#im not going to tag the book or the author i dont wanna put a negative review in the tag lawl

[coridallasmultipass]

.

[seaofinkandgold]

review: the near witch by v.e. schwab

★★☆☆☆

so this book was…bad. according to the introduction it was the first book ve schwab ever got published, and it shows. the characters had a sense of urgency for each other than i didnt feel at all, certain “revelations” were predictable from far away (and not  in the satisfying “I WAS RIGHT!” kind of way, more like the “i could have told you this fifty pages ago” kind of way). and the romance was awful. i could not stand the romance, it was the worst part of the book for me, and even a believable friendship between these two characters would have been pushing it for me. they were devoted to each other in a way that made absolutely no sense given the amount of time they had spent together, and it overshadowed any enjoyment i could’ve had of the book.

i also really, really don’t understand why this was published under v.e. schwab and marketed as an adult book, rather than under v.e. schwab and marketed as a YA book. it might’ve curbed my expectations a bit if it had been, because i would have expected the ages of the characters (16) and not expected this to be something it wasn’t. but even then i’m not sure, because the monsters of verity is leaps and bounds above this in terms of quality for both the story and the characters, so it might’ve been doomed either way. obviously with this being her debut i wasn’t expecting something with the same caliber as vicious, a darker shade of magic, or monsters of verity, but i was definitely expecting better than what this was. overall, it’s not enjoyable.

[nztsume]

Hello again! Sorry it took me a while to get back to you, I’ve accumulated quite a list 😅 I have some that I think you’ll definitely be interested in, some maybe a hit or miss and others I don’t remember much anymore but you can still check them out <3 I’ll be updating the list when I find any more that come out, just let me know if you’d like more. I may have to send these in parts, we’ll see how many I can fit in 😅 I start by the story name, then author, chapters/parts, words/estimated reading time, book number, completion/ongoing and the site. :) I’ll start off with my favourites.

Bite Back , scorpiofromspace , 8/? Chapters , 23k+ words , AO3

manslaughter on cherry lane , con_fection , 11/? Chapters , 71k+ words , AO3

Royal Pain || Stranger Things , AintThatDevine , 40 parts , 10h 19m ERT , Book 1 - Complete , Wattpad

Fallout || Stranger Things [2] , AintThatDevine , 35 parts , 11h 33m ERT , Book 2 - Ongoing , Wattpad

TUBULAR! (billy hargrove x reader) , maddiwasnotherelol , 37 parts , 5h 22m ERT , Ongoing , Wattpad

in my dark times , azurevii (orphan_account) , 6/6 chapters , 50k+ words , AO3

Hold Me Now , OopsFanfiction , 2/? Chapters , 77k+ words , AO3 , (now this one is different because it contains a romance with not only Billy but also Steve and Eddie at the same time, I completely get if it isn’t your thing but it was very good and the plot line is amazing, I recommend wholeheartedly :) )

These are now the stories I don’t remember or haven’t read yet, I believe some of them do contain Mature and very explicit content so a warning is in place just incase, (no minors please), but I thought I’d add them just incase you wanted to check them out <3

DONTMAKEMEFALLINLOVE || Billy Hargrove, Stranger Things , billysvendetta , 74 parts , 15h 41m ERT , Complete , Wattpad

Freak Show // Billy Hargrove , 30SecondsToGreatness , 36 parts , 11h 50m ERT , Complete , Wattpad

Gone Girl , snxwscene , 40/40 chapters , 49k+ words , AO3

TURBO LOVER -{Billy Hargrove x Reader}- , MKing28 , 52 parts , 1d 1h ERT , Ongoing , Wattpad

Stranger Love [Billy Hargrove] , LadeyJezzabella , 26 parts , 4h 45m ERT , Complete , Wattpad

PANDEMONIUM [2] > BILLY HARGROVE , murphy-trash , 27 parts , 7h 27m ERT , Complete , Wattpad ,(this story does have a book 3, however book 1 was paired with Jonathan, endgame is Billy :) )

Royal Pain and Fallout are books which definitely go onto season 4, past season 3 with Billy, 100% an au. Hold Me Now is also intended on Billy Surviving :).

I hope these are good and I take no offense if these aren’t your thing. I know you didn’t want anything all about sex but I believe some in the second section contain a lot of it, I’m not 100% certain. The first section ones are hands down my favourites right now and I think are exactly what you are looking for. I’d love to hear your opinion on them, I hope this helped some way, it took a while to put together 😭.

Sincerely FanFicRec Anon ~ <3

God I hope this sends.

NOOOO YOURE SO SWEET THIS IS A WHOLE ASS LIST!!!! THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!! they all sound so good im gonna have a feast this week LMFAOOOO i cant believe how sweet u (and u guys!!!) are T_T honestly the thing is that i never really read character x oc/reader fics so im interested but like i dont wanna be weirded out of a really good story bc of the whole y/n thing thats rly the only cause why i said it LOL but these sound so cool!!!!! im definitely going to be reading them and ill keep u updated on my thoughts LMFAOO (i guess ill tag them as 'st fics' in here coz idk how else u could be able to find them T_T)

i cant believe this, billy stans kinda rock wtf <3<33 thank u soo much again aaaaa <3<3<3<3

[latetaektalk]

hi there ^^' i'm... kinda new to this whole tumblr thing and have been wanting to write on here for a while but this huge place is kinda scary sometimes haha ;; do you have any writing tips or tricks that would be good to know for newcomers? (also your music taste is immaculate, i love it)

hey love 💕 first of all, welcome to tumblr!! its a fun place,, youre gonna love it, and learn to hate it lol second of all, thank you for complimenting my music taste 😳

now im not quite sure if you want only writing tips or writing blog tips, so ive included tips and tricks for both!

WRITING BLOG TIPS :

have a masterlist. this might seem stupid and obvious, but ive seen people with no masterlist. people are lazy, so if they cant access your writing easily, they will just click away.

have a clean theme. aesthetics are important. they are. people love clean and easy to navigate themes. again, people are lazy, so if you make it easy to click through your blog and get to your writing, youll increase the chance of people reading your stuff!

how to get your work show up in general. putting links in your fanfic might lead to your story not showing up in the search. ive also heard that a banner thats too big can cause that. even using too many tags can lead to your work not showing up. its complicated.

the first five tags. im sure youve heard abt this already but the first five tags are the tags that will actually show up! so if someone follows #bts fluff and you tag your fic with that, your fic can show up on people's dashes as a recommended post!

tag accordingly. speaking of tags, please tag accordingly! theres nothing more annoying than finding a jimin fanfic in the taehyung fanfic tag. i really discourage you from mistagging your stories. if im scrolling through the taehyung fanfic tag and find a jimin fanfic, it makes me want to not read it. just tag your fics accordingly.

reblog your fics. i mean it. seriously, reblog them as much as you want! people live in different time zones or sometimes forget abt wanting to read your stuff, so reblogging it consistently for a week or so to get it on people's dashes helps!

teasers and taglists. i recommend doing both! teasers help to get people excited for your story and taglists ensure that people will read it, or at least remember to!

dont stress abt notes. now, this is less of a tip but rather something i just really really really want to tell you! i know youve heard this before, but please do not stress about notes. tumblr fame does not exists! it doesnt matter if your writing gets 2 notes or 300 or 5k notes! i do understand how getting a lot of notes can be motivating (every fics deserve all the love in the world by the way!!) but in the end, it should not be your motiviation to write. focusing on notes will ruin writing for you. it will. the amount of notes your fic will reach has nothing to do with how good your writing is. dont let something as superficial as notes ruin the fun of writing for you. its seriously not worth it! write for you and no one else!

WRITING TIPS :

write self indulgent fics. i seriously think all fics should be self indulgent. writing fics should be fun, so please write whatever you want! also, theres no such thing as an overdone trope. if you want to write a fake dating enemies to lovers fic, please write it! you might think there are already a bunch out there and its not worth writing another one, but youre wrong! there isnt one out there thats been written by you yet. go write it!

make playlists. now this is a bit specific to me because im absolutely obsessed with music, but making playlists that fit the mood of the fic has always helped me while writing and gotten me out of writers block before!

take your time. writing is freaking hard and when writers block hits, theres rarely ever something that you can do. try not to stress too much abt it! it happens to the best of us!

balance dialogue and detail. its important to find a middle. if im reading a fic and theres paragraph after paragraph after paragraph of detail, the chance of me just skipping that part is really high. because even though i love detail, it does get boring. so use dialogue to spice it up!

reading. okay, this sounds weird because youre asking for writing tips, but reading seriously help your writing so much! if you wanna improve your writing skills, reading a lot is going to be key. now, im not saying reading is necessary, but i do think that it can help you to better! whats even more important though is that you try to analyse people’s writing while reading. when i say you should analyse people’s writing, i do not mean you should write an entire analysis of a book, but to take a second and think to yourself how the authors just did that. how did they convey oc’s sadness? why did they just describe the weather? whats the purpose of this scene?

switch up sentence/paragraph length. shorter sentences/paragraphs = emphasise something and pick up the pace. longer sentences/paragraphs = slow down the story and allow for more detail. its important that you do a mix of both. utilise the length to your advantage. a well placed short sentence/paragraph can pack a lot of punch and turn your sad story in a heartbreaking one.

outline your fics. look this is very personal again because some people dont like to outline their fics, but i recommend outlining your fics. and when i say outline your fics, you can do it as little or as much as you want! it can be a few notes, or a long list of every detail you want to include. i just want you to know where this story is headed. its so easy to write yourself in a corner and trust me, you dont wanna end up there.

allow yourself to be free. this connects to the previous point i just made. even though i do recommend outlining your fics, i am also a firm believer of taking the story somewhere else if you feel like it. ive scrapped complete outlines before. half of the scenes i write also arent in my outline at all. you dont have to stick to the outline. if you think that a specific scene would add something to your story, then please go ahead and write that scene. just always remember where youre headed and dont loose focus.

have fun. i just really wanna reiterate this point again. its just so important to me that you have fun while writing! seriously. its just fanfiction. it should be fun. go crazy. i support you!

okay bub i hope this was helpful 💕 if you have any other questions/want more tips/want me to elaborate on something, please just hit me up! my ask box is always open!

[troop52]

do u !!! have any character theme songs for the troop boys? Like any songs you think really fits them (and why u think it fits)?

THATS A GREAT QUESTION!!

Before I get into it Im going to plug this collaborative Troop Playlist on Spotify, feel free to add onto it!! Continuing with my picks

I think a lot of the songs I associate with The Troop in general are just because I happened to listen to them around the same time I got into the book in the first place (So they could only be tangentially related BUT only if you squint hard) Example: Drunk by The Living Tombstone, cant really tie it into the story but in my mind its linked Some better, more fitting songs under the cut (Side note its LONGGG IM SORRY... Also its all YouTube links because some of these arent on Spotify :'^()

Disclaimer -Like 95% of my choices arent really a "These lyrics match up exactly 1 to 1" but more of an overall "the vibe/general idea its trying to capture lines up" type thing. If that makes sense.

Its Alright by Jack Stauber: Kind of self explanatory, I think its a perfect song for these guys. From "It's alright, I'm here, Everything's alright, Feels weird but calm, I wanna hear It's alright" to the whole sound of it- its all great. Equal parts distressing and sad with an almost eerie calmness to it. Despite it all theyre gonna be alright, right?

The Second Little Piggy by Worthikids: Another one that I think is sort of self explanatory- at least with the chorus. "If my brain turns to mush, If the shit hits the fan, Will you be my friend?" Kind of the falling apart of everything, specifically their relationships, in light of the incident.

Poor George by James Supercave: Another case of "listened to at the same time I read the book" BUT I was actually making a Troop PMV script with that song. I never finished it but maybe Ill revisit it... just for you

Cold Summer by Le Matos ft Computer Magic: I dont even think this takes place in the summer but the VIBES and also it came from Summer of 84, which is another good piece of murder boy media.

Treehouse by Alex G ft Emily Yacina: This is a Eef and Max type of song because they are bffs and thats final. Basic song because Im not creative, but I think its a nice heart to heart theyd have (with Eef doing the talking)

Fifteen Minuets by Nick Krol: On the flipside heres a song that goes with Eef and Maxs friendship fracturing, once again more from Eefs side than Maxs. THE GIRLS ARE FIGHTINGGG

As far as songs for the boys as individuals hmmm thats a good one that I havent thought about as much...

