#no one gets it and she's low key devastated lmao

[walpu]

when ur done with the main story i'd love to hear your thoughts on it! (I'm only half way done rn tho ....)

Hi!!

So. I've just finished the quest. Hoyo got me good ngl. Sorry if it's bit messy I'm still in shambles

Spoilers for v.21 bellow!!!

So happy Aven is alive like literally so relieved. I was so anxious about it I started worrying I won't be able to work tomorrow if something happens to him lmao.

I was very happy that the way I characterize Aven in my head played out in the game but at the same time I was low-key devastated.

It was nice to see that he can be playful and a bit silly, like when he and Ratio were solving puzzles and getting on each other's nerves. It was also nice to see that his masks slips easier and more often than I thought. Honestly everything about him is just so peak fiction like he's cunning and low-key manipulative but he's also very sentimental, he says the end justifies the meaning and says that betrayal is a tool he can use but he actually refuses to sacrifice others and says that he considers it to be a dirty game. Like he's soooooooooo

Also "future" Aventurine. Evil shadow self lmao. He was fascinating because on one hand he low-key represents Aventurine's mask. However he also represents the pent up negative emotions and thoughts he has towards himself. Which is cool because I mean who knows what hides underneath the mask better than the mask itself.

I'm happy he started his journey to self acceptance thought. Like to be honest I'm very satisfied with the way his arc was written. Hated to see him in pain but it's cool they gave him the space to be broken and vulnerable in front of the player, addressed his past and how it affects him.

Topaz was surprisingly nice when talking about him I thought she can't stand his ass. She did sound sad when talking about him "dying" so I presume she DOES care. And so does Ratio!!!!! I hope hoyo will explore Aven's relationships with them and his arc will lead to him realizing that there are people who care about him regardless of his status.

Outside of Aven's arc. I like the way Sunday was written. We didn't spend much time with him but I feel like they did the most out of it like you can see what kind of person he is. Obviously there's more to learn but still. That being said, I can't stand his ass 😭 He gave me the ick during his scene with Sparkle and after 2.1 I don't think I'll find it in myself to ever like him but we'll see, after all I was sure I won't like Aven since he works for the IPC but here we are.

And about the final twist. Yeah. Didn't see tgat coming and thanks god I didn't spoil it for myself. That being said, I don't think Gallagher would actually kill someone, so I think the angelic siblings will be fine.

Also. Aven's boss form is sexy af I was staring at him and his little slutty waist when Luocha decided to intervene with his "what is it we're waiting for? 🙄🙄🙄" Like??? Boy be quite??????

[shepherds-of-haven]

How would the ro's react if one day they woke up and their hair was a completely different color? would they be devastated/try to figure out what happened?

Blade: I think it would depend on what color! If it was something like close to his original color, like brown, he'd probably be like, "oh" and assume it was like...... a natural process of like aging or something... and be mostly indifferent and go about his day because he rarely looks into mirrors anyway, so it doesn't really matter to him. But if it was something ridiculous like pink or white, he'd probably, like, wear a hood up/attempt to hide it from everyone while trying to figure out how to reverse it discreetly lol

Trouble: I think he'd be so stoked that he wouldn't even question it lol he'd be like YEAHHH MY HAIR IS BLUE THAT'S AWESOME! He'd just carelessly operate under the assumption that it could be reversed in some way so he'd just be excited to enjoy it lmao

Tallys: I think she'd be intrigued, she's not that attached to her hair color so she'd probably like the change and end up embracing it, honestly!

Shery: I think she would panic, her hair is like one of the few things she's proud of appearance-wise so she'd just be like "???? what's happening to me??? 🥺" She wouldn't have a full-on meltdown or anything, she'd just be really confused and distressed!

Riel: UNACCEPTABLE. ABSOLUTELY NOT. he's not letting ANYONE see him like this and he's locking himself in his room and communicating through the door until he or someone else can figure out what's happened to him and how to reverse it... (and how to punish whoever is responsible!) the theatrics of it all would be quite intense! (can you imagine if he turned blonde lmao?)

Chase: I think he'd be like "...huh. That's new." and would spend about an hour checking himself out in the mirror lol then he'd be like, "damn, I'm kind of hot with [color] hair... should I have been born a redhead??" In other words, he'd be fairly nonchalant and just feeling himself... like always. If people asked him about the color change, I feel like he'd insinuate that he'd done it himself just to troll them lol!

Red: I think outwardly he'd be pretty calm, like "oh! that's unexpected..." and mild-mannered and good-humored about it, like making jokes about it along with everyone when they exclaimed over it, but inside he'd be panicking just a little, he's a tiny bit vain so inside he'd be like 'please change back 🥹 I can handle this only if it's not permanent 🥹' He wouldn't be super frantic about it, though! Can't have anyone suspecting he really cares about his hair (they all know anyway) LMAO

Ayla: I think she wouldn't really give a shit, she could either be indifferent like "😒... didn't ask for that..." or she'd be stoked if she liked the new look better. If it turned out to be permanent she probably wouldn't really care either, she's not very attached to her hair color!

Briony: she'd be DEVASTATEDDDD, her pink hair is like a part of her identity (and also one of the few things that she kept from her past) so she'd probably have some sort of existential crisis where she'd look into the mirror and not be able to recognize herself and would be like "WHO AM I??? AM I STILL THE SAME PERSON IF CHASE CAN NO LONGER REFER TO ME BY VARIOUS PINK-THEMED NICKNAMES?....... WHAT IF PEOPLE CAN'T RECOGNIZE ME IN THE STREET ANYMORE, HOW WILL PEOPLE FIND ME?" She'd be spiraling lol

Lavinet: I think it depends on the hair color, if it was unflattering she'd be PISSED and would be on a scorched-earth campaign to get it reversed, but if it was flattering she'd be preening, she was planning on dyeing her hair sometime in the future anyway so this is not a big deal!

Halek: I think he'd be low-key excited, his white hair draws a lot of attention so an excuse to not have it while no one can tease him about vanity and deliberately dyeing his hair would be fun... at least for a little while!

[mrsaltieri-real]

Idk if you’re still dying for Mickey requests, but could I ask for Mickey teasing fem!reader about her possible knife kink like they’re in bed (just friends but Pining) and he ”jokingly” pulls out a switch blade saying he’s gonna cut her to scare her but then sees she’s kinda into it and is like 👀👀 maybe not actual smut just him making her horny at to see how far he can take it?

Bloodstained Lips

Mickey Altieri x Fem!Afab!Reader 18+

Warning/s: not really smut but almost so yeah, knife play, blood kink, Mickey cuts the reader but she likes it, language, reference to scary movies, reader is borderline low-key kinda crazy

I love love love this idea. I’ve never written anything somewhat smutty before so I’m sorry if this is bad lmao I tried. I feel like Mickey would have a blood kink so I also added that into the story. I hope you enjoy!

“Any closing thoughts or remarks?” Mickey asked teasingly, standing up and turning his tv off before plopping back down on the bed beside her.

“Yeah. It was stupid and I don’t get why you like it.”

“Halloween is a classic,” Mickey insisted, rolling his eyes at her, “what’s not to like about it?”

“I mean to start with, how does some six year old kid carve up his sixteen year old sister? Just kick the little fucker out the window.”

Mickey couldn’t stop the laugh that burst through his lips as he looked affectionately at his best friend. Mickey and her have had a will they won’t they arc going on for so long now it was really starting to piss their friends off. They’d insisted they were just friends but right now, Mickey’s arm was lightly touching hers and she couldn’t help the warm feeling that washed over her with the slight contact and felt her stomach tie into a knot when he looked at her with that dazzling smile, his dimples pronounced in his cheeks.

Fuck.

“Guess next time we watch a movie it’ll be some cheesy romance, huh?” He said teasingly, poking her gently in the ribs.

“I actually enjoy slashers. Just not Halloween.” She said back to him, pushing his hands away.

“You enjoy slashers, hm?” Mickey said, his tone unreadable. She glanced up at him and he was smirking a little.

“I.. Well…”

She couldn’t tell anyone about her weird ass kink for slasher films. Well, not slashers per se, but anything that contained knives. They’d think she was insane. Especially considering two of her closest friends, Sidney Prescott and Randy Meeks were literally survivors of a devastating massacre that wrecked their hometown two years ago. Now the killings had started up again, she knew her weird fetish would make her a prime suspect. She hated herself for getting so turned on by the knives, the blood… it was fucked up, she knew that. But she couldn’t help the feeling of warmth spreading through her as she imagined the feeling of someone with a cool blade, them pressing into her skin, breaking the surface…

“I bootlegged Stab,” Mickey suddenly said, making her jump and snap back into reality, “you wanna watch it?”

“When the fuck did you go and see Stab?” She asked but instead of answering her, he jumped back up and starting rifling through his cases of clearly illegally pirated movies.

He finally found Stab and waved the case containing the film at her. “Well?”

“I promised Sid and Randy I wouldn’t watch it,” she said quickly, “it wouldn’t be right.”

“You sure that’s the reason why?” Mickey said, his tone dark and humorous.

“Why else?”

“Hm,” Mickey hummed before quickly taking out the Halloween tape and putting in the Stab one. He pressed fast forward, went past the introduction and quickly stopped just as the girl playing Casey Becker got sliced with a knife. His eyes turned to her, curiosity evident.

She watched the television, unable to stop herself from biting her lip and crossing her legs, squeezing them together at the gory sight. She couldn’t bring herself to look directly at Mickey but she could feel the heat radiating off him.

“I fucking knew it,” he laughed, moving closer to her, “you twisted little bitch!”

She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and glared at Mickey.

“What?” She tried to snap at him, but her voice faltered a little.

“I knew these movies turn you on. That’s why you never wanted to watch them with me. You don’t hate Halloween, or Stab or any of them. They fucking turn you on, don’t they?”

“No!” She insisted. Mickey was extremely close to her now, so close she could smell him, see the excited look in his eyes.

“Then if it’s not the movies.. is it the killing within them? The blood, the knives..?” He asked her, still smiling that devastatingly beautiful smile.

She said nothing. That was enough for him.

Before she could react, Mickey had pulled out a small switch blade from his back jean pocket and held it to her throat. He only did it to scare her, he was teasing her after all, but to his complete and utter surprise, she let out a soft, gasping moan as the cold blade made contact with her skin, the sharp metal pressed ever so slightly into her, not quite enough to break the skin, but enough that she could feel it. Her eyes closed as she sighed again.

Mickey stared at her in shock and was in all honestly, a little turned on at the thought that his friend was potentially almost as twisted as he was. Testing the waters slightly, he moved the blade to a place just behind her hair where it wouldn’t actually kill her and pressed down, this time with just enough pressure to draw blood.

“You really are fucking twisted,” Mickey whispered in her ear as she let out a low moan again, this time much louder and more satisfied as the blood dripped down into her cleavage from behind her hair.

He decided to push it once again, leaning down and licking the crimson line that had made it’s way down the valley of her breasts, his eyes never leaving her gorgeous face as he did so.

“Mickey…” she mumbled in a strained tone, head back and resting on his headboard. “Don’t…”

“Want me to stop?” Mickey asked her, serious this time. He cared about her, he wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want to do but it was hard for him. He wasn’t used to having to restrain. He’d never hurt anyone without the intention of killing them.

“No!” She said quickly leaning forward into the blade that was still pressed into her skin, letting out a sharp hiss that was mixed with both pain and pleasure.

Fuck, me. Mickey thought to himself, shifting a little in his jeans.

“This really gets you going, doesn’t it? Why didn’t you tell me before?” Mickey whispered in his ear, the knife still burrowed just below the surface of her skin.

“Didn’t want- fuck… didn’t want anyone to know. They’d think I was a… a suspect.” She said, every other word rising and falling as Mickey carried on gently carving her. He knew every part of the body, the safe parts which would cause her repairable damage. He didn’t want to kill her after all. No, this was far too much fun. He never wanted to kill her but now, fuck. She was much better for him now alive than dead.

Mickey suddenly pulled the knife away, smirking as she let out an annoyed sigh that turned into a small squeal as he grabbed underneath her thighs and yanked her under him.

“How do i know you’re not the killer, hm?” He said, bringing the knife back up this time to her lips, where he pressed gently. “I mean, you are the sick fuck who likes guys cutting her up.” He smiled then, pressing the blade so it sliced into the soft skin of her bottom lip and she let out a soft whimper.

And just like that, he bent his head down and kissed her. Well, more sucked the blood from her lip than kissed her but if anything, this was better. Mickey groaned a little as he felt her moan into his mouth and felt the pressure of her heated pussy through her underwear and loose sweatpants press onto his hard cock that was almost painfully strained against his jeans.

“You don’t,” she whispered as he pulled back to look at her. “You going to keep on talking or are you going to fuck me, Mickey?”

Mickey smiled, and she felt herself grow wetter when he saw her blood staining his lips, teeth and tongue.

[silly4goose20]

""My whole life is a dark room. One big dark room."

I'm low-key so nervous to show my Lydia Deetz..... But here we go!

Art + Lore below the cut!!

TW FOR SELF HARM, DRUG USE, MENTION OF HALLUCINATIONS, MENTIONS OF ABUSE, MENTIONS OF ABANDONMENT

Soo...first of all, I made on critical change to their story which I just KNOW will upset some people....

I set the timeframe of the OG Beetlejuice to be in 2006 instead of 1988 because I wanted to match Lydia's age...because she's human(?). This makes Lydia born in 1992, to be 14 years old when 2006 Beetlejuice happened, and 32 in the present day. I reallllyyyy hope I don't make people upset but jfbsdjkfbsfjkdh I expect it ngl ;w;

Lydia Deetz, now known simply as Lydia or Dr Deetz depending on how you know her, is a 32-year-old entomologist and photographer. She kept most of her original style, leaning into the Trad Goth style with just a hint of Grunge Goth depending on the day. Lydia works closely with the SCP Foundation and is accredited with many awards from her research. Her photography is also world renowned, and it is truly her favorite thing. Lydia lives in the dead middle of New Mexico, which is such a funny place to end up for a pale New Englander...but Ill explain how she got here in a bit. Some suspect she is a vampire due to her pale complexion, but she never answers fully. Lydia is noted to have rather sharp canines and is known to sunburn easily.

Lydia is always taking pictures, observing her world through her camera lenses more than her eyes. She deeply loves the diversity of the New Mexico deserts, often taking snapshots of native bugs or cacti. Lydia works hands on with many anomalous bugs and plants, it being her specialty aside from entomology (sprinkled a bit of 'tism on her.....). She is very close to The Brain, Pinky, and Adrain (these guys work within the Mafia and are very important........). She doesn't speak much to anyone else, these three being her favorite people in the world. Lydia is often reserved and very stoic, now showing much emotion to anyone outside of her small friend group. She gives sarcastic remarks to most anything said to her, and often has something snarky to say. This attitude, however, is a cover up for her insecurities.

