#kas are the only ones who deny it

[melu-lis]

idk why kataangers are so resolute in denying that katara wasn't parentified at an early age when it was a crucial part of her character and it's pretty clear from watching the show that katara was forced to take on a maternal role from an early age. i honestly believe that their insistence that katara wasn't parentified stems from not wanting kataang to be viewed as having "mother-son" dynamic (doesn't help that bryke compared kataang to having a crush on girl who's like your older sister or babysitter).

[sinswithpleasure]

You Can Watch, But You Can't Touch [At Least, Not Yet]

Tokyo, a city that never sleeps. 

You've been a regular participant of the bustling nightlife for years, being a bartender for one of the most famous bars along Golden Gai. Many famous patrons have come and gone—you've hosted not only Japan's best, but Hollywood's best as well, and with the way you conduct your business—sweet talking the patrons whenever they strike your fancy—you're no stranger to bedding some of these celebrities. However, you may have just gotten yourself the opportunity of a lifetime.

"Hngh, my God~!"

"Mmf, aah, fu~ck~."

"Oh fuck yes, yes…"

You have no idea how you'd managed to sweet talk your way into the situation you were in now. You're in the suite of five-star Park Hyatt Hotel, in front of TWICE's Myoui Mina, Minatozaki Sana, and Hirai Momo. All three women are naked in front of you, and you're not wearing any clothes either, all of you having discarded your clothing on the way in. 

"Come join us here, Takagi~." Sana's saccharine voice, dripping with sexual desire, calls you forth to get on the massive bed, where all three women lie side by side. You don't know where to look—all three beautiful Japanese goddesses have their hands between their legs, fingers plunging deep into their dripping pussies. You field a glance towards all three women, and your cock twitches when Sana returns you a wink, Mina licks her lips after staring at your hard cock, and Momo blows you a kiss. Precum drips from the tip as you watch Mina fondle her breasts, soft moans escaping her lips as she tugs at a nipple between her fingers. 

Wet squelches echo around the room, mixed with the varying sets of moans. Sana is unabashedly loud, her sweet whines and moans music to your ears, going straight to your cock. Momo's pleasure is vocalized in her low sultry voice, every thrust of her fingers into her dripping cunt punctuated by a low hum. Mina is the softest amongst the three, just as she would be, but she sounds no less sexy—her angelic voice is something you've enjoyed whenever you listen to TWICE's music, but here, that same voice conquers your mind through soft, breathy moans. 

"Takagi~," Mina's moan of your name has you twitching once more, your cock at its stiffest. You shift closer to the three idols, and Mina stares intently at your cock as you move, her fingers plunging faster into her cunt. 

"Takagi, please join us, mmf~... Join us and stroke your cock for us, please~!"

There was no way you were denying yourself the relief you needed, and neither would you deny Mina the pleasure of having her request fulfilled. You grab your cock and slowly lather your precum across your length before gently stroking your cock for the idols to watch. You softly grunt as the pleasure seeps into your system, and you watch as the eyes of all three women burn with lust at your display. 

"Takagi, who's your favourite out of the three of us?" Momo's signature low voice cuts through your pleasure, and you turn to look at the oldest of the three. The oldest girl has one hand on her left breast, and she kneads it gently, the flesh spilling from between her fingers. You're momentarily stunned by that display—to see Momo's huge breasts like that so intimately, you'd be an idiot not to enjoy it for as long as you can

"Answer me, Takagi~. Momo-onee-chan's waiting~." 

"I— I…" You're unable to even formulate any coherent sentence—Sana chooses that moment to moan your name, which draws your attention to her. She flashes you her million-dollar smile, ever full of mischief, promising nothing but seduction in this instance. You're fully aware you're being toyed around by the three Japanese megastars, but you're powerless to protest, and neither do you wish to as well. 

"Ta. Ka. Gi. Answer Momoring's question, please~."

"I…, oh God, fuck—" You partially moan out of pleasure, and out of indecision—not on who's your favourite, but on whether your answer would have any repercussions. Tonight could go anywhere—the only thing you'd known was that you were chosen by MiSaMo to be their sexual partner for tonight, but you weren't sure about the details. Even on the extremely short drive here to the Park Hyatt from the bar, all you were allowed to know about tonight's experience was that you would "enjoy tonight thoroughly and fully", or so Sana said. 

"Please tell us, Takagi?" You have no idea how Mina manages to look cute as she puts on her aikyo (愛嬌) for you even as she's fucking herself, pouting and whining while her fingers plunge deep into her pussy and draw more and more of her arousal to stain the sheets below. You nearly cum at the sight, and all three women giggle when you rip your hand away from your cock, your hips jerking as a few drops of hot, thick semen drip from your tip. 

"Oh, Minaring, look at what you've done!" Momo giggles in amusement, bumping the youngest of the trio with her elbow. "You've just made Takagi cum a little."

"Guess we know who's the favourite now, Momoring~."

You're absolutely embarrassed—you thought you'd be able to edge yourself, but Mina just being herself has you unable to control yourself fully, and you'd just lost a bit of your precious load you were saving for them. Sana must have sensed your disappointment. 

"It's okay, Takagi. Minaring has this effect on people. I'm sure you have more cum in those big balls for us, don't you~?"

"Y-Yes!" Eager to prove, to please, you begin to stroke yourself again, this time reaching below to fondle your balls as well. The low groan you let out draws giggles from the stars opposite you, and you open eyes that you'd closed in pleasure. In front of you, Mina has changed her method slightly—she rubs circles on her clit, her pussy still leaking and dripping. Next to her, the whirr of a vibrator starts up—Momo holds a Hitachi wand to her clit, and she throws her head back, moaning, her free hand on Mina's leg now after letting go of her breasts momentarily. Now, you get to look at the oldest girl's breasts without any obstruction—she arches her back at a particularly strong burst of pleasure, and you gawk at her heaving breasts jiggling as she bucks her hips, deep moans serving as vocal evidence of the sexual relief she enjoys. Sana is the only girl still fingering herself, but now she has three fingers in her, her eyes switching between you and her group mates, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth as she whines and moans in pleasure watching everyone else masturbate together with her. 

"Takagi…" Mina's call for you is breathy, shaky from the pleasure coursing through her veins. You're forced to rip your hand away from your cock again, lest you tip over the edge. This does not go unnoticed—Sana and Momo are giggling again at your obvious weakness for Mina. Mina continues, unfazed. "Let's—mmf~—strike a deal." 

"W-What?" You're dying to hear what Mina has to say. It'd probably be worth it, but you know that it'd probably be difficult, considering your current situation. 

"If… If you—oh~!—you last… l-longer than the three of us, we'll—fuck—I…" Mina trails off as she pushes her fingers back into her cunt again, before pulling them out. 

"What she means, Takagi…" Sana takes over for their youngest. "...is that if you manage to edge yourself until all three of us have enjoyed our orgasms, you'll get to fuck the three of us."

"A—Are you sure?" You can't believe your ears—this sounds too good to be true. 

"Are you calling me a liar?" Sana's grin promises she isn't offended—she's just teasing, as usual. "Of course we're sure. If you last long enough, we'll fuck you. One by one, in any position and hole you want."

"We'll even go again, if you can keep up." Momo adds on as she winks, her vibrator turned off for this negotiation. "Something tells me you can."

"Takagi." Mina's soft call gets your attention. "If you finish last, I'll fuck you first."

You'd have been a fool not to agree. The three idols grin, and Momo's vibrator clicks on again as you begin to stroke. This time, a second and third whirr join the first—Sana has another Hitachi wand in her hands, and a dildo in the other. She pushes the dildo in her as the toy comes into contact with her clit, and she lets out a long moan at the pleasure. Next to her, Mina also now has a vibrator—a dildo with a clit massager—and she toys around with it, stimulating herself with different angles. All three women moan your name, staring at you, blatantly displaying their desires and fantasies as they pleasure themselves, and you jerk yourself hard and fast at the sight in front of you. Precum coats your tip, and you spread it all across your cock as you jerk, eyes locked on the idols in front of you. You feast on the sight of Sana and Mina with their arms pushing against either side of their breasts, squeezing them together, before looking at Momo's massive chest jiggling as she writhes in pleasure.

"Takagi, oh God~." Momo calls for your attention. "I want your cock in me so bad, fuck…" 

"Oh yeah?" You can't help but indulge in the dirty talk. "What else?"

"I need that cock shooting into me, Takagi. I love the feeling of it, the warmth of semen filling me up." Momo begins to finger herself again as she turns up the vibrator. "Especially when these two watch me take it."

A blush spreads across Mina's face at Momo's words, whereas a smile spreads across Sana's. 

"That's right, Takagi. Momo lo~ves being bred by thick hard cocks like yours." Sana grins even as she fucks herself, her sentences punctuated by the occasional moan. A pout forms on her face at the next sentence. "And she always wants us to watch, because she loves making us jealous." 

"Don't lie, Sattang. You love watching me cum on hard cocks as much as you love cumming on them too." Momo's rebuttal has Sana giggling, and your brain is filled with the thought that this was a regular occurrence. You groan at the thought, your cock twitching as more precum bursts from the tip. 

"Oooh, Takagi liked that, Momoring~." 

"Mmm, of course. Bet you he's wondering how many men we've fucked like that."

Your eyes betray your curiosity—something all three girls pick up.

"We're not kissing and telling, Takagi~." Sana's quick to tease. "But I'm going to say… the most we've had was sex with three different men at the same time each, one after the other." A wink accompanies the reveal, before Mina moans again. She is clearly revisiting the experience—

"Oh yes, those three…" Momo joins in to add further context, just to rile you up further. "Their cocks were just as long and thick as yours, Takagi. They fucked us so good that we weren't able to get up for a while."

The image of Mina, Sana, and Momo next to each other, semen dripping from their used pussies, naked bodies glistening with sweat as they are right now, nearly has you cumming. You once again edge yourself, whimpering at the denied orgasm. 

"I think you'd be happy to know that our Minaring here…" Sana fields Mina a glance, "...liked it the most. Every time she came…"

Sana's voice drops low, as if to let you in on a secret.

"She squirted all over her partners."

"Oh f—, no, no!" Your cock visibly twitches at the imagery of Mina's squirting orgasm, and to both your pleasure and disappointment, you're barely able to finish your speech before spurts of semen burst from your tip, your orgasm hitting you like a truck. Shot after shot of semen sprays through the air, with your first five shots spray onto Mina's body, and the next five spraying all over the bedsheets, more semen firing from the tip.

The moment your hot semen sprays all over Mina's breasts, tummy, thighs, and ass, the youngest Japanese girl shudders, eyes rolling back in her head in a picture-perfect ahegao. She orgasms hard—the toy in her pussy is expelled out of her body onto the bed as her hips buck hard, and a long gush of squirt showers everyone on the bed. Burst after burst of Mina's juices rain over you, and your cock twitches again, just a little painfully after that intense orgasm. The Japanese girl writhes, shudders, and bucks as her orgasm takes her, and when she falls still, a panting, exhausted, sweaty mess, you can see the satisfied grin on her face, her eyes meeting yours. 

"Takagi, you failed." Momo's the first to get up, and Sana follows after. Both girls stop pleasuring themselves, and they share a look to each other before grinning. 

"I see you're still hard." Sana licks her lips at the sight of your cock, strings of semen clinging to the tip. "A pity we're not going to be able to help you with that…" 

You must've looked so pathetic and lost that Sana and Momo end up giggling at your predicament. All is lost, you think, until Momo speaks. 

"We'll give you one more chance, Takagi. Would you like that?"

"Y-Yes, please, anything!"

