#she's so silly and I encourage people to ask questions about her c:
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sxilor-1010 · 4 months ago
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I finally made my Pressure OC after time of writing her backstory, good lord—
Credit for the Picrew can be foumd here, and everything else will be below the tag!
Z-8 - Codename: Pancakes, Given Name: Cake, is to be captured and documented for future experimentation. While not dangerous, Z-8 should be treated with caution if encountered.
Not much is known about Z-8 after the Hadal Blacksite lockdown, but many staff and guards speculate that its the pet that belonged to now deceased medical scientist Dr. █████ Strislo. Z-8 takes the form of a slightly tanned tall caucasian woman with scattered vitiligo on her skin, her hair is a golden ginger while her eyes are orange in color. In reality, its form used to be that of a small Flapjack Octopus, with their skin being used to form the clothes and jewelry they are seen wearing.
Dr. █████ Strislo was Urbanshade's highest ranking scientist, overseeing all DNA samples as well as the Sea People project im which Z-13, the Saboteur, was chosen for the experiment in early 2015. At this time however, Dr. Strislo was also going through a grief process after losing their daughter in a fatal accident, and the only thing that kept them company throughout the grief was a small Flapjack octopus that was found injured during a dive exploration.
With time and care for the small adorabilis, Dr. Strislo found happiness within the small sea animal. Noting that its different from many octopuses due to its seemingly low intelligence, but nonetheless it was peaceful being able to raise something small and happy. Tragedy struck however, as The Blacksite went into lockdown upon Z-13's transportation escape and release of other contained specimens. Dr. Strislo's body was found a few hours after armed guards came across their body ████████ ██ █ ████████ ██████ ██████. Their pet, to which they named it 'Pancakes', was nowhere in sight.
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lumibye · 1 year ago
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hii charm i wanted to ask , what was sycamaris first date ? 🤔 how did it come abt , who asked, how did it go ? im soo interested , and i hope uve had a wonderful weekend ! - @catake
hehe hi clara ! hope your weekend's been lovely as alwayss and i hope your finals went just as well !! i'm sure they did but sending my heart and wishes anyways ofc ofc
( ♡ ) ty honestly sm for encouraging me to talk abt them bc it's all in my drafts but i'm just . . soso shy ( if you could believe it ehe ; ) so it really means a lot to me ! i'm v grateful i get to speak my silly nonsense eek >_< their first date was . . it was a ' date ' but it wasn't ? this is prob a good time to explain why they're ' working together ' ig for context purposes ! ( i'll prob compile this all into a post at some point actually )
( long post again bc my filter is broken ehe ; )
although he has a lot of information on mega evolution in regards to battle , he doesn’t have a lot in the way of contests 
pokemon aren’t affected by any external factors like attacks or status conditions when performing , but they’re still expending a good amount of  energy with the use of moves
so , as someone that’s very invested in the subject , his research and the bond between pokemon and trainer - this information would be valuable to compare and contrast with his current findings
he doesn’t really know anybody in the contest scene? there’s serena, of course, but she’s also currently undertaking the gym challenge and being one of his pupils it doesn’t feel right to stick this kid with even more work considering she’s a dex holder  so mariannes his best bet , even though they're only acquainted at the time they share a mutual acquaintance in serena at least . it's mutually beneficial in a sense , if marianne can't use mega then she's going to be at a disadvantage in the contest circuit ( i hc that contests are similar to ORAS in kalos hehe ) her ' job ' would be to monitor the behavioural changes in her pokemon after rehearsals and performances as well as their general health and wellbeing . there'd be weekly or biweekly ' check ups ' at the lab for more thorough analysis but these ' reports ' are more casual to fit both their schedules also , it's a good excuse to go out for him to go out for coffee considering he's so busy . but they're not dates , don't be silly . . . ( /hj he doesn't intend it to be . . but . . ) anway ! to actually answer your question now ( i'm soso sorry i can talk for aages they live in my head rent free 24/7 ; ) once he proposes this to her at the lab ( it's like on a weekend so nobody's there ) and gives her a list of pokemon that can mega she notices the only one that can is benched because of her accident in the unova circuit reasons and she goes ' umm , i don't really have any on this list at the moment ' and augustine is kind of stumped because this meeting is now way shorter than he expected it to be so he goes ' oh , that's ok . . well let's go out for coffee instead ' ( not those exact words ofc ) because
a.) she's not super familiar with lumiose and having a kind of ' guide ' might be helpful
b.) atp he knows she's a bit of a reserved person and the few times they've met he hasn't seen her with any friends so that's mildly concerning
c.) if they're eventually going to work together he should know her a bit better and
d.) she's piqued his curiosity honestly marianne's very bad at saying no especially on the spot so as nervous as this makes her she agrees , for similar reasons too . this person's offering her an advantage in her career so it'd be rude to say no , wouldn't it ? so they go to soleil ( because taking a shy girl to your best friends cafe on your first outing seems like a really bad idea ) and he offers to pay and she protests and there's that cliche back and forth about who's going to pay that makes the barista a bit ticked off ( people pleasers , the both of them ) and it takes her a bit to open up but he's genuinely enthused when it comes to learning about people . so eventually she does crack a little bit , especially when the topic of coffee comes up . she used to be a barista in castelia and coffee is his passion so that's their jumping off point . after that they both surprise each other with just how similar they are ! they talk about their thoughts on self expression ( he asks about her career ) and just how important it is and their energy just gels . they end up almost gushing to each other about their thoughts and beliefs , which is something she hasn't done in ages since she's been alone for quite a while so it makes her so so happy . he didn't expect this to come out of someone like her and she didn't expect someone primarily invested in research to share her beliefs and ideas . afterwards she feels bad that she's talked primarily about herself but still . . . it feels good and honestly ? that's kind of exactly what he was hoping for and he's pretty happy himself . they both are ig , more than they'd thought they would ! she definitely goes home and screams into a pillow about how embarrasing she was tho ehhehehe
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dreambunnynotes · 1 year ago
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daily reflection: nov. 17th ❤︎
whoops, i didn't post my to-do lists or check-ins this week, but that is okay! my usual instinct is to give up and restart when i don't do something perfectly, but the whole point of documenting my self-improvement journey is to break the habits that don't serve me. i'm in the early stages of trying out this blog and it's okay to make mistakes, and i'm going to avoid the perfectionist loop by posting what i wrote up for the 17th of november! 🥰 it was a really successful day for my mental health and so i want to document it. here is what i wrote a few days ago:
accomplishments:
today i primarily focused on my social health, and i absolutely killed it!! it's actually making me tear up writing this reflection. i am currently dipping my toes into meeting new people, rekindling old friendships, and loving myself enough to show up as myself, which is my absolute biggest hurdle in my self-love journey due to my own trauma and life experiences. wonderfully, the successes i have had so far in trying to be myself and pushing through my fear and shame have been SO rewarding, which only encourages me to keep going and reminds me that it is safe to try! one of my most wonderful manifestations right now is manifesting my dream friend group where i feel loved and also have FUN, since i have had very low standards for friendships in the past. i kept receiving the message of "being true to myself" this week, and i set the intention that i was going to try to be my bestest, silliest, most authentically neurodivergent self no matter how hard it was. so many beautiful things have happened since setting that intention, and here are the results from just yesterday:
i hung out with my sister for an hour or two (which doesn't take energy for me, she is my best friend and the person i wish to base all of my future friendships off of!! c':) and even though i was nervous and apprehensive, we went to hang out with her theatre friends before their show that evening. i decided to try being authentically me despite the fear of being judged, and not only were they super lovely and fun, they also laughed at my jokes and made me feel very valued for being there! i felt really grateful to have that experience, and grateful to myself for giving it a try.
i hung out with my friend "ac" at their house for a bit while we got ready for a show, and it was really nice to see them again! i had been feeling a bit bummed about our friendship lately because they had been treating me in a way that felt pretty triggering, but i reconnected with the law of assumption and realized that it was because i expected them to show up that way, which helped me heal my relationship with them a little.
we went to pre-game at their partners house, though i wasn't drinking. i met several new people, and they were all so sweet and nice! instead of feeling lonely that i was a new person being introduced to a very longstanding friend group, i chose to ask those at the house party questions about their friend lore (lol) and was my sweet and silly self. i found myself laughing along to things i didn't find funny and not really enjoying myself, which ended up being helpful; instead of listening to the internal voice that often says "you'll never find your friends," i was able to witness the voice and reply with, "you're trying new things, and you're learning about your preferences; how beautiful is that!" i was really proud of myself for this witnessing and not-shaming, and i did end up having quite a few wonderful conversations after that. i was able to see that the situation was not black and white, and that there can be multiple perspectives per experience!
i had a negative interaction with someone i knew there that made me feel embarrassed because of the way they responded to me. instead of internalizing it, i remembered that real friends wouldn't make me feel that way, which was another win for connecting with my authentic self despite the fear!
i made a new friend who i had never met before which was so, so beautiful! we talked about vocal stims and musical theatre karaoke lmao it was so great, i felt really accepted by them and it was just such a treat to hang out and laugh with them! it's so nice to meet new people you instantly feel connected to, and, again, was proof that by being my purest self, i will meet the people i connect with.
at the venue, i put on my massive ear-protectors because i am very overstimulated by sound, and it was just so comforting to know that none of my friends there in the big friend group were judging me. it was safe to do what i had to do; in fact, it was celebrated!
anyway, i'm feeling really positively about my social experiences today. it was the biggest part of my day and i feel proud of myself for overcoming my biggest fears. it's so funny to me that my body reacts to seeing a friend the same way it would react if i was being attacked by a lion; the nervous system is a funny thing, but i'm glad it wants to keep me safe!
other accomplishments:
i didn't cancel work even though i really, really wanted to. i showed up and did my job, which shows that i can trust myself to get things done when i need to!
improvements to make:
i need to set clear goals so that my days are easier to navigate, because without clarity i wander pretty aimlessly with the time i have. i will improve this by getting specific about my dreams and desires, and planning my days accordingly!
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woo! kind of a long and rambly post today, but it's alright, it's important for me to document. hope everyone is doing wonderfully and taking care of themselves the best they can!
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likesaly · 1 year ago
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Nanase and Arumu for the headcanon ask?
