#it could be seen as platonic but there are some slightly stronger romantic tones

[callofdudes]

König angst please please please!

I did struggle a little because I didn't have much context with this one. But I did come up with a little something for König angst. Thank you anon 😊

Tell me their Name, paint me in blood.

Summary: König never expected to get kidnapped, and he never expected to be interrogated on a familiar name from his past.

Word count: 2.9K+

Cw: angst, torture, talks of trauma, childhood friends Reader and König. Two lines of probably improper German.

König opens his eyes, gasping as cold water hits his face, freezing his cheeks and drenching his chest and legs. His eyelids feel heavy, water dripping from his bottom lip. Bright light invades his eyes, making him shy away, trying to get used to it.

"Wakey wakey," A voice comes from his left, a man walking closer, throwing the water pale to the ground with a clatter. König attempted to move before realizing he was secured tightly to a chair.

The man walked faced him, hands behind his back. "Verdammtes Licht…" (fucking light) König hissed, blinking rapidly.

"Sie werden sich daran gewöhnen." (you'll get used to it) The man replied, smug at revealing he knew the mother tongue.

"Whatever you want, I won't give you," König replied sharply.

The man hummed, reaching forward and grabbing Konig by the jaw, twisting his head to look him in the eye. "You have no idea what I could do to you. My name is Snake, and I already know yours. We're looking for a friend of yours, and you're to give me answers. Now."

König grunted. "I know no one!"

Snake frowned. "Not true. You see, we know your name and that you have a connection to a soldier named Y/n."

König's eyes widened.

Snake raised an eyebrow, smirking. "I thought so."

Y/n… No, no. König grits his teeth. "I don't know anyone like that. It's a dead end for you."

Y/n and him were childhood friends. Well, until he had to move from where he was living to Austria. You were an exchange student staying for a couple of years to finish school. You were friends right up until König left. You had always kept in contact. You were a dear friend to him. But when he joined the military, the connection stopped.

Snake gripped König's hair, pulling him forward. "You are lying to me. That little rat has been fucking us up, and you just so happen to know who the fuck they are. So don't play dumb with me."

König refused. He wouldn't. And besides, hearing your name was too painful.

Snake growled. "You don't have a choice here. I will make you talk. And it will only be more painful the longer you keep quiet."

König was stubborn, and it was about to cost him.

You woke up with your arm numb and aching. You blinked at the clock. Who on earth? You looked back at the window when you heard a rhythmic tapping. You sat up, ringing out your arm previously positioned behind your head.

Getting out of bed, you went to the window and opened it. Seeing none other than your favourite German boy. "König, what are you doing??" You rubbed your eye, yawning.

"I couldn't sleep again. I'm sorry to bother you, but you didn't answer my texts."

"Well, it's two in the morning." You sighed, stepping back. "Come get comfy then." You knew you couldn't shoo him away, watching him leave like a sad puppy who did something wrong. So König climbed into your window, brushing himself off and looking around again. "Ah- thank you."

"Come on, get some sleep."

You walked back to your bed, attempting to make room for König to slip in with you, and he did. Your first sleepover had been hesitant. He refused even the thought of sharing a bed with you. And when you were curled up on the couch later, he realized how nice it was, and things spiralled.

His arms wrapped around your waist, holding your back to his chest, keeping you securely against him.

"Thank you…" He whispered against your neck, closing his eyes softly. Attempting to let the stress go and relax. It was just you and him. All this drama going on between his parents wasn't happening.

He didn't hear them arguing again. There wouldn't be a divorce.

And you were there with him through it all.

A harsh slap sent him spiralling back into reality as Snake left a searing mark on his face. "Head up!" He demanded, the door opening and two other men entering.

König's eye twitched, he was tempted to spit on the ground before them.

One of the men was carrying a large metal toolbox.

Snake smiled. "This is the part where you tell me what I want to know, or… I won't be so nice."

König's eyes narrowed. He eyed the box, then Snake. His heart pounded. He could tell them. He honestly didn't know anything. All he knew was he joined the military and tried to move on.

Head in the game. His heart stuck back in that room with you. Back where you comforted him, hands wiping away his fallen tears and reminding him how much you loved him.

It made his stomach twist, and his heart clench, thinking of your smile. The face that still plagues his mind, infesting him like a virus.

"Nothing?" Snake asked, raising an eyebrow. "So be it."

König watched as the man put down the box and unlocked it, revealing the items inside. There were needles, hammers, pliers, and other items that would be used for torture.

König's eyes widened. "Fuck you!"

"That can be arranged. Unless you want to give me what I need to know." Snake pulls out one of the items, König's eyes watch it as Snake hands it to one of his men. A garrote.

The man moves behind König, who attempts to wriggle, snapping the wire around König's throat. He tightened it around Königs pulsing neck. König choked, trying to move back, feeling the tightness starting to dig its way into his flesh. The wire was thin and strong enough it easily sliced and drew blood while cutting his oxygen.

Snake leaned forward. "You have two options: tell me, or die slowly."

König wheezed. "F-Fuck off…" He gurgled on his blood that attempted to rise, and the man pulled back, letting König take a few deep breaths before tightening it again. König grits his teeth, looking up at Snake. He wouldn't release information. That's not what all this training was for.

But then, the wire was released, the soldier removing it from his neck covered in blood. The line where the skin was ripped along König's throat started to trickle blood faster.

Snake sighed. "You're an idiot. And it's your loss."

König breathed heavily, spitting blood out of his mouth and glaring up at Snake.

"Now, we could get to the good stuff," Snake said, pulling out a hammer.

König's heart raced. The hammer twisted in Snake's hand dangerously, suddenly swinging it and ringing it down on König's hand, smashing his knuckles. König tried to hold in his noises, grunting as the hammer lifted and hit the other hand, smashing down hard, and König heard a crunch, letting out a noise of pain this time.

"Where is Y/n? I will get it out of you," Snake said, twisting the hammer in his hand.

König tried to blink through the pain, his mind foggy and drifting, imagining you again. Waking up that next morning with you still in his arms. Hand running down your cheek, seeing how peaceful you were with you.

When all was said and done, you two could graduate together. And who knows, he hoped his life continued. No matter how his plans for the future seemed or how bleak the way. He wanted you to be with him.

Your eyelids fluttered open softly, looking up at him. "Hey there, big guy." You whispered. The way you said it never made him feel self-conscious about his height. It made him happy to hear you.

"Morning." He whispered back.

You leaned in, settling your head on his chest, wrapping an arm around him.

Those arms were cold as he stirred, head forced back as another bucket of water was brought in. Bringing him back to reality as the cold water was presented. One of the men, still with a tight grip on his hair, shoved a dirty rag in his mouth, covered in God only knows what.

He gagged, and the bucket was lifted to his face and poured. His vision was blurry as the water entered his nose. The rag blocked any oxygen he attempted to breathe in, and he gagged and coughed as he suffocated. He tried to thrash, but they held his head up, forcing the water down his throat and up his nose.

His heart was racing, his hands burned, and so did his throat. His mind raced as he was unable to get air. It wasn't long until his head started to become fuzzy, the blackness at the edges of his vision threatening to swallow him up.

He started to slip away, only to be pulled back, the bucket removed. And the rag from his mouth, allowing him to choke out what was obstructing his oxygen. Water pooled down his lips and chin, gasping for air and coughing violently.

Snake again right there, on him like a hunter on fresh prey. He pulled out a photo and showed it to him. König fought for his vision, panting as it focused in again, seeing the photo.

It was you. A gun in hand, looking down the sight, sharp eyes focused on the target. You were wearing a SpecGru outfit.

He panted. That was you.

"Where. Is. Y/n?"

König shook his head. "I don't know! I don't know anything about them!"

Snake growled. "I will make you regret this."

König stared down at the photo. Seeing you, seeing your face again. He smiled. His vision went blurry again before his head was shoved back into the bucket, choking and forced to take more water. His lungs burned, and his head felt heavy again as the water continued to invade every orifice it could.

He struggled, inhaling water from every angle. Seeing your eyes again. Remember looking into them in slight glances from a classroom full of other people. Seeing how you lit up when you saw the book you'd wanted at the library. Laughing with him over coffee while your homework was spread out without a care.

And your laugh… God, he really wasn't over you. He thought that if he forced you away from himself enough, you would leave. That you would wriggle from his life, and the pain would stop.

The pain of missing you every day. The pain of knowing you were an enemy now. The pain of his lack of oxygen made his head swirl and circuit, trying to fight.

His own tears mixed with the water as he thrashed for his life.

And he was pulled back up.

"Please," König pleaded, gasping for breath as Snake took his time, looking over the photo once more.

"Please! I don't know where they are, please believe me!"

Snake looked back at König, his eyes narrowed. "Then you will die for nothing."

König choked, the rag shoved back into his mouth, and the water poured back into his throat, pouring down on him.

He tried to struggle as he felt burning in his sides, blood dripping from his thighs, screaming and thrashing for any way out. They continued to inflict more pain on him. He tried anything he could do…

"Hey, Hey, König…" You stopped him, seeing the tears flooding down his cheeks. "Shh, what's wrong?" You let him inside, closing the door, and he shook, wrapping his arms around you.

You held him back, having a feeling you knew what this was. He didn't let go, keeping you close to him, burying his head in your shoulder, shaking violently.

"What happened??" You asked quietly, running your hand down the back of his head. He sniffled, so upset and scared. "The divorce is final…" König's voice shook.

"König… I'm so sorry." You knew how hard this was for him, holding him tightly.

"She's taking us to Austria next month." His voice broke, clinging to you. He may never see you again. The realization hit you as you

hugged him back, tears filling your eyes. Clinging on as tightly as you could. "König…"

You both kneeled on the cold tile floor, holding each other, being with each other. The last thing he got to do was hug you. You were in his arms one more time before he left on the plane. The following years of his life were torture, living with new people.

And he didn't have you to turn to. He could call you on the phone, but couldn't hold you. He couldn't see you face to face. He couldn't climb in your window to cuddle you for grounding…

He didn't feel like he ever really had a chance to say goodbye. And that haunted him.

He thought he could get over it… Get over you. How it took him now to realize this. How you always found a way to run back into his life and shatter the illusion that he was holding himself together alone perfectly fine.

Knowing that he'd die a foolish man.

His mind was spinning, barely realizing his body gasping for air, choking and vomiting, trying to grasp reality, but the torture kept coming.

His heart was racing, and he wasn't sure if his hands were numb from being smashed or his head was fuzzy from the lack of oxygen. The blackness was closing in on him, and he felt so faint.

His ears rang, unable to make out Snake's voice. He felt hot. Like he was burning up.

He was going to die. He would never see you again. You would never know…

And he wouldn't ever get to tell you.

How he loved you.

The last thing he saw was the photo. The only thing he could hear was your voice.

His body blocks out the hammer that collided with his temple or the blade that slashes into his abdomen. Tears stream down his cheeks, fading more and more as he's preyed on.

"We will find them. And we will kill them. Just like we will kill you." Snake's voice finally smashed through the sweet illusion of his death. Of his demise with you right in front of him. Wishing he could hold you.

Wishing he could cry to you. Wishing… So much wishing… He had so many wishes that would never come true.

The cut was deep, and he could barely feel it.

Snake looked at his work. König was gone, the look in his eyes was empty. He had been here before. Where König was now. He could see it in his eyes. His mind was trying to save him from the pain.

The fucked reality he's been living in where he's never tried to pick up and call you.

Where he blamed everything for what happened. He blamed himself for it all. And now you were back. You always came back for him. You never left him.

Snake's eyes narrowed, looking back at the photo. "Take him away. He's useless."

The men followed orders, carrying König away to be dumped.

And you. You were in danger. Snake would get to you one way or another. He would have his revenge.

And König would die.

König would never get to see you again.

The one person he wanted to hold in his arms again.

You were about to wake up that morning, and he was nowhere to be seen. But instead, you were woken up by a knock on your door.

And your world shattered.

You didn't get to say goodbye.

Your father gave you the news the plane had left, and König was gone. He'd hugged you the night before, but you never got to say goodbye. Tears filled your eyes, knowing you wouldn't see him in person again for a long time.

But you were determined to be in his life. One way or another. Even if it wasn't meant to be. You should have given up. Trying to stay got him killed. It would get you killed. And no one would win except your enemies.

But you refused to let him go.

You would find him.

No matter what it costs.

"König," you said, reaching up and touching his cheek. His eyes slowly opened, looking down at you, his eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry." You whispered. König reached out to touch you, ignoring the cold feeling in his body as he lay among the trash for his life to fall away. He ignored the blood and the pain he felt. Tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry I didn't come back…" He choked out, shaking.

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

König choked on a sob, holding onto you tightly. You were cold. Your arms which he'd loved so much when he was younger were frigid, but he couldn't let go.

He would never let go.

You held him back.

His eyes closed, and the ringing filled his ears, everything around him falling away as he held you. And soon, that too was gone. The illusion of you. His body gave up its fight, and he slipped away. Lying dead on the cold ground, soaking wet, bleeding, broken.

You always wanted to be together, one way or another.

And life vowed to keep you apart. One way… or another.

[ochako-deserves-better]

Touch-starved pt. 2 Katsuki Bakugo x Ochako Uraraka (romantic)

continuation of this post In this version, both Uraraka and Bakugo have romantic feelings for each other. If you want platonic Kacchako, read this!

"Stay?"

Bakugo doesn't answer right away. Right as Uraraka releases his wrist, however, Bakugo finally speaks. "Why?" he manages, his voice tight.

"Because I want you to?" she tries, replacing her grip on the boy's wrist. He flinches again. Uraraka frowns, "No retort?" she regrets the words the moment they leave her mouth. "Sorry," she apologizes quickly. "Come sit with me? We don't even have to talk, if you don't want to."

"Fine," he manages, allowing the brunette to lead him back to the bed. As they sit, Bakugo instinctively tries to put space between them but Uraraka doesn't seem to allow it. She matches his maneuver perfectly. Bakugo considers moving again, but opts to allow the girl's thigh to press against his.

They sit in semi-comfortable silence for a few moments before Uraraka spoke again. "Can I hug you again?"

"Why?" Bakugo asks. "I'll just crush you again."

