#im in a dark mood today anyway so the tone here is not hopeful

[itsdappleagain]

BARK BARK ITS FINALLY TIME FOR THE STOCKHOLM SYNDROME CAPER

not giving up on my trademark of being late for csweekly even though i vowed i wouldn't be late on this one. i have an excuse. i was doing audition prep/submission for a musical

OKAY ANYWAY

i think if i ever actually visited the belltower i would take damage just from being in the space

notes under the cut as always!

OKAY starting thoughts. this is. literally my favorite episode in the entire show. my favorite. im so fucking stoked you don't even know i love watching my blorbos get beat up. me 🤝rueitae

anyways. biting this episode and shaking it violently

i like that the faculty tie actually makes sense and they have solid motivations. it isnt just a plot device for a tie

love this shiot/angle of bellum btw so behold her. she is so amazing

okay hi. immediately stopping to go on a rant about the atmosphere in this caper. its. fucking. incredible. the scenery is so perfect. the right balance of beautiful and desolate, and it changes as the mood does. i could do this later but i will do it now because idk i want to its my post

notice as the episode goes on how as the tone gets darker in carmen's plotline, the scenery and mood around her gets colder and literally darker as well.

ivy's backgrounds, meanwhile, stay pretty light throughout because she has somewhat of a more comedic and hopeful storyline while carmen dies in a ditch somewhere.

also, as soon as carmen calls chief, the snow/light of the hologram/shot composition away from the dark trees shows that there is hope now

just....hope that is tinted with cop fingerprints all over it. i just GOD i fucking LOVE how you can VISUALLY SEE HOW HER LIFE IS GOING its reflected by the very environment around her. compare any shot after she gets acme in to the very last one i put in that set of five.

no moment is darker for carmen than when she gives up, on the brink of death, and calls for help, submitting herself to prison and interrogation in the hopes that even if vile wins today, she can somehow survive to take them down again another day.

man, i am barely a minute into the actual episode and i have a lot to say. that trend will continue. sorry not sorry. back to the actual liveblogging.

fun fact the first time i watched this episode i did not notice the acme agents on top of the building watching "carmen"

i love the little hints dropped to audience members who arent entirely in the know yet (7 year olds) that its ivy, not carmen, and that something is up here. lack of gigantic poofy brown hair, different stature, ivys little smile as she goes past. of course, if you're obsessive like me, youve memorized every characters outline and can tell even with wigs on

OH hey my favorite acme agent hang on

its her. she is drop dead gorgeous and has a nose piercing. she also i think gets all of one line in the s4 opener telling crackle to do whatever (or maybe its her partner but anyway i love her)

I have already earned from her

have you been GAY for twenty years chief? julia has

julia slays so hard in this episode. wish devineaux stayed dead longer because she thrives when she's by herself

episode is literally so gorgeous

i love zari just being like oh my god this bitches gay. bad for them

that soft little "i should have known" smile julia does when carmen puts her hand on her shoulder guts me like an animal

live acme (ants to classify and monitor evildoers) reaction

hey!! next time ivy gets into a frozen adventure with carmen in germany she gets an earbud upgrade :D

zack too!!

that "but powerful" line is literally gay. happy pride month from ivy "muscles" "milady" "i feel powerful dressing in my girlfriend's clothing" lastname

obsessed with zack's little finger wiggles to emulate typing when he imitates player

i love just how. rrgh casual they are. yes carmen is super serious and focused this caper (for good reason. launch codes) but they get in a little. julia notices something small about carmen and that she's cold and the playful tone in the reply from carmen before everything kind of goes to shit. "had to loan my coat once I spotted your reinforcements!" its just a bit of information but its some that she trusts julia with. she asks julia if chief is listening but if she was. carmen would have already blown ivy's cover. i know she stole the pen for good measure but seriously she TRUSTS her

i love how julia pats her jacket and then does not react in the slightest she was just making sure that was HER pen not someone else's

ivy being horrible in snow gag is the best part of this episode

i love julia showing off. she doesnt get to infodump to anyone else but she knows carmen will appreciate it. and shes trying to be coy about knowing what carmen is there to do (sorry jules. you would have been right any other time)

i also like that as julia is infodumping shes absorbing MORE by walking backwards and gazing around the city hall

fun fact: i always wondered how the hell the acme agents got into/hid in the hall without anyone seeing them but there are doors in between all of those pillars!

also

this hallway does in fact exist! i mean considering the cs team probably went there to location scout in person (see below picture of duane and the team in san fran) it makes sense!!

anyway. should i made an "only vaguely related tangents" tally counter for these things at the end of the post lmao

i love how super serious carmen gets here. this episode is so much more mature in its theming than some other episodes. from the launch codes to the fakeout suicide to the continued death before capture thing carmen has going on. man. i cant tell if ivys comic relief section is good for lightheartedness or tonal whiplash lmao

she has for a split second the look of a mother who just heard her child say "i frew up"

ARGH and i also love how literally nothing julia can say in that time will help. she tries- oh, she tries- but "its not what you think" mistakenly sounds like she was still in on it. it looks, for the moment, like julia was trying to distract her or this acme agent missed her cue or something. of course later in the ep carmen has plennnty of time

interestingly cs does away with the doors in between the pillars for a more ethereal and sophisticated look but there are doors in my heart

i love how carmen turns to run sideways. girl even if there weren't acme agents there where were you going

i also just fucking love carmen's completely silent analysis once shit gets really serious. she calculates and recalculates what she needs to do to survive here. and she's RUTHLESS about it. i think this is kind of the one time we really see her vile training come out in comparison to someone other than vile itself. she takes those acme agents OUT

part of me wonders if carmen, in that little pause by the door, thought that maybe her chances were better backtracking but she didn't want to have to hurt jules to get out. maybe im just gay and wistful idk BUT okay here's my reasoning!! hang on! stay with me!! carmen equals BAD in tight spaces. saw it in rio, saw it in nz, saw it in poitiers. its everywhere- she does better with more space. however, she does like her high grounds, so honestly this is pure headcanon but like,,, not wanting to hurt julia. send post

also you can see in the background julia TAKING OFF after the other agents....no gun drawn of course

this fight scene with carmen is so fucking fantastic

she never. NEVER. EVER does full fight scenes where she does a lot of offensive but this situation is so different. she SPRINTS at that bitch she holds him HOSTAGE and while of course she's acting so that she doesn't get caught the fight almost portrays her a little villainously with the trail of bodies she leaves behind her as she goes

ALSO THAT FLIP OFF THE WALL MOVE IS SO DAMN COOL. she tricks the acme agent into gassing herself almost effortlessly and only takes a split second to coldly look behind her to make sure there's no one else coming before she takes off again

and then the other three who didnt get knocked out start going after her again which distracts her just enough to let zari catch her with the shot

the shaky "camera" and blurred vision pov as carmen fades in and out of consciousness while instinct alone keeps her going up the stairs is just ARGH chefs kiss

fun fact zari's "there after her" line gets reused in the series finale

btw carmen falling of the tower scared me so bad when i first watched this at like 13. suicide fakeout <3 scared me so bad

also how the camera keeps moving even when carmen doesnt even seem to be in the picture anymore before her glider catches up with it. top. tier

and then the stockholm music kicks in. hoo mama the music in this episode is fucking unparalleled. that incessant, chilling, repetitive string instrument motif as carmen's situation begins to get really dire. aurgh.

carmen's continued pov as player starts getting really concerned about her and she fades in and out. carmen weaving all over the sky and crashing into shit grggrgrgr its so good

ivy getting tazed. yeah.

ivy can pass as an....argentinian.. right boys

player and zack when two out of four of their active teammates just went mia in the span of a minute: 👁️👄👁️

man do you think they thought it was an ambush or something. like i mean it was but an organized effort by one team. do you think zack was scared he would be next and that player would be left in the dark. anyway

the way moose picks ivy up by the scruff like a cat kills me

the citizens of stockholm on this day watching a foreign police strike happen at city hall and then a tourist get tazed, mugged, and kidnapped by some locals: 👁️👄👁️

IN WITH THE HIGH NOTES ON THE PIANO IN THAT SAME REPETITIVE, INCESSANT, CHILLING STYLE OF MUSIC THIS EPISODE HAS AS CARMNE LIES MOTIONLESS IN THE SNOW ARGEHDHDHGDGSDGSDHD

i really enjoy that they show us this desolate, still shot of carmen, completely motionless, trapped in a ravine, miles and miles away from the city. she doesnt wake up. its just the cold, harsh reality. and its starting to snow a lot harder.

julia just snatching the pen gets me every time

i love the emotion dropping out of chiefs tone once she sees the 5'2" pissed off lesbian on the other end

YES julia GO OFF she should have gotten to do so much more. she should have gotten to kill someone.

julia glancing back at zari when she says "chase her away and squander her trust" and zari turning away and balling her first is such a juicy little character moment

the venom in "we had an agreement." fhrjhgfejsjjd step on me

you know how people want that throwback spinoff series for the owl house with the lost moments. that but cs. shadowsan's malaysia mission, how the team operated and the jobs while carmen was recovering, more of black sheep's time at vile/her holdover year, her and player learning together once she tours around after escaping, the shanghai job (not the tsonts one), the cairo job, the swiss bank job. how julia got into law, how chase chose his name, more on carlotta and dexter, the two years after vile's defeat and before their reappearance, more of evil carmen, player's backstory as told in silver lion. there is. so much i want to see. tangent tally.

god. player's decision here is such a hard one. he's like sixteen, and he's potentially juggling the lives of two of his best friends with that line. the decision seems obvious, but in this case it is completely, entirely wrong. player's choice to save ivy instead of carmen damn near kills her, and there's no way he could have known. player guilt angst, please!

once again the music. thank you.

carmen's cry of pure pain as she moves juuust tickles something in my brain. she has no one to put on a brave face for and that crash landing HURT.

also how hoarse her voice is

the more groans of pain as she forces herself off the ground they are so good.

i love this episode for its look into carmen's psyche. so much of her is playing off of others, but in this one she is utterly alone. we see her thought processes in the worst of times with no one to fight but the weather and herself. fantastic shit. never forgiving sarcastic chorus for skimming over this episode and saying nothing happens did you watch it

the puff of breath when carmen says "player"!!!

carmen's tone when she goes "oookay." just is so good. gina did not skimp out on this performance and part of me wonders if she could have done better if she wasnt always trying to play the emotionless, suave hero figure and she let carmen be more human, like in this episode. carmen is seeing that she is injured, acme is trying to reach her, her glider is broken, she has no protection from the cold, and that player and any other help is completely out of range and she is not happy about it

carmen crying out when she slips even more when she's trying to climb its so tangible and delicious

FUN ANECODTE because i havent gone on enough tangents for this post already but the first time i ever saw this episode my dad came to pick me up for his half of the week right here. i had to leave the episode right here, with ivy kidnapped and mia and carmen alone in the frozen ravine, the acme pen blinking. i didnt have access to netflix to finish the episode. for. four. days. let me tell you. um. this episode literally did not let me sleep. that first night i was lying in bed i stayed up until like 3am just staring at the ceiling replaying the scenes and making theories. i was dry in the mouth. when i fell asleep i dreamed about it and kept waking up in the middle of the night. i cornered my dad and recounted the entire episode to him and then reeled off my theories to him. i reeled off my theories to my friends. i was literally consumed by the ending of this episode that i could not see. it was Not Healthy and it impacted me VERY HEAVILY as you can see.

but anyway my one theory was that carmen was going to be forced to call acme for help and be arrested because they kept doing closeups on the pen. good job, thirteen year old me. the foreshadowing worked.

back to the episode

ivys literally so cute in this episode

look at her.

ottoman has chihuahua vibes

the ice lodge staff watching two guys drag some poor red haired white bitch into the hotel like a sack of potatos: im sure shes fine they probably told them she was drunk lmao

im goosebumping something wicked here is one of the phrases of all time

DUMSKALLE

that raw, desperate "no" and scream from carmen is so good. that fall hurt five thousand times more because it was a failure. and also she probably just broke all the ribs that weren't broken before

it took me a few watches originally to see that carmen hits her glider on the way down. first time around i was like where tf did she get that wack ass blanket

draw me like one of your moose boys

moose boy unironically seems like a nice guy who got dragged into this by otter

can you imagine if they showed up with ivy and were like HAHA. CARMEN SANDIEGO. what would the faculty do with this poor white girl who is definitely not carmen. probably wipe her memory and boot out otter and moose but can you imagine their reactions

MOOSE BOY IS VOICED BY SONIC THE HEDGEHOG?? SCREAMING

or maybe it was right here that i got cut off with the panning shot of the pen and carmen sitting away from it staring at it. whatever it was but anyway yeah

the sadness and defeat as carmen shivers and tells this imaginary chief that vile is winning today either way just kills me i love it so much. carmen's death before capture ideology (almost. capture wins but it almost doesnt)

LAUNCH CODES? AS IN NUCYULAH?

also team red. didnt know what was on the data crystal!! they didnt know what the handoff was!!! they just knew it was fucking serious and that makes this all the more scary. had ivy not gotten kidnapped they would have missed it. i mean carmen would have probably tried to drag her foot on deaths doorstep ass over to the ice lodge to try anyway but she would have gotten triple pulverized

someone swinging (insert wieldy object) at a gigantic villain and it doing nothing is my favorite battle trope

more ivy appreciation

she said NOPE

ivy is literally so cool in this episode. she's still herself but she's trying to channel carmen and fill her gigantic shoes by making her proud. but she isnt carmen, and thats okay. she ends up doing it with a mix of carmen's help and her own goofy, clumsy style

AND IVYS TWANGY LITTLE VERSION OF CARMENS THEME AS SHE SUITS UP. ITS AWESOME

again. ivy being terrible on ice gag is the best. winters in boston must have been torture

man it doesnt even show all of it but you can see the agonizing that went into carmen's decision to call acme. once she makes it she doesnt hesitate in grabbing and clicking it. she does it seamlessly and with resignation. shes already fought with herself enough in her own head.

carmen: literally in the middle of the woods, shaking like a travelling fair rollercoaster ride, and bleeding from a thousand cuts chief: oh hey! sorry about that

MAN CARMEN THREW THAT PEN A LONG WAY

i also like that carmen has to heave herself up from sitting, and that she's only standing as a last display of control when every other ounce of it has been ripped from her. she has to lean on the tree, still, even to manage it. as soon as she pushes off of that tree and starts walking towards chief she collapses.

chief those business negotiations. can you wait

i do appreciate that chief doesnt play dumb or think carmen is dumb. she's been calling that pen for as long as carmens been staring at it. she knows carmen knows what calling her means and doesnt try to hide that theyre coming for her.

haha. where in the world is carmen sandiego reference. get it

MAN AND THEN EVERYTHING GETS SOO BAD. you realize just how serious this is when carmen drops the tough act and just reaches out. she does a quip, but her face is just hopeless and she drops like a STONE. she was barely hanging on. already dumped this onto rueitae's post but i think that as soon as she knew she'd done everything she could do and had exhausted every single option except dying on the spot. well. she didnt have a reason to hang on anymore. she gave up every single ounce of control to chief when she clicked that pen and her body needed to shut down to save her. so so so good

i really really like chief running over and hesitating before she puts her "hand" on carmens shoulder. she knows she cant do anything, but she can pretend and she can hope

i really do think she was concerned about carmen here, not just about the intel she was potentially losing. this scene mirrors her past with wolfe nearly perfectly, and it NEVER gets talked about. once again a call chief made on a person who turned out to have innocent intentions (gun was really car keys, julia going off the grid was really just her and carmen talking it out) gets them killed- or, in carmen's case, almost. chief, this time, has the power to save her and fix this mistake. parallels are also fun because obviously carmen is wolfe's daughter so double angst.

ivy immediately switching to suspicious spy face after she slams into the bar is so funny

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW OFTEN I USED TO JUST RANDOMLY SAY "hello, im shady mcshade from some sleazy rogue nation, check out my briefcase full of untraceable cash!" to just RANDOM PEOPLE IN MY LIFE with NO CONTEXT

the bartender is not paid enough for this

I LOVE THE LADY WHO JUST GETS TF OUTTA THERE WHEN IVY CRASHES INTO HER CHAIR

the little trill of carmens triumph theme when ivy looks at the grappling hook is so good

girl. ivy. you missed that REALLY BADLY for someone who threw an anchor up three stories with pinpoint accuracy like a couple years ago

poor ivy she was doing so well with the quips and the competence until she announced it to the entire ice lodge

warrior cats girls on the playground

ivys unhinged scream as she barells towards otter is so fantastic

it would really have super sucked if zack had run ivy over

again. this episode is so beautiful

i love that otter and moose would normally have never even been glanced at for an episode because they suck so bad but because it was untrained baby ivy (who still kicked their asses) they could be there also who assigned them the nuclear fucking launch codes. who did that

oh man you can see the smile drop off ivys face when zack asks where they can find carmen. she doesnt even think that carmen is still missing. she probably thinks carmens back on track by now, not that it would be HOURS later and shes still missing.

zack getting to ivy on the other side of stockholm: 🐌🐌🐌 zack getting to carmen twice as far away in the middle of the woods: 🦔 (too lazy to find sonic meme. sonic meme.)

julia just giving zari the most disappointed look when zari kicks carmen when shes down

FUN FACT OF THE DAY! in the original storyboards, julia and zari were supposed to get a SHOOKETH reaction shot when chief offers carmen a way out with z and i. they cut it. rude.

the pen lowering down to reveal julia behind it has always felt like such an important shot and i dont know why. like theres some symbolism im majorly missing out on there

ahh, the heartbroken look between friends

AGAIN this episode punches you like an elephant on steroids with that quiet "is she going to make it?" CARMEN IS ON THE BRINK. OF DEATH. AND HER FRIENDS ARENT EVEN CERTAIN SHES GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT. MAN. it raises the stakes up so high like obviously she wont die but in a tvy7 kids cartoon this is so fucking serious

carmen, delirious with the cold and pain, wondering if someone made a clone of her:

addressing all groups of people from now on as "student body most vile"

hey vile has a sick waterfall wall

it is really interesting that they do in fact shut down the academy. no one is allowed at the castle anymore once they move there. its also cool that in s4 because bellum doesnt have to be there teaching she can go to the himalayas and tinker full time!

wow. zuko and luz are in that crowd <3

okay. so. best episode ever. i love it so much and ive already gushed about it way too much so i wont keep you much longer.

tangent tally final count: like at least five it depends how specific you are

sorry about how long this is take it up with a brick wall it will be remorseful than me

[antis-delete-your-blogs-pls-thx]

Just to clear my name here as a "weirdo who instigates arguments on random posts", I replied to your comment on that thread because I am the OP and receive notifications whenever someone makes an addition.

Anyway. Forgive me for not writing an equally in-depth reply in parts, I'm currently in bed feeling pretty unwell, so my spoons are rapidly disappearing.

I think that the response to innocent-intentioned fandom criticism does overwhelmingly make people cry "anti" where none exist. I'm not disputing that, and I think that it's a mess and muddies the waters for actual critique that can make people both better readers and better writers.

But I think it mainly comes from paranoia. Not that anyone has ever been too fabulous about accepting critique, but fandom just six years ago was much more receptive to discussing media critically. It was when critique as a medium changed platforms from editorials to Twitter and Tumblr feeds that I think everything, for lack of a better term, went to shit. Creators and staff and dedicated fans are more accessible than ever before, and you can find their whole life story with a few clicks. Shit gets personal. And people started making it personal.

I'm reminded of the famous "Steven Universe is Garbage and Here's Why" video. Critique of Steven Universe itself as a cartoon is valid. It has the art style consistency of a toddler's doodles sometimes, its airing schedule was frankly laughable, and there was more filler than a stuffed turkey, and this is coming from someone who loves the show. But that video perfectly reflects a trend that's shown up more and more in recent years: attack the creator and not the work. I don't think of Rebecca Sugar personally as any less of a person for having a show that's stellar on some occasions and like grinding your teeth on concrete on others. I don't think she's a bad human being for writing in a few problematic elements that don't really get handled fantastically. But that critique does. It calls her a borderline Nazi apologist. For, funny enough, advocating pacifism on a show for 12yos (who are still susceptible to media influence). And she's a Jewish nonbinary person. Hardly the type of person who you're going to find holding a tiki torch. See what I mean about the normalisation of violence in media and personal attacks on creators?

So, yeah. The people who refuse to listen to any media criticism are wrong, and not doing themselves any favours. And the people who have outright said horrible things to you are no better than the antis any of them claim to be against. But the reasons behind a lot of their shitty behaviour are more from provocation than random chance. The reading in personal attacks, insults, and harassment doesn't just come from having a particularly sensitive and defensive disposition, it comes from direct experience.

And I'm sorry. I'm genuinely sorry that media criticism has been fucked over to the point where everyone gets labeled an anti. But maybe if antis hadn't have started their platform on treating people like shit, we'd have more people with an actually nuanced view of the difference between critique and personal attack. Because antis love to coat their rhetoric in dogwhistles, and a lot of the people saying "Sheith actually depicts a relationship that has unhealthy power dynamics, and I worry this has bad effects on the youth who would enjoy content of this relationship" are also saying "and Sheith shippers should get their eyes scooped out" elsewhere. I'm not making that up. I had an anti directly tell me that they only wanted to do media criticism of harmful tropes, and when I went to their blog to reblog the post in question, three posts below they were saying people who ship step-siblings should die. You can't play both sides of the coin, but they try to constantly, and it feels a little bit like going fucking insane every time I see it. Why the hell should I trust the words that come out of the mouths of people wanting to tell us to burn in a concentration camp (also a real experience) equally as often as they come from the mouths of those with genuine concerns?

Like, I'm not saying you should join in the anti-anti crusade or whatever you think we're doing here. I'm just painting the picture of mistrust and, yes, legitimately shitty behaviour that has come from years of systematic abuse. And that's what antis (actual antis) do. Abuse. Spreading misinformation with the intent to manipulate, gaslighting by coating rhetoric in dogwhistles and threatening others behind closed doors, shaming young and vulnerable people, doxxing and harassing people away from their support networks and careers? That's abuse. Telling people all the ways you want them to die in graphic detail? Abusive. Bullying people? Mocking people? Calling them clowns? Attacking their appearance and their identity? (All of these I have receipts for, mind you.) Abuse. Just because it's online, it doesn't mean it's not abusive behaviour. Purposefully triggering people, stalking them, sending threats to their friends and family members, speculating on their masturbatory habits or what trauma they must have went through? Harassment and abuse. Slandering people? Calling CSA survivors as bad as their abusers and falsely accusing them of pedophilia? Abuse. And illegal in a lot of places. Specifically going after clearly mentally ill people and telling them to commit suicide? Illegal. And often prosecuted. Because it is ABUSE. And expecting this site as a whole to react well to further abuse is just not realistic.

People are shitty because people are shitty to them. The only way to break the cycle is to stop being shitty. But I really doubt that's going to happen on this hellsite. So I blabber into this void, and you repeat yourself ad nauseum for five years, and nothing fucking changes.

Anyway. I'm sure you'll want to shake me by the shoulders for saying this, but if you want people who listen to criticism of media, and who call hypocritical anti-antis out, you could check out some of the people I reblog from. Korrasera does some amazing media criticism while still maintaining pro ship positions. I can point out the posts calling out other anti-antis on bad behaviour. I can point out posts where people have told me I was being a snappish dickwad, and I'm pretty well-known as a blog by now, which often deters criticism in communities where everyone fears the other for being an asshole.

You've had bad experiences with anti-antis. My blog can't erase your past with those people. But I can at least shed some light onto why people act like rabid dogs on this website, especially when it comes to ship criticism.

Points get recycled and regurgitated because actually finding people willing to listen is rare. You know that. I know that. I'm not going to act like any of this makes any particular difference. You'll probably still get called a puritan and censorship enabler. I'll still get told I deserved my abuse and that I'm as bad as my abuser. This hellsite doesn't get better.

I don’t want censorship. I don’t condone censorship. I don’t defend censorship. I don’t advocate censorship. 

I LITERALLY NEVER FUCKING TALK ABOUT CENSORSHIP EXCEPT TO TELL PEOPLE NO I’M NOT IN FAVOR OF CENSORSHIP SO CAN YOU PLEASE STOP ARGUING WITH ME ABOUT CENSORSHIP THAT I NEVER PROPOSED AND DON’T SUPPORT BECAUSE THAT’S LITERALLY NOT EVEN IN THE SAME ZIP CODE AS THE POINT I AM ALWAYS TRYING TO MAKE.

How fucking hard is it for the people who have the most to say about my opinions on toxic ships/fics, to actually READ one of those opinions once and grasp that I am not, have never been, and never WILL be for CENSORSHIP, the idea of telling people what they can and can’t write.

My only stance has ALWAYS been if you can’t write something without feeling you have to twist facts and talk over survivors and convince everyone that your writing has NO effect or influence whatsoever, in order to not feel bad or guilty or ashamed and defensive for writing it……like that should tell you something, and you should maybe take five seconds away from writing more of it to reflect on why the fuck its so important to you to convince everyone that what you’re doing is fine and harmless and they’re just completely delusional for thinking narratives can make an impression on people.

That’s not censorship. That’s not telling you that you CAN’T write something, its telling you that its not okay to wrap yourself in a fake bubble and pretend nothing you do matters or affects anyone else, just so you can continue writing something you maybe feel like you shouldn’t be writing, deep down inside already.

Asking people to THINK about the content they write, is not equivalent to banning that content, or even suggesting people ban that content. BECAUSE BANS DON’T DO ANY FUCKING GOOD. I AM IN COMPLETE AGREEMENT WITH EVERY ANTI-CENSORSHIP ARGUMENT ON THIS MATTER EVER, WHICH BIZARRELY MIGHT BE BECAUSE I AM IN FACT, ANTI-CENSORSHIP.

If the only reason people DON’T write certain things is because they can’t get away with it or they’re afraid they’ll be punished for it or whatever, that doesn’t solve ANYTHING. It doesn’t address the why of what draws them to write such content in the first place, and it doesn’t instill them with any greater awareness of how their content affects other people.

ITS KINDA LIKE HOW YEAH WE HAVE LAWS AGAINST MURDER BUT WE DON’T LET THAT STOP US FROM ALSO TELLING PEOPLE HEY MURDER IS BAD AND HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD THINK SO TOO.

And unlike with murder, which isn’t something that generally cultivates actual supporters and communities with it being the source and heart of it (Manson groupies and murder cults not included), all banning things that society considers ‘taboo’ and people are already prone to justifying in past precedents - like alcohol in prohibition or inflammatory or revolutionary or controversial creative content - all banning or censoring THAT kinda thing does is give people who already have a sense of community, organization, that now has been taken away from them, that makes them feel or be aware they’ve actively LOST something….now it gives them something to push back against, while drawing support due to their status as underdogs, because who doesn’t like a good David kicks Goliath’s ass feel-good story at the end of the day, am I right? Thus ensuring that at some point, in some way, they’ll still end up writing and producing the same content just in some other form or medium or venue.

