#quite funny his birthday is at the start of pride month

[slowpoint22-2]

wow hi guys happy june 2nd today is goro akechis birthday that is the day that it is trust me

also. yeah i KNOW that's not what the design on his pocket looks like but. but.

[pyrodolls]

can you write sounding with one of the yan boys or ignoring them because of something?

GIVING SUPERFAN! AND STALKER! YANDERE BOYS THE COLD SHOULDER

warnings: obsessiveness, sfw, some slight su!c!de references, bayani is basically a servant and victor needs a therapist, just overall unhealthy behavior cuz they're yanderes. (i do not condone yanderes irl and this is for writing purposes) gender neutral reader, no use of y/n.

a/n: hey guys i just found out my best friend might be dating my ex bf (that made me hide in my house for a year) which is funny bc he told me "not to worry about her" while we were dating. and my birthday is in 2 hours so it's quite an unfortunate time to find out that they've apparently been dating for a few months. if it's true, then whatever LMFAOOO now she's gotta deal with him and it ain't my problem. also thanks for 1k followers, you guys are awesome!! sorry for not updating much, i just don't have a lot of motivation these days

———————————————————

if you ignored bayani...

bro do you *want* him to jump off a cliff???

he is panicking. he is having a CRISIS

bayani lives to please you. if he's talking to you and you just ignored him for whatever reason, he would be heartbroken. absolutely crushed.

he would attempt to ask what's wrong, and fix it as soon as possible. as much as he enjoys being mistreated by you, he'd hate for you to be upset with him for an extended period of time.

his first instinct is to fix whatever he did wrong. he would automatically blame himself, even if it wasn't actually his fault.

he always seeks your love and validation. if you were to ignore him, he would literally sink into the floor and die.

if you forgive him and stop ignoring him, he would be overjoyed. and he'd be less clingy, and a lot more careful around you. he wouldn't want you to get mad at him ever again. that would be his worst nightmare. if you want him to return to his old self, let him know he can be clingy again. if you don't, he'll remain cautious around you for the rest of his life. he just wants you to be happy with him. he can hold himself back from showing too much affection if it means you'll approve of him.

if you ignored victor...

yeah no he's not having it lmao

he'd be so butthurt. and unlike bayani, victor would be very annoying and start hanging around you more. usually he lets you do the talking, or follows you around from a far distance. but if you started ignoring him, he'd become more talkative just to piss you off.

he hates being ordered around, so he's not gonna let you stop him from interacting with you. he's gonna keep talking to you and hanging around you no matter what.

it'd take about a week for him to get agitated. he'd wonder what he did wrong, and try to ignore his insecurities by pushing them on you. instead of drowning in his sorrow, he'd turn it into anger and blame you. you're the one being unreasonable, he did nothing wrong. of course he doesn't believe that, but that's what he would convince himself. he would rather take his anger out on you, the love of his life, rather than admit how unhappy he is with himself and how he treats others.

he'd find ways to punish you for your behavior. as much as he loves you, he won't accept any disrespect. he takes it as a huge blow to his (very fragile) ego.

BUT if you gave up and started talking to him again, he'd get a huge ego boost. of course you'd talk to him again, he's just irresistible! this was totally expected... even though he was crying in his bedroom every night wondering why you weren't talking to him and got very insecure, wondering what he did to make you mad at him. would he ever confess this, though? nope.

he's too prideful to admit that he missed your voice and attention, but he'd show how sorry he is by helping you with chores and work. if you bring it up, he'll say something along the lines of: "i'm not doing this because i'm sorry... i just think you weren't doing it right. i know how to do it better."

this insecure and bratty ass man child would rather sit naked on a hot grill than verbally say sorry lmao

[eightfreak]

i know the question post was like a month ago but i love your ocs and want to know their lore and stuff! how did Flick and Clint meet?

ITS NO PROBLEM AT ALL‼️I DELIGHT IN TALKING ABOUT THEM

Flick and Clint are a pretty old case... Man, they had to be, what, 9 or 10? Their hometown, Paradise, is a pretty backwaters little settlement. Pretty decent schools, VERY decent community. Its a tight-knit little area, so it makes sense that the moment fresh meat was lowered in that it would be devoured Immediately.

Clint moved in permanently with his dad around 8 years old, and they fled from the more bustlesome Utopia city colony to Paradise for a simpler life, just a little ways down south. He was a really closed-off and weird-talking kid, and never showed much interest in speaking to other people. Even when he was caught-up academically, he struggled with the whole socialness bit. Quite literally, he had to be dragged kicking and screaming into friendship, and a very young Flick(and Piper) were more than willing to do so. Those 2 saw him sitting at lunch alone one day and just beelined towards him. I would say its just because it was meant to be, but Clint's dad made really good money in a town mostly consisting of fishermen, and the kids could smell it like it was like blood in the water. Though, where most other kids avoided him (because he kept threatening to bite them), Flick bit first. It was a whole thing actually, Flick's parents had to sign a form and everything and were very embarrassed. But, it was a start. Clint, even if he was fearful of that first interaction, suddenly looked to those funny two with newfound awe and respect.

After a long enough time of hanging out with him cause his parents told him to apologize (and bc his household has the Good snacks,) Flick just found that, hey! This guy aint half bad! It had to be cute, watching Flick effectively socialize this shitty newborn kitten of a child. He seemed to take pride in being an older brother in this regard, showing Clint all his favorite games, and the best trees to sit in(and then promptly not allowing Clint to sit in the good trees because they were for 'big kids only' and Clint's birthday came like, 3 months after the other two's so he was 1 year younger than them for a good majority of the summer (he hated this game)).

It's a very funny, somewhat ironic twist that in the end, Clint became LEAGUES more responsible and formal than his prior mentor, but if you look real close, Flick is still the real 'older bro' in their dynamic! [situationally. they take turns being the older brother]

[magnificentsapcaddy]

For those of you with a keen memory, you may recall that this year, my New Year's resolution was "make a brand new type of soup every month". Two months in, two soups down! This time around, we're making another Eastern European classic (though I think also lumping in France and Austria with "Eastern Europe" might be a stretch), liver dumpling soup!

There's this tendency in the Anglosphere, I think, to really turn your nose up at liver, but it's not bad. Like, for a food where saying "what am I, a version of this food?" is supposed to mean "do you think I'm the most detestable and least important thing you can imagine?", it tastes fine. I'd even be bold enough to say that it's good! This one happens to be a chicken liver-based soup, for the record - I know people use calf liver or pork liver, but I wanted to put that out there before we continue.

For the recipe, click on the readmore below!

Now, loathe though I may be to be a recipe blogger who has a big preamble before the recipe: I do have a funny little story. And besides, you can just look downscreen for the recipe without waiting for fifty thousand ads to load.

My mom's friend Jim was (and, I suppose, still is) a Slovenian-American through and through, and he married someone just like him. They both take a lot of pride in their culinary heritage, even if it seemed unimpressive to the layman; to this day, for their anniversary every year, Jim makes his wife a tray of "roasted roots" (beets, parsnips, carrots, potatoes), and one of the happiest times I ever heard him was when he found a nine-pound cabbage for $1 at a farmer's market (for his wife's birthday, this time). So, naturally, at their wedding, they had a very traditional Balkan spread served for the dinner.

To the shock and horror of some (but not all), the starting course was a hearty bowl of liver dumpling soup. Jamie was one of those counted among the "not all". Jamie was every bit as eccentric as Jim was Slovenian, and by eccentric, I mean "he smoked a lot of weed". Characteristically, he showed up to Jim's wedding high as a kite. When he found out the starting course was liver dumpling soup, he was beyond ecstatic. It amused him to no end. As the seating began for the reception, Jamie started a chant: "Liver dumpling soup! Liver dumpling soup! I'm gonna get me some liver dumpling soup!". Being told to quiet down by my grandfather did little to dissuade him. In fact, it had quite the opposite effect - by the time the first bowls were being served, Jamie - a thirty-something man, mind you - was skipping up and down the aisles, clapping his hands and doing backflips, leading the venue in the chant, "LIVER DUMPLING SOUP! LIVER DUMPLING SOUP! WE'RE GONNA GET US SOME LIVER DUMPLING SOUP!"

This, sadly, is not the recipe from that infamous night at the Slovenian lodge; I am taken to understand that that soup had a flour-based dumpling with chunks of pre-cooked chicken liver. This, instead, is a bit of a looser dumpling with egg and breadcumbs, more akin to the meatballs in a wedding soup, but is certainly still worthwhile.

INGREDIENTS

Dumplings: - 7 ounces raw chicken livers - 1/2 teaspoon marjoram - 1 teaspoon minced garlic - 3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs - 1 egg - Salt and pepper to taste

Broth: - 3 cups of water (more or less, as desired) - 1 tbsp butter - 1/3 rib of celery - 1 medium carrot - 1/2 medium-large sweet onion - 2 cubes dried chicken stock - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper - 1/2 teaspoon marjoram - 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme - 1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage

DIRECTIONS

Clean your chicken livers. They should already be mostly fine by the time you purchase them, but you definitely want to take a knife and trim off the long, white strands of connective tissue that connect the lobes of the livers.

Pulverize the chicken livers in a food processor until you have achieved a fine slurry. Add in your spices and mix again.

Move the liver mixture to a bowl and add your egg and breadcrumbs before mixing once again. This will be runny - don't worry. You now are going to leave this to sit for 30 minutes or until firm. If it doesn't firm up, add more breadcrumbs.

Now with the dumpling mixture made and set aside, we can begin on the broth. This is my go-to broth for any chicken-based soup, and I hope you'll like it as much as I do. Start by putting a medium saucepan on high heat and melting your butter in it. Then, turn it down to medium-high heat, mince your onion finely, and add it in. Chop your celery and onions as desired (I always do it very finely to maximize the surface area of the vegetables and thus maximize the flavor they impart on the soup, but if the spirit moves you to leave them more chunky for a heartier soup, then go for it), and add them to the pot as well. Finally, add your spices and let cook until the pot is aromatic and the onions have begun to clear.

Add your water. I know in the ingredients I said 3 cups - I did not measure. I just made "half a pot", whatever that measurement may be. You can add more for a greater portion of thinner soup or less for a lesser portion of a more flavorful soup. Follow your heart! But whatever you do, add your chicken stock here and bring to a boil. Let cook for 8 minutes, or until the celery is very nearly fork-tender.

Now we return to the dumplings. Once the celery has mostly softened, reduce the heat from a boil to a simmer, such that the water is still steaming. Take two table spoons (they need not be literal tablespoons - just "the big spoons you use for dinner" as opposed to "the little spoons you use for dessert"). Take one spoon and scoop up half a spoonful of dumpling mixture. Submerge your spoon in the broth for five seconds, or until the dumpling has turned from pink and soft to brown and solid. With your other spoon, scoop the dumpling off and repeat the process. By the time the final dumplings are being poached in this fashion, the first ones should be beginning to float to the top.

To ensure that all dumplings are thoroughly cooked, turn the pot to high heat and bring back to a rolling boil, then decrease the heat to medium-high and cover the pot. Let cook for 5 minutes more. Pay attention to this final note, because it may be the most important part: to ensure that the dumplings have finished cooking, find the largest dumpling and remove it from the pot. Slice it in half. If there is any trace of pink, it is not done cooking; if the insides are the same shade of brown as the outside, the soup has finished cooking and is safe to eat.

I will leave you with this final note: I don't think this is a bad soup at all. I would give it a B+. However, it is a very rich soup, so this is something you may want to make for a group instead of for yourself. I thought the dumplings were delicious - they functionally taste the same as a pork meatball, but with a very distinct and very pleasant tang from the liver - but they are also very, very rich. I was so enthralled by the first bowl that I went and got a second, and by the end even I was like, "I swear to God, if I have to eat another of these stupid dumplings..."

Again, I promise you it's good, and I do sincerely hope you'll like it if you try it, but at the same time, it's best not to overexert your palate, lest you end up with a predicament as mentioned above.

[mirrorballwhoistrying]

The month of Mental Health Awareness (08.06.2023)

May is the month of mental health awareness, funny how that was also the month that I was and still am mentally at my lowest. 

Coming back from Vietnam, life didn’t slow down that much. We were preparing to go to KS trip. I don’t know why I can’t behave normal at all around people I���m attracted to. Especially, when that person is not available. What the hell?

It was the trip with the company but V brought her bf. He’s the typical perfect good guy that takes care of everybody. Too bad, I lack the stupid skill to make friends with guys. I felt a sense of emptiness. What was I trying to do exactly? Cause a scene? Tried to make a show to get some attentions from available guys? What was I thinking? Was I trying to prove how good I am just so to “show” I’m a worthy person that got to know to? I don’t know, well the trip ended and I’d never see him again, and why did I make this whole company trip experience about him anyway? The trip was fun and I took some nice photos. Then boom, my mom asked me to go to VN for health check-up the very next week, while I also need to start the first session for M4I. Like Can I get a break? I agreed to go to VN with mom anw. and what the hell? I suddenly got an email about the AFP interview?! Make it make sense! I also had like only 2 days to prepare for the interview!

I drafted the answers. It took me quite awhile. I tried to reach out to alumni. Too bad the time was really short and I couldn’t get much done. The interview didn’t go as well as I expected. The judges looked bored. One of the judges made it clear that they don’t want the interview to be too scripted. Too bad I’m a robot and don’t have much personality. I said I don’t care about AFP anymore. but I still f-cking care! The whole interview kept replaying in my head for awhile!

I also bought a new pair of glasses. It didn’t look too good on me. Another episode of me making rush decision. 

I went to the first session of M4I. It was cool to meet all these amazing people. It’s something I’m going to look forward next few months. Except the crack between our team is showing. The thing is I got to meet and talk to b VV. I was truly inspired how chill he was and how he started his page! He did all his videos on CapCut!

I went to Vietnam without much expectation. I know my energy was really low. I wasn’t energetic at all. I planned to sneak out at night but I was too tired already. I don’t know. I feel like I’m 17 all over again around my relatives. 

The good part was talking to J K and got to hear her stories, struggles and encouragements. She’s the reason why my parents are less worried about my career although they don’t know much. It’s so emotional to hear her stories and struggles. I wish her all the best. 

The days after coming back from VN, my life didn’t get any much better. My mental health was at it’s lowest. I wanted to consult the therapy but it was too expensive.

I forgot to address the elephant in the room. CH stopped messaging me. I should have seen the sign after the first date. He became less and less responsive. Seems like I can’t keep anyone in my life. Why it affected my self-esteem so much? Was the problem about me? Or maybe I should focus on a good version of myself before expecting people to come and stay in my life? Or maybe I should take things less personal and think of more about compatibility. 

I also went to Pride Fest. It was okay. Funny how my senior saw me there and texted me online. Well, I can’t seem to keep any connection going. 

This month is my birthday month and it makes me depressing than ever. On a good side, one of my videos reached 100K views on Tik Tok and I posted my first vlog too. The worst part is my freelance work. I owe Chef N’s work for quite some time now. 

I also spent the first week of June, stressed myself out to complete 2 applications which I think I might not likely get selected at all. It really took a toll on me mentally. 

I feel like this month is like an epilogue. Wait last month I said it was an epilogue too! Well, I feel like it’s a transition phase. I plan to post videos on FB soon, while I haven’t edited the videos. 

Seem like a lot happened this month but doesn’t guarantee much good things. I feel so empty before my birthday. I’m a living death currently. I think I’m going to focus more on freelance work and my page more in the next couple months. 

I just want to be happy! 

[sailorlibracrack]

TDA- Episode 0 ( Summer Break 2022)

I’m gonna start my diary right after my first year of college in History of Arts, at the debut of the great vacations, to where I am now. So it’s pretty recent, but all the stuffs/events etc... that happened before will be post in another way, classified by years. But anyway, this Teenage Dirtbag Archives (TDA) is about my 20s. 

