#like I thought that everyone here was pretty nice

[traveler-at-heart]

Speak or die?

Summary: You have a crush on your poetry professor.

Professor Natasha Romanoff x F!R

Request by @jujuu23 :) Hope you like it

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

    And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming,

    And the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

            Shall be lifted—nevermore!

Professor Romanoff closes the book, the classroom silent as she walks to the front. Her raspy voice had a way of enchanting people, and it almost felt like she had cast a spell on everyone.

“Thoughts?” she asks, adjusting her glasses. Her beautiful features are framed by a couple of strands of fiery hair, the rest of it tied in a messy bun.

A couple of people lean back on their seats, nervous about being called to participate.

“What a weirdo” Barnes says, and some of your classmates laugh.

“Thank you, for that very insightful analysis, Mr. Barnes. Any other thoughts you’d like to share with the class?”

Before he can speak again and say something even more stupid, you jump in.

“It’s about madness, caused by grief. About his beloved, who he’ll never forget but is gone. It’s the same theme in Annabel Lee and Lenore. Though I think Annabel Lee is a lot less haunting… there’s a certain serene beauty to it.”

“Very good, Miss Y/L/N. And of course, we have the references to Pallas Athena. Not uncommon for Allan Poe to mention Greek mythology. Your next assignment will be to find and discuss examples of mythology and classical literature within his work”

As everyone leaves the room, you walk next to the professor’s desk.

“I’ve enjoyed your essay. Well, both of them” she says.

“Both?” you stop, looking confused.

“It’s very obvious your boyfriend is not writing his papers” she tries to keep her composure, but finds it irritating that someone as bright as you is with Barnes of all people.

“Oh, Bucky? Yeah, I might have helped him a bit… not my boyfriend, though”

You think it’s best to leave out the fact he enrolled in this class to meet pretty girls and act like he knows about poetry.

“Well, he should still do his own homework” Natasha says, this time with a kinder tone. “And nice work today”

“Thank you” you nod, smiling as you leave the classroom. 

You hope Professor Romanoff didn’t notice the way you were blushing at her praise. 

—

Natasha glances at her cozy living room one last time. It’s a crisp autumn night, and she could still cancel her plans and stay home with a good book and a glass of wine.

But she’d never hear the end of it, would she?

The woman takes a cab to the gallery downtown, hoping the evening ends early and she can at least read a chapter or two of her novel before bed.

As she enters the crowded space, Natasha feels the need to turn around and leave. Carol’s voice stops her.

“Fancy meeting you here”

“Yelena made me do it” the redhead explains, standing next to her colleague and friend.

“Well, she’s quite the artist. You should be proud of your sister” Carol says, looking around the room until she finds the younger woman. Natasha nods her thanks and walks to her sister, smiling.

“You made it!” Yelena, who was explainig her sculpture to a man, stops mid sentence and hugs Natasha. “I thought you’d find a way to stay home and avoid being out”

“I promised I’d be here. Go. I’ll have a look around” Natasha says when another woman walks up to Yelena.

“Try the appetizers, they’re really good!” Yelena says before going up to meet a group of art dealers.

It’s a big night for the Art Department. They have been planning this exhibit for months now. Plenty of critics and art dealers would stop by, hoping to find the next big name.

Natasha walks around, eyeing the paintings and sculptures in the room. Distracted by a very abstract work, she fails to notice another person walking behind her until her back collides with a shoulder.

“Sorry” she turns, surprised at meeting your eyes and friendly smile.

“Hi, Professor Romanoff” you greet. “How are you liking the exhibit?” 

“It’s good. What are you doing here?”

“College paper business. And to support my roommate, Wanda” you point at a couple of paintings, with very dark themes and distorted faces. “She’s uh… going through her misunderstood artist phase” 

“Well, she’s certainly committed to it” Natasha says, looking at the girl who must be Wanda, dark hair and smokey eyes giving her a grunge look.

“She’s a sweetheart” you promise, knowing that’s only one side of her. You’ve seen her cry over The Dick Van Dyke show, for heaven’s sake. Though you promised you’d never tell anyone. “Want to be on the record for me?”

“How so?”

“Just tell me what you think of the exhibit. Or the department in general” you shrug your shoulders. “It’s good that other faculty members are here”

“Well, I’ve known Carol for years, back when we were both students. She’s very committed to her work and advancing the curriculum, so it’s great to see an amazing selection tonight. My sister seems to think a great deal of the success is due to Danvers”

“Your sister?”

“Yelena Belova” Natasha clarifies. At hearing that name, you blush and she immediately assumes that something happened between you two. 

The reality is, you’ve spoken about how much you love your poetry professor in front of Yelena on more than one occasion. Now you understand why she laughed so hard when you said Natasha was Aphrodite reincarnate.

That little shit.

“Yeah, I know Yel. Wanda and her hang at the dorm, I mean, we all do” you trip over your words, picking up a glass of red wine to ease your nerves.

“You sure you can handle that?” Natasha asks, appreciating the way your cheeks blush at the taste of the alcohol.

“It’s fine” you lick your lips, missing the way Natasha follows the movement with her eyes.

“Well, it’s nice to know Yelena has someone with common sense to keep her grounded” Natasha says and inspite of your internal struggle, you smile.

In that moment, Carol clinks her glass gently, getting everyone’s attention. As she speaks, you try to listen to her words -the toast should be mentioned in the article- but your mind is focused on Natasha’s parfum, and the warmth of her body as she stands next to you. Once Danvers is done, everyone claps and you take a breath, thinking it might be a good idea to get some fresh air.

“Sestra, there you are” Yelena walks up to you two, a knowing smirk at your affected state. “I’d introduce you but I believe you already know each other”

“Yeah” you smile, looking anywhere but Natasha. “I’ll leave you to it, gotta talk to a couple more people. Enjoy your evening”

Yelena doesn’t move, so you’re forced to walk very close to Natasha, and the moment your eyes meet you almost forget how to breathe.

The redhead doesn’t miss the way your pupils are blown or the not so subtle way in which you glance at her lips.

She wants to reach out and grab your wrist, turn you around and devour your lips in a messy kiss. Instead, she sees you walk towards your friend.

“See? Aren’t you glad I made you come out of your cave?”

Apparently, your crush wasn’t one sided after all. 

—

The school paper. Natasha barely paid attention to it, even when it was delivered every Monday to her office, same as every faculty member at Lang University. 

This time, she is eager to open it and read your article. There it is, your name and a very long piece about the exhibit. Your prose is exquisite, and you didn’t just deliver an event summary; it’s a deep dive into the department, budget cuts and how students and professors are investing their own resources to keep the course alive.

Right under the dean’s nose. Natasha has to smile; it’s true that Howard Stark was more inclined to favor the Science department and a number of protests had gone unanswered on his side. Most of them came from tenured professors, as part time teachers and students were concerned with some sort of retaliation.

Not you, though.

Natasha is so focused on the article that she misses the knock on her door until Fury comes in.

“Romanoff” he greets. “Picking up on some light reading?”

“Something very entertaining” she turns the pages to show your article and he chuckles.

“She’s got balls” he recognises. “Heard she was talking about it with some art dealers who donate to the university. Apparently Stark is listening now”

“I’m happy to hear that”

“That’s not why I’m here, though” Fury sits down, crossing his legs. “The Foster Grant”

“What about it?” Natasha says, playing dumb. She hates to be the center of attention. “I know I got it, it’s no big deal”

“It is to the department. We don’t want to be the next on the list of budget cuts”

“Maybe we’ll just have to ask Y/N to write an article for us” she jokes, but Fury just smirks knowingly.

“Great idea! Let’s have her write something about your work and the research you’ve been doing” he slaps his knee, standing up. 

“What?”

“Well, don’t look at me like that, it was your idea, Romanoff. Better be this week so it’s on next Monday’s edition” he winks, leaving her office whistling.

As usual, Natasha is blindsided by her boss. How on Earth will she manage a conversation alone with you?

Still, Fury leaves no room for argument, and at the end of Tuesday’s class, you approach her desk.

“I was told you had an assignment for me” you say, biting your lip nervously.

“Yes, that’s right. Something about a research grant, it’s really not a big deal. Sorry that Fury put you up to it” she dismisses the thing like it’s a nuissance.

“I don’t mind at all. Just wanted to check if… when do you want to meet. And where. It would be better around Thursday so I can come prepared with questions and then write everything over the weekend. But I’ll adjust to your schedule” 

“Thursday is fine by me” Natasha nods. “My office? Last class is at 5, so maybe 6”

“Yeah, sounds good” you nod, blushing. “See you then, professor”

How will you survive this?

—

Thursday comes faster than you’d like, and you’re inspecting your wardrobe as if you’re going on a first date. 

Everythig’s too ugly. Why do you have such ugly clothes? 

