#maybe i'm safer when i'm on the run // no time to open up my heart. (jackson)

[afroggycollective]

1, 2, 5

1. which of your muses is the pickiest eater?

Cody, he's got the pallet of the average toddler so he won't eat just anything and is picky with texture.

2. do any of your muses have dietary allergies?

Cody is lactose intolerant, Thorn has an allergy to shellfish.

5. which of your muses needs / wants a hug the most?

Needs hugs: Ilia, Jax, Talia, Vale, Asami, Ikari, Yume

Wants hugs: Neon

[lostfracturess]

a neighborly concern — satoru gojo x gn!reader

when a snowstorm knocks out your power, your insufferably attractive neighbor shows up at your door to "check on you." if only he wasn't so distracting in that damn checkered shirt.

Wind howls outside your windows, making the old house creak eerily as snow piles up against your doors. You're managing just fine with your candles and flashlight, thank you very much, when a knock echoes through your darkened home.

You already know who it is—there's only one person who would trudge through a snowstorm just to check on you.

When you open the door, Satoru Gojo stands on your porch looking unfairly attractive with snowflakes caught in his white hair. He's wearing a thick red and black checkered overshirt that makes his shoulders look broader than should be legally allowed, and his cheeks are flushed from the cold.

"Power's out," you state flatly, fighting the sudden warmth blooming across your skin.

"Really? I hadn't noticed," he drawls, bracing one hand against your doorframe. "I just thought you were trying to save a bit of electricity, prices are high after all."

You resist the urge to roll your eyes. "I'm fine, Satoru. You didn't need to check on me."

"Who says I'm checking on you?" He grins, that insufferable smile that always makes your stomach flip. "Maybe I just wanted to see your beautiful face."

Before you can respond, a particularly hard gust of wind rocks the house, making the windows rattle. You try to hide your flinch, but of course he notices—he always notices everything about you.

"You know," he says, his voice gentler now, "my house still has power. You could—"

"I'm fine, really." You cut him off, wrapping your arms around yourself. "Power's gonna be back any second."

The house creaks again, and this time you can't suppress your slight jump. Satoru's lips twitch into a smile, though thankfully he doesn't comment on your obvious unease.

"At least let me stay?" he asks, and there's something in his voice that makes you look at him. "The storm's getting worse, and I'd feel better knowing you're not alone."

You want to refuse—you should refuse—but another crack of wind decides for you. "Fine," you say, stepping aside. "But only until the storm passes."

His smile turns even wider as he steps inside, bringing with him the scent of snow and winter air. "Whatever you say, neighbor."

As you close the door against the howling wind, you try to ignore how much safer you already feel with him here. After all, it's just until the storm passes. Right?

"Well, since you've invited yourself over," you say, watching him shake snow from his hair, "you might as well make yourself useful and help me find more candles."

"Bossy," he teases, but follows you into the kitchen. "I like it."

You're grateful for the dim lighting that hides your blush. "They're in one of these cabinets, I think." You stretch up on your tiptoes, trying to reach the highest shelf. "Unless I moved them during spring cleaning—"

"Allow me," Satoru says, and suddenly he's right behind you, his chest brushing against your back as he easily reaches over you to open the cabinet. He's close enough that his warmth seeps into your skin, and you find yourself struggling to remember how to breathe.

"Found them," he says, but doesn't immediately move away. Instead, you feel his breath stir your hair as he asks, "You okay? Your heart's racing."

You resist the urge to scream. This is exactly what he always does—invades your space with that infuriating confidence of his, flirts like he's breathing, acts like making your pulse race is his only hobby.

And the worst part? He does this with everyone. You've seen him charm your elderly neighbor just last week, making her giggle like a teenager when he helped with her groceries.

He's just like this. Insufferably flirtatious with anything that moves.

"It's just cold," you lie, stepping away quickly. "And you're dripping melted snow all over my floor."

He laughs, running a hand through his damp hair. "Sorry about that. This shirt's pretty soaked too." Before you can stop him, he's shrugging off the checkered overshirt, leaving him in a thin white t-shirt that does nothing to hide his physique.

Great. Perfect. Just what you needed.

Another violent gust rattles the windows, making the candlelight flicker. You jump despite yourself, and suddenly Satoru's hand is on your shoulder, steady and warm.

"Hey," he says softly, all teasing gone from his voice. "It's just wind. The house has weathered worse storms than this."

"I know that. I'm not scared."

"Course not." His thumb starts drawing small circles on your shoulder. "But hypothetically, if you were, I'd tell you that's perfectly normal. These old houses make all sorts of sounds during storms."

"Is that supposed to be comforting? Because you're basically telling me I live in a creaky death trap."

"I prefer to think of it as character," he says, still absently rubbing your shoulder. "Like how you've got that stubborn streak that makes you pretend you don't need anyone."

"I don't need—" you start to protest, but another hard gust cuts you off, sending one of your candles toppling over.

You both lunge for it at the same time—you forward, him sideways—resulting in a tangle of limbs as you try to catch the candle before it hits the ground. His chest collides with your shoulder, your hand catches his shirt, and suddenly you're stumbling backwards with him following, his arms wrapping around you.

The candle clatters harmlessly to the floor, rolling away unlit.

But you barely notice because somehow in the chaos, Satoru's face has ended up mere inches from yours, his breath warm against your lips. One of his hands is pressed against the small of your back, the other braced against the counter behind you, effectively caging you in.

"Hi," he whispers, and you can feel the word against your mouth.

"Hi," you breathe back stupidly, unable to look away from his ridiculously blue eyes.

Neither of you moves. You're frozen in this moment, this breath, this space between wanting and having. The storm seems distant now, reduced to white noise beneath the sound of your racing heart.

"We should—" you start, but forget what you were going to say when his gaze drops to your lips.

"Should what?" he asks, and you feel more than hear the question.

"I don't—" You swallow hard. "I don't remember."

His thumb traces your lower back through your sweater, and you shiver. "Cold?"

"No."

"Good."

Another gust of wind rattles the windows, and this time, neither of you moves. His hand is still warm against your back, your fingers still twisted in his shirt, both of you caught in that fragile moment between friendly neighbors and something else entirely.

You could blame it on the storm, on the darkness, on the way the candlelight makes his eyes look impossibly blue. You could pretend your heart isn't racing, that his proximity isn't affecting you, that tomorrow you won't replay this moment over and over in your mind.

But the truth is, you've been falling towards this moment since he first moved in next door with that insufferable smile and those stupid eyes.

"Satoru," you whisper, and watch something flicker across his face at the way his name sounds on your lips.

His thumb traces another circle on your back, gentle but deliberate. "Yeah?"

Before you can respond, all the lights suddenly flicker back to life, harsh and bright after the soft candlelight. The spell breaks, reality rushing back in with the fluorescent glare.

But Satoru doesn't immediately step away. Instead, he stays there for one more heartbeat, his eyes searching yours like he's trying to memorize something. Then, slowly, deliberately, he lets his hand slide from your back as he straightens up.

"Looks like the power's back," he says.

And standing there in your too-bright kitchen, still close enough to count his eyelashes, you think this might be the worst timing in the history of power outages. Or the best. You're not quite sure yet.

What you are sure of is that Satoru Gojo's arms are unfairly comfortable, and that the way he's looking at you right now should be classified as a legitimate health hazard. You're also pretty certain that your heart isn't supposed to do that stuttering thing just because someone's thumb is drawing circles on your back.

The logical part of your brain is screaming that you should step away, make some sarcastic comment about his hero complex, go back to being just neighbors.

But the rest of you? The rest of you is seriously considering calling the power company to complain that they fixed things too quickly.

"Yeah," you finally manage, "great timing."

Wind still howls outside, but somehow you're not scared anymore. Though that might have less to do with bravery and more to do with how distracting Satoru's presence is when he's this close.

You should definitely make him leave now that the power's back.

(You're definitely not going to make him leave now that the power's back.)

After all, the storm isn't quite over yet.

© lostfracturess. do not repost, translate, or copy my work.

[blueberri-blu]

Serious \|/

[rise] leo x reader (post movie)

Movie Spoilers!!

Angst to Fluff <3

Prompt 7: "I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you!" "And I'm trying to subtly avoid it!"

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Emotions were running high, to say the least.

Everyone was coping anyway they could

Donnie was locked away in his lab, tinkering with his tech in hopes of making it safer

Raph was cooped up in his room, refusing to come out, practicing anger management

And Mikey kept practicing and practicing his mystic magic.

Leo on the other hand? He kept on going as of his usual self.

Albeit, he was a bit more serious, but he was acting as if nothing had ever happened.

You thought maybe he just didn't want to talk about it so soon. But days turned to weeks, turned to months. And now it had been 7 months after the invasion, and he had yet to talk about it.

You asked all of his brothers if had opened up and talked to them, not needing to know the details, just wanting to see if he had been able to speak to someone about the traumatizing event. Yet, everyone said no.

Leo had his lips sealed... Other than his typical one liners and puns, that is.

You were determined to get him to talk, to anyone, really, it didn't have to be you! You just wanted the best for him, and suppressing his feelings just wasn't the way to do so.

You were going to trap him. No way for him to escape, no way for him to avoid you, nothing.

You promised Leo a romantic night out. A rooftop with fairy lights, blankets and pillows, his favorite foods and snacks, the whole works.

"A surprise you say, and what brought this on Mi amor?" "oh nothing, just thought I'd do something nice for you, mi rey" (mi rey = my king) oh he was putty in your hands, especially after that nickname. And so you two continued on with your day as normal.

Once evening rolled around, you texted Leo the address, and started your trip there.

Surprisingly, you were the first to arrive, meaning you could double check everything, just in case.

Poor Leo arrived and practically melted, the scene was so romantic, with New Yorks city lights making a beautiful background for your two's night out.

You ate dinner, had a dessert, and then just laid together under the fairy lights.

"Oh, mi vida (my life) you have truly outdone yourself, really, you've swept me off my feet." "I'm glad Leo, really, I know these last few months have been... Rough" "haha, right ... Ahem, anyway, that dinner was impeccable, mi amor, this whole date has been delicious, yet I still have room for more... *Wink* because I could just eat you up!" His fingers went to your sides, tickling you to the point of you not being able to breathe. The only sounds you could make, were wheezing.

"LEOOOOOO STO- HAHAHAHA- STOOOOOP" He only stopped when he noticed your face was too close to a blue hue.

"ok, ok, ok, my hands *jazz hands* are up, officer"

You sighed, "Leo... Look, you... You're great, really, and... I want you to know that, I love you, so so much, ok? And, all I want is the best for you!"

"I'd sure hope so, we are dating y'know"

"Leo... You know what I mean Mi Rey"

"Of course I do! This romantic gesture, your loving words, are you going to propose to me mi amor?"

"Leo..."

"I mean, I do believe we are young, but, he'll! I'd say yes!"

"LEO!"

"Mi Vida!"

"I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you!"

"And I'm trying to subtly avoid it!"

...

You stared at each other. And that's when you saw it. The fear. Leo was scared, you could see it in his eyes, it swirled around, grabbing him, choking him. He quickly looked away, feeling the lump in his throat grow bigger and bigger

"Leo... I know it's hard to talk about but... You can't keep it bottled up, it will only make things worse, mi rey" "... I know but..." He looked back up at you.

You could tell he was struggling, so you took hold of his hand, and started rubbing hearts in his palm. "It's ok, Leo, take your time" you said softly.

Your voice always calmed him. You were kind, and calm, a grand contrast to his... Grand and expressive personality. He loved it.

"y/n, I- my brother's, they're all- they're all struggling and I- I just wanted to-" he broke into a sob. You hugged him, tightly, allowing him to melt into you.

You took deep breaths, knowing Leo would mimic your breathing.

