#i will need my own 50 year nap now

[manuscriptsdontburn6]

Here are some thoughts on Lestat’s band! Playlist/song recs at the end.

TL/DR: Lestat could’ve been an early ‘70s glam rock star, and most of the music associated with him has connections to that era.

Descriptions of the band from the books:

“I could hear their whining electric guitars, their frantic singing. It was as good as the radio and stereo songs I heard, and it was more melodic than most. There was a romance to it in spite of its pounding drums. The electric piano sounded like a harpsichord.”

The Vampire Lestat, page 5

“Then came the piercing, twanging fury of the electrical guitar. The drums boomed into a marching cadence, and the grinding locomotive sound of the synthesizer crested, then broke into a bubbling caldron of noise in time with the march. It was time to begin the chant in the minor key, its puerile lyrics leaping over the accompaniment…”

The Vampire Lestat, page 537

I remember reading that Anne saw an Iron Maiden concert as research for writing The Vampire Lestat. She also cited Bon Jovi and the Doors as inspiration. I think in one of the @thecoveninarticulate podcasts, someone even talked about how TVL has a keyboardist but no bass player, which was a reference to the Doors. Also, the description of the keyboard sounding like a harpsichord is reminiscent of the Doors’s sound, which includes a lot of electric organ. So we’re not working with less commercial ‘80s goth music (which I like to think Armand and Daniel were into). TVL probably wouldn’t reach the insane level of commercial success that they do as an ‘80s goth band, as goth was very much confined to subcultural status at this time. The same goes for heavier/more underground metal subgenres. Over-the-top ‘80s rock and classic ‘60s rock are what we’re working with, based on the books.

The Doors are an interesting reference for TVL, since they’re out of the ‘80s time period. They experimented with lyrical and sonic darkness, and Jim Morrison is noted for the boundaries he pushed as a performer. They’re aesthetically associated with the underbelly of ‘60s L. A. Think Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood. Thus, Lestat’s music is meant to cut deeper than his ‘80s hair metal contemporaries, whose music was mostly just good fun.

I personally think it might have been appropriate for Lestat to emerge in the early-mid ‘70s as a sort of dark glam rock star, instead of in the ‘80s during the hair metal/goth era. Lestat’s experimentation with persona is VERY similar to what David Bowie did with Ziggy Stardust. Additionally, the band and singer sharing a name seems like a call back to o. g. Alice Cooper (no clue if Anne intended that or not, but it’s what I immediately thought of). This connects back to the Doors as well; Jim Morrison’s performance style formed the rock star archetype of the tragic figure battling internal demons, which glam rock dramatizes. The sound that woke Lestat up from his vampire nap (abrasive yet melodic and of course hard-rocking) had been developing for a long time before 1984. Plus, ‘70s glam rock was all about pushing the envelope on male gender presentation and sexuality. Marc Bolan (of T. Rex) and David Bowie both came out as bisexual during this time period, and male rock stars dressed more and more androgynously. It’s all very Lestat-core. I really have trouble believing he would have slept through Bowie, Bolan, Iggy, and Alice.

Whatever else we might have to say about AMC’s adaptation, I did enjoy that they played T. Rex during the scene where young Daniel and Louis (plus Armand) meet in the bar. It was perfect for a queer scene set in the ‘70s.

The Queen of the Damned movie from 2002 makes The Vampire Lestat into a nu-metal band. I’ve only seen clips of that movie on Youtube, and I felt like I got a good enough idea of what it’s like…but I have looked at the soundtrack. Its songs were written by Jonathan Davis of Korn and sung by the who’s-who of nu-metal, and ‘90s-2000s alt rock generally. Davis’s dark, sludgy sound seems a bit far from what the books describe and what Lestat’s own tastes probably would have been. Also, it’s important to note that some artists on the soundtrack have turned out to be egregiously horrible people, even by the standards of the very fucked up rock music world. We don’t need to give them attention by incorporating them into our worldbuilding.

That being said, there are a few elements of the overall Lestat nu metal vibe that I think work. Nu metal was a more commercialized version of goth and metal that was recognized more widely, which corresponds with TVL’s level of success in the books. I can also get behind the mall-goth aesthetic for band and their fans. Vampire kitsch, combined with real vampirism. It’s textbook camp. Also, songs about Lestat’s life are going to inevitably have disturbing lyrical content. Nu-metal explores this kind of subject matter more explicitly than many other subgenres.

A lot of the nu metal bands on the soundtrack took inspiration from the early ‘70s, evident in their androgyny, blurring of the line between persona and reality, and campiness. So, even in that intensely 2000s movie, the ‘70s influence remains.

Speaking of 2000s alt rock, I was of course excited to see Gerard Way dressed as Bela Lugosi on MCR’s most recent tour. Lestat also dressed as a stereotypical vampire, cape and all, for his (singular) show. Glam rock is an influence for MCR as well—Gerard Way talks about Bowie in interviews, etc. It’s awesome. That got me thinking—Lestat would have totally written intense and dramatic MCR-esque love songs for Louis.

I think it’s also worth mentioning the final scene of the 1994 adaptation. Lestat jumps into Daniel’s convertible with a leather jacket over his ruffled shirt, which is a look a LOT of androgynous rock stars wore. It’s giving Jimmy Page in a major way. Lestat switches the radio station to play “Sympathy for the Devil,” covered by Guns and Roses. The Stones were precursors to glam rock in their way. Guns and Roses came later but took a lot from early ‘70s glam as well. It’s safe to infer that Lestat’s already going into his rock star era at this point in the movie. This gives us an idea of his music taste and general attitude at this point in the narrative. He’s interested in the dark and glamorous aesthetic of rock music, as well as how its contemplations of evil intertwine with his.

We don’t know what AMC is going to do with Lestat’s rock star era yet. I’m interested to see what route they take.

Here are a few songs that fit with how I imagine TVL, based on all these considerations. It’s a bit of a strange combination because Lestat has been associated with different styles of music, but they all connect with glam rock one way or another. I’d love y’all’s thoughts as well, ofc!

Songs:

More—Sisters of Mercy

Andrew Eldritch, goth icon who denies his own gothness, decided to try being a straight-up rock star with the album Vision Thing, leaving behind the melancholic sound of the Sisters’ earlier work. This song has violin on it—perfect for Lestat. The lyrics are also in character for him: “I don’t know why you gotta be so undemanding/one thing I know/I want MORE,” “I need all the love that I can’t get to.”

Riders on the Storm—the Doors

Imagine it done by an ‘80s band. It works.

Ziggy Stardust—David Bowie

This is Bowie telling the story of his character Ziggy, like how Lestat talks about himself in his songs. Plus it’s very Lestat to describe yourself as having a “god-given ass.” Am I wrong? I’m not wrong.

Ballrooms of Mars—T. Rex

This is one of the best songs Marc Bolan ever wrote, in my opinion. Unlike most of his work, which is whimsical and nonsensical in the best way, the lyrics and descending chord progression create a more ominous and mournful atmosphere. The lyrics can easily be read as vampiric.

Runnin’ With the Devil—Van Halen

Tough Cookie would probably have an Eddie Van Halen-esque guitar tone, as TVL would want to sound very modern for their time period. Themes of, well, runnin’ with the devil. Confessing your own evilness to a rock audience.

Change in the House of Flies—Deftones

The one QOTD movie song I’m including. I think TVL’s songs would have a bit more dynamic variation than the Deftones, but the love/horror combo this song is about plays a big part in VC and in Lestat’s life. Plus, I can imagine it would be a good song to perform live, and, being glam-adjacent, that would be important for TVL.

Sympathy for the Devil—Guns and Roses

Good job, 1994 adaptation.

[vanwritesfan-fiction]

Body Like a Back Road

Request: Joe Burrow and reader go on spontaneous road trip during off season.

Warnings: smut (fingering, intercourse), language, mentions of a funeral

A/N: my second stand alone Joe fic! Enjoy!

"In 500 feet, turn right". The voice of the GPS startled you out of your nap, your head knocking against the window as the car went over a pothole. "Ow!" You pressed a hand to the side of your face, grimacing at the sharp pain. Joe snickered as he glanced over at you, his hands flexing open and closed as he balanced them on the top of the steering wheel. "Good, you're awake."

"Where are we?", you grumbled out as you stood up, stretching your arm over your chest in hopes of getting the knot out of your shoulder from sleeping against the door. There were no signs to indicate your current location, and for the past eight hours, everything out of your window looked the same, nothing but trees along each side and the open road.

"We're just outside of St. Louis. At least according to the GPS, but I think I made a couple wrong turns about an hour ago, so I know fuck all where we are." Joe bit at his thumb nail, something he always did when he was stressed. "Great." You whispered, leaning your head against the window. The vibration of the car was lulling you back to sleep, your eyelids growing heavy.

The season was finally over, and after a less than stellar year, Joe was going stir crazy sitting around with nothing to do. He could only hit the gym so many times a day and watch game tape over and over before it started to get boring. When you mentioned to him that you had to travel to Denver to attend the funeral of one of your distant cousins as a favor to your mom, he offered to tag along with you, and against your better judgement you said yes.

Going to a family funeral was something that a boyfriend did for their girlfriend, not for their fuck buddy. You didn't want to give Joe, and honestly, you're own heart, the wrong idea about where you stood, but the thought of making a 17 hour drive alone sounded like torture.

Your relationship with Joe was...complicated, to say the least. You had been friends through college, and for the longest, it was nothing more than that, but when you both ended up in Cincy, Joe was drafted to the Bengals and you had just settled in the city with your first big-girl job, it became something more. You were both lonely, living in a new place, and you leaned on each other for support.

The first time you slept with Joe, you considered it a fluke, a slip up that could easily happen between friends. After months of consistently ending up in bed together, you realized that the two of you were in too deep. Now, a couple years later, it had become more habit than anything else, and you weren't even sure if you could call yourself friends as much as you had become a source of comfort for one another. You knew it was best to end it before anyone got hurt, but for some reason, you just couldn't.

Joe slapped your thigh, making you jump. "Hey, I need you to stay up. This GPS is useless."

"In 200 feet, turn left onto Franklin Street."

"Franklin Street?!" Joe gestured wildly to the left of him. "There is no fuckin' Franklin Street! Does she want me to drive into the woods?" Joe scoffed as he leaned back in his seat. You leaned forward to see there in fact was no Franklin Street, chuckling to yourself. "Don't let her get to you, J. You know she's not real, right?"

"Ya know what...its not even the GPS, its your damn car. Piece of junk." He slapped the console, the volume dial falling out of place. You grabbed it, shoving it back onto its slot. "Hey, Darla has been there for me since I was 16. She is a classic." Truthfully, Darla was hanging on by a thread, and the last time you brought her to a mechanic they offered you $200 for her to use for scraps, but you didn't have the money for a new or gently used car right now, and as long as you didn't go over 50 mph, she drove fine.

"A classic piece of shit", he mumbled under his breath, earning a slap on the arm from you. "Shit!", he rubbed at his chest, "do you wanna drive? 'Cause I can pull over right now."

"Funny, because she wasn't a piece of shit all of the times we were doin' it in the backseat." You propped your feet on the dashboard.

"Yeah, good times." Joe's ran his fingers through his hair nervously, his face starting to heat up. He was glad you went back to sleep so you couldn't see him start to sweat.

"Wake me up when we get to Kansas." You grabbed Joe's hat from the dashboard, pulling it over your eyes to block out the evening sun.

****

The next few hours went by like a dream as you went in and out of consciousness, listening to Joe's terrible singing along to the Hamilton soundtrack as he managed to eat through all of the snacks you packed for a two day drive.

You took in a deep breath as you woke up to darkness, the overhead light blinding you as you rubbed your eyes to try to focus your vision. As soon as you noticed you were alone, the driver's door was wide open, and Joe was gone, you began to panic.

"Joe! Joe, where are you? This isn't funny!" All horror movie protocol went out of the window as you unbuckled and climbed out of the car.

"Joe!" Silence. You grabbed your phone out of your back pocket and turned on the flashlight as you rounded the back of the car, illuminating the eerie thicket of trees you were parked next to. "Joe, I swear to God, if you're hiding somewhere I'm gonna kill you." You took a step forward, jumping as you heard a twig snap beneath your feet. You held your breath, feeling your pounding heartbeat in your ears as you listened for any sound of life. Again, silence.

"You know what? I'm just gonna assume you're already dead and keep it pushing." You called out to the open. You had seen Friday the 13th enough times to know there was no way you were going to outrun anyone. You turned back to the car, noticing a figure flash by out of the corner of your eye.

"BOOO!!" Joe jumped out from behind the car, his arms swinging above his head to appear terrifying. You collided with him, bouncing off of his strong frame, and landed on your ass.

"Ha! You should have seen your face!" Joe bellowed over with laughter as you stood and dusted the dirt off of your pants, a scowl on your face. "Fuck, that was so worth it." He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.

You shoved him, hard, making his back hit the car. "What the hell were you even doing? Why did we stop?" You opened the trunk and grabbed a sweatshirt out of your bag, feeling the chill on your skin as the temperature dropped after dark. "Had to take a piss."

"I feel like we've been driving forever. How far to the motel?" You were beginning to get cranky, your empty stomach contributing to your sour mood. "Still got another two hours until we get to Kansas City and stop for the night." You both got back into the car, but as Joe tried to turn the engine, it only sputtered a couple of times before dying out.

"C'mon", Joe groaned, cranking the key again to no avail. 'Fuck!" He slammed his hand against the steering wheel, hitting the horn. "Your piece of shit car died, Y/N."

"Its not Darla's fault, you probably made her mad stopping in the middle of nowhere."

He pressed his forehead to the wheel. "Please tell me you have roadside assistance."

"Um...define "roadside assistance"?" You had AAA at one point, but let your membership expire when you couldn't afford the monthly payment anymore. "Y/N! What if I wasn't here?! You would have been stranded in the middle of Kansas by yourself with no way to get help!" Joe didn't mean to yell at you, but just the thought of you being out here alone was stressing him out.

"Good thing you're here, then." You harmlessly placed a hand on his thigh to reassure him as you scrolled the internet for tow trucks. Neither of you realized that Joe had grabbed your hand in his, interlacing your fingers. As you rose your head, feeling him massaging your fingers mindlessly as he stared ahead, you felt your stomach flip. "Joe", you uttered out, waiting for him to look at you.

"Oh, sorry." He snatched his hand back, running his fingers through his blonde locks. He didn't even realize he had done it. You were his safe place, and touching you brought him comfort in a way that he really didn't understand himself. You were no stranger to his touch, but it was always in the name of getting off.

"I think I found a place a couple miles away. ETA is...2 hours." You let out a frustrated sigh. Waiting two hours for a two truck meant you weren't going to see a shower or bed anytime soon. You desperately wanted to wash this road trip off with the hottest water a hotel shower could produce.

Joe leaned his seat back, the worn leather creaking underneath him as he sunk down, crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. "What are you doing?", you asked, shifting in your seat to face him.

"What does it look like?"

"You can't fall asleep. What if some monster comes and snatches me out of my window?" You were partly kidding, partly terrified that would actually happen. "That's not gonna happen", he huffed, "I'm not that lucky." You scoffed, throwing your feet over his lap. "You need to stay up and keep me company. Those are the rules of the roadtrip."

"Please. I just drove eight hours, five of which you were asleep."

"Joe, please. Just until the tow truck gets here."

"Fine. Tell me about your cousin. Were you close?", Joe hummed, scratching his nose. "Technically she's my mom's cousin, and no, I've never met her. My mom was close with her at one time, but they lost touch years ago. I'm just going to represent the family."

Joe opened an eye to peek at you. "You're going all the way to Denver for someone you've never met?"

