#perfect scores across the board

[minty-mumbles]

[rafeshoeeee]

footballer!rafe x cheerleader!reader

The new girl

I knew joining a new cheer team would be tough, but i didn't think i would be welcomed by all the girls so quickly. Everyone was so lovely to me and i surprisingly fit in very well.

As my first game with the new team approached, i was extremely nervous.

I was the new girl and i had to make a good first impression.

I waited patiently on the side of the pitch, getting ready to start cheering. I held my sparkly pom poms in my hands. I had a good feeling. I felt so confident in my uniform, the royal blue color complimenting my skin tone very well.

I took in my surroundings whilst i awaited on the blow of the whistle. This all felt so surreal. My dream was coming true. All the fans sat on the bleachers cheering and singing and it made me feel ecstatic. Despite the nerves cursing through my veins, i brushed it aside and didn't let my smile falter.

Once i heard the whistle soar through my ears i knew it was time, i followed the rest of the girls onto the field and stood in the starting position.

The music blasted causing all the fans to cheer, adrenaline cursed through me giving me a boost. i executed the routine flawlessly and i felt very pleased with myself.

I jogged off the field before all the boys could take over the pitch. I took my seat with the rest of the girls and watched as the game began.

i hadn't met any of the footballers yet unlike all the other girls. Although i had been told a few things about a couple of them. Chloe, my closest friend on the team , told me to stay away from all of the boys. Apparently it would cause problems and is unprofessional. I respected that and didn't want to start off on a bad note. I was never one for breaking the rules and usually did as i was told.

Until i saw him.

I was unaware of his name but i felt drawn to him. The way he dominated on the field and wasn't afraid to get up in the other players faces did something to me.

I tapped Chloe on the shoulder and she turned towards me with a light smile on her face, "who is that?" i asked her, pointing my finger at the boy.

Chloe's eyeline followed my finger and her face dropped almost instantly, "that's Rafe Cameron, captain of the team and a total asshole. Trust me babe, he's bad news"

Her answer only intrigued me more. I wanted to know as much about him as i possibly could.

I quickly glanced back at Rafe and saw him stood there wiping a hand across his forehead.

God.

I didn't think such a small gesture could turn me on so much.

"he looks harmless to me" i boldly stated, waiting for the reaction i would get from her.

She lightly laughed, taken back from my bluntness, "Listen, i get it okay. He's hot, like insanely hot. Trust me, i know that, everyone knows that. But he has a terrible reputation with girls, he's never had a serious relationship ever" she told me, speaking in a calm tone.

I knew she was just being a good friend and didn't want me to get my heart broken but i just couldn't help myself.

He's literally perfect. His white football shirt hugged his bicep muscles perfectly, making them prominent despite the distance between us. He was extremely tall, like 6'2 tall. And he has the cutest face ever.

"well, i don't see the harm in trying" i told her, a smile forming on my lips.

She shook her head but smiled with me, "you know i'll support you, but i'm just giving you advice that you should take on board"

"i appreciate you looking out for me Chlo, but i love a challenge and i won't stop until i get what i want" i told her, leaning my chin against my hand to watch the game closely.

Chloe chuckled at my eagerness to watch Rafe play, "careful babe, your drooling" she teased, bursting out in immediate laughter.

"Oh shut up" i told her giggling, lightly shoving her knee.

The first half of the game had ended so quickly and the boys started walking off the pitch. The score remained 0-0 and both teams looked defeated.

My eyes didn't leave Rafe, i watched him walk towards our teams area and sat down at the front bench. His elbows rested on his knees and he chugged a bottle of water down, his adam's apple bobbing up and down.

I was pulled out of my gaze when Chloe started nudging me.

"what's up?" I asked her, a puzzled look making its way onto my face but slight concern lacing my voice.

"jesus y/n, coach Sarah has been calling for you" she told me, looking in her direction.

Coach Sarah was smiling at me brightly and gushing me to come down. I smiled back at her and stood up from where i was sat.

I looked at Chloe with wide eyes as i walked past her.

"you'll be fine!" she yelled slightly so i could hear her.

Once i made my way down the small flight of stairs and walked over to Sarah, she embraced me in a huge hug which i accepted straight away. I was taken back by this sudden affection from her but i was assuming that this was a good thing.

Once she pulled away, she placed her hands firmly on both my shoulders, "i'm so proud of you! you looked amazing out there!" she told me, slightly shaking my shoulders, making me laugh.

The biggest smile formed on my face, this is exactly what i wanted to hear. It felt amazing and apparently i looked amazing.

"thank you so much, i couldn't of done it without you and all the girls" i told her, my bright smile not leaving my face.

She slowly took her hands off my shoulders and wrapped her arm around me. She started talking about how the rest of the game will work if they're still drawing by the full time.

I was partly listening to what she was saying, but i was in such close proximity to Rafe, i couldn't focus.

"y/n?" she called my name with a questioning tone.

i quickly looked back at her, hoping she wouldn't notice that i hadn't been paying attention to everything she was saying.

I tried to keep an innocent look on my face but i could tell that she knew i wasn't paying attention to her due to the smile that crept on my face.

She looked over my shoulder and realized who had captured my attention. "would you like me to introduce you?" she asked, whispering in my ear.

I was quite stunned by her question, thinking i would get a lecture about being unprofessional and unsportsmanlike. It could've been a trap so i decided to play it safe.

"no, no, it's fine, i'm sure i'll get the opportunity to talk to him in the future. Plus, i don't want to distract him from this important game" i told her, slightly shaking my head to hide my lies.

She laughed at my response and i was unsure of how to act, "oh honey, you're allowed to talk to any boy you want, you just can't be intimate with one another."

i laughed at her honesty but i wasn't ready to talk to Rafe just yet, "honestly it's fi-" but before i could finish my sentence, she was gushing Rafe to come over.

He walked towards us, looking quite confused by why the cheerleading coach wanted to talk to him.

I didn't hide my stare. As he got closer, i took in all his facial features. His piercing blue eyes, his freshly buzzed hair and lips that looked extremely soft. Even though he had been running around the field for nearly an hour, i could still smell his musky cologne on his skin as he was approaching.

He stood by my side but didn't look in my direction, "everything alright?" he questioned Sarah, intensely staring at her.

If he looked at me that intensely i'd probably melt i thought to myself.

Sarah glanced at me and then glanced back at Rafe, "well, this is y/n, it's her first game today and i'm just introducing her to everyone" she told him.

I was thankful she didn't embarrass me in-front of him.

I kept my eyes on Rafe and watched him advert his gaze from coach Sarah to me. Our eyes locked instantly, his ocean eyes piercing into my green ones. He maintained eye contact for a decent amount of time before his eyes raked down my body, stopping at my cleavage.

The uniform definitely made my boobs a lot more prominent than usual and i expected the stares from gross men, but i didn't mind Rafe staring one bit.

It took him a minute before he reached his hand out in-front of him, offering a hand shake. I glanced down at his hand then back up at him before meeting my hand with his.

My hand felt tiny compared his, his hand shake was firm and his grip was quite tight. He wore a gold ring on his middle finger, and the cold metal took me by surprise. His hand was surprisingly soft and was very warm, holding his hand felt natural.

"nice to meet you y/n" he said softly, his husky voice making my stomach flutter.

A small smile appeared on my lips before i released my hand from his grip, "yeah, you too Rafe" i told him, maintain his strong eye contact. My legs felt weak but i used everything in me to keep myself upright.

He looked behind him to see his coach stood waiting for him, "uh sorry i gotta go, games about to start, but i'll talk to you after?" he asked, an inkling of hope sparkling in his eyes.

"yeah of course, good luck out there" i told him, before he jogged off.

He winked at me before his attention was taken by his coach, who looked like he was being harsh on him.

I was assuming, due to the team not winning, it's Rafe's responsibility to bring some life into the game and score the winning goal.

Coach Sarah smiled at me, "see that wasn't so bad was it?"

i playfully rolled my eyes at her comment, "yeah yeah"

she told me to go and sit back with Chloe before the game started so i didn't get caught up in the crowd of all the fans.

I quickly ran up the stairs towards and took my seat next to Chloe. I could feel her staring but i was waiting for her to ask.

"soooooooo, tell me everything" she screeched, an eager look spread across her face.

i smiled at her and turned my full attention to telling her every single detail.

The game had already began by the time i had finished blabbering on about Rafe.

"- and he wants me to talk to him after the game" i told her, waiting for her reaction.

Her jaw dropped and she looked so pleased for me, "oh my god! you lucky girl! I'm surprised coach Sarah let you even talk to him" she told me.

I raised my eyebrows at her comment, "no i know, i was so shocked. she didn't even seem bothered. She just made it very clear we aren't allowed to be intimate with each other"

"she must really like you, even she knows what Rafe can be like sometimes" she said, raising her eyebrows back at me.

I just smiled at her, wanting to focus on the game.

My eyes searched the crowd for number 9, Rafe's number. i knew this from the constant staring from earlier and the conversation i just had with him.

The ball was attached to his feet, he dribbled past all three defenders and booted the ball into the back of the net and the crowd roared. I jumped from my seat, cheering for him just like everyone else.

He celebrated with his team members on the pitch but i noticed his eyes searching the crowd.

Who the hell was he looking for? i thought.

I felt envy rush through me until i realized he was staring in my direction, but i was almost certain it wasn't at me. i looked down at my feet so i didn't embarrass myself.

Chloe was shaking my shoulder due to her excitement, "he's totally staring at you babe"

i scoffed, "oh please, no he's not" i looked up from my feet and his gaze was strong, just like it was earlier, only not so close up.

"he totally is" she told me again.

I smirked at him, hoping he could see. i felt victorious when a smile crept onto his face.

He went back to the game, there wasn't much time left now and we were still in the lead. We were only winning by one goal, so every minute counted. The boys had to make sure they didn't let the ball go anywhere near their net. And they didn't.

The final whistle blew and it was over. Rafe cheered with his teammates and coach.

Once the crowd had started piling off the pitch, leaving the stadium almost empty. Coach Sarah announced "right girls, let's get going. We have a busy day tomorrow so make sure you get plenty of rest. I just wanted to congratulate y/n one more time for her outstanding performance today!" All the girls cheered after her announcement and a smile appeared on my face.

Me and Chloe were one of the last ones left at the stadium, she was slightly ahead of me, but i wasn't far behind.

I was about to exit the stadium, but a hand gripped my wrist and spun me around to face them.

I can't say i wasn't pleased to see Rafe's face again, he looked clean and fresh. i assumed he had showered not long ago as he hair looked slightly damp.

He smirked down at me and stared at me intensely again, "so, y/n right?" he asked.

i felt myself getting shy and i broke our eye contact due to my nerves, but his hand gripped my chin to look up at him again.

"don't get shy on me now doll, don't think i haven't noticed you staring" he said boldly, his hand moving from my chin to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

The small gesture made me more nervous, but i knew what i wanted and i had to get it, "well, can you blame me? you're gorgeous" i told him, with a smirk on my lips.

He was leaning closer to me and his hands found my waist, pulling me into him. Our bodies collided and i could feel his muscles through his black t-shirt. I wrapped my arms around his neck, matching his energy.

He raised his eyebrows at my comment, " oh really?" he said, his fingers drawing small shapes on my my exposed lower back.

i nodded, too focused on his fingers tracing shapes on my shapes.

His moved his lips towards my ear and whispered, "well, i think you look perfect doll"

I felt my cheeks turn a slight reddish color at his compliment. I've never been more turned on, he knew exactly what he was doing and did it extremely well.

His hands eagerly stroked my curves, and his lips found my neck. It didn't surprise me at Rafe's boldness, i knew he would be a confident boy.

He groaned, overwhelmed by the feelings he was experiencing. "shit baby, your gonna get me into trouble" hr groaned, cupping my cheek and pulling our faces together.

Our lips were like magnets, drawn to each other. I'd never felt so much passion in one kiss before, his tongue slowly slithered its way into my mouth and it quickly took dominance.

We both pulled back, gasping for air, our foreheads pressed against each others but his hand still remained on my face.

I slowly pulled away but he was quick to pull me back in and lure me into another kiss. This one was more eager, like we were both hungry to taste each other again, to feel each other's lips move in perfect sync.

"y/n!" I heard Chloe yell in the distance.

Me and Rafe jumped apart, but of my red lipstick had transferred onto Rafe's lips, so i assumed my lipstick was smudged all around my mouth.

I rubbed my thumb against Rafe's lips, in attempt to get rid of the red residue. He curled his lips into a smile, clearly finding my gesture amusing.

"its not funny Rafe" i firmly told him, trying my best to cover up our previous actions.

He couldn't help but stifle a laugh at your short temper, "you just look cute when you're stressed." he told me.

I looked up at him with a small smile before putting my focus back on the red lipstick on his face.

I did the best i could to hide the evidence but it wasn't great. There was a slight red tinge around his mouth and slightly on his bottom lip.

Chloe ran up to me from the other side of the pitch, once she reached us she was very out of breath.

She looked like she was about to start lecturing me but held it in once she realized Rafe's presence.

She widened her eyes at me and i just smirked at her.

"what the hell is going on?" she questioned.

Me and Rafe quickly glanced at each other before both of us looking back at Chloe and shrugging.

She chuckled and lightly rolled her eyes, "whatever. y/n, let's go, everyone's waiting" she told me, grabbing hold of my arm and beginning to drag me.

I felt bad for keeping the whole team waiting, but this moment with Rafe was definitely worth it.

i turned my head around to face him, "bye Rafe!" i called out to him.

He looked quite disappointed at the loss of my presence. I released myself from Chloe's grip and ran over to him, my hands finding his face and our lips connecting. He pecked my lips a couple of times before pulling his phone out his pocket.

"i need to see you again doll, when are you free?" he asked before handing me his phone with the number keypad already on display.

i quickly typed in my number and saved my contact in his phone and naming myself y/n, before handing it back to him.

"i'm free tomorrow after 4, i have practice until 4, but i can be ready by 5" i told him, tucking my hair behind my ear.

he pecked my lips one more time, "see you then doll"

[amuyyi]

recess .

synopsis; you were an ideal student. obedient, quiet, educated, and experienced. oh haewon was not. immature and childish, yet still above you academically and with everyone wrapped around her finger. everyone except you. you refuse to be reeled in by her natural charm and hope to make it out of this project alive, with or without her.

trope; non idol!haewon x fem!reader, sort of academic rivals to lovers, uni au, fluff,

wc; 5.1k

cw; some swearing

a/n; just wanted to write something a little silly :3 seeing haewon with kids is so </3 didnt proofread again and im zzzz

“… and Song y/n, your partner will be Oh Haewon.”

“WHAT?!” A pair of shrill voices rang out throughout the classroom, causing not only the students but also the professor to jump at the sudden sound. 

