#it's weird when two special interests collide like this in my head but also: fun so lemme live ok? ok thank

[adlamu]

taking me where i want to be... | depeche mode x doctor who au idea

Now, listen, I don't write fics anymore but if I did, I would likely do a Depeche Mode/Strange x Doctor Who AU fic (with no ships of any kind, just a sci-fi (mis)adventure). In my head, Ten goes back in time to ~1987 and comes across the "bong" loudspeaker in various places. While they investigate the strange appearance of the same loudspeaker appearing in weird places and how it affects people/why it causes a recent spike in disappearances, they meet the Depeche boys - who have also been investigating the strange loudspeaker + its affects on people/the disappearances. Ten (a little begrudgingly) lets the Depeche boys join them, pooling their findings together, after Fletch or Alan explains to Ten that the "bong" came out of nowhere one day and within the week people had either changed dramatically or disappeared entirely. Of course, they eventually figure out it's something from beyond the stars... And then Dave, specifically, is taken by the "bong" after wandering off (because somebody always does, nobody ever listens to The Doctor!!). The remaining three and Ten then go and rescue Dave, they fight the Big BadTM and then the Depeche boys insist on joining The Doctor on their next adventure - and Ten, in return, promises to bring them back in time for tour.

[frostedfaves]

Naive (1)

Masterlist

Pairing: demon!Wanda Maximoff x fem!reader

Summary: Of all the humans Wanda has met, you’re suddenly her favorite.

Warnings: 18+ ONLY, dark!fic, demon things™️ (be warned that this shit will get much darker in the future), subtle hand kink (don’t @ me)

A/N: special shoutout to the anon that inspired this fic series, I hope you enjoy this weird combo of AOU x IW Wanda. also if you have any previous knowledge of demons, throw it out the window before you read this because I guarantee that things will not add up here lmao

-

Wanda’s favorite thing about interacting with humans is her effect on them.

Walking through a crowd is fine. She’ll brush a few shoulders and rattle a few unsuspecting adults, flash solid black eyes at kids that either stare or scream. It’s temporary and brings a bit of fun to an otherwise dull day.

The real joy comes from direct contact. Wanda travels miles away from her apartment building, choosing different stores, restaurants and cafés just to keep things interesting. A new cashier each time. She’ll have an air of friendliness about her that isn’t exactly fake; she finds most humans to be charming, despite their fragile minds.

“Will that be all?” Roy--according to his name tag--asks with a grin and Wanda nods in response. “Okay, your total is $21.14. You can just swipe or insert your card in the machine there.”

Wanda inserts her card carefully, complimenting the decor as she waits for the transaction to be completed. After returning it to her wallet, she flashes a soft smile at Roy as he hands her the receipt, purposefully brushing her fingers with his. As his skin makes contact with one of her rings, she notices the goosebumps rising along his arm and hears his breathing pattern change.

“Roy? Everything alright?”

She hears the concerned voice of a coworker as she makes her way to a table to wait for her meal, already seated by the time Roy coughs in an effort to collect himself.

“Yeah, just feeling off I guess. I’ll be fine.”

A chuckle falls from her lips as she watches the poor cashier attempt to return to his previous state of mind, finding the urge to smile and wave when his eyes cut over to her. His voice trembles when he calls her name and he stands as far away as possible when she approaches the counter to grab her order.

“Thanks for everything, Roy.”

Sensing that he’s startled enough without it, she keeps her other tricks hidden in her sleeves and simply walks away, holding her laughter until the doors close behind her. A good meal with a side of human interaction, her absolute favorite.

-

The next day brings Wanda to a bookstore around lunchtime. She takes a minute to browse the aisles, taking an exceptionally long time lingering in the section harboring books on angels and demons. The stereotypes amuse more than upset her like they used to in the beginning.

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

Wanda turns to make eye contact with the employee behind her, about to ask a question for the fun of it when a laugh catches her attention. Her gaze redirects to the café counter straight ahead, and a warm feeling washes over her when she hears the laugh again.

You’re genuinely entertained by the elderly woman purchasing a bagel with exact change, and Wanda manages to catch the end of the conversation as she draws near.

“Safe to say, I haven’t worn the blouse since that day.” She bids you farewell with her bagel and receipt in hand, eyes twinkling as she observes Wanda on her way past. “You have such bright and beautiful hair, dear.”

“Thank you,” Wanda responds with sincerity, attention locked on you while approaching the counter. “Hi.”

“Hey,” you greet her with a voice much calmer than the one you use with most of your other customers. “What can I get you today?”

You watch the orange haired woman turn her head to study the items behind the glass, taking the time to do your own inspection. You admire the dark red jacket that covers most of her torso, gaze lingering on the multiple rings hugging her fingers that seem to be smoothing nonexistent wrinkles in her dress, almost in a nervous fashion. It brought you a bit of comfort, assuming that she was affected in the same way.

“What do you recommend?”

“Oh, well…” You walk over to open the glass case from your side of the counter, naming each item as you grab it. “I usually have this pretzel that’s stuffed with spinach and cheese and this brownie. I can heat both of them for you, if you’d like.”

“I would love that,” Wanda responds in a grateful tone, placing a bottle of water on the counter after taking it from the fridge. “And I’ll also have one of these incredibly overpriced waters.”

You begin her order with a laugh, and she watches you ring everything up with the speed and expertise of a seasoned employee, wondering how she’d gone this long without running into you. The total price is brought to the digital screen just before her card is inserted, and she takes the time to quickly slip her rings into her pockets while you’re taking the pretzel and brownie over to the miniature oven. The last thing she wants to do is scramble your brain before she even gets the chance to explore it.

“Here’s your receipt,” you announce while giving Wanda the slip of paper, your eyes lingering on her hand for a moment before looking at her again. “Your food should be ready soon.”

“Okay, thank you…” Her sentence trails off as she searches for your name, the letters rolling off her tongue with ease when she finally locates it on the apron covering your chest.

“You’re welcome…” You trail off in the same fashion and she catches on quickly.

“Wanda.”

“You’re welcome, Wanda,” you repeat as you hand her the water bottle before she can walk away.

Less than two minutes later, you approach the table she’s taken over with two small ceramic plates and a sheepish grin.

“I should’ve asked if you were going to stay a while, but I can grab some bags if you need to go.”

Wanda shakes her head with a laugh as she takes them from you, startling you when she doesn’t react to the excessive heat radiating from the dishes.

“This is perfect.”

She takes her time with eating, and your attention is drawn to her between customers, grateful that she’s too busy with her phone to notice your stares. On the other hand, Wanda’s mind is filled with thoughts of you. What you look like when you think she can’t see you glancing over, what you smelled like when you were close. The nerves, the kindness, the desire to learn her name despite her being just another customer to you. She knows that you noticed her missing rings, but she’s already prepared with a cover story. A two minute conversation has her dying to pick your brain more, learn your habits and become more familiar with your body, beyond a simple brush of your fingertips. She already wants you to herself, just the way you came, without her interference for now; that’ll come later.

A good meal with a side of human interaction, her absolute favorite.

-

Despite Wanda leaving an hour before your shift ended, she lingers in your thoughts on the bus ride and walk home. You find yourself recalling her kind smile, fidgeting fingers and the scent of her perfume when she passed you on her way out, and you’re so deep in your memories that you end up colliding with your apartment door.

“That’s not going to get you inside any faster, dear.”

Your cheeks burn as you face Ruth for the second time today, the first time being earlier when you sold her a bagel.

“I know, Ruthie,” you respond sheepishly as you pull your keys from your pocket. “Is everything okay? You’re usually in bed watching a cowboy show by now.”

“I’ve been waiting for you to come home so I could talk to you.” She checks to see if the hallway is empty before opening her door and waving you over. “Come on, quickly.”

You scurry into the apartment behind her, taking in the scene before you while she locks the door. Having visited her before, you know she keeps the television at a higher volume, but it seems louder than normal.

“I know I might seem like I’ve lost my marbles, but I wanted to warn you about that woman you saw today....The one with the bright hair.”

“You mean Wanda?” you question, eyes widening when she nods. “Warn me about what?”

“There’s something off about that Wanda, if that even is her real name.” She snatches her arm out of her robe and brings it closer for you to see. “I’ve had these chills since I brushed against her earlier. Something’s not right with her. How do you even know her name? I’ve never seen her before.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” you assure her as you help her slip her arm back in the sleeve. “I only know her name because we were having a friendly conversation and she used mine. I was just being polite to someone I’ll probably never even see again.”

“Just be careful,” she pleads as you head toward her door again, and you offer your best attempt at a relaxed smile.

“I’ll be fine, Ruthie. Get some rest, okay?”

You hear her lock the door behind you as you make your way back to your own apartment, rushing through the process of unlocking the door and securing it once you’re inside. As much as you don’t want to let Ruth get you worked up over a stranger, you can’t help thinking about the odd little things you noticed earlier. 

It isn’t unusual for someone to linger after buying food or drinks from your counter, whether they have homework or even just a phone to keep them busy. Wanda seemed to be waiting for someone the entire time, and you remember hoping that she wasn’t on a date, despite not wanting her to be stood up. But she simply slid her phone in her pocket and departed with a friendly wave as if nothing had happened.

You especially remember her waving at you with those ringless fingers, and wondering silently where the intricate jewelry had disappeared to. Obviously you just assumed that the rings were tucked away on her person and not dumped in the trash, but she doesn’t seem like the type of person to give up on her accessories in the middle of the day. Part of you--a part that you didn’t dare to address--wondered if she’d emptied her hands to send you a subtle sign. No, that can’t possibly be it.

Sleeping proves to be difficult with so many unanswered questions floating about, but you eventually give into the act. A few hours later, you peel open your eyes when you think you hear something in the room. The digital clock that sits on your bedside and serves as an alarm and occasional radio reads 3:34am, and you’re just about to close your eyes again when you hear another sound. You raise your head to turn toward your closet, and a scream is trapped in your throat as you catch sight of a figure in the shadows.

The next time you wake, the sun is out and your alarm is blaring on the nightstand beside you. Your gaze flickers over to the closet as you reach out to silence it, your heartbeat dropping slightly when you don’t see anything other than clothes. Deciding that you must’ve been dreaming, you shake away the fearful thoughts and head to the bathroom to start getting ready for another day of work.

The only thing you haven’t decided on yet is whether you want to see Wanda again.

[erensproudsimp]

Experiment

Hange Zoe x fem! reader Oneshot

⚠ Sexual Content Ahead ⚠

Summary : Hange and you have been dating each other for quite some time. One day due to rain, you went over to Hange's and hehe hot stuff happens.

I've used they/them pronouns for Hange due to them being non-binary, hope y'all don't mind. :)

"HANGEEEE!" screaming down the hallway near the university laboratory, you entered said place joltily.

By this time all the science students were used you to coming by everyday while causing a ruckus to meet your significant other. You couldn't help yourself being always excited to see the only person who could make your day a million times better and today as usual you had something interesting to show them. Well, by interesting you meant something random you saw that day and just picked it up to give it to Hange. Never were they ever weird out by this as they were as eccentric as you.

"Look what I found today!" proudly bringing your hand close to their face to show them the red rock you saw in your yard.

"Heh, as usual my dear y/n, you never fail to fascinate me," they chuckled eyeing the objet closely.

"I shall add this wonderful rock to my series of collection of stuff you keep bringing to me everyday!" smilingly Hange took it.

This brought a faint blush on your cheeks as just the thought of Hange keeping the random stuff you bringing daily made you feel somewhat special.

" Sooo, what are you working on today?" you questioned them while looking at the equipment on the table.

"Ohohoho you don't know what I've just made!" they excitedly said dexterously arranging the mess to show you.

While they were enthusiastically explaining to you her recent invention, you couldn't help but stare at their jolliness. The way they made absolutely anything sound captivating just spellbound you. To describe it, it was like a meteor shower falling enlightening the night sky which you could gaze for hours, yeah, that's how Hange was.

"Hihi, that's awesome! I'm so proud of you!" you praised her happily.

"Hehe, I'm glad you appreciated my invention, after all I am your better half," haughtily they said which made you subconsciously smile.

Right at that moment a loud thunder was heard making you jump. Since morning it's been cloudy and you really hoped that it wouldn't rain in the evening as it would pose a problem for you to travel home by bus. The droplets were hitting hard against the window panes indicating it was a heavy shower. Disappointment filled your being.

"Noo, now how would I reach the bus stop on time with this weather," you complained utterly dejected and tensed.

"You know y/n, you can always ask me for a ride in my car right?" Hange said while pouring a clear liquid in a testing tube.

"I know but I don't wanna bother you."

"Oh come-on y/n, how can you ever bother me?" they reassured, "and if you really don't want to sound like a trouble then come over to my appartment. It's win-win situation, you reach home and I would get more time to spend with you."

"W-what, Hange please, ugh okay then I'll come with you," sighing you responded.

Waiting for Hange to finish up whatever they were doing but it wasn't as though you as a finance student would understand it to be able to help her out. Instead you were scrolling on Tiktok when they came up to you without warning making you jerk, "GOSH HANGE! YOU COULD HAVE CALLED FOR ME."

Chuckling, Hange grabbed your hand to make you stand up. Losing your footing, you fell in their arms which they gladly grabbed you. Giving you a brief forehead kiss, they proceeded to drag you to the parking lot. At first you didn't process the action making you scream but when you got the hang of it, you ran alongside with them hand in hand laughing.

Hange unlocked the car and you got into the front passenger seat. Both of you were laughing while still catching your breaths.

"Now off to my house we gooo!" Hange yelled as you were wearing your seatbelt.

Throughout the whole ride both of you conversed about each of your days and the daily news.

"Can you believe that Sasha and Nicollo are finally going out with each other? I always knew that they were a match made in heaven," you rambled as Hange listened to you intently while also focusing on the road.

"I mean I could see it happening seeing their compatibility and the way they complete each other, just like you complete me," Hange added.

Her last words made your face heat up which you hid by looking outside. Luckily for you, you finally reached your destination. It wasn't the first you came over to her appartement so you took her keys and ran inside. Normally her place would be messy like a dumpster because that human barely had time in her hands to take care of their house but for once it was spotless clean.

"Did Levi come over?" you asked them, hand on your hip.

"I-yeah. Yesterday he did. But I swear I'll try to be more responsible from now on!" Hange affirmed.

You took a deep breath and asked, "so what are we eating tonight?"

"I don't know y/n, you choose," they replied kicking their boots off to enter the residence.

"How about we order Pizza?"

"Sure thing love," grabbing her phone to order said food, Hange said.

"How about you go take a bath while I take out plates?" you suggested.

"I mean only if you're willing to join me," they smirked while leaning on the door.

Out of embarrassment you threw a pillow laying on the couch at her, "NO!"

"Sad, I was really hoping for some fun in there," they replied before running into the bathroom as you were about to hit them with another pillow.

While you waited for her to come out so that you in your turn could go freshen up, you arranged everything to be able to eat. Having such nights with Hange is always something you've dreamt of doing but you never had the courage to ask.

A few moments later, Hange came out with hair dripping wet which they were trying to dry with a towel. Damn they looked hot in that condition. Before you could start simp over them, you excused yourself to go bathe.

Feeling the warm water touch your skin evaporated all your stress from you as you relaxed. Coming out of the bathroom wearing Hange's clothes, you went to sit next to them on the couch. You noticed that the pizza had already arrived so you took a piece of it to eat. You two watched this popular series called 'Attack on titan' together until the pizza was finished.

Throwing the pizza cardboard in the bin, you went to see Hange already laying on the bed. Scooting to them, you placed your head on their shoulder as they held you tight with one arm and the other holding their phone. You were watching memes with her laughing when suddenly there was a video of two girls kissing came up which made your heart beat faster. You could tell Hange felt so as well as she swiped quickly to prevent awkwardness.

A little bit of tension remained in both of you yet no one made the first move. It kept growing as you felt their hot breath on your face because you were leaning on them.

Feeling bothered and assuming that Hange wasn't going to initiate it, you snatched their phone from their hand and kept it on the table next to the bed for you to straddle on them.

Shifting yourself to be more comfortable, you leaned down to smack your lips against theirs. Still processing whatever just happened, Hange went with the flow. For this moment at least. Hands on your ass, they squeezed them as you laid your body on theirs.

Lips still crashed against each others and tongues still fighting over control, Hange's minds began to fill with sexual fantasies that they could enact on you in this precise moment.

Pulling back from you, they settled your body on the bed to go search for something in the wardrobe. They came back with a blindfold facing you.

"Do you mind if I take your vision away for a while? I don't want to ruin the surprise of what I'm going to do to you."

Gulping hardly you took the black cloth and blinded yourself.

"Good girl," Hange praised giving you a headpat to continue their rummage.

With no warnings, you were pushed on the bed lightly. At first you didn't understand what was going on but that was before you felt a rope on your wrists which was being wrapped around them individually then pulled upwards signaling it was being tied down to the bed. The same thing was done for both of your legs.

Anticipation mounted in you as you felt hands running from your chest to your stomach.

"I hope that the ropes are not too tight, are they?" they concernedly asked.

You shaked your head to say no still having the blindfold on.

"No? Well, then I think you would love this being in your mouth," they said coming closer to you. You were expecting her to stuff her fingers in but it ended up being something you certainly didn't anticipate at all.

Holding your head up, they made you wear it. Initially it was uncomfortable but you managed to deal with it as it only turned you on more. It was a gag ball.

You laid your head on a pillow desperately craving Hange's touch but of course they were still searching for something.

"Don't worry y/n, I'll come to you as soon as I find that one thing I bought last week I wanted to test out," Hange spoke from the other side of the room.

Trying to keep your growing lust in control, you fidgeted with the device in your mouth.

" Ah-ha! found it, now wait for me y/n, I'll fuck you into oblivion soon," their voice coming out breathless.

Feelings the sides of the bed sink and a presence hoving above you, you became more excited to what Hange was going to do this time.

Their soft lips colliding again against yours as their hands ran down to unbutton your shirt leaving your bare chest naked as you weren't wearing any undergarments. For a few seconds Hange didn't do anything. As you were ripped from your eyesight, you couldn't see that Hange was in fact staring at the prefect roundness of your boobs displayed to them .

Unable to contain themselves, they ran their tongue on one of your breasts while the other was being fondled with their hands. Your breathing was quickening at their doings. Out of nowhere they bit your nipple softly making you bit the gagball stifling a moan.

Going lower on you they pulled down your pants while they kissed you on your bellybutton. Without warning again you felt a pain on your hip and teeth leaving your skin. Biting you again on the other side of your hip, Hange caressed your inner thighs. This time you couldn't contain the moan as it escaped your mouth through the gag ball.

Looking at your entrance, Hange saw that though they didn't yet completely lay hands on you, you were soaking wet. Then they assumed that it was probably from the long amount of time you had to wait for them.

You heard the opening of the cap of a tube. Your mind raced through all the possibilities of what it could be.

But of course it was the least thing you could expect as you felt something touching your cunt.

It was a lukewarm rubbery thing that was being ran through your swollen folds.

"Wanna guess what it is? Y/n," Hange said as you felt the object or whatever it was penetrate you. An 'hmm' came out of you as your back arched graciously making Hange widen their eyes.

"Ahaha, y/n you beautiful creature! You never cease to amaze me the more I explore you,"Hange complimented pushing the thing deeper into you.

" Lemme reward you for blessing me with his gorgeous sight and return you back your vision, "they continued.

Your insides felt empty as Hange had to remove the item to open the blindfold. You must say you had quite of the shocker to see them. Straddling you was a Hange that you didn't recognize.

They were wearing a black lingerie delicately complimented with black thigh highs and on their pelvis area was a strap-on-dildo.

"I wanted to experiment this on you," they gave you a light smirk before positioning themselves in front of your pussy. Taking the small bottle thrown on the bed nearby, Hange opened it. It was lube. Dropping quite some on the dildo, Hange jerked it to spread the lubricant.

Placing their hand on your hips for support, Hange inserted it again.

They couldn't describe how much they ravished to look at you in this state. As they were thrusting their hips in and out, the room became filled with your moans and Hange's name.

"Yes y/n scream my name louder. Make the neighbours hear how good I'm making you feel," Hange panted.

'Hmmm Hange I'm getting close, go faster please, "you begged them.

Taking your wishes into consideration, Hange did not double up the speed but rather trippled it. You were practically shaking on the bed as your screams got louder and louder.

Not late enough, you released yourself on them. The pleasure was so unbearable it almost hurted. Panting on the bed, you looked at the ceiling to regain control of yourself. Then looking back at Hange, only to see that they were already staring at you lovingly.

"Can you untie me now? I need to pee," you coughed.

"Ahaha, no piss on the bed," Hange declared as you were startled by their statement.

"Just kidding lemme help you refresh yourself," Hange joked making you feel relieved.

End.

Thank you for reading this. :)

[geralehane]

an unlikely cupid

Raven and Clarke get drunk and accidentally summon Lexa the old and powerful deity who's also hopelessly, helplessly gay.

or, the one where Lexa and Clarke live happily ever after.

READ ON AO3

patreon | ko-fi

If Clarke has ever learned anything in life, it would be two things. One: most ideas Raven comes up with are surprisingly idiotic, considering her brilliance. Two: Drunk Clarke never agrees with anything Sober Clarke thinks, and Raven’s ideas being idiotic is not an exception.

In fact, Drunk Clarke loves Raven’s ideas. Which is exactly how the two of them find themselves in their dorm at two-fifty five in the morning, spilling whiskey all over a wooden board Raven found in her grandma’s attic last weekend.

A wooden Ouija board, to be precise.

Sober Clarke told Raven to burn it down. Drunk Clarke giggles and snatches it from her hands, eagerly looking it over. “How do we know it works?”

“Fuck if I know,” is her answer as Raven takes a huge swig straight from the bottle, wincing at the strong burn. “We place our fingers on this small thing and hope for the best.”

“That’s what she said,” Clarke hiccups. “You ready? We ready?”

Raven’s enthusiastic nod and the splash of whiskey from the bottle notify her that everyone is more than ready. “Alright,” Clarke says. “Wait, why are we doing this, again?”

“Cause Halloween, man,” Raven loudly lets her know, nodding at her own words.

“Oh.” Clarke thinks for a minute. “True.” She squints at the board. “Is it okay that we spilled whiskey on it?”

Raven nods.

“Is it okay if I lick it off?”

Raven nods again.

So Clarke does. She drools a little on it, right in the center, but she’s too drunk to care, so she simply wipes it away.

“Hot,” her friend comments with a wide, sloppy grin. “Okay. Gimme those sausages, Griffin.”

“Hey!” Clarke makes two fists, hiding her fingers. “Fuck you. They are not sausages. They are magnificent.”

“As someone who bangs chicks, you’d think you’d learn to appreciate the gift from gods.”

“I’d trade them for a girlfriend,” Clarke says. “Or Cheetos. I’m hungry.”

“Quit dicking around and let’s do this.”

Clarke doesn’t voice another that’s what she said, but she makes damn sure Raven gets her train of thought when she waggles her eyebrows at her.

//

All Lexa wanted was to come back to her plane of existence and climb in a bathtub. That’s literally all she wanted. She doesn’t even particularly cares if there’s going to be water in it. She just likes the concept. Sometimes, humans have the best ideas.

Everything is giving her a headache that day. It’s like the whole universe with every world in it have decided to band together against her. Well. That’s Halloween for her. Despite it becoming a largely commercial holiday, no one cancelled Samhain just because humans decided they wanted to be a Joker once a year.

Vile creature, that man – and she says that as someone who’s viewed as demonic. She’s not actually a demon – that’s common misconception. She’s just an old goddess. Humans know a lot of her names, and none of them can even begin to imagine that she’s the one behind those faces, portrayed grim, evil, and, most offensively, male.

Lexa sighs. Her Hades days were certainly the most fun, but the tale’s been twisted so much she’s not sure she enjoys those memories quite in the same way. Oh well. Samhain is almost over. She can finally kick back and relax in a hot tub and maybe open up a bottle of ambrosia she saved for a special occasion. And what could be more special than a night of self-care?

Now, Lexa never considered herself particularly lucky. Mostly because Luck and her had a brief affair that did not end well, and she’s been mildly cursed ever since. Nothing she can’t live with, of course – but just a tad inconvenient. She’s certainly learned to cherish small blessings. That’s why, when she feels a tell-tale tug in her gut before being hurled back to a dimension she’s just left, she’s not even surprised. She simply whispers a quick thank you that she hasn’t taken her clothes off yet.

