#if you comment on this to say something to the effect of

[spaceistheplaceart]

Body Swap - The Exorcism Part Three

WOW IT HAS BEEN A WHILE! but im glad to be posting this again :) hope y'all are as excited to see it again as I am to make it again!

masterpost

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(Please Reblog! Leave a comment in the tags! They make me very happy :)

SUMMARIZED ID: Reigen sees the spirits in the living room, unintentionally zapping them with his powers. He's shocked for a moment, then recovers and threatens them as he typically does. Mob reflects on how it's scary that he can't see the spirits. His percentage goes up to 60%. Reigen does a special move, but it makes a huge explosion. As the dust clears, Reigen looks shocked.

FULL ID:

Page One:

Reigen looks suspiciously at the corner of the room where he just heard a whooshing noise. Then he gasps, getting into a defensive stance and backing up against Mob. His powers flare up, shown as gradients with hexagonal marks and crisscross lines around his head and hands. He addresses the spirits angrily: "I know you're there! come out, evil spirits!". Mob turns around with a surprised expression, looking down at Reigen. The next two panels show Mob staring blankly at Reigen, then looking around nervously. On the far wall, the wallpaper is suddenly ripped into two long claw-like lines. Reigen points to it, his finger extending slightly out of the panel. "There!" he shouts.

Page Two:

From Reigen's extended finger a large bolt of psychic energy is blasted out to the wall. It's shown as a white explosive burst of energy with the word "zap!" on the trail, and "crack!" when it hits the wall. The energy from the blast blows back Mob and Reigen's hair. Both of them shut their eyes. Mob covers his face with his forearms. Psychic energy is shown around Reigen's head and hand. The next panel shows them still in their defensive positions, but now Reigen is lowering his finger and his energy is fading. They both look up, Mob with slight surprise and Reigen pulling his hands to his chest, mouth drawn in a fine line and eyes wide. The wall is shown, now more banged up and sizzling with smoke coming off of it. Reigen stares up at the damage, eyes wide. "Wow, that was..." he says, then trails off and looks to the side nervously/awkwardly, his hair is messy and he has a sweat drop on his cheek. He then gets into a pose with his arms up and fingers outstretched, he says: "That was only a small taste of what I can do! So just make it easy on yourselves and come out!" Immediately, he flinches and backs up into Mob's front as there is a wooshing effect that heads towards him. His powers flare up. Mob looks down at Reigen, eyebrows raised. "Master?" He asks. "Are you seeing something?"

Page Three:

From a high camera angle, we see Reigen still in his defensive position, looking at thin air from Mob's perspective. His speech bubble reads: "..." Mob still looks down at Reigen, brows drawn slightly together now. He thinks to himself: "Not being able to see what's making master so alert... is actually..." A close up shot of his eyes, a worry line under one of them with the background dark. "King of scary..." Mob's percentage raises to 60%. The next panel shows Reigen again at the center, with Mob being in the background up to his slightly parted mouth, his eyes no longer shown. Reigen lowers his hands a bit and says: "So, that's your plan, huh? Well,..." He flips back the side of his PJ shirt and reaches into his pocket, there is a pouch of salt inside. His powers flare as he exclaims "You won't get the chance!" He claps his salt-covered palms together and the effect showing his powers gets darker and more prominent around his hands and head. He glares, hands still together and says: "I'm going to send you back to the Ozone Layer."

Page Four:

Salt splashes down onto his sneakers before Reigen executes his special move. The next panel is highly detailed with motion lines and shading, similar to the "special move" drawings in the Mob Psycho anime. Reigen is doing a roundhouse kick, one hand in a fist and another splayed out with an intense open-mouthed expression. His kick is shown in an arch with salt spraying in it's wake. Bolts of lightning decorate the background, splaying out alongside dark action lines from his face. The words "PSYCHIC ROUNDHOUSE" are at the bottom of the panel. The text box reads: "This is one of Reigen's special moves, where he dribbles salt on his shoes then sprays it at his opponents with a powerful roundhouse kick; now with the aid of his student's psychic abilities." The next panel shows a massive explosion. Clouds of dust obscure Reigen in the next three panels, getting lesser as the panels progress. Reigen coughs, hand up to his mouth and eyes shut. Then he slowly lowers his hand and coughs a little more as he peeks open one eye. In the final panel, he gasps and both of his eyes go wide, mouth agape, and hair blowing back from his face due to his power's flaring up once again.

END ID.

[souriru]

SURPRISE I'm finally requesting smth BQJSHQKS

Ssssomething something angst with comfort with Leonya- the reader's on the schoolwork grind and feels like their efforts are never acknowledged ���👍👍👍 (I hope that's specific enough GWKDHWKDK 😭😭)

HERE I SPIN FOR U

"okay, that's enough." leona is gruff, slamming your textbooks shut as you look up at him in horror. "get up. let's go." you shake your head, shoving his hand away and opening the pages back up again as you roll your eyes. "can't do that?" he snarls.

"can’t afford to slack off." you muttered. "not like it matters, though."

"so if it doesn't matter... why are you still sitting down?" leona presses you- he always has. pushing, pressing, needlessly rubbing the wrong way, all for the sake of pushing you to be your best self. but tonight was not the night, and you sighed.

"c'mon, leona. not tonight."

"you're gonna grind yourself into dust at this rate." sighing, leona picks you up and tosses you onto his bed, crawling on top of you and leaning in to nuzzle your cheek, effectively shielding you from the world. "use me. use me, okay?"

"but what if it's too much work, and then-"

"shut up." his voice was firm and quiet, cutting off your ramble before it got worse. a strong arm wrapped around you, keeping you against his chest, where his heartbeat was steady and real. "if no one else is gonna acknowledge your effort, then i will. you work too damn hard. and you’re not gonna waste away on my watch."

you swallowed, throat tight, and you could feel the familiar tightness that came before you cried. "you mean that? promise?"

leona exhaled, pressing his forehead against yours. "what, you think i say things i don’t mean?" his grip tightened. "i see you, my love. even if no one else does."

and for the first time in forever, you let yourself breathe. he doesn't comment on the tears that streak down your face, kissing your cheek and nose and lips, chasing those fears away.

thank you for spinning aivy here you go random ahh surprise. 303 words.

[harmonysanreads]

Idk if you saw but Phainon apparently has a hobby in appraising antiques. Just imagine if for his partner he fondly refers to them as his greatest or most priceless treasure. Though on the other hand, it certainly gives "dragon coveting its hoard" kinda vibes. Possibly romantic depending on who you ask, but it speaks volumes of how much he cherishes them.

Yup I've seen his shenanigans regarding this and I must thank you because, I feel like this is a great opportunity to discuss how possessive Phainon can be.

The idea seems contradictory to what Aglaea and Tribbie have told us about him — he's selfless, willingly takes on more burden than he should and pushes himself constantly to meet that image of a ‘perfect vessel’ in order to protect Amphoreus. The term possessiveness should be absolutely unthinkable to be put in the same sentence as his name. Such a noble hero couldn't possibly be... selfish, right?

Phainon himself battles with these doubts, well, it would be more precise to say that he's the one who thinks about it the most out of anyone living in Amphoreus.

The first time he notices the evidences of that particular behavior, it has to be pointed out by someone ; you, one of his comrades or just a random person. Phainon relies on external validation to a degree, his sense of self can be altered through a strong enough comment on his personality.

The process of it developing isn't different from how it would be for anyone ; an attachment to you is secured, outside influences threaten it, he realizes a need to be in your presence more, becomes annoyed when your attention is stolen until it reaches to a point where he's actively trying to maintain it on himself alone. But the thing is, he's so swept up in all the emotions of being in love that he doesn't stop to process them all for quite some time. That's why an external call out is required.

Perhaps it would've been best if no one pointed it out to begin with, because now he's simmering in guilt and shame in his head. The Chrysos Heir is notably rigid for some time, mulling over his every action and word until he's caught in analysis paralysis. Because even if he'd like to convince himself that he's nonchalant, he cares about how you perceive him, a lot.

At the same time as this inner turmoil almost frying him, there is no notable change in his paranoia — if anything, it gets worse. The more he tries to test distance and respect for your personal time and space, the more his anxiety worsens, suddenly devoid of a medium to soothe it with. Two greeting texts increases to ten, phone calls are no longer enough, he needs to see that you're okay and safe.

