#not sure if it's worth putting in the main tag but oh well there it is

[burntheedges]

Pas de Deux Chapter 11

Din Djarin x f!reader | 2.2k | fic masterlist | main masterlist | ao3

chapter summary: with less than two weeks to go until the gala, you're not sure how you're going to make it.

a/n: sorry about that cliffhanger last week 😂 but here we go. Happy holidays, y'all! Thank you @katareyoudrilling for being the best beta, as always!!

chapter tags/warnings: fluff, flirting, kissing, Din lifts reader (again but you know), dancing, costumes

Chapter 11

You’d never been more excited for morning classes. 

There was a spring in your step as you walked towards the large classroom. You knew you were smiling – you couldn’t seem to stop. As you neared the door, you bit your lip, thinking of seeing Din inside. Thinking of him made you think of the way he’d kissed you the day before, like it had every few moments since he’d stopped.

You felt a shiver run through your whole body as you sank into the kiss. His lips were warm and soft as they moved against yours. You realized your hands had tangled in his hair without you consciously moving them. His hair was soft, and you tugged at it lightly. He groaned in response and tilted his head to deepen the kiss.

He lifted you, suddenly, and you wrapped your legs around his waist easily as he walked towards the barre on the far wall without breaking the kiss. He set you lightly on top of it, still mostly supporting your weight, and pressed tightly against you.

You knew he was wearing a belt, but you could still feel his interest – two sets of tights and a leotard was hardly a barrier, after all. 

His tongue teased against your bottom lip and you met it with your own. Another shiver ran through you at the touch and you felt Din smile against your mouth.

You were startled out of your reverie by an arm dropping around your shoulders. Adrian grinned at you. “Daydreaming, are we?” 

You blinked and realized you were standing outside the door to the classroom, staring off into space. You felt your entire body go hot. “How long have I been standing here?”

He laughed and tugged you forward. “Not long. Don’t worry, I’m the only one who saw.”

You groaned and dropped your face into your hands. “I can’t stop thinking about it.” You’d called Adrian the night before as soon as you got home from rehearsal, so he knew exactly what you were thinking about.

“Well, of course you can’t,” he whispered as you crossed the threshold into the classroom. “No one could blame you, not after making out with that specimen of a man over there.” He gestured with his head to the right and you looked over to find Din watching you enter. You smiled at him and to your surprise, he smiled gently back.

“Oh-ho!” Adrian murmured. “A smile in public! What did you do to that man?”

You grinned and ducked your head before sitting to put on your shoes. “I told you, we agreed – no more of… that until after the gala.”

You and Din had only managed to tear yourselves away from each other the day before when you heard a loud noise in the hall. You’d both realized at the same time that the door was unlocked. After gaining some distance between you and taking a few deep breaths, Din had nervously suggested waiting until after the gala to… see anything through.

I’m so nervous about it already, he’d said, looking at you with hope and anxiety in his expression. I want this. I want… I want you. But can we wait? I need to concentrate on this, and just this. He’d gestured at the studio, and you knew he meant the pas de deux.

You’d said yes, of course. You knew how nervous he was. And it was just two weeks, right? Of course you could wait. He was worth the wait, even if it killed you.

Adrian rolled his eyes as he dropped down next to you. You peeked up and found Din still watching you as he stretched. You bit your lip and noticed he dropped his gaze to watch.

Adrian scoffed. You looked at him, and saw that he was looking between the two of you. “Sure. I totally believe that you’ll keep your hands off each other for two weeks. Two weeks of rehearsals where you have to put your hands all over each other, all the time. Absolutely.” His tone was dripping with sarcasm. You elbowed him and he yelped.

��Maybe the tension will help our performance,” you said. It was the same thing you’d told yourself the night before.

He laughed. “Oh it’ll help, alright. Help you set the stage on fire, maybe.” You elbowed him again.

…

In rehearsal with Kuiil that afternoon, one thing became abundantly clear – you were right about the tension. 

From the moment the music started, you could feel it. Your connection was back and stronger than ever before. It was like you’d reached a new level, a new intimacy that you couldn’t access until now. Every touch and glance affected you and you reflected them back to Din. For the first time it felt like you were having a real conversation as you danced. 

At the end of the third movement, you fell into your final position – the two of you curved your bodies into each other and Din’s arms surrounded you slowly. You ducked your head into his neck as you both sank to your knees. 

For a moment, you simply breathed together, and you resisted the urge to kiss his neck.

“Oh, yes! Yes!” Kuiil was ecstatic. Your connection was back, and he praised you both. You leaned back from each other and turned to look at him. “Yes, I was certain you would fix it. Well done, both of you.” His belief in you made you smile. You only hoped he couldn’t tell what the new… source of your connection was. “From here, we clean. And we focus on strengthening the parts that need it. But overall, I want you to focus on the feeling. The choreography is complete – all that is left to do is for you to complete the narrative. And remember – exist in the moment.”

You nodded. You were certain you would be fully present for this dance every time, in every moment. How could you not be, with Din in front of you, waiting to be touched?

As rehearsal continued, a tentative wonder started to fill your chest. It had never felt like this, to dance with another person. Now that you and Din were on the same page, it felt like a real partnership in a way that no choreography ever had before.

You felt like he could read your mind – whenever you reached, he was there. You would take a breath, and he would extend his movement, aligning his breath with yours. He was an echo of you, and you were an echo of him, and somehow you were moving like two parts of the same machine. The same brain.

It was beautiful. 

At the end, Kuiil praised you again, and set out the plan for the remaining rehearsals. He wanted you to include more time working on your solos and more PT and strength training, but not too much.

“I want you at your best, for the performance,” he said, and you both nodded. “We will amaze them. You will see.”

He turned to leave, but Din didn’t move. You looked at him as the door shut behind Kuiil.

“Din…” you said, a bit breathless. “Did you feel it? That was–”

He turned towards you and his eyes were ablaze with emotion. You sucked in a sharp breath.

“You were amazing,” he said, voice low, almost a growl. He walked towards you slowly. You froze in place, simply watching him approach. He stopped just inches away and you looked into his eyes, breathless. “I’ve never felt anything like that before.”

You nodded. You wanted to reach out and touch him but you were afraid you’d be unable to resist him if you did. “Me neither. It was…” you trailed off, looking for the right words.

Din raised one hand and gently cupped your face in his palm. You leaned into it, eyes fluttering closed. “It was beautiful,” he murmured. “You’re beautiful.”

You turned your face into his hand and pressed a soft kiss to his palm. You could feel the shudder that ran through his body in response, even through just that single point of contact. He stepped away.

“Two weeks,” he said, voice firm. A promise.

“Two weeks,” you agreed.

He lingered for just a moment and then swept out the door.

…

Those two weeks were, as you’d predicted, torture.

Your dancing had never been better – Kuiil was effusive with praise, and you and Din seemed to be locked in to some deeper understanding that only drove your performance higher and higher. It felt amazing and awe-inspiring. It also felt like maybe it was going to kill you, by the time you got to the gala.

You’d taken to eating lunch with Adrian every day, just to give yourself a bit of a breather between class with Din and rehearsal with Din. Your best friend continued to tease you, and you continued to try to keep your cool as Din tested it.

On Sunday, he sent you a cute picture of Grogu dancing in their living room in front of a YouTube video of Swan Lake. Your heart had skipped a beat at the knowledge that he wanted to share moments like this with you.

On Tuesday, Kuiil had left you to finish practicing on your own, and Din had gathered you in his arms for the final pose and kept you there, just a bit too long. He’d only released you when he felt the hitch in your breath. When you caught his eye, you could see that you were both feeling just a bit too wrecked for what was usual in rehearsal.

On Friday, with one week to go, you finally felt like you’d fallen into a routine that could carry you through the remaining six days until dress rehearsal. 

And then Max brought your costumes by on Saturday for a run through, and you were certain you weren’t going to make it.

Din stepped into the room in the tiniest pair of black shorts you’d ever seen. They had silver stitching in a swirling design that matched his body paint and the black embroidery on your own silver bodysuit, which had skin-colored mesh at the top to make it look strapless and ended in little shorts, too. Your gaze traveled down his chest and then caught on his legs, which you suddenly realized you’d never seen. Not like this, anyway. You swallowed and let your eyes linger on the muscles in his calves and thighs before you dragged your eyes back up to his face.

You realized he still looked a bit nervous, standing barefoot in the room in just his shorts, body on display. His shoulders were drawn in and he had one arm across his chest, holding on to his opposite bicep. But as you met his eyes you realized he hadn’t missed the way you’d just checked him out. 

He was smirking at you. He raised his eyebrows and then let his gaze travel slowly down your body and back up. By the time he met your eyes again, his shoulders had relaxed, and you felt like you were on fire. 

You were glad Kuiil and Max were talking in the corner and that they’d missed everything that just passed between you and Din.

“My dear, how does it feel?” Kuiil called to you and you blinked, turning away from Din. It felt like you were moving through molasses.

“Good,” you said, twisting your torso, and then cleared your throat when your voice came out too quietly. “Good. Should we do a run through?” 

Kuiil and Max both nodded. “Just the third,” said Kuiil. “That will be enough to test it.”

You took a deep breath as you moved to your side of the floor for the start of the third movement. You didn’t look at Din – you needed to focus. But then the music started and you had no choice.

Din’s body was always beautiful, in movement and when he was still. But something about this costume was stoking a fire within you that you’d managed to leave at a slow simmer all week. 

When he caught you in the lift, the one that had brought you together, you barely breathed through the following sequence. As he set you back on your toes, chests pressed together, it took everything within you to continue the choreography and move away from him.

One glance at his face told you he was struggling, too.

When the music ended, and Din was wrapped around you, you felt him raise one hand out of view of Kuiil and Max. He placed it gently on your hip and then squeezed. “This is so beautiful on you,” he murmured, and you sat back on your heels, overwhelmed. His hands slid from around you as you looked up at him where he was still kneeling. His eyes were dark.

“Thank you both,” Max said, popping the bubble that had formed around you within your mind. “I think we might need to rethink the body paint, but we’ll be ready for next week.”

You looked down and noticed that a bit of Din’s paint had transferred to your arms, but somehow not your costume. You nodded.

When you looked up, Din was eyeing those transferred marks intently, and you shivered.

“Thanks, Max,” you said, voice thin. “We’ll just… get changed.”

Thankfully there were no more costume fittings to test your already dwindling strength.

...

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a/n: 👀

cleaning - I'm sort of assuming this is a widespread term but every teacher I've ever had used it to talk about the small changes and tweaks you make to get ready for a performance. Usually we'd repeat small sections over and over again until it was perfect.

[sparrow-in-the-field]

I am too sleepy to write fr but just sleepy enough to feel uninhibited in sharing a silly idea for the Cormorant fic I had

Basically Chuck writes Roger a letter after they get to the jorty(tm) cabin in Oregon and since Bobby hasn't written yet, Roger decides to share the letter with Joe and Joyce so they can have an update too

Joe reads it out loud so Joyce can hear and most of it is just about the train journey and how they were so excited to see Stub and Shorty, etc.

Joe, in the zone of reading aloud, continues, "I miss you already, Rodge. I'm not sure what our sleeping arrangements are going to be tonight, but if I find time alone I will think of you as I--" Joe stops reading out loud, but his eyes continue to scan the page. "Oh my god."

Roger clears his throat, grabbing the letter from Joe. "Oh yeah, that last part's just for me, sorry."

"There's like a whole page left!"

Roger smirks, although his cheeks are also flushed. "Yeah."

"You guys hadn't even been apart a full twenty four hours yet when he wrote this!"

"I know," Roger sighs wistfully, looking down at the letter he is carefully folding to return to his pocket. "I miss him so much."

[princessleechan]

special treatment (m) - chapter 5 + written chapter

Chapter list

🖊️Chapter tags: MDNI, DATES ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR PACING AND COHESION OF THE STORY, mentions of drinking, office au, secretary au, misunderstandings, mentions of insecurity and harrassment, virgin!au, one sided rivalry, grump x sunshine, grump!reader, shy sunshine!mingyu, an awakward day back at work, some confrontation, the truth??

🖊️Tag list: @tomodachiii @humankimbap @aaniag @odevote118 @minwonwoozi @ateez-atiny380 @chisskaa @ninigyuuu @sarcasticsweetlara @bemybabiibish @blaycke @lirtha97 @kwanisms @nebulousbookshelf @gyubakeries @btsdomination @gyuguys @okiedokrie-main @jrinbb @lexyraeworld @armycarat2612 @cherrylita @jhornytrash @alyssa19123456 @chanichanvhan @minhosprettywife @jeon1w @perfectiondazesworld @skittlez-area512 @bmo-bri @blvked19 @leechansprincess @livixcore

You tapped your foot impatiently on the steps, arms crossed as you waited for Mingyu in the stairwell, safely tucked away from any prying eyes. If you’d had even the slightest clue of what would unfold that Saturday night, you would’ve stayed home without a second thought. No amount of free shots could ever be worth the sheer, deafening humiliation you’d endured and in front of your coworker no less.

The door creaked open, and Mingyu stepped through, his broad frame blocking it as he eased it shut behind him. His gaze flickered to you briefly before dropping to the floor, his hands smoothing the wrinkles on his shirt with nervously, as he stiffly placed them to his sides. Clearing his throat, he offered a careful, “Thank you for agreeing to speak with me.”

Without a word, you held up your phone to pull up an app. “I’m putting a timer on this mess. Three…two—”

“Okay, okay, one second!” he stammered, panic flashing across his face.

“—One. Go.”

“Okay, look,” Mingyu began, his voice unsteady, talking at a thousand words a minute. “I’m not sure what you overheard that night. Frankly, a lot happened that I don’t even remember, and I don’t blame you for not even remembering, but I just—I want to say what you do remember—please, please don’t tell anyone. Nobody in the office knows.”

“What?” You crossed your arms, leaning against the wall as you regarded him with a raised brow. “That you’re a Nepo baby? That the only reason you got this job fresh out of college is because of your connections? Oh, please—it all makes perfect sense.”

“It’s not like that,” he tried explaining, tension in his voice rising.

“Then what is it like, Mingyu?” you pressed.

He swallowed hard, his gaze darting around the stairwell that was looking like a tempting escape. “I…I was offered the privilege of an interview, okay? I took it, and Mr. Kim gave me the job.”

You let out a dry, humorless laugh. “Ha! Yeah, your kind, sweet uncle Kim Jaejoong, huh?”

“Just—just promise me you won’t tell anyone,” he blurted, his voice bordering on desperation. “And I mean anyone.”

“Why?” you demanded, no signs of mercy as you narrowed your eyes. “Why does it matter so much?”

“Because,” he said, his voice cracking slightly, the quiver of his lips visible as he spoke, “I just…I want to work here without everyone treating me differently. I just want to work here without anyone watching out for me because I’m the boss’s nephew.”

“Well, shouldn’t they?” you shot back, tilting your head.

“No!” he said quickly, shaking his head, his panic palpable now. “It doesn’t change anything. I’m serious about this job—I’m trying to do it right. I just want to work quietly and end my day. That’s it.”

You leaned back crossing your arms, scanning him from head to toe, wondering how you hadn’t considered the idea of him coming from money before. For one, he was incredibly good looking—as many of them are—and he was dressed nice, too nicely. Off the rack perhaps and something you can get a a Macy’s department store at a quick glance, but the more you looked it the more you noticed how it was fitted to him like a glove. Accentuating his long and lanky stature as his dress shirt—although wrinkled and worn in—was a nice material and complimentary color. He embodied the look of old money, and you were too scornful of the sudden decision to allocate work with someone new to notice.

Your eyes flickered up at him, doubtful. “Really?”

“Really,” he insisted, his voice quieter now., his gaze dipping to the floor, bowing his head. “You don’t have to believe me. I doubt you even like me now—if you didn’t already—but please, just keep this between us.”

You stared at him for a long moment, watching as he shifted on his feet, him overtook with anxiety, how it flushed it skin, beading sweat down his face, made his hands shake, made his throat shift. Finally, you sighed, the tension in your chest easing just slightly. “Fine. It’d be too much of a hassle dealing with the fallout anyway.”

“Thank you,” Mingyu says, breathing out a sigh of relief, hoping this sensation is a lasting feeling.

As the two of you stood side by side in a silence, that awkward air that used to suffocate Mingyu and irritate you had strangely become lighter. More bearable than it had been this morning. “Now,” you began to speak up. “Let me ask you something.”

“Anything,” Mingyu replied earnestly.

Your body conveyed a certain caution, teh kind that made your cross arms cross over your whole chest in a self-embrace, as if to soothe yourself while your expression tried remaining cool. “…How exactly bad was I?

He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck as a sheepish smile spread across his face. “Honest answer?” He asked, already confirming your suspicions.

You sighed, cringing as you shut your eyes tight, and your hand shot up to run over your head in exasperation. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Well…” He glanced at you, thinking about teh words he planned on choosing. “You had a lot to drink. And, uh, a lot to say. But…you didn’t quite manage to say most of it.”

A deep, defeated groan escaped you as you let your back fall flat against the wall. “How humiliating.”

