#other side of the screen { potato talks }

[missdynamighttt]

doing the "a boy who's jacked and kind" trend with bf! katsuki bakugo.

you were sitting cross-legged on the couch, scrolling through tiktok. a mischievous grin crept onto your face when you come across a video. you glanced at your boyfriend, katsuki, who was nuzzling your neck with his arms wrapped around you, looking as grumpy as ever.

“katsukiii,” you called sweetly, holding up your phone.

katsuki sighs, pulling away from your neck that he declared his haven, looking at you with a deadpanned look. "yes, sweets?”

“seen this yet?" you turn the screen toward him. the video showed a guy easily picking up his girlfriend and carrying her over his shoulders.

katsuki eyes the screen before shaking his head. “no. what about it?”

“so… think you could do it? or are these muscles just for show?” you reach out to squeeze his bicep appreciatively.

his crimson eyes narrowed at you. he did not live to train his ass off and survive a war just for you to say this. “you think i can’t pick up your ass?”

“oh, i don’t know. can you?" you look at him with a grin. "i mean, i’m not exactly light. you might not be strong enough."

his glare deepened, and he stood up, standing across from you. “you’re really asking for it, sweets.”

you giggled, leaning back against the couch. “i’m just saying! might be too much for the great bakugo katsuki to—”

but before you could finish, katsuki reached down, gripping your waist with one arm and hooking his other arm under your knees. in one swift motion, he lifted you off the couch like you weighed nothing, planting your lap on his shoulders.

you let out a startled squeal, hands flying to his shoulders for balance. “katsuki!”

“what was it you said again?” he asked, smirking as he wrapped an arm around your legs, squeezing your thigh. “not strong enough?”

you stared down at him with flushing cheeks, laughing. “ohmygod, okay, fine! you can lift me, big deal!”

“oh, sweets. you're so cute," he said, his smirk widening. he shifted your weight, slinging you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "but we’re not done yet."

you let out an indignant laugh, pounding lightly on his back. “katsuki! put me down, you caveman!”

“nah,” katsuki said, carrying you to your shared bedroom. “not until you admit i'm the strongest guy you’ve ever met.”

"never!” you declared, still laughing.

he stopped abruptly, spinning you around so you were cradled in his arms like a newly-wed couple. his face was smug as he raised an eyebrow at her. “still doubting me, sweets?”

you huffed, trying to keep a straight face. “okay, okay," you reach to kiss his cheek. "you’re the strongest man i know. okay? hottest one at that, too.”

"hmph. you know other men?"

"katsuki!"

he grins, leaning down to kiss your cheek. “next time, sweets, think twice before talking shit.”

you rolled your eyes but couldn’t hide your grin. “so cocky.”

he scoffs, carrying you across the room and dropped you onto the bed, your laughter turning into a surprised yelp as you landed among the pillows.

katsuki leaned over you, his hand planted on your waist, the other on the side of your head, his smirk growing. “still think i can’t handle it?”

you smile at him, shaking your head, wrapping your arms around his neck. "you can handle it just fine."

“damn right i do,” he said, leaning down and capturing your lips in a heated kiss.

youe fingers tangled in his hair as you kissed him back, the playful energy between them simmering into something deeper, more heated. while you might have started the teasing, katsuki always had the last word, and the last kiss.

LISTEN. HE CAN DO IT, OKAY? HE SUCCESFULLY CARRIED 118KG ADULT PRO HERO ENDEAVOR WITHOUT FAIL. WHEN HE WAS A TEEN!! HES MORE CAPABLE NOW THATS HES A PRO HERO, OBVIOUSLY. SELF-INDULGENT BECAUSE IM A PLUS-SIZED GIRLIE. I LOVE MY MAN SM 💜💜

[rd0265667]

Irene X Reader: Stupid Human

shakespeare would be dead on the floor if he saw how good this was~@seullovesme

Tags: Tsundere, Genie Irene(she just reached through the screen and slapped me for calling her a genie)

There were 3 things you knew were absolute in this world, the chapter you did not study will be tested, the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, and that if you made it out of this alive, Jimin was going to kill you. With a sack of potatoes, all the while telling you that she had told you so. “Stop walking home at night yourself.” She’d insist. You nodded in faux agreement, mostly to placate your best friend. Listen, Taxis are expensive, and you’d gotten self defence training, not just that, you kept a pepper spray on you, an item that Jimin seemed to have in spades. See, it’ll be fine.

Except, yeah. No. The so-called universe clearly had other ideas, because here you were, hands tied, a thick, uncomfortable blindfold over your eyes, and the scent of incense hanging around you like a curse. The blindfold ripped off with a tug, and there they were: three figures in dark robes, all with candles, strange charms, and enough assorted witchy knick knacks to look like a shitty halloween costume. Bound by a chalk-drawn circle on the cold stone floor, you realised the truth. You’d been kidnapped. By a cult.

Of course you had.

"I know, I know," you muttered under your breath, almost amused despite it all. Of course they were a cult. That’s just your luck. “Honestly, blame the author. Cliche little shit.”

“Hey, umm, fellas, can we talk this out?” You look around, trying desperately to get one of the cultists to look at you, but to no avail. “Let us begin.” The one most clad in regalia spoke, the other two nodding, as they began to chant softly.

You look at them in light amusement, despite the predicament you found yourself in. This all seemed ridiculous. This stuff didn’t exist. As if the world was on an agenda to prove you wrong today, from a small amulet lying on the table emerged a smoky figure, a cute but seemingly sinister smile on her face as her arms stayed close. Seeing the figure emerge, the three cultists immediately bowed down. “Who awakens me from my slumber.” The deep and husky voice of the figure boomed, her voice as smooth as velvet and twice as dangerous. “Oh exalted one, we bring you this fine sacrifice as an offering for your great power.” The main cultist spoke.

Sacrifice. Yeah, that word did not sound good. Panicking, your mind began to whir, neurons firing, trying as hard to think of something, a way to get out of this. “Wait! May I speak?” You quickly say, forcing the words from your mouth. All three cultists glared at you like they wished they’d gagged you sooner, one of them even moving to push you down. But with a snap of her fingers, the spirit stilled them, her gaze settling on you, curious and amused. “Speak.” “Oh exalted one, I bring you these 3 cultists as an offering for your great power.” You quickly say. There was a beat where you weren’t sure she’d respond at all, and then, she laughed—a low, husky chuckle that filled the room. “I accept.” She said, fingers snapping once again, the 3 cultists disappearing, the ropes around your wrist going free.

The spirit stood with her arms crossed, watching you with a gaze that was sharp but softened at the edges. She tilted her head, considering you, and then gave a faint, almost reluctant sigh, as if this entire situation had been some unnecessary hassle she couldn’t quite bring herself to resent.

“Well,” she said slowly, as if choosing her words carefully, “I guess you did offer those cultists. So, I owe you.” She paused, the hint of a smirk at the corner of her mouth. “Three wishes. Don’t get too excited.” Her tone was cool, but there was a flicker in her eyes—curiosity, maybe, or the barest hint of a smile she hadn’t meant to let slip. Her arms dropped from their crossed position, one hand falling casually to her side, as if relaxing just enough to test the waters.

“So,” she continued, studying you with a mix of amusement and intrigue, “what’s it going to be? ”

You raised an eyebrow. “A little excited, aren’t we?”

A tiny snort escaped her, and she gave you a look somewhere between exasperated and amused. “It’s my duty, I don’t have a choice… but I’ll admit, you’re… a little more interesting than most of the mortals who’ve tried summoning me before.”

You couldn’t help but grin, sensing you were maybe, just maybe, getting through her walls. “Guess that’s something, right?”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. “So,” she said again, her voice a touch less frosty, “let’s hear it. What’s your first wish?”

You raised your hands, giving her a quick shake of your head. “Look, Genie woman-” “I’m not a genie! And call me Irene.’ Irene said almost indignantly

“Alright, Irene, I appreciate the offer, but I don’t actually need any wishes,” you said, surprised at your own words even as they came out. “I mean, sure, it’d be nice to have a few things, but I don’t want to get into any of this business.”

Her eyes widened slightly, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Excuse me?” she replied, her voice cool but laced with an edge of irritation. “You dragged me out of slumber, and now you’re… passing on your wishes?”

You shrugged, feeling strangely casual despite her intense stare. “In my defence, I didn’t wake you, the cultists did. And in the end, you got the cultists; I got to walk out of this situation without a scratch. So, no harm, no foul?”

She let out a frustrated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. “It’s not that simple.” Her voice softened, but you could still hear the exasperation there. “Without the wishes, I’ll be… bound to you.” Her cheeks flushed a faint pink, which she tried to hide by looking anywhere but at you. “Until your wishes are granted, I can’t sever the connection. It’s… an inconvenient rule.”

You paused, processing that, and she gave you an indignant look.

“Before you get any ridiculous ideas,” she added, her tone defensive, “this isn’t some arrangement I chose. It’s an ancient pact, one I’m obligated to follow.” She shifted uncomfortably, almost as if she were embarrassed to admit it. “So, if you have any decency, you’ll make your three wishes and let me be on my way.”

“Oh, I didn’t realise it was that serious,” you replied, trying not to smile at how put out she seemed. 

“Can’t I wish for your freedom?” 

“For the last time, I’m not a genie!” Irene said, her indignation now in full force

“So if I don’t make these wishes… you’re stuck with me?”

Her jaw clenched, her eyes narrowing. “Unfortunately, yes. And trust me, the last thing I need is to spend my time… babysitting a stupid human.”

There was a faint, grudging warmth to her tone, like she was trying to convince herself she didn’t mind either way. And maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t entirely against the idea. But the flash of vulnerability was gone in an instant, and she folded her arms, looking at you with an expectant glare.

“Well, give me some time to think about it, is that okay?” You ask with a sheepish smile.

“Fine, but you’d better not make me wait.” Irene grunted, rolling her eyes before she snapped her fingers, her form turning to mist, absorbed into a spiral, flying towards the amulet.

You stared at the amulet dumbfoundedly, scratching your head. This was going to be a tough sell in therapy

“Finally here to make your first wish?” Irene grumbled as she appeared in a swirl of smoky tendrils. But when she took in the sight of you—cross-legged in a bright blue monster onesie, surrounded by enough snacks to feed a village, her confident smirk immediately faltered.

Her gaze swept over the scene, and she raised an eyebrow, scoffing. “What is all this? Some weird human ritual? Or are you trying to summon a spirit with all this… junk food?”

You rolled your eyes, catching the way her lips twitched in what might have been amusement. “No, no, nothing like that. Jimin was supposed to come over for a sleepover, but she got called into work at the last minute. And… Well, the food was for her. She eats like a bear.”

Irene huffed, crossing her arms with a look of supreme indifference. “And that concerns me why?”

“Well…” you looked up at her, trying out your best pleading eyes. “I was hoping maybe you’d help me out with it?”

“Help you out?” She arched an eyebrow, her look turning sceptical. “Let me get this straight. You’re going to waste one of your precious wishes… on food?”

You nodded, trying not to laugh. “It’s my wish, right? So technically, I can do whatever I want with it?”

She crossed her arms, lips pursed, clearly torn between annoyance and disbelief. “Fine, whatever,” she muttered, snapping her fingers. “But don’t blame me if you regret it.”

With a flash, her elaborate robes transformed into soft, striped pyjamas in muted blues and browns, her hair pulled back in a neat braid, with a scrunchie around her wrist. She looked down, then let out an irritated huff, tugging at her sleeves as if they were a personal affront.

“Um… what exactly are you doing?” you asked, biting back a laugh.

She scowled, face flushing slightly. “Look, you weren’t specific, okay? So this is what you get. I’m ‘dealing with the food,’ just like you asked.” She added the last part in a mumble, like she was thoroughly unimpressed with herself, her indignation less befitting of a supernatural power and more fit of a teenage girl stuck at home, eliciting a chuckle from you

“Uh-huh. Well… have a seat,” you said, patting the couch beside you. “And, for the record, you look amazing.”

Irene went rigid, her cheeks taking on a noticeable pink hue as she shot you a glare. “D-Don’t say dumb things like that! It’s not like I dressed up to impress you, okay? Besides, I’m a supernatural being, of course I look amazing” she snapped, but despite her protest, she slowly sat down beside you, folding her arms and turning her face away.

You just chuckled, hitting play on the remote.

A few minutes into the movie, you noticed Irene sneaking little glances at the screen. She was practically rolling her eyes at every line, but you could tell she was getting into it, her lips starting to move along to the songs.

“Seriously? Aladdin?” she asked, voice laced with mock disdain. “I’m not a genie, you know.”

“Hey, I just wanted a way to explain you to Jimin. Aladdin was the closest thing I could think of.”

“Ugh, whatever.” Irene groaned, lying down as the movie started. As the movie played, you couldn’t help but chuckle. Irene wasn’t fooling anybody. She was acting like she’d rather be anywhere but here, but she was the one humming the songs, the one bobbing her head. She seemed almost human. “What’re you looking at, stupid human.” She mumbled the last part, blushing, clearly realising that she had been caught. “Nothing, nothing, you just look really cute like that.” “Shut up!” Irene grumbled

When the movie finally ended, she cleared her throat, fixing you with a glare that was more defensive than angry. “Alright, I have to know—why would you waste a wish on something this ridiculous? You have all this power, and you just… use it on snacks?” She sounded incredulous, as if your choice was somehow a personal offence to her.

You shrugged, the humour fading from your voice. “I don’t know… I just think this kind of power doesn’t belong in anyone’s hands. ‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely,’ right? I don’t think anyone ever did the world any good by trying to play god.” “That’s….new. Most of the people who used my powers just used it for their own selfish gain, but you’re different.” Irene pondered “Well, like you said, I’m an interesting mortal.” You quipped with a smile. “Stupid, but an interesting mortal.” Irene grunted. “So how does this go, does the wish just consume itself.” “Well, no, you need to say, my first wish has been granted.” Irene explains. “Alright, umm, my first wish has been granted.” You say, causing Irene to slip back into the amulet

You’d been pacing your room for nearly an hour, turning over your next wish in your mind. You were conflicted on this one. On the one hand, you didn't want to make wishes that were just made to benefit you, but…on the other hand, how much harm could this wish be? And this got Irene one step closer to being unbound from you anyways

In a swirl of smoke, Irene appeared, arms crossed, her gaze flicking over you with that ever-present mixture of annoyance and exasperation. "Another wish already?" she drawled, her voice dripping with boredom. "This had better be important. I’m busy."

You winced a little at her tone but pressed on, determined. “I—uh—I’ve got my high school reunion coming up, and, well... I don’t have a date. I was wondering if you could, you know, help out? Just, like, make sure I don’t show up looking like a total disaster?”

Irene raised an eyebrow, not a hint of sympathy in her expression. "So, let me get this straight. You want me to pretend to be your date? For a whole night? To keep up the charade for your high school buddies?" She scoffed, her voice thick with mockery. "Honestly, humans are so pathetic sometimes."

You shifted, feeling the familiar sting of her words, but held your ground. "I don’t need anything fancy. Just someone who won’t make me look like I’m still living in the basement."

Irene rolled her eyes. “Honestly, humans are so pathetic sometimes,” she muttered, but her gaze softened just a touch. With a deep sigh, she snapped her fingers, and in a swirl of light, her usual flowing robes were replaced by an elegant black dress, sleek and understated yet somehow breathtaking. Her hair was swept up in a loose, casual style, a few strands framing her face, and there was a faint flush on her cheeks as she looked you over with barely-concealed irritation.

“Wait,” you stammered, staring at her in surprise. “You… you’re my date?”

Irene scoffed, brushing an imaginary speck of dust from her shoulder. “What? You thought I’d conjure up some random person and just send you off? That’s not how this works,” she said, crossing her arms defensively. “I’m your wish, so I’m the one going.”

You struggled to keep a smile off your face, but she must have caught the glimmer of excitement in your eyes because she immediately turned away, feigning exasperation. “Don’t get any ideas. This is strictly for show,” she muttered.

The reunion venue buzzed with familiar faces and old classmates, some of whom you hadn’t seen since graduation. The moment you walked in with Irene on your arm, heads turned. Her cool, detached beauty drew immediate attention, and whispers trailed after you as people cast curious glances in your direction.

Irene’s expression remained perfectly unreadable, though you noticed her eyes darting around, subtly assessing the room with a hint of wariness. You leaned toward her, whispering, “See? You’re already the most intimidating person here.”

She huffed, but a small, self-satisfied smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Hardly a challenge, considering,” she murmured.

The reunion was in full swing, the laughter and chatter echoing around the grand ballroom as old friends and classmates reunited. Irene stood beside you, her presence commanding attention in a way that almost made you forget your nerves. She was cool and collected, her eyes scanning the room as if nothing could faze her.

“Everything okay?” you asked, still a little self-conscious as people gave you curious looks when they saw Irene on your arm. It was hard to ignore the whispers floating around.

