#if you're wondering about the thank you note

[rafescherie]

I was wondering if you could do something like reader tries to get rafe’s attention but he’s focused on video gaming so she starts being sexual to get his attention and then it turns into smut :)

growing tired of being ignored while rafe plays video games, you decide to get up to more mischievous activities, if it means finally getting his attention.

warnings — 18+. MDNI. slight choking, 'aggressive' rafe, oral (male receiving).

cherie's note — thank you for the request anon<3! having so much writing requests for you guys ♡(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)♡ hopefully you like it!

he had been at this for hours now, thumbs furiously and rapidly clicking on the poor controller joysticks, the noise filling rafe's room. the glow from the television screen casted sharp shadows across his face, jaw locked in focus, lips slightly parted as he muttered curses under his breath. each move topper and kelce made seemed to aggravate rafe further, built up tension lingering as you wandered back into his bedroom.

you leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over your doughy chest, watching him. how long had it been? two hours? three? you had long lost track. it wasn't like you expected much different — rafe got obsessive about things. when he locked onto something, he didn't let go. and right now? that something wasn't you.

annoying.

you padded softly across the room, slow and deliberate, before sinking onto the floor in front of him, right between his legs. you lean back on your heels, resting your chin softly on his knees, looking up at him through your lashes.

if you didn't know him so well, you might've thought he forgot you were there, but the way his fingers flexed over the controller, jaw tensing, told you otherwise. he knew. he just wasn't acknowledging you.

fine. two could play that game.

you drag your manicured nails up the inside of his thighs, featherlight, slow. no reaction. you pressed a little harder, nails scraping lightly against his skin where his shorts had ridden up. still nothing.

rude.

"you've been at this all night." your voice was syrupy sweet, but there was an edge beneath it.

he lets a heavy sigh fall from his lips, "not now."

"rafe..." you whine, bottom lip plump as you pout.

"i said not now," his voice is rough, blue eyes flickering down for only a second to look at you.

but you don't care.

he's been ignoring you for the last hour, the least he could do is give you more than just a glance, right?

"please" you breathe, hands slipping under the fabric of his hoodie. your pretty pale pink nails lightly scratch down his abs, lower and lower, until—

"fuck, cut it out," he snaps, jerking away just as the screen flashes a deep red — his character, dead.

silence hangs between you, thick and charged. the tension in the air is almost suffocating. rafe's breathing is heavy, fingers flexing, jaw clenched so tight you think he might break the teeth in his mouth.

the controller clatters against the desk.

before you could react, rafe's hand was in your hair, tightening just enough to tilt your head back, forcing your gaze to his. the action causes your breath to hitch in your throat, stomach swarming with butterflies with the anticipation of the consequences of your own actions. his chest rose and fell, his blue eyes flickering between frustration and something darker.

"you think you're real funny, don't you?" his voice is low, sharp — dangerous.

you only smiled, letting your hands skate up his thighs again, nails just barely digging in. "i think you love the attention."

his grip in your hair tightened, but not enough to hurt — just enough to hold you there, his free hand tipping your chin up further. "you're a fucking brat."

"and yet, you're finally looking at me instead of that stupid game."

his breath hitched, and then his fingers slid lower, wrapping around your throat, thumb pressing just enough to make you swallow hard. his touch wasn't rough — it never was, just firm enough to keep you where he wanted you.

a slow smirk ghosted over his lips. "you really want my attention that badly?"

you didn't answer, just let your hands skate higher up his legs, knowing exactly how to push him. his grip tightened, just a little, his thumb brushing over your pulse point like he could feel how fast it was racing.

his eyes flicker over your face, drinking in every thin shift of expression, every flicker of defiance in your gaze. "be careful what you wish for."

you smirk, voice barely above a whisper, "make me regret it."

something inside of him just, snaps — the final straw within the storm of his frustrations finding it's way out as you challenge back.

oh, you had done it this time.

one minute, you're sitting on your knees in front of him, watching him through wispy lashes innocently, and the next? he's pushing your mouth down further on him, the loud noises of strangled breaths and gagging filling the once tense room.

he lulls his head back against his gaming chair, eyes screwing shut. every other time he'd be forced back into the spawn room, mercilessly killed on his video game, it only seemed to edge his frustrations on. but now? he was almost thankful for it, taking each force of restarting as an opportunity to push your head down onto his throbbing cock.

his hands return back to the controller, but his focus is elsewhere, clearly. you gasp for air with each release of his hand from your hair, wrapping your smaller hand around his dick as you pump, desperate to help him reach his peak. the mixture of pre-cum and your own thick, stringy saliva drenches his length, making it so much easier for your tongue to glide against his glistening swollen cock.

"fuck," he mutters, the headset on his head probably capturing each sound. you prayed he had muted his microphone before he spoke, but it was past the point of caring at this point, panties absolutely soaked from the situation you had evidently dug yourself into. "just like that... dirty fuckin' girl, just needed daddy's cock to gag on. shut you up good, huh?"

and it was true, despite the moans you could hardly contain, vibrating against him, you were choosing to behave, for now. another hour of waiting for him, and things would be different. but you were content, sat on your knees, between his thick thighs.

his hand connects with your hair once more, pushing your head down further. every time he felt your throat constrict around his thickness, his breath hitched. tears welled in your eyes, threatening to spill the longer he holds your head down.

"you're fucking gross, you know that?" he half-moans, coming off as a disbelieving chuckle. "couldn't fucking wait, could you?"

his cock twitches, the feeling familiar on your warm, wet tongue. he's close — if it wasn't for the throaty groans and whimpers falling from his lips, the light grinding and bucking of his hips give it all away.

"gonna cum all over that pretty little tongue," he sighs out, face scrunching as he tilts his head up towards the ceiling. "you're gonna swallow it too, y'owe me after making me lose my damn game."

and he does. deliciously, too.

his thick creamy seed fills your mouth quickly, stomach pooling at the feeling. it's warm, and sticky, and you take it down like a fucking champ, just like you were instructed.

his grip on your hair tightens for a second before he pulls his hand away. instead, his fingers dig into the sensitive skin of your throat once more, his grip soft and steady. he looks down at you, eyes dark, filled with something that made your pulse quicken. he exhaled sharply, lips brushing against your forehead before he presses a steady kiss on your flushed skin. "still bored?"

your fingers curled around his wrist, not to pull him away — but to keep him there. a slow, knowing smile spread on your lips. "not anymore."

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Not A Word 5

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, age gap, violence, parental abuse, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: You live a life in hiding, away from your father and the world, until a man decides to drag you into the light. (non-verbal reader)

Characters: Captain Syverson

Note:😻.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

With all the unknown ahead of you, it's safe to keep to what you know. You go to the kitchen with the itch still under your skin. You're irritated, scalded by Sy's unwanted touch. Uninvited. Unnerving. 

You've never been an angry person. Your father is, or was, and it always deterred you from the same. Being mad does nothing but drain you dry. But that's what you are. And helpless because you know there's nothing you can do to act on that displeasure. So you focus on what you can do. 

You take out the breakfast sausages. Your father had a fit when you brought home the spicy instead of the maple ones. Well, he isn't there anymore to scream at you. Or hit you. 

You turn on the burner and set a skillet over to heat. You grab the eggs and take out two. That's usually what he eats but you think of Sy. He's much bigger. You add two more. 

You hear him. The floor creaks beneath his weight and he yawns as he lumbers down the hallway. You sense him in the doorway. That's the thing about being quiet, you learn to be observant. You read your surroundings like your books. 

"Morning, sugar," he purrs. "Now ain't you an early riser. Already at it." 

You don't react; not a flinch. You unwrap several sausages and drop them in the pan. They hiss against the hot metal.  

Next, the coffee. All he'll get from you is that. Breakfast. Appeasement. But he won't get a look or a twitch. He touched you and he didn't even apologise.  

He killed your father... 

The machine grinds as it spits out the dark brew. You measure out your own breakfast. Oats and raisins, with a touch of cinnamon and sugar. You set the kettle to boil and keep your back to him. His fingers tap heavily on the table as he watches you. 

"Sugar?" He drawls. 

You crack the eggs into a bowl and sprinkle in seasonings. You add some milk for some fluffiness, then grab another pan. You twist on the third burner. He sighs heavily. 

"Hey, you alright?" He asks. 

You oil the pan as you ignore him. He hums low. You stir the eggs before you add them to the pan. You cover it with a lid and leave it. 

You pull down a plate and pluck out cutlery. You pour a cup of coffee and bring it to him but do not see him. You stare at the wall as you put it down. He thanks you and presses his large hand around the porcelain, 

"Look, sweetheart, I know yesterday was rough, but--" He puts his other hand on your hip and snap your fingers against him. The sharp swat has him recoiling as you spin and stomp away. "Hey, sug, what's that about?" 

You turn the sausages as the grease spits. He huffs. 

"You mad at me?" He wonders. You don't answer. "Now, what did I do?" 

You take the lid off the pan and flip the omelette. You go to the fridge to get the cheese. You shred it over the omelette and cover it again. He shifts so the chair groans under his weight. The noise reminds you of his size. You hesitate. What if you make him mad? 

"I know it's hard losing someone, sugar," he says. 

The kettle rumbles and you remove it from the heat before it can whistle. You pour it into your oats and stir, then leave it to soften. The aroma of spices and sausage swirls in the air. His belly growls noisily. 

You plate up the food and serve it to him. "Thanks, sugar, it smells delicious." 

Once more, you're one your way back to the sink before he can finish. You pour the grease into a jar and rinse the pans, stacking them next to the sink with the dirtied bowl, spatula, and the rest. You add some milk to your bowl before you put the carton away and you take your oats. 

He gets up as you walk toward the table. He pulls out a chair. You pass him and head into the hall. You unlock the front door and clamour out onto the porch in bare feet. You don't care. You sit on the step to eat alone. 

The hinges squeal behind you, "now, sugar, why are you doing all this?" 

You scoop the oats into your mouth and stare unwavering into the distance. The sky is a soft bluish yellow hue behind the dirt expanse and sharp points of distant trees. He crosses the porch to the step. He bends and squeezes your shoulder. 

"You know I'm here to help you--" 

You stand and nearly spill the oatmeal. You jerk away from him and trod through the dusty dirt. He grunts in surprise. 

"What're you doing? You ain't got no shoes on." He chides. 

You scurry away, cradling your breakfast in your hands, and don't look back. He doesn't follow but it's not a comfort. He'll come after you eventually. 

You go around the garage and skirt down behind the cluster of thorny bushes your daddy never bothered to clear. You sit on the ground and set the bowl down. You bow your head and hold it in your hands. You blow out between your lips. 

You don't miss your daddy. Him being gone doesn't make you sad, but not feeling anything about it does. That's the same callousness, the same apathy he always showed you. You don't want to be like him. You don't want to be happy he's gone. 

💜

After a while, you relent. You don't have much of a choice. That adds to your frustration. Knowing that none of this is within your grasp only exhausts you. You just want to lay down and never get up. 

You go inside. It's quiet. You enter the kitchen and find it empty. You wash your bowl and put it away. Not much has changed. You're still trying to be invisible. 

A sniff jolts you. Sy lets out a sigh and you keep your eyes averted. You turn and walk around the table. He blocks the door. You know there's no way around or through him. 

"Sugar, you're mad. I understand. And you just lost your daddy, so I'm not gonna hold that against you," he puts his hands on your shoulders and you flinch. You shove his forearms and step out of his hold. He holds his hands up as if burned. "Sweetheart, I know it's a lot to deal with but I'm tryna help you--" 

Your eyes dart up, your hand too, and you point at him sharply. His eyes round and his brow furrows. He shakes his head. You wiggle your finger, exasperated. You want to yell at him! You stomp your foot and clap your hands.

Then, without a thought, you push his stomach. It has little effect as he's too big to be moved. You do it again. You slap his stomach then his chest, and huff, spinning away from him to storm around the kitchen. 

"Sugar," his voice is low and rocky, "it was an accident. You know that." 

You scowl and push the chair over. You fume silently as you throw your hands up, curling and uncurling your fists. He stays in the door, trapping you there to roil in your confused rage. 

"He was insulting you. He always did. I never liked that and... and he was mean to you." 

You sneer and clutch your head. You shake it furiously and put your back to him. You shake as your eyes well hotly. You lied for him. You all but sealed your fate because you were scared. Of what? Of him being the one to replace your father. The one who keeps you on a leash. 

You grab a ladle hanging above the counter and hurl it at him. He lets it bounce off of him. "Alright, sugar. Throw another." 

You curl your lip and do just that; a spatula, then a slotted spoon. You turn back and reach for another then stop. 

"You just get it all out. I'll take whatever you got," he says. "Sugar, I know I messed this up but I'm gonna make it better. I'm gonna take care of ya." 

You slap your hands on the counter and hang your head. You're so tired. So tired. 

You slump and turn. You go to the chair and pick it up. You put it back at the table and round it. You near Sy. You point past him. He exhales but moves out of your way. 

You pass him and turn down the hall. You stop between your bedroom and the bathroom. You go into the latter and lock the door. You just need to stop thinking for a while. 

💜

You emerge from the bathroom reluctantly. He's waiting. The thought that he always will be from now on scares you as much as the man himself. 

You go into your room. He's there. You stop short, in just your towel, clothes hugged against your chest. He sits on your bed, shoulders hunched, forehead lined. He looks at you and his brows arch. 

"There ya're," he says and pushes his shoulders back. "Feel any better?" 

You blink and drop your clothes in the basket. You pull open the dresser and feel the towel slacken dangerously. You catch it and suck in a breath. He growls. You reach to grab a shirt. 

"You know, sugar, I don't wanna overload ya but..." the bed shifts with him. "We can't stay here. Bed's too small, as much as I enjoy cuddling and... it just don't feel right, does it?" 

You open the lower drawer, carefully bending your legs to grab a pair of linen pants. You stand straight and pluck out some clean underwear. He stands and you tense as he nears. 

"I meant it. I'm gonna be good to ya," he touches your shoulder and you reel away from him. You face him and he mopes. "Please, don't be mad at me. I couldn't-- I couldn't do nothing to bring him back. And I couldn't see him abuse ya no more." 

You frown. 

"You understand, don't ya? That's what he was doin'? Abusing ya? All those years?" He steps closer again. 

Your lip trembles and your eyes singe. You back up and spin away from him. You race out of the room and across the hall. He sighs and follows you but stops on the other side of the door. 

"I only wanted to hurt him. Not you," he pleads. 

You look at your reflection. Your tears spill over and you squeeze the clothes tight. You sink down to your knees as your bad racks with sobs. 

You're not sad your dad's gone. You're not even mad about what Sy did to him. He deserved it. You're scared and lost and... alone. 

Before, with your dad, you knew what was expected. Now you do and you don't. Sy told the sheriff he's going to marry you. Why? You know wives have duties. You don't know if you can do those. Not the ones beyond cooking and cleaning. 

"It's okay, you know? I'll wait for ya," he drawls as his hand brushes loudly down the door. "However long you want. I know you got a lot to think about. And I want you to think about the good things." He leans on the door as it moves in the frame. "You know, I got you a nice table with a light for your arts and stuff. Got ya all these little things, too. Think you'll like em. And some flowers." 

You glare at your door and shake your head. Good things? You've never know anything good. Not before and not now. But you never expected it all to get so much worse. 

