#it’s gia but like…even worse.

[ramshacklerumble]

“What? It’s just bone meal.”

(i was minding my own business when this au appeared and grabbed me by the hair. thanks @quartztwst for this incredibly fun au. i love the energy of hunting azul ashengrotto for sport.)

i really liked the idea of ny!gia being an npc that isn’t for or against the happenings around ashengrotto, however quartz is able to unlock new murder and/or disposal options through them depending on how she interacts with gia. generally speaking, gia won’t sound an alarm if they catch something suspicious— however they will remember and this can affect their decisions. be wary though, it’s possible to create a negative dynamic with gia in which they will betray or actively become an enemy.

ITEMS:

Phone + Earbuds: Gia loves music and striking up a conversation about varying genres can help open up Gia— if correct dialogue choices are made, anyway. Oh, you listen to Napalm Jam Revengance? Name three songs.

Trowel: Gia spends much of their time tending to plants and so a trowel is often seen on their person. It’s oddly sharp.

Experimental Phials: Depending on what ingredients are brought to Gia, the rapport made with them, and if their interest has been piqued— Gia can be convinced to create varying substances to aid (or harm) Quartz. Gia appreciates a guinea pig. Willing or not.

Berries: You can eat these. Once.

Notebook: Gia’s notes on all plants and procedures they work on, as well as other secret journal entries. This notebook can be stolen by either Quartz or other characters— Quartz can choose to return the notebook, use it to create poisons herself (with a higher possibility of failure), or use it as blackmail to get Gia to work for her. Many different possibilities, though Gia assures there are far easier ways to die.

TRIVA:

Has a strange, volatile dynamic with Ashengrotto’s left hand man. No one is quite sure what it is, but they sure do interact.

A top ranking student

If Gia is befriended, they will actively cover for any suspicious activity or make up alibis instead of completely minding their own business

They can be convinced to use their experiments on others themself, although it’s easier to convince them to hand over what they made while they turn a blind eye to any following consequences.

Likes cute, kitsch items. Especially clown themed.

tag list:

@cyanide-latte @inmateofthemind @tixdixl @winterweary @thehollowwriter @jovieinramshackle

@theleechyskrunkly @skriblee-ksk @boopshoops @the-trinket-witch @twistedwonderlandshenanigans @kimikitti

@s-t-y-x @nightwingshero @water-writings @beneathsakurashade @oya-oya-okay @scint1llat3 (dm to be added)

[neverthatsirius-jo]

jo!!!!! hey hey hey congrats on 200 that is soooo amazing!!! also i am in love w ur celebration it is so creative!!!!

could i request james potter with evading eye contact / friends to lovers, and my song was 'staying down low' by angie mcmahon (an underrated aussie artist who grew up near me!) everything else is up to u to work ur magic!! <3

thank u and congrats again!!! <333

| STAYING DOWN LOW ⊹₊⟡⋆

“In which you’ve been ignoring James for a few days but he’s dead set on getting you out of the sad haven you’ve made of your apartment.”

pairing: james potter x fem!reader

genre: hurt/comfort

w/c: 2.4k

tags: muggle au, friends to lovers, mentions of depression, reader is falling into a depressive episode again, mentions of not eating (because of depression but there are no mentions of an ed)

jo’s note: for the precious gia!! <3333 i hope you like what i concocted, i had a good time writing it in a not so good time. sort of therapeutic this writing fics thing. also, i don’t??? hate??? this??? fic??? which might be a first for me and the fic being so self-indulgent may have played a part in this. but anyway, the lovers part of the friends to lovers isn’t really here so i'm totally up to do a second part maybe in the future?? if you, gia, want it or anyone else (will probably do it just for myself anyway heh).

Seven knocks in a familiar rhythmic pattern on the door and you don’t need to see out the peephole to know who it is. Usually you would open it without thinking twice about it but today you’re not sure you want to. There are clothes scattered across the floor, dishes from the last couple of days in the kitchen sink, and you can’t remember when was the last time you vacuumed even superficially. You would rather the sight that was your living stay between it and yourself.

And that’s not even talking about your state, which, now that you think about it, could be worse. You had actually managed to get out of bed to take a shower today. Though if you were to be frank, you’d only done it to make up for the hour you were ashamed to admit you had woken up at. That way at least you could at least say you had crossed something off the mental list of things you imagine a functional human being doesn’t have to think twice to do, but for some reason seem damn near impossible to you. 

“I can hear you’re in there!” He calls out from the hall when you accidentally knock out a stack of books with your foot from the sofa when doubling over to reach the remote. “Open up.”

You throw your head back, as you consider leaving him out there for your next-door neighbour to deal with: a grumpy eighty-year old lady who, in her own words, ‘has seen too much shit to have to keep dealing with it at this point of life’.

It’s only a matter of time if he keeps shouting outside your door at nine PM before she comes out to kick him out with a sweeper.

“James, go away before Mrs Thomas kindly sees you out.”

You hear the sound of James messing with the lock. Which is weird, because he doesn’t have a key so you assume he’s trying to jam it, unsuccessfully. 

At least you hope unsuccessfully, otherwise you would be worried about who else could open your door if James does.

“You!” Mrs Thomas yells. You swear you can see the stack of glasses in front of you tremble, cartoon-style.

“Fuck!” You jump from the sofa, throwing the three blankets you had on you behind you, which suddenly you recognize as a bad idea, given the only thing you’ve had to eat today was a few pieces of cereal deep at the bottom of the box from the last time you had gone out to run errands. 

“Mrs Thomas! It’s me!” You hear three bangs against what you hope is the wall and not James’ head in the three seconds it takes you to overcome the dizziness. “You know me!”

“Only thing I know is this is not your flat!”

“It is my friend’s flat!” 

“So why are you trying to break in?!”

“I’m not trying to b—”

You fling open the door and you grab James who was leaning against it by the elbow so he doesn’t crash into you. “Mrs Thomas, it’s alright—”

“This disrespectful young man was trying to break into your home! I don’t know if to rob you, or even murder—”

“Alright, Mrs Thomas—That’s a bit—” You interrupt her passionate monologue when you see her swing her new weapon of choice. A bright yellow umbrella apparently.

“You never know these days!”

James flinches when she absent-mindedly swings the umbrella too close to his leg for comfort.

“I was just taking a nap, I didn’t hear him knocking,” you explain. 

You make yourself small under her scrutinizing gaze. “At this hour?”

“Okay, let’s go inside now.” James leads you inside by your waist, eager to get out of Mrs Thomas' sight and her umbrella.

After the door closes under your neighbours’ gaze, you turn around to shake your head at him, self-consciously trying to flatten the mess that your hair is.

“What the hell, James?”

You walk past him, clenching and unclenching your hands, crunching imaginary peanut shells between them. You’re not mad. You’re embarrassed; but you’d rather he think of the first option.

“Can you blame me?”

“Trying to break into my house?” You hiss out, in fear that Mrs Thomas is listening from outside.

“You didn’t answer your phone, what did you want me to do?”

“Do I break into your house when you don’t answer a text?”

The way he looks at you projects all his worries directly onto you and you wish you hadn’t said what you did. He doesn’t dare speak them out loud, maybe out of respect for you but it stings just the same as if he had because you know he’s right.

“I wanted to be left alone for a while,” you mutter, with the demeanor of a puppy whose owner just yelled at them for gnawing on the carpet.

“I know, and that’s exactly the problem.” 

He laughs but it lacks any of his usual light, matching your living room whose only light source comes from a streetlamp down on your street.

“That I needed some personal space?”

“Last time you needed ‘personal space’ you didn’t come out of this apartment for months. I didn’t hear from you for months. You…”

He doesn’t finish his sentence, he seems just as uncomfortable to talk about your last depressive episode as you are to be confronted with it. 

“James, it’s not like that.” You give him half a smile like he’s being the equivalent of a mother asking you to take your jacket when there’s twenty five degrees celsius outside. He’s silly for worrying. 

He gestures in circles to his surroundings. “Well, this is taking me back to a time I’d rather not go back to.”

Your cheeks burn. “You don’t need to worry about that, I—”

“I do worry. I do worry,” his words come out harsher than his intention means them to but you know it’s out of frustration and not personal in a way that matters, “You’re my friend and I worry.”

He’s now prancing around the room, picking up books and random objects and placing them in random spaces. He gets more than half of them surprisingly where they belong, product of the time he spends at your apartment.

“And I appreciate that—”

“You can stay for a bit at my place. You can bring a bag now and we can come for more of your stuff later.” 

“James.”

“Basic stuff. Pyjamas, toothbrush, a couple changes of clothes…” 

“James.”

“I have the pullout couch so that won’t be a problem.”

“James!”

The change in your tone wakes him up from his brainstorming and he stops on his feet.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m fine.”

“Alright, then. I’ll stay here.” He slumps down on the couch. There’s not an ounce of humour in his face.

“You’re not babysitting me.”

“You can always kick me out, but I’ll set up camp outside your door, maybe bring a sleeping bag and I don’t think Mrs Thomas will be a big fan of that so unless you want me arrested… I’m giving you options.”

“I’m an adult.”

“Good for you.”

“So you can go home, drink some tea to calm yourself and we can meet up another day.”

He makes a popping sound with his lips while he shakes his head. His feet are now on your coffee table and he expects you to take that as his answer.

“Get your feet off of there.” You strut over to his side and try to kick them off with your knee. 

He sticks the tip of his tongue in a childish gesture. It gets a laugh out of you and his eyes brighten up as he looks up to see it for himself.

“It’s raining outside, your shoes must be disgusting.”

When he doesn’t budge, you resort to the much more drastic solution of trying to kick him off. 

“I’ve been doing a lot of leg days at the gym. Watch out.” He pulls up the hem of his joggers to show you his calves.

“You look like a chicken.”

“Okay, ouch.” He pokes at his leg with two of your fingers to prove something. “Me, personally, I’ve never seen a chicken with these bad boys.”

“Don’t ever refer to your legs like that again.” You squint your eyes, cringing.

“Don’t ever call me a chicken again and I’ll think about it.”

“Fair, deal.” You sigh.

You slump down on the couch next to him, kicking off your slippers which end up on top of one of the many piles of clothing.

“You’ve eaten today?” he asks, his tone taking a sweeter tone. 

He’s now a man approaching a stray, holding out his hand to earn its trust, ready to jerk it right back in case it decides to bite.

You twiddle with your thumbs. “Yup.” You’re not up for biting, but lying has gotten you quite far before.

“What did you eat?”

You swallow the ‘What is this? An interrogation?’ down and look at the coffee table for an answer. “Ordered some pizza.” You point to the empty greasy box next to his feet. 

He sits up and goes to grab it, when you snatch it immediately.

“It’s okay, I’ll throw it.”

“I wanna see where it’s from.” He knows your habits too well and you know that's not the reason. 

“Alessandro’s.”

You go to get up, slower this time having learnt your lesson earlier, but he grabs your arm and snatches the box from you before you can go throw it in the kitchen bin, and with it the incriminating receipt atop that dates the purchase to a few days ago. 

You fight back, kicking him lightly, nervously laughing your way through it to pretend you’re just playing. He doesn’t laugh until he starts tickling you to make you release the grip you have on the box. He gets it for a second but you lounge at him, sitting on top of his thighs. He grabs your wrists and it is almost tangible the way the air changes around you. 

The fight is over. Neither of you move. 

“Just tell me,” he whispers, his voice as soft as his eyes. He’d rather hear the truth from you, even if he already knows it.

He holds you tighter when you go to move away from him.

“You already know, James.” You smile sadly.

“That’s okay.” He pats the side of your thighs. “Come on.”

He sets you aside on the couch and gets up himself to go to the kitchen. You try to follow him but he holds up a hand without even turning around. 

“Stay there. I got it.”

And you stay. For about two minutes before staring at the ceiling stops being entertaining and your feet take you to his side as if by on their own.

“Hey.” He smiles sideways, stirring the contents of a can of tomato sauce you always had in the pantry in case of emergencies.

“You’re depleting my food supply in case of a zombie apocalypse,” you joke, sinking your chin into his shoulder to look at his cooking, hands intertwined behind your back.

“Don’t worry.” He reaches back to play with your hair; you close your eyes. “I’ll restock.”

You open your mouth to say something but he beats you to it.

“I’m making some for myself too. Hope you don’t mind.” He throws the last sentence nonchalantly, but the truth is he knows you’d rather not eat alone. 

He knows you too well. It’s eerie, or so Sirius is used to saying with a grimace to go along with it, like a child who sticks out their tongue when people kiss in movies.

“Pass me the pasta?” He asks, nodding in its direction.

You reluctantly peel away from him to help and hand him the box. You laugh at the spring-shaped illustration of the pasta.

“I love these. They’re my favourite.”

“I know that.” He turns to look at you, all cocky.

There are quite a few beats of silence, but not the uncomfortable kind. Never with James.

He coughs; he wants to say something. “You know, if you want to talk to me I’m here.”

“I don’t.” For the first time tonight, your answer it’s not defensive, or filled with anger. It just is.

You’re not closed off to talking. Tonight just isn’t the night and James understands.

“Pass me the strainer.”

He finishes serving two plates. One for you because you need it, and one for him which he will push through after having already had dinner.

“I’m letting you pick the film for the second time in a row,” he hisses, skipping to the couch to set down the hot bowl of pasta that’s burning his hands.

“How chivalrous.”

You put your favourite film on, and this time he doesn’t tease about the number of times you have made him watch it with you. You can see his smile tremble with the effort not to.

“Twentieth,” you remind him.

“Thank you.” He taps your bowl with two of his knuckles to remind you of the food, eyes already glued to the screen.

You eat in silence, contrary to your usual movie nights where you can’t seem to shut up and stop making up commentary out of thin air, only the film for ambience and the occasional deep inhale from James before shoving the fork in his mouth.

“You don’t have to eat if you’ve had dinner, James. It’s fine,” you laugh.

He looks at you like you just told him there’s a pink elephant in your bathroom. “I haven’t had dinner. I’m ravenous. Starving. Famished.”

You roll your eyes. “Have it your way.”

The film ends and in part so does the heaviness in your heart.

“We’re going shopping tomorrow. I need a new pair of jeans; my legs are getting too big with all this gym,” he states once he finishes his plate and wipes some sauce off his lip. “And we can’t have you depriving the world of seeing that beautiful face.” He flicks your chin with the napkin, getting some sauce on your face.

“Ugh, I hate you.” You throw your head back, leaning it against the sofa.

“I’m okay with that. You’ll learn to love me in due time,” he says. “Everyone does.”

He smiles. It’s contagious and he traces the reflection of his smile on your lips with his finger; a treasure to be committed to memory.

thank you for reading, reblogs and replies are appreciated <3

back to masterlist

[feedybot]

All-Inclusive

The resort was a dream. Five stars. Ocean views. Bottomless everything. Gia had booked it the second the wedding date was set — after all those months of dieting, stressing, fittings and fasting, she was going to enjoy herself.

And she did.

From the first moment they arrived, she dived headfirst into all-inclusive living.

The welcome buffet was endless. Crab cakes, creamy pastas, soft buttery rolls, bottomless drinks. Gia giggled as she sampled everything, bouncing on her heels like a kid in a candy store. Her plate was stacked, almost cartoonishly tall, as she weaved her way back to their table.

Rick just laughed at first. Let her have her fun, he thought.

She deserved it after all those months of hard work.

What neither of them didn’t know though was the fact that the resort had a dirty little secret: the appetizers were lightly laced with a hunger stimulant, meant to drive up bar tabs and “enhance guest satisfaction.” A little extra indulgence never hurt anyone, right?

Except… for Gia, with her body starved thin by months of wedding prep, it hit her like a freight train.

By the third night, Rick started noticing it.

Not just how much she was eating — but how.

Gia wasn’t just hungry at dinner; she was insatiable. She would demolish three plates and then pout, hand resting absently on her slightly bloated stomach, eyes darting toward the dessert table. She moaned about how hungry she still felt, even as she adjusted the tiny stylish belt of her sundress under the table.

He chuckled nervously, chalking it up to honeymoon cravings. But when he watched her press a third helping of chocolate mousse between her lips, moaning low in her throat with pleasure, something in him twisted.

