#i'm losing my mind connecting the dots!!

[winchestress]

what does it all meannnn

[sauronpilled]

i like how they give annatar that stupid little bow on his head because it align perfectly with his need for perfection. sauron is vain. he care too much about his appearance, and the implication behind that bow means he put thoughts over his image and how other people perceive him. he wants to be seen as whimsical and welcoming, so there. a bow on his head that he personally braid with his own hands. "I am the personification of kindness :3 trust me please."

[amtrak12]

Man everytime I start thinking 'huh, maybe I can do NanoWrimo this year', I look at my Lucifer WIP and I feel utterly exhausted. :/

[kjhbsies]

Undeniably and Secretly Yours

navigation | main masterlist | rules

James Potter x Slytherin!reader

synopsis: James Potter is in a secret relationship with Y/N, but things spiral when someone mistakes Regulus Black for Y/N’s boyfriend and spreads the rumor around Hogwarts. How far will he go before he can’t take it anymore?

wordcount: 1,663

note: 16+ fluff. will probably do one last part. comment if you want to be tagged <3

part I. part III.

Regulus Black was cornered, and he absolutely hated it.

Literally— his back was pressed against the cold stone wall near the dungeons, arms crossed as he glared at the four boys in front of him: Sirius, Remus, Peter, and... James, who was staring at him with a murderous stare that made Regulus wonder if he ever did something to him.

"How exactly did you find me here?" Regulus deadpanned.

Sirius smirked, tapping his temple with his forefinger. "Great instincts, brother. I'm basically a prophet."

Peter awkwardly cleared his throat, trying to suppress a laugh. Remus, awkwardly standing beside him, scratched his head with the same hand that was holding the Marauder's Map.

"What's that?" Regulus pointed at it.

"Nothing." Remus smiled at him.

"Looks suspicious."

"It's just... homework." Remus hummed.

Sirius clapped his hands together. "Anyway—! Regulus, my dear, weird little brother... tell me something. Are you dating Y/n?"

Regulus blinked at him. "What?"

"You heard me. Are you dating Y/n Y/l/n?" He stepped closer.

"Dating? Where did you even—?"

James's jaw clenched, and his grip on his wand tightened.

"You're lying." Sirius pointed an accusatory finger at Regulus's nose. "You're lying through your teeth. You're probably snogging her behind the dungeons, don't you?"

Regulus gave him a disgusted look. "Why would I snog someone in the dungeons? That's unsanitary."

Peter snickered under his breath. James still hadn't moved or spoken— he just kept...staring. His left eye was twitching a little.

"Come on," Sirius whined. "Are you two or aren't you? Spill, Reg."

"If you're insinuating that we're together, then you're delusional."

Sirius gasped dramatically.

"We're just close. Is it so unbelievable that I have friends? Do you need me to draw a diagram?" Regulus shot back, clearly irritated.

Sirius, undeterred, leaned in again. "So, is she single?"

James's head snapped to look at him with a deep frown.

"I suppose?" Regulus sighed deeply.

"And you're going to ask her out to Hogsmeade this weekend? Valentine's Day is coming up, you know."

Regulus shrugged. "Probably."

PROBABLY?!

Regulus's voice echoed through James's mind like a death toll.

That stupid, little casual shrug haunted him, and he was absolutely losing his mind. He was pacing back and forth in his dorm room, whilst his friends were staring at him. His hair was messy— messier than usual, and he looked like one bad thought away from throwing himself out of the Gryffindor tower.

"Prongs, you gotta tell us what's wrong or else we can't help you solve your problem," Sirius said from where he was sprawled on James's bed, munching on a chocolate frog.

Remus, perched in an armchair, sipped his cup of tea. He hummed thoughtfully while eyeing his friend. He had his suspicions— had them for a while now— but after Sirius's interrogation with Regulus, he connected the dots.

James threw his hands in the air. "I can't!"

"Why not?" Peter piped from the floor.

"Because I just— I just can't!"

"Since when do we keep secrets from each other, huh?" Sirius sat on the bed dramatically. "We're brothers! We solemnly swore and everything!"

"Maybe Prongs isn't ready yet." Remus shot James a knowing look.

"...You cheated on your NEWTs again?" Peter's eyes squinted at James.

"What? No!" James snapped.

There was a beat of silence.

"...You gay?" Peter tried again, dead serious.

"NO!" James cried, absolutely losing his mind because his friends were definitely not helping right now. He let out a wounded groan and flopped onto the couch dramatically. "I'm doomed." He muttered through the cushions.

Meanwhile, in his head, a horrible scene was playing on the loop: Regulus, all intimidating and handsome, cornering you somewhere dark and romantic (and stupid)— asking you to be his date on Hogsmeade on Valentine's Day. You, smiling shyly, will accept it. Regulus will buy you chocolates, give you a plush teddy bear, and kiss your hand like some male lead in a romantic muggle movie.

James almost sobbed at the thought.

"Prongs, you're spiraling." Sirius exchanged glances with Peter.

"We have to do something," Peter whispered.

"What? Like an exorcism?" Sirius whispered back.

"Oh, Merlin, it's like the Evans fiasco over again." Peter shook his head, looking at him with pity.

"It's not." Remus walked over to where they were.

"How do you know, dear Moony?" Sirius lightly nudged him in the shoulder.

Remus leaned on the bedpost, looking more smug than usual. "Because, dear friends, I am basically... a prophet."

"Hey, only I get to claim divine intervention around here!" Sirius frowned.

James groaned again from the couch, not lifting his head. "Kill me now."

The library was quiet— eerily quiet— except for the soft flipping of books and quiet murmurs. You and Regulus were tucked away in the far corner of the library, the one spot where the sun hits perfectly, and where Madam Pince rarely bothered anyone.

Regulus sat across from you, flipping a book open, but clearly not reading. "Sirius cornered me last night."

You blinked at him. "...What"

"Near the dungeons. Him, Lupin, Pettigrew, and Potter."

Your heart stopped at the mention of James's last name, but you didn't let it show. Instead, you leaned back in your chair. "What did he want now?"

"He interrogated me."

"About?"

"You," He answered flatly. "Apparently, everyone thinks we were dating."

You froze.

Well, that was... unexpected— or expected— given the way people had been whispering lately. But still, James must've heard that, right? You immediately imagined his reaction—probably furrowing his brows so hard it created a crease in the middle of his forehead, pacing around his dorm room, and tearing at his impossibly messy hair.

Sure, teasing him had been fun— I mean, he had the cutest pout. And it wasn't every day James Potter got jealous. Usually, you were the one watching him get tackled by his bunch of admirers, especially after Quidditch matches, while you try not to hex them to oblivion.