Irene turned to you, her expression unreadable but softening just a fraction. “Why wouldn’t it be?” she asked, her tone casual but with a hint of something else—a little amusement at your discomfort. "People just like to gawk at anything different, don’t worry about it."

You nodded, unsure how to respond. It was obvious that she didn’t care about the stares. She never did. But you weren’t quite as unaffected. Still, the fact that she was here with you helped ease the tension. In her presence, with her arm looped around yours, the room didn’t feel so intimidating.

The evening passed by in a blur, with Irene at your side, casually deflecting people’s attempts to engage with her with a polite but icy tone. Her reactions ranged from curt one-liners to complete disinterest, but something about the way she carried herself made everyone respect the boundaries she set. They knew better than to push.

You caught up with some old friends, and every now and then, Irene would lean in close, offering a dry comment or two. When someone mentioned an awkward moment from high school, she would casually toss out a sarcastic remark that left the group laughing in spite of themselves. It felt almost like she was part of the conversation, even though her presence remained otherworldly.

It was when the slow music started playing, and the floor cleared a little, that Irene surprised you. She didn’t flinch when you tentatively extended your hand, as if she hadn’t even thought about it. “You’re going to make me look bad, aren’t you?” she said with a raised eyebrow, her lips curling just slightly.

You couldn’t tell whether she was teasing or genuinely reluctant. But either way, you didn’t have the courage to let the moment pass. You gently took her hand, feeling the softness of her skin and the coolness of her touch. “Just for the night,” you said quietly.

Irene nodded, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at her lips. “Fine,” she muttered, but you saw the look in her eyes. There was something real there, a quiet warmth that surprised you. Something that said she didn’t mind it as much as she let on.

The music drifted through the room, the melody slow and soft, and you both swayed to it with an ease you didn’t expect. It wasn’t a grand, ballroom dance—just the quiet movements of two people trying to blend in.

Irene’s grip on your hand was firm but relaxed, her other hand lightly resting on your shoulder. The faintest glow of the room’s dim lights made the curves of her face softer than usual, and for the first time, she didn’t look like she was trying to escape.

“You’re not half-bad at this,” she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper as her gaze met yours. The teasing edge was gone, replaced by something else—something almost vulnerable. “You should get used to it. People will start thinking we’re a real couple.”

You tried not to let her words throw you off guard, but a small smile tugged at the corners of your mouth. “Is that so?” you teased, feeling a little emboldened. “Would that bother you?”

For a split second, Irene’s eyes flickered with something you couldn’t place—something deeper, more genuine—before she straightened, letting the mask fall back into place. “Don’t get any ideas,” she said firmly, though there was a softness to her voice that didn’t quite match the sharpness of her words. “This is all for show.”

You wanted to laugh but held it in, not wanting to break the fragile moment between you, though you had to admit, you’d been enjoying yourself, and hearing that it was all for show hurt a little. Instead, you just nodded. "Of course," you murmured, your eyes lingering on hers. She quickly averted her gaze, but there was still a softness there that hadn’t been there before.

For the next few moments, you both continued to sway together, caught in the rhythm of the music. You could feel the tension between you, the space between what she wanted to be and what she was allowing herself to feel.

And then, just as the song was about to end, Irene squeezed your hand—a fleeting touch that almost felt like an accidental intimacy. Her gaze met yours for the briefest moment, a look that spoke volumes, but she quickly pulled away, her cool, aloof demeanour returning in full force.

“Don’t get any ideas,” she muttered again, but the glimmer of a smile was still present, hidden behind her usual sarcasm. 

You watched her for a moment, noting the pink in her cheeks that she was desperately trying to ignore. “Thanks, Irene,” you said, your voice soft but sincere.

She rolled her eyes and took a step back. “Whatever. You’re welcome.” Irene said, unable to contain a blush as she looked away

The rest of the night passed in a similar rhythm. Well, you hoped it would, but clearly not.

As the night wore on, the buzz of the reunion picked up, and more familiar faces came and went. The wine flowed freely, and the tension between past and present felt less like a weight and more like a strange mix of nostalgia and regret. You were starting to relax, enjoying the unexpected camaraderie of having Irene by your side. It had become clear she wasn’t just tolerating the evening anymore—she was leaning into it, in her own subtle way. Her usual sarcastic quips were still there, but they had a bit more warmth, a bit more playfulness.

It was then that the moment you’d been dreading—Jackson—finally made his appearance.

You hadn’t seen him in years, but it didn’t take more than a few seconds for him to spot you. His face twisted into that familiar smug grin, the one you’d spent high school trying to avoid. He sauntered over, drink in hand, his eyes immediately darting to Irene. It only took him a moment to size her up, his grin widening into something far too pleased with himself.

“Well, well, well…” He looked at you first, then back at Irene, his gaze lingering longer than it should have. “What do we have here? I didn’t think you’d ever get a date for this thing, but, well, it seems you’ve outdone yourself.”

You tried to keep your expression neutral, but the old sting was still there, the reminder of high school’s worst moments rising to the surface. He wasn’t just an ass, he was an expert ass—a master at making people feel small.

Irene, however, didn’t flinch. Her eyes flicked over him, cool as ever. But the way her lips twisted, just slightly, into something that wasn’t exactly amusing caught you off guard. She wasn’t about to let him ruin your night. She wasn’t about to let anyone do that.

“So,” Jackson continued, taking a step closer to Irene with a suggestive grin, “did you get roped into this too, or are you the one with the real taste in men? Because, I gotta say” He motioned toward you, still grinning like he had the upper hand. “You could do a lot better.”

You tensed, but before you could say anything, Irene stepped in, her voice suddenly colder than the temperature of the room.

“Excuse me?” she cut in sharply, her tone dangerously sweet. “You think I’m here because I was roped into it?” She looked him over like she was inspecting a particularly repulsive insect. “No, darling, I’m here because I wanted to be. I wouldn’t waste my time with someone like you if I were paid to. And trust me,” she added, her voice turning slightly mocking, “I can do better than someone who thinks their charm is something worth showing off.”

The asshole’s smug expression faltered just slightly, his confidence wavering. “You can’t seriously think—” he began, but Irene cut him off again, her voice sharper than a whip.

“Oh, but I do.” Her eyes flashed with an icy intensity that made him take a step back. “But here’s the thing, buddy—you might want to look in a mirror and reconsider who’s really the joke here.” She smiled, but it wasn’t a pleasant smile. It was the kind of smile that made people feel small. “I’m here, because I want to be here, and there is no one else I’d rather be here with. You talk a big game, but you’re just a sad sack, at least Y/N is a good person, someone who doesn’t make me want to smoothen out my ears with sandpaper”

Jackson blinked, clearly stunned by her words. He opened his mouth to respond, but Irene didn’t give him a chance. Her voice, calm and controlled, broke through the tension like a blade.

“If you’re really trying to flirt with me,” she continued, “you might want to step up your game. You might have been cute back in high school, still I doubt it, never had a thing for bullies with a Napoleon complex bigger than their little peanuts, but now? Well, it’s clearer now that nothing about you’s changed. You’re still the same pathetic little boy trying to prove something that doesn’t matter.”

His face turned a shade of red you couldn’t quite describe. He opened his mouth again, stammering, but no words came out. Finally, he turned on his heel, muttering something under his breath before practically running away.

You stood there, blinking in shock, your heart pounding in your chest. That had been… unexpected. Irene was usually so detached, so indifferent, that seeing her actually stand up for you—really stand up for you—felt different 

She stood there for a moment, arms crossed, her usual confident mask still in place. But when she turned to you, her eyes softened for just a moment, concern, care, maybe even a tinge of affection, all wrapped in one, just enough that you could see the faintest glimmer of something like… pride?

“You’re not a complete disaster, you know,” she said quietly, looking at you as if she were trying to convince herself more than anything. “That guy was pathetic, but you? You’ve got more going for you than you think.”

You blinked, not entirely sure how to respond. “Thanks,” you said after a beat, your voice soft but full of sincerity.

She rolled her eyes, the typical Irene sarcasm flooding back. “Yeah, well, I wasn’t about to let him run his mouth. Someone had to shut him down.” Her gaze flickered briefly to the spot where Jackson had since retreated, and she smirked. “Honestly, he deserved it. Can’t believe people like that still exist.”

You could see her trying to hide the fact that she did care, that she hadn’t just defended you out of duty. But the way her gaze lingered on you for a second too long gave it away.

“Let’s just get out of here,” she muttered, her hand brushing yours as she moved to leave the crowd behind. But before you could walk away, she glanced over her shoulder. “And don’t think for one second I’m doing this for you. I’m only here because I’m bored. Remember that.”

Just as you were about to leave, however, you heard a soft song began to play. “May I have one last dance?” You asked, bowing your head as you extended your hand to Irene. Irene didn’t immediately respond, and for a moment, you thought she might dismiss you or make some sharp comment. But when you looked at her, you saw something else—something subtle in the way she relaxed, just a fraction. She sighed, eyes flickering from you to the floor and back again, and for the briefest moment, you saw that tiny spark of warmth she usually hid so well.

“Don’t make me regret this. You’re lucky I like this song.” she muttered, her voice soft but steady.

With a small, almost imperceptible smile, you led her to the centre of the ballroom. The music swelled around you, filling the space with a gentle rhythm as the two of you settled into the dance. The movement was slow, effortless—just the two of you, caught in a moment of quiet connection. Irene’s hand rested lightly on your shoulder, and hers in your hand was warm, soft, but her fingers still held that quiet, guarded strength that reminded you who she was.

Her gaze stayed just slightly averted, a faint blush colouring her cheeks. It wasn’t something you were used to seeing, and it made your heart skip a beat. You’d seen her icy exterior so many times, but here, in the privacy of this slow dance, there was something else—something less perfect, less guarded.

“I didn’t expect you to dance like this,” she said, her voice surprisingly soft, the teasing edge in her tone barely there. “I thought you'd be a disaster.”

You chuckled quietly, not wanting to break the delicate silence between you. “Well, I’m full of surprises.”

Her lips quirked, so subtle it was barely noticeable, like a wind in the storm. "I guess so." She shifted slightly, her other hand resting gently on your arm, her movements smooth, as though she was slowly letting go of her usual defenses. For a moment, you felt her melt into you, and it made your chest tighten with something you couldn’t quite place.

The song continued, and the two of you swayed in perfect rhythm, as though you’d done this a hundred times before. You couldn’t help but notice how close you were now, how every little movement seemed to draw her nearer. The smell of her perfume lingered in the air, warm and comforting, and you couldn’t resist stealing glances at her—just a quick look at the way her face softened in the quiet of the dance.

Irene’s gaze flickered toward the ground for a second, but when she looked back at you, it was with a rare, almost hesitant warmth. "I don't do this," she said, her voice almost a whisper. 

“Hmm?” You hum in curiosity as you continue to sway.

"Letting people close. But…"

"But?" you prodded gently, your heart thumping just a little faster.

Her eyes met yours again, and for the first time all night, you saw something different—a quiet acceptance, not of you, but of the moment. “But it’s not the worst thing.” She looked away quickly, her cheeks flushing a deeper pink now, but you caught a smile tugging at her lips.

You both danced in silence for a while, the music winding down, the world outside of the ballroom forgotten.  Her hand tightened around yours, just a fraction, as if to hold on to this fleeting moment, a moment she’d never admit to wanting.

As the final notes of the song drifted into silence, you weren’t ready to let go. So, you didn’t. You held her for just a little longer, letting the stillness of the moment settle between you. Her breath was steady, her chest rising and falling against yours, and you couldn’t help but let your eyes drift closed for a second. It felt peaceful—almost perfect.

But then, of course, Irene cleared her throat, breaking the moment with her usual sharpness. “Well, that wasn’t terrible,” she said, voice laced with sarcasm, though her tone was quieter than usual. “But don’t get any ideas. I’m not turning into some sentimental fool just because you managed to stand on your feet without tripping.”

You smiled at the playful edge in her voice. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Her lips twitched, the faintest sign of a smile, but she quickly masked it again. “Good. Let’s get out of here before you start thinking I actually enjoyed that.” But there was something in her voice—a softness beneath the teasing—that told you more than her words ever could.

As the two of you pulled away from the dance floor, the night seemed to fade into the background, replaced by a quiet understanding between you. Irene, despite all the walls she’d built around herself, had let a little bit of them fall tonight. And in that moment, with her hand still resting lightly in yours, you knew this was more than just a dance. It was the start of something new—something neither of you had expected, but both of you felt deep down.

But Irene? She would never say it. She simply looked at you, rolling her eyes, and muttered, "I’m not a damsel in distress, so don’t go getting any ideas about saving me, okay?"

You grinned, your heart full in a way it hadn’t been in a long time. “I’m not,” you replied, but the unspoken truth hung between you two—there was something here, something that went beyond what either of you would admit.

“Well, the night’s over.” Irene said, her usual matter of fact tone, but you sensed a lower, almost unspoken tone to her voice, as if she was almost disappointed. “Yeah, I guess it is. My second wish is granted.” You say, Irene vanishing back into the amulet. You rest your hand on the amulet, allowing your hand to linger. You hadn’t wanted Irene’s power, you still didn’t, but you had come to value her presence, and this night had just left you wanting for more. Too bad you only had one more wish left.

You let out a long sigh, stepping out of the shop with your groceries clutched in your hands. You had to make your last wish soon. It was always part of the plan—the last step, the one you had promised yourself to fulfil. It’s what you wanted at first, and it’s what Irene had said she wanted, too. But now that the moment had come, the hesitation clung to you like a weight around your chest.

You couldn’t shake the thought that something wasn’t right. After everything that had happened between you two—after everything you had gone through together—the idea of letting her go felt more and more like an impossible choice. She might’ve wanted her freedom, sure, but now that it was so close, you weren’t sure if you were ready for the finality of it.

Your footsteps echoed in the cool evening air as you walked, the weight of the decision pressing in. Distracted by your thoughts, you barely noticed the soft sound of footsteps trailing behind you. It was too quiet, too deliberate. Your heart skipped a beat as a cold shiver ran down your spine.

You glanced over your shoulder. Figures. Three men, walking too close. They emerged from the shadows with knowing grins, their eyes narrowing as they stared at your bags.

"Hey, you!" one of them shouted, his voice thick with menace as he sized you up. "Looks like you’ve got some nice bags there. Why don’t you hand ‘em over?"

You groaned. “Of course, first a kidnapping, then a mugging. The writer needs to get some new material.”

The leader stepped forward, his face twisting into a grin that made your stomach flip. "Shut it. Empty your pockets. Now."

The second man—tall, broad-shouldered—took a step closer, and the third, a wiry figure, pulled out a knife. The metal gleamed menacingly in the dim light, sending a chill down your spine. Your pulse quickened. This was bad. So bad.

You needed a way out. Anything.

Panic clawed at you, and before you knew what you were doing, you reached up to your chest, hand on the amulet resting on your neck. 

The air around you shifted. A swirl of light filled the street, and the men froze, confusion flashing across their faces. In the blink of an eye, Irene appeared, stepping into the scene with effortless grace. Her presence was like ice—cool, calculating, and impossibly beautiful. She didn’t even look at the men as she turned her sharp gaze toward them, her eyes narrowing in distaste.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Her voice was low, smooth, but underneath it was something far more dangerous. She didn’t move, only stood still, her cold stare cutting through the group.

The leader’s bravado faltered just for a second, but it was enough. He took a step back, eyes wide with fear. "What the hell are you supposed to be? A freak?" he spat, trying to sound tough despite the growing unease in his voice.

Irene didn’t even blink. Instead, she flicked her wrist. The knife in the leader’s hand was torn from his grip with a flick of her fingers, sent spinning across the pavement, clattering into the street. His face twisted with shock, eyes widening as he tried to comprehend what had just happened.

"Didn’t see that coming, did you?" Irene’s voice was syrupy sweet, dripping with sarcasm. She turned her attention to the second man without missing a beat. Before he could react, Irene was on him, her hand wrapping around his wrist in an iron grip. With one fluid motion, she twisted his arm behind his back and slammed him face-first into the pavement with brutal force.

The third man, seeing the others go down so easily, hesitated, his eyes darting around as if looking for a way out. But Irene was quicker. She raised a hand, and in an instant, the man was yanked off his feet, his body jerking toward her like a puppet on invisible strings. He flailed uselessly as she pulled him closer, her expression unchanging.

"Running?" Irene’s voice was dark with amusement. "How pathetic."

She lifted her hand higher, and with a final flick, she sent him crashing into a nearby dumpster with a sickening thud. The man groaned, crumpled against the metal, barely conscious but too dazed to fight back.

The leader was the last one standing, his face pale, eyes flicking nervously between Irene and his downed companions. Irene stepped forward, her gaze steady and dangerous. "You’re lucky I’m in a good mood," she said, her voice smooth and cold, "but you do not threaten my human."

The man stumbled backward, his legs trembling. But Irene didn’t let him get far. With a swift movement, she grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off the ground with a terrifying ease.

"Get out of here before I make you regret it," she warned, her voice colder than the air around you.

