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jungkoode · 1 month ago

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死 KKANGPAE | #11 死

† embers in the night †

"Camping trips are not your favorite thing in the world, but if Moon made it a thing, then you might as well swallow it up. Just like you swallow up Jeon's glances across the fire during the truth or dare game, or the way the flame of his cigarette glows amber in the distance and you somehow manage to know it's him.

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⚔ chapter details ⚔

word count: 6.5k

rating: mature

content: camping trip stuff, grab the flag game, jessi and V bantering, jessi being a queen, friendship, truth or dare, sexual tension, hidden cig encounters, lowkey innuedo

☠ author's note ☠

You bitches. You unhinged little chaos goblins. DID YOU miss you trees, tension, and team-building trauma? Well, here's more of that.

Who would've thought? Not Moon. He just wanted to force the criminal girlies into the woods like it was a corporate retreat gone feral.

This chapter was so much fun to write. Like. The sheer range. One second we’re all sunburnt and pissed, and the next we’re watching Jessi roundhouse-kick a flagpole while V monologues like he’s in Phantom of the Opera (Violent Remix).

I really loved exploring the absolute clownery of this “team bonding” mission while sneaking in all these little character moments. Jessi and V’s rivalry? I LOVE THEM. SIBLING VIBES BUT MAKE IT DEADLY. ALSOOOO JM’s cardigan diplomacy? Flawless. Takama being a soft deadly kiwi?? I weep.

And then there’s Jeon.

Brooding. Smoking. Being allergic to feelings like it’s his job. (Which, to be fair, it kind of is.)

That last scene?? Baby girl. Baby DARLING. If you didn’t feel that in your knees, go reread.

Also. Also. Can we take a moment to appreciate the absolute tomfoolery of “Never Have I Ever” in a group full of criminals?? Like—everyone’s drinking. Everyone’s unwell. AD’s collecting blackmail. JM’s watching V with that “I’m not touching you but I’m thinking about it” gaze.

And Y/N?? Dropping that bomb about attraction like the menace she is. Girlie took a sip of that chaos juice and said “bet.” Queen behavior.

Anyway. All I’m saying is... get ready for next chapter. Hihihi.

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tumblr/twitter: @jungkoode

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎

The sun is being a real bitch today.

You wipe the sweat off your forehead for what feels like the millionth time, cursing whoever decided winter should feel like summer.

Moon, that conniving bastard.

His brilliant idea of "team bonding" in the mountains somehow got RM's stamp of approval, and now here you are, hiking up this godforsaken trail with the rest of Kkangpae's finest.

The gravel crunches under your boots as you trudge along. Something about seeing each other's "true colors" and "building trust," Moon had said. You snort. Leave it to him to turn a camping trip into some deep psychological experiment.

Up ahead, Jeon's leading the pack like the brooding commander he is. You watch him navigate the path with that focused intensity of his, all broad shoulders and purposeful strides. Everyone else keeps their distance—smart of them, really. His storm-cloud aura is doing that thing again, the one that makes the air feel electric and h̶o̶t̶ dangerous.

V bounces around near him like some deranged mountain sprite, which would be funny if it wasn't so unnerving. One second he's scaling rocks like some kind of professional climber, the next he's pelting people with pine cones, cackling like a kid on a sugar rush.

The contrast between him and Jeon is almost comical—darkness and chaos, wrapped up in two very different packages.

"Watch your step here," Flower calls out from behind you, her voice steady and sure.

You glance back to see her expertly maneuvering around a particularly treacherous patch of loose rocks. She makes everything look effortless, even hiking in this heat.

God, teach you her ways.

Jessi's voice cuts through suddenly: "Keep up the pace, we're not here for sightseeing!"

You can't help but grin as you watch her march ahead, red ponytail swinging like a battle flag. Even in hiking gear, she manages to look fierce as hell. Her division members trail behind her like ducklings, trying (and failing) to match her energy.

Something about seeing everyone out here, away from the castle's shadows and politics, feels weirdly raw. Real. You're all still the same dangerous people, just... dustier. Sweatier.

Maybe that was Moon's point all along.

Sneaky bastard.

The late afternoon sun bathes everything in gold, and you can't help but snort at the sight before you. It's absurdly funny seeing Kkangpae's finest trudging through nature like some twisted corporate retreat.

AD looks particularly out of place, blonde hair catching the light like a beacon as he leads his team of tech nerds through the wilderness. They're all following him like lost puppies, probably experiencing their first dose of vitamin D in months. You notice how his casual slouch doesn't quite mask the way his eyes keep scanning the treeline. Old habits die hard, huh?

"For fuck's sake, watch where you're stepping!" J-Hope's voice cuts through the air, his usual crankiness making a brief appearance as one of his medics nearly trips over a root.

Still, there's something different about him out here.

Less Dr. Jekyll, more... well, still Dr. Jekyll, but maybe after a cup of chamomile tea.

His team's got enough medical supplies to handle a small apocalypse, which is probably smart given this crowd.

And then there's JM, floating through it all like some ethereal woodland creature in his oversized cardigan. His financial team looks hilariously out of their element, but they're managing to keep up, probably because JM's presence is as calming as ever.

Though you'd bet good money those designer shoes aren't going to survive this trip.

The path finally opens up to a view that actually makes you pause.

Damn.

The valley stretches out below, all misty blues and greens, and for a moment, you forget you're part of a criminal organization of sorts. Everyone else seems to feel it too—this weird, peaceful vibe that has no business existing among a bunch of gang members.

"Alright, let's set up camp here." Moon's voice breaks the spell, all business as usual. But even his sunglasses can't hide the fact that he's actually enjoying this ridiculous situation.

You watch as everyone scrambles to follow his orders, divisions mixing like some bizarre summer camp activity—and it's kinda funny, seeing assassins and hackers arguing over how to pitch a tent.

Moon clears his voice like a professor about to announce a pop quiz. "Alright, everyone!"

You fight back an eye roll. Of course. The camping trip is not but some structured learning experience.

"Before we set up for the night, we have an activity." There's something almost gleeful in his tone that makes you nervous. "It's a team-building exercise, but with a Kkangpae twist."

Oh great. You watch as everyone exchanges looks, probably sharing your thought that nothing good ever comes from the words "team-building" and "twist" in the same sentence.

"We're going to split into mixed teams," Moon explains, pushing his round glasses up his nose. "Your task is to find and retrieve a flag hidden somewhere in this area. First team back wins."

You catch Jeon's subtle shift in posture—that slight straightening of his shoulders that means his competitive side just woke up. Meanwhile, V's grinning like someone told him there's cookies, which is honestly terrifying given his track record with "games."

"You'll need to use your skills cooperatively," Moon adds, like he's reading from some corporate manual. "This exercise is about strategy, teamwork, and understanding each other's strengths."

"Sounds like fun," Jessi cuts in, hands on her hips. "But what's the catch, Moon?"

Moon's lips curl into what might actually be a grin—holy shit, someone document this rare occurrence—before he drops the bomb: "You must stick together at all times, no one can be left behind. And remember, the forest can be deceptive. Stay alert." He pauses for dramatic effect. "Whoever wins gets to choose sleeping tent and partner."

Well, fuck.

The clearing erupts into motion as people start grouping up, and suddenly you're caught in the middle of what feels like the world's most dangerous game of musical chairs.

Your team's a weird mix, but maybe that's the point.

There's Jessi, JM, and Takama—the powerhouse trio you actually know—plus a handful of faces you usually just pass in the castle hallways.

There's Hyun from Medical, who looks like he'd rather be anywhere else but manages to radiate competence anyway. Seojoon from Cyber's got that twitchy energy all AD's people seem to share, like he's searching for a WiFi signal in this godforsaken forest. And then there's Minji from Stealth, who moves like she's made of smoke—seriously, how does she make hiking look graceful?

"Okay, team." Jessi's already taking charge, because of course she is. Her ponytail swings as she surveys your group like a general reviewing troops. "We've got a diverse set of skills here, and we're going to use them to win this."

JM hums in agreement, somehow making his oversized cardigan look appropriate for a hike. "Let's keep communication open and clear."

"The flag's probably hidden somewhere difficult," Takama cuts in. You've seen him around Jeon enough to recognize that tactical mind at work. "We should start in the denser areas."

The others chime in with their two cents—Hyun promising to play medic (thanks, but let's not need that), Seojoon muttering about search grids like this is some kind of programming problem, and Minji suggesting stealth like she's on an actual mission.

You nod along, trying not to roll your eyes at how seriously everyone's taking this glorified scavenger hunt. "Alright, we've got a plan. Let's just... not die in the process?"

Your ragtag team heads into the forest, and wow, Moon really picked the worst terrain possible. The ground's basically trying to trip you with every step, and these bushes are definitely winning the war against your clothes. But between Seojoon's weirdly effective grid system and Minji's silent-assassin routine, you're actually making decent progress.

Maybe this won't be a total disaster after all.

You can't help but grin as you listen to Jessi and JM's back-and-forth.

"You know," Jessi starts, that trademark smirk of hers making an appearance, "I'm not one for all this sneaking around. If it were up to me, I'd charge through these woods, make a beeline for that flag, and dare anyone to try and stop me."

JM chuckles, and you swear you can feel the calming effect it has on everyone. "That's exactly why we're here, Jessi. To learn different approaches. Besides, subtlety can be just as powerful as brute force, don't you think?"

"Maybe there's some strength in silence," Jessi admits, nodding at Minji. "But come on, it's hard to deny the rush of a good brawl."

"I get that," JM says, his eyes scanning the trees like he's trying to find a hidden Excel spreadsheet or something. "But we're a team. This is about more than just strength. It's about using our heads, too."

Jessi lets out a laugh that probably scares off half the wildlife in a five-mile radius. She claps JM on the back, and you wince, half-expecting him to topple over. But nope, he doesn't even flinch.

Guess that cardigan's hiding some muscle.

"That's why you're here, Jimin," Jessi grins. "You keep us grounded and thinking. But if we do come across another team, I'm not holding back!"

"You wouldn't be Jessi if you did," JM responds with a smile that's way too sweet for a guy who probably knows twenty-five ways to launder money through a lemonade stand. "Just make sure to keep that energy until we find the flag. We'll need it."

You watch as they fall into step together, and it's kind of... nice? In a weird, 'we're-all-criminals-but-hey-found-family' kind of way.

"You're the calm to my storm, Chimchim," Jessi says, and oh, this is the first time you're seeing her softer side. "But let's not forget, we've got Chaewon in another team and there's no way I'm letting her beat us."

JM grins, and you swear you can see the gears turning in that big brain of his. "Not a chance. We've got this." His eyes flick to Jessi's feet. "Just watch your step, though. Can't have you charging off and spraining an ankle. We need you in top form, Jessi."

You bite back a snort. Leave it to JM to be all caring while also low-key telling Jessi to chill the fuck out.

As you trudge along behind them, you can't help but wonder what the other teams are up to. E̶s̶p̶e̶c̶i̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶J̶e̶o̶n̶'s.

Not that you care. Nope. Not at all.

Your throat feels like sandpaper, and you realize with growing irritation that your water bottle is probably sitting pretty back at camp, completely useless to you right now. Great going, genius.

You're in the middle of cursing your own stupidity when Takama falls into step beside you. For Jeon's second-in-command, he's surprisingly... not terrifying?

"You look like you could use this," he says, offering his canteen with a smile that actually reaches his eyes. It's weird seeing such a genuine expression on someone from the Assassination Division.

"Thanks, Takama." You accept the water, trying not to look as desperately thirsty as you feel. "I can't believe I left mine back at camp."

The water hits different when you're this thirsty. You try not to chug it like some dehydrated gremlin, but it's a close call.

"It happens to the best of us," he says, and there's something almost kind in his voice. "Just remember to stay hydrated. We've got a long day ahead of us."

You hand back his canteen, feeling weirdly touched by the gesture. "I owe you one."

"No worries. We're all here to look out for each other, right?"

He says it so easily, like it's the most natural thing in the world. Like we're not all part of a criminal organization where trust usually comes with a price tag.

It hits you then—Takama's actually nice. Not in that fake, calculated way some gang members are, but genuinely considerate. The kind of person who notices when someone's struggling and helps without making a big deal out of it.

You watch him scan the forest ahead, radiating both competence and awareness at the same time. You can't help but think it's almost funny how he ended up as Jeon's right hand—they're like night and day. Where Jeon's all storm clouds and sharp edges, Takama's more like... well, a really deadly teddy bear with a shaved head?

A soft kiwi, maybe?

What even is this gang anymore?

Hyun's voice interrupts your inner chatter. "Eyes peeled, everyone. We're approaching a likely area."

You resist the urge to roll your eyes. No shit, Sherlock.

And then the trees loom overhead, casting weird shadows that make every bush look like a potential hiding spot. You're starting to think Moon's got a sadistic streak, making you play hide and seek in this green maze.

Minji glides forward like some forest nymph, graceful and silent. It's almost annoying how effortlessly she moves. You, on the other hand, feel about as stealthy as a drunk elephant.

"We're making good progress," Seojoon mutters, probably to his imaginary friend.

The guy's been muttering to himself this whole time. You're half convinced he's got a spreadsheet running in his head.

The sun's starting to dip, painting everything in that Instagram-worthy golden hour light. It'd be pretty if it didn't also mean you're running out of time, because where the fuck is the goddamn flag?

You all keep moving together until Jessi throws up her hand like she's hailing a taxi in the middle of the woods.

"You hear that?" she whispers, and there's this glint in her eye that screams 'trouble'.

You strain your ears and—oh. Oh shit. That's definitely the sound of people nearby. Your heart does this weird little skip, part 'fuck yeah' and part 'oh fuck'.

"We move quiet, we move fast," Jessi hisses. "Remember, they're not expecting us. We've got the element of surprise. Let's use it."

You all nod like a bunch of bobbleheads and spread out. You try your best to channel your inner Minji, but you're pretty sure you look more like a constipated ninja.

Jessi peeks over some bushes, and bam—there it is.

The flag.

Your golden ticket to a decent night's sleep and maybe, just maybe, a chance to stick it to Jeon.

Your heart's pounding so hard you're surprised it hasn't alerted the other team.

This is it.

You watch as Jessi's eyes narrow, and you know that look. She's not just seeing what's there—she's looking for all the ways this could go wrong.

Then it happens. A rustle in the trees that's definitely not the wind, and before you can process it, you spot him. V, looking like some demented forest creature, perched in a tree like he's auditioning for a horror movie.

The moment Jessi and V lock eyes, the whole atmosphere shifts. Because fuck. You've seen enough of the chiefs' competitive bullshit to know this is about to get wild.

They both move at once, like someone fired a starting gun. V launches himself from the tree with that unnatural grace of his—so that's where Minji's gotten it from huh?—while Jessi... well, Jessi does what Jessi does best: something absolutely batshit crazy.

Instead of going for the flag like a normal person, she fucking roundhouse kicks the pole. The flag goes flying through the air like some patriotic frisbee, and you have to bite back a laugh because of course she'd pull something like this.

The look V and Jessi share is almost funny—like two cats who just realized they're both after the same mouse. Although it seems to be accompanied by this weird respect, probably buried under layers of competitive spite.