At one point, a sinister thought somehow plants itself in his mind. He's lost so much ; his home, his family, his friends, his peace and his identity. But he continues sacrificing more, he continues giving up things for the sake of others, for a future marked by uncertainty. Now that there is someone who makes him happy, who he finds solace in, who he genuinely loves... he's demanded again to ‘tone it down’ when all he wants is to spend time with them? Is that not unfair to him?

And well, he brushes it off quickly — not that it completely goes away. These ideas only really torment him when he's not with you, which is another reason why separation will have a physical effect on him if it is extended to a point. Which direction all these inner conflicts and overthinking will take him towards, depends on him alone.

As for the ‘evidences’ mentioned previously, they're so him that it's honestly difficult to tell whether he's being driven by something less than innocent. He usually tends to whine and sulk to prolong your presence, gives you the doe eyes and kicked puppy look. There is also the matter with texts and calls as mentioned previously. He responds to your texts very quickly and tries to keep conversations going for as long as possible, low-key spirals if you're taking too long to respond and insists on hearing your voice, unless you tell him strongly that you aren't comfortable with it.

Is not afraid of showing physical affection in public, likes holding hands and/or linking arms with you at all times. Uses his height to his advantage as well, as in, serving as your personal shield — whether you want it or not. He doesn't really lash out at people, unless of course, they were rude to you. Given his naturally amicable personality, most people don't try to do something outrageous in front of him either. His jealousy is kind of obvious as well and since he tends to use the ‘kicked puppy method’ frequently, it can be difficult to take it seriously, to be honest. Make sure to not let your guard down though.

As for the matter of him calling you his treasure, I personally like to think that he sees his darling as above him, above everyone actually. Treasure implies towards something that was acquired and typically has a material value. Phainon is out there thanking fate and every holy being everyday for blessing him with someone like you, he struggles to even answer the question of ‘what he likes most about you’ (it's everything). He might say it out of affection in the spur of a moment once, but in his heart, your worth exceeds the notion of treasures.

[hers-underwraps]

Just wanted to make a post to say that I don't plan on being active in this fandom anymore.

I started posting in this fandom because I saw a problem, and I wanted to fix that. There was a severe underappreciation and negligence towards certain characters and aspects of the show which seemed unjust to leave untouched. I wanted people to full appreciate everything this show had offered and what it meant to me. I really wanted change.

However, as time went on, the more I stayed, the more I realised that was just wishful thinking. These days, I swear I'm just screaming at a brick wall. I'm trying petition for certain characters/AnB, and people simply do not care. Although I guess that was foolish on my part because I'm trying to change a group of people who are effectively incapable of it. Change is a good thing, and if that's something people in this fandom are unable to do, then I don't want to be part of it.

Hatred was a problem in this fandom when I came into the fandom, and it still is now. People taking things that other people put genuine time and passion into and using it in inappropriate ways that OBVIOUSLY don't sit right with the creators was a problem then and still is now. People destroying the love of this show for others was a problem then and is still a problem now. This fandom only caters to certain type of fans, and judging by the cycle, I really do not think it has the capacity to change.

I'll still answer Octonauts-related asks, and I might post a whim-of-the-moment thing when I feel like it, but I don't want to dedicate any more time and energy to this fandom because it's genuinely become joyless.

I'd prefer to just protect my peace.

-> AJ

[lilislegacy]

Putting aside our personal preferences and what we ship, do you think in-universe Jason is written to be considered more handsome than Percy?

Ugh, I miss getting questions like this (and the height one) because I LOVE to analyze. So thank you. Also, I love both Jason and Percy. I dedicate my blog to Percy, but I adore my cute little blonde Superman too, so I feel like I’m not too biased.

But to answer your question, I just think it’s completely subjective. I mean, they’re both consistently described as handsome. More people comment on Jason’s attractiveness, but more people actually fall for Percy. I do think Jason is written to be the more “conventionally” attractive of the two, but what does that even mean?

They’re both tall. They both have beautiful eyes.

Percy is leaner, has a darker mediterranean complexion (often described with a slight tan or sea-weathered look), messy black hair that never seems to stay in place, and a sort of “troublemaker” aesthetic. His features aren’t clean-cut, but they’re striking—especially his sea-green eyes. There’s something a little rougher and more lived-in about his appearance. As Piper said, he’s attractive in a more “scruffy” way, which she herself isn't into. He’s got more of that disheveled-troubled-New-Yorker look going on hahaha. I think Apollo says it best: “As usual, I was struck by his resemblance to his father, Poseidon. He had the same sea-green eyes, the same dark tousled hair, the same handsome features that could shift from humor to anger so easily” (The Hidden Oracle).

Jason, by contrast, is a bit sturdier—broader shoulders, more solid build. He has a fair/light complexion, short-cropped blonde hair, and bright sky-blue eyes. His facial features are softer and more symmetrical—chiseled in that way that feels like he stepped out of a military poster or a historical sculpture. He’s very “put together” visually. Annabeth isn’t attracted to Jason because she says Jason looks “too perfect.” Which I can actually relate to because do you guys ever see those men who you know are objectively perfect looking but they almost look artificial and it’s offputting? That’s how Jason is kinda described. His face has a ‘Ken doll effect.’

In the books, Jason is compared to a Roman statue—a nod to his flawless, sculpted, almost too perfect appearance. Percy, on the other hand, is compared to a Roman god—striking, powerful, but with a more dangerous, lived-in kind of beauty. One looks polished, the other looks untamed.

So… I just think it completely depends on what you like. Jason is attractive in a conventional, heroic good-boy way. Percy is attractive in a disheveled, kinda dangerous bad-boy way. Pick your poison.

I also think personality plays a huge role in how they are perceived, because they are complete contrasts of each other in many ways. But I focused on the purely physical aspects here.

[dark-lord-of-awesomeness]

So I saw your comment about Ford being the sun, but I noticed when you said: “Stan's life revolves around Fords, for various reasons. He doesnt feel seen without him, reflects Fords accomplishments at everyone, etc.”

And now I’m thinking, what if Stan is the earth? Cause while you would think the moon, I thought it would be more interesting plus while the moon technically revolves around the sun (indirectly) the earth revolves directly. I don’t have a ton of reasons, other than I think it’s cute, but Stan does care a lot for his family, and people he holds dear. Ford, Mabel, Dipper, Soos, and Wendy. He isn’t super nurturing I would say, but I feel like he does seem to provide and protect, which the earth does for all that live there. Also, I feel like the earth, or at least the creatures on it, have more to lose without the sun than a moon does. Since the moon will lose its light, the earth loses all of its creatures and plants plus the water would freeze. I don’t know how to explain it, but Stan is now the earth to me <3

That's actually a very good comparison. I was mostly thinking of classic sun/moon dynamic, but I think the earth also works very well.

Stan revolves around Ford, and without him he isn't as lively. He can act pretty fun, but it's all for show more than anything. Ford lights up his life, he revolves around him, makes him feel warm, Ford shoots harmful radiation at Stan, etc.

Its not a perfect metaphor for their relationship, because Stan has an effect on Ford as well that the earth doesn't on the sun (as far as I know) but it's accurate from Stan's point of view.

As for Fords point of view, I don't think celestial bodies would be what comes to mind. He's the type to acknowledge that they both have an effect on each other, so maybe something more symbiotic, then parasitic when he's feeling more angry at Stan (but secretly always symbiotic. He misses his bro after all).

Like clown fish and sea anemone. Ford being the fish and Stan the anemone that protects him. That's the best I can think of right now really. I don't really see Ford thinking in abstract like Stan might though. He'd probably go more literature comparison, thinking about icarus how Ford flew to high, and Stan too low, but if they'd stayed together then they'd balance each other out.