The man’s pride shattered as he scrambled to his feet, his resolve gone. He turned and fled, leaving his comrades behind, their groans the only sounds as they slowly regained their senses. Irene let him go, her shoulders relaxed but her eyes never leaving the spot where he had disappeared.

You stood there, still processing what had just happened. Your heart was hammering, your legs shaking slightly, but the adrenaline was slowly starting to wear off. You couldn’t believe what you’d just witnessed..

Irene turned to you, her usual cool mask still in place, but there was something different in her eyes. Something almost... soft. "I... I don’t know what to say. You just... saved me."

Her eyes flickered over to you, and she let out a sigh, her usual nonchalance slipping back into place. "Don’t get all sentimental," she muttered, crossing her arms in front of her. "It’s not like I did it for you."

You couldn’t help but laugh softly, a nervous sound, but a laugh all the same. The tension was melting away, replaced by a strange warmth. "I know. But still, thanks. You really... protected me."

Irene’s gaze flickered away, and her cheeks flushed just a little. "It’s not a big deal," she grumbled, the sharpness in her voice fading. "Just don’t go getting yourself mugged again. You’re a pain in the ass to deal with."

You chuckled softly, stepping closer. "I’ll try not to. Promise."

She shot you a sideways glance, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Yeah, you better."

The two of you walked in silence for a moment, the street around you quiet once again. The world felt a little less heavy now, your body still shaking but comforted by her presence.

You glanced down at your Amulet, then back at Irene. "I guess this is it, huh? My last wish?"

Irene froze. For a moment, she looked like she’d been struck by lightning. Her eyes widened, and she blinked, mouth parting as if she was about to say something but couldn’t find the words. Finally, she stammered, the icy coolness in her voice replaced by something... far less composed.

"That wasn’t a wish!" She snapped, her face flushed with embarrassment. "That was—! You—you didn’t wish for that! You’re—!"

You raised an eyebrow, a little surprised by her reaction. "But this is what you wanted, Irene. You're free now, right? Isn’t that what you wanted?"

Irene opened her mouth, then quickly shut it again, her face turning an even deeper shade of red. Her hands clenched, and in a flash, she bolted—vanishing into the amulet in a swirl of light, leaving you standing there, confused and left alone.

The apartment door slammed shut behind you, the sound echoing in your ears as you stood there, groceries still in hand. It had been weeks since you’d last seen your family, and you hadn’t been looking forward to this visit, but you couldn’t keep avoiding them. Not anymore. You took a deep breath, steadying yourself as you walked further into the dimly lit hallway of your childhood home. You had enough on your mind as it was, Irene having refused to emerge from the amulet

The place was just as you remembered—dusty corners, faded pictures on the walls, the smell of old furniture and lingering tension. You could feel it in the air before you even heard the voices.

"...You always do this, Mom. It's the same damn thing every time!" Your younger brother, Noah, yelled from the living room. "You never listen to anything I say. You just—"

"Noah, I told you, this isn’t a damn democracy! I’m the one who pays the bills here!" Your mother’s voice was strident, her temper rising as usual.

"You think you’re the only one who has problems, huh? You think it’s easy to get by in this house when everyone expects me to be some perfect kid?" Noah snapped back, his voice laced with bitterness.

The words hit you like a punch to the gut, dragging you back into memories you had long buried. The fighting, the yelling, the way they always pulled you into the middle of it. You’d spent your whole childhood walking on eggshells, trying to soothe the chaos, but it never worked. It never made them stop.

And now here you are again. As much as you tried to get away, you always ended up back here. The familiar pain crept back into your chest, an old wound reopening, threatening to consume you.

You swallowed hard, but the lump in your throat wouldn’t go away.

In the living room, your father’s voice cut through the argument, trying to mediate, but it was no use. His calm was as fragile as glass, and you knew it wouldn’t take much to shatter it. “Both of you need to calm down! This isn’t helping anyone!” he shouted, but no one listened.

You stood at the edge of the hallway, the tension in the air pressing down on you like a heavy weight. You wanted to go in. You wanted to be the peacekeeper, the one who fixed everything like you always did. But you could already feel the familiar panic creeping in, the suffocating sense of being caught in the middle. It was too much. It had always been too much.

You froze, the words slamming into you like a wave. The argument wasn’t directed at you, but it didn’t matter. The noise—sharp, accusatory, rising and overlapping—burrowed into your chest. It dragged you back, pulling you under, to a time you couldn’t seem to forget.

The yelling. The anger. The helplessness.

When you were a kid, this was the soundtrack to your life. You’d spent countless nights hiding under your blankets, trembling as the walls seemed to shake with their shouting. Even now, as an adult, the sound didn’t just echo in your ears—it lived in your body, burrowing into the spaces where fear and pain had carved out homes long ago.

The voices got louder, blending into one another until they were an unintelligible roar. Your hands tightened around the bag of groceries until the plastic handles bit into your skin, but it wasn’t enough to ground you. Your chest tightened, your breaths coming too fast, too shallow. The hallway around you seemed to blur, the walls closing in as your heart pounded harder, faster.

You couldn’t move. You couldn’t breathe.

And the worst part? You knew this would happen. You knew. But you came anyway, thinking this time would be different. It never was.

Your vision blurred as tears welled up, spilling hot and heavy down your cheeks. A small, broken sound escaped your lips—a plea, a whisper of desperation, before clutching your chest.

The words barely left your mouth before the air in front of you shifted. A sudden rush of cold, then a plume of silvery smoke, shimmering faintly in the dim light. From the haze, Irene emerged.

Her figure was unmistakable, her sharp eyes scanning the scene. The usual air of superiority that clung to her was still there, but it softened the moment her gaze landed on you. Her expression changed instantly, the sharp edges melting into something you’d rarely seen from her—concern.

“What’s happening?” Irene asked, her voice low but urgent as she crouched down in front of you. Her hands hovered near your shoulders, unsure for a moment, before finally settling there. “Hey. Look at me. What’s wrong?”

You couldn’t answer, couldn’t do anything but shake your head as the tears kept falling. Your breath hitched, caught in your throat, and you gasped, clutching at your chest.

“Shit,” Irene muttered, her voice tinged with panic. “Okay, okay. Listen to me. You’re safe. You’re okay. Just breathe. Can you do that for me? In through your nose. That’s it.”

Her hands moved to cup your face, her thumbs brushing away the tears streaking your cheeks. Her touch was cool, grounding, and her voice—low, steady—cut through the noise in your head like a lifeline.

“Focus on me,” she urged, her tone softer now. “Whatever’s happening out there doesn’t matter. None of it can touch you. You’re here. You’re with me. Just keep breathing.”

Bit by bit, the tightness in your chest eased. Your sobs turned into shaky breaths, though your shoulders still trembled under her steady hands.

When you finally managed to meet her gaze, her usual sharpness was gone. The Irene looking at you now was softer, her eyes filled with something warmer, more protective.

“They were yelling again,” you whispered hoarsely, your voice barely audible. “It just—it reminded me of when I was a kid. I couldn’t stop it then, and I still can’t... I just...”

Irene’s jaw tightened, her eyes flickering toward the muffled argument still raging in the living room. When she looked back at you, there was a quiet fury in her expression, like she’d burn the world down in an instant.

“You don’t have to stop it,” she said firmly. “You don’t have to fix it, or even deal with it. That’s not your job. And it’s sure as hell not worth tearing yourself apart over.”

She pulled you closer, her arm wrapping around you protectively. “Whatever this place took from you, it doesn’t get to keep taking. Not while I’m here.”

You leaned into her, the warmth of her words wrapping around you as much as her presence. For a long moment, you just let her hold you, her steady breaths anchoring you.

When the tension in your body finally eased, you pulled back slightly, meeting her gaze. “Irene...” you began, hesitating. “Why haven’t you taken my last wish yet? You just disappeared...”

Her expression softened, but only for a fleeting moment before she crossed her arms and glanced to the side, her cheeks faintly pink. “I—I didn’t disappear. I was... busy. Important genie things, you wouldn’t understand.”

Your brow furrowed. “Important genie things?”

“Yes. Very important,” she shot back, her tone defensive. “Unlike you, I don’t have the luxury of moping around all day.”

You tilted your head, a small, teasing smile forming despite yourself. “Irene, you’ve been avoiding me, haven’t you?”

Her blush deepened as she snapped, “Avoiding you? Don’t flatter yourself! Why would I avoid someone like you?” She turned her nose up, but the crack in her voice betrayed her.

“Then why?” you pressed gently, your gaze steady on her.

Irene hesitated, her sharp facade faltering as her eyes darted away again. She muttered something under her breath, too quiet for you to catch.

“What was that?”

“I said…” She huffed, her arms tightening over her chest as her blush spread down to her neck. “I didn’t want you to use up the wishes, okay? Are you happy now?”

You blinked, caught off guard. “You didn’t want me to use the wishes? But I thought you wanted to leave. To be done with humans. To be done with... me.”

Her eyes snapped back to yours, wide and flustered. “Wha—Why would you think that?! I never said that! Don’t just go putting words in my mouth, you idiot!”

Your grip on her forearm tightened, grounding her. “So you don’t want to leave?”

Irene froze, her lips pressing together before she let out a groan, dragging a hand through her hair. “Maybe—maybe it’s not so bad,” she admitted begrudgingly, her voice dropping to a mumble. “If it’s with you.”

The vulnerability in her tone caught you off guard, and you couldn’t help the small, teasing smile that tugged at your lips. “Of course. I’m your human, aren’t I?”

Irene’s eyes widened before her blush turned scarlet. She immediately buried her face in her hands with a muffled, “Oh my god, I can’t believe you heard that.”

“I did,” you said, unable to suppress a light chuckle.

“Don’t you dare read into it!” Irene snapped, lowering her hands just enough to glare at you. Her face was still bright red, her pout far more endearing than intimidating. “I am not some lovesick little puppy, got it? I’m still an all-powerful genie, and you—y-you’re just a ridiculous human who happens to need a lot of supervision, that’s all!”

“Whatever you say,” you replied, your tone soft as you leaned closer.

Her breath hitched as you reached out, cupping her face and pulling her in to press a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“W-What—” Irene spluttered, pulling back with a glare that was more flustered than furious. “What do you think you’re doing?! You can’t just—you can’t just go kissing me like that without warning!”

You grinned. “I thought you were all-powerful. Shouldn’t you have seen it coming?”

Her mouth opened, closed, then opened again as she struggled to find a retort. Finally, she turned away with an exaggerated huff, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

“Ridiculous,” she muttered, her voice quieter now. “Completely ridiculous.”

“Not bad for a stupid human, aren’t I?” You tease, hugging Irene tightly

Irene rolled her eyes, but by now, she could do little to stave off the smile on her face. Seungwan would laugh at her, of that she had no doubt, but you were her stupid human now. And she didn’t mind it.

[saintzweig]

hear me out, i think art gives josh sanderson from to all the boys i'ved loved before vibes ... the one sided puppy crush on your next door neighbor who's now dating your older sister :")

you've had a crush on him since the day he accidentally threw the tennis ball over to your backyard, the day he offered to teach you how to play so that way he can have a partner. since the day your parents left you all alone at the house because your sister, tashi, had an important tennis thing and he invited you over to keep you company, since the day tashi started at her new school which meant that you had to take the bus because your dad was driving her, that was the day he started saving you the seat next to him on the school bus.

he was your best friend, he knew how to make you laugh and how to cheer you up. he knew the things you hated the most, he knew how much it upset you to constantly witness the way your parents favored your older sister because of her talent and achievements. he knew exactly when to take you away when it was all becoming too much for you.

and you knew him too, you knew that his favorite dish is his grandma's mashed potato, his favorite scent is the way the sheets would smell right out of the washer. you knew that thursday nights were reserved for his friend, patrick, who lived in another state and they'd stay on the phone for hours while watching recordings of tennis matches on their respective screens. you knew how every single time he'd come back from the summer academy, he'd bring you keychains from the souvenir shop.

but then out of nowhere, he and tashi started going out. you didn't even know that they were talking or hanging out when you weren't around, you didn't even know that they were compatible enough to even like each other. you didn't even realize the way his attention would waver every time your sister walk into the room, or the way he'd get technical about tennis during conversations because he knew tashi would understand, unlike you.

it's okay though, none of them knew. you never told him how you felt, you and tashi weren't close enough to talk about stupid crushes. and you were too young, you weren't his type. tashi is perfect, they're perfect for each other.

but telling yourself that doesn't soothe the ache you feel in your heart whenever he'd come through your front door and go straight to her, like he used to do with you.

[swee7dream]

hi very late but may I request a cute cg!jaehyun taking care of a VERY fussy little!reader hehehehehhehehehehheheh cant wait to see what u write :)) (saying this bc I was very late but I saw you saying like a week or 2 after u saying u wanted to write jaehyun fics..)

no ! ( but okay ) caregiver ! jeong yoonoh x age regressor ! reader

genres age regression content , fluff warnings reader has hair long enough to put behind the ears dni nsfw / kink author's note FAV MOOT . i will go to war for you . as someone who is extremely fussy when small , you and i are cut from the same cloth . hope u like it ! tag list restarting ! lmk if you would like to be added .

“No, no, no…”

“Come on, Honey.”

“Not finish yet.” You ignore Jaehyun’s gentle hand pushing the hair behind your ear, scribbling your crayon furiously to the paper on the floor like a painter struck with genius inspiration.

“Can we finish this later? Tomorrow, maybe?”

“No, no, no, no, no…”

Jaehyun’s eyes flutter shut. You’ve entered your ‘no’ phase all of a sudden and it has been carving at his patience. It’s not that he never wants you to say no, but when it comes to eating your lunch or cleaning up your toys or changing out of your outside clothes for comfy, clean inside clothes, he can’t deny it’s frustrating. He just wants the best for his baby, why can’t you see that?

“Baby.” He looks down at the phone in your other hand, currently shining a terrifying (in Jaehyun’s opinion) four-finned shark-dinosaur-thing. Papers surround your curled-up ball self on the floor, each one detailing a different kind of dinosaur. “The dinos need to sleep too, baby. We need to start getting ready now so you don’t forget to brush your teeth ‘cause you’re just so sleepy.”

“Nuh-uh. Dinos can’t sleep. They’re dead.”

His shoulders slump in his crisscrossed sitting position in front of you. It’s difficult to keep up with the canonical and non-canonical existences of your baby world.

“Okay… maybe. But when they were alive, they had to sleep.”

“…maybe.” You throw him a bone! Finally, it only took an hour.

“Yeah?” He places a hand over the screen. “There are those pretty eyes. Hi Honey.”

“Hi, Hyunnie.” You frown. “Hyunnie let go.”

“The phone told me he’s very tired and would like to go to bed now. Sorry, baby.”

“Not true, phones don’t talk.”

“Mine does.” He gives you a look that says ‘so embarrassing for you…’

You squint at him, unamused.

“Hyunnie let go.”

“Sorry, sweetheart. My hand fell asleep. Right here.” He shines his dimples at you innocently.

“Let go!” Your blue crayon is left forgotten to roll under the couch as you pull and pull on Jaehyun’s arm.

“No!” He sings, finally taking matters into his own hands, quite literally, by pulling you onto his lap. “Bed time. Bed time for my baby.”

He rocks you side to side, cheek resting on the top of your head as he confines you in between his arms.

“No!” You squirm around but to no avail. “No bedtime. No tired!”

“Mmm, yes!” You feel his lips press to your head. “Bedtime, bedtime. Time for jammies and teeth brushing and stories. Doesn’t that sound fun, baby?”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“No-o-o-o-o-o!” Your voice shakes as Jaehyun’s soft rocking turns more into a shake one would give only to a potato sack.

“Ye-e-e-e-e-es!” He smiles down at you as he finishes his best imitation of your little tantrum.

“No.” You frown up at him, but his eyes catch the quirks at the end of your lips that you fail to push down.

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes!” He attacks your cheek with a kiss, littering your face with them as he continues. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!”

“But why?” You give in, allowing yourself to go limp in Jaehyun’s hold.

“Because,” He mocks your whiny tone. “It’s late. It’s late and you get really mean when you don’t sleep enough.”

“That’s not true!”

“Hey.” He pinches your nose. “Why are you fighting me so much lately? It absolutely is true and you know it. Do you want Hyunnie to be all sad and weepy tomorrow? I’ll cry. You know I will. Wanna see? W-”

“No!” You giggle, putting both your hands up to cover his face. “Don’t wanna see Hyunnie sad. But am just no tired, Hyunnie.”

Another kiss to your palms lets Jaehyun see your face again.

“But I am. Can’t you just get ready for bed with me? It’s so scary to be alone.” He pulls you into his chest, squeezing but never too tight. “So scary! I need my Honey to help me!”

“Not scary, Hyunnie.” You giggle. “But okay. Honey help!”

“Really?” He pulls you away to meet your eyes and bumps your foreheads together. “Really really? For reals? How many reals are you talking?”

“All the reals!” You beam.

