#like when I mimic car honks :3

[your-official-gingerartist]

I have a little head canon for Colette is that’s she (like me) has adhd and will just mimic or copy sounds she hears. So upon meeting francoeur she’d mimic the chirping sounds he made. Not always intentional she will just do it without thinking. Colette would mention this to him and that she’s not making fun of him.

And for fun they would both visit the park and mimic birds they hear, just sitting on the bench or in a tree together.

[neshabeingchildish]

We'll Raise Him Right

Tagged: Charlotte Page, Max Thunderman, Mika Macklin

Notes: Don't mind me. Just clearing my mind of a little bit of Charlotte x Max lore from my notes.

Plot: Charlotte Page and Max Thunderman's firstborn child gets his superpowers and Charlotte is not sure what she thinks of it all. Potentially Zenryverse, but no mention of Zenryverse characters.

Most superpowers come haphazardly. Charlotte could remember Max claiming that the Incredibles had it easy when Jack Jack was cycling through his in that movie. She had heard all about the fiasco of Chloe going through hers. She even watched footage and read every available article from the Metroburg Library on the subject. Alas, nothing can really fully prepare a typical human woman for the power manifestation of a supe infant.

Max wanted her to stay elsewhere until Baby Maximillian settled on a superpower, but there was no way that she was leaving her baby for some undetermined amount of time. So, when he cycled through storm powers, superstrength, shapeshifting and telepathy; Charlotte was present, nearby, trying to avoid demise as Max caught and comforted Mini Max. He would often do so by singing him lullabies and rocking him gently. That always seemed to be soothing for the baby in those trying times.

Eventually, Baby Maximillian began singing. He was 2 years old with the most beautiful singing voice Charlotte had ever heard. It was haunting, even. She was about to make note of that fact when suddenly, a violent scream tore through the sky and through her thoughts. An oncoming car swerved and missed hitting her by mere inches and she panicked as she realized that she was in the middle of the street. Horns honked at her, but she was more concerned about where her child was. She had been with him, and next thing she knew, she was in the street! What if someone had hit him? Tears welled in her eyes, but she heard crying and turned to see him, standing on the sidewalk, crying miserably.

The crying sounded excruciating. It was tearing her heart as she rushed to him. All she wanted was for it to stop. She pushed through the dread and gathered him to her heart. “Oh, Baby! Mommy’s so sorry! I don’t know what happened.” She was crying now, too. She felt filled with fear and guilt, but having him alive in her arms and knowing he was safe ended that and she rushed home to get him to Max. Max would be able to console him. “What the butt happened?” She asked herself.

Max answered, after she gave him the rundown, “I would say the siren’s song, from the first part, but then the sonic scream would be what broke the trance and probably knocked the car out of the way, but then again… his crying repelled you. That’s at least 3 different things that usually don’t happen from the same supe.” Baby Maximillian was asleep in his father’s arms and had been from the moment Max chilled him out with lullabies. Charlotte reached over to stroke his little head.

“Is there something that can do all of that? Like maybe a general vocal superpower?”

Max thought for a moment then cheered, “That’s it! Voice Manipulation! Usually, there’s only one or two applications per supe, hence why I said that those other things were what I said they were. Typically, supes don’t have those combined. For instance, some have the ability to mimic any sound, and some can mimic any voice, those two might be powers that one has, or they could only be ble to do one of those. Typically, voice manipulation, even though there are many types, the supe only has a slice or two. But if one has voice manipulation and is still cycling through potential powers, it's possible that he was maybe cycling through various voice manipulations and that’s why such differing applications all came out of him while he was panicked.”

Charlotte frowned, eyeing her computer, “Well, according to the database, a voice manipulator has the potential to hone several abilities if they began manifesting them before their age of acquisition. So.. because he cycled through those, he could very possibly wind up with all of that. In other words, those with only one voice manipulation power prior to settling on a voice manipulation power will only have that one, but somebody who cycles through multiple ones and wind up with that power might have others, if they wind up with voice manipulation.”

Max finally put their son into his crib and took a breath, “Well then, I guess our current mystery is whether he has landed on that superpower and if so, what applications has he already cycled through.”

.

Mika was smiling brightly, and full of all of the fervor and excitement that she always had for things. “ I am SO GLAD that you called me about this! Of course, as someone with a voice manipulation superpower, I have life experience with the subject. I have read and studied every superpower in the database, but voice manipulation is my area of expertise! I wrote the, now, most studied article in the world on the subject of the Song Manipulation Curse of Swellview from when we were kids to get into the Secret Academy of Superpower Studies, and my sonic scream journals that I kept for my own powers have been introduced into curriculum in Hero University, for training. I created a signature special pitch that can be used by manipulators of both sonic scream and siren song, so I even have expertise in that!” She clapped her hands once and rubbed them together, “I can hardly wait to get a look at Maximillian’s vocal system!” She squealed happily and reached for the toddler. 

He looked at her, looked at his mother, then back to Mika, then to Charlotte again. “It’s okay, Maxi. She’s Mommy and Daddy’s friend,” Charlotte told him. He looked back and forth once more then went to Mika’s outstretched arms. Charlotte kissed him on the forehead and strummed his cheek, then looked at Mika with a warning glance.

“Charlotte, I will take care of him like he is my most important project.”

“He isn’t a project. He’s my only child.” Charlotte said. “And if something happened to him, I will take care of you.”

“Unnecessary, but noted.”

Charlotte had always been good at school, but she didn’t necessarily love doing school work. Mika, on the other hand lived for it. One thing that they definitely both had in common was loving science experiments and studies. Charlotte was just as excited about the tests that Mika would be performing as Mika was, if not a bit more apprehensive because the tests were on her son. 

“According to the information that you gave in your statements, the scans, and tests, these are the observations that I’ve made so far. Firstly, there is an emotional component to the sounds that he makes. There appears to be some type of impassioned voice activated hypnosis. You were both privy to this and unfortunately almost fell prey to it. We know that it wasn’t his intention to harm you or scare you. You were likely in a state of bliss and absentmindedness. Some use this to begin a series of behaviors for the intended. Some call it siren song, as Max did, because it tends to be presented in song form in most lore. Fun fact - hypnotic voice, as I like to refer to it, doesn’t have to sung to affect. It can be operated in words, usually with a certain prompt, for example “I heard a rumor.” Hypnotic voice can also be operated in other vocal functions, such as laughter and..”

“Crying.”

“He’s not old enough or trained enough to control it, so whenever he sang earlier, being happy, you must have been in the hypnotic state that led you into the middle of the street. Do you remember what you felt? Was it mindless, carefree, or something else? Was he determined to get somewhere? Like, a cookie shop across the street or something?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember him seeming to want something… I don’t really remember anything from the singing until the screaming.”

Mika nodded, empathetically. Then, she immediately cheered back up, “Look.” She showed Charlotte the brain scans. “It makes sense that you can’t remember what was happening during this, because his memory hasn’t fully formed. If Maximillian had a more developed hippocampus, I think that you would have most likely have felt either whatever he was feeling in the moments of the hypnosis, or, if he truly gets to hone this ability; you would feel whatever he would want you to feel.”

Charlotte looked horrified.

Max smiled, “Villain era me would’ve LOVED to help hone a power like that!”

“It can be used for good!” Mika insisted, “It isn’t mind control. He wouldn’t be able to force someone to follow specific orders, but he very well could possibly get others to feel like they want to do something.”

“That worries me,” Charlotte admitted.

“Nonsupes HONESTLY have got to stop demonizing powers, and supes are no better when it comes to siren song. Just because someone has a hypnotic nature doesn’t mean that they will try to use it against others,” Mika complained. “Note to self, commission a directive to work against hypnotic voice prejudice.”

Max rolled his eyes and sorted through Mika’s findings himself. “Good news!” Mika changed the subject, slightly. “Hypnotic voice doesn’t seem to be the supreme voice manipulation power that he holds. It belongs under the umbrella of the most potently used one that he has. Sonic Scream!” She didn’t hide her excitement at all. “He must’ve realized that you were in danger and his fear made him activate the power that he needed in order to help you.”

“So… he’s a noise maker,” Max said matter of factly.

“He is a soundwaves specialist!” Mika defended. “Or, he will be, if we raise him right.” She giggled gleefully.

Charlotte and Max exchanged looks. His was hopeful. Hers was worried. Her child was already half nonsupe, and now he had this demonized superpower in the supes community… Max gave her a nudge with his forehead, “We’ll raise him right, Charlight.” She nodded and relaxed a little.

[welcometophu]

Not Your Guardian Angel: Chapter 2

Marked Book 3: Not Your Guardian Angel

Chapter 2

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There are a lot of cars in the parking lot when Pels drops Cheyenne off at her gym. She sees parents walking in with much younger kids, and moms dropping off teenagers the same age as Cheyenne. The older moms are bundled up in long coats and thick scarves, huddled in knots outside of the building in groups that seem to be loosely organized according to whether they’re smoking or not.

Pels doesn’t want anything to do with any of them.

Cheyenne leans back in the car after she climbs out. “There’s a coffee shop like five minutes further down the road.” She makes a face. “Well. It’s not a shop. More of a drive through coffee stand. There’s no place to sit. But you could go and get something and waste some time before you’re stuck coming back here. There really isn’t much of anything else.”

“I’ll find some way to keep myself entertained.” If all else fails, she could have a scintillating conversation with Dad. He’s always good for pithy observations about her life.

“Just be back by twelve to pick me up.” Cheyenne yanks open the back door and grabs her bag, slipping her water bottle from the side pocket so she can take a long, deep pull before she slams both doors shut. “Bye! See you later!” Her voice is muffled and distant as she turns away, already waving to another teen as she runs to the building.

“Guess I’m getting coffee.” Pels starts the car up again, carefully backing out to avoid the line of cars still pulling in. She managed to arrive five minutes early, and she wonders if there will be any spots left at all if she leaves.

She takes another look at the clusters of moms. Yeah, no, she’s not staying here for the entirety of the next two hours.