[thanatika]

there's a lot of interesting discussion on this post, but the topic of cherrypicking daniil's worst dialogue options always bewilders me at a way more basic point, which is that the pathologic fandom is the only video game fandom in which i've seen people debate whether you need to treat the Obvious Asshole Dialogue Options as the ones with the most canon veracity (selectively to only one character, but still).

fallout, mass effect, baldur's gate 3, dragon age, disco elysium... some of the most popular games on this website are games where the player can choose to go around saying and doing the most out of pocket shit imaginable, and no one does this. to the point where the fact that no one actually picks these options has become a meme that is commented on by game devs:

it might seem like a pointless choice if no one picks the "bad" choice, but arguably it's the existence of a choice that makes choosing to do good feel meaningful (you know, free will):

don't get me wrong, i do think it's more interesting to investigate what the "evil" dialogue options would imply for a character, especially a prewritten character (like the pathologic healers, or harry dubois, or one of the origin backgrounds for BG3). are the bachelor's shittiest dialogue choices what he actually believes, and the player is the only one with the ability to drag him into decency? do they represent intrusive thoughts, impulses that the character is trying to be better than? do they represent the biases of the author, or the author's attempt to shock the audience into laughter with how brutal some choices are? or do they simply represent choices the player has at their disposal — the fact that the bachelor has become your puppet and mouthpiece, and an acknowledgement that some players might react with a lot of hostility to the circumstances of the game?

any of these and more would be valid interpretations. the only invalid one, to me, is to insist that there's a single canonical interpretation — and that this canon is the most negative possible read on his character, rather than something more true to how the bachelor acts as an NPC in other routes. if all of the worst things he can say are the most canonical read of his character, what's the point of writing out all of those other dialogue choices? if he doesn't give a damn about the town and the people in it, what was the point of making an entire short-form DLC that was nothing but a walking simulator exploring his guilt over not being able to do more to help people?

and again, no one treats other games like this, even when it would arguably make more sense. the best comparison is probably harry dubois from disco elysium, who has dialogue options ranging from feminist communist to reprehensible fascist. i think most of that fandom would think i was bizarre if i tried to insist that people were erasing harry's "true character" by not characterizing him as a racist, misogynist fascist (despite the fact that there are more justifications in this case than there are in daniil's — harry is a cop with a history of being weird to women. and i think at one point it's even mentioned that he used to like listening to a right wing radio host). of course it would also be strange if i tried to insist that the only correct option was to view him as a devoted communist, but i would probably get less pushback because, well... that's how most of the tumblr fanbase seems to view him.

i got way off topic, but yeah. basically the idea that certain dialogue choices are canon, or that "awful text options" are things that a character would need to be "absolved" for is strange to me, as someone who loves CRPGs and has gotten used to seeing evil dialog options (also, why is it always racism or other bigotry that gets used as a stand-in for an evil option in games? i guess because it's easy, and most games are fantasy or sci-fi so you're being racist against elves or alien mutants, but still. that's a whole OTHER thing.)

“Daniil does have genuinely awful text options. Stop pretending he doesn’t. THAT’S what people criticize him for. And y’all are just trying to absolve your favourite guy”

Okay. I don’t know what others do. But I don’t dismiss any of his bad lines (even if he usually has a contradicting line somewhere meaning he is in several minds on the issue, not a raging fanatic). Because:

Pathologic is not about who’s perfect. And it’s not about who’s your favourite war criminal either.

It’s about flawed people in the horrible world DOING GOOD ANYWAY.

You know, like us. Like me, like you. You don’t have to be perfect to go and fight the plague. In fact, you will never be perfect. If that’s what you’re waiting for you will never start fighting.

The only character who believes herself to be a literal saint turns out to be the literal plague. And even she goes and does good anyway. That’s the story we are dealing with here.

Why I am personally a staunch Daniil defender instead of tearing through his worst lines and choices (though I do that sometimes too) is because how the fandom treats him is unfair, it’s disproportionate to his crimes. And he is the main magnet for all the criticism that can be aimed at the characters in this game, meanwhile Artemy ‘these herb-gathering Worms have little in common with men’ Burakh is just as bad (at least) in the games. Seriously, if we start going through every problematic Artemy moment and treat them with as little leniency as people treat Daniil's faux pas we’ll be here all day. It would be so easy to portray Artemy as an absolute monster only using his canon text in either game, it’s not even funny. Not to mention other characters.

So, we either start scrutinizing and making fun of everybody the way we do with Daniil or we treat Daniil with leniency and respect as well as everybody. Those are two fair options. You don’t have to pick but then please be honest with what you’re doing.

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

Skelly has a neighbor thats a Karen and a neighbor that painted their house rainbow

They hate each other and often scream at each other

Undertale Sans - Sans likes to play the model little neighbour so his Karen neighbour trusts him, but then he's bitching with the other neighbor in her back and gives them material to get revenge. It's entertaining. Sans still wonders if he should paint his house rainbow out of nowhere just to see her reaction.

Undertale Papyrus - Papyrus is desperately trying to make them get along together, tricking them into improvised meals so they have no choice but to talk. He soon realizes it's going to be more complicated than he thought. At least he's never bored!

Underswap Sans - He couldn't care less, but he still keeps an eye on them as he's worried one of these days, they're going to do something stupid and get in trouble. He's trying to calm things down when their arguments are going a bit too far.

Underswap Papyrus - He's tired of hearing them scream under his window daily. Honey works at home, so it's difficult to focus when the neighbours are fighting all day. He's so pissed off that he actually snaps once or twice and screams at them to shut up from the window. He swears he's this close to calling Blue to arrest them for making too much noise.

Underfell Sans - Red loves chaos too much to not make things worse. When no one is looking, he's throwing dog poop on their windows or painting their alleys rainbows, then he runs home and goes to watch from the window, vibrating with excitement. He's an asshole.

Underfell Papyrus - Edge is a big Karen himself so he participates in the arguments lol. He doesn't even know why he hates them at this point; he just can't help it: he hates their guts. Both of them. And he's going to find any little excuse to go at their face. You think your worst enemy is the other neighbour? Wait until your bushes are poking out from two inches on his property.

Horrortale Sans - Their constant screaming is giving him headaches. Oak usually leaves when they start arguing, so he doesn't have to hear them, but sometimes, he has no choice. So Oak found a new solution that's very effective! He throws his axe by the window, straight between them, and watches with great satisfaction as they run away in fear, screaming at the top of their lungs. Finally, some peace.

Horrortale Papyrus - Willow is a big gossip and tries his best to stay discreet to not interrupt them. The thing is that Willow is also very expressive, and sometimes he can't help but gasp or go full googly eyes when one of them says something crazy, which kinda busts him every time, and then they all scream at him for listening to a conversation that doesn't concern him. Not that he cares about their complaints lol. He simply goes in his kitchen and opens the window to hear the rest of the argument. It's his favorite morning telenovella.

Swapfell Sans - He's not even hiding lol. Every morning, he goes to drink his coffee in front of the house to watch his daily dose of fun and angst. Sometimes, he comments on what's happening, which pisses off his neighbors, but it's not like you can just go at him and tell him to fuck off. He's literally a celebrity, you know. Nox absolutely is aware of the fact that they can't do anything to him and is having fun.

Swapfell Papyrus - He's making things worse. He's friend with both of them, and doesn't hesitate for one second to tell the other everything their neighbor did today, and amplify it a thousand times to see how they'll react. He could never get bored with it. His favorite moments are where they start to throw hands at each other; this way he can bet with random people on who's going to win and make free money.

Fellswap Gold Sans - Well, while they're fighting, they don't give him attention, and Wine hates when people are not giving him attention. So Wine always come to save the day and then gets praised by both his neighbours for always finding what to say to stop their arguments. What Wine doesn't tell them is that he sometimes starts the arguments himself when he's bored, but no one needs to know that. He's clearly the hero of the street.

Fellswap Gold Papyrus - Coffee doesn't like all the screaming, so he usually goes to play some video games to not hear them outside anymore. He's annoyed they're so loud he can't focus sometimes. He wishes he was confident enough to tell them to shut up, but he's not. So, uh, video games are fine.

[pugh-bug]

Fresh Face

sub!Art Donaldson x reader (pt1)

Littered was the word you’d use to describe your desk. Not only was your office filled with crap, not only was your head devoid of ideas but your coworkers were arguing amongst themselves about nothing.

“How could you have missed it? I texted you so many times.”

Was amongst some of the boring sentences thrust into the room as you hung your head. You thought you loved your job - you did love your job - but you couldn’t stand to be employed another minute in that moment. The clock was ticking too loud, everyone’s fucking watches were pinging sending announcements begging for your attention whilst the crow outside cawed.

“That’s Miss Y/L/N’s department…I think.”

Your ears perked up at the sound of your name but if they possessed the ability to droop they would have done at ‘I think’. Nine years with the company and they didn’t know what department you worked in. Fuckers. You cleared your throat. “Allison is coming to speak to us after lunch so I want everyone to be-“

“In here at 1 sharp yep we know.”

The condescension dripped off of Sarah like honey off a stick. Lunch came and went with you eating at your desk scouring through email after email and clock watching. The silence offered little reprieve. Before you knew it Allison was waiting for everyone in her office early giddy to say her opening line: ‘All late again I see.”

