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madforhoran · 11 months ago

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Reunion (pt. 1)

Pt. 2 - here.

X X X

It had been six months of trying to get your life together. Six months since you defeated the Elder brain, since you saw Astarion running away from the sun. You’d felt so guilty that you didn’t even try to contact him. You thought he must resent you for what he’d given up after walking away from the ritual. All you wished for him was not to have his hands and soul stained with so many deaths, to see he was already strong and powerful just the way he was.

“You’re right, I can be better than him.”

He’d agreed with you, but watching him run away in fear of burning to a crisp didn’t feel like much of an accomplishment. Such a lousy friend you were.

You made yourself somewhat presentable, putting on the most flattering dress you owned and travelled back to the place that hit you with nostalgia immediately upon arrival. The campsite near the lake. The conversations you used to share with your former companions, the trials and tribulations, the memories still so vivid in your mind.

You could smell food, burning wood. You could hear Karlach’s roaring laughter. Shadowheart was walking around the lakeshore with Scratch and the owlbear, Wyll was talking to Jaheira and Halsin, and Gale was having a conversation with an astral projection of Lae’zel.

And there he was.

Beautiful as ever.

Sitting next to the campfire, fiddling with his knife. Your fingers remembered the softness of his white curls, the coldness of his skin. Your lips remembered the touch of his. Your heart remembered how you’d robbed yourself of what could’ve been. You stopped in your tracks for a moment, tempted to run away before he noticed you. Yet at the same time, you were drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

How could you go for so long without seeing him? He was on your mind non-stop anyway.

He turned his head.

“Shit,” you cursed inadvertently. There was no escape. He was coming towards you now. But you weren’t blind to the happiness and confidence that radiated from him. He looked genuinely content.

“Ah, finally gracing us with your wonderful presence, darling? People were putting bets on you. I won, obviously.”

Oh, how you’d missed his voice.

“Astarion… hi.” Your thoughts were turning into mush. “You look well.”

He chuckled. “As complimentary as ever. Some things just don’t change, do they?”

Something about him had changed though. It was a good change. There was no bitterness, no resentment in his voice that you expected there would be. You had to know what he’d been through all this time on his own. Hiding in the sewers? He looked too well-kept for it.

You decided to cut to the chase. There was no point beating around the bush, not with Astarion, not when you hadn’t seen him for so long. First things first, you had to address what had been plaguing you the most after you parted ways.

You took a deep breath, swallowing the guilt constricting your throat. “I’m sorry I didn’t seek you out. I felt horrible, like I failed you.. Failed our friendship.”

“You didn’t.” His smile was full of genuine warmth. “I had to process things on my own time, alone. It took a while. But eventually I realised that shadows and darkness are a part of me, same as my fangs. This is a curse only if I allow it to be, if I allow it to define me.”

There was peace in his voice that you hadn’t heard before. You could feel pride soaring in your chest. You had hoped to hear something like this from him but it surprised you nonetheless.

“This is finally ‘me’ in all my glory, for better or for worse.” He grinned and you had to suppress the urge to touch him and kiss him right then and there. It was exactly what you wished for him. To heal and accept he was perfect the way he was. Strong, resilient.

“So what have you been up to?” you asked, trying to keep your voice steady.

“Well, darling, I've taken a turn as an adventurer and a hero. Inspiring hope in people, rather than terror. I do try to inspire a little terror though. It’s still me after all.” His face beamed with excitement. “Turns out nobody actually cares about murder when you murder the right people and I’m quite good at it!”

You let out a giggle without meaning to. Only this man could make you laugh about murder. At least now his thirst for bloodshed had a proper direction. And gods, his confidence was extremely attractive. Not that he was ever unattractive, but until Cazador’s death, he was operating under fear and trauma. His self-perception had been warped by two hundred years of gaslighting and torture. Seeing him this happy finally lifted the burden you’d carried for the past six months.

“Who would’ve thought of Astarion becoming a hero?” you teased. “I distinctly remember you scoffing about how utterly awful it is and how heroes suck, or am I wrong?”

He rolled his eyes with playfulness rather than annoyance.

“Oh, how I’ve missed you, my dear, you and your hero speeches! What can I say, you inspired me.”

Your heart did a little jump inside your chest. Being in his presence again felt so familiar and comforting, alluring even.

Another memory flashed through your mind.

“You deserve something real. I want us to be something real.”

Saying to him that he needed a friend, not a lover, was one of the biggest mistakes of your life. Maybe this was your chance to rectify it, unless Astarion had found somebody else. You had no idea how to approach the topic to make it less awkward. This would require a bit of liquid courage.

“Would you excuse me for a moment?”

He gave you his signature silly little bow. “Of course, darling. I’ll be here, eagerly waiting for you.”

You clearly needed a lot of courage.

One drink.

Two drinks.

Three drinks.

They weren’t enough. You felt his eyes on you, watchful as always for a seasoned rogue. He approached you and swatted the half-drunk wine glass out of your hand.

“I think you’ve had your fill. We don’t want any drama here, though it would definitely spice up the evening.” He clicked his tongue and lifted you from the chair, dragging you away from the table towards the more quiet area where your tent used to be. You gasped at the sudden touch of his arms around you.

“W-wait,” you stuttered.

It was now or never.

“I want to-to ask you��something,” you mumbled, praying not to pass out and utterly embarrass yourself in front of him.

“Don’t tell me this is why you got yourself piss-drunk. To loosen up that sweet tongue of yours. That isn’t like you, is it?”

Gods, he was so close you could smell his perfume. You yearned to touch his forever beautiful face, his beautiful everything. You felt so damn stupid. He was in love with you back then, but what now, after you’d practically abandoned him?

“D-do you still like me, Astarion?” Your heart was beating so fast now that you could hear it echoing in your ears. “As more than a friend, I mean.”

He pursed his lips and ever so theatrically imitated a thinking gesture. “You tell me, darling, you know me well enough.”

You weren’t so sure. As difficult as it was and despite the wine dizzying you, you were determined to stay on course.

“Answer me. And please stop deflecting.”

He smirked. “My dear, you want me now when I have no problems to deal with, is that it?”

Deflecting yet again. He never stopped being a little shit and you both hated and loved it about him.

“I want you,” you said, louder than you meant to. “I’ve always wanted you.”

“Your actions spoke otherwise,” he countered with a cheeky smile.

There was no way in hells he was going to make it easy for you. In the end, it was your fault. His response stung despite his joking manner because of course, he was right. You closed the door instead of walking through it, and he respected your choice. He always did. But it looked like he would not let it slide now that the cat was out of the bag, the bastard was enjoying himself.

“At that time I thought it was for the best. I was wrong, okay?” you spat out going on offense. Damn, this wasn’t going according to plan but when did anything go right when this man was involved? Actually, you didn’t even have a plan, only a complete blackout, your brain refusing to cooperate. “Not anymore,” you added, placing your hand on his chest. You noticed a hint of tenderness in his eyes, unless you completely imagined it with your wine-muddled vision. His palm gently rested upon yours. It was electrifying.

He raised his eyebrow and a devious smirk graced his beautiful lips. “I’m truly flattered, my dear, however your seduction technique needs some work. I thought you’d learned something from me, but clearly not.”

“You…you’re such an ass,” you chided. Hells, he was infuriating. Yet you didn’t move your hand away from the spot where his heart would be beating if he were alive.

He snickered. “And you’re adorable.”

“Having fun, just like old times, huh?”

“It’s hard not to with you, sweetheart. I have to admit that I do enjoy our roles being reversed.”

Shit, if you could wipe that smirk off of his stupidly handsome face with a kiss, you would. But you still had enough presence of mind to not do it.

You placed your other hand on his smooth cold cheek, running your fingers over his cheekbone. The face chiseled by gods. How was anyone ever allowed to look this perfect? Your thumb found a way to the corner of his lips, caressing it ever so gently. He didn’t pull away, stood still almost rigid, his stare buried into you with pure undiluted focus.

As the alcohol slowly began evaporating from your system, you were certain right now you hadn’t imagined the tenderness. Mixed with amusement…and longing. Nothing changed about the fact that you could read everything from his crimson eyes, like from an open book. He presented himself as mysterious but one act of kindness and the facade crumbled. You’d seen it so many times. He wanted you as much as you wanted him. Intense warmth started to spread from your loins up to your face, threatening to consume you.

“Are you casting Charm on me, darling? That’s cheating,” he huffed. “And it doesn’t have an effect on the Undead.”

You feigned being offended. “As if you didn’t know how my spellcasting works. I didn’t resort to cheap tricks before and don’t need to do it now either.”

“What is it then?”

“You tell me, darling.”

“So cheeky.”

“I’ve learned something from you after all.”

“Perhaps,” he admitted and released himself from under your touch. “We shall continue this enlightening conversation later, I have some business to attend to. Come see me at the Rivington Mill in two days.”

Bastard, leaving you all hot and bothered like this. At least you knew where to find him.

#astarion #my writing

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jienem · 4 months ago

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𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔖𝔩𝔢𝔢𝔭𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝕮𝖚𝖗𝖘𝖊 𝔓𝔞𝔯𝔱 2

Part 1 here (I recommend you to read this first before continuing this.

Sypnosis: The reader didn't know what caused them to fall asleep thus Vil planned to help them.

Warning: the reader is not Yuu but a dorm member of Pomefiore.

You were dreaming.

A faint sense of consciousness lingered as you wandered aimlessly through a visionless, blurry landscape. For the first time in weeks, you found yourself dreaming. Despite the surrounding a blur, a wave of nostalgia washed over you as you walked around. The more you moved, the clearer the scenery became. You recognized this place and began reminiscing about old memories.

The air was warm, neither cold nor hot. The wind caressed your skin, yet no sound came from all around. You fluttered your hand and noticed there was nothing around you. It should have alarmed you, but it did not. Instead, a strange numbness and drowsiness overcame you, making you feel as though you could pass out at any moment. But you remembered this was supposed to be a dream.

You felt numb and drowsy.

It felt like you could pass out at any moment, but you remembered it was supposed to be a dream.

If it was a dream, how could everything feel so real?

Feeling uneasy and anxious, you glanced around, hoping for a change of scenery. That was when you noticed a strange forest nearby. Light illuminated from behind it, and without your conscious intent, your body moved forward into the forest.

Everything blurred once more.

You woke up again in another place, but this time it was your dorm lobby. The room was filled with all sorts of decorations, indicative of a celebration.

You remembered.

Your dorm was celebrating Pomefiore's achievement, yet you recalled feeling uneasy, as if something ominous was about to happen. But you couldn’t remember exactly what.

Glancing around, you noticed the table filled with an array of food and gifts from the other dorms. It all became hazy from there before your view was block with purple and gold cloth. A scent you couldn't deciper enveloped around you before a voice calls out to you though you couldn't make out what they were saying. You looked up at their blurry face in confusion, trying to speak. Suddenly, something was placed on your skin, and everything went black again.

You flinched and sighed, accepting your fate. Your housewarden glared at you in disappointment. Glancing around, you noticed that your vice housewarden was nowhere to be seen. Earlier, he had knocked on your door, announcing that the housewarden was calling for you.

"Greetings, Mademoiselle Little Flower, how are you? Did you rest well? Oh, before that, Roi de Poison asked me to inform you that he wants to meet you at the library this morning. I'm afraid I can't accompany you as much as I'd like to. You see, being a vice housewarden involves a lot of work—oh! Look at the time! See you later, Mademoiselle Little Flower, take care!"

And off he went.

You got ready for the day, but then you were hit with another dizzy spell, causing you to lean against the wall and gently fall to the ground. By the time you managed to wake up, it was already afternoon.

"My apologies, Vil-san..." you weakly said as you bowed your head. Silence followed, and you didn't dare to look up, fearing his reaction. The weight of his gaze felt like it could pierce your very soul, and for a moment, you thought he might kill you.

"Sigh, you're forgiven. Sit down here." You looked up just as he motioned toward the chair in front of him. Wordlessly, you sat down, waiting patiently. Silence enveloped the two of you as Vil placed a book on the table beside him. You were surprised to see an enormous pile of books on alchemy and potions, topics some you recognized well.

"I've done some research and want you to try out a potion I made to see if it'll work for you. But then you made me wait for hours." You gulped, nervously meeting his eyes, which flickered with irritation before he slid the book toward you.

"And also, I informed the teachers about your delicate situation. They told me they'll try to find a solution regarding your curse. And, of course, you do not need to worry about your classes." Vil turned the book toward you, a smirk playing on his lips.

"All you've missed in class will be taught by myself, along with advancements in some subjects."

"What?!" you exclaimed, unable to hide your surprise.

"You should rejoice at being taught by me. Not many people have the privilege of being tutored by me," he replied, his smirk widening. Despite his words, you felt a pang of fear. He narrowed his eyes, the smirk never leaving his face.

"And we should also discuss your daily routine. We cannot let your delicate matter interfere with your skincare regimen."

You've fallen asleep many times, much to your dismay and Vil's. He had given you many potions to test, but without fail, your head always ended up on the table. Vil sighed in exasperation before rubbing his temples and muttering,

"Even with my skills in potion-making, I couldn't make your curse less effective."

You could only join his frustration by simply nodding in defeat. Each attempt, each hopeful sip, ended the same way—your eyes drooping and consciousness slipping away.

You fell asleep once more.

Sometime later, Rook appeared with a beaming smile that could rival the sunshine of Scarabia, only for his lips to curl downward when Vil disapproved of his idea.

