#researching and reading and like ahhhh i really don’t want to be right and now i’m scared to go to the doctor next week because i don’t
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saintpoems · 6 months ago
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mylahrins · 5 months ago
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forget-me-nots, 03.
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dear y/n,
i feel like i’ve told you this a million times already, but thank you so much for the flowers. kiyoko truly loves them, i haven’t seen her smile so brightly in a while! it was nice spending time with you after school. i can see all the effort and care you put into your club, it is truly admirable. when inter-high is over i’ll make sure to visit you more often.
you asked me the other day what it was like to be part of the volleyball club. at the time i couldn’t come up with an answer. to tell you the truth, i’m not too sure anymore. lately, i haven’t really felt like a member at all. with the new first years, i feel like i’m miles behind them when it comes to skill and talent. i want to be of use to the team, but right now i’m not much more than a cheerleader. despite all the faith i have in them, i cannot stop the feeling of envy i get when i see everyone play. i want to play volleyball with them too. perhaps that is selfish. please don’t tell anyone about this, it’s a bit embarrassing.
i don’t think i asked you enough questions about yourself. i’m sure i did more answering than asking. you probably get this question a lot, but do you have a favorite flower? i don’t know too much about flowers, but i’d be happy to learn. i only really know about peonies, the bright pink ones. we have a few peony shrubs in our backyard, my mom has been taking good care of them since i was young. do you like peonies? i’ll bring you some if you don’t grow them already. even if you do grow them, i’d be happy to lend you some just for having.
i should have asked you when we met the other day, but do you mind if we keep exchanging letters? i know that it’s kind of “old school” but i find it quite relaxing, also i had fun reading your response. you’re a very fun person to talk to, and i’d like to talk to you more (in person and letter form). though, it might be weird if we keep having tanaka deliver our letters. i’ll try to come up with a better solution , i promise!
have a lovely day, sugawara
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about the flowers!
➤ pink peonies: pink peonies are very diverse when it comes to symbolism, from prosperity to passion to even love! when researching about peonies, i found it interesting in how the shade of pink can change the meaning of the flower. light pink peonies are associated with romance and good fortune, while deeper/hot pink peonies convey passion as well as radiance and joy. a bouquet of pink peonies doesn't have to be romantic, but if it is, it can symbolize things like young love, first love, and/or love at first sight!
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masterlist | next | back
a/n: ahhhh!!! im so happy to see ppl liking forget-me-nots already :)) tbh i made myself a bit sad when writing for sugawara here LOL much more sad stuff to come.. but trust me when i say i have lots of sweet things planned as well!! also, this is the official start of their friendship!! woohoo! mwuahaha i'm so excited to share more of their story.
taglist: @yenonnoff @softpia @ryeyeyer @shoyosh @wqnsho @wyrcan @hisfuture @guitarstringed-scars @froyaoya
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safination · 5 months ago
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hi i just finished reading your alastor fic on ao3 and!! i am soo down horrendously for the way you have written him!! the softness for his wife and their relationship as a whole! i love your take on his character! ive read your fic twice now and i'm eating up all the little details you've included with how close they are to each other! the way alastor will preen his wife's feathers, him always having an umbrella for her, the kisses to their rings, the way his smile will wobble sometimes.... ahhhh!! i think one of my favorite scenes was when his wife was gone for two days and finally came home & everything that happened after! especially the intimacy of the bath scene! i eat stuff like that UPPPP!!!!!! thank you for sharing such a marvelous story with us, it is one that i will think about for a long time!!
also- is Lys short for lysine LMAOO. i remember seeing the name for the first time and being like *eyesquint* is that an amino acid? pfft! i really appreciate all the science you've included- especially when alastor's wife was dissecting that cadaver in the forest; all the details about the serratus ventralis muscle. ive taken anatomy courses and i never was adept at memorizing the muscles LOL. if you don't mind me asking (and perfectly fine if you don't want to respond!), what are you studying? i'm pre-nursing so all this stuff with alastor's wife being a nurse/eventual doctor is right up my alley!
HI TO YOU AS WELL❤️ Their softness is everything to me. They’re so soft that they just become absolutely losers. Losers, I tell you. So in love that they become so lame.
YES LYS IS SHORT FOR LYSINE. Lys is the three letter shortcut for Lysine and K is the one letter shortcut for it. And AAA happens to be the nucleotide sequence that codes for Lysine haha.
I’ve also had to take anatomy courses lol because I’m actually doing a pre-med course rn. And I’ve just always loved medical! readers/OCs and all these classes Im taking can at least do something for me. If Im gonna suffer for 8+ years might as well make the most of it😭
Also mad respect to you for doing pre-nursing. Nursing is really hard. So kudos to you❤️
The anatomy classes were what inspired the scene with Reader’s craziness. Reenactment in drawing form:
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(And don’t worry the rabbits are ethically sourced. There are businesses that specialize in giving out rabbits for study purposes. They raise the rabbits and give them a full and happy life. It was weird but cool to be able to see their insides and maddening to have to memorize the names of all their muscles. After we were done using their bodies they were given to graduate students who were doing their research. So not a single hair on the rabbit was wasted.)
Series: Partners in Death…and Life
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furiarossa · 2 years ago
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I was wondering if you have a sort of wishlist for fics you’d like to read? 👀 I don’t know if you’ve ever done Yuletide exchanges but it’s like you list a bunch of pairings you like, tropes you want to see, even entire plots if you have some in mind
Oh my. I've read this yesterday and I haven't been able to answer until today. And no, not only because I didn’t know how to word out my ideas. Right now you're practically my favorite writer, it's amazing that you're asking me these things! AHHHH! I’m giggling like an idiot.
I just talked with my sister, the other person with whom I share this account (and the passion for the gargoyles series) who told me that, instead of rejecting it because it's too much (and because I love everything you create), I should write this list. And she helped me fill it out.
So, bunch of things we really like:
Your fanfiction Even Death May Die. We know it's not a prompt and it's not a pairing, but right now the desire of reading more of it, y’know, it's driving us crazy! We like the plot, the characterization, the mystery, the horror, we want to know how it ends! Every time a new chapter comes out, my sister and I discuss it for hours, trying to figure out what happens next. So, that’s it, every chapter is beautiful and we love it and reading a little more of this story is at the top of our wishlist <3
Goliath and David talking about their childhoods, comparing them. For Goliath is the warmth of living in a clan, having so many brothers, so many adults who take care of you… compared to… well… David's childhood. We know this is the kind of thing you would write so well, ripping our hearts out!
Something tender. Something relatively sweet. We know your best is writing hurt (and comfort), but sometimes we like fluff <3 Maybe with Fox/Xanatos/Owen? All three together? Something with... Christmas? This would be absolutely adorable <3
Owen sings lullabies to baby Alexander. In Old Gaelic, obviously ;) (And Fox and Xanatos, sooner or later, notice it)
Baby Alexander uses his shape-shifting powers, thinking he's playing a prank on his parents, and becomes... a werewolf-like cub. Trouble happens XD
David Xanatos and Elisa Maza are locked together in a supermarket at night. I don't know why, but the idea is hilarious and the conversations that could come out of this, you know...
(Maybe we did a Yuletide exchange kind of event years ago, for the Hannibal fandom XD We made drawings, but we received a beautiful fanfiction!)
So I'd like to ask back… is there anything we could draw for you? We could do something in our free time, if we’re able to find some... do you have a wishlist of things you would like to see illustrated? Scenes from your fan fictions? Favorite pairings? Any fandom is fine, we can do our researches! (Though obviously Gargoyles is our favorite, especially now!)
P.S.: Sorry if something is not clear to understand, we are Italian and sometimes it is difficult to express very well what we want to say in another language!
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m1ckeyb3rry · 1 month ago
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Heyyy, I know you’re not really that into aot or sith rn, but I just watched all quiet on the western front and holy moly its so good. To think that the characters from sith had to kinda go through that has got to be crazyyyy. If you haven’t watched it I rlly suggest it! Also, I find it a little crazy that it’s been a year and I still love sith 😭😭 just proves that ur such a good writer. I jus wish I discovered u when I was in my bllk phase 🙁
Love u & take care, byeeee!!
hiii!!! OMG yeah all quiet on the western front i’ve heard the novel and movie are both amazing — i do think i read a plot summary or something of it before i began writing SitH as part of my preliminary research LMAO but yeah that’s the vibe i wanted to go for with the story as opposed to a #girlboss #slay #killing vibe if that makes sense 😭 like i rlly wanted to portray war and killing as something horrible that messes up your psyche instead of just being something that happens to make characters “badass” (i hope you know what i mean by that)
OMG one year later 😨 i’m so glad you love the story so much that even now you still think about it 🥹 i still view sith very fondly because i feel like it was such a catalyst in the evolution of my writing style and research process and whatnot…it was just the right amount of canon adjacent that i had something to fall back on while getting to practice coming up with my own plots and whatnot so i’m much more comfortable writing my own stories now!! but ahhhh thank you so much that really means a lot 💖
AHHH I’M SORRY I FEEL SO SAD i can only mentally be in one fandom at a time for some reason 😔 or else i’d still be writing for aot and jjk…i’ve really been enjoying bllk atm and probably will for a while considering it’s ongoing but who knows maybe one day i’ll somehow be able to come up with something for aot/sith again
LOVE YOU TOOO THANK YOU FOR SENDING THIS IT WAS VV SWEET!! if you ever want to talk about sith/aot/anything else i will always be up for it even if i’m not that active in the fandom anymore so don’t be shy 🫶🏻
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sunny-day-dream · 3 years ago
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Really fell in live with your fanfics and art. (The "Hello Sailor!" comment has me rofl.) I saw the post about how much you can write so I was wondering if you have any tips and tricks to help newbies?
I just started this month and I've been getting better the more I write, but my writing speed is still a bit slow. Granted I use a phone to type everything out which doesn't help in speed when it's pure thumbs. And I'm constantly stopping to google words, research, or just think a route out. And Monty seems to be the only one in an nail down on translating his personality into my writing so I struggle with the others.
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AHHHH thank you!! I'm so happy with how the art turned out, I'm excited to make another soon!
I have plenty of tips and I'd be happy to share! These are what I've found work best for me personally
Tips:
Get excited!!: The more you’re dreading something, the more it’s going to drag out. Write those exciting scenes! Skip to the parts you’re REALLY looking forward to! If it’s a prompt or scene that you’re not excited to write- why bother? Find something that really grabs your attention and go from there, you can always come back later to the original idea!
Headcanon/prompt generators are really good for practicing this- you’ll absolutely find one that just makes you want to start writing! (There are SOOO many of these out there too- fluffy ones, NSFW, OTP, All kinds of prompts for all kinds of writers!)
Make an outline/guide!!: Write out the idea as it comes to mind! Ramble and rave, and don’t worry about spelling or wording too much- Just write it down! I like to do this since it really helps with the flow and in making sure you’re happy with the overall idea. You’re legit just writing down whatever comes to mind as you imagine a scene or plot, and it also helps me with characterization because they end up acting exactly as I ‘imagined’ they would
This is the best thing that’s ever happened to my writing speed! You’re basically just fleshing it out at this point
--
Here’s one of my outlines as an example:
It took them so long to find you, they’re sorry they worried you, please don’t be upset
You ask what happened, where they’d been
They tell you- they were trapped in the fire, thinking it was all over before they remembered their promise to talk to you again- and they couldn’t let you down. They ran and crawled and clawed their way to the basement and got stuck there- and they’d only JUST managed to dig their way out and they’re sorry they’re so dirty right now and ruining your clothing
You just cry harder, holding them tighter and telling them that it was okay
You’re so happy they’re alive, you missed them so much
Moon pulls back slightly, lifting your face to look up at him and brushing your tears away with his thumb, moving to rest it against your lips again
He knows-they know.
They missed you too
--
This also helps speed things along, since you can look to it to know exactly where you wanted to go next- what the characters are moving towards plot/scene wise or what they need to be talking about! It’s also a very good way to find out if you’ll be happy with a fic or not, since you’ll already have all the key points down to see before you commit too much with writing!
My fic outlines can be 100-2000 words depending on how long the fic is going to be/how into it I am, and that’s also before splitting it into chapters and such. Wet Dreams had a 1100 word outline that I just read through as I was writing it out~
Don’t read over your work compulsively!!!: This was a huge issue for me when I was writing more a few years ago. I’d get stuck in a cycle of writing a paragraph, reading it over, altering it, then reading the entire work to make sure it was worded/read like I wanted it to be. This sucked the enjoyment right out of it for me. So if there’s one thing I can push- it’s to just keep writing, let the words flow, and if you do need to read over something- avoid editing it until you’re done!
It's your first draft: It’s allowed to be a hot mess! It doesn’t have to be perfect; it’s not done yet!
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missallsundayyy · 4 years ago
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Could you write a story where Law takes Robin's first time and she's first all hesitant and shy about it? But he really can't control himself. Just read all your stories in your masterlist and my gosh it's beautiful
I TRIED MY VERY BEST TO WRITE THIS AND THANK YOU FOR READING MY STORIES I APPRECIATE IT ALOT 🥺❤️ PORN WITHOUT PLOT BCOS IM GOING STRAIGHT FOR IT. Thank you for requesting this fic i’ll try to cater to every request because I KNOWWW THE FEELING LIKE I GOT YOU! I even have a perfect picture to match the plot of the story xx
RESEARCH
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“You’re a damn tease woman..” he scowled while attacking her neck giving wet open kisses all the way down to her collarbone. “I can’t hold myself back if you’re going to wear provocative outfits” he said, palming her left breast roughly.
“Mhmm la-law...please..” she whispered. He chuckled ceasing his actions, “You know how hard It was to convince your crew to let me borrow their beloved archeologist….to help me decipher my research…” he stopped to look at the now bare and naked beauty below him, her face away from him Her nipples were perky and erected and not to mention the size of her breast...it was enormous almost covered her whole entire face which was now looking at anything but him. She was shy and he most definitely didn’t expect this from the confident and collected Nico Robin. It was a whole nother persona right in front of him and he was enjoying every second of it. The woman below him could easily use her devil fruit powers and snap every bone he has and stop him but no...every touch he placed on her body made her caved into him. Her body sensitivity was heightened for him, his touch, his kisses and his presence. “ fuckk look at you, you’re so beautiful underneath me, bare like this and on my sheets.” he grunt, his boner was evident and growing harder and larger by the second.
“Baka! Don’t say embarrassing things like that” she squeaked out turning to face the pirate captain. He laughed “Your crew gave me only 2 days with you and at this rate i think i’ll use it to fuck you senseless here in my room since you prefer to be in here more. Maybe I'll take you in my operating room tool so that I could always remember you when we’re apart.” he said confidently.
Needless to say the historian’s face was beet in colour, she was embarrassed by his bold words and never did she expected Trafalgar Law to have such a foul mouth.
“La--law-kun, i--” Robin stuttered, finding it hard to put her words together. He has her right where he wants her and she is starting to get hesitant like could she even handle him. Maybe it was a bad idea to tease him too much. He had always known her ways of flirting with him but she guessed when she broke into his room in a white spaghetti strapped top that literally does nothing to hide her enormous breast with a pair of jean shorts to sneak around his room and see his personal collection of books he owned was apparently the last straw for him.