Ugh, I should just cancel. 

In the end, you opt for a preppy look, with a black skirt and thights, choosing a black and white stripped sweater for the cold weather.

You run into Yelena and Wanda in the living room.

“Where are you going so fancy?” the blonde says, whistling and forcing you to twirl so she can have a 360 of your outfit. “You’re going on a date, aren’t you?”

Wanda, who actually knows about your appointment, covers her mouth to keep from laughing and you glare at her.

“Don’t”

“What? Is it someone I know?” Yelena looks between the two of you.

“Yes. It’s your sister” Wanda finally cracks. 

“It’s not a date!” you rush to say when Yelena turns to look at you. “I’m writing an article about her research”

“Mmm, right” she nods, not believing you. “She asked about you the other day, you know?”

“She did? I mean, what did she want to know?” you try to pretend it’s no big deal.

“She asked if we hooked up. I told her you’re not my type”

“Oh, please. I’m everyone’s type” you huff, picking up your bag before you run late. You still want to stop by the cafeteria.

“You’re certainly Natasha’s” Yelena mumbles, but you miss it. “Good luck on your non date with my sister”

“Not a date… although, what’s her coffee order?” 

“I’ll tell you if you admit it’s a date”

By the time you finally get Yelena to answer, you’re ten minutes late, walking around campus with two coffees and cookies. Knocking with your elbow, you hear a soft come in and figure out how to open the door. 

Juggling everything, you walk into Natasha’s office.

“Let me help you” the woman says, standing up and rushing to your side. You hand over the cup with her name. “For me?”

“Yes”

“Thank you. I’m sorry, I should be the one with a drink to offer. How did you know?” she licks her lips, appreciating the sweet flavor of the caramel macchiato. Her glasses fog from the warmth of the drink and you have to resist the urge to kiss her.

“I asked Yelena” you admit. “Glad to know she wasn’t pranking me” 

“I do have a sweet tooth”

“No worries, I won’t write anything about it” you take a notepad and your phone to record. “May I?”

“Please” Natasha settles behind her desk, appreciating that cute little frown that always appears when you’re focused. You go over your notes for a minute and then nod, ready to begin.

The hour goes by quickly, and Natasha feels proud when she notices you’ve stopped taking notes, genuinely interested and asking about everything she’s been researching for the past year and a half.

“Oh, it’s getting late. I’m so sorry for keeping you here” you apologize, looking at the time. 

“That’s ok, I’m free for the rest of the evening. I cleared my schedule just for you”

The words make your heart flutter. Of course she doesn’t mean anything by it, but how you wished she did.

“So, do you have time for a couple more questions?”

“Sure” 

For you, she has all the time in the world. Natasha could spend all night watching you put that lose strand of hair behind your ear, while you write down your thoughts. 

It’s dangerously endearing.

“I’d like to know… your favorite poem” you ask, more for yourself than for the article.

Natasha takes a deep breath, standing up and walking around her desk. She speaks as she approaches you, in that soft, tender tone that always makes your heart skip a beat.

“I loved you; even now I may confess,

Some embers of my love their fire retain;

But do not let it cause you more distress,

I do not want to sadden you again.

Hopeless and tongue-tied, yet I loved you dearly

With pangs the jealous and the timid know;

So tenderly I loved you, so sincerely,

I pray God grant another love you so”

Natasha looks into your eyes as she sits on the edge of the desk, mere inches away from you. 

In truth, you had expected her to answer with the poem’s title, not recite it to you so passionately.

“Pushkin” you sigh, looking at your hands.

“Very good” she praises, which makes you blush even harder. “It sounds better in Russian, though”

“I can imagine” you say, torn between wanting to hear it or not. You might lose your last sliver of self control if she speaks her native language.

“Is there anything else you need from me?”

You need to kiss her, discover how her lips feel against yours. Hold her hand, guide her up your skirt…

“Yes. I… mean, no, I have everything I need, professor” you snap out of your thoughts, looking flustered. “Thank you so much for making the time to speak to me”

“I always have time for my best student” she says, standing up and walking you to the door. “I’m looking forward to reading your article”

“I’ll try to live up to the expectations”

“I’m sure you will” she says gently, leaning against the threshold of the door. You look at her lips one last time before stepping back, wishing the evening could be prolonged.

Natasha watches you walk away, already missing your presence.

—

You spend the weekend reliving the interview. Thank God you kept recording when Natasha recited Pushkin, because now you have it for posterity.

The article is done, has been since you got back to your dorm. The words flowed effortlessly as you remembered everything Natasha said, and so you spent all night writing and correcting it until it was perfect. Even your editor was impressed when you sent it over.

Now, all that’s left is you, the recording and the view from your window. You listen to Natasha over and over again, hoping her presence migh somehow slip into your subconscious and then, she’ll be in your dreams as well.

As if you had summoned her, Natasha appears outside your window, walking with Yelena. As her sister walks into your building to meet with Wanda, Natasha looks up, waving at you. You remove your headphones, blushing at the fact that you were just listening to her speak on the recording.

“How’s the article coming along?”

“Signed, sealed, delivered” you smile. “I do hope you’ll like it”

“It will be the first thing I read tomorrow” she promises, saying goodbye. This time, you don’t bother to hide the fact that you’re staring as she leaves, and a little part of you feels like Juliet, watching Romeo walk away.

Forbidden love.

No, not forbidden. Unrequited.

With a sigh, you walk away and join your friends, thinking it’s better to distract yourself now that you remember Natasha Professor Romanoff is out of your reach.

Still, you can only fall asleep as you listen to her reciting that poem over and over again. And when you wake up, the resolve to see her again overcomes every fiber of your being. 

So you walk up to her office, knowing very well she’s there at break of dawn.

“Y/N” she says, looking at the paper in your hands. “Come in”

“I thought you’d like to read it. But maybe you’re busy. And you won’t like it or it’s not a big deal to you” you rant, handing it over and turning to leave. “Never mind”

“Stay” is all she says, hand reaching for your wrist. Your heart skips a beat at the contact and you nod, trying to ease your nerves. 

Natasha sits on her small sofa to read the article, and you’re too anxious so you walk around her office, examining the bookshelves. As you approach her desk, you focus on an open book, some notes scribbled along the margins.

“I love it” Natasha says, standing right behind you. You jump, so absorbed by the book that you didn’t hear her stand up and come close to you. She’s now reading over your shoulder. “It’s the Heptameron, by Marguerite de Navarre. I was working on a translation from the German edition”

You can now see the sheet of paper next to the page, Natasha’s writing looking rushed as if she fears the words will be taken by the wind. With a shaky voice, you break the sudden silence in the room, reading the story.

“A handsome young knight is madly in love with a princess

And she too is in love with him

Though she seems not to be entirely aware of it

Despite the friendship that blossoms between them or

Perhaps because of that very friendship

The young knight finds himself

So humbled and speechless

That he's totally unable to bring up the subject of his love

Till one day he asks the princess point blank

Is it better to speak or to die?”

“I found myself thinking a lot about unrequited love this weekend. And so I remembered this little thing” she says in a low voice. “What do you think is better? Speak or die?”

“I think that depends, Professor” you sigh, feeling her hand against your lower back.

“Depends… on what?” she whispers against your ear, making you shiver. “Should I speak about all the times I think of you, of how endearing and wonderful and intriguing you are to me?”

You turn around, cornered against her desk. Natasha’s hands traces a path down your arm, and takes your hand, lifting it to her lips. Your eyes follow the movement, and a sigh leaves your lips at the soft kiss she places on the back of your hand.

“Should I speak about how I wonder what it would be like to kiss you, taste you, mark you, until you’re chanting my name like a prayer?”

This time, her hand travels to your lips, pupils dilating as you allow her to invade your mouth with her finger, sucking gently until she retrieves it, pulling you by the waist.

“Should I speak, then? Or shall we keep pretending neither one of us wants this?” she whispers against your lips. You close your eyes, taking a breath to steady your heart. Her touch, her words, is all too much and you’re afraid it’s all a perfect dream, and at any moment you’ll wake up, alone and desperate for her.

“Please…” you say, leaning forward and capturing her lips in a messy, frantic kiss. Dream or reality, you’ll take Natasha in whatever way you can.

Natasha craddles your face in her hands, spreading your legs apart with her knee. You whine incoherently at her surprising strenght, your hands balled up in fists around the fabric of her pristine shirt. 

“You’re so perfect” she sighs against your lips. “So beautiful”

“Natasha” you plead, wanting to feel her against you, closer, harder. More, more, more until you’re on the brink of destruction and she’s all that exists.

“I want you. Do you want me?” she asks, and you catch the uncertainty in her tone.

“Of course I do” 

If only she could feel how wet you are, all because of her touch.

But there’s a knock on the door, and you both look at the spot, alarmed. Natasha squeezes your hand to reassure you.