Lydia lost her mom when she was 13 and was never able to fully process the grief due to a certain demon by the name of Beetlejuice. You all know who Beetlejuice is, especially since you're reading a Lydia Deetz tagged post lmao. These two in my AU act similar to how Cartoon Beetlejuice and Lydia act, at least after the events of the first movie are resolved. They have their shared chaos, picking on the Winter River residents and exploring the Neitherworld. They were close, almost inseparable.

That was until Beetlejuice disappeared one day. Lydia was around 16, and had been going through a rough spot like most teens do. She pushed Beetlejuice away for months, ignoring him despite Beetlejuice being persistent. After one particularly mean comment, "Get the f**k away from me you stupid old man,", Beetlejuice left one smell note behind, "Love ya babes! Be back @ 9 PM! -BJ <3" on Lydia's mirror. Lydia ignored it until 9 PM came and went with no sign of Beetlejuice. Lydia had no access to the Neitherworld without Beetlejuice's assistance, so that wasn't an option, so she did the only other thing she could. Lydia called Beetlejuice's name 3 times...yet Beetlejuice didn't appear.

Lydia panicked, calling over and over until she was in a ball of tears. She stayed up all night, drawing chalk doors and trying to get The Maitlands to search for the striped demon. Yet, a week later, there was no sign of Beetlejuice. Most Neitherworldians were ecstatic, finally free of the chaotic spirit. Yet, Beetlejuice's friends (Mainly Jacques LaLean, The Maitlands, Lydia, TMATS, and Ginger) were devastated. Lydia went through a deep, long depression, coming out the other side with intense BPD, Residual Schizophrenia, and selective mutism when she gets absorbed into her mind. Her Residual Schizophrenia was caused by the environment she was put through. Having a demon as your best friend and visiting his world would definitely have some sort of effect on a teenager. She's known to still have the belief that she can see ghosts, often speaking to herself under her breath even to this day.

The funny thing is? The world she's in today doesn't have any form of ghosts.

Lydia continued through school, excelling despite her crumbling mental state, and found herself working at a college. This college works directly with the museum that held the AHWM box. Lydia was curious of this box, often venturing into the locked vault to photograph the box. During her last encounter with the box, however, she touched the blue crystal lodged in the top of the box. Before Lydia could react, the dizzying depths of the wormhole absorbed her. She landed in the midst of Site 169's containment chamber for the Warp Core. Adrain Peterson, a Research Head for Site 169, had been researching the positive effects the Warp Core had on biological material. He witnessed Lydia's appearance, immediately rushing to her side despite protocol. The world she was in was filled with supernatural beings of all types, and her first encounter was with a 14'7" fox man who was honestly terrifying. What an introduction lmaoo

Lydia was briefly contained by The Foundation, being there until she was deemed acceptable to be released. Lydia openly opposed the typical Amnestics. Instead, with her acquired knowledge of The Foundation and her PHD in Entomology and Psychology, she was hired by The SCP Foundation at Site 169. Lydia was given a small trailer on site, and her next-door neighbor just so happened to be Adrain.

Over the next months, she became close with Adrain, and his head scientists, Pinky and The Brain (YES. THAT PINKY IN THE BRAIN!!! THEIR STORY IS A WIP!!!!). She solidified her role as a researcher with a research paper that was highly important in her field. After this, Adrain was inclined to bring Lydia in on a (at the time) top secret project that was being funded by The Clef-Gatsby-Caraway Mafia. She worked closely to create bioweapons and help enhance the effectiveness of the Alternate's psychological weapons. Her help on this project got Jay Gatsby to recognize her skills. About 5 months after the initial project, Jay Gatsby approached her with a membership role as a researcher. Of course, Lydia obliged.

You'd think that Lydia would know of Beetlejuice because he was a don, right? WRONG. Neither Beetlejuice nor Lydia knows of each other's existence. It's really heart breaking to think about because they both miss each other deeply :(. In the present day, shes still a researcher and psychologist at Site 169, and still works closely with the CGC Mafia.

Here she is guys!!! I love her so much, and drawing her is so much fun!!

NOW HERES FOR SOME REALLLYYY SAD SHIT......

THE COMIC INSPIRATION MAKES ME SOB YALL

shameless tags lmao:

@keikei69420 @kibby-draws-stuff @scarlett-fox-bushy-tail

[fcrtnite-a]

@thtree asked  ·  [ COSTUME ]  for  receiver  to  reveal  their  halloween  costume  to  sender.”  ·  JENNA & HARDIN

"jeez, why does no one get this? obviously, i'm a movie star from the forties whose arm has been severed by a psycho killer." jenna frowned and glanced at her costume in the full length mirror. with a hand on her hip and a signature pout, the blonde turned on her heels to face hardin. "you get it, right?"

[zepskies]

LOL Yesss Stefon! 😂 I'm already excited to dive into your thoughts on this one.

I can't 😂😂😂 Also so accurate how I actually would behave on a horse lmao

Girl, same. 💀💀 I'd be holding on for dear life lmao.

My cheeks are tomato red by the end of that riding lesson, Zep! Dear fucking Lord, can he please teach me and let me squeeze him with my thighs. I'm rarin' to go, too *whines in horny* 😩

Oooh trust, we'll get there. 😏❤️‍🔥

The way he is concerned and checks up on her 🥹🫶 And to answer his earlier inner monologue question: he's for sure horny for her, too. "Cheer her up because she's Denise's niece" my ass lol

Beau's a protective one, that's for sure! In my mind it would be a combo of his profession (I'm sure he's dealt with plenty of domestic violence cases), and just his personality in general. And ha! He's fooling no one but himself on that one. lol

Ugh, yeah, her ex is "something" all right. (Most definitely an idiot sandwich. 🤣)

It is! A very skillful way to avoid talking about feelings *sighs*

And Beau is a black belt at this, unfortunately. 🙃

I sometimes really wonder what their marriage was like and how little he actually shared. It just sounds crazy to me not to talk to your partner about something so heavy and devastating like that 🤷‍♀️ Weren't they best friends? Through thick and thin? Or was it one of those "yeah, we got married but it never was that full true love kinda relationship, so now we just stayed together for the kid until that wasn't bearable anymore either." Feels like that to me 😬

The way I pretty much thought the same thing! Like what kind of relationship did these two have where he felt like he couldn't share his grief with his wife? It's beyond me, but yeah, maybe it was a case of he always felt he had to be strong enough to "lock it up" and deal with it himself.

Since Carla's a high-profile lawyer, I got the feeling she's one to keep her emotions under tight lock and key, doesn't get frazzled easily, etc. But that could also make her impatient with Beau. Like "I'm here for you but just get it out already." Hence her leaving him when he couldn't do what she wanted. 🤔 Again, I'm just theorizing.

Ah yes, classic family moves 😂

Lol ikr? The reader's family in Chicago is more felt not seen in this story.

And I loved Emily bonding with the reader! I fully believe she did that because she knows her dad likes her. So sweet! 😍 (Even though that whole podcast sounds like an awkward nightmare waiting to happen lol)

I'm so glad you enjoyed that!! Wanted to touch back on her connection with Emily, now that it's not trauma bonding lol. Oh, we'll get to the podcast eventually. 🤣

But lmfao thank you for shouting out the "old clam" line. Low-key one of my favorites for this chapter. 🤣🤣 (Your gif choices are immaculate, btw.)

That whole exchange broke my damn heart! But I loved how gracefully Jenny handled it all 😭❤️

It broke mine too while writing it, honestly. But yeah, I didn't think Jenny would be one to be petty about her own budding feelings, with the politeness/respect she showed Carla on the show. (I also don't like writing petty women against women in general.)

And then you (Michael) waltz in with that cliffhanger ending! I hope Beau kicks that doucheface outta town all cowboy like 😂 (He can do that, right?)

Oooh, we shall see. 😏

Thanks so much for your amazing feedback, lovely! Truly brightened my day. 💕

Take Me Home - Part 4

Pairing: Beau Arlen x F. Reader 

Summary: You are another lost soul at Sunny Day Excursions. You’re aiming to settle in Helena, Montana, where Beau Arlen is the new sheriff in town. But you’ve both got a past you’re running from. 

AN: Ready for a riding lesson? 😏

Song Inspo: “Sunshine on My Shoulders” by John Denver

Word Count: 6K

Tags/Warnings: Fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, mutual pining, and a cliffhanger...

❤️ Series Masterlist

Part 4: A Past & Future Thing

You gasped and gripped even tighter with your thighs. With almost everything you had.

You were still far too unsteady for comfort on this damn horse. The poor animal whinnied, tossing his head back with a huff. Unfortunately, that just made you tense up even more as you held onto his neck. 

Beau tried not to laugh. You looked like a cat clinging to the edge of a bath.

“Okay, you needa relax a little,” he said. “He ain’t gonna buck you, long as you don’t give him a reason to.”

You shot him a narrowed look. He was sitting all calm and natural on his own horse, a chestnut brown beauty of a stud. Apparently, his name was Clyde. You were riding his brother Dale, who was supposed to be the older, gentler of the two.

Beau was right next to you, since he was the one holding the reins. You two were still just a little way off from the stable as he guided your horse with his, letting you just get a feel for the ride.

“I’m sure you’ve heard that animals can sense our vibes,” he said, giving you a look that tipped his Stetson forward. “So if you just take a few deep breaths, I promise you, it’ll get easier.”

You met Beau’s gaze. You didn’t know if it was the smooth, steady tone of his voice or the sincerity in his eyes, but you did as he advised. You made the effort of exhaling slowly, and you began to relax.

“Okay,” he nodded with a smile. Then he gestured ahead. “Now, look forward for me. Try not to look at his hooves, though I know they’re pretty.”

He teased a smile out of you as you did what he said, casting your gaze up ahead to the horizon. It was a beautiful day. A wide expanse of terrain laid out ahead of you, with green grass mottled with some brown, and a weather-beaten trail clearly carved by horses and lessons given.  

“And like I told you,” he added, “Try not to squeeze so hard with your legs, or he’ll think you’re rarin’ to go.” 

You blushed, and relaxed your thighs enough so you were just supporting yourself on the horse, not giving yourself a leg cramp. 

“Okay, I think you’re ready for me to let go. Wanna keep going on your own?” Beau suggested. 

You were wary, but you tentatively nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

“Are you sure?” Beau asked. Again, his eyes met yours. “I’ll keep guiding you the whole way if you want. Either way, I’ve gotcha.”

You swallowed down a bit of nerves. “Yeah?”

He smiled, and you noticed how it crinkled the corners of his eyes.

“Trust me,” he said. “You’re not gonna fall on my watch.”

Warmth coiled its way around your heart. You let out another deep breath, and you agreed to have him hand over the reins to you. You were nervous at first, but Beau reminded you of how to guide Dale with subtle movements.

The old horse plodded forward without incident. When you gave Beau a triumphant look, that answering grin of his warmed you down to your toes. The two of you rode together more as companions while making your way across the grassy plain.

“So of all the things, why’d you wanna learn to ride a horse?” Beau asked.

“Because it terrified me,” you replied honestly. “I love animals, don’t get me wrong. Riding one though? They’re unpredictable…but I’m also tired of being afraid of what I can’t control.”

Beau nodded. He could certainly understand that.

Together, you traveled up a roaming hill. Once you reached the peak, you marveled at the view. The afternoon sun was bright and golden above the mountains and the distant line of trees.

Meanwhile, Beau glanced at you. You’d gotten more confident and comfortable in what you were doing, and it was endearing to see. You were cute, he could admit. Beautiful, as a matter of fact. You had the sun shining in your eyes, and on your hair getting tousled by the chilly breeze.

You also seemed to have a kind heart. He’d seen it in just how hard your friend’s death had hit you. He saw it again when he helped you move into your apartment. He saw the joy you took in cooking dinner for all of them after a long-ass day, even though you could’ve just ordered a pizza.

It was the little things, he thought, and the more he saw of you, the more he liked.

That thought also made his heart twinge, and not in a good way. Carla reared up in the back of his mind. He wasn’t sure if it was more with annoyance or guilt at this point, but she’d moved on a hell of a long time before he had anyway. (Beau could admit that point, just to himself.)

It just made him wonder what he was doing here with you. Was it just because he knew you were having a hard time, and he wanted to cheer you up? Was it because you were Denise’s family? Or was it because…he just wanted to see more of you?

“You don’t get this view in the city, huh?” Beau asked. 

“You do not,” you replied. Your smile grew, making his do the same without him realizing.

Inside though, he wanted to shake his head at himself. You were a bit younger than him. Maybe not by all that much, in the grand scheme of things, but he was in his mid-forties, divorced with a sixteen-year-old daughter, and a somewhat unpredictable, occasionally dangerous job. At this point, he wouldn’t exactly consider himself a catch.

You were also dealing with a complicated past of your own. You’d been through a lot, especially in the past couple of weeks.

And yet, Cassie’s probing questions circled through his mind, invading his thoughts every time he found himself looking your way. 

Your face slowly dimmed. “Next week is Mary’s funeral. I’m going back home for a few days.”

Beau processed that with a nod, but he could guess why you looked worried. 

“And your ex?” he asked.

“He’s going to be there for sure. We were all close.” A deep breath rushed out of you. You peeled your eyes away from the view and looked over at him. “God help me, I don’t want to go home…does that make me a bad person?”

“Nah, I get it,” he said. He regarded you with more weight in his gaze. “But this guy. Is he the aggressive type?”

“No,” you assured. Then more wryly, “He’s only dangerous to my mental health.”

You contemplated that reality for a moment, and you shook your head.

“You know how I found out about what he was doing?” you asked. “He sent me a Happy Birthday text…a spicy one, you could say. But it wasn’t my birthday.” 

“Damn,” Beau said, grimacing in sympathy. 

You tried not to, but you began tearing up. Beau wanted to brush them from your cheek as he drew closer on his horse. Instead, he settled a hand on your shoulder. 

“Hey,” he said, quiet and placating. “I’m thinking you’ve cried enough over this.”

“I just…I still feel so damn stupid,” you muttered, wiping under your eyes.  

“What, are you a Professor of Cheatin’ Bastards too?” Beau quipped. You smiled reluctantly.

“That’s not funny,” you complained. 

He flashed you a grin and allowed himself to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear when a breeze of wind blew it into your face.

“Come on. You know I’m funny,” he teased, but then, he became more serious. “It’s not your fault. Trust me, I know something about being the problem, and it’s not on you.”

Both your interest and concern were piqued.

“You and Carla?” you asked. “You’re telling me it was all on you?”

“Well, maybe not all. But like you, my ex-wife ain’t a fool,” Beau said. His eyes lowered, along with his hand from your arm. “Let’s just say, it was justified.”

Let’s just say, you contemplated. That seemed to be his favorite catchphrase.

You didn’t know if you altogether believed that. He was going to grief counseling for a reason. You wanted to ask why, more than anything, but you also didn’t want to press him on something if he didn’t want to talk about it. If he felt comfortable enough with you, someday, maybe he’d open up to you. 

