#let’s focus on the big dumb bird

[astrobydalia]

more observations (lost count)✨

Hello guys! Life's been crazy lately and I barely have time to make any of the master posts I wanted to, so you'll be getting lost of observation posts that I've been collecting in my drafts for the past months. As always, enjoy!

❗️long post

work by astrobydalia

✨ Sagittarius and Aquarius are so fucking similar. Both of them are chaotic af, love their freedom and think they're smarter than everyone else. People who have both of these in their big 6 have the most unhinged

✨ Libra is WAY more obsessed with perfection than Virgo

✨ Whenever I had Libra or Taurus ASC on my Solar return chart I was lazy AS FUCK. I had no motivation to work whatsoever during those years, all I wanted to do was vibe and enjoy life. I also felt very relaxed and stress-free, when difficulties came I just went with the flow

✨ What is up with Gemini risings and always feeling intellectually insecure all the time? Literally their #1 insecurity is feeling like they are dumb or like they’re not good enough for highly abstract and intellectual tasks/professions. They come across as someone immature who lacks wisdom or has a superficial/simplistic view of things. I feel like this is because they attract people who are a bit of know-it-alls (Sagittarius DSC) and they have a reputation for being scattered-brained (Pisces 10th house) so people tent to infantilize them a lot.

^^^But let me tell you this not true at all, Gemini risings are some of the most brilliant people I’ve met with so much potential. Their problem is that they allow overthinking to get the best of them and end up doubting themselves 24/7. These are the type of people who have amazing ideas but they never pursue any them. They really struggle making decisions for themselves, they always need to ask for opinions first which is not a bad thing but this makes them come across as incapable or as someone who lacks self-sufficiency

✨ Mercurial signs (Virgo and Gemini) like to focus on concrete things and immediate reality, they process life by connecting one thing at a time and taking info as it comes, they focus on what's going on around them cause Mercury is all about multiplicity and details. With Jupiter signs on the other hand (Sag and Pisces) one thing about them is they don't care about details as long as things make sense as a whole, they see life from a more broad and general perspective, they prefer having a birds eye view of things because Jupiter is all about expansion and therefore it likes to encompass many things at once. This is why Virgo and Gemini rule mundane life themes and immediate reality while Sag and Pisces are more about general life lessons and higher knowledge

✨ Scorpio moons/8th house moons are the definition of an energy vampire fr. They just have a really poor understanding of healthy emotional boundaries, they expect you to give your all but aren't willing to reciprocate and always turn everything into a manipulation or mind game somehow which makes it pretty exhausting to be around them in the long run. Don't get me wrong, most of the ones I’ve met were very and good people but they always end up taking my energy away and make me feel emotionally burnt out

✨ Mercury-Mars aspects have this "it is what it is" mentality and really dislike over complicating things by reading too deep into them. They tend to think things exactly as they seem. This does not mean they're simplistic, on the contrary this makes them surprisingly insightful fast thinkers and are not the type to be easily fooled

✨ I've seen people saying that hard aspects between Mercury-Pluto makes people misunderstand your words. This is not true, this happens with Neptune cause Neptune rules delusion, but Pluto is a very blunt and straightforward planet cause it's all about revealing the dark truths. Mercury-Pluto aspects makes someone very deliberate with their words and they know exactly what to say to make their message stick. You will understand their words exactly how they want you to understand them. What happens with hard aspects is that the native tends to have a more provocative approach in the things they say, they don't care if you're offended by what they say as long as what they say makes an impact. People can misunderstand their intentions because of this, but not their words

✨ The ironic thing about Aquarius placements is that they are very good when it comes to connecting with the masses, the public usually feels very drawn to them because they're very good at appealing to collective values which makes them come across as relatable to many people as a result. However, when you actually try to relate to them or connect one-on-one, you will find yourself with someone that is surprisingly elusive, distant and more distrustful than Scorpio placements which is a huge contrast from the welcoming vibe they give off to the public. I've found that the only way you will get close to an Aquarius placements is on THEIR terms lmao, if they've decided they like you, it'll be them who will approach you and/or make the effort to engage with you

✨ A reocurring thing I've seen with Virgo placements is that they really dislike big changes and prefer to stay in control. I think this is not mentioned often cause it's kinda weird to say that about a mutable sign, but Virgos being mercury+earth ruled they feel comfortable relying on facts, data, observations, etc and they use all this tangible info to navigate reality, that's why they rule daily life and routines because they invest a lot of their energy on factually understanding and categorizing their reality (earth signs in general are very attached to the tangible). Their mutable nature shows in that they easily use their knowledge to adapt, find solutions and fix what’s wrong but when they are in situations where these "categories" prove to be useless (aka Pisces themes), they get very triggered cause that means they no longer have control of their reality

✨ That being said another reoccurring thing I’ve noticed with Virgo placements is that they love to predict things. But not in a mystical sense it’s more like they enjoy understanding things in such way that they’re able to easily put a label on them and easily predict what’s going on or how something works

✨ I have not seen a single Taurus placement who didn’t have the most insanely sexy and pleasant voice ever. Doesn’t matter if they sing of not, just hearing their voice is so delightful

✨ Aquarius Mercury really believe their opinions are the most ultimate and correct opinions out there. They are certain that their judgment is always 100% objective (aka always true) so in their mind if you slightly disagree with them that means you’re mediocre, dumb or narrow-minded.

✨ There's always a duality in all mutable signs. Sagittarius can be very humorous and optimistic but also very dark and profound. Gemini can be curious and chaotic but also very analytical and logical. Virgo can be picky and perfectionistic but also very permissive and conformist. Pisces can be very compassionate and wise but also very detached and clueless

✨ Neptune does not do well in air houses/signs at all simply because air energy rules (different types of) information and connections, while Neptune is all delusion and confusion. Also air energy is purely cerebral and rational while Neptune appeals to the unconscious

✨ I have not fact-checked this but I feel like it's safe to say that Mars rules testosterone. Testosterone is a hormone associated to violence or impulsive behavior, sex drive, red blood cells (blood), masculinity, etc That's literally all mars

✨ People always talk about how Capricorn moons have had a rough life but I've noticed this is also very true for Sagittarius Moons?? Responsibilities are not imposed on them like Capricorn, in their case they have to build up wisdom about life through pure and raw experience without anyone giving them a heads up or any pointers first, that's why they grow up feeling like they're fully on their own. Things work out for them at the end but they always have most MESSY life experience it's really crazy

✨ Both domicile and afflicted Mars are ambitious and determined but the main difference is that Libra/Taurus/Cancer Mars need to find some type of enjoyment or fulfillment in their goals in order to get motivated while Capricorn/Aries/Scorpio Mars find motivation in the challenge and endure through stuff they don't find pleasant

✨ From what I've seen males with Scorpio placements are very superficial and will gaslight as a lifestyle. They are the type of people who look the other way or brush things off or never takes anything seriously and I've noticed they do this so they never have to take accountability.

✨ Neptune/Pisces energy either gives “glamorous and ethereal” vibes or “weird in an extremely cringe way” vibes, there’s no in-between

✨ A reoccurring thing I've noticed with those who have Chiron in Taurus/2nd house or Chiron-Venus is that they often have dubious morality or double standards because they don't have a solid values

✨ Every single Libra Moon/rising female I’ve met embodied the material girl stereotype. They really have this “instagram girl” vibes to them if that makes sense

✨ Those with Sagittarius in the 5th house can actually find a lot of joy and happiness in becoming parents or they have a lot of fun with children

✨ Scorpio Mars can't stand not knowing what's going on around them and at first I thought this was bc they were suspicious/paranoid but then I realized it’s because they’re just controlling as shit. They come across as very chill and care fee but they’re actually SUPER controlling dude. Even when they know for sure that they can trust you and you’re doing nothing wrong they still want to keep taps on you and won’t leave you alone. They won't bluntly violate your privacy but will still find ways to always know what you're up to

✨ The resentful and spiteful stereotype associated to Scorpio actually belongs to Leo placements imo. They can be very reactive and childish when you insult their ego and will make it very known that they won't let it go

✨ Cancer North Node people always have some sort of issue or inner conflict with of having kids. They feel drawn to the idea of becoming a parent but deep down they low-key don't? I've also seen many women with this placement who had fertility issues

I have the theory that these natives are conflicted in this topic because they see family as an achievement or a societal expectation (Capricorn south node) so in this life time they have to know what it's like to desire a family for the right reasons and not because they feel like they 'should'

✨ Capricorn risings really are hyper-aware of their public image and how others perceive them. That's why they always end up becoming very popular and respected, cause they know very well where they "stand" publicly so they know how to successfully curate their own reputation. It's not surprising to see this placement a lot in celebrities

✨ Pluto in the 12th house are genuinely unsure of who they can trust which leads to a lot of paranoia and projection. The type to ignore the most obvious red flags but then automatically doubt your loyalty cus you spoke in a suspicious tone

✨ Pisces/12th house placements 🤝 disappearing. Y’all shit on Gemini for ghosting but have you ever met a pisces/12th houser?

✨ Saturn in 5th house people had parents (namely father) who were overly critical of them and their self-expression. Doesn’t necessarily mean they were unsupportive of the native but they were quite hard on the native’s creativity

✨ I've seen a lot of bullies/mean girls have Aquarius placements. Honorable mentions: virgo, Leo, libra

✨ Neptune-ASC people are really good at making themselves invisible when they want and/or making parts of themselves go completely unnoticed even if they're bluntly obvious. I've noticed they actually get away with a lot cause they have this tendency to not be accurately seen by others if that makes sense

✨ Neurodivergent individuals usually have Mercury harshly aspecting (conjunction, square, opposition and inconjuction) Uranus and Saturn. Said Mercury is more often than not in a water house/sign/degree or in Aries. Of course not everyone with these aspects will be neurodivergent, but it's just a pattern I've seen

✨ Pluto-ASC people most of the times fail to have a lighthearted view towards life. They always want to look beyond the surface of things which doesn't really allow them to enjoy life as it is. They often get a reputation for looking too deep into everything and in turn the Pluto-asc native often sees others as superficial

✨ Virgo risings are huge conformist and won’t go after anything that’s outside their immediate boundaries. They only make an effort towards things that are accessible and will quickly lose interest in anything that has difficult availability or requires them to go way out of their comfort zone. They're overall pretty self-serving.

✨ I know several people diagnosed with OCD. All of them have Virgo AND 6th house placements, 22º in their big 3, Scorpio Mercury/Moon and Mercury dominance

work by astrobydalia

[pamicakery]

₊✩‧₊˚Stop searching for signs + white rabbit game ˚₊✩‧₊

... And I won't say '' instead search for your manifestation '' because you already have it.

When I was a teen, I had many crushes and when I had crushes I looved searching for signs. I remember when I was 14, My friend told me that everytime we saw a red bird, it meant that someone you loves think about you.

I can't tell you how many red bird I saw in my life and guess why? The guy didn't liked me.

Back when I was 16, I had a massive crush on a guy. I used to analyse my dreams, seeing angels numbers, even when I was sneezing I was looking at the meaning of it. Well, the guy liked me back but.. I will make a story time about it because it will teach you how to manifest an Sp.

When you see signs of your manifestation, don't focus to much about it. Everyone can be a person who sees angels numbers/feathers or butterflies everywhere.That's why you manifest signs because in your 4d you are embodying someone who is seeing a sign.

Plus if you want a big sign, don't manifest a cup of coffee... It's dumb.. Manifest it with a pasty for godsake.

You already have your manifestation. Do you know why you see signs everywhere?

Okay let's play a game okay. Let's manifest an image of a white rabbit. I don't want you to search for it okay.

I want you to picture a white rabbit in your mind. Fulfill yourself with a white rabbit, be the person who actually sees a white rabbit.

I want you to come back with the picture of the white rabbit who came to you Okay?(Share it in the comment or rebblogs it whatever) I bet you'll see a white rabbit! 🩷The 3 first persons who find them, I will make a post about a special topic(Loa related) for them. No cheating!

[c0smoshit]

KWODKSOW HELLO I found you on Ao3!! If you don't mind I have a request :) Can I have Cloud with Y/n who's helping him with his motion sickness? Like maybe he feels really insecure about it for mutiple reasons and they have a trip coming up and y/n is super sweet and tells him he's still strong/amazing and they do everything they can to make the travel comfortable for him until they arrive at their destination? Y/n making sure no one else says anything about Cloud either makes me heart go doki ❤

This is so sweet😭

Thank u for the request sweetie, hope u enjoy it and I'm sorry for the wait😭🫶🫶

Long trips ミ★

⋆ ࣪. ℙ𝕒𝕚𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 ≫ Cloud/fem!Reader

⋆ ࣪. 𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 ≫ fluff, cuddles and just sweet sweet stuff :) not proofread!