As he calmed down a bit, he continued "all go my brother's, they're all, they're all struggling so much, and I- all I want to do is- is cheer them up y'know? I- I wanna be their rock, I wanna be your rock too" you sighed, hugging him tighter "Leo, as much as we all appreciate the sense of normalcy you've given, that's, that's not the way to do so. What your brothers and I want is to bond over this big traumatic event we've all faced, together. You don't have to talk to me about it, it could be anyone, so long as you're not keeping it to yourself, mi vida"

It was Leo's turn to sigh. He turned, looking into your eyes, they were a bit red from his crying, and a bit puffy, but he seemed... Relieved.

He then buried his face in your chest, and continued

He talked and talked, about his fears, his regrets, how he wished he could've done more, how he was so scared, how he tried his best, and still almost failed

You and Leo were there all night. Until the sun came up, waking you both. He seemed... Lighter, as if a weight heavier than life itself had been lifted off his chest.

And all Leo could think about, walking hand in hand with you on his side, back to the lair, was how much he loved you, every part of you.

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[fernpetals]

And (Part 2 of 'The Night is Dark)

Masterlist

Yandere Constantine x Reader

This is the sequel of this fic. I suggest reading this drabble before continuing with this piece.

You have not been on a date for ages. Never felt the need to, it has been so long, pining over John Constantine, playing hide-and-seek, and playing with him.

It's not like you did not understand his reasoning when he first deflected putting a tag to what you two share...shared. You still understand his reasons. But you are tired of putting your feelings aside for the sake of the man you have loved like no other before.

You are finally putting your heart first, your feelings, yourself first. And for that, the first step is avoiding John Constantine at all costs.

You have considered going out with someone else, just to take your mind off. But like the coward that you are, you chickened out in the last moment.

You have come to realise that if you truly wish to move on, you will find no solace in someone else's arms, but in yourself alone. The fruits will take time to bear, but will be sweeter and never run out.

So, you are, for once, present in your office party, truly mingling in rather then spending your nights either alone in your apartment or with Constantine---he would always insist on being with you every night, afraid that something might attack you.

And now, it has been two weeks without him by your side, without hearing his voice, feeling his touch, feeling him inside you. It feels odd, but you know that it will get better.

----

Being a Friday, your colleagues have taken the liberty of enjoying the night and by the time your car pulls up at the parking garage of your apartment, it's 3 AM, the time Constantine is most alert. You roll your eyes at the thought as you stand in the lift. He is a permanent resident in your mind and the termite eating away your heart. You feel the tiredness finally kicking in as you near your floor. You are ready to hit the bed as soon as you can.

Your slumped shoulders, however, stiffen up as soon as the doors open, revealing Constantine by your apartment door, fiddling with a cigarette. His gaze rises to meet yours.

"Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I was?" He strides towards you, flicking the toxic stick away.

"I was at a dinner party." You regret explaining your absence to him immediately.

What is done is done, you can blame habit for this.

"At a dinner party this late? Alone? You know the dangers lurking in the dark don't you?"

You do not respond, instead focus on unlocking your apartment, trying to keep your quivering hands steady. You hope that he doesn't notice.

"You have been ignoring me. Why?" You pause at the way his voice drops.

You look up, seeing him tower over you. Maybe this has to be done now.

"Constantine...I think...I think we should not see each other anymore."

His eyes narrow at your words before his hand wraps around your wrist, ceasing your nervous movements.

"What are you talking about? Are you drunk?"

"I'm not drunk Constantine. I am finally brave enough to let go of something that has only brought me heartbreak." You snatch your wrist from his hold and open your apartment door, refusing to meet his gaze. "What do---Is it about the other day? You were drunk out of your mind, you were imagining--"

"I know when I imagine things and when they are real. Don't try that trick on me, John." You snap, glaring at him as you hold the door handle, ready to slam it shut. Constantine sighs and looks away "I already told you (Y/N). You don't understand."

"I do, John, trust me, I do understand now. I see it clearly now. I must protect my heart first. I'm tired John, I'm tired of this, I can't do this anymore. I am choosing myself this time, I cannot allow you to keep breaking my heart just because you think I am safer that way." "Because you are and---"

"Goodnight John." You say, cutting him off and shutting the door on his face.

You have had enough.

A third part is under construction

[ghost-bxrd]

And now I'm thinking of talon!Calvin + reverse robins, in which Calvin is about the same age as Damian, or older, and was sent to guide Dick to kill his parent's murderer, as a begining of his talonisation, as killing does break you a lot, especially when you're already vulnerable, or pick slack if Dick can't kill Zucco, and allow him to join, despite falling the test of being capable of killing without electrium running in his blood, which would've made him the best Grey Son

Cue, Calvin clearly remembering being close friends with John Grayson, and being like wait this owling is my friend's, yes, he would be safer if he would be turned into the talon, but I can't let him be broken like I was, maybe I can just give him a shot of electrium without all that to protect him

Cue, while Calvin has a whateoido Bruce, who had his fair share of wild children, starting with his own blood son for crying out loud, adopting the kid

Omg Damian would hate Calvin. Like—- so much. (While Calvin would be largely indifferent and just ignore him. Which just makes Damian angrier lmao)

But the way I understand it, a dose of Electrum strong enough to make a difference on the human organism would have to kill them first! So Calvin would have this awful dilemma about wanting to make sure Dick can’t be hurt but having to kill him in the process. It would tear him up inside. Especially because the kid is so trusting and happy that he met someone who knew his parents well (and angry, yes. There’s also the anger. But there’s also joy still there despite it all. Joy over Calvin of all people.) He doesn’t even have to coax Dick away from the manor, he follows Calvin like a duckling the moment he mentions living in the circus with John and Mary for a time.

(Damian nearly has a heart attack when he goes to check up on the traumatized, angry boy that’s been living with them only shy of a month and finds him missing. The window wide open. No signs of forced entry, but a suspicious track of claw marks on the window sill (the moment Calvin realized just whose child Dick Grayson was) and a parliament of owls suddenly perching on the large oak tree a few yards away. And Damian doesn’t even care that Tim still hates his guts, or that Jason has school in the morning, or that Bruce is still stuck in a WE meeting— he mobilizes all forces to find Dick and bring him home.)

Meanwhile Calvin is screaming internally, perched between the spires of Gotham cathedral with an energetic little circus kid in his lap munching on a hotdog and asking questions about Calvin and the Graysons nonstop. And by the time Dick yawns and sleepily and nestles his head under Calvin’s chin, content to be in the presence of someone from the circus who was friends with his parents, Calvin realizes he can’t kill Dick. Not even temporarily. He can’t do that to him. He’ll just— he’ll just have to protect him himself. Make sure the Court never gets their claws on him. Ever. They get to have him over his thrice dead body.

[goginaporter]

lyrical analysis of love you forever

or, breaking down ricky's love (confession) for gina

we're a little under three months out from the series finale of high school musical: the musical: the series. I've spent those months freaking out over rina and appreciating the beautiful arc they got in s4 that closed out their story over the course of the series. there are a million special moments that rina has in s4 (I mean, a rain kiss? can I have this dance? a duet together about their commitment to each other despite uncertainty? we really got it all) but one definitely stands out among the rest. love you forever is ricky's declaration of love for gina that he sings to her at her press conference for her new movie that, as far as he knows, is about to send her across the world. this post is gonna be a line by line analysis of the lyrics, as well as talking about everything that brought them to that moment and that made it special. enjoy <33

I've been wishing on a falling star for too long

this line opens the song and is such a beautiful callback to when there was me and you, the song ricky all but serenades gina with in 1.06 (the lines it references: I thought you were my fairy tale / A dream when I'm not sleeping / A wish upon a star / That's coming true). wtwmay is a song that gabriella sings after troy's betrayal in hsm and when ricky sings this line, to me, it represents a callback to his past relationship with nini. he was holding on to nini and that relationship too tight, wishing on a falling star. as gabriella says, wishes on stars just "don't come true" and for ricky, this relationship ultimately ended in failure. however, as much as this line signifies the crash and burn nature of that relationship, it's also a reference to the start of his relationship with gina in that bunker room as he strummed on a guitar, in a similar fashion to love you forever, to these lyrics.

I've been running, I don't know what from

this line references the conversation that ricky had with ej in 4.05 when ej forces ricky to reckon with the fact that he runs away from those he loves when faced with hard realities and that this tendency hurts both those around him, but also hurts him. it's incredibly full circle when you pair this with the fact that ricky is singing the song on the guitar ej gave him after they sang speak out, where ej tells him that "you'll probably get more use outta this than me" (4.05). i think it's really cool that this line also references gina's similar character flaw of running when things get hard, which she also sings about in second chance (Maybe I'm safer when I'm on the run / No time to open up my heart / Maybe I'll hide behind my walls again / Instead of tearing them apart) (also important to note that second chance is non-digetic and ricky has never heard gina sing these lyrics). so fascinating that ricky and gina have the same habit of running, with ricky running back to things that are familiar and gina pushing forward to leave things in the past before they can hurt her.

But you and I've become a sacred kinda home

this is one of my favorite lines of the song, especially because this theme of finding a home is such a critical cornerstone for both ricky and gina's arcs throughout the show. ricky's home life in s1 turns on its head when he discovers that his parents are separating. pairing this with his breakup with nini nearly sends him into a spiral, but he finds a new home of sorts in the theater program, telling gina "it's just nice to have somewhere to go after school every day, y'know" (1.05), which she herself resonates with, affirming his feelings.

of course, at the beginning of s2, we find out that ricky and his dad are moving to an apartment after his mom moves out. this drastic shift, the loss of his childhood home, is again disorienting, and again paired with changes with nini, what with her moving to denver. in 2.02, he tells nini that she is his home, which is really interesting, placing that kind of pressure on her. but what's even more interesting is that he knows he's moving, knows from the beginning of 2.01, and yet nini does not find out about his new home until 2.03 on valentine's day, months later. this is juxtaposed to gina showing up to his apartment that same episode. it's especially special that ricky is placed in the same situation that gina typically faces, the unpacking and getting accustomed to a new space. it is those undertones that serve as the undercurrent for their conversation. the apartment is in disarray when gina arrives, and remains that way for much of the season. gina, however, is endeared by the messy environment of the apartment and jokes along with ricky to put him at ease. by the time we return to it in s4, it's (naturally) much more lived in, with clothes strewn about, pictures of gina, and aptly placed posters lining the wall of ricky's room.

as I mentioned earlier, ricky calls nini his home in s2. this line says that he and gina together have become a home of sorts for each other. singing this to gina is important for ricky, but it also speaks to the unpredictable nature of gina's childhood, where she moved from city to city, never staying in one place for more than a few months, which she tells ricky in 1.05. by the end of s1, we think that she has to move again, something that's harder for her now that she's made connections with the wildcats, namely with ricky. as we see in the flashback scene in 2.06, she tells ricky that she wouldn't quit on them if not for her move, that they would essentially remain close if she weren't leaving salt lake. of course, she doesn't leave and instead moves in with ashlyn. it's her first taste of stability that she can really remember, but as she tells carlos in 2.04, she feels out of place living in a house she doesn't own and with a family that isn't hers. these feelings culminate in gina wanting to leave, a subplot we see primarily in 2.05 and 2.06. after revealing to ashlyn what she said to ricky opening night of hsm, ashlyn sings home from beauty and the beast to gina, telling her that she has a home with ashlyn, not just physically, but within their friendship. there is so much symbolism in that one scene that we don't have time to get into but this moment definitely shifts gina's perception of what a home can look like. in s3, we learn that her mom is moving back to salt lake city where she'll be staying long-term to allow gina to complete her time at east high. in fact, it's in this very house that we get our first scene of rina in s4, with ricky sneaking into her window. one's room is a reflection of oneself, and ricky and gina are all over each other's rooms, both literally and figuratively, throughout the season. combining this with the connection between the two that only strengthens over the course of the season, it comes as no surprise that ricky sees his and gina's relationship as a sacred home.