"Why do you sound so shocked? I can do things out of the kindness of my heart." You clutched your chest dramatically, but Joe just chuckled, dropping his shoulders in a sigh. "It's just... ya know what? Nevermind."

"What? Tell me."

"Its just...are you sure that's all that it is? In all the time I've known you, you do things out of comfort. I'm not saying its a bad thing, but this isn't like you." He was looking at you know, his blue eyes illuminated by the orange hued overhead lighting. He was staring into your soul, like he was trying to pull something out of you, and you squirmed underneath the scrutiny.

Your head snapped when you saw a pair of headlights coming down the road, but it was just a passing car. "We have had sex in this car so many times, because you don't even want to come to my place most of the time." You turned back to Joe, whose eyes were closed again.

You bit at your bottom lip. You never realized anyone was paying attention to you that closely, especially not Joe. "I've been thinking a lot about the things I've settled for in my life, and this felt like a breath of fresh air, something different. I'm going a funeral, but I'm also getting out of Ohio for a minute."

Your words hit Joe like a ton of bricks. He quickly sat up. "Are you thinking about leaving Ohio?"

"Eventually", you shrugged. "You didn't think I'd be there forever did you?" you giggled, playing with the hem of your sweatshirt. "I mean, I guess, I- didn't give it much thought." Joe let in a sharp breath to stop his fumbling. He did think you'd be there forever, or at least, he always thought you'd be there as long as he was.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find a new fuck buddy", you said in jest, crossing your legs one over the other. Joe felt his throat go dry, his skin crawling in the silence. He was desperate to change the subject and get his mind off all of the terrible possibilities. "How much longer?"

You checked your phone. "Still got another hour. I'm starving. Did you really eat all of the snacks?" You sat up and crawled into the back of the car to search the bags you packed. "Really, Joe, even my Cheetos? Aren't you on some sort of athlete diet?" You threw the empty bag at him, the plastic hitting him in the face. "I was hungry." He tried to go to the sleep to the sound of you rummaging behind him.

"Hey, look what I found." Joe opened his eyes to see a gold-wrapped condom dangling in front of his face. "I have an idea of how we can pass the time", you whispered in his ear, making him shiver. "If you're not too tired."

"Fuck it." With a grunt, he ripped the condom out of your hands, and took it between his teeth as he unbuttoned his jeans. You frantically climbed to the front, stripping off your sweatshirt before climbing over him to straddle his legs. You turn off the overhead light, moonlight pouring over both of you through the window.

Goosebumps rose on your skin as you pulled him in for a messy kiss, your skin on fire even though seconds ago you were freezing. As you made out, his hands trailed around your waist, inching closer and closer to your spine before his large hands slid down the small of your back and grabbed rough handfuls of your ass, his fingers digging into your delicate skin as your back arched.

He began to move your hips slowly back and forth, making you grind against his pelvis, but he was going too slow for your taste, so you grabbed at his hands, circling your hips against him with an eagerness that had his hips bucking from sensitivity. You could feel him grow hard quickly against your inner thigh, letting out little moans into your mouth as your lips lingered together.

'Y/N, honey-", Joe could barely get the words out, his chest heaving with each breath. "What?", you huffed out without losing your pacing. "What's the rush?", His brow knitted together in pain as his cock rubbed against his zipper. "The tow truck is gonna be here any minute." Joe nodded, holding you in place. You backed away from him, pushing the hair that was stuck to his face with sweat out of his eyes. "We're having sex. I'd like to have use of my dick afterwards, okay?"

You giggled, pulling him by the collar of his shirt for another kiss, alternating between sucking on his top and bottom lips. You moved your hips again, this time with more control, focusing on the friction against your clit with each movement. "Better?", you questioned, only earning a moan from Joe. You could feel yourself growing wet, your panties soaked as you built your orgasm off of friction alone. Joe fumbled with the button of your shorts, sliding his hand down your front, feeling the wetness pooled against the cotton fabric.

"Shit, I didn't realize you were so ready." He toyed with the band of your panties, snapping the elastic against your skin. "Take these off." You lifted yourself off of Joe's lap, settling in the passenger seat, and shuffled your shorts and panties down your legs, kicking them into the back seat. Joe pulled you back onto his lap, eliciting a squeal from you, and in a single breath, he has you writhing on top of him again, his thumb pressing against your clit as he draws agonizingly circles around the sensitive bud.

"Fuck, fuck, don't stop." You hiss, guiding his fingers to drag through your drenched folds, humping against his hand. He slides one of his large digits inside of your pussy, feeling you clench around him, your muscles pulsing as he begins to thrust in and out of you. He slips another finger inside, and you feel the stretch, taking deep breaths as he hooks his fingers and strokes against your cushiony ceiling.

Watching your face contort with pleasure, your chest bouncing in front of him with your head thrown back has him at a loss for words, desperate to get his hands on every inch of you. He helps you get your shirt off over your head, reaching behind your back to easily unclasp the hooks of your bra with his free hand, exposing your budding nipples to the cold air.

Joe leans forward, flicking his tongue against your nipple, and ghosting wet kisses between your breasts. You move back instinctively when he nips at your skin, but he pulls you aggressively back, hungry to feel you in his mouth again. "Feels so good, baby." Expletives are rolling off your tongue as he sucks harder on your nipples. Your hands find the back of his head, your fingernails raking against his scalps as he moves down to your stomach, pressing a kiss right above your belly button as you lean against the steering wheel.

He pulls out of you, your wetness glistening on his fingers. Without hesitation, you take both of his fingers into your mouth, pressing them against your tongue. "You look so fuckin' beautiful like this", he grunts out, his mouth slightly agape as he watches you. Instead of your usual bashfulness at his dirty talk, you hold eye contact with him, your eyelids heavy with lust as you lick him clean, popping his index finger against your lips as you pull them out.

"Fuck, lift your hips." He instructs, racing against his internal clock, like he'll cum in his pants if he doesn't have you now. You do as he says, cupping your chest as he fumbles for the discarded condom, finding it in the cupholder. He unbuckles his belt and pushes his jeans and boxers down to his knees, his pink cock springing free and resting against his lower stomach. You salivate at the engorged vein that travels from the base of his cock to the tip, which is leaking pre-cum.

"Hurry up!" You playfully push him, turning to look over your shoulder for any tow trucks or stray cars, but its obvious the two of you are alone out here. He rips the foil wrapper with his teeth, and removes the condom, rolling it down his length. He wraps his hands around the base of his cock as you slowly sink down on him, taking him inch by inch until you bottom out with a loud moan. "Oh, fuck."

He pulls at the manual recline handle and goes flying back, landing against the backseat with a thud, hitting the back of his head against the headrest. "I fuckin' hate this car", he mumbles, quickly forgetting about the ancient vehicle and his injury as you begin to bounce on his dick, the sound of your ass slapping against his thighs audible, quickly drowned out by the squelching of your wetness as he slips in and out of you.

Joe can't focus on anything but how good you feel and how good you look on top of him, your silhouette illuminated in the moonlight, his hands grazing against the curve of your waist and hips. You feel your legs start to fatigue so you lean forward, resting your hands on his chest, feeling the contours of his muscles underneath your palms.

He takes the opportunity to worship your body as you ride him, placing kisses on your arms and chest while you're too blissed out to even notice. "So fuckin good, baby. You're doin' so fuckin' good", he praises you over and over, which has you hurdling toward your orgasm, feeling the coil tighten in your core.

"Joe", you whimper out, your pace slowing as you tire. "I've got you", he remarks, sliding his hands underneath your thighs to hold you up while he snaps his hips into you, making you take him to the hilt each time. He strokes your g-spot in perfect succession each time and you're sure you won't last much longer. "I'm-I'm gonna cum." You bite out, your words vibrating through your bouncing chest, your nails digging into his pecs, leaving red marks. He increases his pace, hitting against your cervix, the car squeaking and shaking side to side as you come undone, your release washing over you with waves of pleasure.

Joe's right behind you, his face scrunched tight as he feels every muscle in his body contract, "Fuck, I'm gonna cum", he warns just in time, and you pepper kisses against his jawline as his hips stutter. You try to kiss him, but he can only draw in sharp breaths as he releases into you, residual muscle pulses from your orgasm milking him for every drop.

Completely spent, he draped an arm around your back, pulling your weight down on his body. Your chests heave in succession as you come down from your high and try to catch your breath. You lazily kiss his cheek with a smile. "Fuck, that was-"

"I love you." You both were silent, the declaration hanging in the air. Joe was shocked at the words as if they didn't come out of his own mouth. You lifted your head to look at him, your hands still clamped around his face. "What did you say?"

"What?" Joe responded, in immediate denial. He tried to look away, but you turned his head back to you. You heard your phone vibrating in the passenger seat but you ignored it, unable to take your eyes off of him. His face was soft, genuine, his eyes very telling. He meant what he said.

Your phone vibrated for a second time. "Its probably the tow truck. You should get that." Joe was desperate for a reprieve. "Yeah." You shook your head and climbed off his lap, grabbing your phone to answer it. "Hello? Yes, we're around mile marker 152. Okay." You hurriedly put your clothes back on, Joe watching you through the rear view mirror the entire time. He could physically see you trying to process what had just happened, and he honestly wished he'd never said anything. He wasn't sure if he loved you, he was too lost in the moment, thinking with his dick instead of his head.

"They'll be here in five." Your words jogged Joe out of his trance. He nodded and got out of the car, desperate for air. You needed to talk about what happened, but right now, you just wanted to focus on getting your car towed and getting to the nearest hotel so you could get some sleep.

The ride in the tow truck was uncomfortably quiet. You rested your head against the window, your arms crossed over your chest to create as much distance between the two of you as possible, desperate to close your eyes even for a few minutes. Joe glanced over at you multiple times in the short five mile ride to the hotel. He raked a hand through his messy hair, moving to stroke his jawline, the guilt of catching you off guard and professing his love for you in the heat of the moment, gnawing at him.

The hotel was very basic, no amenities and didn't even a continental breakfast, and wasn't really up to Joe's standards, but it was the only one in town, so he'd settle for it just for the night. He stood in the lobby and watched you as you checked in, making light conversation with the desk attendant.

Maybe if he just denied it, or avoided talking about it, you two could move past this, and it could all be a bad memory.

He felt a lump build in his throat as you walked toward him. Seeing the distress on your face, he knew there was no way you were getting over this anytime soon. "Look, Y/N-"

Your face was stoic as you threw your bag over your shoulder. You shoved a key card in his direction without a word. "Goodnight, Joe." He watched you walk away, flipping the key card in his hand.

What the hell had he just done?

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[wonik1ss]

✦ JUST SWINGING IN — ❝ kim minji ❞

[ 널 내게로, burn it up, 네 손길로, turn it up ]

synopsis • after meeting spider”man” in a mall robbery you just can’t seem to shake the city’s hero ( 4.4k ) fluff < playlist rec : just swinging in 🕸️ >

a/n : it’s finally here ! my longest fic !

you adjusted your glasses as you got down to your beakers level. just one drop and your class would be-

“oh I’m such a klutz sorry..”

“y/n..”

“yeah yeah”. hana waved you of as she pretended to limp over to your freshly 24 year old professor.

“we can use mine..”. yunah giggled as you got ahold of her hand grasping it for dear life.

“oh you sweet sweet angel!”

“calm down I already finnished anyways ..!”. you thanked your friend again and then began to jot down some notes. you were not even three months into college when your favorite class became your least favorite. last week your professor who looked like he was deadly close to kicking the bucket decided to fight a student and he ‘retired’ the school says by his own volition..

now with your new much younger professor you felt like panties were dropping left and right.

“it’s like seeing two birds mate..”. yunah playfully shushed you as a bell rang.

“ok see you all next week..!”. already packed up you and yunah giggled as your professor struggled to get your fellow classmate to leave too.

“so the mal-“

“can’t.. jihan needs to study for her science test and I can’t let her fail..!”. you nodded as yunah ran of to find her bestfriend. ever since you started all your new friends were old friends to others. so after school ended it was either frat party’s or staying at home binging kdramas.

you tried though. you went to three frat party’s in the three months you been their for no more then three minutes. after one minute you were seen as fresh meat, two y they stalked forward, and threw a bunch of horny college boys tired their luck with you

“his boobs were moving”. yunah tilted her head as she painted your nails.

“guys don’t have tits.. y/n”

“well.. he’s peeks like.. twitched..”. you heard a door open and you laughed at jihan s open mouth.

“you should have let me come..!”. as jihan played with your painted hand you went on to the point yunah had to close jihan a mouth herself.

snapping out of your daydream you stepped of the bus ear buds on. you went to get the essentials first. a new tooth brush since your roommate stepped on your old one, some more shower products then finally you got to your wants. walking into the sanrio store happy by wjsn playing in your ears.

you shopped to your hearts desire. or until you reached your debit cards limit. once you were done you wandered into a comic shop. but what caught your eye wasn’t the comics but the red and blue merch.

after coming to seol for that better education you soon found out in your part that somewhat resembled nyc a spiderman ran around helping peopl. last week it was snake in a tree, the next was the culprit of a cat napping and now you saw his suit on the cutest jacket.

$50

“fucking inflation”

“I know right..!”. you head jerked to the old white man in the front of the store.

“sorr-“

“no no I understand.. I tried to haggle it down but he’s just got to famous for that now..”. you smiled and as you put the tag of the jacket down you heard the caching.

“take it I’m closing up shop in a few days and it would suit you”. you tried to say no put the man put the jacket and something else in your bag and you bowed and thanked him on your way out. until you fell on your ass.

“watch it dude!”. when you looked up he was long gone and a bunch of people ran following. as you dusted of your legs you heard a stomp then another then another. you tried to scramble to your feet but his eyes trapped you. what looked like an old timely soldier. his eyes glowed blue.. it was like you were in a trance.

“thy must join me or per-“

“army’s are so old timey man just start a cult of something”. you saw red and blue legs infront of you.

“..I shall repeat myself onc-“

“are you alright miss?”. spider-man helped you up while simultaneously webbing the soldier to the mall wall.

“yeah.. shouldn’t you be fighting him though”

“feel like I should help a pretty lady escape first..”. you stood stunned when spider-man winked at you and rushed you to hide in his merch store..

“now how about you travel back in time and leave this poor mall alone..?”. the soldier broke the webs and charged at the webbed boy. spider-man dodged. webbing the soldiers face.

“I am the all powerful blamore kneel to me !”

“bla bla bla..”. spider-man pretends to yawn as the soldier pulled of the sword on his back and and tried to strike spider man again. put the man webbed it to wall.

“how far did you come from bro your really out of shape !”. after a couple hits taken from both men, you got tired of waiting. it had been twenty minutes and you could tell the solider was wearing down but spider-man was also.

“man let’s just call it a nig-“. you threw a spider man plushie at the soldier. both guys stated at you dumbfounded. taking this as you chance you keep on throwing the plushies. spider man getting the hint punched the solider in his face. after a few more hits the soldier fell unconscious. peering over the cash register spider man tilted his head at you hands gripping the counter.

“you know this is my job.. right..”

“didn’t look like it”. as you straightened up spider mans grip loosened as he chuckled. you didn’t know how to say it but you knew it wasn’t organic.

“are you using a voice changer?”. spider man stopped laughing and started to walk backwards as you left the counter and walked towards him.

“w-what no”. you crossed your arms as the spider tapped his neck twice and his voice got lower and then you heard a crack.

“did you just break your voice changer..?!”. giving up spider man nodded while staring at the floor. you bent your knees and tilted your head up at him.

“who knew seoul’s super hero was such a pus..”. as you smiled spider man raised his head and scratched his neck.

