#one of the guys said FIVE PERCENT have encounters?

[cowboystatic]

[Text ID: Three screenshots from a news article reading:

“Two former military and one former intelligence officer dropped a bombshell in Washington on Wednesday.

At a packed subcommittee meeting, they, singly or together:

Agreed UFOs pose a threat to national security

Agreed military aircraft were vulnerable and were subject to retaliation that was "very brutal and very unfortunate", and darkly hinted at retaliatory murder

Met with people who had direct or indirect knowledge of non-human-origin craft

Are aware of reverse-engineering on alien craft

That on said craft, non-human biologics were present

For their part, U.S. Navy aviators Ryan Graves and David Fravor recounted their own close calls with U.A.P.s beginning in 2004 (off the coast of San Diego in excellent weather, according to Cmdr. Fravor), and continuing on in 2014-2020 "and beyond" according to Ryan Graves. Graves said about 5% of pilots have reported encounters, but most stay silent, fearing ridicule.” ]

source

#This feels adequate

[melanieph321]

If you’re writing for Riccardo calafiori i have a lil req! You work for bologna and always have to do media work with him but you’re not a fan of his attitude and make that known and in return he makes it known he doesn’t like you. Then one night you guys are at a charity event and you’re both drinking when you shouldn’t be then one thing leads to another and you’re fucking each other in one of the empty rooms of the hall😼

This is sooo good!!! 🤭🤭🤭

SEVEN DAYS OF REQUESTS 3.0

(DAY 2)

Riccardo Calafiori x Reader - Difficult Part 1/3

Part 2 Part 3

Enjoy!

Post-match interviews, just the words post-match interviews, brought you nightmares as a media manager for Bologna FC.

The preparations, as well as the handling of Italian media, was nothing your professors at school could have ever prepared you for. Neither could they have anticipated the sheer pain in the ass it would be to work with someone like Riccardo Calafiori.

"Who do I get?" You asked your boss, a native Bolognian, and the media principal for the team. He was handing out spreadsheets to each of your colleges, preparing them for the questions the different journalist and their publication may want to ask the players. It was a standard procedure after any game. However, as your boss got to you, there were no more sheets for him to hand out. Instead, he slipped you a pink Post-It note that read - Keep him happy. Keep it short.

"What's this?" You frowned reading the note.

"You're notes."

"But for who? Surely I'm gonna need a bit more than....."

"Y/N." You're boss sighed. "I'm giving you the responsibility of Calafiori tonight. Please do me the favor and make the interviews go as smooth as possible, okay?"

"Calafiori?" You protested. "I'm sorry, sir, but you've got to be kidding me, right? Bologna just lost 3-0 to Fiorentina FC."

"And let's not forget Calafiori's red card." Your boss wiped the sweat of his shiney forhead. "Look, I know that it's not ideal. But the media is eager to speak to him. Let's just make his encounter with the press as quick and snooth as possible. No distractions."

"No. I refuse."

"Please, Y/N. You've done so well before. Why not do it again? Just this one?"

It was true. The last time you had to deal with Riccardo Calafiori and his sharp temperament was in a similar context. Bologna had just been knocked out of Copa Italia after an unnecessary tackle made by Calafiori, who injured a player, which resulted in stoppage time. Enough stoppage time for Bologna to concede a late goal, ultimately losing the crucial game. Calafiori had arrived at the teams dressing room and set out to break anything in his path. That is, until you convinced him to go ahead with his post-match interviews in order to be the first player to be let go for the day. To your suprise, Calafiori agreed to your terms without arguing any further. This achievement certainly earned you some points with your boss. However, something told you that this time would be different.

You watched Bologna players flee their own locker room at the sight of a fuming Calafiori. He made his way down the stadium tunnel, hair covering his face like a dark and unraveling vail. He marched on, into the locker room, slamming the door behind him.

"How about a five percent raise on your salary?" Your boss said, his gaze also fixiated down the tunnel.

"Ten."

"Five, plus an invite to the teams next charity event in Milano."

"Deal."

"Grazie mille!"

It was set. You stuffed the Post-it note in the pocket of your jeans and made your way to the players' locker room. Surely this time couldn't be worse than the last? People change, don't they?

There was only one way to find out.

Part 2 Part 3

[selfindulgentfandomstuff]

Really nice and cool first meeting where nobody is afraid for their life 👍

———

Small blurb abt Ezra Locket’s first real encounter with Murdoc. Ya, Murdoc is a scary guy to begin with and that fear factor is only compounded by the fact that Ezra is a little under five inches tall sooo.. what I’m saying is, expect some of that type of stuff but rest assured they DO develop a healthy relationship as time passes. Murdoc just has to get over his cat type instinct to play with the creature that’s smaller and weaker than him. And Ezra has to get over their (completely understandable, in the beginning at least) mortal terror of this human. 😭

———

The little creature just stood there on the counter, staring in abject horror at the tall human dressed in all black who stood a few feet away from the counter they occupied. Their eyes met and as the Borrower looked into the human’s dark eyes, they saw no kindness or compassion, only a cold, predatory interest. Neither of the figures moved for a moment. Then the Borrower, snapped out of their stupor, bolted for the nearest hole in the wall, a hole much too far away for them to feasibly reach in time.

The human had noticed their beeline for the coffee machine and made the correct assumption that there was a means of escape, a hole or something, behind that appliance. With terrifying speed and accuracy, the man grabbed a kitchen knife from its block and threw it at the wall, directly in the path of the Borrower, just barely (but quite intentionally) missing the creature. The poor thing was stunned into complete stillness and they stood there, staring at the enormous knife, longer than their entire body, that had very nearly ended their life.

They didn’t even notice when the man quietly approached them. They only became aware of his presence again as he scooped them up into his gloved hands, cradling them with an uncharacteristic amount of care- not that the Borrower knew that, of course. They were scared out of their wits!

And rightfully so. They knew humans were dangerous, and this human was particularly lethal. They’d lived alongside him long enough to have gotten to know way more than they’d like to about him. He was a hitman, a human who killed other humans. Of course, they were terrified. They scrambled about in his cupped hands as he brought them up to eye level, trying desperately to climb over the wall of his fingers, to no avail.

“My, my, just what do we have here?”, the man spoke in a chipper, entirely amused voice. He looked down at the creature in his hands, gently maneuvering it to one palm, leaving his other hand free to poke and prod at the poor creature to his heart’s content.

The Borrower yelped as he moved them in his hands, surely afraid that he would drop them. They slowly processed his words in their mind but said nothing in return.

‘Best not to let him know I can speak’ they thought to themself.

The man’s eyes narrowed but he spoke with an air of mischief.

“Come on, you, I’m, like, ninety eight percent sure you can speak English!”

The Borrower shook their head no, realizing only after the fact that by doing so they'd revealed that they understood him. They froze again, looking for all the world like a deer in the headlights.

“Aha! Gotcha! You do understand me! I knew it!”, the man exclaimed softly, seeming perhaps mindful of their small ears and his volume. He continued excitedly, “what’s your name, little guy, hm?”

The Borrower remained silent.

The man gently (from his perspective, anyway) poked the tiny creature square in the chest and repeated, “C’mon, what’s your name? Can’t just keep calling ya ‘little guy’ indefinitely, now can I?”

The Borrower yelped again as his finger made contact with their chest. Despite the delicacy the human had thought he’d displayed, the reality for the Borrower was that the poke was quite strong and a little bruising. Bruising was the least of their concerns at the moment, however.

After a moment or two taken to regain their breath, the Borrower replied shakily, “I..m-my name is Ezra Locket.”

Murdoc laughed lightly as they took a second to recover from the impact of his poke to their little chest.

“Oh, well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Ezra Locket!” The remark was made with a surprising amount of sincerity, as if he really were happy to meet them. Well, he probably was, if only because it meant he had a new plaything.

Ezra smiled and chuckled nervously at his cheery response, unsure of what to make of it.

Murdoc looked at them expectantly for a moment, almost as though expecting a reply in kind, before speaking again, “Aren’t you gonna ask me for my name, Ezra?”

The Borrower shook their head before elaborating, “uh.. well, I kinda already know who you are..? And um.. not super keen on learning more than I already know about you so…”

Murdoc laughed, a full bellied laugh, at that and replied excitedly, “Oh, ho, ho! So you know me? Tell me little fella, just how much do you know about lil old me?”

Ezra jumped at the suddenness of his loud laugh. The noise had startled them the most but the reverberations through his hand where they sat were also unnerving. They spoke in a soft, hesitant voice, “uh, well, you-you’re Murdoc, right?”

The man nodded eagerly. “Mhmhm, go on..!”

Ezra did not feel good about this. They felt as though they were walking into a trap, despite already being in danger as it were. Still, they tentatively continued, “you.. you’re a hitman. Y-you kill other humans…” they shuddered a bit as they finished their sentence, letting the words hang in the air.

Murdoc looked more and more pleased with every word, which was not generally a good thing for people at his mercy.

“Yup! That’s right, little guy, I kill folks for a living! Well, okay, not for a living, anymore, really- I’ve got all the money I could possibly want already. It’s… more of a pastime at this point! You understand, of course, don’t you, Ezra?”

He smiled a toothy grin at them as he waited for their agreement. Of course, they nodded quickly, not wanting to piss this human off.

“Good, good! I’m glad you understand.. so many close minded people these days… not everyone understands the value of a good torture session!”

Murdoc expounded as he gently poked and prodded at the small creature’s body. They went limp as he explored them and their reactions, knowing that any attempt to fight back would only make things worse for them. But they went even more deathly still as he mentioned ‘torture’ as though it were a particularly fun board game. They paled and looked even more terrified if that were possible.

Naturally, the hitman picked up on their increased terror and decided to capitalize on it.

“Oh? What’s the matter, lil fella? Not a fan of a little bit of torture?” he laughed heartily before continuing, “Oh don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t be either if I were on the receiving end but generally speaking I’m in the position of issuing the torture, so that’s fun! Wouldn’t you agree?”

He paused before a sly smile took over his face and he continued further, “Well, don’t you worry your little head too much about the subject because I’m not going to torture you! Isn’t that wonderful?”

The Borrower looked at him with a distrustful expression, definitely not believing him when he said he had no intention of torturing them.

Murdoc noticed their apprehension and continued in a faux reassuring tone.

“No, no, you and I? We’re just going to play.. have a little fun together. What do you think of that, hmm?”

Ezra was not at all convinced that what he was referring to as ‘play’ wouldn’t, in fact, just be torture. They shook their head with conviction.

He chuckled darkly at that, “Oh I didn’t say you had a choice, little friend.. you and I are going to have loads of fun together, I just know it.”

———

Oooohhh waht happens next 👀 we will see… when I get the energy to write more lmao

[mmoxie]

Part 4- Card Collector

Cheap walkie-talkie from your local pro shop? Check.

Worn-out shitkickers from the nearest 'Lectro Pawn? Check.

Pocket check- Pall Malls, lighter, breaker flashlight, leatherman. Good to go.

Jobs like these didn't provide equipment or on-site training. You worked with what you could carry.

The Coyote del Rey was an interesting case study in how, when you're in the shadow of Vegas, you try and figure out how to shine through it. In this case, the wrong answer was a wooden longhouse, probably three thousand feet square, covered in vanity lights and uncomfortably realistic depictions of a... remarkably sexual coyote-man sitting on a throne.

But that was the place. And Rubén wasn't the kind of guy who had any explanations, or really even wanted to think about it. He pushed a tight roll of cash into Dani's palm and spoke his peace while she counted it.

"That's ten percent," he started. He spoke through his teeth and preened a lot. He wasn't being a tough guy, he was stressed- Dani saw it right away. She knew stress. "You get the other ninety at seven in the morning. Everyone who's in, is already in."

He paused to breathe, and she paused to stare at the money in her hand. Ten percent? This is five thousand dollars!

"So nobody comes in. And nobody's coming out until the end of your shift. It's a private occasion."

Dani nodded. It was honestly liberating, after years of mandatory pep rallies, condescending e-mails, and standards nagging, to have a job with a clearly-defined goal and reasonable expectations.

The name's Goon, she said to herself, stifling a laugh. Hired Goon.

When her shift started, she spent a long time with her hands on her hips, just staring up at the would-be casino's deeply erotic mascot.

Oh yeah, this guy's got stats.

She trained her flashlight beam on the mascot's bodacious pecs and imagined a card representing all his feats and endeavors.

Name? Lord Fucktavius de Balsaque.

Height? Six foot... nine. Aw, yeah...

Weight? Two-twenty-two, and alllll muscle. Love muscle.

RBI? Ranked... Butt... Insertions? Thank god I'm not stupid enough to speak my mind. Anyway, he's batting a thousand.

And if you flip the card over, you get a condom instead of a stick of gum. This fuckin' guy. Only from Topps.

She considered the possibility that she needed a social life outside of Seebs as she turned her flashlight back to the path ahead, shook her head, and got back on patrol.

The building was quiet overall. They weren't playing any loud music in there- maybe it was more of a religious thing than a party?

Her thoughts drifted to Heaven's Gate news stories from nearly thirty years ago. As if expecting the mothership to come blazing by, she reflexively turned her eyes to the sky.

Nothing but the old standbys. And all those goddamn phone satellites.

A few hours passed, her mind wandering through cults in the news, close encounters- ooh, Barney and Betty Hill, I remember that- and circling back, eventually, to the task at hand.

Maybe I have some kind of attention disorder, she thought, walking into the back of a fellow goon. She hadn't realized she lapped him, and here he was again.

"Hey! You an idiot or something? Watch where you're going!"

C'mon, this one's all you. "Easy, my man. Just missed some details in the dark. --How you doing, anyway?"

He whirled and trained his flashlight- a hefty police maglite, she couldn't help but notice- at her face. She squinted into the beam.

He was squinting too. One corner of his mouth was hitched in disgust. He was an older man, she saw- potbelly, hiked dungarees, thin souvenir t-shirt with a pack of smokes tucked under the sleeve. She thought he was going to do a little more hissing and spitting, when he laughed.

"Shiiiiiit. Alright. Shit, c'mon." He turned, laughing again, and beckoned for her to keep up.

"You know what's going on in there?" He held his arm out as they moved clockwise around the building.

"I had some ideas. Branch Davidians are back? Rubén said nobody gets in, or out, until after seven."

"No, and thank god for that. I used to live near Waco. Packed up and sold once I saw the ATF in town. Didn't want any government ghouls coming after my guns."

"Aw, man, don't tell me you've got a gun on you. I don't need to hear that at three in the morning in the middle of nowhere."

"Don't be a homo about it. Anyway, I used to be a diver. I'd go off into the gulf and find old sunk pirate ships. Happens I'd find me a funny-gun, like a four-barreled blunderbuss or an ivory-handled clustergun. Corroded to shit, never liable to fire again, but I'd get 'em in a CLR bath, see, and then pick the gun apart."

"Uh-huh." Don't be a homo about it? She had to suppress a hard bark of a laugh, and dragged a hand over her face. This fuckin' guy.

"So, see, then all I do is cast duplictate parts, assemble, and bam- got me a new old gun."

"With no serial number or registration. So you had a house full of hobby guns that came from nowhere, and..."

"...And the ATF had just rolled down the street, yes."

"So, what's going on in the building? Is it cult stuff?"

"Huh? Oh, shit- no, so- this is a workshop. Those are all state bigwigs in there."

"Doing what?"

"Gerrymandering. You've got governors, mayors, city councilmen on one side of the table, and then Econo-Lodge, Sunoco, and Pepsi-Cola on the other, deciding how the state should work."

Dani's eyes were wide with disbelief- and then slack with immediate, told-you-so acceptance. She set a hand on her stomach. Maybe she did have an ulcer.

Name: Family man and coke enjoyer, Mayor Johnny Tightlips.

Height: Five-nine.

Weight: 250. All golf.

RBI: Wouldn't you know it, Republican Business Interests are top of the league, this season and every season.

Flip over the card and you get a little ticket you can turn in for stage time at the primaries. Eat your heart out, Dan Quayle.

I could start a whole series.

She looked back at the old man and frowned. "And we're watching their asses?"

"Pays, don't it? Best money I ever made for taking a walk. You do this once a year, you're set until the next, in a town like Eureka." He brandished his flashlight stiffly at her, all of a sudden. "So don't go messing it up."

He kept walking, while she stood a moment in the dark and frowned. Her ulcer- if that's what it was- hurt pretty badly. She held a hand to her gut and turned to face the wall again.

--Oh, right. Hi, Lord de Balsaque.

Name: Dani DuFresnes.

Height: 5'... whatever.

Weight: I don't check anymore. Long as the pants fit.

RBI: This season, Dani has only caused one Really Big Incident, and so far evaded notice. Fans want to know: When's the next one?

Flip the card over and you get an electric bill. Topps exclusive!

Ten or twenty minutes of self-denigrating wordplay later, she saw the old man's flashlight beam cut through the dark. He had lapped her- and he was coming in hot, all of a sudden. Confused, Dani tossed her flashlight aside and dove into the darkness. She liked her odds better if she could see him, but he couldn't see her.

"Bossman says you can go home early!" he called out, waving his light around. There was an angry glint in his eye as he wheeled through the murky dark, panning this way and that at random. Dani walked backward, eyes trained on him, hands fumbling for a tree she could get behind.

"Sounds like he found out he was splitting his pay tonight," remarked a low, distinctly Minnesotan voice. "Not our fault he was slowing down."

What the fuck? Dani whirled for the voice, and saw a barrel-chested man, stuffed into an undersize suit like a professional wrestler. He was leaning against a tree and speaking into a radio handset like a stage microphone. She heard him crackle out of the one clipped to her belt, and quickly changed directions when it squealed with feedback.

Okay, if I hear that, I'm too close. Now what the fuck is going on?

More sounds- the hollow, metallic snap of a prison-grade spotlight powering on. A broad beam spread across the Coyote del Rey side-yard, creating a glaring gray-green path between herself and her only coworker.

She didn't bring a maglite. No faux-swordsmanship with steel-jacketed D-cell batteries tonight. Did the old man mean to kill her? They paid her five thousand up front, and that was just ten percent of her half- was he pocketing a hundred thousand dollars a year before she signed on?

No time to do the math on it. He was racing down the light path, holding the flashlight like a heavy bat. She pulled her leatherman from her back pocket and unfolded the three-inch knife. It was all the protection she was liable to get.

"You all know how this works," the Minnesotan voice continued over the radio. "First blood is best blood. And these brave, free Americans are proud to spill it for their benefactors."

"Winner take all," he concluded, and she saw the massive figure step out from the shadows, into the edge of the spotlight. "And loser give all. Go!"

She had never even learned the man's name, and now she was wrapped up in some... perverted clandestine death match? For the amusement of senators and... soda CEOs?

And what was that emphasis on blood? First blood is best blood, loser give all...

Son of a bitch, it's a cult! It's a cult and it wants me to bleed for a company!

That notion made her ulcer burn- and she could see the orange flash of fire curling around her teeth when she rolled away from an oncoming overhead smash, heavy maglite carving a crescent out of the dirt where she had just been.

"I've done ENOUGH of that!" she roared, and a stream of pressurized flame tore a crescent through the grass to match her competitor. But she turned away from him, and toward the man on the microphone.

"Who do you work for?" she hissed. Fire within was becoming fire without, rising up around her neck and shoulders like a cloak. Her incandescent glow cut through the dark of the woods as he retreated out of the spotlight a few steps.