You wildly grip at the pen within your hand, the plastic material beneath your fingers creaking and threatening to break at any second. No. There's no way you’re paired up with her.

Oh Haewon, second year university student, business major, and the bane of your existence. 

She is loud, immature, annoying, always out partying, a chronic class-skipper, never pays attention during lectures, and never actually talks about the material during discussion. She claims that everything she does is a form of “networking,” but you don't buy it. It's all just an excuse to keep on slacking off. Despite this, almost everybody who came across Oh Haewon’s path practically fell in love with her at first sight. 

Everyone except you. 

The worst part about it all? Was the fact that she was seemingly the best performing student out of all the classes you two ended up taking together. She somehow managed to even beat you. No matter how good you do during exams or projects, or how long you dedicate to studying, Haewon always manages to get a higher score. You don’t think she even studies!

You, Song y/n, were a perfect student. Business major, second year, and valedictorian of your graduating high school class. You were quiet, but confident, you always turned your assignments in on time and dedicated many hours of rigorous study time for all of your classes. You held a paid internship on campus as well as an executive board position within a business club on campus and a volunteer organization as well. The odds were entirely in your favor.

Your horrified gaze slowly shifts towards the other girl from across the room, who sat in her seat with her hands dug deep within her dark bobbed hair. Seems like Haewon wasn't all too fond of the idea of being your partner either.

Timidly raising your hand, you try to speak up, try to fight for better treatment for you and your sanity, but the professors ice cold glare cuts you off as he speaks,

“As of now, partner assignments are final. If there are genuine issues between partners that hinder either one's ability to create an effective marketing strategy, come to me in a week. No sooner. I specifically hand picked your partners for a reason.” 

You silently slump back down into your seat, defeated, and you can hear a faint thump from across the classroom. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Haewon’s face buried within her desk. Must’ve slammed her head into the table at the news. You would have done the same if you cared as little for your image as Haewon did.

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The sound of snickering and nails quickly tapping against a phone screen was all you could hear within the silent study room. Your eyebrow twitches irritably as you try to focus on the powerpoint slide in front of you, but the words on the screen seem to melt into one another as you hear the girl slam her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. 

Unable to subdue your temper, you slam your laptop screen shut, the sound bouncing off the rooms walls as Haewon jumps within her seat, nearly dropping her phone as she stares at you with comically wide eyes. 

“Are you serious right now, Haewon? I haven’t even seen you actually add anything to the presentation since we got here.” 

The shorter girl rolls her eyes as she leans back in her chair, avoiding your gaze as she responds, “We already established who’s doing what, I can just do it later,” She shrugs, and the careless sight irritates you to no end. “You do the more technical stuff like research, budgeting, or whatever,  while I do the stuff that actually matters like target audience analysis and promotion– ‘cause I highly doubt you know how to actually charm potential investors with that stick up your a–”

Heat rapidly rushes to your face as you lunge forward across the table, hand slamming onto the table as you stick your finger in Haewon’s face to cut off her sentence. “That is just… So… Disgusting!! How can you even speak to me like that?!” 

You knew how to socialize and talk to people…! It's just that nobody ever wanted to stick around, that's all… And you preferred it that way, actually. Nobody can drag you down if you simply stick to your numbers and graphs, no people involved.

Haewon snickers at your response as you sit back down, rubbing your temples as you try to steady your breathing, a bit embarrassed that you allowed yourself to snap like that in front of her of all people..

“Look, if you were just going to do it all at home, why are you still here?” You try to speak in a neutral tone, but it was difficult to remain composed after your outburst. You can feel your eyebrow twitching once again as you speak.

A sinister smirk forms on her lips as she finally looks you in the eye. “‘cause I know it pisses you off.” 

You have to firmly bite the inside of your cheek to the point where you worry about drawing blood in order to hold yourself back from tackling this girl and beating her to a pulp right then and there. Taking a deep breath, you simply open your laptop and get back to organizing the format of the presentation in silence. Fine then. She can go on and be that way and be uncooperative. What did it matter to you? It seemed like you had to do most of the work, as always. From above the top of your laptop, you can spot Haewon rolling her eyes once again and resume texting whoever may be taking her attention away on the phone.

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Unfortunately, Haewon was not as incapable as you expected her to be. She actually put some effort into her parts of the project, and they were actually pretty good. She knew exactly what people wanted, and even proposed ideas you never would have thought to be effective on your own. Haewon was a people’s person, and people with that kind of natural charm make it far within the world of business. Asking to change partners would prove inefficient for you.

You’d never tell her that to her face though. 

For the rest of the month, you and Haewon had come to a mutual agreement. Meet once a week on Wednesdays, around 2-4 PM at the business building on campus. Work on the project, then leave. More often than not, the two of you would work in silence, and you simply chose to not make any comments if she happened to be on her phone giggling to herself during the session. She wasn’t worth it. Besides, you had other things to worry about. Upcoming midterms, exec board event planning, your internship. It was a lot, but you could handle it as long as everything went according to your precise and calculated schedule.

Haewon had been pretty respectful of your established meeting time for the past three weeks, but of course, something had to come up when week four came around. Right when you had another major presentation for your business club to prepare for as well. You had been settled down into the study room you always rented out every Wednesday tapping away at your laptop when your phone vibrated. Unusual. You had do not disturb on. 

Oh Haewon [13:55] – hey

Oh Haewon [13:55] –  i wont be able to make it to the business building on time today

Oh Haewon [13:55] – i would ask to rain check but i know ull throw a fit bc i ruined ur schedule or sum

Oh Haewon [13:55]  – so can u just meet me at the child development lab instead?

… Child development laboratory? Your eyebrows knit together as you stare at the text on your screen. What could she possibly be doing there?

Come to think of it, you don’t really know much about Haewon to begin with. You tried to rack your brain for any information about your class partner outside of the obvious, and… Nothing. You knew nothing of her hobbies, interests, actual activity outside of her public outings. Not that she really mattered or interested you in the slightest, but the idea of simply being out of the loop with someone who played a major part in your weekly schedule made you a bit… Uncomfortable?

Sighing, you begin to pack up your belongings. She could have at least told you this before you already arrived and got settled in the private study room. That's what you get for being 30 minutes early to everything, you suppose. You now either have to move everything in your schedule back, or do a whole revamp of the entire week. You take a breath. It’ll be fine. 

If your memory serves you correctly (in which it always does) the next bus that arrives will take you near the lab. An annoyed huff leaves your lips as you zip up your bag. So much for routine.

Your phone rings out one more time.

Oh Haewon [14:07] — skasdkfj apple kjj k

You’re convinced Oh Haewon has officially gone crazy.

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After hopping off the bus and walking in whatever direction Google Maps told you to go, you eventually found yourself at the doors of a building you’ve only ever occasionally passed by on walks. It had a mural of multiple colorful images along its walls, from a giant sun with a smiley face to different kinds of flowers and other doodles scribbled on the brick. Your eyes shift towards the side, where a fenced in play area lay. The sounds of multiple children laughing and screaming made a small smile form on your lips, and you couldn’t help but approach the edge of the fence to watch the young ones play.

You weren’t all too big on kids, more focused on your own academics and staying afloat while in university, but the sight of them still managed to soften your harsh demeanor. They were so innocent and pure, you sometimes wish you could go back in time and relive your childhood once more. You catch sight of a little girl chasing another, flower in hand. The both of them laughing excitedly before one screamed out, “let's go show Haewon-unnie!!” 

Haewon-unnie?

Cocking your head to the side in confusion, you watch as the pair of girls scamper towards the wall of the building, where a very preoccupied Haewon remains, squatting down while a horde of children literally climb all over her. One of the kids had a hold of her phone, and another was choking her, his arms wrapped around her neck in an attempt to dangle off of her like some sort of monkey bar. 

You would’ve laughed at the sight if it didn’t look like Haewon was on the brink of actually getting taken out by a mass of children.

“Haewon?” You call out.

The smothered girl’s head whips towards the direction of your voice, though she struggled to exactly spot you as one of the little girls started to cover her eyes very aggressively as she begged for a turn to play with Haewon.

“Y-Y/n?” She squeaks out, gently shaking the climbing kids off her as she meets you at the fence, one of the kids in her arms as the rest of the kids flock after her. It almost looked like she was a mother duck with her little ducklings. 

The child in her arms was holding a rolled up pillbug, and you find yourself incing away at the sight of the isopod, a bit deterred from bugs. “Hey,” Haewon simply greets, looking a bit exhausted, but you couldn’t tell if it was from the kids or the sight of you.

“Hey…” you greet back awkwardly, looking down at all of the kids by Haewons feet. You had no idea how old they were— honestly you had no idea how kids of specific ages were supposed to look like, but with how these kids were acting, you assumed they were possibly around kindergarten age? 

Each and every kid had something very interesting to say.

“Haewon-unnie, can you please play pretend with us? We need a dog!!”

“Haewon-noona, look at this dead mantis I found!!”

“Haewon-unnie, who's that?? She's reaaallllyy pretty !! Can she play with us?”

“Yeah yeah!! Can she? Huh??”

Haewons face immediately flushes red as she uses her free hand to cover one of the little girl’s face in its entirety as she goes, “Hyunjoo, shush!”

You cover your mouth with your hand to hide the smile forming on your lips, “So… Is this what's stopping you from being able to meet today?”

An exasperated sigh escapes Haewons lips as she nods, “I can't leave until one of the workers or researchers on shift turns up and it's been like an hour and nobody has shown.”

A small frown tugs on your lips as you listen to what Haewon has to say, watching as multiple children tug at the hem of her shirt from every direction, and one was even trying to untie her shoe. Haewon looked.. Helpless, albeit a bit desperate as well. None of this was your problem really, worst case scenario you just had to do Haewon’s half of the work that was meant to be completed today. Yet you still find yourself looking between the overwhelmed Haewon and the kids and feel a sense of familiarity towards the circumstance… You can't believe you were doing this. 

“I.. Can probably help you out until someone arrives.”

Haewons eyes widen as the kid in her arms tries to feed her the pillbug, in which she arches her head away as she speaks, “Really? I wont be messing up your perfectly punctual schedule you have for today? I bet you had to make some sacrifices to come here.” She teases near the end of her sentence, and you feel your face heating up once again.

“I don't….!” You exhale, “Have a schedule…” You lie through your gritted teeth before shaking your head, “Look, do you want my help or not? The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can get back to–”

“The project, yeah yeah I know. That's all it is with you, isn't it?”

Offended, you open your mouth to retort until Haewon opens up the fence gate to allow you in, immediately sending around two or three children your way, tugging at your hands, shirt, and pant legs as they guide you inside.

“Don’t be too rough with her, guys!”

For the next hour or so, you had learned a lot whilst working with the children at the lab.

For starters, you had learned that Hyunjoo had a crush on Jeonghyun last week, but now has a crush on Hwan after Jeonghyun accidentally spilt grape juice on her dress. Also, Bora and Somin are best friends, but only one of them got invited to Kiwoo’s birthday party on Saturday, so there's some unresolved tension in the air.

Alongside the lives of these children at the facility, you also learned a bit about Haewon. 

“Yeah, I spend my free time volunteering here when I don’t have class. There's not a lot of teachers here who research, and there's even less students majoring in child education or anywhere else in a similar, so I figured it’d be nice to help out while my schedule is still free,” Haewon says while sat down in a comically small chair, watching as a small girl pours muddy dirt water from a toy teapot into her even tinier toy teacup. 

“A lot of parents within the town need a place to drop their kids off while they work their usual nine to fives, and the children's education department needs all the help it can get. Sometimes I skip class to cover shifts just so these kids aren't alone… And sometimes I just skip because I’m hungover,” she chuckles.

You feel your heart melt a bit at Haewon’s words as you hold one end of a jump rope, aiding the two girls from before in their game. Haewon was actually… Sweet? At least with kids. They all seemed to naturally flock to her, and she had no problem talking and interacting with them in return. You on the other hand were a bit awkward with the kids, but it was alright because kids don’t think anything is awkward at this age. This wasn't the lazy, inconsiderate asshole you’ve been despising for the past year.

Staying silent, you nod as you simply listen to Haewon ramble on, sharing little tid bits and stories of her life you never would have heard otherwise.

“I tried to get my roommate, Jinsol, to join me one day and it went to actual shi– I mean, it went horribly,” Haewon corrected herself with a very indiscreet cough before continuing on, “They all ignored her! When she tried talking to them she made the kids cry. She didn't even do anything and they already didn't like her!” She laughs out as she makes her way to tend to another kid, a little boy latched onto her leg as she goofily limps her way across the playground.

“Still, I’m surprised they like you so much. You’re normally such a stick in the mud. Maybe the kids see something I don't.”

Furrowing your brows, you look back at Haewon, but she was already preoccupied trying to separate two boys that were trying to make beetles fight in a plastic bucket. See something she doesn't? What does she even mean by that?

The children had the both of you running around like headless chickens. A pair of girls wanted to play house with you two, and assigned you and Haewon as “mom” and “dad.” Needless to say, it was awkward, the first interactions between you and the shorter girl being rather stiff and tense– but you also learned that you are actually an incredible child actor once you got into it, and played the role of “mommy” perfectly in (all of) their eyes.  

Another pair of boys wanted to use you and Haewon for a piggy back ride race. Apparently, being cooped up inside studying all of the time did not make you the most fit person, and Haewon quite literally left you and your piggyback partner in the dust. You couldn’t be mad about it though, she the kid looked happy.

In due time, a fellow university student finally arrived, apologizing profusely for the tardiness as Haewon simply waves her off, insisting it wasn’t a big deal and she wore out the kids to make things easier for the next shift.

The pair of you wave goodbye to the kids as you close the fence gate behind you, dusting off your hands as Haewon lets out a sigh of relief, taking a moment to relax and stretch as a cool breeze picks up. You decide to close your eyes and take in the peace as well. You don't know when was the last time you really did anything “fun” or even let loose for that matter. The kids were a lot, but it was refreshing. Different.

The sound of Haewons stomach growling breaks the comforting silence, and you open your eyes, looking at the shorter girl with a quirked brow.

“Have you not eaten yet?”

“Ahah… No.” She sheepishly comments, “Normally I grab something to bite between my shift and our study sesh on Wednesday, but I’ve been helping out for hours by now.”

Unexpectedly, a wave of concern washes over you as she speaks. 

“It doesn’t matter though, let's find somewhere to finish up the last part of our project and we can finally leave each other alo–”

“You’re going to eat.” The words almost seemed foreign coming out of your mouth, or perhaps they felt that way because you were speaking them to Haewon.

Confused, Haewon stares at you as if you’ve grown a second head. “What?”