"Hehe, so eager and needy for our pussies…" Momo bites her lip, eyes raking over your body. "You're lucky we want to fuck ourselves on that cock as much as you want to pump our tight cunts full of cum."

Both girls give their youngest member a look. Mina is at her sexiest right now, her wanton body spread open for everyone to see. Her pussy clenches on nothing, slick dripping from her hole, semen staining her thighs, ass, and body. The afterglow of her orgasm is evident—she looks so fucking hot like that. 

"Since Mina offered…" Sana turns back to you with a bright smile, not unlike those you'd see on variety shows, or in TWICE TVs. "If you can show us how well you can fuck her, we'll fuck you."

You need no further invitation. Mina welcomes you eagerly when you crawl over—she spreads her legs wide for you, and she begs you with her eyes and hands. The look she gives you is of pure submission, and you look below to see her spreading her pussy open to welcome your cock. Both Sana and Momo crawl up to either side of you, and they watch you rub your hard cock against Mina's pussy, drawing soft moans from her. 

"Takagi, in me, please~!" Mina's quick to beg, the desperation eating away at her patience.

"Put it in, come on." With a soft push on your back, you penetrate Mina for the first time. Mina loudly moans as you stretch her walls—she's a tight fit, but you slide in with not much resistance, with how wet she is. Inch after inch, your cock disappears into her, and you swear you're in heaven. The pleasure you derive from her walls squeezing you, mixed with the natural scents of Sana and Momo beside you has you almost delirious—you can't believe this is truly happening. When you hilt, you groan loudly, and Mina whines as your cock twitches deep in her. 

"Go on, fuck her. Show us how a man like you fucks a woman, Takagi."

You're unable to keep your groan soft when you pull out of Mina's cunt and thrust back in. Mina joins you in vocalizing her pleasure, and she pulls you in to plant her lips on yours. You're surprised, naturally, but you adapt quickly—soon enough, her tongue is against yours in a hot, openmouthed kiss. You begin to pick up the pace—slow thrusts grow quicker, though you're still ensuring to keep it soft to let Mina adjust to the stretch. 

"Faster."

At Momo's command, you begin to increase the strength of your thrusts. The claps of your pelvis against Mina's ass are steadily getting louder, just as Mina's moans do as well.

"Takagi, fuck her. Make her scream." Sana crawls next to you, her low whisper next to your ear. The hot breath against your skin has you shuddering. "Look at Mina, moaning like that whenever you stretch her. She loves it, wants it, needs it, even craves for it." Sana's smile is audible in her speech. "So fuck her."

Momo is next—you feel her breasts press against your back, and she grabs you on your hips, her lips just right next to your other ear. You're starting to get dizzy with the pleasure of all three women being this close to you. Sana nibbles your earlobe, and Momo kisses you on the neck, leaving little hickeys trailing. 

"Look at her, look at how you're bulging her tummy. Look at how wide she spreads her legs for you, how much she begs you to fuck her. Come on, fuck her like you mean it."

You finally give in to your baser desires. You send thrust after thrust into Mina, the strength of each snap of your hips only increasing. The young star beneath you cries out in pleasure as she writhes, shakes, trembles at the sensations that course through her. 

"So big, so good, Takagi~!"

Mina's name might as well have been a mantra, with the claps of your body meeting hers keeping the tempo. You're not able to do much of anything else—her tight walls squeeze you just right, the warmth of her body wrapped around your shaft only enhancing the pleasure of sex with her. You only fuck her faster and harder when you have bursts of energy, and when you hear both Sana and Momo join Mina in moaning, you open your eyes to feast on the sight of all three women in pleasure, be it through toys, or you.

"Yes, just like that, fuck her, yes!"

"Mmf, Takagi, keep going~!"

Mina's call for you comes a second later. 

"You heard what Sattang and Momoring said, Takagi. Please use me, fuck me, make me scream!"

With these final instructions, you begin to pound Mina. The other two women clearly appreciate this—they finger themselves harder, moans more drawn-out, and Mina, most of all, loves it. You feel her walls tighten and get wetter around you, and her moans grow in frequency and pitch as she draws closer and closer, the claps of sex louder and louder—

"TakaGI, I'M—!!"

Mina never finishes her sentence—she wails in pleasure instead as she hits her peak. Her hips buck hard, and squirt gushes into the air as your cock falls out of her, twitching hard. You were close, so close, and you grip Mina forcefully by the hips to hilt back into her. The feeling of her squirt gushing against your body paired with the tight squeeze of her walls as well as the friction of penetration causes you to explode deep within her. You freeze as your thick, hot semen paints Mina's walls and womb white, blast after blast of your cum shot deep into the youngest's body. At the same time, Sana and Momo orgasm right next to the both of you, twin jets of squirt showering both you and Mina as you ride out your orgasms. 

When you pull out from Mina, exhausted, you fall onto the stained sheets, uncaring of where you lie. Immediately, your semen bubbles out of Mina's freshly-used cunt and drips down her skin, and both Sana and Momo reach between their youngest's legs to taste your cum. 

"Mm, Takagi, you're delicious…" Sana licks her lips as her eyes twinkle, and Momo only grins at you, her stare just as lustful. 

"Good job, Takagi…"

Both Japanese women tug you, and they lead you to a drier part of the bed. They both take turns making out with you, and you're ready to go in a matter of minutes. 

"I see you're ready~." Momo takes her position as she straddles you and lines your cock up to her cunt. Sana swings a leg over your face, and you know you're in for even more fun. 

The last you remember is Sana and Momo sinking down on you, and at that moment, you swear that Heaven is a place on Earth.

[onlyawhim]

Treat you Better - Auston Matthews x Reader

Auston sees how Kasp treats you & thinks (and eventually proves ;)) that he can treat you better.

Totally made Kasperi a douche in this - sorry Kasp fans. Also, obvi set when they were both on the Leafs!

Two months, you've been keeping track - but of course would never tell Kasperi (you can imagine it now: "Why do I care how long we've been talking? It's not like we're dating, Y/N"). Two months of being a second choice. No chance of commitment anywhere in sight. But you stay, because Kas is charming and good-looking. You convince yourself maybe he'll change, maybe he just isn't ready for commitment right now. Of course he's not just messing with you - he wouldn't do that.

He invited you to his game. You thought maybe this was a sign that he truly cared for you. Would he invite you to watch him if he didn't actually like you? Or did he just want one more Kapanen fan in the building? You push that second thought out of your head as quick as it comes.

Well, obviously he would just invite people to invite people, because here you sit watching him chat up two blonde girls who are very giddy to be graced by Kasperi Kapanen's presence.

The game was nerve-racking, ending with a 5-4 Leaf's win. You were excited to wait outside of the Leaf's locker room. You felt like a true NHL girlfriend. Well, you did, until Kas passed you with a nod (what am I, some fan waiting for a high-five?!) and headed straight for the two pretty girls also standing outside the lockeroom, clearly waiting for any NHL player to pay attention to them - hell, maybe even a gear manager if they were wearing a Leaf's shirt.

So, here you sit, waiting for Kasperi to decide that the girl he invited to watch him play - the one who dutifully cheered for every good play of his and only secretly cheered for one of the other good-looking men in blue - was worth his attention after all. You had even denied a ride home from your friends because "I'll just ride home with Kas". How stupid you felt now...

Kasperi is always a good time when you hang out. He's funny and charming. But this is your first time being in public with him - or, rather, in public watching him act like you're not with him.

You're growing angrier and angrier as Kas makes these girls giggle. Luckily, a good-looking distraction with wet hair steps out of the lockeroom. He looks set on leaving the building ASAP, until he locks eyes with you.

"Hey," he says with a smile, approaching you. You scan his face and sense that he's wondering who you are - why you're waiting. Which player you belong to, you think sourly.

"Hi" you smile politely. There's a pause, so you introduce yourself. "I'm Y/N".

"Y/N," he repeats, "I'm Auston." He sticks his hand out for a shake.

"I know" you giggle, shaking his hand. A dagger of a thought (so Kasperi hasn't mentioned you... ouch) flashes in your mind, but you try to ignore it for now.

"What ya doin out here?" he asks, nodding to the emptying hallway.

"Oh.. Kasperi invited me" you say, moving your gaze over to him. A third girl has joined his audience.

Auston looks over and sees the same thing you do. He nods slowly and moves his attention back to you.

"Gotcha... he doesn't know how to treat a guest does he?" he laughs awkwardly.

"No, it looks like he's pretty good at it" you say, smiling pityingly, nodding towards his group of female fans.

After watching for a second, Auston yells, "Kasp!" he pauses as Kasperi snaps his head in your guys' direction. "You done?"

You're a bit embarrassed, but grateful that you didn't have to be the one to break him from his conversation. Kasperi's eyes switch between you and Auston. Without saying anything, he walks towards the two of you, like a kid in trouble.

"Now I am" he says to Auston, before putting an arm around your shoulders and heading towards the door.

You look back and send Auston a smile. He smiles back with a small wave.

"You played good", you say to Kas, hoping to pretend whatever just happened for the last 20 minutes didn't actually happen.

"Yeah, thanks. Thanks for coming", he says as you both walk towards his car.

The car ride is awkward. Or, maybe, you imagine it as awkward. Kas seems just fine.

He takes you back to his place, as he always does. You sit on his couch, as you always do. The two of you haven't gotten any more intimate than a few kisses - you were adamant that you wanted to wait. He was similarly adamant that he didn't want to. Either way, you both sit on the couch, watching some movie that he picked. He didn't try anything more than an arm around your shoulders for the whole night. Instead, actually, you felt like he was just waiting for you to leave. Does he have other plans for the night?

"Do you want me to come to your next game?" you ask.

"Yeah, sure, if you want to come." he says, not taking his eyes from the TV.

God, this night was painful. But, you told yourself, maybe it would get better.

--

This game-day will definitely end better. The last game fiasco is behind you. You even asked to wear his jersey - and he let you! That has to mean something.

Here you wait, again, outside of the lockeroom. They lost this time - 2-5. Despite the score, you are proud to be sporting "Kapanen" on your back.

Auston steps out of the lockeroom before Kasperi. He locks eyes with you, once again, and smiles.

"Hey, Y/N" he says, approaching you.

"Hi. You played good tonight", you say, returning his smile.

"Not good enough, though", he laughs lightly, pitifully.

Before you can respond, Kas walks out of the lockeroom. This time, he walks straight to you - not past you. Progress!

Auston moves aside so Kasp can join the conversation - and though you would never say it, you preferred the one-on-one with Auston.

"See ya got her to wear your jersey", Auston says to Kasperi with a smile.

"She asked," he says, putting an arm around you. "Dirtied it up just for us to lose". Your smile drops (did he not want me to wear it??). This doesn't go over Auston's head, though it definitely misses Kasperi.

"You can dirty up my jerseys anytime, Y/N", Auston says lightly, giving you a smile. Kasperi laughs and leads you out the door. Again, you shoot a smile to Auston as you leave. How is it that Auston's on your side more often than Kasperi is?

--

Third home game. You've decided this is his last chance. His games are the only times you go out in public together - otherwise, you're just hanging out at his house. He is always so fun to be around in private. But once he gets in public, it feels like his facade drops. So, third try. Third home game.

They win this time, 4-1. You had washed and returned Kasp's jersey after his comment last time. Standing outside the locker room, you wait. Kasperi comes out before Auston this time (am I waiting for Auston? Why was I disappointed when it was Kasp and not Auston?).

"The guys are going for drinks, I'm gonna go with 'em" he says casually.