"Who TOLD YOU that you could do this to me?!"

<-Prev Next->

[five-rivers]

"Do you ever wonder about UA's teaching?"

"Eh?" said Midoriya, who happened to be the closest to Kaminari as they filed into the Demonstration Hall with the rest of the school. "What do you mean? We're always getting stronger, and the teachers--"

"Not that," said Kaminari. "I mean, definitely, we are getting stronger, we killed it at the licensing exam. Ninety-five percent pass rate for the first year class, right? But I'm not sure how showing us hallucinations about our quirks is supposed to help with that, it just seems illogical--"

"What seems illogical?" asked Aizawa, looming up behind them.

"Nothing, sensei!" said Midoriya, recovering far more quickly than Kaminari. "I can think of dozens of reasons visualizing one's quirk might be useful for a hero student, especially if the visualization reflects reality well. Like if that student is having trouble activating their quirk, or if the quirk has secondary effects that aren't well understood, or if--"

Aizawa let Midoriya go on for another few list items, then cut him off with a heavy sigh. "Go find your seats, you two."

They scurried off.

Aizawa sighed again, but this time it was less exaggerated. The fact was, both of them were right. Higuchi's quirk was quite useful under certain circumstances, and they'd contracted with her several times in the past to work with students that were having trouble with their quirks. But today they were bringing her in to do the whole school, on the theory that quirks foreign to their bearers might be visualized differently from a native quirk.

Honestly, they were running out of valid leads on the suspected mole. The reaction Higuchi's quirk had on the captive nomu had been... interesting... but without a known, living person who had received a quirk from All for One to compare to, Aizawa didn't think any results from this were worthwhile. Might as well go by whose body was least suitable for their quirk, and if Midoriya was working for All for One, Aizawa would eat both his hero license and his teaching license. And his driver's license. And his fishing license. And his license to kill (which he didn't actually have, but a guy could dream).

Aizawa slunk off to his designated spot as Higuchi walked up to the front of the stage.

"Hello, everyone," she said in that casual air of hers. "I'm Higuchi Chie, nice to meetcha." She adjusted the microphone and put her hands in her pockets. "Any of y'all know what my quirk does?"

Dozens of hands went up. Higuchi pointed into the crowd and Midoriya sprang to his feet.

"Your quirk generates a wave that, when it encounters a quirked individual, produces semi-tangible holograms or other minor physical effects that correspond to the effects that individual's quirk has on them."

"That's-- actually right. Huh. Sorry. I'm just so used to people calling them illusions or hallucinations. Anyway." She scratched her eyebrow. "Effects of my quirk can range from duplicating your emitter side-effects to, like, your own personal Pokémon. Pokémon is still popular, right?"

There was silence in the hall.

"Okay, whatever," said Higuchi. She raised a hand. "Watch the birdy!"

She snapped her fingers and her quirk rippled across the Demonstration Hall.

Some of the effects were at least somewhat expected. Togata's skin became transparent. Harmless spirals appeared in the air around Hado. Sato and Koda both had lines on their bodies that converged on their mouths. Shinsou initially didn't seem to have undergone any changes, but when he opened his mouth to say something to a classmate, glowing lines radiated outwards from his mouth.

Others were stranger. Todoroki's quirk manifested as two beautiful (and admittedly rather Pokémon-like) birds, which immediately started fighting one another. Nezu was plugged into a huge computer chip that faded in and out of view.

The wave reached Aizawa, and he grimaced at the odd sensation of his eyes glowing and his hair floating when his quirk wasn't active. It was distracting.

But not distracting enough for Aizawa to ignore how things had gone unnaturally quiet near Midoriya.

He pushed past several rows of children who were standing and craning for a better view, including Bakugo, whose hands were wreathed in smoke and covered in ember-like veins, firecraker sparks in his palms, then he stopped.

"Problem child," he said, voice strangled.

"What?" asked Midoriya, both worried and defensive. "What is it?"

What "it" was, was hands. Hands that clung to Midoriya, to his shoulders, his back, his arms, even the top of his head.

It painted a disturbingly Shigaraki-like picture. Aizawa wasn't sure if the bright colors of these hands and the way they moved made the image better or worse. It didn't look like his classmates knew, either, from the looks of them.

It had to be a coincidence.

Aizawa really wanted it to be a coincidence.

Oblivious to the multiple crises he was causing, Midoriya poked curiously at one of the hands. The hand, one of two blue ones, started poking him back.

Aizawa wrenched his gaze away to pick out other strength quirks in the crowd. Almost all of them, including Sato, featured some kind of glowing pattern on their skin. Other than Midoriya, the only exceptions were a girl from 3-C whose strength was actually contact telekinesis and fit that pattern well enough, and Yagi, whose quirk manifested as a diffuse golden cloud swirling around his body like pale fire.

... One that was suspiciously similar to the color and aura around one of Midoriya's extra hands.

Hm.

Aizawa didn't like that.

He didn't like that at all.

Class 1a are hit with a quirk that cause them to show ways of how their quirks effect them like aizawa's hair floats and eyes stay permanently red while bakugou's palms glow and momo's skin glows(like a goddess)

but ofa manifests like 8 pairs of glowing hands wrapped around izuku like a hug or pat on the back

feels re assuring for izuku, looks really creepy for everyone else

Izuku has a hand ruffling his hair, a fist pressed to his heart, a splayed palm on his back pushing him forward, a pair on his shoulders in reassurance, hands wrapped around him in a hug, some holding to his arms to balance him, some around his legs to lift him up. It's strange, but not uncomfortable- it feels nice, even

Except Class 1A, who've all seen Shigaraki in his full Hands McMike outfit at USJ, are having flashbacks and nervously trying to figure out why a strength quirk looks like that.

[niwatorinikki]

Dear Lisa,

I am writing to you from a very expensive hotel in North Dublin. I am writing to you from the second of the two days per year in which I wear a tie. We are currently on a lunch break from an awards ceremony, and I am avoiding the food half out of my food allergies and half out of not wanting to explain my food allergies to a well-meaning waitress who won’t take no for an answer. Wheat, rice, oats, corn, barley, milk, nuts, potatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, chilli... I’m sure there are more than that, but even that is too many allergies for one guy. I can never name them all. They all react in varying degrees, and I have encountered one too many cocky chefs who think they can make something simple, only for it to backfire horribly. I just don’t bother trying anymore. 

EXCEPT when I was in Osaka recently. A friend of mine, half-American and half-Japanese, took me out to eat at a yakitori place. I was skeptical. I had heard this pitch before. Minimal ingredients, good ratings, etc, etc. As I always do, I was prepared to sit there, drink a coffee or a water, and accompany him while he enjoyed his meal. But it was something our mutual friend Stefania once said to me, which was that you can get yakitori with just salt as an option. Such simplicity! Who would have thought! I mean, yeah, okay, obviously the Japanese, but still. After watching the chef prepare another customer’s order over an open flame right at the restaurant counter, I decided to give it a go. When in Rome... 

And so this past month was the first time I ate in a restaurant in over 12 years. I mean a restaurant of any kind. Grilled chicken with salt. So good I could have cried right there. It’s hard to explain sometimes my relationship with food. Out of necessity, it has evolved into not really being about enjoyment for me. I eat chicken and carrots for probably 90 percent of my meals. People ask me if I get bored of it, if I get bored of always eating the same thing every day no matter where I am in the world or what I’m doing. The only thing I have thought to ask them in response is if they get bored of showering in the same bathroom all the time. Because that’s kind of how my brain has been rewired to think about food. My body tells me it needs something, I address that requirement, I move on. I know it is a source of great joy for many, but for me, eating is more of a daily task than it is a source of entertainment or enjoyability. 

And so right now I am perched at an empty reception desk in the dark and telling hotel staff that I’m in an online meeting anytime they walk past and look confused as to why suddenly a random guy who doesn’t work here is manning a desk in a closed part of the hotel. The rest of the company I work for, and the many hundreds in attendance for the awards, are in the event hall slurping down roasted butternut squash soup, or perhaps have even moved on to their main course whose details I didn’t catch. 

So I am rather thankful to have the ability to type away furiously at a screen right now as it provides a wonderful cover for my absence from the table during food service. “You’ll have to excuse me, I have an online meeting…” and “Sorry, is it okay to sit here? Cool, thanks. It’s just that I have a meeting, you see, and I’m trying to find somewhere quiet…”

I can tell you that I am sorry to hear about your migraines. From one sufferer to the next, I feel you. Two complete days in Fukuoka were a write-off because of an ongoing migraine whose origin I couldn’t explain but whose fate I decided to simply accept. 

I wonder also about the in-line replies. I love this aspect too, and often fear that longer letters seem disjointed from the origin of the subject. It’s as though we are having five conversations at once, and I mean, this is true of our communication through social media too, but I wonder if there is some rule or formatting we could put in place for linking our responses better. Let me think on it for a while. I’m sure there’s something. But please don’t worry about overlooking something I’m saying. I talk too much, even for my own mind, so to know someone will simply move past certain things is actually rather freeing for me. 

For your three dedicated response periods per day, how does that work for you? Do you actually stick to it? We both know the rest of the world would find it impossible to accept such boundaries, but in a perfect scenario, do you respect them for yourself? I find that would be the hardest part for me. 

And it brings me on to the idea of the correct, or rather, polite time for responses. I know you have a husband (a seemingly wonderful a man whom I’ve never met but hope to someday) but your discussion of appropriate reply times left out one thing, which is something I struggle with a lot. Dating apps. There is literally no correct or standard time frame for which you should respond. It depends entirely on each individual person, which results in a lot of guesswork. Do I send long messages or multiple short ones? How fast is too fast? If I am busy and can’t respond for one day, does that mean that all chance of ever meeting has evaporated? 

Without trying to seem too cocky or arrogant, I would consider myself to be a person who is comfortable talking to women. I was 31 years old when I first experienced what it was like to go on dates. My first relationship from college lasted right through my twenties and then the first year of the pandemic took away year No. 30. Despite attending all-boys schools throughout my entire standard education, I had a lot of female friends through the years, and I think it just demystified the whole process. Don’t get me wrong, if I find someone beautiful, I can still be a mumbly-bumbling idiot, but at least I won’t commit some obnoxious faux pas that renders me unfit for society.

To answer one of your questions directly, no, I never had a penpal as a child. I think this is actually the closest I’ve ever come to such a thing. I have written letters to many people, but never in a prescribed formula which required a response in a back-and-forth fashion. It would have been nice. 

But I do recall the essay questions. That much I can relate to. Furiously scribbling away at the page, pressing hard on my pencil and not so much writing my words on a page as scratching them into the paper, the colour of the deposit left from the pencil merely a convenient byproduct for legibility. In my Leaving Certificate English exam (the final exam at the end of school in Ireland, before you begin college), I remember hand-writing 22 full pages in three hours. Plenty of scribbles I’m sure, but also just a value placed on volume. I know of at least one school in Dublin whose students were taught to learn off full creative writing essays word-for-word in order to best help them get through these exams without the need of thought for editing. 

And to write in Japanese, now that’s a weakness of mine you’ve fully exposed, often forgetful of even the shape of basic hiragana at times. I cannot fathom a composition in the language, at least not in the same way I would in English. There would be so much preoccupation with form to ever concentrate on actually writing something that was worth the time for a person to pass their eyes over. No, I’ll stick to the keypad and its trusty suggestions, thank you very much. 

To your last question, yes, there are a few photos which stand out in my mind; A salaryman in Kobe, gravestones in Kumamoto, Kagoshima backstreets. But I think the ones which I am most excited about are from a small town in Osaka called Imazato. It’s one of those in-between towns, not really close to anything, full of elderly folk and shuttered shopfronts. By chance, I stayed there in 2019. It was my first solo-holiday ever. It hadn’t intended to be that. In fact, two plane tickets were purchased -- the other as an anniversary present for the aforementioned ex-girlfriend who spanned my 20s -- but the relationship ended suddenly, and so I decided to go by myself. Shōgatsu in Imazato. I distinctly remember walking through the main street from Imazato Station at midnight and seeing people celebrating while thinking “2020... This will be a good year...”

Of course, wow, I was spectacularly wrong in just about every way except for the fact that in the space of one year, almost everything I was scared about happening in my life... it happened... and I was fine. The photos I took in that town formed the basis for my book, ‘Wide Awake In Imazato’, which doesn’t translate perfectly into Japanese, so it’s 「今里で冴えてる」in 日本語 which I guess is a bit closer to “Feeling clear in Imazato”. I don’t think separately either language communicates the idea correctly, but when combined, they do.

I had toyed with the idea of revisiting that town last year when I was in Osaka but ultimately decided against it. It couldn’t possibly be as charming as I remembered. I went back this year, three nights to close out the trip, and I mostly just spent my time rephotographing the things which I enjoyed seeing back the first time. I don’t know if the photos themselves are any good, but I believe they will have personal value. I’ve never had another home than Ireland. I don’t know if this is what that feels like. But I bet it’s pretty close. 

2023/12/04 - The hotel staff have accepted me as one of their own, and I will remain here among them until the next time a formal sit-down meal is required, when I will be forced once again to go on the run to avoid a simple conversation. 

[lindsaystravelblogs4]

Kingston SE

Day 13    26 February

We drove south to Bordertown and on to Naracoorte today.  We pulled into a roadside stop along the way to eat our lunch and in no time, two guys with trucks and earthmoving equipment turned up to work on improving the surface of the parking area – it certainly needed it!  They said it would very soon become very noisy and dusty and they needed to work in the area where we were parked so we moved a hundred metres further on to another patch of shade and gobbled our lunch down just as they were starting to work.

We thought we might have stayed in Naracoorte but decided to go a bit further to Kingston (SE) on the coast.  We set up in the foreshore caravan park there and relaxed with a couple of cold ones before dinner.

The Cape Jaffa Lighthouse overlooking our caravan park. It was repositioned here when the Light was decommisioned at Cape Jaffa.

The caravan park was just across a lawn area and a couple of dunes to the beach so we walked down to the beach to join the small throng congregating there to photograph the sunset.

Sunset from the beach.

Day 14    27 February

We did a load of washing in the park laundry and hung it out to dry – and it was dry within about an hour.  We worked on our PCs and made some phone calls (we are trying to find a better place to store our van when we get home) and had a delicious lunch.  We eat very well (VERY well!) in the caravan!  And then we went for a drive around town and the nearby area.  I found quite a few birds near the mouth of the Main Drain and when we drove down some of the other tracks off the main north-south road, we discovered that driving on the beach is a very common thing here.  One of the drives was fourteen kilometres each way but we just did a short one – about five clicks each way.  At one point along the beach, we encountered a flock of some twenty-odd Red-capped Plovers who were surprisingly unfazed by us.  They happily sat ten or fifteen metres away and let us watch and photograph them with no sign of fear.  It was a lovely little encounter and we returned to the van soon after.  We had been trying to get rid of some recycling that we had accumulated but couldn’t see any yellow-topped bins, so I called in at the Information Centre to see if they did recycling here.  They do but it is all very strange with green-topped bins being the only disposal avenue - and only for private premises.  We eventually found some in the caravan park but none on the street – at least we managed to ‘put it in a bin’ and our conscience is now clear. (More than a week later, we have found no other way to dispose of our later cache of recycling.)

Day 15    28 February

It rained for about ten or fifteen minutes overnight, contrary to the forecast of zero percent of zero millimetres of precipitation – but at least everything seemed just a little cooler and fresher when we got up.

We had a long drive today but one of the best days of the trip so far.  We headed out to the main highway and pointed the car north – and eventually reached Meningie at the top of the Coorong after travelling the full length and then some – well over 300 kilometres for the day.

The road is mainly on the inside of a long range of dunes, the crest of which ripples along unevenly.  It was notable that all the high spots on the dunes had a sparce covering of some sort of grass or shrubbery on it: clear evidence that even very small shrubs can withstand the winds better than the adjacent areas that are much more heavily eroded and metres lower than the peaks.

We called in at a number of places as we headed north.  The first was at Chinamen’s Wells – something of a tribute to the thousands of Chinese adventurers who arrived along the coast here and walked (or died along the way) to the gold mining enticements around Ballarat and Bendigo.  Brave souls, but they left a legacy, and we did an interesting couple of kilometres fairly gentle walk recording some of their travails, looking at plants and birds and reading the signage as we went along.

A well dug and used by thousands of Chinese (and others) walking to Ballarat, Bendigo and other gold-mining adventures. The 1100 kilogram lid for the well was cut from the rock a kilometre away and carried to the well - the second such lid cut after the first one cracked in two.

We had another longish walk to a Pelican Lookout a good deal further north.  It was a bit disappointing with the pelicans way too far away to see them, but with some spectacular views overhead as they glided in to their roosting islands from miles away.  (See my earlier post showing some of the hundreds of pelicans that flew over us like a squadron of huge bombers gliding in on the updrafts to land on their breeding islands a couple of kilometres away.)  They are magnificent birds, just riding the air currents and they really do remind me of WWII bombers sailing over us – massive and truly fabulous.  We were surrounded by dozens of Singing and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, flitting from bush to bush, singing incessantly, but almost impossible to photograph.  I have identified more than eighty species of bird so far this trip, but there are MANY small birds that simply hide and I have been unable to see them well enough to identify them.  I saw a very shiny dark snake crossing the path six or seven metres ahead of me but really too far away to identify it.  It was a metre-and-a-half long, but I had no wish to encounter it close up.

We drove all the way to Meningie where we had stayed for a week or so (and loved it) several years ago.  Unfortunately, it was getting late and we had about 150 kilometres to drive back so we didn’t stay long – and like every other place along the coast, it has changed a lot and didn’t seem to have the appeal of our previous visits.

We called in at a place where a couple of farmers cut a channel to drain a swamp on their properties 70-odd years ago. We had seen it before, but the signage has been upgraded since then and we got a better understanding of what a mammoth job it was for two guys with some pretty basic mechanical assistance. They completed it in less than three years - and ran their farms at the same time.

The sign and a photo of the kilometre long and 34-metre deep channel they cut to make their land more productive.

We also called in at Tilley’s Swamp on the way back.  I had seen a few swamps marked on the map, but all were a fair way from the highway.  Tilley’s was right on the road according to the map but it was at least ten clicks in.  I was about to turn back when we crested a hill and there it was on both sides of the road and with plenty of birds to be seen.  We spent half an hour looking and then went on to where a number of other lakes were shown on the map – but all too far away and inaccessible from the road.  At least Tilley’s was interesting for me, with at least ten or twelve species on it.

We decided to stay in Kingston for another couple of days so tried to book in, only to find the office closed – so we had to wait until tomorrow to book and pay.  We have a mammoth Fifth Wheeler parked next to us in the park.  (And I saw a similar one in the RV Park on the other side of town.)  It takes up two caravan parking sites and I reckon it is more than two-thirds the size of our entire apartment.  It has two levels (giving it more floorspace than our whole apartment) and two extendable areas on each side of the vehicle – four in total.  They have small Mazda parked in front of it (that they left running with the lights on for about three hours yesterday) but that would get crushed by the ball-weight if they ever tried to hook it up – quite impossible of course because it requires a B-Double type of hitch.  The smallest vehicle that could tow it is something like a Ford 400 or similar.  I have seen an older guy there a couple of times, but he would need a wife and a family of ten to fill all the space inside.  (A couple of days later, there was a woman with a couple of young kids there – along with a silver Mercedes – but still nothing like the vehicle that would be needed to tow it.)