“Hey, everyone has those moments,” he said, his tone soft and reassuring. “It’s okay. But, if you don’t mind me asking…what exactly did you overhear that made you call me and my friends those names?”

You shook your head, frustration flickering across your face. “It’s all a blur. I’m not even sure if it was what you said or how you said it. I just know it pissed me off. Probably something about how this job practically fell into your lap.” You scowled at the memory, the echo of laughter mingling with smug, egoistic banter flashing in your mind. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”

“Well,” he began cautiously, “I’m sorry if I made you feel that way. If there’s anything I can do to close the gap between us—to make things more cordial between us—I would. I will.”

You scoffed, shaking your head. “That’s not necessary. Just do your job. Double-check your work when you need to. If you don’t understand something, ask—but don’t depend on me to clean up your messes. If you’re as qualified as you and your uncle claim you are, then prove it with your work ethic.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied quickly, nodding.

You could see the optimistic sparkle in his eyes as he looked back at you with a new found respect. You weren’t all buddy-buddy with him just yet, he was still Mingyuseless as far as you could tell, but there was a different air now. One far more comfortable than expected. A camaraderie formed under unfortunate circumstance. Perhaps, one too close to your liking. Well, as long as he didn’t get in the way of work, he’d be fine.

You dusted off your skirt, nodded to yourself satisfied. “Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get to lunch.”

“If it’s not any trouble…” He put you to a halt with his timid approach, “I’d like to buy your lunch today. As a thank-you for agreeing not saying anything about, well, my upbringing.”

You took a moment to consider his offer, the thought of rejecting it briefly crossing your mind before your stomach started to growl, having both of you stare down at the culprit. You shook your head, relenting. “Fine. But as long as you keep doing your work and don’t tell anyone about my behavior that night, we’re good.”

As you make your exit together, Mingyu suddenly remembered something, snapping his fingers in realization. “Wow, I’m surprised we were able to talk about all of that in five minutes.”

“Well, to be honest I forgot about put on the timer, but this was good use of my time, so I allow it, given that my cheese pork katsu is free as promised.”

He smiled. “One free katsu on me it is.”

“Oh, and my jacket,” You added, suddenly remembering, to wanting to lose probably the most expensive piece of clothing you own.

“Dry cleaners,” he answered, promptly. “Also, on me.”

You nod approvingly. “Well, then. Let’s go, and before all the god katsu crispy edges get taken.”

[carmenberzattosgf]

my hand is good! I have two scars now under my middle finger on my palm but all is well!

I'm also here to ask about birthday treatment from carmy? I dontnthink he does a lot for his birthday and I personally don't do a lot so I think its either a sup casual affair or he's celebrating the fuck out of it because he's like that's my s/o and I love them and this is the day they started existing and I love that.

it is simply my birthday and i want to be spending it with fiction people but alas!

-🌂

OMG HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I hope you have a wonderful day my dear friend <3

To answer your question though, Carmy is 100% celebrating the fuck out of you. He’s going to wake you up with breakfast in bed with your favorite breakfast foods. He’ll even buy some silly little balloons to have in the kitchen and the living room. They’re not even displayed all cute they’re just, floating on the ceiling, but he made the effort!

The whole day is all about you. If you want your nails done? Okay, sold, he’s paying for them. Hair done? Yep, he’s tagging along and covering the bill. He’s going to watch all your favorite movies and shows with you cuddled up on the couch.

If you want to have a proper birthday dinner, he’s going to make a phone call and get a table for you and all of your friends ( and him of course) at the nicest restaurant in Chicago. Carmy’s also going to make sure they do a dessert with the candles in it as well.

Although, if you don’t want a proper birthday dinner, he cooks one for you at home, anyway. Carmy’s already come up with the perfect birthday dinner menu. Literally, he’s thought of an appetizer, main course, and he’s made your favorite flavor of birthday cake. Oh, and he sings you happy birthday while you blow out your candles. To be completely honest, he films you blowing out your candles just because he wants to keep the moment forever.

Now to talk about gifts, he probably asked Sugar or Syd for help a couple of days before your birthday. While Carmy is talented in so many things, gift selecting is not one of them. He’d much rather prefer to go ahead and buy you the things you’ve mentioned wanting. There’s so much going on in that head of his, he doesn’t want to forget about things you’ve said.

I like to think that after talking with Syd and Sugar, he decides to buy you a gold necklace with his initial on it. It’s not huge or flashy. The necklace is a simple gold chain with a small round pendant attached to it. He opts to have a “C” engraved on the pendant in a dainty, cursive font.

The gift is perfect. You can’t help the tears that well up in your eyes as you look over the pendant in the velvet box. Your eyes widen when you see the 18k gold certification in the box. “Carmen—this is so gorgeous—you really didn’t have to splurge like this. I would have been happy with nothing.” At this point the tears freely flow from your eyes as you look at Carmy, who’s just smiling happily.

“It’s your birthday, baby. I love you.” There’s a break in Carmy’s sentence as he cups your face, wiping your tears away with his thumb. “You’re worth every single penny and more,” he says before leaning in to give you a small kiss.

“I love you so much, Carm. Wanna help me put it on?” He’s eager to see the necklace on you, so he stands up fast to get the box from you. Carmy stands behind you and clasps the necklace at the back of your neck.

“There we go. How’s it look?” Carmen asks before walking back in front of you. Honestly, he has to catch his breath for a second. He didn’t realize how much of an effect seeing you wear his initial would have on him, but he is a man after all.

“It’s so gorgeous, Carm.” Your face beams you stand up to look at the necklace through the mirror on the wall of the living room. “What do you think?”

Carmen walks up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and setting his head on your shoulder. “I think you’re beautiful. Absolutely beautiful, my love.”

[my-writings-and-musings]

Earthspark Breakdown x Reader x Bumblebee

Anybody want some fluff of Breakdown trying to be smooth while getting a date for Bumblebee only to crash and burn on his own feelings? Too bad, here it is! I can't be the only one that would love to be in a throuple with these two absolute dorks, right?

"I bet I could get you a date."

"Don't you fragging dare."

Breakdown considered the laugh he'd gotten from the exchange well worth the dent Bumblebee had left in his shoulder, and the fact that he had every intention of carrying out his promise was simply a pleasant bonus. His old friend would thank him in time; the lovestruck Scout was absolutely helm over wheels for you, the Maltos kind neighbor, he just didn't have the gears to initiate much more than an occasional conversation. Breakdown hardly blamed Bee for his attraction, as you were quite easy on the optics and he found the brief interactions he'd shared with you more than enjoyable, but he knew his friend didn't have it in him to ask you on anything even adjacent to a date. For the sake of you both, he was willing to use his skills as an exceptional wingman and break the ice. He was certain he'd be thanked in good time.

Finishing the short drive up the road to your property, he turned into your driveway with a drift that was equal parts showy and loud, wanting to announce his presence before traveling up the winding dirt path. It wasn't the first time he'd done as much, though this was his first time visiting alone. Ordinarily he tagged along with the group to watch Bee get adorably flustered every time you looked his way…

Slowing down as he approached your house, he scanned the homestead for you, being careful to avoid clusters of chickens pecking about your property. Driving up to your main barn, he parked and transformed once he was sure there were no other humans about, catching the sound of approaching footsteps just before he saw you emerge from behind the barn. You were obviously surprised to see him, but your smile told him it was not an unpleasant surprise.

"Oh, hi Breakdown! I thought you guys were training the Terrans until this afternoon?" you asked with mild confusion, referencing your visit to the Malto residence that morning. Breakdown recalled how disappointed Bumblebee had looked when you had regretfully informed the group you were too busy to hang out that day thanks to a number of jobs that needed to be done on your property, and thus you'd be unable to watch their training as planned. His friend's painfully obvious longing as you drove away had ultimately been what spurred him to try to secure a date between the two of you, but he had to play it cool while he prepared to make his move, not that he was expecting much difficulty. He had good reason to believe you returned the Scout's affection.

"Bee is showing them scouting and stealth tips today; not really my area of expertise." he explained, trying not to chuckle at the idea of himself tagging along on such a lesson. Primus, Bumblebee probably would have to unteach every bit of advice  Breakdown would give on the subject, so he really was better off here. Keeping to what he was actually good at, he put the first part of his plan into action, knowing you'd be much more receptive to a date with Bee if you weren't overworked. "But I thought I'd use my free time to help out with those chores you mentioned. Got anything you need an extra hand with?"

You were once again surprised by the Stunticon, and once more it was quite pleasantly so, your shoulders relaxing as his offer took a load off them. 

"I do, actually." you confirmed, approaching him and continuing with some hesitation even though he'd made the offer. Breakdown couldn't help but smile at your politeness. Most humans didn't hesitate to use bots for their own ends, yet you were courteous enough to ensure he was alright with something even after he'd offered, your reluctant expression making it clear he'd have every right to refuse with no hard feelings. "My biggest headache is a fallen tree I need to move to the chopping block, but it's a bit on the bigger side, so I understand-"

"Shouldn't be a problem." he confirmed quickly, freely puffing out his chassis as he disguised a flex as a stretch. Hoping you caught just how impressive his broad shoulders looked in the bright sun, he smirked at the ease of the task ahead, planning on showing off a bit while he put his plan into motion. As he took care of this chore he'd be free to drop hints about Bumblebee and gauge your reaction, and if he was as correct about your feelings for the Scout as he was certain he was, it wouldn't be a challenge at all to drive out of here with a date for his best friend. This wasn't the first time he'd been his wingman… "Just point me in the right direction."

"Really? Thanks!" you said enthusiastically, beckoning for him to follow as you started heading past the barn. Finding the energy adorable, he followed eagerly, thoroughly grateful he'd decided to give this plan a try. There was something about you that made him understand just why Bee was so deeply besotted, and once everything worked out he'd be glad to spend more time with you, perhaps even just the two of you.

Breakdown caught sight of the problem tree as soon as you rounded the barn and he got a clear line of sight to the edge of the yard, where a once proud oak had snapped at the base and smashed into the earth to leave a shallow crater in the grass. Estimating the trunk to be at least twice his height, he whistled as he imagined what a sight the fall must have been. It was just a good thing it had fallen so far from your very crushable house…

"You weren't kidding about it being a big one." he marveled, looking over the trunk and doing a quick estimate of its weight. While it certainly didn't look like what he would call light, he was more than confident in his ability to handle the burden, especially with an audience to impress.

"I know, right? I got lucky it wasn't near anything, but it's huge. Even a chainsaw would take an eternity on that thing." you remarked as you hopped over to the other side, stepping back and scanning your eyes along the once towering oak. He realized you were measuring him against the tree and trying to do some form of your own math, but judging by your expression you were less than optimistic about his odds. The uncertainty in your tone confirmed as much, and he got to proving himself before the first word left your mouth. "So really, if it's a problem-"

"You just tell me where you need it, hngh…" he declared, pausing his sentence to secure his servos under the trunk. Digging his digits in to the bark and heaving, he bit back a reflexive sound of strain to keep up the illusion of effortlessness, not struggling but certainly using a considerable amount of his strength. Seeing your eyes widen and your jaw go slack gave him all the motivation he needed to heft the entire oak onto one shoulder, the massive amount of momentum teetering it precariously back and forth before he secured it with both servos. Not even allowing himself a sigh of effort, he finished his sentence with a grin. "...and in how many pieces."

"Oh!" was all you said at first, the feat of strength and the speed at which he'd pulled it off briefly overwhelming your ability to speak. Breakdown felt his spark surge with pride at your reaction, enough that he had to remind himself he was here to make Bumblebee look good. Not that there was much harm in showing off to a cute friend…

Catching yourself, you turned on the spot and pointed to a flat area of land with a sturdy shed. "Well, uh, right over here!" you said quickly, moving fast so he didn't have to carry the burden for long. Breakdown had to appreciate the consideration, as the effort was admittedly very draining, enough that he could feel his actuators starting to ache by the time he caught up with you. Following your instructions to drop the oak beside a chopping block, he set his dentae tight to once again avoid any obvious sounds of strain as he hefted the tree off his shoulders, making sure you were clear before he let it more or less roll off his servos and slam into the earth with enough force to shake the surrounding dirt. 

"There we go, didn't even break a sweat." he declared as soon as the ground became still, doing a fantastic job covering up how much the effort had taken out of him. Somehow, even if his end goal was getting a date for Bumblebee, it was very important to him that you knew how strong he was. Confident he'd shown off his impressive prowess, he dusted off his servos in preparation for the next step. "Now, how do you want it broken up?"

The question caught you a little off guard, and you had to think before replying, a pause he dared to think came from being utterly starstruck by his abilities. "Uhhh… I need the pieces to be about this size for firewood…" you said after you recovered, picking up one of the chopped chunks as an example. Breakdown tilted his helm in thought, figuring the amount of work it would take to divide a tree of such magnitude into as many pieces of such a size might take until sundown. He halfway considered running back to the Dugout for a weapon before you jumped in with a far more workable solution. "But if you could get the trunk into sections, I can store that as is. Do you think you can break it up?"

Breakdown brightened at the question, finding it easy to ignore fatigue if he was given a chance to impress you, and you had unknowingly given him quite the opportunity. Kneeling beside the base of the trunk, he secured his servo a short distance above the jagged edge, testing the resistance before turning to you for approval. It took a great deal of willpower to hide how eager he was to show off. "This a good size?"

"That's perfect, yeah!" you agreed eagerly, going quiet after it occurred to you that there wasn't any practically obvious way to get the wood to that size. Glancing at the ace and chopping block that were comically undersized for the job, you blanked on a possible solution but still offered aid to be polite. "Do you need any help?"

Breakdown grinned, barely keeping the expression from deepening into a smirk before he replied simply, "Nah."

Using one servo to twist and the other to pull, he tore the appropriately sized chunk free with only the tiniest sound of effort slipping past his lips, one that was covered by the cacophonous crunch of timbers being shredded by sheer might. Actuators running at full capacity, he needed only a few seconds of work before he ripped the section of tree off and had it resting in his palm, which he held up for your approval. Seeing your eyes as wide as saucers once more had him nearly giddy with delight.

"Holy moly." you said after a moment of stunned silence, shaking your head to clear some of the shock before you let out a chuckle of disbelief. "Any chance I could hire you? I know farm work isn't quite as glamorous as racing, but you're very good at it."

"I'm happy to help whenever I've got the time, maybe I could swing by here on the regular." he replied quickly, finding himself eager to spend more time with you however he could. It wasn't until he'd set the piece of wood down that he remembered why he was here, and the realization sent a wave of embarrassment through his spark, which he hid with a polite cough as he considered how to change the subject. Bumblebee wouldn't have minded him flirting with you as he was hardly the possessive type, but Breakdown was set on his original mission, and knew himself well enough to be certain he wasn't the type to get crushes. He was as smooth as they came, and needed only to get back on track for success to be all but assured. 

"But uh… you might have better luck with Bumblebee. He's actually way better at this kind of stuff, loves lending a servo whenever you need it." he said, gaining confidence as he went on. He knew you liked Bumblebee and that made it all the easier for him to gather himself, even as he busily shoved down the flutters in his spark that were growing more frequent every moment he spent in your presence.

"Really?" you inquired as you moved to start chopping some of the more manageable logs into firewood, unintentionally drawing his optics to your arms as you hefted your ax. 

"Definitely, that bot lives for helping out." Breakdown continued as he followed your lead, getting into position to tear off another hunk of timber in part so you couldn't distract him further. "If you've got any other big chores that need doing after today, I can pass along the word."

"I'd love that, especially if you both could come over." you answered eagerly, pausing to split a log and once more making his spark surge for reasons he refused to contemplate. Pausing to give him a smile that he refused to believe was anything more than polite, you continued giving the Stunticon an impossibly hard time, every word breaking down his defenses and tearing away his cool, indifferent persona. "I think it'd be really nice to spend some time with you both, just the three of us."

Oh, Primus.

"That'd be uh… pretty nice." he replied lamely, losing ground so fast he had to think quickly to try and save any semblance of the mission he set out to accomplish. Somehow, despite being a fraction of his height, you had the same power over him that had always had Bumblebee stuttering in your presence. Though he'd never admit as much, he resolved that he would stop teasing his friend after all of this was over… "But you know, Bee is the hard worker between the two of us. You'll be able to cut through your chores in no time without me distracting him."

Slicing through another log with a thunk that made his pump skip a few beats, you chuckled at the sentiment, fixing him with a wink that acted as the first half of a one-two punch you finished with a single sentence. "I'd say you're cutting through my chores pretty quickly yourself, imagine what I could get done with two big handsome mechs?"

The entirety of Breakdown's charisma evaporated in a single microsecond at the word handsome, only to be replaced by a flood of bashful giddiness so overwhelming not even all the self preservation his ego could muster was able to halt the blush that bloomed around his cheeks. The thick oak in his servos shredded like paper without him even noticing it, as he was far too busy grappling with the realization that Bumblebee was not the only one hopelessly infatuated with you. Unable to think of any response, let alone one that was remotely clever, he merely bowed his helm and mumbled something to the affirmative.

