#or that the story couldn't have just started him from a motivational place closer to griffith's

[loveandlegacy]

i am never ever ever ever getting over the post that compared viktor to griffith like. leaving off the fact that the only real similarities between them are 'obviously gay and somewhat "feminine" man goes evil' (aka: homophobia the aesthetic trope) i also wonder all the time if the person who suggested that thought much beyond the general visual aspect because not only are viktor and griffith's motivations are pretty wildly different but also just generally making that statement implies something. extremely specific. about viktor that i think would have made him entirely unsellable as a champion in league had it happened

[xdjville]

wayv and pda

pairing: wayv x gn!reader

cw: none

author's note: guess who's back from the dead! long story short i've been booked and busy, and since i started this blog purely to post if and when i have an idea and/or inspiration, i didn't want to push myself to put out just anything. i'll continue to write as motivation comes though, so please stick around 🫶

#kun

not really huge on pda. he prefers to keep intimacy for, well, intimate spaces, but still enjoys showing his affection for you to the level that says "this is my partner and i love them" without making any of the parties involved uncomfortable. that said, he prefers to do it with actions over touching, like opening the doors for you, walking on the side of the sidewalk that's closer to the street, or helping you out of your outerwear, but linking your arms or wrapping his hand around your waist is also very welcome. he's extremely observant too, so he'll move your necklace if the clasp has shifted to the front, fix your hair or head accessories, or take care of an eyelash that fell on your cheek. bonus: not exactly pda unless someone else is in the car, but he will put a hand over your thigh when he's driving.

#ten

honestly couldn't care less. not that he doesn't show pda, he does, a lot, but he never does it on purpose. he'd just casually put a hand around your shoulders when you're walking, on your thigh when you're sitting down, or place his chin on your shoulder when you're waiting in line out of habit. he'd touch your arm or shoulder when he's talking and lightly slap your arm while laughing because it feels natural to him. he's mindlessly reaching for your hand and intertwining your fingers when he's absorbed into telling a story, and give it a little squeeze when he's done and realizes it. most of those he would also do to his members or other close friends, but none of them would give him that familiar feeling in the stomach when reciprocating his affection like you do.

#winwin

not a fan, at all. not in front of strangers, not family, not the members. you'd have to take things slowly and look out for his reactions to get an idea of what he's okay with, or simply just sit him down and get it out of him. he will get shy and embarrassed, and that's the main reason for why he's not big on pda, but unless you plainly don't respect his boundaries he won't be uncomfortable to the point of getting annoyed either. he can handle a few teasing comments from his members and probably will gradually accommodate, but he still prefers when there's only one pair of eyes watching him. when it comes to holding hands, please link your pinky with his, for the sake of his heart (he also thinks it's cute).

#xiaojun

gets shy about pda but does it nevertheless. what can he say? he's whipped for you and he couldn't go an hour without a peck on your head, at the very least, and if someone happens to be in the same room at the time, then that's what the universe must have wanted. he's really just slightly less clingy in public than he is in private, and maybe will limit the amount of kisses according to who's there with you, but won't really complain about anything you initiate. will he blush all the way to the tips of his ears if anyone comments on his display of affection? yes. is he going to do it again in the span of the next thirty minutes? also yes. is he going to get over the shyness anytime soon? probably not.

#hendery

no amount of eyes can stop hendery from showering you with all the kisses and touches you deserve. he loves you and he's not afraid to show it - more than that, he might even get a slight ego boost from a stare or a teasing comment (to which he will respond with something along the lines of him being able to pull someone like you and make you embarrassed instead). he lives by the rule that if he can see you, he should be able to touch you and will sulk if you sit too far away for his liking. got past the stage where the members would tease him for pecking your lips by throwing shade back at them and now wouldn't even flinch if they walked into the room right into your make out session (which may or may not have happened).

#yangyang

he doesn't mind pda, but most of the time won't initiate it either. he's fine with more casual things like holding hands, hugging, or an occasional kiss on the cheek if that's something you're into, but he will get embarrassed and slightly uncomfortable if you do anything more without a warning, espacially in front of a bigger group of people. he has pretty strict boundaries in this matter but he's more than happy to communicate them to you and make sure he's aware of your own, as well as make sure that you don't feel pushed away. yangyang's also not a fan of showing affection in front of his members. he'll throw an arm around your shoulders when you're all watching a movie together if you've already been together for a while, but that's about it. you'll get all the cuddles and kisses in the world when you head to bed for the night though.

#taglist ➼♡ @0-hoony @suzayaaa

©xdjville

[dolliels]

I’VE BECOME THE FIANCÉ OF THE VILLAIN?! pt 2

synopsis: going to bed after reading a horribly self indulgent romance novel, you seemed to wake up as an extra of the series. what stories will unfold while on a mission to find a way out?

author’s note: ik i said there would be more romance but i lied i got carried away and wrote too much and so i divided the sections as equally as i could make it without making it end too clumsily.

[one] [two] [three] [four] [epilogue]

it's been about two days since you housed leona from his injury. damn, he slept like a log.

you had been sleeping on the couch ever since you decided to carry this absolute wall of a man into your bed, so you spent most days lounging around.

the first night leona came into your store, you frowned. you've read in the novel that leona is an unstoppable, powerful and consuming being. there was no reason for him to be so gosh darn injured.

then you thought back to when roselia and leona first started falling in love. You had to constantly remind yourself that this novel was not realistic at all and terribly self indulgent. of course there was some stupid reason as to why leona would end up like this.

you already had the gist of the idea.

the thing is, the kingscholar family's royal ties weren't exactly held up by blood alone. there was some string magic that bounded the current king to be worthy of leading the kingdom.

leona stubbornly believed that the magic was false, thinking that his brother had no true leadership at all, just charming and handsome (just how charming is king falena anyway? you almost shed tears looking at just leona. how much would you evaporate if you saw the king?)

so, he took a trip to an ancient cavern where a dragon guarded a book containing some of the most powerful answers in the world, including the truth to all magic. leona really wanted to see if his brother's claim to the throne was true at all, wanting to use it as a way to get one step closer to the throne.

(the dragon was in fact, prince malleus of the briar valley kingdom. he was roselia's second love interest. but only because roselia went to find the book for herself, encountering him along the way. you, however, had no interest in meeting the briar prince. roselia eventually convinced malleus to let her take a peek at a book and spoiler alert: nothing about reality transmigration was there. that was how roselia decided that she would just live in this world forever.)

however, something was extremely odd.

the dragon, far more powerful than leona, beat him almost to a pulp (embarrassingly, haha!) and leona scurried away and snuck into the castle once more, into the arms of roselia, where she sat and took care of him (she couldn't try to get the maids to do it– she didn't have the heart to tell anyone of leona's plans. the transmigrated roselia in the novel still viewed leona as an OC after all, and had an attachment to him, no matter how insignificant the story was to her.)

so the question is: why the hell are you the one taking care of him? where is the hell is roselia??

you placed a cold towel over his forehead (he had a really high fever– probably a cold from walking in the rain. he got sick in the novel too.) you sighed. you also wondered what motivated leona to walk into your bookstore instead of anywhere else. he's seen you only once.

up until the evening, leona was sound asleep, soft snoring being heard in the background as you kept track of all the books you've sold so far on a piece of paper. owning a bookstore is little more complicated than you thought.

your eyes shot up when you heard a distant grumble. leona was waking up.

you instinctively brought leona to your home instead of calling for authorities, so you never really thought about what would happen when leona was conscious again. your mind started overflowing with consequences. you didn't know the law system in this world very well, and only skimmed through some books you've had about it.

"w… what…?"

leona touched his own forehead, feeling the soft cold towel cover his head. he took it off and slowly sat up, finally noticing your presence.

"where am i?"

instead of scared or surprised, leona just looked confused and really frustrated. the overthinking getting to you, you prompted to answer straight away.

"you're in my room. uhm. you've been asleep for nearly three days."

"what…?"

he scanned your bedroom, then at you.

"oh. you're the bookseller."

-

having leona kingscholar in your living room wasn't something you had on your bucket list today, but you didn't seem to mind.

leona adjusted quickly. although he didn't thank you for your efforts, or try to explain himself of who he is and how he ended up here, it was better than going on a rampage and punishing you via death. you knew that if things pissed him off, leona would make sure it goes bad for the other party from simply the flick of his hand. this meant you weren't such a bad host.

his entire left arm was wrapped up in bandages, still soaked from some of the dried up blood (you were intending to change but now that he's awake, you're not sure if you should)

he sat at your round dining table. you placed a hot english muffin stuffed with bacon and cheese (it was the only warm food you were able to make. coming into this world, you oddly developed an obsession with english muffins…)

without a word, or any thank yous, leona snatched it from the plate and ate it with no complaints. I mean, as long the food isn't that bad, right?

being a bookstore owner, you had stacks of books lying around the house, including the dining table. leona was silently flipping through one of them. wuthering heights, it read. he kept frowning as he skimmed over the pages. it looked like he'd read it a hundred times before already.

you slowly sat yourself across the table, fiddling your hands together as you watched leona eat and read, unbothered.

"uhm… your highness?"

there was no reply, but his ears flicked and he subtly lowered his book down. his eyes weren't gliding across the pages anymore.

"how long… how long are you planning to stay here?"

"does that matter? you work for me, so there should be no issue with housing me for an undetermined period of time"

you sighed. what a bitch. you pretended to laugh nervously.

"alright… uhm. anything else you need?"

"more of these." leona said waving the book at you.

"more emily brontë? i mean i could–"

"wuthering heights is her only novel, you dumbass, i meant more of this genre. i thought you read?"

oh he's a pretentious dick!

the next day, you ran shop like usual. leona, ungratefully so, snoozed away in your bed and ate all the meat you had left in stock. you were barely able to create a balanced meal with some left over ham you stashed away for emergencies. it seems like you have to go grocery shopping tomorrow…

leona seemed to be devouring one book after another. he was a fast reader, and seemed to be rummaging over piles and piles of books in nearly just one day. that seemed a little (very) impossible. you just shrugged and assumed he was skipping through them because he was bored.

dinner was entirely silent. you still had a lot of questions, especially with how the story isn't going as planned.

you watched leona just push away his plate and walk up to your room (again) in which you assume he's planning to snooze away again. he surprisingly sleeps a lot, it was never mentioned in the novel.

"so?"

you turn around to see leona look down at you halfway up the stairs.

"huh?"

"aren't you coming?"

"why?"

leona just glared and pointed at the bandaged arm.

"oh! right! I'll just get my medical kit–"

-

"so… uhm… you highness…" you started, as you slowly started unwrapping the bandages. the injury was pretty hard, cuts everywhere, dried blood cover nearly his entire arm, a piece of skin completely gone… it was truly a sight to look at.

leona yawned widely before replying; "what?"

"how… how did this even happen?"

he just stared off into the distance. "take a wild, wild guess."

"a fight?"

"bingo."

you sighed. well that was probably it. it didn't seem like leona wanted to explain further, and you didn't want to pry. you knew the reason anyway. it's just that the uncomfortable silence was murdering you in half.

"i'm not good at taking care of injuries… i really do think you should go back to the palace and get medical treatment. i heard the royal doctors are good!"

"pish posh." leona replied. "they're going to go on about how i need to be inside and i'm gonna be caged in the palace again for an entire week."

you shrugged. "well maybe your fiancé? I don't think my medical skills can match up to even the higher class…" there was no reason for you to say this, but you were prying in. so far, you've had absolutely no mention of roselia anywhere. you decided that it was best to get the information from the source alone.

"fiancé? i don't have a fiancé. what are you talking about?"

you felt your blood run cold.

"oh! nothing! i must've gotten the words confused… i meant friends! yeah. your friends could help, right?"

leona scoffed. "no."

as you slowly patched up leona's injury, you bit your lip. leona doesn't have a fiancé…?

that completely ruins the trajectory of the story.

you had two options: the universe where roselia transmigrated into the novel, or the universe where no one but you transmigrated, except leona still had a completely helpless fiancé that he kills eventually. the universe you were in… doesn't make sense.

does that mean you have no way of going home…?

no. you shake your head. just focus on the present and good things will come your way.

"ouch. watch it."

leona glared at you as you jabbed an injury too hard.

"i'm… uh… sorry."

he rolls his eyes and looks back at you. since you were tending to his injury, you were able to see his face even more up close. you probably would've actually shed a tear, except leona was being so unlikeable that despite his good looks rubbing in your face, you could only scowl.

"what's with that face?"

"nothing… just thinking about how a thank you for hosting you these past few days would be nice."

"what?" leona snorted.

"i-" you tightly wrapped the bandage on leona's arm. his face didn't change but you could see a jolt of movement in his ears. "have been watching over you-" another tight pull. "and feeding you-" leona winced.

"but not a single acknowledgement is there!" you huffed. "i'm sorry your highness, but even people of the noble class should know how to have some gratitude. i don't mind housing you in my place forever if i have to, just a simple thank you would've worked."

leona stared at you, wide eyed for a second, rubbing his injured arm, probably from the hot pressure against it. you do admit you've been pulling the bandages way tighter than you should've.

he then lets out a laugh.

"no one has ever spoken to me like that before! haha, you really have no comprehension of what i am capable of, are you?"

in all honesty, you did not. you did know that leona was merciless, cold and unforgiving. but the novel spent 90% of its entire story just talking about the better half of him when he fell in love, so, no, you really didn't. nor did you care. you still had a hard time viewing leona so highly, even if you had been constantly reminding yourself to call leona "your highness" (blegh…)

"I guess not…" you mumbled, looking down.

"could I at least get a thank you…?"

leona huffed. "there's nothing to be thankful for. the food is lousy, the house is small, this bed is too stiff and there's way too many books scattered all around to move around comfortably."

hah… this bitch…

you breathed in and out deeply, calming yourself. you needed to be composed, you couldn't risk getting on leona's bad side for now. you have no idea where roselia is, meaning there is no other alternative way for you to get out of this world.

your hope was diminishing the longer you were here…

"sorry." you replied quietly, standing up to leave. the idea that you couldn't possibly go home now put you in a sour mood. it seemed like leona felt the shift in vibe and went silent himself as you walked out the door.

"by the way, the food is lousy because you keep eating all the good food."

you shut the door.

-

the next morning, you ran shop as per usual. you didn't bother checking up on the prince, you assumed he was fine. and there were more urgent matters.

flipping through your collection of books on transmigration, you sighed.

there was options of weird chants and rituals you could do to go back home, but that meant you had to have done already in the first place, so that a checkpoint is saved between two worlds. you, however, passed out on your bed with your phone open to the novel on one hand and your other in a bag of chips. that's probably not how you came here… right? honestly, if desperation got to the best of you, you'd probably do it.

you felt movement behind you, as a certain someone comfortably sat himself beside you.

"oh, the store and the house are connected. didn't know that."

you rolled your eyes out of leona's sight.

leona glanced at the books you had stacked on the table. "transmigration? you want to leave this world or something?"

"if it means leaving you, then precisely." you snapped. then blinked.

"oh wait- im sorry-"

leona snorted. "yeah, yeah. whatever."

you coughed awkwardly. "people come into the store pretty often, your highness. are you sure you want to be seen? you are a recognizable prince after all. you should just go back inside." you said, trying to get him to go away so you can focus.

"nah. i don't care."

you scooted closer to you as he skimmed through your list of research. you tried to hide the paper away but he just leaned in closer, your shoulders touching.