With that, she sighs and lets herself be whisked away back to Earth, wondering  with scientific curiosity who could have possibly found out the summoning spell.

//

“I’m pretty sure you’re doing it wrong.”

“This seems like a ‘that’s what she said’ moment, but I assure you, she’s never said that.”

Raven blinks. Reaches for the bottle and pouts when she finds it empty. “Who is she, anyway?”

“Fuck if I know,” Clarke repeats Raven’s words from earlier. “And I’m not doing anything wrong. You’re supposed to move this thing,” she gestures to the heart-shaped piece of wood, with a hole in the middle of it that she looks through at Raven.

“Maybe there’s an instruction or something,” Raven mutters, grabbing the planchette. Clarke resists and tugs it back, resulting in Raven’s forehead colliding with her mouth. Hard.

“Shit!” Clarke exclaims when a droplet of blood falls onto the board from her now-split lip. “Raven, what the fuck?”

Her friend only shrugs apologetically. Not even apologetically. In fact, she doesn’t even shrug. “You’re doing it wrong,” she says.

“I do everything right,” Clarke argues, taking the planchette back. “Sit and watch. And prepare for an I told you so.”

//

Lexa blinks when the spinning finally stops and she’s rematerialized in what appears to be a room in a college dormitory. That alone surprises her more than anything that’s happened today. Surely, a college student couldn’t have known all the steps necessary to complete a ritual.

“…prepare for an I told you so,” she catches and turns in the direction of the voice, squinting. English. American English, to be exact. Things are taking an interesting turn. She was expecting a bunch of men unsatisfied with life and recent feminist movement. Not two drunk college girls.

She comes closer to get a better look at them, and no, she’s definitely not prepared for what she sees. And what she sees is an angel. An actual angel with a bloody lip and unfocused gaze and a strong alcoholic smell. An angel with blonde tresses and bluest eyes.

Lexa can’t stop herself from letting out the smallest, softest gasp.

She’s immensely grateful for her ability to be invisible.

She’s frozen in place, eyes taking in every inch of the girl’s body when that same voice – and oh, what a voice it is! – addresses the room, husky and low. “Is anyone here with us?”

Lexa takes a deep breath, rubs her suddenly cold hands, and hesitantly steps forward, placing her own fingers on the wooden planchette and shakily dragging it to the word “yes”.

//

“Raven!” Clarke yelps, jumping from the board. “Raven, I did it!”

Raven, however, does not share her enthusiasm. “Yeah,” she says blankly. “I saw you move it.”

“No, see, see,” with fast slurred speech and disheveled hair, Clarke more closely resembles a maniac than a bright daughter of two respected surgeons. “I didn’t – Raven,” she gasps, happy she finally gets a good reason to pause for a dramatic effect. “I didn’t move it,” she finishes in a loud whisper.

Raven stares at her. And stares. And stares some more before she starts to chuckle, slowly at first. Soon, it escalated into a continuous giggling. “Sure, Clarke,” she manages to say. “I believe you.”

“But I’m telling the truth!” Clarke gets suddenly upset. Why doesn’t Raven believe her?

“And I’m marrying Finn tomorrow. Get real, Griff.” The planchette hits Raven’s forehead as soon as she’s finished talking.

“See!”

Clarke’s triumphant yell pales in contrast with Raven’s terrified scream.

//

That is very, very loud. Lexa does not like loud.

Unless Clarke likes loud. Then she loves loud.

Right now, however, it’s starting to become a little extreme. So she sighs and waves her hand, silencing the girl whose name is Raven. She has to admit – watching her try to scream silently is mildly amusing.

But then it scares Clarke, too. “Who’s here? Who’s doing this?”

She sighs again. Then, she makes her voice audible so that Clarke can hear you. “You have noting to fear. My name is Lexa. I will give your friend her voice back, but only if she promises not to scream.”

After Raven’s rigorous nodding, Lexa waves her hand again, and the girl coughs, eyes wide and expression sober. “Who – who are you?!”

“Oh,” Lexa says, because she hasn’t really thought things this far. “I have many names and positions. I believe you know me as the devil, but I promise you, I’m vastly different from that portrayal.”

Raven blinks. “Did she just say she’s Satan?”

“I think so,” Clarke whispers back, and Lexa freezes again, watching the way she presses her lips together. How is she so beautiful?

“Does Satan really expect me to believe she’s, what, nice?”

“Well, yes,” Lexa speaks up. “That would be a polite thing to do.”

“Oh hell no,” Raven says. “I don’t play with demons,” she announces, despite the fact that it’s exactly what she’s been doing for the past half an hour. “If you’re nice, tell us how to get rid of you.”

Now it’s Lexa’s turn to blink. “I’m afraid that’s not possible,” she says apologetically. Then her eyes widen with realization. “Oh! You meant get me to leave this room?”

“Yeah. Exactly. How do we do that?”

“Oh, you – you don’t. I can come and go as I please now. That’s the whole point of the summoning spell.”

Clarke and Raven look at each other, eyes wide. “The what now?!”

//

So turns out that while Luck and Lexa are not exactly pals, Fate definitely favors her. Through a series of events that they can’t exactly deem either fortunate or unfortunate just yet, Clarke and Raven manage to accidentally summon one of the most powerful beings known to man. And that being just happens to fall head over heels for Clarke.

Raven finds it weird. Clarke finds it sweet. And Fate – well, Fate doesn’t find it impossible.

“Lexa, dear,” she mumbles around a thin cigarette while Lexa broods all over her realm, having just come back from Earth after yet another night with Clarke, full of talking and laughing and soft unspoken confessions on both ends. “Just take some time off and spend a life with that girl. She’ll join you after it’s over anyway. What’s seventy years to you? A blink of an eye. Besides, have you forgotten how fun it is to grow old?”

So Lexa sighs, fishes the best outfit she has out of her memory, and goes back to earth wearing her corporeal form and a pale blue oxford shirt with sleeves rolled up. She faintly recalls Clarke liking that.

In hindsight, waiting for Clarke in her room might not have been her best idea, but can she be blamed, really? She got used to it. She just kinda forgot she wasn’t visible all previous times she’s been there.

Clarke walks through her door a moment later, eyes on her phone. “Lexa, I’m home!” she calls out, not looking up as she kicks her shoes off. “You here? Le- Jesus fucking Christ!”

Lexa never particularly liked the man, but the profanity still makes her wince. “Hello, Clarke.”

“Holy shit,” Clarke exhales, pressing a hand to her chest and bending to retrieve her phone that fell out of her grip when she jumped in fright upon finding a stranger sitting on her bed. “Who are you? Damn it, Raven. I told her to always let me kno- wait a minute.” She stops, blinking. “I know that voice.”

Lexa feels her lips stretch in a smile. It’s an incredible feeling. “Hello, Clarke.” She repeats, rising to her feet and offering her a giant bouquet she retrieves from thin air.

“Oh God,” Clarke whispers, rapidly blinking sudden tears away. “Lexa. Oh my God.”

“Well, technically, yes,” Lexa says, “but we can skip the formalities.”

Clarke’s warm, solid body slams into hers next, and she huffs in surprise, falling down on Clarke’s bed with the girl on top of her, clinging to her. “Lexa,” Clarke sobs. “You’re here. It’s you. You’re here.”  

“Yes,” she confirms. “I’m here. It’s me.”

Clarke’s lips on hers feel better than anything she’s ever experienced, and she’s been around for a little longer than eternity. “I can’t believe I’m holding you in my arms,” Clarke whispers when they part, breathing ragged. “You’re so real. So warm, too. Is that – is that how you really look like?”

“Yes,” she gives another affirmative. “I’m not wearing someone’s body. We’ve been over this.”

“I know,” Clarke chuckles. “I’m just checking.”

She trails a finger down Lexa’s cheek, slow and tender. Lexa sees the unspoken question in her eyes. She answers with no hesitation. “I’m here to stay. For as long as you want me.”

“Then that means you’re stuck with me forever.”

Lexa laughs. “Wouldn’t have it any other way. Although I do believe it’s the other way around. Clarke, I…” she swallows, and Clarke smoothes her thumb over the skin of her throat where it bobs. “If you ever decide to end our – this, I’ll understand. But I’m afraid I’m a little different.”

“Lexa,” Clarke coos, shushing her. She’s still roaming her hands all over her body, and it’s way less sexual than it sounds. She’s simply feeling Lexa. And Lexa’s completely okay with that. “When I said forever, I knew who I was talking to you. It’s not just a word anymore.” She leans in, pressing another kiss to Lexa’s lips. “For us, it’s a reality.”

Lexa’s heart soars when she says ‘for us.’ It jumps and stops and restarts, beating so fast she’s afraid it’ll jump out of her chest.

“A reality,” she whispers. “I like the sound of that.”

“And I like your face.” Clarke squints. “You didn’t tell me you were this hot.”

“I’ve exited for millions of years, Clarke,” Lexa reminds her. “I do not have an opinion on beauty, because it is as made up as it is subjective.”

“A concept can’t be made up and subjective at the same time.”

“Let me correct myself, then. I used to think it was made up.” Her smile grows. “Then I met you.”

“You’re so getting lucky tonight, I hope you know that.” Soft lips capture hers, and Lexa gloats.

Suck on this, Luck.

[thebibliomancer]

Song of the Dark Crystal liveblog pt 27

Song of the Dark Crystal by J.M. Lee because satire is defeated. Now the only form of humor will be clever wordplay.

Last times on book: Kylan, Naia, Tavra (who is stuck in a spider), and new party member Amri are on a quest to save the Grottan Clan from millions of angry spiders who want their caves back and from the Skeksis Satirist skekLi. They also want to find a bell-bird bone to make a special magical flute with to warn all Gelfling about the danger the Skeksis pose. Both of these objectives dovetailed nicely when Kylan tooted on the bone to ward off the spiders and with the help of a pair of convenient urRu trapped skekLi.

That’s why you need a bard in your party.

Chapter 27

How do you solve a problem like skekLi?

urVa and urLii stop chanting but the effects continue, keeping skekLi from moving. He handles it with mature resignation.

“This is not...,” skekLi began. He shot a look at Naia and Kylan, then back at his Mystic brothers. “This is not nice - not fair!”

This is why we need to set out rules ahead of time.

The Skeksis could propose the rule ‘urRu can’t be used to paralyze Skeksis’ and then the Gelfling could propose ‘you’re not allowed to drink us.’

urVa, ever the most proactive urRu, tells skekLi to let the Gelfling go.

“Or what? You’ll raise that bow and run me through? And what happens to our other, eh?”

urVa stood watch while urLii began the winding descent down the corrie wall. He made the climb look easy with all four hands and his long-toed, bare feet, almost as dextrous as a spider himself. He paused on a ledge, half-hanging from the rock face, and tapped his chin. He was close enough now that his thoughtful murmur was audible.

“Hmm... That would be an interesting turn of events...”

urLii pls

That’s a heck of a train of thought! But please ponder non-existence on your own time!

Naia tells Kylan that they should really just amscray on their own. Kylan fearlessly steps in skekLi range to grab Tavra who is still plopped on the floor from the power of the bell-bird bone.

skekLi was spiny with anger, all the quills and feathers along his neck and the back of his head raised. His bloodshot eyes burned with hatred and vengeful excitement.

Body language! Pissed off vulture crocodile dinosaur body language!

Since he’s frozen in place, skekLi’s last remaining weapon is his wicked tongue wielded witheringly.

He warns the Gelfling that if they thought his spider servants were bad, wait until they see what his pal skekUng is making.

“Big servants. Mindless, heartless servants. Flawless servants, with claws that could snap Gelfling in two. See what Gelfling do then, eh... if any are left.”

Oh snap, thats what we call foreshadowing! And maybe dramatic irony?

This is another time in the book where Kylan has no idea how to respond to something so just doesn’t. I think that might have been three times?

I’ve been wondering how Kylan, Naia, and Tavra were going to get down with all the bridges broke but the freed Grottan just come flying in and scoop up the two Gelfling as skekLi can do nothing but glare.

Huh. So it makes sense that the Drenchen Gelfling have adapted to their environment by having wings that are more like fins. But why do the cave dwelling Grottan still have fully flight functional wings.

Although, if the story about the founding of the Grottan Clan are accurate, they’d be the youngest clan so maybe they just haven’t had time yet.

Also, interesting detail. It takes only one Grottan girl to carry Naia away but it takes two to carry Kylan. Dunno if Kylan is just heavier or whether Naia is using her own wings to lighten the load.

So now that they have a Skeksis trapped on a mushroom, the party has the grand ‘so what the heck do we do with skekLi we have trapped on a mushroom?’

Tavra cautions that skekLi won’t be trapped for long. Probably eventually the other Skeksis will come rescue and/or laugh at him. And then he’ll tell them everything that transpired. Then they’ll probably laugh harder. But even if he already told the others what the main characters are up to, they shouldn’t take that chance.

“What are you saying, that we should kill him?” Naia asked. “And urLii with him? That’s not right. urLii didn’t do anything wrong!”

“No one’s done anything wrong,” urLii corrected. He met them and the Grottan, dusting his hands of rocks and sand from his climb. “We are all doing what it is we do, what is our nature and our character. Right and wrong... are a terribly complex song.”

“But that doesn’t help us,” said Naia.

Pfffft.

Characters keep getting frustrated by urLii’s philosophizing.

Kylan tries asking urLii what they should do about skekLi but his answer is “I suppose that depends on your character” which isn’t very helpful.

Kylan realizes that he’s gotta be the tie-breaker between Naia and Tavra. Amri is also here but he’s not voting.

Huh! Funny how this book had a pattern of Kylan being the tie-breaker between Naia and Tavra but it hasn’t actually been Tavra for most of it. And now that it is the real Tavra, the pattern is repeating anyway.

So Kylan considers how awful the Skeksis are. What the Hunter has done in general and to Kylan specifically. How Tavra is a spider now because of skekLi. And how he tried to kill Naia, showing that he isn’t even loyal to his own kind (weird that that’s a minus in the column but whatever).

urLii proposed that there was no right or wrong, but that in itself did not seem right. It wasn’t wrong, either. The paradox gave him a headache.

“I don’t think we should kill him,” Kylan said in the end. “The Gelfling are a peaceful people. Even when we fight among ourselves. If we’re to be the heroes of this song, we must show mercy, even when we’re not shown mercy ourselves. The Skeksis have done terrible things to us... but I would rather believe that we can unite for the good of our people, not for revenge.”

Its a nice sentiment, Kylan. Its a good principle.

I know that I’ve had similar thoughts in the past. I’m torn because I know where this is all going. And I wonder if the near complete wiping out of the Gelfling clans could have been prevented if the Gelfling fought dirty. Maybe not. And the Gelfling become dicks in the future, even with the example of Jen and Kira as the foundation of their society so who could say what they’d become if they became cynical pragmatists to defeat the Skeksis.

I don’t have an answer.

It’s hard to fight the Skeksis because they have in-built hostages.

Tavra is disappointed that she thinks Kylan is advocating for just letting skekLi go but he clarifies that they DEFINITELY should keep him imprisoned here but someone will need to watch him and keep other Skeksis from finding him.

ENTER MAUDRA ARGOT.

Still picking bits of spiderweb from her cloak, Maudra Argot stepped forward from the small group of Grottan. Of the thirty-seven Grottan Gelfling, even fewer remained, bedraggled and afraid, some elders but mostly younglings Amri’s age. They had lost the Caves of Grot as well - all in exchange for the bone-flute. Kylan���s heart broke for them all, and he hoped that it was worth the sacrifice.

Oof. They were already so few and now they’re so fewer.

But anyway, Maudra Argot says the Grottan will take up the task. They’ll move into the Sanctuary and guard skekLi as they have guarded other secrets.

In fairness, they can’t return to Domrak. The spiders have claimed it. And even if Kylan helped evict them with the bone-flute, they’d just return. Caves are theirs again.

urLii also offers to help keep skekLi here.

“Between the Shadowlings and myself, I believe skekLi’s song has come to an end.”

That’s a fun way of saying that he’s not going to do anything important ever again and that he’s going to rot away on his mushroom prison.

Maudra Argot also tells Amri that he’s to stay with the group and go with them to Ha’rar. Wait, does she think they’ll actually make it there ever?

But she says she won’t be happy until the Vapra have to acknowledge the Grottan and also that Amri needs to grow as a person. Going on quests can help with that!

Kylan says they should get going. He needs to make the bone into a firca and he’s never made one so he doesn’t know how long it’ll take. And he can’t mess it up because THERE’S ONLY ONE BONE LEFT out of the entire extinct species!

He suddenly realizes the weight of the task after fighting so hard to get the bone. He wanted a purpose and he got one and a purpose does not sit light.

Kylan also really hopes that they don’t have to go through the Tide Pass again but he’d rather that three hundred times than stick around skekLi any more.

“I would give my life to stop him from escaping,” [urLii] remarked. “He is me, after all. But I do not believe it will be necessary. Even if it were, it would certainly be a dramatic moment, eh?”

You’re a weird guy, urLii.

Maybe you’re the one guy on Thra who thinks more in terms of stories than Kylan does.

“We spoke with Mother Aughra, before we came to Domrak,” Kylan said. “She had no words for us. She said only time would tell. That understanding the heavens would find us in our place, I think is what she meant. If we could understand the grand song, we would be able to find our way. But... the Gelfling don’t have time for that. We have to cut our own paths. We have to make the choice between being the weaver or the woven. The teller and the told. The singer and the song... But I choose to be both.”

urLii scratched his chin with his slender fingers and tilted his head.

“Hmmm! Weaver and the woven, eh? Where did you hear such fine advice?”

Kylan smiled and sighed.

“Goodbye, urLii. I hope to meet again someday.”

“We probably will not. But I will hear the song of the bell-bird again, yes... When light and shadows collide, under the triple suns.”

Aww.

Of course, Kylan has no idea what it all means. He’s getting some vague grasping of the bigger picture of the Great Conjunction but its still unclear.

On their way out, Kylan stops to look back at skekLi’s baleful gaze and starts worrying about his spiteful declaration about what skekUng has in store.

He wants to think its a lie but skekLi included too many specific details for it be something he pulled out of his ass. Like, who even is skekUng? The name drop means nothing to Kylan!

Tavra tells him to look away and for a moment, Kylan imagines that he can see her as she was, bipedal and not an inch tall.

“Forget him for now, or you will not be able to look ahead.”

He did as she suggested, turning his back on the Skeksis’s piercing gaze and hurrying after his friends.

Tavra here with the good advice.

I like that she’s not just here to be the one with bad opinions all the time. And that she’s protective of Kylan.

And since she’s now a tiny spider, she’s just emotionally protective of him.

She tried to protect Naia in Shadows so I just think that’s who Tavra is.

Anyway... OH NO only two chapters left??

[anxiouslowercase]

dancing on the kitchen’s tiles

fandom: dc comics warning: none summary: at their sleepover-that-is-totally-not-a-date, jon learns that billy does not know how to slow dance. thankfully for him, he’s ready to fix that right away. notes: yes, another rare pair; no, i do not regret it. this prompt was picked from this list with the help of the always lovely @achinghcarts ! thank you so much for your help and support always!

Jon Kent, who so far had been eating the remaining cake batter from the bowl, letting his feet dangle gently from where he's sitting on the counter, freezes in place as he looks at the other boy's face. The spoon hangs comically from his lips, content probably already eaten but feeling too shocked to bring himself to put the utensil down. In front of him, Billy Batson smiles a mix between sheepish and endeared, arms crossed as he leans against the breakfast table.

“Are you serious? Like, for real?” Without changing his expression, Billy shakes his head. “Not even, like, for fun? As you watched movies?”

“There's not a lot of slow dancing in the movies I've watched,” is his excuse, and that seems to be enough to put the half kryptionian back in motion.

He drops the spoon on the already scrapped clean bowl and leaves it on the sink, quickly jumping down from the counter. The other boy straightens up, a slightly confused frown appearing on his face.

It had all started with Jon telling him about how he'd come back from patrol a bit earlier than usual and had caught his parents laughing and slow dancing all along the living room and the hallway. He'd made fun of Clark because he looked not nearly as smooth as the people on TV and even Tim was much better at it (which he knew because he had accidentally spied on them, but it was so accidental Billy it really shouldn't even count as spying) and, honestly, who could not know how to slow dance? And, it turns out, his boyfriend-not-boyfriend didn't, in fact, know. Jon was appalled to say the least because how was that even possible.

“We're fixing that right now,” he finally says, responding to the unsaid question on the older boy's face, as he makes a bee line for his phone.

“How come it's something to fix?” A soft smile inevitably comes back to his lips as he turns to look at the youngest Kent because dang he's cute. “People like me make people like your dad look better, you know.”

“But you are better than my dad,” is his whole explanation. “Have you seen The Lion King?” At the confused nod, he grins. “Great, so you already know the song, we're halfway there.” And just as he's done talking, the first few notes of a song Billy can't quite place right away start coming out of the speaker. It would be a lie if he said he wasn't the tiniest bit nervous when Jon started making his way back to him.

“We really don't have to do th--”

“It's actually kind of fun,” the half kryptionian cuts him off, gently grabbing his wrist and pulling him away from the table. “And we can keep talking and it's not like we're doing anything more interesting.” And Billy was ready to point out that they could always just put a timer on their cake and go watch TV or play some videogames, when the cheeks of the boy he was stupidly crushing on turns a pretty shade of pink, one that almost right away makes him forget what he planned on saying. Jon, on the other hand, looks down. “A-and... Maybe I want to. Do it.” He clears his throat. “It's... It's like a moment. F-for couples a-and... Future. Couples.” The blush extends a bit further up his face and, really, what was the Phyllis boy to do but just smile (and maybe melt a little)?

“... You want to have a... Couple moment? With me?” His voice is slow, gentle, and sounds way more in control and collected than how he actually feels. Vaguely, in the back of his mind, he seems to be able to conjure up an image of two lions in love as the music continues - go figure.

“Is that weird? Or bad?” Jon asks, suddenly shy. With a soft smile, the other boy shakes his head and uncrosses his arms, showing his open palms up towards him.

“You're the boss.”

It could be the act of trust, or how he didn't belittle his opinion, or just how he didn't start complaining when it came to doing something silly that *he* wanted. Or maybe it could be because he'd noticed he really liked Billy, and the fact that he'd basically said yes to having a cheesy, couple-y moment with him had his stomach doing flips. And maybe Jon was a textbook hopeless romantic. Whatever the case, it doesn't even take a second for a grin to paint his face.

Hoping for his palms not to be too sweaty, the half kryptionian takes the other boy's hands and doing his best to pretend he is not shaking in both nerves and anticipation, he guides one of them to his waist and keeps the other on his. Timidly, he takes half a step closer (yet refuses to look past his chin because... Because... Well, he isn't sure, but probably because his heart feels a little weird right now as it is.)

“Right, so... So you can keep your hand there and--” he swallows. “I'll keep... We can keep the other one up here, and...” His gaze falls to their feet, and he takes small steps to move them to a nearby spot in which they won't collide against a chair, for that would definitely take from the charm of it. “And now we just... I mean, my mum taught me how to count for... For the waltz? B--”

“Is this a waltz?” It's funny, because Billy's voice is nothing short of a whisper, yet it somehow manages to startle him. And so his eyes immediately move up and he is already looking at him and... And could it be, that his gaze is just as soft as his voice? Is that too cheesy?

He can feel the warmth spreading on his cheeks and slightly down his neck, and though it is a sort of reassurance to see that the other boy's face is also lightly flushed, Jon still finds that his mouth opens without any real sound coming out of it. Which is so stupid. He quickly snaps it shut, but that doesn't make is less difficult to come up with a sensible reply. And so, just as stupidly, he shrugs.

“Maybe not.” Billy just hums, contemplative yet not quite looking away, and the younger boy fidgets. “R-right, so... So then you can--” he brings the hand that was on his to his waist, and then puts his on his other shoulder. “And I do this and... We can just sway.”

“... Just sway?” There's a hint of amusement in the Phyllis boy's voice, but he still starts moving very slowly - though hardly on time with the music. “This is all there is to the great art of slow dancing?” The teasing note seems yo be enough to make Jon's shoulders relax (which he didn't know were so tense, to be honest) and he even manages to roll his eyes - though he does try to guide the other into a more rhythmic movement.

