#i'm young so it's no biggie

[the-dragon-invasion-is-near]

abshabahabah i wish i could use a cane, i will be out walking and boom! Back hurts, shoulders hurt, legs hurt, i just want be in less pain sometimes aaaaaaaAAAAA

but yk, it doesn't always hurt, or most of the time they hurt Not That Much and not at the same time, and anyways i should be doing more excercise, so no cane for me :) (<- crying)

[leatherbookmark]

it's a nice reminder that wwx originally brought up the "heyyyy why don't we use resentful energy from the dead to fight other dead" angle because he wanted to piss lqr off and get kicked out of the classroom. and by nice i mean holy shit this is kinda insane; one, that he even went to such lengths to piss off the teacher and get kicked out*, two, that this eventually became his #1 Thing. he ran up that hill for laughs then proceeded to die on it in the most gruesome way. like. huh!

*he walks into the classroom and immediately clocks that lqr doesn't like him for the previous night's song and dance. yknow, THE lqr who's known as an amazing teacher who can make a well-educated gentleman out of a halfwit. this part still applies to cql, so let me just say that like... who's nhs. meng yao should get to bake wwx like a potato. and eat him

[interiorlulus]

Finally replied to the email. Currently feeling like a prey animal being stalked.

[bonbonbee]

could i request a friends to lovers prompt list? tyyy

ofcc <33

friends to lovers

prompt list by @bonbonbee

"if i was your (boyfriend/girlfriend) i'd spoil you so bad."

"don't look at (him/her). look at me."

your families first thought you both were dating

^ "so, when will you introduce us to that (boyfriend/girlfriend) of yours?" "pardon.. (bf/gf)?"

"you're my best friend, & i just can't lose you." "god, i hate that word." "lose?" "friend."

walking down an empty street on a night like every other, laughs and giggles floating around in the air. "i wish we could do this for the rest of our lives." "then let's do it."

joking around about both your horrific love lives not realizing the solution to both your problems was standing right in front of you.

(on facetime) "i'm so lonelyyyy, i can't live the single life anymore, _____." "🙄" "DID YOU JUST ROLL YOUR EYES AT ME??" "YES."

"are we still friends?" "no." "no?" "i'm tired of waiting my turn."

walking by an elder and them saying, "oh, to be young again. bless your loving hearts."

going out to the movies/a restaurant on valentines day because you both are lonely and getting the couples discount.

heading into a photo booth. "look! different formats go on the picture and even a cute kiss oneee" click, click, click "oh, it's not working.." "no biggie, i can kiss you instead."

suddenly getting self-aware around them.

^ why am i feeling the need to be perfect around _____ now?

[scuderiahalf]

Smth smth abt teen dad Daniel Ricciardo like Gilmore Girls teen parent, had you when he was way too young. Loves you unconditionally, would do literally anything for you but is probably less mature than you to be completely honest

There are definitely areas in which he’s lacking but at the end of the day, you love your dad just as much as he loves you. Sure, your nonna and grandpa Joe were/are a huge part of your life and support system but it was always you and dad against the world

He’d go away for work and races but he would always come back to you as soon as he could. You are always his number one. Nothing and nobody will ever outrank you on his priority list

With you in his life, he never really dated. Being who he is, there were rumors every so often of him being involved with whatever model of the week that he happened to stand too close to at whatever event (and maybe he did have a bit of fun behind the scenes but nothing serious. No one that he would ever bring home to you)

Side note: Scotty James is your godfather so Chloe Stroll is sort of your step-godmother n they both adore you, jokingly call you their "trial child" before they had thier first. (Your "approval" of Chloe was actually really important for Scotty because in any important way, you're family. He helped raise you, you're basically his kid too tho Dan will fight him if he says that out loud)

He was very middle ground on you getting into karting. He didn’t force you, he also didn’t forbid you. He’d told himself that if you asked him to do karting, he’d support you but he’d never make you do it

Anyway you’re a national champion at like 13 then a couple years later you're "like world champ or wtv it’s no biggie," or so your father /sarc told the first interviewer to ask him abt it after a video of him freaking tf out like running in circles and jumping up n down at the world championship when you won was circulating social medias

You get into F1 after he left and despite the shit show that was his departure from the sport, he would show up for you all the time at races, wearing whatever team's merch you were signed to. "Ricciardos (plural) in the paddock" became a thing when you were racing in F3 in the 2024 season and it makes the fans melt bc it's just so cute

I'm just imagining him pretending to be your bodyguard all dumb and goofy-like keeping other drivers and your staff back like "please step back ma'am don't crowd the talent" lmao him pushing your teammate back and them playing along "y/n! y/n, I'm your biggest fan! please!" That's a viral TikTok right there lol your social media team would capital L Love your dad

He is 100% you're biggest fan. No one's doing it like him when it comes to supporting you. There are compilations of him talking about you whenever the opportunity presents itself and he gets ribbed abt it all the time but it does nothing to dull his overflowing adoration for his kid

[diana-rose-25]

— Let's Dance

PART 1

STYLE INSPIRATION

pairing/s: BEBE! Bada Lee x Jam Republic! Reader x Wolf'Lo! Chocol

warnings: None so far, an unrealistic description of being an exchange foreign student, might confuse some words in ballet (as most of them are only through research and not based on experience).

description: A professional ballet dancer in Street Woman Fighter Season 2? (Y/N) Bae, a 23-year-old ballerina and dance prodigy enters the fighting arena alongside the infamously known crew, Jam Republic. Making the team's aura and presence far more intimidating despite being clad in soft pink and white clothing, adorned with astonished faces and friendly smiles. As the young woman entered the arena with curious eyes and small smile, the other teams couldn't help but awe at her beauty and elegant aura, unknowingly capturing the eyes of two charismatic dancers.

status: unedited

word count: 4.5k

"They're the last one to enter."

"This crew is intimidating."

These are just some of the comments circulating around the arena as they waited for the last and final crew to come out.

"It's amazing that JAM REPUBLIC is here," Akanen, Tsubakill's leader, stated in awe. Looking at the empty space where the last crew of the show have yet to enter the small arena.

A certain buzz was felt in the air as the other contestants waited for the anticipated arrival of JAM REPUBLIC. More notably, they were excited to meet the celebrity of all dancers, Kirsten Dodgen.

"We'll see Kirsten in person," Biggy stated admiringly.

Dancers expressed their love and admiration for the pink crew's leader and her arrival. One member from Deep N' Dap even stated that she cried when Kirsten cancelled on her classes due to visa issues after she signed up for all four of her classes. Her leader, Mina Myoung, promptly scolded her. Stating firmly that "this is a serious competition." Despite this, two of her members joked around, lifting up the atmosphere that turned heavy just before.

The longer the dancers wait, the more nervous and excited they get to finally meet the members of the crew.

"Wah, Kirsten is here," Yeni, a member of Wolf'Lo stated. The said woman bounced a little on her seat, the adrenaline rush pumping into very veins so fast she could barely contain it.

"Hey," she perked up, turning to Baby Sleek as she remembered something important.

"Hey Baby Sleek, is it true that (Y/N) was once your student?" Her question caused all the members to look at their oldest curiously and for confirmation.

A fond smile crossed Baby Sleek's face as she shrugged her shoulder. "Yeah," she confirms making her members awe and shout in disbelief as she rarely takes in students. "She was for a short while. (Y/N) trained under me for more or less than three years." The other crew turned to Wolf'Lo when they heard the commotion, curious to know what made them react in such a way.

"Wow, what was she like?" Haechi questioned. "Is she really that pretty in real life?"

Baby Sleek nodded, "when I first met her, I was so shocked at how pretty that kid is. I thought she was an idol. In my mind I was like, what the hell? How can this kid be so pretty at her age?" The members laughed at the whiny tone of her voice.

"But putting her looks aside, (Y/N) really is a monster at dance. A natural. At first, I was hesitant at her skills since she is more focused on the ballet genre, but after a few lessons, the girl was a beast. As if she was dancing hip-hop since she could walk! Of course, there were times where she would struggle with something, but her dedication and hard work pushed her through it all. It was really admirable."

The other members were floored at the high regards and compliments Baby Sleek showered you in. Suddenly feeling much more intimidated by the crew that isn't even present yet. Yeni, Haechi, and Halo nodded for the respect they felt for the Jam Republic member while Chocol and Mini sat rigidly in their seat.

"Yah, I'm starting to regret picking her as my No Respect Dancer," Mini laughed nervously before faking a cry and shoving her hands to cover her face. "Why didn't you say that before we pick the weakest dancers?!" She whined.

"They're not even here yet calm down," Chocol said, patting Mini on the shoulder in a mock comfort. "Have confidence, we can probably give her a good fight and win at the end of the day."

Halo and Baby Sleek giggle at the antics of their members and nodded encouragingly.

"Aya, don't mind. The both of you probably have more freestyle and dance battle experience than her. Don't doubt your capabilities now," Halo, their leader, commented while patting their heads.

"Right. Be confident, but keep your guard up. We saw her list of accomplishments before, so let's be prepared." Baby Sleek said seriously, shaking her hands a little to expel the nerves of the upcoming competition as her mind slowly shifts into battle mode.

〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜

Meanwhile, the pink crew of Jam Republic waited patiently for their cue to enter the arena in their given room.

(Y/N) tapped her hands against her thighs repeatedly. "I'm so excited and nervous at the same time."

Her members giggled at her but also felt the same energy as her. Ling, who sat next to her on her right, held her right hand to squeeze it gently for a few times.

"Me too. But don't worry, we got this." (Y/N) smiled at her as she intertwined their fingers together and squeezed her hand back.

"You'll be fine girl, we got your back." Latrice said, smilingly comfortingly at her as she sat next to Emma who gave you a nod and a finger heart to which you giggled.

Audrey, who sat next to her, leaned her head against her shoulder and looped her arm around her. "Yeah, calm down and let's just have fun! There's nothing to worry about." (Y/N) smiled fondly at the youngest member of the group, patting her knee in gratitude.

"I mean come on," Kirsten said, clapping her hands out of excitement and to hype her fellow members up, "this is us we're talking about!"

"Okay, okay, okay!" (Y/N) shouted, now pumped and excited, "Let's do this!" The girls laughed at her sudden mood change and hyped each other up even more. Even though some of them just met a couple of days ago, they were now starting to form a bond with each other. She smiled at the sight before her, feeling the warmth that bloomed in her chest, leaning back on the couch to compose herself.

The moment (Y/N) closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the TV screen came to life, signaling to their crew that it was time to enter the arena. The Jam Republic girls simultaneously yelled in surprise and excitement. Feeling gittery, Kirsten stood up and the rest of the girls followed her lead.

"Okay guys, are we ready?" She asked.

The members giggled a positive response albeit the nervous, quiet laughter that accompanied it as they form a circle.

"Shall we do this?" Kristen asked, placing a hand in front and the members followed one-by-one. "Entrance is going to be fire, three, two, one, wee!"

"Wee!" They followed along, laughing and giggling as they exited their room and walked towards the arena.

"Let's dance!"

The group walked down the narrow hallway of the building. Audrey clinging to (Y/N)'s arm and squeezing her hand gently with a bright smile on her face. She couldn't help but find the youngest so adorable! The dimples on her cheeks made (Y/N) want to pinch her cheeks really hard.

She then gestured to Emma who was falling behind a little, signaling her to walk beside them. Once she fell on step with (Y/N) and Audrey, the former girl wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Which was quite easy as the ballet dancer was noticeably the tallest amongst them (in her crew at least). The girls stated their excitement as they walked, feeling the nerves and adrenaline creep in.

Kirsten walked in front of them, leading the crew around the place until she momentarily stopped at the entrance.

"Ooooohhhh!" she cooed, placing both hands on the sides of the opening as she marveled at the sight before her.

"Holy damn!" Ling exclaimed once she saw how huge the room is. As they walked, they couldn't help but look around in amazement, eyes sparkling and hearts beating.

"Wow! This is so exciting!" Latrice and Audrey commented. (Y/N) giggled at them, enjoying their reactions that made her feel less conscious and nervous.