She proceeded to announce that the next issue of your magazine would revolve around men in sports, something you knew nothing about but were tasked with organising.

“I expect you to bring in the most culturally relevant people Y/N.”

You didn’t nod at her remark, you simply got to researching.

——————————————————————

After a weekend of painstaking organisation and arse kissing you managed to convince ten of the hottest sports stars into your office for a ‘meeting’ of sorts. Collins you knew through your Dad, who’d been so excited at your WhatsApp announcement he’d spilt his tea down his front. The others were complete strangers to you and the building: a mixture of footballers, gymnasts, sprinters and tennis stars including Art Donaldson who you’d been told was a ‘big deal’ by your assistant.

You stood up from your desk, the tightness of your skirt suit making you regret eating lunch at all. Collins replied to a text before making eye contact with you. The boredom was obvious, no one wanted to be there.

“I’m Y/N Y/L/N, I’m in charge of picking the right person for the magazines next issue. The focus, as you know it’s why you’re all here, is sports. Today we’re keeping it fairly informal, I just want to have a chat with each of you.”

You went on to briefly explain the order (alphabetical) and where they could go while they wait not knowing the man who came next would change your career forever.

“Donaldson.” Your voice carried from your office to the waiting room down the hall. A few moments later you saw the boy enter, dressed smartly but with messy curls you couldn’t not notice. He had a pretty face, one worth remembering, and the build of a player who trained tirelessly.

“Sit down.”

Art smiled at your order, as if it both amused and excited him so you decided to test him before his arse hit the seat.

“Not that chair.”

There were four chairs so naturally he looked confused. You felt a slight lift in your spirits as you watched Art’s brow furrow and his eyes dart from chair to chair. He chose the one furthest from the door, so obedient. You looked at your notes, mostly for effect, before staring across at the star player.

“Do you have any questions?”

“Are you married?”

You blinked at his inappropriate comment before fixing your expression.

“About the issue.”

Art’s eyes were fixated on you as if he was taking notes on every aspect and detail of your face and attire. He clocked that your shirt was ironed, that your jewellery was a mixture of designer and tat he assumed you kept for personal reasons. He enjoyed the intensity of your eyes even when you weren’t speaking and the manner in which you held your pen: like a weapon.

“Who’s the photographer?”

There was genuine intrigue in his voice the previous men hadn’t shown.

“Diane Renning, she’s worked with Williams and Federer. She has an assistant and I’ll be sitting in on the shoot.”

Art nodded intently, as if every factoid you provided was incredibly interesting and not just the basic notes you had to get through. You started wondering how old he was to be so easily impressed.

“How old are you?”

“23.”

Eleven years between you but he hadn’t made you feel old - not in the slightest. You subtly adjusted your blouse, as it was clinging, and tried to picture the boy before you playing tennis. You watched his arms and his fingers closely for a moment, picturing a racket clutched inside them and a look of determination on his face as he served. Truthfully you’d never been interested in sports, you found the idea of being glued to a screen watching sweaty men hit a ball for hours laughable but Art playing…that just might intrigue you.

“When did you start playing tennis?”

Art shuffled in his seat ever so slightly before asking softly:

“I’m sorry is this an interview?”

Perhaps he wouldn’t intrigue you after all.

“Just an informal chat.”

You thought that might have eased him but his face didn’t change. “When I was si- seven. Guess it stuck.” He waited for your seemingly inevitable praise, your reassurance that it had all worked out wonderfully for him but it never came. You looked at your list of names and sighed under your breath. “You can call in the next pe-“

“I’d like to work for you.” Art blurted out, his eyes slightly wide as he took in his own words. Flustered he lowered his hand, that he had instinctively raised to grab your attention, and curled in on himself.

For…

His choice of words struck you. Art Donaldson wanted to work for you whilst the previous sportsmen hadn’t wanted to hear you speak.

“Why?”

It was your turn to sound insecure. Art knew that whatever answer he gave better be good or he might never see you or your office again. He thought how best to phrase it, how to come across as self assured and not at all desperate but he needn’t have worried.

“I want your eye, I trust your judgement and I actually respect you - unlike the idiots waiting out there. I want to see what you do with the story, no one else. I want you to represent me.”

You tried not to show how much his words and the enthusiastic, genuine quality they rang with had warmed you.

“Is there a story?”

Feeling elated that you hadn’t immediately shut him down Art nodded. “Definitely M’aam.”

M’aam…

“I’ll let you know my decision in the next few days.” You extended a hand for Art to shake, which he did ecstatically before you walked him to the door.

Art took one step into the hallway as you held the door before adding “And no, I’m not married - to answer your previous question.”

———————————————————————

Masterlist

Resources

Permanent Art Donaldson taglist: @theynothem @amorisxx

[sarkylittlemonster]

After.. whatever tf yesterday was (trying to make each other cry ig?) I needed something lighter so I came up with some silly Johnlock stuff for you :)

Imagine they end up in some stupid bet about who can make the other more flustered at work. Sherlock is fucking COMMITTED to winning this bet, and he spends the whole day slipping less-than-work-appropriate comments into his deductions so that every conversation sounds something like: "well, it's clear from the worn spot on the pocket of the victim's shirt that they usually have something clipped there, likely an ID badge, and I also observed that John spent approximately 30% longer than usual brushing his teeth this morning which indicates that he probably intends to make out with me once we get home, so let's try to wrap this up soon, alright? Now if you'll look at the glasses that were found next to the body you'll see that-"

The next day, Sherlock is in the middle of an experiment in the kitchen when they get an urgent call, so he's a bit distracted as they're leaving the flat and John takes the opportunity to grab something from the bottom drawer of his dresser before heading out. They reach the crime scene and Sherlock starts rattling off his observations, when he hears a soft jingle and turns around. He immediately forgets what he was saying mid-sentence when he sees John "subtly" pulling out his dog tags from where they were tucked under his shirt. There is an uncomfortably long silence before someone else gets Sherlock's attention with an awkward throat-clearing, and he fumbles to remember what the hell he was just doing. He spends the next few minutes slightly red-faced while John bites back a grin, smug and just a little surprised about how effective that was.

And the whole time, poor Greg is just trying to do his job but now he's stuck watching these two idiots flirt with each other like

OH MY GOD.

YES. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THIS WAS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED YES YES YES YES YES YES I LOVE YOU

[harrysmileycostume]

This Kiss

Part 1

You bit your lip, debating on sending the text.

"You really should come out," Jenny said, sipping her coffee. "We miss you. I can definitely swing by and drive you there, but you know shifts don't end until two."

You stopped working at the dive bar a couple months ago; your university set you up with an internship in town.

You sighed. "Alright," you agreed finally. You straightened your posture and sent the message: "Hey can you do me a favor? My old coworkers invited me to karaoke Thursday at the dive. Would you mind picking me up at eleven and driving me home?" Harry had been distant lately, but he always encouraged you to reach out if you needed anything as you were still new in town.

You frowned a little at the text thread, seeing that your last message was sent a week ago without a reply: "How've you been?"

It was strange. At first, Harry took you out on extravagant dates multiple times a week. He'd send flowers, order you lunch, and ship you gifts. The lengths he went to impress you amazed you.

You were so confused at his silence and honestly desperate for a reason to reach out. Being totally honest, you didn’t even want to go to the dive that much. You thought this could be a nice opportunity for Harry to sleepover and catch up... as friends and as lovers.

"Sure, just as long as you're punctual so I can go home" he replied.

So much for that.

"Yeah of course. Thanks so much! See you soon" you sent back. - Thursday night, you were sitting at the bar, listening to the familiar bartender gossip and outdated music. You got paid way more for less time at your new job, and you didn't have to work late nights anymore. Still, there was something about the vibe of the dive you sort of missed.

Apparently, there was something about the vibe that drew in men, too. One man, in particular, bought you three drinks and asked you to play a game of pool. You glanced at your phone. The time read 10:40. You figured you could play a game.

You overestimated both his and your ability because when Harry texted you "Here" at 10:58, you still had five balls left, and your partner was in the midst of a story.

"Just saying some goodbyes, be out soon" you replied. To be completely honest, you wanted to finish the game. This guy was sweet, and with Harry being so estranged, you appreciated the attention. You wouldn't be going home with your new friend, but you'd happily give him your number.