Just woke up srry for late reply
Nanase
HC A - Nanase picked up alot of hobbies during the time he was a shut in so he knows how to sew, probably learned small stuff about cooking from Mikado etc.
HC B - (based on a mem) The line Nanase (2222) has w Misane is still intact so when Misane goes to her original timeline she can still communicate with him; Future! Nanase sometimes stops in to say hi, Toukai just doesn't question it and Nanashi (2222) just helps Misane cheat on tests because there is no logic explanation how the fuck are they gonna explain "oh dw I'm talking to my best friend who's in another timeline!" (The only two (both 2222 and future) who see through the bullshit is Aira (ripple proof memory due to Android) and Izuchi (reading the bitphone data) )
HC C - Nanase probably has some vague memories of the bad and normal ends due to deja vu and gets it when the timeline restarts. And considering he's able to remember the past into the future; The whole mikado identity crisis is another thing.
HC D - Toukai adopts Nanase; Nanase is Misane's older brother (accutallly fuck canon w their relationship) Nanase gets adopted in around the time he's 16 bc Nanase managed to get into college at a young age due to credits and such and that's how Toukai met him (Toukai goes to school again could study more for his job and to keep the family afloat) and they just happen to be close upon meeting, a little shaky at first but they got there. Minisane seemed to get attached to Nanase when Toukai invited Nanase over to babysit her for the first time.
Arumu
HC A - Arumu probably had a passion for writing as a kid: She probably was the one who made morning announcements during her school years, had a blog where she takes notes and does street interviews etc, was into photography at a young age which is why she has an old Polaroid as it's sentimental to her. Because of all this she decided to pursue her interest as a reporter.
HC B - Arumu probably took so many photos during 1beat I feel like she's probably gotten couple photos of the fatcats knocking people over, nomare starting shit w his crab, shinobu when he's not paying attention, mb Sataka and Namoto when drunk etc, girlie just has alot of photos of everyone being goofy as hell that's it; everyone else just tries not to piss her off bc they know she could get more dirt if she wanted even though she wouldn't. Misane recommends to probably not to say anything Abt getting photos like that while as Nanase encourages her to keep doing it: Arumu listens to Nanase. /lh
HC C - Arumu has probably been a witness to other crimes due to being involved in press and new developments get made, though 1beat was the one that sticks w her the most due to it turning into a national tragedy by File 03, she says she's okay but with the stuff that happened in File 03, yeah that's going leave some mental scarring considering it was a variety of death causes so some would've been worse than others.
HC D - Arumu eventually joins the force w the help of Misane and Nanase due how much of her being willing to help: she still keeps her job as a reporter but she uses it as more of a side and cover up for investigations by that point. Arumu also has turned into that one friend that's always over at Toukai's place so she's practically in the family but not officially, Toukai finds her antics tiring but accepts her anyways since Nanase and Misane are very fond of her, Toukai now has 3 homosexual detective kids!! (A lovely silly happy found family :33!!)
Here's a bonus as compensation for the late reply:
I don't know what the vision was but it works
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khazadspoon · 1 year ago
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Ok, here is some Big Boss is the MRE guy. Not much at the moment, more just an exploration of the AU generally speaking. But it’s fun to explore so have it anyway.
———
“Kept you waiting, huh?”
He smiled into the camera, adjusted the angle with one hand as he scratched idly at the back of his neck with the other.
“Sorry, I had some technical issues getting things set up. But it all looks green now.”
Messages started coming in, regular watchers and subscribers greeting each other with snake and frog emojis, some sending little saluting faces and “hi Boss”es. He did a mock salute and settled back in the chair a little.
John still felt a bit nervous starting a stream. It was the same if he started filming a video, or talked to a stranger, even when answering the phone. But there was still the little thrill at being adored and looked up to. He enjoyed it despite the nerves.
“So today will mostly be a questions and answer thing, I know there are some new people joining us so be polite. Later we’ll probably take a look at a mid nineties British ration pack but that’s only if we have time.”
The moderators started putting rules into the chat box and John cracked his knuckles. “Okay. Who’s first.”
The questions started coming in.
Who’s your favourite Spice Girl?
Where did you grow up?
How did you lose your eye?
What’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten?
Do you ever get sick from eating so many weird things?
He couldn’t help chuckling at the range. There were always people asking silly questions, sometimes in jest but sometimes completely seriously, and he liked that; it was good, fun even, to be asked things that weren’t serious all the time. He had enough of that from his psychiatrist.
“I don’t know about the Spice Girls but I’ll say… Mel C. She seems pretty fun. I grew up all over, didn’t have a stable home, kind of an unusual family situation. But that’s a whole other story for another time.” He swallowed, rubbed at the eyepatch, and felt himself tense up. “The, uh, the eye was- not a good day if I’m honest. Let’s just say I was shot during a mission. Not sure I can legally go into the details anyway, confidentiality and all that.”
There were some apology messages and a few goading him on, the latter told in no uncertain terms to shut up by the mods if they wanted to stay. John rallied himself and got back to his answers.
“Food is a hard one to answer. Instant noodles are great, and some of the rations I had back when I was in active service were pretty tasty. But when there was nothing in my pack I think the King Cobra was pretty far up there. That or Russian glow caps… now they really recharge your batteries.”
A slew of snake emojis flew in, interspersed with questions and a few anecdotes from people who had similar experiences.
The next hour went by quickly. John answered more questions before taking out the British ration pack he’d bought a few weeks before. The calm control of talking about something he knew well took over. He described the packaging, the history behind its use, how to prepare it and what it tasted like; he told his viewers how he had known a British Major years ago, a man who was stereotypically obsessed with James Bond. It went well, overall. He noted a few usernames down after, people who were definitely veterans like himself, and made sure to keep an eye out for them if they came back.
He couldn’t quite remember how he’d first gotten into this life, couldn’t pinpoint the moment he went from ex-army who bought stuff online to showing other people the stuff to filming himself showing that stuff. It had just… happened. Eva had encouraged him both her and Adam saying the internet would “gobble him up”. Dr. Clark had been supportive too, offering her expertise to help him find rare specimens and letting him know if something was safe or not. And apart from the time he’d given himself food poisoning by ignoring her advice it had gone well.
She’d probably call him later and mock him about the mushrooms again. That was alright, they’d not had a proper conversation for a while.
Next door he heard laughter, the shutting of a door. A new neighbour again. There had been a few over the past ten years. He’d told Adam the place was empty but the man was happy drifting between the US and Russia when the mood struck him. There were plenty of places for him to stay, and John’s spare room was always free.
Outside he heard muffled voices, a man’s thanking someone and a “hear, take my card” before the door shut again.
His therapist had told him meeting new people was good for him, that it would help him relearn his social skills in public settings. He tried, introducing himself to people who got into conversation with him, and told himself he would go over in the next few days to say hello. Eventually, anyway, even if it took a few weeks to get round to.
The alarm on his watch beeped at him. He stood, walked to the small bathroom he kept meticulously clean, and took his pain medication. He stripped off his shirt and did his evening workout routine, his stretches, the massage he had been told to do on his arms and legs. He made dinner and watched an old movie. He went to bed, listening to the sound of someone next door getting used to a new environment.
Another day done.
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caffeineandsociety · 10 months ago
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Examples:
"These people keep talking about the shitty wizard series? Have you tried shaming them? Asking them loaded questions implying that they're nazis?"
There's an assumption that EVERYONE either has the same information that you do, or only don't because they're willfully sticking their fingers in their ears going "LALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU~". Most people who are not in the UK, or trans themselves, have no FUCKING idea how deep JKR's transphobia runs, nor how serious it is that she acts as a figurehead for all these hate movements. Most people who are not Jewish or entertaining the ideas of naziism themselves have no clue that Hogwarts Legacy was, in no uncertain terms, a nazi game, because the worst of it was hidden in dogwhistles and obscure historical references - that's how dogwhistles work, it's to keep people who still mercifully believe "nazis are bad" is common sense from noticing...and make you sound incredibly silly when you assume EVERYONE should have noticed them.
Learning that you have done harm to others with good intentions is inherently a miserable process. Making it more painful by shaming people for not having knowledge that is common in your circle but NOT in the mainstream, let alone whatever conservative cult someone may be breaking out of, does the opposite of making it easier!
"Well the books have ALWAYS been horrible neoliberal garbage at best, it SHOULD be so obvious, look at the goblins and how they treated fat people and the culturally insensitive names and the house elf subplot and-"
This not only relies on an assumption that everyone is on the same page and has been since the late 90s, but that it's somehow unique to THIS series, and it's just...not! Goblins are a popular fantasy staple, with...varying levels of antisemitic tropes included, sometimes intentional, often really not. Fat liberation is pretty far down on the list of "fairly mainstream" issues, and has only been so since around the 2010s, when we first started getting BIG studies showing that the popular idea of how body fat percentage and health interact is wrong (because ableism/healthism is a foul beast); in the 90s-2000s, it was almost universally considered not only fair game to portray fatness that way, but a GOOD thing to do because it would "encourage people to live healthier" - and portray it that way, almost EVERYONE did. Preteen to young adult fantasy is LADEN with culturally insensitive naming, whether it's giving someone two last names for lack of research or naming characters "dog ball" in a foreign language or just making up vaguely "ethnic"-sounding gibberish to signify that a character is Foreign(TM). Fantasy has had servant races for-fucking-ever - since before the advent of the form of slavery we now see horrible similarities to, in fact - and yeah, it was DEFINITELY, for lack of a better term, extremely cringeworthy to overlay a character's Young Activist Syndrome arc on that of all things, but again, if you think that was the only case of something like that being handled clumsily at best - yes, even THAT clumsily - you need to stop screaming at other people to read another book and actually do so yourself.
Those books were not unique, they weren't hate propaganda, and they weren't "the mask slipping". They were very typical teen fantasy books, with the typical biases the genre may entail. People outside of your circle RECOGNIZE that and wonder what rock you're living under to think this was unique.
"But they're just BAD! Read something better!"
Subjective at best AND irrelevant. Bad people can make good art, and even if they don't, there are plenty of people who like "junk food" media - being a fucking elitist at them isn't going to change their minds about anything.