"No," Vil said firmly.

"But it could work, no? Just like the fairytale—"

"Tell me, have you seen or heard that they were in love with someone?" Vil interrupted.

"No?" Rook replied, a bit confused.

"Exactly my point. There is no way I'm letting anyone kiss their lips with greasy or chapped lips from potatoes."

"Um, do I have a say in this?" you tried to join the conversation, only to be met with Vil's fierce eyes.

"Absolutely not," he responded with finality.

"Mademoiselle Little Flower, may I ask if something happened that caused you to be cursed?" Rook's voice broke the tense silence as you looked at him, frowning slightly. You tried to remember, but nothing came to mind. You hadn't had any conflicts or done anything that would provoke such a curse. You had been quite occupied with your routines.

"Not that I'm aware of," you finally replied after a moment of contemplation.

"Have you eaten anything suspicious?" Rook asked further.

"Um, no? Just the usual from my routine," you answered, feeling perplexed.

"What did you eat at the celebration?" Vil's voice cut in after a period of silence. You turned to look at him and found him already staring at you, causing you to look away instinctively.

"Um, I couldn't recall... Fruits and desserts, I guess?" You furrowed your brow in thought. Despite not remembering exactly what you ate, you recalled an odd dream from last night. It felt so surreal, yet the scent lingered faintly in your memory. If you were to guess again, it would be something sweet or sour.

You closed your eyes, feeling your vision grow hazy once more. A hand reached out to your face, prompting you to open your eyes. Vil's light purple eyes met yours, and you were surprised to see worry flicker across his expression before he composed himself.

"I think we're done for today, lets do this for another time."

He stood up and pick up his stuff whilst Rook and you exchange glances. He shake his head and held his hands in the air saying he too was puzzled by Vil's action before all of you left the library. As the three of you left the library, you glanced upward and weren't surprised to see that night had already descended. You turned around and nearly bumped into Vil, but he caught you by the shoulder, steadying you. His scent enveloped you—something familiar yet elusive, stirring a memory you couldn't quite grasp.

"Are you alright Y/N?"

What's the matter?

"Yes, just light headed."

I'm fine just tired V꙲i꙲l꙲-s꙲a꙲n꙲

There was a tension in the air, a mix of urgency and uncertainty, as Vil scrutinized your form before nodding slightly.

"Would you still like us to accompany you, or do you think you can handle yourself?" Vil asked, his tone measured.

"No, no, no, Roi de Poison! We must accompany them back to the dorm. We don't want our Mademoiselle Little Flower falling asleep on the ground somewhere just like earlier, do we?" Rook said giving Vil a horrendous gaze when he even suggest such a thing

"I suppose not," Vil relented, giving you a faint smile.

You smiled as they continue bickering Before you knew it, you were back in the dorm lobby. Vil and Rook turned to look at you as you bid them goodbye.

"I'm really sorry that I took up so much of your time. I know you both are very busy, and I appreciate you caring about me even though I don't have much useful information," you said earnestly.

"It's alright, Mademoiselle Little Flower. The continued effort to find a solution is what matters," Rook reassured you.

"I agree with that, Vil added with a nod.

Rook hugged you tightly, a wave of emotion washed over you, causing tears to well up in your eyes. Vil merely smiles on your way. You smiled once more, acknowledging him, but couldn't shake the hidden suspicion that lingered in your mind.

The scent from your dreams—sweet and spicy, with a floral undertone—had stirred something familiar within you.

It was similar to Vil's perfume earlier. You wondered if you had spoken with him at the celebration, but then realized it was inevitable given that you were in the same dorm and he was your housewarden. Yet, despite these logical connections, an anxious feeling gnawed at you.

What had happened during the celebration that you couldn't remember? Why was it all a blur? Were you overthinking, or was there something significant that eluded your memory?

"Is there something in my face Y/N? "

What's the matter, you look unwell.

You blink your eyes and suddenly feel flushed. You've been staring at Vil for quite sometime causing Vil and Rook look at you when they notice you hadn't said anything for a while. They continued to look at you, one was amused, and one was concerned. You finally reply with a flushed ears.

"I'm fine, just caught up by what had happened. It's just overwhelming," you explained, hoping to ease their concern. They seemed to relax slightly at your words, though doubt still lingered in their expressions. Rook smiled warmly at you before gently urging you to return to your room. You waved them goodbye and left them behind, the weight of their gazes following you down the hall.

Vil's eyes remained fixed on your retreating figure before he turned to Rook, who wore a knowing smile.

"What is it now, Rook?" Vil asked, folding his arms.

"Say Vil, did you perhaps talk to them at the celebration?" Rook continued to smile as he asked.

"Yes I did, is there something wrong with that?" Vil folded his arms as he questioned.

"But did something happen?"

"Yes, there was. They were tipsy from alcohol that wasn't supposed to be at the celebration. Those unwelcome potatoes might have something to do with it. I escorted them somewhere nearby so they could sit down. That's all," Vil explained tersely. They sized each other up, exchanging unspoken understanding, before Rook chuckled softly.

"I'll let you keep your secret, Roi de Poison. But when the time comes, you'll have to face it," Rook remarked cryptically.

Vil's plastered a smile at Rook. "As expected of my vice housewarden. Your perceptiveness is keen, to say the least." With that, Vil turned and started walking away. "I'm off to bed."