"How about this Friday? I'll be free all day." you offered, the knowing tone of your voice making it obvious you knew exactly what you were doing. Breakdown couldn't even be sure when the conversation had flipped so drastically, but it absolutely had, and for all of his embarrassment he simply couldn't be upset about it in the slightest. Technically, he had accomplished his goal with a bonus…

At least, that's what he told himself the remainder of the time he spent helping you finish up the tree disposal, as well as during the entire shameful drive back to the Malto residence. By the time he returned the Terrans were free of their lessons and his friend was relaxing by himself in the shade of a nearby apple tree. As he approached with most out of character sluggishness, the Scout turned to greet him with an expression that was guarded and concerned in equal measure. Transforming into bot mode upon approach, he couldn't keep the sheepish feeling in his spark from showing on his face.

"Breakdown, where have you been?" 

The question made him want to blurt out just what a fool he'd been, but he remained somewhat calm, optics downcast as he nudged a fallen apple with his pede. "At the neighbors…"

Bumblebee tensed but said nothing, crossing his servos and leveling his friend with a heavy stare before he pressed for details. "What did you do?"

What did he do? Get in way over his helm, he wanted to say, with absolutely wonderful and disastrous consequences. Unable to put it all into words, he focused on the most important detail of the day, still uncertain how it had all gone down.

"I uh… I got us a date with Y/N."

"You did what-?!" Bumblebee exclaimed, grabbing him by the shoulders and halfway slamming him against a tree before the word choice hit him. "Wait; us?"

Breakdown could only bow his helm as his blush returned, and their longstanding friendship did the rest. 

"Oh, Breakdown…" Bumblebee sighed as he released his equally lovestruck friend, realizing that both of them were now thoroughly stuck in the same boat. Pinching the bridge of his nasal ridge and closing his optics, he sighed again before offering the only admonishment fitting of the utterly ridiculous situation they'd just ended up in. 

"You reckless fool…"

[bg-brainrot]

WHaBFHtLA - Astarion x GN!Reader - Chapter 15: More than Friends Pt. 1

Pairing: Astarion x GN!Reader (Elf!Tav)

Genre: Reincarnation, Angst, Mystery, Slow burn

Rating: Explicit, 18+

Tags: Gender-Neutral Pronouns, POV Second Person, Canon-Typical Violence, violence, some explicit content

WC: 8k words, 15/?? chapters

Summary: Push finally comes to shove. As fun as living in the present is, Astarion forgets that present dangers are still very, very real. Afterward, emotions run high, and you find yourself in a familiar predicament.

A/N: I know I put this warning in ch 1, but warning that the smut is always going to be more about their ~feelings~ than actual smut, so like, be forewarned and don’t expect too much 🔥!

Also: I never play wizards in real campaigns! I’m a filthy rogue-main and if I play a caster, it’s usually been for the roleplay of it all, so this Tav is not built optimally. They’re built for a chill life in Neverwinter with a few offensive spells. I’m also sticking to 5E rules for this (invisibility, spell prep) for the sake of story as well.

Ao3 | [Ch14][Ch16] | WHaBFHtLA Masterlist

Since you rejected his advances a few nights ago, Astarion has been making an effort. You’re not entirely sure what the effort amounts to, but it’s an effort nonetheless.

At first you think it’s to get to know you better, understand who you are, as you asked him to. But surely it isn’t that. Something like that wouldn’t make you feel this uncomfortable.

“Oh darling, please let me embroider your robes. They’re simply not doing enough to flatter your alluring figure.”

“Simply exquisite. When you read by candlelight, your eyes shine brighter than even the most vivid moonstones.”

“Have I ever told you that your voice could lure a siren? No? Well, its dulcet tones make this dreadful work all worth the while.”

You think he’s… flirting? However, either he’s out of practice or you’re not an easy person to flirt with, because each time you’re left a bit confused and unsure how to react. Usually it ends with you changing the subject with an awkward chuckle and a thanks.

As the new week begins and you’re finding yourself inundated with these odd statements, you think this might actually be his attempt to get to know you better– he just hasn’t gotten close to someone in so long, it’s devolved into an awkward jumble of compliments.

So when you return from your start-of-week shopping trip to find Astarion waiting, arms crossed, expression irked, you suspect you know what it’s about.

“Why are you rebuffing my every attempt to converse with you?” His voice is annoyed and you try your best not to laugh, thinking of how long he might have been waiting for you in that very position. But you’d been expecting this, so you know better than to laugh.

“Astarion,” you start, putting your bags down. “Are you talking about your weird flattery?”

He all but sputters his next words, “‘Weird flattery’?!” 

You nod. “How else am I supposed to take comments about my ‘dulcet tones’?”

As if just hearing these words for the first time, Astarion recoils a bit. “Well, when you say it…” he trails off a bit before continuing. “I’m just trying to open up a conversation, darling. Not all of us have your… knack for subtlety.” You ignore the insult, as it’s likely warranted anyway.

“Regardless, thank you for making an attempt,” you say, closing the distance between you. “It means a lot to me, even if it’s been, hmmm, odd.”

“Yes, well, I appreciate you saying so,” he says, puffing his chest out a bit. “Gods know I deserve more praise these days for how patient I’ve been.”

You laugh and respond with a matching levity, “Any more praise and your head shall be too big for your shoulders.” Then, you don’t know what compels you, whether it be the instincts of your former self or the strange lull of domesticity you’ve both fallen into in the past few weeks, but you peck a light kiss on his cheek.

Both of you freeze as the gesture catches up to you.

Your mind doesn’t freeze, however, already peppering you with all of the questions a situation like this warrants, Did that just happen? What have I done? Why did I do that?!

Your mouth catches back up to your mind next. “Oh gods, I'm so sorry, I just– my body moved on its own. I didn’t mean to do that.”

Astarion doesn't say anything, just stands there in shock. A slow motion brings his hand up to feel where your warm lips made contact on his cheek.

Your heart drops in your chest as you continue to spew words at him, "I keep messing up, I really am sorry.” Then, seeing that no ‘sorry’ is bringing him out of his stupor, you feel the need to explain further, "I just can't help it. It's like caring for you is instinctual. I know you don't care about me, but–"

"I do care about you. I think. Just not… the same," he says, interrupting your rampaging speech. "It’s just all a bit… confusing."

Your heart leaps in your chest at the glimpse of hope. "So you don't want me to crawl back to where I came from?"

"… no. I don't think I do," he responds, dropping his hand. He meets your eyes once more and his tone turns teasing. "And please do adjust your fantasies. I would be much more likely to recommend you take a trip to the hells."

You don’t speak for a bit, as you collect your weekly groceries, head to the kitchen and begin to sort them. Guilt still beats against your chest like a second heart and you wonder if you’ll ever be able to speak to him again. That is until Astarion jolts you out of your spiraling anxieties.

“Darling, are you going to pout all day?” he says, head resting on his palm while he watches you from the kitchen table. “While it was so very droll at first, I’m starting to feel like I live alone again.”

Right. He’s not the same Astarion you remember from your dreams. While the touch had been a surprise, he doesn’t seem angry or bothered by it in the slightest. He really does seem mostly amused– oh good, at least I’m a source of amusement to him.

So you try to let it go– the moment of weakness, of a habit that wasn’t even yours. That’s not to say that you let it go entirely though.

You apologize again. And again. And again. All throughout the day.

He says you don’t need to keep apologizing, but you do. You feel like you’ve crossed a boundary that wasn’t ready to be crossed. You’re so worried that this carefully crafted, all-too-delicate bond would break with a mere kiss on the cheek.

Astarion assures you, it didn’t bother him. He was simply a bit stunned. While he hasn’t remained celibate over the years, not many have dared to do as you had done. You, the intruder, had dared to kiss the sad, broken vampire’s cheek. He says it like a joke, and you wish you could laugh with him, but worry persists even after you manage a reluctant little chuckle.

And so the rest of the day remains tainted, all but ruined in your mind.

Despite this, the day does continue. You go through plans for an expansion to the colony, more room to allow the vampires a better life. You’re a bit more aware of his hands near yours, his head leaning toward you, but otherwise, you manage.

Towards the end of the day, Astarion receives a message on a Sending Stone from Dal. He doesn’t tell you the contents of the message, but the look on his face says it all: worry. As soon as the exchange is over, he gets up to leave. He refuses to elaborate beyond the fact that his siblings need him.

You nod, not questioning his concern. “Can I do anything to help?”

“No,” he says, lips pressed together firmly, broaching no room for discussion. “I need to go now. I should be back by morning. Remember what I asked you?” When your expression remains blank he continues, “Prepare a Mage Armour or another warding spell.”

“Okay,” you respond, and your own face is likely as worried as his is now. “Are you sure you don’t need my–”

He grabs your hand in a rush. “Stay put. Promise me.”

You’re not sure that you can promise that, especially if he’s entering a dangerous situation. But with the way his red eyes burn into you, you find yourself nodding again. “I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Tomorrow,” he confirms, releasing your hand and leaving. You’re left in a flurry of papers and growing unease.

__

On your sixteenth day in Astarion’s house, everything goes wrong.

He meets you in the morning, just as he promised, but after that, your day turns upside down entirely.

“Astarion?” you ask, when you open your door to his incessant knocks.

“Good,” he breathes. “You’re awake.”

You’d only just exited your reverie, but the look of sheer panic on his face means your remark dies in your throat. “What’s wrong?”

“Something came up,” he says before looking you up and down. “Get dressed and meet me in my room.”

Even on a regular day you would have listened, perhaps with a sly remark, but on a day like today, where his voice comes out short, clipped, and his jaw is clenched in a hard line? You comply with his orders like the model student you once were.

As soon as you’re ready for the day– in your best travel robe, Mage Armour cast, a variety of new spells prepared for the day– you head toward Astarion. You hope you won’t need the preparation, but with the way that Astarion’s shoulders were set, you suspect you might.

“Astarion?” you call, knocking on the door. “I’m here.”

He opens the door and you’re graced with a surprising amount of his bare chest. “Good,” he says, either not noticing or not caring about the blush that’s creeping up your neck and into your face. “I need your help.”

Finally, you think, brushing aside any feelings his bare body might stir within you. He trusts you and you this is your chance to prove yourself to him. You’re not sure with what yet, but what does it matter?

“Could you help me put on my armor?” he says, handing you a pile of leathers, straps, and buckles. 

Oh.

“Of course,” you respond, working to lay out the armor. You vaguely recognize it, albeit with a few adjustments here and there. Different pauldrons, a few knicks marring its surface that weren’t there 150 years ago, but otherwise no worse for wear. “What else do you need help with?”

“Nothing else,” he says, pulling on a pair of boots you also recognize. “I simply don’t have the luxury of asking my siblings for help currently.”

You stop midway through sorting straps. “Okay, what’s going on Astarion? You can’t leave me in the dark like this.”

The vampire sighs, but lifts his head from his task to look you squarely in the face. “A group of hunters have found the colony. A few scouts found them on our trail last night. We’re preparing to defend it. It might be the biggest group we’ve seen… well, ever since we relocated.” He goes back to lacing his boots as he continues, “Nothing you need to worry about though. You will be staying right here, hiding.”

“Hiding ?” you ask, indignant. “Why would I be hiding when I can help?”

“Because,” he hisses, standing up and walking toward you like a panther. “We are frankly not in need of your help. We have our defensive plans set already, and I rather suspect you may do more harm than good.”

The words sting– largely because of the truth in them. Why should you enter the fray when you hadn’t been preparing to defend the colony? Did a few weeks of desk work amount to an honorary spot on the front lines? Still, the idea that this man– who you had already spent so much of your life with, who you had worked so hard to find– could be in danger? You could hardly sit by and twiddle your thumbs. So you begin your case.

“I may not be gifted in shaping my Evocation spells, but I have plenty of supportive spells,” you say, gesturing for Astarion to sit on his bed, the first undershirt for the armor ready in your hands. “I can create stone or relay messages for you. If none of that is helpful, I can always use Magic Missile– it wouldn’t get in your way at all. Please, let me help.”

Astarion sits there, silent, as you plead and place each piece of armor on his body. Partway through the process, you register that you’ve never done this before– but your memories of your past-life have guided you step-by-step. 

You try to ignore the conflicting feelings bubbling up at that and focus on him, placing both hands on his now-armored shoulders. “Astarion, I won’t get in the way. I promise I will turn invisible or teleport out if anything goes wrong.”

Finally, he speaks again. “I appreciate that you care enough to help,” he starts, though he doesn’t sound like he appreciates it much. “But I’m afraid that you’re still not invited.”

You want to shake him, do something, anything to make him see you as an asset, an ally, someone he can trust with this. “But why not? Why teach me all of these things about the colony only to shut me out when it matters most?”

“Because this isn’t your responsibility!” he growls, glaring up at you through his lashes. “Because you are to remain here, stay safe, and live to see another day, despite all of your instincts to the contrary!”

His anger is palpable, pushing you back, off of him. You want to see the fear underneath his words, and you think you might get a glimpse. You want to understand where he’s coming from, to see yourself through his eyes. But all of that pales in comparison to the frustration building inside of you. Why won’t he take me seriously? “I can take care of myself!”

“I don’t have time for this,” he spits out as he stands up. “Shall I be brutally honest, darling? You’re too weak. You are not the Hero of Baldur’s Gate. And even if you were, I would tell you to stay here. ”

You know his words are meant to injure you, to deter you and keep you hidden away in this mansion, but they don’t hurt any less. You’re not sure what to say to him, can’t bring yourself to look at him as he storms out, toward the hidden entrance to the Underdark.

Just as he’s about to leave your periphery, into the illusory wall, he calls back. “I know you’re angry, but please, stay put. And if anyone other than myself or my siblings comes through that door, you leave.”

With that, Astarion is gone, body melting into the wall, leaving you standing in his room alone, emotions frayed and hands trembling with a silent rage.

You wait about thirty seconds before casting Invisibility on yourself.

You wait less than a minute after that to follow him.

He can treat me like a child all he wants, but I will make my own decisions. Even if those decisions involved diving head first into jeopardy. Watching him climb down the ladder, waiting for him to hit solid ground before you follow, you can't help but think back to your past week here. It had been lovely, born of a promise to forget the past and the spawn, focus on the present with him. But how unrealistic that truly was when faced with real danger.

So you trail him, careful to keep concentration on your invisibility, lest he catch you before you get to the colony. I’ll have to lose the invisibility sooner or later, you think. But I’d rather use it as an opportunity to attack.

You keep a distance between you through the field of Bibberbangs, on the walk toward the keep, but when you see Astarion dashing toward a small contingent, you begin to run after him.

Once you catch up to him, you notice the group appears to be comprised of most of his siblings. Out of arm's reach but well within earshot, you stay and listen to their conversation.

“Did we get a final count from the scouting party?” Astarion asks, and you see a tiefling, Aurelia you believe, step forward.

“A dozen at least, likely more. They’re organized, preparing to strike. Astarion, it’s not good,” she says. From your time with Astarion, you know that she’s been in charge of directing the scouting parties for at least a few decades.

Astarion grimaces but nods, turning to another sibling you recognize. “Leon, where do you need me?”

“The ambush point, if you’re ready. We need to head them off before they get any closer to the colony.” The man has been in charge of coordinating the various groups ever since your past-self died, and, from what you gathered, had grown into his leadership role well.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose. What is our final count?”

Dal answers this one. “Our numbers haven’t improved much since last night. We only have about thirty in any real fighting shape. A few who are willing to fight if it means they feed, but none I would consider strong fighters. There are others on the ballistas ready for support fire though. Petras should be up there with them now.”

Astarion makes an annoyed sound. After helping him with colony logistics, you knew that their fighting numbers were low, too many had died in prior raids, too many had been without blood for too long, but you hadn’t expected it to get this bad. You half wonder if you would do better to offer your body up to them, rather than your magic.

You don’t have time to dwell on the idea before Astarion is asking his next question, “Very well. Violet is with the evacuees, I take it?”

Leon nods, and continues, “Yes. We’ve had more than enough time to evacuate the noncombatants. It’s now just a matter of keeping these hunters at bay.”

Astarion’s posture seems to loosen a bit at that, but not by much. You’ve not seen Astarion this serious since you were fighting a world-ending horror– and even then he had room for jokes. But clearly the man before you was different. Like he’d lost enough, and for the survival of his siblings, his family, he would do what needed to be done.

He turns to look down at his shortest sibling. “Yousen, come with me.”

The gnome gives a curt nod and pulls out his weapon. “After you.”

You’re torn at that moment. You want to follow Astarion, ensure that he remains safe above all else. But you also know that he would disapprove of you joining any type of ambush, that you may truly prove to be a distraction for him. Besides, what kind of wizard gets within stabbing distance?

So you watch him run off, Yousen in tow. As your heart sinks deep into the pits of your stomach, you wonder if the worry you feel is that of a friend. But you don’t have time to ponder anything as trite as your feelings for Astarion– you have to find a position that won’t hinder, somewhere you can help and show Astarion that you are capable of standing by his side. Metaphorically at the very least.