“You still have to... Let the music guide you - which you're not doing.” Billy chuckles, and he can't help but smile a little. “And my parents say it's not just the dancing, or how you do it - it's the whole experience that counts.”

“How so?” The older boy asks, head tilting to the side as his hands wrap a little bit tighter around the other's waist; he doesn't seem to notice.

“It's also the song, and where you are and who you're dancing with. Mom says that even if your partner steps on you during most of the dance, it can still be the most special one, cause it's...”

He trails off, palms already getting sweaty again because maybe his explanation is being too cheesy and he's making this moment too much of a moment and they were just supposed to be making a cake for their middle-of-the-night snack but now they're too close and he can feel the love tonight, mister Elton John, he really can, but can he?

And maybe the question is too evident on his face, or maybe Billy is also going through a similar thinking process, because he smiles a bit more confident and nods, fixing his eyes on his.

“Cause it's you. And us.” Dear Rao please don't have his father checking on his heartbeat because he's pretty sure he's going into cardiac arrest. “I get it.”

“... You do?” He nods again, and now Jon can feel the warmth going all the way down his chest, too.

“I would've tried this much sooner if I'd known I'd get this moment with you.” Now he's definitely going into cardiac arrest.

And the thing with Billy is that they have been toeing the line here and there for a while now. They've gone on dates that aren't quite dates, and they have hold hands without really putting a name on anything, and they have made comments that, according to Maya, are a way too clear indicator that they both want to keep moving forward. But that's all there is, they've both been respectful and quite timid about taking steps - or at least they had been until now, because before he can fully process the moment itself, Jon's mouth runs without his permission and softly blurts out:

“Hey, can I kiss you?”

For a second that is way too long, if the half kryptionian has any saying on it, there's only silence except for the music still playing from the phone. And, to be completely honest, he does have the knee-jerk reaction of pulling away because what if he went too far? But, thankfully, before he can actually move, Billy smiles and hugs him just a tiny bit closer.

“I'd like that, yeah.”

[cyrusgoodboye]

For tyrus prompts: Cyrus gets a bunch of chocolate chocolate chip muffins from TJ.

The Big Surprise Party - a Tyrus fanfiction

So sorry for the long wait!  I’m sorry that your request isn’t a ~huge~ part of this story, and that is only because I’ve seen this prompt idea a lot and I wanted to make it differ from theirs.  Thank you so much for this prompt though!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

“Come on!” Andi exclaimed, hurriedly grabbing random items off of The Fringe’s variously stocked shelves.  She snatched up a trio of feather boas and quickly inspected them before stuffing them into her basket.  She didn’t have time to be picky.  “Remind me to never throw an impromptu surprise party ever again.”

“Andi, relax!” Cyrus insisted.  “Your last party was killer!”  Andi, Cyrus, and Buffy were all shopping for props and decorations for Andi’s spontaneously planned party, but it wasn’t just any party.  It was a surprise party!  For Jonah Beck!  Cyrus supposed that she was so worked up about it because her and Jonah were boyfriend and girlfriend now, but, then again, Andi was a perfectionist.

“My last party was also about a year ago,” she reminded him, squinting her eyes in concentration as she observed a new shipment of sunglasses.  Andi shrugged, tossing them into her basket.  They would do.

“But it was still great!” Cyrus cheerfully commented.

Andi scanned a stack of wigs as she answered, “I’m just glad I have Cece and Pops’s permission this time.”

Buffy eyed the cans of silly string on the other side of the room during her friends’ exchange, and she picked up a few cans, grinning wickedly.  “I think we definitely need some of these.”

Andi shook her head immediately.  “No!  We cannot spray Jonah with that!  It’s his birthday!”

Buffy shook the bottle and held it up, a mischievous glint in her eye.  “How about I invite Amber, and we all take turns spraying her instead?”

“No!” Andi and Cyrus outburst.  They exchanged a glance; they knew how Buffy could get when she had a crazy idea.

“It’s fine!” Andi insisted.  “We’re over it.”  She turned to Cyrus.  “Besides, Cyrus is officially in charge of inviting people,” she informed.  She could hardly imagine who Buffy would invite.  Probably people who were on ‘a real sports team’ as she always put it.

Cyrus grinned widely at the honor.  “Glad to be of service!” he said happily.  

Buffy chucked half a dozen cans of the substance into Andi’s basket anyway.  “We’re not over anything,” she corrected.  “But we can just get them for fun then.”

“Fine,” Andi relented.  She groaned when she checked the clock on The Fringe’s heavily ornamented wall.  4:36 P.M.  “We better hurry up, though.  We only have two hours until the party starts, and we still have to decorate Cece and Pop’s house and get ready!”  

“Will do,” Cyrus told her.  “And, just for the record, when you guys throw me a surprise party, I would want you to have been planning it for months.”

Buffy and Andi groaned at their friend.  How could they possibly throw him a surprise when he was constantly asking?

Cyrus scurried around the park, desperately trying to find the last person on the invite list that he had meticulously created for tonight.  He has to be around here somewhere, Cyrus assured himself.

Cyrus had already been to the gym and the track field and the park where most of Jonah’s friends hung out after school.  But where could T.J. be?  He had checked the swings at least three times, and he had even checked the rest of the playground equipment.  Still, there was no basketball player of the sort in sight.

After nearly colliding his shin into a nearby park bench, Cyrus sighed and sat down on the sturdy wooden seat.  He was about to give up until he felt a presence settle down next to him.

When Cyrus lifted his head up and glanced at the person beside him, he sighed in relief.  Finally, he had found him!

“Hey, T.J.!” he greeted,

“Hey,” T.J. greeted back. “You looking for someone?” he asked, gesturing to the list Cyrus was clutching.

“Actually, yes,” Cyrus informed.  “I was looking for you.”

It was hard to miss the grin that grew on T.J.’s face.  “Oh, really?” Cyrus felt butterflies arise in his stomach at the boy’s smile, and he tried to shake them away.  Why was T.J. making him feel so weird?  He hadn’t felt this way since he had met Jonah…

Cyrus shook the thoughts from his mind.  It was probably nothing.

“Yes, really,” Cyrus answered with a smile.  “I wanted to invite you to the surprise birthday party we’re throwing for Jonah tonight.”

T.J. raised an eyebrow in question.  Him and Jonah hadn’t really talked since the incident at Cyrus’s Bash-Mitzvah, and he wasn’t exactly sure if he was good enough friends with the Frisbee player to come to his birthday party.  “Why me?” he asked curiously.

“I kinda added you myself,” Cyrus admitted sheepishly.  “But Jonah likes you too,” he added, assuring the basketball player.  It was true.  When Buffy had complained about T.J. after his bar-mitzvah a couple weeks ago, Jonah had actually defended the boy.  Cyrus had wondered when the two boys had talked, but he just shrugged it off.  He assumed that all the popular kids in their school knew each other some way or another, whether they were Frisbee players or captains of the basketball team.

“Cool.  I’ll be there,” T.J. said, beaming.  

The butterflies in Cyrus’s stomach were definitely going crazy now.  “I’ll text you the details,” Cyrus told him.  

He began to walk away, but before he could get too far, T.J. sprinted and skidded to a stop in front of him.  “Wait!” T.J. said, stopping Cyrus in his tracks.  “I don’t have your number,” the basketball player said, scratching the back of his neck.

Cyrus’s mind blanked for a second as he stared at the boy in front of him.  T.J. has very nice eyes, he noted.  Sometimes they look blue, or green, but today they look like hazel…

“Cyrus?” T.J. said questioningly.  Cyrus shook himself out of his daze.  What just happened?  

“Sorry, can you repeat that?” Cyrus asked, embarrassed.  He nearly kicked himself.  Why am I acting so weird? he wondered in bewilderment.  Well, weirder than normal.

“I don’t have your number,” T.J. repeated.

Oh.  Had he really never given him his contact information?  “Oh, right,” Cyrus said, pulling out his cell.  The two exchanged smartphones, both of them having pulled up the contacts’ app on the screen for the other.  Cyrus added his number to T.J.’s phone, making the contact name Underdog :).  He really liked that T.J. had given him a nickname that actually meant something (it was something special they shared), and he wanted to make sure that T.J. was reminded of that day in the park every time he texted him.  “Here you go,” Cyrus said, handing back T.J.’s phone with a smile.  T.J. finished typing on Cyrus’s cell, and he did the same.

“Underdog.  I like it,” T.J. told him, nodding as he beamed.

Cyrus glanced at the contact name T.J. had put in for himself.  “Not-So-Scary Basketball Guy,” he read off his screen.  Cyrus looked up at the boy and smiled; they both had had the same idea.

The boy grinned in return.  “You better use that,” T.J. told him, referring to his number.  Cyrus felt his cheeks get hot.  T.J. would be crazy if he thought I wouldn’t use it, Cyrus thought to himself.  

“You bet I will,” he promised.  “I’ll see you later,” Cyrus added with a smile.  Although he found a part of himself wanting to spend more time with the boy, Cyrus knew that he still had to help Andi and Buffy set up the decorations and get ready himself (a long and very time-consuming process), so he waved one last time before walking away.  Once he was safely out of any trees’ vicinity, he ticked away the final name on the invite list and pumped his fist once.  Mission accomplished.

It wasn’t even an hour later that Cyrus got a message from the newest contact on his phone.

What should I bring? -Not-So-Scary Basketball Guy

Cyrus smiled down at his phone.  Maybe chivalry wasn’t dead.  Here T.J. was, offering to bring something to the party without being asked to.

Shall I run you through the food options for the evening and let you decide?  We have your average party snacks, desserts, baby taters… -Underdog :)

Actually, just bring whatever.  I think we have enough of everything. -Underdog :)

Okay, I’ve got something in mind.  -Not-So-Scary Basketball Guy

Cyrus’s eyebrows furrowed together.  What could T.J. possibly be bringing to the party?

His curiosity got the best of him: What are you bringing? -Underdog :)

You’ll have to wait and see ;) -Not-So-Scary Basketball Guy

Cyrus felt all the blood rush to his cheeks at the winky face T.J. sent.  And then suddenly it hit him.  He liked T.J..

His phone buzzed with another message: What’s the address? -Not-So-Scary Basketball Guy

Cyrus’s heart skipped a beat at the text, and he began to panic.  His fingers fumbled as he typed out Andi’s grandparents’ address, sending it off with his sudden realization still prominent in his mind. “I.  Like.  T.J.,” he said aloud.  How had he never known?

Another ding.  Okay.  See you later, Underdog. -Not-So-Scary Basketball Guy.

Cyrus felt his heartbeat hammering loudly in his ears at the message.  See you.  -Underdog :), he typed hurriedly, sending off his own text.  This party was going to be an interesting one, that’s for sure.

By 7 o’clock, Andi’s grandparents’ house was filled to the brim with clusters of kids from school, most of them being players on the Frisbee team.  The Good Hair Crew had to admit, it was a fun party.  Fortunately for them, Jonah seemed to be having a great time, which was the most important thing  

“What’s going on, Cy-Guy?” Jonah called out, struggling to be heard over the loud music.

“Nothin’ much, Jo Lama Jama!” Cyrus said, giving his long sought-after crush a fist bump.

When they retracted their hands, Jonah gave him his signature dazzling grin, but for some reason it seemed to have less of an effect on Cyrus than usual.  “Thanks for the party, man!”

Cyrus smiled back.  “It was my pleasure, Jonah, really,” he insisted happily.  

Jonah patted him on the shoulder, but the butterflies that usually occupied his stomach when Jonah touched him were absent.  “Thanks again.  I’ll catch you later?”

Cyrus drew his eyebrows together in confusion as his mind whirled.  What happened to the feelings he usually felt for Jonah?  Where had they gone?  “Yeah, I’ll see you later, Jonah.”  Jonah didn’t seem to notice his puzzled expression (oblivious as always, Cyrus supposed) and Cyrus watched as the boy ventured off to the stairway to converse with his friend Natalie.

Cyrus frowned when he didn’t feel the normal tug of jealousy at the pit of his stomach when he saw Jonah talking to a girl.  Just a couple weeks ago he had sworn that he was in love with Jonah, and now he didn’t feel even the slightest bit of infatuation that he had always held in his heart for the Frisbee player.  He still liked the boy of course; it just felt like his unrelenting adoration had shifted into something else, something Cyrus couldn’t entirely label.  A part of him started to wonder if he actually liked Jonah as a friend…

Cyrus shook his head at the thought.  Silly, he told himself.  Feelings can’t just vanish into thin air like that.  Could they?

Before Cyrus could give the idea much more thought, he felt a tap on the back of his shoulder, and he whirled around at the action.

“T.J.!” he exclaimed.  The basketball player had caught him off guard, but Cyrus was glad that he was in his presence anyway.  “I’m glad you could make it.”

“Thanks, Underdog,” T.J. greeted with a smile, seeming to be enjoying the festivities surrounding them.  “Nice party.”

“Thanks!” Cyrus said.  As Bex, the DJ for the evening, turned up the catchy pop music up at the request of a party-goer, Cyrus stepped closer to T.J. to be heard properly.  “So, I’m dying to know.  What did you bring?”

T.J. grinned even wider, and he glanced momentarily at the multitudes of people around them before snatching Cyrus’s hand.  “Come on, I’ll show you.”

Cyrus wasn’t sure if it was the energetic atmosphere around him or the fact that T.J. was tightly gripping onto his hand, but whatever it was was causing his heart to race.  He only hoped that T.J. couldn’t feel his pulse through his fingertips because it sure felt like it was thumping loudly throughout every atom in his body.

T.J. led Cyrus to the impressive banquet table that him, Andi, and Buffy had set up earlier in preparation for the party.  However, unbeknownst to Cyrus, a new addition had been made to the now overflowing table of food.

“Is that what I think it is?” Cyrus asked, his eyes wide.  

“Yep,” T.J. said, clearly proud of himself.  Cyrus let go of T.J.’s hand and picked one up incredulously, almost as if he was afraid that it would disappear before his eyes.

“Chocolate chocolate-chip muffins!” he exclaimed, taking a bite of one.  He beamed when the sweet flavor hit his tongue; there was no greater food in the world besides these muffins.  Well, them and baby taters.

“I thought you might like it,” T.J. said, amused at the boy’s reaction.

“How did you even get these?” Cyrus asked, swallowing his mouthful of muffin.  He thought that they only served them in the cafeteria!

“The school actually buys them in bulk from a bakery a couple blocks away.  I’m surprised you didn’t know that,” he remarked lightly.

Cyrus shook his head; if he had known, he never would’ve entered the daily chaos that was ensued in the early morning breakfast line to acquire one.  “Trust me, if I would have, I never would’ve needed your help to get one in the first place!” he exclaimed.  “I would’ve just bought my own.”

T.J. laughed before his face grew somber again.  “I am kinda glad that you didn’t know.”

Cyrus felt his stomach churn at his expression.  “Why?” he forced himself to ask.

T.J. took a step closer, which left Cyrus with just enough room to breathe.  “I don’t know, but you would probably still think I was a huge jerk if I hadn’t helped you get that muffin.”

Cyrus’s breath caught in his throat.  “I could never think that,” he said sincerely, barely managing to get his words out.

T.J. beamed, and he opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by the sudden wave of silly spray shooting towards their direction.  The two turned to see Buffy and Andi cackling as they sprayed the entirety of the party with the ‘air freshener,’ and Cyrus cringed at the thought of getting the silly spray in his hair.

“Want to hide from Buffy and Andi?” Cyrus suggested.

T.J. beamed and rested his hand on the back of Cyrus’s back, slightly pushing the boy forward.  “Lead the way,” T.J. muttered, and Cyrus felt a shiver go down his back.  He turned around as they walked towards the back doors, giving T.J. a nervous smile before the two headed outside to the deserted patio.  

Once they were outdoors, T.J. shut the doors behind them with a soft thud, and the once booming music from inside now had faded into muffled background noise.

“I’m really glad you came,” Cyrus told T.J. again, disrupting the comfortable silence.  He felt like he couldn’t express this sentiment enough, and he wasn’t just talking about the party.  Cyrus was glad that T.J. had come up to Buffy that one day in the cafeteria, and ended up helping him get a chocolate chocolate-chip muffin, and, more importantly, that day he had come to the swings.  He really liked how T.J. pushed him out of his normal, safe comfort zone, and he loved that he out of all people could get the closed-off basketball player to open up a bit.

“No problem,” T.J. said in return.  Somehow, Cyrus understood that he wasn’t just talking about the party either.  “So,” he started, plopping down on the top step of the porch.  Cyrus quickly followed suit, sliding down next to him.  “I never got the chance to talk to you at your bar-mitzvah.  How was it?”

Cyrus grinned at the mention of his Bash-Mitzvah.  “It was amazing!” he said cheerfully.  “Did you enjoy yourself?”

“I did,” T.J. said. The boy stared down at his lap, seeming lost in his thoughts, and Cyrus’s eyebrows drew together.  

“What’s wrong?” Cyrus asked, playfully nudging T.J..

T.J. slowly turned to face him, and he looked intently at the boy, hesitantly asking, “Did you go see that fortune-teller?”

Cyrus raised his eyebrows in surprise at the question; that was not what he had expected T.J. to say.  “I did.  I hope that fortune-teller is a phony because she told me I would be accepted into an Ivy League college but wouldn’t graduate from one,” he rambled, slumping down in disappointment.  How would that even happen?  Unless it was up to him to save the world, and he had to drop out of college to do so, Cyrus saw no other plausible explanation for her supposed ‘fortune’ to come true.  

Before he could rant in his mind for too long, Cyrus shook himself from his thoughts; he was supposed to be there for T.J. right now.  “Did you?” Cyrus asked curiously in return.  He wondered what the fortune-teller had said to make the boy seem so distraught.

“Yeah,” T.J. said, drumming his fingers against his knee absentmindedly.  Cyrus almost refrained from grabbing it, but he ignored that thought and reached over, squeezing T.J.’s hand comfortingly anyway.

“Hey, you can tell me,” Cyrus assured the boy, and T.J. gave him a grateful smile in return.

“Well,” T.J. started, busying himself by fiddling with Cyrus’s fingers.  He stared down at their joined hands as to avoid eye contact; he felt too embarrassed to admit his secret while looking Cyrus in the eye.  “You know how I’ve been struggling with math?”

He glanced up at Cyrus for a fleeting moment and Cyrus nodded, his face solemn.  T.J. took a deep breath and looked back down at their hands.  “Well, Buffy thought that I might have a learning disorder, so I asked the fortune-teller and…,” he trailed off.

“And?” Cyrus urged, lowering his gaze to make T.J. meet his eye line.  

T.J. forced himself to look into Cyrus’s eyes, and he breathed in deeply.  “She said yes.”

Cyrus didn’t even seem fazed.  “You can’t really know unless you get tested, T.J.,” Cyrus told him.  “But, even if she is right, it won’t change who you are or how people think of you.”

“It already has.  I think differently about me,” T.J. defended dejectedly.

“I promise that it’s nothing to be ashamed about,” Cyrus insisted.  When T.J. didn’t say anything, Cyrus frowned slightly.  How could he show T.J. that he shouldn’t be embarrassed about something that he had no control over?

Cyrus drew in a shaky breath.  Suddenly, he knew exactly what to say.  “I have something I’m ashamed about too,” he admitted. “And I shouldn’t be because it’s something I can’t change, even though I really wish I could sometimes.”

T.J. turned toward him.  “What is it?” he asked Cyrus, and Cyrus braced himself; it was now or never.

“I…,” he tried, pausing.  Come on, Cyrus.  You can do this.  “I’m gay,” he admitted, feeling the pit of his stomach tighten as the words slipped from his mouth.

T.J. blinked in surprise.  “You are?” he asked incredulously.

Cyrus was hurt at the boy’s reaction, and he withdrew his hand, Could T.J. not accept that he liked guys?  “Are you not okay with that or…,” he began, not being able to finish his sentence without his throat constricting.  He felt tears begin to well up in his eyes, and he tried to blink them back.  Don’t cry, Cyrus, he told himself.  Don’t cry.

“No, no, I meant…I was just…,” T.J. tried to explain.  He ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly.  “I mean…I am, too.”

Cyrus was caught completely off guard.  Had he heard that right?  “You…what?”

T.J. sighed.  “I’m gay too,” he repeated, blushing a light red.  “It’s part of my stuff.”

Cyrus almost laughed at their little inside joke, but he was too overwhelmed with the news.  “Wow,” was all he managed to say.

T.J. scooted closer next to him.  “Well, this is good news for me,” he remarked lightly.

Cyrus gulped nervously.  “Why?” he asked, the word barely passing through his lips.

“Now I know that there’s at least a possibility that you could like me back.”  Cyrus felt the corners of his lips tug up at the boy’s words, and he wished he had the courage to tell T.J. how he felt back.  Wait, why couldn’t he tell T.J. that he liked him too?  There was nothing stopping him…

At this sudden burst of confidence, Cyrus opened his mouth to tell T.J., but before he could even get a single word out of his mouth, a round of commotion emitted from the two doors leading out to the patio, causing the two boys to abruptly turn their heads to the noise.

“Found ya!” Andi and Buffy exclaimed in unison, two cans of silly spray in each of their hands.  They both pressed down on the nozzles, spraying them relentlessly with the sticky strands.

“Ah!” Cyrus screamed, cowering behind T.J..  

T.J. grinned good-naturedly and pulled Cyrus close to him, acting as a human-shield from Andi and Buffy’s attacks.

“That’s not fair!” Buffy cried out.

The girls continued to assault them (without remorse, Cyrus thought he should mention) and he gripped onto T.J. as tightly as he could, admiring how good the basketball player smelled.  What cologne did he use?  

After a couple of minutes, the cans of silly spray stopped being effective, and Buffy shook hers, making sure every last ounce was used.  

“Darn,” Buffy said, letting the now useless bottles hang at her sides.  “Oh well.  We always have more inside,” she suggested wickedly.

Andi laughed.  “I think that’s enough for now,” she said.  Cyrus sighed in relief that she was giving them a break; his hair was safe for now.  “Come on inside, guys,” she urged, gesturing forward.  “The party’s not over yet!”

“We’ll come inside in a minute,” Cyrus promised.  

Buffy and Andi exchanged a confused glance but they shrugged.  “Okay then.” The two headed back inside, leaving the two boys by themselves again.  

Now alone, the two boys found themselves in a tense silence.  Both of them had so much to say and yet neither knew how to say it.  

“Thanks for saving me from my fate,” Cyrus started, breaking it.  He lifted a strand from T.J.’s tousled hair, and he laughed awkwardly to dissipate the left over tension.  “That stuff sticks to me like glue.”

T.J. squeezed his shoulder, sending tingles throughout Cyrus’s body.  “No problem,” he said.  T.J. stared at Cyrus momentarily, seeming to fight with himself internally before leaning forward to press a sweet, chaste kiss onto Cyrus’s cheek.  Cyrus lips parted in surprise at the action.  T.J. Kippen just kissed me!  Cyrus didn’t know how he stopped himself from squealing At that moment.  “Ready to go inside?” T.J. asked, a light blush dusted across his cheeks.

Cyrus was dumbstruck.  “Y-yeah,” he said, trying to ignore the warm feeling blossoming throughout his chest.  As T.J. began to walk towards the house, Cyrus found his source of confidence again.  “Hey, T.J.?”

The basketball player stopped in his tracks, slowly turning around to face Cyrus.  “Yeah?”

Cyrus smiled.  “For the record…I like you too.”

T.J. beamed at his words.  “I was hoping you’d say that, Underdog.”  He held out his hand, offering it for Cyrus to take.  “You know, the party isn’t over,” T.J. said, a wide smile etched on his face.

Cyrus strode over to where T.J. was.  “The night is still young,” Cyrus agreed, happily bringing their hands together.  Suddenly he wished that Andi threw impromptu parties more often.  

I really hope you all enjoyed this prompt!  I’ll be working on the 6 other requests I have (hard to believe people have sent in that many, right?!  I’m excited).  Please reblog or like this post and don’t forget to check it out on AO3 and fanfiction.net.  Thank you!

~emmagrace13

[jennycalendar]

the inherent complexity of falling in love

ao3

i am too tired to Title A Fic Properly but this is a good fic....i had fun...i just found it in my wip folder & added the last 3 sentences because i have had a tough day & i wanna put some fic out there! so!

soulmate au; technically falls between the two i’ve already written but works best as the third, chronologically. jenny struggles with new-relationship drama in a not-actually-soulmate context.

