#my girl has been thru ENOUGH. can! MAKE HER HAPPY!!!!!

[usertoxicyaoi]

INCOMING MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE -> LOVERS?? ITS WHAT I DESERVE.

[seulszn]

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟ II. Ode To Aphrodite

Warnings: none

A/N: this is 8k words and I have been working on it since November of last year so hopefully its good and makes sense 😭 also the brown highlighted parts are the actual poem of Ode to Aphrodite.

Deathless Aphrodite, throned in flowers,

Oh, Aphrodite as beautiful as can be sanctifying only the ones she knows will carry her legacy oh so great. The goddess who tied down the fate you sadly can’t change. Roses of all colors, swans, and doves gifting you the prettiest of blessings. The day you were born the sky was as beautiful as can be, the flowers bloomed, and luck was in the air. People gathered around to see the blessing that you were the island cheered and danced all thru the night. Your parents couldn’t stop crying over the fact that Aphordite blessed them of all people.

Your mother prayed to Mother Hera everyday begging and wishing for a child but her prayers would go unanswered. She felt helpless, was she infertile? Was the gods cursing her? She wanted to give up and cried days and nights wanting the opportunity to have the gift of being a mother.

“My dear goddess Hera here my cries” she would breathe out asking just for a chance but she felt like that would never come. She prayed to Artemis, and Eileithyia the goddesses of childbirth and her prayers would go unanswered. She took this as a sign that she wasn't meant to be a mother and instead decided to teach young girls instead. That's where she met Cassandra Kiramman, an Aristocrat and a mother to a cute baby named Caitlyn.

Daughter of Zeus, O terrible enchantress,

“Some place you have” Vi lets out as you nod in agreement, Caitlyn turns to the two of you with a small smile before shifting things around in her room “I wonder what it feels like to live a life of luxury” Vi adds on moving around before she stops at a little jewelry box on a table in a corner.

She picks up the box simply looking at it “must be nice” Vi continues on, Caitlyn skims over at Vi in the corner before speaking “I guess you could say that” Vi places the box down before walking over to the empty bed.

You're still in the same spot you were in since you entered the place just looking at all the art Caitlyn has in her room in awe at how beautiful it is “did you paint all these yourself?” you ask as the blue haired girl nods her head with a soft smile “art is my escape from reality” she says sitting down on the bed she cleaned off you stroll over to lay flat on Caitlyn’s soft comfy bed joining the two.

Stretching out and feeling the expensive linen on your soft body, you wish to sleep here with how comfortable it is you wouldn't wake up a sleeping beauty you would be. “Oh how comfortable this is” you whisper, closing your eyes, Caitlyn and Vi snicker just staring at you, taking in everything from your soft snores to your semi-clothed body.

“You sleep in this big bed alone?” you ask opening your eyes and looking up at Caitlyn she nods her head tracing shapes into your skin with her fingers “does it ever get lonely? I bet it does” you look over at Vi laying her head on your stomach “it does sometimes” she answers. You wonder why a girl living in luxury gets so lonely, she has everything wrapped around her little finger and it seems like it's not enough.

You leaned closer to the blue-haired girl, catching the faint scent of lavender and something uniquely hers. It was comforting, grounding you in a way that nothing else could. Being here with her and Vi made you feel safe, happy like nothing in the world could touch you. You wished this moment could last forever, but deep down, you knew it couldn’t. War didn’t wait for anyone.

Caitlyn suddenly sat up, breaking the quiet. “I want you to meet my mom,” she said with a small, determined smile. Before you could even process her words, she was tugging both you and Vi off the bed, her grip firm and unrelenting.

Caitlyn led the two of you down a long, elegantly decorated corridor, the faint sound of your footsteps echoing against the polished floor. The air felt heavier the farther you walked, as if the weight of what was about to happen was pressing down on you. Finally, she stopped in front of a large wooden door, its intricate carvings hinting at the importance of whatever was on the other side.

She turned to you with a small, reassuring smile, her hand resting on the doorknob. "Wait out here," she said softly, her voice steady but laced with a hint of nervousness. Without waiting for a response, she opened the door and slipped inside, leaving you and Vi alone in the hallway.

As the door clicked shut behind her, silence settled between you and Vi. You glanced at her, trying to gauge what she was feeling, but Vi's expression was unreadable. She crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall, her usual confidence masking any unease she might have felt.

You shifted on your feet, the stillness of the corridor suddenly feeling stifling as you both waited for whatever came next.

With a mixture of curiosity and unease, you pressed your head against the grand oak door, its cool surface rough beneath your skin. The faint murmurs of voices from within stirred the silence of the corridor, drawing you closer. Though the words were muffled, the tones were unmistakable: Caitlyn's voice, sharp and unwavering, clashing with that of an older woman, measured and commanding.

You strained to make out the words, but the thickness of the wood betrayed you, distorting their exchange into a blur of sounds. Still, you could sense the weight of the conversation, the tension carried in Caitlyn's rapid responses and the occasional pause, heavy with unspoken meaning.

This must be her mother, the woman of power and influence that Caitlyn had mentioned before.

Behind you, Vi stirred, her arms still crossed but her attention now fixed on the door as well. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of concern crossing her face.

"What do you think they're saying?" she muttered, her voice low, almost reverent, as though the corridor itself demanded silence.

You didn’t respond immediately, too focused on the strained tones filtering through the thick barrier.

Whatever was being said, it was clear this was no ordinary exchange, it was a clash of ideals, of expectations, and Caitlyn was standing her ground. You could only hope that whatever awaited beyond the door would not prove too great a trial.

“It sounds like an argument,” you whisper, glancing up at the red-haired woman beside you. Your voice barely carries in the stillness of the corridor, but Vi hears you clearly. Her sharp blue eyes meet yours, and she nods slightly, her expression unreadable.

For a moment, she just stares at you, as if weighing her thoughts, her arms still crossed tightly over her chest. Her presence feels steady, almost grounding, but there’s a flicker of unease behind her confident stance.

You shrug lightly, breaking the silence. “Whatever it could possibly be about…it’s foreign to me,” you admit, your voice softer now, almost hesitant.

You glance back at the door, as if it might somehow reveal its secrets, but it remains steadfastly closed, the voices inside too muffled to decipher.

Vi doesn’t respond right away. Instead, her gaze lingers on you, her brows furrowing slightly. “Guess we’ll find out soon enough,” she says finally, her voice calm but carrying an edge of tension.

She leans back against the wall, but her eyes never stray far from the door, her jaw tightening as you both return to your uneasy vigil.

The heavy wooden door creaked open, and Caitlyn stepped into the corridor, her expression tight and troubled. The dim light from within the room framed her figure, casting faint shadows that seemed to mirror the weight on her shoulders. Her blue eyes, through clouded with lingering frustration, softened the moment they met yours.

She managed a small, almost apologetic smile, her lips curving faintly as she reached for your hand. Her fingers were warm, trembling just slightly as she gently squeezed yours, as though seeking comfort in your presence.

"My mother would love to see you," she said, her voice steady but laced with a subtle vulnerability that hadn’t been there before. It was an invitation, but also a request, one that carried the weight of trust and the unspoken hope that you’d stand beside her, no matter what awaited inside that room.

Caitlyn and Vi followed closely behind as you stepped into the room, their presence steady and reassuring at your back.

Your gaze immediately fell on an older woman seated elegantly by a small table, a teacup poised delicately in her hand. She looked strikingly like Caitlyn, her features refined, her posture commanding, yet there was a warmth in her eyes that softened her sharp demeanor.

"Y/N, dear, come sit," she said, her voice smooth and inviting, yet carrying an undeniable air of authority. You nodded silently, obeying without hesitation as you crossed the room and took the seat she gestured toward. She watched you closely, her smile growing as she set her teacup down on its saucer with a gentle clink.

"My, I haven’t seen you in ages," she said, her tone tinged with nostalgia. "You were just a wee child the last time I laid eyes on you. And now look at you—practically grown." Her gaze lingered, as if she were trying to reconcile the memory of a child with the person sitting before her.

The weight of her attention was palpable, yet there was a strange comfort in it, like being under the watchful eye of someone who had always expected great things from you.

Caitlyn and Vi settled into the chairs beside you, their silent presence a show of solidarity for whatever Mrs. Kiramman was about to say. The room felt heavier now, tension creeping in like an unseen force. Caitlyn’s mother shifted her gaze, her attention landing squarely on Vi.

Her expression changed almost instantly, a flash of disdain crossing her refined features, sharp and unmistakable. It wasn’t loud or overt, but it was enough to cut through the air like a knife. Vi noticed it immediately.

With this sorrow, with this anguish, break my spirit Lady, not longer!

Her confident demeanor faltered, and she glanced down, avoiding Mrs. Kiramman’s piercing stare.

Caitlyn stiffened beside you, her hand clenching into a fist on the armrest of her chair. You could feel the shift in the room as unspoken tension thickened, a silent battle beginning to brew between mother and daughter.

"As we are all aware, the Romans are at war again," Mrs. Kiramman states, her tone calm but firm as she lifts her teacup to her lips. She takes a delicate sip before continuing, "And my dear daughter is to help."

You glance toward Caitlyn, her blue eyes flickering with sadness as she avoids your gaze. Her hands fidget in her lap, betraying the unease she’s trying to hide. The air in the room feels heavier with each passing moment, the weight of her mother’s expectations pressing down on all of you.

Caitlyn’s jaw tightens, as though she’s holding back words she can’t quite bring herself to say. A pang of sympathy grips your chest, the unspoken tension between the three of you crackling like the distant rumble of a storm on the horizon.

"I don’t want her distracted by lust or love," Mrs. Kiramman adds sharply, her words cutting through the room like a blade. Her focus remains fixed on you, leaving a heavy tension in the air that’s impossible to ignore.

Mrs. Kiramman’s voice was sharp and unwavering as she delivered her verdict. "So, whatever relationship you three have..it ends."

The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating, each syllable cutting like a blade. Caitlyn’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with a mix of shock and defiance. "Mother," she said, her voice trembling slightly, though there was a growing steel beneath it.

Vi stiffened beside you, her posture rigid as her fists clenched tightly in her lap. She didn’t say anything, but her jaw tightened, her anger simmering just beneath the surface. You could feel the tension radiating from her, as if she were a coiled spring ready to snap.

"Enough," Mrs. Kiramman continued, her tone icy. "This war demands focus and discipline, not distractions. Love…lust, whatever this is- will only weaken her resolve. I won’t allow it."

Your stomach churned at her words, but you couldn’t find your voice. Caitlyn’s mother’s gaze shifted to you, piercing and unyielding, as if daring you to argue.

But Caitlyn didn’t back down. She rose from her seat, her hands trembling at her sides, but her eyes burned with determination. "You don’t get to decide that for me," she said, her voice firmer now, though you could hear the hurt beneath it. "This isn’t just about war, Mother. It’s about the people I care about. And I won’t abandon them because it’s convenient for you."

The room remained heavy, the air suffused with the weight of unspoken conflict. Mrs. Kiramman’s gaze bore into Caitlyn, her sharp tone slicing through the silence. “Care?” she repeated, her voice cold and incredulous. “How can you care for them when you don’t even know them?”

Caitlyn’s shoulders straightened, her expression hardening into a mask of defiance. “I know enough, Mother. I know their hearts. I know their loyalty. I know they’ve stood by me when no one else would.” Her voice was steady, but the raw emotion behind her words was unmistakable.

Mrs. Kiramman scoffed softly, her teacup clinking against its saucer as she set it down. “Loyalty? Is that what this is? Infatuation wrapped in pretty ideals? You think they’ll stay by your side when things become difficult? When the weight of duty and sacrifice bears down on you? Love is a weakness, Caitlyn. It will blind you, distract you. And in war, that distraction will cost lives.”

Your heart pounded in your chest as you watched the tension rise. Caitlyn, standing at the center of it all, took a deep breath, her voice soft but unshakable. “Mother, you don’t have to approve of them. But you do have to accept that they’re part of my life. I won’t abandon the people I love because it doesn’t fit into your plans.”

Mrs. Kiramman’s voice rose sharply, cutting through the tension like a blade. “Are you stupid, child? You don’t know what love is! You can’t possibly be in love with people you’ve just met!”

Her words hung in the air, laced with disbelief and scorn. Caitlyn flinched slightly, but her expression quickly hardened, defiance simmering beneath her calm exterior.

“You think I don’t know what love is?” Caitlyn shot back, her voice steady but filled with quiet fury. “Love isn’t about how long you’ve known someone, Mother. It’s about trust, loyalty, and connection. And I have that with them.”

Mrs. Kiramman’s eyes narrowed, her tone biting. “They’re strangers, Caitlyn.” Mrs. Kirraman repeated, her tone sharp and unwavering. "You’re placing your faith in people you barely know. Do you really think they’ll stand by you when things get difficult? When the weight of war and responsibility becomes too much? You’re being foolish."

Caitlyn’s eyes narrowed, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "They’re not strangers to me," she replied firmly, her voice steady despite the rising tension in the room. You don’t understand what we’ve been through together, what we’ve already faced."

Mrs. Kiramman scoffed, her expression filled with disdain. "What have you been through? You just met them Caitlyn, this is war, not some childish adventure. You can’t afford to let your heart guide you it will only lead to ruin. Love blinds people, and in your position, you can’t afford that weakness."

Vi’s jaw tightened as her voice calmed but laced with anger. "Weakness? You think caring about someone is a weakness? Caitlyn’s stronger because she has people who care about her, who have her back no matter what."

Mrs. Kiramman’s gaze flicked to Vi, her eyes cold and piercing. "You’re bold to speak about strength, considering you don’t know the first thing about what it means to lead or sacrifice for something greater than yourself."

Vi smirked, though her hands were clenched tightly at her sides. "You think you’ve got me figured out, huh? Guess again. I’ve fought my whole life for survival, for my family, for the people I care about. I know sacrifice better than you think. And I know Caitlyn doesn’t need you trying to control her life."

Mrs. Kiramman’s lips pressed into a thin line, her composure faltering for just a moment before she turned her gaze back to Caitlyn. "Is this what you want, Caitlyn? To tie yourself to people who will only drag you down? To risk everything for fleeting emotions?"

Caitlyn straightened her shoulders, her blue eyes blazing with defiance. "Yes," she said firmly, her voice steady despite the weight of the moment. "If fighting for the people I love means risking everything, then so be it. You can’t control my choices, Mother. Not anymore."

Your heart raced as the tension in the room grew heavier, every word sharpening the divide between them. Caitlyn took a step forward, her hands trembling slightly, but her resolve unwavering.

"Mother," she began, her voice carrying a quiet strength, "you’ve spent my entire life trying to mold me into your vision of who I should be. You think you know what’s best for me, but you don’t. I’m not a child anymore, and I won’t let you dictate who I care about or who I stand with."

She paused, her gaze never leaving her mother’s. "That choice is mine. It always has been."