MAX + The Ghosts by The Real Tuesday Weld: That survivors guilt... lyrics arent like a perfect match but I think it gets that sort of hollow feeling across. Hes haunted man... + Final Girl by Electric Youth: Ok its a little funny because har har Final Girl Trope but I mean HE IS ONE. ANd dont look at me its a nice song- "Others were gone, and you kept going on, You know they never really noticed, you were always different, One by one, They're all done, And you're the last one standing" + Going Grazy by Lonesome Wyatt and the Holy Spooks: HONESTLY this could go for all the characters but Im tagging it onto Max because hes the one who has to deal with the aftermath of losing everyone (sorry survivors guilt Max again </3) "Everyone's saying my mind is unsound, 'Cause I always see you when you aren't around" "They're gonna wrap me in a jacket of white, And lock me away in a room without light" is what cements it as a Max song for me

EEF + The Existential Threat by Sparks: Once again starting sad, I link this one specifically to his paranoia about the worms- especially with lines like "Can't they see the existential threat is on its way". Kind of exasperated no one else can see the danger (he thinks) hes in. + Wrecking Ball by Mother Mother: I know I know its basic but I cant help it!!! Eef anger issues arc we are shaking hands me too + Haunted by Laura Les: Eef struggles with people seeing him as "just like his father" and I think we can get some good angst out of this track if we keep that in mind. Especially the back half of the song with lyrics like "Do you think I'm frightening?" and "Mirrors shatter when I'm passing, broken glass and crashing" since he is just a reflection of his dad (to others at least). Also song good.

KENT + Goodbye Mr A by The Hoosiers: Mfw the disillusionment with authority sets in. I think the vibe fits when he had that little epiphany about how adults are fucked- not perfect but it gets the idea across me thinks. + I'm Gonna Win by Rob Cantor: Ties into his need to "win" aka be the best at everything, be in charge, all that jazz! Hell do whatever it takes to be successful, even if it hurts. That was a little emo + Toba the Tura by Forgive Durden ft Chris Conley: Not to be emo again but "They say you're gifted, well I just see a scared kid. They must have flipped it, your skills are latent. O, you snuffed the glow. Replaced it with coals. Threw away the throne... This mess that you've made, it's a six-foot grave. It's a home for your lonesome bones that remain. We'll disappear, but you'll stay here to rot" AND SO ON AND SO FOURTH representing his fall after it was revealed he was sick. He was referred to as "the uncrowned king" and was on top of the world but then POOF that all crumbled and it was made out that he basically deserved what happened to him. It would be fun to make a pmv of him with this song (Simplifying my thoughts a bit because Ive already written a LOT)

NEWT + I Earn My Life by Lemon Demon: Ok a little Kentcore but Im actually having a hard time coming up with songs for Newton so here we are, they can share. Newt existential crisis moment time I guess + Know How by The Crane Wives: POV Newt struggles with going through with the plans he makes to keep everyone safe (stopping Max from touching Kent, going back into the cabin, etc) "I am not brave, I am not brave, I keep my focus on what is safe, You drew a line, made up your mind, And now I'm struggling to realize" And also maybe struggling with his place in the group and as a person in general- all that living through his cousin thing. "I gotta wrap my head around, What my heart is telling me, I've been trying to drown it out, Just because I know what I am, I am supposed to do now, Doesn't mean I know, Doesn't mean I know how" + On The Outside by Oingo Boingo: Idk man. Hes on the outside lookin in!! Loner nerd!! Its ok though, we still love him

SHEL + Bad Blood by Creature Feature: The lyrics speak for themselves: "I can guarantee I will do evil things, The only way that you can stop me now, Is if you put me in the ground, Somewhere I'll never be found" + Frontier Psychologist by The Avalanches: Hinges on the fact that the principal or whoever was like "Your sons a freak" and Shels mom was like "HES PERFECTLY FINE" while Shelley was like dismembering an animal or something + Johnny by American Murder Song: The songs good but theres this ONE LYRIC that sucks so the link provided is an edited version and also a lovely Warriors oc video I think you should all enjoy and support <3 Anyway Shel would be Johnny I could see this song being a scene in the book. Field trip to Shels house and they find his murder garden

If anyone wants more for Im not opposed to making another post :^)

[inosukeslefttoe]

so,,, yesterday i read this manhwa called “the horizon” (i forget the author but ill put them in the tags) and good god... it was so heartbreakingly beautiful and im gonna make a few posts about it B) ((i say a few bc theres a few things i wanna talk about but i dont wanna make it all unorganized ?? if that makes sense))

first theres just the amazing artwork done in this piece... the range is just fucking incredible and every single panel had so much work and heart put into it and i had to sit there just to really admire the art of each page for a long time (usually im an impatient little bitch and skim artwork in manga/manhwa but damn this one was something else). but like !! look at how many different styles and shit the artist did depending on the circumstances !! 

oh if i didnt mention,, this manhwa is like an apocalyptic world where this little boy meets a little girl and they just sort of roam the world together right... but they come across so many terrible things and theres this back and forth between hope and despair and everytime you start to be like “hey maybe things will be good for them, or at least as good as they can be” the tiniest thing happens that just shatters all that hope to the ground and suddenly everything is lost again. it really reminds me of this book i read for english called the road by uh.. something mccarthy i think... and it was about a boy and his dad trying to survive and walk down a road together in a post apocalyptic world and it was also sad as shit. BUT IM GETTING OFF TOPIC. BACK TO THE ARTWORK.

so thE RANGE OF STYLES YES THATS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT. as i already said, its just this whole rollercoaster of emotions but it really forces you to sit there and fucking f e e l your emotions yknow? it makes it impossible to just sit there and be like “lol damn thats sad” ,, the art and the layout are so shocking and stunning that you h a v e to sit there and admire them and think about the events and really just feel every ounce of emotion and loss that the characters are going through and that the artist put into this piece. it did this thing where it would sometimes stretch on for a few pages of just the same frame with tiny differences just taking up the whole page without any words/little words to let the magnitude of the situation sink in and envelope you. its so powerful with its message especially with the themes of hope and loss and it just... usually i keep pop culture/anime/manhwa feels separate from my irl feels but... dude this one was so fuckin amazing that i genuinely had to take a break a few times bc the feels were getting all mixed up and i genuinely felt that sorrow that the characters were feeling. i seriously wanna read this again actually so i focus more on the amazing art since i know the story already.

i just love how much it switches up from all the different looks too. sometimes it would have that classic anime/manhwa feel to it especially when there were lots of characters (i didnt include a sc for that oops) but a lot of the time it would focus on the beauty/emptiness of the landscape around the characters since there wasnt really much left in the world. there were a lot of gruesome scenes drawn in that sort of chalky/charcoaly look that involved death and i am just obsessed with how they made it look so organic and like it was actually, yknow decomposing. they also used a really messy scribbly style when super chaotically terrible things where happening, both externally and internally which was such a perfect reflection of those bundled up negative and hopeless emotions that were present throughout the story. it sort of made it seem like those things were simply too horrible to be drawn fully and even the artist couldnt subject the reader to such a terrible sight. also ... the use of color... usually they would use color to represent the presence of hope and damn dude it really worked... especially after seeing some of these same images consecutively and that dramatic change really makes the reader feel so much brighter and happier when hope is back in the story !! although that one other colored scene... where the boy is in the ocean... god that hurts my heart so badly... i think the color was used in that case to show the reality of his situation and that it was really r e a l yknow ??? it wasnt just a comic written to make ppl sad and thinking about death,, this is that kids whole LIFE and he had to accept the (bad thing that happened but im not gonna write it bc i dont wanna spoil) was something that happened and now he really had no reason to keep on living... and all these feelings are so wonderfully portrayed and definitely did a very good job of making me, the reader, Very Sad. 

HAHA I DIDNT WANT THIS TO BE TOO LONG BUT I RAMBLED LMAO... ill prolly make one or two more posts about this but they wont nearly be as long dont worry

1-6-21

[pinkykitten]

INHALER

Marvel 

Peter Parker x asthmatic! female reader

Warning: asthmatic symptoms 

Specifics: fluff, romance, comedy, one-shot, race neutral reader, asthmatic reader

People: peter parker / spider-man, mj, ned, mother

Words: 1,198

Request: By anon Hi!! 💕 Could I please request a Peter Parker x Reader who has Asthma? Something where they’re in the cafeteria and Pete sees the reader take her inhaler and he is like “!? What !?” So now he makes it a mental note to make sure she’s okay and one day when they’re hanging out he sees a Spider-Man sticker on her inhaler and he’s all ☺️💘? Thank you for your time and consideration!

Authors Note: i loved this so much! its so fluffly its fluffier than cotton candy yall!!!! i put what i personally have to go thru in this story because i have asthma so im sorry if its not what u were looking for it was kinda more personal. tysm again for ur request i love writing for peter cuz hes someone for some reason i dont write about alot but i adore him 

It just became. It was never a starting point that you remember. It was not recent either. You had asthma since you were little. Your mother would make sure you had your inhaler with you at all times. Sometimes, when the asthma got worse you would have to take a puff everyday but recently you were feeling better. Your breathing was almost normal and barely had you felt a shortness of breath. 

Peter wanted to know everything about you. Everything. And you assumed telling him about your asthma was not of great importance. Its not like you had a killing disease. It was only asthma. 

You were sitting in the cafeteria with Peter and his friends, Ned, MJ, when you felt the harsh feeling of breathing again. It was as if your lungs were getting constricted, like you couldn’t breathe; almost the feeling of drowning. 

Their conversations were muffled as you quickly got your inhaler out of your pocket, shook it and breathed it in twice. Your heart settled and you felt at ease knowing this would help you. 

You didn’t know a certain doe brown eyed boy was peeking at you. “Are you okay y/n?”

You didn’t realize he saw the whole thing and you were one who never enjoyed the attention or wanted sympathy. “I’m fine Pete, thanks.” You smiled. 

Peter gently guided his hands to yours and took a hold of them. He wore a look of concern and worry. “No I saw you take a puff out of...” Peter knew what it was but he had forgotten the name. It was on the tip of his tongue. “That.” He points to your inhaler.

“My inhaler?”

“What? Thats kinda cool if you think about it.” Peter squinted his eyes as he shrugged. 

“It’s amazing to have to keep something close to you cause if not then you might die by having an asthma attack,” you said sarcastically, closing your lunchbox. 

Peter messed up with his wording. “I’m sorry y/n. What I mean is you don’t need to hide it from me. I think it makes you stronger knowing you feel pain and not at ease sometimes yet you always have a smile on your face. And that you worry so much about others instead of yourself. It’s cool.”

“Yeah you’re super cool y/n,” Ned chuckled, proceeding to eat his food. 

MJ pointed her finger at you, “I and the rest of the dweebs here are gonna make sure you always have it with you and if you don’t I will personally run all the way back and get it for you then slap you so you will never forget it again.” All was silent as she opened up her book to continue reading. 

“You’re all drama queens!” 

You understood they loved you and wanted you safe and protected but it got a bit out of hand. You forgot your inhaler once and MJ did indeed slap your face. You were afraid this time because once again, you forgot your inhaler. 

“Why don’t I learn?” You thought as you scrambled over to Peter in an empty science class. “Peter I need your help.”

“Whats wrong y/n? Is it your asthma again? Do you have your inhaler?” He was very much anxious. His arms wrapping around you almost as if to keep you safe. All he wanted, he needed in his life was you, safe, in his arms, with him. 

Twiddling your thumbs you scratched the back of your head, “well. The good news is no I’m not having issues right now with my asthma. The bad news is I forgot my inhaler.”

“Oh, don’t tell MJ this. She will not like it one bit.”

“I know Pete! Thats why I need your help. Can you please get it for me?” You fluttered your eye lashes to entice him. 

Peter smirked, crossing his arms, “depends. I need a little something before I get you your inhaler.”

“What is it?” You genuinely asked. Not getting the hint it was supposed to be romantic. 

“Silly, you gotta give me a kiss.”

“Oh okay, like this one,” you wrapped your arms around his shoulders and landed your lips upon his chapped ones. You and Peter were still young so the kiss was a little sloppy but you two were inexperienced. You gave little pecks to his lips. His eyes were closed and so were yours. You always enjoyed kissing your boyfriend. You two parted, giggling. 

“That was a surprise. I always love when you kiss me.”

“Me too,” you felt flustered and a bit bashful. 