I was born on September 26th of 2022. So every year, right after the summer vacs, I celebrate my birthday. But this year was different, cause the nineteenth boy I recently was new that after this three months, I will turn 20. And it wasn't something I wanted for as I hated celebrating my birthday. It wasn't in the odd way to be the center of the attention ( I kinda like that haha) but it was the fact that pretty much every time I blew out new candles, it was an inner reminder that another year was ending, without myself being satisfied of myself, my life or achieving my goals. Certainly, I had many parties and funny and sad stories to tell as much as chaotic adventures, but as I grew up and went to college, they didn’t appear that much and everything was starting to be more....serious. So this time, I wanted my life to move, to take another turn...which it did, in some ways.

Anyway, my first month of summer can be resumed as a literal debauchery. I pretty much went every night partying after my all year of study, that I take very seriously { I can cry if I don’t achieve the best scores :( }. It’s not very interesting to tell you about that month cause we all party the same and end up the next morning with a terrible headache. The only significant event I can talk about is the departure of my boyfriend ( I will dedicate an entire post about him haha) to Singapore, where is father lives. He had spent the entire year in another college far away and I only saw him a month before he went for the entire summer. Oh ! and I went to my first Pride in Paris and it was fun.

The next month, July, was terrible and great at the same time. I had my first real job as a receptionist in a bank, that was located not in the best neighborhood of Paris. This experience meant a lot to me, bc I finally prove myself I could be independent ( I ended up having the biggest score and best recommandations from my boss). It was a pretty boring month, but I kinda grew as a person and funny things happened to me. I had a client coming, drunk af, threaten me to literally piss in the agency if I didn't give money, which obviously we didn't kept here. Every client was original and a peculiar character but all were mostly drunk or high, maybe both, so it was a funny game for me to help them.

Finally, August comes. And I will stat this month by telling you about the best summer party I ever went to. I have this very special friend of mine, that we are gonna call Louise, that invited me to one of her college friend’s (Steve) boyfriend party. The boyfriend in question, Pascal, was living quite far, in the countryside in a very lovely cottagecore and BIG house ( he was criminally rich). The moment I saw his house, I knew I will come every time to take a rest here from the city. It was spacious, with hectares fields, a pool, a jacuzzi, horses, an abandoned tennis court and more. The party was in the fields, near the pool, and everything seemed detailed. There was lighting, a professional DJ and even a liquor bar with a drinks menu. Quickly, Louise and I met everyone and I started to get really drunk as alcohol was free and in abundance. It turned into a pool party (my first one) and It was really fun. I don’t remember being that WILD at a party ever. Anyway, as we went all inside, in a random coincidence, I started to talk to the DJ, which I don’t remember the name. We’re gonna pretend he’s Josh. He was actually kind, and seemed nice if it wasn't for the Versace bathrobe he was wearing proudly. I knew he was starting to get flirty with me, and I admit I liked it, as it didn’t happened to me often. I played with that flirtatious bond we had so he could mix all the songs I loved. I was so drunk i couldn't feel his hands going over my body and not responsive enough to stop him from biting my neck. But what had to happen happened. After and joint shared with Steve, we both went to different bathroom to puke. But bad luck for me, it fell at the same time Josh was taking his break. When he saw me going to the bathroom in the catastrophic state I was in, he followed me. Louise was there too, but the gentleman kindly let her out on the pretext that he knew how to "manage this kind of situation". I confess without lying, that I was on the verge of fainting. So, I find myself in a delicate position where I have to throw up my guts accompanied by a stranger who wants to flirt with me at the same time. I wasn't going to mind throwing up, so that's what I did, in front of him. He of course took the opportunity to touch me when he was cleaning me. Anyway, when he went to fetch me some water, Louise was able to get in and I remember being at that moment two fingers away from dying. Josh comes back and while I'm throwing up again, I hear him talking with Louise. And this bastard, instead of doing what everyone else would have done, no, he starts asking Louise if I have a boyfriend and everything and he thinks I'm just his type. After a while, and unable to take it any longer, I ordered Louise, not without difficulty, not to let him in. The end of this night is quite vague in my mind. I only remember that the next morning, while I was smoking my morning cig, Josh came downstairs to say hello. He had me so disgusted that the moment he left to get his cigs to smoke with me, I ran away from the house. And that was the debut of my (gay) friendship with Steve and Pascal. I ironically learned after that he did quite the same with Steve, but less flirtatious and apparently, had done some filth with Pascal back in the time. 

The rest of the summer, with Louise, we went to Portugal, on a little road trip with daddy. Steve lived in a village right next to mine, so we all went out quite a bit together in Porto and we even saw our old friend Manon. Obviously, with Louise, we had a certain mess like the time we lied to my mother to go party at Steve's villa. But in the end we know we had fun. I keep a very good memory of it and I think that the one that marked me the most was when Louise and I took a pedal boat in a huge lake where we ended up falling on the wild bottom of a mountain where lived dozens and dozens of cows. We hastened to jump into the water to see them closer. Everything was perfect.

[butwhyduh]

Getting tall

Summary: Damian finally hits his growth spurts and the fam have opinions. Some damijon, timkon, jaytemis, and dickori mentioned.

Damian was an adorable tiny murder baby when he first showed up at the manor. Like a feral kitten. Short end of normal growth at 10 years old and thin too, Dr Leslie found. Make sure he eats 3 square meals and snacks when he wants and he’ll be just fine. Alfred had made it his mission, as he had done for both Jason and Tim, to put weight on Damian.

The first family member he outgrew was Cass. She reached over to ruffle his hair only to reach up above her head rather than below it. She didn’t mind. 5’4 isn’t very tall. She’d just have to remember that the next time they spar. Height wasn’t an important factor to her.

It was a few months later that Damian hit a massive growth spurt and grew 4 inches. He passed by 5’6 Stephanie.

“Hey little dude. What are they puttin in your food, miracle grow?” She asked when she noted how tall he was and how big his feet had gotten. Damian was a bit like the giant puppies all gangly. Alfred was adjusting the Robin costume monthly after Damian rushed to put it on for patrol one day and every time he raised his arms he felt his stomach show. Clothes were constantly being bought that met his newest height increase. The Kents were very appreciative of the barely worn clothing Jon got as Damian went through another pair.

“I’m perfectly normal in growth,” he said pulling on the hem of his shirt that was growing shorter by the day. Stephanie eyed him but left it. Tim hated the height jokes they would make when everyone started passing him in height. Nowadays Tim just rolled his eyes and deferred all short jokes to Bart who Damian was now taller than. Bart didn’t care at all because he was short but he was also at least top 3 faster people ever so who cares right?

For a very short time, Damian was taller than Jon. He liked that. Jon thought it was pretty funny.

“D, I’m going to be taller. My dad and mom are both taller than yours. I’ll be taller in the end,” Jon said with a grin before Damian pushed him off the roof. Jon giggled and stared at Damian with obvious heart eyes. The kid was definitely smitten.

Tim was half an inch taller. He didn’t acknowledge it in any way. But it wasn’t surprising. His mother was tiny, his father lower end of average, and Tim probably skipped too many meals with working during an important growth phase while he was becoming Robin. 5’8.5 is a perfectly normal height for a man. He had an easier time with stealth.

Bruce watched as his son grew more handsome and taller everyday. He recognized things he hadn’t taken the time to see with Dick or Jason and had missed completely with Tim. Aftershave, cologne, and deodorant budget went up exponentially and Damian was barred from bringing any of his shoes in the house and his Robin uniform had to double washed occasionally. He spent far longer in the bathroom doing his hair and agonizing over any spot on his face.

Bruce even once caught Damian do the lean on the doorframe while talking to someone they like when Jon visited once. He had to give the worst birds and bees talk of all time. Bruce also noted how Damian had Talia’s nose and his lip curled the same way hers did when he smiled. He stretched when walking to the breakfast table the same way Dick did.

Damian didn’t get another true growth spurt for 2 years. There was plenty of jokes that he jumped up to his height and didn’t move again. Jon was once again taller than Damian. Alfred was ready this time with the massive amount of food the 15 year old could put away and panels in his costume for easier adjustments.

Talia smiled proudly at her son as he grew taller than her. He was turning out handsome like his father but kept her feature and in her mind, that was the perfect combo. She never told Damian because she didn’t him to grow arrogant.

Dick didn’t notice it right away. He was so busy with Bludhaven and the Titans that he didn’t notice Damian had gotten a full inch taller than him. He only realized when him and Damian practiced a complex move that required a taller and shorter partner while training. They paired up as they always did and the maneuver completely fell apart. Dick was mentally putting together why it failed when Damian walked over and it clicked. Little D was not so little anymore.

“You’re taller than me,” he said brightly. Damian immediately grinned.

“So now you’re little D,” Damian said back. Dick laughed at that one.

“Don’t let it go to your head. I can throw you around like a tilt-a-whirl,” Dick warned. Of course, that’s exactly what happened the next time they sparred when Damian tried to use his height advantage.

“I can beat Jason so don’t think you can beat me just by being bigger,” Dick said standing over Damian who rolled his eyes.

Dick had no problem with Damian getting taller. It was his own height he had a complicated relationship with. See, Dick grew up as an acrobat. Being tall is a disadvantage. More weight to swing, more body to move. And his father had told him growing up that almost every Grayson man has been 5’8. It’s a legacy as strong as flying above the circus crowd.

And so when at 15, Dick was very distraught with the fact that he hadn’t stopped growing at 5’8. It felt like a part of his history and family legacy had died. He wasn’t one of the 5’8 Grayson men. He never told anyone beside Kori, late at night where she told him she loved him tall or small. She had already far outpaced Dick and was on her way to being 6’4.

Duke and Alfred and Damian were the same height for a short while. Duke would joke that he could just wear the Robin’s costume since they were the same size. Damian would threaten to disembowel him if he touched it and that made Duke laugh even more.

When he grew taller Duke once again joked with Damian calling him a not so jolly green giant and Alfred considered his nutrition attempt a complete success. Damian went from a tiny kid to a tall strong young man.

Damian and Jon were practically the same size for a while. Jon barely bent his neck to rest his chin on Damian’s shoulder as his partner worked on a complex mechanical part. Then Jon hit another growth spurt to end in his final height of 6’2, same as Bruce and his father. Damian enjoyed having a taller boyfriend for a while but would never say anything. High school dances were nice.

Bruce could see Damian getting taller and stronger and was practically grown. Dr Leslie warned Bruce that growth could continue until Damian was in his early 20s and he could end up a quite tall young man or stop tomorrow.

Jason liked being the tallest and biggest in the family. He had an entire inch in height on Bruce and was at least 20 lbs heavier. He was built like tank. When Jason had died at 15, he was terrifyingly thin. Alfred had tried his best but Jason had suffered malnutrition and hunger from practically birth. He was short and thin and Dr Leslie had told Bruce he probably always would be. And so when Jason came back to life a giant 6’3 and over 200 lbs, it was a shock. It took him forever to accept his size as anything more than an amour to create fear in his enemies. The first time he had accidentally scared a woman walking in the street at night, Jason had hated that he was so big. But within his family, it had become a source of pride. He was certainly taller than Dick and Alfred and even Bruce.

So when he visited Cass’s birthday party and Jason stood next to Damian and realized that the kid was taller than him, he was a little shocked. Damian had reached his final height of 6’4.

“When the hell did you get so big?” Jason asked while cake was being served. Dick nosed in the conversation.

“Little D is taller than you now,” he said with a teasing grin at Jason.

“And yet you insist on calling me Little D,” Damian said with an eye roll.

“I call him Big D,” Jon said with a smile. Dick blanched and Jason coughed out an awkward laugh.

“Good for you, bro,” he said patting Damian on the back. Jon blushed at the sudden understanding.

“No! I mean- he’s taller than me. I didn’t mean- uh,” Jon stuttered. Damian grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him away from his brothers who were laughing.

“It’s weird you know,” Jason admitted, scratching the back of his neck.

“The fact that he is dating Jon?”

“No, they’ve been together forever. That he’s taller than me,” Jason said.

“Are you- does it bother you that you aren’t the tallest?” Dick asked with a gleeful smile.

“No,” Jason said abruptly.

“It could be like how I learned my little brother was bigger than me,” Dick teased. “All of a sudden you were just massive. My tiny little brother was this big dude. Good thing I’m comfortable with my masculinity.”

“Your girlfriend is like 6 inches taller than you. If that isn’t emasculating then there’s nothing I could do,” Jason answered.

“Yeah, she’s always been taller than me,” Dick said with a fond smile. “You can’t talk with the Amazon you’ve been hanging with.” He pushed Jason’s shoulder with a grin.

“We’re just friends-I guess,” Jason said uncomfortable. “That’s not the same-“

“Well at least Tim will always be our little brother,” Dick changed the subject but mentally noted Jason’s reaction to the mention of Artemis.

“Yeah, he’ll always be a shrimp,” Jason agreed.

“Honestly fuck you both,” Tim said from across the room. With Kon standing next to him he certainly looked tiny.

“Hey, it’s my birthday and I am the shortest and I can still kick all of your butts,” Cassandra reminded them both and they laughed but neither corrected her because they knew she was right.

[jiminrings]

umm maybe this is me projecting bc i am messaging you during my break but for a drabble request, yoongi in a retail setting???? 😐😐😐😐 oc could either be a co-worker or a regular customer who asks too many questions 😔😌

retail-type beat

drabble week: day three

drabble week masterlist

pairing: customer!yoongi x retail worker!reader

wordcount: 3k

glimpse: "hi! almost thought you were hiding from me for a second. anyways, is this sweater wool or cotton?"

feedback + support mean the world to me!!

the last time you checked, work doesn’t start until nine

you kNEW it doesn’t start until 9 in the morning, so clearly that’s why you’re just wearing slides instead of your sneakers

the company uniform is either black or purple (it has to be from what the store is selling though so you can get to choose) with of course!!!! a lanyard!!!!

and you know this, because you’re still wearing your slides from home because it isn’t opening time yet

“goddamn it, i forgot to bring my slippers,” jin moans the moment he walks to see you, looking down on your feet that only reminds him he’d be stuck in his cool yet painfully uncomfy sneakers

he’s probably the only co-worker that you’re truly close with, not feeling the urge to sell him just to get a free day

“i told you to get the sneakers that nurses use!!”

hands-down one of the best purchases you’ve ever made

retail’s hard and it’s not exactly the best-paying job!!! thankfully the franchise owner is a bit more generous so that’s why you get slightly-higher hourly pay

“i would if they looked a little more seasoned,” jin snorts and stubbornly crosses his arms, “i might sacrifice my pride and buy some compression socks.”

OOOOOH THOSE ARE GOOD TOO

makes you feel like ur walking on air

but lol no seokjin isn’t ready to buy those just yet

he’ll settle on some blisters and putting salonpas patches because they look cooler that way, thank u very much <3

jin yawns, talking about finding a steam iron somewhere to replace a blowdryer so he could break in his shoes

“you wipe the glass this time.”

oh right he absolutely hates wiping down the glass — even before opening!!! even when there aren’t any grubby kids that would soil it instantly with their equally as grubby hands

you don’t mind it honestly

you might honestly like it

you prefer wiping the glass a hundred times over than steaming clothes

there is nOT a single thought in your head when you spray on the solution to the glass, rag and squeegee tucked between your fingers when-

maybe you should’ve hOLY FUCKING SHIT

it’s not opening!!!! it is nOT nine o’clock in the morning!!!!

you know that the shop you’re working in is pretty fucking famous and it’s located on one of the most populated streets ever BUT THERE’S ALREADY SOMEONE

although the bucket hat seems familiar from a distance and-

oh it’s just yoongi

yoongi?

yoongi’s already here????

