even your hair shines more.”

“yeah okay kiss up old man. You’re still short and i’m still fat”

He ignored your sassy comment instead he takes in a deep breath and cups your breasts in his big hands. “Your chest too, and your wider hips. Hmm? Not to mention your belly, God you’re so damn gorgeous.” 

“I love you Joon.”

“I love you too Bambi.”

 Jimin

��Jagiya~ I have something for you.” Jimin sang into the quiet house. He walked for a little while anxious to see you.

“Y/n? Where are you, Angel??” He yelled out again into your shared apartment.

“I’m running a bath, Minnie. Join me?'' The water coming out of the faucet made the bubbles in the bath water swirl around in the tub. It had been a while since you got to spend some time with your husband so you thought to spoil your man. Things had been a little hectic. The boys were working on some music for the comeback and with you being  close to the third trimester of your pregnancy, it didn’t help to reduce the stress Jimin was subjected to. So any chance you got you tried to make things easier for you husband since he had been extra loving and patient through your pregnancy. You heard a soft knock at the door and giggled.Even though you had been together for over five years, he still made you feel butterflies and giddy excitement when you got to spend time together.

“Come in, the bath is almost ready.” Jimin walks in hesitantly as if he was afraid of what was beyond the closed bathroom. You had set up a string of purple LED lights to give the room its ambient. Music also began to play softly. His hands are hidden behind his back and a goofy smile is plastered on his face as you approach him.

“I had a surprise for you, but I feel like you’ve got me beat.” He sets whatever he had in his hands on the countertop. He grabs onto your biceps and rubs them tenderly. “You are too good to me,” he affirmed as he rubbed his nose against yours. Your hands find the purchase of his waist and wrap tightly around it.

“Wait baby, what did you bring?” You rub small circles on the base of his spine. He shrugs out of your hold and grabs the small box from behind him and hands it to you. You pull at the pale pink ribbon and tear the wrapping paper.

“Jimin, you didn’t?” Inside the box was a small pale pink and blue Hanbok. Woven within the fabric of the skirt were threads of gold which shimmered when you moved the fabric around. Tears welled up in your eyes.

“I thought we could use this for when she turns one… you know for the Doljanchi ceremony.” Without hesitation you kiss his soft lips. You part your lips to allow your husband to explore your mouth with his tongue. You smile into the kiss.

“Let's get in the bath, yeah?” You nod and undress quickly. Jimin grabs your hand and leads you over and into the warm water. You sit down slowly with the guidance of your husband and he follows in to sit in front of you. He pats his legs and you hesitantly straddle his lap. You see a glimmer of lust in his eyes as they scan down your pregnant body. He cups your swollen breasts and rubs softly on your tender nipples. His head drifts down to nestle in bust.

“Fucking perfect.” He breathed out.

 Taehyung

“Let me see you in the purple one?” He asked, though  it sounded more like a command. You turn swiftly and grab the next pair of lingerie from the box Tae had brought home for you. The velvet fabric felt luxurious as you brought the bralette up against your chest. You had started to grow uncomfortable with your body since your baby bump started showing, and now that you had begun to produce milk your chest had become a problem area for you. Not that you didn’t like how you looked. You just weren’t used to having these new dimensions. You expressed this negativity to your husband, but he was having none of it and promised to make sure to always let you know how beautiful you looked  even when you felt the opposite. That night the two of you stayed up just talking about your struggle and how these changes were affecting your mental health. So, you decided to really have patience with yourself and with the help of Taehyung you would find comfort in your body once again.

It had been a while since you had had that conversation with your husband and through your pregnancy you learned to thrive in your pre-partum body and found that you actually were enjoying your new figure. You felt confident. Even though the pregnancy had been difficult, you found a great amount of self-worth. Tae had noticed your shift in attitude and decided to help you grow even more comfortable in some more intimate situations.

You looked into the full-length mirror in your room and cautiously put on the lingerie that you had brought into the room. It fit you really well with the exception of your chest, you had grown a little and Tae hadn’t taken that into account. You fluff your hair and inspect your makeup before heading back to the living room where Tae was waiting for you. The patter of your feet is heard as you waddled towards your partner.

Tae sat comfortably on the couch, his legs were spread open and his hands grabbed at the back of his neck. His eyes seemed to be closed but his brow were furrowed. The light in the room made his honey skin glimmer. You noticed that he had undone one of the buttons on his white button up which exposed more of his soft golden skin.

“Tae, look please.” You said quietly as to not break the ambient of the room. His eyes open slowly as his head lifts off the back rest of the couch. He looks at you and lifts one hand up to cover his mouth.

“Fuck, you look good. Turn for me, sweetness. I bet the back looks just as good.” You nod at his request and turn slowly to face away from him. He hisses loudly at your appearance.

“Come here, sweetheart. I wanna see it up close.” His word had become slurred from what you assumed to be lust. You waddle as sexily as you could towards your husband. He chuckles softly at your attempt and grabs on to your rotund hips. His lips meet the apex of your baby bump where he places a hand up to your tender chest. His hand slides in between the fabric of your panties and your heat while the other reaches up to softly play with your engorged nipple through the velvet of the bralette.

“I’m such a lucky man, the mother of my babies.” He kissed around your exposed chest “My wife… is the most beautiful woman in existence. You don’t even know how grateful I am to be with you, Sweetness.”

 Jungkook

Jungkook was so excited when he had found out you were expecting a child, so excited that he bought a brand-new camera just to take pictures of you throughout your pregnancy to see your tummy grow. Every day after work he made sure to take an aesthetic picture of you to eventually make a scrapbook to give to you for your next anniversary. Today he called you excitedly asking you to fill the bathtub with water, JUST water, he emphasized, so when he texted you that he was five minutes away you began to fill the tub with hot water. You hear the quiet buzz of the keypad as Jungkook put in the code to your apartment.

“Baby girl I’m home, did you fill the bathtub!” His voice ricocheted throughout the house.

“Yes, Bun I’m filling it up as we speak.” He set his bag down and took his camera and the lights and brought them with him to your restroom. He set the lights up and slung his camera around his neck.

“Baby, can you put on that pretty red robe, the really long one that’s transparent.” He looked down at you with his big bright eyes and sent you a loving smile. You walk out to your room and your husband continues fixing the bathtub. He grabbed a couple of the roses and removed the petals from the stem tossing the loose petals into the water. He took a few of the tea candles and placed them in the tub to see how they float in the bath. Content with the candles, he continued to fiddle with the color of the lighting until he found a setting that he knew would compliment your skin tone.

Your footsteps patter on the glossy tile. This alerted Jungkook to your presence. He turned to see you in the luxurious red garment. His eyes travel down the expanse of your body and he feels his member twitch in his grey joggers. He whispers a quiet wow under his breath. A flash of light reflects off the shiny tile. Jungkook looked down at his hands and noticed that his finger was on the shutter release.

“Eomeo.” He chuckled

“Get in the tub baby and just relax for me.” You reach out for Jungkook so he could help you get into the bath carefully. The fabric of your robe swirled around in the tub majestically, the rose petals splayed around your glowing figure. The candles bobbed softly around you, the set up made you feel expensive, luxurious, and sexy. You had to give it to Jungkook. He really had an eye for visual effect.

“I’m going to start okay?” He lifted the camera up to his face. He moved around you to find all of the best angles. Every once in a while, he’d give you instructions for the poses he wanted you in. After a couple of minutes, you begin to notice your husband's focus waning. Your gaze sweeps down his frame until your eyes land on his hardened member.

“Kookie, you’re hard.” You smile up at him innocently.

“How could I not be, Beautiful.” He walks up close to the tub. He reaches down to grab your chin with his thumb and forefinger. He pulls your face up to sear your lips in a passionate kiss.

“My baby girl is so sexy.” He bites harshly onto your bottom lip. “Seeing you like this… with your swollen breast, and your beautiful baby bump.” His hand reached down into the water and settles on your tummy.

“Just, I don’t know… I…it makes me want you so damn much.”

~AdMin

Send an ask for request reactions!!

[rickyandgina]

I always felt that the next scene between just Ricky and Gina is in the finale.

The next Gina/Nina scene is going to be very interesting, cause it does end with all 4 girls hugging. Gina pushes Nini to pursue her songwriting.

Then you have next week being about having unexpected visitors, second chances, and decisions about everyone future- together and apart. (Which looking at that the only ones that scream that is Ej/Nini/Gina/Ricky. EJ with possible college, Nini-songwriting etc..)

I think you're right, it just seems so substantial and something that the writers have been keeping close to their hearts for the finale. I mean they dropped the flashback scene on us and then boom they have had no interaction in the past five episodes (*cries. So it seems fitting that all that build up leads to a grand end-of season convo.

The Nini and Gina scene it what is really piquing my interest, because like you said they have to resolve their issues since we've seen them be friendly with each other by the end. What I really wanna know is why Nini was so upset by the chocolates when Ricky didn't give them to Gina, it just makes it seem like there is more to it than is let on. Is it because she knows that her and Ricky were really close last season? Did Rini have an off screen conversation about his and Gina's relationship where he confirmed that there were feelings there on both part? Nini is the only one who seems to understand the gravity that the chocolates had for the Rina relationship while everyone else views it as a joke, except her, Gina and possibly Ricky. THERE'S SOMETHING MORE THERE.

Yeah the future part is def about Nini and EJ for sure. Like you said, EJ is supposed to be going off to university- but I really think they are going to write him in for another season. So maybe Mr. Mazzara offers him some sort of intership since we saw him doing tech stuff in ep 5. With Portwell happening so late in the season it doesn't make since narratively to end it so abruptly in 2 episodes. They are almost surely season 2 endgame. And with Nini taking her song writing further maybe she gets another opportunity like last season to pursue it also tying in with the second chances.

Second chances? It could only really be Rina, I mean the flashback scene. Gina never doing anything right the first time. Ricky telling her she will get her sweet gesture. Ricky goes big and Gi knows that. The way the ended their conversation last play. I really believe that they will finally talk to each other and lay everything out on the line. This whole season has really been building up the miscommunication and for the tension to just finally explode and them finally being able to be blunt with one another would just be perfect. Ricky and Gina have to talk by the end of the season and if they don't their whole storyline for s2 makes zero sense.

[leo-interactive-fiction]

Hi! I am pretty sure Tumblr ate up my ask from a couple weeks ago and I just wanted to say that I love Triaina Academy and the demo was killer. L and E are my current favorites (whenever one of them blushes it makes my heart melt)! A while back I was looking through the Archive and saw an ask about the Place of Paradise ROs being trapped in a closet with the MC and I just have to know how that situation would play out with the LIs from TA. Thanks and hope you are having a great day!

I’m sorry, it was probably just my fault for not answering it because of time constraints. Let’s see haha

You both hear the subtle shift of something dropping outside the closet, jamming the door shut.

E: Despite the low lighting, you can clearly sense the heat radiating from E’s face like a furnace as they’re pressed against you. Their voice comes out as a whisper, “D-Don’t move, okay...?” They delicately shift around you in an attempt to get to the door until they accidentally trip, and in your attempt to catch them you grab their inner thigh. A violent wind almost whiplashes you as E reactively hits the brick wall beside the door, creating a sizeable hole through it.

R: They release a long sigh that brushes softly against your cheek, before you feel them noticeably relax, “Well, just my luck, huh? I guess we’ll be here a while.” You sense them shake their head in resignation, and feel them shift their body to pull something out of their pocket. The dim light of a phone offers you a small solace, though it more clearly emphasizes how closely the two of you have managed to situate yourselves. R gives you a slim smile, “If you’d like to confess your love, I suppose now is a good time for it.”

L: They seem to noticeably shake against you as you’re pressed together, and upon your inquiry they seem to stiffen substantially. Though there’s no light, it’s easy to tell the heavy embarrassment seeping into their voice, “I-I apologize, I just...Have not really been this, um, intimately close. W-Wait! I didn’t mean it like that! I-I’m not attempting to touch you anywhere! Er, sorry, what am I saying...I should be thinking of methods to escape.” L seems to calm themselves substantially, though you can still feel the occasional hint of a shiver whenever the two of you move.

V: They push you against the far wall of the closet with their body, the darkness accentuating the feeling of their hair brushing against your face, their legs pushing against yours, their shoulder turning against you and a keen sensation of metal, “Cover your ears.” Two ear-blistering gunshots echo in the confined space, followed by the feeling of V using you as a platform to kick down the door with both feet. You exit the closet with the keen smell of gunpowder and a newfound deafness.

P: They shift around forcefully, annoyance heavy on their voice, "Damnit, what the hell did you get us into this time?!" As you return the violent seething with an quick explanation, P brushes against you and remarks loudly, "Watch where you're touching, Dumbass! If I even think you're getting frisky, I'll use your fucking head as a battering ram." You content yourself to raising your hands in the air as P scours for a method of escape until you feel something brush against your ass. "Did you just—" "Shut the hell up! It's dark as shit in here!" P's voice cuts you off eagerly, a mild tone of urgency now lacing it.

M: Though neither of you can see anything, you can sense the smile slowly rising on M's lips as they realize what's happened, "Oh no…We've been locked…in a closet…" The gears of their brain begin turning audibly as they shift closer, continuing in a shallow whisper, "Also I'm…claustrophobic…and…afraid of the dark…Oh no…The fear is…paralyzing…Help me…" They press into you with a tight hug.

Ra: A giddy giggle bounces around the room as Raven shifts closer, "Oh, you locked us in a closet! How romantic!" Once you explain you didn't set it up and you are, indeed, locked within a closet, you feel Raven shrug next to you, "I'm sure it'll be fine! This must be just another sign that we're meant to be together!" Another ghostly giggle echoes around the room as the permanence of the walls seems to solidify around you.

S: They noticeably tense upon hearing the noise, "Oh, shit, that's kinda bad, ain't it? How're we gunna— Uh oh." You tense, "What?" S shifts carefully, "Ya probably don't wanna hear this right now, but I really got a go to the bathroom." "Are you serious?" "Ah…Nevermind." "WHAT?" You begin shifting urgently before a loud laugh bounces around the room. "Just pullin' your leg! Damn, I wish I coulda seen the look on your face, ha hah! Ah, but uh, I wasn't jokin' about the first part, I'm pro'lly gunna piss myself soon if we ain't outta here."

F: Every movement you make and every shift you do sends urgent warnings to your brain as the silent figure next to you tenses with icy rigidity. Eventually, you opt to stand as still as you can, until you feel cold fingers wrap themselves tightly around your jaw, and a level voice remarks, "Did you enjoy yourself? I hope you did. Your fifteen minutes in heaven has expired, and I will make certain the return to earth is a far and fatal drop."

Thank you for the ask! I’m always happy to hear someone is enjoying my work haha. I’m sorry for being bad with progress and posting lately. Hopefully the work I do and future updates I make are considered worth the wait haha

[lakesandquarries]

Baby Shoes - Chapter 5

Bubby has been a doctor at Black Mesa for 20 years, living there for 50. He’s been bouncing around from project to project, working on whatever needs most help. He doesn’t have any opinions on his work or his coworkers or anything like that, preferring to keep to himself.

Then he meets Black Mesa’s newest project.

