#i've tried to write a couple of times actually but none of it sounded like attie for some reason

[ow1et]

i know i said i'd be more active a couple of weekends ago, but we had several folks in my department quit with no notice (which i don't blame them for) so i've been working a lot of 12 hour shifts and am exhausted when i get home. i just haven't felt like writing or much of anything really. but i do love you all and i am endlessly appreciative of your patience with me !!! <3

[callsign-joyride]

Fortnight | J.H.S

Summary: You realize that things with Jake aren't going to work out. Content Warnings: Angst (LOTS of it) Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x reader Lyric: "Thought of calling you, but you won't pick up. 'Nother fortnight lost in America." A note: I've been loving TTPD so I've decided to write fanfics inspired by the album! Each fic will be based on a different track/lyric, and they will all be about different characters! Some will be smutty, others not so much.

You thought that you were happy with Jake. Really, you did. Despite the fact that both of you were out of town, you had managed to stay together for almost a year and you were already moved in. You had met each other’s families a few times, and everything seemed to be going good. That was until you started to have work trip after work trip with your promotion, and he had what felt like back-to-back deployments.You only had two months and some weekends together out of the upcoming year, as far as both of you knew. 

It was starting to get to a point where you were considering leaving and moving back home. Maybe this wasn’t a lifestyle that you were cut out for. Penny would come by the apartment a few times a week when you were both gone to dust and make sure that nothing was stolen, but it wasn’t an ideal situation at all. You finally broke down and cried three months into Jake’s deployment.

“I don’t think I can do this anymore… I did the math and we’ll barely see each other over the next year. We both travel a lot for our jobs now, but I didn’t think it would be like this,” you said, over wine with your girl friends from work.

“Aw, hun, I know exactly how you feel. Things on your end should be calming down in the next few months. I wasn’t home much in my first year, either,” Estelle said.

“But that’s the thing, I don’t know if I can make it a few more months. I feel like I’m missing out on what the other couples are doing because my boyfriend is overseas doing God knows what and I’m always on another plane.”

“You should try to give him a call when you sober up. Tell him what you want.”

You finished your glass of wine and went back up to your hotel room. Calling him late at night would be too much work, and you were too tired to even try it. So, you tried to call him in the morning when you were feeling better, like Estelle said.

“Hey, this is Hangman. Leave a message.”

You sighed and heard the tone beep before taking a deep breath and taking a moment to think of what you were going to say.

“Hey, I really need to talk to you about something. It’s important. Call me back when you get the chance.”

He have good enough service to check his voicemails and text messages until it was around dinner time for you. And of course, his phone was barely working, so all he could get from the message was that it was from you and you were upst about something. 

“Rooster, man, I need to borrow your phone! My girl called, she was upset about something.”

“Alright, but make it quick. I told my wife I’d call her as soon as I got the chance.”

“Thanks, I owe you.”

Jake sat on his bed before he dialed your number. It was so relieving to hear your voice, and you didn’t sound so upset this time.

“Hello?” You asked.

“Hey, it’s me. My phone’s being a piece of shit right now so I only heard part of your message. Is everything okay?”

You sighed and sat on the hotel bed.

“No, actually. Jake, I’m sorry. I don’t know if I can make this work anymore.”

“What… What do you mean by that?”

“I love you, but I don’t know if all of the distance and us traveling all the time will work out. We’ll hardly be seeing each other at all this year, I did the math. And, you know, I thought being a Navy girlfriend would be easy, but that was before I got promoted. I know that none of this has been planned, but I’m traveling so much that I don’t know if this relationsip will work anymore.”

“Fuck, okay, well, maybe there’s something I can do, right?”

“I don’t want you to lose your job because of me, and I don’t wanna jinx it but, it seems like I’m the only reason you’d come home early, and there isn’t an emergency.”

“So, what’s next?”

“Well, I’m gonna start looking for places soon. There’s a chance I’ll be moved out by the time you get back. I’m really sorry, Jake. Truly.”

“I am, too.”

You weren’t in a rush to move out, but you did start to put non-essential things in boxes while you looked for apartments. There was a brief moment where you thought of moving back home to New Hampshire, but it wouldn’t really work out because of your job. Between traveling for work and awkwardly exchanging texts with Jake and the Dagger Squad, you were finally moved out after a month and a half. 

The last time that you saw Jake, it was when you met up to fill out paperwork to be removed from the lease. You still felt awful about everything. He’d try to call you over the next few months, but you never answered. You never read any of his texts, either.

“Hey! If you’re hearing this, I’m busy. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you!” 

He quickly got used to hearing your voicemail, and eventually stopped calling.

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[rhiaarrow]

I've seen ppl talking abt it on twitter and here and I wanted to sort of contribute my thoughts towards it,

Ppl aren't 'forgetting' about qTubbo's death. It's just that the situations of qBad and qTubbo's deaths, while they had the same outcome, were completely different for multiple factors.

(This isn't targeted at the ppl who think the death is being overlooked because that's their analysis and it's totally fair. It's just that people saying that got my analyst brain drawing comparisons between the deaths and I ended up with this big wall of text so...yeah :') )

1 - The build up (from outside POVs)

With qTubbo from most Povs he just sort of... died with no clear build up. Most ppl didn't see the true extent of his self spiralling because he hid it or they just simply didn't spend a lot of time with him in order to pick up on the stuff that we the viewers picked up on. And then all of a sudden he just died with no obvious lead up (unless you watch his pov in which case there was an obvious lead up) but from outsiders who barely saw him, it just happened.

Whereas

With qBad there was a more obvious build up on other Povs, he told the ppl he loved he was dying or at least they knew that something was wrong. They knew that his death was inevitable and as much as they hate to admit it a lot of them had already come to terms with the fact that he would be gone soon. (Again unless you watch his pov the whole build up from the past few months is less obvious but it was more developed with other players before his actual death) Most Povs at least recognised that there was something wrong with the blue spreading across his face because well...it was pretty fucking obvious

2 - The way they told people

qTubbos "I'm an egg, I only have one life left." while true sounds like a joke because well... he's obviously not actually an egg. Ppl joke abt stuff like that the whole time, the Eggboyhalo joke for example or calling Foolish 'egg coded' early in the server. How were all players meant to immediately go 'ah yes, this player is definitely an egg. Yesyes, this makes perfect sense'. It's easy to see how it wasn't taken seriously by a lot of characters when only a few of them were ever given an actual explanation besides "yeah I've only got one life"

Whereas

qBads "I'm fine, don't worry about me." while actively coughing up a lung, covered in blue infection and regularly having memory issues is an obvious lie. Even if people only saw him for a couple of minutes or even seconds it was pretty damn hard to ignore the blue spreading on his body. They'd ask what it was, he'd try to avoid it or redirect them and that person was hit with an immediate red flag of 'oh, so something is wrong with Bad.' which most shelved away and didn't actively investigate but it caused many characters to express being worried about him

3 - Outward visibility

qTubbo died due to his internal issues; self doubt, lack of self worth, suicidal tendencies, etc (I feel bad writing etc but I know there were other factors I just can't remember them) which resulted in him chosing to live using the life system and later chosing to gamble his last life in a game of Russian roulette with Richas.

(None of this being clearly outwardly visible to bystanders even if he wanted them to notice)

Whereas

qBad died due to external issues; parts of his soul physically leaking out of wounds on his body which caused his body to degenerate so far that even as an immortal he couldn't hold on and stop his corporeal body from just giving out on him and forcing him to reset.

(Which was very clearly outwardly visible despite how much he tried to hide it)

4 - The methods of their return

(Honestly I think this part is what's making ppl think that qTubbo's death is being 'ignored' compared to qBads)

With qTubbo, Creation told them that in order to 'restore' him they need smth that they CANNOT craft. Creation did not elaborate further, so they have very little to work with/very little they can actually do in order to try and help him. So most players while they have expressed they want to help, they know that if they do try to help they'll be running at brick walls because they just cannot obtain what is needed and they need to just wait for Creation to show up again.

Whereas

With qBad they know he'll be back (because he's a demon and that's just how they work) and they know what they have to do. They have to wait and be patient when he does return because he might not remember them and he'll probably need pictures to remember. He told them all of this before he died.

On one hand you have qTubbo: Wait for a prompt from Creation or an NPC to help them craft the item to get him back

On the other you have qBad: Wait for him to come back on his own terms

And for the people used to Bad providing a metaphorical example to prove his point in a clearer manner;

When playing a video game you have more hope when waiting for a loading wheel to stop spinning so you can play the level, than you do looking at a level blocked behind a currently unobtainable paywall :/

In other words, dwelling on things you don't know how to fix sucks ass and no one likes thinking about it until they have a tangible idea for a solution and right now only one of the two deaths has an even remotely tangible solution even if it is just to wait and do nothing.

(I understand that ppls reactions to qBads death have seemed more proactive than qTubbos right now but today was the first qBagi and Em learned of him actually dying so it makes sense that today was sort of centered around that. Tbh it just sucks that qTubbo died on an event day bc I feel like if he didn't we would've got a lot more focus and angst out of it but what can you do. But also it's seemed a lot more proactive because qBads kids are actively searching the server for him for 3-4 hours a day which is just depressing as hell, kudos to Pommin and Dapmin for pulling that off :') )

Wall of text over!

Have a flower for your troubles, after all our cubitos have done to us, I think we've earned some flowers without angsty connotations ;-;

❀❀❀❀❀

[romancingromanoff]

Second Death

Andromache the Scythian x f!reader

I decided to create a series for Andromache (my beloved). Here’s part 1, part 2, and part 3

Summary: Your first mission does not go according to plan

TW: Violence, major character death, somewhat descriptive gore, getting shot in the face, head explosions (kinda), ANGST

Words: around 3,000

A/N: Aside from being very difficult for me to write, this is probably the darkest I've ever gotten in terms of physical violence. So, uh, Happy Halloween I guess?

The plan was based off Buenos Aires 1822 (not 1922 as you had incorrectly assumed at first) which was a reference you obviously didn’t understand but was being explained to you in the most hectic way possible.

“Wait, so Nicky was decapitated-”

“Half decapitated. I didn’t actually die!”

“But you were quite light-headed for the rest of the day, my dear.” Joe feigned concern, brushing the back of his hand across his partner’s forehead and smiling like a fool.

Your leader was having none of it.

“Can we be serious please?” Immediately, the entire group’s focus shifted back to the Scythian. She certainly wasn’t going to admit it but she was apprehensive with this being your first mission. For months, you’d been doing nothing but training and begging her to let you in on the action until she was finally forced to give in. The instinct to keep you safe gnawed at Andy while it became increasingly difficult to ignore how your desire to prove your worth would only continue to grow. She recognized the same frustrations in a much younger version of herself and remembered how reckless it drove her to be.

“I’d rather we didn’t repeat that portion this time, agreed?”

You all nodded.

They laid out all the details about the traffickers and the group of people you were meant to rescue. It was an estimated 25-40 women and older girls being smuggled through for undoubtedly unpleasant purposes Andy didn’t get too detailed with. She, Joe, and Nico planned to storm the ship when it completely docked and most of the crew was on land retrieving supplies and weapons. That would leave only a few guards standing between them and the captives, who were most likely being held somewhere below deck. Once they find them, you and Booker would bring in the truck to help get everyone out. It sounded simple enough, but the fact that it was meant to go off without a hitch somehow doubled the amount of pressure you were applying to yourself. They had all done this at least once before, so if things went south then it was all because of you.