She'll be seeing her old teacher again, and she can't wait for it. After all these years, (Y/N) wanted to prove to Baby Sleek that all her training had not been in vain.

As soon as the other teams heard them, almost all of them perked up in their seat and looked up towards the stairs where they'll enter shortly.

"Oh, they're coming," Yoonji, a member of Mannequeen said in an excited tone.

"Wah, we'll be seeing them soon omg," Yeni clapped her hands lightly. Looking at the stairs in anticipation for the awaited group.

"You'll see your protegee soon Baby Sleek after all these years," Halo nudged her, "how are you feeling?"

"I think I might cry once I see her," Baby Sleek's answer made the members giggle fondly at her before cooing at the sight of her face. She looks like a mother waiting for her daughter to come home after all these years.

It wasn't long before the figure of Kirsten made her way down the stairs followed closely by the other members. The rest of the crew gasped in shock as soon as they saw her.

"Welcome to Korea!" A girl stated as the girls descended slowly down the stairs.

While descending, (Y/N) holds onto the railing of the stairs to look around the room to find her former mentor, taking advantage of the height to seek her out. She was so focused on finding her that she failed to see the looks of shock and awestruck faces of the other teams as soon as she turned around. Her eyes met Baby Sleek's, a bright grin soon adorned her face once they made eye contact and an excited giggle escaped her lips.

Unbeknownst to her, a certain dancer on the same team as her former mentor was blown away the moment she set eyes on you.

"Wow..." She whispered breathlessly, keeping her eyes on you.

Once the girls adorned in pink, white, and black clothing landed on the bottom of the stairs, they were once again looking around in astonishment and bowing to the people around while the others made comments about them.

"Wah, look at Kirsten's figure. It reminds me of Gabee."

"Their aura is so intimidating."

"Omo, Audrey is really pretty."

"She looks like a doll."

The team closest to them, BEBE, stared at Audrey in awe.

"Why is she so pretty?" Bada commented in awe, leaning back slightly in her seat while Tatter looked at her in wonder. "She looks like Anne Hathaway." She commented.

"I can't see (Y/N)," Lusher whined. The girl had her back facing the blue team making them unable to see her face. "I didn't see her clearly just now."

"Oh my god is that (Y/N)?!" The mentioned girl and her team almost jumped in shock at the loud voice that called out to her. They turn around to find a girl standing with a shock expression complete with a hand to her mouth as she stares at the girl she yelled for. Jam Republic laughed loudly and clapped their hands.

(Y/N) giggled and covered the bottom half of her flushed face. "Hello, nice to meet you." She said in fluent Korean and bowed down to the girl that was still standing.

Harimu, a member of 1 Million and her team yelled in surprise yet again, causing another laughter to roar out from Jam Republic.

"How can someone be that beautiful?!" Harimu yelled aloud, causing laughter to erupt from the room as she whined and stomped her foot to the ground in a faux tantrum manner.

Feeling even more flustered (Y/N) turned to hide her blushing face, fanning it down to compose herself but accidentally made eye contact with one of the hottest and trendiest choreographers today, Bada Lee.

So pretty, (Y/N) thought.

She regained her composure and grinned at the girl who was now staring at her with wide eyes and an agape mouth.

"Hello, nice to meet you all," she greeted the team, forcing herself to look away from Bada's eyes to bow down at every member of BEBE.

"Omo!" Lusher yelled, grabbing onto Kyma's hand, who was sitting beside her in shock. "Oh my god!" The rest of the team could only stare in shock at the woman still smiling, all of them shared similar looks of shock and admiration.

(Y/N) gave them one last smile and a bow before returning to her team, choosing to stand behind along with Audrey.

"Did you see her?"

"Oh my god her visuals are out of this world."

"My god, have you seen her height? She could be a VS model."

"Or those cliché movies about princesses."

"Bada-unnie," Tatter called out to her, giggling once she saw the still awestruck look on Bada's face, her gaze still trained and focused on (Y/N). "Our leader is still in a starstruck trance everyone."

"Looks like someone has a crush~," Minah teased, poking the shoulder of her leader with her pointer finger.

Bada snapped her gaze away once she heard the teasing tones of her team members and light shoves on her shoulder. She groaned and hid her flushed face away.

"Shut up!" Bada's voice came out muffled but the others still heard it loud and clear.

"Wah, she's a young woman now," Halo looked at Baby Sleek who commented in a soft voice. Despite the fond smile that painted her face, tears began to well up in her eyes. The leader chuckled softly and wrapped her arm around her for a side hug, rubbing her hand up and down her shoulder.

Chocol stared.

Even though (Y/N)'s back was facing them, she stared. Taking note of her poise, the way she stands and holds herself. Shoulders back and standing tall, petite that of a standard ballerina but somehow oozes that aura of regal elegance. Wow, Chocol thought. She's like some sort of royalty.

The large screen above suddenly made a noise, effectively catching the attention of Jam Republic and everyone else.

"Oooh," (Y/N) said, holding onto Audrey's hand when the younger one sought hers out. "Evaluation time."

Jam Repuiblic stood in front of it, anxiously awaiting the thougts, opinions, and evaluation of them by other crews with a smile on their face. Although (Y/N) nervous, she had a feeling that most of these aren't going to be friendly since this is a competition show. They need something for drama after all.

"The strong point of Jam Republic is the fact that they've been on the great stage. We can't ignore this."

(Y/N) smiled at the sweet comment, though, that didn't last long.

"All the members of Jam Republic think that they're number 1. Everyone wants to be the main dancer. Can they really be united?" Ah, there it is.

(Y/N) subtely side-eyed Akanen who commented on the video. She has respect for the dancer and leader of Tsubakill, admires her even, but she can't help but smirk towards her. She understands her point, but it still wasn't enough to hide that but of irritation towards her comment. Akanen, who was looking at Jam Republic when her comment was shown, gulped when she made eye-contact with (Y/N) and swiftly looked away.

"Wah, she didn't like that comment." Momo commented when she saw the three second interaction of the dancers.

"I know, I'm suddenly scared," Tsubakill giggled quietly at Akanen.

The next few comments of the evaluation targeted Kirsten and her affiliation with the world renowned crew, The Royal Family. (Y/N) titled her head in confusion when a dancer tried to insult Kirsten by looking for Paris Goebel instead of her.

"They do know you're one of the key members for a reason right?" She nudged at her leader, leaning down to whisper in her ear. Kirsten just nodded and smiled in response with her eye glued to the screen in front.

"A fake Royal Family?" (Y/N) couldn't help but gasped humourly at the harsh comment.

If that wasn't enough, the next comments are targeting Audrey. (Y/N) felt the younger girl squeeze her hand; she turned to look at her face to find the girl trying to keep a small smile despite the harsh criticisms thrown her way.

"She looks like an amateur dancer. The skills of a baby dancer."

"Audrey is a pretty doll. As she's a pretty doll, standing and doing nothing would be enough."

"Oh my gosh," the taller girl clicked her tongue in annoyance towards the comments. Are they really doubting her skills because she's young and pretty? "That's a shallow critic."

Jam Republic giggled in shock when those words came out of her mouth. The other teams, on the other hand, looked at her face nervously. The happy and excited face of the tallest Jam Republic member, now, still has a small smile; but eyes devoid of any emotion.

"She looks like she's seething with rage right now." Bada commented, leaning forward with clasped hands, resting her elbows on her knees whilst keeping her gaze on the girl in pink.

"She's like an older sister who wants to fight the bully of her younger sister," Tatter said, the rest of the crew agreed with her after taking a swift glance before looking back at the screen.

"(Y/N) is another pretty face," ah, there goes the comments about her. The mentioned girl straightened her back and inhaled deeply. Mentally preparing herself to receive the harsh comments thrown at her.

"(Y/N) is a professional ballerina who had performed on broadways before and competed in ballet genre on competitions. I don't think some people realize how hard it is to compete in ballet and make it look so easy. I really have so much respect for her." The said girl couldn't help but bow in gratitude at the praise she received from a member of Mannequeen, Cera.

"Thank you so much," she whispered. Audrey grinned brightly at her and nudged her teasingly.

"(Y/N) is a ballerina, right? And a pretty one at that. She could stand on pointe all day and stand on a music box, let it spin her around, and people would appreciate her dancing."

"I honestly don't think she could perform well in any other type of genre since her main focus is on ballet."

"Yeah, like a one trick pony."

The gasps could be heard echoing throughout the room after the comment. (Y/N)'s and her team members' jaw dropped in shock, "ouch, that hurts."

The former girl clutched her chest in exaggeration and pretended to lose her balance. Audrey held on to her and laughed at her dramatic antics.

The room suddenly erupted in shock when the screen showed how many No Respct stickers each Jam Reublic member will receive. Above showed their names in huge, bold, and bright fonts their name and the results:

Kristen - 2

Latrice - 0

Ling - 1

Emma - 1

(Y/N) - 4

Audrey - 6

An overwhelming amount of people chose Audrey as their No Respect Dancer. The youngest member of Jam Republic cheered and held her thumbs up in the air, whilst (Y/N) just clapped slowly with a smile, still looking at the results.

4 No Respect Dancer stickers might not be much compared to Audrey. However, the message was still loud and clear that there are people who are doubting her as a dancer.

"Okay, okay," she said, turning to Audrey as she held up a hand, "let's show them what we've got." The two girls high-fived each other with matching grins.

As they made their way to their designated seats. (Y/N) made eye contact with Baby Sleek. She grinned towards her and gave a small wave, bowing down in greeting towards Wolf'Lo who sat beside them.

(Y/N) sat at the top of the seat with her back straight, a trait she acquired after it was conditioned in her body. She was still quite frustrated at the one trick comment she received. She clicked her tongue in frustration and puffed her cheeks, inhaling and exhaling deeply through her nose.

"You okay?" Kirsten asked and patted her thigh.

"Yeah," she nodded - albeit partly lying. "Don't worry, Audrey and I will make sure they'll eat their words after they see us dance."

Audrey shot her finger guns with a wink, "that's right mama!"

She laughed at her adorableness and pinched her cheeks. Inhaling deeply one last time, she forced herself to relax and remember that it's all part of the show. (Y/N) gathered her hair all together in her hands and placed them behind her back when she heard a sound of awe.

Startled, the girl turned her head to the side. Staring at her was a woman with bright red hair that it almost looks orange. She thought it suited her very well and loves the boyish look the other woman adorned.

Chocol flushed furiously when her eyes suddenly met (Y/N)'s. One moment, she was admiring her side profile, then the next, she's looking into her eyes. She gasped as she placed a hand on her mouth and bowed deeply.

"Nice to meet you! I didn't mean to stare, I'm sorry!"

(Y/N) giggled and bowed to her as well, waving her hand dismissively at the poor woman whose head was still bowing down. "Nice to meet you too! And don't worry, it's fine, thank you!" She grinned with a blush on her face.

Haechi laughed at her flustered team member, garnering second-hand embarrassment from her. Both of their teams turned their attention to the commotion behind them and laughed at the flustered state their two members are in.

"Look at Chocol's face! It's almost the same color as a tomato," Buckey commented as she watched their interaction. Mannequeen giggled in amusement.

Wolf'Lo seemed intimidating when they first arrived. Now, one of their members are left in a flustered mess against a member of Jam Republic.

"I guess even Chocol couldn't resist (Y/N)'s charm." Redlic commented.

Once the commotion died down (there's still a red hue across Chocol's face), the room cheered once again once the judges were introduced: Shin Monika, Son Hyun-woo (Shownu), and the guest judge; Mike Song.

After the introduction, all the crews were instructed to return to their hideout rooms to change and prepare for their first mission: No Respect Battle.

Jam Republic debriefed about their evaluation after they've changed as they waited for their cue to return back to the arena. The members lounged comfortably at the couch while Audrey was left standing to voice out her frustrations.

"It's like, you can't even see my face! It's the shoulders! They're focusing on my shoulders!" She laughed in frustration.