:O

yoongi, the guy in question, is an always customer!!

no, not a regular customer — an always customer

he comes every week and maybe even twice within that period

he’s a nice talkative customer who likes asking questions and even occasionally guides the other customers on what to buy and where to find it

he’s yoongi!!! of course that’s expected of him

he’s been going here long since you ever started working here, and jin keeps iNSISTING that he’s been here more frequently since you started like a year ago

but doesn’t he come at eleven in the morning?

“woah, yoongi’s already here? — doesn’t he come at eleven in the morning?”

?!!?!!

“i was just thinking the exact same thing.”

jin bangs the glass with his fist and you automatically wince and frown

you dO like cleaning the glass panes!! you didn’t say you liked cleaning them a second time :(

“YOONGI!”

“YES??”

you push jin’s fist away to wipe at the smudge his hand left

“IT’S NOT OPENING YET!”

“I KNOW!!”

wow they’re uh

they’re really loud

sometimes you forget how seokjin could be since it’s been awhile since you heard him yell

lol no one’s been shoplifting recently so you haven’t been hearing him

a mind-blowing idea is for jin to come outside and talk to him in a normal talking voice, so your ears would stop ringing

“HEY! WHAT IF YOU JUST ENTER EARLY IN?”

“REALLY? IS THAT EVEN ALLOWED??”

"YOONGI, EVERYONE ON THE FLOOR KNOWS YOUR NAME. NAMJOON EVEN GAVE YOU A CUSTOMARY BIRTHDAY GIFT, AND WE DON'T GIVE CUSTOMARY BIRTHDAY GIFTS TO ANY OTHER CUSTOMER!!"

namjoon, who technically should be called mr. kim because no one really thinks to call the franchise owner with their government first name, is actually pretty cool

but he's too busy these days and haven't been visiting because he's too busy tending to his newly-opened coffee shop

as if the money he earns from opening his franchise in a day alone isn’t enough :0

"IF YOU SAY SO?"

you’re the one who hikes up the roll-up door in the slightest, enough for only yoongi to enter and not encourage anyone else to nOT enter when it’s still not opening time!!!!

he only has to crouch a little but he still has to dust his thousand-dollar pants as if he crawled through mud

his cream-colored slacks with a large black hoodie that has a giant bear embroidered on the middle of it and mules

... you don't hate his outfits

pretty cute, actually

it's yoongi!!

you'd never catch him lacking!!!

you don't even have to envision him rocking the shit out a paper bag

one time, he came in the store wearing the WRINKLIEST brown linen jumpsuit that no iron could possibly fix and he still pulled it off

toon-teen-ten!

oh god that’s the sound of the intercom

and the sound of the intercom equates to jungkook

... as in jeon jungkook who’s the floor manager and his constant top one goal for every month is to endearingly annoy seokjin

he’s young and mischievous!! but if you were to ask him, only you and jungkook are the people in this floor he’d actually get drinks with outside the shop

“seokjin come to the lingerie department right now, please.”

you see the thing is :D

“now this is just funny

there’s walkie-talkies for everyone here!! jungkook likes intercoms, and seokjin like yelling!!

“WHY ME AGAIN?? I’VE ALREADY FOLDED-“

“there’s a literal rat and i need yOU to catch it!! you know that i hate rodents!!”

him and jungkook are forever gonna be on this eldest-youngest brother dynamic and while jungkook pouts and shared the extras that he gets, jin is the one who kills the bugs :D

10/10 totally fair

fine then!! he’ll catch that goddamn rat

that leaves you and yoongi. alone.

“why did you come so early this time?”

you ask out of courtesy, genuinely baffled too because you know that yoongi’s a creature of habit

yoongi’s eyes pop out, head fervently shaking no

“i’m typically not the type to do that, no.”

???

is he-

are you-

are you both talking about the same thing

yoongi’s face flushes in embarrassment, his mind just then registering what you were actually saying

“o-oh! it’s because last night, i dreamt of the sweater i saw here last week!!"

oh right

typical :D

"need me to find it for you or do you already know the aisle?"

you align the folded shirts by the corners as you pass, looking at yoongi briefly while he trails behind yoh

“not unless you pulled it out already."

he's hoping that dear god you haven't

the black sweater with the moon aND buildings on it and when you turn on the flash, the windows of said building reflect it right back???

he SHUDDERS just by thinking about it

it’s gonna go with everything!!! an instant boost of serotonin every time he sees it

"for you, yoongi?" you shake your head, a small smile on your face that he only sees every once in a while, "i'd comb through the entire stock room."

wait

that’s sweet :((

“i’ll hold you to that.”

you know what??? you're less cranky when it's only him, and a couple of hundred people less

your smiles aren't for customer-service and you don't have misplaced clothes hanging from your shoulders and your walkie-talkie isn't talking in latin

or when no one’s asking you to reach something from the top shelf

or when you’re on the way to the intercom because a kid got separated from their mother

or when someone’s approaching for a refund for a shirt who has a stain that’s 100% no doubt customer error

his feet immediately move on its own because he’s memorized the outline of this too many times

there it is!!!

the sweater he’s dreamt about is already on his hands, only a handful few left

the piece is considerably more expensive than majority of the items here, so that’s why they’re all spaced-out instead of being clustered altogether

yoongi rarely goes to the dressing room, regardless if it's a full-house or not!!

he could just look at an item and immediately tell that it’s made for him ta know

he's beyond sure that this sweater fits him perfectly, but he may want to be here a little longer

yoongi may have say inside one of the fitting rooms and spent a little time in it just to sit on the chair inside, not fitting the sweater at all

he's gotten his item SO quick and he wished he could've just walked slower or pretended to not know where it was!!!

he wants to spend a little more time here

you don't hate yoongi!!! but sometimes he could just be... yoongi

he's quite talkative and strikes it whenever, making you unguarded

he could be overbearing but like an overbearing kind of nice

yoongi’s nice!! he’s the type to ask a lot of questions sure, but he’s also the type that would point the other customers what to buy and where to find it

he’s the type to find an obvious faulty stitch on a shirt, but he’d just quietly exchange it instead of asking for the manager

he’s the type you wouldn’t want to stand behind in line because it would take a long time for him to finish, but he’s also the same one who buys giftcards with generous amounts for family and friends

yoongi’s kind of cool and that’s cemented on your mind

"what do you got for me?"

he materializes out of nowhere, spooked because you thought he already ringed up and was out of the store already

it just happens to be ten minutes before opening and you’re doing last-minute arrangements on a new spread

well, yoongi most certainly is still here and his attention’s piqued

���we have... a new collection."

you clear your theory, awkwardly gesturing because you’re more than aware that yoongi hasn’t seen this either

“yeah, i know that. but like, what's going on??" he gestures to the displays and racks, squinting his eyes, "what's the theme? what's the material?"

:O

uhm you haven't read the brief about this

you aren't even sURE if there is one!!

doesn't everyone make up something on the spot in retail

or atleast that’s what seokjin tells you

“the theme," you clear your throat, scratching your temple before gesturing towards the full rack, "is everything."

“everything?

yoongi’s eyebrow is raised, not expecting that answer at all

you look back to the new feature, and nOW that you think about it,, there's no cohesion at all

“y-yes. the shop was going for the theme of uhm, everything... all at once — yeah, that's it. everything all at once."

it’s a nice way to put it when not one bit of the new collection goes together

“hmmmm. i like it,” yoongi nods solemnly and tilts his head, “and the material?"

"the material?"

you repeat, eyesight not the best so you can’t really tell anything off the bat or uh aNYTHING really

"t-the material is shirt."

they're all shirts!!! that’s it

yoongi grimaces in disgust, the first time you’ve seen of it

“what?? you can't say that.”

he outsretches his hand to the nearest article, holding it up by the hanger

"this, right here, is satin. see how it shines like silk, but doesn't feel like silk?"

uhm yes

you have a gist of what he’s saying but yes

yoongi picks up a pink button shirt this time, flipping it inside out

"this, is silk charmeuse. look at the inside, is it smooth?"

okay where is he going with this

he urges you to put your hand on the fabric and uhhh you didn't sign up for this???

it looks smooth, sure!! end of discussion

"yea-..."

“it's not. it's rough. it is smooth, but it's dull. silk charmeuse is still silk, but the backing it has is different from the lustrous part."

okay yoongi

you’re starting to feel uncomfortable and it has to do something with the tone he’s using on you

“can't believe you didn't know that!! how about this," he plucks out a shirt with a tiny print at the middle of it, "cotton or polyester and rayon?"

"i don't-"

there’s an itch in your neck that you want to scratch, a tell-tale sign that you just wANT to remove yourself from this situation

“come on!! it's a dead giveaway!!"

:((

why is he being like this?

toon-teen-ten!

“y/n, panty section please. jin almost got bit by a mouse and he needs comforting. two minutes until opening, people!!"

jungkook speaks at the right moment, and jin’s little incident is enough of a reason for you to bolt

yoongi's still looking at you but you can't afford to embarrass yourself further

“bye. happy shopping."

huh?

yoongi’s face falls when you leave as cold as that!! typically when you were going to show him out (when it’s regular shop hours), there’d be a smile :((

there's not even a customer service smile :(((

yoongi goes to the only cashier that's open so far and it happens to be far away from you and a teary seokjin

seokjin's fine he didn't even get bit!! that much he could say

but are you okay? uhhh you kinda went cold on him by the end and he thought he started on a good note

yoongi doesn't visit for another week and you don't find yourself counting the days until you meet him again

you did not have a devil wears prada moment where anne hathaway has an epiphany for fashion knowledge

you just felt belittled at a job that isn’t exactly what you wanted anyways

needed, yes. but wanted? not exactly

you know that basic knowledge about clothes is required in a retail job like this and you have it!! you do!!!!

you’d know more if only there were actual available resources for employees to know!!! nobody besides yoongi asks anyways

you’d know if you have time to yourself and aren’t working two jobs trying to make ends meet and tHEN you could pull up a book or something!!!

you’d know if your life is as lax as yoongi’s and could have the budget to buy new things for yourself every single week

“jin, i need to ask you something.”

he hums as called, looking at you briefly until you get on with it

“do you know the difference between silk and silk charmeuse?"

he shrugs casually while you're sitting inside one of the closed-off fitting rooms to catch a break, sharing a burger because the store’s packed-packed

why did you ask him? it’s too easy

“one's made by worms, and the other's a pokémon."

that,.,., could not possibly be righti* it brings you a laugh and you honestly don’t even try to correct him

it’s 11:15 and you kNOW it’s time to resume your shift, straightening your shirt because atleast one (1) person would hound you when they see a familiar red lanyard

oh you’re hounded alright

“hi! almost thought you were hiding from me for a second.”

yoongi????

oh

you haven’t seen him for a week and you don’t know what to feel in all honesty

"anyways, is this sweater wool or cotton?"

wow

you're quite speechless as he holds up the item

really?

this thing all over again???

why are you even surprised

the only thing that yoongi gets your customer service smile, fishing your hand from inside the sweater to show him

“70% wool."

that's it???

NO GOOD MORNING????

you're mad at him, aren't you?

he knew it :((

he knew something was wrong but he just didn’t know what

he’s gonna fix this!! he will

which is why the very next day, he takes the day off from his work and comes to the store at a time he knows you’d surely be there

you're on cashier duty and you like it actually :D

you have an option to sit and the way you’re just gonna scan pricetags (and occasionally enter the code if it doesn’t work) is really appealing

“good morning!"

you’re about to grab the items from the basket laid on the counter and your eyes could only see the very familiar hand

the same one you’ve seen go through racks and racks

yoongi??

he sets his items one by one, buying himself more time

the first one is the same exact sweater he came to wait for before opening

“you already bought this."

you tell him even before you could hold it back, looking back at him briefly before you scan the tag

“i know. i just wanted to see you."

oh

oh

yoongi threw a bunch of other items (individually) so it would be a longer talk, but you scan each item quickly that he’s grabbing things from the counter

hand sanitizer!!! hair ties!!! keychains!!!! yeah he needs them

“i'm sorry that i tend to spring shit on you most of the time. you don't need to know the difference between silk and silk charmeuse."

you only chuckle then, a meek smile on your face

"it's okay, yoongi.”

“it's not."

... it’s not?

yoongi fidgets, opening and closing his mouth like he’s nervous!!! he’s never had his credit card cancelled but he could only feel that this type of jitterness is more than the former

“can i make it up to you? no lanyards, no baskets, no customer service?? i don't wanna fuck things up with you."

“don't feel obligated-"

“i know i could be a condescending ass who expects people to automatically know fabric and whatnot, but i wanna make it up to you."

alright yoongi’s a really good apology-maker

you mIGHT be even flustered a little

“you're holding the line, yoongi.”

“i cleared my schedule."

“i haven’t!!!!!” - guy in the back

“dinner at my place at 8. i-i promise to make your hard-earned break after your shift worthwhile!!!"

hmmm

maybe that wouldn’t hurt

“okay. just because you're holding the line."

“fine by me."

:))

yoongi transfers all the items he bought, all but one, to his tote bag

he hands back the paper bag to you, scribbling his address on the back of the receipt before he does

he lingers a little while at the counter, the people behind him ALREADY switching lanes to the one seokjin’s just opened beside you

it's the sweater that he has too

yoongi scratches the back of his head, this time being the meek one

“what? m-matching sweaters for our first date. s'cute."

[ipuckwithhockey]

Easier Said Than Done- M. Tkachuk

Part 1

Part 2- Can’t stay away from you

summary: Matt knows this is a bad idea but he can’t help himself when the universe keeps bringing you into his life.

a/n: part 2 is here y’all! i hope you enjoy it. let me know what you think!

warnings: cursing

You’ve been settled into a table at a coffee shop for a couple hours with your “time to study” playlist blaring through your headphones and you don’t notice a tall blue-eyed man approach you. When he taps your shoulder unexpectedly you practically jump out of your chair, causing your hand that was writing your beautifully organized notes to knock your cup of coffee off the table, shattering on impact as it hits the floor. The man has quick reflexes though, and is able to jump back and out of the way of the falling cup. 

“Fuck! Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you!” The man blurts out as you try to take in what just happened. 

You take your headphones out of your ears so you can hear what he’s saying, “Sorry what? I- I couldn’t hear you.” You stutter a bit when you look up at him and realize who he is. You don’t know him, but you do recognize him. 

He was at the Giordano’s about a week ago for their son’s birthday party. You remember seeing him there, his curly mop of hair and broad shoulders had caught your eye, but you also recognized him from somewhere else. You recognized him from the pictures that Lauren has framed around their home, from the advertisements plastered across the city, and from the TV when you get a chance to watch a Flames game. Matthew Tkachuk just scared the shit out of you and you almost spilt a coffee all over him.  

An employee comes over to help you clean up the mess that has been made and sweeps the broke glass away. You and Matthew do your best to help but end up awkwardly apologizing to the employee and then thanking them when they’ve finished cleaning up. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Probably would have gone for a different approach had I known that was going to happen,” Matthew says. 

“Oh, it’s fine. I was just taking—” You look down at the table and you notice that your once beautifully crafted notes are now splotched with coffee. You can’t help it, you try to control it, but the tears start to pierce the corners of your eyes without your approval. It’s completely embarrassing but your stress over law school is winning over your pride and composure. Matthew can see your chin start to tremble and even though you’re trying to hide it, the look on your face says it all. 

“Are you okay?” Matthew asks cautiously.

“Y-yeah” you choke out. “mfine. It’s fine.” Your cheeks are lightly stained with tears and you’re sniffling between words, trying to get a grip and steady your breath as you start to gather your notes. You try to make yourself busy without looking up, not wanting to make eye contact, and praying that he might just leave you be. Instead, he gently wraps a hand around your forearm to get you to look at him. 