Uraraka pouts, puffing out her cheeks. Bakugo suddenly can't look her in the eyes, coughing into his fist as he turns his head. "Will you stop?" she says teasingly, "I already told you it was just the angle. And it's not like I'm that fragile. You know that better than most people."

"That's true," Bakugo says with a short laugh. She has only gotten stronger as they've grown, not that she was ever truly weak to begin with.

"So? Can I?" Uraraka presses, praying she didn't come across as wanting too much to return to his arms.

"Whatever," he says in response, "I guess." Bakugo kicks his legs out, swinging them back in an attempt to gain enough momentum to stand. Uraraka stares at him in confusion.

"You just said I could hug you again. What are you doing?" she asks, the shame of rejection prickling her skin.

"I know?" Bakugo tilts his head slightly, seemingly just as confused as Uraraka. "I just assumed... I dunno. I needed to stand for that, or whatever." Bakugo's normally confident air fizzled into something Uraraka has never seen from the boy.

"People cuddle on beds all the time?"

"Cuddle?!" Bakugo exclaims, his eyes wide. "You said hug! Cuddling is--!"

"Just hugging but sitting down?" Uraraka snickers. She has never seen Bakugo so flustered, and likely never will again, so she's enjoying this sight for as long as she can. "Or laying down too, if you want."

"What are you saying?! That's some couple shit! I--We--" Bakugo growls in frustration, his face practically glowing in embarrassment.

Uraraka blinks a few times. "It's not like anyone would know. I won't tell if you don't want me to." She pats the mattress, "Are you joining me again or not?" Uraraka winces at her own tone. She was trying to comfort Bakugo at first, but her own annoyance has begun to twinge at her nerves. Is doing 'couple shit' with Uraraka that bad an idea for him?

Saying nothing, Bakugo flops unceremoniously onto Uraraka's bed. He seems upset. "Bakugo if you don't want to--" she cuts herself off with a squeak as Bakugo's arm wraps around her and yanks her to his chest.

The angle is awkward and a little uncomfortable. Uraraka tries to ignore the pain in her spine, Bakugo is holding her by his choice, when would she get to experience this again? Eventually, though, the pinch in her spine becomes too great to ignore. If she asks to move though, he might leave again. She'll have to be daring.

Uraraka leans hard into Bakugo's shoulder, twisting his body with the force. Bakugo makes a noise, confusion with a touch of irritation, but follows her lead, swinging his legs onto the bed. Perfect. "Lay down," she demands.

"Ha?" Bakugo stammers, "I-"

"My back hurts," she explains, separating from him to look him in the eyes. His eyes are wide, mouth slightly quivering as he seemingly fights against a new expression that attempts to take over his face. "It'd be better if we just.." She lightly pushed his shoulders, coaxing him down.

"You're.." Bakugo starts, he seems to decide against it, because suddenly Uraraka loses the resistance and crashes onto Bakugo's chest. He's going along with it?! Uraraka can't help but smile against the black fabric of his tshirt. "Is this okay?" He asks as his hand settles between her shoulders. His voice is surprisingly small.

Uraraka hums in agreement. Feeling brave, she slides one of her legs over his hips, settling her body, essentially, on top of him. "Is this okay?" she asks.

Bakugo says nothing, but the hammering of his heart gives him away. Uraraka suppresses a giggle. "Have you never done this before?" she asks.

"Have you?" Bakugo counters.

"Of course I have," she laughs. Her laugh quickly dies as she hears him scoff. She clarifies, "The girls have cuddle time, like, weekly, Bakugo. Remember what I said earlier? Hugs reduce stress. Other than Jirou, because she's not big on physical touch, the rest of the us all climb into Momo's bed all the time."

"....As a group?"

Uraraka rolls her eyes, "Of course as a group. It'd be too intimate if it was just... two.. people," Uraraka realizes her mistake too late and trails off, grabbing a fistful of Bakugo's shirt in her hand.

"Is this too-"

"No."

"But you just sa-"

"I know what I said. But it's fine. You're different." Uraraka's head is screaming. She vaguely hears Bakugo's breathing quicken, the gears turning in his mind. She has to change the subject right now if she wants their relationship to stay the way it is. "Why were you doing your work in the common room?" she asks again.

"Are we just going to ignore--" he starts.

"Yes," she mumbles into his chest, turning her face into the fabric of his shirt to avoid catching a glimpse at his face. Unbeknownst to her, her companion was staring at the ceiling, desperately trying not to overthink the situation they are in.

"Fine," he sighs. "I... uh." Bakugo struggles for a moment, starting and stopping the sentence a few times. "Nightmares," he relents. "I've had them since I was a kid, but it's only gotten worse. Being around people helps. For whatever reason." he explains, his voice rough as though the words physically hurt him.

"What happens in the nightmares?" Uraraka asks, rubbing soothing circles on his chest with her thumb.

"I don't know. I don't usually remember 'em. I just wake up feeling like I'm dying."

"Since you were little?"

"Since I got my Quirk, yeah."

"Did this help when you were little?" Uraraka asks, "like, snuggles from your mom?" She pauses. "Not that I'm comparing myself to your-- ew. That's NOT what I meant! I--" Uraraka lifts her head to better look at him in her panic.

Bakugo's laughing. Truly laughing. Granted, he is laughing at her expense, but Uraraka couldn't find it within herself to care about that. "Relax, Cheeks, I knew what you meant." His hand drifted from her shoulders to her hair, lightly pushing for her head to return to his chest. His hand didn't move, instead she feels his fingers tangle into her hair. "You're nothing like my mother." He murmured, more to himself than to her. "But honestly, I don't know. We aren't the hugging type."

"Not even when you were little?"

"Nah. Wasn't worth the risk with my Quirk. What if I got too sweaty and blew up my grandma? Be a surefire way to ruin Christmas."

Uraraka partially pulled away from him again, upper body straining in order to make eye contact with him. "That's bullshit! You were a little kid! They should've found a way! It wasn't your fault that your Quirk was strong!" Uraraka can feel the fire building within her. She sees him in her mind. Katsuki, maybe five years old, waking up from a dream only to have his parents turn him away. She feels her eyes burning with tears. He was probably so scared.

Bakugo visibly begins to stress. "It's fine! I'm fine. Uraraka, I learned to deal with it on my own! It-"

"But you shouldn't have had to!" she retorts. "You were little and you were scared!" The tears spill over and fall down her face, "You deserve to feel safe. You deserve to feel how loved you are."

Oops.

Bakugo's face twists in confusion. "What are you talking about?" Uraraka tries to scramble away to escape her own embarrassment but Bakugo quickly wraps his other arm tightly around her, locking her in place. "Nah, you don't get to leave after you said what you just said."

"Bakugo, please. I--" She hides her face into his chest again, her entire body ablaze in shame.

"How loved am I?" he asks. She whines. "You might as well say it."

"I don't like how smug you sound right now," she mumbles into his chest, ignoring the laugh she hears in response.

"Fine. It's getting late anyway." She feels him pull her off of him. "Goodnight," the bed shifts as he stands, shaking Uraraka out of the stupor she was in.

Swallowing her pride, she stands, snatching his wrist again. "You're so loved, Bakugo. By Deku, by Jirou, and Kirishima and Denki and..." she pauses, "a-and me."

She hears him take a deep breath, the sound more noticeable to her now that air refuses to fill her lungs. He turns around, wrapping his arms around her waist and picking her off the ground. He holds her there, red gaze boring into her. "Is that true?"

She nods, pressing a kiss to his cheek. When he didn't respond, she backtracked, "sorry. I thought maybe-- it doesn't matter. I can still, we can still-- if you have nightmares I want to help you, okay? This doesn't have to be weird-" he squeezes her, knocking the air out her lungs and silencing her.

"Will you stop?" He sets her down, before not-so-subtly wiping his hands on his pants. "It's not weird. I just--" he sighs aggressively. "I'm not good at this, okay?" He leans forward and ever-so-gently kisses the top of her head. "I have to go. But-- tomorrow? We can- I don't know."

"Okay, yeah. Tomorrow," she smiles, a giddy blush coating her already pink cheeks. "But Bakugo? I'm serious. If you have a nightmare..."

"You'll be the first to know." Bakugo echoes her smile with a small one of his own. "I- uh." he hesitates, "Goodnight."

Uraraka giggles, feeling what Bakugo couldn't get himself to say out loud. Not yet anyway. "Sweet dreams."

[yangrr]

prom-ises [l.minho]

⇾ pairing : lee minho x reader

⇾ summary : you might have forgotten about prom,but never your promise to minho

⇾ wc : 1.6k

⇾ genre/warnings : high school!au,friends to lovers!au | mild swearing

You know you had it bad for him.

There was a saying that goes; a boy and a girl can’t always stay as friends,one is bound to fall in love with the other with time.You could say for yourself that you were an avid believer of that principle,till a certain doe-eyed dancer came along and blurred the lines between platonic and romantic.

Truth be told,you both weren’t the classic cute duo that went from childhood best friends to lovers,it was more of a ‘vexed president and vice-president shit-talking the lazy dance club members who never attends practices’ to ‘I call you at three because I’m hungry and lonely’ kind of relationship.You wanted way more than this with him,but you would take the weird dynamic you both have over nothing at all.

You weren’t an idiot to take risks like that,but you were an idiot that kept going back for more.Every moment spent was like a teaser for an upcoming release of your favourite group’s new song;it showcased a little of what it was like to date him,only to wake up from the fantasy that he was never yours to begin with.

You just didn’t have the willpower to say no to his face,which was exactly why Minho dragged you out of your dorm at 8AM to have breakfast with him because he didn’t like to eat alone,and you went with it.

Eyes concentrated on him,your irises glittered with amusement and slight annoyance as he scanned the males in the cafe to spot a potential partner for you,claiming that you were antisocial and should have been dating at this age already.Your conversations somehow always end up on the topic of your love life,and never his.He pulled this stunt plenty a times and to be honest,you were getting sick of it.

“Minho,just eat your food.”You sighed,chewing half-halfheartedly on the greasy meat you wished you never bought.Kudos to him for craving fast food first thing in the morning.

It was a painful dig at your heart,watching the boy you like trying to set you up with a stranger.A clear sign shown that he has no interest in you in that way,yes,but your mind never wanted to cooperate and still held on to the fraying strands of hope that you two might be something someday.

He pointed at a guy not much older than both of you,or maybe even the same age as you,who was lining up at the counter--presumably getting coffee like any normal person would(not you and Minho,there’s that).Minho waggled the fry around,and grinned triumphantly at you. “What about him?”

“Stop it,”You scoffed,rolling your eyes playfully at the snickering male in front of you.He took a huge bite of his burger which was in his other hand,then continued to tease you with his mouth full.

“I think you'll look cute with him.Isn't those boys exactly your type?”Minho mused,eyes sparkling with mischief and something else you could not quite catch. “Handsome,muscular,badass looking,all macho and shit.”He muttered,a light contempt in his tone at the mention of the said boy.There was a disdainful look as Minho eyed him,jaw slacking and he stopped chewing altogether.

Baffled by his comment,you snorted in disbelief at the crap he just spewed out.

Was he really that blind?

As much as you could remember with your memory of a tea-spoon,you recalled rather clearly that you’ve never once mentioned what type of boys you were into.And even if you did,you were positive you wouldn’t ever tell Minho.Never ever.

Minho smiled at you,confused.

“Why are you laughing?”He pushed at your shoulder softly,a small grin extending over his face.

You shook your head,fingers wrapping around the red plastic straw of your soda.Sipping on the iced Pepsi,you cringe slightly at the taste of it,diluted with melted ice.Which reminded you that Minho and you had been in that cafe for quite some time now.

Unsurprisingly,your table was still filled with food,considering the fact that you both had ordered way too much.There were still a few packets of fries and wedges with way too much cheese sauce(Minho claimed that but you argued,saying that there was no such thing as too much cheese sauce),plus three pieces of fried chicken.You grabbed a fry off his tray,while he swatted away your hand.

“Don't steal my food.”He whined,swallowing the remnants that he was chewing. “Tell me,why were you laughing?”

You sniggered, “Whoever told you that I like 'tall,muscular,badass looking,all macho and shit' boys?I don't remember telling you.”You added,raising your eyebrows questioningly at Minho.

You watched how he dipped his head down meekly,his plump lips quirking up from your remark as he struggled for an answer.His chestnut strands fell perfectly into his eyes,languid fingers moving to brush them back.Trying to take no notice of the familiar fluttering in your stomach whenever you're with him,you took another sip of the tasteless Pepsi,hoping that the bleach-like flavour was enough to still the wild thrums of your chest.

“I just thought so…”Minho replied after a while.He fiddled with the burger wrapper,tearing it into small strips. “Anyways,are you ready for our finals?”He breathed out quickly,his round eyes meeting yours.He was trying to change the subject and you knew.Still you let him off the hook.

Your palms started to sweat,and you cursed the morning sun.No,it wasn’t because of the devilishly attractive male in front of you,it’s definitely the sun.

Clearing your throat,your lips parted to speak but was cut off by another presence at your table.It was the same boy that was going to order at the counter just now,the exact one that Minho had said you would look good with.

To be completely honest,you don't see the ‘badass’ and the ‘macho’ in him,though he was handsome by your standards.It was just that he looked edgy and soft at the same time,an interesting combination but the total opposite of the person Minho was describing as your apparent ideal type.

“Hey,this seat isn't taken is it?”He asked softly,grinning politely at the both of you.Minho scowled a little,but still attempted a friendly smile.You shook your head and moved your backpack to another chair,gesturing for him to take the seat.

“I'm Changbin.”He introduced,sensing the heavy atmosphere.He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and continued to speak. “I study in the same school as you guys.”

“Interestingly,I’ve never seen you before.Or maybe you're just not well known enough.”Minho mumbled,answering before you could say anything. “Very very pleased to meet you I must say.Honoured too.”

“Yup,”You quipped awkwardly.

“I'm just gonna be honest about why I came over,”Changbin said quickly,and far too loudly in a panicky tone.You noticed him glancing every now and then at the door,and so out of curiosity you turned to look.You spotted several boys outside cafe waving enthusiastically,and cheering silently at the valiant soldier.

Minho followed your line of sight and scoffed quietly. “Got your personal cheerleaders too I see.”He remarked snarkily,folding his arms across his chest.