Which all really sucks, because the fact that JKR has turned into an absolute fucking landfill fire of a person and we need to stop giving her money - which means we must stop revering the source of her relevance - is true!
But I don't think I can imagine a WORSE way to pitch the importance of it.
The great Harry Potter discussion in online leftist spaces is a perfect microcosm of every single problem the left has with outreach and I hate that you can't say that without people looking at you like you've grown a second head
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ptergwen · 4 years ago
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smoke and mirrors
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⇢ richkid!tom x richkid!reader ⇠
w/c: 4.1k
warnings: swearing, drinking, light angst, and implied smut
summary: because of your mother’s insistence on a pristine family image and tom’s messy one, you deny your true feelings for him
a/n: ok ok ok the pics of tom in monaco really made me think and i had to get everything out of my system so here we are! thank you and enjoy x
-
your living room is engulfed by a hushed chatter that comes from far too many guests. half the people, you hardly know. it’s overcrowded, superficial, and the last place you want to be. it’s one of your mother’s get-togethers, as she likes to call them. these things are always far from the casual affairs they sound like.
weeks go into planning, caterers and decorators making themselves at home in yours. the family’s image is everything to your mom, so being a good hostess is her top priority. ironically, she’s more concerned with throwing her gatherings than raising you. so much for family, huh?
the only reason you agreed to make an appearance tonight is that tom might do the same. he’s a really good friend, someone you’ve been able to count on through all the mess that is your lives. you met in high school, when he moved from london to the states. his dad was offered a job promotion he couldn’t pass up. plus, tom and his brothers would be receiving a stellar private education here in america.
it was a win for everyone, especially you. the freckle faced boy who got lost on his way to english class became your closest confidant. tom’s company is such a sweet escape. he’s not interested in opera or the stock market like most people you meet are. he sneaks you out to go on walks at dawn and does shots with you until you can’t stand straight.
as you two continue to grow together, revelations about yourselves have come to light. what you want beyond your inheritances, who you want beyond friendship. you figured out the second part on a faithful night recently. tom showed up to your place with a bottle of tequila. after you drank it down through lots of lime chasers and giggles, he kissed you. you didn’t kiss back.
your heart said to go for it, but your mind pulled you back in. you were so shocked and overcome with new feelings, you froze up. that, and you’d infuriate your mother. although she cares about tom a great deal, she loathes his public figure. he’s always getting papped in places and with people he shouldn’t be. the two of you together would just destroy her.
you still want to please your mom at the end of the day, no matter how deep under your skin she gets.
tom immediately apologized and tried play it off as him being drunk. you grew up with him, became part of each other’s families, which means you know him well enough to know he was lying. he meant every second his lips were on yours.
what you need to do now is something you’ve meant to for a while. the only problem is that you’re stuck at your mother’s party, and tom hasn’t shown up yet.
“y/n, darling,” your mom calls for your attention. she’s dragged you into a conversation with some bloggers, but you haven’t spoken a word. “why don’t you tell us about your trip to spain last summer?” she plasters on her award winning grin and squeezes your shoulder. it’s time to play along.
“oh, it was beautiful,” you halfheartedly reply, more to the bloggers than her. they nod in clear interest. one jots down notes. “we went for a few weeks and visited a bunch of different cities. i’d love to go back sometime.” the typical press formatted answer earns your mom’s approval. you’re off the hook. your eyes start to wander around the room, hoping to set on tom.
“we?” the woman taking notes asks. must everyone pry? “my friend and i,” you shortly reply. you’re standing up on your tiptoes to see over the crowd. you’d think six inch heels would do the trick. “i’m actually looking for him right now, so if you’ll excuse me,” you offer a polite smile and silently pray they won’t ask who. unfortunately, your wishes don’t come true.
the other blogger, a short and stubborn man, speaks up. “just a friend you say? come on, tell us. who’s the lucky fella?” he inquires. your mother raises a firm eyebrow, signaling for you not to.
tom has a reputation for his reckless behavior. it’s your mom’s worst nightmare when the media associates your names under most circumstances. you’re representing her, so she does whatever she can to control how you’re seen. you’re constantly in the papers, being a young socialite and all. it sucks.
“he’d like to stay out of the tabloids, sorry,” you cover for tom, on your mom’s behalf. “i should really go. it was nice meeting you.” the bloggers don’t bother to hide their disappointment as you shake their hands. your mother rubs your back in approval. “thank you for doing that. we’ll talk later,” she speaks lowly. “bye, mom!” you practically make a run for it. 
weaving through the sea of people, you end up by the main entrance. it’s hard not to get lost even though it’s your house. the place is packed with girls just a couple years older than you, wearing pearls around their necks. men’s strong colognes flow through the air. you’re in a form fitting red slip dress and louboutins yourself.
smoke and mirrors is what they call it. you show the pretty parts to distract from your ugly ones.
harrison suddenly comes waltzing in with a lady on either of his arms. you’d expect nothing less. he’s tom’s best friend besides you, considering the failed kiss attempt didn’t change that. their parents worked at the london branch of the same company. they each came to the states and met you. you happily introduced them to your world, helping to make it theirs as well.
“haz!” you meet him at the front door. he’s smirking while he leads the women inside. “fancy seeing you here, isn’t it?” he jokes. “very funny. i died laughing,” you deadpan, curiously eyeing harrison’s plus two. they merely giggle. “listen, have you seen tom anywhere? if he’s coming.” you’re fighting back a frown. “why wouldn’t he be?” harrison questions in a more serious tone this time.
“long story. you have guests to entertain, so i won’t get into it now,” you decide and manage a small smile instead. he perks up. “right. i’ll let you know if i see him?” nodding, you give him a wave goodbye. “enjoy yourself.” “you too, love. cheers!” the girls lean into him, harrison wiggling his eyebrows at you. he’s ridiculous.
hours pass by without word of tom. it isn’t like him to miss an event, especially if you’re in attendance. you despise these exhausting nights, and he’s supposed to be your rock during them. he should have his arm draped around your shoulders, whispering silly remarks to you while you hide out somewhere. you miss him more than you thought possible.
you’re just about to give up when you spot nikki ushering her husband inside. behind them follows tom, clad in a grey checkered suit with his locks perfectly tousled. he’s here. you waited the whole night, and he finally came.
tom kisses his mom on the cheek before strutting over to the drink table, not without a few reporters hassling him. they’re probably looking for another holland scandal to break. he declines their requests for comments on this and opinions on that, instead pulling up a chair next to harrison. the two exchange hugs and fix themselves glasses of champagne, you watching their encounter.
harrison fills tom in on the drama he’s missed tonight while they sip their drinks. tom keeps forcing smiles that don’t reach his eyes. he’s fiddling with his fingers, leg bouncing up and down steadily. those are the telltale signs he needs saving. however awkward it may be, you’re going to have to break your silence. it was bound to happen eventually.
“mate, i’m telling you. she fit her entire first right up her-“ “boys,” you cut into harrison’s story, greeting him and tom. his face tints deep pink upon your arrival. “don’t let me stop you. finish your charming anecdote,” you encourage him and subtly glance over at tom. he’s biting back a grin as he sets his elbows on the table.
“not with a lady present. let’s just… pretend you didn’t hear that,” harrison chuckles nervously and hops to his feet. “i’m gonna leave you two to chat.” humming, you move to take his chair. tom sucks in a breath. “what happened to the girls you brought?” you wonder. “they left. said they got bored,” harrison admits, tom stifling laughter. he elbows his friend for that.
“oh, fuck off. i’ll see you later,” he mopes, flicking your arm for good measure. tom salutes him and grabs his nearly empty champagne. “so long, bruv.”
it’s just you and tom now, seated side by side, silently so. he has no intentions of speaking first. he’s too embarrassed, and you don’t blame him. this is on you. you clear your throat before starting the conversation.
“can i top you off?” you tap the bottom of his glass with a tiny smile. tom shakes his head. “i’m alright, thanks.” he finishes the last sip and sets it down, turning to face you. your smile has vanished. “wasn’t sure you were gonna make it. i’m glad you did,” you change the subject. as if he’s considering the sincerity behind your words, tom furrows his eyebrows.
“mum wanted us to. she dragged me and dad straight off the golf course,” he explains and clasps his hands in his lap. his fingers interlock with each other. you fight off the urge to replace them with yours. “we would’ve been here sooner, but the paps are camped outside.” the hint of a smile forms on his lips, at last. “guess it’s not often you get the town’s finest under one roof.”
“you think i’m one of the town’s finest?” you tease, resting your chin in your palm. something flashes behind tom’s eyes. he looks right into yours, scooting closer. “absolutely. you’re the most eligible bachelorette in this whole building.” you allow a toothy grin to spread across your face. “tommy, stop it. you’re too nice to me.”
the nickname is music to his ears. tom looks you up and down, licking his lips simultaneously. “no, seriously. you look gorgeous,” he muses, you pushing at his chest. he exhales a breathy laugh, and you giggle yourself. “red’s definitely your color.” “reverse card. you wear it way better than i do,” you insist. your fingers tug at the collar of his suit. “too bad you didn’t match me.”
you’re relieved you two can talk like you usually do, light flirting and good vibes. it might not be so hard to put the kiss behind you. well, you can’t go on pretending it didn’t happen. you have to at least discuss the fiasco. tom should know why you didn’t reciprocate, then you can take it from there. whether he still has feelings for you, assuming he ever did, will depend on how that turns out.
“not to ruin the fun, but we still have to talk,” you murmur, tom’s body stiffening across from yours. he’s not sure he’s ready to discuss that. “can it wait? we’re at a party,” tom reminds you, running a hand through his styled locks. “yeah, my mother’s. don’t tell me you’re having a good time,” you playfully chastise him. he simply shrugs. “hardly. you’re the best part.”
you ignore the butterflies roaming about your body.
“you won’t mind a quick convo, then. it is with me,” you attempt to persuade him and place a hand on his knee. tom coughs a bit too loudly, the contact surprising him. “you know what? i think i’ll take you up on that drink first,” he decides with a mustered up smile. “coming right up.” you pat his leg before taking his glass. he chews on his lower lip while you poor the bubbling liquid. that was certainly… odd.
you slide tom his champagne back with an exaggerated wink. tom scoffs at this. “mm, thanks. care to join me?” he brings the alcohol to his lips, eyes never leaving yours. your mother specifically said no drinking tonight, since the press would be here. screw your mother, though. “please. could you hand me a glass?” you eagerly grab the champagne bottle. tom searches for an empty cup next to him.
you two are unspoken drinking buddies at this point.
