#posting this now because i’ve gotta be getting close to the end of the game and it hasn’t proven me wrong!!

[mabaris]

i will say it Sure Is Interesting that i remember people making a big fuss over whether they would know or could decide in-game whether their elves were from an alienage/dalish/etc and the devs were quick to reassure people that had been taken into consideration.

but there doesn’t seem to have been any equivalent for a dwarf rook

[gb-patch]

Our Life: N&F Release Structure Poll

Hello!

Today it’s me, GB, writing a post for socials. I’ve been doing some thinking and have an important poll for all of you. I’ve gone on record to say there was something I didn’t ever plan on, but I’m reconsidering it. I want to know what players think of Our Life: Now & Forever releasing Step by Step instead of waiting for Steps 1, 2, and 3 to be completed before launch.

Google Form Poll Link

Honestly, things have been extremely upsetting with the state of the world. I’ve been stressed about it, wanting to do something that could comfort or reassure anyone, just lift people’s spirits a little. Having to accept that OL: N&F is not gonna be out any time this year has felt worse and worse every day. Though, players aren’t being unkind about it. Everyone’s been understanding; it’s my own internal anxiety troubling me. But that’s why I’m considering changing the release structure of the game. If getting to experience all of Step 1 in five or six months and Step 2 at the end of 2025 would be a positive development, then we’re gonna do that.

I’m a little self-conscious and think people need the whole growing up experience to be sold on the OL games. That’s a major reason I’ve not considered an episodic launch. But I think our player base knows the series well enough to decide for themselves if they’d rather play just a single Step or hold off on the game until more is done.

But the early access versions of Steps 1 and 2 would have some bells and whistles missing. Not all the MC Doll customization options would be included, a more advanced MC Detail system that listed things like if you’re good in school and if you have a bad relationship with your mom likely wouldn’t be there either, etc.

And another reason I tend to avoid early access is because it’s helpful for developers to gain income to finish the game. OL: N&F doesn’t need that. It’s already fully funded. I wouldn’t want players to buy DLCs at a bad time thinking they’ve gotta support this early access build.

So, there’s things to consider. I did think it was at least worth floating, whether it ends up happening or not. Please feel free to vote in the poll and comment any thoughts/opinions you have. The poll will close on Saturday, February 15th.

The episodic launch will have to be the clear winner for us to switch to that. If people are split on it or don’t care either way, we’ll stick with the original plan of launching Steps 1-3 together. 

Take care, everybody 💖

[frvnkcastles]

Hi! I love your writing so so much!!

If possible, could you do one where the reader has been working overtime at work and is exhausted, like they've been having headaches and barely sleeping & Frank notices and basically convinces them and helps them to take a break? Thank you!! 💕❤️

KEEP ME COMPANY ’TIL THE END ➵ F. CASTLE

Summary: You’re pushing yourself past your limits for work and Frank intervenes.

Warnings: Stress, mostly fluff, gender neutral reader, language

Word count: 770

Author’s note: Hiiii my loves! I am so sorry for being MIA, this semester is kicking my ass :( Rn it seems like my posts will be a little infrequent because I have sooo many deadlines before Christmas, but I’m gonna try my best!! I have not forgotten about all your requests!! Thank you so much for your patience, thank you also for 900 followers, that’s so wack but I am so grateful <3 Anon, I hope you enjoy this short fic and that you forgive me for being so slow to get this out. Much love!

A brewing headache pinched at your temples and you were painfully aware that every minute you spent staring at your outrageously bright laptop screen only sealed your fate tighter and tighter. It was getting late but you still felt like you had so much to do; like you had barely scratched the surface of all your responsibilities. You had only taken a break to go to the bathroom and reluctantly eat something when Frank had insisted on it, and now the tension from sitting on the couch with your laptop huffing and puffing on your thighs was starting to seep into your shoulders and neck.

Frank didn’t like it, the way you worked yourself to the bone, but he had swallowed down his complaints when you had promised to wrap things up within the hour. Still, you could feel his scrutinizing stare on you from across the couch, his attention on your focused frown rather than the football game he was supposed to be watching. He was itching to say something, to force you away from the suffocating bubble of stress, but he was trying to be patient — though the scratched label of his beer bottle said plenty.

When you winced at the pulsating headache behind your eye, though, he cleared his throat and reached for your laptop.

”Hey! Frank, noooo. I’m not done”, you insisted, trying to get the device back but he was quick to save your document and then slap it closed before you could retrieve it. He angled it behind his back and tutted at you, disapproving of the way you were pushing yourself for the sixth day in a row.

”Nah, sweetheart, I’m tellin’ you, you’re gonna waste away if you don’t take a break. You’ve been at it all day, aight? I want you here with me, not worryin’ about shit”, he argued back, your pout doing nothing to sway him. He always caved in and gave you what you wanted — unless your health and sanity were at stake.

You frowned, a sudden surge of guilt swinging at your chest. ”I guess I’ve been kinda neglecting you…”, you admitted with shame. That had never been your intention, but you couldn’t deny that you had not been a very present partner lately.

Shaking his head, Frank set the beer on the coffee table and took your hand in his own. ”It ain’t about that, darlin’. It’s the fact that this is wearin’ you out. I know you ain’t sleepin’ and I gotta jump through all these hoops to just get you to eat. I’m worried, y’know?” he explained, his tone stern but still warm. He was trying his hardest to be understanding, but he took your well-being too personally to let this newfound routine go on.

You managed a nod and squeezed his hand. ”I know, Frankie, I’m sorry, it’s just… there’s so much to do and I can’t fall behind”, you tried to rationalize your persistent working, and he sighed softly, not out of frustration but to acknowledge the difficult situation.

”I get it, sweetheart. But no one can expect you to be efficient at this hour, aight? You need to rest, too. Yeah?” Frank pointed out, tilting his head to catch your gaze. He was right and you knew it, so begrudgingly, you admitted defeat.

”Okay. I’ll limit myself”, you agreed, and with the concern in his eyes slowly fading, Frank nodded approvingly. He placed the laptop on the table before opening his arms for you, gesturing for you to cuddle up to him. The invitation made you smile and seeing joy on your face for the first time all day got Frank’s lips twitching, too.

You nestled against him and he wrapped you into a cocoon of safety and warmth, hoping to distract you from the stress lingering on your mind. It was hard not to think about all the work you could have been doing, and Frank suspected as much.

”I know it ain’t easy to just turn it off. But you deserve a break, baby. And I’m fuckin’ proud of you for all your effort, but I’ll be proud if you cut back a lil, too”, he spoke up after a moment of just cuddling, and with your heart soaring at his praise, you tilted your head up so you could kiss his jaw tenderly.

”Thank you, Frank. Love you”, you muttered, feeling the exhaustion of the past week creep up on you. Frank noticed, but he was glad — you needed sleep, and he was going to try and help you do it however he could.

”Love you too, sweetheart.”

[delayed-affection]

Yours is Mine

Navigation Oneshots

Jack Hughes x reader

Word count: 0.9k

Warnings: Petnames (baby, sweetheart)

Wearing your boyfriends clothes was something you could never get over. Especially his hoodies, they’re soft, warm, and smell good.

As of right now you are sitting on the couch in one of Jacks many hoodies. It’s one that’s supplied by the Devils. With their logo on the front and the players last name on the back.

It was honestly one of your favorites to wear. Especially during the games you couldn’t go to, like tonight.

With it getting pretty late you decide to lay down on the couch, letting the tv continue to play the post game interviews.

Your eyes begin to grow tired you, unable to keep themselves open.

~

Luke walks through the door first, lugging his way to his room. Jack goes to follow but stops in his tracks when he sees the tv is still on.

Walking over he sees your body being lit up with the tvs light.

Kneeling down besides you, he rubs your back.

“Baby.” He coos, “You need to get up, you can’t sleep on the couch.”

He watches as you stir, “Come on baby.”

You move onto your side and that’s when he takes notice of the hoodie.

The bright light from the tv makes you squint at him.

You rub your eyes, “Hello?”

He laughs at your confused state, “Well good morning gorgeous.”

You let your eyes close again and give him a soft smile.

He place his hand on your face and softly strokes your cheek.

“Hey, you can’t go back to sleep. You got crimes you gotta confess to.” He tells you

You let out a confused hum.

“You don’t know what you did?” He asks

You open your eyes again and shake your head. Finding the energy, you sit yourself up on the couch.

He sits next to you and tugs at the hoodie, “I don’t think this is yours.”

You shrug, “It is, though.”

He leans in close to you, “Last time I check you don’t play for the Devils and your last name isn’t Hughes.”

“That’s crazy, I’ve been on the team for like three years.” You say

He slightly chuckles, “How come I’ve never seen you at practice then, thief.”

“Because I’m so fast on the ice that if you blink you’ll miss me.” You claim

He playfully rolls his eyes, “Oh yeah.”

You lean into him letting your head fall onto his shoulder, “mhm.”

He wraps his arm around you and pulls you even closer, feeling your warmth against him.

He smiles to himself as he watches your eyes slowly close again.

The two of you sit there for a while, silently enjoying each other's company and the peacefulness of the moment.

Eventually, he gently nudges you, "Come on, let's get you to bed."

You nod and slowly stands up, still a bit drowsy.

He takes your hand and leads you to the room.

“I’m going to take a quick shower, okay?” He tells you, “Don’t wait up for me.”

You wave him off as you get into bed, knowing that you will be awake until he joins you.

~

He quickly changes clothes, trying his best to be quiet not wanting to wake you.

Except you heard everything, from him tripping over his shoes to him looking through his drawers for something to put on.

He sighs out of relief when he finally hit the bed. Pulling you closer to him he tucks one of his hands under the hoodie.

The warmth of his hand heats up your body. In response your body moves towards his.

“You’re warm.” You mumble into his chest.

“Warm enough to make you want to take off my hoodie?” He snarks

“My hoodie.” You correct

“Okay our hoodie.” He huffs, “We can share it.”

You feel his hand move from under the hoodie. He sits up making you do the same.

He grips the end of hoodie, “Only if admit to being a thief.”

“What?” You ask

“Tell me that you’re a thief and then we could share the hoodie, all my hoodies at that.” He demands slowly lifting the hoodie.

Even though it’s dark you know he’s smiling trying to bargain with you.

“And if I don’t?” You question

He pulls the hoodie higher, “I’ll have to take it back from you.”

You look down at the hoodie you’re wearing, feeling the soft fabric against your skin. If you except the deal you get to wear more than just this one.

Even his favorite hoodie, the one that’s absolutely forbidden.

“Okay…” you sigh with a slight roll of your eyes.

"I know it's your hoodie." you says, your voice is soft and teasing, "And… I am a thief."

You can hear him chuckle, and feel his hands leave you.

"So you admit that you’re a thief." he says, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I guess that means we could share the hoodie."

“And all of the other ones.” You remind

“All but my favorite one.” He counters

You groan letting yourself fall back onto the bed, “That’s not all of them.”

He laughs positioning himself over you, “It’s basically all of them, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, whatever.” You mumble

“Don’t be like that.” He tells you

He places a hand on your face and leans down, placing a gentle kiss on your lips.

“You could wear it once.” He offers

You try to bargain, “Five times.”

“Three times and one of the times being to a game.”

“Okay, you have yourself a deal Mr. Hughes.”

He chuckles kissing you again, “Don’t ever call me that again.”

[corazondebeskar-reads]

perchance, to dream

Jackson!Joel Miller x f!reader

technically a you know you never stood a chance post-series drabble, but all you really need to know is that joel and reader are in an established relationship and living in Jackson.

series masterlist

words: 548

summary: this is straight up domestic fluff with a hint of smut at the end. i wrote this after hbo hurt our feelings this morning. dedicated to @milla-frenchy - because you said please and ily 🖤

warnings: technically tlou pt. ii spoilers but not really and the angsty events of the game never happen. established relationship. fluff and domesticity. just a little snapshot of what their life is like in jackson.

dividers by @saradika-graphics

“Oh my god,” you hip-check him. “Are we getting ready for bed at the same time?”

He rolls his eyes and scowls, patting his face dry with a faded peach hand towel before padding out of the room. You watch him blatantly as he goes, his sweatpants sagging below the soft curve of his bare stomach. 

“Rude,” you call after him. But it’s not long before you’re pulling back the covers and climbing in behind him, arm sliding around his side. 

“Hey,” you say with a softer smile. “We’re actually going to bed at the same time.”

“Yep,” he grunts. “Means I get to do this.”

You jump and shriek as he moves to stick his ice cold footsicles against your bare skin.

He grabs you by the waist. “Where d’you think you’re goin’, huh? You’re the one who always takes the late patrol. You owe me.”

You wriggle and laugh, pushing at him to get away. He nips at your neck, and you grin devilishly. 

You know how to win. All you have to do is turn, rub your ass against him “accidentally,” and he’ll quit fooling around. 

But he catches you by the hips, wise to your wily ways. “Not tonight. I’ve got an early one.”

“What? No, you're off tomorrow. We’re both off tomorrow!” 

He grimaces, rubbing his beard against your neck while he confesses that Tommy asked him to help out, trying and failing to distract you. 

“But we’re both going to bed at the same time.” The pout is unintentional, but you stand by it. 

“Yeah. We are. Going to bed, to sleep, at the same time. Ain’t it nice?”

“Nobody said anything about sleep,” you cross your arms, leaning against your pillow. 

“I did. I am. Go to sleep, sweetheart.” 

He leans in and you turn your head, meeting him halfway. No matter that you’re sulking; you’ll never miss out on this. The kiss is sweet but loaded, drawing a groan from you both. 

“Just can’t help yourself, can ya?” He says, shaking his head as he lies down and turns off his lamp. 

You lay down and roll over, back to back, pressed up close to one another. “Love you, Joel,” you whisper, heaving an overly dramatic sigh. 

“Love ya, sweetheart,” he mumbles. 

Damnit. Nearly asleep already. 

You scowl at the darkness. 

It doesn’t last long. He’s rolled you over before you know it, tugging his old tee up over your head. “Goddamnit,” he grumbles. “You’re right. We’re goin’ to bed at the same time.”

You smirk. “Hold on, now. You gotta get up early. I’m not gonna be the reason you’re like, Deluxe Cranky.”

He pinches your nipple in retaliation, but the only reaction he gets is a hitch of your breath and a soft “mmm” before you keep on with your schtick. 

“No way,” you shake your head like he’s a naughty dog, “I’m not giving you an excuse.”

By then, though, he’s got your panties down around your knees, and your playful denial disappears with them. 

“Oh yeah?” he grumbles, lining himself up and pushing into you slowly, just to watch you arch beneath him, gasping. 

“Y-yeah,” you say stubbornly. “You gotta waive the right to complain in the morning.”

He rolls his eyes above you, and you think never, you’ll never tire of that view.

[blackknight-kai]

ASKS & INFO Pinned Post

Kai’s note: 😊 Asks are closed for now as of 11/15 will open soon when I get through work / current asks.

Keep it to Sun Wukong/Destineded One Black Myth Wukong. I’ve added Monkey King Reborn Wukong ☺️

I’m not well versed on the og lore I’m sorry….Nsfw is okay! If I can’t do it or I’m not comfy I’ll private message you. (I do work full time so bear with me if I don’t get to you right away)

I’m a bit slow during the week getting to them. Plus if I’m particularly inspired and actually write a mini fic instead of bullet points it takes a little longer. If I don’t get to yours just know it’s because I may not have something for what you requested 🫂 I’m giving my best at them so I apologize if I can’t get yours.

Ask template:

- [ ] Gender for reader: Fem, Male, Gen Neutral. - I default to gender neutral or fem BUT I will write male 😊😊😊

- [ ] Type: Be a little specific on what you want, nsfw or fluff.

- [ ] OCs: I won’t do these sorry guys 🫂🫶.

- [ ] I write for both monkeys so do you want 1 or both? (If both I give a small Drabble/HC on each.

NON N.S.F.W stuff -

- [ ] I like silly fun ideas and prompts very very much!

- [ ] love fluff!!!!! Or anything that makes me laugh.

- [ ] Angst is…selective - I like happy endings. I don’t mind resolved angst but I’m a baby and too much is hard.

N.S.F.W:

- [ ] Be a little specific, like if it’s a male request, do you want WK/DO to take you or are you taking him. ladies if you wanna peg him that’s cool too I just gotta know

- [ ] I will write knotting stuff/rut/season stuff.

- [ ] Rough play is okay!

- [ ] Yandere is okay!

All that said, again I’m gonna do my best! I cannot promise you I will get yours or that it’ll be as long as another but I see you and I appreciate you very very very much for thinking of me and asking me 🫶🐒

FICS: Find my tag “BK Kai Writes” for any fics/asks I make 🤟here

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackKnight_Kai/pseuds/BlackKnight_Kai

(AO3 I am uploading the drabbles over time there so they will be in the collection)

About:

- [ ] 30 years old and I obviously play games.

- [ ] I’m a very open person and a safe person no judgments from me!! Straight, gay, bi, trans, ace, whatever you are, I’m cool with you. So even if we never interact and you needed somebody to listen I’ll do it!

- [ ] I do tend to cuss a lot so just let me know if that’s not you’re thing and I can tone that down. Im not out to make anyone uncomfortable but at the same time just know it’s part of me.

Again, if we never interact but you see this post I hope you have a fantastic fucking day because you’re amazing!

[redwolfstabs]

hi billy!! saw your post so i gotta ask bc you asked me haha - team loomis hcs?? please? 🩶

OHHH ABSOLUTELY SWEET SWEET SAM

[Note: This post will be with Ghost!Billy and a version where Billy doesn’t die because they’re both delicious to me] [SPECIFICALLY for Parker, Parker will see the vision.]

Team Loomis hcs [survivor version] - for the Sam to my Billy 🩵

Billy has a lot of trust in Sam, as crazy as that is. An example of what I mean would be, let’s say, crazy shit starts happening because someone has figured out Billy really was the murderer in ‘96, he would be honest and open with Sam about it, because he’s worried for her safety, being so close to him. And he trusts her not to tell anyone [unless it’s Tara, which he deems is fair in this circumstance], and he especially trusts her NOT to tell the police.

At First, Billy wasn’t sure how to be a dad. He wasn’t even sure how to be a normal person. But, once he’s figured out what works for them, he’s feeling comfortable and safe being her dad.

Billy is a menace and does it to mess with Sam. Soft Example:

Billy:..what do you say we go bonding? Sam: that depends on your example of bonding. Billy:…I got a new knife, so- Sam:We’re not killing random people! Billy:OH OKAY. You hate me? You want me dead? In jail? You HATE ME?! Sam:..*sighs* you are so dramatic.