Day 16  29 February

It seems like years since we had an exceptional day like today – exactly four years in fact, but at least it is the end of summer.  We didn’t do a lot today.  We did a small load of washing in the laundry (we usually do it in our plunger washing bucket) and hung everything on the line – and it was all dry within an hour or so – it was warm and sunny but also very windy.  Heather had a script to fill so we found a pharmacy and drove around the local area a bit more.  We went out to the mouth of the creek looking at more birds but there was less variety to see than when we were there a couple of days ago.

Day 17  1 March

Autumn today with fabulous weather to match.  It was a nice day for a drive so we set off to follow the coastal road to Cape Jaffa (not a lot to see, but easy to get lost in all the new development) and then on to Robe.  We have visited Robe a couple of times before and not liked it with their wall-to-wall tourists.  It is now several times bigger than it was on our last visit with roughly ten thousand caravans crowding the van parks, lining the streets, blocking intersections and generally outnumbering the locals twenty to one (maybe fifty - just a guess!).  We drove around and took in some of the sights before sitting beside a pretty ordinary lake to eat our sangers.  The town has obviously developed a lot since we were last there but it still has very little to recommend it to anyone who has any interest in anything except sitting on the beach or going fishing.  It was certainly a great place from which to drive away.  The one good thing we did while there was to find a fish wholesaler and we stocked up on a variety of seafood.  We also visited the supermarket for a couple of items and replenished our stock of booze.  The one thing we have tried to get at numerous places along the Limestone Coast – that is famous for its cockles – is coochies as they call them here.  Nobody stocks them and their best advice is to try at Goolwa more than two hundred kilometres away. They sell bags of cockles/coochies for bait ($15 for a 250 gram bag) but they say they are not good to eat.

We went on to Beachport – more of the same, but maybe not quite as nice.  I think I am over places with nothing to offer other than their crowded beaches.  I live in hope that I will see an unusual seabird or wader when I visit the beach, but such delights are very rare.

Milicent and Penola came next with a bit more historical context, with old stone buildings and some nice parks, but it was getting late so we didn’t spend a lot of time at either and headed back to Kingston.  We needed fuel and our 265 litres cost us a tad over $537 – at least we travelled over a thousand clicks for our money – at almost 52 cents a kilometre.

We decided on fish and chips for dinner so went to the main fish-jetty shop that advertises that it closes at 7.30pm.  Alas, it closed before we arrived at 5.30.  We found another place and ordered our meal there along with about five other groups.  They must stockpile the orders and then cook them all together.  We all had to wait ages – certainly at least 45 minutes – and then all the orders came together and because some of the orders were very similar, it took a couple of minutes to figure out who owned which order.  But the fish was excellent and the chips were crisp and tasty, just how we like them.

Day 17  2 March

We spent the day around the van today.  We walked down to the beach after breakfast and spent a bit over half an hour shuffling around in the sand at the water’s edge hoping to catch a meal of cockles for ourselves.  There were heaps of shells around, but no cockles so I think the locals must have fished them out.  They are obviously around along other beaches, certainly north from here, but not where we were – or was that just my fishing prowess being exhibited again?

We did some washing and around lunchtime, the wind came up and it was no violent that we had to roll the awning in.  It has been pretty wild and noisy all afternoon but it has also been quite cool so we can’t complain.  I wrote a bit more and caught up with a few deferred tasks before showers late in the afternoon and then yet another delicious dinner.

[j2memories]

ET Online article (November 11th 2014)

EXCLUSIVE! Jared Padalecki is a Nerd, Jensen Ackles is a Fashionista and More 'Supernatural' Secrets!

By Leanne Aguilera 2:00 PM PST, November 11, 2014

Raise the curtain — it's time to celebrate 200 episodes of hunters, monsters, angels and demons!

In honor of tonight's landmark episode of Supernatural, ETonline is spilling exclusive scoop from everyone's favorite brothers Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles and it's guaranteed to make any Winchester fangirl absolutely freak out.

The guys were more than happy to share not one, but two hilarious secrets that you never knew about each of our demon-hunting actors.

After all, when a show has been on the air for ten years and the plot centers on the trials and tribulations of two brothers, it's only natural that the co-stars would become incredibly close. Even better, when it comes to Padalecki and Ackles, the word "close" doesn't even begin to describe their bromantic bond, making their secrets that much better!

First up: Ackles revealed an unknown fact about his gorgeous-haired best friend: " I out all of his flaws to everybody," the actor spilled to ETonline in Vancouver last month. "It's his strengths that I don’t tell anyone about, and that's just because he's a buddy of mine, and you never brag about your buddy."

"But if I was going to reveal a secret I would say that he is the nerdiest mathematician that I have ever met in my life!" Ackles continued, "This guy throws out like percentages, and decimals, and numbers, and it's just like, 'Jared what's 16 percent of 4200?' and he's like, 'Boom! Number!' And I'm like, 'You're such an idiot — I guess idiot is the wrong word — you're such a nerd!'"

Now it's time to turn the tables! Padalecki exposed that when it comes to his co-star — fans should always look twice at what Ackles wearing. "He love to dress up," the former Gilmore Girls star said with a laugh.

"Not like fishnets and make-up, but I think when he heard that we had a 200th episode party, he was the happiest guy on the planet," he explained. "He got to go try on a nice suit, and any excuse to buy a suit and do Ocean's 11 is his wet dream."

Woah! TMI, Jared? Naaaah!

The Supernatural stars also revealed that their close-knit bond was instantaneous — they fell into a bromance the very first time they met! "We were just children," Ackles reminisced of their first encounter at a Warner Bros. chemistry read in 2004. "I walked in and expected to see five other guys reading for the role of Dean, and I see this one gangly-looking, long-haired frat boy, with his long hair and his hoodie."

After bonding over their home state of Texas, and realizing that they both were huge fans of the Dallas Cowboys football team, Padalecki explained that they were confused as to why no other guys were at the audition. "Finally they walk into the room and they were like, 'Hey guys follow us,' and we walk into this room at Warner Bros. and we do this scene," he said, "It was in front of 20 or 30 super high powered execs and it's a terrifying room."

"We walk out and we're like, 'F-ck! I thought that went well but no one said anything,' and then we're thinking, 'And where the fuck is everybody else?!'" Padalecki continued, "So we get back in and everybody stands up and starts clapping and they go, 'You've got a TV show.' — I get chills thinking about it."

Ackles agreed that it was of his biggest life-changing moments. "That was it. And then it was so easy," he said. "It was like immediately, 'Oh I've got best friends that are exactly like you!' and vice versa so good job, Network, on pairing us up together." Awww!

Over the past ten years Supernatural fandom has always been wildly supportive of each and every episode of the series, so it's only natural that the 200th would be a love letter to the fans in the form of an all-girls school play.

"It's just so cool," Padalecki gushed. "The fans have been asking for a musical for many, many years. It was a nice was to kind of give a salute to the fans and keep it true to Supernatural and true to Sam and Dean but give you what you wanted."

Ackles on the other hand, was not too excited when he first received the script. "Reading it I was holding my breath. I was like, 'Oh no, here we go — we are tipping the hat way too much to the fans,'" he explained.

'But then after seeing what Phil [Sgriccia], our director, conceptualized and what he was doing, I really became excited about it," Ackles said. "The guest cast they had really knocked it out of the park and I think it's what's going to make it a hit."

The 200th episode of Supernatural airs Tuesday, Nov. 11 at 9 p.m. on The CW.

Link to the article

[bungeenomin]

COMPETITION- KIM DOYOUNG

genre: e2l doyoung x reader 

word count: 5.2k

summary: your entire life, your neighbour has been nothing but competition. from as soon as you had the ability to form an opinion on people, it was engrained in you to hate kim doyoung. but can you still hate him when you reunite as adults after getting hired under by same company? is he still competition?

warning: oral (m+f receiving), dirty talk, sex

a/n: feel free to send me requests, asks and leave feedback!

main masterlist

from when you were a kid, you were taught to hate the kim family. ironically, both your parents and mr and ms kim pretended to like each other. they acted like they didn’t completely despise one another, but they knew they did, everyone did. the feud was so petty, you’ll admit. your families constantly competing with who was the richest, who had the nicest car, who had the better education, who’s children were more talented. no matter how petty you knew the feud was, it was ingrained in you to hate kim doyoung with all your being, and that’s exactly what you did.

when your parents and the kim’s pretended to get on, you and doyoung never dared speak to each other. in both of your eyes, you were just competition, feeding into your parents on going feud. as you sat glaring at each other at dinner meals, your parents would brag back and forth about how amazing their dear children are, constantly trying to one up each other and get the last word.

you didn’t hate anyone, you thought hating was harsh. but kim doyoung was different. you had deep, deep hatred for him. your only conversations were cold, offensive, hateful. he was an obstacle in the way of your success from the day you were born until the day you moved away for college. he was nothing but competition.

December 5th 2020

“good look today my love” your mother beams through the phone, full of pride. it’s your first day at your new job, an extremely well paid job, a job to make your parents proud of you. 

“thank you mom but i have to go now, being late on the first day wouldn’t leave a very good impression” you sigh, grabbing your handbag from the passenger seat and exiting your car, locking it behind you. “i’ll fill you in later mom, okay?”

“yes, yes of course!” your mother enthusiastically responds. “your father and i are so proud of you, talk to you later”

you sigh, locking your phone. you love your parents, you really do, but sometimes they can be intense. too intense. in their minds, everything has to be perfect first try. according to them, successful people leave no room for errors. they leave no one pass their level of success. they get distracted by no one, keep their eye on the prize. 

the building is exactly the same as you remember it from your interview, extremely large, but not too difficult to find your way around, signs and directions places frequently throughout the building. “hello, my name is y/n, i start working here today” you confidently tell the receptionist. 

“ah yes” she responds, “one of mr lee’s new recruits”. one of? clearly multiple people were taken on at once, not that it’ll be a problem to you. “follow me, i’ll lead you to where the rest are waiting” she smiles softly, walking you down a corridor and into a waiting room. “mr lee will be with you shortly!” 

there are four or five people in the room, you assume all starting work today, but your eyes lock on one person. kim doyoung. after what, five, six years? he looks the exact same, slightly better skin with more prominent facial features. he wears a slick black suit. classic. he can’t help the cold chuckle that leaves his lips the second his eyes land on you, eyeing you up and down in the process, judgementally. the last thing you expected was to see him here. after all the years you spent competing with him, you never thought that you would be back at it again after college.

“long time no see” he mutters. 

you roll your eyes, “yeah, pity, i finally erased your ugly face and shitty attitude from my memory and now i’ll have to start all over again” 

doyoung chuckles leaning closer to you, “ouch, i’m hurt. well now you have plenty of time to watch me beat you, like i always have done”

“you fucking wi-”

“hello everyone, nice to meet you all as employees and not applicants this time. as i’m sure you’re aware, i am the ceo of this company. i take great pride in my company and only hire the best of the best, people who i know will aid my companies success”

“shame he hired you then” doyoung whispers. 

“now, i am a busy man, but that does not mean i won’t see if people are slacking. If you are slacking, you get one warning. If you continue to not put in one hundred percent, you’re fired. it’s as simple as that. i will constantly be able to view your work, so i expect everyone’s full effort. i believe i pay you very well for your job, so expect it to be done well. anyway, with that being said, welcome to the company! i hope we can all do great work together” 

as soon as mr lee finishes his introductory speech, you are brought to your offices. it is one big room but fortunately, there are walls between each desk, allowing for privacy to work. you notice there is someone in between you and doyoung, which you are eternally grateful for, you really don’t know how you would be able to work to the best of your ability knowing he’s beside you. 

it doesn’t take you long to get stuck into your work load. quickly setting up your desk to your liking and turning on your computer. honestly, the morning goes really fast. with the work load you have, you’re constantly busy. what distracts you slightly is when you see a familiar face walk to mr lee’s desk, handing him a stack of papers he was working on, ready for mr lee to read. “thank you doyoung, i appreciate your hard work already”. with that doyoung turns to go back to his desk, not before looking your way and sending you a sarcastic smile. fucking idiot. 

by the time lunch rolls around, you’re just excited to try the food that is served in the cafeteria, everything looking and smelling delicious, leaving your mouth watering. once you get your food, you sigh in defeat as you look around for a table to sit at, only to be left disappointed when you see they’re all full. your eyes slowly pan the cafeteria, looking for anywhere you can possibly sit, until your eyes land on a free seat, beside the one and only, kim doyoung, who’s sat quietly on his phone as he eats his lunch. him working here is going to be more hard than you thought. 

“can i sit here?” you question. 

“gosh y/n, looks like you’re a little obsessed with me huh?” doyoung replies, a smug look on his face. 

“you fucking wish. i wouldn’t come near you unless it was absolutely necessary, which unfortunately, it is. there’s no other seats” 

“whatever” doyoung rolls his eyes, looking back down at his phone as you take your seat. arrogant prick. 

“so” doyoung speaks up amid the awkward silence, “how has little y/n been?”. to anyone else, they would think he was being nice, but you know he’s just nosy. prying into your business as usual. 

“i’ve been great. i graduated top of my year in university, got to travel a lot. all good things” you reply, a smug expression on your face. 

“you know y/n you should really get the stick out of your ass, it’s very unprofessional” doyoung replies, him now wearing a smug expression as yours drops. 

“oh fuck you doyoung”

“i’m sure you’d love to sweetheart” 

the rest of the day went relatively fast, without any more encounters with doyoung, thankfully. before you know it, you’re back in the comfort of your own apartment, relaxing with a glass of wine. you’ve already informed your parents about your first day, causing them to almost burst with pride. what throws them off slightly is the mention of doyoung. ‘don’t mind him’ you mother advised. ‘don’t let him get in your way’ your father informed. not that you intended to take notice of him, certainly not intending on letting him get in your way. 

December 14th 2020

working with doyoung is proving to be a lot harder than it seems. he’s very, in your face. always chiming in with his opinion and what he thinks is right. his presence alone gets on your nerves, let alone when he opens his mouth. to everyone else, he seems like a great, hardworking guy, but to you, he’s just in your way. a headache. an inconvenience. 

“doyoung these files are for you” you sigh standing at doyoung’s desk with your hand extended. 

doyoung looks up from his desk, taking the files from your hand and flicking through them. “no they aren’t” he nonchalantly responds, handing them back to you. 

“doyoung why the fuck would i lie about something so stupid?” you scoff, rolling your eyes at his stupidity. “these are for you”

doyoung sits back in his chair, folding his arms. “how do i know you’re not just loading your work onto me, hmm?”

“fucking hell doyoung why are you the most difficult person in the world? jesus. they’re yours. take them, if you don’t do them, it’s you falling behind, not me” you groan, once again extending your arm out with the files that doyoung insists don’t belong to him. as doyoung takes the files from you, your hands brush off each other swiftly, but it’s enough to make your cheeks turn pink to your dismay. 

doyoung chuckles slightly at your reaction to such a small touch. “are you okay?” doyoung questions, playing innocent. 

“of course i am” you respond sharply. 

“whatever you say darling” doyoung chuckles turning his attention back to his computer, leaving you standing there with your mouth hanging at his words. “it’s rude to stare y/n, am i that attractive to you?” doyoung asks, completely focused on his computer screen. 

“fuck off” you mumble before storming back to your office. that’s the thing about doyoung. he’s cocky. too cocky. always thinking he’s better than everyone, above everyone. thinks he’s beautiful. he makes you sick. 

doyoung doesn’t mean to stare. he honestly doesn’t. he catches himself doing it quite often though. the coffee machine is placed in perfect eye line of your desk. it just so happens that doyoung spends a lot of time at the coffee machine. he convinces himself that he looks in anger. you stress him out after all. you’re his enemy. his competition. he never gets caught staring at you, well, until now. “it’s rude to stare kim!” you shout at him from your seat when your eyes meet his, only earning an eye roll from doyoung. you giggle lightly at his reaction. you’ve always loved getting under his skin. 

December 19th 2020

you honestly thought your day was going great. there was very little traffic, no line at the coffee machine, you were way ahead on your work. That was until your boss entered your office, asking specifically that you and doyoung stay back a few hours to get through some work with him. of course, this is your worst nightmare, but who are you to turn down your boss?

“just wait inside my office” mr lee announces to the two of you, “i’ll be back in a few minutes i just have a quick phone call to take”.

the silence between both you and doyoung is severe as you sit in the two seats across from mr lee’s. you try think of something to say, literally anything, to break the awkward silence, but you can’t think of anything. reflecting now, you and doyoung have ever had a casual civil conversation.

“doyoung can we just- can we just cut the shit for this?” doyoung raises an eyebrow in curiosity. “we’re doing this with our boss, and the snappy comments and awkwardness is just gonna look bad, so can we just pretend we don’t hate each other for this”

“fine” doyoung snaps, crossing his arms over his chest and facing straight ahead, you doing the same. once again, the silence is deafening. it’s been a significant length of time since your boss left now, probably getting caught up on the call. “remember that year our families went to the lake together?”

you look across at doyoung, thrown back by his sudden conversation starter. “of course i do, it was a fucking disaster” you chuckle lightly, thinking back on the events.

“the literal worst” doyoung responds. “it felt more like family bootcamp than a break”. it really did. both of your dads spent the whole trip trying to one up each other, making sure their family was presenting themselves as best as they could the entire time. It was intense. 

“no, the worst was when our dads kept trying to one up each other on the jet ski’s” you giggle, “they literally just embarrassed each other”. at the time, you hated the trip. you felt tense the whole time, on edge. looking back now, you can’t help but to laugh at the mayhem. 

“they really did” doyoung cringes, remembering how hard his dad tried to show off his ‘jet ski skills’ when in reality, he was a complete amateur, just like your dad. 

“we beat you in the family tennis tournament though” you tease, remembering how happy you were with the victory. 

“oh whatever, as if i was gonna go hard on a girl. i’m way better than you” doyoung scoffs. 

“oh my god, remember when our dads decided to make a barbecue together!” you laugh loudly, your eyes welling with tears. 

“stop that was so bad” doyoung chuckles, “we just ended up with way too much food and they burned half of it”

once you both calm down from your fit of laughter. there’s a weird atmosphere. everything feels lighter. you and doyoung sit there for a minute, just staring at each other with silly smiles on your face. “i still fucking hate you”

“thank fuck for that” doyoung replies, rolling his eyes once again, playfully this time.

“i’m so sorry!” mr lee announces as he barges into the office. “i’ve kept you here for over an hour without doing anything. look, just go home for tonight i’m so sorry” the older man sighs.

you and doyoung ensure him it’s okay, before getting up and leaving, going your separate ways into the old december night. 

December 24th 2020

the usual christmas eve agenda didn’t even cross your mind when you started your new job. of course, your christmas eve will be spent in doyoung’s families house. this was typical of your families at christmas, the host house alternating every year. 

“merry christmas!” ms kim greets at the door, allowing you enter into her home. “go to doyoung sweetie, he’ll get you a drink” she suggests, extending her arm to the living room, where sure enough, doyoung was. 

doyoung’s eyes devour your figure as you stand in front of him. your dress hugging your figure beautifully, showing you off in all the right places. “your mom told you to get me a drink” you say, an eyebrow raised. 

“wine?”

“red”

soon after you giving your order and taking a seat on the now empty couch, doyoung returns, two glasses of red wine in his hand, taking a seat beside you. “don’t you want to go into the dining room with everyone else?” 

“do you really want to listen to them more than you have to?” doyoung questions, earning a giggle from you as you sip on the expensive wine.