“Alright I’ll get your inhaler baby girl,” Peter kissed your forehead and ran ahead super fast. 

“He’s always so fast?” You shook your head. How dare this boy leave you feeling like this? All putty because of the nickname. It was a sin.

Peter swung around New York as Spider-Man to get to your house. It was quicker that way. He still hasn’t told you about his secret. (i know ur secret ur dirty little secret srry i just recently watched it 2 if u seen it u’ll understand) He was afraid to. What would you think? How would you react? It all made him nervous. 

He lifted your window up and crawled on your ceiling. He flung his mask off to get a better look at your room. It was cute and very much fit your personality. Peter sniffed the air, grinning widely. The room smelled of your beautiful scent that Peter could not get enough of. “Alright y/n,” clapping his hands together, getting to work, “lets see where you put this thing.”

Peter looked on your dresser, on your nightstand, in your bed, in your drawers and still nothing. Finally as he twisted his body he saw it on your desk in a mason jar. There was a sticky note on the mason jar that read “INHALER’S HOME.” Peter laughed out loud. He was totally going to bring that up to you. It made him love you more if that was even possible. He saw you as someone so cute and adorable. But something caught his eyes. 

Dipping his hand in the mason jar to retrieve the inhaler he spotted a Spider-Man sticker on it. His heart pumped loudly, hard. He had butterflies, fireworks all of it in his stomach. You were so precious! You meant so much to him and it made him almost fangirl to know that you loved not only him as Peter but you also were a fan of Spider-Man. Now he had to tell you. 

He cradled the inhaler in his arms and just stared at the sticker. Completely in love with you. “My y/n,” he whispered as he gave a kiss to your inhaler. He swung back to school to give what you had lost. He promised himself from now on he would always make sure you had it with you no matter what. No matter if he was fighting bad guys, Thanos it all wouldn’t matter to him, not just yet because you had to come first. In Peter’s life you would always come first and he will always make sure you are safe and protected. 

Tag list: @harrington-lover, @angelgl16, @perfectlybeautifulsuit, @hyehoney, @haven-prelude (wont let me tag), @leasly, @totally-alexa21, @creamy-pasta-boi, @multireese, @fanfictionrecommendations-com, @prentisskelley, @malereaderforkpop (wont let me tag), @guardian-of-cookies, @justafangirl-97, @teenageshitposts (wont let me tag), @dippergravity (wont let me tag), @some-booty, @fromfoolishpeopletodeadpeople, @collectiveyou, @wtfisalltherandoms, @dirbel, @eastcoasthaven, @fangirl-4-life415 (wont let me tag), @marwantr, @divaanya, @wassupitschloe, @idontknowwhattocallthisworld (wont let me tag), @spycii, @eminemsgiraffe (wont let me tag)

wanna be tagged in my crap? comment!

[albapuella]

Urges

AO3

Fandom: Homestuck Summary:  When Dave finally gives into his urges, what will Karkat do?

Tags: Meteorstuck, Retcon Timeline, davekat, pov switches galore, present tense CW:  CW: hand holding, hugging, nose kisses Author’s Note:  This is a fic that I wrote in about two hours for the davekat thirst federation server after they were all being Caliborn thirsty on the main. Please note the content tags--if you're up (heh) for all this spiciness, read on. I thought result was worth sharing with the masses. Enjoy!

Dave is walking beside Karkat, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Karkat's dangling hand, the lax fingers calling out to be--

No. No, he couldn't. He shouldn’t. And yet... He tilts his head ever so slightly to see Karkat's hand better. The curve of the fingers. The tips of his yellowed claws. The thick, meaty curve of his gray palm. What would it feel like to--

Dave feels his face go hot.

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?"

"oh yea of course dude but youre still wrong about dane cook"

Karkat rolls his eyes but accepts the answer before launching into another diatribe Dave can't be bothered to listen to when Karkat's hand is dangling so invitingly by his side.

He can't. He shouldn't.

Before he can stop himself, he reaches out for Karkat's hand, the warmth of it beneath his fingers even more wonderful than he'd thought it be. His fingers wrap around Karkat's stiff startled ones; their palms meet.

---

Karkat is walking beside Dave, going into detail about the superiority of the comic stylings of Dane Cook, when he feels another hand grabbing his own. It's so sudden, he hardly knows how to react even as he feels fingers intertwining with his own.

He stops walking. His throat is dry and he swallows hard before turning his head. There's only one person who can be holding his hand, but it's impossible. Dave's not interested in him. Not like *that*.

But he turns and looks. Pale fingers interlaced with his own gray, leading up to an arm clad in red God Tier pajamas. A shoulder connected to a neck. A neck to a face.

At least Dave has the decency to be blushing, too. He doesn't have the decency to actually look in Karkat's direction. Instead, he squeezes Karkat's hand.

"DAVE?"

Dave is silent. Then he turns his head, the smallest hint of a smile curving his thin lips. "sup"

---

Karkat says his name, and it's not a rejection. It's not a rejection, but it's a question. Karkat's face is flushed but confused. He isn't trying to pull his hand free, but he isn't returning the gesture.

Dave is worried now, worried he's pushed too far too quickly. He has to do something. He smiles, trying to ignore the nervous flutters in his chest. "sup"

Karkat scowls. "WHY-WHY ARE YOU HOLDING MY HAND, DIPSHIT?" The stutter tells Dave he's as affected as Dave is, and despite the harshness of the words, he still allows his hand to remain in Dave's grasp.

Dave feels a swell of hope. "it was asking to be held dude i dont make the rules" He shouldn't. He's done too much already. But Karkat's so close now, his yellow and gray eyes wide. Dave can see himself reflected in his dark pupils.

Feeling reckless, Dave uses his free hand to lift up his glasses so he can see Karkat in full light. His eyes are even more beautiful without the dingy, gray haze.

---

Dave pushes his stupid douche shades up, leaving them up in his blonde hair. Karkat isn't certain what is more incredible: that Dave is still still holding his hand or that Dave has willingly, of his own accord, allowed Karkat to see his eyes.

Karkat has seen them before, of course. He's caught glimpses of them from the corner of Dave's shades. Seen flashes of them when they've been knocked askew. But he's never been given the opportunity to really look at them. Certainly, Dave's never let him look.

He's so lost in the moment, he's speaking before he can censor himself. "THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL."

Dave ducks his head, his flush traveling down his neck. He holds Karkat's hand a little tighter. "thank you" he says in an awkward way that tells Karkat Dave doesn't get many compliments. "im gonna get crazy here so hear me out" He takes a deep breath. "can i... can i--" He's turned his body to face Karkat's head on. "i wanna hug you can that happen"

For once in his life, Karkat takes initiative. Before Dave is even quite done speaking, he's closed the space between them, wrapping his free arm around Dave's middle.

Dave makes a startled sound but recovers quickly, and almost too quickly, Dave's arm is wrapped around Karkat's middle, too. Their entwined hands loosen and separate, allowing those arms to join the hug as well.

Karkat smells soap and a hint of sweat. And it's warm, so warm. The only hugs Karkat had ever had, had ever endured, had been cold. He'd never hugged Aradia, but he knows that even her embrace would have been cool. But Dave is warm.

He sighs against the other boy's shoulder, relaxing further into Dave's arms. He feels breath on his cheek; it smells like coffee.

This can't last forever, Karkat knows this. He knows that this experiment of Dave's will end, but he can enjoy it while it lasts.

---

For what feels like the longest time, Dave can only marvel at the fact that Karkat is in his arms. The troll boy is hugging him, pressing against him, as relaxed as Dave has ever seen him be. Dave feels a rush of pride that Karkat trusts him enough for this. He feels a rush of shame that he waited so long to ask for this.

He tightens his hold on Karkat as though that will keep this moment from ending.

His face is close, so close to Karkat's.

Dave has never been good at knowing when to quit. He's never known when to be satisfied. He brings his face that much closer to Karkat's, brings his nose closer to the gray nose.

They touch. Dave moves his head and gently rubs his nose against Karkat's.

---

Karkat doesn't react at first. He's mostly confused about what the fuck Dave is up to. As far as he can tell, Dave is rubbing his nose with his own nose. It's not unpleasant, just unfamiliar. It feels... it feels intimate.

He closes his eyes, wishing Dave would stop, wishing that he wouldn't. What is Dave getting out of this? Is Karkat just convenient or--

There is no or. Dave wanted to do this with someone, and Karkat is someone. That's it. He ducks his head away from Dave's, burying it into his shoulder.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS WITH ME?"

Dave stills. Then he says, "i want to man thought i was making that pretty obvious" He chuckles, his chin pressing into Karkat's own shoulder. "karkat youre pretty baller you know"

He'd never thought Dave would be so good at acting.

---

Dave isn't expecting it when Karkat pushes away from him with a rough shove. "karkat--?"

Karkat's mouth is twisted into a vicious snarl even as his eyes fill with ruddy tears. "FUCK YOU, DAVE." He wipes the tears away with trembling fists. "IF YOU'RE GOING TO USE ME, AT LEAST DO ME THE FUCKING COURTESY OF NOT LYING TO MY FACE ABOUT IT."

"what" Dave is utterly lost.

"DON'T 'what' ME, ASSHOLE." He crosses his arms, the anger on his face crumbling into a hurt that stabs Dave in the gut. "I ONLY HAVE A PASSING UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT 'BALLER' MEANS, BUT I KNOW YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED IN ME. SO, DO ME A FAVOR, AND STOP PRETENDING YOU ARE."

Dave has spent enough time with Karkat to tell when he's about to bolt, and Dave can't let him go until he clears this up. He grabs Karkat's hand again. "dude karkat listen to me im not lying" To his relief, Karkat doesn't pull his hand away. To his worry, Karkat folds in on himself, his head bowing and his shoulders slumping.

"I'M PAN ADDLED ENOUGH TO LET YOU TAKE WHAT YOU WANT," Karkat says, sounding defeated. "JUST DON'T PRETEND YOU ACTUALLY LIKE ME. I DON'T THINK IT'S TOO MUCH TO ASK."

---

Karkat can't look at Dave now, too embarrassed, too desperate. He should have just kept his mouth shut for once. Should have just enjoyed what little scraps Dave was willing to throw him. Dave is still holding his hand.

"i want you to listen to me" Dave is saying, his voice soft. His other hand strokes the top of Karkat's knuckles as he speaks. "im not using you thats hella gross and id be all kinds of insulted that youd think that but i dont want to make this about me when its about you" Karkat hears him take a deep breath. "im gonna lay it on the line ok i like like you a lot."

"YOU LIKE LIKE ME?" Karkat hates himself for the hope in his voice. He's not entirely certain what "like like"ing means, but he's gathered it's more than being hate-friends. Yes, he and Dave have been getting along better, but he knows Dave only tolerates him because they're both lonely. That's all.

"yea like we're peak middle school up in here passing notes to each other," Dave is clearly gearing up for a ramble, and Karkat smiles despite himself, "do you like me or like like me but weve got to keep it on the downlow so the teacher doesnt notice and find our note because our reps will never survive if she reads it to the class and she will because thats how teachers roll"

"I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND THE CLUSTERFUCK YOU HUMANS CALL AN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM," Karkat says and, for a moment, it's like nothing's changed. Then reality falls in again. "YOU MEAN THAT?" He is such an idiot. Such a fucking idiot.

---

The way Karkat asks Dave if he means what he says is almost enough to break him. If he weren't such a stone cold bad-ass, he's certain he'd be bawling now, too. Even so, he wishes he could put his shades back down without Karkat thinking he's hiding his eyes so he can lie better.

"yea dog i mean it i dont lie about important shit."

Karkat has always been an open book, emotions-wise. It'd probably be more helpful if Dave were better at emotions himself, but he can see that Karkat wants to believe him. It's something. "we dont gotta do anything different if you dont want im chill just hanging with you," he says, hoping against hope it doesn't come to that: he wants to hug Karkat again, and he hopes the troll boy will let him. "but i want to... i want to hug you because youre you youre like special ok"

A disbelieving huff. "YOU THINK I'M SPECIAL."

Dave nods. "karkat vantas is totally one of a kind" Well, that just isn't true, is it? "i mean there are a fuck ton of you out there in the dream bubbles but i meant more like metaphorically in that this version of you is the you im interested in hugging and stuff"

---

Karkat almost can't believe how charmed he is by this idiot. Almost. Maybe Dave is lying, but maybe Karkat isn't being fair. The more he thinks about it, the more he thinks maybe that's true. Considering what he was accusing Dave of wanting to do, he's fairly floored that the human boy still wants anything to do with him.