The room fell into a thick silence, Mrs. Kiramman’s sharp glare meeting Caitlyn’s unwavering gaze. Her mother’s lips pressed into a thin line, the air between them electric with unspoken conflict.

"You think you can make those choices," Mrs. Kiramman said coldly, her voice cutting like a blade. "But you don’t understand the consequences. This isn’t a game, Caitlyn. Lives are at stake, including yours."

Caitlyn’s jaw tightened, her hands curling into fists at her sides. "I know exactly what’s at stake," she replied, her tone firm but not raised. "But what’s the point of fighting if I can’t fight for the people who matter to me?"

Vi shifted beside you, her posture rigid as she crossed her arms. "She’s not alone in this," Vi said, her voice calm but laced with defiance. "Whatever happens, I’m with her."

Mrs. Kiramman’s eyes flicked to Vi, her disdain evident. "You? What could you possibly offer her? Trouble? Chaos? I’ve seen your kind before people who talk of loyalty but leave when it matters most."

Vi’s expression darkened, but she held her ground. "You don’t know me," she said quietly, her voice carrying an edge that made the room feel even smaller. "But I know what it means to fight for someone. To stay when it’s hard. And I’m not going anywhere."

Caitlyn placed a hand on Vi’s arm, her touch gentle but grounding. "Mother, this is my life. My fight. And if you can’t support me, then at least step aside."

Mrs. Kirraman’s expression faltered for just a moment, a flicker of something…fear? Resignation? crossing her face before her composure returned. "You’ll regret this, Caitlyn," she said, her tone icy and final. "When the dust settles and you’re left with nothing, you’ll realize I was right."

Caitlyn didn’t flinch. Instead, she reached for your hand and Vi’s, her grip steady and reassuring. "We’ll see," she said quietly, turning away from her mother.

Vi turned to you as you looked empty, her gaze softening as she noticed the emptiness in your eyes. Caitlyn walks over to you and bends down grabbing ahold of your face.

You hadn’t realized it, but her mother’s words were still ringing in your ears, louder now than ever before. "Love is a weakness, Caitlyn. It will blind you, distract you. And in war, that distraction will cost lives."

Each syllable felt like a dagger, and it was hard to shake off the weight of them, the cold certainty in Mrs. Kiramman’s voice that made you question everything you ever felt.

“Y/N, you’re scared. I can sense it,” Mrs. Kiramman’s voice sliced through the air like a blade. The words were cold, almost accusing, but there was something more in them, something calculating. She was watching you closely, her sharp gaze trying to read your every movement, every shift of your expression.

You felt your heart quicken, a strange tightness growing in your chest. It wasn’t just her words it was the way she said them, as though she had already seen through you, as though she knew exactly what you were thinking before you did. There was a chill in her voice that made you feel small, vulnerable, and exposed.

You tried to steady your breath, looking over at the older woman standing in front of you. Her cold, unyielding expression never wavered. It was like she could see every fear, every doubt you had. The weight of her stare pressed down on you, making it hard to think, let alone speak.

Your eyes then drifted to Caitlyn, who was leaning in front of you, her presence the only warmth in the room. She caught your gaze, her blue eyes softening immediately, as if sensing the storm of emotions that was brewing inside you.

Her expression was filled with an unspoken understanding, a quiet comfort that was at odds with the tension in the room.

Caitlyn gently reached out, placing a hand on your arm, grounding you with her touch. "Hey," she whispered, her voice low, but filled with reassurance. "Don’t let her get to you." Her words were like a balm, soothing the fear that had begun to rise in your chest.

You swallowed hard, trying to push down the unease that was creeping up on you. Mrs. Kiramman’s words echoed in your mind, twisting everything around. Scared? Was that what this was? Was fear really all you were feeling?

Looking back at Caitlyn, her calm demeanor steadied you, even as the older woman’s harsh words rattled your thoughts. Caitlyn wasn’t afraid. Vi wasn’t afraid. Why should you be?

"I’m not scared," you said, your voice coming out a little shakier than you intended, but there was a spark of determination in it now. Caitlyn’s eyes brightened, a small, proud smile tugging at her lips.

“Good,” she murmured, leaning closer. "You don’t need to be. Not now. Not with us here."

Hear anew the voice! O hear and listen!

“You can deny it all you want,” Mrs. Kiramman said, her voice sharp as ever. "But you are afraid, Y/N. Don’t try to pretend otherwise." She paused, her gaze turning cold again. "Fear is natural. It’s how you deal with it that determines if you’ll survive in the end."

Mrs. Kiramman’s words lingered in your mind, sharp and unrelenting, like a dark cloud that refused to dissipate. The heaviness of what was said still gripped you hours later, each echo twisting its way deeper into your thoughts. You tried to push them away, but they clung to you with an intensity that made it impossible to escape.

Caitlyn, sensing the turmoil, moved behind you. She wrapped her arms around your waist, pulling you close against her, her body warm and steady against yours. She kissed the bare places on your skin where your peplos left you exposed your shoulder, the curve of your neck, the small of your back.

Her lips were soft, gentle, and filled with an unspoken promise of reassurance. Each kiss was a quiet, loving reminder that you didn’t have to face this alone. The feeling of her closeness, the warmth of her embrace, was a soothing balm, but even in the comfort of her arms, you could feel the weight of Mrs. Kiramman’s words still pressing in on you.

Vi, who had been pacing in the background, her restlessness matching the tension in the room, finally stopped. She walked toward you and sat down at your feet. Without saying a word, she gently laid her head on your legs, the coolness of her hair brushing against your thighs.

It was her way of grounding herself and you. You felt the softness of her hair beneath your fingers and instinctively reached out, your hands finding their place in the silk of her hair. The simple act of touching her, feeling her warmth, was comforting. It anchored you in the present, reminding you that you weren’t alone in this moment.

Vi’s steady presence and Caitlyn’s soft whispers in your ear formed a quiet sanctuary from the chaos swirling in your mind.

As your fingers threaded through Vi’s hair, she sighed, her breath soft and steady. The action seemed to calm you as much as it calmed her, both of you finding solace in the simple touch. Caitlyn pressed her cheek against your shoulder, her voice a soft murmur. “Don’t let her words take away your peace. You don’t need to carry that weight.”

Vi lifted her head slightly, her eyes meeting yours with a look of fierce loyalty. “She doesn’t get to make you doubt yourself, it's ok to be afraid” Vi said, her voice strong and unwavering, a stark contrast to the chaos in your mind. “She doesn’t know you, not like we do. You’re more than what she sees.”

Her words resonated within you, a quiet strength building in the place where Mrs. Kiramman’s judgment had tried to take root. Caitlyn’s hands moved gently up your arms, pulling you into her further as she kissed the side of your neck. You closed your eyes for a moment, letting their love wash over you, drowning out the harshness of the outside world.

The tension in your chest loosened slightly as you felt Caitlyn’s warmth against your back and Vi’s grounding presence at your feet.

Slowly, the sharpness of Mrs. Kiramman’s words dulled, replaced by the unwavering certainty of those who truly cared for you.

“You don’t need her approval,” Caitlyn whispered. “You have ours. That should be enough.”

Come, as in that island dawn thou camest,

Caitlyn continued to place soft kisses along your skin, her lips tender and soothing. Gently, she turned your head to face her, her eyes locking with yours, a small smile tugging at her lips. Her gaze was warm, and her lips seemed to beckon you closer.

She reached out and caressed your cheek, her touch as gentle as a breeze rolling over the hills. It was a comforting gesture, one that made your heart ache with both longing and uncertainty. Slowly, she leaned closer, her movements deliberate, her intentions clear. When her forehead finally came to rest against yours, the world around you seemed to still, leaving only the two of you in its quiet embrace.

Her eyes searched yours, soft and patient, but as you held her gaze, the fear bubbling inside you began to surge. It was an instinctive, unshakable wall you couldn’t tear down. Before you could stop yourself, you pulled away, the distance between you growing as the unspoken emotions lingered in the air.

Caitlyn didn’t move for a moment, her head tilted slightly as though trying to read the thoughts you couldn’t put into words. Her expression softened, her lips parting with a quiet sigh, a sound filled with understanding but also the slightest twinge of disappointment. The space between you seemed heavier now, her breath lingering as a faint reminder of what almost was.

“Do you think we are gonna die?” you whisper, the weight of your words hanging in the air between you and the two women. The question feels heavy, a thought you can no longer keep inside, but the silence that follows is almost unbearable.

Neither Caitlyn or Vi respond. They both sit still, as if the question has momentarily taken them by surprise, leaving them to search for the right words. Their eyes meet, unspoken understanding passing between them as they consider what to say.

Finally, Caitlyn exhales softly, her voice steady but full of emotion. "I don’t know," she admits, her eyes filled with an honesty that pulls at your heart. "But whatever happens, we're together. That’s what matters."

“But what if they separate us?” you ask, the fear creeping into your voice despite your best efforts to stay calm. The thought of being torn away from them, from the only two people who made you feel safe, feels unbearable.

Caitlyn gives you a small, comforting smile, her thumb brushing across your cheek. “We’ll be alright,” she says quietly, but with a certainty that you feel in your bones. “As long as we stick together, we’ll always find a way back to each other.”

Billowing in thy yoked car to Sappho

The next day, you find yourself in the flower garden with your mother, the warm Mediterranean sun casting its golden light across the vibrant blossoms. The garden is full of colored roses, lilies, and violets in every shade imaginable, each blooming is a testament to the care and love your mother has poured into the garden over the years. The scent of the flowers fills the air, a delicate perfume that seems to calm the restless thoughts swirling in your mind.

You carefully pluck a cluster of wildflowers, your hands moving mechanically as you continue your conversation with your mother. “She’s very...” you begin, searching for the right words. Your mother looks up from where she’s tending to a bed of lavender, her eyes soft and knowing. She waits patiently, as if she already understands there’s more to what you’re about to say.

“Judgmental,” you finally say, your voice betraying the frustration you’ve been carrying since your encounter with Mrs. Kiramman. “She speaks as though her opinion is the only one that matters, and it makes me feel so... small.”

Your mother pauses for a moment, a slight frown pulling at her lips. She reaches out to gently brush a stray flower petal off your shoulder, her touch comforting and grounding. “What did she say?” she asks softly, sensing the weight in your sigh.

You glance at her before looking away, your mind drifting back to the conversation in the room with Mrs. Kiramman. The memory stirs something inside you, and you find yourself repeating the words that still echo in your mind. “She says I'm afraid”

Your mother’s expression softens as she listens, her brow furrowing slightly in concern. She doesn’t speak right away, giving you a moment to process. “But what if she’s right?” you whisper, your voice barely audible, as though you’re afraid of the answer. “How do I know if I’m afraid?”

Your mother’s gaze softens, and she steps closer, her presence warm and steady beside you. She takes a deep breath, as if carefully choosing her words. “Fear is not always obvious, my child,” she begins, her voice gentle but firm.

“Sometimes, it’s hidden in the doubts that creep into your mind, in the way you question yourself or shrink away from something you care about. Fear often disguises itself as uncertainty or hesitation.”

She pauses, her hand still resting on your arm, grounding you in the moment. “But fear doesn’t define you. It’s how you face it that matters. Acknowledge it, yes, but don’t let it rule you. The more you try to avoid what scares you, the more it will control you. But when you stand in front of it, when you confront it with courage even if that courage is small, that's when you begin to truly see how strong you are.”

You glance at her, the weight of her words settling in your chest. She offers you a small, reassuring smile. “Fear is natural, my dear. But it’s not something you need to fear. It’s just another part of the journey. And you—” she places a hand over your heart, “you have everything you need to move through it.”

Forth from thy father's

“You must stay with your mother,” your father says, his voice firm as he tightens the straps on a leather satchel. His movements are swift and precise, the practiced efficiency of a warrior preparing for the road ahead. The clinking of bronze armor and the dull thud of packed supplies fill the space between his words.

“But Father—” you begin, stepping closer, your heart heavy with the weight of everything you wish to say.

He stops for a moment, straightening to his full height, and looks at you. His eyes, weathered and stern, soften as they meet yours. “I know what you want to say,” he says, his tone gentler now, though no less resolute. “But this is not your battle. Your place is here, with your mother, keeping this home safe. This is how you serve our family, our people.”

Your mother, standing quietly nearby, glances at you with an unreadable expression. There is strength in her gaze, but also an unspoken sorrow. She understands your father’s decision, even if it weighs heavily on her as well.

“Father, I want to help,” you say, your voice steady but tinged with desperation. He shakes his head, his expression unwavering. “You have the heart of a warrior, my child, but this is not your time. The gods will call upon you when you are ready, but until then, your role here is just as important. Protecting your mother, tending to the land this is no small task.”

Golden house in pity! ... I remember:

You clench your fists, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. “And what about Caitlyn and Vi? They’re going. Why not me?”

At the mention of their names, your father pauses, his brows furrowing slightly. “Caitlyn is a trained soldier,” he says, his voice measured. “And Vi... she fights because she has nothing left to lose. But you, my daughter, have everything to protect. Do not envy their paths, for they are not as free as they might seem.”

His words cut through you, leaving you silent. He steps forward and places a firm, calloused hand on your shoulder. “You are strong,” he says, his voice low but filled with conviction. “Stronger than you know. And that strength will be needed here. Trust me, child. This is the right path.”

You lower your gaze, the weight of his words settling over you. You don’t want to accept it, but deep down, you know he’s speaking the truth. There’s a purpose in staying behind, even if it’s not the one you long for.

“I will return,” your father continues, his voice softer now, a promise carried in the wind. “And when I do, we will celebrate. But for now, I need to know that you will stay safe.”

You nod reluctantly, your throat tight with unspoken emotion. “I promise,” you whisper.

He smiles faintly, then pulls you into a brief, strong embrace. “Be brave,” he murmurs, before stepping back and turning toward the soldiers waiting at the edge of the garden.

Your mother steps closer, her hand resting lightly on your arm as the two of you watch him walk away. The sound of sandals on stone grows fainter with each step, until the only thing left is the stillness of the garden and the weight of his absence.

Your mother squeezes your shoulder gently, her eyes fixed on your father as he disappears down the path. “The gods watch over him,” she says softly, though her voice carries a hint of doubt.

Fleet and fair thy sparrows drew thee, beating Fast their wings above the dusky harvests,

The breeze fades, leaving the garden shrouded in an unsettling stillness. In the distance, the faint sound of marching feet drifts away, growing softer until it dissolves into the horizon. The sun continues to shine, but its warmth feels dimmed, as if a shadow has begun to creep over everything you cherish.

The silence in the garden lingers, heavy and oppressive, long after your father and his soldiers disappear down the winding path. You remain frozen, staring at the empty space they’ve left behind, a hollow ache settling in your chest. Beside you, your mother moves slowly, her fingers brushing over the blossoms, her touch tender yet distracted, as though trying to dispel the tension that clings to the air like an unwelcome guest.

You should come inside,” she says softly, her voice steady but tinged with weariness. “There is much to prepare.”

