#like noah levels of just showing up suddenly

[fishy-lava]

ya know having spent the last year living in a trailer has changed my perception of adam parrish a little bit do you gave any idea how silent this kid had to be to avoid getting his ass beat every day? how careful he had to be about all of his movements? you can feel and hear literally everything in a trailer like someone rolls over in their sleep and it shakes the whole thing sometimes and I literally cannot stress enough how you can hear everything both inside and out and it's so stressful sometimes and it gets so fucking hot in the summer and if the heating goes out in the winter it gets so so so cold to the point where really the only difference between outside and inside is that there's no wind inside and honestly this kid's gucking willpower is insane just to keep living in that trailer with his father despite having people who could very easily get him out like i get why he didnt want to leave that but holy shot dude it could have been so much easier if he just did I get why he's such a bitch now

[misspygmypie]

Meet & Greet... and more? Pt. 8

Pairing: Lando Norris x reader Words: 2609 Click here for Part 7

Please do not repost, thank you, and leave some feedback :)

“Are you sure about this?” Y/N asked quietly, her eyes searching Lando’s. “It’s a big deal for Noah to be seen by so many people.”

Lando nodded, offering her a reassuring smile. “I know, baby. It crossed my mind too. But remember, all the viewers are online, they’re not here in person. Noah’s going to be in the safest place he could be: right here with us.”

Y/N took a deep breath, nodding. “That’s true. I just want to make sure he’s comfortable.”

Noah, sensing the slight worry in his mom’s voice, looked up at both of them, his big eyes curious but calm. “Lando, are we gonna play games? I wanna go play games now.”

Lando’s smile softened visibly at the boy’s excitement. “Yeah, buddy, we’re going to. Remember, some people will be watching us online but you’re gonna be amazing.”

Noah’s grin spread wide at that and Lando felt some of his nervousness ease. He was always protective of Noah and Y/N and this was a big step, letting Noah be seen by his fans in a stream instead of through paparazzi photos but he knew it was the right move.

Max suddenly appeared in the doorway, breaking the moment with his usual playful energy. “What’s with the serious faces? You two look like you’re about to send Noah off to his first day of school or something,” he teased.

Lando chuckled. “It kind of feels like it.”

“Look, guys, relax,” Max leaned against the doorframe, giving them both a confident smile. “Noah’s going to have a blast. Plus, the fans are going to love him, they already do.”

Y/N’s shoulders relaxed a bit and she smiled at Max’s reassurance. “You’re right. And he’s with you two, so I know he’ll be okay.”

“Exactly,” Max grinned and clapped his hands together, “now, let’s make this the best Quadrant video yet. Noah’s got some races to win!”

With that, they all headed into Max’s gaming room, ready to share this special moment with the world and stream another video for Quadrant. The room was lit with colorful LED lights and Max, as always, was cracking jokes, trying to get Lando to break his serious face. “Come on, mate, smile for the camera. Your fans are here to see happy Lando, not ‘I just lost a race’ Lando.”

Lando rolled his eyes, but a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “Alright, alright. Let’s get this started before you start doing stand-up comedy.”

They did their usual intro, with Max hyping up the video and Lando chiming in with his signature laugh. “So today, we’ve got a special guest. Someone who’s been dying to make his debut on the channel,” Lando said, glancing off-camera with a grin.

Max leaned in with exaggerated curiosity. “Ooh, who could it be? Is it Daniel Ricciardo? Oh, wait, no, he’s probably too busy drinking from a shoe.”

Lando laughed loudly and shook his head. “Nope, even better. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the real star of today’s video, Noah!”

At that moment the boy ran into the frame, beaming with excitement. He was wearing a tiny Quadrant t-shirt that still nearly drowned him but it only added to his cuteness. 

“Hi!” Noah said, waving at the camera with both hands.

Lando leaned down to his level and ruffled his hair. “Noah here is going to show us how it’s done today, right, buddy?”

“Oh no, Lando, I think we’re outmatched,” Max was dramatically pretending to be defeated, “Noah’s going to wipe the floor with us!”

Noah giggled and climbed onto Lando’s lap. “So, Noah, what’s the plan? Are we going to play some racing games?”

Noah nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! I want to drive the fast car like Lando!”

Lando grabbed a controller and handed it to Noah. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got, little man.”

The trio began playing and it quickly became clear that Noah was more interested in crashing the cars than actually winning the race. Lando and Max were in stitches, watching Noah’s car flip and spin out on the track. 

“That’s one way to take out the competition,” Max said, barely able to contain his laughter.

Lando, still laughing, leaned into the mic. “I think Noah might be a future F1 driver, he’s already got the daring part down!”

The more they played, the more the chat in the livestream exploded with comments from fans. 

“Oh my gosh, Noah is so cute!”  

“Lando’s so good with kids, this is adorable.”  

“Quadrant needs to hire Noah full-time!”  

“Protect Noah at all costs!”

Lando glanced at the chat and smiled. “Looks like the fans love you, Noah. What do you think, should we make you a permanent member of Quadrant?”

Noah, focused on crashing yet another car, looked up and nodded without really understanding the question. “Yeah!”

“Well, Lando, I think we’ve been replaced,” Max shook his head with mock seriousness. “Quadrant is now Noah’s company.”

After the race, Lando hugged Noah tightly and spun the chair around, both of them laughing while going in circles. “You did great, buddy!”

Noah grinned and hugged Lando around the neck. “Thanks, Lando!”

As the video wrapped up, Lando and Max said their goodbyes to the viewers, promising more fun content soon. 

“And don’t forget to like and subscribe if you want to see more of this little guy,” Lando said, gesturing to Noah, who waved at the camera with a big smile.

Once the camera stopped rolling, Y/N, who had been watching from the sidelines, came over and lifted Noah into her arms. “You were amazing, sweetheart,” she said, kissing his cheek.

Lando wrapped an arm around her, looking at her and Noah with a fond smile. “He was a natural. The fans loved him.”

“Well, mate, looks like you’ve got some competition for the fan-favorite spot.”

Lando chuckled at Max’s comment, watching as Noah cuddled up to Y/N. “Yeah and I couldn’t be happier about it.”

_____

As the day began to wind down Max and Noah were still thick as thieves, chatting and playing games like they had all been best friends with each other for years. Max, always one to keep the fun going, leaned over to the 4-year-old at some point and said, “You know, Lando and I like to go golfing sometimes. We’ve got a bit of a rivalry going, though I usually win, of course.”

Lando laughed and rolled his eyes but before he could protest Noah’s eyes widened with interest. “Golfing? That sounds fun! Can I come with you guys next time?”

“Absolutely you can,” Max grinned, clearly loving the idea. “We should make it a thing, the three of us hitting the golf course together. You can even drive the golf cart.”

Noah’s face lit up at the thought of driving the cart but before he could get too excited, Lando chimed in with a teasing grin still giggling. “Whoa, whoa, hold on a second! Noah, you can’t even ride a bike yet. How are you supposed to drive a golf cart? Or swing a golf club?”

Noah puffed out his chest, determined. “I can learn! I bet I can hit the ball really far!”

Max chuckled, giving Lando a playful nudge. “Come on, Lando, he’s got the spirit! Besides, if he’s half as competitive as you he’ll be swinging like a pro in no time.”

“Alright, alright. But don’t come crying to me when he outdrives you.”

Y/N, who had been listening from the kitchen where she prepared dinner for all of them, joined their conversation. “I think it’s a great idea. It’ll be fun for all of you and who knows, maybe Noah will surprise us all.”

“What do you say, Noah? Ready to take on the golf course with us?” Max looked down at Noah with a wink and the boy quickly nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll show you both how good I am!”

Lando shook his head, unable to keep in a quiet laughter. “Alright, but you’re going to need some practice first. Maybe we’ll start with mini-golf and then work our way up to the big leagues.”

“Deal,” Max celebrated, “and when he’s ready, we’ll have the ultimate showdown. Just don’t be too upset when Noah beats you, Lando.”

_____

Lando was looking forward to a rare weekend off and today was special for another reason, it was the first real “Boy’s Day Out” together with Noah and his best friend Max. Ever since the conversation about golfing came up Noah kept asking Lando when they would go - and today would be the day.

The morning started with Y/N getting Noah ready for their big day. She had picked out the perfect outfit for the occasion: a tiny, crisp white polo shirt, beige shorts and a little cap that she carefully placed on his head. She even got him new white shoes and a tiny golfing glove, making Noah look like a mini version of a professional golfer.

As Y/N led Noah into the hallway where Lando and Max were waiting, the two friends were in the middle of a playful debate about who would win the mini-golf game but the moment they saw Noah they both fell silent, their jaws dropping in unison.

Lando was the first to react, breaking into a giggle. “Oh my God, look at you,” he exclaimed, crouching down to get a better look. “You’re like a mini Tiger Woods but way cooler!”

Max, usually the more composed of the two, was completely taken aback. He ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head in disbelief. “Mate, this is too much. How is it even legal to be this cute?” He looked at Y/N, pretending to be stern. “You’re going to give us a heart attack dressing him like this.”

Y/N laughed, clearly pleased with their reactions. “I couldn’t resist. He wanted to look just like Lando and Uncle Max today.”

Noah, basking in the attention, gave them a big, proud smile. “Do I look cool?” he asked, spinning around to show off his outfit.

“Cool? You’re the coolest kid ever,” Lando said, his voice filled with genuine admiration. “I think you’re gonna win just because you look so awesome.”

Max nodded vigorously in agreement. “Seriously, Noah, we don’t stand a chance. You’ve already won in the style department.”

“But don’t think we’re going easy on you just because you look like a superstar,” Lando leaned in, giving Noah a mock-serious look but the boy only giggled, lifting his little golf club as if ready to take on the world. “I’m gonna beat you both!”

Max placed a hand over his heart dramatically. “I think I’ve just been challenged by the world’s cutest golfer. This is going to be tough.”

Heading out the door Lando and Max kept sneaking glances at Noah, still in awe of how adorable he looked. It was clear that the day was off to a fantastic start, with Noah already winning their hearts before even stepping onto the course.

Noah’s eyes lit up when they arrived a short while later and he was bouncing with excitement, gripping his tiny golf club tightly.

"Look, Lando! I’m gonna beat you!" Noah declared, grinning up at him.

"We’ll see about that, buddy. I’ve been practicing,” Lando just chuckled while Max, carrying a bag of snacks Y/N had packed for them, gave Lando a playful nudge. "Practicing, huh? You really want to win this, don’t you?"

"Just trying to make sure Noah has a good time."

Max winked. "Sure, sure. Let’s see if you can handle the pressure."

The first few holes were a blast. Noah was surprisingly good for his age, managing to hit the ball with surprising accuracy. Max and Lando cheered him on and every time Noah made a good shot, he’d turn to both of them for a high-five.

At one point, they reached a tricky hole that had a loop-de-loop. Noah struggled with it, unable to get the ball to go up the loop. After a few failed attempts, he looked up at Lando with big, frustrated eyes.

Lando crouched down next to him. "Hey, it’s okay, Noah. Want me to show you?"

Noah nodded eagerly and Lando quickly positioned himself behind the boy, softly putting his hands over Noah’s to show him how to angle the club just right. With Lando’s help Noah finally got the ball through the loop and he jumped up and down with joy.

"I did it! I did it, Lando!"

Lando’s heart melted. "You sure did, champ! Great job!"

Max watched the interaction with a grin. "Looks like you’ve got some competition, mate. Noah’s a natural."

Noah was having the time of his life, tackling each hole with determination. He was especially fascinated by the windmill obstacle, which he insisted on conquering without any help. Lando and Max stood off to the side, watching Noah as he lined up his shot, his little tongue poking out in concentration.

“He’s really something, isn’t he?” Lando said, chuckling affectionately.

Max nodded, a smile playing on his lips as he watched Noah’s intense focus. “Yeah, he’s a great kid. You’re really good with him, you know.”

Lando glanced at Max, then back at Noah, who was now carefully aiming his putt. “I’ve been thinking a lot about that, actually.”

“Oh?” Max turned to him, eyebrow raised. 

Lando took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. “I’m serious about Y/N, Max. Like, really serious. I never thought I’d say this so soon, it’s only been almost a year but…I’m thinking about a future with them.”

Max’s eyes widened in surprise but then he smiled, clapping Lando on the back. “Wow, mate, that’s big. I mean, I knew you two were close, but…a future?”

Lando nodded, his gaze still on Noah, who had just managed to get the ball through the windmill. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. They mean everything to me. Y/N, she’s incredible and so supportive of me and my career and Noah…he’s like this little light that brightens up everything. I want to be there for them, I want to be the guy they can count on.”

Max looked at Lando, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. “Have you talked to Y/N about this?”

“Not yet,” Lando admitted. “I want to. I just…I’m trying to figure out the right time, the right way. It’s a big step, you know? But I’m pretty sure about what I want.”

“Well, mate, I’m happy for you,” Max’s grin widened and he gave Lando another hearty slap on the back. “And I know you’ll be a great dad to Noah if that’s where this relationship is heading. Just make sure I get to be the best man at the wedding, yeah?”

Lando laughed, feeling a surge of happiness at the thought. “You’ve got a deal.”

They finished the course with Max and Lando neck and neck in the score but it was clear who the real winner was - Noah. He had the time of his life, running between Max and Lando, chattering excitedly about how much fun he was having.

On their way back to the car Noah reached up and took Lando’s hand.

"Can we do this again sometime?" he asked, looking up at them with wide, hopeful eyes.

Lando and Max exchanged a glance, both smiling.

"Of course, buddy," Lando said. "Anytime you want."

Max nodded in agreement. "We’re always up for some more mini-golf madness, right, Lando?"

"Definitely," Lando agreed, giving Noah’s hand a gentle squeeze.

_____

Click here for Part 9!

Tag: @barcelonaloverf1life @remmysthings @poppyflower-22 @vickykazuya @hadids-world @ririyulife @deafeningunknowntyrant @lexiecampos @littlegrapejuice @eloriis @yawn-zi @landossainz @taliya8346282844eliviahdgdajs @casuallyeating @jaydensluv @destinyg237 @il0vereadingstuff @lnchicagosreads @alana4610 @hc-dutch

[collapsedglasshouses]

An Angel For Noah || Noah Sebastian x OC [Part 10]

DIVIDER ART WORK BY @cafekitsune

PAIRING: Noah Sebastian x Jules [she/her]

MASTERPOST

SUMMARY: Jules and Noah finally face their difficulies, leading to them letting down their guards.

WARNINGS: ANGST, NSFW, MDNI, fingering, unprotected sex (p in v) [does it even count as unprotected, she is a fucking guardian angel idk], even more angst, swearing, mentions of mental health issues, mentions of death, ...

A/N: I cried. A lot. :) Also! I'd like to dedicate this chapter to @crimson-calligraphyx because I accidentally gave Jules' best friend her name in the exact same spelling as her own name! ALSO... this is not proofread... i'm sorry about that ._.

TAGLIST: @trvshdxddy @blackveilomens @crimson-calligraphyx @measuredingold @cncohshit @signs-of-ill-portent @hi-fancy-seeing-you-here @ada-clarence @wild-child-7747 @thebadchic @thescarlettvvitch @cookiesupplier

Keep in mind, this takes place in an alternative universe. Even though I write about real people, the way I write them has nothing to do with how they are in real life.

“What am I doing?” Jules asked herself while looking at Noah’s sleeping figure. It’s been three hours since he had finally fallen asleep and Jules felt numb. Her heartbeat took some time to slow down a bit, but her mind was still racing as fast as it gets. She couldn’t get the image of him trying to climb over the balcony railing out of her head. She knew he wasn’t doing well but she didn’t realize it had been that bad. He needed help she couldn’t give him.

Every time she considered a strategy to help him, she couldn't follow through with it. The idea of merely returning to exist in his shadows appeared more impossible than ever. All of her past actions seemed like a lot of bad decisions. The fact that she now also had promised him to talk about the situation and see him again, made her feel even more at unease.

Her gaze remained fixed on Noah, and she felt a wave of nausea. It seemed impossible to get herself out of the situation. She didn’t want to leave him; he needed support, and she was determined to find a way to help him overcome his misery.

TWO WEEKS LATER

When Noah opened the door to his room, a deep sigh escaped him. The bags under his eyes were more pronounced than usual, and he found himself in a state of uncertainty. It had been a while since he last saw Jules. She didn't come to talk to him as she had promised, and although he yearned to resolve things, he understood it might be for the best.

He had phoned his therapist as soon as he woke up and made an appointment for after the tour. After that he went on and did his best. He performed as good as he could and even though the tour had been successful he was more than glad that it had ended.

His therapy session had just ended and now he didn't really know what to do. He was angry with himself that he let his intrusive thoughts get a hold of him back than but when he was being honest with himself he was even more disappointed that Jules didn't show up as she promised.