Harry walked into the bar at 11 o'clock precisely. His face when he saw you talking alone with a man similar in age was priceless. He didn't think before striding over to you and wrapping his arm around you. Out of the corner of your eye, Jenny grinned and got the other bartenders' attention.

"How's your night?" he asked you coolly. Your opponent slinked away to take his turn.

"It's good. Just finishing this game," you replied, nodding casually.

"Y/N, it's your turn," your companion beckoned you after missing his shot.

You began to pull out of Harry's hold when he tightened his grip on you. "Can I play this turn for you?" he asked. Harry was a talented player. You'd watched him play before, and he didn't back down.

You internally sighed. "Yeah, you can," you agreed, hanging back at the high-top table as Harry grabbed a stick from the wall and lined up his shot. He was so sexy, and he knew it too, serious as he walked around the table, eyed his next shot, aimed, and made one after the next. Your heart slammed in your chest--for once, you loathed the effect he had on you.

Your veiled anger only grew as you watched him finish the game. How dare he come in here and act like some sort of hero, meanwhile he'd ignored you for weeks?

He proceeded to finish the game and walked over to the other gentleman to shake his hand. You rolled your eyes. How embarrassing!

You joined them and shook his hand as well. "Good game," you said politely.

"Thanks," he replied. "I didn't have a chance once he stepped in," he commented, nodding at Harry.

"That was sort of the point," Harry replied, and your face flamed as your friend walked away awkwardly. He turned to you. "Home?"

Your nostrils flared. "You know, I think I'll stay," you answered, though you truly only said it to piss him off. You had a morning class tomorrow, hence your 11 o'clock curfew.

He grabbed your hand then, pulling you into him, and speaking lowly, "You mean you genuinely wasted my fuckin' time tonight? Had me come out here just to see that shit?"

Your eyes widened in shock at his tone. "I'm a free person, you know," you said defiantly, ripping your hand from his.

"Oh, is that what they're calling it these days?" he remarked.

There it was. He just called you a slut. Did you really think he could be so kind?

You flinched, and you noticed his demeanor change at your glare. "I really do not appreciate... any of this," you said unhappily. "I am going to use the restroom, and then we can leave."

"Sounds good," he said evenly. "Have you paid your tab?" he asked.

"I didn't buy any of my drinks," you tried to answer nonchalantly before walking away to the restroom, hoping to piss him off that much more.

Harry blinked at you. "I'll meet you at the car," he called behind you eventually.

When you got in his convertible, the air was tense. He wordlessly started the car, and you looked outside, avoiding his eyes. You really couldn't believe that this would be the last time you'd see him.

And what did it matter anyhow? He was so cruel to you, and for what--playing a game of pool? His audacity to act that way after ignoring you for weeks boiled your blood. You chewed on your cheek, growing repulsed at the thought you were fooled by his love bombing.

"Y/N," he spoke, pulling up to a red light.

"What?" you asked stalely.

"Can you understand why I was upset back there?" he asked gently.

You brushed your hair out of your face and turned toward him. "I can understand why you were upset, Harry. I maintain that I don't appreciate how you treated me tonight." You bit your lip. "I mean, you basically called me a whore for playing a game of pool."

"What are you--"

"'Oh, is that what they're calling it now?'" you mocked him.

He pulled forward as the light turned green. "I didn't... That's not what I--"

"I feel so stupid to think... To think you actually cared about me. I haven't heard from you in how long, and this is how you treat me?" you spoke, tears flowing down your face.

"I'm sorry," he said, sighing. "I'm sorry, Y/N. I just... My daughter Caroline has been having a very hard time."

You paused. "What happened?" you asked.

He took a deep breath. "She just... She actually left her mom's, so she's been staying with me, and... It's not an excuse, it's not. But I've been tired, and I miss you, and... Walking in there and seeing you with someone else just set me off," he confessed. "I would never... I am sorry for what I implied with that comment. I don't know what I thought I was saying, but I would never call you anything like that. I'd never call any woman anything like that," he added quickly.

You frowned. "Is Caroline okay? Where's Ingrid?" you asked curiously, abandoning his apology now that things were making more sense. Harry's daughters were still in school.

He shut his eyes for a second. "Caroline ran away from home two weeks ago. She was having... difficulties before then. She..." he sighed, clearing his throat. "She took her mom's car, which is fantastic because she isn't fuckin’ licensed to drive yet," he uttered, "Thank God for smartphones because I tracked her to the next town over and brought her home with me. She told me she was planning to pick Ingrid up that night. Ingrid's still with her mom."

"I'm sorry," you said softly. "How are they doing now?" you asked.

"They're better, I guess," he replied. "Ingrid's... She's confused and scared. She wants to be with her sister. Caroline is hardly speaking to me. At least I know where she is, and I secured my cars so she can't pull that shit again," he said. He turned the AC down. “She told me yesterday she's sorry and she loves me. "

"Well, that's promising," you said awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Harr--" you began again.

"Don't fucking apologize," he said. "Don't. I love my girls, and I would do anything for them, including losing the best thing that's happened to me in years," he said, looking at you. "But I apparently don't need help with that."

You frowned as he pulled into your apartment complex. "Harry," you said softly. "I know you can't come up, and I don't want to keep you from Caroline any longer. I just..." you trailed.

Harry looked at you forlornly.

You leaned in and kissed him. "I think it's good that you're focusing on them. They need someone like you," you said. "Is there any way I can help?" you asked.

He shook his head. "This is something I need to work out with their mom," he said, shrugging.

"Don't tell me this is goodbye," you whispered, sniffling. "Because that'd be really shitty."

"Fine, I won't," he said, and you sobbed. "Y/N... If I could change the timing of this, I would. But I can't. They need me, and--"

"I'll wait," you told him, and he stopped.

"What?" he asked you.

You held his hand. "I'll wait. I'll wait as long as it takes, really," you said.

He sighed. "I couldn't possibly ask that of you," he said. "I mean... This could be another month or more of bullshit. Caroline could try again, or Ingrid could pull something... I wanna be with you so bad, Y/N, but I..." He broke away from you and put his face in his hands.

"Harry," you said softly. You could tell he was nearing his breaking point. "Can I talk now?"

"Please."

You swallowed, wondering how to begin. "I... I was so confused before tonight. When we first met, it seemed all your attention was on me. I know you still spent time with your daughters, but we saw each other two or three times a week," you said. "And you'd take me to a show or to a fancy restaurant or a museum--"

"--I can't commit to that right now," Harry interjected.

"I didn't know that before tonight," you replied. "I just thought... I thought you lost interest in me," you said plainly.

His face fell, and he shook his head. "No, Y/N, it's been so hectic--"

"I know that now," you told him. "So why don't we just take things slow, then? This is what modern dating is," you explained, nodding your head. "You don't have to impress me. We both have other things going on. We can just... We can just watch TV and eat takeout once or twice a week," you shrugged.

He frowned. "You deserve so much more than that," he said.

You kissed him. "Okay. Then when we're ready, we'll do more," you said. "Don't you think it would be healthy for you and Caroline to spend a night or two a week apart?" you asked. "She's going to go away to college in two years. I know you’re worried, but you have to trust her at some point, or it’ll just worsen things,” you added.

He sighed. "Y/N..."

"If you don't want to, it's okay," you whispered, wiping your tears. "God, I sound so desperate."

He grabbed your hand again and squeezed it. "I didn't lose interest in you," he said quietly. "Believe that, okay? To hear you say that... Don't think that, okay?"

You shook your head, letting out another sob because you didn't want to hear the next words from his mouth.

"If you think... After all this crazy shit tonight, if you think you still would like to try," he began, "then I wanna try, too." He kissed the tears on your cheeks as your face melted into a smile.

"Don't tease me like that," you cried, leaning into him as his arms wrapped around you.

“Oh, baby,” he pouted, pulling you close. He smooched your head. "I'm so sorry, princess," he whispered. "I'm so sorry for everything. I just... I didn't wanna involve you in all this, but I didn't want to end things, so I..." he trailed.

"You fucking ghosted me, you asshole!" you cry-laughed.

"I what?" he asked, confused.

"Ask Caroline what it means," you answered. "You ghosted me, and then you called me a whore," you giggled, looking at him then as tears dissipated.

He kissed your head twice again for good measure. "I would never, never think to call you anything like that," he said again. "I was jealous and upset, and I wasn’t thinking."

"I know. It was really sexy," you whispered, kissing him. "One more thing."

"Hm?"