They both land, and V's got that smile on his face. You know the one—that 'I'm about to be an absolute shit' smile that you're really starting to associate with him.

"Well, well," he drawls, brushing off his hands like he didn't just parkour through the forest. "I must say, Jessi, you still know how to make a man's heart race."

Jessi straightens up, and you can practically feel the eye roll coming. "Please, V. The day you can outmaneuver me is the day the Council of Nine turns into a knitting circle."

V's chuckle is low and lazy, like he has all the time in the world. His grin stretches wide, equal parts mischief and provocation.

"But isn't that what makes it so fun?" He gestures between himself and Jessi with a flourish. "You, all brute force and chaos. Me, dripping with finesse. A perfect match, don't you think?"

Jessi crosses her arms, utterly unimpressed. Her gaze could cut steel, but V? He's eating it up.

"Finesse? Is that what we're calling your sneaky little stunts now? Sounds like bullshit with extra steps to me."

The air suddenly turns... weird. Like it's cracking with adrenaline and... whatever the hell their dynamic is. Though it's clear neither is willing to flinch, and the rest of you might as well not exist.

"Ah, but—" V bows theatrically, one arm sweeping out like he's on a stage instead of about to throw hands. "Subtlety is an art form. And me? I'm nothing short of a masterpiece. You know, not everyone gets the honor of sparring with the Stealth Chief."

Jessi barks out a laugh so sharp it echoes through the trees, momentarily silencing the usual rustle of leaves.

"Stealth Chief? Is that what you call scurrying around like some feral house cat? Hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but sneaking isn't exactly fighting. It's just running away in slow motion."

Her stance shifts slightly, weight rolling to the balls of her feet. It's the kind of posture that makes you take a cautious step back, because you've heard of Jessi when she's motivated, and it's not pretty—for the idiot on the receiving end.

V doesn't even blink. Instead, his smirk deepens, resilient as ever.

"Coward, hmm? That's what sore losers say when they can't keep up." He tuts softly, shaking his head as if she's the one being unreasonable.

Oh, boy.

You can almost feel Jessi's hackles rise. Her eyes narrow into slits, a dangerous glint stealing across her face.

"The only finesse you're gonna have is figuring out how to pick your teeth out of the dirt, pretty boy."

It's like the temperature drops a few degrees—or maybe it's just the shadow of their looming chaos. Everyone else stays frozen, like one wrong move will get them caught in the crossfire, and honestly? You wouldn't blame them.

V circles her slowly, scornful expression still intact, obviously. But there's an edge to it now, playful but keen, like the blade of a knife.

"Oh, Jess," his voice turns mocking, "I'd consider you competition... if we were in the same league."

And that's it. That's the match to her gasoline fire.

Jessi lunges first—of course she does. She's all instinct, fast and explosive, and it's honestly terrifying how much energy she has left even after the trek through the forest. Her feint is quick, purposeful, a snap to the left designed to bait him.

But V's not a rookie. He doesn't take the bait. Instead, he stays planted, watching her with that maddening patience of his, tracking her every move like she's easy to figure out.

"Come on, V," Jessi taunts, her voice bright. "What's the matter? Scared I'll knock that smirk off your face?"

V leans back slightly, just enough to dodge her next swipe. He looks far too calm, that smirk of his like a permanent fixture.

"Oh, Jessi, Jessi, Jessi." His voice is mockingly soothing, like he's trying to calm a rabid dog. "I'd actually have to notice you to be scared."

You don't know whether to laugh or take cover. Probably both.

V springs into action like some unholy mixture of a cat and a ninja. This is the first time you've seen him fight, and honestly you're not entirely sure he's actually trying.

Maybe it's just the pure glee radiating off him as he dances around Jessi's attacks.

Jessi's not making it easy for him. She's fierce, determined—and girl's got stamina for days. But V? The bastard's treating this like his own personal performance art, ducking and weaving like he does this while eating a bagel for breakfast.

"Come on, Joo," V taunts, narrowly avoiding Jessi's grab. "Getting slow in your old age?"

"I'll show you slow, you little shit!"

Suddenly V feints left and Jessi takes the bait, lunging forward with enough force to probably knock out a bear. But V's already spinning away, cackling as he dives for the flag.

His fingers brush the fabric, and for a second, you think he's got it. But Jessi? She's not Logistics Chief for nothing. She hooks her foot around his ankle—dirty move, you love it—sending him slightly off balance. It's not much, but it's enough.

They both grab the flag at almost the same moment, and suddenly it's a weird game of tug-of-war mixed with what looks like interpretive dance. V's got the advantage of height, but Jessi's got pure stubborn determination on her side.

"Let go, you overgrown weed!" Jessi grunts, yanking hard.

"Ladies first," V purrs, and you see the exact moment Jessi's eye twitches.

She does something then—some crazy mix of a twist and a roll that makes you dizzy just watching—and suddenly V's grip slips. The flag comes free, and Jessi stumbles back, barely keeping her balance but clutching her prize like it's made of gold.

V's jaw falls, and it's like he's about to curse her out.

But then, he simply straightens up, brushing dirt from his clothes with exaggerated care. His hair's a mess and there's a leaf stuck to his shoulder, but he's still grinning.

"Well played, Jessi." The words come out warm, genuine. "You've still got the moves."

Jessi's victory dance consists mainly of waving the flag in V's face. "Not too shabby yourself, pretty boy. But let's not forget who the winner is here."

You watch them, these two ridiculous powerhouses of Kkangpae, playfully shoving each other like actual siblings.

Maybe this is exactly what Moon wanted you to see.

The walk back to camp feels like a victory parade.

If... victory parades involved a bunch of criminals trampling through the woods.

Jessi's leading the charge, waving that flag like she just conquered a small country.

The clearing comes into view, and suddenly you're all celebrities. The other teams are gathered around, some actually cheering, others looking like they just bit into a lemon. You catch a few eye rolls—sore losers much?

"And then—" Jessi's voice booms across as she launches into her dramatic retelling. She demonstrates her kick, nearly taking out a poor sapling in the process. "—the flag was mine!"

"Ours." JM corrects.

You bite back a laugh. Trust Jessi to turn a game of capture the flag into an epic saga.

"That's my girl!" Chaewon hollers from the sidelines, looking like a proud mom at a soccer game. She bounces over to Jessi, and they fall into their usual rhythm of playful jabs and inside jokes.

The attention shifts to JM, who's scanning the crowd intently—but before he can even open his mouth, V materializes next to him like some kind of demented jack-in-the-box.

"Come on, JM," V purrs, draping himself over JM's shoulders. "You know you want to bunk with me. I'll keep the monsters away."

JM sighs, but you catch that little smile he's trying to hide.

"I suppose someone needs to make sure you don't terrorize the entire camp." He shakes his head, fond exasperation written all over his face. "Fine, you win."

Now it's your turn. You glance around the clearing, weighing your options. Your eyes land on Yunjin, and something in your chest settles.

After all this chaos, her gentle presence feels like finding a quiet corner in a noisy room.

"I choose Yunjin," you say, and watch her face light up like a sunrise. "We'll take a two-person tent."

"I'd like that," she replies softly, and you know you made the right choice.

At least someone in this camp won't try to murder you in your sleep.

Hopefully.

The sun finally gives up its assault as evening rolls in.

Everyone's hustling around, pitching tents like they actually know what they're doing (spoiler: most don't), while someone gets a bonfire going. You find yourself plopped down next to Yunjin, watching the flames dance.

The clearing's alive with chatter and laughter—gang members discussing random stuff like normal citizens.

You notice from your periphery that Chaewon and Jessi are cackling about something, probably roasting someone (metaphorically, for once).

Their friendship hits different when you see them like this, all guard down and genuine.

Not far from them, V's got JM trapped in what looks like the world's most animated conversation. He's all dramatic hand gestures and shit-eating grins while JM just sits there, dropping these little zingers that have V practically bouncing.

The fire crackles, bottles clink, and for a moment it's like... you're at some normal camping trip.

If normal meant with your dysfunctional criminal found family thing.

"Alright, folks!" V slaps his thigh like some demented camp counselor, grinning like he just thought of the best worst idea ever. "How about we spice things up a bit? Never Have I Ever—you drink if you've done it."

The response is a mix of "hell yeah" and "oh god no," but you know everyone's going to play anyway. That's just how V's chaos works—it's like a black hole, sucking everyone into its orbit.

AD shifts against his log, looking way too comfortable for someone sitting on literal dirt.

"This should be good," he drawls, and you can practically see the blackmail material forming in his brain.

"Just remember," J-Hope cuts in, trying (and failing) to sound responsible, "I'm not drinking tonight."

You notice how AD's eyes flick to him for just a second, unspoken words being thrown into the space between them.

You don't have enough time to decipher it though, because soon enough everyone is grabbing their drink (or in J-Hope's case, what looks suspiciously like apple juice).

This is either going to be the best team-building exercise ever or the start of World War III.

"Never have I ever..." V drawls, and you just know he's about to say something stupid. "Gotten a tattoo I regretted the next day."

A few drinks go up, and AD mutters something about a phoenix that sounds suspiciously like a drunk decision gone wrong. You catch J-Hope trying not to laugh at that—probably because he's the one who had to deal with the infection afterward.

The game picks up speed, stories getting bolder with each round. Your brain's starting to feel fuzzy around the edges when it's your turn.

"Never have I ever..." You tap your bottle against your chin, grinning. "Bailed someone out of jail before sunrise."

The response is instant—bottles going up everywhere like some weird criminal toast. Jeon takes a particularly long drink, and you can't help but wonder how many times he's had to rescue his disaster squad from lockup.

"Never have I ever," AD announces, shooting J-Hope that shit-eating grin of his, "been caught in a ridiculous, bright yellow suit that could be seen from space.

J-Hope doesn't miss a beat. "Never have I ever walked into a glass door because I was too busy admiring my own reflection."

The clearing erupts with laughter, and AD shoves him like he wants to murder him. You swear these two are one bickering session away from either killing each other or adopting each other.

Then it's your leader's turn, and she confesses to some wild midnight adventure that has Jessi cackling, and then Jessi drops the bomb about her secret karaoke obsession—which weirdly, surprises nobody.

The alcohol's doing its job, making everything feel warm and loose, when V suddenly turns to you. His eyes are glinting with mischief in the firelight, and you know you're about to be targeted.

"Your turn," he purrs, and everyone's eyes swing your way. "Let's hear something juicy."

Oh, it's on.

Maybe it's the alcohol, or maybe it's the fire's dancing in your vision, making faces blur like some abstract painting—but suddenly you've got what might be either the best or worst idea ever.

You lean forward, propping your elbows on your knees, and oh—maybe sitting up so fast wasn't the smartest move. Still, you've committed now.

"Never have I ever," you drawl, feeling particularly bold (or stupid), "found someone in this circle attractive."

The silence that follows is delicious.

Then, the clearing erupts in laughter and the telling clink of bottles.

Your eyes scan the circle, catching all those little tells—the shifted gazes, the not-so-subtle glances. And then—

Oh.

Across the fire, Jeon moves. It's subtle—barely anything at all. But you see it. The way his dark eyes find yours, steady and unwavering, even as he lifts his bottle to his lips.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

Your breath catches, just for a moment, before you collect yourself. The fire crackles as if mocking the heat suddenly pooling in your chest. Goddamn him.

Yunjin's trying (and failing) to be subtle about her giggles, taking the tiniest sip from her bottle. Next to her, Eunchae's practically glowing, her laugh carrying across the fire as she drinks.

Kazuha makes drinking look like some fancy tea ceremony, all grace and poise, while Sakura's grinning like she's got secrets to spare. They share this look that makes you wonder if there's a story there.

And then; there's Takama. His face does this thing where it's completely blank before he drinks, but there's this little smirk playing at the corner of his mouth that says he's in on some joke the rest of you aren't.

V, though? He doesn't even hesitate. "Looks like we've got a crowd full of admirers," he says dramatically, raising his bottle like he's toasting to a room full of fans.

Your eyes catch how they flick toward JM for just a split second, and well—that's interesting.

Laughter ripples through the group again, and the tension eases, though your heart hasn't quite caught up yet.

It's still hammering in your chest, louder than it has any right to be, especially with Jeon sitting there, calm as a fucking statue.

You dare another glance at him, only to find his eyes still on you, half-lidded but watching.

Always watching.

The firelight dances across his face, catching on the silver of his lip ring, the sharp line of his jaw. You can't read him, and that pisses you off more than it probably should.

"Think you're clever, huh?" V says, pulling you back to the moment. His voice is teasing, but there's that signature chaos behind it, something wild and unapologetic. "Careful, sweetheart. Questions like that just set the wolves loose."

You smirk, forcing your gaze away from Jeon. "Good thing I don't mind wolves."

V laughs, throwing his head back dramatically as if you've just made his entire night. Meanwhile, Jeon hasn't moved, hasn't said a word. But you swear you can feel the weight of his presence pressing against you.

Like the goddamn hurricane he is.

You don't miss how JM takes a slow, deliberate sip from his bottle, and that little smirk playing on his lips. His eyes flick briefly toward V before darting away.

Huh.

"Guess we're all a bit fucked up, huh?" Jessi announces with 0 subtlety, taking a long drink and throwing a wink across the fire.

J-Hope leans back against his log, grinning despite his apple juice. "What can we say? We're a good-looking bunch."

Coming from anyone else, it might sound conceited. But J-Hope manages to make it sound like he's sharing some universal truth.

AD just sits there with that infuriating eyebrow raised, looking like he's cataloging every reaction for future reference—and the way his lips curve up at the corners... Yeah, he's probably acquiring blackmail material.

The game keeps going, and you all keep drinking. Everyone redoubles on the alcohol, guards slip a little bit and then the fire's dying down, but the energy around the circle is still very much present.

You blame the booze for the way your skin prickles every time you feel Jeon's gaze slide over to you.

Not that you're keeping track.

The crowd around the fire thins out as the night deepens.

A few stragglers remain—Yunjin and Eunchae huddled together like gossiping schoolgirls, while Kazuha and Sakura stare into the flames like they're trying to divine their futures or something.

You sit there, watching the fire die down, feeling that pleasant buzz from earlier starting to fade.

Then you spot it—a tiny orange glow in the darkness, like a misplaced star.

Cigarette.

And there's only one brooding asshole who'd be lurking in the shadows at this hour.

You get up, picking your way through what feels like a minefield of sleeping bags and empty bottles. You make it through some trees and bushes, and an owl hoots somewhere in the distance, probably judging your life choices.

Then he's there.

Jeon.

Standing there like some noir film character, all broad shoulders and moody silence.

The cigarette between his lips is the only thing giving him away in the darkness.

Dramatic bastard.

"Smoking again?" You try to keep your voice casual, but it comes out softer than intended. Maybe it's the lingering alcohol, or maybe it's just... him.

He doesn't even flinch—of course he doesn't. Mr. Perfect Assassin probably knew you were coming before you did.

He takes a long drag before answering, smoke curling from his lips.

"Yeah." His voice is rough, low. "Had to hide from J-Hope. He'd have my ass for this."

