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padfootagain · 6 months ago

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Only an Almost (XIV)

Chapter 14: Heartbreak

Hi! Here comes a new chapter!

Alright, buckle up! We’re up for a wild ride! We are reaching the heights of the angsty mess, from this chapter all the way to chapter 17. Is our girl going to be an asshole? Yes, I’m afraid she’s about to fuck up big time...

Apologies for all the damage that is about to be made in this chapter.

It’s also the first chapter I wrote for this fic! It all started with this mess…

I hope you’ll like this chapter! Please, tell me what you think!

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Pairing: Hozier x fem!reader, friends with benefits AU

Warning: No explicit smut or nsfw content, but there are sexual themes and heavy make-out sessions (it’s a friends with benefits AU, I can’t really escape it), so 18+ only!

Summary: Andrew has been in love with you for years, and yet he has never confessed his feelings. But a night out celebrating the engagement of his best friend changes everything. However, you don't seem ready to be with him just yet. You make him an offer that he can't refuse... but will certainly regret.

Word Count : 3450

Masterlist for the series – Hozier’s Masterlist – Main Masterlist

It was 11pm, which was early for a night owl such as Andrew, but late for his friends. Neither Sam nor Daphne were nocturnal creatures, and so Andrew answered his phone in a hurry when Sam’s name appeared on the screen. Something had to be wrong. He suddenly wondered where he had put his car keys, in case he needed to leave in a hurry.

“Hello? Andy? It’s me. It’s Sam.”

“Yeah, I know, are you alright?” he asked with worry making his voice deeper than usual, pausing the tv-show he was watching, lounging on his comfortable sofa.

“Yeah, yeah…”

“It’s 11pm, is there something wrong? Is Daphne okay?”

“What? Oh, no! Don’t worry, we’re both fine!”

Andrew heaved a relieved sigh.

“God, don’t scare the shit out of me like that ever again…”

“Did I wake you? I thought you never went to sleep before dawn.”

“Vampires tend to do that indeed.”

“Whose blood did you drink this week?”

Andrew wanted to answer, but he heard Daphne pestering Sam about not having much time, and he merely frowned instead.

“Right… sorry, darling…” Sam mumbled through the phone. “Are you alone, Andy?”

“Erm… yes…?”

“Okay, erm… it’s… it’s about Y/N.”

Andrew sat straighter this time.

“Y/N? Is she okay? Did something happen?”

“No, no… I mean… she’s fine, but…”

“For fuck’s sake, Sam! Spit it out! What’s going on?”

“Look I… I know that you said that I couldn’t tell Daphne about you and Y/N… but Y/N told her, so we’ve talked about you two together…”

Andrew rolled his eyes, lying back down, resting his head on the armrest of the couch.

“It’s alright, Sam… I knew you’d break it to her sooner or later anyway.”

“No, Andy… look… have you talked to Y/N lately?”

Andrew frowned.

“Erm… I don’t know… about… three days ago. Why?”

“I think you should talk to her.”

“Why? Sam, what is it?”

There was a short silence, while the couple exchanged a glance, no doubt.

“Daphne thinks she might take a terrible decision,” Sam answered.

“What kind of decision? What are you talking about?”

Andrew was growing annoyed at this game of riddles. If something was wrong, he ought to know what it was…

But even if he insisted some more, Sam refused to speak.

“Just… call her, and tell her you love her. Tell her to choose you.”

“’Choose’ me? What do you mean?”

“Just… do it tomorrow, will you?”

“Alright, alright. I’ll call her tomorrow.”

“Good… good…”

When he hung up, Andrew stared at the ceiling for a while.

Choose me?

Andrew didn’t need to call you the next day. You were the one to call, and ask him if he was free tonight. You didn’t offer an activity, like you usually would: a movie on Netflix, the cinema, a walk, going to the beach, eating together… There was little ambiguity to the reason behind your demand, and Andrew wasn’t sure whether he was flattered or vexed by it.

He warned you that he wanted to talk to you about something tonight though, and you agreed. You had something to ‘discuss’ with him too. His heart dropped as you spoke those words through the phone. It ought to be some kind of bad news. Or maybe not. Maybe he was reading too much into this, and you meant… to talk about the upcoming wedding, or your job, or… something else entirely. He wondered if you knew that he meant to tell you that he felt more for you than what he had let on.

He parked his car in front of your house, but didn’t climb out just yet. First, he ran through his speech one last time.

I know that you are not looking for a relationship at the moment. But I want more than just sex when it comes to you. To us. Our arrangement can’t go on like this. Again, I understand that you are not in a position now where you want to be in a relationship. And that’s okay. If you tell me that you could give us a chance, I will wait for you. I’ll wait until you’re ready, until your job is more stable and you’ve figured things out in your life. I’ll wait until you want a relationship with me. I have feelings for you, feelings that go beyond a casual fling. And that’s the reason why I’m asking you now to give me a chance. To give us a proper chance…

No l-word yet, you might freak out if he used it. But this speech seemed good enough. Short, to the point. He had written six versions of it this morning.

He took a deep breath, before finally climbing out of his car and walking up to your house.

You were quick to unlock your door and welcome him in. You looked lovely tonight. But then, you were always beautiful…

You went through some meaningless chit-chat while Andrew took off his coat and shoes and followed you down the hall to your kitchen.

You offered him tea without asking if he wanted one. It was late afternoon, but not quite dinner time yet. He could have used some alcohol, but it would have been impolite to ask for some, so he thanked you when you handed him his favourite mug with two teabags plunged in warm water. He leaned against your kitchen counter, his back to your tiny window and your sink while you were facing him, a couple of steps away.

“You… you wanted us to talk about something,” Andrew reminded you, taking a sip of the warm beverage. “And I wanted to talk to you too, so… who should start?”

You were growing nervous, the signs were obvious. In your modern kitchen, there was a window above the sink that let in some golden light. The photons embraced your form, in a way that made Andrew’s heart skip a few beats.

You pushed back some hair behind your ear, pulled on the sleeves of your jumper. Andrew frowned at the sight.

“You’re alright? I can start…”

“No, I… I reckon I should start.”

“Okay.”

He was nervous beyond reason and measure. Andrew dried his clammy palms on his jeans, tried to breathe deeply through his nose, but his heart kept on pounding and his stomach was turning into knots…

You stared at each other for a moment, him expectant and you hesitant. He raised an eyebrow as a silent encouragement for you to speak, but you merely bit on your lower lip.

But then you heaved a sigh, crossed the distance between your bodies in a hurry. Andrew barely had time to blink, and you had grabbed him by the collar, pulling him down to you while you rose to your tiptoes so you could slam your lips to his. But kissing you was a habit by now, and a delicious one too. Andrew’s body was reacting on instinct as he kissed you back, messy and passionate and breathtaking. Your teeth bumped into his in your passion, but he didn’t mind. It was easy to deepen the kiss instead, cradle your face in his hands while you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer, closer, always closer.

You were making his brain short-circuit, despite the important talk he wanted to have with you. You were everywhere, blurring his senses, making all traces of reason disappear…

Only when he felt your fingers travel down his chest and towards his belt did he stop you, pulling away.

“Wait, wait… stop…”

You immediately took a step back, looking up at him with wide eyes.

“You’re okay?”

“Yeah… yeah… I… look, we… We wanted to talk, like… I think we should, erm, talk before we…”

“Or we can have sex, and talk after that.”

“Is that wise?”

“Do we really need to be wise?”

It was tempting. Too tempting to resist. God, he couldn’t think about anything else but your lips, how inviting they looked, how he wanted to kiss your neck too, he could feel his fingers tickle at the thought of touching all these places of your body, entire landscapes of bare skin…

He blinked a couple of times, struggled to swallow, trying to calm down. But blood was pulsing in his ears, and when he tried to remember his carefully-crafted speech, he couldn’t remember a word…

Fuck all of this…

“Alright,” he nodded. “But we talk tonight… cause it’s important…”

“Deal. Deal. Can I kiss you now?”

“Yes… God, yes, please… please, kiss me…”

You were back in his arms in a second, hands in his hair at first, while his travelled along your frame, from chest to hips and arse, feeling your shape through your clothes. You detached your lips from his to take his hand and guide him to your bedroom.

“We should get dressed to talk,” Andrew proposed, his breathing finally settling back into a regular rhythm.

He threw his condom away in the tiny bean next to the door of your bathroom. He grabbed his underwear as he walked back to your bed and handed you your large jumper.

“You’re too beautiful not to be distracting,” he chuckled, only half-joking, while you put on the piece of garment he was giving you.

He noticed how you looked away, how you seemed uncomfortable, all of a sudden. Instead of joining you in bed once more, Andrew sat down on the edge of the mattress, right next to you.

“So… who should begin?” he asked, voice soft and a little timid. “I… like… actually, I think I should…”

“Andy, I… I think you should get dressed.”

He frowned at that remark, or rather… he frowned at the tone you used. Cold and distant, whispered, and your eyes were still fleeing his.

“Why? Am I distracting too?” he asked with a charming smile, forcing a chuckle out. But you didn’t laugh, merely brushed a strand of your hair behind your ear.

Andrew’s nervous smile soon crumbled.

“Right,” he let out in a breath, blushing hard now, heart racing.

He grabbed his undershirt, slowly put it on while trying to swallow back the lump in his throat.

“Look, I… We should talk about… this arrangement of ours…” he started, but you interrupted him, blurting out words he wasn’t expecting so fast he second-guessed if he had heard you right.

“We need to stop sleeping together.”

He was half-bent to grab his pants when you spoke. He froze, looking up at you, cursing at his long hair when it fell before his eyes and hid you away. He stood back up in a jolt.

“What?”

“We… we need to stop this arrangement. Things have changed.”

And all of a sudden there was hope again, brighter than a sun and blinding every bit of reason in him… And he fell for it. No matter the odds, he fell for it, flew straight to it like a moth ready to be burned at the pyre of your flames…

“Right… things have changed for me too. So, actually, I do think that we need to change things between us…”

“I have a date next week.”

He froze again. Stared at you, too stunned to say a thing, too stunned to protest or ask any question or even comprehend what you were saying.

“I… I have a date with a coworker, Maggie. Next week. So… we should stop this… We said we would if we wanted to try something with someone else…”

A date? Next week? Maggie?

You… you wanted to date again… just… not him…

“But… we’ve just had sex,” breathed Andrew.

It sounded stupid and he knew it, and yet these were the only words he could summon now. The first that came to mind, the only protest he could find.

There were too many emotions all at once. It felt… like falling… falling forever… like the ground being stolen from under his feet. He had no air left in his lungs, and he had forgotten how to breathe.

“Yeah… it wasn’t planned. But I… I just… Maybe I shouldn’t have done that…”

His lip trembled, but his cheeks were still dry.

You were regretting him now?

“I think I just… wanted one last moment with you. Before we’d stop and I would date someone else.”

“So… you… you have a date?”

“Yes, I have a date with Maggie.”

“What do you mean, you have a date with Maggie? Who the fuck is Maggie?”

Andrew stared at you as he was about to cry, and he couldn’t help it. He blinked tears away, but they lingered at the edges of his eyes, ready to fall at your words.

“She’s nice. She works at HR, she’s a secretary. She asked me out, and… I don’t know, I said yes. So… I think we should stop this arrangement.”

“Oh…”

At long last, the information was being recorded in his brain. Andrew shook himself back to earth, turned around, fleeing you and your beautiful eyes, hurrying to put his trousers back on. He almost fell in the process, already looking for his shirt. He felt so exposed like this, so vulnerable, so flawed…

You were going on a date… with someone else… because you didn’t want to date him… he was the fucking problem. He was all along…

“I just… it was… good.”

He nodded, but didn’t let out a sound.

He couldn’t look at you. He would start crying if he did. He needed to run away as fast as he could…

“And she’s nice, you know? And… just… easy. Not like, easy to sleep with, but…”

“I understand.”

Of course, he did. Same argument all over again. And he couldn’t blame you, how could he?

But what if he dropped everything? What if he stopped touring? Stopped the whole music thing?

He thought about what you looked like right now, perfect and dishevelled and still gently glowing after the efforts of love-making. Absolutely perfect. Yeah… yeah… You deserved better than him, no matter the touring or the staying…

“Andy… are you angry?”

He didn’t answer. He couldn’t start acknowledging his feelings now. He would start crying if he did.

Where the fuck was his sock?

“I loved the nights we had together,” you went on, apparently unaware of the daggers each of your words planted through his heart, and for the first time in the long years the two of you had known each other, he wanted to stop hearing your voice.

You seemed to need to fill up the silence that Andrew was trying to maintain. Perhaps it was a way to reach out, perhaps it was a way to keep him at bay. He wasn’t certain about that.

“It was nice.”

Where was that fucking sock?!

“Andy?”

He put on his jumper, abandoning the thought of his black sock. He couldn’t lose any more time, he couldn’t breathe properly anymore…

“You’re okay? Can you say something?”

Silence. Only the rubbing of fabric against fabric as Andrew was getting ready to leave. He only had to grab his shoes and jacket in your hallway.

“Andy, wait!”

But he was already outside of your bedroom.

“You can’t be mad at me! We agreed about this, Andy! We agreed that… that… this was nothing but sex! It didn’t mean anything.”

He was blinded by tears when he reached for your doorknob, unlocking the door without seeing the keys he was turning in the lock.

“Andy! Where are you going? Stop! We need to talk about this!”

He shrugged you off when you reached for him.

“Andy!”

But then he was shutting the door behind him, his movement so harsh it shook the doorframe. He hurried to his car while he dried his eyes, refusing to crumble now, in the alley leading to your house.

He drove blindly, unaware of a destination, of a will behind the turns he took and the roads he chose. The words kept ringing in his ears, he couldn’t shut them out, they played on repeat in his busy mind…

This was nothing but sex.

It didn’t mean anything.

Did it not? The way you touched him, the way you kissed him, the way you held him… did it not mean something?!

His hold tightened on the wheel. His jaw clenched until it was painful, until he could hear it.

Nothing. The tenderness in your touch, the fondness in your gaze, the sighs on your lips. The way you held him after it was done, like you needed him to land again gently on the ground, like you held onto a dream before it faded. How you stared into his soul when you connected in the most intimate way possible. How you laughed together until none of you could breathe, how you talked for hours about the most meaningless things and the most intimate parts of your lives. How you let him be yours, how you almost let yourself be his…

Only an almost…

He parked the car before a house he had always called home, and it was only then that he realised where he was. He stared at the familiar door of his parents’ house, the curtains behind the windows, the light that came through them.

So, you had let him love you, and it meant nothing at all?

He turned off the engines, stared at the house for a suspended moment. What would he do now? He couldn’t possibly face you again after this. He was about to lose you for good; because after having a taste of what loving you felt like, he couldn’t go back to being a mere friend. No… no, he wasn’t strong enough for that. For seeing you happy with someone else, knowing that you held him close for a moment only to let him go, because he wasn’t enough.

He picked up his phone, ready to do something stupid, something he would regret the second his thumb would press send. He typed the text under your name.

If I gave up on touring, if I stayed home… would you give me a chance? Would I be enough if I weren’t just a ghost?

He heaved a sigh, resting his head against his seat, head tilted upwards in his exhale. He blinked tears away, staring at the dark ceiling of his car.

Did you really feel nothing now? Did it not hurt at all for you? Not even a little bit? Not at all?

Andrew didn’t press send. He deleted the text, opened the door, climbed out of the car and into the street bathed in an inky darkness and orange streetlights. His feet guided him to the safest place on Earth while he tugged his phone into his pocket. His right foot was hurting in his shoe without a sock on. He didn’t even notice.

It took his mother a moment to open the door, nothing surprising at this hour. She saw him through the glass of the backdoor, and her eyes grew round. Andrew finally noticed he was crying.

The door opened in a hurry, bumping into Raine’s foot in the process.

“Andy? Honey, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

His lower lip trembled as he stared at his mother, hands digging further into his pockets, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. His throat was too tight to speak.

“Honey, what’s wrong? Tell me. Tell me what’s wrong?”

She narrowed her eyes a little as she guessed, aiming straight for his heart.

“Is it Y/N?”

He opened his mouth to answer but all that he could let out was a sob. His legs were shaking, he could feel all of his strength leaving his body. He barely registered his own moevements as he bent into his mother’s arms, folding around her frame.

“Oh, Andy… here, it’s alright. It’s gonna be okay, darling. It’s okay. I’m here, I’m here…”

She rubbed his back, in this soothing movement that had never failed to appease him ever since he was a child. His voice was a hoarse whisper when he let out the most painful words he had ever pronounced.

“She doesn’t love me, mom. She doesn’t feel anything… What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do without her?”

She let him cry for a moment longer, his father calling from the living room to know who was at the door. Raine merely answered with her son’s name, and gently pushed him upwards so he would stand straighter again.

“Well, for a start, I’m going to make you a cup of tea, with a lot of honey. And then, we’ll figure out the rest.”

#hozier #andrew hozier byrne #the hoziest #hozier x reader #hozier x you #hozier x y/n #hozier x fem!reader #hozier fanfiction #hozier fanfic #hozier series #series #fanfiction #fanfic #writing

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bridgerteon · 5 months ago

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This is going to be an extremely long thread of my opinion about Bridgerton S3, especially Polin (and comparing Polin to a certain ATLA ship). So, good luck reading it.

I knew there are a lot of mixed opinions about Bridgerton S3; I have too. Around 50-60% from the book, Romancing Mr Bridgerton, has adapted to the show, which I, as a book reader, am happy to see. I also love the changes from the book that showcases Penelope (and Nicola Coughlan) to shine with awesomeness and deserves a lot of love and recognition after what she's been through.

I can understand why Netflix split into two parts. Part 1 is entertaining, pining and rom-com. While Part 2 is anxiety, emotional and romantic drama. Probably to let viewers breathe. But please don't do that again; I like to binge the whole thing without waiting!

There are:

- Great scenes -> Portia reconciling to Pen and being supportive (thanks Colin!) and Pen having the confidence to reveal herself as Lady Whistledown (LW), instead of letting Colin steal the spotlight for her. Also the Francesca/John romance as they "match their freak". There's actually a lot of great scenes, from Keeping Up With The Featheringtons to Peneloise reconciliation.