He can be a little too protective over Sam, because that’s his daughter and yeah, maybe he got a late start at it, but he wants it to be good. Sam gets a partner? Billy intimidates them, on purpose. His reasoning: he thinks it’s safer before she gets attached and gets hurt, because he doesn’t want her hurt. [If said partner stays even after his intimidation? Bonus points from Billy]

YOU SAID THIS BUT I WANNA REITERATE: they are nonstop bickering. That’s one of the main ways they communicate. Sam says something indirectly about Billy? Billy joins the conversation and it turns into the two of them going back n forth. Billy looks at Sam even slightly weird? Sam calls it out, they bicker. It’s usually playful and it’s fun and games, even if it bothers others around them

Sam has to convince Billy to try and be a dad to Tara as well. Billy initially didn’t want to, nothing against Tara, but he didn’t see a reason because she “wasn’t his the same way Sam was.” But what really helps convince him? Seeing the relationship Sam and Tara have, it makes him want to parent them both.

Sam can get Billy out of his head and vice versa. Assuming there’s no Stu here, Sam learns when Billy goes into his head and gets lost in a maze, and she learns ways to get him out of that maze. If Sam is ever stuck in her own head maze, Billy notices immediately, and helps get her out.

Even though they’re a lot alike and bicker, they never have any actual arguments. If they do, they take time and get some space, and when they come back together again they try and act normal when talking to each other.

Billy would genuinely kill for Sam if she asked.

Sam is prone to seeking validation from Billy, but won’t ask for it. She’ll do something and just go “hey- I did a thing, wanna see?” And of course billy wants to see, he wants to be apart of what she does, and every time he’s prone to letting her know she’s doing good / she’s so cool etc etc

When they FIRST started trying to be Father/Daughter, they both agree to seek therapy, and it did end up working. Now if they’re still in therapy, they sit by each other and treat it as a gossip session

They both constantly try to scare each other, and it gets worse during spooky season. Billy can’t be scared easily, Sam can’t either but it’s a little easier. The one time Billy did manage to scare her, he got a knee to the stomach and decided he would not be scaring her like that again because

Billy: Ow- Sam. Sam I’m in pain. Omg Sam. Sam that hurt. Why would you do that” Sam:..you fucking scared me?? What did you expect? I’ve almost died too many times for this shit. Billy: Ohhh you’ve almost died?? What about me?? I was stabbed and almost shot!” Sam: You sound like a five year old.” Billy: You look like a five year old.” Sam: Okaaaay old man—

Along with the head maze: Billy is very observant with Sam. Constantly watching her and making sure she's alright which helps him when too comes to noticing when she's sick / feeling down. He notices way before Tara, and if Sam finds this concerning that's just for her to know.

If Sam ever gets a pet, Billy is cautious around the pet. Especially any kind of dog. Sam will notice, and will slowly [and in a not too obvious way] get them to like each other.

They are both horrible when it comes to saying how they feel. Especially expressing any kind of words about love. So, Billy will randomly leave notes in areas he knows only Sam will find and see and they say various things like "I'm proud of you", "You're a good kid" etc- and Sam loves and appreciates them alot. In return, she buys him small little gifts like keychains or any nicknacks like that because she knows he'll love them.

Ghost!Billy version of Team Loomis hcs! 🩵

Every time Sam is in danger, Billy is there and watching. [yes, this is slightly canon but I wanna elaborate more.] it’s easier to see him in reflective surfaces, and if Sam gets the chance, he’ll be there guiding her. BUT, if that’s not the case: he talks to her. [example of this from something I’m writing rn for fun ⬇️]

“Saaam..” his voice comes out in a cold singsong way, and Sam shivers on instinct. ‘Kinda busy.. trying not to die here..’ She thinks, a ragged breath leaving her as she looks around, trying to map out her area. “You’re not gonna die..” everytime she hears him but can’t see him, it makes her nervous. Anxious. She always pictured him as something that wasn’t real. Something that her mind created. This? This is starting to disprove that, and it makes her nervous. “You are slacking though- Move. They’re coming down the stairs. You have.. what? A minute? Losing time the more you lay there.. cmooon Sam.”

Billy is prone to messing with Sam, even in this state. He’d constantly knock stuff off her desks, shelves- any flat surface with her stuff really. Imagine an invisible cat, that’s exactly what it is.

Anytime Billy isn’t around, Sam gets wildly concerned. In some ways, she’d be happy. Not having to hear or see him, dealing with his teasing and menace behaviours. But if he isn’t around for more than 32hrs she gets concerned, especially if she’s gotten used to him being around.

Sam constantly asks him his thoughts on things. And it could be about anything. If Sam meets someone new, she’d find ways to ask for Billy’s honest opinion.

This kinda goes with the one previously, but Billy also tells her when she’s near a dangerous person if Sam hasn’t realized it. Being around Ethan? Even if he’s friendly? Billy is there beside her, talking to her, telling her she needs to grab Tara and run. Billy has no proof to show Ethan is an issue, but Sam does feel obligated to listen, knowing Billy is probably correct.

Billy knows that Tara is mostly unaware of his existence, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to get Sam to talk about it. He approves of tara knowing he’s Sam’s dad, but he wants Tara to know more. To know that Billy is There. Sam doesn’t tell Tara for months about it, from being nervous in how Tara would react.

Sam HATES when Billy jump scares her through mirrors, says it’s irritating and annoying and makes him seem childish. Billy keeps doing it, because he is dramatic and playful.

This was very very fun to think of and write and just RAAAGHHHH thank you. I needed these out my HEAD

Let me know if you want more / your thoughts of these <33

[chirpingfromthebox]

The Frost's Post-game Press Session from 12/28/2024 - MTL at MIN

The Minnesota Frost's post-game press session following their home game against the Montréal Victoire.

At the table were head coach Ken Klee, team captain Kendall Coyne Schofield, and forward Brooke McQuigge.

Transcription is under the break.

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

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

Reporter:

Anything lacking in your team’s performance today, Ken?

KEN KLEE:

Yeah, I mean it was tough. It was a close hockey game. Obviously I would have liked to see us get another opportunity or two on the powerplay, but it just didn’t happen for us tonight. They did a good job: they played hard, they played simple, got pucks out, flipped pucks out. And then we just had a hard time getting to the front. So I mean- I think that’s partially us being a little off and also them doing a good job.

Reporter:

How much- To what extent do you feel injuries or illness kinda impacted how the team looked today?

KEN KLEE:

Yeah, I mean, it's- we’ve lost two really top players for us in Dom[inique Petrie] and [???], but we gotta figure out a way to, you know- we’ve still got a lot of good players in the room. So it’s about us figuring out ways to put more pucks to the net and when we do that we have a lot of success.

[For context: this question is in regards to the fact that the Frost has had to call up two reserve players {Kaitlyn O’Donohoe and Charlotte Akervik} after having two players get put on LTIR. I think a few more are sick at the moment as well?

As for the part I can't catch, I'm assuming he's talking about Sophie Jaques, but the word I'm hearing sounds to me like "single" or maybe "cinco"? Possibly a nickname I don't know? If anyone has a better guess let me know.]

Reporter:

Brooke, how about, on your goal, kinda, what did see on the play and how did it feel to get on the scoresheet?

BROOKE MCQUIGGE:

Obviously it felt pretty good. I think my line fed off each other’s energy and we just got on the forecheck well there and each of us had a swing at the puck. So it coulda been either one of my linemates’ goals. So just happy to get the first one.

Reporter:

Kendall, what did they do to make it hard for you guys to try get offensive?

KENDALL COYNE SCHOFIELD:

I think we didn’t have a great start and it’s hard to play catch-up. Especially- every team in this league is a great team. So when you don’t have a great start you’re playing a little bit of catch-up, I think. So I think that’s on us as well as they did play well. As coach said, I thought they defended well. It was hard to get to the net front to tip pucks, get puck through. And then, you know, defensively, I think, we were struggling to get pucks out. The great thing is it’s still early and we get the opportunity to learn from it and move on. We have some time now ‘til next Thursday before our next game.

Reporter:

Was it a pretty easy decision to challenge that goal?

KEN KLEE:

I don’t know if it’s ever easy, but it’s- I think it was the right call. I’ve already met with the goalies and said, “Hey, it there’s a situation-” Because the replays are kind of slow for us to get on the bench. Or I was watching it on the jumbotron probably like everybody else. But, you know, with the goalie saying that, “Hey, I was definitely interfered with?” Then that obviously helps with it. Makes it a much easier call for me. I try to have them take a bit of ownership of it too, because they’re around the net and they see what’s happening. But yeah, it was fortunate that we got the call. We just needed to figure out a way to get one more.

KENDALL COYNE SCHOFIELD:

Maddie said it right away. I was on the ice, I said, “You get interfered with?” She says, “Oh yeah.” So then I had the opportunity to go to bench and, “Maddie said she did get interfered with.” So that helps.

Reporter:

Kendall, what did you see on that last, you know, chance on that feed to Grace [Zumwinkle]? You know, kind of getting the momentum there at the end even if you weren’t able to find the net.

KENDALL COYNE SCHOFIELD:

Yeah, I just saw her full head of steam, I mean she’s one of the strongest kids on the ice. And so I- I wasn’t sure who the defender was that she was going against, but I knew she was going to beat her if I could get the puck in somewhat of the area she was skating to. And she got a stick on it, just, obviously, not enough.

Reporter:

The play Maddie today, I know she, I mean, you guys took a loss, but there was one, I think they had just taken the lead again and she made another really big save on a breakaway that coulda put them up two?

KEN KLEE:

Yeah.

Reporter:

Just, that play of her, the consistency she’s had so far this season.

KEN KLEE:

Yeah, I mean, I think that’s why she’s had more games. There’s no secret. If you play solid and play consistent you’re usually going to get more games and so far she’s been doing a great job of it. We definitely need good goal tending, every team in the league does. She was great. It was no- I can’t fault her on, certainly not any of the goals today. She played really well.

Reporter:

So you plan on sticking with kind of the tandem, kind of back and forth like you’ve done ?

KEN KLEE:

Yeah, it’s kind of a game by game, that’s how we look at it. We just had one this week and then we’ll turn the page next week and see how everyone’s practicing, how everyone’s feeling, and then come up with a plan for next weekend.

Reporter:

Will it help to be at home for 3 games?

KEN KLEE:

I hope so, yeah. I mean, hopefully. Having people banged up and a little sick, it’s hard, especially when you’re on the road. But hopefully we can get healthy and just be ready to have a great effort on Thursday.

[End of Video]

[memberment]

DOES ANYONE WANNA PLAY A GAME??? (This is the post I was just yapping about.)

So we’re playing a game! Perhaps, if anyone wants to play! 

For reference, we have all gotten pretty used to me having one fic per day of the week, with exclusion of Sundays, bc I gen hate posting on Sundays. (I don’t wanna talk about it!<3) 

But. As of more recent months, I’ve shackled myself to behemoth fics that realistically, y’all would be waiting for new shit for millennia if I start posting shit in the order I’m writing it. So that’s just not gonna work! (I also do not want to be shackled to ao3 forever, but I cannot just write shit and leave it to rot in my google docs because I am not evil. Sharing is caring.) 

So without saying any more than that (bc I gotta leave y’all with some mystery), I would like y’all to help me narrow down this list of twenty to ten. (These are all of my open concepts that I’m willing to touch at the moment. There are a few more sprinkled about, but I don’t even wanna think about them rn.) I have listed titles, if I have them (if not, it's noted) and brief either descriptions or yaps. Literally just throw numbers of shit you wanna see or specifically think I should not be working on first at me. Do not care. Whatever floats your boat. <3

-

A Girl and Her Dog - Bebe runs into a lunatic and a dog while trying to complete a task (there’s actually a leak for this in my test fic).

Ca$h4Cultz - The main four accidentally manifest a god after starting a cult. (Again, leaks are in my test fic. This one might not be super long, but whenever I think about it, it makes me laugh really hard.)

Tweek’s Eclipse?? - I don’t have a title for this yet. It is literally Tweek’s story from Eclipse. Including the shit before. I’m not super invested in it yet, but the first chapter I did write kinda hits. There’s leaks for it somewhere in my slew of posts on here.

What Are You? (not sold on this title) - Tweek meets an imp after spending his whole life alone. He doesn’t really care if the imp takes his soul, but for some reason, he can’t. This aggravates the imp to no end so now he’s just dragging Tweek along to figure out exactly why he can’t take Tweek’s soul. (The imp is Craig. I personally think what I have written so far is fucking funny. It’s not gonna be good, but I stand by it.) 

Son Of Satan - Craig meets an imp. Or at least, that’s what the imp’s calling himself. (This is probably gonna be a fun nonsense piece with no legitimate plot and will probably get thrown on the trashfic pseud, but it will be fun. The entire fic is concepted off of one single piece of fanart I saw, if I can find it again, I will gladly share.) 

Untitled mind reader fic - I do not have a set title for this because I’m only two chapters deep. Basically, Tweek has to deal with some shit after someone starts reading his mind and decides to speak up. 

Untitled Horror Duo- Okay, so neither of these have titles yet, but basically, it’s two fics. There is the main story and the prequel. They both line up though in the way that I have the guides structured. These are so old, but I have like 30k between the two of them and I kinda don’t want to just leave that to rot, y’know? The main storyline follows Tweek who just entered high school after being locked away his entire life. He’s possessed by something, making adjusting to normal human life ten times more difficult. But still, he manages to find friends that care about him and want to help him, despite everything. And the prequel actually follows Kenny who’s had some close encounters with the something that’s possessing Tweek in the main story. I think this could be really fun. I remember being very deliberate about weaving these stories together when I was working on it and it was fucking ANNOYING!!! But it might also be really bad (I haven’t touched what I have since around March so I gen don’t know???), so I may assign it to  the trash psued. BUT IT’S AN OPTION!!! 

Three Kings Of Chaos - Chaos Inc. has three leaders. General Disarray, Major Mayhem, and Professor Chaos (of course). But being super villains can be complicated. Especially when their angel donor decides he wants to join in on the fun. (This will realistically probably not be very good. But, I find the concept to be very entertaining.) 

Then We Won’t (I’m not sold on the title) - When a kid gets outcasted for his powers, he makes an unlikely alliance. (This entire fic got concepted around the saying ‘The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.’) 

Untitled Civil War Fic - Basically, C&F are all evil. The Freedom Pals are just trying to get their friends back. Just about every ship in this winds up getting thrown in enemies to lovers territory. Except for Butters and Bebe (and I personally think their storyline is fucking hilarious). 

New Beginnings Rewrite - I HAVE VERY LARGE IDEAS FOR THIS. THE OLD ONE IS STILL UP SO I WILL NOT BE ELABORATING.  

Human Island - (no set title) After the world is destroyed, humans are limited to a small chain of islands. But what happens when a scientist threatens to destroy the harmony they’d worked so hard to build? (This is loosely based on something and if someone were to catch it if I were to write and post this, I would lose my fucking shit. Like, I think I would be so happy I would, like, throw up.) 

Vents - (no set title) SOMEONE gets thrown into a psychiatric facility. Involuntarily, of course. They assume they’re just abandoned there to die until someone starts calling out to them through the vents. 

I might actually finish Stalkers (this is not the title but I’ve been referring to it as such since it got concepted). Heads up though. This one is trash. Like out of everything I’ve ever written, this is thee trash. It was actually the precursor for Leap Year in the sense that I wanted to write something problematic for the sake of being problematic. It will be on the trash fic psued. Like, I genuinely find it funny because of how bad it is. But I can’t recommend telling me to work on this, because it genuinely isn’t good and I stand by that. 

My Love Letter To You - There are not one, but two Professor Chaos’ in this story. How fucking wild. Wonder how that happened. This story is basically the set up to them fighting it out and what led them there. (I’ve been eyeing and fiddling with this for a while and if you read my end notes you can prob figure out when I started messing with this concept). 

Untitled Cartman and Kenny FP fic. - Okay, so this was actually one of my first fanfic concepts. Basically, Cartman spends a good amount of time blacked out. When the other Freedom Pals find out, they try to intervene. And of course, Kenny has something to do with it. 

Cntrl: Escape - I think this might genuinely be my favorite out of all of these. A group of people get elected to escape their “perfect” world. (There is a tyrannical ruler and AI involved. Also the opening scene rn is artist Tweek trying not to lose his shit over the AI art contests surrounding his block. I love it. This one’s prob Tweek centric, but there are six(?? I’m not checking my notes. Approximately six???) mains in this.) (There is also a tiny leak of this on my test fic.) 

Untitled Kyle Supersomething Fic - As states. Human Kite’s either gonna be a supervillain or a vigilante who does not fuck with the rules of hero society and does things his own way. Could be fun. Oh also, from the jump I have decided the bad guys (Kyle) win in this. Like, I feel like villains winning is severely lacking and I need to contribute to what I want to read because that is the entire reason I started writing fanfic. 

Untitled Evil Shed Fic - And our favorite gadgeteer superhero is not a superhero anymore. He’s much worse. Stan is irredeemable in this, or at least that’s where it’s taking shape in my head right now. This is prob gonna border on horror if not be straight up horror. I do have plans to make all of the people I really focus on character wise (that isn’t Butters, obviously) have their own villain fic at some point, but rn all I have buzzing around my little idiot brain are Kenny (which is done), Stan, and Kyle’s. (Wendy’s is also starting to take shape in my head, but not enough to concept it out yet.)

New Kid - A small town (South Park, obviously) falls into chaos when an alien stumbles upon them. This is New Kid centric without it actually being New Kid centric. I have been giggling about this concept since the idea graced me back in March when the warm weather first popped around and I heard the song ‘Trailer Park Alien’ for the first time. Which is exactly what this fic is based on. 

[victorluvsalice]

Mini VITD Sims Lookbook (Largely Alice Focused Edition)

Hi all -- I ended up downloading and playing with some more Victorian and Victorian-esque CC for Sims 4 last Saturday, looking for some new looks for my Valicer In The Dark versions of Victor, Alice, and Smiler (mainly Alice, as per the title). And, as I'm still getting the next Chill Valicer Save update ready, I figured I'd share the results, in case any of you were interested/wanted some more CC to download! Here we go:

First up, we actually have something that I downloaded from someone’s lookbook post for their Alice Sim a little while ago (I'm afraid I don't remember whose at this point ^^;) – a conversion of Alice’s London dress from Alice: Madness Returns! As in, one Mimoto-Sims ripped this dress straight from the files of that game (along with a bunch of others) and turned it into an outfit in Sims 4! :D I’ve been looking for this for a while, and I’m quite pleased with it, though it is a little weirdly shiny – and if you think Alice suddenly looks a LOT thinner than usual in this dress, she is. Apparently I didn’t make my Sim Alice underweight enough! I think I prefer my Sims 4 version having a waist that doesn’t look like it could snap in half at any moment, though. XD

Okay, onto the CC I actually downloaded on Saturday, with Alice modeling the Ever Elegant Blouse v2 and the Rather Ravishing Skirt v2 from Gilded Ghost’s New Woman set! I ended up pairing these two together because, with the apron, I thought this made another good “maid” Alice outfit – though she looks like she’s working somewhere fancier than Houndsditch in this set, that’s for sure. (Now I’m tempted for her to somehow get her hands on a maid’s outfit from the Van Dort estate when her and Smiler’s attempt to return Victor to his parents ends up in them robbing them for being shitheads who don’t care about their son...) But it’s a nice look for her, and I am THRILLED that this and the other tops from that set worked with her necklace! :D Seriously, so many outfits hide that necklace, and given that it’s suppose to be her wearing Lizzie’s room key, I’d like it to be visible more often than not!