So after a few minutes of savoring the view, and the moment, you returned to town together.

A few days later, Beau still had a bad feeling about Avery.

His company was being investigated by the SEC and was threatening to go under. Apparently, Avery had made “friends” with Luke on the trip, who according to Avery, let it slip that he and Paige had $15 million in cryptocurrency.

The passcode to that $15 million account was missing. Beau had more than half a mind to think Avery had made a play for it during that camping trip. Carla hadn’t known her new husband’s company was being investigated. She’d put her foot down with Avery about the lying, at least.

As a result, Beau’s only consolation in all this was that she and Emily were back in their house, while Avery was living out of a hotel in town. Beau might not be able to pin him for the stolen crypto right now, but he knew where to look for Avery when the evidence came.

The man was #1 on Beau’s punch list, and it was only getting longer.

Instead of letting those thoughts fester, he decided to actually take his lunch break, and go check in on his daughter. Denise and Cassie told him she was doing well as their summer intern.

Emily seemed to be enjoying her time helping the private investigators. She showed him her small workstation beside Denise’s desk, where she was organizing old and new files, inputting the hard copies into digital ones on Cassie’s spare laptop. Emily was also helping out with some database research on existing cases.

Satisfied that she was helping out, but wasn’t doing anything too close to actual police work, Beau took the opportunity to lean over to Denise and discreetly ask about you.

Namely, how you were doing, and if you’d called her from Chicago. He managed to hold himself from asking when you were coming back to Montana, at least.

Denise still gave him a certain smile.

“Yeah, she called yesterday. She’s coming back today actually,” she replied. “I’m planning to pick her up in a few hours.”

Beau’s lips twitched at a smile, and he nodded. “Good. That’s uh…that’s good. Tell her I said ‘welcome home.’”

Denise and Cassie shared a look, one that drew even Emily’s attention. She shot her dad a glance and noted the dumb smile on his face. One that he tucked away when he met Emily’s gaze.

“Anyway, looks like you’re doing all right here. You’re coming to stay with me tomorrow, right?” he asked her.

“Yeah, sure,” Emily agreed.

“Okay, kiddo. See ya then,” Beau said. He gave her a hug and kiss to the side of the head. Though she gave him a hug back, she watched with a bit of suspicion after he said goodbye to Cassie and Denise, strolling out the door like he was making some kind of escape.

The adults again shared a look of mutual understanding. Then Cassie smiled and grabbed her work bag.

“All right. I’ll be back in a bit. Need to check on a few leads,” she said.

After Emily and Denise waved her off, the latter made some tea and returned with a mug each for her and Emily. Denise reclaimed the seat behind her desk, but she turned towards the girl beside her.

“So, hun, how’re you doing?” Denise asked. “I mean, I know you’ve gone through a lot these past couple weeks, and we’re happy to give you a little distraction here. But are you okay?”

Emily bit her lip and turned her rolling chair towards Denise. She had to take some time with her answer. Ever since coming back from that camp, she didn’t know if she’d really answered that question honestly—not for her mom, or her dad.

“Well, on one hand, Mom kicked Avery out. Or, I guess he kicked himself out,” she said. “On the other hand, my mom and dad are getting along better than they have since before the divorce, so…there’s that.”

Emily rested her elbow on the desk in front of her, head in hand. Denise gave her a sympathetic half-smile.

“I don’t hate Avery,” Emily admitted. “I actually like him a lot. He made Mom happy again. But would it be nice if she and my dad…if we could be a family again? I mean, yeah.”

Denise was patient as she listened. She tried to keep her true thoughts on the matter inside as you came to mind, though she pushed all that into the background in order to give Emily her undivided attention. 

“At the same time, I don’t know,” Emily shrugged. “My dad’s a great person, but he’s not good at letting people in. I don’t think Mom could go through that again.”

“Go through what?” Denise asked. 

“The way my dad shut us out, after what happened to his partner,” Emily explained. Her face went from slightly sad, to wry. “Okay, yeah, my mom’s not the most patient person. But Dad still doesn’t talk about it, not even to Mom. Or to me.”

Denise had heard some small thing about Beau’s former partner from you, and even Jenny, but she didn’t know the specifics there. All she knew was it laid at the heart of Beau and Carla’s divorce.

“Well, he’s your dad,” Denise said with a sigh. “He wants to protect you, even if that means protecting you from himself.”

“Sure, okay, but he doesn’t have to though. Not all the time,” Emily said.

She could be a strong, even-keeled kid, mature for her age, but Denise saw the rare vulnerability in the girl’s eyes.

“Sometimes I wish he’d just talk to me,” Emily said. Her eyes fell away.

Denise’s heart broke for the girl. Not knowing what else to say, she scooched her chair forward and pulled Emily into a warm hug.

By the time Denise picked you up from the airport and dropped you off at your apartment, you were beyond exhaustion. Coming home from a week in your hometown in Chicago left you feeling drained. Physically, emotionally, down to your toes.

At least you were home.

It was a surprising feeling—the feeling that this was your home now. Already it felt real.

Seeing your ex will do that to you.

“So how was it?” Denise asked. She’d graciously made you dinner as well, so you didn’t have to cook or worry about eating out. You two sat on the couch in your living room while some romcom played in the background.

“Everything I thought it would be,” you replied, around a mouthful of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. You let out a heavy sigh.

It had been good to see your parents, you explained, and you’d finally been able to give your condolences to Mary’s parents in person—at the funeral.

That’s where Michael tried to corner you to hash out what would’ve been yet another argument, at the burial of all things. You had to restrain yourself from making a scene in front of Mary’s entire grieving family, as well as yours.

Denise shook her head. “That guy ain’t got an iota of shame.”

You snorted. “You’re telling me?!”

You shook your head and speared at your green beans with your fork. You couldn’t even mourn your friend in peace, for God’s sake.

“Did your parents try to get you to stay longer?” she asked.

Again, you scoffed. “Oh, yeah. They actually tried to use Mary’s death to get me to think Helena was more dangerous than Chicago.”

While you’d understood their point to an extent, your home city still maintained one of the worst crime rates in the U.S.

“Still think you made the right decision?” Denise asked. “Whatever’s in your heart about it, just know that I’m so happy to have you here.”

She took your free hand and squeezed. You managed to smile, if just a little.

“Yeah. I think so,” you replied.

Chicago would always have a place in your heart, but for better or worse, this was your new start. And you were taking it.

You woke up the next morning to a shiny new text message. Still bleary-eyed, you unlocked your phone, and you just had to smile.

It was from Beau Arlen, you were pleasantly surprised to find.

Hey there. Heard you were back in town. (Welcome home, by the way.) Just wanted to let you know that me, Cassie, and Jenny are hitting a bar tonight after shift. You’re welcome to join in. Say around 8?

Without even really thinking about it, you typed out your reply:

Sure! I’ll be there. (And thanks very much. It’s nice to know the county sheriff rolls out the welcome mat for all of Helena’s returning citizens.)

You got up and started your day. You were midway through brushing your teeth when your phone buzzed on the bathroom counter. Your lips curved into a smirk when you read Beau’s reply.

Sounds good. (And I’m happy to oblige. 😉)

You shouldn’t have been blushing at such a simple message, but it set off the butterflies regardless. You huffed and set down your toothbrush.

Damn it.

You were in trouble.

With such a nice start to your morning, you were smiling all the way into town. The place you were headed to was just down the street of Dewell & Hoyt, so you knew you had to stop in just to say hello. There you found Denise and Emily.

“Did you have a good trip?” Emily asked, after you let her go from a hug. You gave your aunt one next.

“It was…good,” you replied, with a sigh. “Mary’s at rest now.”

Your eyes stung at the thought, but you tried to blink past it, taking in a breath to steady yourself. While Denise rubbed your back, Emily squeezed your arm in comfort, leading you to give her a smile. She was a sweet girl.

“What brings you over?” Denise asked.

You shook your head to come back to yourself. You showed them the large bag you carried on your shoulder. It was full of your painting supplies.

“Well, I’m actually headed to an art studio just down the street. I looked up the lessons they were offering this week, and apparently today it’s painting on glass. Like a bowl, or a mug, or a little stained glass window. They’ve got different options.”

Emily looked intrigued. “Ooh, that sounds cool.”

“Yeah?” you said, raising a brow. “You’re welcome to come with me if you want. Unless my aunt can’t spare you, or you’d rather not. It’s fine.”

There was no pressure to your offer, but you remembered Emily being somewhat interested in your painting endeavors while on the camping trip. With everything the girl had been going through, you thought maybe she’d like something creative and fun to try to get her mind off things. You knew it was doing the same for you.

“No, that would be fun, I guess,” said Emily. She looked to Denise in askance, who waved a dismissive hand. 

“It’s okay, hun. Take the afternoon off,” she said. “I’ve got things here.”

Emily smiled and nodded.

“Okay. Let me just grab my stuff.”

You and Emily ventured together right down the street to the art studio. You paid for the $40 entrance fee each for you and Emily into the class.

You could see that she felt uncomfortable with that when you two took your seats near the back of the studio. It was pretty full, and neither of you wanted to be right at the front, preferring to hang out more chill-like in the back.

There at each long table was an easel each, after you chose what kind of glass you wanted to paint on. Emily chose a funky looking bowl, while you chose a rectangular piece of wood-framed glass.

“I’ll pay you back,” Emily said, once you two were comfortable in your respective seats. You waved her off.

“It’s okay, honey. I invited you,” you said. Then you gave her a conspiring look. “Here’s my rule of thumb, especially on dates, for example. The person who invites you should shell out.”

Emily smiled. “That makes sense to me.”

You saw the gears in her mind turning, and it reminded you of her little “summer project.” She’d told you about it a couple of times on that camping trip.

“How’s your podcast going?” you asked. The girl sighed; she chose a brush and started painting blue stripes across her glass bowl.

“Slow,” she admitted. “I’m lacking interesting subjects.”

You hummed at that. “Maybe you need a guest to help kick things off.”

Emily smiled at that. She turned to you with a gleam of excitement.

“Would you do it?” she asked.

Your mouth fell open in surprise. “Me? I think I’d be too boring. Isn’t your podcast about relationships?”

“Well, yeah, but that was a good bit you just had,” she said. “Who pays on a date?”

You thought about it with another hum of contemplation. Suddenly you could start to see the potential in her idea. You still didn’t want to be a subject of inquiry, but you didn’t want to dim her spark either.

“Well, it would be fun if you got a man’s perspective too,” you said.

Emily brightened. Finally, someone who cared about her side project. 

“What about Dad?” she said. “He’s a guy.”

You chuckled. “Well, yes.” 

Though you wondered about the last time he’d been on a date since his divorce, or if he even was dating right now. 

The more you thought about it, the more interesting it might be to see Beau answer some of those kinds of questions. It wasn’t at all because you were curious about the man yourself…

“Maybe you’re onto something there,” you said, a smile growing on your face.

“I’ll ask him,” Emily vowed. “Maybe he’ll actually open up for once.”

She sort of muttered that last bit. It caught your attention with a wry brow raise.

“What? Your dad is as chatty as they come,” you said. Emily rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, about dumb stuff,” she said. “Try to get anything serious out of him. He’s like an old clam.”

A snort of laughter escaped you. “Old clam. That’s nice.”

Though you saw that there was something deeper there for Emily. You’d seen these kinds of moments in some of your students before. Sometimes, they felt comfortable enough with you to share what they were going through at home. In Emily’s case, it seemed like she was hurting about something, maybe for a while now.

You continued painting on your glass project, but you offered her a look of understanding.

“Remember how I told you that my dad used to be a firefighter?” you said. Emily nodded.

“Well, your dad sounds a bit like mine. He’d rather consult a bottle of Jack Daniels than anyone else, really,” you confessed. “He saw a lot of things on the job that were hard. Too hard to explain. Possibly too hard to even work through. It made him…distant, when I was a kid. I don’t think we really connected until I got older.”

And even now, your relationship with him was rocky at best, after he’d suggested you try to work it out with Michael. You and your father hadn’t truly spoken ever since.

You still gave Emily a look of encouragement.

“But, it seems like you and your dad have a better relationship than I did with mine at your age,” you said.

That fell between you both while Emily ruminated in it. She started adding gold strokes to her bowl alongside the blue in swirling patterns, and it was a really nice touch, you told her. She thanked you with a little smile.

“Did my dad tell you that he lost his partner on the job?” she asked.

You sighed. “Yes, he told me some. We didn’t go too deep into it.”

“Well, for a whole year, it was like we barely existed,” she said. “Mom tried to help him. I tried…but I guess he was a lot like your dad.”

Your lips pressed together. You were sad to hear that, but it did remind you of what Beau told you that day, when he took you horseback riding.

“Well, maybe not all. But like you, my ex-wife ain’t a fool,” Beau had said. “Let’s just say, it was justified.”

You now nodded in understanding as you hummed. Let’s just say.

“He seems better now,” you remarked. 

“Yeah. He cleaned up when Mom left him,” Emily said. “I guess that’s what it took to snap him out of it.”

You shook your head, and you kept painting.  

You could understand Carla, all too well. It just hurt you, now that you knew what a good man Beau was. Your sympathetic heart said he didn’t deserve to get left behind when he needed his family the most.

However, the more logical part of you knew that sometimes, love just wasn’t enough to keep you tied to someone who didn’t seem to want to help themselves. When it felt like they were giving you no choice.

“Anyway, you’ll be my other guest, right?” Emily asked with a smile. “For the podcast.”

You barely resisted the urge to groan. As much as you preferred not to put yourself out there, you didn’t want to discourage the girl in her project.

“Well…okay. If you get your dad on, I’m sure it’ll be interesting,” you said, your lips forming a grin. You two continued to paint while chatting about Emily’s favorite subjects in school. English, sadly, was not one of them, but you weren’t offended by it. Shakespeare wasn’t for everyone.

“I’m actually meeting your dad for drinks tonight. If you want, I’ll ask him about being on the podcast, try to soften him up for you,” you offered. “Though I’m sure he’ll do it if you asked.”

Emily considered you with a bit more scrutiny. “Are you…seeing my dad?”

“Oh, no,” you said immediately. Just the suggestion had your cheeks warming. “Cassie and Jenny will be there too. It’s nothing like that.”

“Sure,” Emily said. She gave an awkward laugh. 

“Really, Em. He and I are just friends,” you promised. 

Even if that thought stung a little.

Despite what you told Emily, you did put a fair amount of effort into your appearance to meet your new friends that night for drinks.

You even put on your favorite red lipstick with some dark wash jeans, a black pair of ankle boots, and a black lace top to match, complete with off-the-shoulder sleeves. 

Cassie whistled lowly when she saw you walk into the bar from her seat in one of the booths. She smiled and nudged Beau, whose face slackened when he saw you. 

God help him, you were sexy as hell in black. 