Something’s wrong, he thought.

And then it got worse.

*

By Day 7, Gia was visibly different.

Her walk had changed. A slow, lazy sway to her hips. Her face, so delicately sculpted at the wedding, had softened. Dimples deepened. A new fullness bloomed under her chin.

She hadn’t packed for this.

Her clothes strained against her rapidly swelling body. Bikinis cut into her sides; sundresses clung scandalously tight across her chest and waist.

Every outfit seemed to show off more than it hid: the slight curve of her belly rounding out, the thickening of her thighs, the way her arms dimpled when she raised a drink.

But Gia didn’t notice.

She just laughed it off — “Honeymoon weight!” — and piled her plate higher.

Rick tried to intervene once. Maybe slow down a little, babe?

Gia just giggled, shoving another bite of something buttery into her mouth. “I’m just enjoying myself,” she said, licking the sauce from her fingers. “We only have one honeymoon, right?” She continued in secretive whisper.

He was scared.

Really scared now.

Because it wasn’t slowing down.

It was speeding up.

Her hunger was bottomless.

No matter how much she ate, she whined that she still felt empty. She begged him for room service at midnight. Snuck croissants from the breakfast buffet into her bag for later. Moaned in frustration if there was even a small wait at restaurants.

And he could see it.

Every single day.

New rolls crept over her bikini bottoms.

New chub puckered where smooth skin had once stretched tight.

Her belly grew heavier, softer, rounding out from its flat, taut wedding-day tightness to a plump, greedy bulge that visibly strained every waistband she owned.

*

Dance Night was when everything came crashing down.

Gia stuffed herself at dinner, five courses, four desserts, a bottle of wine - her usual now - then insisted they go dancing.

She dug out a slinky little black dress she had packed for the trip, squeezed herself into it with a few breathy curses, and admired herself in the mirror, oblivious to the way the fabric clung desperately to her swollen belly and hips.

Rick could only stare.

She looked wrecked—in the most beautiful, terrifying way.

When they hit the dancefloor, it happened fast.

He spun her around—and when he caught her—THUD.

Her body slammed into him, and for the first time, he felt it: the deep, unstoppable jiggle.

Not just a little wobble.

Her whole body shook with momentum.

Belly, breasts, thighs—everything quivered and bounced against him.

He stiffened. His heart raced. She just laughed, her arms lazily wrapping around his neck.

Rick lost it.

Without thinking, he crushed her to him.

Pressed their bodies together, feeling every swollen curve, every inch of softness that had bloomed over the past few days. His hands roamed without thinking—down her plush waist, around her widened hips, across the thick new heft of her thighs.

Gia gasped and then giggled, “You’re so handsy tonight…”

And he didn’t answer.

He couldn’t.

He was feral now.

He gripped her tighter, forcing her softness against his body, feeling how she yielded, how she gave. She was heavy. Hot. Helpless.

The song ended. They didn’t even speak. They ran.

*

Back in the room, he attacked the minibar like a madman.

Anything and everything he could find—snacks, sweets, sandwiches—he ripped open and shoved toward her.

Gia was sprawled out on the bed, dress rucked up around her hips, belly cresting high and round, her thighs spread wide and lazy.

He fed her with trembling hands.

Bite after bite.

Sweet, salty, heavy foods, packed into her eager mouth.

She moaned and squirmed under his touch, blissed out, belly swelling tighter and tighter as she gorged herself.

When she finally whined that she couldn’t move - couldn’t even sit up - he just kept touching her, stroking the hard dome of her overstuffed stomach, massaging her newly thick arms, her thighs so wide he could barely span them with both hands.

She giggled and whimpered, too stuffed to think straight, letting him worship what she’d become.

By the time she fell asleep, snoring softly atop the wreckage of food wrappers and rumpled sheets, Rick knew:

There was no going back.

She was only going to get bigger.

*

When they landed back home, their friends were waiting at the airport.

Excited. Cheering. Signs and balloons.

And then—

Silence.

Gia waddled toward them, radiant and oblivious, one hand absent-mindedly rubbing the side of her heavy belly under a far-too-tight travel dress.

Every step made her hips quiver.

Every breath threatened to split the seams of her clothes.

Their friends’ faces were priceless—shock, awe, horror.

No one said a word. Few jaws hit the floor.

Rick just grinned, sliding his arm around her thick waist, claiming her in front of everyone.

Gia beamed at them all, clueless, cheeks chubby and pink with excitement.

“Missed you guys!” she chirped. “Hope you’re hungry — how is ready for a brunch?”

Rick tightened his grip around her, feeling her soft body yield under his hands.

He could already imagine it:

Another table piled high.

Another day of indulgence.

And hopefully another dress surrendering.

[andreal831]

Do you see Klaus as an unreliable narrator in TO?

1000% yes.

He's a textbook narcissist so we have to remember everything he says comes from a place of being unable to look outside himself or to empathize with others. Which makes the entire narration of TO unreliable.

One example I can think of is when Elijah and Klaus are talking about Tatia (Elijah is also an unreliable narrator because he centers everything on Klaus. In my opinion due to guilt). We hear, and in TO see, how much Elijah cares for Tatia. But not really Klaus. We hear him and Elijah say Klaus loved Tatia, however, in the scenes in TO, Klaus essentially assaults Tatia by kissing her without even being concerned if she wants him to. Even when she pulls away from him, he just moves on. This isn't the actions of someone who is in love. And then when we see Tatia and Elijah interact, there is clearly some history. They have an ongoing flirtation. Yet, when Elijah and Klaus tell the story, it essentially focuses on their brotherly bond and less on Tatia. We don't hear how devastated Elijah was from her death, but how loving Tatia nearly broke their bond apart. Even when Elijah learns he was responsible for Tatia's death, instead of allowing him to feel that pain and grieve, he has to apologize to Klaus (and also deal with Klaus murdering his own father). Klaus doesn't react the way he did when he learned of what Elijah did to Aurora because he truly didn't care about Tatia. But he continues to push the narrative to center Elijah's past love interest around himself.

We see him do the same with Stefan in TVD, to the point where a large majority of the fandom believes Stefan and Klaus were romantically invovled despite being explicitly told that Rebekah and Stefan were invovled at the time. I'm not saying yes or no to either, but pointing out how the narrative impacts the viewers.

We also see this with how little emphasis the show puts on anyone that is not directly related to Klaus. Klaus is not the sole narrator of the show, but we can safely say it revolves around him. So characters like Aya, Celeste, Gia, Emil, etc. Their flashbacks are quick and just serve to explain how they know the Mikaelsons. Whereas, Klaus' love interest in the past, Aurora, gets exposition and depth through flashbacks.

The narration is told in a way that continues to victimize Klaus and brush aside his crimes. For example, when he lets Cami into his head to "scare her" and show her what a beast he is. He could show her endless slaughters, and that's just in the past year. He could show himself sacrificing a teenage girl or killing Jenna, stabbing his siblings, killing his mother, etc. But instead he shows himself turning for the first time and his family chaining him up to suppress his werewolf side. He doesn't even show the plethora of village people he just murdered which even scared Elijah. He only shows her what will create sympathy for him. We see this throughout their "talks." Even Cami calls him out on it multiple times for phrasing the story in a way that undermines how his siblings were feeling.

Contrast this to how Elijah's story is told. We already talked about Tatia and a lot of his exes. They are either explained very quickly and then moved on without allowing him/the audience time to grieve, or he they are handled through Klaus' POV so that their death's are justified/excused. But more than that, simply how his backstory is told, or Kol for that matter, is done in a less sympathetic light than Klaus.

We don't really see Elijah feed from people or murder without cause. That is up until the show decided to introduce the Red Door. This entire storyline is used to retcon Elijah as "the worse brother." But lets be honest, they've all killed so many people, why is Elijah killing seen as worse? Because they make it scary and bloody and it scares even the main characters. Whereas Klaus' trial is made to be humorous. The audience is supposed to laugh at Klaus forcing a girl to watch her mother burn alive because she was coughing too much. Even Klaus killing main characters like Carol are made to be humorous. They make Kol seem like this unhinged killer, but Klaus is the one who goes off and kills with him. When Kol does it, it's out of control. When Klaus does it, it's funny so their lives don't matter.

We see this with how the show treats Rebekah and her suitors. Rebekah is seen as naive because she keeps falling for the wrong people who take advantage of her. But Klaus is seen as compelling when he allows Caroline to manipulate him, to the point that it gets his brother killed. Or Aurora manipulate him to the point that it gets Rebekah kidnaped. Or Genevieve manipulate him to the point it gets Hayley killed and almost Hope. But when Klaus is manipulated, it's because he cares too much and the women took advantage of him. When it happens to Rebekah, it's because she's stupid and needs Klaus to make her decisions.

We see it in how Cami's transition is told. Cami is struggling throughout Season 3 but all Klaus sees is himself. To the point that when Cami snaps at him for pushing too far, the next scene is him killing a random art critic, essentially implying that it was her fault. She shouldn't have prioritized her own emotions and snapped at a grown man because he can't be responsible for his own actions.

TO thrives on Klaus being an unreliable narrator because it allows his misdeeds to be pushed to the back of the audience's mind and his victimization brought to the front. Even how he speaks about himself is unreliable. Initially, he blames Mikael for making him a monster. But then he learns his mother made him weak and blames her. But then he later blames Elijah for what he did to Aurora a year later. And throughout the show he blames all of his siblings for "abandoning" him when we never see a moment of them attempting to abandon him. Yes, I'm sure all of these things contributed, but the main point is that at no point does he blame himself. He never once takes accountability for his actions and no one ever makes him. Elijah and Rebekah attempt to several times, and lord knows Cami tried, but they are seen as unsympathetic in those moments through Klaus' eyes.

Thanks for the ask! I answered this one so quickly because I don't think I've talked about this individually and it is so fascinating to me. Let me know if you agree or disagree <3

[camilasstories]

❝feeling unreciprocated❞ prologue | jungkook x reader (edited version 2025)

summary: Heartbreak was never a plan, but now it's the essence of her existence. Sleeping with one guy seemed like a way to escape the hurt—but sleeping with another, then another, only made things worse. Especially with her handsome crush right behind the wall, watching her spiral and just as confused as she is about her messy ways of coping with a broken heart. As she struggles to move on, the deeper she digs, the clearer it becomes: the only person who truly understands her may be the one she’s been avoiding all along.

important: hello! in case you're wondering what's going on - it's edited and reactivated version of "feeling unreciprocated". i also left a note for readers about taglist thing down the chapter. long time no see 🥹🩷

🩷 SERIES MASTERLIST

you've read a trailer / you're reading prologue / you probably want to read chapter 1

Loud, pulsating techno blasted through the speakers, vibrating my body with every beat, as I squeezed my way through the sea of sweaty college students. The air was thick with the stench of alcohol and bodies pressed too close together, each person moving in sync with the music, their hands raised and faces flushed with excitement. I glanced around, but something felt off. These faces, they weren’t familiar. Strange, considering I was sure I’d recognize anyone in my year, but most of them didn't even have to show up to any of the classes. President's palm greased, and voilà, here I was attending every single lecture knowing they could get me expelled for whatever reason they could find and those moneybags always putting their feet up.

The infamous half-year blowout. A party that seemed to capture the essence of every college student's reckless abandon—each year represented, from the first-years still fresh with excitement to the second and third-years fully entrenched in the rhythm of campus life. It was a massive spectacle, a celebration where nothing mattered except the promise of getting lost in the chaos. Students from every corner of the campus, and even from nearby colleges, poured in with a single purpose: to get wasted and miss some classes the next day with a perfect excuse to feed the professors.

And there I was, right in the middle of it. The music was loud, a constant pulse in the air, the thumping bass vibrating through my chest. Colorful lights flashed across my face, each blink of neon hues blurring the edges of my reality. Every inch of space seemed occupied by the smell of sweat, cheap beer, and way too much heavy, expensive perfume so characteristic of those rich kids.

I didn't get lost, but somehow my friends— or more precisely Gia and her crowd—, managed to miss me on their way for another round of drinks. Magneta pink, baby blue, malachite green and scarlet red. The entire palette rainbow shots, each with a fanciful name, lined up and ready to leave you feeling miserable the first thing in the morning.

I wasn’t a seasoned drinker—far from it. The alcohol in my system was beginning to swirl uncomfortably, a hot, acidic tide in my stomach that made everything feel like it was spinning. Getting drunk had never been my thing, but tonight? Tonight, I’d been swept up in the moment, forgetting downs of my life. I had Gia to thank for that, or rather, curse her name. Her "potions" had left me feeling more than just buzzed, but completely unsteady.

Then, the unthinkable happened. I bumped into something solid.

A hard body. I didn’t need to look up to know it was a person.

"Sorry," I mumbled, trying to steady myself, but my mouth felt strange. There was a tight, acid-like burn in my throat. God, I hoped I wasn’t about to—

“You good?” came a voice, thick with uncertainty.

I took a deep breath, but it did nothing to ease the churning in my stomach. My mind raced, trying to regain some semblance of control. That slight bump was just enough to make me want to puke.

"I think—" I started, only to be interrupted by the sudden urgency in my body. "I think I’m gonna—"

“Oh, fuck.” His voice was tinged with panic as he backed away slightly.

And that was it. The most mortifying moment of my life, far worse than being caught using the male's toilet. It was like a sickeningly slow-motion realization, as each part of my body tried to fight back the overwhelming mixture of shame and panic, but the damage was done.

I had almost thrown up on him. Almost.

"I'm so-, so sorry, I didn't mean-" I winced at the acid burning in my throat reminding my of my foolish, greedy consumption.

My face hot from humiliation, a deep flush spreading across my cheeks. I could almost hear the phantom whispers of those around me—imaginary voices feeding my embarrassment.

"Easy. Just take a breath," the voice came again, smooth and calm, but my head was still hanging down, just in case.

"I've almost thrown up on you," I muttered, my voice barely above the whisper and my chest clenched with anxiety.

"It was hard not to notice, yeah" he replied, his tone laced with a dry humor. "Good for me for the 'almost'".

A shaky laugh escaped my lips, but I was far from being amused, only feeling like the weight of the world just landed on my shoulders.

"You should be mad," I mumbled, unraveling a tipsy chit-chat. "Or at least disgusted. I’ve made such a mess." A quiet groan escaped me, the taste of regret bitter on my tongue.

"If it’ll make you feel better, I’ve seen worse," he said, completely unfazed, as if my near-disastrous state was nothing out of the ordinary. "You’re actually doing great," he added, a hint of amusement in his voice. "For a first-year student—which I’m guessing you are."

"Is it that obvious?" I wiped up the corner of my lips with the end of my sleeve.

He smirked. "Just a little".

"Did anyone see me?" I couldn't hide I was getting more and more nervous, as the fresh air was slowly sobering me up. "It was so fucking embarrassing".

He chuckled, leaning against the nearby table with an easy confidence. "Relax. No one’s paying attention."

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. "Are you sure? Because it felt like the entire room was watching me crash and burn."

He tilted his head, pretending to consider it. "Well, if they did, they’ve already moved on. I've learnt people have short attention spans."

I tried to take a deep breath, but my head was still spinning, and there was that nagging feeling in my stomach. The alcohol had done its job, but I wasn’t sure it was finished yet. And somehow, his presence—his steady, unbothered aura—was oddly comforting.

"Besides, embarrassment is just a state of mind."

"You're telling me I've just made the situation up in my head?"

"Not exactly. What I'm saying is that it's not a big deal".

For a moment, the world stilled and I dared to lift my head and take a better look at my companion. The instant rush of vertigo that followed was immediate and unforgiving, but that wasn’t what made my breath hitch.

It can't be...

Even in that state, I couldn't mistake him.

I swallowed hard, still embarrassed beyond belief, but the alcohol coursing through my veins gave me a strange sort of confidence.

“You’re Jeon Jungkook. Like, the Jeon Jungkook?” I asked, almost incredulously.

He raised an eyebrow, amusement flashing in his eyes. "Since my mother named me, yeah." A small chuckle slipped from his lips, and it was so effortless, so natural, that I found myself calming just by listening to it. "And you are...?"