“here you are, darling,” tom drawls, holding out the glass for you. every time he calls you that, you completely melt. “thanks, tommy,” you purr in response. you’re finally pouring your own drink when someone taps you on the shoulder, and hard. you look behind you to find your mother standing with her hands on her hips, less than thrilled. speak of the devil.
“hello, mother. can i help you?” you make sure to ask rudely. she responds with a smile that’s obviously fake. if tom weren’t here, you’d be getting scolded. “yes, my darling. those bloggers from earlier were hoping you’d finish your interview.” your mom shakes your shoulder in a motherly way. you squint up at her. “didn’t they leave hours ago-“ “they’re back,” she sharply informs you.
she’s lying, and you have a hunch as to why.
frowning, you hold tom’s hand in both of yours. “sorry, this won’t take long. why don’t you go find tuwaine?” you suggest instead. “he’s around here somewhere.” tom gives you an understanding nod and laces your fingers together, even if it’s only for a moment. “must be chatting up some producers or whatnot. i’ll see if i can help.” he’s such an incredible friend to everyone. he deserves the same from you.
“thomas, so lovely to see you,” your mom interrupts. tom stands up, kissing both her cheeks out of courtesy. “you, too. what a wonderful party. thank you for having us.” despite what the rest of the world believes, his manners are impeccable. “of course. give nikki my best, will you?” your mom puts her hands on his shoulders. he grins at her. “definitely. take care, mrs. y/l/n.” “always a pleasure,” she states, nudging you to come along with her.
you shoot tom one last apologetic look as your mother pulls you along and towards the crowd.
tom is no idiot. he’s well aware how she really feels about him.
when a swarm of guests is surrounding you, your mom lets go. you scowl, crossing your arms over your chest. “why would you do that? i haven’t seen tom in days.” she sighs without a care. “isn’t it time you branch out? expand your social circle?” her manicured fingers ruffle your hair. you push away her touch. “i’m social enough. we were in the middle of something really important.”
you begin to walk away, but your mother takes your arm. “whatever you’re about to do, it’s a mistake. he’ll make a fool of you,” she practically spits. yanking your arm from her grasp, you laugh bitterly. “of me, or of the family name? look around, mom.” you gesture to the spot beside her where your dad should be. “as far as i’m concerned, i have no family except tom. i’m gonna go check on him.”
you’re gone before your mom can stop you. she simply stands there, utterly mortified by what you said.
you run around the house to find tom, stumbling in your heels and not giving a fuck. you’d truly meant the part about him being your family. all the holland’s, honestly. they’re the most genuine and caring souls, and you don’t want to lose the one you’re closest to because of your mother’s delusions. 
tom is in a circle with harrison and tuwaine, the three of them chuckling amongst themselves. you’d hate to bug him, but this can’t wait anymore.
“uh, tom?” you mumble his name, appearing behind him. he steps away with another quiet laugh. “hey, y/n/n. that was quick, hm?” your face gives away your distress. his whole demeanor shifting, tom reaches for your hands. “what is it, love? is something the matter?” “just… come with me,” you croak out.
you manage to smile at harrison and tuwaine, dropping one of tom’s hands so you can lead him upstairs. they each return the smile and share curious looks.
following behind you, tom keeps your hand tight in his own. he’d thought you were going to grill him about the kiss that barely happened. it seems like this is a much more pressing matter. his outburst of emotions can be discussed another time. now, it’s time to deal with yours.
you drag tom into the first room on the second floor, which is your dad’s study. he’s away on business this weekend, so he luckily couldn’t make the party. tom sits down in the office chair. you sit up on the desk, in front of him. your lip quivers the second his worried features come into view.
“y/n/n, what’s going on? why are we in here?” tom wonders, his tone soft. your heart clenches. “i- i wanted us to have some privacy when i told you this,” you sniffle out and blink back the tears forming. you’re sort of shaken from the conversation with your mother, and mostly because you have no idea how tom will react to your confession.
his hands come to stay on your thighs, right below your dress. they feel warm against your bare skin.
“tell me what? i’m listening, yeah?” tom gazes up at you with so much love. “lay it all out for me.” god, he’s fucking amazing. if only you knew where to start. “do you, um…” you trail off, letting your tears subside and words settle. “do you remember when your family made your big debut in town?”
a grin replaces tom’s frown, painting his beautiful face. “how could i forget? you made it quite memorable.” he traces circles on your thigh and elicits a giggle from you. “i spilled a whole thing of soda on your white fucking button down,” you recount with a lighthearted sigh. “right before your dad was supposed to introduce you to everyone, too.”
tom presses his tongue into his cheek to hold back another grin. “took ages to get it out. dad went mad when i didn’t show.” he cocks his head to the side, you leaning back on your hands. “you held me hostage in the laundry room so you could do that bloody stain stick.” your mouth drops open in mock offense. “i had to clean up my mess! i wasn’t gonna let the world meet you covered in pepsi.”
that was one of your earliest memories together. the holland’s threw a party and invited everyone who was willing to attend. they had been hoping to properly introduce themselves to the town, and this was their way of doing so. although yours and tom’s friendship was fairly new, you spent all night together because you had experience with such events.
tom’s dad was making a speech to thank the guests for coming. you and him listened from the snack table, until his name was called. he rushed to go up there while you were pouring yourself a drink. he’d bumped into you, and the bottle ended up all over him. you snuck tom right off to his laundry room.
you’d felt terrible as he stood there shirtless and blushing, you aggressively swiping his button down with a stain stick.
“why do you bring that up?” tom questions and continues circling your skin. you purse your lips. “i dunno. it was the last party i actually enjoyed,” you admit, putting your hand over his that rests on your thigh. “like to reminisce when i’m suffering through one of my mother’s.” his eyes shift to where your hands are laced. “i see,” he affirms. “so, is that… all you wanted to talk about?” “not even close,” you laugh out.
a burst of courage coursing through your body, you say it. “when you kissed me the other night-“ “i won’t do it again,” tom cuts in, trying to avoid the rejection he thinks you’ll give him. “it was a mistake, and i’m so sorry. our friendship is more important than my feelings.” you seem excited to hear that, though it’s not for the reason tom expects. “you do have feelings for me?”
he’d forgotten about his i was drunk excuse.
“um, yeah. i do,” he admits, cheeks rosy and lip caught in his teeth. “but, i’ll learn to put them aside, if that’s what’s best.” “no, no. it isn’t,” you dismiss him and put your free hand on his chest. “i love you, tom. that’s what i was really trying to tell you.” your words bring an instant grin to his face. he chuckles in disbelief, standing from the chair.
“fuck, thank god. that’s all i’ve ever wanted to hear.” he’s between your legs now, his hands moving up to your hips. you’re beaming at him as your arms snake around his neck. a burning question comes to tom’s mind. “hang on. why didn’t you kiss me back, then?” he almost whispers, thumb brushing over your hipbone. “this is gonna sound weird, but… my mom,” you reluctantly let out.
“you’re gonna have to elaborate,” tom prompts you and raises an eyebrow. you can’t hold back your eye roll. “she’s never been a fan of the person you are in the media.” his lips form a line. “i gathered.” your fingers tangle in his curls at the nape of his neck reassuringly. “i was subconsciously scared i would be letting her down in some way, if we were together.”
tom allows your hands to work their way up to his scalp. he exhales contentedly as you play with his ever so soft hair. “i understand, she’s intimidating. what’s changed that brilliant mind of yours about coming clean?” your nose scrunches up when he pokes one of your temples. “oh, yeah. i yelled at her earlier ‘cuz she stole me away from you.” his face lights up. “sexy.” “shut up,” you groan. “someone had to tell her off.”
“good thing it got to be you,” tom agrees with a squeeze at your hip. “‘m proud of you, y/n/n. it’s not easy, standing up to mummy dearest.” you tug on his hair. “like you’d know. nikki is a saint.” “that’s what she’ll have you believe,” he says under his breath, you gasping. his lips turn up in a smirk. “on that note… i love you, too.”
“would’ve been embarrassing if you didn’t say it back,” you acknowledge with a cheesy smile. tom dips his head down to rest his forehead against yours. “yeah, yeah. save the attitude for your mum.” your legs easily wrap around his waist, tom’s breath hot as it hits your face. “let’s give that kiss another go,” you mewl. he doesn’t hesitate to reply. “with pleasure.”
tom’s lips land on yours, you kissing back right away. he smiles into it as your lips gently move together. “about fucking time,” he grumbles, your hands situating in his chocolate curls once again. he’s savoring every second you touch him, kiss him, love him. the taste of your mouth is one he’s craved for longer than you could imagine.
it doesn’t take long for things to heat up, you messing with tom’s hair and tom rubbing your hips. you lay back on the desk as his tongue enters your mouth. holding you by your waist, tom hovers over you. his tongue tangles with yours in a deep kiss. between that and his fingers beginning to massage your thigh, you’re done for. you’re ready to take this a step further by the time he’s kissing down your neck.
“tommy?” you grab onto his shoulders, your head back. his lips detach from your skin with a grin. “yeah, love? ‘s everything okay?” he coos, pressing a final kiss to your collarbone. “more than.” you tilt his chin up to peck his lips. “you wouldn’t happen to have a condom, would you? just thinking ahead.” he laughs breathlessly, reaching into his suit pocket.
“conveniently enough, i do. not sure your dad would like me fucking you on his desk, though.” tom sets his hand on your leg that’s still hooked around his waist. “my room’s always available. carry me?” you make grabby hands and bat your lashes. he hoists you up by your waist, not lifting you just yet. “that would break the news of us, no? your mum’s gonna go apeshit.” he keeps his arms around you, chuckling.
“let her. besides, i know a couple of bloggers that would love to announce our status update.” you peck tom’s lips, grinning as you do. you’re suddenly in the air and being picked up by tom. the surprise of it makes you squeal, clutching onto his broad shoulders instinctively. he gives you the look of adoration that’s reserved for you only.