“You’re going to eat,” you repeat matter of factly, “You can't focus on the project if you’re hungry.” 

Quickly tapping into your phone and looking into google maps, you were quickly able to find a restaurant nearby for the two of you to dine at. 

“There's a restaurant about a 10 minute walk away from here. It closes at 7. We’re going.”

Before Haewon can even get a proper response out, you had already grabbed onto her wrist. You really didn’t want to think too hard about what you were doing… What are you even doing? Shaking your head, you drag her down the street, the bob haired girl nearly tripping on her own two feet before she falls in line next to you, just about as confused and unsure as you were.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

The walk to the restaurant was… Fine. Albeit a bit awkward. Haewon wasn’t really expecting you to take her somewhere to do anything but study, and you weren't really expecting yourself to do that either. Apparently Haewon was the type to strike up conversation when things become awkward– unfortunately for the both of you, you were the complete opposite. So for the next 10 minutes, Haewon would make some off comment and you would simply mumble or hum in response.

Soon enough the two of you arrive at the restaurant and its definitely more on the high-end side. Dark yet warm mood lighting illuminated the interior, and the pair of you were seated near a quiet corner of the establishment, a charming bell shaped light hovering above the two of you as you blink. This setup was a bit more… Romantic, than expected; but if the food was as good as the place looked, you decide it was worth looking past.

You were handed menus as well as lemon water, and you peek over the paper to look at the girl across from you.

“Order whatever you want, I'll pay.”

A dry laugh escapes Haewons lips as she places the menu back down on the table, “oh no you’re not.”

Her response catches you off guard, and it 100% was shown in the contortions on your face. You were certain she would have jumped on the opportunity for free food. This girl was simply full of surprises, wasn't she?

“You helped me out today with the kids, I’m paying you back like the gentlewoman I am.” Haewon’s statement was firm, but you were stubborn.

“Oh yeah? With what money?”

“Hey!! I work for my money! You don't know me as well as you think you do, y/n.”

“Uh huh… so tell me then. Who is the true Oh Haewon?”

After placing your orders (you had gotten malatang while Haewon very stubbornly got herself an order of galbi and a strawberry lemonade) Haewon props her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands as she smirks, “what do you want to know?”

You guys then proceeded to spend the next two hours eating and chatting. Turns out Haewon wasn't all too bad company when she wasn’t existing to purely spite you. Haewon shared many interesting things about herself, like how she actually doesn’t like drinking at the endless networking parties she attends, or how she was actually fluent in spanish, or how she had no idea what she wanted to do the first year of college, but ended up transferring into business because it was the only thing that simply clicked for her. After some pressure, she even caved in, reluctantly admitting to be… Envious of you?

“Me??”

“Uh, yeah! I mean I do well in my classes and stuff, but you practically reek of academic perfection— it's actually kind of sickening,” she snorts, taking a bite into the meat on her plate as you roll your eyes. “You’re basically every professors favorite ideal student.”

“Me?? The favorite??” You scoff, “I thought you were the favorite! You act out and talk about anything in class and the professors still love you regardless! You get nearly perfect grades on every exam and have a million friends in every department, you don’t even have to try!”

“Seriously? No way. I know I'm funny and all, but I know the professors are disappointed I wasn't involved with any extracurriculars or anything. Probably think I'm wasted potential.”

“Well I know for sure they were concerned I have like, no friends or connections. That's wasted potential.” 

“Wait— do you think—“

A moment of realization hits both of you like a truck.

“Ohhhh… that's why professor Wang paired us up.”

“Yup.”

A short pause passes between the two before you snort, holding back a laugh as Haewon giggles, running a free hand through her hair as she shakes her head, “That's so dumb…”

Allowing a comfortable silence to pass, you finish up your food. It was good, and you kept your eyes out for the server to approach so you could pay. Haewon had excused herself to the bathroom, and you paid no mind to it as you absentmindedly scroll through your phone, remaining attentive to your surroundings as you do so. 

After a few minutes, Haewon returns, a very untrustworthy smile curled on her lips as you squint at the sight. What is she trying to get at?

“Alright, let's head out!”

You look up at Haewon from your seat in confusion, “but I didnt pa—“

That familiar smug grin was plastered on Haewon’s face again. “I paid for it already.”

“What?! How? When?” 

“I didn’t actually use the bathroom.” She snickers while leaning on the table, arms crossed in satisfaction.

Haewon seemed to have more manners than you expected as well, it seemed. She beat you at your own game, as she always seems to do. You’re left there shocked for what felt like a whole minute before you shake your head, chuckling dryly as you get out of your seat. 

“Okay Oh Haewon, you win this time. Let's go.”

Haewon wiggles her eyebrows teasingly as she follows you out the doors, “‘this time,’ huh? Are you implying there will be a second time?” 

You raise your hand to silence the shorter girl, and she can't help but laugh at the gesture. You bite your lip to hold back your own laughter, but a silent puff of air still manages to escape your feeble attempts.

Her eyes light up as she notices this. “Aha! I saw that! Come on now, y/n. Why are you holding back on me? What? Are you afraid to show any signs you might like me a little now?”

Under normal circumstances, you’d find yourself seething with rage at the other girl's comments. You’d think to yourself: who was she to poke fun at you? She's nothing but rude, childish, and every other insult above. Under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t be allowing yourself to laugh freely into the air, the sky above you and Haewon slowly morphing from blue to orange as you finally release all of the tension pent up within you. 

But this wasn’t a normal circumstance. You honestly had no idea how you even really ended up here to be honest. You were supposed to be at home by now, typing away at yet another project for some big club or company in your large sea of responsibilities. Instead, you find yourself walking down the sidewalk on the outskirts of campus with no other than Oh Haewon, your (now seemingly one sided) academic rival, laughing away, and actually thoroughly enjoying her company.

The pair of you find yourselves back at the lab, but the air was quiet this time, the stars above beginning to emerge from the blanket of night. You lean your back back on the fence, arms propped up behind you as you look back at Haewon as she stands in front of you. You weren't that much taller than her, maybe by an inch or so, but the fact that she had to crane her neck ever so slightly in order to make eye contact with you gave you a teeny tiny ego boost. 

You can’t believe you were smiling right now, and it was because of the girl in front of you. “Y’know, I thought I had you pegged, but turns out I was wrong. You’re not all too bad when you decide to be.”

Haewon grins playfully back at you, absentmindedly fiddling with her fingers as she nods, “You’re not as prissy and snobby as I thought you were either.”

You simply hum in response, taking a moment to look back up at the stars scattered throughout the sky. If you didn’t go out tonight, you would've missed all of this. You can't remember the last time you actually took a moment to enjoy the night. It was beautiful.

“So… About this ‘next time’ you mentioned…” 

Your gaze shifts back down to Haewon, and you notice she's inched closer. Smiling, you remain leaning on the fence, undeterred. “What about it?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, y/n. Are you saying you want to see me again even after this project is done?”

It's finally your turn to be smug. “And what if I am?”

Haewon is caught off guard. “...Then… I would also like that.”

Your smile softens as you take one of her hands in yours. Haewon’s hands were surprisingly small, and also quite soft. You slowly raise it to your lips and plant a soft kiss on the back of it, letting the feeling linger for a moment before pulling away, still holding her hand in yours as you look at Haewon. Her pale skin turns bright red for the second time today. A soft laugh leaves your lips at the sight. 

“Cute.”

Unfortunately, your romantic gestures are met with a punch to your side and a flustered groan as Haewon twirls around in an attempt to hide her face. “You really are annoying, you know that?!” She exclaims, already walking in the opposite direction as you chuckle. When was the last time you had fun like this?

“So. Same time next week?” You call out, and you’re very charmingly met with a childish middle finger stuck into the air. With that gesture alone, you already know she’ll make it to the next project meeting right on time.

[superblysubpar]

steve harrington x you

2,390 words

warnings: nothing much, steve's got shaved hair as per the request for today, some kissing, some ednancy/dad eddie, you're eddie's best friend

A/N: thanks so much for your patience as I work on getting all of these posted that were missed. I hope you enjoy them, it's been great to get back into writing after a couple of really hectic weeks

a blurb for the "Trick or Treat, Freak?" event

Your lips purse around the neon green straw as your hips sway in time to Hanson booming out of the shitty speakers. The soles of your boots like velcro against the sticky cement while thuds of dart meeting board echo as you pass. Rum and cherry sweet on your tongue and warming you from the inside out as you look up and down the crowded bar.

A blue polished finger startles you as it crosses your vision and pokes your forehead.

“Dude, relax,” Robin laughs, leaning against the old wood top. Despite already having a drink in her hand, she hasn’t strayed far from the bar tonight. The bartender in a jersey serving up cocktails and beers with a red lipped smile and a musical laugh to blame you were sure. “He’ll be here. He’s probably just stuck in traffic. Or they stopped at their hotel before coming.”

“Right,” you blow a breath out of your nose and look over at the stairs that led to the bouncer, “Yeah, you’re right.”

Robin’s blue eyes sparkle under glittered lids, a dimple forming on her freckled cheek. “Hold on, can you say that one more time, a little louder? Where’s Steve, I need him to hear this.”

Your eyes roll just as brown fizzy soda sloshes over the side of your cup before it met your lips, narrowly avoiding a landing place down the front of your shirt as hands squeeze at your ribs, startling you with an accompanied:

“Boo!”

“Eddie!” The shriek loud and drawing the attention of most of the bar as you turn to face the menace behind your jump scare. You swat at your best friend’s chest. “Asshole.”

Eddie’s cheeks dimple, shorter curls bouncing across his forehead as he knocks a ringed knuckle under your chin. “I missed you too.”

Your arms wrap around his waist, his around your back in a tight squeeze, the kind of hug only old friends can share.

“I did miss you,” you murmur, drawing back to take in all the ways he’d changed and all the ways he hadn’t. He still had a faded band tee, the laundry detergent clinging to it new but mixed nicely with the familiar spice of his cologne. Ripped holes in the knees of well worn black jeans, but his hair shorter, broader shoulders. A smile that still lit up any room though you could see the sleep and stress heavy under his eyes. “You look like crap.”

Eddie rolls his eyes as he squeezes Robin and kisses her temple, murmuring something about scoring the digits of the cutie behind the bar yet, before he turns to you with a theatrical pout of his lips.

“You know, that’s a real shitty thing to say to your best friend who you haven’t seen in months that you know is dealing with a three year old who doesn’t understand the concept of quiet time when the baby is napping.”

Your snort is only slightly muffled into the rim of your cup, “Oh my god, you’re such an old man.”

Eddie grabs a beer from Robin’s hand offering it up without looking away from the bartender chatting with her. He smiles at them, then you again as you drop the act and tug on his wrist and whine, “Where’s the pictures I was promised? Does Amelia know how to say her favorite Aunt’s name yet?”

He laughs, “Not yet. Although yesterday she said ‘tuc’ when a big school bus drove by, so like, no big deal, but my baby’s a genius.” He takes a sip, shrugging his shoulders like it was a joke, but you know it’s not. He nods his head towards the entrance, “Nance has the pictures.”

“She didn’t come in with you?” Your frown disappears and melts into a smile when you see her talking animatedly with her hands while descending the stairs.

“Speak of the devil,” Eddie looks around and leans down to whisper in your ear, timing perfect with the wrinkled nose of Nancy as she looks around the shitty dive bar, “She’s gonna hate this place.”

Your smile widens as Nancy mumbles something to the man entering with her, honeyed eyes roaming over the crowd as he laughs at whatever she said. Steve’s still dressed in his work clothes, a blue sweater and a gray peacoat, dark wash jeans that fit him just right and have you distracted already.

Eddie whistles, nudging your shoulder. “Christ babe, these shoes are new and here you are drooling all over them. I get enough of that at home.”

Your hand pinches his side, his yelp drawing the attention of his wife and Steve. He smiles at you, hand waving a little before it adjusts the black cap still sitting on his head.

Eddie sighs deeply next to your ear and grumbles, “Can you two just fucking, like, do the damn thing already? My god, just go up and-“

“Nancy!” Your yell overly loud and too enthusiastic as you dig a heel into Eddie’s toes and he snorts a half laugh, half grunt of pain.

Your arms envelope her and the two of you rock back and forth and squeal like girls after a Summer break of not seeing each other every day of school. Over Nancy’s shoulder, Steve places a large hand on the back of Robin’s shoulder and whispers something in her ear. She pokes at his beanie that he quickly tugs down further with a scowl. A paranoid glance around before his gaze meets yours and a timid smile forms on his lips before he turns back to Robin.

Nancy’s quick to whip out the photos from her little clutch when you ask and Robin squeals, the pair of you look over her shoulder and coo at their perfect kids. Brown curls and bright blue eyes and dimples worthy of her dad smile up at you in a photo of their toddler holding up a drawing she made.

“Oh shit,” Eddie pats at his jeans, “Beth told me…” he frowns as he searches his pockets, “Sweetheart, where’d-“

Nancy’s already pulling something out of her purse, a neatly folded triangle with your name written in Nancy’s neat penmanship, with a crudely drawn heart around it.

“For me?” You swoon as you grab it and hold the little piece up to your chest when Robin frowns.

“Wow, they’re so not getting good Christmas presents from Aunt Rob-“

Nancy holds up another triangle, cutting her off.

“They can have whatever they want. Do hey have college funds set up yet?”

Nancy and Eddie laugh, a puzzle piece fitting with another as his arms wrap around her waist and her hand reaches up and caresses his chin that hooks over his shoulder.

He kisses her neck, “Want your usual?”

“Yes please,” she kisses his temple before he untangles his arms, squeezing her hips gently before he heads over to the bar.

The interaction makes something in your chest ache, something deep inside of you yearning for a connection that just works like they do. Knowing you don’t need it, but it’d be nice to have someone grab your usual, to hold and ground you when life gets a little crazy.

Nancy’s whisper is all knowing, her blue eyes cutting into yours just as much. “It’ll happen.”

“What?” Something stuck in your throat that you clear away, thumbs brushing over your drawing as you avoid her stare.

“I’m just saying it’ll happen, I know it sucks waiting for your person, but they’re probably closer than you think.”

The searching glance up isn’t intentional, but you’re startled to find Steve staring at you already. Your body flushes when he smiles at you from the bar next to Eddie.

“Oh,” Robin laughs, tucking her drawing into her lavender blazer pocket, “They’re close alright.”

Nancy looks at her then you, finding you glaring at Robin. Your mouth opens to tell her to shut hers, when a drink appears in front of you.

You’re expecting to see silver rings around the cup, but all you find is a gold class band and you swallow, looking up to see Steve offering it to you.

“Extra cherries, right?”

The words come out of plush pink lips surrounded by a dusting of dark scruff and it may as well have been a question asking you to take off your underwear from the way your body heats up.

