#not legally because three people can’t get legally married but married regardless

[whim513]

baji and kazutora are partners. Partners as in business partners (scheming, planning, plotting etc) Partners in crime and partners as in lovers. I don’t think they would be boyfriends or call themselves boyfriends. They would be partners. They have been partners since the beginning, They love each other more than anything in the world, baji sacrifices his life for kazutora and in return kazutora lives his. If one asked the other to marry them i think they would accept in a heartbeat because they love each other. It wouldn’t have to be romantic (though it could be) they simply just love each other. They would participate in relationship anarchy, going by their own rules entirely. Doing “romantic” things even if they’re friends, doing things that “friends don’t do”. They act like they’re in love because they are, it’s crucial to be in love with your friends. their relationship confuses people but they don’t care, they call themselves partners and let people assume them to be whatever they want, because they know what they are to each other, they know they love each other and thats all that matters to them. They call themselves lovers, they are, they love each other and therefore they are lovers, They could be queer platonic but they don’t care to label their relationship, they’re partners and lovers and that’s all they need. They’re relationships is so deep and so complex but so simple at the same time and i love them so deeply.

[servants-hall]

The TGA parts below:

DEADLINE: In the finale of The Gilded Age Season 2, the moment where the tables turn and Ada (Cynthia Nixon) becomes the one effectively in charge, since she has the money now and will be paying the staff, what a moment that was for Agnes. How will she handle that going forward?

BARANSKI: Agnes’s world from day one, the arrival of her niece, the earth, the world, the ground, was always moving underneath her feet in a way that she was never on solid ground from the first episode of the first season, because of the arrival of the neighbors across the street, and then the arrival of the niece. But with Ada, with the second season, you have the person closest to me and dearest to me falling in love, getting married, moving away, and then Agnes is having to somehow rise to the occasion because I love her so much and accept that. But then I lose all my money, and she inherits money. It’s just too delicious. It’s all in one season. I don’t know how Julian packed it all in, but it was a banquet for me as an actress, because when you have a character that’s that rigid and haughty, and has such a firm sense of herself and what her world is, and you just see so many cracks occurring in her world, it’s funny, and it’s sad, and it’s very dramatic.

DEADLINE: It made me think of Diane Lockhart a little bit, because they are both women who are utterly in control of themselves and they both lose their money and carry on pulling it together. You can’t knock these women down, and I love that.

BARANSKI: You can’t, no. It’s a study. It’s funny you say that because I was thinking of the similarities of Diane and Agnes. The world around them, the world that they know, that they respect, that they’ve adhered to, with Diane it was the legal world, the rule of law. And the political world, the world that she believed in. You watch her struggle to keep her balance in a world where the guardrails are coming off, and it is true of Agnes. The society in which she is living is changing so rapidly, and inside her own house with the arrival of her niece, who’s this young feisty woman, and her own sister. That’s inside her house domestically, but then her outer world, the people across the street are changing her world. And how do people like that, women like that, keep their integrity and keep their sense? How do they survive that? It’s been wonderful to play both roles for that reason.

DEADLINE: It’s such an accolade to women throughout history because you see these characters, regardless of the period, who are essentially the steel spine of their society and their families, or the company where they work, and they are these unsung heroes that women have so often been.

BARANSKI: Yeah. I often say that I’m playing a lot of Agnes as my mother. My mother grew up in the Depression, and she actually told me they did stuff newspapers in their shoes and walked to school in Buffalo, New York, if you know Buffalo winters. And she had to walk home for lunch and eat jelly sandwiches every day for years. And she fell in love and married a man who went off to fight World War II. And when he came home, she wanted to be a homemaker and a mother, and my father died when I was eight years old. She had two kids to raise. She didn’t even know how to drive a car. She had to look for work. She had to begin her life again, like Diane, and she was one of the strongest women. She survived three different bouts of cancer. Lung cancer, breast cancer, and lymphoma, and she just went through whatever treatments she had to go through. She lived to 85, and she just played the hand she was dealt. And she was strong, and she had a great sense of humor. She was a tough old broad, and Julian loves tough old broads. He writes those women and he respects them.

[...]

DEADLINE: I know that you met Julian at an awards show and got talking about the Gilded Age as an era before this show came about.

BARANSKI: Well, I so love Downton Abbey, and I had heard somewhere in the ether of showbiz gossip that Julian wanted to do an American version. And after one of my many Emmy losses, at an HBO party, he was sitting there and I approached him. And I spoke to him about it, and I said, “I’m married to a man, my late husband, was a Drexel from the Drexel family, and that was, of course, one of the New York aristocratic Gilded Age families. I began talking to him about it, and we had the longest conversation. And I didn’t know Julian then. Talk about manifestation! All those years later I get a call saying, “Julian has written this show for HBO, and they’re offering you this.” I was the first person to be offered a role, and at the time, I was committed to The Good Fight. So, I was working for another company. I was working for CBS and Paramount Plus, and they didn’t want to share me because it meant possible overlapping. You couldn’t be the lead in one show for one network and a lead in another. They just didn’t allow that. I wrote to the head of Paramount Plus, and I said, “This is an opportunity of a lifetime. I’ve spent years of my life as an actress training to do that kind of a role and because of the nature of only filming a half a year with The Good Fight, that means I have a lot of time off. And what do I do with that time? Now I’m in the prime of my career.” Anyway, it was a very heartfelt letter and two days later they let it happen. He let me go to do both… It was just back-to-back, but it’s what I call a champagne problem. Oh my gosh, I’ve got two shows, not one.

DEADLINE: You’re shooting The Gilded Age Season 3 right now. Can you hint at all where Agnes is going?

BARANSKI: Well, she has to cope, doesn’t she? She’s suddenly not the head of the household, which you can tell from the way Season 2 ended, that this proud haughty lady who was used to being number one is suddenly not that. So that fall from grace and that fall from power, that’s always such a delicious thing to play, and the fall of a King is just as exciting as the rise. So it makes for a lot of humor, I think, her having to eat humble pie. It’s as eventful as Season 2, because Season 1 was largely establishing all those characters. It was a lot of exposition, but I think the reason Season 2 was so exciting to people is they were already invested in these characters, they knew the world of The Gilded Age and they were ready to go with the high drama. So that’s pretty much continuing into Season 3. It’s amazing to me how popular and how invested the public is since the second season. If you think about it, really, you could do this show for 10 years because it’s all American history and how this world was. America was changing so rapidly during these years. I mean, it could take you into the beginning of the 20th century. It’s just thrilling.

DEADLINE: So you would, in theory, do this for as long as Julian wants to make it?

BARANSKI: In a word, yes. It shoots in Brooklyn. She’s a magnificent character. There are all kinds of places you could take her. As I said, there’s so many narratives he could spin because it’s these characters living through a turbulent and transformative time in American history. And I love my colleagues. I adore Cynthia. I mean, she’s just the best acting pal.

DEADLINE: Right, you’ve known her forever, since you played mother and daughter on stage in The Real Thing in 1984.

BARANSKI: Yes, and all of us are all these great theater actors. I mean, you walk in the hair and makeup trailer and it’s like everybody’s won a Tony Award, or two or three. It’s delicious stuff.

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

Yuu can do it!

Part 38

First - Previous - Masterlist - Next

Enma sent Ito an exasperated look out of the corner of his eyes. “At least pretend to be normal, please.”

Ito winked, flashing a salute. “Aye-aye,” they said. And then immediately their wide grin was wiped away in favor of a small, concerned frown. “I hope Clover-senpai is okay.”

“Honestly, I think that’s creepier,” Kuroki said.

“There’s no winning,” they complained.

“You could try not being way too happy about Trey-senpai being hurt,” Kuroki suggested.

Ito scrunched up their nose in distaste.

Enma cuffed them over the back of the head. They looked no less upset, for some reason.

Their day was only going to get worse, though, because they all stepped through the mirror and discovered that they had hesitated for too long. Ace, Deuce, and Grim were nowhere in sight – the mirror had sent them to another spot entirely, because it hated them, specifically – and they were standing in a clearing that none of them recognized.

Well, admittedly, they did recognize the place, the small pool of water they had landed in was not a particularly common sight, but that didn’t mean that they knew where in the maze the clearing was located.

And now their socks were wet. Life is pain and suffering.

They shared mildly exasperated looks before walking to the nearest hedge and starting to climb. Ace, Deuce, and Grim should be fine – Ace and Deuce were Heartslabyul residents, they knew their way around – so long as they didn’t come across anyone on their travels, in which case Grim’s fire would alert the three of them to the brewing fight, so the Yuus were allowed to concentrate on simply finding a way out.

And, sure, they could try and learn the layout of the maze, but why should they do that? It wasn’t like they lived there. It was far easier to cheat.

… cheat to get around! They will not be committing academic dishonesty (outside of that one time)! Or be unfaithful to future partners! They are good, moral people! Just ones who are working with limited time!

Their time is so limited that they can’t even devote a specific hour to their daily dumb conversation! They have to multitask! This is, truly, the most painful part of being sent to a new universe and being forced into performing child labor.

They, bravely, continue on regardless.

“... all I’m saying is: if we get married, we’ll get tax benefits,” said Kuroki, as if this was a winning argument.

“No!” Enma said. “Marriage is special! I’m not going to do it for tax reasons!”

Kuroki rolled his eyes. “It’s not like you’re going to get any anyway.”

Enma’s face had never felt so warm. Even he was not entirely sure whether it was because of anger or embarrassment or a mix of both, but damn if he wasn’t going to lean into the anger side of it. “Shut up! Ito, tell him his money-saving ideas are always stupid!”

“Ito, convince him. Think of all of the Coke we could buy if we didn’t have to pay as much taxes.”

Ito tipped their head to the side, thinking hard, as if there wasn’t an objectively correct side to be on in this argument. “I don’t know. None of us have identities in this world, so getting legally married might be hard. And we don’t even know if gay marriage is legal here.”

Enma groaned. “Why is your only problem with this logistical?”

Their lips curled into a smirk. “Because I’m not the one getting married.”

“No one is getting married!”

~

They managed to meet up with Ace, Deuce, and Grim without any casualties. Except for that one vase that fell over when Kuroki tripped, but they are decidedly Not Talking About That.

Because there are more pressing matters, of course! Trey has been injured! They must help him!

Slowly, they peek their heads in through the door frame. They must be quite the sight – all six first years’ heads practically stacked on top of each other’s in order to see in without, technically, trespassing in their seniors’ room. Trey laughed a little, which is mildly embarrassing. It could certainly be worse. Someone could have passed by behind them and seen the specific positions they had all contorted themselves into in order to achieve said head-stacking effect.

“You can come in,” Trey said, smiling fondly despite the clear exhaustion. Or maybe he was just in pain. Not shocking, considering his leg was in a cast.

“Yeah, you’d better let us come in, we came all this way for you,” Grim muttered.

Trey chuckled and started to sit up more in bed.

“No, you can stay laying down,” Grim said quickly. And then he paused, possibly realizing that that sentence sounded dangerously close to care. His brain worked quickly to rectify this wrong: “Loser.”

“Smooth recovery, Grim-chan,” Cater teased, finally glancing up from where he was almost definitely doom scrolling through Magicam. “Hey, it’s the ADeuce combo and the Yuus!”

“Don’t give us a couple nickname!” Deuce groaned.

“Not yet, at least,” Kuroki added.

And then he immediately ran to hide behind Enma when Deuce turned on him.

Ace, of course, had no real shame, and therefore did not really care. He still decided to retaliate, though – for funsies. “Yeah? And why aren’t you guys complaining about your couple nickname? Because there’s a little more truth there than you’re willing to admit?”

Every single Yuu recoiled in abject horror and disgust. Even Kuroki, who had just been discussing marriage, looked like he would rather die.

“Awww, denial, how cute!” Ace began to count off on his fingers, smirking widely. “I mean, you all sleep in the same bed, hardly ever leave each others’ sides when you have the choice not to, you cling to each other at every given opportunity – MOTHER FUCKER!”

Grim had sunk his teeth into Ace’s arm.

“GET YOUR DAMN RACCOON!” he shrieked, waving his arm frantically in an attempt to dislodge the monster.

“He’s not a raccoon,” said Enma mildly.

“Good boy,” Kuroki praised.

Ito, the killjoy, sighed and pulled Grim off. Grim did not seem particularly happy about this, but they patted the monster atop the head lightly and cradled him in their arms and, apparently, all was forgiven.

“Get that thing a rabies shot,” Ace hissed, pulling his tie off and starting to wrap it around his bleeding arm in a motion that seemed practiced. Because it was. People at this school cannot go ten minutes without exploding. Want evidence? Exhibit A: Ace’s hair.

Enma rests his case.

“Know what, if you’re willing to do it yourself, I’m not against giving Grim a rabies shot.”

Kuroki had probably said this out of concern for the monster’s health, but this did not stop Grim from sending him a wide-eyed, betrayed look.

Ito, squeezing Grim tighter in their arms (either to comfort him during these trying times or to make sure the monster didn’t jump out and try to attack Kuroki, it was hard to tell), made their way over to Trey.

“How do you feel?” they asked, and if it weren’t for the skip in their step as they approached Trey’s bedside they might have actually looked concerned.

“I’ve felt better,” said Trey, the fond smile he’d worn while watching them all bicker threatening to fade.

“You poor thing.”

“Ito,” Enma sighed.

“What? I have to do this! It’s my job!” they said, their expression far too innocent to be real.

“Yeah, speaking of, how’s working with Crowley going for you?” asked Trey, and he sounded genuinely interested, but there was something in the crinkle of his eyes that seemed off.

Ito bristled, if only slightly. They turned to Enma, giving him a kind of ‘you seeing this shit?’ expression.

He raised an eyebrow at them.

They huffed, their chin coming to rest atop Grim’s furry little head. Now both of them were pouting. Great. Now all Enma needed was for Kuroki to –.

Oh dear god. Kuroki was on the move. He didn’t even get to finish the thought to jinx himself!

False alarm. Kuroki sat on the edge of Trey’s bed. Frowning, yes, but only because he was worried about their senior: “Are you going to be alright?”

Trey sighed. “Doc says it should heal up fine, ankles are weird but the break was luckily pretty clean. I’ll be in crutches for a while, though.”

Grim deflated a little in Ito’s arms. “That sounds bad… I was hoping that your injury would be small enough that I could justify keeping this but…” He rested the back of his paw against his forehead. “Henchman.”

Kuroki pulled a can out of his pocket and handed it off to Trey. Trey gave him a mildly bemused look.

“There. A get-well tuna can,” Grim said, his head turned determinedly away, as if he could not bear to part with it, it simply hurt too much, but he was doing it anyway, for the sake of the greater good.

Trey chuckled lightly and set the can on his bedside table. Gently, as if it were precious. “Thanks.”

Grim nodded once.

In the meantime, Ace and Deuce shared conspiratorial glances. Enma thought this might not end well, but frankly he was too busy glaring down Ito to care at the moment.

“So… does this mean you won’t be playing in the tournament this year?” Ace asked.

Cater groaned. “He can’t, doctor’s orders. Now we’re down a star player and we have to redo our entire team roster.”

“That’s… unfortunate,” said Deuce, sounding like he did not find it unfortunate in the slightest.

“It is,” Riddle’s voice cut in. After months of Crowley popping into their classes through the windows, the first years had nerves of steel. Their shoulders all jumped in mild surprise, regardless. They had thought they’d be safe here. “Though that’s hardly the thing we should be focusing on when Trey is hurt.”

Trey sighed lightly, sending Riddle a hesitant kind of smile. “Riddle, I’ve told you, you don’t need to fuss over me like this.”

Riddle’s severe expression softened just slightly, making room for something remarkably close to guilt on his face.

“It’s my fault you got hurt. This is the least I can do to make up for it.”

“I chose to help,” Trey said lightly. “So, you don’t owe me anything.”

Ito’s expression dropped as they realized that they couldn’t actually make fun of him if he had only gotten hurt to make sure someone else was okay. “Wait, really?” they asked, devastated. “What happened?”

“I needed to talk to him, so I caught up to him outside the third-years’ classroom and…” Riddle’s face started to turn red enough to rival his hair. “I got careless, I suppose, and I lost my footing on the stairs.”

The first-years (save for Deuce, who had arrived too late to get more than the barest of rundowns of their current job) exchanged raised eyebrows. Trey getting hurt, they could kind of imagine. But Riddle? And to, unsurely, say that he got careless? Just like every other victim? Grim’s get-well tuna can might not have been opened yet, but something smelled fishy.

Riddle, of course, was even more out of the loop than Deuce, and therefore didn’t notice their suspicions rising, only continuing on to explain that: “Trey tried to catch me… he never would have landed wrong if he wasn’t so concerned with making sure I didn’t hurt myself.”

“Which, again, was my choice. And a dumb one, too. You could have broken your fall with a flight spell.”

“Still…” Riddle said, frowning.

Cater jumped to his feet, clapping his hands a few times for attention. “Now, Riddle, the man is already bedridden, let’s not harsh the vibe talking about it, yeah? It's lame that Trey got hurt, but you'll rock the field that much harder to make up for it, right?”

“... right,” said Riddle, though he didn’t seem particularly convinced.

He beamed. “Awesome! Now, let’s go make the poor guy some soup, yeah?”

They were ushered, none-too-subtly, out the door in seconds. Trey tried to argue that soup was for the sick, not injured, but they were already gone.

~

They did actually go to the kitchen and Ito, as the only one of them that could cook, was forced to start putting something together. They were scowling rather heavily, and Enma was pretty sure that, had there been less witnesses, they would have finally put their whole rat poison as a fun, new ingredient plan they’d come up with during the Culinary Crucible into action.

“So, Ito-chan, you mentioned something about this being your job?” Cater prompted.

They hummed. “You sound like you already know about it.”

“Sure, but Riddle and Deuce-chan don’t. And it’s nicer to ask.”

Ito reached for the chicken stock, but was too short by a couple of centimeters, and apparently decided dying was the only reasonable way to respond to this. They slammed their head into the countertop.

Enma reached over them and grabbed the chicken stock, gently tapping it against their shoulder. They mumbled a thanks as they took it and straightened back up, promptly pretending that that had never happened.

Convenient, because no one else was going to acknowledge it, either!

“Our darling Headmage has asked me to look into a string of ‘accidents’ on campus,” Ito explained dully. This ‘doing something nice for Trey’ thing was really getting to them, it seemed. “Basically, all of the people who have gotten hurt recently have been star Magift players and, at some point, that gets suspicious.”

“The whole world will be watching. A good performance can make a player's whole career. It's no surprise that some would resort to underhanded methods to even the odds,” Riddle agreed, frowning.

“Only question is how and who,” said Deuce, nodding along, surprisingly astute.

“Those are two questions,” Grim mumbled. Okay, maybe not that astute.

Riddle crossed his arms over his chest. “When I started to fall, it wasn't as if I had been pushed, or that I had tripped. But I did feel a peculiar sensation, like… my body was moving of its own volition.”

“The other victims said the same thing!” Grim said.

“Are we sure it’s not just wind magic?” Ace asked.

“No, I felt no external force.”

“Then it’s probably a Unique Magic, right?” Deuce said, looking at his seniors for approval. “Unless there’s some kind of basic magic we haven’t learned yet…”

Cater shook his head. “If there is something that can mind control people, they haven’t taught us it in class. So, either it’s forbidden knowledge –” He rolled his eyes to show just how likely he thought that was. “– or it’s a UM.”

The Yuus quietly high-fived. They loved it when they were right about things.

Cater spared them a grin. “Don’t high-five yet, we still have to figure out who the UM belongs to.”

It was silent for a moment.

Enma ran a hand through his hair. “Well, a couple of people got hurt in their classrooms, right? So, it has to be someone in those classes, or else someone would have noticed the new student appearing and disappearing right when someone got hurt.”

Ito snapped their fingers – no, wait, they had just turned off the stove. Similar sound, sorry.

Still, they had Enma covered: “I can get student schedules. It’ll probably take a bit, though.”

“In the meantime…” said Cater, lifting his phone. “I've already identified a number of potential targets from among the most promising players.”

Grim frowned. “Wait, why are you helping? Riddle was almost hurt, I can kinda see him wanting revenge, but what are you getting from helping us? What’s your angle?”

Cater pressed a hand to his chest, as if he was mortally wounded by his words. “You offend me, sir. One of our housemates was injured – why wouldn't I help him find justice?”

(The Yuus exchanged mildly skeptical looks. While they knew Cater and Trey were close, they were roommates and all, it wasn’t particularly common for Night Raven College students to admit to this… had they become too jaded? Or was Cater actually just being suspicious? Ah, what a conundrum.)

“Yeah!” said Deuce, though he sounded less enthusiastic. “He’s gotta pay for what he did to Trey-senpai! Right, Ace?”

Okay, Cater, you have officially been exonerated on account of the far more suspicious ADeuce Combo. Congrats.

Ace elbowed him in the side. “They’re not going to believe that.” He looked at the Yuus. “You’re going to drag us into this whether we want in or not.”

Admittedly, a good point.

However.

“We’re not going to believe that either, when you’ve already implied that you’re lying to us,” Kuroki said.

Ace hung his head in disappointment.

“I get what’s going on here,” Cater said. “You're gunning for that open spot on our team, aren't you?”

Both teens blushed faintly. Well, that explained that.

Riddle sighed. “Fine... Your performance during the investigation will be taken into account.”

Ace and Deuce cheered.

Enma swatted them both over the backs of their heads. “Your senior is hurt. Stop celebrating.”

And then he snatched the cayenne out of Ito’s hands before they could dump it into the soup. They’d tried to sneak it past when they were ‘done’, and therefore people hadn’t been paying quite as much attention to what they were doing. He sent them a mildly exasperated look, and they only gave him a small shrug as if to say ‘I had to try’. He rolled his eyes and ruffled their hair fondly.

No, he doesn’t have favorite friends. What do you mean?

Hey look! Plot!

“Great, now that all of that is settled,” said Cater. “I'll form a group on Magicam so we can coordinate our efforts and give you access to the files I drew up on potential victims. Yuus, I’ll write out the list for you in a minute. In the meantime, you can look over someone’s shoulder.”

Deuce’s eyes widened as he opened up his phone. Enma saw why. He had expected a list of names, maybe a couple of pictures to identify them. But, this went above and beyond. Apparently, some guy named Jack was into cacti, which could be used to scratch up his hands without drawing too much suspicion. As for the two Leech twins, they worked in a kitchen, and one of them was apparently very prone to accidents when he was even the slightest bit bored… and the list went on.