Before I could answer, another wave hit me, and all I could do was turn and, well, let my body betray me again, this time making sure I puked far from his sneakers.

“We’ll get to that later,” I heard behind me, his tone steady and amused, though not unkind.

Thank you, Gia for that nightmare.

taglist: @betysotelo18, @smwhrinthehaze, @goldiemess, @jksusawife, @imurfantassy (I'm sorry, loves! I'm aware it's been a long time since I updated any chapter. If you're no longer want to be added on a taglist or it bothers you or anything, just let me know I'll correct it 🩷)

feeling unreciprocated, edited version 2025 - 01.04.2025

[emberphoenixisgoingtolive]

HI AGAINNN ok ok so. maybe youve already done this but I would LOVE to hear any benji headcanons you have!! I miss them so bad... plus once again ur hcs are phenomenal

BEN X KENJI HEADCANONS

domestic: fluff ahead

getting together:

Ben fell first, Kenji fell harder

by that i mean Ben had a sort of crush on Kenji in camp cretaceous that was replaced by their firm friendship, and then Kenji slowly realised he’d fallen in love with Ben during chaos theory season 2, but then the whole Brooklynn thing happened, and then Ben and Gia were dating, and Kenji kind of buried his feelings (pushed them to the back of his mind so things wouldn’t get complicated)

after chaos theory and everything settled down, they were hesitant to even think about their feelings for each other. they’ve been the right person wrong time twice, and they value each others’ friendship so much

when they went back to the states post chaos theory, they took Smoothie around together, treating him exactly like a baby. they even took him around in a stroller or in a baby sling (depending on Smoothie’s size). coparenting to the max. several people mistook them as a couple. that’s what started to make them realise they maybe want to be a couple

they also bicker like a couple. the others tease each other about it all the time

they first kissed each other when they were living at Sammy’s ranch with the others, when they went hiking nearby. they brought cider and got a bit drunk, while watching the sunset. they started talking, one thing led to another, and they kissed

after that, they did not talk to each other for a whole day. it was so awkward

they both pestered Yaz for advice, and they eventually work out that they both want to be in a relationship with each other, so Yaz is the first to find out

Kenji tells Darius, and Ben tells Brooklynn (Yaz told Sammy about it as soon as she found out, she can’t keep secrets from her wifey) and the camp fam are all thrilled

Brooklynn is extra happy Kenji found someone after their break up and tells him as such, and he hugs her (they’re on good terms by this point)

Mrs Bowman and Mrs Pincus are both super happy for them ofc

i imagine Ben and Gia broke up pretty soon after chaos theory but it was a mutual thing and they agreed to stay good friends, and Gia was so happy for Ben that he found someone

Nonna was happy for them too but always thought Ben looked a little... 💅 so she wasn’t that surprised

Ben also wanted to tell Mae pretty early on

once they’ve told everyone, Kenji will Not Shut Up. “my boyfriend and i will be on our way now” “that’s my boyfriend over there” “so, boyfriend, how was your day?”

he’s like that again when they get married but ten times worse.

general/miscellaneous headcanons:

their natural landscape is the mountains (Yasammy is the countryside and Dinostar is the city/beach)

Ben is the sun, Kenji is the moon

Ben’s phone background is a picture taken from the back of Kenji holding their daughter and holding hands with his son, while they’re on a hike in the mountains

Kenji’s phone background is a picture of Ben, and their kids, riding on Bumpy’s back

Ben’s name in Kenji’s phone is hunk hubby💚 (he’s so unserious)

Kenji’s name in Ben’s phone is my love💙

their house is the spot everyone goes to for Christmas because the scenery is gorgeous (Yasammy’s house is for Thanksgiving, and Dinostar’s house is for their annual two week vacation in summer)

dating/intimacy headcanons:

their favourite place to go together are the mountains. they go on picnic dates up there all the time (as long as Ben doesn’t bring carob bars or eat out of a boot, and Kenji doesn’t attempt to cook) (by picnic they mean: order takeaway and hike up a mountain and watch the sunset)

they also go to diners sometimes but not fancy restaurants. Ben does Not like them and they remind Kenji too much of the fancy food his private chefs used to cook

their love language is teasing (canon) but they’re also surprisingly physically affectionate. Kenji loves sitting in Ben’s lap. most evenings they sit on the sofa in their pyjamas and snuggle

Kenji scratches and massages Ben’s hair and it makes him melt every time

they spend a lot of time in the mountains but occasionally go to San Diego for a few days as a mini–holiday when they want a break. they’d also have a massive trailer so Smoothie and/or Bumpy can come with them

Kenji is very defensive of Ben. someone makes a snide comment in passing and Ben has to grab Kenji’s hand and give him the Don’t Start Something It’s Not Worth It look while Kenji gives Ben the But They Were Mean To You And That’s Not Okay With Me look

they can have whole conversations just by looking at each other. they actually make quite a lot of eye contact. it’s another love language for them. if they’re in a gathering sometimes they’ll find each other’s eyes and just. smile at each other for a moment, and feel less alone

Kenji steals Ben’s clothes and Ben laughs because he looks tiny in them

whenever one of them is out late, the other will always stay up until they get home. even if they’re up until 3am

Ben has an occasional habit of staying up late to work. Kenji refuses to work past 8pm and will sometimes drag Ben away from their desk (possibly kicking and screaming) to snuggle on the sofa

Ben likes bringing Kenji flowers

Ben has quite a chubby stomach which Kenji loves. he thinks it’s adorable and loves kissing and lying on his stomach when they’re napping on the sofa

Kenji has this smoulder about him (equal parts sad and mysterious) that Ben loves (inspired from an interview with Darren Barnet (he was talking about himself in a different show but it’s the same actor so it counts))

Kenji just has to lean against Ben’s shoulder and look up at him with puppy dog eyes and Ben cannot say no lol (“you think you can bat your pretty little eyes at me and i’ll just do anything for you, huh?” “yeah... cos you will”)

they’re both so tentative about hurting the other in any way (because of, well... everything that happened between them in the show) that they can tend towards not talking about things that bother them. they’re in therapy though they’re working on it [proud]

they love going to concerts together, and Kenji sits on Ben’s shoulders when they do (they both love it)

original nicknames post here — i’ve got Kenji calling Ben ‘hunk’ and Ben calling Kenji ‘boo’ and Kenji also bringing out the most emasculating, fluffiest nicknames he can think of around people (“angel cake” “snuggle bear” etc)

they also call each other ‘my dear/my love’ in very intimate moments (and when they’re having sex)

speaking of, they wait a long time before having sex together. they wanted it to be special, and it’s not a thing either of them feel a huge amount of need for (aroace spec headcanoners this one’s for u)

wedding headcanons:

benji wedding headcanons in this post

Kenji is legally a Bowman (mama Bowman adopted him when he was sixteen) and they hyphenate (Bowman–Pincus)

Yaz, Sammy and Brooklynn sing super trouper at their wedding (Kenji loves mamma mia) and they LOVE IT

i would love to draw attention to them having their anniversary in New Zealand because it’s such a beautiful place and they would love it there. it’s perfect for them. i can imagine them on a gorgeous beach, swimming in the ocean (and Kenji getting stung by a jellyfish), going in the waitomo glow worm caves, rotorua hot springs, the hot water beach, going on walks, going to whangarei falls and swimming right under the streams of water (i did almost all of these things and the holiday was one of the best memories of my life)

they’d find this tiny, secluded beach and no one else is there and it’s so beautiful and perfect and they sit beside each other and enjoy just coexisting with their lover

daily life headcanons:

after spending a year living with the camp fam at Sammy’s ranch, they move to New Mexico (which has mountains but also they’re close to Texas and Kenji does not want to be back in Colorado) by the Jemez mountains

their house is on the small side but the surrounding land is huge; enough room for Bumpy and Smoothie to have loads of room to frolic around

Kenji is an early riser and Ben sleeps in until about 10am unless he has to wake up, so Kenji usually gets his daily climbing in before Ben wakes up

if he’s not feeling like a climb, he’ll snuggle with Ben until he wakes up and then they’ll cook breakfast together

Kenji is good at cooking healthy food and Ben likes it, just not the protein shakes, they are disgusting, how do you even drink those??

i headcanon Kenji wouldn’t want a job dinosaur related (or climbing related, teaching climbing reminds him too much of isolating himself) and he tries an office job but it’s too claustrophobic for him to be indoors sitting at the same desk all day

(inspired by me going to a high ropes course recently) he decides to open a high ropes centre in the mountains. he’d love running it, being physically active, working with other people (especially kids) and encouraging them, but he also gets to do a decent amount of desk paperwork to keep himself grounded

Ben worked for a paleontology group for a while that he loved, but it had quite long hours, and Ben decided he didn’t like how little time he had to spend with Kenji, Smoothie and Bumpy and being away from them wasn’t worth how cool the job was

Ben is super analytical so i imagine he’s some kind of analyst or data scientist

Ben’s job is kind of basic but hey, they pay the bills and when Kenji’s not working at the high ropes centre, they can both work at their home office in their conservatory and hold hands underneath like lovestruck schoolboys

Kenji is kind of obsessed with trail mix, so he always has a bowl to snack on near him while he works which very soon becomes their bowl of trail mix. sometimes if Kenji notices Ben hasn’t eaten much that day he’ll take a handful and gently shove it at Ben’s mouth and then they both laugh

if Ben is on a work call or something Kenji is not above making silly faces at him and miming dirty jokes (*Ben on a work call* *Kenji trying (and failing) to juggle three cashews behind his camera*)

they both go through a bbq era and you know they would. one summer they have bbq food almost every day. they have matching aprons. the Grill Dads ever

unless one of them is either sick or really busy or the weather is bad, they always go for a hike around the mountains every evening to just chat and catch up and hold hands (the kids eventually join them)

after their hike, they always sit on the sofa and either read or watch tv while snuggling and drinking hot cocoa or tea until they get tired and then they go to bed

Ben is a very hot sleeper. he’s like a furnace. Kenji is usually the little spoon and if not, he lies on his front, his head on Ben’s chest. it’s very cosy.

if Kenji is having a nightmare he moves around a lot and curls up small, and it usually wakes Ben up, so Ben usually comforts Kenji back to sleep

Ben however usually wakes up just gasping, if not completely frozen, and it doesn’t usually wake Kenji, so Ben wakes Kenji up himself (which Kenji has told him multiple times to do)

having kids headcanons:

they were already coparents to Smoothie, which made them realise they lowkey wanna do it with human kids (“hey, I love coparenting Smoothie with you, we should do that with a human kid” “...yeah, that’s called having a baby, Kenj”)

they adopt; Kenji wants to pay forward the way people like Mrs Bowman and Nonna took care of him despite him not being biologically theirs, and they aren’t keen on the idea of having a surrogate

they try for about a year to contact adoption agencies and they have several false alarms of them almost being able to adopt but something going wrong at the last second

so when they get a call from an agency on the east coast, they don’t tell the camp fam just in case something goes wrong because they couldn’t bear the thought of getting everyone’s hopes up just for something to go wrong

however, that time is successful, and they adopt twins — a boy and a girl (i know @darilynnz already came up with the names Xi and Katie for them and honestly i don’t have any ideas for their names themselves)

the flight back is long, tiring, and Kenji and Ben sit for most of the time in enthralled silence, holding one kid each, reflecting, and admiring their tiny, fragile, perfect children. Kenji is in tears the whole time, and Ben cries for at least an hour. when they get home they sit on the sofa some more. neither of them can believe they have two babies now

Ben is dad (dada when the kids are young), Kenji is daddy

they do a whole modern family style super dramatic baby reveal for the nublar six and their families. the camp fam are initially so shocked

Mrs Pincus and Mrs Bowman were both thrilled, but were also slightly shocked by the realization they’re now grandmothers (Mrs Pincus is grandma, Mrs Bowman is nana)

the camp fam are all ‘auntie/uncle + name’ to their twins

they also get bombarded with spare baby things from their mothers and the camp fam. they hardly have to buy anything (aside from stuff you can’t reuse like bottles)

Darius sends them a book of dad jokes (the same book as Darius’s dad had, which Mrs Bowman gave to Darius when he became a dad but a new copy)

Sammy mails them three (3) care packages over the first six months, full of parenting books, a diaper bag, blankets, and other baby stuff, as well as baked goods and self care things and skincare stuff for Kenji with handwritten reminders to take care of yourselves too! love from Sammy and Yaz <3

Kenji and Ben were both thrilled when they finally adopted their baby, but they were both very nervous too. Kenji particularly was terrified to be a dad. he’d be the one who usually gets up in the night to calm the babies down (Ben wants to ferberize but Kenji is not letting their babies think even for a second that they don’t love him) and while Kenji sits with the baby/ies, holding them to his chest, he sometimes cries because he’s scared and doesn’t know what he’s doing; Ben will always be there to comfort and reassure him that he’s an amazing father

the first year of parenting was rough. between Ben’s paranoia and Kenji’s anxiety, they talk through it with their therapists and have their mothers and/or the camp fam over at their house to help out a lot of the time

Kenji and Ben both call Mrs Bowman and Mrs Pincus for advice, as well as the camp fam (since they’ve all had kids by this point)

Kenji and Ben both know they’re not good cooks, but now that they have kids, they decide they need to Do Something About That so their kids can eat good food, so they enroll in cooking classes together. for the first ten classes most of their dishes end on fire

the camp fam send them recipes and tips

as much as Kenji loves their babies, the vomit and poop really grosses him out (he gets used to it though). Ben does most of the diaper changing but Kenji can do it too

Kenji is usually the one to sing a lullaby to their kids before they go to bed (they read somewhere that music helps develop a kid’s brain and no Ben, heavy metal doesn’t count as actual music, you’re giving the kids a headache)

they have a double kid sling, so one baby can sit on his front and the other on his back. they have a lot of fun with this in public (“aw, cute baby” *Ben turns around*“thanks, i have two of them” [proud])

Kenji also loves having the kids in the double sling so he can be close to them. usually they have one baby each to carry and swap round every other day so they spend roughly equal time with their babies

Kenji often kisses the twins’ heads mostly for no reason, and whenever he does Ben goes pouty and teasingly goes “don’t i get a kiss?” (Kenji then kisses him in the same spot as he kissed the twins ofc)

Ben and Kenji both wanted to take their kids to the ocean in the first time. they compromise on holding their kids together

their twins as babies are pretty easy themselves; the twins as toddlers however, are possibly more chaotic than any dinosaur they’ve ever encountered. running around all hours of the day. it’s a very stressful time

their son breaks his wrist, and Ben and Kenji have virtually no idea what to do besides take him to hospital (which they do ofc) but it really freaks them out being so helpless, so they take a first aid course

Kenji wants to take the kids climbing up short distances as soon as he can safely take them in their (very secure) baby slings. Ben is not having it

they compromise on getting the kids into junior rock climbing classes when they’re five or six, and in the meantime, they hike up the mountains

their kids are extremely brave with a lot of things but sometimes they, particularly their son, get a bit afraid. when Kenji first takes his son on the high ropes course, he gets scared a few stations in, freezes up, and yells for his dad, and Kenji literally sprints (across the obstacle course 30 feet in the air) to get to his son and comfort him and help him get back to the start of the course so he can get down. his son is clinging onto his neck the whole time

Kenji grew up barely knowing his dad so he makes sure to be a very active part of his kids’ lives. he’s the soccer dad who gets very hyped on the sidelines, while Ben’s handing out oranges for halftime

Ben takes the kiddos on rides with Bumpy and Smoothie on the weekends. they love it. picture the scene from the end of how to train your dragon three where Hiccup and Astrid are flying on Toothless and Toothpaste (light fury) with their kids. that. they’re racing across the giant amounts of field the whole afternoon and having the time of their lives

Kenji is the more anxious parent when the kids are younger but Ben becomes the more anxious parent when the kids get to their teenage years (lets bfr though they’re both anxious all the way through)

they watch disney movies with the kids in a cuddle pile on their sofa, and Ben cries at all the emotional scenes; Kenji untangles his arm from where his son is sleeping on him, and gently wipes his husband’s tears away with his thumb

both parents gain a love for the disney and tinkerbell movies. Kenji 100% sobbed at the legend of the neverbeast (who wouldn’t bfr?)

their daughter’s appendix burst when she was five, and it was in the middle of winter when the mountains were covered in snow. it was a very stressful night. Ben got Bumpy and Smoothie to clear the road of snow with their tails so they could make it to the hospital. neither dads get any sleep that night

the dads ever ❤️

hope this is what you wanted :) thank you for the lovely ask OP! 🫶 i had so much fun with this <3

[witchygagirlwrites]

Cricket-Part 5

Greg “Mouse” Gerwitz x Reader (nicknamed Cricket)

Jay confronts Mouse while Erin handles you

Warnings: mentions of violence and sex

Mouse had gotten into work before you, a part of him hoped you’d come through the back entrance and he’d be able to catch you in roll up to talk to you for a minute. He’d tried texting you, calling, the only thing he hadn’t done was go to your place. He was in the tech room, fiddling with some equipment just to keep busy when he heard boots on the stairs but knew from the sound alone it wasn’t you. He turned about the time Jay walked into the room.