"wow… rituals and stuff. you sure you know what reality you want to go to?"

you huffed. "no. this is just for fun."

leona shrugged. "alright."

ding

the doorbell to the bookstore rang again and you looked up.

"welcome-"

two men in armor walked up to you, squishing past these tiny book shelves.

"hello." said a tall man with white, gruffed hair.

"hi…?"

"we're the royal guards."

"yeah… i thought so."

"don't mind him" said the shorter, blonder one beside him. "it's his first day here. anywho, we're looking for prince leona." he shoved a drawing of leona to your face. "have you see him?"

you turned to your side to find that leona was gone. actually, he still there, just under the table.

"uhmmmm… errrr…"

you felt a pinch on your leg.

trying to keep your composure, you smiled. "no. I haven't. I'll contact you guys when I have, though!"

the guards nodded in understanding and left.

you finally looked down to see leona.

"what the fuck was that???"

leona shrugged. "i've been gone for days. they're probably looking for me."

"then… shouldn't you be going home?"

"no." leona leaned against the table. "i don't want to."

you heard another customer walk in.

"okay mr prince, you should go back into before someone recognizes you." you hissed, pushing him away.

leona proceeded to walk back inside your house, as you closed the door. you felt a little nervous, like you were hiding a criminal.

the drawing of leona did make you laugh a little, though. he looked dead and pissed off, really capturing what he looks like on a day-to-day basis.

TO BE CONTINUED..

a.n: 2 more chapters and a prologue to go.. 😩 anyone whose really into the story i love you and hopefully you can survive the next 3 days because i’m trying to survive too

[somethinginthewayiam]

The girl behind the bar : Hangman's shift at the Hard Deck

pairing: Jake Hangman Seresin x plus-size reader

warnings: language, fun banter, physical altercation

words: 4,2k

Summary: Jake finally pays his bet debt and works a shift at the Hard Deck. But he also gets a surprising chance of redemption...

a/n: I couldn't end the story without seeing Jake struggling behind the bar. We're even having a full-circle moment that might come as a surprise to you guys but I felt like it was needed. Enjoy!

Link to my masterlist

“The liquor is in alphabetical order. Measure cups are over here. The beer goes in here. Oh, you’re gonna be responsible for re-stock tonight. Gotta take advantage of having a strong man in the house”, you explained to Jake the layout of everything behind the bar for his shift tonight. “I try not to take that personally”, Jimmy commented as he walked by the bar circle. “Sorry, Jimmy”, you called after him and pulled a face.

It was finally time for Jake to pay his bet debt. It was a Thursday night, nothing too crazy but also a demanding shift. You didn’t want to make it easy on him as he has been such an ass the first time you’ve met.

“It’s not rocket science. I got it”, Jake rolled his eyes at you with his hands on his hips, throwing you a condescending look. “Okay, Mr. Rocket Science. For every glass you drop, you get a Dollar out of your paycheck”, you told him. “I get a paycheck?”, his head shot over to you. “No. Which means that you owe Penny money. So, keep it together”, you said and patted his back.

“Ha-ha. Very funny”, he said in a dry tone. “What now?”, he asked as you had ended your little tour. “It’s 30 minutes till we open. So, how about you stack the cooler and cut some limes”, you told him. “Right at it”, he said and walked out of the bar circle. “And while we’re at it, how about you call me ‘boss’ tonight?”, you said and leaned on the counter. “After all, you’re my little bitch tonight, remember?”, you added with a smirk and wiggled your eyebrows.

Jake came back to the counter and leaned on it as well, your faces very close together. “I think, we need to talk about that bitch part again”, he said. “That bet was made a long time ago. Should have negotiated your terms back then. But you were too sure of yourself”, you lectured him and patted his hand that was placed between the two of you. In a quick motion, he grabbed your hand and pulled you even closer.

“And what do I get for playing along?”, he asked in a low tone and his eyes fell down to your lips for a moment before he looked at your eyes again. A smirk started forming on your lips while you contemplated.

“Maybe you should do a good job first before we talk reward”, you told him and as a tease, let your lips glide over his without giving him a real kiss. “Calling me boss would be a good start”, you added as you stood up straight again. “And now get that case of beer and get to work”, you told him.

“Yes, boss”, he said with a grin as he pushed himself off the counter to walk towards the storage room. “Oh, I like the sound of that”, you said and smiled to yourself. This will make for a very interesting shift.

As motivated as Jake was at the beginning, he quickly became overwhelmed with the influx of customers with every passing hour. He was rushing around the bar circle, trying to fulfill the orders. You always kept an eye on him, making him do the ground work. Opening bottles, collecting empty glasses and clearing the tables.

And just like you had predicted it, Jake had dropped some glasses within the first hour. It was impossible not to. You knew that even though he didn’t want to believe you at first.

Your favorite patrons, Ping-Pong and Bert, made an appearance again. “How are my favorite men tonight?”, you greeted them as they sat down in their usual spots. “I don’t know how they are, but we’re good”, Bert said and sat down with a huff. “The usual?”, you asked and they nodded at the same time.

You grabbed two beers from the cooler and opened them. “Jake, we need another case of beer”, you told him as you noticed the few bottles that were left in the cooler. “Right on it, boss”, Jake said and sounded a little out of breath as he had just arrived from another round through the bar, collecting the empty glasses and bottles. “Good boy”, you told him with a wink and placed the two beers in front of Bert and Ping-Pong.

“Got a new bartender?”, Ping-Pong noticed and watched Jake as he rushed out from behind the bar and weaved his way through the crowd towards the storage room. “I’d say more of an intern”, you commented and wiped down the counter close to them.

“He looks a bit…stressed?”, Bert noticed. “Yeah, well…I feel kinda bad for him as he’s clearly in over his head but he didn’t wanna listen, now he has to feel”, you told them with a smirk. “Couldn’t you have just made him sleep on the couch if he pissed you off?”, Ping-Pong asked after taking a sip of his beer.

It was no secret that the two of you were together. Ever since Jake’s big gesture of climbing onto the bar, asking you out in front of everyone and your date, the two of you were pretty open with your affections and pretty much inseparable when you were both here. Jake would sit at the counter a lot, watching you work and distracting you with lingering looks and some inappropriate comments.

When everybody was over by the pool table, you would linger a little longer than usual, stealing kisses from him before you got back to work.

“He’s not in the doghouse, he’s made a bet with me some time ago and that debt is now being paid”, you explained to them. “Don’t be too hard on him. He’s clearly head over heels for you”, Bert advised you. “That’s what I’m counting on”, you said with a wink, but felt your cheeks burning up. “He only has until midnight then he’s free again”, you told them. “Look at you navy guys looking out for each other”, you said and grabbed a fresh little bowl of peanuts to place in front of them. “What are we supposed to do? We made an oath”, Ping-Pong said and put a hand over his heart which made you chuckle.

A little while later, your favorite group came into the bar.

“What the hell happened to Hangman?”, Fanboy asked as he watched Jake hurrying from one side of the bar to the other, trying to fulfill the orders that were shouted at him. “Yeah, where’s the cocky asshole that makes our lives miserable?”, Payback added.

“Tonight, there is no Hangman. Tonight, he’s only Jake, the guy behind the bar”, you told them, looking over your shoulder at your colleague for the night. All of you watched him drop another glass, the sixth one of the night. “Yeah, he’s not really in his element back here”, you told them as you turned around.

“I hate to say it, but I love the sight of this”, Phoenix said and watched Hangman moving around hectically. “Bullshit, you hate nothing about this”, you told her and she shot you a devilish grin.

The others took a seat at the counter as well. They all wanted a first-row-seat to the show tonight. “We would like to place our order”, Fanboy said and had a grin on his face as well. “Sure, what can I get you?”, you asked him and then looked at the others to place their orders.

“No, no. Not you. Him”, he said and pointed at Jake, who was handing out beers at the other end of the circle. You felt a little sorry for Jake. But back when you made the bet, you told him that he would be your little bitch and you were a woman of your word.

“Hey, new customers on the other end. You’re specially requested”, you patted Jake’s back to get his attention. He turned his head towards the direction you nodded at and when he saw who the customers were, his whole face dropped. “Of course”, he mumbled. “I’ll take over here”, you told him and gently pushed him in the right direction.

You quickly took the orders of the people in front of you and started to hand out their drinks while you had one ear listening to what was going on across from you.

“So, what you guys want? 6 beers? Coming up”, Jake said as he was standing in front of his so-called friends. You had a feeling, they weren’t tonight.

“No, I’m not in the mood for beer tonight”, Rooster said and rested his elbows on the counter. “Yeah, I’m in the mood for something more sophisticated”, Phoenix chimed in. “How’s your old-fashioned?”, she added after a second of contemplation.

“And I would love nothing more than a Martini. Extra-dry”, Payback placed his order with a sly grin. “That sounds good, I’ll take that, too”, Fanboy said. “I’ll take a Manhattan”, Bob ordered his drink and looked proud of himself. “And I’ll have a Sex on the beach”, Rooster placed his order as well.

“You guys are absolute shitheads”, Jake commented. “Is that a way to talk to your customers?”, Rooster asked playfully offended. “Yeah, not looking good for a tip with that attitude”, Phoenix shook her head.

“I’ll take a beer”, Coyote chimed in from the end of the line. “Coyote, my only friend”, Jake said and immediately handed him an opened bottle. “Alright, Hangman, chop-chop”, Payback said and clapped his hands together two times to get him to move.

You were listening in from the other side and decided that it was time to save your intern. “Alright, two Martinis, extra dry. An old-fashioned, a Manhattan and a Sex on the beach for our favorite mustache. Coming right up”, you announced and started collecting all the ingredients you needed.

“Jake, give me that tall glass over there and a tumbler from above it and three with the stems…No, not that one, the one next to it…Yes, perfect”, you told him while you started mixing the different alcohols in a shaker and ordering Jake to bring you all the right glasses.

You prepared one drink after the other in a speed that had Jake drop his jaw. You handed them out from left to right. “Not as easy as it looks from the other side, huh?”, you told Jake as you pressed by him to place the drink in front of Phoenix.

“I know. I’ve learned my lesson. Can I go now?”, he asked in a whiney tone like a little kid. “Go? Dude, your shift ends at midnight”, you told him with a raised eyebrow. “At midnight? That’s another 3 hours!”, he exclaimed. “I know, I can tell time”, you countered and had to bite down on your bottom lip to keep you from laughing at his facial expression. “Oh, drinks and a show”, Phoenix commented and took a sip from her drink.

“And now go and collect some empty glasses and bottles”, you said and handed Jake a trey, nodding in the direction of the tables. He looked at you for a few moments with furrowed brows, but you didn’t break eye-contact until he gave up. “Ugh, fine”, he sighed, grabbed the trey and walked out from behind the bar circle.

“If you don’t wanna do this, be better at pool next time”, you called after him which made your group chuckle. “I love this”, Rooster said with a bright grin while he looked after Hangman. “Not as much as me”, you told him and wiggled your eyebrows.

About an hour later, you and Hangman were standing behind the counter, talking to your friends. The bar was well crowded, but everybody was served at the moment and you had a somewhat quiet minute.

“Don’t be so mean, he’s doing a good job”, you told off your friends, leaned against Jake and rubbed his arm. “No, I’m not, but thanks, babe”, Jake said, turned his head and pressed a kiss to your head which made you smile.

“Hangman's in love”, Fanboy mocked him with a bright grin. “We're not there yet” you waved it off with a shake of your head and stood up straight again.

“We're not?”, Jake asked surprised. “We are?”, you asked in return, even more surprised, looking up at him.

“Whoops”, Fanboy said, pulled a face and quickly took a sip of his drink.

“I don’t think this is the time or place for this kind of a conversation”, you told him and grabbed the dish towel to wipe down the counter. You needed something to do with your hands all of a sudden. Jake looked at you for a moment before he nodded his head. “Yeah, you’re right”, he agreed but you saw how he clenched his jaw. You really weren’t ready for this conversation, but you didn’t want him to get the wrong impression.

You reached out and grabbed his hand. “We’re good, baby. Don’t worry”, you told him, looking for eye contact to see if he believed you. “I know”, he said and shot you a smile but it didn’t reach his eyes.

You were annoyed at Fanboy that he kind of forced you to do this but you could not get through the rest of your shift with Hangman thinking that you weren’t heading in this direction.

You pushed him a step back, away from your friends and stood between him and the counter as you looked up.

“Jake, baby. When I tell you that I love you for the first time, it’s definitely not gonna be in the middle of a shift and just because Fanboy made a stupid comment, okay?”, you clarified. By the way his eyes lit up, you saw that he noticed that you said when and not if.

“And now, it’s time to get back to work”, you told him but couldn’t keep the grin from appearing on your face by watching him smiling at you brightly. “Yes, boss”, he nodded. “Mhm, I really like that. Maybe we should take that home”, you commented and his smile turned dirty real quick.

You hadn’t noticed it yet, but the guy that had insulted you and his friends showed up at the bar. When they saw Hangman behind the counter and how he was with you, they came up right next to your group. They didn't know that they were your friends.

"Good god, Hangman. How did you end up on this side? Did she wear you down in the end?", the guy said and laughed at him. His voice made you turn around and your whole body stiffened. Jake looked up as well and the smile immediately dropped from his face. Instead, he shot him a stern look.

"God, that guy sounds worse than Hangman", Phoenix mumbled towards Rooster, but you heard her, too.

"I need you to apologize to Y/N about what you said last time", Jake said and stepped around you and closer to the counter, putting his hands on it.

You couldn't move a muscle or say anything, you were frozen in your spot. "Y/N, are you alright?", Phoenix asked as she noticed the state you were in.

"I don't know what you're talking about", the guy laughed it off. "You know fucking well what I'm talking about", Jake spat at him and got out behind the bar circle, walking up to him.

"Last time, you were in here you talked shit about her and that wasn't okay. Even worse that she had heard you. So now, you're gonna apologize to her", he demanded.

"Oh shit, that's him", Fanboy was the first to make the connection. Coyote had told the group about the “incident” that caused you and Jake to fight back then.

"Or what, Seresin?", the guy took a step closer, squaring off with Jake. That was the moment Rooster got off his chair and took a stand behind Hangman. The guy's friends positioned themselves behind their friend. You noticed your other friends getting up as well.

"Or I'm gonna make you", Jake almost growled at him. “Look at you defending her all of a sudden. Last time, I didn’t hear a lot about that. Didn’t we, Coyote?”, the guy said and looked over at Coyote who clenched his jaw at his words. “And that was a big mistake. I know that now and I apologized to her and will, as often as she’ll listen”, Jake told him.

The life finally came back to your body, making you able to get out behind the bar circle as well and walking over to Jake.

"Jake, it's okay", you told him to stand down and put a hand on his chest to hold him back. He looked down at you for a moment and his features softened.

"Shit, Hangman. What the hell happened? Did she save your life or something? Or is this Make a Wish?", you heard behind you.

Jake's eyes shot up again, glaring at the guy. In a matter of a single second, a lot of things happened simultaneously.

Rooster took a step forward at what he had just heard, just like your other friends, opening their mouths to defend you. Jake was about to jump the guy. But most surprisingly, for everybody including yourself, your fist shot forward and hit the guy right on the chin, making him tumble backwards into his friends.

It took you a few moments because of the adrenaline but then you felt the pain in your hand. You had never in your life hit someone.

