#nia should study more

[f4iry-bell]

hii guys. I'm back before 13 cuz I can't contain my excitement for games untold, I'm almost done with studying for tomorrow's exam!!!!

[bloodlinesceo]

Credit to gif owner.

A/N: That time of the semester & it inspired me to write this lol

Credit to @tsunami-of-tears for the amazing divider!

Pairing: Roman Reigns x Fem! Reader. Mentions & a bit of Tama Tonga x Fem! Reader.

Summary: School stress has been getting to you, but your amazing boyfriend & his twin cousins are there to pick you up & take you out to de-stress. However, more stress comes in when you have an encounter with the past.

Warnings ⚠️: 18+ Fluff, angst, swearing, stress ofc, mental breakdown, dirty talk, mentions of sex, fighting, past relationship, alcohol consumption, cheating. Past beef. The twins have no filter & Roman punishes them for it 😭Tama's the villain in this, sorry Tama girlies. But, I have something planned for you at the end of this mini-series.

Not proofread!

WC: 3.3k

Of course this is written for fictional purposes only & is based on their characters, it does not depict who they are in real life. Respect to them & their families.

Enjoy ☝🏽

It was that time of the semester, you had everything thrown at you before finals season. Something was always due for each class every week, and that being all at once too. It wasn't just small assignments, but shitloads of them being worth so much, and it was exhausting you. You wish your profs would know each other's schedules so they know when they should assign work to their class & have it due. But yeah, guess that's how degree programs work.

Not only are you a Bachelor's Degree Student, you are a makeup artist as well for WWE & traveled alongside with your boyfriend & The OTC Roman Reigns. You loved your job, doing makeup, expressing yourself & having your boyfriend on the job as well. It was a dream come true. Although you couldn't work it right now thanks to school. You asked Hunter for some time off so you can kick this semester's ass. While being stressed out & trying to get this paper done, your hunk of a man walked into the den where you were studying.

"Babygirl, you're not ready yet? Come on! The twins are waiting outside." He said.

You turned around, your hair was a mess, and you had dark circles under your eyes. Roman's expression changed from a smile to a concerned look as we walked towards you.

"Babygirl, are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked.

Your lip started to quiver, and everything that was bottled up started to pour out.

"I can't do this anymore Roman! This is bullshit! These profs don't give a f-ck about us or our mental health! They just throw whatever at us & set us up for failure! School is so exhausting! I just want to do well, finish up & get this degree! I want to go back to work with you! I miss everyone! I miss Naomi, Bianca, Jade, Nia, Michin, Seth, Damian. Hell, I even miss Solo too now! I just can't! It's killing me!" you cried.

Roman lifted you up, wrapped his arms around you & pulled you into his chest as you cried. He caressed your hair & calmed you down.

"Shhhh, there, there babygirl, I understand how you're feeling, it's tough. School is tough especially with all the different variables that come along with it. You're so strong for getting through it & if nobody told you today, I'm proud of you. Proud of you for going after your dream, making sacrifices for it, putting your work aside for this. You've worked so hard for this & have come so far & I admire that about you babygirl, you're so courageous & intelligent & both of those are sexy" he whispered at the last sentence.

You couldn't help, but smile at his words. His voice & words were so therapeutic. You lifted your head up.

"Thank you RoRo, I appreciate you so much. I don't know what I'd do without you" you said.

He smiled & kissed your forehead, "it's no trouble, I'm always here to remind you how strong you are when life brings you down, you got this! You will finish this semester strong! You can & you will" he exclaimed.

"Coming from the strongest man himself, you're not just my man but a real-life superhero to me" you said.

His smile got bigger & he smashed his lips onto yours.

"I love you, babygirl" he whispered against your lips.

"I love you too my Tribal Chief" you whispered back against his.

He pulled away "You need balance, babygirl. Don't put your head in these books for too long, it'll only destroy you mentally. I don't want you to crash out. When's this assignment due?" he asked.

"Sunday by midnight" you said

"Seriously, and you're worried about it now? That's so long away! Take a break, hang with us we're going to watch a movie & then go to Waffle House after" he said.

You rolled your eyes in amusement "let me guess…Jey planned that?" you guessed.

Roman nodded, making you laugh.

"You need a break though, go out, get some fresh air, you'll feel better afterwards & then you can properly think. Everything is just up in the clouds right now" he said.

"You're right" you smiled at him.

Your moment was interrupted when the twins barged into the den.

"Hey Uce! What the hell is taking y'all so long?" asked Jimmy.

Both of the twins looked at you & screamed.

Jey took his YEET glasses off & looked you up & down

"Damn girl! You look a mess!" he said in disbelief. Roman covered his face with his hands already feeling a migraine.

"You know her?" asked Jimmy.

"Know her? Uce, that's Y/N!" he answered.

"Y/N? Damn! I thought I witnessed The Grudge live for a sec," said Jimmy.

Roman gave Jimmy a death glare & mouthed 'shut up' to him. He stopped talking.

"Wow, that makes me feel so much better" you said sarcastically.

"I'll deal with these two, go freshen up & get dressed babygirl. I'll meet you in the kitchen" he said kissing your head.

"Okay" you smiled, leaving the den.

As soon as Roman heard your bedroom door shut, he glared at the twins & crossed his arms.

"We're in trouble aren't we Uce?" Jey asked chuckling nervously.

Roman nodded "you both are paying for our meals tonight at Waffle House. Talk it amongst yourselves & think before you say anything to Y/N, she was feeling down & stressed" he said walking away, and leaving them alone.

"Yeah, grow up Uce!" said Jimmy as he turned to Jey.

"Me? You're the one who went crazy & compared her to The Grudge!" pointed out Jey.

"But you started it, saying she looks like a mess!" said Jimmy.

"Man, pay for your own damn food. I'm out" scoffed Jey leaving to find Roman.

"I don't need your money anyway!" yelled Jimmy going after him.

You all had a great time at the movie theatre watching your favorite movie. You couldn't be more grateful for Roman & the twins in your life (even though you were mad at them for their comments earlier).

The four of you were at Waffle House, and finished your meals. Since you had a sweet tooth, you ordered the Triple Chocolate Pie, and fed a bit to Roman.

"That's tasty, baby. Don't give me too much though, I'm already looking at something sweeter" he whispered smirking at you. You gasped & playfully smacked his shoulder, making him chuckle.

"You look gorgeous, I can't wait to have you all to myself tonight" he winked.

"Says you? As if I don't feel the same way" you flirted.

"Um excuse me, we're right here" said Jimmy, making you blush & Roman roll his eyes. You continued to feed him & yourself.

"Well look who started dessert without us" you heard a familiar voice similar to the twins.

You looked up & saw Solo with his Bloodline.

"Solo!" you screamed, you ran to him & tackled him into a hug.

"What's up buttercup? Long time, how's life & uni?" he asked.

"Brutal, literally had a mental breakdown over an assignment today. These profs don't give a damn! Luckily Roman & your brothers took me out for a treat" you rambled.

"That's great! I'm happy for you! Don't take school so seriously though, it won't matter 5 years from now. Take it easy" said Solo.

"Just like how math doesn't matter to you now?" joked Jimmy, making Jey almost spit out his drink & Roman covering his face from laughing.

Solo gave his big brother a death glare. "I'll stop talking for today" said Jimmy.

"Thank you Solo, appreciate it. Don't listen to that Nut Job, I hated math too." you said.

Solo smiled "at least someone gets it!" he said while taking a seat. Meanwhile, you greeted the rest of The Bloodline.

"Hey Jacob! Long time, how are you?" you asked hugging him.

"I'm good sis" he said smiling & hugging you back "living the dream, and thankful for all God's given me. We miss you at work though, styling us & being our cheerleader" he said.

"I'm so happy for you! You're killing it! I miss you all too, and your famous "I love you Solo." Can't wait to finish this semester & come back during my break" you said.

"We'll be awaiting you" said Jacob as he sat down.

You moved to the last pair of people to meet which were Loa & Tama.

You smiled nervously, "Hey Loa" you said giving him a fist bump which he returned. "Tama" you said waving at him awkwardly, he nodded in return.

"What's up Y/N?" asked Loa

"Not much, I see you don't have to wear that eye patch anymore" you smiled.

"Yeah, thank God. I hated it" he said letting out a breath of relief. You giggled in return.

"Aye aye Captain!" you said saluting him. He just smirked sarcastically in response. You quickly got of their way & sat beside Roman who was studying both Tama & Loa as they sat down at the table.

Roman took out his phone as he texted the OG Bloodline group chat including Solo & Jacob.

Roman: Solo, what the fuck is Tama doing here?!

Solo: Him & Loa wanted to come. I couldn't say no, I'd feel bad.

Jey: You could've said you had some personal family business with your brothers, uce. They would've gotten the hint knowing it's blood only.

Jacob: 👀

Solo: Idk

Roman: Wdym you don't know? Y/N was feeling stressed out w/ school & everything & the last thing she needs to see is her ex right now.

Jimmy: WOAH WOAH HOLD ON! THEY DATED?!

Jey: @Jimmy you came before me right?

Jimmy: @Jey I never knew about this? You did?!

Solo: @Jimmy cause you got a big ass mouth. You'd tell everyone about our business just like you did about me when we came in.

Jacob: LMAOO TRUE 🤣 I love you Solo 🙏🏽

Roman: @Solo All I'm saying is that Tama is your responsibility, I don't want him anywhere near Y/N while we're here.

Solo: You want me to babysit a 42 y/o man???

Jimmy: HE'S 42?!

Jey: @Jimmy UCE, YOU GOTTA STOP DOING THAT!

Jimmy: 🤐

Jacob:

Roman: @Solo You brought him here, you deal with it. If he causes any trouble or gives Y/N a hard time, you'll see the worst of me.

Jacob: 😬

Solo: Noted 📝

Jimmy: Uces, how's this pic of me & Tank for Instagram?

Roman: JIM!

Jey: STOP IT!

Solo: Now is not the time.

Jimmy: Damn sorry, I was trying to lighten up the mood here. Geez, it's so negative, we need a virtual Sage.

Jacob: @Jimmy I like the pic, looking fresh 👍🏽

Jimmy: See? Someone who sees the vision! Thanks Cuz! 🖤

Jey: YEET! 💯🔥

Jimmy: @Jey Too late.

"Hello, why is everyone on their phones?" I thought we were having some family time?" you said, getting the guys' attention. They all put their phones away.

"Sorry babygirl, family emergency" said Roman. You nodded in understanding.

The new guests ordered their meals & started eating. While you & Roman were video chatting with Naomi, telling her how much you missed her.

While you were talking to Naomi, Tama kept sneaking glances at you while eating. Roman caught him & he looked away conversing with his brother.

Again, Roman whipped out his phone & started texting the group chat, clearly not impressed.

Roman: He's looking at her…. what I tell you? @Solo 🙄

Solo: Whatchu want me to do? Tell him to look somewhere else???

Jimmy: I got an idea!

Roman: ???

Jey: Okayy, what is it?

Jimmy: Watch me 😉

All men put their phones away waiting for his plan. Jimmy took the large laminated restaurant flier from the table behind him & stuck it in front of Tama covering him. He stuck it between his & Tama's table making it stand. He smiled big being proud of his work & looked over at his family. Everyone including you looked at him like he had 2 heads.

"Hey Naomi, look what your brilliant husband just did " you said turning your phone around & showing her.