“Hey man” Jay nodded and pulled up a chair to sit down next to him and tossed his badge up on the desk. Mouse looked from it to him “You resigning or something?” Jay shook his head “No, just figured I’d remind you I am a detective. Add in the fact that I’m your best friend, I know when something is up. I let it go but considering Cricket started to come through this entrance until she saw the lights on then she doubled back to go through the front?”

Fuck, he hadn’t heard you. Why hadn’t he left the damn lights off? Because he didn’t want to ambush you. That was just fucked up and he wasn’t about to stoop that low. “Don’t know what you’re talking about Jay” he muttered, eyes flickering across the desk in an attempt to find something, anything to focus on. 

“So it wouldn’t bother you in the least if I told you that I overheard her talking to Erin and she said that she bumped into that surgeon from Molly's when she stopped at the coffee shop before work?” He knew he was clocked then and there because his head snatched up so damn fast. A slow smirk worked its way onto Jay’s face “What happened? And don’t tell me nothing because we both know that’s a damn lie, isn’t like I’m going to go off and gossip about Cricket but you both are acting off and she walks into firefights daily man”

“Too much” he muttered, eyes dropping to his hands and Jay let out a long breath before speaking in a voice barely above a whisper “You slept with Cricket?” Mouse barely raised his eyes to Jay’s but he knew that was all it would take. Jay nodded slowly “That explains a lot. Explains why she’s avoided you since Gia was here, explains why you damn near just gave yourself whiplash at mention of that surgeon. What it doesn’t explain is why you two aren’t talking”

“It wasn’t supposed to change anything between us, I promised her it wouldn’t” Jay moved before Mouse realized it and slapped him behind the head, hard “You stupid son of a bitch. You’ve had feelings for her for a while that’s went deeper than friends” “I know this Jay, fuck you don’t think I know I fucked up?” Jay ran a hand down his face before looking back at Mouse “When?” “Last weekend. Friday night we were hanging out, one thing lead to another”

“So just one time?” Jay questioned and Mouse shook his head “No, not just one time” “How many? Wait, I don’t need to know” Jay was rambling for once. He grabbed his badge, clipped it onto his side and stood up “You need to talk to her, if you want more make yourself known. If you want to be her friend then make yourself known but this? The way you two have been with each other? It can’t keep going on man” 

“Ok” Mouse replied and Jay nodded “Then get your ass upstairs and stop hiding down here” and walked out of the tech room, leaving Mouse with his own thoughts.

Mouse had tried calling and texting you but you couldn’t bring yourself to talk to him, mainly because you were worried you were going to open your mouth and shove your foot right in. You wanted to ask so bad if Gia even knew his actual name. If she called him “Mousey” while he was fucking her, didn’t that make things a little awkward?

The worse thing was you honestly just missed him. You missed having him at your side, missed talking to him throughout the day, joking with him, him coming over with takeout, the casual intimacy you two had always shared that was now gone. 

_____________________

You sighed as you parked outside the coffee shop and headed in. You’d forgotten to buy coffee for your place and you wanted breakfast anyways so it was a win/win situation. You joined the line and looked up at the menu, trying to decide what you wanted.

You heard someone walk in behind you and after a moment someone laughed lightly “Well fancy seeing you again Detective” you turned around and smiled “Joel” he grinned “You remember” you nodded “New surgeon at med, hard to forget” he laughed “What ya getting? I haven’t checked this place out before so I don’t know what to aim for and what to avoid” 

You did a quick run down of what you personally liked off the menu and he nodded “Sounds like I know what I’m getting” you grinned “Happy to help” when you stepped up to order Joel nodded to the barista “I’m covering hers” you looked back “You don’t have to do that” he shrugged “Happy to support our ladies in blue” you shook your head “Well at least I know I helped you decide on a good breakfast and coffee choice” 

You walked up the stairs leading to intelligence and Erin cut her eyes up at you “Good morning Cricket” you smiled “Morning Lindsay” she eyed the cup in your hand “You stop at the bakery?” you nodded “I forgot to buy coffee, ran into that surgeon I met the other day at Molly’s…Joel? He actually bought my coffee and breakfast” she raised an eyebrow “Oh really” 

She stood up and grabbed your arm “Come on dear” you were stuck just trying to not spill your coffee as she drug you behind her to the break room. She pulled you over the threshold and looked at Adam “Hey Ruzek, get out” 

He looked from you to her then nodded “Ok” and walked out, shutting the door behind himself. Erin spun around to face you “So, anything good on the surgeon?” you shook your head “He bought my breakfast, I thanked him then headed in?” she rolled her eyes “That’s no fun. Ok then on to other things”

“Like what?” “Why the hell have you and Mouse been avoiding each other?” you raised an eyebrow “Excuse me?” she sighed “I got my detective shield around the same time as you, meaning I’m not an idiot, plus I’m your best friend. Talk, quick before something comes in”

“Lines were crossed that we maybe shouldn’t have” you whispered and her eyes got comically large “Oh..oh my god” you laughed “Damn Lindsay breathe” she nodded “It just explains so much, him looking like he wanted to kill Joel at Molly’s. You looking like you wanted to kill Gia. Are you two, together?” 

You shook your head “That’s the kicker, I promised him nothing would change. I promised that multiple times” “So what? You’re gonna just eat it?” she asked and you shrugged “What else can I do?” “Tell him?” she offered and you sighed “I can’t because I don’t want to lose him. I don’t want to cause any more weirdness between us. He likes this job and Voight is gonna choose a detective over a tech expert if it came down to it”

She shook her head and reached a hand out, you placed yours in it and she pulled you into a hug “Well. you’ve always got me” “I know and I love you for it”

The unit got a case that was a string of car jackings that one of which had resulted in a murder. You and Adam were being sent to med to interview one of the surviving victims. You hated cases like this, it was so unpredictable, such a heat of the moment thing. It made it so damn hard to track and even harder to try to find a pattern. 

You walked into med and Maggie nodded towards exam three “He’s conscious” you walked in and Joel was examining the victim. “Excuse us?” Joel looked up “These are the detectives I told you would be here from intelligence” he nodded to you “Hey Cricket” before he walked out. Adam raised an eyebrow at a random surgeon using Cricket but you weren’t about to feel like you needed to go into an over explanation. 

_______________________

After taking the victims statement you and Adam headed back to the precinct. That ass didn’t give you a moment of peace. “Why is a surgeon I barely recognize using your nickname?” you rolled your eyes as you put your hand on the palm scanner “Why do you sound like you’re my father?” 

He grinned “I think we have the right to know who’s moving in on our Cricket” the gate popped and you opened it, holding it for him to pass through “No one is moving in one me Ruz” he eyed you as the two of you climbed the stairs “Oh but he wants to” “Who wants to what?” Kim asked and you felt your face warm when Adam laughed “The new surgeon at med wants Cricket to chirp at him”

“Fuck off Adam” you cursed, Antonio telling him to leave you be. Mouse was sitting at his desk and raised his eyes to meet yours, holding them for a second before he stood up and muttered some excuse then headed for the stairs that led down to the tech room.

You looked from the hallway over to Erin who grinned like she knew something more than you did and given Jay was Mouse’s best friend and her boyfriend there was a damn good chance she did.

The damn surgeon. He’d seen the damn surgeon flirting with you. Now he was buying you breakfast and apparently being brazen about it even in front of Adam. The  son of a bitch. The thought of another man with you…he couldn’t think too hard about it. If he did? Well you had too much that you needed to keep your focus on and if he killed a surgeon he’d go to prison.

He hadn’t noticed the sound of boots until there was a knock on the door. He turned expecting Jay, hell anyone else but you were leaned against the frame. “Cricket?” you held out a sheet of paper “Voight needs a trace on this cell” he nodded and reached for the paper, half expecting you to flinch if your skin touched but instead you let him wrap his longer fingers down to cup your wrist as he took the paper from you “Give me five” 

You stayed at the threshold, watching him. He could feel the weight of your gaze. “Any way you plan on talking to me?” he finally asked. “About what?” you questioned and he laughed humorlessly “What happened”

“Not work appropriate there Mousey” there it was, you were jealous. He spun around in the chair, eyes wide, “Are you pissed because Gia came here?” you shrugged “Nope but does she even know your real name? She kept calling you Mousey and god that’s gonna be awkward to moan” 

He shook his head “So you’re not jealous but asking what she calls me in bed?” you shrugged then pointed to the screen “Trace is done” he turned around to look and sure enough it was. He sent the tracking to a tablet and held it out to you “What’s up with you and the surgeon?” 

You took the tablet and smiled, one of those smiles he knew was faker than anything “He keeps hitting on me” you spun to walk out and he asked “Do you have any feelings for him?” you looked over your shoulder and admitted “No, all those feelings are reserved for one person. Now this conversation is over I need my mind on the job” he nodded “Can we talk later? Please” 

“Ok” you agreed and a small smile worked its way onto his face “Ok”

Part 6 (Final)

@elvenpirate51

@forensicgirl99

[maikissed]

cherry flavoured lips part 3

Kylian Mbappé x reader

And there was one, very disturbing truth behind anger taking over Kylian’s common-sense: he turned wrathful and dangerous. warnings: none

Previous parts: part 1, part 2

Bon appétit!

“Hello, you” Gia beamed as soon as she opened the door before his eyes with a quick swing.

He greeted his friend with his most charming and bright smile, the sound of music coming from behind her was subtle, a sign that the party was yet about to start. Most of the time he made an appearance closer to it’s end than beginning, but there was something he anticipated way too much to delay his arrival. Gia eyed him mysteriously, with a glint of amusement painting on her face, and took a step to the side to let Kylian in.

“Happy birthday” he leaned to her to press a quick kiss on her cheek “Hope you stay such a wonderful and sweet person for another year” he smirked while pulling away, handing her a little gift bag for the occasion.

Gia snorted with a frown at his sarcastic wishes, voicing out a honey coated thank you as she accepted his present.

“Good thing you are at least good at buying gifts, though” she laughed turning around and taking his arm to lead him inside her apartment.

“I have to be honest, y/n always helped me pick them out, but this year I was on my own” he muttered eyeing the surroundings, already spotting few familiar faces.

Gia hummed at this information, not actually giving him a sign that she might be disappointed in a poorer choice of a birthday gift for her, but more thoughtfully, wondering about something that appeared in her mind. She stopped suddenly, facing him, her facial expression unreadable.

“She is here with her new tidy and well-mannered boyfriend. He’s British, you know” the way she articulated this sentence made his lips twist in a mocking smile “She didn’t tell me much, but the way things took turn between both of you worries me” one of her brows shot up as she peered at him. He knew she expected for him to clue her in to it.

“Kyliaaaaan!” there was a call from behind him, more like a roar to be honest, and he gladly turned away from Gia to greet his friend Remy. He could sense Gia’s annoyance at breaking her little investigation “Long time no see, you handsome beast” Remy laughed pulling Kylian into a tight hug “You gotta keep up, I’ll make you something to drink” and with this last sentence Remy pulled him in the direction of the bar, leaving Gia frustrated and annoyed. She turned to find y/n.

He spotted her among the crowd not so long later, and despite being surrounded by many of his good friends he haven’t seen for quite some time, he could not tear his eyes away from her and this new addition of hers, smiling politely at everyone they made the tiniest conversation with. The guy was tall, just a little scrawny though, he admitted he was good looking just enough, hair perfectly styled, a dirty blonde. But nothing really admirable, he concluded. Nevertheless there he was, standing next to her, close, very close, his arm wrapped around her waist, his palm gently caressing her side, tenderly and affectionately, Kylian was eyeing the movements of his hand along her body way too attentive. It did make him feel uncomfortable, he moved his fingers up his shirt to undo a few buttons, since he registered something growing painfully inside his gullet. The sour taste of whiskey was turning it even worse but he could not stop from sipping it. There were words around him, some questions, he believed he answered a few of them, but his mind was absent, focused on a scene few meters away. Y/n laughed, gazing up at her companion, her eyes pretty and sparkly, her hair styled different tonight, wavy and wild. Beautiful. Truthfully he did not expect her to attend with him tonight, at some point he somehow forgot about this new revelation, maybe even blocked it from being true in his mind. But right now he kept observing them together from the distance, many restless thoughts raging through his head. They truly seemed close, did he have her already? Did she fuck him? Did she enjoy it? Are they going to fuck tonight? Do they spend every night together? What the fuck? He could not believe everything that was happening right now. Anger started to take over him. And there was one, very disturbing truth behind anger taking over Kylian’s common-sense: he turned wrathful and dangerous.

-

“Are you going to introduce me?” Ian whispered in y/n’s ear, she stiffened for a moment wondering about how to escape this situation. She smiled timidly at him, taking a quick look in Kylian’s direction.

Of course she could not omit to mention about being friends with the Kylian Mbappé himself, because pressing on the lies would not do her good in her very first serious relationship. But Ian did not know how far their friendship went and she could not block her fears about the very first interaction with Kylian after they parted so coldly and unpleasantly few months ago. She was such a coward. But she could not hide the fact that she missed him.

And there was no point in opposing, it might wake some doubts and even suspicions in Ian so she agreed, nodding with a smile, and taking his hand with intention to approach Kylian. Few more steps his way and she was heavily fighting the urge to run away from here as fast as she could. Kylian noticed her in no time, a very dark but delightful smile appearing on his face as he looked at her, just at her.

“Hi” she called, rather stiffly, but she greeted him with a kind smile. He still did not look in Ian’s direction.

Kylian leaned into her, close, with aim to greet with her, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek and she felt hot and nervous. A normal greeting, as she did with every other friend present here. Nothing weird, nothing suspicious, still her legs turned weak. He said hi back as he straightened up.

“I wanted to introduce you my…” she started in English, something heavy, like a bile, or more like a stone, appeared in her throat and blocked her voice from coming out, she could not fathom why, but she swallowed heavily and added quickly: “My boyfriend, Ian”

That’s when he finally looked at him.

“Ian. Nice to meet you. I’m a huge fan” Ian added, calm and collected, with a subtle accent, he truly seemed nice.

“Kylian” he shook his stretched out hand and y/n let out a big breath of relief “Appreciate it”

“I was really surprised when y/n mentioned you guys are acquainted” Ian continued and Kylian smirked scoffingly at his choice of words. Y/n actually went pale.

“Oh, that’s how she put it?” Kylian asked, his eyes beaming playfully as he looked down at her “In fact, we know each other since diapers, our mothers are very close friends” he said nonchalantly before bringing the glass to his lips and taking a sip of his drink.

Ian peeked quickly at y/n, a sign that confirmed Kylian’s suspicions that she skimped on stories about him and how long they knew each other. And definitely skipped crucial elements regarding their long time friendship. It should make him feel downhearted, it did deep down, but he was not paying attention to it now. He was determined to prove something here, using nothing but the truth.

Although Ian did not come off perplexed at this information. His expression cool and relaxed.

“That’s great” Ian nodded “You guys go way back”

“Oh, we do” Kylian hummed, his gaze traveling back to her “Don’t worry, chérie, I am not going to embarrass you with stories, at least not so soon” a cocky smirk appearing on his lips.

And she frowned delicately, for his eyes only to see, because she guessed that the meaning hidden behind these words was not really innocent. Ian chuckled, but she could sense that he preferred to change the subject.