“Ye-yeah,” you stumble over the word as your fingers meet his, “Thanks.”

“Oh,” Nancy hums, “That is close.”

“Told ya,” Robin snickers into her cup.

“What?” Steve blinks at them, gold and green disappearing with fluttering lashes each time he does.

Nancy points at the bar, “Oh, Eddie, what’s? Yup.”

She disappears quickly with her obvious fake call from Eddie.

Robin doesn’t even attempt to be subtle, she just smiles at Steve, winks at you, and turns away.

Steve watches her go with a frown, then looks at you. “Do I wanna know-“

“No,” you shake your head, tight smile. It warps into a real one when you look down at the piece of paper though. You hold up your drawing, “Did you see what Beth made me?”

He smiles at the drawing that is so clearly you and her on a face time phone call, “Wow, a real Beth Munson artwork. I’m jealous. I must have it. What’s your price?”

Your laugh is effortless around Steve, and you hold it close to your chest, playing along. “Sorry sir, this item is not for sale. Nothing you offer could ever convince me to part with it.”

The freckles next to Steve’s eyes disappear when his smile makes the laugh lines there crease. His two on his cheek lift as he grabs at your elbow, gently nudging you over to the wall to avoid a group of rowdy boys entering the bar. He has to lean in when they all whoop and whistle, hitting backs and shouting about teams winning. His lips brush your ear with each word.

“Everything is for sale. Come on, name it. Anything you want, it’s yours.”

The words invite a shiver to trickle down your spine, something loosening in your shoulders, like someone cracked an egg on the top of your head and it’s leaking into every nerve you have. Your brain feels fuzzy from the way he smiles. Your tongue too heavy in your mouth, but somehow you swallow down butterflies that seek to escape through your throat and say:

“How about a date?”

Steve’s hand does a poor job of hiding his smile, his chin dips down in defeat, but he clears his throat. His eyes melt like brown sugar and butter right in front of you as they hold your stare. “Sure, but I was already going to take you on one, so I feel like I’m practically stealing this original, one of a kind artwork. Anything else you want?”

His head tilts with the question, and the tip of his shoes tap yours, a hand squeezes at your waist, grounding you as the room spins from how dizzy his lips being so close to yours is making you feel.

“I’m,” you suck in a breath as you lean in, the Backstreet Boys crooning overhead in an ironic soundtrack to the moment as you shake your head, “I can’t think of anything. What’d you have in mind?”

Steve’s hand moves from your hip to your lower back, gently nudging you closer. His adam’s apple bobs before he asks, “A kiss?”

Your answer is a nod that bumps your already too close lips together. Steve catches your bottom one with his, gently parting your mouth as his hand slides up your spine.

It’s a dizzying kiss, one that makes your stomach flip and your feet press up onto your toes to chase him more. One that melts and flows into more than one kiss, your hand with your drink and drawing resting against his hip while your other clings to his neck. Steve’s nose bumps against yours as he deepens it. Tongue tracing your lips before it meets yours and he’s gasping for a deeper breath against your mouth, but unwilling to part from it.

Your hand slides up the nape of his neck, pushing at the beanie as your smile breaks the kiss when loud cheers echo through the bar. Steve shakes his head no at the sound, smiling too, but still refusing to part from your kiss until your hand pushes under his hat and you gasp.

“No, no, don’t-“ Steve’s already laughing at your look of pure joy, admiring the way your face is brighter and lips shinier from his kissing, so he doesn’t even try to stop you when you rip the hat off.

“Holy shit!” Robin’s voice is louder than anything in the bar when you reveal that Steve’s hair is shaved. “What happened? I mean why?”

Robin, Eddie and Nancy rejoin your group, wide smiles at you that you roll your eyes at. Steve gently takes the cap back from you and puts it back on with a frown.

“I work in an elementary school, what do you think happened?”

“Oh no,” Nancy laughs, covering her smile with fingers polished ballet slipper pink as Eddie shakes his head.

“It looks good,” you murmur, fingers reaching forward with a mind of their own and brushing along the base of the cap behind his ear.

“Yeah?” He asks, leaning in again, smile and eyes only for you as you nod.

His nose bumps yours but he stops just shy of your lips when Robin groans loudly.

“Thank god you’re moving back, I don’t think I could stomach this alone.”

Your head whips over to the trio, Nancy and Eddie smiling at your shocked expression.

Eddie waves his hands next to his sides like he’s a magician saying ‘ta-da’.

“Surprise!”

Your drink spills to the ground as you leap towards them both, shouting about how excited you are as you all hug and cry and you pester them with accusations and too many questions on the level of an interrogation.

Steve’s hand rests on your lower back the whole time, thumb soothing brushes up and down your spine. Eventually he whispers something about grabbing you another drink before he kisses your cheek and disappears with a promise of being right back.

[amuseoffyre]

I can't think of many shows that use both the original orchestrations and the songs with as ruthless and beautiful efficiency as pirates. I know a lot of shows who give it some of the focus, but it has been so solidly consistent across the board for every. frigging. episode of OFMD.

The songs they pick not only tie in perfectly, but the tone, style and mood carries across into the scene. And are even incorporated into the filming of the scene as well, to make sure they get exactly what they want.

The way they used The Chain is quite frankly mind-boggling, knowing that they filmed it with the music playing on the set at a higher speed, so when they slowed it down, they had pinned beat-by-beat every single shot of that scene to exactly the point they wanted in the song. The drumbeats matched up with the British drummers and having Frenchie on his lute knocked flat right as the guitar cuts off. It's just... AAAAAA.

And now we're in S2, they're doing the same brutally perfect scalpel work with the themes from the score for the first season. I've yelled about it before, but I will yell again about these three in particularly coming for my throat:

when Stede shows Ed around the Revenge and shows him all his cool things, there's a jaunty little harpsichord melody playing. That melody came back when Izzy showed Stede how to be a pirate and do cool pirate things

when Izzy crawls away from the crew, the solo cello notes that are part of the Blackbeard theme start playing

when Izzy opens his note from the crew, letting him know he belongs with them, he starts crying to the piece of music that plays over Ed's mum telling him "we're just not those kind of people"

It's such perfect understated parallel story-telling, demonstrating that something similar is happening to the characters without having to say a single word, and I am hoping against hope that we get either "Do You Concur?" or "Be a Lighthouse" back again in the next 3 episodes.

ohhhhhh if we get Ed and Stede doing a fuckery together with Lighthouse over it, I might actually cry. That is far and away my favourite piece on the entire OST because their signature instruments switch and alternate between harmony and melody and it's so perfectly them.

(However, if we get Ends Tonight again, I might bite someone)

[axelsagewrites]

James Potter*Heroic Deed

young!James x f!reader

Word count 1200

Warnings: bullying/shy reader

A/n: I've missed writing for my mauraders boys

Masterlist here

James wasn’t sure why he found potions so boring he just knew he’d rather be anywhere else right now. perhaps it was in the dungeons or that so far Slughorn had gave him and his friends the most detentions so far this year. usually, he would sit next to Sirius and have a silent competition of who could make the worse smelling potion but unfortunately for him Sirius was sick. selfish bastard, James thought. imagine not letting him know so he could try skiving with him.

James perched his chin on his fist, gazing aimlessly around the classroom as the students filtered in. with no one sitting beside him he was actually able to notice things like the surprisingly pretty girl who had just walked in. James sat up straight as she walked past, trying to get a glimpse of her tie to no avail when his attention got snatched away, “Mr Potter, on time I see,” Slughorn chortled as he took his place at the front of the room.

“You caught me Horrace,” James grinned making the potions master grimace at the boy before beginning his lesson.

James had the perfect view of the class from his comfy spot at the back of the room however that did not mean he was going to listen. peter and Remus sat in front of him however for some reason they both seemed to enjoy this stupid class so even if he passed a note Remus would just chuck it in a cauldron.

so instead as Slughorn explained a meaningless task in explicit detail James eyes roamed the room till they fell on the girl he had noticed. James began to beat himself up. how had he taken this class for two whole months now and never noticed you? James realised you were sat alone and silently hoped partner work was needed in this lesson.

as his mind began to wander, wondering if he in fact had been blind this whole time, he noticed a piece of parchment bounce off your hair. his eyes narrowed, wondering who would throw a note that hard when he saw the rolled-up parchment fly up from the floor only to hit into your head again. James scowled when he saw you trying to swot the parchment away but with each attempt you missed.

“Yes miss (Y/L/N)?” Slughorn said making James eyes snap up and you to mumble an apology, “Please don’t raise your hand without a question to ask class,” he said as he turned back towards the board.

the sniggers coming from a table two seats away made James turn his head. A Ravenclaw and Slytherin boy sat laughing under their breaths at your helplessness as the Ravenclaw was flicking their wand under the table. they’d hexed the parchment James realised.

he hated that he wanted to know how they did it but hated that they were doing it to you more. James silently picked up the bezoar stone that sat amongst his ingredient pile for the day and began to wrap it up in a sheet of parchment. James sat back in his chair, waiting silently for Slughorn to turn around when something better happened. “Horrace a word?” Minnie said from the doorway with two Slytherin firsties by her side.

score, thanks Minnie, James thought as Slughorn slugged out of the class, shutting the door. when he saw the Ravenclaw raise his wand from under the table, presumably to also do something worse than fling parchment, James quickly lobbed the wrapped-up bezoar stone across the room. it smacked the Ravenclaws arm with a loud thud, making him drop his wand, before bouncing off his arm and directly into the Slytherin head.

“Hey!” The Ravenclaw screeched as James did his best to mock his innocence from where he sat as Slughorn suddenly opened the door again.

however, the Slytherin in all his genius did not notice his head of house when he stormed over to James table, “Watch it Potter,” he spat, “Or I’ll- “

“You’ll what?” Minnie shouted across the room making the boy pale instantly.

“He threw something it us,” the boy stuttered as Minnie quickly crossed the room and picked up the parchment that the stone was missing from, making even James face screw up in confusion. Minie gave the boys a death glare as they tried to explain themselves.

“Another thirty points from Slytherin,” Slughorn boomed over the classroom before dismissing the terrifying first years, “Grow up boys it was a piece of paper,” he scoffed at the pair before looking at James making him hold his hands up in mock innocence.

James did his best not to jump with glee as he celebrated his win. Remus shot him a confused look, but he figured he could tell his heroic dead over supper. when McGonagall left and Slughorn finally managed to continue he announced that everyone was to partner with their desk partner to start work on their potions. “Yes, mister potter?” he sighed at James outstretched hands.

“Mister Sirius is not here,”

Slughorn sighed before he turned to the mystery girl James had bravely defended, “Sorry Miss (Y/L/N),” he said before turning back to James, “You can partner with her this lesson. don’t torture the poor girl potter,”

James tried to hide his grin as he quickly grabbed his stuff and moved to the table in the first row. “Closest I’ve ever been to the front,” James joked as he sat beside you, outstretching his hand. “James,” he introduced himself.

you gave a small smile as you shook his hand and offered him your own name. as James flicked back to the right page, he noticed you slip something from your pocket, “You dropped this,” you said, sliding the stone to his side of the desk. James practically felt his heart double as he turned to you with a shocked expression, “And thank you,”

“No problem doll,” James grinned as he picked up the stone. he silently joyed in the blush you tried to cover with your hair, “I will warn you im terrible at potions,”

You laughed in a way that didn’t feel demeaning as you took the stone back from James hand and sat it in a mortar, “Ill teach you don’t worry. just start grinding that up for now,”

“Do we only need one?” he asked to which you nodded. James took it back out the mortar before reaching over the desk to the sat the one you had already collected, “Then let’s keep this one as a keepsake and use this,” he said as he began to grind up the non-thrown bezoar.

“Who knew James Potter was so sentimental?” you joked but James knew it was to cover the heat rising to your face.

“Theres lots you don’t know about me yet,” he said as he scooted his chair closer to yours, “So what steps next love?”

James couldn’t help but enjoy this potions lesson now. by the end of class, he had even made a functioning potion. “Well, well mister potter,” Slughorn said as he handed him the vial they had made, “Perhaps it’s time I changed the seating arrangements,”

“I couldn’t agree more professor,”

Part two here

Taglist: @clairacassidy

[gilbertscurls]

Classroom Competition ➵ Matt Sturniolo

synopsis: two rival English teachers, you and Matt, challenge each other to an end-of-year competition to see whose class will come out on top.

You stood at the front of your classroom, flipping through the stack of essays your students had turned in earlier that week. The air was thick with the smell of freshly sharpened pencils and the quiet hum of focused minds. Your students were finishing a timed writing exercise, and you could already tell from the intensity in their eyes that they were giving it their all.

A small smile tugged at the corner of your lips. Your class was doing great this semester. They were engaged, improving their writing skills daily, and, most importantly, they were enjoying the material. You had spent weeks perfecting your lesson plans, making sure they were creative and challenging. But in the back of your mind, there was always one nagging thought.

Matthew.

Your fellow English teacher—and academic rival.

Victoria had been teaching at Somerville High for two years now, and ever since you and Matt had both started in the same semester, a silent, unspoken competition had brewed between you. You both taught sophomore English, and though you never directly confronted each other about it, there was a clear rivalry between you to see who could get the highest test scores, who could make reading Shakespeare fun, and who could inspire their students the most.

It wasn’t that Matt was a bad teacher. Quite the opposite, in fact. He was too good. Charismatic, engaging, and with an ability to make even the most mundane literature seem exciting, he was loved by students and teachers alike. His reputation for getting the highest standardized test scores among his classes wasn’t lost on you either.

But you weren’t about to let him overshadow you.

The bell rang, and your students handed in their essays on the way out. You were just gathering your things when the door to your classroom swung open. Speak of the devil.

“Y/N,” Matt greeted you with a casual smirk, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed. “You busy?”

You looked up, narrowing your eyes. “What do you want, Matt?”

“I just thought I’d swing by and see how your class is doing,” he said, his voice smooth. “You know, make sure everything’s running smoothly on this side of the English department.”

You rolled your eyes, picking up the stack of essays. “My class is doing just fine, thank you.”

“Of course they are,” he said, pushing off the doorframe and stepping into the room. He glanced around, taking in your meticulously organized classroom. “I’m sure you’re drilling those essays into them like always.”

You bristled at the jab but kept your tone light. “Maybe, but at least my students know how to structure an argument properly. I’ve heard yours are still struggling with thesis statements.”

Matt chuckled, clearly not offended. “Oh, they’ve got it down. But I prefer to focus on more… Creative approaches to writing. You know, things that get students to think outside the box.”

“Right,” you said, leaning back against your desk. “And that’s why your students are always scrambling the day before exams, right?”

He shot you a look, but his smile never wavered. “Hey, it works for them.”

