#of how lovely and genuine their connection was

[r66dusthewriter]

In the noise, you.

Pairing: Drew starkey x reader

a/n: just a sweet lil thing to ease back into it.

Genre: Fluff

Contains: struggles with anxiety

Word count: 0.6k

There were few things in life you dreaded more than standing under the spotlight, not for a lack of gratitude but because it never felt natural. Some would argue you had almost six years to get used to the fame but truth is, it never got better. Becoming famous in the stillness of a pandemic, tucked away from the real reach of it all, meant you had no idea how much impact your “little silly boat show” had had globally. 

Public appearances didn’t get easier, if anything, they chipped away at you differently each time. 

The cast had always been your anchor, showing up for you when it counted… but Drew? Drew had been something else entirely. A constant. A quiet kind of salvation.

You were both very similar in your way of being: barely online, barely seen, always opting for privacy over the chaos. That shared instinct to retreat meant you spent a lot of time in each other's company, quietly inseparable yet easily pointed out by fans. You never confirmed anything publicly, but people knew. It was hard to ignore that kind of connection, the one that needed no name to be understood. 

Now, standing next to the stage at the Tudum event, nerves curled tighter in your stomach with every passing minute. Chase, Carlacia, Jonathan, Madison, Drew and you huddled near the stairs, surrounded by crew and camera ops, voices overlapping in every direction. The crowd buzzed around you, fans screamed nearby, calling out your names and holding up signs. 

You soon started to drift. Your eyes locked on a point in the distance, breathing shallow and automatic while Chase spoke to the group, except to you, his voice was muffled, like he was underwater. Still, you nodded absently, trying to seem present while also trying to calm your pulse. 

Then, a hand on your lower back, gentle and grounding, pulled you a few steps away and with a gentle squeeze, it left your skin, its warmth lingering for a few seconds short of what you had wished for.

“Hey,” called a soft voice close to your ear “Where did you go just now?”

It took a few seconds for your eyes to focus on him, his were sharp, brows drawn together in worry, the kind that said ‘Im’ ready to get you out of here right now if that’s what you need’.

You cleared your throat, blinking the fog away. “I’m okay, just…I’m okay”

He studied your face, clearly reading your lips over the crowd noise. You could see it in his expression whenever you forced your wandering gaze to land on his, he didn’t buy it. His jaw twitched slightly as he leaned in again, mouth near your ear.

“Try now without the lie.”

You couldn’t help the twitch of a smile. That was the thing with Drew, he knew you in a way that left no room for pretending. Sometimes, you were sure he knew you better than you knew yourself.

“Just overwhelmed,” you admitted quietly. 

You didn’t mention how guilty you sometimes felt, enjoying moments like this but still getting caught in your own mind, but he knew. He could read it in the slight crease of your brow and though you could tell he wanted to pull you into him, to help block it all out, you were technically at work.

Still, he leaned down again.

“Want to make a run for it?” he murmured, entirely serious.

You huffed a laugh, short but genuine, knowing full well he could do it, contracts be damned. You didn’t need to answer, he already knew you just needed time, space and the impression of silence. He was the one person who could give you all of it without you ever having to ask.

He shifted in front of you, placing his broad shoulders between you and the world. A human shield. Then, without turning, his hand reached behind him.

You didn't hesitate sliding yours into his. Warm and solid around yours. And finally, you could breathe.

Three soft squeezes followed.

I love you.

Your heart stuttered, this time in a way you welcomed.

[sharkbitten-sailor]

Hyello!!! Ive been loving your works so far, and I saw you were open for requests so could I req for a 007n7 x reader who simply likes to follow him around, not caring about the past. They always make their presence known despite barely talking at all. Which mmmighhttt be a little funny and scary at times when the reader doesn't respond at times and just, stares and stands too still (big ol eyes)

Reader very much does point out things lile generators and items or anything they find odd like a sign the killer or survivor is lurking nearby.

(Ahahahha this is somewhat based on my experience of my first time trying to myth hunt, and it ended with me following this 007n7 cosplayer for about 2-3ish hours because I felt bad they were getting bullied for like... 20 minutes, but I had no idea hoe to comfort them, nor interact in general. But we both did help each other find some things we found interesting!!)

[forsaken] 007n7 x reader who's kind to him headcanons .ᐟ

a/n; oooh hi anon! thank you so much for requesting, it's really adorable <33 i hope i got your idea right (please ignore any misspell & grammar mistakes, i only read this once-)

- 007n7 was once cast out by the survivor group, isolated even among those fighting for the same cause. keyword: was. that all changed when you appeared. - when you approached him with genuine warmth, he assumed it was a mistake. perhaps you hadn't heard about him yet. - but even after the admins shared his past, your kindness never wavered. that was.. new and unsettling. - he watches you carefully, waiting for the moment your smile fades, for the inevitable disappointment. but it never comes. - over time, he starts to believe, just a little, that maybe - just maybe he’s not beyond redemption. - he doesn’t fully understand why you treat him like someone worth knowing, but he’s starting to believe it. - he enjoys your quiet company. he appreciates the way you just… follow him around, watching him curiously while he works on a generator like a cat watching someone open a can. - or maybe, it's simply because you never judge him. not for the past, not for the present. - during rounds, you stick close to 7n7 like a shadow. the only times you're not by his side are when you aren’t chosen for that round or when you're off scavenging supplies, like boxy colas. - whenever you find something useful, he's always the first to get it. even an entire medkit. - of course, certain survivors tend to side-eye you both for that (*cough* elliot *cough*). - he genuinely appreciates your kindness, but he also reminds you that taking care of yourself should come first & depending on the situation. remember that time you handed him a medkit while sitting at a measly 20% hp? yeah, you scared him half to death. - your sharp eyesight makes you great at spotting generators for 7n7. but instead of fixing them yourself, you simply stay next to him, likely guarding him from the killer. - connecting wires isn’t your strong suit? no worries. you've helped 7n7 plenty, and it’s only fair that he returns the favor. - he’s a patient man, so he’ll take the time to teach you how to connect them. - after those grueling rounds, if 7n7 wasn’t chosen, he’ll immediately check on you, gathering supplies to patch you up like a worried father. - expect some head pats. they’re his way of saying, “you did well enough.” - if the bond between you two grows strong enough, he'll show his appreciation in his own way. - need to rant or vent? then congrats! you’ve found the perfect listener. he absorbs every word you say with deep intention, even taking mental notes. - the next time you bring it up, you'll realize he remembers everything. - you have a habit of playfully messing with his clones, like a cat batting at a new toy. 7n7 finds this oddly endearing and amusing. - it soothes him, melting away his stress. a quiet reminder that even in this hell, some things are still worth smiling about.

a/n; finally finished! sry 4 the delay, i got distracted slacking off mid-writing to play blocktales�� hope you still like it </3

[vsa-pieldepapel]

ralsusie became real and kinda popular in the fandom and i IMMEDIATELY thought of you. also your susie hadcanons... you're predicting it all....

so what are your thoughts on their dynamic in the new chapter? and on susie's character development overall?

oh it's a fucking party in my house rn you have no idea. i have so many things to say about them that i don't believe its possible to make all of them coherent in a single post but i'll vomit some of it Before that tho i must say i am surprised at how many people thought of me w these new developmetns lol. mostly because the internet is so fast paced i thought no one would remember. thank you though.

i remember saying somewhere that I was convinced ralsei observing susie's independence and force of will would plant a seed in his head for him to strive for freedom and agency, and I'm surprised how dead on that was. Guts is widely accepted to be the stat for how much a character is willing to stand against the control of the player, which ralsei has Zero of in all chapters, but fascinatingly, even though he goes back to zero in ch4, at the tail end of ch3 before i fought the roaring knight i checked the power screen and ralsei had a single Guts point. this was immediately after susie consoled Tenna and told him, "did you hear that, Ralsei?" so i am convinced that single moment of guts was brought forth by her, by the lessons he learns from her character.

I had rather low expectations going into the new chapters because I really still wasnt convinced if Toby was self aware on how he was writing the holiday family, susie and noelle, and ralsusie, or if that was all serendipitous. The new chapters make me believe more strongly that he is aware and its not all coincidental. theres a lot here and i would have to make an entire separate post about it but I was incredibly pleasantly surprised by how many poignant, emotionally resonant moments happened between susie and ralsei building on how much they push each other to be better, and how it's emphasised that they're influencing the other. I was incredibly shocked in a good way that they had an actual argument, but Susie didn't resort to all the coping mechanisms we see her use with Lancer. Ralsei has proven now that he will be there by her side and she has decided to believe in that rather than keeping in mind that she could be abandoned at any turn, and I thought them being able to genuinely talk it out and MAKE it through an argument was an excellent indicator of how powerful their relationship is (and I do mean this all even if it's just friendship stuff for now, because the healthiest couples, anyway, are those where your partner is also your friend). I remember being skeptical way back when of people who made susie sporty and confident, because she struck me as feeling ugly, insecure, and not really that successful in that regard either, and I'm glad I was right. Her monologues about feeling unwanted and broken which feels very much the result of unstable circumstances like moving constantly, where there is no consistency to any one situation, and neglectful or abusive parenting were very resonant. Curiously though my fave part of all these new developments about susie are when it pertains to how she connects to the lore of the prophecy, which is another separate post. Basically, I love how susie is a "wild card", but that necessitates a LOT of elaboration. I like that her stubbornness and her will to fight are displayed for both when they're good and worth it and when they're dysfunctional. I also found the exploration of how an individuals psyche shapes a dark world fascinating.