“Oh, thank you, baby. You sure are doing Hyunnie a solid.”

—

You didn’t realize how cold you were until you put your pajamas on, soft and warm, still smelling of laundry detergent. It’s like wearing a blanket and you rub the fabric against your arms to warm yourself up some more.

Your socks slide against the wooden floor as you hear Jaehyun take his turn to brush his teeth in the bathroom. You left a total mess! Your artwork is all over the floor, what if you lost one?

Not feeling like wanting to clean up at the moment, you put your crayon box on the coffee table to put it in its proper place tomorrow.

Wait.

You’re missing one!

Where did it go?

You hum to yourself as you gather all your drawings in a neat pile, making a mental note to yourself to date them all in the morning. You search under the table and behind pillows and blankets. Where is your green crayon?

“Ah-hah!” Jaehyun spots you back in the living room, face to the floor.

“Baby, what are you doing?”

“Found my crayon, Hyunnie. Thought I lost it.” You lift yourself up, pulling your hand out from under the couch to show it to Jaehyun proudly.

“I’m glad you didn’t lose it, Honey.” He smiles. “But you didn’t have to get on the floor for that. You’re gonna get your jammies dirty.”

“’s okay! Needed my crayon.” You kneel over to slide the crayon back amongst its brethren in the paper box.

“Don’t you have a lot of other ones?” He helps you up by the hand.

“Not the same. Different shade o’ green.”

“Mmm, makes sense.” Jaehyun notices the pile of paper on your arm. “You’re taking your drawings to bed?”

“Yeah. Not tired so Honey’s gonna do storytime today.”

“Oh, really? Thank you, baby. You’re gonna teach me about dinosaurs?”

“Yeah.” You flop onto the bed. “Dinosaurs are super cool.”

“But aren’t they scary?” Jaehyun flicks off the light in the middle of the ceiling, warm soft light from your nightstands keeping the room from complete darkness.

“No. ‘cause they’re dead,” You explain simply.

“..right. I forgot that for a second.” He lifts the covers and slides inside the bed, shivering at the still-cold sheets. “Your drawings are just so good, baby, I thought they were pictures.”

“I get that a lot,” You say, rubbing your head against his arm. “You ready?”

“Ready Freddy.”

“Who’s Freddy?”

“I don’t know.” Jaehyun pauses to think. “Someone who’s ready, I guess. Go on, baby. Show me your dinos.”

“Okay!” You go through your pile of drawings and end up deciding on your most recent creation. “This one’s not finished, but it’s called a Liopleurodon. It existed in the Jurassic period. It was an apex predator—that means that no one could fight it and win! It just went chomp chomp and everybody died.”

“Oh, I see. It’s kind of like you, in a way.”

“What?!”

author's note ( pt 2 ) sorry for taking so long ! i have no excuse , just trying to deny the reality of valentine boy being gone . haven't been keeping up w nct lately bc of irl stuff + the boycott so if anyone has a google drive or anything like that for sm artists , pls lmk ! and as always , comments and constructive criticism are accepted and encouraged . just be nice or i will be finding your loved ones ' contact information and telling them you're CYBER BULLYING . hope everyone is having a good day and if not i hope it gets better !!

[shamrockqueen]

Omega retreat : Chapter 2

Pairing: Alpha Bucky × Omega Reader

Warnings: R18, Eventual Smut, Not what it seems, talk of medical issues/illness, dating site, ABO dynamics

Word count: 2477

Chapter 1

Bucky masterlist

Summary: As an unmarked and lonely omega you find a flyer for a service called The Omega Retreat.

You are paired with a compatible alpha to spend your heat or just a week at a luxurious cabin at a forest resort. Amenities and Utilities included. Enjoy the beautiful scenery, fresh air, as well as the company of an alpha of your choosing. What could possibly go wrong?

The blue screen of your laptop lit up the dark and gloomy room as you booted it up and set your sights on the internet explorer icon.

Your eyes shift back and forth from the slightly crunched flier to the keyboard as you type up the website in the search bar.

Upon clicking enter, there is a cascade of red and pink hearts across the screen before the main page comes into view.

From the photos, it seems kind of like a glamping thing, with each couple or pairing having their own semi-remote cabin.

Singles retreats weren’t a new concept—not that you’ve ever been to one, but this would be a whole week alone with a stranger, a man, an alpha.

That familiar twang of anxiety twisted in your chest at the thought, only for it to be snuffed out by another.

‘We all have to grow up at some point’.

You eyed the two packages listed on the screen, one labeled as Silver and the other Gold. The silver package went by, Forget me knot.” and you felt yourself chuckle a little at how cheesy it sounded. It was a 4-day stay at one of the cabins with an alpha provided by the website's dating algorithm.

The Gold package had another cheesy line listed as “Heat of the Night." It listed a full-week stay for the duration of the omega’s heat with your new Alpha.

The prospect was, of course, very tantalizing, but it still didn’t fail to make you nervous. You had never spent a heat with someone before, and it seemed a little scary. Was a week with a stranger worth seeing what you were missing out on?

You clicked the icon for the Gold package without thinking further, blinking at the screen as it shifted to the sign-up page. You’d only wanted further info but it looked like only members could access it. It was, however, free to sign up, a claim made by many websites and apps before it. Yet, even at the free level, it seemed you could at least get to look at the Alpha bachelors they had in their database. Just another step to pull you in closer to spending the big bucks.

It asked for a photo at first, making you hesitate before finally deciding on one simple photo of yourself. It had been your birthday, and your mother was by your side, hugging your shoulder. You had to crop out most of your mom, but your big smile still beamed just as brightly across the screen. You typed in a shortened version of your name for your little profile, along with your age, before clicking the next button.

The page flipped to a quick questionnaire, asking about your likes and dislikes—everything from your bedtime routine to your bedroom habits. It barely toed the line of TMI, but you supposed it had to be thorough to find you a match. You clicked through each question, making sure every answer felt right. Before you could tell, it had been half an hour and you were only almost finished. You snuggled yourself into your plush couch as you finally clicked the submit button.

A little spinning heart pops up on the scream alongside ‘finding your perfect match’ underneath it. The heart spun around on the screen until the loading bar hit 100 and the page shifted over to show your results.

Your eyes widen at the selection of handsome men flooding the screen. There are more Alphas flashing over your computer than you’ve ever seen in one small space, and already there are too many to choose from.

Part of you figured that to a seasoned romantic, it would seem like small potatoes, but to you, it was more men than you knew what to do with. The only distraction that could tear your eyes away was a heart-shaped character at the corner of the screen babbling away in a little text box. His happy little demeanor reminds you of a certain talking paperclip from old office software. Only you found this little guy less irritating.

‘We have selected 20 of your most suitable partners. Please choose from the profiles below to chat and find your match.’

You clicked the speech bubble away, only for another to pop up.

‘Don’t forget to check out our selection of getaways for your official meetup’ popped up across the page.

You clicked again, and another bubble came after.

‘If for any reason you are unsatisfied with your matches, please take the quiz again.’

You take the little heart man’s words into consideration before clicking back towards the alpha profiles.

The first was a rough-looking man named Brock. Too macho for your type, and you shied away from his profile immediately.

The next one was a sweet, gentle-looking man named Steve. He seemed really interested in a lifetime mate, but as romantic as it seemed, you just weren’t too sure that was what you wanted just yet.

It was a little overwhelming. All these men were stunning, and yet the scared little omega inside of you kept turning tail at the gleam of each of their smiles, leading you to click at the next button again and again.

You’d gone through 12 profiles until you stopped on his picture. His brown hair sat at the base of his neck, looking soft and supple enough to tangle your fingers through, and his smile was immediately infectious.

The name James ‘Bucky’ Barnes sat below the photo in bold, but you barely noticed as your gaze locked on his light, smiling blue eyes.

You feel both your heart and your core flutter, leading to a wave of warmth and a bit of unearned embarrassment. You didn’t think any further before clicking his profile, showing you more about this ‘Bucky’.

It gave a broad list of hobbies, his likes and dislikes, as well as so many more dreamy photos.

His profiles stated he was interested in a mate but “wanted to test the waters first." Not interested in being too serious, but not scared of a commitment.

Even though this man seemed like an absolute dream, you couldn’t help but second-guess yourself. Yet, the butterflies in your stomach overpowered the worries in the back of your mind. You let your cursor hover over the match button on his profile before slowly clicking down on the mouse and watching with bated breath as the screen changed again.

That little heart man, now less animated, was the last sight you saw after you clicked. He was accompanied by a few speech bubbles saying, “The alpha you have chosen will be notified; please feel free to browse our events as you wait.”

The word ‘events’ was lit up in another color separate from the text and clearly a link to the rest of the website. At the end of the day, they WERE trying to sell you something, but curiosity got the better of you, and you clicked the link without another thought.

You looked over the two packages they offered and let your cursor hover over the gold package. You stared at its short description, comparing it with the smaller vacation bundle that sat beside it on the screen. You think it over and cautiously click on the icon.

The prices were the first thing that struck you, as none of them were very expensive for what they were advertising. Saving a few bucks always seemed to sweeten the deal, but it really made it all seem too good to be true.

The resort has a full staff available in case of an emergency and are simply a call away. All meals would come in the form of meal kits or ready-made gourmet dinners, as well as a selection of wine and spirits for those 21 and over.

There was a little policy note at the bottom, in smaller letters.

“All reservations are refundable upon cancellation 7 days before the date of the reservation. If you cancel your stay after 7 days, you will be charged a cancellation fee. In the event that your desired partner declines your match, you will be prompted to choose another alpha from the list given to you.”

The idea of being rejected by a stranger online made some of the appeal wear thin. You x-ed out of the pop-up, only to notice a notification lighting up your screen.

He had matched with you immediately, causing another flutter of hearts to pulse over the computer for one moment. On the little message icon sat the number one to indicate somebody had reached out to you, and you clicked on it right away.

The chat room opens up on your screen to show a little chat box bubble saying, “Hi beautiful ;)". The old-style winky face gave his age away and made some of the insecurities in your belly melt.

This 'James' had matched you so soon, and to have him reach out to you on your screen still made you nervous.

The bouncing dots popped up below the first message to indicate he was still typing. You're frozen on the spot as the messages just keep popping up.

“Hello?”

It seemed a bit impatient, but you didn’t think to care; you were too thrilled by this new encounter.

“Hi, sorry, I was..” Oh god, what could you say? “…away from the phone.” Not true, but telling your possible new beau that you were frozen with fear upon seeing his message seemed, well, lame.

“That’s ok.”

“You new here? I haven’t seen your profile before.”

“Yeah. I just signed up.”

“Does that mean I was your first choice? ;)”

You felt you should be honest after your previous fib, and answered immediately.

“ I just saw your profile and clicked it right away. I didn’t expect you to get back to me so soon.”

“Leave a beautiful Omega like you waiting? Not a chance, doll.”

Every word made the air grow thinner, making your head just swim in the rising heat that started to subtly overtake your body. It was such a new feeling to have warmth in your body feel so good.

Those three dots danced across his next speech bubble, and you waited every second for his next word.

“Have you ever been with an alpha before? I’d hate to come on too strong and scare you away.”

Your breath felt shallow before you answered truthfully. “No, I haven’t.”

There have only ever been two people you’ve given yourself to like that. Two particularly nice betas who just couldn’t help you as you needed, but tried anyway. Being with an Alpha seemed like so much more of a big deal, but the idea of a big, horny monster sinking their teeth into your flesh makes you start to hyperventilate. It was permanent, and you didn’t want to just throw away your forever to someone who could be cruel to you.

But something about this felt different. He looked so soft and kind, you could nearly feel his finger gently caressing your cheek as each word popped up on your screen. Something about this encounter felt safe.

You typed without thinking, letting the question fill the screen as anxiety ate away at the warmth that once sat in your belly. “Does that bother you?”

You waited for a response, watching those little dots until they disappeared without a new message. A solid minute felt like an eternity, and your heart sank further as each one ticked by.

You typed out a quick “I’m sorry," hoping you weren’t the one scaring him off instead with your lack of experience.

You breathed a sigh of relief as his response popped up. “Do not be sorry. There is no problem with wanting to wait.” Followed by another “I feel like a lucky guy.”

“I guess I’m just a little embarrassed; I’m glad it doesn’t bother you.” You typed away, fully engrossed in his attention.

“Don’t be; that kind of thing means more than you’d think in this day in age.”

It popped across your screen, giving you much-needed relief, only for the next message to set your nerves ablaze all over again.

“What made you decide to join the site?”

It popped over your screen faster than you could shoo it away. The reason for you was obvious after dragging yourself through that doctor's office. You needed help, and somehow that simple red flier had shown out to you like a beacon on a stormy shore.

You wanted to be honest, but some things felt better kept close to yourself than within the reach of others. You answered with the shallow truth.

“Dating can be difficult. I found the advertisement today and decided to check things out.” You tapped the enter button and sent the message, but your fingers continued to type. Maybe it was an attempt to keep his questions from probing into your answer even further, as you sent him an inquiry of your own.

“What about you? What made you decide to join the website?”

The laptop sat silently, aside from the whirring of its little fan. No bouncing dots, no indication of his response. Maybe his reasons were somehow more personal than your own.

You began to lose a little faith as the chat room continued to sit empty until his chat bubble finally popped up. Each second it took for the words to show was a second too long.

“I’d say it’s about the same. I guess I just wanted to try something different.”

“And how’s it working out so far?”

“I’d say, far better since you popped up.”

It was such a cliche line, but you loved it. You even laughed a little as you typed back.

“That fast, huh? It’s been less than a day "

“But you’ve already made my whole week.”

It brought an immediate smile to your rosy face. It was so fun—almost a fantasy. No danger, no recourse, no fear. You looked back at his little picture on the screen, his smiling face; it was a far cry from any other alpha already, and you hadn’t even seen him in the very flesh.

But it had been less than a day, and it was an obvious blow to this little oasis that had built around you in the matter of minutes. You didn’t want this moment to end, not when reality was waiting for you afterward.

The hours passed as you did each playful word with this ‘James’.

“I can’t wait to meet you, Omega.”

Your heart fluttered to an unnatural rhythm the moment it popped onto your screen.

"Omego,” you repeated his use of your denomination.

For a whole week, you could be the omega to his Alpha. You thought about the glamorous getaways your matchmaker had advertised. So you thought that, just maybe, that could be you.

Chapter 3

Tag List : @bethyruth-deactivated20231124 @scott-loki-barnes @wintrsoldrluvr

[ohmotherwhereartthou-if]

Jumping on the drunk MC ask.

Can we get the ROs reaction when they are trying to help the drunk MC home but then the MC push their hand away and yell that they are happily taken. ( To drunk to realise that they are partners 🤦)

lol

Cassandra: Annoyed that you're drunk, happy to know you're not a "cheat on their lover" type of drunk. Not that it would matter much, even if your drunk if you cheat on her your dead.

Valeria: Her heart flutters and she is really happy that you love her even when you don't recognize her. Plays along and pretends she is a random woman trying to get into your pants all the way home. Getting you to talk her up the whole time and loving every minute of it.

Tomás: On cloud 9, beyond happy that you remain faithful to him even when drunk. Says he understands you're in a happy relationship and he won't try anything but wants to get you home. Next morning he will give you ANYTHING you want, say it and it's yours. Showers you with love and affection the remainder of the day.

-

Ludovica: Doesn't realize your talking about her and thinks you have a side lover, is heartbroken but still takes care of you. In the morning she asks about it teary eyed and you better explain, comfort her and apologize or else (I'll fight you through the screen) 👿

Aurelio: I have said this before, if you're drunk; he is also drunk. So, what happens here is that neither of you recognize each other as lovers and he is arguing with you that he also is happily taken but you should spend the night at the manor because it's dangerous to wonder outside drunk. This goes on back and forth until both of you pass out on separate couches and laugh about it in the morning.

Elio: Finds this really funny and plays along. Asks you questions about your lover and tricks you into complimenting him and telling him some of your true thoughts about him. Lugs you home like a sack of potatoes anyway but while he is helping next morning overcome your hangover, he is oddly more gentle and affectionate than usual.

[undreaming-fanfiction]

(likely a modern AU so the timeline fits)

Eddie feels so very, very torn about the Hobbit movies. He loves the music and hums "the Misty Mountains Cold" before he can catch himself, but he not very silently screams about all the crap that was added for no reason and, the bad CGI? A travesty, your honor! He glares at the screen when Legolas appears and utters "where the fuck did you come from?", he loves the casting choice for Bilbo but absolutely roasts the idiotic way that the screenwriters butchered Bilbo's relationship with the dwarves and the way it evolved.