- Revenge scenes I like -> Penelope telling off Colin for being an asshole. Also, Lord Debling courting Penelope, making Colin jealous. The Vindication™ for Pen because that's how she feels.

- Some I groaned -> a threesome? Like really? I find it funny, but cringy.

- Some I am suspicious -> Michael Stirling [man] is gender-swapped to Michaela Stirling [woman], but I'm more cautious than angry about the change. Michaela is so goddamn pretty though, heh. I don't mind inclusivity, but it should be addressed with care if it's done for a main Bridgerton character. Besides, I like Francesca's story from the book, When He Was Wicked, and how it explains about grief, guilt and second chance of love. If the storyline from the book is shown, regardless of a lesbian love story, I'll be satisfied. I'll see how it goes and hope for Francesca's season to be heartwrenching and beautiful.

- And others that make no sense -> the lack of Kanthony, like where are they!? And why do they disappear all the time!? This is not them as they are always attentive. They were excellent in managing the Bridgertons and their mess. I love Kanthony so bring them back!!!

What I will analyse and defend is Show Polin.

When I read negative reviews about them, I shake my head in disappointment because the fans didn't understand it. It's like some people have a lack of media literacy. I'm open-minded and I like to analyse critically how and why it happens rather than comparing with other seasons of Bridgerton; I see the show as a separate entity from the books and I still enjoy it as it is. Therefore, I have better comprehension. I also read an article where Luke Newton explains why Colin is Jelly, as shown below. His insight justifies my point.

Since I read RMB, it does give me first-hand insight on the up-and-down relationship between Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington-Bridgerton. I also included a favourite ship of mine from Avatar: the Last Airbender (ATLA) for comparison and how Polin's dynamics makes sense to me. (There's no need to have knowledge of ATLA).

So here's my opinion about Polin:

To be honest, I was expecting Katara/Aang tropes in Polin, as they are both friends-to-lovers ships obviously. What I don't expect is that show Polin is more related to Katara/Zuko (Zutara) instead, which is awesome (as an unfortunate Zutara shipper)!

I find Polin's love story to be as realistic as possible, knowing that a love story is not all sunshines, lollipops and rainbows. There will be disputes, doubts and secrets; I'm satisfied that they are addressed. However, there are some scenes from Polin that I am mad about or feeling something is missing.

Also, I DON'T CARE that Polin does not have the CHEMISTRY similar to Kanthony or Saphne(?) (Simon/Daphne). They have the CONNECTION with each other. Friends-to-lovers don't need chemistry; it rarely exists in real life. Friends-to-lovers stories are messy, awkward and full of disagreements, but the connection and their love for each other is always there between them. They are there since Season 1, are always seeking each other and are always themselves around each other. That's as real as it gets.

Themes I like from Polin and how it compares to Zutara:

1. Hiding their true self: Colin having some swag, being impassive, nonchalant mood, and goes to brothels; I find it weird. However, someone analysed that it's a facade because Penelope doesn't write to him, so he went on a teen girl phase and lost his damn mind, heh. Eloise, Pen and Violet know that that is not the Real Colin, who is a soft boi. He mentions that he is yearning for home and wants to feel like he belongs somewhere and to be seen for who he truly is.

This is similar to Zuko when he was sad/mad that he was banished and his father didn't love him, so his personality became antagonistic. Iroh knew that's not the Real Zuko, who was a gentle boi. Therefore, Iroh planned to nudge Zuko to a different side rather than following Ozai's goals.

Additionally, Penelope disguises herself as Lady Whistledown, Katara as The Painted Lady, Zuko as The Blue Spirit, and Colin as The Travelling Englishman/Pirate.

2. BETRAYAL: (I can't emphasise this enough because this theme let's me understand and love Polin). Penelope is anguished about Colin's comments that he don't give a 💩 about her and will never court her (Le Asshole 101 😒). Colin is heartbroken that Pen is LW*. Katara and Iroh were shattered that Zuko joined Azula to fight against Aang in Ba Sing Se. All of these events are unforgivable.

*(The fact that Luke Newton cried in the LW reveal scene as well as angry portrays Colin as heartbroken than enraged, which makes the scene more heartwrenching. I like that so much better than Colin having a temper like in the books and Katara just enraged when Zuko attacked her in Ba Sing Se. Thanks, Luke Newton, for making me feel sorry for Colin 😏).

Another one is that Colin argues with Penelope that she wrote negative comments on LW about his family, Marina Thompson (in my opinion, she deserved it for being deceptive), himself, herself and everyone else. He also feels that she has a "planned entrapment" for him to marry her, even though I knew he didn't mean it; he is devastated that she is not who she seems to be. Colin wants to feel needed and really yearns to love her fully because he wants to provide everything for her. But he doesn't think he's enough or unworthy for Pen and that he's not sure he'll ever accept Pen as LW, which makes me sad. Also... he's envious that she's more successful than him since she's rich as hell, an experienced writer and got her 💩 together; something he wants to achieve. But dude, you married a Sugar Mama! Similarly, Katara argued with Zuko after the Ba Sing Se fiasco and told him to bring her mother back; I found it absurd too, but I knew she was upset for being deceived and hurt as well, like Colin.

3. Self-confidence and accountability: Pen has brought her own voice to address the whole Ton that she is LW and to let them judge her. Nicola Coughlan has done it perfectly in that, as a shy but confident woman. She understands that people are hurt from her comments, but she wants to have a purpose - not as a spy though, heh. She wants the world where women, especially shy wallflowers, are seen and shine brighter as well in a patriarchy world. Also she understands that Colin is upset that she is LW, but she's adamant that she is and nothing will separate LW from her. LW is power and it helps women like Penelope earn her place in society, besides dilly-dally.

Also, Colin pushes Lord Debling away so that Colin can have a moment with Pen to change her mind and make her pick him, choose him and love him. He doesn't care that the Ton sees them, he just sees Pen. Also the way "he ran!" (thanks Dallas Liu 😏) to Pen's carriage just to confess to her. He is confident of his feelings for her, but respectful if she rejects him.

Same goes with Katara that she wanted a world where women can choose to learn waterbending to fight and men to learn healing, or both. And to Zuko that he had redeemed himself and wanted to end the war as the Firelord with ideals that brought all nations together in peace and harmony.

4. Accepting flaws and empathy: Colin accepts that Pen is LW, because he finally realises why while begging to Cressida: the isolation, the bullying, being ostracised and unappreciated, and the anger that no one will ever recognise, listen or stand up to her. But he knows she's not heartless and does regret her words that are published. Also, her letters to him amplifies that she is a great writer and that her and LW are the same person. After Pen reveals herself to the Ton that she is LW, apologises for it and explains why, Colin is more proud and in love with her.

Zuko saw Katara bloodbending (manipulating bodies through their blood). He was surprised. He didn't question it. He didn't chastise her that it's bad or that she's not herself. He accepted it as part of herself. He just wanted her to face her past and let her choose her fate. The End.

5. Conflict: Colin and Pen love each other so much, despite a Great Wall of Anger and Doubt separating them. Katara knew Zuko was not evil, but had to separate Zuko the Fire Prince with Zuko the Awkward, Caring, Flawed Boi.

Also, Katara and Zuko saw each other as legit rivals during the 100-year war. Meanwhile... well... Colin does see Pen as a rival... indirectly though as she's LW, while he is... just a Bridgerton... with no accomplishments... and a loser, heh.

6. Partnership: Pen agrees with Colin that he'll help her find a husband (even though he hired himself as one, heh). Also, Colin and Pen become writers together, as an author and columnist respectively. All hail Lord and Lady Whistledown! 🙇‍♀️ Meanwhile, Katara and Zuko became partners to find the one who killed her mother, fought together side-by-side during training and trusted each other to defeat Azula.

Extra: There's also a lot of love confessions and moments from Polin that made me giddy with joy, sad and amused (and jealousy for being single). Especially... That carriage scene, heh.

Now for the things I'm disappointed about Polin:

1. Colin doesn't tell Penelope that he forgives her verbally. Like since when did he forgive her? Katara told Zuko verbally that she forgave him, so why doesn't Colin say it to Pen? Same applies to Pen: where's her forgiveness to Colin? Unless I forget.

2. There's a quote from the book I like that Colin says “I love you. I love you with my past, and I love you for my future. I love you for the children we'll have and for the years we'll have together. I love you for every one of my smiles, and even more, for every one of your smiles” to Pen before he leaves to beg Cressida as Pen's distressed about Cressida blackmailing her. I'm sad that one is excluded.

3. Colin being an asshole for not allowing Penelope to let her fix her mess nor asking for his support at the start. Saying that "it is not up to you what we do", probably because he wants to be a hero. Dude, calm down, listen to your wife and compromise. Penelope can handle herself and does not need him to fix it for her, like she said "I do not need you to save me, I just need you to stand by me." I think it makes him feel useless as he likes to help and being needed 24/7. Besides, he makes it worse after begging Cressida, heh. Zuko survived listening to Katara's rants and death threats against him, and he still wanted to make it up to her, so Colin should do the same.

4. Colin being a Drama Queen™ for not sleeping with Pen because he's an idiota; he reminds me of both Katara and Zuko since they were both Drama Queens™ as well, heh. However, it broke my heart for Pen; she deserves better and deserves to have a wedding night full of love, not doubt. Fortunately, he does sleep near their room - like Zuko waited for Katara outside her tent - because Colin still deeply loves Pen and wants to feel closer to her, despite being pissy with her. Also, he sleeps on a chaise lounge where they made love because it reminds him of the happiness they have shared before the LW mess. Additionally, he ignores his lust for her while pissed, but I think it's a good idea not to have angry sex as it's just not healthy emotionally and mentally for them.

5. It would be nice if Colin allows Pen to read or discuss his journals more, like in the books. I want to hear his thoughts more. Or maybe the backstory of how Penelope becomes LW.

6. I really want to see more of the lovey-dovey happy Polin moments without any doubts or lies between them; it's not enough. Where's the Polin sex?! Gimme more happy Polin!!!

So that's my long analysis about S3 and why I like Polin, the good and bad. Also, Polin did change my whole opinion about friends-to-lovers stories after I had a sour taste of it from a ship I'm not supportive to, but that is for another story to tell.

#bridgerton #polin #colin bridgerton #penelope featherington #luke newton #nicola coughlan #comparing Polin to Zutara because it makes sense 😤#bridgerton season 3 #analysis

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neonbrutalism · 2 years ago

Text

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Ship Comics!MattFoggy (Part 1)

Hello My MattFoggy Friends.

Are you sad about Daredevil: Born Again more than likely not including Foggy? Do you agree that he is so crucial to Daredevil and also he and Matt are married?

Then let me introduce you to ... the Daredevil comic! Because if you thought Matt and Foggy were married in the show, wait until you read the comic.

One thing I hear a lot is that there's almost 60 years of Daredevil comics, way too much complicated history and detail and you can't be expected to read all that. And to that I say... correct. And you're not expected to. I myself have not read all of volume 1 nor parts of volume 2, 5 or almost any of 6/7.

You just gotta pick what seems interesting. I like the Waid Run! I started there and have picked and chosen other runs. Nobody actually expects you know the complete history of the characters. It doesn't matter! Did Matt dad die before or after he met Foggy? Did they go to Columbia or Harvard? How old are they? How long did Matt and Elektra date?

The answer: who cares? Not even the comic writers can keep that straight. Just go with what you want to happen! Nobody is going to call you out. If you want dead characters alive, go for it! If you want to import characters from the MCU into your fic, please feel free! It's a 60 year soap opera. Do want you want. If you really want to know, just read a wiki summary.

If anyone gets weird or salty in your comments … that person is making some very weird choices. Do not engage. Good God, it's a fanfic. Do whatever you want. Just reply "lol, yikes" and move on. I am 35 years old and I am giving you grown-up with a job in an office adult permission to do that!

The major differences between the comic and the show are:

Matt is a redhead. Matt having red hair is pretty much the only difference that remains constant. Everything else is different and changeable writer-to-writer. Except early in Volume 5, when he was drawn to look like Charlie Cox and the miniseries between 5 and 6 where in some issues, everyone was copied from the Netflix show and it was weird.

Anyway:

Foggy's hair is usually short but he has 1990s anime girl bangs like Sailor Moon. If you like long-hair Foggy, sure, he can grow it out! He's sometimes blonde.

In earlier runs, Matt is sometimes shown to have been blinded as a teenager, 14 to 16. In more recent runs, he was a child like he was in the show.

Jack Murdock died when Matt was either in college or in law school, either before or after he met Foggy. It changes depending on the writer. He's also been written as dying only a few years after Matt was blinded.

Matt doesn't just have enhanced senses... He has an entirely new, unique sense, radar sense, that functions separately from his other senses. I don't know how. So, if he loses his hearing, he can still understand the world around him.

Stick trained Matt and once, pushed him off a building but didn't abandon Matt until he was in college. Comics Matt doesn't quite have the abandonment issues Netflix Matt has. He has a whole lot of other ones.

Matt wasn't crushed by Midland Circle. But he DID basically die in the storyline Born Again and have to be nursed back to health by Maggie.

Matt's not actually very religious in the comic. He was raised Catholic and he gets more religious when he's especially distressed (and due to inspiration from the show) but for the most part, he is not a very devout Catholic. However, in volume 6 and volume 7, he is (but it's kind of a weird ninja cult way idk i'm trying not to editorialize in this)

Foggy's class. In the show, he is from a lower-middle class family that loves him and Matt. In the comics, Foggy's family is very wealthy and they are pretty disappointed in Foggy. His birth mother, Rosalind Sharpe, is a huge asshole and hates her son and Matt both, but has tried to use them in the past for her own gain.

They're both huge nerds. Foggy's supposedly "cool" in the show but he is not, I assure you, in the comics. Comics!Foggy almost certainly cannot recognize a Taylor Swift song. Comics!Matt likes experimental jazz. I want to give them both swirlies.

What if you want to write comics-verse with Butcher Shop Foggy and Religious Matt? Then do it! It's fine! It's a big multiverse!

I just want my MattFoggy friends to have content.

Now on the downside, as this comic's been going on for a while, Matt (and other characters) are kind of assholes to Foggy about his weight. I ignore that bit. As with all comics, you have to ignore some shitty stuff sometimes because it all varies writer-to-writer.

Anyway, you came here for some MattFoggy Married Evidence, right?

Okay, here we go, presented with the help of my friend @froggynelson and all my chums on Discord and the Avacados in Love server...

In no particular order, a small selection of Matt and Foggy being in love.

One time, Matt got possessed by a demon and Foggy free-climbed a castle to rescue him. He is the only person able to get through to Matt to help save him. Shadowlands is otherwise, unfortunately, bad.

Something else from Volume 1 is that Matt was supposed to be the better lawyer of the two of them. Of course, since then, everyone's agreed Foggy is the better lawyer. But really, they're better together than either of them are apart. (This is the bit that made me think "oh they're GAY gay")

In volume 3 and 4, Foggy had cancer. Matt gave up his (already compromised) secret identity and moved to California in order to help him.

It was extremely sad!!

They had to fake Foggy's death!

He got better :)

Now Tumblr's post editor is chugging at this point, so please join me in part 2 - The Quest for More MattFoggy.

#daredevil #mattfoggy #matt murdock #foggy nelson #marvel comics

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misfit0789 · 7 months ago

Text

Rule 12 | Abby Scuito

Y/n's POV

"Tony, how's my little niece?" I ask my brother over the phone. He and Tali had just left Washington to travel after Ziva died. He changed for the better once he found out about Tali.

"She's fine Y/n/n, she misses you," he says, I sigh.

"I miss her too, I'll try and visit you guys soon," I say walking back to my living room in my apartment. Tony asked if I wanted to stay in his old one but after finding out about the people dying there I wasn't for it.

"Sounds good, I got to go. I'll call you later sis," He says hanging up before I got the chance to reply. I pull the phone away from my ear and roll my eyes.

"Idiot," I shake my head and sit on the couch turning Netflix on. One thing is my brother and I are both big movie people, we would always watch them when we were younger and just enjoy ourselves. We were basically all each other had.

Just as I'm about to put on Spider-Man 3 someone starts banging on my door. "Y/n open up!" I groan and get up walking to the door. I open it and glare at whose standing there.

"Can I help you Ellie? It's 11 o'Clock at night," I groan leaning on the door frame. She gives me a sheepish smile before holding up a fast food bag. I sigh and step aside letting her in. She laughs and walks past me handing me the bag as she goes to sit on the couch.

"Is it so wrong for me to want to see my best friend?" She asks, I roll my eyes eating a fry out of the bag, "No, but when it's 11 o'clock at night and you know I spend my Friday nights watching movies and hate being interrupted," I pause and pretend to think," yes," I say sitting next to her and pressing play on the movie and grabbing my burger out of the bag, taking a bite.

"Oh stop it, you can survive one night not watching a movie, besides I need your help," she says going quiet. I swallow the piece of my burger and look at her confused. "El, what's going on? Is Jake still bugging you? Because I will happily beat his ass for you...again," I say mumbling the last part but she still heard me as she shoves me to the side. "What? I had to do something. The asshole thought it was okay to cheat and expected you to take him back. Bitch no! You cheated you pay the consequences." I say getting pissed as I think about that bastard.

"No, it's not Jake, but thank you for being so protective. It's actually case related..." She trails off. I haven't been to the office since Tony left. It just didn't feel right to me to be there with my brother not there. Ellie is the only one I've kept in contact with since he left 3 months ago. She's kept me updated on everyone. McGee is gonna propose to Delilah, there's this new guy named Torres, and Gibbs is well Gibbs.

"Bishop you know I don't feel comfortable being there since Tony left. I fell like everyone judges me," I say setting my burger down on the bag on my coffee table in front of us. "You'll be fine, besides, Abby needs you," She says the last part in a slow teasing manner causing me to snap my head up and glare at her. "El stop, I told you, that was a one time thing," I get off the couch and grab what's left of my food bringing it to the kitchen. She gets up and follows after me.