AKA: Bubby is Benrey’s dad au.

title from “Baby Shoes” by Bad Books.

thank u to my friend gordon for beta reading even after i threatened to steal his blood <3 ilu bitch

AO3 Link

Bubby had forgotten about the tinfoil until he walks into Zeki’s office. She’s ripping it off her desk, a few hairs slipping from her careful bun, and Bubby has to hide his smile behind his hand.

“Did you have something to do with this?” she demands, throwing a ball of tinfoil on the floor. 

“I’ve been with the subject all day. You can check the cameras, if you want.”

“I just might,” Zeki warns. She pulls another sheet off her chair and collapses into it. “So. Where are we moving you? The tube is all ready.”

“B-22,” Bubby says. “Near the break room. The L-shaped one.”

“The storage room?”

“It’s been years since it’s stored anything but dust.”

Zeki frowns, ripping the tinfoil off a pen. “You don’t need to do this, you know.”

“You offered, didn’t you? A real scientist is willing to try new things.”

She grits her teeth. “I’ll get it cleared with -”

“Aren’t you the department head?”

There’s a pause. Bubby doesn’t look away from Zeki, pale blue eyes staring into green. 

“Fine,” she spits. “I’ll ask the cleaning crew to clear it out.”

Bubby smiles. “I’ll start packing my things.”

He turns on his heel, leaving Zeki to her paperwork and her tinfoil covered office.

Dekkard’s back in the breakroom, sat in the corner eating his doritos. “They are stale,” he informs Bubby as he sits down across from him.

“Zeki approved the room.”

Dekkard drops the bag. “She did?”

“Very begrudgingly, I might add. Though I think at least some of her frustration was due to the tinfoil covering every available surface.”

Dekkard beams at him. “Today has truly been a wonderful day.”

“I’ll miss you after she kills you.” Bubby reaches across the table, grabbing one of Dekkard’s doritos. They’re stale, and he doesn’t even like chips, but he hasn’t eaten since this morning. Dekkard nudges the bag closer to Bubby, and before he realizes it, the bag is empty. “Alright, well, I have other work to get back to.”

Dekkard frowns. “I think you mean you have lunch to get back to.”

“I don’t have time for that. I need-”

“To take a break.”

Bubby huffs. “I’m not going to let myself be lectured by someone half my age.”

“I’m not lecturing you! I’m just saying, you seem kinda stressed, and I was thinking of heading over to the cafeteria to get something more substantial. I thought maybe you’d wanna come with.”

“To the cafeteria? Absolutely not.”

“It’s not like there’s somewhere else we can get food,”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong. Come with me.” He doesn’t wait for Dekkard, standing up and leaving, though the sound of footsteps behind him means Dekkard must be following. “You know, cooking is a kind of science.”

“Is it?”

“I’d say so.” He leads Dekkard out of the Biological Research wing, down a flight of stairs. “And I think someone high up agreed with me, once.” The area they’re in was something, once, but now it’s abandoned. The lights burst years ago, the only illumination left coming from the level above.

“Did you bring me out here to kill me?” Dekkard asks, picking his way through the room. 

“If I wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead. Here, this way.” It takes Bubby a moment to pry the door open, the hinges stiff from disuse. “I have no idea what this used to be, but. No one ever comes here.”

It was likely a lab of some sort - of course it was, that’s what Black Mesa does - but it was surprisingly easy to turn it into a kitchen. There’s a makeshift stove, no source of fire since Bubby can make that himself but just something to hold the flames. Scales and flasks serve as something like measuring cups, and he’s stolen various blades from around the facilities, along with any else he can get his hands on. It’s messy, but it’s serviceable. 

“I try to keep it decently stocked here, but it can be tricky to find ingredients. But I’m sure you’ll find anything we can make down here leagues better than the garbage they serve in the cafeteria.”

“Did you make this?” Dekkard asks, poking at a burner. “Shit, maybe you really are the Ultimate Lifeform or whatever. This is - I’ll admit it, this is clever.”

“I’m glad someone recognizes my genius.” He crosses the room, over to the makeshift freezer and his stolen microwave. “Do not tell anyone about this, though. I will kill you.”

“Secret’s safe with me.” 

“I don’t have the ingredients for anything too complicated. How do you feel about pasta? I’ve got some frozen pasta sauce I can heat up.”

Dekkard has made his way to the table. It was about to be thrown out when Bubby stole and repaired it all on his own. There’s only two chairs, but they at least are in good shape. “That sounds incredible.” He collapses into a chair, laying his head on the table. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve eaten real food? Everything in the cafeteria tastes like cardboard.”

“I’m familiar,” Bubby says, getting out a pot. He lights the burner with a snap of his fingers, enjoying how Dekkard’s eyebrows raise up into his hairline.

He sits down across from Dekkard as he waits for the water to boil, drumming his fingers on the table. Dekkard keeps staring at the pot, then at Bubby.

“Is something wrong? You’re staring.”

“Have you really been here your whole life?” Dekkard asks. Bubby sighs.

“Yes.”

“You’ve never - I mean you’ve been outside, right?”

“Once or twice.”

“Sorry, that - that’s a rude question, huh?”

“A bit, yes.” The water sounds like it’s bubbling, so Bubby takes it as an excuse to get up. Dekkard remains seated. “Is there a reason you’re asking this?”

“Just thinking about - about Benrey.”

Bubby adds the pasta to the pot, stirring it. “Ah.”

“I’m not gonna try and say I get it, exactly, but I think I’ve got an idea of what’s going on here. And I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, or anything, but -”

“I know what I’m doing, Dekkard.” He doesn’t have to turn to imagine the look on Dekkard’s face, one eyebrow raised and the other flat. “Yes, I’ll admit, I might be...attached. But I’m not an idiot, alright? I’ve heard all the stories.”

“Zeki tell you about Dr. Tipton?”

“She was trying to scare me. I’ve had my fair share of encounters with him. Whatever Benrey did, I’m sure he deserved it.”

Dekkard’s quiet for a moment. When Bubby turns, he’s staring at the pasta, hand resting on his chin. 

“I can see the gears in your brain trying to work,” Bubby says, turning back.

“You think they’re like you.”

“They are like me.” He continues stirring, directing all his focus into the movements of his arm. “They didn’t even have a name. I can’t - I can do something, here. I can’t just sit by and ignore this when I can do something.”

No one ever did anything for him. He’d spent seventeen years in that god forsaken tube before anyone had even considered letting him out, and it was another twelve after that before he was allowed any scrap of freedom. Even now, his autonomy is challenged constantly, by scientists half his age with a fraction of his knowledge.

Benrey doesn’t even have the luxury of being a valued experiment. Based on what Zeki’s said, Benrey’s only kept around because nothing seems to kill them, and they’re interesting to study. 

If Bubby can do something - anything - then he has to. 

“Hey,” Dekkard says. “Uh. I think the pot is on fire.”

“Oh, motherfucker.” Bubby shuts his eyes, taking a deep breath, willing the flames to die down. “I was...distracted.”

“Can’t help but feel like that was my fault.”

“A little.”

“...sorry.”

It’s nothing unsalvageable, at least. The noodles are a bit too soft, but that’s fine. 

He grabs the jar of sauce out of the freezer, heating it in his hands. He can feel Dekkard watching him as he scoops the noodles into bowls, pouring sauce over each serving. The air’s gone tense.

“Sorry,” Dekkard mumbles again as Bubby passes him a fork. He sighs.

“It’s fine. Nothing I haven’t heard before.”

“But that’s the problem, isn’t it? Look, I might be underqualified, but I’m not stupid. I see how Zeki and all the other guys talk to you. I don’t wanna be like that.”

“I put this area together five years ago,” Bubby says, spinning his noodles around his fork. “You are the first person I’ve ever invited down here.”

“Is this your way of saying we’re friends?”

Bubby purses his lips. “I don’t think I’d go that far.”

Dekkard snorts. “Alright. Acquaintances.”

“Coworkers.”

“Oh, that’s harsh.”

“Shut up and eat your pasta.”

Dekkard does, for once, shut up. He eats like it’s the first meal he’s had in decades, like some kind of rabid animal, and then leans back against his chair.

“That was the best meal I’ve had since I started working here.”

“Well, if you behave, maybe there’ll be more in the future.”

“Can’t believe you’d stoop to bribes.”

It’s...nice, Bubby thinks. Sitting down here, eating and joking with someone. Maybe Dekkard was right when he called them friends.

Still won’t admit it out loud, though. He has some dignity left.

[skvaderarts]

Hiraeth Chapter 42: Malignancy

Masterlist can be found Here!

Chapter Forty-Two: Malignancy

Note: This chapter is late, but ironically because I decided to add 2.6K more words to it at the last minute. It was done. I just had no self-control and simply had to show you a glimpse of what’s to come! No point in saving it until next week! I’m inspired NOW!

(-~-)

Softly, in the distance, there was a subtle thumping, so light and indistinguishable that it was perceivably a dream. Some barely lucid receptor in the innermost recesses of his mind had managed to pick up on the faint whisper of a sound, and now he found himself gradually approaching consciousness, resentful, but otherwise unable to deny the fact that there was indeed a knocking sound. Slowly but surely, it became more prominent, and then it was followed by an even stranger sound. A barely audible creaking that he struggled to identify the source of. It seemed that in this state, thinking was beyond him.

Clicking followed after it, at first miles away, and then very near. It was rhythmic and steady, unhurried in its pace. In fact, it was just that: there was a pace at all. Perhaps the sound of a heel upon hardwood? Regardless, it was accompanied by two more sets of similar sounds, one too soft to clearly hear, and another thudding heavily with not a single care shown towards the possibility of causing a disturbance.

But just before he could get a clearer idea of what might be going on with his surroundings, it occurred to him that he wasn’t entirely sure why he couldn’t see anything. After all, in order to see, all he needed to do was open his eyes, right? So why wouldn’t his body cooperate with him and allow him to do just that? Perhaps there was something more at play here. And as if the universe itself had heard his thoughts, a voice suddenly spoke.

“Hey Magnolia… is he… you know...?”

There was a shuffle as though someone had either stood or adjusted their stance. And then a second voice spoke, this one much more recognizably feminine than the last. Well, at least from what he could tell. He wasn’t entirely sure that he could trust his senses to help him form an accurate opinion of anything right now. 

“Fret not love, he’s simply asleep. Said he was having a hard time doing that as of late, so I fixed him a tonic and mixed a little into some tea. He’s, um… been like this ever since. I’m sure he’s fine, though. Never met anyone tougher.”

“Oh, he’s “sleeping”? That’s what he’s doing. Yea. Got it. Glad we cleared that up.”

Entirely sure that he recognized that first voice, he finally managed to get at least one muscle in his body to respond to his attempts to move. And then slowly each ligament and joint in his body released itself from the vice-like hold that he had been under and he was able to move what he thought was his right foot. And then his leg. But to be honest, he wasn’t even sure that it was the same leg that the foot he was able to move to was attached to. What a sorry state he was in.

“Well, I think it might have worked a bit too well for my tastes. But it’s gonna take quite a bit more than that to put him in the grave. We both know that. But I don’t think it matters much now. I think he’s finally waking up.”

“You’ve got a point… Bottle some of that for me? I might need it for something in the future. You never know when it comes to my dear big brother.”

Now he recognized both of those voices clearly. It was Magnolia and Dante. Yes, how could he ever forget his brother’s voice. He must have been completely out of it. Opening his eyes, he was only slightly alarmed when he realized that Lucia was in the room with them as well. That did explain the third set of shoes he’d heard, and it made sense that she would still be accompanying Dante. She was his guest, after all, and they were well acquainted. He still hadn’t quite gotten used to how much of a departure she was from his other companions. Much too intellectual and skilled to be one of his brother’s companions. She was quite the outlier indeed. But he appreciated a change in personality, especially one that he might actually be willing to tolerate speaking to.

“Welcome back to the waking world, sunshine,” Magnolia said with a bright smile, her messy hair hanging in her face as she bent over and purposefully got in his personal space. He moved back slightly after she pulled away, realizing several seconds after that that his reaction had been quite delayed. It seemed that his brain and his muscles were catching up, but had not quite met in the middle just yet.

“Never give me that again. I have no idea what you put in that tea, but it is entirely too potent.” Vergil seemed genuinely disheveled, not at all his normally well-put-together self. She stood up shakily and adjusted his shoulders, apparently slightly stiff from lying halfway on the floor in a kneeling position with his face down on the bed. Understandable. 

As soon as he collected himself, he pointed towards Dante, a slightly shaky but otherwise serious look on his face. He clearly disapproved of his younger twin’s statement. Under absolutely no circumstances was he going to allow Dante’s request to come to fruition. “And do not give him any of it, either. He will absolutely abuse that power. I should know.” 

“Like you wouldn’t? I haven't forgotten what you just did earlier this year. We grew up in the same house, Vergil. We're twins. I know you better than you think I do.” Dante chuckled slightly, shrugging and allowing his arms to fall against his sides with an audible flop. If Vergil meant to imply that either of them should be trusted with something like that concoction that Magnolia had, then he was sorely mistaken. But at least Dante wasn’t in denial about it. “Anyway, that doesn’t matter right now. We have bigger problems. Much bigger problems.”

Magnolia nodded and went to sit in the chair next to the door. She didn’t exactly feel the need to keep standing in the middle of the room uselessly or too close up under Vergil. Invading his personal space for extended periods of time was a fantastically bad idea. It was like punching a snake in the mouth, except even more likely to end with you dead. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that. But either way, he’s right. You need to get up. There’s kind of a… situation. If you wanna call it that.”

Vergil looked at both of them for a moment, unsure of what could be going on. After all, he was relatively certain that the Ludwig estate was one of the safer places that they could be. Nothing was going to get in here that they didn’t want in here, especially demons. No demon in its right mind would even bother with attacking a place like this. There were simply far too many powerful witches that could end their lives to contend with. A quick glance at Lucia revealed that she seemed uncomfortable, perhaps worried. He was unaccustomed to seeing such a look on her face. That by itself told him that something more substantial was going on. 

Wait a moment. Where was everyone else? Magnolia had been here already, but Dante and Lucia were alone. Where were… 

And then he felt it. The sinking sensation that he had felt on several occasions as of late when something simply wasn’t right. He had felt it when his two intrepid sons had ventured to Fortuna castle, when they had gone into the wilderness and falling right into the hands of the very people they had been trying to avoid, and most recently, when V had disappeared with Sirrus a few days ago and nearly bled to death on the front walk of that grocery store. More had happened while he was unconscious than he realized, and he needed to know what was going on. Now. 

“Where are they?” The hostility in that statement was apparent. He wasn’t even going to attempt to dismiss or conceal how obviously alarmed he was. Vergil didn’t care. For once, he would love for his younger brother to tell him that his assumption was incorrect, but he knew deep down that he was right. It was just something that he felt deep within himself. While he had been indisposed, something had changed drastically. And this time, he couldn’t tell which one of them it was. He had to know where they were right now, and no one in this building who wanted to live was going to stand between him and that goal if they had any self-preservation instincts.

Lucia, Magnolia, and Dante exchanged looks before Lucia pointed towards the door, unsure of what else to really do in a situation like this. She was certain that his eyes had just turned red for a moment, and he seemed like he was in quite the hurry. She was more than smart enough to know not to get in his way. If she wasn’t, she probably wouldn’t still be here. “From what we know, in the tower upstairs. It’s around the-.”