Black lace, he corrected himself. Your hair was a bit wild and teased out. The flash of red was a pleasant surprise, momentarily drawing his eyes to your lips. He felt the back of his neck heat up, but he tried to hide it all behind a friendly smile. He found himself sliding out of the booth to hug you in greeting. 

Goddamn, she smells good too, he thought. Was that your perfume, or your shampoo? Whatever it was, he liked it more than was good for him.

He managed to let you go though, and he grinned at your somewhat shy smile. You moved on to greet Cassie next, then Jenny, before you slid into the booth next to her and across from Beau and Cassie. 

“How was Chicago?” Jenny asked. It brought the mood down some. You gave a true smile, however tinged with melancholy. It was still very difficult to talk about Mary, but since everyone at the table knew the full story, it was easier to be honest.

“Chicago was needed. It was good, in a way. I got to lay her to rest,” you replied. “But I’m glad to be back.”

“Glad to have you back,” Cassie said. She passed you a tequila shot. 

“Ooh, nice.” You weren’t usually one for hard liquor, but tonight, you thought you could let yourself go a little. You downed the shot in one. 

“Eyy, good job,” Beau said, raising his whiskey with a wink. You laughed in slight embarrassment and wiped the corner of your mouth.

While Cassie called over the closest server to get them started with some appetizers for the table, you turned to Beau.

“You know, I did a painting class with Emily today,” you told him. “She did great! Has a nice little bowl to put her jewelry in.”

He raised his brows, smiling. “Is that so? What do you know. My little girl’s a budding artist. Is she gonna go all broody and steal even more of my vinyl?”

You shook your head in amusement.

“She’s a teenager. They don’t need any excuses to be broody,” Jenny remarked.

“Fair enough,” Beau chuckled.  

“Actually, she asked me to be on her podcast,” you said. “She wanted to see if you’d join in for a segment.”

The man looked uncertain at that. You understood his reservations, because you had the same ones. Cassie and Jenny looked amused by the idea of him getting recorded and put on social media by his sixteen-year-old.

“Look, I know, but she just wants to ask us a few questions,” you said. “Like who should pay on a date, that sort of thing.”

Beau rested his elbows on the table and folded his hands. The humor in his green eyes shone under the soft gold lamplight.

“Well, that’s easy. I was raised to be a gentleman,” he said. “I wouldn’t feel right letting a woman pay for me.”

You tilted your head in interest. A smile started to play on your lips as you leaned forward on your folded arms.

“Huh. Well, I think whoever asks the person out should pay,” you posed. “That doesn’t necessarily mean the man pays every time.”

Beau’s lips twitched, but there was a subtle shake of his head.

“I don’t know. That just doesn’t sit right with me for some reason,” he said. 

You turned to Jenny and Cassie for some support, and they both gave Beau an unimpressed look.

“You mean to tell me you wouldn’t let me pay for my own drinks?” you asked. “I have a job. I make money, same as you.”

At that, Beau chuckled. “Hey now, I didn’t say you couldn’t pay for your own. But you’re certainly not paying for mine.”

“So in your world, I can’t ever treat my man if I want to?” you challenged.

“What, you mean to tell me you don’t like getting spoiled?” Beau countered.

When you smiled, it had an amused, almost flirtatious edge that began to make him hot under the collar. 

“Occasionally, sure I do,” you replied. “But then again, who doesn’t like getting spoiled now and again?”

“Doesn’t have to be about who pays either,” Cassie interjected. 

“It sure doesn’t,” Jenny agreed. The women laughed and clinked their drinks together, leaving Beau with a warming face under his beard. He once again chuckled, conceding defeat. 

Conversation spiraled from there, in which Jenny mentioned something about her and Beau’s latest finished case about Brett, a skydiving, former firefighter’s murder.

It was a coverup for a larger scheme within his old firehouse—where firefighters had been looting homes after they’d been cleared out of a fire. Brett’s friend had been killed on one of those jobs, and not by accident either.

“That’s awful,” you said with a frown, once she finished explaining.

Against your will, it made you think of your ex-fiancé, Michael. He was still an active firefighter. While he had been a shitty boyfriend, at the very least you’d never had reason to question his integrity as a first responder.

“Yeah, it was hard on the father too. He’s the unit chief, and the whole operation was happening on his watch,” Beau said. “One of his own firefighters killed his son. It’s damn near unthinkable.”

Beau’s mood had shifted the moment Jenny brought up this case, you noticed. He was staring mostly into his half-empty whiskey glass, as if contemplating a refill.

“We said we wouldn’t talk shop tonight,” Cassie said. She seemed to notice his downshift as well. She got up out of her seat in the booth. “Let me get the next round. Another tequila?”

“Sure,” you shrugged. You’d probably pace yourself this time.  

“Not for me, I’m good with this,” Beau said. 

He held that whiskey between his hands, and you were glad that he was going slow. Your conversation with Emily about his own bout with grief and loss was still fresh in your mind. While your heart broke for him, you were also a little worried for him. Had this latest case opened up some old wounds?

“I’ll go with you,” Jenny said. You slid out of the booth so Jenny could as well. It left you and Beau to talk, while Jenny and Cassie went up to the bar together.

Cassie tried to get the bartender’s attention, but she glanced at her friend out of the corner of her eye.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Fine. Why?” Jenny replied. But she wasn’t meeting Cassie’s gaze. She was watching you and Beau, almost in melancholy.

Cassie’s brows furrowed as she realized what was happening. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed it before, considering both of their professions. 

“Aw, Jenny…” Cassie breathed. She wondered just how long her friend had been harboring some feelings for Beau Arlen.

Knowing she was “caught,” Jenny gave a wry smile.

“Don’t. It’s not a big deal,” she said quietly. “He likes her.”

Cassie sighed. “I think so. Even if he doesn’t realize it yet.”

“He deserves something good,” Jenny said. Her smile was a bit more genuine this time. Cassie nodded in agreement.

“So does she, after what she’s gone through.”

“So how are you doing?” you asked Beau. It was the first time you’d been alone with this man since that horse riding lesson last week, and part of you was feeling a bit nervous.

Just friends, like you told Emily. You had to remind yourself. Just friends…until evidence points to the contrary.

At your question, Beau heaved a sigh, running a hand over his face. Suddenly he looked more tired than he did before. The laugh lines around his eyes looked more like the telltale signs of stress.

“Well, first off, we found the missing backpacker,” he said. “It seems the poor young man fell down a cliff while hiking.”

Your brows furrowed and you covered your mouth with a hand. “Oh my God.”

Beau nodded in grim confirmation. His gaze met yours.

“But I also wanted to tell you this in person when you got back. I’ve also got a silver lining on our mountain man, Walter,” he continued. “He confessed to murdering Paige. He’s keeping tight-lipped about Mary and Luke, but we’ve got him dead set to rights on at least one of the murders.”

You processed that with a shaky breath. Then you nodded.

“We’re gonna keep working on him from every angle, I promise,” Beau said. Just like he’d promised you before—that he would get justice for Mary. You believed him.

“Thank you,” you said. Your gaze softened, and you contemplated laying your hand over his on the table. You just barely stopped yourself.

Instead, you cleared your throat and swiped some of your hair over your shoulder.

“Any other news, hot off the press?” you joked, trying to alleviate the heaviness in your heart. Beau quirked a smile. He leaned back in his seat and carded a hand through his hair.

“Ahh. Well…you know I’m investing my ex-wife’s husband,” he said drolly, sipping his whiskey. “And that’s going about as well as it sounds. I can’t get into the details of course…but he might be dealing in something shady.”

Your eyes widened. “Shady, or dangerous?”

Beau realized how he’d let that last bit slip out. He wished he hadn’t. Not only did he not want to worry you, but he didn’t want you anywhere near his open cases.

“I’m keeping close tabs on Carla and Emily just to be safe,” he admitted. 

Your face became the picture of concern. But before you could respond, a man approached the table, tall and lean, with a shaggy cut of dark blonde hair. He wore a pair of faded jeans, boots, and a gray and red Chicago FD shirt. 

Your face paled, and your mouth parted in surprise. 

“Hey there, stranger,” he said with a smile. 

“Michael?” you gasped.

AN: 🫣 Yep, we're going there lol. But how did you like the horseback riding lesson? Or her little day out with Emily? Or the bit of fun at the bar, before Michael showed up?

You'll definitely be seeing more of that guy in Part 5...

Next Time:

“Michael?” you gasped. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Beau’s eyes widened. Michael was younger than him, closer to your age. And cocky too.  

“Hey, baby,” Michael said. His smile quirked with charm, but his next words were anything but charming. 

“We need to talk,” he said, raising his brows.

“We actually don’t,” you retorted in a firmer voice. Cold even. You straightened in your seat. 

Beau saw none of your softness and good humor from earlier. This was a different woman, and he was actually proud of you for standing your ground. Though he realized then that he’d never gotten on your bad side. (He hoped he never did.)

▶️ Keep Reading: PART 5

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[lovespelt]

OK I JUST WOKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND MY DREAM WAS REALLY WEIRD AND IT GAVE ME AN INSTANT GOOD KUSH AU—

Ok so— Mermaid and Pirate Au.

BUT—!

mermaids are the size of their fish genetic ×2.

If you're mixed with an angel fish you are the size of a human child when you become adult.

Sharks mixed genetics makes one the size of a average boat, bigger than humans.

Mermaids are mixed with fish genetics ×2 while sirens have simple but colorful tails only (and they're the size of a average human)

Ok now Imagine this—

Whale shark! Mer! Izuku x Pirate! Katsuki

Whale sharks are known to be the most largest sea creature in the ocean, imagine a mermaid twice that size LMAO.

Ok so whale sharks can be the size of a large koi fish when their babies so Izuku would look like an average baby mermaid, he sometimes get mistaken as a siren as a child. (Also a whale shark is very fitting for Izuku coz of— y'know, the dots on the whale sharks.)

Ok BACKSTORY—

Izuku likes to swim near boats as a kid.

Katsuki was born in the ocean, on the boat he was standing on coz both of his parents were pirates too (not mitsuki and masaru, I don't think they're good parents ngl.)

He also wants to be captain one day, leading the best ship and the best crew and all that jazz like his parents, like the legendary pirate who had crossed the 7 seas and lived, All Might.

He was kind of Isolated bcz they were always at sea but he was a pretty smart kid and his parent's crew were nice (ft. The whole UA staff coz why not—)

While Izuku's mom told him that he shouldn't ever go near a island coz Izuku's mom is really big and she could easily be spotted so they stayed in the deep waters. (Aka where the Illuminati thing kinda is, but we'll just call it the 7 seas mmk)

But Izuku is a very curious child, he follows is mother's rule ofc but she never told him to stay away from ships nearby.

So when he saw this really big ship, he was amazed by it. He followed the ship when they steered their sails for a few days, he's still close to his mama so it's ok.

Katsuki notices some kind of thing following their ship for the a while now, even as a child he's pretty sharp. So one night he decided to sneak out of his chambers to the edge of the boat to see if the thing is still there.

He looked down and saw a pair of green glowing eyes. He froze, he didn't what they were, they might be a siren from the books he had read but siren's eyes don't glow. And the creature hasn't even sung yet.

So he decided to approach it.

Izuku was surprised. He had seen this small blond human on the ship lot's of times during the day. He was small. Like him! He wondered if they would make good friends?

And when Katsuki finds out that Izuku was not a siren he was relieved,so when they started talking he was surprised of the amount of human words Izuku's knows (wonder who taught Izuku that—*cough* all might *cough*), but as much as Izuku's human speaking is pretty good it's not enough to make a conversation. So every night, Katsuki sneaks out and hangs with Izuku and taught him how to speak like a human and read human books.

4 weeks, nearing the end of the 7 seas after going around it (no one has ever gone through it without surviving, except all might)

Izuku had learned alot, he could read and speak human! Although not perfect but still can pass! But he's sad now coz he can't come with Katsuki, he had to stay close to his pod with his mom.

Katsuki was devastated when he heard this from his (one and only) fish crush friend, he promised that when he grows up, he'd be the best pirate of all time and he would be the next to cross the 7 seas without going around it and meet up with Deku (that was the closest thing Izuku could pronounce his name in human rather than mer tongue) and go on adventures with him.

Izuku, who cried, promise to stay in the 7 seas and wait for Kacchan (again, hard to pronounce words with Izuku's sharp teeth) to come back. So they pinky promised it and pulled each other close.

Nobody would believe a child when they say that they'd seen a mermaid every night while out in the 7 seas. No one would believe Katsuki when he'd say that he had his first kiss with a fish.

Ok so TIME SKIP.

Katsuki became a really well known pirate in all the ocean. He became the new captain on his parent's ship and improved it. He found a good trusting crew who were very skilled at what they do. (Ft. The whole class 1-A with Shinsou coz why not)

He'd found lot's of treasure and gave it to the poor people on islands. Fought a couple of high ranked bad villains of the sea. To the kingdom's rules around, he was a pirate. But to everyone, he was a hero.

So when the time came, he kind of forgotten his promise to Izuku and thought of those times with Izuku were very wistful dreams.

When his ship came close to the 7seas he decided to go through it like all might and to be the best. Ofc the crew was anxious but they trusted their captain.

But when they reached the one half of it, there were really big waves, everyone panicked. Trying to turn around. Katsuki held the steering wheel tight, trying to turn the ship around. Everyone was running around doing whatever they can to make the sails go to the opposite direction.

Then suddenly.

There was a huge spash.

And a very big shadow wad towering down ship.

Everyone slowly looked up and saw.

The most biggest person (?) They had ever seen.

It had dark-green hair with very round equally green eyes, lot's of freckles spreading on it's upper body, and it had a mouth with very sharp teeth.

A mouth that was smiling.

Like and Angel.

Katsuki became breathless.

The creature looked so familiar, just like—

"...Deku..?"

The creature laughed, eyes twinkled with excitement, it swam really fast to somewhere fast and flipped himself like a dolphin. the pirates looked at him in awe.

"Kacchan! Kacchan came back!" The creature swam back to it's original position near the ship and grabbed Katsuki by the back hem of his shirt, lifting him up the ship.

There were surprised and panicked sounds coming from the crew but Katsuki held his hands up, signaling to stop. Never looking away from Izuku.

Izuku placed Katsuki into one of his very large hands and held him up to his face. Katsuki reached out his arms and touched Izuku's nose.

"you... Fucking dumbass,... How did you get so big?!?" Katsuki exclaimed with pretend anger, not that it was convincing, his face had a smile threatening to break, he slapped Izuku's nose with not force.

Izuku giggled and kissed Katsuki all over his face. (Which. His lips are already all over Katsuki's face LMAO)

"I missed you Kacchan." Izuku smiled, "I love you."

Katsuki blushed and grumbled. Forcefully grabbing what he can on Izuku's cheeks and kissed him on the nose, muttering "I love you too..."

The crew from below the ship were confused, awe and low-key scared by this.