“Hey hey. It’s okay. I’m sure we can fix it.” He says with concern in his eyes. He’s trying to be gentle with you because the look in your eyes says you might just crack again as you shake your head no, looking at your notes. Matt doesn’t really know what to do in this situation but he does know that he hates seeing you upset and will do anything to try to help. “Here, how about we start by sitting down.” He motions for you to sit in the chair you jumped from moments ago, “And I’ll get you another coffee, okay?” He asks, still looking at you with caution. You can’t say anything because you’re afraid you might cry again so you just shake your head telling him okay before he leaves to go order you another coffee.

While he’s gone, you’re able to calm yourself down, taking some deep breathes as you tell yourself it will be okay. You know it will be and you know that your stress is causing you to over dramatize the events that have unfolded. You also know that you have another set of the same notes at home and that you were just redoing them to help you study. A few minutes later Matthew returns with the coffee cup he held earlier in one hand and a new one in his other. He sits the other cup down in front of you and to your surprise he takes the seat across form yours. 

“Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.” You thank your voice for not giving out on you and for sounding somewhat normal as you speak. Embarrassment doesn’t exactly cover what you’re feeling, and you’re surprised that Matthew has stuck around this long in general, but now he’s sitting down in front of you and doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere any time soon. 

“I think it’s the least I could do considering I scared the hell out of you, broke a glass… and then made you cry...”  He looks down sheepishly as he says the last one. He feels horrible and quite frankly, very out of his league in this situation. Not only did he ignore his promise to Gio to stay away from you, but he’s also managed to get you to hate him in about five seconds. What makes him feel even worse is that you’re still being so nice to him. This is only adding to his growing infatuation with you, and he curses himself for not having the will power to walk away the moment he saw you. 

You blush out of embarrassment, “I’m the one who should be apologizing to you, and they’re just notes, it’s fine. I actually have a copy at home. I’m just stressed, and I freaked out but I promise you it’s totally fine.” You try to reassure him and the concern he’s showing, and instinctively letting your hand rest on top of his. A simple comforting gesture that wouldn’t mean anything to most people, lit a fire in Matthew that he wasn’t prepared for. His eyes are glued to your hand and when you notice you quickly pull it back, but not without noticing how large and warm it was. But before you get a chance to apologize Matt is asking you what you’re studying for and trying to cover up the blush that has settled across his cheeks. 

“It’s for the exam at the end of the semester, so not for a few months but I—“

“You’re already studying for a test that’s months away?” He looks at you like you’re crazy, and you laugh because when you broke down crying a few minutes ago he seemed pretty collected but now he’s downright flabbergasted, “I’m Matt by the way,” he adds quickly, realizing that you might not know who he is and that it would be polite to formally introduce himself. 

You let out a little laugh, “Yeah, most of my grade is based off of the one exam so you have to study for it all semester.” You explain to him as he nods but still looks confused. “…I’m y/n, you were at Gio’s the other day for Jack’s birthday party, right?” you ask him, and Matt is astonished that you even noticed he was there. Every time he looked at you, you were either entertaining the kids around you or having what looked to be very mature conversations with the adults that made Matt feel incredibly of place.

“Yeah I was. I uh- that’s actually why I came over here in the first place. I recognized you.” Matthew says trying not to sound too creepy, and you can’t help but smile because you can’t believe he even noticed you. Being noticed by any cute guy is one thing, but Matthew Tkachuk had that kind of bad boy vibe that made him that much more irresistible. 

“Oh. Well, it’s nice to finally meet you. The kids talk about you all the time.” You say.

The Giordano kids loved Matt and when you babysat on game nights the three of you would sit together on the couch in matching jerseys, all with the number 5 on the back, but whenever number 19 would get into a scrum the kids would go wild. Reese used to get upset every time it would happen, but her brother has taught her to cheer instead now. Jack really admires Matt and sometimes during mini sticks, instead of pretending to be his dad he’ll pretend to be Matt. (You just try to keep the pretend scrums to a minimum.) It was adorable and he is obviously attractive, but you aren’t immune to the rumors that float around town. He’s a playboy who can take a different girl home every time he goes out. Even Mark and Lauren have even made comments about his bachelor lifestyle. 

Despite those rumors and the comments, you’re genuinely surprised by Matt. He stays with you at your table for over an hour as the two of you talk. You expected him to be pompous and cocky and just like all those douche bags that you met in college. He was cocky, but you didn’t expect him to be so nice or sweet, or even funny. You definitely didn’t expect him to flirt with you. It wasn’t anything too over the top, but subtle things in the tone in which he would speak made you think he was trying to flirt.

Over the hour that you spent together he asked you about your relationship with the Giordano’s and he had plenty of questions about law school. It was actually really sweet. Matt hadn’t gone to college, skipping that step, and opting to go to the OHL before signing with the Flames. Most of his knowledge of the university experience came from his brother Brady’s short stint at Boston College, or a few stories he heard from his friends back home. He didn’t know a lick about law school, and he’s fascinated listening to you explain things that are surely going right over his head. 

He gets so caught up in you that he doesn’t realize how much time has passed and when he looks down at his phone, he realizes that he’s going to be late for a meeting and can’t help but feel a little sad. He doesn’t want this conversation to end and if it does, he doesn’t want it to be a singular occurrence, which is what has him asking if he can have your number. 

And despite the little voices in your head telling you no, you end up saying yes. “Yeah. Yeah, sure.” You reply not able to hide your smile. He’s charming and handsome and completely out of your league, but you figure it won’t hurt to give him your number anyway. He might not even use it, right?

*

A few days later you find yourself sitting in a fancy chair in a boutique that sells $50 scrunchies as you watch Lauren try on a dress that probably costs as much as your rent. She insisted that the two of you go shopping before lunch— on her of course, and no matter how many times you told her that you couldn’t let her do that, she stood her ground and insisted it was her treat. It’s been a couple hours of shopping and you don’t know how Lauren can do this for so long.  If shopping was a sport Lauren would be winning gold at the Olympics, you however wouldn’t even qualify.

You let her buy you a new blouse that you’ll probably get more use out of when you get a job at a law firm and a swanky dress that was probably only appropriate for a fancy party. You’re not sure when you’ll ever get to wear it, and would never have spent that much money on something that you would get so little use out of, but Lauren really hyped you up and when she offered to buy it you couldn’t say no. 

“So,” she says as she sits down in the chair next to yours, “What’s been going on in your life that isn’t school?”

You laugh at that. All you really do is go to class and study right now. It’s pretty hard to keep a job in law school so you’re basically just a full time student. You don’t really have a social life unless it’s studying with your friends or maybe an occasional lunch or dinner out. There’s really nothing new on the ‘not school’ front and you tell her that, getting a lack luster facial expression from her in return. 

“You work too much! You’re young! This is the time in your life to go out and have fun!” She exclaims. Lauren completely admires your work ethic and she’s incredibly proud of you but the mom in her wants to make sure that you’re not missing out on some of the best years of your life because you’re too busy studying. She means well and she has a point, you probably could be a little more active in your social life and this in turn makes you remember who you saw a few days earlier. 

“You’ll never guess who I ran into the other day.” You say as you wait for Lauren to change back into her clothes. 

“Oh!? Who was it? Is he cute?” She asks from behind the curtain of the dressing room, and without even knowing if it was a guy, but not so secretly hoping it is. 

“It was Matthew Tkachuk. And yeah, I guess he is kinda cute.” you joke. 

You can see the surprise on her face as she pops her head out from behind the curtain, “Where in the world did you run into him?” She asks in reply, but you make her finish changing and check out of the store before you answer her. Lauren may be able to shop until she drops but you’re ready for lunch and if you have to hang this over her head to get there, then that’s what you’ll do. 

The two of you leave the store, Lauren with another bag in her hand, and walk around the corner to the restaurant for lunch. “So, where the hell did you run into Chucky” She asks as you settle into your seat and pick up the sleek menu sitting in front of you. 

“Well, if you must know, I was studying at that coffee shop by my apartment, and he came up behind me and scared the shit out of me. I knocked my coffee on the floor and everything.” You tell her in a little bit of a mocking tone, knowing that she’s a sucker for gossip. “He felt really bad though, and bought me another coffee after he made me cry—“

“He did WHAT!?” 

“Well, the coffee got on my notes and I was just really stressed about school so I kind of started crying...” 

“So he wasn’t mean to you? He didn’t do anything rude, did he?” She asks in her best mom voice. It makes you chuckle, and you tell her no, explaining that it was just an accident. You also tell her about how he stayed and talked to you for a while. “He actually surprised me. He’s not as... I don’t know... dick-ish?” That probably wasn’t the best way to describe it, but it probably got the message across but when you look up you can see something brewing on Lauren’s face and it resembles worry. 

“Listen, I’m just going to be straightforward with you. He’s a good guy, but he lacks... Well, he lacks some maturity on the relationship side of his life. I know he can be very charming, but I can’t promise that he won’t hurt you. The stats aren’t good, and I don’t want to see you get hurt by him.” You haven’t even told her about him asking for your number, and because of this, you choose not to. Instead, you tell her not to worry about it, and that you don’t think that door will be opening anytime soon anyway. There might be a very small part of you that is a little let down because he hasn’t called or texted since you gave him your number, but you push that thought to the side. Lauren had a point too, there isn’t any guarantee that you wouldn’t get hurt and right now you need to be focusing on school, and not on a hypothetical relationship. 

*

The next time that Matt sees you it’s not by his doing. He’s tried his best to keep away from you and has resisted using the number that sits heavy in his cellphone. Instead, he stalks your Instagram and goes through your Twitter likes. He feels like he’s back in middle school again as he begins to pick apart pieces of your life. You apparently read. A lot. And most of your liked tweets are from the Sparknotes account or niche memes that Matt doesn’t understand. He may not understand them, but it doesn’t keep him from reading every single one of them in hopes of gaining some sort of insight into your life. 

On more than one occasion he has sat up at night thinking about texting you, asking what you were up to and hoping you would come over. He never did because he knew that one night wouldn’t be enough. Night after night he could have a different girl come and go from his bed, but for the first time in a long time he didn’t want a girl for just one night. But he couldn’t even let himself pick up the phone to ask you out on a proper date because his captain asked him explicitly to stay away. He couldn’t disobey a direct order. And who knows, maybe he wouldn’t be any good at any of this relationship stuff anyway. Unfortunately, that didn’t keep him from wanting to try. All these factors only added to the list of reasons why he couldn’t let himself pick up the phone and call you. He couldn’t justify it and so he pushed the thought to the side. 

The world works in mysterious ways though, and sometimes it will continue to bring two people together no matter how much they fight it. That’s exactly what happened as Matthew came by to pick up Mark on his way to the arena and you were on your way into the house to babysit for the game. You were just getting out of your car when Matthew pulled up in the driveway beside you. 

You can see that it’s him and you try to rush around his car and into the house before you can experience anymore embarrassment. He asked for your number weeks ago and clearly hasn’t used it.  There wasn’t any obligation to do so, but you figure you can assume that asking for someone’s number implies that they are going to use it, except he never did. So maybe he just asked out of pity or maybe he asked and changed his mind.

“Y/N!” You hear him call out your name following the sound of his car door shutting, stopping you in your tracks as you slowly turn to face him. 

“Matt! Hey!” you say a bit too enthusiastically and like you hadn’t seen it was him in the car.

The two of you are at a standstill, neither one knowing what to say or how to act with the looming fact that Matt has your number in his pocket but hasn’t chosen to use it. He knows that he shouldn’t have even asked for the number in the first place and that he’s gotten himself into this mess but now doesn’t know how to get himself out. 

“Um. So I-“

“It’s totall-“

You both start to talk at the same time but you insist that he finish his statement first, “I’m uh- I’m sorry about not calling. I know that’s a dick move-” 

You cut him off, feeling a twinge of confidence arise, “So why didn’t you?” You ask innocently but knowing that you’ve caught the hotshot off guard. 

“Um- I just I don’t know if this is a good idea.” He replies. 

“Well how can you know if you don’t try? Isn’t that the whole point of going on a date?” You say and then realize that maybe he didn’t want your number to ask you out. Maybe he just wanted to see if you would be willing to crawl into his be one night and out the next morning. 

You don’t get a chance to answer. Gio is coming out the front door and doesn’t seem to even notice that the two of you are in the middle of a conversation. He simply waves goodbye to you and ushers Matt back to his car as he starts to talk about something to do with Johnny. Matt does his best to play it off cool, hoping to god Gio hasn’t noticed, and thankfully he doesn’t mention you at all on the drive to the rink. 

Spending time with the kids was just what you needed as a break from your classes, and you let the kids stay up until Lauren gets home from the game. The Flames won 3-1 and the kids couldn’t have been better for you. You’re in such a great mood that when Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody comes on the radio, you turned it up full blast so that you can sing at the top of your lungs. The earlier encounter with Matthew is long forgotten as you sing and dance to the radio on your way home. With the radio turned up you don’t hear a text come through. You don’t even see until you’re snuggled up in bed, ready to set your alarm for the next morning, and when you click on the unknown number you’re more than surprised when you read what the message says.

Maybe: Matt: Hey it’s Matt. I think you might be right about the dating thing. Are you free Thursday night?

[sea-dukes-assistant]

My funny, kind, decent, terrifying (but surprisingly sensitive) hero Philip

by Gyles Brandreth

During the summer of 2000, in the run-up to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday, I asked the Duke of Edinburgh if he was hoping to reach 100. ‘Good God, no,’ he spluttered, ‘I can’t imagine anything worse. What a ghastly idea.’

‘You might make it,’ I suggested, encouragingly.

‘No, thank you,’ he said firmly. ‘Bits are already dropping off.’

Seventeen years on, and a month away from his 96th birthday on June 10, Prince Philip still appears to be in one piece.

This week (when his diary included ten public engagements), he announced that he will retire from official duties at the end of the summer, but it certainly isn’t on grounds of health. I doubt you will find a fitter man in his mid-90s anywhere.

I saw him earlier in the week. He walks without a stick, at a pace, with a spring in his step and he is as sparky as he ever was.

I have known him, off and on, for more than 40 years, since I first became involved in the work of one of his pet charities, the National Playing Fields Association.

He is retiring, quite simply, so that he can spend some time doing the things he wants to when he wants to.

Prince Philip prides himself on being a realist. He knows he is not going to live for ever. As the man who has overseen the fabric of all the Royal Palaces since the Queen’s coronation in 1953, he is currently being kept abreast of the plans for the multi-million-pound refurbishment of Buckingham Palace.

At the meetings, I gather, he alternates between focusing on the details and bleating: ‘I’ll be dead before this has even started — dead, do you hear me?’

One of his family once told me: ‘Philip isn’t sentimental, but he is sensitive, profoundly so.’ He is very aware that he has reached the age when friends and contemporaries do die. A fortnight ago he attended the memorial service for his former brother-in-law Antony Armstrong-Jones, the Earl of Snowdon.

When I saw him on Tuesday, it was at a service to celebrate the life of his librarian and archivist, Dame Anne Griffiths, who had worked for him for 42 years.

Last year, he was at the funeral of one of his closest friends, his former private secretary Sir Brian McGrath. Barely a morning goes by that he doesn’t read the obituary of somebody he knows. The dying never stops.

Prince Philip is indeed an unsentimental realist. He is also, in his own phrase, ‘a pragmatist, not a romantic’. When he said to a well-wisher on Thursday he was standing down because he ‘couldn’t stand up much longer’, it wasn’t wholly a joke.

He knows that, with time, he will inevitably get frailer. He has always taken pride in his appearance, but wearing the heavy bearskin worn by the Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, for example, as he has done up to his 90s, simply isn’t going to be possible as he approaches his centenary.