“You play a game this Sunday, we will stay in Paris for few more days, I was discussing it with y/n, that we should definitely buy tickets to see it”.

Yes, such conversation has taken place, but right now y/n had doubts if it was such a good idea. She hoped Ian would forget, she had various ideas about many other plans for them for this week, just to make him forget about attending the closest PSG game.

“Oh, that’s a fantastic idea” Kylian politely agreed “It’s been a long time since you last came to see me play” he turned to her, his attitude friendly and amiable, but by some means she sensed a ruse hiding beneath it all.

She was not exactly sure why she was so reluctant in this encounter. It was truly a pleasant and nice conversation they had, but she knew Kylian, she knew she hurt him, she could see it deep in his eyes.

“I’ll send you tickets, how about that?” he proposed generously.

Strange feelings enveloped y/n in a few seconds, it came out of nowhere, she did not expect it, the conversation started to fade around her suddenly. A heavy burden fell upon her shoulders quickly, like a lightning striking just beneath her feet. She started to fight for the next breath, an alarming sensation, like she was about to faint in any second now. It terrified her, strong and cold chills ran across her whole body and she muttered a fast apology, informing that she needs to find a bathroom. And she left them alone, with no second thought if it was a good idea. She did not care, she needed some time alone. She almost ran in the opposite direction, not very much focused about where she was heading. She realised she ended in Gia’s room. The noisiness of music and conversation fading in the quiet room. She rested on the closest armchair, trying to calm her nerves and shaking hands. Was she experiencing a panic attack? She wasn’t sure, she never had one before. She breathed a sing of relief as her mind started to slow down, quieting down. Looking at the shelf to her right she spotted a collection of pictures collected upon it and stood up when she noticed a few that she recognized and remembered. Gia loved stacking memories with pictures, the collection was quite impressive. Some hanged on strings along the walls of her room, other framed prettily on the shelves. A specific one caught her attention and she approached it, spotting a photo taken at one of Gia’s Christmas parties. It was her and Kylian. He was seated on a chair, looking to the side and up at her as she stood above him, her fingers delicately grazing his chin from behind, she was laughing at something, looking at him, he was smiling softly at her. She took in their appearance, scoffing at the sight of her long, colourful nails, now shorter and elegant. They both looked careless and so young, so unburdened. But what caught her attention the most was the colour of Kylian’s hair, he dyed it white at the time, and despite the fact that she was immensely drunk that night, she remembered it so well. And she remembered she used to not be so innocent as well.

-December, 2017-

“Ky!” she called as soon as she noticed him enter with a few of his friends. She was anticipating him for a whole evening. And he was always late, she was embittered, she loved partying with him and he always made her wait for him “You can take off that beanie now, it is not snowing inside” she snickered noticing him wearing a ridiculous headgear in a covered room. Was this a new style now or what?

She approached him closely, rather wobbly due to the amount of alcohol she has already poured into herself, reaching for his hat, but he shifted swiftly to avoid her reaching hand. She frowned, visibly surprised. She noticed a mysterious smile on Tchaga’s face from behind him. Interesting, he was wearing a similar hat as well.

“What is it now? Are you hiding something there?” she asked playfully, still trying to snatch the hat off his head. She was truly determined.

“Don’t” he warned, his lips stretching into a little smile and she giggled.

“Let me see” she whined, still putting up a little fight with him. But she was drunk and he was way too sober and strong for her. He grabbed her sides to steady her “You did something with your hair, didn’t you?” she laughed, excitement gushing out from her “Show me!”

“No, I did not” he opposed with an accusatory expression. Oh, he would not give her shit now. She knew he was lying. And it made her even more excited now “I’m just comfortable like this” he commented.

And she was a smart girl, that she was, so she shrugged as a sign of finally giving up, stepping away from him, making his grip on her loosening. And that was when he lost with her. She still had it in her to be clever enough and quickly reached for the hat, taking it off him in a swift move. He groaned trying to get his hat back, one hand on her waist, another gripped the forearm of the hand holding his beanie. But it was too late already, she could see it now. She did not laugh, she did not appear much surprised. She just gazed up at him, her eyes round and big as she took in his appearance. He looked like he expected some form of stronger reaction from her. She swayed in his hold.

“It’s white” she stated and he smirked in amusement at this obvious conclusion.

Was he about to make fun of her now? Looked like it.

“It’s cool, it’s hot” she emphasized, still mesmerised at the sight of him “Suits you”

“Yeah? You like it?” he chuckled, because she truly must have looked funny, so serious and so stunned.

“Mhm” she nodded “It’s sexy” she added, noticing the playfulness disappearing in his eyes, making room for something closer to curiosity now, with a bit of more intensity as he looked at her.

She was young, and she was wild, drunk, carefree and absolutely… hot right now. So many concerning feelings she had for him this whole time now dangerously skyrocketed. She realised she stood there awkwardly, trying to keep herself straight, trying to calm her racing heart, calm the drive awaken in her. She was turned on. Irrationally, rabidly turned on by her friend. She wanted to climb him. Oh, fuck. She was so drunk and as it turned out - horny. And so, so stupid.

“Alright” he murmured, his voice dropping even lower. Oh fuck, fuck! “How many drinks did you have, ma chérie?”

“A few” she choked out nervously after few seconds.

“I see” he nodded, still holding her close “Want me to take you home now?” his eyes… stood out much more now in contrast with his hair. Dark, enchanting.

Oh no, don’t talk to me like that, a little voice screamed inside her head. She was close to a tremendous break out, close to doing something foolish. She could not trust herself if they were to be alone.

“Just one more hour?” she managed to say and he accepted her proposition, swearing to keep her close to himself for the rest of the night to make sure she would not drink too much anymore. For her own good.

He was being a good friend. She began experiencing torture.

[youmaycallmeyourhighness]

What if mirabel gets a gift that is connected to demeter Gia and persephone? Basically, since the candle and Casita like her more, they gave her something like that. I know that Isabella has a gift like that, but the magic isn't happy that she was just not growing anything else.

Bahahahahaha! AHAHAHAHA! That's hilarious.

Isabela; minding her business, growing flowers, doing her thing.

The Miracle; actually, you know what, screw you. specifically. just cuz.

Or at least that's how she'll see it. Imagine for a moment , that you're Isabela. You're doing your best at your role, being the golden child, setting the example. Always pretty, always graceful, always perfect. Never a hair out of place. And lately, your annoying little sister is even more aggravating then usual. Probably because the town is in trouble.

The crops that feed the town are failing. Tía Pepa is out all day, doing her best but it's not just the weather, it's the soil, and the water from the river and a bunch of other things Isabela doesn't understand. People are talking about going on rations, there's not enough to feed the town much less sell to the outside. If the crops fail, the village fails, and if the village fails, people will turn on the family. At least that's what Abuela says.

The family must be strong, and unshakable, now more than ever you must present well. You must help in anyway you can, be the example, be perfect. It feels useless. People are hungry and you can't help them, your gift only a distraction from the troubles. The family meals start to go thin, everyone's patience even thinner.

And then, a door appears. You think it must be for Antonio, but he's too young and his has been there since he was born, a faint outline growing in the wall. This one is bright and glowing and ready.

It's for her.

The family is tense and quiet, with whispered discussions and wary glances. You can only think of how much worse it will be when she fails again. Mirabel, shaking head to toe, touches the doorknob, and the bright glow forms into an image of her, with an apple cupped in her hands.

The room is enormous, rows and rows of berry patches and corn stalks and lettuce heads and barley. In the center of it all is an apple tree, large and heavy with fruit. There's a patch of plump, bright red strawberries next to you, you pluck one and bite into it. It's one of the best strawberries you've ever had. Wouldn't you be infuriated?

Their powers are similar but the divide is clear; Isabela makes flowers, Mirabel makes food.

No matter how hard Isabela tries she can not push her blossoms past their flowering, no plant she makes can bear fruit. And no matter how hard Mirabel tries, she can not restrain her sprouts and freeze their blooming, her plants must produce.

Isabela is beautiful and has perfect manners. Mirabel is charismatic and thoughtful.

Isabela is always preferred but Mirabel is always needed.

(something something about how Isabela can't make things of substance and is trapped in a box and how Mirabel can't just do something, it must also be of use or it doesn't count something something)

Mirabel's life turns on its head so fast it probably makes her dizzy. All of a sudden people are very happy to see her and quick to include her. She walks through the fields with Pepa and together with the farmers they restore the crops. From that other Madrigal to town hero in like a week.

She can make a wide variety of high-quality and expensive fruits and vegetables, livening up the dinner table and stimulating the economy. She'd probably try to make those edited grapes. Her golden earrings would be apples but you know Mirabel would wear all kinds of food earrings

Of course, Mirabel would want to do more, and would strive to become the apple (pun intended) of Alma's eye. She makes her own spices and gifts them to people in homemade jars, as well as jams and jellies. This gift would probably bring her closer to Julieta as well and she'd be all over the kitchen, learning to cook and bake, she's quite known for her fruit pies and always has some new recipe or exotic fruit for the family to try.

I think, despite apple being her symbol, Mirabel really likes orange blossoms and is a bit sad she can't grow them. She wishes she could see butterflies and other pollinators around her, so she grows them from scratch in the corner of her room. If she uses her powers at all they lose their petals and sprout oranges, and she's not dumb enough to ask Isabela, their relationship as complicated as it is.

[richincolor]

New Releases

A whole bunch of different books for us this week that have something for everyone. What looks enticing to you?

Bad Influence by Claire Ahn Viking Books for Young Readers

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte Goh is juggling two very different personas: the dutiful Korean daughter, and the hustling NYC fashion influencer. Her best friend Steven scoffs at her ambition, but she secretly hopes that her posts will help financially support her struggling family. Then one night, after posting about a racist experience she had at an influencer event, Charlotte finds herself going viral and garnering the fame she’s always craved. And as much as she doesn’t want her newfound popularity to change her, she can’t help but be swept away by the exciting perks: chic new friends, the attention of one of Hollywood’s hottest heartthrobs, and a slew of companies clamoring to sponsor her.

But as she falls deeper into the influencer world, she finds that she may have to sacrifice more than she bargained for—including her unexpected new feelings for Steven. Will Charlotte be able to stay true to herself, or will she lose the things that are most important to her?

Nav’s Foolproof Guide to Falling in Love by Jessica Lewis Inkyard Press

Nav knows how to flirt, but she also knows love is a messy losing proposition. As proof, her best friend, Hallie, is constantly getting her heart broken. And when Hallie goes to her boring academic camp this summer, Nav won’t be there to protect her for the first time in their lives.

So when shy new girl Gia asks Nav for help getting Hallie’s attention, Nav finds a way to make it work for her. In exchange for lessons in romance, Gia, whose mom runs the camp, will help get Nav a spot there. And if her coaching works, maybe Hallie can date someone who will treat her right for a change.

Except…Gia’s not just bad at flirting, she’s terrible. She’s too anxious to even speak to Hallie, never mind date her. Training Gia quickly becomes a disaster. Worse, Gia’s every awkward joke and catastrophic fake date makes Nav like Gia a little bit more…and not in a friend way. Which puts a really, really big wrench in Nav’s plans. As Nav’s feelings change, she’ll have to decide what’s more important: sticking to her plan for the perfect summer or taking a chance on learning more about love than she ever expected.

The Floating World (The Floating World #1) by Axie Oh Feiwel & Friends

Sunho lives in the Under World, a land of perpetual darkness. An ex-soldier, he can remember little of his life from before two years ago, when he woke up alone with only his name and his sword. Now he does odd-jobs to scrape by, until he comes across the score of a lifetime―a chest of coins for any mercenary who can hunt down a girl who wields silver light.

Meanwhile, far to the east, Ren is a cheerful and spirited acrobat traveling with her adoptive family and performing at villages. But everything changes during one of their festival performances when the village is attacked by a horrific humanlike demon. In a moment of fear and rage, Ren releases a blast of silver light―a power she has kept hidden since childhood―and kills the monster. But her efforts are not in time to prevent her adoptive family from suffering a devastating loss, or to save her beloved uncle from being grievously wounded.

Determined to save him from succumbing to the poisoned wound, Ren sets off over the mountains, where the creature came from―and from where Ren herself fled ten years ago. Her path sets her on a collision course with Sunho, but he doesn’t realize she’s the girl that he―and a hundred other swords-for-hire―is looking for. As the two grow closer through their travels, they come to realize that their pasts―and destinies―are far more entwined than either of them could have imagined…

Low Orbit by Kazimir Lee Top Shelf Productions

An atmospheric and profound coming-of-age graphic novel about a Malaysian American teen carving out her own identity in the uneasy space between friends and family.

Fifteen-year-old Azar feels stuck. Her mom’s job forced them to move to Vermont, where Azar doesn’t know anyone. Her only friends are the next-door neighbors: an aging sci-fi writer and his nonbinary teen, Tristan, fellow misfits in the small-town community. For a while, Azar can escape her troubles by disappearing into the pages of her kindly neighbor’s epic novel, The Exiles of Overworld. But when her queerness throws her life out of balance, Azar realizes some secrets can’t be escaped forever. Somewhere in the abandoned malls, lakes, and comic conventions that fill her new life, Azar fights to find herself. What else will she discover?

The Summer I Remembered Everything by Catherine Con Morse Crown Books for Young Readers

Emily Chen-Sanchez can’t do anything right. She’s been grounded for a bad grade; she can’t stop fighting with her perfect older sister; everyone’s tense because her mother’s just been diagnosed with thyroid cancer; and she hasn’t spoken to her best friend Matt in two weeks, four days, and about seven hours (not that she’s counting).

Her new summer job is the perfect escape: as companion to an eclectic, lively, Super Southern elderly lady, Mrs. Granucci. All Emily has to do is help Mrs. G ‘remember” her likes, dislikes, anything Mrs. G has a habit of forgetting, even Emily’s name. Emily feels closer to Mrs. G than everyone else until Mrs. G falsely accuses Emily. The betrayal will have ramifications for them both, and Emily must make a decision that will change their lives forever.

Wish Upon a K-Star by Kat Cho Hyperion

A spin-off to the New York Times best-selling Once Upon a K-Prom, a K-pop idol and an up-and-coming K-drama star must fake date in this fresh and funny romcom that Korean pop culture fans will absolutely swoon over!

Moon Minseok—or Moonster as this WDB fans know him—wasn’t born to lead. Even as part of the world’s most popular K-Pop group, he found comfort in his role as the jokester, the sidekick, the unserious one (with the cutest smile). But now WDB is drowning in dating scandals, and it’s time for Moonster to take charge of the group’s image.

Shin Hyeri has been dealing with some scandals of her own. An up-and-coming K-Drama actress, she’s been labeled a “nepo baby” (with a famous idol as a big brother) and now, a bully (which couldn’t be further from the truth). Desperate to show the world that she’s earned her spot, Hyeri is determined not to let her rising star crash and burn.

When these two childhood enemies get caught up in yet another scandal while co-hosting a K-Pop festival, there’s only one solution that will save both of their reputations: appear on one of Korea’s most popular variety shows, Our Celebrity Marriage (where celebrities pretend to get married and compete in ‘newlywed’ challenges).

The plan is simple—pretend to get along, win back the fans, then go their separate ways. But what happens when a fake marriage leads to real feelings? Will Moonster and Hyeri bow to the pressures of their famous realities, or will they decide their love is something worth fighting for?

[vintageneptune92]

Burn the Shadow- 17

I feel unsettled with this chapter, not sure why. I just wanted to put it out there so I stop writing and re-writing.

Thank you for all of your likes, comments and reposts! 🩶

Gia stood in the familiar spot in front of their window looking out over the city. She had spent the night in the hospital and was released the next day in the late afternoon. She had suffered a mild concussion, much to the relief of the doctors. She had been lucky that her injuries weren't worse. The stitched up wound on her arm burned with pain. The small laceration that was stitched up on her head wasn't much better.

She had convinced Rafael to go to work that morning. There was too much work to be done. She had promised him that if she felt off, she would call him. She also promised that she would not step a single toe out of their apartment. Not that she even wanted to.