The Coffee Shack is exactly five minutes further down the road, and looks like it’s just that: a small shack with a half circle driveway past a drive-up window. Pels would wonder if it’s open this early in the spring, but there’s a line of cars leading up to the shack, so she figures it has to be doing decent business.

“I miss coffee,” Dad says quietly as she pulls into the drive behind a beat-up minivan.

“I’m aware. You made me learn to love coffee because you kept insisting I go to coffee places.”

“You heard a lot of good music, and ate a lot of good food. And there was that one when you were fifteen.”

Right, that one. The one almost crush that Pels had before she realized that there was no point in crushing on anyone, since two days later Peter’s ministry took them to another state. “Oh yes, coffee shops hold such great memories,” she says dryly. “I can admit that they were a great way to get away from Peter, though. I think I might’ve enjoyed working in one, if I’d ever been anywhere long enough to hold down a job.”

“You’d probably like working in a library, too,” Dad points out. “You’ve always had an affinity for books.”

“You threw an entire shelf at a girl who was bullying me when I was six,” Pels reminds him. “I don’t think I’d want to be around an entire library of them on a regular basis.”

“We’ve both grown since then. Besides, at that age, it was better if it looked like I was a poltergeist. I didn’t hit her. I never would have hurt her.”

Pels pulls up the emergency brake since the line is moving slowly enough. It lets her turn around, putting one arm on the seat so she can look back at where Dad is watching her. “Your parenting technique and persuasive methods are both dubious at best. But you did mimic toddler tantrums pretty well. On the other hand, you could’ve made the attempt to be subtle.”

“She was six,” Dad says plainly. “She wouldn’t have understood subtle. Neither would you. I haven’t thrown anything or ruined anything that doesn’t belong to you in a while. And if you’d listen to what I say and suggest, I wouldn’t have to try so hard to get your attention.”

Pels disengages from the seat so she can turn back around and pull up when the other cars move. She’s only one back from the window, and she really hopes it’s worth it. “There are days when I envy people who can’t talk to ghosts. And who don’t have one following them around everywhere. Like. Every day.”

“You love me.” Dad’s voice is soft and low, and Pels looks up in the mirror to see him leaning on the back of the seat, his hand just barely touching her cheek. She feels the feather soft touch and sighs.

“Yes, Dad, I love you. Just sometimes I don’t always like you,” Pels says quietly. “Why can’t you just… let me live my life?”

“Because it’s my job to make sure you get to where you need to be, when you need to be there.” Dad sits back, his arms crossed. “And I’ve been doing it for almost nineteen years at this point. That’s not going to change.”

Pels would ask why, but he’s never answered before, and she doubts he’ll start now. Instead she grips the steering wheel tightly and when the car ahead of her finally moves off, she pulls up to the shack window and pushes the button so her own window slides down.

“Welcome to the Coffee Shack!” Lonnie—according to his name tag—is far too cheerful. His cheeks are bright red from the chill, and his blue eyes are bright. “What can I get you? Today’s special blend is a medium roast with vanilla cream and dark caramel flavors, and I can give that to you in coffee, latte, or iced form.” He leans on the edge of the window, getting just a tiny bit closer as his voice lowers. “You’d be surprised how popular the iced ones are, even in the winter.”

“Just hot coffee, but the special sounds good. As big as you’ve got.” Pels spreads her hands as if she’s holding an entire thermos. “I’m going to be sitting outside for a couple hours.”

Lonnie turns away, grabbing a paper cup that looks almost suitably large enough. “You look too young to be a mom,” he says. “Sister? Stuck driving?” He presses the top of a large carafe, filling the cup before he fits a top onto it and turns back to Pels. “Three dollars even,” he says as he hands it to her.

She digs out three bills to hand to him, then empties her mother’s coin supply from the cup holder into his tip jar. She can be both generous and practical; she needs a place to put the coffee.

“Thanks.” Lonnie flashes a bright grin. “So, there’s a park down that way. It’s really the trail-head to a hike, but the trails aren’t ready for that yet. But the park equipment stays out year round, and it’s probably not too busy. If you want a place to hang out while waiting for your sibling.” He reaches off to the side, out of view, and comes back with a paper baggie. “Cookie. On the house.”

“He’s flirting,” Dad murmurs.

“I get that,” Pels hisses under her breath, even though no, she didn’t. Lonnie must have heard her, because his brows are already furrowing in confusion, so she hastily reaches for the cookie. “Thanks. For the cookie and the tip. How did you even—”

“Monday through Friday is for business commuters, but Saturday’s for gymnastics. Always has been here,” Lonnie says easily. There’s a honk from somewhere behind Pels, and Lonnie motions for her to move on. “Go enjoy the park.”

It doesn’t sound like a bad idea, and it’s better than hanging around with a bunch of people the same age as her mom. Pels pulls out of the spot, hearing a squeal behind her as someone pulls into it as fast as she leaves.

“Someone’s impatient,” Dad observes.

Pels’s phone buzzes, but she can’t pick it up to look at it while she’s driving. It doesn’t keep buzzing, so it has to be a text, not a call. The only people who ever text her are her mother and her sister, and she figures they’d call if it were an emergency, so she ignores it.

The fact that it buzzes twice more, at random moments, is a little concerning. When she glances over, Dad is in the front seat, with her phone in his hands.

“I’m pretty sure heat activated or fingerprint unlocking is beyond even your capability,” Pels says.

“I can pick it up, but you’re right, I can’t unlock it. But the notifications show on your screen when the phone moves. It’s Jess.”

Pels pushes down on the gas in surprise, accelerating more than she means to. She relaxes, letting the car adjust back to the right speed. “Jess?” She’d forgotten that she’d given her her number, when they’d had lunch that one time. But now she remembers unlocking her phone and letting Jess program in her number and Shane’s.

She holds out her hand, but the phone moves out of reach as Dad holds it near the window. “When we get to the park,” he says. “No texting and driving.”

Pels drives just a little faster, and thankfully Dad says nothing. When she pulls into the dirt parking lot, parking as far as she can from the few other cars, he just holds out the phone, exchanging it for the paper bag she’s held on her lap since leaving the Coffee Shack.

Pels unlocks her phone, and three texts pop up immediately.

Ángel’s boyfriend is visiting. He is like the personification of grumpy cat. In very large cat form.

The next text is a picture of a boy Pels sort of recognizes and assumes is Ángel, with a large cat draped across his lap. The cat has his eyes closed, lying on his side and tilted slightly onto his back as Ángel rubs his belly.

It’s really adorable.

It’s a brand new text stream, and from the top of the screen Pels can see that it’s a group chat between her and Shane and Jess. While she’s looking at it, another text pops in from Shane.

I’ve been sexiled. I’m staying in Jess’s room for the week.

There’s a light touch to her shoulder, and when Pels glances up, Dad is walking across the parking lot toward the park. He left the paper bag on the front seat, so Pels grabs that to peer in. Double chocolate is never a bad choice. “Thanks, Lonnie,” she murmurs, then breaks off a bite to pop into her mouth. It’s still warm, the chocolate chips gooey and melting, sweet across her tongue. She chases it with a gulp of coffee, and yeah, she now understands why there was such a long line. The Coffee Shack is a nice treat for the day.

She continues to pick at the cookie while staring at her phone as if it’s going to continue doing something to entertain her. The cookie is almost done before it starts buzzing again as a series of pictures comes in.

She recognizes Hayley, bundled up against the cool weather. There are two more cats, and Jess captures images of them as they pounce on the one on Ángel’s lap, knocking him over and rolling the cat off. Another image shows Hayley bent over, laughing, with bright sparks shimmering around her. And the final one is a selfie of Shane and Jess, tilted close together, Jess’s nose bright red in the cold.

Pels knows she should answer, but this isn’t one of her skills. People in general aren’t one of her skills. She used to try when she was younger, but between being bullied, and strange things happening that no one but her understood, and Peter’s ministry keeping them on the road constantly… she just stopped connecting. It wasn’t worth it.

This feels dangerously like an attempt to connect.

“One text isn’t going to hurt you.”

She presses a hand to her heart, glaring at Dad where he’s back in the passenger seat. “I swear to God, if I could put a bell on you I would,” she grumbles. “Try not to scare me to death. If I die, you’ve done a shit job as a guardian angel.”

Her gaze drops back to the phone in her hand. She touches her thumb to the little line to respond, and a keyboard pops up. She sets the phone down on her lap like it’s hot.

It’s not that she’s not going to text. Just… it can wait. Right?

“I should drink my coffee before it gets cold,” she says, lifting the cup.

“Mm.” Dad makes that sound when he’s being judgmental and trying to pretend he’s not. Pels is very familiar with it.

She takes a long gulp of the coffee, studiously ignoring him.

The car clicks unlocked. She doesn’t look at him.

A rush of cold air hits her when her door opens, and Dad stands on the outside, holding on to the door, waiting.

Pels scowls. “Jesus Christ, I haven’t even taken off my seat belt.”

“You can glare at your phone in the park. It’s not busy, and there’s sun. It’s actually warmer there than here,” Dad points out.

She could close the door, but she knows from experience that if Dad wants her to do a thing, she’ll do the thing, even if she doesn’t understand why. If she doesn’t, Dad will just insist. “Fine,” she grumbles, grabbing her coffee and the remains of her cookie. She locks the car behind her, trailing as Dad leads the way to a bench that sits in the sun, but is still far enough from the playground and the few kids running around together.

Her phone buzzes one more time, vibrating in her pocket before she sits on the bench. She ignores it while she finishes the cookie and pitches the crumpled bag into the nearby trash.

“Just text back,” Dad encourages. “You’re going to be there for four years. You have a chance to build relationships.”

Pels glances at the ink on her wrist. “Yeah, no thanks. I don’t want any magically encouraged love affairs, thanks.”

“Magic can’t make you do something you don’t want to do.”

Pels snorts, because Dad, of all people, saying that is too funny. She covers it by drinking her coffee and pulling out her phone. “Dad. I don’t know if you remember this, but my entire Talent is built around magic telling me what to do, and what not to do, on a regular basis. Whether I want to do it or not.” She looks at him. “Magic is pushy. Literally. You pushed me into Shane.”