“we’ll go pop a few bottles with everyone, then we’re celebrating on our own.”
481 notes · View notes
citowon · 3 years ago
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First and Second 🎧 Masumi Usui
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hi hi!! are writing requests open?? if so then i’d like some headcanons for masumi with an s/o who’s izumi’s younger sibling!! if that’s okay!! (the reader can be either male or gender neutral please!!) thank you very much!! also happy fuck tsuzuru friday
did someone say ‘carried away?’ because OH MY GOD i got so carried away with this one, but i’m very proud of it! a lot of the concepts i included are ones very dear to me, and this one made me think of so many silly masumi hcs. i might make another hc list about the massu thoughts i had here but the next request in the inbox is also for masumi, so stay tuned massu fans 🖤
word count: 8625
tags: gender neutral reader, fluff, headcanons + fic, just a little bit of angst, most of this was written at various times between 1-3 am so there’s a few funny hahas in there
summary: Masumi meets the in-laws and Reader makes a new friend. Izumi is delighted at this turn of events.
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Izumi’s family visits backstage on the second-to-last night of Charlatan of Oz.
Ms. Tachibana is reserved, but they’re still mother and daughter. No one talks about Yukio. It’s clear to everyone Izumi is the spitting image of her dad as well as what he left behind when he disappeared.
But Ms. Tachibana still breaks into a smile, kisses Izumi on the forehead, and presents her with a bouquet of roses in orange, red and gold like a bright sunset. 
(Masumi notes one of the roses, a peach bordering on pink, matches the exact shade of Izumi’s eyes. He’ll have to ask Ms. Tachibana about the species- he has a new goal to save up and buy Izumi 99 roses in the same color.)
The Director introduces her mother first, and Masumi is the first to shake her hand. 
“Good evening,” he greeted. Ms. Tachibana is pudgy and warm, and her handshake is firm, but he can feel the beginnings of prominent veins that come with age. “I’m glad you could make it. Did you enjoy our show?”
“It was wonderful,” she said. “You’ve scouted some talented actors, Izumi, not to mention polite. This one respects his elders, unlike some people I know.”
“It was one time, Mom, and I was like three and barely knew what manners were. You can’t blame me for Christmas at Uncle Masahiro’s anymore.”
“What happened on Christmas at Uncle Masahiro’s?” Sakuya asked. 
At the same time, Masumi said, “Thank you, Ms. Tachibana. I want to leave a good impression on my future in-laws.”
Yeah, that explained why no one answered Sakuya’s question. Itaru let out a massive “HAH” right next to Chikage’s ear, the latter alarmed but unsure whether to laugh or not. 
Tsuzuru went in for the rescue and bowed. “I am so sorry for Masumi’s behavior, I don’t know what got into him. Please forgive him.”
“Oh! So that means you’re Masumi,” Ms. Tachibana said. She elbowed Izumi, whose mouth was pried into a thin, tight-lipped smile, then went to pinch Masumi’s cheeks. He fought the innate urge to shake her off. “Izumi! You didn’t tell me you had such a handsome admirer!”
“That’s a word for it,” Izumi muttered. “Don’t encourage him. Give him even the smallest crumb of hope and he’ll run with it.”
“I love your daughter,” he said. “Can I have your blessing?”
Tsuzuru made a choking noise behind Masumi, but Ms. Tachibana just laughed. “I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. Izumi is way too old for you.”
“I know, but hey,” Izumi whined, suspiciously like American comedian John Mulaney. 
“But since you seem like a good boy, I have another kiddo about your age.” She looked over Masumi’s shoulder. “Reader!”
None of the Spring Troupe even noticed them enter the dressing room, save for Citron. They were looking at the prop table as the actor pointed out the cool wizard staves and a half-eaten bag of expired Fritos he found halfway during a show the other day. 
Reader cocked their head and approached as Ms. Tachibana beckoned them over. “This is Reader, my youngest. You’ll have better luck with them than you will with Izumi, I can tell you that.”
“But I don’t want anyone else. I want Izumi and nothing could change my love.”
Reader’s mouth formed a big fat O. “Wait, Izu, is this the guy?” 
Izumi popped the P in “Yep.”
“Oh,” they said. 
Then they giggled. “Oh.”
They gave Masumi a once-over. “Ohhh,” they repeated. 
There is nothing in this world that outweighs my love, Masumi thought, but if this kid doesn’t stop staring at me like I’m out of the loop, I’m gonna bash their head in with Citron’s staff. 
“Hey, Izu, you tied down a good one,” they said. 
“I did not.”
“I better be in the bridal party once you guys pick a date. Hear me out- beach wedding.”
“Reader,” Izumi said calmly. She wore a smile like a customer service worker on the last leg of their shift. “There is no wedding, there is nothing between us, I am single-“ Reader raised their hand to interject- “and I swear on my secret spice blend, if you take that as an opportunity to hook me up with another one of your friends’ siblings- which, by the way, is none of your business and I’m sure your friends know that as well- I’m going to strangle you.”
Reader lowered their hand. 
Masumi joined them and held a hand out to Reader. “Thanks for coming to our production. Have we met? It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Masumi, Izumi’s future husband.”
Reader looked Izumi dead in the eye with the biggest shit-eating grin as they shook his hand. “The pleasure’s all mine. Treat my sister well, okay?”
Izumi buried her head in her hands. 
Masumi’s on cloud nine after introducing himself to you. After all, you said you were expecting a wedding, right? How could he not be happy about that?
The Tachibanas stay in town for a few days to watch the last showing of Charlatan, then spend some time with the eldest daughter. They don’t say hello backstage, but that is… fine, actually. 
He sees you once again that night for dinner at the dorms, though. You mention offhandedly you missed Izumi’s curry, and he relates to that. He’s blessed to have the perfect woman make him a perfect meal every night, and he’s glad someone else in the dorms can appreciate that, even if only on visiting hours. 
The grind stops for no one. Well, it stops a little for Spring Troupe as they recuperate after Charlatan closes, but the next day Izumi is back up and at it with Summer Troupe, running through exercises like a woman on a mission. 
For Masumi, though, it’s a lazy morning. All his plans today are to wake up at 12 PM (done), make some toaster waffles (done), and smoke Tsuzuru out of the room with his big-ass speakers so he can enjoy some music in peace.
He’s on his way to his room, munching on some cinnamon toast Eggos when he crosses the practice room. It’s his favorite part of the walk. He doesn’t even need to listen specifically to hear dramatic lines, Izumi’s sweet voice, and… math rock?
Lounging beside the door was Reader, a folder perched along your legs as you worked on some homework. Beside you was your phone, connected to you by earbuds in your favorite color. 
You were immersed in your homework, but Masumi just had to ask. The song blasting through your earbuds was from an independent band he recently found, and he’d never met anyone else listening to it. 
You feel something nudge you and you jump, but you’re relieved when you realize it’s Izumi’s loyal follower. As much as she complains about the guy, he doesn’t seem to be much of a threat to you.
The unfamiliarity is palpable as the conversation starts, but once you hear the band’s name, you’re glowing. You’ve been listening to them since their first EP, and you’ve finally got a willing audience to listen to you and why you love them so much!
You know the discography like the back of your hand, while Masumi’s a new listener, so in a lull in the conversation you skip to a new song and offer an earbud. “Hey, listen to this. Super underrated.”
He takes the earbud and sits down beside you. His arm brushes against your sleeve from close proximity. The song is sparse and dissonant. You said it was one of the most vulnerable, heartfelt pieces the band’s created, and it shows; the vocals are at a whisper and the guitar acoustic as wind effects outweigh the actual melody-
Whatever lovely trance Masumi found himself in, it was broken the second the practice room door slammed open and Kazunari strode out, Summer Troupe in tow. “Hey, it’s Massu and E-Reader! Whatcha doing out here alone?”
“Woaaaaah, look at all those papers, Reader! Were you camping out here or something?”
“I bet they were looking for triangles!”
“Wait, Masumi, were you helping Reader with homework? That’s just like the latest chapter in- eek! Actually, how about I leave now so you don’t have to deal with a third-rate third wheel like me?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Muku. Izumi’s inside, so if you were looking for her, you came to the right place. No need to be shy.”
“Shut it, hack, did you even consider that they didn’t want to interrupt practice?”
Leave it to Summer Troupe to instantly kill the mood. 
You made small talk with Summer Troupe while Masumi stuck to the sidelines, not interested in the conversation but refusing to leave without the name of that song. 
By the time the actors left, you handed Masumi your phone. 
Masumi checked the now playing feature on your phone, his mind reading the song title over and over again. Once he got back to his room, he’d do this track justice by listening to it beginning to end with one of his high-end headphones. 
“Give me your phone number,” you said. “Please?”
He’s used to random students asking him out of the blue for his number or socials, but never one that seemed as cool as you, or at least as cool as your music taste suggested. “Why?”
You shrugged. “It’s what friends do, isn’t it?”
Hell yeah. Izumi was going to be so proud that her future husband and sibling were friends. 
Masumi’s eyes were straight on the phone screen as he made a contact for you, but you couldn’t help but feel a little prideful for getting along so well with one of the most standoffish members of Mankai Company. 
You return home, but you make good use of Masumi’s number. Your text threads aren’t much for conversation, but you both send links to music videos to each other. 
“check out this band! [link] i saw them live last time they toured and they were amazing afskshsla” 
“cool. think youd like this. [link]”
You can’t pinpoint when it started exactly, but over time you and Masumi get comfortable enough to just call each other and talk about whatever. He becomes a steady, reliable friend that never judges you for anything and always chills you out. 
You come to more and more of Mankai’s shows with or without Ms. Tachibana, and always show up for two or more of Spring Troupe’s performances. 
For Harugaoka Quartet, you decide to drop by backstage on opening night and congratulate everyone-
-but Masumi’s the one that ends up on the receiving end of your bouquet of flowers, all of them big and pale purple. 
You say it’s to celebrate nailing the a lead role, but he can’t help but notice Citron doesn’t have a single flower from you. 