“Minho,”You hissed as a warning for him to stop his childish tantrums and motioned for the oddly quiet Changbin to continue,feeling bad for him. “I'm sorry,we got a little distracted.”

He waved it off. “Uhm,maybe if you could possibly agree.If you can,I would really like it if you could be my partner for prom.No pressure though,just a suggestion.”He rambled,scratching the nape of his neck,struggling to look you in the eye.

“A suggestion?I don’t like the suggestion-”

Your eyebrows furrowed slightly,turning to Minho for confirmation. “There's prom?”You asked,genuine confusion written all over your face.

Minho gave you an incredulous look and shrugged. “If he asked,there must be.”He said nonchalantly,munching on a piece of chicken now. “It's after the finals.”He sighed bitterly when he noted your still confused face.

You turned back to face Changbin,a small apologetic smile gracing your lips. “I'm sorry again.I didn't know there was prom,”He just nodded,hands curling around his belt loops and anticipating your answer.

“I think I'm going with someone else already.Thank you for asking.”You said,scanning Minho’s tensed figure.Changbin's face fell in disappointment but he managed a soft 'it's okay,all the best for finals' before he grabbing the lukewarm cup and shot out of the place.

Eyes trailing after his slumped figure,you saw his friends patting him on the back and trying to cheer him up.Sure,you felt guilty of ripping the hopeful smile off his face,but you just wanted to be selfish for once.Changbin was a nice boy,he deserved far better than you.Someone that actually likes him back maybe.

“Didn't know you have a person in mind that quickly.”Minho stated,not meeting your eyes.His tongue tasted sour and he refused to meet your eyes.You pursed up your lips and stared at him in frustration.

“Idiot,you don't remember that time I promised to go to prom with you,if our school ever organised one?”You reminded,seeing his face lit up with realisation."This is me keeping my promise."

“That was so long ago,”He said. “I didn't think you would actually remember it.”He laughed,relief clouding his face.

“Just make sure you remember to pick me up for prom then.”

The silence that befell was not just comfortable,it was a soundproof blanket to smother the bouncing knees and throbbing veins in your throats.

Maybe the last filament of your tattered faith was stronger than you think.

[theonekid123]

Seashells and Dandelions

Chapter Two

Summary: Marco Bodt's childhood friend joins the scouts in hopes of making a better life, Marco being the person he is refuses to let her do it alone and insists he comes with her. They go through highs, (making friends, growing a stronger friendship, and making memories with each other and their new friends) and lows. When Marco's death hit Y/N it hit hard and they sought out the comfort of Armin, the two being previous friends to get closer and eventually form a romantic relationship. However, living in a world of demons can take a toll on relationships platonic and romantic.

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"You're going to get wrecked by her Y/N," Marco said jogging to keep up

" I'm sure ill be fine, it's not like she'll kill me" I scoffed rolling my eyes

"Y/N don't be so cocky, have you seen her in a match," Jean said walking backward in front of you.

"Guys, I'm going to be fine. Stop worrying" I said, getting annoyed, I get they're worried but really? It's not that big of a deal, we all have to match with each other at least once.

"All we're trying to say is-" Jean cut off as he tripped on his foot and fell on his back

"Maybe you should worry more about yourself Jean," I said going to meet up with my training partner. Annie. She was a very beautiful girl, very stoic, and kept to herself

"Go easy Annie" Connie shouted from where he was "training" with Sasha

"I'm sorry about them, they're idiots, let's just start" God they were embarrassing. We took a stance and Marco was staring, worry clear on his face. Neither of us was throwing the first punch just circling. It was getting rather boring so I faked the first move causing her to react and throw a punch to my left side but I dodged, moving to the right. She moved quickly and precisely. She knew what she was doing and she definitely had experience, but so did I. I had an upper hand being taller than her but she has easily taken down people twice her size. I threw a kick to her side but she dodged with ease. This went on for a while we both got some good hits in but neither of us was down. It started to draw attention and soon there was a crowd observing. After a while, I decided to use my "special" move. I got behind her and ran kicking her in the back of the knee then the middle of her back then I forced her down by putting my feet on her shoulders and pushing off on them doing a flip and landing in a crouching position on the ground. I looked up and saw Annie on the floor, soon getting up. I got up and walked towards her as she put her hand out. I shook it and she gave a nod before walking away.

"Holy shit Y/N!"

"Did you just beat Annie?!"

"That was so cool"I looked to see the crowd going crazy before commander Sadies came to stop the "ruckus" as he put it. At a distance, Eren was trying to figure out to ask you for help regarding the training

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"Come on Armin you're smart, how do I approach her?" Eren said to his close friend while he paced back and forth

"I don't know Eren, people arent my best subject" He replied sitting down with a book in his hand next to Mikasa"But I have to be subtle about it, I can't just say "Hey help me with the training" that would sound weird" He sighed

"Y/N is an approachable person, just be straight forward," Mikasa said like it was obvious

"Ok fine Mikasa! Armin, you have to come with me" Eren stated

"Wa-what why?" Armin said getting nervous, he had an attraction to you that he wouldn't admit. Seeing how you would take punishments for things you didn't even do, and how determined you were to accomplish whatever your goal was. You attracted him and the thought of actually talking to you scared him. What if he made a fool out of himself, yeah he had a way with words but he never used them like that.

"Let's go," Eren said, grabbing his friend's arm and dragging him to where you were currently, talking to Connie and Marco. Eren stopped about 2 feet away, Connie was the first to notice. He nudged Marco and he got the hint and they left. You turned to face the two boys.

"Hey Eren, Armin how can I help you," You said it with such sincerity, and the small smile that played on your lips nearly made Armin pass out. He had to pull himself together, he just needed time to put the words together that's all....right

"Y/n.......um....Armin has to ask you something" Eren blurted out pushing Armin in front of him and in turn, closer to you.

"Eren, what?" he said confused at what his friend was doing

"What do you need" there was the stupid smile again, Armin started to breathe heavily and his eyes were darting everywhere. He didn't even understand what was going on with him which lead to him panicking. He never felt this way before.

"Armin, are you ok," you asked, stepping closer to him with concern etched across our face. He fell to his knees trying to calm down.

"Fuck Armin, what's wrong do you need water, um.. just breath focus on breathing," you said dropping to your knees and taking his face softly in your calloused hands. It was comforting but he was internally cursing himself for crumbling so easily.

"Hey, it's ok, calm down. Breathe Armin. In and out" you said moving one hand from his face to hold his other hand he began to calm down

"Ok that's good, here drink some water ok," you offered, opening your water and placing it up to his lips and he took a few small sips. Standing up and offering Armin a hand, pulling him up.

"Ok I'm sorry I didn't realize that was going to happen, we came here because I wanted to ask you for help with the training, I'm not very good and you are so...'' Eren confessed. Looking ashamed and embarrassed a light hatred laugh escaped your lips

"Eren you don't have to be embarrassed to ask for help, no one will think less of you for needing it. I'll be happy to help you," you replied to the stunned looking boy. He was not expecting that response, Mikasa was right you were approachable. Of course, he wasn't going to admit she was right

"I should probably take Armin to the Bunks to rest," Eren said awkwardly scratching his neck

"Alright, well whenever you want me to help please feel free to let me know I'm not a very busy person," you said walking away

"You like her don't you," Eren asked looking at his friend who had a blush going all the way down his neck

"Shut up Eren"

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"Y/N look at me and breath," Armin said trying to get you to focus

"Why was it him, I promised. I promised" legs giving out underneath your, sending you to the ground with a shaking body caused by sobs and adrenaline. You just kept repeating how it was a promise and it wasn't fair.

"Y/N listen to me ok," Armin said, crouching down and softly pulling your hands away from your face. He was silently grateful they were in a rather private area. Looking into your eyes, they looked broken

"It's not your fault, how could you have known that something was going to happen. Marco wouldn't want you to blame yourself" you managed to compose yourself rather quickly, getting breathing and thinking under control

"I promised his mom I would keep him safe, it should have been me. I should've been with him to protect him but I wasn't and now....how am I supposed to tell her he's...." Armin felt hurt seeing you so hurt. She didn't deserve this, Marco didn't deserve it, and you especially didn't deserve it. He was pulled out of his thoughts when you started to speak

"It doesn't make sense Armin, he didn't have his gear on, they wouldn't have taken it yet it was too soon, this wasn't an accident," you explained standing up with some help from Armin.

"You think someone purposely.."

"I don't know Armin but I'm going to find out," you said coldly turning and walking away

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.

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"Sasha shut up, you going to get us caught" I scolded the girl

"Y/N shut up and let me concentrate" Sasha shot back as they snuck through the doors of the mess hall.

"Marco come on!" Sasha yelled at the boy who quickly went inside"Are you sure we'll be fine?" he said worried about getting caught

"You didn't have to come, Marco," I said, rummaging through the bin of food. Suddenly they heard a banging sound coming from one of the closets. All three teens looked at each other making a silent agreement. Slowly walking toward the closet Marco reached for the door and quickly pulled it open. Inside the closet was Christa and Ymir huddled together. They all let out a relieved sigh

"Thank goodness it's just you guys," Christa said, pulling them into a light hug.

"We thought you were Sadies or something," Ymir said, closing the closet door and wrapping her arm around Christa's shoulders.

"So why are you two up this late?" Sasha asked looking through a bin"Probably the same reason your up" Ymir replied with a slightly annoyed tone

"Damn did we interrupt your date or something," I said, going to help Sasha find something good to eat. Meanwhile, Marco stood there kinda awkwardly.

"Maybe you did Y/LN" Ymir shot back while Christa blushed a bright red.We found some decent snacks and ate and chatted

"Well I'm heading out," I said, getting up from where I sat, leaned up against Marco. A chorus of "good night" and "see you later" was what I heard as I shut the door I decided to take a walk before heading to bed. It had to be at least 2 in the morning meaning we had to be up in 5 hours. The moon was big and bright. Very beautiful, I started walking over a small hill and was soon met with 4 familiar faces. Eren, Reiner, Armin, and Bertholdt.

"Well if it isn't my favorite bitches" I said to purposely piss Reiner off. I have nothing against him and he has nothing against me, I hope, but it's sorta a game we play. We like to mess around with each other a lot. He like an older brother

"Real mature Y/N," Reiner said rolling his eyes

"Christa is in the mess hall with some other people, they're all having a little late-night get together," I said kicking some rocks

"Well it was nice talking to you Y/N, let's go, Bert," Reiner said grabbing his taller friend and running off to probably "talk" to Christa which means flirt while Ymir silently tries to murder him. I looked back at the other two boys

"And then there were 2, so what were you all doing in the forest so late at night," I asked with a sly smirk

"Gross Y/N, don't think as that" Eren exclaimed scrunching his face up in disgust

"ME? I didn't even say anything, I guess I can only talk to Armin. He's the only one who will understand" I say dramatically before grabbing Armin's hand and pulling him away

"Let's go, Armin, we can associate with dirty-minded scoundrels," I say listening to Eren yell about how he's not dirty-minded, eventually saying he's going to join the others in the mess hall.

"Oh sorry," I said looking down to see mine and Armin's hand still laced together, I started to remove my hand but he held it tighter

"I like it," he said, his face a bright red. I felt my face heat up and I couldn't help the smile that formed on my lips

"Yeah I like it too," I said looking at our hands and then looking at Armin to see him looking back at me

"Y/N!!" a voice yelled making us pull our hands apart and look for the source of the noise. It was Sasha

"Let's go, I'm tired," she said, dragging her feet as she got closer. She was probably one of the most dramatic people I have met but that is what I liked most about her.

"Ok im coming," I told her, annoyed she ruined the moment

"I'll see you later, yeah?" I asked looking at Armin for a final time

"Yeah" he answered before I turned and started walking with Sasha, meeting up with Ymir and Christa as we got closer to the bunks"

So you and Y/N?" 

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[piggy-i-broke-the-conch]

Guide to LotF Ships:

Hello! So, it's been a while since I last made a proper post on here and I've been thinking of making something like this for a little while now so here goes! Basically this is a guide to the 'main' ships in the fandom (aka the ones I've seen the most in fanfiction and fanart). Each ship will be divided into two sections-canon interaction and fandom interpretation. I figured this might be helpful to anyone new to the fandom or just interested in why people ship certain things!

(apologies in advance for any incorrect quotes, chapter numbers or other errors- I decided it would be a great idea to write this at 3am while citing everything from memory except one quote)

1.) Jalph (Jack x Ralph)

Easily the most popular ship in the fandom, it's not surprising to see why this is a ship given that it involves the two most prominent characters in the novel. However, there is also a sizeable amount of fans who dislike the pairing- potential reasons for this will be covered below.

Canon Interactions:

Where to start with this one? Jack and Ralph's relationship is arguably one of the most significant ones in the novel, providing a source for much of the conflict within the story. At the beginning, their relationship is amicable and they consider each other to be friends- 'They were lifted up, were friends'. However, as the novel progresses their differing opinions lead to them becoming more and more at odds with one another until eventually their relationship falls into complete disrepair. In the middle of the novel their relationship goes through a period of love/hate- 'They stared at each other, baffled, in love and hate' (if you've been in the fandom for a while or are a jalph shipper you've probably seen this quote pop up a fair bit). At the end of the novel, however, it is clear that at the very least Jack seems to completely hate Ralph (throwing a spear at his chest 'with full intention', heavily implying he genuinely intended to kill him). Ralph also asks him 'Why do you hate me?' at one point, which Jack neither accepts nor denies. Ralph seems to have some regrets about the downfall of their relationship, with the memory of he, Jack and Simon climbing the mountain in Chapter 1 being the thing that ultimately causes him to break down and cry in the final chapter.

Scenes which are popular with shippers include the argument between Jack and Ralph in which the 'love and hate' quote appears, with several having pointed out that it sounds a bit like the sort of argument a married couple would have ('I work here all day with nothing but Simon and you come back and don't even notice the huts!'). Some people also consider Jack following Ralph to Castle Rock in Chapter 7 because he 'Couldn't let [Ralph] do it on [his] own' as a sign that Jack cares about Ralph's wellbeing although I personally disagree with this. The early interactions between Jack and Ralph in which they have a more positive relationship are also fairly popular. There are literally so many more examples I could bring up here, I could and probably should make a whole separate post about it.