“I.. I peoples lives you know”

“mm”

“I mean the lady’s love me..!”. the spider gestured to the store. you picked up your jacket and your shopping bags and looked back at the strange guy.

“you have a really attractive voice spider boy”. you heard a pft as you walked out of the store

“and you have a nice style”. if there was ever a time you would be able to blush this would be it.

as the weeks went on you started to drift more to the spider man side of seoul. suddenly you found yourself searching up about the spiders past saves. a kid from a car that was falling of a bridge, a vaulter and much more. with this new interest came new merch.

“omg it’s like your his groupie now..”. jihan said as she showed one of the spider-man plushies to yunah who giggled.

“I mean it’s not like his an eyesore..”. with that jihan jumped on your bed.

“did you know hana was there when that guy tried to steal those old lady’s purses and she swore she saw the imprint of his abs on his suit..!”. you grabbed the plushie and put it back on your bed.

“hana also probably has connections to that one big drug dealer”. jihan wrinkled her nose and waved you off.

“well you should know y/n.. you were in the mall when that soldier guy stormed in right..?”

“blamore, he’s a soldier from like caesar’s time..”. jihan and yunah looked at eachother.

“I think your a little obsessed”

“no I just became.. a fan”. jihan looked you up and down.

“that spider man shirt says otherwise..”. you threw one of your other shirts on her and yunah giggled.

“are we going to get jihan that c or what ?”

“you said I could get an a !”. as you changed and jihan pouted yunah patted her head.

“yeah in a few years if you actually had a studying schedule..”. you giggled as you grabbed your purse and jihan stomped out of your dorm room.

approaching the library jihan gobbled down her corn dog.

“like what I’m going to slather the book pages with ketchup?”

“knowing how you eat you probably would”. jihan pushed you and before you noticed it you collide with something.

“oh shit I’m sorry”

“no problem.. just watching your step next time”. with that and a smile the tomboyish girl hurried into the library.

“nerd”

“that’s got to be you in a few weeks if you want to pass that math final !”. as yunah went on jihan zoned out and so did you. for some weird reason you felt compelled to the tomboyish girl. she looked really cute with her backwards cap, and her sweatshirt that was way to big for her.. how could she make her mess of a low bun look so good..?

“earth to y/n it’s been and hour and all you have done to help is stare blankly at the exit.. I think that means we should leave !”. jihan said as she turned to yunah who was nose deep in a book.

“sorry was just thinking about something”

“your web man”

“he’s not my anything”

“you zoned out and drew him in a sticky note.. he must mean something to you..”. your eyes widened at the post-it note jihan held up snatching it and throwing it at the trash can.

“if your not going to any help to help me study at least have aim”. you flicked the girls forehead as you actually started to help her. in the corner of your eye you swore you saw someone pick your trash up put never put it in the actual trash. to bad jihan face planting into her books distracted you.

one hour turned into two and two turned into four and you all parted your ways from the library. you ended up walking a small corner store for a small snack. as you walked in the owner waved you at and you smiled back. you grabbed your favorite snacks and a drink and as you were about to check out you felt something cold on your neck.

“get me the money from the cash register of I shoot her”. your breath shallowed as the owner hurriedly tried to find the key. a soldier and now a robber who smelt like.. tuna.. what’s next..?

suddenly the pressure of the gun was gone and your eyes darted to your side.

“I didn’t even get to ask for her number yet dude..!”. the robber struggled to get up while spider man turned to you.

“you ok..?”

“you should as the cash-“. turning to face the counter you saw the man had run out the door.

“looks like he’s spoken for”. you giggled and your swore the bug boys eyes widened.

“you gunna ask for my number yet..?”. the boy tilted his head and then you could feel the presence of his smile.

“yeah just gotta catch a bad guy no biggy”. you nodded as spider man webbed the robber to the stores door. webbing his mouth last.

“so that..”. you placed a note in his hand and as you walked out you turned around and signaled a call me with your fingers. so while spider boy geeked out you skipped all the way to your dorm snacks acquired. for the next two weeks you kept having run ins with the webbed boy.

“you didn’t answer my call”. you could hear the pout in the boys voice as you looked up from your subway seat. realizing your lips were suck tapped and so where your hands the boy jumped down and untied you.

“are you trying to say texting some spider boy is more important then my college degree..?”. thinking for amount spider man spoke.

“ya I thought we had something”. spider-man patted his chest as we walked away to un-duck tape the rest of the passengers.

“no you have a thing for stalking me..”

“not my fault your so crime prone”. you smiled as the boy stuck a note onto the subway hijackers head.

“you think that’s enough?”

“mmhm ‘someone’s been a very bad boy sorry cops sad face’”. you turned and frowned at the spider boy at the last part.

“don’t drown your ruin your beautiful face”. spider man nudged your face up as he heard multiple feet coming your way and winked and webbed the ceiling and left.

a few days later a museum was under attack by some rogue robots.

“you didn’t pay for the damages you caused for the subways ceiling..!”. as spider man pummeled one of the robots face in he laughed.

“you know your voice is even more pretty over the phone..!”

“your basically a villian too..”. as spider man beat the last robot her walked over and crouched down to your level.

“I thought girls liked bad guys..”

“considering your a boy and not a guy..”. spider smiled and untied your hands.

“get your degree or something dumb isn’t the new cute you know..”

“property damage isn’t the new hot..”. spider man winked at you as police ran in.

then again a week later at a outdoor frat party with some unwanted witch guests

“so you see I’ve been thinking..”

“shit you do that”. as spider man threw several webs at the witches he faked a laugh.

“could we maybe go on a date..”

“you don’t even have my actual number..”. he paused.

“what..?!”

“I gave you some sex lines number.. i don’t know who’s under that mask”. behind the bar you winked.

“your wicked..! we had deep conversations..!”. webs flew everywhere only a few catching the witches as they chanted spells that made him levitate.

“about what..?”

“how far cindy was from my location..!”. you giggled. he got your humor.

“so how about that date”. one witch was knocked out the other wouldn’t back down.

“where?”

“the roof of the candy exhibit on crest street..?”

“sure..spidey”. with a laugh spiderman webbed the witch to the floor and walked over to you.

“wear your best dress”

“wear your best onesie..”

“hah your funny”

“does it look ok?”. jihan and yunah titled their heads and then jihan ran over to you pulling the dress up a bit.

“perfect”

“I feel the air on my ass jihan”. the girl shrugged.

“just looked like you were in a night gown before sorry..”. you playfully hit her as yunah gave you your bag.

“remember I put a taser in your bag if anything goes wrong”

“what do you mean?”. jihan laughed.

“this man’s enemies are all over the city.. you might need it..”. you sighed as jihan reapplied your lipstick and you walked out the door. you decided to talk but you started to regret that decision as the high heels jihan picked out seemed to not be on your side today.

so as you half hazardly limped to the rooftop, a certain spider’boy’ just got home. spiderman slowly opened his window and crawled onto his ceiling. quietly crawling down the wall to jump infront of his door tapping the middle of his chest to tak of his suit.

“DUDE HAVE SOME SELF AWARENESS”. spiderman screamed like a girl because he?.. she was one. minji kim one day while studying like crazy fell asleep and got bit by a spider and she screamed the same way.

“HANNI WHAT THE FICK ARE YOU DOING HERE?”

“i don’t know you texted me to get here so as a good friend I did! what’s up?”. as minji changed into some streetwear hanni rolled her eyes.

“you stalked a girl and she willingly went on a date with you.. scratch that she probably was just scared…”. minji threw her back pack at the girl and she fell backwards onto the bunk bed.

“I swear she flirted with me though.. on like all occasions?”

“what happens when she finds out your a girl and not some.. tom holland look alike?”. minji paused and cursed.

“what if I just go in my suit? I could date a girl in my suit right?”. hanni sat up.

“mhm every girl loves making out with latex suits”. wiggling her eyebrows hanni made minji laugh and bit her lip.

“well maybe I’ll just wear the suit this time”. I’m lightning speed minji changed.

“you liked the tie”. minji flicked the tie she glued onto the suit as hanni looked between her and the door.

“FUCK AUNT TAEYEON! ”. taeyeon slapped the back of minji’s head.

“you got beat and bruised to ask out a girl who doesn’t even know your a girl??”. Minji scratched the back of her neck.

“no..”. taeyeon hit the back of her head again.

“your lucky I got a date.. if your not home by twelve your internship is done..”. aunt tae squinted her eyes at the teenage girl and then broke into a smile.

“so happy your finally dating.. oh wasn’t it yesterday I found out you even liked humans in gen-“. minji pushed aunt taeyeon as hanni giggled.

“can’t wait to hear about your date..!”. minji scowled as she climbed out her window but as soon as she was jumping from building to building no one but her knew the smile she held underneath her mask.

“is he calling me fat or something.. these stairs are killing me…

you stopped in your tracks as you reached the door leading to the rooftop. you heard promise by laufey playing. what guy listens to laufey..? opening the door you saw spiderman straighten up in his seat patting the pillow next to him.

“your late..”

“I just went up like twenty flights of stairs your lucky I even came..”. you stopped to see fairy lights lining the rooftop and peering below you a checkered blanket two pillows a basket and a candle. even further below a market of people with dazzling lights.

“pretty right..?”. you rolled your eyes to see spiderman already looking at you.

“I’m eighteen not stupid..”. Spider-Man held his head low as you giggled.

“oh thank god I was thinking you could be way older..”. you gasped and hit his knee.

“your the one head to toe covered in a suit!”. he laughed as he opened the basket. to reveal two sandwhiches, cupcakes and sugary soft drinks. spider-man set it all up and when he finnished looked at you.

“why are you smiling like that”. minji blushed a bit. after all her joking she finally looked at your outfit and you looked perfect.

“what I can’t smile?”

“no I mea-“

“just didn’t expect you to be such a gentleman..”. minji smiled and stood up urging you to join her. you stood up and tilted your head. minji got closer and you froze. she held your waist to make sure you didn’t fall and tilted your chin from her to the sky.

“woah..”

“yeah.. guess we haven’t ruined everything on earth..”. you smiled as you looked back at her.

“you really do so much.. what if I didn’t come?”. you stood on your tippy toes with your chin up, minji laughed.

“your lose..”. she got closer.

“your some random guy in a spider suit..”. you got closer.

“who fights crime”. she got closer.

“and looks hot doing it..”. as you got closer and closer you attempted to close your eyes as you pulled up his mask. thump thump thump.

“look dude I’m pret-“

slam

you turned around to see the warrior. blamore. he grabbed you by the waist and jumped two times the height of the building all the way to the infamous bridge spidey fought the reptile doctor at. it wasn’t easy for him though you keep tazing him the whole ride there.

“let me go !”

“not until your warrior is defeated !”. you rolled your eyes as he sat you on the roof of a car and used his gold rope to tie you up. you rolled your eyes as he use the rope around your mouth.

“you may delay the fight if you keep using that mouth of yours”. people ran and screamed as he seemed to power up glowing with every step he took looking in the sky for spider-man.

“you ruined my date”. blamore had no time to react as he was slammed onto the roof of a car.

“I study all day..”. a punch to the ribs.

“and all fucking night..”. a dislocation of his left leg.

“to finally ask her out..”. spiderman is punched to the floor.

“and you ruin it”. getting up a fist fight starts with a jab to blamores face and a sword slash to spider-man’s torso. instead of just watching you picked up your taser and while bending over backwards to laser through the rope you broke it taking of the rope on your mouth aswell. but instead of running a way for some reason you saw a baseball bat on the road and took it up.

somehow spiderman was now holding onto the bridge with all the strength he had left. the slashes with the sword never stopped and now he was bloody on the side of the bridge. but as blamore got closer you hit him over the head and helped spidey up.

just before you felt something on your throat.

“jump and she stays alive”. amour worn down hay knocked off and blamore still wanted the fight. you tried to use the taser but blamore just used it agonist your waist. you tried to not cry but that just made the tears fall down.

“spide-“

“it’s ok..”. backing away spider man fell. but just as soon as he fell you saw a web on your waist. the sword loosened and suddenly you were in his arms. blamore threw his sword with all his might but as she ran towards spidey he fell to his own demise.

“you ok?”. spiderman held your face in his hands.

“are you ok…”. you stared down at his waist and helped him to the side of a car.

“I’m so sorry.. guess he was just jealous..”. you pulled out tiny band aids and he laughed.

“just.. just text my bestfriend..”. with a sigh he told you his passcode and you texted the username ‘nando’ and caressed his cheek.

“shouldn’t I take of your ma-“

“no..”

“I’ll have a better chance fixing your face..!”. minji threw his head back.

“just..just close your eyes for a minute”. you did and after a minute you felt two hands take them away. infront of you sat a korean girl with a busted lip a cut on her eyebrow and some scratches here and there.. the finest one being under her right eye. immediately you put a spiderman band aid under her eye.

“no reaction..”

“you still look hot.. just more bloody then I expected”. minji laughed as you patched up her face with tissue and whatever was in your bag.

“you liked bruised college students..?”

“didn’t know thugs went to school”

“it’s not my fault he interrupted our date..”. you but your lip.

“should have just finished him off at the mall..”

“dirty.. I like it..”. you gasped as minji winked. as he held onto your waist and webbed his way throught the city. as you landed on the rooftop you stood stunned. minji patted your hair down and sat down.

“my names minji..”

“huh..”

“minji kim”. you turned around still in a haze.

“can we finnish our date now.. before the ants get to it..?”. minji tilted her head and you still shocked sat down next to her and took a bite of the sandwhich.

“you can’t cook for shit”. spiting out the sandwhich minji frowned.

“..I thought hybe had the best cooking classes..”. you laughed.

“I go there two how have I never seen you..?”

“I don’t know.. maybe because I’m always.. I don’t know.. fighting crime”. you nudged her shoulder as she ate her cupcake.

“oh fuck your right..”. you laughed as minji told you to turn around so she could change and you both could get some actual food. while at the same time as hanni approached the bridge she looked to to see a text ‘I’m still bloody just eating ramen with her! love uuuuu’

“sooo since I got a big fat c- can we go to that tanghulu stall! you can bring sunoo and and taesan”. you nodded as you text your new boy-friends. after last weeks events you thought making new friends was nothing. you even went to invite hanni too.

“sooo.. can you also invite the mystery girl..?”. you sighed and typed away as yunah poked your waist.

“so sad nothing happened with spidey though..”. jihan sighed.

“what if he had like a hot friend.. we would have it it of-“. jihan triped walking backwards and fell into the hands of a certain australian.

“oh shit you ok..?”. jihan looked up star gazed with a certain hue of pink dotting her cheeks.

“I’m jihan..”. hanni nodded and waved to you.

“oh hay I didn’t know you were still on campus we were heading to the tanghulu place!”. you laughed as minji opened her mouth.

“I told you we were going the right way”. just as you went to her side you felt something coming your way.

“oh shit sorry.. y-“. minji held the football in her hands and handed to the black haired boy.

“minji.. just got fast reflex’s ha ha..”. minji scratched the back of her head as sunoo nudged you about her. looking up you saw a big boom a few blocks away. you looked over to see minji already gone, hanni texting you.

“oh guys I forgot I got to study!”. jihan pulled on your sleeve as hanni volunteered to help you and as the rest left you looked up to see a certain spider slinging from building to building. jumping in the black van hanni looked at the cameras as you put in your ear piece. to hear some famous lines from spidey that the old shop keeper would probably put on a t-shirt as Minji approached the new villian.

“oh sorry dude I’m just swinging in”

[mstolo]

Nobody asked but, here are some headcanon concepts for LJ :D

→LJ is a human-doll hybrid, he used to be human before being turned into a doll, he's mostly doll-like but he has human blue eyes, teeth and internal organs just like a human would have.