"FUCK! That hurts", you said and pulled a face. "Are you okay?", Jake asked you and took your hand in his to inspect it. His eyes were big, equally surprised as you were about what had just happened. He gently pushed you down on a bar stool, your hand in his.

“This bitch is crazy”, you heard behind Jake’s back and the guy stepping forward, seriously trying to come at you.

Jake turned around in a split second, his fist shooting forward. His punch to the guy’s cheek sent him flying to the floor. The guy’s friends wanted to get in on the fight but Rooster, Coyote and Payback held them back while Jake stepped over the guy.

“And now you’re gonna apologize to my girlfriend or I’ll punch you out of this bar”, Jake growled at him. A circle had formed around them.

“What the hell is going on here?”, Penny appeared out of the crowd, taking in the situation. Her eyes flew from the guy on the floor to Hangman standing above him to you sitting by the bar and holding your hand.

“Russ here was about to apologize to Y/N”, Jake said and took a step back. Penny also knew about what had happened at that night at the bar and she remembered the face of the guy that was now looking up at her from the floor. “So? Let’s hear it”, she said and nodded at you.

Russ looked irritated to say the least. His friend helped him up and he held his chin. A bright red bruise was forming on his cheek.

“I’m sorry for what I said about you”, Russ finally spoke. “You can do better than that”, Jake commented. “It’s okay. Thank you”, you said and nodded, accepting his apology.

“Okay, now that that’s settled, you guys get back to work”, Penny told Jake and you. “And you are not longer welcome in my bar. We respect each other in this place. Something you’re clearly not capable of”, Penny told Russ and showed him the door.

Instead of moving, Russ glared at you. “Are you guys gonna leave now or should we take you?”, Rooster stepped forward, Payback and Fanboy flanking his sides.

“We’re leaving. There are tons of other bars. We don’t need this shithole”, Russ spat into the round and finally left with his buddies.

“The show is over”, Penny announced and urged everyone in the bar to get back to their drinking and chatting.

“We need to put some ice on it”, Jake said when you both were back behind the bar. He grabbed a fresh dish towel, spread it out and put some ice from the big bucket on it. He wrapped it up and put it on your hand.

“Are you okay, Y/N?”, Phoenix asked. Your friends had taken their seats at the counter again. “I’ll be fine”, you waved off but hissed at the paint that shot through your hand as your tried to wiggle your fingers.

“That’s gonna swell up good”, Rooster commented. “I’ve never punched someone before”, you said as you realized again what had just happened. “For that, it wasn’t a bad swing”, Payback commented. “Thank you, guys, for standing up for me”, you told your friends.

“And you”, you turned to Jake. “I never had someone throwing a punch for me. And as much as I don’t condone violence in any form…that was kinda hot”, you confessed. “He had it coming”, Jake told you and grabbed your hips. “And I’m also sorry for what happened back then”, he said and apologized for the umpteenth time. “I think you’re done apologizing. You can never top that anyway”, you told him.

You put your good hand on his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

When the bar had closed and everybody was gone, you and Jake stayed back to clean up. Because of the ice, your hand was a little better but you knew that you will really feel it tomorrow, like Rooster had said.

After the altercation, you two had gotten back to your shift and Jake had gotten back to being overwhelmed by being behind the bar. And you had become limited in your ways of helping him with your bruised hand.

Right now, he was putting the dirty glasses in the basket for the dishwasher and you but the bottles in the recycling bin.

“I feel like I don’t need to ask you but I’ll do it anyway. How did I do tonight?”, Jake asked. You looked over at him for a second and bit down on your bottom lip to keep yourself from laughing before you continued with the recycling.

“Uhm, let’s just say if this flying thing doesn't work out, we at least know now that bartending isn't an option”, you assessed. When he stayed silent, you looked over and found him looking at you with a raised eyebrow, which made you chuckle.

“Flying thing? I'm a naval aviator. I fly million dollars fighter jets”, he explained in a stern tone, clearly upset that you had called his job the flying thing.

“I know, my little honeybee”, you playfully pouted while you walked over to him and patted his cheek like you didn’t believe him. He furrowed his brows and shooing your hand away like an annoying fly.

“I'm excellent at my job. And don't call me little honeybee”, he countered. “Look who doesn't like nicknames all of a sudden? It's not that fun when I pull the uno reverse card, huh?”, you said and loved how upset he got.

“I like nicknames, just not this one”, he shrugged his shoulders and looked away from you like an upset little puppy.

“You're so cute when you pout”, you told him and grabbed his face with your good hand, squishing his cheeks with your thumb and index finger on either side.

He shook off your hand and crossed his arms in front of his broad chest, biceps bulging. Your eyes darted down for a second.

“Does this bee want some honey?”, you offered, your fingers traveling up his arm. His eyes narrowed at you. “Really?”, he asked intrigued.

You shot him a flirty smile and a wink and walked out behind the bar circle.

“I think the last time we were here alone, I said something about a bar stool and getting bent over it”, you reminisced out loud and slowly wandered over to a bar stool, pulling it away from the counter.

Jake came out behind the bar circle as well, his eyes glued on you as he wandered over to you.

“Too bad it’s not raining”, he commented. You took a seat on the stool as you looked over at the big windows. As it was dark outside, you only saw your reflection in the glass with the bar circle as the only source of light around. That’s how you saw that Jake was just two steps away from you.

“I’ll think we manage”, you said as you turned back to him and pulled your shirt over your head, letting it fall to the ground. You leaned back a little and beckoned Jake over to you with your finger.

You didn’t need to tell him twice as he quickly closed the gap, grabbed your face and placed his lips on yours.

a/n: I still can't quite let go of these two, so I wrote a little epilogue.

next chapter: Epilogue

[strangelysamantha]

Hiiii, can you make an imagine where reader is plus size and rafe is her bf? Plsssss and thank you

promise ❀

rafe cameron x fem!plus!reader.

warnings: use of the name baby.

summary: with matching halloween pajamas, you and your boyfriend are ready for some spooky movies.

request? yes!

a/n: cute little story for you guys. like and reblog if you enjoyed. my asks are open, and i have many other rafe stories in my masterlist, which is pinned on my account!

——————————————————————————

“did you pick what movie you wanted to watch?” rafe joins you on the couch, slipping his arm around your shoulder as he cuddled into your side. he sets a bowl of popcorn on your lap, before reaching over to grab a handful. you lift your legs onto his lap, holding the bowl. you struggle to pick a movie. the two of you wore matching halloween pajamas, and you had fluffy socks. “i don’t know. i kind of want you to decide.” he groans throwing his head back dramatically. “you always make me choose the movie.” you roll your eyes, “it’s not my fault you always choose the perfect movie.” he smirks at the compliment, “alright baby, let’s see what i can find.” he opens up hbo max, settling on corpse bride. you smile, “see, this is why you choose.”

the movie starts up, and the two of you sit peacefully as it plays. he rubs the soft material on your thigh. his attention is focused on the screen, but you couldn't help but glance at him every couple of scenes. he ends up catching you staring at him and he grins. "baby?" he cocks an eyebrow at you, and you bite your lip. "you're just really handsome."

"you are too sweet." he leans in for a kiss, his hand cupping your cheek. he places a soft kiss on your nose. "i was going to wait, but i feel like now is a good time." you question what his motives were but allowed him to continue. "i really care about you, more than i have for anyone before." you smile at his words, leaning closer to him. "i don't want to lose you." he sits up slightly, grabbing a small box from his pajama pants. "i bought us promise rings. will you wear one for me?" your shocked by the present, and your eyes soften. "of course, rafe, i'd love too." he opens the box placing the ring on you, and then you grab the ring for him and place it on his finger. "i love you so much rafe." he pulls you into a passionate kiss, "i love you so much more, baby." the two of you snuggle closer together, enjoying the movie.

[cruisebuckley]

“Talk about love.” — JJ Maybank X Fem!Reader

SUMMARY: JJ is in love and he doesn't know how to confess, he has never been good with words, he keeps it a secret until he can't hold it back any more on a party — the problem is (Y/N) doesn't seem to be on the same page.

MUSIC: “Talk about love” by Zara Larsson

A/N: feedback it always welcome!! this is the first OBX fic I am reposting from my old account (I accidentally deleted it lmao) and it was inspired by TAL a song by Zara Larsson, the first version of this story was sadder and I didn't inted to make a second part at the time, today tho I sat down to rewrite and repost it and decided this jj and y/n deserved more of a happy ending so there'll be a second part inspired by another poster girl song!

WARNINGS: English is not my first language. Cursing.

WORD COUNT: 2.180

[MASTERLIST] [MOODBOARD] [PART 2]

JJ drinks the last of his drink, eyes flickering to where she was dancing with her friends, a wide smile on her face while she moves her hips in the beat of the song. He was having a hard time taking his eyes off her all night long. She was gorgeous, always was, but she was even prettier today. Maybe it was because of how happy she looked, singing with all she had, smiling with her friends.

“JJ, I’m gonna get more beer, do you want some?” Kiara asks, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Yeah,” he nods, thinking it would be good to use the drinking games with John B as a distraction from (Y/N). He doesn't know what's motivating him to keep his distance for so long, he had come to the party with the intention of talking to her, but now he just couldn't, something was holding him back.

“Dude, you should do something,” John B. says.

“Yeah, you’ve been staring at her the whole night.” Pope rolls his eyes, “you’re never like this, why don’t you just talk to her?”

JJ snorts, but inside he feels more insecure, why was he so nervous? 

“I’ll talk to her, it’s just…” JJ clears his throat, trying to think of an excuse.

“Just?” Pope raises his eyebrows.

“She’s with her friends, you know, having fun and all” JJ shrugs. 

“Please,” Pope and John B. exchange looks before Pope continues, “this was never a problem for you before, JJ. Tell us, did something happen?”

“No.” JJ sighs,“I just want to talk with her about something, and… it’s bothering me, that’s all.” Kiara gets back and hands everyone their beers, she gives him a questioning look before sitting down again.

“Talk with whom? (Y/N)?” she asks then, and JJ nods, “so, what is it?”

“Nothing important.” everyone scoffs, “what?”

“If it is bothering you, it is important, idiot.” Kiara rolls her eyes. 

“Look, if you don’t want to tell us, that's okay, but for fucking sake, go talk with (Y/N).” John B. says, and Pope and Kiara agree with a nod of head.

“Okay, I’m going.” JJ says with a roll of his eyes, he takes one sip of his beer before setting it down on the table in front of him and finally gets up to talk with her.

His friends all make cheering noises, and he only gives them his middle finger and keeps on walking.

As he gets closer to the dance floor, though, he can feel his resolving weakening again, he can feel the bubbles of anxiety accumulating in his throat. He stops just at the end of the dance floor, a few steps of distance between them. It takes about five minutes for (Y/N) to notice him, she spins and stops when she registers it is him. Her smile grows bigger and even then, JJ can't avoid it but smile too.

She frowns, however, as she approaches him and swiftly places her arms on his shoulders, “Why are you standing there?”

“I was only watching you.” He shrugs.

“You're never one to just watch,” she says playfully.

JJ laughs, still timid but starting to enjoy being this close to her. 

“Is there something wrong?” She asks, usually she would already have greeted him with a kiss, but she is cautious now, and JJ knows she can read in his face that there is something he wants to say. 

“Nothing.” he smirks, “you're just too pretty tonight.” 

(Y/N) laughs, he can, she is going to let this one pass, and he is relieved. They slow dance for some minutes, totally ignoring the upbeat song playing, but soon enough as they drink more, they fall into the agitated rhythm of the others also on the dance floor.

JJ tries his best to forget what he wanted to say, tries to bury it and keep it quiet, he doesn't want to ruin any of this, doesn't want to risk it all. 

But (Y/N) feels it, the change in the air again, walks him to an empty spot close to the wall and stays holding his hand when she gives him a quick, but reassuring kiss on his lips.

“Did something happen?”

When he doesn't answer, she continues, “you know you can tell me.”

JJ can't look at her when he says it, it is pathetic, he knows, but he just can't.

He misunderstands, “J, you've been acting weird since you got here, haven't talked with me and not even looked at me properly, what's happening?”

At those words, JJ snaps his head back, “(Y/N)? You're  serious?” She nods,“I've been staring at you the whole night, I can't take my eyes off you.” He says then, refusing to be ashamed.

“So why don't you say anything? Why… Why are you different?” She walks closer and gives his hand a squeeze.

“I love you.” He blurts out. Never one to find the proper words or the right time.

(Y/N) takes a step back, but doesn't let go of his hand, “what?”

JJ clears his throat, there is no pointing in denying. “I love you, (Y/N).”

“Things are good, JJ.” she looks at him worriedly.

“I know, but-”

“We agreed on it, right? That it would be simple between us, no love, no dating, nothing of this girlfriend and boyfriend thing,” (Y/N) raises her eyebrows “we were fine with that, weren’t we?”

JJ feels the bubbles of anxiety starting to gather on his chest and throat again, “We… I was fine with it, I swear I was. But things changed, I don't know exactly when, I don't know how, but-” his voice cracks, betraying him, showing how much her reaction was affecting him.

(Y/N) takes a deep breath, calming herself, and JJ watches as her eyes wander his face, he wishes he could read her mind. “What changed?”

“I don't know. Maybe I did.”

She doesn't answer.

“Is it a bad thing?”

“JJ, I don't want to talk about love.” She replies, a whisper. “But it's not you, it's not you.”

He sighs, it's not conscious, but he distances himself, trying to hide somehow. There's no place for him to go, not when they are in the middle of a party, not when he just confessed his feelings while they are surrounded by people. JJ is trying to think of something to say, how to answer this, how to take it well.

But she searches him again, a step closer, a hand on his cheek, making him look at her again. 

“JJ, what makes you think you’re in love with me?” 

He knows where she wants to go with this, he knows, but he also knows what he truly feels, and it's not him rushing things or being confused. 

“Luke's party,” he says and her face changes, “it was the first time I ever felt… jealous.”

“Jealousy?” She asks, eyebrows raised.

“Let me explain,” he says, and she nods. “I was feeling… different for some days already, but it was the party that made me stop and ask myself what those feelings were.” He stops to breathe, he is happy that her hand is still cupping his cheek, or else he might stop talking with the look she had, “I was fine with it,  (Y/N), but it changed. These last few days, all I can think about is you. And I know I suck with words, but I am trying my best here.”

“You don't even know me.” He can tell it was not meant to sound harsh with the way she grimaces right after, but it hurts anyway, “I just… what I mean is, we don't even spend time together outside of this,” she gestures between the both of them with her chin, “what we have is different JJ, I know nothing about your friends, you know nothing of mine, we know nothing of each other.”

“What if I want to?”

She sighs, and he can see tears pooling in her eyes, it takes him by surprise.

“I told you I didn't want…” she trails off, shaking her head and retrieving her hand from his face.

Around them, a slow song started, the couples stared at each other with wide smiles and started to dance together. Fucking great timing.

JJ is frozen on his spot, he is trying his hardest to think of what to say, but she seems to always be quicker.

“I'm sorry, JJ, I really am. But I can't.”

“Why not?” He doesn't want to sound childish or insistent, but it just leaves his mouth.

(Y/N) closes her eyes with a deep breath, he wants to get closer again, hug her to try to calm her.

“We are good at this friends with benefits thing.”

“Why can't we be more?” He gulps, “I am confessing (Y/N), I am in love with you.”