He looks down at his hand still held between both of Dave's. Then he looks up at Dave's face, at his still uncovered eyes, and makes a decision. "OKAY."

Dave blinks. "ok" The corner of his mouth quirks upwards. "ok"

Karkat rolls his eyes. "YES, THAT'S WHAT I SAID. I'M GLAD THAT YOUR AURAL CLOTS ARE STILL FULLY FUNCTIONAL."

"you have got the weirdest names for things you know that just say ears its so much shorter"

Before he can come up with a suitably scathing remark, he's being hugged again.

Oh.

He sighs and returns the hug. He could get used to this. He thinks he already is.

FIN

End Note:  Sorry. I could not add in the kissing--it was just too lewd.

[b00bconnoisseur]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the ask box for the last 10 people who reblogged something from you! Get to know your mutuals and followers! :D

I love alot of things and so much stuff makes me happy so this will be my partner edition :) (cause their entire being makes me so happy i swear) imma list things i like abt them probably gush alot im srry in advanceeeeeeeee

1. Their writting and art!!!!! Like???? I love it!! Their art style is so different from any other ive seen (yes babe you DO have a unique style and its good!!) like yall should go to their blog and/or their art blog ( @graphitedaydream ) and look at stuff theyve done. Also ok so theyre my favorite writer like ever. THEY SAY IM A LIAR BUT ITS SO TRUE THO IM 100% HONEST And im a huge book nerd and can name like 20 authors off the top of my head rn and cam is my favorite of all of them. I love their stories so much kdgshsgsvs. Like they were telling me abt a new character and story n stuff last night and i got p happy cause i love hearing abt it all its one of my favorite things! I always wanna ask so many questions abt the story and characters and what'll happen and this and that but then before i do i have to remind myself that this isnt a finished book or a series this is smtn they jus started this i cant do thattttttt. But anyway srry this is a rant but sjgzbz.

2. Cams voice ok like!! I love it so much and its comforting to hear and it makes me happy and jdbdbs and i just like. Idk if its possible to love a person's voice so so much besides like a singer???? But idk i do jdhshzs um imma continue now before it seems like i have a fetish or smtn-

3. They are BEAUTIFUL. Like i would show a pic but idk if they would be ok with that or not so i won't but dude theyre so so adorable and literally so beautiful!!! I love everything abt them, their face and body and personality and sense of humor and everything theyre like a perfect bean to me. And ik they'll disagree with everything but its true!! Their whole being is absolutely beautiful and ik i say i love them alot but i do aaaaaaaaaa

4. They're so random and weird but in the best way jdhshzs like we have the most amusing but random convos and i love ittttt

5. They really care abt my interests eveb if they dont understand at ALL. Which means so much because most ppl jus dont really care if they dont know anything but cam fr like listens and makes commentary n stuff even if they know literally nothing and it makes me so happyyyy and its so nice!!!! Like for example they know like nothing at all abt sports and on the superbowl i was super hyped and kept goin on abt it throughout the whole game and even way before I'd talk abt it and if they didnt know a term or was confused id explain best i could and it was gucci and like they were trying to be hype with me during the football game and it made me so happy and idk if it sounds like much but it means alot ^^

Ok that was really long aaaaaaaaaaa. Im not sure who to tag so imma sayyyyy @sadamericanorca (im sorry if that was really cringe) @thatoneemobooknerd @jajebabie @theclingynerd @artdemon20 @sammchenry @soft-trans-on-tumbles @the-gorgeous-moon @kingantlion @bloodreadmascara

All optional ofc only if ya want~

[hold-our-destiny]

1 3 9 10 12 for the asks!!

1. tell us about your WIP.

I dont wanna give too much away, but its a 5+1 fic. The avengers are lving in the tower, sometime after spiderman homecoming, everyone made up at some point. I think im gunna title it ‘5 times Peter showed signs, and the 1 time the avengers found out’ or something like that. That’s all im gunna say.

3. What is your favorite/ least favourite part about writing?

my favourite part is when i write a really emotional scene. and my least favourite part is probably putting all the tags in.

9. Favourite/ least favourite tropes?

my favourite trope (if it counts) is either probably may’s abusive boyfriend or memory loss. each story i read with those tropes are completely different but they all make me feel a certain way.

my least favourite trope is probably Peter’s class go on a field trip.

10. Pick an author (or writing friend) to write a book with.

i’d probably pick either @romeoandjulietyouwish or @fightyspidey

12. Which story of yours do you like best and why?

dude i dont even know. I love if you can't breathe, ill breathe for you but i honestly hated the way i ended it. my favourite would probably be either 28-2 or you'll always be my kid. i love both of them so much.

[something-tofightfor]

Trope Prompt: Here Comes the Sun

Pairing: Logan Delos x Reader 

Word Count: 7100 (IM SORRY OK, I COULDN’T STOP)

Rating: M (Language, mention of sex, mentions of substance abuse/drinking, failed relationships, lil bit of zest)

Trope: #18 - Strangers getting into a shitty situation together

Author’s Note: This is fun, this is fluffy, a little angsty and kinda sorta AU ... or is it? Dont wanna spoil the pairing before the story even begins, so have fun. Finished this at almost 5 am, so dont kill me because it ends a little... abruptly. I was badgered by @the-blind-assassin-12 to post this tonight... so here you go. 

Summary: Two strangers meet at the airport while trying to fly off of an island to beat an oncoming hurricane... things happen. 

Tag List:  @banditthewriter @breanime @obscurilicious @padfootagain @madamrogersstorytelling @ooo-barff-ooo @agent-bossypants @suchatinyinfinity @chibiyanai @songtoyou @ethereal-heavcns @editboutique @marauderskeeper @drinix @ilkaeliseb @delicatelilyflower @king4thesirens @likethetailofacomet @blah-blah-fuckit-shit @ymariejp @mr-robot-x @rageshots @shinebrightlikeafanbase @littlemermaidprobz @jovialyouthmusic @zaffrenotes @introvertedlibrary @writing-for-a-chance @yesixoxo @ilikebeachessushiandsmallanimals @likeorions @swiftyhowlz @dylanobrusso @luminex3 @malik-payne @lexxierave @lynne1993 @elanor-of-imladris @bucky-is-my-precious @traeumerinwitzhelden @mfackenthal @weallhaveadestiny @ladyblablabla @sweetybuzz25 @dreamwritesimagines @thesumofmychoices @audreychaz @tc-elliot @dreams-with-thoughts @kind-wolf

“What do you mean the flight is overbooked?” He ran his hands along the edge of the counter, tapping a long finger on his driver’s license, which the airline agent had set back in front of him. “I have a ticket on this flight, and -” Do you know who I am?

“Sir, I understand, but with the incoming storm, we’re trying to get as many people out as possible, and your seat is one of the more recently booked, so -” Yes. That’s why I’m trying to leave. The hurricane.

“I need to be on that plane, you don’t understand.” He sighed, the sound carrying. “I’ll pay extra, I don’t care, just -” Give me my boarding pass back and let me on.

“Sir, we’re willing to offer you a substantial credit toward a future flight if you’re willing to give up your seat.” She smiled at him, a sickeningly sweet expression that just barely hid her annoyance. “You giving up your seat will allow a family to take the flight instead.” He opened his mouth to speak again when a female voice from his right interrupted.

“Come on now.” He turned toward the sound, mouth still open. “You’re really gonna be the guy that makes one parent stay behind and the other one wrangle all of the kids?” The woman speaking was young - maybe his age, skin sun-kissed and hair arranged in a messy ponytail. She had a duffel bag slung over one shoulder, and despite his frustration, he found himself closing his mouth and just staring. “That’s not fun.” She turned to the counter agent, a lopsided smile on her face. “How many seats were overbooked?” Look at you, Miss Do-Right.

“We need about six people to stay back and wait for another outgoing flight, ma’am.” The agent offered another smile - this one more genuine - and the woman grinned, nodding and giving her name.

“I’ll be more than willing to stay back, I can’t say no to another few hours here.” Great, now I’ll look like an asshole unless… The agent thanked the girl profusely and took her driver’s license, making a note of the information on it. When she was done, the woman turned to face him, eyes sparkling. “How about it? Let some family get off the island and stay here and wait with me?” She winked at him, and her next words came out in a tone that was just the right side of condescending for him - he was fully intrigued. “I’ll even buy you a drink while we wait?” Fine. What’s it going to take, a few hours to get another plane?

“Alright, fine.” He turned to the agent and thrust his license back at her. “Here.” Next to him, the woman laughed under her breath, shaking her head back and forth. After getting his license back and tucking it into his wallet which went into the back pocket of his shorts, he turned to face the young woman. Taking a deep breath and reminding himself to be friendly, he extended his hand as he stepped away from the counter. “Hi. My name’s Logan Delos. Nice to meet you.”

---

You’d bought Logan his first drink as promised, the two of you sitting at a high top table in the closest restaurant in the airport. He’d found out a great deal about you in a short amount of time, and had gradually relaxed as the conversation progressed. You were in Nassau for a friend’s wedding, one of those “destination” affairs that he was more than familiar with, and most of your friends had left the previous day. You lived in Indianapolis, but were in the process of moving to California for your job, were 28, and you had always wanted to experience a hurricane first-hand. “It’s a midwest thing,” you’d said with a shrug of your shoulders as you sipped your drink through a straw. “I’m kind of landlocked, and the idea of seeing something like that - powerful and unpredictable… it’s just exciting.” Your eyes flicked to the windows as you spoke, watching the sky darken.

If he was being honest with himself, there were a lot of things about you that he found exciting, but he kept quiet, answering your questions patiently  - “Bachelor party for my sister’s second husband, stayed an extra few days to enjoy the beach and the rum, California” - and enjoying the fact that you had no idea who he was - until he opened his mouth after you asked what he did for a living. “I’m CEO of Delos Inc.” He bit his tongue, trying not to frown. Shit. “We’re in technology, information.” Sex robots, mostly.  Logan shrugged, finishing his drink, his eyes going back to the bar. “Want another one while we wait?” He flashed his most winning smile - one that he knew knocked women out, but you only nodded, reaching up with a hand to swipe at a drop of liquid on your lip.

“Sure, Logan. That’d be great.” He left the table, ordered a second round at the bar while thinking about how much better the rum would taste off of your lips, and was back just as you tucked your phone into your purse, eyebrows raised and teeth digging into your lower lip.

“What’s that look for?” You cleared your throat, reaching out for your drink and letting your fingers brush against his, something Logan didn’t overlook. “What?”

“They’re closing the airport.” You raised your glass and he groaned, sliding back into his seat. “Cheer up, Logan. I’m sure they’ll offer us rooms in a moderately priced hotel for one night to make up for it.” I’m stuck here in a hurricane and will have to sleep in a shitty hotel, too? This day just keeps getting better. “Guess next time you shouldn’t listen to the stranger in the airport when she tells you to be a good man and to think of the children.” He looked up at you, surprised to see that you had a completely blank expression on your face, your glass still in the air. Is she joking? He allowed himself another look and saw that you were biting back laughter, which caused him to roll his eyes and laugh, clinking his glass against yours as you dissolved into giggles, too.

“Guess you get to see your hurricane, hmm?” Logan took a drink, raising an eyebrow. “Shit. How long do these things usually last?” You shrugged, pulling your phone back out and pulling up the weather app. It had already started raining, but the bulk of the storm - a category 3 - was still hours away, according to the map. “So… who knows.” You sighed, putting your head down onto the table and letting your phone clatter out of your hand. “What?”

“Logan.” You peeked up at him, one eye visible above your arm. “Our luggage is on the plane that took off 45 minutes ago.” Shit. His face must have given him away because you sat straight up, a smile on your lips. “Looks like I didn’t think this through.” He shook his head, and the two of you finished your drinks quickly before standing to head back to your previous gate to find out what you were going to have to do. “Hey.” You spoke softly, reaching out to touch his elbow, fingers closing around it and squeezing gently. “I’m sorry.” He shook his head, looking down at you and cocking his head to the side. “I shouldn’t have spoken up like I did, you could have been on that plane, and -”

“It’s fine.” Logan shrugged, surprised to find that he wasn’t angry; in fact, he was actually kind of excited. He was used to the predictable - used to things happening on a script, and this was… a nice change of pace after almost two years of the mundane. “You know, hurricanes are really rare on the west coast, too.” He reached up and ran a hand through his hair, his eyes moving away from you and toward the windows, which overlooked the runways. “So it looks like we’re both in for an interesting few days.”