You nod absently, though your feet feel heavy as you take a step toward the house. Your mind drifts, replaying the image of your father walking away, his back straight and his shoulders carrying the weight of both duty and family. A part of you wonders if you’ll ever see him again, but you push the thought aside. Such fears are not yours to voice not yet.

As you step into the cool interior of your home, the sound of hurried footsteps echoes through the halls. You glance over your shoulder to see Caitlyn and Vi approaching side by side, their expressions serious but softened when they catch sight of you.

Caitlyn’s armor gleams faintly in the dim light, her spear resting at her side, while Vi carries her gauntlets slung casually over her shoulder, her usual confidence tempered by the gravity of the moment.

Down the pale heavens, Lightning anon! And thou, O blest and brightest, Smiling with immortal eyelids, asked me:

They stop a few paces away, Caitlyn nodding respectfully toward your mother before her gaze shifts to you. “We thought we’d find you here,” Caitlyn says, her voice low and warm. Vi remains silent but steps closer, her eyes flicking between you and Caitlyn.

Your mother, who has been watching the exchange, presses her lips into a thin line. She glances between the three of you before sighing softly. “Don’t keep them too long,” she says, addressing you this time. “The gods know we have little time to waste before the world turns upside down.”

With that, she turns and disappears into the house, leaving you alone with Caitlyn and Vi in the entryway. Caitlyn steps forward first, her gaze meeting yours with an intensity that makes your chest tighten.

“We’re leaving at dawn,” Caitlyn says simply, her voice steady but tinged with something deeper. “We wanted to see you before we go.”

You swallow hard, your throat suddenly dries as the knot in your stomach tightens. “I know,” you reply softly, looking down at your hands. “My father has made it clear I’m to stay behind.”

Vi lets out a frustrated huff, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall. “It’s not right,” she mutters, her tone sharp. “You should be coming with us, not stuck here like some helpless child.”

Caitlyn shoots her a warning glance, but there’s no denying the agreement in her expression. She steps closer to you, her hand brushing gently against your arm. “We will protect you,” Caitlyn says softly, her voice steady yet filled with a sense of promise.

"Maiden, what betideth thee? Or wherefore Callest upon me?

Vi nods firmly, her gaze unwavering. “No matter what happens, we’ve got your back. You’re not alone in this.” You look down at your hands, clenching them into fists as the uncertainty swirls inside you.

“But I’m not made for this,” you whisper. “I’m not strong, like you two. I don’t have what it takes. I'm supposed to be a maiden... someone untouched by the world’s harshness.”

Vi steps forward, her expression fierce and unwavering. “You don’t need to be a warrior to fight. You just need to be brave enough to stand with us, to fight for the things you love. And I know you’re capable of that.” You let her words settle in, the weight of her belief in you beginning to lift the heavy burden of doubt that you’ve carried for so long.

Maybe, just maybe, you're more capable than you’ve allowed yourself to believe.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” you admit softly, your voice shaking slightly, “but… I’ll try. For you, for my family, for us.”

Caitlyn gives you a gentle smile, her eyes full of pride. “That’s all we ask.”

"What is here the longing more than other, Here in this mad heart?

Your mother’s voice cuts through the moment, laced with both practicality and a touch of humor. “Y/N, don’t keep the poor girls waiting, come inside.” Her gaze softens when it meets yours, a gentle nudge for you to move forward, yet there’s an undeniable sense of urgency in her words.

You turn to face your mother, offering her a smile, then look back at Caitlyn and Vi, the weight of the moment settling into your chest. The bond between you and these two women is something you can’t quite put into words, yet you know they would fight for you without hesitation.

You take a deep breath, your voice quiet but full of conviction. “Fight for me,” you say, your words both a plea and a promise. “Come back. I’ll be waiting.”Your heart swells with a mixture of hope and fear, but as you look at the two of them, you know they’ll do everything in their power to come back, even if fate itself has other plans.

Your mother stands just behind you, her presence steady and grounding. She places a hand on your shoulder and squeezes gently, offering silent support.

“Don’t worry about us,” Caitlyn says as she steps back, her voice softening. “Focus on yourself, and what you need to do while we’re gone.”

And who the lovely One beloved that wouldst lure to loving?

You nod, the knot in your stomach loosening just a little, knowing that they’re not just leaving for the fight they’re leaving for you, for the future, for the promise of what could be.

With one final look at each other, Caitlyn and Vi turn to head out, the quiet determination in their steps. Your mother gives you a reassuring smile before pulling you gently inside.

Tears streamed down your face as you watched Caitlyn and Vi walk away, the weight of the unspoken words between you heavy in the air.

The abruptness of their departure left a bitter taste in your mouth; you longed for a farewell that truly captured the depth of your feelings.

Wait!" you cried out, your voice trembling with emotion.

You dashed after them, your heart pounding, but your mother’s hand caught your arm, pulling you back gently. "Y/N, don't keep them waiting," she said softly, her concern evident.

But you couldn't stop. You had to make sure they knew.

"Please," you whispered, more to yourself than to her, as you broke free from her grasp and continued toward Caitlyn and Vi.

Sappho, who wrongs thee?

You run after them, your heart pounding in your chest, and as they hear your footsteps, they turn around. Without hesitation, you leap into their arms, tears streaming down your face.

"I know I just met you yesterday," you sob, your voice thick with emotion. "But it feels like I've known you for centuries!"

Between cries, you look up at Caitlyn and Vi, your heroes strong, unwavering, and now holding you tightly, their presence offering a comfort that goes beyond words.

I just wanted to say," you began, your voice thick with emotion, "that I love you both. Please come back to me. I know I said this but I mean it."

Caitlyn and Vi held you close, their presence a comforting anchor. After a moment, Caitlyn pulled back slightly, her hands resting on your shoulders.

"We will," she said softly. "We'll come back. For you."

Vi nodded, her usual fierceness softened by the sincerity in her eyes. "We promise," she added.

"See, if now she flies, she soon must follow;

“I love you," you say once more, the words trembling on your lips as they hang in the air between you. Caitlyn’s eyes flicker down to your lips, and for a brief moment, time seems to slow. It's as though the world around you pauses, the sounds of the wind and distant chatter fading into the background, leaving only the intense connection between you two.

Caitlyn’s gaze softens, her breath catching as she looks back into your eyes, her emotions visible in the way her chest rises and falls. She reaches out slowly, her fingers grazing your cheek, a silent question lingering in the space between you. Without saying a word, she leans in, her lips brushing against yours for the first time soft, tentative, and full of the unspoken promise that has been building since the moment you met.

The kiss deepens, not just with the passion of the moment, but with everything that has come before it, the fears, the uncertainties, and the bond that has formed between you. When you finally pull away, your breaths are shallow, hearts pounding in sync.

Caitlyn smiles softly, her hand still cupping your face as she whispers, "I love you, too."

Vi stands behind Caitlyn, watching the exchange with a smile of her own, a silent understanding passing between the three of you. The weight of the world may still be ahead, but in this fleeting moment, you know that no matter what comes next, you will always have this—this love, this connection, and this promise that you’re never truly alone.

Yes, if spurning gifts, she soon must offer;

Vi walks over, her steps slow and purposeful, and without a word, she gently presses a kiss to your forehead. It’s warm, tender, filled with a care that only someone who truly understands you can give. You close your eyes, savoring the softness of her touch, feeling the bond between you deepen in that quiet moment.

But it isn’t enough. The desire to show her just how much she means to you rises in your chest, and before you can think, you lean up, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her lips. It’s hesitant, but filled with the raw emotion you’ve been holding inside. Her lips are warm, her surprise palpable for only a heartbeat before she kisses you back, gentle and knowing.

When you pull away, both of you breathless, Vi’s eyes meet yours surprised, but softened by understanding. For a moment, words aren’t needed. The kiss speaks everything you couldn’t say.

“Take care of yourself,” she whispers, her hand gently brushing your cheek, the tenderness in her touch making your heart swell.

You nod, feeling the weight of her gaze linger on you, a silent promise that even if you part now, the connection between you will never fade.

Yes, if loving not, she soon must love thee, Howso unwilling..."

You step back slightly, feeling a mix of emotions swirling within you gratefulness, fear, love, and longing. The moment feels suspended in time, as though everything around you has quieted just for this brief exchange. But reality tugs at your heart, reminding you of the dangers that await.

Caitlyn, standing just a few steps away, watches you both with a soft, almost understanding smile. Her eyes flicker between you and Vi, as if sensing the shift in the air. Her hand rests on Vi's shoulder, grounding both of you in the weight of what’s to come.

“We should go,” Caitlyn says gently, though her voice carries the strength of someone who knows what lies ahead. "Dawn is getting near."

Vi nods, her gaze still locked with yours, a quiet resolve in her eyes. You watch as she steps away from you, but not before giving you one last lingering look, a promise, a silent vow to return.

With a final glance at both of them, you watch as Caitlyn and Vi begin to walk away, their silhouettes growing smaller in the growing light of the morning. The cold wind bites at your skin, but the warmth of their presence stays with you, as if their touch lingers in your heart.

You remain standing for a long moment, watching them disappear into the distance. Each step they take feels like a piece of your heart walking away with them, but deep down, you know they’ll carry your love, your strength, and your wish for their safety with them. You only hope that one day, they will return.

But for now, all you can do is stand and wait, praying that this war, this conflict, won’t steal the people you care about from your life.

And as the wind swirls around you, carrying the scent of the earth and the promise of the gods, you whisper softly, barely audible over the wind, "Come back to me."

Come again to me! O now! Release me!

You stand there for a while longer, feeling the weight of the silence settle around you, the landscape stretching out in front of you. The sun begins to rise, casting long shadows across the ground, but all you can focus on is the image of Caitlyn and Vi, disappearing into the horizon. The ache in your chest feels both unbearable and bittersweet.

Your mother steps up beside you, her presence comforting but quiet. She doesn’t speak at first, perhaps knowing that words won’t help in this moment, but she places a hand on your shoulder, offering what little solace she can.

“I know how you feel, child,” she says softly, her voice low as she watches the same distant spot you do. “But they’re strong, like you. They’ll fight for you, and you for them.”

You don’t respond right away, unsure of how to voice what’s going on inside of you. A part of you wants to run after them, to be with them, to stand by their side, but you know you can’t. Not yet. Not while your father’s wishes hold you bound to this place.

Instead, you squeeze your mother’s hand, the words stuck in your throat. There’s a deep, heavy feeling in the air, a strange stillness that makes it feel as though time itself has paused. You wish you could say something, anything, that would make everything seem less overwhelming.

End the great pang! And all my heart desireth

"Do you think they'll be okay?" you finally ask, the question tumbling from your lips before you can stop it. It's a question that hangs in the air, unanswered, but you feel the weight of it regardless.

Your mother sighs, pulling you into a gentle embrace. “None of us know what the future holds, child. All we can do is hold on to hope. They’ll do the same for you.”

You nod, a small, shaky breath escaping your lips as you try to believe in her words. But deep down, the fear lingers, gnawing at you, feeding the uncertainty that you’ve tried so hard to push aside. You can't help but worry about what the battle will bring, the loss it will surely leave in its wake.

As the sun climbs higher, its golden rays beginning to warm the earth, you turn back to the house, feeling the weight of the world pressing on your shoulders. Your mother’s steady presence beside you is a reminder of everything you’ve left behind, of everything you stand to lose.

But you know, in that moment, that you must hold onto the hope that one day, Caitlyn and Vi will return alive, whole, and ready to live again. Until then, you will wait.

Now of fulfillment, fulfill! O Aphrodite, Fight by my shoulder!

You whisper softly, your voice carried away by the faint breeze, as memories of the promises you made with Caitlyn and Vi flood your mind. “I’ll fight by your side,” you vow, the words filled with quiet determination.

The garden seems to hold its breath, the flowers swaying gently as if bearing witness to your resolve. Above, the sky glows with the soft hues of twilight, a reminder that dawn and the unknown it carries is not far off.

Your heart pounds, heavy with fear but also with purpose. Whatever lies ahead, whatever fate the gods have written, you know one thing with certainty: you will not let your promises fade into the wind.

Finished finally done let me know if you wanna be tagged in the rest of the parts have a nice day Ⓒ︎ seulszn.

[cracklinhaze]

Absolutely love your post weirdmageddon Dipper centric fic! Ppl tend to forget that even before all That, the lil guy has always been snarky and protective & Feisty. If anything, what he went thru would def make him even bolder and braver enough to have those traits be more apparent. On another note, I know we saw bits of it on the fic but I just can’t help but be curious on your take of how post Weirdmageddon mabel is doing? Like your head canons and such :O

Hi Anon! <3 Happy Sunday! Thank you so much for your kind words. Dipper Pines being mouthy is one of my favorite things about him.

(For reference: Anon is referring to THIS FIC of mine!)

I would be MORE than happy to lay out some of my post-Weirdmaggedon headcanons for my beloved Mabel Pines.

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

✰ Mabel Pines POST-WMAG Headcanons ✰

✰ She and Dipper have their own rooms back in Piedmont. Their parents assume the kids will be excited to have their own space, and they both claim they are. However, Mabel spends the first few months back in California in a sleeping bag on the floor of Dipper's room. Dipper wonders if her own pink, cheery stuffed-animal-littered room reminds her too much of Mabel-Land.

✰ Mabel gets REALLY into scrapbooking. After her scrapbooks saved Stan, she records everything.

✰ She blames herself entirely for Weirdmaggedon. Keeps a smile on her face and the shame shoved way, way down.

✰ Gets caught bringing her grappling hook to school SEVERAL times by teachers. Piedmont MS has a strict "no weapons" policy. She continues to break it. The administration is at their wits end.

✰ When Dipper gets anxious or angry about something to do with Weirdmaggedon, Mabel is the first person to notice. She starts making jokes in a very specific way, entirely directed at him in the hopes he'll be distracted.

✰ Speaking of jokes, Mabel's humor gets DARK. She's got a lot of trauma and nowhere else to put it.

✰ The divorce hits Mabel hard. Even though Dipper thinks he was protecting her from it, she knew. As someone who usually sees the bright side of things, she finds it increasingly hard to rationalize all the bad stuff. The world can end? Love can die? Twins can stop talking to each other for thirty years? Late at night on the floor of Dipper's room, she sometimes stays awake in a numb state of panic.

✰ Mabel's second "first kiss" is freshman year homecoming with the guy she asked to the dance. She teases that it doesn't really count because Dipper didn't kiss him, too.

✰ Sometimes, when Mabel's hair gets really messy (curls, ugh) -- Dipper sits on the floor and helps her untangle it while they watch Ducktective reruns.

✰ After fighting with her hair for too long, Mabel finally cuts it short. Wendy is the first person she texts about it.

✰ Her sophomore year of high school, Mabel goes to a party with some of the more "edgy girls" who are into stick-and-poke tattoos. She does a sort of messy star on her ankle and gets grounded when her parents discover it isn't just sharpie.