A few hours passed and you sat next to Booker in the passenger seat of the truck parked a couple of meters away from the ship and near a loading dock. With the engine off it was starting to get increasingly cold, but you didn’t even mind the chill at that point. You needed to be as alert as possible for what was to come.

Booker clearly sensed your apprehension. “It’s okay to be nervous, we’re not going to let anything bad happen to you.” He kept his voice low and his eyes glued on the dock entrance while you tried to do the same. 

Your mind was wrapped up in much bigger concerns. “I’m not worried about that. What if something goes wrong because of me? If I get hurt then so be it, I just don’t want to endanger anyone else when their lives and freedom are at stake.”

“You’ll be fine. Trust your training and lean on your team if you need help. That’s what we’re here for.” He offered you an encouraging smile that you attempted to return the best you could, yet you also wished he wouldn’t look at you with so much sympathy all of the time. As much as you appreciated everything they had done for you, you longed to show the others that you were capable of carrying your own weight and didn’t need someone to hold your hand constantly.

The two of you settled into a silence that was occasionally filled with a comment or two about nothing in particular. It didn’t do much to settle your nerves. You watched as dozens of muscular men left in packs, each one armed with at least a pistol that Booker taught you how to spot. He translated some of the French he could hear them speaking, which was mostly crude, misogynistic banter that made your jaw clench up.

“Good to know that men are pigs in basically all cultures,” you murmured mostly to yourself and tried to get your jaw to relax. Surprisingly, it earned you a gratifying laugh from the Frenchman and you were relieved when he didn’t take your comment too personally. 

“For the most part, I don’t disagree.”

“How will Andy and the others know when all of them have left?” You changed the subject upon the realization that the rest of the guard was hidden somewhere no one would see them, not even you. It was still difficult to imagine they had a better scouting position than the near-direct view you did.

“Don’t worry, they’ll know,” Booker assured you in a slightly amused tone. Some secrets were still too complicated for you to know about yet, you supposed.

Almost a half hour later, three heads eventually peered up through the shadows and Andy, Joe, and Nico lifted themselves up onto the ship. Perfectly lit by hues of the full moon, they danced towards their destination, the sheer coordination and skill reminding you of just how experienced they were. With Andy leading the pack, they silently began making their way up the vessel as a single unit. No words or other body gestures needed to be shared when they occupied the same hive mind. The group only came to a stop when they reached a door and huddled around it, trying to listen for anyone that might be on the other side. When you assumed everything was clear, Andy swiftly kicked it open and entered with her gun aimed and ready. 

Not even a minute after all three filed in, the sound of a gunshot suddenly shook you. You immediately turned to Booker, whose face gave away the slightest look of concern at the noise. This must not have happened in Buenos Aires. No more gunshots followed, thank goodness, but there were sounds of a struggle going on below deck which had the two of you on high alert. You prayed that nobody else close by could hear the commotion.

Things began to steer away from the original plan when Joe emerged from below far before he should have, struggling to keep another figure under control as he held their arms in a twisted position behind their back while continuing to firmly push them forward. Even in the dark, you could just make out how young the kid appeared to be. He couldn’t have been older than 16 and you assumed his reason for being on the ship was because he had an older relative in the crew. You relaxed when you realized that meant how unlikely it was that he’d be trained in how to fight. Joe would definitely keep from harming him unless he absolutely had to. Stupidly, you also forgot about how reckless young boys can be.

Everything fell apart in a mere matter of seconds. As he appeared to calm down, Joe eased up on the grip he held the boy with and he it didn’t seem like he would move at first. But in an instant, the scraggly kid darted from his grasp and sprinted around a corner and out of your line of sight to the completely opposite side of the ship. Booker reached for the door handle as a precaution while the rest of his body remained seated. A bead of sweat rolled down your neck despite the chill in the air and the gradual understanding that Book might be preparing to leave you on your own stilled your body completely. All of the careful planning you had fought to carefully commit to memory melted into mush.

Your thoughts were interrupted by a high-pitched whistle that rang through the air and your eyes quickly followed a bright red light travel up into the sky before it burst into a large display of lights and smoke. Time seemed to slow down and your heart sped up. Of course, if there wasn’t going to be another pistol going off, it had to be a goddamn flare gun. Yelling, alarmed Frenchmen could then be heard scrambling towards the dock and Booker cursed under his breath.

“Stay here, I’ll go help the others!” Booker leaped out of the vehicle, throwing the keys which hit your petrified figure. Part of you wanted to speak up and stop him but you could only squeak out an indecipherable sound of concern seconds after he was gone. Looking back at the ship, you caught sight of Nico peeking his head out from the door they entered through. He exited with a determined look on his face and was followed by a line of women. You itched at your sweating palms when twenty women or so had piled out and there was still no sign of Andy. 

The men hurrying in from the opposite direction quickly diverted your attention. Squinting your eyes, you were able to spot a figure in the distance headed straight towards your vehicle. You nearly panicked but caught yourself, uncertain if you were dealing with the traffickers or possibly random dock workers that had been alarmed by the flare and merely wanted to check out the situation. Either way, you decided it was still too risky to start up the engine just yet. At least, you told yourself the others probably wouldn’t want you to give away your position.

That’s when you noticed a faint movement in your side mirror. A tuft of matted blonde curls belonging to a distressed woman’s face peeked over the top of one of the crates not to far behind you. She must’ve spotted something concerning, because her eyes went wider than a trapped mouse’s and she disappeared back down, ultimately causing the crates to shake. You ground your back teeth together and prayed it was only you who had seen her. But then right on cue, the blinding glow of a flashlight landed directly over the area where the woman was hiding. The man you had spotted only moments before, his flashlight lit up a devious grin on his face that urged you to hold in your breath. He even sounded like the devil when he spoke. It didn’t take a high level French skills to tell that he began goading the poor woman like it was some sadistic game to him. 

He approached the crates ever so slowly, savoring the anticipation which laid before whatever unspeakable plans he had for his victim. It then occurred to you that she was most likely paralyzed with the same fear that had struck you.

And yet, she was the one currently being hunted while you were poised to sit and watch it unfold. You, protected by both your position and inexplicable gift of immortality. None of it seemed remotely fair and your body began to stir at the simple thought.

“Under no circumstances should you be engaging in combat,” Andy had firmly laid down the law several times leading up to this day. You’d never wanted to disobey anything she said so passionately before and here it felt like you scarcely had no other option but to go against something she forbade. 

The adrenaline rushing through your veins threw your body into action before you could debate any further. Barely aware of the forces taking hold of you, you tumbled out of the door and landed directly behind the attacker who continued to stalk forward towards the woman’s hiding place. He slowly began to raise his gun, something with barrels much longer than your forearms, and it was like you didn’t have the time to properly assess whatever danger lie at the other end. You just didn’t want it pointing at her.

Without a hint of hesitation, you drove foot into the back of the man’s left knee and he immediately crumbled down to about a third of his height. You were ready for him with your knife once his face spun around and an overpowering sense of rage guided your arm to make a clean cut from just below his right eyebrow, across the bridge of his nose, and finally through the center of his left eye. 

Something solid and heavy smacked the front of your head and you could hear the woman behind you scream in horror before everything went black.

Horrific violence was nothing if not a sheer constant to Andy. She had both experienced and caused enough to fill the oceans with blood, yet nothing made her seethe with rage more than watching yours spill from your head like a geyser. A thousand lifetimes stained with death could not have prepared her for the sight of your limp body hitting the ground, to which there was no question as to whether or not you were dead. Even if you had been wearing some type of protective head gear, a shotgun firing within five inches of your face would have been fatal. 

She was usually a pro at keeping her emotions under control until the mission was completed and never steered away from the plan without first calculating the absolute best course of action. The other teammates she had and the terrified group of women she was meant to protect called upon her to uphold her position as the leader, a task she had shouldered over a million times before despite whatever her personal feelings demanded. Absolutely none of that mattered now. Getting to you, killing that bastard, and wrapping you up in your arms became the only course of action she was capable of taking. 

Her first priority was taking out the son of a bitch that dared to touch you before anyone else got hurt. She handed off the little girl she had been carrying to Nico before barreling over a crate and launching herself over the side of the ship, rolling smoothly to break her fall when she hit the the dock. 

Despite how fast she ran, she seemed to move at a cursedly slow pace. She was still too quick for the man, his blood leaking from the fresh gash you had tore across his face, to notice her. He didn’t even get a chance to run before the warrior drove her labrys straight into the already-open wound. Andy could only revel in the brief taste of satisfaction for a moment before her emotions began swarming once again, the anger she had held for that man was now aimed solely at herself.

“Booker, get her into the back!” She barked at the Frenchman to take care of the hostage still hiding while rushing over to where your body collapsed. Up close, the sight was even more gruesome as blood, flesh, and bone were splattered all across what used to be your face. It would have been generous to call what was left of everything above your neck a simple stump. She knew she needed to get you out of there fast but hated to leave behind any parts of your head that might have been salvageable. Even saving something like an ear or significant chunk of your skull could aid in speeding up the healing process. She knew it would be excruciatingly painful for you to grow back yourself. 

She desperately grabbed at fistful of what she hoped was your brain before scooping you up in her arms. It was the fact that you were so much lighter than usual which made her wince, though she couldn’t help but be somewhat relieved when it meant it allowed her to run faster on her feet. Cautious yet quick, Andy made a beeline for the passenger’s seat of the truck and cradled your body in her arms while you continued to bleed out. It wasn’t a sight she wanted any of the hostages to witness and it’s not like she was letting go of you anytime soon anyway. 

“Drive!” One word was all she needed to command whomever was at the steering wheel to get out of there as fast as possible. It didn’t even occur to her to look up and check to see who she was sitting next to, as she immediately began trying to pick up any movement in your chest or a sign of a pulse in your wrist, anything that indicated the resurrection process was in motion.

“Please, please, come back to me,” she pleaded as your warm blood began to pool across her lap.

“Give her a second.” She realized it was Booker currently driving. “It’s only her second time and will probably take longer than expected.”

The women they had freed were now crammed together once again, only this time being in the back of a dark loading truck as it sped through the dead of night was probably far more merciful than them being forced to witness the transformation you were currently undergoing. Andy, however, couldn’t tear a single string of her attention away from you throughout the entire process. 

Each noise you made followed by the eventual cries of her name from your lips, once your mouth and airways had completely reformed, tore at Andromache deeper and deeper, in ways that no physical pain she had ever endured could compare. She bit down on her tongue till it was bloody as you repetitively squeezed her hand throughout the entire process. The same ones you often used to delicately recreate precious moments on paper broke more than a few of her bones. But Andy barely noticed and didn’t have the capacity to care. All she was focused on was you.

For the first time in centuries, the Scythian invoked the words of an ancient prayer and resurrected a long dead language as she tried to soothe your pain. She stopped believing in a higher power a long time ago but couldn’t shake the truth that repeating those words made her feel anchored to something even larger than her life or her immortality. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t try if it might possibly bring you a sense of comfort, which she actually prayed may happen. 