Before she could say anything further, a gust of air blew through the room, and the door slammed shut. Vergil was nowhere to be seen. Lucia blinked, still processing the fact that he could move that quickly. She’d seen him fight, so it wasn’t new information in that regard, but the idea that he could just rocket out of a room like that if he wanted to, and that he could then teleport on top of that and possessed a sword that could open portals to new locations… just how did anyone get the drop on someone like that? Had anyone ever actually managed to do it before?

A glance over at Magnolia and Dante told her that this wasn’t the kind of reaction that he normally had to something like this. The plucky botanist seemed visibly worried, and Dante seemed to be considering something. Quietly. Yes, something wasn’t right about this. “What are you thinking, Dante?”

He turned slightly towards the door and then looked over his shoulder at her. His expression was hard to read, but his brow was furrowed slightly, and he had folded his arms over his chest. He nodded at Magnolia who then jogged out of the room, leaving the door open behind her. Lucia didn’t have the slightest idea where she was going, but one could only wonder. Dante then turned back towards her and gestured towards the door with a tilt of his head. “I’m thinking I need to figure out where this tower is before Vergil reduces this entire building to a pile of rubble and stylish bricks. We need to get going. At least we know where he’s going.”

(-~-)

The barrier of darkness that had once obscured his gaze had parted slowly, nearly suffocating him as he attempted to press forward. For a moment, he considered turning back, genuinely unable to tell if he was making any progress or just slowly killing himself in an attempt to reach a destination with dubious beneficial applications to his overall situation. His lungs strained for the oxygen that this seemingly never-ending doorway couldn’t provide, and just as he was going to start quietly panicking and trying to figure out which direction he had just come from, he tumbled forward into an open space.

V panted heavily as his lungs took in too much air in far too small of a window of time, his chest burning and his muscled strained. He was aware of the fact that he was just laying on the floor in a strange room in front of god knew who, but he honestly didn’t care. The discomfort was all-encompassing. All he could concentrate on at that moment was making the extraordinary amount of tension and pain he felt go away.

“Hey pall, you alright? You seem pretty messed up. Wanna take it easy for a second? I’m pretty sure you almost passed out.” Griffon asked, seemingly alarmed from within the deeper confines of his subconscious. He clearly wasn’t in a good way, and the wiley demonic bird had a front-row seat to his predicament. He imagined that Shadow would voice her concerns as well if she were capable of speaking.

It made perfect sense to him that he should respond to Griffon, but in truth, he just couldn’t. His brain couldn’t string together that many vowels and syllables in the state that he was in. He would get back to his familiar the moment that he was able to think clearly enough to actually communicate with him. For now, he was just grateful that the wave of discomfort he wrote was starting to let up enough for him to breathe better. For a short stint of time, he was certain that it never would.

A hand suddenly touched him, rested upon his shoulder before shaking him gently. He hadn’t noticed until that moment that his eyes were closed. He’d probably shut them instinctively when he’d hit the floor in pain a few moments ago. Well, he hoped that was the case. The alternative was too frightening for him to fathom, and he had no way of properly quantifying the negative effect that considering that outcome made him feel. He wasn’t sure what he would do in a situation like that. It scared him beyond words.

Upon opening his eyes, he realized that he was in a mostly dark room with no visible windows. Black curtains hung along the walls, and a wide array of candles in different shapes and sizes covered just about every available surface. They were all dark in color, ranging from purples and blues, to grays and blacks, something that he would actually probably find aesthetically pleasing if not for the fact that he was still in a measurable amount of discomfort. But at least he was sitting up now and would be able to stand in a moment. He just needed to get his bearings. 

Nero looked at his brother for a moment, concern evident on his face. The young summoner had slumped over on him and was breathing heavily, but at least some of the color had returned to his face and he didn’t have that dim, half-there look in his eyes anymore. V was going to be just fine. That much he was sure of. Unfortunately, he’d been through much worse before. He then turned his attention to Aluta, admittedly quite miffed by the entire situation. What on earth had just happened?

“Look… I know you're trying to help us out, but what the hell was that all about?! He looked like he was going to pass out! What’s up with that door?!”

Aluta stared at Nero blankly for a moment before sitting down and shrugging slightly, an expression somewhere between a cringe and an uncomfortable sneer on her face. She twirled her fingers around in her hair for a tense moment, looking towards the window that she couldn’t see out of. One could only imagine that she was trying to avoid this topic of conversation. It seemed that she was still reeling from his reaction.

Seemingly realizing how that statement might have come off, Nero sighed and, standing up so that he could help steady V and get him to his feet. As soon as he was on his feet again, Nero turned his attention back to Aluta, realizing that he probably could have phrased that better even if that was what he had actually meant.

“Hey um… Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I get that you're just trying to help.”

“Please. Don’t. Your point is valid.” She stood up and nodded in recognition before walking over to them and ushering V towards the table. Nero followed closely behind, eager to keep an eye on his older sibling. “Now then, the problem at hand.”

Gesturing towards the chair that sat in front of the table, she sat, allowing V to do so just across from her. She then took his arm and looked it over, a troubled look on her face that sent chills down his spine. That was the kind of expression he expected to see on the face of a doctor who was diagnosing someone with cancer or informing someone that their loved one had just passed away. No good could come of this.

“That spell is a safeguard. It keeps malevolent forces at bay. It was a test to prove my initial assumption, and unfortunately, I am correct. I do so hate it when that happens.” She ran her finger down the vein in V’s arm, causing him to jerk away as he felt a sort of cold burn race down his arm. His appendage went numb for a moment before the feeling returned, leaving him concerned. He looked at her quietly, waiting for her to elaborate further. “I recognize Belial’s taint anywhere. Your brother is infested with it. And by the looks of it, he’s been exposed multiple times directly through blood. That strengthens the Devil Prince’s hold on him considerably. I may be able to slow it down but… ”

V paled slightly and went rigid. He remembered being wounded by Belial just a few days ago. In truth, he was still ever so slightly sore from it, and had yet to regain the energy his body had spent on putting him back together afterward. He combed this recesses of his mind, trying to think of another occasion where he had come in contact with some remnant of Belial’s corruption, but he couldn’t think of anything. His only other run-in with something he had to do with was the cult and whatever they had been trying to accomplish with that knife…

And then it hit him like a freight train full of led. The conduit. 

He’d fallen into the liquid corruption that had enveloped it. Some of that had to have contained a part of Belial’s essence, and it had. Had he been exposed to it for this long without knowing it? Was that why he had felt so drained for so very long? And if that was the case, why had the Prince of Darkness decided to play his cards now? V felt as though knowing might actually make it worse.

I’m to assume that’s bad, am I not?” V said softly, barely at an audible volume. Yes. It was. He knew that much without being answered. Whatever Belial had done to him was spreading like a virus with intentions both beyond his control and his understanding. He was almost afraid to ask what his reasons could be for doing something like this. Something told him that death was the better option.

While he pondered this, suddenly the door to the room slammed open and into the wall, nearly shattering it and snapping it off of the hinges. The room quivered from the sheer kinetic energy that had passed from the now heavily damaged door to the wall behind it, the windows on the opposite side of the room rattling slightly. There surely had to be a hole in the wall from that, even if the tower was made from brick. Needless to say that no one was surprised when the dust in the room that had shaken loose settled and Vergil stood before them, absolutely blistering with chaotic, enraging energy. He looked as though he were only a few short seconds away from ending the life of some poor unfortunate soul. Probably because he actually was.

“Aluta Ludwig.” He said, the fringes of his demonic power echoing from the depths of his voice, adding a furious edge to his introduction. His eyes were glowing bright red, and his hand was brushing against the edge of Yamato’s handle, ready to draw it if necessary. “What. Are. You. Doing?”

She looked at him quietly for a moment, seemingly pondering her next move. She then stood up and put her hands on her hips, clearly unmoved by his display of unadulterated fury. Nero looked at both of them and then down at V, clearly concerned as to where this was going. Neither of them wanted to break up this fight… 

“You’ve got some nerve, don’t you? I could ask you the very same. You’ve ruined a perfectly good door, is what you’ve done! Now I’ll have to call a mason.” She said, shaking her head in disapproval before sitting back down in a huff. “I suspect I don’t need to repeat myself. You probably heard most of that before you invited yourself in?”

Vergil removed his hand from Yamato’s hilt before tilting his head to the side and closing his eyes. When he slowly opened them again, he stared at her blankly, the furry having dissipated slightly, but the intent to murder at a moment’s notice if necessary clearly still at the forefront of his consciousness. “I did.”

Clearing her throat, she turned her attention back towards V and away from Vergil, content with her odds of not garnering any further negative attention from him. He could see her now, and that meant that he could see what she was doing. If she was willing to guess, the dark magic she had used to secure the doorway for her little assessment of V’s status had probably set him off. It was understandable even if his reaction had been questionable.

“Fortunately, that depends, child. It feeds on negative thoughts and despair, much like Belial himself. The more you dwell on it, the worse it becomes. Though that is admittedly difficult to counteract when you think about it. Not trying to dwell on the fact that you are infested with malignant, malevolent magic doesn’t tend to help your mental state.” She leaned over, looking V in the face with a distant but sympathetic look as she took his hands into hers, shaking them gently as if to add emphasis to what she planned to say. He was too revolted by his predicament to really register his almost instinctual negative reaction to being touched. “As for his reasons for doing so… I can only imagine that he is trying to weaken you. To wear you down until he can offer you an ultimatum of some sort. He enjoys his games. He is an eternal being. The time it would take to win a war of attrition with you would be but the span of a blink in his domain. And no deal that he has ever offered would do you any good. My guess is that he wishes to possess you. To add you to his collection of fascinations. For what purpose, I cannot say. But that is more than likely the fate he has in mind for you.”

Nero looked over at V, subconsciously approaching the back of his chair and standing next to him. He allowed his hand to rest on his shoulder, giving him a subtle but sympathetic look as his eyes softened slightly. V peered up at him for a moment, seemingly fine with the contact. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, clearly needing the reasurment. Unfortunately, they were both sure that they got where she was going with this… 

“You can’t stop this, can you?” V asked quietly, unsure of what else to say. He knew that he couldn’t, especially alone. He’d faced him before and barely escaped with his life. What hope did he have of getting away with something like that a second time, especially if he was growing weaker and weaker by the moment? Stopping someone that powerful would probably end his life, and he wasn’t eager to do that again. But if he did nothing, then he was damned regardless. There was no winning, was there?

“Sirrus was wounded as well. Why isn’t he showing any of the same symptoms?” Vergil asked, clearly somewhat intrigued but more displeased than anything else. It wasn’t so much that he wished this fate upon the Adjudicator in place of his son, but it didn’t make sense to him how V could be so ensnared by Belial’s trap, but Sirrus could remain largely unaffected. What was this foolishness?

“Because he’s a-” She paused, catching herself before she could say more than she needed to. “Forgive me. I cannot speak on this. His kind do not succumb to these sorts of things. He has a natural deterrent. His blood rejects such corruption as a part of his biology. He is fortunate, indeed. Did you catch all of that, Vergil, or are your ears still ringing from what you did to my door?”

Vergil narrowed his eyes, unamused. “I did.”

“Good. You need to take your sons somewhere outside of his realm of influence. Much like this manner is. That will slow the speed of his corruptive power significantly.” She gestured towards V, giving him a firm but caring look. “And you need to rest. There is no way to cure this aside from the death of the Devil Prince himself, so there is little I can offer of use aside from attempting to slow things down in your favor and obscuring his gaze upon you. But aside from that…”

Vergil nodded, turning away from them and towards the door. He stopped for a moment, looking back over his shoulder at both of his sons. He then placed his hand on the doorknob and opened the door in a manner so slow and deliberate that it seemed as though it took him actual effort to not damage it. Not that he could do much worse to it or the wall attached to it than he already did. had. The wood was split and the bricks were noticeably cracked. There was no changing that outside of some spell they probably had that could maybe reverse the damage.

“Then he will have to die.”

Realizing that the door was a lost cause, he unsheathed Yamato slashed the air with it, forming a cross shape that then parted and allowed him to step through into the unknown. It then closed, leaving the trio staring at the spot where he had previously been. None of them had the slightest idea where he was now, but they hoped that it wasn’t where they thought he had gone.

Moments later the half-closed door slammed open again, noticeably softer this time. It did little to halt the damage done, however, as the door hit the food with a thud, taking part of the door frame and a good number of bricks with it as it slammed uselessly into the floor. Lucia stood just behind Dante, looking at the damage with more than a slight bit of horror as Dante stepped over it and into the room, seemingly noting it but realizing that he hadn’t done the majority of it. His entrance had simply been the last straw. Vergil had definitely been here.

“Hey, um… sorry about the door. What’s going on? Where’s Vergil?” He asked almost sheepishly. Something told the youngest Son of Sparda that he had come at an extremely bad time. Lucia simply closed her eyes and shook her head at the sight of the damage. Dante was a walking small claims court case if she had ever seen one.

Aluta leaned her face into both of her outstretched hands, rubbing her eyes as she shook her head. How had she managed to get herself into this predicament? Things had been so simple just a half-hour ago. “... You have some serious catching up to do.”

(-~-)

I don’t know why, but Aluta implying that Vergil might have given himself Tinnitus sent me. This was a longer chapter, which was why it was late. I started writing the last 1200 words today, and then I just kept going. Hopefully, it felt more substantial, and it answered some of your burning questions. Remember when I said I loved what I was setting up with this ark? This is what I meant! Finally, I get to reveal some of the things I set in motion over fifty chapters ago! Nothing but exciting times ahead, let me tell you!

 Let me know what you think in the comments, and have a wonderful weekend!

[defsoulstation]

Sweet Like Sugar|Part 3(END)|Jungkook|

Summary: You finally see him again after weeks of silence. Warnings: Light angst. Word count:1725 Authors Note: Sorry that this took so long, I haven’t been feeling very motivated these last couple of months and anytime i looked at this it frustrated me. I tried to make smut for this chapter but it just wasn’t coming together in the way I wanted. Maybe later down the line i’ll do it but for now this is what flowed the best for me. I hope you guys enjoy this conclusion! I have some ideas for the other boys and might be revisiting this AU in the future, but for now Kookie is where it ends.