---

The airline had sent Logan, you and about fifteen other people that were also waiting for flights to a nearby hotel via shuttle, but the property had turned you away because they were already full. The second property had only had enough room for a little more than half of the people on the shuttle and at that point, Logan had had enough. As you went to get back onto the vehicle, Logan poked his head in, asking the driver which hotel he was heading to (just in case) and then grabbed your arm. “Wait a minute.”

He pulled you back inside and unlocked his phone, quickly typing. “What are you doing, Logan?” He shook his head, dialing a number and raising the phone to his ear, waiting. When someone picked up on the other end, Logan cleared his throat.

“Hello, my name is Logan Delos. I just checked out of your resort this morning.” He listened for a moment. “Yes. That’s me. That Delos.” He nodded. “My flight was overbooked because of the storm, and the hotels that the airport is trying to send me to are all full, so I’m wondering...” He was quiet for a minute, rolling his neck out while he held the phone to his ear. “Yes, of course, I understand that you’re trying to keep people on the lower levels as much as possible.” You were watching him with a smile on your face, the nail of your thumb in your mouth, and Logan couldn’t help but look you over, eyes lingering on your cheekbones, on the way that your tanned skin seemed to glow, even in the artificial light of the lobby. Keep it together, Delos. You don’t know her. “Great. Are there two rooms?” Your eyes widened and you shook your head no, but Logan held up a hand. “Yeah. That’s fine. I’ll need both.”

When he hung up his phone, sliding it back into his pocket, you stepped forward, eyes wide. “Logan, I don’t… I can’t afford multiple nights in a resort, I just -” He laughed, shaking his head.

“Please.” He waved one hand, shaking his head. “They’re going to comp me the rooms anyway, the publicity of me staying there is more than worth it.” He grinned again. “Besides, you got me into this mess, I’m going to stick close by to annoy you until it’s over.” You were frowning, and before he could stop himself, Logan reached out, touching your shoulder. “It’s really not a big deal. I promise.” Who are you and what have you done with Logan Delos? You thought for a few seconds and then nodded, smiling gratefully at him.

“You must really be a bigshot, Logan.” You could say that. “They were that willing to accommodate you… damn.” That means she didn’t look me up… huh. “Should we get a cab or something?” He shook himself to focus and then cleared his throat, walking to the cab stand just outside the hotel doors. A car arrived quickly, and when Logan told them where he needed to go - The Cove at Atlantis - he watched you freeze in your seat. Weird. Logan tried to talk with you on the ride over, which was about 20 minutes long, but you spoke in short sentences, eyes staring out the window, even as the coral pink towers came into view.

Logan grabbed his carry on and you got your duffel out of the trunk, thrusting cash into the hands of the cabbie before he could stop you, but you only stood still, staring up at the tall towers as the rain fell. “Hey, you OK?” You didn’t acknowledge him, so he reached out again, touching your shoulder, which caused you to jump, wide eyes landing on him again. “You alright? We should get out of the rain.” You nodded, quickly walking beneath the overhang and turning to the left. She knows where the concierge desk is… You stood next to Logan as he spoke to the clerk and signed for both of the rooms. You didn’t hesitate when taking the key card that he handed to you, but he noticed that your eyes were moving around the room, lingering on the water fixture along the back wall, on the picturesque view - even in the rain - visible through the glass behind the desk.

The rooms were on the 10th floor, which surprised Logan, but he figured that the staff knew what they were doing, and so he thanked the employees and turned away, watching your back again as you led him to the elevator bank. You didn’t pass another person the entire way to the elevators, and Logan saw that through the windows of the buffet, the tables were abandoned. Everyone left, I’ve never seen this place so empty. The elevator ride up was quiet too, and Logan wanted to ask- wanted to know what was bothering you, but chose to stay quiet, simply watching you as you leaned back against the opposite wall of the elevator, arms crossed over your chest protectively.

You arrived at the assigned floor and Logan allowed you to exit the elevator first, but instead of walking toward the rooms, you turned to the right, walking over to the window overlooking the water that was meant to let natural light into the elevator lobby. That day, it was only providing a view of an angry ocean, of the low clouds and the wind whipping the palm trees around. Though it was only 5 PM, the darkness made it seem much later and the property’s lights had already come on. “Have you been here before?” Logan finally spoke, unable to keep quiet. “You know where you’re going and -”

“Yeah.” You spoke, shaking your head and resting your fingertips on the glass. “I’ve been here before. Stayed in The Cove once, too.” You turned to face him, and Logan was surprised to see that your eyes were bright with unshed tears. “Goddammit.” You laughed, shaking your head and using a thumb to swipe at one eye. “I’m sorry.” You took a breath, drawing yourself up to your full height and shaking your head. “I’m so sorry, Logan. Thank you for this. Thank you for making sure that I had a place to stay in this storm.” You walked by him toward the hallway, checking your room number and turning in the right direction. His room was across the hall from yours, and Logan stopped as you did, inserting the key into the electronic lock and turning back to face you. “Thank you, Logan. Seriously.” You smiled at him, and Logan was struck by how young it made you look, how much the expression changed your face, even though it wasn’t entirely sincere. “I promise I won’t charge anything to the room.”

You stepped into your room and Logan did the same into his, turning around at the last second and saying your name. “Hey.” You paused, looking over your shoulder at him. “I’m right across the hall, OK?” Though you looked surprised, you nodded at him after a few seconds, smiling again - and that smile was real. The door shut behind you and then Logan entered his room fully, flipping on the lightswitch and throwing his bag down onto the shelf between the bed and the sitting area before taking his shoes off. He pulled the blinds open, looking out at the water - he had a view that was similar to that from the elevators, meaning that you got the open ocean and the rest of the resort to look at. Good. He settled down onto the bed, flipping the TV on and finding coverage of the looming storm. Gotta figure out what we’ll be dealing with.

---

A few hours later, Logan was jolted awake by a knock on his door. I fell asleep. Damn. The first thing he noticed was that the TV was off. The second thing he noticed was that the light was off. Did the resort… did we lose power? He reached for his phone, pressing the button to light the screen and was relieved to see that he had a full charge, but no network connection. Before he could dwell on that, there was another knock on the door and he heard a female voice calling out his name. What? When he opened the door, he saw you standing there, your purse over your shoulder, a paper bag in one hand and a plastic bag over the other arm. “Hi.” The only lighting came from the emergency exit signs in the hallway, but Logan still saw the sadness on your face. “I’m locked out of my room.” Shit.

“What happened?” He opened the door fully, inviting you in, and you stepped past him, thanking him. “Why were you in the hallway?” You pulled the chair away from the desk near the bed, sitting down. Logan walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, flipping his phone backward and turning the flashlight on low before he handed it to you and you set it on the table in front of you.

“I went over to the main building, because the sundries place here was closed… and I wanted a bottle of rum.” You licked your lips and Logan for the first time saw that your hair was down and around your shoulders - and it was wet. “So I went there, and bought that and some food, and then came back… and as I was walking down the hallway, the power went out.” She could have been in the elevator, Jesus. “So… I stuck my key in the slot and it didn’t do anything, and... “ You shrugged. “So I’m here, and… yeah.”

“You’re more than welcome to stay here.” Logan  shook his head, running his fingers through his hair, trying to smooth it down. “I’m glad you weren’t in the elevator when the power went out, that would have been…” He watched you shudder, pulling a glass bottle from the paper bag. “Want to have a drink?” You nodded and Logan stood, moving into the bathroom and grabbing two glasses. “No ice, but…” You shrugged and he heard the noise of the seal on the bottle breaking, the “click” loud in the otherwise silent room. “Want a mixer?” Logan grinned, setting the glasses down in front of you. “Best part of no power is that the mini bar is fair game.”

You laughed at that and Logan was struck by the sound, something that he wouldn’t have noticed a few short years before - and if he had, it wouldn’t have meant anything. He handed you a can of Coke, quickly shutting the refrigerator door again to preserve the temperature and you busied yourself pouring drinks by the light of his phone. That’s… a drink. Each glass contained at least two shots of the rum, and you topped them off with the Coke before using your finger to stir one of the glasses. “Shit.” You gimaced, shaking your head. “I didn’t even think… here, you can mix yours.” He leaned forward, picking up the glass that you’d had your finger in without  second thought, surprised to hear you let out a soft “oh” as he did. “Logan, it -”

“It’s fine, believe me.” You stuck your finger into the remaining glass, swirling it around and then without pause, popped it into your mouth, sucking it dry. Oh, holy hell. Logan swallowed, watching you, watching the shadows on your face, watching the way that your lips looked around your finger and wondered what they’d look like wrapped around something else, wondered what they’d feel like against his… Stop. Something’s obviously bothering her, it’s not the right time. “So.” He shifted on the bed, taking a drink from the glass. “We’re going to be here a while. I’m sure we could call the front desk, or go down there… but…”

“I really, really don’t want to walk down 10 flights of stairs, Logan.” You shook your head, taking a long drink. “I’m perfectly content to sit here and drink and then fall asleep on that couch down by the balcony.” You won’t be sleeping on that couch, I will. “If… that’s OK with you, that is.” You smiled at him hopefully, and Logan nodded his head. “Thank you.” You held your glass out to him, looking directly into his eyes. “To the storm.” He clinked glasses with you and you both drank, Logan tearing his eyes away from you as he tilted his head back. “You should turn your light off, Logan. You’ll waste the battery.”

“It’s fine, I’ve got a power brick.” Logan gestured toward his bag. “One of the good ones - multiple charges, too.” You laughed again, and Logan was struck by how relaxed you sounded, as if the minutes spent with him were taking your mind off of whatever it was that was bothering you. You were both silent for a while and Logan watched as you turned your head toward the window where the rain was falling harder, whipped against the glass by the wind. “Hey, I didn’t even think to ask before, do you need a towel? Your hair is wet and…” He looked at you again and noticed that you were now wearing a hooded sweatshirt.

“I’m fine, thanks for asking though.” You took a deep breath, turning in the chair to face Logan and hooking an elbow over the back of it, tilting your head to rest it against your shoulder. “So what should we do? We don’t know each other, and we’re stuck in this room together until the power comes back on… or until we need to leave.” Logan didn’t answer right away, deep in thought. “We could play a game?” You raised an eyebrow. “Get to know each other a little better.”

“What kind of game?” He sipped his drink, intrigued. “What do you want to know about me?” There’s so much I want to know about you, but…

“I don’t know, Logan.” He liked the way you said his name, the way it rolled off your tongue, the ‘n’ elongated just slightly. “Two truths and a lie? Never have I ever? A combination of them?” He nodded, passing you the glass again.

“That works. You can come sit on the bed with me, there’s enough room, and that way we can put the phone between us.” You nodded, and Logan stood, walking to the fridge and grabbing two more cans. Once he settled onto the bed, crossing his long legs beneath him and scooting backwards near the headboard, he watched you climb in, too adopting the same position as him and settling your glass against your legs. “You first or me?” You shrugged. “Alright, I’ll go.” He thought for a minute. “Ok. So. One: I only have one sibling, and she’s two years older than me. Two: I almost lost my company, but was able to get it back. Three: This is my first time in the Bahamas.” He watched as you narrowed your eyes, thinking.

“Hmm.” You tapped a finger against the rim of your glass. “I’m going to guess that the lie is that you’ve never been to the Bahamas before.” He grinned, lifting his glass and sipping from it. “Gotcha!” You thought for a minute, eyes widening. “Alright, Logan. I lived in Europe for two years. I’m allergic to shellfish. I have two dogs.” Logan watched your face as you spoke, looking for the signs that you were lying, and decided to go with his gut.

“You’re not allergic to shellfish.” You paused for a minute, eyes locked on his and then raised the glass, a gleam in your eye. “Ha! I knew it!” The game continued for almost an hour, and though both of you had some luck, you were more often wrong than right… but you were having a good time. You’d reached out a few times, placing a hand on Logan’s knee, leaning in and again locking eyes with him as you spoke, trying to throw him off...and though Logan had plenty of experience charming women, getting them to look at him in a certain way, to desire him, he held back with you. It would feel wrong. I can’t do that. You’d taken a short break in the middle of the game, sharing the food you’d brought from the main restaurant - a sandwich and chips - along with a chocolate bar from the mini fridge.