Case in point, the necklace is also visible in this outfit, which is Alice wearing the Jacket Jubilee top with the Perfectly Plain skirt from the New Woman set. This set I just thought looked nice on her, and made a nice – semi-formal? This feels fancier than casual, but not fancy enough to be formal. Like, maybe this is something she’d wear if the gang were heading to the Golden Plum for a nice dinner, or to a park for a trio date. That sort of thing. Not “fancy neighborhood” wear, but a step above hanging around the house.

By contrast, Alice is definitely not leaving the house in this outfit. XD This is dzifasims’s Bespoke Corset, paired with a plain Get Famous skirt that I thought looked like a shift or underskirt (I thought the corset CAME with one, but apparently I was mistaken). It’s nice to have a plainer corset that doesn’t look like it was bought for sex purposes, unlike the base game one. Though I do like the “bought for sex purposes” one too. XD Alice probably prefers this one, though – it’s more her style, and I think it makes good underwear for her.

Onto the masc stuff, with Smiler showing off pandorasimbox’s Azariah’s Sacksuit. I have mixed feelings on this – the basic shape of the suit is okay, and I liked pairing it with the bowler, but as per usual this suit did not have any of the right swatches I needed for Smiler. The problem is, people do a lot of muted colors for Victorian-style clothes, and even the ones that include brighter swatches tend not to do a lot of yellow. Meaning I often end up with poor Smiler wearing beige because that’s as close as I can get. *sigh* I mean, I do rather like the look on them – they kind of look like they’re auditioning for a Charlie Chaplin movie – but it’s gotta be BRIGHTER, you know? *sigh* I gotta learn how to recolor clothes... (Also, amusingly, the boots are actually from Moschino – they actually look Victorian enough when you cover up the tops with a long pant.)

Fortunately, while [LonelyBoy]’s TS4 Solardius Outfit doesn’t have a yellow swatch, it DOES have a black swatch with gold decorative details, and that I can work with – especially when paired with the High School Years shoes I love so much for Smiler in the “black with yellow stitching” swatch. :) Not sure how much I like the high collar on Smiler, but this is certainly not a bad look for them!

And it CERTAINLY isn’t a bad look for Victor, who suits that high collar much better. XD As you can see, Victor got the nice dark blue swatch with the red tie, which is kind of the inverse of his tie/vest color scheme in the movie. XD But it suits him, and again, this seems like a nice, semi-formal outfit he might wear for an outing with his partners where he wanted to look a little more put together. :)

And there you have it – me playing with my favorite trio like dolls again. XD What can I say, it’s fun to dress them up in new outfits! And these particular sessions help inform me of what I’d like my trio to wear in the Valicer In The Dark universe. Since, you know, I’m pretty well obsessed with that these days. XD So don’t @ me, downloading CC is writing research, okay? Okay. :p

[soul-sparx]

RYU’S SFV COSTUMES RATED

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve done one of these, but they were some of my favorite posts on my old blog before it got nuked, so I figured I’d do another just for fun, and who better to choose than the series main character, in his final outing in the role?

Default

9/10

Ah, Ryu’s typical look. What can be said about it that already hasn’t been said? Not a whole lot. Ryu has aged gracefully in the past more than 35 years, and is one of the characters least affected by SFV’s confusing, pseudo-realistic art direction. The only marks I have against this are the color of his gi, and his hairstyle. On the gi, it looks like he hasn’t washed it since the first SF game came out back in 1987. That thing crunches when he walks. I get they’re going for a worn, used look, but I feel like they pushed it a bit too far here. As for his hair, I was just never a fan of the black, spiked look. I much prefer the look from SFII-- dark brown and brushed forward, hanging over his bandana with some weight on it. Ultimately, though, these are small marks against an otherwise great take on an old look.

Story

7/10

“But Ava!” you may say, “Doesn’t this costume do exactly what you criticized the default costume for not doing?”

Yes it does, however a couple things make it far less appealing to me. To start with positives, the color of his gi and belt are much better, still looking worn and used but not outright dirty. This Ryu takes care of himself and his stuff. That said, in trying to replicate the Street Fighter Alpha look, they made some...odd choices. Lightening his skin makes him look paler, not sickly but...getting there. I’m not going to call it whitewashing, because I don’t think it is, but it is a strange choice. His hair looks...molded, rather than brushed, like a clay headpiece you’d customize a Lego minifigure with. Finally, they tried to apply an odd cel-shading look and, what little consistent artstyle SFV has does not work with cel-shading. Overall, I’d say it’s a good idea with less than stellar execution.

Battle

10/10

Now THIS is how Ryu should’ve looked by default in this game. Theoretically, Ryu’s story in this game is the culmination of his battle with the Satsui no Hado, and this haggard, worn-down Ryu comminucates that beautifully. The torn, dirty pants, the unkempt beard (which also shows him working to defeat the Satsui no Hado, bringing him closer to his master, Gouken, visually), the ramshackle sparring gloves made of nothing but tightly-tied sports tape, this is Ryu at his lowest, ready to reach his highest, and I’m so glad they based his appearance in SF6 on this costume.

B-Boy

9/10

Now look, I get it, this is goofy, this is out of character, this is just stupid. But... I kind of love it for that? Like, it’s so goofy and out of character that it becomes hilarious and I gotta love it for that. On top of that, it’s actually pretty solid? Functionally speaking? The silvery pants and coat mirror his gi, and the black shirt and black trim of his jacket keep the emphasis on his arms and legs, further emphasized by the red shoes, rings, and wristbands. Like...it’s stupidly fun AND doesn’t hamper gameplay. How am I supposed to get mad at this?

Halloween

6/10

Don’t get me wrong, this costume is VERY cool, but I feel like the everpresent stark red might betray its functionality. I feel like it’s at least inspired by Bishamon from Darkstalkers, but Bishamon makes up for his almost all-red color palette with gold trims and wide, open posing that makes every keyframe clear. This has the gold trims, but Ryu’s posing is very closed and guarded. I’m sure it’s still usable, but it’s not nearly as readable as, for example, the default or b-boy costumes.

Capcom Pro Tour 2017

8/10

I'll admit, my understanding of Japanese culture is limited, but this does feel like some kind of traditional festival attire, and to that end I think it's very successful and fairly in-character for Ryu. He strikes me as a traditionalist, and I'm sure he's very popular in the village that I'm certain lies just down the mountain path from Suzaku Castle. It also works well from a functional aspect. His exposed arms and red gloves contrasted against blue/white ropes bring proper attention to his arms for moves like the Hadouken and Shoryuken, while the black vest draws your eye downward into his blue, long, wide pants to prepare you for moves like the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku. I'm curious about the purpose behind the dragon on his back, if that serves as a cultural reference, but it looks cool without getting in the way of functionality, so I can't be mad at it.

School

7/10

I question the choice to make this costume in the first place, it seems odd, but it looks fairly cool and is perfectly functional between the rolled up sleeves, long coat, and tapestry lining the coats inside to keep the legs visible. Doesn't do anything for me, and is kind of weird from a character perspective, but it does what it sets out to do and I don't have any real gripes with it.

Arthur - Ghosts ‘n Goblins

5/10

I have nothing to say here that I didn't cover with the Haloween costume. I do appreciate the Ghosts 'n Goblins reference, but thst doesn't excuse bad readability.

Jin Saotome - Cyberbots: Fullmetal Madness

4/10

Same as above, but I'd say it's even worse here. If you notice, his shoulders, elbows, knees, and feet are covered by a kind of metallic material. In artwork, as well as sprites in Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (Jin's only playable appearance outside of a mecha), those metallic parts are a starker, darker silver color in order to make his posing more readable despite his all-white outfit. In other words, they actively made the design worse for...seemingly no reason.

Mega Man - Mega Man

9/10

This is so goddamn funny to me. Like, Mega Man is this tiny little Astroboy knockoff, he's not even 5 feet tall. Meanwhile Ryu is this hulking, muscular mass of meat. It's so funny to me how much this doesn't fit. As for readability, Mega Man is already one of the best designed video game characters ever made, so this is perfectly fine functionally.

Kairi - Street Fighter EX

8/10

I'm not particularly familiar with this character, as I've only played SFEX once, but it's very cool to see them referencing such an obscure piece of SF history. Not to mention, it just looks cool. Not much to say beyond that.

Track Suit

5/10

Eh....if you remember my old costume reviews, you know I'm not a fan of these. They're fine functionally, but I have no idea why every character has one, and they just get boring and tiring after looking at them 14 times over.

BCRF

8/10

It's pretty cool. It looks oddly tactical, and I don't really get the asymmetrical look-- why bring so much attention to one arm over the other, it's not like Yamazaki's right arm in Fatal Fury/KoF, which contains the power of a god. Ultimately, though, it was for a good cause and it works well enough. Not gonna complain.

[m1ckeyb3rry]

That’s a good idea….will start check marking….. I’m also realizing I think part of the problem was I actually do press send sometimes but if the connection is spotty and I don’t realize I close out tumblr and then it never ends up fully loading/sending properly….

SHSHS I cant imagine that’d be comfortable with the dizziness…well uh..at least it’s over now!! Haha…..

OUUU wait that’s a good take…..it’s kinda funny I think I remember Isagi and Yuta having the same mbti too?? Not sure how accurate the typing actually is but I thought that was funny LOL but IM CRYING LMAOOOO you really said I need some spice in my life let’s switch it up

Honestly I would not be surprised if that ended up being the case like….after every single time we’ve manifested something into existence I’d be more surprised if it didn’t get manifested into reality LMAO

SHEGSHS every now and then I think about how I’m blowing up your inbox but omg another special tag I’m so honored LOL hope the ideas prove useful for when you’re in a slump!!

AHAHAHA atp trying to guess your final wc should just be a game im sure its at least mildly frustrating for you but I can’t lie every time it happens I chuckle a bit especially when you post it with that one ant meme LMFAOOA

Oh em gee very excited!! Whenever that comes out im gonna reread part 1 to refresh first LOL it’s ok we gotta give our man a break from being protag he’s been going through it LMAOAO between getting insulted by the love of his life in fwtkac the whole freaky Friday conflict and now bfb where he’s been pining since he could walk I

Gotta bless the other sectors of the fandom with your work….give them a taste of your writing then they’ll discover your blog read the Karasu fics and join Karasu nation…that’s the end goal LMAO atp you’re just overseeing all of bllknation covering every base

Hsjshsj glad it went well!! Struggle because of motion sickness I assume? Manifesting very hard that that goes away soon…

GAGAMARU AND YUKI LMAOOO ok that’s a pair I was not expecting ngl it’s ok it’s the power duo one blind one and one with super vision /j actually I feel like that’d be really funny like…since yuki is also a model he has such a refined vibe and as we know is very well mannered while gagamaru spends a lot of the time in the woods in the wilderness fighting bears or something LOL such opposite vibes

Yeah…like I get the shock factor thing but tbh to me that still doesn’t “justify it” to me LOL like it was just so sudden?? And there’s still so many holes like how’d she suddenly just appear good as new minus the one eye…no I fully agree like it was so random, not lead up not even a hint from the past what like 30 chapters?? Like they really just decided to throw her back into the ring at the last second….like we haven’t seen her since Shibuya arc and she somehow just spawned back like make it make sense…..tbh I think the “shock my readers” thing is such a gege thing to do :,) considering all the other comments we’ve heard from him LMAO but yeah the execution was not it……jjk fandom is also scary I see people getting eaten alive for “hot takes”

LMAO safe from kaiserism today…tbh I can’t see myself actually converting BUT the compass >>> the whole animal shelter dog scene was Lowk so cute I love the use of the dog’s own background in paralleling kaiser’s own situation! But that line “she’s my mother but I’m not her son” LITERARY GENIUS but also I’m crying when they talk about marriage and a wedding I’m fr just imagining ness just standing there alone on kaisers side something about the scene just seems so funny to me

- Karasu anon

tumblr is so glitchy sometimes i can’t even blame you 😔 the amount of times i’ve thought i posted something and didn’t or someone will send an ask and i just won’t get a notification for it??? same with dms and then people think i’m ignoring them but that’s not my intention at all 😭💔

yess they do have the same mbti!! and so does hiori apparently 🤔 tbh i tend to like characters who are sassier because they’re more like me so they’re easier to write/connect with (asshole karasu 🤝 asshole mira) but realistically in a relationship you can only rlly have one person like that the other needs to be nice or else it’s just stressful 😭 irl whenever i meet people who match my freak toooo well i get annoyed because like why are we only being mean to each other but when people start to get too moral abt it it’s like “oh it was never that deep” LMAOAAO there needs to be a happy medium of someone who finds it funny and can throw a jab or two out there when necessary but for the most part they’re just chilling 😩 which lowkey IS isagi (and hiori) now that i think abt it but NOOOO if i convert to isagism what will become of me

HFJDJSSJ okay random kiyora headcanons speedrun (kaneshiro if you’re watching these are fire pls include them in the manga): he ran cross country for one year during the soccer off season and he liked it because he could listen to music during races but it wasn’t competitive enough for him so he quit, he’s lowkey fire at either knitting or crochet but no one knows (he’s not shy abt it though it’s just that no one talks to him for long enough to realize), and he got a pet umbrella cockatoo after watching the movie rio in theaters

NO I LOVE GETTING THE NOTIFICATION YOU SENT AN ASK it’s so fun to read them 🥹 and PLSS honestly it’s less frustrating and more just like 😨 whenever the word count gets crazy long because for the most part i’m just happy to be providing 😩 the only thing that worries me is when i take too long writing smth rlly long and people think i’m on hiatus 😭 like no i’m still here it’s just that this one shot is now novel length so…

okay wait genuinely multiple people have been converted to karasu nation because of me LMAOAOA especially bfb and fwtkac…honestly it’s a role i’m proud to play 🤩🙏🏻 but yes atm i need to expand my outreach/not make karasu suffer any longer he’s been through it in the miraverse as of late 😟 i’m excited for cherry tree pt2 i think it’s probably going to be shorter but very cute 🥹 which yk cute and rin don’t necessarily go together very naturally given how he is but trust i will make it work 🤩

HEAR ME OUT GAGAMARU AND YUKI / TARZAN AND JANE AU LMAOOOOO no it’s so perfect hold on i’m going to edit a screen cap of it once i’ve responded to this why does it fit uncannily well…i’ve convinced myself gagamaru and yuki besties number one bllk duo forget bachisagi or kunigiri or nagireo or tabieita or whatever 🥱 gagayuki the ONLY pair i care about (and karasu + shidou they’re cool too)

i completely agree although i’ve already seen people on all corners of the internet calling people who are dissatisfied with it brain dead or without reading comprehension/media literacy…that’s just how it’s going to be ig 😓 jjk to me has this problem where it’s simultaneously overhated AND overrated 🤔 because people do not realize there is a middle ground!! like no it’s not the worst manga ever and there are several high points + on the whole it is better written than several other animangas especially shounen ones however it is NOT peak fiction and it is definitely not the best thing to come out in recent times!! like people don’t realize you can criticize it and still not bash it/gege completely 😒 also i have to say it…a manga being popular ≠ good idk WHY that’s such a popular argument but things can be popular without being well written!! look at any number of ya dystopian novels from the 2010s for proof 😭 nobody’s denying that jjk is popular it’s just that that doesn’t automatically make it the best thing ever…i saw someone on tik tok say that a lot of jjk fans confuse hype moments/panels with good writing and i do think that that’s the case at times 🫣 but what do i know lol

tbh smth abt kaiser’s fuck ass haircut turns me off rlly bad like maybe if he still had the shaggy blond going on or if he put it in a bun more often i’d see the appeal but the rat tails are not it 😰 and LMAOAOAO PLSSS kaiser’s side at the wedding is just ness and noel noa (he was paid to be there) and both of them are just like 😐😐 the whole time HAHAHA they are not into it at all…maybe kaiser was onto smth when he said that they should just get married without any guests because imagine how awk it would be otherwise 😭

[millersdjarin]

Some Invisible String

Chapter V: One Single Thread of Gold

Pairing: Joel Miller x F!Reader (afab)

Rating: E (18+ only!)

Summary: Ten years after Reader left Joel for reasons he still doesn’t know, they find themselves together again in a town called Jackson. Joel has questions he’s too afraid to ask; and Reader dreads having to give the answers.

Chapter length: 4.2k

Warnings/Tags: injury recovery, light angst, SMUT, crying during sex (but in a happy way), happy ending, unprotected p in v

Chapter Four (Previous) | Series Masterlist | Fic Masterlist

notes: final chapter! thank u for reading, i hope you enjoy ❤️

ps since tlou has new fans from the show (YAY!), just a heads up that this is post TLOU part 1 and following the details of game canon vs tv show canon, so spores for example. so, spoilers ahead for the story ❤️

“See? Told you she wouldn’t believe us.” 

“I do,” I find myself saying, blinking at Ellie and Joel in their kitchen like each of them has just grown a second head. “I do believe you. I just…holy shit. You can breathe in spores, and everything?” 

“Yup.” 

I stare at Ellie with wide-eyes. Her sleeve is rolled up, revealing her bite. I never thought I’d see a healed bite from an infected. “Jesus,” I breathe out. I reach down for her arm, then ask, “Can I?” 

Ellie nods and lifts it up to meet me, letting her forearm sit in my hand. I run my finger over the scar, feeling its raised bumps and wrinkles, completely dumfounded by the fact that this is an actual infected bite but it’s not red and angry, threatening to turn its victim at any minute; it’s been there for a year and a half. It’s healed, just as if it was from a dog, or something. Except it is absolutely, without question, the kind of bite that should’ve rendered her a clicker by now. 

“Well, I’ll be damned,” I let her arm go. “I assume you don’t tell anyone about this?” 

Rolling her sleeve back down, Ellie shakes her head. “No. We agreed it’s safer that way. Only a few people know.” 

Something warm spreads in my chest. “I’m honoured to be one of them,” I give her a smile, hoping it comes across as genuine as I mean it to. “My lips are sealed. It’s pretty amazing, though, right? Did you get bitten when you were with Joel?” 