"And here I thought you quit." You lean against his tree, close enough to smell that addictive mix of tobacco and him.

Pine and wood and petrichor.

He finally turns to look at you, and fuck—the way the cigarette's glow catches his features should be illegal.

That smirk doesn't help either.

"Old habits die hard."

"Bad for your health, you know." You're not sure why you're still talking, but something about this moment feels... different. Significant.

His laugh is dark, barely there. "Ain't much about our lives that's good for health, is there?"

Silence falls between you, like tiny droplets of water during a sizzle.

You both know what this is—what it isn't.

You watch him take another drag, mesmerized by the way his lips wrap around the filter. The only sounds are some distant snoring and the occasional hoot of that judgmental owl from earlier.

"You ever think about quitting? For real, I mean?" The question slips out before you can stop it. Blame it on the lingering alcohol, or maybe just the way the moonlight catches on his lip ring.

Jeon rolls the cigarette between his fingers, and you try not to stare at the way they move.

Really try.

"Sometimes," he murmurs.

And god, his voice shouldn't sound like that—all gravely and burnt at the edges from the nicotine dragging down his throat.

"But it's like this—" He gestures vaguely at the darkness around you, at your whole fucked-up world. "It's a part of me. Even if it's not the best part."

Your eyes drift to his face, tracing the sharp line of his jaw, lingering maybe a second too long on his lips as they part to release another cloud of smoke. There's something dangerous about the way he looks right now, something that has you holding yourself back from doing something stupid.

Something really stupid.

Before you can talk yourself out of it, you reach out and snatch the cigarette right from between his lips. His expression shifts from surprise to something else, something you can't quite grasp. His mouth stays slightly parted, just for a moment, before he catches himself.

You bring the cigarette to your own lips, taking a slow drag. The filter's still warm from his mouth. You hold his gaze as you inhale, watching the way his eyes track the movement.

"Look at you," he finally says, voice rough and low, "preaching about bad habits."

You exhale, letting the smoke curl between you like a secret. "Consider it a public service. Just looking out for you."

You can't help the smirk that tugs at your lips.

He leans in—fuck—close enough that you can smell pine and rain and tobacco.

"By taking on the bad habits yourself?" His tone is teasing, but his eyes... his eyes are something else entirely.

Another drag, slower this time.

You're playing with fire and you know it.

"Someone's got to make sure you don't fall off the wagon." Your voice comes out lower than intended, smoke dancing around your words. "Might as well be me."

Your chest burns, and you wonder if it's really just the nicotine.

Dangerous territory, babe.

You watch as Jeon's eyes track the cigarette between your fingers. He doesn't ask for it back, and somehow that feels more intimate than if he had.

"You're a hell of a contradiction, you know that?" His voice is soft, barely there, but it hits you like a punch to the gut.

You can't help the wry grin that tugs at your lips.

"Aren't we all, in this game?"

The question hovers between you like the smoke curling up from the cigarette still nestled between your lips.

Loaded.

With all the things you're not supposed to say, not supposed to want.

His laugh, when it comes, is low, obscure. Utterly dangerous. It does things to your chest that you refuse to examine too closely.

"We are," he admits, and fuck, the way he's looking at you makes your skin feel too tight. "But some of us are better at playing the part than others."

You pull the cig out of your mouth, roll it between your fingers, watching the smoke curl up toward the stars.

Anything to avoid drowning in those hurricane eyes of his.

"And which one of us isn't playing their part right now?"

You catch the way his jaw tenses, the slight shift as he leans back. It's subtle, but you think you're starting to learn to read these tiny tells of his. The way he holds himself, like he's physically stopping from moving closer.

"We're both walking a thin line here," he murmurs, and there's something in his voice—exhaustion maybe, or resignation. "You know the rules as well as I do."

"I do." The words taste bitter on your tongue. "Doesn't mean I have to like them."

Doesn't mean you have to like the way he makes you want to break them. Squash them. Fuck them.

F̶u̶c̶k̶ h̶i̶m̶.̶

He watches you like he's trying to memorize every detail, and you hate how it makes you feel exposed.

Like you're simply made of glass and he can see right through to the mess underneath.

"We don't get to pick and choose which rules to follow." His voice drops so low you almost miss it. "Not without consequences."

Consequences. It's a horrible word and you suddenly can't help hating it. Fucking stupid consequences.

You take one last drag from the cigarette, letting the burn ground you. It's almost funny how that tiny ember matches the heat that floods your system whenever he looks at you like that.

With a flick of your wrist, you send it spinning into the darkness, watching it burst into sparks before fading to nothing.

"Then I guess we're good at playing by the rules, aren't we?" Your voice stays steady, even if your pulse is doing gymnastics in your throat.

His eyes follow the dead cigarette's arc before landing back on you, and fuck—there's something in that look that makes your chest ache.

"Yeah," he says, and you catch that hint of... something in his voice. Like regret, maybe. Or defeat. "We're the best."

It's almost funny how these stolen moments have become your new normal—these little pockets of time where you both pretend you're not thinking about breaking every single atom of space between both of you.

But rules are rules, and Jeon... well, Jeon follows them like his life depends on it.

And maybe, it does.

Too bad his dedication to the rules doesn't make him any less fucking attractive.

goal: 160 notes. If we don’t hit it, I’m putting you all in Moon’s next trust fall workshop. With V as your partner. Good luck.

next | index

🔪 taglist 🔪

@cannotalwaysbenight @livingformintyoongi @itstoastsworld @redcherrykook @somehowukook @stutixmaru @chloepiccoliniii @kimnamjoonmiddletoe @rpwprpwprpwprw @jimineepaboya @annyeongbitch7 @mar-lo-pap @whothefuckisthishoe @mikrokookiex

no reposts, translations, or adaptations

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heartstringsduet · 3 months ago

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Favorite Fandom moments (this got way too long who is surprised) Thanks for tagging me: @tellmegoodbye @nisbanisba @reyesstrand

@welcometololaland @rmd-writes

@she-walked-away @everlastingday @strandnreyes

1. I binged season 1-3 in December 2022 by myself. A fun fact about me, i HATE procedurals. Usually I can manage a few episodes and enjoy them and then I think the formula of episodic rescues/crime solving is too boring. I thought I could maybe stay for the hot gay dudes I saw on my dash. But I fell in love with so much more than that. I rarely have shows with ensamble casts where I genuinely really like all characters. Michelle is the only exception. Goddamn that woman should only play faeries for the rest of her life. And weirdly, something I appreciate is watching these three seasons all by myself. It allowed me to really take the episodes in without any outside opinions or controversies or even over-hyping through others. I loved the show all by myself. And though a part of me wishes I would have found it earlier, I find a lot of joy in having these three seasons locked deep in my own heart, just for me.

2. Okay after all that too long blabbering, of COURSE I have to say the friends I made. Friendship has always been my biggest source of joy. Always. And I'm so blessed to have so many friends in my life, and more blessed to add people on my dash to them. If we text sometimes/often/daily or I just like your personal posts, know that I really care for what you put out there. You all matter to me, and I mean that.

3. Meeting some of you peeps IRL. And hoping to expand the list 💓

4. Sending out Holiday cards. Truly, I love doing it so much, even if the production last year was stressful I hope this year people will still be here and be interested in getting my lil card. And ofc I loved the ones I got back.

5. How creative and wonderful this fandom is. We are quite smol, but look at the big things we create. 2022 was the toughest year of my life, and a lot of what followed was an ebb and flow mentally, but one thing thatr eally helped me was to be more creative. And I thank every one of you who has left comments or sweet tags or created something themselves that keeps me motivated.

6. The Hello! Rafa/Ronen photoshoot . Still lives in my head rent-free.

7. Having people beta-read my humble writing. It helps me a lot! Just like reading fics by people whose writing I admire (y'all basically).

8. Fandom events. Like Gotcha charity, but also the Holiday exchanges and the watch parties and the server and so many little things in the cosmos of this fandom.

9. Even the disagreements. Idk. Very family dynamic to me and I don't mean to downplay how marginalized people are affected by some of it. But you tell me you hate someone's outfit and I will lovingly side-eye you like a cousin. It kind of is necessary to the eco system of fandom to not all be harmonious.

10. Most of all, how welcoming this fandom was from the very beginning. I try to be part of that. If I ever annoy you with engaging with personal posts, that's why. I want you to feel heard.

OPEN TAG (please use it if you want to participate and tag me back so I see!)

@herefortarlos @tellmegoodbye @paperstorm @eclectic-sassycoweyes

@emsprovisions @sapphic--kiwi @lightningboltreader @reasonandfaithinharmony

@alrightbuckaroo @theghostofashton @carlos-in-glasses @carlos-tk

@rangersoup @freneticfloetry @literateowl @firstprince-history-huh

@neversleepuntilfive @certifiedflower @ironheartwriter @henrygrass

@never-blooms @whatsintheboxmh @girlsnightout304 @bonheur-cafe

@lutavero @guardian-angle22 @toomanycupsoftea @actual-sleeping-beauty

@butchreyes @goodways @thisbuildinghasfeelings @ladytessa74 @lemonlyman-dotcom

@birdclowns @cold-blooded-jelly-doughnut @ameriicansrequiems @ambiguouspenny

@liminalmemories21 @louis-ii-reyes-strand @chicgeekgirl89 @fitzherbertssmolder

#911 lone star #fandom talk #michelle rambles #I LOVE YOU ALL OKKKKKKKKKKK

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sonicexelle-junkary · 2 years ago

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It’s a slow day and my adhd is blocking me from writing stuff that I sure can’t tell y’all. So why not I share a hand full of fun facts of the Contaminated! AU cause I don’t have any other ideas where I can share any of these

CW: mentions of vomiting, implied suicide

The Rot-

The Rot does not lie. It is capable of lying, but it prefers not to. When it talks it usually tells the truth without directly telling the truth. It likes to play mind games, especially with Shadow.

The Rot is incredibly good at mimicking it’s hosts form of speech. Though it’s more obvious as it has to stop itself from saying ‘we’ when referring to self, or from saying a persons full name. It does have a bit of a hard time mimicking movements as it prefers to just stand still.

If The Rot could eat anything other than meat/meat-like things, it would like fruit. More specifically, Kiwi’s. Skin and all.

The Rot cannot feel pain (unless being burned at extreme temperatures) and actively laughs at the sight of its missing limbs and wounds.

Shadow-

The reason why Shadow didn’t know he was infected till he met up with Knuckles, despite the terrible pain he was feeling, was because by then he had had a total of 10 hours of sleep over the span of a week and a half. As well, he barely ate. He assumed it was because of that.

Shadows chaos energy will be cut off once he is consumed.

Shadow believes that The Rot has something to do with the Black Arms. (This is untrue).

Shadow has though of many not good ways to prevent The Rot from taking control of him. He couldn’t go through with any of them. It’s not what she would have wanted.

Silver-

Because Silver is from another time, he is slightly more resilient to The Rot than most people from the present. He’s still far away from how long Shadow can survive though. He can survive about less than half as long as Shadow would.

When Silver found out he was infected, he continuously forced himself to throw up in hopes he could get The Rot out of him. It didn’t work.

In the AU’s timeline, Silver hadn’t gone back to his time since coming to the past to fix something. He stayed because Sonic wanted him to, and he had good faith that the future is alright. He has no idea what his future is like, and frankly, he is scared to find out now.

Silvers infection was one of the worst from start to finish.

#rambles #textpost #sonic horror au #contaminated! au

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lenialenient · 2 years ago

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OUT NOW: REAL JOBS

Today's the day - the queer artist flatshare book is finally, officially, released and out in the world!

Julia gives TED-Talks in the shower and is on that 5-to-5 grindset to, step one, become the biggest fantasy author since Tolkien and, step two, quit her job at Subway. Unfortunately, no one actually thinks her writing is any good, and the rejections keep piling up. No problem - she just has to work harder, and if she grinds herself to dust in the process, that just proves that she really cares.

Hayal is an art school drop-out who lives Julia’s dream of making art for a living by spending 12 hours a day drawing away on commissions and the other 12 hours sleeping. When her ex-girlfriend – lost during the same depression episode as her art school spot – drops back into her life with an unofficial intervention, it becomes harder to keep ignoring the fact that art hasn’t been fun in a while.

Kiwi is the lead guitarist of the world’s first and only post-progressive-pseudoglam-queercore band. He’s loud and eccentric in theory – in practice he’s scared of the public, his mother, his own art, and of doubtlessly embarrassing himself with his stupid lyrics should he ever dare to go on stage, which is unfortunate, because his bandmates – neglecting to tell him – have already set up a gig.

In addition to trying to make art under late capitalism, the three of them have to grapple with the almost as troubling reality that they’re all each other’s roommates.

Real Jobs is the book for you if you

are, have been, or aspire to be a starving artist of any kind

would like to read more books that are set in neither the US nor UK

like books with all-queer casts

like books with all-queer casts that are not about being queer

are in your 20s and stressed about it or fondly remember being in your 20s and stressed about it

are an enthusiast of lesbians in not-romantic-not-platonic-but-a-secret-third-thing relationships

are an enthusiast of distressed bisexual men

would like to give an indie author a crisp 1 buck in royalties

If any of these apply to you, you should consider grabbing this book.

You can go to any of the sites here and pick up an ebook.

You can go to Barnes and Noble, Blackwells, Amazon, or most other online book retailers and pick up a paperback.

You can go to your local book store and ask them to order it for you. (Bonus points)

If you want to read it but can't afford it, you can ask me for a PDF and I will send it to you. (Yes, really)

If you're on the fence, you can read the first six chapters here.

Special thanks to @/0hlee on Twitter for the cover art, @cupidle for the promo art, and you if you get it 🫵

#real jobs #books #indie books #queer books #lgbtq reads #bookblr #2023 reads

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galway-girlatwork · 3 months ago

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WIP Wednesday

Oh Ali, you naughty lil minx. I am excited to read yours. The one you are writing for Jo's challenge has caught my attention. Can't wait.

What am I up to...Well I am still working on Freya's angst challenge. Right now poor Oberyn is not happy with the over 7,000 word angst, smut and teeny tiny fluff. I swear it is almost done. I am working on the ending and then I have to edit the hell out of it. Jana I think you are going to love it.

I am also working on Kiwi's Never Have I Ever challenge with Lucian. This one I am having a lil bit of fun with. It's cheesy angst if that is a thing.

I do have one story that I thought was done, well two actually but they've been screamin their lil heads off that they aren't done but I'll get into that another time. Freya thank you for listening to me ramble in your messages ;)

Snips below. Of Death and Butterflies-

“Hello lil butterfly. Where is your mind?”

“Everywhere.” Turning within his embrace, a palm resting on his chest. “Oberyn perhaps it is time for me to stop. To stop chasing something I shouldn’t have. It’s not fair to you. To constantly have my presence in your life. If I just let go, perhaps your soul could find peace instead of being tormented.” She could feel muscles tense beneath her hand, the way his expression darkened, feeling the shift of power between them. She’d been selfish, thinking she could be what she was and have some type of humanity but watching him die, over and over, with the hint of what could be, wasn’t fair to him. “Fate could give you what I cannot.”