"Please Y/n/n? It's the firewall on the victims computer, none of us can crack it and you're our only other option, please?" she pouts, I groan walking away knowing I'll crack.

"No"

"Please"

"No"

"Please"

"No"

"Please"

"No"

"Please"

"Ughh okay fine I'll help, now leave me alone so I can watch Toby McGuire in peace." I say falling back on my couch and lay across it giving Ellie no where to sit. "Thank you, I'm sure Abby will be pleased to see you," she smirks pushing my head up and sitting down causing my head to fall on her lap. I groan but don't respond continuing to watch the movie.

Time Skip

"Dude chill," Ellie says. We're in the elevator on the way to the squad room but I can't stop shaking my leg. "I'm sorry El, I don't even know why I'm so nervous. I guess it'll just be weird being here without Tony." I say, she rubs my arm in a comforting manner, "It'll be okay, I'll be with you the whole way," She says, I smile and give her a nod thanking her, she smiles and gives me a nod in return. The elevators ding and we walk off the elevator towards her desk.

Ellie sits at her desk while I stand behind her wall divider and lean on it, watching as Tim and some other guy talk to each other facing the monitor. "So where is this firewall THE Timothy McGee can't crack?" I ask making my presence known to them. They both turn around confused before Tim's face lights up, as he begins to walk towards me.

"Is that Y/n DiNozzo I see?" I laugh, pushing myself off the wall and meet him in the middle pulling him into a hug, "Hey Tim," I say, "How are you? How's Delilah?" I ask. He smiles, "We're both doing great, Thank you, She's actually in Dubai right now but she should be back soon. You'll have to come over for dinner soon." He says, I nod agreeing. We pull back when someone clears their throat. I look and see the guy Tim was talking too standing there with a big smile on his face.

"Hola, beautiful. I'm Special Agent Nick Torres," he says reaching for my hand, taking it in his and kissing the back of it. I look at him in disgust causing Bishop and McGee to laugh leaving Torres confused. "What?" he asks offended, letting my hand go.

"She's gay Torres," Bishop says in between laughter. He blushes in embarrassment and walks back to his desk. I join the other two in laughter. I immediately stop when I see Gibbs come in with a cup of coffee in his hand, while the others continue, I try to stop them but it doesn't work.

"Something funny McGee?" He asks, Tim immediately stops along with Bishop. "No Boss, just talking to Y/n," he says. Gibbs turns and looks at me, I smile and wave shyly. "Y/n," He smiles pulling me in for a hug, I slowly hug him back surprised at his actions. Gibbs and I never really talked when I'd visit Tony at the office so this is a big surprise.

"Uhh hey Gibbs, I just came by because Ellie mentioned some trouble with a firewall..." I trail off, he pulls back and nods. "Yea, Abby has been in the lab all night trying to crack it. Some new fresh eyes may be helpful. Do you still remember where the lab is?" He asks, I nod and give him a smile. "Yea, I should be able to make it there. I'll see you guys later." I wave to them, Bishop gives me an encouraging look. I nod and smile in thanks before turning and walking towards the elevator. I press the down button and wait for the doors to open. Looking down and noticing my shoes untied I kneel down and tie it.

As I'm tying them I hear the doors open followed by a gasp. I look up a bit and see shoes I know all to well. I slowly stand up and come face to face Abby Sciuto. "Oh uh hey," she says avoiding eye contact. "Hey," I say, "I was just on my way down, Bishop had mentioned something about a firewall." I say slowly standing up, almost eye level with her, as I'm a few inches taller even when she's wearing her boots.

"Oh, yeah, um I was just coming up to get Bishop but I guess you'll do," She says, turning back around and walking into the elevator. I stand there in a daze, "You coming or what?" She asks, I shake my head snapping out of it and follow her into the elevator. She presses the button for the floor of her lab and we are left in awkward silence.

The doors open and I let her go out first before following behind her into her lab. I stop at the door and look around smiling at the memories we shared in here when I would visit Tony.

"Y/n?" I snap out of it and look to see Abby looking at me confused, "You okay? You keep zoning out," She asks worried, I nod and give her a fake smile, which if she notices she doesn't mention. "Sorry, just got caught up in my head," I apologize, she nods and turns back to her computers.

"So, the petty officer was big into security software and ended up creating his own firewall for his computer and none of us can seem to figure out how to crack it. Bishop suggested you might be able to help." Abby explains, I nod and look at the code on the screen and smirk.

"None of you could crack this? I did this my freshman year in college. This is easy, may I?" I ask motioning to the keyboard, she nods and steps to the side letting me go ahead. I nod in thanks and step closer to her and start decoding the firewall. I get into decoding it I don't notice how close Abby and I are, nor that she is staring at me.

"Done," I say with a smile as the petty officers home screen appears. I turn to Abby and gasp at our closeness, I look down slightly and glance from her eyes to her lips as she does the same to me. Just as I'm about to lean in Gibbs comes in the room with two Caf-Pows and Bishop and McGee behind him, I jump away from Abby and clear my throat. Gibbs pays no mind while McGee and Bishop share a look and smirk at us causing me to glare slightly at them.

"Whatcha got Y/n/n and Abs?" Gibbs asks handing us both our Caf-Pows. "I was able to crack the firewall and get into his laptop but we haven't had a chance to-" Abby cuts me off before I can finish.

"Got something" I look at her surprised. "Turns out our dead petty officer had a thing for military blueprints," She pulls up the different blueprints that were on his computer.

"Never mind then," I mumble under my breath as Abby continues on talking to Gibbs. "You alright?" Bishop comes up to me and puts a comforting hand on my shoulder. I nod and take a sip of my Caf-Pow. "I will be," I sigh, she gives me another comforting squeeze.

"Bishop, McGee lets go, Abby got a lead on where the petty officer was getting the blueprints from." Gibbs says, giving Abby a kiss on the cheek and walking out with Bishop and McGee not far behind leaving Abby and I in her lab...alone.

"So... about earlier before Gibbs interrupted us..." She trails off. "Oh yeah, um we can just forget that ever happened." I say rubbing the back of my neck nervously. "But what if I don't want to," she says stepping closer to me leaving little space between us. I gasp causing her to smirk. She steps even closer and wraps her arms around my neck.

"Nervous?" She asks leaning up, with a sudden burst of confidence I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her even closer to me so our bodies are pressed up against each other. This time she gasps. "No, are you?" I ask leaning down slightly, she slowly shakes her head. Tired of all this teasing I lean down fully and pull her into a kiss, she gasps but kisses back, tightening her grip on my neck.

We both get lost in the kiss, having missed the feeling of being close to each other. We pull back since breathing is still a thing. "Whoa," I whisper, after we pull away. "Yeah," she whispers back looking up into my eyes. I see something I've never seen in them before but before anything else can be said my phone goes off. I look at Abby apologetically but she waves me off and lets go making me, I sigh at the loss of contact but answer my phone anyways.

"DiNozzo" I sigh, watching Abby move around so effortlessly. "Hey sis, did I interrupt something?" Tony asks, "No, just working in the lab with Abby, the team needed my help on a case," I explain to my older brother. "Ohhh, just working?" He asks, I can hear the smirk. "Stop it, what do you want?" I ask annoyed now.

"Just checking up on you, you know how I can get when I don't hear from you." He explains, a smile appearing on my face. "I know Tony, thank you and sorry, I've been with the team all day."

"Don't sweat it, just making sure you're good. Besides Tali wanted to say hi," He says, I hear shuffling and soon I hear the little voice of my niece speaking through the phone. "Aunt Y/n/n!!" she yells. "My little Tali! How are you?" I say back just as enthusiastically a her.

"Good, when will I see you again? I miss playing tea party with you," She asks, most likely pouting. "Awww I'm sorry sweetie, hopefully soon. I miss my little princess Tali," I say, she cheers. I'm assuming she gave Tony back the phone since he's who I hear next.

"She really does miss you Y/n/n," He sighs, I sigh too, "I know and I'm sorry Tony but it's hard for me to just drop everything and leave. My supervisor has been an ass lately and takes credit for all my work resulting in our boss pushing me harder. I got lucky to even have today off." I say walking and sitting on the chair at Abby's desk.

"I'm sorry sis, look I got to go, I'll call you later. Love you," He says. "Love you too Tony," I hang up, placing my phone on the desk and putting my head down.

"Everything okay?" Abby asks, walking over to me. I sigh and shake my head, "Not really my supervisor is an ass and keeps taking credit for everything I'm doing which makes our boss push on me even harder while my supervisor just sits there and does nothing leaving me with twice the work. It's not fun," I say leaning back in the chair throwing my arms over my eyes.

"Hey, I'm sure it'll all turn out alright. You're one of the smartest people I know. I mean aside from Bishop, McGee, Ducky, Gibbs and-"

"I get it Abs, thank you," I say laughing a bit. We sit in silence for a few before I decide to break it. "So I think we should talk about before," She sighs and nods.

"Yeah... look I like you Y/n and I have ever since we...you know. It's just I don't know. I'm scared." She says looking down.

Hey, it's okay," I reach out for her hands and pull her closer to me so she's standing in between my legs, while I'm still sitting. "I'm scared too, but I like you and I can feel something between us. Besides we don't work together all the time so there's no going against Gibbs rules." I try and joke causing her to let out a small laugh, "But if you don't want to be anything I understand," I say slowly letting her hands go.

"Y/n... I like you too, and I do want us to be something" She says taking hold of my hands again. I look up at her with a smile on my face which she returns. "Really?"

"Of course you dork," She laughs moving to sit on my lap and wrap her arms around my neck pulling me into a kiss. I pause before wrapping my arms around her waist holding her close.

"So does this mean you're my girlfriend?" I whisper as we pull away, she nods and gives me a quick kiss. I smile and give her a quick kiss.

Time Skip

Abby and I have been sitting in her lab talking for the past few hours, when Gibbs comes in the lab. "Y/n I need to speak to you," he says, I gulp but nod and stand up, walking over to him.

"Yes?" I ask. "I know how things at your job now are and after your help today I think we could use you." He says with a smile.

"What are you trying to say?" I ask him confused. "Welcome to the team Y/n," he says with a smile before walking out. I turn and look at Abby shocked.

"So much for not breaking his rules," I sigh.

#abby scuito #anthony dinozzo #ncis #ncis x reader #abby scuito x reader #leroy jethro gibbs #ellie bishop

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welcometololaland · 10 months ago

Note

I know you're off line right now, so ignore this for as long as you want (or forever) - but you sent me such a lovely nice ask week ask, so I want to come into your inbox and ask one too.

I know you live in Australia, but you've traveled a lot in Europe - so my question is, what do you do on the flights? How do you keep yourself entertained and not twisted into a pretzel shape by the end of it?

hi lim! thank you for this 💜 what an interesting question! honestly, i'd love to know other people's theories on long-distance plane travel, because i feel like i'm no master.

that being said, melbourne to anywhere in europe requires a solid 12.5 hour flight and then usually another 6-8 hour one one on top of that, so i do have SOME travel tips. i think these are my best ones, but i'd be SO KEEN to hear others :)

if you're flying through any major airport (abu dhabi, dubai, singapore, doha, etc.) remember that they will make you do security again just before you go to your gate. this means it is imperative you do not fill up your water bottle in the airport unless you have time to drink it! i've been forced to down so many litres of water just to get my bottle on the plane (for some reason they never have taps near the gates?!).

sleep is your friend. personally, i don't bother with timezones, i just try and get as much of it as i can. i know this is controversial, as some people like to time their sleeping with their destination, but honestly i think sleeping on planes is patchy as it is so you may as well sleep when you're tired. there's an art to this too - i order an alcoholic drink with the first meal service (usually just after take-off), and use it to make me a little drowsy. during the post-meal coffee service, i forego any tea, coffee or sodas and have a cup of plain hot water. that usually lets me go to sleep as soon as the cabin lights go off. bring a sweater so you're warm enough, wear comfy clothes and warm socks and don't be afraid to ask for extra blankets if you need them - sometimes planes can be SUPER cold. also, use the free mask/earplugs they give you if you can (the earplugs do some weird sensory shit to me so i can't handle those, but the mask is usually great).

if you have any dietaries whatsoever, don't forget to order specific meals. this means you never miss out, even if you are asleep when the trolley comes around. you can always request it later. one time i forgot to put in meal requests on a 12.5 hour flight it was torture. i had to survive on apples.

always bring a charged laptop (preferably with a lot of fic or netflix shows pre-downloaded) and headphones. you can never guarantee what movies they're gonna have and honestly i find my own entertainment more worthwhile. books are a little dicey because if you're flying at night and they turn the cabin lights off, you don't wanna be that asshole turning the overhead light on while the person next to you is trying to sleep.

if you know your bladder sucks, PLEASE choose the aisle seat (that is me - aisle always).

if you're travelling with one other person and you're on an A380 or similar, there's usually an option to pick a seat right down the back of the plane with rows of 2 rather than 3. this changed my life when i discovered it. as long as you have the patience to wait 2223847 years to de-plane, it can be so handy because you never have a random between you and you can a) get better sleep and b) go to the bathroom whenever you want.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS carry baby wipes. You'll need them for your hands, when you spill something on yourself or (on the 12.5 hour flight) your underarms lol. Also, please for the love of god wear shoes in the bathroom.

during stopovers, try to find the most random bathroom available (good idea to go for a walk if you have the time), set up shop, and do a cleanse. brush your teeth, brush your hair, wash your face, apply some lip balm (plane environments are super drying, especially for that long). i always carry a small toiletries bag (making sure you're not carrying liquids over 100ml) in my carry on. it makes you feel SO much better. you can also do this when you get to your destination, just before you leave the airport (before/after baggage collection).

bring a phone cable. sounds stupid but the amount of times i have forgotten one...

travel as light as possible with carry on. my personal favourite is to have a backpack with my charger, laptop, a sweater/jumper and small toiletries bag, and then i also carry a fanny pack-type bag that can be shoved into the top of my backpack. the separate small bag is super handy walking around airports though because you can have your wallet, phone, boarding pass and passport on you at all times and really easily accessible. this hack will also save you SO MUCH TIME at security check. if you travel light, you'll find it so easy separating out your laptop and liquids at any check in.

#some of these are common sense i know #but not that double security check one #i always get caught out #seriously trying to down 2L of water in one go is NOT NICE #lolaland travel tips #travel tips #personal #liminalmemories #lolaland answers

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dropitlikeapeong · 5 months ago

Text

Waiting for You: Chapter 2-

But why?

Genre: more angst (kinda.. it could've been worse)

CW: Swearing(and lots of it). Seeuns a jerk (a little bit!). mentions of food. Y/n's probably getting fired. mentions of jealousy. suggestive mentions (makeouts, hickeys and love bites) NONE are happening in this chapter, they're only mentioned.

This chapter is not as angsty and sad as it could've been, and thats okay because I still got the next few chapters to torture you with :D

This one's a bit longer than the last one so woohoo. I apologize for any spelling mistakes (my eyesight is a joke) if im forgetting to add something in the cws, please let me know and i hope ya'll enjoy.

Likes, reblogs and comments are very appreciated.

"Let's break up."

"we're done, y/n."

"I don't want us, anymore"

"we're done."

"Goodbye Y/n."

Not a single explanation given, he just simply let you know that it was over, and left. Instead of an evening that usually ends with watching yours and his favourite shows on netflix with some snacks, cuddling and a little makeout in between, your evening ended with you crying yourself to sleep wondering what went wrong. Sadly the world won't stop spinning solely for your heartbreak, and you are very much still needed at work today.

Having slept through the alarms your now ex-boyfriend always set for you, you are forced get up by the several incoming calls and texts from your supervisor and your coworkers. After your phone finally stops vibrating, you sit up in your bed to scroll through the many texts from your friends, Jiwoo and Hana;

Jiwoo: WHERE TF ARE YOU?!- sent 06:18

Jiwoo: you were the last one to leave work last night, you have the office keys now we can't get in- sent 06:20

Jiwoo: also we agreed yesterday you're in charge of the picking up the boys' food, im driving them to the photoshoot- sent 06:21

Jiwoo: and no i will not switch shifts with you again- sent 06:21

Jiwoo: BITCH ISTG- sent 06:52

Jiwoo: we got a spare key. thanks for nothing asshole.- sent 07:05

Well... Jiwoo's mad. You'll have to make it up to her later, and from the looks of it, Hana as well.

Hana: If you value your job, get your ass over here quickly. I can only stall Manager Park for so long- sent 07:52

Hana: and no i'm not gonna tell them you're calling in sick- sent 07:52

Hana: Youre on the meal shift, you not allowed to call in sick today- sent 07:53

Hana: IF YOU DONT PICK UP THE FCUKING CALL ISTG- sent 07:58

Hana: lol, tried to save ya, Manager Park is pissed.-sent 08:14

Hana: And youre on meal shift tomorrow as well since jiwoo had to get the boys' coffee today. YOURE WELCOME.- sent 08:15

hana: AND youre the one who promised the maknaes brownies today, not us, so have fun explaining to them why they arent getting any today- sent 08:18

Hana: im mad at you in case you cant tell.-sent 08:18

Aside from the spam of your upset friends, your main motivator to get into the shower was a singular text from Manager Park letting you know that if you didn't show up at work today, to not bother showing up tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the day after that.

So you rush through your shower routine, grab your bags and your keys and a fruit on your way out of your home, to at least try and salvage this day, and not piss off your friends or your other colleagues even more.

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While driving to work, your thoughts end up drifting back to last nights events. When Seeun broke your heart and left you crying on your living room floor.

Later today one of the staff that were aware of your relationship would be coming around to pick up anything and everthing of his that he might have left in your apartment, during your one year relationship.

'It's for the best' he says. Best for who? Him? Did the CEO find out about you then tell him to end things? that would make sense, however with how clingy he was toward you at work and in front of everyone, it was quite difficult to keep your relationship secret, even from the CEO himself.

After he caught Seeun trying to sneak into one of the supply closets with you, you were both called into his office for a very important discussion about "fraternization in the workplace". He'd given you both a stern yet kind warning that if anyone outside of the company found out found about this, it'd mean a lot of trouble, especially for you, so you needed to be careful.