You had this same back-and-forth at least once a week. It wasn’t mean-spirited, but there was definitely an underlying tension in your conversations. And today, you were determined to win this round.

“Speaking of exams,” you said casually, “did you see the test scores from last week’s assessment?”

Matt raised an eyebrow. “I did. Pretty solid across the board. How about yours?”

You grinned. “Best in the department.”

For the first time, Matt’s smirk faltered just slightly, and it was all the satisfaction you needed.

“Congrats,” he said, a little less cocky now. “Guess I’ll have to step up my game.”

“Guess so,” you said sweetly.

He crossed his arms, clearly not ready to back down entirely. “Well, if we’re being competitive, how about we up the stakes?”

You eyed him warily. “What kind of stakes?”

“An end-of-year competition,” he suggested, leaning against one of the student desks. “Your class versus mine. Whoever gets the highest overall grade average wins.”

You raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly does the winner get?”

Matt thought for a moment, then his grin returned. “Bragging rights. For the whole summer. And…” he paused for dramatic effect, “the loser has to buy the winner coffee every morning for a week.”

You crossed your arms, biting your lip as you considered the offer. It was a ridiculous bet, but there was something thrilling about it. And if you were being honest with yourself, you liked the competition with Matt. It kept you on your toes, made you push yourself harder. Plus, the thought of beating him, once and for all, was too tempting to resist.

“Deal,” you said, stepping forward and offering your hand.

Matt’s smile widened as he took it. “Deal.”

The rest of the semester flew by, and true to your word, both you and Matt ramped up your efforts to make your classes the best they could be. You spent countless hours refining your lesson plans, coming up with creative writing prompts, and working one-on-one with students who needed extra help. You weren’t just teaching to win the bet—you genuinely cared about your students’ success—but knowing that you had a competition with Matt made you push even harder.

On the other side of the hallway, Matt was doing the same. He organized debate competitions, hosted creative writing workshops, and even incorporated poetry slams into his curriculum. His students adored him, and he had a way of making literature come alive in a way that was different from your more structured approach.

By the time the end of the year rolled around, both teachers were anxiously awaiting the results. Final grades were submitted, and the last week of classes was a blur of goodbyes and final projects.

You were standing in the teacher’s lounge, tapping your foot impatiently as you waited for the principal to post the final grade averages. Matt stood beside you, leaning casually against the wall, looking far too relaxed for your liking.

“Nervous?” he asked, glancing over at you.

“Not at all,” you lied, crossing your arms. “Just ready to win.”

Matt chuckled. “We’ll see about that.”

The principal finally walked in, holding the final grade reports. She posted the averages for each class on the board, and you felt your heart race as you scanned the numbers. Your class had done incredibly well, but so had Matt’s.

It was close. Really close.

In the end, Matt’s class edged yours out by a mere half a percentage point.

You let out a frustrated sigh, crossing your arms as Matt grinned triumphantly beside you.

“Looks like I’ll be expecting that coffee next week,” he said, his tone dripping with smugness.

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the small smile tugging at your lips. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t let it go to your head.”

Matt chuckled, stepping closer, his voice softening just a little. “You know, this whole rivalry thing—it’s fun.”

You glanced up at him, your heart doing an unexpected little flip. “Yeah. It is.”

For a moment, you stood there, the usual tension between you shifting into something else—something that felt less like competition and more like connection.

“So, what’s next?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

Matt grinned. “Oh, I’m sure we’ll think of something.”

And as you walked away, you couldn’t help but wonder if this competition of yours was just beginning—only now, the stakes felt a little higher.

tag list: @stuwniolo, @sturnobsessedwh0re, @matts-myloverboy, @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut, @lizzymacdonald06, @asherrisrandom

[cailinsblog]

Love on Ice

Matt rempe x reader

In the bustling city of Seattle, where the roar of the crowd echoed through the halls of the newly minted Climate Pledge Arena, NHL rookie Matt Rempe, towering at 6'8", prepared for a game that would be etched in his memory forever. Beside him stood his girlfriend, Y/N, her eyes shining with excitement as she watched Matt lace up his skates.

It was a momentous occasion for both of them. Not only was it Matt's first NHL game, but it was also Y/N's first time watching him play live. As they made their way to their seats, Y/N couldn't contain her anticipation, her heart pounding with pride for her talented boyfriend.

The arena buzzed with energy as the game began, the sound of skates cutting through the ice and the clash of sticks filling the air. Y/N watched with bated breath as Matt took to the ice, his imposing presence commanding attention from players and fans alike.

As the game unfolded, Y/N found herself on the edge of her seat, cheering wildly for Matt and his team. With each thunderous check and lightning-fast shot, she felt a swell of admiration for the man she loved, his passion for the game evident in every move he made.

Despite the intensity of the match, Matt's eyes never strayed far from Y/N in the stands. He drew strength from her unwavering support, her presence a source of comfort amidst the chaos of the game.

In the final minutes of the third period, with the score tied and tension mounting, Matt seized his moment. With a burst of speed, he swooped in on the opposing goal, his stick connecting with the puck in a perfect shot that sailed past the goalie and into the net.

The crowd erupted into cheers as Matt's teammates mobbed him on the ice, celebrating his game-winning goal. But amidst the chaos, Matt's gaze found Y/N in the stands, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.

As the final buzzer sounded and the crowd began to disperse, Y/N made her way down to the ice, her heart still racing with adrenaline. Matt met her at the boards, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"You were amazing out there, Matt," Y/N gushed, her eyes shining with pride. "I'm so proud of you."

Matt grinned, his blue eyes sparkling with happiness. "I couldn't have done it without you, Y/N. Having you here meant everything to me."

As they walked hand in hand out of the arena, bathed in the glow of victory, Y/N knew that this was just the beginning of their journey together. Through the wins and losses, highs and lows, they would always be each other's biggest fans, their love a constant source of strength on and off the ice.

[monstersdownthepath]

Herald of Asmodeus: Basileus

CR 15

Lawful Evil Medium Outsider

Inner Sea Gods, pg. 278 (though the picture is from Council of Thieves: Mother of Flies, pg. 79

Yes, Medium sized. You see, Basileus is NOT the terrifying, diabolic apparition with multiple snakes emerging from it, but the tiny figure settled in its ribcage. Crafted from the very essence of Hell itself to fill Asmodeus’ lofty expectations--expectations which spelled death for at least six other Heralds before--Basileus represents the power of Hell incarnate, which includes the ability to cow any lesser being nearby into submission with nothing but a look. While his Veil of Forms normally keeps his true nature hidden from onlookers and makes him look attractive to anyone who can see him, he can raise or drop this comforting veil as a free action to wreak unholy terror on everyone that draws too close... but we’ll get to that later. First, a bit of background!

Basileus (or “Basil,” as I’ll be calling him from here on out) is Asmodeus’ perfect doll, crafted from Hell’s essence and, some say, the best parts of his past Heralds, all of whom disappointed him in some fashion. For a tyrant who desires absolute control, the only solution he would accept is the creation of a being who would follow his orders without question, hesitation, or creative interpretation. Basil does exactly as Asmodeus commands, following orders in accordance with both their spirit and letter with an efficiency that rivals machines, and thankfully for the mortal plane, these orders usually have him serving as an envoy and diplomat between Asmodeus and other powers across the Great Beyond. He is explicitly stated to rarely ever step onto the Material Plane, and even then only long enough to complete a task which directly benefits Hell and its infernal master. He tolerates mortals in the same way a sculptor tolerates dust and stone shards all over the floor, in that dealing with them is a side-effect in the process of creating something worthwhile, but they’re ultimately waste to be brushed aside and disposed of the instant the main project is finished, and certainly nothing to cozy up to and talk with. Basil’s contempt for mortals is one of his most famous aspects, to the point that even Asmodeus’ own followers hesitate to beseech their god for his Herald’s assistance, seeing the diabolic abomination as a last resort despite the power he offers his summoners, which includes the ability to grant a Wish once a day... but only for a mortal.

There is some delicious irony in Basileus having the most powerful spell available to him 1/day, a power no other Herald approaches, but he can only use it on the very mortals he despises. No matter how pitiful their lack of imagination or careless their wording, this power belongs to them. Unfortunately, he’s quite clever in manipulating people into getting what he wants out of their wishes, and only grants them in accordance with Asmodeus’ desires anyway, so the irony isn’t AS delicious as it could be.

Despite being a glorified mailman in terms of purpose, Basil nonetheless embodies perfection in every respect, both physical and mental: He possesses the strength to bend iron with his bare hands (26), arrow-dodging levels of dexterity (22), an indestructible constitution (25), staggering intellect (26), and enough charisma to clash with the most boisterous personalities and lay them low at his feet (25). The only stat of his that’s lower than 20 is his Wisdom, sitting at a 19. While many Heralds have one or two of his stats beaten out, no other Herald has such towering ability scores across the board, truly showing off Asmodeus’ craftsmanship... pity that he falls short in many other areas including, ironically, his hit dice. Though he has a nearly-unequaled stat distribution, he actually has less HD than the average Herald at 16, whereas most have 17 or 18 (though Sunlord Thalachos and the Menotherian both have 15 for whatever reason).

Of course, such flaws in his form aren’t evident to anyone not looking directly at his statblock. To everyone in-universe, Basileus is something like an advancing wall of death, something to be desperately avoided at all costs, because coming too close to the Herald of Hell may see one slain before they can even draw their weapon.

As previously mentioned, Basil normally hides behind a Veil of Forms, a specialized illusion which makes him look attractive to whomever is looking at him, regardless of their individual tastes and preferences. If he cannot be attractive then he will appear powerful instead, and oftentimes he combines the two... just not intentionally. Basil has no control over what onlookers see, nor does he gain any supernatural insight into whatever they’re seeing, and truth be told he doesn’t really care (if he did, he has a +23 Sense Motive to try and hash it out). The more important part is what happens when he drops his veil.

Basil can raise or lower his veil as a free action on his turn with no limit, allowing him to lower it and expose his true, diabolic form just enough to focus his crushing Gaze onto a creature within 30ft before raising it when that poor victim drops to the floor, dead as a doornail. You see, any being subjected to his Gaze must succeed a DC 25 Will save or be subjected to the illusory sight of the most terrifying thing they can possibly imagine, a sight so overwhelmingly horrifying that any creature with 6 HD or fewer is slain instantly if they fail the save, while everything above the threshold becomes irrationally panicked for 2d4 rounds if they fail, and REGARDLESS if they pass or fail, victims take 6d6 points of damage from the strain of seeing their worst fears brought to life before them. While he normally uses this power to snuff out a select creature like a candle, in pitched combat he can simply leave the veil down, blasting everyone around him constantly as long as they keep looking at him; the damage and panic recur every round a creature remains within 30ft of the Herald of Hell while also looking at him, as there is no 24 hour immunity clause.

You may notice a couple harsh limits to this otherwise overwhelming power: A strict 30ft limit, and victims must be able to see him. So long as you’re either keeping your distance or keeping your eyes closed, his terrifying gaze can’t affect you, and he lacks any ability which explicitly punishes a creature trying to blind-fight him like Sneak Attack... though this isn’t to say that the embodiment of Asmodeus’ will can be beaten by simply closing one’s eyes, no. He has plenty of other tricks up his horrible, horrible sleeves.

First and foremost is his least impressive aspect, his melee: Basil can cause horrible wounds to open up on any creature he touches, inflicting 1d8+8 damage. This is less than impressive, especially when stapled to his Medium-sized frame, but he has other options. Five of them, in fact! When his veil is down and his true diabolic body is exposed, he produces five additional, monstrous limbs which can slam anything within 15ft of him for 1d8+8 damage each, making his melee offense much scarier. However, this isn’t where he truly shines. No, his magic is the scariest thing about him.

As a being of illusions, Basil has quite the menagerie of illusion spells. At-will, he can use False Vision to prevent people from scrying on him or anyone he’s talking to, Mirage Arcana to shape the terrain to his liking, and Persistent Image for basically whatever distraction he needs. At 3/day, he can use Phantasmal Killer to terrify someone outside his 30ft aura of terror to death, but more dangerously he can use Greater Invisibility 3/day, which prevents him from using his lethal gaze but combines in a bad way (for everyone else) with his supernatural 60ft flight speed, his natural +25 to Stealth, and the rest of his offensive prowess, mainly consisting of his melee slams and his at-will Scorching Ray for any distant foes.

Cheating is only fun when the devil does it, so of course Basil can both Greater Teleport at-will and use Ethereal Jaunt 3/day BUT he has Dimensional Anchor to prevent anyone else from doing it. Likewise, all of his illusory power can be defeated with True Seeing, so he has THAT available at 3/day, and Greater Dispel Magic besides to destroy whatever spells or effects he cannot maneuver around. It’s especially fun to shuck buffs off anyone trying to fly up and harm him or use spells to make themselves immune to fear (his Gaze is a mind-affecting fear effect, so immunity to fear prevents the entire thing!), fire, or poison.

Poison? Oh yes. I forgot to mention the poison, didn’t I? It’s the very first spell you’d see in his statblock, as well! Cloudkill. At-will. The mist covering alone would be valuable enough, but the poisonous cloud slaughters anything too low-HD for him to care about in a single breath while sapping 1d4 Constitution slowly but surely out of everything else. Immune to poison himself (and Fire, but that’s besides the point), Basil can spray Cloudkill in every direction and even in his own space without fear every single round, and it makes trying to fight him through his Greater Invisibility all the more dangerous, as the twisting mists further hide his movements. And as mentioned, he enjoys cheating, which is why he has Blind-Fight for himself when he battles in his own poisonous clouds, giving him a much higher chance to actually connect with his melee or Scorching Rays than he’d otherwise have.

Basileus is a terrifying and potentially frustrating foe, often able to spell the end of a battle as a free action just by lowering his veil and blasting the entire party with 2d4 rounds of panic and 6d6 irresistible, typeless damage which will continue to grind down anyone not completely immune to fear. Then, when everyone is fleeing screaming from the awful thing, he fills their spaces with Cloudkill, blasts them with Phantasmal Killer or Scorching Ray, or simply LEAVES with his teleport or jaunt. The guy is a jerk, but you have to admire his efficiency; every other Herald needs at least one standard action on their turn to send the whole party packing!

You can read more about him here.

[siren-serenity]

a bouquet and scored dates

A bouquet of flowers is a surefire way to score a date with your crush. Seeing it go viral on Magicam immediately made Cater jump in on it too! Who wouldn't want to take this opportunity to blow up their account? And if Cater managed to score a date to the Unbirthday party too, then that's a lovely bonus.

characters: cater diamond, gn!reader, grim cameos!! warnings: fluff, tiny bit of angst and self-hate a/n: - i feel so bleh for not writing for slow long so here you go!! a small cater diamond x reader fic bc i love my husband 😍😍😍 - @ceruleancattail, this is also for you!! united by our love for cay-cay, who slay-slays hehe - feedback is appreciated!