As you played, Logan had noticed that when you refilled your glass, you were putting less rum in it each time. He followed suit, understanding that while you were having a good time, you were being cautious. “Hold on, Logan. I have to use the bathroom.” You smiled at him, handing him your glass and uncrossing your legs and turning around, reaching for your purse. “Be right back.” As you pressed the flashlight on your phone and pointed it ahead of you, Logan noticed that you were walking perfectly straight, your words not slurred at all. She’s still sober. I appreciate that. When you emerged from the room, Logan noticed that you’d taken the hoodie off, and he watched as you laid it out over the back of the chair before climbing back into the bed. “Wanna continue?” I want to kiss you, is what I want to do. But he simply nodded, lips twisting into a smile as you took the glass from his hand when he offered it. “OK. Never have I ever… owned a business.”

“That’s how we’re going to play?” He laughed, shaking his head and taking a drink. “Fine. Never have I ever convinced a stranger to wait out a hurricane in a foreign country by shaming them.” You snorted, drinking.

“Never have I ever hooked up with someone of the same sex.” Oh. This could get interesting. Logan took a breath and lifted the glass to his lips, watching as your eyes widened in surprise, but you nodded your head at him. “Wasn’t expecting that, but I’m … not surprised.” What does that mean?

He grinned. “Never have I ever moved across the country for a job.” You laughed again, taking another drink. This game is going to end really quickly.

“Never have I ever lived in a foreign country.” Logan shook his head, and you swore under your breath, taking another small sip of your drink. You traded queries back and forth for a while, finding even more common ground, and Logan finally decided to dig a little deeper, wanting to know more about your personal life.

“Never have I ever…” He glanced down at your lap where your hands were. “... Been engaged.” you froze on the bed, lips pressing together before you raised the glass to your lips again, draining what was left of it. Shit, is she engaged now?

“I think I’m done playing, Logan.” Your voice was quiet and you shook your head. “I’m sorry, but-”

“No, I’m sorry. I should have just asked.” His speech was rushed and Logan set his glass down on the bedside table, shaking his head. “Of course you’re with someone, it’s stupid to think that you’re single, I’m sorry that I …” He stopped as he heard you laugh, a harsh sound, and his eyes snapped back to your face. Shit, she’s crying again.

“I’m not engaged, Logan.” You shook your head, reaching up and pulling your hair back and off of your shoulders, securing it with a clip after twisting it into a loose bun. “I… I was.” You swallowed. “It didn’t work out.”

“I’m sorry.” The words were the first thing he thought of and they tumbled from his lips without pause. “I didn’t know, I shouldn’t have-”

“Can I get a water?” You motioned to the fridge and Logan nodded. “Do you want one?” He nodded again and you leaned over, opening the door and grabbing two bottles before handing him one. “Do you really want to hear this story?” You’d scooted closer to him so that your knees were almost touching his and Logan nodded eagerly, waiting. I want to know. I want to know you. “Alright.” You took a long swallow of water, turning your head toward the balcony for a moment, watching a bolt of lightning out over the ocean. Storm’s not even fully here yet… damn. “I was engaged. I dated a guy for a while after college, and we lived together - bought a house, got a dog… all that.” He nodded, silent. “We were… happy. Content - at least I thought we were.” You shrugged. “He brought me here, to Atlantis, to The Cove, and proposed to me - right out there on the beach.” You pointed toward the window. “It was perfect, my dream vacation. The ocean and the sand and someone that loved me.”

“What happened?” Logan didn’t want to interrupt, but wanted to let you know that he was listening, that he wasn’t zoning out. “You’re not wearing a ring, so I’m guessing it didn’t work out, and the reaction to me making the comment wasn’t…”

“He left me.” Oof. “We were planning the wedding and I went to try on dresses and when I got home, he was gone... “ You stopped, shaking your head and he watched your lip curl before you spoke again. “Turns out that he was sleeping with the neighbor the whole time and he only proposed to me to throw me off. He never had any intention of marrying me, and just decided to leave.” You rolled your eyes, looking at Logan. “Didn’t go very far though, they lived next door to me for six months before I was able to sell the house and get the fuck out of there.” What a prick. “So, yes, Logan. I’ve been engaged, but no, Logan, I’m not engaged anymore.”

“He did you a favor.” Logan shook his head, reaching out before he could stop himself and taking your hand in his, fingers wrapping around yours. “He was a coward, but he did you a favor.” You took a deep breath, eyes going down to where your hand was encased in his. “I’ve done some shitty things in my past, but I’ve never been unfaithful.” Hard to be unfaithful when you don’t have anything more than hookups.

“You’ve got quite the reputation, Logan Delos.” Though he liked hearing you say his name, your words caused him to pull his hand away, sitting up straight. “After we got here, I looked you up.” You shrugged. “Sorry.”

“What did you find?” You laughed, shaking your head and putting a hand up to the back of your neck. “What?” His tone was sharp, and he couldn’t help it. “You look me up for a reason, or?”

“I just wanted to know more about the guy that offered to pay for a room like this for me after knowing me for two hours, Logan.” You snapped right back at him, eyes on his face. “I wanted to know if you did it because you were being nice, or because you expected something from me.” You paused and Logan heard the wind whipping against the building. “And you know what? The Logan from a few years ago might have. You’ve had a lot of bad things happen in you life, Logan.” You were speaking softly and he looked back at you, turning his head slowly. “I read about the womanizing. I read about the issues with substances.” You shook your head. “I read about what happened between you and William in Westworld, the trial… I read about how your sister divorced him and took your side.” Shit, how long were you looking? “I read about how hard you worked, Logan, to get your company back before your dad died, since he’s just getting sicker.” You smiled at him again, reaching out to touch his knee, the contact sending a jolt up his leg and straight to his groin. No. Not now. “You turned your life around, Logan. You’ve… reinvented yourself,and you’re not the same person you were a few years ago, unless you’re just an incredible liar.”

“I haven’t touched anything harder than liquor in two and a half years.” Logan paused. “No, that’s not true. I relapsed once, but it’s been a long time, at least two years. And you don’t know me at all, but I never lie. Ever.” You nodded, still touching his leg, and Logan allowed himself to reach out, his hand going over yours. “Sometimes you just realize that you can’t let the bullshit in your life control you, you know?” You agreed. “I wanted to make my dad proud, and even if I couldn’t make up for all of the shit that I did before, I realized that I had to stop making excuses. No one else was gonna do it for me, and… the Delos name means something to me.” He shrugged, surprised to feel you turn your hand over beneath his, fingers curling around his palm. “I wanted it to mean something in the future, too. It was time to grow up.”

“I get it, Logan.” He looked back at you, watching as you lowered your head, eyes on the blankets beneath your body. “I wanted to tell you earlier that I looked, but we were having fun and it didn’t come up, and…” You suddenly sat up, and he watched as you reached out, turning your own flashlight on as bright as it went. “Logan, look at me.” He did, unsure of what you were about to say. “I don’t want anything from you.” You shook your head. “I’m not… I wasn’t trying to find out things about you for... “

“You’re trying to tell me that you’re not using me.” You nodded, blowing a breath out. “Did you really not know who I was in the airport?”

“No. I had no idea. I’d never even heard of Delos before today - I mean, I knew Westworld, but I’ve never been and never will go, it’s crazy expensive… but I honestly had no idea who you were, I just spoke up without even thinking.” You sighed. “This is a shitty situation, right? But I thought that maybe instead of going back home on the flight, I’d get to spend some extra time here… maybe with someone interesting.” You laughed, but it was a different sound than before and it made Logan sad to hear it. “I never thought the airport would close, Logan. I just thought if I made a comment like I did to you, I’d have someone to hang out with in the airport while I waited.” With a shake of your head, you continued. “It was stupid, I’m sorry.”

He was silent, staring at you for a while, thinking. “Hey.” He reached out, putting his hand on your arm as he leaned forward. “I’m not mad, don’t be sorry.” You looked back at him, a shocked expression on your face. “I’m serious. I’m glad you convinced me to stay, this is a nice change of pace for me.” He winked, which caught you off guard and Logan watched as your breath caught. “And it means I don’t have to go to board meetings for at least a few more days, so that’s always a plus, even if I’m stuck in the same pair of shorts until God knows when.” There was silence for long moments, and then Logan watched as you threw your head back, laughing. There it is.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve said this, but thank you, Logan. I probably would have ended up on the bottom floor of some crappy motel without you.”

“And now you’re here, locked out of your room and stuck in the dark with a stranger in the place where you’ve got only a bad memory of what should be the second happiest day of your life.” You didn’t speak but he saw you wince before you reached out, picking up your phone and turning your flashlight off. You then brought your eyes back to his and pointed at his phone, too. He nodded, and you picked it up, turning his flashlight off. What?

“Now, Logan… now we’re in the dark.” He felt the bed shift and watched as your outline moved down the steps and toward the glass, your back toward him. “The ocean’s so wild, Logan.” You turned to look over your shoulder at him, a curious expression on your face. “Do you think it’s too windy to go onto the balcony?” We’re ten stories up, yes. Yes, it’s too windy. “I want to go outside, Logan.” He was up and out of the bed before you’d stopped speaking, standing next to you and stopping you from opening the door. She’s going to get blown around by the wind. “Logan, let me…”

“Hey.” Your hand was stretched out and he could feel your arm against his body, feel your fingers flexing beneath his. “Come on, think about this.” You looked up at him, and he could barely make out the pout on your face, your lips full. “You’ve been drinking. You might not be drunk, but you’re gonna be unsteady, especially in that wind.” You opened your mouth to protest, and Logan swore under his breath. “Open the door - as wide as you want - but don’t step outside. Please.” You sighed. “We can switch places, but I just... “

“Fine.” You spoke quietly. “Fine.” He reluctantly let go of your hand, stepping back and he watched as you unlocked the door, pulling it open. The wind hit the two of your right away, and he wasn’t surprised when you stepped backward, swaying slightly on your feet. See? He felt the rain - cold, the droplets large - and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the ocean, the freshness of it. His eyes passed over you, looking out at where he knew the horizon to be, and almost missed you taking a step forward, your foot coming down on the slick concrete surface of the balcony.

“Hey, stop!” He reached out automatically, stepping forward after you. One arm wound its way around your abdomen, the other hand settling on your shoulder. “You said you wouldn’t go outside.” You didn’t pull away from him, and Logan tightened his hold on you, pressing his chest against your back. After a few seconds, you leaned back into him, bringing your hand up to your own stomach, just beneath his. The two of you stood in silence for what could have been minutes, and Logan felt his heartbeat speeding up. I like this. You moved your hand, your fingers prodding at his and he lifted them slightly, letting you slip your hand beneath his larger one.

Logan wasted no time lacing his fingers with yours, closing them and squeezing. The rain and wind didn’t matter as he moved the hand from your shoulder, sliding it around your front and across your chest, fingers catching on the strap of your tank top as he stopped on your other shoulder, applying just enough pressure to let you know he was aware of what he was doing. You stood there - half inside, half outside, his arms around you - and Logan felt you sigh, felt your head hit his shoulder, face turning inward slightly. He lowered his chin, resting it on the top of your head and tightened his hold on you, feeling your right hand coming up to squeeze his forearm. “Logan?” He could barely hear you over the sound of the wind, but hummed quietly, knowing you could feel it. “This is nice.”

He had to laugh - it was absurd. He’d met you not even ten hours before and there you were, standing in the balcony doorway of a suite in a hotel resort - the only light coming from the bolts of lightning over the ocean and the emergency property lights - arms around each other, slowly getting drenched. You turned in his arms without warning and Logan reluctantly let go of your hand but didn’t drop the arm from your shoulders, waiting. What are you doing? You took a breath, raising a hand and touching the side of his face, your fingers tracing the path of the raindrops as they ran down his cheeks and disappeared into his beard. He took a step backward, bringing you fully into the hotel room but didn’t reach out to shut the door, instead putting his free hand on the small of your back, holding you close. “Hey.”