✰ Soos, Dipper, and Mabel have virtual game nights where they play shitty browser games on call.

✰ The thing that Mabel fears MOST is losing Dipper the way Ford and Stan lost each other. As Dipper gets more confident and starts making a few more friends at school, interning, and preparing for college, Mabel worries desperately about being left behind.

✰ The moments when Mabel KNOWS they're going to be okay are the times when she and Dipper sit on the couch, scrolling through their phones in mostly silence -- occasionally cracking up and showing each other dumb internet shit. Dipper usually tries to covertly put his cold feet on her. She hits him with pillows.

-----

When I write Mabel, there are a few things I stand by: Mabel Pines is intelligent; she's not the stupid twin. Mabel alleviates her anxiety with humor, silliness, and absurdity -- she chooses underthinking over Dipper's overthinking. She is, in many capacities, just as mature if not more mature than her brother; she worries about him growing up too fast.

If you want more of these, let me know! I am never not thinking about the Pines twins <3

[deathofacupid]

weighing scale

tw: eating disorder (purging, not eating), bodyshaming, ed shaming

btw, if it's requested, i can turn drabbles into full oneshots!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you guys are beautiful the way you are, and nothing anybody ever says or does will ever change that. remember that gaining weight is totally normal, and you can always lose weight, too, but please, do it in a healthy way. if you ever need anyone to talk to, and this isn't just for eds, i'm here, and you can reach out. if not, there are people who care about you and love you.

you're amazing you beautiful mfs

(also i'm sorry if this might not be correct for you, everyone has different experiences with eds)

(also, also, i did 1st person ... and this is just the way i thought when i was going thru this so i kinda made it relate w/ me??)

100.

98.

96.

she watched as the numbers went down, satisfied despite the fact that it was only one pound less yesterday.

90.

88.

even if it meant that she'd always be cold, or that her hair would fall out. it was a small price to pay to be beautiful. to be skinny. to be like all the other girls that peter liked.

y/n kept telling herself that. and it was enough to keep her going.

{four weeks prior}

(first person)

they had little packets for us to take home, like forms. something along the lines of "annual health check-up." the form was just... well, it wasn't a form, really, but more of an opt-out. the paper said they'd just check weight, height, and some other things, like make sure you didn't have scoliosis.

honestly?

i was just happy to be missing a good chunk of math.

everyone got called down to the gym by period, and mine was 5th period, right before lunch.

our class was waiting for them to call us down, so mr. callen just let us do whatever until then. i glanced over to see liz, kayla, and chloe in the corner of the classroom, giggling and pointing towards some of the boys, and eventually, mr. callen.

he was one of the youngest members on faculty, fresh out of college. and i'll admit, he's not bad looking. in fact, he's hotter than most of the guys. and if it wasn't peter that had my heart, maybe i'd think about someone else.

not that the whole peter thing was going great anyways, he seemed interested in liz. so maybe that was my hint to move on. but i don't know. i've just liked him forever, it'd feel wrong to stop now.

i'm just really loyal, i guess.

or maybe this is some weird first love/crush thing, because no matter what, i keep finding myself coming back to him.

it took me second to realize that i'd been staring at the same spot for a while now, so i probably looked funny. i re-adjusted my position and looked at the clock, noting there there was just a few minutes until we'd have to go down.

i looked by at the girls, then at the teacher. did they not realize that he had an engagement ring on? or where they just dense?

because honestly, i'm having a hard time figuring out which one it is.

liz pushed chloe over to the desk, giggling like a manic.

chloe bit her lip, trying to hold in laughter. "hiiii, cal. you know, like, cupid's day is coming?"

me, personally, i didn't really believe in the whole dumb blonde thing, but chloe was changing my aspect on this.

cupid's day was on valentine's day, and you could pay a dollar to have a rose delivered to someone. normally, the freshmen girls did most of the planning. freshmen girls were annoying. they were always together, and i didn't remember a time i'd seen one alone.

i didn't get any on my first year here. last year i got three. but it didn't really count, because mj got me one and betty did. i was hoping that i'd figure out who the third person was, but three weeks into that investigation, i kinda gave up. if they hadn't revealed themselves to me at that point, i'd figured that they probably wouldn't.

maybe junior year will go better.

if you were popular popular, you got at least seven, so it was kind of embarrasing to only get one. and it was probably even more embarrasing to only have, like, one friend. which was betty. but she hadn't hung around me that often since she started dating ned.

mj was an observer, and i knew that much. it was probably the only reason she got me a rose, because she felt bad. but then again, anyone could see how pathetic it was.

peter and i used to be pretty close, but then he met ned, so the attention he gave me got halved.

i would have tried to be friends with ned, because i know he's really nice, but i stressed out too much about it for some reason and gave up. social anxiety, perhaps? it didn't matter, it was too late to do anything about it now.

after that, peter started hanging around liz and some of the other popular kids, and entirely forgot about me.

did forget about ned, though. maybe beacuse i was a girl, and so peter got called "gay" a lot for that. i didn't have much of a chance compared to liz, so i just admired him from afar. it's not that we didn't talk, because we did sometimes, but... actually, i don't know what.

if peter wanted to, he would have.

and it's fairly obvious, but i'm delusional and chose to ignore that.

the intercom snapped me out of whatever zoning out i'd gone back to, "block d, block d. i-is this on? oh, it is? i- yes, block d down to the gym."

everyone got up and pushed their way out the door, i didn't have that type of energy, so i just waited for everyone to get their butts outta the way and then went myself. i followed them down to the hall, staying behind a little. when i finally got over there, i ended up last, right behind chloe, kayla, then liz.

for the most part, it only took a minute or two for each person, so the line didn't take that long.

well, i suppose that's subjective.

it took 15 minutes, but whatever.

when liz was inside, she didn't take care to close the door all the way, leaving it a couple inches open. that's on her.

that's on her for being irresponsible, so it's not really my fault if i accidently hear. i leaned in a little, suddenly very interested in the wall, with all it's cracks... and... paint, and...

"and step on the scale, please... that is," she paused, and you could hear scribbling of a pen.

"121.3 pounds. perfectly healthy. that's actually the average weight for girls your age," another pause, "make sure to give this form to your parents. have a nice day."

liz said something in return and i stepped back, done admiring the wall. "next!" the lady called in.

i stepped inside the room, and it smelt strongly of hand-sanitizer. "okay, honey, step up against the wall... height is... alrightly. now the scale, please."

i did as she asked, keeping my eyes trained on the numbers.

149.7 pounds. basically 150. that was more than liz's, right?

"149, okay, you're good to go-"

"is that around average weight?" i asked, and it was impulsive, i didn't even think.

"well, it's somewhere around that. you're perfectly healthy."

the intercom came on again, signaling my time was over, and the lady thought the same thing, because she ushered me out.

as i walked back to the classroom, i couldn't help but think;

149? no, 150? around average? so basically, i was above average. 30 pounds heavier than liz? no wonder peter likes liz better.

god, that's disgusting. i'm disgusting.

i trudged back to class, unable to stop thinking about it. and suddenly, an idea popped into my mind; why not lose weight? if i lost a little, maybe peter would care about me again.

that's genius. god, i'm a genius.

yeah. i lose a little weight.

when i got back, he'd already started the lesson, not that i cared. i spent the rest of that class figuring out the kinks, like how many calories i'm allowed to eat per day.

i settled on 800.

it seemed like a decent number if i wanted to actually make an impact with weight loss.

stupid kale smoothies weren't gonna get me anywhere, nor idiotic influencer workout routines.

before i knew it, the bell rung and kids were hustling through the hallways. i was kind of on autopilot as i walked to lunch, not really watching where i was going. i'd by mistake shouldered some people, and they gave me dirty looks. i shot them right back.

i couldn't help but silently, in my mind, judge everyone's body that i saw. and not just their body, but other physical features, too. it was automatic, i didn't even mean to. but i couldn't help it.

she's really fat. the gym exists for a reason.

how is she so skinny? i know she's anorexic.

and it just went on and on.

i didn't know what was going on. why this mattered to me all of a sudden.

it was like i didn't notice these things before, i wasn't looking for them, but now that i knew they were there, i couldn't help it.

i couldn't help a lot of things.

when i walked into the lunchroom, i saw peter sitting by himself, writing on some piece of paper, and if i knew him, he wasn't doing the homework due tomorrow.

he was doing yesterday's.

it didn't seem like i'd be bothering him if i went to go talk to him, so that's what i did. i figured since we hadn't talked in while, it would be great to now.

and it'd be a great distraction, too.

i sat down across from him, "hi, peter."

he looked up slowly, a smile rising on his face. "uh, hey, y/n/n," peter paused, "what, um, what did you need?"

"huh? oh, i didn't need anything. just thought i'd come by and annoy the hell out of you."

"just like old times," peter snorted.

"math homework?"

"yep. i have math-"

"-next period," i realized my mistake after i made it. "um, 'cause i see you when i'm walking to class."

in repsonse, he nodded like he was considering it.

i didn't notice i was hungry until my stomach growled, but something inside of me made the thought of getting food and eating it repulsive. i hesitated before grabbing on of peter's fries and popping it in my mouth. he didn't say anything, or really even care, and i didn't know if i liked that or not.

"okay. you have chem next, yeah?"

i blushed at the fact he knew.

"uh, yep," i snagged some more fries, feeling myself loosen up.

and then i realized, that's what this was; i was just in need of some time with actual people who weren't my parents.

i liked this. i liked talking to peter. it was easy. this was easy.

we laughed about some other things, like flash's new donkey haircut.

and i stole more fries. ned, betty, and mj (who normally sat two seats away) came over. the topic of cupid's day came up.

"how many do you think you'll get?" betty asked.

i looked up, "roses?"

"uh-huh."

ned spoke up, "you won't need to worry, bet, i'll get you a whole bouquet." he looked proud of himself.

"i'm not worried," she giggled, like the lovesick fool she was. it was gross. and yes i admit, it was slightly because i was jealous, but whatever. betty didn't have to act so idiotic and desperate.

betty's skinny, too.

"what about you, y/n?" peter said, locking eyes with me.

"i dunno. i never really get any."

something changed in peter's expression, but as soon as it was there, it was gone.

i took another fry. they were really good, for some reason.

"fattie," peter laughed, pulling his lunch tray back, "and then you complain about not getting roses!"

that caused a round of laughs in the small group, but my heart dropped to my feet.

i was right. i was overweight. even peter noticed.

freaking peter noticed.

god, i was ugly and fat, and even peter saw that.

of course he liked liz. he'd be crazy not to. she was curvy and skinny and petite and pretty and skinny.

she was skinny.

i didn't have her hourglass figure.

never did i ever want out of my own skin more.

"y/n?" pete frowned. "i-i'm sorry, it was a joke, i didn't-"

"no, no, not that. i, uh, i... forgot i was supposed to meet with a teacher. sorry. i have to go."

i didn't go to any teachers.

i did go to the bathroom.

and i hid in the handicapped stall. i didn't cry, or sob, or weep or whatever it was stupid girls did in hallmark movies or stuff.

i stood in front of the mirror and picked out everything i hated, making a mental list in my head.

i didn't finish that list, not even after 30 minutes when the bell rung.

-

the rest of the day flew by rather quickly, it seemed. i felt like i was trapped in a warm haze, but not the fuzzy, happy warmth. i didn't like the way i was thinking. it's like i wanted my brain to turn off, these intruding, ugly thoughts were taking up too much room.

i felt icky.

when i got home, i didn't have my normal after-school snack like i usually did. i went straight upstairs and did homework.

i finished two essays (one that wasn't due until two weeks, and one that was due two days from now), my math homework and studied for my math test, started my science project, and did my french flashcards (and studied them a bit).

i must have been locked in my room for hours, because by the time i got up, it was dark outside.

i wasn't a studious person, and the only reason i did any of this was to forget for a little while. to snap out of it. and for a while, it worked.

"y/n, honey!" my mom screamed from downstairs, and as i glanced at the clock, i realized it was time to have dinner.

but i wasn't hungry.

well, i was.

let me rephrase that; i didn't want to eat.

however, i didn't want my mother yelling at me, so i went down anyways. not that i was planning to eat.

"mom?"

"oh, hey. i already set the table, you seemed like you were working hard and i didn't wanna bother you. dad's working late. go sit down-"

"not hungry."

she frowned. "well, you have to eat something."

"but i'm not hungry," i said, hating how sharply it came out.

my mom gave me warning look. "look, i've had a long day, so don't start with me."

"mommmm," i whined.

"sit."

so i did. i felt bad about bothering her.

i ate. small, tentative bites, forcing it all down. we didn't talk.

silently, i put my dish in the sink, before heading upstairs. the food sat at the bottom of my stomach, like a pile of heavy rocks. i wanted them out.

so i turned on the shower and locked the bathroom door, kneeling in front of the toilet. i pressed my fingers to the back of my throat and kept them there for a second. at first, all i got was bile.

but then i threw up.

-

peter and i started talking more again. i think he got in a fight with liz.

i asked him if they were dating, and he said no.

i think he started hanging out with me again because i got skinny. i know for a fact that i'm skinnier than liz. i weigh less then her now.

the numbers told me that.

but i didn't listen.

i didn't stop, and how could i? when i'd gotten this far?

-

we got in a fight. not the yelling kind, though. well, kind of. i yelled a bit.

i thought he was complimenting me. he said i looked skinny, so i thanked him.

"no... i-" he paused, trying to get his thoughts together, "you look skinny, yes, but not in a good way."

"what? what do you mean? like, there's only a good way," i laughed, slightly nervous.

peter ingnored that. "have you been eating enough, angel?" his voice was soft, but there was worry in it. why was he worried? this is the best i've ever been.

"do you ask liz that, too?"

"i- what?"

"liz is skinny. you don't ask her that."

"that- that is different. y-you haven't been eating, have you? is-"

"god, parker! stop! it's none of your business!" maybe if i hadn't been so flustered, i'd have come up with a better comeback.

-

i was hunched over the toilet, but nothing was coming out. everything hurt.

my head. my stomach.

my throat was scratchy and raw.

i didn't hear the knocking on the door.

i don't really remember peter coming in. i thought i locked it. what was he doing at my house? i couldn't remember.

i wanted to sleep.

i think i was crying. i don't know. i only vaguely remember the hot tears.

i slightly remember him pulling me away from the toilet and into his arms. there were lots of holes in my memory for that day.

he stayed with me, though. one thing i'm sure about is that peter never left my side. i can recall bright lights. tubes. i was laying on something. white walls. white sheets.

what was engraved into my head was peter whispering "i love you" over and over again. in the bathroom. in the car. was it a car? as they hooked me up to cables.

all that mattered, though, was that i was skinny now. just the thought made me feel light and airy.

to think that all it took was a little motivation and a weighing scale.