A knock against the old, rickety door of Ramshackle made you blink your eyes wearily. Grim leaped off your stomach, walking around the wooden floors before yawning.

"Who disturbed the great Grim's nap?" He yowled out, obviously annoyed. "Come on, I was having such a nice sleep!"

You sat up, rubbing your eyes. "Mhmm...tell me about it."

The knock came again, this time more urgent. There was almost a playful pattern to it, a rhythmic beat building into a melody of taps and raps.

"Coming!" You yelled, sliding across the floors (and proceeding to trip over an uneven wooden board, making one of the three ghosts giggle at you) before landing in front of the door. You swung it open and a grin crawled onto your face. "Cay-Cay!"

The orange-haired student smiled sweetly before winking at you. "It's your favorite junior, Cay-Cay! Good morning, Y/N."

Leaning against the doorframe, you tilted your head. "It's always nice to see you in the morning, but whatcha here for? Classes don't start for another hour..."

You trailed off as a beautiful bouquet came into view. Cater blushed as your scrutinising glance shifted from the gorgeous array of flowers to his face. He fought the urge to hide his face behind the flowers and took a deep breath in. Hopefully, he won't butcher it up! He spent hours on making it perfect all by himself.

(Riddle and Trey let out a sneeze simultaneously before returning to their business.)

...But of course, when did things go to plan?

"So I saw this one Magicam trend online and was like 'OMG those flowers look so adorbs! So I decided to make a couple to follow the trend and wow, I blew up!! The flowers look so beautiful on pictures that people went crazy liking them and I got over a thousand likes in the first hour! So, realizing my talent, I was like 'hey, Y/N likes flowers right?" So I went in the botanic garden, BTW Leona says hi and warns you to never get anywhere near Savanaclaw or the guys will rip you up from limb to limb. IDK but anyways! I got some flowers, put a bit of tender, love, and care, and voila!"

Cater held out the flowers as an explanation. He internally frowned at the ramble he had spoken rather than the touching, sentimental paragraph he planned on reciting. But when your fingers brushed against his to grasp onto the bouquet, his mind blanked out.

Soft...your hands were so gentle against his. A soft breeze caressing a petal.

You took them and held them up to your nose to inhale its sweet scent. It wasn't overpowering, thankfully; It was the right blend of fresh wilderness and soft, subtle floral scents.

"This is...Cater, I'm lost for words," You breathed out.

He gulped and his heart stuttered at the joy in your eyes and your smile. He knew being magicless in a world like his was no easy feat. It was even harder to ignore when every lesson involved the use of magic one way or another; Being surrounded by mages day-by-day would have caused him to go insane if he were you. But, you simply stride onwards. He admired your persistence and optimistic approach to life and it was what had drawn him to you in the first place. Being able to put a smile onto your face made him yearn for an eternity to do that for you, right by your side.

Realizing he hadn't spoken in a while, he cleared his throat.

"Riddle's hosting an Unbirthday party tomorrow."

You raised your gaze from the bouquet to meet his, (E/C) eyes against emerald ones. Cater fiddled with the buttons of his dorm uniform.

It was now or never!

"Would you like to attend with me?"

You laughed and nodded. "Of course I do! I'll go and tell Grim about the party-"

"-I meant with me. As my date," Cater blurted out. His face must be as red as his vest because his cheeks felt as if they were set aflame. "Would you like to attend the Unbirthday party tomorrow as my date?"

"Oh Cater..."

He closed his eyes and tightened his fists involuntarily. He opened his mouth, ready to put a fake (fake feelings, fake friends, mask on his face as usual-) before he felt the softest of kisses against his cheeks.

His eyes shot open as Cater stared at you, faintly registering the close proximity between you and him. The bouquet paper crinkled against his uniform but it seemed that neither of you paid any attention to it.

"I would love too," You smiled softly. "Tell me how you'd like to match? I know you love coordinate couple outfits on Magicam."

Yet another reason why he loved liked you.

"Yeah," He breathed out. "Yeah, yeah I'm going to go do that."

You leaned back and he yearned for your presence again, like a plant bending to the whims of sunlight. It was simply intoxicating.

"See you in class, Cay-Cay," You winked. The bouquet remained clutched in his hands and he was forever grateful for that silly Magicam trend.

He blew you a playful kiss, elation in his veins and joy in every corner of his smile. "Can't wait!!"

Cater skipped all the way back to Heartslabyul, too busy planning your and his outfits to notice the odd glances cast his way.

[nytb]

Not That Blaugrana

Click Here first <3

Blaugrana, catalan for blue and red and in Y/N's case; her next colors, but not those of Fc Barcelona. Last minute, rumors shifted. Lyon's interest in Frankfurt's star was made public and Y/N loved it.

Staying in Germany wasn't in her plans. Once upon a time, Frankfurt had given Y/N everything she wanted, served it up on a silver platter - but what she truly desired - beating Fc Barcelona on the big stage? They couldn't provide it.

Back in Barcelona, everybody was convinced that Y/N would sign for them, the board, the dressing room, the fans - everybody was getting ready for her return, at the end of the day, Y/N was a La Masia graduate and as she showed, she was more culé than Cruyff himself.

Or that's what they thought.

'Y/N, Frankfurt's star leaves the Germans for the French giants', 'Y/N on the move: Lyon pay a record signing fee for the Spaniard'

The media was going crazy, the biggest transfer upset just happened - the ultimate backstabbing - Y/N kept Fc Barcelona on their toes until the final second, signing for the French club instead.

Fans were heartbroken, Barca shirts with her name and number were thrown out, some even burned. Y/N had made culé's hearts tear to shreds.

The Barcelona group chat? In shambles - shade being thrown, blaming teammates, crying, feelings of betrayal. Y/N had managed to break the dressing room with a simple signature.

Y/N's phone blew up, on the other side Mapi was close to tears, angry at her decision. What did this mean for them?

"Why why why" the defender muttered as soon as her lover picked up the phone. Mapi relentlessly called Y/N, not taking silence for an answer "I thought you were happy here" Leon was slowly giving up on their 'love story'.

"Cutie, I told you - this was never serious for me" Y/N knew of the pain she was inflicting, but she didn't stop "We are only fuck buddies" she laughed "Great ones"

The defender was heartbroken, all her fantasies, her future - a future with Y/N playing in their backyard with their German Shepherd, their firstborn hanging from Y/N's neck, their house: a three bedroom bungalow filled with plants, filled with love, a house on a field in the Catalan countryside - its was all broken, lying on the floor like shattered glass after a hurricane.

Y/N had turned into Mapi's Alexia. The person who now betrayed the defender in a way that tore the defender apart. Was she not good enough for Y/N?

It was a tough pill to swallow, but the defender pushed through. Having the Catalonian by her side - in any capacity - was enough for her; at least for now.

Ignoring her team's feelings on the matter, Mapi helped Y/N set up her apartment in France. A lovely two bedroom penthouse, uncluttered, minimalist, the whole of Lyon on display from her balcony. That view at night, the shining stars, the warm breeze, the constant noise.

It was everything Y/N loved, something that contrasted with Leon's pursuit of calmness, quiet, peace.

Shirts being ripped, uncontrollable hands traveling across their bodies, nails dug into the defender's back releasing all the pleasure she caused, hickeys decorating each other's bodies.

Y/N's first days in France were a dream, with the blonde defender by her side, amazing food, breathtaking sex. She had everything she desired.

Things changed, the role Mapi played in Y/N's life became significant. Unwavering trust, undeniable chemistry, Y/N could no longer remain unreachable. Something had to give in.

Both stars were having the season of their lives. Who knew that being on top of your game required trips across Europe.

Mapi's Barcelona were, like always, ruling the league and national cups. Scoring goals for fun, automatisms returned: no pass failed to get to its destination.

For Y/N's Lyon, it looked promising. Unbeaten in the league, perfect cup run thus far, injuries kept to a minimum. It looked like the French giants were returning to their roots.

Champions league ahead, chaos struck - Y/N had had enough - the pressure finally gave in, everything crumbled to the ground.

"We have to talk" their date couldn't have started in a worse way "I can't just be on your speed dial every time you want to get back at somebody" the defender's declaration ignited rage inside Y/N.

Sure, Y/N had called Mapi for instant pleasure anytime something went wrong and contrary to what the public saw; a lot of things were going south for Y/N.

Her incorporation to the team hadn't gelled; sidelined by teammates, everybody knew of her culé past, her fling with the Spanish defender, they all doubted Y/N's reasons for choosing Lyon over her beloved club. Was she Barcelona's secret weapon?

"You know what" Y/N exploded, standing explosively from her chair, their romantic dinner date came to an end "I'm tired of this shit, you think that you ever were anything more than a way for me to get revenge?" That was it, no going back now "Get over yourself Leon, we're done"

Y/N left Barcelona that night, promising herself that her return would bring pain to whoever had wronged her.

Weeks of hurt, loneliness, crying. Both stars were now aching. Y/N's words had left her mouth without giving herself a chance to think. Was she regretting her choices? Her words?

An ego too big to beg for forgiveness, Y/N stuck with her decision; maybe a clean break with anything that came with a Barcelona tag attached was necessary.

Diving head first into football, Y/N slowly gained Lyon's trust. Her goals were celebrated by the whole team, individual celebratory handshakes with her new soulmates - Ada Hegerberg; their hatred for the Blaugrana club brought them together - and Van De Donk; their recent party antics made them the perfect duo.

Parties paid by Y/N's checks, the wage she was getting from Lyon was more than enough to rent out mansions just for fun. The dressing room was now united, they had unwavering trust in Y/N. They now knew that she was on their side.

Y/N was now their star.

[brainddeadd]

Somebody to You

The arena buzzed with excitement as the game ended, but the crowd quickly began to disperse. You lingered in your seat, heart racing, feeling the adrenaline still coursing through you. Nico had played spectacularly, and every time he scored, you couldn’t help but cheer louder than anyone else, your eyes locked on him.

As the other players congratulated one another, Nico's gaze found you in the stands. His eyes lit up as he skated toward the glass, a smile spreading across his face that made your heart skip a beat. It felt as though the world around you had faded away, leaving just the two of you in that moment.

When he reached the edge of the rink, he leaned on the boards, breathless and flushed from the game. “Did you see that last goal?” he asked, his voice animated.

“Of course! You were amazing!” you replied, trying to mask the fluttering in your stomach.

His expression softened, and he took a small step back from the glass, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. “I know it sounds silly, but I kept looking for you in the crowd,” he confessed. “It really means a lot to me that you’re here.”

The sincerity in his eyes made your heart swell. “Really? I mean, I’m just a fan,” you said, feeling a little shy.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re not just a fan to me. You’re someone I really want to get to know better.”

Your cheeks flushed as you took in the weight of his words. You could feel a warmth spreading through you, a mix of surprise and excitement. “What do you mean?”

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a soft whisper. “I want to take you out, just the two of us. No cameras, no crowds—just a chance to be ourselves.”

Your breath caught in your throat. The idea of spending time alone with him felt thrilling and terrifying all at once. “I’d love that,” you replied, a smile breaking through your nerves.

“Great,” he said, grinning. “How about tomorrow? I know a quiet little place where we can just talk.”

“Sounds perfect,” you said, feeling the tension of the night melt away.

As he started to pull away, you instinctively reached out and touched his arm, grounding yourself in the moment. “Nico,” you said softly, your heart racing, “I really appreciate you asking me. It means a lot.”

He looked down at your hand resting on his arm and then back at you, a glimmer of something deeper in his eyes. “I’m just being honest. All I want is to have you in my life.”

The sincerity in his voice made your stomach flutter. You realized in that moment that this wasn’t just about the game or the crowd; it was about the connection building between you.

“Then let’s make it happen,” you said, letting go of his arm but wishing you could hold on just a little longer.

“Definitely,” he replied, a hint of excitement in his eyes. “I can’t wait.”

As he skated back to his teammates, you felt a rush of anticipation. Tomorrow would be the start of something new, and you couldn’t help but smile at the thought of being somebody special to Nico Hischier.

[pedrosgrogu]

Born Too Late - Chapter 2

pairing/au: neighbor!joel x reader // no outbreak

Warnings: MDNI, age gap, angry!joel for a second, blood, fighting, drinking, no use of y/n, i think thats all idk let me know if i missed anything xoxo. 

Summary: Between your awkward encounter with Joel, and being thrown a new student right at conference time, you just need a break. Your best friend from high school comes to visit, and you both hit the bar. What could go wrong? (1.5k+)

a/n: i was so excited to write this chapter. i think this is going to be a slow burn pwp moment because im a slut for that. im not sure how many chapters, ill just see how the first few go :p. as always, special thanks to my gurl raven for helping with the mood board and ideas. let me know whatcha think :)

Chapter 1 - Chapter 3 - Main Masterlist

It’s been a month and a half since your distant but awkward interaction with Joel. You’ve been avoiding him like the plague. You’ve listened for the rumble of his truck to take off before you head out, and are always home before him. You hope he’s forgotten. Your school year so far is okay. You have 18 fifth graders, and share a teacher's assistant with the grade level so your life consists of work and home. Your friend Penny is coming to town for the long weekend and you’re picking her up at the airport right after work today. 

Penny: I can't wait to see you! We have to hit some bars after I get in and clean up.

You: Please. I'm dying to get out of this god forsaken house, and I need a break before parent teacher conferences. 

Penny: Yessss!! My flight is supposed to land at 4:03 so I’ll text you when I'm headed up the concourse to you! 

You: See you then. Love youuuu! 

Work was alright, it's getting close to the end of the quarter and you’re dreading it. You have 18 parent teacher conferences to schedule and 15 of them are for kids that could give a shit. It truly surprises you how little parents and students care about their education but there's only so much you can do. You write out an email for parents, detailing how to sign up for conferences. When going through your roster, you notice a new name “Sarah Miller”. Weird, she makes 19 on your roster and you let your head fall into your hands. You email your admin asking about the new student. The reply reads: 

Good Evening, 

Sarah was in Mrs. Williams' class across the hall, but after an incident involving her and 3 other girls, her father requested she be moved. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Williams. Her information sheet, including test scores and parent information is attached. 

MillerSarah5thGrade.JPEG 

Best, 

Dr.Tate

You open the attachment to look over her test scores and familiarize yourself with Sarah and her strong suites. She seems like a smart girl, straight A’s and perfect attendance. You click through and see it. The parent information sheet. In big bold letters under Father/Guardian it says “Joel Miller.” You get nauseous. “There's no way” You mumble, now throwing your head into your hands. 