“Look at you, the pirate goddess with 130million berries, a strong willed woman with an extraordinary beam of confidence and elegance...looking so reticent and self conscious right below me.” Law said with a smirk lifting one finger to bring her chin up, facing her to him. “Don’t be shy with me Nico-ya, you’re the only woman that has successfully made me so riveted. Your beauty has captivated me since the day I first saw you and can you imagine how keen I was to know you when I found out how smart, wise and pacific you are.”
Robin was touched by his confession and before she could reply he continued “I like you Nico-ya. I like you so much and I’ll make you feel so good and I will only put you and your pleasure first.” His fingers were already ghosting her entrance that was already slick and wet, she was so horny for him and was solely turned on with just his voice and also mostly with how Law presents himself. He was in short, Robin’s type.
“So wet…..all for me” he slipped one digit in and she threw her head back with a whine.
“M...more please, go faster!” she moaned softly bringing her palms to cover her mouth. He smiled and added three of his fingers in all the way and lunged all digits in a quick and hot pace, he was fingering her and she wasn’t mentally prepared for such swift and agile pace because when she asked him to be fast she didn’t THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FAST. She missed the part where she was a complete total virgin but of course she wasn't entirely innocent either. She was still a woman with sexual needs but sexual intercourse was never relevant to her since she was dead focused with her life goal. She never did thought that pleasure would feel this fucking good or maybe because its him that's bestowing it. Law had awakened her needs and reminded her that aside everything else she needed this and she deserved intimacy and she deserved to be touched and pleasured.
Her vision was clouded with a layer of tears, her mind was hazy and she was on cloud 9 and he was only doing the bare minimum. He brought his hands and gripped her neck, bringing her back to reality.
“Feel good my love? Look at me c'mon..” when she locked eyes with the doctor she felt her insides throb more and not just from the invasion of his fingers. She could feel her juices gushing out and dripping on his hands from the way his knuckles or hand would ever so bump the side of her thighs. “Hhh-hai! Feels so...mhmmmm full” her eyes couldn’t take the intense pleasure anymore she had to break their gaze and her eyes fluttered and closed momentarily and he took the opportunity and dived face first into her wet hole and gave her a viscous long hard lick.
Robin’s eyes flew wide open with her both hands instinctively grabbing his shoulders and hair pulling it roughly.
“Ohhh!” she moaned out and he was eating her out vigorously, she was a lost cause the moment his mouth made contact with her pussy. He made her a moaning hot mess, her fingers raked his scalp, pulling and tugging his hair softly while pressing his face deeper into her cunt, ushering him to go intensely because she feels her high coming...and then…. He heard him groaned out and she moaned loudly. A burst of energy surged throughout her body, it was exhilarating, almost current like, she felt her orgasm ripping through. Was it cum? No...she didn’t think it was so what the hell was that feeling.
“Fuuuckk.” she heard him swore and she felt him stopping his assault on her. Her eyes fluttered open and her vision returned to her slowly and it slowly processed his face that was covered in strings of milky white liquid, he was taken aback by the sudden orgasm and didn’t expect her to even squirt from his tongue and fingers. Shit. Her body sprung up and her panic mode was on, she was beyond embarrassed and mortified she didn’t even know she was capable of squirting and she was now telling him how sorry she was, basically having a word vomit which was very out of character for Robin to be anything but calm and collected. But out of all the apologies and her trying to explain herself, he only caught and focused on one thing she had accidentally let slip out.
“First time..?? You m-mean? You’ve never done this Nico-ya?” Law’s lust was now uncontrollable, knowing that he was going to be Robin’s first and he would have the honour and pleasure of deflowering the beauty and the best part, this was all in his bedroom and he would always have the memory of his first time with her even when they were apart.
Robin shied away from his question and shunned her face away...this only confirmed Law’s question. Such a fierce woman and now was timid and innocent looking, all just for him. His feral and dominant side took over him and he grabbed Robin’s hands and pinned her completely down. Hands on both sides interlocked with each other in a death grip, he was literally panting from lust and he was turned on beyond words not to mention his cock was PAINFULLY hard and if he didn’t bury himself in her he would burst anytime soon.
“You’re so fucking cute.” he groaned at her facial expression. “I’ll make you feel good my love” he ended all talking there and plunged himself all the way in and because of how fucking wet her pussy was from the foreplay before it didn’t hurt her at all, strange because it was anything BUT pain. Robin had read in books how painful it was for women but all she felt was extreme and overwhelming amounts of pleasure. “Oh my god!” she screamed when he sheathed himself roughly into her and went in a god like pace.
“Fuck fuck fuck fuck so tight!” he groaned and dipped his head down and took her mouth in his and they kissed, it was sloppy and borderline nasty and the sounds emitting from their kiss alone screamed HORNY. Robin was enjoying every second of this, she had never had sex and her first time was with the man that she was slowly falling for and someone she found so hot and attractive. All hesitance and shyness was thrown out the damn window when he took her roughly like this and she was a moaning mess, and her moans was music to his ears, it was so inviting and sultry he could literally fuck her the whole night. His cock reached all the right places and it was perfect for her pretty cunt, going in and out at a monstrous pace yet managing to stimulate her walls so well and hitting all the right nerves. He could hear the gushing and sloshing sound from their connection and how his precum was mixing with her own juices was now sopping out from her hole, fuck what an erotic sight.
“Ah...ahhhh law..please, oh my g--law ha... it feels so hot---” her hands fought his gripped and flew free and she gripped his shoulder for support and her hips rocked harder and towards his thrusts. Her mouth opened wide, head thrown back in bliss and Law buried his face on the crook of her neck and he fucked her hard for god knows how long because they were both so clouded with lust and both chasing their own high. “I’m goin--fuck...im going to fill you up like this if you keep clenching around my cock like that Nico-ya!”
“In me pp-pplease spill it in me, don’t pull out...ha ha ah ah! I-i’m go..going to cuum!” her legs shook and she vibrated in frenzy when her second high overcame her soul once again. She came with a loud cry and ropes and ropes of milky white cum gushed out from her sloppy hole making spurt sounds in addition to Law’s cock abusing her hole all the sound waves was heightened to him, his view of her large breast bouncing from their rocking, her hands holding and hugging onto him for dear life, her face contort to absolute pleasure, mouth wide open, moaning hotly and panting for air. She was so lewd right now and he knew there was no other woman that could take him like this and there was no woman he would rather pleasure than Nico Robin.
“F..fuck take it take it take it!” he grunted in her chest and came hard, shooting his load into her, painting her walls white and staining her innocence right there and then. “Ahh! I--its too full Law!!” she screamed loudly and both of them were sure that his crew could hear everything they were doing right now but he couldn’t care less. They both continued and rode through their highs and orgasm until they were satiated.
That night, they spent the whole night making love but mostly hard raw fucking, he explored every part of her and touched her in so many aspects and way possible. She lost count of how many times she cummed and how many cosmic orgasms she felt. He pleasured her like no other and he had branded sex with him into her very soul.
The bedsheet was now a MESS, it was stained with cum, sweat and saliva and it was fucking sinful to even get his ship’s cleaner to clean this mess for him. Law had fully exhausted himself and the goddess underneath him was close to passing out from all the fucking they did but he wouldnt let her drift asleep without cleaning her up properly.
“I’ve run a warm bath for us Nico-ya, let me clean you up properly and then i’ll rub you to sleep okay?” Law said lovingly while scooping her up bridal style, he was gentle with her knowing she was going to be sore everywhere, she was extremely brilliant for him and put up with his pleasurable abuse so of course she was receiving royalty like aftercare.
~BONUS~
“Neh Robin! Are you okay? You seem to be limping ever since you came back from your stay” Chopper asked worriedly.
“Fufufu don’t worry, it was just a little accident on the Polar Tang but Law-kun had already taken care of it” Robin assured her nakama. Chopper smiled “Well! If Law said it's fine then you should be okay soon Robin!” With that the little reindeer walked away finding Usopp who was fishing for their dinner.
Nami who was listening to their conversation wasn't buying her story one bit “So you and the captain of the Heart Pirates are boning each other huh Robin?” The orange- haired navigator hugged her best friend from behind, “We let you go for two days and you finally decide to make your move on him” Nami teased.
Robin giggled “I think he suits me well don’t you think so Nami?”
“Well you know what this means...girls night!!” Nami exclaimed, dragging Robin for an afternoon sun tan.
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candreloup · 3 years ago
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Hey! I heard you were looking for asks so I was hoping you could write about a hero with social anxiety who everyone thinks is shy, but in reality they actually have a lot to say and they are super sweet and considerate. And if their nemesis could be a suave villain who knows them better than anyone (and maybe even has a soft spot for them) then that would be amazing. Have a good day!
I am having a good day, thank you!(maybe it's because of your well-wishes :D) Have fun with this one too, this prompt looks super interesting. I'm excited to write it! Also I'm trying to write at least one snippet every day, but I might miss some days(depends on amount of stuff that day, inspiration, etc)- but for the summer I can actually have a consistent schedule! (Ignore the fact that today's is a bit late, haha) But anywho- on to the story!(wow that's like my catchphrase now)
Edit: also i have realized this may not be exactly what the original ask is about... so I think I'm going to do another one mor accurate to the request hehe
Hero gazed out of the window, staring into the rainy drizzle outside. It was a gray day, overcast and chilly with just the right touch of gloomy. The perfect day to sit inside with a cup of tea and listen to music. Instead, Hero was stuck inside, waiting for the rain to abate and sweating in the too-warm room. The temperature was just a touch too high, barely a few degrees over comfortable. It was a nice gesture, but in someone's over-eagerness to please, they had switched the discomfort to the other side. Oh well. Hero thought. At least the rain seems to be stopping soon.
The rain in question was slowing to a drizzle, the sky lightening and the sun beginning to peek out of the dissolving clouds. The inside was beginning to swelter, filling with heat faster than the dripping rain could cool it off.
Hero thought, "Here it comes."
The next few seconds came in flashes, going in and out of Hero's field of perception. The door slams. Flash. Windows shatter. Flash. A sweet smell drifts through the broken windows. Flash. A smooth voice fills Hero's head. Flash.
"Hello, Hero. It's nice to see you again."
It was over before Hero knew it. The sudden storm of sound, sight and smell flooding Hero's senses vanished in an instant, whirlpooling back into the singular figure in the center of the room, sitting languidly on a velvety chair. Villain.
Hero walked forward mechanically, feeling... numb. It had been years since they'd seen Villain, long before they became "Villain" and ceased to be "Friend". Hero could remember, clear as day, when that familiar face had appeared on the TV screen of the cold cafeteria. Along with a headline that read, "Dangerous criminal at large: 9 dead in lethal attack on Organization." And when the alarms started to wail, filling Hero's muddled mind with even more confusion. They'd struggled to process it, at first; it took them longer than it perhaps should have to realize that that smiling young child was no longer so young, and definitely no longer smiling. No. Instead they looked angry, resentful at the world for the cards they'd been dealt. Not like before. Not like before, when despite all the hardship and suffering that had been thrown their way, Friend had still seemed to love life. To cherish it and fill it with as much happiness as they could, as if to make up for the lost joy in other places.
What happened to you, my friend?
That all vanished into nothingness when Hero saw Villain sitting in front of them, fiddling with some small trinket in their fingers. Waiting. Waiting for what? Hero wondered, staring at the different, but still recognizable face. Waiting for... for...
Villain looked up. Hero stopped, waited along with Villain. What are they waiting for? Villain spun the trinket in their fingers and with a deft movement flicked it back into the dark recesses of their jacket.
"Waiting for you, Hero." Hero flinched. That was new. Hero sighed. They hadn't bothered to do research on Villain. Stupid! They'd been so naïve, believing that this clearly changed person sitting in front of them would still act the same, talk the same. But it was too late for that. All that they could do now was grasp at the small thread they had, hope beyond hope that they could figure out a way to bring Villain back. Now all that was left to do was try to understand, try to puzzle out what happened to that little kid they'd played with. And to try to bring that bright soul back.
"I know what you're thinking." The sudden noise startled Hero, jerked them out of their thoughts.
"Oh?" Hero struggled to stay as neutral as possible. Villain chuckled.
"You're so transparent, Hero. Just like I used to be. A dumb little kid. And you're wondering: What happened?" Hero hid their surprise as best they could. It wasn't enough. Hero could tell, could see the glee in Villain's eyes at Hero's confusion. It was a malicious joy, so different from that happiness they used to have.
"Now you're thinking that I've changed. Again. I did change. That's true. But I'm still the same person."
Hero cleared their throat, struggling for the right words to say.
"...No, you're not."
"Oh yes I am. I'm still 'Friend', even if I"-Villain gestured to their face and body-"changed in appearance. And perhaps personality."
Hero shook their head. "No. The friend I knew would never murder someone. You... you aren't my friend. My friend is gone." The bite in those words seemed to sting Villain, the hurt in their eyes barely visible. But it was quickly covered up and replaced with cold humor.
"O sentimental fool! You really believe your little friend was so great, huh! I almost feel bad for you."
"No. I know my friend was a good person."
"Ahhhh, you knew your friend so well! I see. Then tell me this, Hero. How is it that you never knew where your little friend lived? Or chose to ask? And how is it that you never noticed the deadness in their eyes or the tear stains on their cheeks? Tell me, Hero!" Villain spat. The venom in their voice was audible now, cutting through the smooth, smug tone as Villain glared at Hero. "And tell me, little Hero, how you never saw the bruises and scars on your friend's body? Tell me how you never, not once noticed how isolated, how totally alone your friend felt?" Villain was standing now, advancing slowly towards Hero with rage in their eyes. "Tell me how, Hero. TELL ME!" they half-screamed, standing almost nose to nose with Hero.
Hero kept their calm. Strangely enough, this was almost better than before, better than that slick villain sitting elegantly on the chair. Hero preferred unhinged to silence. "I'm sorry."
"Oh, the little Hero is sorry! Ha! What a joke! Well, little Hero with the oh-so-great-friend, explain to me your reasoning when you left me!!"
Hero snapped. They'd been calm, silent, reasonable this whole time. Kept their cool, kept their patience. Remembered- this is a person in pain. They are in pain because of me. I used to love them.
But the last line was the final straw.
"Oh, Villain, you want to know about leaving??" Hero yelled, standing on their toes and staring directly into Villain's wide eyes. "You want to know about loneliness, about feeling betrayed? You know, Villain, JUST BECAUSE YOU FELT ALONE DOESN'T MEAN I DIDN'T!" Hero screamed, filled with an uncharacteristic amount of rage.
"Hero, calm-"
"NO. For every time you hid things, every time you made me feel like I WASN'T THERE FOR YOU despite my CONSTANT PRESENCE, I'm going to tell you. You want to know, Villain? You REALLY WANT TO KNOW? Every SINGLE time I asked, EVERY TIME I BEGGED AND PLEADED WITH YOU TO TELL ME, you know what you did?"
"Hero-"
"TELL ME, VILLAIN. DO YOU REMEMBER?"
"I-"
"YOU RAN AWAY! So don't sit there, with your chair and suit BULLSHIT, and try and tell me that I WASN'T A GOOD FRIEND. Don't. Do you know how many times I tried, Villain? And god damn, COULDN'T YOU SPARE A SINGLE THOUGHT TO TELL ME? But no, you NEVER SAID A WORD. You just pranced around, acting happy until I left. Because APPARENTLY, EVERY SINGLE THING I THOUGHT I KNEW ABOUT MY FRIEND IS A FUCKING LIE."