[mineonmain]

A concise (and biased) summary of GMMTV 2025 Pt.1 shows (2/2)

In no particular order:

11. Cat For Cash (Firstkhao, Cat Cafe AU (?), Magical Realism AU. This is the fluffy romcom that firstkhao and all the Soms have been praying for. Enough angst and crying, let them be cute and fall in love!! Also Khao cat confirmed!! I don't make the rules. Silly but cute) 6/10

12. Girls Rules (NamtanFilm, MilkLove, ViewMim. Jojo said he supports women's rights, and women's wrongs, and he's so valid for that. Love seeing women in a male dominated field. Female Only Friends, dare I say?) 6/10

13. Boys In Love (High school AU. Debuting Mick Metas, aka baby Win Metawin, and we all cheered! also featuring a lot of babies, presumably the newest crop of gmmtv recruits, and so far i'm not mad about it. I'll have to wait and see how they actually do. Classic 3 high school couple stories, general sweetness all around) 8/10

14. My Magic Prophecy (JimmySea, Doctor AU, Urban Fantasy AU. I'm personally not the biggest JimmySea girlie so this doesn't do anything for me, but I know there's people out there who are loving this, and i'm so happy for them. Jimmy is a doctor (what a concept) and Sea can see the future sort of? So what happens when Sea tries to change the future for someone he is close to?) 4/10

15. A Dog and A Place (Taynew, side MarcPoon. New is a flight attendant, and Tay is just some random clown, and since Tay owes a debt to New, he agrees to stalk New's bf and find out if he's cheating on New or not. Silly ahhh goofy ahh show, for anyone looking for a light watch and a laugh) 4/10

16. Memoir of Rati (GreatInn, side AouBoom. Historical AU, absolutely serving I Feel You Linger In The Air minus the time travel. I'm sorry to say but this is the genre of show that Earthmix deserved, we need them in a period piece STAT. That being said, it does look beautiful, it looks worth watching for the aesthetics itself) 5/10

17. Me and Thee (PondPhuwin, side PerthSanta. Photography AU, Mafia AU, except it's on crack??? looks so funny and they both do comedy so well with each other honestly i'm just having such a giggle. Can't wait for this one. Big mafia bossman Pond needs help of 'ordinary guy' Phuwin to learn how to seduce. Shenanigans ensue) 8/10

18. Ticket To Heaven (FourthGemini, Historical AU (sort of), Church AU. P'AOF COME FUCKING THRU I SAY. This is what i've been waiting for. Repressed seminary boy meets rebellious new kid, and struggles to come to terms with his sexuality while being in the church and close to God. As much as I would love for FourthGem to exercise their skills with new directors, i'm so happy to see them working with Aof again bc I just know he knows how to bring out the best in them. Fourth is absolutely going to kill this role, he's in his actor bag and i'm so proud of him. I can't wait to see how he pulls this off) 11/10

BONUS!! Purely non-queer shows:

19. I Love 'A Lot Of' You (NanonMind. Mind has DID with 5 distinct personalities, and Nanon is hired by her father to make all versions of her fall in love with him. Not sure why, but an interesting premise to use for a show, that's for sure) 3/10

20. WU (SkyNanin bromance, Boxer AU, Magical Realism AU. Sky is some kind of psychic/fortune teller, and he enlists down and out boxer Nani to protect him. I never watched Frenemy myself but I've heard nothing but amazing things about both of their acting, esp Sky. So if you need a reason to try this show out, it's Sky's phenomenal acting chops) 9/10

[couldtransitionsaveher]

CHIHIRO FUJISAKI from DANGANRONPA: TRIGGER HAPPY HAVOC

JUSTIFICATION:

"I just looked thru your entire backlog and either my eyes played tricks on me or you have somehow managed to make a buncha posts on a buncha DG characters but skipped THE MOST IMPORTANT AND OBVIOUS OF THEM ALL. If this is me failing to find her or you intentionally sidestepping that can of worms apologies or fair enough respectively.

A shitton of digital ink has already been spilled over the Chihiro debacle, so I'll keep it brief and stick to the conclusion: if I were being bullied and harassed for being effeminate, I don't think that crossdressing would *improve* the situation. that is an excuse invented after seven layers of rationalization, not a valid explanation. anything u wanna tell urself sweetie" - @princessfelicie

"She’s introduced as a girl at the beginning of the game but- after DYING mind you- she’s referred to as a boy for the rest of the series because she was born as one so I’m counting her. I genuinely believe if she had access to estrogen and the narrative treated her struggles and upbringing with more sensitivity, she could have been genuine, undebatable trans representation and she would have changed lives. The lives that surround her, the lives of the people playing the game and her own life. She could have trained with Sakura and Aoi instead of Mondo and prevented (or at the *very* least delayed) her death. She could have found comfort and power in both femininity and strength. SHE WOULD HAVE CHANGED LIIIIIVES SOMEBODY TELL HER ITS OK IF SHES A GIRL" - @starryluminary

Reminder: Submissions are always open! Submit here!

[pedge-stuff]

Fic request: Pedro or reader has an intense panic attack in a public. Reader has to talk him through it and calm him down enough so they can leave the event. Holding each other in bed.

clean up, aisle 4 (pedro pascal x gn/m!reader)

a/n: same vague universe as “marked," per usual.

thanks, as always, for everything.

summary: sometimes, you deal with the downsides.

——————————————————————————

"I feel like we tried this and didn't like it."

Pedro inspects the back label on the box— some kinda chickpea flour protein pasta 'alternative' that came less-than-highly recommended by his personal trainer— before re-shelving it alongside the other sad, fake noodles.

The grocery store has become a little bit of a minefield. Gladiator 2 prep was exciting, until the rigorous hours in the gym started requiring a specialized diet. He can't eat carbs, you don't eat meat, both of you love frozen pizza, and neither of you really want to participate in the whole classic disordered Hollywood eating thing. And yet, here you are.

Home-cooked meals have consisted mostly of roasted vegetables and dry, baked proteins. You're attempting to eat "clean" in solidarity with him, but...

"We don't need pasta," Pedro laments, turning away from the shelving altogether. "What's left?"

You pull the notes-app list back up. "Whatever kind of frozen fruit you want for smoothies, plus pitted dates. I'd love those wasabi almonds from last month, but I dunno if they have them again. We could get Skinny Pop, if you want it?"

A grimace. "That's fine."

"We don't have to get it, Pedge."

"It's fine, really. We need something for the movie tonight, right?"

His shoulders slump as he pushes the cart onwards. The back right wheel is making a little squeaking sound, sharp and grating on your last damn nerve. This grocery store feels more and more like a minefield with every aisle turn. The balance between supporting Pedro in his training, and wanting him to just say fuck it and be happy, feels entirely precarious.

"Almonds," Pedro mutters, veering right, around an obnoxiously large Goldfish display and the toddler sobbing loudly in front of it. An obstacle course of bright lights and loud sounds. "Almonds, almonds—"

"Ohmygod, Pedro Pascal."

Immediately, no. Two college-aged, tri delta-looking, fresh-from-the-salon type girls, grinning like they'd won the damn lottery. Fans— no one he actually knows says "Pay-drow."

The wheel squeaks again as they grind to a forceful halt; the girls are standing directly in the path of the cart.

"Should we ask for a picture?" They speak at full volume, to each other, as if he isn't standing right in front of them.

"We have to, for the gram. Oh my god."

"Maybe Deuxmoi will pick it up."

Pedro grimaces as they start rummaging for their phones. He's always generous with his time— sometimes a little too generous, so concerned with hurting peoples' feelings that he'll take selfies through the drive-thru window, or walking the dogs. Even one memorable time, pumping gas.

Only at night, lights off, tucked away, does he ever confess his frustrations. As though he should not want privacy; as though being grateful was more important than being safe. Guilt eats him in ways that you alone cannot heal. All you can do is hold him a little tighter.

A phone is thrust towards you. "Can you take a picture of us?"

Before either of you can react, one girl has her arm over Pedro's shoulder. The other, on his waist. He's never been one to shy away from affection— had been pushing the cart single-handedly, with the other on the small of your back, since the dairy section— but that intimacy does not extend to strangers.

They are laughing, chattering— something about Game of Thrones. You distinctly make out so sexy and slay.

But you hardly register them, instead frowning at your partner as you snap a couple pics without looking. He is frozen, eyes fixed somewhere past you, though he offers a wan smile for the camera. Answers a question you can't hear with a half-hearted laugh, before gesturing to the next aisle. A polite gesture, too far from the fuck off on the tip of your tongue.

Pedro attempts to move away, but the girl's arm is still snaked around his waist. Trapped. She reaches to wrap the other around, attempting to encircle him in a teddy bear-style hug. This, here, is the limit.

With a rough, jerky motion, he forces her off of him. "Sorry, sorry," he says quickly. "We need to go."

"But—"

If you push the cart, and it happens to roll over a perfectly manicured foot, well...

Pedro is a few paces ahead of you, stalking towards the almonds like they owe him a grave debt. His fists clench and unclench at his side.

Not good.

His tells for a panic attack are well-catalogued in your brain. You push the cart to one side, mouthing an apology to the man you almost plow down, before approaching Pedro with caution. His chest heaves as he frowns at the Blue Diamond display, breaths noticeably shallow.

"Pedro." Fighting muscle memory, you don't touch him. Don't want to startle him, though concern burns a hole in your own diaphragm.

"Mm."

"Baby, look at me."

His eyes squeeze shut, instead. "I'm good. I'm good."

"Why don't you go to the car, I'll finish up quick."

"I'm good," he insists, voice cracking.

"It's OK if you're not good."

A hitch in his breath, and Pedro's face crumbles. "Just startled me, is all," he whispers, brown eyes pooling remorsefully. "So stupid. Can't even make it through the fucking supermarket to get my fucking fruits and veggies."

You reach for his hand, lithe fingers prying his clench fist apart. Soothe the red-crescent divots in his palm with the pad of your thumb. Wait for him to continue, as if you're not both standing in the middle of the nuts-candy-and-coffee section.

"Everything is just a lot right now," Pedro says, dragging in a shaky but deeper inhale. His other hand swipes across his cheek.

Mentally, you catalogue how difficult it would be to return the items in your cart; how fast you could retrace your steps, and rush the man home.

You bring his palm to your lips, instead. "Go take a smoke," you suggest. "And then we can get the fuck outta here."

"Someone's gonna post it online again. Everyone's talking about how I reek of cigarettes."

"You have reeked of cigarettes as long as I've known you. They are late to this." Tugging playfully on the hand you still hold, you wait for him to crack the barest, thinest of smiles.

"You still love me, though."

"Enough to fight off anyone else who tries to dry-hump you in this Whole Foods."

Slowly, you both retreat to the abandoned cart. "Can we—" Pedro stops himself, unsure of how to ask.

"Whatever it is, babe, yes."

He pushes forward. "What if I was asking if we could get naked right now and run through the supermarket parking lot so people would think we were crazy and leave us alone forever?"

"Then I'd start untying my shoes. It'd be hard to pull my jeans over 'em."

The wasabi almonds are, finally, pulled from the shelf. You proceed to the freezers. "That's not what I was gonna ask," he admits, grabbing a bag of chunked mango.

"Bummer."

"Can we just get some normal fucking popcorn? If one night's worth of fake butter is what does me in, someone else can be the Gladiator, I give up."

For him? Anything.

[missvelvetsstuff]

With Friends Like You, Who Needs Enemies

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Reader is a mutant with the ability to turn sound into light who was 'adopted' aka stolen as a child by Baron Von Strucker to use for experimentation. She was given a form of the Super soldier serum so in addition to her mutant abilities she also has super strength, enhanced senses and healing. When he starts experimenting on his volunteers, the Maximoff twins, she tries to convince them to escape with her but they tell the Baron that she's planning to escape so he doubles her cell security. Steve and reader met when the team recovered Loki's scepter from Strucker.

She falls in love with Steve and becomes good friends with Nat but they aren't the friends she thinks they are.

Notes: this story is canon adjacent except that Thanos never happened.

I try to keep my readers description vague but, as always, she's female and above average height.

Chapter 8

Warnings: swearing, a little angst, a little fluff

The next morning Helen Cho examined Nat and gave her a clean bill of health. In her report to Tony she noted that Nats vision had likely returned weeks ago but she had rescheduled her appointments multiple times, confirming his belief that Nat was stringing them along.

When the room Nat had been living in was cleaned the maintenance worker brought a box of items that were left behind to Tony's office where he was having a quick lunch with Pepper.

As Pepper went through the few items, Nats bandages went in the trash, books returned to the library but a pair of blue boxer briefs caught her attention.

"Tony? Were these Natashas? They don't look like they would fit her."

Tony looked at the offending item curiously

"While I can't say for sure as I have no idea what she wears or what size, those don't look like they would fit her." He held them up to his waist and chuckled, "Don't look like mine, like I would ever wear some poly blend, but I have an idea."

He cleared his throat

"FRIDAY? Could you tell Rogers I need to speak with him when he has a moment?"

"Of course, Boss." The AI replied.

A few hours later Steve knocked on Tony's office door "What's up, Stark?"

Tony chuckled "Just working on a little mystery. Look familiar?" He picked the briefs and showed them to Steve whose eyes grew wide when he recognized them.

Steve turned red and stuttered nervously, unsure where this was going "oh uh yeah, th those are mine. They caught in the dryer or something?"

Tony smiled menacingly "Nope. They were in Romanoffs room. Any idea why that would be?"

Steve chuckled "I uh I don't know. I went to talk to her a couple of times, trying to understand her point of view but, I'm ugh I don't know."

Tony shook his head "You're A shit liar Rogers. Just come clean so I don't have to check the footage from her room."

Steve tried to bluff "What do you mean Stark? What are you trying to accuse me of?"

Tony looked him in the eye "Jesus, Steve are you really unable to admit you were still fucking her? After everything you both did, how badly you hurt Y/N and you still couldn't let her go? Must be some enchanted pussy."

Steve flinched "It's none of your business who I'm intimate with, Tony. She's gone so let it go."

Tony tsked "I don't really see it that way since she was a duplicitous bitch and your continued association speaks to your character. I need to know what else you've hidden from the team and I want your word that you will leave Y/N alone."

Steve shook his head "No. I'm not hiding anything that you need to know and I'm definitely not giving you shit. If I want to pursue Y/N and try to fix what I've done it's between me and her."

Tony folded his arms over his chest "If it potentially messes with my team then I need to know. I guess you can try to fix things but that doesn't mean I have to make it easy for you. That poor girl has been thru enough, why can't you just let her and Barnes be happy."

"Never thought I'd see you stand up for Bucky, Stark."

Tony shrugged "Never thought you'd turn out to be a lying POS. Winter Soldier aside he seems a better man than you."

"Fine, Tony I have things to do." Steve stalked out, fuming.

On his way to his room he passed the common room where Rainbow and Bucky were cuddled up on the couch, quietly talking with lots of giggles and kissy noises.

Steve scoffed "Don't you both have private rooms where you can ahem fondue instead of hanging all over each other out here? What happened to modesty?" he grumbled as he walked off.