“Holy shiiiiooooooooot…” Deuce sent Riddle an apologetic smile. “Dang, Cater-senpai! This is a lot of information.”

Cater winked. “You bet it is. Now, everyone, let’s give Trey his soup and then roll out!”

~

“Well,” said Ito, groaning. “At least the school does keep track of student schedules.”

“What’s the catch?” Kuroki asked.

“We have to look through them ourselves. I’ll do it later tonight or something. It’s a lot to go through and I… just don’t wanna, to be honest.”

“Fair,” said Enma.

“You just don’t trust us not to do anything stupid,” Kuroki said, flashing a grin.

Ito smirked. “Maybe a little bit of that, too.”

Enma’s eyes widened comically. “Wait, me, too? I get Kuroki and Grim, but I’m well behaved!”

“Debatable.”

~

Their first stop was at the library. Ito looked around mournfully. Not because they missed the place, oh no, that was not their style. No, their eyes were on the books themselves. Already, their carefully curated sorting system had been abandoned by thine gods (and, more importantly, their fellow students).

They got a few consoling pats on the back in these trying times.

Cater was quick to try and distract them: “Alright, according to Vil’s Magicam post, they should be somewhere around here. There are two Pomefiore people who might be targeted. The first is a newbie, but apparently Epel Felmier is on the schoolwide Magift team, and very devoted to it despite the captain being... the way he is.”

Enma raised his eyebrows. “What’s wrong with the captain?”

“He’s… well, hopefully you’ll never have to know!”

This was, of course, the worst thing he could ever say in Enma Yuuken’s presence. He was lucky they had a job to do, and a plot to move along, because if they hadn’t he definitely would have complained far more.

Maybe Cater knew this, because he was already starting to move on once again:

“The other potential target is a junior named Rook Hunt. He has a blond bob cut and a fedora — you can't miss him.”

Riddle nodded along. “Rook is an exceptional player. He performed extremely well in last year's tournament. But he is a bit of a… an odd duck, one might say.”

“That sentence does not bode well,” Kuroki murmured, cringing.

Privately, Enma agreed. Someone who was considered an ‘odd duck’ by Night Raven College students' standards was likely insane.

However, he would never admit to this. He cuffed Kuroki over the back of the head. “That’s our senior.”

“He’s not even here!” Kuroki complained.

“Guys,” said Deuce, sounding exasperated. “I think I see him.”

Enma and Kuroki only spared a glance upwards, half-expecting for this to be an attempt to get them to stop bickering – which, granted, it still definitely was – only to be met with those ungodly sparkles they had been determinedly avoiding since the first day.

They groaned and started frantically rubbing their eyes. In the kind of way one might struggle after getting soap in their eyes while in the shower. Except, no, they had just been blinded via bright lights, and this was not helping.

Wasn’t hurting, though.

Enma peeked through watering eyes to see a group of three.

Two of them were sitting around a table, looking relatively bored.

The last person, a short boy with purple hair, was walking around with books on his head, like princess characters in movies. Enma had never understood it. Any experienced sloucher could balance books on their head even when hunched over like Quasimodo’s somehow even less fortunate cousin.

But he digresses.

“Sevens. These people are, like, glitter bombs in human form. They’re practically sparkling,” Ace complained.

Epel tripped over air and several books went tumbling to the ground. Ito winced, and it was hard to tell if they were sympathetic to the boy’s plight… or thinking about how they would have to clean that all up later.

“Okay, they’re not sparkling as much anymore.”

Epel groaned. He didn’t even lift their head off the floor to do so. If he thought the carpet tasted bad, he did not say a word to complain.

Not about that, at least.

“Man, what’s the point of walking all fancy, anyways?”

Rook smiled fondly. “Epel, you must work on your posture. It is hard to be élégant when you are slouching all day.”

Ito jolted in surprise at the word élégant.

“It benefits you, too, you will see a vast improvement in the amount you will be able to lift once you have trained your back muscles better,” Rook continued, probably seeing that Epel wasn’t entirely convinced by the élégant answer.

“Oh... right. I'm sorry.”

Vil couldn’t care less about whatever those guys were talking about, though. He was too busy looking into a compact mirror, tracing imaginary creases beneath his eyes. “Ugh… I just cannot decide how I want to do my makeup on tournament day!” He met Rook’s eyes briefly. “I'm thinking maybe that new foundation from Felicity Cosmetics?”

“Oh ho ho! Mon belle Vil, the Roi du Poison, surely your beauté is not so faint that you need makeup to shine?”

Ito’s eyebrows furrowed. Not quite in thought. More like they were annoyed. “Francais?” they murmured.

Vil sent Rook a reproachful look, brief as it was. “Of course I don't. But I don't dare miss an opportunity to accentuate it further!”

Rook chuckled, undeterred by the momentary scorn. “I admire your passion. Magnifique! Très magnifique!”

Ito nodded to themself, once, grimly. “Francais…” they groaned softly, turning to knock their head against Enma’s shoulder.

Kuroki looked mildly offended that he hadn’t been chosen. Enma smirked at him and wrapped an arm around their friend’s shoulder.

Because he wanted to comfort them, of course. Was he entirely sure what was going on? No, but they knew their friend was apparently very depressed that the French language existed. And for that they deserved care.

Grim gave a brief, confused look, and his bewilderment only increased from there. He looked at Cater incredulously. “Uhhhhh… you're saying these guys are these super amazing athletes? Somehow, I doubt they’re going to be targeted.”

“You shouldn’t underestimate them just because they’re ‘pretty’, they’re still formidable competitors… but you’re right about them probably not being the target. Maybe we should move on.”

They started to leave, only for Enma to realize that Ito wasn’t yet moving.

He glanced down at them, gently nudging them, thinking they were still so lost in their hatred of the French that they hadn’t yet noticed that they were leaving.

But then Ito ducked out from under his arm, sighing as they started towards the group of three’s table.

“We should still at least warn them…”

Riddle cringed. “Ito-san, wait –.”

Rook turned to look at them the moment they rounded the side of the bookcase. He hadn’t been facing them in the slightest. No one was sure how he knew that they were there, much less how he had known the moment they came out.

“Hello, Jules.”

Ito stopped cold.

“Uh. Hi.”

Rook smiled widely. It was both incredibly inviting and unsettling at the same time. Enma wasn’t sure how he had managed that.

“You come bearing news, do you not? Come here, come here!”

Ito looked as if they would rather quit Coke than do that, but they forced a smile and made their way over regardless.

Rook’s eyes flicked, briefly, to where their group was still hiding, and they were quick to disperse. RIP Ito, at least you found someone that could actually pronounce your first name before you died. Yeah, they figured it out through dubious means, but you’re dying, so you gotta take the win where you can before you go.

~

Cater brought them to the courtyard next. How did he know where to go this time? Well, apparently, one of the Heartslabyul freshmen had complained to Trey about ‘almost being murdered’ there and Trey had passed on the information.

Poor Trey. Even while grievously injured, the House Mom role never falters.

But enough about him! More about the very scary people that had almost murdered someone!

… should they be helping these people?

No time to ponder that!

“Next on CayCay's big list of potential targets are Jade and Floyd Leech. They're both sophomores at Octavinelle House.”

“Fuck,” groaned Kuroki.

Cater ignored him. “Word is, they work so well together on the field that other teams don't know how to counter them.”

“Is it just me, or are they freakishly tall?” said Ace.

“Just you,” Enma said.

“Shut up.”

Riddle huffed. “Everyone at this school is unusually tall.”

“Of course, senpai,” said Enma.

Ace rolled his eyes so hard he had to have seen his brain back there.

Grim’s eyes widened. “Why is no one talking about how they have, like, the exact same face?!”

Deuce looked just as surprised.

“They must be twins or something.”

(They looked strangely interested in this. Maybe twins were less common in this world? Or maybe this was just Deuce and Grim being Deuce and Grim. Honestly, the chances were about 50/50.)

Kuroki, who was still very unhappy about the fact that he might be forced to interact with the Leech twins more than was strictly necessary by virtue of his job, did not bother to hold back his sass: “Figure that all by yourself, did you?”

Deuce and Grim both nodded, though Deuce seemed embarrassed if the red creeping across his face meant anything and Grim looked almost proud, likely having not noticed the sheer amount of sarcasm in the words.

Enma sent Kuroki a Look.

Kuroki grumbled under his breath but (eventually) said sorry, so he was taking the win.

Deuce cleared his throat. “So! What do we think? Could they be in danger?”

Riddle shook his head. “I don't know about that. If I were the culprit, I'd save them for last. Just look at those two. I wouldn't want to get anywhere near them — especially Floyd.”

Kuroki nodded emphatically. “If they’re in danger, I vote to let nature take its course.”

“Oh ho ho! Koebi-chan and Kingyo-chan in the same place! What a treat!”

“Fuck,” Kuroki said, again, with even more feeling this time.

Slowly, like the horror movie characters they were at their core, they looked up at Floyd Leech. He leaned against the bush they had all been hiding behind in a way that would have seemed casual, if it were not a bush and therefore an incredibly unstable to thing to lean against. Enma was mildly impressed by the balancing skills necessary to pull off this feat.

Riddle rushed to get out of arms reach. “Fiddlesticks! He’s here!”

“I’m begging you, man, just curse,” Ace said, as if that was the thing that mattered most here.

Floyd grinned widely. Perhaps at the idea of Riddle cursing. Perhaps something else. Enma wasn’t going to pretend to know him.

“What’re you guys up to? Playing hide-and-seek? Sounds like fun!”

Kuroki shook his head rapidly. “It’s not. The round is over, actually, I think! We should get going!”

Floyd’s expression dropped into a pout. “Aw, so soon? Are you leaving, too, Kingyo-chan?”

“Floyd... I've asked you several times to stop calling me by strange nicknames.”

“But you're so small and red! How are you not a goldfish?”

Enma frowned, raising his hand. “Aren’t kingyos gold?”

Floyd made a ‘more or less’ motion with his hand. “That’s the most common color, yeah, but kingyos can also be red, orange, blueish-gray, brown, yellow, white, or black.”

“Oh! Cool!”

“Uh oh. Anyone that can get along with Enma is a few cans short of a tuna casserole,” Grim said.

Enma frowned. What the heck?

Unlike him, Floyd didn’t seem to care about being called insane: “A talking cat? Now that’s something you don't see every day! Can I squeeze you 'til you pop?”

“Uh, no?!”

Deuce threw an arm between them protectively. Would it help if Floyd made any genuine attempts to grab Grim? No, but it was the thought that counts. “Hey, that’s Kuroki’s thing!”

“Yeah –!” said Kuroki. Then, he blinked. “Wait, what?”

He didn’t even get enough time to be offended, because an arm was draped over his shoulders. Kuroki squeaked and looked up.

Jade Leech smiled in a way that might have seemed pleasant if you ignored the general menacing aura that seemed to surround him. “My, it would appear a contingent from Heartslabyul House has paid us a little visit. Here to assess the competition in advance of the Spelldrive tournament, perhaps?”

Cater laughed awkwardly. “We don’t care about the tournament that much.”

“Yes we do,” said Deuce, looking at Riddle. Good on him for trying to be a suckup, even if it was just so he could get onto his dorm’s Magift team.

However, now was not the time.

Cater stepped on his foot. “No. We don’t.”

Jade looked between the both of them. “Then what are you all up to?”

“Uh…”

Riddle cleared his throat. “A special assignment on behalf of the headmaster.”

“Oh? What does it entail?”

Ace grimaced. “Well… you see… it’s not really our place to say…”

Jade smiled. It wasn’t a kind thing. In fact, he seemed to only be doing it in order to show off his many, many sharp teeth. “We take a dim view of spying at Octavinelle. I simply must ask you to justify your actions, suspicious as they are. And please, spare no detail.”

Ace backed up a few steps. “Anyone else getting any, uh, murder-y vibes?”

Cater was, in fact, also picking up on the murder-y vibes!

“Man, would you look at the time? Gotta run, guys! It's been real! Byeee!”

Of course, running was the absolute worst idea, because the twins were the type to enjoy chasing their food. If anything, running had doomed them all.

But then.

Kuroki yelped, drawing the twins’ attention, holding up his hands in a way that was either supposed to be placating or seen as surrender. Either one worked.

“I was actually wondering if I could work a shift tonight! I know I’m not scheduled, but the holidays are coming up, kinda, and I need to start saving up sooner rather than later, you know?”

Floyd paused. And then he rested his arm atop Kuroki’s head. “Oh! Why didn’t you just call in, then, Koebi-chan?”

“Because of my… situation, I don’t have a phone.”

Cater frowned. “Situation?”

“Being poor.”

“Riiiiight. My bad. Forgot about that.”

Jade and Floyd don’t seem entirely convinced. Actually, scratch the ‘entirely’ part. They aren’t convinced at all. But they seem amused and curious as to how long Kuroki will continue blatantly lying to their faces, and that might just be enough to save them.

“You hardly need an entourage for that,” Jade teased.

“You guys are big and scary. They’re my hype men.”

“You flatter us.”

“I can promise you, I meant every word,” Kuroki said, earnestly.

“How sweet. Well, if you’re so desperate for work, I’m sure we can find something for you to do.”

They watched Kuroki get carted off by the twins for work. Ace lifted his hand in a salute. Fight on, soldier.

[caker-baker]

Of Convenience

The protagonist was sometimes asked if they were married. They would always say no. There was no point in the whole truth.

To be fair, they were young, in college, and both them and their spouse figured being married would make things just a bit easier with money.

So, marriage. Totally platonic marriage between two broke best friends that was meant to last only through the end of their schooling.

Then their spouse disappeared, and stayed disappeared for ten years.

Legally, the protagonist wasn’t even married anymore, they never lied when they said they weren’t married. How could someone be married to a presumed dead person?

Sometimes they felt guilty. All the mourning for their best friend had been done with, and they weren’t by any means in love with them in the traditional way one would love their spouse, but it never stopped the protagonist from feeling bad.

Bad about moving on with their life. Bad about this date.

But it had been ten years, and the protagonist reasoned their best friend, wherever they were, would be happy for them.

It was supposed to be at a nice place, this date. A traditionally formal restaurant, one with valets. The protagonist enjoyed that. They didn’t always have the time for nice outings.

It was also relatively public, a little ways away from the heart of the city, close enough to home in case things took a turn for the worse.

But that was just a what if. Their friend gave this blind date a glowing review.

The bad feeling still ate away at the protagonist. Not for their possibly dead spouse, but for the lack of knowing. They didn’t know this person, and sure, the goal was to get to know them, but there was no basis for anything.

Regardless, it was going to be a nice night out with a nice meal in their nice clothes. All thoughts the protagonist had to remind themselves of as they watched the valet take their car away.

The door closed behind them, and the protagonist jumped.

Online, the place looked lively, warm. This was empty, abandoned of all people.

The tables and chairs and lights were all there. Lovely centerpieces of flowers and candles decorated empty spaces. No chatter filled the room, no host stood at the front, and most notably, no date.

It was all under a second the protagonist was able to observe these factors, and took less than three to turn and push on the door that wouldn’t budge.

“It locks electronically.”

For the second time that night, the protagonist jumped.

“How wonderfully modern.” They said, not taking their hand off the door.

“Wonderfully.” The faceless voice agreed. “Wouldn’t you like to sit?”

“Actually, I think I was just about to leave.”

“What about your date?”

The protagonist turned, and nearly screamed.

They thought they could deal with a regular person in this irregular situation. However, dealing with a villain was much, much different.

“Funny enough,” the protagonist managed “I’m beginning to think they stood me up.”

“Oh?” The villain grinned, sitting slowly at one of the tables. “What makes you so sure?”

“It’s been a few minutes since the agreed upon time.”

This was wrong. Talking with a villain while waiting for help.

What help? No alarms were triggered. There’s no sign of a villain being here at all. No hero would have any clue of potential danger.

“Still.” The villain moved their eyes to the chair opposite them. “You should sit.”

At this point, the protagonist was only conscious through fear and adrenaline, so, they moved to the chair, and sat.

“Now, forgive me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you married?” The villain said, leaning forward to rest their chin in their hand.

“I-” Two more people came out then, trays in hand, and all the protagonist could do was watch as they set them down, and left wordlessly. “I- what?”

“Well,” the villain started again, lifting the lid to their tray. “I could have sworn you had a spouse. Yet here you are, waiting for a,” they sucked air in through their teeth, a harsh sign of disapproval. “date.”

“What an unlucky bastard my spouse is, huh?” The protagonist felt dizzy.

“Oh, surely.” The villain’s eyes looked as if they darkened. “I’m glad, at least, corporate life hasn’t knocked the humor out of you.”

What?

“No, just all my free time.”

“Still free enough to try for a date.” The villain looked at them with a matter of fact stare, something the protagonist had been on the receiving end of before.

It was a stare their best friend, their spouse had mastered.

It was the same stare the villain was giving them now.

It was the same eye color the protagonist used to know well.

It was…

Oh.

“There they are.” The villain - or rather, their presumed dead best friend, their spouse - looked amused, and leaned back in the chair. “I knew you were smarter than that.”

“But you-”

Oh, God.

“You vanished.” The protagonist whispered.

“And you never even looked for me.”

“Looked for you?” The protagonist repeated in disbelief.

“I’m only teasing, love. I didn’t leave a single trace. No one could have found me.”

The protagonist stood. “And now you’re a villain.”

“Mm. I prefer goal-oriented entrepreneur.”

“You’re a villain!”

“If you insist. You are really going to let the foie gras go to waste if you don’t eat.”

“You’ve been alive this whole time! You’re perfectly fine!” The protagonist sat again, lowering their voice. “We had a funeral for you. We mourned you. The police could only assume you died.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, love. I didn’t realize my disappearance would upset you so.”

The protagonist slammed their hands on the table. “You were my best friend! We got married.”

“I know, I was there.” The villain held up their hand, the old, cheap ring still on their finger. “Bringing me back to my point. Why go on a date?”

For a brief moment, the protagonist had to wonder if they were the crazy one for not seeing the villain’s side of things.

“Why was I trying to go on a date ten years after you left?” They spoke slowly, still trying to decipher if there was something strange about it.

“We both know it wasn’t just the one date. Maybe the first one in a while, but-”

“Have you been watching me?”

“No more than I need to. You’re my spouse, Protagonist.”

“It was a marriage of convenience. Neither of us really ever…and legally, no, we aren’t married. You can’t be married to a dead person.”

The villain let out a single scoff. “You’re not dead, and I’m still very much married to you.”

“That’s not-”

“Point being, Protagonist, I got tired of watching these people come in and out of your life.”

“And you get to do the exact same thing, is that it?”

“Absolutely not.” The villain scowled. “What kind of a person do you take me for anyways?”

“The kind who disappears for ten years without a call or even a postcard!”

The villain at least had the decency to look slightly embarrassed. “Touché.”

The protagonist’s tone turned less angry, and more serious. “I’ve seen you online. The news.”

“Ah.” The villain let a look of annoyance pass over their face. “Most people have, love.”

“What makes you think I wouldn’t go running to the closest person I could find to tell them about you? I know your identity now. There’s someone to find and blame for the things you’ve done.”

“I do have your car.”

Stupid valets.

“And, really, love. Do you know me? My civilian self has dropped off the face of the earth.”

The protagonist felt a chill up their spine, but the villain was just getting started.

“You also seem to be forgetting I’m the one who kept on eye on you. I know you. For better or for worse, I know you. How it’s only six blocks to home, how you visit your parents and sister every other month. She’s sixteen now, right? How you meet up with my parents every anniversary of my disappearance, and how you manage to avoid telling everyone who asks that you are indeed committed to someone.”

“What do you want?” The protagonist spat.

“Other than your company?” The villain tapped a finger to their lips in faux thought. “Now that you mention it, that cushy corporate job of yours has a hold on some valuable assets of mine. And believe me, love, it’s honestly something they wouldn’t want to get too deep in.”

“You’ve been watching me this entire time just to threaten me? Because of my job?”

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, love. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not threatening you. I adore your family, and I would never hurt you. You know that right?”

“Do I?”

“Mm.” The villain tilted their head to the side. “Tell you what, love. You don’t even have to do any of the corporate espionage. You just have to give me your boss’ number. I can go from there.”

The protagonist found themselves shaking.“Why are you doing this?”

“I couldn’t think of a better reason to stay in your life than to bring a little chaos.”

[stickynotestoletters]

may i ask for some poly relationship w larry & sal x male reader hcs?

Ah! Of course! :) Sorry I've been taking so long school is getting to me cause of finals;-;

Warnings: Noncannon compliant (their parents aren't together, no one dies, etc), NSFW (implied teen NSFW otherwise they're out of highschool), no weird cult stuff but they still ghost hunt, more modernish (?) phones and stuff

Sal x Male Reader x Larry hcs

highschool

I think that Sal and Larry would have gotten together before you got there

Like, I say gotten together but the way they started it was literally best friends that were super hornknee and decided to have sex together

They started then developing romantic feelings for each other though

And although the sex dynamic wasn't perfect (refer to my Sal x reader NSFW fic) it was good and they loved each other

It became an on and off thing until they actually worked it out

they talked about it and decided that it was better that they stay friends until they can sort out their own sexual desires and endeavors

Sal didn't even know he could do both as a switch and verse so he wanted to just re-examine his sexual self

And Larry was okay with that

So they decided to date but just without sex for a while

Then you moved to Nockfell their sophomore year

and god were you cool

Sal was the first one to see you in the hallway

It wasn't love at first sight really

He thought you were cool and he wanted to talk to you

Then that same day he told Larry about you during lunch

"I want to talk to him I just don't know how to approach him"

"Oh, well who is it?"

Ngl Larry was kinda jealous about how flustered Sal was getting at the prospect of a new friend but then Sal pointed at you and Larry was like "Oh, okay, I get it."

So Larry just approaches you

It was kinda to tease Sal about how shy he was being

Also kinda because you looked rad as fuck

So Larry approaches you sitting at a table alone

You were actually quite chill

You were happy since no one was approaching you

You guys hit it off and ended up becoming really good friends!