But even if it was mildly entertaining, the thought of James— your James— feeling insecure made your heart pinch. James was the most confident, brilliant, and the most adorable human being you'd ever met.

You frowned, lost in thought, until Regulus added something.

"...But then Sirius asked if you were single and if I'd be asking you out on a date."

THUD.

Both of your heads whipped around just in time to see a very disheveled, very pouty James Potter emerging from behind the bookshelf.

"Oh, hello," He said in the fakest, innocent voice he could muster. "Didn't see you two there."

You offered him a small smile when Regulus wasn't looking at you. "Looking for a specific book, Potter?"

"Mhm." James nodded, stepping into your little study area. He stood near you, still indulging himself with the books he couldn't care less about. "Just browsing. Loads of Slytherin energy here, though."

Regulus's eyes narrowed. "Are you following me?"

James blinked. "What? No. I came here for—" He grabbed the nearest book he could find. "—The Joy of Magical Fungus."

A pause.

"Fascinating stuff, really," James added.

Regulus frowned. "...Right."

James waved a dismissive hand. "Don't mind me here... just continue with... whatever you two were doing..."

Regulus turned to you. "Anyway, as I was saying—"

James loudly cleared his throat.

Both of you turned to look at him.

"Itchy throat." James chuckled and cleared his throat once again— this time, more obnoxiously.

"I was saying," Regulus gave a pointed glare at James. "Before I get interrupted—"

"Ahem."

"—Interrupted again, I was going to say I hadn't really considered asking you out, but maybe—"

James took a step closer beside you. This time, he was looming over the two of you. You scratched the back of your neck, trying to suppress the secondhand embarrassment creeping up your spine.

"Do you mind?" Regulus asked, clearly annoyed.

"Not at all," James replied.

"Do you live in the library now, Potter?"

"No. But I do believe in broadening my... intelligence."

Regulus scowled. "You're literally holding that book upside down."

"Am I?" James turned to look at his book.

Regulus opened his mouth to say something, but sighed instead, glancing at his wrist watch. "Whatever. I have class."

You offered him a tight-lipped smile. "Bye, Reg."

As Regulus turned to leave with a confused shake in the head, James casually slipped into the seat next to you.

You raised an amused brow. "The Joy of Magical Fungus?"

"Good stuff," James mumbled. "He was about to ask you out, wasn't he?"

You giggled and went to cup his face. "Hey."

"Hmm?"

"You're so obvious."

James's bottom lip jutted even more. "They all think you're single."

You kissed his pout.

"And worse, they think you're dating Regulus freaking Black."

You kissed the other side of his pout.

"He's not even funny."

Another kiss.

"Or beefy."

One more kiss on the nose. "You done?"

James sighed deeply and finally melted into your arms like a dramatic little spoon. “...Maybe.”

You ran your fingers through his hair gently, the one thing guaranteed to make him stop spiraling.

“Listen to me,” you whispered. “I’m your girlfriend. I like you. I love you when you're pouting, jealous, and dramatic. But also when you're smug and sweet and a bit of a show-off. No one, especially not Regulus, is going to change that.”

James peeked up at you, cheeks pink. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

“And maybe,” He added, voice muffled against your sweater, “We could tell people soon. So no one else tries to steal you.”

You smiled. “I thought you wanted it secret for now.”

“I changed my mind,” he huffed. “I’m claiming my territory.”

You burst out laughing. “You’re unbelievable.”

“I’m in love,” James corrected. “It’s worse.”

James's hand tightened around your waist, almost pulling you into his lap. He doesn't even care if people find out about you two right now. He doesn't even care one bit if Regulus walked in on you two suddenly.

Because Regulus couldn't make you feel everything he did.

Not today. Not ever.

©kjhbsies

taglist: @dearmy-diary @kmhbygss @ladycaramelswirl @mao-nuwang

[jacqueline-01]

OK I'm thinking aaron hotchner x wife!reader when he was sent to the middle east for a short bit to run a task force but then instead of him coming back for a "case" like he thought reader pulls him to the side and tells him he's gonna be a daddy for a second time! Just fluff

Mission: Daddy 2.0

A.H x Wife!Reader

Pure Fluff

Aaron Hotchner wasn’t entirely sure what he was walking into. After weeks overseas, running a special task force in the Middle East, he’d expected a quiet return, maybe a subdued evening with you and Jack. But the minute he stepped through the front door, he knew something was different.

For one, you were practically buzzing with excitement, your energy so infectious it made his jet-lagged brain suspicious.

“You’re back!” you exclaimed, throwing your arms around him before he could even set his bag down.

He laughed, the sound low and warm as he hugged you tightly. “I’m back,” he agreed, dropping a kiss on the top of your head. “Miss me?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” you said, looking up at him with a sly smile. “You hungry? Tired? Or are you up for… a surprise?”

That got his attention. “A surprise?” he repeated, his profiler instincts kicking in. “Should I be worried?”

You grinned mischievously, grabbing his hand. “Only if you hate good news. Come on, sit.”

Hotch allowed himself to be pulled into the living room, where you all but pushed him onto the couch. He sank into the cushions, his curiosity growing by the second as you began to pace in front of him, clearly trying to find the right words.

“Okay,” you started, hands on your hips. “So, you know how Jack’s been asking for a sibling?”

His eyebrows shot up, caught completely off-guard by the question. “I… do. You told him to ask Santa.”

You pointed at him. “Exactly! Which was a brilliant distraction, thank you. But, uh…” You trailed off, biting your lip to keep from laughing.

“But?” he prompted, leaning forward.

“But it turns out, we might’ve beaten Santa to it,” you blurted, throwing your hands up as if to say, Surprise!

For a moment, he just blinked at you, clearly trying to connect the dots. Then his gaze dropped to your stomach—though there wasn’t a visible change yet—and darted back up to your face.

“Wait,” he said slowly, his tone incredulous but tinged with dawning realization. “Are you saying…?”

You couldn’t hold back your grin any longer. “I’m pregnant, Aaron. We’re having another baby!”

His reaction wasn’t immediate. Instead, he sat there for a beat, looking almost comically frozen. Then—like a switch had been flipped—he was on his feet, closing the distance between you in two long strides.

“You’re serious?” he asked, his voice breathless as his hands found your waist.

“Completely serious,” you replied, laughing at the way his face lit up.

He let out a stunned laugh, pulling you into a tight hug. “How long have you known?”

“A few weeks,” you admitted, resting your head against his chest. “I wanted to tell you in person, but it was torture keeping it to myself.”

Hotch leaned back, looking down at you with a mixture of awe and teasing exasperation. “You mean you let me get off a 14-hour flight and didn’t warn me I was about to have my life changed?”

You smirked, looping your arms around his neck. “I figured a little suspense would keep you awake. Was I wrong?”