When he sat down at his desk, his phone suddenly vibrated.

ONE NEW NOTIFICATION FROM SADIE

He hadn't heard from her since that night he almost had a car accident while driving to her.

Sadie: What's up? You wanna meet up?

Noah stared at the message and began to bite the inside of his cheek. It wasn't like he didn't like her or something but since he met Jules, he hadn't thought of Sadie even once.

He sighed before laying down his phone again. This was dumb. He was acting dumb. He had this really nice girl waiting for him and he would have the advantage of getting rid of some stress, but he preferred to sit there and mourn his damn guardian angel. He wasn't even remotely sure what he was hoping to get out of it.

So, he stood up and grabbed his jacket and right as he was about to leave his room, he felt a hand on his shoulder and simultaneously his anger level seemed to explode.

"You can't be serious?" He blurted out and spun around to look at Jules. She looked terrible, if he could even say that. If she would still have been alive, he would have said she hadn't slept in a while.

"Noah-..." - "No! No fucking 'Noah'." - "I-..." - "Shut up, you didn't talk then and now I don't want to hear your excuses!"

He tried to turn around but Jules grabbed both of his shoulders to make him look at her. "You know damn well how difficult this whole thing is" Jules exclaimed and tried to suppress her tears.

"No, Jules. It isn't really difficult to just show up and talk." He answered her, ignoring his desire to touch her.

"You seem to forget who the fuck I am, Noah! I'm not even supposed to be here." She snarled at him.

"Then go." Noah answered coldly before getting out of her grip and storming of. He didn't even stop when he passed Nick who gave him a confused look.

He didn't allow him to think anything until he drove out of the drive way. Screams from the music echoed through his car as he gribbed the steering wheel harder. He couldn't believe this whole fucked up shit was happening as if he didn't already have enough to deal with.

When he left the neighborhood, he suddenly felt at unease and could just roll his eyes. "This isn't working, Jules. I'll still leave."

Nobody answered him. He was furious.

His knuckles slowly began to turn white from his hard grip on the steering wheel as he suddenly let out a frustrated groan and turned around as soon as he saw the last gas station before he would reach Sadie's house.

“Fuck off.” Noah shouted into the darkness. He couldn’t believe how much Jules had him in his grip. The last couple of days he tried his utter best to clear his head, get things sorted out, work on the problems that already consumed his mind, but Jules was the one thing that never left him. He couldn’t escape her, and he hated her for that.

“You need to stop, Jules.” He screamed and still, there was no answer. So, when he re-entered the house and stormed to his room, he was about to trash his room when he saw Jules sitting on his bed, staring at the wall.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” He screamed at her, causing her to flinch.

“What are you talking about?” She wanted to know, not even caring to look up at his angered face. She really didn’t know what he was talking about.

“Oh, come on, Jules.” He answered her and started pacing up and down the room. He needed to let go. He needed to get rid of his piled-up frustration.

She slowly stood up from his bed, her eyes following his wandering figure. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t even know what he wanted. But she knew her following spiteful comment didn’t ease the tension. “Enjoyed your trip?”

Noah stopped in his tracks. “You can’t be fucking serious, Jules.” – “Care to explain your psychotic outburst?”

When Noah looked at Jules like that, he didn't realize how exhausted she appeared.

Instead of answered her, he began to shake his head unamused. “You know exactly what you did.” – “You’re insane.” – “OF FUCKING COURSE… I’m talking to my fucking guardian angel who seems to have a great jealousy issue.”

Jules' brow furrowed as she processed what Noah had just yelled at her. His eyes sparkled with a slight hint of madness. A couple of seconds passed, before Jules finally realized what Noah was trying to tell her.

“You think I made you turn around from your booty call?” Jules wanted to know from him.

“I don’t think it, I know it and I need to know why.” Noah answered her and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Jules blinked a couple of seconds and felt a wave of relieve wash over her. “I hate to break it to you, Noah… But I wasn’t even following you.”

Jules looked into Noah’s eyes and saw how confusion washed over him. He wasn’t sure what he should believe anymore. He let out a frustrated sigh before he sat down at the edge of his bed, Jules eyes following him with concern.

"Why didn't you talk to me like you promised?" He asked her after a couple of minutes of silence, his eyes finally meeting hers.

Jules' heart sank at his broken frame. She didn't know what to say. She knew she had been a coward but she just wanted him to forget about her.

"This is all so confusing, Noah. I feel like we always run in circles." She breathed out and sat down next to him. "I think it would be best for me to just go back into your shadows, Noah. I'm making your live even harder than it already is."

Noah, deciding to ignore her statement, turned his upper body to her, "You need to tell me something, Jules."

She looked into his dark brown eyes which sparked with curiosity. Every time she dared to glance at him like that, she felt like she was going to crumble under his gaze. "What is it, Noah?" Her voice was not more than a whisper, both of them scared to ruin the moment like they did so often in the past.

"Did you feel it, too?" He calmly wanted to know and Jules heart rate increased rapidly. He didn’t even have to explain what he exactly meant.

If she felt it too? Of course, she did. Of course, she felt how their hearts aligned the first time their eyes met. Of course, she felt how she wanted nothing but to be close to him. Of course, she felt it too.

But Jules also knew she couldn’t just say that.

Noah's eyes never left hers. He wouldn’t let this go again. He needed to know if he really was going crazy. He noticed how Jules began to pick the skin around her finger nails and decided to step in. He carefully grabbed her hands. Again, there was this wave washing over him, every time he got to touch her.

And of course, she felt it too. But she didn’t know what to do. She knew, if she would talk, there was no way out of this anymore. Even less than before.

Noah, in the mean time, realized what her answer would be, giving her shift in demeanor. But he needed to hear it from her.

"Don’t make this harder than it already is, Noah." Jules whispered, both of them still getting lost in each other’s eyes.

"So, you felt it too." Noah exclaimed, not letting go of the subject.

Jules swallowed hard. She wanted to be strong. She wanted to let Noah go, but when he looked at her like that, their hands still intertwined, she felt like she was about to explode.

"Say it, Jules." Noah demanded, "Say it and I’ll let you go."

Jules' ears were ringing. Her cheeks were burning and the slight tint of Noah’s cheeks gave away, he was feeling the exact same thing.

"You promise?"

Noah nodded.

"I thought, I lost you." Jules than let out, causing Noah to raise his brows while Jules felt her tears coming up. "I-… I thought, you would do it, Noah. I had this gut-wrecking feeling that you would die…"

Noah swallowed hard.

"If that was the feeling Keaton felt when I was hit by that car… I-… I don’t wanna feel that every again… It felt like I was dying again." She explained while tears fell down her cheeks. Noah wanted to wipe them away but he decided against it, fearing he would lose her again.

Jules squeezed his hands harder.

"When I saw you making an appointment with your therapist and doing rather well after I left that night… I just didn’t want to disturb you again." Jules explained, only interrupted by her own cries.

Noah's heart sank. He knew he wasn’t doing well and he did everything he could to change that again but seeing her so broken because of his action made it even worse for him. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her and yet it seemed it was the only thing that brought them together. Hurting each other…

"I'm supposed to help you when you are in trouble. Prevent you from bad things but I feel like I’m the trigger to get you to do bad things and that’s just because I was so dumb to show myself." She rambled on, feeling a sense of relief from finally letting go of her thoughts. Noah's eyes became watery.

"But the biggest mistake was to let you touch me, Noah, because-…" Jules stopped mid-sentence, in hopes she could calm herself down, but nothing helped. The tears were flowing like there was no tomorrow.

"Tell me, Jules." Noah asked with a raspy voice from trying to hold his tears back.

"Because we both know this was the moment there was no going back." Jules whispered and sniffled quietly. Her gaze fell down to their hands, both of them holding each other with such force, as if one of them would explode into the nothingness.

Noah slowly let go of one of her hands and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Than he placed his hand under her chin to make her look at him. This was enough for Jules.

Everything she desperately wanted to keep from him broke out of her.

"I don’t even know if these feelings are real…" Jules let out and stopped in her tracks again. Noah gave her an encouraging look to go on.

"I feel so alive with you… You make me feel alive, Noah." She whispered and stared into his brown eyes.

For a couple of seconds, they just looked at each other, both processing what Jules had just said. And than… Noah broke.

"You're someone worth staying alive for, Jules."

Jules blinked for a second, trying to fight the urge of getting closer to Noah, but Noah took the decision from her when he mumbled "Fuck it..." and not even a second later grabbed Jules face and let their lips connect.

As their lips met, the scent of his cologne enveloped Jules, making her head spin with desire. Noah felt exactly the same. The warmth of her kiss spread through him like a comforting blanket on a chilly night.

For a second, both of them forgot how fucked up their situation was. They just pretended they were two adults, connect by fate. It was a bittersweet exchange, a mixture of longing and fulfillment that lingered in the air.

Their bodies gravitated toward each other, closing the distance as if pulled by an invisible force. Soon, Jules was being pulled onto Noah's lap and let her arms fall around his neck, while he grabbing onto her waist as if she would vanish any second.

Nothing even compared to the sensation Jules felt in that moment. Noah was the only thing on her mind and nothing was going to stop that. It felt like she only existed for this exact moment. To be close to him, to be held by him. All of his was new for her but she felt this deep need to get even closer to him.

For Noah, it felt like he had eaten the forbidden fruit. He had been in situations like this before but nothing in the world was able to compete with the feelings that washed over him, while his lips collided with Jules'.

When they finally pulled away, the air between them crackled with a newfound energy, the unspoken promise of what was to come. Their eyes met, a silent conversation passing between them, unlocking emotions that had long been hidden.

Jules' lips were red and puffy, while Noah's hair was even wilder then it had been just a couple of minutes ago.

Moments of silence passed between them, both getting lost in each others eyes.

Right as Noah was about to break this silence, Jules became bold. She closed their distance again, not being able to stand even a slight loss of contact with Noah. She felt her heart beating so fast that she was convinced for a second that she was in fact still alive.

She tried to push her thoughts of the future away as Noah's hands slipped under the plain shirt she wore. Jules shivered under his touch.

Even though Jules had no idea what she was doing, she let her feelings get a hold of her and began kissing down Noah's tattooed neck. She felt like she was going to explode when she heard his heavy breaths. Her hand grabbed the base of his hair without a second thought when Noah suddenly thrusted his hips up.

Jules moaned out in a mix of confusion and arousal. She couldn't believe this was really happening. She never made anyone feel the way Noah felt right now.

Noah pushed her slightly against him when she lifted her head again to look into his love drunk eyes.

"Are you okay?" Noah mumbled out, waiting for Jules' consent to the situation.

Jules looked at him for a short second before nodding frantically. She needed more. She needed Noah.

When she tried to kiss him again, he slightly backed away, a smirk on his face. "Use your words, Jules."

"I'm-..." Jules struggled to get out, "I'm more than okay, Noah."

Their lips connected again in a heated kiss and seemingly everything went fast, just like their whole relationship.

They helped each other out of their shirts, before Noah turned them around, hovering over the angel in front of him. He tried not to think about the fact that he was in fact making out with a somewhat ghost.

Jules was real to him. Jules was everything he needed right now.

He planted some soft kisses on her skin and felt how his lips began to prickle. This felt so unreal to him.

"You look so fucking beautiful." He breathed out while letting his hands run over her upper body. Jules felt goose bumps forming all over her skin. She couldn't quite comprehend how she was the angel in their position when every single touch of his felt so godlike.

“I-… I feel like I need more.” Jules said quietly even though it came out more like a desperate plea.

Noah’s hand traveled up to her breast slowly, pinching her hardened nipple for a short second. He didn’t miss how Jules thrusted herself against his thigh for a short second.

“Does it feel good?” Noah breathed out with a faint smile on his face before kissing Jules’ cheek.

Even though Jules had little to no experience, she noticed how he tried to tease her, but she wasn’t able to mock him back. She needed him so bad.

Jules whined out Noah’s name. “It feels so good.”

Noah kissed her deeply, quickly involving his tongue to get a taste of her. Jules couldn’t help but moan into his kiss loudly. Noah loved it, getting addicted to every precious noise he brought out of Jules. Just when Noah brought his knee between her legs, Jules swore she was about to die again. She couldn’t believe this whole thing was even better than she read in her little novels back when she was living in her small flat. Although their kisses slowed down a bit, their actions didn’t.

Jules shyly let her hand travel down Noah’s body, finding its way on his hardness. Noah felt like he was going to explode.

“God. Where did you learn that?” He moaned out in surprise, still not quite processing what was happening while Jules’ moves let him sink deeper into his delusion.

“You know? Reading books can help.” Jules smiled into the kiss, noticing how she got even wetter at his exclaim.

Her hand gripped him harder.

Noah let out a deep moan as he kissed down her neck and moved the hand that was previously placed on her breast down her stomach. Shortly they found their place on her clothed core. It didn’t take him long to push through the waistband of her shorts and she started to lightly massage her clit.

“Holy.” She moaned into his mouth while arching her back.

“You’re going to be the death of me.” Noah whined out, causing Jules to giggle.

“And here I thought I was a reason to stay alive for.” She whispered out with a smile, causing Noah to tease her wet entrance with his fingers before going back to her clit again. Noah smiled at her aroused expression.

“You’re going to be the death of my piece and mind.” He corrected himself, before Jules let go of his hardness to help him get her out of her last pieces of clothing.

Looking at his angel in all her glory was mind blowing to Noah. He was sure he felt his cock twitch in excitement when he looked at her beauty. It felt like she was glowing, and Noah just craved her taste even more.

But he wanted to take it slow. He didn’t know if this was the last time. He didn’t know if they were going back to their weird state of knowing about each other but ignoring their connection at the same time. He would do everything in his power to burn these images in both of their heads.

He circled her clit faster and faster as he leaned forward to kiss Jules deeply. He swallowed every moan of her as he felt himself get more and more aroused.

Then, for a moment, he stopped and looked the girl under him in the eyes, asking for silent consent. Jules slightly nodded; her mind clouded with the man in front of her.

“Please.” Jules groaned as she felt his fingers sink into her deeper and deeper.

“You’re so tight, I can barely fit my fingers in.” Noah teased the girl as he, again, kissed her neck.

Jules gripped Noah’s hair tightly as she pushed herself down on his hand. It was a brand-new sensation for her. It wasn’t like she hadn’t touched herself during her lifetime, but feeling Noah’s fingers inside of her felt like she was meant to be his.

Noah quickened his pace, while his other hand found it’s way to her cheek, caressing it with softness. Her moans echoed through the room, and he wanted nothing more but to record them and play them over and over as if it was his favorite song.

Jules leaned forward to catch Noah’s lips again. Jules didn’t know what had come over her but everything just felt so good and right.

“Fuck, you are perfect.” Noah muttered into the kiss. “Please… Please come for me. You can do it.”

And Jules did. The words and moans that come out of her mouth nearly made Noah come on the spot. She barely had the strength anymore to tell him how good he made her feel while she began shaking in pleasure. All she could do was running her fingernails over his bare back.

For a couple of seconds, Jules just whimpered in ecstasy.

“Your voice is my favorite sound.” Noah whispered and peppered kisses on her cheek as she came down from her high.

All Jules could do was capture Noah’s lips in another kiss, showing her gratefulness to share this moment with him. The kiss became deeper as she wrapped her arms around him, catching him in a firm embrace. She couldn’t let go of him.

Noah let it happen. He also slung his arms around her as if life depended on it. But hugging each other seemingly didn’t do enough anymore.

“Again…” Jules mumbled into his shoulder, causing Noah to widen his eyes. “I need you.”

“Shit… You really want to?” Noah asked, making sure he wasn’t dreaming right now. He lifted his body up slightly, to look her in the eyes.

“I need to feel you, Noah.” Jules whined and left the man over her speechless.

Fuck.

Noah needed to calm himself down. He was already so close to letting go of himself, when he simple looked at his angel. Even now, with the remains of their shared moment hanging in the air, he wondered how it would feel to be inside of her. That’s when he allowed himself to think about the fact that Jules was in fact not a person wandering this earth. He was kind of sleeping with a ghost… Or going insane… Probably both.

“We don’t need t-…” – “I want to, Noah.”

Noah let out a deep breath, nearly unable to ignore his own lust. Jules noticed the conflict going on in his head and quickly came to his rescue. She captured him in a sweet and soft kiss.

“I promise. I want this.” She muttered against his lips. “I want to be close to you. Do you want to?”

Noah nearly crumbled because of her words. Of course, he wanted her. So badly.

Noah swallowed hardly before deciding to let go. He quickly got out of his clothes, giving Jules almost no time to look at his beauty, before coming back to her, kissing her with such force, she nearly moaned again.

He placed himself between her open legs, thrusting his hardness against her pussy a few times, while analyzing her reaction with great interest. Jules took in every second she had with Noah. She was willing to do nothing else for the rest of her weird existence.