Logan didn’t recognize his own voice - it was strained, his heart thumping behind his ribs, but you smiled, the expression genuine, and he watched in the dim light as your gaze moved from his eyes down to his lips and then back up, the look in them almost unreadable. “Logan I want to k-” He didn’t let you finish, ducking his head and pressing his lips to yours, pulling away before too long, before he let himself get carried away. Holy shit, holy shit. What are you doing, Logan? You stared up at him, lips parted slightly and then moved your hand back and away from his cheek, fingers tangling in his damp hair and somehow finding the spot that drove him wild, the one right behind his ear. “That wasn’t a kiss, Logan. I know you can do better.”

A challenge? I like it. Logan chuckled, allowing you to pull his face back to yours, and even as his tongue slipped past your lips and into your mouth for the first time, he was groping behind you, pulling the door all the way shut. When it clicked closed, Logan returned his hand to your waist, placing it on your hip and pushing you backwards so that he had you pinned between the smooth surface of the glass and his body.  As you bit down on his lip, your hand sneaking beneath the hem of his shirt and against the skin of his back, Logan groaned, rocking his hips against you. Your fingers flexed at the movement and he felt your nails digging into his skin, which caused him to pant out your name, one palm flat against the glass above your head. I hope we’re stuck here for days.

---

[shhbean]

fuck it! some thoughts on al’s years in xing. if you guys have thoughts or criticisms let me know! i just wanna ramble lmao.

also don’t reblog lmao bc theres a lot of errors in here and its all sporadic and frankly embarrassing

okay so first things first i think in the two year gap between the promised day and the post canon adventures the brothers keep up a correspondence with ling and mei through letters (bc theyre planning this big adventure and its wild that they would show up unannounced even tho i know thats theyre style but als like. mmm dont want lan fan to execute me on sight)

side note! i think of xing as a relatively isolationist country, but with a phone and railway system that operates within itself, not on the outside (its a big country! people need to communicate!) ling is not against isolationism per say, only because drachma and amestris are still very much Major War Torn disasters, however ling puts a big emphasis on assisting refugees and families displaced by war. he also holds relatively frequent council with their bordering countries* *more on this later. but i dont see xing moving away from isolationism until ling is MUCH older. and even then most of their opening up mostly revolves around trade and world aid. 

ed sort of bangs his adventure out west in like a year and a half, because hes kinda. rarin to get back to rush valley and marry winry. al spends about three and a half years in xing bc he has to learn the language AND a brand new form of alchemic science. (with visits back to amestris for. weddings, occasional holidays and meeting his nephew and niece)

when al gets to xing the first thing he notices are 1) the food is incredible (though some of it is spicer than hed realize and amestrian food is blander than he thought)  2) the art and architecture is amazing and beautiful 3) he’s never worn silk before and he privately amends to never make that mistake again 4) ling has two modes Emperor mode and Ling mode (al has been on the receiving end of both 5) lan fan seems much happier 6) mei got taller

side note yes ed and winry have the emperor of xing and his sister, the princess and imperial alkahestrist at their wedding. no no one knows how the fuck to deal with it jfhgkjfdhjk

ling, in order to establish security for clans with less power appoints one family member from each clan to his court. hence why mei becomes imperial alkahestrist at 16. this ruffles a lot of feathers, and lings happy for it. 

in general one of lings biggest projects in his time as emperor is helping the poor and disenfranchised of xing. he has the aristocracy pretty much on its knees all the time. 

al spent so much time in the two years preparing for his trip studying up on xingese culture, tradition, and especially xingese aristocracy because he didnt want to offend an entire culture (he leaves that to ed) only for mei and ling to horrify the entire court by yanking al into a very tight HUG 

ling continues to horrify the court by asking al for advice and counsel in front of everyone lmao

lan fan has other family members! not just fu! she has a whole mom and two younger sisters. lan fan remains ling’s personal gaurd until she turns 20, and then she appointed captain of the guard. she really loves her job and honestly being home has made her 1000% more outgoing and confident (not when shes guarding tho obviously) 

lan fan’s family has their own suite in the palace, for being the yao’s families faithful servants. however once lan fan becomes captain of the guard she insists on sleeping in the barracks (this annoys ling greatly. though he doesn’t say anything)

mei is an INTENSE teacher. not so much izumi level bet she has al wake up at 6 am every day and run arrays for her until shes decided shes satisfied. al does not mind this, he likes watching the sun rise 

al takes awhile to learn xingese. and once he’s finally mastered it he’s better at speaking it than writing it (his script is basically chicken scratch) this sort of impedes his alkahestry lessons too because of a lot of the tomes and books on it are in xingese. a lot of al’s lessons are spent doing translations

jerso and zampano, somehow, pick up xingese stupid fast. al is furious lmao. 

winry and ed and their children (lil 1yr boy sig and actual baby baby girl nina) come out to visit at behest of ling. xing had no established automail program, just a few engineers here and there, so winry worked with him to train a few automail engineers. this becomes one of the only forms of trade that xing has with neighboring countries. an automail material trade agreement was presented by general mustang and signed off by emperor ling and furher grumman. (an eventually, would become a regular commodity of amestris under roy’s rule as furher) 

once his three years of research and study are up al (now 21, keeping track of ages for my benefit, bc this timeline largely exists in my head) heads back to amestris to write his paper and swap notes with ed, and eventually publish a book together. ed somehow earned a fucking PHD in three years while al was away. al is once again, is furious and super proud. (he privately amends to earn his in 2) he convinces mei (now 19) to tag along to help continue her own research on the link between alkahestry and alchemy. ling lets them go and starts a research initiative that funds their travels all over the world. 

mei and al visit scar alot on their travels, and while theyre in ishval they help out the community (doing wonderfully but still needs a hand every once in a while) wherever they can. mei’s always so excited to see scar. lots of hugs and catching up. scar always fixes al a hairy eye when he arrives with mei (note they are very much JUST friends at this point. scar does not care....probably having flashbacks from how quickly ed and winry got together fvjdghjkf) 

they also have tea with the newly promoted brigadier general and his captain every visit. who...share a tent. al and mei make sure not to comment. this does not stop jerso and zampano from commenting. (roy and riza are doing well though, and very much concede their authority to scar and miles on every deciding fact. reparations suits them) 

mei’s 22nd birthday is spent in ressembole where ed and winry and their babies have relocated. pinako (still holdin on strong) watches her great grand babies. ed and winry have alcohol for the first time in 5 years. chaos ensues. al and mei watch he stars and al starts to realize maybe. he might. have a crush. oh well. not going to address that. too much work to do. 

on al’s 27th birthday he has a mild crisis about how old he’s getting. ed, 28 a whole professor, with a third goddamn kid on the way, laughs at his pain. mei (24 now. jesus. im writing this why am i getting whiplash) receives a letter from miles telling her scar, much to humble to admit it, has been made lead representative speaker for ishval. he hints that al should be on the lookout for a letter coming his way. and sure enough, a letter asking if al would like to be the amestrian ambassador to xing arrives at their doorstep. 

and then its back to xing again to get ling to sign off on the order (of course he does) and to get his approval on al and mei’s courtship (re: not engagement. theyre very slow lmao). (that one requires a longer conversation wherein lan fan threatens al with a knife) 

[whosxafraid]

Get to know the blogger!

Tagged by: snitched from @thedarcydichotomy​ I’m tagging: anyone that would like to do it tag ur it. just tag me back :)

FIRST NAME Crow

STRANGE FACT ABOUT YOURSELF uh hmm...i have never been in higher in any building than the third floor.

TOP THREE PHYSICAL THINGS YOU FIND ATTRACTIVE ON A PERSON uh......okay well this question doesn’t really apply to me exactly because i am demi but uhm...i like my marital unit’s hands a lot? and they have a pleasant shade of eyes?

A FOOD YOU COULD EAT FOREVER AND NOT GET BORED OF probably salad. the house one from Cody’s steak house specifically.

A FOOD YOU HATE ketchup. fuck off its a food. its an entire GROUP to some people. but i absolutely LOATHE it. i smell it and it makes me wanna hurl.

GUILTY PLEASURE this question has always like confused me....i dont find guilt in anything i enjoy so????

WHAT DO YOU SLEEP IN my skin, my underwear, a tshirt and shorts. i have kids that have no concept of privacy. i have to be fully clothed AT ALL TIMES.

SERIOUS RELATIONSHIPS OR FLINGS i mean im paired so does that count as srs?

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN THE PAST AND CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOUR LIFE, WOULD YOU AND WHAT WOULD IT BE nothing. if i changed a single thing about my passed self i would almost definitely change the outcome of my life now. and with my two kids i cant risk it. sry not sry. the past is the past and its staying the way it is.

ARE YOU AN AFFECTIONATE PERSON define...affectionate....no kidding uhm i can be? i mean i hug my kids and my marital unit uhm...but like i dont just cuddle constantly. unless im like really sick then its free for all really.

A MOVIE YOU COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)

FAVORITE BOOK Ice Station by Matthew Rielly and not really for the reasons you might think :)

YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP ANY ANIMAL AS A PET, WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE a blood hound. (sadly both my kids are allergic to dogs so this is a dream i shant be able to make a reality until they’re grown and moved out)

TOP FIVE FICTIONAL SHIPS [IF YOU ARE AN RP BLOG, YOU CAN USE YOUR OWN SHIPS AS WELL] Chon/O/Ben [From The Kings Of Cool and Savages Books] | John, designation : Sierra117, Master Chief and Cortana [ Halo games, movies and soon to be show I HOPE] | Lugh and his wife [American Gods], Ray and Happiness [Den of Thieves] | Billy Bones and the Sea [Treasure Island/Black Sails]

PIE OR CAKE cake

FAVORITE SCENT cotton

CELEBRITY CRUSH uh...i dont......get these? I mean i’ve never had one so like i wouldn’t know if i have one? im very confused.

IF YOU COULD TRAVEL ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU GO Northern Ireland/Ireland.

INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT introvert af

DO YOU SCARE EASILY define scare because its super easy to startle me? but like legitimate there’s a serial killer in my house scared that’s....hard to do. unless ya know ur a clown...or u have a spider handy or...you throw me into a large body of water....that’ll trigger terror and in some cases very violent reactions...

IPHONE OR ANDROID Android.

DO YOU PLAY ANY VIDEO GAMES yes. god i wish i had friends that had animal crossing : new horizons....i need other islands to visit :(

DREAM JOB published author.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A MILLION DOLLARS Pay off my debt. buy myself a new house, and new cars. and put the rest away in savings for my kids and any rainy day that might occur.

FICTIONAL CHARACTER YOU HATE Rick Grimes. 

FANDOM THAT YOU WERE ONCE A PART OF BUT AREN’T ANY LONGER ....for reasons i am declining to answer this. sry.

[letgraysonsheart]

quarantine ask game

tagged by @sassydefendorflower thank you! <3

-

Are you staying home from school/work? Yes, I’ve actually travelled home to my parents after my uni shut down and i now have all my classes online as well as my exams which are in under a month, im doomed :-)

Who is at home with you? Just my mom and dad, both my siblings are older and have their own fams

Are you a homebody? Yep, thankfully! I’ve either been at home or gone trips/jogging since i live out in the country, but i am certainly starting to feel that “i havent seen my friends in ages and i wanna go out drinking” vibe

Any event that you were looking forward to that got canceled? Two concerts both with Harry Styles and Niall Horan yes i used to run a 1D blog, i did for four years or so, my sisters big birthday bash, easter with the whole fam, and my exchange semester in Australia this fall which most likely is very much cancelled

What movies have you been watching recently? Some family friendly animateds ones, James Bond, whatever my dads put on generally

What are you doing for self care? uuuh eating candy i guess, going on a few walks in the mountains/jogging, taking long showers?? does that count??

What shows are you watching? A PLACE TO CALL HOME its a stupid australian soap drama and i love it, ive also watched a bit of outlander and rewatched my fav eps from a few different shows

What music have you been listening to? A lot of tiktok music and i ashamed, BANNERS, Plested, Imagine Dragons, the Mamma Mia soundtrack :-), Julia Michaels

What books are you reading? A book by a norwegian author which is ripping my heart out about what happens to a little community when three young men dies in the afghan war, and as for comics im reading Robin War and the first issues of Red Hood & The Outlaws

as usual i dont know who to tag:---) but i do really appreciate being tagged!!