The bloody handprint lives fucking rent free in my head. Again, I need to make a MASSIVE post to connect a lot of dots here idk how to do it. But I am very, very excited. Maybe it would be easier to organise everything if I was prompted to talk about specific things. I could make a pepe silvia style video about it atp rofl

[hintze-of-bird]

Thank you, @hypnopompic-kins, for the mention! My answers are under the cut because I have the tendency to ramble.

Which category of alterhumanity do you belong to?

A handful, I suppose? My identities fall under therianthropy, otherkind, fictionkind, otherhearted, and archetropy. I frequently get ‘flickers/otherfixes, and occassionally ‘link, though I don’t believe any of my current kintypes are voluntary. I mostly just call myself nonhuman alterhuman, or alterlichen.

What are your types?

I am a vast number of things, most of which are listed in my pinned post, so I will refrain from repeating them. The only things unlisted are my fictionkin identities, as they have a high degree of fluidity, though I will share my most consistent: I am Edwin Payne from Dead Boy Detectives, both the show and comics (though the latter is a satellotype). I am not very connected to my Doom Patrol appearance. I am the Distortion from The Magnus Archives, namely Michael (not Shelley). I am also both Egon and Phoebe Spengler from Ghostbusters, Victor Frankenstein adapted from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, a Modern Prometheus, J.B. Barnes from a mixture of the MCU and Marvel comics, the Captain from BBC Ghosts, WALL-E and Luca from my respective Pixar movies, and Bluey from Bluey. That last one may just be regression. I fall somewhere between identifying “as” and “with” Roz from The a Wild Robot (books).

Do you experience shifts? If so, can you tell us your most common shifts and your strangest cameo shift?

I do experience moments where I feel more connected to an aspect of myself, or closer to canon, but I do not call these moments “shifts”, as they are more fluctuations in mood. (For example, I would not call feeling happy and expressing my happiness through my bird-ness, or feeling frustrated and expressing my frustration like I would in the Dead Boy Detectives show an altercation of my behaviour.) The only exception to this are phantom shifts, though these are not as common for me as I originally thought. They’re quite miscellaneous, and one hallmark manifestation of my cameos. My strangest and most memorable cameo shift was a sensory shift in which my field of vision appeared to widen. I am not sure what species this shift aligned with, but I think it was some sort of marine bird. It involved a greater focus on my peripheral vision, and it felt odd to focus my eyes to things directly in front of me.

How do you experience your alterhumanity in everyday life?

It is a very basal part of myself and I am struggling to think of something to mention. It’s not exactly accurate to say that I experience my alterhumanity — my experience is my alterhumanity. I suppose I have been more introspective upon discovering the alterhuman community? A significant proportion of my free time is spent trying to put my feeling on identity into words, nowadays.

What do you think of the community?

While the discourse gets a little upsetting, the Tumblr alterhuman community is genuinely a lovely thing to be a part of. The variation in experiences is dizzying (/pos) and it’s always a pleasure to read about others. There’s something inherently beautiful about the diverse assortment of beings that interact with each other, too. My favourite corner of the alterhuman community, however, is not on Tumblr. In fact, it is the wonderful Discord server, Critter Cavern (which is open to those aged 14-20; I have linked an invite in case anyone is interested). It was such a welcoming environment when I first joined, and it is now an atmosphere I hope I am cultivating as staff. I would never have met the amazing creatures I care deeply about if not for my alterhumanity.

What are the things that make you most comfortable and euphoric in your alterhumanity?

Interacting with other alterhumans; many I have encountered are incredibly supportive and accepting of me as me, and that brings me a lot more euphoria than most things ever could. Immersing myself in the rest of nature is another euphoric activity, especially when I am alone. Most of the time, participating in society means I am unable to exhibit a core feature of what I am, lest I face judgement. Being left to just my thoughts and beings similar to me makes me feel unrestrained.

Are you experiencing species dysphoria?

Yes, I often experience species dysphoria.

What advice would you like to say to a young alterhuman who has just awakened?

Be true to yourself. Be kind, too. Your identity is allowed to be messy, and you’re allowed to be wrong: you will still be valid. Your identity is allowed to be fluid; you may find that something that used to fit does no longer. No one should expect anything of you, and no one has the right to get upset if you change. Fellow (character) fictionkin — you do not have to be canon-compliant to be you. Different iterations of a character naturally vary (eg., between media adaptations), and you are no exception. You do not owe it to others to be precisely like one of your depictions. You know who/what you are. Labels are not a requirement.

Do you have/want to have gears?

I have stereotypical masks made from EVA foam, though I do not wear them very often. The gear I use most frequently are my bracelets (which mimic jesses and aylmeri bells, while being associated to some of my fictional identities), my shark plushie shiver (to simulate the social behaviour of lemon sharks), and this blog (where I am free to express my alterhumanity).

Do you know/have any theories about the origin of your alterhumanity?

It varies between kintypes. I was born the paravian amalgamation that I am. It is encoded in my DNA, albeit most of the associated genes are silenced, and present in my flesh. I am a fungus for similar reasons, though this is also influenced by my ideas surrounding reality, the organisation of knowledge, and the individual. I am a bacterium and cell likely for psychological reasons, but I am unsure. Being the embodiment of Natural Science, a Natural History Museum, and scientist archetrope all stem from my special interest in science. The identities were involuntarily induced at some point because my fascination is deeply ingrained into my idea of me. The beliefs surrounding my fictotypes involve the multiverse — I am an alternate version of the me in my sources. My most stable are those I consider inherent: I was born as a variation of the character. Those influenced by my hyperfixations are from connections I have established through them.

Tag someone/a creature to answer these questions!

@1sopodsp @autumnishere1107 @sam-spooky Of course, there is absolutely no pressure to answer these, and anyone who would like to join in is more than welcome to!

If you are an alter/nonhuman, reblog and answer these questions!

(don't be afraid to write a lot, do what you want ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯)

1/ Which category of alterhumanity do you belong to?

2/ What/who is/are your type(s)? (if you have any)

3/ Do you experience shifts? If so, can you tell us your most common shifts and your strangest cameo shift (if you've ever had a cameo shift)?

4/ How do you experience your alterhumanity in everyday life?

5/ What do you think of the community?

6/ What are the things that make you most comfortable and euphoric in your alterhumanity?

7/ Are you experiencing species dysphoria?

8/ What advice would you like to say to a young alterhuman who has just awakened?

9/ Do you have/want to have gears?

10/ Do you know/have any theories about the origin of your alterhumanity? If so, tell us! (all beliefs are legitimate)

11/ Tag someone/a creature to answer these questions!ㅤᵕ̈

[mrs-delaney]

Heather

request: a Joe Burrow request based on the song heather by conan gray! but happy ending as usual yk

something sweet for the weekend, babes ✨ took lots of creative liberties with this one—hope you love it! thank you to whoever sent in the request 💌

Joe Burrow x Reader 4.4k Words

masterlist: click here for all my stuff!

tag list: sign up here to get tagged in new stuff! 🌟

December 3rd, 2018

You were walking back from the bar with Joe, the December air just cold enough to make you shiver. Your friend group had just finished celebrating his birthday early—December 10th always fell during finals, so you'd made December 3rd your traditional date for Joe's birthday celebration.

"You're shivering," Joe observed, that quiet way he noticed everything about the people he cared about.

"I'm fine," you lied, wrapping your arms around yourself as you walked across campus. It was mostly empty, just a few students hurrying between buildings under the soft glow of the streetlights.

Without a word, Joe stopped walking and pulled his purple LSU hoodie over his head, his t-shirt riding up slightly in the process. You tried not to stare at the glimpse of skin, the way his hair stuck up after the fabric passed over it.

"Here," he said, holding it out to you.

"Joe, you don't have to—"

"Take it." His voice was gentle but firm, and when you still hesitated, he stepped closer and pulled it over your head himself, his fingers briefly brushing against your neck as he adjusted the hood. "It looks better on you than it did on me, anyway."

The hoodie was warm from his body heat and smelled like his cologne—something woodsy and clean that made your chest tight with feelings you'd been carefully keeping buried for three years. You pulled it closer around yourself, trying not to think about how the casual gesture felt like the most intimate thing in the world.

"Thanks," you managed, your voice smaller than you intended.

Joe's smile was soft, genuine. "Always."