If Jules hadn’t already corrupted every little space of Noah’s thoughts, she would have done it now. Everything he could feel, taste, sense… It was Jules. Everything was Jules.

Jules shyly reached down to grab his erection and ran her hands up and down for a couple of times. Noah meanwhile began to shake under her touch. “It feels so good.”

His words hypnotized Jules as she circled her hand over his tip and stroked it a few more times. She would have never thought everything would lead to this moment. Jules felt her heat throb before moving her hips slightly upwards to guide his hardness into her.

Just the tip sinking into her, made both of them moan out. For a moment, Noah stayed still as he watched the woman move her hips even more to give him better entrance. Inch by inch, his cock sank into her, their breaths and whines echoing through the room as he stretched her out.

Noah begged this wasn’t just a dream. It felt more real than anything ever before.

“You’re taking me so well, angel.” He breathed out before placing a small kiss on her lips.

“You feel so good.” Jules answered him and looked into his eyes lovingly.

With that he finally thrusted into her. Everything aligned in that moment. All the moments they shared, all the fights, all the difficulties, all the feelings. Everything felt like it happened to bring them to this moment. It was as if they were the only to individuals existing in that moment. Sweet words were whispered into the heavy air of the room as the both of them gave each other exactly what they craved. Each other.

“Keep going. Noah. You feel so good.” Jules whisper shouted.

“God…” Noah moaned. “I love this so much.”

His pace became faster.

Without even thinking, Jules let out her next words. “I wanna feel your cum.”

Noah’s whole body prickled at her words. He couldn’t form words anymore, everything was hazed with the emotions he felt for her. He loved her. He loved being with her. He craved her.

Jules moved to meet his thrusts. Noah bit his lip. “You’re taking me so well.”

Jules kissed him again, feeling like she had never felt more emotions at the same time in her life.

“That’s it. Let go, Jules.” Noah grunted, making sure to give Jules her time. He was hitting all the perfect spots.

His thrusts became harder, while he captured her hands above her head, getting even better excess. They moaned in sync. It was their final straw.

They both came with a loud moan, his cum spilling inside of her with each thrust. For a few moments, their heavy breaths were the only thing that filled the room. Both coming down from their highs with a few kisses, all filled with the silent confessions of love.

When Noah caught his breath again, he kissed Jules again. “You are so fucking beautiful.”

“So are you.” Jules answered him with a sweet smile while she gazed over his face. He was in fact so beautiful. From his dark brown eyes that held so many secrets, to the small freckles plastered over his face.

Slowly, Noah let himself fall into his bed, cuddling into her side immediately.

Jules, meanwhile, stared at the ceiling of Noah’s room, while her thoughts began to flow her brain. This actually happened. She, an individual dangling between life and death, had sex with the person she was supposed to guard. But he wasn’t just any person. He was Noah. Her Noah.

It took the two a couple of minutes, maybe an hour to finally speak up again.

“You don’t even know how much you mean to me.” Noah whispered out and brushed a strand of her out of her face. His anxiety had also caught up to him, but he tried to ignore it for a second longer while laying there.

Jules bit her lip. Her heart skipped a beat at his words, even though she tried to function normally again. “I can’t even describe what you mean to me.”

She turned to look into his eyes. She quickly noticed they both knew what was eventually going to happen now.

“One night.” Noah whispered in a pleading tone. “One night, where we don’t think about it.”

Jules swallowed hard. She knew it was going to end rather soon than late. She didn’t want it to but she knew it had to go this way. So, she nodded.

“One night.”

With that she leaned forward and kissed him again. She kissed him with such force, he wouldn’t have any chance to miss what she was trying to say.

After that, they got even closer to each other, letting each other embrace the love they shared for a moment…

One night…

PART ELEVEN

[mochacoffeeumai26]

•DarkBlade• (extra/oneshot)

Noah Diaz X Female Autobot reader

Summary: Noah decided that he wanted to show you fireworks on earth for the first time. But your reaction to the fireworks wasn't what he expected at all...

(I'll be using my "DarkBlade" Y/n for this lol and yeah, I'm still working on the Mirage version. I feel like this would take place after the series, but I'm writing it one time before I forget)

Warning: Mentions of death, PTSD(?)

"Noah, I don't understand why you asked me to drive us out here for." You looked up at the sky in boredom.

"Aight, look, you'll understand when it starts," Noah shoot his head and leaned against the wall.

You had been waiting for a few minutes outside of the abandoned warehouse. Waiting for what? You still had no idea.

"Noah... it this a date?" You casually asked, it wouldn't really affect you if it wasn't.

"Uh... yeah. Yeah, I guess it kinda is. Especially since you and I are together." Noah chuckled trying to brush of the slight awkwardness.

"Noah, I want to go home..." "Just wait five more minutes, [Name]," Noah pleaded.

"You said that an hour ago." Yo crossed your arms and scoffed.

Noah looked like he was about to give up on convincing you to stay.

You were confused when Noah suddenly smiled and looked up at the night sky. "Alright, finally! It's starting."

"What's starting?-" Your calm and relaxed behavior quickly shifted to one of high alert when you heard a loud sound.

It sounded like something was being shot. You knew that sound all too well.

Your human boyfriend was far too distracted to realize the change in your behavior.

You flinched and your hand immediately changed to your weapon (blaster) and you aimed at the sky when you saw something explode.

The sound, the explosion, the appearance of those fireworks made you remember the war back on your home. Cybertron.

You remembered how many comrades and good friends you had lost in that war. Oh, how you wished that had never happened.

With each firework that exploded, you flinched and memories seemed to appear in your head.

"They've broken through the front line!"

"There's too many of them!"

"Autobots, fall back!!"

"Blade, we have to go!! Run! There's nothing we can do!!"

"We can't leave them!!"

You couldn't take it anymore. You shot at the fireworks, they reminded you too much of the thing you wanted to forget the most.

Only then, did Noah realize what was going on. He called out your name, trying to get you to snap out of it.

"[Name]...?"

"[Name]!"

"[NAME]!!!!!"

But it didn't work.

Your eyes slowly started to become dark red. You picked up a messed up car that was near the warehouse and threw it straight at where the fireworks were.

Noah had to quickly and constantly get out of the way, because you kept picking up stuff and throwing up at the sky in rage and fear.

You were beyond panicking, because the fireworks still continued.

Noah curse under his breath before trying to think of a way to get you to calm down. He had to be careful, or else you might accidently hurt or even kill him.

He wasn't sure if this was the smartest idea to get your attention...

The male grabbed a pipe, and threw it right in front of you. Was it a big risk? Yes, but he was willing to take his chances.

You turned your head in the direction where the pipe had come from, you aimed your weapon in that same direction.

Noah flinched for a second before slowly lifting his arms up in surrender and slowly/cautiously approaching you.

You shook your head, your eyes going back the their regular color. "Noah... " you knelt down to the human's level and your arm turned back to normal.

You avoided the male's gaze, you felt so guilty and ashamed of how you reacted to the fireworks.

Noah slowly put his hands on your faceplate in a comforting manner. "Are you okay...? What happened...?" he asked with a worried look on his face.

You gently pulled your faceplate away from Noah's hands. "Memories..." "Bad ones...?"

"Of the war on my home planet...."

Noah felt upset. He wanted you to see the fireworks and have a good time, but instead, you just ended up remembering all about the war that had happened on Cybertron.

He felt like a bad boyfriend because he didn't consider how you'd react to the fireworks beforehand.

The male ran his fingers through his hair before sighing, "Let's go home. How 'bout you and I watch movies instead on staying 'till the fireworks end? Sound good?"

You almost instantly nodded and smiled slightly. Quickly changing into your alt form, you opened the door for Noah, but not before saying, "I call dibs on picking the movie."

(My schedule is so full these days, you guys! T^T This was rushed and unedited as always, sorry. If you guys have any request, please don't feel shy to ask, I'll gladly do your requests. NO NSFW though. Bye Bye, that's all for now! <3)

[bluemagi]

Re. Jumping ship and multishipping

I've been thinking a lot about this these past few weeks, since a certain hot pilot swooped in and stole my heart. I've seen people giving other people shit for "giving up" and jumping ship, for multishipping or even just for liking and enjoying a character. And it's just weird to me how people are so obsessed with controlling other people's behaviors. Just the other day I saw a TikTok where the creator was saying that people who "jumped ship" to Bucktommy were just fetishising because they want to see two guys kissing. Which is just... a terrible take on so many levels.

I was a Buddie shipper too. I enjoyed their on-screen relationship, I saw the signs that there might be more than friendship, and I hoped that something might happen. But I have also been in fandoms for at least 20 years by now. I've been through queerbaiting, I have been through shipbaiting, I have been through relationships I previously loved being destroyed by what happens on screen. I know that nothing is promised and that we have to have realistic expectations. Our interpretations of things are usually not what the writers/actors/directors/editors intend, and so we can always hope, but we have to know that we probably won't get what we want.

I think I grew a bit bored with the Buddie ship around season 5. I was watching queer representation in other shows, like Tarlos in Lone Star, and I couldn't see 911 ever go there, especially as time went on and nothing happened, there were no obvious signs. I didn't think they would ever make Buck or Eddie queer. I still enjoyed the show for what it was and would watch when I had the time, but I wasn't obsessing over it anymore. I would watch the show and hope that either one of them would get an interesting love interest (I actually sort of liked Natalia at the end of season 6), and until that happened, I would just enjoy Buddie outside of that, in fan fictions and Tumblr discourse.

So imagine my surprise when they finally did it, when they actually made Bi Buck canon. Since Tommy had been on the show before, we already knew a lot about him, and we could also read into the difference between s2 Tommy and s7 Tommy and see that there had been a lot of development there. So yeah, I was immediately interested. The more I saw, the more interested I became. So while I can still love and appreciate Buddie, it is far more interesting to me to have actual substance with an on-screen relationship, rather than having to try to interpret and read into every interaction to see if it can relate to Buddie.

But, back to jumping ship and multishipping. I've been thinking back through my fandom history, and I realized that this is something I have gone through several times before, in one way or another. I started out with soap operas, and in those, everyone cheats and nobody is ever happy for long, so jumping ship back and forth happens. Suddenly a character is killed, only to come back to life several years later. They completely change personalities, they change faces (new actors), so things change a lot. I suppose that might be why multishipping and jumping ship is not really an issue for me. It just make sense that you can change your mind about something when more content comes out. It's sort of like a relationship. You can be happy and in love for a while, or for a long time, but things change, people grow, and suddenly that relationship is not right for you anymore.

So I was thinking back on my previous experiences with jumping ship and multishipping, and I just scribbled down some thoughts on them. Starting with....

As The World Turns - Nuke vs. LuRe

I think one of the first times I jumped ship, was from Noah/Luke to Luke/Reid in As The World Turns. An American soap that ended in like 2011. Nuke were one of the first gay male couples on American day time TV, and if you have the time, please go read about them on Wikipedia, because their story is absolutely ridiculous and overdramatic, as most soap couples are. And since this was in the 00s / early 10s, they barely shared any kisses or intimacy. At certain points we were counting the days between their on-screen kisses, and I think we went 200 days without an on-screen kiss while they were in a romantic relationship on the show, and the first time they had sex, I think they just kissed and fucking jumped on the bed or something. It was just ridiculous. But it was representation, which there was not a lot of back in those days.

Then, my beloved Reid Oliver came into the picture. He was out and proud, he was confident, successful, unapologetic, he was just very interesting. Luke/Noah was young love, riddled with insecurity and drama. Luke/Reid was more confident, more adult. And also, it was an option! Back in those days, there were barely any queer characters on TV, and now there were three guys in one show. At the point when Reid came on to the show, I was already finding myself growing tired and annoyed with Nuke, and Noah specifically. So when he showed an interest in Luke and they began their relationship, I happily jumped over.

I was then punished by the show's cancellation and that fucking train, but that's beside the point.... Moving on!

Days of Our Lives - Will, Sonny and Paul

Now this was a fun one! I remember watching Days back when I was in elementary school. My friend and I would go home together from school and watch it before doing home work. I was better in English and in reading than her, so I would be reading the subtitles out loud to her so she could keep up with what was happening. I think Days actually helped me to learn English much better. So I remembered all the drama with Sami, Carrie, Lucas and Austin, and with baby Will. And it was a bit shocking to me when suddenly baby Will was an adult (or I guess in his late teens) and was coming out of the closet. This was around the same time as ATWT, I believe, around 2010, so again, there wasn't a lot of representation on TV.

Also, side note, this was before streaming was a thing, and I lived in Norway, so we didn't even have access to everything. I had to buy DVDs to watch stuff like Queer as Folk and The L Word.

Anyways, Will and Sonny became a couple, and with that, the first male same sex couple on the show. It was the only real option, so of course I shipped it. I am again reading the Wikipedia page for this couple, and their story is quite insane. They recast the role of Will at one point, and I didn't love how the character changed after the actor was changed. So when Paul came on the show, I was immediately drawn to him. His back story was interesting and the actor had amazing chemistry with everyone. So I shipped him with both Will and Sonny (and both versions of Will, tbh). And again, you simply must read the Wikipedia article about this. It was just pure insanity.

Supernatural – Dean, Cas, Benny

We cannot talk about shipping without talking about Destiel. It is simply not possible. I'm not even going to explain anything, because we're on Tumblr, everyone knows Destiel. So unsurprisingly, I am a Destiel shipper. I can't remember when I first started shipping them, but it must have been quite early. Probably not in season 4 when Cas first arrived, but probably in season 5.

So Destiel is an example where I haven't jumped ship, but instead, I have multishipped. Cas has unfortunately not really had any real love interest outside of Dean. I honestly can't even think of any, apart from that random woman he married when he had amnesia, which... just no, dude. But Dean however, he has had some options, and I haven't hated them.

Lisa, I loved her back in the early seasons. And when he went to live with her after season 5, I didn't hate it. I knew the chances of Destiel ever happening were slim to none, so I could enjoy Dean and Lisa together on screen while enjoying Dean and Cas in fan fictions.

Later, we met Benny. And I immediately loved him. He was so interesting, he had such an interesting relationship with Dean, and I was so mad when he died. Again, Dean was never shown to be anything but straight, so again, chances of anything happening here was also slim to none. But I could happily enjoy fan fictions and content on them, alongside with Destiel.

Other honorable mentions:

I was considering writing a whole section about Robron from Emmerdale, but I realized that I am still so pissed off about that whole thing, so I don't think I'd be able to articulate anything good from that. So instead I will just use this as an example of an on-screen couple that I absolutely loved, but that I ended up hating and abandoning due to what happened on screen. I jumped that ship straight into the ocean, and swam far far far away.

Klaine! The couple that got me into Tumblr in the first place! I loved Kurt from the first season, and I was so intrigued when Blaine came into the show (I was also a huge AVPM fan, so that just made it all the better). And I really enjoyed them together for the first couple of seasons. But thinking back, I think I fell out of love with them quite early on. Their stories didn't hit the same, it got boring. I was actually more interested in Karofsky by the time I stopped watching the show, which was probably part of the reason why I stopped watching. It was quite the unpopular opinion back then. Maybe still? I have no idea.

Gallavich! I loved Shameless back in the day, and Mickey and Ian were among my favorites. But at a certain point, I got fed up with it all and stopped watching. The on-and-off stuff got boring, important things got swept under the rug, and I didn't like the treatment of Mickey. Anyway, I gave up and stopped watching. It was only years later when the show was ending that I caught up and found out they actually ended up together. Which was amazing, but still left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.

Anyways, my point is that there seems to be this opinion now that if you ship a couple, you are stuck with them for life. Jumping ship, or even multishipping, is seen as a betrayal, as something horrible. Shipping Buck and Tommy apparantly means that we hate Eddie, and that we don't care about the beautiful friendship and relationship Buck and Eddie have. But that is simply not the truth. At least not for me, or for most people I have seen discussing this.

At this point in time, I am going to enjoy the beautiful on-screen relationship that is Buck and Tommy, and I am excited to see where it goes. If that relationship ends, and somewhere down the line, Buck and Eddie finally end up together, I will probably be happy (as long as it is done right, like Oliver Stark himself has said).

[saturnznct]

d-20; making christmas cards for members | lmk

➸ word count; 1023 words

➸ lucas; aged 10, noah; aged 8, maeve; aged 4

➸ alternative names used; hyungjun (lucas), minjun (noah), yeoreum (maeve)

dadmas masterlist | nct masterlist (lnks will be added later)

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

‘Wow, Mae, you really captured Uncle Doyoung’s spirit there,’ Mark grins.

Maeve holds up her Christmas card for Doyoung proudly, showing off the rabbit with a Santa hat she’d drawn on the front with ‘Merry Christmas Doyoung Samchon’ written in messy toddler handwriting on the front.

‘Although, I think we need to work on your Hangul. You wrote Samchon in English..’