[w2soneshots]

hii queennn, i love love ur work. anyway i dont really have a strong idea (IM SORRYYY) but i was wondering if you could just write a story more so about reader and her relationship with the sidemen & co (oneshot pleaseee) much loveee xx

Friendships -W2S

words: 0.9k+

warnings: smidge of angst with Freezy, mentions of pregnancy (Faiths), alcohol consumption.

summary: your relationships with all of Harry’s friends, including… the sidemen, the two Cals, Chris, Faith and Talia!!

notes: hello lovely, thank youuu!🫶🏼 I actually love this and decided to do headcannons for each of them (I know you said oneshot but I couldn’t think of a better way to show all of their friendships)🙂‍↕️🤍. I hope you enjoy!!

The sidemen

• You met the boys just two weeks after you and Harry started dating.

• He brought you with him on a night out to meet them and your first impressions were that they were polite and friendly💞

• The first person you hit it off with was Tobi, he was just the most welcoming and seemed genuinely interested whenever you had a conversation😇

• When a good few months had passed and you all knew each other better it was much easier to speak to them.

• JJ and Ethan are pretty extroverted so they were the first (after Tobi) that you really felt comfortable enough to talk to + Harry and Ethen are like a little duo so you were naturally around him more.

• It took a while to have a non awkward conversation with Simon, Josh and Vik but after a pub golf where you ended up on the same team -along with Harry- and all got extremely drunk, it seemed to bring you much closer and you managed to crack the awkwardness.

• Now you're all pretty close and they get excited when Harry brings you along to things, especially JJ... "Yay! Move Harry. y/n!"

Calfreezy

• You didn't take the greatest liking to Freezy when you first met him. You thought he was a little... obnoxious🤗

• It definitely didn't help that Harry lived with him at the beginning of your relationship so he was always there... cock blocker of the century.

• You tried not to ever mention it to Harry since that was his friend after all, you didn't really know him and you wanted to give him a proper chance before you jumped to conclusions.

• You'd share a polite 👋😃 whenever you were over at the apartment and you passed him but that was really the extent of your interactions.

• One day you managed to actually talk to him during the first lockdown when you moved into their apartment and you realised that he was actually kinda fun to speak to, after that your perspective changed.

• Now, years later, you're closer to him than any of Harry's friends and you laugh about the fact you didn't like each other in the beginning😆

Callux

• Cal was just moving out of the apartment when you met him.

• You thought he was sweet and (at the time) you much preferred him to Freezy😅

• You weren't ever super close to him since he was out of the apartment within a few weeks so you didn't have that many chances to speak one to one.

• Though naturally over the years you've spent hours laughing with him, Freezy and Harry during birthdays, new years and whenever you'd get the chance to hang out.

Chris Dixon

• The first time you met Chris was at the fourth charity match in 2022, in which he was on the opposite team but Harry introduced you to him after the game.

• You'd obviously heard his name and Harry had mentioned him quite a few times but it took you until then to actually meet him properly.

• You thought he was funny and you liked the fact he could take a joke without getting offended.

• A month ago you featured in one of his football videos and after filming he complemented you by saying, "well... didn't know you were secretly a baller y/n. I'll have to get you on more of these shoots." Which you were happy about because you actually really enjoyed yourself⚽️

Faith Kelly

• Faith was the first of the girls that you met and you immediately clicked💘

• You thought she had the best sense of humour and always knew how to have some fun.

• Once you, Harry, Ethan and Faith all went on a double date, which you and Faith had to convince the boys to go on because they both thought it was a little "cringe" but you ended up having the best time.

• When she fell pregnant with Olive you were one of the first people she told since she was kinda freaking out, though you were quick to calm her down and reassure her that it was a great thing and you told her that her and Ethan would be amazing parents (you were correct)😌

• Now, you and Harry look after Olive whenever Faith's parents are busy, you've been in quite a few of Faith's youtube videos and the both of you regularly speak to each other + go for lunch whenever your schedules allow🍽️

Talia Mar

• You and Talia actually met before you even knew Harry existed, at an influencer party that the both of you happened to be invited too.

• The first thing she ever said to you was, "you smell fucking incredible babe." And you were so pleased to see that she was a girls girl since the party was filled with bitchy influencers.

• The night was spent drinking the free drinks sat on a pretty couch in the corner of the room while you basically spilled your entire life stories to each other🥂

• You exchanged numbers and sent the odd text but you were both so busy at the time so your friendship kind of died out... until you met Harry.

• "Wait- y/n?" She'd excitedly looked at you when you walked into JJ's birthday party, arm linked with Harry's.

• "You two know each other?" Simon had asked and you were both quick to nod with bright smiles on your faces.

• Once again you spent most of that party with her, yapping away and updating her on everything that had gone on since you'd seen her last.

• Now, you joke about the fact you were actually the ones who were meant to be together since your friendship is practically a rom-com storyline and unironically you have each other's name saved as "wifey" in your contacts💍

[lamentationsofalonelypotato]

Where'd You Come From?

Pairing: Din Djarin x f!reader, Reader POV

Summary: An adorable customer wanders into your bakery and introduces you to someone you'd never met, who piques your curiosity. Takes place after Season 3 when Din and Grogu have been living in their cabin on Nevarro. This is the first fic in my Sugar, Spice, and Starlight Series!

Tropes: Fluff, Meet Cute, Bakery AU, Grumpy vs. Sunshine

Word Count: 4.9K

Warnings: I don't think there's really any? The reader is really soft and likes to bake? The reader simping over a man's voice (as we all should)? Din might be a little bit OOC. It's mostly just fluff.

Note: This is told from Reader's perspective. Any references to the reader is made using you or your. There is no use of y/n! I tried my best to proofread, but nobody's perfect. If you don’t like, don’t read, but if you do like, you’re my favorite! This is my first time writing for Din, so please be gentle.

Internal monologue is in italics and is in first person.

Main Masterlist

Series Masterlist

A/N: Honestly, I've been kinda afraid to post this for a while, but @jollyhunter thank you so much for encouraging me! You're a wonderful friend 💗

The smell of fresh bread, cinnamon, and brown sugar wrapped you in a blanket of warmth as you pulled a tray from one of the large ovens at the back of your bakery. It was not the first tray to be born of flame and love today, nor would it be the last.

You smiled down at the perfect pan of browning pastry with pride swelling in your chest, admiring your handiwork. It had been two days since you opened your small bakery tucked into the corner of a colorful street on Nevarro and you were already convinced that it was the best decision you had ever made, despite your older brother's insistences that you were crazy for doing so.

Sure, Nevarro was in the middle of nowhere, was populated by angry bounty hunters, and probably wasn't the safest place to live, but you loved it. Every day there was a market that opened in the early hours of the morning, close enough that you could wander through the colorful stalls meeting new people, trying food and sweets from all over the galaxy, and browsing through the handcrafted wares the others sold. On weekends the new fountain in the center of town was surrounded by parents while children squealed and ran through the cooling sprays of water. It was a lovely place to sit and soak up the warm sun, while your mind slipped into the soothing prose of a book perched on your knee.

The longer you stayed on Nevarro, the more you felt apart of its growing community and the more you felt like you belonged there. You hadn't felt like you belonged anywhere in years, not after you lost your grandmother, and you were left with an cold empty house filled with echoes of someone long gone, shades of a life you lived that could only exist in your memory.

Your brother had left you years before, angry, fueled with a fire to make the people who destroyed your home and orphaned the two of you pay, choosing rather to leave you with your grandmother than watch from the sidelines.

But you never blamed him for leaving when he was only fifteen and you barely ten. You weren't angry anymore about losing your parents to the war the way so many others had. Maybe it was because you'd lost them when you were too young to remember their faces while your brother was still haunted by the voice of your mother singing him to sleep.

But you supposed that without your grandmother you never would have fallen in love with baking and found the thing that made you feel whole and brought you comfort when everything else seemed to fall apart around you. It was her that fueled your own love of baking, tempered it and helped it grow from a small spark to a burning flame.

Her constant praise and encouragements in the time the two of you spent tucked into her kitchen filled with light and love made you the person you were today. She taught you everything you knew, spoke about opening a bakery of her own for years, but never did. You knew that she would have wanted you to sell the house to do what she couldn't, so you did, and you didn't look back.

The constant flow of customers in and out of the shop, the chatter that rose from patrons sitting on the carved wooden tables made of strong smooth wood, and the people who continued to say how wonderful it was to have you there only supported your decision to move here.

She would have loved this.

You think to yourself with a smile, gaze falling to your grandmother's overstuffed book of recipes that sat with pages fanning on the counter, before you drop your free hand to smooth a wrinkle from the floral apron wrapped around your waist. One of hers that you'd tied there for good luck over your dark blue skirt.

You supposed that it was working given the fact that you'd completely sold out of treats yesterday and now already halfway through the third day, you were out of some of your favorites.

At this rate I'm going to have to hire someone else to work the counter for me.

You never imagined to have this kind of response, but now you lived for it.

The fresh tray you pulled from the oven is heavy, but it's a pleasant weight. You maneuver through the cozy kitchen to place it on the counter where the sweet buns could cool before you iced them with the thick periwinkle colored frosting chilling in the refrigerator in the corner, but as you do, you hear the front door chime.

It was later in the day, and you were taking advantage of the lull before you expected another rush of customers to come in. The last patron had left fifteen minutes ago, placing her ceramic mug in the big plastic bin on top of the trashcan by the front doors, before walking out with a cheerful "goodbye."

The smile you have when you hear the jingle is genuine, the prospect of sharing your gift of baking with someone else warming your heart.

"One minute." You call, arranging the tray on the crowded countertop before you wipe your flour covered hands on the apron at your waist and make your way through the green curtain that hangs in the doorway of the kitchen, dividing the front and back of the shop. Your eyes flick upwards, expecting to see someone standing there behind the counter waiting for service, but the shop is empty.

"Hello?" You ask tentatively, looking over the counter at the empty wooden chairs and tables arranged beyond before the doorway and wide windows at the front of your shop. Sunlight filters through the glass in happy patches of light, illuminating the furniture just inside the door.

But no one answers you.

That's weird.

You hear something make a cooing noise, but you still can't see anyone, and there's a small part of you that's disappointed someone left without asking for help.

The odd noise sounds again, almost like the small multicolored bird-like creatures in the cages hanging above the shop next door.

Maybe one got out and is trapped in here somewhere.

The thought makes your fingers itch for the broom leaning in the corner, expecting something to come swooping down at you from the rafters above. Nothing was worse that finding out at the last minute that something you were trying to shoo could fly.

You walk around the counter looking for the source of the sound while bracing yourself for attack, but stop when you see a little green creature swaddled in brown cloth standing in front of the one of the glass cases loaded with sweets. He turns his gaze in your direction, presses his little three fingered hand against the glass, and coos softly as if asking you for one of the treats that sit in organized rows within.

"Um-" You look around the room hoping to see an adult, someone who he belongs to, but there's no one. "Hey there little guy." You stoop down next to him so you can see him better.

The creature smiles and gurgles happily, tapping his hand against the front of the case filled with pastry again to make a point.

"Where's your mommy?" You pick him up gently, cradling him in your arms. "Did you get lost?"

He coos again and touches your chin with a smile so cute that it's impossible not to return it. The sharp nails catch against your smooth skin, but you don't mind.

He's so cute.

You think to yourself with a soft smile.

I wonder who he belongs to?

You bite the inside of your cheek and contemplate what you should do. You were still relatively new on Nevarro and hadn't introduced yourself to the sheriff yet, but you'd heard of her. The problem was you had no idea where Cara Dune would be at this time of the day and you'd never seen a creature like him walking around when you went to the market or... really seen a creature like him ever.

I can't just keep him! Someone could be looking for him and it wasn't on my agenda today to become a kidnapper. I mean, that's never on my agenda, but today isn't any different!

You raise your eyes to look out the front door and large windows of your bakery, watching a few people pass by, but you don't see anyone resembling the child in your arms.

A sigh builds in your chest, contrasting the thrumming anxiety building in your body.

Maybe I should feed him, he looks hungry. And if his family doesn't come in by the end of the day I'll go find Cara Dune. She's got to know who he belongs to.

It seemed like a good plan, plus you figured the way that the creature was looking at the pastries it wouldn't hurt to give him a little something before you tried to find his family.

"Well, I don't really know how you ended up in here, but somebody's gotta be looking for you." You sigh, softly stroking his green ears. He wriggles in your arms, sighing under his breath and leans into your comforting touch. "Are you hungry?"

He turns and waves his hand at one of the glass cases loaded with multi-colored pastries again.

"Guess that's a yes." You laugh as you walk back around the case to place him on the counter right next to the register resting in between the two glass displays. "Sit here cutie. I'll get you something."

He waits patiently on the counter kicking his little feet where they hang over the edge, while you turn to the case on your left and grab a Uj'alayi square, a traditional Mandalorian sweet, from the display. The brown sticky pastry crumbles in his little hand as you give it to him. "This one's my favorite. It's my mother's recipe."

Your mother had been born on Mandalore years before the Clone Wars, but she'd left when she met your father, taking the traditions from her family with her to start anew. You'd never met any of her family members before and supposed that they died in the purge of Mandalore. The recipe for Uj'alayi was one of the only things you had left of her, something you'd found in the box of belongings pulled from the remnants of your home following it's destruction.

It had taken you years to perfect the recipe, thought that making it would awaken some memory deep inside of your mother, but it never did. Your brother, Elijah, remembered the moments that slipped between your fingers like running water, seeping through the cracks in your memory of the fleeting moments you'd spent with your parents before they were killed.

When the creature bites into the square, he gurgles, his dark eyes blinking at you and crinkling slightly from the lights that line the ceiling of your shop.

"I know. Good huh?" You smile and break off a piece of the cake before popping it into your mouth. The crunch of nuts and the tang of the sweet syrup brings a melancholic feeling of nostalgia rising on the crest of a wave, but slowly ebbs out to sea with your exhale.

It wasn't an unusual feeling, you'd been feeling more nostalgic since you'd opened the bakery.

The child munches on the square with a happy giggle and it makes you smile. Sharing your gift of baking always brought joy to your heart, and this was no different.

I wonder where his family is. He's so small, he couldn't have gotten too far, and he shouldn't be out by himself. Something could happen to him.

The thought makes your smile falter. The population of bounty hunters on Navarro had lessened in the months before your arrival, but you weren’t sure that someone as little as him should be walking around by himself.

The front door of the shop opens with a pleasant jingle.

"There you are." Someone sighs in a buzzing monotone.

You glance up from the little one your counter with curiosity, blinking in surprise at who stands in the doorway. Honestly, you weren't expecting it to be a Mandalorian, you were expecting someone else who was maybe a little bit bigger, but also green.

Maybe the little one is a foundling? That or he’s green under that thing.

The thought of the broad shouldered man standing in your shop squeezing pointy ears underneath his helm makes a laugh tickle in the back of your throat.

You'd heard your patrons talk about the Mandalorian who lived just outside of town, in hushed whispers around the crunch of pastry within your shop. The one that everyone steered clear of for fear that he would hurt them and take their children in the night, as if he was a creature that dwelled in a cave crouched over piles of gold. The people in town were all afraid of him, said that he was a blood thirsty bounty hunter who should be avoided at all costs, but seeing him stand here in your shop, arms crossed over his chest, hip cocked to the side, while looking down at the small child on the counter, you don't feel afraid.

The child coos happily and reaches up with two sticky hands opening and closing, asking to be picked up by the intimidating figure.