"The whole point of modern dating," you said, "is to see what's out there. So if you see me with someone, or hear that I'm with someone, then I need you to be cool. And I'll do the same for you. And then when the time comes that we want to be exclusive, we have that conversation."

He shook his head. "This is insane."

"It is. Can you agree to that, though?" you asked.

He sighed. "I can. Although, I will strive to make sure you don't need anyone else."

You raised your eyebrows. "How are you gonna do that, Daddy?" you mumbled.

"I missed that," he smiled at you.

"Can you put your seat back?" you asked.

He nodded, adjusting his seat as you exited the car and climbed back in on his side, eagerly straddling him. You instantly pressed your lips to his neck, your body relaxing against his. "Daddy, you're tense," you observed, massaging his shoulders.

He scoffed. "You think? This is what teenage daughters do to me."

"'sokay, 'cause I'm gonna be your good girl," you whispered against his throat, making him croon.

He quickly removed your shirt and bra. "I missed this body," he muttered, squeezing your breasts. "Sexy bunny."

You kissed his ear, slipping your hand down his pants.

"Fuck, baby!" he exclaimed.

You kissed his jaw, his nose, his lips, his neck, his collarbone. “I… missed… you.”

He met your lips with his then, hands rubbing your thighs. “I don’t… I don’t wanna waste this,” he said quietly.

“What?” you gasped, not understanding.

“‘s not fair, doing this in the car. It’s my fault we were apart so long…” he trailed. “Let me just send a quick text, okay? Can we go up to your apartment?”

You kissed his cheek. “What are you gonna say?” you asked as he dug his phone out. You pulled your shirt back on.

He typed and turned the phone around. “I decided to take a little drive, be back by morning. Please be safe. Call me if you need me. Love u.”

“You’re a good dad,” you said, looking him in the eye. From what you could tell, he was, and he needed to hear it.

He rolled his eyes, turning off the car behind you. “I try.”

“That’s what counts,” you told him.

You followed him, walking up to your apartment.

He held his hand out for you and you took it. You shut your eyes a bit and rested your head on his shoulder. When you got inside, Harry's face was highly amused, smiling with his eyebrows raised. "Look at that," he said.

"What?" you asked, biting your lip.

He shook his head at you. "You don't need to clean for me, Y/N," he said, and looking around, you supposed you could've been less obvious. You even fluffed your pillows in hopes that Harry may come home with you.

You shrugged. "I... I didn't know if my apartment was what turned you off before, or--"

He walked over to you and kissed you. "You turn me on, baby," he mumbled lowly, grabbing your ass. "Don't forget it."

You kissed his top lip, spreading your hands over his clothed chest.

"Lay down on the couch," he said, nodding behind you.

You simply kissed him again, teasing.

"Y/N--" he started.

"Make me," you mumbled, trailing your hands to his waist.

He quickly threw you up over his shoulder, making you squeal. "I thought," he said, placing you down on the couch and looking at you then, "you were gonna be my good girl."

"I always am," you smirked, and he joined you on the couch.

"Just let me enjoy this, I need it," he spoke lowly, peeling your shirt off. "Need you to lay back and take it, okay?" he asked, looking you in the eye. "You can always say stop," he added.

You kissed him gently. "I'm not gonna say stop," you whispered, massaging his shoulders. "I've been thinking about this for weeks."

"Oh, my poor baby," he moped, laying you down on the couch. "My sweet girl..." he trailed, unbuttoning your shorts and shimmying them down before undoing his own pants. "Did you need attention? Was that what tonight was all about?"

“I got what I wanted,” you bragged.

“I wanna be the one who gives you what you want,” he mumbled to you then, spreading your legs open, “all the fuckin’ time.”

You kissed his chest as he finally pushed into you. “Oh,” you moaned, relishing in the feeling.

“Is it that good?” he asked, grunting.

“Yes! Oh Daddy, don’t stop,” you cried, shutting your eyes to focus on the sensation. You clutched onto his shoulders, rocking your hips with his.

He grit his teeth as he kept working. “Perfect for me,” he barely managed, kissing your cheek chastely. "Look at me, bunny."

You opened your eyes to see his pouring into you, telling you everything you needed to know. This moment erased any doubt in your mind--Harry was infatuated with you.

He finished soon after he spoke, collapsing on top of you. He trembled in the aftermath of his orgasm. You pet his hair and soaked in the feeling of being submerged in the couch by his body.

Minutes passed before he started kissing your cheek again, then your neck and your shoulder, and finally your boobs. "Harry," you giggled. "Harry, don't you have to go?" you asked.

He nipped at your nipple then, making you shriek. "Don't interrupt me. This is important," he spoke, pulling out of you and standing up then. He pulled off his pants completely and then lifted you off the couch, carrying you bridal style into your bedroom. You giggled the whole way, exploding in laughter when he threw you on your bed. "Something funny?" he asked, joining you.

You kissed him. "I laugh when I'm surprised," you explained. "Or happy, I guess."

"You're that surprised when I lift you still? Y/N, you know I can," he said, stroking your face.

You shrugged. "I'm surprised you're staying. I thought you'd leave to be with Caroline," you said.

He shook his head. "I said I'd be back by morning. It's only half past twelve," he said, kissing you. "I'll head out around two?"

"Do you have work tomorrow?" you asked.

"I don't think you know what I mean when I say I have my own firm," he said. "I can come in as late as I like. My employees know I work round the clock."

"Oh," you replied. "Just--I have class, and--"

He raised his eyebrows. "I mean, I can go," he said. "Sorry, I wasn't--"

You shook your head and kissed him then.

"Hm?" he asked.

"Nothing, I'm just gonna shut up," you mumbled against his lips. "I wanna be with you. I don't care about class."

He ran his fingers through your hair. "Give me two, and I'll go?" he asked.

"Two--?" you quirked your eyebrow.

He kissed it, lips smooching the hairs. "Ladies always win. You'll find out in a minute." He slipped his hand between your thighs again and started fingering, and you got an idea of what he was talking about. - Two months later, Harry instructed you to meet him at his apartment. He gave you a key a week ago for times like this, he said, when he didn't want you waiting outside for him.

You let yourself in his apartment. "Dad?" you heard a young woman ask.

Your heart slammed against your chest.

"Dad, can you help me with--" Caroline began, walking towards the entryway when she saw you. "Who the fuck are you?"

"I-I'm Y/N," you answered, taking a deep breath. "Your dad and I... We work together," you said, coming up with a lie on the spot.

"And you stole a key to his apartment? I'm calling the police," she said. "Don't touch anything! Hands where I can see them," she continued, getting out her phone.

"Wait, please don't call the police," you blurted, feeling stupid as you raised your hands. "Call him. Call Harry, your dad. He'll... He'll explain."

She gave you an untrusting look, dialing on her phone. “Hello? Babe, what’s up?” Harry asked on speaker phone.

“Dad, do you work with a Y/N?” Caroline asked.

"Hold on a second," he said, pausing. “I’m reading texts from your mom now. Caroline, why aren’t you at your mother’s? She was supposed to pick you up from school.”

“Yeah, I just had Carmen’s mom drop me here,” she replied.

He sighed.

“I texted Ingrid, it’s fine,” she continued, looking at you a little ashamedly now as she no longer feigned confidence. “I didn’t know you had plans,” she added on sheepishly.

“Yeah, you don’t think of others when you do these things,” he said. “Ingrid doesn’t get out of school until later, you know that. Your mom was there to pick you up. You just let her wait there for you?”

Caroline sighed. “Dad, if I get my license—“

“If you get your license, you’d go to your mom’s like you were meant to?” Harry continued. “I doubt it. It’s very immature of you, Caroline, to disregard our plans as a family.”

“Yeah, I can see that I’ve interrupted your family plans,” she snapped. “You give random women keys to this place?”

“She’s not random,” Harry replied. “Y/N and I…” he trailed. “I will be home in fifteen minutes. Behave. I’m calling your mother.”

“Dad—“

He hung up.

She looked at you. “How old are you?” she asked.

“Twenty-five,” you answered. There was no use in lying.

“Oh my God,” she replied. “You could be my older sister!” she exclaimed.

“If you had an elder sister of ten years,” you replied awkwardly. “You and Ingrid are four years apart, right? Your dad had you at my age.”

She growled at you. “Gee, thanks, Einstein.”

You sat on the couch silently.

“Don’t get used to it here. You’ll learn that Ingrid and I come first,” she said.