The rest of the siblings disperse after confirming their orders. Leon heads to the front of the keep, Aurelia returns to her scouts, and Dal seems to be heading somewhere secluded. From your dreams and learning of the colony, you know Dal to be a healer, so she ought to be heading somewhere away from the fight. You follow her.

Much as you suspected, she moves up into the battlement of the keep, close enough to provide support, but far enough to stay out of danger. Perfect, you think. You silently thank her, wishing you could send her a message without breaking your invisibility or chirp up without terrifying her. As it is, you have to take your time, wait for the perfect opportunity to be helpful.

The wait is excruciating. You may as well be in the Astral Plane for how little time seems to be moving. 

A level below you, Petras and some spawn are preparing their ballistas. To your side, Dal sorts health potions, arranging ingredients to make more. All you can do is breathe as quietly as possible, rest your arms on the crenel before you, and hope that your spells will be able to reach.

It turns out that your hopes hardly matter in the face of real combat. One second you’re standing there, almost bored, and the next you spot Dalyria’s head pop up like a frightened rodent. “Petras! Take cover!” she yells.

Time seems to stop. You register that she’s diving into cover, that the sending stone she’d been holding had fallen to the ground, and that out of the corner of your eye a burst of bright light is rapidly approaching.

Crap. 

You fall to the floor, hoping that will provide enough protection. Hoping, beyond all hope, that for some reason the Fireball will simply not hit you. Of course that’s not how magic works, you would know. 

Only a split second later, the fiery burst explodes before you. You don’t even have time to feel fear or to react with a spell of your own. Luckily for you, the battlements provide some cover, and you manage to maintain concentration on your invisibility. But gods does it burn. 

You can’t help the yelp that escapes your lips, and you note that Dalyria’s head turns toward you at the sound. She seems to have escaped the blast, hiding behind a wall, but you swear the expression on her face is more wounded than you are. The woman’s face is sad, it’s scared, and so tired.

You’re reminded of the dream you’d had, of your former-self helping to defend the vampire’s previous keep. After nearly three centuries of living in survival mode, the exhaustion in Dal’s eyes is warranted. Frankly, you don’t know if you would have the strength to last as long as she and the other spawn have. But, for at least today, you would muster it.

It’s easy enough to piece together what happened. Dal received a message from the scouts or from the frontlines, they were targeting the support lines, and you needed to get the hells out of these battlements.

You crawl forward, grabbing the Sending Stone before you make your way to Dal’s hiding spot. Making sure you’re out of swinging reach, you call to Dalyria, “Dal, it’s me.” She adjusts her gaze, honing in on where you are now. “I’m here to help.”

The woman nods, clearly too fueled by adrenaline to be shocked by your presence. “I knew you would come,” she says quickly. “Astarion is such an ass sometimes.”

While you agree with her, you decide not to comment on that. He had likely told them you were indisposed or didn’t want to be here, but you need her to know that that has never been the truth. “Of course I would come. Where do you need me?”

“Astarion said they’ve split their forces. The second group has a wizard, that’s where that Fireball came from,” she says, eyes darting back out to the rest of the keep, where the sounds of battle have begun to ring. “Do you have anything that could help neutralize their wizard?”

You think to yourself, wishing more than anything you had prepared the spell Silence. As it is, you have plenty of other, far less useful spells at your disposal. But you’re not about to tell Dal that, not when she’s looking in your vague direction with a set of hopeful, pleading red eyes. Eyes that remind you of the vampire who is also in danger at this very moment.

So you sound far more confident than you feel when you say, “Certainly, I’ll head there immediately.”

Before you go, you try to give her the Sending Stone back, in the event she needs to communicate with Astarion. She pushes the rock back into your invisible hand with a shake of her head. “No, no, you’ll be out there. You need this more than I do. Astarion has the matching stone, call for him if you need help.”

You decide not to tell her that Astarion might just kill you himself if he hears your voice through the stone, and instead thank her, pocketing the stone. “Stay safe,” you say as you hurry toward the stairs once more.

“You too,” she calls after you.

Then you’re running down the stairs, two at a time, no longer caring who might hear your invisible steps. After all, the din of combat is drowning out everything else. A few Fireballs hit the battlements you’d just left and you hear the following cries of those on the ballistas. You had known that fighting would be loud, scary, dangerous–but gods did you still miss the comfort of knowing that at the end of it all you would wake up, untouched.

You don’t know where to go or how to get there, so you find your feet moving on instinct, toward all of the sounds that should terrify you.

Once you’re finally in the fray, you see the two groups, as Dal had described. The group at the mouth of the keep is being held at bay by Leon and his forces, and you can see Astarion’s group dropping behind, preparing for another sneak attack. You hug a wall to get closer to the second group, all the while watching Astarion’s lithe form move in on an enemy.

You can’t help but be in awe at seeing the man in his element.

Armor hugging his body, knives gleaming in his hands, he looks every bit the dangerous, roguish vampire he was when you first dreamt of him. The difference is that now, instead of fear, you feel an odd sense of pride. That’s right, you think. Stab him again!

But you can’t let him distract you, you’re nearly to the second group of hunters. There are at least six to your quick count, each looking as nasty and well equipped as the last. Now that you’re close you can see the wizard, standing in the back, already preparing another spell.

Again, you curse yourself. Why didn’t you prepare Counterspell, you idiot? It’s too late for regrets though, you’d had no idea what you might be getting into when you arose that morning. All you could do was work with what information you had.

Despite all of your memories, nothing can prepare you for this moment, when you finally, truly enter a combat situation. Your mind races with possibilities, and you’re struck by the fact that none of them are the right solution. There is no right solution to a battle. 

So you go with your instinct. 

You run forward, directly in front of the wizard’s line of sight. At the end of your run you slide to the earth, landing a mere few feet away from the group in front of you as you place both palms on the ground.

The invisibility drops as you recite the incantation for Stone Shape and the earth beneath you bursts forth into a large stone wall, at least five feet tall, another five feet wide. It leaves a crater in its wake, pulling from the ground to materialize.

It seems to form just in time as the heat of a Fireball collides with the wall, flames burst out of both sides. Excitement surges through you as you realize your plan worked. You hear shouts behind the wall, the vampire hunters eating a face full of their own fire.

You remain on the ground, now visible, sure that the group on the other side is still alive if their shouts are any indication. Oh this isn’t a good place to be, you think belatedly.

It certainly isn’t, as you hear the hunters make their way around the brand new trench in the ground. I need to get out of here . “Inveniam viam!” Your whole body turns to mist as you step further back into the keep, still feeling naked in how visible you are. 

You take a single moment to assess the situation. The hunters have gotten around the wall, though if their singed armor is any indication, the Fireball certainly helped weaken them. The mage seems no worse for wear, too far back to truly be hurt, but their eyes are now trained on you.

There goes my element of surprise, you think. And they probably did prepare Counterspell…

You try not to think too hard about how disastrous this wizard-on-wizard battle may prove, trying instead to find which group you may be able to support. That’s when you lock eyes with the exact pair of red eyes you had been dreading this entire time.

You’re too far to hear him, but it's easy enough to see his lips mouth your name. He looks angry, angrier perhaps than you’ve ever seen him, and his next stab seems particularly erratic. 

Oh gods, he’s going to get hurt if I distract him too much, you think in a panic. I need to get out of here, give him a chance to calm down. 

“Evanesco!” you call, trying to call forth the magic for Invisibility once more. But of course, you wouldn’t get the chance to try the same trick twice. 

You feel the Counterspell more than see or hear it. It’s like your body rejects the magic as it tries to come out, and you’re left awkwardly standing there as the group of hunters close in on your position. Shit.

For the first time in your life you feel it for yourself: real, unfiltered fear.

You had always been horrified at this possibility. That when faced with actual danger, you would not rise to the occasion. But now that you’re here, you want to smack your legs, you want to jostle your own shoulders, push yourself into the action that you had craved.

RUN, damn you, you think, willing your shaking legs to move. All of those dreams of combat, of fighting by Astarion’s side, could all come true right now if you just moved.

Then you hear a cry. 

It’s not bloodcurdling, it’s not particularly painful, rather a soft “argh” coming from the man you’d stupidly followed into danger. He’d been reckless, gotten himself nicked in his fury. But it’s all you need to jolt into action. 

You’d promised Astarion that you wouldn’t cause any undue damage, no Evocation in the house and what not. But all of your promises were tossed aside the second he uttered a single pained sound.

Holding out a hand, you call out your most destructive spell.

You can feel the mage try to Counterspell you once more, as your magic wavers ever so slightly. But his attempt fails and a massive wall of fire rips out of the ground, like the hells themselves have torn the earth asunder. 

You’d controlled yourself well enough, and you’re almost certain you haven’t trapped any unsuspecting vampire spawn in a fiery blaze. The hunters, on the other hand, were not nearly so lucky. They’d been approaching you in such a way that they all got caught in the Wall of Fire, all save that damn wizard.

Their cries are high-pitched, desperate things, as they run through the wall, stumbling toward you like some sort of twisted Fire Elementals. They refuse to go down without a fight.

Your legs stumble back, as you narrowly avoid a few of their attacks, one glances off your Mage Armour, another catches your robe, leaving a single bleeding line on your arm. You’re not sure how readily they will fall, but you certainly won’t let them take you with them. 

“Tormentum!” you shout, as a stream of glowing darts shoot out of your fingers. You strike each of them as you pour more and more of your magic into the spell. Distantly, you can hear Astarion calling for you.

With your unoccupied hand you grab the Sending Stone, “Don’t come for me. I’m fine.”

His response is immediate, “Like hells I will, you bloody fool!”

You don’t have the wherewithal to know where Astarion might be at this point, but when a single blade bursts out of a man’s neck, you suspect that you have a good idea. A second later a second man collapses, clutching at a dagger twisting between his ribs. 

Astarion stands behind them, silver hair streaked with bloody red strands, his face dappled with scarlet as well. He may be stabbing them, but his eyes are trained on you, fury not diminished in the slightest.

You want to thank him, tell him you didn’t need the help, appreciate that he’s still alive, standing in front of you. But you can’t because another spell is being fired at you– the wizard’s Magic Missile is about to hit when you reflexively put up a Shield spell.

Turning back to the damnable wizard, you call to Astarion, “Yell at me all you want later. Focus on the wizard!”

“That’s probably what they’re saying,” he retorts, but does dutifully turn his attention to the mage.

As he runs and vaults through the wall of fire, landing behind the stone you shaped. All the while, you shoot off a returning volley of missiles, hitting the remaining hunters and the mage in an attempt to provide cover. 

You wish you had more in you, could summon another blazing wall right on top of the enemy wizard, but you’re reaching your limit. You can feel your magic waning– you likely only have a few spells left in you. Better make them count.

You shoot one last magic missile, assuring that the hunters in front of you are well and done. As you do so, Astarion reaches the mage, stabbing at them in two fluid motions. You see the mage Shield in response, hear Astarion’s annoyed grunt.

I need to give him an opening, you think. You’re growing lightheaded from overexertion, and you can barely feel the Weave as you try to summon your next spell. “Non movere,” you whisper, pointing a finger at the mage. 

The spell overcomes them and the mage is frozen in place. Astarion takes prompt advantage of the Hold Person, stabbing him in several vital areas, likely killing him in place.

Fantastic, you think, swaying on your feet as your knees start to give out from under you. The world fades to black as the magic dissipates from your fingertip. The last thing you see is Astarion’s panicked face, slowly drifting out of your view as your body collapses.

___

You can’t recall the start of your seventeenth day in Astarion’s house. At least, most of it.

Everything aches, you hear voices, you feel healing magic, but your mind retains nothing as you slip in and out of consciousness over and over again. The only things you can recall are the sensation of sheets surrounding you, pillows beneath your head and the whisper of your name on Astarion’s lips. 

You’re an elf– this kind of sleep is unnatural to you. Could you be dying? You have a moment of panic during a short burst of clarity, Am I already dead? Is this it? But you fall back into the darkness before the thought can take hold.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity in a ceaseless cycle of consciousness and unconsciousness, you open your eyes to the back of a familiar silver-haired vampire tending the fireplace. He’s dressed once more in his comfortable, luxurious attire, and you briefly wonder if the previous day had been a dream.

You blink, confused at the sudden change in environment. The last thing you remember was letting loose your spell then– well, you suppose you don’t know what happened next.

“Oh good,” Astarion says, walking toward you and sitting on the edge of the bed. “You’re awake." Distantly, you remember him waking you up just yesterday with those words. Feels like a lifetime ago now.

You sit up, a bit groggily, stretching out your limbs. They all seem intact, and you don’t even feel injured, all of your aches magically gone. “I am– is everyone alright? What… happened?”

“Everyone is fine. Well, save for the vampire hunters,” he answers. “Your destructive little wall kept them from getting too far. Nothing a few nights of healing and some rebuilding won’t fix.”

Your whole body aches from disuse and you wonder how long you must have been resting. Likely longer than you ever have before. “What time is it?”

“It’s late,” he replies, gesturing toward the darkness outside. “Dal’s been tending to your injuries, and luckily they’re minor, but you still needed the rest. Seems like you used more magic than you were used to, mm?”

His words chastise you, but the look on his face is so muted, his posture incredibly stilted– you have a momentary alarm. Is this really Astarion? “I must have. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he says, crossing his legs and turning away from you.

It’s hard to believe him when he reacts like that. “You don’t seem fine.”

“I just…” He takes a breath, and you can see the way his back rises and falls with a tremble. “I was worried.”

“About… me?” you hazard the question. You know you’d grown closer in the last few weeks, but you also don’t want to presume.

Now he turns back to you with a glare, his red eyes sparkling with rage. “Yes, you! For being a wizard, you’re such a gods-forsaken dunce. I told you not to join us and did you even pretend to listen?”

You had not, so you bear the brunt of his anger with what you hope is grace. “I’m sorry,” you whisper, genuinely apologetic despite your initial gusto at joining the fray. You’d felt the fear in those moments, the first time in your life that this body, that you could have genuinely died. You’re not too proud to say that you hated that fear. “I just wanted to help.”

“That’s always the case with people like you, isn’t it?” he says, leaning toward you menacingly. “Always playing the hero and neglecting to even consider the danger they put themselves in? Did you never once consider that I was trying to keep you safe?”

Every word brought Astarion closer and closer into your space, and you start to sink back into the pillows to get away from his fury. “I know you were,” you say, voice still naught but a wisp. “I tried to be careful.” You had, you swear you had– why does it look like that doesn’t matter to him?

“Careful isn't good enough,” he hisses, his face mere inches from yours now. You can feel the next breath he exhales as he continues, calmer now, “I told you already. I refuse to get attached to you only to lose you.”

Is he attached to me? you think, eyes darting between his ruby ones. He’s dangerously close to you and he’s waiting for something. Your response, you idiot. You think back to what he said, trying to ignore the way his body is angled over yours. “I promise. You won’t lose me.” 

An impossible promise to keep, surely. But it’s exactly what he’d been hoping to hear.

“Good,” he murmurs. Then he closes the distance between you, crashing his lips on yours in a desperation you thought reserved for the starving.

You should pull away, push him off of you, at the very least protest. But after a life or death situation, you can’t help it. Something in you wants the very same solace he seeks. So you close your eyes. You twine your fingers into his hair. You press your lips to his in the same ravenous fervor.

He drinks in your reaction, lips chasing yours as cages you in with his arms. A moment later, you feel the blankets that had so carefully been tucked around you tossed aside, you feel one of his hands find your hip.

Oh gods, what am I doing? I can’t do this. Your mind is racing, trying its best to keep up as Astarion climbs over you.

Why not, you’ve done this so many times in your dreams. Your hands move of their own accord, leaving his hair to run down his arms.

We're not ready, you tell yourself. Astarion shivers at your touch and you feel his hands pulling at the neck of your robe to expose more of your flesh.

Will you ever be? Your head rolls back and Astarion dips his head down to touch his cold lips to your collarbone.

Maybe, given some more time… His fingers pull at the front ties of your robe, as you begin to unbutton his silk shirt.

What's the use of more time? You could have died yesterday. You could die any day. Ties undone, Astarion tugs at your robes a bit more, leaving your chest exposed.

I don't want to ruin this. Your breathing comes out a bit erratic as his lips trail up your neck, sucking hungrily but never drawing any blood.

What's one night of passion? Your past-self had this and more before they so much as spoke a single word of love. Your hands tug at his sleeves, all but tearing off his delicate shirt in an effort to touch more of him.

I'm not them, you think. Halfway through stroking his exposed chest, Astarion’s hand catches yours, pinning it above your head as he pulls you into another searing kiss.

You may as well be. His hand in yours, the way his leg presses into you– it all feels so familiar. So what's the harm in being the Hero of Baldur's Gate? Just this once?

That’s how, after years of silently judging your past-self for their loveless trysts with Astarion, you find yourself in much the same predicament. Only you’re not sure how you feel. You only know that there’s no way that this man, who’s driving force right now is likely fear, will love you come morning.

Who cares? the deepest, most primal part of your mind asks.

As Astarion finishes disrobing you, you wonder vaguely if this is what the hero felt. If near death had brought them to the brink of a terror that they couldn’t overcome, a terror that only Astarion’s cold lips, slick tongue, and nimble fingers would fix.