He is bowing out of the limelight before the Press can chronicle his increasing deterioration. He admits he is a little hard of hearing and confesses to memory lapses. ‘I forget names,’ he says. ‘It’s frustrating.’

He does not want to give the media the opportunity to report any inadvertent lapses or slips of the tongue.

He loathes the reputation he has of being the princely gaffe-man. As he told me once: ‘On a foreign trip, my heart sinks if I see there are British Press coming, too. All they are waiting for is a so-called gaffe.’

Prince Philip can be impatient (he has been heard to say ‘take the f***ing photograph’ to more than one dilatory snapper), but he is not impetuous. He thinks things through and the timing of his retirement at the end of the summer has been carefully considered.

It marks exactly 70 years since he was created Duke of Edinburgh upon his marriage to Princess Elizabeth in 1947. Seventy years is threescore-year-and-ten, the biblical lifespan, and Prince Philip has, literally, given a lifetime’s service to his sovereign and the country.

He reckons it is time now to make way for the next generation. The future of the monarchy matters to him. He is delighted with the way Prince William and Prince Harry are ‘shaping up’.

Prince Philip is conscious of his place in the heritage of the Royal Family. (Collating and studying family trees is one of his less well-publicised enthusiasms.) One hundred and twenty years ago, in 1897, his mother, aged 12, attended Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

People sometimes think of the Duke of Edinburgh as an outsider (‘Phil the Greek’, born in Corfu).

But his mother, Princess Alice, was born at Windsor Castle, the daughter of Princess Victoria, one of Queen Victoria’s favourite granddaughters. And his father’s father, George I of Greece, was an aide de camp to Queen Victoria — and later to King Edward VII (who married Philip’s great-aunt Alexandra) and, later still, to George V (whose granddaughter Philip married).

Unlike the Queen (whose mother was an aristocrat but not royal), Prince Philip is royal to the marrow — related on both sides to kings, queens, emperors, kaisers and tsars.

Prince Philip believes in the value of the monarchy, and if we regard the Queen’s reign as a success (and most of us do), the joint author of that success has been the Duke of Edinburgh.

He has been there from the start. In February 1952, it was he who broke the news to the 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth that her father had died and she was now Queen. From that day until this week he has been there for her — and for us.

Privately, of course, he will still be there for the Queen, but, publicly, much less so.

I reckon that he will continue to pop up at her side on occasion when he wants to (and when she needs him), but from now on, as a rule, Her Majesty will be seen more often accompanied by one of her children. Sometimes it may be Prince Andrew (the more the Press vilify ‘Airmiles Andy’, the more protective his mother feels towards him), sometimes it will be Prince Edward (who will be recreated as Duke of Edinburgh when Prince Philip finally dies).

I have no doubt that the Queen will miss her husband as she goes about her official duties.

I recall attending a Royal Variety Performance (one duty the Duke of Edinburgh will certainly be happy to be shot of) and, during the interval, in a crowded theatre bar, watching the Queen surrounded by eager showbusiness types, Prince Philip was standing on the far side of the room watching Her Majesty, too.

Suddenly, across the crowded room, he caught her eye, smiled and raised his glass. They have been good companions for 70 years.

When I wrote a biography of the royal couple, I spent some days travelling around the country with them. Following in the car behind theirs at the end of the day, it was touching to see them side by side in the car in front, chatting animatedly, going through the day’s events, the Duke doing most of the talking and invariably making the Queen laugh.

He is a funny man. He once said: ‘If ever you see a man opening the car door for his wife, it’s either a new car or a new wife.’

Inevitably, his sense of humour is not to everybody’s taste and now and again he rubs an over-sensitive soul up the wrong way. He likes to challenge people and keep them on their toes.

He is wilfully contradictory and, occasionally, he can be irascible. He can be a little frightening, too.

On several occasions I have spoken alongside him at fundraising events at Buckingham Palace. Without exception, he has barracked my speeches with caustic asides. ‘Get on with it, man. We’ve heard that one before. What are you saying now? None of this is true.’ While the crowd laughed, I quaked.

Prince Philip’s principal role since 1952 has been to support the Queen. Alongside that, he has created his own working life as founder, fellow, patron, president, chairman, or member of at least 837 organisations — as well as a Colonel or Colonel-in-Chief, Field Marshal, Admiral, Air Commodore 42 times over.

He has survived 70 years of royal flummery: parades, processions, receptions, lunches, dinners — upwards of 22,000 official engagements.

He has measured out his life in handshakes and small-talk. And to keep his sanity, along with the surface stuff (necessary, unavoidable), he has got stuck in to a range of projects where in-depth involvement has given him the satisfaction of a job well done.

His style is distinctive. It’s proactive and practical: he is a details man. I once visited a sports facility with him in Merseyside. His debriefing note to me was brief and to the point. We’d put the lavatories and changing rooms in the wrong place.

When I wrote his biography of him, his staff (the leanest team at Buckingham Palace) kindly supplied me with a mass of material detailing his achievements.

It was all there, from his 6,000 hours of flying time as a pilot (perversely, though as a naval officer he was mentioned in dispatches during the war, he sometimes says he’d rather have been in the Air Force than the Navy) to his books on competition carriage-driving, from the creation of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to the conversion of the new lunch room at Sandringham — thousands of accomplishments, great and small, a remarkable record of a frantically busy life effectively and well spent.

The Duke is relatively comfortable with people saluting what he has done, but much less so with any acknowledgement of who he is. Once, when we were talking about Diana, Princess of Wales, he made the point that it is dangerous to take personally the attention that comes your way as a member of the Royal Family. It is your position that puts you in the limelight, he explained — and nothing else.

He said to me: ‘You won’t remember this, but in the first years of the Queen’s reign, the level of adulation — you wouldn’t believe it. You really wouldn’t. It could have been corroding. It would have been very easy to play to the gallery, but I took the conscious decision not to do that. Safer not to be too popular. You can’t fall too far.’

Well, like it or not, here he is, more than halfway through his tenth decade, and, judging from the Press and public reaction to this week’s announcement, more popular than ever.

Those who know him personally know him for what he is: determined, disciplined, resilient, clear-sighted, bloody-minded, funny, thoughtful, kind, pragmatic, decent, honest, hard-working, obstinate, perverse. And those who don’t, simply know him as the man who has stood by the Queen through seven decades — ‘quite simply’, in her words, ‘as my strength and stay all these years’.

Prince Philip says, with a wry laugh: ‘I’ll be dead soon.’ But not too soon, I hope. We have all realised something this week: we’ll really miss him when he’s gone.

(via the Daily Mail)

[ninjago-bingo]

final month recap

wow, everyone.  we’re here.  we’ve made it.  we’re reached the end of our bingo time, and i’m absolutely floored by the sheer creative output that i’ve seen over these last four months.  everyone, take a moment to give yourself a pat on the back!!!  no matter if you made 1 piece or 10, there’s now a work of art out there in the world that wasn’t there before.  and truly, that’s super heccing rad no matter how you look at it.

so let’s celebrate!  for this recap, we have a total of 20 new pieces, bringing the total amount of ninbingo pieces up to 50.  in the span of four months, this little event has created 50 individual works (five of them in the last day!)  holy cow ya’ll.

i’m putting out this recap now, but don’t worry, it’s not the end yet!  any submissions made to the end of the 30th still count and this post will be updated accordingly :D

fic:

all the things i’ve never done by @sa-you-na-ra. tumblr || prompts: competition and teasing

It’s always a funny thing when the ninja realize new things about each other. Even though living with each other meant they had to see each other all day, there were still small habits or actions that amused the others.

(mod comments: all these little interactions made me smile so much :D looking forward to the rest!)

error 404: answer not found by @m-aster-of-spinjitzu. tumblr || prompt: memories

Akita and Zane talk after the battle in ‘Awakenings’. The conversation… doesn’t go as either of them expect.

(mod comments: the nuances in this fic are fantastic!  also Akita is always a win :D)

Five times kai was a good brother by @/master-of-fluff. tumblr || ao3 || prompts: nightmare and brother

I'm writing kai centric stuff again.

(mod comments: kai IS the big bro of the team!!! i support him all the way!!)

How Garmadon became a chauffeur by @master-of-fluff. tumblr || ao3 || prompt: driving

"um...Kai? Don't you think we should go Slower?" Garmadon asked nervously trying not to panick as they raced down the road at what had to be over the speed limit.

(mod comments: who let Kai drive?  no but honestly this is canon alskdfj)

little things by @/rosiehunterwolf. tumblr || ao3 || ffn.net || prompts: hugs and crying.

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you'll look back and realize they were the big things." -Kurt Vonnegut

Lloyd’s tired of being left behind. How is he meant to be the green ninja when he always has to work harder, train better, and wait longer to go on missions with his team? He wants nothing more than to be their equal.

At least, that’s what he thought he wanted.

(mod comments: a post-ep-18 resolution scene?  SIGN ME UP!)

Neither Snow Nor Rain by @fangirltakesall. tumblr || ffn.net || prompt: post-fight

After their return from the Never Realm and all its troubles, Zane is quiet and Nya is incredibly worried. A call to action to a peculiar sort of battle might be enough to change both of those things.

(mod comments: the concept of these two on their own mission together is just so good! excited to see how their dynamic plays out!!)

Never Put Off Until Tomorrow by @/rosiehunterwolf. tumblr || ao3 || ffn.net || prompts: video games and chores

…what can be done today, yada, yada, yada, we all know the saying. So do the ninja- when Master Wu is drilling it into their heads every minute of every day, it’s kind of hard to forget.

Naturally, it only takes them a week (and the biggest new video game in Ninjago) to do so.

(mod comments: this is so in character that it’s frustrating lol.  also Pixal ftw!!)

oh take me back to the start by @/rosiehunterwolf. tumblr || ao3 || ffn.net || prompts: comfort and 3 am

The past should be left in the past. Or, at least, that’s what Jay keeps telling himself. Nadakhan is gone. It’s not logical to still be afraid. But he is, and now everything that he left behind suddenly feels like it’s never going to be the same again.

Cole isn’t so convinced.

(mod comments: Cole is truly the man we all deserve in our lives.)

On Our Own by @redefine-your-identity. tumblr || prompt: home

It’s been a few weeks since Kai and Nya’s parents disappeared without a trace. Needless to say, they’re struggling.

(mod comments: OU C H no poor babies 😭 the relationship dynamic here is great!)

orange and gold by @/m-aster-of-spinjitzu. tumblr || prompt: cooking

...I just need more Cole and Vania content, they seem like they'd be great friends.

Basically it's just 'Cole goes to visit her there, they almost burn down the kitchen, and make way too many puns', lol.

(mod comments: I also always need more Vania content!! the puns in this were breadful!)

permafrost by @/rosiehunterwolf. tumblr || ao3 || ffn.net || prompts: loss of control and promise

It’s not like this is the first time this has happened. It’s not like none of his teammates have ever suffered this kind of guilt and pain. It’s not like Zane himself hasn’t walked through hell before and come out the other side (mostly) in once piece.

Except, this time, it is. It shouldn’t be different, but it is.

(mod comments: super sweet moment between two ninja who deserve more interaction like seriously!!)

Precautionary Tale by @/fangirltakesall. tumblr || ffn.net || prompt: protective

Fighting is different now, and Zane doesn't know why. Yes, he is titanium now, but why should that change anything? It seems to be changing everything, although is all really as it seems?

(mod comments: a great start to a zane-centric fic!  interested to see where it goes next :D)

Star-Ninja! by @rosiehunterwolf. tumblr || ao3 || ffn.net || prompts: siblings and competition 

What happens when the loveable gremlin the ninja adopted off of the streets introduces them to Starfarer comics?

Chaos ensues, of course.

stuck with you (through bright and blue) by @/rosiehunterwolf. tumblr || ao3 || ffn.net || prompt: protective

Kai only wants two things: to protect Lloyd, and to give him the best birthday ever. Unfortunately, Lloyd seems hell-bent on making that as difficult as possible. Kai’s always prided himself on achieving the impossible, but dealing with human emotions is much more complicated than beating up Garmadon’s generals or shooting enemies with fire, as he quickly learns. Movie!verse

(mod comments: happy birthday lloyd!! look at him getting the love he deserves uwu)

Take a walk in the rain. by @/master-of-fluff. tumblr || ao3 || prompt: rain

Cole had always loved the rain, the way it smelled, the way it felt on his skin, and especially the mud! Whenever it rained his Mother would put on his rain coat and boots And they'd both go out and splash around in the puddles and make mud cakes and do all sorts of things.

(mod comments: this fic made me smile a lot :D loved the way it was arranged!) 

the hues of an empty sky by @/m-aster-of-spinjitzu. tumblr || prompt: crying

Missing memories, or having two of them for one moment - not quite the same, but if there’s one thing Jay’s leant over the last few weeks, it’s that literally nothing makes sense anymore.

Or, some Skybound aftermath, Zane actually expressing emotions about his memory switch being turned off for all those years, and what was supposed to be a ‘they tell everyone about the erased timeline’ fic, but it turned into a 'two characters who barely interact on screen talk at like one am in the morning, and don’t actually tell the other what exactly they’re alluding to the whole time’ fic that I wrote at like one am-

(mod comments: Skybound resolution? SIGN ME THE HECK UP YES)

The Make-Cole-Realize-How-Much-We-Love-Him Competition by @21st-century-ninja. tumblr || ao3 || prompts: bets and competition

Jay and Kai share a horrified look.  “He really doesn’t get it,” Jay says.

Kai shakes his head.  “We need to show him somehow.”

“Show me what?” Cole asks, exasperated again.  

“How much we love you!” Kai exclaims.  “Somehow, it’s not getting through your thick skull that we want to sit next to you because you’re you, so I’m gonna have to just prove it to you.”

(mod comments: a silly little movie fic!)

twitter was a mistake by @/21st-century-ninja. tumblr || ao3 || prompts: teasing and birthday

Kai 🔥 @flaminhotninja ☑

so who was gonna tell me that Jay used to be a game show host huh

🌺✨ the Gift of Jay ✨🌺 @zaptrap ☑

Replying to @flaminhotninja

NO WHO SHOWED YOU

(mod comments: twitter was a mistake)

two halves of a broken whole by @/rosiehunterwolf. tumblr || ao3 || ffn.net || prompts: scars and post-fight

The Sons of Garmadon have been defeated. Garmadon is in prison. The city has been saved.

In the aftermath of the battle, Nya is more than ready to take a much-needed break. But the life of a ninja is messy. Recovery is never that simple. Although the wounds may have healed, the scars still remain.

Zane’s scars seem to match up, though. And maybe together, they can begin to heal.

(mod comments: aggressive care is my jam, and this is it!)

wait by @rosiehunterwolf. tumblr || ao3 || ffn.net || prompts: home and memories

Lloyd’s not so great at being patient. It’s not his fault though- maybe he would be better at it if waiting didn’t always end up being so disappointing- if people actually kept their promises. But this time’s going to be different, he knows it. His father will come back for him. And Lloyd’s going to wait.

As long as it takes.

(mod comments: baby.  baby boy.  baby.  protecc him plz.)

[the28thofseptemberr]

helloooo!! i didn't do a fic rec last month because i was so busy with my exams and barely had time to read, so this month's post is going to comprise of mostly fics i've read in june but also some i've read in may.

thank you to all of the incredible writers, please go support them!! and remember to read all of the tags and possible warnings before reading the fic! here is the list of fics (mostly below the cut):

read

•° — led by your beating heart by @missandrogyny 29.4k | E | famous harry/non-famous louis

Nick leans over. "Oh," he says, his voice smug. "Who is that?"