But the thing he never forgives those movies for is that unbelievably idiotic love triangle and the way it made others tear up when Eddie's soul temporarily left his body to punch Peter Jackson. Because it DOES. NOT. MAKE. SENSE. There was no development. The flirting was bad, trust him, he knows what good flirting looks like and this ain't it. Eddie hates it with passion, especially the scene that overshadows the incredibly powerful one with Thorin's death. He is PISSED. The scene is so so SO lazy and Thrandúil did not deserve this disrespect. Shit, even the weird added ginger elf Tauriel did not deserve it. Yes, we're talking this scene:

Eddie mocks the shit out of this. He gobbles up all the memes and there is a 50/50 chance in the months after he saw the fateful scene that his contempt for it would bubble up.

"Hey Eddie," asks Steve whe he sees Eddie between moving boxes when they finally find an apartment together . "Why aren't you packing?"

And Eddie, instead of saying "I'm taking a break," clutches his chest and chokes out, "because it was real, Steve!"

When Eddie goes to buy groceries and Steve unpacks them, he notices that Eddie bought two bags of potatoes instead of one. "Why did you get two?" he asks.

Eddie rummages through his pockets and produces the receipt. "Because the discount was real!" he says with a mock sob and points at the potatoes being 30% off.

And Steve is a patient man, he really is, but when Eddie tells him that the claws were real as a response to his question why is Eddie all scratched from their cat and refuses to elaborate, he threatens that if it doesn't stop being real, he's going to get a set of the Hobbit movie posters for his side of the bedroom and proudly display them.

Eddie bitches, moans, threatens, but eventually he moves past the idiotic love triangle.

When they lie together, falling asleep, Eddie mutters into Steve's neck "I can't believe that stupid threat worked on me. Why would you even thing about something like that?"

Steve turns to him with a deadpan expression and says:

"Because it was real."

[hard-core-super-star]

May I please request that Hailee and reader are in a secret relationship, and hailee is on instagram live, fans can hear movement and voices in the background and keep asking hailee whose with her.

meet me there, i'll give you your roses [H.Steinfeld]

pairing: hailee steinfeld x reader

summary: just because you two are supposed to be keeping your relationship a secret doesn't mean you can't have some fun with it.

warnings: none, just fluff; secret relationship shenanigans; weird descriptions of an instagram live chat; still can't write endings :)

wordcount: 1k

a/n: full disclosure, the title has nothing to do with the fic at all, i'm just spreading the måneskin agenda. i sort of messed around with the point of view in this fic, it might not be noticeable but just wanted to point it out in case it's confusing. it's more hailee-centric than my other fics instead of it just being about R's thoughts. you'll see what i mean, hope you enjoy! <3

* * * * * * *

Hailee’s eyes are trained on the screen of her phone while she tells the most ridiculously random story she could think of. It’s been far too long since the last time she did an Instagram Live and her excitement at getting to interact with her fans again is more than a little obvious.

Free time has been harder and harder to find between all the photoshoots and interviews, especially considering there's only one person she wants to talk to when her schedule allows it.

“And then y/n had to come in and-”

You look up at the sound of your name. You hadn’t been paying much attention to her story, too busy looking through food delivery apps and trying to decide what to have for dinner.

The original plan was to cook something for dinner but a certain someone decided to do an impulsive Live instead and so the plan was scrapped. Not that you mind. Hailee’s skill in the kitchen is…a work in progress, at least when it comes to potato peels.

Her eyes meet yours almost as if she knows exactly what you’re thinking about. You half expect her to stick her tongue out at you but doing that would only lead to more questions she can’t answer.

You offer her a smile instead before the two of you go back to looking at your respective phones.

Hailee resumes her story, pretending she got distracted by one of her dogs and not her lovely girlfriend. It’s practically impossible to act like she can’t see all the questions pouring in about who she was actually looking at but she manages. (It’s not like acting is her job or anything)

The questions and comments flying by her screen should be annoying or at the very least overwhelming but she ends up finding them quite entertaining. She’s not about to pretend like questions about her sexuality or who she’s dating are anything new but at least now they’re less straightforward (no pun intended) than when she was on Dickinson.

At least she's not actually trying to keep things a secret this time. She's just waiting for the right time. Although the waiting gets harder every time you look at her like she's the most beautiful thing she's ever seen. She'd be upset if she wasn't aware that's exactly how she looks at you.

She tries to keep your name out of her mouth for at least a few minutes to not look super obvious but she fails miserably. “Where’s y/n?” She reads the question out loud before she can stop herself. “I don't know, probably burning down the apartment.”

An offended gasp comes from the side of the room where you're standing and you know you're kidding yourself if you think her phone didn't pick up the sound.

The look she sends your way says as much and you mentally curse yourself. Although, to be completely honest, if there's one thing you both love more than each other it's feeding the theories about your relationship.

The both of you should definitely be more careful if you don't want to get found out but creating chaos within her fandom is just too much fun. Plus, the only reason you two are sneaking around is because Hailee wants to come out ‘the right way’. Whatever that means.

(You're pretty sure it means a song and a music video featuring you but your girlfriend has been very tight-lipped about her music since SunKissing came out. A song that very well serves as a coming out announcement in your opinion.)

You decide to fix your mistake by turning people's attention elsewhere so you open up Instagram and click on Hailee’s profile. You can hear the chuckle she tries to hold back once she reads your comment.

yourusername: are you insulting my cooking skills again, Steinfeld?

The chat explodes into a flurry of comments that a certain pair of brown eyes can't keep up with.

“I'm just telling people the truth,” she replies. “There's a reason you always order food instead of cooking.”

yourusername: yeah. you never wash the dishes

“Oh, that's low.”

She forgets the game you're playing for a second, looking up to glare at you. Her eyes don't end up meeting yours since you're too busy staring down at your phone.

A small smile spreads along her face as she admires you. Even in the middle of teasing her in front of her fans, you're the most amazing thing she's ever laid eyes on. Eyes that give away the fact that she's not home alone like she originally said she was.

She looks back at her phone just in time to catch sight of the many questions she has to avoid. Such as,”Who are you looking at? Is y/n at your place? Are you having dinner together?”

She ignores them all except the one that comes from the person who owns her heart.

yourusername: so, what are YOU cooking for dinner, chef steinfeld???

The response she comes up with is definitely a bad idea but it slips out anyway. “I don't know. What do you want for dinner?”

She tries to cover up the sound of your laugh by ‘accidentally’ kicking some of Martini’s squeaky dog toys. It's a bad coverup but it's the only choice she has. It would be a lot more believable if her dogs weren't asleep in the bedroom.

yourusername: too late, i already ordered cheeseburgers

“Marry me right now,” she replies, her smile turning into a slight smirk.

You know she's messing around but your heart still skips a couple of beats as you type out your response.

yourusername: i'll think about it ;)

The doorbell rings just in time.

You let her wrap up the Live as you pick up your food. By the time you come back, her phone is gone and she's already curled up on the couch scrolling through Netflix for something to watch.

“That was fast,” you say.

She shrugs. “Thought I should help you reconsider my proposal.”

“Food first, proposal later.” You hand the bag holding your dinner over to her.

“Seriously, y/n, could you be any more perfect?”

The laugh that escapes you is enough of an answer for her. You're everything she's ever wanted.

[owlwithanapple]

Bird & Fox

Chapter 7

The movie screen has gone dark, the cars that came to watch the movie have almost dispersed, leaving only a few cars. You sit in the car quietly waiting for Jason. His face changes completely when his phone rings, it seems urgent, perhaps he is needed for his work temporarily.

Just now you lost your temper and let Jason see your unbearable side. You should not have caused Jason trouble, but now you messed it up. It should be a very pleasant night, but you interrupted it.

The driver's seat is empty, the potato chips in your hands have been eaten, the phone battery still a little bit left, you see a car shaking, someone must be busy. You have nothing to do and look around to distract yourself.

"Knock Knock" two knocks and the sound of pulling the car door handle attract your attention.

"Jason?" You turned your head look at the driver's window.

"Open the door." A man wearing a clown mask pointed a gun at the driver's window.

"Fucking hell." Didn't expect you to be in danger.

When he saw you didn't open the door, he pulled the door handle rudely. He was impatient and fired two shots at the mirror, smashed the mirror with his arm and opened the door. You took the opportunity to pull the door handle of the passenger seat tried to escape. He covered your mouth with one hand and pulled you back into the car, pointing the gun at your head.

"You'd better not mess around." He threatened you.

He released his hand covering your mouth and moved the gun to your face. You stayed calm didn't act rashly. The knife wound on his body meant that he had just been fighting with someone and now wanted to hijack the car and escape.

If Jason came back now, he would be in danger. What should you do? Suddenly, your phone rang. He instructed you to answer the call. You had no choice but to press the answer button.

"Hi."

"Hey, are you still in the car?"

"I'm having dinner with my friends."

"Friends?"

"Yeah, I'm having dinner with them today, what are you doing?"

You asked a question, but Jason didn't answer and hung up after a while. You talked nonsense, don't know if Jason understood what you meant, or was confused by your inexplicable words.

Jason POV

Red Robin found me and told the whole story. A group of robbers just robbed the bank. Some of them had been arrested, the last one was still being hunted.

According to Red Robin's speculation, the robbers must be escaping, they might be looking for transportation to escape. From Robin's perspective, he fled to the vicinity of the drive-in theater.

I had a bad feeling, immediately turned on my phone and saw her figure in the camera inside the car. A masked man in the driver's seat was pointing a gun at her.

"Shit..." I showed my phone to Red Robin.

"Nightwing, this is Red Robin. The last one has been found. He is in Red Hood's car in the drive-in theater." Red Robin immediately notified others.

"Wow, bad luck." Robin added.

"Babybird, I'll go over now." Nightwing said urgently.

"I don't think it's necessary. He's already going to beat that guy up." Red Robin said.

Red Robin is really smart. He has already prepared equipment for me. I put on Red Hood's helmet, put on a brown jacket, and took my weapon to go rescue her. Now I can't be Jason Todd. I should be Red Hood at this time.

"Hey, don't kill anyone." Red Robin reminded.

I loaded the bullets "It depends that guy's attitude."

After saying that, I ran back to the drive-in theater. It was my car. The movie was over and everyone else had left. My car was at the back. There was no one around, so he aimed at my car.

I looked at my phone. The guy pointed a gun at her face. If he drove the car to the road and blocked by police to escape, she would be treated as a hostage by him. She could die at any time. Either she died or both died.

I tried to call her to distract her attention. The robber asked her to pick up my phone call. She talked a lot of topics didn't match my opinion. From it, I could hear she was fooling the robber so that he didn't know I was nearby.

I shot the wheel with a gun from a distance to prevent him from leaving. The robber started to panic, she was looking around to see what was going on. I swaggered to the front of the car and put one foot on my car.

"I found you! You bastard!" I pointed the gun at him, and noticed her surprised expression. Suddenly Red Hood appeared without anyone noticing.

"Drop the gun! Or I'll kill her!" He pressed the gun to her head.

"Red Hood!" She called me. She knew Red Hood. I had never heard her say anything about Gotham City. I thought she didn't care about these things, but now was not the time to admire her.

"Listen to me, you bastard! Get the gun away from her! Otherwise, I'll shoot you! You'll be dead!" I warned him with a vicious tone.

"You put the gun down! Now you have no right to negotiate with me!" He was yelling like crazy.

I kicked the front of my car then put my foot on it. "You really need to be taught a lesson."

"Let's make a deal. Let me leave here and I'll let her go."

If you negotiate a deal with this kind of person, you will always lose money. If you agree to his deal, she will be killed in a minute, the expression of that bastard doesn't look like he's joking.

I'm more curious about the bag on her leg. Is the content in it money or a bomb? Tim said it was a group of bombers. I don't know if he has any bombs. I don't know if he has them hidden on his body or in a bag.

I noticed her face, she was telling me something, her eyes looked in the direction of the bag, she didn't say anything but her mouth moved as if she was saying "bomb", damn bad luck.

What should I do now, think, Red Hood.

I opened my palm and stretched out my hand to wave at her, "Sweetheart, I will rescue you from this bastard, wait for me obediently, okay?"

She just looked confused but still nodded, very good, what a good girl, I really want to hug her and cherish her, I really want to shoot this bastard in the head, but I don't want her to be stained with the blood of the garbage, her life will be stained with any stains and shadows.

I put the gun in my pants, moved my feet away from the car, tightened my gloves, walked to the driver's seat and leaned against the car window, I didn't want to use force because I knew the location of the bomb was in the bag on her leg.

"I'm going to make a deal with you. I won't hand you over to the police, but you must let her go unharmed."

"Hahaha! It's not your turn to negotiate with me here!"

"You have no right to use her to negotiate. You should know that the girl next to you is a good girl. She is my sweetheart."

"Who do I care about her?"

"You have to care, because if it weren't for her, I would have burned the whole car including your bomb."

"Psycho..."

"I am a psycho, but I have always been rational to protect her."

I told him a lot of nonsense, of course, everything I said was true, absolutely sincere, he finally turned the gun at my helmet, his hands were still shaking like a chihuahua.

I pulled him over from the car window and punched him, opened the door pulled him out of the car, reached out to grab the gun from his hand and threw it to the ground, then pulled and punched him in the face twice and threw him aside.

I ran to the passenger seat and opened the door "Sweetheart, I kept you waiting."

She smiled and shook her head "Not long, thank you for saving me."

I stretched out my hand "Give me your hand."

She stretched out her hand and placed it on my palm, I held her tightly to ensure her safety, she moved the bag containing the bomb from her thigh and brought it to me, confirmed that there was money and the bomb together, and sure enough, that bastard even planned to blow up the money.

I was so damn unlucky today. Something terrible happened. The bomb exploded in just 10 seconds. I took the bag and threw it into the air. I turned around, pushed her to the ground and protected her with my body.

When the time came, the bomb exploded and the money in the bag was blown to pieces. Fortunately, I arrived in time, otherwise she would be blown into fireworks, or she would die with the robbers.

I saw her eyes closed below, which was a reasonable body reaction. It was also right to be afraid. I just didn't expect the first time I pounced on her was to be a hero to save her as Red Hood.

She opened her eyes and looked at me. Her body fluctuated because of her breathing. The first thing she did was not to scream loudly or cry. Her hand touched my helmet, just a simple touch.

"Are you okay?" The words were extremely warm.

I lay on her and didn't leave her body. "Okay, thank you for your concern, sweetheart."

I moved away from her, helped her up and protected her. I looked at the banknotes that had been blown into ashes and realized how she would die. The last ten seconds just now were her last moment. Fortunately, I held that lifeline.

"Damn..." The guy picked up the gun from the ground.

I immediately held her in my arms, pulled out the gun, covered her eyes with my hands to prevent her from seeing the dark side, and shot him twice in the hand to make him unable to move. A scream of pain rang out.

I couldn't see her eyes, and couldn't tell her expression. She bit her lip and then let go. Maybe she was enduring the fear from the two gunshots. At least now she was unharmed, only that garbage thing was injured.

I let go of her, she wanted to turn around. I stopped her, "There's nothing to see over there."

"I know, but..."

"But?"

"My friend..."

She was talking about me. Overnight, I turned into Red Hood to protect her. Only violence can punish these bastards. I didn't want her to see Jason in front of her, with his hands covered in blood and killing people mercilessly.

"Don't worry, your friend has been escorted back safely by me."

She blinked, "Is he okay? Is he injured anywhere?"

I hugged her, "Sweetheart, he's fine, I promise."

She breathed a sigh of relief, "That's great, thank you so much."

"I should thank you. If you hadn't told me that he had a bomb, we both would be dead. You must be scared."

She just looked at me and then smiled, "You promised to save me. I believe you, so I'm not afraid."

She not only a good girl, but also a brave, optimistic and positive girl. I like her because of her personality. Her personality always attracts me to carve her into my heart step by step.

I can't say I like her. I can only like her secretly. But I don't want to give her happiness to anyone, I can't guarantee her future lover can give her a safe and stable life.

What I worry about is although I am Red Hood, I can't guarantee I can protect her first. She can die from my hands at any time. This is the thing I dare not face the most.

A pair of hands held my helmet. "Are you worried?"

She asked me, and I shook my head. "Nothing, I just can't take my eyes off you because you're so beautiful."

"Hehe, what nonsense are you talking about?" She laughed happily.

Ah, this is the expression I like to see the most, smiling, simple and innocent, my most precious gift, even between life and death, she can still keep smiling and face reality.

"Babybird, need help?" Nightwing's voice came from the communicator.

"It's done. You can come and deal with the aftermath. I'm going to send her back." I replied.

I cut off the communicator and walked to the car then impatiently watching the window that had been broken into broken glass. I really wanted to kill the garbage, finally had the opportunity to be alone with her. I also chose my best car.

Forget it, that guy's hands are useless now, and I've vented my anger enough, so I'll teach him a lesson. I pulled out the car keys and went back to find her. She was standing there waiting for me obediently.

I showed the car keys, "Here, help me return it to your friend."

She held the keys tightly, "Okay."

She took the car keys was about to leave, I pulled her, "Where to?"

She tilted her head, "Home."

I took her hand and pushed her closer, "Sweetheart, it's not safe outside, I'll take you."

She shook her head in panic, "Really no need."

I put my arm around her waist "Sweetheart, you should know being beautiful is also a sin."