'Guess there's no need to worry about that anymore.' you thought to yourself.

You make a stop at the sandwich bar across the company to pick up the boys' lunch as well as the brownies you promised, even though you told them you'd bake them yourself, you were unfortunately too preoccupied with dealing with heartbreak their friend caused. Hopefully they'll understand right? Of course they wouldn't they didn't even know you two were a thing. Wait, maybe that's his issue;

What if he saw you with someone else? Maybe thats why!

Could he have seen you with another guy and overthought the situation? You obviously have some male coworkers that you chat with sometimes, but your conversations are always respectful. Even if someone does flirt with you, you always kindly let them know you're not interested.

Him worrying about you leaving for another guy seems highly unlikely, but not impossible. He does tend to have a bit of a jealous streak, epsecially when comes to you being around his bandmates.

With the job of prepping their equipment and clothing for performances, Bringing them their food and drinks and driving them to their many different events since their debut, it's no surprise that you'd eventually grow close to the ten boys. it is how you and Seeun started dating after all, but considering that could get you into an insane amount of trouble, your relationship with him remained a secret, even from the rest of the group.

That secretiveness unfortunately made some of other members comfortable enough to have some flirty conversations with you.

Its kinda suprising how neither of them even suspected you two, with how Seeun would constantly be caught staring daggers at Hunter for constantly offering to take you out on a date after dance practice. Considering Hunter's personality, you know he's probably joking, but it still didn't stop your boyfriend from angrily muttering about how he needed to back off, because you're his and his only.

I mean, at least you were.

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Finally you arrive at the company just in time to deliver lunch to the boys. Once you reach their practice room they're all lying on the floor sprawled out, in different corners of the studio. Jiwoo continues packing up their sound equipment not even sparing you a glance, still very much upset from this morning. You'll have to buy her lunch later to make up for it.

They're all too exhausted from rehearsals to pay any attention to you, so you figure you can sneak in, leave them their food and sneak back out unnoticed, but today is just not your day.

"Y/NNIE!!", is all you hear before a strong pair of arms wrap around you and lift you off the ground, squeezing you tightly.

So much for sneaking out unnoticed.

"Hunter, I can't breathe." He gives you one last squeeze before setting you on your feet again, smiling down at you.

"Where were you this morning? We missed you!" Yujun asked while rummaging through the bag of food you brought.

Now everyone's eyes are on you as you try to explain your absence from this morning but your wonderful ex pipes up before you can even speak.

"Who's 'we'?" he scoffed, while the other members laughed, your smile dropped as you tensed at his response.

Right. He always had to tease you a little to make sure his favoritism of you wasn't too obvious, although according to Hyunwoo, it only makes it more obvious that he likes you, hence everyone just laughing off his comment. Even you would just laugh off his antics knowing he'd give you all his hugs and kisses later, as an apology in case he was a little too mean.

But after last night's conversation, today's joke isn't really that easy to laugh off.

"So Y/n, where were you-Are you crying?" Yechan asks and now everyone is moving in closer to see what was wrong with you. When did you start crying? You quickly wipe at your face but Seeun grabs your wrist, his other hand moving up to as if to caress your cheek, him looking down at you with concern with concern in his eyes, that concern disappears immediately, as he laughs in your face.

"Wait are you really crying?" he sneered. What is this?

This is not his usual teasing, he's really just trying to hurt you.

But why? Why is he being like this?

"Aw, Y/nnie you know I'm just joking, no need to be a baby about it-" he goes to ruffle your hair but you instinctively slap his hand away from you.

He looked a bit shocked at your actions but that expression quickly changed into a mocking smirk.

"Woah, calm down, why are you being so moody today?"

"Y/n just had a bad morning guys, we all have those don't we?" jiwoo spoke up. You weren't really expecting her to defend you after her texts from this morning, but you were grateful nonetheless.

"Yay! You brought the brownies!" the exchange between you two is quickly forgotten as the rest of group rushes off to where Yujun is holding the box of brownies.

"Hey, these are store-bought you said you'd bake them-"

"Who cares, I want one!"

"Hey! hEY- DON'T EAT ALL OF THEM! We're supposed to share!!"

While they all bickered over the bags of food, you backed away silently trying to make your way to the door, but bumped into someone, you turn around to see Seeun glaring at you.

"Watch where you're going idiot." He muttered walking over to where the rest of members were already sitting down and eating, leaving a dull ache in your chest.

What was his problem? Why was he acting as if you're the one who hurt him?

You were tempted to ask but Jiwoo grabbed your arm and dragged you towards the door.

"We need to go see Manager Park right now, but we'll be back in a few minutes. Enjoy your lunch guys!"

Once the door is shut, you are then dragged off to yours and Jiwoo's shared office.

"I thought we had to go to Manager Park-"

"Yes. You do. In an hour or so;"

She then shoves you into your chair and stares at you expectantly.

"I know you're probably so mad at me right now- and you have every right to be-"

"-Apology accepted. You'll pay for my lunch later. Now onto more pressing matters, what's up with you and Seeun? You guys were so tense just now! Did you guys fight or something?"

You roll your eyes and sigh at her nosiness. You had planned on keeping the relationship a secret from her and Hana as well, but they put two and two together when you had gone into his dressing room to 'help him with his stage outfit', and came back with hickeys littered on your neck and collar, and bite marks on your shoulders and chest(you probably shouldn't have worn a sleeveless top that day).

Although there was a lot of concern about how things could easily go very wrong with this, they were still very happy for you and being the good friends they were, they promised not to tell a single soul.

"We broke up." Her mouth fell open, with her eyes widened in shock.

"Uh.. O-Okay?? Why??" She asked incredulously.

You shrugged, wishing you knew that answer as well.

"Jeez so that's why he's been so sour this morning, you broke his heart!" she says slapping your arm lightly and you narrowed your eyes her.

"First of all; He broke up with me-"

"-The fuck? Why?"

"Beats me." you leaned back into your chair closing your eyes.

"Well shit, then what the heck was he mad at us for?" you sat back up at that.

"He got mad at you guys?" she nodded and sat on you desk.

"He was so snappy with everyone this morning, no one knew what his deal was."

Before you could ask her for more information, the door opened and Hana rushed in, slightly out of breath.

"Manager Park is looking for you- and wants to see you in the practice room. Right now."

"Me? I thought he wanted to see me in hour-"

"-Change of plans. He wants to see you now and i suggest you move fast, cause he seemed pissed."

Shit.

"We all come late from time to time- hell even he was late too last week- he can't still be mad about that right?" Jiwoo asked trying to reassure you even though she seemed just as worried as you. Hana shrugged and looked at you.

"You coming?"

You exhaled deeply and stood up, following her to the the practice room.

Time to face the music.

#xikers #xikers x reader #xikers fanfic #seeun #xikers angst #xikers fanfiction #park seeun #seeun angst #seeun x reader #xikers seeun #dropitlikeapeong: waiting for you

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aerodaltonimperial · 1 year ago

Note

Trick or Treat my friend!! 🎃

"Darby."

That's... unusual. Darby frowns, mid-way through lacing up his platform Doc Martens. "Hook. Did you get lost?"

"No," though Hook's face has twisted like he wishes that was why. He shrugs uncomfortably in the doorway, swiping at his nose with his thumb, and then sighs. "I need your help."

"...I'm listening," Darby says.

"Could you just call him please?" Hook mumbles.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear that, you seem to have cotton stuck on your tongue."

Hook's eye twitches. That's new; fun! "Please call him. Please. He's so fucking bored."

"Lame," Darby says.

"Please," Hook tries again. "Darby, I can't handle this any more. He leaves 39 texts in a row. In ten minutes! He's sending me recipes constantly and I don't even own a frying pan. He's binge-watched 16 shows on Netflix, and he updates me on every. Single. Episode. Please."

Darby has to coach his mouth down into a scowl, because fuck, that's pretty funny. "Sounds like a you problem."

"Darby, he's taken up cross-stitching."

"Wait, really? That sounds relaxing actually. What's he making?"

Hook looks deeply, deeply annoyed, but he digs into his hoodie pocket and produces his phone. A few clicks later, and Darby finds himself staring at a rectangle covered with what appears to be a pretty impressive broken windshield with the words REAL GLASS, BITCH in a script font in the middle.

"Wait, did he design that?" Darby asks. "That's, like, really good. He could totally sell that on Etsy."

"Darby."

Darby throws his hands up. "Okay, okay. I'll call. Jesus."

"Thank you," Hook says, an exhale. There are some serious bags under his eyes. Hook needs to find a new skincare regimen.

"Why me?" Darby asks.

"Someone has to take the focus of his attention. It cannot be me any longer. I cannot have another 45-minute conversation on whether or not Joss Whedon being an asshole negates all seven seasons of Buffy's greatness."

Darby can't stop the snort that time. "God, he really is bored. You think I'm somehow going to capture his attention?"

The look Hook gives him is... untrustworthy. "Darby, you have no idea."

"... what does that mean."

"Nothing. Please call tonight. Like, as soon as I leave. Which I'm doing right now, because I don't really like you."

The door slams, leaving Darby staring at where Hook disappeared from, confusion blooming up through his skin.

#tag so you don't lose this shit

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lostfirefly · 10 months ago

Text

You’ve Got the Same Dream as Me (Ch.8)

Hello, kiddos! The idea for this fanfic came to me from a dream (again) I had about a month ago. Тhe main characters were T. Cruise & H.Cavill (don't ask me why), but with a light hand they have been replaced. The main action of the dream took place somewhere in the sands. Аlthough this fanfic will feature Sir Crocodile and our beloved Buggy, the action shifts to the desert. No marines, ships etc. The devil fruit's abilities are preserved. Catch the Mummy and Indiana Jones vibes :) Different titles and names from the original source material will be used to emphasise the general OP's vibe.

Since English is not my native language, errors may occur. As always, feel free to share your thoughts :)

And thank you to my dear @yujo-nishimura and @laurasoretta for believing in me :)

Description: Catherine, a librarian who is searching for the trail of her sister who went missing on an expedition. Notes in books and diaries lead her to Cairo. There she finds a retailer from an artifact shop who, in exchange for selling her a map and equipment, insists that Catherine take her along. They get into a little (or maybe a big) adventure..

Warnings: Catherine is still angry about the phrase Buggy said in Ch. 7 (he's a vulnerable idiot). That's why she can be a little annoying. F words. Croco x OC are two assholes. Adventures and fun are still here. Buggy x OC, Sir Crocodile x OC. Hope you enjoy it!

Words: 3262 (omg!)

The title is taken from «You've Got the Same Dream as Me» (Sonya Belousova & Giona Ostinelli) (One Piece, Netflix)

Taglist: @gingernut1314

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• Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7

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"Oh, hi, sister!"

"Oh, hi, sister? Jules, are you fucking kidding me? You’ve been missing for almost two months, I come looking for you, and all you can say is, "oh, hi, sister"? Catherine could hardly contain her anger and slowly approached Jules. "What are you doing here? And why are you with the beehive?"

"Well, after breaking up with Pete, I decided to go on an expedition to clear my head.. There I met a man with a funny haircut in the shape of a three. He offered me an interesting case and good money. And this nice man is his boss", brown-haired girl said with a smile.

"Oh, God! Could you please shut up?" Rika said with annoyance. She walked up to Jules and pushed her towards Catherine. "Welcome to the team of misfits."

"Heeey", Jules squealed.

"All right, ladies and the clown. Enough of this chit-chat and all this drama. Now you put your brains together, if you have them, read your maps, your diaries, and tell us where we're going next."

Crocodile approached Rika.

"You've done a great job, my love. Look and learn, clown, what kind of woman you should choose", Crocodile said with a sneer and kissed Rika again eagerly.

"Thank you! But I want to remind you that you hurt me at that old man's house," Rika returned the kiss.

"It's still ew", Catherine said with disgust.

"Oh, fuck! You've tired me out this week," Rika stopped kissing Crocodile, approached Catherine and grabbed her shoulder. "You know how many times I wanted to punch you in your pretty face, so you'd finally shut up. Now be a good girl, go back to your loser's place and do what you've just been told."

"And when did you have time to contact Crocodile, Rika?" Buggy asked, taking Catherine’s hand and leading her behind him.

"About a month ago, why? Do you feel bad about me not being with you or something? No, thanks. I found the real man."

"Hell, please, no. Just curious. I don't understand why you need me."

"Oh, are you trying to sneak out, my clown boy? Well, somebody had to get us in here. Crocodile doesn’t know the exact way, and you've been here before, albeit from the other side, and you have our box. Plus, I knew you'd fall for the treasure and, obviously, the girl. So. Sorry, buddy."

"Will someone tell me what's going on here?" suddenly asked Jules and glanced at Buggy, "and who are you?"

"They are," Catherine pointed at Crocodile and Rika, "two bastards. And that brown-haired bitch I met at the airport. She gave me a flight ticket. And he..."

"What do you mean, she gave you the ticket?" Buggy interrupted Catherine and looked at her in surprise. "Did you just take the fucking ticket out of that girl's hand? Did you really think a random stranger would just give it to you?"

"Well...," she looked at him with round eyes and shrugged.

"God, you're even dumber than I am," he rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Oh, yeah! And this is coming from the 'I don't need a plan' person," Catherine mocked Buggy, standing behind his back.

"That's enough!" Crocodile stepped closer to them. "Listen, clown. Please tell your girl and her sister to tell us where we need to go. Otherwise…"

He grabbed Jules with his hook.

"Okay, okay!" Catherine said, "I'll do what you want. Just don't touch her".

"Catherine, don't!" Buggy hissed.

"I’m not gonna let some guy with the hook hurt my sister or you," - she said in a whisper and blushed slightly. "Come on, Jules. Let's take a look at the map".

"Good girls. Laura, honey, stand next to that fucking clown. He's got powers and he could easily make a run for it," Crocodile sat on the floor and lit a cigar.

"As you wish, boss."

Catherine and Jules sat on the cold rocks, shining flashlights on the map and diary entries. A light breeze walked through the space. They spent a long time going over the pages with their hands.

"Look," Catherine pointed to the coordinates in the diary. "We were here, here, and here. I think we're here now, right? The map’s drawn the path."

"First of all, I'm shocked at what's happening. What's going on? Second of all, what do you mean, the map's drawn a path? And third," Jules smiled wryly, "who's that guy with the red nose?"

"Fuck! I'm begging you, let's first get out of this fucking cave or wherever we are now. This is all your fault. If you hadn't disappeared, I wouldn't have come here and I'd be sitting at home with coffee right now, and everything would be fine."

"Hey, I apologize for interrupting your family drama, but did you find anything?" Buggy squatted down next to them.

"Not yet. Why are you asking? Oh, you're worried you're gonna miss out on the treasure now? And then you can't get a girl for one night at the bar?" Catherine mumbled, turning the pages.

"Why are you so mad?" he asked in surprise.

"I'm not... I don't care about you and your late-sex life, actually. You could go out and fuck every girl in town in one night."

"Oh, wow, right to the heart!" he exclaimed in a mocking tone, but he changed it quickly. "Hey, listen. About what I said.. I want to ap--"

"How much longer are you going to suffer bullshit?" Crocodile asked with annoyance. "Any news?"

"Don't yell at me, the beehive! No upd.. Uh, wait. Buggy, hold the flashlight, please", Catherine ran her hand over the sheets and mumbled something to herself. "Hey, the hook man. Do you have the book with you?"

"Of course. Laura, give it to her," Crocodile said with a low voice.

Laura went to the bag, pulled out the book and handed it to Catherine.

"Thank you, bitch," Catherine barked.

Reconciling the entries in the book and in her diary, Catherine continued to mutter something to herself and surveyed the space. She ran the fingers of one hand over the pages, the other hand drawing some shapes in the air.

"What is she doing?" Jules asked Buggy with a whisper.

"I have no idea, I thought you knew. She’s your sister."

Rika and Crocodile watched Catherine's strange movements intently.

"I got it!" - Catherine jumped up abruptly, grabbing the book and diaries and walked quickly forward. "Jules, look at the map. Are there any changes now?"

"I see nothing," Jules said, looking closely at the map.

"Honey, you'd better tell us where to go next," Crocodile walked over to Catherine and took her firmly by the neck.

"Hey, let her go," Buggy walked over to Crocodile.

"Or what? All right, I can't cut you. But I can cut her. I can cut her sister. Or kill. You're not in a very good position right now, clown. So, save your heroics for some petty squabbling amongst lowlifes like you."

"You can threaten me as much as you want, I don't give a shit about it. But if you lay one finger or your hook on either of them…"

"Then what? Are you gonna kill me?" at that moment, Crocodile's hand began to turn to sand.

"Stop! Please!" Catherine took Buggy's hand and gave him a hard look. "It's okay. I’m fine. Anyway, the beehive, I have bad news for you. The map is useless now until we get out of here. It only points the way in daylight and, as I understand it, in direct sunlight. So, we'll follow the path where the road is drawn now, and if there's nothing further, we'll go blind."

Rika came over to Jules and looked at the map.

"I hate to break it to you, my love, but that bitch is right. So far, the path's partially drawn. I don't know why the fucking thing didn't draw it all the way through. You're not so stupid, are you, Catherine?"

Catherine rolled her eyes and started packing.

"What was that? His hand turned to sand. And what does that big man mean when he said he can't cut that guy?" she asked with horror in her voice.

"Ah, it's a side effect of the devil fruit," Catherine waved her hand, "I'll tell you later."

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They walked along the winding rocky paths for over an hour, lighting the way with torches. The wind continued to blow through the cave, bringing smells of damp and rot.

"God, I don't want to die in a cave and lie here like some pharaoh", Jules muttered to herself, shifting her feet heavily, "And at first that man with the hook seemed so nice."

"Bastards always seem nice at first. Don't they, Buggy?" Catherine cast a glance at the clown and adjusted her bag.

"If you have a problem with me, cotton candy, just say so," he said in a surprisingly calm tone.

"I don't have a problem with you, and I don't want to talk to you," she snapped.

Jules looked at them questioningly.

"But you keep doing it, Cathie-pie", he said with a slight irony in his voice. "One minute you're mad at me, and the next..."