⋆ ࣪. 𝔸/ℕ ≫ I want to hold him I want to hold him I want t-

⋆ ࣪. 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥 ≫ 774

"Alright, let's hop on"

Barret's shout ringed through everyone's ears. Tifa, who was right next to you, grabbed your forearm as she guided you to the front seats.

Of course, the farm truck of a kind man who offered all of you a ride, was packed with chocobos. And you wouldn't have cared if Cloud was with you, far away from those hyperactive big chicks.

You knew he struggled with motion sickness, he had told you that he didn't enjoy long trips. And you knew this wasn't going to be the shortest one.

So you felt guilty

You should've at least lent him your seat next to the girls, but you got too carried away. And looking at his stoic but rather uncomfortable face by the window behind you, made your gut clench.

"Hey, where are you going?"

As your hand opened the warm window, you turned around to face the confused frown of the brunnette.

"I'll be right back don't worry about me!"

. . .

"Y/n?"

His eyes found your big grin as you sat next to him, your butt touching the coarse hay bellow you.

You tried to keep some distance between the both of you, not wanting to make this more uncomfortable than it was. But it sort of was a difficult task by the way you were all enveloped by two big birds.

"Are you feeling alright?"

His face was a replica of the frown you had seen on Aerith's one, and he asked himself if it was so obvious that his brain was spinning harshly inside his head.

But he nodded his head, ignoring the horrible feeling down his stomach.

A few minutes passed by and you noticed that his hand was holding his head, eyes closed as he tried not to focus on the dizziness.

A bump made your shoulder bump with his own one, coming to rest close to him. You enjoyed the warmth he seemed to radiate, that's why you always kept close to him on cold days.

What he didn't expect was your palm being softly placed where his hand rubbed his temple. And before he had time to open his eyes, your hand guided him to your right shoulder.

His eyes shoot open, but his body slumped over yours.

Unconciously drowning further into your lulling mute voice.

Soon, he was fast asleep over your shoulder, the afternoon rays of dying sun washing all over his face. He looked too cute to be real.

And you had finally seen him calm, not a sign of stress or worry on his cold facade. He was just laying there, his hand holding yours as you fidgeted with his fingers.

"Look"

It came out as a whispered snicker, followed by two warm smiles as they looked at the scene.

"They are so cute"

"I know right? Such a shame they are too dumb to notice"

The black-haired girl then looked at her green orbs, seeing the well-known comforting and loving gaze she had seen before as she talked about her lover.

"She's safe with him, he always tries to protect her from anything"

She nodded her head in approval, listening closely to what her braided friend was saying.

"It's almost as if they were made for each other"

He had calloused and dry hands, he didn't have time to spend on taking care of himself since there was a bigger problem out there.

Your right fingers inspected his hand, taking him with both of your hands as you smiled like a dork. You looked around for a few seconds and you saw that Barret and Red XIII were snoring too, next to the Chocobos that had eventually laid down to rest too.

The scene was so serene, the passing mountains in front of you and the warm breath that often trickled your skin.

How would it feel to be cuddled by him?

Maybe he would sneak a hand over your stomach as he spooned you, keeping you close to his chest as you both drifted off to sleep.

Maybe he was the one who liked being spooned, his hair brushing your neck as he held your forearm.

He would crush you down on the bed as he laid on top of you, and you wouldn't mind since it was Cloud who was fast asleep on top of you.

Or maybe he would like to hold you, keeping an arm over your thigh as your leg rested on top of his waist, wrapping your arms around his neck while his other hand secured your back into him.

Who knows...

"Such strong arms"

Your whispered praise fell all over the chilly afternoon air, and you didn't care since everyone was visibly asleep. Your hand traced patterns over his unclothed arm, admiring the hard work he had done over the years.

"And such amazing skills"

Your mouth kept ranting all the things you had kept to yourself, weary eyes open as you shuffled closer to him.

"Woah there"

You chuckled lowly as your hand kept his forehead from falling off your shoulder, oh how you wish you could've stayed there for just some few more hours.

"You're not only handsome but you're smart too. So oblivious you don't even notice all the people who look at you"

Your hand fell until it wrapped itself around his own one once again.

"I wish I could tell you all this stuff to your face for once"

A sigh fell from your lips and as you slowly closed your eyes again, something interrupted your well-deserved rest.

"Did you mean all of that?"

[kitthepurplepotato]

Chapter 6 - Crimson Riot?!

Summary: Eijirou is too busy fawning over Crimson Riot.

Warnings: Swear words, Eijirou makes one kinky comment

First Chapter Ko-Fi Master List

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

She’s so close. Oh my god. She’s so pretty. Those plump lips, the slight blush on her cheeks… how is he supposed to resist?

He knows Y/N said this was a date but he’s still sure she’d meant that as a joke. It was just teasing. She still called Kirishima her homoerotic buddy by the end of the day, so clearly, he’s still in the hubby zone.

He should be happy for getting a kiss on his cheeks. He should be thankful…

Okay, Y/N is clearly aiming for his lips but maybe, that’s just his wishful thinking.

He’ll just… wait it out, he guesses. He slowly closes his eyes, letting faith choose the path for him and certainly, it does; Y/N’s door opens up from the inside. Kirishima respectfully almost shits his pants.

“Did you forget how to open your own door, you silly sausage?” A cheery old man with Crimson hair crackles teasingly. “… oh. Oh!”

Well, that’s what Kirishima’s also thinking. Oh. This relic is a bit too big to fit into a box; Kirishima thinks as he looks at the man in front of him who looks 100% like Crimson Riot.

Kirishima’s also sure it’s illegal to keep people in boxes. Except if they want to be kept in a box. But why would they live in a box willingly?

“What the fuck are you doing here, Uncle?!”

Oh, it’s just her uncle. The loaded one who owns the flat. It makes sense. Crimson Riot was one of the best heroes of his era so he certainly managed to get his hands on enough money to keep him and his family well fed for as long as he lives and probably even after. Makes sense indeed.

Makes… sense.

Okay, wait. So this man, possibly Crimson Riot himself, just opened Y/N’s door and she called him her uncle. That means…

“Crimson Riot is… your uncle?!” Eijirou yells and there is a palm on his mouth the second after.

“Don’t fucking yell, you himbo!” Y/N sighs, clearly aggravated by Kirishima’s stupidity and to be honest, Kirishima is quite used to get this look every day so he doesn’t even flinch. He’s a bit dumb. He knows it. He’s okay with it. “Why the fuck are you here, uncle?! You just ruined my plans!”

“Ahh, honey, I’m sorry to say this but I’m quite sure the mood is ruined anyway so we might as well have a little chat. I’m quite sure Red Riot-kun is more than happy to tell me what does he want from my one and only niece I’m willing to kill for if I need to.”

Kirishima’s blood freezes in his veins. This is too much to take in for his little bird brain. Okay, let’s focus. One thing at a time. One thing… at a time.

“Are you really…” He lowers his voice into a whisper. “Crimson Riot?”

Y/N facepalms herself. He has no idea what he had done wrong this time. Like, bro… can you really blame him for that question? He was already all over the place thanks to the fact that he was on a not-a-date with his new favorite person and now that favorite person turns out to be Crimson Riot’s niece? Eijirou is having an out of body experience. He swears he can see his soul leaving his body as he stares at the old man he’s been worshipping for decades now.

“Yes… I was Crimson Riot when I was a hero. Now, I’m just uncle Riot. Okay, son?”

Kirishima cries manly tears. This is the best day of his life.

~•🪨•~

“So now that we are settled, can you please tell me what are your plans with my little girl?”

Uncle Riot asks. Well, that’s easy.

“I…” Nevermind. It’s not.

What are Kirishima’s plans with her? Honestly, not much. He knows he’ll never have the balls to confess to her. He knows he’s not enough for such a perfect woman anyway, so… “I like spending time with her. She’s the manliest woman I’ve ever met.”

Uncle Riot rolls his eyes and looks at Y/N questionably. She sighs.

“We were on a date and if it’s not for you he would be my boyfriend by now, so fucking thank you for the cockblock.”

Okay, what the fuck. Kirishima has no idea what’s going on and why is Y/N lying about their relationship but if that’s what she wants, he will just roll with it. He doesn’t even need to lie to be able to do that.

“To be fair, I was about to kiss her goodbye in the doorway, then you opened the door and… well… not like I mind, sir! I’m actually so thrilled to meet you, can I ask a few questions?” Kirishima rambles, embarrassment already forgotten.

“I thought you want to have some alone time?” Crimson Riot smirks knowingly but Kirishima is too excited to even think about cheeky things.

“That can wait!” He spurts out and he can’t even finish the sentence before he gets a fist in the stomach.

“Oi!” Y/N yells, clearly offended. Kirishima gives her his best apologetic face, puppy eyes and all, and Y/N only sighs at that. “Only if you stay for the night.” Y/N whispers into her ears, and oh boy, his whole face must be as red as his hair. Stay… for the night?! Like a sleepover? With the prettiest angel in the whole universe?! Kirishima is so fucked.

“Uhm… okay?”

“Good boy.” Y/N kisses his temple with a smirk and Kirishima descends to another planet. He really liked being called a good boy. Is that weird? Kinky? His little fella between his legs says it’s the latter. Oh no.

~•🪨•~

You are so done with this bozo. Yes, you said you are okay with Kirishima staying over to talk to your uncle for a while but it has been hours, you need to go to bed in a few minutes and the red headed idiot - the younger one - can’t fucking shut up. Even your uncle looks uncomfortable at this point, probably having PTSD from all the times he’s been interrogated before. Yet here is the himbo, his non-existent tail wiggling from excitement as he asks questions after questions like it’s his fucking job.

By the look of it, you’ll go to bed alone. You are actually about to cry from how disappointed you are.

“I’m going to bed. I have an early shift tomorrow.”

Your voice is so lovelorn it’s actually ridiculous.

It’s just… you had this all planned out. You wanted to kiss him in the hallway then ask him to come in, cuddle on the sofa then maybe… share the bed after. You can’t believe it’s almost midnight and none of your attempts to kiss him worked. Is he even interested in you? You really thought it’s obvious that this was a date. He gave you a ring and promised he’ll be yours, yet here is, fangirling over “fucking old man Crimson Riot” instead of being with you. It just… hurts.

“What’s wrong, Angel?” Red asks and your stupid heart almost leaps out of your chest from the pet name. Your uncle takes one good look at you and slowly makes his way to the door with an apologetic smile on his face.

“I… just remembered something. I need to go. Sorry, son! I’ll see you soon, I’m sure of it.” That stupid old man winks at you as he sneaks out of the door. There was no fucking need for that. No fucking need.

“There is spare bedding in the chest of drawers next to the sofa.” You mutter and make your way towards your bedroom and for your surprise, Eijirou doesn’t even bother to come after you.

You take a deep breath and grab your pajamas from the bed then make your way to the bathroom to shower and brush your teeth. When you are done you take a peek to the sofa; Eijirou looks so fucking sad you start to feel terrible for being an absolute bitch to him just because he didn’t give you all his attention for once.

“Hey, himbo.” You half-whisper into the silence and Eijirou looks up right away.

“I don’t know what I did wrong, but I’m sorry.”

Oh my fucking god, how can he be so cute?!

You move closer the sofa and crouch down in front of him. You are done with this game. Just… done.

“You’ve done nothing wrong. I just love to be in the center of attention.” You admit sheepishly, your hand caressing his cheek, because you can’t behave yourself. Eijirou melts into the touch and pushes his cheek into your palm then turns so he can leave a kiss on your fingers, slow and so-so loving it almost makes you cry.

“Crimson Riot is the only person who can steal my attention from you.” He admits, and you can’t help but giggle at that.

“That was a really backhanded compliment, Ei.” You smile as your thumb caresses the skin under his eyes. There’s a lot of tension in the air but not the unpleasant kind; it’s like you are both waiting for something, but none of you know how to actually make the first step. “So what do I need to do to gain your attention, Red?”

“Don’t tease me…” he looks down into his lap with tears in his eyes. It breaks your heart.

“Ei… I’m not teasing you.” You stroke his cheek again. You can’t help but take a peek at his pretty lips, slowly closing the remaining distance as you speak. “I want to know. I don’t want you to take your eyes off me. I’m being selfish.”

“You can have all my attention. All of it.” Eijirou whispers, so close to your mouth it lips actually tingle from his breath. Fuck it. Just fuck it.