He laughed again, shaking his head. “Not wrong. Just… unbelievable.” His hands slid to your stomach, resting there gently as if he were afraid of breaking the moment. “Another baby,” he murmured, his voice soft. “How do you feel?”

“Excited,” you said honestly, covering his hands with yours. “And a little nervous. But mostly excited. Jack’s going to lose his mind.”

That earned another laugh, and Aaron’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “He’s going to ask if he gets to name them.”

“Oh, absolutely. And the first suggestion will be something ridiculous, like ‘Spider-Man Hotchner.’”

“Or ‘Captain Jack,’” Aaron added dryly, earning a snort of laughter from you.

The two of you stayed like that for a moment, the excitement settling into something quieter but no less joyous. Finally, Aaron tilted his head, a sly smile curving his lips.

“You know,” he said, “I’ve faced international criminals, interrogated spies, and worked with some of the most brilliant minds in the world. But somehow, you still manage to outsmart me.”

You grinned, leaning up to kiss him. “That’s because I’m the real mastermind in this family, Hotchner. Don’t forget it.”

“Never,” he murmured against your lips.

And as Jack came barreling down the stairs a few moments later, demanding hugs and peppering Aaron with questions, you knew this was only the beginning of a new, beautiful adventure for your growing family.

[spideyanakin]

Fiyero request! Something like childhood friends reunited or friends to lovers. Thanks!

strawberry tarts (fiyero. t)

synopsis ➾ gn! reader, purple butterflies and strawberry tarts; the memories of him who turned bittersweet with growing up. He replaced them with lovers and careless days, you replaced the memories with studying, never thinking your new worlds would ever collide again. [w.c 3.3k]

warnings ➾ angst, miscommunication, fiyero being too adorable for this world, his parents being questionable.

fiyero masterlist

main masterlist

read part 1 first - purple butterflies

You didn’t know why you had agreed. A peculiar feeling really. One that went against your wishes of keeping a distance. And as Fiyero grabbed your hand, brushing his fingers with yours, you knew the distance was going to be harder and harder to keep.

That's how you found yourself amidst the dance floor of the Oz Dust, his hand against your back as you swayed to the rhythm of the band.

You were stiff, to say the least. Feet tumbling over one another at each careful step, eyes darting away from his. Uneasiness resting in your irises as he attempted to make you turn to the beat of the song.

You awkwardly stumbled back into him, his hand resting a new time against the small of your back. You felt as though his presence was made of fire, surely his fingers would burn through the violet fabric adorning your back.

"That bad?" He smirked, one of his easygoing smirks that made you want to hit the back of his head. Your eyes darted to meet his. "You look tense," he noticed.

"Oh," you cleared your throat. "Sorry." You awkwardly swallowed, mouth dry as you tried to make sense of the swirling feelings fluttering in your mind. You knew you were tense, you did not need him bringing it up.

He kept the butterfly bracelet. He gave you the most gracious, genuine smiles. He had asked you to dance.

Great Oz, you were losing your grip on reality.

"It's alright," he offered yet a new princely smile, the ones that came so easily to him. You bathed in awkwardness as you looked back at him. Owl eyes trying to decipher every micro-expression lodged on his features. You were doing your best attempts at trying to slither through your feelings, grasping at any dot to connect in the myriad of unanswered things Fiyero threw your way.

You don't know how long you sat in that awkwardness.

"I can't believe you kept it," he broke your swirling thoughts, hand gently squeezing yours.

"What?"

"Your bracelet."

You blinked, confusion seeping through you yet again. You were powerless under his blue eyes, incapable of offering anything else but a weak, "of course I did."

Your mouth suddenly went dry again, or maybe it hadn't stopped being dry in the last ten minutes. You felt shy under his gaze, you wanted to curl like a little animal who only wished for the comfort of its warren. Sink into your pillows and forget this had ever happened.

But you didn't leave his side. You looked at him, eyes softening as a mix of pain and sadness picked at your stomach, fizzling right up to your gaze. Your eyes were becoming glazed and you almost caught a slight change in his own eyes. Did he notice?

"I'm surprised you kept it," you managed to pull out, hand squeezing his.

"Why would I have removed it?" His voice was gentle, laced with a tone you couldn't decipher; utter confusion, honesty, mixed with...disappointment? Was he also being condescending? It was a puzzle your mind struggled to put in place and all you found yourself stammering and stuttering.

"I- I don't know- you-"

"I'm the one who is surprised you kept it," he awkwardly chuckled, and yet another wave of confusion washed over you.

"Why?" You unintentionally squeezed his hand tighter, subconsciously preparing for the answer. You didn't know how much your hands could take the stress-squeezing coming from both sides.

"Well..." He looked away, averting your gaze before finally speaking in a shy voice. "You never replied to my letters..." His thumb caressed your wrist, and you didn't know if it was the gesture or his words that suddenly lit your body on fire and led your heart to almost stop.

"Your letters?" Your steps became twisted and you stumbled back into someone, nearly slipping if not for Fiyero catching you; and of course, he had to catch you as if you were in a fairytale novel, as if he had purposefully dipped you as part of the dance.

You were caged in his presence, and if you thought there would be no escaping him before, now you were truly trapped. Your entire weight was leaning against his grip on your back, your hands tangled behind his neck, fully dipped like one of those pretty princesses and princes you read about.

He was looking down at you, eyes asking for nothing but compassion and answers; maybe reflecting your own gaze as you peered up at him. You were so close your breaths were mangling into one and the jasmine, roses, and leather felt like your own.

"You wrote me letters?" You whispered, and the frown that adorned his face was so honest you didn't know how to react.

"Yes," he slowly lifted you up, and your knees would have buckled if not for the way he was holding you. "Hundreds of letters I sent you in the course of those, I don't know many years."

No. It couldn't be. He hadn't. Because if he had it meant he would have received your own hundreds of letters. Letters you had stopped bothering with years ago because they had been unanswered.

He was toying with you, and you weren't going to have it. No amount of charm could erase the pain and heartbreak you spent so many years mending.

"No," you scoffed, almost tapping your foot on the marble of the club. "I'm the one who sent you letters you never replied to-"

"What?"

"You're the one who never answered mine," you pointed to him, index finger digging in the blue of his coat adorning his chest before you took a step back, shedding his hands from your body.

He said your name, a dry chuckle falling from his lips, "no." He looked at you with something new in his gaze. "You never sent me letters."

"I did Fiyero! Almost every day for months and months, but you never replied," your eyes were stinging, why were they stinging?

This had to be a joke. This was a joke, right? Or a horrid nightmare you will wake up from tomorrow. Yes, a nightmare. That's what you would settle on.

You'll wake up tomorrow morning, in your dorm room, safely tucked in your sheets, and remember this was all a dream. Fiyero never came to Shiz, you never sneaked out to the Oz dust.