Kookie <3: Would you be able to meet me at the cafe, we need to talk. The cafe, the 24 hour one you two would spend so much time in. Sitting in the back booth as the piano tones in the establishments speakers drone on. That text was the first time Jungkook had contacted you in weeks, the younger man going completely ghost. At first it was a relief, the initial situation overwhelming. As the days went by you did get a bit concerned, never seeing him behave that way before eyes wild, unhinged and before he left sick, and panicked. Lost in your thoughts, you don’t notice someone sitting across from you. Jungkook lightly taps your leg with his, smiling when you jump a little.”Hi.” Looking at him with surprise, you can’t help but return it.”Hi, Jungkook.” he frowns a bit, but keeps his head up.”So I have a lot of explaining to do.” His voice trails off. You nod, waiting patiently. He pauses for a substantial amount of time, gnawing at his lower lip. You take this time to actually look at him. Still winter time, he wears a fur lined jacket making his shoulders look wider than they are. His hair long and in a low ponytail to keep most of it out of his face. Now his face, your heart caves a bit, he looks tired and worn.Under eyes looking slightly bruised,his face a little sunken in, baby fat no longer decorating his cheeks. “Jungkookie.” You say, making him jump out of his thoughts.”Uh right.” he mumbles to himself. Looking into your eyes he starts.”I’m so sorry, regardless of my reasons, I shouldn’t have gone at you like that.” his lip trembles.” If you want to never see me again, I understand.” Staring at him, you dabble in your own thoughts before responding.” Thank you for the apology, maybe we can have some space, hang out in public places and go from there.” Jungkook nods enthusiastically.”Of course, yes, thank you for giving me another chance.” He sniffs, his eyes a bit glassy. You keep your gaze on him.”Now, can you tell me why you did that?” In no time flat, Jungkook’s face is lit aflame.”Uh well, um, it’s really embarrassing.” If you weren’t so curious you might’ve laughed but your brain was whirling trying to understand what made him lose his mind like that.” Embarrassing yes, but I deserve to know.” Jungkook nods.” You do.” he agrees, taking a deep breath. Jungkook looks around, making sure no one is paying attention before he starts speaking.”Um, well, You smelled really good like really really good.” You nod, not following. He huffs, frustrated.” I’m not good at explaining uh but I talked to my Alpha and he said it was because you were-” Jungkook pauses his ears tinged pink.” Well he said it’s because your body was wanting babies.” You blink.” You mean, I was ovulating?” He nods, the word ringing bells.” Yes exactly! Everything was so fuzzy and you smelled so sweet I couldn’t stop myself-”he babbles on before stopping, his face going pale.”Then I heard your voice and you looked so scared.” Jungkook’s voice cracks as his hands tremble.”I never want to see you like that because of me again.” You stare, the silence stretching on.”Oh.” He looks panicked.” Again I’m so sorry, I should be able to control myself better. I’m going to, I’m learning, my Alpha has been teaching me some things to help with control and focus.” You nod, taking all of the information in. It’s a bit overwhelming but better than thinking he intentionally meant to hurt you. After a prolonged silence, Jungkook starts jostling his leg, you look over to him again.”You wanna walk around the park?” He sighs in relief.”Please?” You waste no time making your way to the park, the chill in the air helping clear your head. Passing the grocery store on the way the two of you bump into a man, looking up you see that he’s wide shouldered and fairly handsome.Looking at you, he smiles.”Oop, sorry, wasn’t looking where I was-” The stranger stops mid sentence looking at Jungkook with surprise.”Kookie!?” Jungkook stops mid step, his face scrunching.”Oh no.” The stranger raised a perfect brow.”Oh no? That’s not a good way to address your brother.” Blinking you respond before Jungkook.”Brother?” Jungkook nods.”Kind of, he’s my packmate. Hi Jin.” The man mentioned, Jin, scoffs.”Please I raised you pup, I’m your brother.” Jungkook rolls his eyes, smiling a bit.” Yeah, yeah.” Jin rolls his eyes, a small smile matching the pup’s.”Uh huh, punk. Anyways,” He looks over to you.” Is this the girl you talk about all the time, the one you have a crush on?” Jungkook's eyes widen, while your face feels hot. “Oh my god.” Jungkook groans.”Can you shut up?” Jin laughs at the reaction, it’s tone high pitched yet charming.” What? Didn’t want her to hear that?” The older man’s cheeks are tinged with a jolly pink as Jungkook tries to get him to be quiet.You blink.” You talk about me that much?” Jungkook freezes in place, looking at you with wide eyes as a blush blooms like blossoms. Jin takes this moment to talk again.”Oh my god, that’s all he does. Noona likes this, Noona likes that, Oh did you know that Noona knows this? Oh wah, Noona is so mature and talented.” Jin babbles on, tone mocking the pup. Snapping out of it, Jungkook quickly puts Jin in a chokehold.”That’s it, go home, I’m sick of your face!” He yells as Jin laughs again.”Okay, okay, I’ll leave you two here, alone, with no supervision.” Jungkook yells, trying to kick him as Jin runs.”Quit being a wimp and pop the question Junkookie!” Jin gives a final yell as he runs off to wherever he’s going. Jungkook looks fairly frazzled as you laugh at him.” Oh c’mon not you too.” He whines as you catch your breath.”He’s funny.” Jungkook rolls his eyes.”Yeah funny,sure that’s what that was.” You two match in step, continuing your walk. Tilting your head,you smile.”Handsome too.” Jungkook swings around facing you.”No, no he’s not. The man is ugly, hideous, you’re delusional.” His outraged reaction makes you giggle a bit.”Oh? So I can’t find him handsome.” The pup shakes his head.”No of course not, not when I-” he stops, suddenly not looking in your direction as he covers his face. You approach him, hands on his as you try to uncover his face.”Not when you?” You trail off, letting him finish his own sentence.”Not when I like you so much.” He finally says in a whisper, silently praying that you hear it yet don’t at the same time. Time feels like it freezes just a moment as you slowly bring his hands down, his face pink not from the cold, but from his confession. Jin picked on him for it but it just sounded like just that, an older brother picking on the younger. Looking at Jungkook now though, face red and eyes so wide and scared at how you react, really has put this in perspective for you. The thing is, you never really thought about how you felt about Jungkook. Jungkook is something, someone, you needed. You were new to this town ages ago, only moving because of job opportunities. You focused on work so much that you never had time to even make friends. This smelly wolf boy crashed into your life, never left, and made this seemingly empty town feel like home. He makes coming home feel worthwhile, less empty. You can feel your heart start to beat fast, maybe there is more to this than you thought. His stare never wavered, even as you sort through your emotions. “Please say something, anything.” he whispers, leg jostling again. You suddenly feel a bit anxious,but push through.” I think I have some feelings for you too, Kookie.” the admission of your feelings makes you almost want to dig a hole and hide. You’re not used to feeling so open. You gasp as you are suddenly picked up and twirled around, Jungkook’s laughter filling the air.” Really?! This isn’t a joke?” he asks, starting to stop spinning and looking into your eyes again. You give a small smile.”Not a joke, you kind of wormed your way into my feelings.” He smiles wide, canines prominent as his eyes twinkle.” I’m, I'm so happy.” He laughs, his happiness is contagious as you start to laugh with him. After a few moments there’s a silence, but it's comfortable, the two of you smiling.A cold shiver rolls down your spine, you forgot how cold it was. Jungkook, looks at you in surprise.”Oh, I forgot that you can get cold. Let's go get something to eat, my treat.” He grins. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A month passes like a whirlwind, getting to know Jungkook in a more intimate manner. Numerous dates, lazy days and even walking around the park has let you see another side of him. At one point you even got to meet most of the boys, them dropping by your apartment while Jungkook visited. Jin, quite the joker but has a caring side to him. Namjoon, gentle, calm, very insightful, but a tad shy. Jimin, a bit rowdy but means well, him a Jungkook scuffle a lot. The only ones you haven't met are Hoseok, Yoongi and Taehyung. He says Yoongi and Hoseok left for college a few towns over, he’s a bit quiet when talking about the duo. With Taehyung he says that he’s not too comfortable with interacting with humans, but wouldn’t say why. Jungkook says if Taehyung met you he would love you, he just needs time. “Noona!” Jungkook jostles you out of your thoughts, smiling up at you from your lap where he’s made himself comfy. Giving him a warm smile you run your hands through his hair, him making a sound of approval. Regardless of your differences, struggles you guys deal with in this unconventional relationship, you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. You and your sweet wolf boy.

[oficytheft]

Finding His Way Out of the Time Stream: < Chapter 6 >

Leonard was not happy with being benched, even if he still wasn't quite at 100% just 3 days after coming back he was close enough even without his gun; and with how Dahrk and the Legion had manipulated his younger self into helping them? He had a bone to pick with the resurrected asshole. Instead though there he was on the ship with Zari, Amaya, and Helen of Troy; the others had gone to help Stein, and since the ladies charm didn't seem to affect him? Sara had asked him to stay on the ship encase any of Darhk's pose showed up on the ship. He'd decided that the best place to sit was perched on the center console on the bridge, one leg propped up as he rested his elbow on his knee to prop it up and rest his chin in his hand well his other leg dangled.

He had his gun off his leg and in his trigger hand ready to shoot if he needed to, but currently? He was just watching as Helen paced back and forth looking worried well Amaya and Zari went to make sure the doors were sealed shut. Could he have gone and helped him? Yeah, but he was kind of hoping someone ended up on the ship so he could start a fight. After so long being stuck in the time stream he was starting to get antsy just staying in the ship for so long. Finally, he slid down off where he was sitting and walked over to lean against the door frame to Sara's office. "Really don't get all the fuss, do they just not have attractive people in Ancient Greece?" He knew that wasn't it, if that was the case then she wouldn't be having the effect that she was on people in a future time. It was probably just some naturally occurring meta power that she didn't know how to control.

"Unfortunately I'm afraid I've been cursed by the gods, a thoughtless remark by someone who saw me and my beauty was turned into a curse." Leonard couldn't help but roll his eyes, he'd gotten the rundown of the myth from Gideon when they'd learned who it was that they were after. He figured that if Darhk was interested in the woman? Maybe she had a connection to one of these totem things or something, that's why he'd recruited the water witch after all from what they'd learned; who was to say that wasn't his end goal with her too. "I don't understand why you aren't affected though unless you prefer the company of men to women."

Leonard couldn't help the roll of his eyes before he lifted his gun, resting it on his shoulder before answering. "I prefer the company of people that don't make me wanna shoot 'em, a pretty face doesn't mean anything to me." His attention was drawn away then, focusing on the screen on the far wall where she could see Amaya fighting the water woman. "Well, that ain't good." He turned then and raised his free hand to let the end of his gun fall into it, telling her as he walked away. "Stay here or come help I don't care, just don't get yourself killed. Don't need to hear it from the esteemed Captain."

He didn't bother to check if the woman was following him or not as he made his way down the hallway, he didn't exactly rush but when he saw Amaya fighting in the hallway he took note of Helen peaking out from behind the corner of the other end of the hallway as he aimed his cold gun at her feet in order to avoid hitting Amaya just in time for the blonde to stab her in the back. Neither one seemed to do more than cause her pain though before she liquified herself and slid through the vent grate at her feet. "Great! Now she could be anywhere on this damn tin can." And they couldn't have Gideon do a scan of the ship until it was up and running again, should have told Amaya to move and just froze the bitch solid.

When the team got back to the ship with an unconscious Sara? Leonard made it very well known how incompetent he thought they all were, and as soon as Gideon was back on he told her to scan the ship for Kuasa once she was done fixing their captain. He had no plans to take over this half-baked mission of fighting some mysterious demonic being that could use magic time travel well she was out, but someone had to make sure that they weren't all going to get killed in their sleep. He didn't bother sticking around the medbay after they all got Sara hooked up, he'd already been itching for a fight before and now? No better. He headed to his own room rather than Mick's like he had been the last few days, preferring to channell his frustration there.

Not that Mick wouldn't get him being upset, Sara just reminded him too much of Lisa and the idea of her being hurt felt too much like the idea of Lisa being hurt. And this was why Leonard Snart didn't get close to people, this is why after Mick had nearly died in that fire in 2014 he had stayed away for 10 months. He didn't like the lack of control he felt when people he cared about ended up hurt, plans going off the rails he expected and accepted fairly easily. People he gave a shit about dying? Well, it was expected with the life he lived even before but it wasn't something he was so great at accepting. That's why there were so few people he let himself care about. When he got to his room he started opening totes and pulling out his things that had been put into storage, he'd mostly been pulling anything he needed out without unpacking the last few days because he was busy getting fully filled in on what was happening and fixing his gun.

If anything Leonard was good at focusing his energy on tasks that needed to be done, of the two storage boxes that he had to unpack he only had half of one left when Mick eventually knocked on the door. Leonard waved his hand in the air in a motion that at this point Gideon understood as 'go ahead and open the doors', he didn't bother turning around as he put the clothes in his hands in the open drawer before turning back to the nearly empty container and pulling out a small zip-up binder. As Mick spoke well walking into the room and plopping himself down in the chair at Leonard's desk. "Thought for sure I'd get to see you punch one of em."

Leonard didn't answer right away, walking over to his bed to set the binder down and open it up. "Well I'm sure it would have been very cathartic I think you're forgetting that you were there and figured 'lets let her take on the trained assassin witch on her own' along with the rest of them." He spread the contents of the binder across the top of his blanket as he spoke, turning to look at Mick with a raised brow. "I die and you take the cash from my go kit?" All of the documents were still in there, a slew of fake ID's ranging from social security cards to passports. The only thing missing, as he'd mentioned, was the substantial amount of cash he kept in it just encase.

He watched Mick raised the beer he'd been holding and pointed at him with the neck of the bottle before replying, clearly ignoring his implication that Mick was just as likely to be punched as the rest of them if Leonard had resorted to that. "You were dead-technically that money was either mine or Lisa's." He wasn't wrong, and if Leonard was honest with himself? He wasn't surprised, he probably would have done the same thing if the situation had been reversed. He turned back to his bed and began shuffling it all neatly back into the binder, making a mental note to go use the fabricator to make some cash to put in it later as he slipped the binder into place under his pillow.

He reached in and grabbed the last thing out of the box before flipping the lid shut and pushing it towards the wall of the room along with the other empty one, taking his parka and hanging it on a hook on the wall near the door. "Sara wake up?" The likely answer was no or Mick probably would have mentioned it when he'd come in, the grunt he got in response was answer enough. "Between this and helping pull my younger self outta the timeline to mess with your head? Damien Darhk is practically begging for me to personally end his life." He leaned so he was perched on the edge of his bed as he spoke, crossing his arms in front of him as he spoke.

"Gideon said she'll be fine, put her in a coma or something to help her heal." Mick told him before putting his empty bottle down on Leonard's desk. "You sleeping in here tonight then?" Leonard hadn't really thought about that one way or another, he'd mainly started putting his things away as a way to focus the agitated energy that he'd felt. It had worked, he had all of his things back where they belonged now and he felt much less agitated than he had been before.

He decided at that moment that not messing with Mick was out of the question, and so he quirked an eyebrow and asked him. "Why? You hoping to lure an ancient greek princess in there tonight?" He didn't think he was; when they had a falling out and were away from each other for a few months? Sure. Sometimes Mick slept with other people, over the years Leonard himself might have gotten drunk enough once or twice that the same was true. But when they were together? When they were on good terms? Well, good terms for them anyway. Not the case.

He almost smirked when he elicited exactly the response he was expecting when Mick pushed himself out of his seat and moved so that he was standing in front of him, he managed to hold that back though well he uncrossed his arms and propped his hands onto the edge of the bed. "I wanted to sleep with a woman it wouldn't be some powered bitch who messes with people's minds. An' if I wanted to sleep with her I wouldn't be here making sure you ain't thinkin' 'bout going ta off Darhk." He was almost offended. Sure Mick knew that he saw Sara a lot like Lisa, but he also knew that Leonard wasn't stupid. He supposed that he did just come back from them thinking he was dead though, so Mick being on edge about the idea of him facing life or death wasn't all that strange.