Bucky and Rainbow looked at each other confused at Steve's outburst. Bucky shrugged she giggled and they went back to their bubble until Sam showed up.

Sam grinned at them "Well, aren't you love birds just adorable." He started singing "Rainbow and Bucky, sittin in a tree, K I S S I N G-" He teased.

Bucky blushed before he glared at Sam, cutting him off, not wanting him to make Rainbow uncomfortable.

"Grow up, Sam. You'd think you had never seen a happy couple. Must have been one Hell of a dry spell."

Sam laughed "Nah, I just enjoy getting you flustered."

Bucky had enough and raised his voice "You need to stop-"

Rainbow softly touched his cheek and Bucky closed his eyes and leaned into her hand, Sam all but forgotten

"It's ok Jamie, he doesn't bother me. Nothing else matters when I'm with you."

Sam smirked "Aawww, ain't you the

cutest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About a month after Nat left the compound, there was a fundraiser for the New York library. Bucky and Rainbow were hesitant to join the team on a nite out but Tony did everything short of calling it mandatory so they agreed to shut him up.

Details about the triangle with Rainbow, Nat and Steve had been leaked including some racey pics, everyone assumed by Nat, and the teams popularity took a hit. Steve's approval rating was down more than anyone besides Nat.

Unfortunately they received funding from multiple governments and other rich benefactors besides Tony and the negative numbers made some of them twitchy. Tony was convinced that coming out together and showing a United front would help.

There hadn't been any huge incidents that required Avengers level intervention so Rainbow and Bucky hadn't been on any missions while he taught her how to fight hand to hand.

Steve was doing everything he could think of to get alone time with Rainbow but distracting Bucky wasn't enough. The entire team worked to keep Steve away from her which made him short tempered. He disappeared for a few hours at least 3 late nights a week and would be less awful the next morning but it didn't last long.

Everyone assumed he was hooking up but only Tony had a good inkling of who Steve was meeting up with, which meant she was still in town.

That concerned Tony. After the reveal of Nats multiple faces he didn't trust her, or Steve's, intentions so kept a close eye on Steve and kept the other eye open for her to try to worm or cheat her way back on to the team. Or cause them more damage. He couldn't find any trace of her or evidence that she was up to something but knew they hadn't seen the last of her. Tony kept it all to himself so that he wasn't needlessly worrying the team, who all had their own suspicions.

He had FRIDAY watching out for her without any luck, knowing that her particular skill set would help her stay under the radar.

Wanda and Rainbow went shopping to find outfits for the library gala. Rainbow found the perfect dress, a pastel ombre floor length gown with spaghetti straps and a sweetheart neckline.(like Faith Hills 2002 Oscar dress).

Rainbow was so excited, her first event as an official Avenger and a chance to dress up and go out on Bucky's arm.

She was also nervous about such a big event and all the people that would be there. It wasn't Tony's event or his venue so she was a little nervous about security and Nat trying to pull something.

Or Steve trying to get her and Bucky apart. Steve and Nats deception made her nervous and skittish about trusting anyone but Bucky, Sam, Tony, Bruce and Wanda. Steve was another story, he kept pursuing her but never even apologized for what he had done, trying to convince her it didn't happen how she remembered.

The day of the event Pepper called in a beauty team to help get the ladies ready so they could relax. They gossiped and giggled about the men in their lives, over champagne, carefully avoiding any mention of Steve or Nat.

Once it was time to go they went to the lobby to meet their men who were waiting, mostly patiently.

When Bucky saw Rainbow his mouth dropped open and his eyes darkened. It took him a moment to speak

"Damn doll, you look more beautiful every time I see you. All the men there are gonna be green with envy when they see my girl." He kissed the back of her hand.

Rainbow admired Bucky's all black look with a small splash of color in a pocket square that matched her dress.

Sam was also there with a very cute girl from the research team, they had bonded over Red Wing. Lauren was very sweet and a little crazy and not used to the kind of attention Sam lavished on her but she loved it.

As they headed towards the stretch SUV a familiar but unwelcome voice called out "Oh good, I got here just in time." And proceeded to insert himself between Bucky and Rainbow, hand on her lower back as he opened the car door for her.

Rainbow pulled away from Steve with a look of disgust on her face, Bucky bumped Steve with his shoulder to force him away from Rainbow.

Steve scoffed "Isn't this whole outing supposed to show we are still a united team, ready to work together and protect humanity? Who's going to buy that if everyone is giving me dirty looks and flinching away?"

Tony sighed "Dammit, he's right. We need to just hold our noses and look like one happy family." He looked at Rainbow sadly "You should probably dance with him at least once just for show."

Bucky shook his head "No fucking way, he needs to keep his hands off of her." his arm went around her shoulder and pulled Rainbow closer to him.

She looked in his eyes, touching his cheek softly "They're right but it's ok, Jamie. I don't want to be separated from you but it's only a dance or two and I can take care of myself."

Bucky sighed then glared at Steve "I swear to god Steve, you hurt one hair on her head and I'll kill you in your sleep."

He helped Rainbow into the car and scooted in after her before Steve could get between them and sit next to her.

The drive was tense, the lighthearted vibe from earlier was gone thanks to Steve's insistence on being part of the group, without regard to the feelings of anyone else. Bucky had Rainbow pulled close to him while giving Steve his best Winter Soldier stare.

When they arrived the door was opened to the red carpet, shorter than your typical Hollywood event but enough to let fans and paparazzi get a look at the Avengers.

Of course Tony and Pepper went first with a positive reaction of applause and shouting.

Wanda and Vision were next with a similar reaction from the crowd and camera flashes popping everywhere.

Rainbow stepped out of the car and the crowd erupted. Applause, whistles, shouting and requests for autographs and selfies. She smiled nervously, never having expected so much love.

Bucky followed her and received a positive response, if a bit muted.

Steve stepped out of the car and the crowd went silent, all that could be heard was whispers and flashes. Then a smattering of boos and hisses sounded and Steve clenched his jaw before striding past everyone and into the library.

Tony shrugged and smirked at the crowd and led everyone inside to stop at the bar first.

After snacking on some appetizers to offset the alcohol she was drinking Rainbow wandered around the room, holding Bucky's arm and chatting with the people Tony introduced them to.

Then came some speeches about the money raised and the good work the libraries did. A couple of local celebrities performed and then the music started. Steve appeared out of nowhere to grab Rainbows arm and drag her to the dance floor. She started to pull back before she remembered what Tony said, united front- happy family, and tried to relax in his arms.

She was doing well until a short, curvy blonde in a strapless, glittery, red dress with a cut outs and a slit high up her thigh approached Bucky. Rainbow didn't recognize her face but there was something familiar about her. Bucky shook his head but the woman wouldn't take no for an answer so he finally gave in, emphasizing that he would only give her one dance.

When the song ended Rainbow and Bucky pulled away from their dance partners, practically running back into each others arms. They swayed to a slow song, staring into each others eyes like they were the only people in the world.

A more lively song started and Bucky pulled her into the simple swing dance moves making her sport a real smile. When he went to spin her the crowd seemed to move together to come between them and Rainbow ended up in Steve's arms. He worked to move them down a hallway towards the bathrooms where Rainbow saw something that made her chest ache.

The sultry blond in the red dress was kissing Bucky hard, hands in his hair pulling him closer to her. When Rainbow saw, a gasp left her mouth and the blonde woman barely pulled back from Bucky to quickly smirk at her before pulling Bucky back to kiss him again. Steve turned Rainbow before she could see Bucky pushing the woman away and wiping all traces of her from his lips while looking for her. Rainbow felt a pinch in her neck and everything went black.

Bucky looked around frantically for Rainbow but her, Steve and the blonde woman were nowhere in sight. He moved through the crowd in the direction Steve had been moving, through the hall past the bathrooms to the service entrance but they were gone.

Bucky raced back into the main room, searching for Wanda first in the hopes that her powers could help find Rainbow.

He grabbed Wanda's hand and pulled her to interrupt Tony and Peppers dance and blurted out

"She's gone! Natasha was here and helped Steve separate us and now they're all gone."

Chapter 9

[austinslounge]

PR Girl is sipping the hot tea straight from the kettle!!

I have to say I love her asks as much as I do reading your answers to all the anons - I always take time to read them a couple of times (and sometimes more) as you both speak a lot of sense but it’s never patronising. It’s more of a gentle nudge like - ‘but what if we think about this in another way’ and then explain what you mean perfectly!! You never make any of us feel stupid (I don’t think so anyway) and always take our opinion into consideration then if you read something that makes you think ‘ohh I see what you’re saying’ you tell us and that’s why I think so many anons send you asks. You always help to calm the storm and guide us thru it but never give us false hope except to just have faith that this will all end soon enough. In my humble opinion both of you should be very proud of yourselves because that is one hell of a skill to have and very few people have it. I genuinely mean that to. 💝

Also I never really thought about how, when other couples don’t always go to big events together, i never questioned it but for some reason i do with them and didn’t know why until PR Girl pointed out how co-dependent Kaia actually is. Very interesting 🤔

That's so sweet of you to say Anon 🥹 Thank you so much. 💓

I also want to say that I appreciate everyone's anons! I don't mind if we don't all agree or feel the same way, as long as we can all be respectful of everyone. I really appreciate the kind and respectful Anons, even if you're feeling anxious or frustrated. I totally understand. 😟 I think we've all been there.

But as someone who has seen many Hollywood romances come and go, it's just good to keep things in perspective and realize (like PR Girl said! 😉) that most Hollywood romances don't last anyway.

We just have to ride this crazy wave ladies 🤪

Don't worry though -- I think one day we will see Austin looking genuinely happy in a relationship again. 🥰

[nikethestatue]

Hi and sorry this is pretty long. I am the anon who asked about the “why sjm would have included az in the mating bond storyline, when she already had a 3rd party” ask. I just wanted to elaborate on my thought processes around this and get your opinion. I always ask myself when reading a book and guessing about potential storyline’s what did the inclusion or lack of inclusion of this scene, that person, that bit of information bring to the plot and how can it move current storyline’s along. With the el/lu storyline that we have at present, her not accepting the bond, being uncomfortable around him and him being almost indifferent to her at this point what would we need to do to get with them to get them from point a to b. Well we could stay with this, have el still fighting the bond because of reasons but slowly giving in, could use a lot of popular troupes in this storyline, forced proximity, one horse/bed, fake dating and missunderstandings etc, make it angsty and eventually they do fall in love. Bingo! a to b achieved. No need for Az to have been brought in at all. Or we could have the love triangle storyline once again no need for Az we already had gray, could have had the plot be unable to accept becoming fae, staying with gray (even tho he was a raging prick, which has the bonus of helping have the readers rooting for Luc instead of having readers divided between Az/luc) because it’s her last threads to her humanity, it could of been her journey in accepting not being human (but we already kinda had that plot point with nes/cass so unlikely) luc helping her thru it and having to overcome a 3rd party, possible troupes, watching yr mate be with someone else (done with Rhys/feyre), jealousy, mutual pining, misunderstandings lots of areas to explore here. Anyway you get where I’m going with this, the point being, no matter which way you look at it Az didn’t need to be included in el storyline in order to achieve the end goal of having el/luc together. In fact it just makes it messy for an author to tie up all loose threads and have everyone come out happy including the reader. Also applies to the imfamous bonus chapter. You have to ask yrself what was the motivation for the author of including 2 intimate scenes involving one person, one intimate scene of 2 MAIN characters that gets interrupted and then immediately having the male go and have another intimate scene with a side character. If you wanted the 2nd scene to imply a romantic connection you could of just left the 1st scene out all together and still had the same outcome. You didn’t need to end el/az to start az/gwyn because in the actual books, although it’s been hinted at, it hasn’t been confirmed. Why do things in the 2nd scene that are unromantic, even antiromantic, like a guy regifting a gift from one girl to the next, (he could of gone to the library the next day with literally anything else and the scene would have been the same) why have him simping for a girl immediately before going to the actual love interest. Why make a messy situation, once again, when you didn’t need to unless you never intended for the 2nd scene to be romantic. Which ever way you look at it having the az/el storyline confirmed in the bonus matters because otherwise you’ve created a narrative nightmare for both the el/luc and az/gwyn storylines that didn’t need to exist if it, ultimately, wasn’t going to mean anything

No you are absolutely right. There is no need for Azriel in that situation. Unless you actually need him to be partnered with Elain. Especially not for this long.

I've entertained many options for how Elucien can happen--and yet, if SJM wanted to write Elucien, slow burn, learning to like and then love each other, it's very possible. But there is enough of an obstacle in there--their mutual reluctance, and especially Elain's--that Azriel isn't needed. They'd have enough to overcome without the interference of another character. At most, he could've played a Tarquin-like role. A short flirtation, for a chapter or two. Not all these pivotal scenes which SJM gave Azriel, and not Lucien.

There also wouldn't be the need for Vassa or Lucien living there. In these books, you want the man to fight for his woman. He should pursue her, woo her, court her, not peace out and shack up with another female. I mean, there is no real come back from that.

"Hey Elain, I know we were mates and all, but I was banging Vassa while you were deciding. No, I didn't do everything in my power to convince you and show you the man that I am, who is worth loving and who is worth your eternity. I left at the first sign of trouble."

That's really kind of not an ideal setup.

And there is nothing to say about Gwynriel, because it's not an obstacle as it doesn't exist.

[kirby-the-gorb]

reply roundup!

had to put these on hold for a while for personal reasons </3 they're likely to still be infrequent, but in honor of kirb2k!