The arm encircling her waist tightened as fingers curled possessively against the small of her back, his free hand came up to cradle her chin, tilting her face up so her gaze could meet his. “Do you think fate holds sway over me, Lilith?” voice low and steady. “Do you really believe that anyone could offer me something greater than you? You speak as if I am the victim but you, giving up, I do believe that would be the cruelest twist of said fate.” Thumb brushed against her jaw as he stepped closer, bodies almost flush, lips curled into a faint smirk. “You’ve told yourself a thousand times, haven’t you? That you are unworthy of what we are? You want to speak of everywhere? That is where you are. In my thoughts, dreams, every heartbeat.”

She hesitated for a moment, warmth spreading from her touch. “I love you more than my existence. It’s why I need to let you go. Human life is so much shorter. You need to live a full life, one where you grow to be a hundred, to have babies, to have all the things that are always taken from you because of me.”

“Lilith, none of that matters if it is not with you. Why cannot you understand that? I would rather go through a thousand lifetimes with glimpses of you, than one in which I never feel the way I do right now. I love you more than my soul. I care not how much time I have in any life as long as you are in it.”

Never Have I Ever Killed Someone-Lucien in bold

“Interesting. So, what should we do to keep ourselves entertained?”

Watching him finally light the cigarette, the glow from the flame lighting up the lines around his eyes, you arched a brow. “We?”

“Yea we.”

“Who are you here with?”

“No one. Came to make amends to a um friend. Didn’t go over well but since it’s free food and alcohol, why not stay a while, right?’

“Sure." Jesus fuck, why did he have to sit down? Now you were never gonna make your escape.

“Never have I ever?”

“What?”

“Ever play Never have I ever?”

“Um I’m an adult not a teenager.”

“Oh that hurt. Come on, we can grab a bottle of wine and go find someplace quiet.”

“Oh god are you a serial killer? I’m not going to end up a skin suit in your trunk am I?”

“Never have I ever killed anyone, swear.”

“Never have I ever walked off with a stranger.” What the hell you figure, what is the worse that could happen? Skin suit in a trunk, that’s what could happen.

Tagging: @pedgito @604to647 @morallyinept @jolapeno (Even if she is on holiday) @rivnedell @burntheedges @guiltyasdave @pearlessance @almostfoxglove @morallyinept

And of course @saradika-graphics for the divider. Thank you.

#wips #wip wednesday #oberyn martell #lucien flores

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44insects · 2 years ago

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hi insects (is that how you like being called or do yu have another nickname??? 44 ??? not sure sorry anyways) i love ur art so much i think abt it constantly ur ocs are very very cool i specially like kiwi!!! not sure if u have stories mapped out for them or anything but im very curious about her backstory and also elizabeth's (like, she's made out of meat right. is she alive? is she a meatloaf? is magic involved? what kind of meat is she??? Who made her??)

totally understand if u don't know or don't want to share those things just thought I'd let you know i admire ur art a lot!!!

hi! everyone online calls me insects, you can call me insects! thank you so much for your kind words! i'll reply to your questions under a readmore!

ive had a few ideas about kiwi and stories id like to write about her but it all feels unsatisfying since ive had her since i was like 10 years old! so she feels really important, it almost feels hard to do her justice.. but i think that if i keep making paintings of her, eventually i could figure something out, it might involve her blue friend as well.. its hard to say

as for elizabeth, she was made by nina! nina was originally my idea for a doll i want in real life(but she had blonde hair in my mind), and then i made her in secondlife and she ended up looking the way she does, then i made eliza out of prims in secondlife and eventually in blender.. i have a blog about them where i write from ninas perspective sometimes but its not so great or active. i would say eliza is not sentient and doesn't move, sometimes in my sl gifs she does but thats mostly because it looks fun! meatloaf would be cool but i think the closest that comes to her consistency is like a cloned or 3d printed steak. maybe i will change these facts later but this is the way i look at it for now..

thank you again for your interest! i hope you have a wonderful day!!

#i feel like soon i could probably draw more again #i dont know what it is lately #like a mental block but also it feels like im taking a break kind of #but soon ill be ready to think deeply about my characters again #thats how it feels..

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anaisimoo · 1 year ago

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wintertime relay race

hello, @protectingourfuture! i am your secret santa in @codesecretsanta's game and, before you start reading, i need to make two things clear: one, i never understood how timezones work, so i really hope i'm posting this on time. two, english is not my first language, so i hope you can forgive any awkward mistakes.

i really, really hope you like it!! i had a lot of fun writing for you.

As soon as the last kernel popped inside of Yumi’s microwave, a timer set off inside her head. She almost slammed the door shut, using the very last second to yell out.

“Maïtena from school left her books here! It’ll just be a minute!” Her backpack, with all her books, of course, rested unopened on top of her bed.

Her thick boots kept her from slipping on the icy pavement that led to the academy — she even dared to glide across it, just as she’d done that very morning. When she crawled under the gate, through the growing space almost hidden by the brushwood, she couldn’t help but stiffen a laugh.

“Already the second time I have had to sneak in here today…”, she explained to Jeremie. The boy, in the warmest of his brown pyjamas and beige wellingtons to match, looked down upon her with the question tinting his face. She hadn’t even put on a coat, and, from Jeremie’s perspective, she was just a face and an arm blossoming from the snowy hedges — undoubtedly for him, too much of a cold and uncomfortable position to laugh in. “They should just turn this into an official entrance.” And with the proposition, a wave goodbye and a carried-out exchange, the girl disappeared under the bushes the same way she had appeared.

Jeremie started now his sprint, bag in his hand. He seemed confident enough for the first few turns, or perhaps too focused on not getting caught to notice his own exhaustion, but as soon as he crossed the finish line —the threshold of the dorms’ building— he allowed himself a quick breath. The popcorns were certainly colder than when he’d gotten them, where they were already lukewarm at best, with the horrible weather, rather than his running stamina, being to blame. He climbed carefully up the stairs, his soaked boots threatening to make him slip at any second, and finally made his way to his room. Quickly, he disposed of his boots and donned warm socks, leaving the popcorn bag on top of his tower all the while. It had been running one of its many test programmes for Aelita’s materialization all evening, and its heat could very well cook the popcorn itself. When he grabbed them again, the bag, at the very least, was considerably warmer.

He then knocked on the door a few rooms down, where he was greeted by a boy with eyebags as dark as his hair. Without the need to exchange a word, luckily for both of them, he turned the popcorn in and marched away towards the warmth of his room, or, perhaps, that of the showers. Either way, Ulrich dismissed him with a playful military salute and turned to his own ordeal.

“Was that the priest, Ulrich? Please, tell me he was here to give me the last sacraments…” A voice moaned inside his room.

“For the last time, Odd, you have a cold. It’s not even the flu or anything, you were just fine while fighting this very morning!” He retorted.

“Oh… Fighting… How I miss it… Do you think I’ll be able to go back to Lyoko ever again?”

The voice came from under a suffocating mountain of blankets and heating pads. One could have had trouble recognizing it if they hadn’t spent the entire evening answering to its requests and wailing. As the only answer to his question, Ulrich threw himself on top of the blankets and ignored the “ouch!” and the canine cry that came out.

“Jeremie brought Yumi’s popcorn. Now move over and tell Kiwi to do the same, I want to watch the movie as well.”

Grumbling, the entire mass of cloth rolled over, offering a single breach for Ulrich to crawl in. The tiny space, already populated by one sick Odd and an equally ailing Kiwi, would have been too hot to bear for almost anyone who hadn’t spent the last nights at Kadic Academy. Despite everyone’s complaints about the cold, Delmas had stated that he wasn’t going to turn the heating on until the first day of winter, which was still a few days away. Thus, Ulrich couldn’t help but be grateful about the sweat that started coating his forehead as soon as he opened the popcorn. He took a handful of them before turning the bag to his starving friend.

“What are we watching?”, he then asked.

“I don’t know”. Odd shrugged and blew his nose into one of the blankets. “Some war film.”

“You really are sick”, exclaimed Ulrich. Odd hadn’t bothered to explain the plot from beginning to end, stopping only to point out every movie he knew every actor from and then explaining the plot to that movie, “some war film” felt to him as a confirmation that the world was ending.

He placed his palm against Odd’s forehead, trying to feel any possible signs of a fever. Odd let himself lean on the hand, as if almost falling asleep on it —the unusual comfort of his friend’s hand was certainly soothing— and it was now Ulrich’s time to joke.

“’Some war film’ sounds incredibly boring”, he said, hiding a half smile. “We might as well watch that new Polar Express movie again.”

Odd seemed to come back to life for a second.

“Over my dead body! I find motion capture animation disturbing, Ulrich, you know it!”

“Alright, alright!” Ulrich put his arms up in defence, always pleased to get a rise out of his friend. “And I suppose you don’t want any of those… Clueless, Hearthers versions that have been coming out this year.”

“Not today”, he sighed. “I need to have my full mental powers to appreciate the finesse of most of those.”

“And how about…”

“Ulrich,” Odd cut him off, sounding more serene than he had the entire day “I actually want to watch ‘some war film’.”

“Oh… alright” Ulrich mumbled, almost caught off guard by the apparent and sudden improvement.

“And I’m sick, so you have to watch it as well” he added cheerfully, coughing into the blankets again. “Also, no complaining! You have to pretend you like it.”

And just like that, Odd went back to his cuddling position around Kiwi, who ended up fleeing from the scorching heat after only a few minutes. Ulrich didn’t wait for his friend to complain once more —this time, Ulrich would admit, with the right to do so— before throwing his arm around his shoulders, dragging them closer. Odd had his reddened eyes glued to the screen, breathing in every second of the film; Ulrich, instead, could only look at him, a single question on his mind.

“Have you been blowing your nose on my blanket?”

#code lyoko #code secret santa

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angelcloves · 2 years ago

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thank u for the tag in this lil writing game @enchantedchocolatebars

1. What motivates you to write?

if i dont write ill just flat out go crazy it needs to get out of my brain

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud of; if not, share a line from someone else's work that you love (just make sure to give credit

ive written so much and cant be bothered to pick a favorite line so heres an excerpt from burning bridges

“Camilla Myles, may I see you in the throne room?” The air was cold, but it dropped a few degrees chillier as the Emperor receded into his lofty throne room once more and soft chatter broke out amongst the scouts. They each spoke of Camilla, but none to Camilla. She stood paralyzed in the line for what felt like hours. She’d been a scout for two years without even a single warning on her record. She couldn’t imagine what she’d done to warrant being called straight to the throne room, but she didn’t want to keep the Emperor waiting. It never ended well for the Golden Guard when he made Belos wait.

3. Which OC makes you smile when you think/talk about them and what are they like?

all of them but lately ive had annie on the brainacle. shes cold and quiet but god she loves her friends more than anything even if shes just got the one and they end up with a major wedge driven between them for most of the story

4. Which process of writing do you enjoy the most?

planning! its the part i get to go absolutely bonkers during. im a huge fan of broad strokes so shaping things before i start real development hell is a super fun activity

5. Which part of writing do you think you're best at? (Stroke your own ego, it's okay)

ive always seen myself as a dialogue person from my time writing for stage but i think my foreshadowing has been getting better lately

6. What is something in the writeblr community that is most enjoyable?

im going to treat writeblr here as my mutual circle but god i love that we bounce ideas off of each other so often

7. A writing tool/device that helps you with writing (i.e. text-to-speech, a program, etc...)

comic sans

8. A piece of world-building that you like in your own story (it could be the magic system, a particular place, a law, etc...)

all of the hopper stuff honestly. it was funny how well it translated to the collector even before we knew what they were really made of

9. What piece of advice would you give to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

try a different approach. sometimes it helps to make a major departure from your norm. pick up poetry or work under a set of constraints youve never given yourself before. it helps to come into something fresh yknow

10. Tag some people whose work you love/ have been your biggest supporters

the GANG

@blackyote

@emsprovisions

@sapphic--kiwi

@secretly-of-course

and also everyone else who i forgot because i know thats not all of you please dont take it personally im just scatterbrained this is for all of you

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casualhedonists · 1 year ago

Note

firstly i apologize for how long this is going to be 😭

i was so emotional as i read attention cuz i just KNEW that there would be an ending eventually, and ofc, i never wanted attention to end. but you wrapped it up SOOOO beautifully! i feel so bad that i can't capture HOW amazing of a read that was in words!! trust me, attention means so so much to me. whenever i thought "i can't wait until chapter 6 comes out!" my anxiety kicked in because i knew that when chapter 6 came out.... it would be over. and that day is here

reading this was like eating your favorite chocolate. every single bite being enjoyable... something you'd think back on days later and crave for more. never getting tired of it.

honestly, its amazing how there is SO much creativity and wonderful fanfics on tumblr... for free? ITS INSANE. as i was reading it i kept saying "this is crazy!" i mean, i couldn't believe?? the plot twist?? the dialogue?? the pacing?? the list could go ON! forever. also you are SO sweet and kind 🫶🫶

i honestly thought she would be furious about what happened to greene... like my jaw dropped as SOON as her mom told her that he was sent to be a peacekeeper. at that moment i KNEW it was all snows fault. i seriously felt like it was over for them... like a whole fight scene was about to take place and she would move out, leading to snow being destroyed, alone, teary eyed and begging her to stay... that wouldve crushed me. i'm so glad she felt the complete opposite.

it's was SO interesting to think back on and see her progress. at first she was desperate, trying to win snow over by playing his games, trying to turn the tables and make snow become weak for her. but eventually she got the idea, and now SHE dominates HIM. it was neat seeing things come full circle!! now he's getting a taste of his own medicine (pun intended?)!!

also medicine is like... god i mean, do i even??? one of my top harry songs. SO GOOD!!!! do you also listen to him?? if so i can recommend other (more unknown) songs of his that give the same vibe if you'd like!

i am REALLY excited for your future works!!!! i admire your writing style and how talented you are. tbh you're the reason i'm inspired to start my own fanfic. but honestly, i'm scared because it is SO difficult thinking of a good storyline and plot... my brain is blank. i feel like every thing i think of sounds generic and cliche which puts me in a writers block. (do you have any tips?)

thank you so much for taking the time to read this!! i hope you have an amazing day!!