“I…no. No, it was before that. We actually met because we…” 

Gently, Joel continues for her, “We were going to the Fireflies. They thought she was the key to finding a cure, but…it didn’t work out.” 

The vaguest hint of a frown works its way onto my face. I study Joel where he’s leaning against the kitchen counter, delicious arms folded over his chest, his jaw working away. I’ve never been able to describe what it is about him that I pick up on when he’s lying. All I know is that I know a lie from Joel when I hear one. 

He looks at me like he knows that. Like he’s saying Not now. 

“Damn,” I say to Ellie, then offer her a smile again, “you got a badass scar, though. Not that you can show anyone it, but still.” 

She laughs a little. “I guess so.” 

“So you came all the way from Boston to Wyoming together? How the hell did you manage that?” 

“A whole lotta luck,” Joel says with a wry smile. 

“And teamwork,” Ellie adds. 

I laugh. “I’m impressed.” 

“You survived on your own, too,” Ellie says. “That’s also pretty badass.” 

“It’s very badass,” I agree, but resist a shudder at the bad memories from the last decade that instantly pour into my mind. 

“We should get you sitting down,” Joel says, gesturing to my leg. It is starting to throb; we’ve been standing here talking about all this for a while. 

I nod and start hobbling to the living room. Joel puts his arm around me to help, and to be honest I probably don’t need it, but I will take any opportunity I can get to be close to him. Our kiss from this morning is still fresh on my skin like it only just ended. I can feel his lips, his breath, his hands; a perfect ghost of him all over me. 

“Ellie, why don’t you go get the horses ready, then we’ll head out for a ride? I just gotta talk to Tyler over here before we go.”

My heart leaps in my chest. 

Ellie raises an eyebrow. “Who the fuck is Tyler?” 

Joel gives me a smirk. 

“That’s what he used to call me,” I explain with a nostalgic smile, remembering the first time he called me it. “I’m from Tyler in Texas. When we first met, all we knew about each other was we were both from Texas.” 

“Aw, that’s cute,” Ellie laughs. She points her thumb towards the back door and says, “I’ll go get ready to ride. Do you wanna come with us?” 

“I should probably get some rest,” I reply. “But thanks.” 

Then, when Ellie is gone and out of earshot, I turn to Joel where he stands by the living room window. He’s got one thumb hooked over his belt, the light from the window shining around him, making him into a lovely silhouette. I’d ask him to come closer, to kiss me, to even just hold my hand, but I have a question first. 

“So,” I say, leaning back against the sofa, “why’d you lie back there? About the cure?” 

Heavily, he sighs. Steps over to me, sits down, rubs his hands over his face. 

Then, he tells me. 

“And…she doesn’t know,” I clarify after the whole story is out there in the open. Like a mist in the room, lingering, waiting for my reaction. 

“She doesn’t know.” 

I exhale. His hand is sitting on his knee now, his other running over his beard with his elbow propped on the arm of the couch. 

I’m not surprised he did that for Ellie. Rushing through an entire army of Fireflies to save her life. I’m not surprised in the slightest, and I also know why he kept it a secret. 

What I am, though, is so fucking in love with him that it hurts my chest; and this only makes it stronger. I reach out and take the hand on his leg, threading our fingers together. 

“Do you feel that you did the right thing?” I ask, looking at his side profile.

“There ain’t a doubt in my mind,” he answers without hesitation, then turns to look at me. “I’d do it a thousand times for her.” 

A smile tugs at my lips as my chest blooms with affection. I squeeze his hand, trying to come up with words that don’t just sound cheesy, that don’t sound like I’m making fun of him. “Who knew you were so soft?” I ask. Which, okay, is partially teasing. But not entirely.

He chuckles. The smile on his face is so precious to me, and I think I’ve seen it more in the past week I’ve been here than I ever did in our five years together back then. He just looks so light. Still weighed down by the weight of this world, of course, and not without his own grief or fears; but, God, he smiles like he means it. Like he’s not afraid to anymore. Like the fear of the smile ruining everything has lifted from him. 

Naturally, I can’t get enough of it. 

“I think you did,” he answers my question, sincere. 

“Hm, I think the Joel I fell for was a little rougher around the edges,” I smirk, fully teasing now as he turns his body towards me and leans over me, brushing his hand over my cheek. 

His eyes locked onto mine, he rasps, “I can still be rough around the edges. If you want me to be.” 

With my hand on the back of his neck, I lean in and kiss him. Because he’s so fucking handsome, he’s here, he’s Joel. 

There are still thoughts in my head that keep trying to push through; thoughts of doubt, of worry, of fear. I don’t know where this is going, where I’m going, or what I should assume about either of those things. 

But with his lips moving against mine, I force the thoughts away, because I’ve waited so long for this feeling and I’m not about to ruin it as soon as it’s started. 

“I gotta go,” he says against my lips, rueful. He lifts up his thumb and smoothes it over my bottom lip. “We’ll pick this up later?” He asks, hopefully flicking his eyes between both of mine. 

I nod, biting my lip. “Please.” 

-

When Joel gets back, he makes us dinner. 

The three of us sit around the dining table in the living room, a candle in the middle of the table, flickering along with the fireplace across the room. It’s been two decades since I had a home-cooked meal like this; sitting at a table, inside a house, safe and warm. With people I know and trust. 

Ellie and I talk about movies and music, teasing Joel for his taste in both. We talk until it’s late and Ellie is yawning while Joel tells her that maybe she should get some sleep. She protests, claiming she’s ‘not even tired’, to which Joel responds, “I’ve heard that before.”

But after a while, she gives in to the tiredness so obviously weighing at her, and stands up from the table. “Alright. I’ll see you guys in the morning. Thanks for dinner, Joel.” 

“Night, Ellie,” Joel says, watching her as she walks towards the living room. “Sleep well.”

“Night,” I say with a smile. Ellie gives us both a wave, lifting her arm up high without turning back, and then she’s up the stairs and gone. 

I look at Joel, and warmth settles in my chest. The light in here is warm, mostly coming from the dim lights in the living room now, along with the candlelight flickering over Joel’s face. It casts highlights and shadows and I want to reach out and touch them with my fingers, with my mouth. 

Reaching across to him, I run my fingertips over his knuckles, and he smiles, twisting his hand so he can take hold of mine and squeeze.

“You want some wine?” He asks into the comfortable quiet.

“Love some,” I reply. “Can’t remember the last time I had any. Decent stuff, at least.” 

He pours a deep, red wine into two glasses, and when he comes back to the table, he doesn’t sit back on his seat. Instead, he pulls away a chair and turns to me, perching on the edge of the table, his legs at the same level as my shoulders. Then he holds up his glass for me to tap mine against. 

I do. “What are we toasting to?” I ask, looking up at him from under my eyelashes, drinking in more than just the wine; his heat, his hard thighs so close to my face, the way he’s looking down at me like he’s seeing me for the first time. Like we’re not living in the end of the world. Like we’re just on a regular date at his house, drinking wine after sunset. 

“Think we got a lot to toast to,” he says after taking a sip. With his spare hand, he reaches out, and brushes some pieces of hair back from my face. “This, right here, for one.” 

Smiling, I lean into his touch, closing my eyes. My lips press into his palm before he lays it on my cheek. “Agreed.” 

His lips spread into a small, contented smile. I put my spare hand on his waist, then slide it around so it’s pressed against his back. We just drink our wine like that, sitting with a hand on each other, existing in one of the only quiet moments we’ve ever had together. It’s just us, right now. It could be that nothing else exists. Just us. Just him, leaning against the table, gazing down at me like I’m something precious he can’t take his eyes off of.

When I’ve finished the last of my wine, I put my glass down on the table, and make use of my newly freed hand to rub it up his thigh. He sighs, swallowing the last of his. 

“You wanna go to bed?” I ask, letting my voice run soft and sultry. 

“I’d love to,” he says, “just one thing first.” 

“Hm?” I hum, pressing my forehead into his thigh, right against the denim of his jeans. His hand slides back into my hair, gently playing with it. I can feel heat rising in my belly, a need to be closer to him just thrumming through my veins. 

“Don’t tell Ellie, but I’ve been working on a little somethin’ for her. The shed out back, Tommy and I have made it into her own space just for her. I thought she’d appreciate having a place to call her own.” 

I look up at him and smile. “She’ll love that.” 

Joel nods. He stares at me for a minute, pondering. “And…since we’re talkin’ about living arrangements…” 

Dread shoots through my stomach, piercing through any of that rising arousal that his touch had ignited. 

He doesn’t want me to stay. 

That has to be it, right? He’s been thinking about it, too, ever since I got here. I don’t blame him; how can he ever trust me again? How can we ever—

“I was wonderin’ if you wanted to move in.” 

Oh.

Well, that brought my racing thoughts to a shuddering halt. 

He seems to take my silence as apprehension, because suddenly he’s nervous, trying to explain himself, “Only if you want. I know it’s…I know a lot has changed, especially today, and I really was going to offer for you to live here before we…you know.” 

I swallow down the lump of emotion that has made itself at home in my throat. I’m just staring up at him, wide-eyed, probably looking like I’m on the edge of tears. 

He wants me to stay. 

Fucking fuck, he doesn’t just want me to stay in town; he wants me to stay with him. 

“You…” I stammer. “You want me to…” 

He holds up a hand like he’s trying to calm a situation, one that actually doesn’t need calming, but the look on my face probably suggests otherwise— “Now I know it’s sudden, and if you want to ask Maria for your own place, she’s already suggested some…or…unless you don’t want to stay here at all?” Doubt creeps into his features, a jolt of anxiety I so rarely see.

“No!” I manage to squeak out, tightening my grip on his jeans. It doesn’t seem to clear anything up for him; he just frowns. “I mean, no, I…I don’t want to leave,” I say, finding that I mean it. Why wouldn’t I mean it? Why the fuck would I ever want to leave this place? And now that I have Joel…

Fuck, I have Joel. 

There are no words. None that are good enough, big enough, to express the overwhelming feelings that are bubbling up inside me. 

Instead of talking, I stand up, lean into him, and kiss him. 

He makes a pleasantly surprised noise, his hand staying on the back of my head as he lets my lips press to his, my hand going to mirror his. I open my mouth, feel him sigh when he opens his too, moving our lips together slowly but passionately. Desperately. Because it’s the only way I can think to tell him how I really feel. 

Maybe in another life, I’d have said it’s too soon. That we’re rushing into things. 

But we live in a world where one of us could die any day. And after everything, after all this time, I don’t want to waste any more time. 

If he’ll have me—I’ll have him. 

“So is that a yes?” He pulls away for a second and gives a nervous little chuckle. His thumb strokes at my cheekbone, his eyes looking down into mine, glowing in the candlelight. 

I nod. “Yes, it’s a yes,” I say. The heat is back in my belly again, feeling his knee pressed up between my legs, his face so close to mine and breath blowing against my mouth. “Yes, it’s a fucking yes, Joel. God, I—” I kiss him again, because I can’t not. “I can’t believe this.” 

He laughs into my mouth and kisses me quiet, bringing up his other hand to cradle the other side of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair again like they did this morning. I sigh, unable to resist, and melt at his touch. At his mouth. At him. 

“Joel,” I say, breathless, “Joel, will you please take me to bed?” 

He laughs again, a breathy chuckle that brushes into my mouth before trailing down my neck along with his lips, pressing closed-mouthed kisses all along my jaw. “Can you make it up the stairs?” 

“For this, yes.” 

When he pulls back, he’s grinning, showing his teeth and the wrinkles around his mouth and eyes. I dive in and kiss at each line, each mark of his life, everything he’s been through, all his laughs and tears and shouts and smiles—

“Joel,” I find myself whimpering against the corner of his mouth. 

His hands, steady on my waist, squeeze me. “You alright?” 

Tears are stinging in my eyes and nose. I try to swallow them back, press my nose into his neck. “Take me to bed,” I beg again, this time in just a breathy whisper, “Please.” 

His hands are precious and gentle on the back of my head again, cradling me in his warm palms, his fingertips threaded into my hair. I’m sitting on the end of his bed and he’s bending down to kiss me, my head craning up to meet him as best I can. I’d strain to reach him forever if that’s what it took. If the only reprieve from the stretch was his hand on the back of my neck. It would be enough. 

He pulls away from my lips for a second and breathes against me. “Goddamn,” he curses. 

I stroke his forearms, running my fingers through the hairs there. “Yeah,” I breathe, “yeah.” 

“You know how long I’ve wanted this?” He asks. 

I didn’t used to. I thought he’d never want this. Want me. 

But now…

I nod, and pull him down further, wanting to be closer, closer, closer. “I think I do.” 

Carefully he backs me up along the bed, crawling on top of me as I shuffle up towards the pillows. I try to kiss him as we move but it ends up too clumsy and my leg kind of hurts as I’m crawling backwards, and he chuckles at my efforts, settling above me once I’m lying down. 

The backs of his fingers trace down my face. He gazes down at me, his eyes glittering in the warm, dim light of his bedroom. I want to dive in, devour him, let him devour me, feel him as close as possible because I’ve wanted it for so fucking long—

But he’s so soft above me, so comforting and familiar and new all at once, and I could just as easily just stare at him like this forever, the look in his eyes, gazing like I’m something he wants. Something he needs. 

“Do I have something on my face?” I tease, just a little shakily, not sure what else to say. “You’re staring.” 

He shakes his head once. “Sorry. Can’t help it.” 

I smile up at him, press my hand to his cheek. “Me, neither.” My other hand moves around to the back of his neck, and I dip it down below the collar of his shirt, feeling at the heat of his back, pushing it down as far as it’ll go. He stifles a moan, letting his eyes flutter closed. “Joel,” I whisper against him, pressing our foreheads together, “how many times do I have to ask you to fuck me?” 

His breath hitches, catching in his throat. “You technically haven’t asked me that at all yet, darlin’,” he replies after a beat. 

“Well, then, I’m asking you now,” I pull away to meet his eyes again. Lightly, I curl the hand that’s under his shirt, running my fingertips over the small of his back, digging them in just a little. “Please, Joel. Take me. I’m yours. I’m—”

He dives in before I can say anything else, opening his mouth against mine and kissing me with a new, fevered urgency. He holds himself up above me with his palms on either side of my head, and at the feeling of his tongue brushing against mine, my hips instinctively buck up to try and find some friction. 

Without moving his mouth from mine, he shifts his legs, gently using his knee to push mine apart and then settling it there between them. Slowly, as he kisses me so quickly and passionately that I only just register what he’s doing, he slides his knee up and presses it against my centre. 

It feels fucking incredible. I’m throbbing already, pulsing for him, desperate for more friction. Another instinct, to grind down against his thigh, pushing myself further against him as he kisses me like his life depends on it. 

One of his hands moves a little so his fingertips are brushing over my temple, pushing bits of hair away from my face. I let the hand on his cheek slide back into his hair, taking a handful of it and pulling, revelling in the choked moan he lets out against my mouth. The vibration of his voice is intoxicating, and I wonder, not for the first time, how it’d feel against the place that his knee is currently pushed against. 

My hand on his back scrapes again, digging my nails in probably a little too hard, but he doesn’t complain; his lips break away from mine with a loud smack, and I’m about to protest, about to pull him back in when they start to messily trail down my jaw in sloppy, open-mouthed kisses. I gasp, my mouth falling open. His mouth is so warm, so wet, I can hear him breathing through it with his nose right up at my ear, can feel the heat of his thigh where it’s pressed against me—

“Joel,” I gasp out as his mouth settles at the pulse point on my neck. He starts to suck, and I can feel just enough of his teeth that I know it’s going to make a mark, the suction pulling sparks of pleasure from my neck all down my body. 

He hums in approval as I put my other hand on his waist, above his shirt this time, but starting to ruck it up, pulling it from the waistband of his jeans. 

“Joel, please…” 

“Mm?” He trails his lips, open and hot, back up to the underside of my jaw, and waits there. “What do you need, darlin’?” 

“I need…” 

Pulling himself away from me, he takes a careful hold of my hands, withdrawing them from both under and over his shirt. He takes them, entwines our fingers, then presses them down against the pillow on either side of my head. “I’ll give you whatever you want,” he promises in a low, husky voice that I have literally dreamed of hearing say that for God knows how long—“just tell me what you need, darlin’, and I’ll do it.” 

My mouth suddenly dry, I swallow, gasping for air even without his lips on me. He licks his own, glancing down at my mouth, hungry. “I already told you,” I say, breathless and squeezing his hands, “I need you to fuck me.” 

One side of his lovely lips quirk up into a smile. He leans down, kisses me, this time soft and close-mouthed. Then he presses our foreheads together again, and his breath is hot and fast against my face. I want to lean up into him, kiss him again, feel the burn of his beard against my skin, let it mark me up. But before I can, he whispers, “I’ve wanted to hear you say that for too damn long.” 

Then his hands are leaving mine, and he leans back, pulling far enough away that I can feel the loss of his body heat. He sits against my thigh, one of his still pressed just not quite hard enough to my middle, and I’m just about to pull him back down again when he takes his hands and starts to unbutton my shirt. 

Oh, fuck. 

The way he does it so carefully, calloused fingers working expertly on each one, just slow enough that it drives me insane. He watches his fingers, hunger growing in his eyes, licking his lips with every inch of my skin that he exposes. 

Then, when all of the buttons are undone, he first meets my eyes for a quick moment with a grin, then takes hold of each side of my open shirt and flings them aside, revealing my bare stomach and bra. 

“Oh, darlin’,” he exhales, gazing at that part of me like it’s the most incredible thing he’s ever seen. All I can do is lie there, watching him watch me, feeling as his hands press against my navel, slowly sliding up my ribs, to the curve of my breasts, back down again. “You’re so beautiful.” 

Sudden, unexpected emotion bubbles up in my throat. 

I never thought any of this would happen. Hell, I thought I was going to die not two weeks ago. 

When I left Joel, I thought I’d never see him again. And I thought that, even if I did, he’d not want anything to do with me.

And yet here we are, and he’s not just here, he’s mine, touching me with such care and desire and lust and I, God, I can’t put into words how it feels to have him like this—

“Hey,” his soft voice breaks me from my tumbling thoughts. His eyes leave my torso, and I swear to God I feel the lack of their heat. He meets my gaze instead, a soft frown of concern creasing his forehead. “You alright?” 

Frantic, I nod. I need him to know that I’ve never been better. I have literally never, in my life, felt like this. I reach up for him, taking hold of his face and bringing it down to mine, not quite pressing our foreheads together. “Joel,” I whisper. He lifts one of his hands from my stomach, brushes the backs of his fingers down my face. “I’ve literally never been happier.” 

He smiles. A beautiful little tilt of his lips that has me feeling just as much heat between my thighs as I do with his touch—

Speaking of, I grind down on him again, and my eyes flutter closed at the sensation. I need more. I need more, but he’s still hovering over me, concerned, and I realise that he’s not just brushing his fingers over my cheeks to touch me, he’s brushing away tears. 