"What?" he questioned. Roman just shook his head in response.

Tama stood up, "why is there a Waffle House flier stuck in front of me?" he asked. Everyone looked at Jimmy expecting an answer from him.

"Well, you know man. I was just trying to show you some specials. In case you wanted to add more to your order" said Jimmy. Tama cocked his brow at him. "You couldn't just pass the flyer to me like a normal person?" he asked. Jimmy was lost for words. Jey started stressing out "he does that all the time when we eat here!" he said laughing nervously. Solo put his hands on his head.

Tama signaled for his brother to get up & ask him to come outside with him to which he complied. As soon as both brothers went outside, Roman spoke up.

"I can't believe you thought that was a good idea" he said to Jimmy.

"Well it worked didn't it? I shooed him outside Uce!" said Jimmy.

"You got him all suspicious now" said Jey

"What's this all about?" you asked

The five of them turned to look at you in shock, forgetting that you were at the table.

"Nao, I'll talk to you later. Love you, miss you. Bye girl!" you said & she said her byes back before you both hung up.

"So? What's happening?" you asked.

"Listen babygirl, please don't get mad when I say this. I know you're already going through a lot of stress. But while you were talking to Naomi, Tama was looking at you" he confessed.

You laughed in disbelief "it was probably just one look right?"

"Not really sis, he was kinda staring at ya even while he was eating. He looked away when Big Uce caught him" said Jey.

"Ugh!" you stressed burying your face in your hands.

"See? This could've easily been avoided if you didn't bring him here! Now I wanna whoop his ass for looking at my girl!" Roman scolded while rubbing your back.

"I didn't know he still has feelings for her. I'm no mind reader!" responded Solo.

"Y'all dated?" Jimmy asked you. You lifted your head up from your hands.

"I thought you said you were going to stop talking for the day" said Solo

"No, no, let him ask! None of you guys told Jimmy about me & Tama?" you asked. They all looked like deers in front of the headlights.

"I just thought it would be better if he sat this one out, sweetheart" said Roman smiling awkwardly.

"Roman, it's okay. Jimmy I'll tell you the story. Yes, we've dated in the past. I used to work in New Japan Pro Wrestling as a make-up artist. It was tough being far from home, but I had to start somewhere & make sacrifices. I started my career in 2016 there, it was tough for me to adjust to a new schedule, country & lifestyle but I tried to adapt. I talked to a lot of amazing wrestlers men & women & had the pleasure of doing their makeup. I learned so many new skills & techniques especially face paint. One day, I met Tama, he wanted his face paint done for his match which I agreed to of course. We had a great conversation from there while I was doing his face paint, about him being in Bullet Club, Guerrillas of Destiny. He was fun to talk to, and we hit it off. After that, we started hanging out after shows & in between breaks. Those work hangouts turned to us meeting outside of work and then dating. We were inseparable. We had so much in common, it's like we were in the Honeymoon phase while dating. But then in 2018, he started acting weird, he started tweeting Roman for no reason attacking him then mocking him at shows. I tried to get him to stop & leave him alone, but he wouldn't budge. He got mad at me for defending you babe." you said referring to Roman.

You continued "we also started living together in Japan, he'd come home wasted almost all the time & try to sleep with me. It seemed like he wanted me for my body at that point. I remember that one time I told him no, he yelled at me, swore at me, and then left to go stay at Loa's. The next day I came to work & caught him making out with another makeup artist" you voice started to crack. Roman placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder for comfort.

"You don't have to tell us the rest babygirl if you're not comfortable to. I can tell it's hurting you" he said.

"No it's okay, I've hid this for so long. It's about time I tell someone. I threw my promise ring at him & went straight home to pack my things & move out. Somehow he got home & caught me leaving, he begged me to stay & mentioned how he was going through shit that caused him to be that way, but it didn't convince me. I left. It was hard to avoid him at work too as he tried to talk to me & explain his side of the story. I didn't want to hear it. It was miracle I prayed for when I applied to be a makeup artist in WWE & got the job. I gave my 2 weeks in, miraculously had 0 interaction with Tama during that time period & flew back to the US & started the job." you smiled. All 5 men smiled at you.

"Man Y/N, I'm so sorry you went through all that. You didn't deserve it. You're like the little sister I never had. Hell, I wanna whoop him" said Jimmy sympathetically.

"I never knew he cheated on you. Wow, I'm disgusted. I'm sorry Y/N" said Solo.

"What a jackass" said Jacob.

"And now he's in WWE, and he's probably trying to win you back I'm guessing?" asked Jey shaking his head.

"He'll never win me back after what he did. He'll never compare to Roman whom made these past 3 years of our dating life the best than the 2 years I've had with him" you said, making Roman smile big, he pulled you into his chest.

"I love you babygirl, I'll always have your back & cherish you. I'll never break your heart. Unlike him, I'll never force you into doing anything that makes you uncomfortable." he said kissing your head.

"I love you more my Tribal Chief" you said to him.

"Hey, that's me!" interrupted Solo.

"Get some new material you rip-off" teased Jey scrunching up his hair.

Meanwhile outside

"You still love her?!" asked Loa in shock.

"I mean yeah, I can't help it, I still get butterflies when I see her. She's still that beautiful & humble girl I met in New Japan. I really miss the time we shared & our life together, I wanna make things right with her" said Tama.

"Listen, as a brother I love you. But to be fair, you did cheat on her & that really hurt her to the point she left her job & the country. Also, you know she's dating Roman right? He already caught you giving her googly eyes. He's gonna pound you like a mallot if he finds you're making moves on Y/N & I don't want that to happen to you" said Loa.

"I know that & I fucked up on my end. It's my fault, I'm a horrible person. But ever since Y/N left, it made me realize how I took this whole thing for granted. She was the best I ever had. I regret everything I've ever done to her, she deserved to be treated better. I'm willing to change all of that for her I wanna apologize to her & give us another go" said Tama

"I don't know about giving it another go, I did warn you, but apologizing yes, it's about time you did that." said Loa.

They both went inside.

Feedback is appreciated! And if you want to be added to the tag list for the next chapter let me know!

[rustingcat]

Art

Lena didn't realise how dangerous it was to go shopping for baby stuff, especially with a Kara by her side.

Every little outfit and toy was the most adorable little thing she just had to have. Every single one. She held out some hope for Kara to somehow be the sensible one, or banking on her Luthor genes to make her see reason, but as much as she tried she was not immune to the irresistible power of baby clothes.

"Look! This shirt has pictures of dinosaurs in space!" Kara said, pointing at the little adorable shirt she pulled off from the shelf. Lena thought it was the most genius design she'd ever seen.

"Okay, that is cute. You can add it." Lena tried to sound authoritative but had a feeling she was somehow failing to do so.

"Isn't that too many shirts already?" Good thing they had Brainy and Nia with them at the very least to help keep them in line.

"But it's so cute!" Nia countered Brainy's sound argument. Okay, they were lucky to have Brainy. Nia was the worst enabler.

"Kids go through many shirts! Plus, we have two." Kara tried to solidify Nia's argument. Nia in turn collected a few more shirts for their pile in the hope that Brainy would agree.

"They go through many clothes mainly due to their many growth sprouts they experience in a short time, so there's no need to purchase thirty four shirts of similar size." He calmly explained.

"Thirty four, did we really get that many?" Lena asked, slightly concerned she somehow missed the amount they were carrying up to this point. "We should probably return most of them to the shelves, get some different size clothing."

"They don't have bigger sizes at this store, and this is the cutest thing ever!" Kara argued.

"We still have to put most of them away."  Brainy really had a point.

"How can you give up on those?" Kara pulled up a random selection of shirts from their cart, all just as amazing and cute as the rest.

"It's cute, but at the end of the day it's just some silly pictures, we can get them more stuff as they grow." Lena tried her best to resist the power of the shirt. She really should've stopped picturing the way it would look at their future babies.

"It's art Lena! It's important!"

"How?"

"It would help develop their creativity and innovation! Stimulate their mind to become whatever they want to be!"

Lena narrowed her eyes, studying her closely. "We can keep half." She sighed

Kara took that as a small victory and started to categories them as best she could given the circumstances (the circumstances being all of them being cute).

"You're gonna be one of those mothers who can't say no to your kids, won't you?" Nia asked in a hush tone.

"She was unable to say no to Kara, despite her ridiculous, yet not baseless arguments. So I very much doubt she would be able to say no to two little adorable toddlers." Brainy interjected before she had a chance to answer.

He had a point.

"You said that her argument was not baseless, does it mean we can get more shirts?" Nia tried.

Brainy swallow, obviously trying his best to remain the sensible one in the group.

"One." He eventually said. Nia was already by Kara's side.

"We're all doomed, aren't we?" Brainy asked Lena, his eyes trained on his wife and Kara who were already in a heated debate regarding the tiny clothing.

"Oh, yes. Very doomed." Lena answered back. Those kids were about to run them wild.

[camillomea]

Child of crime alley-6 Alley kid

I was actually going to post it yesterday but I was so sleepy that I couldn't finish it. Enjoy reading. Please leave your thoughts in the comments. Thank you for your support.

When Jason finally sat down next to him, Tim had looked over but hadn’t commented. Jason was studying him. Tim asked, “What happened?” Jason said, “I’m just thinking.” Tim hummed in agreement and ate the chocolate and ate the cookie. Jason asked, “Did you like it Bird?” Tim nodded quickly, “Very good,” he said quietly. Jason smiled, “I’m glad you liked it Bird.” Then, noticing his look, he said, “What’s the problem?” Tim said, “You changed the nickname.” Jason asked, “Or didn’t you like it?” Tim muttered, “I like it.” Jason grinned, “I’m definitely more creative than you,” he said. Tim groaned quietly. Jason laughed. The two of them drank hot chocolate and ate the cookies in peace. When they were done, they started getting ready to go. When they were ready, Jason gave Tim his helmet, “Let’s go Bird,” he said. They got on the bike and set off.

Finally, when they got to where they were, Jason parked the bike. Tim got off the bike and gave him the helmet.

Jason said, “I’ll see you tomorrow Bird.” Tim said "Wait" just as Jason was about to leave. Jason asked "What's the matter Bird?" Tim said "I have the coat. I'll give it to you tomorrow with the clothes. Even if not today" Jason stopped "Little Bird you can keep them I have more of them" he said. Tim started "I-I-I" he stammered.

Jason said "Bird look at me" gently. Tim looked at him hesitantly. Jason said "Look I understand. I can guess why you're reacting like this and I understand you very well. But I want to help you Bird we both went through very similar times and we're both from the alley. We were here during the worst times of this place. We did everything we could to survive. How old were you when you discovered Nox Bird?" Tim asked quietly "15" he said bowing his head.

Jason asked "When did you start working here Bird?" Tim asked "A few months. You know Mr. R was always a know-it-all. When he last got out of Arkham he saw me again and asked where I'd been for months. That's why he wouldn't be coming back for a while. He told me to come to the cafe and see him and stop worrying Miss Nia. Then he said that everyone was curious about me and worried about me and that I shouldn't have disappeared without telling for so long. I haven't been scolded like that in a long time but this was the first time it wasn't out of anger but out of worry," he said quietly.