I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love and I know it / No net, no fear, right here in this moment

my twitter account was littered with theories and thoughts and hopes for ricky's love confession to gina, but whether it was public or private, planned or spontaneous, the one thing that I knew I wanted was for ricky to say that he is in love with gina. so on august 9th when ricky got to the chorus of love you forever, tears started pooling in my eyes because the confession, which was already literally perfect, delivered my biggest wish. one of my favorite aspects of the song is how much it reflects their journey because these are all the words that ricky would tell gina in some big speech, evidenced by him practicing all throughout 4.07. but when it comes down to it, after references to moments between them and beautiful metaphors, it builds to him telling gina not only does he love her, but that he's in love with her. there's no doubt in his mind of this fact. the sky is blue, the sun shines, and ricky bowen loves gina porter. so much of ricky's love for nini was tied to fear, especially a fear of change. that his love for gina transcends fear, that he is confident in what he tells her both shows his growth in romantic relationships but also in how much gina has redefined what it means to love someone for him.

I've never been more sure of what I got, yeah / Cause this is so much more than puppy love, so

continuing with the theme of confidence, ricky tells gina that he's never been more sure of what he's got in their relationship. I know I'm bringing rini up a lot but that relationship is a perfect frame of reference for how much ricky has changed when it comes to love. both his singing of I think I kinda you know in 1.01 and his love confession to nini in 1.10, while genuine, are riddled with stuttering and uncertainty ("I think", "I don't know", etc.). when you compare the ricky of 1.01 and the ricky of 4.08 and how he attempts to use song to profess his love, the differences are stark, and that's the point. as he all but said in 3.08, everything he's known about love has been changed by gina and that is reflected in love you forever. I love the puppy love nod and think it's narratively important for so many reasons. for one, it's a reference to their first date, as well as to gina's childhood. in that vein, it seems to mirror what gina tells ricky in 4.02, that mack was a crush of her childhood. calling what they have "more than puppy love" also nods to their growth, not just over the course of the series, but even throughout the season. from dealing with scrutiny in the fallout of the documentary to gina's increasingly busy schedule to their temporary pause to gina nearly moving across the world, they've been faced with many problems, and while they didn't handle all of them perfectly, they handled them together and came out that much stronger.

I'll say it first, no matter what the cost / Here I am full heart, full stop / I love you

in 3.05, ricky talks to jet following the fallout of the real campers of shallow lake drama. he asks jet what he's running from and tells him that sometimes when feelings are hard to articulate, it helps to sing instead. with love you forever, we see ricky taking his own advice. I love that ricky is insistent that he tells gina "I love you" first, both because he wants to rectify mistakes from his last relationship, but also because gina says, in a talking head, that she doesn't want to be the first to say "I love you," (4.06) further cementing the connection that rina has. it also affirms that there is no doubt in either of their minds that they love each other and want to say it to each other. it's also important to note that ricky understands the risk of singing this song at this point in time. for all he knows, gina is about to board a plane that will be taking her to the other side of the world for six months. however, he sings this song, affirms his love for her, no matter the cost, because he just wants her to know. he loves her in salt lake, he loves her in new zealand, and he loves her forever. ricky sings that he is there with a full heart, full stop I love you. in an interview after s3's finale, tim federle, the showrunner, states that while nini will always have a small part of ricky's heart, gina has a way of making hearts race. this line, to me, symbolizes the notion that gina is his heart, that his love for her encompasses it. there's a beautiful analysis of ricky being gina's heart canonically that I think helps tie all of this together, establishing that gina is ricky's heart, just like he is hers.

of course, I would be remiss to not talk about the full stop of it all. as we see in a flashback in 4.06, ricky opens up to gina in their first meeting about how he struggled saying I love you to nini, his ex. after hearing this, gina presents him with a possibility you can tell he's never considered: "maybe you just don't love her, full stop." ricky stutters in response, but doesn't fully negate gina's statement, in fact telling her that he's "kinda" planning on telling nini through song later that night outside her window (ironic that this plan doesn't pan out for him twice in the show, both here and in 2.03). that he brings up this notion of full stop, where there's no room for doubt, in his confession for gina further proves how deep and real and true their love is for each other. super small thing before I move on but I love how "I love you" gets its own special moment of pause in the song to fully communicate the gravity of such a statement.

I never knew that I could feel so sure and so strong /How can three old words feel so brand new?

Again, this idea of being sure comes up again in this second verse/buildup to the chorus. ricky has done the love confession before. he's been in love before. but again, with gina, it's different. it's deeper, more strong, more secure. and so when he says these words, in a situation that mirrors his audition for hsm, of course it feels different. in that auditon, he was singing nini's words back to her. love you forever, in contrast, is all ricky. those three words do feel new because now he's singing them to gina and for gina, where previously he sang them for himself. also a really cool note about the parallels between ricky's audition and love you forever is that tim federle released the initial script for love you forever, and one of the descriptions writes that ricky "launches into the audition of a lifetime." this song, this confession, is the start of his forever with gina. of course these words feel new.

Mm, so rare, so real right here in this moment / And I'm starin' at the only thing I want, so

I tear up hearing ricky say that the love that he has for gina is both rare and real. both ricky and gina, at different points throughout the show, cast doubt on love. ricky says in a talking head in 1.01 that love is dead (fun fact: ricky is wearing the same denim jacket from that talking head during love you forever teehee). gina, in the 4.06 flashback, calls love lame. their faith in love ebbs and flows throughout the show, but once they are together, there's no question. it's why ricky encourages the seblos reconciliation in 4.06 or why gina tells jet to confess his feelings for kourtney in 4.08. if they've found this beautiful love in each other, where they got a second chance on love in every sense of the words, why wouldn't they want that for everyone else, for the people that they love?

the second half of this lyric, of ricky "staring at the only thing he wants," is my absolute favorite line of love you forever. ricky's eyes are naturally drawn to gina in nearly every episode of the show, whether she's looking at him or not, whether they're speaking or not. even before he recognized those feelings in himself, we could see it because she was always the apple of his eye. this rings especially true during love you forever, where ricky does not take his eyes off of gina the entire song, except when miss jenn turns the lights on. gina is the center of his universe and who he has been drawn to since she entered his life. there was a tweet after s4 aired that stated that ricky looks at gina as though he's falling deeper in love with her every time and this line captures that.

I wanna finish what we started in the stairwell where we met

the bridge opens with this line and it's so fitting. to suggest that committing to loving each other forever is finishing what they started when they had that first conversation in the stairwell is so insane and will always make me spiral when I think about it. this line all but confirms that ricky and gina began to fall for each other in that moment. that their conversation in the stairwell is what catalyzed their respective character arcs also all but confirms that they're soulmates, that there was an invisible string that connected them, inexplicably tying their fates together forever.

I wanna live like I have never even heard the word regret

both ricky and gina have instances that they look back on and wish they had done things differently. gina says so explicitly in 2.05 when speaking to kourtney. she alludes to her goodbye to ricky after hsm's opening night, stating that it was something she wishes she could take back. in 3.06, ricky tells jet that he wishes that he didn't let color war gina slip through his fingers, suggesting that he would've done things differently if he were more cognizant of his feelings for her. ricky never wants to feel like that again, that he's missed his chance with gina due to fear. he wholeheartedly embraces his love for her because he knows what it was like to live without it and doesn't want to live in a world where gina isn't his reality.

I wanna scream what's in my heart and I won't ever take it back

ricky and ej's duet in 4.05 is about speaking your truth and speaking even when it's hard. the song even has a line about "screaming out." where in speak out, screaming out solicits no sound, ricky singing this line in love you forever is him being able to vocalize the feelings in his heart. he also commits to never taking these words back. his feelings for gina are eternal and everlasting. this is important for gina to hear because words have always been unreliable to her. people that she cares about, whether her mom or jamie or even e.j., have made verbal commitments to her at one point or another, and each one of them has later reneged on that commitment, whether intentionally or not. ricky can say these words, can say "I love you" to gina, because he's been saying it through his actions the entire show. gina doesn't always trust words, but she trusts actions. ricky has more than proven his love for her, and it's this continued declaration through his works that allows these words to ring true for her.

'Cause I love you feels a lot like high school and forever after that

I made this observation a couple weeks ago but this line is so fascinating. when the season first dropped and I heard the line, I was a tad confused. what does it mean for love to feel like high school? I was listening to the hsm3 soundtrack when it all clicked for me. in high school musical, the final song they sing in hsm3, the last line is "I want the rest of my life to feel just like a / High school musical" with this line, ricky is basically saying that he will love gina for the rest of his life. throwing in a hsm reference is also incredibly fitting given that they've just completed the first night of their run as troyella, further cementing their legacy as the troyella of the show. i love that, even when the bridge is repeated, ricky and gina are the only ones to sing these lines. when the bridge is sung for the third and final time, ricky and gina are now together on stage singing the words "I"m in love, I'm in love, I'm in love" to each other in between the lines of the bridge. the song closes with ricky singing "I love you feels a lot like high school" with gina singing "and forever after that." I love this ending for two reasons: ending the song with rina singing together re-emphasizes that they're in love, and in love together (for the first time), as tim mentions in an interview. I also love it because even as the wildcats join to sing the bridge near the end of the song, ricky and gina are the only people to sing the lines "I'm in love x3" and "I love you feels a lot like high school." even though their friends step in to sing some lines, ultimately, the song is a love song for gina, about gina, and that's why it ends with her. as tim (love how much I'm referencing him) mentioned in an interview, rina is the beating heart of the romance of the show, and their friends coming in to sing along to ricky's love song for gina fully solidifies this.

[bluiex]

I got to pirates smp an hour late and then had to dip before the stream ended nonetheless I was watching Scar's POV and now I'm having Scarian thoughts.

Mostly spoiler free all I really share is a mention of Scar's faction.

-@scitties-enjoyer

---

Scar drops the anchor on his boat. It's not much now, but one day he'll have something grand, he's sure of it. He hops down onto the rocky shore and picks his way inland.

In hindsight, maybe a single knife was not the right weapon, but Scar doesn't have anything better. Yet.

Scroll, scroll.. where was- Ah

Scar spends more than a moment reading the piece of paper... 'return to the mainland with the head of the isle's monster for 300 gold'

Yep, that's a good deal. Hopefully.

Unless it's something really vicious in which case, Scar is absolutely being ripped off here. Goddamn inflation.

Again, all he has is a knife.

This is... fine, probably.

Scar can hear Jellie meowing from his ship "I'll be back before you know it!" He reassures his cat.

It takes hours. He scours the island at least twice, with no success.

Then he spots a cave he didn't notice before, stepping in to an animal den of some kind where... a bird creature is goring the wolves.

Yeah this is ... fine actually. Mhm, definitely fine. Definitely not terrifying.

It's even more fine when the creature looks up at the sound of Scar's presence, dark eyes locking with his before it scrambles back in fear, wings braced around itself as if that can possibly protect it from him.

Scar makes a reckless decision, carefully putting his knife down behind himself. He's not completely stupid, if the bird-thing makes a lunge for his knife, he's dead.

Scar had been expecting an animal, not something that had the intelligence of a human. And Scar knows what it feels like to be hunted - or, knew once - so in a moment of uncharacteristic gentleness he's opening his heart to this so-called monster.

"Do you understand me?" Scar asks, softly.

The creature flinches at the sound of his voice. So it's that bad...

"I was sent to bring back your head. But neither of us want that."

The thing curls tighter around itself.

"My name is Scar. If we play our cards right we can get the reward money without you getting hurt."