“No, it’s not enough.” You finally close the remaining distance and kiss him right on the mouth. You stay there for a few seconds, savoring the taste, the texture, the softness, then move away with your heart in your throat. You did it. Oh my god, you kissed him. And it was amazing. Oh god, you are so in love with this himbo. “Good night, hubby. See you in the morning.” You smile at his dumbstruck face. Red Riot.exe has stopped working, clearly. “I put a new toothbrush out for you. The red one is yours.” You can’t help but barge back for another little peck before you run into your room with a massive blush on your face.

It’s done. It’s official. You made your intentions clear as a day and he didn’t say no. You make a new note in your calendar for today called “anniversary” then you yell into your pillow, like a proper adult.

~•🪨•~

“So she tried to kiss you several times during your DATE.” Katsuki mutters.

“That’s not what I said!” He retorts right away but his best friend does not listen.

“Then you proposed with a ring from the vending machine and she said yes.”

“I didn’t propose!”

“Oh sorry, you told her you’ll marry her.” Katsuki looks at Kirishima with pure incredulity. “Then she invited you to her flat and told her uncle you two are a thing.”

“You are not listening, Katsuki!” Kirishima yells with a red face. “Why are we not talking about Crimson Riot?! He’s the uncle! Crimson Riot! Katsuki! Focus!”

“You focus! She fucking kissed you on the mouth TWICE, Shitty hair, what the actual fuck is wrong with you?!” Katsuki is absolutely out his mind by now, he’s yelling like a maniac, his eyes dark and menacing, and you swear there are fresh claw marks on his desk where his hands are right now.

“She’s not my girlfriend! I swear!” He’s about to cry. What does he not understand?! Yeah, she kissed him. On the mouth. But maybe Y/N is just really affectionate with his homosexual buddies (hubbies). There are some countries where people kiss on the mouth. Or at least he thinks.

“No, she’s fucking not, because she’s your fiancé, you absolute idiot!”

“Eijirou, I love you to death but you are an absolute himbo… a himbo with a fiancé.” Katsuki’s girlfriend looks up from her paperwork. He can’t believe these two.

“She’s blood related to Crimson Riot! That’s just… inappropriate! No! I’m done with this conversation!”

“She made you a home-made fucking bento at 5 fucking AM in the morning! The carrots are fucking heart shaped!” Katsuki continues to yell, but Kirishima is done with this conversation. “HEART SHAPED, KIRISHIMA!”

No one understands him. No one.

~•🪨•~

It has been a week since you and Eijirou became a couple. You wear the ring every day, showing it off proudly, especially, when customers try to chat you up. You love how their face pale when you tell them that you are actually engaged.

He comes to see you every single morning, buys his usual coffee and gets a little kiss on his mouth as a bonus. Eijirou barely kisses back but he’s a shy boy, so that’s fine; he’ll eventually get used to it - You’ll make sure to kiss him loads on your date, and maybe by the end of the night he’ll actually kiss you back… and maybe, he’ll stay the night and kiss you even more. Ahh, a girl can dream. Eijirou has no idea how absolutely gorgeous he is but that’s why you like him so much; he makes you feel like a teenager again, naive and lovesick and well… he also makes you feel really hot in inappropriate places.

No one can blame you, though. Red Riot has the body of a god and he’s sweet and so innocent you just want to ruin him until the monster in him comes to the surface and devours you in whole, but it’s too much too soon so you try your best to behave yourself and keep the kisses chaste because there is no fucking way you will be able to stop once that kiss deepens.

It’s quite silly how stressed you are about being proper when it comes to this thing even though you are literally engaged to the guy.

Having sex after the first date? Hell no.

Getting engaged on it? Hell yes.

If this keeps going this way you’ll end up having your first night after the wedding.

Hell, maybe you’ll get eloped in a random chapel on your second date.

The weirdest thing is, that you wouldn’t even mind doing that.

You feel really silly to call something so fresh “love” but you are old enough to know the difference between a crush and pure, wholehearted affection. Eijirou is everything you’ve always wanted in life; he’s kind and genuine, a person who’s not ashamed of having emotions, who’s not ashamed to cry, to be angry, to be unapologetically himself, even if people laugh at him for being like that. He’s kind to a fault but that’s even more reason for you to stay by his side; you’ll make sure that no one can break his fragile heart, you’ll make sure he’s the happiest himbo in the whole wide world.

“I can hear the wedding bells!” Your boss teases with a smile, but you can’t even get mad at her.

“Me too, boss, me too.”

The silence speaks volumes.

… Next Chapter!

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

TL: @porusuniverse @sixxze @unofficialmuilover @cheesenmax @readingfan @sammmm29 @pwinglez1 @happydragonfrog @magicalhandsherringclam @lovingnightharmony @theequeenofcurses @kirishima-eijirock @nerinefy @selfindulgenthoe @fierysplash213 @woofwoofwolf @touyasprettydoll @confused-smol-fan @themultifandomgirl @dark-witch-bitch @lotusstarr

[solaneceae]

blind devotion

a team bolas oneshot. codebreakers-centric (philza and étoiles) (read on ao3) found family, ambiguous relationships, fluff @apthotiosis tagging u because codebreakers heehee

“They’re not crow wings,” Jaiden remarks, tracing the sharp edges of the long feathers meant to catch on updrafts. “They’re too big. And you got extra bones and joints going on.” Phil hums, a hesitant eeeeeh with a twist of his hand. “There’s some crow in there. But most of it is actually—”

“Elytra!” Baghera quacks, awe lacing her voice as she croons over the white diamonds that appear beneath the grime and dust she’s cleaning out. “You’re part Elytrian, Philza?”

“Not exactly,” he laughs, pointing at the very human features on the rest of his body. “I’m not actually a hybrid. Not like Jaiden, or even like you. Those wings were a gift.”

Étoiles perks up. “From Kristin, yes?” he nails down, perceptive as ever. The rest of the flock oooohs, a little chorus of yes, of course, makes sense. “I like your wife, Phil,” the duck smiles, brushing out a crooked feather. She remembers the Goddess’s voice, soft and warm as late spring’s sunlight, pouring out of Phil’s mouth as she borrowed his body to greet them. “She’s so nice.”

“She’s awesome,” Étoiles nods, unseeing eyes reflecting invisible stars. He cannot see anymore, he’s told them, but he still fights like he can, somehow. “I see her, sometimes, when I don’t have enough sugar and I almost die. She tells me to take better care of myself, but I’m dumb and shit so it keeps happening.”

“T’es con,” Baghera chastises him, slapping the back of his head, and Philza snorts at their antics. He’s so glad Étoiles joined them, the memory of his expectant frame almost vibrating out of itself when the old crow-not-quite-a-crow approached him at Global, just the day before. The words had barely left his mouth and the warrior had dropped to his knees before him, like a worshipper before his deity made man. I am your arm, your sword, Étoiles had said to him once, long ago. Felt like long ago. Just tell me where to hit.

A wave of fond-flock-yesyes, the Angel of Death pulls Étoiles forward to shelter him within his wings. “Aaah, Philza, Phil,” Étoiles laughs as his friend pecks at his hair, crooning incessantly. “The goat, oh, he’s moving so good! So good aim!”

“No mames.”

“No maaaaames man.”

“Shut up dude,” Phil wheezes, a huge smile on his face as he runs his talons through the frenchman’s tangled, white-faded locks. Yesyes. “I’m having a moment.”

“Oh? He has a moment, okay. I fuck myself, I don’t move, I get it.”

“Oh my god, stop.”

“I want to see you fly,” Étoiles says, quieter. Almost a whisper, that has everyone tilt their head in focus. “I didn’t see you fly, that’s bullshit. It must be beautiful, to see.”

Phil flashes him a wry grin. “Maybe. They’re pretty fragile, still. I don’t want to fuck them up all over again. Pretty sure the Feds will just clip them once we get back anyway, so.”

“Fuck them!” Baghera screeches indignantly. “Not letting that happen. I kill them first.”

“It’s fine. Just gotta enjoy ‘em while I got ‘em.”

Étoiles pouts at that, mumbles something in rapid-fire French that sounds rude. Phil hums and cups his face with a low trill, talons rapping on the space between his skull and neck, feather-soft. His friend blinks, cloudy silver. “What do I look like to you?” Phil asks, feathers ruffling as he spreads his wings wide, his fellow avians shifting to avoid being smacked by them.

Étoiles smiles, all teeth and greenish gums. “Like home,” he says, and it’s such a silly yet earnest answer that Phil could kiss him into silence. Mine, his hindbrain thrums, fierce possessiveness curling around his heart, and Étoiles laughs, that airy, high-pitched wheeze of his, because he’s making bird noises again. “And he says, he says he’s no hybrid, this man?” he mocks, tackling Philza to the cold floor of their cave to wrestle him into submission. “He’s a liar! Lies! You know who you are, Felipe Minecraft! Embrace it!”

“I am- fuck, get off,” Philza growls, play? play? Swoops Étoiles’ legs from under him to pin him down and they’re both laughing, batting at each other’s faces, talons carefully curled inward to not slice at dark green skin. Baghera and Jaiden cheer them on from the sidelines, loose feathers flying here and there, a viney tail wrapping itself around his leg as they roll and swipe and snap their teeth at each other’s necks, play, play! 

Étoiles loses at some point, freezes when sharp claws brush against his jugular. “Oh, he’s too good,” he smiles, tired and fond. “He’s good, and I’m shit. GGs.”

“Don’t say that,” Phil rolls his eyes, but doesn’t draw away. Étoiles’ eyes are squinted in twin crescent moons, and he doesn’t know if he wants to pluck them out to wear like jewellery or forget himself in them. “You. Are the best,” he chirps, pressing his forehead against the other man’s, flock, mine. hello. “I chose you. And I only choose the best for my family.”

“That’s us,” Baghera gasps — she and Jaiden have taken to preening each other instead, her bill ruffling through dark blue and green to dislodge specks of dried blood and sand out of her flockmate’s wings. “Bolas family, yes!”

“You picked Roier first,” the warrior whines, hands pawing at Phil’s chest, not quite pushing him away. “You like him better, no? He’s better, stronger. I don’t blame you.”

“Cellbit wanted him. I wanted to make him happy.”

“Oh, he is,” Jaiden huffs. “They’ve been snogging in the nest all evening. It’s cute and all, but I can only take so much kissing noises until I gotta vomit.”

“Hater!” her sister teases, bonking her bill against her cheek. “You’re just a little hater, let them be gay and happy.”

“They can be gay and happy and not slobber over each other.”

“I kinda like it,” Slime pipes up from his hole in the ground. Jaiden quirks an eyebrow at him. “...You need to get over Cellbit, dude.”

“Whaaaaat? You’re talkin’ nonsense. Put your mask back on, the fumes got to you.”

“Don’t you have Mariana anyway?”

“I don’t see your point.”

“Roier is Roier,” Phil cuts them off, catching Étoiles’ wrists to push them down against the stone. Mine. “You’re you. Cellbit wanted him, I wanted you. Simple.”

“Yeah?”

“Uh-huh.” A croon, their noses brush together. Jaiden makes a gagging sound, which makes Baghera cackle. What am I doing? “Phil?” He blinks. His friend is looking up at him, eyes crinkled up in amusement, fang poking out from beneath his upper lip. “I’m already yours. You don’t need to go all birdbrain on me.”

“Sorry.”

“Nah. Don’t be sorry, be the GOAT that you are.” Étoiles pushes himself up, and Philza lets him. He tilts his head to the side, like he always does whenever he’s mapping out his surroundings. “Phil, Phil,” he nudges at the crow’s shoulder, vine-tail thumping against the ground in renewed vigot. “PvP check, yes? Sticks?”

“Bruh.”

“Come oooon.”

“We’re actually ahead today, let’s not die and mess it up.”

“Rhoooooo…”

[sneevl13t]

dropping this because i dont want to lose my original work, will edit with every microsoft word page i exceed

02/01 UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE IT IS DUE IN 5TH OF JANUARY BUT I DONT WANT TO COMPELTE IT UH OH!!!

Will the world ever wonder, what comes after death?

Will it be dark, or would I be greeted with the gates of paradise?

Will I be lonely, or will you be there with me?

“Telos!” The voice of a young girl, oh so familiar to the ears of the world, echoed through the meadows. Despite his peace being interrupted, Telos looked back to see Arche running towards him without a care in the world. Within seconds, she crashed onto him, her long, curly blonde hair waving freely in the breeze of the wind. The two kids laughed at the simplicity of the moment, the rays coming from the sunset glistening upon their skin.