“Yes?”

“Just delivering the paper, Professor”

“Leave it outside, I’ll pick it up in a minute. Thank you”

You take a moment to breathe and fix your hair, aware that your lips are swollen from all the kissing.

You kissed your professor. Natasha Romanoff kissed you.

“Are you ok?” she asks, worried about your sudden silence.

“Just wondering if I’m about to wake up from a beautiful dream” you admit, and she smiles.

“Do you dream of me?” she teases, her hand reaching for yours.

“Only when I’m awake”

Natasha smiles, kissing your fingers.

“Would you like to have dinner with me? My place. This Friday”

“Yes. I’d love to”

There’s another knock on the door, but Fury doesn’t wait for Natasha to answer. You jump away from the woman, unsure if this could get her into trouble.

Luckily, Fury is busy inspecting the paper that was dropped outside of Natasha’s office and he doesn’t pick up on anything as he looks up.

“Miss Y/L/N. You wrote an amazing article. Brilliant”

“Thank you, Doctor Fury” you say. “I should head out, my Sociology class is starting soon”

Natasha smiles at you, hoping you understand how much she wishes you could carry on.

But the promise of more lingers in her eyes and so, as you take one last look at her, you return her smile.

“I’m happy the knight spoke, Professor. See you in class” 

“See you in class, Miss Y/L/N”

[stayandot8]

Dreams

Genre: fluff

Relationship type: bsfriend!Chan x fem reader

Important Contents: it came to me in a dream, what can I say.

WC: 1k

masterlist

It was one of those dreams again.

I came to my senses always before I wanted to. Right when the dream was getting good, I would become very aware that there was a bright light coming from somewhere, a window maybe. My next notion was that my blankets were too hot; my fan wasn’t quite doing its job. Sucky fan. 

Yet another dream about finding the love of my life with blackish-brown hair, a big smile, and a laugh that filled your soul. This one felt so real though. We had been in this big house with all of his friends and my friends and they were desperate to see us get together and of course, all of the attempts were obvious. The boy was blushing so hard his ears turned red, but he never asked them to stop. My friends were doing everything they could to clear a room for us. I tried to shoot them pleading looks all night but to no avail.

It felt earlier than normal. I was certain my alarm would go off any second now to pull me away from this happy middle ground I was in the middle of. It was such a nice dream that I thought if I could just drift off again, I could go back to it. But the blankets were too hot, my breathing was too shallow, and I felt myself slowly rise from that dreamland, probably never to be found again.

But things were different. 

Outside of my consciousness, the air around me was off. The familiar scent of my bedroom wasn’t filling my nostrils like it should have. No, instead, the smell of something…edible…

It was still a struggle to open my eyes. A blur, everything blurred together and I couldn’t see straight. That’s what I blamed it on, anyway. Because there was no way that most of the stuff in my bedroom was black. And where did those LED lights come from? Where is my phone? Whose fucking house am I in??

A knock on the door brought my bleariness to full alert. And then that boy that I had been dreaming about came through the door. Eyes soft, black hair with some curls poking through, and a soft smile that made my heart jump. He was bringing a plate of something over to the bed that I was laying on, face-first into a pillow. 

“Hey, sunshine.” 

I grumbled something incoherent. 

“Tough night, huh?”

I furrowed my brows, and looked at him through my smushed face. Huh?

“What are you on about, Bang?” 

“You crashed pretty hard last night. You would barely move off the couch.”

“Then how did I get here?”

“I had to carry you so you wouldn’t get a crick in your neck.” His laugh squeaked out of him. “After everyone left, you passed out.”

“How drunk was I?”

“You started renaming all of our Skzoos. What does that tell you?”

I chuckled at the memory that was then coming back to me. “Oh yeah. Leebitch.”

“You named Bbokari ‘Dinner’, which was very creative by the way. Felix is waiting for your apology. And that was just the start.” He laughed. “You tried to draw vampire teeth on WolfChan before I took the marker away from you.”

I scoffed. “You should see what Stay says about that music video, vampire man.” He squeaked out another laugh.

“Oh, I know.” A pause as he looked over at me, in his bed. A question came to mind. 

“If I slept here, where did you sleep?”

“You wouldn’t let me leave. You have an iron grip when you’re drunk. I couldn’t even get up to brush my teeth.” 

“Which I bet was the first thing you did this morning, wasn’t it.”

“...Maybe.” He handed me the plate of kimchi stir fry he had brought and settled on the empty side of the bed. “So…do you remember what happened last night?”

My fork froze mid-air. “Uhm…Not really. Fill me in?” I said, staring at the plate. 

“Everyone was teasing you about me. Any ideas why?”

“Did Minho make this? Because it’s really good.” I scarfed down more so my mouth was full.

“After your conversation with Felix, everyone made themselves scarce. Which was convenient, I thought, considering your plan.”

I swallowed. “Plan? What plan?” I braced, unsure if I wanted to hear my drunken foretellings of what I had wanted to go down last night. I had an inkling of course, given my hidden undying love for the boy sitting in front of me but would I say that out loud?

“Your plan to get me to fall in love with you after everyone leaves.”

Shit. Yes, yes I would say it out loud. 

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck

I snorted, trying to let my attempt at ease become real.

“Now why would I say a thing like that? That’s…crazy, Preposterous, even. That’s sooo unlike anything I would ever say.”

“Oh yeah?” Chris raised his eyebrows at me, peering at me like I had stolen something. That shut me up. I just stared at him. 

“Why are you not freaking out?”

“Because your plan worked.”

I choked on the rice. After a serious coughing fit and the tears stopped welling up, it was all I could do to continue to stare blankly at him and just say “What?”

“Dude. I’ve been in love with you for several months now.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been professed to while it is being proceeded by the word ‘dude’.” He just kept laughing. 

“Sorry, it slipped out. But I mean it.”

I didn’t know what to say. I just stared. 

“You can keep staring at me after you take a shower, I promise.”

That broke me of my stupor. 

“Did you just tell the love of your life that she smells?”

“Who said you’re the love of my life?” He called over his shoulder, heading to the bathroom. 

“I believe I did. Just now.” Climbing out of bed was a struggle, but the giddyness of the events that had just unfolded was enough motivation. “Are you joining me in this shower?”

“Maybe!”

[drdemonprince]

Happy new year Devon!

Thanks for your new Substack piece, it’s so nice to read something like that which isn’t usually talked about and it echos my own experience and in my friend group but from a femme perspective. I’m cis female and my best friend is a trans chick. When we first became friends her gender dysphoria and journey came up and I started telling her about how I don’t know if it’s the same but I’ve always felt weird when I do things like wear dresses, low cut tops, try to wear high heels or long earrings. I cut myself off and started apologizing profusely because I thought it was offensive to compare these seemingly trivial things with what she has gone through. I’ve always been gnc but super hesitant to be like “oh we’re kinda the same” in case it came across patronizing and condescending or something. She was like No actually that makes me feel Good because these are shared femme experiences. We both struggle with feeling like we don’t fit the “female standard” and that’s actually what brought us close together in the first place. We both struggle with how to initiate relationships, our self/body image, harassment, self esteem, a whole bunch of things. She can put on make up and dress pretty and do things that I can’t do because it makes me feel a bit ill. We both question whether we’re doing the whole “girl thing” right and if we’ll ever be accepted into certain female spaces. But also we’ve found solidarity and unity and a group of people who are all sharing struggles and supporting each other through unconventional life paths.

Thanks for writing about that topic. I think it helps people of all genders and backgrounds feel a bit more unified and less alone.

yayyy love this so much thank you

here's the piece everyone

[doodlewizardry]

ooohhhh long long post!!!! [this is @doodlejoltik's main btw for any of the people I tagged that might not recognise it]

@pillowbugs aww thanks ! i didn't realise/remember that your blog was new at the time :O that's awesome to hear! it's fun seeing your art and writing!

i cannot possibly mention everyone cool that i know on this site but I'll try for a few at least. again in no particular order

@beastkonohaworld BK!!! you've been a great person to work with and an even greater friend :D chemmet is one of the highlights of my merch collection too. here's to another great year!

@protagpigeon KAIT! :D collabs shenanigans silliness you name it, if it's comedic we can do it XD immensely enjoyed all the time we've spent together, may there be endless more fun times to be had

@reestallized hey reestal! fellow Rei fan :D love your art and ideas loads, they're always so great to see !!! especially your traditional art it's something you do that is very cool :O same with the colour palette challenges

@cheesecake801 cheese it's quite possibly your fault that I enjoy volkner so much. it's contagious you spread it to everyone XDDD love the warm colours you use in your art and all the Character Thoughts you have, they're so wonderful <3

@skitter-kitter aka. one of the Lear fans ever. it's Definitely your fault i like Lear so much i blame you entirely /lh thank you for the fun times vibing about writing in DMs together, the community you've organised for us Lear fans, and generally being Very Cool <3

@ursamajorgamma we only met this past year, but it's been a delight knowing you! VC shenanigans beloved all our conversations have been so interesting and/or fun. epic Lear art and other paintings too :OO

@defoozor thank you for the cool art talk and other conversations, the awesome concepts you've made (Lear_Gem and Arc Suit Consequences are iconic) and also the VC fun hehe

@davepeta neppy you're always down for fun and silliness and you appreciate a good Bit! cool writing too, and art, and it's just awesome to hang out with you on chat.