The bird hisses. Which is progress, in Scar's eyes.

"I know how you feel, I do. If you come with me- if you come aboard my ship, you'll be safer." Scar feels a little faint, thinking of how mercilessly some of the other pirates would no doubt have already slaughtered this bird in Scar's shoes. "You could be my bird! Every pirate needs a bird!"

---

It's three days back to the kestrels' tavern base of operations. Or, it should be. It ends up taking Scar around a week, because Grian - the bird creature has a name! - doesn't quite have his sea legs yet so they have to stop at this island and that island and then Grian has to hide from other pirates

.Grian had gotten washed up after they left the cave, and it turns out that he's completely adorable under all that blood and viscera. Scar thinks it's very unfair that he can't just spend hours watching Grian, and instead has to steer his little ship.

Grian spends his time on the boat playing with Jellie, and honestly it warms Scar's heart.

It's one such stop where Grian finally accepts more than the bare minimum of physical contact necessary from Scar. It's particularly cold that night, sleeping under the stars, and Grian huddles up to Scar for warmth, burying his face in Scar's hair.

After that, it's like a switch has been flicked in Grian's brain. He's constantly latched onto Scar's arm, or perched on top of his hats, or his shoulder, asking questions.

---

Insert continued falling in love here I've run out of traction. Anyway the quest loophole Scar had *worked* so they do get the reward money

OOOOH BROOO THIS IS SO CUTE. PIRATE SCAR TAKING A CONTRACT TO KILL A CREATURE

And it being birb Grian- AAAAH this is so good Scitties. I love it so VERY MUCH

It takes awhile for Grian to come out of his shell fully and start speaking to Scar- he's started with the physical touch and protectiveness because Scar's his flock now

[ohmyronpa-imagines]

Hi I was the person who requested the Gundham x reader killing game AU awhile ago and I loved what you wrote.

Would I be able to request a Ryoma x reader one shot where the reader stops Kirumi from killing him…. if this is too specific I don’t mind if you do something else, I’m sure I’ll like whatever you write.😸

Here you go, anon! I'm glad you enjoy my work! Also, do y'all like my new icon? Made it myself! (Apologies for it being a little blurry haha!) -Mod Hajime

Reader Saves Ryoma From Kirumi's Murder Attempt (x Reader)

It had all happened so quickly.

You had been having a hard time sleeping since Kaede’s execution and were aimlessly wandering around the academy.

Sure, it was dangerous, but you sincerely doubted that anyone was actively scouting for a random victim.

Unless you had become someone’s target.

A pit formed in your stomach at this idea and you immediately stepped away from the doors that led to a random classroom. Maybe going to your room was safer than being active at night. You rushed back to the dorms but paused when you heard a loud crack coming from a hallway. 

You turned the corner against your better instincts and froze. Kirumi was standing above Ryoma with some long pole, or was it a stick? What you did know was that Ryoma was unconscious and Kirumi was holding a possible murder weapon.

For some reason you didn’t run away to call for help. That’s what a smart person would have done.

But no, you ran straight into danger, nothing but adrenaline and an odd sense of justice fueling your once tired body. Kirumi barely had time to register what was happening by the time you slammed her into the ground.

She struggled against you, both of her eyes visible to you. The maid looked crazed and with an impossible surge of strength, she threw you into the wall. Your head bounced off the drywall and you grunted in pain.

However, when you saw Kirumi going near Ryoma’s unconscious (you hoped) self, the pain dulled and you staggered to your feet. You reached your hands out and shoved her to the ground. With a speed you didn’t remember possessing, you picked up Ryoma and hauled him over your shoulder before running away.

Your heart thrummed in your chest as you ran, leaping up flights of stairs to reach a destination that felt too far away. Was Kirumi following you? Did that even matter right now?

Eventually, after what felt like hours, you reached your dorm, flung the door open, and rushed Ryoma to your bed. You pulled his hat off, which was damp. When you removed your hand, you saw a messy smudge of pink on your fingers and palm alongside the disturbing scent of iron.

Stifling your gag, you checked his hair and saw what looked like a gash in his scalp. Luckily, you had gone into the nurse’s office, stolen a bunch of supplies, and stuffed them into your bathroom before this had happened.

You were hesitant to leave him, but after you finally checked if he was breathing, you rushed to your bathroom and grabbed supplies. Returning with a damp rag, gauze, and some kind of ointment, you got to work.

You really hoped that this wouldn’t make his wound worse.

By the time you finished, your hands were shaking and you were near passing out. You put your first aid things aside and crawled onto your bed, wrapping Ryoma in a layer of blankets and setting his hat on your nightstand.

In your sleep, you were hugging his cushioned body.

When you woke up, you realized that Ryoma was also awake, but he was as still as a statue. You looked down to see him red in the face but with his eyes wide open. Quickly, you asked if he was okay.

“Yeah. What happened? Wasn’t Kiru-” He cut himself off. You got out of bed and changed his bandages, happy to see his wound was minor and had scabbed during the night.

Even though you stayed silent, Ryoma could tell what you were thinking. “Don’t… Don’t blame Kirumi. What she did was out of love for the country.” You raised an eyebrow at this and asked him what he was talking about.

He explained as well as he could, but the obvious concussion was causing him to blank on some parts of information. He also mentioned random names and places that he didn’t recall. You brushed it off as a delusion from getting his head whacked.

But when he said why Kirumi picked him, you felt your heart squeeze painfully in your chest. What did he mean his life meant nothing? And why did his life mean everything to you?

“I’m only a shell of who I used to be. For a cause as noble as hers, it’d be pretty damn shameful to deny her request. So-” You pulled him into a gentle hug, tears threatening to fall from your eyes.

It was quiet except for your occasional sniffling as the two of you sat on your bed. After a minute, Ryoma decided to hug you as well, patting your back. He didn’t understand why you were crying. The killing game must’ve finally hit you after days of living in shock.

You parted from your hug and handed him his hat, apologizing for the blood. He shook his head, giving you the faintest hint of a smile. He put it back on his head and sighed.

Ryoma patted his pockets, rubbing his hat when he realized he was missing his candy cigarettes. You sat with him, keeping a close eye on him.

The sound of the Monokuma announcement blared through your ears and you both grumbled about that “damn bear”. 

You stood up and reached your hand out for him. He hesitantly took it and you left your dorm holding hands. He looked away from you and huffed, smiling to himself.

“I guess I’ve still got a ways to go.”

[helyiios]

Gabriel in mi8 mocking Benji in front of Ethan. He knows a lot of stuff about Benji from the Entity. Imagine him mocking Benji's self-harm and maybe other personal things Ethan doesn't know about in front of Ethan.

Gabriel was rotting behind bars. It had taken Ilsa almost dying, Luther having to disappear for at least three months, Benji barely surviving frostbite in Antartica and Ethan jumping from a cliff on a motorbike, but at last, Gabriel was no longer free.

Which, all things considered, Benji should feel relieved about. Sadly, he doesn't. There's an odd pull at the back of his mind, a fear that it was not over—after all, even after London, Lane had come back, almost killing him. He'd learnt not to take jailing for granted.

More importantly, Gabriel had made a request, something odd in itself, anyway, to see him and Ethan, to, and he quotes, 'talk some things out,' which by the way, he thought was complete bullshit. He's still on his way, though, walking nervously down the IMF's large halls and cream coloured tiles, tugging slightly at the sleeves of his suit.

It was going to be fine, he thinks, you're not in danger. Ethan will be here, Gabriel can't harm you, it was going to be okay.

Ethan was also here, when Lane abducted you, a seething voice coos back at him, and he shakes it away.

Enough.

When he gets to the doors he notices that his friend was already here, running a hand through his hair (which has grown longer and thank God he hadn't thought of cutting it away just yet,) and smiling once he'd spotted the other man.

"Hey," he offers to him, a small smile curving his lips. "All good ?"

"Nervous," Benji admits, shrugging barely. "I think I liked him more when he was unconscious in the back of our truck."

"Isn't that the truth," Ethan chuckles lowly, but still raises his hand to gently grab his friend's shoulder, barely applying pressure there, "it'll be alright. Don't worry, it's not like he can do anything."

"I know. I'm just anxious like that."

"You can rely on me, yeah ?"

"Yeah."

They leave it at that, making their way to the cell, staying sat up straight as the curtain clicked open, revealing a very unkept and tired looking Gabriel staring back at them, sporting a beard and cuffs on his wrists. The glass that separates the three men does not make Benji feel safer.

There's a faint silence where they all breathe, glancing at one another, looking determined on Ethan's side, unsure on Benji's, and delighted on Gabriel's. Which was, in no way, a good thing.

"I see you've granted me of your presence," the latter says finally, voice more alike a chirp than anything else, "the IMF has a heart."

"What do you want ?" Benji forces out, his hands linked behind his back, fingers laced anxiously, "was a life sentence not fun enough ?"

"Of course not, Benjamin," Gabriel smiles, moving his attention to him, "I just thought that it would be interesting to...drop the masks, you know ? If we were to come clean, of course."

"There are no masks here," Ethan rebuts him, face commanding. "You're talking nonsense, and making us lose our time."

"Please," a laugh, "are you not interested in knowing the man who helped bring my AI down ? Knowing him more...deeply ?"

Benji shifts uncomfortably.

"I know what I need about Benji," his friend replies carefully, tone not betraying anything but disinterest. "You're bluffing."

"Oh, but I think that he's hiding a few many things from you, are you not, Benjamin ?" Gabriel retorts, locking their gazes mercilessly. "I'm not in a rush, unlike Solomon Lane was. I don't kill my preys, I play with them a bit, before engulfing them whole."

"Okay, mate," Benji snorts, "you're not," he raises his hands in air quotes, "engulfing shit. You're serving a life sentence. In hyper secure jails."

"Oh, do be careful, I can see your disgusting wrists when you raise your hands," the man grins, wolfish, pointing at him with a vague gesture of his arms. "Now, we don't want Ethan to see that, do we ?"

Benji's face visibly blanches, and he immediately drops his hands to his side.

"Leave Benji out of this," Ethan growls, forcing his own arm in front of his friend in a defensive stance, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"What I am talking about ? Why, of course, about his fun extracurri—"

"Quiet," the third man seethes, eyes barely slits with wrath, "shut the fuck up, understood ?"

That seems to take his friend aback.

"Benji," he starts, worried, "are you okay ?"

"I'm fine," he replies, fists shaking, "don't listen to him."

"What ? You haven't told your little friend how you like to slash your arms when you're upset ? You mean to tell me he's never seen you in short sleeves ? Because I have, and it's not pretty."

"PISS OFF !" Benji barks, taking a step towards the cell and banging on the glass wall, teeth bared, "how fucking dare you—"

Ethan's gone quiet, eyeing Benji like he'd just told him the world was about to collapse. His mouth hung slightly open, and his brows were raised in alert.

"You'd think I didn't know ?" Gabriel mocks him, eyes at the other's level, "I saw it all, with the Entity. I saw you in that shitty motel room doing lines of cocaine after a stressful mission, and I saw you cut your arms and thighs with that very ugly razor. I saw who you are, Benjamin Dunn," he continues, voice sweet as honey, sticking everywhere and leaving sugary traces, pretending like his words were not crude and cruel.

"Ethan, don't listen to him," Benji presses on, slamming his right fist on the wall, "Ethan."

"Is this true ?" the other agent can only ask, face falling completely, "Benji, do you—do you self-harm ?"

"You weren't fu—you weren't supposed to know," his friend frustratedly says, his body not facing him, "it's just—it helps me calm down."

"Benji, I don't think scarification has ever helped anyone calm down !" Ethan protests, voice raised in sheer alarm, "fuck, I—“

"I know what I'm doing, leave me be."