“But I can’t make you fall in love with him,” Dad says plainly. “Just answer the text. Make friends for once in your life. You’ve already made a couple of them and it hasn’t killed you.”

Fine.

I’m sorry, we’re probably bugging you when you’re busy with family, Jess wrote.

Pels worries at her lip, carefully typing out her answer. No, it’s okay. Dad’s bugging me, but he does that all the time. Mom actually made me drive my sister to gymnastics, and I’m stuck waiting around for her. I’m in a park, and it’s cold, but I’ve got really good coffee.

She holds up the cup in one hand, snapping a picture of it with the park in the background, then sends it before she can rethink it.

Oh it’s so pretty there! You must love getting to go home. We’re just hanging out in the Quad. Tony and Tanner and Luca aren’t used to the snow, so even though there’s only a little, it’s fun to watch them.

Jess’s text has a picture attached of three people Pels doesn’t recognize at all. One is one his back making a snow angel out of a dusting of snow. The other has his arm wrapped around Ángel and is glowering, while the third is on his knees, packing a tiny snowball.

Tony is Ángel’s soulmate. I think he’s a little possessive. Tanner is Hayley’s soulmate, and I think Luca is one of his best friends. Tanner is also Ángel’s best friend. And I think the soulmate thing for Tanner and Hayley is complicated but I’m not really asking questions. Tanner and Luca are staying with Hayley for spring break.

Tony is why I’m sexiled, Shane adds after Jess’s long text.

He says that like he doesn’t crash in my room half the time anyway, Jess adds, with a laughter emoji.

Shane sends several middle finger emojis.

Aren’t you guys together right now? Pels asks. Can’t you give her the finger in person?

Jess sends a series of different laughter emojis, almost filling Pels’s screen. That sounds so wrong out of context.

What?

Oh.

I didn’t mean that, Pels types slowly, thinking twice before she finally sends it.

I’m not her type anyway, Shane sends.

I like girls, Jess sends. I’ve never really had a crush on a guy.

Neither have I, Shane adds.

Pels giggles, surprising herself. I’ve never really had a crush on anyone, she admits. I almost did, once, then I moved. We move a lot. This place isn’t really home. It’s just where the current house is.

Oh wow, that’s really sad.

Pels stares at Jess’s text, her phone cradled in her hands. She’s always been angry about moving. Frustrated. She’s not sure she remembers how to feel sad about it. It’s just life, she replies. There isn’t really time to cry about it.

It looks like Jess is typing and deleting something several times. Shane sends a picture of Jess sitting cross-legged on the ground in the Quad, frosted leaves still scattered across the grass around her. Pels can see the puff of air lingering in the air after Jess exhaled, her nose and fingers red in the cold.

You should get a place off campus, Jess finally says. So you can have a place that’s yours for three years while you finish at PHU. Because you’ll be here for a while.

Just being in the same city for that long is new to me, Pels says.

Well, you get to keep us at least until we graduate, Shane says. So we can be friends.

You make it sound so easy.

It is that easy, Jess assures her. How long until you have to pick up your sister?

Pels checks her watch, not sure how long she’s already wasted. Somehow it’s already eleven, and that surprises her that time has passed so quickly. She looks around for Dad, but he seems to have disappeared for the moment, leaving her to her texting and coffee. I should probably hit the road in about a half hour. I have to drive back to where I left her.

I think we can keep up the distractions for a half hour, Jess assures her. So, let me tell you this story about orientation during our freshman year….

It’s weird, but not a bad kind of weird. What’s odd is how easy they make it, how simple it is to just listen to them talk, and sometimes say something back, and how they never make her feel truly awkward. It’s okay. And Pels can deal with that.

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[alonelytinywriter]

Stolen

Yandere! Chizaki Kai (Overhaul)/Original Female Character

Playlist ~ Movement - Hozier

Name: Naymi Aura ~ Birthday: July 14th ~ Age: 18 ~ Hair Color: Purple ~ Eye Color: Lilac ~ Gender: Female ~ Height: 5’3’’ ~ Quirk: Quirkless

Appearance: Aura is a relatively petite, rosy cheeked girl with clear, nearly translucent skin, and is frequently described as having a rather pretty face. She has large, rounded eyes, silver-lilac irises and a long feathering of lashes. Her wide mouth is fully feminine, with full, lush lips. Her hair is long, lighter at the tips that the roots, and is typically shoved under caps and hats although it falls well below her ribs. ~ From a young age, Aura was used to wearing the oversized masculine clothes passed down from her brothers and after running away and living on the streets at the age of 14, the clothing style became a protection. It was much safer for a young man to live on the streets vs a young woman. Graphic-tees, ripped jeans and leather boots paired with huge hoodies typically make up Aura’s wardrobe.

Power - 1/5 ~ Speed - 1/5 ~ Technique - 1/5 ~ Intelligence - 3/5 ~ Cooperativeness - 4/5

~Stolen ~

~ This was the part of leading the Yakuza that Chizaki Kai absolutely hated. All the fucking meetings. The blithering idiot before him had been talking for the better part of three hours and Kai still had no idea what it was that had caused the meeting to be called in the first place. Sighing deeply, Kai looked at the clock ticking silently on the wall for the third time in less than 30 minutes, his eyes narrowing as he saw, yet again, the layers of dust and grime that seemed to cover nearly ever surface of the office they were currently stationed inside.

~ It made his skin crawl, the way these heathens allowed the base of their operations to become so disgusting, so filthy. It was disgusting. There was a group of flies buzzing above the desk’s trashcan. Disgusting. The room was overly hot, and Kai could see a line of sweat drop down the man’s temple. Disgusting. The drone of the AC grated against his ears, drowning out the man’s words, drowning out everything around him until all he could focus on was the sight of the dust clinging to the AC’s ducts. Ducts that were providing air to the room. Air that was Disgusting. Disgusting. Dis -

~ Standing abruptly, Kai shook his head, a hand held in front of him as if he would physically stop the words flowing from the mans mouth. When he spoke his words nearly sounded like gravel crunching under one’s foot as his voice filtered through his mask. “Quite frankly, I no longer give a damn.” And with that, Kai walked from the room, his underlings tailing after.

~ The moment the door closed behind them, Mimic began laughing hysterically; Kai side eyed the man, but he was more than used to his followers’ antics, so he simply continued walking, his personal entourage close on his heels. Together they walked to their vehicles and piled inside, the chauffeurs already posed to embark the moment the last door had been shut. They were more than a little half way home when the driver slammed on his breaks quite suddenly, jarring everyone inside, the horn screeching through the air. “Sorry, Boss. There someone in the middle of the damn road.”

~ Kai cursed at his chauffeurs explanation and climbed from the SUV, expression murderous. He was sure that the moment the ingrate blocking their path saw his face they would know who he was. And what he could do to them. But there was no recognition on the young mans face when Kai locked eyes with him. He didn’t even seem to know that it was Chizaki Kai’s car that had almost hit him. Instead he was staring at the car with wide lilac eyes, eyes filled with nothing more than the fear of realizing they had nearly died.

~ The boy gasped then and Kai looked at the boy, really looked at the boy - the too delicate cheek bones, the full rose colored lips, the small heart shaped face - and he realized the boy was no boy at all. He couldn’t fathom why a girl with such a beautiful face would want to dress so . . . masculine . . . but before he could think much on the matter several cars pulled behind his convoy, snapping the girl from her trance. Any coltish fear that may have covered her face was masked by mock anger. She jabbed a finger at the crosswalk, which showed she was in the right of way, and flipped both Kai and his driver the middle finger. As the girl shifted, Kai caught sight of bright pink cords leading from her hoodie pocket to her ears. Headphones. Which explained why the girl hadn’t heard his car approaching. In fact, the girl had barely escaped at all - she was only inches away from the driver sides bumper.

~ Kai wanted to yell, but his mind seemed to have gone blank, his previous tirade forgotten. The girls beauty seemed to shine through now that Kai had noticed it and he could feel the front of his pants becoming uncomfortably tight, a nearly forgone feeling to him as most humans utterly repulsed him. She had looked so scared standing there in the road, wide violet eyes staring into his. It had made something primal in him awake, something that desperately wanted him to throw her against the nearest surface and claim what was his. To his dismay the cars behind his own began to honk, and the girl finally seemed to realize she was still standing in the middle of the road. “Watch where you’re going asshole!” She shouted before running to the safety of the sidewalk.

~ Kai had to know who she was. When he jumped back into the SUV he instructed his chauffeur to follow the woman, and they took off, driving ahead and waiting for her to pass before choosing their next position to keep an eye on her as she continued through the city. They followed her nearly to the docks, but only a few blocks away she turned and ducked into a back alley between two large factory buildings that had long since been shut down. The alley connected to the main dock road, and it seemed to be the most logical assumption that she was using the alley as a short cut, but she didn’t emerge along the other side, causing Kai to frown. “Where did she go?” Hoping that she didn’t live in the disgusting shit hole of a building before him, he pulled out his phone and texted the address to Nemoto, one of his most loyal lackeys.

~ The docks. Young woman. Thought to be a man. Shades of violet.

~ Kai knew that Nemoto would know the text was to find out any and all information about who she was, and he knew that Nemoto wouldn’t disappoint him; putting his phone away, Kai relaxed into his seat, eyes trained along the length of the alleyway for any trace of the girl.

~Forty minutes later Kai received the response e-mail from Nemoto, although it was not at all what he might have hoped for. It gave no idea of who the woman might be, not even a name. There was no background history, no tickets or citations, no reports of being lost or reported missing. No results came for jobs or hero records, and no one on the Japanese International Quirk Registry matched the girls description or any of the other Quirk Registry’s scattered across the globe. It was almost as if the girl didn’t exist. And a background check into the area had produced nothing remarkable - except for the fact it was a noted area for the cities homeless.