So for the duration of your sophomore year and the summer of your junior year, you guys were really good pals and hung out a lot

Then Larry started developing feelings first

And he was super confused since he knew he still liked Sal, no doubt about it

So he was just super confused and conflicted because he didn’t want to break up with Sal

So during, about the first half, of all of your junior year he kept this to himself and tried to keep himself from feeling for you

Sal on the other hand already accepted his feelings, he realized it later than Larry

And he read yp on what being polygamous meant

So although there was a lot of confusion at first he figured it's no different from people in love triangles

He realizes it a couple weeks after Larry and decides to bring this up to Larry during winter break

The conversation pretty much just went like Sal explaining polyamory to Larry for an hour

They end up deciding to just wait a bit and try to flirt with you individually

you know,

because they don't remember that you don't know they're attracted to you at this point

:)

So basically you think that they're both trying to cheat on each other for the week they're flirting with you

At the end of that week, you tell them to meet you together

And they don't know any better than to meet you

And then you come to them, don't let them explain, and cry because you don't want two of your best friends to cheat on each other like this even though you like them

And then they realize why you're saying this

So although this was not the time they expected to confess to you they told you what they were trying to do

So you just sat there

With these two idiots

and told them "No guys, cause I was literally having a breakdown about losing my two best friends."

And they confess to you

and everything is emotional and raw and you accept

Your guys' dynamic doesn't change because you’re dating now

The only difference is you guys make out together and show lots more pda

although you always bring up what they did when they were trying to give you hints

"We just really wanted to flirt with you okay??? Is it such a crime to want your crush to fall for you???"

"When you guys don't explain you're looking to expand your relationship, yes. Yes, it is Larry."

"He's kind of right babe-"

"SAL-"

Y'all spend a lot of time communicating with each other on stuff like that now

Your senior year goes without any bumps between all of you and you then graduate

College Dynamic

so you and the gang (except Ash, she moves to the city of course) goes and makes a college house

once you all move in together there it's a new routine

You all agreed and talked about the move together and what it would entail

And then you all finally realized how different it was from a monogamous relationship it was

But you all had your learning curves within the relationship

You find out more about their dynamic as a couple

For example, Larry and Sal never liked to fall asleep without you anymore

They had trouble sleeping without you beforehand and the first time you all slept in the same bed together it was just... so... peaceful

They'll spoon and cuddle without you individually (Sal is always the big spoon with Larry)

but they just love falling asleep next to you

They also refuse to do homework without you there

Even if it's just the simplest this they're just gonna need to have you in the room to finish it

Sal likes to make songs about you guys

He records them and edits some but he never lets you two listen to them

"It's just embarrassing if you two were to listen to it. It's like confessing my love for you guys all over again except I can't hide behind the mask."

So until he decides to release his songs online or plays those at gigs he's never going to let you listen to them

Larry likes to paint you guys

His paintings of you before the "disaster confession" were okay, it just looked like he was making a painting of a friend, except for the occasional rose

But now he paints you and draws you two whenever he can

He finds it funny how flustered you and Sal get whenever he makes suggestive paintings or sketches of you two

One time he painted a whole sex portrait of you and Sal together (A 12 by 28 specifically) hung it upright in front of the door to your rooms and didn't tell anyone

So after you and Sal got home that day you were welcomed with Larry lounging on your bed with the giant picture of you fucking Sal next to him

It was definitely beautiful though, even if it's hard to call your nudes beautiful

"Larry Johnson, this painting, as always, masterful. Beautiful craftsmanship but please-" "-we mean this in the most loving way possible Larry-" "-STOP PAINTING OUR NUDES BABE"

He put it away to be hung up in your apartment for when you all move out

Non-College Life

Once you all finish college you guys move into an apartment outside of Nockfell

The minute after you and Sal leave to get food Larry puts up all his private paintings of you guys

It's funny to him

I imagine you guys moving to a really populated city

Somewhere where it's a good place for people wanting to have creative jobs but still close to Nockfell

Maybe not back to New Jersey but probably not as far as New York or LA

you guys do all the cute stuff you never got to in Nockfell together

It's not like the majority of Nockfell was homophobic, mostly just the people who went to the church

But a lot more of them didn't think that polyamory was possible

So now it's easier

It's not like you never experience any polyphobia anymore but it's easier because you're in a more open-minded place

Sal's favorite thing is to go to concerts now

And pride

He also likes coffee house dates too

Larry gets hit on a lot though whenever you guys go out anywhere though

He finds it funny how jealous you both get

Sometimes if he wants Sal to get really mad he'll play along

But most of the time he shuts it down before it begins

Sal gets hit on a lot at concerts the most though

He gets kind of awkward about it, he's not going to edge them on but he gets uncomfortable enough to just not know how to shut them down

Usually, you and Larry will just appear behind him and whisk him away

Larry likes to use it as teasing leverage for a good rough one that night but you usually make sure he's okay with it before Larry does anything

You get hit on the most casually

Here and there but there aren't really specific places

It just sort of happens

You mostly shut them down alone

But occasionally you'll have to go to Sal and Larry if they're persistent

And they'll be mean too

One of the first times you saw Sal and Larry ever legitimately get that mean was when you got hit on in a club and they both just pulled you behind them and absolutely ripped the person a new one

You guys really like to stay at home if you guys have dates though that way everyone feels included

But when you all do go around together it's always specifically for three people you never tell anyone it's a date for dinner reservations, you always make sure you go on rides everyone wants to go on at amusement parks, and hey if worse comes to worst smoking is a group activity (if you have asthma or any other breathing condition Larry makes you edibles if you really wanna do edibles with them)

Starting jobs there are tough and all but you make it off your feet

Sal ends up booking a lot of gigs and Larry's commission request skyrocket when he moves to the city and makes a blog about his art

You all get an apartment with affordable rent and one that allows Gizmo

I hc that Gizmo is an esp but I don't know if that's real

So regardless you'll still be able to have room for him

Sal proposes to both of you

You guys talked about marriage and decided that it would be easier legally to just not get married through a court

So you guys have a friends wedding and Gizmo is the ring bearer

You guys don't get a fancy venue or anything

You guys all just have a city wedding

NSFW

So, the first time you all decide to hook up it's mostly just very communicative rules beforehand

Sal is more comfortable with being fucked than fucking someone else at most times but "It's not like I never want to stick my dick in you two" as he puts it

He also likes background music on most of the time

It's kinda weird if there isn't just a little bit of music

It isn't really bothersome, you guys keep it below 20 at most times

Sal's also super submissive

He liked it rough, make him cry out for you two

A bit of a pillow prince

Especially enjoys being tied up by you two

gags and blindfolds are on the table

Although whenever he does feel up to fucking you and Larry he'll usually end up having you two ride him because he gets to be such a mess with you two unless he's jealous or upset

Usually, when he's upset he's gonna lift you two up and fuck you against the headboard or wherever you two are if he's impatient enough

One time you were chilling with Larry in your bedroom and he was painting over his easel

Sal burst through the door where it slammed back on itself and closed itself

He then tracks his eyes on you

immediately asks you "Can I please fuck you right now"

and as soon as your safe word and consent comes out of your mouth he's holding you down on the bed and fucking into you so hard you can barely breath

Larry doesn't mind it and just continues painting with you moaning and being so pathetic in the background of his music

He kinda finds it funny because before you all got together and he and Larry would angry fuck it never worked out

Sal was just being a brat most of the time because Larry still wouldn't let him fuck him submissively

Speaking of which, Larry's more comfortable with being dominant, he'll bottom but only if he can still be dominant otherwise forget it

Larry's just a rough fucker anyway

He really likes pushing and holding you two up against walls when he fucks you guys

He likes showing off the muscles he got helping his mom with handy work and stuff like that

The first time he did this was to Sal when you were studying in your guy's room

You said you didn't really wanna participate today so they fucked like they would without you

And so they're talking back and forth, teasing each other

and Larry corners him

And just

lifts him up

It looked like he was just lifting a bag of sugar up

Sal seemed weightless as Larry just rocks into him

It was one of the hottest things you'd seen at the time so you joined them

You do that a couple more times but then it just becomes normal and you decide you need to start finishing all those assignments

Larry does that to you one on one as well without Sal but it happens to Sal a lot more spontaneously

Larry though is kinkier than Sal in some respects

He'll try anything at least once "Lisa didn't raise no bitch-"

He's really into breeding and long fucking sessions though

Like, lowkey he has omegaverse fantasies

Not because of the weird stuff just because a lot of the time..... they have breeding written in

He'll never admit to reading any of it but you know he has at least once

Super into dirty talk

And he's really good at it

He also had a praise kink and a degradation kin

He likes degrading you and you telling him thank you and how good he's treating a filthy little brat like you

"What're my filthy little brats good for other than sucking my dick so well. Taking me so well like the dirty little whores you are?"

"Yes sir-" "-we're made for your big cock-" "-thank you for fucking us like this-"

He especially likes breeding you and having Sal suck you off while he does it, he finds your crying cute

And an added bonus is rewarding Sal after for it

You guys talk about long-term consent and all that and decide that it's a good idea, you all trust and love each other so there isn't a problem

lol this kinda went to shit at the end but I still like it enough! Thanks for the Sally Face request I really like this game and the dynamic between a poly reader hc :)

-Laika

[hamliet]

What Does It Mean to Save?

I keep seeing it said that Deku, Ochaco, and Shouto will “save” Shigaraki, Himiko, and Dabi, but that there will be no redemption and/or no survival for them. I’m truly not trying to vague these posts and everyone is entitled to their opinion, but literary criticism is fundamentally responsive so I’m writing this anyways.

I personally think that’s not BNHA’s definition of saving nor of redemption. So here, have a deep dive into literary tropes related to redemption, genre, and character arcs as they pertain to BNHA and the question of: what does it mean to save Shigaraki, Touya, and Himiko?

Before we begin, let me say that while we might be personally uncomfortable with redemption (there’s a redemption arc in BNHA I am personally quite uncomfortable with), that doesn’t inherently mean the narrative won’t go there. The key principle I’m operating on here is BNHA’s message that heroes save people. It’s held up as the highest ideal. 

So let’s talk redemption in BNHA-verse. With this guy, whose redemption arc I dislike in principle but accept as part of the story so don’t come for me stans and/or antis. I’m analyzing because it shows us what redemption means in BNHA-verse, whether or not that is satisfying to you personally as it fits/does not fit with your own morality/philosophy.

If Endeavor can be redeemed and live, and he’s Bakugou’s negative foil, I highly doubt Shigaraki and Deku as well as Touya and Shouto and Ochaco and Himiko will be any different. Why? Because Enji is an adult character. The others--well, Himiko’s age we don’t know, but we do know that Shigaraki and Dabi are technically adults. But does the story consider them adults?

(It doesn’t.)

Child-coded characters are generally more likely to survive a redemption, which I’ll explain more later. First I have to define what I mean by child-coding, because I DO NOT mean this in the way it’s often (mis)used in fandom wank. Child-coding is a real thing, but it is not done to infantilize and it has nothing to do with shipping.

Child coding frames the character as a child for a few narrative purposes to convey a story’s theme or purpose. For example, if it’s a coming of age story coding a character as a child even if they legally are not emphasizes their journey to an understanding of self-actualization, or a true understanding of self with self-awareness and an understanding of self-value. An example of an adult coded as a child is The Kite Runner, wherein Amir is a legal adult for half the story, even married for fifteen years so we’re talking 30s-40s, but he does not truly become an adult until he returns to his homeland and takes responsibility for a childhood sin. In Attack on Titan, the main characters are now nineteen, but are still struggling to take responsibility as adults and have only started doing so now that their mentors/parental figures have started dying.

Along those lines, in any kind of story, you can code a character as a child of someone, regardless of biological relationship, to convey the type of relationship they have (usually a mentor one). For an example of this, see Bungo Stray Dogs’ Dazai and Akutagawa. Despite their two year age difference, Dazai recruited him to the mafia, abandoned him, and Akutagawa desperately seeks his approval. Usually in these stories a character will “overcome” their parental figure. This can be done through overcoming their need for the parental figure’s approval in stories where the parental figure is kindly (such as in Harry Potter, when in the final book Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave the Weasleys to find the Horcruxes despite Mrs. Weasley’s please) or through like, killing/stopping/leaving the parental figure when they are abusive (see fairy tales like Rapunzel and Cinderella). The parental link to self-actualization is because it is childlike (and a part of actual psychology that is reflected in literature) to see yourself as a part of your parent; self-actualized person would see yourself as a distinct person from your parent, but also acknowledge the ways in which they’ve shaped you.

So, how do you code a character as a child? BNHA isn’t subtle about it, because Horikoshi seldom is subtle about anything. The villain trio are all coded as children.

Shigaraki Tomura:

Who cannot achieve self-actualization so long as AFO has access to his body, as he’s literally trying to possess him. He’s trying, but it’s not gonna work because Shigaraki can’t keep AFO and become an adult at the same time. It’s a choice the narrative is setting up: your dream of destroying, or your freedom? (To get the latter, he’ll probably have to destroy AFO).

Todoroki Touya, who is repeatedly emphasized as a small child when compared to his siblings, and yes, I know he’s now tall. Specifically he’s spotlighted as the child of Endeavor:

And he’s the least self-actualized one in a lot of ways, contradicting himself constantly. I’m not Endeavor, DUH! But these are Endeavor’s flames! He’s gonna have to choose one or the other, because the tragic irony is that the more he takes out his rage on those around him, the more like Endeavor he becomes.

And Toga Himiko (who might well literally be a legal child), who is actually the most self-actualized one thus far, because she rejects Curious’s child insistence (Curious holds her in a Pieta pose, based on Michelangelo’s statue wherein Mary holds a deceased Christ):

She’s still got, like, a way to go though:

Because Himiko also wants to be like the people she loves to the point where she loses her own identity in them, which is er, not self-actualization. So she’ll have to choose whether or not she really wants to be like the people she loves or whether she wants to live her own way, which she herself tells us how that would end (death):

Deku said it himself: it’s good to focus on what someone is doing now. And look, I have issues with this statement and how it’s framed. I’ve talked about it at length and it was doomed to fail because Shouto himself told us long ago that it was annoying to hear a righteous speech by a stranger when you hadn’t gone through the same, plus Endeavor kinda failed by choosing being a hero over a dad here. But, the principle is that if the past doesn’t preclude Endeavor from seeking a better self, why would it preclude three characters coded as children, one of whom is literally somewhat the product of Endeavor’s sins? BNHA doesn’t think the past keeps someone from a better future. 

So what about Dabi’s counterpoint, which is indeed valid? Well, redemption doesn’t mean the past forgets, either. It’s complicated and nuanced, and we can debate how well Horikoshi strikes this nuance (it’s got its flaws), and admittedly I don’t know how this will go down in the future. But it is asking Endeavor: how do you redeem yourself to the people you’ve hurt? And we have Endeavor asking this question to Touya’s shrine. I mean, the foreshadowing is obvious. Endeavor has to redeem himself by trying to save Touya. However, it will still probably come down to Shouto to save Touya.

For our three villains, it’s a little harder to predict... well, sort of. For Shigaraki it’s extremely obvious: he has to help take down AFO. Dabi probably has to do something to help his family (siblings probably), but it’s vague. Toga needs help and not condemnation, but presumably she’ll help Ochaco with something.

So, is this redemption? I’d define it as redemption in the eyes of the narrative. To address what makes a redemption is another essay unto itself, but if we bring in the oft-compared Star Wars example: did Darth Vader get a redemption? Did Ben Solo? Everyone says yes to both. However, only Luke witnesses Vader’s redemption, and only Rey Ben Solo’s. So the rest of the galaxy? Doesn’t think so. When I say they’ll be redeemed, I’m defining it as their role in the eyes of the narrative, not whether or not society will accept them or even whether their victims will forgive them (of note, in canonical novels, Leia never forgave Darth Vader despite learning he was her father and obviously knowing Luke’s account of his redemption was true).

So, redemption in a narrative doesn’t mean all of society has to forgive and accept them. Dabi has still like, murdered 30 people--many of whom were thugs, but he himself acknowledges they didn’t deserve to die. Additionally, he himself also acknowledges that the families left behind--their feelings matter:

But why does that mean they have to die? Why even does it mean they have to languish in prison forever? (If there’s even a safe prison at the end of BNHA which I kinda have doubts about.) Heroes have also killed: see Hawks as Exhibit A. In fact, some people want revenge on the heroes precisely because they arrested or killed their loved ones (jail isn’t held up as a rehabilitative place in BNHA’s world. In most countries it isn’t in real life, either, but again that’s for another essay). So why don’t the League’s feelings on Twice’s death matter just as much as the feelings of unnamed and unseen (and thereby less important narratively) characters?

Additionally, regarding death... the villains routinely get called on their death wishes. Himiko’s determination to decide how/when she dies is called out because this is right  before Twice overcomes his trauma to save her, and the next arc they appear in is when Twice dies trying to save her again. Dabi’s suicide wish keeps him from getting close to others, and it keeps getting thwarted. Shigaraki’s obsession with destruction and death is clearly not a good thing, and his rejection of his family’s desire for them to join him in death this past arc is growth.

In other words: what Dabi said and what Snatch said about families and how they feel matter for the villains too. The villains are their own weird found family (Dabi as the deadbeat prodigal brother of both his families). Their deaths--Magne’s and Twice’s thus far, and I’m not ruling out further deaths in the future--affect the others. People’s feelings on losing loved ones matter. The villains are people, as Himiko said herself this arc:

Their feelings about each other matter:

How would Touya dying affect the Todorokis? At least they saved him spiritually, I guess, but that’s absolutely lame narratively, and if you have Enji eventually do a sacrifice to save Dabi (pretty likely, even if I personally think Enji will survive said sacrifice) then what’s the point of Dabi dying? How would Himiko dying affect society? As a martyr like Curious wanted her to be, even a redeemed one? A tragic warning story? What even is the point of Ochaco saving her if that’s the case? If Shigaraki dies, well, who would mourn besides Deku? How would Shigaraki dying affect the surviving members of the league? He just couldn’t be saved physically? 

It’s not impossible some of this happens, but it doesn’t seem like great writing, especially with panels like, oh, these that show us BNHA’s perspective on death:

Sacrificing something is a type of death that occurs in stories; this should happen in a redemption arc, which is why I’ve been saying Enji needs to sacrifice his hero reputation to help save Touya and even then it’ll still be Shouto imo who does the saving. But physical death?

If you want further analysis of the latter two panels and how they relate to the ending, see here.

We already have another villain who will definitely die redemptively (Kurogiri--an adult coded character--because he’s already, like, dead), and Spinner and Mr. Compress aren’t coded as kids so I hold them with anxiety towards the end. But again, this isn’t me being ageist or saying this is the way things ought to be in fiction or real life: it’s me looking at writing tropes and saying that child-coded characters tend to survive their redemptions. See: Zuko. Why? Because the death of children or child-coded characters is a tragedy. When a child-coded character dies redemptively it doesn’t feel like a happy ending and if framed as such, it’s often criticized for bad writing (see: Ben Solo). Curious even called this out in her fight with Himiko. I would hope Horikoshi doesn’t end the story being like yeah Curious was right that’s the best use of Himiko’s/Dabi’s/Shigaraki’s arcs:

Additionally, as for the believability of a character getting a new chance after so much destruction and murder... well, it’s kinda a thing in shonen and even in seinen? For better or for worse, it’s a thing. We have Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z and Kaneki Ken in Tokyo Ghoul (Kaneki, by the way, is absolutely an inspiration for Shigaraki). We can debate how well-written these redemptions are (I personally have been quite critical of Kaneki’s despite wanting it to happen narratively), but it can be done. BNHA’s Japan especially isn’t as harsh a world as Tokyo Ghoul’s Japan, so it would make even more sense for something like Kaneki’s ending.

The reality is that the cycle of revenge via hurting people and then leaving hurting families and loved ones has to stop somewhere. Someone has to be the bigger person and step up and be like “naw.” That’s heroic. That’s brave. That’s sacrificial itself. Justice itself doesn’t really exist in its purest form without mercy.

There’s another genre-reason I don’t see death or jail as likely (I could see, like, maybe a mental health ward like Rei’s? But it’s too soon to speculate).

If saving is considered a good thing for the story, if it’s truly the highest ideal, then saving someone should be rewarded by the narrative. The characters who save should have a positive result to show us this a good thing.

This is why it doesn’t work for the heroes’ end journey to be accepting that some people cannot be saved. The notion of just accepting that you cannot do something, you cannot save everyone, you cannot, cannot, cannot, is called out as a flaw of society. Determination, on the other hand, is rewarded.

We see it with Deku as well as with Mirio.

So, what if they save them and the redeemed characters then go on to sacrifice themselves in their redemption and die (come to the same end)? If saving changes absolutely nothing for the saved person, if it’s too late for the saved from themselves to change and/or do anything that matters besides die, then the narrative theme of saving as important is left unemphasized at best and undermined at worst. Simple intrinsic knowledge that the kids “did the right thing” doesn’t cut it for a story with so much focus on physical saving when the kids are already doing the right thing; moral struggles about whether to choose to be good aren’t really Deku, Ochaco, or Shouto’s arcs. It works for Aizawa’s arc with Kurogiri, but not for the kiddos. If BNHA was more of a philosophical/spiritual text, that would indeed make sense, but it is not. Genre-wise, BNHA is a fantastical superhero optimistic story, not a gritty real-world set drama.

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

Pro-variation vs. pro-selection culture

Evolution requires three things: some form of information that’s inheritable, some way to create variation from that information, and some way to select what information will be passed on to future generations. In biological evolution, of, course, we all know what these three things are: genes (information) can mutate (variation) -- well, it’s more complicated than just mutation, but this isn’t a biology lesson -- and those that are worse at surviving and reproducing themselves are of course naturally weeded out through cause and effect (selection). But other things -- art, culture, language, science, technology -- evolve as well, and they all need the same three things.

When it comes to variation and selection in things like culture and politics, there’s a sliding scale of which one people think is most important -- whether they’re more pro-variation, or pro-selection.

People on the pro-variation end of the spectrum tend to view diversity as a positive thing and selection as something that will take care of itself, or even something to be actively suspicious of because of its tendency to cause harm -- a rainbow queer community, an education system available to people of all cultures and economic backgrounds, country borders that are as open as practical, and embracing a diverse array of art make a community stronger, and things like gatekeeping, means testing and heirarchies on ‘what counts as art’ should be abandoned unless there’s a really good reason for the selective process to exist, in which case it’s grudgingly tolerated. To pro-variation people, exclusion and oppression within a community are threatening. Pro-variation people recognise that yes, you’re going to get some freeloading drains on resources and obvious money laundering schemes masquerading as terrible art and a few people pretending to be gay for a few years to look more interesting to their straight friends, and this is largely a non-issue, a perfectly acceptable price to pay for a diverse and fair world.