"No—Benji," he insists, "I had—I didn't know, I'm so sorry—“

"I don't need your pity !" Benji shouts back, finally turning to look at him, "what I do in my free time is none of your concern, alright ?"

"Not if it harms you !"

"What the fuck happened to bodily autonomy ?!"

"Benji, please ! I just—" Ethan closes his eyes, running a hand on his face, "fuck. And that makes you laugh ?" he says brutally, turning back to Gabriel, fuming, "you think this is laughing matter ?!"

"I think it's hilarious," the man replies, face twisted in a sick, disgusting smile. "You both make me laugh."

"I'll kill you," Benji furiously spits, "I'll fucking kill you."

"Like you killed Solomon Lane ?" Gabriel beams, before having the gall to look contrite, "oops. Another thing I shouldn't have said ?"

"You k—"

"Oh, piss off," the Brit cuts him off, anger directed at Gabriel, "you know what ? Sure. Sorry you've got to learn it that way, Ethan, but I got permission to put a bullet in Lane. There."

"Benji. I had no idea," Ethan flatly says, but he doesn't seem too fazed by it. If anything, there's a twinkle of interest shining in his irises. "I hope it felt liberating."

"D'you have other secrets you want me to spit out ?" Benji cackles, looking at the jailed man, "because I can go on for days. The—you think telling the world that I self-harmed is bad ? Wait until they learn about the rest. Huh ? You don't know what I'm capable of, Gabriel. The Entity saw what I did, but it'll never see what's up there," he smiles, and it's just as crooked, and horrifying, tapping his index next to his temple. "Fuck you, you hear me ? Go fuck yourself, you fucking nonce."

He pulls away from the glass, walking past Ethan in angry steps, the soles of his shoes echoing in the wide room. He slams the door on his way out.

"You'd be lucky to live another year," the agent seethes, shooting him a furious look. "You're a dead man."

He doesn't know if his words will actually be met with actions, but a little faith never hurt anybody. Soon enough he's out of the room as well, finding Benji sat on the floor, head on his knees and arms around his legs.

He's shaking.

"Benji," Ethan softly says, letting himself drop to his level, "hey. Benj."

"I don't want to see you," his friend mumbles, "I don't want your pity."

"I'm not pitying you. I'm—I'm worried."

"You think I'm disgusting."

"I'd never think that. Least of all of you."

"You won't be saying that when you see the shape of my arms and thighs," Benji humourlessly says, shaking his head. "Fuck. Of course he knew. God."

Ethan scoots closer, so close that their shoulders brush.

"Hey. I don't think any less of you. I'm just...I wish you'd told me," he mutters, voice soft. "You know you can talk to me, yeah ?"

"It's shameful enough to me, I didn't want you to know. You won't tell anyone else, right ?"

"Of course not, Benji. I won't tell a soul."

There's a sniffle, and then Benji's looking back to him, and Ethan kind of hates himself for thinking that the blue and gold of his eyes shone even brighter on red retina.

"I'm sorry for not telling you about Lane. I'm—I'm sorry."

"None of that," his friend whispers back, circling his shoulders with his left arm, pulling him against him, "I'm just surprised, I suppose. Who gave you carte blanche ?"

"Hunley."

"Ah...of course. Does Brandt know ?"

"Only if Hunley let it drop during one of their gross sex times," Benji shoots back, a hesitant smile forming on his lips.

"Ow, too far, Benj !"

"Sorry," he laughs, wiping the tears away. "Sorry. I—I actually was thinking of going to see one the IMF's psychiatrists. About—about the scarification ? And—and the PTSD. I guess."

"I think it's a brilliant idea, Benji," Ethan softly says, letting his fingers brush against the soft curls. "You're right, I'm sure it'll help."

There's a pause, something where it seemed like the other was about to say something but didn't, and the silence floats above them for a few seconds.

"Would you—" a cough, "would you mind, huh. Coming with me ? At the first appointment."

"With you ?"

"I haven't seen one since London. With, huh, Lane. I'm—I guess what I'm saying is that I'm scared," Benji mutters, looking down. "I'd like to have someone come with me. Not in the actual, huh, room, but, like. Being with me until it's time for the meeting. You don't have to say yes, actually it's silly, forget about i—“

"I'd love that," Ethan smiles back, letting his forehead rest on the crown of Benji's hair. "If you think it could help, then yeah. With pleasure."

"You mean that ?"

"And more."

Benji's face finally breaks into a beaming smile, and Ethan's heart finally starts beating good again.

"Okay," he whispers, like it was their own little secret. "Thank you, E."

"Thank you for trusting me, Benj."

[exouniverse]

Serendipity

Pairing: jimin x gn reader

Genre: fluff, birthday fic

Warnings: none

Summary: A blind date on his birthday—at first glance an unusual choice for a global star like Jimin. But deep within, a tugging intuition he couldn’t deny stirred, as though destiny had plans beyond reason’s grasp.

Word count: 4.9K+

A/N: This one got a little out of my hands with the words lol. My initial idea was to make the birthday fics of about 1K but the premise of this fic needed these many words, otherwise it would have been too basic. Also, I struggled at the beginning with making this one a non-idol au or not, but I went with this and that also made the story what it is now. I just couldn’t gift this to a non-idol au Jimin lol. Happy birthday, Jimin!

Listen to Serendipity, It’s All Love, Honey, and Let Me Know for a better experience.

MASTERLIST | MOODBOARD

The numbers on your watch changed as soon as you entered through the door of the café, showing 6:39 p.m. You almost didn't make it, and you were now torn between indifference and feeling embarrassed for almost ditching your date. Frankly, you've grown weary of your relatives and friends arranging so many unwanted dates for you. You weren't sure anymore, but if you do happen to want to date someone at the moment, you would prefer it to unfold more organically rather than on a blind date.

As late as it was, you still stopped to scan through the customers for a face that could give you any hint of an average desperate weirdo, in case it felt safer to just run away. Not many people seemed to frequent the shop, so you briefly checked your cousin Jon's message that indicated the specific café section where your date would be waiting. The place exuded an air of elegance and seclusion with such minimalistic style, as if designed for the elite, maybe a reason why it looked quite empty. However, it was the fact that your meeting spot was tucked away in the back that heightened your anxiety.

You relied on your trust in your cousin—even when he knew nothing else but teasing you all the time since you could remember. After all, you knew him to have a thoughtful soul beneath all of his façade. He is the only one who understands your frustration with blind dates and how bad they have been for you in the past. On the sole occasion he happened to arrange a blind date for you before, he did it just to humor your family with what they required from you so persistently.

Your date's name sounded nice, at least. You decided to count on that first impression to convince yourself to make your way towards him after you confirmed the exact place where he awaited your arrival. As you reached him, you noticed he was busy with his phone. Seizing the opportunity, you took a moment to observe him. But just as your footsteps neared, he glanced up, catching you off guard. At last, you had the chance to take in his face, and a little spark ignited right inside your heart. His eyes were like the sweetest honey, yet deep and playful.

Your knees turned to jelly when he stood up and bowed, showing you that smile that could probably light up the darkest corner of the universe. His eyes continued to make your heart sprint as they formed two crescent moons over his reddened cheeks.

"Hi, Y/N-ssi?" he spoke up, and the echo of his voice found a place in your mind. You didn't leave, so he continued after he wiped away the little bit of sweat forming on his hands, "I'm Park Jimin; it's nice to meet you!"

You took your seat in silence, barely even conscious that you were doing it. How could it be the Park Jimin from BTS? Was there a possibility that it was his impersonator? No way—his voice, his eyes, his lips, his hands... it was undeniably him.

"I promise to make this date fun; you can trust me?"

You nodded.

"So, first blind date?" he asked, but you were still not even opening your mouth. "First-timer here..." he tried to start up any conversation. "Sorry, I probably am not what you expected."

"No, yes, no, sorry," you blurted out. "I am so sorry."

You had to at least take a sip of water, and thank goodness you already had one served in front of you. How could Jon not say specifically which Park Jimin was the blind date with? His name is so common that it never crossed your mind. It was a friend of a friend of your cousin, not this Park Jimin. Your clown of a cousin had never been this cool to think he could have met Park Jimin or even know someone who knows him.

Your cousin has made a name for himself as DJ Young, and he surely knows a lot of people, but you couldn't fathom the fact that one of those people could be the person you are seeing smiling at you from across the table.

"You're really my cousin's friend's friend?"

"Yeah, I am, I met—"

"This is... crazy... I guess now I get why no one showed me a picture of you." A giggle escaped you after all the calmness you managed to gather.

He was nervous too. It must have been scary to agree and even come to a date without even having seen the likeness of the person you were having the date with, so he empathized, "I'm sorry if that caused you to put your guard up. I guess that explains why it seemed that you were not going to make it."

"No, I'm sorry! Well, to be honest, I'm not a first-timer. Blind dates are just too weird and exhausting most of the time. The people around me push me too much into them because I... sorry, I get to overshare when I'm nervous."

"Oh, you're nervous?" he wondered and raised his eyebrow.

"Yeah, you're a little intimidating—not that I am uncomfortable, just really nervous..." you took a deep breath before you continued, "I really don't know what to say and I'm totally messing this up."

"No, you're not. It's cute." The last two words were almost a whisper, but you did hear them. You chugged the water in your glass, only making him chuckle.

"Let's start again; do you agree?" he suggested. Something about you made him feel at ease.

"Yes, that'd be great!"

He smiled again and waved at you. "Hi, I'm Jimin!"

"Hi, I'm Y/N!" Another nervous giggle escaped you, but at least this one was more controlled and really just due to the silliness of the repeated introduction. Surprisingly, he joined in on the laughter.

You got lucky that the waiter only came after the initial awkwardness had subsided, so you calmly made your order. It was surprising the vast options that the menu offered, but you did manage to decide quickly as your favorite dessert was displayed as a specialty.

A little chitchat between the two of you began soon after the waiter left to get your order. All about the same standard of weather talk. It was only when the drinks and desserts arrived that the conversation started to deviate from the predictable and become more engaging.

"Oh, that's a cute bear on your coffee; is it chocolate?" Jimin asked.

"I don't want to kill it, but it must be tasted," you joked as you felt more comfortable, making him chuckle. As you bit into the soft bear candy, a chocolatey coffee flavor filled your mouth. It had a dash of fruity flavor you couldn't recognize, but it was delicious.

Jimin looked expectantly, which brought a smile to your face. "Would you like the rest?" you offered.

He stopped to think and shook his head, but you still put the last piece of the candy bear on his plate. He smiled at you and hesitantly grabbed the little candy bear’s paws and tasted it. His eyes widened, and he chewed faster. "That was good; was that raspberry? It reminds me of the chocolate we had last year when we went on this trip with your cousin," he reminisced.

This fact sparked curiosity within your thoughts, "come to think of it, how did you end up meeting my cousin?"

"Oh, I’ve known him for about four years now? But the trip was a year ago, around my birthday, when he helped produce one of my songs."

You didn't even taste your drink for how shocking it was to hear something so different from what you know, "wasn't he backpacking through Europe?"

"No? He didn’t tell you?" Jimin got a tiny bit tense. He wouldn't want to cause any issues between you and your cousin just because of NDAs regarding his projects.

Your merry-go-round mind was too fast over this new information, but it stopped when a tiny detail suddenly filled your thoughts: "around my birthday." You gathered up your index of facts about Park Jimin and checked the date on your phone.

"Jimin-ssi, our date, today... it is your birthday, isn't it?"

The gleam in his eyes revealed how caught off guard and surprised he was, and the blush on his cheeks just added to his charm as his nervous chuckle resonated in your ears, leaving you smitten.

"You... yeah, it is. How did you realize?"

"Oh, it was hard to discover it, but I managed," you teased, "but I'm curious... why are you having a blind date with me on your birthday, of all days... of all people?"