“absolutely not” you reply, getting comfortable on the couch, facing doyoung slightly. “are you going to the new years party in work?” 

“mhmm. it’ll be nice. it also would leave a bad impression on the boss if i didn’t show” doyoung replies sipping on his wine. things are weird between you two since the day in mr lee’s office. it’s like something switched inside the two of you. maybe it’s because you’re speaking as adults now, not children. maybe it’s because you’re both independent of your parents. for whatever reason, you can’t find the same hatred you had for doyoung previously. “are you going?” 

“mhmm” 

“will you look as beautiful as you do now?” doyoung questions, tilting his head slightly sideways. 

“w-what?” 

doyoung leans in, so close to your lips, eyes stuck on them. you close your eyes, thinking doyoung was about to close the gap between, but instead he whispers in your ear, “maybe you’ll get a midnight kiss”

“doyoung, y/n dinner come on!”  

doyoung stands up, a smug smirk on his lips as he extends a hand to help you up. 

“You’re insatiable Kim Doyoung”

December 31st 2020 

the work new years eve party is going much better than you thought it would. everyone mingling, getting to know each other more than just ‘the person in the office beside me’. everyone is currently sat on the rooftop of the building, a cozy little set up. the addition of alcohol in the coworkers interactions allows them to feel a lot more casual and at easy with each other. 

“everyone it’s just time! come on” someone shouts from beside the large projector mr lee had brought up for the countdown. everyone rises from their seats, glasses of champagne in their hands as they walk towards the projector. 

“ten”

“nine”

“eight”

“seven”

“six”

“five”

you feel an arm sling around you wait. looking up your eyes meet doyoung’s.

“four”

“three”

your heart is pounding in your chest as you get closer and closer to finishing the countdown, doyoung’s eyes remain glued on yours, like no one else is present.

“two”

you place a hand gentle on his upper chest.

“one”

“happy new year” doyoung whispers.

“happy new year”. before you can even process the celebratory screams and shouts around you, you feel a soft pair of lips against your own.

the kiss is so soft, delicate, lips gently placed together. you pull back slightly, looking up at doyoung, who rubs soft circles on your waist. you pull doyoung closer to you, wrapping your arms around his neck to bring him closer to you, the body on body contact driving you wild. The kiss this time is harsher, needier, more desperate, your lips moving passionately against each other with such ease.

reality hits doyoung, remembering you are surrounded by colleges. he pulls back and whispers in your ear, “let’s get out of here baby, hmm?”

your back is against doyoung’s door the second you both make it into his apartment, doyoung’s lips attacking your neck, peppering it in kisses, sucking large marks all over. “mmh doyoung” you moan, tilting your head to the side, allowing the man have more access.

“jump” doyoung mumbles against your neck, tapping your thighs lightly as an indication, to which you comply. you jump, wrapping your legs around doyoung’s waist, him holding your legs up with his arms, his hands resting on your ass squeezing it as he begins bringing you to his room. “gonna fuck you so good” doyoung announces, nipping on your neck.

doyoung lays you on your back, him on top of you, not once detaching his lips from your neck. your hands find their way to the hem of his shirt, tugging at it, signalling for doyoung to remove the garment. doyoung complies, pulling back to unbutton his shirt, throwing it to the other side of the room. “your dress is so pretty baby, but i think it’ll look prettier on the floor” and with that, doyoung removes your beautiful red dress, allowing it to move to the floor, leaving you in your red lace lingerie. “fuck baby, you look so good for me” doyoung praises, already working on unclasping your bra.

the second your breasts are free from the confines of your bra, doyoung’s lips are on your right nipple, sucking on it harshly, flicking his tongue across the sensitive nub, leaving you a moaning mess. doyoung doesn’t neglect your other boob, messaging it with his large hand, pinching and twirling your nipple between two fingers. “fuck doyoung” you moan, grappling onto his hair, a small groan escaping doyoung’s lips in response, the vibrations against your nipple driving you wild.

doyoung trails kisses all the way down your stomach, making sure to leave his mark on the way. “you want me so bad huh? you’re a moaning mess for me already baby” doyoung smirks against your skin. 

“doyoung, i’m supposed to fucking hate you” you moan out as doyoung starts kissing along the lining of your soaking wet panties. 

“baby, we both know we’re passed that point now” doyoung chuckles as he pulls down your destroyed panties, proud of the mess he caused as he see’s your glistening folds, your juices starting to drip down your thigh. 

doyoung places open mouthed kisses on your thighs, taking in all of you. worshiping every inch of your body, the whimpers escaping your throat being music to his ears. “mmh fuck doyoung” you moan as doyoung licks a stripe up your dripping folds, collecting your juices on his tongue. 

“taste so good baby” doyoung groans, dragging two fingers up your folds and bringing them to your mouth letting you taste yourself, airy whines leaving your lips as you suck on his slender fingers. “gonna make you feel so good” 

with no warning, doyoung shoved two fingers into your tight hole, a scream escaping your lips as he does so. “f-fuck doyoung faster” you moan, grabbing the bed sheets tightly. doyoung listens, picking up his pace, fucking your dripping core with his fingers faster than you can even process.

the room is filled with your load moans, your legs shaking as doyoung’s pace gets faster and faster. doyoung smirks at you before bending down and attaching his lips to your clit, gaining a scream from you as your eyes roll to the back of your head. “doyoung i’m gonna cum fuck” you moan, grabbing onto his hair tightly.

doyoung moans against your clit, sending you over the edge. doyoung’s fingers and mouth don’t stop as you reach your high, continuining to move the whole way through and continuing after, sending your body into shock. “fuck doyoung i came already stop” you moan, causing doyoung to finally let you calm down, stopping his actions and looking at you with a proud look on his face.

doyoung meets your lips again, placing a chaste kiss on them before whispering in your ear, “you haven’t even taken my dick yet angel”. you look at him with doe eyes, as you feel his hard dick through his pants rub against your stomach.

“are you gonna take me like a good girl, hm?” doyoung questions, tucking your hair behind your ear. you respond with a nod but that’s not enough for doyoung. “words angel. use them”

“yes doyoung”

“good girl” he smiles, placing another quick peck on your lips before leaning back to remove his now very tight suit pants and boxers, allowing his hard dick to slap against his stomach, earning a small whimper from you.

“sit up for me baby” doyoung smiles, extending a hand for you to take, helping you sit up. “knees angel”

you comply to doyoung’s request, getting on your knees for him, now eye level with his hard length. doyoung pumps himself twice before tapping his length against your lips, giving you the hint to open for him, which you do.

you wrap your mouth around his leaking tip, collecting his precum on your tongue, earning a groan from doyoung. you move your lips to the base of his length, dragging your tongue all the way back to the top from the bottom, following the vein the goes the whole way up. “stop teasing fuck” doyoung grunts, grabbing a fist full of your hair. “suck”

you once again wrap your mouth around his tip, but before you could move by yourself, doyoung shoves your head down his entire length, hitting the back of your throat and causing you to gag. “pretty” doyoung smirks, enjoying the tears welling up in your eyes as you look up at him as he fucks your throat. moans and groans spill out of doyoung’s lips as your tongue works wonders on his hard length. a moan escapes your lips, causing his eyes to roll back in his head. “enough”doyoung groans, pulling your head off of him, “i’m not cumming until i fuck you baby”

doyoung effortlessly lifts you up, laying you down in the middle of his king sized bed. “do i need a con-”

“no!” you reply sharply. “no i’m on birth control. you don’t need one” you blush at your quick response.

“fuck you’re perfect” doyoung groans, attaching your lips together for the umpteenth time tonight. you’ve had your fair share of kisses, but none of them feel like doyoung’s. his lips feel like they’re made for you. your mouths move in perfect synchronisation, making you feel so whole, so excited.

you moan against doyoung’s lips as you feel his dick against your wet folds. “doyoung please i need you” you whine against his lips, earning a smirk from doyoung.

“so desperate for me angel” he teases. “how badly do you need me?” he questions, teasing you more by just sticking the head of his length in you.

“mmh fuck so bad doyoung i need you so bad, please” you plead, eyes wide showing your desperation.

“good girl” doyoung kisses you softy before moving his hips slowly, moving inside you inch by inch until he bottoms out, both of you whimpering at the feeling. “ready?”

“yes please move” you whimper underneath him.

doyoung wastes no time in grinding his hips in and out of you, fucking you at a fast pace. “you look so pretty angel” doyoung praises, “i love how fucked out you look for me”

“f-fuck doyoung” you moan as he picks his pace up again, you grabbing onto his forearms. “fucking me so good mmh”

doyoung throws back his head in pleasure, your words making him harder and harder, snapping his hips more harshly into you. “you’re so tight for me angel. such a good girl. you make me feel so good angel. all those pretty moans”

doyoung’s praises earn a loud moan from you, digging your nails into his back. you feel doyoung twitch inside you, he’s close. “my good girl. you’re mine angel aren’t you?”

“mmh yes doyoung fuck, just yours, no one else”

doyoung brings his hand to your clit, thumbing the bundle of nerves rapidly as a string of moans escape your lips. “cum with me baby yeah?”

“mmh yes fuck” you moan loudly as you both reach your highs. loud moans from both of you bounce off the walls at your euphoric feeling. “fuck” you whisper as doyoung pulls out of you carefully, his cum dripping out of your hole.

doyoung throws himself down beside you, pulling you into his arms, peppering your face in gentle kisses. “my good girl. you did so good for me baby, so so good” he praises, moving your hair out of your face. “i’m gonna get you cleaned up my love, okay? i’ll be back in a second” he says, placing a delicate kiss on your forehead and walking to the bathroom. 

doyoung returns a minute later with a wet wash cloth, sitting in between your legs. “i’ll try be gentle angel” doyoung warns, earning an appreciative smile from you. 

“Ah sore, sore, sore” you complain as doyoung meddles at your sensitive area. 

doyoung pouts seeing your pain. “sorry baby, i’m done now”. doyoung throws the wash cloth in his laundry basket before climbing back into bed with you, something he hopes he can get used to doing. he pulls you close against his chest and plays with your hair, as if he’d lose you if he didn’t hold you tight. 

“doyoung?” you question, looking up at him with soft eyes. 

“yes baby?”

“why did we spend so long hating each other” you frown. 

“well when we were kids, it was inevitable. but when i became a teenager, it was easier to still hate you than to admit my feelings for you” doyoung shrugs. 

“huh?” you reply confused. he liked you then?

“i liked you a lot when we were teenagers silly” doyoung chuckles. “you’re beautiful, you always have been, you can’t blame me!”

“so you were mean to me because you liked me” you scoffed playfully. 

“exactly” he chuckles, placing a soft kiss to your cheek. 

“you know y/n” doyoung speaks, “when i liked you back then, i knew we wouldn’t get together while still living at home. i knew we were both too stubborn, and our parents would be too difficult. but i told myself that i’d wait for you. that in the future, we’d meet again and you’d be mine. now, i have you, and it was so worth the wait. 

you can’t believe what you’re hearing. the kim doyoung who caused you all that struggle and strife, has been waiting to call you his. wants to love you. wants to be there for you. “bold of you to assume i want to be yours” you tease, sticking your tongue out at him. 

“well do you want to leave me?” he responds with an amused raised eyebrow. 

“never” you whisper, connecting your lips once again, your new favourite hobby. 

January 1st 2021

you had the best sleep of your life last night, in the arms of the one you love. you had the best morning of your life, waking up to cuddles, kisses, breakfast, coffee. it was nice having breakfast with him, the small talk and jokes, it just felt so domestic. so normal. so right. 

“babe, they’re going to be staring at my neck” you pout, as doyoung takes the keys out of the ignition as you pull up outside your workplace. 

“good” doyoung smirks, “they need to know you’re mine”. with a quick kiss on the lips, you’re both out of the car, walking towards the company building. 

walking in to your work hand and hand with doyoung, your neck littered in hickeys from him feels so right. you’re proud to be his. proud to let everyone know. you get some looks from coworkers as you walk through the building, but you couldn’t care less. he’s yours. 

“i’ll see you at lunch angel” doyoung smiles, leaning up against your office wall. 

“that’s if you can resist me for the long” you giggle. 

doyoung rolls his eyes playfully, “brat”  

never in a million years would you have believed you would end up loving kim doyoung. up until two months ago, he was nothing but competition to you. an obstacle to you. now, you want to be with him all the time. you love seeing his head sticking around the corner of your office when he’s at the coffee machine. you love hearing him talk. you love seeing him thrive at his job, no longer seeing him as competition. after all these years, you and doyoung are on the same team. your own team, not your parents. telling your parents about your relationship will probably be, a lot, but you’ll go through whatever it takes for kim doyoung. now you have him, you’re never letting go. 

———————————————————————

@bubudays @uhyikesbro @whoe-dis @nctxtrash @junglewoos @ajhdr @obligatoryidolblog

[reniplier]

WKM incorrect quotes

Dark: You're not aloud to fall in love with Y/N

Illinois: Wont be a problem.

Illinois a few hours later: THERES A PROBLEM.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Y/N:*shows up late for meeting*

Dark: You're late.

Y/N:You're stunning

Dark:

Dark:...You're forgiven

-----------------------------------------------------------

Wilford: Wait, what time is it? *Looks at microwave counting down*

Wilford: Fuck, its 36, Im late.

Y/N: Wil, no-

-----------------------------------------------------------

Dark: I can't belive Mark betrayed us, why is it always the ones you expect the most?

-----------------------------------------------------------

Dark: Y/N, have you ever considered having a child with me?

Y/N: You mean another one, because we already have three.

Dark: No...we dont?

Wilford, Yancy and Yan fighting over the same knife: Yeah. Dad, what're they talking about?

-----------------------------------------------------------

Y/N: Why do you have a picture of a narwhal on your wall?

Wilford: I just think mythical creatures are neat.

Y/N:

Y/N: Wilford, narwhals are real.

Wilford:

Wilford: NARWHALS ARE REAL?!?!?

-----------------------------------------------------------

Y/N: I hate you!

Dark: Oh yeah? Well, I hate you too!

Y/N: *tearing up* You what?

-----------------------------------------------------------

Yancy: Studies show that you are cute.

Y/N: source?

Yancy: Myself.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Wilford: Sooo… what’s it like dating Y/N?

Illinois: Once, I asked them for a glass of water while they were pissed at me, and they brought me a glass full of ice and said “wait.”

-----------------------------------------------------------

Dark: I’ve been dropping subtle hints that I have a crush on Y/N.

Y/N: (walks past Dark)

Dark: (ignores them)

Dark: That went pretty well.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Actor: *enters the room*

Dark: Ah fuck! See I thought I was gonna have a happy day but then you walked in.

Wilford: What’d did he do?

Dark: Bitch gotta exist.

Y/N: *turns to Actor* Why would you do that?

-----------------------------------------------------------

Dark: (puts a piece of bread on both sides of your face)

Dark: What are you?

Y/N: Yours!

Dark while tearing up and voice cracking: Lame-

-----------------------------------------------------------

Wilford: What are your kinks?

Yancy: This is kinda out there, but... love and support from people who love me as much as I love them.

Wilford: Corny. Anyways, I wanna be choked-

-----------------------------------------------------------

Y/N: I wish I was a royalty.

Actor: You're my ruler, and this is our realm.

Y/N: *looking around the Mansion* This kingdom sucks.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Yan: I invited you here because I crave the deadliest game.

Y/N,who spends too much time around Wilford.: Knife monopoly.

Yan: I was actually gonna hunt you down for sport, but now I’m really interested in whatever knife monopoly

-----------------------------------------------------------

Y/N: Well,fuck me if I'm wrong but-

Actor: You're wrong.

Y/N: But-

Actor: *taking off his robe* YOU'RE WRONG.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Wilford, at the zoo with Y/N: (pointing to the closest animal) What are they in for?

Y/N: You know this isn’t a prison, right?

Wilford: So they can just leave?

Y/N: Well...no.

Wilford: (pointing at a penguin) I bet that one’s in for murder.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Actor: *crying*

Dark: Mark, whats wrong?

Actor: I don’t want to talk about it.

Dark: Thank god, because-

Actor: It all started years ago...

-----------------------------------------------------------

Y/N: Why are you always so gloomy?

Dark: My tragic backstory only unlocks at friendship level: 3

Y/N: What level am I?

Dark: 58, so it all started when-

-----------------------------------------------------------

Wilford: *Pulls out a knife*

Y/N: Oh no.

Wilford: *Opens a box with it*

Y/N: oh okay.

Wilford: *Pulls a gun out of the box*

Y/N: Oh NO-

-----------------------------------------------------------

Y/N: I am seeing someone, but I am worried about telling you who, because you are not gonna like it.

Dark: Just rip the bandage off, Y/N, it can't be that bad.

Y/N: It's Mark.

Dark: Put the bandage back on.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Dark: STOP USING Y/N AS A PUPPET.

Wilford: *swing Y/Ns arms back and fourth* BRING ME A SANDWICH, BITCH!

-----------------------------------------------------------

Actor: I’m ignoring you.

Y/N:

Actor: I said I’m ignoring you!

Y/N:

Actor: Stop ignoring me ignoring you!

-----------------------------------------------------------

Y/N: I’m willing to do a lot of things.

Y/N: But admitting to Dark that I’m cold after he told me to bring a jacket is not one of them.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Actor: It’s not stalking. I’m just trying to create a situation where Y/N gets used to seeing me in their world!

Yancy: Stalking.

Actor: No. Casual random encounters.

Dark: Which you engineer – and it’s called stalking.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Yancy: I need you

Y/N: For?

Yancy: Ever.

Y/N: *tearing up* oh-

-----------------------------------------------------------

Wilford: I’d rather kill Actor than watch Y/N cry.

Y/N, vaguely upset: Hey guys, I sorta had a bad day-

Wilford, loading a gun: Motherfucker better be prepared to take his last breath.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Illinois: Listen kid-

Y/n: Please, call me Y/n.

Illinois: I'd really rather not. If I named you, I could get attached.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Y/N: I've got my scooter. I've got my boys.

Google: We are not their boys.

Everyone else in the mansion: Yes, yes we are.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Y/N: Hey Wilf, can I go out with Yan?

Wilford: What did Dark say?

Y/N: He said no.

Wilford: Then why would I say yes?

Y/N: Because he’s not the boss of you.

Wilford, thinking.: This is a trap. This is a trap. This is a trap. This is a tr-

-----------------------------------------------------------

Yancy: Y/N, you know Dark will never agree to this plan.

Y/N: Sure he will!

Yancy: I've already asked him three times, he won't do it

Y/N: Let me try

Y/N: *walks up to Dark* Can we-

Dark: Yes.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Y/N: I have been building Bings trust for years with high-fives. Today I’m going to hit him with a “too slow.”

Y/N: Welcome to the real world, kid.

Google: *tearing up* Thats my s/o.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Wilford: I’m 50% intelligence, 80% power, and 70% a natural hero.

Google: That’s 200% percent.

Wilford: I’m twice the man you’ll ever be.