(my notes would only load back to mid september so I missed a couple weeks sorry :c but be warned that this is a long one! it's 3 entire months' worth!)

also, reminder that kirb2k ends tomorrow!!! preorders, commissions, and auctions will all close at noon pst on sunday december 17th! everything is linked in the pinned post or filed under the tag kirb2k!

first is one more birthday kirb from my friend @sleepy-sheep-wizard:

Realized halfway thru that I don’t know what Kirby looks like off the top of my head, so I got funky with it. Happy birthday, thank you for being a good friend

thank you again friend <3 getting funky with it is truly in the spirit of just drawing a little guy for fun, I love his little hat in particular.

on [mirror] @shapeshifterwithafez said: uuuh is Scherben bringen Glück/ Shards bring luck a universal saying? sounfs clinky as a direct translation. anyways in germany we say that shards of stuff you broke brings luck so I hope the luck finds you or smth sorry for rambling ^^

I'd never heard this saying before, but I think it's very sweet! thank you for sharing it with me :)

on [pipefight] @hauntedppgpaints said: goalies with a skate blade and their stick in hand

big hockey vibes for real yeah lol

on [pink] @gaydiation-poisoning said: ...I wanna eat that pink

honestly same, it's sooo pleasing

on [rain] @hive-heart said: Everything alright, daily kirby guy?

not really but sitting by the window in the rain is a good thing lol thanks for asking <3

(also the person who tagged that same post myhouse.wad made me laugh)

on [photo] @ceylonsilvergirl [added] a picture of their cat and said: get adored idiot!! see the hate in her eyes? I’ll make her love me yet!!

me @ my partner's cat

@violet-dragongirl said: oh! I have been meaning to ask! Have you played Kirby and The Forgotten Lands? I assume you did but just wanted to say that I did about a week ago and I loved it and thought of your art! ^.^ And if you haven't, yes, Carby is super adorable and amazing :3

I have! I got it very shortly after it came out, I had a really good time with it. I've been slowly replaying it recently with my partner, they were kind of fond of kirby just by proxy but since we started playing they adore bandee now and say he never gets enough screen time XD I'm glad you also had fun!

on [mice] @ceylonsilvergirl said: girls like swarms of things, right?

idk bro my wife wasn't so big on it when I got a gig housing 30 mice, but maybe she's weird. I liked them. (sadly one of the best paying jobs I've ever had up until the owner lost it and abandoned them with me, yes I still took care of them for the rest of their little lives) (and yes I also got my wife's okay before I took them on in the first place)

on [covid] @mordantivore said: reading posts from when the era of covid safety was declared anathema and ended is haunting. we were so desperate to find ppl willing to help us stay alive. there are fewer of us now bc “allies” are worthless & more of us have died

yeah. fuck. I'm lucky that the people in closest proximity to me are at least moderately careful, but me and my wife and partner are usually the only ones wearing masks anywhere we go except sometimes the employees and I know they don't always wear them when they're out without me.

on [swim] @northeasternwind said: Jdjdjfkg imagining Kirby being way more bouyant than your average human so them gotta exhale REAL HARD or attach nega-floaties (sinkies?) like weights to dive

lol yeah they probably gotta try So Hard to actually get under the water. (I think diving weights/ballast is a thing that humans use too? I've never gone diving, having my face underwater stresses me out -n- )

on [float] @nickiemoot said: he has to go now. his planet needs him. *slide whistle*

I can only hear this as that one similar part from one of the asdfmovies, it delights me

@vampiricarus said: if you see this just know i love your art so much

aww thank you! <3

anonymous said: just wanted to say I love Kirby and I love your art! I’m always excited to see it on my dash. thank you for bringing a little joy to my life :) I need it once in a while like I’m sure a lot of others do too! Keep up the good work :))

thank you! drawing a little guy brings me a little joy too, I'm glad it can do the same for others <3

on [drain] @ceylonsilvergirl said: I’m sorry you’re having a rough time. Existing is hard work sometimes. A lot of the time

fuck dude it sure is <3 especially when my body keeps trying to shut down lol

on [mud] @why-are-all-the-fun-urls-taken said: Hey man are u doing ok

I am not, thanks for asking <3

on [tummyache] @hobgirl said: :o kirby the gorb why would you do that!!!!! why!!!!!

I didn't want it to go to waste!!! everyone is dumb sometimes!!!

on [wizard] @eau-the-agony said: not enough appreciation in the wizarding world for garlic salt spell. its all kung pow penis tgis and ketamine ape that. not enough of the small joys which carry us through the horrors like a dinky garbage raft

you are so right. the small joys are the most powerful of all.

on [wizard] @beepbeepdespair said: somehow didnt know garlic salt was a thing until this moment. now i really want some. i think i just found a kg of it online for 12 quid??

I am so pleased that you now have the knowledge of Garlic Salt Spell, I hope you got to try it out for yourself :D

on [zelda] @chaos-squared said: Good job!! I’ve had it for longer yet still haven’t completed it ;w;

nothing wrong with that! I only finished it as quickly and thoroughly as I did because I was basically bedridden for all of october, as long as you enjoy the time you do spend with a game it doesn't really matter how much time you spend or how far you get.

on [brave] @gudetamalover said: me tomorrow afternoon when I get all four wisdom teeth out

I'd already had several other oral surgeries on account of Weird Teeth before I got my wisdom teeth out but it still knocked me on my ass for a couple days, I hope your recovery went as smooth as possible! (altho that was also like. 15 years ago. and general anesthesia has gotten a lot better since then.)

on [shiny] @angst-and-fajitas said: Like to slap his bald head reblog to slap his bald head

bald! bald! bald! bald!

on [powerwash] @chronicdilf said: decemberb 16 im goign to walk across the damn stage get my damn diploma folder im going to go home and POWERWASHER SIMULATOR JUST LIKE KIRBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah!!! you're gonna do it!!! you might be doing it right now even!!!

on [cooked] @hobgirl said: oh mood kirby..... struggling with the very last paper i need to write before i can graduate and its got me feeling this way fr

ough, I hope you made it through your paper! lots of people graduating tho that's so cool, congrats to both of you!

on [bears] @jupiterlandings said: I get so happy every time I see Cake and the name Cake being tagged :)

it's such a good name for a bear, I'm grateful you thought of it!! especially given the best I could do for the other one was "kirbear" lol

@violet-dragongirl said: omg seeing that Fav Grobs Post you recently put up makes me so happy! over a thousand (and then some!) GORBS?! :D I'm not only impressed but so proud ya made it this far and I'm so glad you got possibly more to go of Kirby!! :D!! Really great job 🥰🥰

thank you! I'm gonna hit 2000 days of drawing kirby tomorrow, that's so wild!

on [popular] @timeturner-jay said: Op your Kirby art brings so much utter joy you have no idea <3

yay I'm glad <3 I love to draw a little guy, it's good I'm not the only one having fun lol

I got a lot of "good blaze op" on the [macarena], and you're all correct, thank you for recognizing my great decision making B) (I'd been meaning to add the music and blaze it from basically the moment I drew it, I've just been really sick so it took a while.)

(also even if I don't always gather them in the roundup there are names I recognize showing up repeatedly in the tags, some of whom have been here for years, and I'm always glad to see you're still around!)

[pinkmoondoll9shihtzu]

Hello there 🙏🫶 I just want to share this rn with you..... 💌 Recently i have developed a crush on a girl. She is so wonderful and we talk every day & i feel so giddy LOL. I don't even know her face😭 I am so unsure over alot of things & it is both mortifying & exhilarating to experience .. & thats the fun if it..omg.. recently i feel like so many friends are having crushes i wonde r your thoughts on this..

also i forgot how to flirt entirely so i dnt even know if its noticeable to her at all that im interested that way since i havent been bold enough LOL any advice on signaling this to her is appreciated i feel like13 again likeso clumsy LOL its so exciting too omg wishing you a beautiful day when u reaD this i hope it;s fine to send this to u i know u like your inbox used as a confessional but i'm still shy HAHA

🙏🌞🫶🫧🌈

AWWW💞💞💞 happy for u Anon :]....Ues it seems lately many people have been finding new love, i noticed it too the past few weeks :o I've only had that feeling a handful of times over my life, its a special one cus it can be quite fleeting depending on how fast things move, treasure it🌟 altho W/ me and slimbo it lasted ages so by the end of it when we finally confessed love i was FRIED from haveing butterflies in my stomach for so long lol i was losing my marbles over it. anywyas--

Honeslty im BAD at flirting like. i have noooo idea how to make a move , slimbo n i both tried to keep it .pokerface. for years because we're like, i dont even know, we're stupid we were almost enemies for a while. there was a timespan where we were SOOOO competitive and whenever we tried to play games we'd fight so much and i'd end up crying LMAO im laugjing so hard typing this cus we're not even like that now. Like as soon as we got together we became the ultimate harmonious team of considerate affectionate lovers but the courting phase was such a trainwreck lmao. i love it like its beautiful it all worked out, but yeah i suck at flirting i am swagless in that position🧎‍♀️

Altho when it's irl i definitely at least try to Thot it Up, concoct minxy outfits , move in a charming way, one of my most successful tactics has been attempting to orchestrate accidental voyeuristic scenarios for them to catch in their peripherals lol. but you have to be reeeeally subtle to pull that one off ;] i guess mostly i just try to talk to them a lot !! and be thouggtful. send telepathic uncondtional love. SHOW THEM SONGS!!!!!!! if its an internet thing, maybe u can watch movies or youtube videos together. be inquisitive and ask her lots of questions ^_^ one thing that always drew me to slimbo is how curious they are and their #intellect.. But everyones different so just feel it out day by day thru communication💓💓💓

hhope that helpes in some way.. its ok to feel giddy and clumsy im sure ur crush just wants to get to know the most authentic -you- so dont stress too much about specifics ^u^ Enjoy your weekend love ~ ~ ~ P.M.d.9

[fortunefool]

hi hello everyone!! im here w yu sera and her luck manip ability!! aka ur rabbit's foot & broken mirror in one! ik ik ... 2 in 1 .... what a steal ! formal descriptions / pages will b coming this weekend!!!

dc is avail. upon req if u prefer it over tumblr ims (which im ok with, btw!!) & like this if u wna put our beasts in some situations (if u want to plot) ! OH! and ty to evry1 who has alrdy reached out!! tw for mentions of : death, murder, drowning, sewer side.

ㅤㅤㅤ 𖹭 ㅤㅤㅤ statistics .

name : yu sera. (유세라)

birthday: 980922. (twenty5)

hometown: yongin, south korea.

education: master degree in nursing, second yr.

residence: yellow hall('s resident advisor)

ㅤㅤㅤ 𖹭 ㅤㅤㅤ biography & co .

you see, sera's life has been L after L after L, back to back

her mother? poor, modest, v excited to have a daughter. her f*ther? HWAKTHU. fluctuating between rich and poor, gambling his life away, alw fucking around, messing w the wrong people, scamming!

scammer on scammer hate crime ensues when a dubious low budget genie irl tells sera's dad "give me all the $$$ u have. but dw dw! i can grant u a wish... such as.... i'll give ur newborn daughter the power of Luck." and he leaves out the part that Luck is bad n good.

and what does her dad do? he listens!!! a born, living, lucky charm? sign him tf up!!!! he waits for sera to be born, tells her mom that he has to leave n he will take sera (so he doesnt have to share the lucky charm yknow), the mom tries to fight for the daughter but... ope... person w money vs person w no money.... yea... head low.

sooooo, she spends her childhood pretty happy. daddy's girl n all! w an ability that she believes to be some form of Good Luck Manip. she sees her dad as the best man in the world and he. loves. it. why? bc it makes her ability v powerful and he keeps on winning, buying expensive things, not being caught etc etc... just living the best life off of sera... but ofc. nothing lasts forever.

sera enters her teenage years and hell breaks loose. she accidentally learns that her mother didnt abandon them (as per her dad's fake sob story), she figures out that her dad is no Fair businessman and it alllll comes crumbling down.

so young and so shaken up with new, different emotions, she quickly learns that she can manifest bad luck as well. luckily(?) for her dad, she was still in denial so the bad luck wasnt strong enough to k*ll him off.... but it did take away all of his riches which cld count as murder in his books. long story short, he becomes a Monster, trashes her things, kicks her out, leaves her out in the street w nothing.

i'll try to make this part rlly brief bc i want her Trauma to be traumaing but i also dont want to get into graphic deets!! couch surfing at a friend. friend dies. parents hate her. sera starts searching for her mom, someone tells her that she's dead. ope... sera tries to end it all bc of that by drowning. randomly gets saved. ends up living w this cute ol lil lady, a retired nurse, who feels like a grandma figure for sera... baow. accidental bad luck manifestation makes them get into an accident, guess who survives thru survival luck and who doesnt. yea....

so ... you may be thinking ... now what. WELL. she hears abt sua ... abt the Patch (one that she cldnt afford/get her hands onto) so she decides well. im sick of being the bad guy (accidentally) all the time, im sick of spiraling, im sick of my ability fluctuating. let me become a nurse and help out! maybe i'll finally get to use my power for proper good this time....

soooooo she tries to cheer up during her uni years. she gets more control over her ability but theres still lots to learn! her emotions still affect her deeply but its no longer THAAAAAAAAT bad.

her goals? become a v v v good nurse. gain complete control over her ability and use it w her job. help ppl w her power. find her mom. and... devious smile..... find her dad to k*ll him w the bad luck.

ㅤㅤㅤ 𖹭 ㅤㅤㅤ ability .

luck manip!!! she can give u good luck or bad luck!!! her eyes turn green when it's good luck & black when it's bad luck! she can touch u, look at u, think of u, it works either way! ofc, she can do more w a touch than w a thought!

she can make you get the luck you need to find your keys or to win the lottery! she can make you spill ur coffee all over ur new clothes or get u vvv sick! anything goes! if it's a casual ez kind of luck (keys, coffee), then she'll need a few moments to regain her energy. if its smth more extreme (lottery, sickness), she needs a few days (even up to a week), to recover!!! the more complex it is, the more it drains her energy!

it's all within d laws of physics & limits of 'reality' ! so she cant get you to magically materialize ur lost keys back and she cant spill invisible coffee on u! ALSO!!! this ability only works in like... idk.... a 100-200 miles radius!

her Survival Luck is also present n exists and she can (and has alrdy) managed to survive a bunch of extreme situations (see above)! however, the Way that she survives it.... out of her control fr.... cld be a scratch, cld be 5 broken bones, not up to sera!

ㅤㅤㅤ 𖹭 ㅤㅤㅤ brief personality .

she's v chill and looooooves helping people!!! not super hyper BUT still a fun girl nonetheless! not boring by any means despite being v toned down and lowkey!

DESPITE the previous bullet point, she is extremely afraid of getting attached to people and LET ALOOOOONE love them so she tries to keep everyone at arms length. why? obv bc of her ability and her fear of not being able to control it properly... she doesnt want another friend + grandma incident.

has a tendency to become mellow / nostalgic and can be caught overthinking... which she tries to do while on that nullivi .... ofc! LDFDFGJJ

ㅤㅤㅤ 𖹭 ㅤㅤㅤ plots .

a few friends????? a few foes?????? a few younger ppl @ yellow hall she's helped out as a resident advisor??? someone who tries to get close to her but shes ADAMANT on not letting that happen?

ppl affected by her good luck..... what abt ppl affected by her bad luck.... ooo swearing up and down that she didnt mean it and it was accidental... cld be true or not. ppl accusing her of using her powers when she didnt? OOOO what abt using the bad luck on a person that she was told was a bad person but sera was only manipulated into thinking soooooooo ooooooouuuuu

someone who's known her ever since she was a teenager? watching her go thru the whole spiral of bad luck??? maybe theyre older and even told her abt sua!!!

what if there's someone who jus doesnt believe that she has an ability? or they do and they think its a stupid one? NLKFJGN idk...

i kinda want lots of angst for her.... i think it'd be fitting.... lets put sera and ur muse thru the pain machine tgt!

THANK YOU FOR READING / SKIMMIN THRU THISSSSSSSSSS SMUAAAAAAAAAAAAACH!!