[embodyingchaos]

ive tried searching Michael cera x reader and nothing shows up but you :( please write about him I'm begging 🙏

❥ i feel you on this one, nobody ever writes about him! i'm not sure if you want something for the actor or one of his characters but i've decided to write about the man himself! AND IM SORRY THIS IS REALLY LATE AND REALLY SHORT AAAAAA

on-set, off-set pairing: michael cera x actor!fem!reader genre: fluff, established relationship warnings: none, just goofyness, BUT THIS IS VERY UNEDITED word count: 538

with her brown hair swishing from side-to-side, she strutted into the scene in her purple and blue glittery swimsuit. “hi barbie!” she greeted the other blondes and brunettes scattered across the sandy beach. “hi barbie!” “hi barbie!” “oh my god, popstar barbie..” a tiny whisper said, making her turn towards the quiet sound. “h-hey barbie!” the voice was coming from a redhead she didn’t realise stood next to her the entire time. “oh, hey allan!” she replied as he nervously giggled.

“cut!” a voice yelled out causing the cameras to stop filming. the barbie placed her hands on her hips and leaned towards the one and only allan. “that was already so much fun.” she told him, grinning. “it was. too bad the others are going to have to film on different days though, huh?” allan’s actor, michael, stretched as he talked to his girlfriend of two years.

greta walked towards the two, “good job, guys! it was exactly how i imagined it.” she smiled at the couple, “for the next scene, i was thinking you could move nearer to the barbies before ken tries to impress stereotypical barbie?” she asked y/n who only nodded, “oh yeah, sure!” “great.” greta walked away from them to converse with the crew for the next scene.

michael took in the scenery of the set for a bit as they waited for the rest of the cast to arrive. ryan was one of the first ones there. “hey, ry.” the girl greeted him, waving. “hey, lovebirds.” he teased, wiggling his eyebrows. “how’s it going?” “going great! filmed that hi barbie scene for our part.” “mmm, bet it’s going to turn out great.” he gushed, crossing his arms.

“we hope so.” michael said, watching the rest of the cast walk into the studio.

the two had coincidentally been casted in the same movie without each other’s knowledge, which was hard to understand at first until they explained it in an interview after the movie had just been released.

“actually,” y/n started, “i’d gotten cast around 2020 and kept it a secret from basically everyone because i really wanted it to be a surprise, like nobody knew at all! until i showed up on the first day of filming and saw this guy!” she nudged her boyfriend’s rib and he laughed. “it seemed as though we had similar ideas on surprises because i got casted really last minute and so when i heard of the role i immediately thought ‘oh, y/n’s gonna freak out when she watches this movie and sees me there.’ then what do i know? she’s standing on set in her popstar barbie costume.” michael scoffingly laughed as the rest of the cast chuckled along.

“so, how is it working on set with your partner? any interesting quarrels that might have happened?” the interviewer asked and they shared a look. “nope. totally none.” “yeah, we have a very professional relationship on the job, i’d say.” their comments make greta snort, “they banter quite a lot on set, actually.” she jabbed, “very distracting.” ryan shook his head, “tut tut. how unprofessional.” he commented, making the others giggle.

michael and y/n only smile, how can they deny the truth?

[mushroomjar]

Did you think I forgot about it? The Halloween vocaloid playlist is done!! I'll include the links in a reblog so Tumblr doesn't bury the post, there's a YouTube playlist and a Spotify one, the YouTube one being the longer one with nearly 100 songs... yeah, I got carried away lol Reminder for those who have forgotten/not in the know, this playlist starts with cute lighthearted songs about Halloween and monsters, and gets darker in tone and sound the deeper down the playlist you go

I don't want to make the post too long so I'll just include a general content warning for the songs in the playlist, and under the cut I might list all the songs and ramble a bit about what it was like to make the playlist. I hope you enjoy!^^

Content Warnings: flashing lights, bright images, loud sounds and jumpscares, disturbing images and noises, death, body horror, gore, cannibalism, abuse, stalking, potentially paranoia-inducing songs/lyrics

The playlist has been done for days, I've just been procrastinating on actually making the post until now lmao sorry! I had a lot of fun making the playlist and going through the suggestions, it also made me fall in love with some producers I hadn't paid much attention to before (shout out to all of the people who sent in Babuchan suggestions, as you can see I went down a bit of a Babuchan rabbit hole and added tons of his stuff to the playlist, same for machigerita lol)

I'll admit that one of the reasons the playlist kept getting longer was because I'd look at other creepy/scary vocaloid playlists on YouTube for inspiration, and every time I was nearly done I would write down 20 more songs to check out, which is why it took me a whole month to get this playlist done lol. I hope it was worth it! I'm very pleased with how it all turned out

There were also many songs/producers I really liked but decided not to include in the playlist, for example I found DaijoubuP, who I really like, but I didn't think it fit the vibe of the kind of Halloween playlist I wanted to make, so none of his stuff is in the playlist. Same goes for SEIKAI, his songs sound very creepy but I found the lyrics a bit too dark and I wanted to try to keep the playlist a bit more lighthearted. Maybe I'll make a more general vocahorror playlist sometime to highlight all of these producers' work! Who knows

Something else I realized because of this playlist is my standard for creepy vocaloid music might be a bit different than other people's. I got many Maretu suggestions, and I love the guy and completely understand why some of his music was suggested (such as Coin Locker Baby), but it surprised me just how much I'd see him suggested in the notes of my post or in Spotify playlists, he's never really given me the creeps even with his darker lyrics. Not judging! Just an observation I had

You'll notice that I've been using vocaloid as a bit of an umbrella term, since there are a couple of songs that use UTAU and even Synth-V voicebanks^^

I think that's all I have to say for now, so I'll just list all the songs in the playlist and hurry to put the links in a reblog! Thank you so much to everyone who helped with the playlist, all of your suggestions were really appreciated, I would not have as good a playlist if it wasn't for you^^

The song list is mainly because I tried to link back to the original producers whenever possible, and also sometimes the songs were very hard to find, so a lot of the titles are in Japanese, so I figured having the songs and producers written out here would make it a bit easier for you to navigate the playlist^^ Anyway, songs:

Happy Halloween - Junky

SLASH/ER - Circus-P

Ghosts Play To The Audience - PinocchioP

Kikkai Kettai - Meddmia

Zen'yasai no akuma - mayuko

Furaan Furaan Zombie - nem

Fake-Cryer Pumpkin - CycleP

Zen'yasai no kuroneko - mayuko

Halloween Patisserie TrickaTorka - machigerita

Halloweenya - Chinozo

Dream-Eating Monochrome Baku - nem

Creepy Toast - CircusP

Pumpkin March - momocashew

Selfish Princess - fujiwo

Pumpkin Head Spooky Dance - machigerita

Dream Meltic Halloween - machigerita

Giga giga witch - Kurosawa Madoka

Trich, Trach, Trick Parade - sasasaP

Happy Hollow And The God Club - Nanou

Saa, Docchi? - HINATA Haruhana

Propaganda! - Crusher-P

What Gave It Away - R.I.P

Shadow Shadow - Azari

Splatter Party - Camellia

Who? - Azari

Pandemic - YuugouP

Twilight Homicide Song - Kiraboshi Hikaru

Greedy Halloween Candy Nights - machigerita

Gochisou - Xitoo

Spiral-Luvox - Tune Tonic/Switch

Mrs. Pumpkin's Comical Dream - hachi

trick and treat - OSTER Project

Strange Masquerade Halloween - machigerita

Oxidation And Dream Monsters - Ghost

Oz no Kaitai Show - Ankoku DouwaP/Joruzin

Sadistic.Music Factory - cosMo@BouSou-P

Hourglass - HiiragiKirai

Dance With The Dead - Ghost

Alice of Human Sacrifice - Yugami-P

Candy Addict Full Course - machigerita

The Boy Who Went To Hell - SHUDDER

Crazy Clown - Intro-P

Ideal Picture - NanoritaP

Serial Contraption of Malice - Ghost

Twins - Babuchan

Not As It Seems - Creep-P

Amydgala's Rag Doll - Ghost

Hyouhon Shoujo - Kiyozumi

Rotten Girl, Grotesque Romance - machigerita

Grotesque Love Song - shoutarouP

That Woman - shoutarouP

Musunde hiraite rasetsu to mukuro - hachi

Hide And Seek - Ho-ong-i

Tokeru Sakana - Yuzuri_Hal

Greetings From The Bottom Of The Well - machigerita

Color & Electricity - mushiP

Patchwork Toxin - machigerita

Bacterial Contamination - Kanimiso-P

Song for Great Satan - Nanka-P

Taiyou-sama - Abuse/Abuse-Ken

Fear Garden - Chaa

Despair The Burguer Factory - Groy Anderson

The Cyclops - David K.

Tears of Artificial Flowers - Babuchan

Moon Prescription - Babuchan

Rugrats Theory - Crusher-P

Monochrome Ward - Yugami-P

Bone Dead Mansion - Babuchan

50/50 - Risshuu

Dark Woods Circus - machigerita

Wide Knowledge of the Late Madness - machigerita

Tell me you'll love me - Babuchan

After School - Okashi-P

Lavender Town - neku

???????? - SocialPhobiaSynaps

behe-laino_hotza-bihotza - sakizakisaki

In A Rainy Town, Balloons Dance With Devils - hachi

Sand Gum - MOL.

Nodoka na Kyuujitsu - HikkieP

Broken Toy Mania - Babuchan

Red Flower - Babuchan

Cry Baby - Babuchan

Fuzai - MondaijiP

Boku Yaranai, Kimi Itooshi - nicol

Ant Observation - Healing-P

A 13-Year Old Killer - Sunazame

0 People's Waltz - Babuchan

Varicella - Babuchan

Kagome Kagome - Zawazawa-P

potatoman - MondaijiP

Okaasan - machigerita

VOCALOID UTOPIA - dennoko-P

Hyperpnea - Hikkie-P

Crushed Mary - Mondaiji-P

Nakazu to mo Rokkaku Wrench da Hototsugi - MondaijiP

Complex - Watashi no koko

[imagines--galore]

Idk who Spencer Ried is.. is that how you spell his lastname? I can't remember. Anyways I've never seen criminal minds but I love your writing

What if like.. they're friends but know they like each other just haven't like established anything yet. One day they're chilling in readers house or something and Spencer goes:

"Can I kiss you?"

Reader is all shy and quietly goes "I've never kissed before..." and he just "I can teach you" fluff ensues

Pairing: Dr. Spencer Reid x Reader Rating || Genres || Warnings: T. Romance. Fluff. None, just a little kissing. A/N: Ok I'm so flattered that you would send in a request just to read what I write :3 Thank you so much! Also I put a tiny spin on your request at the end so I hope thats alright?

"That is not how its done!"

"You said to roll them into balls, so I rolled them into balls!"

"Not ones the size of Pluto."

"Technically they're not the actual size of-"

"Spence!"

"Alright fine! I'll roll them smaller this time."

Rolling your eyes playfully, you turned your attention back to the pasta dough you were kneading. If someone had old you a couple weeks ago that you would be on your fourth date with your longtime crush, you would've asked them to go see a Doctor. Because there was no way the cute FBI Agent who came into your little coffee shop almost everyday reciprocated your feelings.

You had chatted with him every time he came in, so you knew him rather well just as he knew you. And while there was something akin to friendship growing between the two of you, you couldn't help but feel that there was something more. More then one time the both of you and flirted with the other, though it was all innocent and nothing ever really came of it.

So it came as a huge surprise when one day he walked in and asked you out.

Point blank and straight forward.

You actually kind of liked that.

The first date was a success. So was the second. As well as the third. Now you were on your fourth date and neither of you had made a move. Probably because you were just as shy as he was. You had plucked up the courage to kiss his cheek at the end of the first date. And he had kissed your forehead when the two of you had gone dancing on the previous date.