@choochooboss Jun thank you for everything you've done for the community and being an AWESOME person to know! I've gushed many a time about how much i love pokemagma so I won't repeat myself but suffice to say it's one of the best things I've ever been part of. and to borrow from BK: U CUTE also!

@turtwisp we've only been talking regularly pretty recently, but you are very cool :3 love your barries !!!

@grubbin22 you are so nice and so sweet i've very much enjoyed the time we've spent together!!! and I've always admired your art so it's awesome to make your acquaintance

@monvallaria our acquaintance has been short so far but I'm absolutely loving it!!! you're a delight! love all your little doodles with hearts everywhere and much hilarity it's wonderful <3 <3 <3 here's to more fun together

@antihibikase it was super fun to talk and hang out productively, plus it's nice to see you around. i hope 2025 is a good year for you <3

@ultipoter yippee ulti! i love your art so much... such a recognisable and distinct artstyle with some traditional and anime influences that is Very Tasty. awesome character thoughts like that one Volo comic that popped off, hilarious Bits (Volo Cola, our incredibly stupid venn diagram /affectionate) and one of the guys of all time (holds up Jirou like a lil plushie). it's always a delight when you're around! I'm very happy to know you

@scraggscribbs hey scraggs, hope you've been well! i appreciate all the support and amazing comments you've given me on my fics <3 and you make such AMAZING manga with such interesting characterisation, I'm in awe! enjoy all our conversations very much and would love to catch up again :D

@hwpn-gurire I really appreciate all the comments and positive energy you bring to the pokemas community! you uplift everyone and always have a kind word :) plus your art is fantastic - thanks for teaching me that lil trick about offset colour, it's a really fun effect to use!

@claitea you have Many character thoughts that we are in agreement on / make me Think. really great stuff, thank you for appreciating my insane tag rambling on your posts LOL frequently pointing like yeah YOU GET IT! your art is great too with many :O comics that live in my brain rent free 👍

@kobandan you've listened to me a lot over this past year, thank you for that <3 your art is awesome, especially love your submas series with all their different pokemon. seeing those less popular combinations get the spotlight is great!

@smashwolfen originator of UPDOG my beloved snorlax.... thank you for the Very Epic name and continuing to stay subscribed to my silly Updog Newsletter XD I promise to continue the saga! also love your art, so much good PLA <33333 the Volo sketch page I remember quite well, phenomenal stuff hahahaha

@raikouswish rei-membering all the good times we've had this year 😁 i always have so much pun talking to you! here's to staying f-rei-nds in times to come >:3

@shibearts U CUTE !!!! love your designs and OCs they are super epic and you always hit me with the nostalgia blast. you've inspired me with your character design! geographyverse collab sometime this year surely

@submastrain it's been awesome collaborating with you! your rendering and colours make my brain light up they're so good :O

and many MANY more people that I've had the pleasure of talking to or reblogging posts back and forth with or drawing with - I'm sorry I can't mention you all!! appreciate all of you, whether we're mutuals or you're just following me along on this ride - both here and with my pokeposting :3

happy new year!

@jumpy-buggy-33 @ollie-arts67 @ashmeertheimp @k4izershasfreakycanon @cyrophobia

[And all my moots becuz I'm supposed to be helping out during party 😋]

[ask-the-rag-dolly]

Oh also (if it's alright to ask more) do you have anything you would like to ramble about regarding the Zooble and Ragatha dynamic? Or tbh just Zooble in general? Your blog has made me very much attached to them

OKAY . impromptu essay on the toybox dynamic + zooble it is . forgive me for the wall of text

i got into the dynamic because i went ' oh ! zooble's the second newest member of the circus (: i wonder how it went when ragatha was trying to help them ' and it snowballed from there

i've already said this but zooble and ragatha are Very much opposites in a traditional way . jax is commonly seen as ragatha's opposite , but he's her narrative foil — they're two sides of the same coin and are a lot more similar than you think . zooble and ragatha ? these two are like magnets repelling each other . they're just so Different from each other that it hurts . the only similarities they have is that they're both toys and care for the people in the circus .

like , something to note with zooble is that compared to everyone but pomni , they're Grounded and Real . they're not tolerant to the madness and chaos of the circus and prefers to do their own thing , which is most of the time upholding the community of the circus ! they set up kaufmo's funeral , they were hanging out with everyone at the start of episode 3 , showed concern over ragatha and gangle , and the conversation at the end of episode 4 ! even though they are blunt and can come off as rude , they Really care a lot for the people in the circus .

and them being able to switch out their parts and find their identity can also be seen as an act of rejection ! they can change how they look unlike the other circus members , and they try to find Themself instead of losing it to the circus . because ... well , i'm pretty sure ragatha lost her identity during the process of trying to adjust to the circus .

you can really tell that she's been here for such a long time that she's more a part of the circus . her coping mechanism is to not Reject the circus but rather to Assimilate with it . she shows enthusiasm over the adventures and crafted a fake , positive facade that is fitting of her avatar as a ragdoll . despite being outwardly nice and kind unlike zooble , she is a lot less Sincere . i very much think that ragatha genuinely cares for everyone in the circus , but she's unintentionally pushing them away by putting up two million emotional walls between her and everyone else .

which is why i like thinking about their dynamic so much . like push one of the most genuine people in the circus to possibly the fakest one and you get the weirdest platonic slow burn ever . they would Argue they would Disagree they would be Annoyed by each other ... but they both also care a lot for the other . because they're both fucking Wrecks and they know it . and also ragatha's such a sweetheart that zooble can't really hate her -

i have a lot more thoughts that i can't put into words atm and honestly i think i was pretty incomprehensible but Yeah i love them (:

[mrfellsans]

Crazy to think it's almost 2025..currently 9pm while I'm writing this and I wanted to say a few things

I might get into a bit of sensitive topics so be aware!

If you don't wanna read everything I wrote it's fine, short note:

thank you guys so much, sorry I didn't draw anything! have an amazing new year and I'm wishing you all the best genuinely from the bottom of my heart ❤

Hey first off I wanted to start it on a nice note and say HAPPY NEW YEARS TO ALL AND ALL OF MY MOOTS, you guys really changed me I mean I made SO many friends online and I'm so grateful for that and I'm also grateful for all the friends I already have that stuck to me or the people I got to know and get closer to this year. Just letting all of you know, my followers, friends, etc that I love you all dearly and I thank you all so much for the support you have no idea how much all of your kind words mean to me I love you all, adding onto that I was also able to improve my art a lot and I'm so proud of myself for that! If you have anything you have improved in just remember it and be proud of yourself for it!

And now to get a bit deep, this year was a roller coaster for me, especially during the end where a lot of stuff was going on with me. I remember at the start of 2024 I thought that I wouldn't live to see it be 2025 and my hopelessness peaked near the end and I was sure that I wouldn't make it, I was in such a horrible place but my family, you guys, other friends and people, you helped me stay here just long enough to see another day and realize that things aren't that bad, I thank everyone that has helped me get through it even when I felt like it wasn't worth it anymore and I have no idea how to thank everyone for it but thank you deeply from the bottom of my heart.

And to end it off, some goals I have next year is to improve more on me and my art. I really wanna learn how to animate, learn anatomy better, just in general I wanna learn SO much more in the art world and I hope this new year I'll achieve that!

I love you all.

And I hope you have an amazing new year ❤

-Selever

@yago-undertale @luigigirl12 @candymagnolia @izzy-the-chaotic-gremlin @moonflower-pies @cutechan555 @paras1t1c-squ1dd @bigboybird @trasho-pando2011 @tv-peppino @miaar10112 @pizzatowet13 @misdreavusplush @echostarsys @fluffygiraffe @nightofthephant0ms @yourlocalxiaosimp @idiotspage @mattplatonic @alan-william @radaverse @ask-crow-aus @the-rainbow-sandwich @panhbr @mrcarrotcakestuff @sa1tamasbiggestfan @djeycartanime05 @somecartoonisttalkshere @bellagrimfox @noir-ish-bee @lunar-dal @alice-the-demon @sunny-ismyname and literally many others

Sorry for the tag I just looked for moots that popped up on my notification box or I could think of at the top of my head so if you weren't included please don't feel bad, this is meant for all my moots and followers to see and yea pretty much! (＾ｖ＾) 

[jinxsleftmiddlefinger]

timebomb highschool au

(part 2)

(pt1) (pt3) (read on ao3)

description: timebomb highschool au pretty much sums it up lol. there’s also canon storylines (vander death, vi conflict etc.) but translated into a modern context

warnings: none

As it turns out, Ekko and the blue haired girl really did have math together. When he first met her in the office, Ekko hadn’t known what to think. Obviously, when he first walked in, he thought she was hot. She was wearing a cute black crop top, her stomach was toned like she worked out everyday, her hair was in a pretty braid, and her face matched in perfect harmony.