People on the pro-selection end of the scale tend to view selection as the main means of advancing or healing a society, and see diversity as something that will take care of itself and as something to be deeply suspicious of. Gatekeeping, unequal opportunities and financial heirarchies are needed to sort the what from the chaff and make sure everyone does their best (”capitalism breeds innovation”); initiatives to redress inequality and give minorities or poor people an ‘unfair’ advantage or make it easier for outsiders to enter the country should be abandoned unless there’s a really good reason for their existence, as they’re dragging down the ‘deserving’ and polluting the culture. To pro-selection people, contamination or invasion from outsiders is threatening. Pro-selection people recognise that yes, you’re going to lose some talented geniuses in sweatshops and stop some deserving people from achieving success and bully some LGBT people out of the community to face abuse and oppression alone, but this is largely a non-issue, a perfectly acceptable price to pay for an advanced and fair world.

“Oh, Derin, you’re just talking about left-wing vs. right-wing philosophies.” Sort of, but not really. It fits the stereotypes and common arguments to a T, but one can’t assume that all righties are pro-selection or all lefties are pro-variation. I have met pro-variation righties, although I’m not really sure how. And there are leftie TERFs out there, despite TERFism being an undeniably pro-selection philosophy. I find determining where people sit on the variation-to-selection scale to be a lot more useful for communication than left-to-right.

I say this because often I’ll see pro-selection and pro-variation people talking to each other, and notice that they’re having fundamentally different conversations. For example, let’s look at the issue of meritocracy. Most modern people would say that meritocracy is a good thing, but ’meritocracy’ means a fundamentally different thing to pro-selectionists than pro-variationists.

A pro-selectionist, when conceiving of meritocracy, tends to think in terms of, well, selection; devising a system where the strongest (those that excel in whatever the thinker thinks is important; innovation or determination or whatever) rise to the top and gain special privileges and power over others, that they can use to determine the rules and make life better for themselves and their children, elevating society as a side effect. To the pro-variationist, this is absolutely not a meritocracy. “You’ve built a system whereby those who don’t start out with more, those who are born poor or disabled or underprivileged in some way, have to work way harder and be lucky in order to get anywhere than those born lucky. People don’t get ahead on merit in this system because the playing field becomes drastically uneven after a couple of generations. This is not a meritocracy.”

A pro-variationist, on the other hand, would concentrate on making sure that everyone has a fair chance at exercising their skills and getting ahead. They’d focus on making sure that people had the space and security to exercise their skills and that, when it came to supporting the society to make that happen, those with more contributed more. To a pro-selectionist, this is absurd. “So those who have pulled ahead and succeeded are being penalised by having to give more? That’s the opposite of a meritocracy! That’s a system designed to drag the best down!”

I find this framework useful in explaining a lot of weird political quirks of certain subcultures. TERFs and tradwives, for example, are theoretically political opposites, but in practice their logic sounds almost identical to outsiders, sounding rather a lot like standard right-wing talking points and Fascism Lite. This is because they’re all using pro-selection arguments. To a pro-selectionist, the arguments of these groups look very different -- “we’re saying that X kind of people are good/virtuous/victims, and Y kind of people are bad/oppressors/sinners, which is the exact opposite of what the other group is saying!” To a pro-variationist, the fact that they are making literally the same argument makes them identical -- “you’re still putting people in your little ‘keep or cull’ boxes for exactly the same reasons, you just wrote different names on the boxes to keep or cull according to your personal taste.”

I think a lot of the things associated with right-wingers could be more accurately associated with people on the pro-selection end of the spectrum in general. It’s known, for example, that right-wingers tend to have a more sensitive disgust reflex and, as a consequence, be generally more xenophobic. You can see this in the way xenophobes talk of making room for outsiders; they talk of invasion, contamination, infection, hygeine, purity. LGBT exclusionists, lefties and righties, talk in the same sort of language. So do antis.

It’s also notable in the sorts of innocuous-seeming things that such people get really angry about. Right-wingers and authoritarians are known for their trend of an almost comical hatred of modern art. The idea that anything can be art, or that art can be measured on any level that isn’t strict complexity and realism of paint and sculpture, causes a surprising level of dislike in such groups. (See also arguments like ‘what is a video game’, ‘does this even count as a game’, althoughpeople thankfully seem to be bored of that now). Exclusionists are equally renowned for campaigns against inclusive terms like ‘queer’, and TERFs get obsessively nitpicky about people’s genitals to a really creepy degree and get very uncomfortable when you mention the ‘grey area’ in biological sex. This is normally assumed to be just dislike at people challenging their arguments, but I think it’s deeper. I think it’s like the modern art thing. Any kind of radical inclusivity is threatening to pro-selection thinkers, not because it’s a challenge to their rules and definitions -- they can have those arguments perfectly comfortably -- but because it is an attack on the very concept of meaning. “Words mean things! Groups exist! You can’t just... just get rid of groups and open up categories to include more people without putting them through a serious, rigorous proving ground first! You can’t just call anything you want to ‘art’, you can’t just call anyone outside cisheteronormative expectations part of the LGBT community, you can’t just call people men or women based on how they feel! That’s chaos! How can any progress be made if we just decide words don’t mean anything??”

(I also think this is a much-overlooked aspect of the same-sex marriage debate. Yes, most of that was garden-variety homophobia, but I’ve known a lot of people who were perfectly fine with ‘the gays having equal rights’, they just didn’t want it called marriage. To a pro-variationist, having the same legal language for partnerships regardless of the sex or gender of the participants is really important -- it’s a shield against future discrimination as the laws relating to either marriages or civil partnerships change over time. To a pro-selectionist, changing the definition of words related to fundamental cultural activities is a huge deal. “They’re eroding the very meaning of marriage! Chaos! How much more will the word change? Can people marry animals or cars next?!”)

As I said, this is a spectrum. I’ve met very few people who are on either extreme end -- even the most pro-equality liberal anarchist acknowledges that some standards of behaviour, community responses to inappropriate action and definitions of different communities do have to exist, to protect people, and the most hardocre fascist admits that there needs to be some measure of generating diversity to avoid stagnation and extinction. And people’s default reaction isn’t necessarily their position on all issues -- somebody who’s generally pro-variation might feel specifically threatened by immigration and think a strict proving ground for immigrants is necessary, or someone who is generally pro-selectionist might think that a robust social system is necessary because one’s economic status at birth has no bearing on one’s merit or value. But I’ve always found it to be a very useful general model.

[twentytarot]

hi everyone! in this pick a card i hope to show you the person that you will (romantically) love the most in this life, and answer the question of whether you will be able to be happy with this person forever. this means this person isn’t necessarily your soulmate, they’re just the one person you dream of choosing over anyone else! pick the image that sets your thoughts off and scroll down to your respective pile for your reading~ 💞

PILE ONE: SUNSET

your person has gone through some things in life, and it’s made them smart, strong, tolerant and patient. what more can we ask for, honestly, right? for most of you this person will be a virgo, but for some they’ll be a leo. or maybe a combination of both. the only small issue i see here is that they don’t really pay much attention to their emotions, and by extension, others’ as well. not that they would offend people on purpose, just that they may prioritise a goal over someone’s feelings, for example.

lucky you, it looks like you will be with this person for a very long time! you might have just met, or you’ll be meeting them soon at school or work. at least one of you will still be pretty junior when you meet. the connection will be a little bit magical, a little bit telepathic, like you understand and complement each other down to each of your powers and your nature. like i said, this person doesn’t really think about romantic things, but they will start to do more and more of the things you like— basically, they want to and will treat you right if you give them a little push in the right direction. you will start a family that is very balanced and has a healthy amount of discipline. i’m feeling libra... maybe you’ll have a libra child with this person? or maybe it’ll be libra season when you meet, or become official, or marry... it’ll resonate differently for everyone.

lastly, i want to say that this connection is very much mental > physical. i feel like some of you may be asexual? regardless, it’s unlikely that you will be attracted to each others looks at first, you’ll love each other for the other’s personality.

PILE TWO: COUPLE

what an exciting soulmate this is! firstly, yes, this person is your soulmate above being the person you will love the most. huge libra vibes. some of you will see scorpio or gemini, though. your person is daring, they have no trouble leaving safety if they think the next big thing will be worth it, and they’ll adapt to the next environment to the point where they’re unrecognisable from their previous self. yet, they’re pretty intense, so i can’t call them a chameleon. your person also has a way with words— they could convince someone the sky is green if they tried hard enough. they could work in the legal fraternity.

now, for the question on whether you’ll be happy together forever, i want to say it’s a soft yes right now. this relationship might be a little volatile; perhaps you or they are a rather argumentative person by nature (more them than you, honestly) so “fights” break out often. i also get the feeling you’re not someone who actually goes against the flow very often— you like your stability in the long run, even if this intense person excites you. they may not appreciate the steadiness you offer, and you may find their drastic ways too dramatic for your comfort. lady luck is on your side, so i think you will pull through, and the two of you will also be very genuinely and purely in love with each other. that being said... at the point where you meet and get together, neither of you would have your eyes wide open enough to see what the other is here to teach you. and so the puzzle pieces will fit, but wrongly. and when the two of you get to fitting the last few pieces, you’ll realise your mistake. i don’t see you getting out of having a huge fight when this happens. will you have the patience and tenacity to crumble the picture back to pieces and start again? i hope you will, darling, because i really think it’ll be worth it.

PILE THREE: SNOW GLOBE

wow, we have a very good looking person on our hands! for some of you this person could just be a little younger than you, but for most, i’m feeling pretty immature vibes coming from this person. they want what they want, you know? they’re likely a sagittarius-capricorn cusp, but more likely capricorn over sagittarius. they’re determined, ambitious and cocky, but boy do they have the qualifications to back themselves up. when they approach you, they will already know they have you.

and yet, you will not stay. this person underestimates the choices you have. you are not powerless yourself, and they know, yet they choose to believe you won’t use it. but you will, because no matter how much someone has your heart, your heart is not your everything, and i know you are not the kind of person to drop your professional life over a 5-carat diamond ring. neither are you the kind of person to allow someone to stand you up more than once without so much as a text. and so you will reconsider your choices, and there will be someone else. a water sign. you will always remember the fire you had with the person before, but this other person will wash away the flames and leave behind a calming stream that you will have to admit, is better for you in the long run.

i know you really wanted this person, darling, but they were dimming your light without even knowing it. and they might have been the person for you, but you weren’t the person for them. or maybe there’s no one that will be able to make them understand. whatever the case is, this person is not yours to keep.

PILE FOUR: HANDS

gosh, i can totally see why you’re smitten for this person. they’re so romantic! it’s in the way they push their hair back, in the way they look at you when you’re recalling a story, and in the flowers they have sent to your workplace, and the sound of them singing love songs to you, and their lofty dreams of a beautiful family in the future... it all makes you swoon. and how apt, this person is a pisces or a taurus, both pretty romantic signs! did i mention they’re not too bad looking either? wow. it’s the full package.

...except they’re not the sharpest tool in the shed. they’re not dumb, just not very clear cut or focused. they’re a little easily distracted, and people will want to distract them, for sure. and honestly, buddy, i’m not sure if you want to have to deal with all of that jealousy and people trying to steal your s/o out from underneath you.

which is why i would say soft no to staying together for the long haul. it’s really not just you, like i said, this person’s a little scatter-brained and may not have the one track mind they would need to make anyone feel secure in a relationship with them. there will be quite a few major gaps between you in terms of where you stand in life, love and your careers, and it’s bound to create misplaced feelings of insecurity. it’s truly not that you can’t make it out to the other side, in fact, if you do, it’s a relationship that will really last forever. but it will be hard, and when you’re at that crossroad, you will just have to go with your gut. you’ll know which path you’re meant to take, and even if it’s the one where the two of you don’t work out, you’ll look upon your days with this person fondly.

[honcydripped]

˚  ⊹  ·  .  ⌜  greek mythology verse.  greta onieogou.  cis woman.  she / her.  ⌟   huh ?  oh  ―  that’s  just  maya  hawkins.  as  far  as  i  know,  they’re  thirty  years  old  and  between  you  and  me,  i'm  betting  that  they  were  hera  before  all  this,  because  around  here,  they’re  known  as  the  mom  friend.  but  what  you  really  ought  to  know  is  that  they’re  kind  of  insecure,  and  intrusive,  but  intuitive,  and  caring  at  the  same  time.  and  if  you  ever  need  a  favour  from  them,  get  them  a  gift  from  the  heart.  that’ll  do  the  trick.  goddesses,  am  i  right ?    ∕    as  written  by  cas.

was born into a family with a father that constantly cheated and a mother whom pretended not to care , before finding her own solace in the bed of another man. because of this , they were married by paper only , a legally bound contract that forced them into the same home but different beds.

despite ( or maybe because of ) this upbringing , she really values the sanctity of marriage. she believes you should only marry someone if you truly believe you will love them forever , and if that love ever dies ? well , one should try to repair the relationship.

she’s always been setting up her friends. her ability to see two people at their core and know they would mesh was something she prided herself in. she considered herself to be solely responsible for at least three of her closest friends’ marriages

these two things made her confident in marrying the summer after she graduated college –– falling hard , fast , and irrevocably for someone she knows now could never love her the way she loved him. even when they were in the same room , it seemed his attention never wandered to her , while hers was constantly on him. but she wanted –– wants it to work out.

she’s an obgyn specializing in fertility ( as to be expected ), though she can’t say whatever first made her “decide” to do so. it just felt like a calling , something she was born to do. 

idk i feel like she has very vague dreams about the life she had before this , but doesn’t remember anything but this feeling of loss when she wakes up. it’s all blurred together by the time she opens her eyes but she’s drowning in grief regardless , though in this life , her family is alive and well.

has three children of her own , lily ( four , almost five ) and twins atlas & echo ( two ). they argue more than they get along , but maya’s always been able to manage it with ease. like she’s used to squabbaling siblings , knowing they’ll be there for each other when it really comes down to it.

[smcc212]

Uncommon, Yet Perfect

Pairings- Bonnie Gold x fem!Reader x Isiah Jesus(Bonnie x rem!reader, Isiah x fem!reader, Bonnie x Isiah)

Word count- 1,319

Warnings- Morning sickness, child birth(not in detail I pretty much just let you know it’s happened haha), People not understanding polyamory, fluff, not proofread. I think that’s all.

A/N- So... I wrote a thing... I don’t really know what to say about this. So... Enjoy!

P.S. Why is there only like two Isiah gifs??

You and Isiah had been together for a year when both of you fell in love Bonnie Gold. After a long and awkward conversation, the three of you started dating. The three of you had been dating in secret for a year when you realised...

“Are you okay, ves’tacha?” Bonnie’s concerned voice flowed through the door. Once you’d finished throwing up, you sat back, wiping your mouth on the back of your hand.

“Bon, do you know when my last period was?” You asked after you opened the door.

“Erm... eight weeks ago? Why? Is that ba- oh.”

“Oh my fucking God.” You rushed passed Bonnie and sat on the bed. “Where’s Isiah?” You breathed out.

“He’s making breakfast, want me to get him?” He asked, his voice shaky.

“Yes, Bonnie! Of course you have to get him!” You exclaimed.

“Okay.” He walked out of the room, returning a few seconds later with Isiah behind him.

“What is it?” Isiah’s face had confusion written all over it.

“I-I think I’m pregnant...”

“Wh-what? That’s amazing!” Isiah looked at Bonnie, both exchanging wide smiles.

“No! It’s not! We have to tell my family now!” You shouted. How could they not see the problem here.

“Yeah, but they can’t break us up anymore, can they?” Isiah chuckled.

“Yes they can! Once I give birth, they’ll make whoever’s not the father leave!” The smiles fell off their faces as they realised, one of them would have to leave. Either that or... they’d both leave you. This couldn’t get any worse.

“Alright, (Y/N), why have you called a family meeting? And why are Bonnie and Isiah here?” Tommy spoke sounding bored.

“Well... I, erm, I’m pregnant...” You trailed off.

“You’re fucking what?!” Arthur shouted.

“Wait, are one of them the father?!” Tommy shouted, suddenly no longer bored. I nodded. “Which one?” When you didn’t say anything Tommy got more annoyed. “Which fucking one, (Y/N)?!”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?! How can you not know?!”

“Because we’re both dating her,” Isiah spoke up, sounding a lot more confident than he really felt.

“What..?” Confusion was clear on all of your family members faces... all a part from Polly, who now decided to speak up.

“Fuck sake, you’re all blind if you’ve not seen the way they all look at each other.” She then turned to the three of you. “Congratulations.” She smiled, the three of you smiling back at her.

“Thank you, Mrs Grey,” Bonnie mumbled, smiling fearfully. “Mr Shelby, I promise that myself and Isiah will take care of (Y/N) and the baby growing inside of her. We’re both madly in love with her.” Tommy stared at you and your boys, perplexed.

“He’s right, Tom,” Isiah said. “We love her, more than you’ll ever know.”

“(Y/N), you love them...both...as well?”

“Yes, Tommy. I’m in love with both of them, and I know that they’ll both look after this baby, regardless of who the biological father is,” You spoke as clearly and with as much confidence as you could. Tommy looked at the floor, clearly thinking about everything that had been said.

“Okay, okay. I’ll allow this, but if either of you dare lay a finger on her, I’ll kill you both, blinder or not,” He stared the boys down. “Got it?”

“You don’t ‘ave to worry mr Shelby, neither of us would ever hurt the best thing that’s ever happened to us, right, Bon?”

“Exactly, Iz.”

“Well, one of you are going to have to marry her. You’ll have to choose one.” You hadn’t thought about that, having to get married to only one of your boys.

“Shit...”

“Isiah, you can marry her,” Bonnie spoke, looking down at the floor.

“Bonnie, are you sure?” Isiah asked, taking in the sadness that radiated off Bonnie.

“Yeah, yeah, you can do it. Your dad said that’s all he’s ever wanted for you, so you’ll marry (Y/N).” You had to speak up when you saw how upset Bonnie was at the thought of never marrying you.

“I’ll marry you both.” Your boys opened they’re mouths to explain that wasn’t possible, but you cut them off. “No, I know that I can’t legally marry you both. I’ll legally marry Isiah, but the ceremony will be for the three of us. I’ll marry both of you, even if they government won’t recognise that I have,” You explained, happiness flooding your veins when you saw wide smiles spread across your boys’ faces. Without thinking, the two of them kissed each other. If your family wasn’t confused before, they definitely were now. However, what confused them more was the smile on your face. Seeing how much Bonnie and Isiah loved each other always made you happy.

“We’re getting married!” Bonnie exclaimed, wrapping one arm around you and one around Isiah. The three of you stayed in that warm embrace for awhile.

“Right!” Polly clapped her hands, cutting your three-way embrace short. “We’ve got a wedding to plan! For once,” She mumbled the last part making you laugh.

The wedding was perfect. It was a small affair, just friends and family-for obvious reasons- but it was amazing. Both Arthur and Tommy walked you down the aisle, your boys waiting at you in front of a proud Jeremiah Jesus. Aberama Gold sat next to Tommy, smiling happily at the three of you. You couldn’t have been happier.

When you found out you were having twins, the boys would consistently joke about having a baby each.

You were at church with Isiah and Bonnie, listening intently to Jeremiah, when you felt a pain in your abdomen. It wasn’t long after that your water broke, you grabbed both boys arms making them look at you.

“What’s wrong?” Isiah whispered.

“My water just broke,” You panicked. The boys instantly stood up, helping you out to a private part of the church. An office, you assumed, but you didn’t really care at that moment in time. They put you down on the couch, panic coursing through all of you. “Polly. Get Polly here!” You demanded.

After about twelve hours, your babies were finally coming. You were breaking both Bonnie and Isiah’s hands as you pushed your babies out. Screaming out in pain as your first baby came out. Polly cut the umbilical core and handed the baby to Ada who quickly wrapped them up, cleaning off the blood. You were too busy pushing another human out of you to pay attention. Bonnie and Isiah, however, turned their heads and saw smooth pale skin on your baby’s face. They were, biologically, Bonnie’s... or so you thought, but seventeen minutes later your other baby is born. Ada hands you the first born.

“Congratulations you three, it’s a girl.” You smiled down at your daughter as Ada went to wrap up and clean your second born child.

“Oh my God,” You heard your sister mumbled.

“What?!” You panic.

“Your son, he’s-he’s... Isiah’s.”

“What..?” Confusion filled you and your husbands. When Ada turned around, however, you knew what she meant. In her arms was your son, with smooth dark skin, only slightly lighter than Isiah’s.

“That’s...possible?” Bonnie asked.

“Clearly,” Isiah responded, going to take a hold of your son.

“What’re you going to name them?” Ada asked, looking at your babies in awe.

“Jaheim and Roma,” You mumbled back, looking at your perfect babies.

“Jaheim?” Jeremiah asked with a smile.

“Yeah, Jaheim is a Caribbean name and Roma is a Romani name. Fits well with who their, biological, fathers are,” You laughed quietly.

Your families were in love with Jaheim and Roma, as you were the three of you. Yes, people weren’t very accepting. Yes they called you a whore. But you didn’t care. You had the best husbands in the world and two gorgeous kids. Plus, your family put a stop to the rude comments the only way they knew how, threats and violence. Your uncommon, yet perfect family.

Tags:

@the-makingsofgreatness

A/N- For anyone wondering, yes, it is possible to have twins that have different fathers. It’s incrediblely rare, but not impossible. It’s called hetroparental superfecdunation.

[beca-mitchell]

you can think that you're in love (when you're really just in pain) (1/1)

anonymous said: Imagine a scenario where Beca never emerged from the water after the explosion, and Chloe was eventually brought to land. She stood on the harbour all night and all morning as search and rescue tried to locate her but they never found her. Chloe eventually moved on with Chicago at the urging of her friends and on the day of her wedding, Beca reappears. She was discovered washed up on a nearby shore with amnesia and was nursed back to health. Eventually finding her way back to Chloe.

*posted as text because i have issues w/ the ask/answer format and tagging

Notes: lmao i got carried away and i promise i only intended to respond to this ask in a short concise way, but here’s 1.7k words. title from “moral of the story”.

read below or on AO3.

* * * * *

"Chloe, you can’t stay out here all night.”

It is Chicago’s voice, soft and urgent, that lulls Chloe back into the present moment. Amidst the ringing in her ears, a product of being in such close proximity to an exploding boat. With disappointment, she scans the rippling water—water far too gentle for the turmoil she feels within her own body—to no avail.

Still no sign of Beca.

At this point, she feels increasingly helpless and even more poignant, she feels hopeless—a sentiment she never thought she’d feel when it came to Beca Mitchell. It’s just hard to really feel anything else at the moment because Beca isn’t standing there by her side.