Maeve just looks sheepish, putting the card into the finished pile and grabbing another plain one to start.

This was a Lee household yearly tradition. The kids would sit down at the dining table, cover it with pens, glitter and whatever crafting materials they could get their hands on, and make cards for family and friends.

When it came to the sheer amount of NCT members, it was a full on operation. The members had been randomly assigned to each of your three children, who would make their cards. You and Mark would write the inside messages once they were finished and all the glue and or paint had dried. 

‘Wait, why does Maeve get Uncle Johnny?’ Noah whines once he notices Johnny’s name on Maeve’s list. 

‘It’s random, No,’ you explain, ‘it’s fair that way.’

‘But I wanted to make Uncle Johnny’s card,’ he pouts.

‘Buddy, the card will still be from you, and Uncle Johnny will know that,’ Mark rubs Noah’s back with his hand, ‘how about you make a really pretty card for Uncle Taeyong, huh? I bet he’d love a really glittery one!’

‘Daddy, can we come to work with you and give Uncles their cards?’ Noah asks, wanting to see his beloved Uncle’s reactions to his work. 

‘Of course, how about you and mummy/mommy drop me off tomorrow, and we can give them to Uncles then?’

‘Yay!’ Noah cheers, accidentally knocking over a pot of silver glitter.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

‘Uncle Ten!’ Maeve runs into the practice room, barrelling towards the first member she sees.

‘Mae!’ He exclaims with equal excitement, wrapping the small girl into a big hug.

‘Sorry to interrupt your practice, guys,’ you apologise, knowing that all of the members are gathered to rehearse for their end of year project. 

‘It’s all good,’ Jungwoo, the closest person to you grins, ‘it’s nice to have a break.’

He catches Maeve’s eye, his face suddenly lighting up, immediately dropping to his knees to offer a hug, ‘and to see my Yeoreum!’

‘Ah, Minjun-ah,’ Jaemin squats down to greet Noah, ‘what’s that you’ve got?’

Noah holds out the envelope with both hands, a messy ’Nana’ scrawled across the front. 

‘Ah, thank you,’ Jaemin always saves his aegyo for his favourite nephews and niece, his Mark’s children.

‘This one’s for you, Uncle Yangyang,’ Maeve hands Yangyang his card.

‘Wow, thank you MaeMae, you’re so kind,’ Yangyang, who has crouched down to her level, peels the envelope open, laughing when he sees the sheep with the Christmas hat drawn on it.

‘I like how the sheep is pink and glittery,’ he adds, pulling her into a hug, ‘I love it, thank you Mae.’ 

The members fuss over the kids, each giving very exaggerated but genuine reactions to their individual cards.

‘Ah, Hyungjun-ah, thank you,’ Chenle fist bumps Lucas, ‘you write in Chinese so well.’

‘It’s from the lessons you gave me,’ Mark chimes in teasingly, and the two men laugh as Lucas huffs.

‘Yeoreum-ie, your art is so good!’ Yuta fusses over Maeve, who blushes and squirms at his compliment over her drawing of him next to a Christmas Tree.

‘Don’t get all embarrassed!’ he teases, poking her side, before turning to Sicheng who’s standing beside him and commenting, ’so cute.’

When Lucas notices Johnny holding his own card, he walks over to talk to his favourite Uncle.

’Tell Jude-hyung that I’ll give him his card the next time I see him,’ Lucas tells Johnny, ‘I don’t want him to think I’ve forgotten about him when you bring that one home.’

‘Will do buddy, I’m sure you’ll see him when the school holidays start.’

‘Are you guys not going to Chicago?’ Lucas tilts his head in confusion.

‘Not ’til the twentieth,’ Johnny explains, ‘you guys should arrange to hang out. In real life, not just on the Xbox or whatever it is.’

Lucas just shrugs, embarrassed at being called out, and Johnny chuckles.

‘I’m just messing with you, go on, go give Uncle Seunghan his card.’

‘They’re so sweet, Hyung,’ Jisung remarks, watching the scene alongside Mark, ‘so crazy I’ll have one of my own in a few months.’

’They’re a handful,’ Mark shakes his head, still smiling, ‘but I love them more than anything.’

At that moment, Noah runs up to Jisung, clutching Jisung’s own card. 

In a corner, several members are gathered comparing cards, Doyoung throughly enjoying Maeve’s rabbit drawing while Xiaojun praises Noah’s reindeer.

‘Thank you, Noah, I’ll keep it forever,’ Taeyong reads the message inside of his card, on which Noah has drawn a polar bear wearing a lime green (’NCT colour!’) scarf.

‘Will you really?’ Noah gasps, shocked that his Uncle would treasure his creation for so long.

‘Of course, because my Minjun-ie made it for me!’

Eventually, all of the cards are distributed, and the three Lee children sit against the mirror and watch as the members go through their dance performance for the year. 

‘What did you think, Mae?’ Hendery bends down to ask, face showing a picture of pure joy when she begins bouncing on her feet and enthusiastically chatting about what she likes about the song and the choreography.

‘Come on kids, say goodbye to your Uncles. We’ll get out of your hair now, leave you to practice,’ you start gathering up your things, leaving the three of your children to say goodbye to all of the members.

’See you when you get home,’ you give Mark a quick hug, pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek as to allow him to avoid unnecessary teasing from his members. 

‘Bye bye little Lees,’ Ten and the rest of the members wave you all out of the room.

‘Now, kids,’ you announce once you’re fully in the corridor, ‘let’s go and harass Uncle Minseok.’ 

[apollo-gate]

Untitled Hero (WIP)

Demo link, Ro Portraits, Other Portraits, Up to date Portraits

Synopsis

  You were at the top of your class. You had your pick of where you wanted to go the Silver Guardians or the White Hawks. But during Graduation, something happened. You lost control of your body and watched as you killed your friends and hurt several people. When you got control again you woke up in jail. Sentence for ten years. No one listened or cared what you said after all killing the United States President's kid was what everyone cared about. What makes it worse you don't remember the 10 years and your abilities are gone.

  Now the only thing left to do is to try and rebuild the life that was taken from you. Noah the man who raised you gave you a choice. It was the only choice you had. To become an Instructor for the White Hawks teaching young Heros. He also gave you a small team to be in charge of three students no one can seem to get along with or lead. With you in charge of a team, you can get answers. Can you show these three students what it means to be a hero, or will you lead them to a darker path? Will you get answers for what happened to you?    

Features

Choose your MC Gender and Pronouns

Choose Your Alias so everyone knows you

Choose your Mask and Outfit

Learn a dark secret that heroes and villains have kept

Romance Heros and Villans

Get answers to what happened to your MC

Prevent an Intergalactic misunderstanding or make it worse

Do you burn everything you once believed in or change the way a hero should be?

Types of powered people - Threat Levels

Omega- Extremely rare 5 or more abilities

Alpha - Rare - 3 to 4 abilities

Beta- common 2 abilities

Norm- 1 ability or none (Power is grade 1-3)

Augmented Humans- Redacted

Note: Powers can range from grade 1 through 10. If a Beta level has a grade 6 and a grade 2 ability, they can be classified as an Alpha.

                   Romance Options

1. Alice Walker- F- (RO)

Alias- White Death

Age - 32

Height - 6ft 1

 You know her, hell everyone knows her as for she is the Villian who defected the original 12. But not you. You feel like it was planned however she didn't talk, nor did she explain why she suddenly gave up. When she sees you regret is in her eyes. Was she the one who ruin your life?

Skin- pale

Hair-black w/silver wavy shoulder length

Eyes- Dark Blue

Powers - Hemokinesis, Apathy, Atmokinesis

 2. Helena Sky -F- (RO)

Alias - Artemis

age - 27

Height - 5.9

 The famous singer and model on every news outlet. Who left Apollo Gate to take a vacation. To the cameras, she has a happy cherry face, but a certain look in her eyes that speaks volumes of sorrow. Your meeting was not what you expected. Especially her ready to jump to your defense when you put the mask back on.

Skin: Shiny Smooth gold

Hair: Gold "similar to skin" straight back length,

Eyes: The sclera is pure black, while the iris is Artic Blue  

Powers- Biokinesis, magic, singing

3. Lisa Sanders- Trans F- (RO)

Alias- Vixen

age - 26

height - 5.6

 Your best friend or was. Lisa and you stopped a lot of crime in school. But after the incident, she didn't believe you. When she sees you again helping Noah, she is cold to you and avoids you. Can you fix this rift, or will it just tear more?

Skin- tanned

Hair- Sandy Blonde, back length tied up in a ponytail

eyes- Grey

Powers- Therianthropy, Adoptive muscle memory

4. Becca Winter- F- (RO)

Alias- Dream

age - 25

Height - 6.3

 One of the Instructors at the headquarters for new heroes. Don't underestimate her. Because she will gladly embarrass you in front of everyone. She also is the first daughter of Lady Justice. A fact that annoys her when people bring it up. She will do anything to protect her mother, but can you be included in that?

Skin- Beige

Hair- Light brown curly shoulder length

Eyes- Yellow

Powers- Oneirokinesis, Empathy

5. Daniella Glass -F - (RO)

Alias- N/A

Height - 4.11

age-28

Your neighbor. She always has food for you when you come home to share. And tries to get you to smile. Her son Leon loves it when you are around as well. You've noticed white makeup in some of your interactions or what looks like a mask in her bag.

Skin- Warm Brown

Hair- Light Brown curls shoulder length

Eyes- Hazel

Powers- Tychokinesis, Technokinesis

6. Vanessa Winter- F- (RO)

Alias - Lady Justice

age - 43

height - 6.4

The Leader of the Silver Guardians Lady Justice. Known to be cold and calculated. You don't know much besides the fact you always looked up to her. She approved of you teaching young heroes. Will your hero be the person you believe them to be?

skin- pale white

Hair- White with blue streaks, straight back length braided

Eyes- Artic Blue

Powers- Beauty Personification, Ice manipulation, Super Strength, Psychometry

7. Azalea Graves NB- (RO)

Alias - N/A

age-30

height- 5.4

One of the few Thrallen that stayed on Earth. Unlike other Thrallens Azalea doesn't wear the Enviromental suits their kind wears. But they do wear a vail that covers their eyes. When you first met, they ignored you but as you fought together you gained their respect as a hero. But they have never talked to you as a friend almost like they resent your ability to win everyone over like a magic spell. Can you get them to see that you truly care for them?

Skin- Light Blue w/reflected scales  

Hair- Seafoam Green, Straight Hip length, styled elegantly

Eyes- Vibrant Green Under a Vail

Powers- Psychic, Psychokinesis

8. Kent Huxley-M- (RO)

Alias- Agent Huxley

age-25

height-6.0

 Agent Huxley of the Directive of Specter. He is an operative that like most is born without powers but underwent extreme genetic alteration. Whenever he is involved and sees you, he makes sure you are not welcome. Like all operators, he wears a mask that covers his face, and the suit covers his whole body.

Skin- Olive

Hair- Silver blonde, Short wavey

Eyes- Red

Powers- Teleport, Invisible, Super Senses

9. Naamah Amaterasu- F/NB- (RO)

age-????

height- changes when desired

???

Powers- Shapeshifting, Power absorption, Omnikinesis

10. Zero - M- (RO)

age- Unknown

height- 5.11 ft

Once a notorious hacker that caused chaos. At least before the war. He joined the Silver Guardians to protect the world. But now can be find in the (R&D) department in the White Hawks Tower. When you are working as an instructor, he helps you adjust. When you see him look at you, there is this feeling that he knows something you don't.

Skin- pale white

Hair- brown, wavy, short

Eyes- green

Powers- Technokinesis, Omnifabrication, Technopath

11. Blaze- M (RO)

age- 45

height- 5.0 ft

Description- Once a Hero who turn Villain. One of the only people who can run at the speed of light. Is the most wanted man for the crimes he committed. You heard once he would do anything for the innocent.

Skin- tan

Hair- Auburn

Powers- Super Speed, Time-Space Manipulation, Intangibility, Accelerated Healing.

12. Atlas- F (Ro)

age- 20

height- 5.6 ft

One of Silver Guardians' strike team leaders. Atlas is well-regarded as very laid back and even fun by her teammates. Then she sees you. She always has her eyes on you. The other thing you notice is she seems drawn to you.

Skin- Beige

Eyes- Ice Green

Hair- Ash Blonde, lower back length.

Powers- Sympathetic teleportation, magical particle manipulation.

13. Atargatis or Attina- F (RO)

Age- 602

height- 5.8

The crown princess of the Atlanteans. You know her father King Vomox. She is one of the richest people in the world and it shows. Of course, her being a half-breed between an Atlantean and a Siren shows. She seems to want to be friends when she meets you but you suspect she wants more than friendship.

Skin- Light grey with small shiny scales

Eyes- Green/Pink

Hair- Black, shoulder-length,

Powers- Empathic Voice, Water Manipulation, Magical object (Spear)

14. Psyche- F (RO)

age- 30

height- 5.5

One of the villains is a part of the bigger community of villains. She is not seen as regularly anymore by the public. But you remember seeing her once and she took down an entire strike team without breaking a sweat.

Eyes- Amber

Hair- White, upper back length.

Powers- bone manipulation, memory manipulation, and memory erasure.

There are 4 more to be listed in the future. 3 will be listed when the next update comes and the last won't come till way later.

[etherealwanderings]

Sex isn't dirty and it has nothing to do with "rushing things to feed a fantasy." How don't you see that you're sounding indistinguishable from ron desantis and televangelists?

Homophobic GA members think all of Byler is creepy just because it's gay. I promise you that keeping it "pure" is not gonna make them be okay with Byler. You can keep dancing around the truth, but it doesn't change the truth: you think sex, and gay sex in particular, is creepy.

This is puritan behavior.

You post stuff like "I'm gonna protect these 2 cuties from the creeps of the fandom" without any hint of irony. That is purity culture. It's the same mindset of those who try to shield their daughters from their own sexuality or who try to tell people that the only acceptable way of having sex is in a heterosexual marriage, as if sex is something that corrodes and erases innocence. Do you hear what you're saying?

Never mind that there's an obvious thematic significance to a Byler sex scene given the 80s context, as well as emotional significance (since most of sex is psychological, and it's about exploring these character dynamics. It has nothing to do with being "creepy" or "forcing fantasies" on people TF.

The show itself has already shown Byler be sexually attracted to each other, are you denying this? Have you seen hosegate? Have you watched the show?

Another example of a show that handles queer teen sexuality perfectly is the new Chucky show. After showing them fall in love in Seasons 1 and 2, Season 3 has shown their two queer teen main characters ready to take things to the next level. And they openly communicate with each other and talk about safety/consent.

No one's saying that a byler sex scene would be some weird horny thing. It would be a display of love between two characters who have grown up together and would fit within the show's main anti-conformity character arcs and themes. It would be wholesome and tastefully done. Most Bylers would want it to be implied anyway.

It's not like Stranger Things is gonna suddenly become Euphoria or Sex Education or Riverdale.

Didn't you listen to all the minors of the Tag who are feeling uncomfortable thinking about that things? Don't u care about them ? Why do u call them puritans? Also no offense but hosegate is an interpretation lol. If you watch the show without analysing it like crazy,you wouldn't even interpret that scene that way. When I first saw that scene I saw a Will being sad and breathing loudly while looking at Mike because he is nervous. He would love to run to Mike and tell him that it's his painting and his feelings but he cannot and the fact that now he thinks that Byler has 0 chance of happening. It is giving him anxiety. Noah made the same look during the rain fight and generally starts breathing loudly when Will is nervous. If you don't look at the hose and think about a banana , hosegate becomes bs. It's not even a Byler evidence. My problem isn't about Byler sex scenes in general cause if Byler was like over 20 I wouldn't say anything, it's the fact that you are burning to get that scene. You want it so bad that it becomes creepy and when a minor feels uncomfortable because of what u are saying, you call them a puritan.It is basically child manipulation! Not everyone is ready to understand anatomy ! Not everyone likes to see 2 people having intimate moments! Not everyone agrees with minors having s.x! And it's fucking valid !

[j-graysonlibrary]

His Transgressions Built It: Chapter 12

Title: His Transgressions Built It

Author: Jay Grayson

Word Count: 51K

Genres: psychological horror, drama, LGBT+

Available on: my website and on Kobo

Synopsis: After living almost a decade estranged from his family because of his transition, Noah is called back to his hometown to take care of his young niece and nephew when their parents die suddenly. Because the children only know of their distant "aunt", Noah pretends to be his own husband in order to not explain himself or cause further issues. But, in doing so, he has to navigate the small town, filled to the brim with his childhood trauma, under the guise of a complete stranger.

Full Chapter 12 under the cut

XII:

The world was different when Noah started taking testosterone. That was true for him on a personal level, of course, but the general environment around him was changing too. People didn’t know much about the transgender experience but it was becoming a topic that would pop up on occasion.