"I know! They see one video of you doing markings, and suddenly, they deemed you as the worst dancer!" (Y/N) replied, leaning against Ling as she hugs the plush bunny tightly.

There's a visible frown etched upon Audrey's face. She understands her frustrations and sadness that the youngest might be feeling right now. So, she stands up and makes her way towards her. (Y/N) placed her hands on her shoulders as she bends her knees to be on Audrey's eye level.

"What they said about you isn't a reflection of all the hard work and dedication you've put into your craft. Don't let their comments get into your head too much. They don't know what you bring into the table."

(Y/N) tilted her chin up with her finger when Audrey smiled at her. "Chin up, darling. Show them what you've got. "

Back in the arena, the tension in the air thickened. Dancers stretched and prepared for the upcoming battle; the first bettle and mission of the season. Everyone wants the win for themselves; everyone wants to prove themselves and the stregths of their team.

Jam Republic conversed to themselves as they stretched. (Y/N) was in middle spilts as she conversed with Emma and Latrice.

"Who do you want to battle (Y/N)," Emma asked as she stretches her shoulders.

"Oh, definitely Cera of Mannequeen." She answered instantly before standing up. "We have the most similar style out of everyone, and I love her power and charisma when she battles. She's so cool."

(Y/N) was about to add onto her comment when she saw BEBE enter the arena, more specifically, their leader. Bada came into her view dressed in oversized clothing and a cap in her head, almost covering her eyes. Her outfit and confidence boosted her charisma, which left (Y/N) speechless.

Bada took a sip of her drink before scanning around the room. Initially, she did this to scout out her competition when she met the wide eyes of a certain member of the pink team.

(Y/N) chocked in her saliva in shock when their eyes met. She immediately turned her head and buried her face in her hands.

"What's happening to you?" Latrice laughed at the girl, taking note of her red ears. She looks at the direction the latter girl was looking at and grinned teasingly. She patted Emma's hand to direct her attention to the tall woman who was staring at their member.

Bada was still staring at (Y/N) with a smirk on her face. She chuckled lowly when she saw how the girl became flustered under her gaze.

"Cute," she commented before taking a seat. Mentally forming a plan to make herself acquainted with the girl after the camera's stop rolling for the day.

"What did you say?" Tatter asked when her leader muttered something inaudible.

"Nothing. Dont worry about it." Bada patted the blonde's head. Tatter was confused at the giddy mood her leader was in but ultimately dropped it for the time being.

Back with Jam Republic, Latrice and Emma share an amused look on their faces as they watch (Y/N) fan her face.

"What?" The girl asked, knowing full well what it is about.

"Nothing," they replied simultaneously. She narrowed her eyes at them and pouted her lips.

"Stop teasing her guys," Kirsten commented. "Let her focus on her stretching. Otherwise, she might focus all her attention on a certain blue team member." The rest of the team burst out laughing. (Y/N) flushed even more as she glared at Kirsten. The leader looked back at her with an innocent smile and fluttering eyes in faux innocence in response.

"Whatever," she muttered before standing tall to prepare herself to position herself into an arabesque.

"Still can't get over how flexible you are," Emma commented. Watching her effortlessly pull the move.

(Y/N) hummed in response before inhaling, feeling the deep stretch on her core, back, and legs. She always loved the feeling of deep stretches. It's like letting your breathe after a long day. She held the pose for as long as she could before she exhaled and released her leg.

"Woah, she's so flexible," Redy stated as she watched the girl pull the move. Harimu and her had been observing her for quite a while now. Lia, their leader, watched them in amusement before glancing at who they're looking at.

"Hey, stop that and focus on the mission," she scolded them.

It wasn't long before Kang Daniel, the host of the season, welcomed them back and introduced the rules of the mission. (Y/N) bounced her feet in anticipation and wiggled her shoulders.

Mind and body ready for the fight that's about to begin.

tag list:@luvjanexx @b1ackbunny @thedevilisrory @kaaylvst @badagf @aestrelle19 @leo-dragon @efyyylee @smoooore @infinite1sblog @xiakiyama @watamotee33 @tnu-ree @hallotherenicetomettyou @skuuzae

note: italized names can't be tagged. I'm sorry 😭😭😭

next part>>>

[sarabethsilver]

Sometimes (aka every single day) I think about Jess and Rory's very first, fateful meeting. This dude was gone from approximately 0.362 seconds in.

(whoops I'm in love)

He takes exactly one look at this extraordinary young woman:

And instantly decides that he's all in. The only thing she's said is, "Hi, I'm Rory." But this was more than enough to send Jess careening off the edge and into eternal love.

(perusing Rory's bookshelf for the perfect book to declare his eternal love)

And what does he select? HOWL. Forget Austen or Bronte or Shakespeare, all of which Rory definitely has on that shelf. This dude goes directly for love and sex and passion and longing.

But FIRST, let's try our luck at a straight-up, in the moment date:

(pretty please go on a date with me this instant)

Because really, if this works and he gets an hour alone with her? The charm-offensive can begin immediately. Obviously, our quintessential rule-follower doesn't bail on the bizarre Adult Dinner that was purportedly set up to welcome a teenager to town (???). But worry not! Jess has a backup plan in the form of the delightfully vulgar Howl, which he has already set aside on her desk.

(Side note: what on Earth did that boy write in her margins?!? I MUST KNOW. What thoughts did he add to "the final wish is love" and "the cock is holy" and "we're all golden sunflowers inside" ...??)

Anyway. Eventually this happens:

Keep in mind this was a chance run-in, which means that Jess has been carrying that book in his back pocket for days. Just waiting to randomly bump into her so he can declare his eternal love. No biggie.

Happy Valentine's Day, all!

[jasminerva]

You v. Nagumo and Toddler

This is Part 2 of the Papa!Gumo series!

gn!reader co-parent

Check out Part 1 here: What kind of father would Nagumo be?

Want more? Check out my SakaDays Masterlist!

Comments, reblogs, tags appeachiated~! 🍑

Banner img from Gakuen Babysitters by Tokeino Hari.

Was having a convo with @akifordessert about Papagumo and the nicknames he'd give his kiddo(s). And thank you, Memi (@dearsecretlover) for inspo and motivation (and for sharing this Papa!gumo art by mxeong__) as always~!

But I digress! Here's the little scolding imagine I promised!

nagumo x gn!reader = gn!toddler in their terrible twos [c/n] = your toddler's name [f/n] = your first name

You: Nagumo! [c/n]! What the heck happened in the living room?! Nagumo looked around his surroundings. It was as if the usually orderly living room had two tornadoes sweep through it, an explosion of scattered toys everywhere, overturned furniture, ripped paper decorations, and colourful fingerprints adorning the walls. Nagumo & Your Toddler: (both in a kneeling position, getting scolded by you) Nagumo: (trying not to grin) [f/n], it's no biggie. Just some father-child bonding gone awry. [c/n], your rambunctious toddler, mirrored his pose perfectly beside him, eyes wide with feigned innocence that couldn't hide the sparkle of mischief dancing in their depths. Nagumo couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at his miniature accomplice's acting skills. You: Oh, really? Father-child? But I only see two children in front of me. Nagumo: Now, now! (holds hands up) See? No paint on my hands. (wiggles digits) Clearly, I'm just an innocent bystander here. You: Yeah, that doesn't help your case. You're the adult in this disorderly duo, or did you forget? Nagumo: I suppose cleaning duty falls upon us two, hmm? Let's clean up this mess before it becomes an international incident. He cast a conspiratorial wink at your toddler, who giggled delightedly at being included in their imaginary fellowship against their ever-so-serious parent. You: (sighs) Nagumo... I'm sick of having to be the mean parent--let alone adult--in this relationship. They have to learn how to clean up their own messes eventually, you know. Nagumo: You're right. We can't let them run wild like this. But it's just so hard to discipline this angelic face (tickles [c/n]'s chubby cheek, causing them to erupt into a fit of laughter, squirming happily). You: (unimpressed face) Nagumo: All right. (playful but stern enough tone) Focus, Agent [c/n], your mission, should you choose to accept it... Together, Nagumo and [c/n] tackled the mess, turning cleaning into a fun game of hide-and-seek with the scattered toys and art supplies.

Nagumo: (grabs a juice from the fridge) You: Nagumo! [c/n] doesn't need more sugar! Nagumo's grin widened into a smirk as your toddler took advantage of the situation and quickly gulped down the forbidden juice. Nagumo: Aw, shucks. Looks like we're too late. You: (narrowing eyes) If [c/n] doesn't end up learning anything, I'm going to discipline you both. In the 'mean parent' way. Nagumo: (clapping) All right, Agent [c/n]! Operation Clean Slate isn't complete until Big Boss says so. Your Toddler: (salutes and gets back to cleaning, hands and mouth sticky with juice) Nagumo: (grins and walks towards you) You know, [f/n], you were pretty convincing right then. I almost believed you'd actually punish me. You: (crosses arms) The day's still young. Nagumo: (leans down to whisper in your ear) Is that a promise?

[rei-ismyname]

Exceptional X-Men #4 REVIEW

I've been singing the praises of Eve L Ewing and Carmen Carnero's Exceptional X-Men, so let's see what they manage to do now that the premise is established and they've got 5 main characters we're invested in. A benefit of establishing your characters early is that you get to focus on introducing plot elements, special guests, and complications - like serialised storytelling does. Uncanny is a good example of how a lack of focus early on weakens everything you try to do. It's hard to care about The Outliers or Nightcrawler when they feel like wallpaper, and now they're running around an event without knowing who they are. The stakes lay primarily with Rogue. Trista/Bronze is a fantastic example of this done right, and as you'll see we can explore plot developments that wouldn't make sense elsewhere. Spoilers ahoy, caveat emptor.

Trista gets a lot of focus which works because we know who she is and what she wants.

Due to Kate pushing back against taking these kids somewhere isolated for training, we get to see them try to live normal lives. Trista has friends outside the tiny mutant peer group, a crush, and an interest in theatre. She declared last issue that her goal is to not hurt anyone, and she's struggling with what people tell her to be and what she wants. She's a sweet kid, and I'd say there's a racial component to this dichotomy - how black kids are perceived and how they need to act to get by in a white supremacist world. That's outside my experience but I'm invested in how Trista deals navigates the issue. After all, being strong, kind, gentle and lovely aren't mutually exclusive

I hesitate to compare to Uncanny again, but they both have high school scenes and the difference is stark. Westinghouse College Prep is a real life school in Chicago (that Biggie, Jay Z, Busta Rhymes and DMX all went to) and it is ranked pretty highly nationally. According to its website it has 98% minority enrollment. Importantly, it feels like a real school in 2024 with real people attending it, and not just because it actually is one IRL. There's no need to reach for played out generic high school tropes when the characters feel like real people with real problems already - verisimilitude.

After a smash cut to Trista with a sentinel looming over her, we learn that Emma does a pretty damn good Danger Room analogue. Trista seems determined and in control at first, using her different powers in concert effectively. She does manage to Empire Strikes Back trip the Sentinel up, but wigs out when it falls on top of her, understandably. Emma calls it, and we see more proof of why she's considered good at training young mutants.

Bobby's entrance at the end of last issue felt like a cliffhanger by virtue of being on the final page, but I'm glad his presence doesn't derail the plot entirely. It's implied that some time has passed, maybe a week - enough time for Bobby and Trista to get to know each other and enough time for Bobby to feel Kitty is avoiding him. Trista picks up on his odd behaviour and asks Emma about psychic ethics, heh. Her answer is funny and sardonic while still getting the point across. Emma and Trista having one on one time tells us a lot about Emma's sincerity and the trust she's earned through good works.

The subtext of Trista's distraction is made text - she's preoccupied with the audition, her crush, and the fear of exposure/social rejection. While we know this already, or could guess, it's effective to have newer characters tell their story. What they say is as important as what they don't say or how they say it. She responds well to being listened to and positive reinforcement, accepting the reframing of the audition as an opportunity.