Fandom Interpretations:

Jalph is portrayed in a number of different ways within the fandom. Generally it is considered to be a love/hate or enemies to lovers pairing, with the relationship between the two varying from a friendly rivalry to complete enemies depending on the fic (the hate aspect of their relationship is more often toned down in modern AUs/school AUs, understandably so as it would be a bit weird if Jack was trying to murder Ralph in the middle of a normal school setting- not that I wouldn't read that fic if someone wrote it).

While some fics portray jalph as a perfectly healthy romantic relationship, others explore the unhealthy aspects of this relationship (especially fics which are closely linked to canon/follow on from canon events) and can even portray Jalph as outright abusive, although this portrayal isn't very common. Some fics involve Jack having a redemption arc, allowing him and Ralph to have a healthier relationship, while in others their relationship remains unhealthy and reliant on their 'indefinable connection' which Golding suggests binds them together.

Generally anti-jalph fans believe that Jalph glorifies and in some cases fetishises abusive relationships, and that Jalph would not last in the real world as a result of it being extremely unhealthy.

2.) Rogermon (Roger x Simon)

While this relationship has little basis in canon, it is incredibly popular within the fandom to the point that it is most likely the second most popular ship after Jalph. The ship seems to stem more from the fandom's interpretation of it more than canon, similar to Rogice.

Canon Interactions:

As mentioned above, Roger and Simon interact very little in canon. This may be due to them both being fairly introverted characters who typically only interact with a limited number of other characters (with Roger primarily interacting with Jack and Simon primarily interacting with Ralph and Piggy). However, they were canonically both a part of the choir prior to arriving on the island and so likely knew each other before the events of the novel. There is one scene in canon which may be relevant to mention here (although this is admittedly a bit of a stretch), and that is in Chapter 7 when Roger is the one to interrupt Ralph and Simon's conversation by the rocks (the 'I just think you'll get back alright' conversation. you know the one). I'll leave you to interpret that as you will.

Fandom Interpretations:

Part of the reason for this ship's immense popularity is its potential. Shippers generally seem to like how Roger and Simon are portrayed as foils to one another in canon- Simon is the representation of goodness and purity while Roger is the representation of evil and sadism. I've heard the phrase 'opposites attract' thrown around in reference to Rogermon before to put it bluntly, people seem to like to contrasting edgy and soft boi aesthetics. In fanworks, Simon is often portrayed as sweet and accepting while Roger is very protective and seems to have a soft spot for Simon which contrasts his cold attitude towards other characters. They often appear in Jalph fics as a 'b-pairing'.

I don't think there's exactly an anti-rogermon part of the fandom in the same way that there are anti-jalph fans, but some people don't ship it for a number of reasons. The main reason is that there are other popular ships involving both Roger and Simon, Rogice and Ralmon probably being the most popular of these. There aren't really all-out shipping wars in this fandom from what I've witnessed (we're a very chill bunch), but I have seen some friendly discourse about Rogermon and Rogice in particular. In addition, it doesn't have much basis in canon and those who aren't a fan of Roger's personality (being a canonically violent and sadistic individual with sociopathic tendencies) may view this and other pairings involving Roger as inherently unhealthy. However, it depends on how you interpret the character and the ship- some may argue that Simon balances out Roger's more 'evil' personality traits and helps to ground him somewhat.

3.) Ralmon (Ralph X Simon)

This pairing isn't as popular as the above two involving the same characters, but still has a strong fan following of its own. Like with Jalph, there is a lot of interaction between Ralph and Simon in canon which provides some basis for Ralmon as a ship.

Canon Interactions:

Ralph and Simon have been friends from the first chapter of the novel and maintained a largely positive relationship throughout. The majority of interactions between them have bee1n interpreted by the fandom as Simon having a crush on Ralph, such as when Simon stroked his arm 'with shy liking' in the first chapter. The scene in Chapter 7 in which Simom crashed into a tree because he was staring at Ralph is also a popular one, as is the slightly later scene in which Simon encourages Ralph by telling him 'you'll get back alright' followed by the two smiling at one another. An interesting point to bring up regarding the latter example is that Ralph recalls this later on in the final chapter. There are also a few examples of Ralph liking Simon at least platonically, such as when he is the one who reacts the most strongly to Simon's death (although this may be more to do with his role in it rather than Simon being the one who died). Ralph and Simon are also the only ones who continue to work on the shelters together after all the others left, something brought up during Ralph's argument with Jack in Chapter 3 ('Simon. He helps')

Fandom Interpretations:

Ralmon is often interpreted in fanworks as being a soft and fluffy pairing, contrasting many of the other pairings on this list. Their relationship is usually portrayed as healthy and wholesome, with Simon often having the stronger feelings at first. Think slowburn friends-to-lovers type fics. The angstier fics tend to deal with Simon's death and Ralph's role in causing it, though Simon is alive in the majority of fics (as a result of an AU or the fic taking place prior to his death).

Again, there isn't really a shipping war between Jalph and Ralmon, but if our fandom was bigger and more aggressive there probably would be.

4.) Rogice (Roger X Maurice)

This pairing bears some similarities to Rogermon in that it doesn't have much basis in canon and seems to be liked largely due to the characters' contrasting personalities.

Canon Interpretations:

Again like Rogermon, Roger and Maurice were in the choir together prior to arriving on the island and so know each other from before the events of the novel. Their relationship in canon seems to be somewhat positive, with the two shown spending time together (aka bullying kids together) voluntarily in Chapter 4. They also both go with Jack to steal Piggy's glasses in Chapter 10, indicating they are at the very least willing to and capable of working together to achieve a common goal.

Fandom Interpretations:

This pairing, as mentioned above, has a focus on Roger and Maurice's contrasting personalities, with Maurice being cheerful and good-humoured while Roger is more cold and aloof. Their dynamic is often used for comedic purposes, with Roger using sarcasm in response to Maurice's memeing. They seem to balance one another out, with Roger being the straight man minus the straight part obviously to Maurice's wise guy.

In fanworks, the pairing isn't portrayed very often within the canon universe from what I've seen, generally appearing within modern AUs and as another b-pairing to Jalph fics. It is usually fairly fluffy, but in fics where Roger is portrayed as more emo or with a tragic backstory, it can be more angsty with a hurt/comfort edge to their dynamic.

I've mentioned this pairing being at odds with Rogermon before, but the closest I've seen to a shipping war was one that took place between the characters themselves in a fanfiction.

5.) Jager (Jack X Roger)

An interesting pairing because while it does have a decent amount of canon basis, it isn't nearly as popular as some of the ships which don't. This may be because there are a fair few fans who dislike one or both of these characters, or because the pairing isn't usually as fluffy as some of the other popular pairings. Even so, it's popular enough to be considered one of the 'main' pairings in my opinion.

Canon Interactions:

Firstly, the obligatory 'they were in the choir before the island so they already know each other'. Jack and Roger's canon relationship is difficult to interpret. It seems that they get along at least somewhat since they often spend time together, with Jack deliberately seeking out Roger to show him his face paint in Chapter 4. I'd also like to point out that the only time Roger smiles in canon is when he's making fun of Jack in this scene ('You don't look half a mess'). Roger also voluntarily accompanies Jack and Ralph up the mountain to look for the Beast, and by the end of the novel he appears to be Jack's second-in-command of sorts. I'm going to drift into speculation for a moment here- personally I interpret this relationship as Jack seeing Roger as one of the only people (if not the only person) who truly understands him- in one scene Jack 'looked round for understanding but found only respect', which could suggest that this is something he values. However, Roger's values seem to differ from Jack's and I think Jack starts to realise this towards the end of the novel- he appears to be afraid of Roger after discovering he was directly responsible for Piggy's death ('the hangman's horror clung to him'). I also don't believe Roger sees Jack in the same way- Roger seems to only be tolerating Jack's position as Chief towards the end of the novel, internally questioning his authority in Chapter 10 and almost pushing his shoulder when walking past him in Chapter 11. It is implied that he dislikes Jack (or at least has bad intentions towards him) in Chapter 4 as well- 'a darker shadow crept across the swarthiness of his face' upon seeing Jack, which could be foreboding.

Fandom Interpretations:

As mentioned earlier, Jager is not always portrayed as fluffily as other pairings. It seems to often be portrayed as quite unhealthy, or sometimes it involves Jack and Roger, for lack of better words, being gay and doing crimes. Their relationship seems to bring out the worst in one another in these sorts of fics. However, a popular headcanon amongst Jager shippers seems to be Roger having a one-sided crush on Jack. Sometimes they have a friends-with-benefits style relationship in works featuring this headcanon, but I've also seen ones where they are regular friends. This tends to appear in Jalph fics in which Roger is not already paired up with Simon or Maurice. Another interesting take on the Jalph side of this pairing is Jalger, or the polyamorous ship between Jack, Ralph and Roger. I've weirdly seen multiple fics in which Jack and Ralph become aware of Roger's crush on Jack and they end up in a three-way relationship. That's technically a whole different ship though so I won't talk about it in depth here. Fluffier Jager fics are often friends-to-lovers, with the two being very close friends in the beginning if not best friends.

*

Well, that's all I've got for now! Thank you very much for reading and I hope you found this guide interesting. Apologies for it being an absolute mess by the way, it's 4am and I have no idea why I decided to write the whole thing now (we love insomnia). If you have any requests for ships I haven't covered here, feel free to shoot me an ask and I'll do my best to cover them! I might end up making a second part at some point anyway since there are still ships I want to talk about (e.g.- ralphiggy because it's super underrated)

Okay, bye for now ;;;

[rosaline-kei]

Bare; AruMika Fanfic (One-Shot)

Disclaimer:I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin / Attack on Titan nor its characters.

Synopsis: It was the first time Armin ever saw a woman’s bare back, bare chest. Exposed.And he had not expected to see it in this sort of situation.It was the first time Mikasa found herself this much exposed in front of him.And the last thing she felt was any form of uncomfortableness, but still, she wished that he didn’t have to witness something so unsightly.

Rated: T

Pairings: Mikasa Ackerman / Armin Arlert

Read it also on / Please Leave a Review at my Ao3 / FF net (as stated in bio)

Author’s Note : A drabble that i decided to (semi)complete. I don’t think it’s that good but meh. You can interpret it as platonic or romantic but frankly, i think its leaning more towards (unresolved) tomantic tension lol.

-

He watches her fall.

Again. For the second time. For the second time, Armin hears her air-tank choke, and watches it come to an abrupt halt a second after. The next thing he sees is how she almost crashes to what could’ve been a close death if he hadn’t swoop in, scoop her in his arms before landing on the ground.

Unfortunately for him, he hadn’t been in time to save her from the spiky branches that tore through her blouse, staining them crimson red all over, bestowing her yet another series of scars on her back and chest that would take a while to recover, heal from. And if she was lucky, they’d disappear for good.

But he had been in time to catch her before her head could’ve knocked onto something rock-hard, which could’ve led to a concussion. A coma. He is momentarily relieved when he sees that she is still conscious. He lays her down gently against a tree, with such caution as if he was handling a watchmaker’s intricate task, as if she is the most fragile thing he has seen or touched. He doesn’t want her anymore hurt than she already is.

But that relief soon washes itself away when he sees her wince in pain, and he can tell that its taking every ounce of her remaining strength to not let out a loud yelp that could possibly scare the creatures resting in the forest at this time of the day, or more specifically night.

After developing and improving on the 3-D manoeuvre gear, Commander Hanji had given an Okay for Levi and his squad to test it out while she busies herself with another pile of paperwork, with her responsibilities as Commander. They had split themselves up, in the forest at night, continuing their training as per normal while familiarising with the new gear that they’d possibly be wearing when they’d confront the man who had abandoned them.

He isn’t sure how far they are now, and figures that screaming for help would be pointless because he knows he needs to take action now as opposed to waiting for his calls to be answered.

Because Armin had been in front of the raven, he is unable to tell if it was her momentary carelessness and loss of her cool that had led her to her downfall or if it was due to a fault in the gear that had caused the gas to halt so abruptly. It doesn’t matter either way, for now. He has other things to worry about, like how her blouse was soaking up more and more blood.

“Mikasa.” He calls her name as calmly as he could, but he is sure the woman in front of him can see through this false front he puts for her, and that he is worried to death even though he is aware that this isn’t the sort of tragic moment where this would be the last breath she takes. He knows she is stronger than that and that it’d take more than a fall to kill her. But he still worries. He can’t help but worry for her, for the future, her future. And he hopes when the time comes when they meet him—their ex-comrade who abandoned them—she won’t be so careless, reckless.

Before he knows it, he finds his hands gripping both of hers tightly, reassuringly. “Is your breathing fine? Is—”

He hates how she forces herself to sit up a little straighter, swallowing every painful shriek that she doesn’t want to let out because she knows it’ll do no good, and would only worry her blonde friend even more. What she doesn’t know is that Armin doesn’t care. He wants her to scream and let out all of her pain, because he knows it’s better than bottling everything up.

However, he doesn’t bring it up. Because arguing now would be a foolish thing to do.

“The wounds are not that deep.” Armin can’t tell if she’s lying to reassure him. He knows that the woman in front of him, who was worth a hundred soldiers, would not die so easily from a few scratches from the branches. But he also knows that this woman was still human. And humans are fragile beings, the surface of their skin is thin, easy to tear from something as trivial as a paper cut. And while he was sure Mikasa is aware of this, she doesn’t seem to apply that knowledge to herself. “Just… There was just a lot of branches.” She pauses briefly. “And it just happened to open up old wounds… but I’m fine. Give me a while.”

Armin is instantly reminded of the recent wounds that she received not too long ago from both a spar and from work; labour that she had been assigned to do (and from what he had heard, pushed herself a little too far. Something that he has already nagged and chided her for.).

His eyes narrow, and he doesn’t trust her ‘I’m fine’ completely. But there is still colour in her face, her breathing isn’t concerningly shallow and it doesn’t look like she is forcing her eyes to stay wide open to avoid the pitch black a person would see when they faint. And he reminds himself that she isn’t dying.

He hopes that something like this won’t happen again, on the battlefield, where her life would truly be more at risk. He doesn’t want to lose her.