Hero was breathing hard, still bubbling with anger. How dare they, how dare Villain accuse Hero of not trying. God knew they tried. Every. Single. Day. But even through all of that Hero had faith in Villain. They'd believed Villain was still good. But then that news report had come out. And now, Hero realized that their entire childhood had been a façade.
"I... I'm sorry." The words were almost a whisper, so quiet Hero could barely hear it. But they still heard it.
"Sorry won't cut it."
"I know."
"You know, Villain? Do you really?"
"I thought I knew."
"I loved you, Villain. I almost still do." Hero whispered into the room, feeling their words bounce off the bare walls. "I loved you..."
Villain looked up from their chair, eyes wide. "...You did?"
Hero started crying softly, tears rolling slowly down their face. "You idiot. You lovable fucking idiot." Villain stood slowly, looking ashamed. "Come here." Hero opened their arms to Villain, sobbing when Villain fell into the comforting embrace. "You idiot. I missed you," they whispered, tears falling onto Villain's shoulder.
"I missed you too," Villain murmured softly, quiet tears gently falling onto the floor.
It sounded like rain.
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readyplayerhobi · 4 years ago
Text
Flower | 35
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; Hoseok x Reader
; Genre: Fluff
; Word Count: 3.7k
; Synopsis: You finally decide to take a dip into the world of online dating and find the Flower dating app. One of the top matches for you proves to be a guy who looks to be your complete opposite; tattooed, pierced, a metalhead and oh…incredibly handsome. What happens when you throw caution to the wind and reach out to him?
; A/N: Just a soft, fluffy chapter for you all after the angst and smut of the last two haha. Please leave comments and reblog it for me so others can read! Send me asks and so forth, we’re getting close to the endgame here so...I really hope you can spur me on.
; Flower Masterpost
-
“Ahhhh, I’m so excited!” Hoseok is practically vibrating in the passenger seat as you drive carefully, eyes firmly on the road and watching the car ahead of you. There’s nothing ahead of them but they’re still doing about ten miles less than the speed limit, frustrating you.
You don’t complain though, instead just sigh deeply while rolling your eyes at the slow person. It was hard to truly feel too annoyed though because Hoseok’s enthusiasm was so infectious. Which was why you’d been sporting a smile for most of the morning, thoroughly bemused by his excitement.
The reason for his bubbly demeanour today was because you were officially going to pick up your new puppy. You’d known for a long time that Hoseok wanted a dog; he’d loved them a lot and had always wanted one. But he just hadn’t had the time or space to get one, particularly given his old apartment not being pet friendly.
It had taken some convincing for you to say yes to a dog, mainly because you’d worried how Kasumi might be around another pet and also because you weren’t a huge dog fan. You liked them obviously, but they required so much more work than a cat. As much as Hoseok loved Kasumi though, you knew what he wanted.
The convincing had mainly been that he wouldn’t leave all the taking care of the dog to you. You didn’t want to end up being the only one cleaning up the mess in the yard or walking them, etc. He’d promised that he would care for the dog just as much as you did, maybe even a little more.
It wasn’t like he didn’t help out in the house anyway, he did because you wouldn’t let him not help, but you just didn’t want to get stuck doing all the dog duties when he was the one who wanted it the most. You doubted he would do that as he was pretty good with looking after Kasumi, even though she wasn’t even his. Given this was something he wanted, you had faith that he’d be a good doggy daddy.
The two of you had poured over websites that advertise puppies for sale alongside looking over rescue centres to try and find the best dog for you both. It had been hard to narrow down your requirements as there were some breeds that you just didn’t want to have and Hoseok had his own opinion on some as well. Other important things were that they needed to be okay with cats and being left alone during the day while you were both working.
But you also wanted something energetic when necessary and enjoyed walks. Part of the reason that you’d said yes was that you hoped it would get both of you to start going out on walks to just enjoy nature a little more instead of staying cooped up in the house. You always enjoyed when you’d gone out but it was hard to break your habits.
Your problems had been resolved happily when you’d been told by Hoseok’s parents that his aunt had a dog who had had a litter of puppies recently. They’d bought a female puppy and before they’d been able to get her spayed, she’d, unfortunately, got the attention of the neighbour’s dog. Which meant she’d been way too young to breed and they’d ended up with surprise puppies.
The mom was a working Cocker Spaniel breed with the prettiest colouring; a soft lemon tan and white with the most adorable eyes. The dad was a Bichon, a breed you weren’t too familiar with but who looked pretty cute too. What resulted was called a Cock-a-Chon, the most adorable bundle of fluff you’d ever seen.
Each puppy had the cutest curly fur and was the perfect mix of both their parent’s beautiful faces. They wouldn’t be too large when grown which was good for you both, as neither of you wanted a really big dog or anything. The puppy you’d both chosen was a creamy golden colour and you’d both fallen in love with her as soon as she’d fallen over her feet when running over to you.
Well...you say that you’d chosen her. It was more like she’d chosen Hoseok because he’d immediately ended up with a tiny puppy crawling all over his legs while her tail wagged at such speed you were worried she might hurt it. Needless to say, Hoseok had been completely lost to those sweet black eyes.
It had taken one look at you with equally big and cute eyes that had been earnestly begging to get your agreement. And that had been it. You’d officially known you were going to be collecting her a few weeks after that point and you’d let Hoseok name her, choosing Ciri from the Witcher series.
The time spent in-between that visit and going to bring her home had been spent making sure that the house was puppy-proof. You hadn’t known how to do that but the two of you had done a lot of research, hoping that if she was kept entertained enough then you wouldn’t have to worry about chewing or anything.
Given that Hoseok had been the one to want a dog in the first place, you’d let him run wild with all the stuff he wanted to get for her. There wasn’t any room for argument considering the number of things you’d bought Kasumi over the years and it had been heart-warming to watch Hoseok get so excited over a patterned collar and a personalised name tag on it.
So she had a ridiculous amount of dog toys already, alongside what you were convinced was a mountain of puppy food and treats, those mats to help house train her, two dog beds, a collar, a cage and lots of blankets to go inside it to train her for when neither of you was home. You hadn’t particularly liked the idea of caging her but you’d resolved to make it her safe space where she could go when she was feeling tired or just didn’t want to be bothered instead of punishment or anything.
Honestly, you’d warned Hoseok many times to make sure he didn’t go too overboard and spoil a dog neither of you even had yet.
Quite clearly, it hadn’t worked given how much he’d bought the little puppy. But again, you were loath to put a leash on his enthusiasm for it all. Pun not intended.
He never asked for a whole lot from you, even now with your three-year-anniversary approaching in just a few months. It always felt like you were taking a lot from him and not giving much back, so if he wanted to go wild and buy a lot of stuff for the new puppy then you weren’t going to complain too much.
There was a lot worse to spend his money on. Not to mention the fact that you weren’t even paying for Ciri. His aunt didn’t want to be paid for the puppy given she was going to a family member and she hadn’t even been expecting them at all. From what you knew, the other puppies had been sold for only a hundred dollars each. Just to cover their medical expenses up to that point.
It was a fantastic deal really, but you were mostly just pleased that Hoseok was finally going to get the dog he’d always wanted. He spoiled you often enough so you were revelling in the fact that you got to spoil him in turn.
That thought made you snort with laughter, the very idea of you two fighting not because you were angry but because you were trying to one-up each other with affection and love. You don’t get to see the curious look Hoseok gives you, slight confusion on his face before he shrugs to himself.
“I hope Kasumi will be okay with this.” Whispering the words, you frown slightly as you watch the road ahead. There’s only maybe another five minutes before you’ll both be there, reading to pick up Ciri and take her home but you’re a little worried about your other pet. 
Ciri would probably be fine with her, being so young that she’d grow up with the cat as her big sister. But Kasumi had spent a long time with it being just her getting all the attention from you, and Hoseok when he’d entered her life. Not to mention the fact that she could hurt Ciri if they didn’t get on, those sharp claws easily causing harm to the tiny puppy.
“We’ll take it slow. The good thing about cats is that they can take themselves away if they’re not happy. She’s used to Ciri’s scent and we’ve got plenty of treats and toys for her too so she doesn’t feel so left out. We just have to make sure that we don’t let Ciri overwhelm her. She’ll be okay Meeps.” Hoseok reaches out and takes your hand, rubbing at your knuckles in reassurance.
His aunt had sent over some blankets and toys that she’d rubbed all over Ciri, soaking them in the puppy’s scent so that you could introduce it to Kasumi. Hopefully, it would mean that while your beloved cat probably wouldn’t appreciate the exuberance of her new sister but she would at least recognise the smell.
“Is it silly that I’m worrying about stuff like that? I mean...your friends are getting married and having babies but I’m here just concerned that my cat might not like our puppy.” That makes Hoseok snort in amusement, slipping his hand beneath yours to link your fingers together before squeezing.
“Hey...that’s their choice. We’ve chosen to have furbabies instead, nothing wrong with that.” Wrinkling your nose, you indicate to turn right and drive slowly down the street his aunt lives on. It’s a nice area with large houses set back from the road, each one having an equally big drive leading to two-car garages. Tall trees, probably decades old at this point, line along the street with luscious green grass between each one and the dips allowing cars to park.
Much like the rest of Hoseok’s family, his aunt is pretty wealthy. She never had any kids though, living in her beautiful house with her wife and a menagerie of animals. Alongside the cocker spaniel that had gotten pregnant; she also had a chocolate labrador, a black cocker spaniel, a parakeet and three cats. It was your idea of a dream in terms of all the animals but the clean up must be terrible.
Pulling into her driveway, you take in the sight of her house once more in awe. You doubt anyone in your family could ever afford something like this and it still leaves you with a sense of imposter syndrome when you realise just how rich Hoseok’s whole family is.
Thankfully though, he’d never made it an issue.
“Oh my god! Come on! Let’s go.” Hoseok practically squeals, his excitement making him look so young and completely at odds with his metalhead appearance. Snorting, you can’t help but smirk as you turn off the engine as he’s already out of the car. Sighing affectionately, you follow him at a much slower pace.
He’s already vanished into the house by the time you get to the door, his aunt, Miyeon, standing with the door held open and an exasperated look on her face. Smiling at her, you take your shoes off and hand her the bag that you’d prepared earlier with an apologetic look on your face.
“Hi, Auntie! How are you? Oh, I’m good thanks Hoseok, and you?” She says sarcastically, rolling her eyes at you. There’s more than a little fondness in her face and voice though so you’re not too worried that she’s genuinely annoyed at him, smiling a little brighter as you greet her.
“Sorry. He’s excited. It’s been like having a toddler in the car rather than an almost 31-year-old man. Thank you so much though, I know you didn’t want anything for her but I couldn’t just..give you nothing. Hoseok said that you collect wine and I don’t know anything about wine because I don’t drink but-” She interrupts you with a hand on your arm, a smile on her face.
“You didn’t have to. But thank you, I appreciate it. Don’t worry, wine is wine. I’ll enjoy drinking it no matter what, I guarantee you that. Anyway, come on. I’ve baked some cookies for you both. Hobi always used to adore eating them when he was younger; peanut butter, hazelnut and chocolate chips.” Leading you through her home, you can already hear the barking of puppies alongside Hoseok’s joyful laughter.
You don’t even realise you’re smiling until you see yourself in a mirror, your expression light and happy. Who’d have thought that just the sound of someone’s laugh could be such a fulfilling experience? 
“Ahhh, so that’s why he likes them. He always asks me to bake those if I’m in that kind of mood. Always thought it was a bit odd as he doesn’t eat anything else with peanut butter, just those. Seemed a strange combination for him to love.” Her kitchen is just as big as the rest of the house, tastefully decorated with all the latest appliances.
You were a little envious of her fridge. It was one of those super fancy Samsung ones where you could see inside without even opening the door thanks to a panel on the front alongside what you could only describe as a tablet embedded into the door. Who needed to watch Netflix on their fridge? 
But all you can truly focus on is the delicious scent of freshly baked cookies. Inhaling deeply, you hum and can’t help but wiggle in delight. His aunt laughs, handing one to you and you eat it quickly. They’re not your favourite flavour but you’d never turn down a homemade cookie.
Especially when it was still warm and slightly gooey.
“Go on, go take one to Hoseok. If he’s not gone into a puppy coma or something. Bora is working late tonight so she won’t be home,” She mentions her wife, letting you know that you won’t be seeing her today. “And I’ve got some paperwork to catch up on. Just let me know when you’re ready to go.”
“Are you sure? Do you need any help?” Shaking her head, Miyeon smiles softly at you before suddenly cupping your cheek. Her hands are soft, likely through years of a careful skincare regime, and warm but there’s nothing strange about it. More like she’s just observing you.
“He’s lucked out with you, does he know that?” Snorting, you grin as you move away towards the sound of happy chaos. Looking back at her, you hold the cookie up with pride.
“I try to make sure he realises that at least once a day. Keep him on his toes, you know?” Her laughter follows you out of the kitchen and you marvel at yourself for how bold you’d just been. Your past self would be shocked to see you now, probably confused as to how you feel confident enough to say something so bold.
“Hey, butthead. You didn’t say hello to your aunt. That was rude,” You say to Hoseok, your tone only slightly playful. “Go say hi. Look, she even made you cookies.”
Handing one to him, you note how he’s laid on the floor and is surrounded by all the puppies in the litter. Ciri was going to be the first one to go so her four brothers and sisters were all still here. Small tails were wagging furiously at your arrival and you couldn’t help but giggle as they ran over to you, jumping and standing on Hoseok’s exposed stomach from where his shirt had twisted up and causing him to groan.
“Hello, puppies! Oh, aren’t you so cute!” Cooing to them, you hand the cookie to Hoseok as he sits up with a slight wince. For a minute or so, he just eats and watches you with the little ones as you play with them all, unable to stop smiling as they practically throw their small, furry bodies against you in an attempt for your attention.
“Go say hi!” Hissing slightly, your eyes narrow at Hoseok until he holds his hands up and gets up, heading out of the room to go properly greet his aunt. Once he’s gone, you look at all the puppies with a gleeful expression and sit cross-legged.
“Good, he’s gone. Let’s play!” The last word is loud and sharp while you reach forward, tickling one of them until they fall onto their back, showing their tummy for scratches and yelping enthusiastically. His siblings are barking too, tails hitting you almost painfully from how hard they’re going.
Glancing over at their mom, who’s currently laid in her dog bed with tired eyes, you smile affectionately before crawling over to her and giving her a loving stroke too. She seems to almost let out a deep sigh and you can’t help but laugh, running your fingers through her soft fur.
“Is it tiring, mama? All these babies wanting your attention all the time. I bet you can’t wait for some alone time. You’ve done well though, look how cute they are!” It must be a law somewhere that everyone should take to animals as if they’re human, especially in that voice that’s reserved for cute things.
But her big eyes are full of warmth and her tail wags lazily against the bed at your words, causing a few pups to try and attack it. You can’t help but marvel at how she just doesn’t seem to notice them, letting them do what they want.
“Not long now, they’ll all be going to their new homes soon. I bet you’ll miss them. We’ll bring Ciri by sometimes so you can see her!” The other dogs in the house had been socialised with the puppies for the last few weeks and Choco, the labrador was currently laid out against the couch. He was watching you carefully but for the most part, didn’t seem to be too bothered by all the noise.
You presumed that Bella, the other spaniel, was with Miyeon in her office.