~ Nearly an hour passed and finally, just as Kai was preparing to instruct the chauffeur to take them home, light spilled into the alleyway. Before their eyes a section of the wall seemed to melt away and a moment later the girl appeared, smiling brightly as she waved goodbye to a young boy who seemed to have melted the wall, and a moment later the wall shimmered before becoming whole once more, leaving the girl standing in the darkness. She was dressed just the same as before, just as masculine, with a flat-billed hat added, but her hair, which Kai had believed to be short, was hanging down her back in waves only barely hiding the headphones that still trailed down her chest and too the pocket of her hoodie. She looked beautiful in a way that girls didn’t often look, and it was enthralling.

~ His chauffeur tailed the girl without a word, and Kai allowed his imagination to run wild. She had appeared so delicate, standing there in the road, staring up at him with her wide, doll like eyes. And he wasn’t a fool. He had seen the dirt ground into her cheeks, the grease matting her hair, but he knew that after a good bath he could have her looking like a little doll. He could imagine the way she would look under him, without her clothes covering her porcelain skin, the way her hims would shake when he took her, could feel her heat wrapping around him. He couldn’t wait to have her, and if she possessed a Quirk, well, he could easily handle that.

~ Fortunately, the walk ended at a grocery mart only a few blocks away and Kai watched through half-lidded eyes as she strolled through the automated doors. Wincing at the idea of the crowded grocery mart, Kai exited the SUV and entered as well. She had grabbed one of the smaller buggies as she entered, so Kai did as well, following after her slowly while she strolled the isles. She was careful with what she bought, picking up items and putting them back if she found something more worthy to add instead. Quickly the pile of food within the basket grew, but Kai noticed that none of it would require cooking, none of it would require electricity: cup noodles and onigiri rice balls, and other such foods. 

~ She paid with change she seemed to have collected - some of it was dirty and appear to have been pulled from the sidewalks. The cashier shared a mixed look of disgust and pity with Kai as she took the girls money and bagged her items, and it made Kai’s blood boil that the woman would dare judge something that was his. But it wouldn’t matter, he reasoned, as he disposed of his buggy at the doors, not even bothering to put it away as he tailed his little violet dove across the parking lot. She leaned under the weight of the bags she carried, a weight that Kai used to his advantage the moment she ducked into the alleyway she had emerged from. It took nothing to set her off balance, causing her to stumble into the wall of the opposite building.

~ Her scream was short lived, Kai’s palm already pressed against her throat and her vocal cords merely gone. As if they had never existed. A noiseless sob escaped the girls mouth, her eyes going wide as she began to push against Kai’s shoulders. Kai merely pressed her further into the brick of the building behind her, his head ducking down so that his eyes were level with hers. “Shhh, now. You wouldn’t want your little friends inside to become involved, now would you?” The gloved fingers of his left hand grazed across her collar bone, and she stopped moving, her fingers gripping the front of his jacket until her knuckles flushed white. “Smart girl,” Kai observed softly, “now, you’ll be coming with me.”

[p-osie]

josh peck’s relationship test

author’s note: i wrote this for myself, with my own name inserted, so it’s not super universal, but i’m sure you can make it work. i just love me some david, hope you do too. 

summary: y/n and david film a relationship test with josh peck, then can’t keep their hands off each other in the tesla on the ride home :)

warnings: smut xoxo

“I already hate this,” I say, sitting next to Josh and tucking my feet under my legs.

Josh and David both look at me. “Why?” Josh asks, serious, looking expectant.

“Because now I can’t cuddle David,” I say, popping my voice up an octave and making puppy eyes at David.

Josh pouts his lip and David wracks with laughter, clapping his hands.

Jason’s on the other side of the room, behind the camera. “That’s an intro.”

As Josh scrolls through his notes, looking for the first question, I put my eyes on David.

“Hey,” I whisper seductively, loud enough for the camera. “You look so hot right now.”

“Whoa, Y/N,” Josh scolds, not looking up.

David ignores him, making his face go slack, copying my whisper. “I was just about to tell you the same thing, you steamy little slut.”

“David, ew–” Jason pipes, but I lean into it, sticking out my tongue and leaning towards him. We pull away, right before our mouths touch, both laughing, Josh still uncomfortable.

“We can go, if you guys want,” Jason jokes.

David pulls on Josh’s arm. “Yeah, that would be great, actually.”

At this point, I almost pee myself laughing, my hands covering my mouth.

“Can I please just ask you guys the questions?” Josh groans, still hamming up how uncomfortable he is.

“What’s David’s favorite food?”

“Oh, God. I have no idea,” I lean forward, staring into space, feeling both David and Josh watching me.  “He posts about food so much. He loves so many different types of food…”

I pause for a second. “Actually, yeah. He doesn’t have one.”

Josh gives me a sad face. David cracks his gum, irritated. “Babe. Come on. Buffalo Wild Wings.”

“Oh, as if. You haven’t had B Dubs in months.”

“So?” David argues defensively. “It’s still my favorite.”

“Ugh, fucking– whatever.” I pretend to be mad.

“David?” Josh looks down at my boyfriend.

“Josh?” David mimics, leaning his head briefly on Josh’s shoulder.

“Who’s Y/N’s celebrity crush? Slash hall pass?”

“Jeff,” David jokes, turning to me.

“Stop,” I groan, flopping against the couch. “I hate this joke. It was a year ago!” David laughs at me, then composes his face as he stares into space to think for a second.

“Um– what’s his name– Noah something? Noah Centineo?”

I blow him a kiss. “Good guess, but no cigar, baby boy.”

David groans, then looks to Josh. “Who was it?”

“Harry Styles,” Josh tells him, pretending to look sad for him. David starts banging his head against the soft back of the couch.

“Stupid! Fuck!” he yells. “I knew that!”

Josh starts to ask me the next question before David stands up and throws a burst of dabs all in a row before sticking a whip at the end, hyping himself up. “Can’t! Miss! Another! Question!” he yells.

“Y/N, where did you and David first kiss?”

I smile, beginning to blush, and I watch David and his expression becomes almost the same, his cheeks flushing pink as he waits for me to answer.

“James Charles’ Tesla,” I whisper, almost not in the room because I’m remembering.

“It’s him,” Corinna taps me on the arm. “It’s David.”

“What? Where?” I whip around, almost spilling my drink.

Corinna laughs, but there he is, David Dobrik. There’s almost a glow about him, his big smile and laugh as people perform for his outstretched camera, people orbiting around him. The iPhone flashlight helps, too.

I inhale. “This is stupid. I feel like a dumb fangirl.”

Corinna shakes her head at me, rolling her eyes. “Y/N, it’s not like he doesn’t know who you are. You’ve been talking, he’s not just gonna not realize you’re here or not recognize you. You have green hair.”

I chew on my lip, still watching him. “You have a point.”

After a few moments, David stops recording. The flashlight is turned off. The people that have been clinging to his side starts to dissipate, and then he’s not David Dobrik. He’s just David.

“Okay,” I tell Corinna, downing the rest of my drink. “Fuck it.”

“Whoa, whoa,” she says, a bit of panic in her voice, catching my arm. “You sure you don’t want to make him come to you? Play hard to get?”

I pause, glancing at him. He still hasn’t realized I’m here. “Should I? I don’t really have the patience for that.”

“Y/N!”

I turn at the loud voice, and there’s James, a big smile on him as he comes toward us.

“James, thank you so much for having us,” Corinna reaches out to him first, hugging him. She starts gushing about his makeup, and I glance again at David, who has his eyes on me now. He must have heard James shout my name, and is moving through people, his floppy brown hair standing out as he snakes between the bodies.

“Hey,” he says, smiling broadly. “I thought that was you, greenie.”

“Hey,” I say back, smiling up at him, feeling the alcohol rush into a redness on my cheeks. Before I even decide to say it, I’m saying– “You know, you’re cuter than your hilarious DMs would indicate.”

But he leans back in laughter, his smile booming loudly. “I can’t tell if I should be flattered,” he tells me, close now so that I can hear him in the din of the party.

I’d almost forgotten that Corinna was distracting James until a long-nailed hand taps David on the shoulder.

“David!” James interjects, grabbing both of our shoulders. “Do you want to see my Tesla? It’s the new one.”

David’s face drops in total shock. “Yes. Absolutely,” he looks down at me again. “Come on. The new model is super cool.”

We follow James out of the crowded living room, through a side door and down stairs until we’re in a low-ceilinged garage with white walls and fluorescent lighting.

It’s a sleek navy blue, almost black, Tesla model 3.

James makes squealing noises. “And I got a custom license plate, too.”

I look down and see JAMESCH on a plate near the base of the car.

“Holy fuck,” David says, still flabbergasted. I look up at him. One of his hands is in his hair. “James, please let me sit in it.”

“Sure, sister,” James tosses him the keys, and David catches them with one hand. My girl brain makes my knees shiver slightly.

“Get in with me,” David murmurs down to me, still marveling at the car.

I chuckle. “Sure, Dave.”

When we climb into the car, David turns on his camera immediately and points it toward us. “Hi sisters!” he says, doing James’ signature wave.

I laugh, then hold up a peace sign, pretending to pose.

“So we’re in James Charles’ new Tesla Model 3 right now. And it’s– Y/N, what would you say it’s like?”

I raise my eyebrows, acting impressed, looking around the interior of the car. “It’s insane.”

“Insane,” David repeats. “I mean, this awesome screen. Look, he even named it Sistermobile.” David points to the screen behind the wheel. It does, in little white letters, say Sistermobile.

I laugh, leaning on the console to see. “I guess he has to stay on brand.”

He tilts the camera so it’s just pointing at me. “Plus, it comes with a hot girl.”

I laugh again, even harder, though I melt on the inside. “That’s absolutely right. I was designed by Elon Musk to work as a functioning backseat driver to go with every Tesla vehicle.”

He laughs, makes one or two more jokes, and then switches off the camera. “Where did they go?”

I look up. He’s right– we’re alone in the garage. James and Corinna are gone.

I turn back to face him. “Just us, I guess.”

“Finally.” He breaks into a big smile.