If only he knew how many times you'd replay that moment over the next few days. How you'd wear his hoodie to bed, pressing your face into the soft fabric and pretending it meant something more than friendship. How you'd catch yourself staring at him during your group's regular hangouts at Ja'Marr's apartment, wondering what it would feel like if he looked at you the way you looked at him.

But Joe Burrow had never seen you as anything more than a friend, and you'd accepted that reality a long time ago.

Or at least, you thought you had.

***

December 15th, 2018

"So Heather's coming tonight," Justin announced as your group gathered at the usual bar near campus, the kind of place that was sticky and loud and perfect for cheap drinks and good times.

You tried to keep your expression neutral at the mention of her name. Heather Collins had appeared in your friend group two weeks ago—some connection through one of the girls in your broader social circle—and she was everything you'd never been. Tall, blonde, effortlessly beautiful in a way that made guys stop mid-conversation when she walked by.

Including Joe.

"Cool," Ja'Marr said, already scanning the crowd for their server. "She seems nice."

She was nice. That was the worst part. You wanted to hate her, wanted to find some flaw that would justify the sick feeling in your stomach every time you saw Joe's face light up when she entered a room. But Heather was genuinely sweet, funny, and completely unaware of the effect she had on everyone around her.

"There she is," someone said, and you looked up to see Heather weaving through the crowd toward your table. She was wearing a cream-colored sweater that probably cost more than your textbooks, her hair falling in perfect waves over her shoulders.

Joe stood up immediately, that easy smile spreading across his face—the one that used to be reserved for your group, for moments when he was relaxed and happy. Now it seemed to appear every time Heather was around.

"Hey," he said, pulling out the chair next to him. "Saved you a seat."

Heather beamed, sliding into the chair with graceful ease. "You're too sweet."

You took a large sip of your drink and tried to focus on the conversation Ja'Marr was having about their upcoming bowl game, but your attention kept drifting to Joe and Heather. The way he leaned in when she spoke, like he didn't want to miss a single word. The way she laughed at his jokes, not the polite chuckle you'd perfected over the years.

"You okay?" Justin asked quietly, following your gaze.

You nodded quickly, forcing a smile. "Just tired."

But Justin's expression said he wasn't buying it, and when you glanced around the table, you caught similar looks from the rest of your friends. Everyone could see what was happening except the two people at the center of it.

As the night wore on, you watched Joe become more and more captivated by Heather. He bought her drinks, told her stories about growing up in Ohio, made her laugh until her cheeks flushed pink. And when she got cold—because, of course, she got cold—he didn't hesitate to shrug out of his jacket and drape it around her shoulders.

It was a nice jacket. Nicer than the old hoodie he'd given you two weeks ago. Newer, more expensive, the kind of thing you gave to someone you wanted to impress.

"I should probably head home," you said during a lull in conversation, already reaching for your purse.

"Already?" Joe looked genuinely disappointed, and for a moment, your heart did that stupid fluttering thing it always did when he paid attention to you. "It's not even midnight."

"I'm tired, I wanna go home and crash," you said, which wasn't entirely a lie. Watching Joe fall for someone else was exhausting.

"I'll walk you out," Ja'Marr offered, but you shook your head.

"I'm good. Have fun, guys."

You made your rounds of quick hugs and goodbyes, trying not to notice how Joe's attention was already drifting back to Heather before you'd even left the table. Outside, the December air felt sharp against your skin, but you welcomed the bite of it. Anything was better than sitting there watching the boy you'd been in love with for months fall for someone else right in front of you.

Your phone buzzed as you waited for your Uber.

Joe: Get home safe. Text me when you're there.

You stared at the message, thumb hovering over the keyboard. Months of friendship, and he still texted you after every night out to make sure you got home okay. It was sweet, thoughtful, and completely platonic.

You: Will do.

But as you climbed into the backseat of the car, you made a decision. You were tired of watching from the sidelines. Tired of pretending it didn't hurt. Tired of being the friend who got the old hoodie while other girls got the nice jacket.

It was time to protect your heart.

***

December 22nd, 2018

Joe: Movie night at my place tonight? Ja'Marr's bringing his PlayStation.

You: Can't tonight, working on a paper that's due Monday.

Joe: Bowl party this weekend? Everyone's coming.

You: Might have to work, I'll let you know.

Joe: Haven't seen you around lately. Everything good?

You: Just busy with end-of-semester stuff! You know how it is.

Except Joe didn't know how it was, because his classes were online and his biggest concern was preparing for their bowl game. But it was easier to blame school than admit the truth—that seeing him with Heather felt like swallowing glass, and you were finally putting yourself first.

You'd been successfully avoiding the group for over a week, declining invitations with vague excuses about work and school. It helped that finals were actually approaching, giving you a legitimate reason to be scarce. But the real test would be Joe's next game.

You'd never missed one of his games, not once, since he'd transferred. You had a ritual—his number 9 jersey, the same seat in the student section with your friends, the same pre-game text wishing him luck. Missing it would definitely send a message.

But as you sat in your apartment that Saturday afternoon, listening to the crowd roar from Tiger Stadium a few miles away, you knew you'd made the right choice. You turned off your phone and tried to focus on the textbook in front of you, ignoring the way your chest ached with every distant cheer.

Your phone stayed off until Sunday morning, and when you finally turned it back on, the messages were waiting.

Joe: Good luck, text? Come on, it's tradition.

Joe: Looked for you in the stands. Where were you?

Joe: Call me when you get this.

Ja'Marr: Joe's asking where you were. What do I tell him?

Justin: You missed a good game. Joe threw for 4 TDs.

Joe: Seriously, are you okay? I'm worried.

You stared at the messages for a long time before typing back.

You: Sorry, wasn't feeling well yesterday. Heard you guys won though! Congrats.

It wasn't technically a lie. Heartbreak was a kind of sickness, wasn't it?

Joe: Thanks. Feel better.

The conversation felt stilted, wrong. After months of easy friendship, you suddenly didn't know how to talk to each other. But this was what protecting yourself looked like—messy, painful, necessary.

You just had to stick with it.

***

January 8th, 2019

"Alright, what the hell is going on with you and her?" Ja'Marr's voice cut through the noise of the bar where Joe was nursing his second beer, trying to celebrate their bowl game win and failing miserably.

"What are you talking about?" Joe asked, though he knew exactly what Ja'Marr meant.

"Don't play dumb. You've been asking all of us about her for weeks. She's been MIA since before Christmas. What did you do?"

Joe's jaw tightened. "I didn't do anything. She says she's been busy with school and work."

"School and work." Justin snorted, sliding into the booth across from them. "Right. When did she stop coming around, Joe? Think about it."

"I don't know, a couple weeks ago—"

"Try again." Ja'Marr's voice was pointed. "When exactly did she start bailing on group stuff? When did she miss your game for the first time in three years?"

Joe thought back, a sick feeling forming in his stomach. "I don't know, maybe mid-December—"

"Oh, I don't know," Justin said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Maybe right around when you and Heather started doing whatever it is you're doing?"

Joe went quiet, staring down at his beer. Your short texts. Missing his game. The way you'd barely said two words to him lately.

"Shit," he said quietly.

"Oh," he said quietly, the realization washing over him like cold water.

"Yeah, 'oh,'" Ja'Marr said. "Jesus, Joe. We've all been watching this for fuckin' months, dude."

"Watching what?" But even as he asked, Joe knew. He'd always known, somewhere deep down, where he hadn't let himself look too closely. The way you smiled at him. The way you always showed up. The way you fit so perfectly into his life that he'd never questioned why you were always there.

"She's in love with you, man," Justin said. "Has been for a while. And you've been too up your own ass to notice."

Up his own ass. Yeah, that was exactly what he'd been. So focused on football, on his own stuff, that he'd completely missed what was right in front of him. He'd convinced himself you were being a good friend, never bothering to look deeper.

So he'd dated other girls. Kept things casual. Told himself he was protecting your friendship when really he was protecting himself.

And Heather? Heather was easy. Pretty, uncomplicated, new. He didn't have to think about it.

"Shit," Joe breathed, running his hands through his hair. "Shit, I really fucked this up."

"Yeah, you did," Ja'Marr agreed. "Question is, what are you gonna do about it?"

Joe looked around the bar, suddenly desperate to leave. To find you. To fix this before he lost you completely.

"I have to end things with Heather," he said, already reaching for his jacket.

"And then?"

Joe met his friends' eyes, the realization still sinking in.

"Then I have to fix this."

* * *

January 9th, 2019

Joe found Heather at her usual study spot in the library the next afternoon, her blonde hair catching the light as she bent over her textbook. She looked up when he approached, her face brightening with that easy smile that had initially drawn him to her.

"Hey," she said, closing her book. "I was wondering when I'd hear from you. How was your night with the guys?"

Joe slid into the chair across from her, suddenly unsure how to start. Heather was sweet, and she didn't deserve to be hurt because he'd been an idiot.