Jason said, "The rogues have always had a soft spot for you Bird. They did things we should have done a long time ago but never did. They had your back." Tim remained silent. Jason said, "Let me do what I have to do this time and take care of you. Please give me a chance to fix my mistake." Tim remained silent and bowed his head. Jason said, "Look, I can't force you to do anything, but at least keep the clothes." Tim finally nodded. Jason smiled. He was about to get back on the bike when Tim came up to him and hugged him. Jason was frozen in shock. Tim pulled away from him, "Thanks Jay," he said in a low voice and ran to the cafe immediately.

[spacecadet-ticklesinspace]

Tickletober Day 24: Joke

Fandom: Spies in Disguise (post movie)

Pairing: Walter and Lance (platonic)

Summary: Walter won't stop telling bad Science jokes.

(Honestly would not have pictured Tom Holland and Will Smith working so well together, but they did ❤️ :) Their characters blended together amazingly and made for a funny movie that probably highly rips off the Men in Black franchise ❤️😅 Highly recommend if you haven't seen yet ❤️ :))

Walter lifted his binoculars to study the nearby building while he reported, "Building's still deserted. Waiting on definite movement before moving in."

"Ugh." Lance slumped in the driver's seat. "Stake outs are always the most boring part of the job."

"Don't they have to be boring before you get any action? The 'calm before the storm' Director Joy was talking about?"

"It's a way too long calm." Lance fed Lovey a few crumbs. "Only reason we're sticking it out is because our intel was extremely trustworthy."

"Then we should have some storm very soon." Walter turned away from the window and made big movements with his hands. "Very, very soon."

Lance smiled as he fed Lovey a few more crumbs. "So, I saw you and the new girl in the lab were really chatting it up earlier."

Walter avoided making eye contact with the older agent. "Oh you saw that?"

"We all saw it Walt."

"I-it's nothing! Honestly! Nia is just a good friend."

"Uh-huh."

"She is! Just like Marcy is good friends with you."

Lance stiffened and blushed.

"Ha!" Walter pointed at Lance's face. "I knew it!"

The older agent pushed his hand away. "Since Miss Nia is such a 'good friend', what did she study in school?"

"Chemistry."

"A chemist. Nice."

"Yeah." Walter turned to his friend. "And you know what they say about chemists?"

"What?"

"They're always working with solutions," the younger agent responded as he finger gunned toward his friend.

Lance face palmed a moment later when he got the joke.

"I'm sorryhy, Ihim sorry," Walter giggled. "Couldn't resihist. But that wasn't as bad ahas whehen she compared me and her to a thermostat and a graduated cylinder."

"Why was she comparing you to---?"

"Becuase I may have graduated, but she has more degrees."

While Walter laughed at his own joke, Lance gave him a deadpan look. "Really?"

"Hey, you got the last two! That's two more than when we first met."

Lance swiped the binoculars. "Just keep those jokes to a minimum."

"Oh come on, everyone loves a good Science pun." Walter nudged his friend's side. "Even grumpy secret agents like yourself."

"I don't like them." The older agent ruffled his friend's hair. "Only nerds like you like them."

Walter ducked out of the hair ruffle. "You just haven't heard any good ones yet. Oo! Like what do life coaches and protons have in common?"

"Walter."

"They both know how to stay positive."

Lance rolled his eyes.

"That one was weak. A better one would be---."

"None. That would be a better one."

"No, it's what is a pirate's favorite element?"

Lance pinched the bridge of his nose.

Meanwhile, Walter held up one finger like a hook while he squeezed one eye shut. "Arrrrrgon."

"Walter, stop telling Science jokes, or you're going to get it."

"Get what?"

"I haven't decided yet, but when I think of it, you're not going to like it."

"Weeeeell, why you decide . . . What did the proton say to the electron to start a fight? I'm sick of your negativity."

Lance set down the binoculars on the dashboard.

"Why were oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon wearing suits and ties? Cause they were a formyl group."

He then took a deep breath.

"If the Silver Surfer and Iron Man teamed up, what would that make them? Alloys."

Lance then turned to glare at his younger friend.

"Why couldn't the geologists think of the joke?" Walter stuck out his tongue. "It was on the tip or her tungsten."

"You just love to irritate me, don't you?"

"Irritate you? I'm making this stake out more enjoyable with Science puns."

"Enjoyable is a stretch."

"Why can you never---?"

"That's it." Lance reached over to dig into his friend's side.

Walter squealed and instantly pulled himself to the side closest to the door. "Lance!"

"It's either this or I eject you out of the car," the older agent explained as he kept tickling the younger agent's side.

Walter squirmed under Lance's hand. "Hohow abohout neitheher!"

Lance jumped to Walter's other side to tickle there. "Then how will you know not to tell anymore corny Science puns, huh?"

"Buhut thehere funnyhy!"

"To you, not to me."

Walter pushed the older agent's hand up above his head. "Come ohon Lahance, yohou're telling mehe yohou don't like a litthele Sulfur, Argon, Calcium, and Samarium?"

"A little what now?"

"Sulfur, Argon, Calcium, Samarium, ohor SArC---."

Lance interrupted Walter's spelling by using his other free hand to attack his stomach. "Hey, what did I just say?"

The younger agent instantly curled up into a ball in the passenger seat. "Cohome ohon Lahance, wehe're ohon ahan ihimportahant missihion!"

Lance managed to get both hands spidering along Walter's sides. "Yeah, but we're still in the calm before the storm."

The younger agent tried to push Lance's hands back up into the air, but each time he got one up, the second one would attack another spot. He couldn't get them both away and defend himself at the same time.

He thought he had them both up at one point before Lance twisted his wrists and got himself free. One hand gripped both of Walter's wrists while the other attacked his armpits.

The younger agent cackled as he tried to curl away but promptly ran into the door. "AH! LAHANCE!"

"Do you promise to stop making Science jokes?"

"YES!"

Lance paused. "Pinky promise?"

Walter nodded. "Yehes! Both ohof thehem!"

"Glad we could come to an agreement."

"Agent Sterling," Marcy's voice appeared. "Come in Agent Sterling."

Lance let Walter go to check his comm. "Sterling here."

"Our motion detector is picking up movement in the building. Do you see anyone?"

The older agent grabbed the binoculars and took a peek. He could just make out the shadow of a man creeping around inside. "I see him."

"Approach slowly and cautiously. We don't know what he's armed with."

"We'll let you know what we find. Sterling out." Lance turned to Walter. "Ready?"

The younger agent nodded as the last couple giggles slipped out. "Readyhy."

"Alright." Lance stepped out of the car. "Stay close and stay hidden. Let's aim for no injuries this time."

Walter followed the older agent. "Hey, last time was you."

"Cause I was saving your butt." Lance ruffled his hair. "Now, come on."

Both agents kept to the shadows as they headed toward the building.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Many deaths attributed to natural causes during the COVID-19 pandemic may have instead been due to the virus - Published Oct 24, 2024

Fun Fact: This is still happening. This is what the "with or from covid" debate wanted to achieve. This is statistical cherry-picking that allows them to say "the pandemic is over" even as it rages on.

Several studies have found that mortality increased at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many of these excess deaths — higher than would be expected based on mortality patterns in earlier times — during the first 30 months of the pandemic were officially linked to COVID-19, a substantial number were reported as other natural causes. The timing suggests that many of these deaths could have been unrecognized COVID-19 fatalities or indirectly linked to pandemic-related disruptions in health care and society. Findings from an NIA-funded study exploring this question were published in PNAS.

To understand how COVID-19 death counts reflect the true impact of the pandemic, a team led by scientists from the University of Pennsylvania, Boston University, and collaborative institutions studied excess mortality from natural causes, i.e., diseases and chronic conditions. Calculations of excess mortality are used to measure the impact of COVID-19 on deaths. Between March 2020 and August 2022, the U.S. had nearly 1.2 million more deaths than expected, with approximately 635,000 in the first year and 544,000 in the second year. Previous studies found that these excess deaths were higher than the reported COVID-19 deaths, but most of that earlier research investigated extra deaths from all causes. In this new study, the scientists focused on natural causes of death, which may provide a better estimate of unacknowledged COVID-19 deaths.

The researchers employed innovative statistical techniques to examine monthly Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data on natural-cause deaths and reported COVID-19 fatalities across 3,127 counties spanning the first 30 months of the pandemic, March 2020 to August 2022. Their analysis revealed approximately 1.2 million more natural-cause deaths than expected during this period. Of these deaths, nearly 163,000 did not have a COVID-19 notation on their death certificates. The largest gaps between these excess deaths and reported COVID-19 deaths were in rural areas, the West, and the South.

Increases in reported COVID-19 deaths often coincided with increases in excess natural-cause deaths, but many of the natural-cause ones were likely unrecognized COVID-19 deaths. The correlation between COVID-19 deaths and excess natural-cause deaths suggests that health care delays and social and economic impacts of the pandemic were not the main reasons for these excess deaths. For example, in areas where a greater proportion of excess deaths were assigned to natural causes, there may have been more unrecognized COVID-19 deaths due to less testing, more deaths outside hospitals, and less experienced death investigators. Some areas, such as New England and the mid-Atlantic metropolitan counties, had fewer excess natural-cause deaths compared to reported COVID-19 deaths, possibly due to declines in other causes of death (influenza, for example) due to COVID prevention policies and greater ability to work from home in some more economically privileged counties, or different reporting standards.

Limitations of the study include the inability to know for certain if the excess natural-cause deaths were due to unrecognized COVID-19 cases or were related to health care interruptions and social and economic impacts from the pandemic. In addition, while death counts were final for 2020 and 2021, the data for 2022 was still provisional. Future research should differentiate unrecognized COVID-19 deaths from other causes and examine the differences based on individual factors, such as age, gender, race, and socioeconomic status, as well as access to health insurance and primary care. Overall, this study helps improve understanding of the pandemic’s true impact and may guide better public health responses and improvements in death investigation systems.

This research was supported in part by NIA grant R01AG060115.

Reference: Paglino E, et al. Excess natural-cause mortality in US counties and its association with reported COVID-19 deaths. Proceedings of the National Academies of Science. 2024. Epub Feb. 1. doi:10.1073/pnas.2313661121. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2313661121

[meekmedea]

tbosas x HP au

I saw these posts by @tumblingghosts and @persephoneprice about sorting different characters in the harry potter universe and I got inspired to write these little snippets!

Also I hope you don't mind me borrowing the idea of Clemmie figuring out the basilisk as the creature petrifying students/staff here.

Slight heads up - I know most of the time Slytherins tend to have certain classes with Gryffindors, but for the purpose of these snippets, we'll hand wave some of them.

Year 1

The plan had been for Ravenclaw. And as the first of their trio to get sorted, Clemensia realized with a pang that this wasn’t to be. 

She’d been so close! So close – but now here Clemensia was, the only one of their little trio to not be in Ravenclaw. Oh… that hat was definitely getting kooky in its old age. It had even considered her for it, especially when she made her arguments. But just as she’d got her hopes up, it decided Slytherin was a better fit. 

Just her luck to be here while both Nia and Felix got to be in Ravenclaw. 

That night, Clemensia swore to herself that she wouldn’t let something as minor as house colours stop her. 

Year 2

There’s a voice and Clemensia was slowly starting to doubt her sanity. The voice whispers at night when they’re sleeping in the Slytherin dorms. 

And nobody else hears it whisper about blood and prey. 

Not Coryo. Not Livia. 

`

Felix and Nia shoot her worried glances when she starts appearing at their study sessions looking more and more weary, but they can’t help either. They don’t hear the voice. 