Tears. 

I’m fucking crying. We’re supposed to be having sex, and I’m fucking crying. 

Humiliated, I feel my cheeks flush bright red and immediately rush to wipe away the tears. “Sorry,” I croak out, finding more tears in my throat ready to fall, “God, I’m—I’m sorry, I’m fine, I promise…”

He keeps stroking my face. For a moment he watches me, and I can see in his eyes that he’s not judging me. He still looks a little bit worried, but as he looks between each of my eyes, he asks, soft, “Are you sure?”

And I nod in an instant. “I really am,” God, I can’t believe I’m crying. I’m still crying. “It’s just…” The weight of the last decade—fuck, the last two decades, who are we kidding—feels like it’s weighing me down and lifting all at once, suddenly washing over me in a wave that I can’t find my way up from and I don’t know if I want to.

Joel nods like he understands. Leaning down, he kisses away the newest tears on my cheeks. “It’s a lot,” he says, gentle. “I know. After everything.” The hand that isn’t on my cheek moves from my ribcage, instead taking a hold of my hand again, and putting it on the pillow by my head like before. “I’m here, darlin’. Alright? I’m not goin’ anywhere.” 

Feeling just a little pathetic, I sniff. “I’m alright,” I promise him. My hand finds purchase on the back of his neck, fingers tangling in his hair. 

He gazes down at me for another long moment, his free hand stroking at my hair. I close my eyes into the touch, focus on him, his breathing, his body over mine, protecting me. Keeping me there, because it’s the only place I want to be. 

“I just love you,” I find myself whispering with my eyes still closed. At the confession, a small shot of dread shoots through my stomach in an instant, and at first, I can’t quite bring myself to look at him. But as the silence stretches on, I have to. 

I open one eye first. A part of me expected him to get up and leave. 

But I don’t know why. Because instead, he’s just staring down at me, a new softness on his features that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. His lips quirk into a small smile. His eyes are glistening, disbelieving. “I love you,” he breathes out. I feel the words on my skin, sinking into my bones. 

Relieved, I close my eyes again. Then I feel him kiss me, soft. 

“I love you,” he says again. “I always have. I always will.” 

Feeling a fresh wave of tears threaten to fall, I nod and press my nose into his cheek, grasping on to the back of his head like it’s a lifeline. It kind of is. “Can you please be inside me before I embarrass myself by crying again?” I whisper into his ear, not totally unaware of the fact that I sound even more like I’m crying now. Which, I’m not. I don’t want to cry anymore. I’ve cried enough. 

His chuckle is breathy and warm against the shell of my ear. “‘Course I can,” he gently nips at my earlobe, then in one smooth movement, he pushes his knee right up against my still very clothed pussy and I let out a cry. Pleasure shoots through me, and the tears subside to make way for a gasp that pulls out of my lips.

It all happens very quickly, and yet very slowly, after that.

One minute, we’re both still clothed and kissing slowly and softly. The next, I’m tugging off his shirt, he’s unhooking my bra, putting his head between my breasts and kissing the centre of my ribcage with an open mouth. I undo his belt clumsily, push his jeans down to his ankles. He kicks them off and climbs back on top of me as soon as he can, helping me out of my own jeans. It takes a bit of working around my bandage, a distant pain still throbbing away over it. 

He looks up at me and raises his eyebrows. “You tell me if this starts hurting,” he says, not a suggestion. 

I nod. “I will.” 

He wastes no time getting back to my lips, one of his hands travelling all-too slowly down my body towards my centre. I ruck my hips up into his touch, and soon his fingers are pressing against my bare skin, right above my clit where I need him. 

“Joel,” I say, “touch me. Please.” 

He obliges without a word, sliding the tips of his two fingers down through my folds and towards my entrance, gathering wetness. I hear the slick of it, feel it, and he takes it up to my clit before pressing there in earnest. 

“You tell me if it don’t feel good,” he murmurs against my lips. “Need this to be good for you.” 

Desperate, I nod, clutching his head with both of my hands as I press my hips up into his delicious touch, the circles he’s making around my clit.

His fingers are inside me, then, thumb pressing against the precious bundle of nerves that he seems intent on pushing on. 

“God, Joel, that’s just—that’s just right,” I gasp. 

He smiles against my mouth and keeps going, slowly pumping two fingers in and out of me, stretching them apart a few times to get me ready. The sheer anticipation of having his cock inside me is enough to have me pulsing, getting wetter and wetter by the minute.

He readies his cock, holding it against my entrance. Looking into my eyes, he smiles, and presses the tenderest of kisses to my lips. “I love you,” he whispers.

“I love you…” the words fade off into a breathless whisper as he slides inside me, past my folds and right to my core, so hot and warm and wide and, God, fuck, it was so worth the wait—

I cling to him, scratch my nails down his bare back. As he starts to thrust, slow but not hesitant, he attaches his mouth to my shoulder and sucks. With one hand stroking my hair, he brings the other back to my clit, working it in time with his thrusts. 

“Jesus…God, you feel so good…” he grunts against my neck. 

“Joel,” I plead, “please…harder, faster…I need you…” 

My words pull the loveliest of moans from his throat and it’s like he melts beneath them, beneath my breath and my hands, pushing himself further inside me so the head of his cock is reaching as high as it can go, gently pushing against my cervix. Before he starts going any faster, he pauses, panting in my ear, “Are you sure?” 

“Yes, Joel, I can take it…” 

“Your leg…” 

“I’ll tell you if it hurts. Joel, please…”

He lets out a shuddering breath. 

Then, he does just what I ask him to do.

It’s not painful. But it is a lot. 

His dick hits the highest point inside me he can get to, and it’s so sensitive, it feels like he’s fucking up into my belly button, thrusting so hard that it meets resistance at the top of each curve of him inside me—

His finger gets harder against my clit, too. And, fucking hell, if it wasn’t intense before, it’s fucking overwhelming now. 

Not-quite-painful pleasure sparks through from deep inside me to every inch of my body. 

“Darlin’,” he gasps, opening his mouth against my neck in pleasure, as his pants get more frantic and his thrusts more erratic. It feels so good, and I’m just pinned underneath him, my left knee pressed into his hip, the other leg still flat on the bed.

His thrusts are jolting me,  and there’s definitely pain coming from my wound, but it’s absolutely nothing compared to the feeling of him inside me, fucking me into the mattress as I feel the sweat on his skin—“Darlin’, you feel so good, wrapped around me like this…wanted you for so long, so fuckin’ long, thought about this so many times with my hand on me—” he keeps spilling words, filthy words, into the place where my neck meets my shoulder, and I lap it all up. His voice is like sweet, husky syrup to my ears and I hold him there with his words buzzing into my skin, letting them carry me away to a place where it’s just the two of us, just his cock sliding in and out, fucking me just like I always dreamed of it, his finger still rubbing earnest circles over my clit—

It comes over me suddenly, builds up unexpectedly. “Joel! Joel, I’m gonna…” 

He kisses the shell of my ear, all hot breath and wet spit, “Do it, baby, come on my cock…come for me, darlin’, I gotcha…” 

And I do. Pleasure rises and rises and rises and then drops, a strangled cry finding its way out of my throat before Joel presses his hand over my mouth to swallow the sound. He moans along with me, and when he lifts his head from my neck, the look on his face keeps me riding my orgasm for just that little bit longer. Totally relaxed in pleasure, his eyes fluttering as they struggle to stay open, his mouth hanging open with spit glistening on his lips. He comes, then, inside of me, and it spills down my thighs with each push back in and out. 

I stroke the back of his head as the aftershocks from my high milk his pleasure out for as long as they can. I can feel the release of his muscles, the last of his orgasm fading and leaving him flushed and hot and lovely inside me. 

I pant against his cheek. He breathes against mine, fast, taking deep breaths. He’s still inside me. I don’t want him to ever not be. 

So when he goes to pull out, I twist my leg at his hip so my foot presses into the base of his back, anchoring him there. “Stay,” I say, pleading, “please. Just for a minute.” 

Wordless, he nods, and leaves precious little kisses all across my face and neck. Peppers them down my chest as far as he can go with the way I’ve got him pinned in place. I could keep him here forever. Inside me, on top of me, all around me. His hair is wet with sweat, beads of it dripping down from the back of his neck and onto my breasts.

Jesus. 

“Joel,” I whisper. It feels like I’m only ever going to be able to say his name again. “That was…Jesus, Joel, that was good.” 

Breathy, he chuckles. “Better than good,” he says. Then he pulls away, and I feel the cold nip of the air start to tickle against my skin, the wetness between my thighs getting cooler. Goosebumps raise on my skin, and Joel notices. “Sorry, darlin’, I’m gonna have to pull out now. Get us cleaned up a bit and warm.” He sounds genuinely sorry, stroking my face as if in consolation. 

I sigh, but I know he’s right. Nodding, I give him one last, long kiss on his mouth. “Hurry back,” I say when he climbs off of me and heads into the bathroom. 

Hearing the gentle slosh of water, I close my eyes, and feel the cool sheets beneath my skin. There’s a mess between my thighs, dripping down onto the sheet. We should probably have put a towel down. But. 

I am about to tell Joel as much when he comes back in with a warm, wet washcloth, but then realise he’s brought a towel with him, too. Too little, too late.

“We made a bit of a mess,” I say, letting my head loll towards him on the pillow. He chuckles in the quiet dimness of the room, the low light flickering over his bare skin. 

“Nothin’ we can’t clear up,” he replies, settling between my legs again. Carefully, he wipes at my skin with the washcloth, clearing away my own wetness and his release. I sigh, enjoying the warmth, the way he rubs absently at my knee with his spare hand. He cleans himself up next, then tosses the washcloth across the room. 

“Scooch,” he says gently, pushing at my hip. “I’ll put a towel down.” 

“Joel, I think you’re about a half hour too late with that,” I smirk, but do as he asks so he can lay the towel over the mattress, spreading it as far as he can.

“We can clean the sheets properly in the morning,” he announces, the grabs the comforter from the floor—I don’t even remember when it got there—and carefully brings it up over my body. 

I sigh into the cool fabric and feel the mattress dip beneath Joel’s weight. He crawls into bed beside me, and soon his arms are pulling me against his chest. 

I settle with my head over his ribcage, my leg hooked over his as he lies on his back. The covers are pulled right up to my neck, and I take a moment to pull the corner over the top of Joel’s chest, only just avoiding my face. 

“Joel,” I say, quiet. 

“Hm?” He murmurs as his hand absently rubs circles into my shoulder. His eyes are closed, his other hand propped under his head. When I look up at him, he looks more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him, blissed-out and content. It’s such a beautiful sight that I debate resisting the tiredness in my body and just staying up to watch him like this. 

I lift my hand, take hold of his cheek. Turn him to face me, then lean in and kiss him. “I’ve always loved you,” I whisper against his mouth. “I need you to know that.” 

His eyes crack open to look into mine. “I always loved you, too,” he strokes at my bottom lip with his thumb. “Now, come on. Let’s get some sleep, alright? Been wantin’ to hold you to sleep for a long time.” 

Warmth blooms in my chest. I kiss him again, just once, and snuggle in closer before putting my head back where it was. 

And, just like the invisible string that seemed to tie us together all this time, I sit comfortably in this space, letting all the tangles and the knots in my mind unravel. What’s past is past, and we’re here now. 

After everything, after the good, the bad, letting this thing between us come back from the dead—

We’re here.

{❤️end❤️}

notes: ah i can't believe it's finished ❤️ thank you SO much for reading and enjoying this fic with me, all your responses have made me so happy and i'm just so glad it's brought some of you joy. i hope you enjoyed the final chapter! i'm considering maybe writing some one-shots set in this universe at some point, or some little drabbles, so keep an eye out for those :)

love u, take care of yourself! ❤️

ps: as always this is post-apocalyptic and a fanfiction but in real life don't forget to always practice safe sex babes!

taglist below

@rosymythologies @lover1307 @rh1nestonecowg1rl @pinkrose1422 @lavenderhhze @abbyhaslongshorts @trippoverrt @emilianamason

[thelazyhermits]

At long last, Book 6 has arrived in the ENG server! Which means I can finally talk about how it would go with my Yuu. I intend to make two separate posts for Book 6 since it’s so long, and I figured it’d make things easier if I made a post for Part 1 and Part 2 of Book 6 rather than put it all together in one long post, especially since I wanna write out Part 1′s events while they’re fresh on my mind.

Book 6 spoilers underneath the cut!

First thing I wanna cover is a change I made in Book 5 that affects Book 6, which I went back and mentioned in my Book 5 post when I recently edited it.

Apparently, Book 5′s ending happened the night following Vil’s OB, ergo before the second day of the fair.

I’ve decided to slightly change that since that night Yuu & Grim were in the infirmary due to the state she was in following Vil’s OB battle, and her friends left plenty of snacks for her there, so if Grim woke up hungry, he would’ve just eaten those and chose to remain beside Yuu since someone’s gotta look after his henchmen.

As a result, the end of Book 5 doesn’t happen the first night of the cultural fair. It happens on the following night, meaning the fair is done and over by this point.

It’s not really a serious change since it won’t have any effect on my version of Book 6 events, but I wanted to properly explain this to avoid any confusion.

Since I ended my Book 5 post with Yuu noticing that Grim’s missing, I’ll pick up from there.

Because she has a bad feeling, Yuu hurries outside and begins looking all over for Grim. Eventually, her feet bring her to the coliseum where Vil Overblotted.

Upon seeing Grim, Yuu’s apprehension skyrockets because he’s not acting like himself, and he has this aura about him that for some reason is making her flashback to all the OBs she has witnessed.

Just like in the game, Grim tries to attack her, and Yuu is barely able to dodge his claws due to her shock and fear. 

Yuu tries to convince herself that Grim isn’t someone to be feared. He’s her partner. He’s not someone dangerous.

However, she can’t ignore the fact that her instincts are screaming for her to get as far away from him as possible. They’re telling her that he’s an opponent she shouldn’t trifle with.

Similar to how she felt whenever she fought the OB boys.

At that thought, Yuu’s fear intensifies since she’s now worried that Grim has Overblotted or is on the verge of Overblotting, even though she has no proof to support that terrifying possibility. 

In the end, Yuu chooses to ignore her instincts, because she knows she can’t afford to run away. Grim is her responsibility, so she has to do whatever she can to get a handle of this situation before things get even worse.

Plus, he’s her friend and partner. She can’t abandon him when there’s clearly something wrong with him, especially if he really has Overblotted since that could lead to him possibly dying if he doesn’t get any help.

That’s why Yuu does whatever she can to talk to/reason with Grim as she dodges his attacks, hoping that her voice will somehow get through to him.

More than anything, Yuu would like to call for backup, but she can’t afford to do that when she has to devote all her attention to Grim in order to prevent him from landing a hit on her since he’s so fast. 

Because he’s so fast, Yuu also can’t land any counterattacks on him, although it doesn’t help that she’s incredibly reluctant to actually hurt him. While she was able to do so with the OB guys, it’s way more difficult for her to do something like that to her partner who’s been by her side all this time. 

However, that said, Yuu can’t completely suppress her survival instincts/unconscious body movements in response to danger. That’s why, when Grim gets dangerously close to her at one point, she, without thinking, lashes out at him with a kick that sends him flying.

Horrified, Yuu immediately runs over to him, apologizing and asking if he’s alright despite him not being in his right mind at this point. Yuu’s just so upset with herself that she’s not thinking clearly. 

Unfortunately, this leaves her wide open to a counterattack from Grim who doesn’t hesitate to use his claws on her outstretched hands as soon as she’s within reach. 

Immediately, Yuu backs off to prepare for more attacks from Grim. That’s why she’s surprised when, after finally landing a hit, Grim just freezes and stares at his bloodied claws.

For a moment, Yuu begins to hope that Grim’s finally coming around - that the sight of her blood is making him regain his senses.

Regrettably, her hopes were in vain since Grim promptly runs off without showing any signs of change in his overall behavior.

Yuu doesn’t hesitate to run after him, but she quickly loses sight of him due to his superior speed.

Knowing she can’t handle this on her own, Yuu contacts Ace and Deuce and pleads for their help. Normally, she’s the type to do things on her own, but she realizes she can’t this time.

Most importantly, Yuu knows she can’t afford to take any chances here since Grim is a serious threat to the people around him and possibly even himself. She needs to do everything in her power to get him under control before it’s too late.

Naturally, Ace and Deuce are quick to agree, so Yuu asks them to help her go all around campus looking for Grim. So while she continues her search, they go to places on campus she hasn’t checked yet. 

Unfortunately, despite all their best efforts, the trio is unable to find Grim, and they eventually meet up in front of Ramshackle to discuss their next plan of action.

Upon seeing Yuu’s injuries, which she has still yet to treat due to being more focused on Grim, Ace and Deuce insist on taking her inside to treat her wounds despite her being far more worried about Grim than herself.

In the end, the guys’ stubbornness wins out, so they’re able to force Yuu to go inside so they can use her dorm’s first aid kit to treat her hands. 

Thankfully, Yuu happens to have some magical healing cream in the first aid kit, so these wounds will be fully healed come morning time.

As she’s being treated, Deuce suggests contacting Crowley about what’s going on, but Yuu is against the idea since she’s worried about will happen to Grim if the Headmage finds out what Grim has been doing. 

What if he kicks Grim out of NRC because he’s considered to be too dangerous?

Because she makes a good point, now Ace and Deuce are reluctant to go to Crowley, especially since they know that kicking Grim out means also kicking Yuu out since they’re a package deal, and she won’t have anywhere else to go since she’s from another world. 

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they want to keep all of this under wraps. Yuu just wants to be the first person to find Grim and get him to calm down before any adults get involved.

(Even though she has come to trust some of the adults at NRC at this point, Yuu still doesn’t trust them to the point that she thinks she can completely rely on them, especially not in a situation like this when her and Grim’s fate is on the line.)

Once Yuu’s hands have been treated, the trio take a moment to try to figure out what they should do about Grim. What other methods could they try to find him since simply running around isn’t enough?

Ace brings up the school’s security cameras, but he’s not sure how they could gain access to them in order to get a full view of NRC’s campus.

Thankfully, Yuu does. She immediately calls Idia, whom she knows would still be awake at this late hour since that’s often the case with him.

Knowing how much Idia likes Grim, Yuu tells Idia that Grim is in trouble and needs his help before explaining how she needs his help accessing the security cameras to find Grim.

Naturally, Idia is quick to agree to help because he can’t bear the thought of NRC losing Grim as a student. He also sends Ortho out to find Grim like what happens in the game. Ortho, of course, is all too happy to help since Yuu and Grim are their friends.

Since Ortho has everything covered, Idia tells Yuu to just remain at her dorm since Ortho will bring Grim over once he’s been safely apprehended.