"Shut up, please, I hate you," she interrupted him with a quiet growl. "Shit, if you knew how much you piss me off, silly clown, I'd.... Ouch!"

Catherine didn't realize she'd hit a stone wall.

"What the hell?" she touched the space in front of her.

"Are you okay?" Buggy put his hand on her back.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine... But..."

"What happened?" Crocodile's voice came from behind her. "Where are we?"

"I don't know...," Catherine shone the torch on the wall. "We couldn't have lost our way. We could have taken a wrong turn… in theory... There are a million paths."

"We could have taken a wrong turn, huh? Are you kidding me?" Rika took two big steps and grabbed Catherine's arm. "I swear to God, I'll rip your head off if you take us down the wrong path."

"Get your crocodile hands off me!" Catherine tried to throw off Rika’s hand. "We're in a bloody ancient cave in the middle of Egypt. You think there's only one way in a cave like this? I’m really sorry that it's not lit up like a fucking highway. Just give me a minute. Jules, the map!"

Rika let go of Сatherine's hand and continued to stand by her side.

"That's why I love you, baby. For your temper," Crocodile walked over to Rika and put his arm around her waist.

"It’s still ew, by the way," Catherine snorted and stared at the map. "Jules, the diary! Buggy, please, hold the torch. One more riddle is written here..."

Check the wall, and touch the floor,

It can help to open the door.

You'll be helped by a pillar of fire.

Just take it up a notch higher.

"And what does it mean?" Crocodile asked.

"Well, you're supposed to be the smartest guy here, so think about it", Catherine said mockingly.

"I'm sick of you!" Crocodile hissed. "Laura, I think our redheaded smarty-pants is a little out of touch. Maybe a gun would help. Will you please point that pretty thing at her little sister?"

Laura took out a gun, cocked the slide and put it to Jules' temple.

"You’re truly a piece of shit," Catherine whispered. "If the four of you want to get to the treasure, shooting somewhere in the dungeon is not recommended. You'll turn to sand and escape, the clown will fall to pieces and escape too, and the four of us will be crushed by something heavy. No offense, but that's not how I pictured my demise."

"Very funny, yes," Crocodile grinned. "Now go to your blue-haired friend and open the door."

"Check the wall, and touch the floor.. a pillar of fire. Jules, Buggy, obviously, we need to check the walls and floor with the torch or the flashlight, there must be some clues there," Catherine said this with undisguised admiration.

"I think you're beginning to like this whole treasure hunting thing," Buggy said with a grin.

"No, I just want to go home and be away from you," Catherine tried to sound serious.

With the torch, Jules and Buggy lit every millimetre of the wall. Catherine sat on her knees and ran her hands over the floor.

“You know, Crocodile, I know you're kind of mafia, but maybe you could help. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner you can get your gold”, Catherine said, probing the stone tiles in the darkness. “Check those rocks you're standing on, please.”

Crocodile snorted. Rika nodded her head slightly and they began to check the floor beneath them.

"There are some drawings here," Rika said.

"Yeah, and there are some on the wall, too," Jules mumbled.

Catherine sat down on the stone floor, Crocodile sat next to her. They both stared at the book. Rika and Buggy watched them both warily.

"Look, the hook, you see, one of the slabs in the book is marked with a sign. That's how the ancient Egyptians labelled something like a button, if I'm not mistaken."

"Buttons? To what?" Crocodile looked at Catherine questioningly.

"I don't know. Maybe it's your treasure behind the door, maybe it's sarcophagi with mummies or a bunch of man-eating scarabs. But you see, there's a drawing here. It's a diagram. We have to click on the pictures on the wall and the floor in the right order, I guess... But we need to find some kind of lever that activates it all."

"And if we press in the wrong order, then what?" Crocodile asked in a quiet voice.

"Well, then we have a good chance of turning into mummies, and in a few hundred years local kids will be scared with scary stories about us." Catherine said, barely containing a nervous laugh. "Yes, I've always dreamed of dying next to the sandman and the clown."

Crocodile stood up and offered Catherine his hand.

"Thanks, I guess," she said with surprise in her voice. "Okay, guys, we need to find a lever, a big button or something..."

Catherine and Crocodile continued to look at the book and diary while Laura, Rika, Buggy and Jules were exanimating the walls and floor.

"People, there's another sign here," Laura said, lighting an obscure symbol with her torch.

"Wait, that's...," Catherine sat down next to her, "it's Seth's sign."

"How is Seth?" Crocodile asked.

"God, сome on! You're in Egypt. It's an Egyptian god."

"Then what do these symbols mean?" Jules' voice came from the wall.

Catherine approached her.

"Jules, sister, hold the book. Buggy, hold the torch and the diary," she began to run her hands over the wall and the pages again, muttering something to herself.

"Anything?" Rika asked, coming up behind her.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, don't distract me," Catherine waved her hand away. "Guys, I get it. Look, these aren't just symbols. It's a puzzle. But not just a puzzle, a puzzle of myth. And a note that says "Beware of Seth".

"What myth?" Buggy asked in surprise.

"Osiris and Isis," Catherine said affirmatively.

"And what's it about?" Laura asked and Rika said together.

"Come on! Seth killed Osiris, Isis' husband, chopped him up and hid him in different places. Buggy, by the way, if you bother me, I'll do the same to you," she said with a slight smile.

"I'm sorry, what?" he raised his eyebrows.

"Isis went in search of her husband's parts. The symbols on the wall and floor match the ones in the book. And if you look in the diary, you'll know in what order to press the buttons."

"But what does this have to do with Seth?" Laura asked. "You know, I don't know much about all these Egyptian myths, but it seems to me that if something is mentioned in the text, you should take it into account."

"Seth is the god of storms and deserts, that doesn't make sense," Jules said.

"But he was also considered the god of deception," Catherine whispered. "We need to press these slabs in reverse order. We have to find the lever and then start this infernal mythological machine."

"There's something like a wheel in here, but to be honest, I don't really want to touch it," Jules said with excitement in her voice, pointing to a small object.

Crocodile and Buggy approached the wheel. Turning it a few times they both looked round.

"And now what?" Crocodile asked.

Catherine looked at the book and started pointing with her hand.

"Now we have to press the slabs in reverse order, that's what Laura, you over here, Jules, you over here, Rika, you on that slab, you two stand over there at those two slabs closer together. Just in case there's a door, of course."

She sat down on the ground, put the book next to her, and started rambling again.

-Feet.. Arms... Body... Arms... Legs. Okay, first brown-haired bitch Rika. Then Jules. No, no, no, no.. first Laura. Then Rika. Then Jules. Then beehive. Then Buggy."

In that order, everyone pressed the slabs.

"And what? Nothing happens. Are you sure you got it right?" Buggy asked with a distinct annoyance in his voice.

"I-I.. I don't know, I hope so."

"If you decided to trick us...," Rika moved with a quick step towards Catherine.

Suddenly they heard a strange noise and the floor started to wobble.

"Please tell me it was you who ran so hard," Catherine said with fear in her voice, getting up from the floor. "Oh-oh, that's not good."

Slowly the walls began to fall down. The floor began to move more and more.

"What's with the door?" Rika shouted.

"It won't open," Jules hit the wall with her hand.

"Oh-oh, that's too bad!" Catherine looked around, dazed with shock.

"Are you sure you read it right?" shouted Crocodile.

"Do you really have to ask that now?" Catherine yelled back.

The heavy stone door began to open slowly. Crocodile and Buggy tried to pull it to move it, but to no avail.

"Yes! Yes! It's opening!! Hurry!" Jules took Laura's hand, and they slipped through the narrow passage.

"Catherine, hurry!" Rika grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the door.

The floor began to slowly collapse. From the bottom of the cave came the muffled sounds of stone hitting stone. Catherine noticed the book that had been left on the floor.

"The book!" she broke free of Rika's grip and ran to get it.

"Rika!" Crocodile turned into sand and picked Rika up.

"Oh, Catherine, this was a bad idea. That's the dumbest idea ever," she muttered to herself as she watched the floor fall down in bigger and bigger chunks.

Suddenly, she felt someone pick her up and book.

"You will be the death of me, cotton candy!" Buggy's flying torso threw her on his shoulder and carried her to the door.

"Damn you and your chop chop abilities," she said, exhaling as she watched the remnants of the floor fall into the abyss of the cave.

As soon as everyone was behind the door, it closed.

"Is everyone alive?" Rika asked, lighting a torch from the wall.

"I think so," Laura and Jules squeaked in unison somewhere.

Buggy lowered Catherine to the ground and put his body back on his feet. She looked around.

"Well. I have two bits of news. One, we're all alive. The second is that the way back is cut off".

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cyberphuck · 10 months ago

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"Excuse me. Please don't talk to me unless you're at least an 8." Mika (he/him), the nonbinary vampire informant from Asshole Monster Hunter.

“I love this time of year,” Mika sighed, uncoiling another strand of hair from a pink roller and letting the resulting coil bounce down his back.

“Really? I’d have thought you found it kind of, I dunno, tiresome.”

“Tiresome! The air is crisp, the leaves are changing, and the sun only shows its face for a few hours a day.” Another curl tumbled down. “The only thing I find ‘tiresome’ is pumpkin-spice-everything.” He pointed a slender finger at Ashley in the mirror. “It’s a good flavor. It’s not mind-blowing. Ginger Bread lattes, now, that’s a different story.”

“I mean Halloween. With all the spooky parties and people dressing up as movie vampires.”

“Oh, no, it’s lovely. The closer it gets to the end of the month, the more excited people are to be bitten on the neck. Those wearing a silk opera cape from Wal-Mart even more so. What better way to spend All Hallow’s Eve than with a vamp?”

“I figured Vamps had their own parties.”

“They do. Tacky velvet and rhinestone affairs with too much red wine and too many living guests gawking at all the fangs. It’s the vamp equivalent of a company picnic. No, I prefer a normal sort of party with paper banners and plastic eyeballs in the punch.”

“Because you’re the only vamp working the place,” Ashley guessed.

“A vamp, no.” Mika held up a black headband with lacy triangle ears glued to it. “A sexy cat that’s had a little bit too much to drink and needs to be escorted home, perhaps with a stop in an alley on the way for a little,” he winked, “scratch behind the ears.”

“You’re disgusting.”

“Not so much as a tired old vampire inviting young desirables to an 'exclusive’ party, with the implication that they’re there as anything other than hors d'oeuvres.” The last roller came out, and he ran his fingers through the curls to loosen them a little before gathering a handful of pins in one hand. “I don’t make a habit of leading people on.” He paused. “In that way, anyway.”

“How many parties are you going to tonight?”

“Four. It’s still a week until Halloween; the parties are only just starting. There’ll be so many on the night of the 31st that if I don’t go to at least nine I’ll consider myself a failure. And you?” A flick of the eyelashes. “Staying home with Messrs. Domino and Netflix again?”

Ashley paused uncomfortably, then, “Nah. I have a thing.”

“A *thing,”* Mika echoed delicately.

“Yeah. Just a casual thing with a friend, a couple of drinks, that’s all.”

“A friend,” Mika said, then, “a boy?”

“A man, yes–”

“Oh, a *date,* I’m all a-twitter. Tell me about this man of yours, where did you meet him, how tall is he, is he educated?

"It’s just Adrian, Mika,” Ashley said tiredly. “You know him.”

Mika’s nose wrinkled. “Ugh, *him.* I don’t know how you stand to be seen with him, it’s obvious you can do so much better. People will talk.”

“We’re not dating, just going out for drinks. He’s been running the shop on his own for almost a year. There’s gonna be a little get-together at his place next week, but he wanted to do something more private for just the two of us.”

“You might not think it’s a date, my dear, but I can guarantee you he certainly does.” Mika put two of the pins in his mouth while he maneuvered the rest into his hair, coiling it into an artless half-bun. “Give someone like him a taste of the high life and he’ll keep coming sniffing after it until you kick him to the curb. Which you ought to have done years ago.”

“Mika, we’ve been friends since we were kids, I’m not just going to get rid of him. It’s just drinks.”

“Take it from me,” Mika said silkily, “coffee is never just coffee, and drinks are never just drinks. Don’t do something you’ll regret, because I won’t hear any of your miserable moaning that you’ve made a mistake after you crawl back here.”

“Thank you, you’re such a good friend,” Ashley said, rolling her eyes.

“Someone has to keep you in line,” Mika muttered, levering another pin into his hair. “Give me that hairspray, and then get yourself in front of this mirror. Disgusting ex or no, you’re not going out in public with your hair looking like *that.”*

#art tag #oc art #ocs #artists on tumblr #nonbinary #vampire #Mika is one of those “asshole with a tragic backstory” characters #that you all know I love #eventually I'll do the oc casefile for him but for now enjoy this snippet of AMH

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firespirited · 1 year ago

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Vesper 2022 aka Vesper Chronicles in french. 2/10 abysmal, truly abysmal except for a few plant designs.

I kept getting déjà vu, certain I'd seen this film before. I probably have seen every single dystopia cliché and the decor/colour grading was so familiar. I could have told you it was franco-belgian with a large influence from something eastern though wouldn't have guessed lithiuanian, I was thinking polish or serbian. Obviously it's unrelentingly grimdark.

Spoilers and spoilers for Prospect 2018 at the end. Readmore for long ramblings.

There are two not actually sexual assaults that are filmed as if they were. General worst of humanity instead of people working together type film. By the time we'd drudged through multiple tropes I really dislike, I hated everyone involved in this film except the girl and i hope they don't work again. Hateful film that will crush a bit of your inner spark.

// I get the impression a lot of the reviewers who'd seen this on netflix had not been exposed much to european cinema: it has all the grime and gore of a classic olden times tale with some interesting plants. Please go watch La Cité des Enfants Perdus which has an actual soul at the heart of the green grime. We have dozens of films and tv shows that look like this 'unique' world. //

The world building falls flat as soon as you consider anything concrete: the food must come from harvests but where, clothes must come from animals and looms but where? The plants are carnivorous but how are they alive if there's nothing to feed on. It's just fitting your worldbuilding to look cool for a plot device: lady's plane crashes, she's found being eaten by plants and it looks gnarly. Beyond that? Plot device for plot sake, circular logic.

I could list twenty other similar bad writing moments most of them for pivotal scenes.

The film takes the path of consistent suffering and bleakness until it's implied that the world might be different from now on.

I decided to watch this film blind after seeing it on a list of recent female directed films. I assumed it was american or british. Big mistake!

You can expect about 75% of certain european female writer directors to be 'one of the boys', leaning in to more gross out, ultra violence or sexual content. They are the type to sign polanski support letters and hire actors disgraced in the USA.

It's hard to describe in terms non western continental europeans will understand. It's empowerment feminism meets white feminism but stuck around 1968 not 2006 with sexual attitudes that embrace teens with adults, not sane and consensual bdsm, lots of long debunked Freud.

They make films even better than the boys for sure but it's not remotely feminist in both what is depicted and what is inflicted on the female viewer. You could say at least we get female protags but the 'empowerment' feels more shallow than the music video for The Prodigy's Smack (spoilers for a very nsfw video: it's a lesbianbro asshole not a dudebro asshole)

Some people thought the ending implies the protag goes on to great things and I have no idea where they got that from: no leverage, no lab, no family. She has started the spark that will change the world but she'll have to find a blood broker to see the next harvest. She would have been better off with a guardian than so alone so soon with nothing to sell except blood and her eventual womb.

The few women of colour and lesbians directing or writing tend to have quite different vibes or offset bleak realities with moments of joy. (look carefully for a photo before making assumptions: born in north africa/middle east doesn't mean they aren't white and even whiter in their gaze in films set in brown or black countries)

Gay directors tend to do grimdark or sad sack rich people... just with gay sex. Uh yeah I'm not a fan of most french cinema right now but then again, that's a view shared by quite a few actresses and women who just want 2 hours of escapism.

It reminded me a lot of Prospect 2018, except despite it's deeply bleak story Prospect ends with them both having a new family unit, reason to live and partner who'll watch their back. Vesper has no-one. This was a poorly thought through initial cool concept that decided to throw every gross concept and trope against the wall, add dose after dose of misery then act like there was a happy end.

Please watch Nausicaa of the Valley of the wind for biopunk with heart, careful plotting, a designed biosphere, violence and gross bugs but always for a purpose.

#Vesper 2022 #Vesper Chronicles #movie reviews #Saf

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blog-name-idk · 2 years ago

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Everything Falls (Into Place) | 02

**Banner by the incredible @bangtansmauyeondan

Pairing: OT7 x Fem Reader

Genre: College!AU, Roommate!AU, Fluff, Humor, Smut

Summary: Your new roommates are unbearably nice and unbearably hot. Good thing you're an adult who is fully capable of platonic friendships with the opposite sex, right?