Both of you spend all your time just talking as everyone decompresses from the play. Even though it’s been a while since you last saw each other, you don’t need to catch up- you guys talk so much, you already know where you’re going to college at, problems and interests, everything. 
You leave late when the theater’s about to close for the night and the actors are packing up props. 
You hug him goodbye, and he watches and waves you off as you leave. It’s always a bummer to see you go, but your personality always leaves a warmth that he clings onto. 
“Ah-hem. Masumi?”
What? Huh? Who was that? Masumi surveyed the room, forgetting where he was. Where was he?
“Boo!”
“Gah!” Masumi recoiled as Citron grasped his shoulders from behind, a mischievous smirk on his face. Masumi’s breath hitched in his throat, but he brushed off the shock with a huff. “Don’t do that. Try it again and I’ll kill you.” 
“But I called your name so many times! I was starting to get lonely.”
“Then just walk in front of me or tug on my sleeve like a normal person. Or even better, go bug Tsuzuru instead. What do you want?”
“Director wants us to check the soundboard before she locks the theater. You wouldn’t want to disappoint her, would you?”
Well, of course not. Izumi was the one that dragged Masumi into a new family and a new passion, and he respected her deeply for it, but the reverence he once reserved only for her was dwindling. Maybe he was feeling unwell?
Whatever it was, he nodded, still holding your bouquet close to his chest. They certainly weren’t his first bouquet, and every actor usually got one or two by the end of a production, but they weren’t yours. Yours were his favorite color. 
Citron led him into the wings of the stage. The curtains were already drawn and the house lights gleamed through the gaps between fabric and wood. 
“Reader gave you those flowers, yes?” Citron asked as they approached the tech booth. 
Masumi’s grip on the bouquet tightened on instinct. “They’re mine.”
“Of course! I would never dream of taking them. But have you thought about what you will say to Reader?”
“What?”
“You are a smart boy! You know what I mean. Do what feels right to you, but I think you should say yes.”
“What?” Masumi repeated, even more lost than before. 
Citron’s face fell. “Keep your kangaroos! Haven’t you noticed?”
“It’s ‘hold your horses.’ And seriously, what? I have no idea what this conversation’s about.”
“Oh,” Citron said.
Then he glanced at Masumi’s flowers and how he held them so close to his heart and held a hand to his mouth. It did nothing to cover the pitiful smile on his lips. 
“Oh,” he repeated. 
“If you keep staring at me like I’m out of the loop, I’m going to go to the storage room just to dig up your staff from Charlatan and beat you with it.”
“But you are out of the- do you truly not know?”
“What are you talking about,” Masumi hissed.
“It’s about how-” Citron combed through his long blond hair with his fingers as words escaped him. “Let me be blunt. Are you in love with the Director?”
“She’s the love of my life.”
“Think. Just for a moment. Why do you love her?”
“Everything about her is perfect.”
“I want specifics, Masumi.”
“She is…”
Masumi’s mouth went dry. Of all the times when someone was actually interested in his love life, why did it have to be the one time he couldn’t drum up unconditional love?
Think, Masumi. She was pretty. That was the first thing he noticed about Izumi, and what drew him to her, but he wasn’t so shallow he would fall in love just because of looks. He couldn’t say that. 
Her curry? Masumi loved her curry. Sometimes he would wake up and think, Day 482 of eating curry for at least one meal. I haven’t gotten jaundice yet. It was delicious and enough to make Gordon Ramsay cry tears of joy if he were real, but again, not something to fall head over heels over, even if he’d willingly eat it for the rest of his life. He couldn’t say that either.
But Citron was still watching him owlishly, curling a lock of hair through his finger and expecting an answer.
“Izumi was the one that gave me a chance,” he settled on. “She was the first person that taught me how to care for people other than myself.”
“That is very sweet,” Citron said. 
But he didn’t say anything else. Masumi wondered if he was unsatisfied. 
“She also showed me how to act. I found something to dedicate myself to.”
“Yes, yes, I see that.”
A lull in the conversation. Citron licked his hand and went back to combing. 
“Did you just spit in your hair?”
“It breaks down the hairspray.”
“That is disgusting. Just, so gross on so many levels.”
“It’s- how do you say?” Citron asked as though he indeed knew how one would say. “Whatever!”
“So are you done interrogating me now or can we work on the soundboard already- wait.” Masumi looked around. They stopped walking a while ago, but never registered where exactly in the theater he was. “The soundboard’s on stage left.”
Citron ignored him. “Say, Reader is pretty neat.”
“Yeah, they are. They’re great at listening and so easy to talk to. We’re going to go to a small club gig for a progressive indie rock duo I showed them a while ago in a few weeks and I can’t wait to see them again,” Masumi said. 
Citron covered his mouth again, this time to hide a laugh. “Very cool, Masumi.”
“Seriously, why are you acting like you know something I don’t?”
“I do.”
“Then tell me already.”
“No, no, I think it’s your realization to have.”
“Are you kidding me? I’m fine, Citron. if you have something to say about me or the people close to me, then just say it instead of being vague. Do you really think- are you braiding your hair?”
“It leaves very nice waves overnight,” Citron said, halfway through a smooth side braid. The spit, unfortunately, must’ve worked. 
“Seriously, you dragged me out to skip on a favor for the Director, talk trash about my beloved and my friend, and keep expecting me to know something you’re just refusing to tell me. What’s your point? If you wanted to know about my life, you could’ve just asked instead of this roundabout conversation. I mean, I talk to Reader all the time, I thought you would’ve known already how close we are-“
Masumi shut his mouth. He blinked. Blinked again. Clicked his tongue like he was about to say something else, but no words came out, and he instead decided to purse his lips like he just ate something sour. 
And Citron, ever the enabler, paused his braiding just to watch his junior go through a full slideshow of faces. 
Masumi spent a long period of time sticking his tongue in his cheek and staring off into the curtains, lost in thought. Citron had half a mind to make some popcorn, but instead enjoyed the silence. Thinking was a good look for Masumi. 
“Oh,” Masumi finally said.
“Just ‘oh?’”
“Shut up. This is serious.” Masumi made a very uncharacteristic groan and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m so stupid.”
“Not stupid,” Citron said. “Just inexperienced. You’ll get there in time.”
“But I wasted a whole year. What do I do? I’ve never felt this way before.”
“How a door bull!”
“It is not adorable,” Masumi retorted. He covered his face with the bouquet. Violets, his favorite. Dammit, you even remembered that offhand comment from months ago. You were such a good listener. “I- I don’t know. If the Director wasn’t love, then what does that make Reader?”
“If I may? Attraction gives way to love, but love at fistfight isn’t common. You don’t need to make a decision right away. Time will tell.”
“It’s called l-love at first sight. And I don’t want to wait.”
“There is sweetness in taking it slow. No one will judge you for being uncertain as long as you don’t play with emotions.” Citron ruffled Masumi’s hair, the latter too dazed to protest. “And I doubt you would! You’re very genuine.”
“How do you even know all this stuff?”
“I may have never carried a torch for anyone, but everyone carries a torch for me,” he boasted.
“You’re useless,” Masumi deadpanned, hoping it would hide how his heart felt so small and soft. “I’m leaving. I’m not talking to you about this again.”
As he stalked off, Citron called out, “Good luck with your fart puddles!” 
“It’s ‘heart troubles!’ Say that again and you’re dead!”
Masumi in love- maybe? He’s not sure what to call it; what he felt for Izumi was real, but the way he sees you is different. All the bravado he had proclaiming his crush on Izumi goes out the window for you.
He likes you, he can admit that to himself, but it’s something he wants to keep a secret to himself for now. It’s nice. He used to think that love was preformative and grandiose and the bigger, the better, but now it’s soft and subtle with him, and he can’t stop thinking about how he wishes you were here.
(Masumi hates to admit it, but maybe Itaru was onto something when he said the best kind of love was unrequited.)
He places your violets on his desk right where the sun hits and asks Tsumugi how to preserve them as long as possible. He checks on them every morning and evening without fail, and can’t help but think of how light he felt when you gave them to him. 
Only a day has passed,  but he misses you. He scans the audience for you, and when he can’t find you he busies himself with tidying up backstage after the play and hoping you’d come by again.
It’s natural you wouldn’t go to each and every performance. You were busy, and Mankai productions usually lasted a week or more. It’s understandable. But even though he gets it, he’s still the first to enter the theater and last to leave on performance days, and as much as he tries to hide his disappointment, he notices Citron give him sympathetic looks every time his hopes of seeing you again are dashed.
Three days into the week Masumi gets a text from you, wishing him a broken leg tonight. That must mean you’re watching tonight, right? He has to prepare something for you, and he’s excited.
Sure enough, look at seat 4-27 and there you are.
Masumi sees you from behind the curtain ten minutes before showtime. Nervous energy rushes to his head, but a Spring Troupe pre-show huddle steels his nerves and he gives a performance of a lifetime, definitely his best run of the play yet as he’s fully immersed in the world of Harugaoka.
The focus ebbs once he sees you in the audience during the curtain call. He’s a bundle of nerves as Spring Troupe returns backstage, but when he sees you smile and congratulate him again, it all melts away.
There’s no way he doesn’t like you. You’re infectious. He finds himself laughing with you far more than anyone else, and he trusts you beyond words.
You shrugged on your jacket as you got ready to leave again, but Masumi tugged on your arm. “Hey. Before you go.”
“Huh? What’s up-” You turned to face him and caught a big whiff of lavender. Masumi clutched a small bundle of flowers, tall licks of purple buds tied with a twine bow. 
“It’s for you.” He scratched his neck with his free hand. “For the flowers last time. Thank you.”
“Oh! No no no, thank you. They smell wonderful.”
“Yeah. I need to tell you something important.” Even just saying that made Masumi’s inner voice recoil and cringe. What a childish way to go about it. 
But you perked up, scanned the room, and waved your hand to your sister. “Izu! I’m borrowing Masumi!” You shouted.
Izumi shouted back, “Have him home by midnight!”
“Done deal!” You grabbed Masumi’s hand. “Hey, let’s go outside.”
“Okay,” he said, eyes boring holes into your intertwined hands. Your hand was so soft, and the fingers fit between his knuckles like puzzle pieces. He must’ve been distracted- how else would he explain not remembering the walk at all?