Asking people to THINK about the EFFECTS their writing might have on other people is not bullying or harassing people in instances where there’s zero actual harassment or threatening going on, when its actually more just that they’re saying things that make you FEEL BAD and you don’t like that and want them to just cut it out, just stop it, waaah. 

(And no, there’s not a one to one correlation between writing and reading. I am not saying that writing something guarantees causation, like just because someone reads something doesn’t mean they’re going to replicate that scene in real life, no fucking doi, but its not ZERO affect or COMPLETELY FOLLOWING A SCRIPT, like just two fucking opposite extremes are the only options here, with no middle ground whatsoever. The fact that writing a story doesn’t make you a nefarious puppet master pulling the strings of whatever mindless reader you suckered into reading your fic and falling under its hypnotic spell, now yours to command -  like….that doesn’t mean stories never have ANY effect on readers whatsoever. That they can’t inspire related thoughts, they can’t normalize questionable behavior, they can’t give someone a justification to do or say or believe something they were already on the fence about, that they can’t help connect people who seek out certain stories because they’re actually fucking predatory people and these kinds of fantasies are absolutely their wank material, and here, have a whole community of people to go along with that story, all talking up how hot that is, asking for more, sharing similar thoughts or stories….nah, its absolutely INCONCEIVABLE how that sort of thing could have any affect whatsoever, on human behavior, on the choices people make, the confidence that determines whether or not they feel ballsy or at least safe enough to act on certain impulses….

Nah, you’re absolutely right. NONE OF THAT can EVER result from the producing and proliferation of certain content. Nope, nope, nope, people who produce this content only do so after toggling on the safety switch that ensures that they have now entered the NO CONSEQUENCES ZONE, in which it is LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE for any action they make - you know, like ACTIVELY writing a story, ACTIVELY distributing it, ACTIVELY seeking out more, ACTIVELY sharing ideas, ACTIVELY encouraging someone else to write their own or being encouraged to write more of the same, ACTIVELY forming bonds and friendships and community on the basis of specific content appealing to them as being sexually gratifying….

Yeah, once safely in the NO CONSEQUENCES ZONE, any action a writer takes inside the zone is completely unlike every other action normally is. Any action now magically has ZERO ability to cause a REaction or have an effect or influence on someone else or y’know. A consequence of any kind.

ALL I HAVE EVER SAID IS IF YOU HAVE TO GO SO FUCKING FAR DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE OF CONVINCING YOURSELF ALL OF THAT IS TRUE IN ORDER TO FEEL COMFORTABLE AND JUSTIFIED IN WRITING AND READING AND SHARING THE SPECIFIC CONTENT YOU’RE DEFENDING SO GODDAMN HARD….

Maybe you should buy yourself a fucking clue, Nancy Drew, because something in YOUR subconscious is probably banging on the walls trying REALLY damn hard to get your attention at that point, even though most of you just REACT to that by raising your voices and yelling even louder at all those sneaky, insidious antis that got inside your head somehow and convinced that little voice downstairs to start acting up and raising a fuss.

FUCK.

CENSORSHIP.

I hate it. I’m not for it. I don’t want it.

You know what I want?

ALL I really want?

CREATORS THINKING MORE CRITICALLY ABOUT WHAT THEY WRITE AND WHY, AND MAKING MORE CREATIVE CHOICES THAT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT CREATIVE WORK HAS IMPACT, IT AFFECTS AND SHAPES CULTURE, SOCIETY, TRENDS, AND MUCH MUCH MORE. IT PERPETUATES AND ENABLES AND FALSELY VALIDATES ALREADY HELD RACIST, HOMOPHOBIC AND MISOGYNISTIC BELIEFS. ETC ETC AD NAUSEAM. 

ALL CREATIVE WORK HAS POWER. 

AND POWER THAT’S USED WITHOUT CONCERN FOR ITS POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES SHOULD ALWAYS. 

DRAW. 

CRITICISM.

That’s it. That’s the whole fucking sermon. That’s all I have EVER fucking been saying on this blog on the subject of writing racist and homophobic and transphobic shit and shipping incest, pedophilia, rape and similar stuff.

The fucking end.

[thrillridesz]

all i want for christmas | eric

in part of the deobi secret santa project and dedicated as a gift to @channiewoo​ ✨ ( i hope you like it >< i tried my best! )

➳ pairing: college student!eric x reader ( ft juyeon, kevin, chanhee and sangyeon with jacob mentions! )

➳ genre: fluff, fantasy, time travel!au, time loop!au, christmas!au, university!au, love triangle!au ( ish? )

➳ warnings: n/a (PG13)

➳ word count: 4.6k

➳ inspo: lotus inn by why don’t we

➳ fic playlist: all i want for christmas - big time rush ft miranda cosgrove | lotus inn - why don’t we | christmassy! - the boyz | you belong with me - taylor swift | crush - david archuleta

a/n : this is my christmas secret santa gift to eri @channiewoo​  ^^ also hi, i’m your theb secret santa! thank you for being such a sweet person to talk to throughout this month and honestly you really made my first secret santa here on tumblr pretty memorable! i know we’ve just exchanged a few asks here and there but i genuinely did like talking to you though im not the most frequent secret santa anon out there >< i sincerely hope you can forgive me for that. but anyways, i hope you like your gift!!

+ also unedited for now because i really wanted to post this on christmas day... and tags are still not working but i don’t want to delay this any longer

The Christmas spirit could be felt in all corners of the house that night as the sweet aroma of freshly baked cookies and crackling log fire from the fireplace wafted in the air while party guests swayed to the upbeat  Christmas music playing on the stereo and chatted merrily amongst themselves. Outside, fine white snow was falling and against the black canvas of the night sky, it made the streets seem almost serene and even beautiful. Looking out, one could easily feel the Christmas mood as neighbours held their own christmas parties and family gatherings. Everywhere they looked, they would see beautifully decorated houses adorned with Christmas wreaths and intricate fairy lights. Sometimes, one would even see the occasional snowmans displayed out in the neighbours’ yards, covered in scarves and hats with the ever familiar carrot nose. From a distance a few doors down, one could also hear singing - a telltale sign of the local group of Christmas carolers making their rounds in the neighbourhood like they did every year.

This was what Christmas is all about - enjoying good food with loved ones, receiving amazing gifts, going door to door caroling and feeling at home with the people you appreciate and cherish while the winter snow falls outside. Yet, Eric felt anything but. In fact, his heart was pounding against his chest as he sipped nervously at his mug of hot apple cider. Around him, the party guests were mingling and laughing at the college Christmas party as they shared funny stories from the year they had, feeling particularly merry. Normally, it would have been easy for him to get in the mood but not this time.

“I don’t get what you’re so nervous about.” Kevin said, shaking his head. “Why can’t you just talk to her?”

“I don’t want to make a fool out of myself. What if I mess up?” He replied despondently, his eyes softening as he glanced at you from across the room.

There you were - decked out in a cute Christmas outfit just standing by the fireplace, your hair falling around your face and framing it, looking more beautiful than he had remembered. The smile on your face made his heart flutter ever so slightly and he could feel his face grow warmer despite having a huge mug of apple cider just in front of him. The santa hat you wore added just that little touch of sweetness and adorableness to you and Eric couldn’t help but feel his heart start to pound in his chest. If you weren’t already stunning to him, you were breathtakingly beautiful to him now. Every little smile or shy glance made his heart beat just a little faster and he reached up to clutch softly as his chest.

“It’s better than not trying at all, Eric.” Kevin pointed out, taking a bite out of his gingerbread cookie. “You ought to have a little bit more faith in yourself.”

Eric sighed in resignation. “It’s so much easier talking about it than actually doing it. Everytime I think about doing it, I chicken out. I just can’t seem to stop fearing about possibly screwing it up, Kev.”

Kevin regarded him with a sympathetic look before patting him reassuringly on the shoulder. “I understand. Look man, if you don’t feel ready then you don’t have to force yourself to talk to her.”

“I promised myself that today would be the day.”

“Yeah, I know you did but still, you don’t have to force yourself. Your face is turning pale from the anxiety.” The latter said, concerned.

“It is?” Eric asked, alarmed as he quickly turned to the window beside him, checking out his reflection. He narrowed his eyes as he reached up to ruffle his hair in an attempt to make it look somewhat better though all it did was make it seem more tousled.

Kevin watched him, chuckling softly. Men in love are truly a different breed.

“Hey, Kev! I nearly forgot, do you want to listen to my newly curated Christmas playlist? I’ve been meaning to ask but I couldn’t find you.” Sangyeon suddenly appeared from behind the duo, with a joyous grin on his face. Kevin gave Eric a questioning look which he waved away.

“I’ll be fine.” He smiled.

“Alright… If you need anything, just call me!” Kevin said, casting him a last fleeting glance as he walked away with Sangyeon.

Holding the mug of hot apple cider close to his chest, Eric leaned against the cold glass panel of the window, staring out listlessly despite the steady pounding of his heart. He shot a furtive glance in your direction and quickly looked away, his cheeks reddening. At this rate, it would not be long before he turned as red as Rudolph’s nose.

“Get a grip, Eric. Why are you being such a wimp?” He chided himself. Looking around, Eric couldn’t help but observe his surroundings wistfully.

Everyone was seemingly in their element - snacking on Christmas snacks, dancing and just having fun. By the boombox, he watched as Hyunjae engaged in conversation with a girl who he did not recognise. The way they were laughing and the way she so flirtatiously slapped him on the shoulder, giggling at something Hyunjae said made Eric feel so deeply envious. Even from where he was, the smitten look on her face was undeniable and he wondered why he couldn’t have been more of a ladies’ man like Hyunjae was. Things would have been so much easier for him. Why is it that whenever it came to you he was suddenly the most awkward person to grace the face of this earth? It just didn’t make sense to him.

Sighing, he took another sip of his hot apple cider, feeling the liquid burn at the back of his throat. Suddenly, he frowned, his eyes narrowing. Who was that?

He had one of the most attractive faces Eric had ever seen - with soft, fine dark hair, a strong build and a warm smile that simply lit up the room. There he was, talking to you and you sliding your hand over his shoulder, not in a seductive or flirtatious way but in a friendly way though it was still enough to spark jealousy in Eric’s heart. He watched intently as you leaned in to whisper something in his year, his smile growing wider at your words.

Eric longed to know what the two of you were talking about, his grip on his mug growing tighter and firmer.

“Lost your chance, buddy.”

Swivelling around, Eric nearly spilled his apple cider as he turned to face a pink haired boy with an upturned nose. He didn’t remember seeing him around but there was something odd about him that Eric couldn’t quite put his finger on. Not to mention, that statement really did rub him off the wrong way.

“Excuse me?” His tone was slightly icy as he furrowed his brows together, frowning at the stranger in front of him.

“Didn’t you want to talk to her?” The boy asked, taking a swig of his hot chocolate, seemingly not noticing the confused look Eric was shooting him.

“Do I know you?”

“Oh right! I’m sorry, I should have introduced myself. How rude of me… I’m Chanhee but you can call me New. Everyone does,” he smiled warmly, “you’re Eric?”

Eric narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Yes? How do you know my name?”

“I just do. I know everyone,” He waved away his question nonchalantly, “I see you have a Christmas sweetheart.”

He tipped his mug in your direction and Eric felt his face grow hotter, annoyance setting in at the same time.

“How is that any of your business?” He snapped, his tone indignant and confrontational.

“I am here to help so watch your tone around me.” New rolled his eyes, looking at him in disdain though there was a twinkle in his eyes as he continued, “I can help you get the girl.”

Eric cast you a sideway glance before turning back to New with a skeptical expression. Whoever this guy was, he was weird, odd. Yet, the proposal he had proposed was a tempting one and despite himself, he felt inclined to listen. Watching you from afar, Eric’s heart sank just a little deeper as the guy you were talking to suddenly reached up to brush your hair away from your face, the both of you looking into each other’s eyes as he did. The irritation and jealousy he felt came back stronger than ever and before he knew it, the words were out of his mouth before he even knew it.

“How can you help?”

At his words, New grinned, drawing a small crystal vial from his pocket. The vial was filled with a mysterious sparkly, glowy pink liquid and smelled distinctively of roasted chestnuts though Eric was almost a thousand percent sure the liquid was not made of any kind of roasted chestnuts in any shape or form. As New popped open the cap, the scent grew even stronger and Eric shot him an alarmed look.

“What is that? A drug?!” Looking around frantically, it felt like nobody was paying the two of them any attention, being too preoccupied with their own conversations. How is nobody noticing this?

“Calm down and don’t get your panties in a twist.” New scoffed, “It’s a time travel potion. Or a time loop potion if you will.”

This guy is actually crazy. Eric almost wanted to laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of it all but barely managed to suppress it.

“Okay…?”

“Yup, I made it myself. Took me like half a year to brew it to perfection but it should work now. I followed each step really closely so there should be no problems.”

“Yeah, sure man. Thanks for wasting my time. If you don’t mind, I’ll be leaving. Thanks for the false hope.” Eric grumbled, taking his leave and not even bothering to consider the chagrined look on New’s face. Mayhaps Christmas is not his time either. He wondered how long this would drag on. When Valentine’s Day rolled around, he chickened out and said ‘next time’. When Halloween rolled around, he chickened out yet again and promised to make a move by Thanksgiving yet when Thanksgiving rolled around, he settled for Christmas. Now…

“Maybe it’s just not meant to be. Maybe I’m just too much of a coward.” He whispered to himself, pushing his way through the crowd of people. As he took yet another sip of his hot apple cider, he couldn’t help but keep his eye on you. The way you were now looping your arms over the guy’s neck and the way he had his large hands on your waist made Eric want to leave the party. If only he had a little bit more faith…

“What time is it anyways?” He murmured to himself, wanting more than anything to leave.

9:04pm. Damn. It wouldn’t be until two hours later for the party to end. Sure, he could always leave early but he would hate to be seen as disrespectful to everyone else especially Jacob, the host of this lovely party.

He stared at the mug of hot apple cider he had in his hand, scrunching up his nose at the taste of it.

Was it just him or did it taste slightly… Off?

Eric gazed at it for a moment before he shook his head. I’m overthinking everything, he thought. However as he stood over the snack table, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head. It was like having someone slap him at his head before his vision turned blurry. His limbs were beginning to go soft and his mouth dry. What was happening? He blinked rapidly but to no avail. It felt like he was falling in a deep pit…

When he opened his eyes again, everything felt fine. Patting himself lightly on the face, he looked around his surroundings in confusion. Just what was that? Did he imagine all of that? The mug of hot apple cider was still in his hands and the reindeer horns band was still on his head. He was wearing the same clothes and everything had become clear, there were no more blurry visions. The pounding in his head had stopped and it felt like whatever happened earlier was merely a figment of his own imagination.

“Eric…? Eric!”

The voice shook him from his stupor and with a start, he lifted his head to see Kevin regarding him with a questioning look on his face.

“You okay? You zoned out for a minute and I mean, really zoned out.”

“Y-Yeah… Aren’t you supposed to go listen to Sangyeon’s playlist or something?”

Kevin raised an eyebrow.

“What playlist?”

Eric frowned. “Didn’t Sangyeon ask you to listen to his Christmas playlist?”

“Um… No? Even if he has one, he hasn’t asked me yet.”

Eric looked at Kevin with confusion in his eyes. What was going on? Last he remembered, that was exactly what happened. Swivelling around, the confusion got even stronger when he saw you standing all alone at the other corner of the house. Were you not with that guy?

Instantly, he remembered what New had said. “Time travel potion…” He mumbled under his breath, his eyes widening when the realisation dawned upon. No way…

Whipping out his phone, it felt like his heart was about to pound right out of his chest when he saw the time. His throat felt dry and tight as he stared, unable to believe his eyes.

8:46pm.

Eric suddenly recalled the weird taste he had gotten in his cider and instinctively, his hand reached up to cover his mouth. There was no other explanation for this other than the fact that one, that New or was it Kyu guy had not been lying when he spoke of a time travel potion and two, he had slipped him the potion on purpose when he wasn’t looking. He could feel the anger bubble up within him - the nerve of that guy! With pure, unadulterated fury in his eyes, his gaze swept across the room, looking for him. Kevin looked on, thoroughly puzzled.

“...Eric? Are you okay? You’ve got a weird look on your face.” He asked, concerned. “Eric?”

All anger had just dissipated from his being as his sights finally landed on you. There you were, standing all alone at the fireplace with a drink in your hand while your friend danced. The look on your face was one of loneliness and even from a mile away, anyone could tell you looked extremely awkward at having been left alone while she swayed up against Haknyeon, a guy he recognised from his Medieval History module.

From the corner of his eye, he could see the same dark haired guy he had seen approach you ‘earlier’. Following his gaze, Eric could feel his stomach drop as he realised that they were on you. From his body language, it was clear that he was about to make his way over and take his chances with you.

Just then, a voice at the back of his mind whispered softly.

“What are you waiting for?”

Taking a deep breath, Eric squared his shoulders and hurriedly straightened the jacket he was wearing. This is it. This is actually it. He was going to do it. His legs were moving now, one step after another in large strides towards you. The sound of his heart pounding was practically deafening to his ears and he could feel his legs turning into lead, each footstep heavier than the next. Squeezing past the crowd, another voice - this time insistent and panicky - suddenly cried out.

“No, don’t do this! What if you embarrass yourself and make yourself out to be a fool?”

Eric’s face paled. No, this is a mistake. What was he doing?

“Hello?”

Shaking out of his thoughts, Eric almost jumped back in shock at the sight of you just right in front of him. Before he even realised it, he had made his way over. It is now too late to back out. Had he been standing there like an idiot this whole time?

“I-I… Hey!” He squeaked out, his heart almost leaping out of his chest.

“You’re Eric right? Eric Sohn from Professor Kim’s introduction to accounting class?” You asked kindly.

From the corner of his eye, he could see the guy from ‘earlier’ approaching, pushing past the crowd and judging from his demeanour… It seemed like the competition was still in the game.

He needed to pull this off.

“Yeah, I am. Y/n right? It’s a pretty cool party, isn’t it?”

“Mhm! Pretty great so far! My friend is over there dancing but I’m not much of a party dancer so here I am,” you smiled and Eric almost forgot what he was about to say.

“I-”

“Hey, how are you guys enjoying the party?”

Eric looked up and his brows furrowed into an annoyed and anxious ‘v’. The dark haired competition merely grinned back at him though there was a certain glint in his eyes which made Eric clench his jaw tightly. It was the sort of gaze that was long enough to send a goading message - game on.

He smiled and extended a hand towards you, completely ignoring Eric. “I’m Juyeon, roommate of Jacob’s. I saw you from afar and thought I’d come say hi.”

You shook his hand, oblivious to the tension between the two guys. “I’m y/n. It’s nice to meet you.”

Juyeon briefly lifted his gaze to Eric and without anyone’s notice but his, he winked slyly.

“Revolting.” Eric thought angrily.

“I heard they have some really cool peppermint treats at the candy table, wanna come?” Juyeon asked and quickly Eric said, “I heard they have a great log cake at the snack bar though. I’ve heard people raving about it!”

You looked at the both of them, seemingly a little disconcerted. “Uh… I…” Juyeon shot Eric a scathing look which he returned with a smug smile.

“Who doesn’t love a good old log cake?” He asked, to which Juyeon rolled his eyes at.

“I mean… I do love peppermint…” You trailed off and Eric turned to you with wide eyes as big as saucers and Juyeon’s lips lifted into a smug smile.

“Excellent choice! I hear they have so many varieties…” Juyeon chattered on, placing his arm over your shoulder, leaving poor Eric speechless and red faced, watching helplessly as the two of you walked away from him. Turning behind you, you had an apologetic look on your face but said nothing.

“That’s too bad. I was rooting for you, you know?”

Eric swivelled around to find New standing behind him yet again, this time chewing on a piece of toffee. The time on his watch was clear as day as the red, glowing digits stared right back at him - 9:04pm. It had come full circle. He had the chance to turn things around but he had failed. Somehow, the nonchalant look in New’s face irritated him but he tried to remain calm. His gaze drifted down to the bulge in the man’s jacket pocket, tracing the faint outline of the tiny vial that contained the potion from earlier.

“At least we know now that I’m legit, right?” He winked at Eric, smirking as he did though it dropped when he saw the look on the latter’s face.

“Why are you-”

“Please, give me one more chance. Please just let me turn back time this one more time.” He pleaded. Eric was not one to plead but this time, he was feeling particularly desperate.

New looked at him like he had just sprouted an extra head before he burst out laughing.

“How’s that for a turn of the tables, Mr ‘thank you for wasting my time’?” He asked, still giggling. Clearly, he was taking much joy in this new dynamic - something Eric didn’t look too pleased about though he was not about to act on it. After all, it was New’s potion that allowed him this one more chance which he had quite unspectacularly let slip from his grasp.

“Alright, I suppose I could let you try this one more time though I’ll definitely be charging for your next usage.” New sighed, whipping out the vial. “I did want you to succeed after all.”

As Eric gulped down his drink, the familiar feeling of dizziness washed over him yet again, along with the looseness in his limbs and before he knew it, he found himself standing right where he was with you standing where you were previously.

This time, Eric squared his shoulders and ran a hand nervously through his hair. There you were yet again, standing by the fireplace with that drink in your hand.

“No hesitation this time,” he whispered to himself before he made his way over. He barely even paid attention to Juyeon coming in from the side as he struck up a conversation.

“Hey, y/n from professor Kim’s introduction to accounting right?”

You turned to him, looking a little surprised before you smiled warmly at him.

“Yeah! Eric, is it? It’s nice to see you here.”

“How’s things going so far at the party?” He asked, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. His nervousness was getting to him quickly but the thought of messing up yet again reined him back in and his smile stayed on.

You wrinkled your nose as if considering his question before you replied, “Well, it’s going alright so far. I’m not really a party sort of person but I thought I’d make an exception since you know, Jacob’s my friend.”

“I see! I don’t usually mind parties but I do like…” He paused as he saw Juyeon approaching, the gears in his head whirring away and you looked at him curiously.

“Eric…?”

“How about we go get some peppermint? I hear they have a variety here.” He suggested quickly, his eyes darting towards Juyeon’s direction.

You stared at him, looking a little perturbed but then grinned and nodded. “Sure, I love peppermints.”

Before Juyeon could even make his way over, the two of you had walked away, squeezing past the dancing crowd. The bass beat of the music was so resounding throughout the house that it almost seemed as if the walls were vibrating as well. The glitter and lights all around all looked stunning but perhaps a little too stunning as Eric made his way through the crowd with you just right by him. From all sides, people were accidentally bumping into each other and more than once, he almost lost his balance.

As the two of you neared the candy table, Eric realised too late that perhaps pushing past the crowd had been a bad idea and that a smarter way would be to stay out of the dance floor when he felt himself fall forward. Someone’s foot had been there and without looking, he had tripped over and landed with a huge thud on the floor, flat on his belly. His chin collided with the ground and if he had hit it just a little harder, had the impact been just a tad stronger, he might have suffered a serious injury.

Since you were just trailing behind him, his unexpected fall had sent you falling as well. As the both of you crashed against the ground, some members of the crowd audibly gasped as people shuffled out of the way. Though it may have hurt when he fell, Eric’s heart ached much more than the bruise he would no doubt sport on his knees tomorrow. Seeing you sprawled next to him and knowing all of this happened only because of him, he wanted nothing more than to dig a hole right there and then and leap right in.

A few partygoers reached out to help him up and right next to him, Juyeon appeared in front of you, extending a hand with a look of concern. Eric watched as the two of you looked into each other’s eyes and like in a fairytale princess bedtime story, you reached out tentatively to hold onto Juyeon’s hand as his heart fell to the ground with a messy splat.

“Y/n-”

“Are you guys okay?” Juyeon asked though it seemed as if he was only asking you in general.

“Yeah, we’re alright. Thank you.” You said softly, still seemingly a little frazzled.

“Come, let us go get you seated somewhere.”

Eric couldn’t help but simply stand there and look helplessly as the both of you wandered away, his heart feeling like it was about to shatter into pieces. A second chance he was given and he screwed it up and if that wasn’t enough, he was offered yet another shot which went worse than his first. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. Maybe no matter how many times he tried, tonight was just not the night. Or perhaps nothing was ever destined to happen between you two. The jolly christmas music was still playing but he no longer was in the Christmassy spirit anymore.

All he wanted for Christmas was you but it seemed that that didn’t seem so possible anymore, if not impossible.

As the partygoers resumed their dancing, all he could do was plop himself down on the nearby couch and do nothing except nurse not just his fallen pride but also his feelings which never had the chance to express themselves before it got completely shut down.

Grabbing a bottle of ginger ale from a nearby pack, he took a swig and felt the ale burn as it ran down his throat. Usually, he would have loved it but tonight, it just left a bitter taste in his mouth. Keeping his head down, Eric exhaled deeply. He ought to just give up completely.

“Hey, Eric.”

At the sound of your voice, his head snapped up and he gazed up at you with wide eyes. There you were, standing before him and looking down at him as he wallowed in his own feelings. How long have you been standing there? Why were you here?

“Y-y/n?”

You gave him a bashful glance as you sat yourself next to him. “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

“I… I… “ He simply stared at you, his mouth gaping like a fish and looking absolutely flummoxed. “Didn’t Juyeon-”

“I couldn’t possibly leave you alone.” You hurried to say and when he didn’t reply, you continued. “Do you… Do you mind if I sit here with you?”

It took Eric a second for it to register in his mind what you had just asked of him before he grew flustered just as the joy in him began to spark.

“Do I mind? No! Of course not! You’re welcomed here! Please, sit with me!”

As he chattered on nervously, you couldn’t help but admire the way his eyes would light up whenever he talked and how charming his smile was. He was in the habit of moving his hands around a lot which though some might find annoying, you only found to be endearing. You could feel your heart beating quickly which always happened whenever you were near him, saw him around class or even just at the mere mention of his name.

As you looked into his eyes, you felt yourself clench on tightly to the couch, the excitement in you simply immeasurable. You couldn’t help but smile as you felt the weight of the vial in your pocket. A worthy bargain indeed from the mysterious pink haired boy.

This was all you wanted for Christmas.

[thecipherlegacy]

Touch prompts- "Holding the other's chin up" for Mavasha and Quinn.

Touch ask prompt

Sorry these are taking forever! I've been getting carried away lol anyway, thank you for the prompt! Hope you enjoy it!

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

They had been through a lot together, and Malavai was thrilled to say that he and his lord were getting married. He already properly filed for the appropriate paperwork and made sure it was scheduled at their desired location on Dromund Kaas, but something about this whole ordeal made his stomach knot. He felt anxious. No matter his research about Sith marriages and the like, he still felt anxiety settling in his stomach.

To snap him from his thoughts was a set of small footsteps arriving in his doorway. "You're finally tying the knot with tall sith lady huh?" Vettes unwelcome voice filtered in. He rolled his eyes and picked up his datapad in an attempt to look busy, as if that ever stopped her.