And by the gods above do they feel like the solution to even the most complex of problems.

His lips suckle at the ridge of your ear, sucking on its tip in such a way that draws a soft, unintentional whimper from your mouth. "Oh darling," he whispers, voice low and taunting. "I knew those dulcet tones would be my undoing.”

You want to retort, to shut his clever mouth up, but before you can so much as collect yourself, his lips are on yours again, opening them in a single, languid movement. His tongue, like the rest of him, is chill to the touch, a refreshing burst of cold as he explores your mouth.

Complaints all but forgotten, you relinquish yourself to him. His fingers leave you squirming under him as he traces the lines of your bare body. They never seem to stop moving, searching for each new piece of your skin that requires attention.

And sweet hells is he relentless in his search. Even if you didn't already know of his vast experience, this would have been a clear indicator. His probing fingers know how to play a body like an instrument, and he was tuning yours to play only the loveliest melody for him.

Astarion finally pulls his hands, his lips away. You want to groan in protest, but you’re enraptured by the stretch of his torso, the way his shoulders flex as he removes the last remnants of his clothing. His form laid bare before you, you can’t help but think that surely you’re paying witness to another’s lurid fantasy. Surely this beautiful figure bathed in firelight, celestial in his loveliness, could not be for you?

But he is, if for the moment.

Even if his movements are too perfect, his kisses too sweet– he feels real in the moment, simply because the sheer desperation never leaves him. His hands squeeze, his teeth bite, his words of passion come hurried and breathy between nips. It's abundantly clear what his goal is to you, as it’s similar to your own. He wants to feel you under him, around him, alive. You’re only too happy to oblige.

So you ensure that each of his movements is matched with one of yours. That when he bites, you lean into it; when his fingers probe between your legs, you buck into him; when he chuckles into your ear 'my, you're an eager little treat', you moan his name into his ear without shame.

You'd been with Astarion in more dreams than you would have been comfortable to admit. But, as with every experience you'd had since arriving here, it was nothing compared to living through it with your own body.

It’s not long before you realize that this body feels each touch differently, its sweet spots new treasure troves for Astarion's searching fingers– ones he seems eager to find for you as new indecent sounds pass your lips.

He seems to devour each sound, eager to consume any bit of you that’s ripe for the taking. That’s when you see past his need to feel you alive. No, he wants you to be his. He wants your noises, your body, your soul for his own.

As he expertly strokes between your legs with one hand, the other squeezes your hip, all but pinning you to the bed. In that moment, it doesn’t feel like he’s loving you. It feels like he’s keeping you in place. Like he doesn’t know how else to make sure that you won’t slip through his fingers, like your past-self before you.

You wish you could reassure him, tell him that you would never make the same mistake twice, but both of you know that’s not true. So instead you allow yourself to delude yourself, for at least this one night.

His body asks the question, “Will you really, truly stay with me, live for me?”

Yours responds with a sonorous, deceitful, “Yes.”

Astarion rubs his length between your thighs, almost teasing in its slow, rolling motion, but his hand never leaves your hip.

He palms himself with one hand, ready for you, but the other never leaves your hip.

Even as he thrusts into you, setting a brutal, punishing pace, his hand never leaves your hip.

It doesn’t bother you, this constant reassurance, but it does stoke the fear that already grips your heart. Despite the kisses he lavishes upon you, despite the sweet words that drip from his mouth to yours– you can’t stop thinking about the fact that you could have died. You could very well have left Astarion alone, again, wondering why he ever let another into his life.

Something about that thought pushes you forward to seek your pleasure, to give him every piece of you that you can, lest you lose it by tomorrow.

You don’t know how many times you lose yourselves in each other. By the end of it all, it all feels like another one of your dreams. But you do know that, for the first time since you regained consciousness, you don’t feel that fear any more– only his body, your own, and the beautiful music that they play together.

The night ends with both of you exhausted, laying on your backs and staring up at the ceiling to the room you used to call your own in a past-life. After two days of some of the most you’ve ever exerted yourself, your nightly meditation comes all too easily. Before you slip into your reverie, your last, fleeting thought is of Astarion: I don’t know how we got here, I don’t suppose it truly matters. But thank you for caring about me, in whatever way you can.

[noonaishere]

Online/Offline [C.S] - thirty | a loudmouth with no sense of self preservation

You sighed as the elevator doors opened and you walked down the hall to your apartment. 

Yeosang, seated on the floor outside your door, sprung up, excited to see you.

“Thank god, you’re home!”

You laughed at his reaction. “Why are you out here?”

“I left my keys home this morning and couldn’t get back in after I came back from work.”

“Oh my god, Yeosang. You still lose your stuff constantly?”

“Hey, I didn’t lose them, I just left them home.”

“So you’ve just been sitting out here all afternoon?”

“No, I stuck around the main office for a while and got a bunch of lesson planning done.”

You chuckled as you opened the door to your apartment. “I’ll get your spare, hold on.”

He nodded and picked up his bag.

You put your bag down in your apartment and grabbed Yeosang’s spare key. When you walked back out, he was waiting for you like an innocent puppy. 

You sighed as you unlocked his door for him.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, a customer yelled at San’s girlfriend today.”

You pushed the door open and he walked in and turned the lights on.

“Wait-- San’s girlfriend?”

You nodded. “Apparently the new worker is his girlfriend.”

“How do you know? He told you?”

“He called her ‘baby’.”

“Oof,” Yeosang said emphatically.

“Yeah, big oof.”

He looked like he wanted to ask how you felt about it.

“Anyway, good thing I didn’t ask him out or anything. Enjoy your apartment, I’m going to go eat dinner.”

“You can say if you’re upset by it.”

You opened the door and turned around. “There’s nothing worth getting upset over. He’s a great guy and she seems like a sweet girl. I’m sure they’re happy together.”

He shot you a look of disapproval.

“Ah yes, I remember that face.”

“You used to be on the receiving end of it a lot when we were younger.”

You chuckled. “He’s just the kind of person who’s nice to everyone. It’s easy to get confused by that.”

He continued to make the same look of disapproval at you.

“Well, enjoy making that face, I’m going to go eat.”

“Enjoy ignoring your feelings.”

“I… will not be ignoring anything. Because they’re already gone. Nothing to ignore.”

“Uh huh.”

You opened your eyes wide at him and then pulled the door closed. You heard him laugh on the other side as you went back to your apartment.

Were you jealous of Minsoo, having the kind of boyfriend who goes around like a gentleman thanking people for helping you? 

…Maybe. 

Just a little.

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[starlightshore]

explain Danny phantom to someone who’s never seen it before?

uhhhhh so i can only talk about it as the most insane kinda fandom person because

i was obsessed with this show when it first aired when I was 8 years old. it was my first fandom. i read fanfic for it before i even knew what fanfic was. its HEAVILY tied to my nostalgia and I've been engaging with the fandom on/off for literally 19 years. at this point DP is in my DNA.

while it's not my main hyperfixation (thats undertale) its the one tag i visit regularly and the one fandom I'll jump to every few months and binge fics for. i don't even read UT fics anymore but the DP fandom is always doing something. its very active!

under the cut I talk about my thoughts on the show, the fandom and explain the premise. It's a wild ride.

TLDR; i have a lot of THOUGHTS on this show and i do not actually recommend it. MAYBE if you're curious explore the fandom and some fics but be careful about it, it's a bit gratuitous with its angst.

If you want a basic premise: local 14 year old accidentally lets loose hell but also has become part ghost. This kid can fit SO much trauma in him.

first off: I fucking love Danny Phantom.

And I'm going to spend the next two segments complaining about it. Feel free to skip if you're already aware of this /or don't wanna linger on it.

Second off: This show fucking sucks*

* Ok fine yes sometimes it can be good, but it will always have an asterisk next to it.

it has NOT aged well. it was created by an asshole who's got a long shitlist of things he's done and still does that's all terrible. i am not one to hate someone publicly unless its for something like this. Feel free to google what Bitch Fartman has done if you're curious but I'll warn you: he is a horrible person and he disgusts me. I only acknowlege him when its to mention how awful he is and how I do not want to support him.

This is not like with FNAF where supporting that franchise supports Scott. Danny Phantom first aired 19 years ago. The show was written, directed, and sure as hell animated by a team of professionals. It is not his sole creation. Studio Animation is not the sole work of an individual. I respect (most) animators and the hard work they've done and do. IIRC Shitfartman doesn't even have the rights to the IP anymore. I assume he gets residuals though. That said the only canonical piece of media we've gotten is a graphic novel that was released last month. Up until then, supporting DP was just not literally a thing you could do!

Its not just the creator who sucks. There's a lot of BS in the show too.

the show is very early 2000s (and even then thats no excuse) and it has a bingo card worth of shit in it. racism, bigotry, ableism! you name it. I do not condone and i do NOT recommend this show because of this! its horrible with what they did with this show and its shocking it was acceptable enough to put on TV. you literally can't do shit like that anymore.

I'm not going to go list every detail of every horrible, fucked up thing the show has done. The list is too long and I haven't watched the actual show in a few years now. by god, I know there is a list out there though.

Anyway outside of my obligatory "fuck this show actually" rant aside

i do love this show because it DOES have a lot of good and cool stuff outside that. but also. its so much wasted potential.

the core premise is:

Hey what if a pair of paranormal obsessed mad scientist parents punched a hole into the after life hell dimension- and what if their son was basically spiderman-ed about it?

And here's the core part of the premise: Danny only keeps his identity a secret to the humans. Ghosts learn like, pretty much straight away that he's a Halfa (half human, half ghost). He's if spiderman's worst fear wasn't the villains but if like. Aunt May was going to rip him apart.

Oh yeah that's. a thing. Danny's parents literally want to rip his ghost identity apart from, and I quote, "molecule to molecule."

For a an comedy-action show its WEIRDLY morbid and dark at times but then has the tonal whiplash to make you question what the fuck did they just do. How'd they do that and then not care they just wrote that in. Seriously. It'll just lore drop or hint to dark things and then brush it aside because it's main focus is comedy.

Anyway back to explaing what the show even is about. the show likes to say Danny got his DNA merged with ectoplasm but that's stupid af i'd rather say he died but only stayed half dead. He can transform between the two states: living and dead. But he's not just two halves that make a whole -the two sides blend together. He can use his ghost powers as a human -and early on he couldn't control them so he'd just. go intangible or invisible at the worst moments.

The show just. jumps right in. You don't get to see the accident outside the intro (at least until season 2 when they retcon some stuff) you just have it thrown into your lap. He has powers now. He sucks at it. Deal with it.

I think it's important to acknowledge that this show was written before Netflix did streaming. Before Plot heavy cartoons were a thing. (Not to say they didn't have reoccuring plot, it justw asn't the same thing as it is now.) You had to write the show with the limits of:

Comedy being a major focus

You have to write it with the expectation that anyone could jump in and (reasonably) understand most things going on. While there's some continuity and plot progression, the status quo is god.

because streaming wasn't a thing yet, you could only watch the show by jumping into whatever the fuck episode was playing. I doubt it played in order all the time. You just couldn't make a cartoon that had weeks upon weeks of plot developments and expect people to keep up.

The show is, in fact, meant for kids. While it does dive into some darker stuff (being ya know, a ghost show) its still going to be overly silly.

So while YEAH i'll complain about the very very shitty things the show did but I can't soley blame Fuckhateshitman for all of it. It's the restrictions it was made under + likely a lot more circumstances I don't understand. I am a hobbiest animator. I have no real world experience in the animation industry. I can critique the final product but I can never understand what shaped the cartoon. If shitheadmcgee wasn't involved and the studio gave the show more room + had you know, more POC and women on team + animation (even for kids) was respected more then who KNOWS what the show could of been! But like. its a 2000s show. It is what it is. I think the show has its good and bad and i'll harp a lot on the bad rn because I think its important to acknowledge especially to new people, but I do want to frame it by saying it really is the product of its time.

I want it to be better and I hope if it gets rebooted its better. We expect a lot more from cartoons now then we did then. (I know this was a long tangent + kinda over simplifying things but whatever, moving on.)

The (Ph)Fandom

19 years later and here we are. Enter the Phandom (called that before that phill and whoever used the term, idc i'm still going to use the term.) We, the fandom, almost completely just retconned the show's finale. (obviously SOME people still like it but its like. an incredibly small percentage) Like. we straight up pretend it didn't happen. i don't even want to get into it rn. It was SO BAD that the graphic novel that just released literally (spoilers) retconned everything about it aside from a ship pairing.

Anyway the Phandom- personally I think it goes a little TOO harsh in its angst. LIke, maybe a bit too much. But it DOES add nuance and explores the themes and lore that the show just flat out refused to engage with at all. It really digs into the premise of "hey wtf this 14 year is half dead. hello? hello??? thats fucked up.... lets explore that." and i'm here for it.

As long as its not like, masochistic and gratuitous for no real reason. 😬That is my biggest complaint with the fandom is that sometimes it goes over board.

But yeah outside of that, it can also be VERY silly so expect tonal whiplash here too! We got memes. We got fandom holidays and events. Whacky stuff.

OH AND OCs. We have fandom OCs like Wes. The best nonexistant character ever. Love that lil weirdo <3. His whole schtick was "What if Danny had another human villain? What if this random background classmate knew his secret and was trying to expose it?" and its spiraled from there. No one ever believes Wes and he's tortured by it. Some make him out to be a conspiracy nut while others make him more of a threat. (or a joke, as I do) Considering this show has a ghost-version of the Men in Black (Guys in White) conspiracy actually lines up accurately for what Wes does. And, you know. The Fenton's have a portal to the afterlife in their basement. Honestly pretty reasonable.

so like the fandom just kinda... picks and chooses the canon. It does have an edge of "we can do better" but in fairness, as I just discussed, there's an awareness that the version we make is not restricted by the environment the show was made under. I would hope most of the fandom understands this and doesn't say it in the sense of like "oh yeah I know better than professional writers and artists fuck the show 1000%" instead of acknowledging Yes He Fucking Sucks but its also more complicated. I don't want to foster an environment of superiority and disrespect to any media/creators (with exceptions ofc) cause. Jesus christ we live on the internet in 2023 you have to know why I feel this way by now.

Anyway with that in mind, I do think it's a positive thing! I mean, fuck, the show had no new content for almost 20 years I think its obvious by now we'd just make our own doll house out of it by now.

So yeah the Phandom is like this:

We're oddly consistent with the phandom lore we've built around from the canon's lore. We expand it, we make it more queer, we do our own thing. And I really enjoy it! I partake in it! It's pretty cool.

So while there's some merit to the OG show I would not recommend it on account of the amount of BS I mentioned at the start of the post. But I would recommend the fandom! As long as you got a strong black list with trigger warnings in place. Again, I think the fandom is a lil too gratuitous. But oh my god I love so much of what the fandom does. There's so many fics that just stick with me and (ha) haunt me. There's a reason I still come back after all these years. there are SO many good fics.

also the fandom got adopted by the DC fandom a year or two ago. personally i have to have like 80 tags blocked so i can even navigate the tag. Its not my thing but i'm happy people are having fun!!

[spicyvampire]

2022 : a summary

Post your favorite or most popular edit from each month this year (it’s okay to skip months!)  

Tagged by @talays-portkey Thanks for the Tag!