Generally, soulmates get married within a few months of meeting each other. Jenny’s best friend in college met her soulmate and threw her life plans out the window to go have a big, expensive wedding in the country with her family, her soulmate’s family, and pretty much every family that had ever existed. It’s not exactly a leap of faith—a soulmate marriage that hasn’t worked out is pretty much unheard of—but it’s still always seemed like a reckless, impulsive move to Jenny.

She’s thinking a lot about this as she moves the seventh box into the new house.

Rupert’s fussing with the stove in the kitchen when Jenny puts the box down on their table, and he looks up and gives her this sweet little sideways smile when he sees her. “This is a rubbish stove,” he says. “We might have to go appliance shopping, or, or maybe you can figure out some way to fix it up a bit, you’re practically a wizard with appliances—”

“It’s not that bad, you’re just picky,” Jenny informs him affectionately, crossing the room to kiss him. “There’s still a bunch of stuff in the truck, but I think the kids are getting some of it.”

“Make sure Willow doesn’t get to any of my grimoires,” Rupert warns her. “She seems to have expressed an interest in magic-using, and I’d prefer for her to discover it with proper instruction.”

“Got it,” Jenny agrees. “Also we totally need a new mattress, it kinda got broken in transit and I think we might have to sleep on the couch tonight.”

“I’d say romantic if I thought my back could take it,” says Rupert ruefully, turning back to the stove.

“Don’t electrocute yourself,” Jenny calls over her shoulder, exiting the kitchen and grinning at Buffy and Willow on her way out of the house again.

Sometimes Jenny has to wonder if Rupert could be the universe’s way of telling her that soulmates are real. She’s a little resentful about it, truth be told; she’s never been one for destiny, and she’s definitely not a big fan of people telling her what to do. But some things are too weird and unshakable to ignore, like the blood-red A on her wrist or the fact that Rupert’s the only other person she’s ever met who’s never going to have a soulmate.

Rupert could probably be her soulmate, all things considered, and they’re both sure as hell acting like he is. Jenny hasn’t once moved in with anyone she’s dating, let alone bought a house with them. An actual house, with two bedrooms and a sunlit kitchen and a cozy living room and all kinds of things that remind her she’s an adult in a committed relationship. The distance between her and her family has never loomed so large.

Jenny crosses the street to the moving truck, where Xander and Willow’s new friend Oz are having a conversation about music, and lifts up another box. “You two are taller than me,” she informs them both, “and I am a tiny computer science teacher, you should be lifting a few more boxes at least.”

“On it,” says Xander, jumping up and nearly knocking over Rupert’s fancy lamp (which seems to be in constant danger of breaking). Oz winces a little.

The box Jenny’s carrying is one of Rupert’s book boxes, meant for the extra bedroom that they’ll be converting into an at-home library. Something about that makes Jenny feel warm and fuzzy and excited; she’s not sure if she can count on spending the rest of her life with Rupert, but she’s starting to kind of want to, in a way that goes beyond matching marks and destiny.

There’s a sudden, sharp pain in her wrist. Jenny draws in a breath, nearly dropping the box of books. As it is, she has to shift it to her hip and place it down slowly, thinking that maybe the box cut her or something, but when she raises her wrist to her eyes, all she sees is a raw redness around her soulmate mark.

“Damn it,” she mutters. The first-aid kit is somewhere in the house or somewhere in a box, she can’t remember which one. Picking up the box again, she enters the house and nearly collides with a giggling Buffy. “Whoops! Sorry, sweetie.”

“No problem,” says Buffy breathlessly, “Willow and I were just—”

“Tag you’re it no tag-backs!” Willow shouts, shoving Buffy into Jenny and sprinting into the kitchen. Buffy shrieks indignantly and sprints after her girlfriend, nearly bowling over Rupert as he exits the kitchen.

Laughing, Jenny hurries to steady Rupert. “It’s a nice house,” he says weakly, pushing his glasses up his nose. “A bit small for the children to be running about in, but I suppose they can’t help being children about it.”

“We did invite them to help,” Jenny points out, grinning. “And you know the risks of letting Willow and Buffy run wild.”

“I’m of the mind that they’re all bad influences on each other,” Rupert grumbles, but at this point he’s just complaining for the sake of complaining, so Jenny nods sympathetically and steers him over to a chair. “You all right?” he adds as he sits, eyes flickering to the raw spot on Jenny’s wrist.

Jenny makes a face. “Box injury,” she says. “Moving’s hazardous. You don’t know where the first-aid kit is, do you?”

“I believe it’s in my car,” Rupert answers, “there’s always a spare in my car, and I’m of the mind that we should get you one of your own considering the town we live in, Jenny, I don’t want you getting hurt—”

His words are starting to run together with anxious sweetness, and the way he looks at Jenny is making her feel like she’s someone incredibly special, so she leans down over the chair and gives him a long, soft kiss, letting him pull her down onto his lap. “I’m gonna be fine, baby,” she whispers against his mouth.

“Don’t call me that, it is distastefully American,” Rupert mumbles happily, pulling her close.

“Oh my god you guys have to stop that,” comes Buffy’s voice from the doorway. Willow giggles and says something quietly to Buffy, to which Buffy loudly and indignantly responds, “I don’t care that it’s their house, we’re still here and it’s so gross!”

Jenny and Rupert break apart, not without reluctance. “You kids want dinner?” Jenny asks, clambering off Rupert’s lap. “I can order pizza, or we can all watch Rupert complain about the stove.”

“Ha ha,” says Rupert.

This is how I want to spend my life, Jenny thinks, trying out the realization. Another stinging pain shoots through her wrist. “Hey, I’m going to go out and get the first-aid kit from your car,” she tells Rupert, patting his shoulder as she passes, and throws a last smile over her shoulder at the well-lit living room.

A lot of gossip starts floating around the staff room a few days after Rupert and Jenny move in together, especially since it’s common knowledge that they aren’t soulmates. Most of the gossip is in relation to sex without protection and Jenny being pregnant and Rupert being too traditional to let Jenny raise the baby on her own. No one seems ready to consider that two people who aren’t soulmates might want to be together, and something about that makes Jenny frustrated and hurt.

Willow gets it. Willow gets it possibly a little bit more than Jenny, actually. “My mom lets Buffy sleep in my bedroom,” she’s saying, curled on the couch with her head tucked into Jenny’s side. “And—I know it’s a small thing, I know I should be happy that she doesn’t ask, but she doesn’t think to ask, you know? She walked in on us kissing once and she didn’t say anything, just handed me a few articles on how experimentation is normal at my age and that I shouldn’t be worried about turning gay.” She smiles a little bitterly. “Like it’s something for me to be worried about.”

Jenny squeezes Willow’s shoulder. “Willow,” she says, “if you ever stay over here, you and Buffy are staying in separate rooms. You are much too young to be having sex.”

Willow laughs, a wobbly noise that sounds like she wants to cry, and says with tentative playfulness, “But Ms. Calendar, I promise I’ll be responsible!”

“I was young once too, you know,” Jenny teasingly reprimands her, smoothing down Willow’s hair. “I know how these things are when you’re in love.”

Willow stills. Then she says, “Ms. Calendar—have you ever been in love?”

Jenny blinks. Feels her heart flutter. “Getting there,” she says, and it’s the truth.

The scrape from the box is bruising. Reddish-blue and raised, curving across the A in a way that makes it look like a different letter, maybe an R or a B. Jenny has been trying to ignore it, but when she knocks it against the edge of the bureau and curses like a sailor, Rupert all but drags her downstairs to put some ice on it.

“Good lord, Jenny, how do you do this to yourself,” he says reprovingly, his hands gentle on her wrist as he presses the ice pack against her bruise.

“This coming from the guy who gave me not one, not two, but five hickeys a few nights ago,” says Jenny, mouth quirking up.

“That’s different,” says Rupert, and though his attention stays focused on Jenny’s injury, the tips of his ears do go a bit red.

“If you say so,” says Jenny, and lets her free hand rest on Rupert’s knee, sliding up his thigh.

Rupert smiles, soft and slow, and lifts his head to kiss Jenny sweetly, pulling away to rest his forehead against hers. “You do need to be careful,” he says. “For my sake, at least.”

“It’s a damn scrape, Rupert,” says Jenny, half-laughing, “it’s not like that time when—” She stops herself.

Rupert’s smile fades a bit. “When we went down to fight the Master,” he says, “and he tossed you against a wall.”

Rupert had killed the Master, in the end, more panicked dumb luck than anything. Jenny had been pulling herself up, bruised and shaken, and he’d been trying to protect her as best he could, and somehow he’d tripped the Master and knocked him onto a nearby stalagmite (or stalactite? whichever one came up from the bottom of a cave) and the Master had dissolved into dust and bone.

Neither of them talk about how close they both came to dying down there, or how probable it would have been that their deaths might have led to Buffy investigating herself and dying at the hands of the Master. They seem to be in mutual agreement that it’s not what could have been that matters, but what is.

This is true, of course, but Jenny still wishes she had thought things through a little more before charging down into battle. Looking at Rupert makes her think they can move mountains; it frightens her. She changes the subject. “I think most of the teachers at school think I’m pregnant,” she says, a tentative laugh in her voice.

Rupert grins. “Did I miss a memo?” he teases, kissing her again. “Is there an impending Giles-Calendar I need to know about?”

“Calendar-Giles,” Jenny corrects, grinning when Rupert rolls his eyes, “and no.” She presses her hands to his chest, kissing his nose. “Just a lot of dumb office gossip.” She hesitates, then says, “It frustrates me a little that that’s what they jump to, you know? Like we’ve got to be soulmates or having a baby or something to have any semblance of a meaningful relationship.”

“We could have a baby,” Rupert says, mouth twitching. “Defy the stereotypes by subverting them and making them our choice.”

“Pretty sure a kid’s a bigger commitment than a tool with which to make a statement,” Jenny points out. “Probably doesn’t help that we live on a Hellmouth, either.”

“Maybe someday,” says Rupert.

That startles Jenny. “Someday?” she echoes.

Rupert’s smile flickers a little, and he looks uncharacteristically forthright when he says softly, “Being with you—it makes me want things like that.”

Jenny knows he’s not really talking about a baby. Rupert’s good with kids, but he’s said quite a few times that he doesn’t think he’s cut out to be a dad if it would mean focusing on his kid instead of his Slayer, and they both don’t want to talk about what might happen if Rupert ends up outliving Buffy. What he’s saying, in a roundabout sort of way, is that Jenny makes him want to be the sort of person who can choose his own destiny. Not just that—the sort of person who can choose her as his destiny.

And shit, that means a lot coming from him. More than Jenny had ever been expecting, really. “Hey,” she says, and stands up, taking his hands to pull him up with her. “You think we’d be each other’s destiny in a perfect kind of world?”

“I think you’re the sort of woman who doesn’t limit herself to just one destiny,” says Rupert, smiling a little, and kisses Jenny in that way that gets her weak in the knees; passionate if she wants it, tender the way she likes it. He pulls back, smile still lingering in an amazed, sentimental kind of way, and says, “Jenny, I think we’re falling in love.”

Jenny wakes up in the morning when Rupert’s still asleep and notices dark blue ink on the bedsheets next to her. Frowning, she pulls herself up to a sitting position and gasps softly when she inadvertently puts weight on her wrist. Raising her wrist to her eyes, she sees that it’s covered in that same inky substance; it’s got the same consistency as dried blood, and her wrist hurts like it’s been seriously injured, but unless Jenny’s missed some kind of weird supernatural memo, she doesn’t bleed ink the exact same color as Rupert’s favorite pen—

Wait.

Jenny races to the bathroom, heedless of waking up Rupert, and slams the door shut behind her, immediately turning on the faucet and scrubbing at her wrist. She grits her teeth through the pain—this ink is ridiculously difficult to get off—and ends up working at her wrist for a good few minutes before the caked-on ink finally begins to come off.

She knows what she’s going to see before it’s there, and feels a horrible, painful twist when she does. Badly stamped over the half-faded A, written in Rupert’s perfect cursive, is REG.

“You’re sure you’re all right?” Rupert asks at breakfast, frowning a bit. “It’s still August, Jenny, weren’t you talking about wearing that lovely sundress you got at the pier?”

“Fine,” says Jenny, “fine, I, I just felt like a change of clothing is all. Change of pace.” With a shaking hand, she draws her leather jacket closer around her.

“Jenny, you look thoroughly shaken,” Rupert says, sounding genuinely concerned. “Is everything—”

“Yeah,” says Jenny, taking a very long sip of her coffee until it burns her tongue. Her wrist still hurts, even though the ink seems to have stopped seeping from it. It’s sort of like a badly-done tattoo over the A, which has turned an ugly reddish-brown. “Things just, I, I need—” Her voice catches.

“Jenny,” says Rupert softly, and crosses the kitchen to pull her up and into his arms. Jenny flinches away. “Is—” His face twists painfully. “Is this because I talked about falling in love?”

“I don’t know,” says Jenny hopelessly, before remembering that he doesn’t know about her fucked-up arm and he probably just thinks she’s pulling away. “No,” she says, then, “Maybe,” then, “I just, I need some time to myself—research—” and darts around him to head back into the bedroom.

Rupert doesn’t follow her. Jenny thinks that that’s probably a good thing; she feels too much of a mess to really deal with him at the moment. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she buries her face in her hands and tries to regulate her breathing.

This is straight-up just not supposed to happen. Rupert’s name is not supposed to be on her arm in any capacity, let alone stamped over the A like it’s some kind of horrible parasite. That’s the whole point, the whole reason Rupert started looking at her like she was someone special; they had marks that would never match anyone else’s. Now Jenny’s mark is becoming a man she can never have all to herself and Rupert’s alone all over again and it’s all Jenny’s damn fault for loving him so much—

“Oh, darling,” she hears Rupert whispering, and she realizes very distantly that she’s started crying. Loudly, too, and in a horribly embarrassing way, one that isn’t at all graceful or restrained. Rupert sits down next to her on the bed, still a respectable distance away, giving her an opportunity for comfort without forcing her into it.

Jenny can’t bring herself to reach out to him, so she sort of lets herself fall sideways into him. Rupert carefully pulls her hands away from her face, tugging her into his arms, and she sobs into his shoulder for about two seconds before she forces herself to stop crying and look up at him. “I’m sorry,” she says, voice wobbling, and rolls up her sleeve, flipping her wrist out to show him the haphazard mess she’s made of everything.

Rupert blinks. “That’s what has you crying?” he says, sounding genuinely hurt.

Jenny suddenly feels too tired to articulate what she’s afraid of, but she’s getting the sense that she’s going to have to. “I’m—we’re—built on, on the concept that there’s no one out there for either of us,” she says clumsily. “And—I think—I chose you when I wasn’t supposed to, but I don’t want to let go of my destiny when it’s what’s keeping us together, and now my wrist is all fucked up because I won’t let go—”

“Oh,” murmurs Rupert, “darling,” and kisses her forehead, then her nose, then her mouth, all very gentle like he thinks she might break. “I didn’t start loving you because of any mark,” he says gently, “I started loving you when you stayed all night to help me research the Master. I love you, Jenny, not what you think you’re supposed to be.”

“These marks mean something—”

“My mark means I’m tied to something that isn’t you,” says Rupert. “Do you think either of us would choose that, if we could? It makes me love you more that you’re strong enough to break away from destiny.” His other hand traces her mark. “Even if it hurts you so clearly, Jenny—you’ve always been the braver of us two, and I’ve always admired you for it.”

Jenny swallows. “You love me?” she says finally, softly. She knows he does—that isn’t what she’s asking.

“I choose you,” says Rupert. “No matter what this mark says. I thought you knew—”

“I wanted,” says Jenny, realizing only as she says it, “to believe that these marks meant we were—made for each other. In a weird, messed-up way, sure, but it meant we had a connection that was just as supernatural and wonderful as any two soulmates.” She exhales, laughing. “I want you to be my soulmate,” she says, bitter and amused. “God, if that isn’t the most pathetic—”

Rupert frowns a little, then smiles slightly. “Sit here,” he says, and jumps up from the bed, leaving a startled Jenny to watch as he hurries over to the bureau.

“What—”

“Wait,” says Rupert, holding up a hand without turning from the bureau. Jenny can’t exactly make out what he’s doing, but he opens a drawer, rolls up his sleeve, takes out a pen, fusses a bit with his mark, and then shuts the drawer again, turning back to her.

“I’m sorry,” Jenny begins immediately.

“Shh,” says Rupert, and flips out his right wrist. Written messily above his W are Jenny’s own initials. “They wouldn’t be visible across the black,” he explains, “so I—had to adjust, a bit.”

“They’ll wear off,” says Jenny, a slow, incredulous smile spreading across her face.

Rupert’s grinning, looking at Jenny like she’s the center of the world. “Then you’ll write them again,” he crosses the room, taking Jenny’s ink-scarred wrist in his hands, “and again,” he presses his mouth to his initials on Jenny’s wrist, “and again,” and he seals his promise with a kiss—passionate the way she wants it, tender the way she likes it.

The ink fades, after that, the whole tangled mess of it, and Rupert’s initials fade along with them. Jenny isn’t afraid, this time around; the way it feels to be really, truly in love transcends anything any mark could tell her. In a strange way, she thinks that’s what her mark told her for the short time it was there: love is what you make of it.

[lrhbadomens]

When Souls Collide Chapter 13

Is love ever strong enough to survive distance? Is friendship ever enough between two lost lovers?

A story about coming out, finding love, losing love and finding each other again.

Masterlist Wattpad

I should be in class right now and probably shouldn't miss it but here I am trying my best to hold in my tears as Brian, Alex, Lynn and their drummer Justin who really should come by more often load their stuff into the taxis to head to the airport. It's going to be so quiet around here and I'm going to feel so alone, it's ridiculous.

The past nights, when Lynn wasn't with me, I've been crying myself to sleep which is the most ridiculous thing but at this point I don't want to know what my life is without them in it. I'm going to go to uni, do my school work, hang out with Charlotte and that's it. That's going to be my life for the next two and a half months or so.

"Babe, you can let go now" Lynn's voice shakes me back to reality as her hand is pulling at her suitcase that I am supposed to be carrying to the trunk but I stopped as I saw them all loading in.

"Right" I mutter and let go of her suitcase. I see Lynn glance at my face quickly, knowing that she knows I'm struggling to keep myself together. As Lynn is putting her suitcase away, Brian comes up to me.

"Don't you cry on me because you know how easily I set off" Brian scolds at me before I can even utter anything. So, I reach forward and just wrap my arms around him.

"Be safe, B. I'm going to miss having you around" I tell him as fast as I can before he pulls away.

"Be sure to text me your flight details when you book them, okay?" Brian tells me so I nod, not trusting my voice anymore. I have to yet figure out when I'm going to see them and how many times. As Brian steps back Alex picks me up tightly and swings me around making me giggle but I hug him back while he's in the air.

"Take care, Kerry. Hold down the fort for us, will you?" Alex says as he puts me down and rubbing me over my head, messing up my already messy hair.

"I promise if you take care of those two idiots" I smile softly at him as he nods and promising me that he'll try not to let them do anything stupid.

But then Lynn slowly walks up to me, looking ridiculously good to be travelling. Her face is serious which bothers me. As we're standing right in front of each other, I lift my right hand to brush through her hair and hold her face, to remember how she feels. How her skin feels under my thumb. A second later she does the same to me, so we're just standing there looking at each other, taking each other in. Tears are welling up in my eyes and I promised myself not to cry so I pull her towards me and press my lips on hers. Trying to remember how her lips feel against mine, how her arms feel around me. She pulls back slowly and an uncontrolled sob leaves my lips as I hold her close in my arms and bury my face against her neck. I can feel her kisses against the side of my head so I press my lips against her neck to keep myself from breaking down completely. That's until I feel a tear drop onto my shoulder which can't be from anyone else than her so I lift my head and surely enough there are tears streaming down her face as well. Holding her face in my hands I kiss away every tear that's falling on her face before pulling her into a tight hug again.

"I love you, Lynn" I sigh without instantly realising what I'm actually saying but I can tell by the way she stiffens that she's heard it.

"You- you do?" Lynn mutters, her voice hoarse. Nerves kick in and butterflies roam my stomach at the same time.

"Yeah, I love you and I want you to know that before you leave just to be sure" I take her hands into mine and she doesn't pull away so I didn't scare her off, thank god. Instantly after that her lips are on mine again, kissing me hard and as she pulls away she just looks at me for a couple of seconds.

"God, I love you" She smiles bringing the butterflies to my heart instead of my stomach and giving me a heart attack. I smile automatically falls onto my lips.

"How fucked up you have to leave now, but I'll visit you as soon as I can. Have fun, you're going to be great" I kiss her once more before letting her go.

"I'll call you when I land" Lynn starts to turn around but she turns back around, kissing me again before turning around and walking straight to the car and getting in. Brian and Alex wave at me as they get into the car and I also get a shy wave from Justin which makes me smile shortly at him. As they drive off I feel like burying myself, what do I do with myself?

I go back inside and crawl on the couch with a blanket covering me. I feel like I've been broken up with but not really? I text Charlotte to come over and watch sad movies with me and eat ice cream and she can distract me with things that happened at uni today. As I just send the text I receive one from Lynn. A selfie of her in the taxi, her hood up and she's looking so serious and honestly sad, all I want to do is crawl in bed and hold her. I want her to giggle and smile at me.

I already fucking miss you baby...

Her text reads so I open my camera and take a picture of my current situation, covered in blankets as comfort on the couch, eyes still puffy from crying. I look like shit but Lynn has seen me look worse.

I love you

I start to watch Me Before You just so I can cry just that bit more and get it all out, hoping I'll last for a while. I've seen the movie before so during I'm looking through my calendar to see when I can take time off to visit Warped Tour and not miss too many classes. It seems like I can go two times, one longer and the other maybe just a short surprise visit. But it's still three to four weeks until that is and then the other is by the end of the tour. I open up my browser to look for plane tickets, which ones are the cheapest and which planes actually fly to the places I want to go.

Right at that moment Charlotte waltzes inside and smacks herself down next to me on the couch. She doesn't really say anything but then again we have kind of a weird friendship where we can just want to hang out but not talk? As I keep looking for a cheap plane ticket, I can feel her eyes on my phone.

"Are you gonna surprise her on tour? It'd be a great opportunity to just not tell her the real date and just pop up somewhere" Charlotte speaks up, confirming a thought I already had in my head.

"I was thinking about it but I'm scared she's not going to like it if I surprise her, like what if she hadn't planned it? Or what if she has other people to pay attention to?" I express my doubts about the plan and Charlotte nods her head slowly and goes back to thinking.

"You could always involve Brian and Alex in the plan, even Justin, he might even be more subtle about it" She suggests but how does she know about Justin? I just met him today.

"How do you know who Justin is? I literally didn't know about him till this morning" I frown, putting my phone down. Wanting to be able to read her face.

"I eh, you know I've been seeing this guy for some time now right? So, I kind of told him that I knew this band that's really great and they still need a drummer to go on tour with so he was interested and now he's in the band?"

"Justin is your boyfriend? What the hell?" My eyes are probably gonna pop out of their sockets, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Well first of all, he's hot so props to you but second of all, you could've told me and stopped me from whining about Lynn going away when your fucking boyfriend is also going with them!"

"Wow okay so he's not my official boyfriend yet but I think we're getting close and yeah I just felt stupid cause you knew I was seeing a guy but he isn't my boyfriend so it's not that big of a deal" She shrugs, like she doesn't care at all but I know deep down she wants him to be her boyfriend and make it official.

"So you don't miss him already?"

"To be honest no, we weren't together every day like Lynn and you. He was busy all the time and whenever we could we hung out but Lynn and you, you two are on a different level. If you two aren't soulmates I don't even know what is what anymore. You could do anything together and still have the best times of your lives and not get sick of each other, it's crazy" Charlotte pats my leg as she finishes. Her ramble about my relationship honestly makes me feel a little bit better knowing that what Lynn and I have is kinda special.

"I told her I love her earlier" I smile to myself just thinking about it. Charlotte almost does a complete spin in her seat and faces me.

"You did?! Oh my god, how? When? What did she say?" She fires questions at me so I try my best to remember.

"We were hugging goodbye and it was out of my mouth before I knew it. It was just a moment where I was crying and then I realised she was also crying so I hugged her tighter and I just felt it so clearly at that moment that I blurted it out and I was so scared she didn't love me because she didn't say anything, she just asked if I really did love her so I told her I wanted to tell her before she left and then she said it back, Charlotte." I let out a sigh, still not believing it myself, "Lynn loves me, this is like some weird dream I just know it."