Rook remained, watching Vil depart with an amused expression. "Oh, Mademoiselle Little Flower, be prepared for what happens next. Once beauty sets its eyes on a flower, it'll never be swayed again," he mused to himself, a hint of mischief in his tone.

~~~~~

"What's the matter? You look unwell, Y/N," Vil's voice cut through the haze around you. He frowned, detecting the scent of alcohol on your breath, and muttered in disappointment.

"I'm fine, just tired, Vil-san," you managed to slur out, clearly intoxicated.

"Did someone bring alcohol into the celebration? Sigh I'll inform Rook about this and reprimand whoever is responsible."

You still looked dazed as you frowned at him, muttering incoherently.

"If you have something to say, speak up. Don't mutter to yourself," he urged, but before you could respond, you slumped forward in front of him.

"You seem nice and kind," you giggled softly, struggling to stay upright in his presence.

"Excuse me?" Vil was taken aback.

"I thought you were somewhat cold before. When I first met you, I found you intimidating," you continued, your speech interrupted by hiccups and slurred words. "But then I learned about all your achievements, how you handle things, and how fairly you treat us."

"You're an amazing leader—smart, perceptive, everything I look forward to in class," you confessed, clinging to his clothes for balance, cheeks flushed from the alcohol. Unaware of his growing stillness, you continued pouring out your thoughts.

"Hm, you might not remember this but you help me before. When we were newly freshman year, I was lost and was somehow got into a forest, I think it was a maze from the heartslabyul... You calmed me down when you stayed with me, even when I accidentally dirtied your prim clothes. It was improper for a pomefiore student yet you didn't reprimand me. And I thank you for that"

Vil gently guided you into a nearby chair, standing in front of you in silence. He stayed silent for a while before tilting his upper body forward, he placed his hand on your cheeks as he wordlessly stares at your eyes. You could only stare at him in confusion when he open his mouth and closes it again.

"Of course, I would help you. You were a fellow dorm member." Vil chuckles under his breath.

"But perhaps you also don't remember this," Vil lifted your chin gently with his fingers, his touch tender. He kissed your forehead gently, holding you close for a moment before releasing you. Your eyelids drooped with drowsiness.

"Do you remember the time you wandered onto the set when we were children? You looked so bored while everyone else was busy," Vil reminisced, a nostalgic smile playing on his lips.

"You noticed me practicing my lines and kept me company," he continued, his expression softening at the memory. "Then the boy playing the protagonist arrived, wanting you to be his pretend princess."

"But you, stubborn little potato," Vil chuckled again, "you refused and suggested I be your prince instead, your protagonist."

"You kissed me then, just as I did now," Vil recounted, his tone fond as he stroked your cheek gently. As he noticed you finally drift off to sleep, a tender smile graced his lips.

"You once told me you wanted to see me in a play where I could survive like the protagonist. I haven't achieved that yet, but for now, rest well."

"𝔖𝔩𝔢𝔢𝔭."

Hello guys! Sorry for the long hiatus its been so long since I write. Anyways thank you for reading this i'm not sure if I captured most of their characteristic and the ending seemed to be oc but ehhh what do you think?

#twst imagines #twst x reader #disney twisted wonderland #disney twst #twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland x reader #twst wonderland #twst vil x reader #twst vil schoenheit #twst vil #vil schoenheit x reader #vil schoenheit #vil x reader #twst rook hunt #twst rook #rook hunt

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lyrenminth · 6 months ago

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What we could be

Second part of the request about Joe and you getting divorce

Happy ending, second chance

I'm going to send the kids with my mom on Saturday. Would you like to go out and eat something or we stay at the house?"

Truthful to his word, Joe sent you a text. You didn't know what to answer, going out implied many things and you didn't want to be seen with him (harsh but true) but being surrounded by people made you more confident than being alone at his house. You didn't want to think what would happen if you were alone at his house.

"There's a coffee place we could talk privately. Saturday at noon" you answer back.

"Perfect!"

When Saturday came, you were so nervous you messed up your eyeliner twice. You remembered his words. "I never wanted a divorce" Was that really true? You never thought Joe was putting any effort into your relationship after Mackenzie was born. Everything was football and winning. You really try to talk to him, you really did and he wouldn't clear a damn space in his agenda for you.

You sighed, looking at your reflection in the mirror. You remembered the way Joe look at you when Julian mentioned the date.

Would you go back with Joe if he asked?

You didn't know. You loved him, he was the dad of your children but you were so scared. You didn't wanted to get hurt again.

When you arrived at the coffee, Joe was already there. He smiled fondly and stood up to kiss your cheek. Your hands were sweaty when you took your seat. "Should we order something?" He said looking at the menu. "I'm going to order an iced coffee" he stood up before you to set your order on the counter. You watch him interact with the employee, and you felt a pang in your chest. He was lovely, really polite. He would order your coffee like this many times before. Nostalgia hit you like a truck, but you weren't here to remind the sweet times.

When he came back you said a shy thank you and waited for him to sit down. "Well, thanks for coming" he smiled again. "Julian has the same smile at you" you pointed out. His smile grew bigger. "Yeah, the boys told me"

"Well, yes" you gulped, sipping your coffee.

He ran his hands through his hair, one, two, three times. Good to know you weren't the only nervous.

"I mean it. What I said in the house" he said, his eyes big and honest "I'm sorry I've never considered your feelings. I guess being a father made me realize the big responsibility I was carrying, but I completely forgot to be a husband" when you didn't say a word, he continue "I thought that by working more, earning more money would protect my family" he was sad "I never thought it would be the reason of losing it"

"Joe, this is not about the kids. I think you're a great father, and they loved you. This is about us" you sighed, tired of having this conversation "We forgot about ourselves. I tried to arrange dates you didn't show up. We had conversations like this before, I missed my husband and you weren't there so tell me" you voice filled with emotions made you stop for a second "...tell me why I should believe you"

"I-I still love you, Y/N" he confessed, staring at your soul "I want to share a bed, a house or a damn mug with you. No one else. You are the mother of my children and I still care about you "

"You didn't hook up with that reporter a month after our divorce?" you brought up. He pressed his lips and have the decency to look ashamed. "I was hurt, but yeah"

"Well, it was long ago" you realize after the divorce Joe went blank about his personal life. No one knew if he was having dates. It was hard to believe if he didn't.

"I understand if you're afraid, I'm very honest and very clear right now, I want a second chance" he declared, fully confident.

"Joe..." you pleaded, but looking at him felt so familiar. What would happen if you didn't divorce? Your family would be closer, children wouldn't be stressed but maybe you would be miserable, right? You loved him, you still do. Joe had all the respect and admiration on your side, but again you never felt the same support. "I love you, you're a great father but you haven't show me any different"

"Give me a second chance please" his hand looked for yours over the table, and when you felt it so warm and big around yours, your mind was in completely silence. You haven't touch Joe in three years. He was the love of your life, and yet...you were so scared.

At your hesitation, he confessed "I'm sorry to made you feel lonely, I regret it completely. I'm not going to talk about my wishes anymore. And I understand if you say no" he took a deep breath before saying "I'll retire this year"

The new made you flinch in surprise. "What? No? Are you joking?"

"No, I'm not joking. After the divorce I realize many things" he sounded honest.

"But you loved football!"

"Yes, but my body is asking for a rest. And football is not my family, doesn't make me cookies and hug me tight everytime they see me" you were crying at that point. If that's true, things could be so different. "I want you back. You're my wife, I made those vows for you. I love you"

"Okay"

"Do you give me a second chance?" he was grinning full of hope.

"Yes"

"You won't regret it, I promise"

#joe burrow #joe burrow fan fic #joe burrow x reader

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shinakazami1 · 1 year ago

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TSPUD: Symbolism of The Pink Room

@stelar-time asked in Twitter (I refuse to call it X) post about people's headcanons about the Pink Room and I thought I'd share this here, too

CW for some religious mentions

First, I'd like you to look at the dialogues in this part.

The fact that it's the fourth figurine is not a coincidence.

The Pink Room seems to serve as a symbol of nostalgia and of how memories can change with time. They tend to be rough and down the pipe you go, they do tend to lose details or get some added parts in, for your brain to make sense of them. That's why this room doesn't come at the first or last Figley and instead in the middle, as those are more often the parts we tend to forget.

What is interesting, though, is how Narrator questions it. Because a similar situation occurs somewhere else.

At the end of the Demo, Narrator starts to do a callbacks to the journey you had. However, at some point, he starts to mention and show parts you've never seen before. In contrast to the Pink Room though, there is not a single questioning involved. So, what's so special about that room?

You could say it's only a symbol of a nostalgia and fragility of memory. That he is recalling some moments he felt halky about and due to it, puts rose-tinted glasses which show off in a form of this room. Why hadn't he done the same thing in the Demo, though?

Memory overall seems to have a bigger role in TSPUD.

Narrator overall seems to have memory issues - he tends to remember some of the previous resets (skipping parts of the Freedom run after going through it nth time in a row) and completely forgets others.

That's why he has Memory Zone. He uses it as a photo album, not knowing it's as unreliable as his own callbacks.

But then, I did wonder... Why an apple? Why does this room show it and not anything else, any pink fruit?

And then, I looked at the architecture of the place and it reminded me of something.

Big window, a statue of some sort on a pedestal before it, pointed archs, to ribbed vaulting... It seems to match a typical church architecture. And then, it hit me.

The Apple of Eden. Fruit of the forbidden knowledge. Of somebody being there, someone watching, listening. Of him not having fun control over his creation might have been bit when we were jsut skipping around, only seeing part of his struggle in the Skip Button.

You might be then asking, why doesn't it have a bite mark then?

There are two possibilities I've considered:

1) it could shows Narrator's ignorance that he shows quite often. That could be true since he just tries to accept what had changed, trying to just say 'don't focus on it, it's a silly thing, let's move on'. He brings it up though since he already learnt from the Broom Closet that things untold seem to interest the Player more.

2) It's a memory within a memory. The apple before he bit in. It's the knowledge he beholds and shows us in a non direct way.

Just like the Bucket.

Nostalgia is supposed to give a good vibe but - it doesn't always succeed.

But this room can indirectly show Narrator's progress. The fact he knows more, the fact he can tell his memories get altered, the fact that - he changed.

In ways we misremember.

#My ramblings #Tspud #Pink room #The Stanley parable #Ultra deluxe #Figley #Figlurines #Theory #Narrator

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kasagia · 1 year ago

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Bring me a dream pt. 1

Pairing: Aleksander Morozova/general Kirigan x fem! sun summoner! reader Summary: Everyone has their soulmate—someone they are meant for. This was due to Sankta Maradaia, who decided to connect two souls destined for each other during their sleep to show them their other half, Sankta also sent them a tattoo of their loved one name, so that souls thirsting for each other can finally be united. Aleksander never had even one, short dream about his soulmate. Just a tattoo that has taunted him for ages. The Darkling believes this is his punishment for creating the fold, another privilege of being condemned. To never know his soulmate. But one day, a dream about a sun summoner comes to him. Someone equal to him. Someone meant for him. And he promises himself to find you at all costs. Not just because of your powers. Nonsense from me: This is an request from @morrigan-crowmwell I hope you like it! 💙🖤 P.S. I know it took me soooo looong again and I'm so sorry. I'm trying to fight my writer's block. 😅 I used a quote from Taylor Swift's Blank Space. Inspired by the song Mr. Sandman - SYML Wairning(s): mentions of blood, abuse, fighting, violence Word count: 6,7k Taglist: @aoi-targaryen @morrigan-crowmwell ~•♤♤♤•~ Aleksander Morozova's Masterlist ~•♤♤♤•~

I've been waiting a long time to meet you in my dreams…

"My soulmate is great! I've seen her fight with a REAL sword! Can you imagine that, guys?! My father still teaches me on that wooden. Ugh! I envy her so much."

"Mine swims faster than either of you! Of course, he's not as good as me, but I've seen him shoot a bow. What I'd give to join him on a hunt!"

"And you, sahdow-boy? You sit more quietly than usual, don't be shy! Show off what she or he is like."

Aleksander tensed up, feeling the other boys' eyes on him. The young shadow summoner felt a blush of shame appear on his face. He hated such conversations. He already couldn't fit in with a group of other kids, and he was constantly reminded that he was different. Weirdo. Proteus.

"I… I haven't dreamed of her yet. But I know her name!" he tried to reply in a tone of voice that mimicked their enthusiasm. He couldn't show them that he was weak. That the fact that he had never seen his soulmate before hurt him. That he was a changeling again.

"My father also started dreaming about my mother late. Maybe she just wasn't born yet?" his only friend put a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. He thanked the saints for Ivan. He was a light in his darkness for now. And heartrender wasn't talking about his shadows at all...

"Did you hear, guys?! Shadow-boy will be dating a baby!"

Aleksander was furious. He felt anger rise up in him as the other children laughed at his soulmate. Without knowing when, he summoned his shadows and plunged the clearing into darkness, stopping the laughter of the other children.

"Hey, take it easy, shadow-weirdo! We're just kidding!"

"The freak, as usual, can't control himself."

Voices came out of the darkness, and the footsteps of children receding were all Aleksander could hear before he was alone with his shadows again.

Even Ivan's hand disappeared from his shoulder as shadows blanketed the area.

He was utterly alone. And he hated it.

You looked at yourself in the mirror, smiling.

18 birthday. Your big day.

You adjusted the necklace your grandmother had given you around your neck, proudly displaying the amulet with your birthstone. Your mother's earrings hang proudly from your ears. Nostalgia is starting to get to you. You so wish she were here.

"I've lived in this world for so long that, for ages, I've felt that time moves infuriatingly slowly. But ever since you came into the world, I've felt it slip through my fingers. You've grown up so fast... you look like your mother." the woman sighs as she stands behind you in the mirror and looks at you tenderly, fixing your braid.

"I wish a madraya was here." you say sad. Grandma puts a hand on your shoulder and turns you around to look her in the eye.

"She is here, my sun. In our hearts and memories. As long as you can picture her before your eyes, she will always be with you. Watching you from heaven." you both stand in silence, remembering your recently deceased mother.

"I have something for you." the woman speaks as she pulls a beautiful gold bracelet engraved with your family symbol from her sleeve.

"Oh, grandma, you didn't have to… it's beautiful."

"And practical. Materialnik made it specially for me. Thanks to this, no one will see THAT on your wrist."

"Why should I hide it?" you ask, confused, when she helps you fasten the bracelet on your wrist where was your soulmate's name on it.

"I want you to be careful."

"Careful of what?"

"Powerful men." she replies seriously, stroking your cheek tenderly. "There is nothing worse in the world than the greed of men. Than their excessive ambition. We are the sun summoners, honey. You are my blood, my pride, and my only solace in this world. The love of men is fatal. You don't need it, and trust me, you don't want it. Promise me for your dead mother and my daughter..." your grandmother grabbed your wrist, turning it so you both could see that the black ink, that showed up this morning, disappeared. Aleksander Morozova. "Do not seek him. Avoid him. Treat him like the plague. Do not repeat the fate of your poor mother. I couldn't stand losing you because of another man's lust for power."