"I have to admit, I'm surprised you realized that about me so quickly. Even knowing you're a fan... it's really reassuring to know someone cares enough to remember all those little details," he expressed, appreciating your attentiveness.

He paused and shifted in his seat to get more comfortable. The fondness in his eyes didn't escape you, but it only made you more eager to know what he hid behind his decision.

"To answer your question... and it has to do with your cousin, so I hope he doesn't kill me when I reveal to you all of his secrets," he laughed nervously.

You giggled and took a bite of your dessert to settle for the story that Jimin was about to tell you.

"Uh... well, over the past years, we have always talked about collaborating since he wanted to start producing. Last year, we did," he recounted.

"I had a set of demos we were looking through, and there was one song I really liked but couldn't quite figure out. He looked through the lyrics and told me they reminded him of you. He is a real good talker, so I kinda know a lot about you too," he joked, lightening the mood with a playful tone.

He got you to laugh so easily, prompting you to ask, "so you're my fan too?"

"Nice one!" he laughed along with you.

He grabbed a bite of his dessert before he continued his story, "you know, I remember you calling him once when we were in the studio. I didn't overhear, I swear. However, he really wanted to produce that song after your call."

"What was the song about? If you can share..."

Jimin was hesitant. He remembered the song not being cheery when it came to lyrics. You could feel his indecision, and now you weren't sure if it was okay to ask.

"I could, um, share. It's just... the lyrics weren't... happy?" he revealed. "Your cousin, however, switched it up with some arrangements and made it quite upbeat, more empowering if that makes sense."

You smiled, knowing in your heart that you had healed tremendously after so long. "I see, Jon needs some explanation to do though," you both chuckled.

Now, your curiosity was piqued by another detail, and you couldn't help but ask, "so how, why did you accept—"

"The date?" He smiled and paused.

"It was a few months ago... your cousin mentioned setting us up very casually, almost like joking even, and I surprisingly accepted. I don't really have an explanation as to why I did... something about it just felt... right. I was intrigued by you because of that song and the little bit your cousin mentioned about you. That might give you a better idea. Coincidentally, my birthday was the only day I could spare some time, and my friends were not all going to be around, so we planned on celebrating later. That's why..." he trailed off, offering an explanation for his decision.

He finally understood the magnetic pull that drove him to accept a blind date with you. He thought it was his intuition whispering "why not?" The idea of meeting this mysterious person appealed to his adventurous spirit. However, as he looked at you now, he saw the answer in your face. Your eyes radiated wonder, empathy, and strength. You appeared to be the epitome of honesty and genuineness, surpassing any expectations he had formed in his hopeful imagination. He couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt for having the advantage of knowing about you beforehand, having seen your picture when all you had was his name and your trust in your cousin.

"That's more than enough reason for me. I'm flattered you accepted," you smiled warmly. Jimin couldn't help but notice the subtle shyness in your expression, which you attempted to conceal behind your drink.

He was about to say something, but you completely derailed his train of thought with your subsequent suggestion, causing him to forget what he was about to say.

"Let's celebrate your birthday!" you exclaimed, your enthusiasm infectious. "I understand we probably can't do much outside, but we can do whatever you want, or can. You deserve to celebrate on your actual birthday."

"Oh, I don't really know... I got caught off guard a bit there," he responded, a little taken aback by your selfless suggestion. He liked it though, it just confirmed everything he already knew about you.

As he pondered for an answer, you tried to ease him into his decision, "just clear your mind; what's the first thing—"

"How about the beach?" he suddenly said.

"The beach? Well, I think we can manage... just—" you stopped, trying to think of how the logistics could go and if it was safe to be in such a public place. "A beach is quite public... although I can find a place less crowded, it takes at least an hour to get to the closest ones from here."

"Well, from Seoul, an hour isn't so bad, especially with good company," he said warmly. "There can be a lot of people at the beach, but we can take some precautions. Although annoying at times, they work quite well. And don't forget, I'm from Busan; I'd do anything for a little beach trip," he encouraged, keeping an upbeat, optimistic tone.

He got you enthused about the trip. It was his wish, after all. "Alright, then let's do this!"

The next ten minutes were spent organizing the spontaneous trip Jimin wanted to embark on. None of you had ever ventured into such an out-of-the-blue plan before. During the brainstorming and preparation for your trip, you both realized that you shared a preference for planning before any adventure. His caring nature was evident in the way that he offered his car, but he still considered your preferences in case you were more comfortable using your own car. However, your plans before the date didn't include meeting Jimin and taking him to the beach for his birthday, so you took the metro after work.

Jimin skillfully navigated along Olympic Road as the two of you left Itaewon. In a moment of connection, you decided to share your favorite playlist with him. To your delight, you discovered that you both coincided with many of your favorite artists.

"Oh, please, play ‘Honey.' That is one of my favorites of Kehlani," Jimin requested after finding out your love for the artist.

You giggled at his liveliness. "Of course, right in the queue," you announced while searching for the song.

Jimin was so serene listening to your choice of music. He paid close attention to the rest of Jimmy Brown's ‘It's All Love' and took a second to look at you while he was driving. You looked so beautiful to him. He couldn't fathom how someone could hurt someone so sweet. You caught him looking at you. Surprised by the gesture, your cheeks heated up, and you could only chuckle quietly. He looked back at the road, smiling, with his heart full of warmth.

"So, should we get the regular rest area food or look for something different?" you asked after a while of contemplating both the scenery and the music you both shared with each other.

"Mmm... I think I'm really craving rest area typical food. It's been a while since I had Sotteok Sotteok," Jimin made his vote quite decisively.

"We can still get some fruit too and balance our dinner, but I do want to indulge a bit too and get ice cream," you confessed.

"Okay, I'm in for the ice cream too, but can I pick the fruit?"

"Yes, you can, Jimin-ssi." You noted on your list that he would pick the fruit.

"Can we talk informally?" he casually asked.

"Are you sure?" you asked curiously. Jimin only nodded enthusiastically since he had to make a turn to finally bring you two to the Yeongjong Bridge Rest Area.

You gazed at him in awe. He was so genuine and funny. You never expected to start feeling this way about him, but he made it so easy. You must have done something right in your past life to be granted this chance to not only meet someone as talented and admirable as Jimin, but to truly understand the kind of person he is. It's unbelievable that this understanding came about not through any other circumstance but a blind date. You had despised them so much for so long, and yet this one, in particular, has brought you so much unexpected joy and appreciation.

"Do you think you'll get recognized?" you wondered. "I can go for the snacks by myself while you stay here, and then we go fill up the tank together."

"I think we're safe. I can wear a beanie and a mask to blend in just a bit, but if anything happens, we can find a way to get back to the car," Jimin alleviated your concern. Yet, you were a little startled when he approached to get something from the storage compartment.

"Beanie or cap?" he asked, looking up at you, not at all serious, as his grin was the widest you had seen on him.

You took a second to get some composure and said, "I'll take the beanie, you take the cap." You grabbed the beanie from his hand, feeling a warm sensation as your fingers lightly brushed against his.

The look that crossed both of your gazes connected the beat of your hearts in flawless unison with your smiles.

"That is a great idea," he could only whisper the words.

The walk towards the rest area's shops was a tiny bit tense. You didn't know what to do with your hands, and Jimin didn't know if he should walk along a little bit closer or keep some distance. The butterfly nerves caught up in both your cheeks, but luckily your masks concealed them. The sight of the enormous bear statue at the rest stop momentarily distracted you from your wandering thoughts, bringing you back to the present. Although it wasn't until Jimin noticed someone stumbling ahead that he gathered the courage to reach out and hold your hand.

"Careful," he whispered, "looks dangerous up ahead."

You felt so comfortable somehow that if there was any agitation for the sudden motion, the spark that lit up in your eyes burned it away.

Just the right amount of people were around for you to blend in easily with the crowd, as everyone enjoyed their time with their own families and friends. Hand in hand, you effortlessly reached the convenience store to grab your snacks. It seemed none of you wanted to let go because you headed in the same direction towards the ready-to-eat items.

"Sandwich or Samgak Gimbab?" You asked.

"Oh, the Gimbab, for sure!" He replied.

After some debates on what to buy, you decided to buy some chips and Jimin’s favorite Homerun Ball. You also indulged further and bought a couple of matcha red bean buns that looked and smelled delicious. Next, you looked for the Sotteok Sotteok for Jimin and decided to buy the ice cream too, intending to enjoy it there before hitting the road again.

It was almost serendipitous that, as you reached the second floor, you stumbled upon the Slow Mailbox. The enticing aroma of coffee from the nearby shop could have easily distracted you, but Jimin pointed towards the area and remarked, "that looks fun."

"Do you think it works?" you asked as you giggled.

"Well, we'll only know a year from now," he shrugged.

"Let's do it! What's knowing what you think of our unbelievable outing until a year later?" you joked.

"I could tell you now," he teased.

You pulled him towards the mailbox, and said "aaah, c'mon, Jimin. Not a word; let's just write it all down."

You purchased your postcards and then sat closely together, enjoying your ice cream as you wrote down everything you had both experienced since the blind date at the café. It has been a magical ride for the both of you, but the most exciting part is that it is far from over. The promise of celebrating Jimin’s birthday at the beach still remained, and now there’s a new expectation with the letter you’ll receive next year on this same date. You might feel too hopeful to think that you will still be in touch with him after all that time, but hope had to be the last remaining sentiment in your heart when you felt such a powerful connection pulling you towards him.

For Jimin, it had also been a magical day. He had come to the date with an idea of you that he needed to somehow affirm. Your cousin had told him you had gone through a lot with the pressures of the world on your shoulders, and he empathized. Creating that song that never even saw the light and he regretted it so much gave him so much insight and hope for you, as well as a desire to truly know you. Words failed to describe how he was feeling in that moment, after everything had fallen into place so incomparably, and yet he had to write it all down so you could find out about it in a year. He really wanted to tell you straightaway, but the hope of still being around you after a year couldn't be jinxed.

"I can write my address on your letter," you proposed once you finished, "you write yours on mine, and we still keep it a little more private."

"That sounds good," he said, briefly looking at you while still writing, and once he finished, he looked back and said, "thank you for thinking so much about my privacy; you didn't need to in any moment, but you still do, and I appreciate it tons."

"I was supposed to know until next year," you teased, making him laugh. "Now c'mon, let's get these letters into the mailbox." This time, you grabbed his hand to lead him to the big red box on the wall.

You put your postcards in the mailbox at the same time, sharing kind looks before you said, "welcome, Jimin! I wouldn't want to cause any trouble."

"You don't," he simply responded.

With the ice cream finished and the snacks bought, the only remaining item on your to-do list was to reach Angel Rock, so you made your way back to Jimin's car easily enough.

"If you don't mind, can I drive now?" you asked as you came closer to where his car was parked.

Your confidence and initiative thrilled him, making him nod as soon as you finished your question. He took the bag you were carrying with the fruits he picked and gave you his car key.

"Keep playing your playlist; I'll switch to mine whenever you want," Jimin said once inside the car.

"You can switch after this song," you accepted as you turned the volume up to yet again Jimmy Brown, now with ‘Let Me Know.'

Switching between R&B, pop, and even some old classics, Jimin curated the perfect playlist to set the mood for the remainder of the trip. You enthusiastically sang along as you continued on your way, occasionally catching Jimin's gestures as he pointed out airplanes flying in the increasingly starry sky.

Jimin received a message from Jon while you were getting closer to Wangsan Beach. He giggled and showed it to you while you waited at a stoplight.

Young: Yo how's the date?

You playfully rolled your eyes but still laughed along with Jimin.

"What should I reply?" he asked.

"Let's send an audio message," you suggested, despicably.