-💐

flower nonnie you. can have my whole heart here *carves it out walks it to fedex and mails it to you w next day delivery*

i read this first thing yesterday and it MADE MY WHOLE DAY i swear. like im so happy you enjoyed the fic so much, this is so much more than i could ever hope for as a response and it means the world to me that you’d set aside time to type out such a sweet message. it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to attention bc it is The Fic that brought me into this fandom (and out of my fic writing block) and it means so much to me bc it’s been so fun and it makes me so happy to know people feel that way when reading it. i had the final line written since (chapter 3?? i think) so i always knew that’s how i’d close it off and it was SO satisfying getting to type that last line in.

also it was sooo much fun to write her little mastermind by taylor swift moment (what if i told you none of it was accidental etc etc) and also yes omg i love harry (mostly his unreleased songs tbh!! like baby honey, medicine, talk, complicated freak) and ofc the usual suspects like kiwi and sign of the times and harry’s house. i am so so open to more song recs!! esp unreleased or lesser known ones!

in terms of writing tips, i wrote down a little thing a while back here but my main thing is to write what you want to read. that’s all i’ve ever done in fic and personal writing projects/poetry of mine. if you write for only yourself you can never go wrong imo, everything else is just topping. so start there, doesn’t matter if it’s been done before, so long as it makes you happy!! (one day i should tell the story of my first fic that actually got read by people online it was a whole journey that started with me assuming nobody would ever see it but me)

okay this is getting long i’ll close out now but thank you sweet anon for the kind words, i can’t even tell you how much they mean to me!! you are truly too kind!! 🤍🤍🤍

#asks 💌#attention #💐#treasure box 💫

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slimeyslimeyballsack · 2 years ago

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A Very Crossover Crime

Fandoms: Suite Life on Deck, Z-O-M-B-I-E-S, Criminal Minds, My Little Pony, My Babysitter's a Vampire

Written for @tom-hunter-summah

Parties that may be interested: @whatthekidscallbolt @diagnosed-crazy @calico-kiwi

Warnings: terribly ooc writing, swearing, violence, death, major character death, mentions of SA

Notes: for the sake of clarity the teens are all roughly 19/20, pronouns are whatever i want them to be, fuck bailey all my homies hate bailey, ive never seen my little pony

"Hey Erica, I don't know if this is a good idea."

Rory yelled over the noise of the wind as they flew over Washington. He only kind of knew what was going on as Erica had interrupted him in the middle of his game, announcing she was hungry before promptly leaving again. In the time after the Whitechapel explosion, something had changed between them. Maybe it was because they were the only person she knew, but Erica was choosing to be around them more and more often. Of course, she was still Erica, but the scathing comments became more lighthearted. They were truly becoming friends. Which is why Rory followed her after her surprise outburst; they knew she expected them to.

"It'll be fun. I've always wanted to try zombie blood," she tossed a wink at them as they landed.

"I just think The Council-"

"Bup bup bup. Who do you trust more, the council or me?" she fluttered her lashes.

"Well, you of course," their grin huge.

"Then let's go."

They landed just outside of Seabrook, Washington. Hopping a tall fence placed them in a rundown section of the town, decorated in scrap metal. From what they understood the town was divided into two, humans and zombies, or it was before things got complicated. It was loud and quiet at the same time. There was remarkably little wildlife. It almost unnerved Rory, though they supposed the two vamps may have spooked the local critters, instinct telling them to run and hide. On the other hand, there were voices everywhere. Some were hushed, others big and boisterous. Rory plodded along behind Erica, puppy dog posture contradictory to her cat-like posture. Her sharp eyes, looking for someone that wouldn't be missed.

After what seemed like a hundred hours of searching, well, it's hard to say Rory was searching, but, after a hundred hours of walking, they found two young men smoking a cigarette. Erica gave Rory a look, signaling the attack.

"Oh my god; this is delicious!"

Rory simply nodded enthusiastically in response.

"Now this I could get used to."

Two Weeks Later

"Sixteen bodies found in the last two weeks. All in Seabrook, Washington. All victims have been zombies with two puncture wounds in the neck. They were drained of blood." Hotch lectured.

"So what, we've got a vampire on our hands?" Morgan quirked an eyebrowm

Reid piped in, "Or someone who thinks they are. There's actually a popular subculture filled with people who identify as vampires. They wear fangs and sometimes even drink blood"

"Well, whatever they are they're not slowing down. The Seabrook police department has asked us to come in. They want us in by morning."

Hotch's statement signaled they were finished and he dismissed the others to get ready for their flight.

Several hours after their initial briefing, the group sat in the jet, reviewing the case. Everyone was at least two and a half cups deep into their coffee, deciphering eyes staring at the case file. Opinions being thrown back and forth.

JJ spoke up, "Look at the bruising around the neck. It almost looks like-"

"Hickeys," Morgan quirked his eyebrows at the realization.

"According to the autopsy report, the bodies showed no sign of sexual assault. They declared that the bruises were from strangulation." Rossi added, not entirely believing the statement, simply trying to relay it.

Emily, unhappy with this answer, kept on. "Yeah, but I think they might be misidentifying them. Look at the layout of the bruises. Does that look like a human hand to you?"

"It very well could be a misidentification," Reid spoke slowly, eyebrows furrowed as he flipped back and forth between the photos of the victims. "Understanding of zombie biology is very limited. In fact, humans in Seabrook didn't start interacting with them until the "Z-Band" was invented in 1985, and hardly at all beyond that until 2020 after an act passed allowing zombie children to attend regular high school."

"So you're telling me we're working off of nothing?" Morgan said, exasperated.

"Well, not nothing. Look at the puncture wounds on the victims. They're different sizes. That, coupled with the fact that the victims are killed in pairs..."

"We're looking at partners," Rossi finished for Reid.

"Now kiddos, before you get off the boat I want to remind you that we're only staying here for a couple days. Don't forget the buddy system, and please be back on the boat by..."

Miss Tutweiller trailed off, the group already having left her sight.

"I can't believe she's still calling us kiddos. We graduated a year ago," Cody remarked.

"Yeah, well maybe if you stopped acting like one she would. I mean, look at that fanny pack," Zack pointed out.

"I'll have you know that this fanny pack—"

"Would you two shut up? You're both acting like kids," Bailey sniped.

Zack, Cody, Woody, and Bailey walked around the Main Street square of Seabrook, Washington. It was abnormally barren, considering the gorgeous weather. Only a few lonely bodies walked the streets. Most of them were people from the ship. Actually, looking at it Cody realized they were all people from the ship.

"Ooh, frozen yogurt. I hope they have double seaberry swirl," Woody grinned excitedly.

They ducked into the frozen yogurt shop, relieved to find at least someone from the town occupying it: A teen couple, a gray-skinned, green-haired boy across the table from a white-haired girl with healthier-looking skin. They looked frightened if she was being honest. That is until a hand was shoved into their faces.

"Well howdy there. I'm Bailey. Wah wah wah. Wah wah."

She continued introducing them. She was speaking. He was sure of it.

"So you haven't heard," the girl, Addison, spoke.

"There's been murders here in Seabrook. Everyone's scared out of their minds."

If murder wasn't enough to make her jump out of her seat then murders plural sure was.

"Hehe. What?" Zack chuckled nervously, mouth left open, hand hanging loosely in half protest.

"That's it! I'm out of here, seaberry swirl or not!" Woody ran from the parlor.

Zack followed after him, "Hey, Woody. Wait—"

He was cut off abruptly after running into something. Or someone, it would appear. It was a blonde guy about his age, a little shorter than him.

"Well, hello there good lookin'," Zack smirked.

"Well, don't you look tasty," came another voice.

A blonde girl was standing beside him, their tongue gliding across their lower lip as they studied Zack.

"Wow, double babe alert."

"I'm Erica, and this is my..." the girl did a once over on the guy next to her, "friend, Rory." Rory gave him a grin.

"I'm Zack."

"You know Zack, it's not safe to be out here all alone," Erica dragged her finger down his arm, "Things are pretty scary around here."

Zack, only slightly distracted by the touch, responded, "Aha, but I'm not alone. I've got my pal Woody with me," he looked around, "Woody?"

"You were saying?"

"Zack, there you are. Why did you run off like that? Didn't you hear what that girl said? People are getting murdered. Where's Woody?"

Cody quickly interrupted the tension. Whether or not that was for the better, Zack couldn't tell yet.

"You guys look a little lost," Erica said, eyeing up Cody and Bailey, "Let us show you around. We can help you find your friend."

Bailey spoke some words of confirmation, and Erica pushed herself between Bailey and Cody, wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders. Rory placed themself next to Zack, and they began walking.

Hotch stood in front of the entire Seabrook police department. He despised their demeanor, how little they seemed to care about the nightmarish events happening beneath their noses. As if every zombie in this town could be killed and they still wouldn't give a damn. The whole town was just a tad too cheery, the pastel exterior simply a facade, hiding terrible horrors inside. Something was off, but he couldn't tell what. He cleared his throat, gathering the attention of the room.

"You're looking for a pair: a man and a woman between the ages 18 and 25. They are going to be very close to each other, possibly siblings or partners. They are incredibly loyal to each other and will die before turning the other in. The woman is going to be the dominant partner. She is calling all of the shots," Hotch finished presenting the profile and stepped off the podium.

"You think they'll listen?" Rossi asked.

"I'm not sure."

"They don't seem too interested in catching these guys," Emily added.

"We need to be out there. We need to be doing something," Morgan said.

"No. We've been instructed to stay at the station. We are going to stay at the station," Hotch retorted.

Morgan stormed off. He found a bench outside of the station and sat on it. Huffing, he picked up his cell phone.

"Babygirl, what can you tell me about Seabrook."

"Erica! What are we going to do? There's police everywhere. I can't go to jail!"

Rory was panicking. The other three had all needed to use the bathroom and Rory had taken the time to panic.

"Relax; they're on our side remember?"

Erica placed a soft grip on her shoulder, physically comforting her but still giving a look that said 'Dude, duh'.

"Oh. Right," Rory chuckled embarrassedly.

"Now as soon as the cops get here, Bailey and Cody are going to attack us, and the cops are going to arrest them, and then we get to go home with some major cash in our pockets," they winked at her.

"Well, not home."

Even Erica seemed a little dejected at that statement. She missed Whitechapel. She missed Sarah. It had been three years. Three years of wandering. The two had never really assimilated into the group, always kind of outsiders, never making any real friends.

Erica noticed several officers loitering, several with hands hovering their weapons.

"Hey guys I—"

Bailey and Cody quickly grabbed Rory and Erica, bearing their teeth. There was a look of fear in both of their eyes. What the fuck was going on?

"Help!" Erica screamed. The two began to let out cries.

"What are you doing?" Cody whispered. "How are you doing this?"

Erica looked at her and gave a small grin before continuing her yelling. The police officers, now aware of the situation raised their weapons, pointing toward the scene.

"Step away from them and put your hands in the air," an officer shouted.

Erica released her hold on Cody, panting slightly, two people under her control was pushing her limit. Cody quickly removed herself from Erica, taking several steps back, hands in the air.

"Ma'am, step away from the man."

Bailey opened her mouth and—bang! Bailey crumpled to the ground.

"Bailey!" Cody screamed. He fell to his knees, sobbing.

The police took the opportunity to run in, cuffing Cody before lifting her, dragging her across the pavement before they pushed her into the back of the car.

Zack stared, horrified at what had just happened. Cody and Bailey had attacked Erica and Rory. Why did they do that? Why did they do that? Why didn't Bailey let go when the police showed up? Why did she try to bite Rory? Bailey was dead. They shot her. He watched it happen. He didn't do anything. He just sat and watched. What the hell happened? It was a blur as the three of them were escorted to the station for witness statements. He had half a mind to think that there should've been an ambulance, but he didn't have the voice to ask why there wasn't. Where was Woody? He hadn't seen him since the yogurt shop. He noticed, not only the police as they entered the station. Is that the FBI? They sat him at a table in an interrogation room. He was given some water and snacks.

"Now son," an officer sat in front of him, "tell me what happened."

"My friends attacked those guys."

In the lobby, Erica and Rory were talking to another officer.

"Well done, you've done much to help with our little zombie problem. You two can go ahead and go home."

Erica gave Rory a high five and a grin. "Let's go home."

A bright purple light flashed just outside of Seabrook. Twilight Sparkle looked around at her friends and their new human forms. They had made it to Seabrook. "Come on everypony; there's a friendship crisis that needs solving!"

End.

#suite life on deck #disney zombies #criminal minds #my little pony #mbav #tw violence #tw death

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photogirl894 · 5 months ago

Text

"IronStar"

Chapter 5

"Cupcakes"

A "Fairy Tail" fanfic!

Pairing: Gajeel x fem OC

A/N: It's been quite a while since I updated this story, but Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest has been coming out for the past couple months and I've been so happy having more Fairy Tail that it inspired me to come back to this.

However, it's also been recently revealed by David Wald, who voices Gajeel in the English dub, that Crunchyroll has treated him terribly and he's stepping away from the role, which deeply saddens me. While I do support his decision and stand behind him, it's just so sad knowing my favorite character will now no longer have his unique voice that I love so much without David and I don't have much hope for whoever they choose to replace him. His voice can't be replicated.

I feel like that's only pushed me even more to write more for this story while I can still hear Gajeel's distinct voice in the episodes as well as my mind.

Hope y'all enjoy!

Taglist: @l-lend , @rosechi , @the-bad-batch-baroness , @angrypaperearthquake-tbbb-main

《 Chapter 4

》 Coming soon!

All chapters

Explanation: Genna makes her cupcakes for Gajeel and Lily with help from her new friend, Levy, and Gajeel struggles with the idea of having another friend.

It was a good thing Genna had Levy with her because she still knew next to nothing about Magnolia's entire city layout and knew she'd get lost. Luckily, Levy had asked her to go shopping in the first place, so it made things a lot easier.

As they were perusing ingredients in the market for the cupcakes they were going to make for Gajeel and Lily, Levy asked Genna, "I can tell you're not from Magnolia, so where are you from?"

"I'm actually from up north in Oshibana," Genna told her.

“Oh wow! You’ve come a long way then,” Levy exclaimed.

With a chuckle, Genna said, “I sure did, but it was worth it. Magnolia is definitely more my speed.” She grabbed some sugar and some flour from one stall and then asked Levy, “What flavor should I make the cupcakes?”

Putting a finger to her chin, Levy thought for a moment and then said, “Well, I’m pretty sure vanilla goes well with kiwi, so you can make Lily some vanilla cupcakes. As for Gajeel, I think chocolate would suit him well. How about, when we go back to make them, I can make one batch and you can make the other? That’ll make things easier.”

“I like that idea,” Genna said back.

The two girls then found some chocolate and vanilla to add to their cupcake mix as well as an extra cupcake tin so they could cook both batches at once. After that, they found the kiwi fruits and picked up some iron chunks from a local blacksmith who had some lying around. Then with all the things they needed in hand, they made their way back to the Fairy Tail girls’ apartments. Right away, they set to cooking, stirring up the delicious looking cupcake batter in no time.

“It’s always so tempting to eat the batter straight up,” Genna commented, lifting up her spoon and pouring some of the chocolate batter back into the bowl.

Snickering, Levy replied, “I just do it anyway.” Then she swept her fingertip over the rim of her bowl, catching some yellow batter, and stuck it in her mouth, her mouth exploding with vanilla flavor as she giggled mischievously.

Mimicking her, Genna did the same and scooped up a little of her own batter from the side of her bowl with her fingers, putting them in her mouth and licking off the sweet, delicious chocolate. The two of them started laughing good-heartedly at their fun.

With a smile, Levy commented, "I like you, Genna. You're so fun. I'm glad you're in our guild now."

"Thanks, Levy. I think you're fun, too," said Genna back.

As she proceeded to add the iron bits into the batter, her mind wandered once again back to Gajeel and some of the last words he'd said to her before leaving the guild hall.