January

Most Popular : [x] the Yok liking Dan in a very normal way

Favorite : [x] Yok skills gifset really was the start of an era, loved that insane guy and he was funny af, first time I was starting to make huge gifsets with little captions on them I think? ; [x] Y’all remember the raccoon meme? Man, I forgot I made that for Bad and Crazy but it was fun, and different from anything I’ve ever made because I tried to make it look like posters and yeah I like that

February

Most Popular : [x] Yok defending Dan in front of Sean, tbf this came out during a heartbreacking episode people needed a laugh

Favorite : [x] y’all remember Sean vs Yok who is the fastest gay alive? these guys were insane, also this inspired Vegas vs Kinn later that same year ; [x] Yok + Greek words for love, the amount of love I have in my heart for that boy isn’t even half the one he has in his for like everyone, he is just SO full of love

March

Most Popular : [x] Yok edition of who is the fastest gay alive, that bad boy took so long to make ugh glad people liked it

Favorite : [x] my danyok goodbye gifset using stucky quote ajgdhashdfgsh the purple looks great on computer ; [x] Live slug MoD reaction, it was just fun to do something MoD again

April

Most Popular : [x] Porsche not connecting the dots on Kinn homosexual activity, I just learned how to animate a gif and boy did I want to have fun with that

Apparently I gifed like almost nothing in april, it was exam period afterall

May

Most Popular : [x] Vegas vs Kinn, trying to find neon looking fonts and neon looking overlays was a pain in the ass but it was worth it, I hope I do that type of gifset vibes again soon  it was fun to make

Favorite : now it is very hard to chose my fave gifset there because it was the month I was doing Not Me Appreciation and I really like that I should probably try to do again but I really think those are my top 2 so here [x] Yok; [x] DanYok sunshine & Rain

June

Most Popular : [x] Pete’s BDSM duality, which is very surprising cuz I thought it was gonna be the [x] Family Braincells gifset seeing that people even requested that for the bodyguards afterwards but oh well

Favorite : [x] Vegas Hidding out Magazine which weirdly is one of my less popular KP gifset but I love it so much “pathetic is the new chic” like come on I literally peaked there, if I ever make shirts out of the one liners this one is gonna be the first one at for sure; [x] TanBunn relationship developements finally went back to my MoD roots for pride month MaxTul if you reading this pls come back 😔

July

Most Popular : [x] Porsche fear of ghosts, we love a little scared cat

Favorite : [x] KP goodbye gifset, truly the end of an era, I’m forever changed

August

Most Popular : [x] Shadowhunters edits that reminds me I have not gifed SH in months

Again I did nothing really that month

September

Most Popular : surprisingly the most popular gifset isn’t a KP one, it’s [x]  akkayan hoodie, 2nd is [x] PorschePete bitches stage tho so eh

Favorite :  so end of september & start of october was kpweek and boy did I come  there ready cuz I spend the entire month before doing like nothing and I  had all these pent up ideas,  I have so many favorites really I had fun with KPweek [x] Kinn [x] Pete [x] KinnPorsche

October

Most Popular : [x] Main and Minor family (minus the parents), that was one long boi wasn’t it

Favorite : [x] Ayan + Debbie’s monologue what can I say I just love the addams family and I rewatch the movies almost every year so I know a lot of these lines by heart; [x] KP Halloween cuz I forgot to put the side story in my Porsche fear of ghost gifset so Halloween gave me a reason to dedicate a gifset to it

November

Most Popular : [x] Cherry Magic, god the way I ran when it dropped on youtube oof

Favorite : [x] MoD 2 years anniversary gifset, cannot believe it’s been 2 years MaxTul WHERE are you 😭😔💔

December

Most Popular : [x] SamMon right in front of everyone salad

Favorite : December is exam month and this time I really tried to gif almost nothing till like the very end but shoot out to [x] Bodyguards braincells gifset

I think I did one of for 2021 too and it was fun going back through the stuff I did, a bunch of these I literally forgot I made last year so that’s why I wrote so much for a lot of them

Tagging (if you want to no pressure & also idk who has done this already sorry) : @luna-lina @winteams @kinnsporsche @thelaziestmotherfucker @fangrui @guzhu-furen @laowen @sunsetandthemoon @pavel-chekovs @liyazaki

[hoppipolla]

↳ 8 Shows To Get To Know Me

Thank you @jyuubin for tagging me <3

I don't know if the shows I'm about to talk about will make you learn things about me but they're pretty much my favourites so i'm happy to talk about them ^^

18 Again

This drama was thought-provoking and beautiful in such an authentic way. Seeing a father learn to know his children through the eyes of someone their age was so tender yet so heartbreaking. This drama shed a light on how complex the human condition is and how people have more than one layer to their personalities. Hence the need to always be kind to one another. I don't remember all the details of that drama but that's the drama which made me discover Lee Do Hyun and his amazing and detailed acting ^^

Kimi no Koto Dake Mite Itai

One of the most beautiful kiss brought to screen. If you know, you know. Such a heartfelt drama :(( The absurdity of life doesn’t seem too insuperable when that life is lived while having the well-beings of others in mind. (Yes I am quoting myself, that's embarrassing. That phrase is from the review I wrote on MDL). That's basically what this series is all about. Loved the cinematography and the gentle vibe of the show (that makes no sense but it's hard to put into words what this series made me feel ><).

Avatar: The Last Airbender

The characters' developments in that show!!! I love well-written shows and this one was a blessing. I don't think any animated series can top this one. There is so many good things about it: flawed yet likable characters, thought-provoking dialogues, amazing story arcs, genuine friendships etc. (Iroh's the best character and we can all agree on that ^^)

You're My Sky

Such an underrated series!! Please do watch it, it's amazing! The three main couples all have different stories and everyone acts so well :( A well-written show with a beautiful cinematography? Count me in!

The Untamed

Oh my! Where to start? The Untamed was my first Asian drama and I've never moved on from it. I tend to hyperfixate a lot and so I usually quickly move on once I've finished a series/movie/book etc. but I could never move on from this show. The angst here is peak perfection. Wei Wuxian is one of the best character ever written and I love him to pieces. So many heart-breaking story arcs, so many amazing characters... Just so much pain but it's beautiful???

Weak Hero Class 1

One of the rare series which showed how genuine male friendships could be. WHC1 was really hard to watch but it was worth it. I am still trying to recover from it tbh... I just hate how cruel and brutal the human kind can be. I don't want to start any discourse but I liked Beom Seok. It doesn't mean I was ever okay with what he did but he is a much more complex character than most people think.

Beyond Evil

THE most amazing drama ever produced. I have written so many in-depths analyses on this drama — it's ridiculous — but it just gives you an idea of how impressive this drama was (both acting-wise and script-wise). I'll stop there because I won't be able to stop myself from rambling otherwise ><

180 Degrees Longitude Passes Through Us

I've written such an emotional review on MDL... Loved it so much. Brilliant performances, amazing dramatic references, stunning dialogues, gorgeous cinematography and a realistic plot. This drama sure felt like an out-of-time experience. I'm still sad I can't get my hands on HQ scenepacks because I would have loved to make some edits :(

So I'm basically someone who loves well-written series with nuanced and flawed characters. I like analysing things and I greatly appreciate subtle acting. I'm also a big softie lol so I like slow-burn relationships full of gentleness.

I'm tagging @ohmybitna <3 (I hope you haven't already done it. Feel free not to do it if you don't feel like. No pressure!)

[dragonmons]

i was gonna put additions in the tags but i hit 30 and tumblr stopped me. so

hi. i am a certified dental assistant in the state of florida! all of this is accurate, and well simplified.

things that caught my attention tho (and stuff i just wanna mention, i also like teeth and talking abt teeth):

you have multiple periodontal ligament fibers what hold your teeth in place, not just the big one. they are tiny little fibers that attach to the tooth and the bone. they can be bruised by biting down too hard, aggravated by night grinding, and destroyed by severe gingivitis that is in the process of becoming periodontitis. some periodontal tissues can grow back, but things like periodontal bone loss are essentially irreversible. that is the main reason you want to avoid gingivitis- besides the fact that its active infection and it hurts!

water flossers and electric toothbrushes are expensive, but oh my god are they fucking incredible at keeping your teeth clean with far less wrist movement. if you have chronic pain (like me!) or you get fatigued easily, getting the pair of them means you do not have to put as much physical effort into flossing or brushing, which may be worth the cost for you. i know this is not financially an option for everyone, but i want to really call attention to the fact that they are great for avoiding fatigue.

a water flosser is a point-and-click between your teeth- that simple! and it works as well as regular floss (at the base of your teeth, not where they make contact) on the higher settings! just make sure to flush and clean the water lines in the unit.

an electric toothbrush handles most of the mechanical removal of biofilm for you! you still have to angle the brush head towards the gums, then follow the curves of the tooth and sweep away from the gumline, but there are far fewer circular motions required. the handles of electric toothbrushes are also larger and heavier, making them easier to grip. they are so effective, hygienists can usually tell when a patient has started using them!

staining! not gonna get into intrinsic stains, but extrinsic stains are stains that are removable by brushing (rarely) polishing (more likely) or whitening (more on that in a bit). they are caused by what was mentioned above- acids and tannins together are not friends to your enamel (or the stuff underneath...)

baking soda is known to whiten teeth because it is an extremely good abrasive. it is not techically an anti-bacterial cleaning agent in the ways that certain toothpastes are, it is an abrasive. when you use it, you are essentially using sandpaper on your teeth to grind off biofilm as well as the staining. this can remove layers of enamel if used too often. use it if you see light yellow/tan staining, and then back off of it after a week or two. make sure to use fluoridated toothpaste as well to try and offset damage.

whitening. get it if you want, really. its unnecessary, but you might like the look.

the simplified version of the process of whitening- your teeth are porous. whitening agents penetrate enamel, then work their way down into dentinal tubules (channels that run from the soft inner dentin to the enamel cap), scouring them clean- which removes whatever staining may have been showing through the enamel that came from stuff in the tubules.

the major problem with this isnt that it messes with the enamel- it does, but it can be remineralized if cared for properly- the issue is the unblocking of the tubules. this, technically, doesnt hurt the tooth too bad... but it does allow much more sensation- in particular, thermal sensation- to travel through the unblocked tubules.

This Can Hurt Like All Fucking Hell, because, as said above, the nerves in teeth are super chatty. also- dont whiten your teeth repeatedly. ivory, yellow, and yes, even darker orange-tan-browns sometimes, are normal tooth colors. celebrities dont even whiten their teeth, if that's who you try to emulate- they get veneers. you can not compete with veneers by whitening- no one can. even teeth with more naturally opaque "white" enamel are going to be light ivory.

dont get veneers unless theyre to close up a gap in your teeth by the way. its unnecessary, removes tooth structure you cant get back, and theyre so delicate they'll likely need to be replaced in 10 years. im all for body modification though, so if you really want them, go ahead- just know that they are usually more of a body mod than something with medical use.

back to whitening- there are toothpastes that can reblock dentinal tubules after whitening! sensodyne toothpastes should have potassium nitrate and stannous fluoride, which partially block nervous signals, and form crystals along the tubules, closing them up over the course of a few weeks of use (usually 2).

any toothpaste with those ingredients should help with sensitivity by the way, not just sensodyne. if you stop using toothpastes with those ingredients, though, the anti-sensitivity action will eventually wear off as the blocks degrade. if you are experiencing noticeable and "sharp" sensitivity to sweets as well as thermal sensitivity after using a toothpaste like this for over two weeks, there may be an underlying issue, and you should bring it up to your dentist.

get cavities treated as soon as possible. they are expensive, yes- but getting a root canal is even more so. untreated cavities will eventually penetrate the soft, porous, easily infected dentin, which leads directly to the pulp of the tooth. when the pulp is infected, it can cause an abscess- which, as mentioned, can kill you, and is also exceptionally painful. the only treatment at that point is a root canal (or an extraction, but thats something that no one wants to have to do because of the bone loss that entails), since the pulp of the tooth is either very infected, dead, or partially both. cavities are not issues to be ignored. they are active infections. talk with your dentist about payment plans- if theyre a private practice, you can usually negotiate paying over a period of time (though some offices are shitty about that). even corporate offices sometimes have planning options- your mileage will vary there.

anyways thats been me being way too passionate about teeth for five miles of dashboard. sorry but i paid 7k for my classes and im making that everyone else's problem

STUFF NOBODY EVER TOLD YOU ABOUT TEETH (and how to take care of them if you are poor and/or depressed)

Contrary to what the US health industry would have you believe, your teeth are NOT luxury face bones. You need them. Healthy teeth are a cornerstone of good health in general for a lot of reasons. You can’t eat well without them. You need them to speak. And tooth bias is real.

This makes me very sad because I love teeth. I am not a dentist. I’m a biological anthropologist whose expertise is oral disease and the evolutionary anatomy of teeth. My dad’s an oral surgeon and I worked in his office from the tender and illegal age of 8 to the ripe old age of 18, which is when I went to college. At 12, I was assisting with the disposal of biowaste, aka packaging up the teeth to send them to dental schools. I live, breathe, sleep, and occasionally eat teeth. I found a human incisor on my floor this morning and wasn’t even surprised. I study how teeth go bad partly so that I can help living people protect the teeth they’ve got. It’s my goal with this post to teach you about a couple of different types of procedures and oral injuries, as well as what you can do to help keep your teeth functional. So in this post, what I am going to do is outline a few common things that can go wrong with your teeth, how they happen, and how to catch them before they get bad. A lot of the advice in this post is for people who maybe can’t get to the dentist for a cleaning and checkup every six months. This post is also gonna be LONG AS HELL and there is going to be a separate post called “luxury face bone hacks for the busy/broke/b’mentally ill” or something like that, so like. If you don’t like super long posts, just hit this one with a like and actually read through that one.

First, let’s talk about dental anatomy.

What Are Teeth?

Teeth are extremely cool. They’re these amazing little packages of dentin pulp, protected by enamel, nestled into the jaw like truffles in a box of chocolates, held in place with a teeny tiny ligament. They’re gorgeous– enamel is a beautiful substance, translucent and opalescent. Teeth are also extremely weird when you think about them. You have these weird not-bone things emerging from holes in your jawbones. They’re snapped into place with a biological bunjy cord and you can actually SPRAIN THEM if you put too much pressure on them.

Here are some important things to know about teeth!

First, the nerves in your teeth were never meant to be exposed to the air. They only process stimulus one way: pain. This means that when you get a cavity or do anything else that exposes the nerve, it is going to hurt like a bitch.

Your teeth may come loose! Usually they stay put and go back to normal in a day or two. Don’t panic. This is usually the result of you spraining your dental ligament that holds the tooth in place.

Root canals suck but they can prevent dental abscesses. Dental abscesses can kill you. If they spread and get into your sinuses, they can cross the blood/brain barrier and you will die. This doesn’t happen much any more, but in rare cases… it can.

The phrase “like pulling teeth” is a misnomer. Pulling teeth is extremely easy if you know what you’re doing. Extractions are usually a very simple procedure. What’s complicated is things like root canals and setting up implants, which, in the case of implants is the literal opposite of pulling teeth.

Pregnancy will fuck up your teeth because a.) the fetus is leaching your vital essence and other nutrients and b.) your hormones are telling a lot of ligaments in your body to loosen up to get ready to give birth. Sometimes wires get crossed and other ligaments at non-mobile joints get the loosen up message, too. Just be sure to keep up your dental hygiene regimen during pregnancy and you’ll be fine.

Your gum tissue isn’t just weird wet skin. It’s a mucous membrane that protects the mouth. It can get diseased and inflamed, so pay attention to it! Also, there’s a lot of blood vessels so if you poke yourself with something, you’ll bleed like a stuck pig for a minute. The kind of bleeding you should be worried about is prolonged bleeding, where you see blood welling up around your teeth for no apparent reason.

Now that you’ve been equipped with some fun facts, lets talk about diseases and procedures.

Braces: if you’re reading this, you probably don’t need them

First: Pediatric orthodontia is largely a scam. People who put standard braces on their child before that child has lost all of their baby teeth are stupid and causing their child needless pain because those teeth are going to fall out anyways and the alignment of the adult teeth was decided long, long ago. The kids who NEED orthodontic intervention are kids with bad crossbites/underbites/overbites. This requires specialized headgear most of the time and is more intense than the standard braces because they are made to solve a much bigger problem. The standard bracket-and-wire braces? Don’t put those on a child. They won’t help. Also, your kid doesn’t have their third molars yet, and those are the molars most likely to come in twisted anyways.

As an adult, you may want braces for cosmetic reasons or for comfort reasons. This is a CHOICE that is YOURS TO MAKE. If your dentist suggests you need braces, ask why. You don’t have to get them. Now,If you have certain kinds of dental overlap- like, your lateral incisors have been pushed behind your frontals- then yeah, you should get braces. But is it the end of the world if you don’t get braces? No.

Wisdom tooth removal: you might not need it

The human jaw is in a state of evolutionary mismatch right now. Basically, our last molar, the third molar, doesn’t come in until we’re an adult. Unfortunately, thanks to ten thousand years of agriculture, give or take a few millennia, we have much more gracile jaws than our ancestors. There’s not always enough room for it. Now, this isn’t true for everyone, because no two skulls are identical and all, but sometimes there is a condition where you really should get those suckers out. If they are impacted, or coming in sideways, they can push your other teeth out of alignment and cause jaw issues down the line. If they come up straight, don’t worry about it.

Cavities: you need to get these taken care of

Cavities are a pain in the ass and are honestly the main reason you should go to the dentist for checkups, so that they can take the x-ray of your mouth and see how any potential trouble zones are progressing. You should call a dentist and seek help if you notice pain that persists over three days, as that’s an indicator of something more serious than just a sprain.

Tooth Grinding: this is a problem

If you grind your teeth, your dentist may recommend a night guard. Actually listen to them about this. Grinding your teeth can cause major jaw alignment problems that are a pain to fix, so just bite the silicone and suck it up. Also maybe talk to a therapist if you can, because grinding can be a result of stress/anxiety.

Whitening your teeth: bad idea

First off, your teeth ain’t supposed to be white. Enamel is not white. Enamel is translucent and pearlescent, so its actual color is very hard to pin down. Your teeth are naturally going to look more ivory-colored over time. That’s just part of being human and having teeth. Embrace it. You are a badass omnivore with thirty-two gorgeous enamel teeth. They weren’t put in your mouth to look pretty, they were put in your mouth to feed you.

Second: Whitening your teeth weakens your enamel. Once your enamel’s gone, it ain’t coming back, baby. There are some gentler whitening methods, like whitening toothpaste, but these are only going to give you about one to two shades worth of improvement. If you have extremely stained teeth and you want to whiten them, make sure you talk to your dentist about all the risks. Unfortunately, there is no truly safe and effective home-style (read: not a million gotdang dollars) remedy for whitening teeth.