After a while, they finally get back on their feet. Arche was huffing due to how fast she ran towards him, a drop of sweat coming down from her forehead to her cheek, eventually dropping down to the ground. “You’re far too energetic for your own good.” Telos spoke with a faux frown on his face, ruffling up Arche’s hair before he went back to admiring the sunset.

Arche, naïve as ever, could only giggle at him. However, his focus on the sunset caught her eye. Why is he so focused on the sunset? The thoughts swirled in her mind as she admired him, almost as much as he admired the sunet.

How does he remain calm in every situation: no matter how big or small?

How does he get blessed for his beauty: his flowy brown hair and iridescent blue eyes?

How does he never see her: was she always his second choice?

The thoughts linger on Arche’s mind for far too long, and her focus was eventually taken away from her best friend. The bellflowers that decorates the meadow lays still, indicating the wind had halted its breeze. “Telos,” She spoke softly, trying to gain his attention. “If we get separated in the future, would you remember me after a century?”

“Are you dumb? I’d be dead by then. Of course I wouldn’t remember you.” Telos replied half-heartedly, even snorting at the supposedly ‘dumb’ question.

Arche felt a flare of disappointment and bitterness in her heart, but she kept her persistence, demanding an answer from Telos. “Come on! Have some creativity for once. You’re always so technical and factual…” There was a clear giveaway of her distress, one of which was the way her eyebrows furrowed and her soft cheeks puffing up.

“Fine,” Telos sighed in annoyance, leaning just a tad bit closer to the younger kid next to him, wrapping an arm around Arche’s shoulder.

“Let’s just say… I would still remember you after a century.” Telos spoke softly, making sure that Arche kept her eyes on him to know that he truly did mean it. “You mean a lot to me, Arche, even if I don’t show it.” He continued, ignoring the distant cries of the meadowlarks which had descended upon their ceremonial meeting place. “And I do realie that this is a serious moment, but I would like to add that the question is still dumb because I know that you know that this will be my answer.”

Upon finishing his words, Telos soon earned a smack in the face from Arche, and the laughter began once more when he saw how bummed she looked. “Hey, it’s the truth! Come on, you know I’m right!” Telos said amidst his laughter, patting Arche’s back as he does so.

Seeing how Arche was still pouting, almost like a petulant toddler, Telos rolled his eyes before dragging her up from the fallen tree log, holding her close so that she remains stable in the sudden change from sitting to standing. “Do you want to go back now? It’s starting to get dark, and I know that you’re a scaredy cat.” Telos teased her, receiving a grumpy grumble in return. He couldn’t help but smile at her act, already walking back to their village.

As the pair made their short way back to home, the darkness of the night slowly engulfing the previous sunset colouring. The squawking of birds, big and small, had begun once more. The magenta bellflowers, which was already beautiful in the sunlight, had somehow glows much more in the moonlight.

[lacrimosathedark]

Fuck it. I drew Hellaverse ocs for each "species". Might as well share em.

Standard Imp to start.

The horns are supposed to look kinda funny. The thicker stripes are splotchy cuz they're painted to be thicker, since females have thin stripes and males have thick stripes. Gender-affirming cosmetics. Nonbinary, so one of each!

Hellhound

Dalmatian because I was obsessed with dalmatians as a kid. Also very covered in spots lol. Outfit is very basic, basically Rantaro Amami.

Succubus

tbh very Conner Kent inspired because Conner gives me gender envy. That arm band is supposed to have the ace flag on it. I imagine the back of the jacket has stupid stitched print that's like "can't touch this" or something dumb like that lol. Collar bone piercings too cuz I used to think those were really cool for some reason. Top surgery scars because FUCK YEAH

"Loan Shark", or those sharky demons from Greed

I just threw shit at the wall on this one honestly. I love bone motifs but all the sharks have weird body types and it took forever to decide on a shape let alone an outfit that didn't look like a goth hipster. I love the braid though. When I was little my mom always braided my hair before I went swimming so it wouldn't tangle. And it looks like a fishy tail!

"Baphomet", or those goaty fiery Sloth demons

The only really fem one and also fucking gothic lolita because I'm a sucker for that shit, but the idea literally came from they have candle heads -> Litwick looks like emo hair.

They also look vaguely librarian-y don't they?

"Possessor", or those fishy demons from Envy like Glitz and Glam

I thought the "fishnet" thing was funny, sue me. Gave very shy vibes to me for some reason so...yeah

"Goetia", or whatever the fuck bird demons

YES IT'S A ROBIN SHUSH

Finally, Sinner

I didn't realize until after I drew it that it was basically the same concept as Husk (winged cat with heart motif). Oh well, Husk is my favorite after Lucifer so maybe it was subconscious.

They're a cheetah, for a lot of reasons. One, another animal I was obsessed with as a kid. They are also a big cat with a lot of domestic cat traits. They can't roar. They chirp. And they can purr. They are shy and quick to flee, known most for their speed. But they are also a wildcat so they could just as easily rip your throat out as run away. This dichotomy feels unpredictable and chaotic which, me.

The spots fit me in part because I'm covered in spots--acne scars, unhealed bug bites, benign moles, all over. I scar real easy. And their natural tear track marks felt fitting because, well, I'm kind of a crybaby. And it's actually the meaning of my username. Lacrimosa means weeping or tearful.

The wings are another avenue to flee, which is really the focus of the design, but it's also thin and bony because I like bone motifs and I thought it would suit them to look weaker.

The outfit is really I just like really big hoodies and I've found when I wear my most comfy shorts, it looks like I'm just wearing a hoodie. So they are wearing pants, the hoodie is just super big with fun floppy sleeves.

[vexic929]

1, 5, 7, 11, 14 for any characters <3

#7 “I’m less scared of the monsters and more scared that there’s a killer on the loose.” “That’s just a rumor, relax.” from this prompt list info on Ricki, Jessie, and Tiff here, here, and here

OCs are mine but based on Titans characters

Tiffany shifted her weight, bo-staff twirling idly in her hands as she crouched above a pop-up Halloween store in a dark Gotham alley, waiting for any sign of trouble. She tensed slightly as a group of teenagers wearing newly purchased Halloween masks exited the building and heard Jessie laugh at her through her comms.

"What's the matter? Scared of some cheesy ghouls?" Jessie teased.

"I'm less scared of the monsters and more scared that there's a killer on the loose." Tiff muttered, relaxing and shifting her weight again.

"That's just a rumor, relax, Baby Bird." Ricki's voice rattled through the speakers. "Besides, we've handled much worse than a deranged murderer."

"I'm not scared for me. Those rumors are spreading underground; even the big names are getting antsy about this guy." Tiff insisted.

"We're not here about this supposed killer, can we focus?" Jessie drawled. "If intel is good we've got about two minutes til the pickup."

The trio of heroes watched silently as a van pulled into the alley, its headlights flickering briefly in the darkness. Tiff grit her teeth as she strained to listen to the conversation as a man exited and spoke to the owner of the shop but she couldn't make out anything. She glanced up to see Ricki silently dropping down behind the van, escrima sticks drawn, before disappearing behind a stack of crates. The owner signed something and the man made his way to the back of the truck out of Tiff's sight. Jessie signaled from across the alley and Tiff jumped down, choking the shop owner out with her staff. She heard a shuffle and a thud from behind the van and assumed Ricki had dispatched the driver.

"Alright, let's see what we're dealing with." Jessie said, her voice distorted through the Red Hood mask as she joined the other two on the ground and tugged the van doors wide open. She gave a low whistle. "I know it's almost Halloween but this shit looks a bit too familiar for comfort."

Tiff walked over to peer in as well. "Did they really think they'd get away with selling actual Joker bombs?"

Jessie snorted. "Dumbasses would've probably just blown up their shop before they managed to sell anyway. C'mon, we've got a lot of shit to move."

Ricki dangled the keys from her pointer finger. "Easier to move it in the truck it came in. I'll be back, don't get killed by the spooky killer." She teased.

"Hey- don't joke about that!" Tiff protested. "We actually could if we're not careful-"

"Oh my god, it's me you dumb fucks." Jessie said, exasperated. "I'm the killer, I started those rumors."

"What the hell?!" Tiff demanded. "Why?"

"Yeah, why?" Ricki echoed. "You don't need to start rumors, you literally made a name for yourself in the underworld by lugging around severed heads."

"What- you said that was a joke!" Tiff protested as Jessie shrugged and answered.

"For shits and giggles. Now let's get this stuff out of here before these idiots wake up."

"You said it was a joke!"

[artaxlivs]

Even Flowers Have Their Dangers - CH 2 excerpt

It’s Friday. The last Friday before spring break. Lucas Sinclair has decided that being a jock is more important than D&D and Eddie is pissed off about it. The little ingrate. Eddie takes him in, makes him part of his weird little band of freaks and what does Sinclair do? Joins the basketball team and then blows off D&D to throw a ball into a fucking laundry basket.

He sends the other brats to get him a new player while he heads out to his picnic bench to set up his weekend deals.

Strider is there already. Eddie tries not to bring his irritation to the table but it’s hard. He fucking hates being abandoned. He’s got issues with that, okay? And he doesn’t deal well with changes that he doesn’t make himself. Sue him.

The wolf seems very concerned with his mood, nosing his hands and herding him to the table to jump up on the bench and nuzzle against Eddie’s neck. He doesn’t even try to hold onto the anger, just lets the damn wolf cuddle it away. Before long, he’s laughing at the wet muzzle and repeated huffs into his throat.

“Awww, that’s so cute.” A soft feminine voice says.

Eddie looks up as Strider turns his head toward her, leaping over the table to sniff at the girls bare legs. She stiffens up in obvious fear but Strider is already rubbing his soft fur against her.

Needlessly, Eddie tells her, “There’s nothing to worry about, ok?”

She’s adorable, small, delicate like a bird. Her legs have to be freezing in that dumb skirt. She’s got a letter sweater pulled around her. It’s too big, pooling at her wrists. Like she’s trying to hide herself away in it. He knows who she is. It’s not that big of a school. Not that big of a town honestly. But he knows it’ll freak her out if she’s trying to stay anonymous so he keeps it to himself.

“No one ever comes out here. We’re safe. I promise.” Eddie assures her, sitting on the bench and waving her over. Strider comes with her. He seems very concerned.

“Is this your dog?” She giggles as she pets under his chin.

“Um, no. Pretty sure it’s the other way around. He thinks me and a few others are his people.” Strider does that chuff thing that sounds like a laugh. A chortle. Chrissy giggles again.

Turning back to him but keeping one arm around Strider who seems determined to keep her warm and safe, she says, completely without guile, “So, how does this work?”

He grins, spreading his hands like nothing to see here, “Like any other sale. Except - cash only,” Eddie smirks, “and uh, for obvious reasons, no receipts.” Inclining his head gallantly, he flips open his ancient lunchbox, “I’ll do you a half ounce for…what do you say…20. Plenty of bang for your buck. Should last a while.”

Her eyes have lost focus and she’s staring over his shoulder, Eddie looks back but there’s nothing there. Strider whines, noses at Chrissy’s shoulder. Her hand lays flat on his back, no longer stroking his soft fur. Eddie touches her hand and she flinches back, almost falling off of the bench.

Putting his hands up, Eddie says, “Hey - we don’t need to do this. Just give me the word and I’ll walk away.”

“It’s not that. I don’t want you to go.” Her arms close around the wolf and she buries her face in his neck, breathing deeply, when she looks up at Eddie, her face is calm again. It’s a forced cute this time, though. Like she’s made this face a thousand times because it’s the face everyone expects to see. “Do you ever feel like you’re losing your mind?”

Read the Chapter One and Two on Ao3

[littlealeta]

Umma Movie Review

Amish, homeschooling, Growing up in a PTSD environment, Generational Trauma in a horror genre, Parent trying to take over another parent, Umma had all the ingredients to be a neat horror film, but instead is mostly just a generic ghost story.

The film is hardly scary or even creepy as there wasn't a lot of tension or buildup to the jumpscares or suspense. You can easily predict when a jumpscare is about to pop up.

The only time the film got kinda interesting and a bit close to my Aleta Rewrites version is during the third act, but even it doesn't have much payoff as there isn't much progression with the characters and the conflict is resolved anticlimatically.

Amanda/Soo-Yun is your classic horror movie protagonist, a character who makes dumb decisions/let things happen in order to advance the plot. The entire time, I was yelling at her to get rid of the chest, which she doesn't do until toward the end. It wouldn't have changed the movie, but it still doesn't make sense that she would keep Umma's urn in the house knowing what it would do. The only thing she has going is the cute relationship with her daughter, which is a nice change from modern mother-daughter relationships.