"Uh." Denki said dumbly.

Kirishima whistled "wow. Who knew Bakugro had a lover."

"Hah, a fish none the less too, no judgement though." Kyouka snorted.

"well I think they look cute together!" Ochako exclaimed.

"maybe this is why Bakugou wanted to cross the 7 seas? To see his one true love once again~." Sero said, while still looking at the huge ass fish carrying their captain.

"Uh." Kaminari said dumbly. Again.

•°•°•°°•°•°••

Aojxnsjfkekc it's really late and my brain made it look like a fanfic ckenfjkkfv hshshshs hope you like?? It?? Sorry if there is any spelling mistakes! I'm really tired haha. Hope you like this weird ass Au I made.

sdjakjdhas this is such a cute and creative au??? i love whale sharks so much also, so izuku in this au makes me extra happy 😊!

[justsomefluff]

Hi hun! I love your work so much! I was wondering if you could do ATEEZ reacting to finding out you still sleep with your baby blanket? I still sleep with mine and I’m 19 and I’m throughly embarrassed about it 😅 thank you so much!!!

Okay thats endearing af so don't be embarrassed!!! Also this is kinda short bc I was getting really soft and I could've written forever but I couldn't let myself go there lmao

Hongjoong: 

(ok this gif doesn't really match but it’s so funny wtf)

The second he finds out you still have your blanket he’s like... I’d die for you

Like he loves that you have that innocent, meaningful part of your life still with you

Joong loves that it shows your soft side, that only he gets to see

It really shows him that you are a sentimental person and he’s like “I hope she keeps me forever like that blanket uwu”

Loves and I mean LOVES when he finds you sleeping with it

Whether he caught you in the middle of a nap, or maybe you went to bed earlier than he did

He sees that and it’s cuddle time

Doesn’t like to disturb your sleep though so he’ll just very gently wrap himself around you and brush your hair out of your face

Just a lot of soft touches until he falls asleep too

Seonghwa:

Mama Hwa activated

you’ve got a baby blanket, and youre already his baby? Perfect for his need to parent

Like he���ll still be boyfriend goals but he’s also gonna treat you like a toddler sometimes

Not in a bad way, I mean like he’s gonna tuck you in and sing you to sleep and all that stuff an actual mom would do

He just cant help himself, I mean really you need to go easy on him

He’s too soft around you

Like he might die if you get any cuter, cut it out!!!

And he always makes sure you have the blanket the way you like it before you sleep

Like if you just wanna hold it? Cool he’s got you. If you wanna wrap up in it...Also cool!

Will take care of all your blankie needs without question

Just wants to give you the world :’)

Yunho:

the second he finds out about your blanket he’s gonna wanna get a matching one

“Wtf why” 

“so I can have a piece of you when im on tour” and your hearts just goes POOF

and so he finds one super similar (not necessarily identical but its one that works)

becomes just as attached to his new blanket at you are to yours

takes it everywhere

but its so cute like you guys will be cuddled on the couch each with your respective blanket omg

and the guys find you all the time like passed out with your blankies and holding hands and stuff

they’ll take pictures of you two to tease you about it but you guys secretly save every single photo

it’s just perfect lock screen material really

Yeosang:

Teases you at first, I can’t even lie about that

but it’s not mean or anything it’s more like “you love that blanket more than me” kind of thing

but eventually he just sees it as a part of you

and if you’re ever not holding it, it’s so jarring to him

like “where's the blanket this is so weird you look naked we gotta go get it”

it always puts a smile on his face though

like if you ever have to go somewhere that you cant or don't want to bring it to, then he’ll stay home and secretly bury his face in it

it becomes a comfort thing for him too bc it smells so much like you

if you ever catch him smelling it he’ll be like “I WAS JUST SEEING IF MAYBE WE NEED TO WASH IT”

he’s embarrassed but you’re endeared to no end

you’ve totally got at least one picture of him with it somewhere bc I mean... your two fav things on earth in one pic?

magical

San:

I WAS SO EXCITED TO WRITE THIS ONE AH

Okay San relates heavy bs you’ve got your blankie and he’s got Shiber

Will send you pics of Shiber wrapped up in your blankie like bro :’(

And you guys will stuff both Shiber and your blanket in between you and hug at the same time

Because lets face it, nothings gonna get in the way of cuddles alright I don't make the rules

And one night he’ll be like “let’s trade for today”

but then five minutes in both of you are like “nope nope we gotta switch back I cant do this”

but you both think it’s really funny low-key and end up laughing at each other’s inability to sleep without your favorite thing

he’s so sweet to you about it though like if you’re ever sad, he knows exactly what to bring to make you feel better

uses the blanket constantly and whenever you’re at home he always has it for you

like you sit down in another room for two seconds and he’s like

“You left this in the bedroom” and throws it at you

and he’ll get Shiber too bc “they’re friends”

overall he’s just so cute about it and genuinely understands the need to have something like that around

Mingi:

(^ him practicing his keynote speech on why you should cuddle with him instead)

Okay Mingi’s a big baby about it 

like he gets it but he’s low-key (read: highkey) jealous of the blanket right

“Cuddle me insteadddd”

won't let you live like fr

never tries to take it from you or anything though

just wants you to prioritize cuddles with him is all

will literally take advantage of any moment that you don't have it right

like if you're on the couch watching a movie he’s basically in your lap

if that’s your emotional support blanket then you’re his emotional support human okay

“why do you need an emotional support blanket when I can be your emotional support Kpop boy?”

“Mingi, I don't think that’s how it works” (I mean can he really still be your emotional support Kpop boy if he's already your bf? how’s that work?)

he eventually figures out a way to get his cuddles though

he just compromises and sleeps under the blanket with you

“Why didn’t I think of this before it’s perfect?” 

“Maybe bc you're an idiot” 

cue play fighting that leads to smoochies under the blanket

Wooyoung:

Ok this one is problematic for you

because he likes to borrow it

“Wooyoung-ah, that’s MINE”

he has the “mom says it’s my turn” attitude lmao

like no. it’s not your turn if it’s not YOURS...I digress

he gets so annoying about it that you cave and buy him his own blanket

it’s not even close to the same kind as yours, but you got one in his fav color and everything so he’s really excited about it

covers your face in kisses to show his gratitude

but he immediately washes it with the special detergent you use so that it’ll still smell like yours

and he turns into Linus from Charlie Brown you know?

never washes his blanket and takes it literally everywhere

if you wash it for him he won't talk to you for like a whole day lmao

“But it had to be done. Wooyoungie, it was for the greater good”

“Shut up”

but he’s secretly really happy that the detergent smell is back bc it reminds him of you awwww

so basically he picked up your habit really fast and it just sticks

Jongho:

tell me why Jongho is protective of your blanket

jk, I know why

it’s bc he knows you’d be devastated if anything ever happened to it

he’s always chaperoning you like “Jagiya, don’t eat that rn you’ll get crumbs on your blanket”

or “be careful not to spill that on your blanket, bb”

like “Jongho...sweetheart...I GOT IT”

and if anything ever happened to it, like it gets stained or ripped or something

he’s already googling how to fix it

acts like a surgeon “ok, we need to be very gentle with this stain” “cut the thread very precisely”

so dramatic, but it’s cute because you know he’s only like that to make sure you’re happy and have everything you need

like three months after he finds out that you have the blanket he’s basically a certified tailor and stain-remover

perfect house-wife when it comes to your blankie lmao

[mamamittens]

More stuff for who is now named!

Introducing, Edna Hatch.

Some art and rambly nonsense beneath cause idk if I'll ever get to writing it but it DOES make me happy to ponder instead of stressed so ig we'll see.

Another plot bunny for the pile!

Pseudo trainer pose with Yolky, the unrealized, shiny Togetic who's shockingly as beefy as his trainer. One handed egg-crack style, not sure how well that translates. It was a joke when she was little and now it's legit a habit.

Edna is wearing her work jacket. Yeah, she's got a job now. She always wanted to travel but unless you wanted to battle professionally or coordinate (or breed Pokemon ig), there's not a lot of sustainable options. So when she gets that inheritance and several properties in various regions, she viewed it as the wakeup call to chase her dreams and see the world.

God damnit I forgot the happy egg charm again RIP

Ironically, she now has to learn how to battle because some people are needlessly confrontational when they order shit.

She starts with a shiny Eevee she accidentally picks up (I like her Eevee turning into Sylveon but ig we'll see) with show-dog style training for speed and evasion. Think the weird poles they have to dart around. Very mobile fighter. Yolky is pissed that "new baby" gets to fight so easily. Edna is blissfully unaware until she's forced to tag Yolky in who DEVASTATES the opponent instantly and is SO FUCKING JAZZED TO THOW TINY HANDS!

She has a delibird partner for work who's shiny named Parcel. All packages are required to be held by the delibird as part gimmick part protection. She's basically escorting and handling paperwork for Parcel. And Parcel HAS to be involved in delivery, so if a fight is required, Parcel has to participate.

Champions, elite, and gym leaders are required to provide an alternate time and address to receive deliveries because the staff WILL NOT be forced to do all that to deliver a package lmao

Alas, bosses for battle facilities have yet to be included, so she does have to fight her way to Ingo and Emmet. At the same time because they put "Subway Bosses Ingo AND Emmet" instead of "Subway Bosses Ingo OR Emmet" and upper management are picky bastard about that sort of thing. RIP Edna but she finds out the hard way that her Pokemon are overqualified. The seasoned delibird is literally the weakest of her group.

All professors usually end up with paranoid conspiracy theories about her because of all the dumb shit she ends up involved in. Interpol has a giant ass file and the one time they manage to get a tail on her, it's the most benign delivery despite EVERYTHING. Like, she delivers to Guzma, who failed to provide an address so she ends up fighting several Team Skull members trying to figure out where tf this man is at until she runs into the second in command. Interpol just throws their hands up in frustration.

It's a struggle, basically.

Anytime she finds an egg all alone in like, her room, it ends up being a damn legendary or mythic. First was manaphy. Then somehow Arceus and by that point she's convinced she's cursed or that Arceus is personally fucking with her. It's a whole thing and she hates it lol

Helper is laughing at her so hard all the time, having the time of their life.

It's mostly for the gag but I'd like to sprinkle in soft, genuine moments when it's least expected.

Like, subway bosses make that mistake once and the next time it's cause Emmet is DEEP in his feelings about it ALWAYS being AND not OR cause he never wants to accept his brother is gone. And so Edna has to comfort him and awkwardly call management like "hey, so dudes missing, how TF do I deliver this?" Only to find bullshit stuff finally pays off and INGO AND PLAYER CHARACTER GOES HOME DAMNIT.

Successful delivery.

Edna tries her best to either pawn off eggs to customers in the region or hatch and give the Pokemon to professors to prevent any issues with invasive species.

Low-key want her to get a Toxel in Galar trying to track Leon's ass down with the MOST UNHELPFUL DIRECTION. "Hey, I just fought like, this pissy dragon dude only for find out you're not over here and he gave me your number, wtf are u?"

"oh, uh... In a forest?"

"...got anything more specific???"

"there's a big rock 😃"

".... (Can he still sign if he's dead??? Is that allowed?)"

She's very distressed Toxel makes it look like the egg theme is on purpose and is very happy when he evolves. Low amp, because I love the lazy looking bastard.

Phrasing for fights while working "I've got a delivery! Let's get crackin!"

She drops the delivery bit when off hours.

I forgot how vexing but fun OC crafting is when it's totally based off of a random idea and not anyone specific.

Pokemon (verse pending) OC

Any ideas for design improvement, feel free to let me know. The eyes are not negotiable tho lol, I just had trouble with the hair and jacket color.

Loose Pokemon style art. Her bestie is a Togapi named Yolky who has since evolved to Togetic.

I like it when the Pokemon trainers have an aesthetic based off their main but didn't want it to look like she was TOTALLY born to have a Togapi.

She's unreasonably strong and inherited the assets and heirlooms of an aunt who ran a consulting business for breeding Pokemon. Asset includes money, a few dwellings since auntie traveled frequently, a shiny Chandelure named 'Little Helper', and a weird egg pendant that can determine if eggs are viable or compatibility (and causes eggs to spawn with increasing frequency and rarity the longer it's worn but she doesn't know that).

She has no idea Little Helper is maxed out because they're technically a bodyguard and have helped hatch many eggs, gaining experience over the years compared to more sedate trainers.

She's ridiculously strong, as is Yolky, but that's entirely by accident since she never did Pokemon battles. Yolky just trained with her over the years though they desperately want to rock someone's shit. She also has no idea they're a shiny cause Togepi is already rare and their aunt never mentioned that when they hatched. Yolky often braids random sections of her hair to have footholds for hitching rides whenever.

She's easy going, happy to help, and has a dry sense of humor. Perpetually closed eyes but isn't blind, it's just her 'polite' smile she constantly wears. That and her stare is intense with a tendency to unnerve. She's also very confused where the hell all these eggs are coming from and why there are so many irresponsible parents/owners running around. Helper keeps laughing at her because they know what the 'charm' does and their ability, flame body, is NOT helping the rate of all these eggs hatching.

Loose idea for plot, whatever variant of team rocket is in her new area absolutely notices her shiny Pokemon and surplus of eggs. Maybe even knows what her charm does. And they want that.

She is not amused. Yolky says to square the fuck up, nerds.

No idea about her name yet but was playing around with the idea of her last name being 'Hatch' or some egg pun.

I currently really love the train dudes so maybe she moves to Nimbasa lol

Not even for romance, I just really vibe with these dorks. Idk what to tell y'all

... I should try and beat the Pokemon games I missed out on cause I lost interest JUST WHEN THEY STARTED GETTING CREATIVE, THE BASTARDS.

[cyb-by-lang]

@cadriona​ says:

*more screaming at ass o'clock in the morning* im just imaging the adults travelling around ancient xianxia China and dealing with the language and it's hilarious because there's so many different dialects and quite a few are not mutually understandable like lmao

also I remembered that one of the more common xianxia mounts, other then fantastical creatures, are cranes and that fits Kei pretty well with her summons right? And in regards to   structures of the sects, it's similar to hyuuga in that there's a main family and branch families, however, kids or rogue cultivators can be inducted to become outer branch cultivators and if they prove themselves , can

graduate into the inner circles so to speak, where there r more resources, better training opportunities, and etc. The untamed isn't the most traditional model of xianxia, as it follows plot more than cultivation, but it's a good introduction what with the golden core and whatnot

on the note of the golden core, some cultivators I'm quite sure have the capabilities to sense the strength of another individuals core (which didn't really come up in the untamed much I don't think???) but owing to Kei's  mom's abilities, would there be something similar in this au?

Thanks so much for all the notes on this au so far i am so sorry for my screeching and have a great day!

Reply’s below the cut. Really, it’s a small, massively disorganized essay.