At the minimum, people would think of a gay man, effeminate and wearing a dress, and they’d confuse the two. At the maximum, there was genuine understanding of the basics and some compassion on top of it.

Noah always knew. He didn’t have the word until he was an adult but he knew regardless.

He watched his body change through puberty, horrified, and he prayed to God, every night, that it would stop. He’d pray he’d keep his flat chest and he prayed he wouldn’t start his period.

God ignored his pleas and the discomfort grew.

He hated people seeing him as a girl. Being slapped in the face would have been preferable over being called “miss” and “lady” each time he was addressed.

Honestly, he assumed all girls felt the same but were just too scared to admit it. He was having the same experience as everyone else, he thought, and simply wasn’t strong enough to swallow the pain.

Finding out that wasn’t the case, at all, was eye opening. And, furthermore, discovering that there was a way to change his body—to give himself what he wanted all along—was like discovering a new wonder of the world. If he just took medicine, weekly, he’d morph over time and be seen as a man. There were surgeries too but, at the start, those were just a pipe dream.

He’d been on testosterone for a while when he visited home. His mother and father had already passed and he hoped, naively, that he and Kathleen could revive their relationship as siblings. Without their parents comparing them or stoking negativity, Noah believed it was possible.

He was willing to give it an honest try, anyway.

Noah wanting to be a man wasn’t news to Kathleen. He’d been presenting as such and introducing himself like one for a few years already. She heard, as well, from the letter Noah wrote their mother.

So, when he showed up with his hair buzzed short and two spots of stubble under his chin, he expected a different response. Maybe a little shock, at the most, but he got nothing.

Kathleen hugged him and called him Mary, without even a pause.

Her husband, too, only called him by that dead name.

They introduced him to their kids that way.

Erin was small, between four and five, or maybe on her way to six. She was instructed to hug Noah as well and refer to him as Aunt Mary…just like them. Bryce, at least, was recently born and couldn’t talk.

He was Noah’s favorite for that reason.

“Why is Aunt Mary dressed like a boy?” Erin asked, in that way all children seemed to bluntly ask things.

Kathleen patted her on the top of her head, a little harshly. “Aunt Mary likes boy clothes. That’s all.”

Noah waited until the kids weren’t around before asking, “You aren’t going to tell them?”

“About what?” Kathleen was purposefully acting ignorant. She even smiled and narrowed her eyes, daring him to say it.

“About…me.” Noah’s gumption failed him immediately.

He envisioned things going much differently. He had his sister being stubborn on his list of possibilities but, if it happened, he’d intended on puffing his chest out and standing his ground. He thought, with how sure of himself he was, he’d be able to fight for himself too.

But he deflated when Kathleen sneered. “They’re kids. They don’t need to know that.”

Her husband backed her up, as he always did when it came to Noah, “You’d better not tell them either.”

Noah didn’t understand why they were so put off. He wasn’t talking about surgeries or any of the intimate details of how the hormones changed his body. That was between him and his doctor.

“Um…I’m just a guy now. It’s about how I feel, nothing more.”

“It’s perverted,” his brother-in-law said, scowling.

Learning that they were both disgusted by him, not just confused or uncaring but well and truly disgusted was hard to come back from. He had another day to spend there too and, already, he wanted to run back to his car and flee.

He had friends back in the city who knew him—really knew him—and loved him for who he was. They wouldn’t last, but he had them then. He texted them a lot during his stint back home.

Noah, younger and more optimistic, stuck around in the belief that seeing him for longer would change his sister’s mind. Maybe once he showed off how much happier he was, Kathleen would start to understand.

“She’s mommy’s older sister.”

“Your Aunt? She’s over there.”

“Auntie Mary is staying until Sunday.”

“Oh, her? That’s my sister.”

A comment, here and there, might have been bearable, but the constant bombardment was hell. Noah knew who he was already, he’d become him, as far as he was concerned. But, no matter what he said or how he presented or acted, Kathleen and her husband refused to accept it.

If they felt this way, Noah wished they hadn’t accepted him into their house at all. He would have rather been turned away than wasted the time and gas to come and see them.

The world was crumbling around him on Sunday, mere hours before he had to drive back, and he was starting to dissociate. He could feel his mind stretching and straining. If he ever came back here again, he knew, it would do irreparable damage.

“Alright, time to go to daycare. …Erin?” Noah heard Kathleen call out. She was right beside him but her voice passed by like an echo.

He stared at the wall.

It still had an old family photo on it. A picture of them, when they were little, and their parents too. They were both in frilly dresses. Noah’s smile, a lie.

Erin bounded down the hall, in a frilly dress of her own. “I’m ready!”

“Do they take babies?” Kathleen’s husband asked, carrying Bryce in his arm.

“Yeah. They took Erin a few times, remember?” Kathleen said with a roll of her eyes. “Besides, it’s a church, they can’t exactly turn someone in need away.”

That snapped Noah out of his fugue. He turned to Kathleen and ice shot through his veins. “The church…?”

His sister looked over, already frowning. “Yeah?”

Noah started to shake his head before he spoke. He couldn’t properly breathe as just the thought of leaving the children there bred panic. It had been years since he last had to remember his time there but it all came back, like the dam holding it away broke.

“You can’t…you can’t!” Noah blurted out, earning the ire of both his sister and brother-in-law. “Is Father Robert still there?”

“The old dude?” His brother-in-law asked.

Kathleen answered, “Yes, Mary, Father Robert is still there.”

Noah’s eyes bounced between her and the kids. They were so small. Erin was the age he was when he first started having his private talks with the priest.

“No!” He had to yell. They wouldn’t listen otherwise. “You know what he did, Kathleen! When we were kids—you know!”

Her face barely changed at all. Only a glimmer of revulsion could be seen in her left eye. “Not both of us. Just you.”

For some reason, her husband chuckled. He pieced it together but asked Noah anyway, “The old priest molested you?” He chuckled again, as if the thought was just too funny.

“What’s molested?” Erin asked and Kathleen clicked her tongue.

“Don’t teach her words like that,” was the only complaint she had for her husband. She then turned to Noah and said, “Look, it won’t happen to Erin. She’s more like me and Father Robert was nice to me.”

Noah couldn’t respond. He broke. His vision cracked around the edges. Glass should have fallen, revealing darkness beneath but he kept witnessing the scene before him instead.

“You know,” Kathleen carried on, “That’s probably the reason you ended up this way. Father Robert made you want to run away from womanhood. Made you hate your body so much that you’ve done this to it.”

“…You…you think I’m trans because…?” Noah couldn’t even say it back to her. It was too insulting. Too infuriating.

“Why else? I don’t feel that way. No one else in town does either. It was just you and now look. You’re fucked in the head, excuse my language.”

Noah looked down.

He had a knife, gripped in his right hand.

It was sudden but Kathleen’s yelp solidified it. He pushed her to the ground and screamed. He screamed out everything he was feeling and all the hate he’d ever carried for her. But, to her, it probably sounded like nonsense.

He threw his fist down, forgetting the knife was in it.

Her skin was opened. Blood flew out in streams. It painted Noah’s face, the walls, the floor. No one else screamed but Kathleen.

Her husband and children were gone and it was just the two of them.

Noah stabbed her more times than he could count. Every offense, even minor, was avenged. At first, it was just about the things Noah had suffered during this trip but, as he continued to carve into her, his mind went further and dug up things Kathleen had done decades ago. Things she probably didn’t even remember.

No stone was left unturned.

Kathleen was pierced for every sin.

She was unrecognizable at the end.

And, strangely, smaller.

Maybe the chunks of her flesh had simply whittled away with the cuts of the blade. But Noah was sure a different face looked up at him. A younger face.

Big eyes, widened with fear, blinked out from the blood and raw flesh. The girl, now at the mercy of Noah’s stabbing, trembled and her teeth chattered. Before he could bring the knife down, he noticed—fully.

He didn’t recognize her but the sight of her caused him to freeze.

Even if he didn’t know her, he couldn’t bring himself to kill her too.

[agentjazzy]

okay it took over a year but me and my mom just finished watching the ENTIRETY of Beverly Hills 90210 so here's a giant text dump of my Thoughts

Matt might have been a late addition, but he was my favorite cast member, all his wrong doings are NOTHING in comparison to the rest of the cast, he deserved a better ending smh 😔

also they COULD'VE snuck in Andrea/Brendon in the end, just a little hint, but they DIDN'T and for that they're COWARDS

Kelly was a mean girl that slowly evolved into such a karen, she got so annoying towards the later seasons 😭 girl is SO entitled and spoiled and ALWAYS found faults in others but when SHE did the same no one??? ever called her out????? terrible

David continually annoyed me with his storylines, but he got less annoying thank GOD tho he still had his moments

rip to Noah tho, they did NOT know what to do with him and stuck him with a Carly rip-off a few eps before the finale to keep him busy but I was NOT invested (and also reminded me of how much I miss Carly 😔 she was played by Hilary Swank and was easily the best actor in the cast until they very suddenly kicked her out 😔😔😔) they could've and should've cut his character wayyy earlier but oh well

Valerie was the baddest bitch (positive) and LOVED manipulating people, then got surprised when those same people did not. like her. she was only a victim of bad writing and deserved better smh 😔 (the way she lost her money was SO STUPID the writing was SO DUMB like WHYY DID SHE DO THAT. UGH)

Gina was no replacement for the type of shit that Val got up to, but at least she was interesting - surprised she wasn't at the finale especially bc it would make narrative sense but Apparently she wasn't written out and instead wanted to leave so that's understandable

Donna was a literal nepo baby and you could tell 😭 her acting was NOT on the level near the others, and she had so much screen time............

(also her mom was classist AND racist, and 2 episodes after she told Donna she couldn't date a black character - who was a fun, interesting character! - they uh. never showed him again 😶 wtf)

rip to Nat's wife and kid, we saw them once and then they Never Mentioned Them Again, not even to babysit, not even a throwaway line, and that's on the gang for being bad friends tbh

also rip to the entire Walsh family, the main house became the Sander's house, which good for them, but I missed Cindy and Jim 😔 they were good parents and funny and they KILLED THEM (sent them to Tokyo)

okay but like. Brenda was SUCH a BITCH (negative) I was happy when she left the cast, she got SO annoying. she let everyone know that she thought she was better than them, then wanted All the attention to be on her, I hope she never leaves London, California doesn't need her

I loved Brandon until they committed character assassination and had him cheat on Kelly for absolutely no reason with a weird character that was more annoying than interesting 😔 as previously mentioned, him and Andrea should've been endgame - they both were single at the end of the series, their chemistry was great

Andrea was fun, her self-righteousness butting heads with reality and her morals were always fun to watch, but I'm sad that they didn't know what to do with her after they made her 1)get pregnant 2)immediately marry the father. she should've and WOULD'VE aborted that thang but the writers were cowards. and also bad at their jobs as evidenced by season 10 showing is that they ARE capable of keeping characters relevant/in the others' stories even when they're parents

Dylan was the most consistent character, even if he's a brat (positive). he kept cheating on people, though EVERYONE in the show did which like. writers. are your relationships okay. the soulmate thing with Kelly was dumb, but his commitment to creating problems just by being there was fun. also loved how he kept throwing money at problems, he was always a brat about it too - my favorite was when he did it to Noah, that's what he gets for trying to kick out Nat tbh

also Dylan was the only person in the cast to do CPR correctly, which isn't relevant to anything, except that Donna probably should've started chest compression with her dad........... dunno why she got mad at Gina when she, as the daughter of a cardiologist, can't even do chest compressions.......................

Steve was the 2nd most consistent character - after they started writing him as a jerk with a heart of gold moreso than just a plain jerk, he was pretty entertaining. even if he is THEE definition of white, rich, male privilege 😭 bro shouldn't have even graduated high school, and DEFINITELY not college. his job was literally handed to him by his dad 😭😭 he was silly and goofy though, which counts when David and Noah were being The Worst. was a highlight tbh, which is saying something, bc there wasn't one but TWO transphobic episodes, of which he was part of 😭 Didn't Like That!

uhmm, let's see, who am I missing......

oh! Janet was fine. at least her characterization was consistent. her and Steve were cute even if I missed Carly and her son - notably she was the ONLY character of color in the main cast which uh. 😐 this show was so white...........

lots of incidental characters of color, but when they dropped the "The Walsh kids help a random person" format, they stopped happening, which sucked. like, again, what happened with the Black guy who was interested in Donna? what happened to Donna's Black friend who she met during the Rose Parade thing?? why can I count the amount of Mexicans in this show on one hand??????!!?!!?? Beverly Hills and LA are white, but not as white as this show made it seem :/

but, anyway, the show was Fine. not very good, sometimes Bad, but mostly Fine. I can't believe I watched 290-something episodes, ten entire seasons

Brandon was my favorite, Steve was good comedic relief, and now I'll be a Matt defender forever, I guess - if I ever see any of their actors on the street, I'll probably say hi

oh! and angels are canonically real btw. also Santa Claus. and Mrs. Claus. so that's fun

also the theme song will forever be in my head now 😔

[emmymaehereeeeee]

sugar daddy elvis x single mom

noah- age two and a half

You were racing around the house making sure to grab any toys that Noah may need to keep himself entertained while you attended the show tonight. You heard a series of babbles come from the living room and then the sound of the front door opening, you whipped yourself around towards Noah.

“Hello there Mr. Noah, where’s your momma?” Elvis had stooped down to the floor to be at somewhat an eye level with the toddler. Noah reached out his hands to grab onto his scarf and tugged at it. 

“Noah, stop.” You bent down to pick him up, nestling him onto your hip. “ ‘M sorry Elvis, we are working on keeping our hands to ourselves.” Elvis let out a chuckle and extended his hand out to the little boy. Noah grabbed his ring-clad finger. 

“It’s fine, doll. Y’all coming to the show tonight?” He shifted his gaze from Noah to you, your hair was thrown askew across your face, the majority of it thrown up and out of your face.

“Trying to, Noah is being extremely difficult.” You said, at the sound of his name the wiggly toddler began to do just that. He wiggled, moved all around, and did just about everything to get out of your grasp. Finally, you obliged and set him down, running a hand through your hair, you glanced up at the wall clock, “Shit!” You had just about twenty minutes to get ready for the show. Elvis sensed your frenzied state and offered you a reassuring glance. 

“Doll, don’t worry about it, I’ll watch him, can’t get into too much trouble now can you?” He asked turning towards the little boy. 

“Are you sure E?” You started to wring your hands, a nervous habit you had picked up some time throughout the years.

“Go get ready.” He said, sitting down on the floor next to Noah who immediately grabbed his neck scarf, “Noah-“ you giggled at the sight but soon slipped into your bathroom to get yourself ready.

After about fifteen minutes or so you emerged from the bathroom. You opened your arms up for Noah who happily obliged, “Mu-ma!” He squealed happily. You smiled and picked him up, you directed your gaze to Elvis who had a big grin plastered on his face. 

“Why are you staring?” You mumbled adjusting Noah on your hip, you suddenly felt self-conscious. 

“I’m sorry doll, you just look, well you look gorgeous as always.” His sweet compliment made you feel like a small child. You smiled up at him and mumbled a thank you. He chuckled at your response, “Well you ready to go?” You nodded your head and grabbed Noah’s bag. The three of you made your way to the concert, Elvis had placed you and Noah in a smaller section close to the stage, and you noticed that he wasn’t wearing his neck scarf- which was odd. Looking down at Noah you saw the missing piece, you looked back up at Elvis who had that same big grin on his face. You knew then and there that this was just only the beginning.

[dbgdbw]

185화

Sung (Redacted)-ssi's Birthday (3)

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How long would it be before Sung Hyunjae’s memories from before the Return came back. How fast would they start coming back, once things started becoming clear.

It was certain that he was already experiencing déjà vu. Becoming bored with the party, and paying special attention to Song Taewon and myself. Even when he had helped Yerim in Hong Kong, it may have been that he had simply been thinking of my involvement in the matter. Since even Yerim was vastly different from how she had been before Returning. It may have been a subconscious show of goodwill.

If Sung Hyunjae managed to gather his memories from before the Return.

‘My worth would definitely plummet.’

All of the clandestine, inexplicable things would come to light and the reason we felt anomalous would be revealed. As my novelty value dropped, the worth of the information I could provide him would also follow suit to a similar level. Considering his relationship with Crescent Moon, it may very well be that Sung Hyunjae had been privy to more useful information to begin with.

Of course, I still had my skills and the ability to connect directly with the Reprobates now, so he probably wouldn’t throw me away immediately, but there was no downside to exercising caution. Since he was already difficult to deal with, on top of being excessive in general, he would probably become even more fastidious after regaining his memories.