"It's not a dream, Ker. You deserve each other so much. I knew she was gonna fall in love with you the first time I saw you two together. You are made for each other, now book that surprise flight and the announced flight and if you need back up, I will book a flight too" Charlotte tells me so I book the cheapest flights there are and tell Charlotte that if she's able to miss some classes at uni she's 100% going with me to surprise them.

[bananashemmo]

When We Collide (Part 19)

Pairing: Assistant!Y/N/CEO!Luke

Rating: NC-17

Parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18

Summary: He is the definition of high class smart ass, swimming in Dom Pierre Pérignon champagne and has never seen the shadow of poverty. She is underprivileged, lives in a messy dorm room on sale and struggles working as an assistant after being thrown out of college. But how will they collide when Luke makes Y/N pregnant after a drunkenly one night stand?

When We Collide on Wattpad

“She asked you to be their fake surrogate? For fun? I’m sorry but was she dropped as a baby because the lack of brain cells and situation awareness are concerning!” 

The conversation had been serious until now. Nicole’s frustration was almost bigger than yours and it was the reason why you couldn’t keep a straight face. She almost hated Holly more than you did. 

“How do you even bother to be their assistant…” She shook her head in disbelief and glanced over at Luke and Holly talking by his director chair, a script in their hands and their faces serious. 

“I think with everything I go through I’m able to take on the world.” You giggled and moved away from leaning against the wall to look more productive than you had done before.

The studio was packed today as usual. People were at the dressing rooms running around and preparing actors for the scenes, Luke was sitting in his chair and yelling when things wouldn’t go correct or if a scene had become just like he wanted it to be.

Nicole was here as usual standing with her little tray to serve food. You sometimes thought her work was worse than yours, at least you didn’t have to walk around and fed other with delicious food you weren’t allowed to touch.

“Hey!” She almost scolded when you stole one of the strawberries from the silver tray, “Those are for the actors.”

“With all the secrets I have I think I’d become a much better actress than assistant.” You winked and chewed until the strawberry was gone and she couldn’t take it away from you. 

“When will you announce anything?” She asked with a curious expression and her eyes adverted down to your stomach.

“I mean look at you. You’re glowing.”

You giggled by her words and rubbed your hand up and down the bump. It had become bigger than the last time you had checked, it was growing every single day you almost felt you couldn’t catch up. 

People had been complimenting you wherever you went. People at the office were pretty surprised but it couldn’t compare to your old college friends.

It wasn’t that you had been paying them a visit but you had met some on the streets a few days ago. They were pretty shocked, they didn’t know what to say other than the fact you looked much older than you had did in college.

Weirdly enough you felt the change. You weren’t such a mess like you had been before, you were starting to have a change of thoughts and parties weren’t on the top of your head any longer.

You weren’t the one to walk around and be completely fucked up in a bush. You knew it was something you missed a little bit but still you didn’t feel like it was something you needed in your life right now.

Give the baby the blame but it was starting to make you change, not just in the way your attitude was but also the clothes were starting to become tight.

You sooner than later had to buy new clothes. Everything was sitting so tight now and with your boobs starting to grow as well you knew you would have to raise the cups in your bras sooner than later.

It was a budget that was a bit hard to take over and you didn’t want to ask for money. You couldn’t just call home and say you needed money for clothes, you hadn’t even announced the news that you were pregnant.

You didn’t see any reason to tell them. When they didn’t even give effort to ask and hear if you were okay you didn’t see any reason to start explaining the change of your life.

Besides, you also wanted to avoid the topic of who the father was gonna be. 

“Considering you can’t hide it anymore, how will you tell everyone?” Nicole asked and you furrowed your eyebrows.

“I mean, some day you have to tell people that you’re pregnant. As it is so obvious now you can’t really say you ate too many pizzas down by Rosalie.” 

She was referring to the pizza place your dorm was above. It was the place you always visited on Sundays with hangovers, you could almost name a pizza after you because it was the one you always ordered and there was always a special ingredient on top. 

“I think it’s just easier if people have the guts to ask me.” You shrugged, you hadn’t really thought about it. You knew people were thinking about it but some were too afraid to come up and ask if it was true. 

“But what about Luke? Will he ever announce that he’s the father?” You could tell she was curious, she was having one eyebrow quivered but she didn’t want to trigger you. 

“If you ask Luke he’s not the father.” You quickly answered and crossed your arms.

“I don’t get him! One moment he acts like he’s all over me and makes sure that everything is alright with the baby and another moment he’s the biggest ass I’ve ever met and doesn’t want to have a single thing to do with it. I know it’s a big change in his life but sometimes he acts like he’s the only one going through it but I’m here too. And I’ll be affected more because he can leave easily and I can’t. Not that I want to. I’d never leave my baby behind.” 

Nicole nodded her head in agreement and understood your frustration.

It was confusing as hell. You knew he also had a lot on his mind when it came to Holly but you just wished for a little bit sympathy that wasn’t just fake. 

“Holly is just more important to him than you are.” She shrugged her shoulder and watched them talk.

“I’ve never been important to Luke.” You replied in a soft tone, feeling a frown spread on your face. 

She looked over at you with the exact sympathetic smile you had been searching for, for a while. She wrapped you up quickly but also had to leave because she was at work after all and not really allowed to speak to you between breaks. 

“We’ll talk later okay. We’ll go get some coffee or something. Hot chocolate for the mommy.” She added the last bit just to show that she knew you weren’t allowed to drink the other thing and disappeared on the group of people.

You sighed softly and looked down at yourself. Months from now you wouldn’t be able to see your feet, how would you be able to put on socks with such a big stomach?

It was weird thoughts like these you had at times. They just came randomly and also reminded you of how alone you felt. You knew you had Nicole, Joe and a few other friends but it was still something you went through alone. 

You shook the thoughts out of your head and decided to head towards the camera crew and Luke. You were at work after all.

They were currently having a scene which meant the lights were dimmed, workers were completely quiet and the only thing that was focus on was the scene in front of you.

The stage had been transformed into a small bedroom but it was very neutral so you couldn’t tell who it belonged to. 

Holly was by the door and talking but nobody was in the room. You didn’t understand any of it but now when you thought about it, you had never invested your time in finding out what Luke’s movie was about.

Sure, he had been talking about it more times than you could count by hand but you had never actually listened. 

It had been sounding interesting and with his enthusiastic voice you one wit was something he was very proud of. He worked late at night to make the scripts, he said it was his way of working best. When it was dark outside and he would sit in front of his small lamp and a notebook clearing out his thoughts and writing everything he had in his heart.

You hadn’t been reading the script but there was one available so you decided to take a look. 

The top had a few scribbles here and there. You could tell that whoever owned it hadn’t fully planned out how the title of the movie would be. It was something along the lines of walks being built to keep someone safe but there wasn’t a final result.

The scene they were recording today were number 19. It was still in the introduction part of the movie, the protagonists hadn’t fully gotten to know each other yet and only two characters would be on stage today.

You knew it was about a boy, Luke had been telling you that. It was the only thing you remembered because it was something that stood out from the ordinary. 

It was a character Luke had invented when he was younger and didn’t take anything seriously. He had never believed he would be in the industry because it was only something he saw as a hobby. But with the money he had and already prepared knowledge of the acting industry he followed his dad’s footsteps. 

You weren’t sure where in the scene you were at but you were somehow drawn to it.

Holly was many things you could point out at once. She was such an idiot, use didn’t understand anything that was not surrounding her and she was born with a golden spoon in her ass.

She was never the one to understand everyone else, she only understood her own problems and pushed away everyone else to get her satisfaction. She only lived in the life of money, she was home schooled and never the one to get near a public school.

But acting she could.

There was something about the way she was moving around, speaking heel ones with emotions that made you understand why Luke had picked her in the first place.

She knew what she was doing, most probably because it was the only thing she was good at besides spending more money than you would ever own in your life. 

She was neither wearing the usual clothes she did. Her makeup was minimal, her blonde hair was curled to try hide the Botox invaded face and she was wearing more casual clothes.

You knew the movie wasn’t about being rich, it was about the normal life of someone being in school and not having to buy everything to get what they want in life. 

“Okay cut.” Luke announced and the dimmed lights were brightened up again so everyone could proper see.

“It was really good, I loved the expression. For the next clip I’d like you to be a little more shocked when you hear the voice coming from the bed but not being able to see anyone.” He explained and you watched carefully.

It was different seeing them like this. They were professionals, they weren’t just goofing around like they always did. They both really area about their professions and it was somehow a little bit of a surprise. 

They did in fact do something to own their money. Of course they were both born in the life of richness but they also did a lot to gain their respects from everyone. 

Luke could easily become one of the most arrogant asses you had met in life but he was working hard to get the success he wanted. It was a feature you hadn’t realized until now. 

“When we start this, it’s the moment where she actually sees him. He’s not a shadow anymore and he’s not invisible to her world and I really want all the emotions expressed in that quick moment.” He explained and baffled his arms in the air to express his meaning. 

Holly nodded her head in agreement and the ponytail swung around a circle as she turned around to get back in the staged bedroom. 

As the scene progressed and Luke seemed as satisfied as he possibly could be the lights changed again and everyone was allowed to get a small break. Only fifteen minutes and if anyone were late they knew a fired note would be planted in their hands.

Luke ran his hand through his hair a little bit tired from all the hard work, he had been here since 6 A.M. 

“Have you seen Y/-,” Oh over there.” He glanced over his shoulder after grabbing the arm of one of the other workers. He clearly hadn’t needed you for a while since he had no idea where you were standing. 

“I’m sorry I was just looking…” You trailed off not really knowing how to safe it, it wasn’t really any of your business you were only the one to copy the papers out at the copy machine.

“It’s fine.” He nodded his head with a quiet voice and noticed the wonder on your face. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“I’m just trying to understand it. Not the scene where looking at but just the movie in general. I know you explained it before but I’ve just… Never fully understood it?” 

You could tell by the way he turned around on his chair that he actually wanted to share a moment with you to let you understand. It was a thing you had noticed, he liked sharing stuff he was proud of. 

“Well the movie is about living in the shadow of everyone else. Nobody pays attention to you, you’re close to become invisible because it’s one of the hardest things to go through. Never being fully noticed for who you are.” 

You nodded your head by his explanation wanting him to continue.

“We’ve got the main character Adam who suffers through the life of being nobody. He doesn’t have any friends. It’s not like he’s being bullied because nobody has noticed him to do so. He’s just completely alone.” 

“And that changes when he meets Julia?” You asked just to be sure, you had been reading the script after all and you noticed Holly’s character shared that name. 

“Yes Julia is the first one to notice him. At first Adam doesn’t believe the possibility that someone has seen him, let alone being a girl. It changes everything about his life and it starts to color up. Like it suddenly makes sense why he’s living.” 

“But what is the plot then?” The story sounded so interesting you were actually surprised by Luke’s imagination. 

“They are polar opposites. The live completely different lives and that creates the complication. With all the odds against them Adam doesn’t believe that he deserves her…” 

Luke paused in track almost as if he didn’t want to spoil the plot twist or if he wanted you to figure it out yourself. 

“So he becomes invisible again.” You replied after thinking, looking up at him with wide eyes.

It was brilliant. Everything about it sounded so interesting, for once it wasn’t a girl being confused and feeling alone but a boy. Not to mention it had a bit of fantasy in it, but with a deeper meaning of real life and how someone could feel so alone. 

“And the suspense continues from that.” Luke nodded his head in confirm and looked down at the script you still had in your hands. 

“I haven’t figured out a title for it yet. Sometimes it’s one of the hardest things to do. Even if it’s so simple.” He reached over for you to return it as it was in fact his script you were standing with.

You did think the handwriting was familiar and you returned it with a small smile on your face. 

“It’s actually a brilliant idea Luke. I think you should know that.” You admitted and out of habit rubbed your bump.

“I know.” He smiled, bringing back the cockiness he always had but the warmth in his eyes was something new. 

“Would you mind copying a few of those?” He gave back the script, “We’re having new actors coming later for the new scenes coming up and I want a few extra copies in case they forget theirs.” 

“Sure.” You nodded your head in agreement and took the script back. For once you were actually happy to do something Luke requested you to do because it meant you could skim through the pages and see what would happen. 

Your head was completely buried in the script it was almost like a book. And to be honest there was a reason you had been kicked out of college, they had never really been your thing. 

The office was quiet when you walked in but it was no wonder. Everyone was almost gathered at the first floors to be a part of the filming no matter what kind of role they had in the business.

You opened the lid to the copy machine and connected the script to it. It was actually one of the only things you were good at, you knew just exactly how to use it because it was the thing Luke requested you to do the most. 

Meanwhile the papers were spit out from the machine you took the time to take a look at your computer while waiting.

It had been standing open since this morning when you checked into the office. It was only for a quick check but now you at least got the chance to see what was going on without Luke calling for your name repeatedly. 

You furrowed your eyebrows confused when checking your mail. It was the same boring thing as usual, some being less important than others but one mail stood out from the others.

You could see the sender was the landlord of your dorm, and the title was making you so nervous you didn’t want to open the email at all. 

“Your contact is terminated.”

You furrowed your eyebrows confused but you knew you had to open your mail. You knew what was coming, it had been prepared for a while yet you felt you had only gotten a second to adjust the change that was going to happen.

There it was. The landlord had been waiting for this, he had been waiting to kick you out of your dorm to get some other idiot to rent it instead. 

You knew you had the contract that said he allowed you to find another place and stay at the old dorm until so. But with all the things that had happened it had slipped out of your mind and now you had to return your key the second you would show up to pack your things.

In fact you didn’t even get the chance to pack any of your things since they had been placed right in front of the door waiting for you to come. 

“I’m sorry to inform you that the deadline is over and I have no other option than to kick you out. Key has to be returned before 3 P.M this afternoon.” 

It was like a kick right to the stomach and the worst thing was you had been prepared. You knew it would come yet you allowed it to slip out of your mind and thoughts. 

You could feel your breath quickened, you had no idea how to react. It was so many emotions hitting you at once and they were heightened because of the pregnancy. 

 “Y/N what in the world is taking so long it’s just a couple of damn papers-,” Luke stopped in track when he came into your office to see your miserable expression.

You weren’t crying but you had water in your eyes and it was hard to keep them in. You tried your very best because you didn’t want to stand and cry in front of him, it felt pathetic even if it was your own fault.

“What’s wrong?” His face showed a hint of concern and he quivered an eyebrow.

“I uh-,” You didn’t know how to explain yourself so you turned the computer screen around for him to see.

He furrowed his eyebrows confused and headed over to give the mail a read. It wasn’t until the end that he softened up, he wasn’t as confused as before and he understood your sudden reaction.

“What uh-, What a bummer.” Was the first thing he said after thinking and you silently nodded your head in agreement. 

“I don’t know what to do…” You never liked being the vulnerable one, especially not showing weakness towards Luke but it just felt natural at this point. 

“Move in at my place.” 

The words were so simple yet held so much importance. It left silence cloud over the room and your eyes widened so large they were about to fall out. He seemed pretty confused by his words as well but he still meant his words. 

“What?” You had never been this confused in your life before and your voice was weak. 

“Move in at my place until you find something else.”

“Luke it’s okay I can just stay at-,”

“No seriously. I’m insisting.” He stopped you and held a hand in the air, “You know you shouldn’t be stressing around and it’s probably for the best. That way you will always have a place to be at and you don’t have to worry about crashing from couch to couch. I can promise you a real bed. Five if you’d like.” 

“But what about-,”

“Whatever problems we have we’ll fix them okay? You just don’t have to worry about anything now.” He folded his hands together and waited for an answer, you were still pretty surprised. 

“Okay fine,” You were still confused why you were nodding your head in agreement but you did. It would almost be a bigger change in your life than your pregnancy because living with Luke would be something out of the ordinary. 

He smiled softly by your words happy that he was able to convince you and grabbed the scripts that had been printed out but were still warm. 

But I get my own room right?” You asked just to be sure and he nodded his head in agreement with a smile. 

“You can get your own wing of the penthouse.” 

[acciopjm]

AO3 Fics

Strike ~ read

⁂ ~ really need to read

𝕐𝕆𝕆ℕ𝕄𝕀ℕ

 ⇢ Bon Voyage ~ Yoongi was meant to be taking the trip of a lifetime with his boyfriend. But now he's in Paris, alone and miserable. That is, until he collides - quite literally - with one Park Jimin. ~ 47951

 ⇢ Gangsters Love Better ~ As the leader of a gang Yoongi is busy a lot; killing, stealing and smuggling is a lot of hard work to do after all. But there is still some room for a beloved pet, and who would suit better into this role than Jimin...? A deep whisper, so close to his ear, that Jimin couldn't hear anything else growled into his senses; "I don't need any protection baby-boy." ~ 61032 (22/22) (ft. Jikook, Namjin)

 ⇢ Only breathing ~ As a drug lord, Yoongi knows the rules: -you don't ask questions; -whatever the client wants, you sell it; -you don't do loans; -you don't fall in love with a customer's whore. Yoongi knows the rules. And because he knows them he also knows when he's about to break one. ~ 26461

 ⇢ I'm Glad You're My First (First for Everything) ~ Jimin wasn’t a prude, he just liked saving his firsts for everything for someone special. And, that special someone was Min Yoongi. ~ 12840 

 ⇢ Beauty in all forms ~ When Jimin hit an art block he really didn't expect a grumpy florist to be the answer to his problem. ~ flower shop, tattoo parlor, fluff, smut ~ 4738 

 ⇢ i'm outside the door (invite me in) ~ neighbour au where jimin is adorable and clueless and yoongi is grumpy with a kitten who is in love with jimin ~ neighbour!au ~ 4707 (👥)

 ⇢ Just Checking ~ Jimin and Yoongi just really, really love each other.(aka just yoongi and jimin being domestic and fluffy and cheesy) ~ nursery teacher!jimin, journalist!yoongi, fluff ~ 4933

 ⇢ light me up (i'll keep you warm) ~ He’s already taking a deep breath when he hears someone twisting the doorknob. “Jung Hoseok, I have a bone to pick with you, you absolute asshole,” he starts.It is not Jung Hoseok.Definitely not.Min Yoongi.Jimin coughs awkwardly into his fist. “Hello,” he finishes.(In which Jimin has a crush, yells a lot, and maybe falls into like.) ~ 13154

 ⇢ pretty (odd) ~ in which min yoongi is a librarian and he happens to fall deeply in love with park jimin, the regular who's in love with literature just a little too much. ~ College/University, Librarylibrarian!Yoongi, english major!jimin ~ 11813 (📚)

 ⇢ Under the Mistletoe ~ Thanks to Kim Taehyung and his big mouth, Jimin finds himself snowed in on Christmas for the very first time. The problem is: he’s at a cabin in the middle of nowhere with Min Yoongi.What could possibly go wrong? ~ 12057

 ⇢ I’m Here with You ~ When Jimin kisses Yoongi, he keeps it soft and mellow with pecks that go as soon as they arrive. All he can think about is how much he loves Jimin, and these days, it’s really the only thing on his mind anymore. He’s made a home out of Jimin, and he lives there everyday without ever wanting to leave.Or, Yoongi and Jimin place their forevers in each other with sweet kisses, soft embraces, and whispered promises. ~ 13196 (💚)

 ⇢ Give it to me slow (then wash away) ~ Jimin has worked in the Blood Brothel for a long time, he's had his fair share of clients, knows how to do his job and what to expect from his customers. That's why it is to him a shock when he gets a boner from being bitten by one of their new clients, Yoongi. ~ vampire au ~ 33331 (💉)

 ⇢ Boyfriend Tag ~ “Normally I post dance routines and the occasional tag or challenge video and I know I haven’t posted in a while so I am here to make it up to you all. Yoongi lost a bet sooooo we are here with the highly requested, boyfriend tag!!” Jimin yelled making Yoongi wince and lean away from him. “Are you ready?” Jimin asked bringing his attention to Yoongi. “You better not get a thing wrong,” He warned pointing a finger at Yoongi. ~ 51598 (15/15) (💚) ⁂

 ⇢ Cotton Candy  ~ "He could get used to sitting next to Yoongi like this. To have him around. To have the band around. To smile and feel happy. To see Yoongi sitting in front of an instrument and having him play just for him.'If this was my happy ending,' Jimin thinks, resisting the urge to lean his head on Yoongi's shoulder, 'if I wasn't who I am, I'd just let you have me whenever you want. You could have me anytime.'"As spring turns into summer, school band Cotton Candy unexpectedly loses its singer and the members are forced to look for a new vocalist. Six boys find one in the form of the promiscuous pink haired boy Park Jimin who makes a home in their hearts and finally finds a place he belongs. ~ 239518 (25/25)

 ⇢ Craigslist Date ~ Min Yoongi's family are judgmental and unsupportive of his lifestyle and his mother won't stop nagging him about how he's still single. When he finds Park Jimin on Craigslist offering to pose as someone's fake date to mess with their family, Yoongi can't help himself. What starts as a prank on Yoongi's family turns into something more when the two of them quickly develop feelings for each other. Will Yoongi, who doesn't know how to handle feelings, let his chance at love slip away, or will he go after the silver-haired boy and hold onto him forever? ~ 48845 (13/13) (💧)

 ⇢ Weight of Playing with Fire ~ "He's walking this way, grab my ass!""But mine's coming this way too, grab my hand!"Or the one where Yoongi and Jimin fake-date to make their unrequited love(s) jealous. ~ 48862 (35/35) (💧)

⇢ Bite Me, Scratch Me, Lick Me Better ~ Jimin yawns, smiling at the feeling of warm sun against his face. He had a pleasant dream. He thinks. He remembers the feelings it gave him, but can't recall a single thing about it. He sighs, and unconsciously pets the cat on his lap, only to freeze because when he opens his eyes he's not petting a cat-- he's petting Yoongi. ~ 68926 (26/26)

⇢ What's Up, Buttercup ~ Jimin meets Yoongi, the grumpy buttercup fairy, and proceeds to worm his way into his heart. ~ 14305 (4/4)

⇢ Impractical Magic ~ Jimin needs to shadow a real witch for his creative writing assignment. Min Yoongi is just about the worst witch he's ever met. ~ 16801 (3/3)

⇢ The Devil's Mistress ~ Yoongi is Captain of the pirate ship, the Devil's Mistress, and he and his crew are racing against time to find a famous buried treasure, always one step behind and losing it to another rival ship. To gain the upper hand, Yoongi kidnaps a silver-haired beauty who is rumored to be a creature of great power. He isn't expecting to fall in love on the way. ~ 16473

⇢ Paper Chase ~ Jimin thought that joining a fraternity would be all parties and fun. He hadn’t anticipated falling for his cute roommate, Yoongi. ~ 15089 (3/3)

⇢ Sexy Mochi ~ Yoongi’s never really understood why it’s a stereotypical thing for alphas to have some obsession with omega’s necks. He’d always thought that was kind of weird and just some macho ‘make your mate submit by biting their throat’ thing until he’s alone in the kitchen with Park Jimin and his damn shirt falls down his damn shoulder. ~ 8281

⇢ Barbershop Romance ~ Jimin's impromptu visit to a salon called SUGA turns out to be more interesting than he expected. Way more interesting. ~ 13164

⇢ Barbershop Love ~ Jimin has never taken his best friend’s jokes about his alleged praise kink seriously, because that’s all they are and ever will be. Jokes. They’re stupid jokes that Taehyung makes at his expense to see the shy Jimin turn into a blushing, embarrassed mess of stuttering protests and meek curses. They’re only jokes, and they’re so stupid.Or at least Jimin has always thought so, but then his hairdresser boyfriend asks him to pose as a model for his winter collection, and Jimin realises that there might the teeniest, tiniest bit of truth to Taehyung’s persistent teasing. ~ 22153

⇢ Coffee and Honey ~ "-Hyung...- Hoseok sighs -You are as intimidating as a pink marshmallow. -That's the fucking point! -Yoongi literally bangs his head on the table -He IS a pink marshmallow."In which Yoongi has insomnia, cannot for the love of God socialize, and Jimin is the way too cheerful and, oh, so downright gorgeus barista who works in a nocturnal coffe shop. ~ 7290