They never said he was a dad.

Despite their reputation, Mandalorians didn't scare you. When your brother left trying to find an outlet for his anger, he had found solace with a small clan of Mandalorians inhabiting a planet in the Outer Rim. They'd taken him in when he needed a home and given him a place where he could learn to control the rage he kept close to his heart. You were grateful for that, but it didn't make you miss him any less.

Whenever he would visit, he'd bring members of his clan with him all of which who were nothing but kind to you. But you still worried about him.

You worried he wasn't eating enough and when he came you would spend most of your time cooking for him and his new family. It was never a bother, you liked doing that for other people, cooking for them and taking care of them when no one else could. It was a form of comfort and warmth you believed that no one should be deficient of. In your heart everyone deserved to feel at home and have someone who wanted to take care of them.

"He belong to you?" You smile at the man standing just inside the doorway. He's so tall that he'd had to duck when he came in through the front door.

"Yes." He lets out another sigh that pops and crackles in the modulator.

"Well, I'm glad you found him, at the rate he's going, he's probably going to eat everything I have."

The man tilts his head to the side as if confused. You wonder if maybe you came on too strong or if it's just a habit of his, to size up everyone he comes in contact with.

He is a bounty hunter. Probably picked it up along the road somewhere.

His armor is a startling silver, sending flickers of the sunshine behind him over the walls of your bakery. You'd never met a Mandalorian who didn't paint their Beskar. Your own brother's was painted in shades of red and orange, and embossed with his clan sigil in a startling white.

But there was something about this Mandalorian's armor that was almost… pretty, but you supposed it was the same glinting beauty of a knife sitting on a kitchen counter, beautiful but deadly.

You look back down at the creature, who touches your hand and points back at the Uj'alayi in the case as if asking for another. The three fingers are sticky with the remnants of the desert. "Fine. One more. But I don’t want you to spoil your dinner."

You reach back into the case for another crumbling brown square to give to him with a laugh on your lips and watch as the skin around his little black eyes crinkles in gratitude before he bites into the treat.

The Mandalorian approaches cautiously and despite the helmet, you can feel his eyes on you, contemplative and curious.

"Is that Uj cake?" His voice comes out through the harsh buzz of the modulator.

"Yeah it's Uj'alayi. He really seems to like it. Is he your foundling?" When you look up and smile at the helm, you can only see your reflection in the brilliant metal of the armor.

Surprise flickers across your mind. You weren't expecting him to still be wearing the helmet and you're not used to talking to someone who didn't reveal their face to you. It was a little odd.

Whenever your brother or his friend Josh were talking to you, they always took off their helmets, but this felt different.

Honestly, even though he had the visor, you still weren't quite sure where to look to make eye to (through the helmet) eye contact.

Is it rude to tell him to take it off?

You'd never been put in this kind of position before, so you decide to ignore it.

"Yes." The helm turns from you to the other Uj cakes in the case. "Did you make it?"

You nod, blushing with pride.

"Are you Mandalorian? Do you speak Mando'a?" The Mandalorian asks, you can't but help notice that he sounds a little bit hopeful.

"No, I'm sorry. My mother was from Mandalore, it's her recipe." You admit sheepishly.

He nods in understanding.

The two of you sit in comfortable silence for a few moments watching the child eat on your counter, the sticky brown cake smeared against his cheeks.

It gives you a moment to size up the Mandalorian out of the corner of your eye. Again, you're struck by how beautiful the armor is. A brilliant silver and polished to a shine, proud, but not haughty. There's a charcoal cowl that wraps around the base of his throat and extends into a cape behind him and he's wearing a set of tan and brown gloves to ensure that no part of his skin is showing.

I wonder if it gets hot under there. Nevarro isn't exactly temperate.

And when the Mandalorian turns to the left to look at the other mulit-colored pastries in the display case and you catch a glimpse of the sigil of a Mudhorn on his shoulder.

Makes sense that someone so formidable would have that as their clan sigil.

Your brother's clan had the sigil of one of the large birds that inhabited the cliffs of their home planet. Each child had to scale the cliffs and bring back the skull when they came of age to prove their strength and prove that they were worthy of the mark.

I wonder what he did to get that as his sigil.

Your eyes fall back on the creature munching happily on the pastry.

"Look at you, you're a mess." You laugh, pulling a napkin from your pocket and wetting it with your tongue before wiping it over the little one's face to clean him.

He squeals indignantly, but you avoid the impetuous swipes of his hand as he tries to push you away.

"He doesn't like it when you do that." The Mandalorian says, but you can hear some humor come through the crackle of the modulator.

"I can see that." You snort, before disposing of the napkin. "Here, you take some. He really likes it and you should try it. It's my favorite thing to make for the shop." You turn back to the case and wrap up several squares for the Mandalorian to take with him. “I’m-” you say your name, busying yourself with folding the tissue paper around the pastry.

He whispers your name back to you as if he's trying it out and you're not prepared for the warmth that travels through your body when he does.

That's weird.

When you give him the bag, he holds out a handful of credits, but you push his fingers into a fist, feeling the rough scrape of his gloves against your fingertips. "It's okay. Free for first time customers. Plus it was payment enough to see this little one."

You give the kid an affectionate pat on the head, who coos and reaches for your face. It makes you laugh at how friendly he is and you pick him up so he can lay his hand on your cheek. He squeezes it between his fingers, crinkling his eyes with a wide smile. "Aww. You gotta go with your dad now okay? But you can come back and visit me any time you want."

The Mandalorian is watching you, and you again wonder why he hasn't removed his helmet to say hello.

I'll ask Elijah about it.

You were sure your brother would be showing up soon. When you sent him the transmission that you finally opened the shop, he said he was excited at the prospect of eating sweets for free, as if he already didn't do that.

I miss him.

It had been at a few months since you'd last seen him, right after you sold your grandmother's home and before you moved to Nevarro. He'd tried to talk you out of opening the shop, asked you to stay with him for a little while, but you thought it was about time you went out on your own.

You hand the child to the man standing on the other side of the counter, trying not to notice how his muscles flex beneath his Beskar when he does or how broad and wonderfully tall he is. So broad and strong that you know he could probably lift you just as easily and the thought makes a flush burn against your cheeks.

Get a grip, he's not a piece of meat.

"Thank you." He says in the buzzing monotone, but it makes you long to hear his real voice.

"You're welcome. Come back anytime."

"We will."

"Good. I'll look forward to it. It was nice to meet you-" You hesitate.  "Um- Actually, I didn't catch your name."

The Mandalorian doesn't answer immediately as if he's mulling it over in his head, while the child coos and giggles in his hand touching the bottom of the helmet on his father's head. It was a startling contrast the the formidable form of the Mandalorian to have a wriggling bundle of joy in his arms, one that made you smile just a little wider.

"Din." He says in a whisper.

"Din." You repeat slowly, rolling the name around in your mouth and enjoying how it sounds on the tip of your tongue. "It was nice to meet you Din." You smile widely up into the helmet, watching the reflection of yourself glinting in the metal.

Din doesn't move for a minute, he's hesitating, and it makes your smile falter on the end of your mouth for a moment in confusion.

Did I do something wrong?

But then he nods once and leaves, the only clue that he'd been there is the almost empty batch of Uj Cake and the brown crumbles covering your counter.

The next few days pass in a blur of you baking, cleaning, and selling as many sweets as you can while trying not to think about Din and the kid, but it's proving to be impossible.

You didn't understand why you were so focused on them. You'd had many customers that day and on the days that followed, but for some reason you couldn't get him out of your head.

When you'd lie awake at night you'd remember how he sounded when he said your name, how you wished that he would remove his helmet to look at you and let you see what he looked like, because with a voice like that the man underneath had to be just as beautiful-

Stop.

You cheeks warm as you clean the counters with a wet rag, your back to the door while you try to forget Din and his voice. This had never happened to you before, being unable to stop thinking about someone.  But each time everything went quiet, your mind would flash to the image of Din ducking to get though the front door of your shop and the sound of his voice through the helm.

The clock on the wall behind the register stated that it was exactly two minutes past closing time, which meant that you were about an hour away from crashing in your bed. You still had to clean the ovens, and pack away any leftover supplies. Not to mention the tossing and turning that came when you would lie awake and think about Din, hoping he would come back.

I need to get over this. He's just a man you met one time. Don't romanticize him.

You blamed the stack of books on your bedside table, the ones you read over and over about adventures all over the galaxy and true love. It also didn't help that you'd never once had a relationship, but why would you when it was more exciting to live vicariously through your favorite heroines? Not to mention you didn't have to make a fool of yourself falling for someone who probably thought you were just a weird person who smiled too much and baked for fun.

You wondered if that was why Din hesitated before leaving the other day when you smiled at him, that he couldn't figure out why you were so happy.

The bell on the door rings behind you, pulling you out of your head.

"I'm sorry we're closed." You respond without turning around, fingers scrubbing with the cloth at a particularly stubborn smudge.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize how late it was." Din's familiar voice floats through the air and makes a shiver travel down your spine.

"Din. Hey." You smile as you turn around, waving a hand, cloth still clasped between your fingers. "It's okay, you're always welcome."

He's still wearing his armor and helmet, the silver catching in the dim lights of the room, contrasting with the yellowed light that streams from the streetlights outside and emphasizes his figure.

Your eyes drop to the bag hanging on his hip expecting to see the child, but it lies empty.

"You're alone today." You say a little disappointed, but still happy that Din is here.

"Grogu's asleep. I didn't want to wake him." Din clears his throat.

"Grogu." You say the name back to him slowly. It didn't seem to fit the small child who swung his little feet on the end of your counter and shoved as much pastry into his mouth as he could. "That's an interesting name."

"Came with the kid." Din's voice shifts a little bit and you wonder if it means he's smiling at a memory. Your mind predictably begins to imagine what Din's smile must look like. "I was wondering if you had any Uj cake left." He continues, oblivious to your train of thought.

"You're in luck, I just pulled a tray out of the oven for tomorrow. Come on back." You motion with your hand for him to follow you through the curtain that divides the front of the shop from the kitchen. "Sorry it's a little bit messy, haven't had time to clean up back here yet."

The kitchen looked exactly as it should, two large ovens on the right wall with fire still burning underneath, a sink filled with dirty mixing bowls, spoons, and utensils, a large table in the center of the room that served as a counter top, and in the corner there was a plush armchair that you had fallen asleep in more than once with a book open on your chest.

Your apartment was a few doors down, but you found yourself spending more time here. So much in fact that you were contemplating moving in to the back of the shop. You didn't have many possessions, mostly books, and seriously started thinking about it last night because the people who lived on top of your basement apartment were so loud that you could see the floor vibrating with the sound of their yelling.

You walk over to the tray of reddish-brown pastry cooling a rack in the center of the kitchen.

"It's alright. You should see where I live." He freezes on the edge of the room, realizing what he said, but you only laugh.

"I'm sure its no worse than my apartment. I’ve lived here a few weeks and I’m still not completely unpacked. Each time I go home I have to avoid stubbing my toe on the boxes”  You pick up a knife to cut the pastry into generous sized pieces. "But I guess you liked the Uj cake to come back here so late." You tease him, glancing up with a smile. "Midnight craving?"

He laughs and it makes your heart stutter to a halt. Even through the helmet it's hypnotic and you want to hear it again. "It was good, it reminded me of-" Din stops mid-sentence.

"Of?" You look up into his helm, wanting to hear more.

Truthfully, you were curious about him. You wanted to know more about the Mandalorian who lived on the outskirts of town, the one that everyone else seemed avoid.

"When I was a kid." He says it quieter, almost embarrassed.

"Me too. Whenever I make it I feel like I'm in my grandmother's kitchen again." You smile to yourself as the memory of her washes over you again. "She's been gone for a few years now, but I like to think that I honor her memory by baking, she taught me everything I know. Raised my brother and me by herself." You wrap the squares in tissue paper before placing them in a white paper bag.

"What about your parents?"

His question surprises you, you didn't think that he actually cared enough to listen.

"They-um- they died when I was little. My brother and I were visiting my grandmother when it happened."

"I'm sorry." Din sounds sincere.

You shrug. "I can’t remember them. My brother remembers more..." You trail off a little bit. "It was harder on him, but somehow it all turned out okay." You hand him the bag, but when he tries to reach for the credits at his belt, you push his hand away. "I don't make friends pay."

“But-“

“Din, I refuse to let you pay.” You smile wider, saying it a little more forcefully, but it holds no bite. “Don’t make me ban you for life.” I don't want to do that to Grogu."

He huffs out a laugh. "Thank you." His helmet tilts down towards you and you again try to imagine what he looks like underneath.

Would he have a strong jaw covered in a thick beard? Curly blonde hair that falls past his shoulders? Green eyes with flecks of light that resemble the stars?

No matter how many times you thought about it over the past few days, nothing seemed to fit Din.

There's an audible silence between the both of you as you stand there in the kitchen, and you don't want him to leave yet.

“You’re welcome.” You could feel yourself beginning to blush a little under his gaze. It was odd to feel someone’s eyes on you and not know what they looked like. "Now, don't forget to share with the kid. He deserves some of that too." You say raising an eyebrow and pointing to the white bag in the Mandalorian's hand.

Din chuckles. "Thank you-" He says your name and it makes the warm feeling come rushing back.

Even through the helmet, it was inviting, and made you want to curl up in the feeling it brought over you. You try not to imagine what it might sound like if he wasn't wearing the helmet.

"You're welcome Din. Don't be a stranger."

"I won't." He hesitates again, the same way he did when you'd first met in your shop. Standing in front of you for another few fleeting moments, his head tilted curiously in your direction. And for just a second you think that Din doesn't want to go either.

But he turns and shoulders his way through the curtain hanging in the doorway, boots thudding against the floor, and you hear the jingle of the door as he closes it behind him.

Something inside pricks when he leaves and maybe that scares you the most, the fact that you were already so attached to him and you didn't know anything about him except the rumors everyone in town said. The ones whispered on tremulous breath that condemned the man you were so curious about to be a blood thirsty bounty hunter who couldn't be trusted.

But in your heart those warnings held no power, because the man who'd sincerely cared about you losing your parents, couldn't be the same one.

Could he?

Thank you so much for reading! Likes, Reblogs, and Comments are not required, but are always appreciated! If you'd liked to be added to my taglist for fics in this universe please let me know!

Taglist:

@jollyhunter

[fangirl-writes]

When Life Gives You Lemons

Angela Giarratana x GN!Reader

Warning(s): none

Notes: This is short. I knew exactly where I wanted to go with it when I started writing it, so I hope you all like it despite it's shortness.

Request: hiii! i was rewatching the shayne guesses our fridge and i was wondering if you’d write an angela fic abt her and another cast or crew member that she basically lives with in a non public relationship and that’s why she only has half a lemon in her pic, like bc she’s basically never at her own apartment

You were laughing.

Usually, the sound was music to Angela's ears, but today it was just making her pout.

"It's not that funny!" she protested.

You had been watching the latest "Shane Guesses" video, seeing him guess the cast and crew's fridges.

When they got to Angela however, you had to pause to laugh so hard your sides hurt.

She had a singular lemon in the fridge space at the apartment she shared with her roommates.

"Babe, I know you're here a lot, but one lemon? And not even a whole lemon?" you said, wiping tears from your eyes.

"I always either eat with you, eat whatever the roommates make, or have takeout! I'm a busy woman!" She protested.