Things had been frantic and unclear when they landed in the water. Chloe’s throat is still sore from both the copious amounts of water she swallowed and how loudly she had screamed for Beca, disoriented by the cold water and the darkness around them. She had felt various pairs of hands on her shoulders and arms—other Bellas to be sure—but she hadn’t felt Beca. And when they all had been pulled ashore eventually, first onto a rescue boat, then to blessed, solid land, Chloe had finally come to the conclusion that they had left Beca behind.

“We didn’t find her,” the search and rescue operations had told them. “We couldn’t find her—we’ll search again in the morning.”

Chloe couldn’t wait for morning.

“Chloe,” Chicago says again.

“We left her behind,” Chloe whispers. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“It’s...” Chicago hesitates when Chloe’s eyes cut to his with warning flaring up in them. “It’s just cold...and dark out there,” he tries. “It’s probably...”

“Stop,” Chloe whispers with a waver in her voice. “She’ll come. She has to.”

* * * * *

(More vivid than ever, a memory floats to the forefront of Chloe’s mind—Beca tentatively rounding the corner, hesitant and wary, showing up late to an acapella try-out. And all Chloe recalls is how relieved she had felt. How comforted. How happy because Beca had made it. Beca had made it and Chloe was happy.)

* * * * *

She doesn’t make it. She doesn't come. She doesn't wash ashore in some grand scene. Chloe doesn't sweep Beca into her arms and kiss her until the morning comes.

It's just...nothing.

* * * * *

It is incredible to Chloe how it only takes a few days to declare somebody missing when that person has a vibrant two—almost three—decades of life behind them. Life that Chloe was only so fortunate to share in for a brief period. Too short a period.

It is incredible how the words “legally missing” mean nothing and everything at the same time.

* * * * *

“Are you going to stay out here all night?”

Aubrey’s voice, soft and sincere, cuts through Chloe’s thoughts.

“What’s that?” Chloe murmurs, shaking some of the faint rushing from her head. It reminds her of waves gently rolling against an empty shore bringing her nothing but dashed dreams and disappointments.

"I asked if you're going to stay out here all night," Aubrey prompts again.

A part of Chloe wishes she could. It had felt remarkably draining to have to smile and accept congratulatory hugs from people she barely knew. Then to receive sympathetic looks from people she considered closer friends. “I’ll have to go back in soon. I mean—I should, shouldn’t I?” she murmurs, mostly asking herself at this point. She's sure Aubrey will respond regardless.

“It is your engagement party,” Aubrey points out, surprisingly delicate. “Chloe, I...” She doesn’t finish her thoughts, another surprising moment for Aubrey, but Chloe appreciates the brief reprieve from questioning and inquiry.

Chloe sighs, lifting her left hand from the balcony railing to look at the ring adorning her finger.

“Do you think...” Chloe swallows, unsure what she even wants to ask.

Do you think she’s out there still?

Do you think he’s right for me?

Do you think I’ll ever move on from loving her?

She has asked herself and others variations of these questions over the past year. One year of not having Beca Mitchell in her life. One year of not knowing whether Beca is even dead or alive. One year of constantly feeling relief and dread all at once with each passing day of the coast guard notifying them that they have yet to find Beca or, worse, her lifeless body.

One year of all the love for Beca welling up inside herself and nowhere to put it.

Chicago had seemed like a safe option. An option so safe that the result of her decision rests heavy on her finger, sparkling back at her like it dares to wink.

“You know it’s never too late, right, Chloe?”

“To do what?”

“To...to not marry him.”

It makes Chloe take pause as she contemplates Aubrey’s words. It’s true that she could just choose not marry Chicago, but he does, for all intents and purposes, make her happy. He makes her feel safe and cherished.

He loves her.

That fact is particularly important because if she’s being honest with herself, for as much as she remains distraught and hung up on Beca, she hadn’t truly known if Beca had loved her in return. Not in the way that Chloe had wanted all these years, at least.

(It seems almost like a cheap shot at Beca’s memory, however, because of course Beca had loved her. And Chloe had let herself fall deeper for Beca even though things remained unspoken between them. Beca had never been good with words, but Chloe had been one of the few people that had been privy to being let in by Beca herself. Privy to understanding Beca and everything she stood for. The things she didn’t say.)

“I love him,” Chloe finally responds, ignoring the way her voice wavers. “And he loves me. And we’re getting married because of that and nothing else.”

Aubrey says nothing. Instead, she pulls Chloe in for a hug, a long, comfortable hug, and lets Chloe cry on her shoulder.

* * * * *

Life has a weird way of somehow working out and yet completely throwing Chloe into a tailspin all at the same time. She is roused from sleep less than a week after her engagement party. She sighs, noting the empty space on the bed next to her. Chicago had left just the day before and she already misses the comforting sensation of feeling less alone upon waking up.

However, this morning she realizes belatedly that she has been roused from sleep due to the obnoxious buzzing of her phone on her bedside. She peers at the screen noting the unfamiliar number before she decides to let it go to voicemail, opting for more sleep instead.

She regrets that decision much later.

* * * * *

Chloe Beale? This is Dr. Carter from Mount Sinai in Manhattan. This might come as a shock to you but we have recently been working with authorities as a patient has come into our care and you were listed as one of the main contacts for her. We have a Beca Mitchell being attended to at this moment, having just been brought over from Europe where she had sustained a fairly serious head injury about a year ago. We can’t get into more details at the moment and we would appreciate it if you could make your way to New York as soon as possible. We are also reaching out to other contacts to make sure—

Chloe hits the replay button with a trembling finger.

Chloe Beale? This is Dr. Carter—

She can’t believe what she’s hearing.

—patient has come into our care—

It feels like a dream and a nightmare all rolled into one. She feels sick, she feels nauseous, she feels—

—have a Beca Mitchell being attended to at—

She collapses onto her bed, staring in shock at her phone, now loosely grasped in her hand. The faint echo of the voicemail calls out to her, but she can barely force herself to move. To function. To breathe.

When she finally comes to her senses, Chloe takes a gasping breath, clasping a hand over her mouth to stop the sob that threatens to escape.

“Beca,” she whispers, testing the name aloud on her lips for the first time in a long time.

Beca is home.

* * * * *

“Miss, are you going to go in?”

Chloe lifts her head from where she had been watching her foot scuff the floor of the bright hospital tile. She feels exhausted and drained already, mostly from the flight from California to New York, where she had spent most of it on the verge of throwing up and also on the verge of crying. She hadn’t expected this—had dreamed of it—to fall into her lap. She hadn’t prepared. She hadn’t even given herself a chance to decide what she wanted to say to Beca.

“I—” Chloe takes in the sympathetic expression on the nurse’s face. Like the nurse understands the turmoil she is going through at this moment. She fiddles with the ring on her finger, her hand jammed into the pocket of her sweater. “I should just...” she clears her throat. She knows she can’t wait outside forever.

She never wants Beca to be waiting for her.

“Can I?” she asks timidly, placing a hand on the door.

“You can. I’ll just take the paperwork,” the nurse says kindly. He gently takes the paperwork Chloe had filled out while waiting and guides her with a hand outstretched towards the room, gesturing at her to go in. “She was asking for you, you know?”

At that, Chloe feels unmistakable tears well up in her eyes and she twists before he can see anything else on her face. To twist however, is to enter the room completely where she comes face-to-face with Beca Mitchell for the first time in a year. She couldn’t stop the gasping breath that escapes her even if she had foresight to do so. Beca looks up, startled, looking paler and thinner than Chloe remembers, but very much alive.

“Chloe,” Beca rasps. She clears her throat, a hint of colour returning to her cheeks. “Chloe,” she tries again, clearer than before. “You’re here,” she says, awe tainting her voice.

Chloe breaks, rushing towards the bed into Beca’s outstretched arms, nestling herself in the feeling of home.

She feels nothing except the warmth of Beca’s body against her. Nothing except of how tightly Beca’s hands tangle into her hair, holding her close. Nothing, not even the press of the cool metal band around her finger.

Just Beca, in her arms, like she had dreamt of all this time.

fin.

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

Into The Unknown, Part 8

First

Previous

Marinette had never thought that living in another world would be this hard.

Sure, she had known that she would have issues when it came to the whole ‘she wasn’t technically supposed to be here and therefore needed a new identity’ thing. That was kind of obvious. The story they’d come up with had been simple enough -- she had grown up in Gotham with her parents, was highschool sweethearts with Tim, they had gotten married, he’d moved in with her, and her parents had died so she’d gotten custody of Damian. She was pretty sure Tim had a tragic backstory, but she didn’t really have that memorized yet. She wasn’t all that worried about it, though, she spent quite a lot of time dodging answering questions about her private life as Ladybug. Marinette probably wouldn’t even need to memorize his backstory (she would, of course, because she was nothing if not an overachiever, but she was well aware of the fact that it wasn’t quite necessary).

But, no, it was the small things that made it difficult.

Like affection.

Marinette was Parisian, she was used to greeting people with kisses on both cheeks. Hugs were something reserved for people you were close to.

But, no, Americans just insisted on being backward in everything that they do. And, supposedly, Marinette was American. She could get away with her accent because Gotham had a bunch of different people and it was easy to claim she came from the French part of town, but when it came to customs? No, she had to at least try and act like someone who had lived in America for her entire life.

So, when she was greeted with a hug from the most affectionate of her fellow interns, Marinette suppressed a cringe and patted her on the back awkwardly.

“Hi, Paige,” she said.

Paige beamed. “Ready for work?”

Marinette squinted up at the building. The WE in this universe was even taller than in her usual one.

… or maybe it just looked like that because she dreaded going inside. Ugh. Being an intern was going to suck.

“No.”

“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”

“Thanks…”

But, despite Paige’s assurances, it did not go fine.

And it wasn’t even the job thing that wasn’t going well. That, at least, she could handle. No, it was this world’s meme culture that sent her spiraling.

She’d been holding exactly nine cups of coffee, seven mugs of tea, and one energy drink can. Marinette didn’t know if it was her time working in a bakery or some sort of latent Ladybug skills or what but it wasn’t even all that difficult to hold them all.

Paige raised her eyebrows at her, looking vaguely concerned. “Do you need help?” She asked, hands already out as if expecting her to say yes.

Marinette cracked a grin. “No. I’m fine. It’s not even that hard. I could probably carry another two drinks, even.”

“Freaky flexing, but fine.”

“... the fuck did you just say to me?”

~

Tim hummed lightly as he bounced on the balls of his feet, baby sleeping soundly on his shoulder. Marinette fumbled the keys to their new apartment, mumbling curses.

She’d outright told him that she didn’t really care, that she’d lived above a bakery for most of her life so it wasn’t like she would mind as long as the place had counter space…

So why was he nervous?

He felt the tiny hand in his shirt grip him tighter and he looked down. Damian was still fast asleep, sucking on his pacifier peacefully. Tim wondered, idly, how that worked. Was it a reflex that humans lose as they age like the grasping reflex or was it a learned behavior that went away when it wasn’t reinforced anymore?

Marinette managed to open the door, her cheeks tinged red at how difficult it had been, and she swung it open.

He stopped bobbing up and down to watch her face.

But she just shrugged to herself and bent down to grab the box she’d brought up.

He tried not to look too relieved as he followed her inside and watched her set the box down on the kitchen island.

She glanced back at him. “I call cleaning and setting up the apartment!” She said brightly.

“Okay…?” He said, confused as to why she was so excited to clean up…

But then Damian started to stir.

Oh. If she had cleanup duty… then he had…

Baby duty.

Oh.

Oh no.

“Shit, Mari, wait --!”

“Too late! You already said okay!” She said, already heading to the door.

Damian spat out his pacifier and took that one long, deep breath he always took before he was about to scream.

“Mari!”

She stuck her tongue out at him and disappeared around the doorframe just as the baby started to cry.

Tim heaved a sigh and pressed a kiss to the top of the kid’s head. The wailing quieted a little, but didn’t stop. Tim would take it, he hadn’t even been expecting Damian to quiet himself. This was an absolute win in his book.

He glanced at the box that had been brought up but, unfortunately, they hadn’t had enough foresight to bring the baby supplies.

He poked his head out the door and yelled for Marinette to bring up the box with the baby stuff first. She yelled ‘fuck you’ in response but when she came back she handed him the box regardless.

He smiled -- or, at least, he smiled as much as it was possible to smile when a baby was screaming at you -- and went to work figuring out what was wrong.

~

There was good news and bad news.

Good news was that Damian was starting to learn that crying was okay.

Bad news was that Damian was starting to learn that crying was okay.

And, listen, Marinette obviously preferred that. She wanted to know when the kid was hurt or hungry or even just craving affection… but ugh.

She twisted around in the bed to squint at the clock.

Three o’clock. Great.

She groaned softly and buried her face in Damian’s hair again. “Dami, please, I have work tomorrow. Shhhhhhhhh,” she pleaded. As if she didn’t have to go to work every day.

Damian, of course, didn’t stop crying.

Marinette thought she was going to cry.

Tim pulled his arm from around them so he could cover his ears with his pillow.

She reluctantly sat up. Damian banged his little fists against her shoulder in an attempt to tell her… something. Probably that he wasn’t happy. As if the entire apartment complex couldn’t hear just how unhappy he was.

She changed his diaper and then got him Cow. Hopefully that would sate him for the rest of the night.

She clambered back into bed and sent Tim a weak smile when he wrapped an arm around them.

She scooted toward him, because Damian was reaching for him and his eyes were closed, and tucked her head under his chin. He tensed just slightly before relaxing and tangling his legs with hers.

Damian seemed to like being cocooned between them, because he made a vague happy sound and settled down to sleep without much (more) fussing.

Tim hummed lightly. His voice was terrible, but it seemed to calm Damian so Marinette wasn’t about to complain.

It took a while for Damian to go back to sleep but, eventually, he did. Unfortunately, he fell asleep while biting the crinkly ears of his plush and it was hard to sleep with the steady crkcrkcrkcrk sound right next to her.

From the way Tim’s breathing had yet to slow, he wasn’t asleep either.

Well, at least that was something to do.

“I’m beginning to think the reason babies are so cute is that otherwise we would kill them,” she joked, her voice soft so as not to wake the kid again.

Not that it would matter all that much. She could, unfortunately, not see herself going back to sleep before her alarm went off.

He chuckled and nodded as much as he could with her head beneath his. “Right? I just want one night of good sleep --.”

He stopped suddenly.

She drew back a little to check that he was fine, only to see him looking mildly horrified.

“We need to go back home soon. I’m going to get used to sleeping like a normal person. I can’t do that,” he said.

She grinned. “Oh no. The horror.”

“No, you don’t get it. If I do that then I’ll be giving into my family’s wishes. I can’t let them think they’re right about something!”

She giggled, shaking her head. “Here, I’ll make it easier for you: I don’t want you to sleep. As Dami and I are your only family -- legally -- for the next fifteen years, you must not do what we want. Therefore, you have to sleep.”

“Ah. Reverse psychology.”

“Well, I am a psych major.” Some of the amusement faded. “Was a psych major.”

“... really?”

“Yeah. I dunno. I’d figured it was the closest I could get to being Ladybug again.”

“You’re still Ladybug.”

She shrugged just slightly. “Yeah. I dunno,” she said again. She tried for a grin. “Doesn’t feel the same when there’s no emotional terrorism involved.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to do the same thing over and over again for a million years.”

“There’s some comfort in things staying the same.”

“Oh? Maybe we should trade.”

“That’s an amazing plan that I see no problems with. You get to go around beating up the Meta Of The Week and I’ll stay in Gotham dealing with all the idiots in spandex.”

“Are we switching outfits, too?”

“Oh yeah. Obviously. Gotta commit to the whole ‘switching’ thing. I bet I’ll look cuter in your outfit, too.”

“Ah, yes, because cuteness is the most important part of vigilante costumes.”

“We end up in papers all the time, being cute is totally important.”

He chuckled lightly and she felt the arm around her give her a tiny squeeze. She buried her face in his chest.

“You should try and sleep.”

“Hypocrite,” she teased, but she could already feel her eyelids drooping.

He hummed. She thought that, maybe, it didn’t sound so bad as to make him stop.

~

Tim had been in the middle of bathing Damian as he always did before bed when he’d accidentally splashed water on his face.

Perfectly fine and normal.

What wasn’t perfectly fine and normal was that the baby responded by saying: “Oh shit!”

Tim’s eyes narrowed.

“MARINETTE,” he yelled.

Marinette was there in seconds. There was some kind of green paste on her face. She’d been in the middle of her usual skincare routine. He thought it was kind of weird that near-immortals needed skincare routines but that wasn’t the point here.

She looked around frantically. “What?! What’s wrong?!”

“Damian just said sh --... he said the s-word.”

Marinette relaxed at that and sent Tim a glare. “Don’t blame this one on me. You’re the one that says that.”

Tim frowned. Because, now that he thought about it, he was pretty sure she was right.

“Now, if he’d said ‘fuck’, that would have been on me, but he didn’t, so --.”

“FUCK,” Damian said brightly.

Tim glared at Marinette again, this time rightfully so.