He glances around the forest. Albeit dark, he recognises it. They have been training in these parts for quite some time now after all. “There’s a river nearby.” He quickly says, suddenly in a rush. “We’ll wash your wounds there.” He doesn’t give her a choice. He isn’t asking.

“I’m fine.” Yet she insists on the fact that she doesn’t need help. “On the battlefield, I don’t get the luxury of washing my wounds at a lake.” She is stubborn. “I have to put up with it.”

“But we aren’t at war now.” He sounds sterner now, fiercer. He isn’t usually like this; he is admittedly more of a passive person who probably had given into her more often than he should recently. However, he doesn’t know how else to respond to her stubbornness.

He slowly carries her up, and it seems like Mikasa’s body is a little too worn out to fight back.

Again, it is foolish to argue now. That’s the last thing Armin wants with her. He tries to reason. “And by the time you’re on the battlefield, all your wounds would already be healed. You’ll be stronger. At your fullest. But right now, you’ve been overworking yourself, getting new bruises. You aren’t at full capacity.”

Mikasa doesn’t argue back, because he is right. And she knows he wouldn’t yield to her stubbornness because he cares for her too deeply.

…

When they reached the river, Armin once again gently sets her down and removes both their gears, setting them aside. He notices that her wounds are no longer oozing out as much blood as before, and it soothes him… just slightly. It confirms the fact that they aren’t that deep, but it doesn’t mean Armin would care any less about it. About her.

His hands scramble about in his pockets, and finds a clean handkerchief that he isn’t sure how it ended up there, but regardless is thankful for its presence. He approaches the lake, soaks it with water before squeezing some of it out and turns back to Mikasa.

It was only then did he realise what he has to do and what he has just gotten himself into.

Mikasa already knows, has her back already turned and facing him as her hands move to unbutton her blouse.

It is probably an extremely inappropriate moment to flush, but Armin can’t help it. Instinctively, he turns away, sparing her some privacy even though that isn’t exactly a choice later on. “I- uh… ah…” There is no longer a sternness in his tone. It is lost, and nervousness overwhelms him. Mikasa notices it in the instant she unbuttons the last button, letting the blouse fall down her shoulders, down to the ground.

Armin is unable to believe how she removes the clothes from her body without that much hesitance. Does she not realise what she is doing? Or does she trust him that much? Or is it because she doesn’t see him as man?

The last thought irks him somehow, but that is far from the truth behind Mikasa’s lowered guard around him.

Mikasa knows the back of her sports bra is partially torn, too. And she knows it’ll get in the way. So, her hands move towards it, unhesitatingly, to take it off.

“W-Wait!” Despite his well-known intellect, clearly Armin didn’t think ahead for this scenario. He is red all over. “I- ah… y-you can keep that on. I don’t want to...—”

“I trust you, Armin.” She says this so confidently, even though admittedly, she’s a little embarrassed too. Because she is still a woman who has undeniably grown in certain areas, and this is the first time she exposes herself this much to a man. But there weren’t nurses around to tend to her, so she isn’t in a position to complain. And she knows that if she puts back on her blouse and tells Armin to forget it, he’ll go on a lecture and the cycle repeats.

And above all, she trusts Armin. He is her childhood friend, too. He would never harm her. He could never harm her. She knows this, and she never takes advantage of it, of his kindness because she cares for him deeply too. She cares for him, in her own unspoken way. “It’s okay.” She doesn’t look back to him to give a reassuring look that provides as much assurance as her tone, mostly because her cheeks are tinged slightly pink, and she doesn’t want that to distract him or make him any more uneasy.

I trust him. She thinks. But even so…this situation is…

Her cheeks, tinged with pink, says enough.

Armin gulps and nods and walks towards her silently before kneeling down behind her after she has removed her bra. Perhaps if Mikasa could’ve reached all the wounded areas on her back easily, the two childhood friends probably wouldn’t have found themselves in this sort of… predicament.

“I’ll… be fast.” He says, but it doesn’t mean he won’t be gentle. He dabs the cloth on her wounds lightly, wiping away the blood.

She winces, making Armin even softer in his movements. “It’s okay.” She says again, her arms crossed and covering the front of her chest. “We’re alone…anyway. We aren’t supposed to meet the others yet… they probably wouldn’t have noticed our absence.”

“Yeah…” Armin murmurs, “Does it hurt?” He checks on her, as he approaches the slightly deeper cuts that appears to be her re-opened wounds. He makes a mental note to inform Commander Hanji that they should have a wardrobe upgrade, have better material for their uniforms. A blouse and a jacket over it weren’t going to do it for them at this point in time.

“No.” Mikasa responds. “Sorry.” She responds, and Armin raises a brow, before he finds them furrowing in slight frustration.

“Does that mean… your fall was due to carelessness?” He asks, and he tries his best to ensure that his question doesn’t sound something close like a reprimand.

“I don’t think so.” What an uncertain answer, Armin cannot help but think. Neither a lie nor the truth. “I’m just… tired.”

He decides not to pry any further, and lets it go for now because pushing, and maybe even arguing won’t do either of them any good. And perhaps, its because he can empathise with her too. Deep down, he knows it isn’t just the training and labour that is wearing her down. There was him, too. In that way, they are alike. However, their connection extends further than that.

They aren’t just connected because of him.

Either way, He doesn’t want to think of his name, much less say it out loud now. So, he changes the topic.

Somewhat.

“Please…be more careful next time.” He finds himself saying this before he could rethink his words. In Mikasa’s eyes, Armin never had his guard up so high around her. Because just as she trusts him, he trusts her. However, hearing him so vulnerable now seemed to have surprised her a little, and it softens her heart. It makes her feel a little more vulnerable than she already is, too. “I can’t lose you.” It sounds like a plea, and he is referring to the next time they are out on the actual battlefield; a place where lives are truly at risk, at stake. More prone to death. “That is… all I ask from you, Mikasa.” He whispers that last part in a hushed tone, and she could only wonder why.

“…I don’t have any bandages now.” Armin continues before Mikasa could reply. “Otherwise… your wounds are a little cleaner now. Ah… we better get you back to headquarters quick…” He grumbles the last part, and walks over to the river once more, rinsing the blood absorbed from the handkerchief before walking back.

When he returns back, his anxiousness does too. “Uh… your front.” He is vague. “I’ll… clean it now… so… uh… I… d-do you—”

His words are cut halfway, and his cheeks become redder when the woman in front of him unexpectedly turns towards him, facing straight at him. And even if her arms are still covering her breasts, there is still the sight of her cleavage that he tries to avoid looking at but it is difficult not to when he’d start cleaning the wound in front because...

Either way, he is astounded once again that the raven doesn’t mind being so exposed in front of him.

“M-Mikasa! W-What are you—”

He looks away so fast when she turns anyway, so he doesn’t notice the light, faint pinkness on the raven’s cheeks. “I trust you.” She says again, “There aren’t that many scars as compared to my back… the blood is still oozing out a little, but nothing serious…” She remarks as calmly as she could, forcing every stutter to die and her words to be more articulate. It is hard to maintain her usual levelled tone in her voice, but she tries to because she doesn’t want Armin to think she is uncomfortable or hates it.

Armin gulps again, and with his eyes still fixated on a random leaf on the ground, he marches to her in an awfully stiff way, kneels down, and Mikasa swears it took him more than a minute to finally be able to face her.

Despite their shyness and silence, there seems to be an unspoken understanding between them that prompts Mikasa to slowly loosen her arms, exposing her chest completely but Armin’s eyes aren’t focused—he makes sure they aren’t focus on her… womanly parts. He doesn’t want her to feel uncomfortable, and he isn’t sure if he can contain his blush if he even dares peek at them.

Besides, the long scar that stretched from the top of her chest, down to her upper stomach catches his attention the most. And his worry sinks back in, numbing his flustered self temporarily. Even if the wound isn’t that deep, he worries. His eyes soften as he cleans the blood dripping. For the first time, he never knew he could hate the colour red so much. And he can only hope that she wouldn’t drenched in it the next time he encounters her on the battlefield.

He doesn’t say anything for now, in fear of making her uncomfortable. He doesn’t even know what sort of conversation to even make, in this sort of situation. And as he is finishing cleaning up, Mikasa speaks.

“Sorry…” Mikasa suddenly apologises again, although she sounds sullener. “For you to see something so unsightly.” She is referring to her scars. And although she knows she—that both of them had seen worse, more gory things in their life, she can’t help but feel bad. It’s not like anyone wants to see a friend’s bleeding wounds. “And I’m sorry for troubling you.” He wonders if she is referring to her earlier obstinance.

“…Gee… what are you saying? You’d have done the same thing for me right?” Armin murmurs, and when he finishes cleaning the last bit of leaking blood, he garners some courage as his ocean hues meet her greyish ones that seemed a little brighter, perhaps due to the moonlight. Unsightly? He scoffs to himself. What is she talking about?

She is beautiful. He thinks immediately, and blushes at the sudden thought. And then finds himself mesmerised by her, by the trusting, loving look in her eyes that she doesn’t bother to hide, that she lets him see. Because Mikasa Ackerman cares for Armin Arlert deeply and what is there in that fact to hide? He shifts closer to her sub-consciously, as if his eyes want a closer peak of the ‘colourfulness’ hidden behind her orbs. Unknown to him, he is hypnotized. “You aren’t unsightly…” Words like that spill from the tip of his tongue, “Your eyes… they sparkle in the moonlight. Like last time.”

Last time…?

Mikasa finally sees his face, a little clearer now, and unknown to Armin, he is moving closer to her, and she is unsure why he suddenly complimented her eyes. Or why her heart begins to palpitate, or why there is warmth accumulating at her cheeks.

“Armin…?”

“Mika—”

But alas, the moment is ruined. Armin’s arm grazes her breasts lightly and most definitely accidentally, when he moves closer—but the fact that it was an accident doesn’t make the situation any better as Mikasa’s cheeks officially burnt red while Armin, upon realising what he had just done, instantly turns around and becomes a stuttering mess.

“I-I-I d-didn’t m—”

Mikasa finds herself covering her chest again. And even though she knows it’s an accident, it is still flustering.

Then suddenly, she recalls something, a moment back before their lives had taken a terrible direction. A moment before they realised and saw what life outside the walls was truly like. A moment, which had revealed to Mikasa back then that Armin wasn’t as innocent as she thought he was.

“…Armin, weren’t you the one who… had those indecent books that you later circulated around the boys for a while… before they got confiscated?”

Her statement doesn’t make this… his predicament any better, nor does it cure his stutters. If anything, it worsens them, and to make things worse, he feels his heart beating rapidly as he struggles to find words to explain.

“I-I…! I-It isn’t w-what you t-think! I—”

“…Perv.” She says it flatly, in such a cold way that almost drives Armin into tears of embarrassment. That was, until he heard a chuckle that followed after a minute of him internally suffering from being labelled as a perv by her.

A beautiful, angelic sort of sound he hadn’t heard from her for a while.

“W-Why—”

“You can turn around now.” She says, and he does so, hesitantly. She already has her bra back on, and her smile still stays plastered on her face after her chuckle.

What a sweet smile, he thinks.

“I still trust you.” She says softly, and that relieves him a little. But he is concerned that she didn’t withdraw her remark about him being a perv. Then again, to be fair… that indecent book incident…

He cut his thoughts off halfway when he sees her about to wear back that bloodied blouse. He immediately stops her, and Mikasa frowns, confused.

“Arm—”

Before she knows it, Armin is the one unbuttoning his blouse and before she is the one who turns to a stuttering, confused mess the blonde speaks, “It’s dirty… don’t wear it back”

He goes behind her, removes the dirtied blouse after handing her his own.

“Ah…” was all Mikasa could say, and she feels embarrassed at the fact that she thought he was undressing for… other reasons. And she is too stubborn to admit it, or say it out loud.

“Thank you.” She ends up saying, and she is genuinely grateful. Slowly, she puts on his blouse as Armin takes a seat behind her, his eyes looking over at her wounds. He notices some of them bleeding a little again, and it aches his heart but there is nothing much he can do with just a handkerchief.

“Sorry… for you to see something so unsightly.” Her remarks echo in his head, and he doesn’t like it.

Granted, Armin agrees that scars are anything but pretty. Because behind each scar, is pain. You can rarely find any beauty in them.

But when Armin sees Mikasa, he still finds her beautiful. Not just the outer appearance, but her heart. She may be regarded as cold by strangers, cruel by enemies… but he cannot help but find her heart beautiful, because he is one of the very few people she has ever made room for in there.

He leans in closer to her back, and before the blouse covers all her back as she buttons them, he presses his lips against the area near the nape of her neck. It all happened too fast, too instinctive; at least on his part. Armin was barely aware of the affection he just gave her.

Mikasa is caught off guard, and she flushes at his sudden ‘attack’. But she doesn’t hate it. She is just confused why he did it and… is puzzled about the sudden fluttering in her heart.

“A-Armin…?” She stutters out.

When his lips finally depart from her back, it seems like he hasn’t snapped out of the trance he is in, and isn’t completely aware of what he just did. And all he manages to say is, “You aren’t unsightly.”

Mikasa goes silent, and for some reason, she feels her entire body and nerves relax, as if such simple words provided her some sort of solace.

“…You really are a Perv.” She cannot help but reply, because she finds it unfair how he could do something like that… how he can surprise her just like that.

It is only when she calls him a Perv again, does he become fully aware of what his instincts drove him to do. He is now panicking and blushing madly. And then, he is struggling again, to find words to explain, to justify.

“…I could’ve cleaned my chest myself you know.” Mikasa says these words as if she had been aware of this fact all along. But really, that thought has only now occurred to her; and it probably flusters her more than the blonde whose cheeks grew redder (if it can already be redder than it already was) as the word Perv automatically and continuously reverberates in his head. He hopes Mikasa doesn’t really think of him as Perv.

It seems both of them had been too caught up in the moment.

Well, what’s done is done and Mikasa doesn’t seem to be bothered about Armin’s actions as much as he thinks she does. Not even the kiss on her back, which is something she chooses not to question now. Because she is sure they are both tired and given the current predicament—the one where they are in the middle of the forest, unable to head back using their gear since hers is faulty— and that it isn’t the best time to bring it up.

For now, the raven merely watches the blonde’s shyness grow increasingly as he mumbles out inarticulate words that she assumes are meant to explain and justify himself, and prove himself unguilty of his Perv nickname.