"Careful Mick, I might start thinking you think I'm incompetent if you start assuming I'm gonna do stupid things. I want him dead, don't have a death wish." He pushed himself up slightly off the bed and reached up to lock his arms together behind Mick's head and shifted his weight to his right foot, his left leg moving to hook his foot behind one of Mick's ankles and pull it forward just enough that his only real option was to put his hands down on the bed so that they wouldn't fall onto it . He saw that the other realized what he was doing a second before he felt his mouth on his neck and couldn't help the smug smirk that came to his face as his eyes slipped shut and he let out a hum of satisfaction.

[johannstutt413]

(requested by anonymous) 

Since attending the first official meeting of the Ursus Student Self-Governance Group on Rhodes Island’s campus, the Doctor had found himself in a situation no recently-awoken coma survivor would expect to find themselves: sponsoring a teenager-led rebellion. It hadn’t entirely been a choice on his part - he’d simply wanted to talk to Istina about a book she’d taken from his office - but after watching them at work, furiously working on what could only be called the plans for their future governance of Ursus, he realized the rare opportunity available to him. Many revolutions are led by younger people, true, but it’s a rare thing to have a revolution led by younger people who have been fighting since before their high school years, and with the kind of experience they had from escaping Chernobog originally...The Doctor saw them as more than a worthwhile investment, and being an Ursus himself, it wasn’t hard for him to convince them he could act as an advisor for them.

Besides, when they weren’t playing council, it was fun to hang out with them.

One day, Zima came to the Group meeting with a bottle of vodka and several shot glasses. “Gummy, fire up the stove! Today we’re gonna do something we haven’t done since forming this group of ours.”

“Oh?” Istina looked up from her beanbag and book as Gummy did, in fact, turn on her portable stove and set a pan on it to warm up. “And that would be?”

“Celebrate. You girls have been working hard, and it’s about time you acknowledged how far you’ve come.” That was the Doctor, bringing with him gifts in a great burlap sack he’d managed to get from Closure when buying all these things.

Istina glanced at the bag, then the alcohol, and lastly at the Doctor’s serious face. “You remember your demographic, right? We’re middle schoolers, not revolutionaries in a winter bunker.”

“You’re really going to turn down a drink?” Zima shrugged. “More for me and Doctor, then. Gummy, what about you?”

“Is it the same stuff you brought in last time? I don’t know, it made me really queasy last time.”

The Doctor laughed quietly, but it still resonated through the entire room. “The vodka is optional, but it is Ursus tradition, and even if the establishment has to go, our heritage is another thing altogether.”

“Hmm...” Istina set her bookmark in her current book from the Doctor’s library and carefully set it aside in her usual place. “Alright, just this once. We shouldn’t make a habit of celebrating moving steadily enough not to fall behind.”

“If you hadn’t been sprinting since you first came to RI, I would have stopped at the vodka,” he agreed, setting the present sack by the door.

Once Gummy had their celebratory meal prepared and all had something on their stomachs, the Doctor made sure everyone in the room had a shot and said his piece. “Ladies of the USS-GG, I’ve hijacked this meeting today to celebrate not only your achievements as an organization, but the hard work and dedication you’ve pushed to maintain to secure your accomplishments as more than temporary or pyrrhic victories. No war can be won in a day, and the war for the soul of our motherland began long before any of us were born, but we have taken up its call, and while my arrival was delayed, I’ll be damned if I’m taken off the frontline without a weapon in my hand. Cheers to a record of well-fought victories, and to the future of Ursus paved with ashes of the old regime. To the next generation!”

“To our generation!” The three girls cheered before each taking their first (and for all but Zima, their only) shot for the evening.

“Now,” the Doctor resumed, “before Zima pours the rest of the bottle down her throat, I’d like to give each of you a couple of things. RI held a collection, and we had the funds to get each of you something I think you’ll appreciate.”

Zima glanced from him to the bottle on the counter. “If it’s not a bigger glass, I’m not sure we need to open gifts right now.”

“Trust me, you’ll want to see this without double vision. Istina, this is yours; Gummy, right; Zima, there you are. You can decide amongst yourselves who opens theirs first.”

“Hmph.” The Winter General grunted. “I’ll go last. Gummy, you wanna open yours first?”

She’d already started peeling at the paper, so at the suggestion, she simply finished her work with a single swipe. “Let’s see, let’s see- Doctor, is this for real?”

“Yes, comrade Gummy, it is the genuine article.” He smiled as she opened the box to reach the deluxe-size portable stovetop inside. “Now you can have five pots and pans going at once during meetings without worrying about uneven heating.”

“Oh, Doctor, you’re too generous for words!” Gummy carefully skirted around her present to tackle him in a bear (cub) hug; he caught her with open arms and without being pushed back, a hearty chuckle escaping him as he did so.

Istina adjusted her glasses. “I’m quite curious what you could have gotten me that equals that, Doctor.” She pulled out a paper knife from a drawer in her desk and delicately cut away the paper wrapping of the large box she’d been given.

“You’re being rather delicate with it,” Zima observed. “Why not just cut it open and be done with it?”

“Because, General, I expect there to be at least one book in...side...” She’d opened the box, and what she found was substantially more than one book.

The Doctor, Gummy sitting on one of his legs, nodded as Istina’s excitement began to show. “The entire collections of twelve authors I noticed you had a particular liking of. Most of those are books I do not have, but all of those have yet to be opened.”

“I...I’ll be in your office most of the day for the rest of the month.” This was not a request. “There’s no other place in Rhodes Island quiet enough for the concentration I’ll need to finish this in a reasonable time frame...Oh, who am I kidding, I’d find a way.” She slid the box under her desk before bounding up and sitting next to the Doctor, hugging the arm Gummy didn’t have a hold of. “Thank you, Doctor.”

“I cannot take full credit; the money for your gifts was the work of Rhodes Island as a group...most of mine went to Zima’s, I must admit.”

She examined the box for a moment before simply punching through the cardboard and paper to the item beneath; at its center, it seemed to be the handle for something. “This wouldn’t happen to be a new hammer, would it? I like the one I have.”

“Not a hammer,” he confirmed. “This is less a weapon and more of a symbolic gesture.”

“A symbol of what?” As Zima broke through the rest of the box, she realized what he meant. What had seemed to be a handle was, in fact, a flagpole...They’d gotten them a new flag: their group’s symbol against a bed of red, with a blue ring around the ring finger of the hand to signify Rhodes Island’s support.

The Doctor didn’t smile as the General took in the full ramifications of this gift. “General Zima, Rhodes Island recognizes the Ursus Student Self-Governance Group as sovereign. While your territory is occupied at the moment, rest assured, we will be applying our own forces to the war effort until the homeland is reclaimed under your banner. From that point, as the company’s lead negotiator, I promise you will have our full support and direct access to me for counsel and reinforcement. Furthermore, I have been given authorization to promote all three of you.”

“You have?!” Gummy’s grip around his arm tightened. “I can finally get a proper spice rack with the pay increase!”

“I can get a lamp so I don’t keep having to burn candles,” Istina noted, laying her head against the Doctor’s shoulder.

Zima sat for another moment, fighting back tears, before she regained enough composure to approach the Doctor - standing to close the distance, but falling onto her knees so she was at the right height to hug his neck. “Thanks, Papa.”

“You’re welcome, Grizzly Bear.” The other girls let go long enough for the Doctor to give Zima a proper hug. “Alright, come on, don’t be shy now.” At his invitation, Gummy and Istina rejoined the dogpile, and the Doctor toppled backwards much to their delight.

To the outside observer - specifically to Ethan, who was providing an invisible eye to the whole affair - there was no difference between this government council meeting and a father coming home with gifts for his children. And, as he distinctly mentioned in his report of the event, there wasn’t anything wrong with a father rewarding his kids for earning high marks.

[geometricalien]

oh dear i'm super duper late but I have a lot of questions about your wips!! I wanna know more about sick Akashi, nekoma pirate crew, BoKuroo/BokuAka midsommer, Pining + Jacket, The truth burns and destroys, feeling good, Punk Noya, Strawberry Blonde, sunspot and the merman au!!! Thanks babe <333

Hi Vee!!! This is it, I spent wayyyyy too long on this, I think my finger is cramping from typing. But thank you for asking, I love sharing my ideas, sorry if it’s incorherent.

This is super long so it’s under the cut, saving people room

Sick Akashi 

So, it’s based off of a line prompt “I’d like it if you’d stay” and as the title suggests, 3rd year Akashi gets sick, sorry Vee it’s not fatal, Furihata comes to Rakuzan to check on his friend after he doesn’t answer his phone. The entire premise is Akashi works himself sick with his various responsibilities he takes on as “perfectionist who can’t show any cracks at all”. I don’t want Bokushi Akashi showing up so it’s minus the mental break elements. (also technically in canon terms it's after they have merged so yeah) I feel like they deserve a cute little “nurse” the other from a sickness ficlet. And… maybe… sick Akashi confesses…….. It’s almost a writing challenge for me because Akashi has a more polite sophisticated way of thinking and speaking, so cough yep

The rest are Haikyuu aus so buckle in

NEKOMA PIRATE CREW 

Admittedly this is more loose, less of a solid idea. It’s Yaku centric, and how he went from a merchant from his grandfather’s company searching for lost merchandise and became the first mate who keeps track of the ship's finances and keeps their captain Kuroo on track. Other things of note, he meets Kuroo first as a pirate on another ship who stole his merchandise, Kenma is a sea witch (is that science or magic? That's always the question), and about halfway through the adventure they get Lev on board as a new member. So yeah! Kinda a fetch quest but on of my favorite fanfics is legitimately a fetch quest so it's okay fjdkaljf

BoKuroo/BokuAka Midsommer

This is based off of a fanart by desdelasombra my friend Shayla showed it to me and we threw this idea around together, we really don’t want to write it but it's also spectacular. So it's the movie Midsommar, right? Bokuto is a “gatherer” bringing his friends to come join in his village’s rituals. But we didn’t want anyone to die (except for Kenma sorry he’s dead as the substitute for the main character’s sister), so a grieving Kuroo comes with his boyfriend Bokuto, joined by their friends the smart studious and jaded Oikawa and bright bubbly Hinata. Obviously the three react badly to the first ritual and Bokuto doesn’t understand because for him it’s always been a joyful experience and he wanted to share it with his friends. A Lot of things happen, but most important is Akaashi and Kuroo dancing under the may pole together. BokuAka was in the past when Bokuto was home so part of this is them coming together as poly and escaping the final scene of the movie. Again this is very painful but that art is beautiful and the world is better for it being created

Pining + Jacket (KuroLev)

Again this is a line prompt about lending a jacket because it’s cold and it had so much potential for pining and who is the most pining bastard that I know? LEV and Shayla told me about KuroLev and somehow this happened. It’s currently going to be a sequence of drabbles of Lev pining after Kuroo, what else could you ask for? Uh? Lev confessing to Kuroo and them going out??? Sorry I can’t hear you over the exquisite angst and pain of one sided love that I want to explore

The truth burns and destroys

GOOD CHOICE, I began this on saturday night and it has earned a very special place in my heart. Sometimes I fear that my writing is like a lazy pool, sure it's nice and easy and smooth but there isn’t an intensity or raw emotions, BUT THIS this accomplishes what I want. And I’m really glad, its metaphor and imagery heavy but it really captures their emotions and thoughts without it sounding like I’m a 7th grader writing my first fanfiction glances to my abandoned wips from that time. Okay, Vee, I am a glutton for punishment and angst and I choose to pursue cheating fics. But specifically where and how they build the relationship up again after finding out. So, I was reading a KageHina cheating fic and how the character’s reacted felt off somehow so at midnight I wrote this snippet to fullfill my craving, you know what they say the best fanfiction is self indulgence. Here is a short excerpt,

He wants to brush this aside and continue their lives. He wants to wake up next to Tobio and still be seen the same way. He doesn't want anything to change. 

Tobio is his favorite book. He has read it time and time again. Highlighting, underlining, cherishing. So Shouyou is able to read the silent begging in his eyes. The right clenched fist. 

"Shouyou," a deafening pause "What is this?"

Please lie to me.

…

It stretches on. The eternity of silence. They sit together holding on to the last hope they have. Shouyou memorizes those beautiful hands, each crease and bump. Hands that helped shape him become who he is and that reached out unwaveringly. 

Tobio sighs a world ending sigh. 

Shouyou was the one who created their world, it's only fitting that Tobio is the one who destroys it.

In summary I like angst, I want to feel something 

Feeling good

AAA, okay uh, This is a BokuAka pop star au. Akaashi sings “feeling good” at a big charity event hosted by Akashi (... yes I am AkaFuri trash and I can and will sneak them in anything and everything I write) while he is singing he walks down a big staircase remembering moments in his relationship with Bokuto, how much they have grown and how much he loves him. I love the concept! But I tried to write smut in the beginning of it and OOF THATS A NO. I actually have the majority of it written but I do want to add more emotions and thoughts (the lazy pool writing) and make it Ao3 friendly because I have all of the lyrics for feeling good in it as “post signs” for what he sings and that’s against their rules. 1 major aspect of this fic is it's all leading up to the point where Akaashi says “I love you” for the first time to Bokuto after finishing the song, on stage, in front of everyone and on every screen broadcasting it.

Punk Noya

I have a love for feral boys, especially feral alternative punk boys (and girls and humans) so this whole idea is that Noya goes to another school for high school, embraces more punk aethsetics, and on the first day of the preliminary tournaments he hears the rumors about a high schooler in a gang, getting up to nasty things, and he decides to confront them. He finds Asahi, rants him out and leaves. The plot then follows canon, at the winter tournament Karasuno faces Dateko, Karasuno loses even more badly because Noya isn’t there. Asahi quits volleyball, BUT Asahi and Noya run into each other at the store and talk leading to friendship which leads to romance. Idk man, I want more punk haikyuu characters, it gives me life. Alt Yamaguchi is my favorite but onwards we go

Strawberry Blonde

!!!! So this is Mitski’s song and to give a vague idea this is a pining Kageyama fic where he tries to pull away from Hinata and that back fires. (I  do have more to say but I’ve been typing this for over an hour and I’m getting really tired fjkdaljl) There is one paragraph that I love, so here it is! Kageyama and Hinata are practicing by themselves outside of school and they are playing pepper (its a volleyball warm up practice routine where you partner up with someone pass, set, and spike the ball to each other sesquentially) Hinata goes to spike the ball and for a moment Kageyama sees it, 

They are at nationals and they made it to finals. The crowds are screaming, but everything except the court is thrown into shadows. They are at match point of the final set. Everything is at peak intensity and at the center is him. Flying in the air. Orange hair waving with the momentum. His loud take off echoing in the gym. Arm poised for the kill. Eyes sparking with ferocity and passion as he aims. And finally, tipping the world over is the loud slap of his hand, sending the ball to the far side of the court-

This was actually going to be finished and posted in time for Haikyuu season 4 coming out and the manga wrapping up.... clearly I failed my goal fjdaklfj

Sunspot

You don’t know this about me but I love royalty aus, and this is BokuAka Prince Akaashi and Knight Bokuto. This was a short snippet of this grand idea I have for them where they run away from Akaashi’s inherited destiny together. It has potential to be really wide and expansive with the differnet teams as different kingdoms (AGAIN ILLUSION OF CHOICE, that fic really influences me doesn’t it fjdskalj) But this was a short glance at Akaashi taking a break from studying and watching Bokuto and the other knights practice duel. The title comes from the fact that Bokuto is a sunspot in Akaashi’s life, and his day is substantially better basking in his golden shining light.