Harry just blinks at his phone. "Um," he manages to stammer out.

"Who's that, Harry?" Nick asks again, but this time he raises his eyebrows and smirks. Harry knows Nick is just teasing, and that he's not really looking for new Harry Styles gossip, but, um. He might have found something. Accidentally.

Harry opens his mouth to speak, but all that comes out is another 'um'. He really needs to work on translating his thoughts into words. But then it probably wouldn't be any help right now, would it? His mind is as blank as a newly erased etch-a-sketch.

"Oh," Nick says again, this time gleefully, seemingly having picked up on Harry's distress. "Looks like we've got a story here! Are you going to call or delete her number?"

Her number. So Nick thinks it's a girl. Well, Harry can't blame him: 'Lou' is kind of an androgynous nickname. His stylist's name is Lou.

But this Lou, well, Louis, he's kind of, really, really not a girl. He's really pretty though, which, is something.

(Or: AU where Harry's in One Direction, Louis isn't, and they reconnect over a game of 'Call or Delete'.)

note: this was so funny and cute and well written, and everyone was characterized so perfectly!! i adored the chemistry between louis and harry, this fic kept me smiling for the whole time while i was reading <3

•° — sounds like love to me by @neondiamond 14.6k | G | kid fic

“Do you want to hear the heartbeat?”

Louis watches as Harry’s face falls with the realization that this is one of those things he won’t be able to experience. For a second, Louis considers saying no, to show Harry they’re truly on the same boat through all of this. But he nods in the end, reaching over for Harry’s hand as the doctor flips a switch. Noise fills the room then, and it takes a few seconds for the sound to become clear enough for Louis to make out the baby’s fast heartbeat.

“It’s really fast,” he voices his thoughts out loud as he uses his thumb to tap against the back of Harry’s hand, replicating the rapid rhythm of the baby’s heartbeat. It takes the younger man a little while to figure out what Louis’ doing, but a huge grin breaks out on his face as soon as he does.

“Is that them?” He signs with the other hand, his own eyes starting to tear up when Louis nods.

OR: Harry is deaf, Louis is pregnant. They figure it out.

note: i'm not a fan of mpreg or kid fics in general, but i stumbled across the fic post for this on my dash and the summary sounded really intriguing to me, so i had a go at reading and it did not disappoint!! it was really sweet and fluffy but also so touching and heartbreaking in some parts. plus, i really enjoyed how harry and louis worked together and supported each other.

•° — this restless dream by @afirethatcannotdie 5.6k | NR | first meetings

“Hiii, I called earlier about the dogs?” he asks, taking a few steps closer to the desk where Louis is standing. He’s taller than Louis, with a dimple when he smiles and bright green eyes. There's a cute eagerness about his whole presence. “Do you have any puppies?” He’s a bit like a puppy himself, actually.

AU. Louis works at an animal shelter and Harry wants a puppy. Things don't go quite according to plan.

note: this was so so adorable and soft, especially since i have a soft spot for h&l with pets. i also have a soft spot for h&l being oblivious lovesick idiots and this was perfect!!

•° — all i see is you, lately by @runaway-train-works 2k | G | first meetings

Harry noticed him for the first time three months ago. He couldn’t not, really, what with the man being so pretty and all, and Harry remembers it well because it was three days before his birthday and he had joked to himself that seeing someone so gorgeous for three days on the trot must be an early present from the Gods.

Or

The one where Harry has a crush on a fellow commuter.

note: this one was quite short but so sweet and perfect and lovely!!

•° — the things i'd do to wake up next to you by orphan_account 36.1k | M | amnesia fic

AU. Harry wakes up to a pregnant Louis Tomlinson and a wedding band on his finger.

note: this fic was incredible, i'm always up for an amnesia fic and this one was heart-breaking and realistic but also sweet and fluffy as well :)

•° — this glorious mess by theweightofmywords 14.2k | M | post-breakup

His head lolls to the side, and his eyes float open to focus on what used to be his bedside table.

It’s empty now, devoid of the framed photo of the two of them. And Louis knows that he has no right to feel hurt, but somehow, this only confirms what this really is.

“This is the last time,” he cries, his voice breaking both from pleasure and pain.

“I know, baby,” Harry breathes, burying his face in Louis neck.

note: this is the third mpreg-centric fic i've read this month and... i don't even like mpreg?? but god the premise of this fic intrigued me so much, and it was lovely and emotional and beautifully written.

•° — BLAH BLAH BLAH there's a moment you know (you're f*cked) by @mercurial-madhouse 3.2k | M | spy au

Anyone impulsive enough to betray their country is either foolish or overly-confident. Louis’s too cunning for the former. So his inflated ego tips precariously close to the edge between pride and hubris. In sum: He may be an expert, (as proven by the .32-cal Beretta Alleycat Harry found strapped to his back) but ex-agent Louis Tomlinson will explode like a busted bullet misfiring in a broken gunbarrel if Harry can find his trigger.

___

Or, the spy AU in which Harry thinks he's prepared to meet Louis only to find he's not.

note: the banter and tension in this fic was so good and so fun!! i need moreee

•° — every lonely place by @ham-palpert 38k | E | time travel/alternate lives fic

Facing the fact that he’s been prioritizing his career over his relationship, Harry proposes to his longtime boyfriend Louis on a whim. But when yet another work emergency takes precedence over their plans, Louis decides he’s had enough. Harry goes to bed drunk and alone, and when he wakes, he finds himself in an entirely different world. Over and over again, Harry visits a lifetime he’s once lived, across time and dimensions. And wherever there’s a Harry Styles, there’s a Louis Tomlinson.

note: this was such a unique fic! and such an emotional one too, love the message it sends and the character arc and development was so good

•° — tick-tock by bubblegumclouds 6k | G | soulmate au

When Louis was born to Jay Tomlinson with a tiny 2 years on his clock, it starts the most beautiful love story. Even if things are missed, fate finds a way to make it work.

note: this was just so, so cute and fluffy and sweet! i loved it

•° — baby baby, you're a caramel macchiato by @missandrogyny 3.2k | T | coffee shop au

So, yeah, Harry doesn't think it's that far of a stretch to call himself a good barista. There are some particularly bad ones, and some particularly good ones, and, with his work ethic, his skill, and his charm, he'd probably be lumped in with the latter group.

note: this was so lovely, and i especially really loved the little section talking about louis' name and how it suits him!

re-read

•° — one shines brighter by @afirethatcannotdie 11.8k | T | wedding fic

“Hi, baby. You doing anything fun today?” Harry shrugs. “Dunno. Thought I’d see how I was feeling before making any plans.” “You wanna get married?” Louis asks. Harry’s face breaks into a smile, and he nods. Louis’ lips are just brushing Harry’s when Gemma appears in the hallway. “You two are in so much trouble.” Harry's wedding was never supposed to be the happiest day of his life. No, that was going to be the day after, when he finally got to start his marriage. Unfortunately his family (and Louis) have other ideas.

Featuring a pair of moms who only want the best for their kids, meddling sisters with too much time on their hands, and a groom who gets caught up in the fairytale.

note: i adore this fic!! it's so so so adorable and so soft and well written, and you can feel how in love h&l are with each other. so so good!

my own fics

•° — under your bed in new york 33.4k | T | exes to lovers

"We know you're still in love with Harry."

Louis' nostrils flared up. "I'm not—"

"Louis."

"I'm not!"

there are many things louis likes to tell himself. we broke up for a reason. it's been so many years. and of course, the classic: i’ve definitely moved on from him. but when he suddenly finds harry back in his life after three years, louis realizes he might be a little less moved on than he thought.

au; spilling coffee onto an ex, being set up on dates, and having a nosy puppy might be all louis needs to find love again

note: i didn't actually write or publish this one this month, but i did edit, revamp and make a fic post for it this month so i thought i'd put it in here anyway. reblog the fic post here!

[bambugsie]

Nico misses Hazel.

It's nothing new actually, he had been a bit lonely for too long. Now tho, he had no reason to miss her.

He is at camp half-blood, he's got Will. Also he had developed and maintained camaraderie with numerous members of the camp. Numerous as in more than people he can count of his fingers. He had been wary of it at first but then he began feeling a sense of pride when someone at the camp gave him a wave, a warm smile in passing.

It's obviously not that he is lonely, Will never lets him brood on anything for too long, giving Nico a pinch on his hip whenever he catches him zoning out. He then laughs at the scowl forming on Nico's face claiming that it's just too funny, which makes the other boy frown harder.

Percy has also been more present in his life, even though he's not staying at the camp, has been there for most of the laughs he shared with the campers, playing pranks on Will which he goes along with- with a lot of pleasure on his side. Annabeth is also there, she has been teaching him the basic rules and how to play scrabble. She had said that he is a fast learner, and he find himself enjoying the board game very much. He started playing it even when Annabeth isn't around, against himself or often someone else when he is bored. It has become his favourite past time. Infact he's playing it right now, sitting on his cabin floor, not bothered to set himself on the table because spreading the board and tiles around gives him a bloom of satisfaction. He is trying to remember the spelling of belief, he has the tip of his tounge out, biting it softly.

"Does the e comes before the i, or does it come after", he murmurs to himself.

From the doorway he hears a muffled chuckle, which makes him turn around to see Percy standing there. Nico acknowledges him with a raise of his brows and goes back to the game.

Percy walks to the mess around him and takes a seat across him, humming the song "baby shark" under his breathe.

Nico raises his head and sees the boy studying him, Percy's hair has gotten long since he saw him last a few months ago, a few strands falling into his eyes. He pats it back and continued to watch Nico with a shadow of a frown on his face.

Nico's scrunches his nose and asks him,"What ?"

Percy shrugs at him and gestures at the tiles scattered around, "I can't understand how you guys can be dyslexic and.. and like...read or enjoy the playing word games, it gives me a headache just thinking about it".

Nico hums, "I don't know either to be honest, the letters printed are.. firm and bold, and I do have trouble with spelling, but it's kind of fun when you put yourself into it, playing with the tiles is also quite soothing, the way you arrange them and all", Nico says while blindly reaching for four more letters from the pile.

Percy makes a sound in his throat, probably agreeing to what he said, but Nico's not sure. When he looks up he sees a contemplating look on his face. He appears to come to conclusion as he opens his mouth.. but seems to think better of it as he closes snaps his mouth shut.

Nico goes back to his game and Percy continues to watch him.

He hasn't forgotten that it's his birthday today, Will has some duties at his cabin but had promised he'll be back for some time together before the day is over. He's grateful for that, even before the casion, both his and Bianca's birthdays passed as small affair. He remembers them sharing a chocolate cupcake with her behind their mothers back, as she had little interest in celebrating the day they were born.

He shakes himself from the thoughts. He is grateful, but he does wish for Hazel to be here today.

Hazel hasn't been completely absent either, she often visit camp half-blood with Frank and Reyna and spend some quality time with him. He was also able to become more and more closer to Reyna.

Back to present, he finishes the round, feeling a bit smug. He rubs his hands together and asks Percy if he wanna walk to the canoe lake with him.

Percy shakes his head and says,"actually, I was gonna ask you to play a round with me, I know the rules and stuff don't worry."

Nico narrows his eyes at Percy, but Percy just shrugs. So they began playing.

After a lot of whining from Percy and a couple of snickers from Nico, the pair finishes the round. Nico wins. Obviously.

As they were bickering over whether Nico cheated or not, he hears a flutter of wings from outside. Percy's countenance tells him that he heard it too. He dropped the argument and says,"that must be blackjack. He told me he was gonna visit before." He gestures his fold thumb towards the dore and asks,"Do you wanna come walk with us".

"Go on a walk with a horse and a boy who talks horse? Yeah, count me in."

They get out and Percy greets the black pegasus with a pat on righy wing, they walk towards the big house. That's when he notices the stones, no not stones, metals, scattered across the path they're walking. His eyes trail along the shiny pieces of gold, silver, rubies and whatnot and sees it.

There stood a silver arc, hanging on it is a banner that said, 'Happy birthday Nico'. Flying around are balloons of all colours. In the middle of the arc, there is a table with a fairly sized cake, a blue one -he knew that Sally, Percy's mom had baked it. Around the table stood people, people from the camp, people he knew. He catches a glimpse of a mop of curly hair, he starts smiling then.

---

I am gonna finish it later maybe :D

[kmikaelsonimagines]

The 1: A Kol Mikaelson Imagine

Request from Anon: The 1 please xx

I didn’t realise until I read over this, but there’s a bit of me in this one, in that what Kol feels is very similar to my own experiences. If you guys ever need to talk about anything similar to the content in this imagine, please don’t hesitate to pop me a message. Hope this is okay for you lovely, and enjoy x 

Want to hear the song? Find a link to it just below:

The 1

I'm doing good, I'm on some new shit Been saying "yes" instead of "no" I thought I saw you at the bus stop, I didn't though

Kol had been doing well for the first time since it happened. It had only taken a few months, but he was finally beginning to feel some level of peace. He knew that he would never be the person he was again, never feel entirely complete, not after what had happened, but he was starting to feel almost contented.

It was what she would have wanted, always moaning at him for being too moody whenever things didn’t go quite the way he wanted them to. He smiled at the memory, seeing her faint outline standing in front of him.

It wasn’t really her, he knew that, but it was better than nothing. Better than being alone with his thoughts, better than letting himself spiral into a deep dark void where he was reminded of all his mistakes, self-loathing swallowing him up.

He refused to let that happen, not again, knowing that if he fell down that hole again, there would be no-one to help him out of it. No-one had the first time, after all, his family either hiding and pretending it didn’t happen, or threatening him if he stepped a foot out of line.

It was why he had left Mystic Falls, not being able to face them, not that they would have missed him.

But now a few months on, he realised that he needed to go back. He took a breath before opening the front door, stepping into the house where it happened.

The house where Y/N had died.

I hit the ground running each night I hit the Sunday matinée You know the greatest films of all time were never made

The first thing he saw was the book on the armchair. Spine broken, pages old and worn, leather bookmark sticking out of them. He knew that book, knew its smell, its touch, the way it made the reader smile.  

It was Y/N’s, something he had obviously left behind when he had taken her things and moved them out of the Mikaelson mansion. Someone was reading it, and as Kol inhaled its scent, hoping that Y/N’s had lingered, he felt anger bubble up as hers was swallowed by that of his older brother.  

Elijah.  

Kol tried to drown out the image of his sibling with one of Y/N, of her telling him just how this was the greatest book of all time, how a film should be made out of it. He had promised her that one day, when that movie was made, he would take her to see it on a Sunday afternoon, and she had smiled, her eyes lighting up as she kissed his cheek.  

Kol pulled the bookmark out of the pages, and pocketed the book. He would take it home with him when he was done here and leave Elijah with the ever damning thought that he would never find out what happened at the end of the novel.   

Just like Y/N would never see that movie. I guess you never know, never know And if you wanted me, you really should've showed And if you never bleed, you're never gonna grow And it's alright now

“You’re back.” Kol was snapped out of his thoughts of Y/N by the voice of his sister. Turning, he looked at Rebekah, her eyes so full of sadness and hope that maybe her brother would stay this time.

“Not for long. Just need to pick up some things, and then I’ll be gone.” His words were clipped, and he turned his back on his sister as he walked towards where his bedroom was. No, not his bedroom. Their bedroom. His and Y/N’s.

“Kol.”

“What, Rebekah? What could you possibly want?”

“How are you?”

Kol shook his head. He knew his sister cared, knew that she was trying. But it was too little, too late. If she wanted him to stay in the first place, then maybe she should have tried a little harder all those months ago. Maybe she shouldn’t have sided with Klaus when Kol went on a bloody rampage out of grief, his hybrid brother threatening to dagger him again.

Fucking hypocrite. How many people had died at Klaus’s hands after he had lost someone?