"Trust me…no one wants to deal with the likes of me…look, Genna, you'll be better off not hangin' around me. Let's just leave it at that."

She'd never known anyone to think so low of themselves before and it hurt her heart that Gajeel thought that way of himself. Even in the short time she'd known him already, she'd seen a softer side of him; she knew he was kind and he cared more than he let on. Back at the guild hall, she'd felt something with her magic stir within her, which had never happened before. It seemed like it was trying to tell her something, but what, she couldn't discern. Was there a connection there somehow? It was possible. She believed certain things of everyone's destinies were written in the stars…perhaps this was one of them.

Was there meant to be something between them? A bond or friendship of some kind?

"Genna?"

She blinked and came back to reality, not realizing she had gotten so lost in her thoughts, she hadn't heard Levy trying to talk to her.

"Are you okay? You were pretty zoned out there for a minute," Levy inquired.

Giving a light shake of the head, Genna responded, “I’m fine. Just was thinking.”

“About what?” Levy asked as she started pouring the batter into one of the cupcake tins.

For a second, Genna wasn’t sure if she wanted to voice everything to Levy, but seeing the genuine concern and curiosity on Levy’s face, she thought maybe it wouldn’t hurt. Levy seemed trustworthy and maybe she could help out somewhat. “Well…you obviously know Gajeel better than I do. What do you make of him?”

Levy chuckled. “Oh, you were thinking about Gajeel, were you?” she asked teasingly.

“Not like that,” Genna responded, nudging her with her elbow. “No, I just can’t get a good read on him. One moment, I think we’re getting along and we might be friends and then the next, he’s rude or closed off and doesn’t seem to care. Is he always like that?”

“As long as I’ve known him, that’s about how he’s been,” said Levy. “He likes to keep to himself, but he’s also loyal to Fairy Tail. If ever there’s any danger threatening the guild, he’s usually one of the first ones to jump in a fight to defend it. Though, he also just likes fighting in general. He and Natsu have fought on several occasions just because they wanted to.”

“I’ve noticed Natsu gets involved in a lot of fights,” Genna commented with a grin.

Levy snickered again. “He’s hot-headed and impulsive, loves getting into fights for the thrill of it or if someone makes fun of him, but there’s no one more protective and devoted to Fairy Tail and its members than Natsu. As for Gajeel, he came from a rougher guild before, so I think that’s why he seems to like fighting a lot, too.”

“Do you think he's ever lonely or wants friends, but is too proud to admit it?”

“I mean, he's got Lily with him a lot of the time, but if you're talking about human friends…I think he does sometimes and that he doesn't quite know how to make friends.”

“I don't know how to explain it…but he fascinates me and I just get this feeling that I need to be friends with him.”

Levy smirked. “He fascinates you, huh?”

“Oh stop!” Genna cried, her cheeks feeling hot. “It's not like that.”

“I don't know, the way you're blushing says otherwise,” Levy pointed out.

Genna pulled up her bandana scarf that was around her neck up over her face, hiding the redness that was inevitably increasing on her cheeks.

Giggling with satisfaction, Levy stated, “I knew it. I think you're crushing on the Iron Dragon Slayer.”

“How can I be? I still barely know him,” said Genna.

“It doesn't take long for crushes to develop, even if you barely know someone. Why else would you be so interested in getting to know more about him?”

Genna averted her gaze down to the bowl of chocolate batter in front of her. Was she really developing a crush on Gajeel? Honestly, she'd just thought she wanted to be his friend, but she couldn't forget the sensation of her magic igniting inside her when he'd held her back at the guild hall. It wasn't like any magical feeling she'd ever experienced before and she pondered what it could mean.

But maybe…just maybe…

“Better get that batter poured in, the oven’s ready,” Levy informed her, breaking her train of thought.

“Oh, right!” Genna cried out, picking up the bowl and scooping out dollops of the batter with a spoon into each individual cup in the tin.

Once she was done, they both stuck their tins into the oven and were ready to wait for them to be done. In the meantime, they began making the frosting for their cupcakes as well as preparing the iron chunks and cutting up the kiwis. Genna even had the idea of cutting up one of the iron chunks and putting the shavings on top of the cupcakes like garnish. Before long, the cupcakes were done and the room was filled with the sweet, delicious aromas of chocolate and vanilla. They frosted them, decorated them with iron shavings and kiwis and then packed them up in a nice box that Levy had brought from home.

They heard a knock on the door as they were boxing up the baked goods and, when Genna called out to come in, Lucy, Juvia and Cana came in through the door.

"Hey, everyone!" Genna greeted them.

"We wanted to see if you needed any help unpacking, but it seems like you two had other plans," said Lucy, sniffing the air.

Juvia also inhaled through her nose and added, "It smells positively divine in here."

"Smells like a bakery," said Cana, putting a hand on her hip.

With a laugh, Levy answered, "We made some cupcakes, that's why."

"To thank Gajeel and Lily for helping me get into Fairy Tail," added Genna.

"Aw, that's so sweet," said Lucy, putting a hand over her heart, which Genna noticed had the Fairy Tail emblem in pink on the back.

Looking down at the box, Genna said, "Now that they're done, I'm thinking I'll run back to the guild and see if he's come back so I can give these to him in person."

"Ah, I'm afraid that's not gonna happen," said Cana. "I heard at the guild hall before we came over that Gajeel and Lily came back and then just left on another job, so it might be a day or two," Levy informed her.

Genna groaned. "Of course, he did," she mumbled.

"You could always leave them with Mira and she can give them to Gajeel when he gets back," suggested Lucy. "That way, they'll still get them if they happen to come back when you're not around."

"I suppose I can do that. That and things were…slightly awkward between us when he left the first time, so maybe it might be better if I don't give it to him myself," Genna then said.

Juvia approached her and told her, "Do not fret too much over him. He's just used to doing jobs on his own or with Lily; going with others is rare for him. It's nothing to do with you personally."

Genna nodded in understanding. "Well, I'll write a quick little note to put with it and then I'll take it back to the guild."

"In the meantime, you've got some unpacking to do, girl!" Cana cried out.

"I mean, I didn't come with much," Genna said back.

"That doesn't matter, we'll still help you set everything up," said Lucy with a smile.

Touched at how open and friendly everyone was being to her, Genna said in reply, "You all are so kind. Thank you."

As the other ladies started going through her things and getting them ready, Genna went to her bedroom and ripped a piece of paper from her journal to write a quick thank you note to Gajeel and Lily.

"Oh my gosh, Genna, you have such a cute wardrobe!" she heard Levy call out from the other room.

Genna cried out a thank you and smiled to herself. These ladies; her guild mates now, were some of the nicest and sweetest people she'd ever met and they were already making her feel so welcome in both Magnolia and in Fairy Tail.

She was definitely where she belonged.

Gajeel and Lily returned to the Fairy Tail guild hall a couple of days later, another successful mission under their belts. The hall itself only had a few people inside sitting at the tables or the bar, which made them think plenty of others were out at the moment.

"I think that was one of the easiest jobs we've had in a while," Lily commented, looking up at his companion as he walked beside him.

Gajeel snickered. "Those goons had no idea what hit 'em," he said. Then he wandered over to the job board. "I think we should snag another job while we can. That last one was too quick and now, I'm itchin' to get back out."

"Really? We just got back," Lily groaned, floating up beside him.

"What are you complainin' about? This is what we do," Gajeel retaliated.

Rolling his eyes, Lily just said, "All right," and relented as Gajeel ripped off another job listing from the board and stuffed it in his pocket. "Can we at least sit down and take a rest before we head back out?" he then asked.

"Eh, sure," said Gajeel.

The two of them then went over to an empty table. Gajeel sat on the bench and Lily flew up to sit on top of the table.

They heard a high voice call out to them and saw Mira coming their way from behind the bar, a smile on her face and a box in her hands.

"How did the job go?" she asked as she came up to them.

With a pump of his fist, Gajeel replied, "It felt good to kick some punk ass and show 'em who's boss. They won't be bothering any travelers on the road anymore."

"That's great to hear," she said.

"What's with the fancy box?" he asked.

"I have a delivery for you two," she said happily.

Gajeel's face scrunched up, puzzled. "For us? Who would give us anything?"

“Well, you’ll have to read the note and see, won’t you?” Mira said back as she handed it to him and then walked away.

Curiously, he looked down at the box, wondering what was going on. It was a deep blue color with gold trim around the edges of the lid and the bottom of the box. It wasn’t overly-fancy and covered in ribbons or anything, but it was still nicer than just a plain, regular box. Taped on top of the lid was a folded up piece of paper, which he removed and opened up, setting the box down on the table.

“What does it say?” Lily asked.

Gajeel read the note aloud, which read:

To Gajeel and Lily,

I just wanted to say thank you again for helping me get into Fairy Tail. I know I’ve already said it, but I feel like words just aren’t enough to truly express how grateful I am and how much that meant to me. I’ve achieved my greatest dream because of you two and that means the world to me. With that being said, I’ve made you guys something to show my thanks. A lot of thought and effort went into these, so I hope you guys enjoy them. I’m sure you’ll be able to tell whose is whose.

Lily, thank you for your wisdom and encouraging words.

Gajeel, thank you for never giving up on me…and for coming back for me.

I know we had kind of a rocky start, but now that we’re guildmates, I’m hoping we can start over and become friends. I’d really like to get to know you both more.

I hope your guys’ job went well! See you both soon!

Sincerely,

~Genna Whitesun

"She made us something? How kind of her," Lily commented.

Gajeel just let out a low groan. The kid was wasting her time on him and giving him gifts wasn't gonna sway him so easily. She'd learn soon enough that she didn't actually want to be friends with him. However, that didn't change the fact that he was at least curious about what was in the box. Setting the note aside, he pulled the lid off the box and his eyes went wide at the beautifully decorated cupcakes inside. There were six chocolate ones and six vanilla ones.

Lily happened to look inside just as the lid came off and his whole face lit up with surprised joy. "Kiwis!" he cheered with delight.

"Well, I think I know which ones are yours," Gajeel said to him with a smirk.

As Lily immediately reached in and pulled a vanilla cupcake out, munching off the top with the kiwi slice, he asked with his mouth full of the green fruit and baked vanilla goodness, "These are delightful! How did she know I liked kiwi?"

"My guess is someone in the guild told her. Probably Salamander's cat friend," Gajeel answered, pulling out a chocolate cupcake. He inspected it closely, curious about the little gray bits on top of the frosting. He pulled one off and popped it in his mouth. He recognized the taste of metal right away. "Iron shavings…clever," he said aloud, impressed. The alluring aroma of chocolate filled his sensitive dragon nostrils and he could feel saliva building up in his mouth, wanting to take a bite. So he did, consuming almost half of the cupcake at once.

His eyes went wide as he tasted both the sweetness of the chocolate and a powerful amount of iron as well crunching in his teeth. Then he looked down at where he'd just bitten off and realized there were pieces of metal inside the cupcake, which only added even more to the amazing flavor.

"She put iron chunks inside these!" he exclaimed, stuffing the rest in his mouth right away.

"She seems to know you pretty well already," said Lily before taking another bite.

Gajeel swallowed and frowned. "Putting metal in cupcakes for me doesn't mean she knows me. There's plenty she doesn't know and she's not gonna know."

"And why not?" Lily asked.

"You know what I am, Lily. Or at least…what I used to be," said Gajeel, his gaze falling to the table. "Who would want to be friends with someone like me?"

Lily's little furry eyebrows rose up. "Uh, Genna does," he retorted. "That's literally the point of these cupcakes: to thank us and as an offer of friendship."

The Iron Dragonslayer scoffed. “Tch, she only thinks she wants to be friends with me…she’ll realize sooner or later I’m not worth it.”

The Exceed then narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. “Isn’t that her decision to make?”

Gajeel groaned quietly, knowing Lily had a point. “Even still…,” he said, not finishing his thought.

“Gajeel, I’m starting to think you don’t actually know how making friends works,” commented Lily.

“I know how it works,” Gajeel spat back.

“If you did, then you wouldn’t be so resistant against Genna’s attempts to be your friend. I thought you were okay with her?” Lily then asked.

Gritting his teeth, Gajeel responded, “I...I am, but….” Once again, he faltered, not finding the words to express how he felt.

“But what?” LIly calmly kept pushing. “What are you afraid of, Gajeel?”

Gajeel’s hands tightened into fists on the table, his insecurities taking a hold of him. He didn’t want to say what was on his mind, but he knew if he didn’t now, it would drive him crazy. Plus, this was Lily, his trusted companion. “I don’t wanna…I don’t wanna hurt anyone again,” he finally admitted, his hands relaxing and his eyes closing as he relented.

Lily knew exactly what his friend was talking about and his normally stoic expression softened a little. He walked across the table and stood closer to the Iron Dragonslayer. “Gajeel, you are not the man you used to be. We all know it. I know your past actions won’t be repeated and you’ve made amends with those you’ve wronged. It’s all in the past and you can’t let it hold you back from moving forward.”

“I can’t forget it, though. Everything I’ve done to this guild…,” Gajeel said, his voice lower than before.

“That no longer matters,” said Lily. “If this guild resented you for what you’d done to them before, you wouldn’t be here and neither would I. They’ve forgiven you and welcomed you to the guild. I think it’s time you forgive yourself and allow yourself to be open with others; let them more into your life instead of keeping them at arm’s length.” Lily laid a hand on his arm and, when he turned his head, offered him a kind smile. “Maybe you can start with Genna.”

Gajeel averted his eyes again. “I don’t know…,” he mumbled.

“She went out of her way to make us something nice just for helping her on a job that got her into the guild,” said Lily. “She put a lot of effort into it, even though she still barely knows us. Genna seems like a kind and compassionate young lady, which I think is the kind of person you need right now.”

Gajeel grumbled to himself. He was the lone wolf kind of guy; he didn’t need anybody else outside of Lily…but his cat also knew him well and that made him wonder if maybe Lily was right about him needing friends? No, he’d been just fine without anyone else. Even though Lily wanted him to essentially socialize more, he didn’t think it was necessary.

“I’ll be fine, Lily. You gotta stop worryin’ about me,” he said to his cat before munching into another cupcake.

"Why's Lily worrying about you?"

Hearing Genna's voice suddenly speak behind him startled Gajeel and unfortunately, as he reacted, a chunk of the cupcake he'd just bitten got stuck in his throat and he started coughing. He hadn't expected her to suddenly show up.

He felt a gentle hand on his back just then and Genna cried out, "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!"

Once the food finally dislodged itself from his throat, he said through a groan, "Jeez, Princess! Warn a guy next time, will ya?"

"I'm sorry," said Genna, embarrassed.

As Gajeel recovered himself, Lily greeted Genna saying, "It's good to see you, Genna. How are you adjusting?"

"Very well. Everyone's been so friendly and welcoming to me. It's unbelievable," she answered joyfully.

"That's wonderful to hear," said Lily. "And we just got your gift. That was very kind of you." Then he cast a side-eye at his companion and prompted him, "Wasn't it, Gajeel?"

Unamused, Gajeel sneered at him, knowing what the cat was trying to do. Though, when we turned back to Genna, his heart dropped slightly at seeing the disappointment on her face, realizing she saw his reaction to Lily.