As for her personality, she was certainly…eccentric. Ekko wasn’t exactly opposed to it, but he has always been described as a more ‘chill’ and ‘laid back’ guy, so their vibes were on two different sides of the chart.

Like she said she would, Jinx led him to class and sat him down at the desk right beside hers, smiling brightly. Everyone around them seemed to be looking back at Ekko, wondering Who is he? and the looking at Jinx like Who’d you bring back?

“New kid.” He saw Jinx mouth at a girl with red hair. He shifted his gaze to see her waggle her eyebrows and mouth. “He’s kinda…” The red headed girl waved her hand towards her face, fanning herself like she was overheated.

Ekko looked down, blushing. He didn’t look over to see Jinx’s response to that comment on his supposed attractiveness.

The class was easy, even though he was arriving late in the year. He understood the worksheet quickly. Although Ekko wouldn’t call himself a nerd or even say that he particularly liked school, it had always come easy to him.

“You’re doing a nice job there,” Jinx nodded towards his sheet. 

He shifted his eyes over to her paper. She was also almost done, and she looked to be doing good. “So are you.”

“Meh,” She shrugged. “Not really my thing. I’m more of a gadgets and science gal, you know what I mean?”

For a second, Ekko was distracted by the sound of her voice. It had a raspy quality to it, but it was still sweet, and-

He stopped himself. You don’t even know her, stupid.

“Yeah, uh,” He stumbled over his words. “I’m into that stuff too.”

He looked back down at his sheet.

“One year for the robotics contest, I built this totally sick robot. Won first place. But I rigged it so that it would explode pink and blue glitter all over the judges just as they were awarding it…they’re still finding it all over the gym.” She giggles.

Ekko looks at the girl beside him. Maybe she is a little crazy.

“Did they disqualify you?”

She laughs harder. “Nah. They were too distracted by being covered in glitter to even think about that damn contest anymore.” She looks up at the wall, seeming lost in thought. “It was totally worth it.”

Jinx smirks at him when they both get yelled at for talking in class.

Even though she is not in his next class, Jinx takes him there anyway. She gives him a quick rundown of how the school works; who to avoid, who to make friends with.

“Oh, and.” She stops in front of the classroom 09. “If you ever need help with getting into some trouble or anything, let me know. I have…connections with the faculty, like I said before.” She smiles at him one more time before she’s lost in the crowd of the hallway.

Walking into classroom 09 alone, Ekko realizes that without Jinx there to guide him, he feels like a fish out of water in Zaun High. Everyone certainly looks at him like a fish that’s walking.

At lunch, Ekko doesn’t go to the cafeteria. For one, he’s not entirely sure where it is, and also, he has no one to sit with. So instead, he sits in the halls and messes around on his phone.

A boy sits down beside him, and he looks like he’s a year older than Ekko. A senior.

“You the new kid?” This boy doesn’t bother with introductions.

“Yeah.” Ekko crosses his arms over his body protectively.

“Hm.” The boy pauses. “I saw you hanging out with Jinx. I don’t know what she told you, but she’s bad news, ok? And honestly, there’s some boys here who would beat the shit out of you for getting to close to her.”

Ekko doesn’t know how to respond before the boy is gone, disappearing into the halls just like Jinx did.

He only spends a little time thinking about what he told him. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t already deduced himself.

It wasn’t like he was actively seeking out Jinx anyway. But, if he was to bump into her again, well…he wouldn’t try to deter her.

[hornedmonsters]

Anubis x Reader - Dance with death

Warnings: Not really. romantic, dancing, Reader doesn't like alcohol here and is rather "quiet", talk about death

Synopsis: At a ball of the gods, you bump into Anubis in the garden at night. Just like you, he flees from the noise and is looking for peace and quiet.

You carefully took a goblet. Your gaze swept across the gigantic hall as you sipped the liquid. You sighed. Why was there alcohol everywhere?

You were actually looking for a simple drink to curb the heat that was spreading through your body. You leaned against one of the large pillars and watched the gods and few mortals celebrating together.

The reason for the celebration had escaped you, you accepted the invitation so that it wouldn't seem rude. You were actually a relatively introverted person and enjoyed the peace and quiet. Even if, for a brief moment, it was a nice change to watch people celebrating.

But you couldn't stand it for long. Your energy dwindled and the music pounded in your ears. You started to get a headache. You got warm and somehow everyone who got a little too close to you got on your nerves.

Then it occurred to you that there was a fountain with drinking water outside in the garden. You poured out one of the goblets and snuck out of the hall.

The cold air immediately hit your face and you sighed. Immediately your mood improved and you walked along the path. Stars twinkled in the sky and it was quiet in the darkness. The gravel crunched under your shoes as you walked towards the fountain with your goblet.

The sounds of the party slowly faded into the distance and your gaze fell on the beautiful flower bushes. Different colors glowed in the darkness.

The splashing of the fountain caught your attention and you sat down on the cool stone of the fountain's edge. You gently let your hand slide into the water and shudder. Then you felt the water in your goblet and took a big sip. At last. You rubbed your face as you put the goblet away.

For a brief moment, it was really pleasant that it was so quiet. Until a voice snapped you out of your thoughts.

"Not in the mood for the party either?" The dark voice made you flinch and you stared into the darkness in front of you. Glowing eyes stared at you intently and your heart stopped. "I... I needed some fresh air," you confessed to the glowing balls of light and continued to stare at them in fascination.

A dark, growling chuckle came from the shadows and suddenly the eyes drew closer. A tall figure emerged from the darkness and a jackal's head came into your field of vision.Your eyes widened and you swallowed hard as the god of the realm of the dead approached you.

You didn't know what to do, but in the meantime he sat down next to you and you immediately stiffened.You were rarely nervous around gods. Maybe because you rarely met one. But you had immense respect for Anubis. Apart from that, you were so fascinated by him and it made you dizzy that he was sitting next to you.

"Who doesn't need it?" His gaze lowered to you and you smiled softly. There was a brief, actually, comfortable silence. You both looked at the lights of the temple where the celebration was taking place and listened to the sounds of the music.

You didn't notice how Anubi's eyes wavered on you and he scrutinized your small form. You unconsciously started shivering. The nights here were usually pretty cold. Anubis took off the cloak he had been wearing and suddenly put it around your shoulders. You flinched when you felt the warm fabric against your skin.

"Are you shivering like that because you're cold or because you're afraid of me?" The god joked and your cheeks started to glow.

"More because I'm cold. I'm not afraid of you," you replied and looked up at him. His gaze was gentle.

"Many people are afraid of me," he confessed, but his expression remained gentle. Death was his everyday life, there was hardly anything else in his life. Every day he accompanied the souls of people and picked up. You still looked at him with pity.

"I think because most people are also afraid of death," you estimated. "I mean, who isn't afraid of death? It's such an inexplicable and mysterious thing," you stared up at the starry sky, lost in thought.

"You're right, but it's part of life. Old life ends and new life begins," his gaze also turned to the sky. Then his eyes fell back on the temple and back to you. Suddenly he stood up and held out his claw to you.

"Would you like to dance?"You were taken aback by his question and your cheeks began to glow at the same time.

"I can't dance," you breathed sheepishly and a slight grin crept onto his lips. His pointed canines flashed."I'm not a really good dancer either, but I'll lead you.

"You thought about it for a moment, but then grabbed his claw and let him pull you to your feet. He gently pulled you away from the fountain and led you into the open space between the flower bushes and statues.He gently held your hands for a moment. Then he brought one of them to his shoulder and kept the other in his claw. Carefully, he placed his other claw on your hip and guided you.

You glided gently across the square and you were surprised how easy it was for you to follow him. You laughed as he lifted you into the air and spun you around. You've never felt so comfortable, especially when dancing.

"I'm really glad I got out of here," you giggle as you continue to hold on to him.

"I feel the same way. I was actually looking for peace and quiet, but I found you," his deep voice breathed and your cheeks burned again.You leaned against his chest and he did nothing about it. He enjoyed your warmth, it was a nice change from the cold death and the souls he saw.Anubis pressed you tighter against him. It suddenly felt as if you had known each other for ages, even though the god was far older than you.