Her mother was alive and had been airlifted to Mass General at Grayson's insistence. He had taken Anna and gone with her. For the time being, he didn't want to be anywhere near the city. Gia couldn't really blame him. Isaac Moreno still hadn't been found. Her father had left as well, but promised he would call her this afternoon to check on her. Once her mother was stable, he was coming back to the city.

Gia was glad neither of the Moreno men had stayed behind. Grayson blamed her, Rafael had told her what he had said. For the first time, she found that she didn't care what he thought. The fact was, no one could have predicted Sienna getting her hands on a gun. Gia had gone there and did what she was supposed to do, protect her niece to the best of her ability. If he hadn't insisted her mother go, maybe things would have been different. Sienna wouldn't have planned such a bold move. There was enough blamed to go around, it wasn't just on her. Vano had been hesitant to leave, but Gia was conscious and in good hands. Gia would never hold that against him. Grayson couldn't even be bothered with a text message. The apathy that filled her at the moment saved her from feeling hurt by that. The one thing she knew for sure, short of testifying against Isaac Moreno, Gia was done with all of it.

The one thing nagging at her was what her mother had said to her. It was the first time in her life she had experienced any sort of affinity from her mother, and that example was stretching it. Her mother felt compelled to make Gia strong, no matter the cost. She wanted to question her mother, but she didn't know when she would get the chance. She also didn't think that her mother would open up about it once she was healed.

She was surprised to hear a knock at the door. Her eyebrows pulled together as she made her way over to the door. She was surprised to see who was on the other side of the door. She opened the door, immediately.

"Captain, hi...come in." Gia stepped to the side to let him in. "Is everything okay?" Captain Cragen wasn't one to make house calls.

"Yes, I just wanted to come check on you." Gia nodded.

"I'm sure Barba had nothing to do with it. Truthfully Captain, I'm feeling pretty rough. Please sit down." She motioned to the dining room table and they both took a seat.

"I wanted to tell you in person that the recording you made ensured that Sienna made a deal. She will be serving 20 years. If we get the chance to bring in Isaac Moreno, she testifies against him." Gia closed her eyes. Twenty years was what she had earned, minimally, but the idea that Anna would be grown by the time she got out made Gia's heart ache just a little.

"What do you mean if we get the chance to bring Moreno in?" His wording was bothering her.

"We were notified that he left the country and is in Cuba. When his lawyer told him that Sienna was cooperating with us, he got out." Gia shook her head.

"So much for them being in it together." Gia scoffed.

"Indeed. I spoke with 1PP, they were impressed by the way you handled the situation, especially that recording. Getting your niece safely out of the way and all of the other hostages out made things a lot easier for the department." The compliment sank like a rock in her stomach. Cragen watched her expression carefully.

"Gia...when you're ready to get back to work, do you want to come back to SVU?" Gia leaned back in her chair and sighed.

"I do. It’s funny, I told Rafael the other day that I wasn't done yet. I came here to heal something inside of me by helping other women heal. I have more work to do." Cragen offered her a smile.

"I'm assuming this was after Jack McCoy offered you a job?"

"Who told you?" Gia hadn't mentioned it to anyone yet. She hadn't had the chance.

"Jack McCoy. He told me a while ago he was going to steal you from me. He let me know he put it out there. I was surprised you turned him down." Gia paused for a moment.

"I won't lie, it was appealing. I just...I don't want to leave NYPD. I also have a suspicion that 1PP may have gotten some information that Jack McCoy was interested. This case you gave me, multi jurisdictional? Seems like a test." Cragen gave her a knowing smile.

"I said the same thing. I met your father at the hospital. He's very proud of you. He was pretty guilt stricken that he had to leave you."

"I'm sure it will pass for him." Her snarky response gave him pause. Cragen studied her face again. She definitely wasn't herself.

"Are you okay?" Gia shrugged.

"Truthfully...I feel very unsettled. I have a lot of unanswered questions. I can't help but wonder what would have happened if my mother hadn't inserted herself in Grayson's life and relationship like she did. What would have happened if I hadn't gone with her to take Anna? I'm almost certain my mother would be dead and Sienna and Anna would be gone. Maybe Grayson is right. Maybe it is my fault for helping get together that visit." Gia sighed.

"You and I both know that that visit was going to happen, even if it was just a week later. Rita had already started the process. It was smart to have it come across as Grayson willing to do it. I told him so, before he left the hospital. Amaro filled me in on a little of the dynamic between you and your brother. I will say this, don't hold anything that he said to Rafael against him yesterday. I think that no one should be held to what they have said on the worst day of their life. Now, if he continues with that opinion, it's a different story." Gia hummed in agreement.

"I agree, to an extent. I just don't know how much more target practice from my family I can take." Cragen stood up.

"You are an incredibly empathetic person Detective. If you've hit the point where you've had enough, they've probably pushed well past the limit. I'm going to let you get some rest." Gia stood to walk him to the door.

"Oh, and before I forget, because I'm sure you're not going to be up to it this Friday, we got word that Olivia will be staying on at SVU as Sergeant. She's having a dinner at her apartment this. I told her I would tell you when I came to see you." Gia smiled, a real smile.

"That's amazing. And you're right, I don't think I'll be up for any celebrations this weekend. I'm not sure how long it's going to take for me to be ready."

"Whenever you're ready Detective, we will be glad to have you back."

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

Rafael was itching to get home. He hadn't spoken to Gia much throughout the day. He knew by the few text messages he received, she had been resting quite a bit and that Cragen had stopped to see her. Amaro had mentioned that he had a quick call with her earlier in the day as well. He was just glad she wasn't shutting anyone out. He wouldn't lie that he was worried about that.

When Rafael walked through the apartment door, it was dark and quiet. He hated that. Usually if Gia got home before he did, the lights were on, music was playing and if she got home early she was cooking. The quiet apartment meant she was quiet. As he made his way through to the bedroom, he saw that the light was on.

Gia was sitting on the bed, surrounded by a few stacks of pictures and some albums. She didn't look upset, but she was taking inventory of something. Something had happened between the time she left to take her niece and when she came home from the hospital. The bruise on the side of her face was a shade of dark purple, almost black. He observed her for a moment. She had picked up a 4x6 photo and stared at it for a moment. She had pulled it close to her face to examine it. She noticed him when she set it down. It was like a light clicked on behind her eyes. He hoped that he never did anything to make her stop looking at him like that.

"Hi." He leaned against the doorway.

"Hi back." Her voice was light. She moved a pile of pictures and albums so he could sit down. He made his way over after he set his suit jacket on her chair. Once he sat down, she moved towards him and kissed him with both hands on the sides of his face. It was like she was putting everything she felt for him into that kiss. When they broke apart, he saw a tear slip from her eye.

"Hey, what's wrong?" His face laced with concern. She shook her head and smiled.

"Nothing. I just, sometimes when I think about what I feel for you, what you mean to me, it overwhelms me. Not in a bad way though." Her hair was piled on top of her head. He twirled the strands that always slipped out at her temple. She wasn't sad, but she was definitely emotional.

"Amor, what is all of this." She looked down at the pictures and albums and then back to him.

"Just...I don't know. Trying to trigger something. I'm missing pieces of something. My mom yesterday, after she got shot, she saw the tears in my eyes and she told me not to cry. That she made me strong, she made me into steel. I cannot think of one moment that my mother was loving towards me. I look through all of these pictures and there's nothing. But yesterday, I saw something in her eyes before she went unconscious. It was...it was admiration? I don't know. I'm so confused. I feel like there is something someone isn't telling me. That memory of Gabriel. I think it's the key to it. I blocked something out and it's driving me crazy." He moved a little closer to her.

"Maybe you should trust yourself and not push to remember just yet. Maybe you're just not ready. Maybe what you saw in your mother's eyes was regret. She did make you strong. You are made of steel. I've seen it, the inner strength you have to pull through...anything...is special. Maybe in that moment, she regretted how she forged you." Gia sighed and leaned against the pillows behind her. She winced as she moved her arm.

"Maybe...I just haven't had much to do but let my mind wander. I don't know where things stand with my family and I. Maybe I shouldn't care. Sienna, she told me that I changed when you and I started spending time together. That I had a light in my eyes, a spark that hadn't been there before. She said the best thing I did was cut them off after I came to stay with you. She's not wrong. You changed me." He smiled and cupped the side of her face.

"Should I be concerned that you're taking advice from someone who might be a little bit crazy?" Gia started laughing, the unshed tears she had fell from her eyes. He turned her face to get a better look at the bruise on her face. She winced slightly.

"It's bad." She had a row of stitches along her hair line from where her head hit the corner of the wall. It looked painful. She was wearing a tank top and he could see the bruising that was blooming around the gauze where the bullet grazed her arm.

"How's the arm?" He ran his index finger down the side of her face that wasn't bruised.

"It hurts like a son of a bitch. The bruising on my ribs is torture. Every time I move it pulls." He could see the pain on her face.

"Did you take the pain medication they gave you?" She shook her head. "Why are you so stubborn?" He stood up and went over to the dresser to get the bottle of medication.

"I feel fuzzy when I take it. I didn't want to when I was home alone." He gave her a sharp look.

"I told you I would stay with you." She shook her head.

"No, no. You're needed at the office. I can deal with a little pain." He could hear the strain in her voice.

"Gia, I can do all of that from here. That's what technology is for. You're taking this and you're going to lay down. I'm going to go get some ice packs for you. I know you don't want to be taken care of. You saved Sienna's life. You saved your mother's life. You made sure your niece was safe. You've earned being taken care of." She let out a large breath he knew then that she didn't have it in her to argue. She put her hand out for the medication.

"My dad called a little while ago. My mom is in a medically induced coma, but she's going to pull through. Its funny, ironically, that we both needed blood transfusions. My brother is a match for my mom. She needed a lot more than I did. I'm lucky that they had A- for me." Rafael's head ticked to the side.

"Your dad said he wasn't a match for you either." Gia shrugged.

"Genetics are weird." I think Gabe and I were the same."

"I was expecting a dissertation on genetics and blood types." He teased.

"One day I'll read up on it and then give you a lesson on it." He kissed her lightly.

"Well, I can't wait. I'll be right back, I'll get the ice packs." Rafael headed out of their bedroom and was halted by a knock at the door. Rafael was unsurprised to see Amaro standing behind it.

"Come in, Amaro." Nick walked in, looking a little nervous. It wasn't something Rafael was used to seeing from him.

"How uh, how is she?" Nick had his hands in his coat pockets, looking generally uneasy.

"Introspective but she seems okay, all things considered. Why do I think you're here to ruin that?" Amaro rolled his jaw.

"Grayson left a letter for her. I feel like I've been holding onto a ticking time bomb. He reached into his jacket to pull it out. Rafael took the letter from him and inspected it. Grayson had sealed it. Rafael handed it back to him.

"She's in our room, I'm grabbing some ice packs for her. Go give it to her. You can't keep it from her." Nick nodded. He turned back around after he headed towards the bedroom.

"What do you mean introspective." Rafael sighed.

"She's trying to piece something together, her family." Rafael saw a tick near Amaro's eye.

"I honestly hope they never come back. I hope she cuts them off. It seems all they do is cause her pain."

"I know Amaro, I know." Rafael turned and went into the kitchen.

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

"Hey, Guapo!" Gia greeted Nick as he walked into the room.

"They give you the good stuff?" Nick laughed.

"Yeah, I didn't want to take it, but this is awful" she motioned for Nick to sit on the edge of the bed.

"How are you, Gee?" Nick asked, his tone more serious.

"Honestly, I'm okay or okay adjacent. Everyone came out alive. That's something. What's the matter?"

"Why would you think there's something wrong?" She rolled her eyes.

"Um...your face?" Nick shook his head with an amused look.

"Grayson left a letter for you." Gia turned her head to look towards her bedroom window, the bruise on her face fully displayed. "Jesus, Gianna." Nick reached to touch her face but pulled his hand back.

"When did he give it to you?" She looked back at him, the joking look on her face had faded.

"In the hospital, you were still out of it, I don't know what it says, so I wanted to give it to you when Rafael was home." Gia reached out and squeezed his hand.

"You're a good friend, Nick Amaro." He took her hand and squeezed it back.

"And you're a real life hero Gianna Monroe." She scoffed and waved him off.

"I did what anyone of us would do." Nick shook his head.

"No, none of us would have pushed someone out of the way of the sniper bullet." Gia chewed on her inner cheek.

"Is it weird that 1PP isn't pissed off about it?" Nick thought for a moment.

"Well, I know you did it to save her because you love her. They think you did it because of her confession. That you thought she was more valuable alive." Gia let out a groan.

"That is so gross. She wasn't going to shoot me. I could have talked her down. I wouldn't want anyone to die unless it couldn't be prevented."

"I know Gia, but they aren't on your ass about it, so just go with it." She nodded.

Rafael walked in and gave Gia the large ice pack to put across her ribs. He had one for her arm that had a band on it to strap it on.

"Do you want one for your face?" Gia shook her head. "Later then. I'm going to give you two some time. I have some work to do and I'll order some dinner, you staying Amaro?" Gia knew there was some contention between the two men at times, but it was really endearing that they tried to get along for her behalf.

"No, I am going to have dinner with my mother a little later, but thank you for offering." Rafael nodded and left the room.

"Gee, what is all of this stuff?" He motioned to the pictures on the bed.

"I don't know. My family is...complicated. I'm just trying to figure things out, jog a memory."

"Maybe you should leave it alone." Gia laughed.

"You and Rafael are much more alike than you think. He said the same thing. I've just got some things to think through." He nodded.

"Don't let them hurt you anymore than they already have. You deserve so much better." Gia looked down at the letter in her hands.

"Family is complicated. I know you know that. Sienna said some things that made an impression. She wasn't wrong when she said I was my happiest when I was low contact with my parents. We'll see." Nick stood up and picked up all of the photos and put them in the open box. He then picked that up with her photo albums and went and set them on the table near her chair.

"Take a break from it for tonight. I think that letter will give you enough to think about. I need you to make me a promise. Promise me you're going to take a break from the hero gig. I don't know if I can take seeing you in a hospital bed every couple of months." Gia let out a soft laugh.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I don't need another blow to the head. At least it was just a mild concussion this time." Nick shook his head. He walked back over to Gia and put his hand on the side of her face that was uninjured and kissed her on the top of her head.

"I love you. You call me if you need to talk after you read that letter. If you need me to drive to Boston and kick his ass, I'm on it." Gia laughed.

"I'm pretty sure I'll be okay, but thank you for the offer. I love you, too. Tell your mom I said hi." Nick nodded.

"Will do Gee. I'll talk to you later." She put her hand on her heart as he left the room.

She looked down at the letter trying to decide if she wanted to read it or wait. She knew that her mind wouldn't let her rest until she read it. She closed her eyes for a moment and then ripped the letter open.

Gigi,

I'm sorry I won't be here when they let you out of the hospital. With mom being so bad, I have to go. Honestly, I really need to get out of the city. I need to get Anna out of the city for now, until it feels safe again. Please know, my leaving has nothing to do with you.

I was mad at you, and at first I blamed you. Believe me, Rafael set me straight. He really is a good man, and he loves you. He's the reason why I know that you'll be okay. We promised to stick together in Manhattan. Things obviously change. He can offer you the support you need, support that I have never been able to provide you.

The truth is, I am to blame for all of this. Trevor Langdon showed me Sienna's video interview and then he played me the recording you made in that apartment. Sienna was right, about everything she said about our relationship. I obviously have a lot of things to work on, especially regarding our mother.

You really are the best of us. You saved her life. At first, it enraged me that you would save a woman that tried to kill our mother, that allowed another woman to be killed, that planned on taking my child from me. Then I realized, it's because you still see the best in people. You see their potential. You saw it in Gabe. You saw it in Sienna. You've always seen it in me, especially when I don't deserve it. I still don't. I have failed you in so many ways, to my everlasting shame.

Please take care of yourself. Put yourself first. Be happy. I know Rafael makes you happy. I see it in you. I see it in your eyes when you look at him. More importantly, I see it in his eyes when he looks at you. Let him take care of you, even for a little while.

When you're ready, let me know and I will call you. We can video chat so you and Anna can talk. She loves you so much, and so do I. Thank you for keeping my daughter safe. It's a debt I will never be able to repay.

