#im givin it to you guys because im just That Cool

[normal-person-i-promise]

jom tengok lampu

(lets go see the lights)

reigen x reader hurt/comfort. tw for negative self talk (self esteem issues)

You scoff, casting your gaze to the floor.

"It's rotten work, Arataka. Don't you have better things to do?"

He hums, brushing his thumbs absentmindedly on your tear-streaked cheeks as he thinks —though it's not like he has to.

"It's not. Not if it's you."

Oh. Okay.

It's a quiet knock to your door. Barely audible, barely there.

★ ★ ★

It sounds so... Scared, so wary; as if the wood will break, as if the door will fall off of its hinges and splinter on the floor. The sound is gentle as it reverberates through the plaster, almost like a careful whisper to a crying child.

You take a deep breath. You comb your hair back with a shaky hand, dust off your shirt and push yourself off the floor. You argue with yourself as you walk slowly, slowly to the door.

Is it necessary to answer? Does it even matter? Like, come on. Who would it even be?

A neighbour complaining about the noise? A mischievous kid? A trick of the wind? That isn't worth your time. This whole thing isn't worth your time. This whole thing isn't worth your energy, what little you have of it. You don't need to check.

Who even cares about you, really?

Scoffing under your breath, your shaking hands hover in front of the lock, still thinking.

Come on. Come on, be reasonable. Think, just for one moment of your life. Think. Is this worth your time? Do you want to bother someone? If they see your state, they're going to ask what's wrong, you know. Do you really want to give them their answer? You've never trusted anyone to know that, and for good reason.

What could they even do? They can do nothing to help you, that's right.

You're wasting people's time and energy. Again.

You grip the sharp metal key tightly in your hand, the cold teeth digging into your palm — and when you feel the sting, you press deeper, leaving tiny red indents.

You don't have to, you know. No one's forcing you. You could go back, sit back down on the floor and do nothing for the rest of the day. Leave this poor person alone; you don't need to bother anyone if you can deal with this perfectly fine by yourself.

Just as you're backing up from the door quietly, so as to not let the person on the other side hear your footsteps, the knock comes again.

It's firmer. It's louder, fuller, more sure of itself, and the person— the man, calls your name through the wood.

You know what? Fine. Be selfish. Burden someone. You're going to regret it later.

You loosen your hand around the key, surveying the damage — nothing much, really. Just some small, pinkish dents in the surface of your skin. Whatever. It's whatever. You press the key into the lock, turning it slowly, agonisingly, and twisting the doorknob.

This is stupid. You're wasting both your time, and whoever's at the other end of the door. You're making this worse for everyone.

You're such a burden.

You finally almost... Pry the door open. And it's...

"Reigen?" You ask, confused. He... Looks distraught, looks... Worried. God, why him? That's the last person you want to bother.

His brows are creased, his mouth is set in a hard frown. His eyes are scanning your face, trying to find what lurks behind your tired gaze.

"You, uh..." Arataka starts hesitantly, pausing as he grimaces.

Wow. There's really no way to do this tactfully, huh?

"You okay? You haven't been showing up to work for a few days, I haven't seen any online presence from you, uh..."

God, he's rambling again.

Can you really blame him, though? He's worried. Arataka's worried about you.

You pause, taking in his words.

Are you okay? Are you okay? That... That's the question he came here to ask you? That's why he's here?

Your vision goes all blurry and your eyes grow annoyingly watery as you raise trembling hands to dry the tears before they can fall. You press your sleeves harshly into your eyelids, the fabric burning against the sensitive skin.

God, god, god, okay, okay, that's fine. That's not an issue, right? You're not going to start crying, right? Especially in front of him? You're weak. You shouldn't have answered the door, and all you're doing is bothering people with stupid issues you can deal with by yourself. You're making him hate you, you know.

Bringing your hands down, you shove a fake smile onto your face, the wide grin not reaching your eyes.

"I'm fine! I'm fine, really, I—" you pause to take in a shaky breath —"I'm not sure why it's coming out so warbly, but I'm fine."

Arataka pauses. He stares at you, studies you.

He wants to believe you, he really, really does, but it's just that... Everything, from the way you stand to the way your eyes avoid his, they... They scream "not okay". You've never talked so quietly, your body language has never been this closed off, you've had such an utterly defeated look behind such dead eyes.

You clearly need some kind of help, whether you want to admit it or not.

"Are you sure?" He asks gently.

The smile falls.

You're not going to lie to Arataka, right? Lying would make things worse.

"...No," you mumble, burying your face in your hands, almost closing in on yourself as you begin to cry.

"Not really."

Arataka panics.

He— okay, he did know that you weren't okay, but he didn't expect for you to start crying at your doorstep—!

He quickly reaches his hands out for a moment, like an invitation to a hug, though his arms aren't opened wide enough and his movements are hesitant, almost like what he's doing might make you worse.

A heartbeat passes. Then two.

He's just... Standing there, sweating buckets, his arms opened shakily.

It's barely a second later before run into him. You bury your head in the crook of his neck, wrap your arms around him tight enough to break a bone, squeeze him hard enough to force the air out of his lungs. You— you heave quiet sobs and soft sniffles, and... God, does Arataka feel bad.

You... Shouldn't have to go through this. You shouldn't have to go through any of this.

Arataka slowly, carefully brings his hands around your waist, holding you securely to him, and he pats your back, pets your hair, rubs soothing circles on your skin. It's clear he's trying to calm you as he lets you cry, and by god is it working.

He seems... Worried. It seems like he loves you, too. Why else would he be here, anyway?

"Woah, woah, hey, hey, it's okay, it's okay," he whispers in soft, soothing murmurs, stroking and patting your back slowly, in a manner similar to how one would comfort a baby.

"It's okay. You're okay. I'm here now, okay?"

You tighten your arms around him. He lets you cry, he... He comforts you, for god's sake.

Arataka cares about you — he cares about you a lot — and it... It hurts a little to see you in such... Distress, in such an utter state of... Of distraught. It doesn't sit well with him. Who hurt you like this?

He nestles his face in your hair, breathing in your shampoo, as he thinks. What can he do to make you feel better? You're... Crying. You're crying into him, like you're trusting enough to do that with him.

Gently pushing you off him just enough for him to look at your face, he cradles your cheeks. His hands are warm and comforting on your face as he wipes away your tears with a thumb, looking at you with soft, sweet eyes — looking at you with such a worried gaze, searching your face for any signs of what has caused you this... Pain.

He has to help. He can't stand the thought of leaving you like this, so utterly broken and exhausted.

"You want something to eat? I, uh—" Arataka laughs awkwardly, but stops quickly when he sees your watery eyes again —"I'm not the best at cooking, but I can whip up an okay-ish stir-fried noodle."

He pauses, watching you for a reaction; any reaction. Can you talk to him, please? Tell him what he needs to do.

His hands tighten around your face. Maybe you want something sweet?

"I... Can try to make cookies?"

You hum, holding his wrists to your face in a weak grip.

His hands are... Warm. Really, really warm, and really, really gentle. He's holding you like he'd hold a young child or sickly animal, with a soft tenderness and a loving touch, with such care and consideration it makes you tear up again.

He really does seem to care, huh?

No one's cared this much. No one's ever cared this much.

Not enough to check on you. Not enough to ask you how you're doing. Not enough to hug you, to soothe you, to touch you. Can you really blame yourself for crying? Can you really blame yourself for being just a little bit selfish, for accepting his help when you've done nothing to deserve it?

You can, you realise.

"Why?" You ask in a small voice.

Arataka seems taken aback. He looks, quite frankly, horrified, as though the answer was right in front of your eyes the entire time. He opens his mouth to argue, closes it, then opens it again, but rethinks that one, too.

"I want to make you feel better," he says with a slight, though hesitant smile.

You scoff, casting your gaze to the floor.

"It's rotten work, Reigen. Don't you have better things to do?"

He hums, brushing his thumbs absentmindedly on your tear-streaked cheeks as he thinks —though it's not like he has to.

"It's not. Not if it's you."

Oh. Okay.

He casts his gaze to your surprisingly clean house, just checking. He'll clean the house if he has to — the floors are dusty, he doubts your bed is made, and your tables are messy.

"I'll just clean up first, yeah? Then we'll... I dunno, get a bite to eat?"

You nod wordlessly, sniffling, and that's all Arataka needs.

He gently, slowly takes his hands off your face, pressing a careful kiss to your forehead as he pushes past you and enters your house. He slips off his shoes and hangs his grey suit jacket on the wall as he surveys the damage.

Not that much, surprisingly.

He hunts around your house for a bit, looking for the broom— which he finds in the corner, and, taking your dustpan, he begins to sweep up the dust and hair off the floors. He cleans up the desks and tables from all your... Your junks, depositing them into their proper places and sorting everything out.

There's a handful clothes to fold, so he does that quickly— and thankfully, there's no dishes, so he doesn't have to wash anything.

All while he's cleaning, you just... Watch him. You'd closed and locked the front door, now just... Standing silently, watching as he goes from place to place in a hurry.

Every few minutes or so, Arataka would ask if he could throw out this piece of paper, or recycle this plastic packaging. He'd check if you wanted any of the trash lying around your house, making sure you didn't want it before throwing it out.

It takes about an hour for him to get a quick drink of water, exhausted.

He's... Rushing. He wants to get this done as quickly as he can so that he can go and treat you to something. Anything that would make you feel better. Touch, food, gifts, words... Anything.

He hates seeing you upset. He hates that you didn't reach out to him, too, but he can't blame you. He just wants to make you feel better. He'll do anything to get that familiar smile back on your face.

But first, he needs to clean up.

He pushes himself off the chair, getting back to work with his golden hair slick with sweat, stuck to his forehead.

Does he enjoy this? No. Not in a million years.

...But does he enjoy making you feel better? God, always.

Once he's done, he wipes the sweat from his brow, his white dress shirt clinging to his back.

He'd come at about... Six PM, just after work ended, and now it's eight.

"Ta da!" He exclaims proudly, though tiredly to you, a dopey little grin adorning his face as he gestures to your now-clean house.

"All clean!"

It... Is. You didn't know Arataka could clean, quite frankly — and you didn't know he could do it so well. It's cleaner than you've ever seen it.

You sniffle, rubbing your eyes. Talking is... Too hard, right now, too tiring, so you just smile weakly at him. That makes his smile fall off his face a little, his gaze growing worried all over again.

He pauses for a moment, thinking.

Ah, right—! He'd promised to do something for you, right? Food, desserts, drinks? Whatever it is, he'll buy it. He'd do it all if it meant you'll be happy.

Arataka clears his throat, getting your eyes on him again.

That's good, that's good. He can see familiarity behind them.

"You, uh," he gestures weakly to the door, your eyes following.

"You wanna go somewhere? I'll pay," he offers, smiling, before quickly adding, "but it's totally okay if you don't want to! I mean, you're— you look pretty tired, I—"

He pauses, almost hesitates. Is it in his place to do this for you? Can he? You're... Y'know, you're his employee, and he's your boss, it's not like it's exactly...

...Ah, whatever. Screw it.

"I can just... Hug you? That's what... That's what Mob likes, though he's... Not exactly your age..."

He trails off, a little embarrassed and a little contemplative.

Nevertheless, Arataka opens his arms, wide and confident.

And sure, yeah, he's... Sweaty, and sticky, and he smells bad, but... Come on. He's the first person who's ever done this kind of thing for you, showed such an immense amount of... Of care, and love, and worry, and... Come on. He did assure you he at least likes you, right? His behaviour... You only do this stuff if you like someone, right?

Right?

He rubs circles into your back as you both hug, his body warm against yours as you press yourself into him, squeezing his ribcage. Each time you'd squeeze, he'd squeeze right back, gently and worriedly.

His arms are comfortably tight and warm as he holds you tightly against him, your face buried in his white shirt. It's soft as you press your cheek into it, your tears staining the white fabric as you inhale the faint scent of his cologne.

About a minute passes before he pats your head almost impatiently, signalling he wants to ask you something.

He laughs awkwardly.

Combing his hands slowly through your hair as he talks, he's careful not to sound too harsh. "I'm, uh, pretty tired. You wanna go sit on your couch?"

He pauses.

"If that's okay with you."

You squeeze him once, twice, nodding against his chest, and Arataka smiles, walking slowly over to the couch.

He sits down first, keeping you standing for a moment before bringing you down with him, settling you comfortably in his lap. His arms wrap securely around your midsection, his head resting nicely on your shoulder.

"Better?" He asks, smiling, planting a kiss on your cheek.

This is so... Weird. This is all so weird, you're... You're being held lovingly by your boss, who also just cleaned your house, who also came because he was worried about you...?

It's... Amazing. It's amazing to be sitting so comfortably and casually in Arataka's lap, it's amazing to have his arms wrapped so firmly around your stomach, it's amazing how he'd press so many kisses to the back of your head.

Isn't this nice? It's clear you've both been wanting to do this for a very, very long time.

You lean back into his chest, placing your hands over his. You nod in agreement, in reply to his precious statements.

He hums, running careful hands through your hair, gently massaging your scalp as he untangles the knots from your hair. It's really, really nice for someone to be touching you so much, and so gently and carefully and tenderly. It's really nice. A lot nicer than you thought, actually.

And it doesn't even feel too intimate. It feels like the two of you have been lovers for years uncounted, like this is a normal everyday occurrence. It doesn't feel forced, or overbearing, or awkward, or anything. It feels natural. It feels like love he's held from you. Love he's held from you for a long time.

He sighs in either contentment or annoyance, you can't tell. "...I promised you food, right? Or do you not want to eat?"

You're just quiet, relishing in the feeling of Arataka's fingers tracing small, careful circles into your stomach.

"So do you... Want something? He asks. "We can... Go out, or... I can order something?"

He shifts you a little, to get you as comfortable as he can. Your body is facing away from him, your back pressed up tightly and comfortingly against his warm, warm chest, his arms wrapped nicely around your waist. The scent of salt is heavy in the air.

"Or we can sit here."

He presses his face into the crook of your neck, his warm breath tickling your skin.

"Hm?" He hums. "What do you think?"

Your reply is to nestle more deeply and comfortably where you're sitting, leaning back more heavily, almost weighing him down.

Arataka laughs a little.

"You just wanna sit here? Hm?" He kisses you again. "That's okay, too."

...

And it's silent again. Your breathing's shallow, and his is full and steady. Your heart rate is high, whilst his is low. It's quiet, now.

You hum a low tone, thinking over your words carefully.

"Do you love me?"

Arataka's movements pause abruptly, his hands freezing as they run up and down your arms. He takes a moment to think.

Oh. That must mean he doesn't like you, then. It's okay. He can just leave now, you're okay.

"Of course I love you," he says quietly. "...I'm... Not exactly subtle."

And he's right. He blushes, he stares, he stutters — it's a stereotypical crush. It's not hard to miss. He loves you, and you love him. That's fair, right?

"...Why?" You ask.

He pauses.

"Why? Why? Oh, come on. Don't tell me you can't see how easy you are to love?"

You hum, and Arataka grows uneasy. He twirls a strand of hair around a finger. "You're so sweet to me, all the time. So polite and understanding and patient and loving. You're so fun to talk to, too, your little jokes always make me laugh."

He presses a soft, warm kiss to your cheek. "And you're really attractive."

You fidget with Arataka's free hand, squeezing and bending the fingers, running your fingertips over the body knuckles. His fingers are really square, and kinda long.

"So I love you. Okay?"

His tone is almost unsure. "It's okay if you don't love me back, I'm not—"

"No."

Well that came out louder than you wanted to. He jumped. You didn't mean to startle him, you just want— need him to know.

"...No. I... I love you. I really love you." You reply, pressing his hand to your face. "Love you tonnes."

He chuckles, though he's careful not to move too much and make you too uncomfortable.

And the two of you just sit there for a while, not doing anything. It's quiet, but you're not cold nor warm. You're just nice, just comfortable enough.

Distantly, muffled by the glass windowpane, you can hear the city. You can hear them partying and drinking and having fun on a weekend night, you can hear the cars and the train and every other in-between noise or sound you can think of. It's really nice being held like this, warm hands running over your cold skin.

He hums absentmindedly to himself.

"...Hey," Arataka starts softly. He hesitates, his voice careful and his tone tentative.

"...Do you..." A pause. "...Do you want me to stay for the night? I wouldn't mind so much, I just..."

You nod, and that's all he needs. No more questions, no more words, no more voice. Just you, and him, on the couch during a cloudy night.

[ranboolivesaysstuff]

i'm curious since genloss 1 did well, and gained A LOT of traction outside of your fandom and more into different social medias and general fandoms, do you believe the next genloss will do better or be relatively the same (because less is not an option We will make sure it's the same or higher)

Ive got no clue honestly! I was fully expecting generation 1 to not do nearly as well as it did im just makin these things because I like making them! And the only reason why I want more people to watch and enjoy them is so that I can keep givin you guys cool things! But I think its very very cool so it definitely has the opportunity to do better!

[void-chara]

haha wow i hate how 90% of the celeste tag is just crossovers with other media. anyway here i am to contribute to the problem!

listen at least its a different crossover than usual. adding variety to the suffering. itzsubz celeste au because im mentally ill about him and also i love this game. yippee!!

as usual with my art posts, ramblings and explanations are below the cut

so first hi if ur here from the celeste tag Sorry! quick explanation of What This Is: Itzsubz_ is a youtuber and twitch streamer i enjoy a lot, and recently(a few months ago) he played celeste, which reactivated my celeste fixation after months of dormancy. and that lead to me doubling my goldenberry count lmao(before that i had golden for 1a 2a 1c 2c and 3c. currently i have goldens from 1a 2a and 1c-8c. currently working on 3ag and have been for a few months). so anyway yeah im Really Normal sooo i made a crossover au ! his youtube videos are cool but i cannot in good conscious recommend his streams. hes kind of awful. obsessed with him tho

also the color scheme makes it look like i put him in the badeline role but actually he takes the place of madeline. for Part Of Him/badeline-equivalent im gonna differentiate by givin more of the inhuman characteristics of his online persona and stuff.

now. if ur here for the guy, not the game, you may be asking yourself a very important question right now: why tf does he have tits. and the answer is this: you can take the transgender(character trait) out of celeste but you cannot take the transgender(allegory) out of celeste. so tbh why bother taking the transgender(character trait) out of celeste. sooo i made him bigender in the au. shes like if a girl was just some guy. yippee!! i do a little projection

the guy herself i drew the way i usually draw but with the background i got a bit more experimental and tried some new stuff! i really like how it turned out, especially the mountain and snow

the reason the canvas is so long is because i made this to be my new phone wallpaper since i wanted a new one. also heres some other versions! first is without filters, and the other two are alternate filters.

i loooove creating content which caters specifically to me and absolutely no one else in the world lmao. hope someone enjoys it anywya tho ! also i have plans for less niche art to be posted eventually. currently workin on an ivory drawing, and then after that i have a few plans for more celeste stuff(not crossover this time! ..and also a few more crossover.)