Sometimes, Clemensia thought it followed her. She’d hear it in the hallways when she went from class to class. 

`

“Dovecote–”

Clemensia startled, nearly spilling the mortar’s contents onto the ground. “Yes?”

Reaper stared at her. “I think the wartcap is crushed enough for us to add,” he says finally. 

~~~~

Reaper is a bit embarrassed when he startles Clemensia – he and his potions partner had been off to a rough start ever since he’d accused her of something she hadn’t actually done. His Ma would be so disappointed that he’d bought into those house stereotypes. 

And of course he’d apologized when he’d found out it’d been actually Urban who’d been harassing those Hufflepuff first years, but the damage had been done. Clemensia is a popular witch in their year, and Reaper has worked with her long enough to tell when she’s genuinely nice or just being polite. He knows exactly what category he falls into. 

At least, she doesn’t hold it against him during potions. They usually work in silence and as few words as possible. 

It works until one week, she’s not in class. It’s strange because she’s never been late to a single class this year. After class, Reaper hears the rumours that she’s been petrified. She is but a number in quite a rising number of victims. 

~~~~

For a reason he can’t explain, Reaper decides to pay her a visit after she’s been absent for two potions class. Maybe because, strange as the thought was, he preferred working with her during the class. 

He'd take the silence and few words over working with Livia Cardew. It was Livia. Enough said. 

`

Two Ravenclaw students are leaving the hospital wing when he comes to visit. 

And when he’s there, Reaper realizes that he should have thought things out. Because she was petrified and hardly in a state for conversation. Merlin, he was stupid. 

As he’s about to leave, something catches his eye. In her right hand is something – a piece of parchment? A part of him tells him to check because what if it belonged to the culprit? It takes some effort because her grip is so tight and there’s but one word on it. 

There, in Clemensia’s writing is the word ‘basilisk’. 

~~~~

Though petrified, Clemensia proves instrumental in figuring out how to reverse the petrification on all the victims. It takes about another week before the draught is brewed and given to the victims. 

On the day she wakes up, Reaper tries to visit once but finds her hospital bed crowded by many visitors.

`

So instead, he sees her at their next potions class. Unsure what to say, he slides a roll of parchment to her. “Here. They’re the notes from the classes you missed.”

Surprise colours her expression as she picked it up. “Thank you, but won’t you need them?”

He shook his head. “You can keep them. I have my own copy.” Reaper had to ask an upper year to perform the duplication charm. 

`

“Oh.” A small smile appears, perhaps the first genuine one she’s sent his way. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. There are just notes.” His cheeks are warm for some odd reason. 

“Not just for the notes, I heard they say you were the one who found the paper in my hand. Thank you, Reaper.”

Oh, that? “It’s nothing,” he mutters, looking away, because if Reaper looks at her any longer, he might just burst into blames. “If anything, you’re the one who did the hard work, finding out it was a basilisk.”

Year 3 

Professor Gaul is a terrifying woman who shouldn’t be teaching children, thought Reaper. Much less Care of Magical Creatures, Reaper swore that his teacher was always a little too gleeful when she taught them of the creatures and the damage they could do to an individual.

“Gather around, children–” interrupts Professor Gaul’s voice. “I’ve got a lovely surprise for you all today.”

`

Reaper wouldn’t call it lovely – he isn’t afraid of snakes, but seeing that many writhing in the crate is enough for him to start feeling uneasy. 

Clemensia only looks more and more queasy as they stand there around the crate. They’re invited to touch the snakes, but nobody volunteers to their professor’s disappointment. 

Unfortunately, this means their professor decides to select volunteers instead. “Mr. Snow. Miss Dovecote, why don’t we have you two demonstrate for your yearmates? The creatures are rather docile.”

`

Famous last words because the crate decides to give out under the pressure of the tens of writhing snakes inside, spilling out onto the grass. 

Screams erupt from all around them as everyone tries to put distance between themselves and the snakes. Clemensia looks five seconds away from passing out and he’s by her side in the next instant, pulling her away.

`

“Clemensia?”

The sound that comes out of her isn’t human. Her gaze is entirely on the snakes that are approaching Lamina, looking ready to strike. 

Out of the corner of Reaper’s eye, he can see Treech pushing people out of the way to get to Lamina. 

`

Shaking off his hold, Clemensia walked towards Lamina, continuing to speak – the sounds that spill out of her mouth are the same as the snakes. Wait, is she communicating with them? 

Most of the class, if not all, stares at her. 

The snakes keep staring between Clemensia and Lamina, and she makes a gesture as if demanding they come to her. 

`

Before they can, the two snakes freeze and fall to the ground limp, courtesy of their professor. 

Couldn’t Professor Gaul have done that earlier? 

“Well, well.” Professor Gaul looked amused. “It seems we have a parselmouth in our class.”

~~~~

By dinnertime, the rumours whisper that Clemensia had tempted the snake to bite Lamina instead of commanding it to stop. Reaper is actually a bit disgusted by some of the exaggerated stories his housemates were telling. 

“If I remember correctly, you weren’t even there,” he snaps at Smith. 

Lamina is quick to correct them too. 

`

And after dinnertime, as unfazed as Clemensia is, Reaper knows that she’s irritated by the rumours.

“They’re ridiculous is what they are,” she says with a huff, as they wander down the halls after dinner. “Salazar Slytherin may have been the most well known parselmouth on this side of the pond, yes, but so what? He isn’t the only parselmouth to walk this earth. Right?”

Reaper glanced at the statue nearby. It was supposed to be of Salazar if he was right. “Yeah, you’re far too pretty to be related to him.” The second the words left him, he wished the earth would bury him.