I mock a guffaw, leaning on the console. “Have you been wanting to get me alone, David Dobrik?”

“Absolutely.”

He’s leaning on the console now, too, his breath starting to fan across my face. I look up at him through my lashes. My blood feels like it’s beating inside my cheeks. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you have ulterior motives.” It doesn’t come out as confident as I want it to.

He giggles slightly, and I can really feel it on my skin. I can feel the vibration of his words as he says, “Like what?”

He can’t stop looking at my lips, and I don’t think I can, either. “You tell me, you’re the one who obviously has them.”

“Let me think.”

I wait for his eyes to flicker down to my parted lips one more time, and then I close the distance between us. His mouth is warm and soft, and I quickly feel all my breath leaving me. Then his hand is in my hair, and his lip is between my teeth, and all too soon, the Tesla begins to honk.

We look up to see James holding the keys, standing with a hand on his hip, the sleeves of his SISTERS hoodie bunched up around his forearms.

David smiles. “That was a really nice moment.”

“Hey, David?” Josh turns to him, smiling. “What’s Y/N’s favorite movie?”

David claps his hands triumphantly. “Easy. Mr. & Mrs. Smith.”

I soften. “Aw, baby.”

He leans forward to look at me. “I know you, babygirl.”

“He knows you, babygirl,” Josh mimics, staring me down. “But it’s time for our lightning round.”

I lean forward, looking directly into the camera, totally focused. Out of the corner of my eye, I see David copy me, and I smirk a little.

“Y/N– David’s favorite salad dressing?”

“Ranch.” Next to Josh, David does a little yes, baby.

“Yes. David– Y/N’s favorite dessert?”

“Cheesecake.”

“Y/N– David would want Shawn Mendes or even more Shawn Mendes.”

I laugh. “More Shawn.”

David laughs, his voice thin and high. “I love him.”

“David– what bothers Y/N the most about your relationship?”

David throws up his hands, and at first, I panic. I almost hadn’t let Josh ask the question.

He surprises me. “This is so easy,” David looks at me, gesturing, completely forgetting that we were in a lightning round, clearly settling into a long answer. “So, Y/N is from California, and I’m from the Midwest, and for college she went to– you went to Iowa– Iowa?”

“Iowa City? The University of Iowa?” I fill in, unsure where he’s going.

“Yeah, the University of Iowa. Which is, like, the rival school of ISU, where I almost went. So, if I had gone to ISU, we would have been in the same state, and Iowa City, where Y/N went to school, is sort of, like, the place to be if you want to party,” David explains.

“A lot of frats,” I add, heartwarmed, realizing what he’s saying.

“So, if I’d decided to go to college at ISU, we totally could have met,” he makes eye contact with me. “And she hates thinking about that. She hates that we could have met earlier and we didn’t.”

I look at Josh, who looks almost as heartwarmed as I do. “So you guys were totally fated. One way or the other, you were gonna end up together.”

“No, actually, I made sure we ended up together,” I joke. “I moved to LA so I could find him and make him fall in love with me.”

Josh laughs, but David raises his eyebrows. “That’s not too far off, babe.” I slap his arm.

Josh guffaws a little, still thinking about the story. “You know, that’s not actually what she said, but that’s really–”

“Wait, what?” David looks at me, bewildered. “That’s not what you said?”

“No,” I laugh, covering my face. “I don’t want to say it now.”

David grabs my shoulder in mock anger. “Tell me!”

I giggle more and more, hardly able to talk. “It was– that– you don’t–”

David gives me a look, realizing what I mean. “That I always wear a condom?”

I nod, dying laughing. Josh looks incredibly uncomfortable again.

“I hate you.” David stands up, pretending to walk out of the room. I fall off the couch.

Josh turns to me, still laughing on the floor, then to David as he sits back down. “Why does he wear a condom? Why do you wear a condom?”

“To be fucking safe!”

I wheeze, sitting back up next to Josh. “For the record,” I look into the camera. “I am not trying to get pregnant so I can steal all of David’s money.”

“Sure, babe,” David interrupts, rolling his eyes and then flashing a big smile as we all laugh.

When we finished filming, Paige comes out with a sleeping Max and, smiling, says that we should probably go, so he can sleep. Whispering, we agree, and tiptoe over to Max to kiss him lightly on the forehead. David almost gets too distracted, his hands wandering to Max’s little socked feet, but I curl my hands around his waist and jostle him gently.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he whispers. “Just can’t get over him.”

“I need some alone time with Uncle David,” I whisper into his neck, a bit lower, just for him. Paige stifles a laugh as David whips immediately to me, drawn.

That’s mostly it. We whisper goodbye to Josh, hug Jason in the street. He gets into his car, and we get into David’s. I turn to him as the Tesla turns on, his left hand on the wheel and the right on my thigh, as usual.

“It’s really sweet that you remember that.”

“What? The Iowa thing?”

“Yeah.” I wrap my hands around his, interlacing our fingers.

He squeezes my hand, but gives me a sort of of-course-I-remember look.

“Of course I remember,” he tells me, pushing some of his curls out of his face. “You’ve talked about it enough that it would be bad if I didn’t.”

“Do you wish that was how we’d met? In Iowa? I feel weird that I don’t know, even though we’ve already talked about it.”

David sucks his teeth, thinking about his answer as he looks down at the backup camera. “Is it bad if I say no?”

I guffaw playfully. “Yes!”

“No, no, wait,” he backpedals. “Think about it. I would’ve been back and forth all the time, since you can’t drive, and that would have gotten super annoying for both of us. And having classes. And we would have been totally different people. What if Old David and Old Y/N didn’t like each other?”

I shiver. “I think about that sometimes. How we might not have fallen in love if we’d met at any other time.”

He squeezes my hand again. “Don’t think about it, love.”

He starts to pull his hand away, beginning to back out of his parking space, but I catch it before he can bring it to the wheel. He looks up at me expectantly, so I lean over the console and kiss him. His hand comes off the wheel to hold my face to his, while I loop my fingers into his shirt collar to bring him closer.

When he pulls away, my head spins. I feel like a teenager. I blink hard, and he chuckles at me.

“You’re so amazing,” he says softly, his thumb on my cheek. “My perfect girl.”

I tighten my grip on his shirt and pull him into me again.

When he pulls into his driveway, the lights are already on inside, and we can plainly see Natalie moving around in the living room, even from inside the Tesla. My mind immediately deflates from the somewhat flirty car ride over, his hand having teased my thigh the whole way. David sighs, mirroring my thoughts.

“I don’t want to have to talk to Natalie,” he mumbles.

“Neither do I,” I admit, looking at him. “Sorry, Natalie.”

“Can I– can I just–” I wait for him to finish, but instead he unbuckles his seatbelt and leans over the console to kiss me again, his hand crunching a fistful of my hair as he holds my lips to his. He breathes heavily into it, and I smirk slightly. I love the effect I have on him.

So I toe off my shoes and gracefully climb into his lap. His breath is against my mouth, my hands holding myself up by his chest. His hands move down, and start to slip up into my shorts. My mouth is on his neck then, biting and sucking under his ear and jaw.

“Y/N, no. You know the rules,” he scolds me, pulling me back lightly by my hair. He doesn’t let me leave marks on him.

But instead, I ignore him, leaning forward to nip into his jugular again.

“Y/N–“ He wants to scold me again, I can tell, but he’s hardening and moaning beneath me, so I don’t stop.

After a moment, he brings his hand up to my throat and pushes me away until I’m against the steering wheel. I arch, reaching up to hold his hand in place.

“You’re not listening tonight.”

I whine in response, needy, grinding my hips against his. “Baby,” I beg.

“What is it?” his fingers tighten around my throat.

“Please,” I wheeze, my eyes fogging looking at his smirk.

“Please, what?”

I hum out a whine again, because I don’t know what I’m asking for. I let my tongue fall out of my open mouth, and then his fingers are off my throat and buried into my mouth.

“God, your fucking mouth, Y/N. Your mouth.” It’s his turn to moan now, as I run my tongue over his fingers.

“Do you want my mouth?” I whisper to him, leaning forward to press my lips against his ear.

“No,” he tells me bluntly. “Take off your fucking hoodie.”

I wiggle to sit facing away from him, and swivel my hips as I pull the hoodie over my head and leave my shorts in a pile next to the brake.

He grips my ass as I raise to straddle him again, but he’s pushing me forward, bending me over the wheel and pulling me apart with his thumbs.

“Fuck,” he praises, still holding my pussy open for him to admire, and then his fingers are deep inside me, curling and writhing.

“David!” I call back to him, feeling him screwing with my soft g-spot. I’m about to start fucking myself on his fingers when his mouth is wrapped around my clit.

I yelp in surprise. He sucks and licks as he fingers my g-spot and kneads my ass.

“David– David–” I moan out. He smiles against me, biting my clit lightly before he starts to suck and lick it in earnest, a pearl of flavor he’s been craving.

The pleasure shoots through me like daggers. It’s winding and twisting like roots, radiating from where David’s mouth moves hungrier and hungrier against me.

I’m about to cum when he stops. I whip around angrily, when I see him leaning his chair back as far as it will go.

He pulls on my thighs. “Bring it to me.”

I almost don’t know what he means, but then I realize that he can’t look at me, that his eyes are trained on my dripping pussy, his tongue out of his mouth.

I smirk and reach down to recline his seat the rest of the way.

My breath comes out in pants, in the passenger side now with my legs draped over him, completely naked. David’s cock is partially exposed, him panting too, his hoodie discarded in the backseat.

“That was incredible,” he wheezes.

I poke him with my toe. My skin in covered in a sheen of sweat. “One of our best.”

“We’re gonna end up telling our grandchildren about that.”

“Christ, that’s gross.”

David laughs, then turns his head to look at me. He has serious sex hair. “Hey. Come here.”

“I just ‘come here’-ed for about twenty-five minutes.”

He makes a kissy face, so I lean forward and let my lips touch his.

It’s incredibly chaste, even with my lack of clothes and David’s cock so close to me. They’re little pecks, loving and clean and innocent.