"It was good," he said, then paused. "Actually, we need to talk."

Something in his tone must have given him away because her smile faltered slightly. "Okay."

"We should probably stop this," Joe said. "It's not fair to you."

Heather was quiet for a moment, studying his face. When she spoke, there was understanding in her voice rather than surprise.

"This is about her, isn't it?" she asked. "Your friend who stopped coming around."

Joe's eyebrows raised. "You noticed?"

"Kind of hard not to," Heather said with a small smile. "The way you kept looking toward the door when we were out, like you were expecting someone. How you'd get this look on your face when someone mentioned her name." She shrugged. "I figured you'd realize it eventually."

"I'm sorry," Joe said again, meaning it. "I didn't mean for it to happen like this."

"I know." Heather reached across the table and briefly squeezed his hand. "For what it's worth, I hope you figure it out with her. She's lucky to have someone care about her that much, even if you're too stubborn to see it."

Joe managed a rueful smile. "Thanks. I hope so, too."

"Just don't wait too long," Heather said, gathering her things. "Girls like that don't stay single forever."

* * *

January 9th, 2019 - Evening

Joe: Can we talk?

Joe stared at his phone for twenty minutes. No response. Not even read receipts.

Joe: I know you're avoiding me.

Another hour passed. Nothing.

Joe: I fucked up. I get that now.

Still nothing. Joe ran his hands through his hair, pacing around his apartment. He'd never had to chase after anyone before, never had to work this hard just to get someone to respond to a text.

The next day, he was desperate enough to try a different approach.

***

January 10th, 2019

Joe was sitting on the steps outside your building when you got back from your late Thursday class. He looked up when he heard footsteps, and you stopped short when you saw him.

"What are you doing here?" you asked, your voice carefully neutral.

"You won't answer my texts."

"I've been busy."

"Bullshit." The word came out harsher than he intended, and he saw you flinch slightly. "Sorry. But come on. It's me."

You shifted your weight, looking anywhere but at him. "What do you want, Joe?"

"I want to talk to you. Not whatever this has been for the past month."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Really?" Joe stepped closer, and you took a step back. "Because Ja'Marr and Justin seem to think there is."

Your face went pale, then flushed red. "What did they tell you?"

"The truth, apparently. Something I should have figured out a long time ago."

You were quiet for a long moment, hugging your backpack tighter against your chest like armor. When you finally looked at him, there was something guarded in your expression that he'd never seen before.

"Congratulations," you said flatly. "You figured it out. Do you want a medal?"

The bitter tone caught him off guard. This wasn't how he'd imagined this conversation going.

"Can I come up?" he asked. "Please. Five minutes."

You stared at him for what felt like forever before shaking your head.

"I can't do this right now, Joe."

"When then?"

"I don't know. Maybe never."

You turned and walked toward your building without looking back, leaving Joe standing alone in the parking lot with the sinking realization that fixing this was going to be a lot harder than he'd thought.

* * *

January 12th, 2019

You'd been avoiding the complex's common areas for three days, taking the long way to your car and timing your movements around when you knew Joe would be at practice. But Saturday morning, you ran out of coffee, and desperation won over pride.

Of course, he was in the parking lot, loading gear into his car.

"Hey," he said when he spotted you.

You gave him a small nod and kept walking toward your car, keys already in hand.

"Wait." His voice was quieter than usual. "Please."

You stopped but didn't turn around.

"I ended things with Heather."

That made you turn. Joe was standing a few feet away, hands shoved in his pockets, looking more uncertain than you'd ever seen him.

"Good for you," you said, but there wasn't much bite in it.

"I know you don't want to hear this right now, but I need to say it. I was wrong. About everything."

You studied his face, looking for something you weren't sure you'd recognize. "Joe—"

"Just... can we talk? Not out here. My place."

You were quiet for a long moment, weighing the ache in your chest against the small part of you that still hoped this might mean something.

"Your place," you said finally. "Twenty minutes. And this doesn't fix anything."

Relief flickered across his expression. "I know."

"Twenty minutes," you repeated, getting in your car before you could change your mind.

As you got in your car to get coffee, you tried to prepare yourself for whatever this conversation was going to be. But deep down, you knew there was no preparing for Joe Burrow finally wanting to talk about feelings.

* * *

Joe's apartment was the same as always—a couch, a big TV, not much else. You sat on the edge of his couch while he stood by the kitchen like he wasn't sure where to put himself.

"So," you said when the silence stretched too long. "Talk."

Joe ran a hand through his hair. "I don't really know where to start."

"How about why you suddenly care now?" The words came out sharper than you intended, but you didn't take them back. "Funny how you want to have this conversation right after I stop coming around."

"That's not—" Joe stopped, jaw tightening. "Okay, maybe it is. But not the way you think."

"Then explain it to me."

He was quiet for a moment, staring at the floor. "I didn't know," he said finally. "I genuinely didn't know you felt... I mean, I hoped sometimes, but I convinced myself I was seeing things that weren't there."

You laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Right. So this has nothing to do with losing your friend and everything to do with some great revelation about your feelings."

"No, that's not—" Joe's voice got sharper, frustrated. "God, you're not making this easy."

"Why should I make this easy?" You stood up, suddenly too restless to sit. "You want to know what's not easy? Watching you with a different girl every few weeks. Heather was just the last one I could handle watching. Watching you give her your nice jacket while I got some old hoodie."

Joe's expression shifted. "You think that's what that was?"

"Wasn't it?"

"No." He stepped closer, something intense in his voice. "That hoodie was my favorite. I gave it to you because..." He trailed off, shaking his head.

"Because what?"

"Because I wanted you to have something of mine. Something that was important to me."

You stared at him, caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice. But you'd spent too many weeks protecting yourself to let your guard down that easily.

"That's convenient," you said. "Real convenient that you're remembering all these meaningful moments now that I'm not around anymore."

Joe's eyes flashed. "You want to know when I knew? 

You crossed your arms, waiting.

"When you didn't text me before the Auburn game. Since I got here, you never missed that text. I kept checking my phone right up until kickoff, and when it didn't come..." He shook his head. "I played like shit that first quarter because I kept looking for you in the stands."

"Joe—"

"I'm not done." His voice was steady now, more sure of himself. "When Justin asked me when you stopped coming around, I knew exactly when. December fifteenth. Because that was the first time I went out and didn't look for you when I walked into the room. And I hated it."

You felt something crack in your chest, but you held onto your anger like a lifeline.

"So what? You miss having me around as your friend? 

"It's not about missing a friend." Joe stepped closer again, and this time you didn't back away. "I don't want you as just my friend. I should have figured that out sooner."

"Prove it," you said, the words slipping out before you could stop them.

Joe looked at you for a long moment, something shifting in his expression. "How?"

* * *

Joe was quiet for a moment, looking at you like he was trying to figure out where to start.

"You remember that night in October when you fell asleep on my couch watching film?" he said finally.

You frowned, not sure where this was going. "Yeah."

"I carried you to my bed and slept on the couch. But before I did, I just... sat there for like twenty minutes watching you sleep." He ran a hand through his hair, looking uncomfortable with the admission. "I kept thinking about how right you looked there. In my space, in my bed."

You felt your heart skip a beat, but you kept your mouth shut.

"And that time you came to the library at like 2 AM when I was stressed about the Alabama game. You didn't even say anything, just brought me coffee and sat there while I watched film for three hours."

"I was being a good friend—"

"No." Joe shook his head. "That's what I told myself, too. But good friends don't make your heart race when they walk into a room. They don't make you wish you were brave enough to kiss them when they fall asleep on your shoulder."

You felt your resolve starting to crack.

"You want to know why I gave you that hoodie?" Joe stepped closer. "Because I liked seeing you in my clothes. I liked that you smelled like my detergent the next day. I liked that everyone could see you wearing something that was mine."

"Joe..."

"And when you stopped coming around, it wasn't just that I missed my friend. I missed you specifically. The way you laugh at my stupid jokes. How you always steal food off my plate, even when you have your own. The way you get that little crease between your eyebrows when you're concentrating."

He was close enough now that you had to tilt your head up to look at him.

"I missed wanting to kiss you and being too much of a coward to do it," he said quietly. "So yeah, maybe it took you pulling away for me to realize what I was losing. But what I was losing wasn't just a friend."

You stared at him, heart hammering against your ribs. "Why should I believe you?"

"Because I ended things with Heather before I even talked to you," Joe said. "Because I'm standing here telling you things I've never said out loud to anyone. Because I'm willing to risk whatever friendship we have left for the chance that you might feel the same way."

The last of your walls crumbled.

"I do," you whispered. "Feel the same way. I have for so long, Joe."

Something shifted in his expression—relief, want, something that made your breath catch.

"Yeah?"

You nodded, not trusting your voice.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked, his voice rough.

You answered by reaching up and pulling him down to you.