[erensangel444]

i think i’m falling in love

oikawa tōru x reader

the title is inspired by i think by tyler the creator :-)

this fic is oikawa x fem!reader, if you guys would want to see some gender neutral fics just let me know in my asks inbox! i’m open to any suggestions, if you want a fic that’s specifically tailored to you whether that be race-wise, gender-wise, any disabilities, etc,. just let me know!

likes/reblogs/comments are always appreciated:D

this fic has been proofread but if i missed something just let me know!

this would be oikawa in his last year(when he was a third-year), for this fic, the reader would also be a third-year!

a/n: i remember when i first started watching haikyū!! i had hated oikawa, and now looking back i don’t know how. he’s a beautifully written character and like actually thinking about it makes me so sad. he tries so hard and just :(            i’m gonna start crying about it again. 

there’s a lot of fluff in this fic, probably the most i’ve ever written, but there’s also smut cause you know your girl couldn’t resist🙄

warnings: language(most of my fics do contain language), drug usage(just weed, small mention), alcohol consumption, smut; semi-public sex(bathroom at a party), oral(fem and male!receiving), unprotected sex(use of the shitty pull-out method, practice safe sex don’t be a weirdo), dryhumping.

word count: 5.3k

summary: moments in oikawa tōru’s life that helped him come to the conclusion that he was in love with you.

oikawa didn’t think love was a real thing, and he knows that’s cliché, but it’s the truth. did you know that around 40-50% percent of marriages end in divorce? what’s the point in getting married if there’s only half a chance of it lasting? oikawa thought it seemed like too much work.

until he saw you, and then, maybe, he thought it might be worth it to work that hard. maybe he could understand why couples stay together despite the fights, the yelling matches. maybe he could take a stab at love.

or not. he expected you to fawn over him the first time you met, like most girls do(men too!), but you didn’t. in all honesty, you seemed bored while conversing with oikawa. you shattered his newly-born hopes of love...well maybe that’s a little dramatic, but oikawa was always one for the dramatic flair. 

from that moment forward, he had deduced that he strongly disliked you, at least he had until that one day in math class. he was struggling, the equations on the pages seeming like an entirely different language. he was huffing out breaths in frustration, roughly erasing the writing his pencil had made. 

he was certain he was doomed, there was a test tomorrow and this review made no sense, yet there was a glimmer of hope when he felt that light tap on his shoulder.

he looked up, meeting your eyes, all doe-like, a light blush on your cheeks as you sentence stumbled from your lips, “h-hey um it seemed like you were a little confused, um i-i could help if you’d want,”. oikawa couldn’t do anything but stare up at you, “or- or not! maybe it was rude for me to come over here, sorry-” “no, i could actually use some help,”. oikawa’s response caused a smile to show on your face, and for a split second he dreamt of making you smile like that for the rest of your life. 

he brought himself back to reality, remembering his declared disdain towards you, but all of it slowly drifted away as you grabbed a chair from a nearby table, setting it down next to oikawa’s desk and sitting down.  “so what’s confusing you?” you asked, your voice soft as you peered up at oikawa. 

he couldn’t control the slight blush that rushed to his cheeks, calming himself down before he spoke, “well i’m confused on the variables, and i don’t understand what i’m supposed to do after setting it equal to zero, and it doesn’t help that the professor doesn’t teach for shit,” he whispered the last part, causing you to laugh a little as you grabbed the pencil from his hand. 

oikawa shuddered at your laugh, and at the contact of your hand on his, even if it was for a slight moment. there was too much of you stimulating him at once, fuck, what were you doing to him? 

“i know he fucking sucks,” you responded, the word slipping out of your mouth seeming so foreign to oikawa, even if he had only talked to you for a couple minutes, but he liked it, nonetheless. “okay so,” you turned oikawa’s paper slightly towards you, “after setting it equal to 0, you have factor the quadratic equation,”. your handwriting looked so neat compared to his, so delicate. he listened intently as you continued writing on the paper, your tongue slipping out to wet your lips. 

after explaining it to him, he tried one at your request, the math seeming easier now, no eraser marks littering the page. after checking his answer, you grinned at oikawa, lifting your hand up. oikawa was confused for a moment, smiling after realizing, and softly high-fiving you. 

oikawa started to notice you in the hallways after that day in math class. you walked through the halls not necessarily confidently, but giving off an aura of aloofness. it was almost like you thought no one was paying attention to you. ‘how could you think that?’ oikawa thought. he was paying attention, he couldn’t help but to pay attention.

not when you always carried your binder under your left arm, it slipping some times, causing a slightly shocked expression to grace your blank face as you resettled it in your arms. your tote bag slang off of your right shoulder, a light cream color. he always noticed your outfits, different for every day of the week. he always thought they were cute though, fitting for you. 

he noted the rings on your fingers, the necklaces you sometimes wore. some days you had on makeup, other days you were bare-face. he thought both were equally beautiful.

after a couple days of passing you in the hall, he finally worked up the courage to wave to you. his hand softly ran through the air, his arm rigid. yet, you didn’t notice him, your eyes taken by something else. the failed greeting embarrassed oikawa immensely, he remembered beating himself up about it for the rest of the day.

when he thought about trying again, he realized he should probably just call your name. which he couldn’t remember. you had met last year, and in his memory, the entire encounter was centered around his ‘dislike’ for you. you also hadn’t told him your name in math class. he racked his brain for any memory, wanting to know the name that fit your pretty face. 

in the hallway the next, day he decided he’d just yell out a ‘hey!’, hoping you’d turn to him, which you did. oikawa waved at you, a smile lighting up your face -god he could get used to that- as you waved back. oikawa couldn’t help but feel your smile for the rest of the day.

he had learned your name the next day in math class, the teacher calling on you. ‘y/n’, he almost didn’t catch the teacher say it, but he did, and he was so glad he did. lying in his bed later that night, he let the word fall off his lips, your name quietly echoing throughout his room. he couldn’t imagine calling you anything else, it fit you so well.

a couple of days later(he had waved at you every day since), you were walking in the hall with a friend. more specifically a friend who was a boy. honestly it didn’t matter their gender, oikawa would’ve been jealous either way. why were they making you smile like that, and why was your binder in their arms instead of in it’s usual spot, tucked under your left arm?

he wanted to walk in the halls with you, look down at you smiling at him. he devised a plan that night, running through the scenario in his head before he fell asleep. 

the next day, he called out your name as you walked out the door of the math classroom, doing a slight jog to catch up with you. “hey, um i never got to thank you,” your eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “for that day in math” he explained, as he continued, attempting to push down his nerves. “you really helped me,” this caused you to smile softly, and oikawa couldn’t help but smile back at you. that’s all he wanted, to make you smile. 

“of course, no problem,” you had said softly. oikawa offered to walk you to your next class, and you obliged. suddenly it shifted into a daily thing, walking out of math class with you, and oikawa could get used to it. 

he learned more about you every day, your favorite movie was pride and prejudice, you loved key lime pie, you had a mini-garden in your backyard, you hated shellfish, you loved painting, you never left the house without chapstick. he found himself adapting to your humor, telling jokes that he knew would make you laugh. he wanted to hear your laugh all the time, he wanted it to echo throughout his brain on a constant loop.

in math class one day, you had pulled lotion out of your bag, popping open the cap, and squirting some into your hand. upon seeing you pull it out of your bag, oikawa walked over to your desk with his hand held out, “can i have some?” his voice was light as he looked down at you, a dollop of lotion in your hand. “yeah!” you said softly, rubbing some of the lotion from your hand onto oikawa’s.

he had just expected you to give him some from the bottle, and he could walk back to his desk, happy with the small encounter. now as he walked back to his desk, he was happy, so happy, but reeling at your touch. he wanted to feel your hand on his again, he longed for it now, knowing now what it felt like. why couldn’t you just give him lotion from the bottle?

oikawa had gathered the courage to ask for your number a couple days later, and to his delight you smiled after telling him that you planned to ask him for his. the idea caused him to smile internally as he wondered if you thought about him as much as he thought about you.

the nights after he had put his number in your phone were spent texting you. he’d send you random tweets that he’d thought you’d like, and videos that reminded you of him -he wouldn’t ever tell you that, though. one night when he had decided to watch pride and prejudice, for no apparent reason, he sent you a picture, to which you replied with a picture of your hand covering your mouth, your eyes lit up. he stared at the picture for a solid five minutes, unable to tear his eyes away.

you looked so pretty, your hair up in a bun, your eyes looking up at the camera. he finally shut off his phone, turning back to the movie, excited to see you the next day.

one night, oikawa texted and asked you if you wanted to facetime. instant regret filled him after sending the text, his search history littered with ‘how to delete imessage’ ‘is there a way to delete message on iphone’. he opened the text app back up, three bubbles popping up on the screen. they disappeared shortly after, oikawa’s regret increasing. 

he threw his phone down on the bed, shoving his head into his pillow as he muttered, “fuckin’ stupid, god what am i doi-”, a text message ping interrupting his self-deprecating mumbles. the text from you read, ‘hey, sorry just got out the shower, i was trying to text before but i got a fucking eyelash in my eye LMAO’ oikawa chuckled at your message, a second one popping up below, ‘lemme get dressed rq and then i’ll call u:D’. 

oikawa had so many thoughts rushing through his brain. you were in the shower? after rationalizing, he realized he shouldn’t be surprised that you showered, it was just the fact that you were naked in the shower. and if you were getting dressed now, that means you were naked while you texted him. 

oikawa attempted to shift his thoughts elsewhere, chastising himself in his head for being a ‘perv’. he didn’t need a boner while he was on a facetime call with you. he thought about how you offered to call him, did you really want to? he had hoped you weren’t just doing this to pity him.

his phone rang, interrupting his slew thoughts, your name flashing against his screen. he fumbled for his phone, his finger hesitating before he hit the green button. “hi,” you said softly. oikawa took in your appearance, a few water droplets still falling from your hair, your eyebrows slightly disheveled, cheeks a light pink. “hey” he responded. 

“why’d you wanna facetime?” you asked, oikawa blushing more at your question, ready to respond before you continued. “not that i didn’t want to too, cause i did, i do, i w-was just wondering why you wanted to,” oikawa smiled at the camera before speaking. “well i thought that we really needed to discuss the plot holes in pride and prejudice,”.

oikawa had spent the whole night talking to you, reluctantly hanging up at 4AM.

the nights after that were followed by facetime calls, oikawa’s mom knocking on his door and telling him to quiet down, his laughter too loud. on one call, he had invited you to his volleyball game the next day, and you quickly said that you’d ‘love to go’, oikawa’s smile growing.

surprisingly, he wasn’t nervous. oikawa knew he was good at volleyball, everybody did. he knew that this was a moment where he could show off in front of you. what if he hits the net on a serve though? 

okay, so maybe he was a little nervous, but he wouldn’t let his nerves consume him. stepping onto the court, he did his best not to look up at the crowd, not wanting to see your smiling face in the stands. he was set to serve first, the volleyball in his hands a familiar feeling, comforting him. 

the power behind his serve was incredible, one of the best one’s he’s hit, he thought to himself. the ball landed right in the corner of the opposing team’s court, before bouncing out of bounds. 

a service ace right out the bat. oikawa cheered in his head, his teammates patting him on the back. “are you gonna look for her now or what,” iwaizumi said to him, ever so-bluntly, “looking down at the floor like a pussy,” hajime muttered the last part. “iwa-chan!” oikawa slightly raised his voice, his eyes looking up towards the stands.

you had secured a seat in the front row, and when oikawa noticed your face he couldn’t help but smile. you were grinning down at him, waving like a lunatic, causing him to lightly chuckle. he waved back, the volleyball being handed back to him as he set up for his second serve. 

you had waited outside the locker room for him, and when he walked out with iwaizumi and issei, he spotted you leaning against the wall parallel to the locker room door, scrolling through your phone. hearing the door open, you looked up, meeting oikawa’s smiling face.

“hey,” he said softly, his heart doing flips at the fact that you waited for him. you responded softly with a ‘hi’, holding your arms open for a hug. oikawa couldn’t help but grin, his heartbeat growing in pace as he pulled you in for a hug, his arms falling to the small of your back. “did so good,” you said, your voice muffled by his chest. 

“thank you,” he smiled at you, “for-for uh coming,” “of course,” you smiled back at him. suddenly an awkward tension had consumed the conversation, both of you peering at the other, than looking away, the silent words behind your looks so obvious. “so i- “i just-”, you both started at the same time. you laughed, oikawa joining in as he motioned for you to go first. 

“um, i-i came today because i wanted to, but also cause i wanted to ask you something,” oikawa nodded for you to continue, biting his lip in anticipation. “i feel like i’m not just imaging things here, and i don-don’t want you to think you are either,” you hesitated for a moment, oikawa noticing it before speaking up, “i like you,” he said abruptly. he could feel his blood pumping, feel his heart beating on his chest. you smiled at him, eyes wide, “i-i like you too,”. you both stared at each other in silence, the eye contact easier. “what now?” you said jokingly, oikawa laughing. “wanna go get mcdonald’s?”

the first few weeks with you had been bliss, oikawa thinks that he’s died and floated up to heaven. you’ve gone on small adventures together, late night drives, reveling in the honeymoon-like phase of your new relationship. now, oikawa sits across from you atop the striped picnic blanket. oikawa knew that this past week had been stressful for you with school and some stuff going on with your friends so he decided to surprise you with a picnic.

he got sushi from your favorite place, ordering a wide-spread of different rolls and then picked up two boba drinks before heading to your house. much to your dismay, he wouldn’t tell you where you were going until you could hear the water brushing along the shoreline, oikawa had taken you to the beach.

now, there you sat on the blanket on the sand, sushi laid out in front of you as you took in the beautiful day, a slight breeze brushing past your figures, small clouds in the sky. oikawa grabbed a california roll with his chopsticks, bringing it over to you as you opened for mouth for the food. “so good,” you mumbled mouth full of california roll causing oikawa to chuckle. 

“my mom asked about you today,” oikawa noticed the slight hiccup in your breath as he continued, “wants to meet you,” you stayed silent, peering at oikawa. “no pressure, if you don’t want to, i just wanted to let you know,”. you took a sip from you drink before you spoke, “no i want to. just nervous, don’t wanna make a fool of myself,”. oikawa smiled at that, happy that you wanted to make a good impression with his mom. “she’ll love you,” he said softly, blush rushing to your cheeks. 

“here you have to try this tuna roll,” you said, the roll between your chopsticks and headed for oikawa’s mouth. “mmm so good,” oikawa said mimicking your response, making a show of the food in his mouth. you laughed before shoving him, “you’re disgusting,” 

oikawa had picked you up for dinner at his house, and now here you both were, in his car, in the driveway of his home. he could see you bouncing your leg, your bottom lip taken in by your teeth. “you’re gonna be fine, i promise she’ll love you,” “i hope so,” you said, your voice so quiet. 

oikawa racked his brain for a way to help calm your nerves, settling for a kiss. his lips met yours, and you whimpered at the abruptness, but kissed him back. your leg stopped it’s incessant bouncing, and oikawa smiled at you. “alright i’m ready,” you said softly. you reached for the car door, oikawa stopping you with an ‘uh uh uh’, exiting the driver side of the car and running over to the passenger side to open your door.

“my knight in shining armor,” you joked, oikawa grinning at you. the pair of you walked to his front door, hand in hand. oikawa wasn’t nervous, he knew his mom would love you because she knew that he loved you. woah. he loved you. or maybe it was the excitement of the night forcing him to say those words. he pushed the thought away, opening his front door as he yelled out a “i’m home!”

his mom ran over from the kitchen, looking to you and then oikawa and smiling so brightly. “hi!” she said, her voiced laced with excitement as she shuffled over to you, pulling you in for a hug, “i’m a hugger,” you laughed, hugging her back. 

“oikawa’s talked about you so much,” “mom!” your smile grew. you took off your shoes, setting them neatly next to the door, oikawa’s mom leading you to the kitchen. it smelled amazing, meat buns sat in a container on the stove, orange chicken in a separate container next to them. white rice was in the steamer, the whole kitchen filled with wonderful smells.

oikawa pulled out a chair for you as you thanked him, sitting down. eventually the food was in front of you, oikawa had made your plate for you, asking if you wanted anything to drink. he began rambling, listing off options, but you opted for water in not wanting to be difficult. 

you all sat, oikawa’s mom and you discussing your current course schedule in school as she smiled “oikawa bagged a smart and pretty one, i raised him right,”. you couldn’t help but blush at her words, oikawa smiling at your reaction.

dinner had left your stomach happy, oikawa’s mom giving you another hug when you left and making you promise that you’d be back soon. oikawa ushered you into his car, holding your door open for him. he told his mom you were driving to get icecream from somewhere, and that wasn’t necessarily a lie.

you had gotten the icecream, it’s just that now it sat, forgotten in the passenger seat as you straddled oikawa in the backseat, your mouths moving against each other, your hips grinding on his. “fuck,” oikawa panted against your lips, the friction of your hips grinding on his feeling indescribable.

before you knew it, you were grinding on oikawa’s lap like a woman possessed, set on reaching your high. “tōru,” your voice sounded so soft, oikawa did a double take. he’d only heard his first name slip past your lips one time, and the desperation that came with it this time had his cock straining in his pants even more.

“g-gonna cum!” you yelped, your hips stuttering from the pleasure. oikawa’s hands drifted to your hips, rocking you on his lap, wanting you to reach your high, but also desperate for his own. your whimpers increased in volume as you finally reached your orgasm, your face contorting in pleasure. seeing you come on his lap was all oikawa need to cream his pants, the liquid seeping through the fabric of his boxers and black jeans.

you both panted, catching your breath, your head laying in oikawa’s shoulder. “that was fucking hot,” oikawa remarked, causing you to laugh and remove your head from his shoulder, pulling him in for a kiss. 

oikawa had invited you over a couple nights later to watch a movie. you had come over in plaid pajama pants and one of oikawa’s hoodies that you had borrowed last week. you were laid in his bed, snuggling into his figure, Love, Rosie playing on his laptop. As the movie progressed, and the popcorn disappeared from the bowl, you began to slowly drift into sleep, feeling comfort from being so close to oikawa.

as the movie neared it’s end, oikawa could hear your light breaths, looking down at your sleeping figure. drool had slightly started to dribble out of your mouth, your eyes were shut ever so softly, and you looked so peaceful. so angelic, oikawa thought. he wanted to wake up to this, to you for the rest of his life.

‘getting ahead of myself’ oikawa reasoned, pushing away any and all thoughts of the future as he relished in your sleeping features and irked at the funny feeling in his stomach, was it butterflies? it was something, because he felt it whenever he saw you. you turned his brain to mush, made his heart beat faster. oikawa’s love for you was so obvious on a physical level just based on how he reacted to anything and everything you did. 

his love for you was obvious, wasn’t it? did you know he loved you? he loves you. ‘i love you’ the words softly fell from his lips, the breaths still falling from your lips as you slept. 

your parents were out of town, your mom on a business trip, your dad visiting some friends in the states. you had invited oikawa over to bake some brownies, but somehow baking led to his head now being buried between your thighs.

“oh my-tōru!” you moaned, oikawa’s tongue working magic on your clit. he changed from kitten licks to sucking, moaning into your center, the vibrations making you whimper even more. his fingers plunged in and out of your entrance.

oikawa had transcended from himself, or at least he thought he had. there was no way he was buried between your thighs right now, your pretty moans sounding from above him. there was no way he was holding eye contact with you as he sucked on your clit, admiring the blush accompanying your features. 

“gonna cum for me angel?” oikawa wanted you to come so bad, he wanted you to feel good, he wanted to be the one to make you feel good. “yes, yes, yes-please!” oikawa increased the intensity of his tongue lapping at your clit, the pace of his fingers increasing. 

one more look down at tōru had you coming, your hands moving to grip his hair as your orgasmed. panting, recovering from your orgasm, oikawa kissed up your body, nipping at your jaw up to your lips, kissing you passionately. 