“David,” I say, leaning my forehead against his. “I love you.”

His hand comes up to my neck, holding me in place. “I love you more.”

[robinskey]

Steve x Nancy’s Childhood Friend! Reader (pt 4)

Part One//Part Two//Part Three

A/N: Part four! Wow! Glad you guys are enjoying this series as much as I am. :) When I wrote it, Part Three was probably my favorite, but now, I’m honestly living for the Steve/Reader banter in this part.

Warnings: Minor language, major fluff; also we got a lillll cheesy toward the end whoops

After your awkward encounter with Steve that morning, you spend the rest of the day avoiding him

You know he’s usually clueless, but you’re worried he’s going to question your odd behavior 

Luckily, the two of you have no classes together

(Except your lunch period, but you avoid the cafeteria by pretending to work on homework in the library)

The two of you never officially agreed upon him driving you home

So as soon as the last bell rings, you sprint out of your classroom

You frantically grab random books and folders

Not even bothering to shove them in your bag

You slam the locker shut

And jump out of your skin when you see someone standing where your door just was

Steve chuckles, bending over to pick up one of the notebooks you just dropped

“Jeez, Y/N. Someone’s a little skittish today”

Your fingers brush his as he hands the journal back to him, and your heart flutters just as lightly as his touch

He leans against the locker next to yours, chewing on a piece of gum

You can’t stop your attention from gravitating towards his pink lips

They move to form words that fall deaf on your ears

“What?” you ask, shaking your head to clear it

Steve laughs again. You want to record the sound and play it on repeat forever

Damn, what’s happening to you?

“I was just wondering if you need help carrying something. It looks like you’ve got your hands full”

“Oh-um-no, thanks, I got it,” you assure him, just as a cascade of hardcovers slides off the top of the pile, clattering against the hallway tile

He grabs those books, along with a few more off the top of the textbook tower, lightening your load considerably

“Thanks,” you murmur

“No problem,” Steve says, pushing off the locker and starting down the long hall

The two of you fall into step with one another surprisingly easily

“You know, I thought you might have left school early or something. I looked for you at lunch, but I didn’t see you anywhere,” he says as you step onto the parking lot

You squint up at Steve as your eyes adjust to the glaring sunlight from the dim fluorescent lighting of the school building

“You were looking for me?”

“Yeah,” he says, unfolding the pair of Ray-Bans hooked on the collar of his shirt and sliding them onto his face. “I had a question I wanted to ask you”

The two of you arrive at the car, and Steve holds open the passenger door for you

You climb in, palms already sweating

Oh, no. He’s going to ask about this morning

The thud of the car door as he closes it mimics the way your pulse pounds in your wrist

Except for pulse is going thud, thud, thud over and over and over

By the time Steve’s rounded the car and landed in the driver’s seat, you’ve already prepared yourself for a very awkward ride home

He turns the key into the ignition, then turns to you

“How upset do you think your mother would be if you missed Meatloaf Night?”

Steve switches the car into reverse as you sit there silently, blinking at him in surprise

Eventually, he elbows you playfully

“Sorry, Y/N, I thought that was a fairly simple question. Don’t burn out your brain cells thinking of a response”

Your quick wit goes into autopilot, operating without your full consciousness

“I can afford to burn out a few brain cells. You, on the other hand...”

“Hey! I resent that!” he cries, faking indignation. “Just answer the question. How mad would your mom be if you didn’t eat her meatloaf tonight?”

You press a finger to your temple and tap lightly in fake contemplation

“Well, on a scale of one to ten, I’d say...negative eleven,” you say with a shrug. “I usually end up picking at whatever she makes and sneaking back down to the kitchen a few hours later. I basically live on microwaved pizza rolls”

“I live for pizza rolls,” Steve says, and his exaggerated sigh of adoration makes you giggle

“You’re such a dork,” you say, eyes rolling but mouth grinning

“Says the one who took their entire locker home with them tonight”

“Hey, I left the actual metal part at the school”

You’re at a stop sign, and Steve whips off his sunglasses to look at you, panicked

“Shit, I should have reminded you to grab that. Do you want me to go back and get it?”

A laugh escapes your lips, but the sound is covered up by the truck behind you laying on the horn impatiently

The loud honk doesn’t faze Steve, whose foot remains on the brake

You glance in the rearview mirror as the driver’s door swings open

“Steve, go! He’s getting out of the car!”

“No, he’s not-oh, shit!”

You’re both thrown against the backs of your seats as Steve stomps on the gas, squashing it like a bug

As soon as the truck is out of sight, you both start laughing hysterically

Steve nearly has to pull over because he’s laughing so hard

You arrive at your house far too quickly

But it’s just enough time for you to forget about Steve’s weird meatloaf inquiry

So you’re very surprised when, in the middle of thanking him for the ride, he interrupts you with an outburst

“Wouldyouliketohavedinnerwithmetonight?”

You scrunch up your eyebrows in confusion, and for the second time in the last half hour, all you can manage is “What?”

Steve clears his throat

“Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?” he enunciates, speaking slowly to make sure he doesn’t stumble over his words

“Maybe,” you say, praying he can’t hear the excitement in that single word. “Where?”

“Well, I know this really good burger joint on the east side of town. If you’d like, I’d allow you to tag along”

The words “I’d allow you” bring you back to earth. Logically, you know he probably meant it as a joke, but the arrogant undertone still irritates you

“King Steve would allow me, a mere pleb, the pleasure of dining with His Highness?” you ask, a slight edge to your voice

Steve either doesn’t catch your sarcasm or chooses to ignore it

Before you even realize what’s happening, he’s peeling one of your hands off the stack of books in your lap

His skin is as smooth as butter-the skin of a boy who’s never washed a dish in his life

“The pleasure would be all mine, m’lady,” he says, pressing a kiss to the back of your hand

You’re glad his skin isn’t actually made of butter, since you’re pretty sure the heat from yours would melt it, just like it melted your anger

"Pick you up around seven?”

You nod, unable to use your voice without it betraying you

See you at seven, you think as you watch him drive away, your hand still tingling from his touch

Taglist: @novaddictx @irreplaceable-ecstasy @swiftxdreams @ahoycapnsteve @write-from-the-heart @broadwayandnetflix

If you want to be added to the tag list for this series/my writing in general, leave a reply or send me a message! Thanks again for reading. <3

[richiefuckfacetozier]

Chapter 9: Lonesome Day

Story: It’s Not My Fault

Title - Lonesome Day by Bruce Springteen

Also on Archive of Our Own

For other chapters - | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |

Eddie was sitting at his desk trying to finish his homework. It was the first day of winter break and he desperately wanted to get everything done, so he would not have to worry about it later. He was taking almost all AP courses and his teachers were merciless with their assignments. His friends tried to get him to hang out that night, but he turned them down. A couple hours into studying, he heard the phone distantly downstairs and wondered who might be calling. 

Probably one of my aunts. Eddie thought vaguely. He stared at the Calculus problem in front of him and cursed because he could not find his notes on how to solve it. He would have to call Richie or Stanley later for help. 

“Eddie bear!” His mother called. 

“Yeah, Ma?!” Eddie yelled back still looking at his notes. 

“Tozier is on the phone!” She shouted back. 

“Ok! I will be there in a minute.” He put his pencil down and got up stretching. 

“You shouldn’t keep people waiting, even if they are a Tozier.” He could hear her say. Eddie smiled to himself. As much as his mother hated to admit it, she was a little entertained by Richie. He probably chatted her up in that charismatic way he does before she finally called Eddie down. She did not like Richie per se but thought he was goofy. 

Eddie grabbed a sweater from his closet because he knew the kitchen would be freezing. He put on socks and took a blanket to sling around his shoulders. He bounded down the stairs and sat at the kitchen table picking up the phone. 

“Hey Richie,” He said trying to keep his excitement down. Richie’s loud voice came through the receiver, “Hey Candy Cane! Keeping me wanting and waiting as usual. You are the biggest tease.” Eddie rolled his eyes but his stomach did backflips at hearing Richie’s voice. 

“It is cold in my kitchen, so I had to put on some fucking layers, you idiot.” He could not keep the smile out of his voice even if he tried. 

Eddie knew Richie had a smirk plastered on his face as he said, “Is that so. What are you wearing, Eds? Something sexy I hope.” 

“Don’t call me, Eds.” He grumbled lamely. “I bet you are wearing a sweater that drowns you and fuzzy socks. My favorite look for you. It is so cute.” 

Richie started making kissy noises that Eddie could only imagine made him look like a doofus. 

“You don’t know my life and I am not cu - ” Eddie stopped himself from saying ‘cute’ in case his mother could hear him. 

“You are a terrible liar.” Richie sing-songed. 

“Alright, I have math to get back too. Did you call for a reason?” Eddie asked impatiently. He started playing with the cord of the phone. He wished his mother would get a wireless phone that he could take upstairs. It would allow him to speak with Richie properly. 

“Are you serious?! You are doing homework.” Richie whined. “You are such a loser!” 

“So are you.” Eddie accused.

 “Touché baby,” Richie rhythmed laughing. Eddie listened to his laugh with a warmth that spread all over. Richie always spent so much time trying to make everyone else laugh, but Eddie loved when he let go. It was the most beautiful sound in the world. 

“How’s your day been so far?” Eddie asked not really wanting to get back to work when he could talk to Richie. 

“Eh, fine. Lame without you around.” Richie responded. Eddie could tell he was a little distracted, which was never unusual with him. 

“Are you hanging out with everyone tonight? I am going to pass until I finish my work.” 

“No, I’m not,” Richie said with a weird seriousness. 

Eddie frowned, “Why not?” 

“I don’t feel like it and you won’t be there so what’s the point?” 

Eddie could immediately sense something was off. Richie never ditched their friends unless he was dealing with a family issue. 

“Rich...what’s up?” Eddie asked patiently. 

Richie paused then let out a sigh, “Mom got a fucking DUI.” 

Eddie’s hand went to his mouth in surprise, “Are you shitting me?” 