But other then that, nothing.

And it didn't bother you. You just loved being around him and spending time with him.

You current date was being held at your home, where the both of you were making dinner together. You had wanted to try out your knew pasta machine and having a brilliant guy like Spencer around did speed things up a little in terms of setting the thing up.

You were a little hopeless when it came to it.

Depositing the paste dough in the refrigerator to rest, you turned around to see Spencer holding out a much more appropriately size meatball. You grinned in approval. "That looks so much better Spence." You said, walking to stand beside him. He smiled at the praise and was rather quick with the rest of the rolling before he stuck a tray full of meatballs in the freezer.

"Now we wait?" He asked, taking off the gloves he'd been wearing and washing his hands. You nodded, glancing at your own flour covered hands and holding them under the running water.

"Move over." You playfully bumped his side as you tried to steal the soap from his hand. "I was here first!" He retorted, shoving you back as well. Your hand accidentally flicked some water into his face, prompting him to let out a sound of surprise. You laughed at his expression, but that was soon cut off when he cupped some of the water and threw it in your face as well.

"You had some flour on your face." He stated with a smug grin as you playfully glared at him. But that expression broke when you reached up to ruffle is hair. You had always wanted to do that, and now that the both of you were dating, you were allowed to do so without looking strange.

You leaned back to look at his dumbfounded expression, laughing softly as you did. "You look so adorable." You stated, ruffling his hair once more. His expression slowly morphed into an adoring smile, one that had you blushing to the roots of your hair and your heart to start beating really fast. You moved to quickly step away from him, but he reached out to grasp your hand and hold you in place.

Your eyes met.

"Can I kiss you?"

The suddenness of the question did take you by surprise, but you were quick to jerk your head in a nod.

Every so slowly his head leaned down, while you pushed yourself on your toes to reach him. Within a single breath your lips were against his and you felt your insides melt.

The kiss was soft and shy, fitting given how the both of you had been around one another since you met. His hands settled on your waist, while your arms lifted to wrap around his shoulders. He pulled you closer, prompting you to sigh against his lips when you felt him against you. The kiss didn't last very long though, although you wished it did. You gave a small laugh.

"Well certainly never done that before." You said. His hands tightened where they rested on the side of your waist as he quirked his head in confusion. "What kissing?" You shook your head. "No, I mean kissing you. If I knew just how much I enjoyed it I would've perfected it by now."

This was just your way of baiting him to kiss you again.

"Well we can always practice some more?" He suggested. You giggled. Sometimes Spencer could be so clueless about social cues, and you found it extremely adorable.

"Sounds like a plan." With that you reached up to meet his lips once more.

Suffice to say, you had a rather late dinner that night given how the both of you were so busy perfecting the art of kissing.

[ashoss]

Hii!! This is waterunderthebridge12, I just stumbled across your art of The Robin Declaration and it made my entire week <3333. I love Duke so much and I'm so glad there are others who love him too!!! I would love if you dropped your Duke-centric fic recs, I've only read a few good ones (that aren't just him being an outsider) so any recs are appreciated!

oh my god! hii! im so glad u liked the silly little doodle lol i would love to do an actual drawing for either The Robin Generation or the Robin Declaration !! they were such fun reads and i absolutely adored the way you portrayed all of them <33

unfortunately i dont really have a lot of duke-centric fics but i have a couple!

WHEN EARTH FINDS STARS. by orpheusaki

duke & jason, pre-WAR and signal

15.8k words, 4 chapters (unfinished)

"Let it be known that I completely detest the implications of what this situation is mirroring," Red Hood grumbles to himself and it's the longest string of words Duke has heard from any so-called Gotham vigilante, let alone the one who's known for shooting more than he is talking. "The fuck?" Duke mutters, because if he's already going to die, he might as well try and make sense of it. "I'm not going to care about whatever sob story you have," is what Red Hood replies with instead of explaining, "Where are your parents?" "Gone," is all Duke says, because it's really none of this guy's business. It's also the truth. Somehow, Red Hood sounds even more anguished about this information than Duke is, "Ah shit." (Duke steals the tires off Red Hood's bike and somehow gains a family.)

YOU HEAR ITS SONG FROM THE MORNING BIRDS. (series) by orpheusaki

duke & bruce, duke & batfam

9k words, 3 words (unfinished)

A series of Duke Thomas centric works, mostly featuring his growing relationship with his new kind-of-dad-boss-friend, Bruce Wayne.

Keep Your Head, Your Backbone, and Your Heart by MrMich

duke & tim, alfred, bruce

54k words, 6 chapters

The last thing that Duke expected on what was supposed to be just a regular patrol was being suddenly thrown five years into the past, coming face to face with a darker, more violent Batman than the one he knew, a broken family, and a Tim who was a foot shorter than Duke, and not even Robin yet.

A silent shadow flitted past him, just barely visible on the cave walls. He went rigid, tracking the shadow in the corner of his vision. And then he dropped to the floor, just in time, as a familiar black gloved fist passed overhead. He just barely missed being hit by the punishing blow that would have landed right on his temple for a sure concussion if he hadn’t dodged. “Batman?” Duke yelled. He somersaulted forward, just barely avoiding another strike. “B, what are you doing?!” “Who are you,” came the growled response. A shiver crawled down Duke’s spine at the grim hostility in Batman’s voice that promised violence, and something tightened in the back of his throat.

Family-- by incorrectbatfam

duke & batfam

3.3k words, 1 chapter

“Your assignment over the weekend is to write a poem about your family.”

Strange Bedfellows by snackbaskets

duke & steph & jason

2.7k words, 1 chapter

Little known fact about bats: they're AWFUL at sleeping alone. At least, the ones in the Manor seem to be, if the half-conscious kind-of-maybe siblings using Duke as a body pillow are any indication. When did he sign up for this?

Ghosts Of The Past by PlatitudinalTeen

duke & martha, thomas, duke & bruce

7.2k words, 1 chapter

Shortly after moving into Wayne manor, Duke discovers he can commune with the dead when his grandparents, Thomas and Martha Wayne begin to accidentally haunt him. ------- "No powers?" Duke repeated, even more confused as he tried to recall everything he had ever heard about Ghosts. "So, you can't possess anyone or make the lights flicker? What about telekinesis and all the other scary stuff from the books and movies?" "Those things can only be achieved by malicious spirits, dear," Martha told him. "We may be ghosts, but we aren't vengeful." They had made peace with their deaths, and even if they were still tied to the manor, it was exactly where they wanted to be. Thomas chuckled. "Yes, that's more of our son's department," he quipped, using his fingers to mimic Batman's ears. "Vengeance is a young man's game, really."

Starshine by zodarii_dae

duke & bruce, reverse robins

3.6k words, 1 chapter

Duke Thomas is a Gothamite, through and through. There’s not a lot he knows for certain, but he knows that the bagels are great, that Bruce Wayne is stupid rich, and that Batman will always protect him. That’s just how it is. So when Batman promises to bring him to his family, he believes him. Neither of them expected it to happen quite the way it did, but it all works out for the best. Or How Duke loses his parents, gains a new family, and becomes a vigilante- in that order, with some stuff in between.

necessary reminders by Quillium

duke & batfam

5.2k words, 1 chapter

Duke, as Signal becomes known and as Duke becomes part of the Wayne family.

*ao3 acc needed

hope you enjoy !!!

[donnerpartyofone]

4, 7, 15

Thanks pal!

4. I'm looking forward to a bunch of things I guess, although also everything makes me so nervous that anticipation is never untainted! I'm looking forward to my book coming out, even though it has all sorts of little flaws that I can barely prevent myself from spontaneously defending/confessing. I'm looking forward to a blu-ray commentary I'm gonna record soon (can't announce yet) plus a bunch of writing I got assigned, all really cool things but I know how much work they are and I wonder if I'm going to survive it every time! I'm looking forward to a horror event I have to host in a couple weeks; it's insanity, I'm paying $$$ for travel and lodging to be on a stage for probably ten minutes to just sort of be the face of the event and provide "support", but that's what it means to me apparently. I think that I should try to find some longer term things to look forward to, but that will be a whole project, I've always had a lot of trouble with goal formation. I'm always doing one short-term thing at a time and feeling like I barely got away with it.

7. 2023 was really insane. My mental health was crumbling really badly in tandem with our tiny, ridiculous apartment where we had lived for ten years. There were huge ups and downs with the big TBA project I basically gave my life to, that I may never be able to "A" but hopefully some day someone will tell me if it is officially cancelled so I can at least talk about it a little. I also wrote my book and I got a chance to go to London to record my first blu-ray commentary, which was a huge adventure and it happened amidst a bunch of really complicated dramatic events I don't have the space for; it was like, we moved out of our apartment, and somebody died, and I had to get on a plane to another country immediately, and I still have this feeling like I went through a portal to another dimension and when I landed at home again it was in another universe and that's where I've been ever since. I got to do some major writing projects that kind of felt like, well OK I did THIS, maybe it will be alright if I die now. I got to be on the jury of the local horror film festival and that was really awesome...and I'm starting to realize that this roundup makes it sound like I'm an incredibly ambitious and busy professional person who is fulfilling her dreams, but none of this stuff pays the bills and I am chronically unemployed, and I seem to have a lot of cognitive and intellectual problems, and I'm just terrified that I'm going to have to starve to death eventually. Toward the end of the year I tried to go back into therapy (round 3) and the search itself was really frightening, but when I finally picked someone I had made a really bad choice and the ~3 sessions I had with her fucked up my mind so badly, I wasn't OK for like two months. I still need to figure that out though, there's a lot of stuff wrong with me.

15. Personality description, wow. Maybe it would be fun to do one of those Marvel cards with all my "stats". How do I answer this? My instinct is to list all my pathologies, but then I think I should say what I'm like socially, but then I remember that I'm pretty different from one situation to another. I have incredible anxiety and I'm always tired from a lot of heavy duty masking, but the masking is 1 part survival instinct and 1 part compassion for others I would say. Almost all of my relationships are these intense one-on-one bonds, I don't do well in groups or with people who can't sustain a long conversation about one thing. But even with people I really know and love I have trouble being spontaneous, I have to script all my phone calls just in case I suddenly lose my mind. I think a lot of people perceive me as like really tough and self-possessed and even ambitious, which blows my mind; I've had a number of relationships that fell apart because the person came up with the fantasy that I was this bad bitch and then they were disappointed that I'm actually really vulnerable and nervous and incompetent. I'm not completely sure what that's about, but I think it could be partially a "social cues" problem; like sometimes I don't realize that I'm being inappropriately harsh until it's too late, and other times I'm like daring myself to be more honest and frank because I think that I'm too meek and it's not normal and people don't like that and I should practice having more self-confidence...and then I'm mortified when I find out the hard way that I was being inappropriate. But the one thing I can probably say without reservation is that I have a great sense of humor. It's like my prized possession, an incredible survival tool, and it keeps me entertained even when I have nothing else.

[1d1195]

Made to Be Extra II

This was easy to write because I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I know we're all waiting on a second part of a lot of other things (and a fourth part of Normal People) but that will come I promise.

This takes place two and half years after January.

You can read the rest of this series here: Made to Be

Warnings: None...a little mean/angsty at times.

She ignored him. Didn’t even glance at him in acknowledgment.

Sighing, he headed to bed. With a hand on the cold side of the mattress he actually Googled signs of falling out of love. But after reading too many that sounded like her, he locked his phone and closed his eyes.