You were safe. Tucked away in your corner of the world.

But it wasn't a dream. It was cold, harsh reality.

"Neither did you reply to mine!"

"I never got your letters Fiyero!" You took a step back, gripping the edges of your outfit in an attempt to grasp at something. You looked up at the ocean above you, madly blinking; you would not cry in front of Fiyero.

Suddenly you heard a gasp from him, and you tore your gaze away from the swirling of colored fishes.

Color had drained from his face, and you were almost worried.

"I know what happened," he sighed, almost desperately. "Dammit, I didn't know they had done it this early, or to even you-"

"What are you-"

"My parents spelled my letters so I wouldn't receive or send anything from anyone but them, or royal business... I just didn't think they had blocked your letters."

"Fiyero this isn't a joke," you turned away, you couldn't take this, not right now.

"Hey, no" He shuffled to follow you. "I promise you, this isn't a joke. They thought that would discipline me or something. Focus on my studies, no outside distractions-" He grabbed your wrist.

You let him.

You blinked at him. You didn't know what to believe.

You searched his gaze for an answer. Much to your disbelief you found nothing but honesty.

You wanted to cry, but instead, you whispered.

"You sent me letters..."

"I did," his fingers gripped your wrist a little more, thumb grazing the back of your hand soothingly.

You looked down. How? It felt impossible. Fiyero sending you letters all these years.

"You never got mine..."

You felt hot, cold and everything else all at once. You wanted to leave, you wanted to hug him, kiss him. Anything to quiet your mind and the swirling thoughts that were circling you, caging you in their embrace. The tears were starting to pick at your eyes, and you knew you needed to make a choice.

You knew he would see you crumble in front of him, and you refused to do so.

"Hey," he attempted, feet moving to get closer.

"I have to go," you muttered, ripping your hand from his.

"Ranger, please," he was almost begging, sad eyes peering down at you.

You would not cave. Not even when he used the nickname he had made for you years ago.

"I'm sorry."

~

"You should stop sulking."

"No."

"Get out of bed for me at least?"

"No."

Elphaba crossed the room to you, sitting on the edge of your bed. She removed her bag from her shoulder and started shuffling through it.

"Fine, but I'm only giving you this afternoon to be sad, and tonight we're stealing ice cream from the kitchens, and tomorrow were going to the poppy field to have a good cry and scream and then you'll be back to normal."

"No promises... Although midnight ice cream does sound tempting."

"It does doesn't it," she wrinkled her nose in mischief, before dipping her attention back to her bag. "Here," she grabbed a big textbook flipping through the page where she placed a sheet of paper. "These are the exercises from Mr. Dillamond," she placed it on your bedside table before fishing for something else. A small leather-bound notebook. "My notes from the day are all in here, make sure you copy them before Saturday, I'll need them."

"Thank you, Elphaba," you muttered against your pillow.

"Can you stop pouting?"

"No," you snuggled further into your covers.

"He asked me if you were okay, you know?"

You didn't answer.

"I don't think he believed me when I told him you caught a cold."

"Hm."

She waited before speaking again, looking at your awkward shape from under the covers.

She knew you were hurt. She had attempted to make you feel better at lunch break, bringing you your favorite dessert and trying to cheer you up with a pep talk.

Even attempting to cheer you up by telling you Fiyero had officially friendzoned Galinda.

But nothing was working, and you were left a mess, attempting to find the truth and fiction within your conversation with Fiyero the night before.

She sighed, a long sigh you caught even from your place a thousand leagues under your covers.

"I could... Try to locate the letter? See if he's telling the truth."

You popped your face out of your covers, raising an eyebrow, "you could do that?"

"I mean... I can try?"

You sat up on your bed.

"I mean, you want answers right? Closure?"

"Yes…"

"Ok," she gave you one of her small determined smiles. "No promises."

You watched her; removing the bag from her lap before cracking her knuckles. She gave you an encouraging smile, sitting more comfortably on your bed before closing her eyes.

She sighed through her nose before speaking in her clear voice, "could you tell me what you wrote in one of those letters?"

"Huh-"

"If you don't mind-"

"No, it's fine," you cleared your throat. "They never started with Dear Fiyero, it was always-"

"Wait I think I see them," you watched her frown, one of her hands gripping your sheets. "They’re locked in magic boxes. He wasn’t lying." Your breath caught in your throat. "There are two boxes. I think one is for the ones he sent, other is received."

Your eyes were stinging. You were about to thank her, about to mutter something when she stopped you yet again.

"I think I can bring them."

"Here?" Your eyes widened, and you watched as her frown deepened. "Elphaba?"

No reply. You watched her, mouth agape as she was muttering something under her breath.

Suddenly, with a flick of her fingers, a loud thud rang across the room.

You squealed, she screamed. You both jumped off the bed, eyes darting from each other to the table in the middle of the room.

Indeed, two iron boxes rimmed with gold laid on the table.

"It worked," she muttered, disbelief written all across her face. "I can't believe it worked!"

"Elphaba you’re amazing!" You jumped to hug her before bouncing towards the chests.

They were gorgeous. Clearly built in Winkie country, with intricate golden loops and flower-like crests. You approached them, in awe. They were dusty; untouched and unopened for years.

You took the small lock in one of your hands. "They're locked"

"Let me do it," she approached you, and with yet another easy flick of her fingers, both chests opened by themselves, creating a big cloud of dust, floating above you like halos.

You coughed, before finally looking at the content.

"This one is to Fiyero," Elphaba muttered, "yours must be from," she noticed.

You grabbed the first letter atop the large pile, and indeed Fiyero Tigelaar was written in big where the sender's name should be. Fiyero had sent loads of letters, you thought. Both boxes were full, but this one had a significant amount more.

You flipped the letter.

Y/n L/n,

Shiz University

"This one's for me," you mumbled, frowning. "He wrote my address down as Shiz."

"Must be a recent letter."

"You think he sent me letters all the way til now?"

"Maybe you underestimated him..."

You raised an eyebrow, heart racing as you opened it.

My Dear Ranger,

I hope you are well.

Call me a fool for writing you, but I thought I would, at least today. I heard through the grapevine that you were at Shiz, I plan on transferring to Shiz next month. Maybe I will see you there.

Your-

You folded the letter, holding it against your beating chest, "he really did it. He really wrote me..."

"Well, here are some of your own letters. Unopened." Elphaba dropped a pile of ten letters she had scavenged from the box onto the table. And indeed, none of them had been opened or read. "There must be more at the bottom?"

"These are the last ones I sent, yes," you looked at them with a sad smile.

"You okay?" Elphaba placed a hand on your shoulder.

"I don't think so-" You were going to say more, try to express the feeling that felt like someone had just poured hot cement at the bottom of your stomach.