[short-black-diamond]

Im sorry if i shouldn't be venting cuz this is a vent🙏 but i just wanna get this off my chest- just ignore it :)

I've been feeling more lonely internally, there's moments when I'm happy ofc- but the loneliness always returns and i don't think anyone will ever love ( why should they?? 🤨 ) but its rlly sad cuz im a romantic 😭 and i used to feel worse ( it got slightly better ) but it still sucks. and my friend is being different and a bit difficult for my lil heart 😅

e. g. we used to always call or text, but now she either replys dryly or ignores me ( ON PURPOSE ) and irl she justs gives a mean stare ( she does that most of the time but it feels a lil mean cuz I'm always just givin a lil smile )

and today in the entire hall, the teachers allowed us to sit where we wanted to. and everyone had like a fren grp, it was just me and my 2nd bestie ( they're a homie but the 1st one hits diff )

WORST PART I CANT EVEN CRY😭 THE LAST TIME I CRIED WAS 1-2 MONTHS AGO OVER MATH💀

sorry to kinda dump this...

- 👻 anon

(did you take the ghost emoji because of halloween or just because you felt like it?)

I feel like crying when I think about the word math.

---

I feel flattered by the fact that you used my unbox to vent, my love. I just hope that your "friend" won't be mad at you for long?

Would you know what the possible reason might be? maybe something happened to her at home which she doesn't want to talk about, or you guys had an argument where one of you guys said something insensitive?

If she does not want to talk to you, I suggest you let her be and also only speak to her when she starts the conversation. it is best to leave a person alone for a while, maybe they're going through something too at the moment?

I just hope that you won't stay alone for too long as it is not healthy, you know? I want you to be happy. maybe go and take a walk at the park or in the forest where many people walk around and enjoy the fresh breeze of air?

Talk to people, we humans need to be social, you know? it is not really healthy when a person stays alone for too long, my love. I hope you have other people to talk to, you know?

But, feeling alone sometimes if okay. I felt alone most times, and I just decided to write down stuff here in tumblr, and now I have adopted to kids, and am friends with a cool artist from my favourite webtoon.

I hope getting online friends is a good way for you to cope and relax? It also helps me when I bake something and concentrate myself on the ingredients and the way the bake should be prepared.

I don't know if what I said was helpful or not, but I hope I could. If you want to vent more, the box is always open, and also write down if you want me to answer you again or not }

-your diamond.

[midasinc]

les amis and toxic traits (affectionate and derogatory):

-courfeyrac has a bad habit of being on his phone when he's with friends. he's mostly either just swiping through his dating app or texting someone on his dating app and he isn't aware that it's really rude. he's also really bad about borrowing money and not giving it back. if he asks for a couple euro for the metro, you will never get it back. he comes from a rich background and money is something that he forgets not everybody has. feuilly is the only one who holds him accountable for it because "i bought you a drink at the pub two weeks ago and you still owe me and i need to pay rent this week :/"

-enjolras is a pen clicker. oh. my god. he clicks pens at the speed of light and if someone asks him to stop, he'll apologize but then start again like thirty seconds later. it is so. fucking. annoying. also i love him but he's really self-righteous and won't admit when he's wrong. when someone has an opinion that differs his own, he can only see things in black or white. you're on his side, or you're wrong. this also applies to other's and their choices in what they do. he always donates the extra euro when he's checking out at a store for whatever donation project is going and if you don't he will give you the stink eye and publicly ask why you won't. no recyclable grocery bags? he will call you out and badger you until you buy one. you accidentally left the light on when you exited the room? oh my god. he has such good intentions but he forgets that not everybody might be as financially secure as him and not everybody is thinking about it at all times. he wants what's good for the world but it really gets on other people's nerves sometimes

-joly is really similar to enjolras in the sense that he calls people out for their health choices without thinking about their situation. he's getting better about it, but he has criticized grantaire to hell and back about all of his bad habits and not in a nice way. he's really harsh when someone is self-destructive or literally just picks like a soda at a restaurant over water. he wants his friends to be healthy but jesus fucking christ dude. no one asked for your opinion, now is not the time.

-feuilly only eats frozen meals. he only lives on lean cuisines. JEHBJWEHRWJH but also this dude smokes cigs a lot and forgets that smoke and tobacco makes some people feel sick or nauseated. he smokes in his apartment even when people are over and doesn't really think it's that big of a problem. enter: enjolras, who has asthma, and just walked through a cloud and starts hacking. anyway, he also gets really defensive when people call him out on it. it's his choice to smoke and whenever someone is like "hey maybe you might want to cut back" when he's buying a new pack of smokes after buying one three days before, he'll get super snappy and rude because it feels like an attack on him

-speaking of nicotine! jehan vapes and i have no room to speak on this subject bc let's not talk about my juul but they are in denial that it's also a problem. they're like "it's healthy shut up" but will go through pods so fast that it's genuinely comparable to feuilly's same bad habit. they started juuling bc they thought the flavours were yummy and it was cool and oh my god. jehan is also really blunt with their sense of humour and doesn't realize that not everybody thinks its funny. walking into a room and just being like "lmaoooo grantaire you look like shit today" and everybody is kind of like "...hm". combeferre is actually good about calling them out on that sort of stuff, though. if jehan realizes they're in the wrong, they'll apologize

-combeferre is. such. a fucking. movie talker. he just has so much to say at every minute of the movie and it's the worst (this is also me so self-roast). nobody likes to watch movies with him because "dude we just want to watch the fucking movie oh my god". he's also really pretentious and a gatekeeper. if you like the same band as him "oh really? well name three songs-" in a way that makes whoever he's feeling to feel stupid. combeferre really prides himself on his intellect, but it goes too far most of the time and it just comes across as super condescending and a lot of people get annoyed talking with him because it just feels like he's talking down at them the whole time

-marius is also super blunt but not in a way that's meant to be funny. he has absolutely walked into a room and gone "oh enjolras your haircut looks so bad im so sorry :(". and similarly to courfeyrac, he forgets the value of money. he's definitely asked people to go somewhere and has said like "yeah! the concert tickets are like 250 euro which is actually super cheap :)" and feuilly is just. dying inside. he intends to be nice, he just says so much stupid shit. he isn't purposely being a bad guy.

-bossuet never re-fills a roll of toilet paper if he's the last to use it. you do not know how annoying it is to room with this guy. grantaire has absolutely shouted "HOW HARD IS IT TO GRAB ANOTHER TUBE???" from the shitter and bossuet just denies it because it embarrasses him. he's also bad about cleaning dishes and will leave a cup in the sink for weeks if it isn't cleaned by someone else or threateningly left in front of his bedroom door. i love u bae but please clean up after yourself

-grantaire is the fucking worst. i love him but he is the worst. he is so self-deprecating to the point where a lot of people just won't be around him because you can only take so much self-pity before it becomes annoying as hell. he's never accepted a compliment and is one of those "omg no my art is so fucking ugly i hate it so much" when someone says they like a sketch or a painting he did and it is just. so annoying. he's also just super bad about caring about him self. baby forgets to shower and wash his hair and wear deodorant and it's like babe. baby. listen- we are not 13 year old boys anymore, we are men and we need to shower. take your zoloft and let's clean up your room <3

-bahorel is a babe but he's too rough with people. he'll slap someone on the back so hard that they choke on their drink. he's also bad about jokes going too far and just being kind of an asshole he'll snatch up something courfeyrac is holding and hold it up high and courf is 5'5 and bahorel is 6'3 and it is just unfair and unfunny and courfeyrac is not laughing and it just gets old so fast. he thinks people are having fun with him but baby they r not. everybody here is givin you the stink eye, just let the bit die

[moonlit-imagines]

Headcanons for being Hope van Dyne’s child

Hope van Dyne x child!reader

Scott Lang x stepkid!reader

warnings: insects (ants), sharp weapons

a/n:

prompt: anonymous: “Happy holidays darling! Would you write HC for Hope Van Dyne's child? Love the step-parents HC 🥰”

growing up as a lil smarty pants

grandpa hank was pretty proud, although he didn’t see you very much

once every few years

but he did tell you all these crazy stories about his adventures that you honestly thought were just fiction (until you were older)

“and i was as small as an ant, but i was still incredibly strong! remember that, kid. just because you aren’t as big as someone else doesn’t mean you can’t beat them” -hank

“y/n doesn’t need to be hearing those stories, hank” -hope

“why not? they have important life lessons in them!” -hank

“why does mommy call you ‘hank?’” -you

“because mommy hates grandpa, isn’t that right?” -hank

“okay, i think that’s enough of this visit. come on, y/n, time to go” -hope

your mom was very supportive of you, nonetheless

she wanted to be different from her dad

so she showed up to EVERYTHING

birthdays, sick days, tucking you in for bed, parent-teacher conferences, art shows, you name it

“here’s some tea, jellybelly. it’ll make your throat feel better” -hope

“mom, i think i’m dying” -you

“you’ll be fine” -hope, givin’ u a kiss on the forehead

life wasn’t like, extra crazy or anything. sometimes she’d bring you to work and honestly? darren cross didn’t seem like the worst guy. he even brought you whatever you might need if your mom was staying late at work

“hey, van dyne junior! i brought you a puzzle that might keep you busy for a while...and a happy meal from mcdonalds! let me know if you need anything else, me and your mom will just be in the lab for a little while” -darren

“thank you!!!” -you

uh huh, ur mom taught u manners!

anyways you started spending more time with your grandpa cuz they had a plan

thats when you found out that his “turning small” stories were not, in fact, bullshit

“wait grandpa...you actually did shrink as small as an ant?” -you

“why would i lie?” -hank

okay well cue you wanting to shrink down to ant size now it was your new aspiration

you did learn how to command ants tho!!!!!!

but unfortunately (or not so unfortunately) hank brought scott to the party

“hi!” -you, waking scott up

“what?!” -scott, jumping back against the headboard

“hi.” -you, staring at him “im y/n. these are my ants”

bullet ants were just crawlin around the place

“oh, that’s....that’s cool. any chance you could tell me where i am or how i got here” -scott

“wouldn’t you like to know, weather boy” -you, leaving abruptly

“are you bothering our guest?” -hope, watching you proudly nod “good job, jellybelly”

mom taught u how to punch 🥰🥰🥰

and let you use scott as a punching bag

but scott wasn’t like awful or anything he was just insufferable at times

“i think you’d like my daughter cassie. she’s weird and smart just like you” -scott

“did you just call me weird? mom, can i punch him again?” -you

“no no no! i meant weird in a good way! please dont hurt me anymore!” -scott

chasing him around the yard ready to ATTACK

hank had to tell u to cut it out

“dont tell them what to do” -hope

“someone has to” -hank

“excuse me? i parent y/n just fine, better than you ever did for me!” -hope

“do they do this often?” -scott

“every time they see each other but that’s not very much” -you

“hm...hey, do you like ice cream? specifically baskin robbins?” -scott

ur mom said “we do not associate with idiots ❤️” and then proceeded to associate with said idiots

scott did end up saving u from darren tho bc that mf tried to hold u hostage and scott was really not in the mood for that bullshit

“you alright, y/n?” -scott

“murder is okay, right?” -you

after that whole ordeal he and your mom were kinda a thing uh huh

and he introduced you to cassie!!! she was amazingly sweet and you could def see the family resemblance

“is this my new sibling?! i’ve always wanted one!” -cassie

“hey, me too!” -you

you hung out with her on a weekly basis, with or without scott

and mom and grandpa were working on a ✨special project✨

one you insisted on being apart of

“no, y/n, we can’t make you your own suit. you’re too young for this sort of thing” -hope

“pleaaaaase mom? i swear i’ll he responsible with it!” -you

“you’re mother is right, y/n. you’re just not ready yet. maybe someday, but not anytime soon” -hank

scott took you on family bowling trips yes he did

and just corny stepdad shit

but he went to germany and mom and him broke up and FF to two years later when you guys had finally reunited

“scott!! you asshole!!” -you, like this -> :)

“kiddo!! sorry to hear that!!” -scott, same energy

shading him the whole time

“ach mein gott” -you

“are you kidding me, y/n? i make one mistake. ONE” -scott

“you’re one mistake has caused me to live in MINIATURE HOMES” -you

“THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD THING” -scott

“WELL IT’S NOT” -you

“did you at least miss me?” -scott

“sicher habe ich” -you

“god dammit” -scott

surprise!! u kind of had a suit (for emergencies)

as a van dyne/pym, it was almost a necessity to know how to use pym particles

scott acted like a proud dad

“wow, you’re really doing it!!!” -scott

“halt die klappe” -you

“please stop” -scott, tearing up

finding out about ✨grandma✨

she possessed scott and touched ur face and told you that she was so excited to meet you but you didn’t know wtf was going on and you had the urge to smack scott but THANKFULLY you did not

“i have to meet her for real! let me help you guys!” -you

“okay” -hope

“what? really?” -you

“it’s about time we put your genius to good use” -hope

scott offered you a high five for that and u literally accepted it

“don’t get too happy, that was just an in-the-moment thing” -you, watching scott’s eyebrow raise “fine. you can have a hug”

okay okay well everything went okay and then half the world ~vanished~ including ur whole family but like cassie and her family took you in and you spent five years very alone and upset until one day cassie called you downstairs and whoopdedoo???? scott???????

“is my mom with you?” -you

“sorry, sport, she’s not...do you have your suit with you? we need to go on some...hero business” -scott

you missed scott a lot over the past 5 years, this really did cheer you up, even if it was just him

“how’ve you been holding up the past few years” -scott

“the world sucks, man” -you

“i can see that” -scott

he turned on some tunes for the two of you to enjoy otw to the avengers hq and it was probably the best memory you created since everyone disappeared

“wait, reach into the glove box” -scott

“oh, god, i hope there’s no rodents in here...” -you, reaching for a picture “is this..?”

“family photo!! you were little back then, i can’t believe how time flies. i mean, it flew really quick for me, the quantum realm is no joke” -scott

you were busy staring at the picture of your mom, you really missed her

busy ~saving the world~

and going to 2012 with scott

“hey uh just so you know, i might be able to make pym particles” -you

“‘might?’ and if we use faulty pym particles we ‘might’ die. would you like that?” -tony

“hey, back off, stark. they’re just trying to help” -scott

next thing u know ur in present day and THEN u actually got to hold the scepter bc scott let u

“im gonna stab you!!” -you

“no!!!” -scott

the other avengers, literally mourning natasha while you chase him around with a sharp weapon: 😧

okay after the place was destroyed u got to face mr. purple man and yo mama showed back up and saw you on the front lines

“y/n????” -hope

“mom????” -you

“scott!!!!” -scott

“really, scott? a shrek reference? now?” -you “...nice”

the reunion with your mom was short and sweet but you missed her forehead kisses and she gave you one immediately!!!! and she was crying but you were too bc damn

“listen, after this, we’re gonna have such a fun family night. i’m so sorry i couldn’t be there for you all this time” -hope

“mom, it wasn’t your fault...it was that purple bastard, let’s get him!” -you

“they grow up so fast...” -hope

i n s e c t f a m

insect fam killed it out there and then ✨attended tony’s funeral✨ together right after

that’s one solid family 😌💖

anyways time to celebrate a (halfway) return to normalcy

with your *sister* cassie and your mom and your...scott

you were just happy to all be together again, it’s been WAY too long

taglist: @alwaysananglophile // @rorybutnotgilmore // @locke-writes // @sweetheartliz07 // @queen-destenie // @natasha-danvers // @lokihiddles // @frostedficrecs // @lotsoffandomrecs // @johnmurphyisqueer // @teenwaywardasgardian // @pappydaddy // @captainshazamerica // @freya-xo // @ravenmoore14 // @thisetaernallove // @ofthedewthesunlight // @canarypoint // @zoeyserpentluck // @randomawesomeperson102 // @spideyandtheboys // @ghost-bich // @wonderful-writer // @of-a-chaotic-mind // @groovyfluxie // @procrastinatingsapphictrash // @lxncelot //

[kurameshii]

😩

Gee ok. Here. You asked, you got it.

- they are very gentle with each other.

- silent understanding.

- they trusted each other in first meeting.

- they haven't connected through fighting. they havent earned the respect of the other by fighting or because of their power. they earned the respect of the other by unknowledging that they are worth having around, that the other's life is important. that they are worth givin their life for but to live for as well.

- they just connected in a special way to me.

- when yusuke said that he looked straight to kurama's eyes and thought he wasn't a lying that he was a good guy, and how botan seemed very surprised to see Yusuke say that, it really make me feel like they were gonna end up close friends.

- how they parallel each other in some way. both about thinking that their mothers wouldn't missed them if they were gone at first, similar traumas through the chapter black, ended up being trapped between two worlds, and such. Pls tell me if i miss something about this.

- the fact that it's kinda implied that they talked a lot in between scenes. (Ex how Kurama knew yukina was hiei's sister. Yusuke told him after the fight with team masho)

- also that conversation might have been quite interesting knowing how Yusuke reacted to Kurama being beaten up and almost destroy everything.....

- the hair cutting scene. (In which I KNOW that Yusuke asked Kurama a lot about the fact that now he's a demon and such....)

- when Yusuke said he was sorry for not going to shiori's wedding and Kurama said "that made me happy" I'm sorry I don't remember any other moment when he directly said that he felt happy. Other than being with his mother.

- you know because important people to Kurama is 1) his mother 2) Yusuke and kuranoe obviously.

- Anyway Yusuke makes the top important person in any character in Yyh and myself. I know for a fact Yusuke changed his life. Absolutely. That's cannon.

- that scene when Kurama suddenly appear behind kuwabara and said that he was there for quite some time, seemly hidden. He was secretly observing Yusuke IMO. Haha let me have this. They guy likes to stalk people. that's just his thing.

- Kurama's hand belongs in Yusuke's waist. I make the rules.

- idk i feel like Yusuke can feel a little vulnerable but comfortable talking with Kurama who doesn't judge him or just simply being close to him.

- the fact that it's so hard to think about them fighting......... And wonder why Togashi haven't shown them fighting in the first place. A fight between them when it was implied the idea of a war in the makai would have been so cool to see. Uuuh interesting.

- when koenma said "you guys have a strange relationship" and Kurama said " we prefer to take action rather than conspire in secret" that stayed with me for some reason. Kurama is a puzzle.

- they have an entertaining dynamic. Sherlock and Watson. Perfect crime solving duo.

- im guilty that the latin american dub helped quite a lot to make me ship them at first, but when i saw it again in japanese it only confirmed everything to me. sometimes the english dub also has its times which i like, but it lacks the dramatism that the original voices has. yusuke changes A LOT. for example in the way he talks about kurama in the preview of the episode of his fight with shigure.

- subtext baby all delicious subtext.

There's more but i don't remember. Little stupid things.

Now let's keep on drawing pretty pictures before I bore you all with my ramblings.