“Okay, I said hello. And apologised,” Hoseok said, sitting down next to you and immediately welcoming two puppies onto his lap. “Sorry, I was rude, you’re right. They’re even cuter than last time.”
Grabbing one of the toys they had, he played with one of them enthusiastically until the puppy seemed to exhaust itself. There was a brief moment where it tried hard to keep up but then the next thing you knew, it was fast asleep on the floor. Laughing, you pointed at it before grinning at Hoseok.
“Oh my god, it’s you when you’re drunk.”
That gets a playful scowl but he just shrugs, reaching over to rub Choco’s ears to make sure he didn’t feel left out by it all. The labrador’s long tail beats against the floor tiredly, almost like he can’t be bothered to do it and you smirk at the sight. No doubt all the animals in the house are feeling a little tired and overwhelmed with all the excitement that’s been happening.
Finally, though, the puppies all seem to lose their energy and start to fall asleep wherever they are. Soon enough, you’re surrounded by bundles of fluff that are all twitching in their sleep, the silence pleasant after all their noise.
Hoseok carefully, and slowly, lifts Ciri into his lap. Her colouring was more cream than the rest of them, the others skewing more towards an almost golden tan. It had been part of the reason he’d named her Ciri. Her character in the show, video game and book series was infamous for her ash-blonde hair.
She doesn’t wake up, even as he takes off the coloured collar that had indicated whose puppy she was and replaces it with the one you’d both bought. The tag clunks loudly against the metal ring, causing you both to pause in fear that you’ve woken the others up but none of them stirs.
Finally, he shuffles back until he’s resting against the couch next to you, Ciri sleeping soundly in his arms and looks at you with a bright grin. The sheer amount of affection and happiness in that expression makes your heart physically ache, causing you to press a hand to it without realising.
“Ahh, we have a dog!” He whispers, eyes dancing as he tilts until he’s leaning heavily against you. His head rests on your shoulder and you smile, kissing his hair and just inhaling deeply. The smell of him always makes you feel content and relaxed, but even more so right now after all the chaos of the puppies for the last fifteen minutes.
“We do. Happy?” Nodding, he looks up at you before carefully reaching and cupping your cheek. His hands are rougher than his aunts, but you lean into the touch happily. There’s a brief pause before he kisses you, the movement soft and gentle with no real pressure. It’s more of an ‘I’m-happy’ kiss than anything else and you reciprocate it with ease.
The two of you stay in comfortable silence after that, just stroking and admiring Ciri for a while with no inclination to move just yet. You didn’t want to take her from her family so soon, even if you were her new family now. She should get to play with them all one last time before she goes.
“God, if you told college Hoseok that in a decade he’d been in a long-term relationship with a job, a house, a car, a dog and a cat...well let’s just say that laughing would have been the politest thing he could have done.”
“You know, I was thinking something like that earlier. I don’t think my old me would even recognise me now. But I think that’s for the better. I like who I am now, where I am now.” Stroking Ciri’s velvet-soft ears, you don’t see the fond smile on Hoseok’s face.
“I love you.” Smiling shyly, you take the chance to lean against him now and rest your head. Gently, you poke at his arm in your silent language, letting him know that you reciprocate before sighing contentedly.
For once, you finally felt completely at ease.
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khaleesiofalicante · 4 years ago
Note
Ahhhh can I request a Thomastair with the prompt: "I need an answer, goddamnit!"
“Please don’t tell me you have changed your mind again,” Alastair sighed tiredly.
“But I have,” Thomas said quietly. 
Alastair bit his lip. Not again. He cannot go through again. 
“Is it because of what Matthew said?” he asked softly. 
“Partly, yes,” Thomas nodded. “But it never felt right to me either.”
“Thomas, you cannot keep doing this to me!” Alastair groaned in frustration. “You cannot keep changing your mind every other day.”
Thomas looked up from his book then. Alastair couldn't believe how the other man could calmly read a book in the middle of all of this.
“Am I not allowed to choose what makes me happy?” Thomas asked. “Am I not allowed to choose what is right for me?”
“Of course you are,” Alastair said, his voice softening just a little. “But this isn’t just about you. It’s about the two of us.”
“I know that, Alasta-”
“And every time you change your mind, it just makes things more difficult for us,” Alastair explained. 
“I will not apologise for taking my time,” Thomas said very unapologetically. “This is an important decision.”
“Which is why it is important to go with your instinct,” Alastair urged. “I feel that you are putting too much thought into this.”
“You possibly cannot be mad at me for thinking this through,” Thomas gaped incredulously. 
“I am not mad at you,” Alastair said quickly. “It’s just...Sometimes you think too much.”
“Well, someone has to,” Thomas rolled his eyes and focused back on his book. 
“We are not done with this conversation!” Alastair said as he stomped towards the other man. “I need an answer goddamnit!”
Thomas took a deep breath and looked Alastair in the eye.
“Gladiolus.”
“Gladiolus?” Alastair repeated. “Does it even grow in England?”
“Yes, it does,” Thomas smiled. “I did do my research.”
“You are not going to change your mind again, are you?” he asked the man sitting on the chair. “This is your final choice?”
“Yes,” Thomas said. “It feels right.”
“Are you sure?” Alastair demanded. “I thought we were using carnations and then you switched to daisies and now you are picking some flower I have never even heard of!”
“Well, carnations are Matthew’s thing and James and Cordelia already used daisies at their wedding,” Thomas pointed out. “I just wanted to pick something that will be ours.”
“And ours is Gladiator?” Alastair pouted. 
“Gladiolus,” Thomas corrected him with a chuckle. “And yes, that's our flower.”
“Why is it ours?” he asked his boyfriend, or should he say fiancé. “What’s so special about it?”
Thomas got up from his chair and walked over to Alastair. As always, Alastair had to raise his chin to look up at the other man. Alastair, who was fairly tall himself, only ever looked up to Thomas. 
Thomas was the only man he looked up to in so many ways. 
“Gladiolus symbolises strength,” Thomas said as he put his hands around Alastair’s waist. “You are a strongest person I know, Alastair Carstairs. It represents you.”
“How about you?” Alastair all but whispered. “Does it suit you too?”
“It also represents loyalty and faithfulness,” Thomas smiled. “I want you to know that my heart will never seek another love but you.”
Alastair grabbed Thomas by the back of his neck and pulled him on for a kiss. Thomas, who was a little surprised but mostly pleased, chuckled as he kissed him back. 
“Also Gladiolus in latin means ‘small sword’ because it has really sharp leaves,” Thomas explained when they pulled back for air. “It reminded me of your daggers and how much you love them.”
Alastair realized how much thought Thomas has put into this. He realized how much Thomas cared. Maybe taking your time and thinking things through wasn't a bad thing after all. 
“It’s perfect,” Alastair whispered into the space between their lips. “Like everything else you do.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere,” Thomas grinned and pulled him back into another kiss and Alastair went willingly, as he always did with Thomas. 
“Knock knock,” the familiar voice said instead of actually knocking and then made an impatient noise. “I cannot believe you two are making out! AGAIN!! Why am I the only person who is taking this seriously?”
“Oops,” Thomas giggled and pulled away. Alastair tried his best not to pout. 
“When I left you two alone to decide on the dessert,” Matthew pointed at them with his notepad threateningly. “This is not what I was talking about.”
“In our defense, Thomas is incredibly sweet,” Alastair said in what he hoped would be an innocent tone. 
“Not a word, you nincompoop!” Matthew warned. “Have you two decided on the flowers yet? It’s been a week!”
“Gladiolus,” they both replied at the same time and then smiled. 
“Oh,” Matthew said, actually looking pleased. “That's nice. I told you it should be something personal.”
“Thanks, Matthew,” Thomas said with a genuine smile.
“Alright, let’s go down for the cake tasting,” Matthew commanded. 
“Um, could we have five more minutes?” Thomas asked, blushing like a tomato. 
Matthew groaned and smacked the notepad in his face. “I really don't get paid enough for this!”
“You are not getting paid at all,” Alastair pointed out. “You are planning our wedding for free. Because we are your friends.”
“We?” Matthew raised a brow and Thomas gave him a look. “Sure. We are all friends here. Alright, I want to see your asses downstairs in five minutes!”
Matthew ran back downstairs and they both chuckled at his enthusiasm and theatrics. 
“He should pick the cactus for his own wedding,” Alastair giggled as Thomas pulled him back into the embrace. “It suits him.”
“I HEARD THAT, CARSTAIRS!!” a voice echoed from below. 
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lala-ladybug · 4 years ago
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Healing Hands: Chapter 4
Yesyesyes I’m super excited to share this one with you guys!! The game is finally beginning, ahhhh!!!!
Jasonette Sword Art Online AU
Read here on AO3
Tag list: @iloontjeboontje
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Chapter 4: Goddamn wimps, all of them
Marinette opened her eyes, squinting against the bright sunlight. She stood in a huge village square filled with hundreds of people, the gaps between them growing smaller as more and more players appeared. The sun shone merrily, and an excited chatter began rising in the air. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It felt good to be back.
“Marinette!” She looked around to see Alya and Nino waving a few yards away. She broke into an excited smile and jogged over to meet them. They must have spawned in relative to their actual locations since Kagami, Luka, and the others from her class were already there.
“Hey guys!” Marinette said breathlessly. “Almost didn’t make it. Thanks for the call, Alya.”
The brunette gave her a quick hug. “Anytime, girl. Now you and Lila can show us the ropes!” She bounced excitedly.
Marinette barely caught herself from rolling her eyes and just nodded instead. Of course Lila would be able to help teach the others how to play. It definitely wouldn’t just be Marinette teaching everybody. Again.
Meanwhile, Max and Nathaniel were remarking on how realistic the textures of the cobbled streets were. Marinette did a double-take when she saw Adrien standing next to them. He had an immensely intricate and ornate suit of armor. There was an excess of spikes, ribbons flowing from every joint, and every inch of him was covered in metal. A tall helmet adorned with skull decals cast a shadow over his grinning face.
“What are you wearing?” She spluttered. He pointed a thumb to his chest with some difficulty, the thick metal creaking with the movement.
“This bad boy is the toughest armor in the game! I may have made a few embellishments of my own, so now I look even cooler.” He stated with pride.
Marinette shot a look at Luka, who wore a light set of simple leathers. He grimaced and shook his head, warning Marinette not to question their friend’s surprisingly atrocious taste in fashion. Or serious misunderstanding of armor weight classes.
“You know you could’ve picked any armor you want, right?” Adrien asked.
“Oh, I know. I crafted this set during beta testing!” Marinette spun around to show the boys, gladly welcoming the change in subject. She was dressed in a light suit of armor, the metal tinted a deep red. Black fabric peeked underneath the gaps, a strong yet flexible design of her own making. A simple grey cloak hung off her shoulders, concealing the quiver behind her back.
While Luka and Adrien complimented her brilliant design, she spotted Lila. She looked a little out of her element, hanging back to awkwardly watch a conversation between Kim, Alix, and Kagami, oddly enough. The three were dressed in heavy sets of armor, lamenting about how there weren’t any monsters to battle yet.
Chloe sauntered over to join them and, having heard how even Kagami was itching for a fight, wrinkled her nose. Marinette giggled to herself. This was going to be interesting, to say the least.
* * *
Jason’s eyes snapped open and he threw out an arm to steady himself. The transition from logging on was dizzying, but the sensation faded with every deep breath he took. He noted the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the air. Damn, even he had to admit this tech was impressive. Dick and Tim stood next to him, wearing blue and red-toned armor respectively. Tim was looking around wildly, grinning like an idiot.
“Timmy!” Cassie Sandsmark sprinted towards them to tackle her boyfriend in a hug. Oh great, looks like the rest of the kiddy patrol was here too. Looking to where Cassie had run from, Jason indeed saw various members of The Team. Connor looked just as nauseated as Jason had felt after joining. Roy stood next to him, unmoving as he stared down at his very realistic-looking hand. Ouch. Jason had to have some sympathy for the poor kid, not that he’d ever tell him that.
Bart and Garfield, on the other hand, appeared to be having the time of their lives. Bart got into a running stance and Garfield gleefully jumped into the air, both falling flat on their faces. Jason snorted as he watched Jaime help his boyfriend up. Jaime asked him, “Whoa there ese, what gives?”
Bart shook his head and muttered, “I don’t have my speed.”
Garfield furrowed his brow and strained his face. “You look like you’re either really constipated or trying to shift,” Artemis informed him.
Ignoring her, Garfield locked his panicked eyes with Connor’s. “I can’t shift either, SB.”
“Der kaolc ym nrut,” Zatanna intoned quietly. When nothing happened, she nervously said, “My magic doesn’t work either.”
Jason rolled his eyes. Goddamn wimps, all of them. “Looks like all you supers will have to stoop to our level.”
“Stay whelmed everyone,” Dick stepped in to mitigate half the group’s outrage. “It’s just a game, we don’t exactly need our other skills right now.”
Before they could say anything else, an enormous bell mounted in the center of the town square began to ring. A hush fell over the crowd. The sky darkened as red hexagons interlocked to create a massive dome around the town.
A tall being flickered to life in the air above them. The hooded figure floated high overhead, their face eerily concealed.
“Attention players,” the figure raised their hands. “I welcome you to my world.” Well that didn’t sound ominous, Jason thought to himself. He felt the mood from the others shift into high alert.
“You may call me the Game Master, and I am the only one in control of this world. You may have noticed that the logout button is missing from your main menu.” The figure paused dramatically. “I assure you, this is no defect in the game. It is all as I have designed it to be. You cannot log yourselves out, and no one outside the game will be able to remove you forcibly. If anyone tries to do so, a transmitter inside the VR headset will emit powerful microwaves into your brain that will end your life.” Shit, shit, shit. This was just supposed to be a dumb game he played to make Replacement shut up about it, what the hell?
“Of the 10,000 players, 215 have already died because their family or friends ignored this warning and attempted to remove their headsets. Media outlets have been reporting on this, so it is safe to assume the danger of your headsets being removed has passed.” This guy had to be joking. Though if he wasn’t, Babs would surely research everything within her power to try to remove them safely.
“One other feature of the game is that you are no longer able to revive players. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will die and the headset will destroy your brain.” Jason’s eyes widened and his head whipped to Dick. He ran a hand through his hair, looking just as horrified as Jason felt.
“The only way for a player to return to the real world is to clear the game. You are currently on Floor 1, the lowest level of the castle. If you make it to the dungeon and defeat the level boss, you may progress to the next level. Defeat the final boss on Floor 100, and you will clear the game.” This motherfucker couldn’t be serious.
The game master, god what a pretentious prick, raised his hands and began to disappear once more. He said, “Good luck, players,” before disappearing entirely. The sky returned to its cheery blue.
 A beat of silence passed before someone started screaming. Then the thousands of players erupted into a cacophony of sound.
* * *
Marinette stood stockstill amidst the chaos. She felt more than heard masses of people panicking around her. Her eyes darted back and forth without truly seeing anything, mind racing to figure out a solution. If there was no way to safely remove the headset, then they’d have to beat the whole game. What about the Kwami? Could they connect with their miraculi? What about the small powers they’d each accumulated over the years? If those were accessible, then they might stand a chance, but god if they weren’t--
A hand on her arm made her snap her head to attention. It was Adrien, his jaw clenched tightly. She gripped his arm in return, the small reassurance barely that. Around her, the new Order looked to their leader for orders, direction. And behind them, her classmates....