Word Count: 3042

~~~~~

Things were not just fine. Well, they had been at first, after your initial breakdown. It had turned out that you had just been in shock the first day - after half a bottle of wine you had been sobbing in Mina's arms as she performed the best friend duty of telling you your ex was an asshole, a total moron, you were a goddess and he didn't deserve to even smell the shit that came out of your ass, etc. But it seemed like that one good cry session had cleared your head, and you found yourself not missing your ex at all. The first couple days with Mina had actually been fun, like an extended slumber party where you both fell asleep watching Netflix and giggling.

Unfortunately, it had now been two weeks, and absolutely no one was looking for new roommates or subleasers. While Mina was being a complete gem about the situation, her studio was cozy at best for one person, and you felt terrible taking up her space for so long. Not to mention her couch was less than luxurious, and you felt like you were well on your way to developing a permanent hunchback.

Comfort aside, it was likely that in another couple weeks you and your best friend were liable to be in the news for a murder, probably murder-suicide if the remorse hit before police showed up. You knew you were getting desperate when you actually began to consider answering the creepy Craiglist ads that listed "female roommate only" for "strictly nonsexual reasons."

You relayed your woes to Jackson the next time he called to check in on you, and he was silent for several long moments.

"I… I might know someone who has a spare room," your brother finally muttered hesitantly, tone pained. You perked up from where you had been sinking into the couch between its two lopsided cushions.

"What! And you didn't tell me?" You accused, both excited and annoyed.

"Well, I'm not sure if they'd want to rent it out…" he hedged, still sounding reluctant.

"Dude what the hell, you haven't even asked?" You said indignantly, shocked that he would hold out on you like this.

"You'd be living with a bunch of dudes."

Ah, there it was. Big brother Jackson coming out.

"You know I don't care about that. I've lived with guys before." Well, one guy. And he had never used the kitchen or left his room. Best roommate you'd ever had.

"Not seven," came the sullen mutter on the other line.

"Oh my god Jackson," you groaned, rolling your eyes. "The fact that you're even suggesting them means that you know them all and they're good people, right? It's not like they're gonna murder me and hide my body in the walls or something."

"Well, yeah, but…"

"But WHAT?" you almost screamed in frustration. You wanted to strangle him.

"They're all… hot."

There was silence for several moments. Then you started guffawing uncontrollably, unladylike snorts escaping from your lips.

"You are such a dork," you gasped between laughs, tears coming to your eyes. "If I promise not to let them gangbang me, will you please ask?"

"Never say that again," came the revolted reply, making you laugh even harder.

"What, can't stomach the idea of a houseful of your buddies railing your little sister?" you taunted, unable to resist needling your brother despite the fact that he currently held your salvation in his hands.

"Oh my god please stop, I'm going to throw up."

"I'll stop if you ask them. Look, I'll even promise to you right now. This vagina is off limits to anyone I live with. Girl scout's honor."

"One, fucking gross, please stop using those words. Two, you were a brownie for one week. Three, you're actually serious, aren't you?"

"Deadly. Please. Share the whole sob story if you think it'll guilt them into saying yes. I'm desperate. If this goes on much longer you're going to have to start calling me Quasimodo."

"Ugh, FINE!"

~~~~~

Namjoon tried not to sigh as Jin rushed around the house, fluffing pillows and cleaning nonexistent dust off the shelves.

"Hyung, if she's gonna live here, she's gonna see the house in its normal state," Namjoon complained from the couch, where he had been ordered to sit and not touch anything.

"I guess you have a point," the oldest member of the house sighed, eyeing the younger members who were currently lounging on their phones and clearly not worried about the state of the house.

"Plus she might be a total bitch," added Jungkook from where he was playing some phone game. "That's why she's coming over here anyway, right? To see if it would even be a good fit?"

Namjoon frowned at the comment, though he said nothing. Considering how much Jackson clearly adored his sister, he doubted you could be that bad. But as much as he wanted to help his friend out, he couldn't just agree to let some stranger move in without letting his roommates weigh in on the decision. It was especially complicated since you were a girl, they were a bunch of dudes (some thirstier than others), and Jackson's parting words had made Namjoon's butthole clench.

"We definitely still have that spare room, but I'll have to talk to the other guys about it first. We'd probably want to meet her before deciding anything."

"That's fair. I'll send you her phone number so you can coordinate."

"Alright, I'll shoot her a text after this."

"I really appreciate it." A pause, then in a quieter, eerily cold tone, "also, if anyone hurts her, I will cut off their balls and shove them down their throat."

"Uh -"

"Anyway, thanks buddy! I'll call you again some time soon so we can catch up!"

Yeah, he had never heard Jackson use that icy tone of voice before and he sincerely hoped never to experience it again. It was fine, men and women were perfectly capable of healthy, platonic friendships. You probably wouldn't even be that cute, anyway.

A knock on the door cut off all conversation in the room, and Namjoon hurried to the door, narrowly avoiding knocking over the coat rack in the entryway. He opened the door to greet you, and okay, you were pretty cute.

"Um, hi," you said a bit awkwardly, shifting your weight from foot to foot. "I'm [y/n]."

Realizing he was just standing in the door like a big stupid gorilla, he quickly put a smile on his face and welcomed you in.

"It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Namjoon."

Your eyes sparkled in recognition and your lips broke into a bright smile. Oh no, you were really cute.

"Oh! It's nice to officially meet you too. Thanks so much for even considering this, I know it's a weird time of year and you don't really need another renter."

"It's the least I can do, Jackson is a good friend," he assured as he led you to the living room where the rest of the boys were gathered.

"[Y/n]?" Taehyung was gaping slightly.

"[Y/n]?" That was Jungkook, whose head had whipped up immediately when he heard your name.

"Taehyung? Jungkook? I didn't know you lived here!" You looked just as surprised as everyone else at this turn of events, and Namjoon wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. If you were a prior hook-up or something, then everything was going to shit already.

"I mentioned her name when I told you about this," he said, exasperated, and the younger boys looked away guiltily. They had probably tuned out after they had gotten the gist of the situation.

"So how do you guys know each other?" He asked in trepidation, praying that the answer would be something that allowed everyone's genitalia to remain intact.

"[Y/n]'s my best customer!" Taehyung volunteered immediately, and before anyone else could say anything, Jungkook cut in.

"[Y/n]'s also the best tutor!" He declared, and Namjoon heaved an internal sigh of relief. His balls were safe. And it seemed that you already had the approval of two of the members, at least.

"Thanks guys," you said with a chuckle. "Though I think 'best customer' is a nice way of saying I spend an irresponsible amount of money on coffee."

The others in the room laughed at your quip, and it seemed you and Namjoon remembered them at the same time.

"Um, yeah, so… I'm [y/n]."

~~~~~

You weren't exactly sure what to expect when first planning the meeting with Namjoon. He himself seemed kind and respectful, though it was hard to get any legitimate read on him through the minimal text messages you had exchanged. Still, Jackson spoke highly of him, and his approval carried a lot of weight.

The house itself was a lot larger and nicer than you expected, though you supposed it made sense if seven (hopefully soon to be eight) people lived there comfortably. It was cleaner than you had pictured for a group of college guys, too. At least the living room was.

The biggest surprise, though, was the members. Sure, you had your brother's reluctant admission that they were all "hot," but that was not an adequate word to describe the men before you. Beautiful was closer to the truth. You had thought Taehyung and Jungkook, the cute underclassman you tutored in math, were anomalies, but there were five more stupidly gorgeous guys on campus? Were they all drawn to live together by some weird universal law like "thou shalt only reside with other 10s"?

Chill the fuck out, you mentally berated yourself. You literally just got out of a relationship, and these guys might be your ROOMMATES.

They all seemed nice, which was a relief. After realizing you had been standing awkwardly while the rest of them were seated, Namjoon had ushered you to an armchair that was already more comfortable than Mina's old couch. Then, the boys you didn't know proceeded to introduce themselves.

"I'm Hoseok, but you can call me Hobi!" Said the boy furthest to your right. He beamed at you with a dazzlingly bright smile, and it was impossible for you not to smile back.

"I'm Jimin!" Chirped the next one. When he grinned, his cheeks squished his eyes into tiny crescents that made your insides go gooey.

"I'm Jin," the next boy (man, really) said with a charming smile. You kept your eyes on his face, which unfortunately was just as distractingly perfect as his broad shoulders.

"Yoongi." The last one didn't smile, but he nodded politely, and his quiet voice sent an agreeable shiver down your spine. What was up with this house? Was there something in the water?

"It's nice to meet you all. I guess we've all established who I am at this point," you joked to hide your sudden nerves. This felt weirdly like a job interview, which would have been bad enough, but being the object of focus of seven ethereally gorgeous faces spiked your anxiety even higher. So of course, you said something stupid.

"I promise I won't murder you guys and wear your skin." Fuck. Fix this. "I mean, not that you guys don't have great skin! You definitely wouldn't need the hose. Fuck. I'm sorry. I swear I'm not insane."

You finally decided that you were only making things worse for yourself and shut the hell up, face bright red as you waited for them to tell you to get the hell out of their house. Instead, wheezing came from your left, and you panicked further. Had you managed to freak one of them out into a full blown panic attack? You forced yourself to look at the source of the noise.

Yoongi of all people had collapsed onto the floor, and you realized that he was laughing. You stared, dumbstruck, as a wide, gummy smile transformed his demeanor from intimidatingly stoic to fucking adorable. As if he had opened the floodgates, the rest of the guys started cracking up as well and you hid your face in your hands.

"I'm sorry, [y/n], but that was amazing," gasped Taehyung between giggles. Jimin had straight up fallen off the couch and was doubled over on the floor. You sighed, pouting a little. At least laughing was better than them actually thinking you were a psycopathic murderer.

"You don't have to be so nervous," Namjoon said soothingly when they managed to calm down. "We're not trying to find anything wrong with you. Just make sure you're a good fit."

"And that you won't kill us in our sleep," Jimin had to add, and promptly slipped back onto the floor amid gales of laughter, setting everyone off again. At this point you couldn't help but join in, their good humor was infectious.

"But really though, you know Kookie and I are already totally fine with you living here," Taehyung assured you with those warm eyes. Jungkook smiled that adorable, doe-eyed smile at you, and you felt yourself relaxing.

"Alright alright, well I clean up after myself, especially in common areas, and I do my dishes after I'm done."

"Sold," said Jin immediately, glaring at Jungkook and Jimin, who looked away innocently.

"I guess I'm also pretty quiet if I'm by myself? Even if I'm in my room I kind of prefer listening to music with headphones, and I don't use voice chat when I game, so you won't hear me yelling or anything."

"Can we just replace Kookie with [y/n]?" Drawled Yoongi, and you smiled a bit at Jungkook's pout. You assumed this implied you had the quiet one's approval, at least. Jimin and Hobi were also quick to say they had no objections to you, and you gladly accepted their offer to tour the house.

"Oh my god yes, please let me live here," you blurted as soon as they showed you the kitchen. It boasted a nice convection oven with gas ranges (Mina's studio had electric stove tops, which you despised with a passion), and plenty of counter space. But what really sold you was the large island with a beautiful, sexy marble top.

"Do you cook?" Jin asked in approving tones, and you shrugged.

"I'm not like a master chef or anything, but I can handle myself. It's not like it's hard to follow recipes, either."

"You'd be surprised," Jimin snickered, looking directly at Namjoon, who was blushing.

"I'm banned from touching anything here…" he mumbled bashfully, and you cooed internally at how cute he was.

"Hey, different strokes, right?" You reassured him, and he blindsided you with the appearance of some seriously lethal dimples. You really hoped you got desensitized quickly to the frankly ridiculous level of beauty present in this household.

The rest of the house was just as nice, and when they showed you the so-called spare room, you gasped. "Dude, this is bigger than Mina's studio."

The boys laughed at your enthusiasm, and Hobi stepped forward.

"This room is connected to mine through a bathroom - are you okay with that?"

"Of course! I don't want to put you out if you're used to having your own bathroom though…"

"Nah I don't mind! Besides, Jimin and Tae make due somehow and Jimin spends more time on his hair than the rest of us put together."

"Hyung!" Jimin whined cutely and you laughed again. You seemed to be doing that a lot around these boys.

"Well it pays off, maybe you can give me some pointers," you joked, and Jimin's face went from a pout to a mischievous grin as he winked at you. You outwardly didn't react, but inside you were dying. How did he go from adorable to flirty and hot so quickly? Who was your ex again?

The tour ended back downstairs, in the dining room this time, and everyone took a seat around the large table.

"What are your thoughts so far?" Asked Namjoon when everyone was settled.

"Honestly, I feel like this is too good to be true," you admitted. "Just how crazy would the rent be?"

He named a number and your jaw dropped.

"Namjoon, buddy, I think you forgot a zero," you stammered. There was no way a room in a house this nice could be that cheap, even if the rent was being split eight different ways.

"Uh, actually," Jin cut in, ears a little pink. "My family owns this house, so they cut us a deal."

You stared at Jin, mouth opening and closing like a fish. So he was handsome, sweet, and loaded. Was someone else in this house a secret prince or something? You half expected this to be some weird hidden camera prank.

"Okay, now this definitely seems too good to be true," you finally managed. And it did. On paper, it was completely ludicrous that you would be offered the opportunity to live in a dope-ass house, with the seven most beautiful human beings you had ever met, who were also really fucking nice, and you only had to share a bathroom with one person, and it was cheaper than the rent you were currently paying for your shitty student apartment. But looking around the table, you felt no unease stirring in your gut. And Jackson of all people had vouched for them. You knew you'd eventually get used to their looks and be able to see them objectively as friends. So you narrowed your eyes at the boys and said,

"Wait, this is a ploy to murder me for my skin suit, isn't it?"

The table dissolved into laughs again, and you relaxed further.

"Skin suit? Are you a lizard person?" Hobi joked, and you grinned and winked at him.

"Did you not know? Reptilians make the best roommates." Your wit was rewarded by another blast of that sunshine smile.

"[Y/n], what do you call it when a lizard can't shed?" Jin suddenly asked, and you cocked your head, confused.

"A reptile dysfunction!" Jin immediately began laughing and slapping the table at his own joke, and you couldn't help but join him amid the groans of his housemates. Yeah, you had a good feeling about these guys.

~~~~~

Next | Masterlist

#bts fanfic #bts x reader #bts fluff #kim namjoon x reader #kim seokjin x reader #park jimin x reader #jeon jungkook x reader #min yoongi x reader #kim taehyung x reader #jung hoseok x reader

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sorryjustafangirl · 3 years ago

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pretty damn obvious

a/n: i had the pleasure of writing for @antoineroussel in her own fic exchange! i really liked this idea and i loved playing around with different ways to incorporate some of her favourite things into a fic! so to Demi, i really hope you enjoy this! there’s also an easter egg hidden in here for you :)

title: pretty damn obvious (aka Mat’s different love languages)

pairing: mat barzal x gn!reader

word count: 4.5k+

warnings: one creep/asshole in section two, mentions of alcohol, and like one swear

disclaimer: this is a piece of fiction and includes a real person so if you don't vibe with that, please don't read. also this gif is not mine, all credit to the amazing creator

one - quality time

There was a lot you loved about your hometown. The ocean was so close, the climate was warm enough for cute outfits in all seasons (but cool enough you could be graced with snow some winters), and even though it was a big city, it felt like a small town some days. But your favourite part about Vancouver? Mat Barzal was there with you.

Your families were close so it was a no brainer that the two of you became close as you both grew up. From weekly movie nights to helping him with his History homework to spending the summers with each other’s family, the two of you were thick as thieves. When Mat got drafted to the Islanders, things changed, but not as drastically as you thought. You still kept in touch through text and Snapchat but obviously weren’t as involved as close as when you were kids in the same city.

When you sold your first book series, Mat was the first one to promote it on his social media and even sent you a bottle of champagne all the way from Long Island. He told you all his favourite parts and even passed along some of the staff's thoughts on it.

And when you told him you would be moving to New York to be closer to your agent and publishing house, he was so quick to reinsert himself into your daily life. He picked you up from the airport, using Marty’s van to help move all your baggage, and showed you the place to get the best Chinese hot buns. Since you moved in before the season started, the two of you did some of the tourist-y stuff, like the Empire State building and Central Park, catching up on all the little details you’d missed in the thousand miles that had been between you. Weekly movie nights were reinstated and he left tickets for you to come to every home game.

“I’m here!” He called as he entered your apartment one week. He always insisted that movie nights should be at your place, even though your living room was significantly smaller than his and your apartment was out of the way for him.

From the couch, you waved to him. “Romantic comedy or romantic drama?”

He shrugged, and told you to choose whatever you wanted (like he did every week) but when you whined his name playfully, he picked romantic drama. Going with a classic, and one of your favourites, you selected Love Actually on Netflix. Mat brought you the bowl of popcorn you left on the kitchen island, before sitting beside you on the couch. He placed his phone face-down on the coffee table and moved closer to your side. You pressed play and your head drifted to his shoulder.

It was roughly halfway through the movie when Mat’s phone buzzed the first time. Your attention was drawn to the sound, but he didn’t seem to notice, even when it buzzed again after two minutes. You turned your attention back to the movie, his phone forgotten.

It got to the scene when Natalie and David are in the limousine when his phone buzzed again. And again. And again. It was almost constant buzzing and you caught Mat off guard when you paused the movie. You sat up, moving away from him a little, and waited patiently for him to check his notifications.

“What?” He asked.

“Oh my god, answer your phone!” He recoiled a little at the volume of your voice. “I’m sorry, but it’s buzzed like fifteen times, obviously it’s important."

He just shrugged. “Whatever it is, it can wait. I’m spending time with you."

“What if it’s your mom with some terrible news or something?” He stared at you for a moment before reaching for his device.

“Well, now you’ve made me paranoid,” He huffed, flipping his phone over to check the messages. Scrolling through them, he rolled his eyes. “It’s just Beau, he’s drunk.” He put his phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ and placed it face-down again. Turning back to you, he asked. “Can we play it now? I want to know what happens to Hugh Grant."

A smile graced your face and you nodded, snuggling closer to him as you pressed play again. Mat’s hand delicately traced over your shoulder and his attention was solely on this time he got to spend with you.

two - physical touch

Since Mat had insisted you come to his home games, you’d come to know the team. Not very well, but you knew their faces and names and they knew yours. So it wasn’t all that much of a surprise to them when the two of you walked into the bar together after an Isles win.

You went to join the group while Mat ordered your first round of drinks. You slid into the booth with some of the better halves, while their boyfriends and husbands played a game of pool. They all greeted you, talked about how work is going, but Grace is the first to bring up your relationship with Mat.

“So you two are getting closer these days,” She teased, taking a sip of her drink.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s always touching you?” You looked down at your hands and shook your head, feeling the heat rush to your cheeks.

“Oh, that’s -that’s nothing. He’s been like that since we were kids, it doesn’t mean anything."

“Right now’s the first time since the game ended when your hand isn't in his,” Maggie, Tito’s girlfriend, commented.

“He was making sure I didn’t get lost in the crowd. It’s nothing.”

“You keep telling yourself that,” Grace hummed in agreement and took another sip of her drink. Their comments got the gears in your head spinning, your fingers involuntarily starting to twist together. When Mat came back, he slid your favourite drink in front of you. You gave him a smile, considering you didn’t tell him what you wanted and leaned into his touch.