You dragged him to an ice cream parlor a block down from the theater, grabbed one cone for you and a cup for Masumi (“My treat,” you insisted even as Masumi opened his wallet), and plopped yourself across from him in a corner table for two.
“So.” You licked your ice cream. “What’s going on?”
Masumi dug his spoon into his Dutch Chocolate. “I don’t like Izumi anymore.” You hummed and nodded in acknowledgement, and a quiet urge for him to continue. “It’s hard to explain. She was the first person to make me feel like that.” He paused to sink his teeth into a spoonful. “But it was a lot. It didn’t feel real in hindsight.”
You hummed again, this time while swallowing. “I get that. Feelings come and go.”
“I think I was projecting.”
“Mhm?”
“I got so caught up in someone caring about me for the first time that I thought there was no other explanation but love.” Right. You knew about Masumi’s life and the loneliness that came with it, but it still stung to know he was still grappling with the past. “So I just acted like what everyone says love is. I don’t think it was love. A crush, maybe, but not love.” Not love like this. Not like how you’re the only person I could be truly vulnerable around. 
He swallowed a spoonful of his ice cream. His cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk as he ate. “So yeah,” he said dismissively, like it wasn’t a huge weight off his chest. 
You licked a drop of melting ice cream off your cone, and lowered it to give your best friend your full attention. “Can I be real for a second? That’s great to hear. Changing feelings means you’re growing.”
“You say that like I grew an inch taller,” he quipped.
“It’s still important, though. You learn something new about yourself after every failed relationship or crush, so I’ve heard. Makes you mature or something.”
“So you’re not mad?”
Your face fell. “What? Of course not, why would I be mad?”
“It was your sister. I didn’t want to hurt her.”
“Ohhh.” You relaxed. “She’s tough, and she gets business relationships. I’m sure she’ll get over it.”
“I hope so.”
Masumi’s spoon scraped against the wall of his cup. You weaved a sprig of lavender behind your ear.
“Got any other suitors on the horizon?” You joked.
You. I feel for you. I missed you. I want to be here with you. I wish I could tell you how I feel. 
Masumi suddenly stilled. He could tell you how he felt. 
After all, you’re alone in an ice cream parlor together. He gave you flowers. He trusted you. You listened to him. The stalk of lavender brushed against your hair and pointed to your eyes, tender and attentive, and the scent was coaxing him to get closer. I want to tell you how I feel. 
Citron saw the signs before Masumi himself could, and told him to say yes, yes, yes. He must’ve seen it realistically working out. And you could never look down on him, you were too kind and considerate. Every bone in his body said yes, yes, yes. 
“No,” Masumi said. “I’m enjoying the single life.”
“You sound like a regular bachelor,” you teased. 
Don’t rock the boat. Don’t ask for more than you deserve. 
Masumi shoved his heart into a bottle and let it lie there as he took the safe route. 
Masumi led you out of the parlor and into the night streets together. When you were talking about a new movie you saw the other day, you went to grab his hand, and his fingers laced between yours. He escorted you to the train station, made sure you knew your route, and left after the train did, just like a true gentleman.
Then he walked home alone. He knew Veludo Way like the back of his hand, and passed by the bright signs and neon lights. His headphones canceled out the noise of street acts and the lively city as he continued back to the Mankai dorms, but no song played.
He stepped through the doors at 11:43, and Izumi welcomed him back and thanked him for being on time. Tsuzuru was halfway through a bowl of tomato basil soup Masumi could’ve sworn was labeled “taichi’s - DO NOT STEAL!!” and wondered aloud where he was. Citron asked how it went. 
The youngest of Spring answered them all with a simple hand wave and “It’s fine,” and didn’t stop walking until he got to his room.
He closed the door, but didn’t flick the light on. He stood there in the dark, headphones blocking out the world for a moment, moonlight shining through the blinds and on the floor.
Masumi buried his face in his hands.
Masumi Usui does not cry. It’s not an issue of vulnerability, but just a part of him. He didn’t cry when his parents ignored him growing up. He didn’t cry when they announced their divorce, or finalized it, or during any of the arguments that led up to it. And though it stung and burned and felt like a paper ripped apart, he didn’t cry as he anticipated his flight from his found family in Mankai to America, not even when all the actors, his grandmother, and one hellbent director came to his rescue at the very last minute. 
But something about laying here in his bed like a dead fish, hiding from the world underneath a blanket and squinting as he anticipated tears that would not come, only made it more miserable.
The light turned on, piercing through his barrier of blankets and searing his retinas, and he quietly sucked in air like a hiss. 
“Masumi?” That must be Tsuzuru. His sneakers squeaked against the floorboards as the door closed. 
Masumi grunted from the pile of blankets. 
“Are you okay?” Tsuzuru asked. As the silence stretched on, he added, “Citron wanted me to make sure.” 
“Citron can mind his own damn business.”
“You know as well as I do he’s trying to look out for you.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He rolled over and pressed his nose down into his pillow. “Do you ever just have something you want in your grasp but every time you try and make a move for them you always wuss out and it never goes anywhere?”
Ohhh, it’s that kind of conversation. Tsuzuru pursed his lips. This was sounding an awful lot like the impromptu intervention he and Spring Troupe held when his heart broke just before Romeo and Julius, and he had half a mind to fetch Sakuya, but it was late and Masumi definitely didn’t need to be alone right now.
And, well, geez. Masumi just said more in one breath than he did in full conversations. Tsuzuru couldn’t just leave him without feeling like a monster, even if he had good intentions, 
Tsuzuru climbed the ladder to his bed, and sat against the wall, not quite next to Masumi but not at the far end of the room, either. “All the time, actually. It’s a common feeling.”
“It still sucks.”
“Yeah, it does.”
The pile of blankets rose and fell in time with Masumi’s silent breathing. Tsuzuru distracted himself with a pen he found in his pocket. He clicked it once, twice, and three times to expose the nib.
“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked.
“No.”
Even with seven younger brothers, comforting never got easier. Tsuzuru dragged the pen along his wrist, leaving a spotty black line along his veins. The line made hard turns and corners as Tsuzuru doodled, and formed a geometric pattern. The blanket monster steadied its breath. “I mean, not about it. But talking is okay.”
“Okay. I can get that.” The ink lulled as Tsuzuru thought up a story, anything to take the pressure off Masumi. “I wasn’t lying when I said it’s a common feeling. It happens to people all the time. When I was your age, I had the opportunity all throughout my school career to join a drama club, but I never got around to it.”
“You’re only two years older than me,” Masumi grumbled. 
“It still counts! The point is, I always had a reason not to join every time I really considered auditioning, but they weren’t actual dealbreakers. I could’ve made the time to go to rehearsals and balance it with the rest of my life, but I never did, and I knew my excuses were bull even when I was still in school. I’m grateful I found my place with Mankai Company, but I still wonder how different I would’ve been if I just joined the club.”
The room was eerily quiet. Masumi wasn’t protesting, so Tsuzuru assumed he was on the correct route. “But I’m still here, right? I can’t imagine myself acting anywhere else, so I like to think that the stage is where I’m supposed to be, even if I didn’t get a head start with club activities. I regret avoiding the club, sure, but if I had the choice to start over and audition while I was still in school, I don’t think I would take it.
“Even when you hesitate, you learn something new about yourself, or the world around you. I think avoiding theatre for so long only cemented how much I wanted it in my future, and in the long run? I’m still an actor. And I’m still a scriptwriter. I might’ve chickened out, sure, but my regret is one of the reasons why I’m so determined to help Mankai bloom.”
The blankets grunted in acknowledgement, and parted to reveal Masumi’s head, still face-down in his pillow. He held them close to his body like a security measure. “But I feel helpless.”
“But you’re still in control of yourself, aren’t you? You get to decide what to do.” The bedding around Tsuzuru crinkled as he stretched out. “I don’t know your situation, but whatever you decide on, it’ll still teach you something about yourself, and let you improve yourself.”
“I guess.” Masumi rolled over and clasped his hands over his face. “Reader is just- they’re not perfect, but they’re perfect for me. I feel so comfortable around them. So why can’t I just be honest with them?”
“Wait, hold on.” Tsuzuru, who spent the last few minutes staring at the wall as he talked or drawing on his arm, snapped to look at his roommate. His face colored underneath the cracks of his fingers. “I’m going to be frank. Are you trying to ask Reader out?”
Masumi shot up like a cobra. His hair was disheveled and his blush still apparent, but he looked at Tsuzuru like he casually suggested they should eat a baby, or that a clothing line made of sandpaper was a good idea. “You trying to take them away from me, Minagi?”
“What? No! No way!” Tsuzuru smacked his hands over Masumi’s shoulders. “Everything I just said was important and good advice, but trust me this time. Ignore everything I just said and ask them out. I promise it’s going to work out.”
Masumi gave him a once-over. “You are the last person I want to hear love advice from.”
“Promise on my life. Actually, scratch that, I promise on my laptop and all my backup data. It’ll work out, I swear.”
“Why?”
Tsuzuru stared at the ceiling. “Uhh… It’s not my place to say. But it’s fine. It’ll all be fine. I’ve got your back.” He ruffled Masumi’s hair.
“Try that again and I’ll spoon your eyeballs out.” Masumi said this darkly, but he didn’t move to shake Tsuzuru off, and when his roommate climbed back down the ladder to finish Taichi’s soup, he wrapped the biggest of the blankets back around his shoulders. It enveloped him in down as he struggled to shake off the way his heart was still fluttering.
He had a lot to think about.
Something about that night in the ice cream parlor awakened something in Masumi. Ever since his crush first sprouted, he wanted you to be happy, and that wish never changed.
But he wants to be true to himself, and regarding that, true to you. You were a welcome interruption to the life of acting he was getting used to. He found himself checking your text history together, theorizing your next visit to Veludo Way despite you never uttering a word.
The feeling is strange now. He misses you, and the time you spend together is treasured, but he worries he’s growing too attached to you, like when he was head over heels for Izumi. 
It’s because of this that he really decides that he needs to tell you how he feels. Not over-the-top or superfluous like how he handled it with Izumi- he does this on his own terms or not at all.