"Were they not very good?" she asked Gajeel sheepishly.

He felt bad immediately and responded right away, "No, no! It's not like that. The cupcakes were good." Then he rubbed the back of his neck and looked away as he added timidly, "They…might be the best cupcakes I've ever had."

Genna had hoped for a good reaction, but she hadn't expected anything quite like that. The best cupcakes he'd ever had? That was quite high praise. "Wow, really? That's so sweet of you to say," she said back.

"Yeah, well…I'm just bein' honest," he nonchalantly replied.

"He thought the iron chunks inside were a nice touch," Lily added with a smirk, which made Gajeel growl quietly.

Snickering with relief, Genna said, "I'm glad. I thought that was something you would like. How did your job go?"

With a shrug of his shoulders, Gajeel simply said, "It was a piece of cake. We could've done it in our sleep."

"I don't doubt that at all," she replied, smiling widely.

Something about her smile in that moment made Gajeel's heart skip a beat, to his surprise, and he felt the heat rise up in his cheeks. He didn't know why, but her smile was so sweet and adorable; more than any others he'd seen before. There was a foreign stirring in his stomach that he both liked and disliked at the same time. It felt nice, but he also didn't like not knowing what was going on with him and it irritated him.

Feeling awkward right then, Gajeel blurted out, "Well, Lily and I've got another job we're goin' on, so we should be headin' out."

"Oh…okay," replied Genna, a bit sad that he was already leaving so soon. She had hoped to get to talk to him more once he'd gotten back.

Lily interjected, "We don't have to leave right away, do we?"

"If we're gonna make good time, we should," Gajeel said, already turning on his heel to go.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Lily asked. When Gajeel looked back at him, he put his paw on the box of Genna's cupcakes and said, "We shouldn't leave these; they'll get stale. We should take the rest for the road."

Knowing Lily was right and also not wanting to upset Genna, Gajeel just said back, "Right. I almost forgot." He then went back and picked up the box from the table just as Lily sprouted his wings and hovered into the air.

After tucking the box under his arm, Gajeel looked back at Genna and found himself at a loss for words for a second. He could see a saddened look in her eyes despite trying to appear content with him leaving again. He didn't want to care about that, but her blue eyes were inexplicably piercing him to the soul in a way he couldn't understand. Maybe he shouldn't go on this other job. He could feel a sense of guilt building up in him as he looked at her, but he was confused as to why. He still didn't know Genna very well and he didn't owe her anything, so why would he feel bad for doing what he'd always done?

Then she cleared her throat and asked him, "How long will you two be gone?"

"Hard to say. Every job's different," he simply replied.

Nodding, she said, "I hope everything goes well."

Not sure of what to say back, he just grunted, gave her a nod and went to walk away, but stopped after taking one step, the box under his arm seemingly feeling a bit heavier. He needed to do one last thing before leaving.

Turning back, he said, a little shy, "By the way, uh…thanks, Genny. For the cupcakes."

She smiled sweetly. "You're welcome, Gajeel. I'm glad you enjoyed them."

His throat tightened and he just wanted to get out of there, so he flipped around and headed for the doors without another word.

Lily, who was now hovering beside Genna, said to her, "See you when we get back, Genna?"

"See you when you get back," she repeated.

After giving her a glad grin, Lily flew off after Gajeel.

As she watched them head out of the guild hall, she cried out, "Be safe and don't do anything stupid, metal head!"

Gajeel didn't look back at her, but lifted his arm, gave it a wave and called back, "No promises, Princess!"

With that, she watched him leave for a second time on another job. She couldn't help but think maybe he was doing this to avoid her. Or maybe it was all just inconveniently timed. However, Genna was determined. She was going to get to know him and be his friend; she wasn't going to let him fly solo and keep up his lone wolf act. He deserved more friends than just his cat. When he came back, she wasn't going to let him just leave again so easily like he did this time.

Next time would be different.

#fairy tail #fairy tail fanfic #gajeel redfox #gajeel x oc fic #ironstar fanfic

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erocide · 6 months ago

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11/14/2024

I feel like I've forgotten everything that happened today too... this week doesn't quite seem real. I was so surprised to come home and realize it was now Friday. I was plotting idly how to make the most of my day before work, thinking about what food I wanted to bring with me as well, and oops! That was my last shift. Consequences of taking the first day of the week off.

I might incorporate food pictures into this too. Just for fun, to remember what I've had and what I like. I had lunch with my parents (buffet style) and ate until I felt like a tick, then split a chocolate covered strawberry with my dad. Dinner was a (bad) experiment, and then I snacked after with a veggie cup and chips from the night market at work.

Dinner was the fruit of an ill-fated labor. I got ready and went out to get my nails done after lunch, and stopped by publix to pick up just a few things... and ended up spending half an hour in the store. Goat and sheep's milk cheeses, fancy crackers, kiwi and dragonfruit and raspberries, palmers lotion and body oil(!), and then of course, what I actually came for—frozen dinners for the work freezer.

Its hard to keep track of whats good and whats shit unless it especially stands out, so I ended up buying almost all new items, except for evol's portabella and goat cheese ravioli. I also got their truffle parm mac n cheese, scott & jon's shrimp alfredo and honey sesame salmon rice bowl, and lastly, the failure—Amy's Bowls mushroom risotto. Or maybe not a failure, since I learned that Amy can't season her food for shit. It only had salt and pepper, when it was begging for at least some garlic.

But I ate it! Every last shitty bite, peas and all, because I'm grown goddammit and veggies are good for you.

My mother's bad mood and childishness today only deserves a footnote. We're only one month into Jeanne's crisis, and she's losing her mind.

Other than that, today was good :) peaceful. I started a new show, Sons of Anarchy, and its shaping up to be a lot of fun in that dramatic soap opera-y way, if they were written for old guys too chickenshit to actually be in a biker gang. Im grateful to Con for his help in watching it. I also watched the two newest eps of dandadan with Nico. Maybe I'll write a review for them in their own post.

Jade found me samoles of the Argos perfume I wanted, and Orebella's discovery kit is back in stock! I definitely need to work on saving money, but right now I only have one perfume I like wearing... I'll have to choose everything carefully.

Tomorrows goals: clean the bathroom like you mean it. Go to dinner somewhere new.

Sweet dreams.

#dear diary

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yourl0cal1ncorporealb3ing · 11 months ago

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TW VENT AT SOME PARTS

(ALSO NONE OF THIS PROOF READ SO IT MAY NOT BE LEGIABLE I just wroet this and i already forgot half the stuff i wrote)

y'know the mix of horrid chronic fatigue and insatiable numbness and the dissociation just makes me feel like I missing out on life, I yearn to go outside, to go play, to have fun, just run around but I cant. I sit in my room on tumblr or youtube wasting the day away wishing I did something more productive. I feel like a husk of person I feel like Im in a movie theater alone watching the most boring movie ive ever seen, I feel lonely while also being too socially drained to watch and respond the the video my friend sent me. Not to mention when my parents used to fight, my moms road rage/anger issues, it caused me to fucking terrifed of conflict so sometimes I minimize my needs when around other people and constantly asking about things and if im doing it right but also worrying if im annoying them with all my questions because my grandma has gotton mad at me for that before i think either that or it was me asking why she loved my cousin more than me because she yelled and fought with my dad because i wouldnt give my cousin my fukcing chicken nuggets my dad bought for me like fuck you i mean im sorry grandma

The anxiety and hyperactivity of my ADHD spikes up at night so either i got to sleep and wake up in 13 hours or I can stay up till 4am, go to sleep and wake 13 hours (Just feeling a lot worse). Im literally shaking as I write this and i can tell if im just so fucking restless even if im fucking tired (its 3:38am) or anxiety or the entire kiwi strawberry monster I just drank Its ok im drinking water a lot of it i just need to get my thoughts out of my head because its like a thousond of the dvd bouncing tv screen in my head rn idk if its getting better idk if im gonna post this too maybe idk any ways im shaking oh btw i might have non-diabetic hypoglycemia and i have to get a bunch shots next week and I really hate the doctors it always makes me really scared and uncomfy n shit and idk why damn im shaking a lot. I almost freaked out bc i cant find my charger and my tablet almost died but i have another one ive been using so i just used that but i want to know where my charger went :(

istg ive been eating fucking pasta for the lat 3 weeks and i hate it i hate it i hate it HATE it every. fucking. meal. I cant. I have comfort foods I like and its mostly carby food like pasta so i eat pasta alot but since our oven stopped workin its all i know i can make that easy and i laike it but i secretly dread it so i have been eating a lot of candy to keep my brain happy but im not i should be happy ive been hanging with my frinds and its summr break but im just numb, i always am, yk the year I just finished? yeah for the majority of the i was fighting autopilot mode and disassociation but i was constantly in it i dont think i cant handle going to high school this year i think i might act pass out from exhaustion I barely survived middle school Im not okay i need something meds? idk I should not be this messed up i mean my family is great (yk...apart from the fighting which isnt that common anymore and moms anger issues) but theu love me so whats the problem? school school why is it so unoccomidating to neurodivergents same with ppl with social anxiety like i have had MULTIPLE bad panic attcks in class cause i had to do smthin in front of the class I fukcing hate the school system fuckfukcufkyoiuu school fuck the emercian school system FUCKYOUUUUUUUUU

Im too conflict avoident I cant

the afternoon feels so tiring in a stuffy way if that maks and sense i need to treat my FUCKING adhd already i can have music playing at all times thats not a good long term strategy to shut up my brain i mean ffuck i have music on rn and you can see my insane ramblings

anyyways I kinda think im a daave fiction kin (like DSAF) but im 90% sure im just and otherlinker and I just want to feel speacial or some shit but whos know i have the worst imposter syndrome known to man (I have almost every symptom of Cfs and my friend has asked if i have it but nahhh i defs dont) but also i had a weird experience once. I was like listen (its getting hard to type with the shakiness :0) ing to 2 dave and henry playlists and i kept listening to the henry one and I was in the car and i was falling and out of sleep when i saw like flash of dave but it didnt look like cannon dave he looked different he was mush more blue and he was leaning against a wall with messy longish hair and he had a hat and scars all over him and he had a purple buttoned shit that was fulled buttoned up and the perspective i saw was like a photo someone had taken and he seemed just chilling perhaps talking to jack? idfk but yeah theres my weird experience like the best way i can explain this feeling towards dave is "Idkk if i was you but probably mightve at some point like most likely at some point"

i hope i sound legiable (if i do post this AND someone actually reads this all) it is 4:08am and I feel too many things once i probably will sleep at 5 or 6 anyways byebye

#my body was vibrating #vent??#i feel like orange garbarge juice

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ajoytobeheld · 2 years ago

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(untitled)

October 19th, 2007

hello hello hello to anyone who actually finds these interesting, we just like having an excuse to look through our photos.

here’s some photos from ireland: just to prove we went

thats us chillin’ (haha ellen is a comedy genius) in the fridge in belfast

there were bad omens for the tour in belfast considering the power went off as soon as we started our set. but we feng shuid and cleaned our chi and started the tour anyway. we also made tom felate a banana…

The first memorable thing to have happened was the bread face we made in bristol…(on another note Ollie is currently continuing his quest to try and fit into as many small spaces as possible. This week he is attempting to get into the kitchen cuboard in The Cockpit. He is currently in the cuboard. He just fell out of the cuboard. People are laughing, i think he may be crying in pain. Possibly concussed.) Back to the bread face, all appreciate the glory and wonder of its kiwi eyes and banana smile. We were so proud of the success of this initial experiment that we thought we would make him a brother. He is closely modelled on his siblings, apart from the additional banana eyebrows and extra detail (note the lifelike haribo eyes.)

We have been touring with the wonderful You say party! We say die! and dead good Sky Larkin, who have been brilliant company and have been fairly embarassing to play after due to the fact we suck bottoms compared to them. The photo below is a example of YSP!WSD! majesty when we all played in Manchester together, although you cant really tell she is wearing a amazing gold dress. Krista is a shining star in a dark night. Devon is a dark knight mounting a shining star. Derek is an explosion of stardust onto the face of Steve who is painting glitter on Becki. (Their words not ours.)

Before the gig in Manchester Neil decided to try and to prove that we are the second most punk rock band in England by letting us write on him in eyeliner. He then removed his shirt during the second song prompting his mum to worry that he had got a rather hideous new tattoo. We also did a interview in Manchester with a certain someone who wasnt very careful when texting a friend during the show and a mutual friend reported to us afterwards that this certain someone said that some of the band were fit, and perhaps dirty and looked like they like to experiment in bed due to their appearance. The bands response to this is that we are all very hygienic and extremely boring in bed.

In Glasgow we were given some brilliant Fan art which is Niall’s own interpretation of our little faces, and bodies. He has also included himself in the picture, but at first we just thought he had mispelt Neil. It is now sitting on our Dashboard, and if anyone wants to make us some more to perk up our van we would be very grateful. I would also like some febreeze to save time on washing. If we get two we might be able to set up a fan art page on our website….

We had a aftershow party in Glasgow (our very first organised aftershow party) at the Garage, we think however the staff are perhaps….muppets. They took our whisky off us at the door, they searched Ellen to the point of sexual abuse asking her to tell them where her Weed was because “they were going to find it and throw her out.” Ellen does not smoke weed, but the fact she roaches her rizla packets for rollies because she cant be bothered to buy filters made the security suspicious. This also makes them stupid. But the party was extremely fun despite the music of Good Charlotte/30 Seconds to Mars being continously filtered through to the area we were in.

Doug from Sky Larkin and Gareth demonstrate their gunts in Newcastle. This show was possibly the most rock n roll one we have ever played. There was a stage invasion, and someone tried to steal the melody horn. Someone suceeded in stealing the glock beater, and the korg was knocked over. The glock beater has been passed down for many generations in the Campesinos family, so I am asking the person who borrowed it to turn themselves in to their nearest police station before things get ugly. Yep. Alek is Russian, Tom is Italian and between them they can summon enough mafia to make you feel very uncomfortable.

To add to the Rock n Rollness of the evening Harriet and Ellen thought it would be appropriate to don their best bread hats as they headed to the aftershow DJ set which we all did just down the road from the gig. An exclusive album track was played much to everyones apathy, and the classic “Gravel Pit” by the Wu-Tang clan was pulled out. Gareth played M.I.A like 8 times.

To make everyone leave he had to play the most requested song of the night, which was deemed some Pixies song, and was counted by a show of hands from the eight people remaining.

and that is a runthrough of all our adventures so far. we’ll keep you updated. lots of love and hugs, ellen and aleks and the rest of LC!

#2007 #lc!blog #lc!image

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be-with-me-so-happily · 2 years ago

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Could We Not?

ONE SHOT

[ or Part 1 to Not Another Time ]

<< Request >> "Hey! I was wondering if you could do a one-shot where she’s like apart of the band and she gets hit in the head with a hard object while she’s on stage and Harry is super freaked out? That would be a sanity saver!" - @samanddeaninatrenchcoat

Summary: Harry Styles is used to having things thrown at him on stage. Recently, it's been Skittles, which affected his vision. But when his band members are affected, he can't stay silent. Especially when it's YN who takes the hit.