You don't know what to say, so you just look at him for a second to see if he's serious. Where were you supposed to go? He should have said something earlier so you wouldn't have waited out here for him. Before you can put any of these thoughts into words, Auston steps out of the lockeroom. He catches Kasp's next words.

"I can call you an uber if you don't have a ride or something." Was this his attempt at kindness?

"Kasp.." you say, exasperatingly.

Auston interjects. "I can drive you home." he says looking between you and Kasperi.

"You don't have to do that, man", Kasperi speaks for you. This leaves you even more shocked.

Auston ignores him, eyes still on you.

"I'd really appreciate that", you say, looking back at him.

"See, Kasp, it's taken care of. Have fun, man", Auston says, slightly stepping between you and Kasperi.

"Alright", Kasperi says, clearly not interested enough to say anything more. "See you guys", he says before turning around and heading for the door.

"Thank you, Auston. I really appreciate it", you say, nervously, embarrassed that you even came here with Kasperi.

"I don't mind. I'm not putting you in an uber", he laughs.

You laugh with him at the absurdity.

You both head for the door. Walking next to him, you can really appreciate how large he is. You blush at the whole situation.

He points at a Porche sitting in the parking garage, shining in all of its' luxury, "That's me", he says, unlocking it.

"Fancy", you giggle as he opens the passenger door for you.

He laughs and shuts your door, tossing his gear in the backseat before getting in on his own side.

The car ride is filled with comfortable silence, the radio playing quietly, only interrupted by your directions.

"Really, thank you for taking me home, Auston", you say, glancing at him.

He looks at you for a second before returning his eyes to the road. "I really don't mind. It's nice to see you somewhere outside of a dark hallway, anyways", he says.

"Yeah, you won't see me there again", you say, still embarrassed by Kasperi. So much for a third chance.

"Or, y'know, next time you'll be wearing a 34", he says. You laugh.

"Wouldn't wanna dirty up one of your jerseys" you giggle, referring to Kasperi's odd comment.

"God, he's a douche, isn't he. I'm sorry", Auston says.

"Just glad I had my knight in shining armor there to save me," you joke.

"That's what I'm here for", he laughs.

He pulls up to your building. "Want me to walk you up?" he asks.

"It's okay," you answer, "I have mace" you joke.

At this, he scoffs jokingly and turns the car off before getting out. You do the same, walking to your building with Auston behind you. You climb the stairs and stop in front of your door.

"Thank you, Auston". You say, locking eyes with him.

"Of course, Y/N." he smiles.

"Can I get your number, just to make sure you make it home safe?" you say.

He pulls out his phone and adds your number, giving you his.

"Have a good night, Y/N".

"You too," you smile, unlocking the door. He heads back down to his car.

A much better ending to game night.

--

The next morning you wake to the doorbell ringing. In your shock at the unannounced guest, you climb out of bed and check out the peephole. Through it, you see a delivery driver setting down a large bag.

You wait for him to walk away before you open the door to check out this mysterious delivery. Setting it on the counter, you open it carefully.

In it is a container holding a huge breakfast - pancakes, bacon, and fruit. Under the container, a Maple Leafs jersey - number 34. Matthews written on the back. You smile big at this.

You grab your phone to send him a text.

"Auston!!" you say, sending a picture of the gift.

"For the next game ;)", he writes.

[mx-jinxous]

Steve groaned at the light that invaded his closed eyes, trying to hide his face in the pillows. It had been nearly a week since he was kidnapped and, not for his lack of trying, had done his best to seclude himself. His first night after his recapture Steve had tried to escape through the door only for it to remain bolted in place. The only way out was when someone came to check on him, however, since the escape he’s only allowed to have visitors of two or greater so he couldn’t pull any more tricks.

Typically that left him with Gareth who was Joyce’s guard dog, very rarely was there anyone else. The woman seemed to be his designated babysitter, regardless that his wound and illness had cleared up. It was rare that she wasn’t the one bringing his food, clothes, or anything to get him to speak.

Since he was recaptured he’d taken a vow of silence, noting how Joyce was the only one not giving in to the irritation. Any conversation was carried by her while he made a point to remain quiet. Steve spent most of his alone time reading the books the healer continued to bring in, trying to find something to occupy his time.

Kas had yet to make an appearance to make demands, or to punish him for slapping, so he was surprised he got to keep his hand after all that. He didn’t believe the king was keeping away from him, not trusting Joyce not to say everything he had said, no matter how small it was. Steve had denied several calls He refused to act like he was happy to be forced into this life.

That’s how he found himself curled up in his nice, yet temporary, bed, boots tossed on the ground carelessly while he read one of the various books. He’d made it several chapters into the tales of a knight and a scholar when the door opened to Joyce and Gareth, taking it upon themselves to be invited in, Steve choosing to ignore them.

“Afternoon you sire. How are you feeling this day?” The healer asked like every day with the same patient smile. He just shrugged, keeping his head in the book. “I see you have moved on to a new book. What is this one about?” Her tone was softer, like she always did, all the while Gareth just glared. Neither boy trusted the other, the tension so thick you could run a blade through it, leading to a silent waiting game. “Could you possibly set it down and follow us? King Kas has ordered you to have an audience with him.”

“He can shove it. I’m done talking with him and if he is so dead set on conversing with me he can drag his royal hiney to my jail cell.” Steve scoffed, flipping through the book even though his attention was lost on it. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Gareth’s chest puff out.

“Guard captain, would you give us a moment alone?” Joyce’s smile went straight, eyes not leaving Steve.

“You know the rules.”

“I do, however, I need privacy with a patient. The king will understand.”

“I do not believe he would.” The young guard scoffed.

“How about you both take this out there, it’s hard enough reading this book without arguing. If he wants to speak to me I’m not going to play the good little prisoner, so he can march his ass down here.” Steve growls, losing all hope to even get back into the thrilling tale.

“Your attitude is due for an adjustment.” Gareth doubled down, the two glaring at one another.

“Enough boys. If the king wishes to have a word with me after his meeting then we shall. Now out.” Joyce huffed, shoving the guard towards the door. He left with mumbles, leaving a door cracked to keep an eye on the two.

Once she knew they were going to have an uninterrupted meeting, her attention fully returned to Steve. “May I sit?”

“You’ll do it anyway, not like there is anything I can do to stop you.”

“Contrary to popular belief, well more like rumored, I do have manners. If you are not comfortable with my presence in close quarters then I will not invade your space.”

“Just sit before can-man freaks out and comes back in.” She did as told, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“How is your arm feeling?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it does. Your arm had a minor infection from whatever concoction Brenner laced the knife with. I would like to repay you for bringing him to face judgment.” She spoke, holding out a hand. Steve dragged his eyes to the woman, trying to analyze her motives.

“It wasn’t my doing. He offered to help and turned out to be a psycho. Just another shitty day.” He grumbled, laying his arm in her hand.

“Well, I would say that your shitty day has truly been the best day for me. Do you mind a story while I examine your injury?”

“Sure, might as well.”

Joyce removed the wrapping on his arm before speaking, looking at the angry red slash. If he’d been at home he’d have picked up some ointment, but sadly he’s stuck here indefinitely. “Brenner used to be a well-respected man in our court, a man of science. Sadly, he was obsessed with breaking magic down to a scientific level. My husband and I assumed he was crazy but harmless. In a moment of distraction, he managed to kidnap my daughter and younger son.”

She rotated his arm, looking at the cut before placing a glowing hand over the wound. “Will never spoke about what occurred, but Ellie said he tried to experiment with magic properties and the twin’s bond. Kas had ordered his head, but he had escaped. It took a while for them to be a fraction of who they were. Will is timid and El tries to act strong for both of them, but she pulls in sometimes. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you for bringing him back to us for punishment.” Pulling her hand away the skin looked less angry, smaller even. Joyce lathered his arm with some paste before wrapping a clean bandage around it. Steve didn’t say anything, just watched her tightening the wrap.

“I don’t understand why he was so obsessed. He was going to kill me for this bracelet, which I don’t understand the hype about it. I’m sure King Asshole has a whole stash.”

“This bracelet has a special place in the royal family. I am certain the king will explain to you if you would ask. Possibly in exchange for information on how you managed to obtain it.” Steve pulled his arm back, holding it to his chest as he looked over the gem. “So what? You can go and relay it to your boss. I told the truth, the king gave it to me.”

“If you dare to trust this old soul, I will see if it is worth telling the king I will tell the bare minimum. If I see nothing useful then it shall stay between us.”

“No offense, but why should I trust you? I have no ties to you.”

“Trust that as a mother, I owe you. A mother’s love is stronger than loyalty.” Steve huffed, curling into himself. He didn’t know what a mother’s love was like, his mother loved possession over him, and that’s what led him into this mess. He only worked because his parents forced him out of the only home he ever knew. A mother’s love is a cold, brutal, and empty thing.

Joyce seemed to notice his withdrawal, “You are not close to your mother?”

“No. I was a necessity, not a want. She constantly reminded me how I ruined her body. To say we weren’t close is an understatement. She never wanted me and blames me when good ole dad decides to be unfaithful.”

“I am truly sorry that your family is so frigid. I never have agreed with people having children as a lineage requirement. It has proven to be a cold performance, a loveless act.”

“I grew used to it, often left alone to my own devices.”

“They sound like unfit parents. A child is a blessing and I am sorry that you have an unfair, unloving pair.” He shrugs, fiddling with the gem on the bracelet. “It is their loss. I hardly know you, yet you have proved to be a decent young man.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“I would like to know you, as a citizen instead of a prisoner.” She smiled gently, offering out a hand. “If you join me to the king and tell your side, I promise that I can show you what a real parent is. I will pledge to you in front of the king, that you will live with my family, no guards or magic locks.”

“You would take in a dangerous taking in a man that has proven to be a threat.” Steve never took his eyes off her hand, contemplating in his head.

“I see only a scared man, a protector. You could have killed that guard or Brenner. Instead, you only subdued them in order to escape. I do not assume you find joy in harming people let alone children.” He remained silent, avoiding her eyes. “I have faith that you are a threat when you are as I see you, a scared man in a strange situation. I do not agree with the way they treat you like you are a threat when you seem forced into this situation. We are not terrible people, just wary of what has happened. Please allow us the chance to prove that our initial response was not a true representation of our people.” Her hand hovered between them, unwavering with patience.

Steve never called himself smart, he’s got a big heart that led him blindly into hurt. He didn’t know this woman aside from who she worked for and the patience to wait out his stubbornness. He’d have to be a complete idiot to blindly trust her, but he has been craving the outside for a week.

“Can we go outside, give me a moment in the sun before facing his royal asshat?” He hesitated before taking her hand. Joyce smiled, nodding as she waited a moment to see if the young man was going to back out.

“We can go visit the gardens before we visit King Kas. I believe my children are having class outside. You would get to meet those you avenged.”

“I guess.” He mumbled as she helped him climb from the bed, the healer pulling him from the room. They stopped in front of Gareth, who looked irate as he held up shackles. Joyce held a hand up to stop him, catching the attention of both men.

“No need for that. We will be visiting the garden, please tell the king we are ready for our audience when he is prepared to see us. Do come find us when he is.” Gareth groaned, holding back something before turning and walking away. “Come, young man, let us hurry before we are pulled into a meeting. They are terribly dull as a maiden’s gossip-ridden knitting circle.”

Joyce rolled her eyes, smiling at the young man before turning and leading him down the corridors. When they breached the outside the light invaded Steve’s eyes. He flinched, eyes taking a moment to adjust. When they did he was met with the sight of preteens playing amongst the garden flowers.

They were in a group, some jumping rope with a vine, others playing a game of tag. Off to the side were two men around his age, playing with some flowers as they sat talking and watching the younger children.