Bobby is definitely up to something and acting weird. His persona feels performative. He's explicitly faking bathroom usage to text privately, and while his texting is worded vaguely enough to not give much away, it does seem sinister. At minimum he is lying about why he's there. Kitty picks up on the same weirdness Trista did and she's really not having it. He doesn't have the vibes of a friend seeking or offering support, though Kitty isn't interested in either and tells him to leave. Idk if Bobby even has a home right now - he was living in Antarctica because ORCHIS poisoned him and he couldn't hold a solid form for long. He was back with Romeo last time we saw him but also didn't have a physical body. I can't blame the creators for not explaining that, I have to assume they're under the same editorial direction everyone else is.

Trista's warmup scene has excellent layout, with the other kids' faces in circles next to their supportive texts. It's a clever way of showing their faces in an issue they're mostly absent from, and it's a solid method of variety in an issue with more texting than most. Showtime!

Trista meekly introduces herself to the casting guy/director and he suggests that the lead might not be right for her. He's polite, though she's about to disagree when her mutant life and school life clash in an unexpected way. One of those yellow beasts from X-Force appears from a portal and grabs her crush. You don't need to have been reading X-Force, it's a big monster (that were confirmed to be appearing globally in that book) and it's here. Trista rallies and uses her training to bronze up and get her head in the game.

It's a dangerous situation but has a simple solution suited to Trista's skillset. She grabs it with her tentacle things, ties it up and yeets it through the portal. Her overcoming it with pure force or martial skill would be a bit silly, but by linking her training and the progress she's made with Emma to a simple solution, it feels like an appropriate and believable triumph. Strong yet gentle. Neutralizing the beast and protecting herself and others without using overwhelming violence. It's a very effective character beat and the support/adulation from the theatre people is earned. She nailed the audition, and gets offered her choice of parts, though interestingly she turns it down in favour of her training. The theatre folks show solidarity and swear to keep her mutanthood a secret.

Trista shows up to training and seems more confident, her posture showing strength and positivity. It looks like Bronze, Axo and Melee are all benefiting and even Kate manages a smile. Then she overhears Bobby on the phone while grabbing some equipment. It's not a good look.

What Bobby is saying is so weird that she's not even sure it's him. Kate phases her hand next to his heart and straight up threatens him. He explains that everyone is worried about her and she says she's choosing this life. He tries to bring up ORCHIS and she shuts it down, saying out loud that she killed people. A little too loud, it turns out.

The kids overhear and are horrified, understandably. They're really young and don't have the kind of life experiences that come with being an X-Man - of course they are! Tom Brevoort has made a lot of noise about the X-Men killing people in Fall of X, an argument that has ignored the nuance of being at war with genocidal fascists. The issue hasn't made it to the page in a meaningful way until now, and I couldn't be more impressed. Rooting the issue in Kate's trauma and shame - as something that terrifies the students she's trying to help and likely damaging the trust she's built - approaches it on a believable character level.

This is a big part of what caused Kate to hang up her Spandex and it's something she's going to have to reckon with. Add the kids' emotional and ethical reaction and you've got a fantastic cliffhanger with the promise of explosive drama.

Kate grabs Bobby's phone and it's Rogue on the other end. She doesn't look like she's at Haven or in uniform, so who knows what's going on there? They're clearly ahead of Raid on Graymalkin as Iceman is in league with them, as if that book needs more characters. Kate doesn't care and hangs up on her. I wasn't going to compare to Uncanny a third time, but if the two are crossing over it invites comparison. Kurt's glib comment about thinking he was a murderer felt trite and silly, next to the dramatic execution of Shadowkat's actions being confronted it looks downright amateur. Kate is clearly having a PTSD flashback or intrusive thought during this conversation - whereas it wouldn't work for Bobby or Emma to announce that she has PTSD, for example.

I do enough shitting on Uncanny's writing in my reviews of that book, my point is how well similar beats are executed in this book. Eve L Ewing and Carmen Carnero's Exceptional X-Men is aptly named and frankly, if you're not reading it you're missing out. We know all these characters well enough that we care about their reaction to this revelation. Kate looks like she's about to break down, and Bronze and Axo's body language is heartbreaking. Emma knows shit is about to hit the fan and she's surely aware she killed people in Fall of X too. That's how you do a cliffhanger. Issue #4 managed to do a Trista focus issue, some slice of life, excellent character work, and lit a fuse to explode next issue all in 20 pages.

Exceptional X-Men is fantastic and you should be reading it.

[foxglovepng]

Hi !

I saw the post were Grimmy is against the young love of his henchman so maybe you could do a part 2 where Yuu asked them out on their own and also apologizing for Grim's behavior :>

Obly if you want !

Have a great day ♡

Characters: Ace, Cater, Floyd, Rook

CW: Ace cringey goofy flirting, maybe OOC Rook, not proofread.

A/N: Hello!! I am going to name you the 🔥Anon. I hope this satisfies your request. I hope you have a great day as well and make sure to hydrate yourself!!

If you liked reblogs and likes are always appreciated <3

↠ Part 1

Ace

Ace felt a bit hurt by your last encounter. Grim was hurting his feelings and he genuinely wanted to tell Yuu how he felt. Even though most of the time he may seem mean he can have his vulnerable moments where he just truly feels. And he truly felt for Yuu. Although it surprised him a little when Yuu approached him without Grim.

"Where's Grim? You normally have him around you." The red head asked.

"Don't worry about it. I just wanted to apologize for Grim's behavior I don't know why he's acting like that. I hope I can make it up to you." Yuu spoke

"It's fine. I'm used to him being annoying. Plus you can make it up to me by going on a date with me." He flashed his charming smile.

"Sure." Yuu spoke as Ace slightly turned red not expecting that response, "I was going to ask you out as well that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

Ace bragged to Deuce about the encounter and how he's now dating Yuu.

Cater

After cancellations of hangouts Yuu suddenly out of the blue asked him to hangout. Cater wanting to see his friend of course said yes. Although when Yuu showed up he was surprised Yuu dressed up a little.

"Yuu!! You look nice let's take a pic." He spoke as you two took a selfie together.

Yuu and him both went on their walk and finally caught up after while.

"I'm so sorry about that. Grim has been making me so busy I don't know why he's doing that, but I got some alone time for a bit." Yuu spoke

"It's no biggie! I totally understand he probably just wants you two to succeed." Cater spoke

"I was also hoping you'd maybe want to go out with me? like on a date." Yuu asked

Cater's face turned into a smile a genuine smile. He's been waiting for this moment.

"I'd love too. If you want, we could also consider this our first date." He spoke

Floyd

Yuu had to wait till Floyd was off his shift. When he finally was Yuu approached him and his eyes searched for Grim before he ran at Yuu squeezing them.

"Shrimpy. Took you long enough to see me. You didn't bring baby seal with you right?" He asked

"No, I didn't I actually wanted to talk with you. I apologize about Grim he's been weirdly defensive lately, and I'm hoping it's just an animal thing for him and will go away." Yuu spoke.

"He hasn't scratched you, has he?" Floyd asked. He already knew Grim's tactics and why he was acting like this.

"No, at least not yet. But I have a question for you actually. Would you like to go on a date?" Yuu asked

Floyd didn't even answer he just picked up Yuu threw them over his shoulder and is now going on their date to the pool in Octavinelle.

(We all know damn well he was manifesting this via making an Eel and Shrimp plush kiss)

Rook

Rook was in the middle of writing poetry. This time he was going to assure he finds a way for Yuu to receive his letter. While in the middle of writing he got a knock on his door and thinking it was a Pomefiore student, Epel, or Vil he was surprised to see Yuu at his door.

"Oh, Trickster what a lovely surprise." He spoke

"Hi Rook. Can I come in?" Yuu asked

"Oh, most certainly." Rook spoke as he let Yuu in closing the door. Yuu sat on the edge of his bed as Rook sat in his chair looking at Yuu with the biggest heart eyes known to man kind.

"I wanted to apologize for Grim's behavior I would love to read whatever you are giving to me however he has been acting weird. Again, I do apologize on his behalf." Yuu spoke

"I'm sure he's just worried about you he does seem to care about you." Rook spoke

"Maybe. On Another note would you like to go out on a date?" Yuu asked.

"Oui." Rook spoke as he is staring with a beautiful smile and the biggest heart eyes known to man kind he is so in love with Yuu.

Special Mention

Malleus

You asking him out? He assumed you were engaged already and has the whole wedding planned. Lilia is the officiant, Silver is the flower boy, and Sebek is the ring bearer.

[spencewalterreid]

the one with the pharmaceutical company; case fic

I might be foraying into the world of fanfiction again?? I've never written a Reid fic before, so please leave any ideas, criticism, or comments if you'd be so inclined:) let me know if y'all want a part twooo! I already have the whole thing written so it would be no biggie

Reid x bureau!reader. no use of y/n. just chatting, not really fluff and not really angst? mostly exposition. stressed reid. i'm so so bad at content tags please be patient with me

part 1, part 2

Reid sits in his seat in the office, supporting his chin with his open hand and resting his elbow on the table, scribbling frantically across a piece of copy paper. Presumably, he’s drawn the short stick and got dumped with leftover paperwork, poor sap.

The coffee on his table is already cold, and when I look at him closer, he looks exhausted. His mouth is in a downward curve against the pressure of his palm, and his hair is a mess.

"Hey," I say softly, approaching with caution so as not to startle him. I lean against his desk, folding my arms against my chest. "You good? You seem frazzled.”

Spencer’s gaze snaps up to meet mine, visibly jumping as he's pulled from his contemplative state. He blinks rapidly and shifts to sit up straight. He clears his throat, digs the heels of his hands into his eyes, then shuffles the papers in front of him to try to get them aligned.

"Oh, hey," he replies, voice hoarse from the hours of silence. Reid slumps back in his chair effectively causing it to scoot backward, the metal legs screeching against the floor.

"I'm... I'm alright," he assures albeit to no protest, although the dark circles under his eyes and the slight tremor in his fingers as he sets down his pen suggest otherwise. "Just... just working on these case files. There's so much data to sift through, so many... inconsistencies to resolve.”

He runs a hand through his disheveled hair, leaving it sticking up at odd angles. "Sometimes it feels like the answers are right there, hidden in plain sight, but my brain just can't... can't connect the dots. It's frustrating, you know? Like trying to read a book written in a language I once knew but have since forgotten."

I chuckle. “How on Earth would you know what that feels like?” I tease with a soft smile. “Don’t you remember everything?”

Reid rolls his eyes. “I can speak fluently in six different languages, conversationally in twelve, and minimally in seventeen. I do not by any means know all the languages in the world, and I can forget things just like anyone else can,” he huffs indignantly, spite in his voice. I raise an eyebrow at his attitude and he reiterates: “I’m so sick of everyone thinking I’m supposed to know everything. I don’t, and it isn’t fair that I’m always supposed to have all the answers. I just-” He cuts himself off, rubbing his eyes again with a sigh.

Reid's eyes dart to the stack of papers, then back to me, a hint of vulnerability in their depths. "Sorry. Anyway, that's just... that's just me. I'm fine, really. I'll figure it out. Sorry.”

“Reid-” I drop my arms and move toward him just a bit, but he interrupts before I can address it.

His lips quirk into a half-smile, trying to set me at ease even as his own mind races with unspoken thoughts. "How about you? How are you holding up? You've been through quite an ordeal yourself lately.”

I sigh, but I don’t push it, instead opting for an apathetic shrug."I mean, it sucks. I'm new to this, you know? Not jaded yet, I guess." I shift my weight to my opposite foot and cross my arms. "That case was fucking brutal. And I mean, maybe it's because I'm new, young, you know, but regardless of how awful that guy was... seeing someone die in front of you is something you don't come back from."

I search him carefully, his dark eyes and wrinkled brow. I seem so whiny, I bet.

Reid listens intently to my words, his expression softening with each passing second. He uncrosses his legs and leans forward, elbows resting on his knees. His eyes, usually so intense and piercing, now hold a gentle warmth, a flicker of understanding.