I interrupted what she was about to say and took her hand to leave this damn place. I put away the gun and walked with her while swinging her hand. She didn't refuse but smiled and swung it with me.

Should I say she is bold or really innocent? Anyway, I like her very much. Seeing her happy like a little girl, no matter how bad Gotham City is, I can meet her in the vast crowd, and life is finally a little healed.

She hummed softly, and I held her hand and walked beside her. It's nice to have such a peaceful and beautiful night, or it would be great if it could stay like this forever, but things don't happen as you wish.

"What's your name?" I asked suddenly.

She turned her head and said, "My name is Y/N."

"Hmm, beautiful, and your name is so perfect."

She let go of my hand and ran to me tilted her head, "You have been praising me from the beginning to now, why?"

I stopped, "I'm just telling the truth."

Frankly speaking, if I hadn't approached her as Red Hood, I wouldn't have the courage to keep flirting with her. I would be more cautious in daily life, but when I’m Red Hood, I would boldly say what I couldn't say.

You can say that I backed off and didn't have the courage. I wouldn't deny it, I didn't want to prove my identity as Jason Todd to her. I didn't want her to worry about my affairs. Even if she didn't worry, at least she wouldn't have to hide it for me.

I put my hands in my pockets and followed her. "So... what movie did you watch today?"

She thought about it and took out her phone to show me the photos. "I watched this one today."

I already knew it, but I just wanted to find a topic to talk to her. "This director's movies always been well-received."

She took back her phone. "The plot of the movie is great, but I was a little confused after watching it."

I quickened my pace and walked to her side. "Why?"

"If you fall in love with someone, if she dies and there is no news of her death, are you willing to wait for her?"

She cares about this kind of thing. I have never loved anyone deeply, but she makes me want to like her and love her. I don't know if my answer can be what she wants, but I want to answer as long as she asks.

"If that girl is you, I will definitely wait, and I am willing to be buried with you."

"You don't even know me, it's not appropriate to say such a thing."

My heart has never left her. I walked over step by step, opened my hands and gave her a hug, which is something Jason Todd can't do.

"Red Hood?"

I let go of her and touched her hair. "You have to know every relationship starts with strangers, just like you and me. You don't know who I am, and I don't know you, but I still have feelings for you."

Her face showed a faint smile. I don't know how many romantic experiences she has experienced. Every expression of hers is more smiling than sad, as if she hides many indescribable secrets.

"Emotions are so complicated." She murmured to herself.

"Hahaha, that's true. But..." I was silent for a moment.

"Red Hood?"

"If it's complicated because of you, I don't mind."

Under the illumination of the street lamp, I could see clearly that she looked at me with a red face. I had never seen her shy before. I thought she had no interest in me, but she had such an expression towards Red Hood.

What did I do to make her have such an expression? I approached her and bent down slightly to be at the same height as her. I noticed even her ears were red and she avoided my sight.

"Sweetheart, are you shy?" I couldn't help but tease her a little.

"I'm not!" She turned around.

I turned around and wanted to see her face. "Show me, my sweetheart is actually shy, so cute!"

"Idiot Red! I'm not your sweetheart!" She covered her face.

A strong smell of love filled my heart, my heart was beating non-stop as was about to jump out of my chest. A blush made a man like me feel excited and happy, it was like holding me tightly.

I grabbed her hand asked her to move her hand away from her face. I just wanted to occupy her now. I wanted to engrave everything about her in my heart and treasure it for a lifetime. Only I could have these beautiful things.

"Sweetheart, look at me." I said, she closed her eyes shook her head to refuse.

"Be obedient, look at me, sweetheart." I held her hands tightly.

She finally opened her eyes and looked at me. I don't know if it was because of my harsh tone, but what I wanted most now was to see her face. This was a moment that was worth cherishing and owning.

"You are so fucking beautiful that you have me fascinated." I told her rudely.

She was so surprised that she opened her eyes wide and blinked a few times, she couldn't believe it. I pulled her closer to her face. I couldn't help but feel happy. I didn't want us to be just friends.

Subconsciously, I did what Jason Todd couldn't do. I kissed her lips through the helmet. There was no direct lip contact between us, but when I stepped back, I saw her face was red.

"Idiot! Big idiot! Red Hood is an idiot!" She shouted a few times.

I laughed out loud"Hahaha! Sweetheart～sweetheart, you really make me want to bully you."

"You are annoying!" She shouted and started running.

I caught up with her and took her hand and ran together. "It's hard to get rid of me."

This night was so short. After running for a while, I saw her apartment. Until I sent her downstairs, our time together ended. Just over an hour had passed.

She had already stepped into the apartment door. I stood outside and waited for her to enter the elevator before I could leave with peace of mind. Before leaving, I saw her waving at me non-stop. I stayed there and waved my hand in response until the elevator door closed.

Now I was the only one left. I walked on the street and recalled the beautiful moment just now. Should I continue to interact with her as Red Hood or Jason Todd? Which one would she like more? They were the same person.

I looked at the night sky, which was full of stars. I let out a breath and told myself not to think about it. I would take it one step at a time. No matter who she chose, as long as she was happy, I would be happy too.

The communicator rang. It was Nightwing looking for me. I went to the old place to talk to him about the progress of the work that had just ended, the car, and to get a free snack from him.

When I arrived , I saw him sitting there eating. I took off my helmet and sat next to him. He handed me a bag of hamburgers. I took out the hamburger and took a bite of it and chewed it.

"The Beast and the Beauty~"

"Shut up, Dickhead."

"Are you worried about something?"

"I guess so..."

We were silent for a while, I took another bite. I felt more comfortable around Nightwing. Sometimes he would be annoying, but he would not ask too much about my personal affairs unless I told him.

"I have asked someone to send your car to the factory for repair, and the guy has been handed over to the police." He said.

I nodded "Yeah... good."

He turned to me "Are you angry because she grabbed your girlfriend or because he broke your car mirror?"

I looked at him "Do you need to answer?"

"Answer if you want to, otherwise don't."

"Both, let me first make it clear, she is not my girlfriend."

"Babybird, it's okay to be brave."

"Ha! What do you want to say..."

"You know it."

"Shit..."

"So?"

I sighed "The mask reminded me of what happened back then, so I shot."

"He was already unconscious when I arrived at the scene, but the mask did bring back memories."

"It was a fucking clown mask, so disgusting."

His hand held my shoulder. "I'll put the harsh words here first. If you still want to take revenge on Joker, I advise you to stay away from her. I don't want her to be dragged down by you."

He was right, even I couldn't say anything back. "I understand."

"Babybird... We both know what we want, but it's hard for us to bear the consequences. You and I have experienced it. Whether you two are friends or lovers, I sincerely hope you two can live a good life."

I looked at his face felt extremely sad, because he said the thing I was most afraid of facing very frankly. If one day my hands were stained with her blood, I might have gone crazy.

I hit his shoulder "I know very well, but I still won't introduce her to you!"

"You bastard! " He got up and ran after me.

I suddenly stopped and turned to look at him. "Nightwing!"

He stopped and looked confused. "What?"

I walked in front of him and stretched out my fist. "Promise me, if anything happens, protect her for me."

He also stretched out his fist and touched my fist. "Of course, I promise you, but you must introduce her to me."

"You so annoying."

"One more thing, I will protect you and let you return to her side safely." He retracted his fist.

Should I say he is a good brother or the best partner? It is difficult for me to hate him. He can always make the right judgment at the critical moment. He is also someone I admire.

Chapter 7 End.

Other Chapter

If you have any ideas, don’t be shy. Just leave a comment below. Your opinions would be valuable and will be added in story. ♥️💙

[kafus]

why 100%ing the pokeathlon in HGSS is one of the longest challenges in all of pokemon

ok so the pokeathlon right. the fun minigame collection in HGSS that is sort of but not really a replacement for sinnoh contests. one of the achievements you have to get to upgrade the HGSS trainer card to 5 stars is beating all 10 preset records for each minigame in the pokeathlon, and this is probably what it's most known for outside of just being a fun minigame collection. i think most people beat all the records if they're going for completion and call it a day but despite how easy it is to get that trainer card level, it's actually barely scraping the surface of what this game expects out of you for 100% completion. i genuinely think it's one of the most insane pokemon challenges in terms of the amount of grinding and for WHAT??? WHAT WERE THEY THINKING AAAAA

okay deep breath hear me out. all of the images in this post are pictures of one of my own HGSS files that i have been slowly working on 100% completing the pokeathlon in. i am not done yet and you will soon see why

in the basement of the pokeathlon, there are four rooms that get progressively unlocked as you play. the first one ("solidarity room") is there at default, then you unlock the "trust room" by winning a medal in all five courses at least once, then you unlock the "potential room" by winning a medal for all five courses on the same pokemon (AKA what is called a "medalist pokemon"), and then lastly you unlock the "friendship room" by beating all the preset 1st records, which also gets you the aforementioned trainer card level. each of these rooms is there to display various pokeathlon achievements and holy shit there are a lot of them that just get more crazy as you go further back in the rooms so BUCKLE UP

this is the solidarity room, aka the first room. very easy stuff, the only records down here are in the glass case and they show your highest collective score in each of the five pokeathlon courses. for 100% completion of this room you need to get a score of at least 450 in each course and you can tell you've done this when there are two trophy icons filled in next to each on the right hand side. a couple examples:

the only one in particular that took me more than one or two attempts to get the score i needed was the jump course for some reason and i have no idea why honestly, i think i just suck at lamp jump. on the other hand the skill course is extremely easy entirely because snow throw can be cheesed (video of me doing this here)

next up is the trust room. mainly it features the glass case that shows off every pokemon you've ever received a medal on and also totals how many full medalist pokemon you have, as shown below (i don't currently have any pokemon who AREN'T medalists here, but medalist pokemon are given the red ribbon on the bottom screen, so any non-medalist pokemon won't have that icon):

yes i have 73 medalist pokemon at the time of writing this post. don't worry about the trophies right now, we're going to talk about it later

despite the glass case being the main thing here, the flag, jersey, and golden shoes on the back wall aren't actually there at first. they show up for accomplishing certain things. from left to right you have to switch 200 times in any minigame that requires swapping mons, join the pokeathlon (not necessarily win) 50 times, and dash in any minigame where you flick the stylus to dash 5000 times. these numbers might sound kind of high but it's potatoes compared to later and if you're trying to 100% the pokeathlon these will just naturally show up here eventually without you even thinking about it

amusingly after you get them and interact with them, it doesn't actually tell you what you did to get them there lol. it's just like wow! those are yours! crazy!

next up, the potential room: yet another glass case and a couple of tables on the back for more golden items that appear as you achieve stuff. the glass case this time contains all the records for each individual minigame, including those 1st records you have to beat as i've mentioned a few times.

here are some of my records that i am not so subtly taking the opportunity to show off here lol. i have played so much pokeathlon that all of the 1st records are completely gone from the list, i've overwritten the entire list from each event LOL. on the bottom screen, 1st records you've beaten get a little ribbon on the event icon... but hold on, there's trophies too!

yes there's actually two records to beat for each event, the one that gives you the little trophy is called the mastery record and some of them, unlike the 1st records, are actually pretty damn difficult to achieve. circle push requires 60 points for example, which requires you to get a score of at least 60 - and the theoretical highest score you can get, aka a perfect score, is 66!! that's only 6 points off from perfect!! and don't even get me started on pennant capture, imo it's by far the hardest mastery record, it requires you to pick up 50 entire flags in one game and for a variety of reasons this is very difficult and required me to soft reset over and over doing attempts for multiple hours lol. the mastery records are really where i'm like, damn as a kid with undeveloped motor skills this would make me fucking explode (and it did when i was a child. it almost did even as an adult. fuck pennant capture)

oh yeah btw that "Link" button in the top right is specifically for local wireless playing pokeathlon with friends and there are zero achievements related to it, there's no preset records and no local play is required for completion. figured i'd mention lol

anyway as for the two things in the back, the first with the golden pokegear is for 100 first place wins overall and the one i don't have on the right side is for winning each individual minigame/event in first place... 50 times. 50 times each. there's 10 individual minigames, and some of them don't repeat on any other course, so you can start imagining just how many pokeathlon playthroughs this takes. this is getting ridiculous considering the amount of time investment needed but it Gets Worse!

ah yes the last room. the friendship room. it's cute, it has a statue of you and the last three pokemon you won the pokeathlon with, so you can go in with a team of 3 pokemon you care about and take a photo of your screen surrounded by statues of your favorite guys. here the mons are just random though lol

however there's more to this room and this is where the true insanity of the pokeathlon reveals itself. if you interact with your statue, you get this screen:

as you can see, all of the trophies from the previous rooms are totaled here! the collective trophies are the ones from getting a good score on each course from the solidarity room, the trust trophies are from the amount of medalist pokemon you have shown off in the trust room, the potential trophies are from all the 1st records and mastery records you've beaten in the trust room, and the friendship trophies... well those are actually obtained from the big point score on the top screen, of which you need a minimum of 4500 to get the 10th and final friendship trophy. this total is made up of the sum of all five course high scores, the highest score from each individual minigame (after converting to athlete points, AKA the currency earned), and one point per each medal shown off in the trust room, so five points for each medalist pokemon.

and that's the issue. medalist pokemon. you may have noticed that despite me having a whopping 73 medalist pokemon at the moment as well as getting every other trophy in the pokeathlon, i only have 6 of the 10 trust trophies. do you know how many medalist pokemon you need to 100% the pokeathlon and get that last trust trophy? 200 OF THEM.

let me break down why this is fucking ridiculous. so first of all i've been waiting to mention this until now, but medalist pokemon aren't actually logged by individual pokemon, they're logged by species. this means if you go in with a cyndaquil, and then go in with a different cyndaquil, winning medals on both cyndaquils does not count as more medals after you've already gotten them on that first cyndaquil once. this means that to even attempt getting 200 medalist pokemon, you have to OWN 200 individual pokemon species - as of gen 4 there were 493 pokemon in the national dex including mythicals and stuff; that's a little under half the entire fucking pokedex!! think of it this way, there's 30 pokemon per PC box, and assuming no duplicates, you would need to fill 6 and 2/3 PC boxes with different pokemon species.

pokedex requirement aside, let's break down how many times you have to play the pokeathlon minigames MINIMUM assuming you win first place every single time and don't ever bring repeat species on accident. it's math time babey

you need 200 medalist pokemon but you join the pokeathlon with a team of 3 pokemon at a time, so let's divide that by three and round upwards. 200 / 3 = 67 full medalist runs. for each medalist, you have to beat all 5 courses, so let's multiply 67 by 5 to get 335 total pokeathlon wins. but wait, each course has three minigames! so the total amount of minigames you have to play MINIMUM to get 200 medalist pokemon is 1005. and again, that's at minimum assuming you don't fuck anything up!! these minigames aren't exactly short either, they last 1-2 minutes each and this doesn't count spamming A through dialogue and menus, picking your pokemon each time before each course, watching the cutscene of points getting totaled at the end... 1-2 minutes might sound short but even if we take out all that time menuing and assuming every course is JUST 1 minute for math's sake, that's 1005 minutes - that's 16 hours and 45 minutes of JUST pokeathlon gameplay, and that is absolutely an underestimate.

as you can imagine as a person with chronic pain these minigames are kind of painful after a while and so i'm definitely going slow with this grind but i intend to have every trust trophy eventually. i'm not the first to do it but i've seen very few people online who have even wanted to make the attempt and i want to be able to look at that friendship trophy screen and feel accomplished. (i'm also going to get that last achievement in the potential room but if i don't have it somehow at the end of getting all these medalists i'll worry about it then)

side note i think it's really funny how there's something called the Supreme Cup which is just pokeathlon but harder and the only thing worth doing it for is extra athlete points for winning (300 instead of 100), there's literally 0 achievements tied to it lol

oh, and an aside about how ridiculous the pokeathlon is - the data cards. despite all my rambling here about all these different rooms with various achievements, there's actually even more pokeathlon data that is accessible... for a price.

the lady behind the counter here will sell you data cards for athlete points which let you view more personal pokeathlon data on the computer screen right next to her. the issue is some of these are really expensive, most of them 1000 points or more, which is a minimum of two full pokeathlon courses probably won at first place each. and there's also one card that costs 9999 for some fucking reason, it's the one that shows your total pokeathlon playtime, which i think is really funny. you also can't buy it right away, you have to buy most of the prior ones first. they really said ok here's your reward for grinding enough AP to buy all those data cards including this 9999 one: checking how much time you've wasted on getting here! in total getting all the data cards costs 39499 AP. just to view all your data!! if you get an average of 500 AP per pokeathlon course, that's a minimum of like 79 pokeathlon wins!!

i assume most people have never bought a data card much less all of them, like most people are going to use all that AP for purchasing evolution stones and heart scales from the main shop on the right, but it's kind of nutty how much data the pokeathlon actually saves. very minute stuff. since i've bought all of them, here's my current stats at the time of writing this:

anyways don't do this unless you have a lot of time on your hands to tediously replay the same minigames hundreds of times, and if you do for the love of god rest your wrists btw. these minigames were not built for my bones and they probably weren't for you eitherSFDKSFD

[mhsdatgo]

I feel like a lot of people misunderstand me when I say I'm disappointed with the way Aegon was adapted.