* * *

The kiss was soft at first, tentative, like you were both still testing the waters of this new territory. Joe's hands came up to frame your face, his thumbs brushing across your cheekbones as he kissed you with a gentleness that made your heart ache.

When you finally broke apart, you were both breathing hard, foreheads pressed together.

"This is weird, right?" you said, voicing what you were both thinking.

Joe's mouth quirked up in a small smile. "The kind of weird we can work with?"

"Yeah," you said, reaching up to touch his face. "Definitely that kind."

"We just made out in my apartment," Joe said, like he was testing the words. "That's... new."

You burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all, and Joe joined in, the tension breaking into something lighter. When the laughter faded, he was looking at you with an expression you'd never seen before—soft, open, completely unguarded.

"I can't believe we waited this long to do that," he said.

"I can't believe you were too scared to make a move for months," you teased, some of your usual dynamic sliding back into place.

"Hey, you could have made a move too," Joe protested, but he was smiling.

"I was protecting my heart, thank you very much. You were the one dating half of LSU."

Joe winced slightly. "Yeah, about that... I'm sorry. I really didn't know."

You studied his face, seeing the genuine regret there. "I know you didn't. That's what made it worse, honestly. You weren't trying to hurt me."

"I never want to hurt you," Joe said seriously. "Not ever again."

The weight of that promise settled between you, and you realized that despite the weirdness, despite the months of friendship you were potentially risking, this felt right. More right than anything had in a long time.

"So what now?" you asked.

Joe shrugged, but he was still smiling. "I guess we figure it out."

"Our friends are never going to let us live this down," you said, already dreading the smug looks from their friend group.

Joe groaned. "I forgot about them."

[rainbow-wolf120]

I finished a remake of Sleat's ref!!

Sleat Sizzletail is a Grumpus in New Grump City. She's most prominent Post-Snaktooth, and meets the expedition team after the events of the game.

Sleat is your typical shy introverted artist with less than supportive parents. They love her, but thinks she won't be successful with her dreams (sculpting).

So, she decided to enter college as an engineer because she's abnormally good at math.

However, during her first year of college, she meets Chandlo, and he's super supportive of her art journey. It comes to a point where she decides to take art classes then just math/physics.

Then Chandlo invites her to a party, a party that's supposed to be only the expedition team, but Chandlo thought it would be fine (Also Snorpy didn't oppose).

That's how Sleat got mixed up with the expedition team and met both Beffica and Floofty.

Beffica befriends Sleat to she if she has a few secrets she hides under a shy, introverted exterior, only to find out that Sleat is genuinely a good, but lonely Grumpus, longing for connection and support.

Floofty is interested in Sleat's multi-colored fur, something only ancient Grumpuses have, but they find out that Sleat is actually smart in math/science, and also her need to be useful in a ways.

Also bonus doodle describing her and her partner's relationship lol

[tryandbehappy]

A few insights after making this video:

1. Some episodes genuinely feel like fanfiction.

I’m not even exaggerating. I still can’t believe the bridge kiss exists. I still can’t believe Season 4, Episode 9 exists. And it didn’t stop there: all the way through to the end, the visual language remained stunning. As a vidder, I’m amazed. I honestly don’t know another show that gives us this kind of material for a ship. It’s actual art.

2. This video confirmed that my headcanon is the correct one.

Because if June had truly hated Nick, if she believed he deserved to die… why did she cry every single time someone mentioned her being a good person? Why did she break down at the thought of writing about her life? That’s not a woman who triumphed. That’s not someone who moved on from a toxic man. That’s a woman grieving something deep, something she lost, something she couldn’t forgive herself for.

No, she didn’t cry like she had conquered Gilead. She cried like she had let love die. And yes, it’s all crumbs, subtle moments. But they make sense. They connect really.

3. It’s kind of hilarious how the show built up Luke and June’s love as this epic thing… only to leave them completely disconnected in the end. June spent so many monologues romanticizing Luke. She framed him as the symbol of hope, home, stability. And yet even after Nick dies, even when there are no obstacles left she and Luke are not together. That tells me everything.

Nick and June are the otp. Because there is no version of this world where both of them are alive and they don’t find their way back to each other. She’s so broken without Nick and Luke can’t help her.

4. I’m glad I made this video because at least here, their story makes sense. I got to build the version that feels true. A version that shows the pain on both sides.

Yes, June is cowardly and selfish. But this video shows that she knows it. She understands what she lost. And she carries that shame every second.

5. I hope this video gives you at least some resolution. Some kind of emotional closure. Because we didn’t get it from the writers

[starlightshadowsworld]

I don’t vibe with a lot of “Dazai goes back to the Port Mafia” concepts because many of them just involve regressing his character back to who he was back then.

And I’m not a fan of that.

I understand people who have a preference for PM Dazai over ADA Dazai and wanting more of that. I get people wanting to see Soukoku work together more like they used too.

But I don’t like the idea of that coming with the cost of his character. That oh surprise Dazai as we know him was all a lie and the darkness is where he truly belongs.

It erases that Dazai genuinely has changed and grown from who he used to be. Are there many things that stayed the same? Yes because it’s still him but it’s not the same.

Dazai in the Port Mafia would never have taken Atsushi in on the basis that he deserved a home. Dazai in the Port Mafia would never have tried to convince Kyouka that she was worth saving.

That people can change.

If Dazai had remained as he was in the Port Mafia he would never have been able to join the Agency. He never would have been able to gain their love and trust.

You can disagree with that but that’s what I believe wholeheartedly.

And so I will never accept a scenario that erases ADA Dazai. That tries to tell me that the Agency never cared for him and vice versa.

They didn’t know his past that’s true but they never cared about who he was.

All that matters is who he is.

And he’s one of them.

Dazai who declines and even laughs at the very idea of re-joining the Port Mafia. His blood is as black as there’s and yet he walks in the light because that’s where he chooses to be.

There’s a line in a watching the show style fic that I can’t recall the name of where Atsushi sees who Dazai was in the past that really puts it all together for me.

Atsushi says something along the lines of, if this is Dazai’s nature then every day he wakes up and goes against his nature to help people. To treat him solely on the basis of who he was erases all that he’s become.

If Dazai was to return to the Port Mafia I can see it because he’s heard of the transfer and he won’t allow anyone else to go through that.

This is the same Dazai who got himself arrested just to spy on Fyodor for Ranpo. This is the same Dazai who got captured by the Port Mafia with enough black mail to destroy the organisation.

Just to find out who was hunting Atsushi.

If Dazai goes back then it’s for the Agency because everything Dazai does is for the Agency. Every connection Dazai has to the Port Mafia he’s used to aid the Agency. Mori might have his own plans for him but Dazai has his own agenda.

Also do you really think Dazai would ever consider re-joining the same organisation that set up his closest friend to die?

The same man he mourns to this day and does everything to try to make him proud and live by his example.

And who’s the only person Dazai’s ever told about how much Odasuku meant to him? Atsushi.

Atsushi who reminds him so much of Odasaku and makes him want to be better. If Dazai went back to the Port Mafia and erased all his ties to the Agency he would lose Atsushi for good.

And that’s the last thing Dazai wants.

So yeah if Dazai does return back to the Port Mafia for whatever reason, he’s not going back the same and that’s not just because he left at 18 and he’s 22 now.

He burned Mori’s coat.

He wiped his tears.

He will never be the same again and that was for the better.

[radioiaci]

YOU KNOW I HAD TO DO IT TO 'EM. A year later redraw of this piece. Aroace Alastor is one of my favorite headcanons, though I still love love playing relationships with him to further explore how he relates to other individuals, how he expresses familial, platonic, or deeper connections/obsessions, and how he encounters the world under the aroace lens. It doesn't preclude him from relationships, but it does color everything that he does and how he perceives them and I think that's a wonderful experience to be able to explore and write about, especially having somewhat recently identified as aroace myself. I'd like to think that if he could ever wrap his head around sexual identities in a modern context, he might actually find some semblance of joy in knowing that there is a label for someone like him. (Whether that's canonically asexual or aroace like how I play him). I think it would help him feel less "othered" by his sexuality and romantic preferences or lack thereof. And he might genuinely be more contented for it. He just has to get over his old-man-itis LOL.

[spitfiregal]

Do you know how often people lie when they're first dating? Just to appease or protect the feelings of the other person?

This food is great, I didn't mind that you were late, I really love this gift.

We're taught that lying about these things is a kindness, but for Charlie that has to be hell.

Knowing when people are superficial or just putting up with you sounds good until you realize just how many people are lying to your face in the name of being nice.

And then someone comes along and they genuinely like you. They genuinely love your thoughtful gifts.

A breath of fresh air, a real connection.

And then they're gone.

Man, that hurts. It hurt to watch knowing how it would end.

For a moment Charlie had happiness and just like that it was gone.

I really hope that feeling is expressed in the next episode or even used to explain why Charlie continues to drift.

[leighsartworks216]

how would dragon sylus react to reader not being able to look at him during the mating ritual? Especially if it's their first one together.