"I am marrying her, yes." He responded curtly. "And If you've come here to tease me I would appreciate it if you didn't."

The twilek snickered, which only fueled the fire that was his frustration. "Yeah, that sounds like something I would do. But, not today" she admitted. This actually simmered his irritation into intrigue and he stoppeded his act to give her a glance. "uh... Congrats, Quinn. Really, she's scary as hell, but... you two are... good... together" she sounded awkward, but it really was the nicest thing she had ever said to him.

After a brief silence, Quinn responded. "Was that really you trying to sound sincere?" His brow raised at her. This earned a dramatic look of hurt.

"I'm being serious! Gosh. You try and say something nice-" the small woman pouted and crossed her arms. Malavai often had to remind himself that she was a grown woman. "Im just happy for you guys, you're stuffy and a pain, but you two seem happy. In a crazy... Sithy kind of way"

He couldn't believe it. Perhaps it was his good mood from getting engaged, or maybe his nerves had rattled him so much that her insulting explanations of Imperials and sith didn't bother him in the moment, but he actually felt himself smile briefly. "Thank you. I am a lucky man." Malavai claimed with pride.

She perked back up and gave him a grin, this time it was a little more devilish. "Soooooo you guys going to have some little sith babies?" There it was. The Vette he knew and disliked greatly. He really didn't understand why Mavasha kept her around. Sometimes he was convinced it was because she delighted in seeing him suffer under Vettes constant chatter.

With that said, he went back to pretending to be busy though he was on leave to plan his wedding. "That isn't really your business" he muttered. He was so flustered by the question he hadn't noticed the sound of heels approaching.

"Though, I wouldn't mind building a family with you, Quinn" Mavashas smooth voice filled the room. Malavai's heart fluttered just from the sound. He looked up to find her standing behind Vette in the doorway. "Vette, dear, give us some time please. I'm sure my apprentice would like some time with you anyway"

"Yes, your sithiness" The twi'lek saluted before leaving them alone. Once she was gone, the tall torguta woman sauntered in and sat beside Malavai.

"How are the plans for our wedding going, my love?" She asked.

Every time she called him such things he could feel his face heat up and his heart felt full. He never thought he would feel that way. "They are complete. I've booked the location on Dromund Kaas, gotten the flora ordered, scheduled you for an appointment with a seamstress so you can get your dress, and I have arranged for the invitations to be sent out in two days so it is exactly two months out. Plenty of time for our colleagues and family to plan."

She chuckled. He was always so orderly. He had insisted on doing all of this himself, and who was she to deny him his favorite passtime of organizing and planning? "Well good, then with all of that out of the way you should finally have time for your fiancé." Mavasha purred and held his hands. She instantly could feel his buried anxiety and frowned slightly. "Malavai whats wrong?"

Her sudden change in mood caught him off guard. He always forgot how she could feel his emotions through the force. "Nothing, my lord. I am simply tired from all of the planning." This lie didn't get far, and he knew that when her ruby lips fell into a deeper frown.

"Don't insult my intelligence, darling. You're anxious- oh...." her eyes darted away and she let go of his hands "are you having second thoughts?-"

Malavai's stomach twisted uncomfortably when he spotted that pain in her eyes and he took her hands back in his as if his life depended on her touch. "No! Not at all, Mavasha. I am simply... Nervous." His cheeks tinted pink with embarrassment. "This all feels too good to be true. I am worried something is bound to go wrong, but I cannot prepare for it if I'm not sure what's causing this feeling."

The woman seemed to relax once more at that. Her eyes met his again. "So you're having pre-wedding jitters then?"

She watched him straighten his posture even more than it already had been, that seemed to be his way of fidgeting when he was tense. He would shift or tense up while his blue eyes darted around anxiously. "I suppose that seems to be the case, my lord." He finally responded awkwardly. "I never expected to marry anyone, much less a Dark lord of the empire. This is all very... foreign to me. Love and marriage, planning for a family, all of it. I wasn't trained for this"

His fiancé gave a soft chuckle, then her clawed hand gently slotted under his chin so he would look up and meet her ruby red gaze. After all their time together, Mavasha could still see his breath leave his lungs when he looked into her eyes. "Oh my dear Captain" she started. "This is something that no amount of training would prepare you for. Matters of passion and heart have nothing to do with paperwork and numbers-"

"Well there is some paperwork involved in-"

"Malavai." Her warning tone hushed him. "You know what I meant, dear. If something is to happen we will face it together, but for now we just look forward to the day we are wed. I, for one, cannot wait for the day I become Mavasha Quinn. I'll wear your name like a medal, Captain."

His pale cheeks turned rosy and a small smile played his lips. "You always know just what to say don't you?" He asked. Her smug grin answered that before she even spoke again.

"I do my best, Malavai." Came her response as her long fingers gently pet his stubble. He leaned into her touch like a kitten desperate for attention. "Now, no more fretting, alright? Since you handled it all, it's bound to be perfect." With that, she leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss. His stubble was rough in the usual way that made the dark lord want to press further, but she restrained herself.

"So, how about you take a break at long last and join me for a nice meal planteside, hm?" The woman insisted. "Your bride to be has been wanting some time with you."

Her captain gave a nod without hesitation and stood from his seat. "Come then, my love, my work is finished and all of my time is now devoted to you." His arm was offered to her with a smile that made her heart melt. Mavasha linked her arm with his, ready to enjoy a rare evening of romance.

[jungwon-crush]

(1) home - enhypen

(listening to the song while reading the chapter is recommended~)

rolling green hills stood before me. i closed my eyes as i laid on the wet grass that dampened my hair, while cool breeze flew around my figure. i should appreciate this type of weather since winter is starting to approach, i thought to myself. i want to laze in autumn forever.

"byeooolll!!! byeol byeol byeol byeol byeol!!!!" a nasally voice exclaimed. i internally sighed at the call of my name. there goes my relaxation time.

i stood up from my position, whilst the setting sun gazed at me, and began to search for a hiding spot. i need to at least give him a hard time looking for me, as compensation for ruining my moments of being alone. i barely get the chance to be by myself in nature.

as i looked around, i finally found a shrub to conceal myself in. so, as quietly as i could, i made my way to the bush.

i attempted to place myself inside it, forgetting the fact that i was a complete eighteen year old.

"owww!" i quietly screamed to myself. even though i wore a lengthy brown skirt, i somehow managed to get pricked by a thorn on my right knee. i guess my kilt moved around a lot while i was trying to adjust my stance.

unanticipatedly, the same voice that yelled my name just a short time ago appeared behind me.

"wh-what are you trying to do? imagine being so stupi-"

"shut up, jungwon!" i turned around to see the boy staring at my situation. his two hands covered his mouth, as if he was struggling to hold in his laughter.

"i hope you know that you look like a cat stuck in a tree. except you're a really big cat and that's a very small tree." he giggled.

"oh, be quiet! if anything, you're the cat. now, get me out of here!"

to be honest, i did not need much assistance. i was just in the mood to bother the boy who kept snickering at my condition.

he sighed at my request. nonetheless, he continued to move towards me. his hands found his way to my waist, while i placed my own hands onto his shoulders to steady myself as he lifted me off the hedge. he then placed me back onto the moist grass that i was previously laying on.

once he let go of my frame, i started to dust off my skirt and shake off the coarse leaves on it. i suppose jungwon took that as a cue, because he began to brush the strands of grass out of my braided hair.

with a hue of pink spread on his cheeks, jungwon complained, "and you wonder why others assume that i am older than you! i really do need to stop babying you.."

i crossed my arms and stuck my tongue at him. in return, he mirrored my actions and ruffled my hair.

"it's already sunset, byeol. we should go back home before it gets dark." jungwon said as he forcibly took my hand and led me out of the plain.

i rolled my eyes, "i thought you said that you needed to stop babying me? come on wonnie, please let me stay here a little longer! you can go back home by yourself so heeseung doesn't get worried."

"i'm not leaving you alone in this area. why were you not at your house in the first place? everyone's noticed that lately, after school, you always seem to be out. these days, i constantly look out my window and expect you to be in your usual spot in the living room, but you're never there."

i tugged at the long sleeve of his button shirt, "i don't wanna talk about it, how'd you know i was in the pasture anyways?"

"jake told me he saw you coming here after he finished his classes, he sounded concerned so i came to look for you. and talking about it helps, you know that. i've never allowed you to bottle up your emotions, i've listened to every single word you've uttered since we were kids." jungwon glanced at me with hope written in his luminous eyes.

"i hate how persistent you are. are you like this around other people too? you should take care of yourself too, wonnie."

"don't change the subject. let it out, byeol."

when it comes to yang jungwon, i can never resist.

i huffed into the air, "my dad... he... he  told me he'd return to lutton last saturday, and now it's thursday a week later yet he's not back. he sent me a letter saying that he's still in the city, his boss asked him to work for an extra amount of days there."

"mr. sun's gone again?" jungwon questioned. he moved closer to me in order to put his left arm around my shoulders. i realized that he does this a lot, especially when he notices that someone is under stress.

"mhm," i replied dismally, "i don't blame you for not noticing though, whether he's in lutton or not, he's barely at home. i think we all know that ever since my mom died 6 years ago, my dad avoids staying at the house for too long because our place is filled with memories of her."

"he's been coping like that for too long, when will he come to his senses? does he ever consider the fact that his daughter has been going through a hard time too?" he commented as they reached a district near their neighborhood.

"wonnie, you know his excuse. he always pulls the 'i work hard because of you' card. i can't even argue with him about the issue because, like i said, he's never home. i just want to distract myself from him because this matter has been getting to me a lot. so, recently i've been wandering outside our community. i don't want to disturb you guys with my troubles as well. i don't like seeing you lot get constantly frustrated over my issues."

jungwon grumbled, "byeol, suddenly dissappearing makes us fuss more. we share our problems, remember? whether they're big or small - when niki's bike got stolen it wasn't only him who went looking for it. all of us put effort into finding out who robbed it. we all know that your father's always been... something else, which is why we're here for you. anyways, forget him, have you been sleeping alone? what have you been eating for dinner? most importantly, are you doing your homew-"

the moment those questions left his mouth, i immediately put my hands over his lips. "everytime i mention my dad being gone in a conversation, you start nagging! sometimes i wish you would stop talking."

jungwon let out a muffled,"im gonna lick you." accordingly, i placed my hands back to my side again.

the boy annoyingly flashed his middle finger towards my direction. however, he quickly stopped due to an old lady passing by who gave him a judgemental glare.

it was hard to hold in a sneer.

he hurriedly picked up the discussion again while he scratched the back of his neck, "you still didn't answer my questions."

"i've been surviving on instant noodles and spam."

"heeseung would approve, but i don't. so, you're gonna eat with us at sunghoon's tonight."

"i'm not gonna oppose that, sunghoon's mom makes the best carbona." my stomach rumbled at the thought of pasta.

jungwon screeched as a response, "i know right! and the garlic bread she makes too? she's a five star michelin in my eyes."

i nodded my head in agreement. we were nearing our vicinity already.

"moving on, what about sleep and homework, byeol?"

"i sleep just fine. i'll probably ask sunoo to stay over tonight though to help me with homework. thank god we're both in the same class this year."

i glimpsed at jungwon to see his reaction, but instead of wearing an accepting look, his brows were furrowed and he looked... displeased?

"i bet sunoo hasn't even done the homework, after school today he went to niki's house straight away. all they do is just watch recorded shows - i can help you instead." he suggested.

"trust me, sunoo did the work."

at this sentence, jungwon's tone became a bit more aggrivated, "how would you know?"

"he did the assignment in our study period while i was sleeping. i saw him finish it when i woke up. he sits directly in front of me, conveniant, isn't it?" i grinned.

jungwon answered with a disheartened mumble, "fine, byeol, you do you."

why's he so irritated about sunoo doing homework for once? i wondered, isn't it a good thing that he's finally starting to put effort in school?

due to me spacing out, i did not register that jungwon and i already arrived at our neighborhood.

after bidding goodbyes (the goodbyes being another lecture of how to take care of myself from jungwon because i am already a legal adult), jungwon reminded me to go to sunghoon's house for dinner. he was about to unlock his front door until i ran up to him and pulled his form into my arms.

his arms went stiff for a while, but they ended up finding a way around my lower back - like they always do. he placed his chin above my head, this way i was in the perfect position to nestle in his chest.

"in all seriousness though, thank you wonnie. for always taking care of me." i whispered.

he clicked his tongue, "there's no need to thank me, byeol. i know by now that my prescence is a blessing."

i chuckled while he played with my  tangled hair underneath the nightfall. his fingers intertwined between the locks, then he released me.

he gently pushed me using his shoulder and said, "now go change for dinner."

taglist: @wonwobbles 

a/n: hiii first chap!!! i kinda hate how i wrote this so i'll probably redo it when im free again djdjdj. anyways the rest of the characters will be introduced in the next chap <3

[free-pool-trash]

folklore - isaac lahey {5/?}

hey! this part is honestly mostly angst? like i think the start of it is ok but the rest is angsty as hell, because pre-bite isaac <333

mostly isaac/reader in this chapter and a little Derek towards the end, also peter but mans can’t talk yet so idk if he counts?

PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!! reblogs and comments are so appreciated <3

word count: 4k

warnings: blood, sad thoughts, reader being sad, isaac being sad, mentions of abuse, swearing

FOLKLORE MASTERLIST

Taglist: @makeusfreefromthisfandom​, @cece-lives-here​, @chocolate-raspberries​, @belsandthings​, @dancing-tacos-23​, @truly-dionysus​, @britty443​, @tanyaherondale​, @furiouspockettoad​, @yunsh-17​, @random-thoughts-003​, @gloomybrieyxb​, @futuristicslimemongerbanana​, @linkpk88​, @big-galaxy-chaos​, @im-a-stranger-thing​, @riaisnotcool​ let me know if you’d like to be added <3

The lights in his room were dim as they always were when you walked in. It’d been nearly two weeks since you’d last visited Peter, between becoming a vampire and trying not to get in a fist fight with Derek every five minutes you hadn’t had the time or energy to visit your favourite Hale.

When your eyes fell on him a strange feeling settled over your chest, you couldn’t quite put your finger on the sensation but if you had to describe it in one word; unsettling. It didn’t deter you from sitting in front of the man the feeling was coming from, though. If you were trapped in your own body you’d probably feel a little unsettled too.

Not wanting to waste anymore time you sat down in your usual seat across from Peter, shaking the feeling off as best you could before giving him a pleased smile, “Long time no see. I’ve got so much to tell you…” You trailed off, shaking your head when you caught yourself waiting for him to reply.

“First of all I got attacked by a werewolf which sucked and now I’m a vampire which, coincidentally, also requires a lot of sucking.” Silence.

“And I made some new friends, which is cool- Isaac got a little jealous but it’s fine, I handled it. I feel bad keeping him in the dark about all of this but I just want to keep him safe y’know?” Of course you received no answer, opting to continue filling Peter in despite his usual lack of response.

“Your nephew has been driving me crazy, by the way.” You informed him, letting out a grunt at the thought of how annoying Derek had been over the last few days, “He’s got this tough guy thing going on, I think it’s just to psych Scott out honestly, which is fine! But it’s the fact that he’s keeping it up with me as if I haven’t known him for seventeen years!” 

If Peter had control over his body you knew he would’ve laughed at your annoyance towards his nephew, he always had. Whenever Derek teased you growing up, it was always Peter that you’d go running to.

“Uncle Peter!” The man sighed at the sound of your shrill voice, closing the book he’d been reading out on the porch as you ran up to him with an angry pout on your face.

“What’s up, kiddo?” He asked, opening his arms as you threw yourself into them. You let out a puff of air, settling yourself on Peter’s knee as he sat on the porch steps. “Derek said that because I’m only six I can’t play basketball with him and his friends!” You whined.

Peter only scoffed, his arms pulling you close as he raised an eyebrow, “Don’t worry, sweetheart. They’re idiots, each and every one of them.” 

There was always something about uncle Peter, he had a certain tone of voice that made anything he spoke sound like gospel. If Peter said it, you believed it. That was just how it was, thinking about it now you figured that your attachment and high level of trust in Peter probably had something to do with the fact that he’d practically initiated you into his pack when you were so young. Truth be told, he was the hardest loss of the Hale’s for you to come to terms with because even though he hadn’t died he’d still been lost.

You twiddled with your fingers as your thoughts began to wander, getting the hang of heightened emotions wasn’t so easy now that you were sat in front of Peter, or what was left of him. You hadn’t noticed the tears that had built up in your eyes until they began to sneak down your cheeks, slipping down your chin and coating your neck with their salty stream.

All you could do was imagine that he was more than an empty shell, that he was himself and listening intently, that he was just waiting for you to finish before he offered his sage advice.

“I really wish you could tell me how to handle all of this.” You sniffled out, pressure in your chest growing as, for once, it was the weight of your own emotions weighing it down. 

Since being turned you hadn’t gotten a chance to stop and breathe or really even think about what was happening to you, living in a constant state of confusion, fear and loss. 

“I just feel… so lonely that I can hardly breathe sometimes-“ Your breath hitching stopped your confession in its tracks while your tears continued to fall freely down your face, there was no point in trying to wipe them away- you’d broken the dam.

Your watering eyes focused on the ceiling as you poured your heart out to the man who was essentially your second father, despite the fact he was more or less completely unresponsive you still couldn’t bring yourself to meet his empty gaze. 

“Nobody knows what I am, really. And it’s like I’m all on my own and nobody knows how to help me or- or anything!” Eventually you met his eyes and it was then that your feeling of sorrow grew considerably bigger, the pang in your heart sinking all the way down to the pit of your stomach as a new layer of tears replaced the ones that had just fallen down your cheeks.

“I’ve upset you.” You stated, heart racing at the fact you’d managed to upset Peter Hale himself.

Quickly you wiped your tears away, your face was still wet as you took a deep breath, shaking away the feeling that was eating you up. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be crying I just- I really need someone to talk to, you know? Usually I’d go and rant to Isaac but I can’t tell him anything and it’s killing me but everyone told me not to and I also told myself not to… it’s a mess. I’m just so lost.”

Peter, as usual remained quiet, but there was something in his eyes- it was quick and barely there but you’d seen it. They’d flashed red. 

*

After you composed yourself, you left Peter’s room and made your way to school, you’d woken up early to visit Peter.

As soon as you entered the building your feet moved quickly towards your locker, you sorted your books out as fast as you could before making your way to Isaac’s locker. Your meeting with Peter had shaken you up and honestly, in the moment, you just needed your best friend. 

As usual when you arrived by Isaac’s side you alerted him by gently tugging on his sleeve, you didn’t know why but he was extremely nervous, to the point where you felt your own stomach beginning to turn. Even though you’d sought him out for your own comfort you discarded that plan as soon as you met his eyes, he needed to be comforted more than you did right now.

“What’s wrong?” You immediately blurted out, grabbing his free hand that hung by his side unlike the other that held his locker door open, knuckles turning white from how tightly he clung to the metal door.

Isaac only shook his head, he gave you the smile that he always gave you, the one that screamed “please don’t worry about me” but you knew better than to believe that smile because as gorgeous as it is, it’s fake.

“I’m okay, don’t worry.” He squeezed your hand in an effort to deter you, but yet again, you knew better. 

Letting your eyes roll, you furrowed your brows, “Seriously, tell me what’s bothering you.” You demand not missing the defeated look that fell on his face when he hung his head, brown curls falling over his eyes, “Nothing, (Y/n). Just the parent teacher conferences are happening tonight…” He trailed off as he shuffled his feet.

The realization of why he was so nervous about it hit you like a ton of bricks and you didn’t care who was watching when you threw your arms around his shoulders, pulling him into you with a sigh. “How is it gonna go?” You asked, already knowing the answer would be: not well.

Isaac’s arms held you against him tightly, stabilizing you as you had to stand on your tiptoes to get a good grip around his shoulders, ever since he’d had his growth spurt when you were both thirteen if you wanted to hug him properly you’d always need to get on your tiptoes. He wouldn’t lie though, he thought it was the cutest thing. 

“I’ve got a C minus in Chem.” He muttered against your neck, tightening his grip on you for dear life, you both knew Mr Lahey wouldn’t be pleased. 

With a little grin, in an attempt to lighten the mood you pulled your head back to look your best friend in the eyes, “Should we dip? Run away? Move to France?” The question was made with humor but you were really considering the thought of just dragging him out of the school’s double doors and flying away to somewhere sunny where the pair of you wouldn’t have to deal with any of the shit you have to deal with in Beacon Hills. 

Isaac gave you a sad smile, connecting his lips to your forehead quickly with rosy cheeks before disconnecting from you, “I think that would probably make things worse.”

Before you could respond Isaac shut his locker and spoke again, “Anyway, what had you so upset a few minutes ago?”

Deciding that today wasn’t the best day to confide in him you simply offered him a sad smile and weak explanation.

“Just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Wanted a hug.” Isaac let out an airy laugh, tilting his head to the side with a smile.

He beckoned you in for a side hug, “Get in here.” Immediately you obliged, attaching yourself to the boy’s side as the pair of you walked towards your first class of the day.

All you hoped was that his anxiety didn’t get the better of him today or later on when his father confronted him, so, as any good friend with supernatural abilities would, before you parted ways you made sure to transfer some much needed relaxation onto the boy who was positively teeming with fear. For now, it was all you could do for him without exposing yourself, you prayed it was enough.

*

As the day drew on your mind drifted from your conversation with Peter to your conversation with Isaac constantly. Understandably. You needed to get on top of your heightened emotions and you needed to do it fast, because to put it simply; you were drowning.

But like you mentioned to Peter, nobody knew anything about anything, not even Deaton could tell you how to gain control or even tell you the full extent of your capabilities. The loneliness was what hit the most. It was that empty, distant, ever-sinking feeling that was slowly but surely swallowing you whole. Scott had Derek, not to mention Stiles, to help him figure out everything he needed to know, an experienced wolf and a loyal best friend to walk him through everything, to support him, to keep him grounded, to tell him the dos and don’ts of being a wolf.

What did you have? An unwavering loyalty to a member of a pack who was barely even alive? Half baked theories from books of lore that your parents managed to dig up from some dusty corner of the attic? Derek who spent all of his time focused on Scott despite a member of his own pack being in obvious distress? A best friend you can’t confide in because he’s just as broken as you are? It didn’t seem fair.

The bite turned you to a vampire instead of a wolf, every night you wondered why you’d taken this form when seemingly nobody else had ever been turned by wolf bite, the conclusion you’d come to was that it was just some sick karmic joke. A test of endurance that you weren’t sure if you were going to pass. The universe spotted you- hand picked you as it’s favourite love-sick, hopeless romantic with a heart too big for her body and with a soul that felt emotions as vast and deep as the ocean. It chose you, but the gag was you never wanted it to be you. For once, you wished someone else had won the prize that felt more like a curse.

It was all too much. You felt too deeply. Every emotion consumed you, every sound vibrated like bass from a speaker, every touch sparked like static and every beating heart made you hungry. But every time you even so much as pondered simply giving in to the feelings, of letting go of that rope that seemed to be holding your empathy close and letting it fall away, every time you entertained those thoughts that voice, from the first night, would ring through your skull and echo until you agreed to the words being spoken by the oh so familiar voice. Don’t let it kill you.

Scott had been nowhere to be seen all day, nor had Allison, it was only when you’d spotted Stiles sitting alone at lunch that you’d realized that the wolf and his girlfriend probably ditched. 

The final bell eventually signaled the end of the school day, solemnly you walked alongside Isaac towards the doors of the school, stomach twisting with anxiety knowing that the next time you’d be seeing him he’d more than likely be barring a new bruise or emotional scar.

“Can I drive you home?” You asked, hoping he’d say yes but understanding when he shook his head no, “I cycled here, I’ll take my bike. Thank you though.”

You pulled your bottom lip between your teeth, looking at him with worry clear on your face, it was all you could focus on and you were half sure he could feel it too, your efforts of masking it failing.

Isaac could feel the worry seeping off you, but even before you’d turned he always had a knack from knowing when something was on your mind. He knew all your tells, when you were worrying about something you’d bite your lip and furrow your eyebrows, when you were upset you’d wring your hands together or play with your fingers, he knew how you were feeling whenever you were feeling it purely because of the mannerisms you used when you were around him. It’s how he knew that you’ve been hiding something from him since you’d been attacked, the boy didn’t know what it was but he saw it weighing you down, he was determined to get to the bottom of it so he could be there for you. He let out a heavy sigh when he realized in the moment that the roles were reversed and with the way you gazed at him he knew you wanted to be there for him, like you always were.

“I’m gonna be okay, nothing that hasn’t happened before.” He finally spoke in an attempt to reassure you that there was nothing to worry about but his statement only served to upset you more and he silently cursed himself as he watched the corners of your lips sink downward. “It shouldn’t happen ever.” You told him softly, trying your very best to keep your composure when you heard your voice crack.

Glancing around quickly, Isaac grabbed your wrist and tugged you towards your car, knowing how much you hated getting upset in front of people he took the initiative to carry on the conversation in the confines of your car away from the rest of the prying students.

Once you were both situated in the front seats, Isaac spoke up, “I know that you hate seeing me hurt, I know it shouldn’t be like this but it is. I’ll survive, you need to stop worrying about me so much, (N/n).”

“You don’t deserve this.” You muttered, sorrow dripping from each word. 

“(Y/n)-“

“No Isaac! You don’t deserve to be treated like this! Every time I see you hurt it makes me so fucking angry because when you tell me what happened you say it as though you had it coming! But you never do, you never have it coming!” The words left your mouth in a high pitched string of cries as Isaac simply lowered his gaze to his lap, hating how your voice shook in agony for him.

With every word you spoke you became more and more worked up, tears trickling down your face freely now that all the cars in the parking lot were more or less gone. “And every single time I wish I could do more for you- I wish that I could make you see what I see.” Your confession was fragile, the words barely audible as they passed your lips.

Isaac lifted his head, his own eyes welling up, “You have no idea how much you do for me so don’t think like that.” He demanded, his tone far more assertive than you’d ever known it to be.

His hand met your face, gently but quickly, his palm cupping your cheek while his thumb brushed away your tears. For a second, you closed your eyes, imagining the feeling of his hand cupping your cheek happening under better circumstances before reconnecting your eyes with his.

“I’m gonna go home.” He told you, sad smile on his lips as you shook your head, gripping the wrist of the hand he still had placed on your cheek desperately. “Stay.”

“I’ll come over to yours tonight ok? But you have to let me leave.” When you didn’t move, he sighed and pulled his hand away from you himself, trying not to wince at the hurt look on your face.

Your best friend opened the car door and stepped out, leaning in with an arm resting against the top of the door with a look on his face that you couldn’t pinpoint, that feeling had returned to your chest though, the light and flowy one. “Love you, kid.” His lips formed a cheeky grin when the nickname caused you to smile, he hadn’t rubbed the fact he was two months older than you in your face recently, you should’ve seen it coming. Finally allowing yourself to give him a weak smile you gave him an equally as weak, but still meaningful, “Love you too, idiot.” Before he shut the car door and made his way towards his bike.