She looked a little sheepish. “... okay, yeah, that one’s on me.”

~~~~~

Next

@nathleigh @peachmuses @unoriginalmess @hammalammadamdam @astrynyx @laurcad123 @927roses-and-stuff

[dragonrajafanfiction]

The Crane Team: Sons of Amaterasu

The Family Sends Their Regards

“Crow, I need you to pick up some folks for work.”

The hiring process had gone without a single hitch. No doubt that Yoko Uesugi had the backing of Nanami Sakurai so very little ‘vetting’ was actually done of the candidates. Crow trusted Yoko too but at least give them an interview outside a bar.

“I drove you once and now I’m a professional driver?”

“You promised to help me, this is for the cause!” 

“Ugh… fine.”

“Thanks. A few of them are still nervous about… going out. Thanks for understanding.”

He got the address of a single spot outside a diner where he was supposed to pick up members of the Clan. This Clan formerly known as Devil and now was just going to be awkwardly absorbed into the Hydra to form what was simply known as the Japan Branch of Cassell College.

Crow leaned against the car, smoking. Were all the Cassell branches this fractious? He wondered to himself, blowing out a plume of smoke. No, likely not. Unless the men running those branches were just as corrupt as Tachibana. Part of him understood Ms. Sakurai’s desire to seal the documents surrounding the horrors under Genji Industries and Tachibana’s plan to turn Erii into a dragon. Half the Hydra members wouldn’t believe it. The other half might even agree with it.

His phone buzzed again. “I gave them the all clear.” Yoko texted. “They’re coming.”

Three people he recognized as the men from the bar emerged from the diner. They were all wearing suits and ties but they still looked like a bunch of rough rascals as they glared at him. Kiko reminded him a bit of Yasha, the way his eyes scanned him with a cocky smile. Ryuusei gave a cheery wave and invited himself into the front passenger side. “Thank you so much for the pick up!” The man had his hair back into a dark ponytail. When he pulled the handle, the door was still locked. “Uh…”

“Listen… There are still people out there who don’t agree with this whole arrangement. Yoko’s doing her best but she can’t do it alone. You’re not getting in my car unless I have your word that you’re not going to let her down.”

Ryuusei’s eyes widened slightly. “I would never! Yoko is my one true love. The guiding star of my life!”

Crow turned slowly to him with a disbelieving curl of his lips. 

“I’ll do my best!” Young Hayato bowed deeply.

Crow nodded approvingly. “Hayato sits in front. The other two in the back.”

“Are you her boyfriend?” Ryuusei barked, stepping away from the door for a happily smiling Hayato.

“Yoko is a married woman, unless you believe that your Dragon Lord is dead. His body was never recovered at the Red Well with the others. Pursue her at your own risk.” Crow unlocked the doors.

Crow kept his eyes forward as he led his group of misfits from the elevators on the legal department floor of Genji Heavy Industries. Among Hydra, there was a belief that Devils gave off a certain smell. The way certain Hydra looked at the men with him in disgust, Crow could imagine that perhaps that was true. A new area where they would work was sectioned off. Even though they were in the same building and worked for the same company, the Hydra were reluctant to have them by their sides. But at least the area was well outfitted with phones and PCs and comfortable chairs. Most had already arrived on the phones.

“Wow they even have her name on our cubicles…” Hayato breathed.

“Yoko will be here in a minute to explain. I’m going to go smoke…” Crow turned on his heel.

“Don’t go too far.”

Ryuusei had been about to open his computer when Yoko’s voice reached his ears. He spun to face her. She was resplendent in a black long sleeved jacket, short skirt and black heels. She was smiling as though greatly moved by something. Heavy gold chains hung from her neck.

All the members of the Devil Clan stood up in a silent salute and then bowed humbly. Crow remembered the old man Tamayuki’s words. Whether or not she accepted the title, Yoko was the Chief of the Devil Clan.

Had anyone told him that within a few months, Devil clan members would be working on the dime of Hydra in their headquarters, he would have marked them as a lunatic. Had he known that this was going to be the end of things… how different would he have acted towards them? The faces of Devil Clan members flashed in his mind and he forced his mind away from that useless sense of regret. None of what happened back then was anyone’s fault and yet Devil and Hydra were both at fault. True justice was likely impossible. The only solution was to move forward and leave the old ways behind.

“Thank you… for coming here today.” Yoko said in clear and fluent Japanese. “This is a new beginning for the Japan Branch. Things will not go smoothly or evenly. But when those disruptions come, roll with them, like the waves of the tide and stay the course. The goal is reunification. Please… do not forget that. No matter what.”

The Devil Clan members let out a shout of “Hai!”

“Ganbatte.” Yoko bowed and they all bowed again.

She turned on her heel and stepped out of the office. Crow followed her out. “Crow there’s something I need to talk to you about. It’s very important. I know you’re… probably busy.” 

“I’m not.” Crow said. 

“Then follow me.”

Crow followed her through winding corridors and up abandoned staircases to an unknown area of Genji. “Thank you for picking up those guys today.”

“Nothin’ to it.”

“You can say that… but it's important. I hope you can continue to help out.”

“You want me to hang around them to get close to them. I get it. You said it before. Hydra and Devil Clan in the same room.”

She nodded to herself. “Yes. The separate seating arrangements were not my idea. But they won’t be able to hole the new employees up in their separate area for very long. My hope is that the Devil Clan members themselves will try to mingle. I can’t convert everyone on either side. I just have to trust their hearts.”

“Trust their hearts… huh?” Crow said.

“Someone once said that the strongest thing about Gen Chisei was not his dragonblood but his heart. At first I didn’t believe it.” She glanced down the stairs at him.

“Understandable. Those were your boyfriend’s chains.” Crow said, nodding to the bright gold chains.

“You were there.” She said quietly.

“I heard everything. I’m … truly sorry.”

“Thank you…”

“What made you change your mind about the Young Chief?” Crow asked.

“I didn’t change of my own will. As far as I was concerned, Chisei was a monster. But it was because someone I cared about loved him. And I couldn’t hate him if he loved him so much.” 

Crow blinked in confusion for a moment but continued to follow her.

Eventually, they reached the converted vault apartment where she lived. “Come on in. It’s alright. We have to meet here because this is the only place I can talk freely.” 

Erii peered out of her room and waved at Crow before disappearing back inside. 

“It’s about a boy. The one at the orphanage. I had him taken out from there and placed under the protection of Cassell members.”

She led him to her own bedroom and shut the door. Crow looked around. The space was small. The furniture was simple wood. The bed was plain construction with plain sheets. The only accessory was a small sailor moon doll striking her signature pose on the dresser.

She pulled a tablet from the wall charger. “Please listen to this.”

She pulled up a file and pressed play.

A young boy’s shaky, barely audible voice came from the speaker. “They broke down the door and started shooting. I went to hide in the safe room right away. But my friend ran out of the room.”

“They just started shooting? No warnings? Nothing?”

“No.” 

“What about your friend?”

“He ran back into the wall.”

“What do you mean into the wall?”

He… had his back to the wall. He put his hands up like this…”

“And…?”

“They shot him a lot.”

“Did you see what they looked like?”

“No… they had their faces covered. Just one had a tattoo. The one with the sun.”

Crow sighed as the recording finished. “Look. That time was crazy…”

“Crow. Don’t. Don’t excuse it. That boy wasn’t even a Devil. He was a Hydra child.”

“There were people who died who weren’t even Hybrids! It was crazy! We didn’t have control of the gangs. They just followed orders.”

“Were those orders to murder a whole family without remorse and gun down a child in a house?” She snapped. “If Chisei were here would he have approved of this?”

“These things happened. He never did anything about it.”

She ran her hands through her hair in frustration. “If we don’t… do something about these people. This is not going to work. You can’t expect reunification to happen with the Devil Clan making all the sacrifices to clean up the mess. And these people are part of the mess.”

She pulled out another folder. “This is the witness testimony I’ve gathered so far. None of these people want to be named as witnesses. They’re that scared. This boy is the only live witness I have to these murders who’s willing to talk and he’s too scared to use his real name. And he’s in hiding. All of them who survived just said these men had sun tattoos. They all kept their faces covered. Every time, it was the same. Everyone was killed regardless of what they said or did. The survivors either hid or they played dead. No one escaped. Those who ran were hunted, caught and killed. They wanted no witnesses to hide their atrocities! I need your help, Crow. I need names.”

“No one is going to prosecute these guys. They’re harder asses than Chisei ever was. Even to each other. They’ll get off and come after you.” Crow’s eyes were serious behind his lenses.

“You know who they are.” She leaned forward.

“Yeah. I do. And I can tell you that they’re nuts. Zealots. A separate faction within the executive board. They were focused on the extermination of the Devils. They believed in a pure White King bloodline that did not produce Devils. Only Emperors. That’s why they called themselves Sons of Amaterasu, because they wanted to have an Emperor Bloodline.”

“They’re going to cause trouble. It’s better to nip it in the bud now.” She put the documents away.

“I’ll see what I can do behind the scenes.” Crow said. “Let me try first.”

That night a gathering took place in a historic mansion outside of the city. It was once a Castle stronghold of a village that had long since lost its identity but none of its grandeur. There was no way to get to the mansion. One had to know where it was and turn down a poorly lit path through dense forest to arrive at a padlocked gate. But intruders never make it to the gate.

Everyone arrived armed with swords from the Sengoku Era. This clan of Hybrid were once noble Samurai beholden to a single Daimyo. But after that era faded away, they split into separate families. But they were always beholden to the cause. No Devil Child would survive in their household. They didn’t care to keep them in prisons. They simply killed them as soon as they were identified. The parents of such children were either run off their land, killed, or sterilized. As a result, the appearance of Devils among these families was one of the lowest rates in all of Hydra. Anyone who had born to them a son or daughter that was a Devil had their bloodline abruptly ended.

This is what Crow meant when he said that they were as harsh with each other as they were to Devils.

They sat across from each other on pillows, their ancestral blades placed politely in front of them. They kept their faces masked even amongst each other, their glowing tattoos their own identifier.

“It appears we are all that is left.”

The seven of them sat in a circle, their feet covered under a heated table. “Is there any possibility of continuing the bloodline at this rate?”

“The good women kept frozen embryos and eggs and the good men kept their sperm well banked in case of this catastrophe.  It will take a generation, but I believe recovery is possible. Also, the widows are still available. It’s our men who are scarce.” Said another.

“What threatens us now isn’t genetics. It’s the current atmosphere of Hydra. Even now, those Devils have infiltrated right in the middle of Genji. It won’t be long until Hydra is completely corrupted. The Emperor line will be impossible.” A man at the head of the table spoke in a soft voice. “The population of Devils will explode.”

A gloomy silence was around the table. “With Nanami Sakurai at the head… we have no hope.”

“What are you planning? You don't intend to take violent action? Her installment was sanctioned by Amaterasu no mikoto…”

“He was not a true emperor.” The man at the head of the table said. He waved his hand and three women came with documents in their hands, heads bowed. They were Geisha, their faces painted a ghostly white and they delivered the documents and disappeared like phantoms. The men at the table opened the folders and gasped as they read. “Is this true? There was a second Gen brother? And he was a Devil?”

“He was the ultimate Devil. The Dragon Lord, Ruri Kazama.”

“Where did you get this information?! Some of this is dated 20 years ago!” 

“It’s too accurate to be falsified. The man who has delivered me this documentation is here now. You just can’t see him. Chisei Gen was a creation in a lab, along with his Devil Brother. Tachibana was aware of this and so was the King General of the Devil Clan. Hydra was never going to produce a pure hybrid line. Tachibana was actively harboring and creating Devils.”

“Why is this source helping you?”

The man at the head of the table smiled viciously. “I’ll let him speak for himself.”

Sure enough, the empty space behind him was suddenly occupied by a European looking man in a prim suit. He was carrying a large silver case that looked like it would be too heavy for an ordinary person to lift.

“We are willing to pay handsomely for the elimination of both Yoko and Erii Uesugi. It will for 4 million to retain your services and 14 million if the targets are eliminated and the skeletons of both delivered. You will be well armed to also create as much havoc as you wish. Once the task is completed, you will be sent to protective custody to hide out for a while until things die down.”

One of the men looked the man up and down. “Why would we hide out?”

“Killing Yoko Uesugi will attract the ire of the Gattuso heir. Once the job is done you must leave immediately.”

A sudden chill fell over the table.

“If it means the Salvation of the White King descendants from being corrupted by Devil blood, then the sacrifice will be worth it.” said he man at the head of the table.

“What do you get out of the deal? Why do you want two Devil women dead?”

“That information is classified.” The man set down the case, typed a code in a keypad and stood back. The metal case opened and deformed into a rack of alchemical weapons! “This is the finest weaponry in Dragonslaying. No dragon can withstand this collection. Make good use of it. I’m also entrusting you with these.”

He held out two pieces of dark wood blocks which the man at the head of the table took.

“With these you will disable Erii Uesugi. She will be the easiest to kill. Your leader has been trained in their use.”

[jaehyunspeachparty]

1.11

warnings: This story contains content that could be problematic for one or the other. Among other things, the story may contain content about sex, late pregnancy, relationship with a large age difference, and others. Just because it's in the warnings doesn't mean these topics will appear, but they will definitely be covered in the story. The content of the story is fixed and doesn’t change. If you don't feel comfortable with these topics, then it's okay if you don't read the story. I just write down my ideas here and I just enjoy writing about life. The fact that some things in life are not rational or weird for some people is also part of it.

Miga was only able to meet Jaemin a few days later. Both had a full schedule and they had to find a place where no one could see them. Ultimately, they decided that Miga would just go to Jaemin's apartment. At first, he didn't want this, but they had no choice. When she got there she was surprised that there were so many boxes in the room. "Are you clearing out?" She asked as she put her shoes down next to one of the boxes. "No, I bought a house, I need more space if I adopt a child." Jaemin smiled full of happiness, apparently everything is now moving forward with the adoption. "Are you looking forward to it?" Miga asks gently and took a step closer. "Yes, I can hardly wait ..." Jaemin's voice also became calm. His fingers found suddenly hers and he brushed them against her palms. He was like in a world of his own when he was around her. He clawed his fingers between hers and he looked down at her. He knew he felt so much. Her eyes were so gentle and beautiful, her lips so red... When Miga looked up to Jaemin, her knees went weak too. She knew it always would be Jaemin. He should become her great love, he is her dream prince, he can give her everything and she can give him this too. And when she stood in front of him, her skin almost touched and Miga closed her eyes to finally feel his lips again but then Jaemin stopped. "I just can't. That's why I wanted to talk to you." He broke away from her as fast as he could and left Miga behind who looked at him shocked and hurt. "What do you want to tell me?" She looked at him confused. "That it was a mistake last time," said Jaemin then. "You need a conversation for that? You told me that last time." Slowly Miga got angry because she didn't like the game he was playing with her. "I just want to make it clear that it won't happen again." He turned away and tried not to look at Miga anymore, after all he was struggling with his own feelings. He expected a lot, but somehow not that Miga would now stand in the room and start crying. Her heart ached and she couldn't believe why Jaemin dumped her like that. "I thought you like me?" She was sobbing and Jaemin could barely look at her. She was so small and vulnerable and he would love to hug her. "But I like you..." "I wasn't wrong, or? You're interested in me ... I mean in a romantic way." She tries to understand the whole thing because there were so many signs. "No, you were right ... I like you ... more than just a friend," he finally admitted his feelings towards her. "Then what's the problem?", She then asked further and she got louder and louder. She didn't understand what the problem was. Yes, they had an age difference, but she liked him and he liked her. "You are so young, our age difference and then there would be your father ..." "My father? He just wants me to be happy." Several tears continued to roll down Miga's cheeks. "I don't think he'll ever agree if we date." "If we like each other, what's my father's business. I'm an adult, I can decide for myself what makes me happy." Miga was getting angrier now, she hated it when she was treated like a child. "No Miga! YOU CANNOT DECIDE THAT", Jaemin got louder without meaning it. But it was enough for Miga. She looked at him startled and turned around. "Wait Miga, I ..." But in those moments she was already out of the apartment.

"There are women in your organization who are mostly married, but often accompanied by violence. Statistically, such women often don’t come a second time to search for help. How does your organization approach that?" The interviewer leaned back in the chair and looked at you. A few years ago you founded an organization with Eunbi that is supposed to help women, regardless of their situation. Your focus is particularly on families who are confronted with a lot of violence and druguse. Your practice had expanded quite a bit by now. You manage everything, Eunbi takes over the legal affairs and you also had a psychologist, gynocologist and social worker in the team. "We focus on the children. We make sure that they feel particularly comfortable and that they ultimately beg their mother to come back. Our waiting area is almost exclusively geared towards children and they can often get toys to take them home." You stay serious and pay close attention to what you say because this interview was important for future donations. "In your advisory role you are often confronted with the evil side of men. How does that affect your home? You have three sons of your own and you are married. How do you handle this?" You didn't like it when journalists want to draw attention to Jaehyun or your children. You strictly separate your work and your organization shouldn't be about idols or pop culture. "I don't believe in evil. But I think the most important thing is to talk openly with the next generation about everything and to clear up outdated cultural values ​​and stereotypes that affect women negatively." In the meantime you had already learned to answer neutrally to private questions. "You have been married to Jaehyun Jung for almost 20 years, to what extent did he influence you to found this here." The journalists did not want to deviate from the private topic. You paused briefly and think about how you can give a neutral answer again. But at this moment Eunbi suddenly came in. "I'm sorry Y/N for bothering you, but we have an emergency." Eunbi looked really worried and you get up immediately. "No problem, we're already done, aren't we?" You look at the journalist, who then nodded. Eunbi and you immediately run out of the room. "What's going on?" You ask immediately. "Pregnant woman, it looks like she is on drugs, who thinks she was held by her husband and beaten several times," explained Eunbi. "Have you contacted Dr. Oh yet?" Dr. Oh was the gynocology that worked in your organization. "Yes, she is on the way, but is stuck in traffic." Eunbi opened the door and you see a young woman standing in panic in front of the window. Her lips were all white and dried out. You could see abdomen and puncture marks on her arms. "Hey, I'm Y/ N Jung", you walk slowly towards her but she immediately jumped away. She was totally intimidating and trembling. "HE WILL FIND ME," she yells. "What's your name?" You ask ahead and take a few steps back. "There ... Dahae," said herself cautiously, but her body language was still scared. "Dahae. You are pregnant, do you know if you will have a boy or a girl?" You smile softly and you could see how she slowly lowered her shoulders. She just shook her head in response and you carefully take a step forward. "Do you know when your baby is coming?" You ask in advance. "I did the math ..." she said suddenly and at that moment she seemed clearer. "The time will come...in 3 or 4 months." She suddenly put her hands on her stomach and stared at it. She didn't look sober, she was probably high and that made the thing worse. "Would you like to see your baby once?" You ask and smile. Dahae suddenly seemed very small, almost childlike, so that you wonder how old she was.

Somehow you got her to have her checked out by a gynocologist and a doctor. Dahae trusted you more and more and so you made some progress. She was taken to a women's shelter, which was focused on women with addiction problems. "Hey Y/N, can I talk to you?" Dr. Oh the gynecologist came into your office. You nod and look at her expectantly. "Eunbi couldn't find Dahae anywhere. She has several signs of severe abuse. I fear that it started in childhood." That sounded like a serious case that rarely happened. "How old do you think she is?" You ask. "I think she'll be around 16-19". You always had a hard time meeting girls as old as your daughter. "Okay, she's just safe. How about the baby?" You ask. "It's alive, I can't say more yet." "At least good news." You sigh and turn off the light on your desk.

When you were at home you tried to switch off your thoughts, but it was difficult for you. Sunoh, Kiwoo and Jaehyun were boxing, Geon was with Jasper and Miga wasn't there either. You found it hard to be home alone after such a day. You had to think a lot about Dahae, you just couldn't get her out of your head. That's why you were happy when you heard someone come home. You could see through the window that it was Miga. But she didn't look happy. "Hey, are you okay?" You turn to your daughter who lay down on the sofa next to you. "Mummy." She lay in your arms and started crying. "What happened?" You stroke her dark hair and suddenly she was your little girl again. "Why can't I even be lucky in love?" She sobbed into your shoulder and it hurt to see her hurt. "At some point you will find someone who loves you as you love him." You keep stroking her head and Miga kept crying. She was so heartbroken and you wonder which boy gave her so much grief. Jaehyun shouldn’t know this because he would look for the guy immediately. "But everyone is in love and has relationships. I want that too." Several tears continued to roll down her cheeks and you try to calm her down further. "You will have this in the future, but it's okay to take your time. You should have someone who is good to you, respects you and both of you can move forward in life. Finding something like that takes time, but that's okay." You smile and look down at her. "That's a typical mum answer." And now Miga had to laugh a little too. "Hopefully you know that mothers can sometimes speak wise words." You stroke her forehead and feel how warm she was. Her whole body was heated up because she was so angry. "I also want to have a relationship like you and Daddy. The parents of so many friends of mine are either separated or hate each other. But you're still so in love." She looks up at you with her dark eyes and you smile gently. "We took our time too and we were older too. You are only 19 years old. You can still have so many experiences. I just want you to make good choices. Search for someone who respects you and values you. You are incredible great, beautiful, intelligent ... " "Mum ... you're already talking like Daddy." She rolled her eyes but laughed again. You kiss her forehead and continue to stroke her head. "Your Dad and I say that only because it's the truth."

"And now she's sleeping with the other guy too, because she thinks she loves both of them." Yuna and Miga were walking through the town and Yuna told the latest tea about other schoolmates. "Hmm ... can you love two people at the same time?" Miga then asked implausibly, but Yuna shrugged her shoulders. "I guess ..." "I don't know, and when you do, I think you love a person more." She also thought that she couldn't fall in love until she was with her feelings for Jaemin over. But was that even possible? "Don't be so pessimistic." Yuna poked her a little with her elbow and looked at her best friend. "Love is just stupid," said Miga, but Yuna immediately knew what was wrong with her. "Is it still about the mysterious older guy?" She knew this was what was bothering Miga. "I just mean ..." Miga's heart was still aching and Yuna at first didn't know how to cheer her friend up, but then she saw something. "Come over." She grabbed her hand and dragged it into a store. "What is that?", Miga asked when she was inside and Yuna finally let go of her hand. "We let predict your future." Yuna believed in all possible forms of horoscopes and fortune tellers, Miga has a different opinion to this topic. "Wha? No!" She shook her head but an elderly lady came along. "How can I help you two girls?", She asked gently, looking very empathetic and friendly. "My friend needs help in love," Yuna said then and pushed her friend out. The fortune teller looked at her and smiled. "Yes, I see a lot of pain. Come on, sit down my sweetie." Miga had no choice but to follow the woman. When Miga was seated, the woman took her hand and placed a few cards. She stared alternately at her and then back at the table and Miga doesn't quite know what to say or do. "I see ..." said the older woman after a few minutes of silence. "What do you see?", Yuna asked excitedly. "Love. It is there and very very strong," said the fortune teller then. "That must be the mysterious older guy she kissed." Yuna was very excited, but the fortune teller stopped. "No, I don't see an older man. I only see young love, but I also see a lot of blindness." She turned over another card and smiled. "The blindness will soon be resolved." The fortune teller ended her session and Miga understood even less.

When they went out of the store, Yuna was excited, but Miga not. "A young love. Did you hear that?" "Yes, but who should that be?" Miga rolled her eyes, because at the moment she couldn't think of who would be in love with her around her. "You have a lot of admirers, don't be so humble." Yuna rolled her eyes and Miga wanted to give up right away, but the phone rang for both of them. "School?" Asked Miga and Yuna nodded. "The math grades are there." Yuna opens the mail and Miga leaned over to look at the display. Miga's heart suddenly beat much faster and together they went through the list. "I have 70 out of 100 points. I'm relieved," said Yuna and grinned happily. "Why am I nowhere?", Miga asked more to herself, but Yuna continued scrolling and then it suddenly shows her result. "MIGA! 95 out of 100 points. How did you do that?" Yuna hugged her friend, but Miga couldn't believe it. She was in the top 20 of her year. She had never been so good at maths. "I'll call mum right away and tell her that we passed it." Yuna turned to the side and started talking to her mother on the phone. Miga actually wanted to do the same, but she wanted to call someone else first ... namely Hyunjin. "Hello?" Hyunjin sounded relatively sleepy and Miga immediately felt bad. "Sorry, did I wake you up?" "No, it's all good. You know, as a rookie and later as an idol, you don't have a good sleep schedule." "I just wanted to say thank you. I got 95 out of 100 points on the math test." "Wow. That's amazing." "I only managed that with your help." "No, you did it, you already knew so much, I was just helping you on your way." Hyunjin chuckled and everyone could hear his joy. "Am I still invited to your birthday party?", Miga then asked carefully and blushed slightly. "Yes! Of course," said Hyunjin immediately. "Well, don't forget, I'll bring the cake."