→He's pretty short, he's the same height as Sally, both are 4'11.

→He hates only sticking with one set of clothes/face makeup so, he would change it every day, he will never stick with one theme.

↓(He wears makeup :D lots of it, he's pretty good at clown makeup)

→He has his own world separate from the real world where he's usually found, he's more powerful there than the real world usually using a music box to get to it.

→he's able to stretch his neck and arms out due to his neck and arms having a special fabric that is able to stretch out.

→He has a small door on his chest that he can either pull out any objects or look into his organs, depending on the situation.

→He can't technically feel pain or temperature, but strangely he can only feel pain in his eyes and neck. He doesn't know why.

→He can't sleep, he doesn't need sleep technically he doesn't have any eyelids(Well kinda, he has those baby doll eyelids closing when tilted a certain way.) he doesn't have the ability to feel tired, but he will take "naps" in weird places.

→he can technically eat food but, he doesn't have any taste buds. If he tries to eat anything, inedible or otherwise, it would just disappear into thin air, it will never stay in his body. He only "eats" to feel normal and like others, he's well aware he doesn't have too, he never feels hungry or full.

↓

(he has pica, he will eat anything inedible, he once ate a glass shard, it didn't end well from him.)

→He's a huge kleptomaniac, intentionally or unintentionally taking items he finds interesting or 'useful' from other people, usually, most of the time taking stuff from people he knows.

→He was created using different parts of materials and toys, for example parts of his face was created using a ventriloquist dummy, mostly the mouth part, parts of his upper and lower body is made of plaster and rubber, only his neck and arms are made of fabric and a stretchy material

→Doesn't remember how he came to be or why he became a doll, all he knows is he woke up in a random, abandoned shed that was filled with everything and anything toy related and rust toys.

→He can somewhat shape shift into people he has seen before or knows about, he can change his height or stretch his body minimally(He can also change his voice.)

→usually loses track of time, how many days or years had passed, all he knows is that he's been alive for 50+ years.

→He can't remember anything from his past before he became a doll, all he knows is that he was a blonde boy with blue eyes. And that's it, that's all he remembers.

→He can't stand the sight of mirrors, or even looking in one since he always claims "My old body is staring back." Before trying to break it, that's the reason why he can't be in the same room or in near distance of any or all mirrors.

→His voice is boy-like that's mostly raspy when speaking, like he was screaming for hours and went without water.

→he's very clingy, no explanation.

→there are stitches/ stitching scars that connect his nose, jaw and neck to his face, he doesn't know where they come from or how to remove them.

→He can sometimes vaguely see his "old body" in the corner of his eye or in dark shadowy rooms where the body is always seemingly crying but not saying anything, he still doesn't know who he is.

↓(He's the only one who can actually see or hear the body, nobody else can)

That's all for now/what I can think of for now (I also took some headcanon ideas from user @ellzilla love their LJ headcanons :])

[deliciousangelfestival]

You wanted some ideas for stories.

1. Two are from two different dimensions. Land in a mysterious third one, and the both of them have no idea how to handle it.

2. A woman in her 50s ends up finding out that she's actually a dragon and she literally has to up root her whole family including her very much adult children to go live with dragons.

3. Poor vampires working dead end jobs.

Idk if any of these will help. But sometimes I take two genres that might not go together and see what happens or I try to write something under 1k words. I hope you get rid of writers block soon.

Wow, this is really challenging. To anon who gave me this writing idea. Thank you !!!

1. Different Dimensions

Character: Steve Rogers x Female Reader

Y/N woke up in a mysterious land. Did she just sleepwalking? She only took a nap after taking care of the farm. Suddenly, a screen appeared in front of her.

Y/N L/N

Age: 25 Years Old.

Occupation: Farmer

Skills: Irrigation, Soil Management, etc.

What the heck is this? Did her brother put a VR headset on her head?

She touched her head, but there was nothing.

Y/N read this kind of novel when she had free time to read, and now she got sucked into this book, or she got transported to another universe?

Shit.

Suddenly, the screen appeared again.

Task 1 for player Y/N

Plant corn and potato.

[Equipment: shovel]

[Finish this will get 100 exp]

"....."

Damn to this world. She wants to go home. At least there's a cabin near her. Inside, there's a bed, fireplace, and kitchen. She has a place to stay. Y/N rolled her shirt. "Well, it's time for me to work." She planted the vegetable like the screen told her and saw her EXP bar fill.

On the third day, she saw a portal open. A screaming voice, "Ahhh."

'THUD.'

A person appears. He wore a blue suit. It looks like an armor. And he holds a shield with a star on it.

Wow, he came here more prepared than her.

He looked around and saw her.

"Ma'am. May I know where this is?"

Y/N shrugged her shoulder. "I want to know too. I found myself here when I woke up from my nap."

He was taken aback by her answers.

He murmured, "Damn you, Strange. You sent me to an unknown location again."

"My name is Captain Steve Roger from The Avengers and the supervisor of SHIELD. May I know your name?"

Never heard of that institution. Perhaps a secret organization.

"Y/N L/N, just a farmer." She raised the shovel in her hand.

Suddenly, they saw a light coming from beside the cabin.

Y/N rolled her eyes. "What is this time?" She went to the source of light, and Steve followed her lead.

There, they saw a plant coming out from the soil. Oh, it's a flower.

"What the fuck?" Steve cursed because a transparent screen suddenly appeared in front of him.

Class S Task.

Protect the flower for 100 days from sickness and monsters.

[This flower's main ingredient for eternal life.]

Protect it for 100 days, then both players could return to their own world.

'Go home.'

That's the two words Y/N and Steve like to hear. 'Growl.' A growled voice was heard near the tree. Y/N as a farmer, Y/N could find out what the creature is, and Steve, too, since he used to live in the forest because of World War II.

Y/n lifts her shovel and looks at Steve who raises his shield "Well Captain Steve. We need to work together so we could go home."

2. Dragon Birthday

Character: Female Reader

"I'm exhausted..." Today's work from your boss drained all your energy.

But she needs the extra money for life expenses and her son's college tuition. Since her messy divorce, her husband doesn't really care about them.

So she needs to do it alone. Before, she always went home after work, but now she's going to visit her mother's grave.

Before Y/N's mother died of old age, her mother told her to visit her grave on Y/N's 50th birthday.

Today is her 50th birthday, so she visits her mother's grave.

Deep down, she hoped her mother had a gift for her, like money? She really needs that right now.

Y/n put down the flower to her mother's tomb. "Mom, just like you said you want me to visit you on jy 50th birthday. Im alone, I didn't bring your grandson, and your son in law well... we separated."

Her husband choose work than his family. He didn't even say anything after signing the divorce paper and left for Egypt.

Y/N sighed. Sometime she wish that she could be awesome like her mother. But she's nothing like her mother.

Suddenly, the temperature at the graveyard turned cold. It's impossible when it's still summer.

"Who dare for disrespecting with my descendants???" A loud voice echoes in her ears.

What?? A dragon? Are you hallucinating because because you got overworked?

"Y/N L/N, one my of descendants."

Wow, the dragon really talks towards her.

"My descendants will get their power when they reach age of 50."

"What will I get if I accepted the power?" If she didn't get any gold today, at least she got a superpower.

"Strength, wisdom, and giving order."

She raised her eyebrows.

"I'll give you this power for 3 days. If you like it, come back here again. If you don't like it, just ignore it.

The next day, she tested the power. Y/N doesn't know how effective the power is. Her boss, who always gives a ridiculous task, she finally talks back, "You do it."

Her boss didn't say anything and did the job. When she called her ex-husband to pick up his stuff, he did. Even though he was in a different country when she called him, the next day, he was at the house carrying a moving box. Her ex is an archeologist, and his stuff removes all her space.

Y/N never thought this power could be helpful. So, on the 3rd day, she saw the dragon again. With this power, she loves the feeling of being confident.

"I'll accept the power."

"Excellent. If you want to make the power last longer you need to find other follower."

"There's more?"

"Yes."

"Where can I find them?"

Suddenly there's a stone appears on her hand.

"If you getting closer to the descendant the stone will glow. I gave you my blessing."

This means Y/N will go on an adventure; she could feel her blood boiling. It's time for her to be selfish; all this time, she always gives in and has low esteem. She never thought the gift when she reached 50 could be this good.

3. Poor Vampire

Character: Bucky Barnes x platonic!reader "Uh, Excuse me..James." A nervous blue collar holding a document towards his co-worker. "Yes?" "The deadline for this already passed but could you do this?" "Fine." The co-worker accepts the file without looking at the other person. "Fiuh, I thought he's going to kill me." "Ah yeah, our gatekeeper accountant. He always been like that but he does his job really well. I think he sleep at the office." "I never see him go home after 5 p.m." "Ouch, Y/N." Both employees touched their heads because someone hit them with a document.

"That's because he's fixing all the mistakes you guys made."

Y/N returned to her seat; she has worked in this company for 6 months. She notices one particular co-worker, James Buchanan Barnes. He's the most hardworking employee in this company and always works overtime. Y/N felt bad about him because others were taking advantage of him. Y/n wishes James could say no when people shove their work on him. She has seen bullying in the office multiple times. "Ehem, Y/N?" Speaking of him, James suddenly called her, she answered "Yes?" James talks without lifting his head from his monitor. "I've sent the file to your e-mail. Could you check it?" "Give me a minute." "Take your time." James, or his nickname Bucky, is blushing. He doesn't know if he wants to laugh or cry. The truth is that Bucky is a vampire, and he has a superpower: reading someone's mind. He could read everyone's thoughts, including Y/N. In this office, only she felt sorry for him and never asked him to do her job. But he wants to tell the truth to Y/N that he works overtime because of the extra money. He's poor as f**k. Vampire is a nocturnal being, so he doesn't need sleep. The reason why Bucky went bankrupt is because he trusted the wrong person. His butler, or the perfect word to describe it, is a thief. Bucky, a former butler, stole his money when he went to sleep for 30 years. When Bucky woke up, he owned nothing. Bucky's only goal is to save money and get revenge on his former butler, who stole his fortune.

[priceseyes]

wasteland lovers: charlie beckett headcanons, fallout (tv).

summary: just some headcanons about my fallout oc, charlie beckett! warnings: 18+, minors dni. general headcanons, mentions of scars. death. pretty tame overall, just standard character headcanons. notes: been wanting to make some charlie headcanons and now I have, hope y'all enjoy! (p.s. if you'd like to know more about her lore full on, check this link.) wasteland lovers, fallout tag.

Charlie is 25 years of age and is also pansexual!

Charlie's around 5'7, 5'8.

She has light freckles across her shoulders, mostly gets them from the scorching sun but, they're there.

if you were to ask if she's a dog or cat person, she'd say both BUT does prefer dogs the most.

not only does she collect trinkets for the shop, but she's always collected scraps and trinkets at a young age, it's what kept her busy if she wasn't learning how to use a gun properly or helping out with other tasks.

Charlie can get frustrated easily, is strong, not afraid to be empathetic BUT also isn't afraid to get bloody, it's the wastelands after all.

She also adapts quickly to her surroundings and her morality is around 50/50.

Charlie has a scar located close to her chest, she had got it during her little runaway journey from the vault.

Shit is a word she uses most often.

Charlie has a habit of picking at her fingers a lot, mostly due to either being stressed or anxious.

Also has a another habit of rubbing behind her neck if, again, she's stressed completely.

If she needs to something to do while passing the time, she's either taking a swim to clear her head or learning new meals to cook on her own.

Introvert or Extrovert? She's mostly an extrovert!

She's mostly a good sleeper but knowing that she didn't know her parents for too long keeps her awake hence why she's usually taking a nap during some random hour of the day.

Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses or These Boots Are Made for Walkin' by Nancy Sinatra would be her go-to songs.

Charlie does prefer the company of others, she doesn't wish to be alone all the time just as long as it's with the right people.

Her strongest sense is her sight, she can adapt with the world quicker through sight, helps with reading people she may not be familiar with, etc.

One thing she hopes for in the future is for the world to just let her rest-easy, maybe settle down somewhere with the people she loves.

[bespectacled-bookwyrm]

Some Colress Headcanons!

I saw some posted by @colress-commodore-enterprises and was inspired to write some of my own!

Colress squeaks when he's startled or flustered.

He is the second of three siblings: Lusamine is the eldest, Colress is the middle child, and Darach is the youngest.

Cynthia is his cousin; they get on very well.

Colress has long hair! It's mostly straight, but it does curl a bit at the ends. It falls to around his mid-back, but most people don't know about it because Colress usually ties it into a very low ponytail and stuffs it down the back of his shirt, along with brushing his fringe back.

Contrary to popular belief, his blue loopy is completely natural! Colour AND loop! It's a genetic quirk from his maternal side of the family.

Although absolutely terrible at looking after himself, Colress is absolutely amazing with children.

For whatever reason, Colress seems to trigger an instinctive feeling of safety in children. It's to the point where lost kids will approach him for help rather than the very-visible police officer.

On a particularly memorable occasion, Colress took a nap under the shade of a tree and woke up to being used as a pillow by a bunch of sleepy five-year olds.

Colress has quite the sweet tooth! Although fond of most sweets, his favourites are sherbet lemons.

He has been called a human Delcatty on several occasions. Colress didn’t understand why until Rosa showed him the 'Dex entries for said Pokémon.

He has quite a few scars, some larger than others. They're mostly from his experiments or machine mishaps, but he has a horizontal scar across his throat, courtesy of the Shadow Triad.

He is distressingly good at hiding his problems and/or when he needs help. The most notable instance of this was during his tenure as a scientist for Team Plasma. No one had picked up on the pit of apathy and loathing (directed both inwards and towards Plasma, especially Ghetsis) he had fallen into until Rosa all but kicked down his door and dragged the truth out of him.

He prefers to do the "Forehead Bonk of Love" to show Grimsley affection over kissing. He will, provided he's in the mood for it, but he greatly prefers the Forehead Bonk. Naturally, the Delcatty comparisons increased immensely.

Out of the entirety of Team Plasma, he only got on with (and liked) four of them: Aldith, Barret, Schwarz, and Weiss.

He struck up a delicate bond with Ghetsis' Hydreigon. Said Pokémon is now in his care and is basically a house pet. A very intimidating, very traumatised house pet, but a house pet nonetheless.

To Grimsley’s surprise, despite being abysmal at poker, Colress has a terrifying amount of luck when it comes to games that rely purely on luck. As in, win the roulette five times in a row lucky.

Grimsley jokingly calls him a lucky charm and has managed to coax Colress into joining him as an observer for his poker games in the hopes of his luck rubbing off on him. So far, the evidence is inconclusive.

Colress can't bake to save his life. The only baked good he can make is apple pie, and even then it has a 50-50 chance of going catastrophically wrong.

On the other hand, he is a brilliant cook!

Rosa sees him as a father figure, and he in turn sees her a daughter.

Colress LOVES plants. He's an avid gardener, and an anonymous someone keeps on entering him into gardening competitions. Not that he's complaining TOO much; the winnings provide some nice extra income.

It took a long time for him to stop flinching at the sound of someone walking with a cane.

Although very honest about what he did in Team Plasma, he is incredibly reluctant to reveal his personal experiences working for them. Looker can only assume they weren’t good; that scar along his throat is particularly telling.

Colress is actually a very anxious person; he's just very good at hiding it.

He gets on remarkably well with Looker. They inevitably butt heads over some things, but Colress can easily call the man a friend.

Despite being built like a noodle, Colress is stronger than he looks!

Colress used to babysit Lillie and Gladion for Lusamine, back when they were tiny.