Also what would happen if reader ran away from it? Like, sylus is circling reader and after a while they just run away from the nest he made and go and hide in amongst the mountains of his treasure.

I think it depends on if you've discussed it beforehand? Which idk why y'all wouldn't have, but

If you have a difficult time with eye contact during the ritual, he might say things like "Eyes on me, beloved", or depending on what part of the ritual he may grab your chin and guide your attention back to him. If it's during the initial preening/dance, it's not as important to him, so long as you're looking at him - his body, his wings, even his feet if you're that nervous; he just needs your eyes on him somehow

For the rest of it, up until he's buried in your neck or kissing you, and even as you adjust to his size, he wants your eyes on him. He wants to watch you as he takes care of you, wants to have the intimate connection of eye contact. This is where he'll definitely encourage you to keep your eyes on him or guide you by your chin. If you've talked about it beforehand or he's noticed that eye contact is too difficult for you, he'll pull a Night of Secrecy and cover your eyes for you. Honestly, the trust you'd have to give him for this big scary dragon to steal your sight, make you vulnerable - it really gets him. He loves that you could trust him enough to let your guard down like that

Running away, I feel like could go in two ways?

If you're genuinely unprepared and scared to continue, if you run, the ritual is off and he's seeking you out to comfort you. He knows you're his, he's not worried about the ritual "failing" or whatever. He just wants to know what he did to scare you off, or if you just need time to gather yourself before you actually try the ritual. If you actually are having doubts or second thoughts, well, he'll be upset, but he wants you to feel free to do what you think is best. If you truly want to leave him, he'll let you go to live the life with the partner you choose; and he'll wander the earth, alone, his heart already given away to his love

If you do wanna do the ritual but wanna do some like predator/prey shit? Oh, he's thrilled. While it goes against some of the ritual (he made a nest just for you ;-;), he loves the thrill of chasing you. Hunting you down by smell and sound. May even give you a small headstart so when you're panting for air, back pressed to his treasure, he can catch you off guard

Again, the mating ritual is like a full on act between two prospective mates who agree to do the ritual to be like bonded to each other, so any concerns like eye contact should be discussed beforehand, and it's not like the ritual is just happening out of the blue one day. If you do agree and then run, if he doesn't hear you laughing or like telling him to catch you or something to let him know this is for fun, the ritual is off and he's just wanting to know why, what can he do better, how can he help. You're his beloved, his prospective mate, he wants to do everything he can for you

[crypticsketchpad]

havent had much drawing motivation lately so *throws pile of old AU scribbles i made months ago and never shared directly at you*

basically the result of a random scenario i came up with ages ago that spiraled out of control juuuust a little

introducinggggg. Splice! (it/its) the... i guess you could say love/hate child of Matrix and Alva my favorite toxic yuri/yaoi/whatever the fuck you call it when theyre both nb.

the first and only instance of a common/rare "hybrid", informally dubbed an "uncommon" wubbox. neither alva nor matrix have any idea how they managed to bring splice into existence.

despite its parents' strained and conflicted relationship, splice is well loved and taken care of- spoiled, even. alva is very protective of it, and despite letting matrix visit every now and then, never lets splice out of its sight.

believe it or not matrix is actually a decent parent! a little dumb and irresponsible sometimes but loves their kiddo very much. splice is one of very few beings in matrix's life that they truly, genuinely care about (not enough to stop their horrid experiments, though...)

somehow managed to inherit one of matrix's robot arms in place of its right arm, resulting in splice having to deal with a disproportionately long and hard to control limb from birth. it's lightweight enough to move, and its hand functions just fine, just very unwieldy overall; splice (at least when it's a kid) seldom uses it properly, mostly just letting its arm drag on the floor or keeping it in its mouth.

more drawings under the cut

rough growth chart/ref thing; third pic is its teen/young adult stage! this au is connected to my semi-anthro wubbox universe, so as it ages splice's body gradually becomes more humanoid

(and in case it's barely legible the text in the preteen pic says "matrix went missing when splice was around 10". what do i mean by this?

:] )

more grown up splice! had a silly idea where it retains its arm-chewing habit from when it was a baby throughout its life

i <3 making aus of aus. heres organic au splicey and a peek at human au splice (aka Spencer; haven't really drawn them much yet)

organic!splice is missing an arm, but its prehensile tri-tipped tail makes up for that- manipulation wise, anyways. it prefers to walk on two legs rather than on all fours (or. all threes). as a common/rare hybrid of sorts i guess it'd be the monster equivalent of intersex? inter-rarity? just generally an oddity

spencer was also born missing an arm, so maddox made them some sort of experimental prosthetic (hence the robot arm. it probably looks more normal canonically I just like drawing it as the noodle version). but, no matter how many times maddox (sometimes Alva too) tries to fix or upgrade it, it’s pretty uncomfortable/doesn’t work all the time and spencer doesn’t like it very much. it's kinda just dead weight to them

pictured here is 10-11 year old spencer dealing with the newly acquired knowledge that one of their parents is a wanted criminal and serial killer. poor kid

anyways splicey baby I love you. sorry you have the most shitty parental situation

[artinventor]

I like how dean tells every person he can not to stick with hunting then here’s sam telling charlie she can’t retire lmao

is it wild for me to say I think sam genuinely loves hunting while I feel like dean just keeps going with it out of obligation and survivors guilt because there’s always something or someone that needs help and it was also a way to keep his family together. also he’s been at it for so long so it’s something he feels comfortable going back to because it’s familiar and all he’s known in his life.

I feel like people cling to sam going to college at the beginning as the definitive reason he’s the one that wants out of the life when I honestly think he just did that to get away from their fuckass dad

anytime someone died and they’re depressed, sam drowns himself into hunting as an outlet while dean goes into massive cynicism about the job and several times he fantasizes, sometimes outloud, about a normal life, often projecting it onto sam and sam’s just like yeah nah i’m not about that anymore

I think it was like season 1 when he was literally thriving on that movie set as a PA and he was so happy about it. and in that fake life zachariah made in s4 where they had normal office jobs he was literally thriving there too, sam was the one that couldn’t take it with living that office job and had to convince dean. sam is also the one that told mary he knew she couldn’t stay away from hunting and was all smiley about it, he likes that it’s his family’s legacy. (I will say though I dont think sam enjoys hunting without dean)

dean just connects with the real world and people more, it’s very telling just by the fact that bobby said dean is his favorite but sam is the better hunter

the writing often gives in to the surface level aspect of dean being the main hunter guy and sam wanting out but there’s plenty outside of it to look past the facade the characters mask themselves with

[fidenciocryptidcreechur]

IN MY CREEPY PASTA PHASE SO MORE HORROR ROMANCE AU

Family meetings~

Riddle’s mother is currently a phantom that Riddle avoids, like the killer’s regret sort of deal, when she sees Yuu as a suitor, she knocks EVERYTHING over and demands he kill them, how dare he try and replace her?! (JASON!! JASON VORHEES STYLE)

Ace’s family are currently survivors, once they find Ace and find out Ace fell in love with a human survivor makes them so happy! Being an undead plant still doesn’t affect the boy they raised.. much..

Deuce’s mom is OVER. THE. MOON! She is also a survivor, and adores Yuu to bits! She cups their face and smooches their cheeks. Practically begging for them to stay longer in the safety!

Trey’s parents run a cannibal cafe, at first they think Trey is starting seduction? To lure in prey? But then they see the way Trey swats away human meat off Yuu’s plate and keeps the sedatives away with a glare at his younger siblings before giving them the cakes do they realize… THE BOY IS IN LOVE !!! He never gets not teased about falling in love with a survivor ~

Cater’s sisters are like the Siamese twins, moving in unison, and they’re all over Yuu, doing their hair and nails, despite their gender, and gets so excited to share their own candies on magikill(magicam in this au)

—

Ohhh mama leech is so happy her boys are so happy on land!! Even a transformation potion to snuggle this little survivor!! It’s like watching two eels swim in the same tank as a shrimp and eat everything else that comes near. She is elated her boys found someone like their father (I hc their father is a survivor in this au, it’s a family trait. Dating the weakling)

Azul’s mama is a loving lady, she can’t contain herself!! Ohhhh her boy is all grown up! In the family business and, AND dating a little survivor!!

Yuu meeting the Fam!! I love all of these.

Pomefiore family meetings!!

I like to think Eric's incredible acting and charm abilities come from him being able to absorb skills, life force and personalities (inspired from how they say someone sold their soul for fame and the idea of "a man of many faces" but more literal and supernatural). Eric Venue is so happy his son is finally making some genuine real connections. He knows his son has very little opportunity to make genuine relationships. He's a celeb too and he gets it, it's especially tough since both of them have special rituals and routines to maintain their stardom so he's so pleased to see his baby boy find someone. I like to think when Yuu visits their mansion Eric has thousands of masks. For different roles, he says. You don't think you've ever seen a material like the one the masks are made of.