You shook your head, trying to hold back more laughter.

"Not like you're fridge isn't spacious enough for my stuff anyway!"

"No, no, you're right, it's just...babe," you said, smiling.

She frowned at you. "I'm busy."

You laughed, lighter this time, standing up from your couch and walking over to where she was pouting in your kitchen.

"I know, and I love how hard you work," you said, pecking her on the lips.

You saw it every day, between working at Smosh and hearing about her auditions, you were insanely proud of her. You just wished you were always there to remind her to slow down once in a while...

Wait.

An idea was beginning to fester in your brain.

Angela stayed over at your apartment often.

She had her own drawer, full of clothes. None of them repeats cause she always went back to her apartment for laundry, claiming she didn't want to burdon you with it.

You kept her favorite coffee, popcorn, chocolate, and other assorted snacks in stock, in case she craved something while she was over.

You had a copy of her full schedule hanging on the door of your refrigerator that she updated every month.

You both worked for Smosh, so you commuted together most of time.

"Well, this one has to be Y/N," Shayne said, the video still playing in the background. "Judging by the drinks and...some of the other stuff as well."

Angela's stuff.

"Would you wanna move in with me?"

Angela's head whipped around, her ponytail practically smacking her in the face as she looked at you.

"Wha- really?"

You smiled, widely. "Yeah. Ang, you're practically here all the time already. Take that lone lemon out of the fridge and just move in with me."

She was stunned for a moment before breaking into a happy laugh. "Really? Babe, of course, I'll move in with you!"

"Really?"

"Yes! Oh my god, yes!" Angela replied, hurrying over to give you a big hug.

You laughed. "Thank god! You can migrate that lemon over to my fridge."

She pulled back, jaw dropped and an offended look on her face. "Hey!"

[cherryblossompink303]

Patience: ~And so Kyoya met her!~

➼ pairing: Kyoya Ootori x Reader ➼ summary: The announcement from the ootori group leads Kyoya to remanisce on when you first met ➼ what to expect:  "Yeah well...I'm not just a pretty face" ➼ warnings: ➼ Part Twenty Two | Part Twenty Four

"You're such a good painter Y/n" One of the guests marvels at the canvas before you. "Thanks" You smile, going back to the coastal landscape. "A painting afternoon was a good idea" Tamaki notes, looking over both of your shoulders at the painting.

Kyoya and haruhi stand at the outskirts of the room "You know...I spoke to y/n once...about her relationship with you, because the way I see it you two are very much opposite. At the time she told me that she is more calculating than she seems but for someone who is supposedly so...well...like you...she is incredibly nurturing"

Kyoya looks up to glance at where you are, gleaming at the praise for your art. He smirks "What exactly are you trying to imply about my relationship Haruhi?"

"All I'm saying is that for someone so cold I don't know how you ended up so attached to someone so...well someone like her" Kyoya smiles. "Well, that is a long story"

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And so Kyoya met her!

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It had been a perfectly normal day for Kyoya, the ouran host club had been running for about a month and it picked up remarkably quickly. Although he was still being pestered by his father, although the message was clear by now 'y/n l/n, your fiance, has transferred to ouran academy, make a point to meet her and become acquianted'

Usually he would had no issue with these types of things. But somehow he has managed to get into his head about it. Kyoya has never thought himself to be one to catch himself worried about relationships, but something about meeting the girl he would one day have to marry he had been dreading.

It wasn't worries about first impressions or anything like that. It is finding out what type of person would be stuck with him for the rest of their lives. He had already gathered some information on her, he was perfectly aware of who she was, y/n l/n, class 1A, highschool transfer from europe, her japanese is not amazing but she scores high on almost every test.

In the end Kyoya decided that he wouldn't avoid you, but he also would not seek you out either. Because while he hadn't approached you yet, neither had you him.

"Kyoya, I was thinking, we should get a consultant for the host club" the statement caused Kyoya to look up from his book, an event that was rare back then. "A consultant?"

"You know, a feminine touch to the host club, a consultant on the female gaze if you will" Kyoya knew that regardless of his answer that Tamaki had already made his mind up. That is always the case but then again Tamaki always understood the certain uncalculable aspect of the host club that he could not comprehend.

"I suppose that would make sense, do you have anyone in mind?” he returned to his book, sighing at the headache that was Tamaki's dreams being balanced against the clubs budget.

“As a matter of fact I do, I’ve recently met the newest international student and I feel she would be a good fit” He paused, he couldn't mean....no...you weren't the only international transfer he may not mean you. "What is her name? I'll have to meet with her"

"L/N"

And there it was, in black and white, your name. irefutably, it was his fiance, Tamaki just couldn't have chosen someone else. "I see"

"She is quite wonderful you know, I started talking to her because she brought some french food in for lunch one day. It turns out she is quite...insightful"

"Insightful you say?"

"Indeed, it is quite indescribable, you have to meet her" Kyoya sighed, knowing there was no getting out of it. He supposed that at least it would appease his father for now.

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"Hello?" The creak of the door and the broken accent caught Kyoya's attention. "Oh hello" Hikaru soon appeared in front of you "Well aren't you cute" Kaoru appeared on the side of you. "I'm sorry but club hours haven't started yet, but we will be more than happy to see you then"

"Yes indeed...please do come back later, you'll break our hearts if you don't"

"Leave it you two, I invited miss l/n here, she's our new consultant" Tamaki steps forward "Sorry about them" You smiled "It is alright" you step further into the room. "This is hikaru and Kaoru, pay no attention to them"

"gee thanks boss, a glowing review in front of the pretty lady"

"Come meet the rest of the club" he led you futher into the music room "This is Honey-Senpai and Mori-Senpai, and my co-founder Kyoya"

Kyoya still remembers to this day the look on your face when you realised. The look of realisation and terror and possibly slight hope as the two of you made eye contact. He doesn't think he will ever forget it. "K-Kyoya?" you muttered, barely audible, like you were trying it out to feel how it sounded.

It was only then that he realised the circumstances he was in, he was about to have his first interaction with you and it was going to be in the same conversation as with the entire rest of the host club.

Kyoya stands, slowly approaching you, unsure of whether he should let the information of your connection slip. "Miss l/n it is nice to meet you" He resulted in his usual autopilot cordiality that he usually puts on when meeting the child of a prominent businessman.

"Likewise" you return the look, quickly picking up on the situation. "Come and sit y/n we can discuss things, honey-senpai would you mind getting our guest some tea?"

"Of course tama-chan!"

"Oh, could I actually get some coffee please, I am not a massive tea drinker"

the three of you sat, that being you, Kyoya, and Tamaki, the former two avoiding making eye contact with eachother. "So y/n how much do you know about host clubs?"

"In full honesty not much, i know the general concept i think"

Tamaki smiled "That's okay, you don't really need to know much anyway, basically our jobs are to appeal to the female gaze and improve ladies days, we have the second one down...we're kinda struggling with the first"

"I see"

Honey-senpai skipped over with a cup of coffee and a cake "y/n-san I brought you a cake too!"

"Thank you Honey-Senpai" you smile at him, dropping a couple of sugars into the coffee. "I think in full honesty that It perhaps would be best that I observe how the club runs before I give you any advice on your issue"

Kyoya hummed "I agree"

"good idea, club hours start soon anyway, you are welcome to stay here and observe how we run" You were a lot quieter back then that now, Kyoya remembers pondering whether that was due to your lack of profeciency in the language or because she were shy.

♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡        ♡

Not an hour later the two of you found youselves sat alone together at a table on the outskirts of the host club. You people watching, he scribbling away. "I would have thought that the cofounder of the host club would actually...host"

"My role is more on the management side, but I do host occasionally, when I am requested"

"I see"

"I would have thought that a consultant would want to take notes"

"I don't really need to, not yet at least...it's all up here" You muttered, looking out into the host club with an interrogatory gaze. "That is unless you need me to write stuff down for you to reference"

Kyoya paused, refraining from his mouth hanging slightly agape. You weren't like what he imagined you would be. He assumed that you would fall into one of two catagories, either like the guests of the host club, or like the other only children of CEO's, but you didn't fit either of those descriptions. He couldn't place you. And it was starting to eat at him.

You raised an eyebrow at the non-response from Kyoya, reaching over to carefully take the book from him, flipping to the back pages to not disrupt any order he had in there. "You see the problem is that you need to start personalising more, while the girls who come here have a lot in common the truth is they are all very different in their backgrounds"

you started writing down what you explain as you said it "Basic psychology dictates that what one seeks out in either comfort or attraction is formed by their childhoods, more often or not by what they lack in childhood. While everyone here may have the common thread of rich kids their upbringings will have been vastly different. You can see it in what type of host they request"

Kyoya hummed for you to continue. Interested in seeing where you were going with this. "So you need to start paying attention to these details, each guests habits will form a pattern"

"For someone who is unfamiliar with the concept of a host club you sure seemed to put that together quite quickly"

"It's what I'm here for is it not? But it is as they say, the closer you look, the less you see, step back and you can view the full picture. In essence what you do here is actually quite...simple..." you caught yourself at the end of the sentence as you realised that you had been rambling, shyly pushing back the notebook.

"Interesting..." Kyoya smirks, taking back the notebook. "Is that why we have not addressed the elephant in the room?"

"I was waiting for you to mention it...i wasn't sure you knew who i was...didn't want to freak you out"

"I know who you are y/n, of course I do"

You nod. "Well then, do you want to discuss it? The fact that we are...." You trailed off, realising where the two of you were sat. "You know"

"I don't think there is much to discuss, we both know the position that we are it, i thought it was worth mentioning..."

"I must admit, I did not expect you to be part of a highschool host club of all things, from what i've heard about the ootori family" Kyoya chuckled "I assure you I am not like my family"

"Who is that girl, did she request kyoya?"

The comment from a nearby table seemingly caught both of your attentions. You hummed out a laugh "I suppose that considering you are a host you don't wanting our...arrangement, advertised"

"It...may be for the better, if you are okay with that"

"Sure, especially since it seems that I will be here more often."

It was not some great love story for the ages, or love at first sight. But Kyoya would not change a single second of it. Their relationship was built, it didn't just appear.

It became routine, the two of you, in your corner of the host club. Sitting in comfortable silence while the two of your worked, until slowly the silences started to become shorter and shorter.

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"I didn't take you to be an artist" you approach kyoya, looking over his shoulder at his portrait. "Yeah well...I'm not just a pretty face" he joked, looking back at the protrait of purple roses before him. You hum "I've never seen you be creative before, it suits you"

"hmm...perhaps"

A series of beeps overtake the host club, the girls take out their phones. "So much for an afternoon of switching off" squeals and whispers overtake the room.

"Hey kyoya?" Kaoru appears next to the two of you. Turning his phone to show him whatever was on his screen.

'Ootori and l/n groups annouce engagement of their two heirs: Kyoya Ootori and Y/N L/N are set to be married in one of the most powerful global matches of the decade, more below'

"Well, I suppose the secrets out" you mutter, kyoya hums in agreement "Indeed"

You look around, soon realising that you were now the subject of the entire host club's attention. "Should we say something?"

"We may have to, yes" he holds out his hand "Are you ready?"

You place yours in his "As i'll ever be"

Next time on patience 'The host club declares dissolution!'

Tag list (reply to be added): @skottch @cgmajor @rebirthbunbun @bbybubbles @blueberry19000 @katgirl05 @smellslikelovinglies @veras-fanfic-reblogs @sadprimrose @mirtalikesdr @sleeplesssskeleton @ritzes28 @crackpeole @rory-cakes @renjunniex @II-kita-san-II @angelicwillows @missbrebre1012 @sleep-7372 @strawberrbitch @reticent-writer @eternal-dokja @meme848 @mistyhydrangeagarden @nanaloverz @hyuninslutbbgirl @rebel-author-chick @voyager1fan @bubbabobabubbles @haowonbins @justtryingtosurvive02

[sturionic]

Thank you for your posts on the situation in Canada right now. Honestly it's been messing with my mental health to see the absolute radio silence from the (progressive! leftist! people I thought would care!) Americans I follow. I get that they have a lot on their plate but the silence has been seriously depressing. Seeing your posts get notes and get circulated helps my anxiety a bit, I just want Americans to care about this and be aware of it.

Oh, anon. I wish I could gather up you and all the existentially terrified Canadians in my notes and take everyone out for beers. The background anxiety is high, isn't it? There was a broadcast emergency alert in my city recently - it was an Amber alert - but all my groupchats and our local subreddit lit up with people saying their immediate reaction had been 'is it an invasion?' My 70-year-old aunt called me up recently to talk about whether she should get her PAL. It's bizarro world. It's messing with all of our heads.

That's exactly why I made this post. I thought maybe my American friends weren't saying anything to me about this situation because they didn't care, or felt too awkward to bring it up. Over the last week or so I've learned that actually, almost none of them have any idea. Their media is just straight up either not covering it or the reporting is egregiously skewed (LOOKIN AT YOU NYT!!). In a way, that does mean you can be heartened - your American mutuals actually would probably care very much if they had a meaningful way to sort out "51st State" 'jokes' from the fifty thousand other demented 'jokes' they're being bombarded with every week.

Americans also generally don't - and can't - understand the constant low-level hypervigilance that comes from living just across the world's longest undefended land border from the world's largest & wealthiest military. They have no idea what it's like to watch another country's every move and wonder about the ramifications to their own country. How could they? They're the country everyone else watches.

Anyways, all that to say. Keep talking about it. Don't assume Americans don't care, just assume they don't know. Stand firm that there is no room anywhere for the words "just a joke." Threatening another country's sovereignty even as a joke should actually be a massive political scandal all on its own - any country would be right to take it deadly serious for our own safety. We're not obligated to try and translate MAGAese like they do. We're allowed to take their politicians' words at face value and act accordingly.

Stand firm, be patient, know your feelings and anxieties are correct and allowed. Most of all, take care of yourself. Make what plans you need to, and foster kindness and community (not hyper-nationalism!) with your fellow Canadians. Tumblr Canadians, you're all always welcome in my asks or DMs even just to vent🍁Hâle-toi une bûche!

[candiyaa]

"You Call Them 'Handsome'…"

Pairing : Giyu ; Gyomei ; Muichiro ; Rengoku and Upper Moons (1-3) x gn! reader

CONTENT WARNING ⁀➴ : None , only sfw !! Slight angst maybe ?

GIYU TOMIOKA

He thinks he misheard at first beacause why on earth would his s/o call him that he thought (COMPLIMENT this cutieeee AGHHHHH)

Will probably ask you to repeat it to make sure he heard right

Instant blush

He freezes and just stare you like ( •̀_•́ )

"I...thank you but..I don't think I'm worthy of-" *slap*

Will think abt it for the rest of the day

Self esteem level up !!

He would shyly smile randomly everytime he remembers it

"Although , I have to say you're really way more beautiful . While I don't think I deserve your compliment I do know how lucky and blessed I am to even be in your presence every day and I-"

Table turned on you , he now NEEDS you to understand that you're the pretty one.

GYOMEI HIMEJIMA

He pauses.

He can't have misheard you , his senses are more heightened than average and so is his hearing.

Will blush too

Stay quiet for some time , trying to not get overwhelmed by your compliment and looking for the right words.

Gives up , shyly smile and rubs his neck muttering a little thank you

He reaches out and gently holds your hands in his massive ones to ground himself from the overwhelming emotions that threaten to swallow him whole

" I do hear you...although I believe you're the most delectable one to look at , I may not be able to see your features..but I do see your heart and yours is more than beautiful.."