Chris is a very weird character. I find it hard to believe that she is currently 17-18 years old and has no reservations about the fact that she's friendless, homeschooled, and is living a completely different life from others her age. Going to college seems to be the first step towards becoming independent, right down to the argument she has with her mom near the third act. Which felt quite forced considering that in the beginning, her and her mom have a Gilmore Girls type relationship and then all of a sudden, it just turns into Lady Bird because she doesn't believe Soo-Yun that spirits are inhabiting their house. Apparently, it was supposed to represent the loss of trust in them, but the reason it happened had little to do with trust and more to do with the fact that for some reason, she doesn't believe her mom, even if she knew she was initially lying to her about Umma's spirit being in the house.

Umma herself has a backstory that is clearly not meant to make her more sympathetic, but it still felt pointless and generic and didn't explain well how it connects to her abusive treatment of her daughter.

I give Umma 3.1 bells out of 10.

In an Aleta Rewrites story, I would focus more on the conflict of Umma trying to possess Amanda/Soo-Yun in order to parent and be closer to her granddaughter, Chris. She also wants to be close to her daughter, Soo-Yun, so her spirit forces her to hang out with her while also abusing her. She is bitter that her daughter left her and is angrier than ever. Umma also wants to help influence her granddaughter to get out in the world more, which makes Chris rebel against Amanda even more.

Amanda starts to learn from Umma to stop projecting her trauma onto Chris, that doesn't excuse Umma's treatment of Amanda at all, but still.

Umma's backstory would be changed into being that she was abusing Amanda for misbehaving. Maybe this is what Umma got from her own mother.

I would also make Chris younger. Instead of near college, maybe she's around middle school age (11-13), the age where she starts questioning her mom and the life that she's lived. She begins to rebel: Sneaking out, stealing, shoplifting, talking back to her mom, peer pressure, maybe making some bad friends, trying to fit in etc.. It's the kind of movie that can have a typical coming of age subplot, but being coaxed into rebelling by her grandmother's spirit. This is eventually what leads to a big argument near the third act where Amanda has enough of Chris's behaviors and slaps/grounds her.

The film should've been set during a time when mental health and therapy wasn't easily accessible or talked about, but technology was still starting to consume our lives so maybe the 2000s or early 2010s.

[forthoseinterested]

I don’t like Zelda games. They’re boring. That’s my video game opinion. I always loved Mario games, and I feel like those are the two big franchises Nintendo does. They often get praised together, and a lot of the people who love one will also love the other. But the experience they offer is so different psychologically, and I can boil it down to this question: “Wait, what am I doing again?” If I have to ask myself that question, it’s a bad sign. I shouldn’t need direction. It should be obvious what my goal is, where I’m supposed to go.

In Mario? You go right. Well, most of the time you go right. Every now and then, there might be a level where you go up, or something, but Mario games are a master class in level design and teaching through demonstration, so you never really feel lost (unless it’s a ghost house and the game is trying to make you feel lost for a minute, which it also executes perfectly). In the 3d Mario games, there’s always some kind of obvious “go fight the big thing up on this pyramid or something” with obvious visual cues about the path to get there.

In Zelda? I’ve tried playing numerous Zelda games and I just end up in a field or a city or something and have to walk around in a circle trying to remember what the goal is. You talk to a tree, it’s like “go find the doodad” and then hopefully you remember what that is and where.

Another big difference is the actual gameplay. Mario is inherently fun because you’re jumping around. Most of the gameplay isn’t combat, it’s “get up to that platform up there”, which is awesome. Zelda, meanwhile, literally can’t even jump, he just walks around. There’s combat, but it’s fuckin’ lame. All you do is focus an enemy and press A to swing your sword, basically. It’s not fun, it’s not interesting, enemies are just obstacles you have to sword-swing at to get by.

You also have to spend more time talking to NPCs, which is dumb and boring. Mario has a little bit of NPC talk, but noticeably less, which is good because NPCs talking is boring (in a game where the NPCs don’t actually have voices and it’s just a text bubble you read).

Let me think about the specific Zelda games I tried...

When I was younger, I played Ocarina of Time (it took me a while to get out of this big tree-maze in the start because there’s a trick to breaking this web that nothing explains) until I went through the valley and got to a big empty field and the you go into a town and then... I remember just kind of not knowing what to do, so eventually I got bored and just went to do something else.

I remember playing Link to the Past, the SNES game? I ended up getting through one of the big dungeons, to get one of the, I don’t remember what it was called, ancient beads or something (you needed to get 3 to do something at the castle), and it took forever, and then I went to the second dungeon, and it was going to be the whole thing all over again, walking around a dungeon, pressing your sword button to sword some baddies, and by that point I was so bored that I just stopped playing.

I played Windwaker for a while, and I remember spending forever getting through this big dungeon-esque prison-island thing, where you’re trying to rescue the pirate girl? I remember it being boring as shit, because you just had to walk around in a big circle so much, and you had to sneak past these guards, and if they grabbed you then you had to start over in this big circle maze thing. Ugh. Then you leave there and go help some bird-people sort their mail and bomb open a rock, and then you kill a big worm-boss thing, and then, uh, you go to this other island or something, and—eh, my memory gives out around here. It was just so boring, and you have to spend all that time literally sailing around a pointless empty ocean.

I tried playing Twilight Princess at some point on my partner's Wii U, and I kid you not, I gave up because I couldn’t figure out how to get out of the very first area of the game when you’re on the horse. I walked in a circle for like 10 minutes, nobody to talk to, nowhere to go. How is the direction in these games so bad that I was literally stuck before even doing anything? I got bored and just said yeah, this one ain’t it.

Then I tried playing Breath of the Wild, and—oh, great, they made these games even more ‘open’ than before, meaning there’s less direction. What happened? The game tells you to go to a village, and then you talk to a person about finding the ancient beasts or something. I almost gave up because this lady in a house on a hill tells me to bring her a torch for some reason, and I spent like 15 minutes walking around not being able to find one. Why did I even have to do this? Eventually I find and kill a big elephant-statue thing, and then I encountered the fish-people kingdom, and... that’s about all I remember, it was so boring and I was basically just wandering around a big map with no real purpose in mind, so at some point I just stopped going back to the game because it wasn’t interesting enough to go back to.

The next year, I went back and played Windwaker all the way to the end, just so I could say that I’ve beaten at least one Zelda game. I don’t exactly regret playing it, and to be fair, it got less boring the longer it went on, because you unlocked more things. They gave you a boomerang, and a bow, and a grapple-hook thingy, and the more items you got, the less straightforward the dungeons became. But overall, it wasn’t that interesting, and why did it take the entire game to ramp up in complexity like that?

What some people say they like about Zelda games is the dungeons and puzzles and stuff. And that in my opinion is some bullshit. These dungeons are not good. These “puzzles” are not good. What these games do is give you a new item, like “ok, you now have a thingy that freezes water”, and then you’re put in a room where “oh look, in order to open the door, you have to use that item we just gave you. How will you figure that out??” The only times I’d get “stuck” is when something was really unclear.

For example, in BotW, in the big elephant-thing, I didn’t realize you could move the stupid thing’s trunk around by opening the map. But how is that fun? It just means I wasted 20 minutes kind of wandering around clicking on everything until at some point I moved the trunk and was like “ohhh”, and then as soon as I did that the rest was obvious. There was no real thinking, there was no “figuring it out”, it was just opaque because there was no real reason I would’ve tried doing that.

So the story direction (walking through from point A to point B to point C) is lame, the combat is lame, the dungeons and puzzles are lame, and Zelda isn’t even a fun character to play as. What about these games is fun for anybody? Is it just the fact they filled a sort of creative niche as being the medieval-guy-with-sword adventure games on the most popular console made by the company you already know? I don’t get it. I guess after some point they just became nostalgia, but still.

[the-firebird69]

It takes care and diligence and intelligence spontaneity and realistic acting to handle this person he is a giant and he is a stunted one but he's a giant and Ricky schroder is not cutting the mustard in any way he is absolute failure on screen and off he's the worst actor in history the movies with him in it like the guardians of the Galaxy are near failures because of him nobody wants to see him dancing around taunting people getting people angry like a little child on the schoolyard and getting his ass beat in there's no such thing in this world is what he's doing what he did to my grand nephew is despicable it's well passed with the foreigners wanted no it's the past it though it's it's obscene and one at this point he can't even get a job because you're so freaking obnoxiously stupid and you're fired by the way John remillard fired you're not going to make it I'm going to pull your card until you're done. He's going to compile a list of restaurants and he's got all the other facilities that he worked on and types of stuff is very lots of its military and they're probably present the bill to the people that were holding it off him for the design because you used it too and you're the idiots who have to pay for it and then they're going to go to town till taking all your stuff you stupid swine city is going to do it anyways recently they said they're going to do it too but he's the one who can make a list send it over and then you going to panic and other people can make that list and imitate them then you're going to fight everyone cuz you're a piece of s***. I've seen people go to town on people but really what you did to him is pitiful you're a disgrace you think you some sort of bird of paradise in a cage you're so dumb it's doing it for his own purposes and if he looks poor it's easier a lot easier he says for Christ's sake though he won't let him have the mattress you're you're a prick and your people have proven yourself to be people who are not worth keeping. Today we're firing 300 more sheriffs out of the 400 left I'm sick of you we're firing you from the put the Gorda PD too you're not police and all the agencies actually we're going to go ahead and do that probably left sheriff cuz you're such an assholes you're so stupid you have the whole world in your blood because you're a jerk. Hey you could have probably taken them at that point but you suck and sent us down we're taking you out right doing that you wouldn't have known you're a big prick. To make you very very happy we're going to make sure you can't get your trial so they write it up they didn't show up and they open up a criminal trial matter of fact I think you're late already you only have 15 minute grace period yeah we know what time it is it's getting so you can't get there in time. We're also going to open a whole bunch of other suits on you and we're going to have you brought for criminal trial as Trump and we're going to start getting all that going you need to get out of there you're a piece of crap and everyone's killing your people. This afternoon there's a field day on trumpsters they saw you and Tommy have fighting and social security in the middle and your idiot kid in the middle it's ridiculous the numbers of death of yours are staggering what is it like 9% of the global populace and it's dropped to about 7% almost and that's ridiculous just sitting around getting killed cuz you're stupid it's going faster and faster you're going to try and rebuild your forces at eight points they're going to die you ain't going nowhere no way not with this attitude I can't believe you did all that stuff to him cuz out of your mouth it's coming out and we're going to go over it and everybody who's involved I want you in we have a grand meeting and talk about this assholes roll and thwarting our plan with guards to our friend here and focus on that you're going to see how big it was with him doing that at least to everything else and I thank you my nephew for doing this work he says once you get me the money I'll feel fine and I'm just kidding

Mac daddy

[daydream-corpse]

*slams fist on table* Corporate hcs part 3!!

When they work together on the same project, the quality of the final result either skyrocket or they just straight up cancel each other intellect and end up verbally sparring for an hour ; its basically like trying to make two opposite magnet touch each other : you can, but its a hassle for everyone involved.

As time passes, and as they end up knowing each other more and more they learn to work together for any project that really need it but they also very much need their space and the best way for them to work efficiently is to annotate the project with commentaries and other post-it, otherwise they get snappy at each other.

Something that Mandark also learns as he stumbles along his relationship with Dexter is to let go and that he can not controls everyone around him. Sometimes you gotta agree to disagree (either its about robot design or string theory) and have to let go. The last one is especially true since Dexter works part-time for the hero agency and Mandark sometimes see him go on missions of various dangerosity and he eventually loses an arm during a battle. Mandark doesn't get it and even get angry, at dexter, at all the other heroes, at everyone else, because he doesn't understand why would Dexter sacrifice so much for people that he considers beneath them intellectually wise and who at the end of the day don't even really recognise Dexter. But he learns. (-that this is out of some misplaced heroism, altruism and also a bit of adrenaline rush)

Additionally, they both work out how to show their affection to each other. Dexter is not really good at public display of affection however Mandark is pretty big on verbal and physical affection and love to offers big gifts ; after all, he often boasts about his possessions/accomplishment/whatever helps him sleep at night and his boyfriend is not immune to the same treatment (hey, he is dating the second smartest man alive, life is great). As they're not the most emotionally intelligent people, it takes time to understand each other boundaries.

This end up with a lot of late night movie or just reading in each other's company accompanied by light banter. Also a few restaurant dates.

Dexter's guilty pleasure are dumb serie Z movies.

To Mandark's chagrin, he can't help himself but sometimes use the same lingo as his parents.

Dexter is a tad shorter than Mandark but thanks to the extra 5 centimeters his boots provide he can be taller than him. Mandark is that close to make a growth serum just out of pettiness.