Epel's family are survivors and while Epel might be being trained by Vil to be on killer side, the Felmier family still loves him and are so happy their lil Apple has a sweetheart. Granny always keeps Yuu's plate full and knits sweaters and such for them. The little village loves to get updates from Epel about his lil sweetheart (and to check on his health).

Rook, our beloved forest wraith, and his family are unhinged and tend to be wide spread. Most guard forests and other wildernesses, trailing along paths waiting to pick off those who wander off the path (construction workers and path clearers in Twst Horrorland get some of the highest hazard pay just cause of the sheer amount of horror tropes they have to deal with and try to survive). Each of their forests bursts with excited whispers and shadows When the Hunt family hears that Rook truly truly has someone (and not him just being dramatic about a new beauty fixation). They can't wait to meet yuu, and yuu might just get whisked away to some woodland for an impromptu family get together.

Scarabia family meeting

Honestly both the Vipers and the Asims are incredibly excited to meet yuu. However they both have to do A LOT of cleaning. Not that it's super dirty or dusty at their place but because everything displayed and gathered has some rather shady suspicious background and some is straight up cursed and malevolent. However some of their best and most majestic decor are also some of their most cursed and bloodied (in terms of acquiring). As long as the yuu isn't the type to know their artefacts it should be fine.

The Asims are keen on keeping them in the manor. Their darling heir Kalim loves Yuu so of course the family is invested in getting them acquainted with their future home. The business can be hinted at (they firmly believe Yuu will be marrying into the family and is gonna take up the mantle alongside Kalim like it's not even a question to them)

The Vipers are more so invested in making sure Yuu doesn't fucking die by accident. While there's no outsider that can get past them (they are the top assassins and main method of acquiring business deals for the Asims) that doesn't stop a knife display from being dangerously sharp to the touch or a unique treasured poison from being deadly. The Vipers basically have to do their own version of idiot proofing but instead of the obvious stuff it's making sure Yuu doesn't get too close to a display that yearns for despair or a helmet that whispers madness. Jamil's family also make sure to subtly set up alone time for Jamil and Yuu. They care for him and want him to be happy. It's not often he gets to make a real connection and good things that belong solely to a Viper are few and far between so they encourage him to go for it as best he can.

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

HIII!! I’m not sure of u do request so feel free to ignore lolll, but I have an ANSGTYYY REQUEST

What about Harry and reader have been dating for a while completely in love and everything, but Harry finds out that reader was a fan like before they met, but she had lied and said that she didn’t really knows who he was. He feels betrayed and stuff cause he had liked that she liked him for him and not bc of being the celebrity Harry styles, and they fight and stuff idk just VERY ANGSTYYY.

Not sure if this makes sense but I’d love veee to read itt! 💝🫶🏻🫂

I do! But I work at a slower pace since I work full-time! So sorry if it's a bit late! Hope you like it!

WC: 3.3k

You could not rid yourself of that sickening feeling in the pit of your stomach when Harry gave you that look after playing off a laugh. Your best friend was drunk, it was her birthday... she was just feeling really reminiscent of your teenage years and started going on about your awkward and delusional phases in secondary school when you two thought you could pull all these celebrities. Then, she came out with the fact that you had Harry's face pasted all over your bedroom and would fill your notebooks with practice signatures as Y/N Styles, and even started to look into things that he said he liked in interviews to see if you had common interests with him. Harry was obviously caught by surprise, he didn't hide that. But he was quick on his feet and laughed it off with her and the rest of her friends, but then there was that look of betrayal that he exchanged with you and you knew that the car ride home was going to be awful.

The issue with this was that six years ago, when you'd met Harry at a private gallery opening you had been so shocked that you pretended like you didn't know him. And well, that was a breath of fresh air for Harry. You didn't feel too badly about it because after the band's hiatus you did a giant purge of your 1D things and moved on. You started dating someone that was really into punk and harder indie rock and just submerged yourself into a new genre. When Harry's solo album came out, it wasn't your preferred genre anymore, so after giving it a listen you decided that you had really moved on. Obviously, it was impossible not to know of him, he was huge! But you genuinely didn't know the lyrics to his songs, or even the titles of the songs on the albums! So you didn't feel like a fan anymore, even if you had been just shy of completely obsessed with him in your more formative years. He had a special place in your heart and memories, but that was all.

He knew you as the woman who was a little pretentious about music, art, and films! And you two connected on that front as well. He liked to learn a lot and you had a lot of knowledge and facts. He had the means to get you into more exclusive art gallery openings and to meet artists that you'd never have the opportunity to even be in the same room with otherwise! He was busy, but in his free time he would always share music and film suggestions with you. He started inviting you around his friends, and then the pandemic happened and you were shut in together for a bit with some of his friends in LA and you started dating and had been together ever since.

That look of betrayal though, it terrified you. You and Harry had definitely had your fair share of squabbles, but it had never been anything big or too serious until more recently. You'd had an argument about you moving in with him. He felt that it was time and you thought the opposite. You'd read plenty on cohabitation and how couples who went on into more serious turf after cohabitating had a higher divorce rate. You loved him so deeply that if you had any chance of forever with him, you didn't want any odds stacked against you and well now, you weren't sure if there was any hope at all.

When you started saying goodbye to everyone you were dreading being alone with him for the first time since you'd met him. The walk down to his car was tense and silent. He still opened your door for you and closed it behind you, but his cool demeanor was unsettling. He started the engine wordlessly and you just looked to him.

"Please say something." you begged and he shrugged.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Y/N." he mumbled lowly before pulling out. The further you drove from their AirBnB, the further away the chances of your relationship surviving this were.

"You're disappointed and hurt. I know that but I-"

"You've been lying to me from the start!" he finally said. His tone accusatory and drenched with hurt. "You said you didn't know anything about me as an artist!"

"I didn't! Not at the time!"

"Not according to your best friend!" he argued back.

"Can you just let me explain?" you asked.

"I don''t know how any explanation would change the fact that you lied to me, Y/N. I don't want to think this way, but I feel like you had ulterior motives now!" he explained and you sighed and started to feel your eyes welling up.

"No, H! Not at all!"

"I don't want to doubt you, but I... I've been real with you this whole time. And I don't doubt that the love you have for me now is genuine but I... I don't like liars. You know that."

"I know, H."

"No, you don't know how it is! It's not like I haven't built genuine connections with people who have ended up just using me! This isn't new to me! I just never would have expected something like this from you." he said with disappointment.

That's what broke you and your tears finally started to fall. You sighed in defeat and rested your head against the headrest as the tense silence filled the air again. You were supposed to be spending the night at his place, but he was taking you home based on the route he was taking.

"I'm really sorry, Harry." you said again and he turned to you.

"I know." he responded lowly, sparing you one quick glance before turning his attention back to the road.

You didn't speak to each other the rest of the way to your apartment. You felt like if you actually got out of the car without a fight there was no chance of coming back from this. So when the car came to a stop you unfastened your seatbelt and turned to him. His hands were still firmly on the steering wheel and you reached out to his arm which made him glance to you for a second but then he focused back ahead.

"I know you feel betrayed-"

"No, you don't, Y/N. You have no idea how this feels." he said decidedly, his tone even and voice unwavering. You sniffled and sighed.

"I just...I just want to fix this. How do I fix it?" your voice broke and his jaw tightened.

"You shouldn't have lied." he said simply.

Harry was avoiding looking at you because if he saw you cry his resolve would surely break. He loved you with his whole heart, he saw a real future with you. He was still recovering from you rejecting moving in together. He understood where you were coming from but he was ready to move forward and take the next step and it felt like you weren't yet. He didn't doubt that you loved him, but maybe you didn't love him as much as he loved you? That's what he was battling mentally for weeks! And now this?

Maybe it started out for convenience? Or because regardless of how young you'd been then, getting to know him and be with him was some sort of fantasy you got to play out? He hated the thought that the sincerity of your connection wasn't this pure and fateful thing that had been ordained by whatever higher power was out there and pulling the strings. Your friend had said that you even started to get into the things he had been into then because you wanted to know if you would be compatible! Now, it all felt calculated and manipulated. And he felt like a complete fool.

"I'm really sorry, baby. But it wasn't like that!" you cried and he huffed.

"But it was!" he raised his voice. "You pretended to know absolutely nothing about me! We had so many shared interests from the beginning but you knew that! You knew those things about me! You learned to like them! Did you even care about any of it or did you just hope it'd get us closer?" he asked, his voice finally cracked a bit and you couldn't help but cry.

"I care! I love the things I love because I love them genuinely! Including you!" you wept but he shook his head. "I was a fan in high school, Harry! That's it!" you explained desperately. "I was a child! I was a stupid, delusional child who had a crush on a celebrity I didn't know! That wasn't real! This is real! I'm a grown up now, I'm not trying to love out some childish fantasy. I know you. I know the people and the things you care about... I love you for who you are today! Not the illusion of you I had as a kid." you explained through your tears. "Please just...just hear me out." you practically begged.