"I promise you, babushka. I will not share my mother's fate." you promise with tears in your eyes. Your mother trusted the wrong person... you were not going to repeat her fate.

"And you will always wear a bracelet and necklace from me?"

"Yes. I promise." you solemnly promise, while looking into her eyes. You two were one of a kind. Summoners of the sun. Long-lived. Powerful. You have to stick together if you want to survive in this cruel for Grishas world. "Can I go now and enjoy the summer solstice festival?"

"Yes. Have fun, sunshine. And return home no more than two hours after dark!" she screams after you as you run to get some freedom... to forget who you are for a while.

"That boy keeps staring at you!" your friend shouts through the crowd of people having fun and nods her head at the boy by the fire.

You glanced at the side she indicated. She is right. A handsome brunette with dark eyes looks straight at you. He looks away when he sees you noticing him and pretends to be talking to the boy next to him. You roll your eyes at your friend's behaviour and continue drinking your beer.

"And what do you think I'm supposed to do about it?"

"Go and have fun!" she says, offended that you don't know. "I've known you since you came here. You haven't had a single boyfriend, you're shooing all the suitors away. You're 18. Go and flirt with him, or I'll take care of this handsome one."

You are laughing at her words. You look at the boy again, and you can't deny that you feel a strange pull… a bond that wants you to come to him. But you don't listen to it.

"So take him. I'm going home," you say as night falls completely. The flame of the torch and bonfire is the only source of light.

"Really? Will you waste an opportunity like this?" you just laugh with a shrug at her words and make your way to the path through the woods leading to your house, pushing your way through the crowd of people.

You leave the clearing where the festival is taking place and enter the forest. You sigh with relief to be alone, away from people's voices. You walk confidently into the darkness without being afraid of it as you watch the stars above you.

You are walking down a familiar path when suddenly you hear the crunch of leaves and branches behind you. You turn slowly with your hand close to the hidden dagger at your hip.

You see in front of you the same boy who was staring at you by the fire. You watch him warily, waiting for his move.

He takes one slow step towards you, his dark eyes never leaving yours. Without knowing why, you stare spellbound into his eyes again, unable to utter a word. It's only when he crosses halfway between you that common sense returns to you and you raise a dagger in his direction.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you." he says, stopping and staring at the blade glistening in the moonlight. "Of course, only if you don't hurt me either."

"Why are you following me?" you ask without lowering your weapon, still holding it as a warning between you two.

He frowns, looking from the dagger to you. "I have no bad intentions. I saw you going this way and this forest… is not the safest place."

"I know. Nowhere is safe." you reply coldly, eyeing him carefully. "Which doesn't answer my question. Why did you follow me in here?"

"I wanted to make sure you made it through safely." you snort, amused, not for a moment believing the stranger's concern for you. He stays where he is, not moving for a moment, undaunted by your reaction. If anything, curiosity only grows in his eyes. "You haven't experienced much kindness from others, have you?"

"I'm not going to answer a stranger's question like that. You do not know anything about me."

"I can see you're too distrustful, and if the lack of trembling in your dagger hand tells me something, it is that you've threatened someone more than once."

"That's right… shouldn't you run as far away from me as possible, then?" you ask, raising an eyebrow at him as you watch his impassive reaction…but you certainly didn't expect him to raise the corners of his… pretty mouth in response.

"I'd rather walk you out and make sure you're okay... or anyone who dares stand in your way." you bite your lip, holding back a smile so you don't react to his teasing.

"I doubt you'd be able to do anything."

"I'm tougher than you think." he says, answering your challenge with a mischievous smirk. The sparkles in his dark eyes shine in the moonlight… and you involuntarily agree with your friend. He was handsome… and dangerous.

"I don't need a man to play my prince on a white horse. I can be my own knight."

"Well, if you want my opinion…" you cut him off before he could finish.

"No, thank you. I have my own." he laughs at your words, shaking his head in amusement as he licks his lips.

He stares at you intensely, and you know that if you were anyone else, you would have pounced on him by the campfire. But you were a sun summoner. You couldn't trust someone like that. Even if you wanted to...

"Very well then... but, I'd feel better walking you through the woods at least. May I?" he asks, extending his hand towards you. "Or are you too afraid that you will enjoy my company?"

You snort, placing your hand in the crook of his arm. You could have let him. Clearly, he has had no ill intentions so far. You glare at him defiantly as you see a spark of amusement in his eyes and a wild smile on his lips.

"What?" you ask dryly.

"Nothing. I just thought you couldn't look prettier… you seem to glow even more when you prove people wrong."

"I'm too smart to be seduced by you." you warn him, looking at him carefully as he tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear. You feel your cheeks blush slightly.

"Maybe that's why I'm so drawn to you?" he asks, whispering, staring into your eyes.

You're drowning in the moment. His smell, the depth of his dark eyes… and without knowing why, the feeling is… actually the opposite of what you felt when others tried to flirt with you.

"Careful... you've stared into my eyes for too long to say you don't care." he says, sparks of malice appearing in his eyes. You snort and are about to respond to his taunt when his expression suddenly cools and he pulls you into his chest.

You're about to yell at him and attack him when suddenly an arrow flies right over where you used to stand. You recognise its distinctive arrowhead. "Drüskelle." you whisper.

You don't waste time. You back away from him and grab your daggers. You can't show the world what power you wield, so you limit yourself to melee combat. You're also not sure if your companion is Grisha.

You kill the first of them, and next to you, you hear the sounds of your companion's fight. He's doing fine. You deal with most of the Drüskelle pretty quickly when suddenly one of them comes up behind you. Before you can engage, your companion pulls you back to his chest. You see nothing. He makes sure of it when you hear Drüskelle's desperate cry from behind you, who wanted to kill you as well as the others who managed to stay alive. Suddenly it's quiet again... but it's darker around you than before.

You gently pull away from him as he releases his strong grip on your hair. You look around, seeing Drüskelle's bodies as if they were… cut.

"I… how?" you ask, dumbfounded, not believing what you see. You turn your gaze back to him. "Are you a Grisha? Heartrender maybe?"

"It's... a little more complicated." he says, looking down at your hands and bloody daggers.

"I'm guessing you're not a Grisha, then?"

"It's a little more complicated." you say, repeating his words. He looks up and stares into your eyes again. Without knowing why, you both giggle. "I... thank you. I wouldn't handle them all alone."

"No problem." He says, still staring at you. Without knowing why, you lean towards him.

You swallow, smelling his scent again, involuntarily remembering the warmth and safety his arms gave you. You shouldn't feel that way about a stranger. And yet...

"I… I should probably go now."

"Me too." he whispers back, but you're both too hypnotised to move. Not thinking much about the bodies around you or the blood on your clothes.

For some strange reason, the eyes of the other and this closeness seem much more interesting to you both than the world around you.

He leans towards you too. A short distance separates you as you both stare at each other in silent anticipation and excitement. However, that moment is effectively cut short as you hear another movement around you.

You both draw your daggers and aim at where you heard the movement. There is a woman behind you. Her dark eyes are remarkably similar to those of your companion. You are surprised to see how his irises have already been etched into your memory.

"You find yourself a friend?" the woman asks him mockingly, staring at the two of you.

"I'm going, mother." he says, obviously waiting for her to leave. But she stands there, watching you curiously. He sighs in annoyance and turns to you. "See you soon." he whispers, placing his dagger in your hand.

You shiver at the skin of his hand on yours as unimaginable power rushes through you. But that's not what keeps you staring at him speechless… and you think you both know it as he gives you a wistful, longing look before turning away.

You can only stay there and stare at the receding silhouettes of the two of them. Then you are all alone again. You turn around and continue on your way home. With a small smile, you tighten your hand around the black dagger.

You were coming home to your grandmother. It was winter, and it was getting harder and harder to drive through the snow from town to your house. But someone had to do the shopping.

As you walked, you heard the sounds of a struggle. Interested, you veered off the path to the house and walked slowly through the snow, trying not to alert anyone to your presence.

You froze as you saw a group of teenagers fighting the same boy who gave you the dagger and helped kill Drüskelle.

The rational part of you told you to get out of there and not deal with this stranger. And you almost did, but then you saw one of the girls stab him in the back and shove him into the ice hole.

You threw the wicker basket with your groceries in the snow and ran towards them. You used your light and stunned them all into unconsciousness. Not enough to kill them, but enough to make their heads hurt for days and some of them lose their eyesight.

With your light, you melted the ice in the river and pulled the mysterious boy out of it by his shoulders.

You held him close as he coughed, spitting water into the snow. You only let him go when he's back to normal.

"Do you attract trouble, or do you just like getting into it?" you ask him with a laugh, trying to lighten the atmosphere. You take off his soaked coat and cover him with one of yours.

"Both, I'm guessing." he says, still shivering. You don't know if it's from the cold or from the attack.

"Get up. We need to keep you warm." you speak and help him stand on two legs.

If he notices the bodies of his unconscious tormentors, he decides not to say anything or ask how you did it. You pick up the basket you dropped earlier and guide both of you to your house.

Surprisingly, he doesn't protest when you enter the house, and luckily for you, your grandmother hasn't come back yet.

"Stay here for a while. I'll go get some dry clothes for you." I speak as I disappear into the other room for a moment.

"How did you overpower them?" you hear his question. You swallow and try to think of an answer as you walk back to the main room.

"It's... complicated." you reply, handing him the clothes. "You can go there and change. I'll put some water on for tea."

He nods and takes the clothes from you. He wants to say something, but instead he sighs and goes to the next room.

You place the kettle over the hearth and wait for the water to boil for tea for the two of you.

"Do you often save people from trouble?" he asks jokingly as he joins you. You smile when you see that he's feeling a little better. He still has a red nose, though. And you're pretty sure if you took his hand, he'd be icy.

"Selected only. Feel honoured." you snort, amused. His laugh makes you shiver. A strange warmth begins to spread from your chest.

"I am." he replies, looking deep into your eyes. He leans closer to you, examining you intently, searching for any reaction from me that would indicate that you are uncomfortable with him.

He finds nothing.

So he leans in a little more. Your noses brush against each other as he waits, giving you the option to either kiss him or pull away from him.

You feel your heart beating fast... you know that if he was a heartrender he would have leaned forward and kissed you a long time ago. You also know you should back off, he was a stranger, a man, you shouldn't trust him.

But after the look he gives you and a glance at his enticing pink lips, you lean forward and press your lips uncertainly to his.

His cold lips warmed up.

You close your eyes as he wraps his arms around you and pulls you closer with one hand on your waist and the other in your hair. You sigh, feeling how wonderful it feels, how proper it is to kiss him even though you don't even know his name. What's undeniable, however, is how great you feel around him.

But you feel something else… like an unimaginable amount of power flows into you with his touch. How your light calls for release. And for a moment, you feel like you're going to lose control if you keep kissing him.

Fortunately, before you stupidly reveal your powers, you pull away from each other, startled by the sound of a whistling kettle.

You both laugh, resting your foreheads against each other. You eventually pull away from him, take the kettle off the hearth, and shift your gaze to it. He's warmer from your kiss than from the fire.

You shift your gaze towards him. And experimentally, you take his hands in yours. You feel the surge of power buzzing through your veins again. Your gaze returns from his warming hands in yours to his irises, and you get lost in his dark eyes again.

"You... are the amplifier." you whisper as you look at him. "That's why they wanted to kill you... they wanted your bones."

He swallows, moves his gaze from your eyes to your joined hands. He doesn't take them out of your warm embrace as he nods, trembling without looking at your face.

"What are you going to do about it?" he asks, realizing full well that you must be Grisha to sense his ability.

The very idea that you, the only person who has shown him any kindness (not knowing him at all) will suddenly want to hurt him after what happened between you two a moment ago makes him sick.

But Aleksander has been through it more than once. Last an hour ago. Despite everything, he still holds a strong grip on your hands, trembling unconsciously.

Your response is to pull him close to you in a tender embrace.

"You're safe." you say simply, and from the way he holds his breath before burying his head in your neck after a few seconds of complete shock, you know that you must be the first person in a very long time to show him such affection.

And you're realizing that you don't need to know his name to know that it's good to hold him in your arms.

And Aleksander feels warm for the first time in a long time. He feels like he's holding the sun. But the most striking thought for him is that he is no longer alone...

"Is that all, General?" Ivan's question pulled Aleksander out of his thoughts. He stopped stroking the tattoo with his soulmate's name hidden under his kefta and glanced at the heartrender.

"Yes, you can go." he sighs, shifting in his chair and rubbing his eyes with his hand.

Ivan looks like he wants to say something but changes his mind at the last moment and leaves the war room, closing the door softly behind him.

Aleksander sighed, staring at the map in front of him. The king was going to bring down Ravka. Only his Grishas were able to hold Ravka's borders. He shuddered, thinking of all the good soldiers the Fjerdans, Drüskelle and others had taken from him. He felt powerless. And if he knew anything in his centuries-old life, it was that he hated that feeling.

He ran a hand through his hair, glancing at his watch on the wall. It was long after midnight. He sighed as he got up from his chair and walked towards his bedroom. He won't help his army if he's barely conscious. He took off his kefta and pushed the books to one side of the bed. He lay down in the free space and fell asleep as soon as his head rested on the pillow.

Something was different… otherwise, Aleksander could sense it the moment his dream began.

There was a strange feeling in his bones; his heart was beating much faster, excited, as if it couldn't wait for what was about to happen.

He was alone again in the deep black shadows. He took a step, and suddenly the shadows parted. He looked up and gasped as he saw a figure in a black-golden kefta in the distance.

He'd had that dream many times before… especially when he was a little boy. That he was irretrievably lost in the darkness.

He had never met anyone in the depths of his shadows before. He took another hesitant step towards the mysterious figure, not taking his eyes off it, afraid that it would disappear at any moment.

But it's not.

A figure in a gold-black kefta stood with its back to him.

Aleksander is afraid. He's afraid that it's just another trick of his mind, that as soon as he utters the name that has haunted him both asleep and awake for hundreds of years, you'll disappear, leaving him utterly alone in the darkness of his shadows again.

But Aleksander had been patient enough for a long time... maybe he could finally give in to what he most wanted, what he missed most, what he craved for like a foolish boy.

He came over to you. Hesitantly and slowly. As if he could spook you at any moment. He raised his hand, but instead of touching your arm, he met air as you took a step away from him and slowly turned to face him.