AN: I had a lot of fun writing this! YN replaces Laura in the band, just in general, only because she plays the trumpet and I still included Parris.

Warnings: Some explicit language, wound with blood, angry Harry

He can't escape it. It has carried on from his days in One Direction, and it seems to have become a permanent, unavoidable occurrence that things are thrown at him on stage.

Most are harmless, such as boas, sunglasses, or little plush toys that he is always inclined to keep.

However, there have been a few occasions where the objects were a bit more troublesome. Phones are a big one, which internally annoys the hell out of him at this point.

The most recent culprit, and the most shocking, was a handful of Skittles, one which hit him directly in his left eye. If there is a silver lining of that moment, it's that he only had to get through performing 'Kiwi' before he was able to run backstage and immediately have it taken care of.

He tries not to show anger on stage when things like that happen. He loves his fans. He always wants to treat them with kindness, acceptance, and gratitude. So he doesn't draw much attention to it. There has only been one occasion or two where he has subtly asked for some fans to stop throwing things.

Tonight, however, might be his tipping point.

Harry has brushed off the frustration from the rock hard candy incident, because tonight is a new night and a new show.

There is also the new trumpet player, YN. Well, she isn't new per say, she's been there since the tour came back to North America, but she is the newest member of the band, and the one Harry has become extremely fond of.

She fits in perfectly with the rest of the group. She is so kind, so joyful, and everyone seems to be energized just by her presence. Including Harry. Especially Harry. The moment she walked into the trial rehearsal, he felt an electricity course through his veins that he's never felt before. He shook it off as a mere, and mild, physical attraction. Then she started to play, and he was taken into a trance by her talent and passion. Then she spoke, and he felt his heart flutter more than ever.

He knows he has a crush, one that he can't talk about or act on, but it doesn't stop the forming of a grin when the horn players walk up onto the stage. It doesn't stop the goosebumps he feels when they all begin to play, being able to pick out the sound of her specific instrument. It doesn't stop the thought that those songs, the ones where they get to be there together, may just be his favorite ones to perform.

So when 'Satellite' ends, and after a good chat with the crowd, reading their signs, the four horn players make their way up the stairs as 'Cinema' begins, causing his heart to flutter and his current smile to stretch out into a wide grin.

When they play an extended introduction for 'Music For A Sushi Restaurant', he takes the opportunity to get some water and give her a quick smile, hoping that he actually does see a blush form on her cheeks, even behind her trumpet.

He stays on the outside of the stage for that song, but gets even more excited when the band begins to play 'Treat People With Kindness'. This means YN will move to one of the outside corners, which also means he'll get to be closer to her as he moves around during the song.

He makes sure to pass by her any chance he gets, but tries hard not to make his intentions too obvious, to the crowd or to YN. She's a part of his band, and he doesn't want to make her uncomfortable, even if she does appear to reciprocate any smile or slightly flirtatious comment he makes. He wants any move made to be on YN's terms. However, that won't stop him from taking this opportunity to share a little dance with her.

"Wait for it… wait for it… wait for it. One, two, three, four!"

As the crowd shouts out the chorus, Harry stations himself next to her, moving his hips side to side, causing her to pull back from her instrument and let out the most amazing laugh.

He's going to do that every time from now on, just so he can hear that again.

That song ends, and she moves into the center with the rest of the horn players, walking through to the other side of the stage as they start their intro for 'What Makes You Beautiful'.

He moves back to the mic stand in front of the walkway, trying to catch glimpses of her every so often, as she stands near the corner to his left.

"I don't know why you're being shy, and turn away when I look into your eyes."

He takes a few steps to his left, pointing his arms out to the fans and encouraging them to sing the bridge.

At that moment, something whizzes over in his direction and lands by his feet. He takes a quick look down, and then to his left, noticing that YN has moved a few feet over to the other side of the stage. He sees Mitch taking a couple of glances over to her as well, mouthing something, but she nods and continues to play.

As the final chorus nears, the four horn players move back to the center of the stage to play the last parts of the song.

He grabs his mic from the stand and engages the crowd, instantly requesting that they applaud for the horn players. He watches as YN gives a wave to the crowd, confused as to why she isn't doing it as vibrant as normal. She could just be tired, though she usually pushes through it, but it's been an intense leg of the tour in Los Angeles.

The time between that and 'Late Night Talking', while Parris plays his beautiful solo, is usually one of his favorite moments, because he has a little bit more time to interact with her on stage. Even if it's only a quick comment or joke, he loves it and takes what he can get. But as he moves closer to grab his water bottle, he sees her talking to Pauli, who swiftly hands her a spare face cloth that he keeps by him.

Harry immediately frowns and quickens his pace over to her.

"What's wrong?"

She wipes herself off and shakes her head, keeping her gaze downward. He can't remember a time where she wasn't happy and bright. But now she looks embarrassed, and sad, which pains him to see.

"Some… something hit me."

"What? Where? How?" He blurts out, not even fully able to process what she is explaining had occurred.

"A fan threw something. I don't know what it was." She sighs, flickering her gaze up to him with a troubling expression across her face.

"Shit. Are you alright?" He steps closer to her, unintentionally placing his hand on the middle of her back, and he feels her shiver under his touch. He removes it, his eyes fixated on her, and he feels some relief when he sees a small smile appear on her face.

"I'll be okay." She assures him. Her trumpet lifts up to her lips, the ones he has wondered what they would feel like against his, and he realizes that Parris has finished his part. "Let's get on with it."

He bites his lower lip as she gives him a wink, and feels a blush form on his own cheeks. If she knew what she does to him, she probably wouldn't be doing that. But he'll take it.

He sings through the second chorus on the closest walkway, still giddy at the fact that he can pick out her trumpet from the others, and he just knows she is swaying back and forth to the lyrics as she always does.

However, he turns around to make his way back, pointing his mic back out to the crowd, and when he sees YN again, she is holding her fingers against the spot over her left eyebrow.

Instantly his chest tightens and he bounces back over there as the song ends. She makes her way back to the center with the others while he takes a quick gulp of water, turning around when they begin to play 'Watermelon Sugar'.

"I'm bleeding." He hears her state to Parris.

"Okay. Go." Parris replies, and Harry follows after her.

"YN." He tries to shout without causing too much of a fuss, but she steps down the stairs, and he clenches his jaw as he watches her make her way backstage.

This isn't good, and he really hopes he can get through this song now.

"Alright, if… if you know this one, please… please do sing along." He stumbles through his words, his eyes still glaring over to the spot where YN exited.

Performing this one isn't as fun this time, though the crowd are probably none the wiser, as he keeps his professionalism as intact as possible. But it is different. She's usually on the walkway in front of him, dancing away as she plays, causing his heart to flutter each time she moves.

He either closes his eyes or moves around the stage a bit, hoping to momentarily distract himself from her, and stay focused on the music. At least to get through the song.

And thankfully he does.

As soon as it ends, the rest of the horn players make their way off the stage, and Harry immediately rushes over to his little setup in front of Pauli.

"Start playing, but I want to talk with the crowd for a moment." He states into the band mic, for only the crew to hear.

They softly play the melody of 'Love of My Life' and he raises his hand as if to signal that he has something to say.

"Thank you Los Angeles, so much, for all of your support. I, more than anyone, know that I couldn't do this without all of you. I hope you have had a great time." The crowd cheers, and stomps, and he responds with some kisses blown around the venue. Then his expression becomes a bit more solemn and he turns back to the mic. "I want to say that my number one priority for everyone here tonight has been safety. That includes everyone on stage as well."

The crowd immediately hushes, which usually doesn't happen without his lead, and it shocks him. But hopefully it means they'll hear his message.

"I always encourage you to dance, sing, and interact. I always suggest that you treat everyone with kindness. And now, I also ask that you please think about these amazing people on stage, and refrain from throwing things that could potentially hurt someone. One of our members was hurt during a song tonight and unfortunately had to leave." He pulls back, clearing his throat in an attempt to keep his frustration at bay. "We want to be able to keep doing this with you for as long as possible, so we all need to make sure that safety is our top priority. So let's keep it safe and have some more fun. How does that sound, Los Angeles?"

He holds two thumbs up to the fans, swiveling around while everyone begins to cheer again, and walks over to his mic for the next song. The last one before their little break, and before their encore. He'll be done soon.

He knows his energy has diminished a bit, which is fine for 'Love of My Life', because his mind is back on YN. He desperately wants to know if she is okay. Needs to know, at this point.

During the break before their encore, Harry rushed underneath and pleaded with the crew to find out what had happened to YN, and whether she's being taken care of. They assured him that she is fine, but he couldn't get rid of his worry.

He put on his best entertainer persona for the last three songs, feeding off the excitement of the crowd to get him through until the end.

But once 'Kiwi' was finished, he blew kisses to the fans and sprinted backstage, immediately feeling frantic.

"Jeff-"

"H, man, you doing okay?" His manager asks, concern all over his face.

"Where is YN?" Harry quickly asks, not even bothering to answer about himself.

"Huh?"

"Where's YN? She got hit by something. She had to get off stage. Where'd she go?" He asks, feeling frazzled like he never has before.

"Oh. Uh, I haven't seen her, maybe-"

Harry strides off, not really knowing which direction to head, but willing to walk all over the place to find her.

He sees another familiar face, feeling some hope that she'll have an answer.

"Lorren, where's YN?" He asks, hoping his tone is a bit more calm than it was with Jeff, but knowing he could be failing.

"She's in the common room." Lorren replies, a small smirk forming suddenly. "She's okay, Harry."

His eyes grow wide and he stands up straighter, more stable, more casual. Or at least trying to.

"Yeah. Of course. I just… wanted to check in with her." He utters, but her intrigued, raised eyebrow tells him that she doesn't accept his answer.

"Harry…" She chuckles. "I know you care about her more than that…"

"What? No-... I mean…" He sighs, running a ringed hand through his sweaty hair. "Shit."

Lorren laughs again and she puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Your secret is safe with me."

He nods and feels a hot burn flooding his cheeks, not even attempting to hide it since she clearly knows she's right.

"Does she fee-" He begins, immediately stopping as he sees her pull her lips inward. "Nevermind. Doesn't matter. I'm just… gonna check on her."

Lorren nods and smiles, squeezing his shoulder then pointing down the hallway.

"Good luck…" She teases as she walks away.

"What?"

"Nothing." She replies, already opening the door to another room.

He takes a deep breath and turns back around to the direction he needs to go, his steps faster the closer he gets to the room she is occupying.

He opens the door without hesitation, instantly seeing YN sitting on the sofa with an ice pack held on her face, and her phone in the other hand.

He clears his throat as he takes a few steps towards her, slower than they were in the hallway, and his heart pounds faster than it just had been.

"Hello." He utters, not wanting to startle her. She shoots her gaze up to him and he feels butterflies as she immediately smiles. She may have looked different on stage after the incident, but he is happy to see that her bright demeanor seems to have returned. His concern begins to melt away.

"Hi." She responds, putting her phone down, along with the ice pack. She winces as she does, and as he moves to the sofa, he finally sees the large gash on her forehead.

His heart sinks, and he is thankful for the close proximity to the furniture, because his knees almost give out completely as he takes a seat next to her, on the opposite side of where her cut is.

"Fuck, YN, are you alright?" He inquires, his gaze flickering between her gorgeous, sparkling eyes and her anger-inducing wound. His jaw instantly clenches and his palms ball into fists. He can't believe this happened, especially to her. His gaze drops, and he begins to fill with guilt. "I'm so sorry you got hurt."

Suddenly, he feels the warmth and soft touch of her hand on his, causing the tension in his palms to release right away.

"It's not your fault, H. And I'm okay."

He looks up to her again, being met with the gaze he tries hard not to get lost in, but fails every time he's close enough to see it.

"I just…" He sighs and shakes his head, not entirely sure what he wants to express, and worried it could be more than he should. "I just want to… know that you're alright."

"That's sweet." She utters, a tenderness in her tone. He smiles at the irony of her attempt to calm him, when it should be the other way around. "I am. I am alright."

A squeeze of YN's hand grabs his gaze once again, and he just sits in silence as he, once again, gets lost in her eyes.

His hand unintentionally reaches up, gently resting under her chin as he turns her head to view her wound, sighing once more at the sight of it. His thumb reaches up, gliding over her skin, right under the cut, and a tingle rushes over him.

A strong exhale leaves her mouth and he turns her head back to him, his eyes tracing the lines of her lips. He looks back to her gaze, his breath hitching at her beauty, and his body acts on his feelings as he leans in, gently pressing his lips against her own.

She lets out a small sigh, which snaps him back to reality, and he pulls back.

"Shit. I'm… fuck, I'm sorry." His hand drops and he scoots his body further away from her, feeling every ounce of embarrassment possible. He didn't want to make the first move, if there was even one to be made. What if she didn't want it? What if she hated it? "Fuck."

"Please, don't…" She clears her throat, a sudden timidness in her tone. "Please don't be sorry."

Harry's heart begins to race, and he glances up to see her smile. However, a knock on the half-closed door causes both their heads to turn that way, and they both sit up straighter.

"I finally found a bandaid." A venue staff member states, handing it to YN and walking out.

She begins to open it up, removing the strips and exposing the sticky sides, then looks around the room for a mirror.

"Here." Harry reaches out, grazing her hand, and regaining her attention. "Let me."

She hands him the bandage, and he scoots closer again, their thighs barely touching, but just enough for his stomach to fill with butterflies.

He gently places the band-aid over her cut, gliding his thumb over the corners to make sure they stay secured. His gaze drops down, and his breath hitches as he sees her gazing up to him through her lashes.

His palm slides down and rests on her cheek, and she tilts her head upwards, their lips hovering in front of each other.

"Thank you." She whispers, her own hand placing itself on top of his.

Harry attempts to swallow down the lump stuck in his throat, but is interrupted by the sudden soft pressure against his lips. He lets out a quiet whimper, and her hand moves around to the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her. His mouth begins to move with hers, and the tip of his tongue teases the gap between her lips.

She suddenly pulls away, and a frown forms on his face, until her gaze flickers to the door and he hears the chatter in the hallway that must have caused her to stop.

He pushes back, only out of caution and respect for both of their privacy, and grins when he sees her blush.

"You know, I've had recent experience with eye injuries."

"Right. You have." She giggles.

"If you want… you don't have to… but if you want to, you… you could come to my suite." He clears his throat. "To hang out. And I can keep an eye on that injury for you."

"No pun intended." She laughs, and his grin, surprisingly, grows wider. She's still so bright, and he's already down bad.

"I…" She begins, another blush instantly taking over her delicate skin. "I wouldn't mind seeing you looking at me a little more tonight."

"Oh my god." He breaths out, swiftly throwing his palms over his face.

He feels her fingers wrap around his wrist and removes his hands to find her standing in front of him. She tugs on his arm, and he lifts himself off the chair.

"Then maybe I'll get the chance to do the same." She states, biting her lower lip before letting him go and moving around the room to grab her stuff.

Yeah. He's definitely down bad, and despite her being injured, this just may end up being the best show by far.

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