"Listen to me," he says softly, voice low and earnest. "What you're feeling, it's completely normal. Losing innocence, seeing the darker side of humanity, it's a rite of passage for all of us in this line of work. The fact that you can still be affected, still feel deeply, it's a strength, not a weakness."

Reid's gaze drifts to my crossed arms and he reaches out, hesitantly, as if seeking permission. Gently, he places a hand over mine, his long fingers wrapping around my wrist. His skin is warm, almost feverish, but his touch is surprisingly gentle.

"Seeing someone die like that... it's not something you ever truly come back from. It changes you, shapes you, in ways you can't even begin to comprehend."

Spencer’s thumb brushes over my pulse point, a soothing gesture almost unconscious in its tenderness. "But you survived it. You kept going, kept fighting. That's not just a strength, it's a testament to your character. Don't diminish that by thinking you're not jaded enough, not experienced enough. You're exactly where you need to be."

His eyes hold mine, a profound intention etched in his expression. What that intention might be, I’m not totally sure. It's a look of solidarity, of shared grief and trauma, but also a look of hope, of resilience.

He continues, though with a bit of trepidation. "-And I know I'm not the easiest person to talk to, with my... idiosyncrasies,” he chuckles dryly, “but I'm here. I'm here if you need to talk, if you need to vent, if you need someone to make sense of the senseless with you. Okay?"

It's not a question, but a promise. A vow of support, of camaraderie, forged in the fires of shared trauma and tempered by an unconquerable spirit.

I swallow thickly. I want to respond, want to say something polished and eloquent to try to sound like I have a shadow of a clue what I'm talking about, but I don't. I twist uncomfortably and his hand falls from my arm. 

"You said you're frustrated with the files you're going over." I clear my throat, then push myself off the desk to roll a chair over. I sit down, crossing an ankle over my knee and leaning forward, my elbows on his desk. "Do you wanna bounce some ideas off me?" Before he answers, I continue, "Tell me what it's about. Give me background. Maybe a fresh mind could help.”

Reid's face lights up with a rare, genuine smile at your offer. It's a smile that reaches his eyes, crinkling the corners and transforming his often stern demeanor into something almost boyish and approachable.

"Thank you. I... I would appreciate that very much," he says, a note of gratitude coloring his voice. "It's a complex case, one that's been giving me trouble since the beginning. It's about a series of deaths, all seemingly unconnected, but with one common thread - a pharmaceutical company called Neurotech."

Reid leans back in his chair, his fingers tapping a staccato rhythm against the armrest as he gathers his thoughts. "They've had a run of bad luck lately, with a string of clinical trials gone wrong. But the strange thing is, the drugs they're testing are all based on the same compound, a new neurotransmitter regulator. It's a promising field, but one that's fraught with risks."

He reaches for a folder on his desk, pulling out a pile of papers and spreading them out in front of me. "These are the autopsy reports, the toxicology screens, the trial data. Look at these brain scans. The damage is... it's like nothing I've seen before. It's as if the drug is eating away at the grey matter, causing a rapid degradation of the neurons."

Reid's eyes are ablaze with intensity as he speaks, his passion for the science, for the mystery, shining through. "But here's where it gets interesting. The subjects in the trials, they're all over the place. Different ages, different genders, different medical histories. And yet, the symptoms are the same. Severe cognitive impairment, loss of motor function, and in the worst cases... death."

He taps a finger on a particularly grim-looking scan. "This one, for instance. The subject was a 28-year-old woman, no pre-existing conditions. She died within 48 hours of the final dose. And look at this damage. It's... it's grotesque."

Reid's eyes meet yours, a haunted look in their blue depths. "I think Neurotech knows more than they're letting on. I think there's a connection between these deaths, and I think it goes right to the top of the company– but I can't prove it.”

"Okay." I take a careful breath, glancing over them. Have you spoken with Garcia about it? I have a couple things I immediately want to know more about. Assuming you're right about it being a company thing and not a singular unsub, first and foremost, I would wanna know the background of the people running these tests."

I flip through the papers, glancing at names, dates, medical details. "But what if you're wrong? You seem so sure it goes deeper — how do you know it isn't just someone at the top calling the shots, or silencing questions?"

I eye him carefully. "Here's my thought. Considering the nature of the procedures, it seems like someone is trying to play God. We've seen that before with the guy trying to implant new limbs on people. Maybe he or a loved one has a brain disease and he's toying with fixes.”

Spencer vaguely spins back and forth in his chair, steepling his fingers under his chin as he considers your words. His eyes narrow slightly, a sign that his mind is working overtime, weighing the possibilities.

"You raise a valid point," he says thoughtfully. "I hadn’t considered that angle, but it fits with the level of sophistication and resources behind these trials."

He reaches for another folder, pulling out a few sheets of paper with names and photographs printed on them. "These are the key players at Neurotech. The CEO, Victor Cassell, is a renowned neuroscientist with a reputation for being brilliant but mercurial. He took over the company after the old owner retired.” Reid points to a photograph of a severe-looking man with a salt-and-pepper beard and piercing eyes. "And this is the lead researcher on the trials, Dr. Lila Patel. She's a rising star in the field, but her methods are... unorthodox. She's been known to push ethical boundaries in the name of progress."

He taps a finger on the desk, a sign of his contemplation. "As for Garcia, I haven't spoken to her about my theories, but I plan to.” 

Spencer’s gaze turns introspective, a hint of self-doubt flickering across his face. "You know, sometimes I wonder if my need to find patterns is blinding me to the simpler explanation. But then I look at these files, at these lives lost, and I can't shake the feeling that there's more to this than meets the eye."

He leans forward, his voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper. "What if it's both? What if there's someone at the top calling the shots, and a rogue individual pushing the boundaries of ethics and science? It would explain the resources, the secrecy, the desperation. And it would make this a far more dangerous and tangled web than I initially thought."

"That's what I'm thinking, too," I concede. "Someone fear-mongering people into supporting his cause – maybe even genuinely convincing others that what he's doing is righteous." 

I flip through the papers, looking at the descriptions of the people who underwent the procedures. "Okay, you said victimology was all over the place -- what if it isn't?" I point at the occupation section. "Teacher. Mechanic. Waitress. On and on it goes. All low-paying jobs. Hang on."

 I drop the files and pull out my phone, looking up obituaries for those that have died. "Right. LeeAnn Thompson is survived by two daughters, Darla and Grace, and sister Dalia." I send him a link, then look for the others. "Bingo. Pattern. Not only were they in low-paying jobs, but they were all on welfare. There's your pattern." I plop my phone down on the desk. "Desperate for money. Now we know why they were doing the experiments in the first place.”

A flicker of excitement and anticipation passes over Reid’s face, shining through the weariness. He leans in to look at my phone, his gaze scanning the obituary notices, his mind putting the pieces together at a staggering pace.

"This is... this could be the break we need," he murmurs, a hint of awe coloring his voice. "The financial strain, the desperation, it would explain why these individuals would be willing to take such risks, to subject themselves to unproven treatments. It's a vile form of exploitation, preying on the vulnerable and the desperate."

He looks up at you, a newfound respect and gratitude in his eyes. "You've hit on something significant here. This could be the key to unraveling the whole operation, from the top of the company down to the individuals being recruited for these trials."

Spencer stands up abruptly, a new sense of urgency in his demeanor. He starts to pace the small office, his mind racing with the implications. "We need to get Garcia in on this, need to cross-reference the records with welfare databases, with financial records. If we can prove a pattern, a deliberate targeting of these individuals, we can start to build a case."

He turns to me, a fierce determination in his eyes. "And then there's the question of the researchers themselves. Lila Patel, the lead scientist behind these trials, she must have known the risks. The financial stakes, the vulnerability of the test subjects, it's all so clear now!"

He stops pacing and faces me directly, his expression a mix of awe and gratitude. "I... I underestimated you. This insight, it's... it's brilliant,” He explains with a grin for the ages. “It's going to change everything. Thank you for your perspective, for your keen eye. We're going to solve this, and bring those responsible to justice. Together.”

I smile warmly. "It isn't too awful late, you know. I bet Penelope isn't asleep yet." I glance at my watch. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind putting something together. We have a case, Reid. We can present it tomorrow.”

Reid looks at his watch, then back at me. The joy in his face just at the prospect makes me lightheaded. He’s never more beautiful than when he’s excited about something.

"You're right. You're absolutely right," he agrees.

Reid grabs his coat, already moving towards the door with renewed vigor. "Let's head to the office and see what we can find. I want to have everything ready to present to the team first thing tomorrow. If we move quickly, we can catch them off guard, before they have a chance to cover their tracks."

He pauses at the door, looking back at me, that damned smile still on his lips. "And hey.” He waits for emphasis, then continues, “Thank you. Thank you for your insight, your fresh perspective. You've got a keen mind, and I'm grateful to have you on this team, on this case. Let's go solve this, together."

With that, Reid strides out of the office, his long legs eating up the distance to the elevator. He's a man on a mission, and it’s a damn sight. Downright inspiring.

----------------------------------------------

side note. would y'all be cool if I gave the main character a name? I'm embracing bi!reid so i'm thinking twink. i know y/n is popular but i simply cannot bring myself to do it. for upcoming chapters i need to be able to have something with which to introduce mc to NPCs.

[rickssugarplum]

Rick Returns

After a much too long hiatus, I have finally made a new Rick fic. Wow. A lot has changed since my last fic, but I want to thank all of you amazing readers who have been so patient. Please forgive me if my writing is a little rusty. Thanks again and excited for Season 7 tonight! ❤

(Rick C-137 x Reader) SFW-, Swearing, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Someone, Season 6 Spoilers, 1,900+ words

Rick comes to see you again after a long time. And you find some changes in him.

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

It had been too long. Far too long. You hadn't heard a single word from Rick in what felt like a lifetime and were still wondering what the hell went wrong. It seemed to have happened out of nowhere. One day, everything had been fine, and then suddenly, he all but disappeared. He didn't come see you anymore; he wouldn't call you up, not even a single text. At first, you started to think an adventure went awry. Then you started thinking something was really wrong, but you weren't sure what. Is he on a new planet? Did he have to do a high-paying mission? What if he's hurt? Or could he be dead? With how things are now, he might as well be. He started to become a series of bittersweet memories now. You did everything you could to try to forget him, but that was pointless. Rick Sanchez wasn't a man you can just forget, no matter how hard you tried. Many tears were shed, and many thoughts crept into your mind. If his leaving had nothing to do with his space-traveling lifestyle.

Did I do something wrong?

Did he find someone else?

Was I...not enough?

Many months had passed, and you were certain the blue-haired scientist was out of your life forever.

Close to midnight, you were in your bathroom washing your face and getting ready to sleep. As you enter your bedroom, about to lay down in your bed, you hear a sound you thought you would never hear again—the loud warp of a portal.

Immediately, your heart sped up rapidly as you wondered if you were hallucinating. But when you saw a young brunette boy in a yellow t-shirt, you were completely puzzled.

".....Morty??"

You were worried he was here to tell you really bad news about his grandfather. But you had no time to even ask what was happening before another figure broke through the portal. A figure much taller. The silhouette of his spiky hair caught your eye immediately.

It was him. He was here. Rick was back in your room.

His eyes were fixed on you right away. There was almost a determination in them. Yet he also looked unsure.

"Thanks, Morty. I'll take it from here." He motioned the kid to the portal, presumably back home. The boy took a worried glance at both of you before turning back through the portal and disappearing. Now it was just you and Rick. Looking into his eyes for the first time in forever, all the pain came back crystal clear. And the source was right in front of you.

"Bab-"

"DON'T. YOU. DARE. 'BABY' ME."

Rick shut his mouth and understood right away. You were not going to let him off so easily.

"You son of a bitch." You spat at him.

"I know you're mad, and I-"

"Mad!? You ghost me for months; I haven't had even one measly fucking text, and you think I'm mad!?" You interrupted. "I didn't know what the hell happened to you! All these months without any contact from you. Nothing."

Rick stayed silent. He had no argument to make.