[grimbeak]

How Pirate Jay Au Jay deal with the rest of the seasons 

DotD: 

*I haven’t watched this ep in 4+ years so Im just gonna focus on the bruise at the end

*Very happy that his bf is no longer a ghost! Now he can give surprise hugs without faceplanting on the floor! (Kai comments that they’re ‘going to be even worse now’)

*Oh yeah and he’s happy to see Morro bc that happens ig 

S7:

*Spends most of it having literally no idea what’s going on

*Acronix tries to manipulate him ab his mom and Jay’s like ‘bitch stfu’ so it doesn’t rly work out

*He honestly doesn’t care ab the fact that Wu’s dying all that much bc he’s only known him for a few months (and he’s still a bit upset about the whole ‘banishing my mom instead of trying to talk to her’ thing)

*He doesn’t have Ed n Edna to worry ab so he just fucks around a bit before going ‘fuck it’ and grabbing the timeblade before anyone else can get to it

*he didn’t have a vehicle he just ran

*pirate coat flowing in the wind 

*Anyway Kai eventually rants to him ab his parents being supposedly evil and jay’s like ‘oh no,,,, how awful that must be for you,,, can’t relate,,,, at all,,,’ which earns him a smack on the head

*Ray and Maya see this new lightning master and are like ‘um is no one else concerned about this’ 

S8:

*Jay searched for Wu for a year (despite not givin a fuck lmao) purely to spend a year with his boyf. That was the only reason. 

*He is freak tF out by Lloyd’s voice change:

‘WHAT’S WRONG WITH HIM’ 

‘he’s fine it’s just puberty- you literally went through this jay’

‘NORMAL HUMAN FUNCTIONS DON’T WORK PROPERLY IN THE CURSED REALM MY VOICE NEVER CHANGED BITCH’

‘is that why you’re still so short’

‘FUCK OFF I NEED TO EAT MORE APPARENLY’

*Harumi is just unimpressed with him her description of him is smthn like ‘the pirate ninja who has no self control’ 

*He instantly knows she’s the traitor but no one really listens to him

*He laughs at them when they figure out he was right

*Jay gets a very quick rundown of what happened with Garmadon and is no longer laughing 

*uhhh canon events happen ig

S9:

*Yeah pretty much canon events as well except for the fact that Jay is freaKING OUT about the fact that there are DRAGONS

‘jay we can make magical dragons’

‘YEAH BUT THEY’RE MADE OF ENERGY AND OUR OWN EMOTIONS THESE ONES ARE NOT’ 

*He still loses it for a bit but instead of him just giving up completely it’s more like he’s drunk

S10:

*No proposin yet because they’re literal children and also shits goin DOWN

*goin down like cole

*sorry

*They have to physically restrain Jay from jumping down after Cole when he falls

*when kai re-makes the golden weapons jay’s kinda like ‘ohhh so that’s what the nunchucks looked like b4 you guys melted them cool cool’ 

*Cole’s back!! Jay’s happy!! Everyone wins!! 

*no one wins bcuz Lloyd’s dead. When he comes back Jay offers him an invite to the club of ‘we died but not anymore’. Zane and Jay were previously the only members. 

S11:

*uhhh what happens in this season again 

*nothing important so lets move on

S12:

(Pre-season 12, Jay gets an odd feeling, and finds Clutch Powers just about to open the teapot of tyrahn. He smacks him and goes ‘no’ before kicking it into the ocean. Ninjago city is safe once more.) 

*Nothing really changes except for the fact that he actually calls the cult that he made a cult and they only cause anarchy 

*Cole just points to where the crowds are running from and is like ‘jay’s over there’ 

*Also Jay has literally no idea what’s going on in this video game world bcuz like everything is just weird and he hasn’t really had time for games with all the heroing going on 

*Bruise happens n they dance

*Jay is horrible at dancing but they do it anyway

*Canon stuff (except Nya dies in the car with Kai for bruise reasons)

*Cole sacrificing himself at the end fuckin hurts bcuz last time Jay died in Cole’s arms,,, now it’s the opposite (sorta lmao) 

*At the confrontation with Unagami, Jay’s just like “look dude the people who were supposed to protect me threw my mom who was pregnant with me into the cursed realm without even giving me a chance to live, so let’s just both agree that our families suck and move on” and Unagami’s like “Sure that makes sense” 

*They bond over having no idea what anything is at any time

S13: 

*Jay is so proud of his boyfriend getting a season

*Jay please stop breaking the fourth wall I’m trying to write

*Vania tries to flirt with Cole, Jay responds by fuckin making out with him in front of everyone

*y e a h

*the queen tries to marry him and jay’s like ‘uh i have a bf’ and she’s like ‘not anymore’ and nya’s like ‘im his lesbian sister let me fight you for him’ and the queen’s like ‘do you wanna get married instead’ and nya’s like ‘uh no i have a gf too’ and the queen is like ‘well i can’t marry the green one he’s a minor’ and lloyd’s just so confused 

*Cole does his Thing with his new 3 poly uncles 

*Uh stuff happens

*

*

*Bruise

*No one’s really sure who the queen ended up marrying but they’re never going back there just in case

The Island:

*Jay likes his flower crown. He wears on the brim of his pirate hat.

[halfgclden]

EPISODE 32: A MAJOR OCCURANCE

The sound of spooky intro music plays and fades out. As the microphone clicks on, faint sounds of water and traffic can be heard in the background.

JADE: Hello cryptwizzlers, cryptrackers, but never cryptormentors because we’re all friends here. Welcome to a very special episode of Cryptwins in which we are not actually researching a cryptid. But! Before you shut this off and call us hacks, we are instead researching the recent disappearance of social media fitness guru; Edison Major.

More spooky music plays. There is also the sound of fingers tapping a rhythm. It's typical Joel, unable to contain his energy as he taps the dashboard in time with their intro music.

JOEL: Weeeeeeeell...Maybe we are hacks. —a pause as he laughs— Nah, just kidding. This is the real deal. I'm not sure you're ready for this. This is some spooky, and excuse my French, spooky shit. Tell us more about this Major disappearance? —another laugh— Get it?

JADE: [A short laugh-sigh is let out at Joel’s joke.] Okay, before we begin, two things. One, get ready for the barrage of major and minor jokes, courtesy of Joel here.

JOEL: Got a whole list, be ready! He lets Jade finish, but listeners can still hear the tapping sound while she speaks.

JADE: Secondly, we’re still on the road here, so if the audio is bad or choppy... deal with it? —another small laugh— Anyyyyway. Spooky is right. This all began in September of last year, when @majored posted a picture of himself in a dark basement wearing a weird costume and then immediately went off the grid. And, you know, I’m all for a social media cleanse, people do it all the time. Buuut, what really brought this to our attention was a month later, on Halloween Eve of all nights, when a video popped up of him getting his ass kicked by someone in a Kakashi Hatake costume.

JOEL: Now, I know y'all are asking yourselves "Isn't he a fitness guru? Why was some weeb kickin' his ass?" And to that I say hey! Some weebs are strong, some are Super Saiyan, and others are Kakashi Hatake, the most talented ninja in Konohagukure.

JADE: lets out a laughing wheeze.

JOEL: We don't endorse fighting here. But I digress —a laugh— back on topic. So this guy just up and disappears out of nowhere? And there's not a peep of him until we see Kakashi givin’ him the business. What does this all mean?

JADE: Okay, so, let’s get the full story. @majored goes off the grid, comes back to get his ass kicked by a Naruto character, disappears again, comes back to spit on someone and call them a see you next Tuesday, and then disappears again. And he hasn’t come back online. So what’s up with that? Well... we did a little digging.

Another spooky noise plays over the sound of Jade organizing a stack of papers.

JOEL: Daaaaaaang. I’d say those are some fightin' words, especially from someone who keeps pulling a vanishing act, don’t ya think?

JADE: They really are! I mean, he is from New Zealand, but even so, I think you don’t use that word unless you want to attract some attention. -She clicks her tongue as she gets back on topic- The video was originally posted the night before Halloween of last year, by @ime.are on Twitter. Obviously they got a lot of hate and questions after posting this, but all of them were left unanswered. The only person in the video that was tagged was Major, but upon further examination, this Ime seems to follow and have pictures with someone who happened to be dressed as Kakashi that same night, which has led many to speculate that these ninjas are the same person.

JOEL: So we all know Halloween's a spooooky season. Perfect for parties and all that jazz. But all those costumes make it a perfect time for disguises. Was that even the real Major? Was the person who spit the real Major? Who is this Ime and how do they fit into the story? And who— a pause for dramatic effect and muffled laughter as he tries to stay serious— is this mystery ninja? Tell us more!

JADE: Alright, alright. So this mystery ninja goes by Abel, or @_kllledbycain on the Gram. At first glance, they look pretty much like every other TikTok e-boy; black and white photos, pet snake, the insinuation that they’re dead, whole nine yards.

JOEL: snorts when Jade announces their handle, and again at her eboy comment, wheezing. It's true, it's true!

JADE: And this stuff is so common right now, so nothing really raises any eyebrows, right? Right? Well, tell me, why would a Tik Tok goth go around beating the crap out of a random influencer? Stay tuned for the theory. First, we’re gonna take a step back and look at the whole situation, because, of course, it doesn’t end there.

JOEL: Ohhhh snap! I'm on the edge of my seat, and I bet our listeners are too.

JADE: [clears her throat] So if we go back to the original poster of the video, @ime.are, and we take a look at their Insta, who is on it but... @devinitely? Okay, so @devinitely is in the same place as @majored, clearly, and, for anyone that doesn’t know, she’s been doing a bunch of collabs with @loganvance. This places not one, not two, but three influencers all together in this place where weebs are running around assaulting people.

JOEL: Okay. Okay, I need to know! Where are they? What's bringing all these influencers together? Are @devinitely and @loganvance part of something much more sinister than it seems? [He makes a funny face at Jade and wiggles his fingers, before dropping his voice to a stage-whisper.] Is it some kind of twisted influencer cult?

JADE: Shhhh, Joel, spoilers.

JOEL: [He laughs.] Sorry, sorry!

JADE: [muffled laughter over the sound of more papers rustling.] So, any skeptics out there might say, oh, well, this Ime Are is just a lucky person who happens to be in the presence of more than one social media personality. However, Devin follows the weeb that may or may not have kicked Major's ass. And, according to a cast photo of Rocky Horror, on her boyfriend's Instagram, both the weeb in question and the hot man that tore the two apart were part of the cast. This would be a great time to mention that a link to the video is in the description, as are all the pictures from social media that I'm referencing.

JOEL: [to Jade but loud enough for the mic to pick it up at regular volume] Oh snap, you got everything together in a link? Like, I could click the link to check it out right now? — A pause as he does just that.— Woah, cryptwizzlers, she's not kidding. Click the link in bio, you won't be disappointed. Okay, Jade...hear me out. Given that it was Halloween, the night of nights. Do you think that...maybe it was all an elaborate event? Was it staged? Is any of this real?

JADE: Oh, my dear brother, always the skeptic. Don’t you think that it’s a bit much for him to stop posting entirely in order to get publicity? And we mustn’t forget the spitting on someone in South Dakota, that’s not exactly his brand. Unless he’s trying out something like Taylor Swift and Reputation but... I digress. No, I don’t think any of this is staged, and I’ll tell you why. Let’s go back to the weird cow print basement post. You know who also happened to post something about some cowboy party? Oh, um, Devin’s boyfriend? A picture of him, Devin, and Logan? Which... puts them and Major in the same place on the night that he disappeared.

JOEL: Not a skeptic! Just trying to get all these questions answered. —A laugh— You're right, that's 180 from the online presence he used to have. All theories aside, —a pause— I'd love to go to a cowboy party. Get me a glow-in-the-dark cowboy hat. You know they make 'em. —He laughs again, mouthing 'what?' to Jade.—

JADE: Oh, def. We're getting matching hats. Check out our merch in a few weeks —she laughs— Glow in the dark mothman themed cowboy hats, talk about a niche.

JOEL: Snap, we have to do that now, 'cause I want one real bad. But okay, back on track. This cowboy party. The origin of this theory, yeah? Oh snap...what were those three doing in the same place as Major? And all in cow print too? That's....majorly suspicious! [He trails off into laughter, his voice doing that wheezy thing when someone's trying to finish their sentence before cracking up. Recovering, he adds the following.] Wait, wait, wait. What about—

JADE: Yes, yes, yes. —she cuts Joel off as though he's finished his sentence, chuckling at his joke— Patience, my dear twin, we will get there. —the smile is evident in her voice—

JOEL: I feel like somehow, I ended up as your Padawan for this episode. — he laughs—

JADE: You heard it here, I'm absolutely schooling Joel this episode. — she laughs— First, we're going to backtrack all the way to the original poster again. You know we snooped their whole page, and they're pretty regularly posting pictures with this person, @rengaaay, who isn't an influencer but she makes some of those sick ass roller skating videos... this isn't sus, just cool, link in the description. —a slight pause as she tries to get back to her train of thought— Anyway, what is sus is that she tags two people in her photos all the time... But no joke guys check out their Insta profiles they look different in like every other picture. Which, uh, could just be editing but also could be something.... more sinister? Hold onto that thought.

JOEL: That's such a good handle, dang! Better than @lumberjoel, honestly. I have to say I'm jelly. We should get branded rollerskates, maybe @rengaaay can advertise for us if we ship them. JK...unless? —more laughter as he waits for Jade to get back on the train and pulls up the profiles in question to take a look for himself— Huh...is it editing? Are they masters of disguise? Makeup professionals? —He starts to say something else but is pretty sure he's figured out where Jade's going with this.— What could be more sinister than human chameleons?

JADE: [The sound of papers shuffling can be heard] Oh, yeah, so, it's weird but I think every time the siblings are in a pic together they look more like each other? I dunno if this really makes sense but seriously dudes check the post with this episode because it has a bunch of photos side by side and... yeah. You pull a photo of them by themself and it's like okay, I know what this dude looks like and then you put them side by side and... I dunno, makeup? Contacts? Cloning, mayhaps? And, just so that I'm not just holding on to one thing too much... check their post from August 12th, linked below. Their brother... doesn't have a shadow. Why would you edit that out of a photo? No way are they going that hard to be memelords.

JOEL: Okay, let me look at this. Wha— That's weird as hell. How much hair dye do these two use? Hm. Could be clones? —snaps his fingers—Definitely clones. —he snorts loudly, laughing before clearing his throat— Ahem, uh. No shadow? That's dedication! I dunno, maybe it's some new challenge for the 'gram. Oh...but wait. I found a video. Look, Jade. No shadow. In a video. What the—

JADE: A video, guys. —A moment of muffled laughter before her mic cuts out, but the sound of it clicking on again is followed almost immediately— This is a big family, guys, and a big weird one because their other brother @sleepyfinch... Okay, wait, he himself is pretty normal, super cute, shout out, but guys, ghouls, you know who he has tagged in a recent post? Yet another influencer. Except this one is from Italy? @gaborealis; essentially, he’s a medium, so if you didn’t believe that the supernatural were at play beforehand... buckle up.

JOEL: Wait, wait, I'm still on the video thing. Who has time to edit a video? —his voice cracks when he says video and he covers his laughter as he focuses—

JADE: [wheezing] Shut up —there is no malice in her voice, and she’s laughing too.—

JOEL: So weird, I love it. Oh snap— the @gaborealis? It's time to get ghosty! —echoes "ghosty" and hums the Cha Cha Slide tune for a couple seconds— Okay, so wait. Does this mean everyone's favorite medium is also in the same place as...three? Three other influencers and this weird family of....maybe shapeshifters? No? Too crazy a theory?

JADE: You know what they say, cryptoddlers; no theory is too crazy. Everything Einstein came up with? Theory.

JOEL: Bringing Einstein into it, huh?

JADE: Oh you know it. —a snort— Anyway, according to Devin’s boyfriend’s Instagram, it doesn’t end there. @spencerkeahi, a youtuber and disability rights advocate who comes from Hawaii is also there with that gaggle. Shout out to @elidrising for tagging people and location. So what are these influencers from all corners of the globe gathering together for? Well, let’s take a look at the original poster again. You go on their Twitter, and a few months back it’s all just videos of people... fighting? In some sort of underground place. Mayhaps... the same creepy basement that Major posted his last photo? —a small gasp, as though she’s surprised by this— No, that must be a coincidence... or is it?

Another spooky sound plays

JOEL: @elidrising is the man, dang! Are you tellin' me there's a...—he lowers his voice to a whisper— secret influencers-only Fight Club? I wouldn't put it past @devinitely TBH. Honestly, I'd join one...even though I guess I've broken the first rule but talking about it, huh? Actually— Jay, do you think we'd even be allowed to join? Are podcasters influencers? Poll in my story right now, let us know what y'all think.

JADE: Right now? Joel, this isn’t going up for another week, at least. —She’s obviously trying to sound less amused than she’s coming off— Once we get the blue check we’re influencers, so we’ve got a few million followers to go, I think.

JOEL: Yeah, right now! They'll hear that when the episode goes up and respond in real ti— Oh, no. You're right. Oops. No poll in my story, y'all. False alarm. Blue check, huh? You heard it here, cryptwizzlers, we're gonna get that blue check. Tell your friends, tell your family. Heck, tell that cute barista at your coffee shop to listen to our podcast! We might just do a giveaway when we get that lil' blue swoosh.

JADE: [clears her throat.] You know what’s a great way to get us that blue check, though?

A different, light sort of spooky music begins playing in the background, meaning that it’s time for the ad break

JOEL: Take it away!

JADE: Checking out a little app called Creature Comforts. Alright guys, not that this show isn’t one hundred percent real as it is, but for real, I love this app. A dating sim that features everyone’s favorite... for lack of a better term, monsters. Did you watch the Shape of Water and go, “Damn, I’d tap that”? Do you want to snuggle with a Sasquatch? Do you just wish you could find yourself a GF with more eyes? Well, have we got the app for you. Creature Comforts lets you do all this and more. A choose-your-own-adventure game where you can smooch beasts, marry Mothman, and ignore the outside world. It’s seriously all I want. And, if you enter the code cryptwins— that’s the name of the podcast you’re listening to, no capital letters, when you download the app, then it’s only 99 cents to play without ads. Which, trust me ghouls, is worth it. I don’t want anything interrupting my cut scene with the most stunning eyes in West Virginia.

JOEL: Don't forget that scuba diving date with Nessie! Or, or...that half-day hike with Bigfoot. —he's laughing again smh— There's a reason Jade does the ad reads and not me. But, I can tell you that Mothman is sure to sweep you off your feet. And it's not just because he can fly.

JADE: It’s the —a pause for finger snapping— alliteration for me. But that’s Creature Comforts, exactly how you think you’d spell it, don’t ask us ‘cause we’re dyslexic, and cryptwins, like the name of this podcast. Tweet us @cryptwins to let us know how far along you are, who you’re pursuing, and what mysteries you unlock about their backstories. Now... I think it’s time for a timeline, just to get us sorted out, what do you think, Joel?