"Forget it, she's already half an hour late, she won't come," said Wonsik, looking at his band member. "Girls like Miga don't hang out with us rookies. Hyunjin, sorry," said Dabin and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Miga is not like other girls," said Hyunjin then, looking desperately at his phone. He had already given up the idea that Miga would come. But somehow the thought that she was interested in him was too good. "Still, you should be careful. You won't be the only one who finds her attractive." Wonsik wasn't really encouraging because this were thoughts that Hyunjin already had in his head anyway. "Hey, you didn't see them. Miga seemed to really like Hyunjin," Kiha defended his friend. But Hyunjin doesn't know what to do next. He stroked his hair and took a deep breath. "It's okay. Wonsik is right, I'm not in her league." Hyunjin bowed his head and stood up. He was about to get a beer in the fridge when suddenly someone rings the doorbell. "We haven't ordered yet, can it be?" Kiha started to grin. Hyunjin slammed the refrigerator door and immediately went to the door. And there she was ... she really come to his birthday. "Miga! You are here." He grinned and his cheeks flushed. "I'm so sorry. I pre-ordered your cake and then they swapped my order and then I couldn't find a parking space and ..." Miga could barely breathe and Hyunjin could only stare at her, so Kiha intervened. "We were just about to order something to eat, so you've come to the right time." He took the box with the cake from her and let Miga into the apartment. Wonsik and Dabin couldn't believe their eyes. Beomsoo now came into the kitchen too and smiled when he saw Miga. He was sure she would come, too, but the rest were perplexed. Everyone in the group knew for a long time that Hyunjin adored Miga. But they didn't think he had a lot of chances because she was very popular and many guys adores her. "Wow, your apartment is big. Does the whole group live here?" Miga asks and the boys immediately made a place available for her. "No, there are others living a few floors above us, but we are the cool dorm," Beomsoo grinned and the other boys nodded convinced. "A really?" Miga laughed and immediately felt at home in the group of friends. "Do you like a beer?", Hyunjin asked and became shy at the same moment. "No, but water would be great. I have to drive home today." Miga smiled gently and Hyunjin almost froze. "Wait, I'll bring it to you. It's Hyunjin's birthday today. You'd better take my seat." Kiha got up and made Hyunjin sit down next to Miga. "Do you already know your group name?", She asked carefully and looked around. "We kind of hoped that maybe you could tell us more about that." Wonsik grabbed his shoulders uncertainly and laughed. "No sorry, Daddy doesn't talk about work at home that much." Miga looked at the boys sadly, she would like to tell them more. "Ahhh your father is a strict teacher," Beomsoo said then. "Really?" Miga found this somehow surprising. "He's especially after Hyunjin." Dabin looked cheekily at his colleague, who glared at him. "Is that so?", Miga asked with wide eyes and turned to the boy next to her. "He just wants that I learn from his experience." Hyunjin looked down ashamed and couldn't look Miga in the eye for a moment, but Kiha tried to intervene again. "I think we should finally order something to eat."

After dinner everyone sat together and drank, but gradually Hyunjin and Miga fell into their own conversation as if they were in their own world. "I think you would get along well with my brother Sunoh," said Miga and looked into Hyunjin's eyes. "Oh, why?" He asked with a smile. But Miga just shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, you guys have the same vibe." Kiha, who has meanwhile already become the wingman, saw that the two were completely absent from the group and thought it would be good if the two were alone. "We still have your cake, Miga. What if we sit down in the living room and you two cut it?" The other guys got up immediately and took the hint. Only Miga didn't quite understand what was happening and Hyunjin was also clueless. But the two followed blindly and the two went into the kitchen. "I hope you like it. It's from the best pastry chef in Seoul." Miga grinned proudly while Hyunjin looked at the cake. "It looks really great. Is it chocolate?", He asked with a grin and Miga nodded. "Yes, do you like it?" She asked carefully. "I love chocolate." Hyun grinned and looked down at the girl. The two looked at each other briefly and Hyunjin lost himself in her eyes. But Miga also noticed that her heart was suddenly beating faster and she was a bit confused. "Let's cut the cake," she said and broke the silence. Hyunjin immediately nodded and took a knife. He put it on carefully and made the first cut. Miga meanwhile cleared the plates, whereupon Hyunjin put the cake pieces on top. "The cream looks really good," said Hyunjin and smiled at Miga. Slowly he loosened up and he felt more and more comfortable. "It looks a bit like a face cream, doesn't it?" Miga laughed and looked up. "Do you think so?", Hyunjin asked and she nodded. Then she took her finger, took a little cream and smeared it on his cheek. She giggled and Hyunjin's heart beat faster. "Then you need something too." He also took some cream and smeared it on the tip of her nose. Miga giggled and Hyunjin thinks she is so incredibly beautiful. "What is it?" She asked cheekily and grinned up at him. She noticed that he was staring at her and that he suddenly became calmer. "You are so cute," he said then, putting his hands on her cheeks. Her dark eyes looked up at him and she didn't know what was happening, but she somehow trusted him. The next moment his lips touched hers. His upper lip slips between hers and when she returned the kiss he became more passionate and showed it with his tongue. His heart was pounding wildly. An adrenaline rush flows through his body and he couldn't believe that he had dared to do this. But Miga was also surprised, she hadn't expected it. Although she liked Hyunjin, she was so focused on Jaemin that she had overlooked the signs. But she was glad the kiss happened because she enjoyed the presence of Hyunjin. After a long and intense kiss, the two separated slowly and Hyunjin became shy again. "I'm sorry that was too fast, right?" But Miga smiled and shook her head. "No, it was really wonderful," she said softly and put her hand on his chest. She felt his pulse and suddenly it made so much sense. That's why he hadn't slept and was at the company earlier every day ... he just wanted to be close to her. "I didn't know you liked me this way." She carefully brushed a strand of hair aside and suddenly she was shy too. "I'm sorry. Is that bad?" Miga still had her hand on him and she noticed how his breathing got faster and faster. But she shook her head and looked up at him again. "No, absolutely not at all." She then smiled and now she kissed him. She never thought that the evening would end like this. But Hyunjin never thought his dream would come true either. "You're my best birthday present," he then whispered and stroked her cheek again. Miga couldn't believe it, everything was like a dream. "I know it's difficult, but I'd like to take you out." He looks at her gently and Miga was still in a world of her own. "Yeah sure," she said quietly and Hyunjin knew that this was his best birthday he had ever had.

When Miga drove home she was still excited. She kept smiling and she liked her newfound feelings. Everything was exciting and new. She was so glad that Hyunjin had shown his feelings so openly. As Miga parked her car, she noticed that a familiar car was parked in the driveway. If she wasn't mistaken, it was Jaemin's. Her heart immediately started beating extreme fast and she just didn't know what was happening here. What was Jaemin doing here? Carefully she went into the house and saw how her father and Jaemin sat at the table and happily drank Soju. "Miga! Here you are." Jaehyun saw her and immediately waved her over to him and Jaemin. It was difficult for the girl to look her crush in the eye, everything was very confusing. "Is there something to celebrate?" Asks Miga cautiously, looking back and forth between the men. "Yes, there is," says Jaemin and looked deep into Miga's eyes, so that she briefly lost herself in them. Her heart beat faster and her knees got weak. "Jaemin, you and I are going to play in a drama together," Jaehyun said and poured his daughter a glass as well. "What?" Asks Miga, shocked. She doesn't quite know how to find it all. Jaehyun put the glass in her hand and put an arm around his daughter. "We must celebrate that."

providentia masterlist

daddy jaehyun masterlist

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #449-450

(both from yesterday)

What do you dislike about the house you live in? It's in the suburbs. Have you thought more about your funeral, or your wedding? My hypothetical wedding. Dinosaurs or unicorns? DINO BOIZ. What do you think of Maroon 5? I like some of their old stuff, and one or two of their newer songs, like "Payphone." What about Coldplay? I enjoy them. Fall Out Boy? Love 'em. Katy Perry? She's okay, I guess. There are a few songs I enjoy. Have you ever snuck into an R-rated movie when you weren’t old enough to see it without parents? No. What is your favorite Disney show? I don't have the slightest clue what's on Disney nowadays. What do you miss most about elementary school? Digging tunnels in the sandbox during recess with my friends. :'( When was the last time you saw the person you had your first kiss with? The start of February 2017. Hard to believe it's been four whole years... Is there anything hanging from the doorknob in your room? Ha, yes. Mom got me a little sign that says, "If I can't wear my flipflops, I'm not going," lmfao. All I wear are flipflops. What's your opinion on wearing pajamas in public? Do you yourself do that? I LITERALLY couldn't care less. I wear pjs in public sometimes; it really depends on where I'm going. What was the most severe punishment your parents gave you when you were growing up? Taking away technology was the worst. Do you usually fill up at the same gas station? Mom goes to a few different ones, depending on proximity and price. Have you ever owned any pet birds? What kinds/colours? I have not. I used to want a cockatiel for a long time, though. Do you pay much attention to your YouTube recommendations? If so, what was the last video that caught your attention? Kinda, I guess. I'm not sure what was the last recommended video I clicked. What has been the happiest time of your life so far? It's complicated. Most of my best memories are from high school with Jason, yet at the same time I was HORRIBLY depressed. I think my most pure happiness when I was really progressing with recovery. Moving on from him, losing tons of weight, feeling motivated... Have you ever had a crush on a celebrity? Who? My two biggest celebrity crushes ever have been/is Link Neal and Mark Fischbach. Do you have any fears you would rarely admit to anyone? Nah. Admitting fears isn't a big deal to me at all. What website do you spend most of your time on? YouTube. What did you have for dinner last night? A chicken sandwich. What could you talk about for hours? Meerkats, Silent Hill, Mark... Do you have a lamp beside your bed? Yes. What's your favorite ice cream topping? Chocolate syrup. What was the last TV show you binge watched? Avatar: The Last Airbender. Would you rather eat burgers or tacos? Oh, burgers for sure. I don't likes tacos. Did your mother change her maiden name when/if she got marred? Yes. Do you use TikTok? Nope. Are you closer to your mother or father? Mom. Do you own any costumes? No. Would you care if your SO went to a strip club? Hm. So long as they're not laying hands on any of the strippers and they ASKED me first, I don't think I'd care? I'm pretty sure I'd also only be okay with that if we were a long-term couple where very strong trust has been built. How helpful are your parents to you? Would they help you to pay for your first apartment? College? Where does the line end? They are so, so very helpful and I'm pretty sure would go to the ends of the earth to help me in any way they could. I know they WOULD help pay for the things you mentioned, but it's not something I want them to do. I want to be able to financially provide for myself, one day... Have you ever had to evacuate due to natural disaster? No. What video games did you have when you were growing up? LOADS. I looooooooved video games. What was the first election you ever voted in? This last one, actually. Can you hear anything right now? Yeah. I'm watching Gab play the Resident Evil 3 remake on hardcore mode. What's the coolest, most unusual pet you can think of? I've always thought sugar gliders were quite interesting as pets. I wanted one for a looong time, but I am not informed on how well they do in captivity and if it should even be legal for me to truly want one anymore. Have you ever seen a UFO or other weird object in the sky? By definition, it was a UFO. Sometimes I do even wonder if it was an alien spacecraft, given JUST how strange that shit was. I won't explain it again, just 'cuz I've done it in many surveys before. Are there any albums you know every single lyric to? I could probably nail Ozzy's Black Rain. What's your go-to painkiller? Advil. Does your mom have a celebrity look-alike? No, but there's a celebrity with her exact name. Do you think it’s pretty when 100s of balloons are let loose into the sky? NO NO NO NO NO that shit is SO upsetting. Where do you think they end up??? It's littering. Animals get choked and tangled by them all the time. What do you draw more than anything else? Definitely meerkats. Have you ever visited someone in a psychiatric home or ward? No, but people have visited me in one. Have you ever received a parking fine? No. Are you in any group chats? Who's in them? No. Do you have a lisp? No. Do you have an Instagram account? Do you use it often? I have three, but one's pretty much dead. I don't post stuff regularly on my other two either, really... Can you parallel park? I would absolutely hit another car. Have you ever played paintball? Did you get hit? No, that shit's dumb. You can get really hurt. What was your favorite fairy tale when you were a kid? Maybe Little Red Riding Hood? Are your parents still together? If not, do you know why? No. Mostly financial disagreements, but I know there's stuff I don't know. Have you ever been evicted? Why? Yes, because we couldn't keep up with rent. Have you ever worked as a manager or supervisor? Noooo. What was the last thing you voted for? So Snake Discovery (a reptile channel I love) hosted an enclosure build-off recently, and the winners were selected by fans via voting. The guy I voted for got 3rd. What's the most amazing animal you've ever seen in captivity? I've been very close to an elephant at a zoo once. They're magnificent. Having been to Sea World as a kid (I would NEVER go now), I also saw the killer whale show. As much of a spectacle as it was, it was animal abuse regardless. Do you like white chocolate? It's okay in small doses. Have you ever eaten snow? Yeah. Do you talk to your pets? Um, duh. Have you ever adopted a stray? (Cat or dog?) Cats, yes. Do you read about any mythology? (Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian, etc) No, not by my own will. I DO love mythology, I just... don't read it. Do you ever use bath bombs? No. Have you ever gotten angry at an employee and complained to the manager? No. Have you ever sent your food back at a restaurant? Yes, because they got my meal wrong. I was REALLY shy to do it, but I made sure to do it politely and apologetically. Do you sleep in a bra? What mad lad sleeps in a bra???????????? Has your ex ever gone out with someone close to you? No. Can you suggest someone funny on YouTube? I'll go for someone what isn't my obvious vote, ha ha. There are truly so many, but Garrett Watts is high on the list. Elena Bateman, too. Can you do a handstand? No. Has anyone close to you ever been suicidal? Yes. Have you ever broken someone's heart and didn't care? Tyler sure acted like I did, and to be entirely frank, I didn't care very much, but only because it was a HUGE overreaction and I knew he'd be fine quick. What color is your hairbrush? It's just a white comb. Who was your most recent call from? My psychiatrist. Have you ever watched someone die? Only animals... It's the absolute worst. Are you currently "seeing" someone? No. Are you friends with someone who's autistic? I might be, but I know my niece is on the spectrum. Do you like humans? To be entirely transparent... I think I wish humans were never a thing. We've done so, so much harm to the planet, some things irrevocable. Earth would be a much healthier, far more peaceful place if we'd never existed. Do you like pandas? I love pandas. P.S., fuck outta here if you're one of the people who don't support conservation efforts for them. That shit blows my mind. What do you think of Evanescence? They're great. Amy's voice is absolutely incredible. I don't even think that's an opinion, but global fact, ha ha. What do you think of Avenged Sevenfold? I like some of their stuff. I haven't heard a whole lot though, honestly. What do you think of Halestorm? ^ Do you think you are attractive? God no. I don't see me as an attractive person at all. Do you like dinosaurs? I love 'em; I was OBSESSED as a kid, and my first aspired job was a paleontologist. Do you like lasagna? No. Do you share a room? No. When was the last time you climbed a tree? Never, actually. Have you ever been hospitalized for more than 2 weeks? I think my longest was three. What can you do that none of your friends can do? I dunno. Why did you last go to the airport? Mom and I were dropping Sara off so she could go home. Who was the last person to see you in your underwear? My mom. Who’s the most attractive female you’ve ever seen? Maybe Alissa White-Gluz from Arch Enemy? Or my friend Alon. I'm certain there's more, because women are just so fuckin beautiful asdkfajlwejkrjqwe Red, white, yellow, or pink roses? I actually like the original, rich red. Do you think someone would ever want to marry you? Well, two people have, but one absolutely doesn't anymore and the other knows that it's not healthy or emotionally safe for either of us to imagine that at this time. I don't know if anyone ever will again. Do you like Thanksgiving? No. Like I enjoy the focus on thankfulness, but the history isn't right and I don't enjoy the food. Do you ever wear colored eye liner? No. Have you ever used a darkroom? No. Have you ever been "popular"? No. Has someone ever tried to convert you? Yes. Have you ever been told that you dress like a slut? No, not that how someone dresses has any relevance to their sexual activity. What’s your most recent obsession? Final Fantasy X jfccccccc. Video games or board games? The former. Are you scared of tarantulas? As much as I talk about them... you can probably tell I have a massive interest in them, ha ha. However, even though I love them, they're still sorta scary. Like, threat poses are no joke. And it's terrifying on the very rare occasion they hiss. During Covid, do you wear a mask or no mask? I'm fully vaccinated, and yet I still wear a mask because I'm a considerate human fucking being. Do you have a PlayStation 4? No, but I reeeeaaally want one. :/ Have you ever played Fortnite? Nah, not my type of game. Do you like anime? Yeah. Have you ever been on a boat? Yeah. I was always SO excited as a kid when Dad would take the boat out for a fishing trip. Have you ever played Kingdom Hearts? I've played some of it with Jason. I wasn't a fan of it. Have you ever built a snowman? Yes. DC or Marvel? I don't really have a preference.

----------

Do you prefer your nails long or short? Why? Short, because I can't keep my nails long for the life of me. I pick/peel my nails badly. Do you have any vinyl records? No. Are you still in touch with your best friend from high school? No. Have you ever visited any celebrity gravesites? No. How do you feel about archaeology? It's extremely fascinating. Would you have a big cat (like a tiger) for a pet if you could? No. I could never provide the environment they need, and it's simply not safe. They are not domestic animals, and even the ones that seem most tame can surprise you. What are your favorite smells? Cinnamon rolls, coffee, lilac, fresh baked bread, barbecue, etc. Have you ever had to block people online for harassing you? I'm not sure, actually... What is your favorite thing to do on The Sims? Surveys have a lot of questions about those games... I only ever played the ones that focused on animals, and I think I most enjoyed breeding them and naming the bbz. :^) And watching their behavior. Which hair color you've had has been your favorite? Red. If you were stupid-rich, would you ever actually want a mansion? No. I do not need all that room, nor am I wasting my money on such excessive space. What drinking games have you played? None. Do you take lessons for anything? No. Has something really heavy ever fallen on you? No. If you wear makeup, what colors do you usually wear? Only black. Does your shower have curtains or a glass door/wall? Curtains. If you have more than one pet, do they ever get jealous of each other? One is a snake and the other is a cat, so. Is there a room in your house that you don’t like going in? No. Besides salt and butter, do you put anything on your popcorn? Nothing besides what you mentioned. Are you lonely? I'm way too lonely for it to be healthy. Do you like pineapple? Yep. Have you ever seen fireflies? Yes; they're endemic to here. Have you ever trespassed? As a kid, yes. Do you raise your hand or participate in class? I did sometimes. Are you afraid of heights? Yes. Are you afraid of the dark? No. Would you ever be your school’s mascot who wears that costume? No. Have you ever written a poem? I've written a lot. Would you ever be a tornado chaser? FUCK TO THE HELL NO. What is your favorite thing to eat with bbq sauce, if you even like that stuff? I hate bbq sauce. Have you ever had to do a class in summer school? No. Have you ever been to the rainforest? No. Ever thought about writing a book? Yes. Have you ever had a dream where you killed someone? Yes. Have you ever solved a Rubik’s Cube? Nope. Have you seen all of the Jaws movies? No, only the first one with Tyler. It was aight. Have you ever had a black eye? No. Is your ex sexually attractive to you still? I haven't seen a picture of Jason in years, and I don't want to. Not because I care about how he looks now, it'd just be extremely triggering to see his face. I still find Sara gorgeous. Have you ever been to couple’s counseling? No. How often does your employer ask you to work overtime? N/A When was the last time you were scared? Ummmm I really can't say I know. What’s your favorite song by Rihanna? "Disturbia" is where it's AT. There's this synthwave edit of it that I positively adore. Can you speak binary? No. Have you ever had a pet that you disliked? A family pet, yes. Do you like boys with long hair? UGH yes. Do you like root beer? Not really, no. Do you like ice cream cake? Not really. Do you ever dream of yourself dying? That's not all that rare in my nightmares. What song always makes you sad? I think two songs are tied for what makes me most sad: "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin and "Eternally Yours" by Motionless In White. Were you mean as a little kid? No; I was a sweet kid. Have you ever tried spam? No, it looks SO gross to me. How fast can you run? This is pathetic, but I don't think I CAN run. My knees are too weak. I think my weight coming down on them would just make me crumple over. Have you ever bought something from Spencer's? Yeah. Have you ever been on a diet? I've tried diets many times. Do you prefer light or dark jeans? Dark. When you listen to music, do you generally sing along, or just listen? I almost always just listen. Do you have any of your exes as friends on Facebook? Yeah. Who was your first love? Do you ever miss that person? Jason. I miss his memory every day. I say "memory" because it's been years, and I have no way of knowing who he is today. How many cars are parked at your house right now? One. Has anyone ever told you you’re a control freak? No. Do you know anyone who has gone missing? If so, were they ever found? Not personally. What was the spiciest thing you’ve ever eaten? Some wings with extremely hot sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings. Have you ever deliberately tried to get someone drunk? Um yeah, no. Do you like sprinkles on your ice cream? No. I don't like sprinkles in general. Do you know how to do the moon walk? No. Has anybody ever told you that you have a good singing voice? Yes, somehow. Onion rings or french fries? French fries, for sure. Who is the best cook that you know? Dunno. If you have your ears pierced, when did you get them pierced? When I was a kid. I don't remember the age, but I was old enough to decide myself that I wanted them pierced. If you have siblings, have they moved out or do they still live with you? They have their own places now. Do you like fried rice? Yessss. Are there any animals you refuse to touch? Some bugs. Have you ever intentionally fed a house spider? I don't believe so, no. What makes you feel lucky? That I have the family I do. What is something nice going on in your life right now? Just the gym-going, really... Who’s the worst person you’ve encountered on the Internet? An old friend I just knew as Shakes. If death wasn’t a consequence, what would you try? Maybe sky-diving, idk. Has a teacher ever told you off? No. Have you ever told off a teacher? No. Do/did you take school seriously or not? I certainly did. How do you usually cope with breakups? Not well. I obsess over how something's wrong with me and I'm not good enough for anyone. Disney princess or Disney animal movies? Animals, for sure. What's your favorite Katy Perry song? It's evading me right now... Have you ever made/tried friendship bread!? Omg, I forgot that was a thing! I actually have. I've completely forgotten the gist of it or even how it tastes, but I remember I loved it. What do you want to know about the future? If I'll ever be content and happy. What's your biggest insecurity? My weight. Ever found something disgusting in your food while eating out? No, thank god. Does the area where you live have a good or bad reputation? A very bad one. Are there any holidays that you don't celebrate? Yeah, like St. Patrick's Day, among some others. If you could find out who you're gonna marry right now, would you? Yes. Save myself time and heartbreak. How important is it to you that your partner has the same religious views? I wouldn't date someone very religious. If they're more tame about it, that's fine, but I'd prefer to not date a religious individual. Do you own a Wii? Yeah. I've kinda been wanting to play Guitar Hero or Rock Band lately on it... Do you like a lot of cheese on your pizza? "A regular, reasonable amount of cheese." <<<< This. I really don't like when things are so cheesy that it leaves a ridiculous trail when you try to separate pieces. Have you ever been made fun of because of your sexuality? Not directly to my face, but I can guarantee people I know had certain ~opinions~ on it when I came out. I also like just came out as pansexual versus bi, and I'm not even telling a lot of people in my personal life because I know they'll find the concept absolutely ridiculous. What would you do if you found an abandoned animal? "Depends on what type of an animal it was, and whether it was friendly or skittish." <<<< This. I'm obviously not going to try to usher a rabid dog over to me (I'd call a rescue or something if the animal appeared potentially dangerous), but if the animal appeared safe, my heart would absolutely lead me to try and get the animal to come to me so I could take it home and try to find the owner. Have you ever kissed someone who had a tongue piercing? No. What singer/band do you think deserves to be more famous than they are? Jonathan Young from YouTube. He is INCREDIBLE. He deserves to be picked up by a label so badly. What is your favorite PlayStation 1 game? The original Silent Hill, no competition. Do you think objectum sexuals are real, or attention seekers? I really can't imagine someone pretending to want to fuck their car for attention. I don't get it AT ALL, and it's weird as shit to me, but I mean, I don't think people can control what they're attracted to. How far out of your age bracket would you date? 21-early 30s, probs. Have you ever had an STD? No. Have you ever tried pho? No. Pick one: Crash Bandicoot or Spyro? Spyro!!!! I have the original trilogies of both series, but Spyro is where it's AT. Does your job allow piercings or tattoos? I'm unemployed, but I wouldn't work at a job that didn't, honestly. If you could dye your hair any color right now with absolutely no restrictions, what color would you dye it? Maybe like a galaxy-esque mixture of layered colors. I've wanted that for YEARS. Have you ever known a white supremacist? This region is swimming in them. Have you ever spoken to a detective before? No. Do ladders scare you? Climbing them does, yes. Do you have any tattoos on your arms? Yeah. Have you ever thrown up on anybody? Unless I did unknowingly as a baby, no. How many people have you turned down when they asked you out? Uhhh two or three, maybe? What is your favourite kind of fruit cobbler? I actually haven't tried enough to have an educated favorite, but I can say I love peach. Do you hear any other people talking right now? I'm watching a let's player play Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, so I hear her, obviously. When was the last time you started a new medication? It's been a while, idk. What is your favourite type of nut? Cashews, I guess. I don't really like nuts, but I definitely like cashew bars. Where did you eat the best pizza you’ve ever eaten in your life? ... Domino's lmaoooo. Did you ever watch The Rugrats when you were a kid? Yeah, I loved that show. I even had two video games. Do you know anyone who was adopted? Yes. Can you name all 50 US state capital cities? No. Can you tie balloons? I can't, actually. Have you had a deep conversation with anyone today? Yeah. I wanted Sara's advice on something I'm dealing with. On your Facebook friends list, who was the last person to have their b-day? One of my sisters' was yesterday, actually. What did you/are you having for dinner tonight? I had Special K cereal. Name some healthy foods that you enjoy eating. Strawberries, apples, bananas, (sometimes) broccoli, other things that aren't coming to me. Who was the last person you Facebook messaged? My friend Girt. What flavor was the last cupcake you ate? The cupcake itself was chocolate, and the icing was uhhhh... blue? Apart from sleeping, what do you plan to do tonight? I haven't done anything of note. I'm probably going to bed soon. What’s the age difference between your parents? Two years, I think. When was the last time you ate an apple? Today. I have been on a big sliced apples w/ peanut butter kick lately. Have you had any caffeinated beverages today? I have soda every day. :x Have you eaten any chocolate today? What kind? Mom brought me a Reese's home today when she went out with a friend. How many different towns/cities have you lived in? Three. Have you ever written a song or poem for someone special? Poems, yes. Are you attracted to the last person you Facebook messaged? Not very much physically. Emotionally... I don't know. Do you have any ice cream in your freezer? What flavor is it? No. Ice cream is my #1 comfort food, so that's a big "keep out of the house."