He held his breath in anticipation, waiting for you to pull down your gold-black hood to reveal your face to him. He watched in fascination as golden threads of light slowly began to flow from your hands.

He had been accustomed to the darkness for centuries. But he couldn't take his eyes off you as your threads of light slowly grew stronger. He watched in utter awe as your light changed from gold to pure white after dispelling the shadows around you two.

His eyes widened as your hood fell back to reveal your familiar, beautiful face. He sighed, letting out a long-held, shaky breath.

And when you took his hand, which he still held out to you, and ran your thumb over his palm? He completely lost himself in your irises, feeling your light grow stronger through its amplifying powers, enclosing the two of you in a silver and gold orb.

But before he gets a chance to reach out to you and caress your cheek tenderly, to feel again that warmth he always felt from you and which turned out to be your light, you suddenly disappear. And with you, your warm light.

His cold shadows enveloped him again…

He wakes up and finds himself in his bed, in his chambers. But for the first time in a long time, instead of being disappointed that he didn't dream of his soul mate this time, he's relieved. And happiness. Excitement. And something he's clung to so desperately all these centuries, much to his mother's taunt... he feels hope.

He doesn't know what has changed. Why suddenly did the saints decide to reveal your face to him after you had met so many centuries ago? For a moment, the bitter thought crosses his mind that he could have had you by his side much sooner. That together you could carry the weight of eternity... but he shakes his head.

He had a chance to implement all his plans now... and to meet his soulmate, whom he had missed for so many centuries. All he had to do was track you down.

And he's not going to lose.

"I'll find you... moya solnishko." he whispers to himself, fondly stroking the tattoo on his wrist. "And when I do, I'll make sure you'll never hide from me again." he promises, placing his lips on the tattoo on his wrist.

He would do anything to finally have someone to call his own…

"I was hoping to find you here." Aleksander turns around in surprise when he sees you standing behind him.

"How did you know?" he asks, putting the book back on the shelf. You see the title out of the corner of your eye.

The Lives of Saints

"I know many things." you say, leaning against the shelf. "But honestly? I didn't take you for someone who prays to saints. Or maybe your ego and ambition are so big that you want to become one of them?" you say teasingly, smirking at him. He rolls his eyes and takes your hand, leading you out of the library. You let him lead the two of you into the woods.

"You must have wanted something if you took your precious time to find me." he starts when you both walk a familiar path. This is where your strange "friendship" began, if you could call those stolen moments, kisses, and nights between you two like that… how poetic that it will end here as well.

"I am leaving." you speak briefly without looking at him.

You feel him tense up. It was probably not the answer he ever expected. Out of the corner of your eye, you see him swallow.

He clears his throat, trying to look composed. However, his dark eyes, as always, reveal his true feelings to you. You wonder if you're the only one who can read him like that. "Why?" he whispers.

"Apparently my warning was… not strong enough. One of the people who tried to kill you complained to my grandmother. I have to leave."

"I can talk to her…"

"No!" you cut him off quickly, letting go of his hand and standing in front of him. The last thing you need is his intercession with your grandmother. "I know you mean well, but it's the final decision."

"I see." he says coldly, looking away from you. "Is there anything else you wanted?"

"Yes." you say, pulling his dagger out of your sleeve, handing it to him. "I wanted to give it back to you."

"It's a gift. I'm not in the habit of taking back what I've given someone." he snorts, offended, at which you giggle, amused. He turns his gaze back to you, raising an eyebrow.

"I knew you'd say something like that. That's why…" you pull out a second, identical dagger to the one he gave you. The only difference is that the dagger's handle is decorated with a sun… an eclipsed sun. "I did it." you say, handing it to him.

He takes the dagger from you and examines the engraving. "Why it?" he asks curiously. "Why the eclipsed sun?" his gaze is burning, inquisitive. You know there's no turning back now. You take a step back, his dark irises following your every move.

You shrug. "Guess, shadow summoner."

He stares at you in shock. A thought… a ridiculous and beautiful thought crosses his mind. He knows there's no point in chasing after you. You'll run away from him anyway. But he can't help but scream after your receding silhouette. "What's your name?!"

You're smiling. But you don't turn around to look at him one last time, to steal one last look at his dark, piercing eyes, to get one more moment... Instead, you scream over your shoulder: "Call me sunshine!"

You disappear from his sight. Deep down, you know you'll meet again… But you weren't going to share your mother's fate… even for such mesmerising, dark eyes as his.

After hundreds of years, you've become accustomed to dreamless sleep.

It was your conscious choice. A promise to grandma, mother, and you. You didn't pray to the saints to bring you a dream about your soulmate. You didn't want him... even though his name on your wrist, hidden by your grandmother's bracelet, had tormented you for hundreds of years.

That's why, when your first dream started, you knew it was something bad. You knew your grandmother's necklace had somehow fallen off your neck. And so, you were dreaming. You dreamed about him... and he probably dreamed about you.

You galloped on a horse. It was early morning. The clearing where you galloped was shrouded in mist. The cool wind hit your skin, and your cloak billowed behind you as you tried to lose the black rider following you.

People usually run to their soulmates. They wanted to meet them at all costs. Not you. But the saints have never been merciful to you… maybe because you never prayed to any of them.

Or have they stopped letting you prolong the inevitable.

That's why the black rider soon caught up with you. He rode by your side for a moment, then shot forward. You knew he was trying to block your way, so you sped up and managed to catch up with him for a moment. You rode side by side for a while, but you didn't dare look and atface.

But your wishes no longer mattered.

He sped up ahead of you and stepped sideways, causing your horse to stop and stand on two legs. You held on tight to keep from falling. It wasn't until your horse had calmed down and stood on all four hooves that you loosened your grip on the reins.

"Moya solnishka..." his whisper made you shiver. You lifted your head and looked into those familiar, damned dark eyes that were the cause of all your troubles.

You sat still as he rode his horse closer to yours so he could touch your cheek with his hand. His thumb caressed your skin gently. "I've been waiting a long time for you."

You shivered, hypnotised, as you watched him lean closer to you. A familiar warmth spread through your body as you felt him amplify your powers. But his lips were too close for you to notice anything else than him; his touch and dark eyes, which were looking only at you...

You wake up suddenly. Your hand goes to your neck. Panicked, you discover that your grandmother's necklace is not there… you must have lost it in a fold.

"Fuck." you whisper, running your hand through your hair. The only defence against dreaming about your soul mate is gone. And now he knew who you really were... just as your fears were confirmed.

He was your soulmate. General Kirigan, Darkling, Black Heretic, the boy who was your first kiss hundreds of years ago…

The monster who created the fold…

And as it turned out… Aleksander Morozova.

You look around the room, realizing you're in a tent. And the red keftats of bustling healers confirm your worst fears.

During your journey through the fold, the ship was attacked by volcra. And you, obviously not wanting to die or let other people die, decided to use your power. You've done it hundreds of times before. Only much more discreetly… and you've never fainted from using so much of your power.

Your grandmother must be cursing you from the grave. She warned you a thousand times not to go near Ravka or the fold… and even after her death, you didn't listen to her. Now you have to sneak out of here somehow before word about the sun summoner spreads around the world. Hundreds of years of hiding will be wasted just because you weren't careful enough…

He was excited. He couldn't stand still.

His soulmate, his sun summoner, the solution to all his problems, his little sunshine was here.

He had been waiting for this moment for centuries. He had imagined it thousands of times. However, he never thought that his soulmate would be brought to him by his heartrender after they captured her after rescuing a ship full of people from the fold.

He dismisses everyone from the tent. Only he and she remain.

"It's been a long time, solnishko." he speaks softly. He is prepared for her silence and gives her a moment to process the situation. But he hoped to see a little more enthusiasm from her...

So he takes the time to look at her. On noting all the changes he might notice in her… her cool, indifferent look in those eyes that captivated him so much is one of the worst changes.

He clears his throat. You are still silent. You still ignore him. And Aleksander can't stand it.

"I had an interesting dream recently…" he begins, but you don't pick up on it. You don't really take your eyes off the floor… he's starting to get annoyed.

"You won't look at me?" he asks, waiting for your reaction. However, he finds nothing. Just a blank stare at the symbol he has chosen over the course of several hundred years. Eclipsed sun.

"You won't even comment on that? What a pity. I've always liked your sharp tongue." he says, taking a step towards you. You watched him carefully. He's a little triumphant to see that he's managed to catch your eye. Saints… he missed those damn eyes. "The cat stole your tongue? Or did they finally cut your tongue out for your insolence?"

"I thought you liked my sharp tongue." you snort sarcastically, avoiding his gaze as you realize he won't come any closer.

"She can talk!" he says, clapping his hands. "I was afraid something had happened to you, sunshine." you flinch at his words.

"Don't call me like that." you growl angrily, turning your stern gaze on him.

"You told me to call you that yourself. Don't you remember?"

"And now I take away your right to do so, Black Heretic. Or maybe you prefer a Starless Saint? I think I remember that you wanted to become one; what a pity people didn't even try to remember your name." you taunt him, and for a moment you see that he is offended, even hurt by your words, but his eyes quickly become blank, unmoved by your words.

As if he had heard them hundreds of times before and gotten used to them…

"I don't remember you being so… hostile to me before. What has changed?" he asks instead, watching you carefully and looking for answers in your eyes. But after all these years, you too know how to hide your emotions behind a stony mask of cold indifference.

"Maybe you didn't know me at all?" the question hangs between you for a while. You see for a moment that he hesitates with his answer, but his indecision is quickly replaced by a mocking, derisive smirk.

"When I heard about the mysterious Grisha, who can summon light and was stupid enough to throw herself into battle against hundreds of volcra, I immediately thought of you. And guess what…"

"At least one of the two of us should be concerned about Grishas' welfare. Why am I not surprised it's me and only me?" you see him clench his fists in rage when you insinuate that he's selfish, that he doesn't care about his people.

"Or maybe you don't know me at all?"

"I know men like you."

"There are no men like me. There are no others like us. And there will never be. I thought you had enough time to accept and understand it." he says bitterly, staring at you, disappointed. "Anyway, I have to go through the formalities. Your sleeve, please."

You stand still, too stubborn and angry to cooperate with him. He snorts, expecting your reaction, and takes two steps over the distance between you. You lift your head slightly, giving him a defiant look. He just gives you that irritating, confident smirk and grabs your hand gently, rolling up your sleeve himself. His dark eyes never leave yours. Even when his ring pierces the skin of your forearm.

You're so intent on each other that there might as well not have been that beam of light between you that shot the moment he made a small cut on your arm. It's just you and him. And from the unreadable smirk on his face, you might as well expect anything.

If you used to do it easily, now you can't read his eyes anymore. A skill he had to acquire over time. Hiding true emotions.

You both have changed. Each in its own way. He was no longer the nameless boy you met. And you weren't the mystery girl he used to know. He became the darkness he so often summoned... and you became the light you were meant to carry. If you once had anything in common, now you are completely strangers. Time heals wounds... or deepens them, but it always and undeniably changes people.

But neither of you could deny the connection between you. Even after all this time and even after what happened. It was a bound that was pulling you both towards each other…

"You and I are going to change the world, Y/N." you shivered hearing your real name for the first time come out of his mouth as lightly as if he had always called you that. Like he's always known you by that name deep in his heart.

Even if you didn't agree with him, you have to admit that he was right...

It's gonna be forver or it's gonna go down in flames...

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vickytaa · 2 months ago

Text

Until I found you

Summery: You moved from Boston to LA, leaving your best friends behind. A normal day, you were working as always when..

Words: 2.4k

___________________☆__________________

This week has been so stressful. At work, my boss has been a dick and giving me extra hours. The people that came to the Caffè are such disrespectful with everyone, also with the people who work there, like me.

University, it's been hard, I had to stay awake a couple of nights studying for exams.

My family, fortunately, had been so mindful and helping me with everything they could from Boston.

They call me anytime they can and even text me every day just to see how I am.

I miss them so much. Being apart from them it's just so hurtful, and I am just waiting for December so I can go back home.

Xavier, my boyfriend, has been a bit distant. He knows how stressed I am, but he doesn't understand that what I want for him is to be with me now, instead of leaving me alone.

He just doesn't notice.

Monday

6:30 am

I woke up after sleeping only 2 hours because the night before I kept awake studying quimic, half dead.

I start slowly to open my eyes as I extend my arm to turn off the phone alarm.

Another spectacular day, Monday.

I sit up in bed with little effort while I try to wake me up completely.

I grabbed my cell phone to see if Xavier had sent me any messages cause, yesterday he hadn't come home.

We've been living together for a year, and every time we weren't sleeping there, we would make sure to tell the other.

'He might have forgotten,' I thought.

I get out of bed and walk to the bathroom. What will happen today?

I began to take off my clothes lazily and open the hot water for it to start getting warm, and surprisingly, there wasn't hot water.

'Great'

The day just started.

After bathing with ice water, I changed into work clothes, grabbed my keys, and got into the car.

On my way to the Caffè, 'Remember you - by dominurmom' started playing on the radio, and nostalgia hit.

I've always liked music a lot, but this song made me remember all those amazing moments with my childhood best friend, Nick.

He was the best person on earth, and time was air when I was with him. The laughs were natural, and the holidays with him and his brothers were unforgettable.

I haven't seen him for years, but I knew that if we saw each other again, It would be like before.

I didn't remember why we distanced ourselves because we were inseparable, but the distance killed when it's about relationships.

Leaving him to come to LA was the hardest decision of my life because he wasn't part of my life. He was my life.

When I left, I cried a whole month non-stop. My heart hurt every time it beat.

But it was the best for my future, or that's what I thought.

That song made me remember him because we used to love singing it every time we went camping with his brothers.

I missed them.

And I knew it, my body felt it too, my eyes started to fill with happy tears while I remembered us together laughing.

When I arrived, I didn't know whether to get out of the car. Is this what I always wanted?

I shaked my head to remove that thought of my mind and keep going.

4:25 pm

I was finishing my turn when I started taking someone's order.

"Good evening. What would you like to get today?" I repeated for the 53rd time in the day.

"Our friendship back"

I was shocked, I thought he might have confused me with an old friend, but when I looked up to see who it was, there he was, Nick Sturniolo. My best friend from infancy. A huge smile appeared on his face while our connected eyes started to fill up with tears.

The only thing I did was run into his arms and hug him.