"At first, I just thought, 'Oh, he's on a big adventure with Morty! No biggie!' Or had a run-in with an alien mob or something, and it would just take a bit longer to get back to me," you explained. Looking back at Rick, he was rubbing the back of his neck, his eyes looking down to the floor. But you knew he was still listening.

"I was starting to think you were dead." You confessed, trying to keep yourself together.

Rick took in a deep breath before he answered. "I owe you an explanation. All I ask right now is that you'll let me give you that," he requested.

Goddamnit. Just hearing his voice again is painful.

"I thought you were done bailing on people," you said bitterly.

Rick interjected, "Hey, don't start with that." You watched him grab his flask out of his lab coat and take a sip from it.

"Why? Truth too much for you? Does the great Rick Sanchez actually have a kryptonite?" you mocked.

Rick put his hand over his mouth, keeping himself quiet as you let out everything you suppressed inside all this time.

"You told me you'd never leave me behind. No matter where you'd go, you would stick around." You scoffed. "I was really fucking stupid to believe you."

Rick was starting to get agitated. This was not how he pictured this playing out.

"Ugh. Look, I didn't come here to argue."

"No. You want to smooth everything over so I can do any favors you'll want. Bet you never even thought about me all this time. Out of sight, out of mind, right?"

"It's not like that!" he argued. The nerve of him "Why wouldn't it be? It's the same ending to every chapter in your life, Rick. You'll never change."

He winced. That one stung a little. You knew some of your statements could hurt him, but you were too angry to care. Part of you wanted him to see how it felt to be let down by someone you've given your heart to.

"You left an entire dimension after destroying it."

Rick was losing his composure. "Don't."

"Left your family on a tiny planet when the world was going to shit."

He didn't want to hear any of this. "Stop."

"You left Morty to be with some fucking crows."

"Knock it off," he warned.

"Or what!? Are you gonna leave again?" you challenged. "I was starting to accept the fact that you wouldn't come back. What would stop you now?"

"That's not what I meant!" he argued.

"Why would I be so special that you wouldn't bail again? You've done it your whole life. Starting with your own wife and daughter!"

Rick lost it. "I DIDN'T LEAVE MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER!" he shouted. His hands tangled in his hair, and his eyes squeezed shut.

That stopped you dead in your tracks. Confused, you stepped closer to him. A soft gasp escapes when you see that his face has now become wet with tears.

"Rick...?" you said softly. All the rage you previously had inside you has now completely evaporated. This new shift startled you. He was not someone who openly broke down. Nor would he tell such a lie while doing so.

If he didn't leave them, then why weren't they ever with him? Unless his wife took their child and left him, or if they had...

...........

No.

A new feeling is integrated into you: guilt. You were starting to pick up all the tragic pieces together. The heartbreak was plain to see on Rick's face as he trembled in front of you.

In that moment, the source of all his demons became more clear than ever before. He had truly suffered the worst kind of pain.

"Oh...Rick...." Your voice cracked. The distance between you both closed as you wrapped your arms around him. He accepts them immediately and holds on tightly.

"I'm so sorry..."

His face is buried in your neck. To shield his face, or more to just feel you again, it didn't matter. Right now, he needed this. Stroking his baby blue hair, you had almost forgotten how soft it was...

"Rick...I'm sorry...I had no idea..." you said in shame, thinking back to everything you'd said to him before. Now, he had every right to be mad at you. But his first response you received was a soft, gentle kiss on your neck, making you lightly shiver.

"It's haunted me for many years. Consumed most of my life," he confessed. Lifting his head up, you see his face. His eyes were red, and his cheeks were damp from his hurt flooding out of him. Your thumbs gently brush away the tears under his eyes. "I...thought I had finally could have a new chance to find some stability, be with a family, but...something did come up...and it all came flooding back..."

Your brows raised at that.

"So...that's why I haven't been around."

You still weren't entirely aware of the whole story. But one thing was certain: When Rick Sanchez is consumed by something, he gives his all into it.

"I'm such a fucking idiot..." you blurted out, shaking your head. "I thought...you had just gotten bored and moved on from me..."

Rick interjected, "Oh no, baby no..." He pulled you back into his arms, placing your head on his chest. His heartbeat soothed you as you took a deep breath in and out.

"You weren't the only one I hurt here... I-I had kept Morty out of it all too..."

A sigh escapes you. "He's such an amazing grandson to you," you mutter.

"Yeah...but he's not my grands-"

"Yes, he is." You interrupted. "It doesn't matter where you came from or where he came from. He's been there for you through everything and seen you at your worst. And the fact that he came here tonight with you just to make sure you were okay shows me that he still cares about you despite everything. I know he wouldn't want any other Rick. And you wouldn't trade him for any other Morty. You are his grandpa, Rick."

His arms hold you a bit tighter, a silent 'thank you' for your encouraging words.

"Did he tell you to come talk to me?" you wondered.

"Uh no. I, uhh, hooo boy...You won't believe it when I tell you," he warned you awkwardly.

"What?" You didn't know what or who else could convince him to do anything.

"I...was told I should see you by...my uhh...therapist..." he finished, rubbing the back of his neck.

Your eyes bugged out in shock. "A therapist!? You're seeing a therapist!??

He scoffs "Okay, you really don't have to rub i-" His sentence is cut off by a surprise kiss on his cheek, leaving him a little startled. "Oh, Rick. I'm so proud of you," you say sincerely. It's as if hell had frozen over. He really has changed.

"Yeah, she's, uh, she's alright," he admits with a small smile. "She also told me to tell you what I needed to say, so... I'm sorry."

Your vision starts to get blurry with tears. Those two simple words from this man mean so much. Cupping his face in your hands, you give Rick a small smile before leaning forward and pressing your lips to his. Your arms wrap around his neck, never wanting to let him go. He holds you close when he kisses you back with a little more desperation. He hasn't been kissed by you in so long.

When you finally break away to breathe, you look into his eyes again. This time, they look more serene. As if he feels some shred of peace for the first time in... he can't remember when.

"I've missed you..." you whispered. He pressed his forehead against yours.

"I missed you too, baby..."

With that, every shattered piece of your heart had been put back together. There was more he needed to share with you, but the emotional reunion and the fact that it was late at night left you exhausted. But you were going to sleep much more peacefully with the eccentric man resting beside you once again.

After all these painful months, Rick was finally back. He's changed in some ways, and you were looking forward to seeing how these changes would guide him to a better path.

Because, no matter what happens, you will always love him.

❤

[diana-rose25]

— Let's Dance

TEASER!

pairing/s: BEBE! Bada Lee x Jam Republic! Reader x Wolf'Lo! Chocol

warnings: None so far, an unrealistic description of being an exchange foreign student, might confuse some words in ballet (as most of them are only through research and not based on experience).

description: A professional ballet dancer in Street Woman Fighter Season 2? (Y/N) Bae, a 23-year-old ballerina and dance prodigy enters the fighting arena alongside the infamously known crew, JAM REPUBLIC. Making the team's aura and presence far more intimidating despite being clad in soft pink and white clothing, adorned with astonished faces and friendly smiles. As the young woman entered the arena with curious eyes and small smile, the other teams couldn't help but awe at her beauty and elegant aura, unknowingly capturing the eyes of two charismatic dancers.

"They're the last one to enter."

"This crew is intimidating."

These are just some of the comments circulating around the arena as they waited for the last and final crew to come out.

"It's amazing that JAM REPUBLIC is here," Akanen, Tsubakill's leader, stated in awe. Looking at the empty space where the last crew of the show have yet to enter the small arena.

A certain buzz was felt in the air as the other contestants waited for the anticipated arrival of JAM REPUBLIC. More notably, they were excited to meet the celebrity of all dancers, Kirsten Dodgen.

"We'll see Kirsten in person," Biggy stated admiringly.

Dancers expressed their love and admiration for the pink crew's leader and her arrival. One member from Deep N' Dap even stated that she cried when Kirsten cancelled on her classes due to visa issues after she signed up for all four of her classes. Her leader, Mina Myoung, promptly scolded her. Stating firmly that "this is a serious competition." Despite this, two of her members joked around, lifting up the atmosphere that turned heavy just before.

The longer the dancers wait, the more nervous and excited they get to finally meet the members of the crew.

"Wah, Kirsten is here," Yeni, a member of Wolf'Lo stated. The said woman bounced a little on her seat, the adrenaline rush pumping into very veins so fast she could barely contain it.

"Hey," she perked up, turning to Baby Sleek as she remembered something important.

"Hey Baby Sleek, is it true that (Y/N) was once your student?" Her question caused all the members to look at their oldest curiously and for confirmation.

A fond smile crossed Baby Sleek's face as she shrugged her shoulder. "Yeah," she confirms making her members awe and shout in disbelief as she rarely takes in students. "She was for a short while. (Y/N) trained under me for more or less than three years." The other crew turned to Wolf'Lo when they heard the commotion, curious to know what made them react in such a way.

"Wow, what was she like?" Haechi questioned. "Is she really that pretty in real life?"

Baby Sleek nodded, "when I first met her, I was so shocked at how pretty that kid is. I thought she was an idol. In my mind I was like, what the hell? How can this kid be so pretty at her age?" The members laughed at the whiny tone of her voice.

"But putting her looks aside, (Y/N) really is a monster at dance. A natural. At first, I was hesitant at her skills since she is more focused on the ballet genre, but after a few lessons, the girl was a beast. As if she was dancing hip-hop since she could walk! Of course, there were times where she would struggle with something, but her dedication and hard work pushed her through it all. It was really admirable."

The other members were floored at the high regards and compliments Baby Sleek showered you in. Suddenly feeling much more intimidated by the crew that isn't even present yet. Yeni, Haechi, and Halo nodded for the respect they felt for the Jam Republic member while Chocol and Mini sat rigidly in their seat.

"Yah, I'm starting to regret picking her as my No Respect Dancer," Mini laughed nervously before faking a cry and shoving her hands to cover her face. "Why didn't you say that before we pick the weakest dancers?!" She whined.

"They're not even here yet calm down," Chocol said, patting Mini on the shoulder in a mock comfort. "Have confidence, we can probably give her a good fight and win at the end of the day."

Halo and Baby Sleek giggle at the antics of their members and nodded encouragingly.

"Aya, don't mind. The both of you probably have more freestyle and dance battle experience than her. Don't doubt your capabilities now," Halo, their leader, commented while patting their heads.

"Right. Be confident, but keep your guard up. We saw her list of accomplishments before, so let's be prepared." Baby Sleek said seriously, shaking her hands a little to expel the nerves of the upcoming competition as her mind slowly shifts into battle mode.

〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜

Meanwhile, the pink crew of Jam Republic waited patiently for their cue to enter the arena in their given room.

(Y/N) tapped her hands against her thighs repeatedly. "I'm so excited and nervous at the same time."

Her members giggled at her but also felt the same energy as her. Ling, who sat next to her on her right, held her right hand to squeeze it gently for a few times.

"Me too. But don't worry, we got this." (Y/N) smiled at her as she intertwined their fingers together and squeezed her hand back.

"You'll be fine girl, we got your back." Latrice said, smilingly comfortingly at her as she sat next to Emma who gave you a nod and a finger heart to which you giggled.

Audrey, who sat next to her, leaned her head against her shoulder and looped her arm around her. "Yeah, calm down and let's just have fun! There's nothing to worry about." (Y/N) smiled fondly at the youngest member of the group, patting her knee in gratitude.

"I mean come on," Kirsten said, clapping her hands out of excitement and to hype her fellow members up, "this is us we're talking about!"

"Okay, okay, okay!" (Y/N) shouted, now pumped and excited, "Let's do this!" The girls laughed at her sudden mood change and hyped each other up even more. Even though some of them just met a couple of days ago, they were now starting to form a bond with each other. She smiled at the sight before her, feeling the warmth that bloomed in her chest, leaning back on the couch to compose herself.

The moment (Y/N) closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the TV screen came to life, signaling to their crew that it was time to enter the arena. The Jam Republic girls simultaneously yelled in surprise and excitement. Feeling gittery, Kirsten stood up and the rest of the girls followed her lead.