“I know!” She gives an exasperated sigh, opening her eyes, the tears are still there, “I just don't know if I want more.”

He nods, “you are right, I am sorry. I shouldn't… I am sorry I insisted.”

“No, I…” (Y/N) frowns, “I-”

“No, you're right, you don't have to correspond with my feelings.”

“I'm just not ready, please don't be mad at me.” She knits her eyebrows together and for the first time seems to let her guard down.

“It's okay,” he says, trying his best to give her a reassuring smile, “really, (Y/N), it's okay.”

It feels awkward to stand there, he's not sure if he should try to comfort her some other way, if he should just leave. But he has so much to say yet, and she is looking at him like she also has. So he waits, he wants her to be the first.

“What if…” she breathes, “what if this is not love?”

“Why'd you say that?”

“Well,” she clears her throat, “it can be something else. We're young. And,” a dry chuckle leaves her lips, “there is so much, so many people to know, what if tomorrow you meet someone that makes you regret this?… I just want you to understand me.”

“I can wait,” he says then, surprising even himself.

“What?”

“You said you're not ready, I can wait.”

“I can't make you do that.”

“You're not making me,” he finally walks closer, finally takes her hand in his, “I want this.”

“What if it's not what you want?” She raises her chin, “and one day you wake up just to be bored? What if it doesn't excite you?”

JJ knits his eyebrows, “I really like what we have, I love it, and it is not… I don't want an exciting thing, not all the time at least.”

“And what do you want?” There is a hint of doubt there, and JJ hope grows.

“Something simple, something like what we already have.” He smiles, not quite sure of himself, but feeling better when she stays silent and lets him go on, “We chase our dreams at dawn, and it is our secret, that's what you always say.”

He manages to get a laugh from her and his chest erupts with happiness, a welcoming feeling that suppresses the anxiety in his chest.

“I just really want to call you mine.”

(Y/N) looks at him like she is about to break his heart, but he doesn't walk back, by God he'd let her, he'll let her.

“You don’t live with me JJ, you don’t know how I am. I don't think you would like me as your girlfriend.” She says then, and he can see she is trying to sound gentle. “We don’t even spend enough time together to be in an official relationship.” She stays in silence for a few seconds, as if thinking, JJ can't move away from her even if he tries.  “I am afraid I am not what you think, that you have a totally different idea of who I am for real.” her voice breaks in the last sentence, and her tears finally spill, JJ feels the lump growing back on his throat.

“I’m sorry, I truly am. ‘Cause I like you. But we are not meant to last, we chase our dreams in the dawn, we are always smiling, we are always having fun, we do things without worrying about the consequences until it's too late. We are good in bed and…” she takes her hands off his, “we are a teenage summer romance. We're not meant to last.”

They stay in silence again, JJ watches her, heart hurting, and still, so in love, somehow even more sure that this is indeed love. (Y/N) wipes her tears off and tries to give him a smile. He doesn't say anything, he knows she needs to go, he needs it too, to think, he knows the best thing to do now is to go home and sleep with these thoughts.

He only gives her a smile back, assuring her that he did understand.

She leaves.

[suzannahnatters]

So as I've been re-reading LOTR, I got to the "Many Meetings" chapter where Arwen takes a good long look at Frodo; and I started thinking this character over.

I have always interpreted this as her summing him up for the task she knows lies ahead for him; if he can't save the known world then she doesn't get to marry the man she loves. But is Arwen's desire to marry Aragorn the only thing that is driving her? This is someone, after all, who was raised and taught by Galadriel herself, the wielder of Nenya, ruler of Lorien, and enemy of Sauron.

Arwen is very much wisdom-coded in this book, as opposed to, say, Eowyn, who is firmly warrior-coded. In the rabid days of my teen Tolkien era I used to have a lot of arguments about Arwen and about how little she appears in the book: and I always used to argue that it was a valid storytelling choice to give us only brief glimpses of her, because LOTR is simply not her story. In Letter 181 Tolkien himself confirms this, saying that the main reason Arwen isn't more prominent in the plot is that it's written from a hobbitish perspective. The tale of Aragorn and Arwen, he says:

"is part of the essential story, and is only placed so [in the Appendices], because it could not be worked into the main narrative without destroying its structure: which is planned to be 'hobbito-centric', that is, primarily a study of the ennoblement (or sanctification) of the humble."

I also used to argue that the fact that Arwen doesn't appear to have agency doesn't mean she wasn't actually involved. Tolkien says at one point in the book that she "watched over" Aragorn in thought, and fresh off my re-read of the Silmarillion, in which the Elves are said to have some kind of telepathic power, I think that this is what she's been doing this whole time. While I'm sorry her contributions aren't highlighted a bit more, she's not limited to embroidering banners for Aragorn; she has an agency that we simply cannot see because we are so firmly in the hobbitish perspective.

Bear in mind, too, that Arwen is supposed to be a kind of second Luthien. Unlike Luthien, she has far more family support from her father and brothers who do everything they can to help with the Quest, thus removing the motivation Luthien had to run away and have adventures. Presumably Arwen could have made a magic cloak and snuck into Mordor with the Ring, except that Frodo was chosen for that task. Plus, maybe she's just too powerful for Sauron to miss - Tolkien hints as much in that passage I quoted above, from Letter 181.

Still, the question remains, and it's a valid one: WHY does Tolkien choose not to bring Arwen more strongly into the story? WHY doesn't he give her a role closer to Luthien's? Why didn't he have her, and not Glorfindel, ride out to bring help during the Flight to the Ford?

You know me - I don't think it's because Tolkien didn't think a woman couldn't make this kind of contribution. He pretty demonstrably did. Rather, I think it's because he made the valid and indeed deeply thematic choice to code Arwen as a woman of peace rather than a woman of war.

Remember that at the end of LOTR, the entire world undergoes a process of renewal and healing. Those who have been warriors - Faramir, Eowyn, Samwise, Gandalf, and so on - put their swords away and become gardeners and healers. Even before the war ends, Aragorn confirms his claim to the kingship of Gondor, not by helping to win the battle of the Pelennor Fields, but by healing those who are lying at the brink of death in the Houses of Healing, under the Nazgul's influence. For Tolkien, who lived through not one but two world wars, peace was not something lesser to be assigned to women. War was not an end in itself ("I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness...") but a means to a just peace, the ultimate goal for men and women alike.

Just as, say, Fatty Bolger, or Galadriel, choose not to go on the Quest of the Ring and aren't shamed for it by the narrative, so too does Arwen choose not to go on the Quest. Yet, just like everyone else who chooses not to join, Arwen DOES make a pivotal contribution to the story. And it's one the fandom is not super aware of. Tolkien explained it like this in Letter 246, after mentioning that Frodo expected to die very soon after completing the Quest.

"But he did not, and one can observe the disquiet growing in him. Arwen was the first to observe the signs, and gave him her jewel for comfort, and thought of a way of healing him."

The footnote to this sentence reads:

"It is not made explicit how she could arrange this. She could not of course just transfer her ticket on the boat like that! For any except those of Elvish race 'sailing West' was not permitted, and any exception required 'authority,' and she was not in direct communication with the Valar, especially not since her choice to become 'mortal'. What is meant is that it was Arwen who first thought of sending Frodo into the West, and put in a plea for him to Gandalf (direct or through Galadriel, or both), and she used her own renunciation of the right to go West as an argument. Her renunciation and suffering were related to and enmeshed with Frodo's: both were parts of a plan for the regeneration of the state of Men. Her prayer might therefore be specially effective, and her plan have a certain equity of exchange. No doubt it was Gandalf who was the authority that accepted her plea."

All through my re-read I've been pointing out how very important it is to the story that Frodo gets a hope of healing at the end - far more important than the horrors that intervene. Arwen is the one who is able to get him that healing. Not only that, but in choosing mortality, she doesn't just marry Aragorn and start a new line of kings in Gondor - anyone could have done that. There's something special about Arwen, specifically - the pupil of Galadriel the pupil of Melian the Maia - that brings about a regeneration of the entire race of Men. Perhaps she helps to transmit to all of humanity the wisdom and lore of the Elves and the Maiar. Perhaps this includes much in the way of healing and craftsmanship.

Speculating on this, I'm also led to think about Arwen's relationship with Galadriel. In "The Council of Elrond", Elrond mentions that opinion is divided on what will happen with the Three elven Rings once the One Ring is destroyed. Some hope the Three will continue to be effective, healing Middle Earth and undoing the works of the Enemy. But when we get to Lorien, we find that Galadriel is not among them. Everything she says demonstrates that she expects the Ringbearer to destroy not only the One Ring, but also the works of the Three. So, Galadriel has always known that SHE will never be able to do the work of healing Middle Earth from Sauron's shadow. Was this a mission that she saw herself entrusting to Arwen?

Sure - as far as I'm aware, Tolkien never got around to writing this down in detail. It's a very subtle part of the story and maybe we would have preferred him to make his point more overtly...but it very much is there. Arwen didn't just give up her mortality; she also gave it away of her own free will, in order to help heal and regenerate the world from the Shadow, and not only did she do this for the man she loved, but for as many others as she could, notably Frodo.

The reason Arwen doesn't get a lot of agency in LOTR is because her hour hasn't yet come. As Tolkien writes in "Many Meetings," few mortals had YET seen her.

But they would.

[lara-prisma-avm-ask-blog]

AvM Fanfic - House for Two [Chapter 1 - A Start]

This story takes place after AvM Ep 30, and tells a slow-burn found family story. This story will cover topics such as family death, grief, trauma, low self-esteem, emotional abuse, s*icidal thinking, panic attacks, anxiety (and anxiety attacks), emotional anger issues, and depression. If some of these topics make you uncomfortable, I don't recommend reading them.

The story is about Purple and Orange learning to be a family and dealing with their own traumas and mental health issues, it's a story of angst and comfort with found family fluff.

If i were to give an age range, I would say 17+.

[TW: This chapter contained a scene with an anxiety/panic attack]

[you are allowed to point out spelling errors]

After everything that happened, it still seems unreal that this was happening to them. Purple, who had been looking for validation from their father since they were a child, found themself involved with a man whose past they didn't fully know, only that he wanted to destroy Minecraft,a game, and that to do that he needed information about five specific individuals.

Five stick figures known to Purple, they had what this man wanted, and they would give Purple whatever they wanted. And all Purple wanted was validation. Validation that they weren't useless.

That... went wrong. Not only did the five manage to escape the trap they had planned, but this man denied them the power he had promised to share, and abandoned them when they asked him for help.

If it weren't for Green, Purple would never have forgiven themselves for causing so much trouble to their friends.

Motivated by Green, they flew back to the nether to the battlefield to stop that man. With every attempt, every blow and fall, Purple would fix what they caused, no matter how much their conscience told them they were weak, pathetic and useless.

That's why their father abandoned them with their mother, that's why they couldn't help her, that's why she was…

But they didn't listen, even with Green trying to stop them, unable to move due to the hardships of the battle, even if this could be the end for them, they had to fix this.

They ran, using their elytra to go faster, running against the direction of the crowned man, who pointed his staff at the act charged with the fusion of two game icons, a white vortex consuming every block of the game from the ceiling of the nether, the young stick didn't stop, they continued to get closer.

Noticing their approach, the king quickly pointed his staff in their direction, the white lightning propelling them back, but they kept strength on their feet to keep themselves standing.

"I'm not going to give up..." 

They said to themselves, covering their faces with their arms in front of their body, they continued to walk forward, their insect wings disintegrating with each step until they completely disappeared in the white glare.

They felt a nausea in their stomach, a weakness in their legs, but they didn't stop, they didn’t flinch, they would catch up to the man even if it was the last thing they did.

"I won't give up, King!!" 

They shout at the king's direction, a glare meeting their eyes. With a growl he just fortified the power in the staff, causing Purple to be driven backwards once again, their feet dragging against the reddish floor.

The stick figure continued, they weakly raised their hand towards the king, tears evaporating as they approached the man.

The man was staring at them, his hands seemed to be shaking, his eyes were wide open, he was panting and sweating, this reaction, his expression. His lips moved but Purple couldn't hear him.

One step forward and their legs weaken.

They are carried away by the white lightning like a current, floating past their friends who watch in terror.

There was a loud clang of metal. And from what little Purple could see before disappearing in the white flash, there was the man, running towards them with a horrified look.

Purple woke up in an empty and dark environment, they were alone, every place they looked looked the same, but then, a path began to show itself.

A circle of light with pink petals on the ground begins to appear in front of them. Without knowing what this was, they began to follow the enlightened path.

Little by little photographs began to appear around them, some from when they were a baby, others from when they were a child, and then that of their parents.

They try to ignore the photos of their father training them, his frustrated growls escalating into angry complaints, the constant negative comments.

"Weak. Pathetic. Useless."

They felt tears fall from their eyes remembering those words, they covered their ears begging them to stop.

They fall to their knees on the floor, staring at the ground for a few seconds before lifting their heads to find their mother's grave. Their father stared at them from behind the grave before turning his back and disappearing into the darkness.

"D-Dad..." with a weak voice Purple extends their hand towards him, but soon they look down and kneel down on the cold floor.

The tombstone disappears, leaving young Purple alone again. Allowing themselves to be carried away by tears, they hug their legs, bringing them closer to their chests, placing their forehead on their knees, crying quietly.

"I AM pathetic..."

It seemed like everything was over, without family, without friends, without anything. Purple only had themselves.

"Purple!"

Alarmed, Purple tilted their head towards the voice, distant but getting closer, they certainly couldn't see it, only hear the footsteps.

Soon, they could see a figure running towards them, for a second they thought it was their father and started to get up.

"D-Dad..?" Their hopes grew but any doubts he had would be confirmed.

But It wasn't their father.

"I'm sorry!!" Within seconds Purple is almost knocked off balance by the hug he never expected. King, he came back for them, he hugged them, he was apologizing, Purple was stunned, they didn't know how to react.

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't want that, I was blind with hate and I didn't mean for you to get hurt!" He hugged them tightly, his tone not cold or serious, he was tearful, his voice cracking with each sentence. He was almost a different person, more emotional, more open.

"I'm sorry..." he cried, weakening the hug, but Purple, sniffling, hugs him back, welcoming this change in the man. Burying their faces in his shoulder, trying not to think about whether this was a dream or not.

Whatever it was, they didn't want to wake up.

A few minutes in that void seemed like an eternity, but it didn't take long for the gang to stop the icons and save the entire game, including the two of them. King and Purple were knocked back to the ground together, the older one protecting the younger one from the impact.

Green looks at them, and takes a second to be relieved that his friend was safe and well. Second Coming, the hollow head, was back with the icons and the staff panting with all the adrenaline running through them. They were also happy that Purple was okay.

After a while, after saying goodbye, this is how these two, Purple and King started to live together.

What bizarre conditions. They came looking for validation and ended up with a new guardian.

But even after the storm passed, there were still complications. King-or, Orange's house was small, and almost a year of working on the staff resulted in a cold and disorganized environment.

Orange's house was a mess, failing staffs thrown against the floor, a wall filled with scribbles and plans, an unfurnished bed, empty and cold, a refrigerator with little food, and almost no furniture, all sold so he could get the money for the command block.

Seeing these conditions Purple felt awkward. They didn't know what to do in situations like this, for the last ten years they lived with their mother in a small but cozy apartment, they didn't have much food and they lived by selling flowers that almost no one bought.