⇢ 7 Minutes in Heaven ~ “It’s a fusion game. The person who spins the bottle gets to ask the person it landed on truth or dare, and if that person doesn’t want to answer or do the dare then they either take a shot or take off an article of clothing,” Jin says like he’s proud of improvising such a fantastic game. “I’m not playing that,” Yoongi says. “Hyung, don’t be a party pooper, are you scared we’ll learn your secrets?” Hoseok asks and Namjoon ah’s dramatically. Yoongi shakes his head and puts his tongue in his cheek before he smiles at their antics, pushing Namjoon over closer to Jin so that he can sit down. “Please, hyung, it sounds like fun!” Jungkook says. “It’s my birthday.” ~ 8487

⇢ Winter Blues ~ Yoongi is turned into a cat by a sorceress, and novice witch Jimin finds him and takes him home. ~ 14685 (3/3)

⇢ Gotta Be Fate (if We're Under the Covers) ~ Jimin is excited to just sleep for a day and maybe catch up on some tv shows at the hotel.That is, until they get to the new hotel they’re staying at, and he gets handed a room key that’s the same as Yoongi’s. Meaning, he and Yoongi will share a room and worse, he and Yoongi will have to share a bed.“Why do I have to share with Yoongi-hyung?” Jimin complains. He’s managed to avoid it this whole trip which is really in his best interest if he wants to keep his raging heart boner for him hidden. ~ 7895

⇢ Warm Mr. Wolfie ~ Jimin's late aunt left him a cabin last year, and he still hasn't been by so he takes time off to spend the holiday season there. Little does he know he'll meet a wolf on his hike behind the cabin, a wolf that will change form in front of him and claim to be his mate. ~ 7973

⇢ oil, lube, service ~ "Unless you know what a ‘rear oil change’ is? I mean, what the hell are they going to oil, my tires?” Jimin laughs at the ridiculousness. “Oh, I don’t know, but that sounds kind of kinky, 'changing your rear oil.' It sounds like the mechanic is preparing you for buttsex.”“Tae!” Jimin complains.AKA The mechanic AU where Park Jimin thinks Min Yoongi is overcharging him for car maintenance, but he's really not, cue Yoonmin falling in love. ~ 53313 (10/10)

⇢ soundtracks ~ What Yoongi doesn’t say is this: "If only you knew, Park Jimin. Every song I write, and all the words I have to give, will always be yours."(Or, Yoongi is a famous underground rapper from simple beginnings and Jimin is his hip-hop hating, exceedingly rich boyfriend). ~ 38877

⇢ Aeonian ~ In the year 1304 A.D., tensions between the Vampires and the Lycans are at an all time high. Min Yoongi is the Captain of the Death Dealers and the most elite of the Vampires' protectors. Over the long years of his life, Yoongi has grown unemotional and apathetic, no longer interested in feeling emotions. When the human nobles come to visit, Yoongi meets Park Jimin, the youngest son of a baron, and his whole life changes. Suddenly Jimin is the most important thing in his world, and Yoongi will do anything to protect him. ~ 54422 (3/3)

 ⇢ The Songbird and the Sea ~ In a world where dominance of the sea is an endless battle between pirates and mariners, Park Jimin is content living in his little village on a small, uninteresting island by the eastern mainland. He wants nothing to do with the bloodshed of good and evil, the heartless killing of both innocents and condemned, the constant establishment and disruption of order. What he wants is peace, to live his life in the same town he was born in, to spend his days in the beautiful forest, and to use the powers of his Blessed Rune to nurture the home he loves so dearly.But when his island is attacked by pirates, Jimin will have no other choice than to do as they command and leave all thoughts of peace behind in favor of boarding the Agust, a pirate ship captained by the infamous Min Yoongi, Black Fox of the East. ~ pirate!au, slow burn, enemies to lovers!au ~ 255878 (34/34)

 ⇢ Look My Way ~ It all started when Yoongi read his own name and the word 'cute' written in the same sentence on the wall of the boys' bathroom.But he kind of liked the way his name looked in the stranger's handwriting. ~ high school!au, fluff, crack ~ 5362

 ⇢ love is not a coincidence (it's fate) ~ Thirteen years into their friendship, and Yoongi finally realises that he's in love with his best friend. ~ high school!au, fluff ~ 10,694

 ⇢ thrill me, chill me, fulfil me ~ Yoongi is actually doing pretty well, thanks.Or he is until Jimin tosses himself in Jungkook's lap and breathes out toucha-toucha-touch me into the microphone pinned to his shirt front, looking right into the audio booth, and then Yoongi has to swallow and try not to cry out of sheer sexual frustration. Or, Jimin plays the lead in Rocky Horror, and Yoongi suffers. ~ college!au, musical theatre!au ~ 7465

 ⇢ maybe i hate you can be our always ~ When Yoongi thinks about it, really gives it genuine thought, it's possible that Park Jimin isn't the worst person in the world. (Or, Yoongi and Jimin get off on the wrong foot.) ~ enemies to lovers!au, college!au, slow burn ~ 35,919

 ⇢ Lil' Meow Meow ~ Jimin nods his head, biting his lip to prevent the giddy smile from showing on his face. With careful movements, he pockets the paper like a fragile piece of treasure, and he glances up at Yoongi through his eyelashes with a shy smile. “T-thank you, the flowers are really pretty.”Yoongi visibly preens at the compliment, chest puffing out subtly. “Anything for the pretty baby boy.”or: Jimin meets Yoongi, a straightforward and confident alpha cat hybrid, and proceeds to fall in love. ~ hybrid!au, college!au ~ 25,320

 ⇢ Pepsi Cola ~ “OK, fine, I’ll tell you one thing,” Jimin sighed as he shifted on the seat, his shoulder rubbing against the underside of his chin. “We’re going to a place that just opened this weekend, a really fun place.”“Fun place?” Yoongi repeated before making a noise under his breath. “A fun place in Seoul? Is that even real?”“Uhuh, we’re going to that new ‘roller skating rink’ that opened in Gangnam-gu,” the younger man explained, dropping the English words out of nowhere and surprising him. “You heard about it, right?”“‘Rollo…su…ting’?” he said, slurring the English words rather heavily and struggling with the last part of the funny word.“Yoongi, you do know what roller skating is; don’t you?” Jimin asked, his expression showing that he was trying his hardest to not laugh at him. “Surely you know what it is?”A.K.A. that oneshot in which Jimin's kisses taste like Pepsi, Yoongi can't pronounce the word 'disco' and everything is soft™ ~ fluff ~ 26,669 (1)

 ⇢ Queens ~ “Yoongi doesn’t know what bowling is,” Jimin said out of the corner of his mouth, that smirk reappearing on his face again.“Hey, I know what balling is!” Yoongi argued indignantly, turning to give him a faüx glare. When his friend raised his eyebrows, imploring him to explain, he quickly added. “It involves a ball, so, there.”A.K.A. that oneshot in which Jimin has to explain what bowling and pizza is, Yoongi keeps getting gutter balls and everything is still soft™ ~ fluff ~ 33,123 (2)

 ⇢ Hang On, Baby! ~ “OK, first, I need to tell you this. I thought about this date all week long, OK? I mean, all week long and that’s not a joke, Jiminie.”“Hmm, Yoongi,” Jimin said around his slushie straw, his lips lifting up into a smile. “That’s cute.”“Huh?” Yoongi hummed, lifting his eyebrows as he did. But his boyfriend just carried on sipping at his drink, which meant that he should continue explaining. So, he shifted on the wall and tried to think of the right words to say. “Well, you put a lot of thought into the first two dates, so, that meant that I needed to do something special too. But, I ain’t in Gangnam-gu, and it’s hard to find out about all of these new cool places to visit, yeah? And Seodaemun-gu is pretty much dead of an evening, which meant that I really had to think to find the right place. That’s when it hit me.”“What hit you, Yoongi?”“Something special, somewhere special, there’s only one place in this district like that,” he stated, before quickly adding. “The arcade, Jiminie: Electrozone.”A.K.A. that oneshot in which Yoongi is highly competitive whilst playing Galaga, Jimin bets kisses, and everything is soft like always™ ~ fluff ~ 32,333 (3)

 ⇢ So Kiss Me ~ Min Yoongi is stressed out. Park Jimin is stressed out. They're all stressed out.A.K.A. - the College!AU that nobody asked for. ~ college!au ~ 52,246 (1) 

 ⇢ Make A Move (Before I Make A Move) ~ Yoongi thought that taking Jimin down into Gyeonggi-do for spring break was a great idea. Jimin thought talking Yoongi into staying in a love motel for the night was a great idea.A.K.A. - the Road Trip!AU that nobody asked for. ~ college!au, road trip!au ~ 49,372

 ⇢ i'll be a gentleman ('cause i'll be your boyfriend) ~ Yoongi isn’t an easy man to surprise, but kisses out of the blue and sudden boyfriend proposals can do the job. ~ college!au, fake dating!au, fluff, smut ~ 21,020

𝕐𝕆𝕆ℕ𝕂𝕆𝕆𝕂

 ⇢ my youth is yours ~ “What did you say your name was?” says Yoongi, after an eternity of awkward silence.“Jeongguk,” says Jeongguk. “Um. My name is Jeon Jeongguk. I’m a freshman.”“Oh,” says Yoongi. “Fucking hell.”(In which Jeon Jeongguk goes to college, makes some friends, and learns he’s got a lot of growing to do.) ~ 24957

 ⇢ The Art of Lost Stars ~ "You were supposed to come five hours ago."Jungkook sighed, handing Yoongi a couple bills. "I know, time got away from me.""Away from you, my ass. You're lucky I didn't walk out on the kid.""I'm sorry, thank you."Yoongi scoffed, looking through the money. "Your kid is upstairs asleep," he pocketed the money. "She kept asking where he dad was."Jungkook licked his lips, wiping his palms on his pants. He never knew why he got so nervous around Yoongi.Maybe it was the tattoos spread all over his arms, the piercings on his lip and eyebrow, or the fact that Jungkook had the biggest boner in the world. ~ 53557 (24/24)

 ⇢ Cerulean and Malachite ~ Ever since Jungkook could listen, he’d been watching. Watching the streets, the crowds, watching the people pour on and off the trains. Jungkook had watched for the flash of color that was said to indicate the instant when one found their Soulmate. Under normal circumstances, in everyday life, an aura would be invisible to the eye; but when two Soulmates found each other, it was said that they would see the color of each others’ auras. Jungkook spent his entire life with his eyes wide open, searching around him, waiting; watching and waiting. Jungkook became impressively good at observation. ~ soulmate, pianist!yoongi, college au ~ 16144

 ⇢ Sneeze once; I hate you. Sneeze twice; we're doomed ~ Jeon Jeongguk used to imagine himself being brave and confident in front of his soulmate. It wasn't until he realised that his soulmate is a gorgeous (and serious-looking) man dressed in all-black that he started to doubt the whole soulmate thing altogether.-Soulmate AU in which you sneeze at the same time as your soulmate. No exceptions. You have a flu? Your soulmate sneezes it all out with you. Your nose itches? Your soulmate finds out through experience. ~ soulmate au, college au ~ 13528 

 ⇢ Love and Basketball ~ Jungkook and Yoongi are the star players on their high school basketball teams. They also cannot stand each other.What if one night changes that all? ~ basketball!au, high school!au, enemies to lovers!au ~ 44,197 (16/16)

 ⇢ By Your Side ~ Yoongi and Jungkook deal with the hardships of a long distance relationship. ~ basketball!au, college!au, high school!au, angst, long distance!au, fluff (sequel to above) ~ 34,388 (12/12)

 ⇢ take me out (we're going down) ~ There are a lot of things that Jungkook expected from his junior year of college. General stress. Student debt.He did not expect to be hit by a car.It’s going well. ~ fluff, humour, college!au ~ 20,202

 ⇢ these hallowed halls ~ “Bowtruckles,” Yoongi announces with grandeur, “Can suck my dick.”The Hufflepuff table is next to the Slytherins; Hoseok looks over and winks, along with Jimin’s second-year friend (Taesung? Taehyung?) but a group of girls giggle, and one of the Hufflepuff prefects rolls his eyes, piecrust stuck to his chin.“Just because the bowtruckles can suck your dick doesn’t mean they will,” says Gerry. “Bowtruckles have caused me so much emotional damage in the last hour that they should suck my dick just to make up for it.”Or, Yoongi goes to Hogwarts, and meets Jeongguk, and grows up. ~ hogwarts!au, friends to lovers!au, slow burn ~ 70,601

 ⇢ with a bang (stunted plants can bloom) ~ namjoon [1:12] so you met jimin and taes roommate last night yoongi [1:15] …...yeah namjoon [1:15] met him real good yoongi [1:16] oh my god 

or what not to do when you find yourself falling for the guy you almost slept with but then didn’t because he turned out to be your friends’ roommate: a guide by min yoongi ~ college!au, humour, fluff ~ 24,450

 ⇢ hey, i like you a lot (not clickbait) ~ “why does yoongi-hyung hate me,” jungkook mumbles. “we’re still on that?” jimin raises his eyebrows. “he doesn’t hate you. he just doesn’t like being in front of a camera.” (jungkook is the only one yoongi won't film with and it just really bothers jungkook for some reason.) ~ office!au, humour, fluff, friends to lovers ~ 5873

 ⇢ You Stir up a McFlurry in My Heart ~ Jungkook is completely and utterly screwed the moment he develops a crush on the voice behind the McDonald’s Drive Thru speaker. ~ food service!au ~ 7985

 ⇢ 그 손을 내밀어줘, Save Me ~ That’s when Min Yoongi, self-declared ‘simple man’, turned the corner onto his street, mid-yawn, his breath escaping with a small squeak he’d never admit he made, when he collided into another body, and his ‘simple man’ life was thrown into chaos.In which Jungkook is angry, nearly a high school drop out, and alone, and Yoongi is an adult who is struggling, and somehow, they find someone to save them in each other. ~ angst, fluff, slow burn ~ 54,113 (15/15)

 ⇢ The Best of Me, 나 너밖에 없지 ~ Three weeks. It had been three weeks since the performance, two weeks since he and Jungkook had that silly little Romeo and Juliet talk. Silly and dumb, maybe, but the thought still made Yoongi smile, even in his groggy, half-asleep state. Nothing had really changed, per say, nothing except for the kissing. God, the kissing… Jungkook kissed, for all his inexperience, like he was trying to make up for lost time.Jungkook was still a little shit, Yoongi still indulged him. Days were long, nights were longer, and Yoongi loved Jungkook with more ardor than he’d ever thought possible. It was a pity he didn't seem to be what Jungkook needed. ~ fluff, angst, college!au, slow burn (sequel to above) ~ 65,937 (12/12)

 ⇢ The Sound of Winter ~ Yoongi has a lot on his plate, but when his pack discovers a small pup in their territory, he finds that he's about to have a lot more. ~ werewolf!au, angst, slow burn ~ 39,583 (5/5)

 ⇢ I know I'll fall in love with you, baby ~ The soulmate/soulbond au where Yoongi is part of a famous rap duo and Jungkook is his diligent fanboy, they meet at a fansign and things escalate from there (alt. Yoongi didn’t sign up for this) ~ soulmate!au, rapper!yg, fanboy!jk, fluff, angst ~ 31,461 (5/5)

 ⇢ ride out the storm with you ~ babysitting a field operative who probably has the shittiest measure of danger is definitely not a part of yoongi's job description. but that's what he still ends up doing half the time, anyway. ~ secret agent!au, slow burn ~ 26,528

 ⇢ watercolor ~ It’s a man, he realizes, his hair a muted shade of mint, like the pebbles that rest at the bottom of the water fountain outside of Taehyung’s dorm. He’s not the tallest, but people seem to give him space, so he’s easy to observe, despite his black on black outfit, a t-shirt tucked into tight denim. ~ tattoo!au ~ 18,655

𝕋𝔸𝔼𝔾𝕀

 ⇢ lost + found ~ Yoongi adopts a stray puppy that broke into his apartment in the middle of the night. Probably the best/worst decision of his life. ~ 406218 (61/61)

 ⇢ I Write Songs About Your Stupid Anecdotes ~ Taehyung keeps singing Spanish songs while Yoongi is trying to tutor his students. Jimin keeps "forgetting" his keys at Jungkook's apartment. Namjoon won't forgive Seokjin and Hoseok is the glue of all these six idiots.Or the 'listen i know we've been best friends for years but i'm trying to tell you that i'm in love with you so will you fucking stop singing spanish songs' au that no one asked for. ~ 30744 (20/20)

 ⇢ Settle Down and Let Me Know If You'll Stay ~ "I can grant you three, no wait it's four. Four wishes! Just say the word!""What?"Or the one where Taehyung is a genie who found himself in the company of a drunk with a wicked personality and can't help but want to make him happy. ~ 49658 (34/34)

 ⇢ The Nearness of You ~ Taehyung is a black cat hybrid in a magical world that detests his kind. When Yoongi, a student studying the Magical Arts, performs a spell to summon a witch's familiar, he unknowingly grants Taehyung the opportunity for freedom and love he's long been denied. ~ 10107 (2/2)

 ⇢ Will You B Minor? ~ “Hey baby, my brass isn’t the only thing that’s upright.”“Goddamnit, Kim Taehyung.”In which Taehyung is full of useless music-related pickup lines and Yoongi is too confused, too awkward, and too smitten with a certain Saxophonist. (A story with one too many midnight serenades, Americano’s, hungover misunderstandings, exploding washing machines, and that one little snore Yoongi does in his sleep that makes Taehyung want to catapult himself into space for No Apparent Reason.) ~ bffs!taekook, fluff, brass!au ~ 19,364 (2/2)

 ⇢ feelings you provide ~ Feeling a little daring, Taehyung slips the ring on his finger. He’s not expecting it to fit, he knows that part of the victorious appeal of this jewellery is it was designed to fit only Yoongi, but instead it slips over the knuckle of his ring finger like a glove. taehyung borrows one of the SUGA diamond rings when he needs a comfort object ~ canon verse!au ~ 3157

 ⇢ you’re my golden hour ~ Yoongi is taking a photography class because it's a required elective. Kim Taehyung is: 1. the best photographer in the class, and 2. The Most Beautiful Person In The Entire World. ~ college!au ~ 4259

 ⇢ disappearing act done poorly ~ Taehyung goes through a break-up and decides to 'cope' with his feelings by going to the cinema each night to watch the same film; Yoongi is a tired cinema employee but somehow manages to put up with Taehyung. ~ college!au ~ 13,574 (2/2) 

𝕍𝕄𝕀ℕ

 ⇢ At 4 O'clock, I'll Stay ~ “I hate him so much, Yoongi, I'm thinking of saying he has rats in his stupid bar just to get rid of him!" "Well, what did he do?" "He said that I was the best soccer player and shouldn't talk shit about myself!"Or the one where Taehyung goes to Jimin's bar to talk bad about his latest soccer matches and Jimin waters down his drinks by "accident." ~ 35897 (22/22)

 ⇢ summer, winter, spring (i'm falling for you) ~ The school starts to take notice of Jimin.Taehyung has always noticed. ~ friends to lovers!au, high school!au, fluff, slow burn ~ 41,786 (4/4)

 ⇢ it's your heart i wanna live (& sleep) in ~ The first time Jimin sleeps over at Taehyung's, it's an emergency. The other times after? That's a different story. ~ college!au, fluff, crack ~ 22,658 

 ⇢ true love's kiss ~ "Taehyung needs kisses!" Jungkook yells. Everyone in the Great Hall turns to look at them. Taehyung is suddenly glad he's fallen off his chair, because hiding under the table has never been more convenient. "He needs True Love's Kiss to lift his curse! Or he'll turn into a Squib!""Merlin," Taehyung whimpers, clutching Jimin's leg. "Merlin help me." (in which taehyung accidentally drinks a potion that looks like pumpkin juice, loses his magic and finds true love in his bestest best friend.or: in which jimin lifts a curse, falls in love with his bestest best friend and makes some bad, followed by some really good, decisions.) ~ hogwarts!au, friends to lovers!au ~ 19,711 (6/6)

 ⇢ Wanna Hear Your Body Talk ~ “What?” he asks, slowly, giving Taehyung a chance to change his mind about what he’s offering.Taehyung doesn’t take it. He probably doesn’t even notice it, because he’s a do first, think later type of person when it comes to his brilliant stoned ideas and Jimin should know better, should stop him, but… well. He doesn’t dare name it even in his own mind but if Taehyung is proposing what he thinks he is, stopping him is the very last thing Jimin wants.“Let’s make out,” Taehyung says, putting the bowl away, sounding ceremonious and completely, absolutely serious. “Prove me wrong.” (Taehyung doesn't believe making out is better than sex, so Jimin takes it upon himself to convince him) ~ college!au ~ 4826

 ⇢ Common Ground ~ Taehyung is rich, a little bit bratty, a lot a bit spoiled, and failing calculus. Jimin works full time, tutors, and is a straight-A student. There's a rulebook somewhere that states very clearly that people like Jimin should never associate with people like Taehyung. But rules are meant to be broken. And opposites always, always attract. ~ college!au, enemies to lovers!au ~ 44,136 (2/2)

 ⇢ Until my last breath ~ "I see colours everytime you speak"- Jimin said in a small murmur, as he hid his face in the curvature of Taehyung's neck - "The most beautiful colours I've ever seen" - he continued, not wanting to look Taehyung in the eyes. His small, delicate hands traveled along his back, carefully feeling the warm mesh that covered his skin."and when you touch me ... when you touch me, I hear the most beautiful melodies." Jimin brushed his nose into Taehyung's warm skin, causing a heavy shiver to run through his body."And what do those melodies sound like?" "It sounds... it sounds like peace"  (Or Jimin finds himself in a situation he has never expected to be in, with the last person he would ever want to). ~ fluff, angst ~ 78,226 (15/15)

 ⇢ to whom it may concern ~ Taehyung believes in soulmates. He believes in soulmates to the moon and back, with the sort of fervor reserved for children and lunatics.Jimin believes in soulmates. He’s just not sure he wants his. ~ fluff, friends to lovers!au ~ 16,351

 ⇢ stay (until your dream holds mine) ~ "It wasn't love at first sight." ~ hybrid!au ~ 5115

 ⇢ now you're lost (lost in the heat of it all) ~ It’s not that Jimin was scared of dog hybrids. He just really really didn’t like them because how could he? Dog hybrids were gross.Kim Taehyung was tall, slim, had gentle but defined features, the most perfect eyebrows Jimin had ever seen and a playful glint in his eyes. But most importantly - he was a dog hybrid. ~ hybrid!au ~ 14,477

 ⇢ various stages of undress ~ in which taehyung has a crush, jimin takes his clothes off, and yoongi must be persuaded. ~ stripper!au ~ 14,820

𝕁𝕀𝕂𝕆𝕆𝕂

 ⇢ Days Are Numbered So Move On ~ Jimin is a spy. Jungkook is training to be one. Hoseok trains the agents to have agility. Seokjin just wants to be Employee of the Month. Namjoon is the leader nobody asked for. Taehyung loves the kids books. And Yoongi is in the wrong occupation.Or the one where Jimin is stuck training the new spies because of his last mission and Jungkook insists on being a nuisance to Jimin. ~ enemies to lovers ~ 34591 (28/28)

 ⇢ It's Still Beautiful How You See the World ~ "Wait, you promised him that if he graduates from high school, you'd date him?"Or the one where Jungkook confesses to Jimin in middle school. Jimin thinks Jungkook is too young to know what "love" is so he promises to date Jungkook after he graduates from high school and starts college. Now that Jungkook has graduated from high school, Jimin starts to back out of their promise. ~ 45550 (32/32)

 ⇢ I Shouldn't Be In Love With You ~ Star soccer player Jeon Jungkook has not spoken once to math nerd Jimin all year. That wouldn't be so strange if not for the fact they used to be best friends. ~ 10409

 ⇢ Home ~ Taking in what he assumed was a stray hybrid dog, Jungkook takes care of Jimin. The cute hybrid has brightened Jungkook's dreary days and warmed his lonely nights and Jungkook learns that he cares a lot for the elder. And Jimin finds that he cares for the younger just as much.The small apartment doesn't feel as empty anymore, now that Jungkook had Jimin to call his home. ~ 26412 (15/15) 

 ⇢ More Than Your Body ~ Jungkook got an assignment to create a documentary about something he can get involved in and in the beginning, he had no idea what to do. However, when he sees Jimin dance, he knows what he wants.Or in which Jungkook is a film student and may or may not be a little obsessed with the silver-haired man he keeps seeing on his way to university. ~ 48670 (5/5) 