A knock rang across the room.

"It's opened," you shouted in a hoarse voice, staring at Elphaba with big eyes.

The golden handle of your door twisted, and when you thought the door would open to your roommate, you found Fiyero staring back at the both of you, bright blue eyes gone wide as they caught sight of the two boxes on the table, and the letters flowing out of them.

"I-" he stared at you like a fish, mouth agape. "I came to see if you are alright." He blinked, unsure of his next move. "Are these-?"

"It's on me. I used my magic to- um- bring them here."

Fiyero did not reply. Instead he walked across the room to you. He took a good look at the boxes, all too familiar with the design. His fingers traced the top of the box before his eyes landed on the opened letter in your hand.

"So you truly did not receive any of these..."

"I will leave now," Elphaba smiled, not leaving you time to respond before scurrying out.

Tension could be cut with a knife as he observed the letters with careful eyes. He looked at the opened one in your hand, a sad smile you had never seen on him before adorning his features.

You watched as his delicate hands fished inside the from Fiyero box; admiring all his never-answered letters. He silently looked at the dates, gently moved the ones he did not seem to care for to the side, right until he found the one he was looking for.

It could be differentiated from the others by its pastel blue envelope. He handed it to you without a word being shared, sparkling eyes pleading for you to take it.

You let go of a breath you did not know you were holding before your fingers reached the blue paper.

To 'Y/n L/n',

White Orchid Farm, Lilly Valley, Winky Country.

Your fingers traced the night sky blue ink.

"Any of yours you want me to read?" His voice was soft as he moved to the second box, fingers catching the one Elphaba had already placed on the table. It dated way before Fiyero's last letter to you, and his eyes seemed to scan the writing of his name on the back.

"Um, the one with the green flowers," you mumbled, watching as he nodded and dived his hands in the myriad of letters.

Your eyes went back to the one in your hand, you took a breath, filling your lungs with courage before starting to open the letter.

My dearest, Ranger,

I think it is time I admit to you, and maybe to myself in the process, that I do not know how to live without you. You are my guide, my through line to a life I keep wishing to escape, and I do not wish to deny it any further.

I love you.

I love you to the stars and back, actually not even the distance is enough to calculate my love for you.

Please come back to me,

Your Scarecrow.

"Fiyero-" You mumbled, eyes darting up to see him--still reading your own letter. You waited, watching as his eyes started to sparkle in comprehension.

He did not voice his feelings, but his movements portrayed a new color you were barely familiar with on him. He looked at you, like a lost puppy as his hands placed the letter back on the table.

You do not know how long you stood there, waiting to decipher something, anything from him.

You didn't have time to register as he took a step forward, hand finding the small of your back and holding you as delicately as the night before. His other hand found your cheek, he barely asked for permission with his gaze; he could see it in your eyes that you were desperate for the same thing.

Before you could say anything your lips collided. He tasted as sweet as you had remembered, and you felt your head spin at the contact. It was soft, delicate, hesitant, and everything you had ever hoped for.

And suddenly you were thirteen again, giggling in the forest as your lips clumsily collided with his for the first time.

But you weren't thirteen anymore, years had passed by, you were grown now, and as Fiyero's lips brushed yours again, the years of yearning burst back to the surface.

Your own hands found his hair, pushing you even closer to him, and turning the kiss hungrier.

You don't know how long your lips had glided over one another before you pulled away for breath, foreheads leaning against one another.

"Great Oz, I was starting to think I'd never to do that again," he mumbled with kiss-bitten lips, making you giggle.

You smiled as you watched his doe eyes, peering at you with admiration.

"Please never leave me again, Ranger."

"I missed you calling me that, I hadn't heard this nickname in years," you blushed under his gaze.

"I missed calling you that," he placed his hand gently under your chin before bringing your lips to his again, "I love you," he kissed you again, "Oz it feels great to say it," and then again his lips found yours, "I love you," another time, "i love you" and yet again, "I love you."

You giggled in his arms, "and I love you, my scarecrow," you smiled, before dipping your head to find his lips yet again.

Oz how you had missed him so.

[siddyyyyyyyy]

Hello! How are you? Can I lose for a reader with chronic leg pain? After an accident they chose not to amputate their leg and they feel very strong pain and were recommended by doctors to use marijuana and the reader kind of doesn't tell Jason? 🌸🌸🌸🌸

You smoke?

Jason Todd x Reader

wc: 0.6 K summary: Jason finds you smoking weed for medical purposes warnings: use of weeds, fluff, mentions of chronic pain a/n: I'm good, thank you!!! I won't put any pretty pictures in here because I'm afraid of it getting taken down😭😭😭but the divider is really pretty (here): @animatedglittergraphics-n-more, also sorry this came out so short, enjoy!!

After moving in with Jason, you didn‘t think of telling him about the weed. It was necessary, so you feel sure that he won‘t mind if you get to tell him one day. As usual, you build a joint on a peaceful evening, and settle yourself on the balcony. You watch as the busy streets of Gotham fill with hundreds of cars, passing by under your balcony and create a rather relaxing atmosphere. Finally, you take a drag and exhale slowly, waiting for the drug to work.

The first drag feels like a relief, feeling light tingles across your body for a moment before you relax into the chair. You take the moment to calm down and close your eyes, to forget about everything around you. The rough back pain that was lingering on you, slowly fades into the background, finally starting to enjoy the light breeze around you.

It works, after a few more drags, however you jump up at the big figure beside you, not having noticed it before. You act on instinct and throw the lit joint at it, seeing how it falls to the floor after hitting its chest.

Jason keeps his eyes on you behind his mask, staying as still as possible. He doesn‘t know how to react, thousands of thoughts racing through his mind, many of them being possible worst case scenarios.

Before he could think of something to say, you exhale and speak up, realising who it is.

»Jesus, don‘t scare me like that… I was just taking some drags, no need to give me a bad trip.« You mumble out and get off the chair with a low groan, suddenly not as relaxed as before. Jason keeps standing in front of you, finally gathering his thoughts.

»Since when… why do you smoke that?«

You pay attention to him, realising you still haven‘t told him about it. Sure, he knows all about your chronic back pain and how it came to that, but he doesn‘t seem to connect the dots.

So, you try to explain as best as you can, while being high.

»I, uh… you know, my back? The pain? I have to… to smoke because of that. Doctor told me, I have two doctors, one to give advice for the best weed and the other—«

»The best weed? What, is he a drug dealer or something?« Jason interrupts, gently guiding you back inside with his hand on your lower back.

His retort made you chuckle, resulting into a brief giggle-fit before being serious again.

»No… maybe. I don‘t know, but it works. Really, I‘m not joking, I tried to tell you before, but… never came to that.« You shrug and slowly sit down on the couch. He follows suit.