It was like having that part of me that was missing again. A void is now filled.

"Oh my god, where have you been? I've missed you a lot, " I said, super excited. "I've been living for a couple of months here with my brothers, we moved to LA"

"Ohh, that's great, and what about your dream about being youtubers?" I asked.

I already knew that they started a while ago making videos, but I never had the courage to search them, I couldn't look at them after leaving them alone.

"It's fantastic, we already hit 6 million subscribers," He said happily.

"What? That incredible!" I stopped just to take a breath,

"It's a cute surprise to see you around. It's been years." I said while smiling from end to end.

When my turn finished, I went out to accompany Nick to his house, just to get to know it, and also to greet his brothers.

I enjoyed the journey as if it were something I had been waiting for for years, singing our favorite songs again in the car, at full volume with Nick.

When we arrived I couldn't stop laughing, we had been remembering hundreds of memories together.

As I entered the house, I saw Chris and Matt sitting on the sofa. A big smile formed in their faces. They couldn’t believe it; they haven’t seen me in years.

I opened my arms as they ran towards me. I hugged them while I laughed of their faces.

While I was trying to get away a bit to take a breath, I said: “you should have seen your faces”

“This was an unexpected surprise” Matt said, still without letting me go.

“Yes, but the best one” Chris added.

When they let me go, they both looked at me, and I smiled until my cheeks started to hurt.

After a while, we started chatting about our life nowadays, but suddenly I saw it. My most favorite board game was kept on the shelf.

“And do you remember when our math teacher told us to - “Chris was telling us when I interrupted him “Oh my god, I can’t believe it! This is our Monopoly game” I screamed with excitement.

I turned around to see Nick smiling at me. He knew that was my favorite game, and he had saved it all these years.

“Its... it’s the real one? Like, ours?” I asked while little tears of emotion were forming in my eyes.

Nick nodded with his head.

I ran to grab it and started opening it to play while the guys were sitting on the couch around the coffee table.

The three of them were staring at me while I was jumping with excitement.

It was a game that transported me years back when we used to stay up all night playing it.

We played for hours until we finished, and I obviously won, I’ve always been the best one, even when we were kids.

When I noticed the time, I saw it was a bit late, so I said goodnight to the boys, and Matt decided to walk me to the door.

In an attempt to break the silence, Matt said “Hey... uhm.. do you remember our first kiss?”. That was unexpected.

Yes, I remembered it. Every time I saw Xavier or felt his lips on mine ones, all I could think of was Matt.

A day before my departure, Matt and I, 13 years old child, lost in each other’s gaze, without knowing what it meant. Looking at each other, he came closer and let fall his sweet lips on mine with unforgettable delicacy and softness.

Our first and only kiss.

It was magic, like a promise, like a ' I don’t want you to go'.

I saw his blue eyes as I approached the door. A pain began to arise in my chest, I wanted to feel the magic again, but Xavier was waiting for me at home.

“I will tell my boyfriend that I got back together with you again, have driven him crazy with so many stories about you” I said. I knew it hurt him to hear the word *Boyfriend* but it was the harsh truth.

His head looked down but came back to look at me “Goodnight, Y/n” Matt said. “Goodnight Matt” I said and smiled at him. I didn’t want to go, really, but it was what I must do.

Our eyes didn’t let go for about 2 minutes until I decided to turn around and start my way home.

I could feel his gaze on me. Taking the blame, I sat on the car, and when I turned my head to look at him again, he was already gone. The door was closed. I understood him, and immediately I left.

When I arrived home, all that I wanted was to lay in bed and sleep, but clearly that’s not what happened.

I opened the door, and the first thing I saw was Xavier standing in the kitchen. He looked like he had been waiting for a long time.

“Where have you been, I’ve been waiting for ages” His tone assured me that he had drunk a lot.

“With some old friends” I said, clearly upset.

I saw him with challenging eyes. His lips parted, but before he could start whining, I asked, “Where were you last night?". He looked at me and shut his mouth with anger.

Ours was not enough, and we both knew it, but none of us wanted to take charge and broke up with the other.

“With my friend Jess. Much more pretty and friendly than you” he said.

I couldn’t believe him.

“Oh, yes?” I asked. He nodded, and I asked again. “So why are you with me and not with her now?”

“Because I wanted to come here to end up with you. Our relationship was over a long time ago. We don’t have the same connection as in the beginning. You are helpless on housework, and you are not as pretty as before. You were careless about your body.”

Wow, I didn’t see that one coming.

His last words echoed over and over in my head as I tried to stay upright.

“She is always pretty for me; she always makes everything for me to feel good.”

I looked at him dead in the eyes while trying to understand his words.

The air that kept me alive began to get stuck in my throat. A knot of fury and disappointment began to form in my belly.

“And I don’t want you to be mad just that you really need to make yourself pretty again. Like when you used to do it.”

How could he be so rude and careless?

My legs started to wobble. Since I was a teenager, I have dealt with all kinds of anxiety attacks but none as strong as this one.

The only thing I could think of was to escape from there or stay, and he leaves from there.

I needed to say something, I was frozen, but the only thing I said was “Go away”

He knew what he said hurt me, and seeing how much he hurt me or just a part hurt him too, but it was the truth.

He looked at me and started walking in my direction, like he was going to hug me or something. When he was standing next to me, I could smell his stinky alcohol breath. He looked up and down and made his way to the door.

A deep silence invaded the walls of my apartment. My heart beat with pain.

Despite this, I would no longer have to deal with Xavier every time he came home drunk.

I was speechless.

I sat on the couch trying to calm down my tears, but it was impossible, my hands were shaking as I try to catch my breath.

Why me?

I knew I wasn’t the best girlfriend, nor the most pretty, but why did he say it like that? Couldn’t he be more mindful and calmer?

Tying to calm down, filing repeatedly.

I felt useless.

The main thing on my head were his last words replaying over and over.

3:44 am

I knocked the door a few times, without waiting for an answer.

I waited for a couple of minutes before turning around to go back to the car when suddenly I hear the door open.

“Y/n? What are you doing here at- “Matt stopped talking as he saw my red eyes because of how much I cried the last few hours.

He moved a little to let me in, and as I walked inside, he squeezed my shoulder trying to get me comfortable.

“How do you feel?” He asked. A simple question that Xavier never asked me before, he never cared, and I didn’t see it.

“Xavier broke up with me. He said I haven’t worked on my body because I was to focus on other things. I am not as pretty as I used to be” While tears came down through my cheeks.

“And you believe him” It wasn’t a question; it was more of an affirmation. And he was right, I believed Xavier.

My eyes went to the floor, I couldn’t deny it.

“You know, when I was a child, I used to believe that I wouldn’t see the most beautiful girl in the world because she would be a top model from Europe, and that was until I found you” Matt confessed.

When I crossed our gazes again, they were filled with an inexplicable shine.

Our click.

“And since our first kiss, you haven’t left my mind” He added.

“You neither mine” I said.

He placed his forehead against mine and he wrap my face with his big hands, without stopping looking me straight in the eyes.

It was just the two of us, no one else.

We both felt like waiting years for this moment to repeat, but now with knew information of what it was. Love.

The magic we felt when we were teenagers revived.

His lips softly placed on mines.

☆☆☆

Dear diary:

It’s been a couple of months since Matt and I kissed again after our first kiss. Nowadays we are together and very, very happy.

I love him with everything I am, and I am deeply in love with him since I met him, because without knowing, he is the only one who takes my breath away every time he is nearby.

I will stick some pics of him to remember.

___________________☆__________________

Heeyyyy, did you like it??

:)))

#chris sturniolo #christopher sturniolo #chris x reader #matt sturniolo #matt sturniolo x reader #sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #the sturniolos #christopher owen sturniolo #nick sturniolo #matthew bernard sturniolo #matthew sturniolo #matthew #I want matt so bad #hello

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jackwhiteprophetic · 5 months ago

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okayokayokay you asked for asks so i'm asking (i'm hoping these aren't things you've already answered, and for like a dissertation back because i love reading all your thoughts)

i think s7 really suffered from inconsistent writing (and a plot that wasn't cohesive at all, esp because it's an ensemble cast) do you think s8 will do better? i'm really hoping it does.

i miss shenanigans. like s7 definitely had some but i think the season was so short and a little all over the place, i feel like we deserve some hijinks (esp because of gerrard being back)

if you had like an ideal disaster arc that led to buddie getting together (i'm thinking shooting 2.0) what would it be?

also i love carlo's song

I LOVE ALL OF THIS AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. Unrelated but I'm currently feeling SO pissed off because I tried to long onto my childhood email account for nostalgia fun and THEY DELETED ALL MY OLD EMAILS.

I love to hear that people like to hear me talk, especially about 9-1-1, so THANK YOU ALSO!!! I really love your questions, and never worry about if I've answered them before because I will always answer again AND I actually have no memory of anything I say ever, so I will probably think it's a new thing every time.

Yesss so I think with S7 the writing was rushed and the filming was rushed due to strikes and stuff, and the new network, like it was all fresh and new and chaotic. They knew the things they had to hit (cruise ship, Madney wedding) and they hit those well. But in between it didn't flow very well, because they shifted things around. I think the issue started with the Bachelor (not party) crossover in 704. They had to swap over different storylines to make room, they ended up deleting an entire scene they had films and that we had stills for (which I think was someone up high somewhere which COULD HAVE BEEN A VERTIGO REFERENCE???). So yeah. Things went downhill a bit because while individual storylines were interesting, people were kept fairly separate and there weren't even really any team scenes where they all discussed things (because they weren't sure which order they'd do, they can't have Buck and Eddie slightly annoyed at each other in the background of a Hen and Chim scene bc they might swap the storylines between episodes the week before the episode airs).

And to make up for the lack of fluidity, they had the medal ceremony. Which just didn't really hit, maybe because we'd seen so many stills that we didn't get scenes of, and because yeah, it wasn't very fluid so bigger scenes felt kind of off? It must be so fucking hard for the actors to be making decisions for scenes when they don't know which order it's going to have been in.

I also think they slowed down after they found out about season 8, and they've already started writing, and I think the fact they have more time to film and more actual episodes will mean it's more fluid.

I do find it so interesting though how the fact that they only had 10 episodes and essentially still tried to fit 18 episodes of plot into that, tied with them knowing there may be new viewers and having to reintroduce characters and dynamics, they reduced relationships right down to what they are prioritising that the viewers see. So we have Bathena and Bobby grappling with his past, so the audience knows Bobby's past, and we have Hen and Chim and how their families are linked and their own family dynamics, we have Maddie's past and the Madney and Henren families, and we have Buck and Eddie, so massively and messily interlinked this season.

We barely saw Buck with Maddie, HIS OWN SISTER, this season, and their only scene just the two of them was not really about Maddie at all, it was about Buck and his life and also his relationship with Eddie. So yeah, they really really focused on highlighting the key dynamics they wanted us to see this season. Which is very interesting. I just wish they had done it more fluidly, but oh well.

I am really hopeful for next season and the writing, and I am also FUCKING STRESSED EVER SINCE TIM MINEAR SAID HE DOESN'T LIKE TO PLAN THINGS... WE CARE ABOUT THESE CHARACTERS A LOT... PLEASE PLAN THINGS!!!!!

But yeah, they never had time for filler episodes this season, the episodes where little happened (one could argue 705, 707, 709ish) weren't really filler episodes, they were more episodes that were having to tie up loose ends from the last and establish the next episode. If that makes sense? I also think they just decided this season that they didn't really have much time for firefighting? Which idk, it's disappointing, but yeah, they actually did not have much time and people remember the personal things more????

ANYWAY I AM SO HOPEFUL FOR NEXT SEASON AND I HOPE THIS MAKES SENSE? but also I really enjoyed writing it anyway!!! FEEL FREE TO SEND ME ASKS ALWAYS!!! THEY BRING ME MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF JOY!!!! And yes Carlos song is fucking incredible I am so excited I am going back to the place I first heard it next week!!!!!

Have a beautiful day if possible, and I love you all and I think you are doing amazing!!!!!! REMEMBER TO EAT AND DRINK AND SLEEP AND SUCH!! and also do something fun, like if you have nice food then just eat it, you don't have to justify it to yourself I'm literally telling you to! Trust your instincts especially if they're positive ones!!!!!!!!!!! I'm just rambling now, my phone is on 5% we shall see how long it lasts!!

#asks #911 abc #9-1-1 #buddie #eddie diaz #9 1 1 #911 season 7 #911 season 8 #s8 predictions #911 show #evan buckley #jwpyyy

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yesimtrashforit · 6 months ago

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I Saw The TV Glow hit so hard for me

SPOILERS AHEAD

I went to go see it last night at my local AMC and nearly cried within the first 10 minutes. I'm a queer teenage girl who has struggled with depression and feeling just so far away from everyone else my age. This movie captures the growing up experience of someone born from the late 90s to the mid 2000s so well. I was born in 06 and even though this film is clearly set in the 90s for a majority of it, it still felt so personal. I couldn't even think as I was walking out of the theater. I just felt so heard and seen.

The first scene nearly made me cry because it brought up so much nostalgia of being in 5th to 7th grade and the huge mat/parachute thing was something we did all the time when I was in elementary and middle school. The hiding from your friends' parents, drawing with glitter gel pen on your skin, having awkward conversations with people you barely know, it all feels so reminiscent of my childhood. The scribbles of sidewalk chalk, daydreaming about escaping into your favorite stories, the books you'd read about your favorite obscure shows, the shows not being as magical as you remember once you grew up. The walking through the halls, memories flooding through your mind, ideas and whimsies just soaring through, doodling on your hands with neon pen.

This movie made me so emotional as someone who has struggled with their sexuality and not knowing what to feel.

"Do you like girls?"

"I don't know."

"Boys?"

"I think that I like TV shows."

That scene hit hard for me in a different way than was probably intended. When I was 12 and figuring out who I liked, I was so uninterested and uncomfortable with the idea of liking anyone.

There were so many scenes like that where I just knew that my personal connection to it wasn't what was intended but it still felt valid.

The scene towards the end with Owen screaming out of nowhere at the birthday party "I'M DYING RIGHT NOW!!!" but no one responds and he's still apologizing for it. That part reminded me so much of being in such a deep state of suffering that you just want to scream it out loud but no one hears.

But you still feel like it's on you.

I can't imagine how hard this must've hit for someone who is trans. I'm not trans myself but this still hit for me as a story about personal identity. Who are you and who do you want to be? What is real and what isn't? Does that matter?

I have seen Justice Smith before and he's really got a great career ahead of him. I know him from playing the video game The Quarry. It was a fantastic and terrifying game. He gives such a good and deep performance here. Owen is such a complex character and that's a testament to this performance.

I knew Bridgette Lundy-Paine from watching the show Atypical a few years ago. They were always my favorite part of that show. They are so talented and so mesmerizing in this role. I feel like I've known so many people like Maddie in my life. She reminds me a lot of my best friend from 5th grade who had an out-of-control father and found solace in weird shows and stories.