Most of those who criticize me (and some Aegon stans who aren't apologists, because get some help seriously) throw every possible excuse there is in the book in order to rid Aegon of any kind of depth or potential for Season 2.

I've been told I can't stomach characters that are downright bad, I've been told I only cling to show!Aegon's only redeeming quality at the moment (namely, TGC) and make it THE reason why Aegon should be liked.

I really don't know why I gotta say this about myself as a preface in order to debunk that second "theory" but I can absolutely assure you that amongst all the people I've crushed on or fell in love with in all my years of life, only two of them were boys and one of them is my current boyfriend. So if anything my fuckable meter as moral compass doesn't work that well with men lmao. Thank you for admitting that this show is so bad that sometimes the only good quality about certain characters are the actors that play them, idk what to tell you.

And on not being able to handle wicked characters, really? I've got a whole blog shitting on HotD writers for a lot of reasons amongst which is the fact that they made Rhaenyra blander than unseasoned potatoes and you came to the conclusion that... I can't handle wicked characters?

I'd really have no problems with Aegon being adapted as the cruel piece of shit he is in the books. You know, the only source material. If we're talking Aegon individually, my only problem with the route they're taking is making it similar to Joffrey. We don't want Joffrey Targaryen, we want Aegon II. (And like it or not, he's so different from Joffrey it's not even funny) The only things these two kids have in common are dying from poison, having a mother who's a lady-turned-queen, having a grandfather who's hand of the king and being selfish pricks.

My problem lies with Rhaenyra. Everyone knows Aegon sucks ass, that was known even before Sara Hess came up with that caricature of cartoonish evilness and tried masking it as gray writing. It's wanting to make Rhaenyra any better that is ridiculous as fuck.

Rhaenyra was just as selfish, self-righteous and dumb as Aegon. Rhaenyra's motives were just as valid as Aegon. They are both sides of the same coin. That's the basics if you want to understand Fire and Blood. Something Sara, Ryan, Miguel and the entire team didn't understand in the slightest. If you want me to take a show about the Dance of the Dragons seriously, you want to make this SIMPLE concept clear as day, which really isn't that hard.

And I'm sorry, but the situation with Dyana, that poor thing, is always angering to watch. Despicable, yes. Unforgivable, yes. I agree. I like it when there are turns in the adaptation of a story as vague as Fire and Blood, but not when that change is made for no reason other than wanting to uplift a character who deserves anything but.

Furthermore, I beg your pardon a second time for wanting the least possible scenes of r*pe or implied r*pe on my screen. Maybe because it's triggering, not necessarily because the r*pist is played by my little meow meow, ever thought of that? If you want your audience to hate a character, put yourself at work. There are so many ways to do that. Taking the easy route (because it was an easy route, argue with the wall) because war crimes aren't enough to make people pounce at a character like rabid dogs is lazy and disrespectful to people who came to see a well developed show. First accept that there aren't saints in F&B, then you can start working.

[zyonsay]

hi z!!

could you please do a lando request??

the reader is afab and they’re pronouns are they/he and maybe he (the reader) is just having a bad day because, first of all they just woke up in a crappy mood because they’re feeling dysphoric (and i know i get cranky like hell when this happens) and then they see hate comments like purposely misgendering the reader in lando’s comment section!!

and then lando both kinda goes off on twitter about it, while comforting reader just talking about how he’s the best boyfriend/partner

(that’s all i have take it from here😭😭)

btw you’re one of the few writers that i know off that do male!readers

OH and i saw how it said to say if the afab/amab is a big thing, so YES him being a afab is a big deal to the story!!

LOVE YOU POOKIE💗💗

Love you, no matter what LN4

Fem aligned people may read but not f3tishize my work!!

Summary: Dysphoria sucks ass

Warnings: Queerphobia, Slurs: Tr@nny/f@g

Now playing: 'Blonde Chaya sped up' by Amaru & Gringo Bamba

AN: Hey there pookie! Thank you so much for this request!! I also get cranky asf when im dysphoric. ok well admittedly, im always cranky . But anyways! I made some teeny tiny changes and i hope that's alright! Love you!

Fun Fact of the day: My biology teacher is a skinwalker

(i'll rage if there isn't a brit shaped present under the tree by the 24th)

A loud, irritated groan left your figure as you fought with nothing in particular. That was a lie. You fought with yourself right now.

The t shirt clung to your figure because of the cold sweat you woke up in and your hair was an absolute mess. The spot next to you on the bed was empty, you knew that your most loved one was probably on a stream.

Scrambling from the bed you passed the long mirror on the bedroom wall; another irritated huff left you. That feeling of being trapped in the wrong body snaked up your leg and pierced you right in your heart. Maybe a cup of hot tea or coffee will cheer you up.

You passed the office, hearing a loud groan from withing, followed by your boyfriend’s voice, explaining how unfair it was for him to get shot ten seconds after joining the game.

The water boiler hummed loudly as you sat on the barstool by the kitchen island, slumped over like a sad little bag of potatoes. You also felt like one. Yet another groan erupted from the office, making you think of something. Quickly fetching your phone from the pockets of your shorts, you opened Whatsapp and sent Lando a quick text. It was almost comical how you could hear him talk to his audience about you.

“My lovely boyfriend just asked if I wanted some tea!”, he giggled like a giddy child. Brits and their tea. He sent you a text back, telling you he’ll be in the kitchen in a few minutes, he just wanted to wrap the stream up.

Then his eyes landed on a username consisting of various numbers and letters. ‘Ew bro, you still dating that f@g? Thought u moved on lolz’ The blood in his veins froze and he felt the anger boiling in the pit of his stomach. Another one popped up, this time from a different viewer. ‘OMG WAIT is it that Tr@nny he once showed lmao, Lan you can do better smh’ And with that a stream of vile words erupted as the strangers on the other side of the screen began vomiting senseless hate. ‘No fucking way. I bet y’all a million bucks that I’d be a less embarrassing wag lol’

What he had missed in this mess of hate comments was that ‘y/n.02’ had joined the stream and saw the hateful words through teary eyes. You clutched your phone with a desperate grip as you sobbed.

“Y’all need to fucking grow up and accept it. I love my boyfriend.” was all he said before swiftly clicking ‘end stream’ and rushing out of the office. He found you with glistening tears streaming down your face and a red, sniffling nose. Immediately, Lando threw his arms around you, pulling you up from the barstool and into a tight hug. “Don’t listen to them darling”, his voice was sweet and almost as quiet as the breath you let out after that. His T shirt was soaked with your tears, but he couldn’t care less. “I love you so fucking much. And nothing can change that. You’re the best damn thing that happened to me.”, his big, gentle hands rubbed your back and traced patterns over your t shirt.

Lando pulled away and looked you intently in the eyes. He closed the distance between you two and embraced you in a sweet, loving kiss.

“Let’s drink some tea baby.”, Brits and their fucking tea.

[lightwing-s]

Oh!!!! We're doing blurb????!!!

Jason climb in food vlogger! reader's window and take her up to the rooftop to celebrate the arrival of 2024 together, and they both laugh when they received Alfred's and Tim's wishes at the same time

- miss potato 🥔

Jason told you to be ready by 9pm. It was 9:30 and you still weren’t done. 

Searching for your earrings that were hidden somewhere inside your apartment, you heard knocking sounds, making you stop in your tracks and walk over to your front door, only for the noise to get lower as you got closer to it. Weird, you thought, peeking through the peeping hole and finding no one outside.

Spinning on your heels, you look to the other side of the room to meet your boyfriend, dressed in the new vegan leather jacket you’d given him for Christmas, smiling at you from outside your living room window.

“What are you doing here?” you asked between a laugh, as you slid open the glass door.

“Came to pick you up.” he stated, giving you a chaste kiss on your glossy lips. He tasted your lip gloss on his own lips, a hmm leaving his throat before pulling you for another quick kiss. “Come on.”

Extending his hands to you, you tried to tell him you weren’t ready yet, but he ignored your words, telling you you looked beautiful, and pulling you outside through your own window. He held your back, making sure you wouldn’t trip or fall, allowing you to climb the stairs in front of him, so he could watch over you… and your ass.

Arriving on top of the unusually clean and well decorated rooftop, you found his old sofa pushed closer to the parapet, a champagne bottle on the floor beside it and two boxes of pizza going along.

Jason jumped on the sofa and you on him, cuddling up together to wait till the fireworks started blowing in the sky. You two chatted your night away, waiting for the new year to arrive, talking about everything you’d done the past year and planning all the adventures you’d get to do in this new one.

As the clock struck midnight, you watched the fireworks to the sound of Michael Bublé and Jason’s kisses, starting the new year, in your opinion, with a bang.

“I bet you five dollars Alfred is gonna text you first.” Jason said, shoving an entire pizza slice in his mouth.

“I don’t think s…” you would reply, but the sound of your notifications cut you off. “Happy New Year, miss Yn.”

Chackling up, Jason had to hold his tummy from hurting after all his laughing. “I told you so.” he said, drying his tears.

“I’m sure he messaged you too.” picking up his phone, you shoved it in his face as Alfred’s message appeared on the screen. Not much later, both your phones lit up with a new notification, Tim’s number showing on your screens, but two very confusing messages that left you two wondering what he meant.

Looking at the text you receive over your shoulder, Jason picked your phone from your hands and placed it right beside his, Tim’s message coming together to say:

Jason’s Yn’s

Happy New Year You Two Fools

“Fuck that nerd.” he shook his head.

“Hey, you’re only supposed to fuck me.” you pouted.

“If you insist, I think that’s a great way to start the new year!”

[zerolune]

Rainy night - Wonbin

Suggestive (hint of smut?), fluff

Rain drops slowly pitter-patter on the roofs of apartment balconies. The droplets of water stain the windows, the leaves, the trees but they leave their beauty- in the death of night. The weather outside is so cozy, making you snuggle in your blanket, closer to your boyfriend.

"Baby, how was your day?" Wonbin asks, puckering his lips and looking at you as he sat aligned to the head rest and letting you inhabit his comfy arms.

"I'm so tired," you mumbled, smothering a yawn as you pecked his bicep. He chuckled, suddenly putting his phone to the side and placing you on top of him.

You were too tired to, well, revolt, and quite frankly, you didn't want to, so you let his hands creep up his your oversized t-shirt.

You let his lips kiss yours as his fingers traced figure-eights on your back. You let him bite your lower lip, exerting a tiny moan from you. Wonbin made use of that opening and let his tongue divulge yours, quickly overpowering you. Soon, he pulled away from you, causing you to chase his lips.

"Patience, my love," he grinned, tracing a lovely trail of wet kisses from your lips, to your jaw, to your neck- "you're so beautiful," he groaned, and honestly you were too much in a trance to realise his bulge that was directly forming under your cunt.

Every breath of his peppered against your neck, leaving behind raised hair and goosebumps that shriveled up all the way down your spine. You on the other hand however, felt yourself dozing, eyelids closing not only pleasure but also in your exhaustion wearing away to let you relax- at last.

Wonbin was sucking at your collarbones- which would surely leave marks, but you couldn't care less, or you probably couldn't even care...

Before you knew it, you felt a sleepy daze push out your consciousness as you slowly leaned your head into his neck. And soon,reality closed off.

- -

No way? Why were you the queen of lasagna in potato land and why the hell was wonbin turned into a parrot- nevermind- it was a stupid dream, someone should talk about this shit to those people that say all dreams have meanings.

You slightly stretched your muscles, fluttering your eyelids to see a ray or screen of light coming from behind. You turned around, to see wonbin still awake, mindlessly scrolling. The rain still made its signature sound as you elevated yourself, shifting closer to your boyfriend.

"Baby...I'm sorry-" you pout, apologising for well...

"You have nothing to be sorry about pretty girl, you must've been tried, don't ever say sorry for these things." He kissed your forehead in assurance. "But why do you tire yourself so much! How many times do I tell you..."You weren't sure when it was when he suddenly started nagging you about overworking yourself, but you had to find a way out of that lecture.

Grabbing his jaw, you pecked his lip, smiling when he rolled his eyes. "Yea yea just distract me when I try to say something important."

Before you knew it, you were straddling his lap again, melting in his warm embrace.

[valiantstarlights]

[Loving You is Cherry Pie] Chapter 3

Read on AO3 / Chapter 1 / Chapter 2

Featuring doting father Alpha!Hob (43) and his son, recently presented Omega!Dream (20).

By happy coincidence, this chapter fills the prompts 'Call in the night' and 'College' for @mr-sadman's Sandmanniversary2024 Day 2. 😊 Thanks to @seiya-starsniper for helping me with one of the sections! 🥰

CWs: Off-screen violence. 👀

--

SAN

"...'llo?"

"Good evening, Corinthian."

"Whuh-- (crash) Shit-- (a dull, heavy sounding thud) Fuck! (pained wheeze, rustling fabric, scrambling) Hello? Dream?"

"...I'm here. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm-- (pained hiss) I'm good. I just, you know. Fell."

"I heard. Has the fall exacerbated your injuries?"

"...Uh, what?"

"Exacer-- Has the fall made your injuries worse?"

"Oh. Uh... (rustling fabric) No? I don't think so?"

"That's good."

"..."

"..."

"...Are you calling to check up on me? 'Cause I'm fine. That bitch didn't beat me up as badly as I beat her."

"I apologize."

"What for? If anyone should be apologizing, it's her. Are you alright?"

"...Yes. Thank you for lending me your jumper. I'll give it back to you after I have it washed and scent-cleaned."

"No. Keep it."

"Corinthian--"

"I'm serious. I have more, and black looks better on you than it does on me anyway."

"..."

"(sigh) It doesn't... It doesn't have to mean anything. But if it keeps you warm and my scent protects you from--"

"(sharp inhale) You...?"

"...Yeah. But if you're worried I'll tell anyone, I won't. Trust me."

"..."

"Look, I... (deep breath followed by a long, drawn out sigh) My omega parent. He also..."

"...Oh. Is he..?"

"No."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. (sigh) I promise, I don't have any hidden agendas or whatever about you keeping my sweater. Jumper? And anyway, I already know you don't like me--"

"I did not say that. It's just, that night, I wasn't... I was having a very stressful evening."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"So today... Thank you. For doing what you did."

"Of course. It was the proper thing to do."

"..."

"(stifled yawn) Oh, sorry."

"No. I have taken too much of your time that you could've otherwise spent sleeping. Good night, Corinthian."

"Yeah, alright. And you're sure you're okay? Aside from..."

"Yes."

"Well, alright then. G'night, Dream."

--

RG

Good morning, baby! I hope you slept well. (brightly smiling emoji)  Eleanor and I went jogging awhile ago. We're early enough to watch the sunrise for a bit, and now we're dining at this restaurant owned by a nice old lady who used to be a weightlifter in her youth! I think that even at 70, she has bigger muscles than I do. Here's my order: one chicken burger with a side of sweet potato fries, and a watermelon smoothie. (RG sent a photo.) [Image description: A delicious-looking chicken burger piled high with romaine lettuce is on a porcelain plate beside a generous serving of sweet potato fries. The watermelon smoothie is three-quarters full, and while it has a drinking straw leaning against one side of the glass cup, there is a hint of light pink lipstick on the rim of the cup. Across the table, Eleanor's pale, delicate hands are seen holding a knife and fork over her own food, which is some type of steak salad.] I think you would love the food here. Shall we go together next time?

(✔ Seen)

--

SAN

I'm serious about the sweater. Keep it. And if you need someone to talk to, just call. No strings whatsoever. 

Noted. Thank you.

--

The Raven Tricycle

Matthew Youngman Luce, is Dream wearing an alpha's jumper? My beta nose can't smell anything rn except food, grass, and other students panicking about being late for class. Oh hey that rhymed! (smiling emoji with shades)

Lucienne Oldman He is. Can't place whose scent it is, though. Any ideas, Jessamy?

Jessamy Middleman Later.

Matthew Youngman Okay he's gone now. (Matthew sent a GIF.) [Image description: A posh blonde woman in a white sundress is slowly sipping her tea with obvious enjoyment. The text below reads, "Spill the tea, sis."]

Lucienne Oldman Why are you still typing? Just tell us out loud.

Jessamy Middleman Matty is 100% gonna yell. I'm typing so he can just yell in all caps in the chat.

Matthew Youngman (roll eyes emoji) OW You didn't have to hit me.

Lucienne Oldman You were bouncing your leg. I got annoyed. Just wait patiently for Jessamy to finish typing.

Matthew Youngman (roll eyes emoji)

Jessamy Middleman Okay. So before I say anything, I want you both to know that I learned about all of this from other people. Not Dream. Dream didn't tell me ANYTHING.

Lucienne Oldman Go on.