Merman au

I’m so glad you asked about this and its technically the one I’ve written the most for since it's actually the one I posted on my haikyuu writing side blog. But brief recap, long term it’s a BokuAka little mermaid au but instead of a sea witch it’s an underwater deity who makes “wishes” (it's a deal) with every royal who is born. And Akaashi has a lot of siblings: Ushijima, Oikawa, Suga, Terushima, and Hinata, and its in that order. So I have information on every sibling’s deal, what they wish for, what they give for it, what happens to them in the future, romantically and otherwise. But, this is the one I haven’t updated in over a year, I am working on it!! I’m currently on Koushi’s (suga’s) wish/deal, its just taking forever. If you want to learn more about it I’ll link it in parts  1  2  3  4

BUT I will work on Suga’s part and then Terushima’s and then to the meat of the idea with Akaashi. 

If you have made it this far, thanks, you are cool as always. My brain and fingers is ded. 

[apostlc-a]

❝  i know you hate gods but you really can’t stay away from them, can you?  ❞

god of war | accepting | @gospelofguilt

     Tʜᴀᴛ sᴛᴀᴛᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ is not entirely true.

     It's not that he hates gods. Or maybe it is; from some viewpoints, it's much rather that he never had any attachments to religion in the sense most people would understand it. His bunica would tell him of many things between this realm and another in his youth, and despite his curiosity seeking after them in the Wallachian mountainside, he wouldn't encounter any of these back then; a case of luck (although he did not see it as such as a child) mixed with the sceptics he'd grow into in later years. She had many things to talk and warn of then — like a creature visiting you at night and sitting on your chest until you could no longer breathe, plagued by nightmares of things that aren't, or aren't anymore — but to him, it were stories. And as such were it just stories when people talked of their gods, for what were they if not spirits that enough people believed in? What difference is there in believing a newborn child will be visited by the fae to bestow their gifts (or steal it away, if they so like) and greeting them with offerings of wine, salt and coin, to believing the same child needs to be baptized or some of the doors of the afterlife will remain closed to it? And with stories differing so much, what truth is there to be found? Even those that follow Christianity back in his home held still to some of the old paths; believed the Earth as Mother as counter to the Christian god, who created the world with the help of her animals much rather than alone and who would attempt to contain and shrink her and raising mountains with it; and what does it say that these things would differ so vastly upon coming to America, where they tried to enforce that their words spoke the truth when they couldn't even agree themselves?

     No; it's not hatred. It's being someone that needs proof for everything, someone that does not believe something that does not make sense to him, and gods in it's entirety — they didn't, no more than to be something to provide comfort and explanations for things that are too vast for once's horizon, and something to use to keep people in line; and he certainly has no love in his heart for the Christian god and his followers, at least the ones that spit hatred and bigotry. The ones that tell him he's bound to go to Hell (a place that exists, surely, but it is much rather many places on Earth and he has seen some of them) simply for who he is attracted to, and that would attack people over the color of their skin or the structure of their bones or a name that sounds too foreign for them. He's supposed to believe this is a religion of love? No.

     But: this is not quite the point. If it was, then there would be no talk of plural. And there is just one thing, really, that separates what he believes with the proof he has now, knowledge paid for in blood, are semantics. When is a god a god? When you believe in them. Not: when you worship them, because fear can work just as well in their case. It's just a concept. You believe them to be a god and they become such; they just have the power that you give them. Sometimes, that is by something being drilled into your head and sometimes it's a bit more substantial than that.

     It's hard not to believe in a god that brought you back not from the brink of it, but death itself; that you can see and hear at any given moment, that sings in your blood and whispers in your head, that moves within you, sometimes visibly, sometimes around you. That shows you images of lives not yours, that speaks to you of things that would be impossible to know. What does that make him? A vessel, surely. Does it grant him some divinity of his own? Up for interpretation; and up to someone else for he lacks the distance to judge such.

     Does he hate it? The thing inside his lungs, his bones, his head? Yes. But he doesn't at the same time. An antithesis in itself. He hates the way it uses him, feeds on him, takes him and turns him into a tool that has lost all autonomy no matter how it looks like on the outside; but there's also an addiction to it. Something about the impossibility to it. All his life he's been seeking for truth and knowledge and now there's more than any mortal being should possess, more than his mind can comprehend, and yet, the hunger for more is still not sated and won't ever be. He despites them, but would he do it all again? Invite them in willingly? Regrettably, the answer is too clear in it's confirmation, in the way he knows deep down that it’s not even a question.

     "So? What else am I 'pposed t' do, Blake? Run from th' thing that keeps me alive? You think I should carve it out o' my chest, see where that gets me? Can't go back; only way left is forward. Can't change th' past, might as well use it t' affect th' future. You want t' have it instead? You wanna deal with divinity? Seems more your cup o' tea, anyway."

[assembledherethevolunteers]

Future Management Chapter 10

A/N: Hi everybody! Thank you so so SO much for all your love for this story.  This is probably going to be the last chapter.  I know, but I’m thinking I might do another one shot or some headcannons? Maybe you guys can let me know what you think. Anyway! Love you guys and hope you continue to enjoy!

Pairing: Ben Hardy x fem!Reader

Summary: You and Ben Hardy had been together for the better part of a decade.  After hitting a rough patch, the two of you decide to end things. However, one small surprise keeps you two connected more than you thought.

Warnings: I’ve written a lot of fluff in my day, but damn. This one may take the cake.    

Catch Up: Prologue (https://assembledherethevolunteers.tumblr.com/post/188795655663/future-management)  Chapter 1 (https://assembledherethevolunteers.tumblr.com/post/188846514968/future-management-chapter-1) Chapter 2 (https://assembledherethevolunteers.tumblr.com/post/188923255568/future-management-chapter-2) Chapter 3 (https://assembledherethevolunteers.tumblr.com/post/189095339763/future-management-chapter-3) Chapter 4 (https://assembledherethevolunteers.tumblr.com/post/189199837403/future-management-chapter-4) Chapter 5 (https://assembledherethevolunteers.tumblr.com/post/189300488163/future-management-chapter-5) Chapter 6 (https://assembledherethevolunteers.tumblr.com/post/189442099338/future-management-chapter-6) Chapter 7 (https://assembledherethevolunteers.tumblr.com/post/189800039798/future-management-chapter-7) Chapter 8 (https://assembledherethevolunteers.tumblr.com/post/189937325478/future-management-chapter-8) Chapter 9 (https://assembledherethevolunteers.tumblr.com/post/190017663658/future-management-chapter-9)

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 ONE YEAR LATER-CHRISTMAS

“Mommy, can we open presents now?!” Eliza asked as soon as you walked through the door after Church.  The house mostly only had Christmas decorations left in it.  You had slowly started moving things to London over the past couple weeks. You’d officially be moving shortly after the first of the year.   

“No, Lovebug. We’ve got to call Daddy first.”

Eliza threw her head back, but waited for you to FaceTime Ben.  The two of you sat down on the couch.  

Ben answered, and it looked like he was driving a car.

“Good morning, loves,” Ben grinned at you.

“Merry Christmas, Daddy!”

“Merry Christmas, Birdie! Have you opened your presents yet?”

“No! Mommy said we had to call you!

Ben laughed at the annoyance in Eliza’s tone and in your face.

“Where are you?”

“On my way to Gran’s,” Ben smiled like he had a secret. “Can you wait about ten minutes, Liza? Gran would like to see it too.”

Eliza sighed dramatically.

“God, you’d think her parents were actors or something,” you stroked her hair as she rested her head on your shoulder.

“Why don’t you tell me about Grandma and Grandpa’s last night?” Ben asked.

Eliza started telling Ben about going to your mom and dad’s last night and it worked. She showed him some of the presents she had gotten and he showed her as much enthusiasm as he could. You loved that about him. No matter what Eliza showed him or told him, he made her think it was the best thing in the world.

You watched as Ben got out of the car and kept talking to Eliza.

“Just a couple more seconds, then you can open your presents, sweetheart.”

“Yay!”

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. You cocked an eyebrow and told Eliza to stay there. You walked over and opened the door to see...

“BEN!” You threw your arms around Ben and buried your face in the crook of his neck. You felt tears come to your eyes.

“DADDY!” You heard Eliza yell and come running towards you both. You both picked her up and Ben smothered her with kisses.

“What are you doing here?” You asked, wiping your eyes.

“I wanted to surprise my girls,” Ben responded with a soft smile.

“Daddy, I’m so happy you’re here! Merry Christmas!”

“Oh Happy Christmas, Birdie. Are you ready for presents?”

“YES!” Eliza wiggled out of your arms. You put her down and she ran away towards the presents.

You watched her before turning back to Ben.

“I can’t believe you’re here.”

Ben pulled you into a kiss.

“Mommy! Daddy! PRESENTS!”

You pulled away and giggled.

“We better get in there before she tears the whole house apart.”

The two of you walked, hand in hand, to the living room so see Eliza sorting the presents.   

“Mommy! You have some too!”

“Thank you, sweetie,” you looked to Ben.  “Do you want a coffee or anything?  I can make it while she’s sorting.”  

“I’d love one, thank you,” Ben kissed your nose.  

You walked into the kitchen, your heart finally slowing down.  You were so excited to see him.  You and Ben had talked about him coming to New York for Christmas, but he had just started a new project and they needed him the day after (which would be about the time you would be celebrating).  You wanted to ask him, but figured you should let Eliza open her presents first.  

You walked into the living room with Ben’s coffee and handed it to him on the couch, you cuddled into his arms.  

“Daddy, all of yours are in London,” Eliza looked up at Ben with wide eyes.  “You don’t have any to open!”  She started looking at some of her boxes and placed some in front of him.  “Here, you can have some of mine.”  

Your heart swelled.  She was honestly the sweetest little girl you’d ever met.  You still weren’t sure how you’d gotten so lucky.  You had your daughter and the love of your life. There was nothing more you needed.

“Oh no, Birdie, you can have your presents.  I already opened mine with Gran a couple of days ago.”

Eliza gasped. “You got to open your presents early?! What about Santa?”

“He um…he knew that I was coming here so he dropped them off early,” Ben’s voice was slightly shaky.

“I didn’t know Santa would do that!”  

You bit your lip to keep from laughing.  

“Alright, Lovebug, why don’t you get started?”

Eliza started opening her presents and she was just as excited every time she opened one. You and Ben matched her eagerness with each one.  

Once she finished, she ran over and threw herself in your lap, hugging you.  

“Thank you, Mommy!”  She reached over and hugged Ben too.  “And you Daddy!  Thank you!”

“Of course, sweetie.”

“Now Mommy, your turn!” Eliza crawled into Ben’s lap and watched you.  

“Thank you, Liza,” you told her before picking up a package and opening it.  It was a candid picture of Eliza and Ben playing at the park on canvas.  Your eyes started swimming.  You knew you had asked for pictures, but this was more than you had thought you would get.

“Mommy, why are you crying?  Do you not like it?” Eliza’s voice was quiet, like it was when she thought she might be in trouble.

You smiled at her and shook your head.  “I love it, baby.  Thank you so so much.”  You leaned over and kissed her forehead.  

“Daddy and Unkie Gil helped!”  

You smiled at Ben.  “I’m sure they did,” you kissed Ben’s cheek.  “Thank you.”  

“Yay! Daddy said you would like it.”  

You opened the rest of your gifts and loved each of them.  Eliza had painted you a coffee mug with a heart on one side and ‘Mommy’ on the other.  

“Grandma helped me!”  

“Well thank you, Lovebug.”  

“You’re welcome!  I think that’s all your presents, Mommy.”

“And they were all…”

“Hold on, Birdie.  I think I see one more in the tree,” Ben glanced at the tree,

You squinted at it and saw there was something there.  How had you not noticed that?  

Eliza stood up and plucked the small box out of the tree.  

“There’s no name!”

“Bring it over here, honey,” you told her with a glanced at Ben.  You noticed he was fidgeting his hands and bouncing one of his legs.  

“I’ll take it, Birdie,” Ben’s voice had that same shaky tone when he’d mentioned Santa.

Eliza brought the box over and handed it to Ben before sitting between the two of you.  

“What is it, Daddy?”  

“Well, sweetheart,” Ben cleared his throat.  His eyes flickered to you before meeting Eliza’s again.  “I’ve been thinking for a while now. You know that you and Mummy are going to come to London to live with Daddy?”

“Yeah! And Frankie!”  

Ben chuckled. “Yes, and Frankie.  And you know that Mummy and Daddy love each other?”  

Eliza nodded.

“And,” Ben cleared his throat again.  “Well, Daddy’s been thinking that…well, maybe,” Ben looked at you.  

You finally put everything together and your brain suddenly felt fuzzy.  

“Ben?” you breathed out.  

Ben stood up, opened the box, and dropped down to one knee.

“Y/N, I…I know this is…well, we’ve been down this road before, and it didn’t work out the way we originally planned.  But, this past year, with you and Eliza, us being a family, have been the happiest of my life and I just...” Ben’s eyes started to fill with your tears.  

Or maybe that was yours.  At this point, you couldn’t really tell.  

“I never want this to end.  So please, Y/N, will you marry me?  Again?”

Your heart was thumping.  You couldn’t believe that this was happening.  You had thought that maybe the two of you would live together for a while and then maybe you and Ben would get married again.  You’d talked about it in passing, but nothing really substantial.  How long…?

You must’ve been quiet for a little too long.

“Mommy? Are you okay?”  

That brought you back to reality.  You glanced at her and wiped your eyes again.

“Yes, baby, I’m okay.”  You looked back to Ben and smiled wide at him.  “And of course! Of course I’ll marry you!”  

Ben stood up and wrapped his arms around you.  He picked you up and spun around with you.  

“Daddy! I wanna spinny too!”  

You and Ben laughed and picked her up, spinning around with her.

Eliza giggled when you stopped and Ben gave you a kiss.  

A couple hours later, Eliza had fallen asleep with her head in your lap (the rest of her body over Ben’s) as the three of you watched Elf.  You examined the ring and played with it.  

“How did you get this back?” You whispered.  It was the same ring that you had offered him back after the divorce. The one that had belonged to his family that he’d told you to keep.  

“When Joe was here helping you pack things up, he may or may not have also been on a spy mission.”  

“Joe stole it?!”  

“I wouldn’t say steal it,  I’d say he nicked it.”  

“Shut up,” you rested your head on Ben’s shoulder.  “You realize how ridiculously cliché it was for you to propose on Christmas, right?”  

“Well,” Ben started, resting his head on yours.  “I was planning on waiting until you were back in London, but I just…I couldn’t. I wanted to ask you as soon as I could and once I thought about surprising you here, it came to mind. Gwil may have helped a little with the planning.”  

“Speaking of, do we need to call anybody?”

“We can in a little bit.  For now,” Ben stroked Eliza’s hair.  “Let’s just enjoy the rest of Christmas, yeah?”

“Don’t they need you on set?”

“I asked for an extended holiday.”

“So when do you need to go back?”

Ben sighed. “Too soon.”  