August/September

Harry walked into the apartment that he shared with the woman of his dreams of nearly three and a half years. They had been trying to find a house for over a year, but the market continued to be outlandish.

And lately, it’s been put on hold due to her miserable attitude.

Harry hated to even think that way. Every thought he had about her was always beyond pure and lovely—he adored her. Always and foremost.

But Harry had never seen this side of her before, she was angry. All the time—for over a month. At first, he thought she was just having a bad day—it was exceedingly hot out in the middle of the summer, and she was agitated by the traffic she hit coming back from tutoring. However, the following days didn’t make her better. He tried walking on eggshells around her, trying to make the apartment clean and everything she wanted while she was out tutoring in the afternoons. But he never seemed to clean the right way. Or he moved something and then suffered the bitterness of her irritation of why he moved stuff. The dinner he made didn’t seem to be the food she wanted.

So, Harry looked at their wedding photos to keep him sane.

It was a rough patch; couples went through them every day, Harry always thought they’d be an exception, but here they were. She was plenty vocal about what was wrong, so he was certain it was nothing like her past relationship.

The album was on their coffee table (normally it was under the table on the little shelf, and she was happy to remind Harry that was where it belonged). But when she was out tutoring, he looked at how happy she was a little over a year ago, how gorgeous she looked—as she always looked; even angry she was still the most beautiful person he knew. The photos simply reminded him of another time she looked angelic...and happy. He thought about the dress hanging in their closet and how the flowers in her hair made her look like mother nature. He smiled like an idiot every time he opened the album looking at the pretty lady.

It was easily the second-best day of his life.

The first being the day he met her of course.

He heard the door open. Swiftly, he replaced the album on the shelf, leaned back on the couch, and picked up his book from the arm of the sofa. “Hi angel,” he called sweetly. She didn’t respond. He could hear the distinct sound of her settling her things down. Kicked her shoes off. Put her keys back on the hook. Slowly she emerged from the little entryway and Harry couldn’t even think about how mad she had been, she was so breathtaking it still amazed him. His lungs literally felt out of sync from his body. She was such a calming presence.

“Hi,” she said curtly.

Even when she was grumpy.

He smiled gently at her. “Did y’have a good lesson?”

She nodded and sat on the free chair—instead of the sofa beside him. “I’m hungry.”

“Can I make you something?” He asked, closing his book. “What would you like?”

She shrugged. “I...I kind of want tacos.”

“Well, we can go out then, m’love,” he suggested.

“Can we order in?”

“Sure, kitten,” he amended.

“Can you stop being so accommodating?” She grumbled.

He blinked. “I’m sorry?”

She huffed in response. “I need to lie down; I have a headache,” she said standing to make her way to the hallway.

“Angel...” he started reaching for her wrist as she passed the back of the sofa.

“M’fine,” she mumbled pulling her hand away quickly. “Can you just order the tacos?”

He didn’t answer her because he didn’t want to be too accommodating.

*

The school year started with a hustle of things to do and things to buy. It distracted the two from how angry she had been the last month of summer. If Harry squinted, she was back to normal. He enjoyed seeing her from across the hall—especially because she looked like her old self most when she was back at the doorway smiling at students. She looked happy—even if she was pretending.

“Love,” he said softly as she was up late preparing her lesson. Her computer screen was illuminating her face. “Y’should get some sleep.” She ignored him. Didn’t even glance at him in acknowledgment. Sighing, he headed to bed. With a hand on the cold side of the mattress he actually Googled signs of falling out of love. But after reading too many that sounded like her, he locked his phone and closed his eyes.

She couldn’t be falling out of love. She was made to be in his life and Harry knew it with everything in him. It made more sense than anything he had experienced in his whole life. The earth took 365 days to rotate around the sun, Thursday went after Wednesday, and they were made to be in love.

But right now, it was feeling an awful lot like they weren’t.

*

“Can we take separate cars today?” She asked. Harry had just come out of the shower, and she was placing his tea on the counter.

“Uh...yeah, of course, love. Everything alright?”

“I promised the kids I’d watch their soccer game.”

“Oh...well, I could come along if y’want t’jus’ take the one—”

“That’s okay,” she said. “I’ll see you at school.”

Harry was beginning to feel utterly defeated.

*

Harry was working quietly during his off period. He had one headphone in, listening to music as he wrote the opening notes on his whiteboard for his next class. He didn’t think about how she lied to him about going to the game. Even though he really couldn’t think about anything else. The kids let it slip—unknowingly. He simply asked one of the boys how the game was, but they alerted him there wasn’t a game yesterday. Harry tried to think of how the conversation would go at home; how he was supposed to broach the subject to her.

“Mr. Styles!” Someone yelled.

Harry dropped his marker the minute he was called and hurried across the hall taking in the class of worried eyes as they looked from Harry to her and pointed at the love of his life. “What’s—”

“M’fine,” she murmured and held a hand to her forehead and swayed a bit leaning against her whiteboard. “It’s just really hot in here.”

“Whoa, hey, hey,” Harry quickly made it across the classroom, he knocked papers off someone’s desk and accidentally kicked a water bottle over. “Can you call the nurse?” He asked over his shoulder to the student near the phone. The second he had his hands at her arms, she collapsed against him. “Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. Hopefully, no one heard it—if they did, no one cared. Harry’s heart was racing as he held her up as best he could, the awkward angle she buckled into his arms made it hard to keep her from falling to the floor, but he wouldn’t let her.

“Holy shit!” A student gasped, but Harry couldn’t reprimand him because it was a needed expletive. And he was preoccupied.

Harry was anxious now. “Grab another teacher, please,” he said to the whispering class as he tried to pull her limp body to her desk chair. He hated that he was a teacher right now. He wanted to scream and whisk her out the door to the nearest hospital—he would carry her on foot if he had to. “Hey, love?” he asked, cupping her face as her eyelids fluttered rapidly. “Kitten, you with me?”

“Harry?” She croaked. Her eyebrows knitted together, and she blinked up at him so innocently she looked like the woman he adored so much—the one that didn’t hate him or lie to him.

“Hey,” he cooed softly rubbing his thumb along her temple. “Y’scared me, love. Y’alright?” He whispered.

“Yeah,” she mumbled. “S’hot.”

It wasn’t. It was cold and raw today—surprisingly for the unseasonably warm September. A cold front blew quite the rainstorm in overnight, so it wasn’t hot at all. “I know, love,” he hummed, his eyebrows pinched together in further worry. Something was very wrong. “We’re going to get you checked out.”

“No,” she said firmly. “M’fine.”

“Angel,” he chided so softly.

“No,” she repeated, stronger. “M’fine. Jus’ got a bit lightheaded.” In the entire time Harry knew her he had not once seen her lightheaded. Never had she ever fainted—not even when he hit the ball in her face. That didn’t mean she couldn’t, but Harry knew something was wrong and she was pretending it wasn’t. But again, they were teachers. And they were at school. Seventeen pairs of teenaged eyes looked at the two of them at the front of the class. She stood up as the nurse appeared in her doorway and quickly denied her help. “I’m fine, I just need to drink some water.”

“Love,” Harry protested.

“Stop,” she said pointedly to Harry. “M’sorry for the scare everyone, m’really fine,” she promised. “We can get back to our lesson now.” The nurse looked on suspiciously for a moment as she reset her slideshow and regrouped her students. They eyed her nervously, afraid to not do as she asked.

So, Harry had no choice but to go back to his classroom and try not to scream.

*

“Kitten,” Harry said softly from the living room. He couldn’t take it anymore. It was too much. All of it. Today was the last straw.

“Yeah?” She called back tiredly. He didn’t care if she was tired.

“Can we chat?” He asked tentatively. He kept his voice gentle. He didn’t want to command it but he needed her to hash all of this out. It was making him crazy. “C’mere.”

“Harry, I’m—"

So much for not being commanding. “S’not a request, love.” It was silent for a beat and then he heard her socked feet pad quietly down the hall. She looked at Harry in the chair by himself and she sat on the sofa—right in the middle. She crossed her arms around her body protectively. Closing herself off. It was a metaphor staring right at Harry and he hated it. She stared at the coffee table while Harry shifted his body toward her. He leaned forward on the chair and braced himself. “What’s wrong?” He asked.

“Nothing, you called me—”

He shook his head quickly and sighed. “No, kitten. Seriously. What’s wrong?”

“What are you talking about, Harry?” She snapped. “I was in the middle of folding laundry—”

“It can wait,” he said rubbing his hand on the back of his head. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“There’s nothing wrong! I’m just—”

He shook his head angrily, could feel his breath coming in shorter pants as he was getting agitated not knowing what was wrong. Harry got out of his seat and started pacing between the coffee table and the TV as he listed all the things that had been bothering him—particularly today. “Love, you’ve been mean for over a month. You’ve been acting like it’s m’fault for whatever is making you s’mad and I don’t know what t’do. You fainted in class today! Something is wrong and you have t’tell me. I can’t take this anymore!”

She looked so angry, but she didn’t look up to meet his gaze. He saw her fingers pressed into her palms and she stared at the coffee table. She was bracing herself. Harry watched her set her jaw as she started to lie again. “Nothing—”

Harry felt so completely frustrated. He ran his hands over his face. He married her for better or for worse and this had to be the “worse” and because it felt like it. It was so heartbreaking because all he wanted was to hold her like he did during class today—it was the first time he got to touch her face without her trying to wriggle away or try to avoid him in over a month. He was infuriated she fainted, but he was grateful he got to touch her. “It feels like y’don’t love me anymore, and I don’t know what—”

It immediately broke whatever she was feeling. Because she started to cry. “No,” she gasped. “No, Harry, that’s not true,” she sniveled and wiped her sleeve across her nose. Harry wanted to console her, wrap his arms around her and hold her so tightly, but he couldn’t because if he did, it wouldn’t solve anything. She would go on hating him and ignoring him. He wouldn’t get answers and wouldn’t know what to do to fix whatever was wrong.

“Y’told me I couldn’t silence y’out after that first fight, we had and you’ve been silencing me out for s’long, angel. The kids told me you didn’t go to the game yesterday because there was no game! And I don’t even care where y’went, I just don’t know why y’thought you had t’lie to me! M’going crazy, kitten. Certifiably crazy! I almost lost it today when y’wouldn’t let the nurse look you—”

“I did something bad, Harry,” she interrupted and covered her hand over her mouth. Harry took a breath and felt his heart race. He stopped pacing. “M’sorry,” she croaked around huge, body shaking sobs.

“Kitten?” He wondered; he couldn’t stop himself. His rant left his mind. She was truly wrecked about something, it made her so painfully sad, Harry could nearly taste it in the air. His mind spun what could be wrong. While she was crying Harry tried to piece out everything, he knew about what was happening. She was mean, lying about where she was, needed a separate car, and fainted in class today. He boiled it down to two options: she was either in love with someone else or she was terminally sick. “Angel?” He questioned again as the sobs wracked her frame.

“M'sorry,” she repeated and wiped her eyes. It was some terminal illness. Had to be. His tongue felt too thick. “You’re going to hate me.”

There was no way she was in love with someone else.

“Bad?” He managed. She was dying. Sick without a cure. It couldn’t be someone else. He would...