“did so good for me, angel,” oikawa mumbled into your lips. you pulled him in for another kiss, your hand drifting down to the bulge in his pants, palming him through the fabric. 

“fuck,” oikawa softly moaned, grinding into your palm. you pushed him over, oikawa laying on the other side of the bed. your hands navigated their way to the hem of his sweatpants, tapping his hip, oikawa lifting up. you tugged the pants down his legs, his boxers along with them.

his cock bounced back to his stomach, hard and leaking precum. oikawa eyed you as your hand drifted to the base of his cock, your tongue licking at the tip, oikawa moaning loudly. he had definitely gone to heaven.

eventually your mouth and hand were moving in tandem on his cock, moans flying freely from oikawa’s lips. “fuck! y/n, god, making me feel so go-ood!”. oikawa thrusted his hips up into your mouth, his hands holding on to your hair. you placed your hands on his thigh letting him thrust into your mouth. 

“go-gonna cum!” you moved one hand down to his balls, rolling them in your hand and moaning around his cock. “shit-ah!”, toru’s cum flooded your mouth as his mind went numb from the pleasure. he’d never felt like this, god, you were ruining him. 

you opened your mouth, sticking your tongue out to show tōru that you had swallowed all of his cum. “god you’re so fucking dirty,” oikawa said smirking at you, pulling you in for another kiss.

you and oikawa sat in his car, passing the joint between yourselves, staring at the sunset, stealing glances at one another. you inhaled, the joint placed between your lips, the substance filling your lungs.

oikawa couldn’t help but stare at you, “you’re so fucking pretty,” he whispered. “no you’re so fucking pretty,” you smiled at him. “we’re both fucking pretty let’s be honest,” oikawa joked, pulling you in for a kiss.

‘wanna be yours’ by artic monkeys came on shuffle through the speaker’s as you mouthed the lyrics. “i’m hungry” oikawa said plainly, “jack in the box?” you offered, oikawa turning the car into drive. more songs shuffled, oikawa turning up the volume when cupid’s chokehold blasted through the speakers.

he had rolled the windows down, his left hand hanging out the window. he turned towards you, his eyes shifting from the road to your face, singing the lyrics to you, ‘i mean she even cooks me pancakes and alka seltzer when my tummy aches,’ his hand held yours atop the console, his left hand now on the steering wheel. ‘i know i’m young but if i had to choose her or the sun i’d be one nocturnal son of a gun’ your smile grew, staring at oikawa as he pulled into the jack in the box drive-thru. 

there were no other cars, oikawa pulling straight up to the machine. “hi could we get two buttery jack meals with curly fries and chocolate milkshakes for both,”, the server read back your order, telling oikawa the total, oikawa saying a curt thank you.

oikawa had pulled into a an empty parking lot, the music shifted to nights by frank ocean, both you and oikawa digging into your food. oikawa looked over at you, seemingly mesmerized by your buttery jack. you looked up at the sound of his laughter, staring at him perplexed before laughing too. 

oikawa had dragged you a party that daichi was throwing. you walked in waving at a girl from your history class, oikawa dragging you to the kitchen by your hand. he grabbed two shot glasses, pouring tequila into them. he clinked his glass with yours, throwing the liquid back into his throat

you walked next to oikawa working your way through the mass of sweaty bodies, spotting hajime in the crowd. oikawa patted him on the back, iwaizumi wincing at his heavy-handiness. while oikawa talked with hajime, you whispered letting him know you were gonna go talk to kiyoko, oikawa nodding and giving you a quick kiss. he watched you walk away, your ass looking so good in those pants. his eyes traveled up your figure to your smiling face, his own smile growing. 

after talking for a while, oikawa walked over to you, wrapping his arms around your waist, and kissing your cheek. “wanna go dance?” you nodded, waving bye to kiyoko, oikawa leading you to the middle of the room. ‘can’t say’ by travis scott. oikawa’s chest pressed against your back, your hands looping around to the back of his neck. 

after a few songs played, someone yelled out ‘body shots!’ people shuffling into the kitchen. oikawa pushed through the crowd bringing you to the countertop.  he lifted you up to sit on the countertop, people cheering as you laid down. he poured a shot glass of tequila, sprinkling salt over your cleavage, while eyeing it heavily. he placed the lime in your mouth smirking at you. 

oikawa shot back the alcohol, wincing at the burn. his tongue lolled out of his mouth, licking the salt on your cleavage, moving to your lips. his body hovered over yours, his lips meeting yours. he sucked the lime from your mouth, pulling away and spitting the lime out before moving down to your lips again, kissing you harshly. louder cheers sounded through the room.

oikawa pulled away as you blushed, grinning nonetheless. you grabbed the tequila pouring another shot and letting the liquid fall down your throat. ‘woo!’ you let out, shaking your head at the burn from the alcohol, dragging oikawa back out to the other room.

somehow, you and oikawa had navigated your way to the bathroom, tōru’s cock deep inside you as your moans accompanied the music playing throughout the house.

“g-gonna cum!” “me too, fuc-ah! come on angel, gotta come now,” oikawa pleaded with you, pushing you over the edge. oikawa pulled out, jerking himself off, and coming on your back.

“god,” he sighed, leaning on the wall next to you. you both grinned at each other, your lips meeting again.

your phone was ringing, tōru was calling. you answered as he said hi, his voice shaky. “are you okay?” you worried, oikawa assuring you everything was fine, “just come outside,”. confused, you threw on some pants and walked downstairs unlocking your front door.

“tōru? are you okay, you look sick,” “i need to tell you something,”. oikawa realizes now that maybe wording it that way was stupid, he could see in your facial expression your heart drop to your stomach. “no! nothing bad,” “oh okay” you sighed softly.

“i-i feel like i should’ve said this earlier, and i wanted t-to i just didn’t know how to,” you nodded at him, grabbing his hand and brushing your thumb along the back of his hand in an attempt to comfort him.

“i love you,” oikawa blurted out. “i love you so fucking much,” he said again. meeting your eyes, oikawa couldn’t help but feel nervous, he was stupid for doing this, he knew it too, yet all those thoughts melted away when he felt your lips on his.

“i love you too,” you said, smiling, your eyes slightly watering. though you and tōru had been dating for a decent amount of time, you both knew the weight those words carried.

tōru felt the weight of those words as they left his lips, and he wanted them to flow past his lips forever. he wanted their weight, he wanted his love to impact you and only you.

fin

yay! i loved writing this fic :D i really hope you guys enjoyed it, sending you so much love<3

[youn9racha]

Don’t Test Me

Requested by: @crzy-devil

Pairing: Jinyoungxmasc!reader (with a vag tho)

Words: 3.1 k

Warning: dom!reader, sub!jinyoung, consent being explicitly discussed, implied masturbation, mentions of pornography, implied dacryphilia, weapon play (fake gun), pegging, mentions of butt plugs, jinyoung in a short skirt, dirty talk, overstimulation

Extra Notes: wheewww finally my first got7 request ʅ（◞‿◟）ʃ don’t get me wrong, i‘ve been enjoying writing skz chan and changbin smut but i’ve been meaning to write some got7 but i wouldn’t think anyone would read it :( but yay finally i got something. i pray i don’t fuck this up, and i hope this is okay everything you want 😔

photo edit is not mine

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This is no way representative of the way Got7 act. They’re nothing but references of character, and in no shape or form is this how they act. And I am in no way romanticizing or glamorizing any toxic behavior exhibited, they’re just stories that is meant to be read. Readers discretion is advised.

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You and Jinyoung have an interesting relationship to say the least. Jinyoung is always thought to be that dominant guy who’s always protective of the people whom he cares about, especially towards his partner. While that is true that he is protective and caring, however no one knows who the real Jinyoung Park except you, or at least who he is in your bedroom.

It was no secret that you two are very open about your sexual needs to each other, and it may come to the surprise to anyone to know that a man like Jinyoung is more submissive than anyone would think. But you however didn’t think so.

Prior to meeting him, you may follow what everyone says about Jinyoung, but five months into your relationship with your boyfriend, you were shocked, yet pleased, to see him one day in adorning nothing but a skirt, a butt plug, and a leash, innocently yet seductively telling you to touch him. And ever since then, you’ve been the one Jinyoung looked up to and waiting for to ruin him.

Every sexual encounter with him were exciting and fun, but there was one incident that took the title of the most amazing sexual roleplay you both have took in and neither of you had any sense of regret. Even if you guys would have broken up—knocking on wood—, it’ll probably not top anything but that moment.

~~

”(y/n!)” Jinyoung exclaimed in a sing song-y way as he walked into the apartment door with something hidden behind his back. He spotted you laying onto the couch, legs lazily splayed open as you looked up to the ceiling with half eyes open. It was clear that you were tired and wanted to rest, but Jinyoung didn’t care, “I’ve got something to show you..”

You looked up at him with a furrowed eyebrows, “what is it Jiny—ah!”

You felt wide awake when you saw Jinyoung unexpectedly pulled a gun straight into your face and pretended to shoot by making certain movements and sounds.

“Jinyoung, what the fuck?!” You exclaimed with your eyes popping out your socket with fear, leaning far away from him, only for him to get closer to you. Jinyoung saw the fear in your eyes, which made him laugh at my state. “I’m being for real, put the gun down!” Your heart was rightfully pounding, fearing not only for your life but at Jinyoung’s sickening laugh.

”Oh, relax, big baby, its a fake gun,” Jinyoung said with an eye roll.

You looked at the man on top of you with a baffled expression, he flipped the gun around and shoved it to you, “see, carry it.”

You looked at the gun, then at the man, then back at the silver object with a gulp. You took the gun out of his hand, and to your relief it was indeed fake, with it being very lightweight and looking at it up close. Props to whoever made this gun look really realistic, at least at a distance.

Jinyoung laughed at your relieved expression, “did you really think I’d bring an actual gun?”

You shrugged at him, “I wouldn’t be surprised to be honest,” you jokingly replied to which Jinyoung opens his mouth agape. Now it was your turn to laugh, “I’m joking, baby,” you patted his cheeks and he pouted in response, “you’re fucked up, (y/n).” He says that as he laid on top of you.

There was a moment of silence until you began questioning why he had the toy gun. Jinyoung fidgeted with his fingers, sort of hesitating with the words he wants to say. “Baby?” Your calling for him sounded more dragging rather than a questioning call, as your hold on him got tighter. “I kinda wanted you to use it on me,” He blurted, not baring to look at you, while you looked at him with a confused expression.

He didn’t see you but he can sense your confusion, “I want you to use it on your dumb whore..” and thats where your eyes widened. You knew exactly what he wanted.

You would lie if you said you didn’t have the thought of the idea, but that does not mean that you’re feeling one hundred percent sure about all of this. You both are experimental people, and enjoy trying new things at least one, and pain on both ends goes right up your and Jinyoung’s alley. But you wouldn’t go as far as bringing weapon into this, albeit fake, but still.

You thought of how weak he would look over you though, how he tries so hard to fight back but it fails miserably and pathetically. You easily find yourself slowly warming up but then caught yourself as you uncertainty was still in habiting your consciousness.

Your ears met with his gentle voice with him saying, “baby, if you don’t want to do this, I understand,“ Jinyoung held onto your arm in comfort.

“It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just what if I’m gonna hurt you with the gun?” You held Jinyoung, which endearingly smiled at you. He admires how no matter how hard you go on him, he still can see how you’re very loving and caring towards him. The last thing you wanted to do is to harm your baby Jinyoung.

”baby, you won’t hurt me, you’ve held the gun. It’s fake and it won’t do anything,” Jinyoung rubbed your arms, reassuringly, “besides, we have a safe word, and if you did anything uncomfortable, I’ll just say the word.” You looked back at his eyes. His eyes were entrancing to you, its a contrasting blend of assertiveness, plead and child-like. You have no idea how can one have the capability to withhold such power like this, but knowing Jinyoung, you can see how it works.

You smiled back at him with a gentle caress in the cheek, “I’ll think about it.”

~~

You’ve given yourself sometime to think about it. Jinyoung made it absolutely clear that he won’t do anything that would make you uncomfortable. For a typical submissive person, he still values your comfort, but that is regardless whether he is submissive or dominant, verbal and emotional consent holds a great value in your relationship.

You’ve scrolled through the internet and went on certain adult website to see what got Jinyoung that excited about all this. You did see the hype, but you were still unsure about it, so you just wanted to give sometime where the ice of uncertainty is melted.

While browsing, you saw a distinctive video. The thumbnail caught your eye, as it had a pretty boy in a pink skirt laid on the bed with his leg spread and what looks to be someone pegging him. The video was of the type you’ve looked it up but it was different because it seems to be more of a point of view type of video.

Your mouse hovered over the thumbnail, almost clicking it. You turned to check if Jinyoung was still in the house. It’s not that he cared about you watching porn, he knows that no amount of videos will match up with you taking him on the spot. But you didn’t want him to see you researching, as you wanted to surprise him in case you enjoyed it.

You’ve not seen his presence and you decided to text him, to make sure if everything’s clear and that he’s not close to your proximity whatsoever.

(y/n): hey babe !!

(y/n): where are you ??

Jinyoung immediately saw your message. The bubble and dots of his began showing up until his message was sent.

Baby boy <3: heyy !!

Baby boy <3: oh i’m hanging out with Jaebeom rn i’m also gonna spend the night at his place if thats not a problem with you :)

Baby boy <3: y ??? u need anything ??

you sighed with relief to not only see him respond back, but also that he won’t come back later. Never would you have thought to say this, considering that you’re overtly obsessed with the man.

(y/n): no !! i was just checking up on u !!

(y/n): its fine by me :)) have fun and tell jaebeom i said hi

Baby boy <3: will do ^_^ see you tomorrow baby

Baby boy <3: i’ll miss you <3333

(y/n): i miss you too darling xx

Once the coast was clear, you’ve turned off your phone, turned back to your computer screen and turned on the video.

The video startes off with the boy, who eerily reminded you so much of your boyfriend with his mannerisms and body type, calling out to the presumed viewer. He only wore a skirt, a choker, and what looks to be a jeweled butt plug. To say that the scenery wasn’t a turn on would an absolute lie. You almost moaned at the scenery as you‘ve suddenly started to see, instead of the actor‘s face, Jinyoung.

His pleading eyes were captivating you as you felt yourself getting wet at the way the man is looking at you. Suddenly a pink gun was put into the face of the boy and hearing him yelp in fear did something to you. You felt your organ began twitching at the way the boy looked up to the gun. Seeing how the gun was shoved into his mouth as he began making lewd movements and noises while getting his pretty dick stroked, it did all wonders for you.

You felt your hands going down your pants as you carried on watching the video. This may have awakened something in you, and you can’t wait to showcase to Jinyoung when he gets back.

~~

You sat back in your couch waiting for Jinyoung. It was the next day, and you didn't have much to plan, but you decided to keep the fake gun near you for the sake of your role. It was almost nighttime and the clock kept ticking as you anticpated your boyfriend's arrival.

Jinyoung didn't know about the whole ordeal, he probably thought that you were gonna be out running errands, hanging out with your friends, or even just sleep. But what he won't expect is you sitting on the couch, lust blown in your whole system and hiding the gun he brought in. He never would have thought to see you with it, up until this moment.

While you wait for him to show up, you scrolled through your phone, mindlessly liking any posts that comes in your way. You didn't care on whatever is on your screen, all you wanted was Jinyoung bending over, ready for you. You smirked at the dirty thought, until you heard keys clashing against each other then one inserted into the locked door. In comes the prettiest boy you have ever laid your eyes on, he came in with a bag in his shoulder and adorned a baggy pink sweatshirt and skinny jeans. He smiled when he saw you on the couch, waiting for him.

Normally you would feel soft and warm over his appearance, however the sinister thoughts inhabiting you was clouding every other thought. Jinyoung extended his arm up to stretch after putting down his bag, as he came in and sat down next to you, eventually attacking with kisses as a greeting. Typically, you would laugh at his typically private yet adorable affections, but you could only look at him with semi blank stare.

He noticed the stare in your face, his face shifted into a worried frown, “whats wrong? you’ve been acting weird since yesterday.” You looked at Jinyoung with your hands in his face. You couldn’t help but smile at the clueless boy in front of you, “Jinyoung, have I ever mentioned you’re gorgeous?”

Jinyoung’s confusion starts to get even bigger as his eyebrows furrowed. Not knowing what to say, he just went along with, “yeah?” It was clear evident confusion and you weren’t dumb. You knew he‘d be confused, thats the point, you want him to be clueless and confused about the whole ordeal.

“What if I told you that you’re all I think about?” You whispered, as you began caressing his face. His face was still grimacing in confusion, however he would lie if he said that the thought of you thinking about him nonstop makes him feel good and excited. “I love you so much…”

“(y/n), cut the bullshit, whats goin—” Jinyoung has had enough with your suspicious act and decided to confront you, up until he felt something on his jaw, which he ended up cutting his words with a gasp. It felt something cold against his pulse, his eyes were dragged to the source only to see something he wasn’t expected to see, yet is pleased. It was the toy gun he handed to you. His mouth was open agape, and you said, “I thought much through about it, and I decided why not,” you had a loving and evil smirk on your face, and he simply just smiled back at you, “and besides,” you leaned closer to his ear.

”The thought of you begging for mercy does things to me, you do not understand your powers you have on me, Park Jinyoung,” Jinyoung shuddered at you whispering out his full name at him. He could already feel himself getting hard at your words, and the thought of the gun digging into his skin makes the process faster. You knew that he was getting aroused without you looking down at his crouch, so you opted to use your other hand and held his member, to which he let out a closed mouth moan.

“You know what to do..” you said after pulling your face out of his ear and staring straight into his face. He looked like a puppy with his eyes innocently sparkling at you. You slapped his thigh to get up to do what he’s doing, which you took him out of his trance, nodded at you and got up.

“I’ll give you five minutes,” you said loud enough where he can still hear as he walks, more like wobbling, into your shared bedroom, while you smirked at his adorable weak state. You looked at the gun and you knew were gonna have fun with your boy toy.

~~ Five minutes have passed, and you decided to walk into the bedroom where Jinyoung is at at a painfully slow pace. You felt like a lion going after a deer, ready to devour it on the spot, with Jinyoung being the deer in this situation. You dragged the gun against the wall as you got closer to your bedroom. You can already sense Jinyoung getting weaker and weaker without even looking at him. You hear heavy breathing coming from out of your bedroom, and you felt your lust is started to mix fury with it as you knew exactly what he was doing.

However you kept your composure and still have the smirk drawn into your face. You reached the door, and you opened the door to see a sight that both angered and aroused you. Jinyoung was dressed in a pink short skirt and a crop top along side with thigh highs, his whole cock was out as he was stroking himself as he was looking at himself in the mirror. Still in his lust world, he didn’t notice your presence up until you spoke.

“Who told you you can touch yourself?” You questioned with a crossed arm and a lean into the door sill. Jinyoung gasped his eyes wide open, his hand stopped stroking as he was looking at you with pleading eyes, “I-I’m sorry,” he gulped as you got closer to him, looking at him with a scowl. Despite him being slightly taller by a few centimeters, he still looks and feels smaller than you, especially at this moment.