This is the same man who is able to use words as weapons against enemies, to push forward his beliefs. That same man was stammering, unable to find the right words and a part of Mikasa finds this side of his amusing. And maybe cute.

She doesn’t say anything after, as her heart chooses to treasure this little moment they have.

[musicempath]

ZOEY CLARKE LOVES MAX RICHMAN: a masterpost

As the finale draws nearer day by day, I decided now was the perfect time to do an idea I’ve had kicking around in my head for a while: an in depth look at every moment, subtext or text, that shows Zoey Clarke is in love with Max Richman. I’ll be going episode by episode documenting every lingering look, every moment of jealousy, every line of dialogue that shows that Zoey’s feelings for her adorable best friend go beyond being simply platonic. Because they do, and I can.

Onwards and upwards for some rambling!

1x01

Her soft smile at Max when he has his pure of heart, dumb of ass moment, asking if 50/20 is low for a blood pressure reading. Zoey loves one (1) adorable idiot.

Right before Max starts singing I Think I Love You, there’s a little smile and squint she has as Max struggles to put what’s going on in his head into words. Nothing special. Just a little moment of fondness worth noting.

During I Think I Love You, as shocked and a little bit terrified of Max’s sudden confession as she is, you can see her soften up when she gives him her hands to spin her around in the chair. Out of the blue confessions of undying love are scary, but they’re made slightly less scary when you’re also. Y’know. In love with that person too.

1x02

Sucker! This is gonna have a lot of different points, but to start out with there’s the fact that she can’t hold back her smile when Max sings the opening line to her. Even as she’s trying to stop the heart song from stealing her big, introductory speech thunder, she can’t stop smiling.

And then there’s the thirst. By the end of his heart song, Zoey is quite literally fanning herself with her notecards. She may not have admitted it at this point, but she’s absolutely attracted to Max on some level, and watching him seductively sing Sucker to her made her confront it at least a little bit.

It’s also worth noting that once the song is over, Zoey is flustered. Extremely so. When she refers to her memo and its section How Not To Be Distracted In The Workplace, she glances at Max. At the Golden Gate Grind with Mo, Zoey even says “Max is becoming a major distraction at work.” Zoey hasn’t referred to any of her other workplace heartsongs as major distractions, though, so what makes Max different? The fact that the feelings are mutual and she isn’t ready to admit it.

Moment one of Zoey not saying she doesn’t feel the same way for Max comes at the Golden Gate Grind with Mo. It would be so easy for her to say that she just doesn’t like Max in that way. But she doesn’t. She just says that with everything going on in her life, she wants things between them to stay the same and that she doesn’t want to live in the awkwardness.

At her parents’ house! When Max brings the butterscotch pudding over from Hand-Picked. There are so many individual moments in that one scene, but especially when Max is crouched down, talking to Mitch one-on-one, you can really see just how much Zoey cares for him. There’s a lot of love as she watches her best friend with her dad.

“Is it too early to say friend for life?” no it is NOT and don’t even get me started on how much that journal entry reeks of an early crush that went nowhere back when Zoey first started out at SPRQ Point that maybe she thought faded into friendship but really just got stronger over the years and she just ignored it.

Longing and wistful look at Max and Autumn on a date at the Golden Gate Grind through the window. This was the start of Jealous Zoey™. To be further documented in later episodes.

1x03

Cute side-eye at Max when he says “Dude, Joan is crushing us,” as they’re leaving from a late night at work. Actually the whole time he’s complaining about wanting to crash and she bursts his bubble that they already have plans she’s giving massive hearteyes. Or getting a bit tight-lipped once Autumn is mentioned.

“C’mon, whiskey sour, this body has got to move!” “Oh, sorry guys, her body is very bossy, apparently.” “Okay.” Zoey’s face during this whole exchange is just so telling like you can already tell that Max and Autumn’s relationship is grating on her, and it’s NOT just because new couples are annoying either. And then the air spanks. She definitely had that jealousy nausea watching that.

“Max is in... a very handsy relationship,” and also “Not jealous. Just aware,” are also really great examples of how Max and Autumn’s relationship is getting to Zoey. However much she’s insisting she’s not bothered, even Mo can tell that it’s killing Zoey to see Max with someone else. Even if she’s also totally hung up on Simon at the same time.

1x04

"You can take the fifth and stop telling me about it!” More Jealous Zoey™. You can tell by Max’s reaction to this that it’s definitely not how Zoey would typically react.

Honestly, I know Zoey’s trying so hard to give off this I’m so supportive! air while talking with Max about his plans for a couples trip in Napa with Autumn, but you can really tell that she’s gritting her teeth through it the whole time. “You could stand to tone it down a little bit,” more like “Please stop feeling so strongly about Autumn instead of me it makes me wanna barf.”

Zoey’s little headshake when Max says he got to second base at several bar mitzvahs. He’s an idiot, but he’s her idiot. It has those vibes.

1x05

Have I said we’ve reached peak Jealous Zoey™ yet? Because if I have, I was lying. This is where we start to find out that there’s trouble in paradise for Max and Autumn post!Napa, and Zoey? She is living. She’s grinning the whole time Max complains about Autumn and her face when Autumn goes in for a very unreciprocated smooch from Max is just. So damn pleased with herself. Basically, Max is miserable with Autumn, Zoey can see it, and she could NOT be happier about it.

Also let’s talk about how completely at ease she is with Max that she lets him see her with a sheet mask on for a minute. It’s such like... a married couple moment and I adore it.

1x06

Vindication for Jealous Zoey™ as she gets the deets on Max and Autumn’s breakup. Smiling at Max being an absolute dork insisting that he nailed it and would at least get a nomination if awards were given out for Best Breakup. Again, he’s a dumbass, but he’s her dumbass. 

“And I’m...staring at your nipples!” AKA the moment that collectively made all of us lose our shit because of shirtless Skylar Astin. This entire scene is pretty much the epitome of banging a book titled Zoey Clarke Is Attracted To Max Richman against our heads. She can’t stop staring at his chest. We know it. Max knows it. He even jokes about it. This is pretty much the level of flustered during the Sucker scene dialed up to an 11. When Zoey leaves Mo’s apartment we even see her throw one last look at shirtless Max for the road.

I’m! Gonna! Be! But part one because the slower reprise is a whole different ballgame. This is Zoey at her weakest moment, I think, overwhelmed with everything that happened at the engagement party and crying because she just got a call about her dad falling and being rushed to the hospital, and Max doesn’t even hesitate to jump in and help Zoey. And this is the first time we don’t see any resistance from Zoey whatsoever about hearing a love song from Max. Even though she’s crying, she’s also constantly shooting Max these loving little looks as he’s singing and trying to lead her through the crowds on the streets and get her to her dad.

Which of course leads into the scooter scene where Max literally threatens to throw down with a stranger if he doesn’t give up the scooter. And then proceeds to ride the scooter with Zoey since she doesn’t feel comfortable riding it by herself. Even though she’s an absolute mess when she gets on, you see her visibly calm the longer she rides the scooter with Max. Max is her rock and he makes her feel safe.

The hug! At “I’m here if you need me. Always.”! When Zoey pulls away she looks down at Max’s lips and then back up into his eyes and you cannot tell me that she didn’t fully expect and even want Max to go in for the kiss. The disappointment when he leaves without kissing her is so palpable on her face.

I’m! Gonna! Be! Part two! The first moment that it actually hit Zoey like a freight train that she might like Max in a romantic styles kinda way. This is probably the most romantic song Max has heart sung to her at this point, and instead of being confused and a little terrified or annoyed and very flustered, she’s smitten. The way we see Zoey look at Max in this moment is very akin to how she’s looked at her family, particularly her dad or her dad and mom at times, and if that doesn’t tell you the absolute depth of love she’s feeling for him at that moment I don’t know what will. Zoey could literally have run out onto that street corner to plant a big ol’ smooch on Max because of his little reprise, and it would’ve been wholly believable based on her reaction to him singing.

1x07

There’s a definite Moment™ between Zoey and Max as the credits are rolling and she’s teasing him about crying at the ending that gets interrupted when Mo flicks on the light. This is our first glimpse at what Zoey and Max’s friendship dynamic was like before her powers revealed his feelings for her since the pilot, and the tension between them has definitely ramped up even MORE since that moment Max sang to her from the street corner.

“I need more Max in my life,” honestly this plus the way she looked at him as she touched his shoulder just made me scream because this is classic flirting. I mean this is textbook flirting. Flirting 101 would cover this on the very first day. And even Mo notices it and points it out.

“After I got the power... You sang to me. Love songs. Lots of love songs.” “I did?” “Yeah.” There’s so much that could be said about Zoey’s body language in this scene, but the little smiles she gets as she says “Lots of love songs,” and then “Yeah,” probably are the most telling. We’ve seen Zoey show a wide array of emotions to Max’s heart songs in the moment, but to smile about them in hindsight is a huge sign that she thinks of them fondly.

Zoey’s conversation with Max on the balcony. Just the entire thing. Again, it would be so easy for Zoey to say that she just doesn’t feel the same way about Max. But she doesn’t. Her answer for Max isn’t that she isn’t interested, it’s that she doesn’t know how she feels. And that she hasn’t let herself figure out how she feels out of fear of losing him. And though Zoey says she hasn’t considered going down a romantic road with Max, this conversation makes it pretty clear that she’s at the very least thought about it in passing and isn’t against the idea of them being more than friends. She’s just scared of what happens if Max becomes the latest casualty in a series of disastrous relationships. “It is not a rejection.” (I mean it kind of is but not in the sense that’s easiest to handle) “It’s all coming from a place of love.” 

1x08

Zoey’s in her own little world in that scene in the elevator with Max walking into work, not really looking at Max much besides quick little glances for his reaction, but once he starts talking the hearteyes are turned up to an 11. 

Pressure! The entire scene after Zoey finishes making a fool of herself in front of the big boss with Zoey giving meaningful looks to Max and talking about the Chirp but also absolutely talking about Max at the same time. “It’s there to help you and back you up in any situation,” and yes by it she does mean Max and that look in her eyes is absolutely mortification mixed with love.

I’m Yours as a scene and song also have to get mentioned. Not to break down every little piece of body language on Zoey’s end (because that in itself would take up a whole meta) but to point out the fact that the music starts well before Zoey actually starts singing. She knows the song is coming on. She can feel it. But she doesn’t fight it. It’s the ONLY song she doesn’t fight besides Crazy which took her by surprise and How Do I Live which was for her dad. Also, anyone who insists that this song is purely platonic is deluding themselves. This song being meant in a romantic way is obvious both from the lyrics and the choreography.

Which of course Zoey tries to deny immediately afterwards in the most transparent and obvious way. The fact that Max picks up on this is less a testament of him being pushy and more that he’s been friends with Zoey for five years and knows what a Zoey who is bullshitting looks like. That was bullshitting at its finest worst. 

The confrontation with Max after her song to Simon. “I’m not sure I knew I had those feelings until I sang them,” is a pretty accurate (and also inaccurate) way to describe Zoey’s complicated relationship with her feelings for Max. They’ve been there. There’s been so many clues along the way that they’ve been there. But Zoey has very pointedly ignored them until she couldn’t anymore, and you can see in her face as Max confronts her with his own interpretation of the situation that she knows he’s right about a few things, however much as she doesn’t want to admit it.

When she opens up to Max. This is probably the first time we’ve seen Zoey be this honest with Max about her dad’s condition and how it’s affecting her, and it produced a scene that’s so sweet even after their mess of a confrontation. The effect that Max has on a thoroughly dejected Zoey is incredible, especially as he jokes about hating her “just a little” and makes her smile.

1x09

She holds back when she’s telling Max what the I’m Yours Zoey would say to him about the promotion, but the way she looks at him is full of love but just... tentative about it. Hesitant. Like she isn’t ready for the full emotions dump but there is absolutely a full emotions dump waiting in the wings for when she is ready.

1x10

I could say something about the fact that the reason she “forgot” about it being the day that Max moves to the six floor is because she’s been avoiding it, but let’s instead talk about the rest of that conversation because there’s definitely a lingering sort of longing that hangs in the air before Zoey brushes it off with the “it’s only two floors we’re being ridiculous” attitude. She’s also giving him massive sad hearteyes as he walks away and Here I Go Again starts to play.

“Max is probably miserable on the sixth floor” not really a Moment™ per se but it comes into play later when Zoey takes it very personally that Max is happier on the sixth floor than he ever was on the fourth floor. Troubles with Max are not the source of her anger this episode, but this is definitely a moment of petty jealousy that adds to her grief anger.

Zoey after The Boy Is Mine, when Max is describing his reasoning for staying on the sixth floor and keeping the code there. Obviously, there’s a personal element to his reasoning in saying that nobody wanted him there and nobody fought to keep him re: Zoey, but you can absolutely see how personally she takes it that he’s upset with her. And she also assumes that it’s because of her romantic “rejection” and not the fact that, as he said, the only time they wanted him back was because they needed something from him. Not because they actually WANTED him back. The assumption is telling.

“I’m sorry to break it to you but your lumbar support is actually 4th floor property,” this line could be played off as playful, but it isn’t. It’s bitter. And biting. Jealous Zoey™ has risen from the dead and is back in a big way, conveniently fueled to bigger heights by her grief related anger. The rest of this scene is just filled with tension in a way that her other outbursts (barring the one with Simon who she also has feelings for) aren’t. Also, when she turns around as Max stomps back toward her post “You’re calling me selfish?” she’s clearly mad horny.

1x11

Comes into work the next day. Tries to talk to Max like she didn’t totally just tell him that he didn’t deserve the promotion and that he basically sucks. Is very visibly bothered when he proceeds to ignore her because she hasn’t even tried to apologize to him. Then proceeds to take Leif’s recruitment as a personal affront because in true Zoey fashion, she’s sometimes definitely more than a little self-absorbed. Also everything Max does with regards to the 6th floor is about her because she’s Jealous Zoey™ now.

Cue the bar scene. Zoey is only slightly less awkward than poor Leif is at the karaoke bar with Max. We then see more bitterness from Jealous Zoey™ as she “warns” Max that Leif is ultimately going to betray him and stab him in the back. Just because she ultimately was correct doesn’t mean she deserves a pat on the back for it. 