She nodded and covered her hand over her face and tried to regulate her breathing so she could talk. But if she was sick...his stomach churned. He couldn’t live without her. If she went, he would follow right behind her. It wasn’t fair, they’d only been married a year and she was so lovely—even when she was grumpy, she was still his favorite thing in the world. “Harry—”

“You’re in love with someone else?” Harry asked desperately. She couldn’t be sick.

“What?” She sniffled. “What did you just ask me?” The tears subsided just a bit for her attitude to reappear just a bit. He could almost hear the coldness in her tone for Harry deigning to ask her such a thing.

“You’re sick then?” He questioned, he finally came to her side, crouched on his knees and pulled her arms from around her shaking frame, he twined their fingers together and he felt so sick at the idea of losing her. “I don’t know, angel, m’jus so lost and I love you so much,” he said his face crumpling in pain that it made her feel nauseous. “I don’t want you to be sick and s’the only thing I can think of—you’re dying...and I can’t...imagine...you can’t leave, so it has to be you’re in love with—”

“No,” she shook her head sniffling still. “M’not sick, and you’re stupid for thinking I could ever love anyone else,” the grumpiness in her voice returned momentarily.

Harry felt relieved briefly. “Then what is it, kitten?”

She closed her eyes and sniffled. Harry felt her squeeze his hands for the first time in over a month and the pressure made everything in him warm. He waited anxiously for her lips to move and speak. “M’pregnant,” she whispered so quietly Harry wasn’t even sure she spoke; thought maybe his imagination had enough of guessing and worrying.

There was not a sound to be heard in the room. “What was that m’love?” He asked nervously.

She sniffled and inhaled shakily. “M’pregnant,” she whispered again.

Harry felt like his brain was broken. He wasn’t processing those words. Surely the cause of their strained relationship was not because she was pregnant, and she didn’t tell him. Harry tried to remember the last time he saw a tampon in the trash bin. He couldn’t remember. “Pregnant?” He repeated.

She nodded. “Yes,” she wiped her eyes and sniveled. “M’sorry,” she said, her lower lip wobbling ridiculously as she apologized. “M’so sorry for everything, Harry. I was mean and I was—I’m so stupid, I’m so sorry. I just didn’t want you to hate me and I—”

Harry shook his head trying to get some of the wires to cross and fire. “What are you...angel, why are you apologizing? Why...why would you think I’d hate you?” He asked.

“Because you don’t want to have a baby right now!”

“What are you talking about?” He said in shock. “Kitten,” he cupped her cheeks. “You’re going t’have a baby?” He repeated stupidly. She nodded.

Harry’s face broke into a smile, but she didn’t even get to enjoy how beautiful he looked with those deadly dimples and crinkly eyes because he pressed his lips to hers at the same time. He could taste all the salty tears she shed over the last few minutes on his tongue, and he pulled her to him as close as he could squeezing her as much as he could without worrying about the little baby growing in her body. She moaned softly against his lips making him sigh with relief. He pulled away finally, rested his forehead against hers. Rubbed his thumb along her cheek and brushed away the tears. “How long have you known, angel?” He asked softly.

“You’re not mad?” She whispered.

He shook his head. “How long, love?”

“A month. I had an appointment yesterday to confirm...I’m...seven weeks along.”

Harry felt the breath leave his lungs and he pressed a hand on her stomach. “Kitten.”

“You’re not mad?” She repeated.

“Angel, what are you talking about? ‘Course m’not mad,” he said pulling her toward him. He brought her fingers to his lips as he kissed each fingertip. “M’mad this little one made you faint, mad y’went to an appointment on your own, and mad you didn’t tell me. But not that you’re pregnant—why would I even be mad about—”

“You told me literally two months ago that we can’t have a baby because it’s not the right time; we don’t have a house and it would be a lot of work with all of our other obligations—”

“Oh my God,” Harry sighed in annoyance. He can vaguely hear the conversation in his head. He didn’t think much of it. It was a matter of fact—a house would be better to have before a baby. But it didn’t mean he was going to hate her if the baby came out of order. “Kitten, m’so madly, desperately, disgustingly in love with you...that is the dumbest thing you’ve ever said t’me.”

She frowned. “You’re not mad?”

“Kitten,” he sighed, if she asked one more time, he might actually get mad. “Have you seriously been grumpy for a month because you thought I’d hate you?” She nodded silently. Harry rolled his eyes. “And you didn’t tell me because?”

“I thought if...if I figured something out...like I wasn’t actually pregnant and just...I don’t know infertile...you’d hate me less.”

Harry blinked. “We’ll come back to that,” he shook his head. “Kitten,” he admonished.

“What?” She asked innocently.

“We’re going to have a baby,” he said with a smile growing on his face and he pulled her to his lap and wrapped his arms around her. It was like the first night they had ever spent together, snuggled onto the couch and her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. His hand pressed protectively over her stomach.

“You’re really not mad?”

“My God, love.”

She was quiet. “I was so sure you would be mad...I didn’t even think about...I didn’t imagine you could be happy.”

He tilted her chin up to gaze down at her. “You are the best thing in my life. You are the sweetest thing I’ve ever known. I vowed to keep you safe for as long as we live. A baby is going to be hard no matter when we have it,” he whispered. “Kitten, I love you and all the babies we’re ever going to have,” he promised. “You didn’t need to hide that from me, and you didn’t need to be mean.”

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “Harry, truly—”

“Angel, you’re about to carry a baby for us in your body for nine months and the silly little thing is going to ruin your hormones and make you do crazy things. You are forgiven now and always,” he said pressing his lips on her forehead.

She sighed, resting her head on his chest again. “Can we just stay like this for a while? I’ve missed you so much,” she whispered.

“Yes, kitten. Always,” he murmured. His thumb inched her shirt up a bit and he drew circles on her skin there. “I adore you,” he mumbled into her hair. The relief and happiness he felt in knowing she wasn’t going to feel so miserable about him anymore was overwhelming. He thought this would be the first night he’d sleep well since July. He was excited to hold her and the baby. “Both of you. Always,” he promised.

[intrepidacious]

hi! ok I just wanted to ask someone who knows how tumblr works haha

so I found someone who writes amazing content so I decided to follow them. I binged lots of their fics earlier today and when I checked their profile again later, their profile doesn’t show. It seems they might have blocked me and I don’t know why :( I commented that I loved their fics and the comments are removed. my profile has my age and I am decently active on reposting & commenting on fics. This happened to me one other time too so I just am confused I guess :( I tried to message them but it said it wouldn’t go through so that makes me think I’m blocked? I guess I don’t know why a couple people blocked me? Just kinda made me sad bc I really enjoy their work but now I won’t be able to see anymore ☹️😢

happy to!! 💛

first thing you gotta remember that in all likelihood, your getting blocked is nothing personal. reasons for blocking someone on tumblr include but aren't limited to:

you don't have your age (range) listed in your bio/clearly visible on your blog

the age you have listed doesn't adhere to boundaries a blog has set (f.e. you're a minor, or it only says "18+" which i know many writers don't accept)

your blog is completely empty i.e. you don't post/reblog stuff

you don't reblog other people's writing

you spam like posts

you've never changed the default icon/header to something else

people don't vibe with the things you reblog

your theme is a colour they don't like

a lot of the time, it comes down to everyone's preferences. god knows i've been blocked by people and didn't understand why, but frankly it's none of my business. most likely, you won't ever find out, either. everyone is creating their own online space, and sometimes that means having a quick blocking finger. i'm sorry that you won't be able to read those stories anymore but you have to accept creators' boundaries.

however, there are some things you can do and try to prevent getting blocked in the future. these are only a couple of suggestions around tumblr etiquette i've picked up on over the years; if anyone else wants to chip in here, please do!!

1. make sure your blog is, by all appearances, that of a human being

this might sound stupid because of course, you are a human, but with the recent bot wars it's all the more important to double check for red flags.

check your url. does it include a random string of numbers, lots of dashes, just a name and an adjective? all of these have been indicative of porn bots and people might block you on sight.

change your icon and your header. yes, both of them. there are lots of creators on here who make wonderful fandom related headers and icons, or you can create your own with canva. just be sure to follow creators' rules and preferably reblog their creation

change your blog title. if your account is new, it will just say "untitled", which is another indication you might not be a human. use quotes, song lyrics, anything you enjoy

add a bio. this is where you put your name or nickname (you can make one up) age, age range, links to second blogs (if applicable), more quotes, whatever. i prefer my bio short and to the point, but that doesn't have to be you.

important: do this for all blogs and side blogs you use regularly. if you have a second blog for reblogging fics, you need to put up your age there as well, or at least visibly link to your main blog so creators can see you're not a minor. the harder it is to verify that you're an adult, the more likely it is that you will get blocked

2. know the different kinds of interactions on tumblr and navigate them well

there's a difference between liking, commenting, reblogging, and reposting, and it's important. lots of people use reblogging and reposting interchangeably, but that's actually incorrect and can lead to serious mishaps. let's dissect them one by one.

liking.

you're familiar with the like from other social media platforms. you tap a post twice or hit the little heart at the bottom of the post and it's added to your likes. wonderful, right? well. tumblr is a little different.

tumblr doesn't have an algorithm. let me say that again. there is no algorithm on tumblr. i guess there is, on the for you page, but that doesn't count because it's really shit. the only important thing on tumblr is your dashboard, and your dashboard only shows original posts and the reblogs of those posts from people you follow.

no one cares about your likes. your likes don't do shit. that's why creatives on here keep talking about reblogs. you need to reblog things on tumblr in order for them to get seen. it's a snowballing effect. likes are nice and all, but they're private. they're not contributing to a story or an artwork being seen by more people. they're essentially empty interaction. what's more, should a post get deleted for whatever reason, that post is gone for you forever.

i know some people use their likes as bookmarks for things they want to look at later, but i would strongly urge you not to do that. people block serial likers, because most of the time it is, sadly, very unlikely that they will come back and actually interact with the post again. that's just the way it is. we can thank tiktok and instagram for that. again, tumblr doesn't have an algorithm. if you want to genuinely support and encourage people on here, you need to do more than liking.

commenting.

this is a step up from liking, because you're actually interacting now. a comment will show up in the activity of the person whose post you left it on and of the original poster (op)—more on that distinction in a minute. comments are encouraged especially on ask/answer type posts, or as a reply to an earlier reblog.

when it comes to fanfic, there are, again, pros and cons. you can only leave a comment from your main blog, which means that even if you have a second account where you reblog fics, there's not necessarily a link between the two. this can lead to your getting blocked if you've never reblogged a fic to your main blog. on the other hand, if people comment on your fic without reblogging it, but they do reblog other people's fics, that can also rub creators the wrong way because it creates a strange sort of hierarchy: why those fics? why not mine?

important thing to note: i am not saying that to make anyone feel bad about "just" commenting, i just want you to be aware that this might go on in a creator's head. it has in mine. i'm very aware that this is a me problem, but it's also a reason why people might get blocked out of the blue, which is why i wanted to bring it up.

reblogging.

ah yes, reblogging. reblogging is the thing that makes tumblr tumblr, and it's so easy to do. you just hit the little 🔁 symbol at the bottom of the post, and boom, it's reblogged to your own blog. everyone who follows you can now see it on their dashboard, and if they reblog it, their followers can see it, and so on and so forth. every time someone reblogs a post from you, you will get a notification in your activity, and so will the op.

reblogs are the heart and soul of tumblr. yes, original posts are (usually) individual creations, but the community aspect of this site is born through the reblog. there are different variations on how to reblog. all are valid, because all help spreading posts around.