“I couldn’t help it, I j-j—“ You cut his pathetic talk by putting the gun into his cheek. His mouth was wide shut as he fearfully looked at the gun then back at you. You glided the gun across the face as his breath hitches, you stopped the gun at his mouth. “Open your mouth,” you growled at him, which he didn’t respond at first as he was too aroused to function. You shoved the weapon not too harsh that it could hurt him, but not too light, to wake him up to, which he just moaned.

”I didn’t even touch you, and yet you’re already fucked up,” you commented as you tugged his bottom lip with the gun making him whimper. You tapped his face and commanded again, “open.”

This time he complied and he stuck his tongue out, you lightly inserted the weapon into his mouth as he wrapped his mouth around it.

To say that the scenery was pornographic was an understatement. A man in his short skirt down on his knees sucking on a weapon as his superior is tugging on his hair, it was hot to look at, you and Jinyoung would agree. It was typical that Jinyoung is going dumb just for you, he’s willing to drop everything just to satisfy your needs. He loves you too much. And to see you enjoying his idea makes him feel really good.

~~~ ”Thats what you fucking get for being a dumb slut,” You thrusted your strap on onto your pretty boy’s hole as he grips into the sheets underneath him. His legs placed on your shoulder while your hips were moving in and out of him.

“I-I-I’m s-sorry! I’m not gonna do it again!” Jinyoung was a mess under you, he’s practically crying as he feels his hole getting stretched with pleasure. Tears rolling down his face as he feels his orgasm get closer. You can see that based on his face twist that he was getting closer so you stopped thrusting for the nth time, which caused him to whine and sob louder.

“Bad sluts like you don’t deserve to cum,” You leaned over, his leg still on your shoulder and squished his cheeks. His nose was tinted pink due to blissed out cry and the amount of times you’d edge him, and the fact you still resisted giving him what he want made him blush even more. You both love it, especially Jinyoung, who may love this more than you do. He loves getting edged and getting all this punishment. He was a walking masochist, and because he is what he is, you ended up loving it and use it for your advantage.

Despite his “apologies,” he always misbehaves just so he can get punished by his superior. He is a brat in disguise, and you love it. You love giving him the punishment that he ever so deserves, as much as you love degrading him and you absolutely love seeing him being at your mercy.

He simply looked up at you with teary eyes and says softly, “I’m a bad slut, but I’m your bad slut,” to which you smirked back at his claim.

Your Bad Slut. That’s exactly what he is.

[ordinaryschmuck]

Why Samurai Jack is a Fan-Frickin’-Tastic Character

Salutations, random people on the internet who certainly won’t read this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

And today, I’d like to introduce you to somebody:

This is Samurai Jack, from the popular Cartoon Network series Samurai Jack. Jack is a rare case. Where most shows would have a cast of main, secondary, and recurring characters of varying sizes, Samurai Jack is a series that mostly follows its titular character on his own. Sure, occasionally, you'll see the Scottsman or Aku making an appearance once in a while. But for ninety-five percent of the series, it's entirely focused on Jack and whatever oddball bounty hunter he's forced to deal with for the next twenty-two minutes. This type of decision can be risky because without quality writing, strictly following the same character week after week could get boring real quick. Thankfully, Samurai Jack is a series that's packed to the brim with incredible writing and direction, making Jack himself a fan-frickin'-tastic character.

How is that possible? Well, let me count the ways.

1. He’s the right type of overpowered

Jack knows almost every fighting style in the world and uses that knowledge to survive every bounty hunter, demon, and/or robot he faces every episode. On paper, this type of character could seem unbelievable given that he's just a mortal man, and even monotonous to know he always wins. But that's the thing: Even though Jack manages to almost always win every fight he's in, it's quickly explained why in the very first episode. Through a montage, we see Jack learning every fighting style from several teachers, each of them helping him prepare for the ultimate battle against Aku, an unspeakable evil. Through the simple act of showing us a few scenes of Jack learning a new skill, it's easy to understand why he's a difficult opponent to beat and easy to believe when he introduces another fighting style we haven't seen him use yet. Plus, while Jack's fighting is formidable, that doesn't make him--

WRONG SHOW! But it's true.

Despite winning every episode, it is never an easy feat. Nearly every battle results in Jack getting beat up and torn apart (Or, his clothes do, anyway). When this happens, it makes the victory feel earned rather than easily given. Take his fight against the beetles in episode three, for example. All of his traps go off without a hitch, and he makes it out while standing upon a pile of his vanquished foes. However, during the fight, his armor got stripped away entirely, and he's now scratched up and covered in robot oil:

That image alone proves that even though he’s winning, it doesn’t come easy for him. That remains a staple throughout most of the series, throwing in a few instances when he temporarily loses only to make his eventual victory all the sweeter. He may be overpowered, but at least it's still entertaining to watch regardless.

2. He adapts quickly

A bit of background information to those who haven't the show (probably should have done this in the beginning, but live and learn, I guess): Jack is an ancient samurai that gets magically teleported to a future where his mortal nemesis rules the world. Now, Jack is forced into an environment vastly different from his own, and in turn, he's forced to deal with a lot of stuff he doesn't know. Most writers would take advantage of this type of predicament to make a ton of fish-out-of-water jokes as a way to poke fun at the idea of a samurai being in a futuristic "utopia" (Or, at least, in Aku's eyes, it's a utopia). Thankfully, the writers avoid that cliche. In fact, if my memory serves me right, there's only one fish-out-of-water joke in the entire series. Which I'm more than grateful for because having a character getting thrown off and confused by the world around him would have gotten old fast. But it's not just being in a future world that Jack quickly gets used to. It's also being in situations he's unfamiliar with. Whether it's learning to fit in with dance-crazed zombies or being turned into a chicken (yes, that happens), it doesn't take too long for Jack to figure out a way to get through his current crisis. It proves that even though Jack is a strong warrior in battle, he's also a strategic one who can't be so easily outsmarted.

3. He plays off of everyone he encounters

Jack, in almost every sense of the word, is a straight man. Most of his humor comes from interacting with the bombastic temperaments of others due to his own behavior being so stoic and calm. The series accomplishes this feat by having the future world filled with colorful personalities, making almost every character the best comedic partner for Jack. Primarily through Aku and the Scottsman, who, as I mentioned before, are the only characters that make regular appearances. These are characters with personalities that clash with Jack's, what with Aku being bombastic and chaotic and the Scottsman being loud and crash. Every time Jack interacts with either of them, comedy almost always follows. A good thing too because while Jack can have his own humorous moments, it's better to pair a straight man with someone insane if you want the laughs to come frequently.

4. He’s still a ton of fun himself!

That being said, Jack is still a riot when he gets to be. By and large, I'd say he has a dry sense of humor, often shining through when he interacts with someone carrying the chaos for the both of them. But, occasionally, there are moments when Jack lets his goofy side out, and it's always funny. They're rare, but that in itself is why they work. Because since Jack always acts so serious in this series, seeing him suddenly break that character results in a laugh because it's something we wouldn't expect from him. If he always acted like this, it wouldn't hit as hard as it would only just be his usual sense of humor. So seeing him smile like an idiot as he's waiting "for the magic to begin" causes me to bust a gut laughing each time.

5. He lives despite tragedy

But not everything is all fun and games for our protagonist.

Jack has one goal in this series: Get back to the past and stop the future of Aku from happening. Several episodes make it clear how strenuous a task this could be, showing Jack briefly losing hope that he'll even complete it. Hell, a good chunk of the final season is him practically given up. He still fights to stop Aku's minions from wreaking havoc, but you can see that the light has left his eyes, and he is more than willing for it to end. But, despite how hard things get and how tragic his life can be, there is always a spark of hope that reminds him what he's fighting for and gives him a second wind to finish it. Even when he's at his lowest point, when everything is seemingly hopeless, Jack will always get back up to defeat Aku, no matter what timeline they're in. It is truly noble and shows just how much of a hero Jack is. In fact--

6. He’s the definition of what a hero should be

At least, to me, he is.

What do I mean? Well, I always believe that a hero is a person who would do everything they can to do the right thing, refusing to let innocent people suffer no matter what the cost. Jack proves it in every episode, frequently the ones where he's inevitably screwed over by his own selflessness. He could easily finish his quest and finally get back to the past, but because it could mean that someone innocent would be badly affected by it, Jack always doubles back to save them. The best example is in the second episode of season two. Jack gets ahold of a fairy that he heard can grant him any wish that he wants, but it's trapped in this ball of energy and will never get out. Jack can just wish to go back to the past and stop Aku once and for all. He only needs to make one simple wish. And what does he wish for? The fairy's freedom.

Because that's who Jack is. He's not the guy who would bargain for the life of another, even if his quest is more important. You can argue all you want that if saving something as inconsequential as the fairy's life is pointless due to tragedies like it being preventable if Jack successfully goes back in time. But that doesn't matter to him. A life is a life, and Jack is not the person to trade it. He's a hero and a damn good one at that.

There are many reasons why Samurai Jack is a fantastic character, but the one above, and the others I've just listed, prove how he is a fan-frickin'-tastic character.

(Sidenote: Does it bother anyone else that, despite five full seasons, we've never known what his real name is? No? Just me? Ok.)

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS | EPILOGUE

💖 story masterlist 💖

This is it. This is the happy ending they deserve. Fluff. Fem!Loki, because we don't get enough of Loki's female form. Some musings about relationships in general, I think. Guys, I'm crying as I'm posting this.

note: I've got two posts of outtakes coming out sometime this week. Snippets that didn't fit in the story but that have the needed vibe, y kno? As well as a new story is coming out soon... Be sure to check out my main masterlist and taglist if you like my writing <3

I want to thank all my readers for this amazing journey. I love all of you, really, like- I haven't figured out how to produce serotonin on my own ever since I hit puberty, and you guys, you are an amazing source for it. I appreciate the time and the patience that it took to read this 120k word thing and I hope you found a little something for yourself in my writing. A comfort, maybe, because everyone deserves to be happy. I love you all 3000.

"You suck," I grumbled in Peter's direction. Luckily, the little shit was out of my immediate eyesight and I couldn't just pelt him with the assorted items that were scattered around me; luckily for him - after enduring hours of non-stop rambling from the spider boy, I was ready to bargain with Stephen for the sorcerer to put a temporary mute ban on Pete. His nervousness was becoming contagious.

"And you swallow," Pietro replied with a snicker as I heard him wrestle with Peter's tie over the pathetic noises of whining and grumbling coming from the younger man.

"I'm lady, ladies don't spit," I rolled my eyes into the skies, catching Loki's appreciative snicker. She - and yes, Loki was in her female form for this event - carefully combed and did my hair, something completely out of this world, all puns intended. I supposed she was feeling generous, because her female form generally made Loki even more moody and unapproachable. But in a hot way. I hope she didn't notice me ogling her like some kind of gallery painting. "You're a goddess, I can't believe you're friends with me," I addressed Loki, watching the careful movements of her slender hands in the mirror.

A small smirk and a dusting of pink over her pale cheeks was what I got, but the silence was so, so loud.

"Stop flirting," Wanda remarked from her spot by the window where she was doing Natasha's make-up with surgical precision. "You already have three boyfriends, leave some for us, Jesus," Her tone was playful.

"Oh my God, like you didn't brainfreeze and run into the fucking wall, forehead-first, when you saw Loki walk in," I scoffed as Loki's blush deepened.

My witchy friend grumbled something rude in Sokovian under her breath but refrained from any more comments, choosing to simp in defiant silence. Well, good for her, because I was about a hundred and five percent sure that Loki was as equally as smitten with her. It's just that neither of them knew how to approach the other. What can I say, idiots in love...

And yes, yes, I can say that because it takes one to know one. My own idiots were somewhere on the upper floors - getting ready in their own rooms, pulling out their brand new suits and ties for the annual Stark gala. It was supposed to be a charity fundraiser but as all of us were quite disillusioned, we knew it was nothing but a pissing contest between people with small PP syndrome. Even Tony himself said so.

Which is why I had assembled all the girls and theys in my room for a mission debrief. My own personal pride wouldn't let me be anything but a star, and to be completely honest, I just wanted to show off my family to the world - even if the delicate parts of our relationship were hidden from the general public, it filled me with immense amount of joy to be surrounded by my very own at their absolute best.

As for Pietro and Peter, they arrived not too long after me, Wanda, Natasha and Loki made camp in the biggest room with the most amount of natural light, surrounded by make-up and other assorted tools. Both boys were bickering but it was obvious that some of the older men had gotten on their nerves, forcing the youngsters seek solace with their peers.

"You know, Vanity Fair better be talking about us for at least a week," I grouched as Wanda helped me into my dress before I returned the favour. "The amount of people I had to actually, physically talk to, to get us these fucking gowns, is frankly disgusting."

"Agreed," Loki admired herself in the mirror, smoothing out invisible creases in her gown. "Although I must say, the dressmakers on Midgard are far more patient and open-minded than on Asgard." Truly, Loki had nearly driven the poor lady crazy. But on the upside, Loki looked like a living doll. Pristine, perfect.

"Our whims are their wages," Natasha piped up with a chuckle.

We stepped out into the main room, taking note of the men scattered on the couches, all of them wearing an almost identical expression of being already done with the formal event - which, I didn't blame them. Having gotten used to the informal, communal-living atmosphere, I wasn't overly keen on being surrounded by random rich douchebags either; as it was unavoidable, I was going to be miserable - but at least I was going to be miserable in style.

Predictably, the menfolk froze and hurried to pelt us with compliments as they surveyed our ensemble - all of our dresses had a distinct vibe despite carrying a sense of individuality to each gown. That was my idea, actually, to present the team as a family - both to satisfy my own need for one and to present a good public image for the press. Call it getting good cookie from the public - in advance.

"Stunning, absolutely beautiful," Tony chastely kissed my cheek, leading my by the arm towards the limo, Stephen and Bruce a pace behind us. "I'm the luckiest man in the world."

"We are," Bruce corrected him mutely. Stephen's smirk was a mile wide. "It'll be hard to keep my hands to myself for four hours but I'll manage," The scientist added, eyes briefly flashing a fluorescent green.

"There are children here," Peter interjected, nervously waving a hand. I gently elbowed Tony, speaking with my eyes rather than words, that Pete was in dire need of emotional support for his first big public event. With a sigh, the engineer relocated to sit next to the spider boy, both of them talking in hushed tones.

"Now, Bruce," I smiled innocently. "Why would I refuse a dance or five to my favourite lab partner in crime?" I winked at him as giggles erupted all around us. "And I'm sure there's a point somewhere about wizards sweeping princesses off their feet," I kept up the banter in hopes that any remaining tension would evaporate before we arrive to the venue.

I, however, couldn't lose all of it for we were absolutely assaulted by the photographers and press as we arrived to the red carpet; it was only sheer luck that me and Wanda didn't stumble ass over heels out of the limo. That luck's name was Loki: her magic delicately helped us to exit the car with grace despite our large gowns. Mental note to buy Loki all the chocolate: add to priority list.

It went about as good as it could. Peter was introduced as a trainee - and nearly had an aneurysm when Tony none-too-kindly corrected the host, calling Peter his protégée and successor. As for little old me? Rising star of biochemical engineering. No titles, no direct titles, but it was heavily implied we were involved.

I could fell the old, white rich men leering at me despite the layers of silk and tulle. Nobody was commenting on my champagne intake so I downed one after the other until I had a comfortable buzz going on. I could absolutely see why female scientists became either reclusive or brash.

Bruce's eyes followed me wherever I went. I had encountered some people I vaguely knew from all the socialite events I had to attend with my mother, so it wasn't as if I was a fish out of the water; it's just that every time I strayed further than ten feet from out group, I instantly grew a tail in the form of one of the Avengers.

"Sam, quit being creepy," I exited the ladies room, immediately spying the handsome man just 'casually' hanging out by a potted plant, glued to his smartphone and pretending to be very busy.

He looked up guiltily, shutting down Minesweeper and pocketing the phone. "Not taking any risks this time 'round, Princess," He offered me his arm, leading us back to our table. "Tony would have my head."

I rolled my eyes, falling into the chair next to Stephen. "My tracker implant is still in and the bracelets Natasha loaned me are actually tasers. Bird, chill," My hand snuck under the tablecloth, blindly groping for Stephen's hand. It didn't take much time for him to respond, cradling my smaller palm in his larger one, offering the small comfort with a tiny tilt to his lips. Both my large skirt and the fabric covering the table aided the secrecy; I felt like a middle schooler sneaking a kiss from my first crush behind the bleachers.

Coupled with the bubbles in my champagne, it made me giddy.

"Sam is just being careful, Princess," Stephen rumbled patiently. "This ball will be over soon."

I snorted, "But Stephen, I love balls," Causing the whole table erupt in bashful snickers.

"Yeah, think to me about it," Wanda downed the remnants of her wine glass, eyes wide, looking to the side. The giggling became a full belly-laugh as I didn't have the decency to play coy. I just smirked because, yeah, I did love me some...

The final hour dragged on forever. My feet hurt from the dancing. I had my suspicions that time would pass faster if I actually move around so I didn't waste the chance and cajoled Bruce into several slow dances with me. The energy between us was electric; I hoped my wife eyes and the red crawling up his neck would be attributed to alcohol. We spoke in hushed tones, about nothing in particular, the words being like sticks we threw into our fire.

Tony wasn't around much, way too busy to do much more than stop by our table every now and then. I both envied and admired him; he handled everything with grace and serendipity. Tony was right there next to Thor and Loki - literal royalty - and I had to pinch myself to prevent myself from ogling him, sighing in lovesickness every goddamn minute.

"If you ever stop looking at him like that, I don't think he'll survive," Stephen's tone was cheeky; his eyes were intense as he looked down at me as we danced. My sorcerer was rarely sappy, but when he found the words to describe his feelings... It was serious.

I met his eyes slowly, letting him soak in the very same admiration and awe I felt when I was with him. I felt his shudder, I heard the hitch in his breath. He wasn't jealous, no, he simply observed. I wanted him to see what I saw. "The day that I stop looking at you all like that is the day that I need to get my head screwed on straight." I wasn't a poet but neither was this a romance novel. "As far as I'm concerned, I won the lottery, the grand prize and the fucking life."

He chuckled. "You have way too much faith in us, Princess," Twirling me as to avoid the out of habit embrace.

Did I, though? I was inclined to disagree. Sure, we had our spits and arguments and sometimes Stephen would stick his cold ass feet under my blankets, Bruce's love for curry was a crime against anyone who slept in the same room as he and Tony routinely flirted with everyone and everything that had a pulse. I had days where my mother's temper surfaced.

Sometimes, one of us would inadvertently hog the other person and the remaining two would pout, roll their eyes or pitch a fit.

I just didn't see it as a big deal. All of those parts were normal - what couldn't be said about the rest of our situation. Compared to couples I've seen around, I thought we're happy. My boyfriends seemed to be happy, too, and if they weren't, it usually was pretty obvious.

So - okay, perhaps we definitely should be working on verbalizing our feelings. That would definitely solve if not world hunger, then at least the world war three that occasionally erupted in Tony's penthouse. And the ups and downs - not the steep kind, but ones not too different from waves rolling ashore - was what held us together. Because, well, our world was hectic and fast-paced and sometimes we needed that gentle rocking motion to sway us back to peace.