But Kol didn’t say any of that. “Fine.”

He opened up the wardrobe, trying not to look at the bed where he and Y/N had slept.

But we were something, don't you think so? Roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool

Kol knew Rebekah was still standing there, watching him as he ran his fingers over Y/N’s clothes. Unlike the book that still rested in his pocket, her scent still lingered, and he resisted the urge to cover himself in it, to wrap each dress, each t-shirt, each jacket around his body.

If he did that, he was sure he would break down, and all his progress would be for nothing.

His gaze turned to a black dress, short feathered sleeves between his fingers as he remembered the day Y/N had worn it. It had been her birthday, he forgot which one, but he remembered how she had leaned over the railings surrounding the pond in the park.

He remembered how she had pulled coins out of her purse and given one to him.

“Make a wish, Kol.”

“You know we could just do this with magic.”

She’d pushed him playfully. “Just throw it in. You can’t tell me your wish otherwise it won’t come true.”

She had said that he couldn’t tell her. It hadn’t stopped him from showing her that night, pushing the dress off her shoulders and her body into the bed behind him.

Kol took the clothes off the hangers and packed them into the box he had brought with him.

And if my wishes came true It would've been you

“Kol, can you just talk to me? Please.”

Kol walked past his sister with that box of Y/N’s clothes, pretending as if she wasn’t there. He hadn’t forgiven her for what had happened those months ago, for siding with his brothers, for acting like Y/N hadn’t even lived in the house.

Kol hadn’t stopped blaming himself for what had happened to her. If only he hadn’t shown her his wish, maybe she would have still been alive. If only he hadn’t whispered it onto her skin, maybe he wouldn’t have had to bury her.

If his wish had come true, Y/N would still be here. If his wish had come true, Kol and Y/N would have been spending the rest of eternity together.

He surveyed the room, patting his pocket to check that her book was still there. It seemed he had everything he needed. Except-

There was a dagger at his back, the point digging into his skin through his coat. He froze, a familiar chill creeping over him. It had been Klaus last time, it had been Klaus almost every time.

He had never thought it would be his sister, never thought it would be Rebekah threatening him.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting you to listen.”

In my defense, I have none For never leaving well enough alone

Kol’s anger grew as Rebekah spoke, and he tried ridiculously hard not to snap.

“I know you’re upset with us, but we’re your family Kol. We were hurting too. We miss her too.”

“You have a funny way of showing it.” His voice was flat as he tried to remain calm, tried to keep his defenses up, the way Y/N would want him to. “Are you going to put that bloody dagger down?”

“Not until you agree to forgive us.”

That was it. That was the moment Kol snapped, his rage pouring over him in waves.

“Forgive you? Forgive this family? You must be joking. You’re the reason she’s dead. Klaus thought the best idea would be to put me away, Elijah won’t even show his face, and you’re swanning around in one of her dresses. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. I can’t forgive you when you won’t even acknowledge that she’s dead, and that it’s your fault, because this bloody family is too damn obsessed with pride and power, and can never leave things alone.”

“But we’re family, Kol.”

Hearing in Rebekah’s voice that she was off guard, Kol turned and gripped the blade in his hand, yanking it away from his sister. “No, we’re not. Y/N was my family, and you all took that away from me.”

He dropped the knife to the floor and left the house.

But it would've been fun If you would've been the one

Once back in his car, Kol put the box full of Y/N’s clothes on the passenger seat and gripped the steering wheel so tightly he thought his knuckles would protrude from his skin. He wanted to scream, but knew that once he did that, it would attract attention and that was the last thing he wanted.

So he took deep breaths, trying desperately to steady himself before he drove home. Whatever home was anymore.

He remembered the book in his pocket, and pulled it out so as not to damage it whilst he drove. He fingered the pages, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips as he remembered Y/N’s words.

“You’d like it if you just read it, Kol.”

“I’ll wait for the movie.”

Kol smiled, tears welling in his eyes. If there was ever a time to read Y/N’s favourite book, it was now. He opened it up and his breath caught at what was scrawled onto the front page.

Kol,

If you’re reading this, it means you’ve finally listened to my advice.

I love you, and just so you know, you’ve always been the one for me.

Y/N xxx

Kol lifted the book up to his nose, and there it was, the last lingering trace of her scent. He inhaled it, breathing in all he had left of his Y/N.

Kol had been doing well for the first time since it happened. It had only taken a few months, but he was finally beginning to feel some level of peace. He knew that he would never be the person he was again, never feel entirely complete, not after what had happened, but he was starting to feel almost contented.

None of that stopped him from placing his forehead on the steering wheel and crying until his throat was raw.

None of that stopped him from mourning Y/N, the woman who should have been the one.

Masterlist

Folklore Masterlist

[trashyswitch]

The Naughty Ghosts

Virgil and Logan are risky siblings who look for creepy, cool, maybe haunted buildings in their town. One day, they come across a large abandoned house that looked like it was pulled out of the Victorian era and thrown into the middle of Florida. Logan and Virgil quickly discover the place is haunted. But they're not the usual creepy, evil ghosts you normally think of...

For @kanene-yaaay and Pumpkinpaw

SOOOOO sorry it took so long!...Again...

*sigh* I'm trying. Some of my motivation is coming back though. It's slow, but happening. I'm now on an extra medication to help boost my deteriorating mental health. Though the timing also has given me a big boost. Pride month has arrived, and my birthday just went by! I feel more adulty now! Kinda...

Anyway, this fanfic is somewhat of an AU that I threw together on the spot. I hope you like it!

Logan and Virgil were looking around with their flashlights, admiring the very old-looking house. It was HUGE! And quite run down. There were dirt stains all over the place, papers covered in water, and furniture filled with dust that rested there for decades. It felt unusual...and yet so mysterious!

“Hey Logan, look!” Virgil called.

Logan looked over and noticed a large dresser covered in a collection of porcelain dolls. He widened his eyes and adjusted his glasses. “W-Well...that’s not creepy whatsoever…”

“I recognize Anne of Green Gables up there…” Virgil mentioned, shining his light to the porcelain doll with ginger braided hair, and a sun hat with flowers on her head.

“There’s so many Victorian Porcelain dolls. And a couple french porcelains as well!” Logan reacted.

“Don’t forget that baby porcelain doll…” Virgil added, pointing to the baby-faced porcelain doll with red cheeks, and a night gown with a bonnet on its head. Logan shook his head to get the thought out of his mind and tried to move on.

Logan looked up at the huge roof and noticed the huge chandelier in the middle of the room. It was covered in pearls and glass...it was even reflecting and shining brightly as he shined the flashlight onto it! It must’ve been a beautiful piece of decoration before the home was abandoned.

“Whoa...look at that chandelier!” Virgil reacted. “It’s like a disco ball from the silent era!” Virgil added.

Logan giggled at his comparison. “You’re not wrong.”

Logan and Virgil walked around the Victorian-style house a bit more, and noticed there were still stuffed animals, pillows, and even flowers placed casually around the house as if it was still being decorated. “Interesting…” Logan muttered.

“That’s not the only room that’s decorated all fine and dandy…” Virgil mentioned from the dining room. Logan walked to where Virgil was and immediately noticed what he was talking about: all the cutlery were set up in their places on the table perfectly. But the napkins were folded into little napkin flowers to hold the cutlery. Though it was strange and technically inaccurate, it did add some flair to the usual style of set up.

“I wonder who would’ve did this…” Logan asked out loud.

“Maybe someone who likes their victorian history?” Virgil asked.

“Perhaps…Or an especially preppy person.” Logan added.

“Hmmm...Maybe both?” Virgil asked. “How about ghosts? Have you considered ghosts in your hypothesis?” Virgil asked.

Logan laughed. “Of course I have! That’s one of the reasons why we’re doing this!” Logan reacted. “I wanna see if spirits really do exist and if they’re more humble than the movies give them credit for.” Logan explained.

“You’ve officially hit the triple digits in times you’ve explained this to me.” Virgil muttered loudly. “I know. And it’s why I go with you. Because not all ghosts are as humble as you think. Most ghosts have probably gone insane from years of being stuck in the same place for centuries.” Virgil added.

“Right back at you with the triple digits thing. I already know, Virgil.” Logan mentioned.

Virgil smiled at himself as he looked around. That conversation usually happens at least once a trip. It’s quite funny when you think about it. Two brothers trespassing into old homes, checking to see if they’re haunted and then doing the pikachu face when something spiritual and ‘creepy’ happens.

Or when the police find them...that’s usually a ‘surprise’ in and of itself.

Logan looked around further and moved to one of the bedrooms. The bedroom was put together as well. All covered in dust, but still quite put together. There was a doll clothed and brushed, holding a teddy bear on the bed. Logan opened the dressers and noticed all the dressers except for the top, were empty. The top drawers were filled with old keys, old fashioned money, old paint brushes, a few jars of ink and...feathers? Why feathers? Were they meant to be quills? Because the end of them certainly didn’t look like quills.

Logan raised an eyebrow as he picked up the quill and raised it up a little. The quill didn’t have the usual fitted bottom that Victorian quills usually had. And even if it were a regular quill, it would’ve been cut at the bottom to make the suitable end for dipping and writing. But...this quill was just a normal, uncut feather. Perhaps it was just spare feathers for future writing? Logan couldn’t say. He never lived here, after all.

Virgil turned around and immediately noticed that one of the paint brushes was moving in the drawer. And it wasn’t just ‘casual shifting from force’, it was flying! He swore he could see it flying right now!

“L-Lo?” Virgil called.

Logan turned to face him, and noticed the paintbrush as he turned. “Yes Vir- OHGOD.” Logan stared deeply at the paintbrush and slowly reached out to grab it. “Hiiii there, floating paintbrush…” He greeted the object nervously.

The paintbrush moved itself back and forth in a waving motion right back. Hey...It was trying to wave back! Cool! Virgil walked closer and poked the brush curiously. “Not bad...Guess we know the place is haunted...By Casper the friendly ghost.” Virgil teased.

The brush jumped in surprise, and flew closer to Virgil. “Hey little buddy. What are you up to?” Virgil asked.

Then, the brush snuck itself into Virgil’s shirt collar! Virgil jumped and tried to get it out, but the brush kept moving away from the hand and started moving to Virgil’s upper ribs. Virgil giggled as the feather-like bristles flickering across his ribs. “Whahahat thehehe-” Virgil squealed as he felt the paintbrush move past his abs and into his belly button.

I’m sorry...What?!

Is...Is the paintbrush tickling Virgil?

“I...Goodness, I’m so confused.” Logan admitted.

Virgil tried to cover up his belly from the brush but the moment the brush noticed his distinctive defense attempts, something had grabbed him! Something invisible had grabbed Virgil’s wrist and started holding it up above his head! Virgil shrieked as he tried to pull his arm down with no success.

“LET ME GO- BAAAHAHAHAHAHA!” Virgil shrieked and bursted out laughing more. “STAHAHAHAP! WHYHYHYHY?!” Virgil asked, pulling on his arm as his exposed armpit was being tickled with the brush.

Logan started to smile as he watched. He started to wonder if he could feel the ghost. So, Logan cracked his knuckles and reached out beside Virgil’s exposed right arm to feel for a ghost. But to his surprise: He couldn’t feel anything. “Where are you, oh mischievous one?” Logan asked.

This ‘name’ Logan used, earned him a taste of the tickles as well. Logan gasped as his eyes fell onto a pair of floating brushes and feathers. Logan’s curious look quickly morphed into a wobbly grin as the realization computed into his brain. “O-Oh...Oh boy...That’s not good, now is it?” Logan asked.

This was the last thing Logan asked before he was forced into a fit of tickly hysterics. The feathers were so light and...feathery that the tickles felt stronger than they really were! Why did the tickles feel so strong?

“AAAHAHAHAHAHA! STAHAHAHAP IHIHIHIT TIHIHIHICKLEHEHES!” Logan begged.

The brushes and feathers paused for a moment. One of the feathers turned the pen-like bottom to face Logan’s belly, and flew down. The feather started casually writing letters onto his belly! Logan giggled and snorted at this. It felt kinda sharp, but tickled enough to get him giggling again. “Hehehehehey!”

The feather stopped, moved itself to the left side of Logan’s belly, and started rewriting the letters all over again! Logan squeaked and was right back to giggling. “Dohohohon’t stahahart ahahagahain!” Logan begged.

The feather stopped writing...dragged itself to the left side and restarted the cursive. Logan groaned a little as the writing went back to the Y it started with. But instead of trying to protest this time, Logan tried to stay quiet and understand the letters that were relaying a message to him:

[Y-O-U-R - L-A-U-G-H - I-S - S-O - C-U-T-E] The feather wrote.

Logan’s face went bright red the moment he properly interpreted that.

The worst part was that the ghost just kept writing teases! Like:

[C-O-O-C-H-Y C-O-O-C-H-Y C-O-O],

[T-I-C-K-L-E T-I-C-K-L-E!]

and [G-I-G-G-L-Y S-U-S-A-N-N-A].

Meanwhile, Virgil was hugging his belly and laughing as his feet were attacked. A ghost was using a comb to tickle the bottom of his feet and telling by Virgil’s inability to pull away, one of the ghosts must’ve been holding onto his foot.

“NAHAHAT THE FEEHEHEHEHEET! IHIT TIHIHICKLEHEHES SOHOHO MUHUHUCH!” Virgil begged.

The ghost must’ve seen that Virgil needed something lighter, because the comb was soon set aside and replaced by an old fashioned feather duster. Yes...old fashioned, meaning it was made with real feathers at the end. Virgil squeaked at the look of it, and covered his mouth. Oh no! His squeak gave away the fact that he was nervous!

The feather duster ignored his squeak and moved closer and closer to Virgil’s foot. Virgl tried to tug, but it wouldn’t move away, and though it didn’t feel like anything, there was something invisible preventing him from pulling his foot away. Soon, the feather touched down and started wiggling all over the place as Virgil’s laughter and snorts filled the room.

The feather shook up and down as if the ghost was giggling at Virgil’s reaction. Then, Logan looked on as a soft-bristled brush from the early 1900’s moved closer and closer to his sides. Logan giggled just at the thought of the ticklish brush returning to his sides, and started wiggling around all over again. Was this really happening? Was Logan’s creepy expedition to a Victorian house really turning into being tickled and messed with by the spirits?! Why?? Why did the spirits wanna tickle him? Was it fun for them? Were they always this mischievous? If so, how has nobody found this out until now?!

Logan gasped as the brushes touched down on his belly and ribs. Logan squealed and started full out laughing this time! His ribs were much more sensitive to the softer bristles of the brush. It tickled so badly! It felt like a million bristles were tickling his rib bones all at once! And it didn’t help that both sides were being attacked! No matter how much he squirmed to get away, the bristles would just tickle more from his instinctive wiggling!

Logan looked over at Virgil, who was covering his face as the pointy side of a feather wrote teases on his belly. The feather duster had been placed aside for the moment so, he guessed, the ghost could tease him more. “Cohohome ohohon! Ihihihi’m nahahat thahahat cuhuhuhute!”

Yup! It wanted to tease him more. That last sentence confirmed it.

Logan giggled at his reaction. “Yehehess yohohou ahahare!”

Virgil squeaked. “LOHOHO SHUHUT UHUP!” Virgil shouted, uncovering his likely red face. It was hard to see if his face was actually red due to the lack of light, but Logan could easily assume that Virgil was blushing up a huge storm. It was really cute to listen to!

Virgil couldn’t take it anymore! He had to roll away to get away from them. “STAHAHAP, PLEHEHEASE!”

The feather stopped its feather and moved away. Virgil clutched his own stomach and rolled onto his side into the fetal position. He was such a flustered mess!