the empty reblog is the quickest option. there's literally a quick reblog option on mobile: if you hold your finger on the reblog button for a second or so, you will see your icon appear. if you swipe in that direction, the post gets immediately reblogged to your blog. something similar can be done on desktop with the xkit browser extension. it's fast, it's easy, it gets the job done. it's perfect for when you like a post but don't have anything specific to say/reply.

the reblog with tags is the second fastest option. tags, on tumblr, are sort of the sotto voce version of comments. yes, you can use tagging to organise your blog and make your posts easily findable (is that a word?) but the real fun begins when little asides are added. you can keysmash in the tags. you can put your thoughts in the tags. you can go full caps without it looking overwhelming in the actual post. if you're just starting to comment on things, the tags are a great place to start, because the actual post will keep looking the same; the tags are just a little additional bonus for both you and the creator. this is what you would use for the majority of posts that aren't works of art in any way, too, like text posts you want to find again, polls, photographs etc.

the reblog with additions though? oh boy. that's the real stuff. imagine it as clipping on your thoughts to the post, right there for everyone to see. you can add gifs, and memes, and change the font, and change the colour, and scream, and keysmash, and ramble without limitations. it's like catnip for the op. if you reblog a fic, a moodboard, a piece of art, a gifset, whatever it is, and you put your thoughts underneath? man, it's amazing.

side note: if you're new to commenting on people's fics and you don't know what to say, i highly recommend referring to this post. (btw i linked my reblog so it can act as an example of the different forms of adding to a post: there were other reblogs before mine, and i've added tags. useful in its content and as an example!!)

reposting.

this is where we need to be careful. reblogs are great. reposts are theft. where's the difference? reposting refers to you copying another creator's work, whatever it may be, and creating a new post without any indication to the original person's efforts. even if you do include their url, you will most likely get reported and blocked. because now, you've become the op of this copied post, and the actual creator will get absolutely nothing.

you will most likely have seen banners in fic communities that state something along the lines of "don't copy or translate any of my work to this or any other site". that's what this refers to. this would also include the following:

posting another writer's story to ao3/wattpad/another fic site of your choice without their permission. you can absolutely never do this. "but what if"—NO. never. fullstop.

some creators allow translations of their work, but you can only ever share those with their explicit permission and proper credit.

saving a gif to use without linking back to the artist. this is maybe my biggest gripe. yes, i know this site sucks at making gifs searchable, but still, you can't do this. and no, "credit goes to the original artist" doesn't count, where did that bullshit even come from? it makes me so mad. that's not giving credit, that's being lazy.

3. be nice, and have fun

this is fandom, and it's supposed to be a hobby. this is supposed to be a good time. none of us are getting paid for any of this. yes, we're all passionate about what we do, whether we're looking at other people's creations or we make them ourselves. we're fans of that common thing, and isn't that great?

just a little more internet etiquette that's not really tumblr specific but could be a good reminder for everyone:

not everything is for you, and that's okay

if something's not for you, scroll away

if you don't like what someone is posting, ignore them. mute them. block them.

do not ever, and i mean ever, send anyone hate. you don't know who's on the other side of the screen. block them and move on. life's too fucking short.

don't correct people's grammar/spelling. only assholes do that. if you can't help yourself and they're a person you've interacted with before, shoot them a private message and be nice about it.

don't offer unsolicited advice. i don't care if you want to give constructive criticism to help the other person. unless they've explicitly asked you to do that, don't. you'll get blocked so quick, and you'll ruin someone's day.

if you're reading a fic that's not finished yet, don't ask for an update. yes, you're excited for the story to continue. but "part 2", "when's the next chapter out", "more please" and so on are all things that put pressure on creators whether that's your intention or not. it gives us the impression that what we've already put out is never enough. and that sucks. by all means, be excited about what comes next, but not like this.

read!! old!! fics!!!! the beauty of tumblr being the way it is is that there's zero shame in interacting with older posts. it's not like you're liking a seven year old post on instagram. in fact, if you're commenting on a seven year old fic/gifset/moodboard/artwork on tumblr, i can guarantee you're gonna make that creator's day.

i'm absolutely positive that i've forgotten something in this post even though it's longer than several of my wips, so if any of my moots want to add something that'd be great!! in fact i'm gonna tag some of you because you know what? if you've read all of this you deserve a kiss. have a wonderful day 💛

@marvelettesassemblenow @barnesafterglow @imaginearyparties @aphrogeneias @brandycranby @writing-for-marvel @foreverindreamlandd @sanguineterrain @demxters @wildlivelychild

[we-are-so-close]

Game Night

Serizawa Katsuya x reader Fluff Word Count: 1.5k Author's Note: I've been meaning to write this for ages. I think Serizawa would love to play any type of games with you, especially video games. He's so sweet and I love him dearly. Not edited. Feedback appreciated! Italics indicate texts

“Are we still on for game night?” you texted Serizawa. The two of you had made it a habit of having game night at 5:30 on Fridays. Always at his place, as he had the best setup for any kind of games you wanted to play. He’s never bailed on a game night, but you liked to confirm that he was still interested in it. 

“We’re finishing up a job. Should be done in about 30 minutes! 🙂” he messaged back almost immediately. 

He quickly followed up with, “you can go on in and get the games ready if you’d like 😊”.

A few weeks ago, he had given you a spare key for times like this. He didn’t want to be rude and make you wait in the hallway for him to get home, but he also didn’t want you to have to wait for him to text you, thus delaying game night even longer. You accepted the key graciously and it hung on your keychain with your apartment key and a cat key charm.

The walk from your apartment to his was only about fifteen minutes. You would usually walk there by yourself and Serizawa would walk you back home. You always made him promise to text you when he got back home and he always kept that promise. It was hard to say what your relationship was. You liked him a lot, and you thought you were giving some subtle hints. But with Serizawa, it was hard to read him. He was always so nice and friendly to you, but he was that way with everyone. He always let you choose the game to play, but never really gave any indication if it was what he wanted to play. But then, you thought it didn’t really matter because he always won whatever game you played. 

You stood in front of his door for a solid five minutes before fetching the keys out of your pocket. It was a little nerve-wracking to be going into his place while he wasn’t there. The keys jingled in your hand as you tried to steady it in order to get the key into the lock. First the deadbolt, and then the lock on the doorknob. You slowly walked in and found his place to be in its usual state; cozy and tidy. You sent him a quick message to let him know that you had arrived and he sent a text back a few minutes later. 

“Great! We’re almost done (I think).”

“You can pick whatever game!”

“Maybe practice a little before I get there 😅”

“I’m going to win tonight, Katsuya…you’ll see!”

“😆” was all he responded back. You knew that meant Reigen probably needed his full attention at that moment. 

He had an entire room dedicated to gaming. A big tv with surround sound, a soft couch, a couple of bean bags, and all of the games you could imagine. Sometimes you would play board games and other times you played console games. None of the board games were piquing your interest, so you shuffled through some of the console games. At the bottom of the stack, tucked away ever so slightly, was a game you had never played with Serizawa. This was a game that you were actually quite good at, a game that you have played many times.  This was the game that you knew you were going to play tonight. 

Forty-five minutes later, you heard Serizawa walk through the door. 

“______?” he called out. 

“I’m in the game room!” you called back, currently concentrated on the practice game you were playing. 

“Oh! I thought maybe you had left and were mad at me, you didn’t respond back to my texts,” he chuckled nervously and leaned against the door frame, his expression changing from worried to excited. “I stopped for some snacks, too.” He held up a bag and set it on the table. He sat on the opposite end of the couch as you and watched you play. 

“So, this is the game you want to play then, I take it?”

“Oh yeah! I meant it earlier when I said that I was going to win tonight!”

He chuckled. “I haven’t played Mario Kart in ages,” he said as he cracked his knuckles and rolled up his sleeves. 

You quit the game you were currently in and went back to the home screen so that he could add his controller into the game. You knew that he was excited to play, because he didn’t even bother to change out of his work clothes. It made you smile to yourself. 

“I love Mario Kart! I always play Waluigi. He’s so goofy. I can sound like him, too. Wanna hear?”

Serizawa gave you a soft smile and a nod. 

“WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!” you did your best Waluigi impression. 

Serizawa busted out laughing, his face turning a little red. “That was really good! You sounded just like him! Got any other impersonations?”

“Hm…I can sound like Toad a little bit. But I need to refine that impersonation,” you chuckled. 

“That’s so funny you said Toad. I always play as Toad! He’s a quiet, funky little guy.”

“I would have never pegged you as a Toad guy. You look more like a Shy Guy to me.”

“Nah, Toad is definitely the best!” 

“Well, I guess we’ll see. I’m not leaving tonight until I beat you in one race!” you smiled widely, and Serizawa blushed a little before turning his head toward the TV. 

“Alright, game one. Let’sa go!” He gave his best Mario impression. 

The games were intense. The first few Serizawa won and it wasn’t even close. But you started to pick up your rhythm. You got very excitable during the games and would stand up, sit down, jump back up, sit back down. You had your controller every which way, while Serizawa remained calm and in the same position the entire time.

Hours passed and you were always so close to beating him, but he always had something up his sleeve. A blue shell, a banana peel, a bomb, something that would always hinder you from crossing the finish line first. And, everytime, you would plop back down onto the couch in defeat, stating that you’ll get him the next game.  Eventually, the two of you had found your way to the middle of the couch. You were both shoulder to shoulder as this last race was getting close to finishing. You were neck and neck, but this time he didn’t have any extras to bombard you with. You were pulling out ahead and you could see the finish line in the frame. The excitement in you was bubbling. And then, out of nowhere, your controller went flying out of your hands and floated in the air above you. Waluigi ran into the wall and Toad raced right past him to cross the finish line first. 

“Katsu! You…you cheated!” you accused, your face scrunched in dismay. The controller dropped back down into your lap gently. 

“I..well..,” the guilt showed all over his face as he set his controller down, “you said that you weren’t going to leave until you beat me. And well,” he rubbed the back of his neck,”I’ve been having a lot of fun and I don’t want you to leave just yet.”

The anger in your chest slowly dissipated and was replaced with a sense of fondness. “You could’ve let me win still and asked me to stay anyway, Katsuya,” you bumped your shoulder into his. 

“I…yes, I suppose I could have. I’m sorry. I just really want you to stay. I always have a lot of fun with you, and I thought maybe we could extend our game nights into game weekends,” he said as he fidgeted with his hands. 

You gently placed your hand onto his. “I’d like that a lot, Katsu.” You leaned up and kissed his cheek. He brought one of his hands up to where you’d placed the kiss and he began to turn a bright red. 

“Just two requests, though,” you said sternly. “No more using your powers for cheating.”

He nodded, “Done and done. What’s the other request?”

“Don’t go easy on me, alright?”

He smiled fiercely, “Are you sure about that?” 

“Absolutely.”

“I can fulfill both of those requests. But, I have a request for you as well.”

“Oh,” you quirked your eyebrow at him. 

“Mhmm. I would like to walk you to your apartment so you can get some things you’d need to stay over. And then we can continue this Mario Kart smackdown!”

You agreed with his request. The two of you held hands all the way to your place and all the way back to his. He even carried your bag for you. You didn’t win a single race that night. But it didn’t matter to you. In your eyes, being able to spend more time with Serizawa was the ultimate win for a game night.