Purple found herself in a new home but at the same time it didn't feel like one. Orange seemed indifferent and tired, seeing the scribbles and staffs filled with self-resentment and remorse, the memories it was all based on makes him uncomfortable, that much Purple could see.

Within hours Orange prepared the staffs to be sold online, and the scribbles would be covered by a curtain. Now what they needed to do was take care of the rest, the dirt accumulating in the corners, the mold staining the walls, the rats and spiders crawling around the house, it was all a precarious situation.

Orange lived in a poorer neighborhood, he didn't have much to do locally, he would have to go to the city after a year of being a hermit. Orange could see Purple's discomfort and how out of place they feel. They're a city kid after all, they probably didn't know how to adapt to a situation like this.

How did he know they were from the city? Chic clothes. Ever since he met them Purple had manners, they just dressed elegantly, it's clear that they have a taste for fashion, and Orange had never met a teenager from the surrounding area who dressed like them.

This doesn't seem important, but Orange snorts awkwardly when in the same room as Purple. In comparison, he dresses simply and maturely, how does this child dress more mature than him? It was as if they were from different worlds.

Little did they know that they had much more in common than they thought.

Just one day that they now live together and there is already a complication, beds. There was only one bed, and Orange felt uncomfortable at the mere idea of ​​having to share it with a minor, Purple even more as they turned towards him and lowered their head towards him.

"Sorry, I-I'll find another way to sleep." They say in an apologetic tone, grabbing part of their blouse and pulling it down nervously. Their lips trembled, a lack of eye contact.

They weren't just awkward, Purple was even more uncomfortable. Orange looks at them lamenting the state of the situation, he didn't want them to be cold, there were no mattresses and he wouldn't let them sleep on the floor, so with a deep breath he looks at Purple maturely.

"It would be wrong for me to let you sleep in the cold. You can use my bed for now." he says with a vague expression, eyes focusing on the stick teen in front of him, closing a hand on their shoulder, but he stops, he thought it would only make them more uncomfortable and just refused to touch them.

After everything he's done, he was afraid of approaching Purple like that, but the kid didn't even have anywhere else to go at the moment, and all he knows is that they don't even have a relative with them. They didn't say anything more than that.

A fifteen-year-old teenager, alone in a big city living with a hermit with anger issues who has also hurt them before? Yeah, that's a recipe for disaster.

How Purple can forgive him so easily still leaves him confused, all he did was be hostile and make him betray the only ones they considered friends, if anything, they should hate him!

"What..?" the young stick looks up at him with a confused look, "B-but, it's your home, your bed! You deserve the comfort, I-I'm just a visitor!" he waves his hands above his shoulders in rejection. 

Orange raises a straight hand, shushing Purple, "No, you're right, you're my visitor, and views have to be treated well." a salty and emotionless tone came out of the man, not out of rudeness, but just a lack of enthusiasm or motivation, he just wanted to stop thinking about everything that had happened.

Pinching the middle of his eyes he turns to Purple, "Let's do it like this, you sleep on one side, I sleep on the other, like, you sleep on one end and I sleep on the other." he sighs, "does this make sense to you?" he asks with his hands on his hips and a tired look.

"And I guess so..?" Purple responds nervously, hand on one arm with his head down. "I'm just going to put my things away..." they lower their tone, Orange expressing discomfort at them by bowing to him before leaving. They only did this when he acted like the "king".

Shaking that thought out of his head, he sits down on the mattress, smoothing the covers with one hand, feeling the softness of the bed. He had a tired expression, dark circles under his eyes, he still felt a lot of back pain from the battle. Those kids know how to kick some ass.

He touched his chin, he remembers the red kid hitting him with a golden block right there. It still hurts, so he just stops before he dislocates his jaw. He stares at the ground, resting his arms on his legs, lost in thought.

Purple was generous in coming to this shack of a house, they even went out for a few hours, for a while Orange thought they were gone, and came back with a luggage full of belongings.

Clothes, toiletries, personal items, they were actually moving with him. He couldn't believe it when they came back with that heavy suitcase and backpack.

He could still see the backpack from the corner of his eye, sitting thrown on the floor half open, between the emptiness and some belongings still inside he could see what looked like a gleam of glass.

Raising a curious eyebrow he stood up and went to the bag, getting down on one knee he opened it to get a better look.

A photo. It was Purple, a little younger, and a pinkish woman next to them. Further above the photo there was a hole in the glass, a part of the outside seemed to have been ripped out, hiding a third figure in the photo, a hand on the woman's shoulder.

Purple seemed happy, a little shy or nervous from the expression, but it wasn't like he had more time.

Purple will quickly get a photo of Orange's hand looking at them in surprise. They were now wearing a light pink sweater, looking at him with a shocked and uncomfortable look.

"S-sorry, you were taking a while and found this in the backpack and..." Purple lets him speak, taking the backpack and putting the photo inside, in no time at all they look at Orange.

"It's nothing..." they keep staring at the backpack in their hands, not even wanting to look at the man. "Just forget what you saw..."

Orange crestfallen feels bad about it, he remembers the day they met and he got defensive when they touched his photo with-

"Ouche..!"

Orange looked towards Purple at the sound of the backpack falling to the ground, they were holding their hand tightly, and worried Orange approached to see what it was.

Apparently Purple had touched the broken glass, cutting their fingers in the process. They tried to hide the cut from Orange but it was too late, he had already seen the blood dripping from the wound.

"If you don't treat it, it will get infected." Orange offers his hand, "let me see?" he asks in a soft tone. Purple looks at him cautiously before shaking his hand and looking to the side.

Orange starts to look at the cut more closely, two of his fingers had small cuts, they weren't big so they would be easily treated.

"I have a first aid kit in the bathroom." he says holding Purple's hand and leading them to the bathroom. There he opens the pharmacy and takes out a box with a medical symbol on it, opening it and taking out a wound medicine.

"This might sting a little."

"I can handle it."

Purple responds quickly, surprising Orange a little, but it's true that they lasted a lot in that fight back there, they're stronger than he expected.

Placing the medicine on some cotton wool, he applies a little to the cuts. Purple, feeling the medicine entering the wound, groans in pain a little, trying not to make it too obvious that it hurts.

Orange had seen this many times in the past, and as he stopped breathing, threw the dirty cotton away, and began to put bandages on their fingers.

The bandages were orange with a smiley face in it, which made Purple laugh softly. Seeing Purple smile, even for something silly like a children's bandage, made Orange smile slightly.

"I'll see if I can make something to eat." He starts to put the kit back when Purple stops him, putting a hand on his.

"You can go, I'll clean it for you, Mr. Orange." Purple smiles politely at him, Orange looks at them for a few seconds before sighing and leaving the kit with them, leaving the bathroom and heading to the kitchen.

Purple packs everything back into the kit and puts it inside the pharmacy, seeing a pair of toothbrushes, a brown toothbrush and a yellow children's toothbrush. 

While the adult one seemed well used, the child one looked like it had been abandoned, this leaves a morbid feeling in Purple's chest, but who were they to question these things, they shouldn't meddle in other people's lives.

Purple closes the pharmacy looking at the sink in front of them, placing his hands delicately on the corners of the sink thoughtfully. Orange has been very generous with them. 

They betrayed him, they confronted his authority. If anything, they should be the last person to trust.

Shaking their head, they push that thought to the back of their mind. It wasn't time to question themselves, they were going to make themself useful to Orange.

Leaving the bathroom, they go to where the only table was located, next to a window just in front of the scribbled wall now covered by long, old curtains.

Sitting down, Purple looks towards where the kitchen was located, in the right part of the house, a part they hadn't seen yet.

They could hear sounds of cutlery and stove, and could still feel a delicious smell coming from there. Whatever it is, they must be polite.

After, not long, Orange comes to the table with two dishes, a healthy smoke rising from the meal of well-made veggie garlic noodles.

"I had some pasta and vegetables saved, I hope this turns out well." he gently places Purple's plate in front of them and sits down with his, "we're running out of lots to eat, I'm going to have to go to the store tomorrow." He starts to pick up the utensils when he looks at Purple and their shocked and admiring gaze.

Orange is taken back a bit, he didn't expect them to be so impressed with his basic cooking skills. This gave him a slight reddening on his cheeks.

"Better eat it before it gets cold." This seems to wake Purple up from their trance, leaving them embarrassed, picking up their fork to start eating. When they put a small portion in their mouth, Purple pauses to admire the flavor. 

they have already eaten good food before, but this is even more good for them. They didn't feel worthy of something as good as this. But being faced by Orange's intimidating but serene gazes, they just continued to eat the dish.

"Did you..." the older man pauses, taking a dose of his meal, "Did you like it...?"

Purple pauses to chew and swallow what was already in their mouth, looking at Orange in confusion. 

"Oh yes, it's very good!" They continue, "You're a great cook." they say with a gentle smile.

This relieves Orange, having thought for a moment that Purple didn't like the food. He was happy to have done something that pleased the youngest.

The two remained silent for the rest of the meal. When they finished, Orange got up, taking the dishes to wash, but Purple followed him into the kitchen.

"I can help." they say with their hands behind their backs and a pleading smile. Orange just looks at them and sighs, allowing them to give them a sponge and leaving them a space next to him.

Purple smiles widely, joining him in cleaning not only today's dishes, but some other dishes and utensils that had been dirty, apparently for a while now.

"Are you sure you can handle it?" Orange raises an eyebrow, looking at them from the corner with a smirk. Purple smiles back at him and extends the sleeves of their sweater getting ready to start washing without any problems.

It wasn't a competition, just Purple proving he could do it. This gives Orange a fatherly smile, a feeling he must have forgotten a long time ago.

It didn't last long until most of the dishes were already clean and set out to dry. Orange could see fatigue and tiredness in Purple's eyes, but they continued to clean.

"I think I've had it for you, kid." he says, taking the plate from their hands who look at him confused. "You look tired, go take a shower and sleep, I'll take care of it." he says in a sincere and calm tone. 

Purple tries to protest but the older man just raises a hand in front of their face and points to the exit of the kitchen in silence, focused on the dishes to be washed.

Purple sighs and starts to leave the kitchen without complaint. Orange laughs softly, shaking his head lightly, never has he seen a child so dedicated to washing the dishes.

He remembers washing the dishes like this, hearing a sweet young voice calling him to play, getting frustrated when he was told "not now", but in a friendly and patient tone.

This memory makes him stop for a moment. He felt a pain in his heart, an emptiness. Even with his hand wet and soapy, he holds the fabric of his shirt to his chest, the urge to cry coming to him.

He holds himself back, he didn't want Purple to see him like this. He just went back to finishing the dishes until they were all clean.

Turning off the water in the sink, he cleans his hands with a cloth. Seeing his wet shirt, he leaves the kitchen, removing the item of clothing and throwing it against the headboard of the bed, going to a closet and finding a turtle neck shirt to wear. That one was more comfortable for him to sleep with.

He takes the wet shirt and puts it in a laundry basket full of other clothes to be washed, sighing at the amount still dirty. He sits on the bed, staring at the ceiling thoughtfully.

After a while Purple comes out of the bathroom wearing a butterfly sleeve t-shirt, Orange looks at them, starting to wonder if they only had elegant clothes or if it was just him who didn't know anything about stylish clothes. For him, even clothes with different details were chic.

Purple sighed, scratching their eyes with one hand. They sit on the bed next to Orange in silence.

"If you're still uncomfortable, I can still find another place to sleep." Purple looks at him dumbfounded.

"Your house, your bed, you sleep here!" Purple points to the bed they were both sitting on, Orange laughs under the breath of the younger's reaction.

"Okay, okay." he says, arranging the pillows and putting one in one corner of the bed and another on the other side, which he lays his head on.

Purple smiling leaves his head on their pillow. Orange gets up a little, remembering that he forgot about the sheets. He gets out of bed and opens the closet, taking out two blankets that were inside.

Returning to bed he could see that Purple was already asleep, bringing him a soft smile. He places one of the blankets over Purple, tucking them in gently before laying down on his side of the bed, and covering himself up as well.

He closes his eyes, but he can't seem to fall asleep. His old age kept him awake, and for the most part he just couldn't keep himself comfortable.

In the middle of the night he got up and walked out the front door, sitting on the steps at the entrance.

He begins to look at the sky thoughtfully, letting his gaze just get lost in the stars and his skin be touched by the cold wind. He had closed the door so that the cold wouldn't bother Purple, who were still sleeping peacefully. Good for them, they need more than Orange.

His foot moved, he intertwined his fingers, trying to focus on the desire to sleep, but nothing came. Neither sleep nor tiredness, the cold didn't even bother him.

Slowly he begins to feel tension in his chest, his breathing begins to accelerate little by little. He quickly put his hands around his head, headache? Perhaps? He didn't even know anymore.

He was getting lost in his rapid breathing, his chest trying to keep up but failing. He clutches the chest of his shirt, feeling his breathing get worse, more uncontrolled, and then...

Tears.

Tears began to fall uncontrollably from her face. Orange couldn't control it, he couldn't hold it in any longer. And so, he just let himself go.

Crying softly, not wanting to wake Purple up. He felt a pain in his chest that didn't stop, and at the same time he couldn't control his breathing, just pulling his legs closer to his chest and covering his mouth with one hand. 

Eyes blurred with tears, he just couldn't forget the pain of having lost the most important thing to him.

Taking the photo of him with Gold, he couldn't stop craving his son's affection, the hugs, affection, moments when the little one would wipe away his tears when he cried like that.

Losing his little ray of sunshine was a dagger in the heart, no, multiple ones. A heart that had been pierced before, and healed by the love of his son, a heart broken, crushed and cursed to have everything he loves taken from him.

So why should he care about himself? He failed as a father, he couldn't protect what was most precious to him.

He can't understand why he continues...

"Mr. Orange."

Purple. Purple was alone, they didn't seem to have a family or a place to live, and they also seemed broken if that void they found themselves in meant anything.

Purple was a child. He couldn't leave them alone, they needed him right now. He cannot leave them without help.

Wiping away the tears, and slowly taking control of his breathing again, even if with difficulty, he stands firm, taking deep breaths and looking at the stars above him.

He may have failed before, but he wouldn't fail Purple. He may not be their father, but he will make sure Purple is happy, protected and comfortable.

He doesn't care what happens to him, only Purple. They are the priority, not him. They matter, not him.

Taking a deep breath he opens the door of the house and enters, seeing the youngest still sleeping he just sits next to the bed, lightly laying his head on the mattress looking at the ceiling.

His eyes close lightly until he falls asleep.