You never knew Joel had a daughter, but you have been avoiding him like he's the second coming of the Black Plague so why would you know? Before you know it, it’s 3:30, and it's time to go get Penny. 

You wait at the end of the concourse, as far as you can go before security stops you. You have a bouquet of her favorite flowers, calla lilies. You see her at the same time she sees you. She runs and borderline knocks you over with the giant hug she throws at you. “I missed you SO much yellow!!” -a childhood name that always stuck. “I missed you too, Pen.” You both follow the signs for baggage claim and grab her small black suitcase, decked out in stickers from all over the world. Penny is an anthropology TA at a college in Ireland. She's a few years older than you, and working on her doctorate. You guys have been friends for years, ever since high school when you were a freshman and her a senior. You met in biology class and have been inseparable ever since. 

You make your way to the car and load her bag in. You shut the door and before you can ask about anything, she says “Soooo how's sexy old neighbor? I forgot his name.” she laughs.  You made the mistake of telling her about what happened, and honestly hoped she had forgotten. “I haven't seen him in weeks. Truthfully, it's full avoidance mode from my end.” She frowns. “I bet he thought it was hot. You HAVE to talk to him!” You blankly stare, trying to forget what happened, and wishing you’d kept your mouth shut. “Funny you say that Pen.” She double takes. “What do you mean?” she says, raising an eyebrow. “His daughter just got moved to my class, and I have to schedule a parent teacher conference with him.” Her eyes grow wide, wider than you thought humanly possible. “HE HAS A DAUGHTER?! WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME?” You sigh. “I didn’t know until today when I was going through my roster after work. I told you, I've been avoiding him.” Silence ensues for a few minutes before Penny begins to talk again. “I just think-” “Penny can we please just drop it? I don't want to talk about it or think about it, not this weekend. I want us to have fun, I want to find a cute age-appropriate man in a bar and never talk to him again after tonight.” “Alright” she sighs. “But I'm picking the first bar.” 

It’s 8 o'clock and you’re putting the finishing touches on your makeup. Penny is in a long golden silk cami with white jeans and sandals. You chose to wear something similar, except a blue denim miniskirt with a hot pink cami. You fix your strapless pushup bra and add a little more lipstick. “The cab will be here in 5, you ready?” You hear Penny exclaim from across the house. “Yeah!” 

The cab ride takes about 10 minutes, not too long. You pull up to a bar with a gravel lot and big neon sign that reads “The Tipsy Bison”. “Penny, what the hell is this?” You ask, handing the driver a $5 bill as a tip. “It’ll be fun!! I heard about it years ago back in Dallas years ago.” You groan. This place truly looks like a shit hole. You hear the music bumping through the front doors, and try to make the best of it. Penny is always so busy so you appreciate that she took time to visit you, and plan the evening. You both head to the crowded bar and order 2 vodka tonics and 2 shots of tequila. While waiting you scan the bar, noticing the varied ages at the tables and on the dancefloor. Your bartender brings your drinks back and before you can pull your wallet out, Penny is signing the check. “My treat, you get the next round” she says with a smile. “To hot neighbors, and men we’ll never talk to again after tonight!” she yells, laughing and raising her shot glass. You roll your eyes, raising yours and throwing it back. Both of you slamming the shot glasses on the bar at the same time. “Let's Dance!” Penny yells over the loud music. 

You have no clue what time it is, and no clue how many drinks you've had. Penny is dancing with some guy she met on the dancefloor and you’re off to the side at a table. You’re struggling to hold yourself up and realize it’s probably time for some water. You wobble over to the bar, and ask for water. On your way back to the table, a man approaches you. “Hey sugar, need some help?” he says, attempting to grab your waist. “No thanks, I'm good.” You say, stepping out of his reach. He follows behind, this time grabbing your wrist. “You sure baby? You look like you could use a hand. I know a real nice-” you interrupt, “I said I'm good.” you say, jerking away once again. You make it back to your table, water in hand, making sure to lock eyes with Penny so she knows you're safe. Before you can get a sip of water in, the man is back. “Lets go darlin’” The man says, grabbing your wrist yet again. You try to stop him but no words will come out. The music is loud, Penny is dancing, and your legs are barely moving as he drags you toward the door. All of the sudden, you stop moving and fall. And when you fall, you see a punch hit the man right in the head, all you can see from the floor is a large man standing over the man trying to drag you out. “I believe she asked you to stop.” Another punch. “Why cant you fuckin’ accept no for an answer, John?” Another punch. You recognize that gruff voice, but can pinpoint where from. There's now a crowd, and the floor has opened up where this was happening. The man who was dragging you, John, tries to stand. His eye is swelling up, and blood pours from his nose. You feel like you’re going to get sick. You need to find Penny. 

A few minutes pass. People pass by, laughing at the mess you created. You feel helpless. You try to stand but your footing is nowhere to be found. Your anxiety has taken over and you're stuck. “Darlin', can I help you up?” You hear. You try to grab the hand you see reaching down, but the room is spinning. Once you get to your feet, you turn and see Penny. An instant wave of relief. washes over you. You look up and begin to thank the man. “Thank you. I have no idea what-” as you pick your head up, you now realize why you knew the gruff voice.

It’s Joel. 

[the-broken-truth]

Your Highness - Jamil Viper [Female Yuu] [Heiress Yuu] [Smug Jamil?] [Part 1]

Summary: Jamil discovers that his girlfriend is actually a Crowned Heiress who plans on marrying him in the future. To prepare Jamil for his upcoming life as a future king, Yuu provides him with an entourage of servants and guards who cater to his every need. Oh, it's time for Jamil to shine.

Note: Yuu is from Twisted Wonderland but was transported to Night Raven College due to her Unique Magic: Kneel Before Me.

"Forgive me, My Diamond, but I think that I have misheard what you said. Could you please repeat what you just said?" Jamil asked as he looked at his girlfriend, Yuu [L/N], The Prefect of Ramshackle, sitting across from him in Scarabia's Lounge; the two of them were playing Mancala when Yuu opened her mouth and revealed a secret that she had been keeping from Jamil and all her friends since arriving at Night Raven College.

"I have a confession to make. I am actually a royal heiress and the crowned princess of a small but lavish nation - next in line for the throne, however, I do not desire to rule my kingdom alone. Jamil Viper, I love you and cannot imagine myself with anybody else. I want to get engaged to you, and we can marry after I graduate from Night Raven. You can come to my kingdom with the rest of the Viper family, and we can all live like royalty."" Yuu explained with a hopeful smile as she looked up from the Mancala Board - she and Jamil tied in score at the moment.

Jamil Viper was an intelligent person who had the ability to detect a liar with a simple glance into someone's eyes. As Kalim's Protector, it was important for him to have knowledge in these areas. He trusted Yuu completely and knew that she would never lie to him. After his Overblot and Attempted Coup of Scarabia, she refused to turn her back to him before giving him her heart when their friendship became more in her eyes, and he reciprocated. They had been called 'The Hottest Couple' since they started dating months ago. Jamil was smart and athletic, while Yuu was charismatic and persuasive. They were both dedicated to each other and their goals. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with, and they didn't even need to use their Unique Magics to succeed in life.

Jamil always knew that Yuu was more than what she presented herself to be...and now he knew why: She was a crowned heiress and concealed this fact to protect herself from the vultures that would want to sink their talons into her family's name & riches.

"My Diamond... You are an Heiress, next in line for your family's throne, and you want...me to rule beside you? Me - a lowly servant?" Jamil questioned his romantic partner, who scowled at him when she heard him call himself a 'lowly servant'.

"My Viper, you are not a 'lowly servant' and I shall not allow you to call yourself as such!" Yuu barked before exhaling to calm herself down, "I am sick of the suffering you and your family have gone through and I shall not allow it to go on; the Viper Family will be free and elevated to the Royal Status while we are testing the waters with our engagement...if you accept my proposal." Yuu smiled at Jamil.

Jamil was silent for a moment before smiling at her, "I would love to marry you, My Diamond; you have seen me as no other has and I would never leave you. I will marry you, Yuu [L/N]."

"Perfect!" With that, Yuu lifted her hand and snapped her fingers, causing 5 Servants to enter the room dressed in fine suits - one of them carrying a silver platter with 2 ring boxes on it.

"Your Highness [L/N], has he agreed to your proposal?" The servant holding the ring boxes asked with a smile on his face.

"Yes! Please, present the rings." Yuu asked.

The servant with the platter kneeled between Yuu and Jamil before bowing his head and holding out the ring boxes while another servant opened the box with gloved hands, revealing 2 Golden Rings with Rubies in the shape of the [L/N] Royal Crest.

"Jamil, these are our engagement rings, as well as your Badge of Authority; accepting this ring will state that you agree to marry me upon graduation and will become Future King of the [Kingdom Name] Kingdom, your power would be on par with my own, but just a tad bit weaker since I am a blood heiress. Will you accept, My Viper?" Yuu asked as she held her left hand out.

Jamil moved without thinking and took hold of Yuu's hand while the other hand removed the Female Engagement Ring out of the box and slid the ring onto Yuu's ring finger, "With this ring, I swear to love you and never betray you, My Diamond."

Yuu smiled at her ring before grabbing the Male Engagement Ring, grabbed Jamil's Left Hand, and placed the ring on Jamil's Ring Finger, "With this ring, I swear to love and never betray you, My Viper.".

Jamil and Yuu smiled at each other before Jamil placed his hands on Yuu's cheeks and kissed her in front of the servants and the full moon.

"SINCE WHEN WERE YOU ENGAGED?!" The voice of Jamil's Younger Sister, Najma Viper, yelled through the phone the moment her brother answered the phone the following morning after Yuu and himself exchanged rings. Najma called him the next morning while he was getting ready for school and making breakfast when his sister called him in hysterics.

"Good morning to you, too. How did you find out I was engaged? That happened just last night." Jamil asked.

"Baba got a call from someone calling themselves the 'Royal Advisor of the [L/N] Family from the [Kingdom Name] Kingdom. He said that he was going to speak to Mr. Asim about releasing our family from our servitude. I thought he was pulling our legs until I happened to be walking by Mr. Asim's Office and heard him on the phone with the same person, they were talking about the terms and conditions for our freedom. I listened in for a while before I heard the advisor say that he was going to arrive later on in the week with the agreed-upon price and the contract. Your Fiancee is getting us free?! Just what the hell is going on, Jamil?!" Najma questioned her older brother.

Jamil was silent for a while, thinking to himself, 'They have already contacted the Asim Family to free us? Just how long has My Diamond been planning this to move so quickly?'

"Listen, I have to get ready for classes; you and our parents are coming to visit me this weekend, I'll explain everything then and you can meet my future wife." Jamil answered.

"Fine. If anything happens, I'll call you. Just keep this in mind - if you do anything to anger my Future Sister-In-Law, I will have your head, Brother." Najma hissed.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Jamil smiled before hanging up his phone and walking out of his room to go make breakfast for the Scarabia Dorm before classes started.

Welll....

He wasn't expecting this.

Jamil entered Scarabia's Dining Hall (It was connected to the kitchen and needed to cross it to get into the kitchen) and looked wide-eyed to see the Students of Scarabia & Kalim dining on a buffet of breakfast foods; everyone was talking about Jamil's Engagement when Jamil noticed the Servant and Guard stand close to Kalim; did Yuu hire a personal servant and guard to tend to Kalim for him?

"Your Highness." A Servant walked over to Jamil and bowed to him before standing straight with his hand behind his back, "Breakfast was prepared by trained chefs, and, considering your job as Heir Kalim's Personal Taste Tester, we took it upon ourselves to call upon one of the [L/N] Family's Testers to ensure none of Heir Kalim's Food would be poisoned. Also, your chores are being tended to by the other servants. Your personal servant and guard are waiting for you to attend your classes."

Jamil blinked for a while when the realization started to sink in: His family was about to be free, he no longer had to cook, he no longer had to clean, he didn't 'have' to protect or tend to Kalim... He was going to be a Royal in a few years but out of everything he realized, the first thing he said was...

"I have servants?"

The students in the hall made way as Jamil walked through with a smile on his face as his servant walked to his right with Jamil's books in his hands, and the Royal Guard walked at Jamil's left while keeping an eye out for any kind of danger against His Highness Jamil; what's more ironic was that the Royal Guard was a Lion Beastman. If Leona saw him now...

"Oi, Serpent! What the hell is going on?!"

Speaking of the Lazy Devil.

Jamil turned on his heel and came face to face with Leona Kingscholar standing there with a scowl on his face; Jamil's smirk never left his face.

"Is there something I can help you with, Kingscholar?" Jamil asked.

"Yeah, tell me what the hell is going on with all this talk about you and the Herbivore being engaged and you're suddenly a royal about to be King? What kind of joke is this?" Leona demanded to know.

"It's not a joke, Mr. Kingscolar." The Servant spoke, "His Highness Jamil shall be next in line to be King of the [Kingdom Name] Kingdom once he and Princess Yuu wed at the end of their graduation."

"Princess?! That Herbivore is a Princess?!" Leona roared.

"She is not just any princess, she is The Crowned Princess. My Diamond has informed me that she is the eldest in the Royal Line of the [L/N] Family. She has two younger brothers who are second and third in line to the throne, but they have decided to become Dukes of their own lands. Yuu and I will be getting married, and I will ascend to the throne, becoming a King." Jamil explained with a smirk on his face.

"That Herbivore...is royalty?! AND A SERVANT LIKE YOU IS BECOMING KING?!" Leona roared at Jamil before attempting to march at him but the Lion Beastman got in between Jamil and Leona with his hand on Leona's chest.

"Keep your distance away from His Highness." The Lion Beastman Guard warned, glaring at Leona with golden eyes. Leona and the Royal Guard glared at each other while the Servant, Issac, leaned towards Jamil.

"Your Highness, we really should continue on our way or you shall be late for your classes." He said.

"Of course." Jamil said before snapping his fingers to get the Lion Beastman's Attention, "Leonardo, we need to get moving."

"At once, Your Highness." The Lion Guard - Leonardo - removed his hand from Leona's Chest and kept his eyes on him before walking down the hall to reach Jamil, leaving a very stunned and furious Leona behind.

"Hey! Sea Snake!" Floyd called out to Jamil during Basketball Practice as Jamil shot a ball into the basket and got nothing but net as he turned away from the net and turned to face Floyd as he and Ace walked over to him.

"What do you want, Leech?" Jamil asked as his servant walked over to him with a bottle of water and a fresh towel to wipe the sweat from his face; Jamil wiped his sweat before thanking the servant and taking the water bottle before the servant went back to the side of the court.

"Just what the hell is going on with You and Shrimpy? I heard you're getting married to Shrimpy?!" Floyd asked.