 ⇢ All of you, all of me ~ Jungkook felt secure and protected with Jimin, like he could let himself get loose and open up to him without being judged. ~ 11621

 ⇢ The Jeon Family ~ Jungkook is the heir to Korea's biggest mafia group, and Jimin is an innocent employee that catches his eye. ~ 30499 (3/3)

 ⇢ In the Line of Fire ~ For some reason, Jimin was everyone's favorite target. ~ 1212

 ⇢ doubt thou the stars are fire ~ Jeon Jeongguk's got a Reputation™. Park Jimin learns how to not give a shit about it. ~ 3451

 ⇢ my heart is beating (like a jungle drum) ~ "He thinks you're a bully?" "You? Bullying? You're too anti-social to do that." "I know!" Jungkook bemoans. This is the worst thing that has ever happened to him. Jimin thinks Jungkook is bullying him when all he wanted was to give him a cupcake. To apologise. To see him again because he's cute. OR the one with a lot of misunderstandings ~ 3228 

 ⇢ your body is a place to stay ~ In which Jungkook juggles a five-year-old daughter, Jimin the pretty bookstore employee, and coworkers who like to tease him too much. ~ single dad!au, tattoo parlour!au, cafe!au , fluff ~ 8783

 ⇢ who would have thought i'd get you? ~ in which jimin comes over for dinner, and jungkook and seoyeon try to impress. (follow-up to your body is a place to stay) ~ single dad!au, fluff ~ 2527 (sequel to above)

 ⇢ Blow Me Like Your French Horn ~ In which Jimin undergoes a transformation from Cinnamon Roll to Sinnamon Roll and Jeongguk is a little too competitive, a little too tsundere, and a little bit too moony-eyed for his own good.(A tale of red converses, sandpit wrestling, shitty best friends a little too obsessed with playing Cupid, emotional constipation, existential crises, and that one body roll Jimin does that makes Jeongguk re-evaluate his life)“i see that you adore playing your loud ass trumpet at random moments in the middle of the night, well fyi i happen to be a master at the French horn so fuck u i challenge you to a brass off” AU ~ slow burn, friends to lovers!au, fluff ~ 40,219 (8/8)

 ⇢ expensive lips ~ Jungkook goes to Sephora on a mission to get some lipstick. He leaves completely enamored with an employee named jimin. ~ fluff, smut, strangers to lovers!au ~ 12,385

 ⇢ the eyes are the window to the soul (and to the heart) ~ In which Jungkook’s eye colour changes according to his mood, but when Jimin wants to know what the colour ‘pink’ means, Jungkook hesitates. Jungkook doesn’t want to tell him that his eyes turn pink whenever he’s around Jimin because it means love. ~ college!au, fluff, humour ~ 7789

 ⇢ You Broke My Heart (but I broke it myself) ~ Jimin's fiancé has abandoned him on his wedding day, and Jeon Jungkook, Jimin's first love and worst heartbreak, is back. ~ high school!au, angst ~ 19,660 (3/3)

 ⇢ we're not broken just bent ~ “You’ll die,” Jimin hisses and they’re so close now that his perfect illusion is broken. Jungkook can see his dark circles, can see Jimin’s lips, red and raw from biting. “I did almost die in this house once, five years ago,” he whispers, watching as Jimin clenches his jaw but doesn't look away. “I think I can handle more. I’m bigger and stronger now, see?” Jimin holds his gaze for two seconds before it tracks south to move down Jungkook’s body. ~ hogwarts!au, enemies to lovers!au ~ 16,204

𝕋𝔸𝔼𝕂𝕆𝕆𝕂

 ⇢ Frooty Loopy ~ "We both reached for the last box of Froot Loops and I don't care that we're both adults I will fight you" AUaka: in which Taehyung fights Jungkook to the death for a box of artificially flavored and colored loops. ~ 30939

 ⇢ Hickory ~ Jungkook should be focused on winning, but his mind's stuck on wondering whether or not this Kim Taehyung guy fucks harder than he hits. ~ 48347

 ⇢ maybe we’re all just fools ~ Jeongguk likes to run. He’s never wanted anyone to run with him before. ~ 52675

 ⇢ change my world (you're the sunlight in my universe) ~ Jungkook is an artist who likes drawing on the cafe's freedom wall. Taehyung sees his drawings, and falls in love.Featuring Jimin as the 100% done wingman, Yoongi as the possessive boyfriend, and Seokjin as the sassy mom. ~ cafe!au, college!au, fluff ~ 6757

ℕ𝔸𝕄𝕁𝕀ℕ

 ⇢ a sugar coated pill and a pick me up ~ As Namjoon stood slightly removed from the scene, bemusedly watching the six-year-olds swarm around his cooler (which he had borrowed from his mom), he didn’t even notice that someone had sidled up next to him until he heard the tiny, but undoubtedly exasperated, huff.He followed the sound, turning his head to the right. A guy was standing there, arms crossed, lips pursed. He let out another huff, louder this time, but only slightly.Namjoon refused to acknowledge him. What the fuck was this guy’s deal? Was he really that bitter that his six-year-old just lost a soccer game for six-year-olds?One more huff from the guy.He was beginning to think this guy’s lips were just perpetually pursed and would simply never, ever unpurse themselves, when he, the guy, finally unpursed his lips to speak.“I just think it’s pretty irresponsible to bring Gatorade to a soccer game for first graders,” he said, huffily, “No offense.”(or: namjin are soccer dads who fall in luv) ~ 25023 (2/2)

 ⇢ It's Gonna Get You In Trouble ~ Kim Namjoon knows he's not the most handsome guy out there. It's just guys talking shit about each other, Jin Hyosang is an asshole, and anything that escapes his mouth is complete bullshit. But it's true though. He's awkward, clumsy, and a complete nerd; no one, not even the most desperate person in the world, will notice him.Kim Seokjin is having none of that. ~ high shcool!au, fluff, humour ~ 6107

𝕊𝕆ℙ𝔼

 ⇢ play the game ~ Yoongi and Hoseok get paired together for a class project. ~ smut, enemies to lovers!au, high school!au ~ 5148

 ⇢ Decorate Me Prettily ~ Yoongi blankly stares at his left wrist. Another batch of parallel lines decorating his very pale complexion. Another batch of parallel lines over parallel scars. Another batch of parallel lines revealing how his soulmate is feeling as of the moment.or (soulmate au where whatever written/marks you have in your body your soulmate has it too) ~ soulmate!au, self harm ~ 3259

 ⇢ The Philosophy of Special Relativity ~ Hoseok’s tongue is cold as it licks into Yoongi’s mouth, and his lips are slightly sticky, but Yoongi can’t help the way his tongue automatically brushes over Hoseok’s, the way a low moan claws it’s way up his throat. He can taste the sweet, slightly bitter flavour of chocolate over the muted spices from their dinner, and something else – something distinctly Hoseok that makes Yoongi’s knees feel like Jell-O.Or: Hoseok wants Yoongi to eat ice cream. Yoongi just wants to eat Hoseok. ~ eating disorder, smut ~ 5695

 ⇢ Flames just create us (burns don't heal like before) ~ Yoongi is a wolf and Hoseok is a lamb trying to run away from home.(Or: Hoseok is heir to a multi-billion company and Yoongi is the bartender he falls in love with.) ~ heir!hoseok, bartender!yoongi ~ 22,090

𝕄𝕌𝕃𝕋𝕀ℙ𝕃𝔼 𝕊ℍ𝕀ℙ𝕊

 ⇢ no more parties in seoul ~ tittytae: mail me my death certificate pls 

tittytae: i jus accidentally liked Jungkook’s pic from fifty weeks ago

jimin neutron: YES YES YES

tittytae: I UNLIKED IT

tittytae: did i just make it worse

a chatfic where all of bangtan are in university, live to expose one another, and hoseok is a modern day cupid. ~ texting, fwb!taekook ~ 57,455 (yoonmin, taekook, namjin)

[bluetinge]

It’s been a year... more thoughts on the ending of Homestuck

  Okay, so, I just rewatched Act 7 for the first time in forever, had a couple revelations, and I felt the need to post my thoughts. 

   The last time I did this, I feel like I didn’t fully articulate myself? Like, I have had a whooole bunch more thoughts since then and they need to be free... most importantly, I spent most of this year getting down every time I thought of Homestuck because I immediately thought of the ending... I was kidding myself when I said it wasn’t disappointing. It was! Homestuck has been at a consistently sky-high level of quality since its inception (Imo, might be a side affect of reading 3/4 of the thing through archives) and the ending was just... good. not great. not what I expected. And I mean, I can understand that! Hussie obviously didn’t intend to sink this much of his life into this comic (remember it was originally planned for one year, somehow) and not to mention he has obviously had some serious crazy stuff happening with hiveswap... I should be able to forgive him for maybe not sticking the landing.

   And yet, I feel like there’s a little more to this whole thing than that. Out of every webcomic and piece of media I’ve ever consumed, Homestuck is still the most unique, and the void it left behind in my left /still/ hasn’t been filled. I mean, Paranatural is funny, Erfworld has intricate plots, Dumbing of Age has high-quality updates every day- these and more are all outSTANDING webcomics! But you /really/ can’t beat Homestuck. Nothing I have ever seen can replicate Hussie’s cutting humor, nothing has pages upon pages of zany characters trading intensely well-crafted dialogue, and absolutely nothing has that same level of RESPECT for the reader that Homestuck has. Hussie just throws you into the comic headfirst- it starts off with a kid screwing around in his room with a data-structure-based inventory system of all things (did I mention homestuck is also ridiculously creative and so wonderful in the best ways) and then dives head-first into the increasingly convoluted plot, complete with a time-traveling narration and children who don’t waste time being surprised at things like, “Oh, this game can MODIFY the world around us? This is totally crazy and I need to have several pages worth of incredulity and explanation!” Homestuck provides you with enough to understand it- although I admit I somewhat relied on my brother’s explanations for the first few acts- and if you can’t keep up then Hussie will not slow down for you! (”You can talk to the hand!”)

   I’m sure not explaining things isn’t exactly a novel technique- and many people would consider it a flaw- but its so refreshing to read something where the author allows the plot to get this complicated and different and doesn’t try to bog it down with explanations! It almost feels like stretching out your mind, allowing yourself to seriously use your brain for once, and god it feels /so good/. And for the parts where you don’t understand- yes, there were plenty of these for me at least- the humor is unique and crazy enough to keep you going!

   Okay, I’m actually digressing horribly here. What I’m building up to is that I was expecting, as Caliborn would say, my “shitty twist.” I wanted it, and I /needed/ it. That revelation in Cascade that [spoilers] the Tumor was creating the Green Sun all along? Astounding. The end of act five (a1) when it was revealed S***b was creating a new universe all along? Blew my mind (although maybe it was obvious to non-archival readers). 

   Anyways, that was my major disappointment. I had been following BKEW for about two years now, and while I didn’t buy into the plausibility of many or most of his theories (c’mon, all that “evidence” for classpects was pretty arbitrary) I did learn to appreciate the vastness and interconnectedness of Homestuck, and Andrew Hussie’s genius. Most importantly of all, I caught his excitement for the update- I was really looking forward to whatever mind-blowing revelation Hussie cooked up for us.

   Of course, as we came closer and closer to the end of the comic, more and more doubts filled my mind. Vriska described (dictated?) the battle plan and... in collide, everything went according exactly according to that plan. I was afforded a brief respite of hope with that creepy static-y ending, but as soon as the interlude panels went up I knew something was fishy. I dreader it in the back of my mind- I even joked about it (what if the twist is that there is no twist)- but, well, I had faith in Hussie. And then when Act 7 came out- I knew there was a pretty goood chance it would only be a few pages. Act 7 actually was pretty confusing, in a way, and at the very least it provided more to think about than Collide- I had to re-watch it a few times, before I finally formed an opinion on what was going on- but I was left closing out of that video with an uncomfortable feeling.

   So the shitty twist, well, it didn’t really exist as such. There were a couple important plot revelations- LE was immortal and infused with rainbow-majjyks because he cheated, stopping and breaking his own god-tier resurrection clock so he couldn't be killed, inhaling the rainbow-dust to get that colorful, epileptic aesthetic- and it also explained why the cue balls were his weakness- since the all-knowing cue balls act as the judgment pendulums, attacking him with a cue ball weapon that kills him could conceivably stop the resurrections as well. So, I felt, well, partially satisfied- more weird plot shit had been explained, and the house bits were hella ambiguous but still more mysteries to crown over. Still, I was left feeling a little shaken up, but I was able to convince myself I liked the ending.

   That... didn’t last. There were just too many problems I had. I went online, searching for people with the same deep-seated dissatisfaction as me, and I found plenty of upd8 h8. Some of it- a lot of it- I agreed with, some of it I did not, but it helped me understand. When Hussie announced the epilogue, this was a turning point for a lot of people, giving them hope- but for me it just made me mad... like, I wanted an ENDING, yo! I had been riding the homestuck train for over four years, and I was actually looking forward to an exciting conclusion! I mean, this might sound strange to some, but for me an epilogue just confirmed for me that homestuck was ending in a very mundane way, and maybe it would tie up lose ends but I think it more likely it might just tie up one major end (cough cough masterpiece) and leave the rest out...

   Okay good godde a lot of those words were unnecessary... let me just sum up my findings from the past year or so of exploration: I didn’t like the ending because it was missing what made Homestuck great. From the very beginning and almost to the very end, Homestuck has had three major things going for it:

- The humor. Again, Hussie’s humor is just incredible. Collide had plenty of it, but the ending as a whole, including all the panels before and after collide? Not much narration, quite a bit of dialogue that didn’t really have too much of a place for it (more on that in a sec), and lots of serious, single-image and guest art panels. In other words, there simply wasn’t very much room for it! That wry, poking-fun-at-the-reader tone of Hussie’s was gone, and the comic didn’t quite feel like Homestuck because of it.

- The plot. I’ve already said a bunch about this above so I will try to keep this to a minimum, but I feel like the story just, well, stopped expecting very much of us. It told us what would happen... and then it happened. A reset and developed-offscreen version of Vriska fixed everything (as did an alternate timeline Calliope with no clear origin.) And that’s not even mentioning the myriad of other plot holes that Hussie left open! (Where did the special frog of Jade’s come from? Why did the Condesce have a second Gl’bgolybs? Did Dave ever drink his own piss in a bottle of apple juice?) Many of these aren’t particularly important questions, and can be excused on their own- and there are of course plenty of foreshadowed events that never come to fruition- but it would be nice for there to be some resolution on some of these!

- And lastly, the characterization. There, was, like, none of this in the “Ending” as we think of it, which I think is fair... or would be if it wasn't for what I consider the most physically painful part of Homestuck: the Game Over timeline reset. It... oh my god, the pain I feel thinking back on it. I respect that Hussie tries to break story traditions, but oh god why! These characters, that we’ve been following for years- that we’ve watched grow- that we LOVED- all suddenly had their backstories reset, and replaced with new ones we barely saw. I just... I have physical trouble thinking about it. John may be the same John, but to be frank he’s always been (to me) one of the less interesting characters in Homestuck. Roxy, Jasprose, and the Davesprite half of Davepeta all came from the “original” timeline, and probably Aradia remained unchanged. Everyone else? All got reset and had their own character development, the most we saw of was a slideshow! There’s so much we don’t know about what remained the same and what was different... so much of it happened offscreen. Even minor things, like Karkat and Meenah’s friendship, got retconned out of existence- and it extended into the alpha kids as well with their sprites. We spent so much time reading this material, enjoying it, theorizing about what would happen next, and that was apparently all for naught. Maybe the ending would have been more palatable had we actually, you know, known the kids who got the happy endings frolicking on the revived Earth! Had they solved their problems, had they earned it! Maybe if we had more time to really get to know them... but we didn’t, at least not for me. Parts of them seemed familiar, but parts of them were not, and the kids who won the game didn’t feel like the same ones that started it- because they weren’t.

And through this all, what I ask is: why??? and how??? Collide and Act 7 were dissapointing, sure, but it wasn’t a fundamental problem with them- they simply came too soon. The story wasn’t finished- in fact, it had recently gone backwards and gutted itself. Hussie HAD to have known this. Right? He’s an extremely smart man, and I can’t possibly see him not foreseeing this issues or at least noticing them. Maybe these really WEREN’T issues to him- after all, the characters are his own. He knows exactly what he wants to know about the new characters and, except for a few Striders, couldn’t share it with the rest of us. Either that, or the errors were too late to fix. 

And THAT’S why the ending feels hollow to me. That’s why I can’t sleep some nights, staying up reading Homestuck and Homestuck-ending-hate, trying to reclaim some of what I lost. The ending we got was hollow because everything post- Vriska return was empty, and even though I had faith at the time that this magic man would work it all out somehow, he didn’t. 

Actually, it’s occurring to me now that this “Ultimate Self” business may have been an attempt to cover for it. Of course, it doesn’t fix it- you can tell me that it’s okay because Terezi can remember her past selves, or that pre-GO Jade and post-GO Jade are the same Jade all you want, and I won’t believe it- I CAN’T believe it, because they aren’t. The Jade I knew is dead in the ground. 

Anyways, I had been unable to watch the Act 7 flash for some time now. Collide I can actually enjoy, but for some reason Act 7 was untouchable- until, well, I listened to some of the music and got the urge to watch it again for the first time in so many months. Like, just a few hours ago.

And here’s the thing: I thought it was amazing. I forgot how good it was. And I think the last piece of the puzzle has fallen into place, at least for me and for now.

Hussie isn’t clueless- he wanted this flash for a reason. And as much as the fans might complain, he chose to focus on that flashing tadpole for a good third of the video (not as long as people have been claiming!). And I realized something:

Homestuck really deserved this ending. This was, maybe, the best ending I could ever hope for.

Homestuck has been gradually building in art quality and scale, and as much as people (like myself) might complain that the anime-ish finale was totally unnecessary, upon reexamination a year later I think Homestuck nailed it. It couldn’t end in any way less than this.

Okay, I admit the music might be so good I got a little emotional and very persuaded. But really- it was so majestic. Seeing that frog? We knew it was coming- we have known since year two. But in order to truly go out with a bang, Homestuck needed this- it needed to reach up and touch the very highest potential it could reach. 

And ultimately? It was an amazing and incredibly fulfilling ending to Homestuck. Besides the frog (my only complaint is the lack of an audible vast croak!) we got to see lord english approach a mystery demise- yes, frustrating for some that we don’t even see what happens to him, but I think Hussie is telling us something by not being explicit, and by focusing more on Caliborn than Caliborn’s adult (sort of) self.

Hussie is trying to tell us about the power of people.

Passionate people, he shows us, can cause huge events, be at the crux of huge turns of events, and they don’t even have to be particularly nice. Vriska apparently redeemed herself some off-screen- maybe she just naturally got more mature- and was able to single-handedly ensure the heroes’ success in Collide and her own fate as the one to put a stop to LE. John, a more passive person, went from the self-hating narrator’s punching bag in Act One to a leader of heroes- granted, with plenty of help along the way, but he was passionate about making friends all the same. And Caliborn- he may be a terrible person, but he worked through his tedious punishments and learned the rules of the world and got what he wanted- ultimate power, even if he was ensured an ultimate fate in the same moment. 

Compare, then, to Griska, who became so passive and vulnerable she was completely unrecognizable to her younger self, or Tavros, whose one self was carried through to the new world on the achievements of others, a sleeping instrument of Vriska’s, versus his other self that saw his dream of being a badass hero with self-confidence come true. 

Okay, I’m not really sure if this was Hussie’s intended meaning or not- the last three paragraphs of mine reek of speculation. The point I’m apparently writing a fricking essay trying to make, though, is this- when taken as a whole, I think there were some serious problems with the ending. But, if you just look at the achievements of the final two flashes? If you zoom out a bit, and see that maybe the “Masterpiece” was the shitty twist all along, and will seem just as much a part of the ending as Collide? That, yes, characters were changed, HUGELY- after all, Hussie always likes to change things up, never get too predictable- but maybe it was for a real reason, and people were so deliberately changed on purpose? I still think it was a mistake to go as far as he did, but I see another side now- I see how the Vriskas and the Tavroses and the Terezis and the Roses and the Daves are changed, on each side of the line, some for worse but some for better. And maybe three and a half minutes of frog animation really was necessary for completing Hussie’s vision? For completing his Homestuck?

I may still have problems with the ending, but I think I learned today I need to take it all in perspective. I actually, think, somehow, I’m at peace with Homestuck now, and that I think I might be able to see Act 7 not as a random disappointment but as a greater part to a whole. 

[goosegoblin]

Science as a social construct? Dunno if that even counts as a question let alone one you want to answer but I've been having a hard time arguing with essentialists on my degree :P My own opinion is very roughly 'of course there are absolute truths. You drop a pen, it falls, but we give that thing the name, science does not exist in a vacuum.' Etc. (Sociology students man... we ask the oddest things)

I would have been on the essentialist side until I took science communication, and my teacher spent two hours gently breaking down everything I thought i knew.

Basically, I do not personally believe humans can ever be truly objective. It’s just not the way we are. We’re messy and emotional and flawed and biased, and misled by the smallest things. I’ll try and break down why I think that’s true.

Senses lie

A great deal of what we think is observation of the outside world is actually the result of internal perception- we see/hear/feel with our brains, not our eyes/ears/hands.

Don’t believe me? Let’s try some short examples. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiuO_Z2_AD4Here’s a fun short one. Listen with and without looking at the video and see what the difference is.

https://youtu.be/G-lN8vWm3m0Try again here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxwn1w7MJvkIf you have some willing friends, give this one a go. I’ve done it and it’s hilarious. We did it with a table because we didn’t have a convenient rubber hand lying around, and it still worked. My brain kinda thought the table was my hand.

This means that we can’t even always be sure that what we are experiencing accurately reflects what is actually happening. We can’t interpret the natural world objectively through a subjective device- ourselves.

Bias

We are all affected by bias, where we’d like to be or not. This can be from our own mind or from the language and behaviour of others.

One study (Loftus + Palmer, 1974) asked people to estimate the speed at which two cars [X]d in a video, and the word used (smashed/collided/contacted/hit etc) impacted the guess significantly. Those who were asked what speed the cars smashed at guessed around 41mph; those who were asked what speed the cars contacted at guessed an average of around 31mph. This is for the exact same video.

Going back to what I was saying about sensory people, people who were asked what speed the car smashed at (judged to be the most violent verb here) were nearly three times as likely to say there was broken glass as a control group. There was no broken glass in the video. Even if you’re thinking ‘I’ll put my effort into using neutral language’, bad luck- six people in the control group, who weren’t asked anything about the speed and were instead just asked if they saw broken glass, said yes. Again: no glass.

So yes, pen falls down. Well, at least you think it does. Your eyes say it does. Your eyes say a lot of things. Maybe they tell you you saw broken glass. I’m not saying ‘GRAVITY IS A LIE WAKE UP SHEEPLE’; I’m just saying even direct observation isn’t always trustable.

There’s some more cool info on the types of bias that can affect an experiment here.

Attempts at objectivity

We do our best to be objective, right? We try and use quantitative data rather than qualitative where we can, we run trials double-blind, we get our experiments checked over for where we might have fucked up.

But, at the end of the day, we’re subjective creatures trying to create objective methods. For example, one technique used to determine significance is a P value. You run what’s known as a T test to determine whether or not two samples vary in a significant + interesting or normal and random way. If the P value is lower than 0.05, that means there’s roughly a 5% chance that the observed effects occurred due to chance, and a 95% chance the difference is meaningful/ caused by your independent variable. We use 0.05 as our cutoff- P values above that are determined to be non-significant.

But.

Humans made the t-test, and humans picked the p value. Why 0.05? There’s nothing inherently special about the number. We decided it was a good cut-off and chose it. Is is subjective.

Here’s an interesting piece suggesting that when people write computer programmes, they code their biases in, producing a biased- and definitely non-objective- programme.

Then when we actually get our data, interpreting it is alllll subjective. Here’s my boy, Xenoturbella.

Pretty weird, huh? When DNA sequencing first became a thing, scientists tried to sequence our boy Xeno and, to their surprise, learned it was a clam. A weird, shell-less, worm-like clam.

Except, you know, it’s really not. Turns out the DNA they had sequenced was actually the remains of the Xenoturbella’s last meal. It eats clams.