Most were white in the face. Max had his hands clenched in his hair and was muttering to himself about the likelihood that the headsets actually could kill them. From the way he was shaking his head, she guessed it was a definite possibility. Lila looked like a cornered animal, twitchy and desperately looking for an escape. Even Kim and Alix wore uncharacteristically serious expressions.
“Well?” Chloe prompted Marinette. The latter took a deep breath. Better focus on solving the smaller problems first. “Your VIP package came with a house on the first floor, right?”
Chloe blinked in surprise. “Yeah, it did,” she replied uncertainly.
“Good.” Marinette whistled and gestured for the rest of her friends to gather around. “Listen up! We don’t know how everyone else is going to react, so it’s best for us to go somewhere safe to lie low for a while. I can teach everyone the gameplay, and we’ll do our best to help beat the game.”
She looked Alya and Nathanial in the eye, since their hands seemed to be shaking the most, and said with all the confidence of Ladybug, “Think of all the bullshit Hawkmoth’s put us through. We are not going to die here. That’s a promise.”
Marinette drew her bow and half-strung an arrow, holding it parallel to the ground. “Chloe has a house on the first level. Let’s go.” She nodded to Adrien, Chloe, Kagami, and Luka to establish a perimeter around the rest of the class as they moved. She exhaled a quiet, shaky breath and led the way out of the square.
The crowd did not part easily. People were sobbing, shouting, hyperventilating. They needed to get out fast before the shock wore off.
Someone stood in front of her. The poor soul was probably just as scared as they were. She put her bow back in her inventory, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible.
“Excuse me,” Marinette gave a little half-wave to get their attention. “May I please get through?”
“Oh, sorry,” He had a deep, male voice. One hand gestured to the direction she was headed as he stepped out of her path. “Go right ahead.” His hands weren’t shaking as the other crept towards his belt. Not good, not good.
A flash of silver was all the warning she got before Luka pulled her back. A knife collided with his hastily raised shield, shedding sparks as the assailant nearly dropped his weapon in surprise. Marinette dropped down to sweep her leg beneath Luka’s shield, knocking the man off his feet. He gave a shout of surprise as he went down, and Luka disarmed him in the confusion.
“Come on, move it!” Marinette shouted over her shoulder. She re-equipped her bow and surged forward, picking up the pace to get the hell out of there. Such a large group was an easy target, they had to get out of the open and fast. People were starting to react beyond their shock, and more of them were bound to get violent.
Her eyes scanned over the buildings in front of them. There. A momentary break in the throng of players allowed her to spot Slipcut Alley, a favorite shortcut of hers. It was only a few yards away. The alley was too narrow for anything but a single-file line, but it provided cover and was hidden by a spell that only other beta testers would know about. It was their best option.
She squared her shoulders and pushed through the last of the crowd. She turned to face her friends, who gathered around her as they too made it out into the small clearing. Chloe, Kagami, and Adrien were watching the crowd behind them, ready to defend against any other attacks.
Marinette put her bow away one more time and asked, “Do you trust me?”
Shaky nods and wide eyes. That would have to do.
“Then follow me,” she said, and walked straight through the wall before them.
* * *
“Our first step should be finding shelter for the night,” Dick said sharply. “We can figure out the rest tomorrow, but it’ll do us no good if we die tonight.” Tim nodded, ever the protégé.
“And just how do you suggest we do that?” Jason countered. He couldn’t help it if it came out a little accusatory. He did not sign up for a damn death trap.
It was Garfield who had the answer. “Well, in order to do anything, we need money. So we need to start killing some monsters!” He palmed his fist with a resounding smack. “And then we can see about an inn or something.”
Connor rubbed his chin. “That’s not a bad idea, kid.”
“Just tell me where to hit them,” Roy said in a low voice, sounding about as pissed as Jason felt.
“Let’s split into three teams. Alpha squad will be Artemis, Wally, Bart, and myself. Tim, Roy, Gar, and Connor will be Beta. Jason, you’re with Jaime, Cassie, and Zatanna for Gamma.” Great, Jason was the only non-super there. What a grand old time that’ll be.
He made to leave the square and disappear into the panicking crowd, but Dick held his arm. “Hey, I’m trusting you to keep them safe,” he kept his voice low. “It’s been a while since they fought without powers, so keep an eye on them.” He then turned to address the rest of the team. “Alpha will take north. Beta, go south and Gamma see what’s west. Meet back here at sunset. Alpha will secure lodging before engaging enemies.”
“What, no pep talk?” Wally elbowed Dick. The latter didn’t crack a smile as he said, “Just stay alive.”
Beside him, Garfield swallowed hard and said weakly, “Noted.”
Jason rolled his eyes and jerked his head in their assigned direction for the other three members of Gamma squad to come with him. He’d follow along as long as Dick made good plans, and Jason didn’t exactly have any better ideas for now.
He put on his very best I know exactly how to kill you and I’ll do it if you don’t get the hell out of my way face and lead the way out of the packed square. The crowd parted easily before him, and they were out on an open street within a matter of minutes.
”Where to first, ese?” Jaime asked, shifting nervously from foot to foot.
Good question. Jason looked around for a map or something that could tell him the way out of the damn town. When he glanced back for a quick headcount and only counted two, he cursed and asked Cassie, “Where the hell is Z?”
She pointed at a nearby stall where the magician was chatting with the vendor. Zatanna waved to them, then sauntered back over to the rest of the team. “The shopkeeper says there’s a bridge further down this street and to the left that’ll take us west out of the town.”
Cassie frowned. “Was that a player with their own shop already? Man, we are behind.”
“Oh, no it was an AI.” Zatanna readily supplied. “An NPC?” She added on seeing the confusion on her companions’ faces. “Honestly, was I the only one to do research on this game before playing it?”
Jaime sheepishly scratched his head while Cassie squeaked, “Well....” Jason had to agree with them, he just did this to keep Replacement happy. And get Dick off his ass, the meddling prick.
Zatanna shook her head. “Look, AI stands for artificial intelligence, and NPC is a non-playable character. They’re computer-generated people, not actual players.”
Jason caught enough to surmise that these NPCs were created by the same maniac that locked them up in here. He crossed his arms and asked, “How the hell can we trust their word if they’re controlled by that fuckin’ game master freak?”
Cassie bit her lip and had the good sense to look concerned.  Zatanna just shrugged and said, “I guess we’ll just have to find out. We can try following their directions but stay cautious in case it’s a trap.”
“Fine,” Jason sighed. “Let’s go.” He was already resigned to the absolute stupidity of the situation anyway.
They made it to the end of the street without incident, and turned where the shopkeeper had directed them to. There was a bridge, spanning a merrily bubbling river, and open fields dotted with trees beyond it. Jason could smell the greenery and apple blossoms from here.
“Wait!” Jaime threw his arm out. He made a face, then sneezed. “Aw man,” he gave a tremendous sniff. “Can’t eben escabe allergies in a video gabe.”
Cassie laughed at her friend and slapped him on the back, which only made him sneeze again. Dumbasses, they didn’t have time for this. Jason rolled his eyes for what felt like the umpteenth time that day and walked up to the base of the bridge. He slowly, carefully stepped across and edged his way to the other side.
The other three followed suit, and upon joining him, Zatanna said cheerfully, “Seems like we can trust the NPCs!”
“For now,” Jason muttered, still not convinced. He turned his gaze to the rolling hills before him, warm breezes sending waves that shimmered through the knee-high grass. He didn’t see any monsters, but there had to be some... right?
He used two fingers to swipe the air in front of him, opening his inventory. At least he remembered that much from the tutorial. He equipped the crossbow he’d loaded in when he created his avatar. Damn, that night in the Batcave felt like it was a week ago.
Jason took a wary step forward, into the grass. “Fan out,” he directed the other three. He didn’t turn to watch as he heard them draw their own weapons and creep up to flank him.
A rustle in the grass ahead had him throw a clenched fist into the air to have the others hold their positions. He waited until the movement stilled, then crept forward a few more steps, careful to keep his footsteps silent. He was within feet of it now, whatever it was. He hoisted up his crossbow to brace it on his shoulder and trained it on the last place he’d spotted movement. There was a sharp inhale behind him, and then Jaime sneezed loudly.
The head of a wild boar whipped up and it lunged for Jason. “Shit!” he yelled. Damn kid and his perfect timing. Jason blindly jumped backward and fired a bolt at the same time. It met its target and the boar shattered into glittering dust that resembled pixels. In front of him, a notification popped up that 20 copper coins, the crossbow bolt he’d shot, and a boar tusk had been added to his inventory. Huh, that was surprisingly easy.
“Wow, that was so crash!” Cassie pumped her fists in the air. “This game is gonna be a piece of cake.”
“Not so fast,” Zatanna frowned. “Remember, this is only the first level. It’s bound to be easy. It’s only going to get harder from here.”
Jason turned around to face them. “And just because that little shit was easy to kill doesn’t mean they all will be on this level.” He noticed Jaime hanging back, looking embarrassed.
“Hey kid,” Jason jerked his chin at him. Jaime's head snapped up. “Do you want to try the next one or wait by the bridge until your allergies clear up?”
Jaime opened his mouth to respond but had to sneeze again. “I think I’ll just waid by the bridge. I’b really sorry guys.” He trekked back to where they’d come into the fields.
“And then there were three. Ladies first,” Jason mockingly bowed, gesturing to the open fields beyond where the boar had been. Zatanna smirked and Cassie stuck her tongue out at him, which he returned with a rude gesture.
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beingemotionalsince2003 · 4 years ago
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As you know, I'm rewatching Druck season six now (because I'm not sad or anything). And I thought I'd share my comments on episode 3 with you. Here they are 😊:
C̃L̃ĩp̃ õÑẽ • How Fatou found exactly what she told to Kieu My on the internet 😂. Google you're not helping. • God! I. HATE. ILAI. HERE. You can just see how Fatou's self love goes down with every word he says. He literally made less all of her interests! I demand an apology. ⓒⓛⓘⓟ  ⓣⓦⓞ • I've always wondered how do druck characters expect to study with such poor lighting. How do they SEE and how do they CONCENTRATE? I would also fall asleep on their place! (Yes Matteo I'm talking to you) • THE RAINBOW SOCKS 😍. I'd give everything for my mom to let me wear those. • Tinder is shit, I'mma say it again (but just because she's chatting with Kieu My I'll let it pass). • Kieu My TEXTED FIRST. Ahhhh 💛. • Also Fatou being all giggly and excited over this is sooo cute and relatable I can't. It reminds me of my first love! Like, SHE TOOK A SCHEENSHOT when Q called her cute, I've never felt more represented. C̃L̃ĩp̃ t̃h̃r̃ẽe • Using Arlo Park for the music was such 👏🏿 a 👏🏿 good 👏🏿 choice 👏🏿. Queer songs for queer characters, more of that please. • Truthfully, who asks someone they like to go somewhere with all of their friends and bring no company? ESPECIALLY with all the story the instas and the chashqueens have. Bad move Fatou. Bad move. ⓒⓛⓘⓟ ⓕⓞⓤⓡ • The guy who asked if they could join them is SO HANDSOME wow. • And the way Ava turns after Fatou tell her "you've got this"? Slay girl. SLAY. • I really wanna say something about the Ava/Mailin struggle but I'm afraid to offend anyone, so I will let it go. • Nice from Mailin to pay for Fatou though! Seeing her having a hard time with money is so sad. C̃L̃ĩp̃ f̃ĩṼẽ • MY CHIBI LOOKING GORGEOUUUS 😍. • Am I the only one who feels a warmth on her chest whenever I see Finn? He's just so sweet. • If we don't get better Kieutou content on next seasons than Nora and Josh got on this one, I will sue. • Kieu My not knowing what to wear omg 😢🖤. The way I love her. • ZOE'S SPEECH 👑. • Also Fatou not knowing what she wants from her life and feeling left out it's such a good representation! ⓒⓛⓘⓟ ⓢⓘⓧ • I know I comment too much on their looks but how can I ignore Fatou's little dance on minute 18:28? Impossible 😍. • God, Fatou in this clip is literally how I feel in every reunion I go to. Don't ask me why lockdown hasn't been that hard for me. • 😻 THE FACE SHRUGGG (22:48) • SO, if you recount the steps that Fatou told Kieu My she used to kiss her ex-girlfriend on the graveyard you will notice KIEU MY USED ALL OF THEM HERE. • She took her hand so nonchalantly what a queen. But also she grabbed it while holding the cigarette? How does that makes sense. • I love Fatou's reaction to complements. She's so cool about it and never gets awkward. • That Smile of hers *cheff kiss* ✨. • Q, on the other hand, looks so nervous. Awww. • "That's why we do research" How is this woman so perfect?! 😖 • The hunger on her eyes wow. • I remember I always wanted to witness a kiss scene in which it wasn't completely obvious that they were gonna kiss before (like when they stare and start getting close for 3 hours). At one point I thought I wouldn't ever get it and I lost all hope. BUT HERE I HAVE IT. • Isn't it kinda strange that Fatou corresponded right away, though? No surprise face or anything? Please tell me I'm not alone with that thought. • Kieu My's smile is everything. Anyways, that's all for now. Thank you for reading! My inbox is always open to hear your thoughts as well. I'll see you in the next one 🙃.
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coeurdastronaute · 5 years ago
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Essays in Existentialism: Stud 9
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Previously on Stud
“It’s been awhile.” 
“Near a decade?” 
“Well there was that convention in Prague. Maybe six, seven years ago?” 
“And the reunion at the Hargrove Estate.” 
“The presentations in Oslo?” 
“I think… I think that was right around when m mom--” Lexa furrowed as she tried to place the time that seemed to slip away from them. “I guess Prague was the last time.” 
“Five years then,” her old friend from college nodded thoughtfully. “Time is a dangerous thing. I hate it.” 
The lounge was intimate, dimly lit and clean, freshly modeled despite being an ancient and ritzy institution in its own right. Dark woods were illuminated by soft lights, large paintings covered the walls in dark gold frames. The chairs were velvet and the drinks were perfectly crafted from the best labels. The clamor of the familiar crowd in suits and ties and diamonds and dresses was just a murmur behind their secluded table 
Maggie James hadn’t changed a bit, just matured into a fulfilled version of herself, or so Lexa liked to imagine. She still had deep brown eyes and a heart-shaped face. Still had a soft smile. Her hair was cut shorter now, above the shoulders and wavy. Her demeanor was more assured, more herself, than the unsure girl in college, or even the graduate assistant at a presentation in Prague. 
“I have to say, I hadn’t expected to hear from the CFO of one of the largest companies on the planet after reading my lowly article and research.” 
“I don’t know about lowly,” Lexa smiled after sipping her drink. “I thought it was a good article. And your research was thorough.” 
“I just observe and postulate. Those other companies were the ones doing the hard part.” 
She was naturally demure. Maggie was not someone who had to work for a living. Her family owned an ancient merchant conglomerate and she was vaguely related to a Kennedy and a Duke or something. And though she had her phases, Lexa remembered her from school as someone who wanted to do her own thing. She didn’t cut up her black card, but she sure didn’t care to rely simply by biding her time. Lexa always liked that. 
They hadn’t been especially close, just gravitated to similar circles and were in the same degree program, naturally leading to an affiliation that boarded somewhere between acquaintances who knew too much and friends with no actual ties. 