You were quiet then.  You knew that meant that he probably only had today and maybe tomorrow to be with you and Eliza.  You closed your eyes, deciding that you’d just enjoy Christmas with your daughter and fiancé.  

 3 years later

You walked down the stairs after helping Eliza get the crayons down so she could make Ben a birthday card since his birthday was in a couple of days. She wanted to make it totally by herself and so you left her alone in her room. 7 years old and she was already so independent. You could hear Ben muttering in the living room.

“...And that’s Tottenham. We don’t like them either. Matter of fact, if it’s not Arsenal, we don’t like them.  When you start talking, Daddy will teach you the song.”

You chuckled to yourself and leaned against the doorway, watching him rock your 8 month old son. Ethan looked up at his dad with those big green eyes, but you could tell he was barely awake.

“You know, you probably should let the kids pick their own teams.”

Ben looked over at you and smiled.

“They’re more than welcome to like whomever they want,” Ben looked down at Ethan. “But if you want Daddy to love you, you’ll like Arsenal,” he cooed, making Ethan smile. “Yes, you will.”

You rolled your eyes but walked into the living room, closer to your boys.

“I think you’re being a tad ridiculous, but whatever.”

“Eliza likes Arsenal.”

You rolled your eyes and kissed his cheek.

“Eliza loves her Daddy and her daddy likes Arsenal.”

Ben chuckled.

“Where is she?”

“Upstairs, she’s making somebody a birthday card,” you watched as Ethan blew a raspberry at you and then giggled. “Are you ready for your nap, little man?”

Ethan reached for you and you took him in your arms.

“Tell Daddy nini. We’ll see him soon.”

Ben leaned over and kissed Ethan’s head. “Daddy loves you.” Then he kissed your cheek. “And I love you.”

“Love you too,” you grinned at him before going upstairs to lie Ethan down.

“Mummy,” you heard hissed from Eliza’s bedroom after Ethan was snug in his crib.

“Yes, Lovebug?”

She gestured you into her room and she quickly shut the door when you were inside.

“Here’s Daddy’s card!” She handed you the card she’d made.

On the front it said “HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!” You smiled, and opened the inside. Inside was a picture of your family. All four of you. Ben was on one end, Eliza and Ethan were in the middle, and you were on the other end.

“I know Ethan can’t stand yet, so I pretended.”

“This is beautiful, sweetheart. Daddy will love it.”

“Can we give it to him now?!”

You gently ran a hand through her hair.

“In a couple days. Remember? We’re making Daddy breakfast and then we’re going to relax and then Gran is going to come get you.”

Eliza nodded.  

“And you and Daddy are going to dinner.”  

“That’s right, baby.  And then you’ll stay the night with Gran and Mommy and Daddy will come get you in the afternoon.  Do you want to come downstairs watch football with Daddy?”  

“Yeah!”

A few days later, you applied your lipstick to finish getting ready.  

“Love! My Mum’s here!” Ben yelled ay you from downstairs.  

“Alright!” You called down to him.  You looked yourself over one more time before coming downstairs.  

“…games and there’s milk and toys in the bag.  Ethan just ate, so he will probably need his bottle at…”  

“Ben, sweetheart, I know.  I have watched them overnight before.”  

You laughed as you walked into the room.  You loved your mother-in-law.

“Y/N, don’t laugh.  It just encourages her,” Ben rolled his eyes before he looked you over.  “Wow, you look beautiful.”  

“You do, Mummy!”  Eliza peeked around Ben from her seat at the island.  

Ben’s mother was holding Ethan.  He smiled and reached for you when you walked in.  You took him and kissed his forehead then looked to Ben.  

“Thank you, both.  Ben, we should probably get going.  We don’t want to be late.”  You looked at Ethan.  “No we don’t. And you’re going to go with Gran. Yes, you are.”  

“Alright, dears, you should get going.”  

“Daddy, can Frankie come to Gran’s?”  Eliza asked.  You hadn’t noticed that she’d gotten down and was petting the Beagle’s ears.  

“No, Birdie, Mummy and Daddy will be home tonight, so she can stay here tonight.”

Eliza pouted, but gave Frankie a kiss on the head.  “I’ll be home tomorrow, Frankie.”

Frankie barked quietly at her name.  

Eliza and Frankie had become the best of friends over the past couple years. She even started to feed Frankie when Ethan had just been born without being asked.

You and Ben said another round of goodbyes and helped get the kids into your mother-in-law’s car.  After they left, you and Ben went to his car.  He gave you a kiss before he opened your door and gestured you inside. You gave him one more peck over the door.  

“Happy birthday, Benny,” you whispered before you got into the car.  

Ben smiled to himself before he walked to the other side of the car to get in. The two of you talked about your upcoming projects.  Yours would be filming just outside of London, so you would be home every night.  Ben was in talks for a new film that would take place in Ireland, so he would be able to come home on the weekends.  

You pulled up the restaurant and Ben handed the keys to the valet.  

“I can’t believe you go us reservations here,” Ben muttered in your ear.

‘Oh I got us more than that,’ you thought as the maître d lead you the back of the restaurant.  

Sitting at a table, waiting for you and Ben, were six people you knew he’d be incredibly excited to see.  

“BEN!”  They all stood up and shouted.  Ben jumped slightly, making you laugh.  

Gwil, his wife, Carryl, Joe, his wife, Viv, Rami, and Lucy all came to you and Ben for a big group hug.  

“Careful!” Joe declared.  “You’ll squish The Fourth.”  

“I told you not to call the baby that,” Viv rolled her eyes.    

“Wait, does this mean you’re having a boy?” Lucy clapped her hands together.

“We don’t know until the day after we go back.”

“It’s a boy,” Joe replied, slapping Ben on the back.  

Ben rolled his eyes.  “Trust me, mate.  You won’t know before she does.”  

“Two kids and this guy thinks he’s an expert,” Joe joked as you all sat down.

“You’ve certainly come a long way from hiding in your trailer to not play a drum a solo,” Rami smirked.  

“Oh shut up,” Ben gave him a playful punch to the arm.  He then looked around the table.  “Seriously though, thank you all for coming out tonight. You really didn’t have…”

“Stop,” Gwil immediately cut off Ben.  “Of course we did.  When Y/N came up with the idea, we all agreed right away.  We all haven’t been together since your wedding.”  

“That can’t be true,” Carryl frowned as if she was trying to remember.

“What about LA last year?”  Joe threw out.  

You shook your head.  “Ben was in New Zealand.”  

“Oh, that’s right.”  

“I’m offended you don’t remember I wasn’t there,” Ben put a hand on his heart and pouted at Joe.  

“You were there in my dreams, baby,” Joe winked at Ben.  

The whole table laughed.  

“The important thing is we’re here now,” Viv grabbed Joe’s hand just as the waiter came over.  

The rest of the night was the eight of you catching up.  It had been about three years since you had all been together. Yes, you’d met some of them here and there, but there was just something different when all of your were together. It was like a family.  

Halfway through the night, while everybody was listening to Rami tell a story about one of his new costars, Ben leaned over to your ear.  

“Thank you for this,” he whispered.  “Thank you for everything.  This, Eliza, Ethan, giving us a chance again, all of it.  I love you.”  

You felt like you were going to cry.  If somebody had told you when you and Ben were going through your divorce that you’d get back to this point. You were remarried.  The two of you not only had Eliza, but now also Ethan.  You were out with your best friends to celebrate Ben’s birthday.  This was perfect.  It was exactly where you wanted to be.  

“I love you too.”  

[selohtun20]

Coffee and kidnappings

Villain!Mic, based off of @hey-hamlet’s Wicked Coffee AU

Word count: 1777

Izuku thinks that maybe he should be more unsettled. It’s not everyday that you finally figure out that, yes, the facial hair thing is not, in fact, a coincidence, and yes, the barista at you and your teacher’s favorite coffee shop is, in fact, a villain. A pretty infamous one at that, seeing as how he’s known to deafen opponents permanently and also flirt with Eraserhead when they fight. Present Mic, the voice villain, and Yamada Hizashi, the barista who Izuku knows weirdly well by now. He’s been designated coffee guy for all of 1-A for a while now, and he knows their orders by heart, carrying them carefully back to campus so he doesn’t spill anything. Yamada (it’s easier to think of them as two people, rather than one) always perks up when he comes in, already starting on his inevitably gigantic order. Izuku usually orders ahead, but comes a little earlier to chat with Yamada if there’s no one around. He also does it to take notes, quickly typed on his phone for future reference and to be put into his analysis notebooks.

Normally, none of this would really matter. The moment Izuku finally made the connection in his brain, he should’ve turned around, walked out from the coffee shop, and ran back to Aizawa as fast as he could. But there’s a problem, which boils down to this: Aizawa actually likes Yamada. Izuku, who can’t mind his own business at the best of times, and certainly not now, figures that friendships maybe don’t come easy to his teacher, given that he almost always looks half-dead and ready to kill anyone at a moment’s notice if they get between him and coffee. He also knows that Yamada doodles little cats and paw prints on his teacher’s cup, and even if he thinks he can hide them, Izuku can see Aizawa smile at his cup when he sees it. (Aizawa’s order is the only one that changes. Yamada makes him something new almost every week, and it’s always sickeningly sweet.) Izuku, honestly and truly, would feel bad about turning Yamada in, or at least exposing his secret. He’s relatively sure Yamada wouldn’t hurt him. Then again, Izuku has a habit (a bad one, considering where his aspirations lie) of always thinking the best of people when at all possible.

He’s beginning to regret not saying anything when he gets kidnapped. There’s a bag over his head, his hands are tied, and he would probably be having a gigantic panic attack if it weren’t for the fact that he can recognize Yamada’s voice. He’s also pretty sure that Yamada kidnapped him as an excuse to see Eraserhead, which, hey, Izuku understands that he’s a pretty convenient target, but still. He’s a little annoyed that he’ll probably miss class if he doesn’t get free, like, right now. But there’s not much he can do at the moment, and he doesn’t feel like testing his theory that Yamada won’t hurt him, so he resigns himself to his fate.

~

Kidnapping a kid wasn’t exactly high on Mic’s priority list, sure, but it was very convenient. He was at the coffee shop, surprisingly easy to grab and tie up, and he’s in Eraserhead’s class, so really, he can’t be blamed for his actions. It’s just- well, he hasn’t seen Eraser for a week now, and he’s only seen Aizawa once. He misses him, as much as he doesn’t really want to admit it, so kidnapping Midoriya makes sense on that level. Plus, they haven’t spent any substantial time together, so it’s as good an excuse as any to write up a ransom note, email it with a disposable email to Eraser, and wait.

Mic wasn’t counting on the fact that, apparently, Midoriya doesn’t fear death. He expected the kid to be scared, to fight back, to scream or do- something, at least. Instead, he just sort of sits there, and when Mic takes the bag off his head, the kid smiles at him, bright and it’s almost blinding. “Hi there Mr. Yamada!” “I- wait, what?” Mic blinks several times in shock. “The facial hair is a dead giveaway. Also, did you kidnap me to see Eraser, or…?” “Uh, well, yes? I wasn’t expecting you to figure out it was me, but uh, I wrote your teacher a ransom note, hopefully he’ll look at his emails soon…” Midoriya cocks his head, frowns for a second, then smiles again. “Well, why don’t I call him? It’s much faster than waiting for him to find a note!” Mic can’t do much else but nod, and he unties the kid (he can take a kid, no problem. Probably.) before grabbing Midoriya’s phone and throwing it to him. The kid catches it on instinct, and quickly pulls up his teacher’s contact while Mic has a personal crisis in the background. Before Eraser can pick up, Mic asks if the kid wants something to eat. He did kidnap him during lunch break, after all.

~

Aizawa knew something was wrong, but he wasn’t sure what it was. It prickled under his skin, an uncomfortable sensation that left him on edge. It was lunch break, and normally he’d be asleep right now. But the dread pooling in his gut wouldn’t let him, and he resigned himself to worry until he figured out what was really wrong. Before he could gather himself up to go grade, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. An email. From someone he’d never heard of, with the subject being “ransom note: Hi Eraser!!!!!”. Great.

The note itself is clearly from Present Mic, seeing as how it uses far too many exclamation points to be written by any rational human being. It’s also a little unclear as to what, exactly, he’s demanding, other than the fact that he only wants Aizawa to come in, no one else. Before he can read into it much further, his cellphone rings. He answers on instinct. “Hello?” “Hi sensei! I got kidnapped by Mr- ah, I mean Present Mic! He’s making lunch for me!” “He’s what? Where are you, problem child?” Aizawa starts to panic, because, yes, Midoryia sounds fine, but there's also the possibility that Mic is threatening him, and while Present Mic doesn't usually hurt kids, this is one of Aizawa's kids. He doesn't hate Mic, not really, but he wouldn't hesitate to strangle the man if there's a hair out of place on the problem child's head when he gets there. “He’s making me lunch! And, I’m not sure sensei! Hold on- '' There's a rustling sound, and Aizawa can hear Midoriya ask something, and Mic’s answer in return. “We’re at a warehouse in the dock district! And-“ Aizawa hears Mic’s voice again in the background. “Oh yeah, he told me to tell you not to bring anyone else, or he’ll make me deaf!” “Did he drug you? Why are you so calm? I’ll be there as soon as I can, just-“ “I don’t think he drugged me? I’ll see you soon sensei!” With that, the problem child hangs up the phone, leaving Aizawa to sprint towards the main campus gates.

~

“You’re a pretty good cook, Mr. Yamada!” “Thanks kid! Hopefully Eraser will show up soon too!” Izuku grins, taking another bite. They finish their lunches, both talking at rapid speeds about anything and everything, until Izuku feels his phone vibrate. “Oh! He’s here! I’ll make us tea!” With that, he busies himself with a kettle, getting out cups. As they wait for the water to boil, the door gets kicked in, and Aizawa sprints in, ready to fight. “Hi sensei! I’m making tea!” He waves at his teacher, grabbing tea bags and generally keeping his hands busy. While neither adult is looking, he pulls his phone out and sends a Snap to Shinsou, and manages to get one of his teacher and the villain, and adds it to his story. His phone is buzzing like crazy with texts, and he carefully silences it, just as the kettle whistles. He pours the water into the cups, and brings two over to the small table set up in the warehouse. (He’s not entirely sure how all this stuff got in here. He’s betting it might be a secret base for Present Mic, seeing as how there appears to be food and Izuku is pretty sure there was a first aid kit somewhere, but he’s not entirely sure yet-) “You’re mumbling, problem child.” “Oh. W-whoops. Anyway, Mic! You wanna tell sensei why you kidnapped me?” Izuku sets the cups down, and goes back to the counter to drink his own tea, snickering to himself as he gets ready to record.