[nin-deer]

Ch 143

i mean i think we all knew deep down the kiss was gonna happen based on the flow of the story but i think this chap reveals a lot about gorou and sarina

(uh warning this got a little out of hand so its pretty long lmao)

so.

i dont think anyone's completely in the wrong, but i definitely don't think they're in the right either. (not that i condone incest; its just that their motivations led them to this specific point. would the story have been fine without it? hell yeah. please i actually prefer it that way. but this is the direction the author decided to take it, so we have to take it as it is as a point of learning more about the character's motivations)

Let's first analyze sarina and gorou's relationship pre-reincarnation. I think I covered this in my last post where I rambled about onk, but gorou is doing a doctor thing where he "accepts" sarina's proposal just to make her happy. We learn in this new chapter that he basically catered to her every request, and that's what started that infatuation. we know from previous chapters that her bio family's shitty, so the only place she would get this love is from gorou. we also learn in this chapter that it's not actually a romantic love but a fanatic love, for lack of better terms. she sees him as her idol. does sarina even know what it feels to be romantically in love with someone? she spent her whole first life in a hospital, isolated from others her age. she spent her second life very curated and protected because of her mom and her future career; she couldn't really live a normal life. (we'll get back to this point later) all she knows about love is through her idols, so she's channeling it into (what she thinks is) romantic love for gorou.

gorou, on the other side of this, is an actual adult who had an actual life before all this, so he knows what a normal life is like. assuming sarina is one of his first patients, its obvious to see that he got attached, which is a very risky situation for scenarios like this. we see this attachment made her death worse, as he threw himself into following Ai to cope for her death. not gonna go too in depth about this here because, again, i made another post for this that i'll probably link at the end bc im referencing it more than i thought... continuing! he knows sarina doesnt have long left so he wants to do what he can for her, thus creating that "idol" persona sarina has for him.

we see in his regret in this new chap that he actually knows what he's doing and is aware of the consequences of his actions. ruby doesn't. she doesn't regret anything. as someone who reads a lot of isekai/reincarnation stories, its easy to joke that ruby and aqua are their old age + their new age, but that isn't necessarily true for ruby. sure, aqua is old and this could apply to him. but ruby? she didn't make it past 18 before she died. she's like,,, 13 times 2. double 13. she never fully developed in her first life, and she's developing in this current life. it's like a continue from where she left off. aqua actually was an adult, so he has all the knowledge and wisdom of an adult. why does this matter? shift your attention back to the concept of love for a bit. aqua knows what she's doing is bad and is trying to stop her, but the knowledge that she's sarina is making him automatically succumb to her wishes. a part of his brain, because of the trauma, still sees ruby as the sickly sarina he was caring for.

ruby is naïve. she doesnt know what love is. all the love she's ever been exposed to is whatever she saw online: idols. i dont even think she fully knows what the concept of family is. aqua is her brother? nope. aqua is the doctor she proposed to and now she has a chance to follow through like all the shows she's seen. she's closer than ever to him, so why give up the chance? even as ruby, she wasn't exposed to a lot of normalcy because of idol culture. she isn't able to learn about the difference between platonic love and fanatic love. we even see this with ai, who she sees more as an idol than her mom. the joy is in her idol being her mom, someone who's supposed to care for her. it's like shes living a fantasy made just for her. because aqua was so obsessed w revenge, he didn't have the chance to teach her anything, and it's not like he needed to learn bc he already knows. ruby doesn't.

aqua, as the one who understands these nuances, should have sat her down and explained things, but he didn't because of the trauma of sarina. ruby is ignorant and is treating things like a tv drama, now that her dreams as sarina can finally become true. aqua doesn't realize how serious ruby is about this because in his mind this is just a child playing house. ruby is like,,,, imagine you die and you wake up actually being sold to one direction. or whatever happens to you in your fav self-insert scenario/fanfic. idk a better analogy lmao but its like finally being able to play out your fantasies irl. she doesn't realize the real world impacts of her actions because, frankly, she doesn't care. she gets to live out her life as she wants. aqua was shocked after the first kiss with ruby because he realized then she was being serious, but he didn't speak out about it because, again, the trauma™. (we see him again uncomfy with the whole situation in the next page, but his lack of objection could be bc it's a scene in the documentary and he finds it more important to get revenge rn) ruby kissed him then because she purposefully created the mood like that so it would fit in the story she was writing in her mind.

so what does this mean? because of their shared pasts, aqua and ruby are put in this situation where ruby can do what she wants and aqua goes along with it. even if he knows its morally wrong, he can't bring himself to break ruby's immersion in all of this. BUT. big but. aqua shouldn't act like this. they're both capable of living out their lives as normal (barring the revenge and the whole idol stuff). he doesn't need to act like this anymore; ruby's not terminally ill. he's not a doctor. what he should have done was firmly deny her stuff he knows is wrong because then he can educate her about the reason why. as much as their personalities are inspired by their past lives, sarina and gorou are dead. they need to move on and live a aqua and ruby. (Harsh, I know, but because of this scenes like *gestures vaguely to the newest two chapters* happens. if aqua stood his ground and taught ruby about familial love and that what she's feeling is probably not romantic, i think this could have been avoided. but alas, we need it for the ~drama~)

-

sorry that went on way longer than i thought lmao. i think i covered everything i wanted to say but im too lazy to read back so fingers crossed

if you made it this far and are curious about the other post i mentioned in the beginning, its here. i just think its some context to my thought process but not necessary to understand this post

[seventeenficsformalereader]

Break up; Mingyu

You and Mingyu are both idols. You fell inlove with each other and got into a realtionship. Everything was perfect... Until

Contains: Male x male, breakup, angst, kissing, reader getting hate, mentions of homophobia, reader is an idol, there is no happy ending for you. (Because i need angst lmao)

Genre: Fluff to Angst

~Requested by anon~

(A/N): i'm sorry this took so long to make because i haven't had the motivation to write rn so this took a while and i am truly sorry! But it's here now so enjoy reading!

And Mingyu is not actually bad it's just in this story so do not hate! And i'm not hating either☺️

Word Count: 1,613 + changes.

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Me and Mingyu have been dating for 5 months or so now. It always felt like the longest time when i couldn't see him. Everytime our schedules didn't match and we had to be apart for a long time, i would miss him every second.

I wonder if he feels the same..

I woke up to the sound of someone entering my apartment. I absolutely knew who it was and i jumped out of bed and ran to the livingroom to see none other than Mingyu standing there. My lips turned up into a big bright smile and i hugged him so fast that he almost fell over "Hey M/N-ah.. Seems like you missed me" Mingyu said with a smile on his face and I just kept hugging him tightly. "I always miss you when you're not around" I told him and pulled away from the hug a bit.

I saw him smiling down at me and i couldn't help but feel so full of love. I smiled up at him. "Does my baby want a kiss?" He said teasingly and i nodded. "Yes, but i can't reach. You are too tall" I said and pretended to be mad. "It's not my fault! I can't do anything about it" He laughed and put his hand on my chin.

He leaned down towards me and softly connected our lips. It was perfect. His lips are always so soft and gentle against mine. I could do this forever. I felt him wrap his hands around my waist, pulling me closer and i put my arms around his neck, not wanting this moment to end.

However, he slowly pulled away from the kiss and opened his mouth to say something, but instead he just sighed and smiled.

"I want to go on a date" He suddenly announced after a while and i looked up at him and started smiling. "Really? Like, right now?" I asked. To be honest, i was fine with any time because i just wanted to be with him.

"Yes. Now. Let's go to that small cafe at the end of the street. Sound good?" I nodded.

~Time skip~

Me and Mingyu were now sitting in the cafe. We ordered some coffee and talked about almost everything.

He was sitting across from me and he suddenly grabbed my hand. "I love you M/N. A lot." He said lovingly and smiled at me. "I love you too Gyu~" I kissed his hand and i saw him smiling at me.

He moved so he was sitting next to me and he gave me a quick kiss before moving back to his place. I was smiling brightly, but i didn't notice the person with the camera just outside the cafe we were sitting in together.

~Time skip, tomorrow morning~

I woke up when the sun hit my eyes from outside and i rubbed my eyes and turned to my other side and tried to wrap my arm around my lover, but couldn't find him. I slowly sat up and saw that Mingyu wasn't laying there anymore. I let out a sigh and stretched my limbs slightly.

I got up from the bed and slowly waddled to the kitchen. When i got there, i saw Mingyu on his phone, looking kind of- Well.. really stressed out.

"Heyy.. What's wrong? Everything okay?" I walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder to try to calm him down. "No. Everything is not okay." He said and showed the news he had found. It said something about me and Mingyu being spotted in the cafe holding hands and kissing. I read the news and my face turned into a more worried one. "I mean, it isn't a bad thing.. Right?" I turned to look at him.

"What? Of course it is! Do you have any idea what this could mean for my career?" He said and put his phone down and ran a hand through his hair. "I mean.. It isn't a bad thing that people find out-" "Yeah. Maybe for you. You are openly gay and all that but i'm not. And all of my fans know about this because it's all over the news. Rest of Seventeen have been blowing up my phone with questions, asking about it. I'm already under so much stress, i can't take this too."

My eyebrows furrowed "Maybe you should just accept who you are and not let this bother you. We can get through it together. I understand it's a big change, but i know you can manage it" I smiled at him and tried to hug him but he got up from his seat and shoved me away. "No you don't understand. It's not what i wnated. Not right now." He bit his lip in thought. "I think we need to break up. I can't handle the stress of the situation" My heart dropped at his words and my eyes got teary. "W-What? Over something so.. small?" He scoffed "Small? You call our relationship being leaked 'small'?" He shook his head and sighed. "I just.. i'm not even sure if i wanted it to be out in the open. Hell I didn't even want my sexuality to be out in the open, so my private life and our relationship at the same time? I can't do it." He once again ran a hand through his hair.

"You know what's funny in this? The fact that you are only talking about you. You, You and You. Your career, Your sexuality, Your this, your that and not a single word about me or my feelings." I said with teary eyes. "I know i'm not supposed to be mad but you shouldn't be so selfish."

"Oh i'm being selfish? You don't even care how this affects my life"

"Again! Your Life!" I raised my voice. "What about me? It was our relationship that got leaked. Not your."

"You know what. Doesn't matter. We have to break up. This isn't working." He said and walked to the bedroom to get his charger and some other stuff before changing his clothes to jeans and a white t-shirt.

I followed him to the bedroom. "So that's it? You're just going to leave and pretend nothing happened?" I said, getting a bit angry, but there was sadness evident in my voice "Yes. It's the only way i can get through this"

I sighed in annoyance "FINE THEN! I DON'T NEED YOU AND YOUR SELFISH ASS HERE ANYWAY!" i snapped at him and he walked past me, out of the bedroom to the front door "Good! Because i don't need you clinging into me all the time anymore! i never needed and never will!"

He opened the front door. "The date was your idea anyway!" I yelled after him and he slammed the door shut.

Right after the door shut, the tears started falling from my eyes and i let out a shaky sigh and a sob after that.

"Stupid, stupid, why would I do that" I cursed to myself and walked to the living room and sat down on the couch and took out my phone.

I saw 500+ messages from my friends and from social media platforms about videos and photos that tagged me and Mingyu. I sighed in frustration and threw my phone to the wall as more tears fell from my eyes.

~Time skip to a couple days later~

I scrolled through my phone that now had a broken screen because of the hit it got when i threw it and i stumbled across a video where Seventeen was being interviewed. But it was a clip from the interviw and it was a clip of Mingyu answering a question

"It has been a couple days since we got to know about your and M/N's relationship. Do you mind telling us more about it?" The lady asked and Mingyu answered with "It was too hard for M/N and he broke up with me. It was the most heart breaking thing but i understand the stress of it."

I scoffed and sat up on the couch. "I broke up with him huh?" I said out loud to myself and tears of anger filled my eyes. "What is he trying to do? Get people to hate me and get pity for him?" I thought to myself and i shut my phone and threw it on the table and groaned in annoyance.

After i calmed down for a bit, i took my phone and saw some posts about how shitty it was for me to break up with Mingyu. "What the hell." I said to myself.

i went to the contacts and called Mingyu. I needed to know what he was doing. After a while of trying to call him, he disn't answer me. I yelled out in anger and annoyance before breaking into tears as my phone was blowing up of posts about how i'm a bad person and my fans turning against me.

I didn't know what to do anymore. I needed to talk to Mingyu, but he didn't answer my texts or calls. I was hopeless.

Meanwhile Mingyu got sweet texts from people saying that everything is going to be okay and that he deserves someone better than me. Even tho he got some homophobic hate comments, he was still protected. He knew what he was doing and he enjoyed the power he had.

I couldn't return to work yet and i needed to take a vacation. I needed one really badly. Mingyu was living his best life while i was suddenly living the worst nightmare.

How could life be so cruel...?

===============

A/N: I'M SO SO SO SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! i didn't have time or motivation to write this, but it's now done and i hope you enjoyed reading!

[sunnylands-world]

More stories with hopper, love your writing🫶

Down the hall

Pairing: Jim Hopper x fem reader

Summary: tonight is the night of graduation sleepover, and the start of many new things…

Word count: 1'747

Warning: shower sex, oral [male receiving], degrading kink, pet names, dirty talk, feelings because I couldn't help myself, age gap, EVERYONE IS OF AGE, I was going for a loving and fake hating type thing with hopper, I think that's it let me know if I missed anything.

I don't have an age restriction since I know people underage are reading "certain" content with that being said what you consume is your choice! I will not be held responsible for any of it .

Universe: best friend's dad

A/n: this was meant to be done a lot sooner but I wasn't finished with it then when I was I edited some things.

Nice thought, reblogs, and inboxing is appreciated and motivational ❤️

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School was out. you had just graduated and honestly you were surprised you did since you ditched so much [and failed a few times] but nevertheless you made it out of the hell you called school. you flipped your teachers off as you grabbed your diploma making your way to a giggling eleven and her dad. Hopper the chief of police. it was obvious he hadn't been home yet, a box of sugar donuts in his arm and a smile on his face as you got closer. you bite your lip looking over the older man.

It was moments like this you were glad El couldn't understand certain things because if she could you two would not still be friends, having become close after she arrived. You were one of the only friends she had that wasn't part of Mike's group. you had been to her house before but tonight was a different type of hang out; it was a celebration for you two because you graduated and during this celebration you'd eat junk, watch TV maybe Dance or whatever and you'd be spending the night.

"You know it's not good to flip off your teachers." Hopper smirked, opening the passenger door for you, el hopping in the back as he walked around and got in.

"You gonna arrest me chief," you teased, taking a donut from the box. Hopper chuckled, shaking his head. He couldn't deny that he liked the fire that you had.

The ride back consists of plan making for tonight and you trying to get under Hopper's skin. you sat back sucking the sugar coat from your fingers, moaning in satisfaction. El was fast asleep in the back leaving you awake with him. He would glance your way occasionally before straightening up in his seat.

"So um– I'll be in my room while you two have fun. I'll be just down the hall" he states, breaking the tension. you pout looking over at him and he looks your way confused.

"You're not gonna play with me while I'm here tonight? I was hoping we'd have some fun too."

your hand sneaks across the console brushing over him in his uniform pants. He slaps your hand away shooting you a glare.

Fire burns a little to bright if given the fuel

"I'm your best friend's dad, this isn't appropriate" he scowled and you only grinned in response. He scoffs parking in the drive thru. He's headed for the door, going in quickly without turning to look your way.

You pull the handle for your door, sending it open as you jump to your feet.

You pull El's door open, waking her.

She sits up with a dopey smile rubbing her eyes and you smile back, grabbing her wrist to take her into the house for the night. Tonight would be one to remember.

It's about nine.

Eleven and you are in your PJs, a bowl of half eaten lays and wrappers littered around the floor as you both giggle at the screen.

You have the sudden urge to go pay Hopper a visit so you sit up from the bed telling her you need to go do something, she waves you off engrossed in the show.

You crept down the hall looking for his door, finding it ajar. you enter, feet taking slow and small steps, halting in place when you hear the shower running.

Would he have left the door open as an invitation if he didn't want you to come find your way in?

You take this as your opportunity to look him over in all his glory. In one hand he had the cloth, soapy and wet and the other was running through his soaked hair as the shower ran over him. You let your tongue run over your lips nervously before pulling your shorts and top away.