To get ahead of that, my plan had been this: give him a sufficiently redacted account of information from the Return and blame the Reprobates for blocking me from saying anything sooner, and appeal to him by playing up the ‘same side’ angle. Once we reached that resolution, then I would hand over the attack skill I had experienced while going up against Sung Hyunjae in the mental realm.

Though I really wanted to wait until after the S-rank Ranking Competition to hand it over. …honestly, part of me wanted to withhold it forever. He was already OP, so watching him grow even stronger would be a thorn in my eye.

“Ahjussi!”

Yerim flew towards me. Her tailcoat was soaked through, but her shawl seemed to have some sort of proofing ability, as it was gently rippling around her shoulders.

“...they won’t make me reimburse them for this, right?”

She said belatedly while looking at the sizable hole, suddenly worried. Our Yerimie had just managed to pay off her debt, and a cruise ship of this size was probably expensive. How much would it be. Sung Hyunjae, who had approached us, smirked and answered instead.

“They probably won’t be so cheap. Don’t worry.”

“Really? Ah, I was trying not to go overboard, but then that crazy fuck started dissing Ahjusshi! Saying that a F-rank didn’t know their place, when they were only being kept around for their skill! Saying that he was going around pretending like he was a S-rank too, anyway he kept saying things that were pissing me off so I spiked him into the ocean!”

“Well done.”

But had I been acting like I was a S-rank? I hadn’t done much at the banquet hall. Maybe because someone with F-rank stats hadn’t shrunk back at all? And Yoohyunie had… he had proactively gone to bring me food. And Noah too. That might’ve been an eyesore.

“When I told him off by saying it wasn’t like that, he said I didn’t know anything because I was still young, and that stat difference couldn’t be closed just because of skill usefulness. Even bringing up Myungwoo oppa as a comparison!”

Yerim seethed, as if feeling immensely wronged. But that was the general view people took. Having wealth and influence was enough cause for most to look down on ordinary people, and S-rank Hunters had both plus immense strength. So, it was understandable that they might see normal people as insignificant.

Even if Korea was on the safe side, there were many nations where S-rank Hunters acted like they were sovereign entities. The number of places that had been able to put a system in place as quickly as our nation had been very few.

“Ahjussi, aren’t you even mad?”

She asked me while pushing her face right in front of mine, and I just smiled to pass it off. If it’s only that much, well. Compared to before the Return, this much wasn’t even enough to tickle. There wasn’t even a sense of having been insulted.

“More importantly, why is the Seseung Guild Leader over there like that.”

I looked at the star of the party, who was surrounded by cracks in the ground from where he stood beyond the overflowing swimming pool. There were two unconscious people in his proximity.

“Those guys jumped me after I put the guy I was fighting into the ocean. Whether they knew each other, or if they were just looking for a fight. But then, the Seseung Guild Leader appeared and took care of them. Saying that even if they were let off their leash, a certain level of order still needed to be kept.”

Yerim said, trying to imitate Sung Hyunjae’s way of speaking. It didn’t suit her.

So what would happen now. Since the ship appeared to be pretty big, maybe an announcement would come on to tell us to relocate to another banquet hall. As I looked around, I saw Song Taewon nearby, jotting something down on a memo. Shit, could it be.

“Section Chief Song, is our Yerimie perhaps……”

“Yes.”

Song Taewon answered curtly. Ugh, would it be probation like Seseung had to do last year. There would be a fine too. A S-rank Hunter’s fine was no joke. And this kid had only just managed to pay off her debt.

“That guy from before was the one who started it. Plus he was slandering me. An adult provoking a kid is definitely the one in the wrong. Especially considering the age difference. He looked like he was at least twenty years older.”

“They have a difference of fifteen years.”

“Wow, a guy who’s an adult at least twice Yerimie’s age was doing that! You really should take the extenuating circumstances into account in this case. Honestly, about ninety percent of it was that guy’s fault. I believe being grounded for a day should be sufficient for Yerimie to learn how to control her temper.”

I could feel disbelieving stares coming from around me, but I ignored it.

[So the broadcasting system is still operational.]

Just then, Sung Hyunjae’s voice could be heard.

[First, I would like to extend my thanks to everyone for gathering here.]

He spoke gracefully, as if he was hosting for an ordinary party. The banquet hall might have been destroyed, a couple of guests dropped in the ocean, and others passed out, but Sung Hyunjae’s officiation made one think of a high-class private party.

…though if you were to nit-pick, all the attendees were indeed elites. The problem being that on top of wealth and influence and power, there was also the increased aggression.

[As the host, seeing everyone enjoying themselves… Even this is something I’ve already said.]

Abruptly, Sung Hyunjae sighed.

[Though the swimming pool seems to be new.]

There was no one who could understand the nonsense he was spouting. Except for me. It seemed that prior to the Return, several fights had broken out in the banquet hall over the course of the maritime party. Since Yerimie wouldn’t have been there then, he would have made that greeting inside the banquet hall instead of at the pool on deck.

On top of the prepared greeting, the party itinerary would have been identical. I could feel Sung Hyunjae’s mood, which had temporarily brightened thanks to Yerimie, drop again to hit rock bottom. Was it really something to get that upset over, though. It wasn’t like he had already done it hundreds of times.

[I wonder, if Han Yoojin-goon might also recall.]

Suddenly, I was hit by an unexpected stray bullet.

[There’s a lot of water here. Wouldn’t you say.]

He was saying something obvious in a strangely profound way. Since we were on top of the ocean, of course there would be a lot of wa……

‘...hold on.’

That, even with sea water, using electrolysis and creating hydrogen. I felt a sudden chill wash over me, and the fear resistance verification message popped up.

No way. No way that was the case. It didn’t even seem like he had his memories back yet, and doing something batshit like that would mean even Sung Hyunjae’s safety wouldn't’ be guaranteed. We were on a boat. Since it would blow everything to smithereens, it would be akin to choosing complete self-annihilation.

Everyone else still had on an expression as if wondering what that guy was talking about. But my insides were slowly growing cold.

‘It doesn’t seem like he’s recovered all his memories from before the Return. So, is it just that he recalls the fight that took place inside the mental realm.’

Since that was something the Sung Hyunjae of the present had personally experienced, it might be that the memory had been recovered faster. What had his power level looked like back then. When he had detonated the river, that had been quite dangerous. Even if he’d had the highest stats out of everyone present then.

‘Since it’s an explosion reinforced with magical energy, there probably aren’t very many S-rank Hunters who would be able to withstand it right now. Even though Sung Hyunjae’s magic level here is lower than it’d been in the mental world, the amount of water has vastly increased and there’s the additional potential for lethality posed by the boat possibly detonating as well……’

Committing all of our resources into a defensive maneuver seemed to provide the highest chance of coming out of this unharmed. No, before that, he wouldn’t be thinking of actually going through with this insane bullshit, right. Since no matter how tedious living might feel, he wasn’t the kind of person to actually tie it off with suicide.

“What on earth are you saying!”

I decided to ask first. I could faintly see Sung Hyunjae’s lips curve into a smile.

[I can’t hear you very well.]

How would that be possible!

[I’m looking forward very much to Han Yoojin-goon’s present. Since I was so pleased with the one I received during the day.]

With that, he took out a bundle of hot pink-colored wool from his inventory. It was a scarf, with a fair bit of progress made.

“What do we do, it looks like the Seseung Guild Leader already knows how to knit.”

Yerim mumbled worriedly. Sorry, but the present you’d prepared is already deep underwater. Since it had been placed on top of the table, wouldn’t it have been swept away to float around on the sea somewhere by now.

[Why don’t we converse directly, since you should be coming over to hand over the gift anyway.]

I took a short breath. I couldn’t predict that he would blow the place up just because of what he said about water and memories, and I didn’t think that he was the kind of person that would behave rashly like that. But.

‘I should still make preparations.’

Thankfully, it wasn’t that there weren't any options. After glaring once at Sung Hyunjae, I approached Myungwoo.

“Myungwoo-yah, going into the Forge means you’ll be impervious to outside attacks, right?”

“Since the space itself is different, that’s normally the case. Maybe if it had the ability to bend space. But according to Ismoire, this world shouldn’t have any skill users capable of doing something like that yet.”

“How many people can go in at once?”

“To begin with, they have to be connected to me for it to work, but if we use a rope like when we were moving things before… Just a moment.”

Myungwoo disappeared for a moment before reappearing.

“There’s an energy cost when transferring, so if it’s the size of a person then probably fifty? Is the limit.”

If it was fifty people, then approximately everyone would fit. There was the brief worry that they might cause a fuss once inside, but high-ranking Hunters probably wouldn’t be that stupid. Once Sung Hyunjae used the skill, they would quickly realize the potential it held. Space transportation was instantaneous, and the ship’s size meant that we would have enough warning before the explosions reached us.

I asked Myungwoo to take out the rope. I passed the long rope to Yoohyun and Yerim in order and spoke.

“The moment Sung Hyunjae uses a dangerous skill, immediately teleport away.”

With that, I used the Teacher skill on Myungwoo and shared Yoohyun’s senses. Since Yoohyunie would pick up on the danger faster.

“I’ll leave it to you.”

“And you, Yoojinie?”

Apparently noticing that I was trying to leave myself out, Myungwoo’s face turned stiff. Yoohyun’s eyes narrowed as well.

“I’ve got Eunhae, right. It’s just that I think I might need to go talk with that guy a bit. Don’t worry about me.”

“Hyung wouldn’t be thinking of going by yourself, right? I’ll be going too.”

Yoohyun said, gripping my arm. No, you shouldn’t be going too.

“Since I can teleport, I’m the better option!”

Not you either, Yerimie. Yerim might be better at dodging, but it was better to have her safely sequestered away in the Forge in any case. While I was in the middle of pacifying Noah as well, that bastard Sung Hyunjae started rushing me.

[My Item is certainly taking his time. Perhaps I should have escorted him after all.]

“You can still come over here yours--! No, shit, just stay there and wait quietly!”

It was better to have him further away from the kids. Since it would be bad if he got close enough to get to Myungwoo.

“I’m only going to hand over the gift I prepared and talk, so don’t worry Yoohyun-ah. There’s nowhere else to go, since we’re in the middle of the ocean. And you know that Sung Hyunjae doesn’t have any flight-related skills. Even then, Noah-ssi would be way faster anyhow.”

“What’s all this about preparing to escape to the Forge.”

“That guy seems to be really bored lately. Since he might do something weird, it’s just preparation for a what-if scenario. It’s really only a possibility. The likelihood is low.”

Perhaps because of all the eyes on us, my dongsaeng made an expression that showed he was dissatisfied but eventually nodded. Wouldn’t this guy just let go of the rope and spring towards me if he thought it was dangerous. Since I had already shared their senses, I could only hope that Myungwoo would be able to step up.

Next, I gave a brief explanation of the situation to Moon Hyuna and Song Taewon. Maybe because they were well acquainted with Sung Hyunjae, they didn’t bother questioning me further, though it would’ve been natural for anyone to be taken aback. Most of the other Hunters took the rope when it was tossed to them, but there were a couple who still complained.

“Why should we do this when we didn’t even get an adequate explanation!”

“It’ll serve you well to listen, if you don’t want to die? What a fuss over being helped.”

“How dare a F-rank-!”

Sharp looks pierced through the man who had yelled. Since the number of S-ranks looking at him weren’t few, the man shut his mouth.

The kids were secured. Turning around, I headed towards… the stairs I wanted to go down, but there was barely anything left intact. As I carefully picked my way down through the wreckage, a golden chain appeared with a rattle. Hadn’t something like this already happened before.

“...hey, hold on!”

If I got dragged there like before, then it wouldn’t stop at just a cleaning and my clothes would be turned into rags! Ignoring my shout, the chains came closer and wrapped around my body to pick me up. …so it could lift me up too. How strong. So then why was I dragged back then.

Once I was delivered, Sung Hyunjae looked up at me. Though it was nice that I was taller than him like this.

“Please put me down.”

“As you command.”

Gently, my two feet touched the floor. Now, then.

“Why suddenly mention how much water there is?”

“Since you’d mentioned you had a seawater allergy. I was worried.”

…were you still holding onto that.

“Did it have any other meaning.”

“It appears that it does have another meaning for Han Yoojin-goon.”

“I can’t swim very well.”

“I’m proficient, so no need to worry.”

Was it really as simple as that. I tried searching Sung Hyunjae’s face, but he only smiled as if in anticipation of his gift.

‘...should I give it to him, or not.’

If Sung Hyunjae hadn’t recalled how to use the electrolysis magic yet, wouldn’t it be better to leave it buried as-is. Seoul still had the Han river. …but if he really put his mind to it, he was someone who would still be able to do something monstrous without it anyway.

“Give me your hand. And please don’t resist the skill.”

Just like this morning, Sung Hyunjae obediently put his hand forward. I grabbed it and used the Teacher skill.

“I won’t be able to move freely since my mana is lacking, so please lend your assistance.”

Then I could lead him via the Teacher skill. I wouldn’t be nearly as proficient as the Sung Hyunjae five years from now, but getting any hint at all would be an enormous boon.

After Sung Hyunjae summoned the magical energy.

“......!!”

My vision went black. I thought I heard Yoohyun’s voice as well. When I finally came to, there was a sweet taste left inside my mouth.

“Are you okay, hyung?”

“...I told you not to come.”

Yoohyun was propping me up while half-embracing me.

“Hunter Yoo Myungwoo lent me some damage nullification items. Since he didn’t think I would keep still.”

…thanks a bunch, Myungwoo-yah. How prudent of you.

“What was it that happened.”

Standing up, I immediately asked Sung Hyunjae. He lifted up an empty mana potion bottle.

“They said this mana potion was swiss chocolate flavored.”

“That’s not what I……”

Did I faint because all my mana was gone. Something similar had occurred before. When the magic stone had absorbed Sung Hyunjae’s magical energy, my mana had become completely depleted. Upon realizing what had happened, I came to notice that my chest felt like it was stinging a bit.

“So it does have a connection with me after all.”

“...what’s he saying, hyung.”

…I wanted to ask that fragment guy as well. Though none of the magical energy had come close, it got slurped up, and even to the point where I had difficulty enduring it. Was that fucker really incapable of influencing the magic stone?

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[elisela]

do you know how to do take-aways? (read on ao3) derek x stiles, g, 2.2k, au, meet cute, fluff, kid fic

prompt: call me for @tylerhunklin

--

"Hey Scott," Stiles says, jamming the phone receiver between his shoulder and ear so he can go back to typing with both his hands. "Desk duty is killing me, man, do you know how much of a backlog on paperwork there is in this place? Fucking ridiculous—"

"Stiles," Scott cuts in, “I have a call I need you to take."

Stiles sits up straighter and frowns. "We've got people out on patrol—"

Scott's laughter is warm and familiar in his ear. "No, it's not a patrol thing. I'm gonna transfer it over to you, okay? And I’m still coming to bring you dinner tonight."

"Roger," Stiles says, lazily snapping a salute despite Scott not being able to see him. There's a pause and a click, and he slips back into his professional mode—the one his dad definitely wishes he would use more often. "Beacon Hills Sheriff's Department, this is Deputy Stilinski, how can I help you?"

"Hi," a small voice says. "Do you know how to do take-aways?"

He frowns, glancing over at the display on the phone screen. He'd think it was a joke except he doubts Scott would patch that through, and there's a childish tone to the voice that's difficult to fake. "Like subtraction?" he asks.

"Yeah," the voice says. "We learned it today but I don't remember and I gotta do my homework."

He presses his lips together so he doesn't laugh and slouches, relaxing a little in his seat. "Sure do," he says. "What's your name?"

"Talia Marie Hale," she says promptly, and Stiles scribbles it down on a piece of paper. "How do I do five take away five?"

"Can you put up five fingers?" he asks, and she makes a noise of assent. "Okay, now put five of them down." He hears her counting in the background and he copies the number the shows on his display underneath her name, then clicks over to run it through the system. When she stops, he says, "okay, how many fingers do you still have up?"

"I don't have any," she says. "How do you write that?"

"Zero," he says. "Do you know how to make that? It's like a big o." He waits another moment before asking, "is anyone in the house with you, Talia?"

"Yeah, my auntie," she says. "But I can't ask her questions while she's writing unless it's an emergency."

He can't catch himself before he laughs. "What made you decide to call 9-1-1?"

"My teacher said if you ever need help you can call," Talia says. "And I really need help. What's seven take away three?"

--

The second call comes in three days later. He's peeling apart his turkey sandwich and layering Doritos on it, providing much-needed crunch, when his phone rings through from dispatch. "Sup, Scott," he says, because Scott's the only one who ever bothers to call him directly.

"Sorry, Stiles, just me," Kira says. "I have someone on the line for you. Given that she asked for you by name, maybe you could remind her that this line is for emergencies and talk to her guardian?"

He presses the top slice of bread back onto his sandwich and leans back in his chair. "Got it," he says, and waits for the click. "That you, Miss Hale?"