Yeah, when it comes to linguistics, there is no way in hell the three Nippon natives are going to be as quick off the mark in a debate with noble cultivators or anything like that. There’s a learning curve and a half just in the language. And once you get past literally being able to understand anyone around them...

Leaving aside even the intricacies of dialects and regions (and the fact that most productions just shrug and go with Mandarin for everyone, like how everyone in anime speaks in the Tokyo accent), none of the three have a truly comparable education. Tomoe/Miyako comes closer than her boys, but that’s because she was born into martial nobility. She wouldn’t know the first thing about talismans.

The magical stuff in Japan traditionally been the domain of onmyōji and maybe Buddhist or Shinto priests. Like, that’s a rabbit hole down there. Immortality doesn’t seem to be as much of a part of the package as it is in xianxia novels, for noble cultivators.

Though there is a minor piece of hilarity in that the Hiten Mitsurugi school of kenjutsu apparently induces external youth. Unintentional parallels!

I’m no expert on Chinese novels--seriously not one bit--but the impression I got from The Untamed is that the cultivation world reflects the one it’s based on. It puts a lot of emphasis on birth and social status, and I think that might be quite the barrier with the Big Four. Especially since the trio have, by the standards of the big sects, extremely spotty grasp of cultivation.

Speaking of those three, they’re sort of dragging their previous inspirations behind them to form their new skill sets. 

Wataru is probably a completely mundane person, since he had zero education on spiritual shenanigans until he was like twenty-three. Apparently, cultivators start training at like age five, and most people don’t have the potential for it to begin with. He’s also the only one of these three with real people skills, so he doesn’t get any bonuses from the previous story he was involved in, from a meta perspective.

Miyako ends up being...hyper-specialized? In killing people, not ghosts or beasts. She didn’t get much of an education in how to deal with monsters. And can’t fly on her sword. However, she poured her spiritual power and training into basically combat precognition (by reading others’ spiritual energy/golden cores), super speed, and stealth. She retains the Naruto-based samurai skill of energy projection, which means she can fake her sword into the form of a battle axe or something. Really good at covering her murder-tracks. Looks at walking corpses and goes NOPE.

Shinta can’t fly either, but he has reserves of spiritual energy he can use to heal others from devastating injuries at the low cost of “basically tearing a chunk out of his golden core.” No, he doesn’t recover from that quickly. He’s trained by Miyako, as opposed to any other available teacher, which eventually gives him a few more levels in badass and maybe ticks his recovery rate upward? After a couple of years.

So, that’s Naruto and Rurouni Kenshin covered.

As for Kei in particular, she’d retain her take on sensor duties: Someone who can sense qi movement in a massive range, to the point of being able to pick individuals out of a city. The anti-stealth person.

Also, someone of this crew is going to be the one who literally knows every ghost story out of Japan, but I’m still deciding who.

By all means, keep thinking about this concept. I sure am.

[mlqcimagines]

What would the boys do if they found out mc was infertile after trying to have a baby for some time

Of course, anon, here you go!  I really hope i did such a sensitive topic justice, I tried my best.  

Victor 

He won’t show it, but he’s pretty devastated. 

He’d always wanted children at some point.  

He remembered seeing so many unwanted children, and it tore at his soul. 

BUt he’s there for you nonetheless, holding you in the doctor's office, helping you through the depression that comes afterwards.  

Weeks pass, and he watches your heart break every time you pass a playground, or a happy couple with children. 

One day, you’re with him in his office, not really listening to what he’s trying to tell you, when his secretary bursts in. 

It’s bad.  

An accident in an elevator had taken the life of LFG’s VP of Marketing and his wife. 

You accompany Victor to the hospital because there was one survivor. 

Their daughter, a tiny thing only age 8. 

 You walk in to keep her company while Victor makes arrangements for the bills and funeral services. 

“Look, I drew this so I’d always have mommy and daddy close!” 

Your heart shatters. 

But you and Victor have a long talk that night. 

And inside a week (money can work wonders) you’re frantic, trying to learn every thing you can about being a parent before she comes home to live with you. 

Even through all this stress, Victor’s never seen you so happy. 

Lucien - 

He didn’t mind the trying that’s for sure. 

But he’d never really wanted children.  

So when you get the news, he’s in a better position than you are to deal with it. 

He takes you back to your apartment. 

“MC, is this really important to you?”

What kind of question is that? 

Of course it is!

So before you can grieve too much for what might have been, he takes you back to the orphanage. 

Through the long, arduous process he’s there every step of the way, and you can bet your home is full of books on child development and parenting. 

You don’t find a match for months, but when you do….

It’s not the baby you wanted, but a 10 year old boy steals your heart. 

Lucien handles fatherhood surprisingly well. 

A year later when you and your family are on a picnic, he pulls you close, and whispers in your ear. 

“I was thinking of adopting again.”

Gavin - 

You two had been trying for so long

You both had so much happen in your own childhood, you both desperately wanted to be parents, and ensure a better future for your own children. 

But nature had other ideas. 

Gavin comes home one day to find you in the shower, crying. 

“MC Please, you have to tell me what happened!” 

The doctor had called. 

You couldn’t have children.  Ever. 

In your misery you say it - “Gavin I’m broken.  You don’t need me, you don’t need someone who can’t give you children.” 

He gets mad. How could you think yourself so worthless? Hell no, not on Birdcops watch, not.  Happening. 

“MC, if you’re broken, then so am I.”

He drags you out of the shower, and gets you dried off.  He’s there for you through every bout of depression, every mood swing. 

He fills your time with other things.  You both volunteer at a homeless shelter, the SPCA, soup kitchens. 

He takes you on a road trip, just you and him and a tent, riding his motorcycle to places neither of you had ever seen. 

When you come back, he sits you down. 

“I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure it was something we could do…”

“Gavin, what is it?”

“I want us to become foster parents.”

You freeze.  It had been almost a year since you received the news, but there was still a small ache in your heart.  

This man though, this wonderful man? 

Had found a way to soothe it. 

It wasn’t an easy process, there were interviews and visits and home inspections. 

But eventually, together, you did it. 

You take in many foster children, and specialize in working with those who have Evols. 

You never imagined your life could be so happy. 

Kiro - 

You two had been low key trying for kids for a long time.  But?  Nothing ever happened?  

So you visited the doctor without his knowledge. 

He’ll never forget that day, the way you came home and threw yourself into his arms, crying.  

He managed to get it out of you eventually.  You would never be able to carry a pregnancy to term. 

“Oh MC”

He can’t say much, but he spends the rest of the evening caring for you, bringing you cups of water as you cry yourself to sleep. 

The next day you wake up, and you can hear people talking in the kitchen. 

Women talking in the kitchen, Kiro nani the fuck? 

You don’t leave the bedroom.  You really can’t handle company. 

But Kiro comes in, and sits on the bed next to you. 

“MC I know you must be feeling awful right now, but I really need you to come and meet someone.” 

Grudgingly, you follow him out. 

In the kitchen are two women, laughing at something while they sip tea. 

“MC, this is Gela and Maria.  And I want to ask you something.” 

Kiro explains that Maria is an old friend of his, once his personal trainer before going back to school to study sports medicine.  

“MC I was hoping…. I was hoping you’d consider letting Maria carry our baby.” 

You’re stunned to silence, and Kiro held his breath.  He probably could have done this better, but he was desperate for something, anything, to take the look of despair from your eyes. 

Finally you move, throwing your arms around him. 

“Thank you” 

It’s not easy, nothing ever is, but eventually you get to hold your daughter in your arms. 

She has Kiro’s eyes, and your nose!

Requests are CLOSED for the time being while I catch up! 7 to go! (I wrote 3 today guys my fingers hurt lmao)

[softhwaa]

𝖊𝖑’𝖘 𝖋𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖘

masterlist 🌱☁️

nct 00 line

- met jeno, donghyuck, and jaemin cus they played overwatch together in 2016 dkdnhsjska

- met renjun during a dance comp in 2014

- met yangyang when she visited sm’s hq in china with kun in 2017

- tbh they’re normally split into [yangyang] and [renjun, jeno, donghyuck, jaemin - let’s just call them dream 00 line to make things easier]

- but they’ve all hung out together once or twice

- el was actually in the 00 vlog

- andddd the 00 live (but only thru a call 😭 00 line enthusiasts i feel you 😔)

- dream 00 line and el normally go do some random shit around seoul (as shown in the 00 vlog) like karaoke or han river

- sometimes they just spend the whole day playing video games together

- el and renjun are probably the closest cus they’ve known each other for longer 🤷‍♂️

- yangyang and el normally sneak out at 2 am and play truth or dare at convenience stores skdnhshs and go back to the wayv dorms at like 5 am

- sometimes bring lucas along cus he wakes up at midnight in search for food

- yknow that rainbow v ep where hendery and yangyang are just randomly dancing like the icons they are in the practice room?

- yeah that’s yangyang and el on a daily basis lol

- german buddies awwww

- yang and el talk in german when they conspire against the members haha

- they wanna go to germany together sometime but they’re both so busy 🥺😔

joshua:

- actually met el a looooong time ago

- so basically vernon brought el to the dorms once cus she kept on insisting to spend a night with his friends n stuff (keep in mind this was like 2013 or so)

- so 13 year old el was studying abroad (in germany) came to korea for break and brO y’all should have seen predebut el— at that time, she didn’t think she’d be a kpop idol but she was a gREAT dancer

- so when seventeen were training, she was like ahaha y’all suck at dancing

- jk but everyone was super shook when they saw her dance cus she could’ve debuted right then and there and it would’ve seemed like she had trained for a long time

- k so basically el was always so adventurous

- so she decided to go to the forest at 4 am cus she’s low key crazy

- and joshua was getting water and saw her rIGHT when she was boutta leave the house

- brO el pANicKEd nsnshshsjana

- but she brushed it off and was like “h-hey josh u wanna like come w me to this super sketchy forest at 4am and idk maybe make friends with those big birds... in the... forest...?”

- and he straight up was like sure wHy nOT

- yeah that’s how they became friends isndhshajabd (also w the big birds in the forest lmao)

- even tho shua is 5 years older than el, they get along great

- they normally play wii and stuff at el’s place

- they fight over what game to play all. the. time.

- wii sports resort is obviously the best but for some reason joshua always insists on playing mario kart

- in fact, josh and el fight a LOT but never over anything super serious (mostly it’s abt food haha)

- like who gets the last oreo, or who called shotgun first

- all in all, josh + el = bffs (pERioDt.)

chaeyoung:

- ngl el was a super famous trainee

- cus like 1) woAH a foreign trainee ! 2) crazy talented 3) hella down to earth and funny 4) tbh everyone had a crush on her 🤭

- so el was kinda like a “legend”

- and she thought she had to live up to the expectations of the “perfect, beautiful, amazing” girl that everyone loved

- but that rly took a toll on her mental state... (oh nooo ! ! )she just got rly self conscious abt everything...

- there was this one jyp trainee that she had heard abt...

- chaeyoung ! !

- they managed to get in touch and it was like that thing in “instant family”

- a 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒄 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

- one look and “bro she’s my bestie for life”

- they would train together like every single day even tho they were from diff companies, their bosses didn’t rly care cus aww they’re such good friends, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒕 you’d feel if you’d separated them 🥺🤧

- chaeyoung really really really helped el with her mental health

- trainees would be talking to chae being like “omg ur friends w el?!?” and she’d be like “ikr my bestie’s so amazing 😉”

- after chae debuted, el was “nEOmU loNeLY” (hehe) but issok her bestie was fAMOUS 🤩

- when chae and el hang out, there’s always food involved kenxhsjsbsba

- cooking, baking, going to a restaurant

- el and chae are the purest best friends 🥺 (i’m gonna use that emoji a lot for their friendship cus it’s the only one that can depict it well)

- they even did a photoshoot together once and it was LEGENDARY

- there have even been articles saying that they might be dating... 👀 but sadly, no :(

- they help each other when they’re sad

- literally know eXActLy how to cheer each other up 🥺😩 (i’m dEVASTATED THEYRE SO CUTE EVEN THO ITS NOT TRUE )

- *sigh* chae-el forever ✊😔💞

[rottenxroses]

1. Would you have sex with the last person you text messaged?

-Yes 😏

2. You talked to an ex today, correct?

-Ewk no. Ex for a reason.

3. Have you taken someones virginity?

-No 😒

4. Is trust a big issue for you?

-Depends on the person.

5. Did you hang out with the person you like recently?

-Yes 😍

6. What are you excited for?

-For quarantine to be over 🥺

7. What happened tonight?

-It’s morning so nothing yet!

8. Do you think it’s disgusting when girls get really wasted?

-I mean, I’m all down for fun and games but if you’re “that bitch” at the party, it’s more embarrassing than disgusting

9. Is confidence cute?

-to an extent.

10. What is the last beverage you had?

-coffee 🤤

11. How many people of the opposite sex do you fully trust?

-1.

12. Do you own a pair of skinny jeans?

-jeans? What are those??? We’ve been locked up home for a little over a month so...

13. What are you gonna do Saturday night?

- prolly play games 😬

14. What are you going to spend money on next?

-AMAZON

15. Are you going out with the last person you kissed?

- lol I’m married to the last person I kissed, and will forever kiss 🥰

16. Do you think you’ll change in the next 3 months?

-I hope! Always room for change and improvement

17. Who do you feel most comfortable talking to about anything?

-my mom.

18. The last time you felt broken?

-not in awhile.

19. Have you had sex today?

-wouldn’t you like to know 😏

20. Are you starting to realize anything?

-friends don’t last.

21. Are you in a good mood?

-content

22. Would you ever want to swim with sharks?

-sure! Why not?

23. Are your eyes the same color as your dad’s?

-nope

24. What do you want right this second?

- a nap 😪

25. What would you say if the person you love/like kissed another girl/boy?

-I’d be devastated? Lol

26. Is your current hair color your natural hair color?

- sorta, growing it out

27. Would you be able to date someone who doesn’t make you laugh?

- hell no, laughing is key

28. What was the last thing that made you laugh?

-my son farted and laughed about it lol

29. Do you really, truly miss someone right now?

-yes, my mother in law everyday, she was very dear to me.

30. Does everyone deserve a second chance?

-no.

31. Honestly, do you hate the last boy you were talking to?

-no lol

32. Does the person you have feelings for right now, know you do?

-yes he does!

33. Are you one of those people who never drinks soda?

-on occasion I do, I rarely drink soda

34. Listening to?

- some baby show for my son

35. Do you ever write in pencil anymore?

-yes, grocery lists lol

36. Do you know where the last person you kissed is?

-enjoying sleep 😒

37. Do you believe in love at first sight?

-yes!

38. Who did you last call?

- my mama

39. Who was the last person you danced with?

-my son and niece

40. Why did you kiss the last person you kissed?

-because I love him? Lol

41. When was the last time you ate a cupcake?

- my nephews birthday

42. Did you hug/kiss one of your parents today?

-no, wish i could 😰

43. Ever embarrass yourself in front of a crush?

-always. Lmao

44. Do you tan in the nude?

-I don’t tan, so no. Lol

45. If you could, would you take back your last kiss?

-no? What kind of questions are these???