"I'm tired, Y/N. I just... need a little space." he said and a sob broke through your mouth.

"Baby, please-"

"You were right to not want to move out." he said lowly and you just crumbled on the spot and moved quickly to get out of his car.

Your vision was blurry as you hurried up the steps to your building, struggling to get your key in the door for a few tries before finally you made it inside and just bolted towards the elevator. It was over. He hadn't said that but you felt it. You felt the distance he created from you and how aloof he had suddenly become. You had lied. Maybe not to the depths to which he imagined but you had still lied. And lies always come back to haunt you.

******

It had been a few days and Harry hadn't reached out at all. So you texted to ask if you could talk but the whole day went by without a response. It had been awful waiting by your phone all day, hoping that he would consider your request and be open to talking, but clearly, he didn't care to get any clarity.

Your best friend had reached out and was apologetic of course, she hadn't meant to put you out there like that. But she was just so happy that you had ended up with Harry. She had dropped by before she and her other friends left for Paris, the next part of her birthday vacation. And she assured you that if there was anything she could do to help mend this, to let her know. But you explained that Harry asked for space and you didn't want to push him, which she understood. So after another tearful goodbye, she was off and you were alone in your apartment, once again glued to your phone until you dozed off, hoping and waiting that he would just reconsider.

******

Harry was just gutted and confused. He wanted to believe everything was real. It felt real and genuine and he loved you for real, but it's not like you hadn't talked about this before. You knew that his trust issues stemmed from this! You knew how important it was for him to have someone who only cared about plain old Harry and not his famous persona. What plagued him even more was the possibility that you had molded yourself into becoming someone that was his type. It wasn't like the type of person he went for was a secret... and that felt like the most possible situation, which was hurtful.

He proudly wore his heart on his sleeve. He wasn't a gatekeeper, he shared the things he enjoyed with the people in his life quite freely. He wanted their opinions, he wanted to have new things to connect with them about, so he had shared so much with you early on. Maybe a little too early on? He didn't want to think that way but he had to consider it. He loved you so much and he just felt like he'd been played. His love for love...for the falling, it had led him to making stupid decisions in the past, but if he lost you to this? Nothing could make him feel more stupid and naive.

He got your text, asking to talk, to explain and he wanted to hear you out but he needed to talk it out with someone else first to know if he'd be stupid if he wanted to give you a chance to explain. He was in love with you, head over heels! He had everything to lose if his relationship with you ended. He had given so much of himself to you, he didn't want to lose you, but he was just so angry and hurt by your dishonesty. And in that moment he decided that he would hear you out, but he just needed to process his own feelings first.

******

You had mostly given up on hearing from Harry after he'd left you on delivered for a few days, but there was an inkling of you that was still holding onto hope that he would hear you out. He was very understanding for the most part, so you didn't want to completely discount that side of him. And finally, it happened! It was 1 in the morning but when your phone chimed you woke up quickly and immediately reached for your phone on your nightstand more than relieved to see his name on the screen. You smiled as you read his response that he was sorry for making you wait this long, but that he did want to hear you out.

You quickly replied that he had no need to be sorry, that you understood and to just let you know when and where he wanted you to go. He informed you that he wanted you to go over to his place in the morning and you could talk then.

It was safe to say you hardly slept, you kept waking up with dreams of things going perfectly and then nightmares of things ending badly. You were exhausted but you still made it to his house by 9:30, as you'd agreed. You were buzzed into the perimeter fence and just picked at the already raw sides of your thumbs as the nerves got the best of you as you walked up to the front door and knocked a few times. You were tapping your foot repeatedly as you waited a few moments for Harry to come to the door. The anxiety only got worse as you heard the locks turning and the door opening. But then you saw him and it was like you could breathe again.

"Hi." you got out and Harry had a ghost of a smile on his face. It was so faint but it was there.

"Hi. You alright?" he asked, stepping aside to let you in.

"So-so. You?"

"Better." he assured you and you nodded.

"Okay, that's good." you said as you made it inside and he closed the door. He turned the lock quickly before facing you again.

"Have you eaten? The coffee's fresh and I was about to make something to eat."

"I haven't, but ummm...I'd like to clear things up first." you said and he nodded and signaled for you to go on. "I'm really sorry for lying. Omitting the truth is still a lie. And I know how important honesty is to you-"

"It's the most important thing." he said and you nodded once.

"I know." You said with a frown. "And I understand if that means that you can't trust me anymore or if you feel that... this changes things between us."

"Look, I'm sorry for reacting with so much anger." he said with a frown and you shook your head, rejecting his need to apologize and he stepped forward and took your hands. "No, I am sorry because I reacted to the point where I made you doubt the love I have for you." he said and your gaze softened. "I did feel betrayed by learning this about you and it just hurt so much because of how much I love you. I was afraid that maybe we didn't start out genuinely." he explained.

"Oh, baby..." you tutted, "That's not at all true. I was a huge fan of One Direction when I was a teenager but once the band broke up I didn't really follow any of you guys or what you were doing. I got into the things I'm into now and didn't even listen to your music or even care about what you had going on!" you explained and he chuckled a bit and you smiled. "It sounds awful but, literally you were not someone I spared a thought for as a celebrity or artist! I promise you! When we met again, at the exhibit?" you asked and he nodded, "Of course I'd heard of you a bit more, like who hadn't? But I wasn't like a fan or anything like that by then. I was... a bit embarrassed because I felt like maybe you could look into my past with that intense fucking gaze! So I decided to just start over, start fresh with you." you explained. He was looking at you with so much tenderness.

"I had a huge crush on the idealized, stage version of you when you were also younger! When I met you for real I didn't see you as that. I saw you as you. I know I should've been honest when it first came up. But the more time passed, the more irrelevant it felt to me and that was selfish. I love you so much and I knew that I could lose you, so I decided to just leave it." you said with tearful eyes.

"I'd be scared too, love." he assured squeezing your hands. "I just needed to process a bit because I was just scared of being made a fool...again."

"Again?" you asked and he sighed.

"I'm still hurt about the...not wanting to move in thing. I think some of my hurt from that spilled over into this." he explained and you nodded in understanding.

"I see. Is us being together like that, that important to you?" you asked and he gave a small shrug.

"Yeah, I think it is." he confirmed. "I did some reading up on it and I see why you're concerned. But I want this with you not to get complacent with us, but because I want spend the rest of my life with you. And I'd like to get that going in the near future." Harry explained and your lips turned up in a smile.

"Oh."

"Yeah." he added with a bashful smile. "I don't want to lose you or us. I want us to make it. I want us to have babies. I want us to share everything until we're old and decrepit." he said and you giggled a bit.

"So you forgive me?" you asked hopefully and he nodded.

"Of course I forgive you, baby." He reassured and you smiled and let his hands go put only to press them against his chest to kiss him.

When you felt Harry's arms wrap around your waist you felt so much relief. You found comfort in his warmth and the softness of his lips in that loving and long-awaited kiss.

"I love you." you mumbled against his lips and he pulled back and held your face gently in his hands before pecking your lips, the tip of your nose, and then your forehead before pressing his forehead against yours sweetly.

"Love you more. So much more than you even know." he hummed.

[strangertheory]

The First Shadow spoilers under the cut

I want to start by saying that I think we should all take our own interpretation away from the text and have fun, but I cannot personally relate to fans that have seen the stage show and see Henry and Patty as Mike and Will.

The better (albeit still obviously imperfect) comparison would be Mike and El.

Byler theorists generally assert that El is ultimately set on a narrative arc that prioritizes finding familial love rather than romantic love. Patty literally wants to find her Mom. That's her dream and goal and at the end of the play her arc is resolved with her finding her Mom (who was possibly entirely created with "magic" but that's another conversation. Oh God please ask me how that ties into my theories about El and Terry Ives, please please.)

Also, the context within which Patty and Henry kiss is literally a theater production rehearsal. Byler theorists often lean on pointing out that many romantic interactions between Mike and El are performative and they are both acting the way they believe they're expected to, effectively often putting on a show (although the desire for connection is genuine, the methods are flawed and shallow) ... so I find it odd that Byler theorists would be asserting that two teens, in a crowd of judgy peers that are leering at the pair, who eventually kiss in a rehearsal — even if they yes, do genuinely connect emotionally and love one another (platonically) — is equivalent to the beloved and sacred Byler dynamic that is often praised (by Bylers) for its authenticity.

The characters they are portraying in that play, however, are a different matter. But I digress

I know we all (well, me and other Byler fans) want Mike and Will to kiss in season 5, but that doesn't mean we need to force the Henry/Patty kiss to be romantic. Not every kiss needs to represent Byler. Not every relationship needs to parallel Mike and Will. Let's reflect a bit.

That's my two cents. I might need to still digest these initial impressions and think on this a little more, but this is where my thoughts are currently at.