"Hi, Mr. Deputy Stilinski,"  she says, tiny voice chipper in his ear. "I'm really confused about this take away."

"Hit me," he says, and she giggles.

"Ten take away six," she says. "I put up all my fingers but I got confused."

He hums and glances around his desk. "Are you with your auntie again today?" he asks, and when she confirms he adds, "do you have any toys at her house?"

"I'm at my house," she says. "Auntie watches me while Daddy's away for work, but she's busy writing her thesis so I can't go in the office."

"What's your dad's name?" he asks.

"Derek Samuel Hale," she says. "And my auntie's name is Cora Elizabeth Hale, and my other auntie is Laura Margaret Hale, and my dog's name is Ruffio Hale. Like from Hook. Auntie Cora named him because she said Daddy was scared of Hook when he was my age and she likes to make fun of him. Daddy tried to rename him but he only wants to answer to Ruffio now."

He writes it all down with a grin—even the unasked for information—and flicks at his mouse to wake his computer. "Your aunt sounds pretty cool," he says. "Okay, go get ten small toys and we'll get your math done. Blocks, if you have them."

He runs Cora's name through the system as he waits, just to make sure Talia isn't being left with someone irresponsible, and finds nothing of consequence. He keeps the list, though; he'll tell Talia not to call 9-1-1 anymore unless it's an emergency, and if she does, he'll get in touch with her dad then.

--

"Little red h-hen makes s-sop," Talia reads, and pauses. "That doesn't sound right. What's ou?"

"Spell the whole thing for me," he says, and corrects, "soup," when she does, spearing a piece of microwaved chicken and popping it in his mouth. He's quiet while she reads, only interjecting when she needs help, trying to eat silently in the background. She mostly spells the comprehension questions for him and he reads them to her, and when she finally thanks him and hangs up, he looks up to see his dad standing over his shoulder.

"Hey, Pops, I finished the file on—"

"When did your desk turn in to the homework helpline?" Noah asks, frowning, and Stiles rolls his eyes.

"She only calls on my break, it's fine," he says, waving a hand to brush away the question before picking up the file. "Anyway—"

"Are her parents aware?"

"I left her aunt a voicemail on Monday," he says, and when his dad just looks at him, he sighs. "Fine, I left her a message last Monday and I haven't heard back, but she's not alone in the house, nothing bad is going on, she's just—lonely, I think." It's something he understands; after his mom passed away, he'd started calling Edith, who worked the front desk of the station when he was a kid, every night his dad wasn't home.

"Call again,"  Noah says, "and next time, make whoever is home with her aware of it. Once or twice is fine; every day for weeks is a problem."

--

"Here," he says, and Talia gives him the first letter promptly before pausing and spelling out the rest. "Good job. Um, said."

He might be extending their time on the phone, just a little. He likes talking to her; she reminds him of himself, her elementary drama always makes him laugh, and she likes asking him questions about being a deputy. So he’s not really looking forward to asking to speak to her aunt and put a stop to all this.

When she seems like she’s winding down, he sighs. “I know you’re not supposed to interrupt Auntie Cora,” he says, “but I was hoping to talk to her. Can you tell her Deputy Stiles is on the phone?”

“Oh, Auntie’s not here,” Talia says, and Stiles feels the beginning of a heart attack coming on before she adds, “Daddy’s home now. I’ll go get him.” He hears a thunk and then little feet running, her calling out for her Dad before there’s a muffled thump.

“Hello?”

“Uh, hi,” he says, “this is Deputy Stilinski from BHSD—is this Mr. Hale?”

“This is,” he says, and if it’s possible to fall in love with a voice, Stiles does so right then. Soft and gentle, just a bit of concern, and he has to stop himself from running Derek’s name through the system to get a photo. His dad is already irritated with him for encouraging Talia’s calls (and, you know, for the whole stopping a bank robbery in progress thing that led to the injury that landed him on desk duty), he doesn’t need to add misuse of resources to the list. “Is everything okay?”

He takes a breath and explains, starts from the beginning and includes how he gave Talia his desk number so she would stop calling 9-1-1, makes sure to add that he’d tried to get ahold of Cora—and leaves out the fact he hadn’t called Mr. Hale directly even though he could have easily done so—and when he’s finished talking, he adds, “I didn’t mind, honestly, she just told me today that you were back in town and I wanted to let you know.”

There’s a pause where he holds his breath and hopes that Mr. Hale doesn’t think he’s a creep, or doesn’t demand to speak to the Sheriff—but he just lets out a breath and says “I am so sorry, I’ll absolutely talk to her, it won’t happen again.”

“I really didn’t mind,” he says again, because he also doesn’t want to get Talia into trouble. “She must get home from school at the same time my break starts because she always called at the same time, I wasn’t busy. Just making you aware.”

“Thank you,” Mr. Hale says. “Deputy—” and isn’t Stiles going to have dreams where his name is said like that, low and grateful and—

“Sorry?” he asks, flushing when he realizes he’s lost track of the conversation. “I didn’t catch that.”

“I appreciate what you did,” Mr. Hale says. “I’ll talk to her.”

--

Talia doesn’t call the next day.

She shows up instead.

“Mr. Deputy Stiles!” he hears from the front, and his head snaps up to see a little girl with long dark hair looking around the room, envelope clutched in one hand, the holding onto the hottest man Stiles has ever seen and holy shit, he suddenly believes that karma is very real and he has clearly done something good in his life to earn this kind of reward.

He starts to stand, and her eyes catch his and light up as she tugs her dad towards him. “Miss Hale?”

“Hi!” she says, flinging her arms around his waist. He hugs her back and looks over at her dad, who gives him a sheepish look and shrugs. “I got a hundred percent on my sight words test and Daddy said we could go to ice cream to celebrate and then when we were at ice cream he said we should do something nice for you because you helped me so so so much and I really wanted to come here anyway because I want to see a real jail and Daddy said if I was really really nice and asked politely then maybe you could show me some handcuffs—”

If this is what he’s like, he’s starting to understand why it was difficult for him to make friends in school, because she just does not stop, and doesn’t leave an opportunity for him to get a word in. He crouches down so he’s eye-level with her and waits it out, accepting the envelope when she finally runs out of words and beams at him. “Thank you,” he says, and when he opens it up to find a drawing and a handful of gift cards, he looks up to Mr. Hale. “You really didn’t have to, Mr. Hale,” he says, wrapping one arm around Talia’s shoulders when she darts in to hug him again.

“Derek,” he says, and when he smiles, Stiles is pretty sure he’s found God. “We don’t want to take up your time, I just wanted to thank you.”

“But—” Talia starts, and falls quiet when Derek looks at her again. “I can’t even see the people in the jail?”

“It’s not really a jail,” Stiles says, shrugging, “just a holding cell. And there’s no one in it right now.”

“Boo,” Talia says. “Can I meet your Sheriff?”

“Lia,” Derek warns, and she sighs explosively. “Sorry about—all this. I talked to Cora and she knows to give Talia a little more attention during homework time, so she won’t—she shouldn’t—be calling you again. Talia, we need to get home. Say thank you and goodbye.”

“Bye, Mr. Deputy Stiles,” she says, and he knows—he knows—that her sticking out her bottom lip and pouting is nothing more than a manipulation tactic, but it hits him all the same. “Thank you.”

--

“Deputy Stilinski,” he says before he fully has the receiver to his ear, wadding up a piece of scrap paper and tossing it at Jordan’s head to get his attention. He motions to the pizza box laying on his desk—dinner for the station courtesy of Derek, who clearly didn’t know the going rate for tutors given the sheer amount he’d dropped on gift cards—and makes a grabbing motion. They’ll be having station dinners for weeks—so long as they cater to his busted foot and bring him what he wants. Otherwise, he’s spending it all on himself.

“Hi,” someone says, and “sorry, this is Derek Hale, Talia’s dad?”

“Hey,” he says, sitting up straighter. “How can I help you?”

“I—” there’s a pause and a muffled sound, a conversation happening just outside of what Stiles can hear. “Sorry, I—I wanted to ask if you would be interested in getting coffee on Saturday. With me,” he adds, and Stiles can hear it when he cups his hand over the microphone and says, “Talia, stop.”

It’s like a record scratch in his brain. “Coffee?” he repeats. He’d thanked karma for smiling down on him, but he’d figured the encounter with Derek was one and done. “You want—with me?”

“Yes,” Derek says, “although my daughter is also extremely interested and I believe is willing to fight me for you.”

Laughter bursts out of his mouth before he can stop it. “You know, I think Talia did call dibs first,” he says, grinning. “What if we all got coffee and then you and I went for lunch?”

“I can work with that,” Derek says. “It’s a date.”

[wagner-fell]

Mari kicked down the dressing room door with a bang so loud Kevin jumped and spilled his hot coffee cup all over himself. Hearing his yelps of pain, Astrid peaked her head out of the curtain, laughed at his expense then shut it again. Maria ignored that.

They strutted out to where the boys were sitting and struck a pose. “Can I rock cottage core or can I rock cottage core?”

Kit didn’t trust himself to speak. He simply nodded instead. While the baby blue dress with short, ruffled sleeves looked a bit out of place paired with Mari’s bulging muscles, she looked absolutely stunning.

The Merry Hoes were located in the back room of the antique store Kevin’s family owned. The Chu’s just got a large donation of vintage clothing. Mari had just gotten their pay check from the downworlder gym she worked at. Kit and Astrid really didn’t want to do their maths homework. It was destiny.

Despite being downworlders both Blessica and Kevin still lived at home. Mari, though, lived with the rest of their pack in an old Edwardian mansion a few blocks away from school. However the five of them slept over at each other’s place of residence so often they blurred together in the young Herondale’s mind. He could really only tell them apart by their smells.

Mari’s reeked of dirty laundry as they were one of four folks on the feminine side of the gender scale out of the lycanthropy of London, Blessica excluded. Her house smelled like Ube, a type of yam her Filipino parents put in everything. Kit couldn’t complain. Ube flavoured ice cream was the best thing he’s ever eaten. Aside from Mari. Though he wasn’t usually the one… Nevermind.

Kevin’s house smelled of Longjing tea and red wine. A peculiar combination that oddly enough, worked quite well.

Astrid had two homes as her parents divorced at the age of six. Stepping into her mom’s house was like stepping into a cookie factory. Which made sense as her mom owned a bakery and lived above it. Kit didn’t know exactly what Astrid’s dad’s place smelled like, let alone looked like, but he could make an educated guess that it was similar to the Los Angeles Institute because it was in LA too.

After they separated, Miss Yang fled to Devon to dodge the possibility of seeing her ex-husband when they exchanged Astrid. Kit related to her on a deep, personal level.

Now Astrid spent her summers in America and Kit drained his battery on international phone calls.

Her three months in the USA each year helped him bond with her better when they had first been introduced. For example, her ringtone was the Perry the Platypus theme song. Blessica, Kevin and Maria had no clue what it was but when the music reached Kit’s ears, the two sang an epic duet that put Kiss Me More (the second most iconic duet in history) to shame.

“How much is this anyway,” asked Mari, turning in a circle to see if there was a price tag. In the process she sent the fabric fluttering as she went. It made them look more magical than ever.

“There is no price on fabulousness,” said Astrid. She had on loose, black dress pants, a white shirt, and black suspenders with gold blemishes.

“Yes there is,” replied Kevin. “54 euros.”

“54 euros,” exclaimed Mari.

“Well it would have been €34 but you made me spill my coffee and this shirt was 20 so..”

“Seriously, Kev. I will fuck your mom. You think I won’t?” A pause. “Wait, only twenty €20?”

“Oh, I know right! There is this incredible thrift store down on Fleet Street and-”

“Don’t care,” interrupted Mar. She took one last look in the mirror before turning back to him. “I’ll give you your parents' price, not your dramatic ass’s one.”

Kevin rolled his eyes. “Fine. But it’s an extra €10 for the shoes.”

Mari looked down at her tan sandals. They leaned against the door they just excited to take the footwear off. “Racist,” she muttered under her breath.

“I’m literally Chinese.”

“Homophobic, then.”

“Pansexaul,” he sang.

Mari was silent for a moment before she banged on the door into the room Blessica was changing into her rose pink gown. “Blessie! Do I have permission to call Kev transphobic in your name?”

“Hey,” said Kevin, looking up from his task of rubbing a paper towel across his sheer, white shirt. “That’s cheating. Blessie, don’t listen to them!”

The nickname ‘Blessie’ was what her family exclusively called her. She turned red when they had first found out. Granted, it wasn’t hard to make Blessica blush. All she had to do was stand in Kevin’s general area.

“Blessica,” called Mari once again. When she still didn’t answer, Maria stood up and pressed their forehead against the changing room door. “You okay?”

“No,” Blessica croaked out finally. Her hoarse voice was laced with sorrow. Upon hearing her speak, Kevin abandoned any hope of saving his top and joined Mari at the door. Kit and Astrid were quick to follow.

“Hey,” said Astrid gently. “What’s wrong?”

Blessica began to sob. “The dress doesn’t fit right,” she whimpered.

“That’s okay,” soothed Kevin. “We have other sizes.”

“Kev, it doesn’t fit my body because it wasn’t made for my body. I just feel so ugly.” All the other Merry Hoes made various sounds of distress. Kit was instantly reminded of Dru,

He was suddenly fifteen again. In Ty’s bedroom as he told him of all the times she’d been told she wasn’t pretty by members of the Shadowhunter society. And all the times Emma or Julian or another member of her family had reassured her that she was. The thought occurred to Kit that maybe they weren’t Emma-y as Blessica needed them to be.

“It’s just like,” started Blessica, “I started taking Estrogen seven months ago, you know? And I still don’t have anything to show for it.”

His mind was racing a mile a minute. “Yes you do,” he said.

“I do?” she asked, sounding dubious.

“Your voice!”

“You do have a really nice voice,” agreed Astrid. “You could totally narrate audiobooks or something.”

“No it’s not,” grumbled Kevin.

“Kevin,” said Mari, glaring daggers at him. ‘Kevin’ in this case didn’t mean Kevin. It meant ‘Shut your mouth right or I will actually kill you’.

“No, not like that! It’s just…” he was blushing profusely now. “Her voice is like the rain. Most of the time it’s soft and warm and it wraps you in one big, wet hug. You can’t help but feel, well, blessed to get to feel it touching your skin.. But when it rains hard you feel every single drop land. But no matter what kind of rain it is, the impact is always enormous. Uh, yeah, her voice is like that.” There was a moment of prolonged silence, where Blessica had stopped crying but no one was brave enough to talk.

The door opened and Kit, Kevin and Astrid stumbled backwards. Mari didn’t. Stupid gorgous jock, Kit thought as she survayed her inferiourors.

Blessica stood in the open doorway. Her eyes were puffy and red. The dress looked perfect on her. Not that this style hadn’t looked perfect on Mari but their arms were so thick, they filled up the entire selve. Blessica was so petite you could see her bones clearly through the skin. It highlighted the flowness of the gown extremely well. “You guys like my voice?” Then, “why are you all staring at me, is it that bad?”

“Blessie,” said Mari. “You can’t just put on that in front of four people who like women and expect them not to stare.”

“Respectfully, of course,” added Kit.

“Just tell us if it makes you uncomfortable,” agreed Kevin.

“Step on me,” breathed Astrid.

“But then again,” said Mari, “you validate yourself too.”

“Run me over with a cement truck.”

“We can see your hot as fuck. But more importantly you have to believe you’re hot as fuck.”

“You could literally kill me and I’d get on my knees to thank you.”

Blessica was blushing as hard as Kevin now. They sheepishly smiled at each other before turning away. “Simp,” said Kit and he held out his hand. Astrid dutifully rewarded him with a high five.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am on the trans spectrum but I am not mtf. If you are and you feel misrepresented please feel free to private message me or just leave a comment tell me how I can fix it.

@the-wckd-powers @book-dragon-not-worm @thechangeling @the-blackdale @ithurielkeepsgettingkidnapped @illusions-give-reasons-to-live @shelvesofgold @arangiajoan @maxboythedog @noah-herondale-lightwood @its-taff @cncnbr @sofiatheskeleton @thomas-gaypanic-lightwood @im-not-ruined-im-ruination @adoravel-fenomeno

Let me know if I left anyone out. Also let me know if you want to be added or removed from the tag list.

[writings-n-stuff]

Movie Night (Noah Centineo x reader)

Pairing: Noah Centineo x Reader

Word Count: 1,216

Summary: When the reader’s new friend Noah comes over for their weekly movie night, the evening turns soft as feelings are admitted.

Content Warning: None! A bit of fluff maybe?

Your new friend Noah was over your apartment for the third time in three weeks for movie night, and things felt so incredibly tense. 