Matthew Youngman (Matthew sent a GIF.) [Image description: A cartoon hamster wearing a chef's uniform is chopping some chives. The words, 'CHOP CHOP' are flashing on the bottom area of the GIF.]

Jessamy Middleman Yesterday afternoon, Hippolyta Trevor (omega, Interior or Fashion Design major, not sure which) confronted Dream about him """stealing""" her boyfriend.

Matthew Youngman Nah. No way.

Jessamy Middleman That's what the quotation marks are for, Matty.

Lucienne Oldman Who's her boyfriend?

Jessamy Middleman Hector Hall. Alpha. Architecture major. Good-looking guy, but definitely not Dream's type.

Matthew Youngman And you know his type? OW STOP HITTING ME

Jessamy Middleman Anyway. So apparently, Hippolyta threw an entire bucket of very cold and very disgusting sewer water at Dream, threw the bucket AT him, pushed him so hard he fell on the floor on his ass, and then she starts to yell at him for being an S word.

Matthew Youngman THE FUCK??

Lucienne Oldman Christ.

Matthew Youngman CRAZY PSYCHO BITCH Also S word??? 

Lucienne Oldman Slut, Matthew.

Matthew Youngman I knew that.

Lucienne Oldman Are there videos of this?

Jessamy Middleman No. Not that part, anyway. The videos taken by the witnesses only caught the later parts.

Lucienne Oldman And then? Did Dream fight back?

Jessamy Middleman Not physically? He apparently just said something.

Matthew Youngman Something???

Jessamy Middleman The person I heard it from was more focused on Hippolyta going batshit crazy to hear what Dream said.

Lucienne Oldman But they said Dream said something to Hippolyta. Definitely?

Jessamy Middleman Yeah.

Matthew Youngman And then? What did she say? In reply to Dream? Oh my god you're typing so muchhh (one crying emoji followed by three tea emojis)

Jessamy Middleman Just more accusations of Dream being, and I quote, "a slut who would spread his legs for anybody." And then Dream said something like, "You would know." Which, while being a sick burn, also made Hippolyta scream at him some more then tackle him to the ground.

Matthew Youngman TEAM DREAM TEAM DREAM ALSO DESTRUCTION 100 FOR HIPPOCRATES HIPPOLYTA*

Lucienne Oldman There's more. You're still typing. Good gods.

Jessamy Middleman But just as she was about to beat Dream up MMA style, Corinthian (yes, that one) comes out of nowhere, bodily lifts Hippolyta from Dream and throws her against the nearest wall, takes his jumper off and tells Dream to put it on, and then he starts to beat HER up.

Lucienne Oldman SHUT THE FUCK UP MATTHEW

Jessamy Middleman I TOLD YOU HE WOULD YELL

Matthew Youngman SORRY

Lucienne Oldman And then?

Jessamy Middleman Dream managed to leave unnoticed in the chaos, Hippolyta is currently recovering in the omegan wing of the infirmary but won't get punished AT ALL, and Corinthian is suspended for a month.

Matthew Youngman (five exclamation point and question mark emojis)

Lucienne Oldman But that's ridiculous. He was only defending Dream against Hippolyta.

Jessamy Middleman Yeah, I don't think administration knows that. The most circulated videos only caught Corinthian beating Hippolyta up, while there is absolutely zero videos circulating right now that caught Hippolyta attacking Dream.

Lucienne Oldman Seriously?

Jessamy Middleman Yeah. And anyway, to administration, it's still an alpha male beating up an omega female. It doesn't look good.

Lucienne Oldman Without any context, Corinthian WOULD be seen as the bad guy. Never mind that he was only acting in defense of Dream. Christ. What a mess.

Matthew Youngman So now Dream is...what, wearing Corinthian's jumper to show everyone that he and Corinthian are together, actually, and that Corinthian was just defending his omega boyfriend from getting beaten up by another omega?

Lucienne Oldman They're not together, Matthew.

Matthew Youngman Yeah, but...If you don't know either of them, you'd think that, right? If you saw Dream wearing Corinthian's jumper?

Jessamy Middleman Right.

Matthew Youngman What can I say? I'm a genius. (smiling emoji with shades)

Jessamy Middleman Do I tell this to Mr. G? I feel like I should, but...

Lucienne Oldman Jessamy, you know he would descend upon the university like an angel of the apocalypse and ruin Hippolyta's life for what she did. Possibly even Hector's as well.

Matthew Youngman She deserves it though. But wait, what about the Hector guy?

Lucienne Oldman What about him?

Matthew Youngman Where was he when all this happened?

Jessamy Middleman Fuck if I know. But he IS one of the alphas leaving courting gifts for Dream at our dorm. That's why I recognized his name when it was mentioned, and how I know what he looks like.

Matthew Youngman FUCKING PLOT TWIST

Lucienne Oldman And you're sure nothing happened between him and Dream?

Jessamy Middleman 100%. Dream isn't pregnant with Hector's kid or whatever it is you're thinking. What? Don't look at me like that. Do you really think that if I find out that someone forced Dream into something he didn't want to do, that I wouldn't inform Mr. G. immediately, beat the person up while waiting for him to arrive, and then gleefully watch as he unalives them with his bare hands?

Matthew Youngman ...You scare me sometimes, sis.

Jessamy Middleman Good.

Matthew Youngman (Matthew sent a GIF.) [Image description: A cartoon raven is hiding inside a Halloween pumpkin. It is very cautiously peeking one eye out through one of the pumpkin's 'eyes.']

Lucienne Oldman I think you should talk to Dream first, Jess. Find out what really happened, and then decide whether or not Hippolyta Trevor deserves to meet her end in the form of Mr. Gadling.

Jessamy Middleman Okay. Hold on.

Lucienne Oldman I didn't say you have to do it right now. 

Matthew Youngman Shhh

--

Jessamy

"(whispering) Yes?"

"...Why are you whispering?"

"(whispering) I'm in class right now."

"What class? You're free until 2:30."

"(whispering) Sitting in. What is it?"

"...Never mind. Let's talk later."

--

The Raven Tricycle

Jessamy Middleman He's sitting in on some class.

Matthew Youngman Why are we still talking over chat? My thumbs are taaairdddeiueioueio

Jessamy Middleman Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were the one typing a whole bunch. (roll eyes emoji)

Lucienne Oldman Maybe he's sitting in on Corinthian's classes and taking notes for him as thanks?

Jessamy Middleman Probably.

Lucienne Oldman Stop biting your nails.

Jessamy Middleman Sorry. I'm just. I don't know what to do, Luce. I feel like I should tell Mr. G what's going on, but I KNOW Dream wouldn't want me to.

Matthew Youngman Then don't? Butt out and quit being a busybody? FUCKING OW STOP IT (three ambulance emojis, followed by three police emojis)

Lucienne Oldman Alright, children, that's enough. Jessamy, stop punching Matthew. Matthew, stop antagonizing Jessamy.

Matthew Youngman SHE STARTED IT

Jessamy Middleman I am NOT a busybody!

Lucienne Oldman (sighing emoji) Stop fighting for a second and let me type.

Matthew Youngman (Matthew sent a GIF.) [Image description: A teenage girl wearing a muddy shirt and denim overalls is sticking her tongue out mockingly and making faces.]

Jessamy Middleman (middle finger emoji)

Lucienne Oldman As much as it pains me to admit it, Matthew is PARTIALLY right. Out of the three of us, you know Dream the best. And if you think that he wouldn't want you to go behind his back and tell his dad about what happened, then you shouldn't. THAT BEING SAID, if this escalates, like say Hippolyta gets better and decides to attack Dream again, then with or without Dream's consent, you HAVE to tell Mr. Gadling. Stop biting your nails, Jessamy. Seriously what is it? What are you not telling us?

Matthew Youngman Is this about Corinthian? Because like, the guy did rescue Dream from getting beaten into a pulp. AND he lent him his jumper after Hippolyta threw nasty ass water at him.

Jessamy Middleman Just really worried, I guess.

Matthew Youngman sus

Jessamy Middleman Fuck off.

Lucienne Oldman Let's just continue this later. You and Matthew have a class in five minutes.

Matthew Youngman I'm vamoosing Bye old people

Jessamy Middleman Kk Have a good time at the library! (cheerful hug emoji)

--

SAN

"Hey."

"Yes?"

"Are you the one who sent me handwritten class notes?"

"Perhaps."

"You didn't have to."

"I wanted to. As thanks."

"...Oh. Uh...thank you. That's really... Thank you."

"Of course."

"I mean...wow. (paper rustling) These are really detailed."

"Were you expecting anything less?"

"Honestly? I wasn't expecting anything at all. (paper rustling) Your handwriting is fucking gorgeous."

"..."

"Oh. Uh. Sorry. I didn't-- That doesn't-- I wasn't flirting. I was just--"

"It's fine. Thank you. For the compliment."

"Yeah. Of course."

"..."

"...So uh. Thanks. For the notes."

"Yes. You're welcome."

"I'm gonna hang up now."

"Goodbye, Corinthian."

"Bye. (muffled) 'Fucking gorgeous?'  What the hell is wrong with me? Stupid, stupid, stup--(the line abruptly cuts off)"

"...(hangs up)"

--

Dream

Hey, baby. I know you're busy being the most brilliant student your university has ever seen, but if you could just text your lonely Papa how you are right now, you would make me the happiest man in the world. Hey, Bean. Aunt Jo here. Confiscated Hob's phone for a sec because he's being incredibly needy and pathetic. You're okay though, right? Aside from the seenzone you subjected him to earlier this morning?

I'm fine. Must've snoozed while replying. Is he drunk?

As an animal that rhymes with drunk. I can't remember which one that is right now. But I'm not drunk! I'm tipsy. That's a very important distinction.

Take care going home.

Will do, Beanie. Love you! Hob is fighting me right now, claiming that he loves you more, but gzlutqkharsgz Don't listen to your Aunt Jo, baby. I love you the most. Not more, but most. More than anything or anyone.

I'm calling Mervyn.

--

Mervyn

Got your dad and aunt safely home, kid. (Mervyn sent a photo.)  [Image description: Jo and Hob, both dressed in business wear, are lying on long, comfortable-looking couches parallel to each other. They have hand towels over their eyes. Their footwear have been removed and are placed on the floor next to their feet. On the coffee table between the two couches is a plastic pitcher full of water, two plastic cups, and two white pills. There is an empty bucket on the floor near Jo's head.]

Thank you, Mervyn. Say hello to your family for me.

Yep. (Mervyn sent a video.) [Video description: Mervyn's voice from behind the camera is immediately heard. He says, "Dream says hi." The man being filmed is an older Chilean gentleman who smiles brightly at the mention of Dream's name. He says nothing and just waves at the camera. In his arms is a sleeping corgi.] After I stopped recording, he asked how you are and when you'll visit. I think he's itching to cook up a feast. For my sake please say you'll go.

I'll go.

(Mervyn sent a video.)  [Video description: Mervyn's husband, now sitting in bed to his left, is excitedly flipping through a thick notebook filled with handwritten recipes. He has a bunch of bookmarks on one hand, and he is marking pages as he goes.] Bring food containers if you know what's good for you.

Dare I ask how many?

At least 50.

...Will do. Good night to you three.

Good night, kid. (Mervyn sent a photo.) [Image description: The corgi is now sleeping on its back in the space between Mervyn and his husband's legs. The bedside lamp on the left side is still on, implying that Mervyn's husband is still looking at recipes.]

--

RG

Good morning, baby. Sorry about yesterday. Jo and I did a cheese and wine tasting, and...well. But I meant what I said. I do love you the most, and it would make me very happy to get updates from you. How you are, what you're eating, what you're learning in class, what's going on in your friend group's DND campaign...anything, really. Only when you're not too busy, though! I just miss you a lot these days, and it would mean the world to me to hear from you more often.

(You sent a photo.) [Image description: A beautiful pink-hued sunrise in the background looks striking against the greys of university buildings in the middle ground. The foreground is a bit chaotic, however, with Jessamy and Matthew having photobombed the shot. Jessamy is making a silly face and holding up a peace sign, while Matthew is a blur in mid-air, caught in the middle of a jump kick. Lucienne is at the very edge of the photo with a cup of coffee in her hands, looking very done with the younger two's antics.] It's a beautiful day.

Still not as beautiful as you, baby. But thank you for the update. Love you.

(black heart emoji)

[curiouser--and--curiouser]

“Is it over? Is it really over?” | Mark Watney x Reader

Fictober 2023 Day 24 - “Is it over? Is it really over?”

Mark Watney x Reader

Warnings: making out, occasional swearing, use of Y/N, Matt Damon (Matt I hate you and your use of slurs, but why do you keep showing up in my favourite films? 😫)

A quiet day is usually hard to find at NASA, but since the rescue of stranded astronauts Mark Watney and Y/N L/N from Mars, things had certainly calmed down as the Hermes ship continued its almost year-long journey back to Earth, safe and sound.

Instead of calculating trajectories and plotting courses, the scientists at NASA now had a slightly more chilled job of combing through the hundreds of video logs made by the pair of astronauts during their time of exile. As soon as they arrived at the Ares IV MAV, the high-bandwidth connection on board was used to upload the diaries to Earth, to chronical their time on the red planet, but also provide the memory of their final living days in case the worst occurred during their rescue mission.

Thankfully, the worst did not happen.  

Vincent Kapoor and Mindy Park now crowded around an office computer scanning the videos for any important information they missed to be filed away for NASA’s future space missions. Annie Montrose kept an eye on them and the screen over their shoulders for anything she might be able to release to the public who continued to clamour for anything about life on Mars.

“Our own employees shit-talking the scientists of NASA and their advice to help save their lives maybe shouldn’t be broadcast to the world,” Annie lamented as Mindy shut off another video where Mark whined about an army of botanists trying to micro-manage his potatoes with a new growing technique and Y/N complained about the demanding engineers who critiqued her repairs on the rover and quote “wouldn’t know a wrench if they sat on one”.

“Self-awareness can be a refreshing approach for a government agency,” suggested Vincent, sarcastically, rubbing his eyes from the glare of the screen. Mindy laughed as Annie launched a pen at Vincent’s head in annoyance as she clicked on the next video. It began with Mark alone on the screen.

xxx

“So, nothing has caught fire in 15 sols, I think that’s a new record for us,” Mark always managed to sound cheerful on his video diaries no matter the situation. He could be smoking from an explosion, arm falling off and in the middle of a claustrophobia-induced argument with you, but still have a boyish smile on his face.

You couldn’t think of anyone better to be stuck on Mars with. His constant witty narration and array of new bold ideas to keep you both alive braved your unfathomable storms, even when you were close to giving up on ever returning home.

No wonder you fell for him.

And he fell for you too.

Some would say being stuck on a deserted planet with your crush would be a dream. Maybe not a dream, but the constant close quarters did force you both to admit your burgeoning feelings for each other and begin your relationship. Sure, the adrenaline-fuelled trauma bonding and distinct lack of personal space at all times sometimes felt like a wall, your patience with each other and resolve to overcome triumphed.

“Y/N should be back soon,” Mark continued, “it’s been pretty goddamn quiet without them here. I hope they get back soon, I’ve started talking to my potato plants again… Y/N, please come back soon.” You had been on a multi-Sol test-drive of the rover, trying to gently push its limits before the long pilgrimage that was to come. Mark loved your commitment to the rover, how you cared for it like your child - both your child - but all he wanted now was for you to return, safe and back in his arms.

Mark continued his daily report diligently - so diligently, in fact, that he was completely unaware of your early return back to the Hab.

All that could be seen on the screen was his eyes suddenly snapping to the side and widen with a gasp.

“Oh my God.”

In an instant, he was up and completely gone from the camera, but soon he returned, locked in a heated embrace with you.

You both crashed and clattered into the wall of the Hab; you straddling his thighs with your dusty suit rolled down, exposing your torso, and him laid almost completely flat on his desk chair, pulling you into him with all the force of a lonely lover finally reunited. Your lips moved with a frantic speed, making up for lost time, as your weathered and slightly dirty hands threaded through his hair. He clutched and squeezed all over your curves as he whispered affirmations of “God, baby, I missed you”, “fuck, I was so worried”, “I love you so much” between kisses.

Mark eventually broke away, only for a second, remembering in a panic that the computer was still recording. It took all his might to pull away from you, but you launched back in immediately, planting sloppy kisses down his neck. His eyes started to roll back with a sigh on his lips and his hand fumbled around for the computer’s off switch.

xxx

In all their years, the NASA employees had never been more shocked.

A simple briefing log quickly descended into softcore porn. But it was so hard to look away.

Mindy had her hands covering her eyes, but still secretly peeked between her fingers; this was by far the most interesting briefing she had ever been a part of.

“Is it over? Is it really over?” she asked worriedly from behind her hands. She got no response from Vincent who simply looked ahead, stunned and silent, no words to wipe their memories of what they just saw. An exasperated sigh sounded from Annie, her brow pinched within an inch of its life.

“No one release that one to the public.”