The ghost put the feather onto a nearby desk and moved over to a bookshelf. The ground was so covered in dust, that you could see dusty footprints with dust bits popping up while they walked! The ghost grabbed a big scrapbook and placed the scrapbook onto the kitchen table. Logan got up slowly and walked to Virgil. “Hey Virgil: they have photos.” Logan told him.

Virgil pushed himself up onto his feet and walked to the kitchen table. “Whoa...They really do.”

The scrapbook had many photos of a few adults. One of them was an adult with a light blue shirt on, that had 2 kids with him. “Whoa...Is this you?” Logan asked.

The ghost picked up a pair of glasses and showed them. Logan looked at the glasses, and replaced his own glasses with the ghost’s. They still had a bit of a prescription, but Logan’s prescription was much stronger compared to the ghost’s. “Huh...you were nearsighted.” Logan muttered. “He couldn’t see far away.” Logan added.

“Weird.” Virgil reacted. “And where are the kids?” Virgil asked.

The ghost handed out papers and used markers to write the names. “Twin #1” was on one paper, “Twin 2#” was on another, and “Dad” was on the last. Logan smiled bittersweetly. They were a family who had died within the house. But they stuck together even after their deaths.

“What are your names?” Logan asked as he changed back into his regular glasses.

The ghost grabbed the end of the marker and pointed to the scrapbook. Logan looked around, and didn’t see any indication of a name or three. But, Logan pulled out the photo and soon found the names on the back. “Easter 1940. Remus and Roman (twins) and Patton (Dad). Happy to be alive!” was written on the back of the scrapbook picture.

Logan looked at the ghosts and back at the scrapbook. But Logan quickly did a double take when he realized the ghosts had tickle tools in their hands again! One had the feather duster from earlier, one had two feathers, and the last one had the hairbrush and a paintbrush!

Uh oh! That’s not good!

Logan yelped and lifted Virgil’s jaw up. The moment Virgil saw the tools again, the emo practically sunk down in a flustered frenzy! Not this again! He was still flustered and blushy from the last time!

Logan couldn’t help but giggle nervously as the evil little tickle monster ghosts made their way closer and closer to Logan and Virgil. They actually didn’t mind being their ticklish entertainment! They often tickled each other out of brotherly love because they both knew each other liked it. Virgil loved melt spots along with being teased to oblivion, while Logan loved much softer tickles that drove him up the wall with hysterics!

Logan squeaked and covered his neck the moment he felt cold, ticklish finger flutters against it. It felt airy, but made enough of a feeling to tickle him! And it drove him NUTS! “NAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! PLEEEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!” Logan begged.

The ghost just kept going in that one spot, as if it was the greatest ticklish spot in the whole universe! Logan’s voice was cackling, laughing and snorting. It could not choose what it really wanted.

Virgil was giggling as a hairbrush was brushing his belly and sides. Virgil was somewhat limited in his wiggling abilities, which made Logan wonder if one of the kids was sitting on top of him while tickling him. Whatever the kid was doing, it was working better than expected! “IHIHIT’S SOHOHOHO BAHAHAHAHAD! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! EEHEHEHEHEHE QUIHIHIHIT IHIHIHIHIT!” Virgil begged.

Logan squeaked and yelped as a paintbrush made its way to Logan’s belly button. OH NO...THAT’S A DEATH SPOT!

Logan’s wheeze filled the room for only a few minutes before his laughter went silent. The tickle monster ghost noticed the change in laughter, and lessened the tickles a bit. But it didn’t fully stop. “......aAHA! AAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHahahahahahaha! Ehehehehehehehehe- Thahahahank yohohohou.” Logan replied.

The feather moved back to Logan’s belly and started writing with the pokey side. [N-O P-R-O-B-L-E-M K-I-D-D-O]

Logan giggled at the nickname. Since when is he considered a ‘kiddo’? He’s never been the kiddo in the family! That’s always been Virgil.

Virgil smiled. “Patton...I like that.” Virgil admitted.

The feather moved to Virgil’s back and started writing more letters. [Y-O-U A-R-E M-Y S-O-N N-O-W]

Virgil bursted out laughing at the words written. “Whahahat? Since when?”

Logan tilted his head with a smile. “What did he say?”

Virgil looked at Logan. “He said I’m his new son.” Virgil said with a giggle.

Logan laughed. “We’re brothers! Does that mean I’m part of the invisible family now too?” Logan asked.

Logan watched as the feather wrote on his own back. [Y-E-S]

Logan gasped. “I have a ghost father now! And ghost brothers!” Logan declared.

Virgil laughed at this specific declaration. Looks like they’ve come out of this experience with an unofficial adoption into a centuries-old family of three.

Should I continue this AU? Or no? I don't really know yet.

[musicallisto]

happy birthday, jenni! 🎂

happy birthday, @swanimagines! you are one of the strongest and sweetest people I know. you are so resilient and I admire your fortitude, especially with the way some anons have been treating you in the past - you never lose your grace, nor get discouraged, and that is extremely admirable. you're always putting others before you, giving thoughtful gifts, and on more than one occasion have brought a wide, stupid grin on my face from your cheer-up drabbles when I was feeling down. for all of that, thank you!! I hope you have a wonderful, wonderful day today with your loved ones 💜

as for my gift, it was inevitable ...

here are some thoughts about your and kaz brekker's ... partnership ! (because he won't admit he is a little bit smitten)

you were born in Fjerda, to a family of merchants. your childhood was happy and carefree, spent in the outskirts of the capital, Djerholm, with your very pious and loving parents.

you were cared for, pampered and let run free in the freezing streets of your town; come winter you would meet with your friends to slide down the snowy slopes on makeshift sleds and throw snowballs at unsuspecting classmates.

truly, you thought life could not get better than this, and nothing would ever come trouble your perfect days.

but something started brewing in you. subtle at first, you couldn't recognize it, for you hadn't been taught of its ways.

like the way your bath water would trickle down your fingers and bend to your will when you wanted it to splash around and curl on itself, like a spectacular display.

or like the way anyone you walked with when it rained would be drenched, but somehow you were dry, as though the water purposefully evaded you.

you assumed these were funny coincidences, and didn't think any further than that, though you never told anyone about your suspicions. every kid thinks they have magical powers, at some point in their life, don't they?

when you reached adulthood, you graduated with honors from your provincial high school, and was accepted into ketterdam university, one of the most prestigious in the world. your family was beaming with joy and pride - and you were, too, though moving away from them was the scariest experience you'd ever gone through.

still, you were excited to start a new chapter in your life, and set out on learning kerch as quickly as you could, to acclimatize yourself to your new daily life.

yet the culture shock was immense when you moved there. the kerch capital was noisy, and foul-smelling, and its people always rushing everywhere and disagreeable and they bowed to a god of money and shares - but the university district, by the boekcanal, was delightful and stimulating, albeit still a bit too crowded for your liking.

oh, you missed the wide fjerdan plains terribly! but you had faith your luck would hold, and there was a life for you in ketterdam.

making friends at the university was much harder than back home, though. although foreigners were common place in a melting pot such as ketterdam, and the students open-minded, there remained a disconnect you couldn't quite understand. like no one would ever get you, in the intrinsic qualities of your being.

that is, until you met jesper fahey.

a few years younger than you (one or two), and way too sociable for his own good, he was nonetheless funny, amicable, and the closest thing to a real, genuine friend you'd ever had in ketterdam. he, too, had come a long way to study there - novyi zem, and he talked about home with a wistful smile and incredible reverence -, and you clicked immediately. he got you.

but as months went by, you couldn't help noticing something was a bit off about him. for starters, he would disappear for prolonged periods of time, giving you a doubtfully convincing explanation about "having to take care of things for a friend".

still, you dared not pry, because jesper was the best company you'd ever had, and you feared losing him if you were too nosy. he still was entitled to his privacy, after all.

but one event changed everything for the both of you.

you don't really remember how the whole thing started - you were in class on the ground floor, distracted by a fly making rounds just beneath the roof, when a shriek broke your reverie. that's when you noticed the water pooling at your feet, its cold seeping through your shoes and freezing your skin.

it had rained all day, and the day before, without interruption, a normal occurrence for ketterdam. but these rainshowers had been of unprecedented strength and fury, and it semeed the boekcanal had burst its banks, flooding your classroom.

you were already ankle-deep in freezing water when your professor ordered everyone not to panic and leave the classroom to get to higher ground; but a voice called in your head, stronger than anything you'd ever heard, overpowering but reassuring all the same.

“no, the water will stop rising now.” it said, calmly, plainly, with no urgency to it, no desperation, more of an assured declaration than a plea.

and as quickly as it had come, the pool of cold, filthy canal water receded from your classroom, leaving a layer of mud on the corners of the walls.

everyone blinked in surprise, unable to process, much less understand how it had happened - there truly was no rational explanation for this, for how quickly the water had disappeared as though it had been scared away by some sheer force, but cheers erupted, and some students in the back sung a prayer to the ravkan saints.

you, on the other hand, were left with the uneasiness characteristic to all the times you had provoked strange behavior in bodies of water - because it was you who had ordered the water to recede, wasn’t it? or rather, the booming voice that had thundered in your head out of the blue?

the only one who was not rejoicing like the others was jesper, his eyes fixed on you - and as you expected, the minute you were dismissed from class and started walking back to your garret room, he was onto you.

“why didn’t you tell me you were grisha?” he whispers, no aggressivity in his tone, just immense curiosity.

you stop dead in your tracks, your heart dropping in your ribcage.

“what do you mean? I’m not... grisha,” your voice shudders at the word, as though it were an insult you were forbidden from ever saying.

it kind of was - your family, in all their faith in djel, had instilled from the moment you were born the fear for the grisha. they were demons, creatures who had refused to be saved by djel’s benevolent light, and as such were destined to a life of torment and shadow, leaving but a trail of death and destruction in their wake.

“you stopped the rising tide. you turned it back around. can you control water, jenni?”

“no! I don’t... I didn’t do anything of the sort. I’m not...”

but it’s like your whole world is crashing upon you, because it all makes sense, and you know, deep down, he is right. there’s no other explanation - you are grisha, and you have been all your life.

you have to stop and lean a hand against the brick wall to steady yourself, and take a deep breath. this is a nightmare. you are exactly what your parents warned you about. your parents - will they love you the same if they ever find out the kind of abomination you are? will you ever get the courage to tell them?

“it’s alright, jenni! it’s alright!”

jesper is quick to rest his hands on either side of your shoulders, looking at you tenderly, with all the comfort a friend like him has.

“i’m grisha too. happens to the best of us,” he admits with a grin, and you almost take a step back from the confession - your best friend is grisha? a monster? - but you don’t. you know jesper. he’s no monster. he could never be.

“you are?”

“yep.”

“how do you know?”

“how do you know you are my friend?”

“i- i don’t know. i feel it. it feels right.”

“well there you go.”

and it’s like a million pounds have been lifted off your shoulders, like you can finally breathe, but at the same time accepting this fate means questioning everything you have ever learned, reconstructing your entire set of beliefs.

you don’t feel up to the ask right now.

“don’t tell anyone about me, please.”

“promise.”

but he breaks the promise.

well, kaz brekker is not just exactly “anyone”. and it’s not like jesper entirely betrayed your trust, given he never mentioned you by name... he merely happened to blurt out he knows a trusty tidemaker, when kaz expressed disarray at needing one for a job.

and, well, once you have said something in kaz brekker’s presence, it’s quite difficult to go back on your word, isn’t it?

so now jesper is between a rock and a hard place, all because his brain can’t quite catch up to his tongue. on the one hand, he cannot possibly ask you to join the heist - to work for kaz! to be a dreg! you, who are so sweet and trusting! it would be destroying you, physically and mentally, and you barely know how to control your powers -, but on the other hand, he promised kaz a tidemaker, and a tidemaker he must find.

you clearly see something is worrying him, so you ask him, and well, the secret’s out. he reckons you can take the revelation of him working with a gang - it’s not like you hadn’t noticed his weird disappearances before -, but him asking you to work for them in the same breath? well, suffice to say he wouldn’t expect you to be on board.

yet you don’t refuse immediately. rather, you ponder the thought. you’ve never ever thought about partaking in criminal activity - criminals in fjerda are either hung, or sent to the army for reformation. but you have been dying to find out more about your powers, to finally put them to good use. to have someone find comfort in them, and not consider them disgusting...

it takes a lot of convincing, jesper assuring you you won’t need to harm anyone, that you are just to be the getaway driver, of sorts, that this person whose barge they plan on breaking and entering into is one of the bad guys.

eventually, you accept, not really knowing why you even did. jesper is elated - he can’t believe he pulled it off! contenting both parties! he is incredible, really. so he takes you to meet kaz, so he can test the waters (lol) and talk about your role in the plan.

from the get go, you are a bit intimidated by kaz. he has an aura around him, one that’s terrifying and enthralling at the same time, like he knows every secret, every nook of the town, and is not afraid to acquire them by force. he looks you up and down, and remarks something on you looking a bit “frail”, (you could say a bit out of the water, jesper whispers. kaz and inej deadpan. you try not to chuckle. jesper thinks he’s a genius.) but ultimately he needs you for this plan to work.

and in truth, you are kind of dying to get to know kaz. there’s something under the surface. something decidedly out of reach... but something you can glimpse, still.

the job works out without a hitch, surprisingly. it wasn’t the simplest kaz had ever designed, if only for the fact he would be sneaking into a mercher’s barge, right in the middle of beuerscanal, as he was throwing a party for whatever smart contract he had just signed. a smart contract he would never see the benefits of, given kaz and inej planned on stealing all documents proving the deal, that he knew to be fraudulous anyway. and if jesper, disguised as a server among the party guests, could snatch some cash or jewels in passing, well, he would not say no.

you were to guide the current under the barge, for it to be exactly where kaz desired, at any given moment - especially when he needed to leave the boat. it was the most difficult task you had ever performed - following the barge from the shore, never breaking your concentration, trying to forget the pressure of failure, not looking suspicious to patrolling police - but you pulled it off, and kaz was extremely satisfied with your work.

having a tidemaker in your crew is certainly an asset when you live in a city full of rivers, wow. maybe he should’ve thought about if earlier.

so he calls on you more frequently, and personally, not through jesper. the latter jokes kaz is starting to grow fond of you, but you think this couldn’t be further from the truth.

you see, kaz is very difficult to get along with. you always meet the requirements when it comes to your jobs, so he’s cordial and very respectful of your work, but your relationship is just that - work. or so it seems on his part...

because no matter the efforts you make to build a connection, just a friendly interaction here and there, a little question or joke to liven up the mood - kaz always shrugs it off and pushes you away.

and no matter how many times kaz pushes you away, you bring it up again, refusing to admit defeat.

one day, kaz’s armor will crack, and you will become friends. if not more, you think with a blush to your cheeks, but push the thoughts aside. no point in dwelling on wishful thinking.

and yet...

after a year of working together, kaz starts to see you in a different light. maybe it’s the moments he thought he was going to get caught, and you appeared out of nowhere like a guardian angel watching over him. maybe it’s the small, discrete jokes you say to counter jesper’s, and he pretends not to hear, but tries very hard not to smile at. maybe it’s all the times he wonders what he would have done had you not accepted the barge job, so many months before - and what he would do if you decided to return to fjerda and leave him...

not only from a, “i’ll need to find another tidemaker” point of view.

from an entirely, “i’ll never find another jenni” point of view.

he starts to realize how unique you are. ho caring, how sweet, how strong, too. how impossible it is to tear you down, and how increasingly willing he is to take risks for you. how he’s come to care for you, in a incomprehensible way.

it’s terrifying, and dizzying, and he pushes the feelings aside. he has no time for this.

but sooner or later, they’ll come to the surface.

they always do.