He settled in beside you, letting his arm drape over your shoulder. When you continued to look at him, he placed his hand over yours and gave it a squeeze. Your eyes softened and before you know it, the boys return to the table and various conversations spur. Mat is talking to Beau over Wally’s head and Sydney is showing you new pictures of Winnie from across the table but no matter how the two of you stretch, Mat’s touch lingered on your body.

You started to leave to get another round, but Mat gripped your hand forcing you to turn back to look at him. His eyebrow quirked up, not in a judgmental way but in a way that left you giddy he was concerned why you were leaving. You gave him a smile, motioning to the bar and he nodded, letting your hand drop. You headed over to the bar and ordered your drink as well as another one of Mat’s.

An arm slung over your shoulders and for a moment you lean into it, thinking it was Mat. But then you felt the roughness of the skin and realized this person’s touch was nothing like Mat’s.

“Hey sweetheart, so nice of you to order my favourite drink.” You looked up to see someone much taller than you standing close enough you could smell the cheap cologne and cigarette smoke in his breath. You moved his hand off your shoulder and moved away from him, but like a moth to a flame he followed you.

“Don’t be like that, there’s no way you got both of those drinks for yourself.”

“It’s for my boyfriend.”

“Don’t be like that, sweetie.” The stranger moved closer to you again. “He doesn’t have to know.”

An arm fell over your shoulders again, and you stiffened but quickly relaxed as you felt his familiar - safe - warmth come over you. Your hand quickly came up to grasp his and he gave it another squeeze.

“Is there a problem here, babe?” Mat gave you one of his soft smiles, before glancing to the man, his eyes hardening. You turned to the stranger as well, making eye contact with him.

“No, he was just leaving.” The man clenched his jaw and left in a huff. When he was out of your sight, you quickly turned to him.

“Oh my god, thank you, I..I don’t know what I would’ve done,” You rushed out and you felt Mat’s thumb caress your hand in a soothing pattern.

“Don’t worry about it.” His voice was a little strained.

“No, I-I don’t know what I would’ve done, he was so much bigger than me and I tried to tell him no but he wouldn’t- he just kept bothering me-'' Your lungs started to strain as you hyperventilated, tears beginning to well in your eyes. He pulled both of your hands into his own, grounding you as you tried to calm down.

“I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, you know that." Your lungs stopped working momentarily at his comment but slowly nodded and he pressed a quick kiss to the top of your head. “Besides, did you see his face when you told him to leave? You rocked it.” A small chuckle escaped you at his comment and he pressed another kiss to the top of your head. He ducked down a little to meet your mostly dry eyes.

“How does an Office marathon and some cuddles sound right now?”

“That sounds like the best thing.” He cracked a smile and pulled your hand through the crowd to get a cab. You ignored the sparks that were travelling up your arm, only focusing on his hand in yours and the comfort his touch brought you.

three - gift giving

When you were younger, you wanted to become a baker. Open up your own cozy bakery in Vancouver and spend your days in the kitchen crafting delicious desserts, just like your grandmother did at home. You and Mat would spend hours talking about your dreams under the safety of blanket forts in the winter. He’d talk about his NHL superstar future, playing for his favourite team, even playing for Team Canada one day. You’d talk about the open concept kitchen and the stainless steel professional islands and the baby pink mixers you’d get. As you grew up, it became more of a fantasy than a dream, but you still had the skills from those days spending time in the kitchen.

Those skills came in especially handy for times when your writer’s block was at an all time high. If no words were flowing from your fingers, you’d put them to good use with stirring, kneading, or rolling. It wasn’t something you often shared with people, and obviously you’d forgotten to tell your best friend because when you’d brought over the containers of brownies and muffins to give to Mat to share with the team, his eyes widened like saucers. When he got past his shock (and excitement to have goodies in his apartment), he’d noticed the blisters forming on your fingers from overworking them. You’d brushed him off, saying they’d heal in a jiffy. He frowned, but seemed to buy your answer and thanked you for the baked goods.

When your birthday started to approach, you made it clear to Mat that you wanted nothing extravagant. He’d always had a tendency to overdo it and with this being your first birthday in the Big Apple, you were worried he’d really overdo it. You could still feel the effects from your 19th birthday party Mat threw for you. He’d flown up from Seattle for the weekend and made sure you had a great time. It would’ve been really sweet if you could remember half of it. You do remember the morning after though. He relentlessly teased you for how you handled your alcohol but spent the rest of the day hanging out with you, giving you ibuprofen every 4 hours until your hangover went away.

But now that you were older, you couldn’t handle anything that crazy again. Your girlfriends had planned something separate but it conflicted with Mat’s schedule so you insisted on a relaxing night in, maybe some face masks and mimosas.

“What is that?” You asked, choking a little on your drink as he walked in with a box half of his size.

“Happy birthday!” He placed the messily wrapped box on your coffee table, making a loud thud sound. You continued to stare at the size of the box until he encouraged you to open it. You took your time, meticulously tearing the paper as if not to wreck whatever this extravagant gift was.

When all of the wrapping was off, your breath hitched in your throat. It was a state-of-the-art stand mixer, just one you saw in every show home, every cooking show, the exact same one you dreamed about when you were little. It was even the same shade of baby pink you’d envisioned.

“This way you won’t have to get blisters every time you need to stress bake. And it’s like the one you dreamed about when we were kids, remember? You and your bakery and me and the Flames?” You couldn’t take your eyes off of it. You’d dreamed about a machine like this since you were old enough to believe in Santa Claus.

“You remember that?” The side smile he gave you sent butterflies to your stomach. It must’ve been over ten years since you’d talked about that dream. But you came back to reality and quickly shook your head, dispelling those giddy feelings. “I can’t accept this, it’s too much.”

“It’s not though.”

“Yes! It is. I know how much one of these costs.”

He simply stared back at you. “So?”

“Mathew…”

“Don’t say my name like that,” He whined, coming over to you. “What good is an NHL salary if I can’t use it on the people.. on the people I love?” Your heart started beating faster when he said that word but you had to remind yourself that this was your best friend, the person you’d grown up with. Of course he loved you. But he only meant it the way he’d always meant it - platonically.

“Thank you.” The corners of his eyes crinkled from his smile and you gave him a long hug, his hands pressing you close to his chest. You thought you heard his heart beating faster than usual, but waved it off as your own nerves acting up.

four - acts of service

The Islanders’ two week West Coast roadie finally came and even though you’d miss him like always, you didn’t mind the physical distance between you and your best friend.

Maybe best friend wasn’t the correct word considering the more-than-friend feelings you were developing for him.

A ringing coming from your phone interrupted your thoughts and upon seeing Mat’s contact photo pop up, you immediately answered it. You kept the phone balanced under your ear as you continued to answer some emails.

“Hey.”

“Hi.” His voice is breathy. “How’s it going?”

“Good,” You said hesitantly, hearing his tone. Glancing at the clock, you realize that this isn’t when Mat usually phones, even with the time difference. “Rant or distraction?”

You heard him sigh before letting out a small chuckle. “How’d you know?”

“Because I know you, Maty. Now, do you want to rant or do you need to be distracted?”

“Do you have the time for that?”

“I always have time for you.” He paused at your words, and even though you couldn’t see it, he shook his head a little trying to suppress the smile you put on his face.

“Well, then distracted please.”

“Uh, okay, let’s see. Maggie invited me to lunch tomorrow so that’ll be fun. We’re going to that coffee shop, the one you brought me breakfast from last week when I overslept? She hasn’t been yet, so I suggested it and I hope she likes it. Oh! Last night I finished my outline for chapter 23 of my new book, which I really have to get started on because according to my schedule I’m already a chapter behind since my writer’s block was an ass last week. And my agent wants to talk about the next book on Thursday but since I haven’t finished this one, I don’t know what to say because you know that sometimes I get new ideas while writing, so it might be a mess. I’ll live, I get to paid to write, so I’ll just spend the next couple days writing until I pass out.”

“Don’t do that,” He chided. You could practically see the eye roll through the phone. “Make sure you eat between now and Thursday-”

“Yes, Mom,” You joked, but when you heard him sigh on the other end, you added that you would. The two of you talked for a few more minutes before he hung up to go to the arena.

A few days later, your conversation with Mat was long forgotten. Inspiration for your newest chapter struck in the middle of the night and the words had been flowing from your fingers ever since. There were half-empty mugs of cold coffee scattered and pages with snippets of paragraphs spewed all over the place.

A sharp knock at your door broke your trance and when you stood up, your joints hurt after being in the same position for so long. Using your peephole, you realized that no one was waiting at your door, only a small paper brown bag with a white piece of that looked like a receipt attached. You opened your door narrowly, so your neighbor didn’t have to see your ancient sweatpants and the too large shirt that said Barzal on the back. The name on the bag was your full name, and there was even a note that it was paid for. In the comments section of the receipt, you noticed only a simple note: From Mat <3

You immediately rushed to find your phone, only then realizing that you’d missed his afternoon game because you were so wrapped up in your writing. His number was favourited on FaceTime and he picked up after only one ring.

“Hey.”

“Hey? What is this?” You held up the bag to be in the frame. His eyes lit up.

“Oh, sweet, you got it!”

“It? What even is this?” You started to take the contents of the bag and a warm aroma of comfort food filled your room. “Italian?” Your face must have shifted because you Mat was quick to reassure you what it was.

“Authentic Italian!” He said proudly. “It’s from that restaurant on 178th Street, the one you told me had the only good pasta in the area.” Your eyes softened. That same restaurant didn’t do takeout orders, much less deliveries.

“You didn’t have to do all this for me.”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“Well, still. This means a lot Maty.” You took a bite and tried to suppress the moan that you made. “How’d you know?”

He shrugged. “You stopped answering my texts so I figured you were in your zone, which meant you definitely weren’t making yourself a meal.”

You felt your cheeks heat up at his assumption and you changed the subject, talking about his game since you missed it, how the trip has been, if he was tired of sharing a room with Beau yet (which he didn’t answer much to your amusement). He’d asked about how you were coming along with your newest chapter and plans for when he got back.

Eventually, he hung up the phone, letting you get back to work now that he knew you had some food. He looked up from his phone, glancing over at Beau who gave him a knowing look. When Mat’s face scrunched in confusion, his best friend scoffed. “You’re not even dating them yet, tu es désespéré.” to which a pillow was thrown at him.

five - words of affirmation

All it took was one single piece of paper to send you spiraling.

A simple wedding RSVP for Mason and Mac, friends you’d grown up with in Vancouver, which was the funny part. Mason accompanied you to the year six dance and Mac lived down the street from your house growing up. You’d known them individually as people, as wonderful people so deserving of happiness, and you’d seen them find that in each other. They were a perfect couple and had been since high school. Everyone knew they were going to get married; it was just a matter of when.

Guess now was the time. But the more you stared at the ivory invitation, the more it set in that this was how it was going to be. Always a bridesmaid, never the bride; that sort of thing. And this was only the start. After this, you’d have a mailbox full of invitations where you’d have to write ‘party for 1’ over and over again.

You weren’t going to find that person. Society puts so much pressure on finding that one, getting married, having a family. Not to mention the timeline that they press, that by 25 everyone has their life figured out. You weren’t anywhere close to adhering to that nonsense. It might be ridiculous but there was still some part of you that wondered if you were falling behind in life. The last relationship you’d had lasted five months and was over a year ago. You had no problem being single but the invitation had so painfully reminded you that you were alone.

You hadn’t even realized that you’d started to sob until Mat was in front of you, his eyes wide. His lips were moving as if they were saying something but between the sound of your sobs and the various voices screaming in your head, you couldn’t comprehend what he was trying to tell you. He noticed, surrounding you with his arms, holding you tight until your sobs started to subside and your breathing returned to normal.

“What’s going on? Talk to me,” he asked. He was crouched in front of you with his hands resting on your wrists, the light touch comforting you. Instead of answering him, you sniffled and reached for the RSVP, giving it to him. With one hand, he inspected it, his other hand staying on your arm.

“Isn’t this a good thing? They’ve been together since high school,”

“It’s not that,” You said, pointing to the bottom.

Please circle how many seats we should reserve in your place: 1 or 2

“I still don’t get it. Why are you crying?”

“Because! I-” Your voice cracked and you looked away from your best friend. Yow knew he wouldn’t let this go, not after seeing how much it affected you, but this was personal and intimate in a way you hadn’t been with him before. He would never understand; he’s funny and athletic and all the things any person would look for. He wasn’t like you. “I’m just never going to have that. Like, I have to circle 1 because I’m not seeing anyone but then I’m going to show up alone to a wedding where I’m going to be constantly reminded that I’m falling behind in life and I’m never going to have a love like theirs because no one is going to love me like that. My last serious relationship wasn’t even serious and it’s been more than a year since I’ve had anything more than a first date! I just don’t know if someone loving me is in my cards.”

“You don’t seriously believe that, do you?”

“No, I just made it up for a personal breakdown. Of course, I believe it," You snapped.

“You don’t have to get defensive, it’s just…that’s a bunch of bullshit. You’re not falling behind in life because you’re not in a relationship right now. You’re not. And I know there’s lots of people who go to weddings alone and also you’re wrong because you are incredible. Why wouldn't anyone want to love you? You create whole universes from scratch, you always know how to make me laugh, and you're the best person I know, and that says something because I've met Sidney Crosby." His comment forced a small laugh out of you and he lifted your chin up to met his eyes. "So many people love you. I..I love you.”

Your heart clenched at those words and you looked down at your hands. You couldn’t look at him when he didn’t mean it in the way you so longed to hear. He’s said it platonically for years, and you wouldn’t get your hopes up every time he said it.

“Thanks Maty. I love you too,” You sniffled, looking back down at your hands. A moment passed and you heard him take a deep breath.

“No, I love you.”

Oh? Oh.

Your mind was racing a mile a minute at the idea that Mat could see everything in you that you saw in him. Your lips parted and you turned to see him with nerves written all over his face, something that looked out of place on your generally confident best friend. The longer you stared at him, memories and thoughts circling your brain, the more antsy he got in the silence.

“If you don’t feel the same, that’s-that’s fine, I just want you to be happy. It doesn’t have to be with me.”

You swallowed the lump in your throat. “You’re my best friend.”

“Like I said, it’s fine-” You placed your hand on his thigh and he stopped talking long enough for you to speak.

“You’ve been my best friend since we were little, I’m always happy when I’m with you.”

“You mean that..?”

“I love you too.” His eyes lit up and the corners of his mouth started to turn up.

“Yeah?” You nodded and he quickly brought you into his arms, his head nuzzling into the crook of your neck. A laugh escaped you and you felt him smile. He pulled away, his eyes staring into yours before finally leaning in. Your lips met and you easily melted into him. It was new and exciting, sparks travelling up and down your body but it was also familiar, like being back on the beach or snuggling up in your favourite chair. It was exactly like Mat had always been with you; a sense of comfort that brought new adventures. One of your hands found the back of his neck and pulled him closer to you as he continued to kiss you. When you both pulled away, he pressed his forehead to yours and you let out a small laugh.

“What took you so long?”

“What took me so long? I mean, I think it’s been pretty damn obvious,” He chuckled, pulling away from you to admire your skin in the lighting, the way your lips were swollen. “I tried showing you in like every love language because even after all these years, I still don’t know which one is yours but you still didn’t get it so.”

“Thanks for putting up with my obliviousness.” You brushed a stray hair that had fallen into his face and he gently grabbed your wrist, pressing a soft kiss to the inside before leaning into your touch.

“No one else I want to put up with.”

You brought him in for another kiss, and you soon found yourself in his lap, exchanging sweet nothings and deep, long overdue, kisses. Suddenly, he stopped, moving you out of his touch. He reached to his side and grabbed the forgotten invitation before going into the kitchen for something. He came back holding, triumphantly, a blue pen and brought you back into his embrace. He clicked the pen and circled ‘2’ and you pressed a kiss to his cheek, before leaning your head on his shoulder. There was no other person you’d want to attend any event with than the man who’d become your everything.

translation: tu es désespéré = you are hopeless

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n0b0dy11 · 3 years ago

Text

Dad For Ever~DreamWasTaken

༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺

part one - part two - part three - part four - Part five

【!TW! swearing, making out, hinting to making love, (no smut though)】

Everything went great since then. Clay and Y/n had been in their relationship for two years, Clay now 24, Y/n 23 and Layla 6.

Clay had never been happier, he had the girl of his dreams in bed with him almost every night, he had a sweet little stepdaughter who he didn't imagine to have, but he wouldn't change anything about her. His streaming career was a blast, he always had fun with his friends while earning money for it! Who wouldn't love that.

Of course with times it wasn't always this full of sunshine, but they needed those bad nights to learn more. To be better.

The first fight

"I have to stream today!" Clay shouted.

"Of course," mumbled Y/n back. Of course she was happy for him and his successes, but lately he didn't show that much interest in her anymore. She hadn't talked to him about this of course, it made her feel egoistic and selfish.

When Y/n heard the door close she sighed and turned on the TV, she was sure she would fall asleep on the couch or maybe she would go to Layla's room and lie in her bed. Layla wasn't there, she had a sleepover with a friend of hers and it made her feel even lonelier.

After looking around on the tv-servers she couldn't find anything she liked so she opened Netflix. She began searching for a movie or maybe a new series she could start but ended up watching 《The Amazing Spider-Man》 (you can vision something else if you don't like it but I'm just a hard core Andrew Garfield fan ;-;) Y/n was almost done with the second move when Clay emerged from his room, he looked satisfied with himself, probably had a good video.

She couldn't help herself but scoff at him, he didn't even pay her any mind let alone wander with his eyes to the couch where she sat. No, it was as if she wasn't there, and she was probably being over-dramatic but it had been like this for at least a week and quite frankly was she getting very bored and impatient with him.

"What's wrong?" asked the boy in question when he heard her scoff.

"So you do know I'm here!" she said rather annoyed.

"What?"

"Yeah, 'what?'."

"Are you on your period or something?" he didn't mean to say that, it slipped out. He knew it came over as if he was an asshole, but George had been talking his ears off about clichés one being about women's monthly problem.

"I-i didn't mean that-"

"Sure, of course you didn't. And for your information I am not."

"O-okay, then what's the problem?"