The real surprise had been when Maggie actually returned the phone call Lexa gave after a few weeks of obsessing over the research and generally annoying her girlfriend with facts and tidbits, filling up a notebook with her own questions, ideas, and things she’d read. She’d garnered a lot of attention with her article and research. It almost wasn’t worth it for her to return the call of a somewhat acquaintances, somewhat friend that she hadn’t seen or heard from in upwards of six years. But Lexa’s last name was on buildings in almost ever major city, and regardless, she got a return call. 
“I did call you about the article, but also to catch up,” Lexa promised. 
“And remember those good times in college?” 
“We did have a few of those, didn’t we?” she grinned, looking over her glass, earning a shaking head and heavy sigh and smile. 
“Much to my girlfriend’s chagrin.” 
“You actually told her some stories?” Maggie raised her eyebrows and chuckled. “And she let you come tonight?” 
“Encouraged it actually. She’s sick of hearing me rave about your work and research. I’m allowed to have an intellectual crush on you, and that’s it.” 
“She’s a saint.” 
“You have no idea,” Lexa agreed and signaled for another round. “Last I heard, you were engaged to some Lockeridge. Didn’t work out?” 
Maggie held up her hand and wiggled an empty ring finger. 
“He didn’t particularly care that I was interested in anything other than the usual marriage retirement activities like kids and needlepoint or whatever.” 
“A shame.” 
“I heard you decided to go outside of the pool or acceptables,” Maggie shrugged. “I only have a few questions: How, and how did your father take it?” 
“You know my dad. He wouldn’t know acceptable if it shook his hand. He actually adores Clarke. And it was sheer luck. She just happened to be best friends with a mechanic I use to fix up old cars.” 
“Kismet.” 
“How did your parent’s take the loss of a Lockeridge hyphenation?” 
“Mom went into full mourning, black outfits for a week and three weeks in Italy,” Maggie recited as Lexa laughed. “Dad complained about his lost deposits on venues.” 
“And now?” 
“Now, I research sustainable and ethical management in corporations.” 
“I meant--”
“I don’t even own a car, so I haven’t run into any mechanics, and I was almost hoping you’d broken up with your saint and that’s why you’d called.”
“It actually our three year anniversary next month.” 
“Disgusting. You’re buying the drinks.” 
They both shared a smile and shook their heads, amused at themselves and the situation of their lives, both wondering how they hadn’t taken the time to be better friends, although a few drunken make outs had certainly ended any hopes of that back then. 
“I’m assuming you want to talk to me about the article and your company?” 
“I was having fun catching up, but I take sex off the table and now you’re all business.” 
“I know your time is valuable, and I don’t want you to think you have to waste it catching up,” she explained, leaving Lexa slightly baffled. 
“Your time is valuable too, and honestly, I am kind of having fun catching up. I kind of fell out with the old gang after Mom.” 
“I heard you did the falling.” 
“Probably,” Lexa nodded in agreement as she swapped out her empty glass for a new one. “I worked myself raw for three years straight.”
“But you still hear some of the rumblings from the old guard?” 
“Some. Care to fill me in on more before I proposition you?” 
“Intellectually?” 
“Strictly.” 
Maggie took a large sip from her drink and eyed the girl across from her, at ease and amused at their conversation, ever charming and wildly sexy without even meaning to do it, Lexa was someone who made her attention feel like nothing else mattered, and anyone would want to be within her company to experience it. All were welcome, but it was a blessing to hold her focus for an extended period of time, in any capacity. Maggie remembered making out with her in the bathroom of a club. She remembered making out with her at a party on the Lower East Side. She remembered Lexa’s messy waves, leather jacket, and fiery eyes that remained, even a decade later. But they weren’t for her anymore, and she was alright with the disappointment if it meant working with her. 
“Did you know Emma Hunton-Blather?” 
“Not biblically.” 
“I wouldn’t imagine so. She’s an ultra-religious mommy blogger now.” 
“Yikes,” Lexa winced. 
“And Francine Christenson already divorced twice.” 
“I think I saw one of those.” 
The evening was easy. The drinks flowed and the two caught up with their previous acquaintances. Lexa was grateful that it was going well considering how nervous she was about approaching an almost stranger. 
The drinks kept coming and before she could talk shop, Lexa was drunk and just enjoyed having fun.
XXXXXXXXX
“I love her.” 
“Oh god, not this again,” Clarke groaned, rolled over, and tugged the pillow with her over her head. 
“Not like I love you. I just am fascinated by her research.” 
“Is that what you call her boobs?” 
“Oh no,” Lexa shook her head, wobbling slightly as she plunked down on the edge of the bed and began awkwardly tugging off her shoes. “I can’t even seen boobs that aren’t yours boobs. I am boob-blind now.”
Despite herself, Clarke smiled at her drunken girlfriend. It wasn’t often that she came out, and when Drunk Lexa did, she often enjoyed it. There wasn’t any jealousy against Maggie James, just that Clarke liked a little more attention than she was getting with this new project. She also wished this old project hadn’t made out with her girlfriend, but that was neither here nor there. She’d feel the same way if Lexa was obsessed with recycling. She’d hate it and vote for global warming to make her stop fixating. 
Before she could finish with her shoes, Lexa flopped backwards, fully clothed and half on the bed. 
“Clarke. Hey, are you sleeping?” 
“No, darling. I’m up.” 
“I wish I’d never made out with Maggie, because I think we could have been have friends.”
“Good. Keep not making out with her and you can be.” 
“Ahhhh,” Lexa pointed at Clarke and laughed before letting her arm fall back down. 
“Plus, you could use more friends.” 
“Nah. I don’t.” 
“You do.” 
Clarke moved, putting the book she’d fallen asleep reading on the night stand and moving her way around the bed to help the pitiful thing that couldn’t get undressed. She stayed at Lexa’s strictly because it meant sloppy drunk needy Lexa. She also expected her about two hours earlier. 
“You need more friends. It’s good to have them.” 
“I have Gus,” Lexa listed, counting on her fingers as her girlfriend tugged off her shoes for her. “And Aden, and Anya, and Dad, and Indra, and um. And Maggie. And, um… uh…” 
“Only one of those are age appropriate, not related to you, and not salaried.” 
“And you! You’re my best friend. Who needs more than that?” 
She didn’t mean to, but Clarke smiled at that as she moved to unbutton Lexa’s shirt, earning a smile and laugh despite already closed eyes. 
“Oh, are you getting me naked, Ms. Griffin? Naughty naughty.” 
“How much did you drink?” 
“A little bit.” 
Clarke just shook her head and pulled Lexa up so she could pull off the shirt. She moves to the pants next, instructing her to lift her butt so she could tug them off. Lexa remained fairly still as Clarke searched for a spare shirt for her to sleep in. 
“Hey, hey, Clarke. Hey,” Lexa called in a whisper. 
“Hm?” 
“You really are my best friend.” 
Clarke smiled, her cheeks growing warm as she slid the shirt over the drunk’s arms and head, careful not to poke an eye or pull hair. Tenderly, she got a rag from the bathroom and wiped her face as best she could, earning almost purrs of contentment with the treatment. 
“Are you ready for me to fuck you?” Lexa ventured, wiggling her eyebrows. “I’ve been thinking about it all night.” 
“You’re drunk.”
“And you’re beautiful.” Clarke pushed her girlfriend’s shoulders so that she fell back in bed easily. “Perfect. You can be on top.” 
“Get under the covers. It’s time for bed.” 
“Fine, but you should know that I am a good lay.” 
“I’m aware,” Clarke grinned as Lexa climbed in obediently. 
“I’m like really good at giving you orgasms. And you seem to like them.” 
“Oh, I do. But I’m tired and you’re drunk.”
“Those are two true facts,” Lexa nodded and yawned, rolling into her usual spot. Her arm was held open until Clarke joined her in bed. 
The lights off and the pair finally ready for bed, Clarke snuggled into her spot and felt Lexa’s warmth, enjoying the feeling of having her back. 
“Hey Lex?” Clarke whispered as arms held her tightly. 
“Change your mind about sex?” Lexa returned. “I’m still down.” 
“No. I just wanted to tell you that you’re my best friend, too.” 
“Good.” 
Her arms pulled tighter and Lexa kissed Clarke’s shoulder before falling into a very contented drunken slumber. 
XXXXXXXXX
Lexa loved her office. She loved that it was quiet and that even though she had taken a smaller role in th day to day operations, it was still there for her to work, uninterrupted and unimpeded. She loved her desk. She loved her view. She loved the certainty that came behind sitting her name plate, as if it told her who she was. There was a certain power that she took from it all. 
“Thanks for coming down,” Lexa offered as Maggie took a seat across from her desk. ��I think i forgot to explain what interested me most about your research at drinks the other night.” 
“Yeah I think the fourth round of whisky made it a little difficult to keep track of complex ideas.” 
“I had a good time.” 
“Me too.” 
“My girlfriend let me know that I need more friends. The problem being that I don’t particularly like or trust most people.” 
“Or you’re too busy to put the effort into it. I get it. Trust me,” Maggie nodded, relaxing slightly as Anya brought in some coffee and placed it between them. “Thank you.” 
“I was told that all my friends work for me or are related to me,” Lexa explained as she sipped her coffee. “And even though I would consider us friends, or potentially friends. I want to hire you.” 
“I already have a job.” 
“Yes, but I have lots of money.” 
Maggie snorted at that, smiling, amused at Lexa’s candor. 
“I have lots of money too.” 
“I knew you would say that. I also knew that there wasn’t much I could offer you to sway you away from a fun research and doctoral position at a great university. I’m sure you find teaching rewarding.” 
Lexa stood from her desk and grabbed a folder from the corner, carefully looking it over in her hands. 
“The interesting thing I found in your report was that you were advocating for a system that not one single major corporation would even contemplate putting into existence.” 
“I’m sure some--”
“Free housing? College tuition? Four day work weeks? Work from home? Private insurance? Officer salary cuts? Who in there right mind is going to do that?” 
“I thought you were interested in my research.” 
“I am. Because my job was killing me. And I have a hypothesis for you.”
“I think that’s my job.” 
“You haven’t accepted yet,” Lexa reminded her as she leaned against the front of her desk. “If I implement your suggestions, will I not hate my job anymore?” 
“There’s no way for me to measure that.” 
“True. Will I feel better if we are a more ethical and knowledgeable company?” 
“Yes.” 
“Will we turn a profit?” 
“According to my data, yes. Although the scale of your business,” Maggie shook her head. “I wouldn’t even know where to start hypothesizing on when.” 
“Hypothetically,” Lexa continued, smiling at how easy it was to get her interested. “What would you need to start testing your hypothesis? In real time. At this company.” 
There was a quiet that settled as Maggie stared at the CFO. Long and tall, Lexa crossed her arms over her chest, the mystery folder tucked under her arm. Her shirt was folded precisely up to her elbow, her collar pressed and pointy, her glasses perched perfectly and her hair coiffed with enough effort to look like it wasn’t trying at all. She didn’t betray a thought though. 
“Off the top of my head, I’d need access to everything. I’d need months of internal research and auditing, plus at least a handful of accountants and assistants. I don’t think you understand what you’re asking.” 
“I do.” 
“You can’t.” 
“In this folder,” Lexa grinned, and held it in front of her friend. “Is one of our middling branches based in London. I want to give it to you.” 
“A company?” 
“Kind of. I want you to hire your team. I want you to help me implement your changes. I want to create a better world. I had to think of something that no one else could give you, to entice you. Is it working?” 
“Consider me enticed,” Maggie nodded, slowly accepting the folder and flipping it open, her mouth slightly agape. 
The buzzer on Lexa’s desk sounded and she pushed off, walking back to her chair. 
Ms. Woods, the car is here to take you to the airport. 
“Thanks, Anya. Give me a few more minutes.” 
“Going somewhere?” 
“Three year anniversary weekend,” Lexa smiled. “I had a bit of a rough year last year, but it’s all coming back around.” 
“You are incredibly good at multitasking. You’re pitching me while planning an epic event and doing how many other things.” 
“Take the week to think about it. Everything you need is in that folder.” 
“I’m going to need more than a fifteen minute meeting with yout see if this is even for real.”
“It’s real,” Lexa promised. “We can figure everything else out together, when you accept.” 
“If.” 
“I’ve been told I’m very persuasive. Take the week. I’ll be back next Tuesday and we can talk more then, if you’d like.” 
“I thought maybe a consultation, but this is…” Maggie shook her head and stared at the folder before shutting it quickly. “Hell of a friend.” 
“Come on, I’ll walk with you out,” Lexa offered as she grabbed her bag. 
XXXXXXXXXX
The ranch was still slightly visible in the sunset, the timing only slightly off with their arrival for the romantic weekend escape. Tall pines and cedars eclipsed it while the mountains stood tall and purple in the distance against a firestorm of clouds in the fading summer light. The cabin was one of her favorite places on the planet, and she couldn’t think of anywhere more secluded and perfect to hide away from the world with her beautiful girlfriend to celebrate three absolutely life-changing years. 
“I would have been happy with just a hotel room downtown,” Clarke chided as she entered the giant house. “This is too much.” 
“I figured it was a good excuse to use this place. It’s been years since I’ve been out,” Lexa explained as she dropped their bags in the foyer. 
She made sure everything was stocked and prepared and the staff wouldn’t be around. The caretakers didn’t mind a week off, and she was just excited to be away from the city and back somewhere quiet. 
“Is this the ranch your mom liked?” 
“Yeah, she’d make us spend a lot of spare time out here.” 
“I can see why. It’s beautiful.” 
“She designed it. Found an old hunting lodge and decided to convert it to a modern home. It was her labor of love.” 
“Thank ou,” Clarke smiled and hugged her girlfriend before kissing her cheek. “Show me around.” 
Lexa wasn’t particularly good at feeling so good, but she’d been excited and planned everything for the past month. So she took Clarke by the hand and showed her the grand room, the high ceiling and giant windows that looked out at the trees and the mountains as far as the eye could see. The fireplace was already roaring and inviting, but she took her toward the pool and hot tub area that went from outside to inside. She excitedly told her stories about being a kid, and all the stuff her and Aden would do. 
By the time they made it to the bedroom she wanted, Clarke flopped onto the bed and gave up trying to figure out where she was in the maze of a house. 
“So we get this whole place to ourselves for the next few days?” Clarke asked as Lexa gracefully slid beside her in the giant bed. 
“Mhm, so go ahead and just take your clothes off now. I actually should have told you that at the door.” 
“But I brought very cute lacy things you like me to wear.” 
“Oh, wait, yeah,” Lexa nodded eagerly. “That’s all you can wear.” 
“You’re ridiculous.” 
“I’m yours.” 
“And sappy.” 
“Incredibly.” 
But it was perfect, and Lexa didn’t care that her girlfriend was mocking her. She leaned forward and kissed her. She pressed Clarke into the bed and went about the task of celebrating. 
XXXXXXXXXX
“I need you to carb up because I have a few more things planned for you,” Lexa explained as she reached forward and took another slice of pizza. 
“Shut up.” 
“I mean it. Dad keeps the W stored in the garage and I have waited three years to--”
“You can’t be serious,” Clarke laughed and shook her head, pressing her palm over her chest with how amusing she found it. 
They were tangled in the sheets. They were tired and sated and happy and now nearly full from the dinner of pizza and beer. 
“That’s the real reason I decided to come here,” Lexa grinned. “The romantic, candlelight bath and fireplaces, and privacy were all a ruse. You’ve been ruse-d.” 