Eternities passed, eternities of peace, silence and togetherness. After dancing, you sat down by the fountain and talked. But unfortunately the time came when you had to go home.

"It's getting late," you breathe a little sadly. You wanted to get up and Anubis held out his claw to help you up, but he remained seated. He didn't let go of your small hand, however, and the pad of his thumb stroked the back of your hand.

"We will meet again, (Y/n).

Tags: @akashakushrenada

[wolvesofinnistrad]

Buck is so fucking tired. Its been months, months trapped in this godforsaken day.

Hes tried everything to get out, he tried making up with his exes (except Tommy), hes tried talking to everyone he knows (except Tommy), hes even tried many implausible and at times downright stupid things (only half of those were based on ideas from Chimney and Eddie.)

Today was a break day. Hed needed a few to recover after his last attempt. At least the airtime had been nice for a few seconds before the pain cut straight to the next day. No strategizing either, not that he was getting much of anywhere since he had to remind whoever he was with that day, (usually Eddie, sometimes Hen or Chim, occassionally Maddie, rarely anyone else after the first few times) of every scheme hed already tried.

No today he was doing the only mildly interesting part of this living prison, exploring the city. He'd found a new farmer's market, went to the beach, and now he was stopping to get coffee.

As he exited the building he ran directly into someone, spilling his coffee all over himself. The burn honestly didnt much phase him anymore. Not after day 87 anyway. Still.

"Dang, watch it man," he said, none of the usual fawning apologies he'd have given before the loop.

"No it was my... fault," came a voice he knew so well yet hadnt heard in almsot a year now.

Well, for him almsot a year, for Tommy Kinnard standing in front of him it was only like 2 months.

"Oh this is fucking great," he said to himself before pulling out his phone. "Hildy make a not not to come here next loop I'm not doing this again," he said as he turned and started to walk away.

Then a hand grabbed his wrist and tugged, he tried to wrench his arm away but Tommy was just as strong as he was.

"Evan, what did you just say?"

Buck shook himself loose after another jolt of his arm before looking at Tommy. It still hurt, fuck it did, but he had worse things to deal with. "Don't worry about it Tommy. You don't ever have to worry about me again, you made that clear." Again hes about to turn away when Tommy calls out to him.

"Are you in a time loop?"

That was a new record. Chim had been the fastest to ever get it at 2 hours. Slowly he turned around, despite his better judgment.

"Considering you won't rmemeber this tomorrow, and we wont see each other, yes Tommy Ive been stuck in a time loop for months now. Its getting pretty fucking old actually." Despite the fact he was definitely being a bit bitchy, Tommys face was doing some confusing journey between surprise, relief and then happiness. By the time he stopped talking the man seemed to be vibrating before he pounced, hugging Buck so hard he thought he might crack a rib.

As much as Buck might have missed this, he was pretty fucking confused. "To-mmy..."

Tommy let go, pulling back and laughing a bit hysterically. "Evan," oh, his name sounded so good on Tommys tongue how had he forgotten "i thought i was going crazy."

"What?"

Tommy shook his head. "I mean, i didnt believe it at first. Obviously you know my skepticism, even after the Billy Boils thing." Tommy gave him a softer smile then. "But after a while, and a few different trips to the hospital it became clear there wasnt anything physically wrong with me, which meant either i was crazy, or, well, I was stuck in a time loop."

Buck stood there staring at the man he'd once been on the cusp of loving, of spending forever with, and realized they were both stuck, potentially forever, in a single day.

"I cant believe this... have you met anyone else thats on the loop?"

Tommy shook his head again, glancing around before motioning for them to take a seat outside the cafe. He grabbed some napkins, giving them to Buck to wipe at his stained shirt.

"No. Ive talked to a few people, Lucy, Sal, even Howie a few different times but never even considered someone else might be stuck too."

Buck dabbed at his shirt with little actual concern. He was more focused on this trippy development. "And youve tried to get out?"

"Oh boy, yes, tried doing everything right, doing nothing, tried talking to my dad even, that was a big mistake." His head tilted to the side in that way Buck remembered fondly, when Tommy was trying to dodge the severity of something he didnt want to admit hurt. "Heck I even called Abby thinking maybe i needed to apologize or something but... nothing." He held out his empty hands and shrugged.

Buck couldnt help what came out next. "Didnt call to apologize to me. And Id know, considering im also in the loop."

Tommy didnt say anything for a long moment until. "I thought about it. So many times. Talked myself out of it. Didnt think it was right to only contact you to try to free myself."

"Self sacrificing idiot," Buck said, tossing a balled up napkin at his chest.

"Guilty as charged."

That admission actually made Buck smile for the first time. "Dang, only took you a full blown time loop to admit it huh?"

Tommy laughed. "Groundhog day hell has humbled me I guessm"

Buck quirked an eyebrow. "What does any of this have to do with a holiday about a rodent predicting the weather?"

Tommy looked surprised, the expression soon melting into a sort of shocked amusement. "Ill explain it to you later. Looks like we've got the time. A lot of it actually."

"Yeah, I guess we do." Buck looked at him, and it still hurt, but there was camaraderie there, stuck in the same situation with only one person that understood. For the first time since the breakup he felt like things were starting to make sense again. And maybe, just maybe, if they could find a way to move past this day... well maybe they could find a way to move past their own problems too.

[shes-an-artist]

Don't Look At Me Like That pt 1

Summary: You catch the man staring at you across the room, turns out he's Bucky Barnes. It escalates from there. 

Warnings: good ol’ domestic fluff of really soft Bucky Barnes, reader is a sweetheart with a soft spot for certain soldiers, toxic relationship 

Word count: 2774 words

Let's be happy and kick off this year with a fluff filled fic!

You knew he would show, not after that text. Standing you up and on top of it all, you were stuck with the check.

"Sick parents, my foot." You grumbled, resting your chin in your hand and trying not to cry in public. The restaurant wasn't extremely busy, but it was neatly packed on New Year's Eve. It was your idea to meet up on New Year's Eve, maybe you two would hit off just perfect in the new year. 

Not.

You sighed, wiped your eyes and finished off your soda. It was getting late and you might as well go home. What a way to start a new year...

You looked around one last time, maybe he would show up, maybe he really was a nice guy-

You caught the gaze of the man across the room, you made eye contact with everyone when you looked around, but his eyes were something else entirely. Ice blue and watching you intently. You didn't meant to stare back but when you looked away you knew your were blushing. 

"For Pete's sake, what the heck..." you mentally yelled, absentmindedly playing with your necklace. 

One glance at your vintage style watch and you decided to call it a night. 9:00. He wasn't going to show.

You sniffed and stood up, pulling your arms through your jacket sleeves. You could wait till you got home, then you could cry. Not here.

"Have a good evening, ma'am." The waiter smiled politely at you as you passed by him, exiting the dining room. The more happy couples were starting to get a little too frisky, all thanks to the wine, whiskey and champagne that was characteristic of an average New Year's party.

"Hey-" you felt a tug on your shoulder by a strong grip, but not demanding.  "Is this yours?"

You turned to see the man with the ice blue eyes standing behind you, your phone in his gloved hand. 

"Oh word, thank you--" you took your phone back with relief. "I must have thought it was the check.."

"Um, I don't mean to be nosy, but were you waiting for someone?" He asked cautiously, his hand falling back to his pocket. You thought you recognized him from some where, but your memory refused to cooperate. 

"Unfortunately, yes." You tucked your phone safely in the back pocket of your jeans. "But looks like I've been stood up. Again."

"Sounds like the guy needs a swift kick in the pants." He commented. You noticed he didn't move closer or try to get your number right off. He was different. You liked different.

"Oh be my guest." 

"Now I know things going to sound like I'm a cad, but is it alright if I walk you home? Tonight seems a little dangerous for a girl to be out alone."

You were cautious, obviously. New York was not exactly known for safety. "I live just a few miles away." You made a motion toward the door and to the right. "I should be fine."

"Then humor me." He seemed to keep trying. "Please?"

You flashed a smile. He was being awful cute and you didn't even know his name. Whoa, whoa- there was no way you were on the updraft. Aw, what the heck, he was being straight up polite. Why not?

"Alright," you agreed, hiking your bag higher on your shoulder. He seemed to be relieved, a smile just ghosting his lips. 

He opened the door for you with his other hand still shoved in his pocket, his longish hair was tucked under a beanie and his jaw was lined with a few days growth. He was actually pretty handsome, and polite.

"I'm (Y/N), by the way." you introduced yourself as the door shut and you were both out in the chilly air, the sidewalks were busy and were just starting to coat with a thin layer of ice rom the snow that flaked down from the dark sky. 

"I'm Bucky." He flashed a rather charming smile as he fell in step beside you, but he kept a reasonable distance. 