A laugh escaped her. “You’re too kind, Reaper.”

~~~~

oops this got a little long, but years 4-7 to follow very soon :)

Edit: Years 4-7 here

[lostworldss]

Nia didn’t grow up with parents or siblings to take care of her. She grew up in the harsh rigidness of the temple, that focuses on training and studying but not growing up.

The closest thing she had to family was Scholar Vash, but even so that was probably not at the same level as having a parent to take care of you as you grow up.

She’s always taking care of other people, but not caring for herself because she never really learned that she should. One of the values of the temple is vowing to give up your life force to help others. She was literally taught Not to care for herself or really value her life because in the Temple’s eyes her whole purpose is to just be used by/for other people.

So she really doesn’t know how to care for herself at all, because she’s never had anyone to take care of her in her life or allow her to be her own person and live her life for herself and the way she wants to (until now).

Also I love that MC says she’ll teach her to care for herself, not because MC would ever leave necessarily, but because that’s important to have, more than just having someone else to take care of you.

[darkfictionjude]

Hi Jude, I love your game and the characters a lot! I had an idea after seeing the arts hobbies. What if someday in the facilty, for whatever reason, a profesional saw MC's works and offers them the choice of going with them to another country for study and develop their potential without paying a penny (I see you dad) and the MC agree. How would be Family and RO's reactions (with Nia's pre-romance, she is my meow-meow)

Honestly more art connoisseurs should go around psychiatric hospitals because those people have talent.

Imre:

He would see your work pinned up on the Baird outside the classroom in middle class all the time. He thought it showed a create technical prowess. He’s happy for you, that you found a way out of your circumstances, it’s admirable.

Nia:

So many times throughout the years she tried to get you to show your work to someone. She wanted you to apply to art school after graduation. That this happened at the lowest moment of your life gives her joy, she just wishes she could be there to see it.

Lorcan:

He’s seen your drawings all over the house. You leave them everywhere it’s annoying. He won’t admit that many times before throwing it somewhere else he would stop and look it at, lightly touching the lines.

THE CROWNS

Victor: you do art? So those drawings around the house are yours? I thought your mother commissioned them. Huh. Well at least I won’t need to pay for your room and board anymore.

Prudence: she likes art but she finds artists and their lifestyle sinful. Vulgar. Debaucherous. God forbid she’s reading the newspaper one day on you’re on the front cover being busted for being at an orgy.

Sally: he’s over the moon. You finally found your place in the world. He tries to pay all your work but you have to keep reminding him that you need clients.

Percy: so like you’re rich now? I think it’s in your best interest to loan me money. And if you’re in need of a manager, agent, publicist he will do the major sacrifice of travelling the world with you 😔

Orla: she’ll destroy all the drawings you have it home, never wanting to see another work of yours again.

[talktomeinclexa]

Days of Crisis

By: Talktomeinclexa

Rating: Mature

Warnings: None

Status: WIP

Summary: Sheriff Lexa Woods’s life is turned upside down when a hurricane hits her small Californian town, bringing in its midst a beautiful geologist as smart as she’s brave. But when said geologist returns a few months later to study Polis’s geographical situation and assess the risks in case more natural disasters occur, neither can deny the attraction anymore. Will they manage to open up before a series of catastrophes puts their lives at risk?

***

Chapter 5: Evening at the Woods’

Clarke swallowed back a yawn as she parked in front of the city hall, her obnoxiously large truck standing out in the almost empty parking lot.

After her long journey and two nights spent on Tivy’s relatively comfortable floor, she had slept like a baby. And jolted awake when her alarm rang, with drool down her chin and bed hair worthy of a picture. Even two coffees and a toast later, she wished she could return to the soft bedding of Polis Hotel and resume her dreams. Hopefully, she would find herself in Lexa’s arms once again.

Clarke stepped out of Tivy and headed for the entrance, determined to make the day count. The city hall should have records of past eruptions and earthquakes in its archives. Not that the Earth’s moves and tantrums were easy to predict. But she would feel better knowing she had done everything in her power to ensure the locals—Lexa and her family—were safe. 

Before Clarke could reach the doorknob, it opened abruptly to reveal a tall, thin woman with hair so blond it was almost white. The icebergs she had observed the year before gave off more warmth than the pale blue eyes that sneered at Tivy before refocusing on her. 

“Is that your vehicle?”

Curbing a shiver, Clarke squinted defensively and withheld her hand. “Yes. Dr. Clarke Griffin. I’m here to consult the city hall’s archives regarding—” 

“Mayor Nia Queen.” 

Like an iron gauntlet, the emphasis on the title landed heavily between the two women. Ready to take up the unspoken challenge, Clarke bristled until Lexa’s previous mentions of the mayor came back to her. This was the woman she needed to convince evacuation drills weren’t a waste of time. Lives could depend on it. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said with a plastic smile. “I was hoping to run into you. As you might know, I was here when the hurricane hit three months ago.” 

Mrs. Queen pinched her lips and glanced at Tivy. “Yes, I thought I recognized this monstrosity. What brings you back here? We spent tens of thousands of dollars on repairs after the storm. I hope you’re not here to tell me we should expect another one.” 

Keep reading

[cloudcutter]

chapter 21 - yeonjun’s rager

parties were surprisingly a lot like how you’d imagined them. you’d never been much of a party person to begin with, so all you knew of them was from stories your friends told, movies and books, or over dramatic renditions in fanfiction.

the lights were colorful and dim, it was incredibly loud and there were way too many people for your liking. but with ryujin grabbing your hand and soobin’s arm slung around your shoulder, you found you didn’t feel too nervous at all.

“want a drink?” soobin yelled. ryujin nodded and you found the confidence to agree. he flashed you both smiles and disappeared into the crowd of teenagers.

“i’m gonna need a lot to drink if i’m going to even think about seeing wonyoung tonight,” ryujin whined.

“ryu, she definitely likes you back! maybe this is your chance to shoot your shot. but you can only do that if you’re at least mostly sober,” you explained in between giggles.

“you can’t talk. you don’t understand how scary it is to like someone like that. park sunghoon is so in love with you, it’s disgusting.” ryujin’s grumbles caused you to roll your eyes.

“he’s not in love with me. and i have no interest in him! geez.” it was your turn to grumble now and ryujin snickered with satisfaction.

“ladies, your drinks!”

soobin interrupted your bickering, holding two cups in front of the both of you with a grin. ryujin was quick to down hers while you hesitated. you’d drank before (more times then the rule follower in you wanted to admit) but you were nervous to do so at a party. you didn’t want to be out of control.

a loud noise drew your attention to the door and you watched as sunghoon and his friends walked in to loud cheering and drunken greetings. sunghoon’s eyes briefly met yours from across the room and before you could stop yourself, you brought the drink to your lips, downing it in one gulp, wincing as it burned down your throat and into your chest.

sunghoon grinned at you and you gave him a smile and a mock salute back. when you turned back to your friends, ryujin was gone and soobin was talking excitedly with jeongin and theo.

you left the group, going to get yourself another drink. the party continued without a hitch, as least for a while. you had a few drinks, danced with some of your photography friends, and cheered with heeseung and yunjin when you saw wonyoung kiss your best friend on the cheek.

you were sitting alone when a familiar pretty girl sauntered up to you, a couple of friends in tow.

“nia,” you greeted flatly. the girl’s cheeks were deeply flushed and it was clear she had too much to drink.

“you should stay away from sunghoon,” nia snapped. her words didn’t hold as much malice as you were sure she intended, so you remained silent and watched on in amusement. “he would never like someone like you! you’re… you’re lame. i’m surprised you’re even at this party!” her friends mumbled their agreement, egging her on.

“ah, i’m sorry your obnoxious flirting during our study session the other day didn’t go your way,” you replied in mock pity, an exaggerated pout curling at your lips. “maybe try not unbuttoning your shirt so low or pushing your tits together less when you talk to him? it’s seemed to work for me.” your pout grew into a sweet smile as nia gaped at you. you knew your words were a little too cruel (you definitely had stolen the line from the mean girls in some teenage drama yunjin forced you to watch), but with a little alcohol in your system and all your frustrations directed towards the girl in front of you, your filter wasn’t quite there.

“stop trying to get at him! he doesn’t even like you!” nia screeched, her words slurring together almost comically.

you rolled your eyes. you weren’t sure what was happening but you suddenly felt like the main character in a fanfiction the author had gotten too tired to write.

“sure whatever. wasn’t trying to get at him, but if that’s what you want to believe.” you shrugged, standing up to begin moving away. you ignored the indignant huff the girl let out. you couldn’t help but want to instigate her just a little bit. “if anything, he’s been the one trying to get at me.”

you had to fight to keep the smirk from growing on your lips as you listened to nia and her friends gasp and mutter to each other in disbelief, staggering away in a tipsy daze.

“what was that all about?”

you tilted your heads towards sunghoon who had appeared next to you.

“ah, just some girls upset that i am the current object of your affection and not them,” you explained, giggles escaping your lips that made the boy smile.

“wanna dance?” he asked, offering you a smile.

“nah, i have had a bit too much to drink. the world is spinning ever so slightly,” you said bashfully. sunghoon laughed and took your hand anyway, leading you outside.

he settled on the cool grass and ushered you to sit next to him.

“it’s quieter out here. a good place to sober up a bit,” sunghoon explained.

“i’m not even drunk! just… tipsy,” you tried to reason. the pounding in your head suggested otherwise.

“yeah, you and me both pretty girl,” he retorted and you both laughed. you noticed he hadn’t let go of your hand and to your surprise, you found you didn’t mind.

conversation flowed easily between the two of you. perhaps it was the alcohol, but you’d never felt more comfortable around anyone in your life.

he laughed at a joke you told and you turned to catch a glimpse of his adorable smile. your breath caught in your throat at the sight.

you were pretty sure you’d read about people glowing in the sun. but sunghoon did not. however, in the light of the low hanging moon, he shone, and was the most gorgeous person you had ever laid eyes on.

maybe it was your slightly drunken stupor. or maybe it was the way his gaze kept flickering down to your lips. you don’t know why you spoke

“you’re so pretty,” you breathed. he blinked once, looking at you in surprise. then he spoke.

“can i kiss you?”

you nodded and in a moment, his lips were on top of yours. it was gentle at first, lasting only a few moments before he pulled away, letting you catch your breath. you found yourself not wanting it to end.

“hoon,” you murmured, your lips brushing against his. that was all he needed to kiss you again, this time more hungrily, his hands reaching to grasp onto your waist and pull you into his lap. your fingers roamed his shoulders, tracing along the defined muscles that tensed at your delicate touch.

“this is just because i’m drunk right?” you whispered against his lips. sunghoon paused and you could feel him frown.

“that’s for you to say,” he replied. you wanted to kiss him again and again and again, feel his fingers digging into your hips and his sharp canines nibbling your bottom lip. but this was park sunghoon, a boy who you had been convinced was playing you from the beginning. you weren’t supposed to want to kiss him. you let out a quiet whimper of distress, your alcohol muddled brain unable to process what was going on. you knew you should’ve declined those drinks your friends had offered you.

sunghoon took that as all the confirmation he needed. he slowly untangled himself from you, leaving you to sit on the grass, staring up at him with wide eyes.

“let’s go find soobin, pretty girl,” he said gently, holding a hand out to you. why were you sad? why did you not like the disappointment written on sunghoon’s face?

“sunghoon, i—“ you tried to start and he instead offered you a gentle smile.

“it’s okay. i understand. soobin will take you home.” sunghoon’s voice was gentle as he led you back inside yeonjun’s house. everything was a blur as the alcohol and your emotions overwhelmed you.

you went home with your friends in silence, collapsing on soobin’s bed when you all reached his home. still dressed in the party outfit you had been so proud of, you fell asleep, the only thing running through your mind being the feeling of park sunghoon’s pretty lips on yours.

previous | masterlist | next

smile for the camera: in which you don’t believe sunghoon could have feelings for you so you challenge him to prove it before you both graduate.

a/n: written part mwah ha ha. sweet sweet angst. dw all will be resolved soon bc i can’t handle angst !! on another note, i am an atiny now. so don’t be surprised if any new fics come out that aren’t enhypen related. i’m trying to write more that isn’t just sftc !! let me know if you’d be interested in other enhypen fics :)) feel free to send requests !! i think i’ll write for enhypen, ateez, and seventeen right now. i can also write for ggs … if anyone wants … 👀👀

tag list: @yenqa @sungookie @lomzy5 @lilactangerine @aki1e @lunakua @dimplewonie @diestheticu @viagumi @beebop-uwu @bwljules s @flower0930 @adajoemaya @tobiosbbyghorl l @jwnghyuns @sweetjaemss @koeuh

[colorisbyshe]

Monthly Music: March 2024 A STACKED MONTH!

Music that was released in or around March!

"Damn!" Zack Bia & Teezo Touchdown. Nasty dance track that pulses in your veins and takes you over, a bit.

"Miracle" Bayside. Pretty typical Bayside track but if you want some quality yet accessible alt rock, here we are.

"Ghost - Lofi" Mystery Skulls. Remember Mystery Skulls? Here's an instrumental reconstruction of their old song to study to. Very lullaby-adjacent. They did LOFI versions of the whole album but this is the most effective transformation.

"Not Sorry" & "Edible" & "Tell Me What You Want" Flo Milli. These three tracks are very different highlights off of it. TMWYW is the most experimental beat but I think Edible is my favorite.

"I'm Ready" Chung Ha. Cunty kpop. Not her cuntiest track but... if you want a track to motivate you to work out and then do a death drop... give it a shot.

"I Can't Run" Real Farmer. This song has a raw quality--the vocals, the guitar, the bass all feel like they're stumbling past but they're going on an adventure you want to follow them on. Loud, demanding.

And the complete opposite, "Walk Like This" by Flo is smooth, slick, and a perfect update to a more nostalgic R&B vibe. Poppy and perfectly constructed.

"Kira Kira" Fancylabo. Lovely, synthetic Jpop. Perfume fans, check in here.

"Collarbone" Izzy Spears. Beats to ache to. Emo rap with a transcendental beat.

"Your Money, My Summer" Everything Everything. They released a full album and it's all great but this is a stand out for me because "God knows I wanna go home" as a refrain just... burrows into your soul and hollows out everything in its way. Alt rock. Of the non-pre-release singles, "Don't Ask Me to Beg," "Enter the Mirror" (the most commercial track, I think), & "Buddy, Come Over" are my favorites, though I loved the whole album.

"Value" Ado. If you like Queen Bee, check out this track. Ado's singing is so rich and haunting. J... pop rock? Pop opera? I don't know how to quantify Ado's sound.

"Year of the Vulture" The Wonder Years. Emos go check it out.

"Arintintin" Rico Nasty & Boys Noize. Crazy frog ass song. Horny, nonsensical, silly, horny. This mini album is kinda all over the place--a nostalgic sound without necessarily capturing the full vibe but I'm having a blast.

"Pull the Rope" Ibibio Sound Machine. Almost discordant, I think I can't do justice to describing this song, so I'll steal an excerpt from their website: "the golden era of West-African funk & disco [meets] modern post-punk & electro."

I did listen to the Beyonce album. I kinda thought some of it was... too clean? Too smooth? IDK, it needed more grit on top of the twang, but that said, stand outs for me are "Tyrant," "Daughter," "Bodyguard," "Riiverdance," and "II HANDS II HEAVEN." Also, I know I sound insane saying it sounded too slick when I normally love slick production but the very clean vocals kinda felt almost... separate from the instruments idk how to explain it.

Kavinsky fans should try listening to Justice & Miguel's "Saturnine," it has the night drive thrum.

"Digital Magic" Le Youth. Classic Le Youth sound, just good electronic music. I'm a digital feline!!!!! Overly yearning vocals for a dance track that doesn't warrant it, you LOVE to see it. For more dance music, Nia Archives has another track off her upcoming album, check out "Unfinished Business" if you want more UK drum & bass that strikes the soul.

I was gonna do a small section of throwback songs I'm into but this post is already jam packed?? So, in brief, "Shinigami" Kenshi Yonezu (fun, anime-esque Jrock), "Back on my Feet" Boom Boom Satellites (electric, intense JRock), "Dip It Low" Christina Milian (sexy 2000s pop R&B), and not quite a throwback but not from this month "Bella" Alé Araya (lowkey and yet sensual).

[rustingcat]

Control

Lena's life was a series of the most extreme and random events. She wasn't sure if her being magic was part of it or the cause, but her life was, simply put, ridiculous.

Death, losing connections, friendships and relationships, manipulation, backstabbing, death threats, assassination attempts, kidnapping were all just some of the things she has experienced in her recent years alone, more than enough to make any sane person go crazy. She’s seen what crazy does to people, the destructive consequences of her family, her blood, and did what she could to avoid it, to keep herself afloat.

She tried to grasp whatever control she did get with both hands, using it as her way to sooth her soul when everything fell apart. She wondered if that was one of the reasons she felt compelled to take over the family company, deciding to dive right into the heart of the chaos to gain some hint of control over it. Her job was a major part in her life in which she held some control; as the boss she could dictate the direction of the company, she answered to no one (save for the board), and most importantly she could choose whenever to stop working. She could control the kind of food she put in her mouth, what to watch on TV, control the people she let into her life, her scientific knowledge gave her some control on her work, and her decision not to use her magic until she felt she grasped enough of its understanding gave her some comfort.

Yet, for every aspect of her life she had control over, Kara was always the exception to her rules. Breaking down every wall and defense mechanism, turning her life upside down, and the recent event proved it more than ever. Somehow every time she felt she had some hold on reality, the universe was keen to prove her wrong.

"Kara, I know you said that Kryptonian sex developed later than humans, but is it possible that one fetus developed faster than the other?" Lena asked after studying the live ultrasound footage on the monitor. Nia and Brainy's little girl seemed to be developing perfectly, at least that gave her some comfort.

"I don't think so? I can contact my father if needed, but what seems to be the problem?" Kara put her baby development book she'd been reading down and walked towards Lena.

"Well, after studying this ultrasound for quite a while, it seems like we have one fetus who developed male sex organs, while the other didn't." She did her best to keep her voice controlled and leveled. There was no actual reason to panic. Yet.

"Then we're having a boy and a girl! Lena, that's great news!" Kara said excitingly, raising her hands up to emphasise it.

"Kara, they are identical twins!"

"Oh, that I do know. It has to do with the chromosome distribution of the machine. Sex assignment is usually controlled by the parents, it is distributed individually after the process has begun. So it's given randomly to every child." Kara explained.

"So our identical twins are gonna be born with different organs?"

"Essentially, yes."

Kara really took the news far better than her. She wasn't sure how Kara wasn't phased by those surprises like she was. Kara led a life just as random and tragic, probably more, so by all accounts she should be just as disturbed. Then again, maybe she was simply better at repressing, Lena really couldn't tell.

Although thinking about it, Kara had been acting slightly different recently, even before the sex reveal. Lena couldn't put the finger on it, but she had her suspicions. She was more affectionate, more touchy. Not that Lena was complaining, she was eager to take any opportunity to be closer to her best friend. Lena couldn't help but wonder at the sudden change. Was the affection part a natural development in their relationship, or the most likely conclusion, had something to do with their project. They are going to become a family in the very near future, that by itself is enough to change the whole dynamic. A dynamic that is very likely to change regardless once the twins would come into their lives.

Lena suspected – despite her initial reservations – that Kara’s new affection has to do with a new romantic aspect, or something similar at the very least. The lingering touches, the crimson blushes that seemed to have coloured her face more often than before. True, a relationship with Kara was something she was hoping for for months, years if she was completely honest with herself, but the potential of a heartbreak might be too much for her to handle, especially if there are kids involved.

Was that the reason? Could it be a surge of emotions triggered by the idea of shared parenting that was wrongly interpreted as romantic attraction? Or was it something else? Fear perhaps? It is known to be a great motivator. Could Kara be fearing their shared partnership might be broken had Lena found a new romantic partner and instinctively started to develop something to keep their partnership at bay? Or perhaps she was reading it all wrong and Kara's new nervousness and touches were simply excitement and anxiety for their upcoming responsibilities.

Lena breathed out a long sigh, the whole thing was a lot to handle and she was already dealing with a lot.

"You okay?" Kara turned her head to her from the stop on the couch where they were snuggled together.

"Yeah," she flashed her a small smile.

"Then why aren't you watching the movie?" Kara fixed her with a knowing smirk

"Just thinking," she pretended to roll her eyes with irritation, but her smile gave her away.

Lena learned she couldn't control her emotions, she tried. She put them in little boxes for years to avoid and suppress them, so she wouldn't have to deal with them. She learned first hand how impossible and destructive it was.

"Well, your brain is very smart," Kara nodded. "Is this 'thinking' you're doing part of maintaining its smartness levels?"

"Of course, it's part of my daily routine." Lena said seriously, glad Kara wasn't pushing her to talk.

"I bet it would be even smarter afterwards." Kara pushed a stray hair off of her face.

"Oh, I wouldn't count on that."

"I would."

She wasn't sure when Kara got so close to her, but the distance between them was almost completely gone. Their conversation lowered to mere whispers. It was Kara, eyes half lidded, leaning in that broke her out of the haze.

Lena couldn't control her emotions, but she could control her actions at the very least. She could make sure to put herself in a position she was still in control of. Not let herself give in to temptations and dive into the unknown.

"I think I might retire for the night," Lena cleared her throat. "I'm more tired than I thought." She stood up before Kara could react.

She felt a cold shiver run through her body, and she had a feeling it was not because she stepped out of their blanket nest too quickly. Closing the door behind her didn't feel like the familiar safe space she hoped it to be, a distant voice at the back of her mind telling her that she left that one behind on the couch.

She stood there motionless in her room far longer than she realised.

Yes, Lena could still have some control. Although she wasn't sure about the cost anymore.

[kururu418]

Bringing back the interactions cycle: got any for Astro's kids interacting with Nia's Avalon family members? Curious to see how’d they get along 😚

Umbriel smirked as he continued to dodge the flurry of attacks Lacerta sent his way. The boy was unyielding and unrelenting, fighting with a ferocity he’d only rarely seen in Asterossa. “Well now, it seems that as hot as the fire in your soul burns, tis not yet hot enough for your fangs to reach me,” he mocked, blocking Lacerta’s kick with his sword. 

Lacerta glared at him. “You wanna be?!” he shouted, intensifying the flames around his leg. Umbriel continued to hold the attack off, but noticed her had to put more effort in doing so. 

The oy was like a rabid beast when it came to combat. Though far from mindless. In a few more decades… yet, he might very well surpass his sire. And prove to be another worthy opponent to best. As it stood now though. “Not enough I’m afraid,” he said, grabbing his sword with both hands and flinging him back. “You still have quite some room to grow…” 

Lacerta landed, only to immediately rocket back towards him. “Good thing I’m good at learning on the fly!” 