»And how long have you been doing this? How many times a week?«

You think briefly before answering him, easing his nerves at the same time.

»Only when the pain becomes unbereable, like now. So… probably, like, about every three months. Once, I mean.« He nods in thought and sighs out in relief, finally taking his mask off after hearing your reply. Jason was genuinenly afraid this was something you struggled with and was a serious problem he somehow didn‘t take notice of before.

Seems like there‘s nothing to worry about after all. He carries you to bed and gets out of his suit before joining you in bed and caressing his hands over your back soothingly. You end up falling asleep in no time, curled up against his chest and dreaming about whatever your high brain comes up with.

a/n: i think he would be really scared when he catches you smoking, but he is an understanding man, so there's nothing much to worry about. maybe he'll try to sneak in 'healthier' methods whenever you're in pain

←MASTERLIST

[miki-kit]

having NPD causes me so much more paranoia than I used to have through my teen years because I percieve myself as well known, holding a space in people's minds, being someone. And with that means I think that if I ever connect two different accounts to eachother, if I use my real name on one of my 'secret' accounts, it I reveal too much, then people are going to find me out. That they're going to rat me out, expose me, cancel me, all because they recognized me in two different places. I fear that the specific personalities and lies I've curated with different people will all be exposed and I'll lose everything. I have so many different emails, accounts, passwords, names I use. I think I'm just constantly paranoid that one day it's going to crumble because someone connected the dots.

[literaryavenger]

Stargazing

Summary: You and Bucky are spending some time together under the stars.

Pairing: Boyfriend!Bucky Barnes x Girlfriend!Reader

Warnings: None, just a whole lot of fluff. Nerd Bucky. Nerd Reader. No use of Y/N. My poor attempts at being funny.

Word count: 1K because I'll kick myself I can't make anything short.

Prompt: we're sitting on your roof at midnight and you're pointing out every constellation but out of every star, you shine the brightest.

A/N: I wrote this story in like two hours, so bear with me. I don't know a lot about Astronomy, so I googled everything I put on here. I do know my fair share of Mythology but I realise some things may be wrong or just simply different from things you know, who knows Mythology knows there are a lot of versions of the same story, anything I wrote here are the version I've learned over the years, so no hate, but I'm always open to talk about it more if anyone wants to. Always respectfully, of course. Also, I wrote and posted this from my phone so I'm sorry if there are any mistakes.

Masterlist

“And see those three stars that make an angle?” Bucky points up to them. “That's Coma Berenices.”

One thing not many people know about Bucky Barnes is his love of Astronomy.

Back in the 40s he loved studying the constellations, learning as much as he could. So, after he regained control of his mind and joined the Avengers, he spends his free time catching up in all things space related he's missed since.

You have never been particularly interested in Astronomy, but seeing how passionate your boyfriend gets when it comes to it, you can never say no when he asks you to stargaze with him.

That's why you've spent countless times now in the position you are right now: Laying on a blanket next to Bucky on the roof of the Avengers Compound, looking at the stars and listening to him tell you all about them.

“That one's Cassiopeia…” He points to it. “That one's Lacerta…”

You giggle a little at the funny name and look at him. “Lacerta?”

“It means ‘the Lizard’.” He informs you with a grin while looking at you too.

“Of course it does.” You say playfully and look back up.

“That one is Camelopardalis…” He traces the stars to give you an idea of the shape.

“Now you're just making things up.” You tease him while looking back at his face to find him glaring playfully at you.

“It means giraffe.” He says matter-of-factly.

“Alright, you little geek.” You smile at his indignified scoff but you can see he's fighting a smile, and losing.

You look at each other with goofy smiles for a moment before you softly say, “What else?” prompting him to go on.

He looks back at the stars for a moment before he starts tracing another constellation.

That's something Bucky loves to do, like the most intricate game of connect the dots ever, and he wins every time.

Sometimes you've even made it into a game, trying to find all the stars in a constellation before the other, but he has the unfair advantage of actually knowing them all. But you always have fun playing, even if you end up behaving like children.

And looking at him right now, his eyes on the stars and his hand up to trace them with his finger, you can't take your eyes off of him and you know, out of all the constellations, he shines the brightest.

“That…” He traces the biggest constellation he's shown you tonight. “is the Ursa Major.”

His voice snaps you out of it and you look back up. He's shown you these same constellations time and time again, every time with the same passion and every time you listen intently, just enchanted by his voice.

“And that one…” He traces another one. “is Pegasus.”

Huh, that was a new one. You look at it while tilting your head. “Pegasus?”

“Yeah, that one I don't know what it means.” He chuckles, about to move on to another set of stars when you interrupt him.

“Pegasus is a winged horse from Greek Mythology.” You say before you can stop yourself.

Mythology is something you've always found fascinating and, much like Bucky with Astronomy, you've always tried to learn as much as you could about it.

Unlike Bucky, you've always kept this small passion to yourself, which is why Bucky is looking at you right now with a confused yet amused raise of his eyebrow.

“What? Can't a girl know a random fact?” You say playfully while looking back up at the stars to hide your slight blush.

“So that's all it is? A random fact?” Bucky asks, his eyes still on you and you know he can tell there's more to it. He knows you pretty well, after all.

“Maybe…” You say playfully, finally looking at him with a small smile.

“Tell me more about it?” He says softly, not pushing you to talk but letting you know he's open to listen if you want.

“Well…” You say quietly after a moment, looking back at the stars as you think about what to tell him. “Pegasus was born from Poseidon-”

“Poseidon?” He interrupts you with a small frown. “The god of the ocean?”

“Yeah…” You chuckle, looking at him. “He's also known as the God of Horses.”

“He is?” He frowns more. “Why?”

“Well, according to Greek mythology he invented them.” You explain with a smile. “He created them out of foam from the ocean in order to be elected as the patron god of a new city. But Athena created an olive tree and the citizens saw that as more useful and chose her, naming their city Athens.”

Bucky looks at you with awe, his entire attention on you now as you enthrall him with your words.

“And he was the father of Pegasus?” Bucky asks you, just wanting to hear more of your voice.

“Yeah, Poseidon was his father and Medusa his mother.” You look back up at the stars, trying to  recall more details of the story. “He was born when Medusa got decapitated by Perseus. The blood from her neck fell into the ocean and, out of the white foam, came Pegasus, along with Chrysaor.”

“Chrysaor?” He asks, his eyebrows rising in surprise. “Another horse with wings?”

“No, he was a boar with wings.” You correct him. “Chrysaor comes from a name that means ‘he who has a golden sword’. Pegasus doesn't have a meaning, but it symbolizes divine inspiration or the journey to Heaven, because…”

You keep talking about Greek mythology as you look at the stars, Bucky’s eyes on you the whole time.