Bye Bye Bye and all of Zoey’s progressive reactions to it. From confusion mixed with a little bit of hurt to offended and internally screaming to full blown HORROR. In reality, all Max is doing is ignoring her, but in Zoality, he’s ready to be completely done with her. Full stop. And Zoey hates it and is not prepared for that at all.

The longing and wistful look she gives to Max’s empty desk after her mom’s text. She misses him.

Pining Zoey™ during Get Together. It’s the looks she gave to Max’s empty desk turned up to an 11 now that she’s staring across at Max who, like her, isn’t joining in with the big group song between the 4th and 6th floors.

“And if I had to die tomorrow, I couldn’t stomach being this far apart from you.” Honestly everything about this scene is peak Pining Zoey™ hanging up the jealousy and admitting that she both wants and needs Max in her life. And! “I’m not saying I expect us to go back to the way things were, but maybe with time...” “Somehow we get back to...” “Whatever we are?” First of all that look that she’s giving him second of all she could’ve said friends. I repeat. ZOEY COULD HAVE SAID FRIENDS. Zoey has a habit of choosing her words around Max very carefully, particularly when it comes to the state of their relationship. It’s extremely significant that she didn’t just say friends. Not to mention she’s also showing a lot of growth saying that she doesn’t expect them to go bak to the way things were compared to previous times where she insisted on returning to the status quo from before feelings were out in the open. Zoey, after all that pining and jealousy, is ready for some kind of step forward in that moment.

[kitt-rider]

ok now that it’s not 6am and i’m not half asleep after making that gifset of kitt being reprogrammed by bonnie for deauville i can talk about it more. like. that was Really Something. it’s something you’d never expect to work, but michael was so sure of it that he stood right in front of kitt who wouldn’t even have to try to kill him, who was under the control of somebody else because his whole programming told him to be, and spoke to him. he knew that kitt would remember him despite the fact that he’s not programmed to solely protect michael any more. he’s programmed to obey somebody else. bonnie forcefully pulled out his cpu (and the last things he said before essentially shutting down were about michael, later leading into the fact that despite new programming, his primary thoughts were of michael and it was so deeply embedded that he remembered it despite having his ai overwritten) and when he came back all he knew was what he was programmed to know. to obey deauville and nothing else.

yet all michael had to do was speak to kitt. the likelihood of kitt remembering despite everything is so low. but i think michael has imprinted on kitt in so many ways. it doesn’t take long for kitt to start talking like michael. pick up his quirks. banter with him. start to act a little bit like him. michael is the closest human to him in every way, even closer than bonnie or devon or even wilton who created him. michael is his universe (but we see that he begins to branch into his own interests, research languages and other human cultures, which means that he’s still free, despite belonging to michael. his primary function is to protect him, but as the series go on we start to see that he has freedom as well and perhaps starts to choose michael instead of be forced to work with him, which in turn leads into the fact that he chose michael over doing what his entire system is telling him to do which in turn shows that love and attachment will overcome pure force of will. to belong to deauville would mean to have no freedom, no personality. to not be kitt anymore.) and thus there’s no way he could have killed him.

michael’s possessive language could be seen as though he sees kitt as an object, as his personal item, but it’s not that. it’s more than that. it’s a reference to the times michael has teased kitt about other cars that he might like better, about how kitt gets very jealous but then michael will say something to assure him (”you are as good as gold to me”) because kitt is michael’s favourite, and he can’t see himself driving another car (long term). it’s something michael says because it’s a thing they have between them, it’s a silently acknowledged fact on both their ends. that kitt is michael’s car, and michael is kitt’s human.

michael says to deauville that kitt was programmed to protect human life at all costs, and that was the reason he broke through. but was it? when kitt assists in the robbery, he could have just as easily hurt people. his only function at that moment was to aid the break in, thus i think his programming to protect human life was overwritten to be completely subservient to deauville. on top of that, deauville is a smart guy. i’m pretty sure he made sure that kitt’s programming to protect human life was also reprogrammed to make sure there would be no slip ups. having something like that holding back a guy who’s had 3 of his own men killed (and who was prepared to have michael killed) doesn’t seem like something he’d let happen. so what’s left? kitt’s love, devotion and loyalty to michael, and as well, michael’s love and trust for kitt. michael trusted kitt would come through. he was prepared to offer up his life he was so sure. 

we see kitt struggling with his programming. he has his orders, he works for deauville, but there’s something holding him back. michael proclaims ownership of him, has a desperation and love in his voice, and then kitt drives backwards slightly. something deep in his core is telling him that this person is his person, that this human is not to be harmed. that this human is to be trusted. love, trust and communication. those two  have built that up throughout their time together, and it’s something that can’t be broken by logic or science. logically, it makes no sense. but that’s not what love is. it’s irrational, deep, and has no foundation in science whatsoever, and it’s clear that kitt and michael love each other very much. there was no need to physically alter kitt. there was something deeper there, something which science couldn’t ever explain, something which proves that kitt goes beyond just a simple cpu. he has the equivalent of thoughts and feelings. he is capable of feeling love. we hear it more in his voice as time goes by. he has pitch, he has emotional tone to it, despite his claims that he’s a machine and doesn’t feel, he definitely does, in some kind of a sense. maybe not a human sense, but in some way. he feels.

it’s also the classic breaking through mind control with love trope. when a character is controlled or possessed and their loved one begs them to see reason, begs them to remember who they are and their love, and sometimes it works. sometimes it doesn’t. in this case it worked. this can be a platonic, romantic or familial connection between characters, and i think that this particular scene with kitt and michael can be seen in all three ways, perhaps all at once. honestly, this show is not at all helping how much i ship them haha.

afterwards, michael breaks through to bonnie. he says they love each other, and she comes to. since it was immediately afterwards, and he used the same tactic with her as he did with kitt, it can be said that he and kitt love each other too, even stronger, in fact. their love is so deep it broke through all logic. it broke through something which should not be complex, and proved that kitt is just that. complex. he is not simply a machine, and while he obeys michael without thought, it becomes more and more obvious that he’s starting to choose to, rather than be forced to, seeing as it wasn’t his programming which made him break through and rejoin michael. it was michael’s words. he chose michael, and continues to do so.

i just. ugh i love that episode (and hate it bc it huuurts) and i love that scene. so poignant, and makes such a case for proving that kitt has feelings and affections, and his most deepest affection is for michael.

[ocprompting]

Hey everyone, we put this together and i think this is a good blog to put it on. it’s a big text document we made thats like a big oc bio/questionnare like thing, its just a bunch of questions about your oc. i realize its very slightly biased to fantasy settings but only slightly, so ignore the magic section if yours isnt fantasy based. if you do decide to fill it out, you can skip any parts that dont apply to your oc, and just please do link back to this blog if you post it! i dunno who would actually fill it out or if its any good but uh its here if u want it! (im not claiming this post to be good - its just useful for us so i’m sharing it incase it is useful for others too) 

Fun Character Bio 

Name

What is it?

Does it mean anything, who gave it to them and why?

Do they like it?

Is it a common name for their setting/culture, or is it obscure?

Other basics

Age?

Species?

Personality traits

What are their most defining traits to their personality? What sticks out as soon as you meet them, what kind of first impression do they make?

What are their good traits?

What are their bad traits?

Any other traits?

How do they describe themself, how do they view themself?

How do others describe them, how do others view them?

What parts of their personality always prevail and are always present no matter what the situation is?

Are they a different person when you first meet them than when you get to know them, does it take them time to open up? Or are they an open book from the get go?

Appearance

Height?

Body build/shape/weight?

Facial shape - What are their eyes like? How about their nose, or lips? Shape of cheeks? Eyebrows?

Hair - Is it short? Long? How is the texture/shape? How is the style? Do they wear it different ways or only one way? What colour(s) is it, and is that natural or changed?

Skin tone?

Anything such as glasses? freckles? dimples? scars? any wrinkles?

Do they look younger, average, or older than their age?

Anything else such as a tail, unusual ears, wings, etc?

How do they feel about their appearance? Do they like it, do they dislike it, is it mixed, or do they not place much value on their looks?

Is there anything they would want to change about their appearance? Is there anything they refuse to change about their appearance?

Gender identity/etc

What is their gender?

Are they intersex or perisex (non intersex)? Or does their culture not even have different "sexes"?

Are they cis or trans? Or does their culture not even assign genders?

What are their pronouns?

Orientation/attraction (if oc is aro and/or ace, skip the ones you feel not applicable)

Sexual orientation?

Romantic orientation?

Are they dating anyone? Are they married? Do they want to get married? Or do they prefer 'one night stands'?

How do they react when they first fall for someone?

How do they react when they first begin being intimate with someone?

How do they react further on down the relationship? Do they change or do they stay the same but stronger feelings?

Do they have a lot of dating experience, a little, or none?

What ways do they express intimacy or love? Hugs, Kisses, Giving gifts, Doing favors, Creating things for them, Verbal flattery, etc?

Are they casual or intense in the relationship? Do they value the relationship as important and lasting, or just fun and fleeting? Are they fast or slow in their relationships?

Are they dominant or passive in the relationship? Do they take the lead, let their partner(s) take the lead, a mixture, or is there no lead in their relationships?

Do they enjoy sexual aspects to their relationship more, or romantic aspects more?

Do they have any sexual interests that they do with their partner(s), either for themself or for their partner(s)?

What do they do if there is something upsetting in their relationship, how do they handle slight turmoil in their relationships? (as in, not abuse, but a small/singular problem)

Are they confident when with a partner, or are they insecure? If they are confident, how do they feel about confident partners? How about insecure partners? if insecure, then how do they feel about confident partners? or insecure partners?

Do they have a 'type'? Personality wise, what do they enjoy in a partner(s)? Looks wise, what do they enjoy as well?

How well do they handle heartbreak?

Platonic relationships

What kinds of people do they make friends with? What kinds of people DON'T they make friends with?

What kinds of things do they enjoy to do with friends? Do they like to chill at home, go out somewhere exciting, hang at a quiet coffee shop, etc?

Do they enjoy a large friend group or small? Would they rather a few great friends, or many good friends?

Do they make friends with anyone easily, or are they selective?

How long does it take them being around a person to consider them a friend?

How do they handle a fight with a friend?

How do they express their friendship? What kinds of things do they do to/with friends to let them know they care for them?

Animals

How do they feel about animals as a whole? Do they view them as friends, helpers, tools/rescources, equal companions, annoyances, or enemies?

Do they have a favourite animal, for any reason? A least favourite animal?

Do they have any pets? Have they formally had pets? If no pet, do they want one?

Are they good with animals or are they bad with them?

Food/Diet

What kinds of food do they enjoy?

What kinds of foods do they not enjoy?

Do they eat a little, a lot, or somewhere inbetween?

If a little, Do they only eat a little due to being poor/conserving, or is there another reason such as culture/religious/etc? If a lot, do they do so due to money/abundance of food, or would they still find a way to eat a lot even if poor? 

Do they have any food allergies, or restrictions such as vegetarian/vegan/pescetarian/etc? If the latter, is it a personal belief, a cultural belief, a religious belief, due to allergies, or something else?

Do they view food as just sustenance or as a pleasure? Or balance it out?

If given a big plate of food, do they eat their fav food first or last?

If given a big plate of food, do they eat it all at once, or save some for later?

How do they feel on sweets? How do they feel on sour foods? How do they feel on spicy foods? How do they feel on bland/basic foods?

Are they good at cooking/baking, or do they instead just buy premade meals? Do they cook basic storebought foods or do they make food from scratch? Or if rich, do they pay someone else to prepare their foods?

Social/political beliefs

What are their views on social groups? Are they open minded or close minded? Are they progressive, or do they dislike if their society changes?

What is the government like in their setting? Do they like the way it is set up, or not? Do they like their current leader, or not?

Fashion

What kinds of clothes do they like? What kinds of things will they include in every outfit?

What kinds of clothes do they dislike? What kinds of things would they refuse to wear?

Any accessories they always wear, like a bracelet, hair tie, ring, locket, etc? Does it have any significance?

What is their relationship with clothing? Do they wear what's comfortable, what they aesthetically like, what is easy to work in/what fits their profession, something formal, something casual? Do they view clothes as just fabric to cover their body, or do they consider it an important/integral part of their identity, or somewhere in between?

Do they prefer to have less or more skin exposed in their outfits? Do they wear as little as possible, or maybe do they use clothes to hide something about themselves?

Do they live somewhere with the same temperature/weather all year, or does the climate change? if it does change, do they change their clothes by the changing seasons, or do they stick to their "brand" no matter what? if it doesn't change, do they like having the same style clothes all year or not?

Disabilities

Do they have any physical disorders/ailments/etc?

Do they have any mental disorders/ailments/etc? What about, are they neurodivergent?

Do they have any other sort of disability?

Is their disability something formally diagnosed or understood in their setting, or is it something not well known or understood in their universe?

Does their culture offer accomodations, treatments, and services for their type of disability, does their culture just ignore or not recognize it, or does their culture view it negatively?

How does their culture/setting view their disability(/ies) in general? Is their society open to help those disabled, or quick to shun them?

Hobbies and talents

Do they have any hobbies or recreational interests? Do they practice them a little at a time/during whatever free time, or are their hobbies more time consuming and take up a good deal of their day/week/etc?

Is their hobby to de stress, to bring fulfillment, to build up a skill, or another reason? Why do they do their hobby?

What made them pick up/do this hobby?

Is their hobby something done in their alone time, or something done in a group setting/with friends?

What kinds of talents do they have? What are they good at? Is it something more well regarded like singing, dancing, painting, etc.. or something more obscure like quickly organizing things alphabetically, remembering what kind of flowers their friend likes, or another skill that isnt as widely seen as a typical "talent/skill"?

is there any type of hobby they detest and would never partake in?

Is there any sort of skill or subject they are just completely bad at?

Is there a hobby they wish they could try? Is there a skill they wish they had?

Are their hobbies or skills more practical and useful in a job or career, more suited for social life/aspects, more creative and for fun, or do they serve a different kind of purpose in their life?

Do they have skills they don't know about yet, or hobbies they haven't tried, and maybe even don't even know to try (on either)?

Religion and spirituality

Are they religious? Are they a part of a group or place which practices their faith in an organized manner, or do they practice it on their own/by themself?