From there, things proceed like in canon with Ortho finding Grim without much issue and knocking him out to prevent him from struggling further.

As that’s happening, Idia is questioning Yuu about what happened to Grim, and she decides to be honest with him since he’s going out of his way to help Grim. Plus, because she knows how smart Idia is, she’s hoping he possibly can figure out what’s going on with Grim.

Once she tells Idia everything that happened and brings up the blot crystals, a conversation like what happened with Crowley in the game occurs since Idia knows exactly what they are and is quick to get a grasp on the current situation at hand.

When Idia asks just how many blot crystals Grim has eaten, Yuu confesses that she’s not entirely sure, because he could’ve easily eaten some in secret. At the most, it would be six in total since there were five Overblots and that one incident at the mine.

Even though the OB incidents are supposed to be on the down low, Yuu ends up telling Idia about them because Ace and Deuce brought them up, and she figures it would be fine for Iida to know since it’s not like he goes around interacting with people enough to spread rumors anyway lol

Naturally, Idia is dumbfounded about this new information. He cannot believe that many OBs have happened in the span of half a year, and he really can’t believe that Styx hasn’t already gotten involved.

Around that time, Ortho arrives at Ramshackle with Grim in tow, much to Yuu/Ace/Deuce’s relief, although Ace tries to act like he wasn’t at all worried lol

Once Grim is safely back at home, Yuu asks Idia what she should do since she really has no idea how to handle a situation like this, and he seems to be quite knowledgeable on this particular subject.

Ortho helpfully suggests having Grim sent to Styx to be examined, which leads to him explaining to Yuu/Ace/Deuce what Styx is and how it’s run by the Shroud family.

Idia’s not a fan of that idea, though, cause if he gets Styx involved that means more work for him in the future and he’s got a big game event he needs to prepare for lol 😂

However, Idia also doesn’t want to leave Grim as is since he could still be a threat, and he doesn’t want Grim’s health to be put at risk.

That’s why Idia suggests Grim staying at Ignihyde for the next few days so Idia can personally examine him and oversee him to ensure Grim won’t endanger anyone else.

Idia has done plenty of work for his family’s company, so he’s confident that he can handle Grim’s case on his own. Plus, getting to work with a cute kitty makes him extra motivated haha

While Yuu is reluctant to be apart from Grim, she knows that she can’t afford to take any risks after his recent behavior. Plus, she’s also worried about his health, so an examination seems like the best idea.

Yuu trusts Idia and Ortho, so she agrees to leave Grim in their care after thanking them for all their help. 

When Idia says that he’ll let her know when he thinks it’s safe for her to visit Grim, Yuu asks him and Ortho to let Grim know, if he wakes up before then and remembers what happened at the coliseum, that she doesn’t hold him responsible for her injuries. 

Ortho cheerfully promises to pass along her message and also promises to ensure that Grim will be well taken care of so she won’t have anything to worry about.

After she thanks him, Ortho takes Grim, so they can head to Ignihyde. Just as Idia is getting ready to end the call, which lasted too long for his comfort, Yuu quickly asks him about the OB guys. 

While she understands not wanting to get Styx involved in Grim’s case, will he do the same about the OB guys, or does he have to report to Styx about them?

Idia tells her that he probably should report them, but he has no interest in doing so for the same reason he doesn’t want to report Grim’s situation. So if she’s worried about her friends getting involved with Styx because she told him everything, she doesn’t need to be. Idia has no intention to tell anyone if he can help it.

Yuu is very relieved about this since, while she would understand Idia’s position if he did tell Styx about the OB guys, she would’ve still felt uncomfortable about the whole situation since it would’ve come about because she revealed info that she was supposed to keep secret. 

Another question Yuu ends up asking is what to do about Crowley since Grim will likely be missing school for the next few days. 

After thinking it over for a moment, Idia says that Yuu should contact Crowley about what happened tomorrow but downplay the whole situation. Ergo rather than admit Grim was doing some dangerous stuff earlier, just make it seem like Grim is feeling sick/acting strange due to the blot crystals and that’s why Idia is looking after him for the next few days to keep an eye on him.

Thankfully, when Yuu does just that, Crowley seems fine with leaving things to Idia. He asks to be kept updated but is otherwise alright with not taking any further action on his part.

(I feel like he would act like this since he doesn’t know about Yuu getting attacked and he isn’t dealing with the pressure of the cultural festival’s success due to the festival being over unlike in canon.)

The next few days pass, with Yuu worrying about Grim. While she does get updates from Ortho, her worry never abates since this whole situation just gives her a really bad feeling. 

It also doesn’t help that the night of Grim’s strange behavior she had a dream about that scene from Hercules involving Hades and Zeus. Not only that, she also saw some memories involving a very young Idia, who was around two or three years old at the time, which is how she gets her first glimpse of Styx headquarters.

Naturally, Yuu is on edge since this implies that Idia will be the next to Overblot. However, she doesn’t know how that’s possible since in the memories she saw it was mentioned by Idia’s parents that the Shroud family are cursed so they never have to worry about accumulating blot, so Yuu really has no idea what to make of this situation.

In the end, Yuu still finds herself asking Ortho if Idia is doing alright whenever she gets updates on Grim. She’ll ask if Idia’s overworking himself, if he’s getting enough sleep, etc. 

Since such questions aren’t too out of the ordinary coming from her, Ortho doesn’t find her behavior strange and is just happy that she’s showing concern on his brother’s behalf.

The only people Yuu shares her concerns with are Jamil and Leona, the latter because of his intelligence/quick thinking and the former because Jamil always keeps a close eye on her, especially after Book 5 events due to the breakdown she had over predicting Vil’s OB, so there was no hiding her anxiousness from him.

Yuu also tells them about what happened to Grim since she trusts them to keep it a secret. Plus, she wanted to hear their feedback on that as well.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much the guys can provide with the little info they have, but they both agree that something suspicious is going on, both with Grim and the whole OB situation as a whole. 

By the time Vil hosts a meeting for the NRC tribe at Ramshackle, Grim is still with Idia, although Idia has told Yuu that, while he hasn’t made any real progress with Grim’s examination, he thinks that it will soon be safe to return Grim to Ramshackle or at least have her visit Grim at Ignihyde since Grim hasn’t shown any signs of returning to his previous dangerous behavior. 

As a result, the meeting with the NRC tribe happens just like it does in canon.

As far the conversation about donations is concerned, although Ramshackle has had some renovations done thanks to Leona using some of his money on it after Book 2, the dorm is still in need of plenty of repairs such as getting a new roof and fixing the plumbing.

That’s because Leona’s renovations mostly focused on the kitchen, the flooring, and ensuring Yuu had a proper bed to sleep on, although Ruggie did hire a guy to ensure there weren’t any serous hazards in the building. 

Ruggie had wanted to take care of the all the plumbing, etc, but since these renovations were done during the week Yuu was staying at Savanaclaw acting as Leona’s errand girl to get his help with her final exam studies, he only had a limited amount of time to get things done since this was all meant to be a surprise for her.

That’s why there are still plenty of issues with Ramshackle that get pointed out by Kalim lol 

When Kalim and the others start donating their money to Ramshackle, Yuu is very surprised but also very touched. Although she’s half-tempted to refuse since she’s the type that wants to work for whatever money she is given, she accepts the money in the end since she knows it’s money that the guys don’t even want to keep, and she can understand them wanting to give back to the place they stayed at for the last month.

Yuu is quick to tell Deuce that he doesn’t have to worry about donating anything since she knows his family could use the money, so at her insistence, Deuce happily accepts the money, like Ace.

However, Deuce does promise that he’ll help Yuu out the next time she goes grocery shopping since that’s what friends are for, and he wants to do something for her, especially since she had been a great encouragement to him during the SDC/VDC training.

After complaining about Deuce making him look bad, Ace promises to treat Yuu and Grim at the cafeteria but only as long as Grim doesn’t go crazy lol

Yuu warmly thanks everyone for their help and promises to invite everyone over for a party to celebrate once Ramshackle has been renovated, an idea that’s welcomed by everyone. 

The next change from canon happens during the conversation with Rook about his opinion of their SDC/VDC performance.

After hearing what Rook had to say, Yuu decides to provide her own feedback as someone who was in the audience since I think that would’ve been nice to add to the game, although obviously the dialogue choices are limited for us.

Anyway, Yuu admits that she noticed a difference between their rehearsal performance and their public performance. However, if she were to choose which was the best one, she’d actually say it was the latter, which really catches Vil and Rook by surprise.

Yuu says this because that was the first time she saw Vil perform where he wasn’t performing just for the sake of beating Neige and becoming the most beautiful. During that last performance, he was performing for his team’s sake as well as for his fans because he wanted to give everyone a performance they wouldn’t be ashamed of/be disappointed in. 

That’s why, while it was true that their battered down bodies hindered their movements in that performance, that was Yuu’s favorite performance, because it felt like that was the first time they all really came together as a team.

And she’s sure that’s why they got as many votes as they did despite them not performing at their best. Just as Neige’s team put all they had into their performance, Vil’s team did the same.

That’s why, even after learning about Neige’s circumstances, Yuu would’ve still voted for the NRC tribe because both teams gave it their all, but in her eyes, no one shined brighter than her friends.

Of course, Yuu realizes that she might be too biased, but regardless, those are her true feelings.

Upon hearing this, there’s a noticeable positive change in the mood of the room, so Yuu’s words were definitely welcomed, although Ace complains about Yuu being too sappy as always, which earns him a sharp reprimand from Deuce who’s always quick to come to her defense. 

Meanwhile, Rook is waxing poetic about how Yuu’s pure feelings have touched all their hearts, etc. etc. 😂

While Vil’s overall feelings about his performance haven’t changed, he does thank Yuu for her words and for sharing her opinion since he knows how important it is to hear from those in the audience, and regardless of her bias, it’s nice to hear that she wasn’t at all disappointed with their final performance.

During this conversation, Yuu also says that she thinks that Vil looked the most beautiful she had ever seen him during that performance, which is why she had taken a picture of him on her phone since she had wanted to show it to him cause she wanted to make sure he saw what she thought was such a beautiful sight.

Thanks to all her practice with the ghost camera, Yuu has gotten pretty good at taking pictures, so she was able to get a great shot of Vil, one that Rook eagerly asks for a copy of to add to his collection lol

Even though he watched the performance several times after the fact, Vil finds himself feeling surprised when he looks at the photo since he looks different from how he did in the video to which Rook claims that it’s because they’re seeing Vil from Yuu’s POV.

Through her magnificent photography, Yuu was able to connect her heart to everyone else’s, so everyone can see what she did.

Vil rolls his eyes at Rook’s usual theatrics, but he acknowledges that some photos can only be possible as a result of certain people’s efforts. So this picture was obviously something that only Yuu could pull off that the cameraman for the video failed to do. 

In the end, Vil chalks it up to Yuu being so attentive to the people around her. She sees a lot of things most people miss out on, much like Rook, so he supposes he shouldn’t be surprised that she was able to take a picture like this that shows him at his absolute best.

While he doesn’t outright admit it, Vil is very pleased with the photo. Rather than say as much, he compliments her photography skills and tells her that she has his permission to keep the photo as long she doesn’t go sharing it anywhere else, aside from with Rook lol 

Regrettably, that good mood doesn’t last for long since it’s around that time that Yuu’s Quirk activates and shows her a vision of the Charon units invading Ramshackle.

It’s a very brief vision that only shows her that they’ll be crashing through the windows, but she doesn’t mind since it gives her enough time to warn everyone and get them away from the windows before the Charon units arrive.

From there, things happen like they do in canon, with Yuu wondering what the hell is going on and why Vil and Jamil seem to be the targets.

After Vil and Jamil get taken out, Yuu tries to keep the other first years from attacking to save Grim who has arrived on the scene, but she gets distracted by Grim who pleads for her to save him.

In that moment, all Yuu can think about is all the children back in her world that she failed to save - who desperately pleaded for her help but were still abandoned despite all her best efforts to protect them.

Unable to bear the thought of failing anyone else like that again, Yuu focuses all her attention on getting to Grim, so while the battle with the first years starts, Yuu quickly and silently circles around to approach the Charon units, intending to grab Grim’s cage while they’re distracted.

Seeing what she’s doing, the others do their best to keep the Charon units’ attention, including Kalim and Rook who are worried about her getting hurt if she gets discovered.

Unfortunately, Yuu gets caught in the act as soon as she lays hands on the cage containing Grim. However, she manages to get a good grip on it, so the Charon unit member holding the cage can’t immediately shake her off, especially not when she manages to wrap her legs around their waist to further impede their efforts.

It’s during this struggle that Yuu catches sight of the symbols on the Charon units’ shoulders and immediately recognizes them due to the memories she saw of Idia’s past.

Upon realizing that she’s dealing with Styx members, Yuu immediately starts questioning them, because she’s now wondering if Grim’s in the kind of situation where he needs to go to their headquarters for the sake of his health. 

Did something happen with Idia and he just didn’t get the chance to tell her yet? Or did Styx show up despite Idia’s best efforts to avoid getting them involved?

Unfortunately, one of the other Charon units takes advantage of Yuu stopping her resistance efforts and use the same spell they used on Vil/Jamil to shock her, causing her to lose her grip on Grim’s cage and his captor, much to her friends’ distress.

Yuu ends up briefly losing consciousness due to the stun spell, and during her brief bout of unconsciousness, she has another dream about Hades and sees another memory of Idia’s past. 

In this particular memory, Yuu sees Idia with a baby Ortho. In any other situation, such a cute sight would be very welcomed by her, but all she feels is dread because that Ortho is clearly human unlike the Ortho she knows.

Which begs the question: What happened to Ortho Shroud?

“I’m not gonna like how this story ends, am I, Idia-senpai?”

Even though he obviously can’t hear her, a sad Yuu asks that question while she watches the Shroud brothers in the memory.

Up until this point, she has seen a lot of sad things when viewing her friends’ memories, but she has a feeling these memories will be the worst yet, making her wish she didn’t have this strange memory viewing ability.

Because some things are better left unknown.

After she sees that memory, Yuu regains consciousness and finds herself in a worried Kalim’s arms while Rook is knelt down on her other side. 

Both of them are beyond relieved to see her awake, which makes her feel guilty for worrying them. 

It’s as she’s apologizing for causing them trouble that she remembers Ace and the others. When she looks for them, she sees the three first years all out cold, much to her distress.

Rook assures her that they’re alive and that they’ll be fine once they get proper treatment. He then asks her about her status, and she tells him that she’s fine since there thankfully weren’t any long-lasting side effects to that electrical attack that was used on her.

Now that Yuu is awake, Rook says that he’ll escort her and the other first years to the infirmary and asks Kalim to take care of alerting everyone else about what just happened.

Yuu volunteers to carry Epel via piggyback to the infirmary since he’s not very heavy/shorter than her, so Rook takes care of transporting Ace and Deuce.

After Kalim runs off to alert the other dorm leaders, Rook inquires about Yuu’s actions while confronting the Charon units, so she explains the situation with Grim and how Idia plays into everything. 

Rather than bring up the memory of Idia’s past, however, Yuu just says that she recognized the symbol on the Charon units shoulders as belonging to Styx which she learned about from Idia/Ortho.

All the while, Yuu’s mind is racing since Styx made off with Grim, Vil, and Jamil, and according to Rook, Ace couldn’t make contact with Riddle, which leads her to believe that all the OB guys were targeted since that would make the most sense.

Just to confirm her suspicions, Yuu tries to call all the OB guys as well as Idia, but no one answers their phones. 

Yuu isn’t too surprised about Idia not responding since he said it would be likely that he’d get dragged into things if Styx got involved which is what he was hoping to avoid.

This makes her wonder how Styx found about Grim and the others. Did something happen that made Idia think Styx needed to be contacted, or did someone else contact them?

If it’s the latter, then who’s responsible for this chaos?

Yuu doesn’t ponder that matter for too long, however, since most of her thoughts are focused on her injured friends and Idia’s possible future OB, the latter of which could possibly happen while he’s off campus with the others, meaning she’ll be unable to help like with the other OB battles.

Needless to say, she’s an anxious mess, even though she’s doing her best to not let it show or affect her actions.

Miraculously, she manages to get Epel to the infirmary without any issue despite the kind of mental state she’s in, and while Rook leaves to check on Pomefiore, Yuu remains in the infirmary long enough to do whatever she can to help the nurse tend to her friends’ injuries since the nurse’s hands are full with other patients and Yuu is well-versed with performing first aid.

Around the time Yuu finishes tending to her friends, Rook comes by to pick her up, so she can join the meeting in Crowley’s office since he thinks the information she has at her disposal will be vital to the meeting.

It’s not until Yuu enters Crowley’s office that she remembers that she didn’t really come out unscathed from the battle at Ramshackle. That’s because Ruggie is immediately checking her over when he sees her battered state and reprimands her when he finds out she was in the infirmary but didn’t get herself treated.

In her defense, Yuu completely forgot about her injuries since they’re all minor scratches/bruises thanks to the debris flying around, so she didn’t pay much attention to her state. Of course, Ruggie isn’t pleased with that excuse and orders her to return to the infirmary as soon as the meeting is over.

After that, the meeting is much like it is in the game, although a lot of the info revealed comes from Yuu. During this time, Yuu reveals what happened with Grim, but she still refrains from mentioning how he actually injured her since she still wants to avoid him getting into trouble for that.

(Things also pass the same with the OB gang, with the only difference being that Leona/Jamil think it’s likely that Yuu will try to get involved in this situation, which they want to avoid since she’ll just be putting herself in danger like all the other OB incidents.

Unfortunately, they know how stubborn she is, so if there’s a way for her to find an island that nobody knows the location of, it will be her lol)

After the meeting concludes, Yuu leaves the office with Rook and Ruggie, and the conversation from the game remains the same, just with some added mother-henning on Ruggie’s part haha

When Jack joins the group, he’s noticeably irritated upon realizing that Yuu got hurt, although he still keeps his usual level head, and she thanks him for worrying about her and assures him that she’s fine.

With Jack on the scene, Ruggie orders him to make sure Yuu gets properly treated in the infirmary in addition to checking to see if anyone from their dorm is there since Ruggie has other work he needs to do.

The infirmary visit overall happens just as it does in the game. One main difference is that Yuu apologizes to Crewel for not being able to stop the others and for her reckless behavior. She should’ve focused on the other first years, but at the sight of Grim’s plight, everything faded into the background because all she could think about was saving him.

Yuu knows that everything Crewel said was right. She and her friends could’ve easily died if that was the enemy’s true goal, and she deeply regrets her weakness and inability to protect the people so important to her.

In all her years, she has never felt more useless than right now.

Thankfully, she does feel a little better thanks to Jack’s encouragement. At the very least, it helps her switch to a more productive mindset since she knows he’s right about it being a waste of time to dwell on past mistakes.