He finally understands why you love hearing him talk about Astronomy so much even though you have virtually no interest in it.

The way you talk about Mythology, the knowledge and the passion you show… It's breathtaking to see, and Bucky never wants to stop listening to you at this moment. 

If you were looking at him you'd see the same look you have on your face when you look at him talking about the stars, the same look he has when he's looking at the stars…

He may love to stargaze, but the biggest, brightest of them all is laying right beside him, and that’s definitely his favorite.

[myownwholewildworld]

THE WAY TO A GREAT WIDE SOMEWHERE (a the mandalorian x beauty & the beast crossover) - sneak peek

READ NOW HERE.

pairing: din djarin x f!reader. a/n: i don't really know what i got myself into. i suspect this is going to be a very lengthy oneshot >': have i given Din a big scar on his face? yes. have i made him blind in one eye? yes. am i losing my mind connecting all the dots between both worlds? ohh hell yeah. leaving this here for some motivation as i'm at 4k and it's only like 10% of the story 🫠 if anyone wants to be in the taglist for this one please do let me know. love y'all <3

He eyed you for a little longer, Mrs. Kri’gee lying in wait. He didn’t need to kill you yet, first he needed to find out why you were here and if you were part of a larger group ― if there was a remote possibility of someone looking for you, he had to know.

Din signalled to Mrs. Kri’gee to come out of hiding but to not attack yet. And so it did promptly. The droid walked out in front of you, startling you so bad you almost fell backwards.

“Identify yourself,” his droid asked you.

You snorted, hand slowly moving backwards towards the blaster pistol on your holster.

“You identify yourself, you little piece of― metal,” you bit your tongue back.

“Nicknamed Mrs. Kri’gee by my Alor. IG-11 assassin droid. Serial Number 730X21G. Manufactured by Holowan Mechanicals in 1 ABY. First assigned to―”

“Alright, alright. Whatever,” you scoffed, fingers curling around the grip of your gun. “What is a droid like you doing here anyway?”

While you were distracted chatting to Mrs. Kri’gee, Din had come out of his hiding place, heavy boulder on hand. Stealthy as a predator, he raised his arm above your head and smashed the rock against your skull with no hesitation at all.

You plummeted to the ground instantly, rendered unconscious in a split second. Towering above you, Din walked around your body and crouched down in front of you. His gloved fingers moved a few strands of silky hair out of the way, following the tiny stream of blood dripping down your temple. The wound wasn’t too bad ― he was sure you’d survive the blow.

“Pick her up,” he commanded the droid, who willingly complied. In a matter of seconds, Mrs. Kri’gee was carrying you over the shoulder, as if you were a light sack full of gloomroots.

[furinana]

The undertones behind Walter and Jonathan's relationship that you might not know about

I'll be calling attention to traits present in their dynamic that are unknown to most players in the West due to incomplete localization.

Now... where do we begin? Oh, right. In the part after you're done with Naraku and get to spend the holiday with the other two.

This scene is presented in almost the same way in both languages but Jonathan's reaction seems emphasized on a specific word in the Japanese script.

"T...t-t... that's crude, Walter. I would never... such a thing like that to women..."

In either case, if this ended at Jonathan's response, it would be mostly nothing worth commenting on. Jonathan is the Law representative raised by a family that worked in the Monastery so naturally he's gonna behave in a more chaste way, correct?

But then you have Walter's posture becoming uncomfortable followed by immediately changing subjects as if he's already in the know of what Jonathan was anxious about compared to the player (thus Flynn) being rather out of loop about what was going on.

The thing is... the meaning was actually already available for the players, even prior to SMTIV's release! That is, if you accessed the official website and clicked on the interviews with the Japanese voice actors (which included in-character voice clips). All of the translations presented in this post were done by takujilvr

"I'll only tell you this because it's you, all right? Only because it's you! I'm afraid I can't bring myself to like women very much. Being raised in a household with two elder sisters and one younger made me lose any illusions about them I might've had. You're a man, so I feel much more at ease with you."

Certainly, he doesn't seem to specifically refer to anyone in this clip. It could be Flynn or probably anyone else as long as they're a male.

But there are other voice clips aside this one that point towards a more definitive interpretation.

"Enough of that "Ooh, you'll catch cold!" drivel, Jonathan, you sound like a naggy old wife. I can't abide being constricted, this chest must stay bared!"

"S-Stop pulling my hair, Walter! It won't straighten out, I got it from my mother!"

They don't have voice clips directly acknowledging anyone else, leading to the impression that Walter and Jonathan were being more marketed as a duo over their dynamic with the main character.

But the shocking reveal comes with this one:

"I'll only say this if you promise not to tell anyone! Cats, I just love 'em. When I see one outside, I can't help but crouch down and give it some pets! Wait, no. I mean, listen, I can't stand fish. And they can take it off my hands, can't they? That's why I love cats. Right."

A player that reached the part where the party gets hit by Yaso Magatsuhi's scent in Roppongi will thus connect the dots:

How one interprets the twist of this scene might change entirely with the voice clip in mind. It opens the possibility that, differently from many players' assumptions, Jonathan was acting like a feline not because he's secretly a cat lover. But, most likely, due to WALTER liking them. And he would have no way of knowing that unless Walter told him off-screen.

To summarize...

Jonathan is unable to feel attraction for girls and feels more comfortable with guys which would be inevitably an obstacle for his future considering his conservative background

Walter has phobia of fish despite what his family does for trade and has a soft spot for cats specifically because they eat them for him which would be defined as a 'weakness' to his self-reliant image

1 and 2 are each most's intimate secret and they revealed them for each other

"But how much does this add to the main plot?" Even when pushing aside subtleties from this extra material, attentive Megaten veterans would notice that the Law & Chaos representatives from SMTIV have an explicitly close bond compared to most characters of opposing sides in other titles of the mainline series.

[Jonathan was the most visibly affected by their breakup]

This extra material essentially adds more to the range of interpretation regarding their intimacy while also making them more relatable beyond their surface of Law & Chaos pieces.

On this note, moments where they "crack" their own alignments also happen briefly in-game.

They were two boys of the same age that became instant close friends however became unable to conciliate the differences emphasized by their caste system and reach the understanding of what would be the best for everyone.

All of this leads to the player's realization that Jonathan and Walter ultimately didn't perfectly antagonize each other as humans but were "pushed" towards their extreme roles by ulterior forces that would subsequently be further exposed in the sequel.