Are they spiritual? Are they part of a group or place which practices this in an organized manner, or do they practice it on their own/by themself?

Do they consider religion and spirituality to go hand in hand, or are separate things in their life? Do they do one without the other?

What parts of their beliefs do they enjoy the most, what speaks to them the most? What is the core reason they are a part of that faith?

Is there any part of their faith they don't like? Be it the faith itself, or the people within?

If they are not religious, is it due to indifference, due to it being not of interest, due to a more scientific view, or even a personal grievance with the faith, the deities, or the people within the faith?

Is their belief a widely practiced one in their culture, or is it a lesser known practice? Is it the only religion established in their setting, or are their multiple?

Where they raised on their faith, or did they convert in later?

Were they raised in one faith and left it for another faith? Were they raised in one faith and left it for something like athiesm/agnosticism/etc?

financial status/job

What financial class do they belong to? Are they a ruler/royalty, nobility, upper class, middle class, lower class, or poor as can be?

Were they born in to this class, or came in to it later on?

What is their job, if they have one? How do they earn their money, or at least things like food and other necessities?

Do they enjoy their work, do they only work for the money, or do they detest their job? Is work something enjoyable or is it stressful?

Is this their dream job, or is there something they'd like to be doing more? What is stopping them - do they not have the social class, do they not have the money or ability to achieve it, or do they maybe just not believe they're capable?

Phobias

Do they have any phobias or fears? Anything that scares them beyond belief or something that they reguarly avoid out of fear?

When confronted with their fear, how do they handle it?

After escaping the situation, how do they recover? How long does it take to do so?

Is their fear easily able to be overcome after facing it once or twice, or is it something more chronic and they have the same response no matter how often they experience it?

Does their fear come from a frightening life experience, or is it more 'random' and not 'derived' from anything?

Magic

Is there anything equivalent to magic/etc in their universe? If so, can they use it? 

Where does their magic come from? Their own body, an object/book, a deity, their universe, etc?

What powers do they have?

How do they recharge their powers?

When do they use their powers; what situations, how often?

What kinds of drawbacks do their powers have?

Fun/misc

When playing truth or dare, which option do they take when asked?

If hypothetically stranded on an island for a week, what three objects and three people would they take with them?

If given 3 wishes, what would they wish for?

What's their fav music genre? What's their fav tv/book genre? Fav video game genre?

Do they like board games, or do board games frustrate them?

Do they sing in the shower? Do they sing when they cook? Do they sing when doing chores?

How do they react to having an annoying song stuck in their head for 3 days?

Are they good with kids?

What's the quickest way to make them smile/laugh?

Quickest way to make them cry/break their heart?

Quickest way to get on their nerves/piss them off?

How do they sleep? Light sleeper, heavy sleeper, do they snore? do they toss and turn or are they a brick?

Do they own a comfort object? Do they own a sacred object? Do they own a useful object? Any sort of thing they own that they heavily rely on for something? 

Zodiac sign? Do they care about this sort of thing?

How do they react to/act when they are sick?

How do they react to/act when in pain?

How do they react to/act when hungry?

Any tropes that apply? Or, what is their basic "character type"?

Three words that perfectly describe them?

ok cool thanks have fun -claude & irak

[fawnsean]

Halfway to Nowhere: Ch 2

A/B/O Septiplier fic. 

Chapter word count: 2247. 

Rating: T.  

Previous. AO3.

Summary: If only he were an Alpha… Jack found himself thinking that same line, over and over again, nearly every time Mark popped into his head.

Chapter 2: The Main Event

As soon as Jack woke up he could already tell it was going to be a good day.

His morning started with Jack checking his phone, it already being flooded with messages from friends and family. He smiled to himself as he replied to each and every one, thanking them in turn.

Oddly enough, Mark hadn’t texted him yet. Weird, Jack thought, figuring Mark would have been one of the first to wish him a happy birthday. With a shrug, Jack pushed the thought away, knowing Mark would more than likely text him eventually. After all, Mark had been true to his word about annoying Jack on his ‘birth week’ as much as possible, the two having been talking more so than usual. Not that Jack minded, of course.

He headed downstairs and brewed himself a steaming cup of coffee, Jack scrolling through his tumblr feed and reblogging several happy birthday fanarts. He couldn’t keep the smile from his face, knowing how much everyone cared for him enough to take the time to make something for him.

Finally fueled and feeling energized from the coffee, Jack went back up to his recording space to get started on his videos for the day. He booted up Party Hard, feeling in the mood to play the fan-made levels so he could focus more on having fun rather than passing the level. They weren’t overly difficult, and Jack had a blast recording it. Afterwards, Jack gathered all the footage files together and sent them to Robin. He then took the edited videos from Robin and added them to his YouTube queue.

Out of habit, Jack switched over to Skype. He had gotten a few more messages from people, all being various iterations of ‘happy birthday’, yet still nothing from Mark. Jack chewed on his lip nervously, trying and failing to shrug off the rising sense of worry. It was his Omegan instinct, wondering if Mark was avoiding him. Though logically Jack knew he hadn’t said anything to upset Mark, so he could scratch that off the list of why Mark wasn’t talking to him.

“He could still be sleeping,” Jack reasoned aloud. Even to his own ears it didn’t sound nearly convincing as he thought it would.

His phone buzzing broke him from his train of thought, and Jack quickly snatched it up, hoping it to be the Beta.

He tried not to be disappointed when the caller ID read as ‘Allison’.

Steeling himself, Jack clicked the green icon, bringing the phone to his ear. “Hey sis,” he greeted simply.

“Happy birthday!” came the response, sounding like a chorus of several voices at once, and Jack chuckled, knowing he was on speakerphone with his sister’s family.

“Thanks, guys,” Jack said, greeting and thanking them all in turn.

There was a pause before Allison’s voice appeared, clearer this time, now off the speaker. “You’re still gonna come out today and visit, right?”

Jack sighed, already knowing his sister wouldn’t like his answer. “Probably not, I’ve got a lot of stuff to take care of here.”

As expected, Allison huffed irritably. “Come on, Seán! I know it’s your job and all, but seriously? It’s your focking birthday for chrissake. Come spend some time with family for once!”

Jack winced at the last bit. “I know,” he mumbled quietly, feeling a tad like a child being scolded by their parent.

“Then what are ya waiting for! Get dressed and ready. Call when you’re on your way.” Allison’s tone left no room for argument.

“Fine,” Jack relented, trying to keep a neutral voice. Arguing with his sister would definitely ruin what little of his good mood was left at that point. “I have one more thing to record then I’ll be on my way.”

“Alright,” Allison said, and Jack could practically hear the triumph in her voice. “See you later!”

“Bye.”

Clicking his screen off, Jack threw his head back against his chair with a groan. It wasn’t as though he disliked his sister’s family or anything, it’s just that he’d rather spend the time by himself. He didn’t really want to go out, Jack not being one for big parties or events centered around him. He’d much rather celebrate at home, playing games and catching up with television shows. Alone.

“I guess that’s all I do, actually,” Jack mumbled to the empty room. He didn’t exactly have very many friends that lived near him, most of his friends being ones he met online. Because of that, he really didn’t get out much unless it was with his family. How lame is that. Jack rolled his eyes, sighing as he opened a new tab on his computer to order himself some pizza for lunch. It was still a little early, but Jack figured it would arrive just in time for lunch.

Order placed, he then switched back over to Steam, booting up some random game he’d gotten in a Steam sale pack. He set up all his equipment, started his recording, and began.

Just when he was getting back into the proper jacksepticeye headspace, his doorbell rang.

He glanced to the clock on his monitor in surprise. “Pizza’s early.”

Jack paused all his recordings, grabbing his wallet as he headed downstairs. He fished out a twenty from his wallet, greeting the delivery guy with a smile and telling him to keep the change. His scent washed over Jack, and the Omega’s breath caught in his throat. The guy was an Alpha, only a couple years or so younger than Jack. The Omega found himself breathing the scent in even after the man had left.

He set the pizza box on the counter, scratching at his messy green locks with a groan of annoyance. Jack found that whenever his heat neared, he’d be more susceptible to scents, especially those of an unmated Alpha. Jack would much rather stay on his suppressants, but under the recommendation of his doctor and family, Jack was taking some time off from them to give his cycle a chance to regulate itself again. Staying on the pill for too long could lead to infertility and other health problems, and Jack knew he’d eventually want kids someday, so he decided a cleanse was for the best.

That just meant putting up with a couple of messy heats, alone, while Jack gave his body a chance to sort itself out naturally.

The doorbell startled Jack from his thoughts, and Jack frowned as he headed to the door again, wondering what the pizza guy could’ve forgotten.

What he wasn’t expecting was for Mark Fucking Fischbach to be standing on his doorstep, large red suitcase held onto by his right hand, left hand clenching an assortment of balloons, floofy black hair a mop on his head, and face lit up like a child at Christmas as he eyed Jack excitedly.

“M-Mark?” Jack gaped, wondering briefly if there was any chance he could be hallucinating his best friend and crush showing up at his home oceans away from where he lived.

“Happy birthday!” Mark cheered, immediately shoving the dozen or so balloons at Jack who fumbled with the strings.

“What the hell?” Jack laughed in disbelief, backing up to let his friend in. “What the fuck are ya doing here?”

“Uh, hello? The main event?” Mark said with more than a touch of sarcasm, as though the answer should be obvious. When Jack merely pursed his lips in thought Mark sighed exasperatedly. “Oh, come on, Jack. I told you that I’d call you every day before the main event! That being me visiting you on your birthday!”

“Main event?” Jack echoed with a note of incredulity. “I thought you were talking about my birthday itself!”

“Details, details,” Mark waved it off, attempting to remain nonchalant, though he was fighting to keep the grin from his face. Jack snorted in laughter and Mark finally broke, erupting into giggles. “Alright, come here buddy.”

As Mark’s arms opened wide for a hug, Jack eyed him, hesitating. He knew he shouldn’t; he would likely confuse Mark’s skinship as romantic rather than platonic.

Yet he couldn’t resist.

Jack closed the few steps distance between them, attempting to wrap his arms around the other despite the balloon strings getting in the way. He leaned into Mark’s broad chest, the Beta’s arms immediately closing around him, comforting, but not caging. Jack relaxed at the contact, one of Mark’s hands stroking his back soothingly. Warm fingers carded through his hair, and Jack’s eyes fluttered shut as a rumbling purr erupted in his chest. He was jostled slightly against Mark’s frame as the Beta chuckled, still gently scratching at his head.

Unable to fight the urge, Jack turned his nose into Mark’s neck, inhaling deeply as he scented the older. He heard Mark’s sharp intake of breath of surprise before the other settled down again, tentatively lowering his own head into the juncture of Jack’s neck and shoulder. The Omega tilted his head to give Mark better access, and he shivered as he felt the warmth of Mark’s nose as it traced against his skin. Jack jolted slightly as there was a dab of wetness, Mark’s tongue darting out to taste him.

Jack then pressed his own face in deeper to get at Mark’s scent better. He smelled faintly of spice and something he knew was inherently Mark, yet it was... dull. It wasn’t a bad scent per say, just muted. Weak. As all Beta’s scents were to other dynamics. Jack nosed along Mark’s neck, more frantic this time, eager to get the entirety of the scent, though he knew it wouldn’t get any stronger than it already was.

Jack also knew that their hug had lasted for far too long.

Reluctantly he pulled back, and Jack swore he saw a look of hurt flash across Mark’s tanned face before it was replaced with something more neutral. His dark eyes held an odd kind of intensity, one that Jack had seen on the other only a few times before. Those times were when the Beta was scent drunk.

Jack chuckled then to try and lighten the mood, but it came out uncomfortably forced as he pointedly avoided Mark’s heavy gaze. “Well, uh, I’ve just gotten some pizza, so after you put your stuff away you can help yourself.”

Mark nodded, chocolate brown eyes then wandering over Jack’s apartment for the first time, taking everything in. “Nice place,” he murmured, grabbing his suitcase and wheeling it with him as he walked through the living room. “Very uh, minimalistic?”

“Well, I am getting ready for a move,” Jack huffed, eager to defend himself. Sure, his house may not have much to it, but it was home. “Guest room’s upstairs, first room on the right.”

“Got it.” His words were slow, and Jack felt a hint of regret, knowing he had let the scenting go too far to affect his friend in such a way.

While scenting between friends wasn’t uncommon, it wasn’t usually as intense as Jack and Mark had just done. Usually, friends would scent each other at the pulse point in wrists or necks when going in for a quick hug. Licking was something saved for mates, as tongues could pick up the purest and most concentrated scent.

For Omegas, it was more common to scent with other Omegas. If they scented with Alphas, it could quickly turn into something more instinctual, and scenting with Betas could lead to the latter getting what was known as scent drunk. While Betas didn’t have particularly good noses, when exposed to the source of a strong scent it would flood their being and put their senses on the fritz.

Jack felt bad, knowing the risk of getting Mark scent drunk and still letting the Beta scent with him as he had. Then again, Jack hadn’t been much better. He had been about two seconds away from nibbling at Mark’s shoulder before he had broken it off. Still, the slight guilt remained, especially as Jack was aware of his approaching heat and how his scent would only become stronger.

Oh well, Jack mentally shrugged. It’ll wear off soon enough. Besides, it had felt right in the moment to scent with Mark as he had, that amount of contact only serving to strengthen and reinforce their friendship.

There was a thump on the stairs, and Jack watched as Mark struggled to get his suitcase up to the second floor, laughing loudly when Mark dropped it halfway up. As the Beta disappeared from view, Jack gathered the balloons once more, jumping up to catch the strings for the ones that had managed to drift upwards, and tied them in a knot, attaching them all to a leg on his kitchen table. There were twelve in all, most green and red, though a few were the larger, specialty kind that had text or unique shapes.

Jack felt a light pang in his chest. His friend went through so much just so the two could have some time together and celebrate his birthday. Mark must’ve known Jack would do nothing otherwise, he’d practically told him as much, and the Omega was touched that his friend actually cared about him that much.

A passing thought reminded Jack of something important for him to take care of. He took his phone from his pocket, going to his recents and selecting Allison’s number.

It looked like Jack wouldn’t make it to her place, after all.