MUICHIRO TOKITO

He stares

Stares again.

Staring contest are we ?

"Huh ?..."

Actually just trying to put your words together and wonder if you're being genuine or not

Skeptical at first

He then looks away trying to hide his blush , giving you a brief glance before muttering a thank you

"Thank..you.."

You later found a note at the entry of your estate saying :

"You're extremely really pretty too...

Your compliment made me happy , can we compliment each other more often..?

Tokito. "

He obviously lingered around your estate making sure you got the note and read it , just to see your reaction.

RENGOKU KYOJURO

He freezes like IM TELLIN' you , his whole body just stiffens up

He also stares.

Stares again , staring intently at that (His eyes are so pretty and vibrant like idk I'd probably run away if he stares at me like that ayoo)

"THANK YOU Y/N ! BUT YOU'RE PRETTIER !"

Blushing too and smiling softly

Keeps that smile through the whole day making the other Hashiras concerned bc..

Your boyfriend taking out the trash - He's smiling

Washing the swords of ALL the fellow demon slayers (decided to do it on his own) which is a tiring task -He's smiling

Mitsuri : Oh! A..are you okay..?

Rengoku : SHE SAID I'M HANDSOME !

Mitsuri : Oh I see..but-

Rengoku : HANDSOME !

Sanemi considered throwing something at him just to check if he’s possessed.

AKAZA

He thinks he misheard so he keeps talking about whatever he was talking about

But then you repeat yourself and he pauses , his eyes widening

"Uh..what did you say..?"

Get really nervous , he's so used to being scolded by Muzan he didn't know compliments were still a thing

Nervous neck scratching

Avoiding eye contact for some time

"Thank you...you're really pretty yourself I don't know what to say.."

DOUMA

Pause.

Smile. Smile even more.

Creepy smile !!!

He would never tell you but despite his boisterious and flirty personality he always portrays , it hit him..

You could see a slight twitch in his expression as if hiding his true feelings

The truth being , that single compliment has perhaps made him feel his very first emotion...happiness perhaps ? Genuine happiness ?

"Awww YN-chan I knowww !!! But hearing it from you makes it even more special !! You're quite the cutie as well ! ~"

Pulls you into a hug. A tight one..(TOO TIGHT U CAN'T BREATH AND DIED-)

KOKUSHIBO

NOW MY MANNNNNNNNN AGHHHHH

HE PAUSES AS WELL.

He heard you quite right but doesn't know how to react.

He does not think of himself as handsome. He thinks of himself as a warrior, a blade, a demon. So when you say it so sincerely? He doesn’t know what to do with that information.

He's now tensed , wondering : Do you truly mean it ? Is it some kind of "prank" ?

He shies away trying to act nonchalant and faces away from you readjusting his katana.

"Do not speak such...nonsense. Your comment was...unnecessary.."

He genuinely just leaves for some time saying that :

"I shall take my leave and go for a walk , the atmosphere of the Castle is quite intense these days.."

He just doesn't want you to see him blush

Much later he suddenly reappears handing you a note that says :

" I don't know what I did for you to see me this way but I shall let you know that I feel honored. You are the first..to say such words to me and it made really content. Although I believe that if beauty had a name , it would be yours..

-The one who is, and shall ever be, yours."

⋆˚✿˖° Hey theree I went a bit crazy on that one apologies lol I probably had the most fun writing this one 😂 But anywayss hope u guys liked reading it !! I also really do apologize if the way I depicted the characters are not accurate to how y'all would depict them , these headcanons are really proper to me and how I personally thought they'd react !! Apologies for the grammar mistakes again lol I swear I'm doing my best... xoxo ⋆˚✿˖°

[yoroshiu]

Sora: "That Dull, Ordinary Boy"

3 AM thoughts led me down to thinking about the ongoing and consistent mention of Sora being an ordinary person. In the couple of years I've been invested in KH, I think I've seen every possible opinion on this and have developed my own thoughts on it.

For me, Sora is ordinary. From a perspective of typical narrative roles characters can be, he's a supporting character turned protagonist. But the way the series goes about this aspect of him is fascinating and I haven't really seen it done in other media, at least not in this very specific way.

If you're interested in this post then know it'll be another long one, thank you in advance ^o^

(WARNING: This might be the most incoherent essay I've written yet since I'm not sure if I'm getting my thoughts across clearly. I'm just saying the obvious ngl...)

As said, Sora's a support character turned protagonist, which is something that can be agreed on by most of the community.

Within the Destiny Trio, he's the most normal one. Riku was the original chosen one, a figure that had Keyblade wielders like Terra notice his strong light and was actively chosen to go through the Bequeathing ceremony. He's also the one with the ambition and determination to leave Destiny Islands and as a young Sora mentions, Riku apparently says all sorts of weird stuff (difficult things in JPN). By KH1, he's the boy that's not like the other kids *hair flip* with the way he's able to beat the others on his own while they try to team up on him. Overall, as he goes through his arc, we see how main character he is. The way he devotes himself to protecting those he holds dear. The way he struggles with his darkness (his trauma). The protagonist energy Riku radiates is immense and he'd fit right in with Final Fantasy's lineup.

Kairi is a Princess of Heart. She came from another world, has a mysterious past that hasn't been dealt with fully, powers that are exclusive to her Princess of Heart attribute. Though a supporting character, her background alone scream special. She was led (fated in a way) to end up on Destiny Islands where a strong light was so she could be kept safe (Aqua's little spell + Terra-Nort's work). She's on an arc to become stronger and more confident in herself.

Then there's Sora. He's an outgoing and friendly boy-next-door. He's like a typical shounen anime protagonist on the most basic level but also has that comedic supportive side character energy to him. It's interesting how he notably doesn't have Riku's fascination with leaving their world and exploring. He's going along with it since Riku is (he was always following after Riku's step), and while he is curious, it's more from a childish wonder rather than the profound obsession Riku has. One of the earliest things we see of Sora's character is with the way he shirks his duties in helping build the raft. You can even see parts of it with the way he's indecisive about where to go and what to do in KH3.

(Funny trivia, Sora and Riku's JPN voice actor, Miyu Irino and Mamoru Miyano respectively, said that if the Destiny Trio were able to go on an adventure together, Riku would be the one making the decisions while Sora would just go along with him (KH3 Ultimania Interview))

If you look at the traits that make Sora the "Child of Destiny", they aren't exclusive to him (I also have a note on the whole way the Book of Prophesy works in the KH universe later). And if you look at the events that happen to him, more often than not, they're in tandem with the "special ones". Him saving Ventus back as a newborn heart is arguably not an exclusive ability. We see it in different ways and forms throughout the series, though not done with the to fix another's heart (Xehanort and Hoder, Eraqus and Terra), it's just that Sora's circumstances are a really weird exception. It's not an average Tuesday for someone's heart shattering and needing to connect with another to heal. I'd imagine that other characters have the capability of doing so.

What I'm trying to get at is that, Sora's not special by means of some exclusive ability. It's beacause of who he is, and more, who he chooses to be.

Now that isn't some big revelation. I'm pretty sure many people of are that opinion so it's like, "duh, you're writing this to say something that obvious?" and no, not entirely LOL

Sora has the Empathy but that's something that's shared with Xehanort and Baldr (and look at where that got them). Sora got the ability to wield a keyblade because it passed from Riku to Sora in a "going down the list" way, but Sora, by his strength of character (which also isn't exclusive by any means), proved himself worthy. Sora came back from becoming a heartless because of Kairi. Roxas is a special Nobody because of the manipulations of the Organization and Ventus being there (dual-wielding becomes a skill because of Ventus). He managed to escape being overtaken by Darkness because of his friends, especially Riku.

(I'll probably make a post about this later but funny of KH to present a narrative of "empathy" being a trait that brings the downfall of multiple characters. And funny that Sora also has this trait.)

The "exceptions" (in the case of KH's universe's laws) that he's involved with are due to his connections or his personality being in the "right place at the right time".

And that's where the interesting part comes in.

Sora, despite becoming the protagonist, has those shadows of "not being The One" follow him throughout the series. He's the easier one to control between him and Riku. He's the one that's the second or even third one down the list (The idea that Organization XIII needs Sora, but the power he's managed to acquire through scuffed means). Despite arguably being one of the most worthy of being a Keyblade wielder with the way he proved himself, Sora (doesn't seem to think of himself that way.

And if you take his conversation with Xigbar at the beginning of KH3 (especially in the Japanese context, you can see my translation post for that scene), he's considered to be one of those "ordinary people" compared to someone like Hercules who is a "special existence".

Sora is not "special" enough to escape from breaking nature taboos without consequence. He had to go through a timed and tedious process to do this. He can't get away with "saving everyone" and "getting a pure happy ending for himself" when he bends and breaks the universe's rules. The universe will simply erase him.

And the consequence of having those connections, the thing that he says is his power, is that they will suffer from losing him and trying to get him back. Xigbar argues that ordinary people, aka Sora, cannot self-sacrifice without cost. Those "special" connections can maybe get him out of it, but what does that really mean in the end. I think KH4 and onward will explore that.

On the topic of the Book of Prophecies, I always see points being made about Sora and how he's affected by it in a narrative role sense. I've seen people make arguments about Sora's specialness with this. But when you think about the circumstances in which it was written, MoM wrote the book while picking and choosing the events that would help him. His whole thing is about manipulating events and people to work in his favor for his greater good. I think it was his intent for future wielders (Scala ad Caelum especially) to grap those words tightly and push his plans along. Whether they tried to defy or go along with it, it would work in MoM's favor in the end. From what we know as of now, prophecies in this case aren't some "divine intervention" it's a guy actively writing things to get what he wants.

I must say that I'm aware of the wider span of the meaning of a "protagonist". There's no single way an archetype for a protagonist is written. I wrote this post with the typical heroic protagonist from a fairytale in mind. There's a lot of different interpretations of his moments and interactions (Like, why was he the one having those weird dreams in KH1's beginning). Sora was placed in very specific circumstances and just so happened to have the right heart and mentality to make the most of it. I mean, if he didn't, we wouldn't have much of a story to follow with him otherwise.

It's the way that Sora always has to work with what he has to press forward, not knowing everything, and oftentimes not getting happy endings devoid of some kind of tragedy or angst in the background (sometimes not even in the background). Not that stories are limited to "oh, the real protagonist gets a perfect happy ending" but in terms of the most typical standard fairytale story (which stands out more with the Disney connection).

It's the way that Sora being an ordinary boy is emphasized despite arguments otherwise. Nomura and other characters in the story itself insist that he is despite the special things he's done, and I think that's a fascinating part of KH's identity.

Sora's story is one of a normal boy being put in extreme circumstances. Not really by his own choice, but he moves forward out of the love he has for other people. However, while resilient, he isn't impervious and often bends and sometimes breaks. He is Kingdom Hearts's main character but he became one at a cost. There's an irony of sorts with having your actual protagonist be treated as a side character-turned-protagonist by the narrative. I find this interesting because we're actively exploring trauma this way.

Sora is special as people, as individuals, are inherently special.

Considering that he was made for players to be able to put themselves in his big ol' shoes, we are special because we are who we are. No superpowers, no connections to anyone "higher up", no book to dictate destiny.

Being the protagonist in our own lives is, obviously, no fairytale, but we can still do amazing things just by being ourselves.

Kinda cheesy, but I think that's neat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Making Kingdom Hearts Stuff Until KH4 Comes Out (Day 65)

"Yoro, you just said the most obvious things, haven't people already talked about this before?!"

I know...I just have a lot of thoughts about having characters be impacted by narrative roles in quite a literal way ToT

He is, but isn't, but is the protagonist is a fun thing to explore. Actual protagonist but treated as if he wasn't meant to be one but he is one in his own story, type beat. Some of us tend to think of life as a story, and it's interesting hear people talk about "roles". No one's ever truly set in a narrative role, and that's also one of KH's notable themes. People breaking away from what they're told, expected, to be.

I'm sorry if none of this essay made sense or was connected well enough TvT

That's enough yapping from me LOL

[william-byers-1971]

Mike and Will's ⏾ 10 PM study session

in Mike's basement

Jealous and Possessive Mike Wheeler

(A Byler Fic, Season 5)

Characters: Mike. Will. Chance

Mike and Will's angsty fight exposes their unspoken feelings. As the confrontation heats up, Mike feels the urge to reveal his true feelings for Will, ultimately laying his emotions on the line.

Will and Mike are sitting in Mike's basement, surrounded by textbooks and scattered notes, diligently working on their homework.

Mike is quiet, but there's an air of anger and distraction around him. He can't shake off the discomfort he felt during a friendly exchange between Will and Chance in the school hallway. Watching them interact so easily stirred up a mix of emotions in Mike, making him feel insecure and unsettled...

"I really don’t think you should be talking to those jocks," Mike said as he opened his math textbook. Will frowned. "Why not? You have friends in the Hellfire Club, and I never told you who you could or couldn't hang out with." Mike scoffed. "That’s different!" "How is it different? Explain it to me!" Will challenged, his voice firm. Mike shot back angrily, "Because those are my friends! None of them in that club are flirting with me!" Will’s eyes widened in realization. "Oh please, you can be honest here and tell me why you're saying all of this! it's about Chance, isn’t it? Look! I wasn’t even talking to him! He just walked by and asked me how my day was. What was I supposed to do? Tell him to get lost for asking a simple question?" Mike asked, his voice filled with anger, "Oh really? Just a simple question! huh!? So tell me, why is that asshole suddenly interested in how your day went? Tomorrow, he’ll probably show up asking about the weather, and when you say it’s great, he’ll say, "If the weather’s so great… we should go out on a date" Give me a fucking break! Wow, that rhymed Will" "Wow, you’re a genius Mike! Will exclaimed in frustration. "But why are you making it sound like I’m the one seeking Chance’s attention? I have no clue what he is thinking or what his intentions are! I think you’re blowing this way out of proportion. Chance isn’t the real problem here." Mike’s jaw tightened. "Oh, so now that he’s no longer a problem, he’s suddenly amazing? Is that it? Is that why you find him attractive now?" Will sighed. "I don’t know! But why are you asking me all this? Besides, you have El, and I have no one. Maybe I should start thinking about having someone too. I know Chance has a reputation, but doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance? Maybe he’s not what people say he is." Mike exclaimed, clearly frustrated. "Oh, how wonderful ! Now you want to give him a chance? You have no idea what you're even talking about! So let me be the smarter one here and set things straight once and for all! You’re not talking to that pervy jerk again, alright?! I absolutely can't stand watching that fool talk to you, right out in the open for everyone to see. If you want to join a group, you’re better off in Hellfire, at least, the people there don’t have creepy motives. End of discussion!" Will’s voice wavered slightly. "What’s wrong with me wanting someone? Did you ask for my permission before you started dating El? So why should I need your approval to see someone?" Mike hesitated before blurting out "Because…because…" He looked at Will, his expression raw, vulnerable. "I can’t stand the thought of you being with anyone but me. You’re mine. Only mine. That’s the only way I’ve seen things from the beginning. Only I can treat you right. Only I. No one else but me."

[Inspiration: I was watching this beautiful Byler edit, and I couldn’t help but think about how Mike would confess to Will that he’s fallen in love with him. It wouldn’t be easy for him,  especially given Will's implied confession through his painting, now, it’s entirely up to Mike to take the next step and be honest about his own feelings.]