She’s also encouraged by Crewel’s words about her class being under his protection and his obvious displeasure over what happened to his pups. 

However, while she doesn’t say as much, she doesn’t agree with leaving everything to the adults since, while she thinks most of the adults at NRC are very competent/decent people, Yuu still can’t bring herself to fully rely on them.

Plus, it’s just not in her nature to sit back and leave things to other people, especially when it’s involving matters that directly affect her and the people important to her.

That’s why Yuu is determined to find a way to the Island of Woe. She has to find out what’s going on with her friends and Grim and check on Idia who still hasn’t returned any of her calls. 

For that reason, when she and Epel later start heading for the Hall of Mirrors, Yuu asks if they can go on a quick detour to Ramshackle cause she wants to pick up the ring she got from Malleus as Christmas present.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t wearing it at the time of the Charon units’ attack since she doesn’t typically wear it when she’s just at the dorm. Otherwise, it would’ve been able to protect her from that stun spell that was used on her since the ring is able to reflect all magical attacks used on her.

While Epel understands her wanting to collect something like that after recent events, he thinks it’s unwise to enter the dilapidated remains of Ramshackle since it’s dangerous. 

Thankfully, Yuu has a way around that. She’ll get the Ramshackle Ghosts to retrieve the ring for her.

At least, that was her plan, but they end up not needing to go to Ramshackle because the ghosts came looking for her so they could bring the ring to her because they were worried about her and thought she’d be safer wearing it.

Naturally, Yuu is very touched by their kindness. She gives them a big thank you and also apologizes for Ramshackle’s current state. 

The ghosts are just glad she’s alright and are honestly more worried about Grim since they know what happened to him.

After passing along the info she had that they didn’t already know to the ghosts, Yuu parts ways with them and follows Epel to Pomefiore since, while she wants to go to Grim and the others’ rescue, she first needs to think of a proper plan since she can’t afford to be reckless.

Just like in the game, when they enter the Hall of Mirrors, they run into Rook who reveals that he intends to go after Vil and the others. 

Yuu quickly realizes this is the opportunity she was looking for. If Rook is looking that confident, he clearly knows how to get to the Island of Woe, so he’s her best shot at getting there.

Before she can say that she wants to join him, however, Rook takes off, much to her frustration.

Just as she’s wondering how she can chase after him, Epel begins wondering what to do like in the game.

When he gets to the point where he decides that he can’t just stick around, Yuu realizes he’s in the same boat as her, and she doesn’t know why she’s surprised. Of course, Epel hates this situation as much as she does. He doesn’t like to sit around and let other people do the work any more than she does.

Yuu tells Epel that, even though it may be reckless and stupid of her to feel this way, she wants to go where her friends are. She can’t just stand back and do nothing.

Yuu hates being useless more than anything, so she refuses to remain on the sidelines. She won’t let her life be filled with regrets about what she could’ve or should’ve done.

She’s going to do the things she wants to do regardless of how her actions may appear to others, because she wants to be true to herself and live a life without any more regrets.

Because the regrets she accumulated back in her world are enough to last her a lifetime.

Epel is equally as motivated, so they quickly pursue Rook via broom in order to force themselves into his rescue team.

From there on, things proceed like in canon, with no noticeable differences worth mentioning. Rook allows them to join him, and Yuu/Epel get amazed by the villas that his family owns lol

In regards to the cell phone situation, in the game, the trio turn their phones off in order to avoid being tracked via their GPS. However, up until that point, Yuu takes any chance she can get to try to call Idia, but as expected, he never answers.

When they finally reach their destination, Yuu’s group enacts the same plan as they do in canon, and she makes sure to remove her ring, intending to keep that as her secret weapon.

Near the end of the battle, Yuu’s Quirk activates, showing her a brief vision of Idia’s OB. Unfortunately, just like with the others, she has no idea what caused it, and she’s especially confused this time because his curse should prevent him from accumulating so much blot.

Before she can ruminate on the matter for too long, the battle ends, and the Charon units knock out her, Epel, and Rook. While she’s asleep, Yuu has another dream about Hades, and she sees memories of Idia and Ortho playing together.

The last memory she sees is of Idia deciding that he’ll find a way for him and Ortho to go on an adventure together, and for some reason, this particular memory gives Yuu a strong feeling of foreboding, which makes her afraid to see what will happen next.

After she sees that memory, Yuu wakes up and finds herself on the Island of Woe, like in the game. However, the story slightly veers from canon at this point.

Before Idia can really say anything, Yuu is on her feet, glaring at him, and stomping menacingly toward him. He feels more scared than he’d like to admit and wonders why the hell she looks so pissed.

He gets his answer when Yuu tears into him for worrying her so much. All this time, she’s been trying to call him to find out if he, Ortho, Grim, and the others are okay, but he never once returned her calls, not even to say they’re alive! He’s got a lot of nerve making her worry so much!

Things only get worse for Idia cause Ortho starts giving him a disapproving look. That’s because Ortho specifically told Iida to contact Yuu so she wouldn’t worry. 

Even if Idia’s not allowed to divulge classified info, he could’ve still contacted Yuu and say something to assuage her worries.

“Yuu-san is the only friend you have, Nii-san! You have to take better care of her!”

“That’s right! You gotta take better care of me, Idia-senpai!”

Idia’s outnumbered and outmatched, so he apologizes and pleads for Yuu to back off cause she’s really intimidating when she’s this angry and he can’t handle Ortho looking at him with such a disappointed expression lol 😂

In the background, Epel’s marveling at how well Yuu is handling herself against Iida. Rook thinks it really was a great idea to have her on their team and waxes some poetics about how beautiful Yuu’s friendship with Iida/Ortho is haha

Once she gets a proper apology from Idia, she asks Ortho for a health report on his brother, and Ortho’s all too happy to comply.

Idia’s utterly dumbfounded when Ortho starts telling Yuu when his brother last ate a proper meal, drank water, slept, etc. His shock only grows when he finds out this kind of exchange is normal for them cause Ortho asked Yuu for help in keeping an eye on Iida a while back, so this is just a part of that process, much to Idia’s dismay.

Idia immediately starts complaining cause while he agreed that Yuu could adopt Ortho he never gave permission for her to mother him! Keep that mother-hen mode to yourself!

Yuu just rolls her eyes and says she only does this because Ortho asked her to, and she can’t just ignore a friend who tries to live off sweets and energy drinks.

It’s not like she wants to dote on anyone other than her sons. Idia just leaves her no choice in the matter because he takes such poor care of himself. 

Ortho just thinks Yuu’s doing what any good friend would do and is in full support of her efforts. Meanwhile, Idia is wondering what he did to end up on this bad end route. He thought things were bad enough as it is with him having to deal with the SSR Troublemakers, but this is just horrible. He wants to lock himself in his room so bad and never leave again lol

Since he doesn’t wanna deal with this conversation anymore, Idia gets things back on track and asks Yuu’s group why they’re at the Island of Woe.

Rook and Epel give their canon answers, but in the case of Yuu, she says that she came cause she was worried about everyone, Idia and Ortho included. She wanted to see for herself if they were alright, so she came here.

While Ortho’s happy that she was worried on their behalf, Idia’s confused since he has no idea why she would be worried about them. It’s not like it’s been a long period of time since they last spoke, so wasn’t she totally jumping the gun here?

Rather than reveal she was worried about his OB, Yuu just says that she was worried that he and Ortho got in trouble with Styx and that was why they were brought back here along with the OB guys cause that is also technically the truth.

Since Idia didn’t contact Styx about Grim or the OB guys like he should’ve done, Yuu thought maybe he would get punished, and that was why he never answered her calls cause he couldn’t.

In the end, Yuu just sums it all up with: “So many people that I care about were taken without any explanation. Of course, I would be so worried that I couldn’t sit around. Yes, it was dangerous to come, but staying at NRC, drowning in my fears and regrets, would’ve been just as harmful to my health. So I decided to just do what I wanted regardless of how stupid or reckless my actions may seem, because I don’t want to live a life full of regrets.”

Idia’s response is much like how it is in the game, but deep down, there’s a small part of him that can’t help but feel a little happy that she was actually worried about him. Of course, he would never ever acknowledge the existence of those feelings or admit to feeling them lol

From there, things proceed like in canon with Ortho being in charge of Yuu’s group while Idia gets back to HQ with the cosmetics that Rook asked him to deliver to Vil.

One difference that occurs is that Yuu overhears Ortho talking about what happened to him, and a chill runs down her spine at that remark.

Before she can question him, however, Ortho cheerfully takes her by the hand and begins escorting her group to the room they’ll be staying in, making her lose the opportunity to ask him to elaborate on his foreboding words.

The next change from canon happens after Ortho leaves the room he dropped Yuu, Epel, and Rook off in. Yuu gets a vision about the conversation between the Shroud brothers that talks about their family and its curse, providing more details about it.

After she has that vision, Yuu finds herself once again wondering how Iida could possibly OB when he has that curse. It just doesn’t make sense to her.

She also wonders just how much time they have before Idia’s OB happens. She couldn’t get an exact time from her vision, but she knows it’ll be happening in the near future, definitely while they’re all still at Styx HQ.

Having noticed her obvious distress, Rook and Epel question Yuu about her vision and about what’s on her mind, so she tells them about what she foresaw. 

In the case of Idia’s OB, she has to give hints about it since her drawback won’t allow her to reveal the contents of visions that foretell serious events like that.

She also reveals that she had a feeling this would happen even before her vision because of the dreams of the Seven Greats situation she’s in. She apologizes for not saying anything sooner, but she really didn’t want to say anything without any actual proof. Plus, a small part of her just didn’t want to jinx things in the futile hope that maybe Idia wouldn’t actually Overblot.

Plus, keeping secrets is just per the norm for her now that she finds herself doing it even when it’s not actually necessary. 

Thankfully, Epel and Rook don’t hold it against her, although Rook does gently chide her for keeping all those worries to herself. He’s her upperclassmen, someone she should rely on in times like this, so he’d like for her to come to him with all her fears and troubles since he wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever he could to help her.

Epel’s quick to jump on the bandwagon and says that since they’re friends Yuu shouldn’t hold back with him. No matter how crazy something sounds, if it’s coming from Yuu, he’ll believe it cause he trusts her and knows she’d never lie about something as serious as this.

Touched by their words, Yuu thanks them and promises not to keep her worries to herself anymore. She then asks for their help since she knows she can’t solve this problem on her own, and they both immediately agree.

While having their support is encouraging, Yuu can’t help but still feel anxious, because she has a bad feeling about what’s all to come in the near future.

She can only hope she’s wrong.

To be continued.

[starsscribble]

Stick Shift

Summary: Rick thinks he freeing Y/n. Y/n thinks she's the problem.

Tags: Angst, No comfort, Age Difference, Reader is 25 Rick is in in 40.

A/n: This was when I was on my Walking Dead kick. Finally got it edited.

But today I drove through the suburbs

Crying 'cause you weren't around

  You pulled into the post-apocalyptic suburbs; in a separate car than what Glenn and you left in. Your earlier pride of find and driving said care was gone. Now in it place was a numb type of sadness. It was stupid. You know that. Getting worked up over the fact you were driving a stick shift. All on your own. But Rick. Your boyfriend; ex-boyfriend now. He had been the one to teach you how to drive a stick shift. Before Virginia. When the group was still in the prison. When you were both still happy.

  “Come on,” his southern drawl was clear as day. You let out a puff of air. Head pushing against the headrest. “This was your idea. You gotta confess something.” You started to hate that you suggested this game, but the drive was so damn long. You didn’t have the radio to help distract you. No, it was just you, Rick, and a long stretch of Georgia backroad. The former sheriff’s right hand shifted off the steering wheel. Moving carefully as not to catch your attention. You were still racking your brain for a secret to tell. Then a yelp left your mouth. You jumped in your seat making the older man laugh. Hand retreated to the wheel.

“That’s what you get for taking so long pumpkin.” He grinned; eyes shifted from the road onto you. A hint of playfulness in those ocean blue eyes. 

“I was thinking of something!” You shot back making him chuckle before looking back to the road. 

“There’s gotta be something you have never told anyone.”

“Well,” you hummed. Readjusting in your seat. “I don’t know if this would count because I’ve never told this to anyone in the group.”

“I’ll count it.” He glances at you quickly, still smiling. Which makes you smile.

“Alright. I don’t know how to drive a stick shift.” You feel the jerk was the car spot. Rick looked at you as if you just told him the undead are all gone. Eye full of disbelief. 

“You’re joking.” He speaks after a beat and you shake your head. Nope, you couldn’t drive a stick to save your life. And with how the world was it just might. Rick took off his seatbelt as you questioned just what he was doing. “I’m gonna teach you how to drive stick. You might need it.”

“We are on a run.”

“Yep and this is the perfect time. Now get into the driver’s seat.”

  Slowly you parked next to Glenn. Killing the engine you got out as Glenn moved over to your vehicle. He smiled at you. Today was a good day. Got more food, medicine, and another car. The possibilities for cars were endless. Used for parts. Set up at protection. Used as traps. Daryl Dixon the town resident mechanic would have a field day with this car.

“I’m gonna check in with Rick,” Glenn says. You see him playing with his wedding band. Maggie’s baby bump had started to show and Glenn didn’t like being away for too long. Patting his shoulder you speak.

“Go see Maggie and your baby.” You slammed the driver’s side door shut. The dark-haired man stares at you. Willing to argue with you on this.

“Really it’s-” You raised your hand stopping him.

“If you don’t go check up on Maggie. I will and I’ll tell her how you screamed like a girl.” His eyes widen at the threat. 

“I didn’t know a group of bats would be in there!” He defended himself only making you grin at him. You both head away from the parking area. Back towards the stretch of cookie-cutter homes. You nudge his shoulder with yours.

“First it’s a colony of bats. Second, not only was the scream funny, so was your face.” You teased him. Glenn shoved your shoulder playfully. Before mumbling that he was going to check in with his wife. Leaving you with the task of checking in with the community’s newly appointed leader Rick. 

  Jogging onto his porch you knocked on the door. Eyes looking everywhere but the door until it opened. Sadly it wasn’t the male you were looking for. Carl greeted you with a soft smile. The bandages that once covered his right eye socket had been replaced with a custom-made eyepatch.

“Ahoy captain.” You tease the teenager who rolled his remaining eye. “Your dad here? Just checking in since Glenn and I got back.”

“Nope. Haven’t seen him since this morning.” Carl tells you, making you nodded. “When I see him…” He trails off because he knows you will just hunt his dad down. “I don’t know where he is.” He's lying. You know it. He knows that you know. But you just nod and quickly thank him. Tell him to kiss his sister for you before turning off the porch.

  And you're probably with that blonde girl

Who always made me doubt

She's so much older than me

She's everything I'm insecure about

  You know where Rick Grimes is. Feet carrying you down the still blood-stained street. Streets that just weeks ago were covered with the undead. You wave kindly to the people passing by. It is a mix of your group, older residents, and new people. You still feel out of place. Maybe you always will. Maybe you won't. You wonder quietly to yourself. A nice distraction. Because if you thought about where you were going. Where you had to go. You might just break. So you let your mind wander. Let your feet carry you to the destination. Everything seemed to be on autopilot. Until your using the knocker of the baby blue house. Her house.

“We should end this,” Rick says matter-of-factly. You stopped brushing your hair to look at him. He’s not facing you. Back facing you as he pulled his jeans on. 

“What?” Maybe you misheard him. Maybe it was your ear playing a trick on you. Because Rick couldn’t be breaking up with you right now.

“We should break up.” He rephrases. The words take the air from your lungs. Your mouth opened to say words that your mind can’t even come up with. The silence in the room grew by the seconds. It finally became too much for the man as he turned to face you. Jeans zipped up but not buttoned. Belt lay next to his shirt on the bed but his eyes fell on you instead. 

“Say something.” He requested of you softly. That same soft voice that he used when he said he loved you. Tears that formed in your eyes finally fell as you blinked. Once. Twice. Three times. Before you looked him in the eyes.

“Is it me? Did I do something wrong?” Getting shot was nothing compared to your question to him. Because he knew you honestly thought you did something wrong. You always doubted yourself. But you were perfect. So goddamn perfect. And amazing. And young. 

“No sweetheart. It’s just…” He stops himself from going over to embrace you. Tell you to forget about it. Because this has to happen. You're 24. His 39. Even if the group. His and your family were ok with it. He heard the whispers around town. The other weren’t as supportive. 

“I think we should end this. We had an amazing run. And you're young. You’re gonna find someone else that will love you more than I ever could.” He breaks his own heart with his words. Because he doesn’t want you to find someone else. He wants to be with you until the end. When and where ever the end was. But you deserve better. You deserve someone around your age. Not an old man with two children like him. 

“I…” you stare at him. Cheeks strained with tears he caused. “I don’t want someone else.” You grab the comforter. It gets balled up as you tighten your grip on the fabric. Your mind running over everything you had done in the last weeks to get to the point. You had snapped at him a few days back because of Jessie Anderson. The blonde woman in her thirties that lived up the street. You didn’t hear what they were talking but her body language told you everything. She was flirting with Rick. And either he didn’t notice or didn’t care. Doubt played in your mind the whole day after seeing the interaction. Because Jessie was around Rick’s age. And you weren’t. You didn’t really have any life experience before the world ended. So it made sense if Rick preferred a woman his own age. As opposed to you, a 24-year-old kid in his eyes.

“I can get you a brownstone to stay in.” He said. Brushing off your comment. Which broke your heart even more.

  The door opened showing the blonde that lived there. A smile and questioning look on her face. 

“Is Rick here?” You asked, watching as she turned her head and yelling the man’s name into the home. He comes out from the kitchen; questioning who it was. The question dying in his throat when he saw it was you. Jessie excused herself leaving you and Rick alone. The former sheriff stepped onto the porch, closing the door behind him.

“Hey,” he gives you a tight-lipped smile. Which you return.

“Just came to tell you Glenn and I are back.”

“Right,” he nods. “You guys went on a run. Get anything good?” You nodded before listing off some of the supplies you got. Including the stick shift car. You heard him chuckle. Looking into his eyes you saw that same playfulness as the day he first forced you to drive a stick. 

“You didn’t flood the engine this time right?” He teased and you scoffed, punching him in the shoulder. 

“I was amazing.” You boasted. The older man stared at you and you swear you heard a quiet. ‘Ya, you are.’ 

“You don’t mind if I asked Glenn?” You roll your eyes but smile.

“Go ahead. He's gonna tell you the same thing.” He nodded. Hand going on his hips. You watch as he licks his lips. Your breath hitching as you feel your stomach twisting in knots. “I should go. Need a shower desperately.” You don’t wait for him to say goodbye or stop you. You're off the porch and down the road heading home in a few steps. 