Like an alarm went off, attention was dragged to the two, a dozen eyes falling on Steve specifically. They bared into him, studying him like he was some weird specimen to study under a magnifying glass, and to them he probably was. He had climbed out of a grave, dressed in his work clothes, and the first thing he did upon meeting their king was punch him. They seemed on edge, muttering amongst themselves, which put Steve on the edge.

Joyce had waited back, allowing the strangers to grow accustomed to one another. Sadly out of both groups, the only one who seemed to brave it was a young girl. Steve had recognized her from his first trip through the garden, wavy brown hair bouncing as she closed the distance between her and the older boy. Her eyes burrowed into his, trying to peer into his soul for the answer he refused to share.

The young girl came to a stop in front of him, tilting her head without breaking eye contact. Steve could feel the sweat rolling down the back of his neck, the return of the panic that he felt that night in the museum. He didn’t know what this girl could do, but he was her prime focus.

When it felt like too much for his heart to take she took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. He was frozen to the spot, arms held up in uncertainty, gazing over at Joyce. The healer was smiling at her daughter, the young girl's head resting on his chest. Before his mind could even process anything happening she backed away, smiling wide as she gripped his hands in hers.

“Vindex.” Her voice was small, the language something unheard to him. The confusion must have been written on his face because the healer spoke up.

“It means protector or avenger. This is my youngest of the twins, Ellie, but she prefers El.” Her hand tightened, pulling Steve towards the group who still seemed on edge, but less tense.

“Come play with us.”

A laugh left Joyce as the young man stuttered, being dragged into the children’s playing circle. All at once the garden was filled with overstimulating yells from the preteens, screaming over one another as they pulled him into a game. In his overwhelmed state the kids had decided on a game of hide and seek.

He jumped as the young girl pulled him down, and another child tied a blindfold around his eyes. “Do not remove until we are ready, then come find us.”

“W-Wait! What!” His stutters went unheard as they spun him in a circle, giggles echoing Joyce’s warnings of no powers when non-mages are playing. He came to a stop and the giggles disappeared.

“Ready!” One of the boys yelled, Steve hesitantly reaching up to remove the blindfold. The world was still spinning when it came off, nearly toppling over before his eyes settled. When they did, he was greeted with an empty garden. “They are hiding. Perhaps a game with the children will pass enough time till the king calls.” Joyce says from behind, taking a seat on a cement bench.

“I guess it’s better than waiting at his beck and call.” Steve scoffed, looking around the garden and hearing snickers and shaking bushes. A smile slid on his face as he took a step towards the bushes. “Ready or not, here I come!”

Kas groaned as he rubbed his temple as he paused signing another document. He’d been signing since down, his hand was cramping and the words were starting to dance across the page. He’d been waiting all morning to talk with the intruder, who seemed to be a stubborn ass every other time he’d asked. His attitude had begun to get under his skin, despite the pretty face, yet he couldn’t deny that he was looking forward to meeting him again.

When Gareth told him that Joyce had finally wheedled him down into an agreement with him. Unfortunately, the paperwork had to be finished before said meeting could take place and his body was paying for it. Gareth stood against the door, a smirk on his face as he watched Kas’ features shift from annoyance to exhaustion. He knew the king would give up eventually, so he watched, taking in his entertainment. When the limit hit, he threw his head back with a groan louder than his prior ones. A snicker left the guard as he straightened and walked towards the king.

“Giving into the hierarchy’s demands for the evening?”

“Gare these parchments are idiotic and most require to feed the wealthy and leave the poor with nothing. It is exhausting and irritating. I am going on a walk, take a moment to give my body a rest and cleanse my body of all these negativities.” He stood, popping his neck with another groan. “Will you join or stay in this depressing room? I am thinking of checking the gardens.”

“I regret to inform you that the children are using the garden as a classroom. Who am I to presume it is in pristine condition?”

“I need a break, regardless of the mess they have caused, I have not been able to check up on the children. Come, follow me if you wish.” With that, both young men walked from the study. The walk was full of teasing gripes and playful shoves that disappeared once they were in a more public space.

Gareth followed Kas out into the garden, preparing for the loud squeak of the prepubescent, which there was. However, what took both men by surprise was the sight of the intruder blindfolded, hands outstretched. The children were running around him, clapping and yelling to lead him in the opposite direction than they went. He fell for the bait, hearing squeals as he almost captured them. What stuck out was the bright smile that played on his face.

It was the first time he’d seen anything other than a scowl, and it made his face glow and soften.

It was short-lived when he finally caught one of the children, taking the blindfold with a victorious smile. It fell when his eyes set on Kas. They locked eyes and the tension returned with full bloom. The pleasant smile and moment was gone.

———————

To everyone that are interested in keeping up with Set in Stone I have set up a few different ways you can keep up. Unfortunately the tagging process isn’t working for everyone so if you’d like to keep up here are a few options. This will be the last tag set. I will no longer bring tagging in future chapters of just this work.

1. Follow the setinstonesteddie tag on tumblr

2. I made a blog dedicated solely to chapter updates, which can be followed here, any other progress updates will be here on my personal blog.

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[iris-sistibly]

I'm probably going to hell for this, but I don't feel any sympathy for Julio Borromeo at all.

Dude not only cheated on his wife but also impregnated another woman, and kept this as a secret for years until the death of Filipina.

While I disagree with how Carmela treats Adelina, she has every right to be furious at Julio--this motherfucker had been lying straight to her face for YEARS. Telling Carmela and Teresita that they're the only women in his life, and him telling Adelina how his and Fina's ✨love story✨ began, how he wanted to make her happy after Fina was left by her ex boyfriend after getting her pregnant was like...pure cringe, like bitch who the fuck do you think you are? Some God's gift to women? Some knight-in-shining armour who ought to "save" every lonely woman in the country?

Some of y'all would probably be like, "Oh but he regrets it now, he has been asking for his wife's forgiveness, he's a good father, blah, blah, blah."

This pathetic excuse of a man, tried to deny Adelina when Amelia brought her to his theater (after Fina's death). Tried to lie AGAIN to his wife and daughter despite the truth being slapped on their faces, he's sorry and regrets it? Motherfucker was sorry only after he couldn't deny the truth anymore. Imagine being in Carmela's shoes and your husband, whom you thought was a good man turned out to be a horrible one?

And him not showing up to Fina's funeral to be there for Adelina because he doesn't want to see Fina lifeless is bullshit. He didn't go to the funeral because people will talk, rumors will spread which will eventually cause humiliation to his family, his business going bankrupt, etc. Adelina just loves her father too much.

He loves Filipina?

No, he's a selfish bastard who wants both Carmela and Fina for himself.

He loves his wife?

LIE. You don't betray the person you love. Cheating is a choice, those who cheat always have the excuse of "nagmahal lang ako," and "nagkamali ako," these are so overused. May utak ka diba? You know cheating is bad yet you did it anyway. It's a choice, it's always a choice.

In the show, it was implied that Carmela paid someone to burn the theater. I'm not saying what she did was right, but as the saying goes, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." She was deeply hurt, and betrayed by her own husband. She wanted to inflict the worst pain possible for Julio, to ruin him the way he ruined her. It was Julio who turned her into the villain that she is now, Carmela's only mistake was she projected that anger towards Adelina who is innocent in all of this, and in doing so she ended up resenting her own daughter, Teresita for choosing to have a sisterly relationship with Adelina.

"Oh but she can choose to forgive and move past that."

Yeah, because doing that is a walk in the park **insert sarcasm** you can't just tell someone to move on especially when they are still clearly hurting. Betrayal is the worst kind of pain you could inflict on someone, and when trust is gone it's hard to earn it back...chances are, you won't.

"But Carmela going as far as burning Julio's theater is too much."

I do believe it's too much. But Julio begging Carmela to save the theater by selling some of the properties to save their livelihood? And that being a performer is the only job he knows? Nah, he wants to save the theater to preserve the place that reminds him so much of his affair partner. The livelihood, the shows were not the main reasons. Carmela might have turned into a cold, bitter, resentful woman but let's not forget who turned her into this.

Moral of the story: Julio is a walking red flag and that he deserves the karma hahahaha! Also, divorce should be legal in the Philippines.

P.S. I hope the writers don't come up with the bullshit that the wife is a bitch to justify the man's affair. It's 2024, not the 80's.

[ipkkndlovescenes]

Ye Ishq hai ya kuch aur hai

Arshi Poolside Moment

Epi 25

"Sometimes reaching out and taking someone's hand is the beginning of a journey..."

>>>>>❤️<<<<<

A dreadful night drenching him completely with burning memories. A girl in red made him halt his tracks of life for the very first time, and his heart an unknown tune along with his heartbeat. He had no idea it was her heartbeat mixing with his own. She was unaware, too, along with him. But he was enraged over this, and not only that, but he was furious over saving her in the rain as well. 

Whose fault is that?

It was hers...His brain denied his heart, but his heart was pinching his brain constantly.

How dare she has this much power over him to make him restless?

Walking back and forth, he was immersed in her thoughts, in his own guilt for making her suffer this much, but his brain had this big NO written all over for the acceptance over anything, so he called La to get Khushi Kumari Gupta's number who was the reason of his restless state of mind.

Ye Ishq hai ya kuch aur hai

Yaa Bas Khali Khali shor hai

Well, his ears got entangled with something very different.

Chalo Maiya ke Bhavan ...Bhavan

Ah, these suit Khushi's personality yet fit on him right now as he was proceeding towards her, and she was instigating his hopes by admitting falsely that " hum aap hi ke phone ka intezaar kar rahe thay..." I was waiting for your phone call.." Like, really, Khushi?

While he was adamant about making her life hell...

"ittni asaani se chain ki saans nahin laine doonga?

"I won't let you breathe peacefully...Khushi Kumari Gupta."

Was he complaining or stating his own state of mind?

"Ji? Aap Kaun?"

Who are you?

How dare she? How dare she forget me that easily? The one who was the reason for my sleepless night? That nonchalant attitude of her enraged him a little more, and he demanded her to be awake along with him by assigning her overnight unnecessary work. It was pretty much obvious, and he wanted to see her, talk to her, yell at her and much much more but being a BOSS. Of course, he wouldn't accept her effect on him.

"If your nonsense has reached its end, then do what I said...and tomorrow morning reach my home at 7 am sharp" Well, a man who didn't want to see her in his office was inviting her over to his home. Interesting...He couldn't sleep either. A silhouette in red was hovering over his brain while he was tossing and turning, even turning off the light wasn't helpful.

"Every man somewhere in the world has a woman who was created just for him. She is not better than the others, but she’s the only one he really needs. And every woman, too, has such a man; But very few lucky people meet each other."  ~Boris Akunin~

The day reached with a revelation to Khushi that the fire and the water live under one roof. Anjali, such a sweet person, is living with that Alligator? Even HP couldn't resist denying that I guess.😆

The second revelation was when she stumbled upon the beast's den, where he was busy nurturing and watering the plants so diligently. A true "What the!" moment for her.

. 

He stumbled while turning around, and she dropped the typewriter to save him. Well, he was saving her as well, you know.😆 They both claimed it after falling for each other or saving each other, and it is a really complicated issue, but not for Anjali, who hid her laugh.

Well, she wasn't the only one who was stunned. He wasn't expecting her there either. He must be thinking of her coming into the living area where he could see her, yell at her, and say "Get out", but things got a bit daring here

The second revelation was like a fire on ice when Anjali dropped a bomb on his ears, telling him that Khushi was also here in Shantivan.

What the hell? How dare she?