"Okay guys, are we ready?" She asked.

The members giggled a positive response albeit the nervous, quiet laughter that accompanied it as they form a circle.

"Shall we do this?" Kristen asked, placing a hand in front and the members followed one-by-one. "Entrance is going to be fire, three, two, one, wee!"

"Wee!" They followed along, laughing and giggling as they exited their room and walked towards the arena.

"Let's Dance!"

— ©All Rights Reserved diana-rose25

[thebluestbluewords]

scheming. plotting, even.

"Maleficent. Charmed, I'm sure."

Red shakes the outstretched hand as quickly as possible. No biggie, just shaking hands with the most evil villain of all time, the person who's eventually going to be responsible for getting not just Red and her mom, but literally every interesting villain and henchman and sidekick exiled from Auradon. Forever.

"Yeah, you could say that. So, what are you doing here?"

Young Maleficent arches one perfect eyebrow up towards her horns. "Attending class. And you?" 

Right. 

"I mean, same. Obviously," Red scoffs "I'm just here, in class...attending class." 

The corner of Maleficent's mouth twitches. "On a cosmic level, I'm here because I was compelled by the stars to attend class today." 

This is getting her nowhere.

“Yeah, okay," Red agrees, even though she's pretty sure she understands even less about Maleficent's motivations since they started this conversation. "I don't really do astrology, so if you wanna tell me what that actually means..." 

"It means I'm here because the fates aligned to bring me here today. And you're here because of magic."

"No, I’m totally not.”

Shit.

They're gonna be found out for sure if Maleficent is on to them. So long, Wonderland. Bye-bye, Auradon. Red's going to a special layer of hell. the one reserved for idiots who reveal their whole plan to the biggest, baddest villains ever to walk the earth. 

Maleficent laughs, and reaches out to grab Red's hand again. "Child, I can smell it on your skin. You're here for exactly the same reason as myself and my companions." 

"I'm pretty sure I'm not..." 

"Don't play stupid. It's the time discrepancies. There's a...what do you humans call it?" 

Okay. 

So Maleficent isn't human. 

Cool. Cool cool cool. 

"Um?" Red squeaks "I don't? Know?" 

"A time distortion. A bubble." 

Oh, no. 

"Nope, I don't know anything about any time travel," Red says, quick as can be. "I'm here because my--our father, he, um, he fell on some hard times, and he-- that is, he didn't send in our transfer paperwork, so if I smell like I shouldn't be here, that's gotta be it, nothing like time travel, who said I know anything about time travel?" 

"You did. Just now." 

Haha. 

Ahahahaha. 

"I meant to say that I've never even heard of time travel," Red lies through the biggest smile she can plaster on her face and still speak through. "But if you know anything, then I want to learn it too. You can tell me." 

Maleficent's eyes narrow. "Funny. You're a funny one, Red. Ulyana doesn't like her lackeys being too smart, but funny... I can work with that." 

"What." 

"Please. Don't play the fool. We're here because of the time manipulation going on in this iteration of the Merlin Academy timeline, as are yourself and your sweet little blue companion. I don't know what you want out of the changes, but I know that you're here because of them. Hades and myself are here to... well." 

"What?" 

"I don't know if I can trust you with that information yet," Maleficent says, flickering a forked tongue out to lick her lips. "Not unless I know I can trust you." 

"I'm trustworthy." 

Maleficent grins, and Red gives herself a singular moment to wish that she hadn't looked at the pointed teeth in that awfully wet mouth. Ugh. Dragons are worse than jabberwocky when it comes to oral hygiene, apparently.  "Mm, no you’re not. At least, not yet."

[sprunkimortality]

uhh uhh what do the sprunkies think of wenda?

Oren: "Wenda? She's fine I guess. She looks at me weird sometimes, but like…no biggie, bruh. She's chill otherwise." Raddy: "Oh, yeah, I know her. CEO's daughter from the Big City. She's still kinda a snob, huh? I wonder why she moved to Smalltowne. Eh….I can't be bothered to ask her. Last time we talked was when she tried to charm me into giving her a freelance job." Clukr: "Actually, I do not appreciate her calling me a nerd in a teasing manner. Additionally, she needs to learn self control. Curiosity kills the cat, they say, but in her case she's the cat that killed my PROGRESS IN THAT PROJECT THAT TOOK ME WEEKS TO POLISH! Huff. Excuse me for the unprecedented increase in my vocal volume." Fun Bot: "I love her groove! Especially when she starts doing the cool thing where she spins on the floor!" Vineria: "Hmmm…I don't talk to her much, our wavelengths are far off. But I sense that she's trying to be better, in whatever manner that might be…she seems nice."

Gray: "She's come a long way." Brud: "Me like Wenduh. Wenduh say me stinky. Me no stink. Wenduh bit mean. But still like Wenduh!" Garnold: "She's pretty alright. She teases me though. Oh, and she broke a bunch of our equipment once, and Clukr gets all agitated thinkin' about it, so…she can't really visit the lab anymore until we're both extra sure that she won't wreck anything." OWAKCX: "U- Uhhrrgh…s- s- she reminds me of someone…b- b-…bad…" Sky: "Wenda is so cool! She gave me this piercing on my ear in secret! She can't babysit me anymore though."

Mr. Sun: "Oh, yes, the Sassy one! She can be charming at times, but I wouldn't fall for her little tricks and bribes so easily! It can be tempting, though. Look at her, adorable!" Durple: "Wenda, my dearest bestie! She has been my right-hand lady since the very beginning, before we even moved into this town! I will not spare the personal details, but we have helped each other through troubles and tribulations! If there's one person in the world I'd want to live with for eternity…it would be her." Mr. Tree: "Her eyes…they seem exhausted, though she hides it under her eyeshadow. I know that look…" Simon: "Wenda is awesome! Sure she gets into a couple messes, but she's still the best at being her preppy, sassy self! And she's a great friend, especially to Durple! Kinda makes me wanna get closer to her and be her friend too, but I don't know much on how to gossip. That's their thing, ain't it? Oh, and she makes me look nice before events sometimes! I'd always look like a whole new Sprunki with her makeover, haha!" Tunner: "I'm still waitin' for her ta' tend to 'er 100 hours of unserved community service. I don't appreciate her giving my sonny an ear piercin' either. But…I don't really hate 'er. She just needs ta' learn that she can't get 'er way all the time."

Mr. Fun Computer: "She makes a great co-host to my gameshows! Her spunk is the key that makes it all feel extra special!" Pinki: "Wenda has such refined taste! She's given me recipes for foods I've never heard of before! Not just baked goodies, but anything that can be cooked, really! She says it's what people like to eat in the Big City. Sometimes they have funny names, but they come out quite good! I'll stick to my sweets, though. Heehee~! It's my thing!" Jevin: "Pointed ears, sharp as her words, Wenda may have lots to learn. Her eyes avoid my perceptive gaze, but I see the hidden kindness on her face. One more thing; she finds me chilling. Her reactions always send me giggling."

Black: "Can't really stand her sometimes. She thinks a couple coy looks in the eyes would get her free passes to do anything. Sorry, lass. The world doesn't work like that. Can I also just say how much I hate how picky she is? If it were something revolting I would understand, but she once hesitated to bite a hotdog. A HOTDOG. Imagine that?!" Saves: "She's a sweet young lady, I think. That's how I feel looking at her…I can't quite remember what our interactions were about, but…I do feel that she's good at heart." Ciqu: "Abysmal. 100 hours of community service can't do justice. She needs to be scrutinized and kept in a controlled environment." Sprinkles: “She’s pretty cool! She’s helped me pick cute outfits for things before and I like sharing my secrets with her. She’s got a lot of confidence! I hope to have a lot of that too when I grow up!” Calvin: “She’s awesome. She’s pretty laid back and basically lets us do whatever we want when she would take care of us. Like she let Sky get his ears pierced even though his dad got super irritated about it! I know she would do the same for me…but I don’t wanna get her in trouble again.”

[hyunfilms]

blue side of the sky (lmh) | eighteen.

♡ spotify playlist | series masterlist

—summary: waking up after 3 months with no recollection of your past, your friends do what they can to help you remember. except, they omit an important piece to the puzzle - afraid you would remember the heartbreak and hurt all over again.

—pairing: lee know x f. reader

—genre: (18+) exes to lovers, bestfriends to lovers au | fluff, angst, smut

—word count: 3.3k

—chapter content/warnings: cussing, heart to heart with jisung, flashback scene which also includes a heart to heart with jisung, pachi just tries to keep it real for his bestfriends

A few weeks have passed, maybe close to a month or so, and you haven't really spoken to Jisung. You have, but it was clear that he was respecting your space and preventing himself from being too overbearing. You're glad the message came across your friends clearly; however, today, you find yourself missing your bestfriend and eager to talk to him.

You believe you're ready to face Jisung.

"Mrs. Pak, I'm just going to take a call outside. I'll be right back." 

"Of course. Take your time, sweetheart." She smiles just as you step outside the back door, pulling out your phone to call Jisung. You kick at the leaves beneath your feet, the line ringing about 3 times before you hear Jisung rustling in the background.

"Hey." Jisung answers on the other line. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good pachi."

"Good. What's up then, cielo?"

"Can we talk later?"

"We can always talk."

"No, I mean about everything."

"Oh, okay." He clears his throat. "Yeah, of course. If you're ready to."

"I think I am. At least, with you."

"Fair. Do you want me to pick you up? We can grab food and just hang out somewhere."

"That sounds good. I'm at work right now, I won't be off until later today."

"Just text me when you're off. I'll come."

"Okay. Thanks, pachi. I'll see you later."

"Have a good day at work, and take your breaks." He says before keeping the call short and ending it there. You walk back into the shop, tucking your phone into the little apron pocket you have on the front. 

"Everything okay?" Mrs. Pak asks as she fixes a few of the displays in store.

"Kind of?"

"You haven't really talked to your friends?"

"Not really, except Jisung. Chan and Seungmin every now and then about something random."

"Are you sure you've been doing okay?"

"I don't know, Mrs. Pak. I'm trying to give myself the time I need, and I'm trying to give myself the distance I need. It gets difficult when they're all I've known, even now."

"I'm sure they understand. You guys are so young, you're still learning about life and how to navigate the toughest storms."

"Yeah, perhaps." You fiddle with a few stems as you rearrange flowers in a vase. "I'm gonna talk to Jisung later, though. About everything."

"Don't force yourself out of obligation."

"I know." You give her a small smile. "I think I'm ready."

"Good, as long as you are." She gives you a small squeeze on the arm. "I know he is your bestfriend and I know he's only trying to protect you." She continues to look at you. "What about Minho?" You pause and look at her, giving her a tight, pursed smile.

"I don't know. I think I'll talk to him soon, too. But, I don't think I'm ready to keep him close." You let out a breath. "It sucks, but I just don't think I'll be ready to for awhile."

"That's okay, love. If he truly wants to be here for you and grow from his mistakes, he will give you that time without question."

"I hope so, Mrs. Pak."

After your shift, you can already see Jisung's car parked around the corner— his music slightly echoing into the alley. You clean up and quickly close up shop, waving to Mrs. Pak as the both of you go your separate ways.

"Thanks for picking me up, Ji." You softly say as you buckle in and let out a breath, hoping the ride won't be too bad [or awkward]. 

"No biggie. Wanna just grab some bowls at the milk tea place?" You already know what he's talking about, so you nod and let Jisung take over. 

"That sounds good."

"How was work?"

"It wasn't too bad."

"Tired?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"I won't keep you out for long so you can get rest."

"It's alright, pachi. I appreciate it, though." You look at him as you lean back against the head rest, slight exhaustion taking over during the calming car ride. Jisung gives you a small smile before shifting his attention back to the road. He can tell you're tired, and he knows you've got a million things running through your mind right now.

But, he's mainly concerned arriving to the destination in one piece and getting this much-needed conversation done. He really misses his bestfriend and he truly hopes you aren't mad at him anymore— though, he would understand if you still needed space.