[annislittleshopofhorrors]

I’m sorry for how long this is, I’m usually a lurker so have held it in. It may be spiteful, but I really feel like he deserves a question about her. He went public with that horrible pap walk we all endured, he publicly acknowledged his deep love of scaring her and then publicly threw her in our faces with a montage on Valentines Day without even writing Happy Valentines Day on the post. Even if he didn’t personally handle the crap being put on his social media, he knew it was going on there. I don’t care if it’s real or PR or if they had something on him and conned him into doing this. If he wasn’t acting a fool, they wouldn’t have something on him in the first place. If this is indeed PR, he signed up for it or did something stupid like IG Tinder and got caught being a gross old (I’m a few years older than him so I can say that) man after young booty. Whatever the case, he is doing this to himself. He knows the distaste or he wouldn’t have been so timid on Friday at the convention. Personal opinion, he would have backed out, but his team pressured him to try to make any amends with his fans that he could. They know what is being said about him and how many fans turned away. The fact that he let the trio bait and taunt his fans, and continued to entertain them, in whatever capacity it did, that says enough for me. I don’t care if it is how CAA works. I’m a Seb girl, I lived thru what CAA has done for his image, and I want Pre-CAA Seb back. They are doing the same with Chris. Whether it is real or PR, I feel like they have used it for PR if it’s real and it has made him look nasty and conceited and truly needing help. His fans that have always defended him to rumors, he spit in their faces by still allowing the baits before awkwardly walking thru Central Park the day after SMA dropped. That was when he showed his true colors to me. He said, ‘thanks for defending me but let me show you what I really think.” No, he owes me nothing. I chose to be a fan and he is a grown man and loves his own life and makes his own choices. But I will never defend his actions again and that’s my choice. I don’t see him in the same way, and that’s my choice because of my likes and dislikes and morals. I can choose whether or not to spend my money on his work or meet and greets because it’s my choice. He is a public figure though and he chose that. He chose to call the paps and to post the two montages and that’s his choice (kind of). Celebrities post what they want you to see and usually are only photographed when they want to be seen for a reason. So, yeah, I choose to see this whole thing like Chris spitting in his fans faces repeatedly after seeing this trio called out for their actions and still being in their circle. So, I hope they ask about his very public, in love, relationship with his 25 year old love who makes a living portraying children while she hangs with her racist, nazi loving, fatphobic Neanderthal friends. Ask him the question. How is your love, ALBA freaking Baptista?

Sorry, it took me a while to read it. Most of the time I have something to say, but this time I just can't because you just expressed your feelings about him. So I won't argue or agree or disagree with you. This is a safe space, so I hear you and I understand how you feel. 😊

[chiarrara]

Ok so I got more thoughts on the whole art school au:

Oh the Tokyo and the Kyoto schools are definitely rivals(which makes the whole shibuya art convention far more tense probably) . Which reminds me- Todo is also in textile/fashion and is either focused on making high quality gym clothes or on making pretty dresses (inspired by his one and only Takada)

I was really thinking on wether Gojo would be an artist in this au or not, since in all “no powers” au’s he’s in I just default him to a physics professor. But if he is then he absolutely just fucks around by incorporating physics into his art any way he can think of. Like very complex art installations or sculptures made to show off the weirdass stuff you can make by abusing the laws of physics. Geto on the other hand is into fine arts (mostly oil painting) but is obsessed with adding in philosophical or religious symbolism in his paintings. If Kenjaku was real in this universe then he’s probably the paint fumes Geto keeps huffing (that are most likely melting his brain as we speak)

Also just because this is an art school au doesn’t mean that Mahito doesn’t almost kill someone. Multiple times. I mean, it’s the viewers that should be more careful around the hanging sculptures, and yes he did make sure that the threads that attach them to the ceiling are secure! And him almost throwing a box cutter at someone was just a happy accident. (Side note I think his art would be focused heavily on body horror, the grotesque, or just generally being off-putting or gory. Something like Cao Hui’s “I Want To Play God”. Be warned for body horror tho when searching that up, but it is really cool)(another side note: Hanami would make beautiful ceramic flowers)

Since we mentioned throwing sharp objects at people and Nobara seems like the type to have chased boys with scissors in middle school, imagine how dangerous she would be now. Because not only does she have access to scissors to chase you with, she also has saws, lino cutters, hammers and many more very dangerous objects. Maybe don’t rile her up while she’s in the workshop. Or don’t rile her up at all.

Each year Maki welds herself a sword to see how much she’s improved

Megumi loves drawing and illustrating animals and most of his sketchbooks are so full that they’re all puffed up and can’t even close properly anymore. They look like they’ve been thru war. He also uses his art skills to shitpost a lot.

Since Yuuji is a movie nerd I think he’s love doing subtle merch based on the movies he likes

ahhhhhhh okay i was watching basketball so i couldn't give this my full attention but i was itching to reply all nighttttt

eeeek i love a rivalry. Also, I love Todo in textiles. I feel like he would make such simple but meticulously constructed clothes. Like the kind that you don't even know how good they are unless you actually know shit about clothes. Also, por que no los dos, he can make really pretty athletic wear for women. Tennis dresses and lounge wear and golf skirts, and body suits. Oooh and his dream could be to get a contract with Takada, or do a promotion with her. And he would tell her she's his muse and everything he's made had been inspired by her.... or that's his dream at least.

OH and he would judge guys by their taste in girls because it's literally their taste in fashion as well and he's passionate about the type of girl you design for....oh it all fits soooo well. I love him.

okay, so to ME i always see Gojo as more of a math guy, because his powers are actually more math based and conceptual than they are physics based. Like he's not actually fucking with the extant laws of the material universe so much as he is bringing math concepts into reality through magic-infused imagination. But i'm a math person, and fundamentally there's not enough of a difference if you're not a math and physics person and it is physics in a way like he's applying math concepts to physical space so it makes sense to make him a physics professor like everyone does because you use a lot of math in physics especially quantum physics dealing in higher dimensions which is basically what he's doing morphing spacetime and it's getting really in the weeds and particular to make the distinction between math and physics at that point but I am who I am...

So ANYWAY my point is, it would be really cool for him to do like, some kind of digital art, computer graphics type thing? and maybe he like designs a lot on a computer based on math concepts and things and then translates them into physical space in ways that completely fuck your mind. like somehow he recreates infinite fractals in physical space and you can't figure out why your mind is short circuiting to make this work but it does. Idk I think that would be really cool. And he would design mcescher like gallery spaces that you get turned around in and can't figure out how you got to where you are from where you were. like somehow you went downstairs and ended up a floor up. And no one can figure it out but he does it somehow.

Not kenjaku is the paint fumes geto is huffing TToTT im deaddd. okay so what if in school he did a whole series on moral responsibilities and the burden of responsibility on the leaders of society and then it started getting weird and he started spouting off a bunch of nonsensical stuff about the weak consuming and overtaking the strong and how he had to fight back and his art started to get very warped and a little horrific and then it turned out the paint thinner he used was getting recalled and there was a class action lawsuit cause it was causing hallucinations and lots of other health issues and once he switched he pretty much chilled out but it was a very formative experience for him. and also that was his masters thesis project or something lmao. wouldn't that be so silly haha goofy.

YES DISASTER CURSES AS PART OF THE AU!!! I love it. I never know how to incorporate them but this is soooo perfect and I love your idea for Mahito. that series you recommended as inspo for him is so sick and i think that makes so much sense as something he would make. I actually love what you were saying the other day about how Mahito is maybe questionable with how they're portrayed in canon with their presentation + their power set, but making that more into the actual ideas of self-embodiment of perfection. like, I get to create my own body because I am the soul and I form my body around myself. But it doesn't have to be any less violent or gory. like I can see his ideal project being like a fucked up body works, like preservation and essentially taxidermy? but breaking more boundaries to form artistic depictions of whatever ideal human form he wants. But he probably can't actually find a way to get away with that, so he has to settle.

I could see him setting up performance art where he get models and twists them into still doable but grotesque shapes, or simulates their bodies being morphed, or makes them intertwine to form one larger body in an unconventional shape. and i could see him also instructing them to wail in pain for the full exhibit run time. And I could see it being very disturbing to the patrons lol.

Also, "I want to play God" reminded me of some artwork i saw on here that i can't find anymore. it was like marble tile and walls and stuff that decomposed like flesh. it was super gory and super cool. I wish I knew the artist or anything to search...

How cool would it be for Hanami to combine ceramics and earthenware with literal living plants and have a literal live exhibit. The plants could grow through cracks and holes and stuff in the pots and bud and flower. or there could be ceramic flowers mixed in and you wouldn't always know which were ceramic or glass or artificial basically depending on the day you went because they're so true to life that if the plant is in the same stage of flowering you might not be able to pick them out.

Ooooh or better yet, what if she used live plants as part of the process in making her pieces and then fired them in the kiln burning the plants alive. as symbolism basically. it's almost an invisible performance art because part of the art is the process of destroying nature to get a product. And also what if she tried to gas her audience one time at an exhibit as a commentary on fossil fuels.

I think it'd be cool for Hanami and Jogo to work together on something, being both earth based. Also, what's Dagon up to? Something to do with cycles of life and death in the sea. What school are they all at?

Lmaoooo I can just picture Nobara flailing saws and power tools and hammers around when someone pisses her off just completely negating safety protocols. She has definitely considered (or threatened to) shove someone's face into a running band saw.

Do you think Maki would give daggers as gifts? I like to think she would. Even when it is totally not appreciated by the person she's gifting to. She would totally be one of those people who caries a hunting knife around for some reason and says it's totally normal. And she'd be great in a pinch, so who's correct?

I love Megumi being incredible at animal anatomy of basically any kind. And just knowing lots of shit about animals. He gets pissed off if you call a koala a bear and he can tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator immediately. One time Yuuji asks him to draw a tiger or something for a design and he whips it up in 10 minutes flat. ooooh would megumi be a sick tattoo artist??

it would be so cool if Yuuji started off like making fan designs and selling them on redbubble or something OR BETTER doing cosplay. He could make some sick hoodies and streetwear stuff based on like star wars designs and other sci-fi and horror.

You got my imagination going. If any of this is like not vibing to you feel free to discard, i just had fun thinking about it.

Did we talk about what Yuuta is doing? or Nanami???? Omgomg also what if like, the students have to have a sort of academic advisor except they're more like a mentor situation??? so like Megumi's advisor would be gojo probably. but it could also be Geto if he's focusing more on the fine arts aspects...or Nanami if he's got more of a business & product focus. Idk it would be really cool to pair them up. Like depending on where the disaster curses are would they be with geto? Oh also, are the twins here?? so much to consider!

forbidden pizza

[wack-ashimself]

The closest I ever came to going vegan...

Okja (the super pig. Spoilers)

<Backstory: 'Poker Face' has an episode where a known BBQ guy goes vegan after watching Okja. So I had to see what it was about. Turns out, I like the director's work (All of it) and didn't realize he had such a wide variety of movies.>

Plot is after being paid to raise a super big GMO pig (sold as magic/miracle pig) for 10 years, it's supposed to go back to the company to be made into meat. Young girl doesn't want to give it up. Goes on an adventure to save it. And for a mostly light hearted romp, there is some graphic and violent scenes. Forced breeding, cops beating the FUCK out of people, and probably the most real to life walk thru of a meat processing plant in a movie I ever saw (non documentary).

In the end, at the processing plant, the evil CEO won't give up the pig cuz it's bad business. The girl gives up her solid golden pig statue (what her grandpa basically sold the pig for) in order to save it. And this is all after you saw, step by step, how they would go from killing to chopping up the meat*. So you already sat thru a lot...

but then, something I felt like you would see at a concentration camp. It rocked me...

As the girl is being escorted out with her pig, going by all the locked up and being systematically killed THOUSANDS of other pigs, some of the other pigs are curious and follow them. You don't understand why, until one starts to attack the electric fence, hurting itself. Then you see them push something thru...

THEIR FUCKING BABY!!!! They KNEW they were going to be killed, including their baby, so they took the only chance they had, and threw it to the people escaping. Okja hides the baby in her mouth. As they're walking away, all the other pigs (who have been raised separately) cry in unison as another gunshot to the head can be heard in the background....

GEEZ. I ....wow...you don't come out feeling great if you are a meat eater watching that movie. Cuz you know ALLLLLLL of that is true:

-rich people & businesses (and governments, since the FDA approved it in this movie) only care about the bottom line and will happily shove garbage, toxic garbage, down your throat. And lie every single time they can. <Also, marketing can make you believe anything if it's said loud and happy enough>

-our meat industry is SOULLESS. And we (honestly, self included) genuinely need to eat significantly less. For our health and the planet's health. I mean, do you really think making something live a terrible unhealthy caged life and then murdering it, that its' remains will be SUPER healthy for you? We are gross.

-Every living creature has a soul, can feel, can love, and can suffer.

-again, this is me reading into a foreign movie but FUCK traditions. This all happened cuz her grandpa hated her pet, and wanted her to get married? She was 14 in the movie; Let her live her fucking life.

<The thing that bugged me (little things annoy me): they lived on a mountain top/side. Their water pump was RIGHT at the edge of a cliff. Where the FUCK are you pumping water from? Is there small pockets of water in mountaintops? Do you have one LONG pipe? It just....it was so close to the edge of a MOUNTAINSIDE. Where was the water coming from?>

Either way, great movie (GREAT), but....I would genuinely say this borders on at least a HARD PG rating. If kids have never thought of or heard about this (rich corporations, the meat industry, marketing lies, etc), and find out what they see is MOSTLY true....it may fuck them up.

This is exactly why I like foreign movies too. There were so many times I went 'x happened, so now y happens' and I was pleasantly surprised. It still has some tropes, but nothing completely stolen.

Okja: Solid 8.2/10. My only complaint was tilda swtinon playing herself (AGAIN. How many times can she play 2 characters?), and the CGI kinda sucked. It wasn't horrible, but ain't winning fucking awards. And if it did...holy shit, low standards much?

ps-fav part? I have 2. The beginning, when Okja basically throws itself off a cliff to save the girl and the girl finds her just...farting around, fine, wanting attention. It was so like a pet. 2nd part? STEVEN YUEN! His WHOLE character arc. Also, him playing an asshat. Summary: he's part of a PETA like group, trying to free the super pig. But he lies to get the main girl to be forced to go along with them (and gets the SHIT beaten outta him for lying to the leader.) Then, in the end, he saves the main girl and the leader, outta no where, and shows that he got TATTOOED what his boss beat the shit out of him for doing on his arm. THAT is dedication. Get the shit beat out of you (your fault), kicked out of a group you gave your everything for, come back, AND get a tat to show your dedication? Geez...

*Meat. Why not dead animals? Name specific CUTS of meat instead of the body part... then go by animal. Beef, not dead cow. Pork, not dead pig. Poultry, not dead chicken.....we change the name so you feel less remorse for eating dead things we killed for our own ease (and we don't even do it. We pay others to do it, paying someone to take the guilt. How many if the only way we could eat meat was to kill the animal ourselves could do it ? WAY WAY less than you would think.)