"I heard something like that too, Jamil-senpai; is it true?" Ace asked.

"Yes, Ace. Yuu and I are engaged to be married." Jamil said.

"And those guys?" Ace pointed at Leonardo and Issac standing on the edge of the court.

"My Servant and Guard - Leonardo and Issac." Jamil answered, drinking some water.

"Whoa... You really are going to be a King." Ace said upon laying his eyes on Jamil's Ring.

Jamil smirked along the rim of his bottle, "Indeed, I am."

"Welcome back, Your Highness." The Head Servant greeted with a power of her head to Jamil as he walked into Scarabia's Dorm. Jamil looked around Scarabia to see everyone was doing their own thing but Scarabia was spotless and the servants were standing by, waiting for Jamil's Next Order.

"What's the status of Scarabia?" Jamil asked as if everything had always been like this.

"The Chefs are cooking dinner as we speak, The Royal Tutor is aiding Heir Kalim with his studies, and Scarabia is clean; the Treasury Report is waiting for you in your room. Also, Princess Yuu wanted me to ask you to come to Ramshackle when you had a moment to yourself." The Head Servant said.

"Good. I am going to see My Diamond. If anything goes wrong, call me at once, please." Jamil said while turning back to the door as the servant bowed.

"Your Wish is our Will, Your Highness." The Head Servant said just as Jamil closed the door and looked at his ring for a moment.

'My Wish is their will?' Jamil smiled and kissed the surface of his ring when Yuu's smile came to his mind, "Thank you, My Diamond. You have given me so much...and I shall give you all that I can." Jamil proclaimed as he walked towards the Mirror to get to Ramshackle - His diamond came first.

[END]

[red-riot-unbreakable-heart]

✨The MHA Boys Go To The Eras Tour With You✨

Lol I just had to do this, please bear with me! I just watched The Eras Tour film and my MHA brain rot kicked in. Here's a few headcannons of how the MHA guys would react to being taken to the Eras Tour as your boyfriend. Spoilers: They're all weirdly into it. And some of them even plan out couples costumes! Gasp!

⚡️⚡️Denki Kamanari⚡️⚡️

Ok there is no doubt in my mind here - Denki is absolutely a Swiftie. He read all of the blog posts detailing hacks and tips to get tickets for the show, and he preregistered for a sale code the minute he was able to. He has half of Class 1A sign up for presale codes so that he can have the most amount of chances possible to enter for a spot at the show.

He's absolutely over the moon when he scores you both tickets to the upcoming concert. He asks you to help him make a Pinterest board so that you can come up with the perfect Eras outfits (he wants to do Lover). Guess what? You go as Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince. He's decked out in a glittering blazer with a bejewled plastic crown and he's thrilled. He picks out a matching flashy dress for you to wear, and keeps complimenting how absolutely gorgeous you look in it the whole night.

He's all about taking photos of your 'fits in front of the stadium and blushes every time he gets a compliment from a fellow swiftie. When Taylor takes the stage, he nearly faints. As she starts playing Lover he holds you close and tells you that he's so glad you both get to share the special night together.

🖤🖤Hanta Sero🖤🖤

Sero really doesn't get what all the hype about Taylor Swift is about, but of course he's willing to go to the concert with you. The man loves live shows - but you need to tell him to leave his vape pen behind for fear that you won't get let into the stadium if he's caught with it ("But babe, getting high at a concert is part of the experience!).

You get him a plain black t-shirt with a small snake icon on it. He doesn't get it, but he shrugs and promises to wear it. When you get to the stadium, he's really overwhelmed and intrigued by all of the glittery, feathery costumes. He spends a lot of time trying to figure out how his snake shirt fits into the mix since all he sees is hot pink and red regalia. He smiles and waves gamely at the other swiftie boyfriends in attendance and makes more than a few bro friends while in line for a beer.

When the show starts, he is immediately impressed by the production value of the whole thing. When Taylor steps out onto the stage in her glittering bodysuit, his jaw drops and he turns to you accusatorially "BABE! I never realized that she's hot!?" You both laugh as she sings her way through the Eras.

When Love Story comes on, he wraps his arms around you and says "I remember this one from when we were kids! Makes me think of you." He plants a kiss on your cheek and you grin.

Finally, the intro music for Reputation queues up and an animated snake curves it's way across the stage below you. Sero grabs your arm excitedly as he realizes the snake on his shirt matches the stage. When Taylor comes out and kills the choreography for "Are You Ready For It?" Sero turns to you with stars in his eyes and says "This is the coolest concert I've ever been to. Thank you so much for bringing me!" By the time Karma comes around, he is fully dancing in the aisles alongside the rest of the swifties, completely wrapped up in the moment as confetti rains down on the crowd. When you get home, he buys you matching Reputation era sweatshirts on Etsy to commemorate the night.

"Babe - maybe you can get one of those sparkly bodysuits like Taylor wore?"

"Sero - I have absolutely no place to wear something like that."

"I can think of somewhere you can wear it." He waggles his eyebrows suggestively as he pictures a bejeweled bodysuit tightly hugging your frame.

💚💚Izuku Midoriya💚💚

Izuku has no idea who Taylor Swift is. Why would he? She's not a Pro Hero.

Once you excitedly show him your hard-won tickets stored in your Ticketmaster app, he realizes how important the concert is to you. We all know Izuku is great at hyper-focusing on a topic until he masters it - so for a month straight Taylor Swift is his obsession.

He starts an Eras Tour specific notebook and spends lunch breaks interviewing everyone at Lunch Rush about their favorite Taylor Swift songs and eras. He spends time online gathering data and drawing up little charts, guessing at what songs might make the set list. He's disappointed when he can't find any interviews online that feature her choosing the best Pro Hero, so he decides that her favorite is likely All Might (the only valid choice).

He listens to each album in full, starting with Debut and ending with Midnights. He's thorough, and learns the lyrics to the chart toppers off of each album. He's so excited to impress you with all of his Taylor Swift knowledge and fun facts at the show, that he forgets he needs to dress up for it. When you both arrive at the stadium, he whisks you off to one of the merch lines so that he can grab an official Eras Tour t-shirt. He needs to be appropriately dressed for this occasion in order to prove his dedication to you and, by extension, to Taylor. You tell him that it doesn't matter what he wears, you just want him to enjoy the show with you.

When the show starts, he is bouncing off the walls. From time to time, he'll bend down to whisper an obscure fact or data point about Taylor's meteoric rise to the top of the music charts. A few eras into the show, he stops sharing fun facts - that's how you know he's legitimately enjoying the show.

He tries his best to dance along, but even with the moves he's picked up from Mina he's a truly terrible dancer. He doesn't seem to care, though, as he throws back his head to belt out the bridge to "You Belong With Me" while shaking his hips. You smile at how much he's enjoying the concert - you haven't seen him let loose like this in a long time.

Finally, when the performance for Vigilante Shit starts to kickoff, you notice a deep blush settle across Izuku's cute freckled face. Without taking his eyes off the stage, he leans down to whisper in your ear: "I didn't realize that this song was so...sexy?" You crack up and he grins sheepishly, watching Taylor straddle a chair. He then boldly says: "Maybe you can do some of these moves when we get home?" Your loud cackle of a laugh is drowned out by thousands of swifties singing along around you. You tilt your head up to kiss your boyfriend hard on the lips. He threads his fingers into your hair and deepens the kiss.

You pull away, craning your neck to take in more of the killer choreography before turning back to face him. "I like concert Izuku. I'd like to see more of him." You say, and he blushes even more furiously.

💥💥Katsuki Bakugo💥💥

Katsuki loves concerts. You know this because he's dragged you to countless shows across the past 6 months of dating. He loves all genres of music - pop, rock, sad boy emo, heavy metal. You name it - he's heard it. Even so, you're a little apprehensive to ask him to go to the Eras Tour with you. It just doesn't seem like his scene - glittery, screaming fans making heart eyes and painting "13s" on their hands just seems like something he would not enjoy.

"Hey dumbass! Why didn't you tell me you got Taylor Swift tickets!?" Katsuki angrily bursts into your dorm room one Friday night, looking pissed as usual.

"What? Who told you?" You look up from your laptop, surprised.

"Mina! She said you've had them for weeks! Why wouldn't you tell me?" He sounds more hurt than angry now.

"Kats...I didn't think you'd be interested to be honest!" You get up and cross the room, taking his face in one of your hands. "Do you want to go?"

"Not if I'm your second choice!" He's defensive, but his face has softened at the physical contact.

"Babe - you're always my first choice. I just didn't think you'd enjoy her music style and all of the girly vibes." You pull him into your room and shut the door to keep nosy dorm-mates at bay. You motion for him to sit down in your desk chair and you hop onto your bed.

"That's pretty sexist of you!" He has you there.

"Kats - do you want to go or not?"

It turns out Katsuki has been trying to get Eras Tour tickets for months but to no avail. He is dying to go to this show since it's being lauded as "the biggest stadium tour since The Beatles played Shea Stadium!" As a music lover, it would be a crime to miss such a spectacle.

A week leading up to the concert, you can tell he's getting pretty excited. He's made you read through the setlist with him at least twice. He's trying to guess what the surprise song might be - hoping you get to hear something exclusive so that he can brag about it online. You laugh at this - even with concerts he's so damn competitive.

You're most surprised when he shows up at your door one day with a big cardboard package from Etsy. "I got us some shirts for the concert." he says gruffly, pushing his way into your room. He pulls out two dark purple tees - one that says "Karma is My Boyfriend" and the other stating "I'm the Boyfriend" in bold font. He smiles sheepishly up at you, a rare moment of vulnerability as he waits for your approval. "Katsuki...these are so cute! Literally this is perfect." His mouth quirks up into a smile at the praise, he's clearly pleased with himself.

Before you know it, you're taking a couples pic in front of the stadium in your matching purple Karma shirts and jeans. You snap a few pictures and press your lips to the side of his jaw, leaving a ruby red lipstick stain. "Ugh - come on!" he groans, wiping the lipstick off his face with the back of his hand. He makes a show of being annoyed, but you know he secretly loves being doted on like this.

He goes crazy during the show - he's extra appreciative of the pyrotechnic display during Bad Blood. He gets especially quiet during the Folklore era, and you can see how much he loves watching the grace of the dancers as they swirl across the stage during The Last Great American Dynasty.

You notice that he loves watching you dance and belt out the lyrics to every. single. song. He has this adoring look on his face as he looks at you. You knew he loved going to concerts - but you quickly realize that he loves going to concerts to spend time with you.

At the end of the night, he pulls you into an Uber and plants a soft kiss on your mouth in an unexpected show of public affection (Katsuki is not huge on PDA, he prefers private moments of intimacy with you). "Thanks so much for bringing me, babe. I can't even describe how much I enjoyed that show. Did you see the flamethrowers during that one song!? Insane!" Katsuki has glitter in his hair, and a smile stuck on his face.

You spend the rest of the ride home recounting favorite moments from the show and grinning at each other.

[dwtsfun]

Dancing with the Stars Season 33 Week 7: Something's Gotta Give

So Jenn was eliminated and I honestly was not shocked. She was the most obvious choice for elimination last week, even with the overscoring of 4 couples. She had her best dance of the season though, so it was a good note for them to go out on. Now before I get into anyone else, I need to vent a bit about the mess that we dealt with last week.

The scoring was atrocious. I am still frustrated by it. Let me tell you why. Ilona came out and while she gave a respectable routine, there were some issues. A 24 was a normal score and definitely deserved. But when you look at Dwight, Joey and Danny's dances and how CAI gave them all 10s (and Bruno giving Joey a 10 as well) while they all had OBVIOUS technical issues, it makes it seem like Ilona was horrible while they all completely knocked it out of the park. And while they did well, they were closer to Ilona in terms of execution than the judges made it seem.

So you think that's it, right? That it can't get any worse? Well, we get to Chandler's dance and it was perfect. You couldn't see a mistake under a microscope. And yet CAI tells her that she can't give her a perfect score because it has more criteria than contemporary and the Argentine tango. What that means? None of us know. She doesn't even know. It's also bull because the Argentine tango has quite a bit of criteria in order to be good and she KNOWS how to properly judge a contemporary dance. And when questioned by Chandler on what she can do to improve (because this is maybe the 4th week that she hasn't gotten an actual critique from her), instead of answering, she hid.

So here's where I'm at. We cannot play these foolish games on this show. Not with scoring. This is how you get dumb results. This is how someone like Tinashe or Demarcus gets eliminated early. This is how you get someone like a Joe Amabile getting 5th and a Bobby Bones winning the whole thing. Is anyone this season like those two? No. BUT, there was a legit chance that we could've lost Ilona or Chandler prematurely. Heck, we still can lose them. Y'all remember how Nastia and Simone were both unjustly eliminated in the semis on their respective seasons? That's because the judges kept zeroing in on complete nonissues in their dances (the same exact thing they're zeroing in on for Chandler). After a while, GP starts to believe it and they vote that way too. I refuse to let them do this and then continue to blame us for wonky results when it's on them! The judges shoulder the vast majority of the blame when those things happen. Yeah, the viewers have blame too. But when the judges' scores count for 50% of the overall total, they have to be more responsible with this. I'm sick of them just doing what tf ever, just like CAI basically admitted to last week. Dwight was out of sync at points. Danny was hunched over and his footwork needed a lot of work. Joey also had footwork issues and his lifts were kinda rough. Jenn was probably the cleanest of them all, but there was one part that was kind of messy toward the end. We need to call things out across the board.

So where does that leave us? Simply put, we need a 4th judge on the panel that can keep everyone in check. Bruno is not that cuz he has his moments too. Derek clearly can't be that person and he be on some bs too. We need someone else that is going to force the judges to respect the integrity of the competition and the dances. Things like this can quickly turn folks away from this show. I've been watching for almost 20 years and I damn near gave up on the season and probably the show at the moment CAI whipped out a 9 for Chandler after giving out 4 undeserved 10s while also acknowledging they were undeserved and also letting us know she had no real reason to not give Chandler a 10. You see how stupid that looks? It felt stupid for me to type that out.

Listen, I sound like a broken record at this point. But the scoring has to be better and it has to be consistent. I'm more mad this week because this was the most egregious occurrence that I have ever seen. You don't get that together, you kill your show. Conrad, come here. Get your talent together. Y'all flying a little too close to the sun right now.

That's all that I have. I pretty much gave my thoughts on each dance in this rant, so I won't do too much more. I'll just say that Stephen had a great night and I'm glad he got a moment to have a really great dance.

My Scores

1 Chandler and Brandon- 30 2 Stephen and Rylee- 28 3 Jenn and Sasha- 27 4 Dwight and Daniella- 26 5 Joey and Jenna- 25 6 Ilona and Alan- 24 = Danny and Witney- 24