~

“GUYS! HE’S OKAY, SENSEI IS THERE!” The entire class 1-A crowds around Ochako, and she holds the phone so more people can see. It’s a video of Aizawa and Present Mic, drinking tea. The camera shakes a little, and the class can hear Izuku giggling softly. “Let me get this straight: you kidnapped one of my students, left me a ransom note, THREATENED TO DEAFEN HIM, because you wanted to see me?” Aizawa sounds furious, but it's hard to tell from a video, and Izuku is recording so Ochako doubts he's hurt. “Well, when you put it like that, it sounds so awful Eraser!” Present Mic puts a hand to his chest, sounding offended. "Did you drug him? Why is he so calm?” Aizawa’s voice is sharp, and Ochako can’t really see his face too well, but she’s sure he’s glaring at the villain. I didn’t, I swear! I would never drug a kid!” “You’d just kidnap one?” “I- well, yes. But I didn’t drug him, so that’s one point towards me!” Aizawa puts his head in his hands, shaking it softly, and Izuku giggles more. “Why aren’t you afraid, kid?” “He’s right, problem child. He did kidnap you.” Izuku giggles even more, much to the adults’ surprise. “Bold of you to assume I feel fear, sensei! Can I go back to U.A. now? I don’t want to miss class.” At his nonchalant voice, Bakugou bursts out laughing, cackling like a madman. Iida looks like he’s on the verge of a heart attack, and Shinsou is blinking at the video like he can’t believe what he’s really seeing. The rest of the class is caught between worry for their classmate and holding in their laughter, partially at Izuku’s comment and partially at Bakugou’s laughter, which is hilarious in and of itself. “Oh wait, before we go, can we get a selfie together Mic?" “... you know what, sure kid. I don’t think this day could get much weirder.”

[quicktelling-blog]

Amira’s Vanished Hustle, Perceptions of Missed Opportunities, and What Everyone Should Consider About the Story So Far

[deep dive under the cut]

Some messages I got over the weekend were along the lines of: “No Damira again on Friday whew you must be heartbroken huh?” But, y’all, I wasn’t surprised. And to be completely honest, my reaction on Friday was very different from the ones I saw in the tag. Yeah, I was super happy for the adorable Amira and I was also side-eying the glaring absence of Carlos’s besties at his own housewarming -- but my main thought after the clip was: “LOL OH SHIT HERE WE GO.” Because in my mind Friday was an ENORMOUS RED FLAG that the only substantial thing left to do in Amira’s story arc is the cute Bon Voyage party to send her off on her dream trip. Even before this big POV shift happened, Druck hadn’t given us any reason to expect much more than that in her remaining plot, and I’ll elaborate on that here.

I don’t wanna jump to the conclusion that Druck can’t possibly stick the landing, because hey, they might! We have no clear idea what will happen between now and the final goodbye party, so maybe good things are coming that will subvert all of our worst imaginings! But I feel like this is a hinge point in the season to do a little reassessing of expectations... and to come clean about one big reason why I’ve mostly spoken superficially about this season up until now.

The very first red flag, for me, was when I realized Druck was planning to basically pretend Amira never had a job. That oversight might not seem like a big deal to most, and it’s not like her job was the first thing Druck ever made disappear unceremoniously (remember when Leonie and Sara had other close girl friends? lol) but to me it was a signal that my expectations for Amira’s story (based on her previous strong characterization) had maybe been too high. And I immediately felt a bit cheated.

Amira was already so fleshed out coming into her season. She was demanding, quick-witted, and nurturing. She was fiercely protective of her friends, and even more fiercely ambitious, with a willingness to work harder than anyone to get ahead in life. She was sunny but tough-shelled, with a well-established resistance to trusting any men. And, loving her as much as I do, I felt strongly that she deserved to have plenty of brand new story elements that reflected all those things. To have her own story shaped around her, rather than she herself being reshaped to fit Sana’s story.

But then it was finally her turn to shine, in a Summer season, when it would make perfect sense for her to be on a job grind to earn cash for her trip, and... she’s not working? Huh? She managed to work all through a tough school year, but not her free summer vacation? Why? Because of Druck’s low budget? Because they lacked cohesion in the writing process? Some combination of the two? Yikes. Who knows. But suddenly, nonsensically, they had flushed away the perfect framing to showcase her work ethic, her daily perseverance, and her varied interactions (good and bad) with lots of strange customers around Berlin.

It felt like a bad omen to me somehow. Which wasn’t a great mindset to start the season with. And that was the beginning of me trying very, very hard not to be confused and salty about every little thing I began to perceive as missed opportunities to give Amira a new kind of substance in her story.

For example: While David, Matteo, and Sam began having fun off-screen, working on an bold alien movie, Amira inexplicably had no involvement. She kinda scoffed at the idea when it came up on-screen, then immediately lost interest in the conversation because her man was texting. Fair enough, right? That scene was moving her story forward while generously giving a little shoutout to the meta insta storyline, right? The problem is: the off-screen story ended up seeming much more interesting than watching Amira chilling on her own texting a bunch, and we weren’t even given a reason for her to not be part of it after the whole crew was invited to join in. Imagine if we had followed her onto a shitty little makeshift movie set and seen her reacting to the chaos and strangeness of it. Imagine her finding a resourceful solution to a production hiccup or mediating a creative disagreement while trying to hide her own inner turmoil from her friends. And imagine her having an extremely important conversation with David (and/or Matteo and/or Sam) about the film’s deeper themes of alienation and otherness that they can both sadly relate to.

That’s just one weirdly specific scenario, but there are sooo many other ways I fantasized about Amira bonding with her friends (particularly the ones who aren’t cishet white kids or brand new characters). Talking with one or more of them about what it means to be dangerously marginalized, or to be afraid of letting someone get close to you, or to feel torn in two different directions in life. Maybe something like that could still happen before the season ends, but I’m not counting on it. And I think the time has passed for it to have the biggest impact. It could’ve been amazing (and really narratively useful!) if it happened before the resolution of Amira’s brief conflicts with Kiki, Erva, and Mohammed. We saw a lot of scenes with her looking angry and sad, but we weren’t really privy to much of her thought process during all that reflection, so it felt uncomfortably unearned when problems she once saw as insurmountable were shortly waved aside. I would’ve really appreciated even a short conversation with some good change-of-heart exposition.

And while other people were cheering about all the controversial Sana season conflicts being blessedly truncated or completely stripped away, the whole time I couldn’t stop thinking: “Okay, awesome, but what are they gonna replace that storyline with? Nothing?” And, for the most part, that seemed to be true.

But the problem clearly wasn’t limited to a shortage of well-integrated story threads with Amira at their center. It was arguably also a failure to capitalize on the stories they did use. Instead of getting to watch the emotional fight with her mother about punching someone, and witnessing Amira faced with the threat of losing Australia, we only heard about the drama afterward. Just like we only heard about her family’s religious holiday together. Just like we only got a few texts between Amira and Jonas about the refugee event. And just like how, as I sat typing this, Amira’s mother re-blessed the trip off-screen. On and on goes the list of examples of this unfortunate tell-don’t-show approach, and I’m sure a lot of it can be attributed to low budget and tricky cast scheduling, but the time limit excuse probably doesn’t apply if Amira’s main plot really has been efficiently pared down to 7 episodes.

Don’t get me wrong, I want to reserve final judgment on the season until the credits roll, and there are plenty of good things to say about it in the meantime. Yes, it’s been lovely to see so many gorgeous shots of Tua praying, and boxing, and expressing everything from attraction to anguish to helpless rage. Yes, she and Hassan both did some really strong work selling the magnetic pull between their characters, even in the face of (what I consider to be) an underdeveloped narrative that didn’t totally sell me on the relationship overall. Yes, it was wonderful to have some aesthetically pleasing scenes of the girl squad loving and supporting each other, even if they mostly talked about boys the way Amira hoped they wouldn’t. And obviously just having a story about a strong, kind, devoted hijabi girl is vitally important visibility. So I really haven’t wanted to say anything negative in the face of all that...

... but now I have to say: if you’re feeling cheated and mad about the POV shift, then take some time to consider what else specifically you think should’ve happened to Amira before we entered this resolution phase of her story. It seemed like most people were perfectly happy for her to not face any complex conflict, and not have any lingering hardship to dramatically and triumphantly overcome. Every obstacle getting a relatively swift and easy solution felt underbaked to me, but it was a big relief and source of praise for most people in the tags right up until Amira disappeared from clips. So: in hindsight, how would you have added not just length, but also more compelling drama and greater social impact to her story, so that the extra length felt well-used? It’s really worth thinking and talking about that, even if you’re hesitant to voice any criticism of Amira’s part of the story (even after the season ends, and even if it’s totally constructive) -- because thinking and talking about it is how we’ll get that kind of richer, fuller story in the future.

[alloveroliver]

Author Interview

I was tagged by @peacheat and @dear-mrs-otome THANK YOU GUYS!!! (I also added more Qs if you want to answer those as well *sweats*)

Name: Ash Knight

Fandoms: Now: MLQC, Ikemen Revolution, Ikemen Vampire, Ikemen Sengoku, Mystic Messenger, annnnnd one or two other otomes I like lol.  Want to do in the future: Obey Me (Currently playing) Ikemen Genjiden (translating got to be too much but its GOOD!) Tokyo Debunkers (when it comes out in April!!!)

Where You Post: Mostly Tumblr but also Ao3!

Most Popular One-Shot:  By far Victor x MC “In This Moment.” I’m glad cuz I spent a lot of time on this one and I love the concept of Victor stopping time because he know’s he’s going to miss MC <3

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: Mmm, I don’t have any muli fics yet BUT I do have 10 chapters of my blood thirsty fics!  they are all oneshots though. 

Favorite Story You Wrote: Its actually my first Oliver fic I posted around Aug of 2018 (Omg have I been doing this for that long???) It needs to be rewritten BUT heres the link. Oliver x MC “Giving Up Control” I still think about this fic often lmfao. Femdoming Oliver is 🤤👌

Story You Were Nervous to Post: Ooof, a recent Oliver fic. Only because it had alcohol themes and smoliver asking her on a date. Just due to his curse and things I didn't want to change too much but it was all consensual with adult Oliver. I was just nervous some people would read into it and take it the wrong way :( Oliver x MC “In A Perfect World You’re Happy With Me” (Looking back at it, it actually got a good response! I am surprised cuz I posted it then tried to put it out of my mind lol. #thanksanxiety

How You Choose Your Titles: First thing that comes to mind. Song lyrics, one word that sticks out in the fic. Or if its a common word or a word/title I’ve used before I put it into One Look Reverse Dictionary and find a similar word that means the sameish thing. I don’t dwell on titles too much tbh. 

Completed: Last I counted, I had over 500 short stories under my belt. You can read them all on my blog but not everything was put into my masterlist. This was just due to the tumblr purge we had and I had to make a new masterlist since a lot of my fics got shadowbanned due to the tagging system back then. I didnt wanna repost them all lol

Incomplete: I have an entire spreadsheet that I plop all my ideas on... and it is FULL. I organize it by fandom, suitor, and fluff vs. smut. Ummmmmm.... See below: Coming soon lol. 

Do You Outline? I usually start writing when I have an idea and if I need to step away from my computer I will do a quick outline. AKA just some quick bullet points of what I was thinking would happen next lol. If I ever take the time to properly do a full outline, I 100% go off the rails and do my own thing away from the outline. I am what is called a ‘discovery writer’ lol. I discoverer my own story as i write it then go back and edit it and act like I knew what I was doing all along lmfao.

Coming Soon/Not Yet Started: I have 3 substantial WIPS (like 2-3k words) I bounce between that I’m working on. Victor x Mc, Vincent x MC and Faust x MC. 

A plan to do part 2 of Gavin x MC’ s ”Distortion” . 

I also have an long running AU fic with Gavin x MC (8k currently) but that is far away from being done lol. 

There is also an 11 chapter fic I am planning. I have 2 chapters written but I cant seem to figure out one major plot detail and its keeping me from getting it done anytime soon :( 

There is a chapter fic im writing for a cradle born MC, however its a mesh of our MC and my OC and its kinda complicated. Also its fluff and I’m less interested in writing that BUT I really want to share this story <3

Valentines day is actually prob going to be the next thing yall see from me tbh and that is TBD

Do You Accept Prompts? I used to every once in a while but I have so many WIPS and no personal computer at home rn. (SOON THOUGH!) So I don’t have the chance to write as much in my free time as I used to. I’ll take prompts but I let them sit in my ask box until I am able to write them <3. I am not the person to ask people to stop sending them, cuz I like to see what yall want me to write and take that into consideration for sure. I like taking asks for Thirsty Thursday (even if its not thurs, I will hold onto them until then) and answer them 😍 I love those because more people are involved other than me and I like being a part of something bigger than myself 🤗

Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write: My Victor x MC story. Its UMMMMM........ ITS SLOW BURN YALL. LIKE WHO AM I?! lmfao. 

*(I am going to personally add a few questions to this tag that I am interested in knowing about others as well lol)*

What do you use to edit?: I pay for Grammarly (its AMAZING even the free version is super worth it) 

For word meanings, synonyms, and better wording I use OneLook Reverse Dictionary ALL THE TIME for every single fic. (and like I said before, to help with titles)

When I feel like something is off and grammarly doesn’t quite know and I don’t know, I put the fic through Hemmingway Editor. It tells you HOW readable a sentence is. If its hard to read I rewrite it and make things a bit simpler for the eyes. Its free in the browser. 

Writing setup: Ideally, the sun is coming in through the window, It’s cool inside, I’m wearing a fuzzy sweater, I have hot coffee or tea, and my head phones are in. 

I listen to lofi music station on youtube but If its distracting I put on lofi without lyrics. I love THIS playlist. (this is live so it’ll prob break but here’s an alt link to their offline playlist) If I am in an upbeat mood I like “Electropose” music. Or I listen to the ‘setting’ a fic is in. Like if its raining in the story, I put on rain ambiance and things like that. 

Do you use a beta reader? No 😬, not really. Anytime I have someone beta read and they comment on the content and not the editing I get way too nervous to post the fic and suddenly it get sick to my stomach laskjdlsdj. I trust a couple gals to beta read in an editing mind set but I don’t bother them all the time. I like to go balls to the walls and trust grammarly, post the damn thing, and bite my nails hoping for the best. 

Where do you get your writing inspo?: Bruh, #1 READING! Reading books, reading fics, reading summaries for things. Also, reading the routes in otomes, watching anime, and letting my mind wonder lol. I also like to chat with people on discord and let the stories unfold. Inspo has also come from a lot of my dreams tbh. My dreams are hella vivid and I try to write them down when I wake up if they are interesting lol. 

Can we get a quote from an upcoming WIP?: 

[     Without cars and crowds, the evening wind picked up nothing but serene sounds. Crickets gently chirped and leafs quietly brushed one another. The branches rustled together, making an organic symphony that the wind carried up to the balcony you leaned on. 

*****’s warm hands ran up and down your forearms, warming your chilled skin. From behind, he bent forward and nipped at the shell of your ear. 

“Is that better?” His silky hands moved faster, creating heated friction. 

“Mmm,” You relished in the sensation. “Much better.”

His gentle chuckle against your pulse made you wiggle into him. ***** pressed his solid chest against your back and sighed. “Maybe if you were wearing more than just my shirt, you wouldn’t be so chilly.” 

“I just want to be out here for a moment. The fresh air is nice.” You pressed your lips together into a small smile and angled your face up to him. “Don’t you agree?”  ]

tagging: @somethinglacking @pseudofaux @tarralin @steph-writing @kiarigirl @otonymous @jennacat84 @xathia-89 @toloveawarlord @moonlit--river @thequeenshuntress @thirstyforbishiesimagines <3 Honestly I want to tag more people but I don’t wanna be annoying SO if you do this feel free to tag me cuz I am soooooo curious about other writers! Lets be friendsssss <3