He and Darach get along quite well. It's just that they're both so quiet and introverted that people think they're ignoring each other.

He and Lusamine bicker the most; it's usually friendly ribbing or silly spats, but sometimes things can turn nasty. They still love each other regardless.

Colress hums or quietly sings when he's happy during his work. The Frigate never had the luxury of hearing this.

When he squeaks, Colress can sound remarkably similar to squeaky Pokémon toys. On several occasions, Grimsley and Rosa have had to extract the man from underneath the fluffy excitement of their Houndoom and Arcanine.

He and Schwarz once made an unholy concoction they called "The Insomnia Shot". There's so much caffeine in it that only people with the highest tolerance can drink it, and only out of shot glasses. After being kept awake for four days, crashing, and sleeping for a week, the two vowed to never let its recipe see the light of day again.

I may add more as they occur to me.

They were fun to write, too!

[aita-blorbos]

Am I The Asshole for not telling my QPP that I (sort of) came back from the dead?

My Queer Platonic Partner (4595 M), who I'll call F, and I (~300k M) got together in the late eleventh century, and we've basically been married since the sixteenth century. (Not legally, obviously, but we lived together and pooled our finances and all that.)

While doing some spy work in France during WWII (on behalf of the Allies) I got another future vision showing me getting killed by this cult of weird supernatural obsessed rich people, and I could tell it would happen sometime in the next year or so. Now, there are ways to shift small details of the stuff I see in my future visions, but I'm pretty sure trying to change anything too major would break the fabric of spacetime, if you could even manage to make a change in the first place, so I accepted pretty quickly that my demise was inevitable and started making preparations (writing a will, etc.)

Obviously after all this time I know F pretty well, and he tends to struggle dealing with grief; most of his friends are other immortals and he only really interacts with mortals professionally. I also know there would be absolutely no way he would just accept the fact that my death is inevitable, and would end up spending the next however-long-I-had-left trying to find a solution and would probably really beat himself up about it when he failed.

On top of that, telling other people too much about my visions tends to lead to bad stuff happening (like an immortal cult leader/dictator from my home dimension, who we'll call C, massacring 60+ planets, attempting to take over Earth multiple times, and basically turning his kid into a living weapon), so I don't tend to tell people about them, a boundary which F knows about and usually respects.

So basically, I didn't tell F what I saw. I got kidnapped, he tried to rescue me but was a bit too late, I bled out after getting stabbed by a magic sword, etc., etc. Now, when people of my species die, we get reincarnated. We're reborn in an entirely new body, and with our memories suppressed, we grow into entirely new people with entirely new experiences. You keep your magic powers and basically stop aging around 20, but that's about it. It's a bit different for humans for slightly complicated deific political reasons, I think? F knows this because I told him about it at some point.

After I died, the wife (? F) of one of F's old friends showed up and told me she was Death and that C was gonna try to invade Earth again at some point in the future and my help would be needed, so she was willing to let me sort of... stick around in my reincarnation (now 78 NB)'s brain. So obviously I agreed.

My reincarnation, E, was born somewhere in the US shortly after I died. For context, F and I previously lived in the UK. I hung back for most of E's childhood because I wanted to let them live their own life, but I did help them out a few times with bullies and shitty teachers and stuff. (They're queer and neurodivergent and grew up in the 50s, so they didn't exactly have the best childhood).

There wasn't exactly a whole lot I could do to contact F when E was younger, and even when they got older, there still wasn't much I could do without fucking up their life, so basically I spent several decades only showing up when E was asleep or everyone involved was super high, so even E didn't know I existed.

Sometime around the early 80s E started getting into superhero stuff, which isn't really my cup of tea, so I ended up sorta taking a nap for a few decades. I woke up in the mid 2010s to find out that F and E had apparently become friends? Again, I don't want to mess up either of their lives, and it seemed to me like F had moved on, so I continued hiding.

Recently, C started trying to invade earth again, so I started sneaking out at night to try to stop them with the help of R (18 NB/M?), the literal only other person who knew I existed. (He accidentally ran into me getting a late night snack while breaking into E's house for prank reasons. It's a long story.) We ended up running into some other people, including F's dad (4622 F), so eventually a total of like, 4 people knew about my existence. None of them knew I was me, as in F's dead ex QPP/E's past life. Fortunately, I was able to convince everyone not to tell E or F about me.

Fast forward to a couple months ago, C launched a full scale attack on the city where basically everyone involved in this mess lives. I won't go into too many details, but during the attack E ended up getting hit with a "sleeping spell" which basically just knocked them out, leaving me in control of the body by default. My fighting style is pretty different than E's, so F recognized me almost immediately.

We ended up getting into a pretty big argument about me not telling him I was still around, during which I ended up finding out that after I died he basically lost all faith in humanity and tried to destroy the world a couple times, and he basically admitted he still wasn't over my death, but he was also really pissed at me for not telling him that I was still around. I tried to explain but F still insisted I should have told him. We're both fairly stubborn and quick to anger, so the argument ended up getting a bit out of hand, and now we aren't talking to one another. I understand why he's angry, but I still feel like I didn't have any other choice.

Am I The Asshole?

(Side Note: E is now aware I exist and is trying to act as a mediator. They understand my reasoning for not outright telling them, and had a pretty good laugh over all the signs of my existence that they missed, but F is still pissed on their behalf about me not telling them.)

[honeyhatake]

Indulgence- Sweet as Honey 🍯

This story was written quite a while ago, and it is definitely a self insert lol. I originally wanted to call is Sweet as Honey, then added Indulgence to it. This is kinda where I got my name from. The story is from Kakashi’s perspective, and quite long. There’s room for it to even be longer if I’m being honest. Anyways, let me know what you guys think! Thank you for reading 💕

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Warnings- Implied suggestive thoughts, afab reader, fluff

Word Count- 6k

Summary- Kakashi is a man that doesn’t like sweets. Yet he finds himself eating a lot of them lately. The sweets are not the only things he wants to Indulge in, he just hopes that she’ll let him.

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I have found myself indulging a lot lately. Taking longer walks, more frequent breaks, naps in the middle of the day. Finding the time to treat myself to things I don’t normally have. Sweets being one of them. Even though they weren’t something I enjoyed frequently, I found myself eating them anyway. All because I needed some excuse to make my way to the bakery every day. No matter how badly it hurt my stomach at days end.

It started when I got back from a lengthy mission, wanting to make myself a nice breakfast on my day off. The indulgence was small, just a simple loaf of bread, but it needed to be fresh. I knew the bakery by the flower shop had just opened up with new management- the old owner of the store finally retiring after over 50 years of running the place. Their bread was good, and so were their cakes (not that I ate cake often, but nonetheless.) I just hoped the new owners were as nice as she was, and had treats just as good.

On my walk there it was overcast, so I brought an umbrella. There was a slight chill to the air, cold enough to make my ears red. My nose would have been too if it wasn’t wearing a face covering. I warmed my hands with my breath through my mask as best as I could approaching the shop. The smell of bread and sweets already flooding my sinuses. Breathing it in I smiled and walked into the shop. It was early morning, but the bakery had been open for a few hours now. Hopefully they still have warm bread.

The bakery was small and very cozy. There was one spot for seating, shelves with recipe books, and the decor made it look lived in. It wasn’t too different from how it looked before, but a lot of things were updated and the walls definitely had a fresh coat of paint.

When I walked in no one was at the counter, so I browsed the cook books. I didn’t really need one, but it gave me something to do while I waited. Not long after I hear the voice of a woman behind the counter.

“Oh! Sorry ‘bout that, had to step away to show someone how to prep some pastries. What can I help you with today?”

Turning, my eyes locked with hers, the recipe book that I unsuccessfully tried to put back fell to the ground. This made her giggle, and I felt my cheeks getting warm. Thank god for this mask! Trying my best to brush it off, I laugh lightly and pick up the book, putting it in its proper spot. “Sorry about that, let’s see…” Stepping carefully towards the counter, I pray I don’t trip over my own feet next. “I uh, I’m not really sure what I want yet.” My eyes moved down to the glass display next to the counter and looked over all my options. There was a lot more than I had anticipated. Several breads, rolls and pastries. They all looked well made, like she put her whole heart and soul into them, yet I knew I was only here for a simple loaf of bread. My eyebrows knit together as I tried to think over which one would be best, slowly getting embarrassed by how long I was taking.

“Well… do you know what kind of baked good you’d like?” She asked in a very sweet voice. I looked up at her and her cheeks were as pink as I’m sure mine were. Her eyes almost had a sparkle to them as well. I wanted to keep looking, but I blinked and shifted my view back on the bread. Not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

“I need a loaf of bread, but I’m not sure which would be good.” When my vision shifted back to her, her eyes fluttered and a sweet smile appeared on her lips.

“My favorite is the Sourdough, but our Brioche is good too! It’s a pretty sweet and light bread. But if you want something without too much flavor, I’d go with the wheat.” As she spoke she took a step over to the display case and gently placed her hands on top of it. The new closeness made my heart beat out of my chest.

“Maybe I’ll go with the Sourdough then, since it’s your favorite.” I smiled at her with my eye in an attempt at flirting. Perhaps it was inappropriate, but I couldn’t help but admire her. The way her hair was done so perfectly, her makeup simple but well done. How soft her skin and entire being looked. Made me want to indulge in more than just bread.

Gracefully, the women behind the counter collected a loaf of bread for me and packaged it up. Setting it on the counter, she put what looked like a berry muffin right next to it. “Alrighty, since this is your first time coming in today I’m gonna give you this muffin for free. It’s a new recipe anyways, so I’m trying to get the word out about it.” Her smile was contagious. There was no doubt her actions were just very good customer service skills, but the idea of her doing something like this for only me made my stomach flip.

“Well that’s very sweet of you, I’ll make sure to let you know what I thought of it!” My eye focused on her as I spoke, proceeding to pull out my wallet. “I think I’ll have to try some other things you have here as well. What time do you guys open?” Her giggle did nothing but fuel the fire inside me as she took the money from me. I just needed more reason to keep the conversation going.

“Oh it’s nothing really! You’ve been very nice, so take it as my way of saying thanks- but we open at 6am. Gotta be open for the early risers.” I took my treats from the counter smiling, already planning on coming back tomorrow.

“Alright, then I will see you bright and early tomorrow morning!” Giving her an awkward peace sign, I casually slipped out of the shop. Popping open my umbrella as it was now raining. My thoughts filled with nothing but her the whole way home.

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The next day I got up just before the shop opened. I hadn’t finished the loaf of bread I had bought, but the muffin was long gone. Mindlessly I ate on it while I read, which was a big mistake. It was rather sweet, plus eating the whole thing made my stomach hurt the rest of the night. Yet I was ready to go in again and buy another sweet thing, just to talk to a girl I had only just met. It was almost infuriating how she ruled over my thoughts. Wanting to know every little thing about her. Today however, I made it my mission to find out her name.

The bell to the bakery rang as I opened the front door. The women from yesterday was stocking the display case this time. Looking up and smiling at me immediately. “Wow! You weren’t kidding when you said bright and early.” She came to the counter whipping her hands on her pink apron. She looked just as beautiful as she did yesterday, maybe even more so- if that was possible. “What can I get for you today?”

Walking right up to the counter myself, I placed my right palm on it and looked at her as I spoke. “Well I was hoping to get another recommendation from you! The bread and muffin were quite delicious. The berrys in the muffin were perfectly sweet, along with the cakey part.” I laughed as I gave her my review and looked over at the display case, then back to her. “So what do you think I should get today?” I cocked my head, smiling at her, hoping my body language wasn’t making her too uncomfortable. With how pink her cheeks were again, I could tell it definitely had some sort of effect on her- unless it was just coincidence.

Clearing her throat she hummed, and moved over to the display case. “Hmm… alright, how about. Yes!” Returning to the counter, she placed a bun in a bag, along with a couple bars that were individually wrapped. “Sweet buns are a guilty pleasure of mine, I eat them most mornings.” The same giggle as yesterday, made me laugh with her. “And these are homemade granola bars. One is almond and lavender, the other is honey and hazelnut!” The ingredients intrigued me, though I knew my stomach was not going to be happy with me. Despite that I bought them anyway, not wanting to say no to her.

“So… could I get your name? I know this place is under new management now, and I haven’t seen you around before.” Finishing my sentence, a couple came in behind me. I almost outwardly groaned, knowing our conversation was going to be cut short.

“Good morning! I’ll be right with you guys!” She greeted her new customers with a smile then turned back to me. “I’m Y/n, I’m actually the new owner of this place! My grandmother was the one who passed it down to me. I just moved back here from the Hidden Mist, that’s where my dads from.”

“Ah, I see! That explains why I haven’t seen you before. It’s lovely to meet you then, Y/n. I’ll be sure to stop by again sometime and tell you how these are.” With thanks I hung my head, and tried my best to leave quickly, not wanting to interfere with her work. There was still so much about her that I wanted to know. Why did she blush every time I spoke to her? Did she think of me as much as I thought of her?

Arriving at my apartment I shook my head at my thoughts. There was no way she thought of me that much. I was just plain, boring Kakashi. That’s when it dawned on me that I never told her my name.

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Today I was called away on a mission. It was not like me to be upset with having to work, but with my new found infatuation it was hard for me to want to do anything. Especially anything that didn’t involve me seeing or thinking of Y/n. That’s why I made up the excuse of needing snacks for the road. I doubted baked goods would hold up well, but one little thing wouldn’t hurt. Even though I knew I still had half eaten treats at home.

Arriving at the bakery I walked in through the propped open door. My sweet Y/N was stocking the recipe books today. She hadn’t noticed me yet, and with her not standing behind the counter I couldn’t help but let my eyes wander. My thoughts getting darker than they should. Stop that! Inappropriate! No! No! No! Shaking them off, I took a deep breath and took a step towards her. Trying my best to greet her without startling her.

“… good morning Y/n!” I said softly in her ear. Immediately making her jump, a book she had in hand going flying in the air. Quickly I grab it with ease, handing it to her with a chuckle. “Sorry, I was trying not to scare you!“

Y/n looked at me with her cheeks bright pink, clutching her chest. Awkwardly laughing she set the book on the shelf. “It’s alright, I needed a wake up call anyways. What can I get you today, Kakashi?” The mention of my name made my heart sink. She already knew my name?

“Eh- you knew my name?” I looked at her in slight disbelief, following her with my eyes as she moved to behind the counter.

“I mean, yeah… you are Kakashi the Copy Ninja right? You’re kinda famous.” She giggled, pointing it out as if it was something that should be obvious. I mean I was well known, but I didn’t think it spread that far. I blushed, feeling embarrassed in front of her yet again. “It’s okay!” Y/n laughed this time. “What can I get for you today hun?”

Hun? HUN!? She was throwing me so off guard today, I knew she’d be the death of me. My hands press to the counter trying to find something to ground myself. I knew the pet name meant nothing, I knew she was being nice, but I would have been more prepared if she attempted to throw a kunai at my chest. Taking far too long to answer, I eventually stammered out a response. “Dah- um… Oh, well, I was called on a mission.” As soon as those words left my lips my brain blanked. Y/n looked at me expectantly with kind eyes. She could tell I was flustered and gave me a smile.

“So… you need snacks for the road?” She guessed, pulling out a couple bags, never breaking eye contact with me. I nodded, knowing I was sweating at this point. What happened to my resolve? Yesterday I spoke so smoothly, now look at me! A sweaty nervous wreck who can’t even speak up. I found myself chewing on the inside of my lip as Y/n started filling the bags. “Don’t worry, I got you covered. I’ll even throw in some extra stuff for your team!”