Y/n just rolled her eyes, "I'm going to bed, have fun on your stream."

"Why are you walking away from our room?" he asked once he noticed her walking in the opposite direction.

"Well, you never tell me when your steams are done, and I don't like sleeping on the couch the whole week so I'm sleeping in Layla's room tonight."

"What?"

"I'm sleeping in Layla's room tonight."

"Bu-but the stream is done."

"Okay, good for you."

"Are you mad at me?"

"No, I'm fine."

But he could tell in her eyes she was holding something back, there was something bothering her. "tell me what's wrong, please."

"Nothing is wrong," by now they had reached Layla's room. Y/n went to open the door, but Clay had placed his hand on top of hers that was holding the handle.

"There is something bothering you, tell me what. Please Y/n, you're mad at ma and I don't understand why!" there was a seriousness and slight desperation in his voice.

"Okay, let's start shall we? Do you know the last day we have slept together as in, in the same bed? That was last week. You have been so occupied with your streaming and your youtube-ing, you haven't look at me all week! Even Layla asked when her 'daddy' was coming to pick her up again. I couldn't even tell her, because I hadn't spoken to you all week!

And I understand your job, and that it takes time! But you decided to come in this family, so you need to make time for us too!"

"i thought you knew what you needed to expect with me and my job?"

"I thought I did too, and I also thought you were ready to be with me, and to be a father to Layla, but here we are."

"You don't think I am a good father to Layla?" his voice had lost all its anger he held from his last question, it was filled with hurt, and sadness. How could he not have noticed he was hurting them so bad.

"You were," she said, "In the beginning you were the best, then your job slowly became more and more important to you. I can understand that. I have had my late night's too, and my early morning 'cause of mine, but this last month you haven't eaten breakfast with us, you haven't eaten dinner? You were glued to your screen. I slept on the couch this whole week, because you were streaming and I couldn't walk in, because god forbid they know THE Dream has a girlfriend!"

"You think that's why I didn't want you in the room?"

"What was I supposed to think then?" she asked getting quite annoyed at him again, but also feeling relieved she finally had this weight lifted of her shoulders. "What was I supposed to think when you shut me out of the room because you were streaming, I wouldn't have minded to stay in there and keep quiet."

"I didn't want all this attention on you! I was scared about all the hate people would start posting! I was scared you'd get scared! That you'd get scared and leave me.."

"I am not leaving," she sighed sadly. The hurt in his voice was breaking her. "But cant you find a balance between streaming and family? Or are we not the family you wanted in the end?"

His eyes widened and he pulled her in a bone crushing hug, "Of course you are!" he said while kissing her head, her face, her cheeks, her neck. "I could never wish for anything better."

"then start showing it," she whispered to his lips, "please, we both need the reassurance from time to time."

"I am sorry for noticing sooner," he whispered while crashing their lips together. Just then he remembered how long ago it was indeed, that he had felt her lips to his. It had been so much longer than he knew.

"Let's go to our bedroom, huh?" he smirked.

"yeah, but don't think that'll make all your problems go away! We'll have to talk about this stuff."

"Will do," he smirked kissing her again, before scooping her up in his arms, "but now... I will show just how much I do very surely love you and this little family." He whispered a tad bit seductively. Who was she kidding it was very much seductively.

After that the fights had been way calmer and mostly playful, they did end in the same way most of the time...

Clay still streamed and made videos for YouTube but it was a lot more calm now, he would make time for Y/n and Layla, and he would try and adjust his sleeping arrangements with Y/n's instead of George's.

In the first year they also lived together with Nick, or Sapnap, but at the end of that year he had found himself a girlfriend and moved in with her. So now it was a big house for them three.

Nick still visited often and was still the only one who knew about Y/n and Layla, he would often tease Clay on camera and the others never had any idea what he was talking about.

Y/n understood his reasoning about not telling anyone on his gaming platform, she also didn't press the matter, she was happy how everything was now. The only thing he would really like, was maybe, someday get married. And maybe, someday, a second child, but with a great father.

What she didn't know was that Clay had those plans, he was going to marry this woman and that was end of story. There was no one else for him just, his Y/n.

The proposal

Clay was very nervous. He had everyone involved in the surprise, except Y/n of course.

M/n was on distracting duty, she had taken her daughter out on a little city trip. They went shopping, visited the beach, eaten at her favourite place. When it was over and they were riding home Y/n was confused and scared to find her mother softly crying besides her.

"Mom?" she asked, her eyes going from the road to her mother, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," sighed M/n, a soft smile adorning her cheeks while she wiped the spilled tears from her cheeks.

"Don't shut me out please," you are literally crying."

"But I am also smiling."

"You are confusing sometimes mom."

"Guess you got it from me then."

Y/n couldn't help but smile softly at that. While the two were joking around in the car Clay was dying from nervousness at home.

He had made a path with rose petals that led to the balcony. He knew it was her favourite part of the house. He would find her leaning on the railing at staring at the sunset or sunrise. He would enjoy watching her watch the sun, she always looked so peaceful and happy. Her face held a bright smile and her brows weren't furrowed, she was calm.

they had talked about getting married and starting a 'new' family together, so he knew she didn't want something grand, she wanted something sensual and thoughtful.

"Calm down son," said the voice from D/n. He had been helping the distressed blonde with making the food and laying out everything perfectly.

"Yeah," sighed the blonde, even though it wasn't a question.

"She'll say yes."

"You think so?"

"I know so. I've never seen her so happy with anyone else. Maybe when she delivered Layla, but not even Jake, when he was tolerable, made her happy."

"Okay," he took in a deep breath, "I can do it."

"Don't chicken out now," Y/n's dad laughed.

"I won't," smiled Clay, "she's the one."

"I sure hope so."

"Yeah."

"I'll leave you to it. You'll do great boy."

When D/n left Clay called his mother and Sisters, one elder and one younger. He needed the advice on his clothing, but as they lived a bit farther and were in there exam's period he didn't ask them to come see him.

"Please don't scare her away," Jenna, his younger sister also known as 'drista', asked.

"What? Why would you think that."

"Cause we actually like her," his elder sister added as if he was dumb, "your other girlfriends were dumbasses and barbies."

"Thanks," Clay said while rolling his eyes.

"they are messing with your head," said his mom, "but please don't make this flop, we really want her a part of the family officially."

"Yeah, other wise I'll ask her," smirked his elder sister again.

"No! you stay away from my soon to be fiancé!"

And so they ended the call laughing and wishing him luck.

"I am home!" he heard her call. But her voice drifted off a little at the end of her sentence. She must've seen the petals.

He felt his heart hammering in his chest. They had been on many romantic dinners before, they had a few very romantic nights, but now he was going to ask her to marry him... that still felt unreal.

"Darling?" she asked softly while opening the bedroom's door.

"Welcome home, I wanted to have a romantic dinner again." He smiled sheepishly, "Layla is at josh's house. he wanted to have a sleepparty for his birthday."

"Thank you," she grinned walking up to him and kissing his lips softly. Clay almost melted at the feeling of her lips, he hummed against her lips while smiling, feeling her do the same.

"I hope you'll enjoy what I made for you."

"I'm sure I will."

They had spent the whole evening laughing and enjoying the other's company. And as much as Clay had been reassuring Y/n that there weren't any special circumstances she could still see the worry and stress swimming in his eyes.

"Love," she spoke softly. "What's the matter? You're stressing about something I can see it in your eyes."

"I'm fine Y/n," he laughed. She knew him too well.

"You're not, but I'll take your word I suppose."

"Thank you," he smiled and planted another kiss on her forehead. They had started loading the dishwasher together and it wasn't helping his nerves one bit.

He even felt more nervous then before.

"Love? There is indeed something on my mind."

"Please share."

"Well, I made a mistake. A big one at that."

"Please, don't tell me. You didn't set up this whole date to break up."

"What?! No! Let me speak, please. I can't handle the stress already. God no! I would never ever."

"Alright," she sighed a bit more relaxed, "go on."

"the mistake i made, was run. When we were in college. I ran away and left you, just 'cause I was a big sissy. I want to make up for that mistake. And I know you don't hold it against me anymore. But I will never forgive myself for that.

But when I saw you again, I thought I had a new shot. A second chance. And I took it. I've never been more proud of myself than at the moment I took you and Layla in.

So, I wanted to say, that I'm thankfull for what you've given me. For what you were willing to wait on. I don't think I would've been this strong as I am now. I would probably have given up on a lot of things. But you are what kept me going.

I won't be able to live without that reassurance. Knowing that someone could take that what is mine away from me.

So, getting to the point I promise.

Y/n Y/l/n," he said getting on his knees while taking the ring box in his shaking hands. "Will you please, pretty please, marry me. Because i ma willing to stay. I Won't Leave, ever again."

"Of course," she had tears running down her cheeks and jumped him, making them tumble down to the ground. "You stupid, daft dimbo!"

They both hadn't been happier then at that moment. Their wedding was just as beautiful as they had imagined it to be. It wasn't with too much people, family and friends. Yn even got George and the others that could to come around at some point.

the fans were thankful for the content they got thanks to her.

Another thing he did! He finally announced he had a girlfriend... well wife.

Layla hadn't stopped with calling Clay her dad. But for his 25th birthday and her 7th, which were close to each others, she got 'adoption' papers. Clay was officially Layla's dad.

Clay also fullfilled his promise to Layla, she had given her a brother.

Baby

Y/n was nervous. She had been feeling sick lately and Cay forced her to go to the doctors. She was pregnant. And she wasn't sure if she was ready, if Clay was ready.

Of course she knew about the constant teasing between Clay and Layla. That he would give her a brother. But she was scared that it was just that, teasing.

She was taking deep breaths, looking at herself in the mirror.

Her head shot up when the door opened and a soft child voice reached her ears. "Mommy! I'm home."

"Hey! You're not the only one!"

"Oh, daddy too."

"Enthusiastic."

She opened the door of their bedroom and smiled at Layla. "I have to speak to daddy, is that okay darling?"

"Of course."

"Go do your homework in the mean time!" Clay called before he was janked inside their bedroom.

"Love everything okay?" the concern in his voice grew more and more when the tear stains on her cheek grew clearer and clearer.

"yes of course."

"Well then what did you want to talk about?"

"I-I..."

"Y/n?"

"I'm pregnant," she whispered, her eyes looking up at his and searching in his green once for his reaction.

At first he stood still. He didn't know what to do. But then he wrapped his arms around the woman he loved and started jumping around. "I'm going to be a father?!"

"yes," she chuckled while her worries faded away.

"I am going to be a father," he whispered to her. His hands rested on her cheeks as he prepped her face with kisses. "Oh bless you!"

"Mommy?! I have a question."

"Come in Layla."

"Okay, so math- Why does dad's head lie on your belly? He looks weird. Did you drink dad?! I thought we said no wine for today?"

"What weird bets did you make?"

"She said I was turning into an alcoholic! So I said that I could do without the wine and beer for a week."

"i said he couldn't it would only take him one day without to brake."

"Sorry love, I have to side with out daughter on this one."

"I don't drink so much!!"

"Back to the real question," Layla said with her eyebrow raised and her arms crossed making her look really sassy, she got that from her mother. "Why is his head on your belly?"

"Cause I have a baby in my belly."

"You ate a baby?!"

"No! I'm pregnant!"

"I'm getting a brother?!"

"or a sister."

"I want a brother though."

"You'll have to understand the chance of getting a sister is there."

"Okay," and before Y/n knew she had both Clay and Layla laying against her not even full, belly and whispering sweet words to them. She was thinking it would a boy too, she would love them either way.

And he was a he, Brandon. the new light in the happy family.

Brandon had his father's freckles green eyes and shaggy hair. Only was it his mother's haircolour.

"I love you."

"I love you more."

"No! You love me more! Mom!"

A/n

That was it. I really enjoyed doing these series I honestly think this are the best I've written.

i hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed making it.

i am very sorry for grammar mistakes, english is not my fist language. If you have request questions ask away!! If you just want to talk I'm also open for that.

reminder: @ghostofscarley

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caitimetravels · 3 years ago

Text

she’s insignificant

chapter 11: forget it

the umbrella academy x (fem) reader

disclaimer: i do not own the plot/storyline of the netflix tv series and i do not own the umbrella academy characters.

warnings: none

a/n: um this is gay towards the end so just take note of that lol. also fairy floss is cotton candy or candy floss (i think thats what other people call it :/ im australian so idk tho)

masterlist

wednesday. 8:15am

y/n stepped down the stairs, the sounds of an argument becoming louder and louder until she got too curious.

"what's going on?" she frowned at her siblings who were gathered in the parlour, minus vanya, arms crossed. "leaving me out again?"

"eight.." allison turned first,

y/n paused, she hadn't been called that number in so long, "it's y/n"

"sorry, um we were just-" luther begun but klaus cut him off.

"we're talking about the apocalypse" he filled her in quickly and a look of realisation crossed her face.

"oh.. "

"hey, you saw five there right?" diego pointed out, now fully turning to face her.

"mhm" she nodded,

"what was that about? what happens?" the knife wielding man questioned,

"i don't know how it happens but there's like nothing left. to be honest it looked like what you'd expect to come out of a nuclear war. everything had gone 'boom!'" she made an explosive gesture, "things were on fire and there was so much dust"

"so like the whole planet?" allison frowned, trying to work out exactly what had happened,

"yeah, the whole planet. everyone's dead-" luther nodded, answering before y/n could.

"hey" the conversation paused and y/n turned to see vanya and leonard. "what's going on?"

allison glanced at luther before looking at leonard, "it's a family matter"

y/n cringed, that was not the right wording.

"a family matter? so of course you couldn't bother to include me" vanya looked at them all in disbelief.

"no, it's not like that. we were-" luther tried to correct her but she only turned to walk away.

"please, don't let me interrupt"

"vanya wait! i'll fill you in later when we're alone" allison walked over, still attempting to save their relationship.

"please, please, don't bother. and i won't either" she looked exasperated now,

"vanya, that's not fair" allison's eyebrows furrowed.

"fair?" vanya scoffed, "there's nothing fair about being your sister. i have been left out of everything for as long as i can remember. and i used to think it was dad's fault but he's dead.. so it turns out your the assholes"

"ouch"

"ouch?" y/n now turned on them too as vanya walked away, "ouch?! you are assholes! all of you! how many times do you need to be reminded that vanya's important too?! or do you just not care..?" before anyone could reply she was running after vanya.

"vanya!" she bumped into leonard who was heading back into the house. shrugging it off she quickly grabbed her sister's jacket sleeve. "i'm sorry.."

"it's not your fault" vanya shook her head, "it's okay"

"please vanya, its not okay" y/n frowned, arguing against her, "i know its not okay, its not fair how they treat you, youre part of the family too!"

"it really is okay, sis, i know they didnt include you either." vanya gave her a small, pained smile. "i understand my place in the family"

y/n continued to shake her head, tears filling her eyes, "no, no. you are part of this family vanya! you deserve to be treated like it. its not fair!"

"its not fair for you either and you dont care about your place" vanya pointed out,

"ive always been last vanya, im number eight." y/n paused, considering her words "my place is practically a birth right.. im sorry anyway, i love you sis"

"i love you too" vanya smiled softly one last time before leaving.

y/n could tell she was still feeling abandoned. she had seen that look on her own face too many times. a moment later she was passed by leonard again. they shared eye contact for a moment before passing each other. the h/c haired girl frowned, a creeped out shiver running through her body.

she stood there for a while, blocking out the arguing coming from the parlour. with a deep breath she slowly begun walking towards the door.

————————————————–

it had been hours since y/n first sat in the park. she was lazily swinging her legs off the ground, building up momentum enough to sway a little but not fully move.

"feeling down?" a voice surprised her. her eyes widened as she looked up to find one of the most beautiful girls she had ever seen. her dark skin complemented her suit, curly hair bouncing with every step she took. her blazer was slung over her arm with her hands in her pockets and sleeves rolled up to reveal her forearms. her lips held a teasing smile. "stunned, hm?"

"s-sorry" y/n glanced down again, fiddling with her fingers. the girl laughed lightly, taking a seat on the other swing beside her. her mind barely registered the british accent, only now noticing she sounded foreign.

"what's got you down, love?" the pet name, probably meaning nothing, no more than habit, caused y/n's cheeks to flush red.

"just some family problems" y/n sighed softly, trying to forget all that had happened today "my siblings keep fighting.. it just got bad today"

"mm, yeah that can be hard.." the girl nodded, sympathetically. "say, would you like to go somewhere? maybe it'll make you feel better?"

"really?"

"yeah, c'mon" she held out her hand, grinning slightly. "there's a carnival not to far from here. i hope you like them" y/n sighed, mulling over the thought before reaching out and taking the girl's hand. she knew not to trust strangers but this girl was someone she couldn't let leave without knowing better. besides whats the worst that could happen?

"my name's beatrice, by the way" the now named girl smiled softly, swinging their hands together as she lead the way.

"i'm y/n" the held eye contact for a moment before they both flustered.

the two girls then glanced at each other again as they saw the carnival coming into view.

"let's have a little fun, hm?" beatrice took off running, dragging y/n with her.

they chased each other around the carnival, playing around like little kids. y/n knew she was anything but however that didn't stop her from running around. they took to the stalls, playing classic carnival games.

they danced around each other, hands holding the other tightly as they laughed. their giggles filled the air, hearts beating fast as they spun around together.

it was all so perfect.

"hey" beatrice looked up from her fairy floss, the sticky candy lingering on her fingers. "should we go on that?" she raised a hand to point to the ferris wheel in the middle of the carnival. y/n felt herself laugh again,

"sure"

they lined up, feeling giddy as they got on. it was silent as they sat, side by side, awaiting the rides stop at the top.

and there, right under the stars like it was straight out of a romance novel, the pair locked lips in a sweet kiss.

it all felt so real, y/n was sure of it..

so why wasn't it?

tag list: (if your name is crossed i couldnt tag you) @rxses-and-reverie @lostgreekgod @on-yourmark-99 @bicyhot1 @navs-bhat @midnightmystic @shawkneecaps @baby-bi-bi-bi-yeah @velveticxyyy @hehehehannahthings @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual

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