*

To put the cherry on top of an already stressful day when you got home Derek was waiting at your dining table expectantly. The first words leaving his mouth being, “Where’s Scott?”

You rolled your eyes at him, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a blood bag out of your fridge, Stiles had been sweet enough to fill some bags for you since you were both still trying to work out the whole euphoric feeding situation, feeding on Stiles on a school night usually meant Stiles being completely away with the fairies the next morning and obviously you needed to feed during the week. Blood wasn’t as tasty cold but as weird as it was to admit, it still slapped.

Taking a sip from the small straw sticking out of the bag you raised an eyebrow at the wolf in front of you, “I dunno, Derek. Where’s my hello?” 

“This is serious.” He growled, “So am I.” You rebutted, taking another sip as the man grew more irritable.

He didn’t answer, only growled at you, he was probably hoping you’d buy into his ridiculous power play. You didn’t, obviously.

Nonchalantly, you lifted yourself up onto the counter of the kitchen island, facing Derek and sipping your blood happily.

“Growl at me all you want, D. Scott might buy into your big bad wolf act but I remember when you used to watch Barbie movies with me every single day.” You told him matter of factly, “Things are different now. Scott needs my help.” At his statement your carefree demeanor faltered. You needed his help, but not once since you’d been bitten had the man you considered a brother offered you even a morsel of support but yet here he was in your home, asking for a beta he barely knows.

“If Scott was around today would you have come to see me?” You asked him, keeping your voice as steady as you could.

Derek shook his head as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “No, because I’m looking for Scott.”

Slowly you nodded your head, allowing his words to sink in. Today had been emotionally draining, sure, but you couldn’t find the strength within yourself to leave this alone.

“So where exactly am I on your supernatural list of priorities? Or am I even on it at all?” The question was harsher than you intended but Derek had a fairly hard head, if you wanted to get a point across you sometimes had to be a little less than gentle with the delivery.

The wolf groaned, head falling back in exhaustion, “Can we not do this right now?” 

Slapping the now empty blood bag down beside you and crossing your arms, you glared, “Answer my question.”

He gave you a hard look, standing up from his seat in what you assumed was an attempt to intimidate you, “I’ll admit you’re not my top priority right now, alright? Scott needs me, you’ll be fine.” A humorless laugh left your lips as you jumped down from the counter, squaring up to the taller man before you with absolutely no fear.

“Are you sure about that, D? Cuz last time I checked, Scott has Allison and Stiles and Deaton and you telling him exactly what to do and when to do it. I have no one.” Derek bit his tongue, his jaw clenched and lips pursed before he gave you a response, “He needs all the help he can get. Your abilities aren’t as difficult to get the hang of as his are.”

“Oh yeah?” It was a challenge, not only had he managed to piss you off and upset you at the same time, he’d also managed to erase the pain of your own transition in favour of defending Scott. 

Derek sighed, the voice in his head telling him to step down when he noticed your fists clenched tightly into balls against your side, “Look (Y/n)-“ He started before a gasp ripped from his throat when you arm gripped his.

The anger, the fear, the pain, the loneliness, the confusion, the weight that came from feeling everything all at once, you made him feel it all, not releasing your tight grip on his bicep until he’d looked down at you with tears glazing his eyes.

Roughly, you ripped you hand from his arm, purple eyes glowing as you stood chest to chest with him, “Maybe if you bothered to check up on me you’d know that my shift wasn’t easy, I don’t have the hang of my abilities and every single morning I wake up and think about how much easier my life would be if I just let them destroy me.” You were seething, Derek’s face was painted in shock as he stood at a loss for words.

“But hey! By all means go help Scott. What’s pack loyalty anyway?” Your words were seeped in venom and as soon as they left your mouth you took advantage of your enhanced speed, running from the room only leaving a gust of wind and an emotionally overwhelmed Derek in your wake.

[nightmaretyrantvantas]

Wont you let me take you to the other side?- A dark sides au intrulogical story

okaaaaaay I got hit with alot of inspiration for this one! I was listening to the song The Other Side from The Greatest Showman ( and had @softmushie ‘s animatic of the song on repeat for like an hour its so good) and as I was listening I started thinking and suddenly this song fit these two perfectly for this au.

A bit of context: Remus is pretty damn tired of the light sides and his brother always taking things from him and virgil and the other dark sides and decides that they need a taste of their own medicine, and he knows EXACTLY what to do to do it~

I hope you guys enjoy, I had alot of fun doing this and there will be a corresponding picture being drawn( since I dont have the tools to make animatics- theres an animatic in this that im just writing out at this point) So if this comes off as a song fic thats part of the plan

Anyway enjoy!!

Warnings: Crude language, cursing, remus being remus, unsympathetic sides(all sides not just one, depends on whose side youre viewing the conflict from) Sympathetic dark sides, Sexual implications and innuendos somewhere

Logan would pride himself on being many things, such as prepared for almost any situation. He was rational, logic, level-headedness, problem solver, calm. He was prepared for many things thrown at the sides and at Thomas. 

He knew how to calmly ease Deceit’s insecurities about his new role. He knew how to reel back Roman from going overboard and exhausting himself before he can expand on any one idea. He knew how to calm Patton down when and urge him to talk before he bottled up too much negativity. He would even risk saying he could keep the dark sides from causing too much mayhem, as difficult as they could make themselves. Logan was efficient and orderly, and he tried to keep most of the mindscape, and Thomas, the same way despite any roadblocks or shenanigans.

Despite this he was not prepared for everything that could happen, which is what landed him in his current predicament. 

Logan’s head throbbed lightly as he pried his eyes open, as if he had a headache or had been hit hard over the head with something heavy. When he had gathered his bearings he looked up to find himself in a dark space shrouded in black, sitting at the end up a sleek dark table. A glance down showed him he was not restrained in any visible way, and he could get up and leave if he so wanted. But where he would be leaving was unclear, and he stayed seated as he thought back to what happened and how he would’ve gotten here. ‘ Lets see....we were brainstorming another video idea...I was with Roman...we were bickering over an idea of his and the actuality of Thomas being able to pull it off in a timely matter or if we should go with something else...it was a bit of a stalemate so to speak...and then Roman yelled something about behind me...and then I saw a glimpse of green...and then...The last thing I can remember seeing was--’

“ Remus.” He said firmly. Thats when he heard a familiar laugh at the other end of the table.

“ You called Logan darling~?” Logan sighed and briefly pinched the bridge of his nose to maintain his composure before reopening his eyes and locking them with the wild, glowing green eyes of the side across from him. 

Remus was sitting at the other side of the table with his chair tilted back in a precarious balancing act and a wide grin on his face that reeked of bad intentions...or maybe that was just Remus in general. Logan sat himself up straighter in his chair and sighed.

“ Remus would you please explain where we are, and why you felt the need to knock me out to bring me here.” Remus only shrugged at first, tapping freshly painted black nails on the desk where he could reach. Despite the casual feel to his movements his eyes were unusually sharp and focused, trapping Logan in their grip. He couldnt help the irritated huff he gave, and he tapped his foot a little.

“ Remus please, I’m not in the mood for these games of yours right now. Wheres the exit.” All he got back was an amused hum and the thud of his chair remeeting the floor and the creak as the other leaned towards him.

“ oh ho ho~ No games today Lo-lo not this time...This time I’d like to put an offer for you out on the table.” He gave a grand sweep gesture over the table and grinned, eyes glittering with something Logan recognized somewhere else. Stubborn-ness, determination.

He saw it in Roman’s eyes far too often to mistake it. 

“ An...offer? Remus...what are you talking about?” Remus seemed to wave off his clear suspicion and continued his pitch, voice enthusiastic and honest.

“ Cmon lo! I dont want to have to keep chasing you down for it...but I know you see it too. Drop the stuffy ties with those light side pricks and try running with me.” Logan was stunned, too stunned to reply at first. And Remus took that opportunity to keep going.

“ You can run with me, and I can cut you free from them and all the burdens they keep piling on. Out of all that drudgery and the walls that are keeping you in!” He leaned forward more, palms flat on the table as he stood from his chair.

“ Lets trade that boring typical for something different, something colorful! And if its bad or crazy? Fuck it lets live a little crazy!” Logan only had time to blink before Remus was standing beside him, leaning close.

“ You can play it sensible, their king of the conventional. Or you can risk it all and see...dont you just wanna get away from this same old boooooooring part they make you play?” He felt Remus’s hand glid over his chest and shoulder as he circled around the chair, another grand gesture made with his other hand.

“ Because frankly specs, I got more of what you need! So just come with me and take the ride~ and I’ll take you to the other side! Because dont get me wrong...” Another blink and the other was seated directly in front of him on top of the table, one leg crossed over the other and his heeled boot lightly pressing on his thigh above his knee.

“ you can keep doing like you do...or you can do like me! You can stay in you boring little cage, or you can finally take the key...” A golden key dangled in his right hand tauntingly, as his other hand wrapped around Logan’s tie and pulled him up so their faces were close. He lowered his voice to a soften, smooth tone as his smiled curled into a small smirk.

“ Well damn, then suddenly youre free to fly....Just let me take you to the other side.” 

Logan blinked, once then twice as he processed what was happening as quickly as he could. And once it had he almost let out a bit of a laugh. Remus was persuasive when he was passionate about something, Logan wouldnt deny him that. His words were urging and hypnotic, but that alone wouldnt make the logical side swoon. So he sighed through his nose and put his hand on the wrist holding his tie and met his eyes confidently. 

“ Ok Remus, you want to...” cut me in” so to speak. You want me to join the dark sides with you correct? As...gilded and lovely as you make the offer to be...” He gently pushed his hand off and leaned back in his chair, straightening his tie with a calm, composed expression.

“ Well I hate to tell youm but it simply just wont happen. So I give you my thanks, but no. I think im good to go.” He gave a small smirk and stood from the chair and took a step away, casually dusting his shoulders off as he did.

“ Because despite what you say I quite enjoy the life you claim to say im trapped in. Not to completely disregard you now,” He glanced back, dark blue cutting into bright green as the table disappeared and left the two standing face to face in the darkness 

“ Now, I’ll admit I do admire you, and this whole show you can do. Youre onto something Remus, really youre onto something I can say I’ll be proud of you for. But I have to stay among the light sides and rationality, and cannot afford to give in to recklessness. That, I’ll have to leave that up to you.” He chuckled softly with his words and stood up straighter, his smiling faded as he took a more serious approach, turning on his heels to walk away.

“ Dont you know that im ok with this “ uptown” part I get to play. Because there I got what I need and I dont wish to take your ride. So I dont need to see the other side.” He turned and began to walk, waving his hand to dismiss the idea away.

“ So you go back and do like you do, I’m well and good to do like me. I am not in some so called cage...so I dont need to take your key Remus. I believe you can see I’m doing just fine. I dont need you to take me to the other side.” Remus narrowed his eyes and let out his own sigh, watching his back with more seriousness.

“ Is that really how you like to spend your days? Wasted and in misery, locked in their rules and pretty plays?” Logan glanced back with a stern look.

“ If I were to be mixed up with you, I’d be the talk of the mindscape. I’d likely be disgraced and disowned, discarded as unfit for my role as logic.” 

Logan had blinked once and suddenly he was swept off his feet and in a twirl. He let out a startled noise as Remus led him in a extravagant waltz, arms around him and keeping him close as the world around them melted and swirled into a  luxurious and gothic ballroom hall, green candlelight flickering and glowing as they danced round and round. Here in his arms Logan realized for the first time that Remus was actually taller than him, and that the other could dance beautifully and elegantly while Logan stumbled along with him. Remus didnt seem to mind as he chuckled and led Logan round and round to music he couldve sworn floated at the edges of his hearing, something somber and sweet on the violin or piano maybe. 

“ Cmon Logan dont you enjoy this? The freedom, the thrill?” Logan looked up again and opened his mouth to repeat his stance when Remus leaned close

“ You would finally get to live a little, finally laugh a little....just let me give you the freedom to dream and to breathe a little...” Another twirl and he spun Logan once like a princess before continuing their dance.

“ It’ll wake you up and cure all your aching, I’ll take all your walls and we’ll start ‘em breaking! Now to me that seems like a deal...a risk well worth taking~” He then spun Logan away from him, and the logical side found himself a little speechless as the scene morphed once more. Remus himself fell into a deep sweeping bow as he smiled, a bow worthy of a King’s presence. And for the one moment Logan realized he could feel the weight of a crown on his head, could see parts of the elegant and simple royal robes he was donning and the throne room he now stood at the head of, moonlight pouring in and giving it all an almost heavenly glow. His eyes met Remus’s once more, and he saw they were glittering in the moonlight, like green jewels. And all at once the moonlight faded and Remus pulled himself up. Logan briefly felt a hand slide sensually, longingly across his cheek as it grew darker, and as Remus’s voice grew softer.

“ But I guess I’ll leave that decision up to you Logan...” 

He blinked and found himself standing in the hallway, right in front of his room, normal attire and Remus nowhere in sight. It was dark, most likely night now and he could feel Thomas sleeping. 

He was back home...right?  

Logan took a deep breath as quietly as he could and shook his head, trying to dismiss the whole ordeal as perhaps nothing but a vivid dream of sorts...He let his shoulders slump a little as he headed into his room to go work on some things before bed. But he stopped as his door clicked shut, eyes locked on the single thorny blue rose sitting in the center of his desk. He felt warmth flood his cheeks as his fingers brushed one of the silk soft petals. He caught a glimpse of a single lined note attached to the stem, the paper spotted with a couple suspicious red dots and curvy, messy handwriting.

‘ I’ll be waiting on your answer, you know where to find me once you do~ Until then darling’

aaaaaaaaaand tadaaaa! Its done!! I hope you guys like it!!

Taglist

@phantommoonpeople

@sweetsweetemo

@leesacrakon

@amazable01

@starbucks-remy

@strawberryjellystuff

@jemthebookworm

@max-is-tired

@seriously-a-dragon

@sar-kasstic

@soupspam

@riarites

@yalltookmyurlideas

@unsocialchapeau

[localkatshelter]

Okame’s Underbelly: Reunification |4th|

(ShinsoxOC)

Katsumi’s POV (localvillageidiot#0870) and Shinso’s POV (hecker#8339)

Warning: Contains mentions of a breakup, minor alcohol consumption, mild anxiety, swearing, and a wild Denki and Mina

Preview (Shinso’s POV):

| “Dude...what the fuck! Why did you wait until now to tell me this?! I thought you loved me! “ Denki whined with an exaggerated pout on his lips.

I cocked my head to the side “When did I say that?” I questioned with feigned confusion.

“First of all, fuck you. Second of all, I know you love me so shut up. Third, wait we’re on three right? Right. Third, we're besties til death do us part so there’s some invisible contract that states that I get expedited dibs on all your dark, dirty secrets.” He concluded smugly, as if he made a point.

“Oops, I breached the contract." I stated apathetically. "but I told you now, so no need to cry about it.” I went to mock wiping a tear from his face and he immediately attempted to bite my hand. I reflexively shoved him away.

 “Why are you like this?” I choked out between laughter.

Denki shrugged. “My body literally microwaves my brain so...maybe that’s why.” |

Beautiful Artwork By: Sinfulhime

1st Chapter - Anticipation

(Katsumi’s POV)

I groaned as I fidgeted with the ugly student mover tee shirt that the volunteer coordinator had handed me to wear for move in day. I can’t believe that I got bullied into volunteering to help students move into the dorms today. Stupid RA asking me for help, stupid RD guilt tripping me into it, stupid students bringing way too much shit. I hate it here.

I was standing by the entrance hoping no one would ask for my help when I saw a small car pull up in front of my dorm building. A boy with wild purple hair got out and was greeted by a blonde, who practically tackled him with a hug. That's adorable. I love when boys aren’t afraid to be affectionate with each other. I watched the two of them talk for a bit before beginning to unload the car. The kid with purple hair felt oddly familiar to me for some reason. I moved out of my hiding spot and away from the entrance a bit to get a better look at him. I started to squint to try and put him into focus when he turned around and noticed my staring. He gave me a dirty look and something clicked in my brain. Oh shit, it’s fucking Edgelord! He turned back around and started unloading his car. I started to walk over, though I didn’t really know why. I guess I just wanted to say hi, maybe check in with him to see how he was doing. I mean, he did bawl his eyes out in front of me and sleep on my couch after all. As I got closer, a question popped into my brain. Wait... what was this kid’s name again? I know he told me.... Sato? Shido? Shit... I can’t really remember. I drank that bottle of soju pretty fast so I was a bit buzzed... Before I could wrack my brain any further, I was right behind him. Well, let's hope he’s still got a good sense of humor.

“Hey Edgelord.”

“Um, hey?” he said, looking confused, but not mad. Well that’s a relief. 

“Funny running into you here. How’ve you been?”

I could feel his confusion rise. Maybe he doesn’t recognize me?

“Uh, I’ve been good.”

Well, I’m already here, so lets roll with it. 

“Well that’s good to hear. You’ve been feeling okay?” 

I smiled at him to try and put him at ease, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. He looked at the ground and shifted awkwardly at my question. When he looked back at me I could feel the anxiety swirl around in his head. When I felt a slight realization from him, I tilted my head to the side as if to ask if he had recognized me yet.

“Y-yeah, I’ve been feeling fine.” he stuttered. 

Guess not. I giggled. I didn't really care whether he recognized me or not, but it was good to know he was doing alright.

“Oh good. So, do you need any help moving in? I got bullied into volunteering anyway, so I might as well be of some use.” I showed him the heinous shirt I was wearing and rolled my eyes. He looked at it and laughed.

“Nice, but I think w-” 

His friend came up beside him and poked him in the side, apparently really hard considering his clenched jaw, and cut him off.

“What my colleague means to say is that he’s super weak and could really use your help moving in.” the blonde said to me with a sweet grin. 

I laughed again and nodded towards the car next to us. 

“You got it. Is this everything?” 

I leaned down and picked up a box, leaning it against my hip. Edgelord nodded and I followed them upstairs to their dorm. I talked with the blonde as we made a couple of trips between the car and the dorm since Edgelord was being quiet and, well, edgy. His friend was an absolute riot though. I already loved him.

“Who knew Edgelord would have such cool friends? I honestly thought he was a figment of my imagination until I saw him again today. I mean, who even likes grapefruit soju?” We cracked up at the slight jabs I threw. 

“Yeah, I think me and Denki got the rest.” Edgelord said, cutting us off abruptly. 

I tuned back into his emotions. He was feeling really uncomfortable, as if something I said had shut him down. I was honestly a bit annoyed by his rudeness at first, but I decided to let it go. He clearly didn't want me there anymore.

“Oh, okay cool. I’ll be on my way then.” I said, trying to keep my tone cheerful. I turned to the blonde. 

“It was really cool meeting you though! I’m glad we got to talk for a bit. Hopefully I’ll see you around.”  I shot him a big smile and headed towards the door. 

“Hold on there, stranger! What’s your name?” he called out to me.

“Oh right! It’s Katsumi, but you can call me Kat, everybody does.”

“Hi, Kat! I’m Denki, but you can call me anytime.” He shot me some finger guns, which I found corny, yet endearing. 

“Okay, you got it.” I chuckled.

I made my way past Edgelord and left, turning the corner and heading back to the main entrance to help the stragglers finish moving in. I wonder what set him off like that... Weird. 

Once the student mover volunteers were released from duty, I immediately called Mina to hang out. She was always the best person to unwind with, especially when I was in the mood to drink a bit after a long day. I dialed her number.

“What it do babyyyyy?”

“My place, ten minutes, B.Y.O.B, I have a couple of beers left.”

“Down, be there soon.”

I hung up and pulled out some snacks for us. Mina arrived a little while later with two packs of our favorite beer and a big smile on her face. We just lounged around and talked some shit about people in our lives that the other one didn’t know as we drank. I loved Mina because she was so easy to be around. We didn’t have to do anything but enjoy each other’s company to have a good time. 

“Hey Mina.”

“Hmm?” She turned to me, away from the television that I had put on for background noise.

“Do you remember that guy that I told you about? The one from the summer with the fucked up purple hair that cried to me at a bus stop?”

“I mean, I remember you mentioning it, but I know a lot of people with fucked up purple hair that cry a lot so...”

“Well, I saw him again today. He actually goes to the same university as me.” “No fucking way.” She sat up a bit, seeming more interested. 

“Yeah, but he was acting super weird when I was talking to him. It was like he didn’t want to be around me or something... but his roommate was super cool. His name was Denki, I think.”

“Wait what did you just say? Did you just say Denki?”

“Um, yeah. I’m pretty sure that was his name.”

“Blonde, with a black bolt? Corny as hell?”

“Yep, that's the one.”

“Shut the fuck up. This whole time you were talking about Shinso? Like...SHINSO Shinso?”

“Oh my god you're right, that was his name... Wait, how did you know that?”

“We all went to high school together.” she said, leaning back into her lounging position, pulling out her phone. 

“That’s crazy, what a small world. Anyway, I’m going to go to the bathroom real quick, do you want me to grab you another drink on my way back?”

“Yes please!” she sang. 

What I didn’t know was that while I was in the bathroom, Mina was up to no good. 

                                                 Mina’s Phone

                                           ⚡️ Discount Zeus⚡️

                                                      Today

                                                                                                      Biiitchhhhhh

Speak, wench

                                                    You’re living with Shinso this semester right?

Yyyup

                                                                       And some girl came over today? 

                                                                                                A little brunette?

...yes...spill… 👀

                                                                                 SHE’S MY BEST FRIEND 

Biiitch…

You’re fucking w me rn???

                                                  IM LITERALLY AT HER PLACE RIGHT NOW

NO FUCKING wAY ahkswsuwdl

You know her and my son, shinso had 

a lil moment over the summer right??

                                                                        Yes omfg she told me about it

                                                                         Dude, fucking EDGELORD?? 

                                                                                                          💀💀💀

STOOOOP

I was hOWLINGGG

⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️

                                                                                                       LMAOOO 

                                                                           Ok but on some real shit....

                                                                       Im tryna stir the pot.... You in?

Are you seriously asking me that??

You know I’m always down to rustle 

some jimmies 🤠

but like...what we doing?

                                                    Don’t tell Shinso anything, just bring him to 

                                                                                 Kiri’s party this weekend.

omg that sounds like a scrumptious idea!!

                                                                               Speaking of scrumptious,

                                                                            lets get food before. Imy bb

yessssss

& let’s bring our children with us

Marley’s? you know that’s our spot 🤤

                                                              YEEESSS MARLEYSSSS im so down

                                                        I miss Marley’s I haven’t been all summer

then it’s a must

can’t wait 😈

(Shinso’s POV)

“Dude...what the fuck! Why did you wait until now to tell me this?! I thought you loved me! “ Denki whined with an exaggerated pout on his lips.

I cocked my head to the side “When did I say that?” I questioned with feigned confusion.

“First of all, fuck you. Second of all, I know you love me so shut up. Third, wait we’re on three right? Right. Third, we're besties til death do us part so there’s some invisible contract that states that I get expedited dibs on all your dark, dirty secrets.” He concluded smugly, as if he made a point.

“Oops, I breached the contract." I stated apathetically. "but I told you now, so no need to cry about it.” I went to mock wiping a tear from his face and he immediately attempted to bite my hand. I reflexively shoved him away.

 “Why are you like this?” I choked out between laughter.

Denki shrugged. “My body literally microwaves my brain so...maybe that’s why.”

I shook my head at him and hopped off the bed to continue unpacking. After a couple minutes, I realized that Denki was too quiet. That was a rarity for him. At this point, he would usually be asking me personal and/or wildly inappropriate questions to catch up on the summer where I went from seeing him almost every day to about once a week. This was a huge difference according to his standards. Yeah, he's kinda clingy like that, but I didn't mind, to be honest. There were a couple weeks in between where I didn't see him, because I was at the start of processing the breakup, using the word process lightly. I looked back at him to see him grinning devilishly at his phone. I assumed he was talking to a potential “date’’ and went back to what I was doing. 

About an hour later, I was pretty much done. The only thing that stood out on my side was one large Rorschach inkblot poster above my bed. I had always interpreted it as two kitties playing with a ball of yarn, but I left it up to the viewers interpretation. That and no one needed to know why I liked the poster so much. 

“Ayo, Shinso.” Denki called out to me. 

I gave him my attention and the look on his face made me a little uneasy. 

“Want to go to Kiri’s party this weekend?” 

I knew Denki was aware that I wasn’t a big fan of parties, but he seemed eager so it was hard to say no. Since it’s the beginning of the semester, I’ll play nice for now. This wasn’t the first excursion that he had dragged me out on and I was sure it wouldn’t be the last.

“Yeah, sure.”

“Wait, really? That easy?” he questioned in disbelief. 

“What do you mean?” I asked, mild annoyance creeping into my voice.

“You usually don’t say yes the first time around. I always have to whip out my boyish charm to convince you.”

I rolled my eyes at Denki, laughing under my breath.

“Also, before the party, we’re gonna eat at Marley’s with Mina and her friend. Y’know, our beloved grease-bucket.”

I raised my eyebrows in mock excitement. I always had to mentally prepare for when Denki and Mina were in the same room. It was easy to get overstimulated with their relentless energy, especially because they build off each other. It was similar to being in a wind tunnel, I would say. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy their combined company. Just…in moderation.

It was finally Friday, and the first week of classes were done thankfully. I was tired of going over syllabi. Denki and I pulled up to Marley’s and she was looking janky as ever. I can’t lie, the food was disgustingly good. It sounds like an oxymoron but I assure you, it’s not. Your tongue and brain were in ecstasy but you could just feel the sludge forming around your heart and slowing it down. I tried not to frequent this place due to that reason. My mouth was already watering as I stepped out of the car. I immediately caught  a glimpse of Mina’s pink mop behind the window. The mess we call hair is something we could relate to each other on. She was prematurely flipping us off as we walked by her towards the entrance. Since Denki is an actual child, he immediately ran towards Mina, swiftly sliding into the booth. They embraced each other dramatically with a series of squeals. They pulled apart for a mutual cheek kiss, when a small flash of light connected them. 

“Ah! You bitch!” Mina exclaimed as Denki leaned against the table, chest convulsing with laughter. 

Mina began giggling reluctantly, before hovering a small bead of acid above her finger, eyeing Denki threateningly. 

“No no no, please! I’m sorry!” he sputtered. 

Mina raised her brow smugly at his pleading and evaporated the droplet. 

“Hey Shithead, I mean, Shinso.” Mina greeted casually. 

“Hey, Meanie.” I addressed her with my usual nickname for her, before sitting down.

We all looked over the menu, cracking jokes at eachother like usual. 

“Mina, when is your friend going to be here?” Denki asked. 

Oh yeah, I forgot there was supposed to be another person coming.

 “Uuuuuuuh, right now.” 