Thanks for reading💛💙

-By @william-byers-1971

[chemical-killjoy]

Coffee?

Jayce Talis x Reader (gender neutral)

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: TOOTH ROTTING FLUFF like this is so cute I'm almost grossed out (I'm very proud)

Summary: You and Jayce live in apartment's opposite each other, and are both burning the midnight oil. Maybe midnight coffee mates will become more?

Author's note: please be nice this is only vaguely edited at best

It was 3am. But essays don't write themselves, and unfortunately for you, this was due at 8am. 5 hours time. How the hell where you going to write, edit, sleep, get ready and go to the Academy all in 5 hours? It was impossible! You'd have to forgo sleep and hope for the best. And there was one way to do that; coffee.

You walked to the kitchen of your tiny apartment and flicked on the electric kettle, looking out the window.

There was an apartment opposite yours, the mirror image, really. Kitchen and dining room the same, just flipped. And on that night, the light of the apartment opposite yours was on at 3am as well.

-

Jayce was tired. Tired of the long, tiring days at the Academy, long nights in the lab, and even longer nights at home, trying anything at all to create his dream: Hextech. While he and Viktor were making remarkable strides in their word, the runes were still uncooperative, and university was exhausting. How he missed sleep.

But the blue prints for a prototype were due to be on Heimmerdinger's desk at 9 in the morning. It was time for a cup of coffee; or 3.

-

You hadn't realised you were looking into a stranger's window for longer than intended until said stranger rounded the corner into his kitchen. You looked away, grabbing a cup from the cupboard and some sugar and milk to add to the coffee.

When you looked up, you couldn't help but analyse the man you saw. Call it curiosity (not attraction, no no).

The man was tall, with tanned skin and short brown hair. He looked very strong, despite being in pyjamas. Maybe he was an enforcer or something? No, he looked too young.

As you poured the boiling water into your cup, and mixed in the coffee grounds, milk and sugar, you couldn't help but wonder why this handsome stranger was making coffee at 3 in the morning.

Not that you could judge.

-

Jayce couldn't help but watch you pour the milk into your coffee and mix it. Thank Janna, someone like him awake at this gods-forsaken hour! He smiled, looking into the person who lived opposite his apartment. There were at least 4 textbooks strewn across the dining room table, and a dozen loose papers. Looks like someone's got a paper due tomorrow. I hope it goes well. Jayce smiled at the stranger, thinking how cute their bunny pyjamas were. Then he saw them turn to face him.

Wordlessly, the man in the kitchen opposite yours smiled at you, and lifted his cup in salute. You laughed and smiled back, pushing your cup into the air and both taking a sip, before awkwardly turning away.

Turns out it wasn't the coffee, or the essay, that kept you up that night.

-

It had been about a month of such a thing occurring. About twice a week, you and the man in the kitchen opposite yours would make a coffee, cheers through windows and air, and drink together but apart at 3am. Sometimes, with both of you working at your dining room tables, you'd wave over to teach other, or have silent conversations of facial expressions and arm movements, encouraging each other to go to bed, give up and sleep. Sometimes, you'd show each other what you're working on, or write in huge letter across a piece of paper a word or two.

The most common among those words? “Sleep” “Eat” “Paper?” and, of course, “Coffee?”

You'd grown close to each other, friends, despite not knowing each other's names, what you do or how you sound. Just enjoying the company of someone else awake, when everyone else was asleep. A moment that you thought was just yours was shared with a like-minded stranger. And suddenly 3am felt less lonely, less cold.

-

One particular night, when the stress was overwhelming and you just wanted to sleep for days, quit the Academy and start a career as the town hermit, you plopped your head on your hands and sobbed. You were sick of sitting at this damn table, of pushing yourself. You were sick of it all, and –

Something hit your window. You looked up, and raced to your window to check a bird wasn't injured, only to see a paper plane falling like a feather to the ground. You looked up.

There, standing at his dining room window open was your favourite not-stranger. You smiled, before remembering you were just sobbing. You half turned around, self consciously drying your eyes, before turning back. You smiled and waved. He furrowed his brows and frowned, before holding up a finger for the universal sign of 'one moment'. You waited patiently as he wrote in big letters (yelling would not do at 3am in an apartment complex) on a piece of paper “U OK?”.

You shook your head. He sigh, and wrote again.

“UNI?”

You nodded.

Then, he wrote “SLEEP”

You shook your head, smiling a little.

He pulled a face and wiggled the sign, pointing at it.

You wrote, “NO!”

Then, he stuck his arms out the window to push it towards you.

You laughed and tucked your hair behind your ears, smiling and sniffling. You shrugged, before holding up a textbook. The man gave you a 'one moment' sign again, and after a few minutes, gestured at you to open your window, before holding up a paper plane. You opened your window, stepped to the side, and waited as he threw it. The paper plane landed on your table, and the pair of your cheered, dancing little happy dances at the man's incredible paper plane skills. You smiled up at him, then read it. In neat, boyish writing, the note said “whatever it is, it'll feel better in the morning.”

You looked up to see the guy pulling a sympathetic face. You nodded then sighed. You held up a finger, then wrote “CAN'T”, pulling a pleading face. The guy nodded, understanding the pressure. After several minutes, another paper plane was made, and the man pushed it out the window. It almost made it through yours, gliding gracefully through the air; then fell.

You looked at the man.

He looked at you.

Then suddenly both of you were rushing to get your shoes on to retrieve the fallen paper aircraft.

Once you were downstairs, having beat the stranger opposite your apartment, you picked up the paper plane from the ground, and opened it. Inside, it read “If it's worth it, and ONLY if it's worth it (stress, tears and no sleep)... Coffee?”. Next to the word coffee was a cute little drawing of a coffee with a love heart in the cup, like latte art. You smiled to yourself, blushing a little. When you looked up, the man was there, standing a few meters from you, puffing.

“The, uh, the lift was out of order.” He panted, and you laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Hi.”

“Hi,” you said back, softly. “I'm Y/N.” You smiled.

“I'm Jayce,” Jayce held out his hand to shake yours. “It's nice to meet you. Properly, I mean.”

“Yeah, it is. I mean, it's nice to meet you, too.” The pair of you stood there, awkwardly smiling at each other for a moment.

After the silence grew a little long, and your brain refused to think of something to say in the presence of your secret crush (which you had not allowed yourself to believe was such until this moment), you reluctantly went to leave.

“Wait!” Jayce said, walking closer, tone almost hopeful but hesitant. “I-I was wondering if maybe you'd want to go and get some coffee sometime? Together. I mean, in person, not across from each other?”

You looked at Jayce's warm eyes. Golden brown, beautiful. You hadn't seen them well from through the windows.

“I'd love to.” The wind picked up and you shivered. “I better go back inside now. Finish the bloody paper... But, um, is there a day you know you're free?”

“Yeah, I think I have Friday afternoon and evening. If that works with you? I mean, I'm happy for whenever, I'm flexible.” Jayce babbled. He was not flexible, but would bend over backward for you. Y/N, he thought. That's their name. What a beautiful name.

“Oh, I have work then, I'm sorry. What about Tuesday? Is that too soon?” You asked, feeling guilty already.

“Yeah! I'm totally free then, what time?” Jayce wasn't free Tuesday, he and Viktor were going to hang out, but Jayce was sure Viktor would understand. After all, he only talked about you every chance he could. Frankly, Viktor was sick of hearing it, and would be happy that Jayce is finally doing something about it.

“Um, what about 3pm? You know, cause we always meet at-”

“3am.” Jayce cut in, both of you speaking at the same time. You giggled.

“Is that too cheesy?”

“No, not at all. I love cheese.” You couldn't help but laugh as Jayce hid his face.

“I did not just say that.” He grumbled, blushing hard as you continued to laugh.

“It's fine, it's cute.” You smiled, and Jayce peaked between his fingers before putting his hands down.

“Thanks.” He said. The wind blew again, urging the pair of you to go back inside. “So, um. Thursday, at 3?”

“It's a date.” You smiled, immediately second guessing your choice of words, only to hear jayce echo your words back to you.

“It's a date.”

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you want a part 2 (and if you really liked there's maybe buy me my own coffee?)

Taglist: @fandomfoodiedancer @chrissmadrigal please let me know if you want to be on or off the taglist for anything!! If you want to be on it please click here <33

[icarusbeneaththesea]

How is Mercury ☿️ Retrograde ℞ affecting you this time around?

1→2↙3→4

Back for another surprise reading! 🥳

Pile #1 - (Cards: Moon, 10 Swords, Hierophant Rev, 3 cups, 9 wands; Oracle: Violet - Tranquility)

Something is revealed to you in a dream that will influence your choice not to back down, because of this choice someone may assist you financially. What once appeared as a betrayal has become an opportunity and you're advised to invest your time and energy into this new opportunity. "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome" is also coming out here, so it may be possible you're making some changes in life that feel a bit difficult to handle. Be careful of outside influences, as well.

Synchronicities: 3rd eye chakra, Pisces in Neptune, Mercury in Cancer, Moon in Sagittarius, #18, Yellow, Pisces is extra significant with your oracle card

Pile #2 - (Cards: Ace cups, 6 Pentacles, 10 wands, High Priestess, 7 pentacles; Oracle: Broccoli - Leadership)

Are you starting a new job? It seems that there's a financial opportunity you go all-in for and while the cards won't reveal why, you're finally be recognized for the hard worker you are. You may struggle in the face of adversity, but the universe won't let you suffer forever. Keep pushing. Your oracle card also confirms there is good luck in finances coming your way, but to remember to speak up and delegate/ask for help when necessary.

Synchronicities: Moon in Taurus and/or Gemini, Sacral chakra, Water signs (Scorpio, Cancer, Pisces), #2, Green

Pile #3 - (Cards: Ace Pentacle, Knight Pentacles, Knight Wands, Devil, Wheel of Fortune, Tower, 10 Cups; Oracle: Beetroot - Passion)

you actually had a lot of cards fly out and I wasn't going to take them all because I wanted to keep each pile fair with 5 tarot cards, buuut you do have the Tower, and it seemed important to address.

You're making money moves and you're being very brave and open-minded with this job. Perhaps you're also being forced to overcome some sort of addiction (alcohol is coming out strongly here) for the greater good. Maybe you don't really want to, but everyone else around you knows its an obvious choice you have to make and you've decided to let them - since it's easier than resisting and putting yourself down in this dark place. Your oracle card emphasizes heart chakra, and also gives me the impression a family member may be "fighting you into self-love" if that makes sense. ♫ "I want you to want me" ♫ I don't remember who sings that song but it came out so angry just now.

Synchronicities: Earth signs (Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo), Fire, Leo, Saturn in Capricorn, Yellow, Jar spell, #15, #10, #16, Heart chakra, Crown chakra, Sacral chakra, ♫ "Fly me to the Moon" Frank Sinatra ♫

Pile #4 - (Cards: Page Cups, 4 Cups Rev, Wheel of Fortune, Chariot, Emperor; Oracle: Marigold - Positivity / Clarifiers: Tower, Judgement, 5 Swords)

There's some sort of dream you're working on here. There's the very real possibility it may come true through your ambition, hard work, and control of the situation. You've experienced your share of losses, but it almost feels like you just brushed them aside. ♫ "Thank you, Next" Ariana Grande ♫ seems relevant here.

I was wondering if maybe this emperor was another person in your life and, after pulling some clarifiers, it appears more like you may be (♫" Bridge over troubled water" Simon & Garfunkel ♫) brushing off the past between you and this person or maybe being dismissive of their apology to you? Your oracle card boosts the page of cups message about letting your inner-child lead the way and perhaps that has to do with the dream you're pursuing.

Side note: Broccoli oracle card tried to come out as well, perhaps you were drawn to pile #2 as well and may feel the need to go look there for some insights.

Synchronicities: Moon in Cancer, Pisces moon, Mars in Aries, Root chakra, Throat chakra, Yellow, #10, #7, #4

Whew, that was a lot more than I was expecting, I hope at least one person found this helpful. Feel free to let me know what you thought! Also, sorry the piles weren't as even as I was hoping they would be, but sometimes its a good thing we got a shorter message, less to be wary of. Strongest battles to his toughest soldiers and all that, but even we need a break, right?

[scribbledghost]

Writing Goddess!! How have you been?

I’ve been re-reading your original inhuman Vessel fic… would you ever do a Vessel POV version…? When reader first arrives, when he realises his feelings… what the other vessels say when they also realise how vessel feels? We love men than yearn 🥹

Ohhh you've captured my brain!! Companion piece to this fic.

Word count: 1,638

Notes: fem!reader, inhuman!Vessel, mass amounts of yearning

What He Needs

Vessel senses you before he sees you.

Visitors to the manor are not unheard of, though they are rare. Typically they would be wanderers, in need of food and shelter for the night before either Vessel or one of his housemates would guide them back to civilization. Sometimes they would be in need of something more intangible - a listening ear, perhaps, or a safe place to exist for a day or two. But none of them every stayed long.

Until you, that is.

As soon as he senses your presence on the manor grounds, he feels a pull. Like Sleep itself is telling him to go forth and draw you in.

Naturally, you are apprehensive at the sight of him, slightly panicked at the idea of being lost in the forest you'd been in. Vessel does his best to impart a sense of calm upon you, noting almost immediately how easy it seems to be to commune with you in such a manner. Once you are less wary, he invites you back to the manor.

The others are tense at first, as they usually are with visitors. It is Vessel himself who welcomes you in, offering you a quiet place to collect your thoughts for a while. An hour stretches into a day, then a week. III and IV are the most apprehensive of your presence initially, the younger vessels being inherently distrustful of newcomers. II tends to keep to himself, trusting Vessel to vet you properly.

After some terse back-and-forth, you are able to convince the vessels (or, more accurately, Vessel is able to convince the others) that you mean no harm to them. You are simply... lost. Not in a literal sense; you can leave the forest where their manor resides between worlds at any time. No, you are lost in the sense that you are missing something. Vessel readily offers the manor as a home for you while you work to discover what that something was.

It takes you longer than expected to realize they aren't human, though Vessel wonders if it is simply you being polite. Surely you must have seen the eyeslits on his mask move, or noticed how they do not eat or drink.

Truthfully, Vessel could have told you sooner. But that would have risked you fleeing the house in fear, and he simply could not have live with himself if that outcome had occurred.

As it happens, Vessel had grown attached to you rather quickly. As the mental connection begins to blossom between you and the vessels, he finds himself peeking into your thoughts enough to make him feel guilty about the action. Enough for him to know when you are sitting just out of sight during the group's musical rituals.

He always makes sure to sing the melodies he'd written in your image when he knows you are listening.

He thanks Sleep that the connection - for now - appears to still be one-way. You haven't been at the manor quite long enough yet to be able to venture into his own mind. If you could, you would no doubt know which place in his heart his words come from.

However, it takes II bringing it to his attention for Vessel to admit he's developed feelings for you.

"You love her."

It isn't a question - it rarely is with II. It is merely an observation.

"And what makes you say that?" Vessel asks, turning away from the window he stood at.

"Well, you're watching her like a hawk, for one," II states, clearly referencing how you are visible in the garden below from Vessel's perch.

"I am merely curious. We have not had a long-term guest since IV first arrived."

"And yet you have not tried to convert her."

This is true; Vessel never did try to bring you into the fold of Sleep's worshipers. In truth, it is because he felt you deserved more - more than the sprawling existence of being trapped in this forest for a millennia.