~~~~

“Interesting…” 

Cetus looked up towards Titania, who was looking down at him with a curious expression on her face. “Oh, hello… Lady Titania?” He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to address her as lady or Queen. She certainly wasn’t going to say former Queen. Even he thought that would come off as disrespectful. 

She smiled and offered a brief wave to him. “Do not hang on formality, child. This is not some royal gathering,” she said. “And forgive my leering. Something about you is… familiar.” 

Cetus tilted his head. “About me? What do you mean?” 

She shook her head. “Don’t fret over it child. It may have just been a trick of the light,” she said. Then again, maybe it wasn’t. She may have had to keep a close eye on him. Even if he wasn’t one himself, there was no reason a child of a titan should have the lingering essence of a god within them… 

~~~~   

Cressida watched curiously as Dorado stared at Excalibur. He seemed hesitant, but then reached out and grabbed the handle of the blade, trying to lift it. It didn’t even budge. He kept trying for a few more moments, and then sighed. 

“Looks like I’m not worthy of this one either…” 

Even his younger cousin seemed to be made of more mettle. Creissda sighed and walked towards him. “You know, you really should get out of your father’s shadow,” she said. Dorado turned towards her confused. “Take it from someone who lived their whole life in their family’s. It gets you nowhere.” 

Dorado blinked. “I… I’m not…” 

“Yeah you are,” she said. “It’s one thing to look up to your father, it’s another thing to idolize him. Your brother is ahead on that front.” 

Dorado looked down, the words stung, but… it wasn’t as if he could deny them. Dorado saw his father as a goal, whereas Lacerta saw him as something to surpass. “You may be right. But that’s easier said than done…” 

~~~~

“You’re quite the well learned young woman,” Titania complimented. 

Saggita smiled. “Thank you!” 

“Tell me, why is it that you have thrown in your lot for your father’s throne? Surely your mother’s people would survive with either you or your brother at the helm?” she asked, leaning her chin on her palm. 

Sagitta thought for a moment. “Hmm… I guess I just want to. Same way Lars looks up to my dad, I look up to my mom. I wanna continue what she started,” she said, smiling. 

Titania looked amused. “A clear goal and a clear mind. I believe you will be a boon to your people,” she said. The girl was clever. Perhaps not in the same way as herself or Dusk, but she held a wisdom beyond her years. It was no wonder Astro spoke to highly of her when given the chance.