[thebluenoteblog]

Give me That Title

Summary: You have been hooking up with Colton for months and though you have feeling for him you’ve known since the beginning what your relationship with him is. You’re okay with it. You’re also okay with being perpetually single. That is until you meet someone that makes you want to date for the first time in a while. Though Colton’s reaction to hearing about your date... well that’s more surprising than the fact that you decided to go on a date in the first place.

Player: Colton Parayko

Word Count: 5.1k

*Inspired by Meghan Trainor’s Title*

I know girls ain’t hard to find

If you think you want to try

Than consider this an invitation

To kiss my ass goodbye

You were on the floor in front of your floor length mirror, with makeup spread out on the floor all around you when your phone buzzed. You paused with the mascara wand next to your eye, finished what you were doing, reinserted the wand into the tube, screwed on the cap and then picked up your phone already having a pretty good idea of who it was.

Colton had just gotten back in town from his road trip earlier that day and odds were he wasn’t in the mood to go out partying tonight. He wanted someone to come to him. The most recent notification on your phone, right above a few from the NHL app was indeed a text message from Colton. You had been his most regular hook up for the past seven months and at some point, in that time he had given you his phone number when he got tired of dealing with snapchat.

If you were being fair, the two of you did a lot of talking to. If someone were to scroll through your text messages they would never know that you were just some twenty-one-year-old girl who had gotten caught up in a lifestyle that you had no business in. They would probably think that you and Colton were friends. Friends who just hung out a lot late at night.

You unlocked your phone, opened the text and scanned the message. You busy?

You glanced up into the mirror, at your half-done makeup. Yes.

His response was fast, like he’d been waiting for it. No, really. Do you want to come over?

Okay, if you were being fair, it was a very rare occasion that you passed him up on an offer to come over. You always responded to his messages and you were basically at his beck and call. Your only serious obligation was your college courses. Your work hours were pretty much ‘come and go as you please’ and so you did. Whenever Colton asked. He knew when you were in class and he knew it wasn’t now.

Being tied to a man who had no intention of ever committing to you wasn’t a huge issue for you. Committing your time to him wasn’t either because he was gone so much and spent so many nights out with the team that you could still have friends and a life of your own. Besides, you would be lying if you said you hadn’t hooked up with a few other people in the beginning just as he had. You assumed he still did, but you didn’t bother anymore, the sex didn’t compare.

Then two weeks ago, you met Chase. You were sitting at a coffee shop on Main Street, enjoying your tea when he had walked in. He’d sat down on the couch beside you as he drank his coffee. He turned to you, stared at your Blues t-shit for a moment and then said, “Can you believe how badly the Blues got it handed to them last night?”

You’d spent two hours talking after that, about anything and everything. He’d asked you out. You’d given him your number. Now you sat in front of your mirror getting ready for the first real date you’d been on in over a year since you had broken off your engagement and sitting there, on that couch next to Chase, in his faded St. Charles County Firefighter t-shirt, you’d realized something.

This thing with Colton wasn’t enough anymore. You wanted a real relationship. Someone you could imagine a future with and not roll your eyes at yourself for being ridiculous. Someone who would really love you and not just love getting you naked. Someone who saw in you whatever it was that Chase saw that made his eyes light up when he talked to you that day.

You wanted someone who would someday ask you to marry them. You would buy a house together. Make one of those salt plaster ornaments with your first house key to put on the tree that you would decorate together every year. Build a fence in the backyard for your dog and your kids to run around.

Maybe that would be Chase, maybe it would be the next guy you went out with, or the next. Maybe you would find him a year from now. But you knew one thing for sure. No matter how much you wanted him to be, no matter how much you loved Colt, he was never going to be that guy.

He would never commit to a girl who looked like you.

Hell, you didn’t think he was ready to commit at all, despite how nice of a guy he was and his picture-perfect image. He enjoyed living it up, he enjoyed his parties, he enjoyed his bunnies. A girlfriend would cramp his style.

You glanced down at your phone and saw that ten minutes had passed, you needed to hurry up and get your makeup done and you still had Colton to deal with. I can’t. I’m going out tonight.

Again, he responded before you could pick up your mascara to finish your other eye, so he must not have been doing anything. He was probably laying on the couch watching TV. Oh. Are you going out with (Y/F/N)?

You didn’t really think about what you were typing before you just hit send, you just did it and then dropped your phone before going back to your makeup. This time you finished all of your eye makeup and were on to your lips when your phone eventually buzzed.

It wasn’t until you picked it up that you read what you had sent him and actually felt a little bad. You knew you both saw other people. You knew you weren’t a couple and you were both free to do whatever you wanted, but neither of you ever made a point of talking about it. You only knew about it his exploits from the girls who bragged about it online and occasionally posted pictures of them together to corroborate their stories. No, (Y/F/N) is out of town. I have a date tonight.

He’d responded five minutes later with. You have a date?

You glanced at the message, not sure how to respond at first then decided on simply, Yeah, he’s really nice.

The dots appeared and then disappeared about five times before they stayed long enough for him to type out his response. You never go on dates.

You rolled your eyes. Leave it to a guy in the NHL to think he had a girl locked down because she didn’t go on other dates for a little while even though he was still fucking other people. I decided that I want something real. Is that so bad?

You finished your makeup and made it out to your car before he responded. I guess not.

If it ain’t no thing

Then I won’t be hangin around

But don’t be blowin up my shit at three am

Sayin how you need me now

You had now been out on two dates with Chase and Colton had coincidently texted asking you to come over as you were walking out the door to get into Chase’s truck the night you went out with him for the second time. He’d taken your rejection slightly less… diplomatically this time which was uncharacteristic for him. You’d only turned him down a handful of times, but you could never remember him being upset. He’d always continued to talk to you until one of you got too busy to hold up the conversation. This time though, he was clearly upset.

Can you come over? I have food that I shouldn’t be eating that you would love.

You smiled when you read the message, because it almost sounded like he was inviting you over for a date even though you knew that wasn’t what it was. You could still dream. Then you remembered that outside your apartment complex, Chase was waiting for you.

I’m sorry, I’d love to but I’m busy tonight. Raincheck?

He’d responded quickly like he didn’t even think about what he was saying before he said it, Big date tonight?

You narrowed your eyes at the phone. What’s that supposed to mean?

You waited for his response before you walked outside into the bitter February air. Nothing. I just wanted you to come over.

Now it was three in the morning and you were lying in bed, trying to fall asleep. Still thinking about how uncharacteristically spiteful Colton had been that night. Then your phone went off for the first time. You ignored it, because, well, it was three in the morning. But then ten minutes later it went off again. And five minutes after that it went off again. Not five minutes passed before there was another. Then soon after another alert. Finally, you sat up in a huff, grabbing the phone off your bedside table and unlocking it to see the notifications.

All messages from Colton and he appeared to be drunk. Very drunk.

(Y/N) r u home

i miss u

u should com over

r u still with him

u should be here instead

You squeezed your eyes shut then opened them to make sure you were reading the messages correctly. Is that why he had been so spiteful that night? Was Colt… jealous? You couldn’t go over to his house now, because regardless of what you suspected, nothing had changed. He wasn’t going to commit to you. He wasn’t going to give you that house together or the Christmas tree with the first key ornaments or the kids running around in the backyard. It just wasn’t in the cards for them. Besides, he was drunk off his ass right now. He would never, in a million years send u or r in place or you or are if he wasn’t well past the legal limit.

Colton, go to sleep. You’re drunk, you don’t know what you’re saying.

The dots appeared right away but it took him awhile to type the message.

i no wht im saying i miss u com over ur with him arnt u

It took you a moment to decipher the message but when you did, you sighed and responded carefully. Colt, I’ve been home since 10:00. I can’t come over, its already three in the morning and you’re so drunk you’ll be passed out by the time I get there. You won’t even be able to let me in.

He didn’t like that answer. ill take a shower to sober up before u get here

Colton.

fine goodnight

You sighed again, Goodnight Colt.

Don’t call me boo

Like your some kind of ghost

If you don’t want me seeing other guys,

Then here’s what you need to know

Come stay tonight.

It was just those three words. The team was leaving for a road trip and they had the next day off. You had always in the past cleared your schedule on those days for him if he asked you to. The two of you would stay in bed all day, you would cook for him when you got hungry and he would leave for the roadie the next day relaxed and happy. This had started off as an occasional arrangement but had become a routine and now almost every time he had a day off in town, this was the plan.

You cleared your schedule.

When you got to his house with your overnight bag, you had just knocked on the door when it opened. He was standing there looking perfect as ever in a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, but his hair wasn’t styled like usual. It was tousled and limp like he’d been running his fingers through it enough to destroy whatever effect the gel had previously had on it.

He stepped to the side to let you in and closed the door behind you as soon as you were out of the way. He turned to face you, “I’m sorry… about the other night.”

You shrugged, not meeting his eyes, continuing to face the living room. You didn’t want to talk about this. You knew your time together was limited. This may very well be the last time they spent a night together before you had a boyfriend and you had to end… whatever this was. you didn’t want to spend it talking about what he’d said two nights ago and how he hadn’t meant it. How he was just drunk. “It isn’t a big deal.”

You slipped off your shoes, leaving them by the door. You always felt weird wearing shoes in his house, everything was so much more expensive than what you were used to. You walked away from him before he could say anything else, placing your bag on the couch and then leaning against the back of it and turning to watch him. He was frozen in place, staring at the spot you had previously been standing. After a minute he shifted his eyes to you and made his way into the living area.

He stood directly in front of you, with his hands in his pockets. He looked unsure for the first time since you’d met him, and you couldn’t quite figure out why. “I made dinner.” He said. “It’s almost ready.”

You furrowed your eyebrows at him, “You made us dinner?” You asked. “I always make dinner.”

“I know…” He said, he shifted, looking over her head at something in the distance, “I just thought… I don’t know. It was an early game and I got home at seven… I don’t mind cooking, so why not?”

You shrugged your shoulders, “I don’t know, I guess I just figured I would be cooking for you tonight.”

He looked down at you, meeting your eyes and smiling softly, “You don’t always have to do stuff like that. You can just come over and relax with me.”

Something was off. Colton was a nice guy. He was an amazing guy. But this was so far out of left field for your relationship that you didn’t know what you were dealing with. Then again, that’s how everything with him had been since the day you told him you were going on a date. He’d make sure to mark you up with hickeys everywhere when you hooked up the couple of times it had happened since. He was usually rough, but he never was one to leave dozens of hickeys all over you. Maybe one or two, nothing like that. His sideways remarks. Drunk texts. Now this?

You were in love with him. You had been for a long time and you knew it. Hell, you’d known when you let this start that you would fall in love with him. He was just the kind of guy you couldn’t help falling in love with. That’s why he had girls falling at his feet. He was a twenty-six-year-old professional hockey player, rich, attractive, with a great personality and he could have any girl he wanted. You never had any illusions that you would be the one to lock him down. Hell, at the time you weren’t even looking for a relationship. You were running from one.

But when he looked at you and said things like that, things like you can just come here to relax with me, it made you angry. Because you were in love with him. And when he said things like that and sent you a string of drunk texts at three in the morning, it gave you this irrational hope that he cared about more than just your pussy.

There was no way though.

And even if he did, did you want that life?

Constantly worrying about whether or not your boyfriend was with some other girl because he could have whoever he wanted? Always feeling like you weren’t good enough for him? Never being able to contribute equally to the household? Would he ever actually marry you even if he did date you? No. Probably not. You weren’t NHL wife material. Not pretty enough or classy enough.

But you smiled at him and pretended this battle wasn’t going on in your head and said, “Why don’t I help you finish cooking? I’m starving.”

After you ate, an amazing meal as it turned out Colton was actually quite the cook, when you made to help him with the dishes he turned around and set you on the island behind him, effectively banishing you from the soap. “I always help.” You protested.

“I’ve got it, (Y/N).” He said, his back muscles working as he washed a pot. “Just sit there and look pretty.”

You rolled your eyes, “As if that’s possible.” He turned to look at you over his shoulder, narrowed eyes and you bit your lip before responding, “Sorry, did I say that out loud?”

“Yeah. Don’t say it in your head either.” Then he went back to the dishes.

After the dishes were clean you expected to end up in the bedroom, but instead he guided you to the couch and handed you the remote, “What do you want to watch?”

You stared at the remote for a moment, then looked back at him. “I don’t know. I only watch movies in the theaters and I don’t think you’d like any of the shows that I watch.”

He frowned, “You only watch movies in theaters?”

“I don’t have the attention span to watch them unless I’m forced.” You said, “I’ll do anything to get out of it. Write, sleep, read, sex. Anything except watch the movie unless it’s a favorite and I’m in the mood to watch it. Which I’m not.”

“Okay, you like the Flames, right?” He asked. You nodded, “They’re playing now. Want to watch that?”

You smiled up at him, “That sounds awesome.”

By the time the game ended, you were curled into his side with his arm wrapped around you and you were ranting about every missed call while going on about Tkachuk’s game winning overtime goal. “Are you like this when you watch us play?” Colton asked, with a look in his eyes that you couldn’t identify and a smile on his face.

“Oh, I’m worse.” You said laughing and shaking your head, “When I lived with my sister she used to get so mad at me on nights you played late games because I would wake her up yelling at the TV.”

Colton placed a hand on your cheek and moved in. He pressed his lips to yours the same why he had so many times before, but this time if felt different. The kiss was long and slow and there were no hands pulling at clothes. One of his remained spanning your cheek and neck and the other rested on your waist, holding you in place.  Your hands, after the initial shock of the randomness of the kiss wore off, went up to his shoulders. He pulled you closer like he was afraid you were about to push him away, but you didn’t. You wouldn’t. You didn’t know if you knew how.

Especially not after the way this kiss made you feel.

You were the one to separate your lips, resting your foreheads together. Neither of you spoke for a stretch of time and the only sound filling the room was the Flames postgame in the background. Eventually he broke the silence. “I don’t like you dating other people.”

“Colton…” You said, squeezing your eyes shut. You didn’t want to hear this. You didn’t want him to tell you how he didn’t like seeing you with other people, but you could never be his. It wasn’t something you wanted to hear and if he said it… well if he said it you were going to have to get up and leave. You were going to have to end this.

“Please listen to me,” He said, his voice barely above a whisper but their faces were so close that you had no trouble picking up his words. “It hurts thinking about you dating someone else. It hurts thinking that I’m so close to losing you and if you don’t want me to stop you then there isn’t anything I can do about it.”

You pulled your forehead away from his and leaned back a little, looking at his hardwood floors, “Colton I can’t just be some girl that you call when you want to screw for the rest of my life.” You said it softly, but the words were harsh and he cast his eyes at the floor along with you, “I want something real. I want someone who is going to take me out on dates. We buy each other birthday presents. Set up a Christmas tree together every year. Have dreams of a future with each other in it. Someday I want a house with a backyard full of kids and a husband playing with them. I can’t have that if all I am is another girl who you mess around with but never want anything more from.”

When you were done he looked up at you and your eyes met. Before you could look away, he said, “But what if I want all of those things with you? What if I want something real too?”

Tears sprung to your eyes. Why was he doing this? Why couldn’t he just let you walk away when it was easier because you thought he would never love you. “Colt I don’t know if I’m cut out for that life. I’m just some girl who got caught up in a lifestyle she had no business being part of.”

“What’s so bad about it?” He asked, looking a little panicked. Like he hadn’t actually accepted the possibility of you walking away tonight for good. “Why couldn’t you date me?”

You shook your head, “I’ve been around your friends. They party. They drink. And athletes… they cheat. I know it’s a stereotype, but I would always be worried about it. Especially since the entire time we’ve known each other you’ve had the ability to just… do whatever you want. Besides the fact that I’m not pretty enough to ever be seen in public with you.”

Colton looked genuinely offended, “I don’t cheat. I never have, and I never will. I was raised better than that.” He placed a hand on your chin and forced you to look into his eyes, “And you are beautiful. I would take you everywhere. You would be all over my Instagram even.”

You blushed, “Colt…”

“(Y/N), give me a chance.” He said. “I messed up. I didn’t realize I was in love with you until someone else was already doing a better job at what should have been my job than I was. Please, let me fix it.”

You studied his face, trying to decide if he was serious. Trying to decide if you should give up what you saw in Chase for what you knew was there in Colton. There were obstacles, many of them, but if he was that determined to make it work then you would give it a try too.

“Okay, we can give it a real shot.”

I’m lovin’ what you got

But I’m hating what you doing

You gotta show me off, off

If you embarrassed,

Then thats the case I’m long gone

You’d been officially dating for four months now and things were going great. He knew how you felt about him going out drinking with the guys, so when he went, he invited you along. There were no more bunnies bragging about their conquest with him online, in fact they were beginning to suspect that he had settled down with someone. You were at every home game wearing his jersey with the other wives and girlfriend and even flown out to one of the away games. Pictures of the two of you together started appearing online, especially on websites that people used to track the habits of players and the speculation started.

Did Colton Parayko have a girlfriend?

The thing was, he wouldn’t confirm anything. People would tweet him, asking him about it. Nothing. People would message him on Instagram asking him about it? He ignored them. He posted a picture of himself with your dog on his Instagram and the comments were filled with the same question.

Do you have a girlfriend?

Is that your girlfriends’ dog?

Did your girlfriend take that picture?

Still he didn’t respond to any of them. You were beginning to wonder if it was because he was regretting his decision to enter a relationship with you. Was that what the issue was? Was he embarrassed of you? He’d promised that you would be all over his Instagram, but he hadn’t even let you tag them in a picture together. Did he wish he’d found someone more conventionally beautiful?

You were scrolling through a speculation post when he sat down beside you on the couch. “What are you reading?” He asked, looking over your shoulder.

You quickly locked your phone and dropped it into your lap, “Nothing. It doesn’t matter.”

He narrowed his eyes at you playfully, “I know your password and my arms are longer than yours.”

You sighed, “Why haven’t you gone public with our relationship?” You asked.

He looked caught off guard, “What do you mean?”

“You haven’t posted any pictures of us. You haven’t answered when anyone asks about us.” You looked away from him and down at the phone you were twisting in your hands. “If you’re embarrassed of me just tell me. We can end this.”

“No!” He said it before the words had even died on your tongue, “Of course I’m not embarrassed of you.”

You still didn’t meet his eyes, because honestly, you didn’t believe him. “Colton…”

“(Y/N),” He said, “I’ll post pictures of you right now. I’ll tweet out a response to the next person who asks me. I’m not embarrassed, why would I be? I didn’t know it was that big of a deal to you or I never would have kept it a secret. I just don’t like my private life to be all over the internet.” He grabbed your hand and pulled your phone away, setting it aside before taking your hand in his. “Please believe me.”

You looked up into his eyes and all you saw was love. He looked so genuine. How could you not believe him? “Okay,” you said. “I believe you.”

“We don’t have to keep it a secret,” He said, “I love you. I don’t care if people know.”

You smiled up at him, “I would like that.”

Give me that title, title

Come on give me that title, title

Better give me that title, title

Better give me that title, title, yeah

They’d been together for two years now and they had come a long way from the day that Colton had sworn she was going to walk out his front door and end up in the arms of another man. As she sat on her towel with her toes dug into the sand next to him, glass of wine in her hand, staring at the sun setting over the ocean, he couldn’t believe that he’d ever come close to letting that happen.

The words she spoke that day stuck in his mind every single day since she said them. Someday I want a house with a backyard full of kids and a husband playing with them. They already bought each other birthday presents and set up a Christmas tree together every year. They talked about their future together every day. But that was something that he hadn’t given her yet.

She was so distracted by the sunset that she didn’t notice him set his wine glass on the small table between them, low to the sand, before reaching into the beach bag, into the zippered back pocket that she never would have had a reason to open and pulling out the small velvet box. He settled back onto his towel with the box in his hand, but kept his eyes focused on her.

He’d had the whole moment planned out, but now that they were here, and he was holding the ring and she was sitting next to him, it was like he had never planned a thing.

He shifted to his knees so that he was facing her, and that action was enough to pull her away from the sunset. She turned to him with a smile on her face so genuine that it made his heart swell. “What’s that look for?” She asked, “You should be watching the sky, it’s beautiful.”

“I’d rather watch you.” He said, and her cheeks flushed. Whether it was from the tropical heat or his words he didn’t know. He kept the box hidden under his hand as he said, “(Y/N), the day we decided to be together, you said something. You said that someday you wanted a husband and kids and an entire life with someone.” He looked down at his hand which still hid the ring, then back up at the most important person in his life who was looking at him with wide eyes, like she wanted to believe what was happening but didn’t quite want to get her hopes up. He lifted the hand that wasn’t concealing the ring and used it to guide her into standing up. She rose to her feet, burying them in the sand.

He rose to one knee and finally reveled the box, snapping it open, “I want that to be me. I want that life with you. I’m ready for it. If you say yes, I promise that we’ll have a house with a huge backyard and a fence and a swing set for our kids to play on. We’ll be the family that you always wanted to have. So, (Y/N), will you marry me?”

She was completely in shock, staring at him like she couldn’t believe a single word he had just said had actually come out of his mouth. But it had, and as soon as she realized that, she answered him. “Of course, I will!”

He slid the ring on her finger, tossed the box on the towel beside them and then was up and twirling her in the air in a second. Yes, they had come a long way in the past two years. And god was he glad they had.