“That’s to be expected,” you said, shrugging. “Caroline, I know this is a lot to be sprung on you at once, but—“

“It’s really not,” she interrupted you. “Just wait til I tell my mom about his twenty-five year old plaything. You’ll never see him again.”

You bit your cheek, getting out your phone and debating texting him.

“Tattles piss him off. Just ask Rebecca.”

“Sorry, who’s—?”

“His last ex. She was an Olympic qualifier, and she still didn’t cut it, so I’d put your dreams to rest,” she said.

You wish he’d just arrive already. Caroline was just lashing out, and you resented that you were beginning to allow it to affect you. “Please hurry” you texted him.

“I know baby. Five min” he replied.

“I’m going to call Ingrid,” Caroline said, stepping out of the room.

When Harry arrived, he came in through the garage so he saw Caroline first. It was quiet for awhile.

“She’s twenty-five,” you randomly heard Caroline say. “Why can’t you find someone normal, like Mom?”

“Caroline, you don’t even get along with your mother or stepdad,” Harry replied. “Your mom just texted me she pulled up. And I’m not signing you up for that driving class.”

“Dad!” she exclaimed.

“Trust is earned, Caroline. I love you very much, but you pissed me off today. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

You heard the garage door open and shut. Harry walked into the living room, shaking his head. "Jesus... I'm sorry," he said.

"No, don't apologize," you said, standing and striding over to him.

He scoffed, smiling a bit. "I can tell she scared you."

You bit your lip. "I mean..." you trailed. You shrugged. "It's not a big deal. You're here now."

He cupped your face with his hand. You smirked a bit, twisting to kiss his hand. "I'm sorry it happened like this. I panicked. I didn't know if--"

He shook his head. "No, it's not your fault. She shouldn't have been here. It's just another part in a series of her deliberately disobeying her mom and I."

You grabbed his other hand in yours. "... So can we just pretend that never happened?" you asked.

He sighed. "You can, I guess."

You quirked your brow. "What do you mean?"

"I'm gonna have to deal with it later," he said.

"I know, but tonight's about us, right?" you asked, clarifying what you meant. "I haven't seen you in almost a week."

"I thought you said you were fine with that," he said, taking his hand away from your face.

"I am... I mean, it's fine, but..." you trailed, your heart hammering away. Lately, you realized you did want more out of this, and wondered if he did, too. There was your answer.

"But what?"

"Nothing," you replied, taking your hand from his.

"No, what?" he asked you again.

You sighed, rolling your eyes. "I just wanted a night with you. I didn't ask for all this drama. I came in here thinking I'd wait for you to come home, not be verbally assaulted by your daughter," you snapped.

"That's the thing, Y/N," he said. "That's the thing I tried fuckin' explaining to you two months ago. It's not that simple."

"I guess not," you replied.

"So that's it?" he asked. "You're leaving?"

"If you want me to, then yeah," you spoke tearfully, turning around and grabbing your purse from the couch before walking out of his apartment.

"Y/N," he called after you. You kept walking until you got to your car parked outside on the sidewalk. "Y/N, wait," he said just as it started to rain.

"Fuck," you muttered under your breath. You pivoted to face him. "Just leave it, okay? We can agree--I hurt my own fucking feelings, it's fine. It's not the first time, won't be the last either. Now you won't have to worry about Caroline, she'll be happy, and you can just forget about me," you said, turning to open your car door when he gripped your arm and pulled you into him in a kiss.

And this kiss was something Faith Hill sings about. You knew Harry was a good kisser; maybe it was just your emotional state dramatizing the sensation. Either way, this felt different.

It began to sincerely pour, but neither of you minded or even noticed much. When he pulled away, he kept his grip on your arm so you were incredibly close when he spoke: "I don't wanna forget about you." He locked eyes with you, both of you catching your breath for a few seconds before speaking again. "When are you gonna understand," he said, pecking your lips again, "how much I care about you? That you aren't being abandoned or led on or forgotten?" He kissed you once more: "That I'm right here with you, falling in love with you?"

You sobbed, crashing into his chest. Thunder struck. "Sh, let's get inside," he spoke. He wrapped arms around you and walked you back to his apartment, shutting the door behind you.

You cried into your hands. He approached you gently, stroking your hair. "You okay?"

"Need a minute," you told him.

"Okay. Let me put some tea on," he said, pacing to the kitchen. It wasn't that cold outside in the early fall, but the rain definitely chilled you both.

You shivered for a second, your brain doing its best to process the last ten minutes. You needed to get dry.

You crept over to the kitchen and cleared your throat. "Harry?"

"Baby?" he asked back, looking at you.

Your heart warmed. "Um, can I please borrow some dry clothes?" you asked.

"No, only my wet ones. I think I've got some I forgot to put in the dryer, one sec," he replied back with a smile. "Yes, dear. What's mine is yours, you know this."

You nodded, smiling goofily back at him. "Okay, thank you," you said, ducking back into his bedroom and quickly changing into his old pajamas. He'd frequently apologize about how worn they were, but you loved them--they made you feel instantly at home.

You rejoined him in the kitchen to find him setting two cups of tea on the countertop. "I'm gonna go change as well," he told you before disappearing.

You drank your tea slowly, sitting at his kitchen table. You wondered what on earth you'd say when he came back.

The moment came, him quietly taking his seat across from you. You cleared your throat, sitting up. "Thank you," you spoke.

He nodded, signaling for you to continue.

"I..." you trailed. "I guess I should preface this by saying that I'm not used to... this," you said, gesturing at him. "To men, like... understanding me, or even trying to understand. When I bring a concern up, a lot of the times I'm just pushed away. Which is why I think maybe I sometimes can be negative around you, to try to get you to leave me alone, so I don't have to be vulnerable," you rambled.

He raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I've thought about it a lot," you explained, clearing your throat and breaking eye contact momentarily. "Anyway, um... S-So... In the past week or so, I was thinking maybe I do wanna be, like, exclusive with you," you said. "And I think when you kind of... When you said that I was okay with just seeing you once every so often, I remembered that I set those expectations and I realized you didn't want anything more and I felt rejected, and I tried to push you away by saying that about Caroline," you said quietly.

He leaned into you and held your hand.

Tears came to your eyes. "And I just... I just wanted to be with you today," you cried. "And I know you love your daughters, I know they come first. That's fine. But... I just was excited to see you, and I don't want it to be all about your kids right now. I want it to be about us," you blubbered. "Is that awful?" you asked.

"No," he replied immediately. "No, it's not." He squeezed your hand. "Thank you for sharing."

You shrugged.

"No, thank you. I know it's not easy. I appreciate your honesty," he said. "Honestly, Y/N, that was the most emotionally mature thing I've ever heard from a partner's lips," he told you.

A chuckle slipped your lips. "Well, Gen Z is the therapized generation," you half-joked.

He ran his thumb over your hand over and over, clearly thinking. "What if I told you I was afraid to ask you to be exclusive?" he asked.

You squinted, confused, though your heartbeat escalated in excitement. "Afraid?" you asked.

"Yes," he verified. "You were the one talking about taking it slow and seeing other people and exploring."

You bit your cheek. "Yeah, that's, like, apparently, how it works with guys who suck," you said awkwardly.

He raised his eyebrows, smiling. "I don't suck? Is that what you're saying?" he asked.

You smiled back at him. "No, you don't suck."

"Hm..." he trailed jokingly. "Is that how Gen Z says 'I'm falling in love with you, too'?" he asked.

You giggled, covering your face in laughter. "You're awful, Harry," you laughed.

"I don't suck, but I'm awful," he continued, making you laugh more. His dad jokes were a hit with you.

You uncovered your face and looked him in the eye. "You're a good guy. And the more I'm with you, the more I realize I've never been with one before. Or maybe you're just perfect for me," you said. "I'm falling in love with you, Harry, and I don't wanna stop."

"So don't," he replied, earnest. "Be my girlfriend, okay? And it can be about us all the time," he said, nodding. "If we're committed, I know I can take us seriously, and I promise I wanna prioritize you. I'm sorry this happened tonight, but I'm not sorry we had this conversation. I'm serious about you, Y/N. Don't give this away because you don't think you deserve it. And be vulnerable. That's where the good stuff is."

You nodded. "Okay." You nodded some more. "Can we watch a movie, boyfriend?" you asked, smiling gently.

"Yes, girlfriend." He stood up and kissed your hairline before giving you his hands to help you out of your seat.

When the movie was over, you and Harry showered together. He fucked you against the tile, strong yet gentle. "Yeah, baby, just like that. Give it to Daddy," he mumbled in your ear.