Y/n proceeded to fill up a bag full of bagels, as well as a bag full of muffins. My stomach hurt just looking at all of it. Thankfully, I knew Naruto would be able to help me eat all of this. “Thank you… I'm sure my team will be happy.” My voice came out small as I paid her what I owed, giving her a tip as well to show my gratitude.

“Of course! You have a safe trip then! Oh!” She blinked rapidly remembering something. So cute! “I know you probably need to get going, but how did you like the things you got yesterday? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.” I definitely didn’t mind her asking. In fact I wanted her to ask me a million questions just so I could keep talking to her, even if that meant me being late to the rendezvous.

“They were very good! I see why your guilty pleasure is the sweet bun. I’ll have to get another next time!” I looked over at the glass display case to see if any were baked today, then locked my eye back on hers. “The honey granola bar was my favorite out of those I think. The lavender one I wasn’t too big on if I’m being honest.” She smiled at me, then looked back as another worker came out from the back with the buns I was looking for. My eyes widened and Y/n giggled.

“Here!” Quickly she grabbed one with a parchment paper and handed it to me. “Go ahead and take it, it’s on me. I appreciate your honesty! I’m glad you liked at least most of the things I gave you.” I took the warm bun in my free hand and felt my heart swell. This was the second treat she’s given me for free, and this time it wasn’t for the benefit of the shop. I tried my best to give her a sweet smile and bowed my head.

“Thank you, Y/n! I’ll be sure to repay the favor. I’ll come see you as soon as I’m back!”

“Oh please do! Have a safe trip! Hopefully the mission isn’t too strenuous! See you later Kakashi!” She waved goodbye as I stepped out of her shop. My breathing was heavy, and I could feel myself getting emotional from just her words alone. Clearly it had been a long time since someone had treated me this kindly. Did she care for me that much, or was she just a caring person. Either way I knew how felt about her. I adored her, and I wanted nothing more than to spend every waking second with her. Unfortunately I had work to do, so that thought will have to be saved for later.

———————————💕———————————

With the sweet bun consumed, I arrived at the Rendezvous spot fashionably late. A slight pain in my stomach that I tried to ignore. Lazily greeting my comrade’s of my team and Guy’s who would all be working together on a mission this week. A simple search and rescue mission.

“If my calculations are right, this mission should take less than a week to complete. We have plenty of leads, and with the help of my Ninken we should be able to pull this off without a hitch.”

“Kaka-Sensei! This mission is boring! We should ask for a different one, let Bushy Brow and Bushier Brow-Sensei take care of it!”

“It would be our honor to take full control of this mission Kakashi-Sensei! Let’s do it!” Lee from Guy's team posed with his palms up in a taijutsu stance, fully ready to take up Naruto’s request.

“That’s it Lee! Way to show your fighting spirit!” Guy encouraged, giving me a thumbs up.

With a groan from the rest of the group, I shoved the bag of bagels and muffins towards Naruto. “Absolutely not! It will go by a lot faster if we work together. Now take these and keep your mouth shut.” It didn’t take long for Naruto to get excited and immediately start pulling out bagels- Lee and Tenten joining him shortly after.

“Kaka-Sensei, I think we should all split up and have our own Ninken with us. That would be our best plan of action.”

“Thank you Sakura, I was going to do exactly that.” Forming the hand signs, I place my palm on the ground creating the summoning circle. “Summoning Jutsu!” With a puff of smoke four dogs appear, Pakkun, Urushi, Shiba and Bisuke.

“What is it now, Kakashi?” Pakkun asked in a gruff voice.

“Well good morning to you too!” I smiled down at the small pug. Wondering if Y/n liked dogs or not. “Today we’re on a search and rescue mission, so we’re gonna be splitting up. I’ll have you go with Sakura and Sai. Urushi you’ll be with Naruto and I. Shiba’s with Guy and Tenten, and finally, Bisuke. You’ll be Neji and Lee.” Crouching down I put an article of clothing in front of their snouts and lets them gather the sent. I cleared my throat trying my best to keep my head clear. My aching stomach is only making things worse. Really should have saved that sweet bun for later. “Alright, now that that’s settled, let’s all fan out from here. We’ll meet at the next spot about mid day. Use the coms if you find anything or need some assistance. Okay, let’s go!”

———————————💕———————————

By the end of the day we had made some progress, but still no signs of the missing individuals. We camped out for the night in a small wooded area agreeing to pick back up in the morning. We caught some fish and cooked them up, not wanting to head into potential enemy territory. At this point we were pretty close to the village hidden in the grass, hoping we wouldn’t run into any issues.

Around 9pm, most of the group was asleep besides Guy and I. He quietly worked out, while I sat against a tree reading Icha Icha. We kept to ourselves, until ultimately Guy decided to disturb my peace. The one time in the past two days I wasn’t tormented with thoughts of Y/n. “So, who’s the girl?” Guy asked, without stopping his set of push-ups.

I scoffed, playing dumb. “Tch- what girl? Who said there was a girl?”

“Really? Mr. “I don’t like sweets” Kakashi, just shows up with a bag of sweets out of random? Come on! There’s definitely a girl! Is it the cute one from the bakery?” He gets up looking down at me, hands on hips. “I heard she just moved here. You like her don’t you?” Guy pressed me further on the topic as he started to stretch. I rolled my eyes at him and looked back at my book. Though I couldn’t ignore the fact that my heart was beating so loud I’d be surprised if one of the kids didn’t wake up from it.

“I just met her, and they have decent baked goods. There’s nothing wrong with indulging a little here and there.” I tried to keep my voice calm and collected, hoping he wouldn’t call my bluff. There was nothing I hated more than talking about my own personal feelings. Especially when it involved my feelings towards other people.

“Oh come on Kakashi! You went to that bakery every morning for the past three days! You don’t eat sweets, so it has to be for a girl. Maybe you want to indulge in all that that sweet little lady has to offer you!” Guy raised an eyebrow suggestively, plopping down on the ground beside me. The suggestiveness of his comments made my cheeks heat up, I quickly moved my hand to pull my mask further up my face. Clearing my throat before I spoke.

“No… not at all. Drop it Guy, she’s practically a stranger.” At this point I was done listening. I put my book away and started to get myself ready for bed.

“Don’t lie to yourself Kakashi! This is the springtime of our youth! Learn to take advantage of it a little. Don’t let her slip through your fingers before she’s even in them!” I groaned knowing that he was right. This was all so new to me though. Having crushes, having relationships that lasted longer than a night, thinking about a singular person day in and day out. It just wasn’t like me, frankly it scared the hell out of me.

Laying on the cool ground I clutched my chest looking away from Guy. My throat got tight as I felt myself getting emotional yet again. “I- I just don’t know what to do. I can’t s- stop thinking about her…”

Guy chuckles and I hear him lay down. “Tell her what’s in your heart, Kakashi. I’m sure she’s thinking about you just as much!”

———————————💕———————————

The remainder of the week Guy’s advice never left my thoughts, along with the thought of what I was going to do next. Our mission was a success, with minor injuries. Me being the only one injured the whole time, which was a little demoralizing, but it was my own fault. My arm nearly got blasted off by one of Naruto’s rasengans because I was lost in my own thoughts. That’s why I decided that I needed to tell her. It was time I indulged in more than just the baked goods she sold to me. I just hoped she’d let me.

Arriving in Konoha, I turned in the report for the mission and went straight home to shower. If I was going to see Y/n I needed to at least smell nice. Maybe I’ll use the cologne I bought a while back and never ended up using. Hopefully she likes bergamot and firewood. God, why did I even buy this?

It was a little after mid-day when I finally made my way to the bakery. The walk there was spent rehearsing what I was going to say, and trying to shake the nerves. Just be straight forward. Offer to buy her dinner, make sure it doesn’t sound too forceful either. There’s a good possibility she’ll say no. The idea of being rejected made my chest feel heavy. I knew she was allowed to not like me back, to turn me down, or ask to just be friends. Though every fiber of my being just wanted her to say yes. Give me one of her sweet smiles and let me just whisk her away into eternity.

My feet stopped in their tracks as I almost walked right past the shop. Looking in the window I expect to see Y/n cleaning up, stocking shelves, or anything else. Right in front of me I saw Genma leaning against the counter, toothpick in mouth with a cheeky smile as he looked up at her. Her cheeks were bright pink, and she was looking at him intently. It almost looked like she was trembling. Was I too late? Did he beat me to it? Did something happen while I was gone?

My hand hovered over the handle on the door. I needed to see for myself what was going on. Maybe I could change her mind? Make her want me and not him. My self doubt and insecurity got the best of me yet again. I pulled away and walked off. Maybe this was for the best. She’d probably be very happy with him, and I wouldn’t want her to be unhappy. I’d most likely end up hurting her anyway… or even worse. Getting her killed.

———————————💕———————————

I had been gone for a week and within that time my infatuation was stolen from me. My guilty pleasure, my indulgence, my sweet Y/n. I watched the clouds roll by as I laid on my back in the grass. Arms fanned out, feeling utterly hopeless. This was just no good.

Perhaps my time of self indulgence had run its course. Maybe it was time to focus on missions again whole heartedly. Go back to training and teaching my students. It was silly of me to think that I could get something just because I wanted it. Silly of me to think I could indulge in something as rich and decadent as that. God she’s so pretty! The most riveting and alluring woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of looking at. What was I to her? What was Genma to her? Did he get free sweet buns too?

As my body began to relax, I felt myself starting to drift off as I lied there. Still only seeing her behind my eyelids. The cool breeze calmed my nerves and I took a deep breath. “Now then, sleeping won’t solve anything.” My hands run over my face and my fingers pinch the bridge of my nose firmly. Pushing myself to sit up, I had made up my mind. I will tell her regardless. She deserved to know, and I deserved to at least have a chance with her. Even if she ended up with Genma, at least I’ll know I tried.

———————————💕———————————

The bells to the bakery door rang as I opened them. It was almost closing time now and Y/n was finishing packing up some bread for an old woman. As soon as she saw me her eyes lit up, and she smiled real big. Holding up a finger so I know to give her a second.

“Alrighty ma’am, is there anything else I can help you with?” She asked sweetly, handing the bread off to her.

“Nope, that’ll be all.”

“Okay, then you have a great day! Thanks for coming in!” Y/n waved goodbye to the old lady, and immediately locked eyes with me as soon as she had left the store. As I approached the counter, I could see her pivot and then stop herself. A blush slowly reappeared on her cheeks again. “Hi!” She finally said, sounding nervous. “Ah- how was your mission?”

Seeing her nervous like this made me swoon. Though it paled in comparison to how she looked while talking with Genma. What did he say that made her so flustered? I racked my brain on what to say next, not wanting to ask her out right off the bat. She was at work after all.

“The mission went well! Found the missing people in little to no time at all, and with little injuries as well. Probably would have be none if I… well. If I hadn’t been thinking of you the whole time.” That did it. With those words her face was bright red. She must not be used to being flirted with, hopefully I didn’t make her uncomfortable. “I want to know how you’ve been. I have a lot of questions in fact. Would you mind chatting with me for a while once you finish up here?” Steadying my breathing I watched as the wheels turned in her cute little head. God the things I could do to her…

“Oh, uh, sure! I’d like that!” Y/n finally smiled, fluttering her eyelashes just right. It took every ounce of me to not grab her by the back of the head and kiss her right now. I just focused on my breathing yet again, making sure my words sound calm and collected.

“Okay, then I’ll be waiting at the Dango shop. Meet me there when you’re done!” Giving her a warm smile, I walked off. Heart thumping, my stomach doing somersaults, and I swear I was about to pass out. Maybe she won’t even show up.

———————————💕———————————

After an hour of waiting, sneaking sips of my tea, and twiddling my thumbs she appeared. Spotting me immediately she smiled and made her way to my table and sat down. She was wearing a new outfit and her hair was down, framing her face perfectly. Her beauty almost made me forget how to breathe. Not to mention the dress she was wearing sooted her so well. Loosed fitted, a light shade of green and a matching ribbon tied around the waist. My eye must have been heart shaped at this point with how precisely I was looking at her, not caring if she noticed either. Which she definitely did, because her cheeks were pink again.

Chuckling lightly, I poured her some tea. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. It really took everything I had to ask you here in the first place.”

Taking the cup from me she sipped it, and waved her hand lightly. “Awe well that’s sweet! It’s no trouble at all really, I actually wanted to talk to you anyways.” Her voice timid as I watched her tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Please stop being so cute so I can think straight!

I cleared my throat, readjusting myself in my seat. “Alright, then let’s get straight to it then.” My hands fiddled with my cup as I thought of where I should start first. Genma. Start with Genma. I knew I had no right to be jealous, or feel as though she owes me anything. I just needed to know. “Earlier, when I got back in town, I stopped by the bakery. I uh- well obviously I didn’t go in, but I saw you talking with Genma. Um… it’s just. You looked very flustered. Your face was red, and.” Get to the point, Kakashi! “I was just wondering if you two were seeing each other. I don’t mean to corner you or anything, I was just curious.” I swallowed hard, hoping she wouldn't take my questioning the wrong way.

Her eyes widened, looking shocked. She didn’t look mad, though she was definitely not prepared for that question. My foot tapped restlessly as I waited for her response. Y/n shrugged and gave me a smirk. “No, we’re not. He did ask me out today though…” So he did beat me to it.

“And… how did that make you feel?” I looked at her, watching as her eyes looked at the tea inside her cup. She smirked then looked back up to me.

“Well, it caught me off guard. I had only talked to him once before. He seemed nice, but today he was…” She trailed off holding back.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I just thought maybe you liked him or something.” To that her eyes got big again and she looked like she was about to panic.

“What? No! I mean… there’s nothing wrong with him. I just… I don’t know. There’s uh, somebody else.” Her words were fast and ran together, the last part practically a mumble. Yet I could still understand her.

“I see. So if not Genma, then who? What did Genma do that made you say no?” I knew I was being bold by asking her questions back to back, but my chest was aching. Genma was an attractive man, very popular with the ladies. Why would a beautiful woman such as her say no to a guy like him? Who could be better than him?

Taking another sip of her tea her eyes shifted around the room. “He didn’t want to actually date me. He just wanted to take me home with him. I told him no, especially because he asked me while I was working. He… he just made me uncomfortable. Though, I don’t think I would have said yes even if I wasn’t working.”

“Because of the other guy?” She nodded and messing with her cup the same way I had. I guess Genma wasn’t as great as I thought he was. Guess that makes sense why he isn’t ever with anyone for very long. “May I ask who has your heart then, Y/n?” Trying to word my question just right, so she doesn’t feel too pressured. I watched as she averted eye contact with me and swallowed hard. Taking a deep breath she tried to speak.

“Well… I don’t know if he has my heart just yet. He does, however, take up space in my head 24/7.” She bit the skin on her lip slightly, her hands moving done to her lap as she looked away from me. Alright, no more playing around. It’s now or never. Tell her, but don’t get your hopes up.

“Can I tell you something? It’s something that’s been on my mind for the past week now, and I just can’t hold it in anymore.” As I spoke, I kept my eyes locked with hers. Her cheeks still pink as she nodded. Here goes nothing.

“Lately, I’ve decided to be more self indulgent. Be kinder to myself, treat myself more. Relish in the things I don’t get to enjoy as often. One of those things being baked goods. Ever since that day, the day I walked into your bakery. The moment I saw you. I knew you were what I desired most. I want to know you, I want you to know me. Maybe I’m wrong for saying that, especially if you have eyes for someone else. I just, I just can’t stop thinking about you Y/n. I like you, way too much for my own good, and it’s okay if you don’t like me back.” A weight was lifted off my chest once the words left my mouth. Y/n stared at me, mouth a gap, but she wasn’t red in the face. In fact all color had gone from it entirely. My eyes widened in fear that I had scared her, or she was sick.