JOEL: Personally, I'm still tryin' to land a date with the Creature from the Black Lagoon. I guess we'll see what happens. Aw heck yeah! Give us a timeline, give us the dirt. — a laugh — Give the people what they want!

JADE: Okay — the shuffling of paper is heard once more — We start in September: @majored goes off the grid after posting a creepy picture of himself in a weird outfit in a spooky basement. This is around the same time that the Scarlet Surfer was in NYC for fashion week, which @majored accompanied him to, meaning that it isn’t entirely out of the question for him to still be in New York. Also on social media at this time is @devinitely and @loganvance also both is cowboy outfits, though the creepy basement is absent from both of them.

JOEL: I guess September isn't too early for weird Halloween stuff to start? What with the spooky basement and everything. Right? And everyone loves a cowboy moment— or have cowboys become the new clown? I heard there was a clown renaissance and people like them now? I don't really know where we stand on the whole clown— what?

JADE: I see our next hot debate. Cowboys: Hot or not? Personally, I liked cow print, but I can see cowboys going out soon. Once they reach killer clown status is when it’ll be ideal for me.

JOEL: Personally, I vote hot. And uhhh, not to kinkshame you Jay, but killer clowns are a no from me.

JADE: [tsks] Kinkshamed, by my own brother no less.

JOEL: [a loud laugh] You know I'm just kidding. No kinkshaking, ya heard? I'd literally let the Jersey Devil step on me so. To each their own.

JADE: [snorting] Um, gross.

JADE: Now to October: There is a production of Rocky Horror, a cast photo is uploaded to @elidrising, the account of @devinitely’s boyfriend. This places not only @devinitely and @loganvance in Montauk, but it also places @crispyboiz and @_kllledbycain in Montauk too. These are two of the people that are suspected to belong in the video by @ime.are, in which (suspected) @_kllledbycain, dressed as Kakashi Hatake attacked @majored, only to be torn apart by good citizen @crispyboiz. This video is the first that we’ve seen of @majored since his last post, and he offers nothing in response to it.

JOEL: Okay. Okay. Now, you know I love a good shadow-cast of Rocky Horror. I've always wanted to play Frank. I would rock that part. Am I wrong? —he laughs— But okay, that's - count 'em - three influencers in one place? If @elidrising is there, we can assume @devinitely is too because she was in the same location as, uh, whatshername? Logan? And that's the same location as @ime.are. Who took the video of  Kakashi kicking @majored's ass. @_kllledbycain— more like killedbyKakashi, eh? Seriously why are all these people together?

JOEL: [as an afterthought] It's gotta be a cult.

JADE: November to December: Nothing happens with @majored, @ime.are also offers nothing except for quote unquote “#teamkakashi”, which is funny because they never tagged Kakashi, but anyways. Upon deeper inspection, there are videos on their Twitter from last May, of people in a fighting ring. And then people fighting on a lake? But the fighting ring looks super dangerous and I dunno, like you said, cult-y? Fight-club-y? Call it what you will. In any case, we are led to believe that this fighting has been going on for some time in the background.

JOEL: Okay, come on. That’s definitely a cult. I’ve seen the movie, can confirm. — he groans— Literally what is an Italian astrologer doing there? Wait, wait, wait. Montauk? You said Montauk. Montauk, as in on Long Island. As in like —he drops his voice to a stage-whisper— the part of Long Island that peeps believe to be the site of a government cover-up involving kidnapping, mind control, and time travel? The part that inspired Stranger Things? That Montauk? Snap. I can’t believe I didn’t put two and two together sooner. Jade, Jade. What if this is, I don’t know, like, MKUltra 2.0?

JADE: Yes, yes that Montauk, I’m glad you picked up on that. Look, I’m not saying that it’s an influencer’s-only thing, but I am saying that some might be in the area, and maybe involved. At the same time throughout all of this, we have a culmination of more influencers seeming to know this network of people. @gaborealis, an Italian astrologer, is seen in pictures of @sleepyfinch, who was also in the production of Rocky Horror, and has pictures with @crispyboiz and, god, this name is a freaking nightmare, @_kllledbycain. Not to mention this guy has many pictures of weird… family members? Who sometimes look alike? Okay, but seriously, @kodakola and @sonofpeter, how is your hair not straw at this point? Is it wigs? I think my hair would simply fall out. And y’all using Insta filters or what, cause… I’m not gonna get into it, let’s keep going.

JOEL: Maybe they're makeup vloggers or something. Gotta change up the look for views, right? Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe and uhhhh, smash that follow button— or whatever YouTubers say. —he laughs— Okay but seriously, yeah. @sonofpeter, @kodakola, whatever you two are doing to your hair, let me know because I'm trying to bleach my hair and dye it bright purple without it falling out. And since we're doing it at our next stop, well, your advice will probably be too late. But still, what are your secrets? Is it...clones?

JADE: Joel! —she’s laughing again.— Timeline and then theories. —she clears her throat— After that long silence, a Tweet emerges. January 8th. "Can’t believe @majored SPAT on me and called me a C-Blank-Blank-T when he checked into @SDFamilyMotel last night”. This places Major across the country from where we believed him to be, but acting so strangely that one must wonder… was that really him? Or was it someone that just looked like him? Or was it a cry for help? Nothing’s been heard since from @majored, which I guess… leads us to our theories. —a pause— You were saying… clones, Joel?

JOEL: Sheeeeesh, this is not @majored's year. I gotta say, this sounds totally different from the vibe that this guy used to put out on his social media. Obviously Instagram is fake blah blah blah, you know the spiel, but like. Damn. He spit on them? —a pause as he considers what his sibling has said— You know....I think that's a really good point. Was that even the real him? Will the real Ed Major please stand up?

JADE: I know. It just seems out of character, and terrible for a reputation, but it also would make sense if... One, this is a fake @majored, meant to stir up controversy before he goes underground again. And with an action like spitting on someone and calling them a name like that? Who cares what the dude does after that? Unfollowed, cancelled, whatever. And why would this guy want to go underground, well, I'm glad you're so interested. Well, the official Cryptwins theory is that maybe... just maybe, the crazy, government cover-up Montauk that we all know and love isn't that far from truth. We see that they have means of covering up shadows —she lets out a laugh— and people whose faces just change? And who else is there, @spencerkeahi, someone who explains rehabilitation, maybe someone who has experience helping people get used to being a clone? @ime.are, a nurse who enjoys taking videos of people fighting? It all adds up, people!

JOEL: Yeah, seriously. With the real @majored MIA, there would be no one to combat the backlash from this supposed...clone? Imposter? And maybe that’s what they want. Looks like Montauk isn’t the ideal vacation spot anymore, huh? Even if their seaside cabins are super chill and homey. But I digress. Something sinister is going on. Something bigger than we can even imagine. A secret underground facility that’s...cloning influencers? Training them? Your guess is as good as mine. And that’s why we’re on this road trip, isn’t that right Jade? To get some answers?

JADE: Exactly. —it sounds as though she is holding back a laugh or a cough.— Cross country roadtrip in which we explore different topics like this one, and on the way, we'll document our progress and any spooky encounters. Check out our insta, @cryptwins to get all the updates, and consider hitting us up on Patreon if you want us to be able to afford the gas to get all the way to the east coast.

JOEL: I’ll be posting behind the scenes content in the “ROADTRIP” highlight on my Insta throughout the trip so be sure to check my stories. You might get lucky and find some special codes for Creature Comforts but, hey. You didn’t hear it from me. -he laughs and there’s the distinct sound of a bag of chips being opened- What Jade meant to say is gas and snack money. So yeah, go go go! Check out the Patreon! We might even do a giveaway at the end of our trip, get you guys some cool souvenirs we pick up on our travels. Not a bad idea, eh?

JADE: Joel, my ears are literally bleeding right now. Thanks. Anyway, our second theory will also be exclusive to our Patrons, so be sure to get the full video there. Cryptwins... out...

Her voice fades out and the music from the beginning fades in, takes over, and plays until the end of the track.

[this-is-my-canon]

My @kakaobiweek prompt for today, Crossover

Stowaway

Read it on Ao3 here

Obito missed the hum of the engines at times like these. He missed feeling the excitement of Akatsuki taking off into space, sending him and his crew across the galaxy on whatever job the universe landed on ‘em. These here stops at port were near intolerable for a ship’s captain. But unfortunately, they were the jobs that paid - and as much as he disapproved of his high class cousin’s profession, Itachi was a reliable and steady source of income for the crew.

While stuck picking up his noble companion of a cousin, it didn’t hurt to wrangle a few more fares. People were always lookin’ to pay their way to someplace. It was an easier way to make money than heistin’. Even Konan couldn’t argue against the benefit of it.

By the time he was finally able to launch them back into space, sending Yahiko to the controls and Kakuzu and Hidan to survey the back of the ship for any signs of chase, Obito was tired. In his exhaustion and stress, he hadn’t paid much mind to Itachi’s shuttle’s return to the ship, or what comp’ny he may have brought on board his Akatsuki. It wasn’t until he was standing at the helm, recoverin’ from a deep sleep with a hot cup of coffee cradled in his hands, that Konan pointed out a terrible fact which should’ve been brought to his attention from the beginning.

[[MORE]]

“Itachi...what now?” he asked, massaging his brow as he tried to process it.

“BUN tyen-shung duh ee-DWAY-RO,” Konan murmured, shooting him a sideways glare. “Did you honestly not see him come aboard with a man on his arm, Sir?”

Obito shook his head. “I was too busy watchin’ Deidara makin’ googly eyes over the doll-like doctor he brought aboard.” He groaned and ran his hand down his face before setting his cooling porcelain aside. “I need t’see Itachi.”

Yahiko snorted and muttered something under his breath, but wise-like, he kept his hands on the wheel and his eyes fixed on the starry constellations out in front of ‘im.

“Good luck, Sir,” Konan said coolly.

On his way out through the porthole, Obito scowled at the back of the blue head of hair on his best fighter and oldest friend on this ship. After meandering his way through the twisted corridors of rusted pipes and steaming piles of junk that made up the ship that was his pride an’ joy, he still had the same scowl when he busted through the door to Itachi’s shuttle.

“Obito,” Itachi said coolly as Obito scanned his gaze across scarlet pillows and black velvet curtains in search of his cousin. “Glad to see you haven’t forgotten our discussion about how to knock.”

“I’ll remember your discussion,” Obito said to the pale and stoic face appearing from behind a parting silk curtain, “when you ‘member my rules about bringin’ strangers on my Akatsuki.”

“Technically,” Itachi drawled, shooting a pointed glance over a pale, exposed shoulder, “he’s not on your Akatsuki, he’s on my shuttle.”

“And technically,” echoed a second voice muffled behind the curtains before there was a shuffle. The curtains parted again to reveal silver hair and a jagged scar on a face that was all too familiar, “he’s not a stranger, either.”

“Kakashi,” Obito hissed his name like a curse.

“Oh,” Itachi hummed, shooting Kakashi a wink. “You two know each other?”

“You know goram well we do,” Obito growled.

He pushed his way past his refined whore of a cousin to the piece of shit so-called friend who dared to take him up on his services. Kakashi was slightly taller, forcing Obito t’look up his nose at the stunning, half-lidded eyes and red bandana covering the contours of fine lips and chiseled jawline Obito already knew to be hidden beneath it.

He shoved his finger into Kakashi’s chest, finding it just as firm as he remembered it to be. “What’s the big idea, hitchin’ a ride on my ship?”

Kakashi shrugged. “Companionship.”

“You don’t want Itachi’s companionship.”

“How can you know that?”

“You don’t.” Obito huffed, waving his hand in broad, lazy gestures at his refined, polite, and not-at-all-Kakashi’s-type cousin. “He’s doing this as some sort of twisted favor to you, though I dunno what either of you stand t’gain from this.”

Itachi and Kakashi exchanged a glance, and if Obito didn’t know any better, an entire conversation just happened in front of ‘im without his knowin’ about it.

“Okay.” Obito remembered t’breathe. “What is goin’ on here?”

Itachi reached forward, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, but Obito didn’t dare meet his eye. Itachi could kill a man with his look. Obito had seen it before.

“Obito,” Itachi said soothing-like. “Cousin. I like to give my clients full discretion. Whatever arrangement Kakashi and I have, it is no business of yours.”

Obito saw red, feeling the blister of his rage boil to the surface. “Kakashi! Get off my ship.”

Kakashi glanced sideways at the shuttle’s hatch, which would lead him outside to the vacuum of space. “Sure,” he deadpanned. “Of course I can do that.”

“At the next stop,” Obito said, wagging his finger. “Soon as we’re planet-side, you’re off.”

Obito turned with a flourish, leaving Itachi grumbling and Kakashi sighing in his wake. He stormed through the corridors of his ship on his return to the bridge, determined to drive any thoughts or questions he might still have about Kakashi Hatake out of his mind. He didn’t need to know what all that business was about. He only needed his ex off the Akatsuki as soon as possible.

-

As soon as possible wasn’t soon at all, as it turned out.

Konan explained it all in her usual condescending tone, but none of it made no sense. Yahiko couldn’t pull into port at the next planet because the doc who’d just joined their little crew was apparently wanted there. Yahiko couldn’t turn them back to Konoha, where’s they’d just picked up Itachi and Obito’s latest inconvenience, because some thieves over there’d been trynna take their fuel. After the Sand they were so inconveniently passing, twasn’t nothin’ for light years.

This was Shiong mao niao.

“So Kakashi,” Deidara said, swinging his long blonde hair across the dinner table, “how did you and the captain meet?”

“Oh, we’ve known each other since we were-“

“I won’t be havin’ no interrogations at the dinner table on my ship,” Obito interrupted gruffly.

“Damn,” Deidara sulked, sinking into his chair, “I was just bein’ conversation-like, un. What about you, Sasori?” He shot a smile at the red-haired doctor across the table. “I could use some lookin-over. Been a long time since the Akatsuki’s had a bonafide doctor on board.”

Sasori frowned. “I don’t believe my passage requires that I work for this crew.”

“Everyone works on my ship, doc,” Obito said around a mouthful of food.

“But you could,” Deidara pressed, his one visible eye lighting with hope, “couldn’t you, doc? As a favor to me?”

“Jen mei NAI-shing duh FWO-tzoo,” Hidan grumbled, pounding his fist into the table. “Just tell the guy you want his ass, Dei, and let the rest of us enjoy our dinner.”

“Hidan,” Kakuzu hissed.

Hidan flinched, baring his teeth in a wince, while Obito rolled his eyes. His crew was his family. They were lucky they were, because otherwise he never would’ve tolerated this level of aggravation.

“Keep your thoughts locked up tight in that hollow head o’yours,” Obito told Hidan before pointing his fork at Kakashi, who was opening his mouth when he shouldn’t. “And you! Keep trynna flap your lips and I’ll have you strapped down in the infirmary ‘til we get you off this ship.”

Kakashi met Obito’s gaze with a twinkle of mirth shining in his grey eyes. Obito realized the implications of what he’d said, which made him recall their times together in a way that was very inconvenient when he was makin’ a point to push Kakashi away and instill his hatred of the bastard on the rest of his crew. Obito knew Kakashi was thinkin’ all kinds of smug retorts. Maybe he was here to undermine Obito’s authority in front of his crew. Maybe he wanted to pay Obito back for some unkindness he’d never had a chance to repay after the war. He couldn’t be here for any other reason, so the suggestiveness of Obito’s words meant nothin’.

“Yes, Sir,” Kakashi said.

Obito narrowed his eyes, first at Kakashi and then at his snickerin’ crewmates. Konan at least had the self-control to rein it in after one curt eruption of laughter, and Yahiko had the decency to cover his mouth, but the others blatantly exchanged glances and disrespected Obito on his own damn ship. This was the kind of trouble Kakashi brought with ‘im.

Obito curled his fingers around the edge of the table until it hurt. “Kakashi. Can I speak with you a minute?”

Kakashi raised his brows. “I don’t know. You asked me not to talk, Capt-“

“To them,” Obito growled, waving a hand across their company. He shoved off the table, kicking his chair out as he stood. “This way. Now.”

He walked out with his fists curled by his sides, ready at any moment to pound them into Kakashi’s stupid face if he said one more thing to demean him in front of his crew. Fortunately, he didn’t hear another word from Kakashi, only the sound of his footsteps trailing after. By the time he found the infirmary, where he could question Kakashi in peace and also where he was seriously considering following through on that threat to incapacitate him if it came to it, he wondered at Kakashi’s agreeableness. When he turned to face Kakashi and saw him sealing the infirmary door behind them, Obito realized with a groan he was givin’ Kakashi exactly what he wanted with this.

“I didn’t know any other way of talkin’ to ya,” Kakashi said.

“Ever heard of sendin’ letters?”

“Obito. It’s Rin.” Obito’s blood ran cold, all thoughts of arguing with Kakashi draining away with the devastating mention of her name. “I found her. I need Akatsuki’s help to get ‘er out, though.”

Obito shook his head. “You’re not makin’ any sense.”

“We thought she died - in the war. Obito.” Kakashi paused, lookin’ like he was havin’ as hard a time sayin’ it as Obito was with hearin’ it. “She’s alive. She’s been held prisoner in Tsukuyomi. We can get her out - if we work together.”

“Work together? With you?” Obito snorted, but feelings rolled in at just imaginin’ his chance to right the greatest wrong he’d ever witnessed in this universe. He gulped. “Are you sure we can save her?”

Kakashi hummed. “It all depends on your cooperation. I’ve got everythin’ all planned out.”

Obito bit his bottom lip. “Good. ‘Cause I can’t take no false promises, not about this.”

Kakashi shook his head. “Nothin’ false here. I promise.”

Obito choked back a sob, refusin’ to let himself cry in front of the man who’d always jumped on the chance to call him a crybaby. It would be strange, workin’ with Kakashi again. There were feelings, feelings he thought he’d gotten over, but could already feel bubblin’ to the goram surface again. He didn’t want to open himself up to it, but for Rin, he would.

He had to.

Kakashi reached forward, and for an instant, held his hand just short of Obito’s. Obito didn’t move. He wouldn’t close the gap, but if Kakashi did, he wouldn’t pull away either. He didn’t know what he wanted in regards to Kakashi. Rin was easy. Rin was safe. Kakashi, with all his eccentricities, would always be a puzzle to Obito. He hated him. He needed him.

If he ain’t had no better sense, he’d have to admit he still loved him.

“Trust me, Obito?” Kakashi asked as he withdrew his hand to his side.

Obito smiled. “I’m ‘fraid I ain’t grown out of that flaw.”

Kakashi smiled back. “I’ve been holdin’ onto a few m’self.”

“Bastard,” Obito scoffed.

“Deadlast,” Kakashi said fondly.