I followed Mina’s gaze to the entrance of the Diner. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. I saw the same little brunette from earlier in the week. My head snapped back to Denki and Mina’s faces. They were deviously chittering to each other and tried their best not to look at me or else they’d lose all composure. I did not look back again and just fixed my eyes on the menu. I heard her footsteps approaching and realized the only seat available was next to me.

[zevlors-tail]

Hi! Could i get a match up with any mha male character. I’m a female about 5’2 and ive got long straight hair. I’m not too shy like i still find it hard to talk to people but if im more comfortable im really talkative. I’m a capricorn. I am really impulsive I once woke up and decided to get three ear piercings. I’m a dancer that specializes in ballet and I love playing the piano and the violin. I also am really clingy and love to cuddle. For the autumn drabble could I get scary movies and rain

I’m SO sorry this took so long. Matchups are so hard for me to do and I was a little too ambitious with adding the drabbles at the end. ;w; Here it is! I hope you like it!

I match you with: Denki Kaminari!

-Maybe you sometimes find it hard to talk to people, but this boy is going to make it incredibly easy for you to feel comfortable with him. He just has that aura to him; it’s like you’re meeting up with a long lost friend you haven’t seen in ages when in reality you barely even know him. But he makes it feel like you’ve known each other since kindergarten, like you two were best friends your whole lives. You two are cozying up to each other in no time.

-Impulsive? PERFECT. Kaminari is that friend who will push you around in a shopping cart through the middle of the store on a dare you made 3 months ago that the two of you suddenly remembered. Honestly, you two wreck so much havoc with each other, even Mina struggles to keep up with your shenanigans. And anything you want to do? He supports it. You want 3 ear piercings? Go for it. Wanna get a tattoo while you’re at it? “Do ittttt!” Honestly, if you need someone to hold you back or keep you in line, don’t expect Denki to be that person. He’s gonna be the exact opposite. If you really need someone to keep you in check, make Bakugou tag along with you; he’s really the only one who can stop the both of you from destroying the whole city.

-Kaminari loves to watch you practice your dancing. He thinks you’re absolutely graceful and could watch you for hours at a time. He never gets tired of it. He gets mesmerized every time you move and wonders how you manage to make him feel like he’s lighter than air. He will 100% come to any and all of your shows if you have them, and will always support you no matter what. Catch him in the front row crying tears of joy because, “That’s my babe up there, that’s my Y/N!” He can and WILL drag the whole Bakusquad along btw. You’ll always have support from your friends. :)

-Also very supportive when it comes to your instruments! Listening to you play makes him very emotional, but in a good way. He could be sobbing while you practice and if you stop and ask him if he’s okay, he just chokes out “I’m fine, please continue!” and gives you his signature thumbs up. He looks anything but fine, although he’s telling the truth; he just wants to hear you play. Kaminari is an emotional guy, and he expresses it freely, so tears are natural. He also has favorites out of the songs he’s heard you play! Sometimes he might request a certain song if he hasn’t heard it in a while. Better yet, if you write him a song of your own or learn a new one in secret to surprise him, he will melt. You’re gonna kill him. No really, you’re going to make him feel so loved.

-Denki is also very clingy and cuddly, so you better prepare for koala hugs and lots of kisses and cuddles. It doesn’t matter if you’ve had the best day of your life, the worst day of your life, or if it was just an average ordinary day, you’ll still get cuddles every single night. And he gives really good ones too; the way he wraps his arms around you and holds you close to him makes you feel the safest you’ve ever felt, like nothing can touch you while you’re with him. He’s also a fan of playing with your hair and giving you head pats. Of course he likes them too, but he likes giving them to you much more than receiving them. The best feeling after a hard day is Denki running a hand through your hair to relax you while you snuggle into his arms.

Fall Drabble: Scary Movies/Rain

This drabble kind of got away from me so now it’s less of a drabble and more of a scenario but oh well-

Heavy rain swirled outside in the wind, water droplets sticking to the window and sliding down slowly as you listened to thunder rumble in the distance. Lightning accompanied it a fraction of a moment later, the flash of light illuminating the whole sky for half a second so you could see the gloomy clouds in full. You and Denki originally had plans to go to a fall festival of sorts, but the two of you had waited too long to get ready to go, and now (a whole half hour later no thanks to charge bolt himself) it was too late; there was no way either of you were going out in this. Even if Denki was immune to lightning, you were not, and the wind and rain both proved challenging foes to your clothes and hair. You would both look like a mess by the time you got there, if you hadn’t fried on the way there.

“Soooo, I guess we’re staying in for the day. No way we’re going to the festival in that,” you said dryly.

“I’m sure we can find other ways to pass the time, babe. We can always catch the festival tomorrow!” Ever the cheerful one, it seemed. That was something you really loved about Kaminari. No matter the situation, he was always willing to find the silver lining.

“I suppose you’re right. Well, what can we do in the mean time then?” you wondered aloud.

“No idea, but this storm sure is getting spooky...” Denki subconsciously scooted closer to you as the wind howled outside, a high pitched sound reverberating through the room as it picked up speed.

“Yeah...” 

You both went quiet, Denki’s focus on the storm outside while you thought of ways to pass the time. You would have invited the squad over to hang out, except this was supposed to be date night. You loved your friends, yes, but date night was special to you, and you weren’t exactly in the mood to share your boyfriend with anyone today. So friends were a no go...and you couldn’t go anywhere outside either. That only left a handful of activities. You looked around your room for something useful, anything exciting that you hadn’t already done today. Suddenly your eyes landed on an old ticket stub, namely the one from the very first movie you and Denki had seen together on your first date, and you were struck by an idea.

“Do you wanna watch a movie?”

And that was how the two of you ended up laying on the floor a half hour later, a giant blanket draped over your shoulders and pillows in front of you, popcorn pieces strewn about and cans of soda off to the side as a horror movie played in the background. It had been a while since either of you had seen a proper scary movie, so you agreed on one you hadn’t watched before and started it up without a second thought. The rain in the background helped to enhance the spooky mood for the night, a different sort of darkness seeping in and washing over the room after the lights had been turned off.

A jump scare startled you both a little, causing Kaminari to bump into you gently. You dropped a few pieces of popcorn, and your boyfriend couldn’t keep himself from poking fun at you.

“If you’re scared, Y/N, you can always hold my hand!” He gave you a wide grin and giggled, his tone teasing yet lighthearted. He could never truly give you crap about being spooked by a scary movie, especially when he had been startled himself.

“We’re already holding hands, you goofball!” You nudged him playfully and laughed with him, lightening the mood a bit after the jump scare. Eventually you both returned to watching the movie, your fingers lacing into his as you held hands still.

Fifteen minutes had gone by before the storm really started to pick up outside, wind howling relentlessly and rain pelting against your roof. You and Kaminari were so engrossed in the suspense of the movie that you didn’t notice anything at first; the woman in the film crept closer and closer to the basement door, pitch black coming from open entrance, and the both of you huddled close together as you watched in suspense for something to jump out from the darkness. Suddenly something hard fell against your roof with a loud Thump! followed by several other similar sounding noises, and you and Denki whipped around to look behind you for a culprit, spooked by the horror movie and the strange noise you had just heard. Just as you were about to ask him if he also thought that was hail, the TV shut off unexpectedly with a soft powering down noise, and the both of you were left in complete and total darkness as the storm raged on outside.

“Denki?” It was hard not to notice the tremble in your voice as you spoke quietly.

“I’m right here, love.” Kaminari’s voice wavered slightly as well, though he tried to be strong for you. Both of you were scared, but the least he could do was be there for you.

Down the hall, you could hear your fellow students mulling around in their own dorms and asking if everyone was okay. You put two and two together and realized the storm must have knocked the power out. Without warning, Kirishima thrust open the door to your bedroom and shined a flashlight in, causing the two of you to scream in unison as he finally focused it on your shaking forms.

“Why are you guys screaming?” He tilted his head in question while you tried to gain your bearings, and you secretly decided you would never watch horror movies during a storm ever again. “Yo, Kaminari. We lost power ‘cause of the storm. You think you could give the generator a jump?” The redhead rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, clearly sent over to ask for Denki by someone else.

“Nah, you guys are on your own. It’s date night with my baby, so no can do!”

“Awe, dude, come on! If you send me back with that sort of answer, Bakugou is gonna come storming in here himself!”

“Sorry, man. I’m sure the power won’t be out for that long, anyway. Bakugou can deal with it. 

“If you say so. I’ll try my best to sugarcoat it, but expect an angry looking Bakugou sometime in the near future.”

Kirishima turned away with a wary look, trekking back down the hall the way he came. You turned to your boyfriend and snuggled into him, thankful for having such a loyal person as your partner.

“You could have given their generator a jump, you know,” you said softly.

“I know. But then I’d miss out on date night with you, and that wouldn’t be very kind of me, would it? Date night is just for us. They can figure stuff out themselves.”

The two of you sat there for a moment as you held each other before there was a loud crash from down the hall followed by angry stomping sounds.

“KAMINARI I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE! OPEN UP!”

[imaginexmeintheuniverse]

Try Again

(just to be sure)

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Reader

Word Count: 2, 413

A/N: since im officially adding HP to the fandoms im now writing for, here's my first draco drabble!

The astronomy tower was a good place for you to be alone with your thoughts, although today wasn't a great time to be alone with such thoughts. You don't know if it's just 'one of those days', or if it's the accumulation of awful things that have been getting to you, or simply your self-loathing and bad self-esteem catching up to you, but you sit by one of the wide windows looking out as terrible thoughts cloud your mind.

"What's the matter, Y/L/N? Are you thinking about how your mere existence is a scar on this world?" Turning around to see the face that matches with the dreadfully familiar voice, sure enough, Draco Malfoy is there, invading your alone time— today of all days. You shift your focus back to the window so that your back is to him once more— you don't want him to see how terrible you look. Definitely not because you'd ever want to impress him, but you don't need another thing to add to the list of things you hate about yourself.

"Seems that way," you answer quietly, head hanging low instead of firing back with your chin up like you normally would. Swiping furiously at your cheeks, you try to get rid of the evidence that you had been crying before his steps reach you.

"Or are you- wait, what?"

"I'm utterly useless; a talentless fool, and a worthless idiot," you ramble on, allowing your feelings of self-loathing to take the wheel as you wallow in your self-pity. "You're right okay, now you can skip away happily knowing every insult you've ever told me is true."

"No, no, no," he sounds like a broken machine. "No! This isn't how our dynamic works!" He looks at you with wide eyes, examining you to see if you've been hexed or jinxed, but all he sees is are your red, puffy eyes that have had the life drained from them. "N-No- this is the part where you call me a twat- o-or a foul git—"

"Listen, Malfoy, I'm really not in the mood for this now, so will you please just tell me how much I sicken you, and continue on your way?" Your voice cracks and the way the sound resonates in his chest makes Draco unbelievably uncomfortable.

The boy is already uncomfortable with his own emotions, the mere thought of dealing with someone else's makes him want to run in the opposite direction.

But he doesn't. Instead, he angles his body as an attempt to initiate eye contact as he speaks, "Mind if I sit?" You shrug in response without looking at him.

Things are worse than he thought if he's taking a seat next to you and you haven't Stupified him to the other end of the room yet.

There's a silence that settles over the two of you as you sit side-by-side. Your attention is on the landscape before you, but at some point Draco's eyes are drawn to you. He finds himself taking in details he he's always overlooked during your regularly scheduled bickering. Not minding the bloodshot eyes and the dark circles that frame them, your irises are still bright, your eyelashes seemed to curl with the perfect curvature, and your lips look so soft— he's trying to imagine if they feel that way too. His focus then shifts downwards to where his hand could very well touch yours if he moved it just a little.

"Hey, can I ask you a favour?" You say, breaking the silence, and snapping him out of his trance. He tries to control the blush that appears as he feels like he's been caught. It takes him a moment to remember where he is and to get back into character.

"Are you sure that you're in a position to be asking me any favours?" He tries to maintain his usual snarky tone, but his voice has already gone softer than he would normally allow.

"Please, I'll owe you one in return," He reluctantly nods his head, wondering what you could possibly ask of him. "Would you tell me something about myself- what y-you think- something true- please?"

You know that you shouldn't be looking for any kind of validation or confirmation from anyone— especially not the likes of Draco Malfoy, but you're head has been spinning with every horrible thing that's ever been said to you, as well as all the awful things you already think about yourself. You've lost a certain level of perspective and you need something concrete to hold onto— whether it's good, or bad.

He's grown so quiet, if he weren't sitting right next you, you might've thought that he left. But he's there, looking at you hesitantly. Judging by how much time he's taking to speak, you know you probably won't like what he tells you, but you did ask him and should expect anything.

What he actually says surprises you.

"You're genuine," he says simply. You blink a few times, slightly shocked by his answer. "You're fully, and consistently yourself—"

"Draco..." He perks up at the sound of you calling him by his first name.

"It's something I wish I could be, and I admire you for that—"

"Careful there, Malfoy, you wouldn't want me to think you might actually care about me, do you?"

"O-Of course not!" he scoffs, though he's stumbling through his words. "Don't flatter yourself, Y/L/N. Like I could ever care about an underling like you—"

"Oh, sod off, you insufferable git," you retort, and you both let out a chuckle as you get back into the groove of what your interactions normally consist of.

"This favour you owe me now..." You quirk up an eyebrow, waiting to see where he's going with this. "I can use it at any time I please, correct?"

"Sure, Malfoy," An uneasiness hits your stomach at the sight of a smirk that starts to form on his features.

"I want to use it now." You roll your eyes, so not in the mood for whatever labour or humiliating task he'll tell you to do.

"Does it have to be now?"

"Absolutely. No take-backs."

"Oh, all right! What is it?" His smirk suddenly disappears as he hesitates. He was playing it so cool just now, but his eyes leave yours in favour of his lap. Despite not being prepared for whatever it was just seconds ago, now you want to get it over with. "Come on then, what is it?"

"O-On second thought, never mind—"

"No, just tell me now. Let's get it over with!"

"I-It's okay- le-let's just pretend that everything here never happened- you won't owe me anything—" There's no way you were going to let yourself carry the burden of being indebted to Draco Malfoy, so you grab his shoulder and turn him to face you.

Seeing that he might actually be a little freaked out, you let go of him and ease up, "Tell me what it is you want me to do, I'll do it, and then we can part ways and everything will go back to normal."

His widened silver eyes lock with your Y/E/C ones as he swallows down his nerves. He takes it upon himself to edge his hands forward so that his fingers brush against yours, and he finally discloses what he's been thinking, "Kiss me."

"W-What?" Now it's your turn to be taken aback as you replay the last five seconds in your head to made sure you heard correctly.

"N-Not if you absolutely don't want to- I wouldn't make you do that- tha-that would be messed up, but—"

"Draco," He stops rambling after you use his first name for the second time. Taking it upon yourself, you slide your hand under his and squeeze his palm. "Stop talking."

Following your instruction, he doesn't say another word, and he worries that his request might be so outrageous that you'll hex him, but then you lean forward until your lips have barely brushed his. The combination of your Y/E/C hues and the sweet breath that fans over his lips is enough to put him under a spell— not literally, although it feels that way.

He's shocked by the action. That much is an obvious tell, judging by his expression, but he lets his eyelids flutter closed anyways as you press your lips to his. The first thing he registers is how your lips are indeed softer than they look, and the second is that they are a perfect fit for his. He doesn't kiss you back, instead sitting in the feeling of your lips, as well as wanting to make sure that it's truly what you would want before he made any moves.

His eyes remain closed for a moment after you pull away while he processes the sensation, as well as trying to control the fireworks exploding in his heart. When he finally opens his eyes, he feels at peace for the first time all year. There's something about your firey gaze that calms him, like a home fire. There's also something about it that makes him nervous, but not the same type of fear that he's used to— it's as though you can see right through him.

"Well..." is all you can say, hoping that your voice can mask the sound of your erratically-beating heart.

"Well...?"

"Did you... by any chance... feel anything?" The rational part of your brain deduces that he wouldn't have asked to you to kiss him if he didn't want you to, but the irrational part of your brain is already racing and overanalyzing the sparks you felt when your lips touched his. Now you want to know of he felt it too.

"I-I, uh, I'm not sure," he lies, knowing exactly how it made him feel. He's simply uncomfortable with his own emotions, as we've established.

"You're not sure?" You ask incredulously. Seriously, what kind of response was that? "What, should we try again for you to be sure? Geez, maybe this time, you could actually kiss me back—"

Draco lurches forward to capture your lips to make you shut up. But mostly because he does want to kiss you again. It's an intense, albeit short kiss that ends before you can respond, but comes with a certain rush of adrenaline that causes your heart rate to spike. He doesn't pull away far— his lips would still touch yours again if he leaned forward even the slightest bit.

You're momentarily stunned by the sudden action and freeze, letting the storms that reside in his irises to bore through you as his uneven breaths fan over your lips. His hand moves from where it held yours, trailing up your arm, over your shoulder, and passing over your neck, his fingertips leaving shivers in their wake until he reaches your jaw. He grasps the side of your face, lacing his fingers into your hair, and holds you in place as he brings his lips back to yours again. This time, you push back against him instantly as though on instinct.

Your lips fall in synch with his and he holds you tighter, deepening the kiss. Your hand moves to grab onto just about any part of him so you can steady yourself, and you end up latching onto the crisp fabric of his perfectly ironed shirt. His hand that had been planted on the ground then moves to push your body closer to his as his palm lays flat on your back.

There's a powerful sort of feeling that surges through you like electricity, and the traces of whatever disheartening feelings ruled over you earlier are wiped clean off as Draco kisses the remains of salty tears away.

You and him break apart naturally, slowing the pace and placing soft pecks onto each other's lips that gradually become shorter in length. Leaning against the other's forehead, you both stay like that with your eyes closed. Eventually, your grip on his shirt loosens, leaving the once neatly pressed fabric all wrinkled, but he couldn't care less.

Finally opening you eyes, you begin to speak, without actually knowing what you're going to say, "Well this is..."

"...unusual?" he finishes, awkwardly sliding his hands through his scalp to slick back any stray hairs before placing them firmly on the ground.

There is yet another moment of silence where you look anywhere but at each other. Swallowing your nerves, you decide to look at him, scanning his features for any kind of indication as to what might be going through his mind. He appears to be somewhere between deep in thought and trying to process everything that has just happened.

You take it upon yourself to break the building tension, "So did you, uh..."

"...feel anything?" He finishes your sentence yet again, letting out a light chuckle. You're pretty sure that's the first time you hear him laugh for real. No matter how small it is, it's still a genuine, non-ill-mannered laugh, and it sounds wonderful.

You don't know what he feels at the moment, but you'd be lying to yourself if you said you didn't feel a certain warmth spreading from your chest through to the tips of your fingers.

"I don't know exactly what I feel yet," you tell him honestly. "A-And I don't know what we're supposed to do now—"

"Me either- I mean, I-I don't know what to feel," he admits as his hand slides over to yours. What he really means is that he's conflicted by what he feels, and what he thinks he ought to feel— a constant struggle of his. "So, what now?"

His eyes meet yours, his grey orbs locking you in place. You take notice of one strand of hair he missed. It hangs over his forehead and it takes all of your remaining will power not to reach forward and put back in its place.

"I could push you off the Astronomy Tower," you chuckle in a lighthearted tone, returning to the type of thing you would normally say to each other. His lips pinch into a small fake scowl before he graces you with another genuine laugh that makes your heart flutter.

"Or... we could give it another try..." he suggests, raising an eyebrow playfully. "Just to be sure..."

"Yeah, just to be sure," you repeat, and the words have barely just left your mouth before Draco crashes his lips onto yours again.

[cashtonsangel]

Missin’ You

Summary: With Calum being on tour, you had missed him so much.

Requested by @mysticalhood i hope you enjoy :)

Word Count: 4000+

Warnings: mention of a mental breakdown and some cursing

A/N: wow this is the longest thing i have ever written aside from some of my academic papers. im sorry this took so long but i got so distracted while writing this so :) i think i went a little overboard and got distracted writing the backstory so it’s kinda long, but i really hope that you enjoy!!

Calum had been on tour for the past month and a half, and it had taken such a toll on your daily life. The only contact that you had with him was through a small screen, but it was hard to find time between your schedule and his tour schedule, and that’s not even mentioning time zones. Even when the two of you finally found time in your busy schedules to call each other, it still wasn’t enough.

You had been in such a slump after about a month of his absence, finding little to no motivation to complete simple tasks since everything reminded you of your boyfriend. Every time you went to go walk Duke, you missed Calum’s voice gushing about all the other dogs that he passed by. Every time certain songs came on shuffle, you missed Calum’s singing and dancing. Every time you were in the kitchen making dinner, you missed Calum being next to you helping you cook. Every time you would sit and watch something on TV or Netflix, you missed Calum’s teasing and arguing. Every time you went to bed, you missed Calum’s cuddles and warmth. In short, you missed your boyfriend more than anything, but he was across the world pursuing his lifelong dream of spreading music, while you were stuck at home with your mundane life.

Today your loneliness struck particularly hard.

It was a rough day for you. This morning you woke up feeling off and just wanted to stay in bed and relish in the emptiness that had manifested throughout your body. But you knew you couldn’t since you had work and a ton of errands to complete in the afternoon that you couldn’t afford to miss. Throughout the day, your friends had noticed your foul mood and had been walking on eggshells the whole day which had pissed you off even more. As the day progressed, your mood only worsened. And by the time you had gotten back to your house, you were just one push away from a complete breakdown.

At this point, your body was on autopilot, going through the motions of life without much thought. Your legs were working on their own accord and had brought you to your closet where you changed out of your day clothes and into shorts and one of Calum’s old t-shirts. Calum’s clothes brought some semblance of comfort, and you needed as much comfort as you could possibly get tonight.

Sensing your obvious distress as soon as you walked through the door, Duke had been quietly following you, keeping an eye on you just in case you needed help. When he saw you getting into bed, Duke begged to be let up with you. Picking him up and placing him beside you, he found a comfortable spot before laying down, making sure that he was still within your arms reach.

Blankly staring at the ceiling, you felt tears building up in your eyes. It was days like these that made you feel so alone. Even though it was filled with everything you wanted, your place felt so empty and hollow with just you and Duke occupying it. There was a piece of your family missing, and he was thousands of miles away from you.

You felt the first tear escape as your thoughts continued to dwell on the fact that Calum was so far away when you needed him the most. You missed your boyfriend so much and you wished that he was he to tell you that it was all going to be okay. You wished that he was here to help you take the pain away.

Tears were streaming down your face, and you couldn’t stop them. Burying your face in your pillow to muffle your uncontrollable sobs, you cried out all of your emotions and frustrations.

Once the tears slowly eased up, all of the pent up emotions that you had held in for so long finally left your body as numbness to its place. Duke had curled up against your body at this point, showing you some much needed love.

Reaching out for your phone, you texted Calum to see if he was able to answer your facetime call. You desperately needed to see his face and hear his voice tonight before you were able to go to sleep.

A couple of minutes after you sent the text, your phone lit up with Calum’s contact picture. Immediately accepting his call, Calum’s face filled up the dark screen.

The way the camera was angled, Calum immediately noticed the way your eyes were glassy, red, and puffy and the constant sniffles that escaped your mouth. Immediately concerned, a frown appeared on his face.

“What’s wrong hun? Is everything okay? Are you safe?” Worry laced his voice as he slowly took in your emotional state.

“Bad day,” was all you needed to say.

“Aww, hun, I’m sorry. I wish I was there at home with you right now to help you take away the pain. You know it breaks my heart to see you cry.”

“ s’okay.”

A comfortable silence fell between the two of you as you took each other in. Calum looked good. Although there were slight bags under his eyes from lack of sleep, he looked happy to be on tour with some of his best friends and playing to so many crowds.

“Cal?”

“Yeah, hun?”

“Can you talk about something? Please. I-” your voice cracked, “I just need to hear your voice.”

Calum began update you on his life since the last the two of you were able to talk and talked about his plans for today. He retold some tour stories and about his adventures in the cities that he got to explore since they had the day off that day. He was excited to go to the pop-up store to meet some fans and play the show tonight since the crowd at this city was always so responsive and alive. You occasionally interrupted and gave your input, but other than that, it was mainly a one sided conversation.

He continued talking for about 20 minutes before Calum looked at the clock and cursed. He had to leave as soon as possible so he wouldn’t miss his call time.

“I love you, bubs, g’night,” your voice echoed in the empty bedroom as you said goodbye to Calum.

“I love you, hun. Sweet dreams,” blowing you one final kiss before your screen went dark, no longer displaying Calum’s face but rather your recently called list.

Your conversation with your boyfriend had calmed you down considerably, and you were thankful that you caught him when he was free, even though it was somewhat of a short conversation.

Placing your phone on the bedside table, you shifted your body until you were comfortable before you fell into a dreamless sleep.

Ending the call, Calum sighed. It hurt him so much to know that you were across the world, crying your eyes out, and he could barely do anything about it.

He wasn’t going to lie to himself, being on tour for so long and away from you had impacted him more than he would like to admit. He missed your voice. He missed your hugs. He missed your smile. He missed everything.

Although touring and press took up the majority of his time, You were almost always on his mind. He was always thinking about you wanting to know what you were up to and how your day has been.

The rest of the boys had seen how Calum wasn’t really acting like himself lately due to your long absence. They tried to help him get his mind off of it by taking him out, or making sure that he was never alone with his thoughts, but it wasn’t enough. Calum really appreciated the gesture, but nothing would ever get rid of the void in his heart.

He knew that it was hard for you to give up a part of your life to travel with them around the world. That it wasn’t fair for him to ask for you to put your life on hold so that you could watch him fulfill his dreams. No, that wouldn’t be fair to you.

But all he wanted was to have you at his side. He wanted to remove the thousands of miles of land and ocean that was between the two of you. He wanted you to come and see the world with him.

Shaking his head, he tried to get rid of the selfish thoughts as he left his hotel room to get to the location of the first interview of the day.

As he drove through the city, his mind couldn’t help but wander. He knew that you absolutely love traveling and exploring new places and he could practically hear your voice as he drove by all of the gorgeous buildings and landscapes.

He could imagine it right now. Whenever the band had a ounce of downtime, he could imagine the both of you walking up and down the streets exploring the local cafes and boutiques to get a feel of what the city was actually about. You would skip all of the overhyped tourist attractions and head straight for the local business since that’s where so much of the culture was located.

Calum was pulled out of his daydream by his driver announcing that they had arrived at the location.

Walking into the building, he was guided to the filming space where Michael, Luke, and Ashton were situated.

“Cutting it close, huh Calum,” Ashton teased his bandmate and best friend.

“Shut up,” Calum rolled his eyes, slightly flustered due to being late.

“What made you so late anyways? You’re normally pretty good at showing up on time.” There wasn’t any hostility to Ashton’s tone, just curiosity.

“Y/N had a rough night at home and called me. We were talking, and I completely lost track of time.”