For weeks you’ve had a secret crush on Noah--really, since you first met a couple months ago. There was just something about his easygoing personality, or the way he looked at you while you talked about things that actually matter, or his slight nervousness whenever you were together, that really made you think about him constantly. He was goofy and shy, and he seemed to always want to scoot closer to you. His smile and his body heat made you lightheaded, and you prayed you wouldn’t trip over your words every time he asked you a question.

This week, he brought snacks and suggested the both of you watch a show he’d just discovered. He made you laugh when he busied himself in your kitchen, taking out cups and preparing a little buffet of snacks on a serving tray. He’d memorized your cupboards remarkably fast, and he found all he was looking for in seconds. Noticing your figure in the corner of his eye, he paused for a moment and looked up at you. A silly smile on his face, Noah easily shrugged and mentioned that he hated getting up in the middle of watching things.

His bewildered expression made your stomach flip and blood rush to your cheeks. You laughed in return, and went to your computer to find the show he wanted to watch.

You found it on one of your streaming services as Noah came back and set his haul on the table next to your laptop. He settled on the couch close to you, knees almost touching. The both of you usually sat almost at opposite ends of the couch--the closeness was refreshing and gave you that giggly feeling. You smiled at him generously, and he smiled earnestly back. Wow, he was so sweet, you could barely believe it. 

The both of you focused on your show as you pressed play.

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

You were afraid to meet his eyes. They were too clear, too easy a mix of bright brown and sunlight and some other tone. He was funny, funny in the way that a slightly nerdy kid is. But, you still found yourself refusing to meet his eyes because he looked at you so intensely.

Noah seemed to want to look at you, and that made you nervous. 

You were watching some comedy and had been watching for a bit too long. Your arms had settled next to each other an episode ago, his body warm against yours. He was sweet, respectful, and thoughtful in a way that you hadn’t even realized you had wanted to see. You got each others’ jokes. He successfully shifted between serious discussion and lighthearted banter and balanced both extremely well. And he didn’t move away when you had moved your leg to rest next to his.

You were busy watching the show, eyes trained on the screen and thinking fast about him: were you coming off too casually? Did he want to do anything more than this? When was an adequate time to ask to kiss? The questions bubbled around in your mind, punctuated by occasional glances at his relaxed legs, his hand resting comfortably on his knee. Was that a question, an ask, to hold your hand? You were so unsure.

As the final scenes of the show played out, you let out some type of sigh and let yourself relax against the back of the couch. Mirroring your movements, Noah did the same; his exhale felt like a whisper, and you found yourself almost leaning towards him to listen.

A comfortable silence settled between you, and it felt too nice to not feel something deep in your gut. A part of you screamed to tell him how you felt, to let his smile warm your cheeks and push you into telling your deepest truth. You turned to him, prepared to let the words fall out-

“I think you’re really sweet,” he said suddenly. He leveled his eyes with yours and oh, the way they shimmered in the light. Your legs felt tingly, your heart softened--his thoughtful gaze made your insides melt. His arm moved to rest against yours as he sheepishly said, “I think your eyes are really pretty.” 

Oh god, oh god, oh god. His voice sounded like honey, and you tasted the sweetness on your tongue. “I think your eyes are really pretty, too,” you said so softly, glad that you didn’t trip over your words.

He inched his hand towards yours, a hint of anxiety in the way his fingertips lightly drummed against his knee. You could feel the vibrations on your own leg. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot, and I’m really glad we’re hanging out.”

This felt like a dream. You’ve daydreamt about this moment more times than you could count. “Yeah?” You inched your own hand closer to his, the warmth of his body radiating against yours. The room didn’t feel warm, but definitely much more comfortable than just a few moments ago.

He nodded, visibly letting out another breath. “I really like being your friend, and I think you’re so talented and funny and smart. You make me laugh--you make me happy.” He lightly rubbed his hands on his pants, trying to play it off as much as possible. Your heart was surging, already knowing where he was going. “I don’t want this to ruin our friendship, but I just wanted to ask: may I take you out on a date sometime?”

It was finally here, you wouldn’t fuck it up. You were hoping for this moment for so long, and it actually was happening. Tears prickling at your eyes, you couldn’t speak for a moment. Oh god, this was it. 

He noticed your eyes watering, and seemed only more worried. He raised his hands, an offering, to you: “It’s okay if you don’t want to-”

“Yes,” you said quickly, barely louder than a whisper. “Yes, so much,” you said a bit louder. Every fiber of your being was soaring, floating up and up and up. 

His breath caught, a slow smile gracing his face. “Yeah?” He echoed, putting his hands down, fingertips brushing your leg. “Really? You want to?”

You nodded reassuringly. “Yes,” you said, wiping quickly at your eye. You laughed a little. “I thought you’d never ask.” You took his hand softly, squeezed it a little and let out a burst of your excitement.

Noah laughed too, leaned towards you. “May I kiss your cheek?” He asked, voice dropping half an octave. Your stomach tingled as you nodded, and he wasted no time in delivering a confident first kiss to your cheek. Already warm, you felt yourself blush under his soft lips. You smelled the faint scent of honey as he pulled away, face much closer than before. “I’ve been wanting to ask you for so long.”

You pressed your forehead to his and felt a tingling right on your third eye. You’d been waiting for so long, and it felt right for this to happen. Your dreams were coming true. “Me, too,” you whispered, lips centimeters from his, and kissed his cheek in return. 

[5ro4]

Dark makes no sense [Spoilers of the whole show]

I thought Netflix’s Dark season 3 was disappointing, boring and made no sense. From its first few chapters I was wishing for it to end already, but it kept going, simultaneously being a convoluted exposition dump while actually explaining nothing, then pulling an ending out of nowhere long after I had stopped caring.

It’s kinda hard to find proper criticism for the series last season; most people just praise how it’s the best possible ending and everything makes perfect sense, so I decided to write my thoughts and criticism.

I’ll clarify that I enjoyed seasons 1 and 2 a lot. They are convoluted in a good and interesting way, where everything seems to fit nicely together, to have been properly planned all along, and it carries the promise that the deeper mysteries that remain will be explained later on.

But then season 3 happens. I still think overall it’s a good show, interesting and worth watching, but season 3 is disappointing and the show as a whole is certainly no “perfectly written masterpiece”.

Massive spoilers from now on.

Even if it made logical sense, season 3 is bad.

Most of the charm of the first 2 seasons is watching how every action fits in a single linear timeline and how every cause had an unexpected consequence that makes the timeline more and more complex while maintaining perfect coherence. It’s hard to follow, but it’s doable.

Then season 3 ruins the charm by making everything so convoluted it’s impossible to follow and unsatisfactory to even try.

Complexity is enjoyable up to the point where anything can happen. Why would you still care then? How could you? A mystery is intriguing because it needs to be explained by the rules of the world; the rules you know and are able to follow. If the explanation could be “a witch did it”, then none of the mysteries would be intriguing.

So we have a character that dies, and it’s intriguing because we know he’s alive in the future, so how can this be possible? Well, there’s actually 2 parallel worlds, so he’s alive in the other world. It’s a surprising twist, but the rules have been broken; now almost every mystery can be explained by the existence of a parallel world.

But then a character dies in both worlds! How can that be? Well, in the second world there’s actually two intertwined timelines, so they died in one of them but no the other.

How are you supposed to care about anything that happens from this point onward? No mystery is that mysterious when the possibility of a convoluted explanation involving multiple worlds and timelines is always there. And why even bother trying to make sense of it when they could pull out a fourth timeline or a third parallel world at any moment (and they actually do)?

Character’s motivations are impossible to follow because everyone is lying and being double-crossed by alternate reality characters all the time.

Half of the characters you are following now aren’t even the original characters but their versions from another world or another timeline inside that second world, so it’s really difficult to keep caring about any of them.

I’m not even going to attempt to criticize any of the fine details or possible loose ends because when characters can jump between timelines and realities at any time and all of them are either lying or being lied to, I’m pretty sure that by watching the show 3 times and reading the wiki you could find some plausible explanation for any small inconsistency, but at this level of complexity who even cares.

However, I think there are major, big picture flaws that somehow seem to have gone over most people’s head.

1.- The end is the beginning, therefore every action is an explanation for itself.

Most of the plot and almost the entirety of season 3 could be summed up as: A ton of people do nonsensical things because they know their future selves did those things, so they must repeat them because time is linear (except in the end it isn’t).

The bootstrap paradox is the cheap way this show has to explain any mystery and any character motivation: It happened the first time, so it must happen the second one too. Since this is a loop with no beginning, there is no need for any action to have had a logical explanation at one point.

It becomes useless to try to understand why any of the main mysterious characters do anything or what their plan is, because it can always be explained (and often does) as just “this is what happened the first time, so it must happen the second one too”.

There’s a point where one character is compelled to kill himself just because a character from the future saw him kill himself, so he must kill himself now so the future is consistent, even though there was never an actual reason for him to kill himself.

This is cheap and lazy because you can have any character doing any mysterious thing and no explanation is needed. Why do Noah and Helge drop dead kids at specific times and locations? Because they are just repeating what their future selves did, and since the loop has no beginning, no original reason exists.

2.- Adam, Eve and Claudia’s plans and motivations make no sense.

Adam and Eve’s motivations, and to some extent Claudia’s, are extremely unclear. They are the ones who explain to everyone else how time and parallel worlds work, except they are always lying and opposing their younger selves, and they are actually wrong about how all of it works.

This makes it hard to actually know what their actual motivations are, since the show doesn’t clearly show when and how they arrived at their current understanding of the world. It’s somewhat clear what they are trying to do, but not why they are trying to do so or what makes them so confident about their knowledge.

The show presents Adam and Eva as opposing forces trying to control time, while Claudia helps one or the other at different times for different reasons, yet most of the time all of them are actually doing exactly the same thing: Trying to make everything happen as it happened the last time.

So the story goes something like this: Following Adam’s instructions, Young Jonas tries to change the past by preventing himself from being born. Claudia stops him, tells him he must fight against Adam and therefore he can’t stop existing, so he must let history repeat itself. Jonas works alongside Claudia and somehow eventually ends up becoming Adam, whose plan, according to the Dark Wiki (dark-netflix.fandom.com) is to keep the cycle going.

This makes no sense, but that last part is actually wrong, at least to some extent, which shows that even the people writing the wiki don’t really know Adam’s motivations.

By the end of the show, it’s clear what is the ultimate thing each of them are trying to accomplish: Adam wants to destroy both worlds, Eve wants to keep the cycle going to avoid Adam destroying the worlds, and Claudia wants to save her daughter in at least one world. None of them seems to actually care about the apocalypse, although that was supposed to be the main conflict to avoid.

But how did Adam and Eve reach those conclusions? That’s never properly explained and their whole development seems nonsensical and contradictory: They try to change the past as their younger selves, they grow old trying and realize it’s impossible, so they turn around and try to prevent their younger selves from changing it.

At every chance they had to actually change the past someone appeared to stop them or convinced them not to do it, yet they somehow end up with the belief that time cannot be changed, while simultaneously doing their best effort to ensure time is not changed.

This is a total contradiction. Either you think time can be changed and try to do so, or you think time can’t be changed and do nothing about people trying, since you don’t need to prevent anyone from doing what you believe to be impossible.

Adam’s plan is to kill Martha and her baby, since her son is who ultimately will put the whole cycle in motion. If he is successful, he will create a paradox where the cycle was never put in motion therefore none of them exist, and thus they will cease to exist*. To do so, he needs to make pregnant-Martha go through a time travel portal because quantum shenanigans say that’s the only way to remove her baby from existence.

* “A paradox happens therefore we suddenly stop existing” makes no logical sense, but since it’s a common trope, let’s ignore it for now.

Eva knows of Adam’s plan and disagrees. For some not properly explained reason, she would rather have and infinite loop of people repeating their same miserable lives rather than ending the loop and making them disappear,  thinking this is equal to them never existing, although they clearly existed. There might also be motherly instincts mixed in; the love for the son she is never shown having a conversation with before turning him into a murder machine to prevent him from not existing.

Eva’s plan is pretty stupid and evil, while Adam’s plan is contradictory, since he is preventing people from changing the past or creating a paradox in order for him to create a particular paradox as a last resource after failing to change the past.

Meanwhile Claudia is trying to repeat the timeline with the intention of actually changing everything at some point, but I don’t care to try and guess what her plan actually was all along.

3.- There’s no way Claudia could get her final revelation.

The characters are supposedly repeating the same cycle over and over, so nothing should actually change, but let’s say it can somehow because they explain something about moving grains of sand.

Concluding that a third world must exist because “there’s always a third dimension” is already a wild logical jump, but even so, how could she ever conclude that the third world was an original one that got destroyed and divided into two parallel realities, and that the reason was the clockmaker failed to make a time machine? It is completely impossible for her to conclude such things.

4.- The creation of the two worlds makes no sense.

So, there was an original world. A clockmaster tries to make a time machine, but instead destroys his world creating… two parallel worlds with 3 timelines that are interconnected in an extremely convoluted loop without beginning? And neither of those worlds actually spawns from the moment he activates the time machine, since he is intercepted years before that by those world’s time travelers?

This is a total cop-out that’s not a better explanation than “magic”. A dude made a machine that destroyed the world and spawned 3 seasons of a completely arbitrary but conveniently interconnected mystery thriller.

5.- Time rules are inconsistent

There’s a scene in which time is proven to be so deterministic that Jonas is literally immortal. He can't be killed because that’s not the place and time where he’s supposed to die in. This is both dumb and inconsistent.

The concept makes sense to a certain extent: If the character is alive in the future, it means he didn’t die in the past. However, that only works as long as the character is not trying to kill himself to prove a point. It only works somewhat elegantly in the show because Jonas accepts it as truth and doesn’t try to push it further, but what if he didn’t? What if he kept trying to kill himself just because he knows he can’t? Would knives break and guns keep getting jammed? It’s dumb because it implies time is a sentient being that will go out of its way to prevent things that aren’t supposed to happen from happening.

Also, it’s inconsistent because it’s latter confirmed that the past can in fact be changed.

6.- Conflicting beliefs are held at the same time.

Eva devotes her life to ensure everything happens as it should happen while simultaneously being 100% sure things will happen in the present as they happened in the future and there’s no way to avoid that. She is dumbfounded when Adam doesn’t kill her the moment he was supposed to kill her.

I’m pretty sure Adam and Claudia hold these same contradicting beliefs at one point or another, simultaneously believing the past can’t change while making their best effort to ensure it doesn’t change.

7.- Time stopped for a brief moment.

Claudia literally says that time stopped for a brief moment when the clockmaster activated his time machine or something.

Think about that. She’s telling you that time stopped during a small  period of time. She's using time to mesure the lack of time.

Also, how could she ever know if time was stopped and for how long (hah), and how does it make any sense that her plan is to do something while time is stopped.

8.- Deep meaningful answers for the gullible.

This is not a plot hole, just a criticism to the writing and the development of the plot: Almost every time a character makes a crucial question to the character that holds the answer, they either don’t respond because of the bootstrap paradox (“my future self didn’t explain it to you so now that I’m in the same situation I won’t explain it either to avoid changing the past”) or they quote a philosopher or something in an attempt to seem deep while giving a non-answer that’s completely unrelated to the current conversation.

This is an actual conversation from the show:

- Why are you storing barrels full of nuclear waste inside an underground cave? - What we know is a drop, what we don't know is an ocean.

OK! No more questions then!

9.- Blind trust in the wrong person.

This is also a relatively minor nitpick I just want to get off my chest.

Characters, particularly Jonas and Martha, blindly trust anyone who appears before them and tell them they have been lied to, even after discovering that the last three people who supposedly revealed the truth to them was actually lying too.

This could still be believable given the circumstances until we get to the point when they would rather trust a total stranger over their future selves. Why would you trust anyone over your future self? Even if they are lying, you will become them in the future; their plan will be your plan, no matter how hard is it to understand now. Yet Jonas doesn’t require any proof from Claudia before trusting her completely over Adam.

10.- Why are Jonas and Martha needed to stop the cycle?

This is never actually explained beyond some vague idea of them being at the center of everything. Claudia could have traveled to the original world herself. Jonas could have done it too without taking Martha with him.

How do they even tune the machine to take them to a world that no longer exists?

11.- The whole time tunnel with Jonas and Martha?

???

12.- The resolution is a paradox, and thus impossible.

In order to stop time travel from ever existing they need to travel in time and prevent time travel from being created, thus making their existence a paradox, which makes them slowly disappear in a cloud of gold dust.

I know this was done for the visual spectacle, but still.

So much struggle against determinism, so many exposition dumps, so much care to make every piece fit perfectly in the timeline, just for the final resolution to be a blatant paradox. Pretty, but not really fitting.

Even though multiple universes with multiple timelines are shown to exist, somehow the rules of time only allow for a single timeline to exist in the end, even if that timeline contains an impossible paradox.