"Oooh, what are you gonna say? I'm intrigued; I like how you think, Y/N."

As the light turned green, you grinned at Jimin mischievously. "Let's give him a little scare; just wait ‘til we get to Angel Rock."

"Ooh I'm excited!" he exclaimed, getting comfortable in his seat to await the teasing you were plotting.

Only five minutes later, you finally reached the public parking lot near the beach. A few cars were parked there; it seemed enough for a Friday night, so at least the beach was not going to be too crowded. Glancing back at Jimin, you noticed his eager anticipation, prompting a laugh from you at his excitement.

"I can't concentrate looking at you," you said between giggles.

Jimin was so caught up in the mood that you two had a little moment just laughing before he grabbed his phone and opened the conversation with your cousin, handing it to you.

"Play along," you grinned, hitting record.

Clearing your throat dramatically, you started, "It's been awful; Jimin is soooo boring! All he does is talk about himself. Where did you find this Hongdae foam-brained guy?"

Jimin burst into giggles, snorting with delight at your theatrics. "My turn, my turn!" He took the phone, adopting a pleading tone. "Jon, hyung, Y/N won't stop speaking in weird accents. Is your cousin a clown? Oh no, a magic trick now?"

You chuckled, playfully shoving Jimin's arm. This was such a new development between you two. It warmed you up to see him joining in your shenanigans, all without judgement.

Jimin hit send, but you still wanted to send your cousin some nice message "Can I?" you asked for his phone back.

Jimin handed it to you, expecting more pranks from you. You hit record once more, "no, Jon. It's been amazing," you sincerely said, "but you'll probably get the details until next year," you joked again, catching his gaze on yours.

Jimin laughed yet again, his heart warmed by the sight of you growing even more at ease in his presence. "You agreed, so don't joke about it," he protested playfully.

"Anyway, I'll let Jimin update you on it when you celebrate with him. It's my turn today after all, thanks coz!"

"It really has been amazing, huh?" Jimin commented without intending to get it on the audio, but you pressed send a little after.

You nodded. "Are you ready for your wish to come true? Let's hit the beach now."

Jimin kept his cap but left his mask behind. Same as you; Jimin's beanie was still on your head, feeling almost like it were yours. You walked across the street to the beach, looking for a place to set up your picnic. It could've been luck or fate, but Jimin happened to have a blanket in his car that he had bought recently but forgotten to get it out.

Jimin had immediately taken his shoes off as soon as he touched the sand; he carried yours too, so you got in charge of spreading out the blanket on the sand when you reached a more secluded side of the beach where fewer campers were around. Every action between the two of you seemed to flow in perfect harmony as you arranged the snacks to enjoy together. Jimin couldn't resist and wasted no time biting into the Sotteok Sotteok. You watched with amusement, captivated by his enthusiasm, as you engulfed the matcha red bean bun.

The sound of gentle waves crashing against the stones further eased you two into the evening. Feeling adventurous, you even dared Jimin to join you in the water. You had played it out so perfectly that he believed you when you reassured him that the water wasn't too cold. His face was hilarious, but he stayed, braving the chill and even splashing water at you. You threw water back at him, but the splashes stopped there since you two got even colder.

Realizing how cold you were, you hurriedly returned to your designated spot and grabbed your coats as soon as possible. As you were getting settled, Jimin whispered, "you know, penguins huddle close together to keep warm," playfully suggesting the idea of getting even closer. Yet, he pulled up a shy smile to try to conceal the fact that he had just poured his heart out.

You couldn't help but melt, looking at him with doe eyes because of the cute way he just asked you to be close to him. Silently, you just moved towards him and smiled.

"Let's not get our feathers any wetter; it's super cold now," you whispered too, trying to ease the tension.

The two of you found warmth and calm as you cuddled and watched the starry night sky merge with the ocean. The shimmering, waning moon, radiating its gentle light, looked exceptionally beautiful. You allowed your head to rest on Jimin's shoulder, cherishing the serene moment together.

"I know we're not supposed to know until next year, but small spoiler alert... I've had an amazing time with you," you confessed and looked up at him, smoothly connecting your gaze with his. A bright smile adorned your face as you continued, "and also... happy birthday Jimin. You deserve so much joy, and I hope you find it every day."

Epilogue

[frozen-orbit]

Some of my favorite lyrics from my Renegades playlists that i associate with Nova:

"Don't you call me a coward traitor." - Partisano, Miguel Bosé

"I am not a child now, I can take care of myself. I musn't let them down now." - I'll try, Jonatha Brooke

"I'd be starving if I ate all the lies they fed." - Get it together, India.Arie

"I don't know where to go. What's the right team?" - Scream, HSM3

"I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me. I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams." - Look what you made me do, Taylor Swift

"I don't wanna fight alone anymore, break me out from the prison of my own pride. My God, I need a hope I can't deny. In the end I'm realizing I was never meant to fight on my own." - On my own, Ashes Remain

"I feel just like an actress up on the stage, I can't believe what I'm hearing myself say." - Say Goodbye, Katharine McPhee

"If I could go back and change the past, be a little braver than I had and bet against the odds, would I still be lost? Even if I woke up in my dreams, would there still be something I'm missing?" - Wondering, Julia Lester feat. Olivia Rodrigo

"If I could show them everything I've seen, open their eyes to all the lies, then would they change their minds like I did?" - This Wish, Wish

"I know what I came to do and that ain't gonna change. So go ahead and talk your talk cause I won't take the bait." - Focus, Ariana Grande

"I'm afraid of the things I don't say, the thoughts in my head that keep me tossing, turning, lying awake." - Low, Wage War

"I'm more than what you've made of me. I followed the voice you gave to me, but now I've gotta find my own." - Listen, Beyonce

"In darkness I've walked by relying only on the shining star. I know I've been walking this way based on my will and choice, but I keep looking elsewhere. Are these my lingering feelings? I know it shouldn't but I'm afraid that it will turn into regrets." - TMT, Stray Kids

"In youth, you'd lay awake at night and scheme of all the things that you would change." - Warriors, 2WEI feat. Edda Hayes

"I've seen you before, you all are the same, you're just another going up in the flames. And if I'm dying in the fight, it'll be while I'm bringing you down to the grave." - Enemy, Tommee Profitt

"Love to watch all the stars when they align. Come alive, I don't ever take a night off." - Miracle, WayV

"Maybe I'm safer when I'm on the run, no time to open up my heart. Maybe I'll hide behind my walls again instead of tearing them apart." - Second chance, HSMTMTS

"Now there's blood in my hands. Guess we're one and the same." - Interlude, Stormzy

"Only got one shot, I’m a one-girl army." - Do or Die, AleXa

"Should I question every move I make?" - Bet on it, HSM2

"So I had this dream. It meant everything, and I watched it come alive. Then I let you in, underneath my skin, and I learned to love the lies. Now I lay awake and I contemplate, have I become what I hate? Can I take it back? 'Cause it's all I have. Will it get the best of me?" - Bow down, I prevail

"They say that I must learn to kill before I can feel safe." - In the shadows, The Rasmus

"Whatever they say, I’m not guilty. Yeah, I’m a bad hero." - Villain, AleXa

"You still don’t really know me. People might think I’m a nice girl but they don’t know the real me." - BEcause, Dreamcatcher

[afroggycollective]

Jax grinned as he thumbed through the wallet, grabbing what cash was available and dropping the wallet off when he emptied it. He slipped the cash into his pocket, hearing a rush of footsteps as his victim searched for the thief. Jax turned down an alley, ducking behind a dumpster and listening closely for them to pass.

[hosannan]

@boundlesschaos asked:

[garden] Though the garden holds a magical sense of wonder, it is, by all intents, safer than the labyrinth-like maze of plants that graced the ball last year. Still, the quiet atmosphere that comes from the open space is a welcome one by Niamh. It's the perfect place to rendezvous when she's run out of steam attempting to socialize. As she takes note of the various shapes and colors of the flowers throughout the garden, her eyes meet with another. At first, thought to be a stranger - but no, Niamh knows this person, doesn't she? This manages to net a soft laugh from her. "...what are the odds, meeting someplace like this?" With the sounds of the party drowned by the closed doors, she's able to listen to the wind as it brushes pass the flowers, and weaves through the strand of hair that Niamh's purposely left loose. It's a nice change of pace from the rowdy partygoing that's happening on the other side. And, on top of that; "...I'm wearing gloves this time..." Niamh says, showing off the gloves to make a point. Maybe this time, she won't immediately need some first aid.

Nanna gasped, hand flying up as her heart leapt to her mouth. "Ah! Ahhh! It's been so very long, Niamh!" Clutching her chest, she began to sprinkle the flowers with a pitter-patter of laughter. "Hahaha! Oh my goodness, you're quite right, this should be odd, should it not?" They are no longer the size of a thumb, nor are the flowers a daunting bell tower above them. But as the wind sends the field of flowers into an ocean of waves, Niamh feels like the right figure to part them.

"But when I look at flowers, I do also think of you."

She giggled, holding up one hand, fingers parsed like a flower. No gloves on her own. "Should I be the one that's careful this year?"

Pulling up her heavier, curtaining skirts, Nanna made her way to close their space down the middle. The slight draft encircles them both, pushing the flowers into a soft ebb and flow. "Can you believe that it has been a year? And now the theme suits your mask perfectly..."

She leaned over to pluck a flower and rest it in the girl's hair. Her fingers gently skim the ridges of the girl's mask, which to her surprise, remained the same. Year in and year out.

Nanna usually loves to keep a good secret. But for once, because she knew Niamh's mask like it was her friend's own face, she thought it wouldn't hurt to make the sentiment mutual. Pulling her mask out from her purse, she held it up over half her face and closed her eyes. A smile runs deeply on her lips. "Do you like it? Now I'm like you, too!"

[voxiiferous]

🎶 (for Vox and Maria) and 🎶 (for Hellaina, Dia and Maria :3) I know it's the wrong blog for the second one but stiiiill

@do-these-eyes-look-human | No worries it works! Unintentionally angsty because that's what 90% of my music is!

Vox & Maria

Happiness Is A Warm Gun - Across the Universe

She's not a girl who misses much She's well acquainted with the touch of the velvet hand like a lizard on a window pane The man in the crowd with the multicoloured mirrors on his hobnail boots Lying with his eyes while his hands are busy working overtime A soap impression of his wife which he ate and donated to the National Trust

Turning Out - AJR

Am I ready for love? Or maybe just a best friend Should there be a difference? Do you have instructions? Maybe I'm stuck on what I see on TV

April to Death - Flower Face

And he's smoking out the window every morning While I get high in the bathroom We're always on the upswing, baby Phosphines in our starry eyes today April to our deathbed We're always on the upswing, baby He's got a new girl, and I'm sure that she's alright But he still calls me late at night Never meant to leave him here like this

Devil Town - Cavetown

Devil Town is colder in the summertime I'll lose my mind at least another thousand times Hold my hand tight, we'll make it another night I still get a little scared of something new But I feel a little safer when I'm with you Falling doesn't feel so bad when I know you've fallen this way too

I Come With Knives - IAMX

The paradox of our minds Too much to believe, too much to deny You fool me again to quiet my pride But I’m a human, I come with knives I never promised you an open heart or charity I never wanted to abuse your imagination I come with knives, I come with knives And agony to love you

For Comedy Reasons: Dear Maria, Count Me In - All Time Low

Live and let live, you'll be the showgirl of the home team I'll be the narrator telling another tale of the American dream I see your name in lights, we can make you a star Girl, we'll take the world by storm, it isn't that hard 'Cause I got your picture, I'm coming with you, Dear Maria, count me in

Maria/Hellaina/Dia

May I Have This Dance - Reinaeiry | How much of this is them to each other and how much of it is them to some unfortunate victim? Uhh... yes?