All of the boys nodded at Calum’s answer. They all knew that being away from each other was taking a toll on you and Calum’s mental state, and couldn’t blame him for taking time to make sure that you were in the right headspace.

As Calum was getting settled, a young woman walked into the room and introduced herself and gave a quick rundown as to what was going to happen before quickly starting.

This process repeated a couple of times with a variety of different people and production crews. By the end of the multiple interview sessions, a few hours had already passed.

Throughout the interviews Calum stayed quiet. Although most of the time, he was pretty reserved, Michael, Ashton, and Luke could tell that Calum’s silence was different than normal. They all knew that his mind was thousands of miles away. They tried to alleviate some of the burden of answering questions for Calum by helping steer some of the questions away from Calum, only letting him to respond when it was completely necessary.

When the last interview was finally over and production had left the room, Calum rested his head in his hands and let out a deep sigh.

He could barely concentrate on the questions and comments that they were asking. He tried so hard to try and get you out of his head for just a couple of hours for the interviews, it was easier said than done.

The image of your red and swollen eyes and your tear stained face was burned into his memories. It broke his heart over and over again every time he closed his eyes.

A few tears of frustration slipped out of the corners of his eyes. All Calum had wanted was to make you happy, but he could barely do that thousands of miles away.

Sensing his best friend’s distress, Michael walked over to where Calum was sitting and tried to comfort his crying bandmate.

“It’ll be alright, man. Y/N is strong and so are you. Only a couple more weeks until you get to see her again.” Michael rubbed circles on Calum’s back.

“I know. It’s just hard.”

“You’ve got this, mate. You can do it,” Michael leaned back against the sofa, and Calum followed in suit and rested his head against Michael’s shoulder.

The two of them stayed like this for a while. Calum closed his eyes and thought of you. Calum associated you with happiness. Almost all of his memories of you were filled with joy and love, and he wanted to savor those moments right now to cheer himself up. In contrast, Michael was on his phone, a concentrated look on his face as he rapidly types on his phone, but careful not to disturb Calum.

Both lost in thought, Calum and Michael almost missed their cars since they didn’t hear Luke calling for them to leave the go to the venue.

Michael stood up and headed towards the exit.

helped Calum up and the duo headed to the cars out front, where Ashton and Luke were already seated in the cars.

“Feeling better, Cal?”

Calum only nodded and the both of them walked outside and into their respective cars.

You leg bounced out of nervousness as you stared at the map in front of you. Only an hour more on the plane before you land and finally see the man of your dreams after so long.

It had been such a last minute decision to take a break from work and fly out to where the boys were touring, but Michael had somehow managed to convince you to fly out to spend time with Calum.

He had texted you in the middle of the night 2 days ago telling you how much Calum had missed you and how much of a toll it had took on his mentality. Michael and the rest of the boys had wanted you to come out and bring back the Calum that was always smiling and cheery, the Calum that was always there to liven up the room.

You were reluctant at first, who wouldn’t have been. It wasn’t like you to drop and leave everything behind for a relationship. Not to mention how last minute and unplanned to trip would be but Michael, with the help of the other boys, had managed to change your mind.

You loved Calum with your whole heart. He was your everything. And when you heard that he wasn’t feeling like himself, your heart broke. He deserves all the happiness in the entire universe, and you would do almost anything to make sure that there was always a smile on his face. Michael, Ashton, and Luke were the final push that you needed to fly all the way out to see Calum.

“What are you nervous about sweetheart?” The lady that had sat next to you had woken up from her sleep and questioned your bouncing leg.

“I’m going to see my boyfriend.” You flashed her a small smile.

“Aw that’s so cute! But if you are going to see your boyfriend, why do you feel so nervous?”

“I don’t really know,” you sighed, “this isn’t like me to just drop everything and fly somewhere because I miss someone. I’m traveling across the world for him, and to me that’s insane.” As you spoke, a smile started to form on your face.

“If you are flying all the way out here on your own, you must really love him.”

“He is the love of my life, he makes me feel like the only person on the world when I am with him.” As you spoke, you couldn’t help but look at your phone’s lockscreen, which was one of the candid pictures that you took of him while he was laughing.

“Well, if he makes you feel like the luckiest person alive, then hold onto him, okay? He seems like a special one from the way you are speaking of him and the way your face lights up whenever you talk about him. Don’t let him slip away.”

“I won’t.”

The rest of your flight was spent talking to the woman seated next to you about various topics. And before you knew it, the plane was about to land.

Getting up from your seats, the both of you said your goodbyes and parted ways.

You followed the signs around the airport that led you to the luggage carousel. Quickly finding your luggage, you glanced around the room, looking for the person who was sent to pick you up. Michael had texted you when you landed at the airport, saying that they had sent a driver to come and get you since the boys were busy with an interview by the time that your flight landed.

The driver led you out to his car, packed your bags in the trunk, and then drove you to the hotel that the boys were going to stay at later that night. During the short trip to the hotel, you eyes were glued outside of the car window. All the buildings and architecture that you passed were so stunning and the environment was completely different than back home. You were trying to absorb every single detail about the city as you drove through the city.

As the car slowed down and pulled up to the curb of your hotel, everything started to feel a little bit more real for you. You were going to finally see you boyfriend after so long, and you couldn’t be more ecstatic.

Hopping out of the car with a bounce to your step, you thanked the driver and headed inside the hotel to check in and get settled before the show tonight. Taking a quick shower and nap to try and get rid of some of your jetlag, you prepared yourself for the long night ahead of you.

Your phone chimed after about 3 hours of being in your hotel room, indicating that you had a text message. Grabbing your phone, you saw that it was Ashton texting you what your room number was so that he could come and take you to the venue.

Texting him your floor and room number, you did some last minute touch ups before you heard Ashton at the door.

“Hey, Y/N.” The drummer pulled you into a quick hug before asking if you were ready to leave.

“Yeah, let’s go!” The enthusiasm in voice was not missed by Ashton.

“Ready to see lover boy, huh?”

“Shut up, Irwin. Let’s go.”

Shaking his head, he led you downstairs to the car, where the two of you chatted about the boys recent adventures and just catching you up on some of the stuff that you missed.

There was a brief pause in the conversation before Ashton spoke again.

“You know he really misses you. I’ve never seen him like this before.”

All you could do is smile at his words.

“Just don’t break his heart, okay? He’s my best friend, and I don’t want want to see him hurt. He really loves you.”

Ashton’s words warmed your heart. You were glad that Calum had such supportive and loving friends and family like Ashton.

“I don’t think I ever could, Ash. He means the world to me.”

Ashton flashed you one of his million dollar smiles before walking out of the car and towards the venue. You followed right behind him.

“Good because as much as I love you, Calum is my soulmate, and if you hurt him, I’d have to kill you.”

Laughing at his words, you nodded. “Deal.”

“Okay, I just texted Cal, they are all in the main green room. Let’s go.”

The both of you navigated the many halls and corridors until you could hear Luke’s laugh.

“I’ll go in first, don’t want to outshine you, Y/N,” Ashton teased.

“Fuck off, Ash.” You rolled your eyes and let him enter the door first. You heard the other boys greet him and before going back to whatever they were doing.

Taking a deep breath, you walked through the threshold, your eyes immediately scouring throughout the room to find your boyfriend. He was laying on one of the couches scrolling through his phone.

Walking towards his figure, Calum’s eyes caught movement out of the corner of his eyes, causing him to look up from his phone.

When his eyes reached your face, Calum immediately shot up and ran to you, enveloping your body in one of infamous hugs. His hands were wrapped around waist and his head rested on your shoulder.

“Y/N? What the fuck? What the fuck are you doing here? What the fuck?” He repeated the question over and over again; his tone indicating his enthusiasm and confusion.

Slightly pulling away, you responded with a big grin, “Hey handsome.”

Not liking the space that you had just created, Calum immediately pulled you closer and placed a kiss on your forehead before dragging you to the couch so that the both of you could sit down.

“What are you doing here, hun?”

“Am I not allowed to visit my boyfriend while he is on tour?”

Calum gave you a look.

You rolled your eyes, “I really missed you, so I took a couple of days off to come a visit. Not to mention that the boys practically forced me to fly out because they knew that we’re both miserable without each other.”

You a couple of coughs and a clearing of a throat as you finished your sentence. Looking over to the other side of the room, you saw Luke, Ashton, and Michael with the biggest smirks on their face. They looked at you and Cal expectantly, waiting for some type of thank you.

Calum rolled his eyes at his bandmates’ antics and thanked them.

“No problem, making dreams is what we do!” Luke responded in the most obnoxious way possible.

“Want to go somewhere more private, hun? So we don’t have a crowd spying on us the entire time?” Calum sent a glare over to the boys as he said that last sentence.

Standing up, Calum led to you to a different room adjacent to the one you were just in. Quickly closing the door, he pushed you up against the wall and placed his forehead on top of yours.

“I’m so glad you’re finally here, hun. It’s one of the best days of my life,” he whispered while staring into your eyes.

“Me too.”

“I can’t wait for our off day tomorrow! We can go exploring the city and do a bunch of dumb and fun stuff. Like I heard there is this really cool local pub down the street from our hotel, and I was going to drag one of the boys with me, but now that you’re here, I can take you.” Calum was beaming at this point.

You couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. “Anything you want, bubs.”

A comfortable silence fell between the two of you as you both enjoyed finally being in each other’s presence. Seeing Cal in person for the first time in so long had rejuvenated your heart and soul, and you couldn’t be happier now that you were in his arms.

The two of you sat there for some time to just catch up and talk to each other face to face. The room with warmth and love as the two of you spoke.

“Y/N, I know I’ve already said this, but I’m so glad that you are actually here on tour with me, even if it’s only for a couple of days. I love you more than anything, and I would give you everything if I could.”

The sincerity behind his words made you tear up. You loved him more than anything and were willing to give up everything you had to be with this man. He made you feel like you were on top of the world whenever you were with him. He made you feel like the only other person in the world in a room full of people whenever he looked at you. He made you feel like nothing else mattered when you were by his side. There weren’t enough words in the world to convey how much love you had for this man. He was your sunshine, and you couldn’t be any happier.

wanna be tagged??

[magnolopsida]

I don’t want your heart (part 2)

Info :

Conner (RK 900) x reader

words : 2,2 k

Summary :

RK900 is way more different than his previous self, totally decided to get what he wants : you. He likes to claim that you’re his, and you find yourself unable to make him understand the opposite. 

Notes : okay it took me a lot of time to finish this, its my birthday, im sick and tired as hell someone help, I don’t have the time to correct this ahah enjoy this garbage I love y’all (also there will be more than 2 parts finally ;)) 

Part 1

Part 2

"I'm done with all the evidences, I'm going home now." you said to Hank, still at his desk.

"No problem, see ya tomorrow."

You waved your hand at the detective, tossed your jacket over your shoulders and you grabbed your belongings before leaving the office. It was really late, probably more than midnight, and most of the streets were no longer lit. With a frown, you decided to speed up to go to your apartment. You needed to sleep and forget about Conner and what had happened in the secure room some minutes before.

"You should be more careful at such an hour." a voice suddenly whispered, way too close to you.

Suppressing a scream, you turned and looked at the RK900, right in front of you. He was half in the shadows, and the only thing you could see about him was the white of his jacket, his LED and two piercing blue eyes, like sharp pieces of ice, cold and...studying you.

"Holy shit, Conner ! What the hell is wrong with you ?! We don't scare people like that in the middle of the night, dammit !"

You ran a hand over your face and you froze when he exclaimed :

"It's not a good idea to go alone in those streets, especially since the revolution. I'm coming with you."

You opened your mouth without knowing what to say. You thought you could be finally alone for the rest of the night, to go home and get some sleep and especially forget about the android until the next day, but apparently it was asking too much.

"I'm perfectly able to go home by myself, but thank you for the offer, I guess."

You were going to turn around and continue your way when he added with a cold tone :

"It wasn't a question, actually. I'm coming with you. After all, I like to take care of what belongs to me."

You froze again and swallowed, happy that it was too dark to see the blush on your cheeks. You wanted him to understand that there was no chance for him to have you, like you were some sort of an object, but the words were stuck in your throat and you just looked back at him for a moment.

"Follow me if you want," you started. "But if I die anyway because an asshole wanted to rape me and you couldn't stop him, I will come back from the dead to haunt you."

"As if a human could kill me." Conner snorted condescendingly.

Your shook your head, unable to hide your smirk at the corner of your mouth and you decided to finally go home, trying to forget about the constant presence of the android by your side. You had to admit that it was reassuring to know he was here.

Fifteen minutes later, you were finally at your front door with keys in hand. You glanced at the android, ready to thank him before going inside, but he spoke first :

"You should hurry, you need as much sleep as you can get."

"Uuuuh yeah... thank you for taking me home."

The android raised a brow at you.

"When I said that I was coming with you, it wasn't just at your door, (Y/n).”

"I assure you, I'll be fine. Nothing will happen to me at home."

Conner didn't say anything but he was studying you again, and you swallowed again. You were honestly way too tired to argue with him about this at this hour. In any case, you were only going to sleep, there was no chance he would disturb you. With a sigh, you unlocked your door and let the RK900 in. Leaving your jacket and other stuff in a corner of your kitchen, you decided to ignore Conner to grab your nightwear and headed to the bathroom.

Some minutes later, you were back in the kitchen, decided to drink some of your favorite soda before going to sleep.

"You should not drink that before sleeping. It is not good for your health and there is way too much sugar in it."

You glared at the android, standing in the middle of the room, and snorted.

"You give me too many orders. I don't like that."

With a smirk, you grabbed the bottle to drink but a strong hand catched your wrist, preventing you from carrying the bottle to your lips. You raised your head to Conner - suddenly noticing how tall he was compared to you - and growled :

" 'The fuck you think you're doing ?"

"I said no. Is it so difficult to understand ?"

"Oh, I get it. I just do what I want."

Your eyes widened when you noticed the smirk at the corner of his mouth. His other hand grabbed your chin, forcing you to look at him in the eyes and you were unable to move, you wrist still caught in his strong grip.

"You should obey, (Y/n). You don't want me to punish you, right ?"

His words caught you off guard and you blushed, your breath escaping from your mouth. You were suddenly aware of his touch, burning your skin.

"No, I don't..." you finally mumbled after a moment of silence.

The android released you  and stepped back. A little sigh of relief escaped you and you put the bottle back in your fridge, trying to ignore the smirk of satisfaction of Conner.

"I'm going to sleep, now."

"Good night, (Y/n)." the RK900 greeted you.

Hoping he wasn't going to go through all your belongings or do weird things during your sleep, you buried yourself in your blankets with a lazy smile - you could finally get some rest.

______________

The sound of the alarm clock pulled you from your sleep and you growled. Some hours were definitely not enough for you. With a sigh, you managed to push your blanket and froze when you noticed Conner, leaning against the doorframe. You didn't know how to react to that, the way he acted, like he owned the place, like he owned you.

"You know, it's creepy as fuck to watch people when they sleep."

He just smirked at this and you couldn't help but watch him - maybe he was an asshole, but he was gorgeous and it was the problem. He wasn't supposed to be here in the first place and you were unable to make him leave, too weak everytime his gaze was on you.

Standing up, you started to find some clothes who could fit together. When you finally took your head out of the closet you noticed that Conner was no longer there and you decided to take a quick shower.  

"Do I smell coffee ?" you asked when entering your kitchen some minutes later.

On the table, a breakfast was waiting for you and Conner was sitting on one of the chairs. It was... strangely nice of him and you smiled awkwardly at the android, sitting next to him.

"Thank you for the breakfast." you mumbled with pancakes in your mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Conner only retorted with a frown. "I am not satisfied with what you eat daily, we will have to change this soon."

It was your time to frown at him and you put your mug back on the table. You studied him, regretting not being an android to understand him and his cold - yet caring - gaze.

"I don't understand. What- what do you want from me?"

He rolled his eyes like the question was stupid and it was the most human thing he has ever done in front of you - well, if you forgot about this possessive kiss from last night, and it as absolutely not the moment to think about it.

"I already told you about it. I want everything."

He got this little smile at the corner of his mouth at this words and a shiver ran down your spine while you frowned again. Finally, you decided to grab again your mug of coffee to finish your breakfast and go to the station. You got a lot of cases to work on and you wanted to do as much as you could manage today.

Lost in your thoughts, you noticed too late the hand of the android on your neck, leaning against a vein. You held your breath as he stroked it with his thumb, a fascinated look on his features.

"You are so small between my hands... it could be so easy to break you." he almost purred, putting the rest of his fingers in the hollow of your neck.

"Conner..." you managed to say.

"Don't worry, I'm not going  to hurt you." the android whispered when he noticed the mix of arousal and fear on your face. "Unless you want me to."

He added those last words with a smirk and the possibility of what he implied made you blush worst than before.

"No !" you replied.

"Good. Now finish your breakfast, we have a job to do."

He got up to leave the kitchen and his hand caressed your neck lightly, leaving you alone and totally lost, almost worried about what he was going to do next. Closing your eyes for a moment, you took a deep breath and you finished your coffee - you needed to go to the police station.

____________________

You weren't in a good mood when both of you finally showed up at the station, just because you weren't able to fight against Conner's words and gestures. You decided to go to Hank, who was apparently here in time again.

"Hey." you smiled at the lieutenant, putting a cup of coffee in front of him, with a box of colorful donuts.

He grabbed both with a raised eyebrow.

"What did I do to deserve this ?"

"I can be nice, sometimes. Enjoy, it doesn't happen often."

He smiled again at this and you decided to take a new cup of coffee in the lunch room when you noticed the horrible amount of paperwork on your desk, forgetting the disapproving look from the RK900. You were like him and his blue blood, you needed fuel to work correctly.

You headed to the room when someone decided to be on your way for coffee.

"(Y/n)." Gavin greeted you.

"Hmm, hey." you answered awkwardly.

You never knew how to act with him - sometimes he wanted to get in your pants, and the rest of the time he tried to make fun of you. You wondered for a moment what was his mood for today.

"I heard you work with a new tin can now. That's awful. Eh, maybe you could come with me to drink something tonight and forget about this-"

"No, thank you. I don't even have the time you know, too much work..."

Hank told you before that you were way too gentle with Reed and you should kick his ass but it wasn't really your style and you always brushed him off gently instead. Like always, he tried to grab your arm.

"Detective, you should leave (Y/n) alone. We have a lot of work to do, and you take our precious time."

You turned your head to see Conner and raised a brow. Why did he always have to follow you everywhere like that ? It wasn't like you were going to suddenly disappear.

"Fuck off, asshole. I'm not talking to you, actually."

You widened your eyes at Reed's words and glanced at the android. He wasn't like Connor at all, and you already knew that talking to him like that wasn't a good idea at all.

"You should be careful, Gavin." you said in a low voice.

The detective started to laugh and you looked at the RK900. His cold gaze was studying the human in front of him with a disgusted frown.

"Of what ? Him ? It's just some plastic-"

"I think detective Reed is just jealous." Conner cut him.

Your brows furrowed for a moment. What was jealousy doing in there, seriously ?

"Yes. Because he is still alone, when I am the one who managed to get you, pet." he purred in your ear, just loud enough for Gavin to understand him with an horrified look.

The nickname left you speechless for a moment and you wanted to protest against this idea of belonging to him, but the face of the detective was priceless and you just smiled at him, satisfied.

"Can I go to my coffee, now ?" you asked him with a smirk.

For the first time, you were more than happy to see Gavin like this, and he was probably not going to ask for a drink anymore.

_______________

Yep Conner is way too possessive and the poor boy don’t know how to show affection someone help him ahah

anyway idk when the next part will be done (probably when I will get better urgh)

Tags (tell me if you want me to add you) :

@imchrisevanshoe @ash-laufey @darkraaven @roseval221 @lunar-r-bryce @wont-you @misskuuderechan @acupofhotlatte @kirliashiny-281 @funkybunny101 @sageypie17 @pandaworldkawaii @sdavid09 @alicia5833 @nightie-chan-blog @alondra-gaytan @itsfeliciatime @rubysnowdrop @tmblrmobilesucks @racrneko @dragoste-lunes @kayleenjinnie @myurlisunoriginal @melissalovesmusicyay @ericasabe @cyjannabethsilver @curiosity-loves-the-kitten @vanam0 @ageathas @just-a-new-start @dropthepizza346 @aniofcourage @treitike @moonstonefox12 @rosecollarbones @moonstruck-traveller @potenzel @loserunitetonight

[starlight-parkers]

I-I Love Her Mr Barnes (Peter Parker x Barnes!Reader)

*gif not mine, belongs to captainaudreystark*

Author’s note(s): @help-im-a-fan-girl IM SO SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT BBY <3

Summary: You’re dating Peter Parker, but what does your dad Bucky think?

“So...you’re dating someone, huh?”

The question caused (Y/N) to whip her head round so fast that she’d almost snapped her neck. She swivelled her chair around, so that she was fully facing the figure that leaned against the door frame of her bedroom. Standing there, was the girl’s father and almost instantaneously she could tell that he wasn’t happy. Steely blue eyes locked with her own (eye colour) orbs in a hard gaze as he stared at his daughter with pursed lips.  

(Y/N) looked down, twiddling her pen between her fingers as she bites her lip. The teenage girl knew how her dad was when it came to these types of things. He had always been overprotective of her and they’d always told each other every. He had every right to be mad, although he didn’t show it, she could feel it in the air, emitting from his brooding form.

Bucky was more than overprotective, that was for certain. After having her used as a leverage to be the winter soldier for years he had every right to be. The ex-war hero had left his girlfriend pregnant unknowingly when he went to war, when she was born, his daughter had been captured and raised by hydra until she was twelve, often threatened with torture if Bucky didn’t comply or refused training. The pair were kept in cyro and unfortunately Bucky lost all traces of his daughter after the collapse of hydra. She was left to fend for herself until Steve and the avengers found her when taking down hydra bases. Bucky and (Y/N) were later reunited during the civil war, where she had fought on Tony’s side.  

“Dad...” she murmured as he pushed himself off of the door frame, walking over to (Y/N)’s bed. He took a seat, running a hand through his freshly cut hair. He didn’t look at his daughter, scared of what emotions her face might convey. Steve had always told Bucky that this day would come, but he never thought it would come so soon. It hurt him, and it hurt to know that she’d kept it a secret from him.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” Bucky asked with a soft sigh, forcing himself to look at his daughter. Her soft (skin tone) face held a blank expression as she pondered over her answer. She knew this was a big deal to him, but she was scared of how he would react.

“Yes... eventually” she concluded, her straight posture deflating. Bucky only nodded into the silence of the dimly lit bedroom. (Y/N) found herself running her tongue over the dry skin of her lips as she thought about what to say next. “He’s a good guy dad, he treats me right, you can trust him”

Trust

Bucky didn’t trust very many people in his life, except for his daughter and Steve. So he certainly couldn’t trust anyone with his daughter. Especially after hydra. “Who is he anyways?” The super soldier asked casually, throwing himself backwards to lie on (Y/N)’s bed. He held his breath as silence swept over them, begging for them to be a random higher schooler and not-

“Peter Parker”

Bucky shot up so quickly that you could have mistaken him for Pietro. He looked at his daughter, eyes wide as he stared at her incredulously. “Stark’s kid?!”

“Technically he’s not Tony’s child-“

“He almost ripped off my metal arm!”

“I mean, you were gonna punch him-“

“He’s-he’s spiderman!” Bucky yelled, causing (Y/N) to shrug nonchalantly. A small smile graced her lips as she twirled her chair back around to finish scribbling away at her homework.

“That just makes him cooler” she countered, the smirk on her lips evident in her voice. The older Barnes was fuming, not only was his daughter dating, but she was dating someone who could put her at risk. He didn’t want Peter near her, let alone kissing her or holding her hand. So he did the only thing logical that a father in this situation would do.

“I don’t want you seeing him anymore”

The sound of a pen clattering against the hard wood of the desk told Bucky that he’d captured his daughter’s attention. Except, she didn’t turn around to face him. He took this as a sign to continue. “He’s dangerous, an avenger and you didn’t tell me about him. So I don’t  see why I should give you my blessings to date”

“Get out” she whispered from her seat at the desk, not moving an inch.

“Excuse me? Who do you think you’re talking to young lady?”

“I said get out!”

And as if by magic, (Y/N) rose from her chair, eerily calm. She stalked her way over to her father,  clearly as brooding and as mad as he was minutes prior (she was just like Bucky, according to Steve). She looked up at him with a burning fire in her eyes before pushing him out of the room and slamming the door shut. She wasn’t in the mood for her dad’s bull, and knew if she’d said anything all hell would break lose.

All the while Bucky stood on the other side of his daughter’s bedroom door, wondering if he had made the best choice.

“(Y/N)”

“Baby”

“Princess?”

“Darling?”

(Y/N) rolled her eyes playfully as she walked down the corridors of Midtown, a pile of heavy books in her arms as she made her way out of the school. Today had been a long day, she was tired and unhappy, mostly due to the events that took place the night before. Peter had caught onto her weird attitude early on in the day, when she didn’t greet him at his locker with her usual kiss, and  she the truth is, she had been avoiding him. With the knowledge that Peter would know something was wrong straight away, (Y/N) didn’t know if she could face her boyfriend.

The young Barnes made a sharp left as she headed for the exit of the school, making Peter slip and run after her. The couple suddenly came to a stop as (Y/N) tried to search for the car that would be picking her up, when Peter finally captured her attention.

“Did I do something wrong? “ The teen superhero asked breathlessly, bending down with his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. His brown hair was slightly askew, falling over his chestnut eyes as he panted. When his girlfriend, finally, turned to face him he straightened and offered her a sheepish smile. “Cause Ned and Michelle said they noticed something was off about you and seem to think that I’ve done something wrong and- Oh! If I did, I didn’t mean to make you upset because I love you and I never want to hurt you- but you didn’t seem mad at me specifically but I-“

(Y/N) smiled at her boyfriend’s sweet rambling before she pressed a quick chaste kiss to his lips. A red dust rose on Peter’s cheeks as she pulled away, causing him instinctively to rub the back of his neck out of shyness. “You didn’t do anything wrong baby!” (Y/N) murmured frantically, trying to clear up any confusion. “It’s just that my dad and I got into a disagreement last night and he doesn’t really want me to see you-“

Peter shook his head, dumbfounded as he adjusted his bag strap. “He doesn’t want you to see me? But I thought he knew about us”

“Haha funny story-“ The younger Barnes giggled nervously as she spotted her dad leaning against a slick black car, a can of soda in his metal hand. “Look Peter, it’s hard to explain, I’ll text you okay?”

The teen superhero quirked a brow as his girlfriend looked up at him with a pleading look, almost begging him to let her go. He sighed, letting a small smile cross his lips as he nodded. He couldn’t help but feel all warm inside as (Y/N) kissed his cheek gratefully, when she tried to pull away Peter sneakily snuck an arm around her waist, pulling her in for an actual kiss on the lips. He could feel her form relax in his arms as they continued to kiss outside of the school’s entrance, that was until she went rigid and quickly forced herself away from him.