All of my love,

Gray

Gia watched as a tear fell from her face onto the light blue stationary right below Grayson's perfect handwriting. She slowly moved and got up from the bed. She set the letter down on top of the photo albums Nick had moved.

She went to use the bathroom and got a good look at herself. She cringed at her reflection in the mirror. She had deep circles under her eyes and the bruising on the left side of her face stood out against her paler than normal skin, topped off with an ugly row of stitches. She removed the ice pack Rafael had strapped to her arm. She could see bruising around the wound. She removed the bandage to look at the wound on her arm. It was an deep four inch gash that was about a quarter of an inch wide. It was bruised, red and ugly with a row of stitches to match her head. She cleaned it the way her doctor told her and rebandaged it. She thought about what Rafael and Nick had said. Maybe she shouldn't pick on the scab of forgotten memories.

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

Gia wandered down the hallway Into Rafael's home office. He was typing furiously into his laptop, glass of scotch next to him and his eyebrows tightly knitted together. She knocked lightly on the open door and his head snapped up, his expression softening at the sight of her.

"You're supposed to be resting." He chided.

"I've been resting all day. I had to get out of that bed. She made her way over to him and he rolled his chair back away from his desk and she sat on his lap, one arm around his shoulders and rested her head against his.

"How did it go with Nick?" He asked tentatively.

"It was fine. I'm glad he came." Rafael didn't know if he should mention the letter or not, but he had to know.

"Did you read the letter?" He figured the direct approach was best.

"Ah, so he asked you if he should give it to me? It was typical Grayson, or what I've now seen to be typical Grayson. He acts like an asshole and then he repents. I just...I'm sick of having to accept apologies. Especially from the same people. It's exhausting." Weariness had seeped into her words.

"You don't have to accept anyone's apology. You don't owe them anything." Rafael was tired of seeing them twist her into knots.

"He left it for me to text him when I'm ready to talk. I'm going to give it some time I think." Gia didn't know what else to do. What she did know was that her heart couldn't take any more disappointments.

"You have to do what's best for you. Put yourself first for once Amor." She kissed his temple and adverted her eyes to his computer.

"What are you working on?" She was looking at the screen intently.

"Trying to find a way to get Isaac Moreno back to the states. He's not going to stay in Cuba for long. He will be back and he will be coming for his daughter." Gia could sense the tension in him.

"Well, if he comes back to New York, we will find him. What about Giselle?" Rafael shut his computer to give Gia his full attention.

"She will be living with Sara's sister. They're moving. I don't even know to where. We offered WITPRO but they said no." Gia was quiet for a moment.

"You can't save everyone either Rafael." He leaned back in the chair so he could see her better.

"You're one to talk." She gave him a small smile.

"I'm hoping those days are behind me, at least for a little while." He didn't say anything. Gia studied his face for a moment. There was something there. Gia stood up so she could look at him fully. He sighed deeply and stood, motioning for her to sit with him on the love seat in his office.

She had never seen him like this before. He wasn't angry, she had seen him angry. This was something that she couldn't place. He took a long sip of his Scotch before he joined her.

"Raf, what is it? Talk to me." He looked down for a moment.

"With Alison, I understood. She was your best friend, she was being attacked. You almost didn't walk away from it. Gia, you jumped in front of a bullet for a woman that shot your mother and was holding you hostage." She blinked a few times.

"It's not that simple." She said quietly.

"I think it is." He wasn't yelling, but there was a little bite in his voice.

"It's not. Sienna is Anna's mother. She loves her. They didn't even call back to try and talk her down." Gia could feel her defenses going up.

"She was holding her child while holding a gun on your mother. Of course they weren't going to negotiate. She pointed a loaded gun at you!" He raised his voice at the end. He stood pinching the bridge of his nose with his other hand on his hip. He paced slightly.

"She was desperate, she thought she was going to lose her daughter." Gia argued. He spun to look at her.

"And I thought I was going to lose you!" When she looked up at him, he had tears in his eyes.

"Rafael..." the look on his face deflated any anger she had started feeling.

"When I heard it was you that was shot, I thought...I thought they had made a mistake, shot you instead and I thought I had lost you, for a couple of moments while I was losing it, I thought you were gone. Then they told me that you pushed her out of the way. You can't do that anymore. Jump infront of literal and figurative bullets. It's not just you anymore. I let you in." Gia stood up and wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She teared up too. His forehead was on her on her shoulder. He pressed his lips to her shoulder and then the side of her neck before he pulled away to look at her. He wiped the tears off her face and then he kissed her, careful to avoid the bruising on her face. When they pulled apart, he took her by the hand and walked her back to the couch so we could sit down.

"Look, I'm not stupid. Your job comes with a risk, but you can't keep throwing yourself into the line of fire. I cannot lose you." His voice was much softer.

"I just saw her standing in front of that window and I knew what was going to happen. I thought...I thought I had enough time. I thought I would make it and not get hit. I wasn't trying to take the bullet for her." She needed him to understand that she wasn't trying to sacrifice herself.

"You tend to see people at their potential, not for who they really are." She let out a short laugh.

"Grayson said the same thing, less eloquently." She shook her head.

"In the letter?" She nodded.

"He said I see the best in people who let me down. Gabe, Sienna and him." She looked away.

"Look at me." She let out a breath before turning back.

"She is not worth a hair on your head. If you hadn't been on the phone with Nick, if he hadn't heard...she wouldn't have hesitated to kill you, in front of her daughter. She would have ruined her."

“She wasn’t going to hurt me.” Gia insisted.

“Gia, she literally said to you that she didn’t want to kill you but that she wasn’t going to let you stop her from leaving with her daughter. She absolutely would have killed you.” He watched her face as she processed what he said. She hadn't really felt the ramifications of what had happened.

She felt a wave of self-loathing sinking in. Part of her didn't think that Sienna would actually hurt her. She just wanted her daughter. She didn't want her daughter taken away from her. Wouldn't she do the same if that were her child?

"I don’t even remember her saying that. She would have killed me." Her words came out in a hushed tone as she lifted her head up. "I...I didn't think she would actually hurt me." She stood back up, holding her head in her hands.

"Gia..." Rafael started.

"God...why am I like this?!" Rafael stood up and took her by her hands.

"Mira, it's like Grayson said, you see the best in everyone, not everyone can live up to it; but there is a pattern to the people that fail you" She pulled away putting her hand on her forehead. There was an ache starting behind her eyes.

"I know...I don't know why I let them." she finally answered.

"Because they are your family and you love them." She swiped the tears off her face.

"I've been chasing after a happy family that doesn't exist since I've been a kid. Maybe it's time to throw in the towel. My mother is never going to change. I don't know what I saw in her eyes after she was shot, but it doesn't excuse the metric ton of mental abuse she put me through. My father, while trying to be better, who knows. With Grayson and all of this..." she looked up while shaking her head.

"I shouldn't have said anything." Rafael said more to himself than to Gia.

"Yes, you should have. Rafael we are in this together and if we don't have the hard conversations, we will end up like Sienna and my brother. Just, less homicidal." Rafael took the few steps to reach her again. He gently put a hand on her shoulder and one on the opposite hip.

"Listen to me, we will never be what your brother and Sienna turned into. Nunca." Gia took a couple of deep breaths.

"I just...I'm afraid." She finally admitted. It looked as if she had been holding that inside for her whole life. He slid his hand over her shoulder and rested it on the side of her face. He studied her for a moment.

"What on earth are you afraid of?" He couldn't understand what he meant.

"I'm afraid I'm going to turn into my mother, abandoning my family." It was a moment of clarity for Rafael.

It made what happened in that apartment make sense. Her mother had essentially abandoned her son, something Gia saw as incredibly egregious. She hadn't just abandoned him when he was on trial, Gia believed that she abandoned him when he was a child. Gabriel had been executed. The idea of Sienna being essentially executed by a sniper was something she wouldn't have been able to live with.

"You couldn't be any less like her if you tried. Not giving carte blanche access to family members that hurt you isn't abandoning them."

She swallowed before adverting her gaze for a moment. It was a notion she was really struggling with. He thought she was going to pull away, instead, she hooked her arms around his back and he gently placed his arms around her, not wanting to hurt her. She rested the un-stitched side of her face against him. He made her feel safe. She wanted to get back to the headspace where she felt happy.

"I know you're right." He heard her say.

"I'm not telling you to completely remove them from your life, just some distance." He felt her nod her head.

"I love you." He heard her say.

"I love you too, so much. C'mon, let's get something to eat and we'll watch a movie." He put his arm around her and led her out of the office.

[secriden]

so ok i've got Things to talk about Star In My Mind again because interview lady raised two things that were #relatable:

lol yeah this is exactly how i felt about this show. like it just DOES NOT TAKE A BREAK at any point. just when you think you have a handle on the love triangle, it evolves into a square and you're like !?!? where?? did YOU come from?? (but then i re-watched it and they actually do set it up in an earlier episode, its just incredibly subtle)

and every time one misunderstanding gets resolved another two crop up like some kind of messed up misunderstanding hydra. i can't decide if i hated it or loved that it made the side characters actually have purpose. it filled out the space around the main couple's journey in a way that felt unnecessary but also stopped me from asking why this or that character was even in the show (except for Obnoxiously Self Confident Guy - I could've done without him).

all that to say, i think this is at least partly why i found SIMM so entertaining. you just... don't have a lull in the series. there's no feeling of like "wait, why did that happen??" everything makes sense its just incredibly frustrating.

THIS! FUCKING THIS!!!!! its actually impressive how verbally honest all the characters are, but its just never with the person they need to be honest with. and i don't mean just kluen and dao (although ofc they're the worse culprits) but typhoon and gia and the assortment of friends do it too. everyone is simultaneously so incredibly aware of themselves and their relationships with others and communicative about it, but in just...always in the wrong room.

which... is actually not a complaint on my part because i think that's incredibly true to life these days? most people actually are incredibly self-aware and moreover can articulate it very well. if anything, i find myself TOO self-aware to the point that it can be crippling.

and kluen is a great example of this. he knows he sucks at expressing his feelings and the very awareness of his inadequacy causes him to second guess himself repeatedly. even with multiple confirmations that dao still has feelings for him, he keeps being dragged back into self-doubt and inaction because of this awareness/self-perception.

as frustrated as i felt with kluen, i actually recognise myself in him. those times when i allow my anxiety and fear of failure to lead to procrastination which then spirals into more anxiety and fear.

i just didn't expect "generic thai bl college series" to give that to me, and that's (one reason) why i liked this show so much.

[camilasstories]

❝feeling unreciprocated❞ chapter 3 | jungkook x reader (edited version 2025)

summary: Heartbreak was never a plan, but now it's the essence of her existence. Sleeping with one guy seemed like a way to escape the hurt—but sleeping with another, then another, only made things worse. Especially with her handsome crush right behind the wall, watching her spiral and just as confused as she is about her messy ways of coping with a broken heart. As she struggles to move on, the deeper she digs, the clearer it becomes: the only person who truly understands her may be the one she’s been avoiding all along.

🩷 SERIES MASTERLIST

you've read chapter 2/you're reading chapter 3/you probably want to read chapter 4

It's been a week. A full seven days had passed, and somehow, the time had flown by, each day pretending like nothing had happened. I burried myself again with old, good routines - lectures demanding my full presence, an avalanche of projects piling up plus an essay at the very top of it. I’d been glued to my laptop for hours, typing away while the deadline hovered over me.

The days had begun to blur together. Late March creeping in quietly, but unlike most of my classmates, I felt a rare sense of calm. While everyone else buzzed with last-minute panic and the threat of all-nighters, I was just a few steps away from finishing. My essay was nearly done, and with it, a real chance at passing the second semester of my first year.

There was no room for any distraction right now. Me and my scholarship couldn't afford that. Therefore, I tried to survive this week without a single thought of memory of that night, yet one message left unread in my DMs was hanging over me like a constant shadow.

[10:04] unknown: welcome roommate, I thought I'd check how's the hangover treating you

I could almost read it with his voice-amused, surely-even if I'd only heard him once in real life. Like he was standing right there, laughing at me through the screen.

The text was sent the same day I'd almost stayed in my dorm, instead of coming to the lectures because of how shitty I felt that morning. It didn't get any better, but I just couldn't afford missing any of the classes. Sadly, I wasn't that privileged.

I choose to childishly ignore the message, not being able to bring myself to delete it.

It was just there, and honestly? I didn’t know what to do with that.

I stirred my iced coffee with the straw, watching ribbons of sweet cream twist into the dark, bitter base. The ice had all but melted, leaving the drink lukewarm-just like my mood.

“You’re in your head again,” Gia said, snapping me out of it. She took a loud, unapologetic slurp from her chocolate shake, grace tossed out of the window, eyes fixed on me over the rim of her cup.

I hadn’t realized I’d been staring into mine, my fingers mindlessly tracing the holder.

“No,” I breathed out through my nose. “That’s not it. Just tired. One of those rough Monday mornings, I guess.”

The hiss of the esspresso machine was followed by the gentle clatter of cups as the barista moved, serving the next order and buttery scent of fresh croissants and the notes of fruit-filled pastries were tempting enough to make go back for seconds. The hum of the café faded beneath the steady churn of my own overthinking. It was still early, late morning, just before the lunch rush-leaving most of the tables empty for a few regulars.

Good, I wasn't in the mood for crowds, anyways.

“Yeah, damn mornings, right?” Gia rolled her eyes, apparently catching my hesitation. “I’d buy it, but I swear I’ve been seeing that look on your face for a week.” She motioned to my expression with a casual flick of her chin. "You know you can't hide anything from me. If I were a detective...".

"You'd be the best one." We finished in unison, the corner of my lips curving up into reluctant smile.

I knew she'd spot something was off right away. Maybe that’s why I asked Gia to meet today-under the cover of a casual catch-up, because right now,

I needed her honesty and her sharp talk more than I needed caffeine.

“I’ve left him on read,” I muttered, furrowing my brows as I stared into my coffee. “I just feel bad.”

Did I ponder whether to text him back, waking up feeling like I'd been hit by a truck? Yeah. But the real kicker was the realization of how badly I'd messed up in front of him that night. It was enough to make me turn off my phone, convincing myself I'd message him later, in the evening. But somehow, the entire week slipped by, my memory of it fading as if on purpose.

The chocolate shake abandoned momentarily as she crossed her arms. "Then text him, or dwell on it more."

"I just can't." I groaned, my appetite for the blueberry bun I ordered suddenly gone.

"Honestly, you're being a coward." Gia sighed, pulling her bangs from her eyes. "I’d get it if you had to text first. But he reached out to you. He made the first move. He wouldn’t have messaged you if he didn’t want to hear back. It’s not complicated. You’re just making it complicated-again."

Maybe, I was. But who wouldn't if the guy who was hanging out with the chosen ones of the college offered you to move in. You would be second-guessing, wondering if it's some kind of stupid joke. And don't get me wrong, I wasn't the one who judged book by its cover. I was simply confused.

„What should I do then?” I shook my head, discouraged.

“Don’t look at me like I have all the answers.” She leaned back, her eyes narrowing in that way that only Gia could manage, sharp and clear. “You can either text him back and come up with a decent excuse, or just delete the whole thing, and stop torturing yourself. But this in-between limbo you love so much? That’s what’s killing you. Here's my opinion.”

Her honesty could be brutal, but right now, it was the only thing grounding me.

"But I can't throw myself into a mess, right now."

"Then delete it, problem solved". Gia finished with a casual shrug. "And next time, remind me not to leave you alone. Maybe you've got some kind of a hot guy charm."

I scoffed. "Only to puke on them later."

"Yeah, we should work on it," she laughed, but the sound faded quickly, replaced b y something quite in her expression. She glanced at me, hesitant now. "Maybe... maybe just text him. See if he even replies."

I didn't answer. I stared at the untouched corner of my bun, then finally picked up my phone from my purse.

"Stop analyzing," she said, this time gently. "Just do it."

A pause.

The soft click of my thumb unlocking the screen.

Then the quiet, deliberate sound of typing.

[09:23] me: is that you, jungkook?