An astonishing look followed by a killing and devilish stare at her like he was gauging her moves, thinking of her as a real culprit here, like a gold digger. He had no idea she was wondering too that Chote is the one who is allergic to sweets as well when she heard his name for the very first time from Nani. She didn't want to cross his line [ Arnav's rekha]  either.🤣 I mean his shadow, a venomous one whose hiss she could feel and hear from miles.

Anjali invites her over for breakfast and the very first blessing they both received together. "May God bless you both!"

God Bless dono ko!!!

Nani picked the right vibes here. Were you getting wet in the rain like Chote, Khushi bitiya? 

Yes, Naniji, Bitwa and bitya are sailing in the same boat...

They both were getting drenched again in the pool of that drenching night...or you can say that they had been inundated with complaints from their eyes.

Arshi poolside moments

[acesw]

Knowing our Arcanists 6: Bkornblume

Welcome to entry six of my series: "Knowing our Arcanists"! This is a series in which I introduce and tell the stories of our fellow characters in Reverse: 1999. Today's character is: Bkornblume!

Bkorn's got a funny nickname, since its just a mash-up of blue and kornblume. (cornflower) However, she's got quite the short yet nice story, so I'll at the very least make it worth. Lets get started.

Bkornblume is a German arcanist born in the 1980's, born on February 9th. While I have no direct understanding of her arcane skill, I can at distinct that her skill involves sound, and is able to hear smaller sounds (like whispers) that are usually left unheard in the bigger melody.

She's a spy who works under the Ministerium für Staatssicherheit, known in English as the Minister of Security, or more commonly known as the "Stasi." They were the state security and secret police of East Germany, who placed eyes everywhere in the former state.

East Germany has been known for its oppressive rule and its insistence for uniformity. The Stasi were meant to maintain state authority at the time but it was notoriously known as being one of the most oppressive police states, overlooking the lives of the state's civilians with intense surveillance, torture, and intimidation.

Most will conform, some will not. Of course, Bkornblume was not one of the people who wanted to immerse in her part of the role in this era. She's merely a listener who does her job as one.

Bkornblume grew up in Berlin, becoming part of the Stasi and is well-known for her arcane skill. She doesn't enjoy this job very much, but she also does to some degree as she's a good listener. She'll leave a bit of unheard commentary about everything she'll hear.

Her daily life tends to be just her listening and transcribing, but it can be said that she enjoys distracting herself and tends to delay her travels to work to take in the scenery. She's also spied on too. But she feels that she would be more uncomfortable if there weren't any eyes on her.

At one point, she had purchased her scarf (and the elk brooch that came with it) in a shop that was closing down. While not remembering the price, it costed a month's salary "and a funny joke which was rarely heard in East Berlin."

Bkornblume is a conformed and optimistic individual. However, she holds a quiet rebellion in her heart, dreaming of a world where everyone can practice freedom of speech. But with a colourful dream far away because of the dull walls around her, she'll only ever do the little things that she could do in her job. Calling for help, making that commentary, but especially endlessly writing. Even then, she's aware that she can't change everything in one go, so she'll try step by step as she speaks out for others.

It can't be denied that Bkornblume spent most of her time "alone," but she enjoys having those eyes on her. She would have wondered if she were dead if not. Like I said earlier, she's greatly optimistic in everything she does, and even believes that she's some sort of "undiscovered radio host." She wishes to become one in the future to comfort others in late nights. Bkornblume hopes that she's at the very least observed and acknowledged.

She's also a greatly mundane and relaxed person, enjoying the simplicity of life and even interacting with simple "contraband" that never really seems to be harmful, like flowers.

Bkornblume finds admiration in the pieces of wildlife that bloomed from old cracks, identifying them time to time such as cornflowers and chrysanthemums. She'll always find some in the most niche places and will share where to find them.

The cornflowers—kornblume in German—are why she took up her current nickname, as she had wanted to distinguish herself from the "countless other unfeeling names" like SCH KA/#.

She empathizes with others greatly and wishes to help them directly, but she can never cross the monitor to take action now can she? She'll shift around the stories of other people in her reports, and no beneficiary ever thinks twice about it as her reports are detailed and easily convincing. Her kindness reaches quite far despite her ways of wanting to express it being a little unethical.

She'll hear anything and everything meant to be hidden away, but hopes for a free world and will choose to grant peace and freedom to the innocent and defiant against such oppressive control.

[cuoredimuschio]

🥳 wip wednesday: birthday edition 🥳

okay, so birthday edition might be a bit misleading. this is a standard wip wednesday with the exception that today's my birthday, so i probably won't answer the prompts till tomorrow, but still!! let's do this!!

rules: send me the name of one of the wips below and i'll write and post three new sentences for you!

wips:

a stout heart, a good bow, and a merry life (steddie big bang)

hey, batter-batter (post-s2 steddie alternate meeting)

wound up (the assholes-to-lovers guitar lessons au)

line of apsides (the summer challenge fic that should have been done a year ago, oops)

snippet from a stout heart, a good bow, and a merry life:

What, Steve finally stops to wonder, was he doing out here all on his own? His heel catches on a root, his back bumps up against a tree. “Who are you?” “My name is Eddie.” The archer liberates a small purse from a particular burly thief’s pocket; it jangles dutifully as he weighs it in his hands. “But you, Mr. Harrington, probably know me as Kas.” “The Bloody-Handed.” Like a curse, the words steal from Steve’s lips. Eyes as dark as a gorthokian boar’s, filled with twice as much hatred. A voice that echoes up from the deepest pits of Hell and shakes the treetops. The hands of a beast, clawed and contorted; a stench that could wilt flowers; a heart colder than a thousand winters. Those who had the spectacular misfortune to cross paths with the monster of Roane Wood, and the miraculous luck to live to tell their tale, often gave conflicting, fantastic reports of the man at the root of the myth. But all of them hold one fact to be true: an unconquerable lust for blood sits where his heart ought to, driving him to conduct unspeakable violence as surely as if he were besieged by Hell’s worst demons. The archer—Eddie—Kas the Bloody-Handed Betrayer spreads his arms. “In the rotten flesh.” “You’re the one who’s been terrorizing the kingdom?” Steve asks, a rather needless question. Yet, it’s difficult to comprehend, that such evil and depravity could be contained in one man of perfectly unremarkable stature. His eyes dart to his horse. If only he could reach her. Draw his sword and drive it through Kas’ loathsome back. Drag his corpse to the gates of Hawkins, though he hardly deserves such consideration when he’s denied it to all but a handful of his victims. But Steve would be lauded as a hero, one of the greatest the kingdom has ever known. He’d be welcomed home with open arms, the Harrington name lifted higher than it’s ever been before.

tagging, with no pressure and all love: @cheatghost, @thefreakandthehair, @sharpbutsoft, @puppy-steve, @kkpwnall

[nerdylizj]

Hi, there is an ex zutara meta writer here on Tumblr who is a zionist, her handle is @starlight-bread-blog. She now posts KA metas but her zutara posts are still available so I am warning both shippers. Please, keep safe.

Considering their DNI list includes "Hamas supporters"..... yeah they're blocked! thanks for the heads up

While I have you here, please read Stop Using Hamas as a Bogeyman (2022) which offers more info about the semi-historical context of Hamas and why its blanket condemnation is harmful, including:

First, it’s important to understand how the word “Hamas” has been repurposed as an Islamophobic dog whistle, which needs to be unlearned before any sane analysis of the group can be done. There are only so many times the brain can be exposed to industrial propaganda portraying angry bearded men with dark eyes who use Palestinians as human shields and seek to kill all Israelis before parts of that stereotype — however crude and intentionally distorting — begin to take hold. ... There is, furthermore, a crucial danger to Westerners being programmed to respond to any meaningful political resistance in Palestine as “terrorism” ... It warps the parameters of discussion if Palestinians joining or simply voting for a given political party is interpreted as inherently threatening. Palestinians end up denied the right to armed struggle, but also to democratic political action. At this point, Westerners are either requesting — or, in at least one Israeli diplomat’s case, genocidally demanding — the “suicide” of all Palestinian identity as a precondition of peace. Such a position inherently denies Palestinians the justice on which true peace must rest.

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

What do you make of the Zuts who claim that Kataang fans are mean to them? Every ship has toxic fans, so I'm not saying it didn't happen, but the worst vitriol generally seems to come from the ZK side of things and KA fans are more frequently defending themselves (and Aang).

They're absolutely right about the Kataang fandom having it's own bad apples. I have seen some of them attacking Zutara fans, unprovoqued, just for liking a popular fanon alternative to their OTP, which is very childish and pathetic.

Here's the thing though. Like you guys know, while I was never into Zutara, also wasn't always into Kataang. During four of my nearly six years of truly being part of the ATLA fandom, I didn't hate either ship, but I didn't really care for them, and I was not shy about saying it.

And not once did I get death/rape threats or "kill yourself" messages from Kataang fans, not even when I was saying stuff like "I don't think their romance would last" or "I think the show would still work if they were just friends" (and that last point I still agree with). Nor was I told I clearly only didn't like Kataang because I had internalized misogyny or was against interacial relationships - like a cartoon couple could have anything to do with real world issues.

Whenever I read a fic that happened to have Kataang as one of the main pairings (like some fics for Maiko, a ship I always liked), the author never went out of their way to make Zuko, or any other character except sometimes Jet, look like an absolute monster just to make Kataang look better, or force a pairing to happen just to "get Zuko out of the way". Same for the metas about the show.

Whenever I saw fanart or fanfics for ships like Toph X Aang or Haru X Katara, I did not see dozens and dozens of "Ew, gross! Kataang 4ever!" or "This is really pretty, too bad is for an awful pairing, it'd be so much better if it was Kataang instead." Not once was I sent a "Even if you don't ship Kataang, this other ship is just objectively awful" ask just minutes after saying "I don't like Kataang, but I do ship Katara with Haru and even Jet"

Not once was did I ever a Kataang fan repeatedly tell me I should stop writting about my OTP and replace it with Kataang, or write both together, after I had already said I didn't like that ship and was not interested in writting anything except my OTP. Not once was any of metas that were COMPLETELY unrelated to Kataang, often not even mentioning either of the two characters, derrailed into being someone's "If you don't support my ship, you make the story worse" post.

More importantly, I could criticize the bad behavior I DID see from some Kataang fans, and be met with support from other Kataang shippers that were also annoyed at it, instead of having them deny it ever happened, or going "But what about what Zutara fans do?" do deflect, or saying "Don't generalize, we're not ALL like that!" even though that was not what I said.

Meanwhile every single one of these things happened when it came to Zutara fans. Repeatedly. To me, to my friends, to friends or my friends, to people I didn't interact with much, to people I didn't like very much. To people that shipped Kataang, Maiko, Jetara, Toko, etc. For God's sake, these people call the showrunners pedophilies just out of spite for not having their OTP become canon.

The Kataang fandom has bad apples, and like any large group, it can sometimes have TONS of bad apples. But a very big portion of that same fandom clearly doesn't approve of it and tries to keep them in check.

The Zutara fandom meanwhile often seems to go out of it's way to have ONLY bad apples, to the point that I constantly get asks from shippers that say they can't engage with the fandom anymore because people "on their side" are a nightmare to deal with. All because they seem to believe they can bully their way into being canon.

The situations are not at all comparable.

[sweet-roulette]

・❥・ Kotoko Facts, part 1・❥・

・❥・ Since her English isn’t too good, she has both a kinda thick accent (of a Japanese person speaking English)

・❥・ She is very dependent on Google Translate to help her communicate with English speakers, she CAN speak proficient English, but like any introvert learning a new language, she’s not confident in it, so she’d rather use Google translate and recite whatever it says. 