Mandark owns a couple of mandarin birds and enjoys feathery orbs in general. He is even considering making himself a little dinosaur pet. Dexter doesn't care much for animals but at least he doesn't experiment on them anymore.

Mandark tried to turn hismelf into a vampire as a teen, cue very pointy teeth.

Dexter's work into the hero agency consist on insuring the security of the various headquarters as well as providing support on field mission. He also build various mechs for exploration or battles.

Once he ended up as a hostage to some hectic villains. These guys do not know how close they were to be swarmed by Mandark's robots, double agent role be damned.

As years pass by, Dexter grows less interested in weapons and focus more on household items and other city contraception. He racks up a few prizes during his lifetime.

Time travel is one of his big pet project. In fact, he does construct a working time travel machine and end up as a time criminal along the way.

As for Mandark, well sometimes love is pretending that your boyfriend is not up to some super villain shenanigans when you're busy fixing the super computer of your house.

[christinesficrecs]

hi chrissss, i need your help! i am desperate need of fics w alive hale family! xoxo

Mother’s Day is a great day to talk about Talia Hale! 🌺  Also, seriously, when do I ever rec just a few fics and move on. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Marking Against Instinct by fullmoontonightt | 44.6K | Mature

The guy in front of him is looking around the shop with interest, letting his eyes scan over the flash art on the walls. He's beautiful and Derek's wolf purrs in his chest, wanting to get closer. He frowns when he realizes the guy is human.

Derek faces him, eyes serious. “You know this is a wolves only shop right?”

Alpha Derek Hale has had his wolves only tattoo shop for years. Before Stiles Stilinksi walked in, asking him for help with a tattoo, he'd never thought about how a single tattoo could change his life.

Why don't you say so? | 8K 

Talia Hale has a plan. Derek will go to the Winter Formal and he will ask the Stilinski boy to dance, and they will finally get their heads out of their asses and her son will stop moping around the house in his underwear.

Spoiler: Derek doesn't ask Stiles to dance.

Don’t know how to reach you when you get like this (waiting for you to come home) by dearericbittle (dutchmoxie) | 21.3K

Senator Talia Hale is going to be the first werewolf president. She is also his mother’s best friend, who’s in desperate need of a friendly mage to help her break the curse on her children. Stiles likes a challenge - and the free vacation in DC for his parents.

Lemon & Ginger by kaistrex (weishen) | 2.5K

A new tea shop has opened in Beacon Hills, and Laura drags Derek along so he can try the incredible, memory-evoking drinks for himself. He’s soon going back for more, but is it because of the tea, or the owner?

Accidentally in Love by Scruffy_Wolf | 9.3K | Mature

Derek has spent his summer vacation crushing on the Sheriff's son Stiles Stilinski, mostly from afar, but then when school starts suddenly Stiles is sitting next to him in Chemistry and inviting him around to his place after school.

Derek's not sure what gives but he's certain that Laura's behind it.

The Bargain by dr_girlfriend | 9.7K

Time drags on, and it becomes apparent that this is not a part of the tradition. The wolves start to shift on their feet and murmur, but no one attempts to speak to Stiles. He stands, feeling the back of his neck growing red from the sun and his face growing red from embarrassment.

What will happen if Derek Hale cannot be coerced to the altar? Will the bargain be revoked?

The Key by aussiebee | 7.4K

Eligible bachelor Derek Hale has announced that whomever can take the key from around his dog's neck will be the person he marries. Stiles Stilinski think this is utterly ridiculous.

Meet Your Mark by SylvieW | 24K

Stiles was born with his mark on his chest. He didn’t worry too much about meeting his soulmate, until he got pulled into the principal’s office to determine if his soulmate was part of the werewolf pack that lived outside of town.

After a rocky start, Stiles has to get to know his soulmate, and decide between the life he’s known and a life with Derek.

Wanna Bet? by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella) | 1.7K

“This book is dumb,” Jackson proclaimed, tossing it aside and grabbing for another one.

“Just because the words are too big for you to understand doesn’t mean it’s dumb,” Stiles informed him.

Scott and Isaac snorted. Jackson flipped him off. Boyd just let out an aggrieved sigh, like this was the worst thing he’d ever had to endure in his life.

So Shed Your Skin and Lets Get Started by halfhardtorock | 21.8K | Explicit

He's sixteen and in the woods on the wrong side of the town-line and he's so fucking fucked.

He knows he's not supposed to run, they teach that to you in preschool (don't run from a Were, back away slowly and walk with care), but they never told you how it would feel, standing alone in the dark with your heart beating in your throat as those glowing eyes tracked you from the shadows.

Bonds of Blood, Bonds of Family, Bonds of Love by TyReed | 44K | Mature

After being beaten up by a door, werewolf Stiles Stilinksi finds himself bonded to Derek Hale, of the Hale Noble Bloodline. For a scrawny, wimpy, Tainted Bloodline werewolf, Stiles runs away, embarrassed and humiliated as he worries about bringing shame to the Hale Family, and even more shame to himself. Because the Nobles and Tainted just don't mix, never have, never will.

Except, things aren't exactly what they seem.

With the help of the (meddling) Hale family, his adoptive (meddling) human parents John and Claudia Stilinksi, and one very persistent Alpha Derek Hale, Stiles might come to see himself as more than just the blood that runs through his veins, and open his heart to find the happiness, friends, pack, and the family that he'd always wanted.

Hale’s Modern Encyclopedia of Playing Cards (and Dating Humans) by thepsychicclam | 49.6K | Mature

Wolves don't date humans. And Derek's okay with that. He's got his Pack, his friends in the Pack network, and lacrosse. Plus, he plays cards with his grandma all the time. Stiles Stilinski definitely doesn't factor into his life - no matter how much of a crush Derek has on him.

But when bird creatures attack Derek, Stiles, and their friends in the Preserve, Stiles finds out about werewolves and things get pretty complicated. For Derek at least. And he thought school was his only problem, but now he's grounded and Stiles is hanging around way too much for Derek to ignore him any longer.

Summer Contest by kits_lightning | 18.8K | Explicit

The moment Derek stepped into the fighting ring and faced Stiles he remembered why he was doing all of this.

The omega gawked at him and barely paid attention to the other competitors Talia was mentioning and Derek smiled at the thought of having all of his attention. Stiles blushed from the tips of his ears to his neck and began to run his fingers through his hair while looking away.

Derek began to wonder how far down that blush traveled when he shook his head and tried to focus on the imminent battle. He caught the last of what his mother was saying. “—have a good fight and good luck.” More clapping and the horn that signaled the beginning of the fight sounded.

Now as Ever (All That Is and Has Been) by venis_envy | 52.2K  | Explicit

Stiles can't remember what happened to rearrange the time-space continuum, or how he ended up being pulled into the past. All he knows is that he's there now, in 2003 Beacon Hills, with a teenage werewolf and a possibly-crazy veterinarian as his only allies.

[robininthelabyrinth]

Prompt~ hoping you'll like it ♥️

Things between the Nie brothers are not always nice and happy, they fight, just like any other pair of brothers, and sometimes things are said, sometimes these things are heavy and painful. Sometimes they're said in the wrong moment (maybe at the eve of a battle? Sunshot campaign?) and huaisang doesn't know what to do with the broken look his brother gives him before leaving the unclean realm. Because what if he doesn't return? What if the last thing he said to him was how much he hated the man he became?

Labyrinth - ao3

“But I didn’t mean to wish him away!” Nie Huaisang cried out.

“That’s really too bad,” the goblin king said, looking pleasant and humble and charming the way he always did, even in his cape of glittering gold and high-browed hat. “I wish there was something I could do for you, but the rules are the rules. You wished him away, and I took him.”

“Aren’t you supposed to only take babies?” Nie Huaisang demanded.

“Your brother’s enough of a crybaby to count, it’s close enough.”

“It is not!” Nie Huaisang wrung his hands. “You don’t understand, the last thing I said to him was that I hated him! Meng Yao, please!”

“It’s Jin Guangyao,” the goblin king corrected. His smile looked a bit strained. “Listen, do you think I’m happy about this? He’s my sworn brother! I’m only doing what I have to –”

“Oh, save it for Lan Xichen,” Nie Huaisang growled. “Show me the labyrinth already.”

“You’re going to face the labyrinth,” the goblin king said. His voice was very polite, and yet still expressed significant doubt. “You.”

“Yeah, me!”

“You remember that it goes ‘through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered’, right? Not ‘through a nice teacher and a forgiving grading system’?”

“Yeah, well, your father is a fragging aardvark. Let me at the labyrinth already!”

-

“You know what,” Nie Huaisang said thoughtfully. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

The life-sized animated puppet blinked at him. “You – don’t want my help?”

“Nope. I’m good.”

“You haven’t even gotten into the labyrinth yet!”

“It wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t have a chance to get in,” Nie Huaisang said, patting around his sleeve and pulling out a fan. “So I’m just going to walk over and beat at the wall till something happens.”

The puppet followed him, staring blankly. Quite a change from his original apologetic ‘I’m sorry, I’m busy with my own things, I really can’t help you, also it’s too dangerous and you shouldn’t go’ response.

“You were blackmailing me to help you just a moment ago,” the puppet said after a little. “Don’t you need a guide?”

“Listen, I’m bad at memorizing things and I’m a little useless, but I’m not actually dumb,” Nie Huaisang said, fanning himself. “Jin Guangyao is a demon of the mind above all else, and the labyrinth is supposed to be ‘fair’ – which means, more than likely, that the labyrinth is a reflection of the subconscious, specially tailored to each person’s strengths and weaknesses. And that means that you, who sound exactly like Lan Xichen, are almost certainly a set-up sent by Jin Guangyao to ‘reluctantly’ aid me and then betray me.”

“Uh,” Lan Xichen-the-puppet said. “My name’s Hoggle, actually.”

“Whatever makes you feel better, er-ge…A-ha!” Nie Huaisang beamed at the gates that automatically opened. “Perfect!”

-

“Oh, don’t go that way,” the worm said. “Never go that way. And are you sure you don’t want to come in for a cup of tea?”

“No time,” Nie Huaisang said. “Thanks a lot – wait.”

The worm blinked at him.

“You’re a pretty attractive worm, in a slimy sort of way,” Nie Huaisang said, frowning at him.

The worm blinked again. “Why, thanks!”

“No, that’s not what I meant. Is your name Su She, by chance?”

“Definitely not!”

“Mm. Oddly vehement of you. Never mind. Just, quick, could you tell me exactly why do I not want to go that way?”

-

“I don’t suppose straight ahead is an option?”

The hands-faces stared at him.

“I’m just saying, I feel like most of my problems so far have come from the fact that I decided to accept the whole concept of turns. It seems like a mistake.”

“…it’s a labyrinth,” another set of the hands said. “You have to make turns!”

Nie Huaisang shook his head mournfully. “I should’ve brought Baxia or something and just – ZIP. Gone straight through. You know what I mean?”

“I’m dropping you in the oubliette regardless of your decision,” the first set of the hands said. It sounded a bit like Sect Leader Yao. “Just so you know.”

“My life is so hard,” Nie Huaisang sighed. “So hard! Do you know what it’s like to be overlooked by everyone? Do you know how hard I have to work at being this useless?”

“Drop him,” the set of hands that sounded like Sect Leader Ouyang said, and the set of hands that sounded like Sect Leader Yao said, “Yes. Now!”

Down Nie Huaisang went.

-

“I can take you back to the beginning of the labyrinth,” Lan Xichen offered.

“What, and waste all that time? I have a time limit, er-ge!”

“It’s better than being stuck in an oubliette. That’s where they put people to forget about them, you know.”

Nie Huaisang’s eyes filled with tears. “You want to forget me, er-ge? You think I’m useless, don’t you? A good-for-nothing, who’ll never amount to anything –”

“Please don’t cry.”

“ER-GE! WHY DON’T YOU LOVE ME!”

“Please stop crying!”

-

“So what’s the point of you?” Nie Huaisang asked the Wise Man with the Talking Hat.

“Not everyone exists to contribute to your storyline,” the Talking Hat snapped at him. “Some of us’ve got our own problems. Now hand over the candy!”

“Don’t be mean,” the Wise Man said. He had a white cloth over his eyes, and was smiling like he found the hat funny.

“Awww, but daozhang…!”

“Different plotline entirely, I guess,” Nie Huaisang decided. “Probably just here as a foil. Shall we keep going, er-ge?”

“I can’t believe you scammed me to get out of the oubliette,” Lan Xichen mumbled. “I can’t believe…”

-

“Oh, leave him alone, he’s just sensitive!” Nie Huaisang snapped.