They would find Rin, and they would save their comrade. Might even rekindle somethin’ Obito wasn’t quite ready for. But then, there was never any bein’ ready when it came to Kakashi.

[vianna-orchidia]

Summer Vacation - The Wild and The Noble (5)

(this is not proofread)

Location: Underground Livehouse

<One Hour Later>

Yuzuru: Everyone, preparations for the tea party is complete ♪

Koga: What tea party? You're always talkin' like a girl.

And even though ya talk sissy like that, somehow you've got a nice body........... It feels kinda wrong, hmmm?

Yuzuru: Could you please not touch my abs like that, Oogami-sama?

By the way, is it really fine to only have some tea and snacks here, instead of having a proper meal at a restaurant?

Rei: Sure. We already made some preparations for a post-live party, so it is more convenient to have you two join us like this.

And if it turned out you're taking us to some high-class restaurant, it would be hard for us to decline your proposition.

Yuzuru: Fufu. I didn't have such an ulterior motive... But it's not like I made a reservation at some restaurant, so this is fine.

Now you think about it, it may be too late for a full course meal. They would all turn into fat.

Kaoru: Oooh, so you actually care about health management and all? Good, good, I hope the brats from my unit also learn from you~?

You guys always thoughtlessly devour everything on the table until not even a rice is left, right?

Adonis: But, it will be rude to those who prepared our food if we don't eat them all.

Besides, it's easy to burn through body fat in summer. Or rather, we must eat properly, or there'd be a chance of getting heatstroke.

Kaoru: Ahaha, Adonis-kun looks like an obedient kid, but you're surprisingly quick to retort, huh. Oh well, you're still in a growth spurt so it's okay, eat as much as you want.

Yuzuru: Here, please don't hesitate to enjoy the food.

I figured some ready-stock snacks would be unsatisfactory, so I also tried making some light meal.

My gratitude for letting me borrow the kitchen... Kaoru-sama.

Kaoru: Stop it with the "-sama"~ It makes me feel itchy. ..............what were you called, again? Don't you get called politely insolent often?

Yuzuru: My name is Fushimi Yuzuru. It really has been a while, Kaoru-sama.

Kaoru: Ngg, a while, you said? .............have we met somewhere?

Sorry~ My principle is to not memorize a dude's name or face.

Yuzuru: Lately I haven't seen you at all, but I did greet you at a social event quite some time ago.

Though it can't be helped if you don't remember me, because I was there merely as Young Master's attendant.

Kaoru: Aah............

Ah, I remember now! If I'm not wrong, you're from Himemiya-san's place?

Koga: Oi. I don't give a damn about all that, just get to the main topic.

I'm itchin' to go home and get a rest here. And if I take too long, Leon will start howlin' and cause disturbances to the neighborhood.

Yuzuru: Of course. I believe you have heard the main points from Anzu-san while I was cooking?

We are thinking of inviting UNDEAD to a summer vacation.

All expected expenses will be covered by us. We will also accommodate your wishes regarding the schedule to some level.

If there are other conditions, please tell us.

We will arrange the vacation plan to the best of your likings.

We still haven't decided on most of the details at this point, so it's still possible to make changes as much as possible.

What do you think? Will you consider it?

Kaoru: Mm, the offer's too good to be true, but I vote yes!

I want the destination to be some southern island. I haven't had the chance to go surfing at all this year, so I'm yearning for the sea~ ♪

Adonis: Fufu. We got our hands full during the Pirate Fes, so we weren't able to play in the sea.

I have no objection either. More like, I'd rather go far away, because my sisters are all coming home and staying at home just tires me out.

Kaoru: Haha, now you mention it, lately you've been sighing a lot, Adonis-kun.

Meanwhile, my folks are away with the excuse of a business trip, so it's easy at home.

Rei: Hmm. I am somewhat concerned about Tenshouin-kun's intention, but this is indeed a good offer.

With this, we can leave the stifling heat of the town and relax down in a cool place, right?

What about you, Doggy? Are you going to say "I ain't gonna play friends with ya!" or something?

Koga: Mmnn............... Yeah, I don't mind. That's better than bein' cooped up in this sad livehouse.

I wanna spread my wings to the world. And if someone's givin' me a free ticket for it, that's a much appreciated offer.

Though, as the Flirt said, it's too good to be true.

Even if someone's plannin' something in the shadows, UNDEAD will step on them fair and square, and then have the last laugh.

Bring it on, I don't care what you're cookin'................ We'll accept the challenge.

But lemme warn ya, if it turns out to be a mere vacation to roll around lazily, I'm goin' home. Make sure ya have lessons or jobs properly, okay?

Yuzuru: Of course. This vacation is titled as a training camp, or a preliminary lesson for our international tour..............

Judging from President-sama's personality, I don't think that's just a title.

Fufu, at least I managed to receive a positive response from you, so it's a relief. I even feel somewhat tricked because you accepted it so easily.

With this, I can give good news to President-sama and the others.

However, this much feels like a child's errand, so... While we're at it, I would like to hear your wishes regarding this trip.

Perhaps there's something you cannot go without?

Koga: Ah, then can I bring my dog? I don't wanna leave Leon alone, and there's no one I can ask to take care of 'im.

Yuzuru: You can't!

....ah, I mean, there's no problem? They accept dogs on planes as long as we complete the procedures, I think? We can also let dogs into the hotels, I think?

Koga: You're not meetin' my eyes...... What, somethin' wrong?

Yuzuru: No, not at all.

Adonis: ................

Yuzuru: ? Otogari-sama, I believe? You're making a worried face. Is there something you're concerned about?

Adonis: Well.................. You said you haven't decided on the destination, right?

There's a possibility my presence can cause some trouble based on the condition, so I want you to consult me first when choosing the destination country.

Yuzuru: Oh.... By trouble, you mean...?

Rei: Fufu. I think it will be fine. Considering the goal of this trip, it's guaranteed we will go somewhere far away from Adonis-kun's home country, maybe a southern country.

Adonis: Okay. That way is better. I'm sorry for pushing my problem like this.

Yuzuru: It's not a problem at all...... Hmm, it sounds like you're uncomfortable about something.

Adonis: Don't let it bother you. It is my dream to travel around the world to sing, so I'm basically feeling excited about this. Thank you for proposing such a good thing, Fushimi.

Yuzuru: ......................?

[shinyvivillon]

May I Get A Persona Match Up Ma’am… I’m Starving……

bro i got u.. im givin u a good man are u ready for this... 

Lucien’s magic grants you....

Shijiro Aragaki - Persona 3 !

Shinji is such a sweetheart inside lets be honest, and if anyone wants to start something with you he’d be by your side in a heartbeat. He finds your personality easy to get along with, even if he puts up a cool guy front. He has a soft spot for cute things though, so it wouldn’t be hard to break down that facade because you’re so adorable! 

Shinji loves how kind you are to animals, and will be best friends with the strays that gather around you, and care for them alongside you as well, given they get along with Koromaru. In fact that’s most likely how the two of you met, caring for stray animals and connecting that way. 

A date with Shinji would consist of relaxing and allowing him to cook you something delicious to your liking, (he is a wonderful chef after all) a walk as the sun goes down around a local area just enjoying the peace, or maybe even an arcade. He’d try to win you something to look cool, but be sure to get him something cute in return, he keeps eyeing those stuffed bears... 

[redvelvetreel]

Red Velvet Reel 9.3: Blue Ain’t (Usually) My Color

           [Fic Directory]

Pairing: [Married] Spicyhoney (Underfell Papyrus x Underswap Papyrus)

Summary: Stretch receives conflicting advice on how to go about fixing this. He decides to go the middle ground of big, heartfelt gestures that say ‘sorry’ without actually saying it. What could possibly go wrong?

Characters: Stretch (Underswap Papyrus) & Red (Underfell Sans)& Blue (Underswap Sans)

Contains: Mpreg/Skelepreg! Different monster cultural traditions between universes!  

Rating: Teen and up! (I guess?)

Note: Sorry this took me forever! In hindsight, I should have finished this part before starting my event, huh? I got like an ask or 2 left for that! I kinda wanna keep it up for fun tho, in case y’all have any other questions, but hmmm... idk! idk~

“Huh?” Red looked at him like he grew another head- that devious bastard was actually trying to act dumb! “Fuck ya talkin’-“

“I hurt Edge’s feelings, bad, so I gotta make all of this up to him.” Stretch shifted restlessly, “How do I apologize to him? What would a Fell monster do?”

“Fell don’t apologize, ‘cause Fell ain’t got no feelin’s! Just act normal ‘n like there ain’t nothin’ bad.” Red mimed brushing dust off of his jacket, “Ya forget? I forget. S’easy!”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Blue crossed his arms over his chest, looking pensive, “You’re not Fell, and Edge won’t expect a Fell-style apology from you. Actually, he might be more hurt by the fact it looks like you don’t care.”

His face must have fallen, because Blue immediately continued, “So, I think you should just talk to him! Say you realized you hurt his feelings, apologize, and that you want to make it up to him!”

“Is this like a dungeon puzzle?” Stretch put his head on the table, “I don’t know. What question do I ask so I know which of you is lying and which of you is telling the truth?”

Distantly, he heard Blue explain over his head, hand patting his back, “It’s a movie reference.”

“Ok, whatever, we don’t got all fuckin’ day.” Red must have leaned on the table, because he sounded a lot closer in an instant, “Why don’tcha do both? Sorry by gettin’ Edge somethin’ nice ‘nstead a’pologizin’, yeah?”

“Like what?” Stretch turned his face onto the side of his arm with a dejected sigh, unable to muster the strength to lift his head. Trying to fight against biology was too much work- he was just gonna be an emotional mess for the rest of this quarter. Thanks a lot, Pancake.

“From you?” Red squinted at him, hand drumming on the table, “Uh, sing. One ‘a them cowboy songs.”

Stretch sat up abruptly, whacking at where his ears should have be. “Huh?!”

“Ya made a mixtape one Gyftmas, yeah?” Red knew about that?! Why did Red know about that?! “S’favorite gift ya ever gave. Goddamn brat listened to it fuckin’ thousand times.”

“That was a gag gift!” Stretch couldn’t believe it, a weird mix of touched and embarrassed and confused. “He wasn’t supposed to like it!!! I- I yodeled, man! There was a banjo- I don’t know how to play the banjo! I play the harboneica! I put so much ‘twang’ into the first like 3 songs I kept coughing throughout ‘I’ve got Spurs that Jingle Jangle Jingle!’ And you’re telling me he liked it?!” He dragged his hands down his face, wishing he could sink into the floor. (and still kinda weird pleased) “He listened to it! More than once?!”

Blue laughed lightly, turning his face away as though that were any less humiliating for his poor, embarrassed, put-upon brother, “I remember.” Why did Blue remember?! What did he remember?!

“Sorry, Papy,” Blue didn’t look or sound apologetic enough, “But you were singing at the top of yours lungs and you kept crashing into things. You were laughing almost the entire time, though, so I assumed you were having a good time.”

“Ughhhh...” Stretch tried to slide down the cushioned seats and onto the floor as Red and Blue snickered. Laughing at his expense. Traitors. “Is that what Edge liked about it so much? Making fun of me?”

“Ya damn well know that ain’t true.” Red wasn’t quite as smiley anymore.

“Then why-?”

“ ‘Cause he’s sappy as shit!” Red was at the end of his patience, bringing his hands down hard enough to shake the table, “He likes bein’ able to be soft with ya, ok?! All them singin’ bad ‘n dancin’ in the kitchen kinda shit! So pick yer noggin fer somethin’ sugary as hell ‘n just!” He gestured, articulating something Stretch could barely understand. “Fuckin’! Don’t apologize like a bitch! Seduce him like a nerd!”

“Ok!” This was sounding like a better and better plan! Be as charming and goofy and lovable romcom protagonist-y as possible, sweep Edge off his high heels, and get everything back to normal! With the added bonus of making Edge super happy and letting him know he was deeply, truly loved! Brilliant!

“Blue!” He turned to his brother, an excited twinkle to his eye, “How do I do that? What are the best romcom tropes and treats?”

“Um.” Blue’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment as Red leered at him, but he soldiered on, “You could leave him cute voice messages of you singing for him. Uh, he’s more of a savory person, so some biscuits or something from the Barkery might be nice. Balloons? Flowers? Everybody likes flowers!”

“Y’ain’t ever get me flowers.” Red teased, grin sharp.

“Stuffed animals are popular too.” Blue ignored him, “But make sure you’re tailoring it to his interests-“

“He likes dancin’!” Red moved his torso to some imaginary beat, but with that snickering, Stretch wasn’t sure if he was being serious or not. “S’Latin night somewhere! Merengue ‘n Salsa ‘n cumbias, nuerito! Real heat up with a bachata!”

“Yeah, ok! I don’t! Know! What half of those are! But ok!” This was going to be great! Stretch pulled his brother into a hug, kissing the top of his head, “You’re a genius, bro!”

He turned to his brother-in-law, “Red-”

Red backed himself into a corner when Stretch turned to him, holding his hand out, “Ain’t gonna letcha kiss me ‘fore buyin’ dinner, Honey.”

Stretch laughed at that, Soul feeling light and suddenly incredibly happy, shaking his brother-in-law’s hand... before clanking a kiss to the back of his hand anyway. Had to practice being as charming as possible, after all!

“Thanks guys!” He was up in a moment, bouncing on the heels of his high tops excitedly, “I’m gonna hit up the Barkery to get a special order in before they close! And the flower shop! And see what other cool stuff I can find!”

“Papy-“ Blue called out, “You still need to tell him why-“

“Don’t be givin’ all at once- draw shit out!” Red was louder, obviously riling Stretch up even further, “Keep ‘im guessin’!”

Stretch was already out the door, phone to his head and waving cheerily as he ran- literally ran- off. Blue sighed deeply.

“Whatcha wanna bet on?” Red was gleefully devious, worrying at a piece of g like the caricature villain he liked to project himself as. “How’sit gonna blow? Who’s gonna blow?”

“It’s rude and in poor taste to bet against your brother and brother-in-law’s happiness.” Blue told him primly, “So, I’ll bet a compliment to Edge, on a topic of your choosing, that Edge is going to contact me to ask what’s wrong with Papy-“

“I ain’t gonna take those odds!” Red crossed his arms petulantly, “S’fuckin’ rigged, tramposo!”

“Before he rips into you for outing his cowboy kink to my brother.” Blue finished with a coy smile, laying his hands flat on the table with a shrug. “But if you’re too chicken-“

“Hah!” Red’s smile was excited and bright as he put his own hands down, palms up, “That’s good! Hell if I know! I’ll betcha...” His fingers drummed on the table pensively, “Hm... Betcha an paternal encouragin’ fer Honey. Tell ‘im he’s gonna be a good Papa.”

“Yeah, okay,” Blue reached for the hand Red offered him, turning it carefully to make sure it wasn’t booby trapped. As soon as they shook on it, Red kicked him under the table- and he got a joy buzzer to the knee.

“I hate you!” Sputtering angrily, Blue rubbed at his knee, obviously trying to dispel the lingering numbness, “You’re such an asshole!”

“Love ya too, baby cakes.” Red blew him a kiss as he stood up, stretching his arms over his head. “Now hurry up ‘n grab ‘em napkins! Game’s comin’ on at 1:00, and I ain’t gonna miss it ‘cause you’re bein’ lazy.”

Red was already at the door, walking into a shortcut before he had to hear Blue cussing him out again.

FIN.

[Part 1] [Part 2] [ Part 3 - Here! ]  

[quarterdollar]

TDP season 2 talk under the cut. i enjoyed it overall! i do want to critique some things though

really liked the themes of trust and responsibility. what was most refreshing was rayla not forcing callum to save the dragon with her if he didn’t feel up to it; she was doing what was right for her in the moment, and she didn’t shame him for not feeling up to the task. he was allowed to come to his own conclusion and joined when he felt empowered enough to do so

the moon: is relevant in the ATLA writers’ tv show

me: This Is Not Going To End Well :)

claudia is such a great character! she cares about her friends and her brother so MUCH when she Did That for soren i LOST IT she’s such a good girl

why is this show so weird about killing animals though. do hunters not exist? it’s not like claud is murdering swaths of innocent animals purely for the thrill of it. she’s taking only what she needs and doing so respectfully. fuck vegans dark magic is cool

the five kage summit meeting of the monarchs was a nice insight into the other kingdoms AND we got SARAI CONTENT FINALLY UGH DAMN

BRING HER BACK WHAT THE FUCK.

which brings me to my NEXT point which is probably my biggest criticism and that is that while it’s cool that we got to see a same-sex couple, they are relatively minor characters and also no longer living. i do love their daughter, but i was :( tbh

hopefully there will be more in the future but i’m gonna try not to get my hopes up cuz i don’t wanna ruin the show for myself which i guess is sad but?? i’m just trying to live......

i’m glad they finally let corvus do things he’s such a nice guy. hopefully he does MORE things next season. also handsome :)

soren-induced depression...he’s too good for his dad

EZRAN-INDUCED DEPRESSION......WHEN CALLUM WAS GIVIN HIM A TALK TRYING TO BREAK IT TO HIM...AND IT GETS REVEALED THAT HE WAS ECHOING HARROW’S WORDS WHEN SARAI DIED.......

THAT ONE SHOT OF “PIP”. THAT SPLIT SECOND WHERE HE ESCAPED THE CAGE. HE IS ALIVE OR SO HELP ME

this season said fuck you if you stan runaan lmao. i don’t really have an opinion beyond thinking that he’s pretty though so

ok now im gonna be on my bullshit

viren

no really. viren i love you

divorcé icon!!!

god he sucks so hard. but you can tell he isn’t 100% terrible, just too set in his pragmatic ways and frustrated that they aren’t working. now that he’s met an Even More Evil guy on spirit skype i’m hoping he’ll either become too far gone OR realize where he went wrong and try being kinder. hopefully the latter because i have feelings for h

“he was a beautiful king” this line killed me i was honestly Viren Are You Kidding Me out loud. thanks

HARROW

he WAS (and IS) a beautiful king

we got such a LOOK into what he went through and how he thought and he was such a GOOD MAN oh my GOD

if he’s 100% dead for real i am going to be pissed this is not a joke.

he is too good to be gone forever

aaravos

i was neutral on him like i saw him in promo art and his design looked cool but i was like whatever

and then

he opened

his mouth

and whoever made that decision to make him sound Like That did it for me

AND ALL OF HIS SCENES ALSO FEATURED VIREN LIKE??? quarter rights!!

he’s one of those intentionally mysterious villainy types huh........if he has any extra bug airpods. i am AVAILABLE

real talk though i either think he’ll be a really cool greater evil that will unite the human kingdoms and xadia OR his presence will somehow bungle the human/elf relations nonsense and Ruin everything. if he’s operating independently of the elves that is preferable

i am going to be optimistic though. he’s handsome and he looks like space!! i want to love him. just let him be an evil wizard guy

[jiminie-and-his-pinky-finger]

I TS H ERE OMG- im *fans myself* im ready- or am i-

I’m probably going to say this multiple times throughout this reblog but… I think that you hyping me up for this this whole time, has left me with this exhilarating amount of excitement for this… And even though I just began I just feel… like 💪 excited

Hazel sounds like a 15 year old that never left her home alright 😂😂😂 lmao; also the names you’ve given so far are pretty :0

“Audrey! You know I need my midnight to sleep,” the princess whined from her bedroom.