[smellycinnamonthundahfudge]

Tag Game

Tagged by: @theslytherinterran haha thanks for this btw, i really like getting these things cus im just such a needy bish hahaha

Name/Alias: hahahahaha i dont think im ready to give out my real name on tumblr so i have this thing where like i kinda just wanna be called smells instead hahaha. yknow cus of my url? like yknow how mel is short for melody (pond hehe), i want to be called smells because it's short for smelly hahaha

plus i think it's hilarious to be called smells cus i actually am kinda gross irl hahaha

Birthday: Dec 20 🤟😘

Zodiac: Saggitarius... i think? is that even how you spell it? haha lol

Height: 5'5"?? tbh i aint rlly dat sure haha

Hobbies: bingewatching (tv shows, movies, yt vids), writing (fanfics, poems, analysis/posts/captions/thoughts), hanging out in tumblr haha, reading (once in a blue moon, i binge a couple fics on a list or a book that i kept on pause haha), and then lastly, hanging w/ meh doggos hehe 🥰😄🥰😊

Favourite Color: Pink (i wonder if that seems unexpected for me here or nah haha)

Favourite Books:

there's this author in my country, Bob Ong, i think he's pretty much the most mainstream author we have and i fucking love his books. i've only read 2 of them (so far) abnkkbsnplako?! and stainless longganisa but i fucking loved them. they are so relatable n honest n FUNNY n smart n truthful n emotionally resonant. they're basically memoirs n rando thoughts about school and writing. but i honestly really really loved them

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover - whew holy shit this book was a doozy for me. one, she's like only the 2nd fem author i've read (i'm not much of a reader if i'm being honest, dont have the patience for it), it is such an emotional love story with great characters and it had me saying i love you to the loved ones in my life after reading it (but that may or may not have to do with the fact that i just have a lotta repressed emotions that this book, and sleep deprivation from binging it, managed to wring out of me haha). it's also pretty funny n quirky n cool n haha it's the first time i read a sex scene that wasn't on fanfic haha

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler irl) - i. love. these. books. they are so freaking smart and funny and amusing and lemony snicket's voice is just so effing good. i havent read all of them tho. an unfortunate mistake that i still feel guiltyabout to this day haha lol

Last song listened to: when i first started answering this, it was Euphoria by uhh jung kook is it? tbh i only listened to it cus kat and ethan's romantic confession was literal goals haha. but then i listened to vacation by the gogos while writing this probs cus i was lssing to it after ffh haha

Last movie watched: i thought the last movie i watched was endgame too (every time i watch it is a memorable af experience) but i am just now remembering it's actually mamma mia hahaha. i've rewatched that film so many goddamned times already it literally just slipped my mind haha. and then after putting this on pause, i watched like 3 romcoms (10 things i hate about you, begin again, and half of flipped haha)

Inspiration for muse: hhmm well i think it usually happens when i read/watch something and then my mind fixates on how my ship could be applied to that as well haha dunno

Dream Job: comedian-writer-director haha

Meaning behind my URL: hahaha ngl i kinda feel like i've been waiting for someone to ask me this ever since i came up with it hahaha. like the explanation has just been sitting in the back of my mind for so long and now i can finally explain the quirky cute weird insanity that is my url haha.

each word is related to something significant from a fandom of mine

smelly is from smelly cat from friends, phoebe's infamous song haha

cinnamon is rajesh koothrapali's adorable lil dog (CINNAMON, MY LITTLE LAMB CHOP 😂😂🤣) from the big bang theory

thundah, i think, is from cat in the hat. where the cat has thing 1 and thing 2 and thing 2's nickname is chocolate thundah hahaha (overcompensating with the nicknames because of he's number 2 hahaha)

and lastly fudge is from how i met your mother because marshall erikson calls himself/is called big fudge and subsequently judge fudge hahahaha <3

and thus smellycinnamonthundahfudge was born. i have no idea what past me was thinking hahaha. i think i was trying to be all WEIRD AND QUIRKY YAY which i think i succeeded at haha cus i was finally going to join tumblr. i also have a hard on for references that i wonder if ppl will get or nah hahaha. plus i really like its flow, like you can say it really quickly despite it being long af hahaha

imma just tag familiar faces around here haha (yknow the gist, do wat u wanna do, im not forcin u or anythin)

@mytamakomysookee and @hello-em75 (the first pips i actually chatted with when i first got here hehe), @suplosers (the first one ever to tag me in something like this hehe) and then just a buncha pips i've seen around here somewhere... cant really place you, u guys just seem familiar enough haha lol @you-guys--are-losers @the-real-illi-vanilli @nicehandsfeet @justaleapoffaith @jennifer7585 @orntrnk @mllefangirl @dhallia @untitledandrandom @spiderman-homecomeme @kanakalala458 @xfandemoniumx @justanotherfangirlpassingthrough @justlookatthosesausages @bubbleuwu @timey-wimey-drew @ironchilddragon @walkingcherrysoul @sexylordpalpatine @ohthedreamsofeuphoria @mattsavocados @missjordie @across-the-pond

and finally @tare8chan even tho you've not just been tagged to this already (by the same person who tagged me for that matter), you managed to finish this before i tagged ya hahaha darn

this was so effing long and sharey i dunno maybe i was just bored or on a confident streak hahahaha lol

well i think the lesson here is that i'm a very intense person with a lot of feels. thanks to anyone who actually read this entire thing for some reason haha. i know my intensity can be really offputting sometimes but eh pips gon be hu pips gon be. dey cant help it

[homestucky]

Davekat fic recs?

hrrmm wow i will have to think. ill probs just check my bookmarks which means i probably wont be able to think of many one chapter fics off the top of my head since i dont tend to bookmark them. also some that havent been updated in yrs i wont put here bcaus thats just frustrating unless theyre rlly notable and may come back i may not link them

also disclaimer that while im not super into smut so its unlikely im gonna recommend just porn fics, some may have some sexy times incidentally i suppose. also a lot of them are dave centric/dave POV bcaus hes my BOY

M.C. Escher that’s my favourite MC by Unda (COMPLETE)  is a wild ride and long but i recommend for sure, very well written n thought out. also check out the other fics in the series bcaus if i recall correctly there are some other shorter fics that unda wrote to give some background or develop characters. but theyre also really great even stand-alone! its finished now and i followed it the whole time :0. cw for child abuse and death 

Within, Without by reinkist (COMPLETE)  i actually read a long time ago so i dont remember it so well. i do remember thinking it was pretty great tho, so i do recommend it. i should probably go back for a reread some time. its just a really good meteor fic that explores everything you’d want it to, and does that well, u kno? its like the fic that u wanted to exist but couldnt find. but here it is!

Doc Scratch’s School for Supernaturally Gifted Adolescents by medical  (UNFINISHED AND RECENTLY UPDATED)is great, its like a multichapter magic/superhero au thing. its fun and characters in it are rlly well developed, like, i do enjoy a davekat fic which has a good and significant rose characterisation in there too. but theres some serious plot goin in in here too…. very exciting. 

To Be Taken Care Of by shitstuck  (COMPLETE)is good, its god some deep convos about troll v human culture and stuff, some rosemary too. bit of body horror but if i can handle it its not too bad. i just reread it lol. the epilogue changes the tone of things a bit n id be interested to know other peoples thoughts on that ;_;

Don’t Forget the Sun by Weevilo707 is rlly good but sadly NOT COMPLETE AND HASNT BEEN UPDATED IN AGES :@!! hope the authors doin ok  (EDIT: APPARENTLY the author is not planning on updating this one again, but i still think its a good read :^) )

Book Covers by turntechGeneticist717  (COMPLETE) is rlly great also!! big recommend. dave is lookin after a babby dirk as his big brother in college. i havent read it in a while but i remember when it was updating being like !!!!!!!!!!!Aaa!! also there are others in the series so take a look :)

The Truth is in the Eyes by AcrylicMist  (COMPLETE)is like a rlly mythological/fantasy interpretation of canon post game which is very cool????? like the world is sort of medieval or something but w the gods n magicky stuff. rlly interesting. , very dope again havent read it in a while and am running out of steam for ranting about fics but!! yea its sweet w an intriguing plot

The Eurydice Suite by callmearcturus  (COMPLETE) !!!!!!!!!!! i love this fic so much like its bonkers n i just. its like an inception sort of inspired au and i have NEVER watched inception but im just super into the concept. its just. a rlly amazing well written fic w perfect pacing and characterisation like the plot is like a beautiful spider web where time flicks back and forth yet makes perfect sense. theres such a sense of atmosphere. ive reread it so many times. also!!1111111 i love the dave in it, and i love the strilondes family relationsy stuff!! i also feel like it ties everything up rlly nicely despite having like all the main characters in it p much. hell yeaaaa. its my fav by this author whos an AMAZING writer like they just DROP U IN to the world with so much confidence and drop context and background in at a perfect pace so ur never confused but always intrigued. but often i find the atmosphere in their fics almost TOO intense u know?? like i feel like i wake up in a ditch after reading one like wh,,h who am i?? i hate using this word but the writing is weirdly like… “sensual” which i think means the writing is great, rlly strong atmosphere but im not  always 100% able to handle it. this one does not make me feel so dazed and its just.. yess

The Lucky Ones by daniomalley (COMPLETE) is another one i followed as it came out. a cool spacey au. sorry i cant think of anything else to say aaaa

Off Court by levvan (ON HIATUS?) is great tho strong themes of abuse from the start. not that none of the above have that if i havent said so uhhhh yea be wary of the tags i guess. but yes. 

three rounds and a sound by skitpost (UNFINISHED AND RECENTLY UPDATED) is rlly great, like a magic school au. very excited to see whats gonna happen next :0

We’re All Friends & Family Here (And Frankly, We’re Sick Of Your Shit) byLandOfMistAndSecrets (COMPLETE) is TECHNICALLY a dirkjake fic but it has very cute little pastiches of other characters and the DK ones are very cute and well characterised

An Alien and a DJ Walk into a Bar (and Accidentally Start a Relationship) by Kadaaver (APPEARS TO BE ON HIATUS) i was p into when it was still updating. theres not actually MUCH relationship stuff yet if i recall correctly but still. good. and i enjoy the characterisation of dave being p socially anxious.

turntechGodhead is offline by forestknifefight (UNFINISHED AND RECENTLY UPDATED) well relatively recently. i like this one a lot! theres some good beta kid friendship and some good karkat.

Astronomy in Reverse by PunkZucchini, sicklekind (ON HIATUS>??????) cute + features BIGKAT is i recall correctly

Bring You Down by acedavestrider (COMPLETE) idk what to say about this but thats not a criticism. its just a legit cute fic that is good for the heart. human au, earth n whatever. karkat is a student nurse!! yeaa! thats kind of incidental but i like it

Survival of the Richest by ireallyloveicecream (HIATUS???) theres not a lot of it but im so intrigued. some kind of a fae/magic fairy folk kinda thing

Californian Son by LivTC (COMPLETE BUT THERES MORE IN THE SERIES WHICH I HOPE WILL CONTINUE TO BE UPDATED ETC ETC) !! ok this one is kind of sexy n angsty and daves a REAL DICK in it but it rlly well written and i rlly wanna know more jijhihihu

First Contact by yesfir (UNFINISHED AND RECENTLY UPDATED) !! its au but like idk scifi, humans having to make a deal with/coexist with trolls. space colonies!! this one is great… good character development and plot… does that great thing of pacing the revelations of the plot rlly gradually so ur like ! somethings happening here and i must know more!!!

Feathered by AlloftheFandom  (UNFINISHED, RECENTLY UPDATED) this ones exciting :3 karkat has only just been introduced to it. its like a magicky world w a bit of mild body horror so far. some good strilondes also… has anyone noticed that i need strilonde family relations in a fic i love….

Soulmates by egossweetheart  (UNFINISHED (fairly..?) RECENTLY UPDATED) this is a souleater au which i dont know a lot about??? but its cool, i am suitably intrigued. bit of body horror. idk as always check the tags. idek why im bothering to specify that. anyways,

 Vladimir and Estragon Cope with Their Trauma by Volo (UNFINISHED RECENTLY UPDATED ETC) afterlife au. so yea TW death. im into it tho

The Importance of Being Karkat by choicescarfsylveon (UNFINISHED RECENTLY UPDATED ETC) karkat has a radioshow, dave is kind of a dick. some parts of that change. i wont spoil which. theres something deeper goin on too…….. mysterios….

anyways here are some fics that i think are cool. sorry it took ages i just wanted to give it a good effort ukno?? its not an exhaustive list but its what i found. thanks to all these authors and hey, while we’re at it, all fanfic authors!! good work and i hope u all know how appreciated it is. anyways i have a headache so i guess ill finish this up. peace!