[ohbo-ohno]

20 questions for fic writers

thankssssss @ceilidho for the tag <333 i'll tag anyone who sees this and wants an excuse to do it lmao (also @vanderilnde)

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

a measly 10

2. What's your total Ao3 word count?

a less measly 215,864

3. What fandoms do you write for?

call of duty!!! + a couple wips from a couple scattered fandoms, but really just cod

4. Top five by kudos.

kinktober, don't leave me locked in your heart, i'll eat you whole, run until you feel your lungs bleeding, and then my collection of x reader drabbles

5. Do you respond to comments?

i kinda wish i did more, and i usually respond to my friends! but tbh i noticed when i first started posting that i would feel like crazzzyyyy guilty if i didn't respond to every comment, so i decided it was better to respond to none. also i kept saying the exact same things again and again

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

personally i think it's either "run until you feel your lungs bleeding" or "i'll eat you whole", just because i feel like both of those have my meanest version of ghost? so it feels angstiest to leave johnny/reader with him lmaoo

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

ummmm maybe my price x reader meet cute drabble? or this kinktober gaz x reader? could be this 141 x reader kinktober drabble?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

no!!! not on ao3! i've gotten a few comments here and there that are pretty clearly making fun of me, but never a straight up capital-h Hate comment

9. Do you write smut?

exclusively

10. Craziest crossover.

couldn't do it, sorry!!! however if someone out there wants to write a moon knight x hannibal crossover where will is one of marc's alters, link it to me and i'll give you my life savings

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of? but i've had at least one uploaded into an ai bot, which i count as stealing personally

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

not that i know of!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

i have not! i would be totally totally willing to, if i could get over my personal crazy low writing self-esteem lmaoo

14. All time favorite ship?

klaus and caroline from the vampire diaries and it's not even close. i don't think it's a lie to say i've read over 600 fics of them. they're my everything

15. What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

an old abandoned konig x reader. gave up on it about 2.3k

16. What are your writing strengths?

i genuinely could not tell you lmaoo. i've got a really negative view of myself so i have a crazy difficult time evaluating my strengths and weaknesses!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

i really struggle with anything that doesn't actually lead to sex, as much as it makes me sound like a gooner lmaoo. i have a hard time moving Plot along without it feeling super obvious that that's what i'm trying to do

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

i hate hate hate when it's not translated immediately. sorry, even when the perspective character isn't supposed to know, i get really annoyed when i don't know what a character is saying lmao

19. First fandom you wrote in?

god, maybe shadowhunters? i tried my hand at writing a few pages for pretty much everything i liked when i was younger, so i'm really not sure what was really the first one. could be shadowhunters, grey's anatomy, five night's at freddy's, harry potter, percy jackson.... any one of those is totally possible

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

it's probably my least popular fic but i wrote a werewolf soap x monster hunter ghost drabble that i still love so much. but i also really really love i'll eat you whole still :)

[spectralharvest]

20 Questions for Fic Authors

Thanks for tagging me @sunhatllama although I only have 2 posted fics so this is gonna be kind of sad

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

2, although I used to have a lot more that I orphaned because I wrote them when I was 12 and was ashamed of myself lmao

2. What is your AO3 wordcount?

2,242

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I've posted things for Spy x Family and The Longing, although I've been sporadically working on something for South Park

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

I only have two but I'll put them here anyway

1.) Happy Endings - My Spy x Family fic about Twilight's mom that I based off of a fan animation. Ironically, a couple months after I posted this, Chapter 62 came out which basically dealt with the same thing lmao

2.) Counting the Seconds - My fic for The Longing, an idle game that I really really love. It's not very popular fic wise though, so it makes sense why it has less kudos.

5. Do you respond to comments?

I keep meaning to, but I get nervous and then forget and by the time I remember, it's way too late to respond. Or at least it feels like it's not socially acceptable anymore.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

None of mine so far have had angsty endings, but I'd probably go with Happy Endings just because there's some canonical character death.

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Counting the Seconds? It's just me going through my favorite ending of the game and what The Shade might have been thinking.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, I don't post enough to get that kind of engagement lol.

9. Do you write smut? If so, which kind?

Nope, I just haven't seen a reason to.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest crossover you’ve ever written?

I have not written crossovers, I like to keep my fandoms separate.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nah, like I said, I haven't done anything notable enough to get my things stolen.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

^^^

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but it does sound kind of appealing. I would worry about dragging down someone else's work though since my work ethic is so goddamn terrible.

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Creek!! I actually wasn't all that into them the first time I watched South Park, but when I came back to it years later the Post Covid special had come out and the fact that they were still together 40 years later really cemented them in my heart. I <3 old man yaoi.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have a Creek-focused South Park 60's au that I've been trying to write since June, but I went to work one day with a bunch of ideas and then I left my shift feeling so drained and I haven't been able to get that spark back. I also have a Damianya-focused Spy x Family royalty au based on that one line from chapter 88 but I got too carried away with the planning instead of actually writing.

16. What are your writing strengths?

My roommate (@sunhatllama) says that I conveyed emotions pretty well so I guess I can do that

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

My work ethic :(

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I've certainly tried it before with some of the fics I orphaned, and I feel like it can be fine. Nowadays, I'd just rather have it be like "character said something in a different language". idk i don't feel strongly either way

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Gravity Falls! My ff.net account is still up with them but they're BAD. I wrote them when I was like 10 and I don't remember the account info so I can't go and delete them.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Probably Happy Endings, just because I wasn't expecting a lot of engagement but the creator of the fan animation that I based it off of actually found it and left a comment about it! It made me so happy and I was so goddamn happy when I went to high school the next day lmao.

I'm tagging no one because I have no friends heehee

[coffeebeanwrites]

Something I always toyed with for my Gaster fic was how he would spoil his partner.

He tries a couple times, giving straight up cash, taking them out to nice meals, paying for take-out or delivery. But none of it really feels like spoiling in the typical sense.

I don't know how I would ever write it, but he'd eventually move on to trying gifts (given their reaction to Christmas/Gyftmas, it's the logical progression). Pretty necklaces he spots while visiting the farmers market with them, a scarf or bandana that catches their eyes. I've always thought that he helps "update" their wardrobe too. Purchasing more business like masculine clothing, taking them to a tailor, ensuring their happiness in every way.

But this one keeps popping up in my brain, and it comes and goes. But it's been floating around for about 6 years or so. It has to do with perfume/cologne. Because, he's (mildly) obsessed with scent. In a more naturalistic sense (pheromones) as well as with just observing the world around him through smell (re; 'taste'. Smells with tongue. Don't ask me if it works like a snake that's one aspect of his biology I haven't dwelled on). It's half the reason he's always wearing something, it's like a shield for his senses.

But with them it's a little different. He simply cannot get enough of being around them, in their space, constantly keeping them close enough to "smell". Even going as far as to spend time licking them obsessively (there's a WIP for that... It keeps bouncing between Souls Desire and Souls Sin). So I feel like the truly selfish, whim-driven spoiling would be gifting high-end colognes/perfumes for them to wear. And he would probably end up letting on eventually that they should wear it all the time, even a light mist at home.

I have this like, image of them wearing a perfume oil (Probably that really generic bold Carolina Herrera one, "Good Girl"[I sound like I'm dissing it but I'm actually not because I own the rollerball perfume oil]) and then applying it just before they go to give him a hug before he leaves or when they get dropped off on campus, and swiping it on his neck or shirt collar. So when he takes a breath he catches a whiff of it and it's like their little secret all day. Or in sort of a primal/prey dynamic it's like a mark (god knows Gaster leaves plenty) and it's just, this kind of sultry, sensual action that gets passed between them.

[elismor]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

@cacodaemonia tagged me for this one and I've never actually looked at my AO3 stats, so this should be interesting (for me, anyway)...

How many works do you have on ao3? 119, which is kind of...something when you consider that I only started writing fic again in 2022

What’s your total ao3 word count? 101, 481. Yeeps.

What fandoms do you write for? Most of those words are for The Clone Wars, but there are some other SW shows/movies in there too. I'm 100% Star Wars these days. But there are also works from Stargate, Firefly, Supernatural, and a couple of others.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Pillow Talk

Forty Winks

Intensive Care

Whiskey Tango...Foxtrot?!

Crime and Punishment

The first four were all part of Codywan Sleep Bingo 2023, the last one was for 501st Bingo 2023

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I do! I always respond to thank those who left me a comment at the very least and will try to answer questions or react to something specific if they have called it out. Fandom is about interaction.

What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I suppose that depends on how one defines angst. Intensive Care ends with both Cody and Obi-Wan gravely wounded in bacta tanks. But None of Us Perfect ends with an OFC giving Anakin advice that will ultimately fail because...you know...Vader. So one of them is what I would maybe call "modern angst" in that fandom seems to have more specific definitions of it now but the other seems like a somewhat happy ending when we all know it's really not and never could be.

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Honestly? I have no idea. These days, I tend to only write happy/fluffy sort of stuff, so most of them end well. Strictly Ballroom is about Waxer and Boil's first kiss and it's pretty sweet and happy, I think.

Do you get hate on fics? To date? No. Will I eventually? Probably? I dunno. I'm pretty small potatoes in the fic world....I don't have the kind of spotlight that draws hate.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yes, I suppose that I do. 98% of it is clonesex, but there is a side of het in there with Thire and an OFC because when I started writing smut, I needed to do it with the kind of sex I am familiar with.

Do you write crossovers? I have written one crossover in my life. It is not on AO3.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I am aware of, no.

Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes, but it was a million years ago in a fandom far, far away.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes.

What’s your all-time favorite ship? This question gives ME angst. I am not a shipper by nature and I've never had an OTP. In TCW, I very much enjoy Rex/Cody and it probably edges out my fondness of Codywan a little.

What’s a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? I have about 15K written as a sequel to None of Us Perfect and I really would like to finish it because I started it when the Kenobi series aired as a sort of tribute to my friend Alex, who passed away before she could see it. I'm also just really fond of that OFC and would like to tell more of her story. But it's such a personal project that gets me deep in my feels, so it can be hard to work on.

What are your writing strengths? If the comments are to be believed, I'm somewhat funny? I do think I can turn a decent phrase from time to time, too.

What are your writing weaknesses? I used to write in past tense and, back then, I think I was pretty good at action, but now that I'm in present tense, I don't think that's true anymore. I struggle with it not reading staccato (he did this, then he did that, then this happened), so I actually tend to avoid it.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I tried it once with that crossover mentioned above, but did it phonetically because I wanted the readers to have a sense of how it sounded instead of just looking at words in a language they didn't speak. I don't think I would do it again aside from a word here or there as needed.

First fandom you wrote for? Highlander: The Series

Favorite fic you’ve written? I have a very soft spot for the second HL fic I wrote, which is probably still online somewhere, but I'm not going to try to link to it because it's under my real name (because that's how we rolled in 1997). Here and now, under the cover of usernames, it's probably A Brighter Star than You.

Thanks for the tag, caco! That was more fun than I thought it might be. I'm going to open tag this because I feel like I have been hitting the usual suspects pretty hard with the writing game tags lately. If you see it and want to play, please do so and tag me back so I can see your answers! And, because caco is a genius and did this first, here's a list of the questions for you to cut and paste:

How many works do you have on ao3?

What’s your total ao3 word count?

What fandoms do you write for?

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Do you get hate on fics?

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Do you write crossovers?

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

What’s your all-time favorite ship?

What’s a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

What are your writing strengths?

What are your writing weaknesses?

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

First fandom you wrote for?

Favorite fic you’ve written?