😩 ugh I know she’s royalty, but I still want to tell her to go get it herself- audrey, and literally any lady-in-waiting for a young princess, was probably so patient man

“You wouldn’t dare!” The girl hollered after her. “My father is part of the Kings council!”

then why are you a maid? quit complainin and do your work 😤

“The princess’s chests are quite heavy,” one of the servants commented as he helped Audrey lift it.

i genuinely thought that he was being sarcastic and was about to join in the roasting 😂

AHHHH THERES A HADLEY 😂 idk why that was worth mentioning but i know a hadley and i’d never seen that name in a story before

:(. aww her family is the castle people, i forget the time period this was basically set in; like it was common for people to pass from fevers and stuff

…but no one had ever believed her fibs.

as they shouldnt- i swear this princess is a menace- *mutters* no wonder her parents are marrying her off so early 😤

DROP HER LIKE A HOT POTATO 😂🤣🤣🤣😂😂 oh im crying; the amount of truth in that, like id understand the prince for doing so-

ahhh my jaws hurt from laughing; anyways- riding a carriage sounds so cool!! also that entire scene played out so smoothly in my head, like a movie AHHHHHH

😏😏 hadley out here considering his options, i like him

ANAAMLQKSKQKakas IS THAT WHO I THINK IT IS????????? a cute gardener 🙈🙈 omg… i wanna knowwwwwww

:( also his grandmother and the flowers, that’s sad

The man laughed. “Why would you like to know?”

youre acting rather sus there mister 🤨 givin me that suspicion that you might be the prince in disguise….

oh what a kind prince, she says… may i suppose he’s that gardener 🤨🤨 im watchin you mister…

audrey is literally the older sister that hazel needed- ain’t no way any other person could’ve still fought for her marriage to a good guy after all those blame games

“Taehyung.”

SHUT. UP. HE IS- I- i thought you’d prove me wrong- 😱 its himmmmm and he sounds so sweet 🥺🥺🥺🥺

i swear the mental image youre giving with the descriptions of the flowers, the castle, and the gardens… just magnificent 🤌

He lived nearly two hundred miles from her.

well… maybe not if you move there with the princess (plus hadley, that was a cute maid we saw earlier 👀 help ya boy out) and you can see him tending to his flowers whenever you want 😚

SHES AT THE STABLES 🚨 AT THE STABLES I REPEAT- is this where- oh my gosh *covers my mouth* is there where we get to read about…. 👀👀

…the way his clothing seemed to hug his body. His pants were stretching ever so slightly to mold to his thighs, and despite his shirt being flowy, his shoulders didn't seem to fit the way they were supposed to. What was his job, exactly, that cause him to be this muscular?

I WAS RIGHT- no because you did NOT have to be that descriptive…….. crap

*t h i g h s and s h o u l d e r s*

🤨 maybe cause he’s a GaRdEnEr… tending to those flowers is a big man’s work; so he built muscles to tenderly brush his fingers against the leaves and such…. right taehyung? 🧐

He drew in a breath. “It’s about someone very dear to me that I lost.”

🥺 poor taehyung 🫂🫂 he sounds like he had lost so many people he was very close to;

also the lyrics to that song were beautiful :0 was this the song that you were talking about when you were writing it a few days ago?

Why were buttons appearing in his garden? Where was his sister? Who had been so special to him that he’d lost so many years ago? And most importantly, was he an unimportant figure in the kingdom, or did his life play a much more pivotal role than hers did?

i thin audrey and i are on the same page <_< she out here askin all the right questions; also i do want to know where his sister is :0

The whole ordeal seemed to fall apart that same afternoon.

yayyyy hazel is gonna get a nice hus- oh well gosh darn it ;-; i was just happy for her regardless of her calling him an old man XD what happened??? did he cancel

girl hit him over the head?? he's not a whack-a-mole-

“I suppose so,” he replied simply.

well i guessed it- i KNEW it- but damn is this man calm o-o somehow thats even worse than him being annoyed or mad at her

“He tricked me! He played with my heart!”

excuse me audrey.. girl i am definitely on your side... but when were you in love 🤨 sure you could say that he was playing with your head because he was confusing you and keeping the truth but... your heart eh? <_<

She reached down and pulled another flower out of the ground.

woah woah woah *woah* no no not the flowers- we know better than to destroy nature because of what a dude did 😤 also ugh the way youre describing the rain is making me shiver... it sounds so aggressively beautiful

“Have you ever had to bury a sibling?”

what. the heck- who WHAT?????? excuse me

where did that come from, taehyung- do you have something to say-

:( wait what just went down im so confused i wanna know more... is the place where he was planting his coreopsis flowers where they buried his sister? cause if so... :( thats so sad

aww dont blame yourself audrey... gosh when i read the lyrics to that song, theres a pang in my heart; id love to know what the tune and the rhythm for the song would be like :0

OMG HE'S THERE YESSSSSSSSS

“I stopped sending them. I thought I’d come give them to you in person.”

alright come out now 🤨🤨 who's been intercepting my guys letters to my girl... imma fightchu; ugh and he wrote more than one??? thats so thoughtful 🥺 im so glad to hear that he wasnt ignoring her

...there was a pressed flower in the envelope. It was a rose, and it matched the description of the ones that Tae had described.

UGH TAKE MY HEART???? THIS IS SO CUTEIQSIYWH im T-T oh gosh the thought of getting letters from the person you love and it being all romantic with a flower pressed to it... ugh;

this is where i fantasize about getting one too 😚

“He came all the way here to ask for your hand in marriage and you’re just going to watch him leave?”

“Be quick, Audrey!” Hazel exclaimed.

this is absolutely the first and only time id let hazel order her or use a more "do it" kind of tone without it being annoying- you know what.. i think hazel grew on me u-u i can see myself tryna be one of her buds

Audrey found herself sprinting through the courtyard a minute later...

this is where the fic turns into a drama 😂🤣 lmao i can just imagine. her tripping over stuff wiht her gown bunched up in her fists as she runs through the town to reach her man

“What on earth are you doing?” Taehyung laughed as he poked his head out the window.

AAKSSKJAKSKA theres butterlifes in my stomach- this is where the dude looks amused and honestly surprised she made it even though there was probably a little hope in him that knew she would 🥺

He bent down then, capturing her lips in a kiss.

YEEEEEEEEHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO *whistles* theyve officially reached the *nani says theyre her babies* phase T_T gahhh im so happy for them

The baby growing inside her made it harder and harder to sit up on her own every day.

*sobs* my babies are having a tiny baby :(((( ahhh more new flowers! i swear at this point tae is gonna have a flower utopia where he plants a special kind of flower for each person he treasures 🥺🥺 that would be so cute

i wonder if he'd name their baby after his sister or maybe his grandmother 🥺 but ahhhh i loved this story sooooo much T-T im actually a teensy weensy itty bitty bit sad it ended

i want moreeeee

Petals of Wax

Pairing: Taehyung x OC

Genre: angst, fluff

Word Count: 9.6k

Warnings: minor character death, arranged marriages

Summary: Audrey, as the princess's lady-in-waiting, must escort the girl as she goes to meet her fiancé. The last thing the lady expected was to meet a suitor of her own, though.

A/N: this is my longest oneshot yet and I’m surprised at how fast I finished it! I really hope you guys enjoy it ☺️

Audrey titled her head to the side. Then she titled it to the other side. Nope, she still didn’t understand the point of this object.

“With all due respect, ma’am, I don’t quite understand why it’s here,” she admitted.

The princess huffed, crossing her arms. “Obviously it’s just here for decoration.”

“It…looks like a water vessel, ma’am. How is that a decoration?”

“You’re stupid,” snapped the fifteen-year-old. “It’s a way to connect myself to my people! Clearly!”

Audrey cleared her throat awkwardly. “Of course, ma’am.”

To her, it seemed a bit daft. Truthfully, the princess had barely even stepped a foot out of the palace. Not because she was forced to either; her parents were fine with her going out on the town as long as she was properly protected. No, Princess Hazel thought that the outside world was too grimy for her precious royal feet. And to think that she was meeting her fiancé in a few days. Audrey pitied the poor man. Although, she herself was happy for a change in scenery. Walking the same forty halls everyday had gotten boring after ten years.

“Audrey! Come dress me! Dinner is in an hour!” Hazel snapped as she walked down the hall.

Audrey sighed. “Yes, ma’am.”

Maybe she could wait for Friday.

♛¤♛¤♛

Thursday evening appeared in the blink of an eye, and Audrey found herself packing Hazel’s trunks full of clothing. Her dressed were so puffy that Audrey was almost convinced she’d need a different chest for each one.

“Audrey! You know I need my midnight tea to sleep,” the princess whined from her bedroom.

“Of course, ma’am. I’ll bring it right up,” Audrey replied, stuffing another dress into a trunk before disappearing towards the kitchens.

“Princess Hazel requests her midnight tea,” she informed one of the maids.

“Can’t she just go to sleep without it for once?” the young maid whined.

Audrey raised her eyebrows at the girl, as if to challenge her to turn down the request. The maid rolled her eyes before hurrying off to make the tea. Usually, the head cook would have it ready before Audrey even made it to the kitchens, but maybe she was off for the night.

“Here,” the maid shoved the cup towards Audrey, nearly spilling it in the process.

Audrey took the cup before quipping, “If you keep acting like this, I’ll report you to the king himself.”

The maid stilled, her mocking countenance falling blank. Audrey turned around and headed out the door, completely unphased by the girl.

“You wouldn’t dare!” the girl hollered after her. “My father is part of the king’s counsel!”

Audrey rolled her eyes. Yeah, sure.

She was back up to the princess’s chambers not a few minutes later, and she set the teacup down on the dresser. As usual, Hazel was sound asleep by now. Audrey pulled the covers up over her before heading back to packing. Tonight was going to be a long night with all of the things she had to finish before morning came.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Audrey was up before dawn the next morning, having barely slept a wink after all the packing she’d done. It had been nearly three when she’d gone to bed, finally finished with packing both her and the princess’s clothing. She had to help the princess get ready this morning, and that started with delivering her breakfast and waking her up.

The head chef had returned to the kitchens this morning, and she had Hazel’s breakfast ready the moment Audrey walked through the door.

“I put the strawberries on the side this morning in case madame doesn’t want them. We don’t want the meltdown we had last time!” the older lady exclaimed cheerfully as she plated all the food. “Once the princess is ready, come back down here and I’ll give you your food as well.”

“Of course. Thank you very much, Miss Yorke. Make sure to feed yourself as well this morning.”

Audrey walked the few flights of stairs up the castle like a professional – she’d been doing it for years now – and soon enough, she was knocking on Hazel’s door. She twisted the handle, letting herself into the room.

“Rise and shine, Princess. We have a long day ahead of us.”

Hazel groaned, rolling over in bed. She sat up, downing her cold cup of tea from the night before. Then she laid back in bed.

���I need my beauty rest.”

“And I need you to get up and eat. We have an hour to get you ready before it’s time to leave. I need to go help pack the carriages while you eat.”

The princess rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll eat.”

Audrey smiled in satisfaction, setting the tray of food in front of Hazel before leaving once again.

Back on the ground floor, she made quick work of helping a few of the servants load the carriages. They’d moved everything down to the main floor the night before so that they had less work to do this morning.

“The princess’s chests are quite light,” one of the servants commented as he helped Audrey lift it.

“Yes, I had to pack most of her outfits individually.”

“Leslie said the same thing about the queen’s clothing.”

“Did she? I find it odd that their dresses must be so puffy.”

The boy nodded. “You’re going with them, right?”

“That’s right. I must go. I have to be with Princess Hazel.”

“We’re going to miss you. Especially Miss Yorke. She said mornings will not be right without you at the table.”

Audrey smiled. “Well, I’d imagine we’ll be back soon. Within a week at most. It doesn’t seem the king has much to discuss at this moment in time. He’s just insistent that the princess meet her fiancé and see her future homeland before they proceed with anything.”

“Still. A week is a long time. You’ll have to draw me some of the landscapes!”

“Ah…if I have time, maybe. I’m not making any promises.”

“Can you at least bring me back a souvenir? I heard that they have peacocks there! Isn’t that fascinating?”

“Do they? I might have to draw one for you, then.” She sighed. “I should get back upstairs. Princess Hazel might throw her inkwell out the window again if I don’t hurry.”

“All right. I’ll see you…later!”

Audrey smiled. “See you, Hadley.”

As she walked back up to the princess’s quarters, she pondered what life would be like away from her family. The palace workers had been long like a family to Audrey. She’d grown up here, running around Miss Yorke’s kitchens and treating all the kids who were now servants as if they were her own siblings. Her mother had been the previous queen’s lady-in-waiting until she’d died in childbirth when Audrey was born. Audrey’s father had raised her until she was seven, when he had died from a fever. Miss Yorke had treated her like her own ever since. Then, one day, the little princess had been born, and once she was old enough to be learning, Audrey had been her lady-in-waiting.

Truthfully, she knew she’d been groomed for such a position. The current queen’s lady-in-waiting had taught Audrey the tricks of the trade before she could even read, and she’d begun her job taking care of the princess at the young age of fifteen. Hazel had been a bouncy little four-year-old then. Even then, she’d been a real menace. She tore dresses and broke pottery and dumped food on the floor and blamed it on Audrey, but no one had ever believed her fibs.

Somehow, that snotty attitude had stuck to her through her early teen years, and Audrey was genuinely worried that the girl’s new fiancé would drop her like a hot potato the moment he tasted her sass. Although, he was a prince. Maybe he had a younger sister of his own that acted just like Hazel.

Audrey entered the princess’s room a few moments later.

“Shall I draw you a bath now?” she asked, noticing the princess’s tray had been completely emptied.

“Yes. A bath sounds delightful. I expect my clothing to be ready by the time I’m done.”

Audrey was quick to run the bath water, and then she was off to gather all of the princess’s travel clothing while the girl dipped her feet in the water.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Audrey barely had time to say goodbye to Miss Yorke before it was time to leave. She was tripping out the door with a biscuit in her mouth as she attempted to shove her hat onto her head. Thankfully, Hadley had taken to helping the princess into her carriage, so Audrey had a few moments.

“Audrey! You have some hair sticking out of your hat. Let me fix that,” Hadley informed her, delicately taking the strand of hair and pushing it under her hat. “Have a good trip! Bring my souvenir!”

Audrey smiled as he held out his hand to her. She grabbed it, using it to help herself into the carriage.

“I will. See you in a week!”

Hadley shut the door before tying its latch. “Tell me if there’s any cute servant girls there. Maybe I’ll move with you when the princess gets married.”

Audrey laughed. “Sure thing.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Audrey was ready to go on a nice, long walk by the time they arrived. Being stuck in a carriage for eleven hours wasn’t comfortable at all.

“Wow! Look at that! How extraordinary!”

Audrey looked up. Truthfully, it didn’t look that different from their home. It was just quite a bit warmer here than it was up north. That, and their castle seemed a bit more on the black side.

One of the servants led Audrey and Hazel to their quarters for their stay. Hazel dramatically flopped on the bed, still wearing her traveling clothing.

“Wake me when it’s time for dinner.”

Audrey pulled her hat off. She, for one, needed a walk.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

These palace grounds weren’t so different from the ones back home. The gardens were lush, and the walking paths were smooth. There weren’t many staff out here, but for one man with his knees buried in the dirt as he ripped weeds from the ground.

“What are these flowers?” she asked, squatting down next to him.

They were larger than the ones she was used to seeing back home. They were a lush shade of red, and a ring of yellow painted the tips of their petals. She delicately touched one of them, tilting it ever so slightly so that the petals caught the light better.

“Those are gaillardia flowers,” came the man’s reply. “Gorgeous, aren’t they?”

She glanced up at him, her eyes going wide as she saw him. He had smudges of dirt on his cheeks, but his dark brown eyes were the first thing she saw. A few strands of his dark hair were curling over his forehead, but the majority of it was being held back by a headband.

“Are you new here?” he asked.

“I’m the princess’s lady-in-waiting,” she explained.

“Ah. Princess Hazel?”

“That’s right.”

“I did not realize we had guests already.”

“We only got in about half an hour ago.”

“That makes sense, I suppose.” He bent down over the flowerbed again, tugging another weed from it.

“Are you one of the gardeners?” Audrey asked.

He glanced up, a look of amusement on his face. “No. I just enjoy hanging out with my flowers. My grandmother planted these when she was still alive, so they feel like my last part of her.”

“Oh,” Audrey sighed. “How long has she been gone for?”

“About fifteen years now. She died when I was thirteen.”

“Aw. I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “It’s all right.”

“So, where do you work if not in the gardens?”

It took him a few seconds to answer this. “I work with the prince and the king.”

“Really?” Audrey asked. “How is the prince? Is he…nice?”

The man laughed. “Why would you like to know?”

“I’m not letting my precious princess marry a man if he’s going to mistreat her!”

“Of course,” he murmured. He paused a moment to think while he pulled a few more weeds out of the dirt. “I suppose he’s a decent man. Hasn’t done anything that noteworthy, in my opinion.”

“Should I trust your opinion?”

“I’m not sure. Should you?”

“I don’t know. A man in his late twenties who still cares for his grandmother’s flowers seems trustworthy enough, but I can never be sure.”

“Fair enough. I’m sure there’s plenty of other staff who will give you their opinion on him if you want it.”

“It would seem a little strange to just go around asking people, don’t you think?”

He shrugged. “You have good intent.”

“Do I?”

“Well, in my opinion.” He laughed. “Would you like a flower?”

“I don’t want you to cut these.”

“I can replant one of them into a pot.”

She smiled. “Ok. I think I would like that.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Audrey returned to the princess’s room half an hour later with a small pot in her grasp. One singular flower was peeking out of it. She might not know much about plants, but she’d be sure to take care of this one in the absence of the man she’d met. As she set the pot next to her bed, she realized she’d never asked for the man’s name.

A gentle knock sounded on the door. “I have the princess’s dinner,” came a small voice.

Audrey crossed the room, letting the small servant girl in with a twist of the doorknob. The girl crossed the room before setting the tray on a table in the middle of the room.

“You are welcome to join me and the other servants for dinner downstairs if you’d like, miss,” the girl muttered with a bent head.

“I’d love that! Can I join you once I’ve woken the princess?”

“I’ll wait outside for you.”

Audrey woke the princess, letting her know that it was dinnertime before excusing herself so that she could go eat her own dinner. Then she joined the girl who had brought dinner up.