"Look, Vess," II says with a sigh, running a hand through his hair, "there's clearly something about her that has... intrigued you. I can't blame you, I think the rest of us feel the same way. But something tells me what draws you to her is deeper than simple curiosity."

With that, II takes his leave, leaving Vessel to stand alone with his thoughts.

It is then that he realizes that II is right. Something deeper has drawn him to you, and he is almost embarrassed that he had not realized it sooner.

You are both lost.

Both looking for the same thing.

Both desperately craving that connection with the other, wanting nothing more than to show each other the worst parts of yourselves and have the other not avert their gaze.

Vessel realizes that what has drawn him to you is not simple curiosity, nor is it the bond of a standard kindred spirit.

He loves you.

And that terrifies him.

The others must have felt the shift in their mental connection when he realized it. It is the only explanation as to why all three of them appear in his room moments later. Or perhaps II had gone to fetch III and IV when he'd left earlier. Vessel has no desire to ask.

"You should tell her," II suggests softly, placing a gentle hand on Vessel's upper arm.

"I can't."

"Why not?" IV asks. "I've seen the way she looks at you, Vessel. Clearly she's into you, too."

"Because if she realizes what she's seeking, she may look for it elsewhere."

There, at the heart of the issue, is fear. A deep fear that you will abandon him for something - someone - better.

"Can't hide it from her forever, mate," III says.

"...I can hide it for now."

And hide it he does. Weeks go by in the same manner, a carefully-practiced routine that changes little for everyone involved.

Vessel does his best to keep you at arms' length, but he finds himself helpless to resist your pull completely. This results in plenty of mixed signals, of which he has no doubt are infuriating to you to say the least. Lingering touches and gentle words seem to contrast with the secrets and his refusal to remove the mask like the others have.

The longer you stay in the manor, the more developed your own mental connection with all of the vessels becomes, in particular your ability to converse with them and peer into their own minds. II, III, and IV think little of it, but Vessel is more keen to help you expand and train your new skill. In his eyes, he sees it as perhaps a way to properly connect with you without fully admitting his feelings.

But telepathic conversations can only go so far.

He begins to dream of you - more frequently than he already had been, anyway. Whether they are still products of his own subconscious or gifts from Sleep, he is unsure, but he finds himself yearning for them each time he awakes the next day.

It is almost as if everything in them is indistinguishable from the waking world; every word, every touch, every sound is as clear as it would have been in reality. And yet... it is not enough.

Vessel goes to a private sanctuary early one morning, hoping to talk to Sleep itself out of desperation. Each morning he awakens with the feeling of your lips against his, only to realize it is not real, the grief compounds. On this day, it is particularly unbearable.

As he kneels to the ground and begged Sleep for guidance, he allows himself to be overtaken by the deity. All six of his eyes open, a brilliant blue glow emanating from them as Sleep's words filter through his mind. Typically communing directly with Sleep in such a way drains Vessel, but the strain on his body and mind is worth it if he can find relief.

"You have many choices, my vessel."

"...It does not feel as though I do."

"You may keep your intentions hidden, and continue to suffer in hopes your feelings fade with time," Sleep conveys. "Or, you may vacate her from the premises, and allow yourself to forget about her-"

"No!" Vessel interjects quickly in a panic before composing himself. "I... I apologize... I just-"

"You do not desire that outcome," Sleep said, "I understand. You may also discuss your true affections with her. You may tell her that you understand what she is searching for, for it is what you seek as well."

"But what if she leaves?" Vessel asks, voice small and unsure under the weight of that possibility.

"Then she leaves," Sleep says. "If she does not share your fondness, then she is not meant to be yours."

"I cannot bear the thought."

"You must, if you are to achieve the possibility of her returning your love."

Vessel leaves the conversation slightly downtrodden, knowing Sleep is right, but also knowing the weight of what he is about to do.

He goes to the others, telling them of his decision. He wants them to be prepared for the fallout should you flee from the house - there are still cracks along the walls in some of the manor's many rooms from the last time heartbreak had found him.

After some reassurances and encouragement, Vessel steels himself and goes on the hunt for you. He ends up finding you in the library, but he can tell that you're not in the best of moods.

Rather than immediately sit and begin to tell you what he knows, he instead tries a different approach, praying with all of his power that you share his feelings. He wanders closer to you, and when he sees that you are still deep in thought, he speaks.

"You're tense."

[gameo-archive]

Richard Speight Jr.'s spameo from the previous post. :D Thanks so much, @khorazir , both for tagging me and for getting the other cameo link. And thanks to @pipwasreal for being so quick with the transcript!

Transcript below:

"Hello Anke. [In a wry tone] Do I recognise that name.

I hope you're doing well and that you're having a lovely week. Thank you so much for requesting a cameo. Let's get into it, coz I see a fair amount of text here.

So, you've said: "Dear George, I hope you're having a wonderful time in LA." Thank you. "We're very excited about your new film, and were wondering if you were able to talk about it. For example, what preparation you did, any details about costuming, make-up, whether you had to learn anything new, what the experience was like in general. Basically, we'd be delighted about any bit of information you're happy to share."

Let's start with that. Well... so, I just shot this short film, Appearances, that was written and directed by Christian Tucci, who was a writer's assistant on episode 4 of Dead Boy Detectives season 1, and who actually wrote one of the episodes, and wrote Edwin's main episode, in season 2. Wonderful, wonderful Christian. And he's written this short film in which I play a drag queen called Barbara Lasagna. What can I give away? I can't give everything away. Okay, what preparation did I do? Well, she's a magician, so I had to learn a couple of magic tricks. And... yeah. Any details about costuming and make-up? [Makes conflicted noises] It's great. Like, the costume is so great. And we had a drag consultant, who I don't know if I can give away yet, but they were absolutely wonderful. Whether I had to learn anything new... how to do magic. Um yeah, tryna think if there's anything else. It was really, really good fun. It was a lovely, lovely crew, lovely cast. And it's in the can now, so, yeah, it's exciting. And it was fun to, you know, step into the shoes of a new character.

"On an unrelated note, director Richard Speight recently revealed in a cameo that there was an additional scene in episode 7 in the sequence with Edwin and Charles' first meeting which was cut. Do you remember what it was?"

[Makes thinking noises] From memory... gosh, let me think... coz we shot that sequence so fast. I think there was a bit more... you know there's the bit where Charles goes "do you miss kissing?" and Edwin goes [shakes head and hums a negative] there was more dialogue there. Edwin made a comment about how, something like, 'I came from a family that never showed any physical affection at all'. But I suppose that must've, you know... we're always tryna save time, and take out stuff that... the words that might be exposition or just aren't needed, so, that.

And there was another sequence, actually, there was another sequence because I remember one of the cuts [claps hands]. It's Edwin rifling through a box of comic books. And I, coz I remember I put the comic book at the top called Harry's Hightop Adventures, which was the comic book I was holding in Edwin's flashback in episode 1. So I remember putting that, and the camera was starting the shot on that comic book, coz I thought that would be a fun bit of continuity. And Edwin's just kind of like rifling through these ancient boxes of comic books and tryna pick one. And, like, he's talking about detective stories and why he loves them. And then it cuts to him reading the excerpt. But that was cut from the sequence, because again I suppose, I suppose it wasn't necessary.

So yeah, from memory, that's it. Thank you for your lovely questions and um... [clicks fingers] speak to you soon. Bye."

Got another Cameo from George. This is what I asked:

Dear George, I hope you’re having a wonderful time in LA. We’re very excited about your new film and were wondering whether you were allowed to talk about it, e.g. what preparation you did, any details about costuming, make-up etc, whether you had to learn anything new, what the experience was like in general. Basically, we’d be delighted about any bit of information you’re happy to share. On an unrelated note, director Richard Speight recently revealed in a Cameo that there was an additional scene ep. 7 in the sequence of Edwin’s and Charles’s first meeting which was cut. Do you remember what it was? Thank you and safe travels.

@gameo-archive

[ollyissleepy]

𝟎𝟖. 𝐧𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬

summary: somethines talking things out is the only way a/n: wasn't able to post it yesterday, was too busy with uni cw: none? reblogs, comments and likes are greatly appreciated

← prev. | m.list | next →

You rearrange the stuff on the coffee table once again. There's no reason for you to do that; the things were perfectly fine in the spots they were in. You're doing it to occupy yourself with something so your anxiety doesn't eat you alive. You leave the things alone for a bit, staring down at them, analysing. One of your hands reaches out to repeat the process when your doorbell rings.

You shoot up, startled by the noise. You were so wrapped up in your head that you didn't notice the time flying by. You make your way towards the door, taking a couple of deep breaths to calm yourself.

You stand in front of the door, wiping your palms on your pants, trying to get rid of imaginary sweat. After taking another deep breath, you open the door. There he is, Rafayel, standing with curiosity written all over his face. He shows you a bag with takeout with a smile. You let him in, both of you exchanging greetings.

You show him to your living room, telling him to feel at home. You go and grab some utensils to make eating easier. He takes out the food out of the bag, handing over your portion. You thank him, and both of you start eating. The room is quiet; the only disturbance in silence is the muffled noises of eating. You stop eating for a bit, staring down at the container of food. You feel an overwhelming urge to apologise to Rafayel again.

"I'm sorry for how I acted the other day." Your sight still fixed on the food in front of you, afraid to see how disappointed Rafayel must be with you. "And for ignoring all of your messages," you take another bite out of your food, having it be the reason for you not to look at him.

"I already told that it's fine." Rafayel mindlessly stabs the food, trying to find something to say, something you'll actually believe in. "No hard feelings, really." He looks at you, smiling, but you don't see that. You're still avoiding looking at him.

"Doesn't change the fact that I feel bad," you admit, quietly, almost ashamed.

"It also doesn't change the fact that you had every right to react the way you did." Rafayel put down the fork, putting his hand on your shoulder and squeezing it. "I apologise for not including you in making ideas on how to help you." His hand lingers on your shoulder, giving you courage to look at him.

"I know now that you just wanted to help," you say, a soft smile on your lips. "And to be honest, I wouldn't be that much help anyway," you laugh, stabbing your food with a fork.

Rafayel chuckles, taking his hand from your shoulder. The two of you come back to eating, silence falling between you once again. This time is different as you feel much lighter in Rafayel's presence. The two of you ate, enjoying each other's company. It didn't feel like this was your third time meeting the man. More like hanging out with an old friend or someone you knew in another life. You stole a few glances at Rafayel to see him stuffing his mouth full of food. Rafayel seemed so eager to help you the previous times you saw him. You wondered if he's still interested in doing so. You also remembered him mentioning having a plan to help with your block. You decided to ask him about other parts of his plan.

"What other ideas did you have?" You ask, the fear that was keeping you from looking at him long gone as you stare directly at him. You see Rafayel's head shoot up at your question, his eyes filled with excitement.

"Wait, you still want my help?" Rafayel asks, shocked. He was sure you'll no longer be interested in his help.

"Yeah, I don't think I can fix it by myself." You shrug your shoulders, using the fork to play with your food. "Just this time have something more than changing the space I write in." Rafayel chuckles, and you smile, feeling at ease.

"Noted." He smiles, his eyes closed, his white teeth out, blinding you. "I have just a thing in mind, actually." He looks into the distance, the smile on his face turning to an obnoxious grin.

"And what is it?" You're not sure if you like the look on his face; it smells like trouble.

"What do you think of beaches?"

@sashisuslover @withering-dream @lalaluch @nicoleispurple

taglist is open!

[hervygervy]

Also since I'm the resident pyrrhon autist I'm curious how his japanese dialogue handles humility with his arrogant personality and all. Particularly I've often wondered if the way he uses those terms switches or not at that bit around the beginning of his bossfight when he's briefly himself and trying to fight them back, like if he shows any "cracks" so to speak. I hope specific kinda translation comparison requests like this are okay

Thank you for your request! Let's talk about Pyrrhon :)

His boss fight has a really interesting difference in the Japanese version! I will talk about it at the end of this post because first I would like to talk about Pyrrhon more generally.

Normally I would like to include English voice files just for the sake of easily accessible comparison, but this website seeks to inhibit me and contain my hyperfixation and I am only able to attach so many voice files. Tragic. So because we have a lot of ground to cover, unfortunately, we'll just be working with Japanese voice files today. I'll try to reference the English version when I can. Once again, we'll be here a while, so read below the cutoff!

Some initial notes that might be of interest to you before we really dive in (it's a bunch of language stuff so bear with me!) Pyrrhon's called ラーズ (Raazu, but I'll render it as "Raaz" in my translations) in the Japanese version. I sincerely wish I could tell you what this is derived from but I honest to goodness have no idea. The English name meanwhile is obviously sourced from "pyro" as in fire and even perhaps figures like King Pyhrrus, which is where the phrase "Pyrrhic victory" comes from (a triumph which takes such a toll on the victor that it eventually leads to defeat).

In the Japanese version he consistently uses informal speech and masculine sentence ending particles. We don't have particles in English so it's difficult to explain, but the best way I can describe it is the way he ends his sentences give off a strong and gruff masculine vibe.

Despite this very apparent manner of speech, he uses 私 (watashi) to refer to himself. I point this out because unlike in English, there are dozens of first-person pronouns in Japanese and what you use, depending on the context, will say a lot about you as a person. 私 is like the "default" pronoun (as in like that's what you'd be taught to use in a class first thing). It's gender neutral and applicable for both casual and formal situations. I'd say it leans ever so slightly formal. In casual conversations, it sounds a little feminine. If a man is using it in a casual situation, it either sounds awkward, or like the speaker is trying to establish some distance between himself and the listener, thus coming across as a little cold and stiff.

Palutena also uses "watashi," but interestingly, in the game's subtitles, hers is always written out in hiragana like わたし while Pyrrhon's is always written in kanji like 私. It's the exact same word at the end of the day so I guess it's just a stylistic choice?

There are also a bunch of second-person pronouns in Japanese because of course there are. They're rarely used in actual conversation, however. It tends to come across as a bit rude, and using the other person's name instead of "you" is generally preferable. I've only ever really seen it in anime and manga or texts that address the "general you" as it's called. Pyrrhon uses キミ (kimi) to refer to others. The way キミ (or 君 as it's usually written) is perceived tends to vary from person to person it seems, it can either sound affectionate or it can sound like you're a bossy man addressing his subordinates since it's apparently historically associated with the masculine first-person pronoun 僕 (boku). Nowadays 僕 is more of the young boy's pronoun, though. Pit actually uses it.

With that out of the way, you know that Pyrrhon is meant to be a comic book superhero parody of sorts, so naturally, in the Japanese version, he uses a lot of English words/phrases in his speech. Here's the Japanese equivalent of his introduction as an example:

He uses a few English words here. The English script adapts this by instead giving him a lot of silly one-liners that you'd expect to hear in some Saturday morning cartoon. You could probably make the argument that this aspect of his character thus more effectively expressed in the English version. This interaction also plays out a little differently here in the Japanese version. Oh, but I guess I should translate:

Pyrrhon: No problem!

Palutena: Are you... the sun god, Raaz?

Pyrrhon: Yes!

Pit: The sun god, Raaz...?

Viridi: The self-proclaimed "emissary of the sun."

Pyrrhon: So you're all together, huh?

Palutena: Raaz, is there something you know about this enemy army?

Pyrrhon: Listen well! This here! Is the floating continental cluster of the Aurum!

Hades: The Aurum, huh?