I could feel Gia watching me from across the table, one brow arched. She didn’t say anything, just sipped her drink slowly, letting me work it out in my own time.

[9:34] unknown: yes [9:36] me: sorry [9:36] me: i did see the message, but i got busy [9:37] jungkook: sure [9:37] jungkook: i get it

Acting dumb was reportedly a good tactic. Not the most elegant move, but nothing in this situation was elegant.

I was certain he didn't buy it. I wouldn't have either.

[9:39] me: how bad was i? [9:40] jungkook: bad enough to sign a lease

Gia barked a laugh loud enough that the barista glanced over.

“You did what?” she hissed, grinning like this was the highlight of her week.

“I mean…” I winced. “I actually signed the lease.”

Gia blinked, her grin faltering into something between awe and horror. “Wait. You’re not kidding. You told me you'd agreed to be his roommate. Verbally.”

I shook my head, dragging a hand down my face. “Nope. There's a copy of the lease in my inbox. My signature and everything. I don’t even remember doing it.”

Gia let out a low whistle and leaned forward.

“Damn. You really said ‘new me’ and hit print sign submit all in one night.”

“I told you I wasn’t myself,” I muttered, glancing down at my phone.

“Oh, honey, you were someone. A whole new character!”

I groaned, but couldn’t help the embarrassed smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

My thumb hovered over the keyboard again.

[9:42] me: shit. sorry again [9:42] me: i wasn't myself really, just drunk and stupid [9:42] jungkook: I know. it's fine, i wasn't completely sure if it was really your place so [9:43] jungkook: what's up?

I bite the inner of my cheek, feeling the warmth expanded. Calmness.

[9:44] me: i'm good i'm just regretting making a foul of myself [9:44] jungkook: don't i had fun [9:44] me: well then [9:44] me: thanks for walking me and listening and the rest i don't remember [9:45] junkook: you're welcome [9:45] me: actually [9:45] me: i want to ask you about the lease and moving in thing [9:45] jungkook: you'll like it, i have a coffee machine

At that, Gia raised both eyebrows over the rim of her drink and muttered, “Well, the guy’s hot and has a coffee machine. Honestly, what more do you need?”

I ignored her, biting back a smile as I continued reading.

[9:45] jungkook: unless you wanna drop it then that's fine [9:46] jungkook: figured you might wanna think it over since you were pretty out of it [9:46] jungkook: someone in your state could’ve been convinced to sign away a kidney

I let out a quiet, slightly mortified laugh, the kind that made Gia lean in again, trying to peek at the screen.

“He’s funny too?” she whispered. “Girl, you really struck drunk gold.”

I glanced at her, then back at the messages. There was a weird comfort in the way he wrote. Casual but not dismissive, honest without pressing. Like he was giving me an open door but not waiting on the other side with any pressure.

Gia smirked as she slung her bag over her shoulder, falling into step beside me.

“What a shame, you almost threw up on him. Makes me wonder, if you had, would he have still offered you a room? Or just handed you a mop and wished you luck?"

I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “Don’t remind me. I was this close to turning his shoes into a crime scene.”

“Oh please,” she teased, bumping my shoulder. “Some girls flirt, some girls faint. You? You nearly upchuck on potential roommates and still walk away with a signed lease. That’s called a talent.”

[9:48] me: i think i owe you a coffee for dealing with drunk me [9:49] me: and maybe a tour of the place? if that’s still on the table?

I hit send before I could talk myself out of it.

"Did you just agree?" Gia smiled like a proud coach watching a baby deer take its first wobbly step. “There she is.”

“Don’t make it a thing,”

I muttered, but I was smiling too. A minute passed. Then my phone buzzed again.

[9:50] jungkook: it’s on the table [9:50] jungkook: and the coffee machine’s already warming up

“God, he’s smooth,” Gia said, craning her neck again. "You've got a coffee date with a guy who is a freaking boyfriend material."

"It's not like that. We're supposed to be roommates, remember?" I rolled my eyes, ditching her idea.

The tension I’d been carrying around, tight and coiled, suddenly evaporated, and I felt the muscles in my shoulders, my neck, and even my jaw relax. I hadn’t even realized how tense I’d been until now. It was like I’d been holding my breath this entire time, caught up in my own head, and only now did I realize I could finally exhale freely.

[10:00] Your form has been accepted. Payments will be collected in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

taglist: @betysotelo18, @smwhrinthehaze, @goldiemess, @jksusawife, @imurfantassy, @bhonbhon

feeling unreciprocated, edited version 2025 - 09.04.2025

[claudia311093]

How annoying are the people who keep saying they hate Julian because he's a creep. Remember, he was a regular doctor who showed guilt from the beginning for what happened to Sofia, he tried to help her, but he wasn't the boss in Arkham and because Sofia's powerful father was the rival to beat, that's why he left Arkham, and even after leaving he helped Arlberto get Sofia out of that place. As for him feeling attracted to his patient, that's not a crime, and he didn't do anything about it for years, it was Sofia who looked for him when she got out of Arkham and she decided she wanted to continue therapy with him, from that moment and all the time she was outside, it's clear that she was the one with the power, she being an adult woman decided to continue therapy with him despite being a rich and free person. We must remember that they did not start their relationship until Sofia and Julian made it clear in Carmine's room that his therapy was no longer necessary, I do not remember exactly the words Sofia used but it was something like "we have already passed the point of analysis, Julian" , and he agreed, so it is clear that their doctor-patient relationship ended, it was after that that they began their relationship. We must also not forget that Sofia is a villain, it is true that she suffered and was mistreated by many people, but that is not justification for everything she did and it is not the way traumatized people act, she killed Victor's friend, she killed the entire Falcone family and not only did she leave Gia an orphan, but she left her forgotten in an orphanage, although she has money to send her to a private boarding school, she decided to abandon her little cousin to her fate in a public orphanage. They also confirmed that many innocent people died in the explosion of the tunnels, totally unnecessary. So is the hatred towards Julian due to morality? , they believe that morally he is inferior to Sofia,? he has not killed anyone and so far the crimes he has been involved in have been exclusively to help Sofia, so no, feeling sexual or romantic attraction for your patient is not worse than indiscriminately killing or abandoning a child to her fate. Any man/woman who gets romantically close to Sofia will be subject to moral scrutiny, because how is it possible that you get involved with a murderer?. Sofia is a villain, her mind works in a twisted way, so a twisted relationship in her life is something expected and justifiable, in fact I think that this relationship is the least shady thing in her life considering the decisions she has made lately. Compared to Oz's relationship with Eve and her mother, Sofia's relationship with Julian is the healthiest,lol. And finally, it's fiction, let us enjoy the fiction and try to apply your morals in real life, they are different things. Lauren Lefranc, I understood your vision

[jammatown919]

Where Love Rests

The Nublar Six visit Italy again two years later. Yaz decides it's the perfect place to propose to her girlfriend.

Chapter Three: Quite The Pair

Brooklynn managed to keep a straight face until she was out of the jewelry store. After that, she could only imagine what she must look like running back toward Gia's house with her mind echoing a never-ending stream of I fucked up, I fucked up, I fucked up. 

She burst back into the front room to find Ben, Darius, and Kenji engaged in another heated game of Uno. They looked up as the door opened, and that was when Brooklynn knew she must look crazy, because their eyes went wide simultaneously. 

"Is Sammy here?" Brooklynn asked before any of them could say anything. 

"In the kitchen with Nonna," Darius replied slowly. "Are you okay?"

"Where are Yaz and Gia?" Kenji added. 

Brooklynn kicked the door closed behind her, whining out, "I messed up so bad."

The guys immediately put down their cards to give her their full attention. Their serious, concerned expressions honestly made her feel a little bad about her dramatic entrance. 

"I just let Yaz spend like, three thousand dollars on an engagement ring," she keened. 

Instantly, everyone's demeanor shifted. The other three exchanged glances as if confirming that they'd heard correctly, then erupted into smiles and muted cheers, lowering their voices so that Sammy wouldn't overhear from the kitchen. 

"She's proposing?!" Ben hopped up from his seat, beaming, and clapped his hands together in front of him. 

"How is this bad news?" Darius asked. 

"Because it's not supposed to be her!" Brooklynn exclaimed. "I helped Sammy pick out a ring two months ago! She's had this in her head for ages, but Yaz just decided last night and asked me for help, and I didn't know what to do."

"Wait, so they're both proposing?" Kenji leaned back and barked out a laugh before remembering to watch the volume. 

"Well, I guess Sammy won't get to now," Brooklynn replied, running her hand across her forehead and through her hair. "Yaz wants to do it while we're here. I feel like I shouldn't have let her spend all that money when she was already going to get proposed to, but would I be a worse friend if I just spoiled Sammy's proposal? Or is it worse that this basically ruined Sammy's proposal?"

The others didn't seem to have an answer for her. They were too busy laughing. Grumbling, Brooklynn marched over, grabbed a pillow off the couch, and wacked the nearest one of them over the head with it. 

"It's not funny!" 

"But it's so them," Darius said, swatting her away.

"SO them!" Ben echoed. 

"Do you guys think Sammy might ask me to be her best man?" Kenji seemed genuinely excited by the possibility, and soon they were all chattering about what the wedding might be like and who would do what. 

Supremely unhelpful, the lot of them. 

Brooklynn was just about to give all of them a pass with the pillow when Sammy poked her head into the room. Fortunately, Ben noticed at the exact same time, dove for his cards, and went for the save. 

"I keep telling you guys you can't stack a plus four on a plus two!" he shouted. 

Darius and Kenji quickly took the cue and began to argue back that yes, they absolutely could do that, and Sammy seemed none the wiser. 

"I thought I heard the door," she said with a smile. "You sure were out for a while. Where'd Yaz and Gia get to?"

"They're taking one more lap," Brooklynn replied, plastering on her most innocent expression. "I just couldn't keep up."

"Y'all were running that whole time?" Sammy asked incredulously. Brooklynn froze for a moment, suddenly hyperaware of the absurdity of the claim that they'd been doing laps for the better part of three hours, but it seemed Sammy had other concerns. "And Yaz wonders why her ankle hurts. She didn't even take her brace! I mean, honestly, just because I brought the Biofreeze doesn't mean I want to have to use it."

Brooklynn couldn't help but smirk a bit. She'd seen that game play out many times before. Yaz tended to forget she had a bad ankle, and no matter how many times Sammy told her she was on her own next time she hurt herself, it always ended the same way. Yaz laid out on the couch with her ankle and a stick of Biofreeze in Sammy's hands, listening to the same speech about how she had to be more careful, and she had a brace for a reason, goddammit. 

"Well, no one said you have to use it."

Sammy rolled her eyes. "I love my girlfriend. Sue me."

She glanced over at the others, still pretending to be invested in their game, then back at Brooklynn. 

"Speaking of, can I talk to you for a second?" she said with a small gesture back toward the kitchen. 

Brooklynn stared at her for a moment, suddenly struck by a strong sense of déjà vu. 

No way, she thought, shaking it off as she followed Sammy into the kitchen, where Nonna was busy tending to pans on the stove. Shooting a look over her shoulder as if to make sure the old woman wasn't listening to them, Sammy leaned in close to Brooklynn. 

"So... you remember a couple months ago? When we picked out that ring?"

Oh, my fucking God.

"Y-yeah?" Brooklynn replied, trying her absolute hardest to sound normal. 

"I think it's finally time," Sammy went on, eyes sparkling with excitement. 

"You're going to do it here?" The room suddenly felt very warm and small. "You brought the ring with you?"

"Of course. I always have it with me," Sammy said. "I've just been waiting for the right moment, and I think it's this. Yaz seemed kind of upset yesterday, and I realized she must've been thinking about what happened last time we were here. I don't want that to be how we remember this place. I want it to be special for us in a good way. Take it back, y'know? Show her how much we've grown since then."

There was literally nothing Brooklynn could say to the contrary. Objectively, both Sammy and Yaz did have a very good idea here. If only they weren't both trying to carry it out at the exact same time. 

"That's great, Sammy." At that point, Brooklynn accepted the fact that she was just going to have to stand by and watch this happen. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks." Though still smiling, Sammy let out a bit of a sigh. "I'm real nervous, though. I've got lots to do if I really want to make this special. Think I could bounce some ideas off you?"

"Sure."

Brooklynn settled in to listen, knowing she would probably be hearing a lot more about this in the coming days, from both sides. She didn't even know anymore who would end up being the first to propose. Only that she was going to have to keep both secrets throughout this entire song and dance.

At the very least, it would make a funny story for later. 

------

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed, please consider reblogging or buying the writer a coffee!

[amadoures]

GIANNA  YUN  ,    tashi    duncan    in    the    form    of    moon    gayoung  .

i. statistics

full name:  gianna yun nickname(s):  gi, gigi, gia age:  29 years old date of birth:  january 16th, 1996 hometown:  long beach, california time in palmview:  7 months (since sept 2024) residence:  harborview residences #4a, coral cove sexuality:  bisexual occupation:  professional tennis player

ii. biography

gi is the oldest of 2 siblings. has a younger sister that lived in her shadow that she doesn’t care about :/

she was enrolled into all sorts of classes growing up but it was tennis that stuck with her the most. due to her exceptional skills and dedication to the sport from a young age she quickly garnered attention as a tennis prodigy, which her parents fully supported right from the start. gi was their pride and joy after all, that much was obvious.

at the age of 18 she made her professional debut and attended stanford university on a tennis scholarship. gi had been playing consistently since then, winning tournaments left and right, steadily climbing through rank. it was when she won her third grand slam did she finally rise to number one, besides winning gold in 2020 tokyo olympics.

by the time she turned 25 she already made her name in the tennis world. gi was undeniably at the peak of her career, even became the most sought out athlete for brand deals and endorsement.

(  injury tw  )  she was set to make a return in 2024 paris olympics, another gold medal to add into her numerous collections. that was until she went a little too hard during training and got seriously injured, leading to her instant withdrawal from the olympics.

she was advised to take a year off playing, much to her dismay. it was every athlete’s worst nightmare, but she told herself that it was temporary, that she’s not fucked up enough that her career was over right away. 

still, gi had a hard time adjusting to her new routine. her parents insisted they stayed with her until she’s good enough to be on her own, and when she finally did she decided that she needed to get away.

a visit to her friend’s place is what brought gi to palmview grove at first, eventually prompting her to move into the same apartment building as her friend once she’s doing a little better.

iii. headcanons

as a public figure she has that chic image going on (i just know her fans called her a Baddie. she has no idea what that means tho), but in real life it depends on who she’s dealing with.

says she doesn’t really care much about her reputation but will be on her best behavior when she knows there are people watching. well, maybe she’s a little fake... who can blame her tho she’s a public figure !

is chronically offline like this girl does NOT know how to use social media. it’s her pr manager that manages her accounts most of the time, which is why the content only consists of her tennis matches and brand deals. occasionally throws in a mirror selfie or whatever cuz apparently people wanna know what she’s doing, especially now that she’s on hiatus.

she has just recently gotten back into training, mostly trying to keep in shape and not so much on the courts. there’s a fear that the injury might get worse if she keeps on pushing it, but it’s hard to remember she’s not as fit as she once was when she starts to get into it sometimes.

first impression is important to her. if she already doesn’t like you at first sight then she doesn’t like you. not that it’s easy for her to be impressed but if she thinks you might stand a chance, then she might let her guard down and be a little more nice. other than that ? she’s a stone-cold bitch.

has only 2 people in her inner circle but down to 1 now that she’s upset at ronnie </3

owns a porsche & enjoys a late night drive by herself with the rooftop down, that shit is therapeutic ! aside from that all she does is work out and watch tennis matches (her previous ones included). will opt for fine dining on nights she doesn’t feel like cooking, whether alone or with a friend.

iv. connections

georgia yun:  younger sister.

joanna thornhill:  best friend.

veronica herrera:  best friend on bad terms.

elara lockhart, daphne mancini & viviènne maizière:  friends.

maisie hoffman:  new friend.

charlie hughes:  ex-boyfriend.

axel sayaw:  enemy with benefits.

major powell:  went on a date once.

evelyn martinez:  enemy.

isaiah francis:  victim to his hero complex.

zakir drissi:  former personal trainer.

nell zhao:  acquaintance.