・❥・ The problem is that Google Translate tends to translate Japanese to English a little wrong, with it usually translating too formal when Kotoko’s actual vocabulary consists of a lot of Japanese slang and such.

・❥・ Aside from the English problems, she also has a slightly DIFFERENT accent when speaking Japanese itself! She does speak standard Japanese, but she’s also from Kobe, where a dialect called Kansai-Ben is more commonly spoken. So instead of saying “Ikura Desu Ka?” (いくらですか?)”, which means “How much is it?” In standard Japanese, she would say “Nanbo? (なんぼ?)” which means the same thing, but in Kansai-Ben. The link to another post about it is here!

(more under the cut)

・❥・ She pretends to hate cute things. Kotoko claims she’s “too cool” for anything cute, but secretly, she’s obsessed with plushies. Her room has an entire corner hidden from view filled with stuffed animals. 

・❥・ Competitive eating. Despite her refined appearance, Kotoko has a surprising ability to win eating competitions. She can devour a ridiculous amount of spicy ramen without breaking a sweat. Shinyu once bet she couldn’t finish a bowl, and she made sure he paid for that mistake.

・❥・ She’s an accidental cat whisperer. Kotoko has a habit of attracting stray cats wherever she goes. She’ll deny it, but she has a soft spot for cats and can often be found feeding them in secret, muttering that they’re “not supposed to like me.” It plays into the inside joke that Kotoko is like a black cat.

・❥・ Sleep-deprived fashionista. Kotoko has a habit of staying up way too late working on some chaotic plan or finishing work, and she’ll show up the next day looking impeccable despite only getting three hours of sleep. When asked about her secret, she simply smirks and says, “It’s called ‘being better than you.’” 

・❥・ Keeps a list of sarcastic English comebacks: Kotoko has a digital and physical notebook specifically for writing down English sarcastic remarks and insults she thinks of during random moments. She uses it when she’s feeling uninspired during her exchanges with Shinyu or when she needs to spice up a conversation.

・❥・ Fear of butterflies: Despite her fearless personality, Kotoko has an irrational fear of butterflies. She’ll go absolutely still if one flies near her, then dramatically pretend she wasn’t scared if someone points it out. She calls them “creepy little spies.”

・❥・ Guilty pleasure: Sappy romance novels or webtoons: Kotoko secretly reads trashy, over-the-top romance novels or webtoons. She’ll pretend she’s reading something highbrow or a mafia report when caught, but in reality, she loves the cheesy drama that she can go gossip about to Rei or Hwayeon. She has several fake book covers for the romance novels she reads.

・❥・ karaoke queen: Kotoko loves karaoke but only sings absolute chaos songs — screamo or really offbeat tunes that throw everyone off. When someone dares to ask why, she’ll just say, “Because it’s fun watching people’s faces when I go off key on purpose.”

@happy--prince

LMK if you wanna be tagged in part 2!

ppl who might be interested?

@the-mafias-muzzled-dog

@myluckymoon

@paintedgrilledcheese

[anyalovesu]

tolerate it.

x. i made you my temple, my mural, my sky

—“i can’t seem to explain how it all happened, but one day it all started to make sense and not make sense at the same time. leon became more important to me than he ever was before, and it was scary—the feeling of it was, because it would mean that if i lost him again it would hurt so more.”

necessary reminders !

—leon and eli does 🔞 stuff at some point of the chapter.

— it's my first time attempting to write something like this, so if it turns out bad pls cut me some slack hehe

— it's not piv but i think i still needs to be labeled at 18+ so pls pls pls if you are UNDER 18 and is reading this fic, do not interact with this post.

— MDNI MDNI MDNI MDNI MDNI MDNI

— again mdni pls pls pls

— if this is not your kind of shit, dni too hehe tnx sm

click here for bianca + gremlins gc convo

continue here (alonzo park and leon park's conversation)

Leon thought of it. Alonzo Park was right. It is easier to love someone when you’ve already seen them at their worst. Maybe that’s a tad bit toxic to fall for someone at their worst, but really, his mom’s and Eli’s versions of worst wasn’t half as bad at all. It really was just realizing that they never meant to be bad. It’s just that hurt people hurts people and he is no stranger to feeling that way. Leon wasn’t going to deny the fact that he hurt Eli when he was in that position too.

A month ago, everything was a huge mess and maybe he really did underestimate how hard this was for Elijah. After all, if Eli was the one who left him, which was unlikely, he would’ve reacted the same way that she did, worse even. It’s stupid how it took him seeing almost every single canvas Elijah has painted on to realize that she took the deeper cuts when the fallout maimed them both. While he was dating around the past four years, Eli was continuously mourning the longest friendship that she has ever known. While he was enjoying the comfort of someone else’s arms, and while technically Eli was too, it can’t be denied that the hurt inside her never healed. 

And now pulling over in the driveway of the house that Eli and her team built, never felt more welcoming. It never felt more accepting of him after their conversation back in Batangas and their conversation during their way back. 

Elijah must be some kind of saint in her past life to only take an apology and heal, because it never would’ve been the same way if it was him who was placed in that kind of position. After everything that she has done for him, to be abandoned because he allowed himself to be manipulated to do so, was something he never would’ve forgiven. But Eli did. Elijah understood. It was what she fell asleep reminding him when they were in Batangas. That he should also forgive himself because it wasn’t his hands for someone to use his own capability to love against him. 

Gaeul’s sharp pitchy barks filled his ears as soon as he was out of his car. The little white dog jumped happily as soon as she was let out on the front door porch. Leon recalls how good Gaeul really was in letting everyone know that one of her family members was home. He was actually expecting her to be more timid after being introduced into a place that wasn’t his apartment nor was their family home, but it seemed that she adjusted really quickly into the house. It must’ve excited her that it wasn’t just her and Leon anymore.

“Dinner’s ready, dalian mo na d’yan, nauna na mag dinner si Gaeul sa’yo,” Eli tells him.

Leon chuckles. “Sermon agad? Hindi ba p’wedeng kiss muna?”

“Kumain muna,” she whined, stomping her foot, making Leon laugh at how childish it was. “Ang tagal tagal mo nagugutom na ako!”

“Bakit hindi ka pa kumain?”

“Bro, you were the one who asked that we eat dinners together as much as possible,” Elijah rolled her eyes at him playfully.

For a moment he really did forget that he was the one who asked for her to be home for dinners, but she rarely ever was home on time. She always worked extra hours just to avoid him, which he understood why she did by all means. He eventually got into eating his dinners alone and falling asleep before she came home.

Except the past few days though. She was home at the expected time that she would be with distance and her office hours considered. It was too good to be true that he and Eli were finally seeing eye to eye like they did before.

It made his heart full to think that Eli is finally warming up to him.

“I did ask you to do that,” he smiled to himself as he picked up Gaeul from the floor and settled her on a chair right across Eli.

Elijah looked so at peace having dinner with him. The peace was too much for him to ruin with his announcement that he’ll be gone for almost a week. It’s not that Eli would not last a day without him—she’s made it clear that she survived 4 great years without him. What bothered him was the fact that he was the one who couldn’t bear to do it. He didn’t want to make her feel like he was leaving her again. They were just beginning to bond again, he didn’t want to ruin their sweet streak and risk being ignored once he got back.

“You’re quiet,” Eli pointed out. 

Leon still didn’t know how to tell her. He can’t say no to his parents especially if it’s company related. He is expected to step up after his dad retires, he’ll be risking slipping up and making a bad image for the board if he declines this.

“Gusto mo na bang daanan ni Monet sa shelter bukas?” He asked. 

Eli’s face lit up but it makes Leon’s stomach churn despite the phenomenal medium done steak in front of him when he realizes he’s not gonna feel that same relief from seeing Eli look so happy for a couple of days. Whipped. That’s what he is.

He shied away from allowing himself to feel that way because he was guilty that he was replacing Margot so quickly. But everyone else was right, they were already trapped in this with no way out anymore. This and nothing else. So it’s either you enjoy it or live your life miserable. Margot was well aware of that, even days before Leon found out that he’s getting married to someone else. While it may be bizarre to be able to accept that the person you loved so much is getting married to someone else, Margot was able to do it. After all, she knew this was a possibility when she got with Leon. There’s a long history of forced marriages in the family to even hope that they would be spared.

“As soon as possible sana,” she smiled at him, looking down on the steak happily as she munched on it. “Did you get her stuff na?”

“Yeah, dog food and everything else. I got her a cute matching bed with Gaeul, tignan mo mamaya.”

“You sound like a girl-dad na nahshopping spree,” Eli teased, laughing. Leon blushed a little, at the mere thought of them having actual children getting brought up.

“I am a girl-dad na nagshopping spree,” Leon quips. “What are you talking about?”

—

“Kanina ka pang parang may gusto sabihin,” Eli mentions, sitting on the counter next to the sink as she watches Leon do the dishes, Gaeul now settled in the extra rooms in her comfy little dog bed.

Leon didn’t know how to tell her that it was eating him up everytime he thought of it though it was inescapable. He should just spend as much time with her as possible right? That seemed appropriate to do.

“I was thinking that you should move to the Master’s bedroom—”

“Palit tayo ng kwarto?”

“Timang,” Leon snorted, shaking his head at Eli’s playful response. She knew what he meant though, and she’s not against it. She slept well when he was next to her even though she thought he left when she fell asleep. “Kasama ako s’yempre.”

“Gusto mo lang ako katabi eh,” Eli teased, even playfully pinching his cheek but Leon managed to get a hold of her hand before she could take it back. 

Leon hummed in agreement before kissing the back of her hand softly and placing it on his cheek carefully. The look in his eye was longing, craving to feel any sort of physical touch from Elijah herself as if he was already missing her and he hadn't even left.

“Yea,” he replied, leaning over to wrap his arms around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder. “Gusto kitang katabi matulog.”

“Are you okay, Leon?” she asked, concern lacing the tone of her voice as she made him look up at her, eyes looking weary of why Leon seemed so bothered since he got home.

He shook his head honestly, “why?” she follows, holding him by both of his cheeks trying to pry an answer from him.

Why hasn’t he told her? Is he shy? Is he embarrassed? Or was it really just hard to admit to himself that he’s at risk of coming home to something completely different than what he left?

“Papunta kami nila Kuya sa Cebu next week,” he mumbled quietly.

“Anong problema doon?”

“I don’t want to leave you,” he added, saying it truthfully. 

He was expecting her to burst out in laughter and find it funny that he’s reacting this way. He is a grown ass man afraid to miss a girl that’s not even his girlfriend his fiancée lol, it was something funny in his head but it did not seem like that in Eli’s head.

“I’m gonna be alright, Leon,” she let out a soft chuckle.

“4 days rin kasama sila Kuya Santi…” He explained.

“That’s okay. Kuya Santi is maligalig like me, you won’t miss me too much.”

“Hahalikan ba ako ni Kuya Santi, ha?” 

That threw Eli out and finally made her burst into laughter.

“Please don’t kiss my brother,” she giggled before flinging her arms on both sides of his neck to pull him closer in between her legs. “I’m here pa naman.”

Leon hummed, pushing his face dangerously close to hers before asking, “You want me to kiss you instead, ha?”

“If that means you won’t kiss other people sa Cebu, then yes.” That was a bold reply but something expected of Eli. All her generosity aside, Eli liked her favorite things to herself. She was quite territorial when it came to people.

“Not planning on it,” he replied before pressing his lips firmly on hers, mouths immediately molding into the fit of each other’s mouths like it was always made to be there. 