Hey, what's a pretty thing like you doing here? Don't you know it's dangerous To be out so late at night? Be careful Before the night is done You might end up on someone's plate So you best be running Because I like the chase

Horizon - Luna Blake

I can tell by the way you carry yourself You've got a perfect comprehension Of a whole other dimension in your head Take me there Show me the very beginning, the first few cells The minute the world as we know it Is coming to an end You tower over me You are sky and I am sea

I Kissed a Girl - Katy Perry (rock remix)

I kissed a girl and I liked it The taste of her cherry Chapstick I kissed a girl just to try it I hope my boyfriend don't mind it

Sinners - Lauren Aquilina

But they're the ones that we'll look down upon The rules say our emotions don't comply But we'll defy the rules until we die So let's be sinners to be saints And let's be winners by mistake The world may disapprove But my world is only you And if we're sinners then it feels like heaven to me

And because Dia refuses to let me do this without at least something sort of cannibal-y and morbid! The Red Means I Love You - Madds Buckley

'Cause my insides are red, and yours are too And the red on my face is matching you And goodness, you're bleeding, what a wonderful feeling You're down, and you're pleading, my head is just reeling The red means I love you Tasting your blood means I love you

Bonus Song for All Four

Human - Of Monsters and Men | Extra points if you can guess which muses correspond (most heavily) to which line!

Cage me like an animal A crown with gems and gold Eat me like a cannibal Chase the neon throne

[musekicker]

gibotto for pride month? how about "motorcycle duo" for the light hearted prompt? if my prompts no good u can delete it <3

I feel like this drabble isn't my best written, but I do like some of the scenes. So I hope you like it. And always feel free to send writing prompts by the way. I'm pretty much always open for them.

Otto had made and remade so many machines and devices. When times were slow, or repairs were not needed, it kept him from getting bored. Currently, Sprx and Chiro were looking at the most recent thing Otto had rebuilt.

"You made a motorcycle?" Sprx asked.

"Sure did! Actually, I've made and remade it twice, each with different little change." Otto said.

He shrugged slightly.

"I get bored sometimes." he finished.

"Why did you build it with wheels?" Chiro asked. "Isn't that out dated?" 

Otto nodded, running his fingers down the front wheel of the vehicle.

"Well, yeah. But I was just curious to see how it ran." Otto said. "And as out dated as it is, there is something neat about it."

Before anyone else could ask anymore questions, Gibson was passing by the workshop. Otto noticed, face lighting up at the sight of his boyfriend.

"Oh hey Gibson! Look what I made!" Otto called out.

Otto calling out to him got Gibson attention out of whatever it was he had been reading on the tablet. Entering the workshop he placed the tablet down and looked at the project that Otto was pointing out so excitedly. 

"You are going through your motorcycle phase still I see?" Gibson asked. "It looks good. I may be a little biases for various reasons. Was the blue color choice a specific reason or.."

Otto smiled, though did not offer answers on the color choice for the vehicle. 

"Glad you like it. I think it might be my last one. But... before I eventually break it down for the parts and use it for another project... want to go for a ride?" Otto asked.

Otto clearly was excited about the idea. Gibson looked to the motorcycle at the suggestion and thought a bit.

"I have been curious.." Gibson admitted.

Otto grinned wider. A tad too wide for this to be a completely on the spur of a moment question. Sprx and Chiro picked up on the fact that Otto was very much up to something. Casually, Chiro turned to the door and Sprx followed after him.

"We'll just leave you two to this then." Chiro said. "Me and Sprx have a video game challenge to get to."

"You're going down kid." Sprx said.

"We'll see about that." Chiro replied.

With Chiro and Sprx gone, Otto got onto the motorcycle. A beat of a moment later Gibson had climbed onto the motorcycle, sitting behind Otto. He hung onto Otto around the waist. Before Gibson knew it the motor on the vehicle sprang to life in a rumbling sound.

Reaching the streets of Shuggazoom, the motorcycle weaved through traffic. Enough that Gibson thought about covering his eyes. But that would mean taking his hands off of Otto. And he was not entirely sure if that would be a wise idea at these speeds. Instead he pressed his face into Otto's back.

Sensing Otto's tail wrapped around Gibson's waist. It was a soft gesture that brought both a smile and a safe feeling.

Otto would not let him fall off.

Feeling safer now, Gibson was able to enjoy the scenery moving. People and buildings passing by in speeds Gibson normally didn't have time to sit back and notice if he were going that fast.

He noticed when the buildings started to get a bit more sparse. It was still just as lovely to watch everything pass by. Eventually, they stopped at a part of the city, close to the out skirts, where there was a lovely set up waiting.

It was a picnic.

As the motorcycle slowed to a stop, Gibson spoke since there was no more roaring engine or wind to try and yell over.

"You've been planning this, haven't you?" Gibson asked.

Otto grinned.

"Maybe." 

Maybe very much meant yes. Off the motorcycle now and walking to the spread out blanket. Then they sat down. Just in the perfect spot to see the city from a better view. It was not a surprise that there was a lot of snacks in the picnic basket either. Not that they really spent a lot of the time eating. Eating was not currently the mood either was feeling.

It was getting closer to dusk, and Gibson was laying down, his head in Otto's lap. Gibson reached a hand up to place is against the side of Otto's face.

"I love you. Dearly." Gibson said, in this moment feeling so very soft.

Otto was feeling equally soft, put his hand on Gibson's hand as he looked down at him.

"I love you dearly too."

[addycorcoran]

marry me, juliet, you'll never have to be alone, i love you, and that's all i really know ➝ ameline.

TAGGING ➝ Addy Corcoran, Amy Schuester (@amyschue).

LOCATION ➝ Locked down at The Spare Room.

TIME FRAME ➝ 10/15, afternoon.

WARNINGS ➝ None.

SUMMARY ➝ Finding each other at their new lockdown location after being separated, Addy and Amy have an emotional reunion resulting in a change to their relationship status.

ADDY CORCORAN

Like a captain going down with their ship, Addy did not want to leave her studio. She could say it was because she felt safer being somewhere familiar, which she did, but realistically it was because, again like the ship's captain, she had a purpose there; she was in charge, and being in charge, taking care of everyone, helped distract her from what was happening, from all of the people she was worried about. So, she fought the emergency personnel all the way there, and was thoroughly worked up by the time they arrived at The Spare Room. The only thing that could've made it worth the move would've been seeing Amy or one of her siblings there, but no such luck, so Addy continued to feel angry, frustrated and upset about all of the wrong things. Phone in hand, despite how pointless it was, she stared at the empty service bars, and cursed under her breath as she stomped over to the restrooms like a petulant child. She just needed to be on her own for a moment, to splash some cold water on her face and maybe cry. Honestly, she didn't know exactly what she needed, but still, she pushed open the door, eyes glued to her phone, and only looked up at the sound of someone using the hand dryer. "Amy..." She said, like she didn't quite believe what she was seeing at first. Her heart jumped up into her throat then, tears immediately springing to her eyes. "Oh, my God." Overcome with emotion, she practically ran across the room, her arms immediately flinging around her girlfriend and her eyes beginning to stream. "You're okay," she whispered as she gripped tightly onto the fabric of Amy's shirt, a relieved statement more than a question. Their fight didn't matter anymore; all that mattered was that Amy was here, she was okay, and Addy had no intention of ever letting go.

AMY SCHUESTER

Amy was miserable. Not only had she been on lockdown, but the people that she was surrounded by only cared about talking about their families and whatever drama was going on between them. It all felt juvenile. Their constant chattering was giving her a headache - along with the fact that the coffee that was provided was awful, and she refused to drink. On top of all of that, she couldn't stop thinking about how she'd last spoke to Addy. The love of her life. Not knowing if she was alive at first was terrifying. Even now. When had she sent that last text? Had anything changed? Amy found herself sitting in the bathroom, wasting time by being away from everyone else. It was disgusting, but it was better than their incessant chatter. In the middle of drying her hands, she looked up and saw Addy. Amy's heart dropped and she practically went running to her. "Baby," Amy whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. Her eyes burned and she blinked away the tears, holding Addy as close as possible. "I'm okay," she nodded. "You're okay." She pulled back, tears still flowing. Everything hit her at once. She could've lost her. "Addy, I'm sorry. I love you so fucking much. I'm an idiot, okay?"

ADDY CORCORAN

She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t expected their reunion to be so emotional, she just…hadn’t. If anything, she thought she’d be too happy to cry, and she was, she was elated to be right here, holding her girlfriend and knowing she was safe, but she was overwhelmed by everything: their fight, the earthquake, not knowing if Amy was okay. It all spilled out in waves of tears, and they rolled down her cheeks as Addy pulled back only far enough to meet Amy’s eyes. Her hands remained gripped to her shirt, not ready to let go, though they eventually found their way to Amy’s face, one palm cupping her cheek while her other hand brushed her hair out of her face. “We’re both idiots.” She said with a soft laugh, her voice croaky. She tilted forward to press a kiss to Amy’s lips. “I love you. I don’t ever want to be without you. I don’t wanna fight with you anymore, okay? Never. No more fighting. You’re just…you’re all I want. Forever.”

AMY SCHUESTER

Amy never really thought she was one for marriage. It just never seemed like she would find someone that she could stand to be around the rest of her life. Then Addy showed up in her life, and the more time they spent together, the more Amy was sure that this was going to be the woman that she married one day. And here she was, in tears over her. If nothing else proved that Addy was the one, her crying like this definitely did. She nodded. "No more fighting." Amy kissed Addy again, not being able to get enough of her. "You're never allowed out of my sight ever again, you hear me?" Amy pouted, pulling her even closer, if that was possible. She kissed her again. "I want to marry you," Amy breathed out, heart hammering.

ADDY CORCORAN

"Deal," Addy mumbled into the kiss, allowing herself a soft chuckle despite her tears. Honestly, after this, if she could come up with some way for the two of them to literally be together 24/7, she really would. For now, she was content to just hold onto Amy with no intention of letting go, and continued to push soft, salty tear-soaked kisses to her lips. She wasn't sure how serious Amy's admission was, but it still caused her heart to skip, and Addy nodded in agreement. "Yeah?" She pressed another kiss to her lips, echoing the sentiment, "I want to marry you," against them, before pulling back just far enough to rest her forehead against Amy's, the hand in her hair slipping to the back of her neck to stroke her fingertips softly against the warm skin there. Her eyes closed at first, but she opened them to meet Amy's, and whispered a soft but sure, "Marry me."

AMY SCHUESTER

It felt crazy, considering the circumstances. They were standing in a bathroom together, having been on lockdown for days. When Addy said marry me, Amy knew in her bones that this was her asking. Would she rather something more romantic? Amy never cared about being romanced, only that Addy felt as if she was. Would she rather have a ring to give to Addy? Absolutely. "Okay," Amy nodded, not being able to help the cheesy smile on her face. "I'll marry you. That's the easiest decision I've ever made in my entire life." She wished she could live in this moment forever - knowing Addy was safe and was going to be her wife one day. "When we get out of here, I'm getting you the best damn ring there is."

ADDY CORCORAN

Her emotions were still a jumbled mess, but Addy knew what she was doing, she knew what she was saying, and despite her rapidly beating heart, when Amy responded, Addy's lips curved into a grin. "That would've been so embarrassing if you'd said no," she joked, her tears slowing but still not quite stopped. She dropped a hand to find Amy's, easily lacing their fingers. "There are a lot of things I'm doing when we get out of here, and every single one of them involves you." With her free hand, Addy gently wiped the remaining tears from Amy's cheeks with her thumb. "You maybe wanna get out of the bathroom?" She paused, glancing towards the nearest stall. "Or, uh, wanna stay in here?"