When he shut the water off, you surprised him by turning it back on again and wrapping your arms around him, pulling him down to give him a kiss. "I'll have to remember that we can kiss in the rain all the time," you whispered against his lips.

He pressed his hands to the small of your back in order to keep you closer. "Yes, please remember that."

[whatvioletdoes-blog]

Thank you for the tag! (We love tag games)

1.How many works on AO3? Officially, 7!

2.Total AO3 wordcount? 25,942 words!

3.Top 5 fics by kudos:

Everything will be alright, we have Midoriya now. An old time travel fix-it of MHA where canon is the fix!

The Clever Kids Club. An even older MHA fic, where there's an entire club for the students who've figured out the fact that EraserMic are together XD

That one time Dark Shadow knew. The sequel to the first fic, where it's revealed that Dark Shadow's aware of the time travel stuff going on and has been trying to help!

The Links Fight (A LU Chatfic). Our quotes chatfic! In a modern setting, the Chain is invited into a discord server so they can eventually all have a Links Fight just like the Internet-famous Josh Fight.

Shadow has never seen such bs before. Our Shadow POV fic of the Chain forming and then of LU eventually! He has many thoughts and dearly misses interacting with his Link.

4.What fandoms do you write for? Currently only Zelda/LU, although we have a bunch of ideas to write for the Heralds of Rhimn book series!

5.Do you respond to comments? Absolutely! It brings us joy to do so, especially as someone who likes commenting on things and then gets excited when the author responds

6.Fic with the angstiest ending: Honestly currently planned to be Shadow has never seen such bs before (even though it's not going to be actually angsty)- Most of what we write is a lot more crack/light-hearted and I don't think we have any angsty endings posted right now!

7.Fic with the happiest ending: I would say probably Rabbit Under the Moon! We tend to have hopeful endings but I think that one's peaceful and nice idk it's very sweet

8.Do you get hate? Thankfully not so far, no!

9.Do you write smut? We're trying to! Haven't posted any yet though

10.Do you write crossovers? Yeah! Haven't posted any yet though

11.Ever had a fic stolen? Not that we know of

12.Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope! We are getting into doing the translation for other people XD (and might take other people's 'no' answers as a challenge-)

13.Have you ever cowritten a fic? Yes! Used to be part of a group of I believe 7 people? Who co-wrote stuff on a single Wattpad account, but I'm not linking any of that XD

14.All-time favorite ship? We kinda just ship literally anything if someone makes a compelling enough case about it, but there aren't that many that we're super passionate about always... Idk sorry it really comes and goes lol

15.WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will? None of our posted ones (we will finish everything we've started posting eventually) but probably our Genshin Impact Slime Children AU? I don't think we'll be getting back into the fandom enough for that

16.Writing strengths? I'd say playing with the language to give a desired effect that's not necessarily true- It's hard to explain without spoiling a few WIPs, but we write in ways that make something feel true without telling you it is and then it turns out it wasn't! Outside of that, probably just crack, all stuff crack

17.Writing weaknesses? Dialogue and action! Actually having the characters say and do things instead of just thinking and thinking and thinking XD We're good at figuring out WIPs that mean we don't actually have to do that much I'd say though-

18.Thoughts on mixed language dialogue? We like it when done well! As someone who speaks several languages and loves learning about more, it can be very fun

19.First fandom you ever wrote for? I don't think 'My Little Pony when I was 8' should count so, Danganronpa!

20.Favorite fic you've ever written? Our Shadow has never seen such bs before fic, we looked forward to finding a plot for our idea of a Shadow POV for so long and we have such fun plans we can't wait to actually get to, even if it's currently pretty short still!

Tagging: @gurlgallade @imperialkatwala @somanyfanficssolittletime @needfantasticstories (no pressure though) and anyone who wants to!

Tagged by the wonderful @zarvasace

1. How many works on AO3? 8!

2. Total AO3 word count? 132k Which is, uh, more than 10k a month. How did I manage that?

3. Top 5 fics by kudos:

Two Moon Pearls and the Master Sword the chain gatecrash Legend's first quest. Honestly, I'll be surprised if this is ever surpassed. It's my oldest, but also it's a good combination in terms of length, accessibility, and story I think.

Ocarina, Oracle Sequel to the above! The chain gatecrash OoA and OoT. There's a pipeline from people reading Moon Pearls to reading this nowadays. It'll be interesting to see how it goes, it is a longer read after all.

Mandatory Puppy Pile The funniest and shortest fic I have. This was second place after Moon Pearls for a long, long time. We love wolfbrain Twi.

Reasonable Assumptions The little fic that could. This came out after Moon Pearls and it's always done... fine. It's not the funniest, or best, or angstiest or most anything else of anything I've done, but it chugs along. Hyrule, Legend and Wild meet in Hyrule's era. None of them realise time travel has occurred.

Requiem of the Wind Ghost ship and space whales. 8.5k Wind centric one shot. I feel like this one is very me lmao. I like it! It'd be nice if it got more attention. I reckon Fortuity is going to overtake it though.

4. What fandoms do you write for? Zelda/LU exclusively at the moment

5. Do you respond to comments? Yep, all of them. The authors that influenced me tended to do it, so it just seemed the normal thing to do.

6. Fic with the angstiest ending: Hero of Hyrule The fic people skip, presumably because it's dark. I wouldn't say it's an unhappy ending though.

7. Fic with the happiest ending: Fortuity Shot story, happy ending, and co-author who would happily write the fluff for me <3

8. Do you get hate? Nah. Shout out to the bookmark that called OcaOra a solid 7/10 for being complicated and not as emotional as preferred though LMAO

9. Do you write smut? I have not written fic smut 😐

10. Do you write crossovers? Nope

11. Ever had a fic stolen? Nope, not that I'm aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope again!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic? @whitewinterstar and I wrote Fortuity together! It was a fun time <3

14. All-time favorite ship? I'm not much of a shipper to be perfectly honest! 'All time' is a big ask too!

Uhh, I loved Nagisa and Tomoya in Clannad After Story.

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Ha haaa... I'm gonna work on Completionist again one day, really I am.

16. Writing strengths? APPARENTLY PACING??? I've had several people complement this recently so huh. Dialogue, characterisation, having a couple of genres going at once.

17. Writing weaknesses? Painting a picture of the setting, generally setting the environment, fights probably, too much telling and not enough showing sometimes.

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue? I don't really have thoughts on mixed language dialogue. 🤷‍♀️ Maybe I should get some.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Technically I have a single Naruto one shot out there...

20. Favorite fic you've ever written? Two Moon Pearls and the Master Sword will always be my baby.

Tagging: @needfantasticstories @nyastri @not-freyja @zolanort @somer-writes

[artistformerlyknownasbutttrumpet]

casual reminder before tomorrow arrives that abstaining or voting 3rd party instead of voting for harris is THE most selfish thing you can do. i know you think you are doing the right thing, but i cannot emphasize enough that these two candidates are NOT "equally bad." palestinians will be in significantly more danger if that criminal shitstain wins, IN ADDITION TO every other minority and less privileged person. if you really and truly want to prove your motivation is to stop the harm of others, then you MUST put your ego aside and do the uncomfortable thing. this is not the time for a boycott. this is not the time to dig your heels in the sand and claim you can't possibly go against your morals. the truth of the matter is that palestinians will be safer if you vote for harris. as a queer woc, with so many friends and family whose well-being is at risk, i will feel more betrayed by you than by the people who vote for trump, bc we are supposed to take care of each other, and yet you'd rather watch us burn than do the uncomfortable thing. abstaining is nothing but a selfish, holier-than-thou, performative act. if you abstain, then you are actively causing harm, and if he wins because of it, those of us who can use our common sense will never forget how much you fucked us over. if he wins, more people (including palestinians) are going to get hurt, and that blood will be on your hands. do the uncomfortable thing. it's a better show of moral integrity than abstaining will ever be

[spywhitney]

How I sleep knowing I'll never trust anyone that hates Sydney but worships Richie:

[edarull]

Screaming from the rooftop:

It's time to stop calling the paragon/renegade system a morality system! I argue that it's a reputation system that has been for too long mislabeled.

[milfspiggy]

something i always find really interesting is when an artist makes a lot of ~*~*~cute wholesome art~*~*~ sometimes you will go into the replies to their posts and find them just being kind of a huge jerk to people interacting with their art in a pretty normal way