The brunette boy opened his eyes in confusion, feeling a presence behind his back. Only to turn around and be met with the, obviously pissed gaze of Mr James Buchanan Barnes himself.

“Oh shi-“

“(Y/N) get in the car” Bucky seethed, looking down at the young couple. She looked up at the dark haired male, a fire setting ablaze in her (eye colour) eyes. The two Barnes had a small stare off, until (Y/N) gave up with a huff. She turned to Peter with an evil glint in her soft hues before pressing a lasting kiss against his lips. She swivelled around, a smirk playing at her lips before she got in the car and slammed the door shut.

Bucky eyed Peter, his dark oceanic hues wondering over the boy’s nervous form. Bucky could see a completely different side of the masked hero now, he wasn’t confident, cocky, a smart ass. No. He was a regular, nerdy teenage boy who just so happened to be in a relationship with his daughter.

Bucky didn’t like that.

“H-he-heyy Mr B-barnes” The brunette boy stuttered, running his hand through his glossy locks nervously. Peter offered the older male a sheepish smile only for it to be returned with a deadly glare. “Ho-how’s your arm doing?”

Bucky grunted and let a cruel glare grace his lips as she watched the younger boy stutter nervously. “I’m sorry about your metal arm by the way, it’s... it’s a great arm you know? Of course you would, I mean it’s attached to you just like other body parts how stupid of me! It’s probably really useful too, y’know? It doesn’t just swing around between your legs- Wait I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just you know-I uh-uhhh” Peter rambled our of fear, taking a step back with each syllable. “You know what? I’m just gonna stop talking now.”

The Winter Soldier laughed, walking over to the young boy, who flinched away as if he was going to get hit. “Now you listen here kid,” The ex-assassin growled menacingly. “I made it perfectly clear to (Y/N)  that I don’t want her seeing you anymore... now if you wanna walk away from this you’re gonna keep away from her, got it?”

Peter unconsciously felt himself nod but he knew (Y/N) would be rolling her eyes in annoyance. Bucky smiled wickedly at the boy, patting him on the shoulder before heading to the drivers side of the car. The webbed superhero knew he was going to regret this.

“Mr Barnes I can’t, I really like your daughter”

Bucky froze, his metal hand crushing the can that he held in it, Peter jumped before quickly swallowing the lump in his throat as he tried to look at the ex-hydra agent fearlessly. The super soldier’s brows furrowed as he wondered what could have possibly been running through this kid’s head that would make his question a well trained assassin. “Why?” Bucky questioned simply, wanting to know what the spider-powered hero’s intentions were for his daughter. He’d hoped it was something stupid, self-centred and shallow. Bucky needed a logical explanation for coming between the two.

“B-because I really like her l” Peter started, looking down and shifting from foot to foot. “She gets me, she didn’t judge me like other kids, she cares. She’s always there for me and makes every day better than the last. Please Mr Barnes, you have to understand...”

The older male just nodded, swiping a cool metal finger across his nose before getting in the car and driving away, leaving dumbfounded Peter Parker behind.

Bucky watched with a small smile as (Y/N) sat with the avengers. It was a Friday night and everyone was tired from missions and school, so they had decided to put on a movie and order some takeout. Bucky’s daughter was currently laying across the laps of three avengers, Thor was playing with her hair, smiling triumphantly to himself every time he’d braided it right. Clint  was occasionally poking (Y/N) in the tummy eliciting light chuckles from her every once in a while. While Steve was leaning on her legs, paying close attention to the movie that burst across the screen.

Sam, Wanda and Vision were seated on the floor in front of the longest couch, each had their gaze tied to the screen whilst Natasha, Bucky and Bruce sat on the smaller one. “She’s still mad at you” Natasha’s silky voice whispered into the darkness as Bucky looked away from (Y/N), he grunted in response as her turned to look at her but attentions was focused on the screen. “You know this isn’t just a phase, they really like each other”

Bucky rolled his eyes at his friend as she stood up before brushing down her clothes. “I’m going to get a drink, anyone want anything?”

The avengers all grunted in response before Natasha went into the kitchen. “Don’t all start screaming at once” she muttered sarcastically as Tony passed her on the way into the common room. He let out a small cough, trying to capture the attention of his friends. When they didn’t respond, he coughed again.

And again

And again

“Oh my god Tony” Clint sighed in annoyance. “What do you want?”

The billionaire smirked. “I’m proposing a family dinner, we haven’t spent some time together in ages and I want to take you to a fancy restaurant”

The avengers groaned  in unison before (Y/N) piped up, lifting her head in interest. “You’re spending money on us? Free food? I’m down” she admitted rolling onto her side. Bucky couldn’t help the laugh that tumbled from his lips, his daughter had quite the obsession with food.

The avengers were now interested, dreaming of all the gourmet foods they could shove down their throats.

“Why now?” Natasha asked, weaving her way back into the common room with a tray of drinks, passing them around to her team mates.

Sam nodded in agreement, taking a sip of the cola that he’d received. “Yeah, why the sudden interest in spending time with us?”

Tony threw his hands up in frustration, looking at his team in annoyance. “What? Can’t I invite you out? offer you free food?”

The avengers and (Y/N) looked at each other, a knowing glint in their eyes. “No” Wanda murmured, pausing the movie that she wasn’t able to focus on. The team laughed at her blunt answer whilst Tony rolled his eyes, a small smile gracing his lips.

“It’s because you” The brunette scientist emphasised, pointing at Bucky who put his hands up in defence. “Won’t let Peter come over to the compound anymore, so I’m lonely and want to spend time with the people I hate. Plus (Y/N)’s cool”

Bucky sighed, shaking his head as his daughter let out a loud chuckle. She made finger guns at Tony, a large smile splaying on her lips. “Right back at you Tony!” She turned, over onto her back, before sitting up slightly in Clint’s lap. “Can we invite Peter? Please?”

“No”

“Yes”

Bucky growled at Steve, narrowing his eyes at him. The enhanced super soldier smiled in response, glancing back at Tony. “I think that’s a great idea! He’s part of the team now!”

(Y/N) and Tony let out a cheer, high fiving each other in victory. Bucky sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he thought of ways to kill that meddling Steven Grant Rogers.

The restaurant Tony had booked for the team was grand. Anyone could tell just by looking at the entrance. There were two large windows either side of the mahogany double doors, made of double glazed glass filled with aqua blue water and the prettiest sea shells you’d ever seen. A red carpet had been rolled up to the front, signifying that only the wealthiest could afford there.

Inside was no different, crystal chandeliers hanging magnificently from the ceiling, cream marble floors stretching across the room. The restaurant was filled with fancy tables, white table cloths draping over them, candles dotted in the middle. Sky high tanks were scattered across the room, the most beautiful corals spiralling throughout.

Maybe that’s why (Y/N) was so nervous to enter, the rest of the avengers and her boyfriend  were waiting inside, probably laughing and having a good time. Perhaps the nerves that were clawing at her stomach weren’t down to the eliteness of the restaurant but instead the fact that she would be with her boyfriend and her father in the same room. The younger Barnes let out a shaky sigh, adjusting the pale pink skirt of her knee length dress while she waited for her dad to finish with the concierge.

Bucky was dressed equally as smart, fitted into a black tux, his hair slicked back like it used to be when he was young...before he was the winter soldier.  The man smiled down at his daughter, securing her in a warm embrace as he readied them to enter the restaurant. “You ready babygirl? “ he questioned with a smile, clearly forgetting that Peter would be there too.

The (hair coloured) girl just nodded nervously, as the begun to walk towards the entrance. “Wait, Dad?” She asked softly, grabbing his hand before it reached the door handle. “I-I... Dad you know I love you, but I love Peter too and I just want you to get along, so w-will you try not to be intimidating. Please.”

Bucky sighed, as much as he didn’t like you dating, he didn’t like seeing his baby so nervous and wary... it reminded him of the days where they used to threaten her if he fell out of line. “Of course sweetheart” he murmured as they made their way inside.

As (Y/N) has suspected, her father’s teammates had left only two seats left for the pair. One opposite Peter and One next to him. The teenage girl hurriedly went to sit next to her boyfriend, pecking him on the cheek reassuringly when he noticed that Bucky was standing behind her. The spider-like teen was dressed in black jeans, a crisp dress shirt whilst he donned a black tie and (Y/N) couldn’t help but blush as she eyed him. God he was cute. The winter soldier slipped into the remaining seat, offering the teenage boy a small, what someone might call, a smile. Although to Peter, it looked much more like a grimace, but it would do.

Tony caught (Y/N)’s gaze from across the table after everyone said their hellos, revealing that they hadn’t ordered yet. She gave him a slight glare, despite the grin on her lips to which he returned. He’d purposely chosen this seating arrangement.

“I propose a toast” The genius, called out, capturing the attention of his dolled up co-workers. “To (Y/N) and Peter, for finally having the courage to face up to frosty the snowman over there”

The genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist sent a wink the young couples way as they blushed. A while later, orders were taken and hot, fresh food at been placed at the table. (Y/N) scooped up a spoonful of the soup that she’d ordered for a starter. She frowned, her brows furrowing. The soup was a bit more bland than expected.  She looked around the table, desperate for some pepper and maybe even some salt. The (eye coloured) girl let out a sigh of relief when she spotted the salt shaker across the table next to her father. He was busy engaged in a conversation but she didn’t hesitate to try.

“Daddy, can you please pass the salt”

It was as if time slowed down when Peter and Bucky’s hands met at the salt shaker. The avengers fell silent, looking at one another in shock as Bucky pursed his lips, staring the younger superhero down. The brunette teen flushed red with embarrassment, he knew what everyone was thinking but he swore it wasn’t like that. He’d seen his girlfriend ask for the salt but thought that her dad was too busy to pass it over and-

“M-mr Barnes I-“ he stammered, trying to find the right words to explain the mishap. The boy cursed himself when no more words came out. This was his chance to prove to Mr Barnes that he deserved (Y/N) . That he was a true gentleman that loved her, that wasn’t using her for money, power or recognition. But he couldn’t, his form was so fear stricken that he couldn’t bring himself to look at his girlfriend’s mortified face.

Bucky eyed the kid, hoping that he’d say something, speak out against his blunder. The dark haired Male, leaned back in his chair as an angry blaze ignited in his chest. When the boy said nothing, Bucky couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit of satisfaction, he didn’t want his daughter seeing anyone. She’d been through too much to get hurt again. It was now as clear as day to Bucky that Peter only wanted to get into her pants. With one last cold glare at the boy, Bucky rose from his seat leaving the table and heading to his car. Leaving two mortified teenagers in his wake.

(Y/N) tightly clutched Peter’s hand during  the car ride back to her home. When Bucky walked out, Peter quickly apologised and explained himself to his worrisome girlfriend. Of course she forgave him. She was too good to him. The rest of the dinner went by awkwardly, with Sam and Tony teasing earning some harsh slaps from Natasha and even Thor. Although the avengers knew the young couple wouldn’t go there. Tony offered her a ride home, Peter instantaneously deciding that he wanted to accompany (Y/N) back.

The three pulled up into the Barnes residence, the girl giving Tony a quick thank you before reassuring Peter. “I’ll be fine” (Y/N) whispered, peaking her head back into the car, all Peter could do was nod as she smiled slightly before making her way into her house.

Tony watched Peter in the rear view mirror, sensing his nervousness. He sighed at the troubled kid. “You should go after her kid” Tony hummed, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. The brunette boy looked up, meeting the eyes of his mentor. “Old Bucky clearly doesn’t see how much you both mean to each other, you should prove it to him.

and with that a cool silence swept over the car as Peter decided what he was going to do.

“It’s not what you think” Bucky heard, as the front door closed with a light click. “He’s not like that”

The ex-assassin looked up from the TV, his blue eyes meeting the enraged form of his daughter, his only daughter. “You’re embarrassing, you know that?” (Y/N) begun, her voice laced with hurt. “You had no reason to act the way you did, you left me, your daughter at a dinner because my boyfriend said something you didn’t like. You didn’t even hear him out, and Tony had to drop me home!”

The girl was seething, her body shaking with rage at each word that slipped past her lips. She loved Peter and wasn’t going down without a fight. “He tried to be nice to you, he just wants your approval and yet you continue to tear him apart! What’s wrong with you?”

The words wouldn’t stop now, and all the while Bucky let his daughter go out on a whim. No matter what she said, he wouldn’t budge. Bucky wanted to keep you safe, he was doing what was best for you. “(Y/N), I’ve made my decision, you’re not see him again. He could be using you”

“But he’s not!” The (eye coloured) eye girl yelled, flailing her hands about.  “He genuinely cares about me!”

“(Y/N)!” Bucky shouts suddenly, tired of the arguing. His daughter steps back out of fear, tears welling in her (eye colour) pools. “You’re grounded, you are not see him! I know what boys like him do, he’s only with you to get at your pants. Now go to your room”

(Y/N) flinches at the harsh words that escape from between Bucky’s lips, she runs to the stairs wanting nothing more than to be away from him in that moment but as she makes her  way up the glossy wooden steps, she realises something. “Peter would never use me, I more than anyone else would know. What happened at the restaurant was a misunderstanding,  I need you to know that”

Bucky sighed, watching as she made her way up the steps, being sure to slam the door to her bedroom once she was inside. His heart felt heavy as he sunk into the sofa’s embrace, having a teenager was difficult. Having a teenage daughter was even harder. The brunette male ran a hand over his face, exhaling deeply into the skin of his palm.

A sudden knock at the door pulled Bucky out of his solemn state, tiredly, he pulled himself to stand and made his way over to the door. Too exhausted to check who it was, Bucky yanked open the door, readying himself to yell at the person who knocked for him so late on the night. Instead he was met with the nervous face of Peter Parker, the boy shook slightly in his spot out of fear as he came face to face with the infamous Winter Solider, AKA his girlfriend’s dad.

The young brunette gulped visibly. “H-hi Mr Barnes”

The door slammed shut. Who did that boy think he was? Coming to their house after what he pulled.

The trained super soldier locked the door, slinking back over to his couch so he could sleep away the drama that was today. However, the knocking didn’t stop. Damn, teenagers were annoying.

“I know you’re in there Mr Barnes, I won’t stop knocking until you hear me out”

Peter stood outside, trying his best to stand his ground as he knocked against the hardwood of the door. He refused to leave without a fight, hopefully not a physical one. Mr Barnes scared him. The was a split second where he stopped knocking, a silence forming on the other side of the door. Peter frowned, not wanting to give up, he begun to knock harder... until the door swung open.

All the hairs on his arm pricked up, causing his fist to stop mere inches away from Bucky’s nose. The teen superhero backed away quickly, a red hue consuming the creaminess of his skin. “I-ah, um... hi?” Peter offered sheepishly, meeting Bucky’s hard gaze.

“You have thirty seconds to explain yourself before I close the door.”  Bucky snarled, memories from earlier flashing in his head. Peter gulped, trying to rack his mind for anything to say. “Twenty seconds, and counting”

The pressure of the count down caused Peter to perk up, he had to do this for (Y/N) and with that, the words started to pour from his mouth. “First of all, Mr Barnes, I’d like to apologise for this evening. I-I never meant for the situation to happen. I just wanted to show you I was a gentleman and that I listened to (Y/N) and wasn’t just u-using her” he took a shaky breath, trying to collect himself so he could show Bucky how much his daughter really meant to Peter. “Second of all, I’m sorry that we never told you. I guess we were both scared that something like this would happen, (Y/N) didn’t want to tell you about us, and she was unhappy talking about it, I would do anything to keep her happy and if that meant keeping my mouth shut, I did it”

He sighed, looking down as Bucky pursed his lips, nodding at the boy to continue. “But most importantly Mr Barnes, (Y/N) makes me the happiest guy in earth, there’s something about her that brightens up my day, that makes me think ‘how did I deserve such a girl like her?’ and... and I know that I don’t deserve her, there’s probably a million guys out there that could treat her better than me, but the thing is... it’s that I-I love her Mr Barnes”

The boy concluded his speech with a stammer, looking at Bucky nervously. The man himself hadn’t realised how deep Peter’s feelings ran for his daughter. The pair hadn’t noticed how the hair coloured girl had snuck down the stairs, listening in on Peter’s speech.

“You love me, Pete?” She whispered into the silence,  grabbing the attention of the two most important men in her life. He nodded from his spot, shocked that she had heard the whole thing. (Y/N) couldn’t help the watery grin that spread across her lips as she ran past the winter soldier, enveloping her boyfriend in a tight hug.

The girl cried softly into Peter’s blazer, whispering how much she loved him as she did so. He hesitantly, wrapped his arms around her, a soft smile tugging at his lips as they swayed gently in each other’s embrace. The older Barnes watched over the young couple as they held each other, and couldn’t help but wink at Peter in approval when their eyes locked.

They loved each other, he should have seen that sooner. It reminded him of himself and his daughter’s mother when they were that age, and who was he to get in the way of young love.

A/N: I’m sorry this took so long! I think this is my longest imagine yet. Also the restaurant is based off of one that my sister went to when she stayed in Dubai XD

[themagiciian]

Floral Fluster - Ch. 2

Title: Floral Fluster Warnings: Contains mentions of gambling and vague alcohol abuse Chapters: 1/2/? Word count: 4,543 Relationship: Mugman/Cagney Carnation (relationship) Other characters: Cuphead, Elder Kettle, Rumor Honeybottoms (briefly mentioned), Hilda Berg (briefly mentioned).

Summary: Inkwell Festival is in a few weeks time, and Rumor insists that Cagney goes to it. Perhaps insisting he goes with Mugman might be the encouragement he needs to come out of his shell?

Author’s notes: I’m so so sorry this took a while. I really am. University sucks, life sucks, everything sucks. However... I am rather proud of this part. I sifted through and edited out all my mistakes this time. 

As mentioned in the first part, if you are new here, Cuphead and Mugman are both, in fact, older. They are at least 17. I suppose this can be read as a one-shot, like the first part, perhaps...? Also, has the name for this ship changed? I’ve seen the tag “tea leaf” being thrown around here and there. I’ll use both, regardless, but ah well.

Also, I do apologise if Cuphead or Elder Kettle seem a little out of character. I wasn’t exactly sure how to write them. I’m so sorry.

But, without further ado... once again, please enjoy! 

Mugman gave a heavy sigh as he practically burst through the door, panting a little as he had ran home. “I'm so sorry I'm late, pops!” He exclaimed, Cuphead and Elder Kettle looking up as he walked in. His cheeks were deep blue after having sped home, hurriedly removing his coat and hanging it up. “Sorry, sorry - hope I didn't miss nothin’…”

Cuphead rested his head in the palm of his hand as Mugman sat down opposite from him at the table. “Mugs, you almost missed dinner!” Elder Kettle exclaimed, clearly worried as he turned to the two brothers.

“Well- th’ keyword there is almost, gramps,” Mugman gave a little chuckle. Elder Kettle only tutted and rolled his eyes as his innocent playfulness, giving him a look that said ‘what am I gonna do with you?’. Mugman only smiled back before he glanced at Cuphead who seemed rather bored, playing with his fork idly. He didn't seem in the best of moods. The three went quiet, the only sound between the three were sounds of vegetables boiling, and the little thud of the fork hitting the table.

Mugman cleared his throat quietly to gently break the silence, before he piped up. “Slow day at work, Cups? You don't look too happy.”

“Oh, was it ever,” He began with a groan, shaking his head, “never been so bored in my fuckin’ life.” Cuphead quickly followed that up with a quiet 'sorry’ for the use of vulgar language. Kettle hated it when he swore. “We was jus’ movin’ around a buncha stuff today. Reorganising…” There was a pause for a shrug. “Total bore but, eh, it works. I get money outta it anyway.”

The final statement was followed up by brief smirk on his face, looking away for a split second. In a flash, it was gone. Mugman frowned a bit, suspicions roused, but didn't question. He wouldn’t touch on it at the dinner table- least of all in front of their grandfather.

“...Right,” was Mugman's only response, seeming a little hesitant, but his frown eased a little.

Before another silence could settle in, Cuphead sat up in his seat, looking up at his brother with a smirk. “So, where've you been? Y’ don’t normally go out, Mugs. Nearly fainted when I was told y’ were meetin’ up with somebody,” Cuphead joked, the smirk turning into a grin, “so who’s the lovely lady, 'en? Don't tell me you pulled Cala- you wouldn't break the bro-code.”

“I wouldn’t even dream a’ breakin’ the bro-code. But it ain't a girl,” Mugman answered, instantly blushing when Cuphead let out a loud 'oooooh’, that grin on his face only growing and Mugman couldn't help but giggle a little. “It ain't romantic… He's just a friend.”

Both Elder Kettle and Cuphead raised their brows at that. “What? I'm serious!” Mugman stammered, face still flushed blue.

“Mhmmmm, o’ course,” Cuphead looked like a Cheshire cat with how wide his snarky smile was, “so, who's your 'friend’?”

Mugman smiled a little to himself, looking down at the floor, before meeting Cuphead’s expectant gaze. “...Cagney.”

“Cagney?!” Cuphead suddenly yelled out, causing the other two to jump up as the tone of conversation took a u-turn. “You're hanging around with- with Cagney?!”

“Oh, I remember when that flower was just a little sprout,” Kettle mused adoringly, beginning to plate up their dinners, “he was so sweet. Hilda used to carry 'im around in this little flower pot. It was always so cute to see her runnin’ around with that little flower.”

“Y’ gotta be joshin’ me! Cagney Carnation, of all people? He’s the rudest resident this side of Inkwell! He's horrible!” Cuphead grumbled, very clearly displeased, muttering a 'thanks’ as a plate of food was put infront of him. “I don't like 'im.”

Kettle sat down at the head of the table, hands folded infront of him. Mugman had only rolled his eyes at Cuphead's comment. “He's nice to me, Cups! He's actually kinda charming,” Mugman replied with a little shrug, “and I'm going to meet him tomorrow.”

“I think that's sweet,” Kettle spoke softly, patting Mugman on the shoulder, “don't y’ think, Cuphead? Cagney’s a nice fellow. You should give him a chance.”

“Yuck,” Cuphead scrunched up his nose, clearly he had a distaste for the said flower. He scooped up a mouthful of food, shuffling a bit in his seat. “There is no way that- that dandelion is gettin’ another chance outta me! He was so rude about the whole soul contract thing. That big old weed is just… he's just… grumpy! And he's mean. He hit me with a vine once.”

“Wh- he did?” Mugman instantly became concerned, taken aback, suddenly beginning to have second thoughts. Cagney wouldn't do that, would he? “Why?”

“Well, y’know I was jus' passin’ through,” Cuphead  started, “and this little flower kid is following me around so I tell it to buzz off, y’know? But it didn't… So I shot at it.”

“Well there's your answer,” Kettle interjected, shaking his head a little, “you shouldn't attack things like that.”

“It didn't leave me alone though!” Cuphead quickly came to defend himself, his expression turning sour. “I didn't wanna do it, it wasn't even that hurt... It was jus’ one dumb flower.”

“Those are his children, Cups!” Mugman argued, reaching out to poke at Cuphead's hand, to which the older brother grunted. “He's really protective of 'em, y’know? You'd be mad too if you had kids.”

Cuphead glared at that, teeth clenched a little. “Good thing that I don't,” Cuphead growled back, cutting the conversation off there. His now foul mood made the quiet air that fell upon them awkward. It wasn't like Cuphead to get in such a bitter state so quickly. Mugman's previous suspicions were roused again...

Kettle gave a look to Mugman, shaking his head a little, his expression one of concern. Kettle must've had the same thought he had. Thankfully Cuphead didn't notice them both roll their eyes.

Once dinner was over, Cuphead hastily got up with his own plate and cutlery. He dumped it into the sink, before stomping upstairs, his footsteps quickly becoming distant as he sulked off. Mugman flinched a little when he heard the bedroom door slam. He let out a soft sigh, picking up his own plate and Kettle’s, making his way over to the sink and began to clean up.

He paused from washing up when he heard Kettle stand up and begin to head up the stairs. “Wait, p-pops!” Mugman called, quickly running over, “I- I’ll talk to him. Don't worry about it.”

Kettle let out a frustrated huff, but he turned around and came back downstairs. Mugman smiled, relieved, reaching out and taking his grandfather's hand to guide him to his chair in the living room.

“I just don't know what's wrong with him, Mugs,” Kettle spoke softly, leaning back in his seat, “he's been so… grouchy recently…”

“I know, I know,” Mugman pat his shoulder gently, trying his best to be reassuring. Internally, his concern grew for his brother, recalling his earlier conversation with Cagney about Cuphead's gambling habit. He quickly decided not to mention it to Kettle. He didn't want him to worry, feeling guilt weigh down on his chest as he didn't like hiding things from his grandfather. But… He felt like he had a responsibility, to protect Cuphead from getting in trouble…

“It might jus’ be the change of seasons. He always gets grumpy in the cold,” Mugman reasoned, giving a shrug. Kettle seemed to be somewhat satisfied with that response.

Kettle’s arms folded across his chest, shaking his head a little. “I don't know, Mugs. Whatever it is… I'm sure he'll get over it,” He spoke softly, and before Mugman could turn away he caught his hand, “thank you…fer’ everything. You're so selfless and I… I can't thank you enough, Mugsy. Y’ better enjoy yourself out tomorrow with that Carnation. You deserve it.”

Mugman gave a little smile, gently squeezing his hand, his face becoming a bit blue at the mention of Cagney. “I’m sure I will. I’ll go see Cuphead after I clean up… Thanks, pops.”

“You're very welcome, son.”

With that, Mugman rushed back to the kitchen and turned away to finish washing up the dishes. He quietly hummed to himself as he cleaned up. Washing up was always therapeutic to him, and he found himself becoming lost in thought.

His mind slowly wandered back to Cagney as he scrubbed, leaning onto the counter a little as he looked out of the window just above the sink. It provided a view into the beginning of the forest where Cagney resided, though he couldn't really see it as it was so dark (neither did he have his glasses on, so it was difficult to see very far- he cursed himself a bit for forgetting to wear them when he really should).

‘Are we friends?’ Mugman found himself wondering, frowning a bit in thought as he began to scrub the dishes. He frowned a little in thought, staring out of the window at the dark forest right ahead. If he were a little younger, a little more naive, it would've been a definite yes, but now… He couldn't shake the feeling that Cagney might've just been tolerating him because he had to… especially after Cuphead's comments about the flower...

His lips curled down a bit. Cagney was always like that though, right? He just never really enjoyed people being around, and that was that.

Maybe it had just been too long. 'I probably should've been a better friend in the first place and kept in contact with him,’ he thought, 'then I wouldn't have this problem at all.’

'...It sure felt nice when I hugged him, though.’

Mugman's frown twitched into a smile, face flushing a little as he stifled a giggle. Then when he hugged back, even though his arms were really too long to hug properly... And when he put his hand on his shoulder to comfort him… It was sweet. He meant well. He shouldn't doubt Cagney so much.