46. Did you talk to someone until you fell asleep last night?

-yeah, my son who didn’t want to sleep 😞

47. Who was the last person to call you?

-my mom

48. Do you sing in the shower?

-sometimes

49. Do you dance in the car?

-yeah!

50. Ever used a bow and arrow?

-yes! I’m pretty good at it.

51. Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?

-pssssh who knows

52. Do you think musicals are cheesy?

-yah.

53. Is Christmas stressful?

-YES.

54. Ever eat a pierogi?

🤤🤤🤤

55. Favorite type of fruit pie?

-none, I like pumpkin 🤤

56. Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?

-ballerina, a vet, and tattoo artist.

57. Do you believe in ghosts?

-yis

58. Ever have a Deja-vu feeling?

-on occasion

59. Take a vitamin daily?

-no but I totally should

60. Wear slippers?

-I live in my slippers

61. Wear a bath robe?

-sometimes

62. What do you wear to bed?

-baggy t-shirt and pj pants

63. First concert?

-Green Day

64. Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart?

-TARGET OWNS MY SOUL

65. Nike or Adidas?

-ewk neither

66. Cheetos Or Fritos?

-ewk

67. Peanuts or Sunflower seeds?

-sunflower seeds

68. Favorite Taylor Swift song?

-you’re hilarious.

69. Ever take dance lessons?

-yes!

70. Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing?

-truck driver! Because he’s in school for it.

71. Can you curl your tongue?

-many things this tongue can do 😏

72. Ever won a spelling bee?

-never went into one so negative.

73. Have you ever cried because you were so happy?

-yes!

74. What is your favorite book?

-I can’t begin to list, I have so many favs.

75. Do you study better with or without music?

-with, when it’s on low

76. Regularly burn incense?

-omg yes

77. Ever been in love?

- I am. 🥰

78. Who would you like to see in concert?

-Korn 😭

79. What was the last concert you saw?

Journey and the doobie brothers

80. Hot tea or cold tea?

-hot

81. Tea or coffee?

-coffee

82. Favorite type of cookie?

-chocolate chip

83. Can you swim well?

-yes! I was on a swim team for 5 years.

84. Can you hold your breath without holding your nose?

-yes? Lol

85. Are you patient?

-not at all.

86. DJ or band, at a wedding?

-DJ

87. Ever won a contest?

-yes!

88. Ever have plastic surgery?

-no, I believe in natural beauty.

89. Which are better black or green olives?

-ewk.

90. Opinions on sex before marriage?

-go for it! Have fun and be safe!

91. Best room for a fireplace?

- living room

92. Do you want to get married?

- I’m just gonna not answer this one.

[joonyverse]

too close. - Suho (EXO) (oneshot)

A/N: this series is totally based on real-life experience. a story that seems cliche? but i can assure you this is really what happened in my life, although i dramatized it more, but hence explained the first person point of view.

Summary: what are we? we are too close for friends, too distant for lover. you are so close yet so far. we both know there’s something between us, but what is it? are you entirely sure that you’re letting her go? or are you slowly coming back... to her?

Genre: angst, fluff, slowburn (kinda)

Warning: bad english, grammar mistakes, some curses here and there, slight trigger warning

Suho x Readers

oneshot

I... I truly don’t know where it first started. Was it during the mid semester examination? Or was it during the first day of new semester? Or was it somewhere along the timeline and I just... didn’t realize? Or was it me on denial?

I don’t even know what even caused it. I don’t know how. I’m the notorious y/n. Focused on my study is all i care about. Lover? I’m passed that.

But somehow. Somehow. That one message from you that evening makes me feel... so important. Makes me feel like I could take on the world. Makes me feel like the feeling of being alive is blooming back inside my heart that has been long filled with emptiness and monochrome memories.

And suddenly that one message from you, it makes my heart beats again. It makes me found a new motivation. A motivation that has long gone, now coming back, all because of you? A feeling that’s been so long since I last felt it, suddenly I’m going through it again? All because of you?

[Suho], 20:20: y/n, i may seem desperate, but can you help me? Pls! 

[y/n], 20:25: sure! What can I help you with?

[Suho], 20:26: for our economy class, can you help me with this thing about distribution? I still can’t get the hang of it somehow

[y/n], 20:27: lmao, can you believe it? The smart great suho! Part of the notorious exo gang! Asking for my help! But sure, sending you the notes! 

[Suho], 20:28: GREAT! THANKS Y/N!!!

Perhaps it’s the way I know how nice you are? Perhaps it’s how I found you adorable at the time? But really, I didn’t mean to fall this deep into it.

There I feel you. Staring at me. I can’t see it for sure, but I can feel your eyes burning into the back of my head. And honestly speaking, I’m beyond nervous to even look back. My brain is somehow more focused into thinking how do I engage a conversation with you, rather than into the test itself.

An idea popped out in my head. Stupid. I truly know the answer to the question, to hell with, I even answered it. But for the sake of engaging a conversation, I turned my head back, into your way. Low key feeling afraid of getting caught.

“Psst, Suho, what’s number 10?” I asked in a whisper. My heart beats fast.

Suddenly, you moved forward, getting closer to me. I swear we’re only inches apart, if it wasn’t for your table between us. 

“Sorry, what did you say?” Suho asked again. It seems like he didn’t hear what I was saying. At that moment I hesitate to continue it, too nervous to do so. But I gathered my courage and ask him the same question again.

“Ah! It’s B” he answered, in a whisper, doesn’t want to make the teacher aware of both of you.

“Thank you!” I said, in a lower whisper, as I turned my head back forward into its original place.

Ever since then, I keep noticing you. Noticing the smell or the scent of you. Noticing the smallest thing about you. It’s fluttering yet annoying. I hate how I let myself getting into this mess.

I knew I don’t have a chance with you to begin with. I’m literally longing for something that’s impossible, and it’s silently killing me. 

“Oh my god- y/n! You’re so in love!” My friends teased. 

I can’t control the blush that painted my cheeks. “Shut up oh my god, I hate you all” I muttered loud enough.

“Oh? Oh? Y/n? Won’t you look who sat at the seat right at the opposite of you?” My friend who sat beside me said as she nudged me.

I look up from my food. Only to found the very man I’ve admiring from afar to sat at the seat behind my friends’, facing me.

I quickly looked down and ate my food again. Too startled to respond to the situation. He was with his friends, looking damn good like the usual.

From time to time, I stole some glances at him. Just for a slight second. His chubby cheeks are just so adorable while he’s eating, and I can’t help but feel the urge to pinch them. Seeing him ate makes me feel full myself. 

Perhaps, my friends are right... I’m perhaps so in love. 

But who am I kidding? Suho is a nice man. Nice to everyone. Despite being friends with such jocks, he knows what he prioritizes. He’s smart. And his look? It’s a bonus point. How can someone not fall for him?

The grieve mistake I made was, stole glance at him at the wrong time. I swear I caught him staring at me. The fact he was staring at me got me off guard. I quickly look at my food and finish it. Brushing the awkward moment away.

It doesn’t help that he and I worked for the same event. We got closer of course! Our relationship gets more playful too. It was the happiest episode in my life, the happiest I’ve ever been in a while.

The littlest moment of ours, I cherished them a lot.

“Suho! I swear to god! If you step on me one more time!” I whisper-shouted at him, trying not to disturb the class. He was sitting beside me. And for some reason, he keeps stepping on my foot, of course in a no harming way, just to let his playful side out.

I see that he didn’t remove his foot from mine. His face calm. He knows I was complaining yet he pretended like he didn’t hear. So I put my other foot on top of his that stepping on me. As soon as I put it down, I realize the mistakes I made. 

His face turned at you, as his other leg being put on top of your other one. “I have two legs, y/n” he said before he stuck out his tongue at you. 

I mentally slapped myself for it.

“I swear to god, Suho let me go!” I said as I struggle to get my legs out of the ‘legs sandwich’ we just made.

“I swear to god, Suho let me go!” He mocked. I can’t help but giggle slightly at his playfulness. To my surprise, he giggled along with me.

Not known to him, my heart beats 12 times faster. I’m loving this moment very much. Perhaps... more than I’m supposed to.

“Y/n, aren’t you afraid?” My friend asked.

My head turned at her. Confused at the question. “Of what?” I asked.

“Liking him, of course” she said casually.

In that moment, I fell into a deep thought. I knew I’m gonna get hurt, just like always. I know where this is going, where its final destination is.

“It’s not that serious, so... not really” I said to her. The lie was so obvious. Even I can detect it. If my friend know, she didn’t say anything. It makes me cringe how I lie through my own teeth. It feels more like I’m convincing myself than her.

“Okay, I just don’t want you to hurting” she said. “Real question though, how could you like him knowing his history?” She asked again.

I closed my eyes for a moment. I know. I know it all. More of the reason why I shouldn’t like him. But what can I do? I can’t control my own feeling sometimes, and it’s suffocating.

I know. I know for a fact that he...

“You know that he loves Anna for years now right?” She said. 

It stabbed me right through the heart. I know, I really do know. That was really uncalled for. It feels like having a lime juice being poured over an open cut.

“Nana, I told you, it’s not that deep, I’ll get over it” I shrugged. Not really in the mood to discuss this any further.

It seems like Nana sensed my discomfort. She stopped asking.

The room was quiet. Every one was focused on their tests that they failed on. It was just me, Suho, and two other friends who managed to pass the test.

We were quietly chatting, not wanting to disturb the silence. 

“You know my love stories never end well” a friend named Jenna said. I quickly high fived her slowly. “Same, me too” I relate to her.

“Suho, aren’t you keep getting rejected by Anna?” Jenna asked.

I slowly cower back. Leaning back onto the back of my seat. The question intrigued me. But I’m just... way too afraid of the answer.

I can hear Suho slowly sighed. My eyes were focused on him. Interested yet afraid at what he had to say.

“She’s really hard to get... So I moved on you know” he said. No matter how much he tried to hide it, I can hear the devastation in his voice. I know how that feels. Believe me, I do.

It makes me feel good and bad at the same time. It’s good that it boosts the little confidence in me to believing that I have a chance. But... it’s also bad, I just feel so bad for... liking someone that isn’t mine from the beginning, someone I have no chance with, someone who... supposedly my own friend’s.

Anna is a good friend of mine. She’s really nice. No matter how much I tried to hate her, I just can’t. She’s just way too nice and way too pretty. If I were Suho, she’d totally be the girl I fight for.

I mean,

Who would fall for a broken hearted fragile souled me? 

Anyone would choose the perfectly sculpted vase instead of the broken shattered into pieces one.

It was tiring. Physically and mentally. Studying and brainstorming took a lot in me. And so there I was, with my friends, hanging out in the cafeteria. Every once in a while, I took a sip of my chocolate milk, while staring into the distance. Not one of us saying anything, enjoying the silence, knowing every each one of us are spent from all of the studies, knowing very well, we only have one mandatory extra class left. Which by the way, is hell.

Suddenly, something caught Nana’s attention. I saw her eyes widened at the sight. Her strangeness caught my attention as well. “What?” I asked, curiosity peaking in.

“He’s here! Suho’s here!” she said, eyes still set on him.

I don’t need to look back. I heard Baekhyun, Suho’s friend, voice booming throughout the cafeteria. His loudness was the one that caught my attention, enough for me to look back.

Honestly speaking, I’m not even in the mood to have Suho in my line of vision. I’m too tired of everything. Tired of my study, tired of my feels. Tired of seeing him, feel my heart blooming, only to shatter at the reminisce that he will never be… mine, or even look my way.

“Oh? He’s not alone?” Nana added.

My curiosity got the best of me. I look back again. Saw him and Baekhyun were sitting with two girls at the opposite seats of them. Seems like they were in deep conversation.

“Lucky for you, they are within my hearing range” Nana said as she winked at me.

I keep looking at Nana expectantly. Hoping for… something. Anything really. God damnit, I don’t even know what exactly I’m hoping for the outcome.

I saw it. I saw the light disappear from her face, how her expression darkened. 

“What?” I asked, trying to keep it casual, like as if I’m expecting nothing. 

Nana turned her head at me. Her eyes seems saying something that I know the meaning of, but won’t accept it. “Seems like he’s getting matchmade” she said.

I sighed. I try not to let it show that it’s slowly killing me inside. That I’m broken. I feel so stupid for being like this. I know what I’m going into, yet I’m still hurt. This feel so unfair.

“I don’t care, I’m too busy” I lied. Well, not really. I really am busy. Being in senior year and have to work on the school’s biggest event as a division chief is not an easy job. To make things worse, I have personal feeling that I hate to admit but getting in the way of my priorities.

I feel my throat tightens. The familiar burning sensation around my eyes. I feel like I’m going to broke down. But, I’m just not one to broke down in front of my eyes.

“y/n?, are you okay?” Nana asked.

I gulped. Knowing fully well I can’t lie at the fact I’m on the verge of tears. I know. I know they see the tears Im holding in. I don’t know which one hurts more anymore, the burn in my eyes, or the burn in my heart.

“I-I’m too stressed out” I excused as I choked on my words. I know I should’ve let them know the truth. To hell with, they probably know the truth, and I’m hella grateful they decided not to act on it.

I quickly packed my bag and get up from my seat. I feel like I’d just lose my cool and sanity if I keep staying there. I can feel Nana following me afterward.

Things getting more and more confusing. I swear I’ve never felt so conflicted in my whole life. And… it’s very suffocating. Because honestly talking, I don’t know who got the answer, even if I do, I don’t have the courage to ask for it.

It’s so confusing. I rather have him be clear of his liking towards other girls, than having me hoping and getting confused by the signs he’s giving.

I can’t even put it into words. I want to say so badly that he might took even the littlest amount of interest in me, but who am I to say? Among Anna and the girl who I heard getting matchmade with him, I could be the silliest and ugliest choice out there.

I keep getting my hopes up only to feel like a over-confident bitch afterward. Only to have my insecurities eating me up alive afterwards.

It was at a meeting. A meeting which suddenly having him and his friends interrupted at. No one minds though, since it’s not a formal or official meeting.

I was busy on my laptop, doing the works for school event, making sure of sponsors and tenants, keeping things in check. When suddenly I felt his presence right in front of me. I looked up from my laptop, raising an eyebrow. “Aren’t you supposedly in shift?” I asked him.

Suho chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Oh sweet y/n, give me a break won’t you? It’s hot out there” he said with a pout.

I chuckled and shook my head. “Well, just don’t distract me, I’m busy” I said as I continue to do my work.

Suddenly, his hand grab the screen of my laptop and turn it towards him.

I yelped in surprise. “Suho I swear to god!” I said. “Don’t ruin my work!” I warned.

He looked up at me. Suddenly a dangerous grin appeared on his face. My eyes widened. “Don’t stare at me like that” I said to him.