The last time we did a lab report, the marker told us, head in hands, that lots of us were determining data points we didn’t like to be ‘outliers’ and ignoring them. I mean, when you get something like this, it seems logical, right?

Like, clearly something went wrong when we tried measuring something early on, leading to that weird anomalous data point. Except, y’know, that’s just what we think, and we think it because it fits the pattern we think is true. Sure, it’s more likely to be an anomaly/outlier than anything else, but that doesn’t mean it is.

In conclusion: we try really hard to objective. We do. But what’s allowed us to become so successful as social, creative, thriving animals has also limited our ability to see things in a truly objective manner. Is that necessarily always bad? Certainly creativity and outside-the-box thinking are needed to generate new theories or explanations for data. Our lack of ability to be 100% objective is not a bad thing as such- just something to be aware of. At the end of the day, we’re just apes that got a little carried away.

[randomrichards]

Interesting Movies Coming in January 2019

So, begins another year showcasing movies that may fly over the radar.

January 11:

ASHES IN THE SNOW

Inspired by true events, Ashes in the Snow tells the story of a teenage girl used art to break the silence on an atrocity committed by the Soviet Union.

Set in 1941, the film examines Stalin’s brutal dismantling of the Baltic Region which deported many Lithuanians to Siberia. Many of them were convicted of treason and sentenced to a lifetime of labour. Among them is a 16-year-old girl named Lina (Bel Powley) and her family. But as she fights for survival, she finds her voice through art. In time she’s will use her art to expose what happened to her and her family.

I imagine this film will fall out of many people’s radar, shown only in art house theatres and film festivals. It’s a shame because this film shows a lot of potential in the trailer with an interesting real-life story. It sounds like a compelling David and Goliath story sure to gain acclaim. Thankfully, I have this blog to attract attention to films like this.

THE UPSIDE

Based on the French film The Intouchables, (which was inspired by a real-life story), The Upside tells the story of a bond between a rich quadriplegic man and an ex-con who assists him.

For the sake of his son, Dell (Kevin Hart) wants to get his life back together. To do that, he needs to get a job, or at least 3 signatures proving he’s interviewed for jobs or his parole is kaput. Meanwhile, billionaire Phillip (Bryan Cranston) needs assistance since he’s paralyzed from the neck down and he can’t stand the patronizing attitudes of home care applicants (much to his wife’s (Nicole Kidman) chagrin). Then Dell barges in to the interview and impresses Philip with his abrasive demeanor. So, Dell’s hired.

Now Dell gets to bask in the high life living in the Penthouse with Philip. Of course, there is the problem of Phillip having no experience taking care of a person with disabilities. Hell, he crosses his legs at the sight of a catheter. But what Philip likes about him is the fact Dell doesn’t pity him. As they work, they form a bond through their no-BS attitudes.

It’s common for Hollywood to remake foreign language films. What’s weird about this one is that the original is based on a true story and they change the location from France to America. It feels like a disservice toward the people who inspired these films. One could argue this is a way to garner an audience who don’t watch movies with subtitles, but that feels incredibly unfair to the original movie. Those people missed a fantastic performance by Omar Sy. But I digress.

You got some great actors in this film. You can’t go wrong with Cranston, who has delivered on Nicole Kidman, who is seeing a reemergence of her career with an Oscar Nomination (Lion), Emmy Win (Big Little Lies) and that badass fight scene in the recent box office hit Aquaman. But the one that stands out the most was Kevin Hart. He has sparked a major fanbase with an over the top, self-deprecating comedy style. He’s applied the same style in his movies, resulting in few hits (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) and many misses (Think Like a Man). Though there is a hint of his exaggerated acting, it will be interesting to see him give a more grounded performance. Unfortunately, he’s got big shoes to fill with Omar Sy’s award winning performance in the previous film.

There is a danger of this being sappy and there is a hint of that. But I like to give films like this a chance.

January 18:

GIRL

All the way from Belgium comes this coming of age tale of a transgender teenage girl struggling to achieve her dream of becoming a ballet dancer.

We follow Lara (Victor Polster) through an 8-week trial period at a prestigious Ballet Academy. She’s got a bit of a ways to go before her skills are up to par with the Academy’s standards. At the same time, she’s counting the day before her hormone treatment. But can she handle the stress of the Academy?

This film was a hit at the Cannes film festival and it has recently been nominated at the Golden Globe Awards. While the film has received critical praise, there is still controversy over the casting of a ci-gender boy to play a transgender girl. Yes, it’s great to see transgender girls getting representation and Polster disappears into the character, but it still doesn’t change the fact that transgender actors can’t seem to get role playing transgender character. Writer/Director Lukas Dhont clearly means well, but this matter’s much more complicated. It’s a shame because this seems like a compelling movie.

Can you still enjoy this movie despite this controversy? It’s going to be complicated.

GLASS

Never in my life would I have ever imagined a Shyamalan Cinematic universe. Of course, it didn’t help that his films have been more flops than hit. But he took us by surprise when that Bruce Willis cameo revealed Split to be an indirect sequel to his underrated hit Unbreakable. And now both films collide in Glass.

After 19 years, we finally find out what’s happened to the literally unbreakable David Dunn (Bruce Willis). After years using his super strength, invincibility and psychic visions for the greater good, he finds himself confined to a mental institution. He finds himself face to face with Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), his comic book obsessed arch nemesis who goes by the name Mr. Glass. Also, there is Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), a disturbed man with 23 personality who imprisons and kills teenage girls. With them altogether, Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) hopes to cure them of their “delusions.” Mr. Glass seizes this opportunity for a Supervillain team up with Kevin Wendell Crumb. So, he unleashes The Beast, Kevin’s animalistic personality with super strength and an aggressive thirst for blood. With these two out of the hospital and reigning terror on the world, it’s up to David to stop them.

This film also sees Anya Taylor-Joy reprise her role as Casey, the teenage girl who brought down Kevin in Split.

M. Night Shyamalan is quite a fascinating figure. He came out of nowhere and took everyone by surprise with The Sixth Sense. The fact he was able to stick himself into a zeitgeist in his first movie alone is a near miracle. But with the praise came high expectations. Though Unbreakable and Signs earned acclaim, none of Shyamalan’s films were of the same level. And then there were the flops. Oooh the flops. He released so many bad movies that he became a self-parody.

There were a few factors contributing to Shyamalan’s fall from grace. I mentioned the expectations, which puts a lot of pressure on any new director. Eventually, the fame went to Shyamalan’s head, giving him a misplaced sense of self-importance.  That self-importance seeped into his films, building a pretensions tone. He also relied a bit too much on quirkiness, resulting in unintentionally hilarious moments. It didn’t help that pop culture only associated him with plot twists, which kind of stuck him in a corner.

But then two factors turned his career around. First was Wayward Pines, a Twin Peaks-like series where Shyamalan’s emphasis on quirks became an advantage. In that same year, he stepped out of his comfort zone with The Visit, a found footage horror movie that got Shyamalan his groove back. And the deal was sealed with Split. Through these films, Shyamalan seemed to have let go of his pretentiousness and had fun with them. I hope he keeps this up for his sake.

January 25

SERENITY

In this thriller, Matthew McConaughey plays fishing boat captain Baker Dill. He was enjoying a quiet, simple life hosting tours off the tropical Plymouth Island, when along comes his ex-wife Karen (Anne Hathaway). She’s married to a violent man (Jason Clarke) and she wants him gone. So, she wants Dill to take him on a fishing excursion where Dill can leave him swimming with the fishes. The question is, will he go through with it.

This premise plays a lot like a film noir, from the rugged protagonist facing the past he’s trying to forget to the femme fatale leading him down a dark path. I imagine Baker Dill will confront many dilemmas that will reveal his true self.  

There’s a notable growth of publicity for this movie. But publicity doesn’t equal quality. It could turn out to be a surprise sleeper hit like Hell or High Water or forgettable flop. Writer/director Steven Knight has gone either way, having written critical darlings like Dirty Pretty Things and hits like the series Peaky Blinders. He’s also wrote the flop The Girl in the Spider’s Web and the forgettable series Taboo. So, this film could go either way.

January 30

THE WILD PEAR TREE

From the man behind the Palme D’or winning Winter Sleep comes another tale of an artist secluding himself in a remote location.

Young writer Sinan (Dogu Demirkol) returns to his home after graduating from college. He has a bit of trouble fitting in to the rural living of this small village while he writes. But he has bigger problems with his father Idris (Murat Cemcir) debts growing out of control. Now the collectors are targeting Idris through his son. This also leaves him with little money to publish his stories.

It’s going to be a huge challenge to get butts in seats for this movie. Not only is this film entirely in Turkish, but it’s also three hours long. Theatres usually prefer the movies to be under two hours so they can be shown more and sell more tickets. Still, Nuri Bilge Ceylan had already gained huge acclaim for the aforementioned Winter Sleep, a tale of a former actor who runs a remote hotel while dealing with his family. This film seems to be garnering similar acclaim.

It’s in moments like these that I wished I had taken the time to watch his previous movies. I would have had a better opportunity to discuss what makes Ceylan’s films so special to its audiences. But I didn’t and that ship has sailed. 

[ramheavenandhell]

Finally Ricktober, Bitches!! – Chapter 4: Lab Rick and Surgeon Rick – A Rickbidden Love Affair

AN: I don't feel sorry for reusing Surgeon Rick in this one (after all that isn't against the rules), so I won't apologize! Warning: Rickcest with hinted smut (but nothing too descriptive) and some making out Summary: Lab Rick and Surgeon Rick hate each other like no one else…or maybe they don't really hate each other after all…

Finally Ricktober, Bitches!! – Chapter 4: Lab Rick and Surgeon Rick – A Rickbidden Love Affair Lab Rick and Surgeon Rick hated each other. It only made sense since they were rivals after all. While they did work in different fields, they were both medics that specialized on treating Mortys. Very unfairly, Surgeon Rick was getting paid by the Council of Ricks for the service that he performed at the Morty Healing Center, making the treatment free of charge for all the Morty trainers while Lab Rick had to charge for the actions that he performed on the boys at the will of their owners. So, each and every time that these two ran into each other, they instantly started to break out into an argument. It wasn't often unusual when one of their verbal fights turned into a full-blown wrestling match. The Guard Ricks had actually stopped counting the amount of times that they were called to separate these two again.

So, no matter who you asked on the Citadel, every Rick and Morty could confirm that these two medics hated each other's guts like no one else's. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

While it was true that they started out on pretty bad terms, these two didn't really hate each other. It was quite the opposite. You might probably be able to notice it if you just paid attention to the small, almost hidden hints.

One of them being a calendar that hung in Lab Rick's laboratory. At the moment, it displayed the month of Ricktober and everyone who visited the Morty Labs was able to see it. The thing about the calendar, which was actually in plain sight to everyone, was the picture of the month – a picture of none other than Surgeon Rick. If anyone would have actually paid it any attention they might have wondered why Lab Rick had a calendar up on the wall that displayed a photo of the person that he was supposed to absolutely loath. Luckily, his visitors were rather inattentive or just too grossed out by the experiments that he kept in vials, lining the counter and shelves.

Another hint would be the fact that Lab Rick matched his opening hours with the shifts that Surgeon Rick had. Surely, people would think of it as a rivalry thing, believing that Lab Rick wanted to prove something by working at the same time as his arch nemesis. In truth, this working scheduled actually allowed them to run into each other during their breaks and right before or after they started to work. But, of course, no one found that suspicious. No one would question it. So, it was just another normal day on the Citadel of Ricks. Lab Rick closed his store – Morty Labs – since it was already late and the artificial sun on the fake sky had begun to set. He had no doubt that Surgeon Rick was also getting ready to end his shift and swap out with another Rick, who was also a medic and tended to wounded Mortys. Of course, he didn't care about any of the other medics that worked at the Morty Healing Center. His interested was only held by the chief of the medical staff there – the Rick that was known as Surgeon Rick. Almost as if it was agreed (and it actually was) they met at the steps that lead up to the Healing Center (or down to Morty Labs). Lab Rick immediately scowled and Surgeon Rick glowered back at him. Not an instant later, they started to throw insults at each other. "So, how many Mortys did you kill today, you psycho quack?" The Rick that was dressed more like a nurse than an actual doctor spat. "I should rather ask how many Mortys you let die today because I have a clear conscience." Lab Rick, who also still wore his work uniform, threw back. "Clear conscience? If you say that, it's obvious that you've got as many screws lose as your patients!" "Well, I'm not as crazy as you old hag! And don't come too close to me, I don't wanna know what kind of nasty illnesses and infections you must have caught from your miserable patients!" It went back and forth like a tennis match, the childish insults growing slowly in ferocity and lower in levels of degradation and the few Ricks and Mortys who were still around at the time grew tired of having to listen to the squabble and scattered. Only after both medics noticed that they were completely alone, did they stop.

Without sharing another word, they both hurried through a few back alleys until they arrived at an apartment complex. It was where Surgeon Rick lived. They hurried up to the apartment before anyone else would be able to spot them. Then everything happened fast as if in one motion. A harsh tug on his wrist, hurling him inside the apartment, the door closing behind them and then Surgeon Rick's back colliding harshly with the door as Lab Rick pushed him against it and ravished the surgeon's mouth like a man starving. The kiss was returned with a passion, full of longing and repressed emotion's that never came to day outside of this apartment. Lab Rick eagerly grabbed his secret lover's hips and hoisted him up and the other wrapped his legs around his waist as tightly as he had his arms wrapped around his neck. While they were still heatedly making out, Lab Rick ran his hand over the other's thighs, which felt way too smooth for a man in Surgeon Rick's age. Eventually, Lab Rick dislodged himself from the door and carried his lover over to the bed, dropping him rather unceremoniously on the sheets. Surgeon Rick didn't mind and only giggled as the other medic joined him not a second later on the mattress. The make out session continued and scrubs went flying. And soon the sounds of groans, moans and a creaking bed floated through the air. When Lab Rick opened his eyes, it was still dark. He found himself snuggled up against the back of his secret lover who was still sound asleep. Reluctantly, he untangled himself from the comfortable warmth, shushed the other Rick who mumbled sleepily in protest and then slipped his clothes back on. Now was the best chance to slip away and return to his own apartment. Hidden by the darkness, the risk of getting detected was far lower than when he would hang around until the morning. Sure, in a way, it would also be nice to stay with his lover for a bit longer, but as he stood with a hand on the door and looked at the sleeping medic, he knew that this was what they both had decided on. Lab Rick (and Surgeon Rick, too) thought that it was actually fun to treat their relationship as if it was some sort of forbidden love affair. Sure, no one would give a fuck if two Ricks were dating – this was the Citadel of Ricks after all and taboo was considered normal here – but it was certainly some nice spice that he wouldn't want to miss. So, he stealthily snuck out of Surgeon Rick's apartment again – like many, many other nights before – knowing that when they saw each other tomorrow in public their masks would be back on and they'd be throwing stupid insults at each other again that they didn't really mean.

AN: These two Ricks are actually my OTP. And I've wanted to write smut again, but ran out of time and inspiration, so I cut it short. Maybe some other time…

Prompts

Chapter 1: Doofus Rick / Rick J-19ζ7

Chapter 2: Surgeon Rick

Chapter 3: Simple Rick + Weird Rick

Chapter 5: Deepthroat Rick / Investigator Rick

Chapter 6: Storage Rick

Chapter 7: Flesh Curtains Rick / Younger Rick

Chapter 8: Seven Sins Ricks

Chapter 9: Tiny Rick

Chapter 10: Mysterious Rick

Chapter 11: Slow Rick / Tall Morty (+ Surgeon Rick + Lab Rick)

Chapter 12: Miami Rick

Chapter 13: Golfer Rick

Chapter 14: Gouverness Ava Rickinsocks

Chapter 15: Evil Rick

Chapter 16: Chair Rick

Chapter 17: (Rookie) Cop Rick

Chapter 18: Super Fan Rick

Chapter 19: Guard Ricks

Chapter 20: Guilty Rick

Chapter 21: Lizard Rick + Aqua Rick

Chapter 22: Novelist Rick

Chapter 23: Morty Games Rick

Chapter 24: Zero Rick

Chapter 25: Teacher Rick

Chapter 26: Bubble Gum Rick

Chapter 27: Robot Rick

Chapter 28: Jar Head Rick

Chapter 29: Toxic Rick

Chapter 30: Council of Ricks

Chapter 31: Rick C-137

[thefilmslist-blog]

The Recent Movie Round-up… The Vvitch: A New England Folktale (2015) & Split (2016)

The Recent Movie Round-up…

The Vvitch: A New England Folktale (2015) & Split (2016)

 Yeah, so I fucked up… I went and did what I promised myself (and by extension anyone who reads these) and left it too long between reviews of recent movies. Now no-one cares what I think of recently released movies that are still in theatres! What I am going to try and do in future is give a good bit of distance between movies I see in the cinema and when I write them up. This allows initial opinions to settle and ideas to form, and not just my own, yours too. I suppose that in this case the only movie that was out in cinemas at the time in this round-up was Split anyway, so not so bad…

Make sure you read all the way to the bottom to see a list of future features I want to cover, here we go…

 FULL SPOILERS BELOW FOR…

The Vvitch: A New England Folktale (2015)

Split (2016)

…and Alien, Inglorious Basterds…

 The Vvitch: A New England Folktale        We gave this movie 90/100.

See what I did there? After a short introductory preamble to set up the write-up I immediately show you the solution and reason for the piece. In story-telling terms this is similar to the ‘Bomb under the table’ idea eloquently explained by Alfred Hitchcock. I highly recommend you go check out the interview where he elaborated on this. To put it simply, when there bomb under a dinner table that the audience in unaware of, its going off will come as a shock to the audience, think of the classic chestburster scene in the original Alien movie. However, when the audience is made aware of the bomb under the table, the power of the scene is changed from surprise at it going off, to the tension felt by the audience knowing it will go off at some point. Think of the opening scene of Inglorious Basterds. This is the difference between shock and dread, shock is a very heightened reaction but it is very short lived, however, dread is much more subtle but weightier in its feel. You know something bad is going to happen.

All this to say that The Vvitch pulls off the bomb under the table trick and the resulting dread fantastically. The movie starts with the starring family being banished from its New England colony to a plantation where they must survive for themselves. A short time later, the eldest daughter is playing with their baby out near the woods, she turns her head for a moment, then the baby disappears as if by magic. This is followed by the audience seeing and learning what the family doesn’t. they have pitched up next to woods containing a witch! We are pretty much shown the main antagonistic force (I’ll explain more later) up front.

Now it can be argued that this is the standard 2nd act pivot, were our heroes are presented with a problem that they must solve and an antagonist to flee from. However, there are some intriguing differences. All the family know is that something very weird is happening and they have lost the baby. We, the audience, are the only ones who know that there is an actual witch(s) out there who means to cause them harm. Our sense of dread comes from knowing that everyone is going to collide at some point, and it is going to be nasty.

Now the plot of this movie, as with a lot of great character pieces, is quite thin. But what makes it work (excluding mostly what I have mentioned already) are the details that are woven into the story. The 17th century is very, very different to now, and that difference puts the world and characters of the movie at a slant up front. Most great horror convey a sense of unease to the audience by presenting a world and characters that are slightly tweaked from our own. David Lynch could be called the master of this (I can’t say because I couldn’t stand any of his movies, I should give them another try). The world of The Vvitch is very foreign to our own, where religion is law, self-sustenance is the key to survival and language is florid to the point of obscurity. All of these details work together so well to set the tone for the story, and makes the feeling of dread all the more authentic for the audience.

All of this is basic stuff for your competent horror movie. However, there is just a couple more themes I want to touch on; Human nature and religion, and consequences. That last one is obvious as the baby-losing moment of the movie sets off multiple arcs of consequences that land throughout the movie. What helps propel these story points, however, is the way the movie allows these consequences to spin out of the collision between the character’s human nature and their religiosity. This is where the family’s belief system forms the basis for big moral decisions on the surface, such as leaving the colony in the first place and using prayer as the first line of defence against the forces that have set upon them. But, this doesn’t get them anyway, resulting in the façade of decency dropping and real, ugly human nature replacing it to disastrous results. This can be read as an anti-religious theme (which I do), where giving up one’s own beliefs and agency to a fictional deity leads to moral decay, ignorant self-righteousness and familial dis-harmony. Literally, a demon shows up to teach the family the folly of their self-constructed beliefs.

As for the rest of the movie, there little to criticise, the acting is pitch perfect and the visuals add to the creepy atmosphere, and well places the movie in its period. I could not give the actors more credit here, especially the twin children who are spookily authentic…

You know, I’m sitting here really trying to find an aspect of this movie I didn’t like. Which might just be the be the best endorsement I could give.

 Split       So it seems pairing these two movies into the same write-up is very co-incidental. When discussing the ‘Bomb under the table’ theme earlier, it has dawned on me that Split pulls the same trick, in both a more and less subtle way.

As with The Vvitch, once the story gets going and the protagonists/antagonists and situation are established, we get a set-up for a future terror that will be unleashed. This impending threat also works with the claustrophobic atmosphere to bring about a sense of dread in the audience. However, there are differences with how this is done; in The Vvitch we get an almost pornographic reveal of the terror early in the story, in Split the final personality is never really manifested until the 3rd act of the movie. We are given hints of what the arrival of ‘The Beast’ will entail, but we don’t actually see this persona upfront in the same way as The Vvitch. When the final personality is revealed it can seem slightly underwhelming as it has been built up so much and is basically a stronger version of James McAvoy’s character (Kevin). What is more important is what ‘The Beast’ represents.

Trauma is a key theme of this story, and is to me the most compelling reading of the film. We all know that M. Night Shyamalan loves freaks and weirdo’s in his movies, and I think James McAvoy’s character is the best representation the writer/director has put to film so far. The story puts forward the idea that people who have both suffered and resolved serious emotional/physical trauma can emerge as stronger human beings. Even to the point of becoming superheroes, in the case of Kevin; he is literally able to create different personas to serve any purpose he needs and then evolves into a super-being at the end of the movie. Similarly, Casey (played fantastically by Anya Taylor-Joy, who was also the lead in The Vvitch!) is the only person who is able find an advantage by playing Kevin’s personalities against each other and survive to the end of the story. We find out through flashbacks that she suffered unfathomable abuse at the hands of her uncle, and she uses that trauma to find the strength to survive. We even see an acknowledgement of her strength by ‘The Beast’ who recognises their shared trauma and spares her due to their similarities.

It’s a great theme to chew on, and it is aided by the sheer flashiness of the story, acting and visuals. In stark contrast to The Vvitch, Split is a larger than life performance that simply refuses to be boring. The central performance by McAvoy is the best of a long line of great performances, and Anya Taylor-Joy is quickly establishing herself as one of the brightest up-and-coming stars, simultaneously providing an introspective but active performance.

It’s also nice to see that M. Night Shyamalan’s skill behind the camera hasn’t been diminished, making the audience feel the necessary claustrophobia and darkness, but also making scenes tense and kinetic when needed; All the while dressing this propulsive thriller as a fun, pulpy B-movie. We gave Split a well-deserved 84/100.

  Stray Thoughts

-          I was pleasantly surprised to see Office alum Ralph Ineson playing William in The Vvitch, he gives a really great performance…

 -          The Marvel style after-credits stinger in Split has me slightly worried, I really don’t think we need another cinematic universe right now. But if it can inspire a creative renaissance for M. Night Shyamalan, then I am tentatively interested in where it could go…

 -          I am not sure what I want to cover next, be it another essay on my movie opinions (fun!) or another set of write-ups. Jen and I have also seen a ton more movies since my last post here so I will repost The Film List with new ratings shortly. Please let me know if you have a film you would like us to watch/cover for this blog…

Future Features        So here are some of the topics I want to cover in the immediate future of the blog! I encourage you to let me know which you would want me to post next, or tell me if you have a movie/topic you would like me to weigh in on with my half-formed opinions!

-          Star Wars and me: Star Wars and me: my relationship to the Star Wars movies and re-thinking the Holiday Special.

-          The Handmaiden and Midnight write-ups by the lovely Jenny Sloane

-          The Raid and John Wick movies: How to make action relatable.

-          I’m also toying with an interpretation of how movies subconsciously moralise its protagonists due to the nature of story-telling. This is just at its embryonic stage for the moment, but I think it will be interesting to put into an essay (if not that interesting to read!).