The soundtrack is incredible and I was overjoyed and very much anticipating seeing Phoebe Bridgers in this film, even if she's only in it for a few minutes. She's one of my favorite artists and her music resonates with me so much. I love that she and every artist got to collaborate on something this special.

Listening to yeule's Anthems For a Seventeen Year Old Girl as a 17 year old girl is such a personal experience. It was perfectly used for the trailer. The lyrics just slap so much.

Used to be one of the rotten ones and I liked you for that / Now you're all gone, got your makeup on and you're not coming back / can't you come-

Sloppy Jane and Phoebe Bridgers' Claw Machine is also amazing and so perfect.

I think I was born bored / I think was born blue / I think I was born wanting more / I think I was born already missing you

The hair and makeup and clothing on every artist was incredible. The lighting and costumes and set design is impeccable in setting the tone for this film. The visual effects are stunning and so neon, nostalgic, childlike, etc etc. It felt like a dream in the most horrifying and yet beautiful way possible.

I also feel like this movie was made for the kids who grew up watching FNAF gameplays, reading creepypastas, going down terrifying internet rabbit holes, and reading about cryptids. Like the vibes of Local 58, DHMIS, analog horror, etc. There were so many little details that reminded me of being 8-13 years old and having these obsessions which you would escape in, not being able to process reality when you stopped watching or reading. The disappointment you feel when you come back to your body and realize that it's just a story.

I'm so grateful that this film exists. This is for the neurodivergent queer/trans kids who never felt like they belonged to anything or had a place. For the kids who dreamed about being in these fictional worlds and having adventures and friends who cared, people who listened!

This is for us.

I couldn't be more excited to see what this director has in store. I watched We're All Going To The World's Fair about a year or so ago and was completely fascinated by Schoenbrun's visual style and writing. If director Jane Schoenbrun somehow comes across this post: Thank you so much for sharing your art and talent with the world. This movie has made so many people feel heard and recognized. Congratulations on this masterpiece of a film.

GO SEE I SAW THE TV GLOW IN THEATERS

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pizzainator · 29 days ago

Text

I watched Jacks stream oh my gosh...

I thought I could handle a Dsmp stream in 2024 but nope. just- that felt SO much like just a stream that would happen in like 2021. the wandering around falling into random creeper holes, chat telling jack to get philza to help him, and to find michael, the mobs interrupting and how unplanned it all was. unscripted lore my beloved forever and ever.

the way that it's like in tommy and jacks conversation- they're talking about things in character that also relates to (presumably) their feelings in real life. just gosh...

when jack and tommy said their goodbyes and jack looked back at technos house to see the sun rising- like its so perfect in a way that the incidental roleplay always was. Like in the way I know I'm reading into it but it still works and it feels like real life when something happens and you find yourself in that moment and life looks almost like a movie- everything in it's proper place for the scene- but it's all just coincidence. the sun didn't rise because a writer wrote that it would. the sun just rises and falls and the conversation just happens to end at that exact moment.

idk just- I really felt it. It captured the feeling of peak dreamsmp that I've missed so much.

I don't even have a problem with nuke ending personally I think it's perfectly fine as an ending. How I've always seen it is: Everyones been hurt by everyone and violence begets violence so the great final act is nukes that will kill everyone that have all ready been launched so it can't be taken back. Then in the prison tommy sees the early parts of the server through Dreams pov and sees the good that was there at the start and how much that has been corrupted since and he wants that simplicity again (he and dream were even friends at one point) before everything went terrible for everyone. Dream turns his back on his plan that he's been building up to for so long cause what he really wants is the same thing as tommy. for things to be simple like at the start. but it's too late- its too far gone. the nukes have already been launched there's no going back. just the hope that maybe in another world things could've been different.

(also the added context of nuke ending being an elaborate character/relationship/map reset to setup a season 2 that never happened.)

So there's my nuke ending defense lol. I know it wasn't very popular with a vast amount of people and that's okay too.

I think ending something like dsmp was never gonna be easy or satisfy everybody, with how many individual povs there are and storylines. I always expected there to be things left unfinished. (unfinished symphony ;) Even if that's pretty unsatisfying for us viewers. (there's a particular stream I really wish had happened with foolish, dream, and eret)

idk there's a post I always remember when thinking about the ending that was like: "Maybe they couldn't write a happier ending at that time in their lives." (super paraphrasing) obviously talking about techno's passing. it's a bit assumptive but the CC's have talked publicly about how much that has affected them (of course it did). With something like that I imagine giving your minecraft server/roleplay character a happy ending is the last thing on your mind.

Todays stream felt like grief and nostalgia and complicated feelings for a time that has passed but still left it's marks on you:

“are you happier?” “I'm getting there”

like, that just says it all.

#dreamsmp #jack manifold #tommyinnit #dreamsmp finale #I don't really make my own posts on here- especially not like this (giving my thoughts/opinions on stuff lol) I made this acc to-#-look at and reblog dsmp posts and fanart. To see ppl on my dash lore posting the daily streams- it was truly a time.#please excuse my dsmp nuke ending analysis- I'm sure it reads a bit clumsy it isn't really something I have ever written before.#lore discourse in this fandom has always been kinda terrible so I never wrote out my thoughts on the ending when it happened #so it was nice to finally do so ^_^#this entire post was written very stream of thought #anyways the dreamsmp will always be something that I love! Thinking about it and these streams and these characters has brought me so much-#-happiness. (and gave me something to do during the pandemic lol)#part of my missing the dsmp is just how all these creators would talk with each other all the time end up on each others streams and collab #-but when it ended it felt like they all just went their own way. I get that people drift away and stuff thats pretty normal.#I guess with how long dsmp went for I just didn't expect it.#(obviously so much has happened between the dsmp ending and to now irt the ccs and everything. idk I just didn't expect that dsmp would be-#-the last place so many of them would ever interact publicly again. I expected to be able to watch them on other servers or collabs)#but such is life #okay- time to never post again for a year! byeee #text post #long post #pizzainator post

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plscallmeeren · 1 year ago

Text

HIS ASSISTANT

Severus Snape x Reader

Request: yep, by @Chloelouise02

Summary: (Y/n) was Snape's only friend back in their time at Hogwarts, but they had a falling out just before they graduated so he doesn't know how to feel now that she had been appointed as his assistant. This takes place during the golden trio's third year, or, more specifically - in their first lesson.

Warnings: a swear word or two?; dementors; shouting; pretty much just fluff

Word Count: 1.7K+

"Clean up that mess", he drawled lowly, and for the hundredth time that week I fumed at his attitude.

"Magic word?", I seethed, not moving a muscle to reach for my wand.

"If you wanted me to Imperio you, you could just say so", even through all this I heard his suppressed smirk that I would have loved to see after all this time, but apparently wasn't worthy of.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes in disbelief, and was inevitably reminded of our past shared moments. I'm not sure if it made me sad or happy thinking about. Maybe nostalgia is meant to have both.

"How about the other one?"

After a very long and over-dramatic sigh he gave in, boosting my serotonin levels drastically, at least that's what I think this feeling was.

"...Please."

"See? Was that so hard?" He didn't answer but his expression suggested it was indeed so hard.

I pulled out my wand reluctantly and swung the wood wordlessly, the puddle of rainbow-coloured failure vanishing in thin air.

I mean hey, at least it wasn't as bad as Seamus' rumored explosive draughts.

In fact, there were many rumours about all students of Hogwarts as well as teachers from other schools and Rosemary or someone of the likes from down in a Hogsmeade pub.

If I'm being honest, the teachers' room possessed more qualities of a gossip girls set-up, a talk show or a Comedy Drama movie than a teachers' room at all; but I wisely decided a while ago already to keep this to myself.

Severus apparently enjoyed the talk just as, if not more than anyone else, not that he would ever dare to admit it.

Sev...

It felt strange calling him Severus. It felt stranger calling him Snape, though, so to his dismay that's what he was going to have to put up with. We just weren't on good enough terms again for, well, honestly? Anything.

Now you may be wondering how we ended up like this. To keep it short: I'm the second-last week of our last school year he kissed me. And for whatever reason I kissed him back because apparently I had a stupid crush on him; but then he felt guilty because of Lily (am I a joke to him?) and just left and refused to talk to me again.

Great way to treat your best friend. Really. Wicked.

"Is it just my imagination or are you particularly moody right now? Because I could swear I made you laugh an hour ago and I've basically just lost all of my progress." His lip twitched upward as he positioned himself behind one of the front desks, but maybe it was a trick on the eyes.

"No. I am not moody. I am never moody. And I am most certainly not more moody than usual." Those were the most sentences I had gotten out of him in a row all day, but my accomplishment was quickly forgotten at the rubbish he had just made me hear.

"You're never- oh, I get it. I know you're not Mad-Eye. Believe me. You just haven't got the looks", I grinned, before my face fell and I grew serious for once.

"No, seriously. Have you got a bad relationship to the Potter kid or something? Everyone talks about him so much but never in relation to you. Is that it? Are you dreading him?"

I'm pretty sure if you held a really exact ruler to his eyes and you weren't shaking at the look he's giving me now, you would have seen they'd widened a couple of millimeters. But unfortunately I guess no one's gonna take over that job, are they?

He simply stayed silent until all the students had come in and positioned themselves at their desks, including the Potter boy, who was sitting next to who I think was a Weasley.

The lesson began and I watched in curiosity as his eyes flicked to Potter more often than not, although the possibility was still there that it was only because I had brought it up. I gradually regretted not saying so after the lesson more and more.

"This is my new assistant, Ms. (L/n). She will be helping me keep your dim-witted souls under control and prevent you from destroying anything as best as possible", he sent a sharpened glance at Finnigan as he said the last part, making the boy gulp. That has to count for something, right? He hadn't put it that way all the times he introduced me until now, so maybe he was warming up to me again.

I could tell the students wanted to start whispering, but their fear of Severus seemed to surpass even that.

Once he gave the assignment, however, and they started working, I heard my name mentioned in their conversations more often than i would have liked under any circumstances.

I can't believe how judged and pressured you can feel by a bunch of teenagers, even as an adult.

The amount of times it was suggested Sev and I were together or he had a crush on me or something was even more unsettling, yet aside from a casual blown up cauldron on Seamus' behalf the rest of the day went by rather eventlessly.

...

And so did the rest of the week. And the next. And the next. Although I did get rather invested in the drama of Mulligan's relationships, but who didn't?

The dementors on the grounds were becoming more and more annoying, and I was thoroughly sick of them to say the least.

One Saturday I dared to pass the lake and sit down on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. I wanted fresh air, and above all - I wanted to be completely undisturbed.

So, lying down on my jacket I pulled out Tiffany Aching: I Shall Wear Midnight and started reading.

I think I lay there for hours before something happened. Or more accurately, disturbed me.

The air grew cold fast but the wind stood still, as if balancing in the tip of its toes, threatening to plunge forward in one great gust.

As a familiar feeling of sadness invaded me it didn't take long for me to come to my senses and realize what was approaching me.

Dementors. Patronus. Quick. Now.

I spun around, just to look right into it's disgusting face - well, I wouldn't call it that, but then again, what else can one call it?

But before I could do more than draw my wand, before I could utter the words, before a clear thought could even fully pass through my head -

- someone else yelled the spell.

"EXPECTO PROTONUM!"

The voice was suspiciously familiar, so I wasn't all too surprised when I saw the figure of Severus standing on a rock, panting as he held out his wand. The questions that remained were why, how, where and when.

The dementor was being chased away by-

Something that couldn't possibly be true. Anyone who knew Sev - so, not many, I guess - knows that- no, it's can't be.

The figure of a tiger was attempting to pounce on the Dementor, which was gliding away as fast as seemed dementorly possible.

But- a doe- it can't be!

"What were you thinking!?", he raged, marching up to me, wand still raised, "Oh, yes, why not just lie around at the edge of the Forbidden Forest-"

"Severus-"

"-and read a book! Who cares about the dementors whirring around here like a pack of bees!"

"Severus!"

"And what-

"SEV!", I called, but he just yelled louder.

"How stupid are you!? You were never responsible, I guess that never changed, did it? I always have to fucking save you-" That's it.

"SEVERUS FUCKING SNAPE YOU WILL BE QUIET THIS MINUTE."

That seemed to do the job.

"Don't you go on about you saving me, and don't you dare try and embarrass me or something just because you felt embarrassed yourself back then when you were seventeen! How petty can you be? It was one kiss, I don't care!" My breath fell short as I shared the thoughts I had been dying to tell him. "And since when is your patronus the same as mine!?"

He stayed quiet yet again. God, I hate it when he does that. Well, no, I don't, but I hate it when he does it after I confronted him with something.

"I didn't-" Silence again.

"It's been a tiger since the day we kissed." He seemed to deem that enough said as he sulked and began turning away.

Oh, no you won't.

"Is it because you don't regret it?", I called, barely keeping control of my words at this point. "Because you still want to?"

He halted suddenly, whisked around in one motion, and walked up to me. He stood mere inches from me and for the life of me I couldn't tell whether he was about to yell at or kiss me.

The latter was the case.

He simply pecked my lips once before smiling slightly-

I repeat, smiling!

-and walking off yet again. But this time I didn't stop him. In fact, I didn't do anything much as I watched his cape hide him until he felt beyond the horizon.

And I had never minded as much as now.

———————————————————-

A/N:

Oh, to be an assistant...

This was fun, but my autocorrect is actually killing me. Like really. I have French, German, English and emoji keyboards on here and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna lose it

Like every time I'm writing in one language it is ALWAYS, I repeat ALWAYS in a different one.

Anyways, hope you liked this, I would appreciate every comment you can spare :D

-Eren

#severus snape #severus x y/n #snape x reader #professor snape #harry potter #hogwarts fanfiction #young love #hpff #oneshot

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nifflermini · 27 days ago

Text

Finding You (Semi Eita x Reader)

Hey All! So this is based off an old idea I had and that actually started my Tumblr. It’s deleted now, but for anyone who remembers that, this is kind of how it ended :)

I waved to some of my teammates, hugs all around while yellow and purple pom poms hung from my bag. For the first time in a little bit, it didn’t feel like one of the shiny smiles I’d alwyas used for dance. This one felt real. My time in America was great, and I’d be back in time for auditions for Laker Girls next year. but For now though?

It’s time to go home.

Immediately after waving to my teammates, I sent a text to my cousin. He was waiting for me in Japan already, having flown in from France a few weeks ago.

Me: Hey! I'm coming home soon :)

I pocketed my phone quickly, my lips tugging into a smile when I felt a buzz against my legs.