'I guess it was kinda cute when I surprised him as well,’ Mugman pondered with a smile, 'was he sleeping? Hm… his petals felt nice to touch. I wonder if he liked it… What would that even feel like…?”

His train of thought was interrupted when he heard the door upstairs creak open, the floorboards groaning a little as someone stomped on them. His train of thought was promptly interrupted, hurrying to clean up the last of the dishes and cutlery before putting them aside to dry.

'Cuphead.’

In a hurry he just shook off his wet hands, flicking off the beads of water, before hastily making his way upstairs. As soon as Mugman saw him, Cuphead jolted, quickly shifting so his hands were behind his back. He couldn't look more guilty.

“Cups?” Mugman blinked, and Cuphead only stared back, shifting backwards to put more distance between them. “What are you hiding…?” Mugman quietly asked as he stepped up onto the landing, eyes slowly narrowing as Cuphead glanced about uncomfortably. He looked ready to run away- that was affirmed when Cuphead finally made eye contact and let out a nervous chuckle.

“Oh, nothin’, Mugs,” he answered, clearly trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, swaying playfully as if trying to look natural, “I dunno what yer on about.”

But it wasn't going to fool him. “What's in your hand?”

“I told ya. Nothin',” Cuphead chuckled again, “Dunno why yer even--”

“Prove it,” Mugman demanded, cutting him off. The faux look of innocence was quickly replaced by surprise, then irritation. “I wasn't born yesterday, Cups.”

There was silence, Cuphead glaring at him for a moment, before finally the elder brother spoke. “Fine,” he hissed, bitterness lacing his tone as he held out his hands. Mugman blinked, looking down at the item in his palm. It took him a moment to identify it, but it was undoubtedly a silver flask. Upon further inspection, that was undoubtedly King Dice’s brand etched onto the face of it...

Mugman’s own expression slipped into shock, before falling into disappointment. There was only one place he could've gotten it from... Why had he gone back to Inkwell Hell? What was he doing in that filthy casino again? Hadn't he learned from last time?

His mind swam with thoughts, but all he could utter was; “why?”

“...I… I dunno, Mugsy,” Came the quiet response, scowl fading into shame, “I- I’m sorry.”

“You've said that before, Cuphead,” Mugman exclaimed, “you said sorry but... you didn't do anything…” Much to his own dismay, Mugman’s eyes began to water, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. His throat and chest felt tight, but he forced himself to continue. “And- and you even went back t-there! What were you thinking? Do you even know what they put in that? They coulda’ spiked it, knowing that shady place--”

“I don't know why I went there, okay?! I jus’ wanted to- I thought it’d be fun! But I lost every single fuckin’ round against that stupid Dice anyway,” Cuphead gave a huff, pocketing the flask, “an’ he said he put bourbon in it. I had some, tasted fine. So I'm fine, okay? I'm fine.”

Mugman sniffled a bit, bottom lip quivering lightly. Without a word, Cuphead pulled him into an embrace, nuzzling softly against his shoulder as he heard Mugman begin to sob, clearly overwhelmed by emotion. The younger brother quickly returned the hug, gripping onto the back of Cuphead's t-shirt.

“Look, Mugsy… I'm sorry… I really am.” Cuphead said softly, one hand reaching up to stroke down his back gently. Mugman’s breath hitched, holding onto him tighter. “Please… You don't gotta be so worried 'bout me. I promise I'll be alright.”

“B-But- but what if you aren't, C-Cups…?” Came the meek response, followed by a gentle hiccup. “I j-just don't want to see you get h-hurt… I don't want anything b-bad to happen again…”

Cuphead moved away from the hug, reaching up to wipe away Mugman's tears. “I-Is that why you were so mad tonight? C-Cos’ you lost?” He asked quietly as his brother thumbed away the tears that spilled down his face. His question was answered when Cuphead looked away for a few seconds, before making eye contact again. “H-How much?”

“...All 'f it…” Cuphead hesitantly replied, “I didn't mean to take it out on ya…”

“No… I know,” Mugman gave a little smile, reaching up to brush away the last of the tears that leaked out of his eyes, “it’s… okay... It'll be okay,” he reassured himself, taking a deep breath, before exhaling. “I'm… sorry for gettin’ so upset…”

Cuphead smiled weakly in return, moving to wrap his arm around Mugman's shoulder with a light pat. “That's alright, lil’ brother,” he said, gently clinking his head against his brothers, “look... I'm so… so, so sorry… I wasn't thinkin’… I promise, I'll get better.”

Mugman gave a little nod. “Y-yeah…” He murmured, his own arm wrapping around Cuphead's waist. His crying had made him rather sleepy, leaning against the other a bit. “I… I'm tired. I better go to bed. I gotta get up early.”

He slipped away from his brother, turning to give him one last smile, before disappearing into his room with one last “goodnight”. Cuphead smiled back, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck.

Once the door had clicked shut however, Cuphead let out a loud sigh.

'Might as well finish it whilst I can,’ he mused internally, reaching for the flask in his pocket and promptly chugging down the last of its contents.

“Um, sorry I didn't really bring you much, Mister Carnation…” Mugman scratched the side of his porcelain head, stopping just before him, “I don't really know what flowers… um… eat.”

Much to his relief, Cagney wasn't offended or disappointed by this. Instead, he merely shrugged. “We don't really eat, so to speak,” he answered, “it’s hard to explain. I mean, I could probably eat 'normal’ food, but… I've never tried it.”

Cagney quickly patted the ground beside him as an invitation for him to come over and sit beside him, and Mugman quickly obliged. He took extra care to step over any flowers, before quietly sitting down on the grass next to him. He pulled his messenger bag up onto his lap, pulling it open from its buckles. “Well, today's your lucky day,” Mugman chirruped, reaching into his bag. Cagney leant down a little curiously, blinking when he pulled out his lunchbox.

Inside, Mugman felt a little bit embarrassed... He'd had this lunchbox since he was very young. The face of it had tacky stickers plastered all over it, and his name was clumsily written in the corner. The writing, as well as the stickers, had gotten worn away over the years but… he still felt fond of them, which was why he never made the effort to remove them. A bit childish, he knew, and now he was regretting not switching his lunchbox with Cuphead's just this once. He dismissed the thought, however, as he quickly clinked the box open, feeling Cagney’s gaze fixed on him. The thought of Cagney staring at him made his cheeks flush a little… but he soon shook his head, clinking the box open.

Cagney leant in further once it was open, head turning a little to see what was inside. Mugman smiled at the interest he'd taken. “By the look on y’ face, I would've thought you've never seen food before,” he mused aloud, and the flower actually gave a nod in response.

“I have a handful of times, but that was back when I lived with Hilda,” Cagney answered, “it's… kinda weird seeing it up close, actually. I don't know what I expected.”

Mugman actually giggled at him in return, not expecting such a response. This earned him a bit of a frown, but he didn't mind, and instead, he reached out to pat one of his petals playfully. “Well… since it's your first time…” he smirked, “you get first pick.”

The other had only flinched a bit in response to the pat, having not expected the contact, but didn't move away (which Mugman assumed was a good thing, since Cagney seemed a bit weird about touching). There was a hum of thought from him, eyes darting around the box, before hooking a donut on the end of his finger.

“What the heck is this?” He asked bluntly, bringing it to his face to inspect it. He didn't seem to like the feeling of the sugar that fell off as he picked it up, scowling at the residue it left on his finger, before promptly brushing it off.

“That's a donut- well, it's a sugar donut,” he explained, “it's sweet. Really sweet. Try it- y’ might like it.”

There was still a hint of confusion on Cagney’s face, his head tilting a bit. “I just…” he gave a little sigh, pulling it off the end of his finger and into his palm, “it's looks weird. What if I don't like it?”

“Then you don't eat it,” Mugman answered simply, shrugging, “I'm not gonna be mad if y’ don't like 'em... Just a donut, y'know? It's not gourmet.”

There was a second of hesitation, and he looked a little uncertain. Mugman was going to say something, however Cagney had already quickly scoffed it down in one go, swallowing hard without chewing. He cringed a little at the sight, eyes widening a little at the sudden motion, before nervously chuckling. Cagney probably grew up without table manners, after all, so he supposed it made sense that he'd just hawk it down without thinking twice.

“Well, was it alright or not?” Mugman asked quietly after a moment.

“To be honest, Mugman... I didn't really taste anything,” The response was as blunt and as flat as anything, stroking his chin in thought. Mugman brought a hand up to his forehead, laughing at how ridiculous he was. It only brought confusion to Cagney, however. “Wh-what's so funny?”

“You! You’re supposed to chew it first- n-not just wolf it down,” Mugman continued to giggle, much to the others embarrassment, “I've never seen somebody eat wrong before but you’ve managed t’ pull it off…”

Cagney’s arms crossed, looking embarrassed now. “W-Well, I'm sorry that I don't know how to eat properly,” he grumbled, face going red which only prompted another laugh out of Mugman. “Hey… hey! Stop laughing! It's not funny!”

“It is! It’s funny- no, it's hilarious,” Mugman continued to laugh, slapping his leg, face flushed blue from laughter. Cagney let out a snort of frustration, which only made him giggle even harder. “Oh c’mon, lighten up! I'm just messin’ wit’ ya!”

Mugman’s teasing laughter began to fade when Cagney gave a glare, face reddened, before sharply turning and pulling down two of his petals hard in embarrassment. He could hear the frustrated huff that came from him. Mugman soon reached out to take a hold of his hand, trying to stop him from pulling at himself. “W-Wait! Cagney, don't do that- you'll hurt yourself!” He cried, voice gripped with urgency as he tried to pull his hands away.

Cagney tensed up visibly, and Mugman could hear him grumble a bit. His needle-like thorns began to emerge from his body. Obviously, he was very agitated. “Mister Carnation…” Mugman's voice was low now, hoping he hadn't upset him too much, now being careful of those thorns, “I'm sorry. I was kiddin’. I promise… I don't mean it.”

Despite Cagney’s strained form, his hand didn't move from Cagney’s, his thumb gently tracing over his knuckles. He could feel him begin to relax, before he slowly let go of himself. Mugman smiled as he turned his head back to him, hand slipping into his palm and gave a gentle squeeze. Cagney wore a bit of a sheepish look, face still dyed a little red, before clasping his larger hand around his.

“Why d’ya do that?” Mugman asked, voice laced with soft concern, allowing him to hold his hand. He smiled sweetly at him- Cagney seemed a little anxious, after all. He went quiet as his thorns slowly withdrew- that was good thing, at least. “It's okay, Mister Carnation. I'm sorry for makin’ fun of you.”

“Ah, really, Mugman, just Cagney is fine. Sorry for getting so… flustered,” He mumbled in response, “...I, er, um... it's a habit. I used to do it when I was little, when I got scared.”

Mugman frowned in worry. “Have y’ ever pulled out a petal on accident?”

“...Yeah,” he let out a little 'tch’ to himself, “a lot of times, actually, heh. It really hurts when it happens… they don't grow back so quick anymore, either.”

“Golly, what am I gonna do with you?” Mugman sighed, moving his lunchbox and bag aside so he could scoot closer to him. “What if they don't grow back one day, mister- I mean, Cagney? What will you do?”

“We... nothing. I’ll live with it. I mean, I'll have to,” the answer was flat, and unsatisfying, followed up by a shrug. Mugman frowned a bit, leaning onto his shoulder.

“I think you worry too much,” Cagney commented idly after a moment, “you should relax a little.”

Mugman let out a 'pfft'. “...You sound like my brother.”

“Oh God forbid,” Cagney groaned, the sarcasm in his voice exaggerated, which made Mugman chuckle. Cagney gave a small smile at his laughter. “Oh, hey, did you talk to Cuphead after? ...What's up with him?”

Mugman's face dropped a bit, shaking his head. “He wasted his earnings down Inkwell Hell yesterday…” he began, his unoccupied hand reaching to rub his neck out of nervousness, “and he had a flask with 'im. I- I dunno. He said he'd stop but- but I dunno, Cagney. I don't know if I should believe him… what do you think?”

There was a hum of thought, before Cagney gave a nod. “I think he will. You're worried sick about him. Anyone can see that,” he reassured, “he'd be stupid not to.”

“Well he's been making a lot of stupid decisions recently,” Mugman grunted, letting out a deep huff of frustration. He then shook his head. This wasn't a very good topic for conversation. “I shouldn't… I shouldn't think about it. I shouldn't put my problems on you. Sorry, Cagney…”

“Uh, hey, don't worry about it! It's okay, I promise,” He quickly chimed back. The light response was a pleasant surprise. Finally, Mugman felt himself relax, the tenseness in his shoulders leaving and he slacked a little.

“Thank you,” he breathed, head still resting on his shoulder. In fact, he was talking so much, that he'd forgotten their hands were linked. That brought colour to his face again. He could felt his heart beat a little quicker... Cagney seriously didn't mind this? His chest felt like little flowers were growing and blooming inside of him. 'Th-this is so nice…’

“Mugman? Um… we are friends,” Cagney piped up after a moment, before glancing down at Mugman, “right?”

There was a pause. Mugman was taken aback by the question. But soon, he nodded, smiled up at him, and shifted closer. “Yes- without a doubt, Cagney.”

Cagney had mumbled a 'thanks’, and looked away. He assumed it was to conceal that smile, but he'd caught sight of it before he turned. He really was shy, wasn't he? Mugman stifled a giggle, nuzzling against his arm. That was one thing Rumor was right about… he really was just a big dork...

The silence was peaceful. He felt like he could fall asleep right then and there. Resting against his stem wasn't particularly comfy, but the closeness… it was pleasant. Maybe a bit more than pleasant, actually. He'd never been so close to another like this before. It genuinely felt nice. He felt more at ease than he had in awhile. No gramps to worry about, no Cuphead to worry about, no errands to get to.

He felt his eyes begin to shut, drowsiness growing. Maybe five minutes wouldn't hurt...

He was jolted awake as Cagney’s hand withdrew from his before he slipped into slumber, letting out a mumble of protest as he was pulled away from sleep so suddenly. “Tired?” Cagney asked, and Mugman nodded back. He smirked, “it’s because you stress yourself out, like I said, see? You get tired easily… let me help you into a more comfortable position.”

Cagney summoned a vine with a large leaf attached to it, curling it on the ground beside him. He shooed away some of his brood, making some space for their guest. Gently, Mugman was lifted, his head resting on the leaf. It was a make-shift pillow; though it was much better to rest against rather than Cagney’s shoulder, he found himself missing being at his side. But he feeling too sleepy to argue.

“Th-thank you…” Mugman murmured, eyes fluttering closed again. Another couple of vines popped up, some with leaves and little buds on them, gently wrapping around his body to act as a blanket. Before he drifted to sleep, he felt Cagney’s finger gently stroke his cheek, before he leant down to nuzzle against the rim of his head.

“You're more than welcome, my little bluebell...”

[wannawrite]

Colourless [ pt.4 ]

who?: Wanna One’s Park Woojin 

genre: 🌺🌸 

type: scenario, short series 

word count: 1.6K part one | part two | part three part four / ? blog navigator. • soulmate! AU • you live in a colourless world and you will until you meet your soulmate, they’re supposed to brighten up your life ��� one day, you can finally see in colour but….he can’t I never thought that Colourless was going to be such a popular series. Some of you guys messaged us to update it 😂 Y'all cute, I see you so…here we go. The fourth instalment of Colourless. Tumblr messed up my original format above, if you’re wondering. - Admin L 

Latte or vanilla bean frappe? Chocolate or strawberry smoothie? 

You wanted to cry, standing in the line for a taste of On Cloud Nine’s - the best and only sugar filled cafe on campus -wonderful treats.

It had become a tradition of some sort, every week, one of the clique members would do the snack run. This - particularly hectic - week, to get things off your mind, you volunteered. At least this would take your thoughts off certain matters for a short yet refreshing time. 

The crushed piece of paper had messy scribbles of your friends’ orders, crumpled because of your nerves and the dilemma you were facing. 

Coffee or smoothie? That’s the first question I should be asking myself. You were tempted to rip out a good chunk of your hair in frustration. Both drinks were equally delicious, just thinking about them was enough to make your mouth water. Both were your fixed picks, but maybe it was time to try something new. Coffee, smoothie, or should I get an iced tea? You wrinkled your nose at the thought of ice. What a great idea, a crushed ice drink in this miserably wet and cold weather. Worry began to build up when you snaked up the queue and finally, there was only one girl ahead of you. Your mind still had not been made up. The pastel walls and soft, neon sign decor did nothing to calm your nerves. From one corner, the pink flamingo statue seemed to be judging you. “Hi! Welcome to On Cloud Nine, how can I help-“ “I’ll have one of whatever she’s having,” you blurted out without thinking. “And, um, one butterfly pea tea uh, warmed…, a banana and almond muffin and one…Thai milk tea with…seventy-five percent sugar, no ice, e-exactly two teaspoons of milk…and one cinnamon stick?” Your face turned bright red after reading out that ridiculous order in public. Whatever concoction you ordered was really questionable, you were mentally re-evaluating your choice of friends. In that moment, you wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow you up. Surprisingly, the barista had complied and added precisely one whole stick of cinnamon in the tea. It puzzled you as cinnamon in Thai milk tea did not sound exactly…fitting. Your drink was one that was much more appetising, God bless the girl in front of you who ordered hot chocolate with extra marshmallows. One sip was all it took to make you feel warm and fuzzy. Hot chocolate was energising, soulful, truly a comfort food. Just as you were packing to leave and head back to your friends, a rush of cool Autumn breeze filled the small coffee house, causing your body to unintentionally shiver. However, the real reason that a shocking bolt spread down your back was not because of the weather, but because of who entered On Cloud Nine. You could say you were on cloud negative nine or so, mood dampened by a downpour. A clique stepped into the store. Not just your own clique but another group of friends trailed behind. A familiar pair of hazel eyes bore into the sides of your face, you refused to turn your head to meet his gaze. You pursed your lips, guard raised but dread and puzzlement flooded you. Sensing your obvious shock and confusion, Elkie stepped forward to squeeze your hand encouragingly. She also took the bag of snacks away from you to settle into a nearby booth. You nearly missed the words that emitted from Woojin’s mouth since he said them in such a small voice as if he too was dreading this meeting. Yet, there was some sort of underlying, camouflaged hope and anticipation in his tone. “We need to talk.” 

Oh, the irony. Despite the glittered splashed walls and fairyland decor in On Cloud Nine, the atmosphere felt like one in a horror movie, or better yet, it felt as if this scene took place in a dystopian planet, foreign from the one you knew. You took a long sip of your hot cocoa, savouring the heat and bitterness of the dark chocolate, in a twisted way, it resembled your mood. The warmth stung your tongue, the bitter aftertaste of the eighty-five percent cocoa chocolate only increased the tension, yet, you welcomed it. Maybe it was some sort of indicator to make sure you were alive, that this was reality and not some nightmare. You knew you had been putting off meeting Woojin for the longest time but there was no other way around this sticky situation. Bae Jinyoung - a classmate from chemistry - was experiencing one right across your booth. He visibly winced as Lee Daehwi attempted to rip the gigantic rainbow swirled lollipop off the edge of his best friend’s  boyfriend’s  fringe. Such a sweet romance. You sighed dreamily, wishing the same for you - even if your somewhat non-existent love life claimed otherwise. “Let’s set the record straight.” Jiwoo finally broke the choking silence. “Woojin, please explain your side of the story.” In reply, the dancer shrugged. “I don’t know what’s happening myself.” “She wants to know if you can see colours,” Im Youngmin elaborated, trying to keep his friend’s calmness intact. “I can’t.” The verbal confirmation shot into your heart and made it shatter into a billion crystal fragments like glass. Your grip on your mug tightened, sending a wave of déjà vu crashing over you. I can’t smash this mug, I’ll have to pay for it. Besides, hot chocolate is much better tasting than coffee. “Do you recognise… Y/N as your soulmate?” Elkie posed the other question, her lips pressed into a tight pout. She drummed her fingers on the table out of worry. Woojin’s jaw worked to form an answer but no words were projected. “I-I…I would if I could confirm it.” A shift was sensed in his mood, his eyes darkened, his tone deepened and the loudness of his charming voice increased. “How do I know you’re not playing with me right now?” He hissed, face reddening with fury. “You know this is a sensitive subject for me. Stop playing games with me!” A few curious glares were sent in his general direction but he did not exactly pay them any mind. Woojin rarely showed his temper, it came as a huge shock, but you expected him to flare up anyway. In his shoes, you would too. A part of you pitied him, he was really missing out on a great person for a soulmate. “It’s fine. It’s whatever. Let’s go,” you beckoned, setting your mug back on the table and standing up to leave. Jiwoo caught your elbow before you could even take a step out of your seat. She let out an annoyed huff before tenderly shoving you into your chair again. “Listen,” she said in a low tone. “I’m not leaving until we settle this today.” Woojin opened his mouth to oppose but he quickly clamped it shut from the stares his hyungs shot him. “We can stay here until the cafe closes, I really don’t mind.” Jiwoo tapped her pen to her bottom lip, raising a brow, scanning for even the smallest sign of opposition. A sigh left Woojin’s mouth, he looked apologetic and defeated. “You know I wanted to talk,” he whispered meekly. “But I don’t think I can.” “That’s why we’re here,” Donghyun said matter-of-factly. “We’re here to facilitate the…discussion.” Youngmin nodded encouragingly, ruffling Woojin’s hair. “We know not much talking would occur if it was just both of you.” “Yeah,” Jiwoo giggled, suddenly regaining her bubbly personality. “More like a lot more lip-locking!” Her joke elicited laughs, be it embarrassed ones from yourself and your soulmate or amusing ones from your friends. The atmosphere loosened up, it felt like a fresh start. “So, hi. My name is Park Woojin, what’s yours?” 

“So 6pm? I’ll meet you outside your dorm block?” you confirmed, heart nearly racing out of your chest. Woojin nodded in reply, pushing his chair out as he stood. “I’ll see you then.” He appeared cool and collected but the second he thought you were no longer able to see him, he jumped and yelled in excitement. A date was the last thing he expected, probably not an activity he would have wanted to engage in when he thought about it but somehow, Woojin was anticipating tomorrow evening. He felt energising electricity zap him all over, much like when he was dancing to his favourite songs. Maybe it’s just the soulmate pull… Perhaps it was only that factor that attracted him but either way, Woojin was finally excited about action in his depressingly almost non-existent love life - he was never really enthusiastic about dating after Naomi anyway. Knowing he had a date set up brought a new feeling, a feeling that was oddly pleasant. One that was filled with hope, that things would work out, that he would solve this puzzle. Blame all the sugar in On Cloud Nine for Woojin’s mood switch and sudden hype. His mood definitely took a turn, for better or for worse was the question. He was a tad bit afraid as it had been a long while since he had gone on a date. Then, there was all that joy that was bubbling. You were not Naomi. You were a different person, someone he could get to know. Someone who he could potentially learn to trust, who he could enjoy times together.

You were a person that could hold his future. And of course, someone who could make his universe burst into colour for the very first time.

[thecaffeinebookwarrior]

Your blog is so helpful! You're very bright! :) I was wondering, this is something I've been struggling with,,, I can't quite change the mood when I write. How can I transition from a light hearted moment to a solemn one and so on?? I like to make comedic characters with intense back stories but I think that requires a lot of tone shifts and I'm just an foolish amateur

Ooh, wonderful question.  

There are lots of ways I go about conveying the mood in my writing.  Most frequently, however, I’ll use the weather or the environment around them.  

For example, if I want to convey a somber tone – for, say, a funeral – I’d try something like this:  

The world was colorless, comprised of varying shades of lifeless gray.  The sky was charcoal, the ocean slate, and it was difficult for Jane to believe that there was ever a time when her hometown had seemed as vibrant as it had when she was a child.  She couldn’t wait for the funeral to be over so she could take refuge in her hotel room, turn on a vapidly cheery sitcom, and tune out the dull, drab world around her.

If you want to convey a hopeful mood, you could try something like this:  

Socrates narrowed his eyes determinedly at the horizon, watching as the inky sky was illuminated by the rising sun.  Today would be the day he confronted the Athenians once and for all, granted them the “apology” they so desperately craved.  It would be his final stand.

And if you wanted to convey a rapidly changing mood, you could try something like this:  

Dante looked up at the evening sky, the colorful flares of sherbet pink and orange subdued to a dim, depressing gray with the retreat of the setting sun.  How fitting, he thought, that it so accurately mirrored his decline in mood after Virgil’s departure.

The list goes on and on.  Interspersed with the narrator’s commentary on the characters themselves, I feel this is one of the most simple and effective ways to convey the overarching mood in any given seen.  

You can also get funny with it and contrast the atmosphere with the mood of the characters:  

 The sky was snappy electric blue, the air crisp and pervaded by the cheerful chatter of birds.  Of course on the worst goddamn day of his entire career the weather would finally decide to be cheerful.  

Or, you could get straight-up tragic and have it be a beautiful day when something awful happens:  

It was a beautiful summer day in Maine when they told me my mother was dead.  The world was full of color, and I was surrounded on all sides by cheerful yellow daffodils and giggling pansies.  It all seemed so hollow, so unreal in conjecture with the bitter nothingness I felt inside of me. 

In this particular instance, however, (i.e. writing comedic characters with tragic backstories), I would personally focus on showing how your characters use humor as a coping mechanism, which a lot of comedic characters (and real-world people, for that matter) often do.  

I usually do this by building them up as a cheerful, happy-go-lucky character.  I allow the reader to take comfort in their upbeat tendencies, establish them as comedy relief.  

Then, I’ll choose one definitive moment of brutal honesty where we see the pain behind it all, and it’s very clearly not funny anymore.  For example:

The kitchen was dark, illuminated only by melancholy blue light of the freeway.  Like Tuck himself, it all seemed a lot less cheerful than it did in the daylight hours.   

“Yeah, my dad sure as hell wasn’t the nicest person in the world,” Tuck went on with a quiet laugh, though his eyes were now rimmed with pink.  “I remember, there were days when I’d come home – little shit I was back in those days – and find the door locked ‘cause I’d miss curfew.  I’d go to sleep on the stoop in thirty degree weather.  Wake up with bugs in my clothes, fingers and toes so numb I could hardly feel ‘em.  Neighbors didn’t do a goddamn thing, neither.”    

He huffed out a short noise that was somewhere between a laugh and sob, and took another swig of his liquor.  “I deserved it, I guess.  Like I said, I was a goddamn obnoxious brat back then.  And anyway, it was loads better than being inside with my old man once he’d had a few beers in ‘im.”

Notice how I keep things subdued here – tragic moments can easily be spoiled by being an exhibitionist about your characters emotions.  Keep things subtle, and trust in your readers’ ability to feel the weight of it on their own.

Anyway, these are just a few personal rules of thumb, but I hope they work for you as well.  Maybe at some point I’ll do a longer post on how to convey mood in writing, at which point I’ll be sure to tag you.  

In the meantime, good luck, and happy writing!