It was wet and hot, Eli could feel her heart pounding against her chest but for once in her life she wasn’t afraid that it was going to be a panic attack, especially when Leon’s cold hands were creeping under her pajama shirt making her gasp. Leon smirks at his plan working, taking the chance to slide his tongue between her parted lips. His brain then goes into a frenzy as her fingertips begin fiddling with the hair on the back of his head. He can’t seem to pull away even if he was slowly running out of breath. Addicted, that’s what he is.

“Kuya Santi won’t kiss you like that, no?” Eli joked when they pulled away, panting because of how long they had been kissing.

“Magtigil ka nga, hindi naman kuya mo ang gusto kong halikan,” Leon shrugged, wiping the wet parts of the side of her lips as he chuckled at Eli’s childishness.

“So, just me?”

 He knows she’s doing it on purpose but the feigned innocence in her face as she asks is admittedly working on him.

“Tara na sa taas, kuhanin mo na ang mga gamit mo sa kwarto mo doon ka sa kwarto natin,” he chuckled, grabbing her by the waist again and carrying her down the countertop.

—

Eli doesn’t recall how she got there but there she was on Leon’s bed, him already changed in his loose shirt and boxers with hands gripping firmly on her waist from under her shirt while her knees were on either side of his thighs. Their lips sealed together like every second that their lips were an inch apart is a waste of time. 

It was unusual how all of a sudden she was craving his lips like she has been starving, but it only felt right even if it’s Leon...because it’s Leon. 

Stuck in her little paradox, the other person in the equation, Leon, was slowly growing embarrassed of how hard he was growing while his hands roamed around her torso, careful not to go any higher and do something she would be uncomfortable with. He was hesitant to put her in a position she did not want to be in but it seemed like Eli felt differently, when she pulled away and asked something Leon never would’ve thought he’ll ever live long enough to hear, 

“Do you want me to take it off?” she asked, referring to her pajama shirt that was clearly restricting Leon from doing what he’s been wanting to do.

“‘Wag na kung hindi ka komportable,” Leon chuckled at her lightly, pressing a soft kiss of her cheek before she shoots her next question, which ultimately sends Leon’s brain to short circuit.

“Can I move?”

“Can you what—” but before there was a coherent thought formed in his head, Eli shifted to make herself more comfortable before pressing herself hard on him, causing friction to where he needed it most. “Shit, yes, Ellie,” he moaned before capturing her lips once again, hands finding home in her waist once again guiding her movement. “Fuck.”

Eli whines quietly next to his ear, pressing open mouthed kisses behind it as she moves faster, putting more pressure as Leon’s shameless moans fills in the room, even more so when she takes his hand, which still carefully navigated the skin on her back and waist, to her mound, allowing him to squeeze the soft skin on it, thumbing on the already hardened nipple.

“God, baby,” Leon moans, removing his free hand from her waist and finding its way to Eli’s neck to kiss her again, mumbling incoherent praises against her lips before his tongue slots between her lips once again which she willingly gives him permission to do so. “So good for me, Ellie…”

Eli’s hips began to move frantically, chasing her high. Leon practically doing the same, leisuring on the feeling of her soft mound against his hand as she grinded himself against Eli, trying to meet her movements as much as he could.

God. That really just sends Eli’s brain to go haywire too, unable to form any logical form of thought just—Leon. Leon. Leon. Leon. Leon. Leon. Leon—throwing all shame out the window as she shamelessly moaned his name over and over in between longing gasps against his lips while she grinded against his hard-on, realizing how big it was and how safe of a choice it was to not go down that route tonight.

The next thing she knew, as if there was more shame to throw out the window, she was cursing, pleading, even crying for Leon to let her come. 

Leon thought that she didn’t have to but it would be a bigger shame to tell that he wasn’t turned on by it. He loved every second of it, every word leaving her mouth.

“Go on, baby,” he hummed, carefully wiping the tears off her face before he found his hand back on her waist, guiding her to put more pressure as she moved before letting out a string of soft moans.

The mere sound of her moans was embarrassingly enough to finish too.

Shit. 

“Are you okay?” Leon hummed, holding her shivering body against his. All Elijah gave was a quiet nod as she clings to him.

He then caresses the soft hair on her head while the other rubbed circles on the expanse of her back under her shirt. “Sure? I need to hear you say it, Ellie.”

“I’m okay, Leon,” she hummed, nuzzling her face further into his neck.

“Alright, tara na maglinis,” he hummed, kissing the top of her head once again before he carried her up to the bathroom. “I’ll get you clothes, you do your thing, alright?”

Eli nodded at him, still having the same dilated eyes from earlier as Leon closed the door allowing her to clean herself up from her soiled shorts and underwear.

Fuck. That really just happened.

—

Days went by so quickly, Monet had settled in well with Gaeul and was currently being dropped by in a pet daycare to be watched over and trained in the morning when both Eli and Leon were at work. They’ve also settled in well on who picks up the dogs from daycare. To say the least, in a span of a couple of days, they have been functioning well as furparents and maybe occasionally as a proper couple as well—mostly it was making out and cuddling in the bed while they wait for Eli’s chamomile tea to cool down a bit but the rest really were just looking out for each other—which by the way was a basic thing a human would do if they live in the same roof with someone. 

It was also half because their intimate activities left Eli wondering if there really was more to their relationship long before it was a topic for thought. Leon, on the other hand, was just too focused on keeping it together before he finally leaves, making sure he doesn’t do anything that will cause a drift between them before he leaves.

“Hindi ka man lang magbibilin?” Leon playfully asks, as he leans back on the trunk of Eli’s car that brought all four of them to airport. 

“Basta umuwi ka ng buo at iisa—”

“What do you mean iisa?”

“Baka uwi ka ng may anak na—” 

“May mga anak na ako dito, bakit ako uuwi ng may ibang anak?” Leon playfully flicks her forehead as she rolled her eyes at him. 

“Buntis ka?” Yves looks at her, eyes wide in shock.

“OA,” Eli shrugged at him. “Si Monet at Gaeul ang mga anak. Mukha ba akong capable maging nanay ha?”

“Aba malay ko ba!”

Leon chuckled at their banter. As much as he had the urge to get jealous for how close they seemed, but it’s Architect Yves. He knows how much this person supported her like Santi would have when no one else could. There’s an understanding that they could only look at each other from a sibling light.

“We should go,” Leon smiled, pressing a soft kiss on Eli’s lips before pressing another on her forehead, giving it his all not to let the tears fall. 

“Oh my god, kailangan ba sa harap namin?” Santi complained, pulling Leon away from his little sister before giving her a tight hug. “Kadiri ha!”

“Ingat kayo,” Eli hummed. “Take care of each other, alright?”

“Ingat kuya,” she smiled, giving Yves and Tobi their hugs before they parted. 

The car ride home from the airport to Yang ENT. was quiet, painfully for that matter. The obvious difference of the atmosphere in her car on their way there somehow irked her, like she wasn’t used to silence anymore.

“Ba’t ganyan ang itsura mo?” Ynes asked, chuckling lightly as she went to hug Eli’s sullen figure. “Para kang pinagsakluban d’yan.”

“The office is quiet,” she pouted at her best friend. “Walang mga kuya na magaaway the whole week.”

Truth to be told, while Eli liked her silence, there was something about her brothers’ noise that comforted her. Something about hearing Leon yap about his day sounded like home. The silence now was cold and crisp, something that resembled the silence at home whenever her papa was mad at her for some reason she never really understood even at her big age now.

It’s always been her and the silence. Life out of that was greater than she ever thought she was, now home wasn’t home anymore without the joyful noise that reminded her that it is nice that she is alive.

“Hala si ate ko umiyak,” Ynes chuckles at her bestfriend, engulfing her in a tighter embrace. “Ito naman parang ‘di nag-grade two! Uuwi naman ‘yung mga ‘yon!”

“Uuwi ‘yon, ano ba itong babae na ‘to!” Ynes really tried to maake something light out of the situation but deep inside she knew that this was hard for her. She hasn’t lived in the same roof with her brother for a couple of years now, but they always saw each other at work. It wasn’t a big adjustment for her. Living with Leon now would be another conversation, because this is the first time in a couple days since they made amends that Leon would be away from her.

“Gusto ko sumama sa Cebu, babes,” she cried like a child na iniwan ng magulang. The funny thing was she never cried to her parents after being left at home—she was used to that Elizalde and Soren Yang had always been busy people, being left to caretakers and secretaries was no big deal to her. So why does that right now seem so heavy for her? 

“It’s your first time being loved like that and being left behind, ano?”

Maybe it’s the way that Ynes’ words made her think of it or the way that she was not sure why she really was acting this way, but that made her stop and look at Ynes.

It’s the first time someone that made her very loved had to leave her behind. The first time that someone wasn’t going to be constantly gonna be there for her. And it was different before when Leon left because she didn’t feel that way for him back then. She was far from mature to actually take the time to acknowledge her own feelings when all that happened but it’s different now.

“It’s okay to feel that way, babes,” Ynes smiled at her, squeezing her arm to give her reassurance. “It’s human to miss the people that you love.”

“You think I love Leon?” she asked, slightly tilting her head up to level her sight with Ynes.

“The same way he loves you, Elijah,” Ynes sighs. “Alam kong itatanggi mo nanaman kasi ayaw mong maguilty na kawawala n’yo lang ni Isaac, but Eli, life is not going to end if you hurt Isaac lalo na at hindi rin naman s’ya mabuting tao.”

click here to continue (housemates' gc)

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ characters ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

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[theelvenhaven]

Jealous Ecthelion

Request: May I request a Jealous!Ecthelion? Maybe Reader has been talking about someone she kinda admires and he gets the green eyes 👀💚 of envy. He thought he was your No. 1 :(((

A/N: I wasn't quite sure if this was supposed to be a fic or a set of headcanons but I made it into headcanons.

* * *

⫸ Ecthelion likes to think of himself as someone who isn't capable of getting jealous, and is often times proud of that fact because he trusts you so deeply.

⫸ So when it comes to you speaking about people you admire, Ecthelion usually takes things in stride and doesn't jump to conclusions.

⫸ He enjoys listening to you rave about your favorite whomever- friend, author, artist, etc. that you have had the chance to meet and spend time with.

⫸ If anything he will usually contribute to the conversation, keeping it going until you have spoken about it til your heart is positively content with all that you wanted to say.

⫸ So when you come to Ecthelion one day talking about how you really like another Lord in the Houses of Gondolin, Ecthelion feels a little pang of jealousy strike him right in the chest.

⫸ At first he just ignores it and tries to just focus on listening to you talk about it, because clearly this conversation and admiration you have for this Lord are harmless... right?

⫸ But the more he listens to you speak, the more jealous he becomes.

⫸ Ecthelion knows it is entirely irrational that he is feeling this way about the Lord you are speaking of, I mean you two have a romantic relationship why would he need to worry? Right?

⫸ But when he realizes that you aren't going to stop talking about the Lord you have suddenly come to admire it only serves to make him positively green with envy.

⫸ Ecthelion grows surprisingly short with you about who you are talking about and doesn't take the time to indulge you in questions to keep the conversation going.

⫸ It doesn't take long for you to catch onto the fact that something is wrong seeing as he isn't indulging you like he usually would when you come to him about someone you admire.

⫸ When you ask him what the matter is and if you've done something wrong, Ecthelion plays it off pretty heavily, trying not to clue you into the fact that he's jealous.

⫸ But when you keep pressing he becomes short with you again, not wishing to confess to you that he's jealous of you speaking about another Lord.

⫸ It is only then are you able to put two and two together and realize that he's jealous of whom you are speaking about.

⫸ When you confront him, Ecthelion doesn't confirm nor deny that he's jealous, instead for a long moment he sits in quiet mulling over the fact that, yes he is indeed jealous.