  And all my friends are tired

Of hearing how much I miss you, but

I kinda feel sorry for them

'Cause they'll never know you the way that I do

  Maggie can’t drink. But that doesn’t mean you and Sasha can’t. Sasha, Abraham, and Rosita had come back later in the day from another run. They had been the unlucky ones not finding much of anything. But Sasha apparently found some top-tier booze in a rundown bar. The trio split it up between them. So here you were. Snacking on fresh strawberries drinking booze that would have been at least $100 for a bottle; straight out of the bottle. The three of you resting against the metal wall that protected the town from the nasty world outside.

“So,” Maggie started as she threw a strawberry stem into a bowl filled with them. “Heard someone talk with Rick.” Sasha and her eyes went to you as you grabbed the glass bottle of auburn liquid. Taking a healthy swig you felt the burn as it went down. You were far too sober to be talking about this. Talking about him. Because no one in the group knew why you guys ended it. Just one day you were a happy couple and the next you were packing up and moving into your own brownstone. Sasha took the bottle from you, making you whine. As you tried to reach for it but the former firefighter held it out of reach. Her hand on your chest also keeping you away from it.

“You can get some when you tell us what happened.” She landed down the rule and it makes you groan as you move to lay against the wall. You don't want to talk about it. You just want to wallow and let the scar form on your heart in peace.

A crack of thunder sends the trio onto the back porch of Maggie’s home. Lucky for you guys because moments after; the dark clouds opened up letting down heavy droplets that ping off the porch’s roof. Sasha is distracted by the rain. Asking Maggie if the crops will be ok. Allowing you to snatch the bottle from her hand and take another big glug. The bottle is half gone now. And honestly so are you. The alcohol works fast as your brain starts to go fuzzy. Sasha takes the bottle back slightly annoyed. But it clear the break-up has been hard. So she lets it go.

“You got your drink.” She says putting the cap back on and sitting it to the side out of your reach. “Now tell us what happened.”

“I don’t know.” You sob. You weren’t normally an emotional drunk. But with everything going on with Rick. Tonight you were. 

  And I know we weren't perfect

But I've never felt this way for no one, oh

And I just can't imagine how you could be so okay, now that I'm gone

  Maggie held you as you drunkenly cried. Sasha joined you on the other side, rubbing your back. You finally opened up about your breakup with Rick a month ago. You weren’t sure how much they understood because of the loud rain and your blubbering. But either way, they consoled you. Trying to help the only way they could. And the only way they knew how. Simply being there. Because for a month you kept this end. Kept this to yourself. So those outside of the group saw you were fine. The break-up didn’t seem to affect you. You carried on with work. Talked with Rick when it was needed. You acted fine. 

But the group knew it. Of course, they knew. It was an act. Because they saw how you were breaking. How you had a longing in your eyes when the cowboy boots-wearing man walked by. The smile that rarely reached your lips. You were faking so much of your joy because your heart was broken. 

“I just don’t get how he is so ok. Did I mean nothing?” The two women share a look at your question. Because they also know that Rick isn’t ok. Like you, he is acting. Because he is the leader and can’t break down. But the man isn’t ok. They don’t say that. Rick was the one that ended it. That was on him.

“I don’t know,” Maggie says softly as you rest your head onto her shoulder. “I wish I had the answer for you. But only Rick does.”

  Red lights, stop signs

I still see your face in the white cars, front yards

Can't drive past the places we used to go to

'Cause I still fuckin' love you, babe

  The street lights are now on. It’s still raining when you tell Maggie you were going home. Sasha and her try to get you to stay the night. Or at least until the rain lets up. But the rain isn't letting up. It was so heavy you could barely see a few steps in front of you. But you step off the back porch and disappear down the alleyway of the lined-up homes. You walk. Just walk because you don’t want to go home just yet. If you go home you’ll be lonely. And you don’t want that. Because for a month you have been lonely in that damn brownstone. Rick wasn’t lonely. He was with Jessie. His arms wrapped around her body. Damn your brain. Just because you didn’t want to be lonely didn’t mean you wanted to think about them together. 

  The rain started to ease up as you found yourself passing Rick’s house. The lights upstairs were on. As you quickly looked away from the cookie-cutter home. A shiver ran through you and shoved your hands into your soaked jean pockets. Maybe now was a good time to head home. You haven’t even turned when you heard your name being shouted over the rain. Looking back at Rick’s home you see him rushing off the porch and over to you. His dark brown jacket acting as an umbrella. He puts it mostly over you shielding you from the rain.

“What are you doing out here? You're going to get sick.” He frets because he knows how likely that is. Because after the rainstorm when the group was on the trek through Virginia you had gotten sick. “Come on.” He orders and you walk with him toward his house. 

  Sidewalks we crossed

I still hear your voice in the traffic, we're laughing

Over all the noise

  You smile at him lightly as he places a cup of peppermint tea in your hand; you're favorite. You're in one of his white t-shirt and pajama pants. Your hair, no longer wet from the rain but a hot shower. The alcohol is still in your system. How much you don’t know. 

“What were you doing walking in the rain?” He questioned taking the seat next to you. His own cup of tea in his hand.

“Was drinking with Sasha and Maggie.” You look towards him as his eyebrows knit together as the mention of Maggie and drinking. “Maggie was moderating us. She wasn’t drinking, come on. She knows better.” Rick nods bowing his head because he does know better to think that about Maggie. But his time as a cop taught him that some people just don’t care. Not about themselves. Not about others. And sure as hell not about kids. 

“Where did you get the booze from? Daryl?” You snort at him before blowing on your tea taking a careful sip. Sitting the cup down you look back towards him.

“I ain’t no rat officer.” He chuckles. You both do. A little inside joke between you both. And then the silence fell. The awkward uncertain silence of two people who didn’t know what to say next. You chew on the inside of your cheek as you stare into the tea. Rain still going strong outside, trapping on the roof of your former home.  Rick shifts beside you clearing his throat.

“Judy trying to walk.” It makes you smile a bit. 

“That’s good. Soon she’ll be running over you and Carl.” The older man chuckles nodding in agreement but you don’t see it. Head still bowed. Turning your mug as you watch the tea shift with each motion. 

“Seeing anyone?” He was trying to keep the conversation going. But there had to be another question to ask that wasn’t this. You still answer it by shaking your head.

“No. But you seemed to have moved on.” It has some bite to you. You're bitter. Of course, you are. The man you were in love with. Seemed to easily move on after he ended it. You lift the ceramic mug and take a huge glug of your tea. The warmth fills you but it’s not enough.

“Ya. Jessie, she’s…” He doesn’t know what to say. Jessie is ok. Good to have around. Doesn’t make him feel as empty. But she is just not you. All her touches. All her kisses. They feel off and he knows why. Because the hands touching him aren’t yours. Neither are the lips that kiss him. But Rick is stubborn. Even if it hurts you both, he knows you need better. You deserve the world and he just can’t give it to you.

“She’s perfect.” You looked at him. Sadness, rooted so deeply in your eyes. He wants to pull you into him. Tell you that he is sorry. That he will end it with Jessie. Come back to you. And try to make all of this right. But he already drew his line in the sand and he won’t cross it. Because the moment he touches you he knows it will be his undoing.

“She has her flaws. No one is perfect.” Except for you. He wants to add. He hears a quiet 'ya' then it silence once again.

  God, I'm so blue, know we're through

But I still fuckin' love you, babe

  You were gone when Rick woke up. His clothes lay on the guest bed since you were dried. He wondered just when you left. He wondered if you slept at all. Because he didn’t. Knowing you were in the house but not in his arms. He was restless the whole night. He sighs. Picking clothes up. It was sad that he hoped this wouldn’t be the last time. But it most likely was going to be the only time. Because how often are you going to walk in the rain drunk? He takes the clothes to the laundry room. Before he throws the shirt in the basket he lifts it to his nose. Inhaling the flowery body wash scent from when you shower last night. You must found where he hid the body wash you left behind. 

“Hey, dad!” Carl called out from the kitchen forcing Rick to dump the clothes in the basket. Entering the kitchen he smiled at his son. Judith was already in her high chair waiting for breakfast. Carl stood at the counter. The box of peppermint tea in his hands. Shit. He meant to put that up. Carl’s eye shifts from the box towards the sink. Where the mugs from last night sat unwashed. Then the young man turns to his father.

“Y/n was here wasn’t she?” He questioned but it was really a statement. It is the only reason for this tea to be out with two mugs in the sink.

“Ya,” He replied, moving towards his son and taking the box of tea from his hand. The young man sighed watching his father place the tea on a high shelf so only he could get to it.

“Why?” Carl asked.

“It was raining-”

“No,” he cut his father off. “Why did you break up with her?”

“Carl,” Rick sighed. As he pinched the bridge of his nose. If he didn’t want to have this conversation with Daryl or Michonne. He sure as hell didn’t want it with his son. But like Rick the young survivor was stubborn. He stepped into his father's past every time he tried to move around him.

“Carl,” Rick warns but the boy isn’t back down.

“No. You were happy with Y/n. Happier than I have ever seen you. Even with mom. Even before all of this.” The boy gestures at nothing but Rick knows what he means by that. Because he didn’t want to admit it. But his and Lori’s relationship was at rock bottom before the world ended. 

“So why? What happened?” Carl pressed, making Rick sigh. He wondered. Only for a second. If Michonne had put Carl up to his. But he shook that from his head. Michonne won’t do that. This is purely Carl. Because Carl loves you so much. The both of you had apparently clicked before Rick had gotten to the quarry. And that bond only grew over time. 

“It’s complicated, Carl. Now please,” Rick needed him to down the subject. And the young boy seemed to understand but is still pissed. He turns from his father. Feet carrying the young boy towards the door. “Where are you going?” He called out.

“Out!” And the slamming door let Rick know that Carl was gone. He sighed. 

  He knew everyone would move on. You would. Carl would. He would. In the far future, all of this will be just a bad memory. But right now. In the present, it hurt so fucking bad. Tears leaked from his eyes as he sucked in air. He did it to himself. He deserved this pain. And if he could he would take your pain. Allow you to be happy. To find love in someone else better than him. Because you're one of the good things in this ugly world. 

  I know we weren't perfect but I've never felt this way for no one

[afanficworld-writes]

His birthday surprise

Pairing - Mason Mount x Reader

Summary - Mason’s short term, long distance girlfriend comes to London to surprise him at his birthday party with the help of 2 of his best friends

Warnings - fluff, sappy!Mason, crying

Requested - Yes

A/N - Hi nonnie, thank you for the request I hope you enjoy it, I know the request had the reader living abroad but to keep it as widely reader friendly as possible I've gone with y/h/c (your home city) that way anyone in any country can insert their own city, I hope that's ok, sorry this isn't the longest but it was done in a rush. Once again like and reblogs are very appreciated as well as sending any feedback or constructive criticism you have. Thank you guys for 35 followers, I know to some it doesn’t seem like much but I didn’t come into this expecting this so it means a lot 🥺💙

I do not consent to my work being posted anywhere by anyone else, if you see my work posted somewhere other than on my accounts please let me know

W/C -  1995

When Mason met y/n he was at an away game near y/h/c, they met in a quiet pub where Mason had gone with his team to celebrate their win, she was there waiting for a friend for catch up drinks only y/n’s friend had to cancel due to a last minute family emergency.

Mason had seen her sitting at a table near the bar, the table he and the boys were sat at was in a back corner, out of the way, even if the pub wasn’t particularly busy they didn't want to risk a nice night with being recognised but still he couldn't keep his eyes off her, he wondered what her story was, why was she in a pub alone? Was she waiting for a date? A friend? Had she been stood up? Although that seemed crazy to him, even in the smart casual clothes she had on she was still the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.

It had only been 10 minutes since he had first noticed her and Mason had struggled to keep his eye off of her. When he saw her put her phone back down on the table with a sigh he knew whoever she had been waiting for was no longer coming and his chances of meeting her were dwindling because surely she would leave now.

Deciding that he had dithered long enough, Mason jumped up from his chair, shocking everyone at his table, “you ok mase?” Benj asked, looking towards the skittish man.

Mason's eyes didn't stray from his intended destination when he replied, “yeah, I’m fine mate, just gotta do something real quick.” He had barely finished what he was saying before he had beelined across the pub.

“Hi,” Mason's voice was quiet and unsure, clearing his throat he spoke again this time with more confidence, “I’m Mason.”

From the moment Mason had noticed her he had been wondering what her voice sounded like, “hi Mason, I’m y/n,” her voice was nothing like what he had imagined, it was so much better.

For a long time they were just friends, building a friendship through the distance was hard enough but eventually they got to being really close friends, Mason was very secretive about his friendship with y/n not wanting to introduce her to any of the boys and have to spilt what little time they could virtually spend together with them.

Around 3 months ago they happened to once again be in the same city at the same time so made plans to get together and have dinner, both of them spent the week before worrying that the friendship they have over text messages, phone calls and facetimes wouldn't hold up once they were together in person.

Dinner turned into drinks which turned into y/n going back to Mason's hotel room so they could watch a film together. The two of them couldn't decide on a film so ended up sitting on his bed talking, amongst the nerves that Mase had been feeling he'd also had the need to tell y/n the truth and this night gave him the perfect opportunity, he was finally going to tell her about the feelings he had developed for her.

Something that he didn't feel could have been done over the phone was confess his feelings, yes it would have been easier if y/n rejected him to not be sat with her but if she did share his feeling then he wanted to be able to kiss her.

Over the course of the night Mason had been flirting a little bit to see how y/n would respond to him and every time she reacted positively sent his confidence rising and spraked hope that she did indeed feel the same. Once she started actively flirting with him and not just responding to him he knew tonight was the night he'd make a move.

Things went better than Mason could have imagined them going, much like most things had involving y/n, that night was the start of their relationship and even though it had to be a long distance on it never felt strained.

They both worked really hard at making sure the other felt cared for and like a priority, both of them felt like this could be forever but just didn't want to get ahead of themselves, but y/n was already looking into job closer to Mason and what it would take to make the move so they could be together in person.

Christmas and new year had been and gone, both y/n and Mason spending countless hours on facetime to each other which is how she had been briefly introduced to Ben and Declan. To her surprise not long after she had met them both of them over the phone they had DM’d her asking if they could have her number to discuss Mason's upcoming birthday.

The pair quickly filled her in on the plans that had been made already, which wasn't much and was a bit all over the place if she was honest. There was a small group of people on the party planning team and they wanted her to be a part of it. A fact which made y/n’s heart so full, she sent lots of pictures and ideas into the group chat and had a large influence over what they had chosen in the end, all of them realising just how much Mason would love the ideas she had.

Throughout the whole planning phase Declan and Ben had been continuously trying to convince y/n to travel to London from y/h/c for the party and it wasn't until a few days before she finally let them know she had managed to get the time off to come and spend Masons birthday with him, they decided it was best to keep it a secret.

Mason was very aware of the party, he hadn't been in a party planning mood since he thought y/n wouldn't be there because of how busy she was and the distance between them, so he told the boys to sort it out for him so he could just turn up.

The party was going to be at Ben's house and that made hiding y/n a lot easier, once she arrived Ben took her up to one of the many guest rooms in his house. “This will be your room while you stay here, let me know if you need anything.” Ben showed her the room before he left to go about his day leaving her to explore the house.

It was finally the day of the party and y/n was filled with nerves so went to Ben’s kitchen to make herself a warm drink. “If you get ready and wait in your room then once everyone has arrived and Mase has said hello and stuff I'll shoot you a message and you can come down to surprise him.” Ben said as he came in after training, finding her in the kitchen joining her for a cup of tea before going to set up the last minute bits.

After a little while y/n was ready, she had got her hair and makeup sorted the way she liked and had put on the outfit she had gone out and bought especially for the party so she sat on the bed watching tv. Suddenly the music got turned up and lots of voices could be heard chatting and laughing, y/n knew that this meant it was getting closer to the time that she would be making her entrance.

Half an episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S later y/n’s phone pinged with the message from Ben telling her the coast was clear, very quickly and quietly y/n snuck down to meet Ben in the kitchen where he had set up the cake. This was going to be how y/n showed herself, she would be the one that brought the cake out to Mason, the cake was being done early with the hopes that not too many people would be overly drunk yet.

Ben and y/n both picked up lighters to start on the candles when they heard footsteps coming towards them, they both looked at each other before their heads shot to look at the door. The pair were both holding their breaths until Declan stuck his head in, then both releasing the air they had been holding at the same time.

“Ah you're here i'll go get him ready,” before either of them could answer he had gone and they made quick work of lighting the 23 candles that lined Mason’s birthday cake. The music had been turned down and as they slowly walked out of the kitchen y/n noticed someone had dimmed the lights.

People started to notice the cake and began to sing happy birthday, it was a slow walk to Mason due to the candles, y/n trying to keep the lit as she moved, the glow from the candles mixed with the lack of other lighting had kept y/n’s identity secret still, though Mason was confused to see it wasnt Ben holding the cake and he was in fact stood next to the mystery person.

With a big huff Mason blew the candles out, his wish obviously being to see y/n soon, as everyone cheered the lights and music came back on and the mystery cake deliverer was revealed. Declan was quick to grab the cake from y/n when he saw Mason lunge for her hoping to save the cake and not have a massive mess made.

“You’re here, how? When? What?” Mason couldn't form a sentence as he grabbed onto his girlfriend engulfing her into the biggest bear hug he could his face immediately going into y/n’s neck, Masons body started to shake slightly and at first y/n thought he was laughing until she started feel her neck get damp, it was then she knew he was crying and the tears started streaming down her cheeks too.

Y/n started to whisper to him, “I'm here baby, I had to come and see you for your birthday.” Mason's grip only got stronger so y/n slowly broke the hug, grabbed his hand and pulled him into the kitchen.

“How are you here baby?” Mason asked, clearly still confused, wiping the wet streaks from his cheek, before pulling her close to his body as he leaned against the kitchen island. “Well not long after you introduced me to Declan and Ben they messaged me to get my help setting all this up for you,” y/n waved her arm around indicating to the party, “it was only a few days ago I found out I would be able to come so I traveled here and have been staying with Ben. I’m sure you can figure the rest out.”

Mason was in disbelief at the lengths they had gone to but couldn have been more grateful for all his friends had done, once she had finished explaining he planted the biggest kiss on her lips but soon the dramatics fell away and the kiss slowed down, Mason running his tongue across y/n’s lips, his hands finding her bum and giving it a good squeeze while their tongues twirled around each others.

After a little bit more kissing and some catching up Mason dragged her around introducing her to everyone at the party, claiming that she was the best girlfriend explaining the amazing things she had done for his birthday.

By the end of the night they were both curled up in the guest room that y/n was using at ben's house, both a little bit tipsy and both thinking about how they couldn't wait for the future when this would be an every night occurrence.