"That's where I recognized you!" You snapped your fingers and looked at him. "You're with the Avengers!"

He seemed to blush! "Yeah, that's me."

"Well, I must say, you're the nicest Avenger I've met. Granted you're the only one I've met.."

"You're not missing much, trust me." He shook his head as you both stopped to wait for the light to cross the street. "They're all pretty normal."

"So you're special." You teased.

He snickered and ducked his head. "Sure, sure, we'll go with that."

You laughed, strangely elated with making the former Winter Soldier laugh. Not that you could tell anyone about it... 

"So where'd you meet this guy, if I may be so curious?" Bucky asked as the light turned red and the crosswalk turned to 'walk'.

"Oh, the usual, smart aleck swaggers up to me, practically demands my number and as the silly girl I am, I give it him, you know might as well hope for the best, you never know."  You explained, trying not to sound bitter but what could you expect?? The bum stood you up after approaching you first, it just wasn't fair. "So we wind up texting with each other for a long time, a month maybe. And finally he seemed to work up the nerve to ask me out but tells me I can pick the place. So far ,so good, right?"

"Go on." Bucky tilted his head, sounding genuinely curious. 

"Turns out, not so good." You frowned as you both turned onto the street of your apartment building. "I pick the restaurant you found me in, he agrees and then suddenly he needs to spend the night with his parents because they have some strange sickness that sprung up over night. My foot."

You rammed your hands into your pockets, the tips of your digits starting to numb in the freezing weather outside. 

"Sounds like a tough break." Bucky offered, opening the door for you again, if he kept this up you were about to invite him up to your apartment to warm up! "You wouldn't be okay to someone looking in on this moron, asking for a friend."

"Sir, you cannot lie to save your life-" you thought as you looked at him, the warmth of indoors hiding your apparent blush. "Mmm, maybe. Who's the friend?"

That caught him off guard, his brows shooting upward. But he quickly regained his gruff composure and continued. "Stark likes to keep tabs on guys like that, it's a weird habit."

"Sure, Bucky, sure." You hid your grin as the elevator doors opened. "I'm really not sure what his address is, because he never told me, but his name is Alex Holden. Thanks for walking me home, Bucky."

"My pleasure, (Y/N)." He flashed that charming smile as you squeezed next to another older woman in the elevator before the doors shut.

You actually felt better, now you knew you wouldn't spend the evening crying.

You were just finished with you workout and sat on the kitchen counter, sipping on your protein shake to recover when you heard the phone ring. You recognized it as Alex's number so you thought you'd have a few choice words with the bum.

"Hello, Mr. Holden." You said flatly as you held the phone to your ear.

"Knock it off and explain the new boyfriend who had the audacity to follow you around all night last night??!"

"Okay, calm down, dude." You struggled not to sound smug at the mention of the former Winter Soldier. Your genius on the phone probably didn't know whom he was referring to. "First off, not new boyfriend. Just a nice fella who was polite and kind enough to walk me home on New Year's Eve because he spotted I was alone on a set'-up date, oh that's right, there never was a date. Someone fell through, imagine that."

"Alright, alright, so something came up, but look, baby. I'll make it up o you, we'll go out tonight and party."

"I thought your parent were sick?"

"They're better this morning, plus my cousin's in town so he can take care of 'em. C'mon, baby, just say yes, I promise I'll make it up to you."

"Yeah, sure, sure. Hey, don't be surprised if someone shows up at your front door here soon."

"What-? What are you talking about??"

"Oh, you'll see." You smirked before hanging up, deleting the contact and blocking the number. "Screw you."

Later that afternoon when you were cleaning up the last bit of your Christmas decorations, you heard a knock at your door.

"One sec!" You called before snagging the knife in your pocket and tucking it between your wrist and your hoodie sleeve in case Alex wanted some 'alone time'. 

"Who is it?" You questioned as you held the deadbolt with your hand.

"It's just Bucky." 

You let out a sigh of relief when you hard his voice. Quickly undoing the lock you opened the door and let him in. 

"Oh, hi, Bucky! What brings you down here?"

"I just wanted to let you know your crack pot boyfriend won't be bothering you anymore." He said sternly, his hands in his pockets as usual. 

"You're too nice, Barnes." You smiled, tucking that stubborn strand behind your ear. "You really don't have to do it."

"I thought I said Tony did that sort of thing-"

"Sure, sure, the former Winter Soldier definitely wouldn't purposely go after a hurt girl's crackpot boyfriend so he wouldn't come after her. Right."

"Okay, okay, you caught me." He shrugged, looking at the floor. "So I care, big deal."

"And you're sweet." You smiled again, touching his right arm. "Thank you for being kind."

Then he actually made eye contact, his eyes were searching yours it seemed. Then he smiled that ever-charming smile that made his eyes sparkle even more.

"My word, you're adorable--" your hands flew up to your face as you knew full well you were blushing like mad. "Okay, oh my word that so dumb, I'm sorry, I shouldn't say things out loud sometimes..."

"No, no," He offered, cutting you off and shaking his head. "You have free speech, you might as well use it."

"Now you sound like Cap."

"He actually hates the puns."

"Shocker." You thought so, but you had an real confirmation. But for goodness sake, you had confirmation from Cap's best friend. What better source??

"Oh-" Bucky looked to your apartment which was pretty messed up with the crates and the vacuum out. "Oh did I interrupt you, I'm sorry-"

"Ah, nah, no, no, no, Buck, trust me, it's fine. It's been liked this since three days ago, you should have seen it on Monday.” You reassured, looking over your shoulder at the somewhat messy room. “I’m a loyal procrastinator.”

“Wou-would you like some help? I mean with the heavier things, maybe?”

“Matter of fact, I would love help.” You nodded, taking the lead into the room where three large hard plastic crates were waiting to be stored in the room at the ground floor, meanwhile you lived on the fifth floor. “I’m just about to finish these up and then we can take them downstairs to the storage room, ‘kay?”

“Got it.” Bucky nodded, surveying the apartment. “Anything else?”

“Well, how are you with the tree?”

He sucked his teeth. “Been told I’m the best holder of lights while Nat takes them down.”

“Perfect!” You clapped your hands once and tugged the lid off the crate to put the final items inside. 

“So you decorate the whole place or just put up a tree and some lights?” He questioned, stepping over and picking up the fallen pillow from the floor and set it on the couch. 

“I usually do an artificial tree with a few other decorations but I have a weakness for lights.” You admitted, stashing a coil of lights on top of the tree skirt before popping the lid back on the crate. “Thats the first one, could you put it by the door, please?”

Bucky wordlessly pulled his hands from his pockets and picked up the crate with relative ease before setting it next to the door and returning to where you were pulling lights from the curtain rod. You noticed he still wore gloves, even though your apartment was a little warm, but you didn’t pry. You knew about his metal arm just from media, but you’d never actually seen it. 

“What about you guys? Does Mr. Stark overdecorate just because he can?”

“Sort of.” He shrugged. “We have one large tree and then a smaller one in the big room.”

“I saw that enormous wreath on the tower last week.” You glanced at him as you climbed off the chair. “I just wonder if he could get bigger.”

“I wouldn’t encourage him.” Bucky shook his head.

You smiled and rolled up the lights before setting them on the couch. “You can sit down if you want, I might be a second with the next crate.”

He said nothing but moved out of your way so that you could go into the next room where the bare tree was sitting, waiting to be taken down.

“You do all this by yourself?” He looked impressed almost. You had a descent sized apartment, but it was just right for two people.

“My roommate usually helps me out, but she’s out of town this year.” You explained, inspecting the tree one last time to make sure no stray ornament had escaped your view. “So looks like I’m doing it myself, this year.”

“Well, you got me.”

“True.” You nodded, lifting your arms to take the top half of the tree off, but Bucky stepped in and pulled it up before you even stood on your toes. “Oh, thank you.”

“Does it go in a box or one of those crates?”

“In a bag, actually. The company makes these rolling bags to put the trees in. I personally found it just another way to pull money, but Artemis wanted it, so we got it.” You shrugged, finding yourself talking to him like an old friend. He wasn’t hard to talk to, just a great listener. 

“Actually, shoot- I left the bag downstairs in the room.”

“Want me to go get it?”

“If you could, please.” You fished the key from your jean pocket. “Its red and has small wheels like an office chair on the bottom, should have (Y/L/N) written on it.”

“Yep.” Bucky took the key and was out the door. You sighed happily and looked back to the tree. 

“Looks like we have a new friend, eh?”

The rest of the cleaning up went by all too fast, considering you had an extra hand helping you certainly made a difference. 

You had just shut the storage room door with the last of the crates inside when you turned and saw Bucky staring.

“What?” You prompted, shaking him from his gaze.

“Sorry—“ He ducked. 