“Am not!” the upside-down creature snarled, curled up on itself and trying to hide from all those that had been hitting him. Its fur was a vivid sort of purple. “Go away!”

“Don’t you have some sort of special power to help you here,” Nie Huaisang asked him as he tried to get him down before the goblins came back with weapons. “Rocks, maybe?”

“…lightning?”

“Well then get to it, will you?” Nie Huaisang frowned. “Wait. Lightning, constantly being tormented, terrible at communication, and purple? You’re Jiang Cheng, aren’t you?”

“…maybe.”

“Well then get down faster! I need to copy someone’s notes here!”

-

“Leave me aloooooooone!” Nie Huaisang howled, running away from the measuring snake.

-

“Wow,” Lan Xichen said, holding his cheek. “You kissed me.”

“You saved me from the snakes,” Nie Huaisang said. “Can we focus on how we’re in this awful stinking bog?”

“It’s not that bad!” a voice piped up. “I don’t smell anything!”

Nie Huaisang turned to stare, then pinched the bridge of his nose. “Of course you don’t,” he said. “I bet the total absence of a sense of smell helps when you eat spicy food, Wei-xiong.”

“There’s nothing wrong with spicy food!”

“You’re short,” Nie Huaisang informed the small goblin-like creature with the big grin and the red ribbon in its hair. It looked vaguely fox-like, or possibly like certain large breeds of rabbit.

“Why you..!” Wei Wuxian crossed his furry little paws over his chest. “Just for that, I’m not going to help you.”

“Uh-huh,” Nie Huaisang said. “Really. That’s awful…oh no! A dog!”

Wei Wuxian jumped high into the air. “A dog?! Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan! Save me!”

Much to Nie Huaisang’s surprise, a furry dog immediately darted out of nowhere – only Wei Wuxian didn’t seem afraid of it, but rather hid behind it, teeth chattering.

Truly, Nie Huaisang reflected, the eyes of love are blind.

“I think the ‘dog’ is gone now,” he said. “Your brave and noble Lan Wangji must’ve scared him away.”

Wei Wuxian’s head popped out from behind dog-Wangji. “Well, Lan Zhan is really cool…hey. Are you trying to manipulate me?”

“Is it working?”

“No!”

“So you won’t help me?”

“No!”

“Not even if it means you get to figure out a really tricky puzzle?”

“No – wait. A puzzle?”

“I can’t believe this is going to work,” Lan Xichen muttered from behind Nie Huaisang. “I mean, I can. But also…Wangji…I love you, but you could do so much better than this.”

-

“Ugh,” Nie Huaisang said. “I’m so thirsty.”

“Have some Emperor’s Smile,” Lan Xichen said, offering a jar.

“Amazing,” Nie Huaisang said, accepting it and taking a swing. “I had my doubts, you know, but you’re actually good for something after all, er-ge –”

-

The golden bird was Nie Huaisang’s favorite.

He’d worked so hard to bring it back to his aviary – it couldn’t be forced, he knew; it would play along at first but in the end it would turn on you and bite you. It had to be coaxed with gentleness and kindness, approached indirectly so as not to spook it, convince it that you really did mean well – that you were harmless, that it had no reason to fear you. It was arrogant, too, proud of its shining feathers and ashamed of the brown plumage of its chick days, which still remained visible on its tender underbelly. Ironically, that was Nie Huaisang’s favorite part of it, the soft and gentle part; it might not be as pretty as the gold, but it felt more genuine.

Nie Huaisang smiled as he brushed the beautiful feathers, and the golden bird allowed him. He felt cherished, treasured. So what if he had to hide all the sharp parts of himself to get this close?

It was fine. He didn’t like to be sharp.

He wanted to be soft. Soft and gentle, careless and free, relaxed and without effort, good for nothing –

Wait.

No!

-

“It’s all junk,” Nie Huaisang hissed at the pile of burning fans, tears in his eyes. “I want my da-ge!”

-

“You’re all right!” Wei Wuxian exclaimed, helping pulled Nie Huaisang up.

“Huaisang-xiong,” Jiang Cheng said, looking relieved. “You’re back.”

“We have to go to the temple beyond the Goblin City,” Nie Huaisang said, teeth gritted together. “We have to. I won’t let that bastard…we’re going to go there and throw all his damned tricks right in his face!”

“Just us?” Wei Wuxian asked. “I mean, I’m awesome, Lan Zhan is fantastic, and of course Jiang Cheng is great, too, but…uh…there’s a lot of goblins in the city.”

“We’ll sneak in,” Nie Huaisang said. “He thinks he’s sidelined me entirely – he thinks I’m useless. He won’t be expecting me to get this far.”

“I can get help,” Jiang Cheng said. “I have friends.”

“…not to be rude, Jiang-xiong,” Nie Huaisang said. “But – really?”

-

“You know what,” Nie Huaisang said, eyeing the pile of rocks following Jiang Cheng around, each one painted with a name. One of the names was yellow. Two were in white, with forehead ribbons. “This is fine. I feel like it says something really rude about my empathy for and interest in our junior generation, or lack thereof, but you know what? I don’t care. It’s fine.”

-

“You saved me,” Nie Huaisang said blankly, looking at Lan Xichen, who shrugged, abashed. The remains of the mechanical temple guard were scattered all over. “Over – him?”

“Huaisang –”

“No,” Nie Huaisang said, holding up his hands. “Don’t. Don’t…I don’t want to hear you talk.”

Lan Xichen’s head dropped down and he looked at the ground. “You knew from the beginning what I was like,” he murmured. “I never tried to hide it –”

“I forgive you for being what you are,” Nie Huaisang told him, and Lan Xichen looked up at him, startled and pleased. “I forgive you for not having the backbone to stand up against Jin Guangyao for me – or for da-ge. For being willfully blind for so long, for needing someone else’s proof of his ill-intentions, for always picking him first, for never trusting me…I forgive you, even if you’d never forgive me for the same.”

He dashed away the angry tears in his eyes.

“I just wish this wasn’t a fucking metaphor.”

-

Nie Huaisang left the fighting to the people who knew what to do – Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, Jiang Cheng, even the rock-juniors – and went to the temple at the center of the city alone.

Some things, he knew, needed to be done alone, even if it was the type of alone when you were surrounded by other people. Even when those other people stood by his side and made him promise that if he needed them, he would only need to call. Some things…

“I want my da-ge back,” he said to the maze of stairs.

“Then go and find him,” Jin Guangyao replied, looking smug, and Nie Huaisang had to go up and down all those fucking stairs, because Jin Guangyao was nothing if not predictable with his trauma, looking all over, looking for –

Looking for pieces.

“It’s just a metaphor,” he whispered to himself, ignoring how tears were streaming down his face. “It’s just – I need to put him back together, it’s fine. I’m not too late – I’m not too late –”

-

Jin Guangyao held Nie Mingjue’s head in his hands, blinded and gagged and bound with talismans, pulled out of whatever oubliette he'd shoved it into to forget about what he'd done. “Beware, Huaisang,” he said, still smiling. Always smiling. “I’ve been generous up until now, but I can be cruel.”

Nie Huaisang laughed, scoffing. “Generous? What have you done for me that’s generous?”

“Everything! Everything you’ve wanted, I’ve done – I cared for you, I gave you attention, I got you out of work, doing your schoolwork for you and coming up with excuses to get you out of saber training. I gave you presents, fans and pretty clothing, and when that brute of a brother of yours tried to take them from you, I rescued you. And then I even managed your sect for you, answered all of your questions, any time you had – Huaisang, I’m exhausted trying to live up to your expectations of me. Isn’t that generous?”

Nie Huaisang bared his teeth. “Half of those are burdens that only fell on me because of you. Why should it matter to me that cleaning up your own mess and satisfying your own guilt is hard? Why should I pay such a price when all I wanted was to be your friend? When all da-ge wanted was to be your friend? How dare you, Meng Yao!”

“Huaisang…” Jin Guangyao shook his head mournfully. “Huaisang, the last step here is to say the words to break the spell. But you were never good at memorization, were you?”

Nie Huaisang bit his lip until he drew blood.

“Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered,” he said. “I have fought my way here to the temple beyond the goblin city –”

“Huaisang, stop! Look at what you’re risking here. You know how everyone loves me – do you think anyone will forgive you for taking me down, for tricking them all? You’ll be all alone!”

I already am, Nie Huaisang thought.

“My will is as strong as yours,” he said. “And my kingdom is as great…”

His voice trailed off.

“I ask for so little,” Jin Guangyao said beseechingly, convincingly, looking just like he always did, like the man who'd been their friend. “Just let me fool you, and you can have anything you want. No responsibilities, no stress, a life of your own. You can even have Lan Xichen, if that’s what you want…”

What’s the last line, Nie Huaisang thought, hating himself for being such a poor student, for cramming things into his mind without any order, for never being able to retain a single drop of it no matter how hard he tried. What is it? Why can’t I ever remember?

“It’d be so easy,” Jin Guangyao crooned. “Much easier than this. Just fear me, love me, believe me, and I’ll be your slave.”

Sharp teeth in a false smile.

Nie Huaisang shook in terror. He couldn’t – his da-ge needed him – he couldn’t be afraid, couldn’t be a coward, couldn’t be good-for-nothing – couldn’t let Jin Guangyao win – couldn’t let him –

That was it.

Nie Huaisang raised his head until his eyes met his enemy’s.

Sensing something wrong, Jin Guangyao’s eternal smile dimmed, and he began to step forward, reaching out, but it was too late.

“You have no power over me,” Nie Huaisang declared, and the world within a world collapsed.

-

Nie Huaisang opened his eyes.

-

Nie Huaisang sat in his desk in the Unclean Realm, trying to amuse himself by trying to figure out what exactly he’d eaten the night before that had given him such bizarre dreams. It was not successful, on account of him being alone.

Alone, just as he had been every night, and every day as well, since the success of his scheme at the Guanyin Temple.

Just as the dream-Jin Guangyao had threatened.

It wasn’t that Nie Huaisang regretted what he had done – the dream was clear enough about that; he’d do it all again in a heartbeat if he had to. But in the dream he’d been working alongside his former friends, with Lan Xichen betraying but then returning to him, with Wei Wuxian dragging Lan Wangji around, with stone-faced Jiang Cheng and the rather interchangeable junior squad behind him…and in his dream, in the end, they’d let him go to take his revenge, telling him that if he needed them for any reason, he could just call.

Just call, and they’d come back to him. Instead of turning from him in disgust, they’d stand by his side…

“Stupid subconscious,” Nie Huaisang mumbled to himself. “What do you expect? That I'd write to them and say ‘for no real reason at all, I find that I rather need you’?”

Silence answered him.

“Well, I do,” he said with a sigh, putting his chin on his hands. “Does that make you happy? I do need you.”

“You do?” Wei Wuxian’s voice rang out, and Nie Huaisang jumped nearly out of his skin. “Well, why didn’t you say so?”

Nie Huaisang turned, staring: it was Wei Wuxian at the door, the human version of him, and of course there was Lan Wangji right before him, and Jiang Cheng, and the (still mostly interchangeable) juniors, and – and even Lan Xichen, who Nie Huaisang was sure had gone into seclusion with no intent to leave.

“What are you doing here?” Nie Huaisang squeaked. And why hadn’t any of his sect disciples warned him?

“We just bullied our way though the door before anyone could stop us,” Wei Wuxian said cheerfully, answering the unspoken question first. “As for the rest – it turns out that I had the strangest dream the other night, really, truly bizarre, and obviously I had to tell Lan Zhan all about it, except it turned out he had a strange dream too.”

Nie Huaisang’s jaw dropped. “But –”

“I felt da-ge’s qi woven into the labyrinth,” Lan Xichen said quietly. “I thought it’d have long ago dissipated or been locked away, but – it was there, in every stone, in every turn. Every obstacle that didn’t really hurt you, every goblin that was more silly than scary…he was there. It was unmistakable.”

Nie Huaisang swallowed. The story of the labyrinth, baby-stealing wish-granting goblin king and all, had been one that Nie Mingjue had told him as a bedtime story, when he'd been a child in need of comfort; he hadn’t thought of it in years before last night. “But…why…?”

“Because Chifeng-zun has a demented sense of humor?” Jiang Cheng suggested, looking irritated.

“Jiujiu means that he hasn’t had that much fun in years, and also that you should throw a party,” Jin Ling said. “You are hosting all three of the sect leaders of all the other Great Sects. Also, why were we rocks?”

“Uh, no idea,” Nie Huaisang said. “Da-ge’s weird sense of humor, no doubt! Anyway, did you say party? I can do a party!”