There are a few that are kicking around, but seriously, some of them are dangerous. Do NOT rub wood ash on your teeth. That’s lye. Don’t put that in your mouth. Do NOT use actual bleach, hair dye developer, or non-dental peroxide gel. They are poisonous. DO NOT PUT ACETONE ON YOUR TEETH i have seen this exactly once and the person came into my dad’s office with chemical burns on their gums and lips. I do NOT want to see this again.

It is a misconception that brushing your teeth keeps them looking white. Brushing your teeth removes plaque and biofilm, but those buildups don’t actually stain the enamel itself. Instead, really the only way to keep your teeth looking light is to pay attention to what you’re putting in your mouth. If you’re a tobacco user, vape! Tar is a major staining agent. Coffee’s also a major stainer, and the big trick there is to put a little milk in it. See, enamel staining doesn’t come from the color of the food. It comes from chemical properties. Acidic foods stain because acid damages enamel. Food with high levels of tannins, like coffee or tea, stain because the tannins change the PH of the mouth. So what you should do to avoid staining is balance your mouth PH by eating something basic after eating something acidic. Add a lil milk to your coffee or tea to weaken its acidity just a bit. Swish with water afterwards to help clear the acid. Don’t eat lemons or any other acidic food after drinking coffee. Why would you want to eat lemons after drinking coffee, anyways? Seems like a weird flavor combo to me.

And while we’re on the subject…

MOUTH CHEMISTRY

What’s in your mouth? Your teeth, your gums, your tongue, your spit… yeah, your spit. Saliva’s important. It’s probably THE most important thing in protecting your teeth because salivary production constantly washes the teeth, clearing off as much bad bacteria as possible. If you have an issue with saliva production, you should drink as much water as you can throughout the day, and get a bottle of dry mouth tabs for nighttime. Or daytime, if they don’t bother you. This is really important because dry mouth is a major side effect for a lot of drugs, like anti-depressants. This is actually a huge part of my research- the population I study used a natural painkiller, but in the end its use caused them more pain because the way it works, it decreases the efficacy of the salivary glands. They stop making sufficient saliva, the teeth dry out, the mouth PH changes, and the bacteria that destroy enamel go buckwild. If you can’t make your own spit, store bought is fine. Water for the day, tabs for the night.

Now, you might think that ok, acid isn’t great, let’s eat more basic foods to balance that out. You can, but it… isn’t great. Your saliva is naturally acidic for a reason, and if you neutralize it completely, that ALSO messes with your teeth. You should be drinking plain water as much as possible.

Seltzer and Soda

Some people think seltzer may hurt your teeth, but it really won’t… unless it’s citrus-flavored. Reason: citrus seltzer uses citric acid as a flavoring agent, and that messes with your teeth. So if you want to drink citrus seltzer, drink it with a meal or with food. Don’t sip it slow over the day.

Soda, on the other hand is a goddamn nightmare. The acid’s kind of a problem but the sugar… dear god the sugar. So. your teeth are covered in a bacterial biofilm. Some of these bacteria excrete acid, and that’s what gives you cavities. This is another part of my research- looking at how cavity prevalence changes as sweetening agents and sugar availability changes. As different carbohydrates enter the diet, populations’ disease responses change. I know more about this than probably anybody else in the world, and here is what I know: the best thing you can do for your teeth is stop drinking American soda.

It’s the corn, you guys. The chemical compounds in corn make the cavity-causing bacteria kick into overdrive. Sodas sweetened with high fructose corn syrup create the perfect environment for these dudes to excrete out a storm. Sugary beverages in general promote cavities, but NOTHING does it like sodas sweetened with high fructose corn syrup or any other corn byproduct. Try to limit your soda and juice consumption and if you can, make sure that when you do have them, you’re getting some food,too.

Other Acids

Ok this next part is going to deal with eating disorders. I’m going to be talking about some of the side effects of bulimia, what they can do to your teeth, and how you can take care of them. Eating disorders are serious business and I hope if you need this section you are in supportive recovery and have the love and support and resources you need. If you don’t want to read about what this can do to your teeth, scroll real quick until you seen the big green text.

If your teeth are in frequent contact with stomach acid, acid etching can be a real problem. Your enamel is tough but stomach acid is gnarly, and your gums don’t have that same protection. If you find yourself vomiting frequently, for whatever reason, try to swish water around in your mouth afterwards to help clean it out. I know that’s not the thing that’s likely on your mind after that, but a lot of what we’re doing here is damage control. I’m not here to judge you in the slightest. I’m just here to help you with your teeth.

Do not brush your teeth immediately after vomiting. The enamel is weaker, and you can cause even more damage by brushing too hard. Wait for at least an hour until after you’ve rinsed your mouth to avoid spreading the acid around.

You can also add some (1-2 tsp) baking soda to the water you rinse with, if you feel ok with doing that. It will taste gross and salty but it will help neutralize the acid. You just rinse with this, you don’t swallow.

ok that part is over

TOOTH HACKS

This is the funnest part, I get to tell you good ways to take care of your teeth that require very few spoons and very little money!

Brush ‘em twice a day. Once when you get up to clear out whatever happened the night before, and once before you fall asleep. You can brush more but you don’t have to. Use a soft-bristled brush and whatever toothpaste you like. If you hate mint, kid toothpaste that tastes like bubblegum or berries is totally fine!

Don’t want to get out of bed? totally fine. Use a finger toothbrush! these are designed for babies which is actually great because they are SUPER soft. If you have sensitive gums, these are going to be really helpful.

Don’t have access to a finger toothbrush? honest to god you can just dip your finger in water (though a mix of water and baking soda or water and salt is better) and brush your teeth with just your finger. The point of this isn’t to freshen your breath or anything, it’s just to get the biofilm off of your teeth and protect them.

Floss. This gets the biofilm out from between your teeth and promotes good gum health. Don’t just run it between the teeth- you need to floss below the gumline a little bit to help clean out plaque.

If you don’t have the spoons to do your whole mouth, floss between your molars if you can.

There’s lots of products that are great for people who can’t go through the whole flossing routine. Pre-threaded flossers are ideal because they’re designed for minimal effort and maximum gain. These are also killer for people with physical disabilities that affect hand dexterity.

If flossing hurts because you have sensitive gums, a water flosser can really help. This is more expensive but will last a very long time.

You can also get topical numbing gel that you can smear on your gums when flossing. Just be careful that you’re not flossing too hard because you can’t feel it. This brand is kind of expensive but it has a nice minty flavor. If you have a dollar and a way to get there, I saw Orajel at Dollar Tree yesterday… when I was buying a bunch of those pre-threaded flossers to throw in my car. I oughta do a Dollar Tree field trip to show you like, what products are available at the absolute cheapest in the US. Dollar Tree has a LOT of good dental options.

There’s a tiktok that says you can use a strand of hair to floss. This is a bad idea. A single strand of hair is likely to break and can cut into your gums. If you want to use hair as floss, you need to use a couple of strands twisted together. Go slow and gentle if you’re using hair. Obviously actual floss is better but this isn’t “perfect dental tips for perfect people,” this is “life sucks but your teeth don’t gotta.”

If you can’t floss or can’t brush, gargle. Put two tsp of baking soda in a glass of warm water. Swish it around, spit it out. If you can do that, you’ve helped clear out biofilm and bacterial waste.

Prioritize your teeth. You only get two sets and you lose the first one by the time you’re twelve. If you can only do one hygiene thing today, make it be your teeth.

Eat some pineapple. Bromelain, which is only found in pineapple, is super good at protecting enamel.

That’s… all I got for you now. Take care of your teeth!

[amazingmsme]

Omg that tag vid 🤣 I can completely picture the main trio just spinning around the watch post and feigning going left or right at the cafe tables, tossing chairs to try to slow down each other. As for your most flustering fics hmngh so many of yours put me in Lee mood, and this got long and turned into my rambling like a nerd- apologies in advance!

I'm gonna say the Stanley Parable fics Disobedience Shan't be Rewarded, and Is the Bucket Worth it, Stanley? are some of the ones that get me the most. I think it's the way you right the Narrator. I have a weakness for Gods using their powers to mess with someone helpless and those fics scratch that particular itch for me wonderfully. Also, mock sympathy, and condescension fuck me up so bad in Lers and you write it so well? 🫣

Ooh Hands To Yourself gets me bad though 😭 Pretty sure that fic made me hide my face in blush multiple times; Essek especially took me out in that good Lord I haven't even met him but you made me frightened to haha as an easily flustered Lee. 🤣 There was also quite a few neck and ear tword focus and given those are some of my own worse spots, I was scrunching up reading certain parts there lol. Oh! Another thing about Essek's characterization I loved- how he feigned genuine anger, because I would absolutely panic and trip over myself to people please out of fear and fall right into his trap 🤣 Then after it comes out he's not actually upset and my bad anxiety would go away and turn into anticipation, like right before i go on stage for a performance. I think I'd more just get flustered, jumpy and skittish.

I thought your Castlevania fic The Moderator and the Monster are One in the Same was also super cute; I also wrote an Alucard/Reader fic a while back based on the library scene since it took me out. Still haven't finished the show because I don't want it to end/make me sad haha.

Fuck Off and Let Me Sulk took me out jfc, just found that now and we have similar tword thoughts lmao- Alucard calling Trevor out? I am always down bad for mean, teasy as Hell, Alucard. His voice and mannerisms kill me, and his adorable back and forth with Trevor at the end was so cute?

Okay no more rambling I swear! Hope you had a good rest and that this is semi-coherent; I'm gonna pass out now cause it's nearing 7am 🤣 Getting creative in the middle of the night is both blessing and curse

LXGSMAHSKD THIS IS LIKE THE NICEST THING ANYONE’S EVER SAID OMG THANG YOU ILY!

I remember having so much fun with the Stanley Parable ones, especially the first one! It was pure self indulgence rewarded by an unexpected shower of attention lmao. & omg my sweet baby boy Essek, trust me you’re gonna love this prissy bitch once you meet him! I was literally like a horse trapped in that box before the race & once I officially met him I shot off like a rocket! I really need to write more critickle role tbh cause I have so many ideas! Although I gotta admit, I’m not sure that one’s mine, so can’t take credit for that one, but I do have a long ass shadowgast fic that just so happens to have a very teasy Essek. & don’t get me started on castlevania! Omg I fell so hard for those boys! Their dynamic is so fun & their banter is hilarious! They need their own get along shirt, I feel like it would end badly lzavakdhkq but yeah, Alucard is a teasy bastard & he loves to bother Trevor, & the human is just too cute for his own good

Please don’t apologize for rambling! This made me really happy & it’s so cool to hear about what fics y’all really like! Especially when they’re ones I really enjoyed making! Wish I got better sleep, but the fucking construction woke me up & bug man is coming to spray, so fuck it, we ball. But omg please get some sleep! I mean, I’ve definitely been there after a night of endless creative flow, so I absolutely feel you. Sleep tight, & hope you have sweet dreams! & to everyone else… good morning! 😂

[art7crafts]

First! (I think)

First off, did you just put your work down in your pinned post? 'It's not worth...' Why put yourself down? What if your bestie did that?

Next of all, you pfp and Header are wonderful.

Also, I love the fact that you are naming your artwork. I follow your main blog, and I think that you embody Ravenclaw in everyway. It's also cool bc then we can talk about your artwork by their name.

Also, I don't think I've asked before, but can i call you RMShah? Like in any/all of your blogs it'll be easier if we become friends (also gimme a name I wanna see what you come up with) Oh and I've asked you stuff on your blogs before (you haven't answered all but I mean if that's bc you were hyping yourself up to post your artwork then it's cool) (no I have no issue take your time)

Hey!!

You are first, what to call you? Imma need sometime to figure it out but till then enjoy. And yes, you can Call me R.M Shah (or RemSha [not my irl name]) or Rose or Melody or Rose Potter or whatever you want.

Wait I got it. I'll call you Remsha!! I like that name. But this'll mean you can't call me that...

And I was busy making a fair few stuff so.. I'll answer them when I open my laptop.

Now for the other things in your ask..

Yeah I put myself down, nothing keeps one modest as much as reminding yourself you're not worth much (but don't do that, I know for a fact that it's not a healthy thing)

And the bestie thing. Did you mean my bestie put me down? Or did you mean my bestie put my bestie down?

The first one, well @lostwriter--xx3 is too good to me to do that, it would hurt I suppose. She's my bestie so it obvi means more than the general view of 'people', shall we say?

The second one would cause a war. Blood, tears and sweat would be shed (I'd make sure of it). And it would end up in some 30 minute long convo of @lostwriter--xx3 telling me everything/one that ever hurt her and then us cosplaying ourselves (meaning us cosplaying as James and Sirius). Is that the right term? And me telling her how perfect she is and telling her about thay juicy thing that is coming in that WIP that was supposed to take one week but oh well.

And yeah message me bout stuff and stuff and stuffs Remsha (if you accept the name [now it sounds as if I'm gifting you a title {am I?} lol])

And uhh. Send me tips, tricks, hacks/ways to improve bc @lostwriter--xx3 wants me to not die and actually focus on life and will only tell me stuff on/aft 23rd (you care bout me so much girl 😭😍)

Wait was writing poetry things in the tags (didn't I declare I wouldn't do poetry here?!¿¿¿¡¿¡¡) and 'Badr' could be your name too..

[togrowoldinv]

Written in the Stars

Chris Evans x Female Reader

A soft evening with Chris

Note: This is based on this request. It’s fluffy as can be lol. Also, it features the classic NASA hat haha. I hope you enjoy it!

Chris Evans Masterlist, Main Masterlist

You and Chris have been dating for a little over a year and you couldn’t be more in love with each other. It’s the soft kind of love that you both always dreamt of finding.

You have met each other’s families over the course of the year and today you are at one of his sister’s house for a birthday party.

“Y/n, come here sweetheart,” Chris gets your attention from the living room. You’ve been in the kitchen for a while chatting with his family.

He’s wearing a huge smile as you walk up to him and sit as closely as you can to him, one of your legs even drapes over his knee slightly.

“What’s up?” You ask him. He drops a kiss to your temple and pulls you closer.

“I just missed you,” he says and you let out a small laugh.

“I missed you too, babe,” you indulge him. The grin he gives you is well worth it.

Your moment in your own world is interrupted by Chris’ nephews running up to him.

“Uncle Chris come see our new trampoline!” One of them says.

“Oh sweet! Your mom finally got you one?” Chris asks them. You feel his hand softly on your back telling you he’s going to stand up and go with them.

“She did! She’s the best!” his other nephew answers and Chris looks at his sister with a beaming smile.

You and Chris follow the kids outside. They, including Chris, jump on the trampoline for hours. You watch them and laugh at how Chris always makes sure to get your attention before he does any cool flips.

Later on that night, you and Chris find yourself laying on the trampoline. He’s laying with his back flat on it while you lean up on your elbow and look in his eyes.

“Did you have a good day?” Chris asks you softly. That’s the kind of guy he is, always making sure you had a good time even if he was with you and knows that you did.

“I did. It was a great day, babe,” you reply. “How about you?”

“It was a perfect day,” he says. There’s a certain dreamy, breathlessness to his voice that makes you fall even harder for him.

You’re about to lean down and kiss his lips when he suddenly takes off his hat and puts it on your head. He laughs at the shock on your face and lifts the bill just enough to lean in and kiss you.

After he pulls away, you turn and lay next to him. His hand intertwines with yours at your side as you look up at the stars.

“Does this mean I get to keep this hat?” You ask him.

“Hmm I don’t know, baby. It’s one of my favorites,” Chris says.

“That’s true, but so am I.”

“Good point, y/n.”

This time it’s Chris who leans up and his hand moves naturally to your waist.

“And you do look so cute in it,” Chris compliments. He taps the bill playfully and you smile at him. “My NASA girl,” he jokes and you both laugh so hard that you could cry.

“I adore you, my NASA boy,” you tell him. The genuine smile on his face says he might actually like that nickname.

“I love you, y/n,” Chris says.

“I love you too, Chris,” you reply. He kisses your lips softly and you melt into him.

He lays back down next to you and pulls you closer to rest on his chest. You two look up at the stars and think about your love for each other. It’s a love that’s written in the stars, you have no doubt about that.

Tag List: @gracebutnotgraceful @i-wished-for-you-too @idkwhygregg @be-missed @mythosphere-x @hehehehannahthings @likefirenrain @mrswidowjohansson @natashasilverfox @rach2602 @cordyandbilliehavemyheart @raajali3 @sarahdonald87 @pandaxnienke @mrspeacem1nusone @wandas-slut-heart

[ofstoriesandstardust]

she’s a heart full of rain (red lips like a flame) (lt. bradley “rooster” bradshaw)

a/n: i’m not apologizing for this summary. i haven’t ridden since i was 10 or 11 and i rode in California so some of this will be off. i tried to fill in holes with Google research but please forgive me for any other errors. this an entire story was an excuse was to get Rooster on a horse and honestly this made me miss riding so much my heart aches. @struggling-with-nsfw​ has been listening to me talk about horses for days so the least you could do is read this to make her suffering worth it. 

summary: The crew goes horseback riding. There’s cowboy hats, red lipstick, and thunderstorms. Welcome to Texas! Yeehaw!

title comes from hunter hayes “storm warning” 

main masterlist | top gun: maverick masterlist | storm warning masterlist | story description | so stay or leave, part of me always will be (half of my hometown) | cause if i say i miss you, i know that you won’t

folks who wanted to be tagged: @hotch-meeeeeuppppp​ @zzsloth

warnings: swearing, angst, thunderstorms, horses, a horse spooking, injuries, a cliffhanger, mentions of parental death, do sexual innuendoes count as flirting, it’s been about a decade since i rode a horse so please forgive me for errors, mentions of Icemav, somebody tell me they understand Jake’s horses name because I put way more thought into these names then i care to admit

word count: 2,759

“Well howdy there stranger.”