“Unfortunately, I’m not. Her license has been suspended and guess who is stuck parent-sitting her?” 

Eddie’s rage began to bubble to the surface, “I’m so sorry, Richie. That’s a horrible start to the Winter Break. Where the fuck is your dad?” 

“Wentworthless and I got into a huge fucking argument about giving up my winter break for this bullshit. Mostly me shouting and him ignoring. Mom joined in to scream that he is the reason I am gay, although she didn’t use such a kind word as gay and it really had nothing to do with the fight.” Richie’s voice sounded so defeated. If Eddie had to guess, he had probably stayed up all night thinking about his family problems. 

Eddie’s heart hurt, “I wish I could help, you deserve so much better.” 

“It’s ok. I’ve accepted that the best I’m going to get is being with you.” Richie said with utter sincerity. “Which is so great that it outweighs my family crap. Actually, I probably have it so good with you that God decided I can’t have it too amazing, so she gave me a perfect best friend/boyfriend but shitty family issues.” 

“Did you just call God a she?” Eddie heard the breathiness in his voice. It felt so bizarre that Richie’s complete lack of a filter could take his breath away. 

“God is obviously a woman. Only a woman could make someone as drop dead gorgeous as you.” 

Eddie put the back of his hand against his face which was on fire. He was starting to feel desperate to be near Richie at that moment. To kiss him and tell him that he was the gorgeous one, who deserved the world. Eddie was nothing compared to Richie. Eddie had nothing without Richie. These emotions were becoming overwhelming. 

“No more compliments, they are making me lightheaded.” Eddie blurted out. 

“Wait! One more, one more.” Richie demanded. “God has to be a woman because only a woman has the delicate hands to sculpt an ass as good as yours.” 

“And with that, the moment is gone and I’m hanging up.” Eddie groaned in annoyance. 

“There is one bit of good news...I guess,” Richie said stopping Eddie from ending the call. “Wentworthless is giving me mom’s car.” 

“Are you serious?!” Eddie questioned trying to stay respectful but could not help his thrill. Now that Richie had a car, they could hang out more easily and have adventures outside of town. This was incredible news. 

“Yeah! He says it is all mine. I have to run all our errands but I can drive us to school!” 

“And we can go on actual dates!” Eddie chimed in then looked at the door, nervous that his mother may have heard. 

“Wow! So much better than school. What was I thinking?! This is going to be fucking amazing.” Richie’s voice brightened significantly. “I can totally teach you to drive too!” 

“I can drive!” Eddie countered. 

“You drove one time which made you and your mom get into such a big fight that you barely went home for a week. That does not count.” Richie reasoned. 

“True...I hate that all of you have your licenses and I only have a permit.” “Well, you just turned 16 last month and the rest of us have been 16 all year. Except for Stan who is a year older. Maybe that’s why he is such a grump all the time. Grumpy old man.” 

Eddie clicked his tongue disapprovingly, “Don’t say that to him. Being a year older and in our grade is a sore spot for him.” 

“I’ll give him a call after this and tell him then.” 

“Oh my god, you are so immature...” Eddie complained. 

“And you are the baby of the group.” 

“I’m not a baby!” 

“Just my baby.” 

“Gross. Goodbye.” 

“Thanks for listening, Eddie. I love you.” Richie said with all the causality in the world. It made Eddie’s heart beat faster. 

“That’s what I’m here for.” Eddie lowered his voice to barely a whisper. “I love you too. Bye.” They hung up and he stared at the phone. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly then picked up the receiver again. 

He dialed a number and listened to the ring. A familiar perpetually sad voice answered. “Hello, you’ve reached the Denbroughs.” 

“Hello Mr. Denbrough, this is Eddie Kaspbrak. May I speak to Bill?” Eddie heard a distant ‘Bill!’ and after a couple minutes, his friend answered. 

“Hello?”

 “Hi Big Bill, I have a huge favor to ask.” Eddie decided to get right to the point. 

“Sure Eddie, what do you n-need?” 

“Um...it’s kind of embarrassing.” 

“Alright…” 

“And I don’t want the other losers to know. Especially Richie.” 

Bill sounded immediately anxious. “Eddie...you aren’t going to ask me ab-b-bout the gay b-birds and bees are you?” 

“WHAT! NO NO OF COURSE NOT.” Eddie felt himself blushing horribly. “Oh my god, I would never.” 

“Thank god.” He said with relief. 

“I want to learn to drive.” Eddie stated firmly. 

“Oh!” 

“I am finally 16, all of you have your fucking licenses but I don’t and it’s really frustrating.” 

“Your mom doesn’t have time to teach you?” Bill questioned cautiously. 

“My mom doesn’t want me to get a driver’s license.” Eddie made his voice higher and more nasally to mimic his mother, “Eddie bear, 40,000 people die by automobile accidents each year. I can drive you anywhere you need to go.” 

Bill laughed in that light way he does, “That’s rough. I will, of course, teach you!”

Bill came to regret teaching Eddie almost immediately. He could keep his stutter under control most of the time, perhaps a word or two that did not come out right. However, when he got stressed out, words were almost impossible to get out. 

“Eddie, turn left here.” Bill said as calmly as he could. Eddie was gripping the steering wheel for dear life, eyes scanning the road crazy.

“But there are cars coming! I can’t turn left while they are coming!” Eddie said fearfully. 

“Eddie! Be calm! It will be fine just -”

 “Bill! I can’t! I’m going to hit someone.” 

“No you’re n-n-not just wait until they –” 

Eddie slammed on the accelerator and flew through the intersection turning the wheel harshly. Every car braked and honked at him. Bill and Eddie barely noticed because they were screaming. Bill gripped the dashboard desperately and Eddie closed his eyes as the van made a hard left. 

“EYES OP-OP-OP EYES EYES!” Bill managed to barely get out. After making the dramatic turn, Eddie pulled over. 

“M-maybe I shouldn’t be t-t-teaching you.” Bill said clutching his chest.

The next day, Ben tried his luck. Ben was the nicest one in the friend group and people never yelled at him. So when he asked Eddie to try parallel parking he did not expect to be exploded at. 

“You have to tell me how!” Eddie shouted. 

Ben winced but explained easily, “Eddie I did. Pull up next to the car in front of us, then a sharp turn into the spot behind then wait until you see the far side of the other car and - ” 

“None of that makes any sense! Why can’t you explain it better?!” Eddie was hyperventilating as he tried to go forward and back up into the spot. 

His face was pale and he could not stop shaking. Ben went to touch his shoulder and Eddie hissed at him, “Do not fucking touch me. JUST TELL ME WHAT TO DO.” 

Ben sank into the passenger seat and when he spoke it was barely a whisper, “You have to pull forward and…” 

“WHAT? Speak up, Ben. I can’t fucking hear you.” 

Ben ended up curling in on himself and Eddie had to take them back to Bill’s apologizing profusely the whole time. * Mike and Eddie almost had an easy time. 

Mike had a calming presence and explained everything clearly to Eddie. They were approaching a busier part of town and Eddie was driving at a glacial pace. 

“You can speed up a little Eddie.” Mike instructed. 

“No, I’m too nervous to go any faster.” Eddie whined. He kept his eyes glued to the road trying to stay in his lane. 

Mike chuckled lightly, “You are going a little too slow and can actually get a ticket for going below the speed limit.” 

Eddie looked at him in fear, “I CAN GET A TICKET FOR GOING TOO SLOW?!” 

Eddie pressed on the accelerator and started zooming down the street. Their backs hit the seats at the force of how fast they were going. 

“No wait! Slow down! Eddie!” Mike was quickly losing his composure. 

They were approaching a four-way intersection. The light turned yellow and there was no way they were going to make it. 

“BRAKE! BRAKE!” 

Instead of breaking, Eddie floored it and he blew through a red light. All the cars were honking and one almost hit them but swerved just in time. 

“Pull over! You are done!” Mike shouted. “I did not plan to die today, Edward!” 

“Fucking hell,” Eddie cursed in rage.

Stanley outright refused to help. 

"But Stanley, please?!" Eddie asked desperately. "You probably know how to teach the best!" 

"No Eddie, I know you. If I try to teach you, you are going throw something at me." Stanley said seriously. 

"When have I ever..." 

Stanley interrupted him, "Two days ago when I tried to explain that math problem to you. You got mad and threw a pencil at me. Who knows what would get thrown at me if we were in a car." 

Eddie looked at him with a miserable expression. Stanley sighed deeply, "What about Richie? He's usually the only person that can teach you anything." 

"Trapped at his house and I don't want him to know!" 

"Try Bev." 

Beverly attempted a harsher tactic of yelling back at Eddie whenever he raised his voice. She would cut him off every time he sassed her until they eventually started full on shouting over each other. 

“You are all HORRIBLE teachers,” Eddie screamed. “None of you know how to properly instruct me!” 

“NO!” Beverly responded screeching so loud it hurt both their ears, “You are a HORRIBLE FUCKING STUDENT!” 

“NO I'M NOT!” 

“YES YOU ARE!” 

“NO I'M NOT!”

“YES YOU ARE!” 

“NO I'M…” 

“WATCH OUT FOR THAT KID!” 

Eddie braked and the seat belts dug into their chests painfully. Beverly did not even bother taking over the car after that. She opened her door and stormed away. Eddie pulled over to the side thinking about how much he hated himself at that moment. 

Bill later came and picked up his car. Eddie sat in the passenger seat seething. He did not speak, just stayed still trying to keep angry tears from falling. He was being a nightmare, he knew that. He really did want to learn to drive, it was just hard when he kept panicking or getting mad. 

When Bill dropped him off at home he finally broke the silence. “So Eds...is everything ok with you and Richie?” 

“Yes, of course.” Eddie looked over confused. 

“I am j-just wondering if you had a fight and that’s why y-y-you are so on edge.” Bill raised his hands up to ward off possible punches. 

“Put your hands down Bill, I am not going to hit you.” Eddie rolled his eyes. “I guess it is a little because I may not see Richie until we are back at school. It is stupid, but I miss him.” 