The Door sliding open alerts him from his thoughts. His eyes wide as he takes in your appearance before they quickly meet yours with what you'd describe as hatred and lust but you swear it's a facade.

"What the fuck are you doing kid!" He whispered. He didn't need to ask though, he knew what you were here for and he can't lie to himself and say he wasn't hoping you'd show up.

"I'm just here to shower with you" you bat your lashes not missing the glance he shoots towards your bare breast. He groans in frustration before he's got you by the arm pulling you in.

He immediately turns you around so your backs against the wall causing you to gasp at the force you hit it with.

"You're a little whore you know that," he began moving his hands to the slope at your waist. You nod with a grin. He scoffed, pushing you to your knees. Your face to face with his hardened length, lips parting slightly in awe.

"Well, go on then. Suck it" he snapped, taking you out of your gaze. Hopper wasn't going to be gentle and nice with you, he was going to be mean and you loved that feeling when your heart tugged in hurt and Desire, you hoped his was something similar just with different words.

You don't need to be told twice, taking him in your small hand working in a back and forth motion as your lips wrap around him. You hollow your cheeks, sucking till he's engulfed as deep as you can take him, Loving the sickening burn and taste of him. He grunts, taking your hair and forcing you further till you gag.

I can take him, I can take every inch.

"Yeah that's it," he blurted, thrusting forward as your hands brace themselves on his thighs, fingernails leaving crescent moons for later. He tries to stop the quack in his thighs and the roll of his eyes but he's far from in control with the warm heat of your mouth and the slippery feeling of your saliva as you pull back giving his cock that pretty shine. Your eyes flutter dazed, a low moan muffled by his cock as you let yourself relax.

"I knew it. you dirty girl, You're a terrible influence on my daughter. Should I tell your parents you're taking my cock like a slut while your best friend lays in her room?" He pulled you from him, a slap coming to your cheek as you caught your breath, thighs pressed together for friction.

"Answer me. I haven't even stuck it in you yet and you've already gone dumb," he tsked, getting no response as you sat there pathetically peering up at him. He swears he could cum just looking at you like that.

The water only drips lightly on you as Hopper blocks it with his larger frame hair wet on the top of his head.

"Or is that what you need to get you talking?" He asked, receiving a nod from you.

Pathetic and beautiful

"please," you begged, only for him to grab you from the floor like you weighed nothing. Hopper was strong compared to anyone you'd ever been with, and you wondered about all the other ways he could toss you around.

"Put your legs around my waist" he commanded, one arm around you while his other slapped his cock against you, playing with your wetness to make sure you could take all of him.

You did as you were told, wrapping your legs around him so they'd hold you close to him. Your breast against the hairs on his chest has your nipples hardening as he angles his hips so he can thrust up into you. Your back hits the cold tile, sending a chill over you with a faint gasp.

His hands are on either side of your head letting you catch every pleasurable sound falling from his lips with his head in the crook of your neck. The wall and your legs support you while he slams his hips to your ass causing your soft moans to blend with the warm pressure of the shower.

You try to brace yourself for his length as it slides into places that have you greeting the stars as you levitate with pleasure. Nothing could have prepared you for this. The shallow breaths on your skin, the easy glide of his cock like you had just given yourself to him mind, body, and soul and you guess you did because you changed his name like prayers.

He wasn't sure if he could hold on much longer. Not like this, not when you were whimpering and shuddering as if you were possessed with your walls clenching around him like he'd leave you but he knew he'd never be able to do that.

He moved his hands from the wall gripping your thighs and he hoped he'd bruised your skin so anyone who saw would know you belonged to someone. He knew el was down the hall probably wondering where you were so he picked up the pace; going harder, faster and deeper if that was possible because he already felt like he'd pushed himself deep enough to have your poor cunt burning tomorrow but he didn't really care.

he'd lost all control when he let you in the shower with him so he wasn't going to hold back because you knew what you got into when Came to him.

Your voice was practically gone leaving behind nothing but pathetic yelps as he repeatedly hit that spot inside you to have you holding on to him weakly. Your toes curled and your eyes rolled. you'd never felt anything like it, like him and you were sure you never would do this again and that brought sobs from you.

Hopper pulled out of your neck his eyes meeting yours in confusion thinking he might have hurt you.

"Baby what's–"

"I don't want you to stop, I don't ever want you to, please," you begged with glossy eyes.

He sighed, kissing your cheek before an almost endearing smile came across his face.

"I won't baby, I won't. I'll just keep ruining this pussy for you," he groaned, feeling you clamp down on him.

Now being realistic here he knew that he'd have to stop but he'd keep going as long as he could and when he did stop, you came around him with your lips on his, tongue tasting his canned beer and cigarettes and he knew in the back of his mind even as he washed you and himself clean with affection kisses like it was the last time,

That you'd always be over, just down the hall…

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[chunyaowo]

A lovely christmas with Ike

Pairing: Ike Eveland x G!N reader

Genre: Fluff

Words: 2288

Writers note: hello hello! I know Christmas was a bit ago and I actually wanted to publish this a whole lot earlier, but my motivation went to vacation... TwT I'm actually not really satisfied with the story and all, but I put too much time and effort for this to not to publish. I hope some of you will enjoy it nonetheless ^^

It was a very snowy day. It was winter, and Christmas was right up ahead too. It was your first Christmas well... with him. Your boyfriend. The person who you love by heart and admire so much. You were sitting at the kitchen table, resting your chin in your palm, while staring into the void.

"Sweetheart?"

A familiar voice broke your daydreaming, and it was no other person than him.

"Oh, sorry, I was just a little bit too much trapped into my thoughts, it's about nothing serious or anything!

Ike frowned his eyebrows, still quite worried about you.

"Are you sure? You know you can always come to me when you're worried about anything." He said softly, his voice being calm and soothing.

"Yeah, I know... Thank you. Im just a bit tired, thats all." You gave ike a small smile, trying not to worry him any further.

Suddenly, Ike stood up, standing right beside you, slowly ruffling his fingers through your hair as he smiled reassuringly.

"I'm glad then." Ike made a small pause as he spoke up again. "Maybe if you're too tired then, how about if I... spoil you a little bit? Do you... might want to cuddle up on the couch while watching a Christmas movie and having a hot chocolate to help you fall asleep..?"

You could see ikes cheeks starting to glow in a red hue as his gaze was sincere and honest. You couldn't help, but get off track in his eyes, which looked like a clear sky that got lost in an open sunflower field. You nodded after speaking up again. "Yeah... that would be nice."

Ike couldn't help, but chuckle as his lips curled up into a warm smile.

"Alright, hop on the coach. I will take care of the hot chocolate and everything, and then we can get ourselves comfy and all of that jazz~"

As a few minutes passed, Ike came finally back from the kitchen, holding two mugs of hot chocolate in his hands. You could see that on top of the whipped cream were small little marshmallows and sprinkles covered on it.

"I'm back!"

ike carefully handed you the mug with a cover of a little floof ball with a blue feather that's white tint is fading into a  blue tone. It was a special mug, well because the mug was a gift from him.

"Thank you!"

"My pleasure" ike smiled slightly as he grabbed the remote control and started playing the movie. As soon as the movie started, you both could hear the winter music playing that both of you are very fond of. You leaned yourself comfortably back against the couch while snuggling yourself up into your blanket. Despite the fact that you're being all comfy and cozy, something was still missing.

"Come here"

Ikes lips escaped a smile as he opened his arm as an invitation to wrap his arms around your shoulder.

Your eyes started to slowly widen at his offer. You didn't hesitate for too long and slowly found a place in his arms. After a while, he covered the both of you with a warm cozy blanket as he hold you tight in his presence. Your head then shifted gently onto Ike's shoulder.

"Are you comfortable?"

You nodded whilst you answered with  a simple "yeah"

"I'm glad that you are."

Both of you were in each other's arms, feeling the presence and warmth in each of your bodies. After time passed, ike came right up closer to you. You could feel his breath on your neck, sending you a wave of a red tint across your cheeks. Ike continued coming closer to your neck, placing gentle and warm kisses on your tender skin. Each kiss being placed on your neck was filled with care and affection.

Only for you.

Even though your face is filled with a hue of red, you felt so comfortable. Comfortable by being by his side. Never wanting this moment between the two of you to end.

After feeling so comfortable, you decided to rest your head on Ike's chest, causing your heart to skip for a beat. As soon as Ike noticed you being so comfortable around him, his lips formed into a smile, gently placing his head on top of yours. It was a very wholesome moment. It was just you and him, snuggling up close to each other on the coach, while the snow was covering the streets outside.

Ike couldn't stop smiling so much after you're acting so cute and cozy in his presence. Soon enough, he leaned himself forward and placed a gentle kiss on your forehead. You could feel his breath against your forehead as he pulled away, whispering softly to you.

" You're so cute.."

Ikes hand is coming closer to your head, starting to run his hand through your silky smooth hair.

Your eyes widened just as you could feel your cheeks heating up. You looked up to ike, your gaze was vulnerable, yet so much filled with love towards him. Ike let out a small giggle whilst he placed his hands on both of your cheeks, holding them softly while his gaze looked upon you with a genuine smile.

"I want nothing more, but always be with you like this. Holding you tight and showing you how much I love you. His voice was soft while he gently started to rub your cheeks with his thumbs, going up and down. His fingers were gentle and tender, brushing against your skin, making you feel like butterflies were flying all around your stomach. Ike leaned forward as he placed his forehead against yours. Your noses were now mere centimeters apart from each other. You felt ikes warm breath brushing against your face as you could feel your own breathing increasing.

Ike pulled his forehead back again, still holding your cheeks in his hands.

"Back then last year, when you confessed your love to me at the park while everything's being covered in snow, even ourselves, That day... I considered myself as the luckiest guy in the world. It was a cold wintertime like this. And I will cherish this memory forever in my heart.'

You could feel your own cheeks warming up when he told you all these things. Ike was really someone who was really good at words, and always knew how to express his feelings clearly into it.

Ike leaned his face slowly towards yours, placing his soft lips on your own. The kiss wasn't passionate, neither lustful. He just wanted to show how much he loved you. As soon as you could feel his lips being placed upon yours, you could feel your heartbeat increasing by any second. It was a wonderful and romantic moment that only the two of you shared.

After both of you pulled away, ike gently took your head and placed it on his chest again. Holding you tight in an embrace, nuzzling his head grntly onto your hair. Running through your hair gently once again.

You couldn't help, but deeply blush at the actions of ike. You're slowly closing your eyes, as at the Same time as you couldn't stop from smiling so much.

After a bit of time passed, you could feel ike slowly coming closer to your ear, whispering in a soft tone:

"Goodnight my love, sweet dreams."

The next day has arrived. For this day, you and Ike decided to visit the Christmas market together and spend some time alone.

After walking around for a bit at the Christmas market, Both of you decided to grab a crepe. You had just the regular one with chocolate. Ike on the other hand, had a crepe with strawberries and sugar. You just knew how much he likes strawberries, and just seeing him being so happy over something so simple just warms your heart, even at a cold winter evening.

"It looks so good!"

Ike said before taking a big bite into his crepe. His eyes started to widen after he took an actual bite into it. You could even see little stars forming into his greenish eyes.

"Wow, is it that good?"

"Yeah, the sugar and the strawberries are a good combination, it feels like my mouth is exploding with all these different kinds of taste!"

He paused for a bit, after speaking up once again. "Do you... want to take a bite?" He said in a soft, yet gentle voice. Reaching out the crepe to you.

"If that's okay with you, of course."

You nodded gently, coming closer to take a small bite.

"Okay, say aaa~"

You stopped moving your head further to his crepe, slightly feeling that your cheeks had suddenly flushed up.

Ike stopped as soon as he saw your face and started to let out a big laughter.

"Why are you suddenly starting to get so flustered all out of the sudden? Am I not allowed to feed my partner now?"

"..."

"I... don't want it anymore."

Ike couldn't help himself, but started laughing once again.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but your reaction to my flirting is so cute."

Ike held a hand before his mouth, trying his best to keep in his laughter. After a little while, he calmed himself down again, looking at you with a warm smile.

"Come on, are you sure you don't want a taste, not even a little one?:

You paused for a moment. Hesitating for a second, before you actually slowly leaned forward and took a small bite from the crepe. Your eyes started to widen while you remained silent.

Ike started chuckling a bit to himself once again When he saw your expression filled on your face. He stopped chuckling just as he saw a bit of the whipped cream on your lips.

"Hey, you have something on your lips, wait let me get it for you" he said as he came closer to you, placing gently his thumb at the corner of your mouth and tenderly wiped the whiped cream on your lips away. Your eyes were glued with his, staring into his eyes filled with a gentle expression.

"There we go, much better."

A few days passed by as soon enough The day had finally arrived. It was Christmas. The clear night sky was about to be seen outside as you and Ike were sitting down under the Christmas tree while both of your heads were placed on each shoulder. Feeling content and delighted in eachothers near.

"Now... would you like to exchange each other's presents? I can't wait to see your expression when you get to open my gift."

You could see ikes lips shaping into a warm smile as he softly spoke these words. You nodded, bringing up a small present behind your back.

"Please open my gift first."

Ike let out a small chuckle, seeing How insisting to open yours first.

"Okay, if you really insist, then I would be happy to do that."

Ike opened the small present box. Carefully removing the blue bow which is attached to the box. Ike slowly opened the box and went immediately silent. His cheeks are starting to glow in a red hue, His eyes glued to the present as his gaze was softly looking at It. He gently took out what's in the box. It was a light blue writing pen. It had small little yellow moosaic pattern on it. As well as there was something engraved on it. It was the day you and Ike became a couple and started dating. As ikes gaze slowly trailled off, he could see there was something written inside the box as well.

"For the best novelist in the whole world"

Ikes eyes were attached to yours. His cheeks are getting redder as he tightly wrapped his arms around you. You couldn't help, but smile at ikes reaction.

After a while, when both of you pulled away from the embrace, Ike gently handed a box to you with a rather shy smile. "This is my present for you, it's... nothing really special, but I hope you will like it"

You knew Ike was always someone who was very modest, but you knew whatever it was, you would love it because it's from him.

You gently took ikes present, which he handed to you, unwrapping the small gift. On the inside, you could see over twenty papers in it. But they weren't any normal papers, they were self-written love letters. All of them written by hand and so much love.

Just for you.

"This isn't my only gift for you, you know?"

Ike went over to the Christmas tree, pulling a guitar out behind it and took a seat on the coach.

"I worked on a little song that I've written for you. I... really worked hard on this one, so I hope you will like it."

Ike took a deep breath before he started playing the first accords of the song. The song begins with a deep emotional melody, which shifts after a little while into a more soft, soothing sound. After a while, he even started to hum softly along with the song. His voice was gentle and calm. Even though there were no words in his humming, you could clearly hear all the feelings he wanted to portray with this song. It sounded so lovely, and he seemed so happy. He really had a big heart for music. You couldn't help, but be mesmerized by him and the song he had written for you.

as ike finished playing, he looked up at you again. His eyes shining bright, filled with sincerness, His lips escaping a genuine smile as he spoke up.