“Oh god! A- are you okay? I didn’t mean to make you un- uncomfortable if I did.” My hands instinctively reached out across the table. With her eyes fluttering, the pink returned to her cheeks and she giggled. Carefully moving her hands up and lacing her fingers with mine. I looked at our hands, then back to her, my eye fluttering now in confusion.

“You, Kakashi. You’re the guy I have eyes for. To be honest, I’ve liked you since the moment I saw you walk past my shop on the day it was handed off to me. You’ve been on my mind since then, and it only got worse the moment you stepped foot in the bakery. I would love nothing more than to help you indulge with what your heart desires. Because I desire it too.”

With my face red, and hands sweaty I laughed. In total disbelief she reciprocated those same feelings back to me. I felt complete and utter joy. More content than I ever have, just holding her hands. My thumbs rubbing over them, loving how soft they are compared to mine. This was only a small indulgence from her, but I couldn’t wait to indulge even further. Grateful that I could now indulge in Y/n whenever I wanted.

[lostelfwriting]

I took a mid-day nap and either had a fever dream or a brilliant idea; judge for yourself. It's Hobrintheus and probably not an original take but you know. Fever dream.

Hob and Cori have been husbands for 50 years when Dream finally gets out of the fishbowl. Hob ran into Corinthian during one of his murder crazes, intending to kill the serial killer, but it figures that his arch nemesis of choice for this century is another immortal. So instead, he tries to capture Cori, but Cori is inhuman and still powerful enough to escape from an impossible situation.

Cori is intrigued by the human (presumed mortal) so he decides that he would have his eyes, but when they next meet, Hob bests him again. Cori's intrigue grows, so the next time they run into each another, he doesn't instantly try to kill Hob but instead they just talk. And somehow, Hob talks him out of killing random people. There are so many criminals Cori can do whatever to, but killing innocent people is bad taste and makes Hob try to capture him.

And to his own surprise, Corinthian begins to behave. Maybe Hob said something like, "Whoever you're working for, whoever you're doing this for, is it working? Are they pleased?" and Cori has a little private cry because no, it never worked, he has become invisible to Dream a couple millenia ago.

So, Cori and Hob fall in love and Cori changes. He tells Hob that he's a Nightmare and that he's bound to be terrible but even as he says so, it doesn't sound right. He's not really a Nightmare anymore, and he's making a choice to not be terrible. It's insignificant at first but it grows within him. He's eaten so many human eyes in the last few decades that he knows better than some humans what it means to be human. He's neither human nor Nightmare now. But he is leaning towards humanity. It even kind of changes him physically.

So, in the present day, when Dream escapes, it's not at night in the US but during the day in London that Cori gasps and realises that his happy life of half a century is over. He panics and tells Hob that he has to run, but Hob doesn't understand. Cori is insisting that his so far not present creator is out for his blood for the lives that he had taken, but Hob thinks that would make the creator a shitty god and convinces Cori to stay.

The first time, Dream doesn't come for him, so Cori grows some hope. But he has basically a breakdown about it every night, scared that his creator will come for him and unmake him without thinking twice, and maybe he won't even get to tell his husband goodbye.

Hob notices that Cori has stopped sleeping and tries to convince him to go to bed, because the bags under Cori's eyes are growing by the day. But Corie argues. "I'm a Nightmare, love, where else do you think I have the highest chance to run into my creator than in my sleep?" "You'll just collapse anyway," Hob argues. "Better do it before you lose your sanity to insomnia."

Nightmares don't need to sleep, until it is an important part of their specific function. The corinthian was supposed to be unstoppable, never tiring, always hunting, yet here he is almost too exhausted to keep his eyes open. It is the dame with hunger - the past 50 years humanised him. The more he viewed himself as a human, the more human he became, his essence reshaping itself.

Hob thinks that they have it under control until he comes back from work the next day to an empty apartment. There is a note on the fridge that says: "I RAN. HE'S IN LONDON. LOOK AT OUR FIRST KISS." It is a riddle. Hob carefully and completley destroys the note, because okay, if Cori insists he's in danger, he will protect his husband to the very end, and that means destroying all traces. The riddle leads him to a photo frame from their "wedding day" - they had a little vow renewal in this lifetime. At the back of the frame, a date, too old for either one of them to be alive back then. Which they, of course, both were, and it's the date of when they first lived together, back then still frenemies and not lovers. Hob knows where Cori is.

He is tempted to follow immediately but knows that would be reckless, alloving this "creator" to track Cori down if he already knows about Hob. And it is Thursday, so he would have to take Friday off. It'll be less conspicious if he leaves on the weekend, so he forces himself to go about his day normally and takes his work to the New Inn, because he can't handle the emptiness of their home.

To his great surprise, his Stranger shows up. For a moment, the happiness overshadows his worry. Hob wasn't really working - the papers were laying in front of him but he was scribbling a list of stuff to pack on a small note instead of focusing on work. Now he forgets both, having the lil "You're late..." moment.

The Stranger sits down opposite to him, and it is still amahzing and he feels like everything will be alright, but then he breaks eye contact to order a pint for his friend and his eyes catch the list he had been writing. He remembers the danger his husband is in. Maybe he could ask the Strangr for help?

The Stranger notices his worry and inquires, and Hob almost tells him everything right then, but then... Wait. His firend says that he had been held back, that he couldn't find him sooner. Were you captured? Wehn were you released? The Stranger is uncomfortable talking about it but you know what? Hob doesn't care.

"What is your name, Stranger?" he asks sharply. "You owe me that much."

Dream of the Endless. You don't happen to also rule Nightmares, do you?

Hob can't believe it. This generous god who gave him immortality is the same one who is hunting down his husband to kill him. No. No no no, over his dead body.

Hob would do better pretending that nothing happened but he can't, he's still human and driven by emotion and blows up at Dream. You're looking for someone, aren't you? You aren't planning on asking questions; youo rearely do. Will you kill him as soon as you see him?

Dream catches up and goes on this spiel that whatever The Corinthian has told Hob, he is not what he says he is. ("He's not a Nightmare?" "Oh, he is.") He is manipulating Hob. (Actually, Hob sometimes feels like he's the one manipulating Cori, with the way his husband is always trying to make him happy.) He needs to be stopped. (He's literally not doing anything!)

It's a kind of a stale-mate. They are connected by an old friendship and don't want to lose one another. But they are also both fighting for what is important to them - Hob for his love and Dream for the good of humanity. If Dream kills Cori, he will lose his friend. If Hob tries to fights Dream (and probably loses) he will lose them both (most likely). If they don't do anything, the issue will forever hang between them.

Hob proposes a deal - Dream will wait for a bit and if nobody dies, he will agree not to kill the Corinthian or whatever on spot. If even one person is killed by the Nightmare, Hob will take accoutability (though, he thinks, he will not let Dream kill Cori). The deal is sealed with a handshake and Dream disappears to attend to his other duties. Hob joins his husband in the countryside to tell him the news and to tell him that, apparently, his benefactor and Cori's creator are one person.

So, months go by, and Cori feels that he is the last runaway. All of the remaining Arcana returned to the Dreaming and he is alone here. He waits patiently and sleeps carefully in short bursts, but Dream doesn't hunt him down, bound by his pact with Hob.

When Dream visits them a year later, Hob feels confident enough for the three of them to meet at once. Cori is nervous about it but if Hob has managed to root Dream into a Pact once, maybe he is not as human and powerless as he seems. Dream is mostly stunned because it takes one look at his Nightmare to see that he is changed. Like Gault but even more - he used his own power up to be who he wanted to be. He can barelly walk through shadows anymore - a cost that he, apparently, paid for the ability to feel hunger and exhaustion and... love.

So, they talk civilly. Soon, all those previously unaddressed feelings between the three of them become suffocating. Hob knew Cori had a strange relationship with his creator, and Cori knew Hob was pining after his patron, and Dream is starting to realise that there is not much difference between what he feels for Hob and what he feels for his Nightmare, but hell if he knows what that feeling is called. (He is Dumb of the Endless.)

Something something, emotion-filled threesome and a three-way relationship!

[viacursecasting]

Sonadow Scenario #66

Č̶̗̦̈́y̵̝̩͍͛be̵̜̜̿r̸̥̓sp̸̤͍͉̈́̾̈a̴̡̬̓͒ce.̶̙͙̊͒͠

I... I'm trying so hard to remember...

Revising places that were familiar to me was fun at first—the grassy plains of Green Hills, the winding paths of Chemical Plant Zone, the ancient ruins of Angel Island—but ironically, the more I visited these memories, the more I seemed to forget.

As I sped through the volcanic terrain of Chaos Island, a wave of fatigue hit me like a truck. At first I blamed it on the heat, but as I went to massage my forehead, my... my hand...!

It seemed to phase in and out of reality, like a glitch, with patches black as a void and red as blood. I almost forgot how I had gotten this way, but my mantra helped me remember.

"My name is Sonic. My friends are Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. I'm here to rescue them from Sage."

It got me thinking: Was Sage even my enemy? Sure, she may have thrown a few Titans my way, but for some reason, I felt like she was holding back. She had plenty of opportunities to kill me. Maybe there was good in her...

I decided to adjust my mantra. "My name is Sonic. My friends are Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. I'm here to rescue them... and Sage."

And the only way to do that was with the Chaos Emeralds. I looked to the distant horizon toward a beacon, surrounded by a sea of clouds and floating islands. It seemed impossible to get to. What I wouldn't give to have Tails fly us over there. Or have Knuckles glide us across.

Hell, at this point I wouldn't mind Shadow lending me a hand.

As soon as I thought of his name, I felt fluttery in my chest. I didn't want to think of him now—I would lose my focus—but I also didn't want to forget what he looked like.

I forced myself to imprint his features in my mind. Fur as black as a starless night. Voice deep and monotone. Feet as fast as mine—almost. Eyes—

Shit. What color were his eyes??

I racked my brain trying to remember. I knew it wasn't important, yet I felt like if I didn't remember, I was going to die. It was on the tip of my tongue and yet—

"Argh!" My headache pounded mercilessly, making my ears go numb. I decided to just focus on the task at hand, especially since I barely had the strength to drag my feet. "My name is Sonic. My friends are Tails, Knuckles, and Á̴̡m̸͂͜y̷̠͐. I'̸̿ͅm̴̛̟ ḧ̸̺́e̵̞͠ṟ̷̔e̴͍͂..."

Shoot. Why was I here? That beacon continued to call me, so started to make my way there in the hopes of remembering.

I ran across every rocky path and grinded on every rusty rail, yet the beacon seemed to be even farther now. Did I even need the Emerald? My lips read my mantra on their own.

"My name is So̸͇͝ni̸̹͗͗c̸̖̠̠̉. M̵̘̔y f̵̣͛rȉ̵̮end̷͓̎s a̷͍̅ṙ̶̼ȇ̷̙..."

I pounded my temples as if that would help spit the information out, but it was no use. The virus seemed to spread to my arms, but I was too exhausted to care. I fantasized about my hammock and how nice it would be to just nap for 50 years.

My thoughts went to Shadow again. I wondered if he thought about me as much as I thought about him. There I go, talking like a lovestruck puppy.

...Love? Was that what I...? No. I did not have feelings for a dark, brooding, moody hedgehog. I did not have feelings for his cool demeanor, his powerful abilities, or that shit-eating grin when he thinks he's bested me. I did not have feelings for the way he gazed at the night sky, looking like a work of art bathed in moonlight. I did not I did not I did not.

.

.

.

Then why was my heart beating so fast?

I needed to calm down. I started to recite out of habit. "M̴y̶ n̵a̴m̷e̶ i̵s̵.̴.̷.̸ ̵i̴s̶.̴.̵.̴"

...!? How... How could I forget my own name!?

I clawed at my quills, desperately trying to remember. The pain was unbearable—I felt like my head could burst any second—but I kept straining myself for the answer, trembling with the effort.

I fell to my knees. The memory was there, just barely out of reach. I wiped the sweat from my forehead as if clearing a path for the answer. I had to remember. I needed to remember!

My name. What was my fucking name!?

"Sonic."

That title sounded familiar, the voice even more so.

I craned my neck to find a black hedgehog staring down at me. I couldn't remember ever seeing those eyes look so worried.

Then again, I couldn't remember anything.

"M̵̤̤͓͐y̵̯̍̓͠ͅ.̴̡̖̂͌.̵̧͔̾.̸̗̖̍̀̋ ̶͕͑M̶̠̃̈́͘͜y̸̙̎͠ ̴̥̳̈͝ṉ̸̳̅̍ā̶̰m̵͎̯̎͜ē̶̫̩͓.̶̥͙͔͐̔.̸̜̏͝͝.̴̗̓"

The corruption spread to my muzzle, making it hard to speak.

But the hedgehog seemed to catch on. He put firm hands on my shoulders, looking me dead in the eye:

"Your name is Sonic. Your friends are Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. You're here to rescue them and Sage."

My breathing grew heavy. I heard the words but my brain seemed to have trouble processing them. So he recited the mantra for me again.

He kept doing so until my breathing evened, and the virus cleared away enough for me to repeat after him.

We continued to chant until my headache subsided, and I was able to look at him with a clear head. His name was unforgettable. "Thanks, Shadow."

He nodded, helping me get to my feet. I gave him a salute before heading toward the Emerald, my purpose renewed.

My name is Sonic. My friends are Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. I'm here to rescue them and Sage.

And his eyes are red.

[alarajrogers]

Dream log

Had a dream during a nap that is perfectly suited to be a story; I'm not even sure I need to tweak it.

So in the dream, Fluttershy was dying of old age, and Discord couldn't fix it. (She also had insulin-resistant diabetes, but that's kind of less important.) Discord was very upset by this, and decided to take drastic steps to prevent it.

In my MLP headcanons, in real life, Discord is one of multiple chaos avatars throughout history. One dies and another arises within 50 years or so. One of the chaos avatars, remembered now as Mother Coyote, had a son who was sickly and dying. So she fed him her own heart, making him the chaos avatar known as the trickster Coyote. Chaos avatars can be killed, but they don't die of natural causes. Coyote became unaging, and his mother died.

I also have a headcanon that chaos avatars can travel to the land of the dead and retrieve people they love, but there are a lot of caveats. It works best with someone who died by violence who was otherwise healthy, because there are a lot of limits on Chaos' ability to make bodies healthy. Discord could bring a dead Fluttershy back in a new body by displacing a creature's soul and giving her their body, but Fluttershy has forbidden him to do that.

So instead, he takes out his own heart and tricks Fluttershy into eating it. This kills him and makes her the chaos avatar, who cannot die of old age. She instantly transforms to a chaotic form, but young and healthy, and he dies.

But Fluttershy, now the chaos avatar, knows the same things Discord knew about a chaos avatar's ability to bring back the dead. So she decides to travel to the land of the dead to bring Discord back.