[namelessliss]

I finally managed to finish the secret history yesterday. Today, I feel like I'm connecting all the dots even though I feel like I'm losing my mind

[alexthebordercollie]

Anyone consider that Bill might spend most of his time intoxicated? It occurred to me the other day while writing that he may be one of those people who's basically always drunk, high, or hung over. This is just speculation on my end without a whole lot to go off of but he's drinking when he goes to talk to Ford. He tells his cronies to hide the "time punch" when the cops show up, implying it's some kind of illegal substance. He pressured Ford into drinking with him and gets him wasted. He gets sloppy drunk after the breakup and causes havoc.

I know these are only a few references to alcohol but Bill himself doesn't have a ton of screen time as a character in general. Still, he's established as a nonstop party animal and he clearly likes to drink at parties sooo.... you connect the dots there.

Honestly, I think this headcannon makes a lot of sense. It fits with Bill constantly trying to avoid any sort of self-reflection and drown out his trauma. What better way to avoid thinking about your past than to be perpetually too intoxicated to remember half of it anyway. Hell, his manic behavior could also be partially a result of often being on something. Not just alcohol but, knowing Bill, he probably tries all kinds of crazy shit.

Furthermore, this headcannon adds an extra layer to him losing his mind in the theraprism. On top of everything else, this is possibly the first time he'd been sober (for any prolonged period of time) in thousands of years.

I don't know maybe I'm stating something obvious that other people already picked up on. I guess I picked up on this implication a while ago but it just dawned on me yesterday that he might have been various degrees of drunk or high in most of the scenes we see him and that's a bit of a wild thought to me. Enjoy AA mother fucker.

[lsunstreakerl]

HOW ARE YOU WRITING FASTER THAN I CAN READ HELLO WHAG IS THIS 😭😭😭😭 (not complaining one bit though thank you for the bedtime stories 😆😆)

starting off...MAX KNOWS WOOOOOOOOOO TIME TO CELEBRATE!!!!!! MISUNDERSTANDINGS OVER!!!!!!!...ngl I was still thinking if max still has no idea after being called 'your highness'...no hope for him I fear hshfhshfhd but he connected the dots!! and joris being weirded out when max goes 'hes looking for the prince consort' and joris is there like 'yeah he found the prince consort AND SEVERELY WOUNDED YOUR ASS'

mvp being gp once again (mick shares partial credit for alerting max and scaling the wall...showing them how it's done!) with his big brain figuring out quickly what was happening...I fear his brain so big it fried his hair off. anyways! (also THANK YOU GP FOR SPELLING IT OUT WORD FOR WORD FOR MAX I FEAR THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY FOR HIM TO GET IT 😭😭😭)

MAX KICKING ASS AND TAKING NAMES THATS MY BOY!!!!!! I'm sure rico was losing his mind worrying about wifey but fret not king! wifey is a hella good warrior which is somehow unexpected to Saddik's squad...I am curious if they just had no idea that max was a good fighter (esp since he's a Northerner?) or like is max's fighting prowess not a well known thing? (but now that I think about it I guess they don't really know 'max' is good at fighting but they know there's someone under aliases that are good at fighting? idk jdhfjsjfjjd)

I am but a conduit through which the stories flow ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

HE FINALLY GOT IT FIGURED OUT!! basically what happened there is that while he was resting, joris was like "I'm worried about him, he was talking in third person before he went down" and GP is like hmmmmmmmmm.

surely not.

but he's just a little suspicious, so he tosses the full title out next time he talks to max. just to see. and max's very quiet extremely subtle not at all visible panic confirms it for him. so at the moment GP is the only one who knows that max didn't know. and he thinks he's a dumbass.

he had too many thoughts... you can't have beautiful hair and think, it's not possible! he had to sacrifice his hair for the good of the kingdom. a real martyr.

saddik and his soldiers find out about the prince consort, and while they're aware that max is northern, there's not any understanding of his fighting prowess in any capacity. yes, northern soldiers are a pain in the ass to fight, but max is technically a noble, so they assume his combat is more gearing towards showmanship than practicality. whoops.

there's definitely a few aliases that are well known among saddik and his men- max has caused them plenty of problems in the past.

rico was definitely panicking once they realized it was a trap. he and his men got cornered and had to fight their way out, and when they realized Saddik wasn't there... there was really only one other place he could've gone. by the time he and his men (already injured) made their way back to the castle, it was mostly wrapped up. sure, there's lots of repairs that need to be done, but the attempted takeover was very brief, all things considered.

[desos-records]

[Spoilers for the Creeping Shadow]

"I missed you so much, Lucy."

I'm never going to get over this line. I'm losing my mind. Let's overanalyze the shit out of this.

The fact he says it right before they're about to run headlong into suicidal danger, it makes you realize that Lockwood needs Lucy there to ground him. He figures that the recklessness is okay if she's there to direct it, if it's reckless to be protective, not just for its own sake. And he missed this, missed how well they work together, how much she trusts him, how well she understands him. He missed having someone to fight for.

But more than that, he's just asked her to do something insane and she goes along with it because she's Lucy and he has never known her to back down from a fight. George and Holly and literally anyone else would've called him insane and insisted on doing things a different way, but she doesn't. They are so much alike in that way, just reckless and daring enough to win. Especially when they work together.

His love for her is practically bleeding out of him. He compliments her constantly, physically and emotionally protects her whenever possible. There's also his obvious discomfort whenever it's even remotely hinted that Holly might be replacing her in any way, shape, or form--the boy starts talking about orange juice of all things to get away from the topic of Holly staying over at Portland Row. He jumps at any excuse to bring her back into his life while also managing to respect her decision to hold herself separate from the agency.

The only reason Lucy doesn't connect the dots about all the attention Lockwood pays her is her own particular brand of oblivious insecurity. It's also the fact that Lockwood rarely says anything outright. He talks a lot, but true vulnerability is rare. I think short of an 'I love you' Lucy probably wouldn't realize. She's a Listener, she needs to hear it to believe it. And you see that in her reactions to the instances when he compliments her, when he's open and honest with her, when he says he missed her.

Lockwood, meanwhile, doesn't track Lucy's feelings for him either. Although Lucy leaves to protect him, all he sees is Lucy stepping out of his life (was it because of Holly? because he pushed her too far about her Talent? did she just get sick of him finally?). She doesn't necessarily show that she cares about him in anyway he recognizes, outside of how well she understands him, how well they work together. As repressed as Lockwood is, Lucy is terribly reserved, paying compliments or words of affection sparingly and only when she really means it. Short of a flat-out kiss, I'm not sure Lockwood would realize her feelings either. Lockwood has Sight, he's a liar and a charlatan, he needs to see something to truly believe it.

So he says, "I missed you" and fights off a dozen relic-men for her and he hopes it's enough.

[emberphantom]

WHY am I losing my mind about Engage Physically being the only step that's the same out of the two of them like I'm just going insane right? There's no dots to be connected it's just a normal thing 🙂 RIGHT