⫸ It is only after a long moment of silence that he tells you that he's jealous hearing you talk about that Lord with such praise and admiration.

⫸ It comes as a shock seeing as he doesn't usually get jealous of anyone that you speak about otherwise.

⫸ When you offer him reassurance that he's the only for you and the only one who has your heart it certainly offers to act as a soothing balm.

⫸ Ecthelion is certainly glad to hear from you that you admire him too and that you love him.

⫸ With a few kisses to spare and holding his hand, it certainly simmers down the jealousy and Ecthelion apologizes to you for behaving the way he did and explains that it was unbecoming of him.

⫸ You simply take it in stride and accept his apology and hope to offer him reassurance again if he ever needs it.

* * *

Tags: @saviorsong @lilmelily @dicksoutformtl @fandomhoe101 @celebrimbor-telperinquar @red-riding @miriel-estelwen @ta-ka-shi-ma @nerdysimpy @thegirlwithoutaname87 @anunexpectedsideblog @spidergirla5 @eunoiaastralwings @eternalabysss @noldorinpainter

[burst-of-iridescent]

the official zutara dissertation: conclusion

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 

This dissertation set out to prove that Zutara, rather than Kat.aang and Mai.ko, should have been the endgame ship of Avatar: The Last Airbender. It has discussed why Zuko and Katara would make a good couple within the text, how the narrative was setting them up for a relationship and why a Zutara endgame would have served the themes and messages of the show, as well as the arcs of all the characters involved, better than the canon relationships did.

Many have argued that Zutara is too complicated, too deep, too much for a kids’ show - that much of the subtext and narrative and analysis that really makes Zutara brilliant cannot be easily understood by children. But the reason that Avatar: The Last Airbender still stands the test of time today is because it did care about those very things, because it took difficult, complex issues and still managed to make them meaningful, nuanced and understandable. If ATLA could depict imperialism, colonialism, redemption, genocide and war, I see no reason why it could not have pulled off an enemies-to-lovers ship literally coded in the DNA of the show.

In conclusion, Zutara should have been canon because it would have fixed almost all of the narrative, thematic and character problems I have discussed over the course of this dissertation, and elevated the show to near perfection. The choice to deny Zutara of the ending they rightfully deserved is thus undoubtedly one of ATLA’s biggest flaws and its greatest loss. 

But as Dante Basco, Prince Zuko himself and captain of the Zutara ship, put it:  “Sometimes the feeling of what could have been is stronger than what actually happened, because the memory of perfection lasts longer.” 

Though Zuko and Katara’s story ends in tragedy, it is this very tragedy that still makes them so fascinating all of these years later ‐ because the final element of Zutara’s brilliance is the idea of what might have been, in what has been left solely to our imaginations. In the greatest of ironies, therefore, it was only by leaving the story of Zuko and Katara unfinished that it was able to become the beautiful tale it is today ‐ more powerful and compelling, perhaps, than it could ever have been in canon. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Araeph, 2017. Araeph’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 2. https://at.tumblr.com/burst-of-iridescent/araephs-greatest-hits-vol-2/zfcozrmeby19

Certified Bi Fangirl Disaster, 2020. The Cave of Two Lovers foreshadows the Zutara interactions in the Crossroads of Destiny. https://at.tumblr.com/theotterpenguin/645662327005478912/p30gsur9gexe

DevilDogDemon et. al, 2021. The Effect of Kataang on Aang’s Character Arc. https://at.tumblr.com/burst-of-iridescent/devildogdemon-juldooz-atla-negromouthandafro/hs2r37t0uipp

FunFanFin, 2017. How Zutara Fulfills The Show’s Key Themes.  https://at.tumblr.com/funfanfin/dentist-open-up-me-wellokay-so-not-only-does/pnwuyp5pxxc4

Marsreds, 2017. It’s called the Cave of Two Lovers, not the Cave of Two “Treasured/Close/Platonic Friends”. https://at.tumblr.com/marsreds/its-called-the-cave-of-two-lovers-not-the-cave/njy7bj7qkoko

My Bated Breath, 2020. Wants vs Need - A Comparison Between Kataang, Taang, and Zutara. https://at.tumblr.com/my-bated-breath/wants-vs-need-a-comparison-between-kataang/vvhl7irrdk69

RoyalTeaLovingKookiness, 2019. The Romantic Framing of Zutara. https://at.tumblr.com/royaltealovingkookiness/i-think-the-anon-who-sent-the-zuko-lost-azula-in/rpfdg8oxfmfq

SneezyPeasy, 2021. Get in losers, we’re stanning Zutara. https://at.tumblr.com/sneezypeasy/get-in-losers-were-stanning-zutara/0x2mbtmsp3xu

SneezyPeasy, 2021. Why Aang’s Lines Sound Preachy in The Southern Raiders. https://at.tumblr.com/sneezypeasy/why-aangs-lines-sound-preachy-in-the-southern/q78urhuqp6lm

SunMoonTurtleDuck, 2021. Why Zuko Had To Take Azula’s Lightning for Katara. https://at.tumblr.com/theotterpenguin/its-true-zuko-would-have-taken-the-lightning-for/ki6rg04v45h2

TheMomentofDavyPrentiss, 2017. Why I Believe Katara Canonically Had Romantic Feelings for Zuko.  https://at.tumblr.com/themomentofdavyprentiss/why-i-believe-katara-canonically-had-romantic/m7a6x8a521n8

TheOtterPenguin, 2022. A Counter Argument to “Zuko Would Have Taken The Lightning for Anyone!” https://at.tumblr.com/theotterpenguin/why-is-zuko-would-have-taken-the-lightning-for/amyfkr6oaz45

[the-other-art-blog]

https://www.tumblr.com/the-other-art-blog/758991831151312896/i-had-been-debating-about-posting-this-or-not-but?source=share

OMG!!! this is SO awesome!!! thank you so much!!!!!! you must be THE ONLY bennophie fans with some sense!!!! i am amaze!!! sorry but every BS i saw was evil af and even doxxers!!! thak you for recognizing what they did.

I am polin stan and B and KA fans ruined s for me, aftr watching each part i went to sm and i got so sad, i even cried because of the evil things they said and how they mock. Now i am very sad and feel hate towards how they discriminate polin tasking for ben and soph with kate and anth, discriminating

Thank you, anon, for recognizing that post.

Since you are a Polin stan, I hope you also admit that there are some crazy, CRIMINAL members in that fandom. There's doxxing also from there and other racist accounts attacking Simone and Ruby, and everyone else in the cast. I'm not denying that. I have blocked and reported them too. As I said in that post, there's a HUGE problem on that side too. And just like Benophies, I've seen Polins being like "We never do that". YES, YOU DO! Daily, I see it all the time.

I just don't get how people are committing actual crimes for a tv show where all couples have their HEA and they're one big happy family. This isn't Grey's Anatomy, no couple poses a threat to any other couple. This fandom is known for its toxicity. It's embarrassing. Journalists call them "intense", but they really mean crazy and dangerous.

It's disappointing how many Benophie stans went full bitch mode and spread so much hate after s3 news. And those who didn't say anything stayed quiet and looked at the other side.

I'm sorry they ruined your experience. It was exhausting to log in and start blocking and fighting with people. I'm a main Benophie, but Polin (+ Philoise) is a solid 2nd for me. I love two creative brothers and their supportive smart wives. So, it was impossible to follow those Benophie accounts because they were attacking Polin at every turn and still do. I actually had to stop following a few accounts during s3 because they love twisting things to make Polin look at its worst. I have my criticism on the season, but that was some gymnastics to make them look bad.

Anyway, I just block anyone who sends hate, no matter the side. They're the same class of people. It's funny, actually, how much they hate each other and how alike they are 😂 If only they would keep their fights between them and stop mentioning the cast, I would not mind them insulting each other.

[jopetkasi]

a couple of weeks ago, i went to see my nephew at the Kalayaan Residence Hall at the University of the Philippines, to see how he is faring so far. after all, I am his registered guardian and emergency contact. thankfully, he has acclimated to "dorm life" and has learned the ropes of independent living like managing his acads, orgs, laundry, and his daily finances. i told him that dorm life can be both fun and challenging at the same time.

"mag enjoy ka sa college, but be always on guard" i reminded him as we parted ways.

while driving, i realized parang kailan lang I was once a student at the ateneo and remembered how the fun moments as well as the challenging ones. to be honest, I never saw myself as the excelling type of student. For one, happy an ako if I pass an exam. i was never obsessed with high marks, basta pumasa lang goods na ako. and style ko lang kasi dati, right after class and while waiting for my next professor (usually there is a 15 minute gap) I would start on my homework na and if I find the subject hard, I make use of the consultation hours with my professors to ask them to explain the topic to me. some professors are very generous with their time, especially Dr. Queena Lee-Chua (to whom I owe a lot) while some are grumpy and would usually dismiss me "hindi ba inexplain ko na ito?" I mean what an oxymoron dismissal was that? Had I understood it, I would not have asked in the first place diba? but I learned to be patient and find ways to bridge the gap. the answer was to make friends with the staff at the Rizal Library who were instrumental in helping me find books and reserve them for me. I also owe Ate Alma, the lovely lady who manages the photocopying kiosk at school who makes possible my photocopy and ring bind needs are met on time. Nope, she is not "manang xerox" froshies, she is Ate Alma.

I also remember my days at the Cervini Hall, the male dormitory of the university. although I made some friends at the dorm, I really did not engage with the residents or my roommates for that matter. I was just there to sleep and study. Until, that video of me having sex inside the dorm went around, which got me packing for another accommodation, this time a flat in front of the school, Prince David Condo. That phase of my life ruined me. The stares I got and the bouts of snickering whenever I passed by. it did not help that some of the members of Doll House (the gay org in school) had bullied me to a certain extent like I was labeled "pamintang durog" and would chant "come out, come out wherever you are" lahat yun I experienced. I don't take it against them really. times where different then, we were kids and stupid. I could have transferred to U.P. but the fear of taking the UPCAT weighed heavily which made me stay. Besides I was already in third year, and I could still muster enough grit for two more semesters.

condo living liberated me of the added pressure of being a campus whore. You see, I never told my parents that I signed up for a lease. all that time they assumed I was safe in the campus dorm. thankfully, a friend who graduated and won't be using his unit found a tenant in me. so whatever little savings I had, i used for the downpayment and the advance it required. it was a small one-bedroom flat, decent enough to sleep, eat, and study. plus it had a good view of Katipunan Avenue. Good thing I had two part-time jobs to tide me over. the only challenge was I scrimped on eating out which meant daily rations of Lucky Me instant pancit canton and Argentina corned beef (which I now hate) until I get home at the end of the month and raided our pantry for supplies and the frozen ulams, manang cion sends me to reheat.

of course, it was not all study hours for me. i still went out with my small group of friends for drinks. i even went on dates and brought home some for sex. I won't deny that. don't we all? basta and rule ko lang, acads before landi: homework first before blowjobs and no sex during exam week. it worked for me! and true enough, despite me underestimating myself, the validation came a month before graduation, when the list of students with Latin honors came up, and my name was included.

the pokpok has arrived and he has four medals.

i was never the perfect student much more as a person to this day. my flaws are so evident but I was honest to admit that I was broken, hurt people who loved me, a failure and needed fixing but then perhaps, destiny was kind enough to give me not only a second chance but a third and fourth and more...and true enough the universe smiled at me and handed me a bowl of cherries.

so if you find yourself in a similar situation, don't lose hope. hayaan mo lang dumaan young problems mo. and importante, mahal mo and sarili mo.