“You talk on the phone every day.” Bill laughed. 

“Sure! But it isn’t the same as seeing his stupid face.” Eddie mumbled. 

Bill shoved Eddie lightly, “I miss you yelling at him instead of us.” 

“Yeah, my panicking is preventing me from learning to drive.” Eddie opened the door to get out. 

Bill stopped him to say, “We’ll figure it out. Tomorrow’s another day.” 

“Ok.” Eddie closed the door and went into his house. 

His mother was not home, so he went into the kitchen and dialed Richie’s number. 

As soon as he heard Richie’s voice, Eddie said, “I miss you.” 

“Who are you and what have you done with my Eds?” Richie said fake seriously. “He would never purposefully be nice to me or are the candy nicknames finally making you sweeter?” 

“See that’s what I miss. The way you make me angry but flattered at the same time. How the fuck do you do that?” Eddie said with malice. 

Richie hesitated before responding, “What happened today?” 

“It’s just been this whole week really. Just shitty and frustrating.” 

“You know what I do when I am frustrated?” 

Eddie frowned, “If you say an inappropriate joke right now, I am not talking to you for the rest of break.” 

“I think about how the most important person in my life loves me, inappropriate jokes and all.” 

Eddie let out a sigh and could feel his body getting warm, “If you were here, I would totally kiss you right now.” 

“Yeah? Well, I would kiss you back and probably grab your ass.” Richie stated matter of factly. 

Eddie rolled his eyes, “Oh my god, shut the fuck up.” 

“Let’s talk dirty over the phone.” Richie suggested in a husky voice. Eddie opened and closed his mouth several times before being able to form a proper sentence. “Ew, no! Your parents could be listening on the other line or my mom could get back from wherever she is and walk in.” 

Richie completely ignored Eddie’s protests, “Alright I’ll start. My hands grip your tiny waist and bring it closer to me as your tongue does naughty things to my…” 

“GOODNIGHT RICHIE!” Eddie shouted down the phone. 

“Goodnight! Love you!” Richie responded laughing like a lunatic. 

Eddie put the receiver down as he laughed to himself. How could he miss someone who drove him so crazy?

[yoncevevo]

*youtuber voice* TOTALLY almost got marked as a Sexual Predator!!! 😨😰😱

So we went into this alley where we’ve been before and parked in a spot where there’s an indentation because theres a parking garage so I shut off the car and we got into the back seat and we start kissing + I started fingering him and not but 2 mins later a car comes into the alley so naturally we get down and wait for it to pass but about 12 seconds goes by and it doesn't...then they start honking...when I say I wanted to fucking scream!!!!! I got into the drivers seat and started the car but she blocked me in and was like “WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU! THIS IS MY HOUSE. WHO ARE YOU!” Literally like 3 times and I was like “omg, sorry!” but she just kept repeating herself so I tried reversing in what little space I had but she'd mimic everything I did to keep me in and she was already calling the police anyway i noticed when she did what I did it was like a second later so I went up to test the theory and she went up a second and a half later and left a little gap so I put my seatbelt on, reversed and as SOON as she reversed too I PUT THE PEDAL TO THE METAL BITCH!!!!! I fast and furioused that hoe!!!! I literally felt like a stunt man oh my god anyway after that I went home because a bitch is too young to have a criminal record

[ntrending]

Why our devices make the sounds they make

New Post has been published on https://nexcraft.co/why-our-devices-make-the-sounds-they-make/

Why our devices make the sounds they make

Brian Eno was in a rut. The English artist had built a career producing legendary acts like David Bowie, The Talking Heads, and U2. But in the early 1990s, “I was completely bereft of ideas,” he told the San Francisco Chronicle. “I’d been working on my own music for a while and was quite lost, actually.”

Then Microsoft called.

At that time, the Redmond, Washington-based technology company was preparing to launch Windows 95, it’s most user-friendly operating system to date. And they need a startup song, for the moments between a user pressing the “on” button and the computer actually being ready to use.

“The thing from the agency said, ‘We want a piece of music that is inspiring, universal, blah- blah, da-da-da, optimistic, futuristic, sentimental, emotional,’ this whole list of adjectives, and then at the bottom it said ‘and it must be 3 1/4 seconds long,’” Eno told the Chronicle. “In fact, I made 84 pieces. I got completely into this world of tiny, tiny little pieces of music.”

The instantly-iconic end result clocked in at 6 seconds long and had a vaguely Mr. Rogers-ish sensibility. By December 1995, it was playing for a staggering 100 million Windows 95 users.

The project, which Eno says liberated him from his creative block, marked an important moment in the increasingly close relationship between our devices and our ears. While we rarely reflect on the sounds our laptops, cell phones, and tablets make—and few today play “piece[s] of music” quite like Eno’s Windows 95 composition—every click, clack, and whoosh is crafted crafted. Across platforms, software engineers, user experience designers, and sound branding experts share a common goal: to help us make sense of our technology, and keep us coming back for more.

Age of the earcon

Companies have use sounds to subtly reinforce their brand’s message for almost a century. Early examples include the NBC chimes, which received the first trademark for sound alone from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and MGM’s lions, which first roared in 1928.

But the field really rose to prominence in the 1990s, alongside the rapid development of new consumer technology. Phone companies may have all offered the same service, but they wanted to stand out from their competitors, and hopefully draw more customers in the process.

“There’s a huge element of branding with sound,” says Karen Kaushansky, a user experience designer with more than 20 years of experience. “When you’re building a product for a certain company, what is the meaning we want to put into that sound? And does the brand itself have some audio characteristics or components that can go into the sound?”

In the late 1980s, Apple was faced with its own sonic branding problem. Every time Macintosh computers rebooted, they played called “the devil’s interval.” “It’s any two tones that are three whole steps apart and played at the same time, like middle C plus the F# above it,” the authors of The Sonic Boom: How Sound Transforms the Way We Think, Feel, and Buy explained. “It’s disconcerting, provoking a feeling of agitation and anxiety.”

So Jim Reekes, one of Apple’s engineers, decided to change it. “I thought, I gotta have this meditative sound,” Reekes told The Sonic Boom authors Joel Beckerman with Tyler Gray. “I used to joke about it being a palate cleanser for the ears.” He found what he was looking for in a fading C-major chord in stereo. Company executives were opposed to the “earcon” (a word that means, roughly, “sound icon”), but Reekes managed to sneak his calming chord onto the Macintosh Quadra 700 computer, which debuted in 1991, anyway. Just as Reekes anticipated, the sound was a hit with users.

Attention-seeking design

Sound has proven a natural fit in a UX designer’s attention-grabbing toolkit. Bright colors and lights keep our eyeballs hooked, and variable content means our brain’s itch is never totally scratched. It’s even easier to attract our ears. “The specific range, where a baby cries—a lot of devices are tuned to that frequency,” says Amber Case, a user experience designer and author of the forthcoming book, Designing Products with Sound: Principles and Patterns for Mixed Environments with Aaron Day.

The Marimba ringtone is just one example of sound design capitalizing on our sensitivity to these frequencies. In the 1950s, Bell Labs, which grew out of telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell’s research facilities, was hard at work studying ringers. They tested sounds of all stripes, from musical trills to buzzers. They found that sounds in the range of human hearing that pulsed from near-silence to full sound over a period of 3 to 5 seconds were most successful at capturing our attention.

The Marimba meets all of these criteria, which is why it became one of iPhone’s most successful ringtones. “The sound is unique enough that the human brain could easily detect the sound even when layered in a crowded soundscape,” sound consultant Brian Rommelle wrote in a short history of the tone. “It is as annoying perhaps to us today as the original [B]ell telephone ringers were to our grandparents, but in the end, that’s the point.”

Sounds of the future

Sound design is also important in guiding a user through a potentially complicated interface. When an iPhone user types, for example, they hear a click-clack sound like the keys on a keyboard or typewriter. “You need to have these metaphors,” says Cliff Kuang, author of the forthcoming book “User Friendly: How the Hidden Rules of Design are Changing the Way We Live, Work, and Play” with Robert Fabricant. “This is how new experiences get introduced.”

The keyboard sound, and others like it, are examples of skeuomorphism, a common device that builds associations by mimicking an action’s real life counterpart. It’s the same principle behind the crumpling sound you hear when you put a document (that looks like a paper file) in a waste bin (that looks like a real garbage can, loaded with already crumpled papers) on a Macbook.

“The most famous examples among UX designers is the actual sound of the lock screen on an iPhone,” Kuang says. “It was an association between, ‘Oh, yeah, I can feel that lock snapping because I heard that sound.’ There was a sort of synesthesia to it.” Of course, brand still matters—every platform has their own sound dictionary, with slightly different dings and pings—but usability is at the core of this practice. “A whoosh is a whoosh is a whoosh, but everybody designs that swooping sound slightly differently,” Kuang says.

In recent years, some UX designers have begun to question whether sticking with the familiar skeuomorphic approach still works, or if it’s time make more useful and intuitive sounds from scratch. For her part, Kaushansky is currently hard at work on designing sonic experiences for robots and autonomous vehicles. When asked if driverless cars will mimic sounds in current cars, for nostalgia’s sake or the comfort of passengers and pedestrians, she’s skeptical.

“Horns are kind of dumb. There’s no meaning in the horn you hear. You hear a honk and look around, like, was that for me? There’s no way to know right now,” she says. “We could be doing a lot better job between a ‘toot toot’—a ‘thanks’—versus and ‘errr’—a ‘get out of the way!’”

By disentangling emerging technology from ineffectual practices of the past, Kaushansky thinks “we could make our roads safer, or better, or even more interesting.”

As certain chirps become familiar, tastes change, or design theory moves in a new direction, many sounds are eventually retired. Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 95 in 2001. And Apple phased out startup sounds for Macbooks in 2016. But the best earcons live on, in countless YouTube clips and the memories of old school users. And if designers and engineers have their way, the sounds currently under development for autonomous vehicles, robots, or revamped social media platforms will have the same effect on users of the future.

Written By Eleanor Cummins