He rushed out of the room, calling for his servants, calling for them to bring food and wine and tea, and as he did, he looked out of the window – a golden bird was flying away, looking hunted as if something was chasing it, and even as he watched, it crossed the borders of the Unclean Realm and suddenly dissolved into a fizzle of golden dust.

Nie Huaisang put his hand on the stone wall, and felt a familiar echo.

A very familiar echo.

“Oh,” he said, to his servants, feeling somehow simultaneously sheepish and filled with joy. “And while you’re at it, can you bring me my saber? I seem to have – misplaced it…”

[dreamwritesimagines]

Burn The Witch 2 - First Impressions [Bucky Barnes x Reader]

A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful support and feedback to the first chapter my loves ! ❤ Here’s chapter 2, I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think! ❤ Thank you! ❤❤❤

Word Count: 2500

Warnings: Mentions of blood, sex, violence, death, manipulation, language.

Summary: First impressions can be wrong.

Chapter 1 

Being a spy for years had taught you to be able to tell whether a mission would be dangerous or not before they even sent you there.

For example, the mission they had put you on three years ago where you had to poison the target in a very crowded ballroom while pretending to be an artifacts expert was a dangerous one.

Or five years ago when you had quite literally brought a dagger into a gun fight in a storage unit, that was also quite dangerous.

But something told you that going after Bucky Barnes would be the most dangerous mission you’d ever had so far, and you weren’t even going to be engaged in a fight.

Instead you were expected to make him fall in love with you, which-

To be honest, engaging in a fight would’ve been much easier.

“This is unacceptable.” Your best friend paced in the empty conference room while you nibbled on the chocolate, keeping your eyes on your phone. “You should’ve said no.”

“I can’t say no, it’s a mission.”

“No, it’s my father treating you like a—like a—“ she threw her hands up, “Honey trap!”

You shrugged your shoulders, scrolling down on the screen but then looked up when she snapped her fingers in front of your eyes.

“Y/N!”

“Chloe if I nail this mission, I’ll get the position I want. I could be a handler next year, do you know how big that is?”

“You need to stop pretending like you’re fine with this.”

“You’re sending me the files tonight right?” you asked, ignoring her huff of impatience and she sat down, crossing her arms.

“Yes,” she said, “Everything there is to know about Bucky Barnes is in there, lots of things you could use. I gathered it myself. His past, his interests back then, what he has been doing since he got here, his favorite porn, his favorite musicians—“

“I’m sorry, what was that last one?”

“His favorite musicians?” she played dumb, grinning and you shifted your weight.

“You wouldn’t do that background check on me, would you?”

Her grin widened as she wiggled her brows, “Just so you know, you’re such a cliché.”

“Jesus Christ.” You slipped a little in your seat, your cheeks burning, “I hate you so much.”

“No you don’t,” she sang and you tried to focus on the screen, but the door to the conference room opened, gathering your attention. Your jaw dropped as soon as you saw the figure stepping inside and you jumped on your feet as Chloe gasped.

“Keith?”

Keith was the third member of your small friend group. He was a field agent just like you were, and for years you, Chloe and Keith had always had each other’s backs, in or outside of missions.

Back at the academy you were inseparable and it had been months since you had last seen him.

“Figured I’d find you two here,” he said, “I just followed the scent of despair.”

“I thought you were still in Prague!” You rushed to hug him and he ruffled your hair before you batted his hand away.

“I was but I got called in at 5 in the morning. General’s orders.”

“It was about time my father did something right.” Chloe came to kiss his cheek, making him grin, “Gosh, it’s so good to have you back!”

“Good to be back, gorgeous,” he lifted her up in a hug before setting her down as she squealed, “I missed you.”

Your jaw dropped when you saw the file in his hand, “Hold on. Is that what I think it is?”

“It could be,” he told you, “That is, if you’ll have me in your mission.”

“The best news I got since I landed.” You pumped your fist in the air “Yes! Yes I do want you in the mission!”

“So then,” he said as he sat beside you and put his feet up on the table while you leaned back, “Is what I heard true?”

“Yes and you need to tell her she’s being ridiculous,” Chloe motioned at you and Keith pursed his lips.

“I just thought we put this whole honey trap thing behind us back in 1950s.”

“Exactly!”

“Guys come on, if Accords pass—screw that, even if they don’t pass, think about how we can use Barnes.”

Keith clicked his tongue, tilting his head.

“Will we use him more than we’re using you right now?” he asked and you rolled your eyes, grabbing the file in his hand.

“Your alias is Whistler this time?”

“Yep,” he nodded, “General says yours is Shrike?”

“Mm hm.”

“Considering what this Barnes mission entails, I’m surprised he didn’t call you Swallow.”

You kicked at his boot and he let out a laugh, holding his hands up.

“What? That was the terminology back in the day for agents seducing people for the mission, wasn’t it? Raven for guys, swallow for girls.”

“Hilarious,” you deadpanned and Chloe sat on the table, still pouting.

“You’re both fine with this then?”

“Chloe, the guy was around in World War 2,” you said patiently, “If I don’t want to sleep with him, I’ll just tell him I’m waiting for marriage, it’s probably not a foreign concept for him, old times and all. Happy?”

She arched a brow, “If you say so,” she said, “But you know there are examples of undercover agents falling for their targets, right? Especially in situations like these.”

Keith chuckled, “Yeah, that’d make a great story for your grandchildren.”

“Except that I wouldn’t get to have those grandchildren because I’d be killed.”

“Don’t say that!”

“Just let me know beforehand if the Winter Soldier decides to make an honest woman out of you,” Keith said and you stuck your tongue out at him.

“Look at you, making jokes.”

“I’m a funny guy, thank you very much,” he said, “So what are we doing tonight?”

“Killing some Hydra scum,” you said, “There’s this gallery opening, apparently evil guys love art nowadays. Who knew?”

“You need a spotter?”

“Sure thing.”

“After you guys are done killing that target, can we hang out?” Chloe asked, “We need to catch up.”

“Only if I get to pick the movie,” Keith made a face, “I don’t trust your taste after the last time.”

“10 Things I Hate About You is a classic!”

“Do you want to hear the one thing I hate about you, Chloe? Spoiler, it’s your taste in movies.”

“Play nice, kids,” you said, skimming the lines on the screen and Chloe huffed.

“Fine. And after that, we can work on the seduction mission.”

“You’re in on that as well?” Keith asked and Chloe nodded.

“Duh.”

“Look at us, Charlie’s Angels is back.” Keith said, “Wait, does that mean General is Charlie?”

You supressed a laugh and shook your head fondly, looking at Keith.

“I missed you, asshole.”

“Missed you too, trouble.”

                                                       ***

Working for the division you did had its advantages, and it never stopped to surprise you how you could always get the newest gadgets before going on missions. Chloe had installed certain features into your “sniper costume” as she put it, and one of them was a ring that would call the nearby agents of your team to your location, and the other one was a ski mask that was both bulletproof and could change your voice.

“Batman does it, why not you?” she had said before making you try it.

“Shrike, ma’am?” Keith’s voice echoed in your ear and you adjusted your earpiece before checking the harness around your waist, just in case you needed to jump off the building. Your team was already in position if you were in any way compromised, and you started setting your sniper rifle.

“Since when do you call me ma’am?” you asked Keith and he chuckled.

“Since they put you in charge of a team.”

“Don’t listen to him, guys,” you said to the rest of the team and took a look at the city lights, taking a deep breath.

Rooftops were always peaceful, even when you were holding a sniper rifle.

“ETA of the target?”

“Two minutes.” Keith said and you pressed your lips together, pointing the rifle at the entrance of the gallery, looking through the scope.

“So I think I found a movie for tonight,” Keith said as you shook your head slightly, trying to focus.

“Later.”

“James Bond?” he asked, “We can take a shot every time the movie gets something wrong about being a spy. We’ll probably be hammered by the end of the night.”

“One minute, Shrike.” One of the agents said and you exhaled through your mouth, your finger on the trigger.

“No seriously, don’t you guys like James Bond? I think it’s because of that movie I chose this line of work, but—“ Keith was cut off when you pulled the earpiece out of your ear to have a moment of silence so that you could concentrate when the target arrived, but as soon as you grabbed the rifle again, you heard the familiar sound of someone racking the slide of a gun, followed by a calm voice.

“Easy there,” he said, “Put the rifle down.”

You cursed at yourself in your head, then withdrew your hands from the rifle. Your earpiece was off, meaning that no one in your team could hear you, and you checked whether you could grab the gun from him, but he wasn’t standing close enough.

Professional.

You held up your hands, then slowly turned to see who was threatening you before your heart dropped to your stomach.

Damn it.

This was definitely not the way you were supposed to meet Bucky Barnes.

Thankfully you were wearing a ski mask, so your identity wouldn’t be compromised and the next time you met him, you could pretend.

And he would be none the wiser.

You pressed on the ring Chloe had given you to alert the others, keeping your eyes on the barrel of the gun.

“I thought I saw a glimpse of a scope.”

“Congratulations,” you deadpanned, trying to stall so that your team could get there, “You want a watch as a prize? A refrigerator?”

He looked almost surprised at your snarky comment and you shrugged your shoulders.

“Listen, it’s my target. So if you want to kill him, too bad. I was here first, early bird and all that, shoo.”

Even you could see his confusion that lasted for a second and a small smile pulled at your lips.

“Ah. You don’t know who my target is.”

“I know I’m not going to let you kill someone in a pretty crowded gallery.”

“Even if it’s some Hydra scum?” you asked and he pulled back.

“What?”

You stole a look at the entrance of the gallery over your shoulder as the limo pulled over.

“Mm hm. You really shouldn’t be stopping me Barnes. We got this, you can go and play the superhero with Wilson.”

“You know who I am.”

“Everyone knows who you are,” you stated, making him pause for a moment.

“I didn’t catch your name.”

You tut tutted, “Don’t be greedy.”

“Well, how do I know you’re not lying about your target if you can’t even give me your name?”

“Why would I lie about my target?”

“So that I would let you shoot him.”

“Aw, you’re cute,” you taunted him, tilting your head, “But I don’t recall asking for your permission.”

He stared at you for a couple of seconds.

“Who are you?” he asked and you grinned as you heard the footsteps coming closer.

“Until next time, soldier.” You said as the team burst through the door, guns blazing. He turned around to point his gun at the agents, immediately taking cover as you picked up the rifle again.

It was time to get back to work.

You looked through the scope, found the target and pulled the trigger, blood splattering over the walls and chaos erupted over the street instantly, people screaming and running everywhere. You looked over your shoulder to see your team managing to keep Barnes busy with the constant gunshots, then you checked the harness around your waist again and jumped over the roof to land on top of the car waiting for you in the street. The rope went up to the roof as you unbuckled it and got into the car, pulling the ski mask off your face.

“You weren’t compromised, right?” Keith asked and you shook your head.

“I’m not an amateur,” you said as he stepped on the gas, the car breezing through the road. 

“You don’t look so happy,” Keith said after taking a look at you and you pursed your lips together, deep in thought.

“He didn’t take me hostage.”

“Hm?”

“When the team burst through the door and I turned around to kill the target. He’s a super soldier, he could’ve grabbed me, use me as a leverage to get out of there. That’s what I’d do but he didn’t attack me or the team, he took cover.”

“So?”

“Keith, it’s the fucking Winter Soldier we’re talking about. He can kill a team of agents in seconds, but I bet he just got out of there. Without hurting anyone.”

“Maybe he’s just a good person.” Keith chuckled and you slipped a little in the seat, biting at your fingernails.

“I guess.”

“Would it be so bad?”

“It would make no difference,” you muttered, keeping your eyes on the city lights, “Good person or not, he’s my mission.”

“Clearly, but aren’t you going to feel just a little guilty if he ends up being a good guy?”

You scoffed a laugh and turned to him.

“I’m no use to anyone if I develop a guilty conscience,” you stated, “Much less to myself. You know that.”

A silence fell upon the car before he heaved a sigh.

“Listen, Chloe has a point as always,” he said, “These kind of missions are hard, okay? The longer you’re playing your part, the easier it will be to believe it. Feelings get involved, there are bunch of agents who ended up hesitating when it was time to bring their target in, so if you—“

“I won’t hesitate.”

“Y/N.”

“I won’t hesitate,” you repeated, “I swear. The minute this mission is over, I’ll bring him in. Orders are orders.”

Keith let out a whistle, “If you say so.”

You bit inside your cheek and leaned your head on the window, fixing your gaze outside.

“Considering the lack of alternatives,” you rasped out, “Yeah. Yeah I do say so.”  

Chapter 3