Walmart Wonka: Aww, Finally I get to see my favorite person! Me: Oh, I didn't know you finally met up with Ushi-Gushy? Walmart Wonka: That was low. Me: Love u <3

I slid my phone back into my pocket, an excited grin dancing on my lips as music thrummed through my head. Not a huge contrast to when I’d first made this trip, my backpack was filled with memorobellia causing me nostalgia from these four years away from home. Away from my friends, and family. Away from Semi. I hissed as my backpack shifted, the one sharp thing in there poking my back as my fingers were wrapped tight around the handle of a purple suitcase.

As I lifted my suitcase into the overhead compartments, my thoughts drifted right back to a certain grey-haired musician and my cheeks warmed. A dull ache thrummed through my chest. We’d talked over the past few years. A few texts, some errant phone calls every few months. But that pit that had lived in my stomach since I’d left felt like it was slowly finally starting to shrink. I checked my messages, knowing darn well that I wasn't going to have any messages until I landed in Japan. I kept checking anyway.

Only my friend Sophie really came to visit, and Satori was the most updated since he’d call and text me everyday when he woke up, ensuring that I’d remember to take care of myself. I wonder what’s changed. Has Semi changed? I huffed a little in annoyance at the butterflies that still fluttered in my stomach at the thought of not just seeing him,but just him. What if I've changed? If I have changed, will he like it? What if we don't have the same connection we had when I left? In the months before I’d left things were going terribly for me. I’d been evicted, and couldn’t find anywhere to sleep, prioritizing dance over everything else, and completely hyper focused on getting my dance skills intact for Laker Girls auditions.

When I’d ended up on the streets, Satori’d called Semi, and the instant I’d met him, we clicked. The two of us were two peas in a pod, able to talk to almost anything and everything all the way up until the night before I’d left.

When he almost kissed me.

i bit my lip, trying to distract myself from my thoughts until I heard familiar chords in my ears, Semi’s first song with his band floating through my skull.

”I picture you in the center of the sun. I took a pill, but it didn’t help me numb. I think of you, even when my eyes are shut, but I never really know just where to find you…”

"There's my favorite cousin!!" Satori shouted as soon as he saw me, earning multiple weird looks, and a jab to the stomach from me.

“Why are you like this?” I said as he pulled me in for a hug.

“because I missed my baby cousin!” Satori said, wiping fake tears when he pulled away. “Four years since we’ve seen each other in person.” He said, checking over me. “You look okay though. Not malnourished or anything.” I rolled my eyes.

“You absolute drama king.”

“i’m just looking out for my cousin! My little Snickers!” I sighed at the resurgence of that nickname. Every Halloween, without fail when we were little, I would steal everyone’s Snickers, and nothing else. Thus, I was dubbed Snickers by my entire family.

“i haven’t had a snickers in forever…” I sighed, as we walked out of the airport.

“I have some in the car. Well, I hid some in the car. Semi Semi keeps eating them and thinking about you.” I eyed my cousin, immediately averting them when he smirked over at me, his red eyes narrowing as he too looked away. “So… how’s that going?”

”what going?” I asked, instead looking across the parking lot instead of at my cousin.

“you and Semi Semi.” He said, smirking at me.

“oh. It’s not. We aren’t a thing.”

“WHAT? Then what was the point of psychoanalyzing him? We’re going to talk about this at our next therapy session!” He declared, and I gave him an odd glance.

“Therapy?”

“most of the time, Semi doesn’t need therapy, but he tells me he gets the random pangs in his chest since you left.” Satori explained, smirking at me.

i truly hate the hope that bubbles up in my chest at that. But trying to squish it is almost as useless as trying to squish a roach. At least the hope- however scary it is- is a pleasant feeling.

“maybe you should tel him about those pesky feelings of yours.” He mused. My eye twitched in response.

“Get out of my head!” I shouted, while he laughed.

“love you Cuz, you’re not slick. Honestly neither is he.” Satori said with a small shrug as he unlocked the car, and popped the trunk.

“what do you mean, niethr iz he?” I asked, heaving my suitcase into the trunk, and walking around to the drivers side, and remembering something.

“Different sides.” Satori said, as he unlocked the car. My cheeks warmed a little as I walked over to the passenger seat as my cousin tried to convince me that one of my friends, capital FRIENDS liked me the same way I liked him. “The boy wrote you a song!” Satori exclaimed, and I shook my head.

“Right. Except I don’t remember anything about him writing me a song.” I said as he started the car.

“It was with the band. So maybe around two years back?” I tried to go back in my head, and all I could remember was the one single that was in my head.

“no chance. I’ve listened to all his music, and I’ve never heard-“

“He didn’t tell you?” Satori asked, and I rubbed my forehead.

“He told me every time the band released a new song, or that one album.” And every time, I’ve listened to it on repeat.

But Satori doesn’t need to know that last part.

“oh, you’ve heard it then. You just don’t know it.” He said, smirking slightly as I blinked, just ridiculously confused. My eyes then wandered back to the streets of my hometown, and I smiled at views of familiarity.

I sighed, a small nostalgic smile on my face. Same bag and suitcase, some of the same stuff in it with small idiosyncrasies. This time though, it felt like a different me. i just wondered if it was a better me or not. "Semi's still in this building?" I asked, glancing at my nodding cousin, who swung his keys around his index finger a smug smirk on his lips.

Four years... I thought as I walked up the stairs, stomach flipping as I felt a full stair where that chip in the stair used to be.

Four years since I’ve seen this place… I thought as I passed the peeled paint in the stairwell, that still let the faded ugly wallpaper peek through.

Four years since I’ve been here, and yet… somehow, I don’t feel much different… My thoughts turned to only slightly irritating hums as I raised my fist to knock on the familiar wooden door. The anxiety kind of quelled as I spotted the same little sticky note that had somehow stuck to the door frame through all these years. I guess he never moved it.

And finally. That familar smile, the familiar scent of vanilla, the familar heart-stopping eyes of Semi Eita.

"Four years, huh?" His voice sounded the same too. I blinked, a slow smile crawling onto my face. I nodded, dropping my bag on the floor, and opening my arms, as he opened his, letting me back in, almost as if I'd never left.

"Hi Snickers” He whispered into my ear, as I snuggled into his chest, hearing and feeling our hearts skip a beat. “I missed you.”

"I missed you too." After years of talking on the phone, video calls, texts, letters, care packages, and finally I'm back, and I know for sure that, I found him.

Hello all! For my underrated boy, because I love him too <3

Have a great day, and make sure to drink some water!

--Niffler--

#semi eita x female reader #graphics by @saradika_graphics #semi eita x reader #semi eita #semi x reader #Semi x y/n #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu semi

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oldiesstationlover11607 · 6 days ago

Note

every bone in my body needs a part 2 of “for you”

maybe when the reader lands and they are going to meet up with tyler they both lock eyes and the reader drops her luggage and runs and jumps into tyler’s arms and they are both crying and stuff. and josh is standing there awkwardly. then they go back to tyler’s and they get to know josh and maybe start on working on what they want to do for tour???

it’s taken me awhile to request this because i forgot about tumblr for a hot minute 😅

but no rush please take your time and i can’t wait!!!

For You Part 2- Tyler Joseph x Reader

PART 1

Warnings: none hehe

Word count: 1714

A/N: Honestly the For You story is literally my favourite out of all the ones I've done 😭 so glad I got the opportunity to write a part 2 😘

Summer 2012

My plane touched down with a gentle jolt, the kind that always brought me back to reality as the adrenaline of going fast down the runway hit me. My stomach flipped as I leaned to peer out the window, the familiar sight of Columbus’ skyline coming into view. I hadn’t been home in years. And I hadn’t seen him in even longer. Tyler.

The idea of seeing him again had been exhilarating on the plane, but now, I felt sick to my stomach. Would he even recognize me after all this time? What if we didn’t click the way we used to? My hands fumbled with the strap of my carry-on bag as I tried to steady myself.

“Calm down,” I told myself, exhaling slowly. “It’s just Tyler.”

But that wasn’t true. It wasn’t just Tyler. It was the boy who had held me on summer nights, whose laugh could light up the darkest of days, and whose voice—deeper now, richer—still managed to make my heart race through a phone speaker.

Gripping my bag, I made my way through the terminal, scanning the crowd for him. And then, I saw him.

Tyler stood by the baggage claim, wearing a black hoodie and baseball cap. His arms were crossed, but when his eyes locked on mine, his whole posture changed. His face broke into a grin—no, the grin, the one that made me feel like nothing bad could ever happen in the world.

I froze for a moment, taking him in. He looked older, sure, but it was still Tyler. His presence was magnetic and clearly not just for me because people were quickly starting to walk up and talk to him. A rush of emotions hit me all at once: nostalgia, excitement, and nerves. I stood there watching him as he took a few pictures with some girls before quickly waving goodbye.

Once I was sure we’d have our time, I ran toward him, the sound of my footsteps drowned out by the pounding of my heart. Tyler was already moving too, his long strides eating up the distance between us. When we met, his arms wrapped around me with a force that knocked the air out of my lungs.

“Tyler!” I gasped, clutching him like I never wanted to let go.

“Y/N,” he said, his voice breaking just slightly. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, holding me tighter. I felt his shoulders tremble, and that was all it took for my own tears to start falling.

“I missed you so much,” I whispered, my voice cracking.

“I missed you more,” he murmured, his breath warm against my skin.

We stood there for what felt like forever, the rest of the airport fading into the background. Eventually, I pulled back, just enough to look at him. His face was damp with tears, but he was smiling, and God, it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

“You’re here,” he said, almost like he didn’t believe it.

“I’m here,” I replied, laughing softly as I wiped my face.

That’s when I noticed him.

A guy stood a few feet away, hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. He had frizzy hair and a kind, open face, but his expression was somewhere between amused and uncomfortable, like he wasn’t sure if he should be watching this moment unfold.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” I said, pulling away from Tyler but still keeping one hand locked in his. “You must be Josh.”

The guy smiled, a little awkward but genuine. “Yep, that’s me. And you’re Y/N, right? Tyler’s told me a lot about you.”

“All good things, I hope?” I teased, my cheeks warming.

Josh chuckled. “Mostly.”

“Josh,” Tyler warned, shooting him a glare.

“What? I was just saying–” Josh held up his hands in mock surrender, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

The ride back to Tyler’s house was a mix of nostalgia and laughter. Tyler drove, his hand occasionally tapping the steering wheel in time with the music playing softly in the background. Josh sat in the passenger seat, chiming in every so often with a story about the band or a sarcastic remark that had me giggling. It felt good. Natural.

“So, how long have you two been working together?” I asked, leaning forward from the back seat.

“About three years,” Josh said. “Met through a mutual friend, started jamming together, and somehow ended up here.”

“Somehow,” Tyler echoed with a grin.

“And you’re the drummer, right?” I asked.

Josh nodded. “Yep. And the voice of reason most of the time.”

“That’s debatable,” Tyler quipped, earning a laugh from both of us.

When we pulled up to Tyler’s house, my heart skipped a beat. It was modest but charming, with a front porch that looked like it belonged in a movie. As I stepped inside, the familiarity of Tyler’s world washed over me—the warmth, the chaos, the creativity.

“Okay,” Tyler said, clapping his hands together. “Welcome to HQ.”

“HQ?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s what he calls it,” Josh said, rolling his eyes. “I just call it his house.”

“Whatever,” Tyler said, brushing him off. “Come on, I’ll show you where the magic happens.”

He led me to the living room, where a whiteboard leaned against the wall, covered in scribbles of song titles, setlist ideas, and doodles. There was also a laptop, some recording equipment, and an acoustic guitar propped against the couch.

“This is where we’re planning for tour,” Tyler explained, his eyes lighting up.

Josh plopped onto the couch and grabbed a bag of chips from the coffee table. “He’s been obsessing over it for weeks.”

“Because it has to be perfect,” Tyler shot back, then turned to me. “And that’s where you come in. Normally Mark would be helping us but because it’s a bigger production we need a bit more help.”

I looked at him, then at the whiteboard. “You want me to help bring it all to life?”

“Exactly.”

“Where’s Mark?” I asked, looking around the room.

“He’s in Cincinnati working a festival but he’ll be back on Monday. He lives here with us,” Tyler smiled.

For the next few hours, we brainstormed ideas, throwing out concepts for visuals, transitions, and how to make the performances feel like a full experience. Josh offered input every now and then, but it was clear that Tyler and I were in our element.

At one point, Tyler leaned back and looked at me with a soft smile. “I forgot how good we are together.”

I smiled back. “Me too.”

Later that night, after Josh had gone to bed and the house was quiet, Tyler and I sat on the porch, a couple of sodas between us. The air was cool, and the stars above seemed brighter than I remembered.

“Thanks for coming back,” Tyler said, his voice low.

“Of course,” I replied, turning to look at him.

He smiled, but there was something else in his expression—something deeper. “I’ve thought about you a lot, Y/N. More than I should, probably.”

My breath caught, but I managed to keep my voice steady. “I’ve thought about you too.”

For a moment, we just sat there, the weight of everything unsaid hanging between us.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Me too,” I replied, and for the first time in years, I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be. His confession felt heavy but warm, like wrapping yourself in a favorite old blanket. The stars above seemed brighter, almost as if they were cheering for us.

I turned to him, his features soft in the dim light spilling from the porch. His eyes searched mine, hesitant but hopeful, like he wasn’t sure if he should take the leap.

“Tyler…” I whispered, my voice trailing off.

His hand shifted closer to mine on the porch step, brushing against it lightly before his fingers intertwined with mine. The familiar touch sent a wave of warmth coursing through me. For all the years and distance between us, this felt as natural as breathing.

“Say it,” he urged softly, his voice cracking just a little.

I smiled, my heart thundering in my chest. “I don’t know how to say it.”

He laughed softly, shaking his head. “You’ve never been at a loss for words before.”

“Guess you have that effect on me,” I replied, my voice light but my gaze steady on his.

His smile faded just slightly, replaced by a tenderness that made me forget everything else. Slowly, carefully, Tyler leaned in. I could feel the heat of his breath, see the way his lashes brushed against his cheek as his eyes fluttered shut.

And then, his lips met mine.

It was soft at first, tentative, like he was testing the waters. But as I leaned into him, pressing closer, the kiss deepened. It wasn’t just a kiss; it was an apology for the years apart, a promise for whatever came next, and everything in between.

His hand cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing gently against my skin as if he wanted to memorize every detail. My own hands moved instinctively, one resting against his chest, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath my palm.

When we finally pulled apart, both of us were breathless. Tyler rested his forehead against mine, his eyes still closed, a small, almost disbelieving smile playing on his lips.

“Worth the wait,” he murmured, his voice husky.

I laughed softly, my hands still resting against him. “You always were a smooth talker.”

He opened his eyes then, his gaze locking onto mine. “No, I mean it. I’ve waited for this, for you. And now that you’re here, I’m not letting you go again.”

I didn’t have the words to respond, so instead, I pulled him into another kiss, this one filled with all the things I couldn’t say.

In that moment, under the stars and surrounded by the quiet hum of the Ohio night, it didn’t matter what the future held. All that mattered was him, us, this.

We had found our way back to each other, and for the first time in years, everything felt right.

REQUESTS OPEN

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