It’s the brunette from the night before. His hands are shoved in his jean pockets, a navy blue t-shirt hugging his biceps. You’d never admit it, but the Navy did wonderful things for man’s body. It seems like Jake’s wrangled the boy into wearing a pair of boots, although you’re not sure if you want to know how. 

He turns, a smile growing on his face at the sight of you. 

“Decide to become a ranch hand now, did ya?” You ask, walking towards him. He’s standing near one of the horses, a black beauty that’s a Friesian breed. He chuckles nervously. 

“Nah, Hangman just got caught up talking to Tyler and I got bored so I wandered over here...” He trails off nervously, looking around the stables. You laugh at his nervousness. 

Hangman, you mouth to yourself and then shake your head. “Oh, right. Jake. You pilots and your funny nicknames. You got one of ‘em?” 

“Rooster. My callsign is Rooster.” 

You give a coy smile, stepping closer. “And where does that come from?” 

He smirks. “Guess.” 

You take one last step closer to him, grabbing his belt loops and closing the distance. “Well, I don’t know, I say I could guess...” 

“Oh yeah?” 

“Yeah. Say, we got roosters here. I know what they’re known for.” He raises an eyebrow. “Being an early riser of course, must be where your name comes from.” He lets out a laugh, ducking his head and you let his belt loops go, stepping back as you smile. “Say, you ride?” He chokes on his laughter. “Horses. You ride horses?” He shakes his head. “Well, tell ya what, a good place to start is to stay away from Jake’s horse. She’s a beauty, named Dahlia, but she’s tough to ride, especially for a beginner.” He nods, looking back to the horse. 

“You ride her?” You give a half-shrug. 

“Sometimes. One of our stable hands, Lucas, rides her more than I do. C’mon, you should meet Duchess. She’s very friendly.” You led him to the opposite end of the stalls, grabbing a saddle and reigns along the way, unlocking the door to the chestnut. 

“She’s gorgeous.” He comments as he follows you into the stall, looking up at the horse in kid-like wonder. You smile softly. 

“Horses are wonderful creatures.” You whisper and he looks over at you as toss the saddle over the side, securing it to her and then moving to slip the bridle in Duchess’s mouth, slipping the reigns over her head. Once everything is secure, you hand the reigns to Bradley and push the stall door over. He seems to be warming up to her and he pauses, waiting for you as you lock the door again and grab a helmet from one of the nails on the wall. You shove it at his chest as you move to leave the stalls. 

“Wha- I’m not wearing this!” He exclaims and you turn. 

“It’s a requirement for all beginning riders.” 

“You don’t!” 

You sigh, crossing your arms. “I’ve been riding since I was like 6 or 7. Since I was big enough to get on the horse. No helmet, no riding.” He sighs, looking down at the horse and then back to you. “Here, why don’t I...” You stride towards him, taking the helmet out of his hands and placing it on his head. You buckle it and adjust his strap, trying not to let your hands linger on his face for longer than necessary. “Feel comfortable? Secure?” He nods, cheeks tinting pink. You pat his cheek, smiling at him. “There we go. Let’s get you on the horse and then I’ll grab Athena.” 

“Who’s Athena?”

“She’s my horse, a Lippizan breed. Mom started a tradition of naming our horses after figures from greek myths. My brother and I had horses from the same Mom, named after Apollo and Artemis. Gorgeous things. But they got old and passed on, so we got new ones. He broke the tradition, I kept it. It was a huge fight when we were teens.” He chuckles as he follows you out of the stable. There’s a spare stool sitting around, one Lucas probably forgot to put away, and so you grab it as he pauses, watching you. 

“Okay, so to get in your saddle, you’re gonna grab the reigns like so,” demonstrating to him how to hold them, “and then hook your foot into the stirrup, and lift yourself up, and swing your leg over. It’s a lot harder then it looks so if you don’t get it in the first go, that’s okay.” He nods and you step back, letting him attempt to so. To be expected, he slips and huffs in frustration. “Told you it’s difficult. We have stools if you really can’t get it.” 

“I think I can get on a horse.” He tries again and is this successful this time. Duchess takes a few steps forwards at the movement and he immediately blanches, knuckles tightening on the reigns. 

“You good?” He nods nervously. “Alright, I’m gonna grab Athena, I won’t be more than just a few minutes and I’ll stay within earshot. Holler if there’s a problem.” You probably shouldn’t have left him alone, but Duchess was one of your best horses and was great with beginner riders. You jog back inside, unlocking Athena’s stall and get her saddle and reigns set up. Doing so is second nature for you and within. few minutes you’re leading her back outside to where Bradley’s sat nervously. You easily climb up with an ease that comes with years of practice and look over to him. 

After walking him through the basics, the two of you slowly make your way towards the grounds where the rest of their group is gathered. “Fucking finally.” Jake calls. “Wondering where you were.” You roll your eyes as the two of you pull the horses to a stop. Jake’s sat on Dahlia, meaning he must’ve gone and left through the opposite entrance of the stables. 

One of the pilots snorts at Bradley. “Yo, Rooster, what’s with the helmet?” 

He blushes, looking away. “Shut it Payback.” 

“No helmet, no riding.” You and Jake say, almost in near unison and then look at each other in surprise. The pilot, Payback, snorts and then his face falls, realizing you’re serious. 

“Wait, what?” 

You and Jake nod. He splutters. “But Hangman, you don’t!” 

Jake gives a half-shrug, tipping his cowboy hat. “I’ve been riding since I was a teeny tot, I’m comfortable enough not to. But for beginners, you have to.” 

He groans. “Man, forget that, I’m not riding.” 

You snort. “Y’all will really not ride just because of the helmet requirement?” The pilots look amongst themselves. “Okay, so who is riding?” One of the female pilots, along with a gangly man with glasses raises his hands. Another one of the pilots also volunteers, someone you’d seen hanging around near Jake. “Alright, well the rest of you can stay here and hang out with the ranch hands then. Miss out on the ride.” Tyler approaches the group with two different horses, Madison behind him with two more. You look to Jake. “You gonna help me teach your friends or are you just going to sit there?”

“I don’t know, I think I look pretty good up here.” You roll your eyes and sigh, offering your reigns to Jake who takes them as you slip off Athena. 

Walking the pilots through getting on the horses, the man with glasses pulls himself over with ease. “I’m impressed.” You remark as you move toward the female pilot. “Beat Bradley over here.” He snickers, adjusting his helmet, as you catch Bradley’s blush. 

“Gonna tell Maverick you fell for the first pretty girl you met.” One of the pilot’s joke. 

“Shut up Fanboy. I can’t help that I have a weakness for a women with a good red lip.” You smile and duck your head, remembering how you had chosen to wear the red lipstick this morning. You didn’t normally, but the ride today would be easy and it matched your shirt and yeah, okay, maybe you wanted to impress the pilot from last night should you see him. 

You hadn’t anticipated being the one to lead the ride but Emma had texted you this morning and asked if you would do it since her and Lucas had gone out this morning and set everything up. 

Jake clears his throat, shooting a look at Bradley. 

“Someone make sure they’re getting a picture of this and sending it to Ice and Mav. They need to see Rooster on a horse, helmet and all.” The female pilot next to you says, snickering. Payback whips out his phone as Rooster groans. 

“Who’s Mav and Ice?” You ask. 

“My godfather and his- er-” Bradley pauses, looking to Jake. 

“His husband.” Jake says in an ambivalent tone and you make a face. 

“Why did you say it like that? I’m from Texas, not Mars. I’ve met gay people.” You say, shooting him a look. “In fact, Riley and Lucas have been dating for years now, but you wouldn’t know that because you don’t live here anymore. Decided the Navy was better.” He scoffs and opens his mouth to say something but you turn to the female pilot. “You want help?” She watches the exchange carefully and then shrugs, looking at her horse. 

“Maybe a boost. Not too proud to admit I might be a tad bit too short to pull myself over like Bob.” 

“And you’re...?”

“Phoenix.” 

You nod as she hooks her foot into he stirrup. “Ah right, one half of the engaged couple. Congrats, by the way.” You say as you help her over. She smiles down at you. 

“Thanks.” You turn to the last pilot, who’s smirking at you. 

“I need the pretty cowgirl to help me too.” He says, giving you an innocuous smile, and you raise an eyebrow, settling your hands on your hip as Tyler snickers. 

“Coyote.” Jake barks, but you don’t turn, keeping a careful eye on the pilot. 

“Let’s see you try first.” He does, and pulls himself over on the third go. You roll your eyes as you walk back over to Athena, grabbing the reigns from Jake and climbing back on Athena. Tyler walks over offering you a hat and a walkie talkie. Madison tosses one to Jake too and he catches it with an ease you wouldn’t expect him to still have. 

“Here, you both should have one, just in case.” You nod, clipping the walkie talkie to one of your belt loops on the side of your hip. 

“Hey, tell Lucas and Emma I said thank you for setting up because asshat over here won’t.” You jerk your head back to Jake, who’s talking to Madison. He nods. 

“Will do. Play nice will ya?” 

You tilt your head. “I’ll think about it.” You pause, pretending to think the words over. “Thought about it. No.” Tyler sighs, crossing his arms. “Don’t give me that look Ty, you know better than anyone how I’m feeling right now. Fucking awful of him to show back up after all this time and put his friends in the middle of it.” 

“Look, it’s not that I think you’re wrong, but if you’re gonna go after him, just don’t do it front of his friends. Don’t ruin their engagement trip.” He says, nodding his head specifically to Phoenix and Bob. You look to them and it’s the first time you realize that the four pilots have been listening to your conversation. You sigh, nodding. You put the cowboy hat on your head, it sitting easily with the two braids falling over your shoulder. You look around the group. “Alright, everyone ready?” They nod and Jake breaks away from his conversation with Madison. “Let’s ride.” 

-

The ride had been one of your favorites, easy with nice weather. The pilots were wonderful to talk to and kept you laughing the whole way out to the house. After a quick lunch, the group was sat on the couch and around it, enjoying the conversation and each other’s presence. You were sat on the couch next to Bradley, his arm resting around your shoulders. Coyote was on the other side of him, with Bob sitting opposite you in the arm chair.  Phoenix was rested up against his knee and Jake sat next to them in one of the chairs that had been dragged over from the table. Your eyes wander around the small house, taking in the furniture and decorations. You hadn’t been out here since your Mom died, and you swallowed as you took in the way it still felt like she was here with you. You briefly met Jake’s eye and he looks away. You know he’s feeling the same. 

It’s a movement that doesn’t go unnoticed by Bradley. 

He turns to you, leans over closer to you to say something in your ear as Coyote regales his friends with a story, when you hear the walkie talkie go off. You hold up a finger to Bradley, passing his thought, as both you and Jake’s head turn towards the noise and you stand up, walking towards the table where yours is resting. You lean up against it as you hear Jake’s boots on the floor behind you. The conversation between the pilots tapers off as they all turn to watch the pair of you. Jake takes pause in front of you, crossing his arms as you raise the device to your mouth. 

“Hey, say that one more time, didn’t catch it.”

“Hey, did the two of you know there’s a storm rolling in?” 

Jake leans to look outside the window and lets out a low whistle. “We do now.” He mutters.

“Do you think we have time to make it back or should we wait it out?” 

There’s a pause as you wait for Tyler to respond. “If you guys left right now, I think you could make it back.” 

“Okay, give us just a minute.” You look to Jake. “What do you want to do?” You whisper. You don’t want to freak his friends out and while you and your brother could handle riding in a storm, you were worried about his inexperienced friends. 

“If Tyler thinks we can make it back, I say we go. I worry about the horses spooking this far out.” You nod as Jake turns to his friends, explaining the situation to them. 

“Okay Ty, we’re headed back. Stay on the radio, will you? Let me know for things change and we’ll adjust accordingly?” 

“Of course. Hop on the radio if there’s trouble, we’re all getting things squared away here and then we’ll be in the house. One of us should be able to come out if something happens.” 

“Will do. See you soon.” You move to put the walkie talkie back on your waist as you look up to see the pilots ready to go. Grabbing your hat from the table, you settled it on your head and move to the front door. “Alright, let’s get this show on the road.” 

-

You were almost there. You could see the stables, they were within sight. You almost felt relief because the storm had rolled in fast and the wind was picking up. Athena was getting nervous and you were really starting to get worried about her spooking. Jake was leading the group as you had fallen to the back, worried about her and not wanting to risk hurting one of the other horses or pilots if she did spook. A strong gust of pushed the two of you forward and you tightened your grip on the reigns. 

“Whoa girl.” You whisper as Jake looks back at you, letting the rest of the group pass him, headed towards the stables. He shouts something but you can’t hear it, focused in on Athena, winding rushing around you. You bit your lip, debating on bailing when Athena makes the choice for you. 

A clap of thunder sounds overhead and both you and Jake look up, watching the lightening streak across the sky. It’d be impressive, if Athena didn’t startle, take a jump to the side, bucking you off of her. 

The reigns fall from your hands as you slip from the saddle, crashing to the ground. You can hear Athena take off as you watch the lightning create an impressive streak of white-blue, black spots flickering at the ends of your vision. 

[noonaishere]

Online/Offline [C.S] - seven | above minimum wage. like, *way* above

You sat across from Seonghwa at a table in the café, his mouth set in a firm line as he read your resume. 

“So,” he started. “You’re a streamer?”

“And video editor.”

He put the resume down. “And why do you want to work in a café?”

“Well, your ‘Help Wanted’ said you paid above minimum wage. Like, way above.”

“Mhm.”

“And I wouldn’t mind having a real reason to get out of my house a few times a week.”

“Mhm.”

“And… there’s a few video editing clients I have that I really want to drop.”

His eyebrows ticked up. “Can I ask why?”

“One of them keeps hitting on me, and the other ones don’t pay enough. Only one of them is really worth it.”

“Well, I’m sorry for the first one, that’s very unprofessional.”

You nodded.

“And for the other ones, that makes sense.”

You nodded again.

“Your resume says you worked in a café a few years ago; do you remember how to make all the basic drinks?”

“Mostly. I could probably use a refresher, but, it’ll come back to me soon enough.”

He nodded and folded his arms.

“And, uh, just between you and me: I was the only reason the café I used to work at was sparkling clean.”

His brows ticked up. “Oh?”

You nodded, self-assuredly.

“Well, I suppose that I have to hire you.”

“I-- really?”

He chuckled.

“Were the people who left that bad at cleaning?”

His eyebrow raised again. “How did you know that someone just left?”

“I-- uhh…”

He smiled.

“I… heard it by accident? I mean, you and uh, the one guy--”

“Wooyoung?”

“--yeah. You were kind of having a conversation about it where customers could hear it.”

He nodded.

You nodded. You were in the clear.

“I thought you worked with headphones on?”

You were not.

“Ummm…”

“I’m not mad. I told him I didn’t want to have that conversation where anyone could hear it and he didn’t listen. It’s a good thing it was only you who heard it and not someone who loves drama.”

You nodded emphatically. “Hate drama. Don’t want it in my life. Try to stay as far away from it as possible.”

Seonghwa chuckled.

“I am sorry though. Once I heard the intrigue, I couldn’t help but listen. Can I… ask what happened?”

“Nothing more than what you heard: two of my employees who were involved romantically appeared to have convinced themselves that I was oppressing them in some way and left. They left a note likening themselves to Romeo and Juliet… driven by their passions, I suppose.”  He shook his head.

“...They know that they both died at the end, right?”

“I’m assuming not.”

You laughed. “Well… hopefully it goes better for them.”

He nodded. “I bear them no ill will, I just wish they would have given me two weeks notice instead.”

You nodded. “Well, maybe they’ll both take poison and die and have learned their lesson.”

He looked at you blankly.

“That was a Romeo and Juliet joke.”

His eyebrow quirked and he chuckled. “Sure.”

“Sorry, I sort of just say things, sometimes. Sometimes it's dark humor.”

“That’s fine, just don’t do it in front of the customers.”

“Not a prob-- wait, you’re hiring me?”

“I don’t see a reason why not. You can work mornings, which was Juliet’s shift time, and you live close enough that if I somehow mysteriously run off with someone, one of the other guys can call you in.”

You laughed.

“When can you start?”

“Whenever’s the earliest.” You smiled. “Oh my god, I’m so happy I can drop that one guy.”

Seonghwa smiled and held out his hand. “Welcome to the team.”

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