“I can’t believe I’ve kept you around for three years.” 
“Me neither.” 
“I should get a medal.” 
“I agree completely,” Lexa decided as she hopped up from the bed. “Wait right there.” 
Nearly tripping over herself, the CFO took the corner out of the room so quickly, Clarke was certain she hit the wall. The sound of padding bare feet could be heard in the bed, and for the life of her, Clarke wasn’t sure why it made her fall a little more in love, if that were even possible. 
In a flash, Lexa returned, hopping into the bed, quick to hide whatever was in her hands. 
“This was supposed to be a year of no gifts,” Clarke chided. 
“I’m terrible at following directions. I don’t know if you knew that or not yet, but it’s a harsh truth you should start to understand.” 
“You should listen to me.” 
“I should,” she nodded and held out a velvet box. “I’ll start tomorrow.” 
Clarke eyed her girlfriend warily and frowned at the blatant lie. But Lexa shrugged and smiled, nudging her to open the box. 
“Oh, Lex, this is…”
The keychain was a tiny logo of Lexa’s company. It was plain and simple and cost exactly $2.95, and now it was dangling from Clarke’s finger as she furrowed and smiled at it despite all else because it was certainly not what she was expecting. 
“It’s too much. You shouldn’t have.” 
“You deserve the best,” Lexa explained, scooting closer. “Last time we did this, I wasn’t read. You weren’t ready. It wasn’t right. But now...I think it’s right. I think I want to be with you all of the time. I want to come home from business trips and see you. I want to cook dinner together. I want to sleep with you every night. I want to live together.” 
Her hair was a mess, and when she was nervous, she talked with her hands. Clarke watched the entire thing without moving a muscle, because she might scare Lexa if she did. Instead, she looked at the key chain in her palm and listened. 
“You’ve been making a lot of moves lately, Woods.” 
“Well, the girl I love keeps pushing me to do better.” 
“What if you get sick of me?” 
“I won’t.” 
“What if I get sick of you?” 
“We’ll get a big place, so you can ignore me when I bug you,” Lexa promised. 
“You’re ready for this?” Clarke asked, giving her a hard look. 
“Very. Are you?” 
“Very.” 
Before she could say anything else, Lexa launched herself at her, and Clarke was tackled and kissed happily.
NEXT
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dyke-remy · 4 years ago
Text
Live And Let Die, part 3
Part 1   part 2   Part 4   Part 5    Part 6
Description: Agent 008 and Agent 009, professional spies for the MI6 with liscense to kill. Partners in both work and love. After an agent goes missing the partners have to once more go out into the field. (It’s a James Bond AU)
You don’t need to know anything about James Bond to be able to read this fic, trust me
Cw: Described assasination
Words: 3832
The sun had just about risen when the agents woke up. It was the morning after the mission and they were laying cuddled up in the hotel bed. Remus had plopped himself on top of Remy and wrapped his arms around them like usual. He said it was to snuggle while they slept but it was really so that he could act as a human shield for them even in sleep.
"g'mornin my dear dead heart of min-" Remus began to mumble out but Remy placed a finger over his mouth to shut him up.
He laid still and listened. The sound of someone opening the door to the hotel room could be heard followed by quiet steps. The agents glanced at each other. From the angle Remy was laying at they couldn't see much except for the ceiling and their husband's face. Remus slowly moved his hand under the pillow and grabbed the knife he'd hidden under it just in case.
The footsteps continued until they stopped by the side of the bed. Out of the corner of his eye Remus saw the person move making his instincts go off. In one swift motion he'd turned around to press the knife against the enemy's neck.
"What a charming greeting 008" Q also known as Logan muttered out. He eyed the knife held against his neck with an unimpressed look on his face. He had a black briefcase with him.
"Q!!!" Both of the Rems let out a happy exclaim.
"You should have said you were coming!" Remy said while sitting up in the bed.
"That's what she said" Remus added.
"I wasn't going to but then I figured it would be for the best if this mission got another step"
Remus moved the blanket aside and patted the spot between the two Rems "Cuddle up motherfucker!"
"008 please put some pants on. I've seen That thing enough for a lifetime" Q stated before sitting down in the middle.
The Rems promptly latched onto him. Hugging him. Remy ran their hand through his pressed down curly hair. Remus nibbled kisses by the start of his neck.
"So 008, you said in your report from yesterday that the man who held the real copy of the keys to Picani's room was named Ron Stewart correct?"
"Yeah"
"Well I discovered that he is on a train today towards Lithuania along with cargo for his company. His company is stated as an electricity manufacturer but it didnt take a lot of research to find he also has ties to something else. I am not sure of what yet but it is earning him a lot of income. For your information Picani's mission before he was killed was to find solid evidence of what this side business was"
Remy held back a wince at the mention of Picani "Aight easy. We get on the train. I Kill him. We figure out like what the fuck he's up to and like revenge Emile. Piece of cake" Remus nodded along.
"Yes well" Q opened the briefcase "In other news I took a few gadgets with me to aid you" He took out a pair of black high heels and handed them to Remy "Same function as always. Black like you requested"
"It's 'cause black tots goes with like anything"
A small box, not bigger than a thumb, was up next. Q opened it slightly to show white pills inside before giving it to Remy "I've tried to make it so the taste of poison is even less subtle"
The enby got a sinister smile on their face "They won't know what hit them!"
Remus dragged in Logan's sleeve "Me time!! I want gadgets too!!!"
Q nodded before taking out a long thin black straw and gave it to the duke "Be careful. Please! This is your 7th laser so don't break it. It's not a knife. It's not a stick. It's a laser. It heats things up. It doesn't cut through things. It heats them up. Please I don't want to have to make another one"
The duke looked at it with a giddy smile before looking up. A few moments of silence went by before his smile disappeared "That's all? I only get 1 gadget???? Rem got 2! You're playing favorites just 'cause you fuck them!"
"No. I am playing favorites because they don't break their gadgets!........But I do actually have another gadget for the both of you"
Q took out 2 pens and several coins. He sat the coin as far away on the blanket as he could. He pressed down on a specfic point on it before leaning back and pressing the pen up and down 5 times. The coin exploded leaving a hole in the blanket. The Rems let out oooohs and ahhhhs in response.
"Explosives. Each coin causes 1 explosion. Right now I'll give you 20 to use but you can always request more. Oh and 008" He took out 2 packages of pills "You forgot you stimulants" It was to help him focus better, his lil autistic rat brain wasn't good at that "And antidepressants at the base again so I thought I'd bring them to you"
"Aww thanks Q. How caring!"
"No problem. As your quartermaster I must care for you after all. INcluding caring for your mental health. Well I wish you good luck on your mission"
The Rems glanced at each other before sending Q puppy eyes. "You can wish us good luck better than that can't you?"
Logan let out an amused sigh and rolled his eyes before nodding. He gave Remus a kiss on the lips before doing the same to Remy. He was aro and didn't see kissing as a serious thing, neither did the Rems. The kissing before missions was just a nice tradition.
Remy traced their finger over their lips "I already have a feeling this mission will go splendid"
--
3 hours later Remy was sitting by a luxurious vanity in front of a mirror. They were meticulously filling in their lips with cheery red lipstick. Remus came up from behind and put his hands on their shoulders before leaning down to press a kiss to their cheek.
The enby took the blade laying on the vanity and held it up to his face "Dear if you kiss me now you'll ruin my make up and I will have to kill you for that"
"Sounds like a sweet death" He teased in return.
"If I wanted to make it a sweet one I would"
Remus glanced around at the make up products while putting on an overly extra pout "Why can't I ever get to be the lady???"
"Hun you have a giant caterpillar on your upper lip and it is the bane of my existance. If you could just let me shave it off-"
The duke gasped and covered his precious mustache with his hands "NEVER!!!"
" Well it would make disguising you much easier. If some baddie sees you once they're gonna remember that nasty ass muschie for like months! And secondly you don't really have like the right bone structure. Like girl you would look like the most beautiful lady I'd ever seen but you wouldn't look like the kind of gal these dirtbags want y'know?"
"I know"
Remy leaned their head against his chest and smiled up at him. "When we get home I can make you look nice and pretty kay? I'll evem lend you my fav mini skirts...As long as your dumptruck ass doesn't destroy them"
Remus grinned and let out a giddy laugh "OHOHOHOH let's get these bitches killed so we can get home PLEase!!"
After another half hour Remy was ready to go. They'd hidden a blade on their left thigh and stuck the box of pills on the side of their underwear. Remus took them by the arm and they walked out into the hallway of the train. They looked around various mini suites before coming out into a bigger cart. The bar.
Blue satin sheets framed the windows. Sunlight strimmed in onto dark wooden tables with comfortable seats surrounding them. The bar was ornate and it's menu was filled with expensive cocktails.
The enby bumped their elbow into their husband's ribs before pointing over to a booth in the corner. There Ron Stewart sat alone with a bowl of olives and a beer.
Remus mumbled a quiet 'you got this' before letting go off their arm. He sat down by the bar at such an angle so he could watch Stewart without it being noticeable. He ordered a glass of water and began to sprinkle copious amount of salt and pepper into it as he watched Remy go up to Stewart. Their body language was completely different. He overheard something about coincidences and seeing him at the casino. It didn't take long until Stewart had moved so Remy could sit down next to him.
The duke let out a content sigh and looked out the window. It was in quiet moments like these, while waiting for his spouse to do what they did best, that he admired them more than ever. All he could do was sit and think about how much he loved them. How he loved Every part of them. Thinking and thinking until it felt like his heart would burst.
It wasn't until someone bumped into him he got out of his thoughts. He looked up and saw Remy leaning on the bar.
"Vodka martini. Shaken not stirred please" Remy ordered.
Remus poked his elbow into their ribs plafully "Dork. Using my dad's catchphrase like that" He teased with a smirk.
They rolled their eyes at him before adding "And you can place a bottle of champange in suite 17!"
While the bartender worked on it the enby sat down next to Remus. They looked in the other direction while speaking so Stewart wouldn't notice.
"He's involved in human trafficking. That's where his like money comes from. Was supa easy to get it out of him. Dirty bastard. Didn't get what is in the cargo but he joked that it wasn't human at least"
"Okay good!" Remus exclaimed "So we go to the cargo see whats up. And then when we're done we can go back and arrest Stewart when we're done. Easy peasy pumpkin pie motherfucker"
Remy dug their nails down into the table so hard it left marks "Nah I'm murdering him now"
Remus opened his mouth before closing it again and thinking. He decided the wise and only choice was to support his spouse in their killing ways "Okay yeah sure. Have fun. If you're not back in 15 minutes I'll assume something has gone wrong and will come help"
They sent him a small smile "Thanks babe"
They downed the martini in one sweep and took a deep breathe before putting on their fake smile again. They went back to Stewart. All it took was a few flirty comments while leaning close to him to get him to walk with them to his room. Like a lamb blissfully going to the slaughter.
The champagne had been set on the bedside table in a bucket of ice like they'd requested. Stewart sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the place next to him. Remy obediently sat down. A taste of nausea filled their mouth when he placed his hand on their inner thigh. But they kept their facade of liking it up. Kept it up even as he whispered what he wanted to do with them into their ear and pressed kisses to their neck.
Remy leaned away when he tried to go for a kiss on the mouth "Shall I get the champange Dear?"
He eagerly nodded in return. They got up and made sure to move slow. They cast a look back at him while moving their dress up up to their right hip, just enough so a bit of their underwear showed. They ran their hand under their underwear line feeling where the small box they'd hidden laid. The box with poisonous pills in it.
They kept their expression the same as they caught hold of the box and in one smooth motion hid it under their bracelet. They kept their dress up as they poured up the champange. Out of the corner of their eye they could see Stewart only looking at their thighs so they took the opppurtunity to let a single white pill go down into one of the drinks.
It dispersed in the drink in under a second. They made a mental note to give Q an extra kiss for his excellent job the next time they saw him. They gave the glass to him before sitting down to straddle his lap.
"Cheers" Remy said.
"Cheers baby"
Their smile widened as they watched him drink. They waited until he'd emptied the glass before smashing their own glass against his skull. Stewart barely had time to let out a yell before they'd pushed him down with his back against the bed. They laid their weight on hips to keep him down while forcing his arms over his head.
"What are you-" Stewart didn't finish his sentence. He let out a strange sound as his face began to turn red. The poison was setting in.
Remy took the blade from their thigh and held it up to his neck. Close enough to let out droplets of blood but not close enough to cut him open.
"When I got home after staying out all night for the first time my moms cried of relief because they were sure I'd been taken by human traffickers working for the likes of you. I've had friends go missing just 'cause people like you think no one will notice if a homeless person disappears" They growled out.
"I will-" He forced out.
"Honey you won't do shit" Remy interrupted. They let out a cold chuckle "You'll lay there and wait to see if the poison or-" They cut the knife into his neck with such precision it hit the veins just enough to open them, like they'd done a hundred times before "the blood loss kills you first"
Stewart couldn't say anything more. He was choking on air and blood at the same time. The white satin sheets turned red as Remy sat still and watched every slight change in his expression. It went from anger to a pained one to complete fear of death.
His legs kicked to instinctively try and get Remy off and his hands flailed around his neck to try and stop the bleeding but it was to no avail. Soon his limbs stopped moving and the desperate sounds he'd been letting out quieted. Before finally his eyes became glossy and he stopped blinking. The blood had stopped dripping out.
"Blood loss huh" Remy said to of course no answer.
They stood up and hid the blade under their dress again. They let out an annoyed groan when they noticed blood stains on the dress. They'd liked this one! They searched around the room for anything useful.
In the drawer of the nightstand they found a key card to the cargo section of the train. They gave themself a pat on the back and was about to leave when they saw a document that had laid next to the key. They stuffed it down their top to keep it for later. Q was usually the one who told them if a document was important or not.
Remus shone up into a big goofy grin when he saw his spouse return. He held himself back from giving them a big long kiss. They took his hand, intertwined their fingers, and pulled him along to the small passage leading up to the cargo parts of the train.
There was a thick metal door stopping them from entering the cargo part. With a triumphant smirk Remy pulled out the key card and unlocked out while Remus gave them a small round of applause.
008 kept his gun ready in his hand as he entered the first cargo train with 009 right behind him. There were 2 guards who both immediately reached for their guns. Remus shot one of them at the same time Remy threw their blade into the neck of the other.
The couple high fived. Remy was using the new gadget high heels Q had given them. They took the heels off so the high heel turned into a normal shoe, it somewhat looked like a ballet shoe. Inside the heels 2 more blades were hidden.
The train was empty aside from a few meaningless boxes but there were one more cargo cart to look through. "How about I stay here and make sure no like bitches come at you from this side and you continue to the rest of the like cargo?" Remy suggested.
"Sounds like a plan!"
Remus pressed a kiss to the top of their forehead before quickly continuing on to the small outside part connecting the two carts. Remy closed the door behind him.
He pressed his ear against the door to the next cart. There were footsteps coming from the other side. He rolled up his sleeves before jumping up and just about grabbing on to the edge of the cart's roof. With a strained groan he heaved himself up. The wind nearly knocked him over as soon as he stood up. It was the last cart so whatever was important in the cargo section had to be in there.
The roof was made out of metal. Remus took out the black laser. He was careful to not point it at himself as he moved it against the roof. When he turned it a spark went off before it's cold blue almost fire looking laser burried down into the roof.