“Its fine, Buck.” You flashed a quick smile before strolling out to the hallway. “I really appreciate all your help today, really.”

“Well, it was the least I could do.” He shrugged. 

“Hey, don’t minimalize yourself like that, okay? You’ve already done so much for me, and I don’t think you’ll accept it if I pay you.”

“You don’t have to pay me, (Y/N).” He was quick to confirm. 

“Then chin up, soldier. You don’t have to be modest all the time.” You smiled, cuffing his arm slightly before stepping back. You were still only friends after all. 

He looked at you a moment longer. “You sure you don’t need anything else?”

“Bucky.” You smiled, crossing your arms. “I’m fine. Trust me, I’ve got it. Thank you, though.”

“Okay.” He nodded, offering one last charming smile and turning to leave. “Oh, yeah—“ He pulled something from his pocket. “You’re more than welcome anytime, just tell them you know me.” He handed you what looked like a card with the Avengers symbol on it along with an address.

“Aw, thanks, Bucky.” You smiled again and tucked the card into your pocket, sure to keep it. 

“Take care of yourself, okay?”

“Yes’sir.”

“Bye, then.”

“Bye.” You waved, he waved back and walked out of the door. 

“Well, he’s certainly a great guy.” You had a smile on your face for the rest of the day, enthralled that he’d literally just given you access to the Avenger’s Tower, and you’d only known each other less than 24 hours. What the crap.

-------------

Thank you for reading! Unfortunately I don't know how to create a master list for my first so I ta people if they want to be updated.

But the second part of this should be posted soon!

Tag list: @fictionalmenjusthitdifferent ~ @itzzkaylaaa ~ @the-superoriginal ~ @random-hufflepuff-marvel-girl ~ @oh-to-be-a-murderer ~ @twoarrsandonesea

[lovelaetter]

⠀— hii just wanted to come on here and share my thoughts on soojin because she's just so adorable☹️

thinking about how soojin & mean housemate!reader :(( poor girl always feels like she’s walking on eggshells when you’re around , doing her best to not piss you off ‘cause the last time she did that (accidentally breaking a glass cup or something), you ended up yelling at her like no tomorrow, raising your voice to the point she felt tears start to form in her eyes :(

but even though you scare her so bad she just can’t help but feel hot around your presence, it confuses her so bad because she doesn’t know whether or not she wants to scurry back into her room or just get on her knees in front of you😞

adding onto that; fuck girl!reader who brings girls over to their place every other day, it’s a nightmare for soojin since you don’t bother to muffle any noises that they make—the thin walls making it even harder for her to ignore what was happening since all she could hear is them moaning your name :( she wants to knock on your door, ask if you could tone it down a bit but she’s just too scared to—well, that and also the fact that it just gets her so wet!

babygirl feels so conflicted; she’s annoyed and restless, but at the same she’s so turned on, wondering what it’d be like to be in positions with those other girls—having you fuck her brains out until she’s a crying and blabbering mess ☹️

(this is such a mess but anyway— have a nice day!)

– 🦕

DUBCON (INTOXICATION)

it’s funny how i read something and go “hm, how can I make this worse?”… so hear me out: intoxication, drunk!soojin.

you are mean to her and you know that, obviously, but the fact that she put up with your shit does intrigues you and makes you so fucking interested in her somehow, like, this easy? pretty baby sticking around even with you mistreating her like that? there has to be something going on with her, she is the perfect plaything for you. and you want to fuck her, so bad, has to hold back from taking her by that delicate neck of hers so many times when she pisses you off, but you want her to beg, break down and cry for you to take her like you do to the girls you bring over, you want a reason to humiliate her just a little more, look in her pretty eyes and make her cry saying you didn’t know she was such a slut.

things getting a little out of control when you throw a party and your eyes find her, drinking and chatting with a few, an idea coming to your mind and in a blink she is under your arm, eyes shining looking at you and so confused and you’re being so… nice? and offering her a drink and another and another and another, until she is leaning completely onto you, movements sloppy, eyes heavy, warm breath against your neck and laughing at the way your hands run over her body, sliding under her top and feeling her tits.

poor baby, doesn’t complain even when you take her top off, only muttering a whiny “nooo” but not moving to hide herself. there’s a lot of people, not everyone sees, but some do throw you a few glances, i mean, everybody that knows you, knows your roommate, so seeing her in your arms drunk like that only in bra and pants? it’s something. your hand resting on her belly, just above the button of her jeans, whispering “you want me to fuck you here, in front of everyone?” and it’s as if she comes back to reality briefly, looking around, at you and shaking her head, lips wobbling and tears in her eyes as you laugh and call her a whore.

doesn’t matter, though, you want that pussy and you’re getting it, easily. taking her to your bedroom because despite everything you are not letting others be cruel to her, she is yours to hurt. i can see her repeating over and over that she is not a whore while you’re undoing her jeans, shutting up only when you grab her face forcefully to look at you and your other hand finds her slit. you could do nothing, just let your hand there, she would be a moaning mess, so loud, bucking her hips and getting your palm sticky.

you can do what you want with her body, all night. slurp on her puffy cunt until she creams all over your face, stuff her full and hold her down as she squirms and screams because it’s too much, mark her up, grab her by the hair and ride her face until you cum and more just to get her messy, it’s your call. and when she wakes up next morning with your taste in her mouth and her hole aching, ass red from your handprints, you asleep by her side, she doesn’t know if she screams, if she cries, if she wakes you up— but i don’t think she would complain that much if you decided to deal with her panic by tossing her around a little.

[m4rs-ex3]

the season 7 quotes ever: personal favorites (aka wildcard) edition

“oh? i suppose you’ve seen that written in the stars?” “no, no. i’ve seen it written in his eyes.”

“part of me wishes i hadn’t seen you. but my eyesight is perfect.” “then just look away, Soren.”

"you're stuck with me now."

“you speak the name of a Ghost.” “i speak the name of my daughter.”

“it’s not enough for me to watch the world. i want to make a difference.”

“we’ve been sitting here eating dessert, Rayla. DESSERT.”

“each of us pledged a part of ourselves for that mission. your son pledged his blood for justice. and the thing is, no one should have to spill their blood for justice.”

“now what?” “now, we wait for Callum to catch his breath. and then, he will decide whether you live or die.”

“Runaan, be kind to the boy. it’s not easy getting to know his girlfriend’s parents. he’s nervous.”

“i have to stop you.” “i know you have to try.”

“i never asked for this. i wasn’t ready to be a king, i’m just a kid."

“besides, my home now? it’s wherever you are.”

“what do you think, Callum?” “i think, uh… i think i agree with Barius. pretty sure he had a… a good point. everyone nodded.”

“history has a way of burying the ugly truths of those who write it.”

“you’re ridiculous.” “thanks. i mean, i think thanks. y-you meant that in a nice way, right? ridiculous can be a-a compliment, in certain contexts.”

“the Pearl you brought to the Starscraper… it was made of candy. we ate it.”

“Ghost. i thought you’d run away again.” “i’m here. but not to give you what you want. i’m not going to beg you to forgive me.”

“well, i don’t want you here.” “you mean, you don’t want you here?” “i said that! but not me you. you you!” “me?” “yes.” “me.” “no. oh, what am i doing? i’m talking to myself.” “yes, you am.”

“well, that was salty.” “the tears.” “yeah.”

“feel his hair! it’s… so greasy.” “why does everyone keep saying that? i-i wash it regularly.”

"Rayla loves me. she believes in me. this version of myself.” “it’s not about you, is it? if you love her, you’ll be the you who can save her."

“like the moon itself, all of us may be reborn from darkness.”

"i was trained to accept that i was already dead, so that i might carry out my dark work without fear. but… i am not dead. i am alive! i have a family i love. i have so much to lose, the very things i took from you.”

“i mean, at the end of the day, you’re at the top of the org chart.” “we have an org chart?”

“yes. yes i do. i love her. i love her very much.”

“confirmed. regular sap.”

"i still need you, Ezran. i know it’s been a hard time, but i really hope—” “i need you too.”

“so, how’s your book?”

“the three of us have been through a lot together. we’ll get through this, too. right?”

“the stars have never smiled upon their creations.”

[gene-and-the-riskyfixins]

It annoys me how I talked about how nice the fandom was earlier this year, like I went on talking about how nice everyone was and how I loved being a apart of it, now it has left a real sour taste in my mouth seeing how much people hated on everyone and how toxic people can be

[luck-of-the-drawings]

[OLD ART ALERT] A COLLECTION OF SCENES FROM THE GILLIONS CATSCRATCH ARC THAT BROUGHT ME GREAT JOY. i love fishy chips especially when its just gillion being delirious and violent and hostile

[kyouka-supremacy]

(╥﹏╥)

[basofy]

ive never talked about their dynamic but this is one of the many thoughts i have about them