"Merry Christmas, my love"

[yuseirra]

with that previous post I wrote in mind,

Wouldn't it be cool if the world worked like that and we had gods or some otherworldly being living among us? but even they wouldn't realize of it and they just live as normal human beings... that one lyric in Mephisto always really stuck out to me. "I forgot who I lived as", "remember who I lived with", you know? Reincarnations are involved in this comic and we HAVE gods living as people. I think Hikaru and Ai really were to be those kinds of beings, the gods who didn't realize they used to be one and lived as "people". Then, in Fatal, he discovers it after Ai's death and begins to "embrace his destiny". I believe THAT's what actually happened. That guy DOES have some weird power. I'm sure. I studied him A LOT. SO HARD. That's the way to explain his motives and character. Everything works if we take it as such.

Have you ever had cases where you look at someone and feel, "They're too good to be true" or something like that? it's rare, but there are actually cases like that. Wouldn't it be really nice if we had angels living among us? I wish there were a lot of them. it'd be faster to be that kind of person than to expect to find someone like that, to be honest..; but maybe the world is more magical than you'd think. I think it was Buddhism, there are beliefs that there are past lives and reincarnations, I don't really believe in such things but in that case, you can be a bug, sheep, a person, basically anything in the past and the future. You never know till you die and if you do, you'd forget you have these thoughts in the first place.

You wouldn't know who you'd be facing if you live in a world like that, so wouldn't you be more careful and kinder to everyone? Nobody would dare to mistreat a god or an angel. And it'd be sweet to have them live among us, maybe it won't be all good; actually, that could be scary, nevermind it, but something like an angel may still be nice. The problem would be that; even an angel may; turn out to be what Hikaru's become if the world is really messed up. I mean seriously, isn't that exactly what happened in this story?? Wasn't that guy kind?? He started out sweet!! He totally flipped!!; I'm really persistent on this idea but I'm sure Ai wouldn't have chosen a bad guy to go, "I want to live forever with him." He was probably someone who deserved it. That guy's grown insane and fallen, but I don't think he was evil to begin with. This makes my head ache really bad because; people don't behave like him on a normal level. I think he functioned with some kind of conviction that what he did could produce some kind of fruition. He isn't dumb, he probably knew very well of what he was doing but he still couldn't stop, so; I keep thinking he could have really been up to something. What if he could have really brought Ai back or what he did could have been able to bring him closer to her o<-< this guy had some plan the way Aqua talks about it '-'); Aqua stopped it from happening and he started making this despaired expression, that really bothers me. It definitely had to do with his goal of feeling Ai again. Probably worked on it ever since she passed. Well, we'll never get to know I guess. This comic is so weird...

[misfxts]

(I’m on mobile. Unfortunately the site is ass. For ichisada in her Pokémon verse if that’s okay)

Glimpses of the Past @brrnedoutbrrista

As a young girl, Uncle often regaled Ichisada with stories of his early life, her favorite was the story of what spurred him into becoming a professor in the first place:

Uncle was a young adult from Unova living in Johto when the infamous slowpoke incident happened, it was a shock and Uncle was as horrified as anyone else to learn what Team Rocket was doing in that well.

But what upset Uncle more was the fact that any chef from a region where slowpoke tails were considered a delicacy were chased out of the region-- locals dismissing the dish as cruel, meaningless abuse of the creature; and that these people opening these restaurants that served slowpoke tails were surely monsters-- which justified witch hunts, vandalism, and general discrimination.. right?

No, Uncle knew better, they were a delicacy-- you just had to do it right, cut a few inches away from the base and the tail grows back in half the time, any closer could result in stunted growth-- or no growth at all.

The people had to know, he refused to let those Team Rocket bastards ruin something that people was an integral part of other region's cultures.

So, with spite in his heart, he hit the books, and soon became the Pokemon Goods Professor. With his research easily accessible to all, to make sure no one would be discriminated because of what they ate.

Ichisada thought of that story often when she herself was running through the gauntlet to become a professor; the sleepless nights, heavy coursework, internships.. residencies.. you needed some sort motivation to get through it, lest you'd lose your mind and drop out.

Uncle's motivation was spite.. what was Ichisada's motivation?

She leans back from her desk in her dorm room, staring at the ceiling. This thought wasn't productive-- she needed to get that assignment done.. but fuck. She needed the break.

Ichisada stands up and starts to stretch-- she'd sitting too long at that desk-- and thinks about the question she posed to herself.

Well.. she was surrendered at birth, she was told her mother was just a teenager and signed the papers to surrender her to the region without a second thought. Her mom must have made that choice well in advance, if that was the case.

Then, she went from home to home, a couple different foster parents being kind enough to give Ichisada her first Pokemon-- Buneary. She couldn't believe that the foster system let her keep it, even after she was transferred to a different home. It was nice having some sort of constant as she was shuffled throughout Kalos, through foster parents who became foster parents for the wrong reasons, or through the other kids, who decided Ichisada was the odd one out.

Eventually, she found herself in Uncle's home. She was distrustful at first, but soon warmed right up to Uncle. To say that they got along like a house on fire was an understatement-- Ichisada had never felt so at ease, so safe with an adult before. She almost didn't believe it was real.

She also didn't believe it when Uncle made the choice to adopt her, and even gifted her a Litten from a business trip in Alola to celebrate her new home.

Ichisada was so, so thankful. So happy that she finally had stability, love, schedule. Everything a kid left to the whims of the foster system could ever want; she didn't have to fight for her place in the world, she didn't have to prove herself worthy-- she was. Uncle made sure she knew that every day.

No longer surviving, now thriving. Ichisada had awakened an interest in Uncle's work-- she always had as a kid, but never had the time to really look into it.. and the two quickly discovered how easily Ichisada understood the work that went into his research. Uncle had never intended for Ichisada to become his successor, it would ultimately had been her choice to do so or not.. but he couldn't hide his excitement!

Everything was coming up aces.. until.. it happened.

Those damn brutes, breaking in, demanding research that Ichisada had never heard of before as she hid behind a cabinet as Uncle tried to reason with them... and where did it get him?

Dead.

Ichisada shakes her head, she doesn't want to think about it. His body, the noises.. no. Not useful right now. She pushes through the memories, the funeral, everything up until now.

Why is she doing this?

...It's love.

She loved Uncle, one of the first adults she cared for and they cared for her just as much. Uncle wanted to be called Uncle because he thought being called dad was weird... but no, for all intents and purposes-- that was her dad, DNA be damned, that was her fucking dad.

And she was going to do him proud, take over his research. Because she loved him.

Ichisada smiled, finding her answer. She took back to her research.

And it was love that got her to walk across that stage, holding that funny piece of paper that declared her a professor.

She felt proud, she just hoped that Uncle-- wherever he may be-- was proud of her too.

[richincolor]

Jessica's 2023 Favorites

It's always so hard to pick my favorite books of the year -- there were so many! I read poignant graphic novels that made me sob, lighthearted adventures that made me think, and heartfelt romances that I couldn't stop telling people about. I've narrowed my favorite reads this year down to three -- and I imagine they might be on your list too! We'd love to hear what you loved reading this year and what you look forward to reading next year. Anyway, without further ado...

In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee A debut YA graphic memoir about a Korean-American girl's coming-of-age story—and a coming home story—set between a New Jersey suburb and Seoul, South Korea.

Deborah (Jung-Jin) Lee knows she's different. Ever since her family emigrated from South Korea to the United States, she's felt her Otherness. For a while, her English isn't perfect. None of her teachers can pronounce her Korean name. Her face and her eyes—especially her eyes—stand out. As the pressures of high school ramp up, friendships change and end, and everything gets harder. Even home isn't a safe place, as fights with her mom escalate. Deb is caught in a limbo, with nowhere to go, and her mental health plummets.

But Deb is resilient. She discovers art and self-care, and gradually begins to start recovering. And during a return trip to South Korea, she realizes something that changes her perspective on her family, her heritage, and herself.

This stunning debut graphic memoir features page after page of gorgeous, evocative art, perfect for Tillie Walden fans. It's a cross section of the Korean-American diaspora and mental health, a moving and powerful read in the vein of Hey, Kiddo and The Best We Could Do.

The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa El Diablo is in the details in this Latinx pirate fantasy starring a transmasculine nonbinary teen with a mission of revenge, redemption, and revolution.

On Mar León-de la Rosa's 16th birthday, el Diablo comes calling. Mar is a transmasculine nonbinary teen pirate hiding a magical ability to manipulate fire and ice. But their magic isn't enough to reverse a wicked bargain made by their father and now el Diablo has come to collect his payment: the soul of Mar's father and the entire crew of their ship.

When Mar is miraculously rescued by the sole remaining pirate crew in the Caribbean, el Diablo returns to give them a choice: give up your soul to save your father by the Harvest Moon or never see him again. The task is impossible--Mar refuses to make a bargain and there's no way their magic is any match for el Diablo. Then, Mar finds the most unlikely allies: Bas, an infuriatingly arrogant and handsome pirate -- and the captain's son; and Dami, a genderfluid demonio whose motives are never quite clear. For the first time in their life, Mar may have the courage to use their magic. It could be their only redemption -- or it could mean certain death.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He's a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.

Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption--yet, she's still not cool enough for the popular kids' table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that's how Celine sees it.)

These days, there's nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she's surprised to find Brad right beside her.

Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?

[aleheartilly]

❄️🌤️

Thank you for the ask!

❄️Share a snippet from a WIP of your choosing.

I chose The Winter Rose for this one, because I so wish to have feedback on that story and I am so unsure about it! This excerpt comes from the next chapter, soon to be published.

Squall turned to look at her. Her hands were folded in her lap, and her eyes were fixed on her plate. She looked almost… dejected? "I am sorry, Your Highness. I need to deal with the fallout of the Esquire's disappearance." The Princess nodded, raising her eyes. "I understand, Sir. Please don't feel the need to apologize for your duties." She sighed, squeezing her ring again. "I… Can I suggest something?" Squall narrowed his eyes at her. Her demeanor had completely changed when the name of Baron Almasy had been mentioned. "If you think it could help," he said, cringing a little at the bluntness of his words. "Baron Almasy seemed particularly interested in Sorceresses and the legends surrounding them and their Knights, Sir," she started, choosing her words carefully. For some reason he couldn't pinpoint, Squall thought she was giving him only the information she deemed absolutely necessary. It felt slightly disturbing. The Princess rose to her feet, needlessly brushing her dress on her stomach. "It may be wise to consider that the only living Sorceresses without a Knight are me and Sorceress Ultimecia, the Mistress of Time and Space. And it's safe to say I am… unavailable, for the kind of dreams Baron Almasy wants to achieve." Squall looked at her through narrowed eyes, feeling his jaw settle into a hard clench. "What kind of dreams exactly, Your Highness?" "It is not my place to tell, Sir Leonhart," she murmured, coming closer to him. "But please, be careful." "I… see," said Squall, trying to relax his hands, as he had involuntarily clenched them into tight, almost painful fists. Her unwillingness to be clearer was grating on his nerves. There was a problem; he needed to solve it; she was stalling him with partial information she had however deemed useful enough to share; and he didn't know enough about Baron Almasy to understand his motives without her help. Knowing she had spent time with the Baron, just as much as she was forced to spend it with him, was making him curious about her motives, though; and what kind of dreams was she talking about? What was exactly the unavailability she had mentioned? And asking him to be careful? She knew his strength. He had managed to defeat her in a fair duel. She was the Mistress of Pure Magic, and he was the only true match for the incredible raw power she mastered. "Fear not for me, Your Highness," he said, with such a sharp edge to his voice that she raised her eyes. "I am the one true match for one of the most powerful magic in this world, am I not?" She gave him a smile - slow, melancholy, with an edge to it that was part tender, and part extremely ragged, fragile. "You are, Sir Leonhart," she said, nodding. That smile was even more disturbing than their entire exchange was. "I beg your pardon, Your Highness. My duties cannot wait further." She nodded again, and he exited the room, closing the door behind him. Only outside he felt finally able to breathe again.

🌤️Share your favorite piece of dialogue from your WIP.

This is from Love can. That's the story I badly summarized in a previous game as "an unusual vehicle get explained in great detail", and the unusual vehicle is... Squall. In this story, he gets to tell Rinoa what he told her when she was unconscious. I'm so happy I get to share part of this story with you, because that scene in Fifteen minutes old of Squall&Rinoa on FH bridge stayed with me all these years, and this story is about my interpretation of something similar. Since in another story Squall will share a dialogue with Zone, I thought it would be nice to give him a dialogue with Watts in this one. So here it is.

When he gets off the train, there’s a young man leaning against the stairs’ railing, waiting for him. “Commander, sir, welcome back to Timber,” says Watts, when he notices him. “Thank you, Watts,” he says, nodding. “Did you manage to get it?” “Of course, sir, ready when you are.” He raises his hand, letting some keys dangle from his fingers. “You can keep it until tomorrow evening, sir. You’ll find it near the city’s gate. It’s the blue one on the left.” Squall takes the keys and stuffs them into his pocket, nodding his thanks. There’s a moment of awkward silence, and he sighs, not really knowing how to break it. It’s Watts who breaks it first. “She… she is really happy, you know? Been talking about today all week, sir.” Squall’s breath catches in his lungs, and he raises his eyes to look into Watts’. “She did?” “Yeah, and Zone has had his stomach in knots for her. We… truly love her, sir. She’s our little sister.” Squall nods, unsure of what to do with this. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he lets his duffel bag slide from his shoulder and starts rummaging through it. “Here,” he says, holding out a six-pack of potions for Watts to take. “Dr. Kadowaki said they should work on Zone’s stomach aches. She’s not sure until she examines him, but… It’s worth a try, isn’t it?” Watts is speechless, watching with wide eyes the unexpected gift from the usually stern Commander. He and Zone often thought Squall considered them a couple of cowards who let the entire rebellion operations into the hands of a girl younger than them, and they were honestly convinced they had no redeeming qualities in the SeeD’s eyes. Apparently, they were wrong. “Sir?” he manages to croak out, taking the pack of potions with trembling hands. “I had… there was something… I’m not good with this kind of thing,” says Squall, dragging a hand down his face. He would like to think he’s just tired, too overwhelmed with work, too overwhelmed with feelings he is going to fully acknowledge in a few hours. Still, if there’s something Rinoa taught him, it’s that people can’t read his mind, and maybe sometimes gestures are ok but words are better. “What I want to say is that I promised I would take care of Rinoa, back when we had to flee Timber. And after that… I never really tried to find out what happened to you two. I guess-” He falls silent, passing a hand through his hair. “You said you would be fine, and it was easier to believe you would.” “There was nothing wrong with that, sir,” says Watts, softly. “But I saw Zone doubling over in pain just before boarding that train, and…” He makes a gesture with his hand, and to a casual onlooker it may seem he is dismissing the entire situation, but Watts is watching him carefully, and he begins to understand what Rinoa means when she says everything about the Commander is in his eyes. “And then, when we met again, I had let Rinoa get hurt.” His head is hanging low, and some unruly bangs of his hair are shielding his gaze, but Watts can feel the self-deprecation. He recognizes it, because he feels it so often himself. “But then you saved her,” he rebuts with unexpected firmness. “And you make her happy now. That’s all me and Zone want.” “I just want to apologize, I guess.” “Apologies not needed, but accepted if it makes you feel better.” Squall gives him a small, sheepish smile. “Just let me know if they work, ok?” he says, gesturing vaguely towards the six-pack Watts is holding like it’s the most precious thing in the world. “Of course, sir,” nods Watts with a similar smile. “You let me know if that works, ok?”

If you want to send an ask too, here are the prompts!