“Do you spend a lot of time around the royal family?” Audrey asked as they walked.

“I do. I serve them dinner almost every night.”

“Are they nice to you?”

The girl blushed. “Well, I’ve never been acknowledged by the king or queen,” she confessed.

“What about the prince?”

“His Highness is very kind,” the girl admitted in a small voice. “He treats me like his younger sister sometimes.”

“Oh? How so?”

“He’s offered to share his dinner with me quite often.”

“I see,” Audrey nodded. “Has he done anything else?”

“He loves coming to the kitchens to chat with the staff. Of course, he doesn’t have a lot of free time. Mister Tindall loves when he comes.”

“Who is Mister Tindall?”

“He’s our head chef.”

Audrey nodded. “Is he nice?”

“Oh, yes! He makes the best dinners!”

“Lovely. Dinner will be good tonight, then.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Audrey wandered the halls that evening after dinner. The castle’s interior didn’t seem that different from home. The staircases were wide, the halls were lavish, and the chandeliers were huge. Audrey didn’t understand what was with extravagant lighting. Chandeliers were nice, but the amount of crystal on every single one seemed a bit overkill. Maybe she’d never understand it.

She paused in front of a painting of the royal family. The painting seemed to be a few years old at least. The prince was a lanky teenager in this painting, and his robes seemed to be slightly too big for his thin frame. Audrey knew he was at least in his early twenties now, but she hadn’t even seen a photo of him yet. She knew she’d be meeting him in the near future if she ever accompanied Hazel to her dinners, so she’d know soon enough how much he’d grown since this painting had been made.

She began walking once again but stopped at the end of the hallway where yet another painting hung. This one was a painting of the prince when he’d been very young. He appeared to be about four or five. He was sitting in his chair incorrectly, and Audrey had to guess that they hadn’t been able to get him to sit in it the right way. He was grinning from ear to ear, and Audrey almost could’ve mistaken him for a normal toddler if not for the fancy clothing he’d been wearing.

She smiled. Maybe, if the prince really had kept the personality he’d had as a young boy, he could be an acceptable match for Hazel. Not that Audrey had much of a say in the decision, but she was willing to fight for her lady if she needed to. After all, Hazel was barely a young lady yet. Despite the fact that Hazel was a princess, Audrey thought that she at least deserved a decent husband if she was going to be married off so young.

She tapped her foot against the ground. She should probably head to bed. Tomorrow was bound to be a long day, and she definitely hadn’t slept enough the previous night. But first, she needed a bath.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

It was ten before Princess Hazel even got out of bed, so Audrey had time to walk the palace gardens that morning. Once again, she found the man who gave her the flowers bent in the dirt. Today, he was wearing a hat over his thick head of hair, but his clothes were still caked in dirt. Did he not have a way to wash them? Surely, living in the palace, he could find some way to wash them, right? She approached him quietly, listening as he hummed softly.

“I didn’t expect you to be out here so early,” she commented.

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, giving the whole palace an ambient glow. The gardener looked up at her, his face being darkened by the shadow of his hat. He smiled.

“Good morning. How is your flower?”

“It’s still pretty happy, I think.” Audrey returned his smile. “Are you out here a lot?”

“Sometimes. My job isn’t one that is needed much right now, so I have more time.”

“Do you work directly with the prince, then?” she asked. It seemed to be the only reason she could think of as to why he wasn’t extremely busy while they had guests.

“I do.”

Audrey nodded. “Are there any other flowers you tend to here?”

“The coreopsis flowers.”

She glanced around. She’d never heard of those before.

“Which ones are those?”

He pointed to a different section of the garden, where a bundle of bright yellow flowers sat. They looked akin to stars, and their petals appeared velvety.

“Were those also your grandmother’s?”

His lips lifted into a wry smile. “No, my sister’s favorite color was yellow. I planted them for her when she was young.”

“That’s sweet,” Audrey smiled. She turned back to him. “I never asked. What’s your name?”

“Taehyung.”

“I’m Audrey.”

He tossed down the weeds he was holding before standing up and dusting his hands off. Then he held one dirt-powdered hand out her.

“It’s nice to meet you, Audrey.”

Normally, she would’ve recoiled at the thought of dirt touching her hands, but for some odd reason, she didn’t now. She shook his hand happily.

“Nice to meet you too, Taehyung.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

“Have you ever tried fresh herbs?” Taehyung asked, picking a green leaf off of one of the plants.

“No, I don’t think I have,” Audrey confessed. “I don’t cook.”

He handed her the leaf. “Here. Try this.”

“Are you trying to poison me?” she asked point-blank.

“Why would I? So that I can get my precious gaillardia back?”

“That seems a good enough reason to poison someone, don’t you think?”

“Over one flower? That’s nonsense.”

She shrugged. “You never know.”

“It’s mint.”

“You have to take a bite of it first.”

“All right then. Fine.” Taehyung took a bite of the mint leaf. Then he offered it to her. “Now will you try it?”

“Well, I suppose you didn’t drop dead immediately after eating it….” She took the leaf before eating the rest of it. “Huh. Wow, that’s good!”

“Isn’t it?” he grinned.

Audrey smiled. Then she glanced up at the sky. The sun had begun to paint it many different shades of red and orange.

“You know, I don’t see the sunrise very often.”

“You don’t?” he asked. “That’s a shame.”

“I have to get up and get the princess ready every morning. I don’t have time to look outside,” Audrey admitted with a laugh.

“Ah. I’m out here most mornings before the sun rises.”

“Must be nice to be on your own time.”

“I suppose.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Hazel didn’t need Audrey at dinner that evening, so Audrey took this opportunity to take another walk in the gardens. This evening, there was a young boy watering some of the patches of herbs. His dark curls reminded her of Hadley, and she smiled sadly when she thought of home. She had a feeling this trip would be dragging on for a lot longer than she’d initially anticipated. She wasn’t even entirely sure if Hazel was meeting the prince tonight, or if she was just meeting the king and queen. Nothing had been clear.

She passed by Taehyung’s gaillardias, and she wondered what he was doing this evening. He was probably taking care of the prince tonight. She sighed, unsure why she was disappointed to find that he wasn’t here. It wasn’t even like she could really even be friends with him. He lived nearly two hundred miles away from her.

Her gaze turned to the sky, where she found a range of colors once again as the sun set. Tonight, purple and orange married together, causing the few clouds overhead to be tainted by their color. Maybe she should start going on walks more often when she got home. Watching the sun rise and set was far more peaceful than watching her clock each morning and evening.

Audrey stared down at the path as she walked. She stopped as she came upon something shining on the gravel. She bent down to pick it up. It appeared to be a button. But not just any old button. It was shiny, and it appeared to be made of silver. Maybe it belonged to the prince? She rolled it between her fingers. Perhaps not. She wasn’t sure who else it would belong to, though. There didn’t seem to be anymore royal boys in the palace, and she didn’t see why the king would’ve been out here.

She resorted to tucking it into her pocket. She’d ask around about it later. She turned her eyes to the sky again, noticing that the moon was now peeking out from behind the castle. It was full tonight. She hadn’t seen a full moon in a long while.

She sighed. She should probably return to the castle. Dinner would be over soon, and the princess would need her help getting out of her clothes. Audrey was about to turn around when she saw yet another oddity. There was a shoe print in the mud. She knelt down next to it. The print appeared a lot bigger than one that her boots would make, so it was likely from a man’s shoe. It had barely missed a few of the gaillardias. She brushed her finger over the flowers. They seemed ok.

She stood up again, brushing her dress off as she glanced at the sky again. The sun had fully set now, and the stars were starting to appear. She smiled. Tonight had been nice.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Hazel insisted on not being escorted around the castle the next morning, so Audrey was forced to, once again, take a walk. This time, she found herself wandering towards the stables. She wasn’t sure her outfit was exactly appropriate for riding a horse, but she’d give it a try anyways.

She found a man in the stables brushing a horse’s mane. He was humming as he did so, and it put a smile on her face.

“Sir?”

He glanced up at her, greeting her with a smile.

“Why hello there. How can I help you?”

“Is there any way I could borrow a horse to take a ride?”

“I’m sure there is. Let me saddle one up.”

Audrey wandered around the stable as the man prepared a horse for her. There were quite a few different horses here. A few were a solid black, while one of them had an almost red coat. Another few were spotted with white, while the majority of them were a simple brown.

“Here, Miss,” the stable master handed her the horse’s reins. “I trust you know how to ride a horse?”

“I haven’t ridden in a few years, but I think I can manage.”

“You are with the princess, correct?”

“That’s right. I’m her lady-in-waiting.”

The man nodded. “I can trust you with this horse, then?”

She smiled. “If it disappears, you can put the blame on me only.”

“Have a good ride, then.”

Once Audrey was outside the barn, she mounted the horse. It was a bit harder than she remembered it being, but she made it up nonetheless. She started off in a gentle canter, not wanting to have to hold herself on with much strength just yet. There was a wide path along the river just behind the castle, so she decided to follow it into the forest.

She trotted along for a good twenty minutes before she saw someone approaching from the opposite direction. He was going much faster than her, and her eyes widened as she realized he was headed straight toward her. She pulled her horse to a stop, and thankfully, the other rider slowed as well.

“Audrey! Is that you?”

As the rider came closer, she recognized who it was. She smiled as he approached her.

“Taehyung! I didn’t expect to see you out here!”

He laughed as he came to a stop next to her. “Well, I had the morning off, and it’s been a while since I saw the woods. What do you think of it?”

“It’s quite lovely,” she admitted.

“Gorgeous, isn’t it?”

He turned his gaze to the tall trees towering above them, but she couldn’t help but notice the way his clothing seemed to hug his body. His pants were stretching ever so slightly to mold to his thighs, and despite his shirt being flowy, his shoulders didn’t seem to fit the way they were supposed to. What was his job, exactly, that cause him to be this muscular?

“Would you like to head back to the castle with me? The forest isn’t exactly a safe place to be if you don’t know your way around it.”

Audrey took this as her cue to actually look at her surroundings, and she realized that she really didn’t know where she was going. She turned back toward him.

“Sure! Lead the way.”

The two of them rode in a companionable silence for a few minutes before Audrey spoke up.

“It seems someone nearly stepped on your gaillardias last night.”

“What do you mean?” Taehyung asked.

“There was a shoe print in the dirt next to them when I was taking a walk last night.”

“Ah,” he laughed. “Yes, that was probably me. I tripped in the garden yesterday evening while I was taking a walk.”

“Oh.” She paused. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t damage them.”

He hummed. “I hadn’t even noticed my shoe had gone into the dirt.”

“Do you have work to do when we get back?” Audrey asked.

“I do. I managed to escape this morning, but I cannot get out of my responsibilities this afternoon.”

She nodded. “I must check on the princess when we get back. She insisted on not being escorted to breakfast this morning, so I thought I’d take this time to go for a ride. It’s been a few years since I was out just for fun. Do you get to do this often?”

“Sometimes. Depends on how busy the day is. When we have guests, I have less work to do, so I get to do whatever I please for a few hours every day. Normally, though, there’s lots of work to get done around the palace. I help deal with a lot of legal things, so there’s a lot of paperwork.”

“I see. Well, it appears that you’re enjoying your free time.”

He chuckled. “I am.”

When they neared the stables, he nodded towards them. “You go ahead. I have something I need to check on before I return to the stables.”

She turned toward him. “I shall see you around, then?”

He nodded. “See you around.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

The next time she saw Taehyung was that evening as she took another walk through the castle gardens. Instead of weeding the gardens, tonight he was coaxing a song from the strings of a violin. Audrey had never heard someone play such an instrument outside the walls of a symphony hall. He was playing quite the melancholy tune, and Audrey wasn’t sure how he was able to play so well in the dim moonlight. He couldn’t see the strings.

“That’s quite a sad song. Does it have a name?” she queried.

He glanced up her, a gentle smile gracing his face as he took his violin off his shoulder.

“No, it doesn’t. I’ve never given it a name.”

“Did you write it?”

“Yes.”

“Ah. Well, it’s lovely.”

“Thank you.”

“When did you write it?”

“When I was twelve.”

“Wow! You had quite the talent for a twelve-year-old!”

Audrey was starting to question the position of this man. Before, she’d thought that he was simply a palace worker, maybe someone slightly more important, but now she was questioning if maybe he was someone of a higher position. A baron, perhaps? Maybe a viscount? But then, why would he be spending so much time at the palace?

Taehyung picked his violin again, beginning to play the tune again. This time, there were lyrics to go with the strain of the violin.

“The moonlight is shining tonight.

“The candles are glowing so bright.

“Oh, how I miss you.

“Oh, how I miss you.

“The tears of the flowers,

“Are making the hours,

“Go on and on and on.”

The violin continued to croon its sad tune even after he stopped singing, and Audrey wondered why this song had been written. It had been before his grandmother had died, so certainly it hadn’t been written for her.

“How does the time go by?

“How do the hours pass?

“Why did we say goodbye?

“Why couldn’t our time last?

“Oh, how I miss you.

“Oh, how I miss you.

“On this starry night.”

As the song came to an end, the tune slowed and eventually came to a stop. Audrey smiled.

“Did you write the lyrics at twelve too?”

He chuckled. “No. They came long after I wrote the tune.”

“What is the song about?” she asked before she could think.

He drew in a breath. “It’s about someone very dear to me that I lost.”

“Ah,” she frowned. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “It’s all right. That was a long time ago.”

“When you were twelve?”

“Grief seemed easier to process through music,” he admitted with a nod. “I suppose you’re out here for your nighty walk. I shall turn in now so I don’t disturb you.”

He turned to leave, but her voice stilled him.

“You’re not disturbing me. It’s quite nice to hear you play. I rarely hear someone play an instrument. Princess Hazel quite despises her harp, I suppose.”

“The princess plays an instrument?”

“Well, she was taught to play one, anyways. I haven’t heard her play in quite a few years. It’s a shame, really. That harp of hers is quite beautiful. It sits in dust now.”

“That is quite sad. But really, I should be getting inside. I’ll leave you now.”

She gave him a polite nod. “See you tomorrow, then.”

“Right. Tomorrow.”

Then he strode off towards the castle, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Taehyung wasn’t in the gardens the next morning when she went for her walk. The sun had just started to rise, but Audrey had expected him to be here. She went to check on his flowers once again. She wasn’t sure why she felt so attached to them. Maybe it was because he’d been kind enough to give her one of them. As she knelt down, she realized that he’d patted the shoe print out of the dirt. It was smooth again there. She gently ran her hand over the soil, smiling as how he cared so much for this garden.

She glanced across the garden at the coreopsis flowers. She wondered where his sister was now. He hadn’t spoken of her again after that morning. She crossed the garden and knelt down before the flowers. She brushed her finger along one of the petals. They were as soft as she’d imagined them to be when she’d first seen them.

She furrowed her brow when she noticed something glinting between the flowers. She reached forward, making sure to not bend any of the flower stems as she pulled the shiny thing out of the soil. As she brought it close to examine it, she recognized that it was another of the same button she’d seen before in the gardens. She was beginning to think something odd was going on here. Maybe these didn’t belong to the prince like she’d first suspected. Maybe…they were Taehyung’s buttons. But why would his buttons be falling out?

She pondered this, glancing up at the slowly illuminating sky as if it would give her the answers to her questions. Taehyung was truly proving to be more of a mysterious man than she’d initially thought. Why were buttons appearing in his garden? Where was his sister? Who had been so special to him that he’d lost so many years ago? And most importantly, was he an unimportant figure in the kingdom, or did his life play a much more pivotal role than hers did?

She clicked her tongue. Why did she care? She was headed back home soon. Although, if everything went well, she’d be returning. But she’d have far less time than she did now. She’d be back to her busy days of waiting on Hazel’s hand and foot every day, and her walks would likely be long forgotten. Taehyung would just be another figure in the castle that she bumped paths with every now and then, and the two of them would go on with their separate lives. She’d only known him for less than three days, anyways. How much could you really get to know about a person’s true character in that short of a time?

She knew that he gardened…played violin…and knew how to ride a horse. That was about it. And that at some point, he’d seemed to have some sort of a family.

She flicked the button back into the flowerbed. Maybe its owner would come for it again. Then she stood, realizing it was time to go wake the princess.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

“Have you met the prince yet?” Audrey finally asked as she helped Hazel into her gowns.

Hazel scoffed. “Yes. He’s an old man. He’s twenty-eight! Can you believe that? I thought at most, he’d be twenty-two. I can’t believe Mama and Papa want me to marry that guy!”

“Well…you know your brother’s wife is ten years younger than him.”

“Yes, well, this is outrageous! I’m not Hollace, nor should I be required to be like Gregory. I am a princess! I should choose my own husband!”

Audrey intentionally pulled the laces on Hazel’s dress too tight, making the girl squeak.

“My princess, must I remind you that this is just part of your life? You don’t have a choice. I’ve heard your fiancé is quite a fine gentleman, so you should be glad that your parents have chosen well. You could very well have been engaged to a man who would choose to disregard you at every turn. Would you prefer that?”

Hazel stared at Audrey through the mirror. “Well…no,” she responded after a few moments of silence. “I suppose he is quite charming.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “He’s very kind. He pulls my chair out at dinner for me.”

“See? A gentleman.”

“Indeed.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

The whole ordeal seemed to fall apart that same afternoon. Hazel burst into her room abruptly, sobbing hysterically. She began attempting to undo her dress before Audrey could even get up to help her.

Audrey loosened the back of the girl’s dress before sitting her down on the bed.

“Do I need to get you some tea?”

“No,” Hazel moaned. “I need you to hit him over the head for me.”

“What?” Audrey asked.

“The prince! He told me that he plans on breaking our engagement off!”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“No! I was just starting to like him! And what will my parents think! I’ve been rejected by my own fiancé! Surely I’m unworthy of any marriage now!” She dissolved into tears as she recalled what had happened.

Audrey patted her back. “I’ll go get you some tea and pastries, all right? Stay here.”

Hazel nodded.

Audrey quickly exited the room, making a beeline for the grand hall. She was going to give this prince a piece of her mind. Before she knew it, she was shoving the doors of the grand hall open, and she was pleased to find the prince still sitting in there. She crossed the room and was about to open her mouth when someone snapped at her.

“Hey! Bow to your prince.”

Someone shoved her to her knees, and a moment later she glanced up to meet his eyes. She gasped.

“Taehyung? It’s you?”

He blinked down at her. “Me? Yes, it’s me. What about me?”

“You’re the prince?” She was quick to get up from her knees, and she glared down at him.

“I suppose so,” he replied simply.

“You lied to me, then!”

“When did I lie to you?”

She hated how calm he looked right now. First, he’d deceived her into thinking he was just an average man working in the palace, and then he’d gone and broken Hazel’s heart. This man was a piece of work.

“You said you worked with the prince and the king!”

“I do. I work with my father, and it’s quite hard to not work with myself.”

She scowled at him.

“Have I told another lie?”