Slowly the metal began to melt. He moved it just as slowly around in a square motion. Until it had melted enough that he was able to move it. He made sure the laser created a small hole, just about to press a few fingers in, before turning it off. He covered his hands in the fabric of his shirt and let out a grunt as he grabbed onto the hole in the metal and moved it until a small opening down into the carriage had been made.
He peered down and like he'd suspected there were at least 10 guards inside. All of them were heavily armed. There was no way Remus would be able to take them all.
Luckily he didn't have to. He took one of the explosive coins and clicked on it before dropping it down into the carriage. He didn't even give the guards a chance to react before detonating it.
No more sounds came from inside the carraige. Remus dropped down from the roof and opened the door. The guards laid still on the ground. He checked their pulses. It was going slow and unsteady so they wouldn't be waking up soon (aka in several days probably).
There wasn't much in the carriage. A few box filled with guns and ammunition littered the wooden floor but aside from that all there was was a metal box in the corner. It was big enough to fit a human if they hunched down. It was thick enough that he doubted even one of the explosives would get it open. He tried the key to open it but it didn't work.
"What the fuck" He mumbled to himself.
On the sides and top of the box things were engraved. He was unsure if it'd been engraved a knife or...teeth.....somehow. The same sentences were written over and over.
Remus tried to read it but all the words swirled around and changed places. He hit his hands against his head and tried to concentrate. Usually Remy read things for him when on missions (and when home too honestly), and before he had them he had.....He had.....
He despised his dyslexia so much. Sensory overload could be avoided by Q ordering clothes with the exact textures he could handle and making him earpieces that filtered out just enough sound so he wouldn't panic. People didn't notice his lack of eye contact and fumbling with social cues and voice tones as long as he was looked normal. But there was no way to get around his dyslexia.
It took (in his opinion) an embarrassing amount of time before he was able to piece the words together. But when he finally did his body went cold.
Targets: 0̶0̶5̶ 0̶0̶1̶2̶ 009 008 - Remus Smythe
They knew his name. They knew his name.
Remus felt nauseous. His heart was beating so fast he could hear it. How the fuck did they even know that. What more did they know?? He was used to people knowing his name as Remus Smythe the son of Octavia Smythe. But not as Remus smythe the 008 agent.
He knew his mom could defend herself. All of the women, his caregivers, on the floating palace could. but still. At least they didn't know Remy's name. At least- At least- They were after them though! They specifically wanted to murder the love of his life.
Sure people had been trying to kill them before. Many a times. But he and Remy had known the two of them were strong enough to proctect themself. But....but....these people had killed Picani. Emile Picani! They could- they would-
He took a step back. Logically he should figure out a way to open the box. That was why he has here wasn't it? But he had to make sure Remy was okay. Had to-
He turned around and quickly went towards the door. He stopped midstep as he heard something metal-like crash under his foot. He looked down and realized he'd stepped on a dogtag one of the guards had been holding.
The metal plate was cold in Remus' hand as he tried to read it. His eyes widened. He didn't have to struggle to make the words out. He would always be able to recognize that name in an instant.
His hand shook as he forced the dogtag down into his pocket. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe.
He stumbled out from the carriage before throwing the door open to the next one. He was hyperventilating as he collapsed onto his knees. He looked up through tears at the blurry sight of Remy.
They'd been sitting on a box cleaning one of their blades while using the bodies of the guards they'd killed as a footstool. When they saw their husband they quickly went over and sat down in front of him. They moved their arms around his shoulders while checking for injuries.
"What happened? Are you hurt?"
"R-remy" He cried out. He hugged them as tight as he could and slumped his head against their chest. Uneven sobs racked his body.
"It's okay. It's okay babe. Shhh. Breathe for me" They moved their hand through his hair to soothe him "Just follow my breathing"
"You c-can't be hu-hurt"
"I'm not. I promise. You always take my injuries for me like an idiot. I'm 100% okay"
"It's- They- He-"
With a shaky hand he took out the dogtag from his pocket. It felt like the name engraved on it burned into his skin. Remy held onto his hand.
"What- who's tag is that?"
Remus glanced up at them with tear filled eyes "The f-former 009. Roman"
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wlw-lovestruck-fiction · 4 years ago
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Onyx and Yvette sneaking away from respective troupes to either have secret rendez-vous and/or stealthily watching one another’s shows and cheering each other on.
Written by @an-awkward-ghost
The crowd was wild, though that was a familiar sight for Yvette. She could take a moment to admire them because her part had ended a few seconds ago, and she had a few minutes while Vinca coaxed excited ‘ohhh’s and 'ahhhh’s with her performance.
Lazareth pressed a small glass of water against her palm, gave her a quick smile, and joined Vinca on stage. How the two of them worked together was quite the sight, and Yvette allowed herself a fond, happy smile as she watched them coax secrets from strangers with ease, watched how Lazareth’s low voice boomed through the stage, how the crowd leaned in as Vinca teased them…
Her smile turns into a smirk at the crowd’s expressions. Their excitement. The way the air vibrates with their shouts. The way a particular shadow ducks low, almost invisible-
Her eyes narrow, her grip on the glass tightening slightly.
Who was that? Wrath, maybe? Here to ruin the show and act all mighty? Oh, how very interesting-
But then their gazes meet and Yvette’s hand - which was raised in an attempt to get Lazareth’s attention - quickly falls.
Sparkling green. More beautiful and more alive than anything this world could offer. Just gazing at them, even for the a small second, is enough to get her heart racing quicker than the show ever could.
“Are you feeling it, everyone? Are you?” Vinca asks, somewhere on her left. Yvette is suddenly reminded that she is still onstage, she still has an act to do, and if she had noticed then Vinca surely-
The shadowy figure makes a movement with her hand which distracts Yvette more than it probably should. Onyx has that effect on her, she’s found. Anything she does captivates Yvette’s whole being, so it takes a second for her to interpret its meaning.
Continue on with the show, Onyx says with nothing but a flick of her wrist, and maybe this is a huge gamble – many things could go wrong – but Yvette finds herself invigorated by the idea that Onyx will watch her perform. It’s a silly notion, because Onyx has seen her back when the troupe was still together, but this time is different. It’s more special. More thrilling.
“-didn’t you? What a naughty guy you are! If she’d known, I bet-”
Her eyes flick to the side, where Vinca is finishing her act with Lazareth, where their voices continue the restless teasing to their last “volunteer”.
When she tries to find Onyx again she finds her gone. A shadow. A memory.
She smiles.
Well, this certainly is interesting.
“Hey girl, how does an impromptu autograph session sound?” Vinca asks as soon as the show ends, and the people that still lingered let out shrieks that smolder Vinca’s smirk. Yvette suppresses a fond huff at the sight, because really, Vinca’s ego doesn’t need to grow anymore. It’s big enough.
“It sounds marvelous, Vinca, but I’ll sit this one out.”
“You sure?”
“I have plans.”
Her eyebrows rise. “But you told me that-”
“I"ll be off, now.”
Vinca rolls her eyes at her dismissal, her attention already on the small crowd of people waiting for her.
“Well then! Let’s go down to the casino and have some fun, yeah?”
Yvette slows her step just enough to confirm Vinca and Lazareth are out of sight, and then scrutinizes her surroundings with an eagerness she hadn’t felt until now. The need to see Onyx, to hear her voice, to hold her hand were nearly overwhelming. Each second that passed was like agony, because what if something had gone wrong, what if a demon had-
“Yvette.”
Oh.
Her eyes finally find her, find her beauty hidden beneath clothes she normally wouldn’t wear, and she feels like the whole world is suddenly brighter. Lighter. Happier. Worth protecting.
“Onyx, it’s wonderful to see you.” She closes the distance between them with grace and elegance and she absolutely does not run like a thief that just spotted a priceless treasure. Or at least she hopes so. There’s so much she can do when Onyx is waiting for her and she can’t waste a single second of this unexpected visit.
“I’ve missed you!” Onyx chirps, her eyes bright like the sun, and Yvette is drawn to the way her smile turns up her lips, to the unexpected emotion that swells inside her at the sight.
It takes her an embarrassingly long amount of time to remember how to speak. The effect Onyx has on her is honestly ridiculous, but she doesn’t mind one bit.
“I’ve missed you, too. I do apologize for not arranging a date sooner.”
“Don’t worry, we’ve been busy… speaking of which, how was your trip?”
Yvette winces slightly at the memory. “Vuzgamad has a special gift for making everything go awry.” She huffs.
“So you didn’t find her?”
“No, she sent me through a wild goose chase through all of New York.” And she has many things to say about that trip, honestly, a rant she had subjected both Vinca and Lazareth to and had lasted for a good four hours, but mentioning anything else would only sour the mood. She hadn’t been able to see Onyx for almost a month, and she was not going to spend the short time they had talking about Vuzgamad. “But I did find many places I’d like to take you to.”
Onyx smile softens, like she’s marveling at her words. It’s a reaction that draws a bittersweet feeling from Yvette, because it means Onyx is still surprised by the fact that Yvette thinks about her outside of their dates. That she wants to spend more time with her.
She shouldn’t be surprised by that at all.
“T-that’s amazing!” Onyx finally says, when she breaks out of her brief stupor. “I… I’d like to go with you there, someday…”
Someday, when alliances with demons are but a memory.
Yvette squeezes her hand, smiling softly. “We will. Now, how did the research go? Did you find a way to cure Ripley?”
Onyx’s expression falls. “We haven’t. We’ve been looking everywhere with no luck.” She presses her lips together for a brief moment, before retrieving something from one of her pockets. A letter, which she holds out to her with hesitant movements. “She… Ripley sent you this.”
“I… she did?” Her voice comes out too small. Yvette clears her throat, trying to compose herself. “She knows.” Onyx flinches away, looking as though she expects Yvette to hit her. The movement is so sudden Yvette just stares at her, at first, and then carefully pulls her into a hug. “It’s okay, I’m not mad.”
“I… I can’t help it, the connection between us-”
“It’s okay, Onyx, Ripley deserves to know.” They all do, actually, but Ripley had been the most excited when Yvette quietly revealed to them one night – when Dorran and Onyx had gone out on a date and none of them were aware of what was really happening – that she was interested in the fashion designer. “I’d like to send her a letter too.”
Onyx nods against her, relieved, and they spent the rest of the night talking about other things while Yvette crafts a heartfelt apology backstage. Once she’s done and hands the letter over to Onyx, the atmosphere in the room lightens. Like they’ve both let go of a weight they didn’t know they were holding.
“I’ll need to read it for her… you don’t mind?”
“Not if it’s you.”
Onyx nods, solemn. “Do you… think we could meet again? Soon?”
Yvette opens her mouth to say yes, at the outskirts of town where they always met, and hesitates when something else occurs to her. “Keep your schedule open for tomorrow night.”
Turns out maintaining an illusion for an hour and a half was harder than Yvette had initially thought.
Then again, there wasn’t much else she could do. All the clothes she owned were meant to make her stand out, and even without them, her hair was enough to grab people’s attention. She’d be easily recognizable for the troupe, and that was something she had to avoid at all costs. The only one that was allowed to notice her – the only one Yvette wanted to notice – was Onyx.
And what a performance the other woman did! Yvette found herself captivated by her movements, how she handled herself on stage, how she pulled all of the stunts without barely any effort. She couldn’t afford to make herself known right away because of them – distracting Onyx could be fatal, even when Yvette had confidence in her girlfriend’s abilities.
She waited for Onyx’s act to end, and willed the illusion to disappear only for Onyx’s eyes. It didn’t take her long to find her among the crowd, and her expression softened with delight, with pure, unrestricted joy.
Yvette smirked at her, winked, and mouthed ‘you were amazing’ before putting up the illusion once again, amused with the way Onyx’s eyes widened with awe.
And later that night, when they were together and alone and safe, Yvette let herself get lost in Onyx’s wonderful stories, in her eyes, in her voice, in her pure, beautiful, sweet smile. For a moment, she can forget everything that’s happened, and be truly happy with the woman she loves, away from demons and shows and weapons.
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kyunsies · 4 years ago
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Hey mädch! I'm replying to your ask late and I'm so so so sorry for that! I suffer from acne too! But as of late, it's been more hormonal? I've suffered from acne since fifth grade and I've been kind of into skincare since then! I've been wanting to see a doctor for it for so long but I've always been scared of doctors and hospitals :(( so I could never go.
I only get new acne when it's near my cycle but my old hyperpigmentation and acne scars NEVER go away no matter what I try. I'm going to try niacinamide soon, after doing more research on it, I've heard some very good things about it. As of now, I use aloe vera gel and tea tree oil as my day moisturizer and shea butter as my night moisturizer (it's not really supposed to help with acne but it feels really nice on the skin) I use bio oil to help with the scars but it doesn't work lol
I did go see an eye doctor recently (I needed new prescription from my glasses) and the experience is always so scary! But I've just been putting off going to a dermatologist because it's not urgent (according to my parents) and I'm lazy.
And the assignments are going terribly! I'm feeling really sick and I'm trying my very best and my teachers are gonna have a wild time trying to read what I wrote in my fever ridden stupor! - 🐼anon
How are you? How was your day? Tell mee! I love talking to you! Have you been eating properly? And sleeping well? Are you taking care of yourself, big sis? You better! OR ELSE! - 🐼anon
hi bubbie !! don’t worry about getting back late i know you’re super busy 🥺 !!!! and oh gosh me too!! i got my menses really early so i had such bad acne when i was young .... gosh you should’ve seen my face so i really feel for u angel !!! also, i know and understand that going to the doctors is scary :/ but in my opinion i think dermatologists offices are where i’ve had some of my best medical experiences as a child!! the hard part is picking a good one who will listen to your needs (i went to an NP *nurse practitioner* for a little and i hated her lol) so find yourself a good dermatologist okay? they’re really nice and listen <3
and that’s very normal for acne to get worse during our cycle obviously there’s a lot of changes happening! heck, i’m on a strong oral antibiotic and i still get breakthrough acne near my cycle too!! but the good thing is that’s only for about a week right? and AH me too angel i also have hyperpigmentation from years and years of acne that will probably never go away :/ if u ever do end up going to a dermatologist, you can ask about any retinol products (they speed up the skin cell cycle -> decreasing pigmentation) but sometimes that’s not right for everyone!! also u seem to be using a lot of natural products which can be good on the skin 🥰 just be careful with tea tree oils and such they can be pretty irritating but if it’s not irritating for u ofc that’s okay!! i’m not a dermatologist hehe but just using some of my nursing knowledge :’) but yeah,.... tbh i think a lot of ppl tell themselves that these products really help their acne or diet affects their skin (and to a degree they do) but........honestly unless you’re taking antibiotics for acne the majority of our problem is genetic disposition (unless the acne is super mild u know?) and trust me i don’t want to push you to take medicine !!! (i suck at taking pills lol) but i got to a point where i was so disgusted looking at my face that i was just like screw it nothing is working i need medication so :’) if these are thoughts u are having (i hope not 😔) i would highly highly recommend a dermatologist!!!
anyways YOU’RE SICK ????? ARE U OKAY !!!!!!! oh my gosh i’m so sorry and u have all of these assignments going on 😭😭😭 bubbie pls try your very best to take care take lots of breaks okay?? ahhhh i will LITERALLY DO THESE ASSIGNMENTS FOR U :(((((((( pls pls take care ..... :(
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