[ripley-ryan]

found out that the really familiar looking girl from my ballet class was in fact who i thought she was. she has a decently uncommon name and a distinctly angular face and so i was like hey you look really familiar. did you happen to be friends with [name of older sister of my long distance best friend] and she was like yeah!! anyways yeah we went to high school together. she was two years ahead of me tho. also finally introduced myself to the girl who is in both my spanish and ballet classes. i was a little intimidated at first because she seems really cool but i passed her to get water during ballet and she smiled at me and then in spanish i finally had the time to introduce myself. she’s super nice. i’m really liking college so far tbh. it’s a bit harder because it’s a community college and so i’m not like automatically given roommates to be friends with so i gotta do it myself on my own but i’m making progress!!

anyways i treated myself to a boba and spring rolls. ten minute walk from campus but worth it even in flip flops. also finally picked up a massage ball from target. was considering the foot roller but that was three times the price and the only difference is that it’s elongated thinner and on wheels. but it does pretty much the same thing. so now i can properly roll out my feet instead of using the base of the portable barre

did have to spend 50 bucks for access to my online textbook that is required for a lot of coursework (the textbook has an interactive corresponding website you need the textbook for) and id already bought a physical copy for 40 bucks but as it turns out the loose leaf version doesn’t come with an access code. and i didn’t wanna pay 100 bucks on the website itself. so i only came out like 10 dollars ahead but tbh i’d probably have bought a physical copy anyways just for convenience. also bought a shirt with my schools name on it which is nice.

anyways all in all a good day and it’s only like 3 pm but i’m tired. got three hours of sleep last night and had to get up at 6:30. already have fatigue issues to begin with. so it’s nap time

[fizzingwizard]

(Complaining)

Today I got to work. The first hour was teaching my extracurricular class. Then I went directly to my homeroom class, taught their lesson, then sat with my wigglers for the next teacher's lesson because otherwise they run around in the back of the room screaming. (IMHO our school expects two year olds to sit for lessons for way too long. It's 45-50 min total. But I've suggested at least breaking up the lessons before and am always told no by the leaders. I do let the wigglers check out and go read a book or do a puzzle when they really can't sit, because I just think it's ridiculous that two year olds should have so little freedom... but Japan... anyway)

After that I had to frantically get ready for our craft and activity time. Usually I do that during my co-teacher's lesson, but this year there are too many wiggly kids, and my third co-teacher tries to help but because we have so many kid she also has too much she needs to do during that time... After that, we get ready for lunch. Got a lot of kids this year who refuse to eat anything but rice. More than usual. So lunch is pretty much us standing to observe and sneaking quick bites of our own lunches when we can between helping kids eat and encouraging them to eat a teeny tiny bite of literally anything besides rice.

Then they play. We have to take them to the bathroom, clean the tables and chairs, clean the floor, pack away the lunches, change the diapers, log information about lunch and daily activities in their individual notebooks, help the kids pack their bags, and refill their water bottles, while watching them play. Then we do a gross motor activity, then we read a storybook, and then the kids go to nap time.

It's four hours of constantly moving, talking, standing, squatting. Never sitting, lol. Now we do our best to convince the kids sleep is a good idea. I stay through part of my "break" finishing those notebooks. Then I go do my cleaning duty. Then I go to the computer and fill out the required report on our day. Then I have to do 20 assessments, go through all the photos we've taken so far to make scrapbooks of 24 photos for all 20 kids, organize all their crafts and worksheets into the scrapbook, review and upload our class time videos for the parents, plan events, go shopping for materials, make the materials for the next craft, write the newsletter for the parents, and create my lesson plan for next month. I have an hour to do this. I am not being paid for this hour. (Also it's often not even a full hour, but 30 min here, 15 min there.) It is so fucking impossible lol. And the assessment and stuff, it's worse because it's redundant as well as ridiculous. We JUST assessed the same sort of stuff in the kids' progress reports less than a month ago, and now we have to do it all over again with very slight variation for every single kid, AND this assessment will be used to evaluate the kids' readiness for next level, which is just silly because the majority of those who haven't reached certain benchmarks yet will have reached them by the end of the year... utterly silly.

So during this hour I do as much of that as I can, which today meant I did the reports, did some lesson planning, and managed to finish ONE assessment. I have sooo much left to do. When when when. Where is the time for it. I'm not paid a salary. I'm hourly. They literally expect me to do it on my unpaid breaks and whatnot. And it's not even stuff that can be accomplished in an hour - especially when everyone else also needs to accomplish the same things, we're all off duty at the same time, and first come first serve at the computers haha.

Now that hours up, so I go to wake the kids, all 1-3 yos, from their nap. One of the kids throws a tantrum, so my co-teacher takes him outside. They're gone for fifteen minutes, which is precious time right now because there is, again, so much to do. Wake all the kids, get them in their shoes, sitting at the table, drinking their water. Clean up their futons. Take their temperatures. Document stuff in their notebooks agaaaain. Hand out allergy snacks. Hand out home snacks. Hand out school snacks. Check everything off on a plethora of checklists. As they finish, wipe their hands and faces, make them drink more water, help them clean up, check their diapers, change their diapers, watch them play, send them home with their parents or to extracurriculars, clean up the crumbs, clean up the tables and chairs, clean the floor, vacuum, clean up the garbage, watch the kids play.

Because the co-teacher is gone for 15 minutes, I'm the only one, the ONLY one, taking care of all the kids who are eating. I have a kid who will stuff his mouth so full of food that he'll start to choke, so I have to diligently give him one bite at a time until he's finished, in between cleaning. There are two other teachers in charge of diapers and the notebooks (who for some reason just didn't do the notebooks today?? I'm not really sure what happened there). It's supposed to be two and two, so there's no one to help me. I have to do all the cleaning, wiping, diaper-checking, and breaking down by myself. By the time my co-teacher comes back, she's off duty. So I have to deal with tantrum kid too, whose current mood is "say no to everything." He screams while I desperately try to put away all the tables so there's room for kids to walk, and sweep the floor so they don't have to walk on squashed grapes and cake. Between doing all the overseeing and cleaning myself, I was on my feet doing physical stuff for 55 minutes. Usually we're cleaned up in 40 minutes. Ah, there's that 15 minutes. (Not my co-teacher's fault though - the kid needed to be taken care of. It's just that we're expected to do SO MUCH in a single hour.) Also it's really freaking hot, and yeah we use AC, but there's a lot of bodies in the room and when I checked the thermostat, some alien person had set it to 25. I was like nope nope 23, 23 it is. Suddenly the room was a lot more bearable (9_9)

So now I can FINALLY sit down with the kids who are playing. It is literally four minutes till clock out time. I find a kid who threw a fit about changing his diaper, who I'd managed, while cleaning up, to cajole into doing it by himself. He had put his diaper on backwards. I tried to fix it, he tried to run away, he fell and started to cry. This is that kid with the hypersensitive parents I've mentioned before. Guess when his mom decides to arrive? Yup, just that moment.

She acts fine, I fix his diaper, he stops crying and goes off happily. When I go to clock out, I see mom changing his entire outfit. The parents have told us that if their kid sweats, we need to change his clothes. We already change kids' clothes if they get wet or are sweaty. Today we didn't go outside because it's too hot. Their kid didn't get particularly sweaty staying inside. His shirt wasn't wet at all. But the mom changed all his clothes. I am bracing myself to hear about it tomorrow.

But I keep thinking. When the hell was I going to think to change this not sweaty kid's clothes?? At what point during the day did I have a moment to do anything except frantically run around doing as much as I possibly can? I have not sat down all day except to work through my break. I've eaten nothing but a little bit of rice myself because lunch time was so busy. I'm exhausted, hungry, and hot. Someone give me a break to change my sweaty clothes, lol!

I want to do everything possible to keep the kids happy and healthy but I absolutely have no idea when I or my coteachers had a moment to think about anything not 100% essential. I'm just fried.

I felt a little... not vindicated, but seen, I guess, the other week after some leaders came for yearly observations, and their feedback was that our class is doing great, but I'm doing too much. They really encouraged my coteachers to help me more. And while I am most DEFINITELY doing waaaay too much, it's also too much to expect more of co-teachers, because the veteran teacher is also doing a lot more than she should be, and the rookie has only been here a month. She's trying but she hasn't developed the skill for behavior management yet, and she doesn't know how to anticipate what I'm doing. Plus I know she is EXHAUSTED everyday. Last Friday she was so anemic that she had to go lie down and I stayed late to cover her shift. I don't blame her one bit. This is too busy and fast-paced a school for a first-timer learning the ropes. I'm glad it wasn't my first school. She is working really hard and doing so well, and my other co-teacher is amazing. It's none of our fault we just have TOO MUCH WORK, not enough time, and not enough staff.

I'm just counting the days until Obon break, ugh.

[lucysweatslove]

So after my other assessment about a month ago I called a psych NP to medically address the ADHD… I wanted to see somebody outside of my hospital group because 1) I didn’t want to have to go through my PCP (who, for the last three years, has refused to even consider I might be ADHD, let alone the potential autism) and 2) I might have rotations at the hospital and I wanted to keep my own medical stuff independent from the people who are required to assess me and give me grades.

Anyway she didn’t call me back for like 3 weeks, but she DID call me last week and I met with her this Tuesday. Yay, right?

And while she is operating under the belief that I likely DO have ADHD, she wants formal neuropsych testing (you know, like the computer based TOVA thing, I think, and other assessment tools). I was referred out AGAIN, and I think Thursday THAT provider called me back. I set up an appointment for this upcoming Friday, and now I can’t remember when I see the psych NP again, but we are actually going somewhere.

And I’m a little scared?

Like what if the testing doesn’t show enough impairment and thus they don’t think I have ADHD? I did the CAARS scale already online to prep for it, and since I don’t really have strong emotional lability and pretty much no anger, and I’m very much inattention and no hyperactivity, which may be not enough. Like I’m just not inattentive ENOUGH. If I was just a little hyperactive or had just a little more anger it would be enough, but it’s not enough now. And if it’s not enough will they try to give some other BS reason why I do what my husband calls “squirreling?” (which is when I start a project or a task, get distracted, get distracted from my distraction, get distracted from THAT distraction, and eventually I have done maybe 5% of 50 different tasks that I haven’t finished and I’m so tired and burnt out I need a nap).

The rational mind says “it’s so classic inattentive ADHD; of course testing will show it,” but the fearful part of me just says nope, the problem is you, you don’t try hard enough, you don’t have grit, that’s why everything is harder, and they will tell you that and leave you on your merry way to tell your husband it turns out you just suck and if he wants to have a happier home divorce may be required because why stay with somebody who can’t just choose to be a normal functioning adult. (Yes this is catastrophizing).

This doesn’t even touch the autism part. Which since I don’t think that needs any treatment, I wasn’t seeking anything about that with psych NP and she didn’t include it on the referral. It’s not that I hide it, I disclose it to my medical team, I just am not coming into the appointments with anything autism-related as my “chief complaint.”

But I’m also a little concerned that the neuropsychologist is going to blame EVERYTHING on the autism, and then say there isn’t anything I can do to treat it, so now it’s at least not my fault but I don’t have much hope of being successful because I just have to live with it and work within my means which at this point in time maybe I can do med school or maybe I’ll struggle with focus so much alongside the, you know, stress of being autistic and having my cohort know something is “off” about me but it’s not SO obvious that they’re nice because they know it’s autism and instead they just avoid me because I’m weird (and yes I’m catastrophizing again)

Also also my car still has its snow tires on, so my husband tried to get an appointment to swap them out, but they are booked for over a month… so instead he is dropping it off Monday and they will do it whenever they get around to it which could take all week. Not that I’m ungrateful to them always being able to work my car in for tire changes, but our other car is a manual, which I can’t drive, so I’ll be stuck at home. I also didn’t get a say in this so it was just thrust on me like “oh btw starting Monday morning you can’t go anywhere for an indefinite amount of time that you have no control over.”

Which is also an issues because Thurs and Fri I was too distracted with assessment intake paperwork and disorganized to get myself into the gym so I was really hoping to go on my normal days next week, but alas.

It’ll probably all be fine. I’ll get my car back on Wednesday or maybe Thursday morning and just miss another couple days. The neuropsych assessment will be fine because I AM disorganized and distractible with attentional control issues. And even if the NP requires I start with Strattera (nobody in my family with ADHD has had success with it), I’ll still be one step closer to medical management to actually help me function better.

[purplesurveys]

1600

Are you going to be busy tomorrow? Not at all. I don’t have to report to work until January 4th, so the next week and a half is just gonna be filled with naps and maybe binge-watching sessions here and there. And 5x the coffee I would normally drink, hehe.

What was the last topic you read about on Wikipedia? The plot to Good Will Hunting. I was watching it earlier with my parents but it’s been a while since I last saw it, so I looked up the plot just so I knew what scenes are coming. Such a good fucking movie.

Have you ever donated money to Wikipedia? I haven’t.

Is your country part of the Commonwealth? It is not.

Around what time of the year do you start your Christmas shopping? I start in mid-November, then I kinda just work in weekly batches from there. For online orders I make sure all my orders are in a week before Christmas to give enough breathing room for shipping; but in the case of presents I can buy at the mall I usually save them for last and just brave the Dec 22-24 crowds lol.

Do you have blinds or curtains on your windows? I have these pull-down blinds that I want to replace with blackout curtains. But for now, they do the job.

What are the most common birds you'd see around your home? Just the maya. Sometimes I’ll spot crows and doves.

Did you sleep well last night? Very well. I passed out as soon as we got home; I got so little sleep in the last two days. But since yesterday was the last family gathering we had to go to, sleep felt so much sweeter knowing we didn’t have to go anywhere else and socialize for 8-12 hours anymore lol.

Did you live within walking distance of school when you were a kid? Not at all. My grade school/high school was in the upper part of the city, i.e. on top of a mountain; there was no way I could’ve walked to it. The Philippines also isn’t a very walkable city in general – you need cars to get to anywhere.

What board games did you play when you were growing up? Nothing too varied. Scrabble was a favorite.

Do you know any sign language? Just certain words here and there. I definitely can’t communicate fluently.

When was the last time you bought new clothes? What did you get? Last week. I was buying clothes for Hans when I ended up spotting this oversized fit t-shirt that I really liked, so I got that for myself too lol. What, other than books, do you have on your bookshelves? My room is in the middle of a renovation so I currently do not have a bookshelf, but the shelves on my TV stand (closest thing I’ve got to a bookshelf) are home to most of my K-pop merch. Do you ever watch streamers on Twitch? Nah. I tried getting into it a few times but the platform is just not for me. How close are your nearest neighbours? It’s just the house right next to ours. Healthy distance and we don’t have to worry about them overhearing our convos or being creeps, but it’s right next to ours nonetheless.

Has your house ever been broken into? How did you find out? No. That is one of my biggest fears.

What do you usually eat for breakfast? Iced coffee.

What's the first thing your hand touches if you reach to the left? My chair. Describe your favourite mug or cup. It’s just a bronze Starbucks cup. Nothing too special.

If you could teleport to any country right now for a holiday, what would it be? South Korea.

Are you overwhelmed right now? Naw, I’m as relaxed as relaxed can be. I’ve really needed this break.

Did you share a bedroom with someone when you were growing up? I shared a room with my entire family - parents, two siblings - until I was 10, which was when we moved out of our extended family’s duplex. My parents also attempted to have me and my sister share a room since our new house only had three rooms; eventually they just had the balcony rebuilt as an extra bedroom for my brother, while my sister and I got our own rooms.

Have you ever had anything dry cleaned? I don’t think so.

How many group chats are you in? Do you participate in them much? Must be anywhere in the 30-50 range. Filipinos love their group chats; we make one for pretty much anything that involves >2 people.

What's the best concert you ever went to? Paramore, 2018.

Do you like to watch subtitled movies? Yes. Everything I watch has to have subtitles, even if it’s in English. I fucking hate it when actors mumble and I end up missing sentences lol.

Are you still in touch with any of your exes? Gross. No.

How old were you when the first American Pie movie came out? 1.

Do you know how to change the oil in a car? What about a flat tyre? I don’t know how to do either. Which is why when we were hit with a flat tire on our way back to Manila last weekend, I only did what any Gen Z would do - post and smile with the said tire LOL What do you do for work? I work in public relations and work with several high-profile clients.