Tony's arm on my waist pulled me back to reality, steering me towards the balcony. Bruce and Stephen followed, all four of us power-walking through the inebriated crowd.

"Just so you know, I'm on board with whatever crazy shit you're planning," Stephen raised a palm towards a smirking Tony.

His mouth immediately dropped into a pout I could barely resist kissing. "But... I had a whole speech prepared," The engineer retorted indignantly, discreetly attempting to swat the sorcerer on the ass.

"And I'm sure it was amazing, honey," Bruce placated the upset Tony with a laugh, causing the latter to intensify his pout, eyeing us with mirth over the rim of his glasses, his stupid, lovely face more kissable than ever.

@another-stark-sub @mostly-marvel-musings  @vozit @littlegasps @pilloclock @shereadsinquiet @downeyreads @hermione-grangers-wife @individualistfem @sleep-i-ness @capbrie @lillsxd @agustdowney @dee-vn @justanotherblonde23 @fanngirl19 @persephonehemingway @softie-socks @schemefrenzy @letsby @romeo-the-cactus @jelly-fishy-babie @mikariell95 @gladiosamicitias @warrior1-19 @toomanyrobins

[fiore-rosewood9]

♫FrUk :D

Thank you for the ask, I will send a few songs that remind me of fruk, a whole playlist if you may, not only one song. I also touch a few of triggering topics as I explain the nations's personalities and relationships with one another so I apologize in advance if I upset/trigger someone and will put my trigger here - Warning - mentions of abuse, alcoholism, s*exual trauma. Under the explanation there is a playlist of songs that make me think of Ukfr/Fruk, so if anyone gets upset you can feel free to skip my general headcanons about fruk/ukfr relationship dynamics. There are too many songs that make me think of different characters or ships but I collected the ones that make me think the most of them.

I know the original song is by Lady gaga but this version is too sweet and cheesy for me so I chose the rock cover by the group Halestorm since I prefer it, it sounds more genuine and rough and kinda makes me think of the dynamic that ukfr/fruk has, that some people present is as just the enemies to lovers trope or them just fighting which is.....simply unhealthy????? Fruk is much more than that and I wish people would stop seeing it as a two dimensional thing, yeah they do argue on a lot of things and it is not the healthiest dynamic however it does work in my mind because they stick through thin and thick and that requires effort and true love since a lot of people nowdays do not take time to know the other person, they just jump into marriage and have a few divorces and just argue over everything and then separate, fruk is an off and on thing where they break and make. This kind of dedication is hard to find in today's couples. I know they're fictional characters and no one really cares but I practice my psychology skills and my knowledge of people around me, and I sometimes see people with similar or almost the same characters as fictional characters, they may not have all of their hobbies but they do act the same way. And certain pairs, no offence, just make me want to gag my self due to history with bad and toxic fans but if I look at it subjectivly and never encountered mean fans from a certain ship, I would say that they ship simply doesn't work. No ship bashing but as far as I know, people with this kind of personality from this ship that I dislike, and get upset when seeing fan art of, simply just do not get along and had a hard time divorcing, it is not only unhealthy and unbalanced, it is downright abusive because both partners seek control and to have the upper hand and this is not...what romance is about???? It is about two people taking care of each other, understanding personal space and boundaries, lifting each other up and yeah, they will argue a lot, sometimes for small things, sometimes for bigger things, but generally the point of romantic relationships is not someone using you, or abusing you financially and generally being better or bigger than you. This breeds insecurity and jealousy in the other partner and makes them feel inadequate. Usually such problems are not talked over and one of the partners acts passive agressive which is what ultimaltly leads to said divorce. So yeah, people can go away with their (BUT IT IS CUTE, IT IS SO FUCKING CUTE) pairing because real life pairings and how humans communicate and develop friendships and relationships isn't based on what your mind conciders and doesn't concider cute and there are lots of factors on whether relationship will ever happen like common interests, type personality, etc and just block me so I will never hear from them and their childish mindset ever again, which is why I blocked certain tumbrl fan art hetalia accounts who produce art of a pairing I (dislike) lowkey hate, for historical reasons, for manga reasons, for toxic fans who bullied me and made me go on 3 hiatuses reason and ultimatly in real life experience and psychology and how humans and the human mind works and what is healthy and unhealthy reason. Why should I support something where certain people have been hateful towards me and these same people that act like these characters and I know in my life are on bad terms in real life? Why shouldn't I just move on to something more realistic and more healthy, that I have seen that works with humans I know first hand? I am not a clinical psychologist and I have no power or saying in this but I had to write thesis and read books by psycholgists and analyze them in high school and my first year of Uni, in order to pass the year and I have also read reccomended books by a psychologist I went to because I wanted an advice on how to deal with my anxiety and talking to people, because my condition is extremely severe but I honestly feel stuck and try to improve but also feel confused, I sometimes feel like I am not doing enough to

self improve as a human. I sometimes come off as too cold or overly bitter and angry without intending to, and it sucks.

Francis is a really manipulative person and Matthew picked up that from him while part of Alfred's agression doesn't only come from confidence in his own abilities but the fact that England him self is an overly agressive person and is very dominant or at least used to be for a very long time, now he is more mild to keep his gentleman persona but he does suffer from severe anger issues which he hides while Alfred is prone to breaking things and screaming, Arthur is more prone to being rude, sarcastic and generally mean before he loses it. Matthew and Francis do not engage in fight if they can avoid it which is why sometimes people call them cowardly I think? And Matthew is a bit prone to being a codependent people pleaser as far as I see and he seems to have severe anxiety issues. Francis albeit charismatic and beautiful, is deep down in his core lonely.

I think that part of his pervertedness, shocking people with his s*xual humour and all of this sex obsession comes from trauma in his childhood and dressing like a girl. I wouldn't explain what the trauma in question was since it is not canon but I do headcanon that he had s*xual trauma and it is partly why Hungary dressed like a guy. I don't know if this is legit, it is bias from reading too much japanese fan comics relating to hetalia or just general history of humans and how they treated consent and what is moral today, wasn't amoral or against the law a few centuries ago, but I have seen artists touch on it. I think both Arthur and Francis suffer from neglect and they weren't particularly good fathers, in fact no country is, the whole FACE family is dysfunctional and while I love all of them, I kinda pity them. I think Rome was a bit discriminatory mostly towards France and never towards his other children while Arthur had to constantly prove him self and was bullied by his brothers. While other nations have suffered from trauma too (I headcanon that Prussia was burnt on stake and people threw rocks at him due to his albinism and being left handed) something similar happened to Arthur, who I headcanon that he was burnt for being a witch and Francis went a few times through the guillotine, or Arthur still having a bullet scar on his arm from the American revolution or Francis having nightmares from that day where Jeanne was burnt and waking up in his own sweat. Arthur also must suffer from workholism and alcoholism, judging by how much he works and goes to pubs to drink. Everyone chooses their own poison and how to cope with life and many use unhealthy coping mechanisms, hell, even I used unhealthy coping mechanisms a lot in the past and I am not proud of them, in fact, I try to improve.

I can talk about their history and how it relates to their mental health and what scars they have for hours but I would bore you. You came for a song and I am probably boring you so I apologize for writting a lot of words, in advance. I basically think that fruk/ukfr is the ultimate ship for many reasons because they click, I do ship spuk/engita/asakiku and many other things but fruk/ukfr is kinda like butter and bread, it is a great combination. I never said it is 100 percent healthy, however their relationship makes psychological sense and their personalities click. I know people like to present arthur as this dumb tsundere man that blushes and says baka, or he is this garbage rat dad that no one likes or francis is presented or at least used to be this perverted sex machine that touched other countries inappropriatly or at least the 2012-2015 fans saw him this way and while he still has the reputation of a pervert, what many young people in the fandom see as disgusting, I just see as an overly lonely man that just happens to have high libido and copes with it by having casual sex and just has a sex humour, the same way some people have fart jokes humour or darker, more cursed humour, I am really glad that fans mostly left off this whole - Francis is a r**ist and will grope you, in the past, because honestly r**e is not joke and as a character he clearly understands consent and boundaries and I don't think someone like him would do such a thing. Also Greece and Turkey have even higher libido than him and sleep around more, yet he is the ''pervert'', I don't get it??????????? but fruk is just so much more than opposites attract, they have a lot in common so I can't say they're full opposites, no one is truly. I have heard people ask why does anyone ship fruk when it is just opposites attract/enemies to lovers trope and I am honestly confused, because that is extremely rough generalization to say the least, it is like saying - All men/women are the same, it is simply wrong/uncorrect. I think they ''married'' five times - The Treaty of Paris (1657) formed an alliance against Spain. The Anglo-French Alliance (1716–31) formed another alliance against Spain. The Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata (1845-1850). The Anglo-French joint invasion of Qing Dynasty (1856–1860). And the last one which is their official marriage The Entente Cordiale (1904) fought together in both World Wars. As far as I remember Francis tried to marry Arthur but he refused and why he refused is up for subjective opinion but I must write a whole thesis on why Fruk/ukfr works so well and people are not here for that, they're here for the music and I will provide. I also always saw Francis as the more gentle and more submissive partner, I just love to see him drawn in frilly beautiful dresses with bows and stuff and Arthur as the more dominant, I mean as a country he was a powerhouse during the 1600s-1800s and used to be a punkrocker, usually rockers are mentally tough and that man is extremely cunning and witty so...people drawing him as this useless baka uwu overly feminine anorexic boy that looks more like a tween rather than a 23 year old guy just assasinated his character in my opinion and it disturbs me but I am just some awkward human on the internet and no one values my opinion anyway because this is the internet and many people nowdays love to have hot takes and try to gain followers through clickbait stuff which sometimes goes out of control and everything just seems more fake and shallow to me, the more old I get.Okay that was my silly rant no one asked about but I feel really passionate about hetalia and Fruk/Ukfr. Anyway, I apologize again for my long rant and going all over the place, please enjoy this playlist

PLAYLIST WITH SONGS THAT REMIND ME OF FRUK/UKFR

1 - Halestorm - Bad romance - rock cover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll4NJs3NBIU

2 - Queen - Somebody to love - lyrics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj69iA_goIk

3 - ABBA - Voulez vous - (I know everyone chooses Waterloo and while waterloo is a fruk theme, I think Voulez vous works too) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwcgMVXuBJc

4 - London beat - I've been thinking about you - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixBryyQSrD8

5 - Santana - Smooth - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Whgn_iE5uc

6 - George Michael - Careless whisper - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izGwDsrQ1eQ

7 - Robbie Williams - Feel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy4mXZN1Zzk

8 - Michael Buble - Feeling good - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edwsf-8F3sI

9 - Edith Piaf - La vie en rose - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFzViYkZAz4

10 - Chopin - Marriage d'amour (Spring waltz) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFJ7kDva7JE

11 - Vanessa Carlton - A thousand miles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERw2LuU6Jj8

[gumnut-logic]

Callisto (Voyage - Bit 3)

Prologue Incident - Bit 1 | Bit 2 Fallout - Bit 1 | Bit 2 | Bit 3 Voyage - Bit 1 | Bit 2 | Bit 3

This has settled down to a once a week post at the moment. I am still writing, but I’ve been writing the Prologue because I realised that I hadn’t written enough backstory to support the main story. So expect 4000-odd words of Jeff landing on Mars in the near future.

In the meantime, here is a little terrible twos being good bros.

As always, many, many thanks to @tsarinatorment​ @scribbles97​ and @janetm74​ for all their patient help. I’ve been a pain lately, so they have suffered greatly for my fic :D

I hope you enjoy this last bit of Part Two.

-o-o-o-

Gordon sat back and watched his father and Virgil leave the cockpit. John followed a moment later.

Gordon wasn’t hungry, not by a long shot. His stomach was still protesting the jump and he was quite happy staying where he was.

He wasn’t surprised that Scott, after reassuring himself that Alan was okay monitoring the course correction, disappeared after John. Gordon did not want to be in the room when that encounter happened. Not that he didn’t have his own beef with the astronaut over this. He couldn’t believe John would support their father going into space. John, of all people knew the health ramifications.

Speaking of which…

He unbuckled and pushed off his chair in the direction of his father’s chair. Formerly, his chair. He was of two minds regarding that fact, but considering he didn’t think Dad should even be in space, where he sat was of the least importance.

He hooked his foot around the base of the seat and pulled himself in beside his little brother.

Gordon’s eyes danced over the flight controls. “How’s it going?”

Alan glanced at him. “Computer is performing perfectly. We’ll stop to drop the buoy in about twenty-five minutes.” A raised eyebrow. “How’s the tummy?” And yes, there was a small smirk accompanying that.

“It’s fine.” As if to penalise him for lying to his little brother, his gut twisted.

Gordon let out a groan.

The smirk turned to a worried frown. “You sure you’re okay.”

He grunted at his brother. “I’ll live.” And he remembered that there were four more jumps there and likely five more on the way back. “Maybe.”

“Get Virg to drug you up. You’ll enjoy it more.”

‘Enjoy’ was rarely in the same sentence as ‘space’ in Gordon’s book. “Might do that.” Puking in zero-g was just messy and not to mention gross. “How come you aren’t feeling it?”

Alan shrugged. “Been playing with g-forces since I was a kid? This isn’t much different.”

Gordon grunted at him again.

They sat there together for a moment or two. There was something about hanging with his little brother that was different from hanging with his older brothers. More relaxed maybe, or just…different.

“Not often my ‘bird carries yours. This has to be only the second time.”

Gordon blinked. “Yeah? I think so. Not too many oceans in space.”

“Tell that to the Jupiter system.”

Space oceans were a thing. After the mad dash that was their trip to Europa, Gordon had made a point of reading up on all the extra-terrestrial oceans he could find.

Earth, of course, was the only body in the solar system with surface liquid water. There were buckets of ice on many of the other planets and moons, but none of that interested the aquanaut. He preferred his water well above zero degrees celsius.

Europa had been fascinating and he was still basking in the accolades from the scientific paper that he, Alan and his heroes, the Pendergasts, had jointly written. Readings from Four’s scanners had recorded everything and Earth’s scientific compliment were still going nuts years later. Tracy Industries had helped fund a proper scientific expedition to the moon.

Hmm, come to think of it, they should probably drop in and say hi on the way back. Would be interesting to catch up with Gwen and her team in person instead of over holovid.

Would be hilarious to knock on their door as a surprise. Hi, we were just in the area…

He grinned.

“What are you up to?” Alan was eyeing him suspiciously.

Gordon snorted. “Just thinking we should drop in on the Europa Extra-terrestrial Marine Expedition on the way back. I owe Gwen a jump-scare.”

His brother tilted his head, obviously calculating the possibility. “Could do. You should speak to Scott.”

That dragged him back to reality. “I guess it depends on Dad.”

Blue eyes darted in his direction. “Dad will be okay. You know that, don’t you?”

Gordon found he didn’t have the energy to get angry. “How can you know that?”

“I don’t.” Alan went quiet a moment. “But then how do you think I manage each time you go out on a mission?”

The aquanaut stared at him. “What?”

“Well, your health has never been and never will be one hundred percent, yet you still dart down to the bottom of the ocean, jump off high places and do things just like the rest of us. Do you think I don’t think of losing you all the time?”

Gordon froze a moment digesting that his little brother still worried about that… “That’s different.”

“Is it?”

“Dad…okay, I get your point. But I’m also worried about Scott.”

“What?” Alan stared at him.

“Can’t you see what this is doing to him?”

“Er, what?”

No, Alan hadn’t seen. “I have never seen Scott so terrified.”

“I repeat – what?”

“When Dad told us he was going. Scott just…” He swallowed. “Dad is hurting Scott and I, for one, am not going to stand for it. Virg isn’t either.”

Alan was staring at him. “You said Dad was cold and didn’t care. Abrupt, yes, that’s Dad, but I can’t believe he doesn’t care.” The astronaut shook his head.

“If he cared, he wouldn’t have come.”

“Gords-“

“Alan, trust me on this.”

His little brother stared at him again. “I trust you, Gordon, you know that. It’s a given. But I also trust Dad. He knows what he’s doing.”

Gordon pressed his lips together. “He doesn’t know everything and I really wish you guys would stop worshipping him as a god.”

“He’s not a god! He’s just…Dad.”

“Yeah, and that’s the problem.”

There was silence after that. Gordon not willing to berate Alan any further. It wasn’t Alan’s fault. He didn’t have the history with Dad Gordon did. He hadn’t had to fight to swim. Hadn’t seen Virgil struggle with his choices.

Hadn’t seen Scott give his everything to his father only to have it…ignored.

But no, that was history. Long ago. Before the Oort Cloud. Gordon had his issues regarding his father. He loved him, but he was a difficult man under all that passion. Being the son of a hero wasn’t everything it could be.

Scott worshipped the ground his father walked on. Gordon, not so much.

To see his father hurt Scott like that…Gordon’s blood just boiled.

“Is Scott okay?” Alan’s voice was smaller than usual.

“That’s just it, Allie. I don’t think so. You know how he gets. Like before the Oort Cloud. I, for one, don’t want him going there again.” ‘There’ being more a mental place than a physical.

Alan’s head dropped. “No.”

A voice rumbled behind them and both jumped. Michael was talking into comms, to Scott, something about the aft sensor array.

Crap. It was a sign of his distraction that he had forgotten the Mechanic was there. He glanced over, but the tattooed man showed no sign of even knowing they existed.

Gordon sighed.

A hand landed on his knee. “It’s going to be okay.” Blue eyes sought his. “It will be, Gords.”

He let out a breath, suddenly wishing he had Alan’s faith.

If anything happened to Dad…

“It. Is. Going. To. Be. Okay.” The hand on his leg squeezed tight.

But Gordon didn’t answer.

-o-o-o-

The drop of the communication buoy saw all of them back in the cockpit. John was the mastermind behind this little exercise and Virgil was, as usual, very proud of his space brother.

The design was ingenious, of course. John had taken a portion of the T-drive technology and applied it to communications. The same Tunnels created by the engine could be used to push what would otherwise be a simple comms signal through to the next buoy at a vastly accelerated rate. His brother had been working with Brains to realise this technology. Back in Earth orbit, a satellite connected the new network to the planetary network. On the way out, they would connect the Jupiter system. On the way back, they would connect Mars. Time delay communications would be a thing of the past.

Possibly as a tension reliever, John’s first signal went straight to Lady Penelope.

Gordon’s demeanour shifted immediately. His excited babbling did much to lighten the atmosphere in the cabin. The uninformed wouldn’t have been blamed for thinking he hadn’t spoken to her for years. Virgil knew for a fact the two of them had had a conversation shortly before they left.

The concept of ‘young love’ made him feel old.

And indicated just how tired he really was.

But sleep was something he couldn’t see happening very soon. Sure, he could try to take a nap en route. Hell, he had to. But his head was full of worry that likely wouldn’t let him rest.

Scott let Gordon babble for a full minute before cutting him off with the mission. Perhaps the commander saw how much the atmosphere needed to be lifted from the black depths they had fallen into.

Virgil hated it when his family argued. It didn’t happen often...okay, maybe they did quarrel every now and again - it came with the territory of working together. But nothing deep like this. Nothing that cut into the core of their very foundation. The surety that held them together.

Virgil sighed.

“Ready for jump.” Scott’s voice was all command and it forced Virgil to focus.

Pre-jump checklist as his brother called out to each of them.

“Airframe?”

“Craft secure. We are go.”

Blue eyes flickered to Michael. “Propulsion.”

“T-drive ready.”

“Helm.”

Alan’s back was tensed, his hand on the lever that would propel them further away from Earth. “Ready.”

The familiar countdown, such a part of their lives. Scott’s voice carried security...and Virgil’s faith.

Alan’s arm moved.

And the Excel jumped.

-o-o-o-

Next