Upon arriving to the milk tea place, Jisung has to circle a couple of times before he finds a decent parking spot. It's pretty packed inside for the early evening, and it takes about 20 minutes before you're walking out with food and drinks in your hand.

Jisung decides he wants to head to the beach to eat since the weather seems to be cooperating tonight. He increases the music volume a tad bit, humming along as he drives off to the shoreline.

Luckily, the beach is quite empty— giving you and Jisung the peace and solace needed for the conversation that's about to happen. Jisung takes the bags of food in his hand even though you offer to help haul some. You take the lead towards the bench, plopping onto a criss-crossed position just as Jisung takes a seat next to you and sets the bag on the floor. The night sky is clear, though it's a bit cold and there's a slight breeze that adds onto it. But, Jisung offered his extra jacket from the back of his car earlier as an added layer of protection from the cold— making it all the less unbearable. Jisung unpacks the food and hands you your bowl before settling with his. The both of you quietly eat and look out at the view before you manage to break the silence first.

"Thanks for the food, pachi."

"Of course." He smiles. "You must be hungry. Eat up."

"I'm okay, surprisingly." You dig into your bowl and take another bite. "How's everyone been at home?"

"Everyone's been alright. Busy. We haven't really had time to get together and eat. I guess everyone's taking on more than usual lately."

"Busy is good. But, not too busy. I hope you guys are still eating and getting proper rest." Jisung shrugs.

"We try." He turns to you. "What about you? How have you been feeling?"

"I don't know, honestly." You let out a small sigh, making Jisung shift his attention back to you— cheek full of food. "I'm still trying to process everything that happened with Minho. It sucks, and I know it was all in the past. But, it still hurts to know that he was capable of doing that. I just, I know—" You sigh and shake your head, Jisung finally taking a sip of his water after finally going through his last bite of food. "I'm rambling. I should've known that even the person I love the most is capable of doing the most damage. Maybe I should've known better."

"It's not your fault, Y/N. None of this was your fault." Jisung pauses before continuing. "It's true you could find both qualities in the person you love, but over the years, there was no reason for you to believe that. Minho had always been good to you. It's just unfortunate that he made some sudden, impulsive decisions based off of his current feelings at the time without really thinking about it."

"Mm yeah, I think what hurts the most is that he made me an option. I went from being his priority to an option. A second choice. Even though I think.. I did my best in our relationship. Right? I tried?" Jisung gives you a tiny toothless smile with a nod.

"Of course you did. You always did. So, that's just to say, this wasn't your fault. Don't start thinking about where you could've done better, or what you could've improved. There was nothing. You gave it your all."

"I don't really know what this brings for us, and I think that's also what's hurting me." You pick at your food. "Our timing is incredibly off. I just wish he told me before I started—" You let out a breath before looking at Jisung, bottom lip trembling. "Before I started letting him in again." And Jisung knows exactly what that means. Before your feelings started to [re]surface, before you got too comfortable, too safe. "My feelings were strong, and I thought he had easily become my safe space. That he was always my safe space. Think I could be wrong." Your head drops again.

"I'm sorry, cielo. I wish I did more to prevent this from happening, and I'm sorry I didn't. I knew it was wrong, but I—" He sighs. "I was trying to be neutral because I didn't wanna be in your business. Plus, even if I told him he needed to tell you sooner than later, I couldn't force him. You needed to hear this from him and no one else. I'm so sorry, Y/N. I hope you understand my point of view but please also know that I tried everything within my boundaries. Chan and Seungmin did, too."

"I know, pachi. I know." You give him a gentle squeeze on the wrist. 

"Are you still mad at me?"

"I'm not mad."

"You have every right to be mad."

"I'm not." You chuckle a bit.

"Okay." Jisung smiles.

"But, I probably won't talk about this out loud again for a while."

"W-what about Minho?" He hesitates to ask.

"To be honest, I don't think I'll talk to him for awhile." You say lowly, feeling incredibly sad hearing the statement slip through your lips. But, you know it has to be done. You're not ready, and you don't want to force anything.

It's just incredibly sad because you do have feelings for him. 

You do have love for him.

If that love prevails though, if you two were meant to be in this time, he'd be there in the end. He'd understand you, he'd wait for you, he'd let this fall into place when it should.

If it should.

It adds onto the pain to think about, knowing there's a possibility this could go either way. But, this was your second chance at life, another reason to do you, for you.

"I understand." Jisung swallows the lump in his throat, remembering that time when you came to him right before you got back together with Minho.

☁︎ FLASHBACK

"Here." Jisung hands you your milk tea before sitting in the chair next to you.

"Thanks, pachi." You poke your straw in through the lid, eyes gazing back up at the stars. The night sky is clear, though it's a bit chillier than normal. You have a blanket wrapped around you while Jisung has on a thick jacket, a scarf wrapped around his neck.

"Where's Minho?"

"Dance workshop."

"Hm, okay." Jisung sits back comfortably and joins you in looking up at the stars. "So, how did your talk with him go?"

"It was good. He told me he wanted to get back together, but he said he'd wait."

"I mean, that's on you, cielo." You furrow your brows.

"Greatest advice."

"I'm serious." He shrugs. "Listen, I know he's been really trying and it's obvious that his actions are genuine. That he wants you back. I know he means it. But, do you feel ready?"

"I don't know, Ji. I think so. I miss him, too." You look at him while sipping your milk tea. "He has shown it through his actions over time."

"As long as you're ready." Jisung lets out a breath. "He was stupid. But, to be devil's advocate, I know he loves you and cares about you at the end of the day. May not have been the right way to go about things, and it's terrible he had to learn the hard way. But, he is trying. I can see it."

"Yeah. I guess we're just one of those couples." You make a face, and Jisung chuckles. "Shit is definitely not easy."

"Mm. Gross." You punch Jisung on the bicep and he laughs. "Kidding, dude."

"Do you think he truly loves me?"

"I don't know if I can answer that, cielo. Do you feel like he does? Can you really see it through his actions? Love is an action, it should be shown. It should be felt. Not just through words."

"I do."

"Then, that's what matters between you two. You love him, right?"

"Mhm. I don't think I stopped. Even when it hurt me the most."

"I'm sorry. I know. You've always shown it in your actions, I don't think Minho has ever questioned it. He's lucky. I hope he realizes it and sticks with it." The two of you stay silent for a bit.

"Jisung?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think he really had feelings for Kat?"

"Uh." He sighs. "I don't think so. I honestly just think it was infatuation at its peek."

"Hm." You hum, not really wanting to revisit that part of the past again. "Are you two better now?"

"Me and Minho?" You nod. "I guess, yeah. Took me awhile to not be angry and annoyed with him."

"What changed?"

"Well. You know how sometimes, you get tired from being mad at someone? Like, you literally feel exhausted and just over it? I think it was that. Plus, he's my bestfriend, too. I kinda missed our dumb moments together." You chuckle. "Besides, again. I can tell he's trying to make up for his mistakes, and he hasn't stopped putting in the effort." He sips his milk tea. "I know it's inevitable for things to happen, and things will never be perfect. I just want him to keep his word about taking care of you and being that person for you."

"Thanks, Ji."

"I got you. Always."

"What I do without you? For real." He sits back with a smug smirk on his face.

"Finally asking the right questions." You roll your eyes and pinch his thigh, making him yelp in return.

☁︎ END

"Can I just say something?" He looks at you. "About him?"

"Of course."

"He was really stupid, okay? The decisions he made were so dumb, and I was angry at him for awhile because I trusted him to take care of you. Protect you. But, on the other hand, I know he has been trying to do better. He's owned up to his mistakes and I can tell he really wants to try. He doesn't wanna end up in that situation again. I know he's trying." Jisung repeats at the tail end, making you let out a breath. "That's not to say that you shouldn't take your time or that you should listen to me when it comes to making decisions. Because I know you have feelings for him, and I know you have always loved him. Just know that either way, I know Minho will try for you— whether as your bestfriend or boyfriend, whatever it looks like down the road. You do what's best for you and what feels right, okay?"

"I know, Ji. I will." 

"He'll understand. He's not the best with openly communicating that sometimes, but he will." You nod.

"Has he been okay?"

"Mm. Deep down, I know he isn't. But, he will be. He's quieter and keeping himself busy at the café or at the studio. Doesn't really do or say much otherwise."

"Is he getting enough rest and stuff?"

"I think." Jisung chuckles. "You don't have to worry too much, he's gonna be okay. For real. He has three other housemates, we'll keep him in check."

"Thanks." You give him a tiny smile.

"Come." Jisung sets his food down before standing and opening his arms. You laugh and shake your head, embracing your bestfriend and hugging him tightly. If it's one thing you can appreciate about this entire moment, it's the fact that Jisung remains unchanged; to you, to Minho. He will always be there to support you. He will always be there to support Minho. Yet, he will always give you that extra push, that extra reassurance to do what's right for you. He has always been your other half— someone you equally love and can't stand, someone you turn to on good days and bad days, someone you know who will be there to help you relearn the world one step at a time.

Jisung is your bestfriend and you have no idea where you'd be without him.

"Ji?"

"Mhm?" You feel his chest rumble with the response.

"Thank you. I mean it." You pull back and look at him.

"When have you not meant it?" He raises a brow, making you chuckle.

"No, for everything. For being there in the hospital. For helping get re-acquainted with the world slowly but surely. For your patience. For being so kind." You shrug. "Everything. Uncle Adrian has always taken good care of me, but I truthfully don't know where I'd be without you by my side, too."

"It's nothing." Jisung laughs. "I promised your mom I'd always look out for you." You nod silently before hugging him again.

"I hope things between me and Minho will be okay."

"It will be." You two finally part and sit back down to finish eating, the waves crashing against the shore ahead. "In time, it will be." He repeats before finishing up his food and updating you about work [amongst other things]. By the time you both have finished eating, you take a small walk down the pier before heading back to the car. Jisung turns up the heat, putting up his music as he makes his way to your house. 

When he finally pulls up, he takes a minute to say his hello's to Uncle Adrian— subtly raiding his fridge before Uncle Adrian laughs at his attempt. Eventually, he ends up giving Jisung some food he had made; telling him the food is good for tomorrow and to share with his roommates. Jisung thanks him and walks you to your cottage, giving you one last hug before waddling over to his car.

When Jisung gets home, Seungmin is in the living room just about to pop open his to-go container. There are still no signs of Chan or Minho, and the house is quiet despite the low hum of the TV in front of them.

"Yo. Where'd you come from?" Seungmin mixes his bibimbap, eyes glued to the TV as the show he's watching comes back on after a commercial break. 

"Just finished hanging out with Y/N." Jisung tosses his keys to the side and plops onto the couch next to him. "Nice to see you sitting here instead of being in your room." He teases and Seungmin shakes his head.

"Sorry dude, I've been exhausted lately." He takes a bite. "Did you eat with Y/N?"

"Mhm."

"How is she?"

"Good."

"Is she still mad? You know.. at me, Chan and Minho?"

"Well, it's really Minho. It's just.. a lot for the both of them."

"I hope she knows we care about her a lot."

"She does. She just needs time from him. Needs to sort through her feelings and process everything."

"Understandable." Seungmin clears his throat. "How do you feel about it?"

"I mean, I obviously want the best for them. I know they've had their ups and downs, but they always seem to find their way back to each other again. Maybe they are meant to be in each other's lives, however it looks like?" He does a slight shimmy. "I don't know. I just want them happy and content again, even if they're just friends."

"Yeah, I agree. I'm glad she's okay though."

"Yeah, she's good." Jisung sits next to Seungmin for a bit, casually watching the show while catching up with Seungmin for a bit more. 

After all the recent events, Jisung is happy to have you back because he knows they put you through it with this situation alone. You are his bestfriend, his other half— having you there to talk to, vent to, run to, was always second nature. Not having you there made him feel lonely and incomplete. It wasn't something he was used to, and quite frankly, it's something he doesn't ever wanna get used to.

⇢ 18.5 [cloudy days]: here

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