“Thanks!” 

~~~~

Oberon grunted as Aqua made her way inside his study, not even bothering to look towards the child. “I want a sample… and I’m willing to bargain for it,” she said. 

He sighed. “And what do you have to bargain with, child?” 

“I will stay away from the island for half a year…” Oberon actually raised an eyebrow, his interest now piqued. “For a finger.” 

And, lost… 

“Nay…” 

“As if it doesn't grow back… ugh, fine. A blood sample.” 

“Nay...” 

“A toenail?” 

“Get out…”

[bluejay-writes]

Heaven is a Misnomer - Chapter 4

Fandom: Shall We Date?: Obey Me! Rating: Teen Chapter 4 Wordcount: 2953 Characters/Relationships: Jake (Exchange student OC) / Raphael Summary: In which Jake learns some interesting things about himself, about covenants and pacts, and about Michael. Notes: Hey fam. How has it been a week already? I'm confused. Anyway, it's Tuesday, so new chapter time! I think this is the first chapter that'll give you a bit of a visceral "oh dear" moment if you've read Devils in the Details. Lemme know if you spot it. XD

You can also read this on AO3, if that's your jam!

First Chapter || Prev Chapter || Next Chapter

Chapter 4: Witching Hour

Shiny’s room was gorgeous. Very pink and flowery. Jake was expecting it to be witchy and gothy like her general demeanor, and it very much was not.  And, thinking about it, that made perfect sense. It wasn’t really her room, it was just the room she’d been assigned for the exchange program.  Jake wondered if over the course of the year it would end up becoming more her style, or if she’d keep it pristine and pink and floral for the mental break it caused to enter the space.

Sitting in her room was Vriyaya, looking more like a human and less like a demon. Jake didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. She was gorgeous either way.

“So, Jake. You say you’re a normal human, right?”

“Yep. Boring inner city kid with a shitty life.”

“Would you be offended if I wanted to test your theory?”

Jake blinked. “You have some kind of test that will tell you if I’m actually an angel or a demon in disguise?”

“Well, yes. But also if you’ve got latent magic. Magic like I use.”

“Wait, you’re not just a witch by religion?” Jake didn’t realize there was any other way to be a witch. He just figured she was Wiccan or Pagan or something and let it go.  It seemed like the sort of thing that the Celestial Realm would begrudgingly let in to prove that their version of religion was right.

Shiny laughed. It was a musical thing, and Jake liked to hear it. “No, I’m a witch because I do the magic shit.  Mostly potions more than like, visible magic things, but I do know how to do a testing array. I at least learned that before I stopped my formal training."

“Formal Training?”

“Yeah, I was learning under someone but she was… well… horrible. So I didn’t get any good fancy magic but I can at least do this, and the other realms let me into their libraries to study sometimes, so…”

“So you jumped at the chance to be away from the mostly boring human realm for a year, and if I want to find you and you’re not here I should look in the library.”

“Oh, he is smart, Shiny, you meant it.” Aya said, and Shiny nodded. 

“Yeah. Very sharp. Thus, I want to test him.”

“Okay, okay, I give.” Jake rolled his eyes. “What do you need to test me, a vial of blood?”

Aya eyed Shiny and grinned with the pointy version of her teeth.

Shiny laughed. “Not a vial, but a single drop will do.”

Jake paused. He’d been joking. “Oh.”

“If you let me bite your finger,” Aya said with a little purr, “It won’t hurt in the slightest, or even scar.”

Jake considered, and then shrugged. “Okay. I mean, if you promise.  Why would you choose to bite me when I could just like… get a safety pin?”

“Because she gets to taste you.” Shiny said, laughing. “See, Aya. I told you.”

Aya sighed. “Yeah, you’re right, my charm really did roll right off him, he is gay as hell.”

“Is hell gay?” Jake said, eyeing Aya.

Aya rolled her eyes “Generally yeah, I mean. We assume ‘yes’ before ‘no’ generally, and that leads to most demons just being open to whatever.”

Huh. Jake thought. The Devildom might be an interesting time for Nia.

“Anyway, so the biting? You want to taste me?”

“I can learn a lot from someone through their blood.  Just like Shiny can do her neat little array and look at pretty lights to learn about you, I get it all from a taste of your blood.  You might be able to fool one of us, but not both of us, is what it basically comes down to.  Someone really powerful might be able to fool both of us, but not both of us and the angels because, well, realm balance and shit. Someone can always tell with their method. And the angels vetted you and called you normal, so if you’re not, one of us can tell.”

“Cool.” Jake said, and held out his hand. “As far as I know I’m totally normal, so bring it. I’d love to learn something new. It’s like 23-and-me except with magic shenanigans.”

Shiny wasted no time setting up her array. It was simple pentagon with some reagents in places and symbols written in places.  As she set it up, she babbled about what she was doing, and Jake was trying to pay attention but he only caught something about “flame-testing elements like in chemistry” because that was his favorite thing about Chem class even despite Mr. Cook’s bigotry. Also his favorite computer game as a kid was an edutainment title that had a big flame-testing puzzle and he loved it.

Once she was set up, Aya took his hand and bit into his thumb with one fangy little tooth.  True to her word, it didn’t even sting. He felt the wet of the blood drip onto the glass microscope slide that Shiny held out, and then she licked the wound with the tip of her tongue and it while it tickled a little, it sealed back up without issue.

Jake watched the colors flare up just like Shiny said they would and even where she suggested they would if he truly was normal.  There was a little something-something going on in blue in a section she had told him would be dark, so that was interesting.

After a moment, Aya shrugged. “There’s some potential for something maybe? Defensive. I mean, it could be that not only are you very gay but you’ve got some kind of innate charm defense.”

“Yeah, the blue in that spot, looks like passive defense. Pretty cool, normie.” Shiny said. “Probably had a magic-type somewhere way back in your lineage.”

Jake smiled. “Oh, well. Huh, that’s neat and potentially useless information. I’m just going to keep telling people I’m normal.”

“You are normal.”

“It’s working already.” Jake said, with a wicked grin that both girls returned.

Aya professed a need for a snack after working her magic like that, and headed out to raid the kitchen.  Jake turned and looked to Shiny, meaning to ask her about covenants. He’d been curious ever since Azrael asked if he’d made one with Michael, and he figured asking his fellow human would hide his ignorance better than other options. Just then, his phone-shaped device (He’s never going to call it a C.C.C. again, that shit is irritating to even think) buzzed with a message.  And then again. And before he could even get the thing out of his pocket, a third time.

“Who even has this number?” He muttered, and unlocked the thing. “Oh, mom maybe.”

He was wrong. The messages were from Nia, of course. Who else?

Nia > Jake: They teleported me in my pajamas. Nia > Jake: It’s Hot Boy Summer. Nia > Jake: [picture]

The photo was of course his bestie Nia, curled up on a bed with a blond-haired green-eyed hottie, against a backdrop of a concerning number of books. It was like Nia’s ideal situation. Excepting perhaps the blonde. She’d always joked that she liked gingers best. Jake whistled, because she seriously wasn’t joking about hot boys. He was seriously attractive, and Jake was envious immediately.

“What’s the message? You’re invested enough you’re ignoring me.” Shiny said, with a teasing pout on her face. “Boyfriend?”

Jake shook his head. “Nah, just my bestie. She’s in the Devildom right now, actually. Sent me a selfie with her newest friend, I guess?”

Jake turned his phone-shape so Shiny could see, and she grinned. 

“Your friend is super cute! Also I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Satan smile, so… hold onto that picture, it might be worth a lot of money someday.”

“Satan?” Jake said incredulously.

“Yep. Avatar of Wrath himself. She’s made powerful friends.  Also, pretty sure that was taken in the House of Lamentation, so she probably knows the rest of the brothers.”

“Huh, cool.  Hey, you wouldn’t want to take a selfie with me to send back?”

Shiny grinned. “You mean a photo of a cute blonde boy and a black girl with epic hair? In trade for a photo of basically the same thing? How could I refuse?!”

Jake laughed, and took a photo with Shiny, the florals of the room in good display as a background.

Jake > Nia: This is the other human exchange student, Cheyenne. Jake > Nia: Envious of your hot boy experiences already Jake > Nia: Can’t wait to hear all about your first day.  Jake > Nia: Mine has been tedious. It’s weird to be normal.

Jake turned back to Shiny, determined to get his questions answered while he felt safe to ask them.

“Shiny, what can you tell me about Covenants?”

“Oh, did someone talk to you about them already?” Her eyes were sharp, and concerned, almost the way Azrael’s had been. He didn’t like it.

“Azrael asked me if Michael had made a covenant with me yet, and I said no, but like, I don’t even know what a covenant entails, and I feel like that’s a very bad thing to be ignorant about while I’m here.”

“You’re not wrong.  Okay. Let’s come at this from a different angle. Have you heard about “making a deal with the devil”? Or like, did you ever watch Supernatural?”

“Yeah, well to the former.  I didn’t watch Supernatural, my dad didn’t think shows like that were acceptable, so…” Ugh, he hadn’t meant to mention his dad. He really didn’t want to talk about what home was like.

“And yet you’re gay. Okay. We’ll unpack that later.” Shiny chuckled, and Jake was happy when she didn’t press it. “So basically, the real life version of deals with the devil aren’t just ‘trade your soul for power’, they’re more the demon binding themself to the bearer, like a loyalty commitment.  Whoever has a demon’s pact mark can generally control said demon, depending on their level of magical prowess and power.  You, for example, could probably do nothing at all with a demon, but having their pact would prevent them from doing anything that would harm you directly. They say it makes them want to protect you, as well, but as I’m not a demon, I wouldn’t know about that.”

“Okay, so what do pacts have to do with covenants, then?”

“Everything. Covenants and pacts are the same thing, with different names.  The symbols one tends to get for a covenant are different, but otherwise they are functionally the same.  Basically just the names are different, and the character set used to mark them.  Kind of like a language diaspora can make differences occur with perfectly identical topics otherwise.”

“Oh, so the human realm has to have our own version of them too, right?”

Shiny nodded. “Contracts, of course.”

“And boring normal humans like me could make a contract, covenant, pact?” Jake asked, trying to figure out how that would work.

“Well, someone could make one with you.  A magic-capable human can make a binding contract, demons make pacts, angels make covenants.  But, the ones with the magic are the ones who are bound by them, not vice versa.  It’s a willing sacrifice of your own autonomy.  I think the fact that humans without magic can’t be forcibly bound to someone is good. And it’s an incredibly intimate thing. Most demons and angels have their own rituals that go along with binding themselves to someone.”

“So how did something like that get twisted in folklore and myth to be ‘trade your soul for power’?” Jake was curious, and Shiny seemed to love explaining things. He was glad he’d asked her about it, and not someone else.

“Well, since the one side is voluntary and holds all the magic, they can ask for anything they want, and bind that into the spell.  Most of the rituals require something to be given.  And demons are very good at getting desperate people to give up just about anything.  I once knew an old woman who had to make a pumpkin pie every day from first harvest until the new year, for a guaranteed perfect harvest every year. It was a lovely bargain, and the demon in question was surprisingly kind, she just loved pumpkin pie more than any other food, and especially that woman’s.  I’d honestly believe that when she dies she’ll have a place in that demon’s house in the devildom. No torture, only endless baking.  That woman would probably find it to be heaven.”

“That is the sweetest story.” Jake said, his eyes misty. “Like, wow.”

“I know, right? Don’t buy into the ‘all demons are evil and all angels are good’. They’re just people. Different races of people, with millenia of bias piled on them.”

“So you’re saying it’s probably entirely safe that my bestie is in the Devildom right now?”

“Yeah, for sure if she’s with Satan. He can be a cranky ass, but he’s mostly just a bookworm with a short temper. If he’s already let her in his room, she’s probably entirely safe.”

Dinner in the dorms was a much more formal affair than Jake was used to, with a set start and end time. It was quieter, less chatter while people ate, because they only had so long to eat before dinner was over.  He worried about Bunny getting enough to eat, but she seemed like she was capable of taking care of herself. The food itself was exactly the kind of weird Jake had been expecting about his time here in the Celestial Realm.  Everything was a different kind of food, but it all had this weird happy vibe to it. Like cloud cakes and Ethereal Buckwheat pasta, and some soup that glowed. They promised him that everything he was eating was entirely safe for humans.  Even Shiny told him about the foods she’d eaten before so he had a better idea of what was actually safe.

And, to its credit, the food was all delicious.  The textures were sometimes a little bit off-putting, but he figured after a year he’d get used to it, right? By the time he went home, even Nia’s mediocre cooking would be such a piece of home that he would cry to eat it.  Not to speak ill of his bestie, but she knew how to cook exactly five things. And they were all acceptable. 6/10 would eat weekly.

Over dinner, Michael lectured them about what the expectations for the exchange students would be over the course of the year, insofar as chores were concerned.  There was a rotation for basically every chore that Jake could think of, and then some that he didn’t even know what were, and was going to have to learn from the few angels who actually lived in this dorm building (Apparently the ones who were in other realms for the program normally lived in these rooms, and did these chores.)