Slowly, he put his fingers on top of the keyboard. I panicked. My hands reaching out to his. At the same time, his finger click randomly on the keyboard.

“Suho!” I yelled as I retracted his hands from my keyboard.

He laughed. He laughed at me who was in panicked. I can’t help but laughed along with him. 

I stare back at my job, sighing in relief that he didn’t actually ruined anything. I stared back at him. I saw him raising an eyebrow and smile at me. I, of course smile back. No one can’t resist his angelic smile, can they?

Suddenly Chanyeol, another Suho’s friend, come at me, showing me something on his phone. “y/n? Isn’t this Linda’s ex?” he asked as he showed Linda’s ex boyfriend’s instagram page.

Linda is Chanyeol’s girlfriend, who happened to be my friend since elementary school. To put matter worse, her ex was also my… best friend… well at least until something happened.

“Yeah… He used to be my bestfriend” I said. “Why? Anything peek your interest?” I said with a smirk. I stare a bit at Suho and I saw him getting interested at our conversation.

“Well, I don’t think you should worry about him though, you’re way better than him, he’s an asshole” I added.

“Asshole? Why?” Chanyeol asked.

I sighed. I… don’t want to go back into those memories. I don’t mind telling him, it’s just… the memory is just disgusted me.

“He… sexualized me once, of course after he broke up with Linda” I said, in a much quieter voice.

Suho’s eyes shoot up at me. I looked back at him. I saw emotions in his eyes, I can’t exactly pinpoint what it is, but I could have sworn anger was one of them.

“It’s- it’s probably not much, but anyway he said things, sexual things, about me, and it makes me uncomfortable” I said, trying not to worry anyone.

Suddenly Suho got up from his seat. Shouts of curses flying through his mouth. “What the fuck?” he said, keep repeating it. He went out of the room for a moment to cool down with Chanyeol following behind him.

His reaction was really unexpected. What was that? Why did it anger him so much? So many questions popped up in my mind, but before I can dwell on it, Chanyeol and Suho entered the room again. What Chanyeol said next was just… he said it loud enough for me to hear, whether he’s aware or not.

“Suho, now you know how it feels when people you love is being disturbed!” Chanyeol said.

I gulped. What was that supposed to mean?… “Love”?… I really don’t even want to think about it. I quickly dive myself into my work again, not wanting to overthink it.

But I can’t help it. What Chanyeol said keep being replayed, over and over again, in my mind.

It was 8pm. I was all alone in my room. Still with my laptop on. Multitasking, going back and forth between my duty as a student and as a chief of division. The class group chat keep sending notification. As my brain getting more tired, I can’t help but check it out. Apparently a questionnaire about our end of year student trip was posted and everyone was discussing about it.

I checked the choices of place, and can’t help but wonder about it, not knowing which one to choose.

I don’t even know where I got the courage, but I found myself typing a message to Suho, asking him about his choice.

[y/n], 20:05: Did you see the questionnaire?

[y/n], 20:05: What are you gonna choose?

As soon as I pressed send, I quickly regretting my choice. It was stupid. Now he’ll probably see me as desperate. The ring of my phone made me sighed in relief.

[Suho], 20:06: I don’t know

[Suho], 20:06: Jeju probably?

[Suho], 20:06: Which one do you want y/n?

His replies make me excited beyond belief. I can’t help but let the smile making its way into my face.

[y/n], 20:07: Oh, I don’t know

[y/n], 20:07: I never went to either Busan or Jeju

[Suho], 20:07: Really?!

[Suho], 20:08: You know what y/n?

[Suho], 20:08: Let’s just go to your house!

[y/n], 20:08: Oh? You’re right, it’s so comfortable here in my house

[Suho], 20:09: Never mind that, let’s just escape

[Suho], 20:09: To Bali

[Suho], 20:09: Just the two of us

I swear my heart stopped. I really need him to stop playing with my heart like this. My heart stopped yet beating 12 times its normal race at the same time. I can feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as they warmed up.

[y/n], 20:10: Good idea, Let’s go! 

I typed in as I put my phone on the desk and rushing to bed. Can’t handling all of the emotions.

It was the festival of the school event. The peak of the event itself. Every staff were busy. But we found time to rest and enjoy the performances by the singers we invited between the hectic works.

I found myself at the back of the audience area. Leaning to the side of an air conditioner. Feeling spent, but singing along to the song the singers sang. 

I stand up more straightly, fixing my posture. And then I realized Suho was the one who leaned on the front side of the air conditioner. It was so hot, and I need some air to cool with, but I also didn’t want to disturb his little rest, knowing his job is more difficult than mine, more exposed to the bright sun outside.

I carefully reach my hand towards the front of the air conditioner, behind his neck, not wanting to disturb him. When suddenly, he turned his head at me and stares. I stared back, not knowing what to say. My hand continue its journey anyway. 

He looked back ahead. What caught me off guard was he suddenly made a move to nuzzle the hand that was behind him. In shock, I quickly retreat my hand. “What are you doing?” I asked in shock.

He didn’t say anything but closing his eyes and leaning back into the air conditioner. I sighed and attempt to do the thing I was doing again.

And, again.

He snuggled into it. 

My heart. My heart is beating way too fast. This time, I didn’t retreated it back. Perhaps I’m liking this too much, but I didn’t care. If this is the only time he would ever do this, then I’d let him do it as long as he wants.

Finally, after all of the hectic schedule ended, it was time for us in senior years to get ready for the upcoming exams. Even if it means… Going to school during weekends.

It was Saturday. To put matter worse, it was my birthday. I can’t wait to get it over with to be honest, and go into that dinner my family has planned as my birthday coincidentally is two days apart with my parents’ anniversary.

To put matter even worse for my heart, Suho was being put into the same class as me.

I’m just glad Nana was also in the same class at me. 

But it seems like the earth and its fate hate me. Nana was sick that day. Leaving the seat next to me empty. And… now here I found myself seating beside Suho.

Stupid heart, stop beating so fast, he might hear it.

It was fun though. He and I keep making jokes here and there. And honestly? It didn’t help me from moving on from him like I planned to.

It was during math. Where I found him shivering. I stare him up and down. “I thought you bring a jacket?” I asked.

“Yeah, Minseok borrowed it though” he said.

“Tough luck” I said as I laughed lightly.

Suddenly, he grabbed a hold of my hand. My head quickly shoot up. 

“Holy shit, your hand is so warm y/n” he said as he tightened the hold.

My cheeks. I swear they are madly blushing. My heart feels like it’s about to explode. Please stop for the sake of my well being. 

“H-huh? Is it warm?” I asked nervously.

“Yeah! It is! you are so warm!” he said as he suddenly intertwined our hand.

My thoughts are everywhere. I can’t control my emotion anymore. I’m liking, no, I’m loving this beyond everything.

I don’t even know where my confidence come from, but I suddenly found the courage to put my other hand on top of his. “Here, let me warm you up” I said cheekily to him

“You know what? That feels so right” he said as he turned his head at me, and giving me his soft angelic smile.

Dear god, this is just too much for me. I don’t want to fall for him even deeper than I already am.

Months passed.

Season changed.

And so does whatever it is I had with Suho.

I thought we were getting better.

I thought we had something

I thought we were getting closer

But I was wrong

And my earlier insecurities and suspicion keep getting close to right.

Suddenly, slowly but surely, Suho avoided me.

For no reason.

I keep trying to search for an answer. Keep trying to found where it’s all gone wrong. But nothing came up.

Perhaps it’s just me. Perhaps It’s just me and my boring self. Me and my boring desperate self. Perhaps it’s just him getting tired of me.

Each day, I keep seeing him and Anna together. Building a relationship closer than ever.

Each day, I feel like he keeps getting further and further out of my reach.

Each day, I saw them together, laughing and all. I see nothing but pure happiness.

I loathe myself for wanting to be in Anna’s place.

I hate myself for letting myself fall for him so deep, now I don’t know how to get out.

Of course. I should’ve known earlier. 

What he had for me, will never be as strong as what he had for Anna.

What he had for me, was a mere interest, nothing much. It was me who overthink it. It was me who think we had more than what we had.

Who am I kidding? I am nothing compare to her.

And it’s killing me every day that I could never be her no matter how much I try.

I thought, that perhaps I have a chance on owning his heart. But who am I kidding? I’m just a broken hearted fragile souled person with too many flaws.

It’s killing me, that I’m willingly gave him my heart, knowing I’ll just get another jab and stab at the end.

It’’s killing me, that no one, perhaps, will love me, as much and as genuinely as I love the,

It’s killing me, that at the end of the day, I will always be at the hurting end.

[luxjackscn]

{ taylor swift, twenty nine, female, she/her ] ━ hey, I just saw [ lucinda “lux” jackson ] walking down the streets of crownsville. they’ve lived in town for [ eight months ], and you can catch them around town working as a [ local musician/artist ]. I hear they’re known to be [ confident and determined ] and [ reckless and shady ]. if asked, they would say their aesthetic would be [ black leather boots, short skirts, red lips, motorcycles, late nights and cheap alcohol ].

Hi there, pls welcome back my bby and let’s plot (◡‿◡✿).

HELLO GUYS, ME AGAIN WITH MY BBY LUX WITH THE FC OF THE ABSOLUTE LOVE OF MY LIFE, AKA MISS. TAYLOR SWIFT. 

Some of you may remember her, I used to play her here back in February and now she’s back!! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Here’s the link for Lux’s bio is long asf so if u don’t wanna read it all, here’s a brief summary (i’ll try to make it brief, well):

She comes from a really wealthy family from the East Coast

She was always the black sheep of the family, she’s always been a rebel soul/trouble maker !!

She always despised the rich/wealthy lifestyle that surrounded her, their family got a lot of attention all the time, reaching some type of “celebrity status” and Lux wanted nothing to do with it so she hated every second

Her favorite thing in the world are the Visual Arts!! She loves painting and creating art, she also loves music!! And basically knows how to play every instrument, she’s an artsy!! kid!! the arts are in her veins 

When she graduated high school she ran away from home bc her parents didn’t approve of her wanting to get a degree in Visual Arts, they wanted her to go to business school to become the heiress of the family business since her older sister decided to study medicine (which wasn’t a problem since they also had very prominent doctors in the family, but having her other daughter dedicating herself to the arts?? wasn’t on their level, she also she despises her sister very much bc she was always the perfect one and their parents always kept on comparing each other)

She decided to run away to a small town in Arizona, the farthest place she could think of, she met a girl there named Helena and ended up falling in love with her (which made her realize she was bisexual)

She was so in love!! They dated for 4 years and Lux was thinking of proposing to her but one day she came home earlier than expected just to find a positive pregnancy test!! Helena revealed to been cheating on Lux with her toxic ex boyfriend, and also admitted to being doing so with several other people during the time they were together 

Devastated, Lux decided to leave town that very same night and headed to her hometown after not hearing from her family in 4 years, to crash her sister’s wedding

TRIGGER WARNING, SUICIDE ATTEMPT // MENTAL ILLNES: she caused a scene before her sister left church which ended in a HUGE fight with her family that left her even more broken so she attempted against her own life

That made her spent 6 months in a psychiatric hospital where she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder

When she left the hospital she came to an agreement with her family: they would let her live her life as away from them as she wanted to but she had to promise she’d keep on taking her medications and seeing doctors to control her disorder. 

She agreed, not because she cared to keep a promise to her family, but because she didn’t want to have to experience another minute back at the hospital (those were the worst months for Lux)

I THINK THE TRIGGER WARNING ALREADY ENDED IM NOT SURE IF I SHOULD MENTION THIS BUT ANYWAYS

She then moved to Los Angeles, where she made connections with people from the industry and she started working as a touring/session musician for many popular bands. Always hiding the fact that she’s related to The Jacksons from New Jersey.

She kept it low-key, still living her wild lifestyle filled with alcohol, hard partying, one night stands and occasional drugs.

Ever since Helena broke her heart, she grew colder and promised to never fall in love again so she’d just mess around with boys and girls here and there but never maintaining any serious relationship, and when she felt herself catching feelings, she’d runaway as soon as possible

Now, soon to turn 30 years old, she decided to take a break from the tour life and find herself a quiet town to keep on living a private, yet wild, lifestyle. That’s how she ended up in Crownsville last August.

She currently works as a jazz pianist in bars or restaurants downtown, and as a local musician: helping local bands when they need someone to fill in for a night gig. 

Sometimes she holds exhibitions of her paintings around town, and she has slowly made herself a name so it’s not unusual for people to come to her and request a painting.

ok that was it i’m sorry it was SO LONG but still it’s still way shorter than the bio lmao but you can fully find it under /bio if u wanna read

Okay if u wanna plot just hmu!! Sorry her backstory is so sad and that I typed SO MUCH lmao if u made it to the end THANK U SO MUCH, if I don’t pass out i’ll start interacting now, if not tomorrow will be!! I only slept 5 hours bc of the Avengers Endgame midnight screening and I still haven’t fully recovered both physically and emotionally wow okay i’ll just shut up now lmao gnight (◡‿◡✿)

[rosetylerlesbians]

DnD ask meme: For Arden, 4 & 17? For Fenne, 13 & 22? And for both: 30!

OOh these are fun ones thank you!

Arden

4. Are they formally trained or have they gone through a more organic learning experience for their skillset?

A little bit of both- she learned archery at home because her parents thought it was a dignified pursuit and a good outlet for her “less feminine” energies (although they didn’t imagine the way she ended up actually using that skill). Other things like thieving and sneaking she learned naturally beginning in childhood but really developed when she ran away from home.

17. What’s their favorite food?

Low key never thought about this one which is super fun. But I’m gonna have to go with like apple pie or tarts. She would never admit to having a sweet tooth cause that’s dumb, but I can imagine her having childhood memories with her brother. They would steal them from the cook in the kitchen (her first real heist!) and eat them in their little hideout.

30. Would they smooch a ghost?

Lmao this question is amazing. I’m gonna say a tentative yes but only if it was like a dare or if they’re desperately in love. Although with the latter maybe not even

Fenne

13. If they can use magic, what’s their favorite spell?

VICIOUS MOCKERY! Like it’s a dumb cantrip, I know, but she takes much joy from gleefully shouting insults at her opponents. They’re not even good insults, really, but devastating nonetheless.

22. Most amazing monster they have ever killed or helped kill?

Definitely the literal dragon they had to fight after a campaign centered around puzzles. They spent the day on an island trying to track down a letter and following a memory to multiple magic items. They almost died before the DM brought in an NPC to get it going, but Fenne almost single handedly DESTROYED that thing. She used a magic item called an Oath Bow that gave advantage on attack rolls and extra damage against a sworn enemy. And when that dragon hurt her friend Craig it was OVER.

30. Would they smooch a ghost?

100%. Not that she falls into the horny bard archetype but she is not afraid of doing something unconventional. Also she’s just a really affectionate kinda girl.

Ask questions about my DnD characters!!!