Pyrrhon: This bit's important so I'll say it again! This is the floating continental cluster of the Aurum!

Viridi: Geez, that's enough.

Pyrrhon: In the book of Revelation of the Realm of Gods, chapter 84, verse 3: "Lured by destruction and heresy, they are born from nothing and appear to return to nothing. Those that swallow the heavens, earth, and sea--they are the Aurum. They travel across the galaxy!"

Viridi: Is there really such a legend?

Pyrrhon: To put it plainly, you could say the Aurum can swallow up the world at this rate! Let's work together! Come now, shoot these invaders from space!

Pit: Is it really alright to put our trust this guy?

Palutena: Well, his explanation matches the current state of affairs.

Viridi: Well, I suppose it's good to call this enemy army "the Aurum."

Pyrrhon pretty much sticks true to this style of speech throughout the rest of this section of the game. It's over the top and gruff and commanding you could say.

A few notes! Pyrrhon is referred to as a 太陽神 (taiyoushin) which means "sun god" I suppose, but if we break down the meanings for the individual kanji, it's "plump sunshine god" and I personally find that amusing. Okay, what's actually more interesting is Viridi states that he's a "self-proclaimed 太陽の使い" (taiyou no tsukai) or "messenger/envoy of the sun." I went with "emissary" for my translation since that's a common phrase in a lot of mythologies and it carries a similar sentiment. But either way, the use of 使い implies more something along the lines of "servant of the sun" which is curious. Personally I'm wondering if the purpose behind this wording is to draw a parallel to Pit who can be described as a 天の使い (ten no tsukai) or "angel," but I'll return to that thought later.

Another minor note is that Pyrrhon states that the Aurum are "破壊と破戒にいざなわれ" (hakai to hakai ni izanaware) and 破戒 (hakai) means like, breaking a religious commandment, so I went to translate it as "heresy" for simplicity's sake.

When Pyrrhon says "those that swallow the heavens, earth, and sea," he uses the word 者 (mono) to describe them. It means "person" which makes the Aurum sound a lot more humanlike. I still opted to use "those" because it still can be used as a determiner.

Lastly, this is just mildly interesting, instead of "the Book of Divine Prophecy," it's a mess of kanji that I attempted to decode as "the Revelation of the Realm of Gods." It's written as 神界黙示録 (shinkai mokushiroku). The last three kanji in this set, 黙示録 (mokushiroku), is actually the title of the book of Revelation. You know, like from the Bible. Neat, huh?

Since we don't have English voice files, I'll just point out the notable dialogue differences:

In English, Pyrrhon elaborates that the floating islands we encounter in chapter 15 are just one of the many bases the Aurum possess. In the Japanese, he doesn't really comment on this and instead just repeats the fact that we are indeed looking at the Aurum islands. Thanks, buddy.

In English, once Pyrrhon finishes explaining the supposed passage, he tells the others to "stow their fear" and that he'll essentially take care of everything on his own, or at least, that's the implication. In Japanese he immediately suggests everyone work together. Everyone seems a bit more receptive in Japanese whereas they're more hesitant in English, especially with Viridi saying "you know things are dire if that's the guy we're listening to."

Also, sometimes what he says is rendered using Roman letters in the subtitles:

His laughter is always rendered in Roman letters. In the Japanese text below, he says "shoot! Shoot!!" as in English "shoot," not Japanese "shoot" (撃つ/utsu). It's not quite the same as kablooey kablammy, huh...

I'm not quite done with chapter 15 yet. There's one curious dialogue difference at the end of the level. Here's the English line:

And the Japanese:

He says "it seems I won't be bored for a while!" Well, I'm glad he's having fun.

Much like how his comic book superhero persona is hammed up in the English version, I'd say his arrogance and haughtiness is intensified. He does a lot more talking down to the others in the English dialogue. Sure, he does speak informally in the Japanese version, but this is also a video game so, that's par for the course. Anime, manga, and video games don't often reflect how actual spoken Japanese goes. You could say it's like, super exaggerated Japanese. And it can often get pretty crude or informal. What I'm trying to say is, Japanese Pyrrhon's speech doesn't strike me as terribly unusual. He talks like any other brash anime character. None of the other characters seemed too unnerved by him compared to the English version, anyway.

As for chapter 16, Pyrrhon only appears for a brief moment to aggravate the boss. The interactions between the two versions are pretty much the same, so there's not much to talk about, but I will note this!

"You seem to be having trouble, Pit!" ...or "Pit-kun" in this case.

Most of the time he addresses Pit as "kun." This is a masculine honorific, usually used by men addressing their male subordinates or used to refer to good male friends (it's not wrong to use it for women, but the typical usage is for men). In English he says "looks like you could use a hand, little angel" which to me sounds kinda condescending but I'm sure the intention was to sound kinda affectionate in the "hey, we're buddies, right?" kinda way that the Japanese seems to convey. Or maybe I'm totally wrong and the English writers did want to make him sound more condescending.

In a previous post, I talked a little bit about how talking about giving things in Japanese is complicated. In particular, Viridi was using やる (yaru) when asking Palutena if she was giving Pit any kind of allowance (the Japanese equivalent of the "floor ice cream" bit). やる is used when talking about giving things to something of lower status, but in the context that the receiver is literally like a plant or an animal. Pyrrhon seems to have a little bit more respect than her!

"I shall lend you a hand!" Or "I shall assist you!" However you want to word it. Here he's using あげよう (ageyou) which the volitional conjugation of あげる (ageru). あげる is used when talking about giving something to someone of equal or lower status, but not in the animal or plant type of lower status. Hopefully that makes sense. Considering that he addresses Pit as "kun" and not in the sarcastic way like Hades does, I'm going to presume that Japanese Pyrrhon sees him on a relatively equal enough playing field. That's the impression I get anyway.

Alright! That was! A whole lot of yapping! And there is more to come because because we are so close to the moment you've been waiting for! We shall talk about chapter 17!! And then the boss fight!!!

When Pyrrhon and Pit encounter the Aurum brain, in the English version, Pyrrhon's lines are delivered in a pretty nonchalant fashion. In Japanese he maintains his energy and pep. Take a listen:

In English he says something like "do your thing, Pit! You know, your... shooting thing." Anyway, a translation for the voice clip!

Pit: This is... the Aurum brain?

Pyrrhon: Shoot at it, Pit! Shoot at it until your sacred treasure burns up!

No more "kun," huh? He's probably too fixated on that brain, anyway.

Oh, uh, any instance of 神器 (jingi) or "sacred treasure" in the Japanese version is replaced with "weapon" in the English version. I wonder if such phrasing is for the sake of keeping in line with franchise terminology, or perhaps directly referencing "weapons" would have run the team into trouble with the ratings board, CERO. If you care, the game has a CERO B rating in Japan, which means it's suitable for ages 12 and up. It's pretty much the equivalent of the ESRB E10+ rating, which is what the game got in the states. Supposedly, the beheading of the Hewdraw is what cemented the game's rating as B in Japan.

That's not relevant. Let's move onto when Pyrrhon assumes control over the Aurum troops!

Level Infinity Epic Super God Plus!! ...nah he didn't say that. It went something like this:

Pit: I-I'm saved! And Raaz?

Pyrrhon: Hahahahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Well done, Pit!

Pit: Raaz?!

Pyrrhon: Thanks to you, I've become this magnificent! I'm invincible! I'm invincible! I'm invincible! I'm invincible! I've obtained the strongest power!

Pit: What do you mean?

Pyrrhon: This is what I mean...!

"Kun" has returned! Anyway, I pointed out the one line change already.

How irritating that it's split up into two voice files. Continuing the conversation:

I shall continue the translation:

Pit: No way... Raaz?!

Pyrrhon: HAHAHAHAHAHA! The Aurum are now my hands and feet! The Aurum will embark reborn! I'll give you all a show!

Hades: Ho ho! This guy's interesting! What a discovery!

Viridi: I don't think this is a situation to be glad about.

Pit: Raaz, you rat! Tricking an angel! That's not okay!

Pyrrhon: With this vast power, I will challenge the gods!

A few notes: Pyrrhon uses やる (yaru) for "give" here! He's really on his high horse now.

Pit says "ラーズめ" and tacking め onto anything makes it derogatory. People can translate it in a number of ways, like "you scum" or "damn you" or "bastard" or what have you (I'm really not fond of swearing so I hope my friends don't read this and make a big deal about it). Pit's kinda talking in a childish way here so I opted for "rat," especially since that's what's used in the English version, haha. He uses いけない (ikenai) which is something one would use when describing something like socially unacceptable. Basically he's saying "you're not allowed to trick me!"

Lastly, when Pyrrhon says "challenge," he's using 挑戦 (chousen) which carries the implication of a defiant attitude. I felt that was important to mention!

The differences between the English and Japanese here are pretty minor. Pyrrhon emphasizes his newfound power a lot more in the English version, I'd say, with his whole "not even the combined power of the gods can stop me" bit. He also seems a bit more overtly haughty? (seems a bit more subtle in Japanese to me anyway). He blatantly brushes off Pit in English ("What?! I can't hear you over all this awesome!") but just kinda continues his spiel in Japanese.

We all know that Pyrrhon shows off his quirky new powers by blocking Palutena's extraction (or "jamming" it as he says in Japanese) and we're forced to fight on some dinky platforms. Thankfully we have dialogue to ease the pain. We always do, I guess. Such is the way of radio-style storying telling as it's called in gaming. One interaction always stood out to me. In English it goes like this:

Hades: Our little sun buddy must have a thing for you, Pit.

Viridi: Of course he does. Pit's the only one that loon considers an equal.

We can infer a lot from this... Pit and Pyrrhon are comparable in the sense that neither of them are really taken all that seriously by the gods. For Pit, we can easily see this by the way quite literally any other character treats him. Other characters are baffled to see that he can put up a fight or they simply don't want to admit that he's a genuine one man army. Palutena is probably the only character that will give him any credit, but even then, she isn't beyond toying with him or speaking for him. But I already addressed all that in a post replying to a comment.

Pyrrhon is also disregarded immediately, both in English and Japanese. His status as a god is always called into question (we the player never learn his true place in the divine hierarchy), other characters are quick to doubt him, and well, everyone only ends up following along with him because what other choice is there?

You get the point. Pyrrhon seeks the Aurum's power in order to finally get on the gods' level. To finally be taken seriously. That kind of thing. I was really surprised to learn that the interaction plays out a little differently in Japanese:

It goes something like this:

Pit: Alright! We made it out of the giant battleship!

Palutena: Enemies are approaching from all directions! Watch your surroundings well!

Hades: Did Sunny fall in love? You're very popular, eh?

Viridi: Of course he is. Because right now, as it stands, the only one who can oppose Aurum Raaz is Pit.

Quick note: Hades calls Pyrrhon "太陽ちゃん" (taiyou-chan) and ちゃん is an affectionate honorific, one you'd use for close friends or pets. Obviously he's using it sarcastically here. I employed some creative translation. The actual English script writers had to do the same thing, you know.

But yeah, I can't say the Japanese dialogue leaves as much room for character analysis, huh? It's more or less stating the obvious. The Underworld army isn't really participating here, and Viridi was unable to inhibit Pyrrhon with her last reset bomb. So yeah, Pit really is the only one left that can actually challenge Pyrrhon.

Well, I can go back to that point I brought up earlier. Pyrrhon was called the 太陽の使い or "messenger of the sun," and you can draw that kind of parallel to 天の使い or "heavenly messenger," or more simply, "angel." On that basis, I'd say perhaps you can draw a connection between the two. Maybe they were always meant to be compared in both versions. Or maybe I'm looking too deep into it.

Before we get to the boss fight, I just wish to point out that in the Japanese version, a standard centurion gets some speaking lines, whereas the English version only has a strongarm talking:

I guess I'll translate: "Captain! We came because we wanted to be useful to Lady Palutena."

Okay okay okay boss fight time!! In English, Pyrrhon starts talking in a robotic voice. In Japanese, it's a strained voice. Take a listen:

Translation as usual!

Palutena: Raaz is just up ahead!

Pyrrhon: Stooooop... turn baaaaaack...

Pit: Is Raaz like, acting completely strange or what?

Palutena: Perhaps it's because of the overflowing exaltation?

Oh, and the portraits are different! In English we immediately get a glimpse of Aurum Pyrrhon:

In Japanese, he's still using one of his standard portraits:

...the laughing one to be precise. Okay. But his speech is now rendered in katakana. To reiterate from a previous post, Japanese uses three writing systems all at once. Katakana, this angular text you see here, is mainly used to render foreign words into the Japanese sound system, but it can also be used for stylization purposes and whatnot. Here it's clearly meant to indicate that his words aren't fully his own...

After a loading screen we get to fight him! The boss intro in English has Pyrrhon spew out this binary code:

Supposedly it spells "kill" in ASCII binary. In Japanese it's a lot more "normal":

Pyrrhon: You've come... Pit...

Pit: Raaz! What in the world?!

He's still straining like before the loading screen. But where things get interesting is as he continues to try to talk:

Whoa! Pyrrhon! I can't hear you all over that TV static!

Yeah, so in order to understand what he's saying at all, you actually have to read the text. Cool, because that's what I've been doing anyway. My audio processing abilities are atrocious, after all. That and it's easier to look up words I don't know (which is a lot of them) in my dictionary when I can actually see what words they're using. So let's translate:

Pit: Raaz! Are you really controlling the Aurum? Or, are you being controlled by the Aurum?!

Pyrrhon: I... >cannot be controlled.

The top image is the text pertaining to Pyrrhon struggling to say "I" and the bottom image depicts when the static kicks in with "cannot be controlled" by using an > arrow.

The static speech is rendered in katakana. Alien speech is typically written that way in Japanese media to really emphasize their foreign status.

It's a bit eerie to listen to when it's just the audio, huh? Let's hear a bit more:

Pit: W-what was that?!

Palutena: As expected, you could say he succumbed to the power of the Aurum brain.

Pyrrhon: >Do not inhibit our mission. We will consume all.

Hades: They behave just like insects. Considering their strength, it's fine if they're low-grade, huh?

Palutena: Drawn to the torch of battle, they live only to consume everything. Calling them bees or locusts might not entirely be wrong.

Pyrrhon: >We will multiply. We will continue to increase.

Viridi: But every living thing is like this. Their desperate survival connects to their growth, and they influence each other, enabling for the cycle of life. However, these guys are troubling! Their power is too strong!

Palutena: That and they're an alien species, after all.

Pit: Won't they eat everything at this rate?!

Palutena: That's why you have to put an end to this, Pit!

It's pretty similar to the English. Minus the hungry moths. RIP hungry moths. And I guess in English Aurum Pyrrhon says "we will be all" rather than "we will consume all." Something like that.

Also, when the Aurum (static) speak, they use the pronoun ワレワレ (wareware) which is super old-fashioned and means "we." It supposedly has a strong emphasis on one's own existence. Fitting for the Aurum.

I'll share with ya one last static:

Yay, it's easy for me:

Pit: Return to space!

Pyrrhon: >Uuuoooooo

Eventually the static becomes calming to listen to.

Obviously I didn't hit every Pyrrhon moment, but these are all the notable differences I could find and interesting things I could point out! Aurum Pyrrhon is pretty different between both versions, huh? The whole static thing almost makes it seem all the more dire. To me anyway.

Thank you for bearing with me in this long post. I'll probably do more characterization posts next, so they'll probably be just as long as this one...