“I…” she stuttered. “I-I don’t know! You sure pretended that you weren’t a prince!”

He sighed. “Why are you here? Did you want to speak to me?”

“Yes! How could you tell Hazel that you’re going to break off your engagement with her?”

“Because I am. She’s made it clear that she doesn’t like me, and I don’t want to get married, honestly.”

“She came back to her room crying because of you!”

He furrowed his brow. “Crying? I assumed she would be overjoyed!”

“Well-” Audrey was stumbling over her words again. “Well, I’ll make sure you regret this!”

He smiled. “All right, then.” He stood from his chair. “I must be off now. I’ll see you around.”

Audrey scoffed at him.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Normally, Audrey wasn’t a vengeful or aggressive person. But something about Taehyung hiding the fact that he was the prince made her extremely furious. She found herself in the gardens, and seeing his flowers infuriated her even more. She wouldn’t touch the gaillardias, no, she wasn’t that insensitive. Although part of her wanted to be. Instead, she marched across the garden, coming to stand in front of the yellow patch of coreopsis. She bent down, ripping one of them from the flowerbed. She glared down at it.

“I can’t believe him!” she screamed at it. “He tricked me! He played with my heart!”

She sniffed, and tears started streaming down her face. The skies above her seemed to get the memo, and they began to cry as well. Except this wasn’t the cool, quiet rain that she was used to at home. It was a hot, loud rain that poured down on her and heated her already angered skin. She reached down and pulled another flower out of the ground. Then she stared at the two flowers. They were bright. Too bright. They promised sunny, happy days, but that was not what she was granted.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

Audrey jumped, looking to her left as the loud sound rang in her ears. Taehyung was standing there, his royal robes abandoned, and he was glaring at her. He bent down close to her, and she realized that she’d never seen him even close to angry before.

“Don’t. Touch. My coreopsis,” he growled.

She gasped, dropping both of the flowers to the ground. He bent down to retrieve them. Then he shoved them in her face.

“Have you ever had to bury a sibling?” he asked loudly, but his voice seemed nearly drowned out by the pouring rain around them.

“…no,” she admitted in a small voice, unsure if he’d even heard her.

He turned his gaze to the flowerbed, and his anger dissipated. He looked like he was crying now, but she couldn’t tell through all the rain.

“You haven’t. So you’ll never know what it’s like to be twelve and have your four-year-old sister die.”

Audrey stared up at him in shock and horror. She felt awful for what she’d just done, but grateful that she hadn’t had the courage to do any more damage. Taehyung knelt down, placing the flowers on top of the now baren dirt. He seemed to pause for a second, and then he retrieved the button that Audrey had left there that morning. Then he stood up. He grabbed her hand, tugging it forward before placing the button in it. Then he curled her fingers around it.

“I don’t want to see you again as long as you’re here.”

Now, she felt mad at her own self instead of at him.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Their trip was cut short by Taehyung’s announcement to both of the royal households. He was breaking his engagement with Hazel. Audrey was relieved to realize that he hadn’t made any mention of her actions to anyone else. She could at least only carry around the guilt of ruining his garden. She didn’t have to worry about crushing Hazel’s life along with her own. Part of her felt like it would almost be better to receive a punishment for what she’d done, though. She’d destroyed part of what she assumed to be one of the only things he had left of that little life that had been lost.

She found herself wandering the hallways one last time before she left, and she found a painting that she hadn’t seen on her past trips around these halls. It depicted a little, yellow flower, and it had a small child’s hand wrapped around its stem. She frowned, realizing that once, a young boy had planted a garden of flowers just for the joy of a dying little girl.

Audrey wept. She’d been so wrong about Taehyung. She wasn’t sure why he’d hidden his identity from her, but she knew he hadn’t deserved the wrath she’d spent on those flowers. He was a lovely man, and she realized that she didn’t deserve him, title or no title. He’d been so kind to her. He, a crown prince, had treated her like a friend while she’d walked his gardens. And she’d returned that kindness with destruction.

It was ok that she was headed home tomorrow. He could forget she’d ever walked into his life, and she could go home wishing that somehow their paths had intersected differently.

She found herself singing his song as she walked back to her room.

“The moonlight is shining tonight.

“The candles are glowing so bright.

“Oh, how I miss you.

“Oh, how I miss you.

“The tears of the flowers,

“Are making the hours,

“Go on and on and on.”

“How does the time go by?

“How do the hours pass?

“Why did we say goodbye?

“Why couldn’t our time last?

“Oh, how I miss you.

“Oh, how I miss you.

“On this starry night.”

She recognized now that he’d written this as a heartbroken little boy right after his sister had passed on. He’d suffered so much. And here she was, sulking that she couldn’t spend a lifetime with him. She was a sorry soul. She was glad she hadn’t been born royalty. She was given no chance with him, and that was a very good thing.

She made one last trip before she turned in for the night. She’d promised Hadley a gift, and she had no drawing, so she was determined to find a peacock feather. Surely, they sold them somewhere in town.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Months had passed since that trip now. Taehyung’s button was something that sat inside Audrey’s gaillardia pot, and she saw both of them every day when she awoke in the morning. She’d written him numerous letters, telling him how sorry she was for the way she’d acted and how kind he’d been to her. She admitted how fast her sorry excuse of a heart had fallen for him, and how she knew they weren’t meant to be. She told him of how she sang his song every night to help herself fall asleep. She’d never gotten an answer. She hadn’t expected to. He was a prince. What time did he have to read letters sent from a lady-in-waiting who was living nearly two hundred miles from him?

Today, she rolled out of bed like every morning. She headed straight for the kitchens to retrieve Hazel’s breakfast. When she arrived, the kitchen was far busier than usual. She stepped back as someone rushed past her.

“Miss Yorke, what is going on?”

“Haven’t you heard? We had a guest arrive late last night.”

Audrey had been asleep by then, probably.

“Who?” she asked. They hadn’t been expecting anyone.

“Prince Taehyung.”

Audrey froze. “Oh…um. Why is he here?”

“I haven’t a clue.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Since they were having breakfast in the great hall today, Audrey had no reason to head to Hazel’s room just yet. She wandered around the halls of the palace, wondering just what Taehyung was doing here. Had he decided to take back his rejection to the proposal? That seemed unlikely. But why else would he be here?

She turned a corner and walked smack into something. She didn’t remember anything being here. She stepped back, and her eyes widened as she saw Taehyung standing in front of her.

“I’ve been looking for you,” he murmured as he stared down at her.

She glanced around the hall. No one else seemed to be here. She looked back up at him.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“It seems to me that you haven’t been getting my letters.”

“Your letters?” she asked.

“Yes. I’ve written responses to all of yours.”

“I…I had no idea,” she muttered. “I never got anything.”

“I figured as much.” He pulled a stack of letters out of his coat before handing them to her. “I stopped sending them. I thought I’d come give them to you in person.”

She stared down at that stack of letters. She couldn’t believe this. He’d been responding to her this whole time, but she’d never gotten them. She blinked, and tears started to stream down her face.

“But you…you said you didn’t want to see me.”

He nodded. “I think both of us overreacted that day.”

She shook her head. “I did. You didn’t. I destroyed your garden.”

He shrugged. “It was two flowers.”

He held the letters out to her, but she shoved them back into his chest.

“You can’t give me false hope, Taehyung. You’re a prince. We can’t be together.”

“Says who? I see no reason why we can’t be together.”

“I can’t…I can’t leave Hazel. You know that.”

“All right.” He set the stack of letters in her hand before turning around and striding back the way he came from.

She hugged the letters to her chest, realizing he’d came all this way just for her. But why? Last time they’d spoken, he’d said he never wanted to see her again. Had her letters somehow changed his mind?

She opened the first letter as she walked. It had been dated about a week after her third letter had been written.

Dear Audrey,

I assume that these letters haven’t been reaching you. Neither of your last two have made any mention of mine. I suppose I shall keep these for now, then. Hopefully someday they make it into your hands.

I’ve planted a new flower in the gardens. It’s a bush of pink roses. They remind me of you. Beautiful to look at, but hard to touch.

Would you still write me your letters if you knew I was reading them? I sure hope so, but it seems from the very beginning you thought I’d never read these letters. I am partially glad these haven’t sent to you if that is the case.

Taehyung

When she reached into the envelope to put the letter back, she realized that there was a pressed flower in the envelope. It was a rose, and it matched the description of the ones that Tae had described. She leaned forward and smelled it. It had the scent of the perfumes the princess wore. Was he trying to tell her something? Why was he trying to woo a simple lady-in-waiting?

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Audrey read the rest of the letters after breakfast. He made mention of her parents, and she realized that she’d seemed to have mentioned their untimely deaths in one of her letters. Occasionally, he would talk about his sister and the fun times they had together before she fell ill. His parents hadn’t tried for any more kids after that.

Each letter was accompanied by another rose as well, and each one of them seemed younger than the previous one. The last rose appeared to almost still be in bloom. Audrey wondered if he’d put it in here right before he’d left. Each letter was stained with the scent of roses, and each envelope was sealed with wax. She wondered if this was what the girls were referring to when they mentioned love letters.

She tucked the letters away into the chest at the end of her bed. She wasn’t really sure what to do with them. Should she go find him? Or was that too much of a risk? Why was he even here, anyways? There was no way he’d travel all the way here just to give her a stack of letters.

She decided she needed a walk now. Hazel had insisted that she was spending the whole day in her room, so Audrey had most of the day free.

She found herself wandering around in the gardens this time. Their garden wasn’t nearly as beautiful as the one at Taehyung’s home, but it was all right for walking. She hadn’t expected to find Taehyung out there, though.

He was seated on one of the stone walls that surrounded the garden, and he was tapping his fingers against the wall. This was the first time Hazel had truly been able to study his outfit. Even dressing like a prince, he still wore trousers that were fitted to his legs. He wore a frilly, white shirt under a fancy red coat. But he still looked like the same Taehyung who had been muddied the first time she met him. She approached him quietly.

“Why are you here?”

He glanced up, startled.

“Why are you here?” she repeated. “If you’re here because of me, then go home.”

He started up at her. “I think you know why I’m here.”

“No, actually, I don’t! You’re not spending time with Hazel, and I don’t think you’re here to take back her hand in marriage, so what are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to collect my lady. But only if you’ll have me.”

“But you can’t have me!” she cried.

“And why not? The king and queen have no objections, so why can’t I have you?”

“What…what did you say?”

“They said I can have your hand in marriage.”

“Did you ask Hazel’s opinion?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Is that not a no?”

She scoffed. “I can’t just uproot myself and move two hundred miles away!”

“Why not?”

She blinked down at him. “I just…I can’t.”

He sighed before getting up from his spot on the wall. “Fine. I’ll go home, then. If you ever want to talk to me, I’m just a letter away.”

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

Taehyung headed out the next morning. Audrey stayed in her room, wanting to avoid seeing him before he left. Usually, she’d be taking Hazel her breakfast by now, but she couldn’t run the risk of running into him this morning.

She was startled by a loud banging on her door. She furrowed her brow. No one should be knocking on that door, especially not at this hour. She crossed the room and opened it just to find the princess staring back at her.

“Are you crazy? You’re just going to let him leave like that?” Hazel asked in outrage.

“Of course.”

“He came all the way here to ask for your hand in marriage and you’re just going to watch him leave?”

“How do you know that?”

“Because he asked me first! He sent me a letter a month ago asking if I’d be ok with it! He traveled two hundred miles just to ask you, and you’re gonna watch him ride off into the sunrise? Go! Get out there before he’s too far away for you to catch him!”

Audrey frowned. “Princess….”

“No! Go!” Hazel grabbed Audrey by the arm, dragging her out of the room and shoving her down the hall. “Get out there now!”

Audrey sighed, giving in. She started down the hall slowly.

“Be quick, Audrey!” Hazel exclaimed.

“Fine, fine.”

Audrey found herself sprinting through the courtyard a minute later, and then she was out on the streets. If she hurried, she could catch them before they got out of town.

By the time she found the carriage, her clothing was covered in dirt. She caught up to them, yelling as loud as she could.

“Wait! Wait! Stop the carriage!”

The driver got the message, pulling the carriage to a stop. Audrey climbed the side of the carriage, not caring that her clothing was now messy.

“What on earth are you doing?” Taehyung laughed as he poked his head out the window.

Audrey let out a squeak, her grip on the side failing as she fell back to the ground. Taehyung stepped down from the carriage a moment later and helped her up.

“What’s so urgent that you had to chase me out of town like this?” he asked.

Audrey stared up at him. “Hazel spoke to me. She told me everything. I’m…I’m so sorry.”

Her gaze fell to the ground as her cheeks flushed. She felt terribly embarrassed. Everything she’d done of late had been blatantly disrespectful to him.

“You don’t need to apologize,” he chuckled.

He reached down, hooking his finger under her chin before bringing her head up so that he could look her in the eye.

“I’m willing to wait as long as you need.”

“We’re not getting any younger.”

“No, we’re not. But that doesn’t matter to me. If you wake up one day when you’re sixty and realize what you’ve missed out on, you’ll always know where to find me.”

“I don’t want to wait that long,” she admitted. “I don’t think I can.”

“Then…will you marry me now?” he asked quietly, glancing between her eyes as he waited for an answer.

“I will. I’ll marry you.”

He grinned. “You will?”

“Yes. I will.”

He bent down then, capturing her lips in a kiss. She sighed. He smelled like the gardens of his homeland.

᪥♔᪥♔᪥

One year later…

Taehyung entered their bedroom, hiding something behind his back.

“Darling, I have a gift for you.”

“You do?” Audrey questioned, sitting up as much as she could. The baby growing inside her made it harder and harder to sit up on her own every day.

Taehyung revealed the gift to her, and she smiled.

“Yellow roses!” she gasped. “They’re lovely!”

“You like them?” he asked. “There’s plenty more in the garden. I thought I’d bring them up to you for now, though.”

She grinned. “When did you plant these?”

“About three months ago,” he admitted with a shrug. “I’ve planted some white ones too, but those won’t bloom for a little while.”

“May I smell them?”

He crossed the room before handing the bouquet to her. She leaned forward, burying her nose in it.

“They smell amazing,” she smiled. “Are you going to put them in a vase?”

“Would you like me to?”

“Of course! Why would you even ask?”

He laughed. “Of course, how silly of me. I’ll go get a vase. But first-” he leaned down to give her a kiss. “I need a few of these.”

She giggled as he kissed all over her face. “That tickles!”

“Mmm, does it? You want me to stop, then?”

“No.”

“I suppose I shall continue, then.”

“Tae!”

Main m.list

A/N: I wrote this in 3 days and haven't edited it so that's fun. I hope you enjoyed this, because it was very exciting for me to write!

It would be greatly appreciated if you reblogged the story if you liked it!

Taglist: @jiminie-and-his-pinky-finger @jinnie-forthe-winnie @taehoneycheeks @aianloveseven @bangtansjonas @fly-you-dam-fools

[dateamonster]

Jules and Aiden for the oc meme you just reblogged? :>

nice aight im gonna start with this nervous little punk boy

Full Name: Julian McKinley

Gender and Sexuality: bi boyyy

Pronouns: he/him

Ethnicity/Species: mixed, sephardic jewish + irish

Birthplace and Birthdate: born in pennsylvania in september 1978 (17 yrs old)

Guilty Pleasures: greasy food, sleeping until noon, usual teen stuff tbh he doesnt actually feel that guilty about it

Phobias: spiders and general creepy crawlies, needles

What They Would Be Famous For: ideally, starting a super cool band but more realistically, riding a shopping cart over the edge of a multistory car park and living

What They Would Get Arrested For: see above, or else some other kind of tomfoolery

OC You Ship Them With: WILL

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: i feel like his biggest danger is probably himself

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: he’s a comic book nerd, loves superheroes and scifi-action

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: honestly this guy eats up cliches with a spoon

Talents and/or Powers: reckless passion, can play the piano a little bit, a deep and powerful compassion that makes him likeable to those around despite bein kind of a doofus

Why Someone Might Love Them: he’s pure lovable goof material. he’s not always the brightest bulb but he always only wants the best for people around him. he’s enthusiastic about the stuff he loves and does his best to spread that enthusiasm around. he’s a 110% kinda dude and i cherish him.

Why Someone Might Hate Them: he’s definitely a dumbass sometimes, and his ignorance and occasionally naivete gets him and the people around him in trouble. he’s prone to align himself with the wrong sides and the wrong people because he wants to see the best in them. he’s also, ya know, a teenage boy. he makes mistakes and doesn’t always know how to fix them. his carelessness could def rub someone the wrong way.

How They Change: gettin involved in the baker family’s shenanigans forces him out of his sort-of suburban understanding of the world and he’s forced to question a lot of stuff about himself and the people he interacts with. mostly i think he realizes that there aren’t always gonna be easy answers and sometimes no matter how good your intentions, people get hurt. part of growing up for him is learning how to deal with that fallout.

Why You Love Them: he’s a dork and a devoted friend and even though he makes mistakes and fucks things up at his heart jules is just this warm and wonderful kid who tries so much even when he’s wildly out of his depth.

aand now

Full Name: Aiden Eaker

Gender and Sexuality: straight...ish dude

Pronouns: he/him

Ethnicity/Species: white

Birthplace and Birthdate: pennsylvania, february 1978

Guilty Pleasures: conspiracy documentaries and watching cheesy horror movies just to point out the flaws

Phobias: bats and vermin, feeling cornered

What They Would Be Famous For: interrupting a live news report in 1999 to talk about preparing for the apocalypse while the anchor person desperately tries to make him leave

What They Would Get Arrested For: starting some kind of fight, illegally distributing some kind of conspiracy related newsletter, the two might be related somehow

OC You Ship Them With: no ships for this guy til he gets his shit together

OC Most Likely To Murder Them: becca becca becca becca becca

Favorite Movie/Book Genre: speculative nonfiction, horror-scifi if he’s just chillin

Least Favorite Movie/Book Cliche: just anything he deems too unrealistic, though his criteria might be skewed

Talents and/or Powers: inquisitive, determined, owns a computer, and his dads a cop

Why Someone Might Love Them: he’s.. fun. entertaining. he gets better too i guess. might be relatable to cryptid enthusiasts.

Why Someone Might Hate Them: HOOO BOY. he is obnoxious, obsessive, and just plain mean sometimes. again, he’s a teenager and makes teenager mistakes. while he’s not exactly actively malicious or anything he is just a real frustrating guy.

How They Change: he does mellow out and improve as a person, thanks to jules mostly. he’s still kind of fundamentally a dick but he re assesses his shit and stops making his issues everyone else’s problem. it’s good.

Why You Love Them: like ive said, i love shitty dudes. i def have more of a love-hate relationship with this one but i dont think all characters should be 100% likeable. i think he’s a fun character even tho id probably wanna kick his ass irl. and as you can probably guess i enjoy givin him his comeuppance in-story and forcing him to get his shit together.