Certainly Jake was expecting the explanations of chores to be rough. He was expecting to have to learn a lot of new things. But basically everything that Michael was saying was couched in weird language that made it sound like it was a choice, and optional, and only for their benefit, but sounded like an absolute drag.  Like the evening seminars, which were voluntary, but so much could be learned, why would you ever skip them?

His mind spiraling on possible absolutely terrible experiences that this year in the Celestial Realm might have in store for him, Jake unintentionally tuned out the last twenty minutes of Michael’s lecture. It wasn’t until Aya was nudging him under the table and he noticed the irritated look on Michael’s face that he snapped back to reality.

“Well, Jacob?” Michael asked, as if waiting for an answer to his question.

Jake blinked at him, for a moment hearing his father’s voice instead of the angel’s.

“Oh, were you talking to me? My name’s Jake. Can you ask again?”

Jake instantly regretted using Nia’s usual strategy of talking back to problematic authority figures at the way Michael’s eyes flashed. It was terrifying, in a way that sent chills down his spine that he was utterly unable to control.

“I was asking if you understood your responsibilities whilst you are here.”

Jake wasn’t sure he could even react with the fear flooding his system, but just as fast as it hit him, it drained away and left him once again in control of his voice.

“Oh, for sure.” Jake said, nodding as if they hadn’t just had a moment in which he was certain he was about to be the victim of an epic smiting. “Don’t worry, I’ll behave.  And besides, you gave me a paper copy of all of the rules—” He tapped the packet, which he liked to think of as his syllabus for existing, and tried to put the smile back on his face. “—Just in case my ADHD is too much and I need to remind myself.”

Michael scoffed and turned back to the room at large.

“Now, usually it will be only the residents of this dormitory who are eating and sleeping here.  However, as I am overseeing the exchange program and am responsible for the safety of our other-realm students, I will be here most days, at least for dinner but often during other times.  Conveniently, one of  my offices is located in the basement of this building, so if you are uncertain as to my location, you can assume I will be working there for the foreseeable future.”

Jake tried not to shiver.  Something about Michael made him intensely uncomfortable.

[asirensrambles]

Shipwrecked Hearts (pt.3/3)

So this has been done forever, I just forgot to post it here after putting it on Ao3, WHOOPS.

A re-telling of the events of Shipwreck Confidential if Pathea weren’t COWARDS and let us romance Zeke.

Part 1, Part 2

As the group made their way back to Sandrock proper, Selene regarded Zeke shrewdly.  Despite his earlier weariness from throwing the three women, he'd insisted on helping them haul out the scrapped machines.   It seemed like letting him help had been the wrong thing to do.  Selene had thrown her back out before --every builder does it at least once during their apprenticeship while they're still learning proper body mechanics, it's almost a rite of passage-- and Zeke was showing every sign. 

Once they got everything dropped off at the Moisture Farm, he was going to Fang's, even if she had to drag him herself.  The walk back was slow, yet uneventful.  Mi-an, Trudy, and Selene were spent from fighting the old world machines in the wreck, and Zeke showed no inclination of wanting to move faster than the pace they set.

Finally, they made it back to the Moisture Farm.  With grunts and groans, everything got hauled inside to a corner Zeke indicated.  Once the scrap was unloaded, Mi-an volunteered to take the yakmels back to Cooper's.  She wanted to pick up some things from the Wandering Y shop anyways, so it wouldn't be out of her way.  Selene was grateful, and waved after her and Trudy.  Once the other two women had left, she rounded on Zeke.

"We're going to Fang's clinic."

"Why?" he asked.

She huffed, "Your back is still bothering you- don't deny it!" she said, as he tried to interject, "I've thrown my back out too, pretty much every builder does at some point in apprenticeship.  You should have Fang look at it, just to make sure it isn't anything more serious than that, just in case." 

Zeke sighed and shook his head, but Selene caught sight of a small smile on his lips.  He said, "Fine, on one condition."

Selene cocked her head.

"You get Justice to give you some proper combat training." 

Selene frowned.  At this point, she'd made it through plenty of combat situations just fine.  She opened her mouth to protest, but closed it just as quickly.  During their conversation, Zeke had walked closer so they weren't yelling across the farm.  Studying his face, Selene could see concern written there.  Thinking back on what she knew of the history of Sandrock, Zeke must have watched so many ill-equipped relic hunters throw themselves into situations that were over their heads and suffer the consequences.  He probably just wanted to make sure she avoided their fate.  A few lessons with Justice was a small price to pay for easing Zeke's worries.

Selene nodded, "Alright, deal."

It was obvious Zeke hadn't expected her to agree so readily.  The surprise on his face was clear as day.  He quickly schooled his features back to a more neutral expression before heaving out a sigh.

"Well, in that case, I guess I'm off to Fang's."

Zeke walked over to the exit, Selene following behind.  As he opened the door, Zeke stepped off to the side and held it open.  The gesture was unspeakably sweet, and something Selene definitely wasn't used to.  Not even the handful of dates she had in builder school held the door open for her.  Once she was through, Zeke let go and began the walk over to the clinic.  Selene fell in step next to him.  They walked towards Fang's in companionable silence, both lost in their own thoughts.  When they arrived at the clinic, Selene followed Zeke in.  He looked over his shoulder and gave her a quizzical look.  She merely shrugged.

"It's not that I don't trust you to actually go to the doctor, it's just that I don't trust anyone to actually go to the doctor.  Blame Nia."

Zeke asked, "Why should I blame Nia?"

Selene's eyes glazed over as she stared into the distance at the memory.  "That is a story for another time, one where I have a lot longer, and preferably something alcoholic."

Questions were written all over Zeke's face, but before he could ask any of them, Fang walked out from behind the screen on the right.  X flapped over to them and cawed,

"What's your problem?"

Zeke looked balefully at Selene, who merely crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows.  He sighed, then turned to Fang.

"Hurt my back throwing the builders," he said.

Fang nodded and gestured to the examination bed behind the screen.  Selene plopped herself down on one of the waiting chairs, while Zeke walked behind the screen.  As she sat, the day began to catch up with her.  Sore muscles and aches and bruises began to make themselves known.  She'd sleep well tonight.  Soft murmurs floated over to her, but she couldn't make out what they were.  The calming atmosphere of the clinic had her almost dozing in the chair.  Her rest was short lived, as the doors burst open and Justice tumbled in.

"Is Fang here?" he asked.

Selene nodded and gestured to the screen.  Apparently the commotion was enough to draw said man's attention, as he walked out from behind the screen.  Upon seeing him, Justice looked relieved.

"Hey doc, we have some tourists that are lookin' worse for the wear in the Blue Moon.  Didn't want to bring them outside more than I had to.  Think you could come over and take a look?"  Fang nodded hesitantly, before turning to Zeke and telling him something Selene couldn't make out.  The doctor was then quick to pick up his bag and follow Justice out the door.  Curiosity got the better of her, prompting Selene to heave herself out of the chair and walk over towards the screen in the middle of the clinic.  She called out,

"What was the prognosis, you gonna make it?" 

He responded, "You were right, just a tweaked back, nothing more serious.  The doc was gonna do some of his needle stuff, but tourists takes precedence," as he was telling her this, Zeke slowly walked out from behind the screen, "It'll be fine in a few days of rest," he sighed, "Guess going through all that stuff you builders brought back is gonna have to wait."

Selene nodded, "Glad it wasn't anything serious."  Unbidden, her mind darted to the mini massage therapy workshop one of her college friends had put on for builders.  She'd taught them how to work out sore muscles, kinks, and tweaks for one another, since apprenticeship required lots of grunt work and crazy hours.  It would definitely help Zeke, but the idea of suggesting it made Selene's cheeks burn.  Being swallowed by the ground sounded more pleasant.  Still, watching how gingerly he was moving, and knowing how much he was itching to investigate the Old World tech, she managed to push past the mortification and say,

"If you want, I might be able to help with that.  Your back, I mean," she added hastily.

Zeke raised an eyebrow.

Selene swallowed hard before pressing on, "When I was in college, we had a workshop of sorts on how to massage out sore muscles, tweaked backs and whatnot.  It wasn't uncommon for one or more people to push themselves too far in apprenticeship.  I had a friend studying massage therapy, and she taught us how to help each other out.  Way cheaper than actually going somewhere, which was good since, you know, no one was making bank as an apprentice," realizing she was rambling horribly, Selene forced herself to stop talking.

  Zeke regarded her with an inscrutable expression.  It took everything in her not to fidget under his gaze.  Finally, he shrugged.

"If you're sure, I won't say no."

Rather than easing Selene's nerves, his agreement had the opposite effect.  Now, she was more nervous than ever. 

"Okay," she squeaked.  Was it her imagination, or did her voice just jump an octave?  No, that would be ridiculous.  Well, no turning back now.

"Um, if you want to just lay back down on the bed, on your stomach," she added. 

Zeke nodded, before walking around the screen back to the bed he'd just vacated.  Selene trailed behind him, nerves mounting with every passing moment.  As he took off his cape, Selene realized she'd never seen him without it, or his hat for that matter.  Zeke draped the cape over a chair next to the examination table.  As he raised his hands to lift off the hat, she was entranced by the way his back muscles shifted under the shirt.  His shoulders were so incredibly broad.  When Zeke went to set the hat on the chair, his shirt pulled taut, highlighting just how thick and strong the muscles there were.    Without the hat, Selene could see that Zeke's hair, while completely grey, was still thick and full.  Selene wasn't in the mood to unpack any of those thoughts.  She mentally shoved them into a chest and slammed the lid shut.

It didn't help that the incredibly minuscule level of undress was making things feel weirdly intimate.     It took a moment, but Zeke settled himself down on the bed.  It had been ages since Selene had last done this for anyone, and she was a little nervous.  Hopefully it would be muscle memory and come back once she started, but there was the brief terror of 'what if she'd completely forgotten everything she ever knew.'  Swallowing around the lump in her throat, Selene began to gently press into Zeke's back to map out where to start. 

Over the years in college, she'd massaged a lot of classmates who'd tweaked backs, or needed help with some other ailment.  Even though her entire cohort attended the workshop, Selene had gotten a reputation for being really good at them.  That being said, Zeke had the most well-muscled back she'd ever felt.  While her fingers sought out knots and tension, Selene marveled at the strength  coiled under her hands.  It was the kind of strength built over a lifetime of hard work.  

Having mentally determined a plan of attack, Selene began to press into Zeke's back with more force.  Gradually, she lost herself in the methodical movements and muscle memory took over.  The peaceful silence was only occasionally punctuated by moans, groans, and sighs from Zeke.  Selene lost track of time, completely focused in on the task at hand.  As her hands began to tire, Selene shifted more to simply rubbing soothing circles into Zeke's back.  Not wanting to ruin the peaceful moment, she whispered,

"Better?"

Zeke chuckled softly, "Yeah," he breathed, "Better than I've felt in ages."

A broad smile stretched across her face, even though he couldn't see it, "Good." Almost in a daze, he carefully sat up.  Selene watched as he stretched one way then another, eyes once again drawn to the fabric stretching taut over his body.  She only just managed to tear her eyes away from staring before Zeke turned back to look at her.  Some of the tension she was used to seeing in his face was no longer there either, apparently having bled out with the massage, or a side effect of feeling relaxed.  Zeke put his cape back on, but held his hat in front of him, fiddling with it, ever so slightly.  Finally, he looked up to meet her eyes.

"Thank you.  I haven't felt this good in...years," he said, almost shyly.

Selene beamed at him, "You're very welcome."

The two of them made their way back out to the main area of the clinic.  Fang was still nowhere in sight, much to Selene's relief.  Not that Fang would ask, but she would have felt compelled to explain the situation anyways, and that was just at the bottom of the list of things she ever wanted to do.  As they exited the clinic, Selene had to squint against the sun assailing her eyes again.  Zeke chuckled at her screwed up face.

"You should really keep a hat on you, Selene," he teased.

There was such an undercurrent of warmth in the way he said her name, it made her stomach flip flop.

"Usually I do!" she protested, "I left it at home because of the protective suits!"

Zeke just smiled down at her, "I know, little builder, I know.  I was teasing you."

The stomach flip flops shifted to full on butterflies, as her cheeks went beet red.  Completely flustered, she cleared her throat and said,

"Oh.  Well.  Just- let me know what you find from the scraps.  Or if you need anything.  To investigate, the scrap, I mean.  Or if you just need anything in general, too!" Why oh why do I keep babbling around him?  Selene wondered.  That was already twice today!  Zeke interrupted her fretting.

"I will.  I'm also gonna talk to Justice at the end of the week, see if any builders have been by for training."

"I'll go there right now, promise," she said, "See you later?"

Zeke nodded, "You always know where to find me."

Selene gave him a nod and headed off to the Civil Corps.

Had Selene looked behind her, she'd have seen Zeke standing in front of the Clinic, watching until she was out of sight.