But there’s still a fear. Not about whether you’ll reciprocate- he’d love to date you but at this point it’s more about being honest to you than being your boyfriend, though he really wouldn’t complain with the latter- but he’s afraid of losing control of himself. He doesn’t want to treat you as a second Izumi.
After all, you’re his dear Reader. Not Izumi. He cherishes everything that makes you unique, and you deserve to be treated as no one else but yourself.
A night at the theater passes. Backstage, Masumi checks his phone in case you decide to come, and doesn’t notice Citron poking his head through the curtain and searching for you.
“Have you decided what to do?” Tsuzuru casually asked one night as the troupe was striking the set, and he and Masumi were carrying a box of props. 
“Piss off. It’s none of…” He trailed off as he remembered their conversation the other night. Tsuzuru looked unfazed. “Sorry. Yeah. I’ll do it after closing night.”
Tsuzuru walks off, seemingly satisfied. It wasn’t really a lie, but his plans were far off in the future, and not in two days like the scriptwriter assumed. He couldn’t afford mixing two of the most important things in his life like that.
Saturday, the night before Harugaoka Quartet’s final performance. Masumi was already tucked into bed and checking his Reddit feed for the last time before he fell asleep when his phone vibrated with a text from one of the few people that could override his phone’s Do Not Disturb mode.
“break a leg tomorrow! clear your schedule after the play, i’m kidnapping you for the night”
Whatever drowsiness Masumi was feeling dies in a single shot as he snaps to attention. He’s already typing out a response when he sees the three dots appear on your end of the text app.
“i have something to talk to you abt tomorrow”
And before he can even think of a response to that one-
“FKJFKLAD it isn’t as intense as whatever you’re thinking”
“don’t worry about it”
“it’s not important”
The dots appear again, but it takes more time for Reader to respond this time. “you know how i got an apartment in veludo for yosei uni next term? i’ll show you around my place”
That seems to be the end of Reader’s multitext, and Masumi can’t help but smile as he responds. “k. ill let you know when im free.”
Closing night is a whirlwind, and by the time you pick Masumi up, his adrenaline has died down but the nervous excitement from a show still remains, or maybe that’s just the effect you have on him these days.
But the point is, it’s probably why he was so direct.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” Masumi asked.
The neon lights outside rolled along slowly. It was getting late, but traffic was just starting to let up and keep the car’s momentum going. Saturated magenta from a late-night pub sign across the street flashed across the steering wheel and your knuckles.
Green colored your eyes, and the car sped up as you left the block. 
“I didn’t expect you to remember that,” you observed. 
“You mentioned it.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t think it would be memorable.”
“It was you. You literally texted me that directly.”
“I’m not exactly the most memorable person.”
“Well, I remembered,” Masumi said with an air of finality.
You didn’t respond as the car followed a curve on the road, and he took the victory in stride. Then he realized how desperate he sounded. He looked out the window, watching the orange construction reflectors by the side of the road bounce light into the car and onto his embarrassed face in the glass.
That managed to shut him up for not even half a minute. “Seriously. What were you going to say?”
In the time it took for him to recover, you were already pulling into a parking lot. “Lemme show you my apartment first. I’ll get you some snacks and then I’ll explain, alright?”
“Alright,” he said.
But on the elevator, he continued. “You’re acting weird, though.”
“Ouch. I’m almost offended.” You grabbed his hand and led him down the hall as you deadpanned. “I guess you’re right, as much as I hate to admit it.”
“Are you okay?”
“I guess? It’s more of an ‘us’ thing?”
You stuck a key into your door. It swung open, an invitation into your abode. “That’s not exactly confidence-inspiring.”
“Who said I was confident?” The door opened, and you welcomed Masumi into the kitchen. “I’ll get you some hot Cheetos. I got the ones with lime.”
You turned the corner and ducked into a nondescript room. The actor might not know the layout of your apartment, but he was pretty certain that wasn’t your pantry. 
Well, at least your apartment was cool. Like every student’s first time living alone, the hallways outside were dingy and the wall damage was unfortunate, but you already started decorating, and traces of you were left around the open area between the kitchen and the living room- a CD here, your chapstick there. A flowery scent permeated the air.
He scanned through your kitchen, from the refrigerator whiteboard reminders to the reusable cups in the drying rack, but his survey was cut short. In the corner of the kitchen counter was the lavender he gave you, poking out of a small glass cup tied with the twine he attached to the original bouquet. 
The flowers hadn’t lost their color yet, and the stems stood strong, insisting they would last longer. No wonder why your apartment smelled so nice. 
“Isn’t it crazy they’re still alive? I’m not much of a green thumb, so I’m surprised how hardy they are.” Masumi jumped at your voice. You had quietly entered the kitchen and spoke up without him noticing, then opened the door to the pantry and brought out two bags of chips. “Here. I might just be thinking of Autumn’s plays, but I’ve heard acting burns a surprising amount of calories.”
“Thanks.” He took a seat across the counter and in a living space with an L-shaped couch. “Nice place.”
You finally looked at Masumi directly, and brushed a stray lock of hair out of your face. “Oh. Thank you. I’ve been working on making it presentable for a few weeks now.”
“It suits you. You did a good job.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you stalling?”
“Just my luck you’d figure it out. Yeah, I am.” You ripped open a bag of Doritos and slumped over the couch. You were right next to Masumi, your arm against his while your head lounged on his shoulder.
“You know you can tell me anything.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s one of those things that’s hard for me to admit to myself, though.” You shut your eyes, as though it would make it any easier. Masumi felt like he was going crazy. You begun to speak, slowly and erratically as you pieced the words together like a puzzle. “Do you think something’s changed between us?”
Masumi’s heart sunk. “What?”
“It’s weird. I don’t know how to describe it, but I feel like we aren’t really just friends, you know?”
“Oh.” He stared into his bag of chips, focused on the folds of cellophane and the dark corners, anything to avoid looking at you. “I’m sorry. I’ll stop talking to you if you want.”
“What? No! That’s not what I meant at all!” You pressed a hand to your head. “Oh, I really messed that one up. I mean, you’re very close to me. I wouldn’t ruin that for the world. I just don’t think ‘friends’ is the word to call us anymore.”
“So we’re more than friends?”
“Yeah. More than friends.” 
Masumi nodded with understanding and crunched on a Cheeto. “So we’re best friends.”
“Oh, come on, Masumi,” you groaned and wrapped a hand around Masumi’s cheek. “You’re smart. I think you can figure out what I’m trying to say.”
The actor felt like he was drowning. You were no stranger to casual touching among your friends like Masumi, but even this was pushing it. How was he supposed to keep a cool head while his cheeks were growing warm and here was no way you wouldn’t notice-
Then it all clicked together.
“Reader,” Masumi said. “Do you like me?”
You tensed. 
“Because I like you,” he said.
The room was so still. 
“A lot, actually.” 
Now or never. 
“It was hard figuring out everything, and I don’t want to cause any trouble for you, but you should know. I think the world of you and it felt wrong to ignore that, but I don’t want you to think I’m saying this for something in return. I just wanted you to know.”
The words spilled out of his mouth, but he couldn’t find the urge to regret any of it. Everything was true.
“You don’t have to say it back, though. I’m fine where we are, and if you think that’s weird or want to stop being friends, then…” He trailed off. “Then that’s okay.”
“But it’s not,” you said. “It’s not okay. I mean- I feel the same.” 
“You like me?’
“You gonna make me say it twice?” Your head lolled further and you looked up at Masumi. As red as he was with your hand along his jawline, you were sure you were even redder. “Yeah. I do.”
“You mean that?”
You drew him forward and kissed him.
You were too caught up in the moment to remember that you’ve never really kissed anyone before, not like this, and the inexperience must be mutual, but Masumi’s hands were on you, feeling your hair and running down your neck and against your chest, and his breath hitched when you pulled him to pin you down, and you relished in it, utterly spellbound.
Your lips slid off his, and rested against his cheek, out of breath but not quite ready to part. “I mean it,” you whispered. “I- I like you too…”
Masumi’s voice was muffled as he rested on your shoulder. “You kissed me but you’re shy about saying that?”
“Oh my god, shut up.”
To his credit, he did. He dove back into your arms, taking the initiative this time, and whatever protests you had died on your lips while your thoughts were only Usui, Usui, Usui.
❖ bonus ❖
“I should probably hang up soon,” you said. “I’m going to the gig soon.”
You laced up your concert boots (well-worn and well-loved, and steel-toed to protect your feet from moshers and dancers), your phone pinned between your ear and shoulder as your sister talked over the phone. “Riiiight. I forgot you were going to a concert-“
“It’s not a concert, Izu,” you shot back. “Concerts are stadium-sized events. This one is just at a small bar venue, so it’s a gig.”
“Same thing. I think he already told you, but Masumi’s on the way to your apartment.”
“I heard. I’ve got a date.”
“Since when did you get a date? Did you tell Masumi?” Izumi sounded worried. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of you and I want to know everything when you get the chance, but I thought it was just going to be the two of you.”
“Yep, just the two of us.”
“But what about your date? Are you meeting them at the venue? That’s not exactly romantic, or considerate- HHOOOUUUGGGHHH.” Izumi gasped.
“Wow, you sound like a broken air mattress.”
“Reader,” Izumi squeaked, holding onto her breath. “Are you dating Masumi?”
You held the phone away from your ear, fully expecting the loudest noise you’d ever hear on the other end of the line. “Uh, yeah?”
……
………
Oh. That was disappointing. 
You brought the phone back to your ear as Izumi continued, not at all shocked but relieved. “Oh, that’s good. Congratulations! It’s been a long time coming.”
“Thanks. I’m really glad you- wait, what do you mean, ‘long time coming?’”
“You haven’t noticed yet? Almost everyone in Mankai saw it coming.”
You stood to your full height just to glare at a wall. “Seriously? That is so immature.”
“You would too, don’t even lie. If you keep trying to set me up with people, then I reserve the right to tease you over your relationships. I so called it.”
“You are ridiculous. I hate you and I’m going to cut up all your stupid striped T-shirts. How did you even figure it out?”
“You’re kidding me. How do you not?” Izumi laughed. “The second Masumi stopped following me around on his free days, I figured something was up. He’s not very good at hiding his feelings.”
“No, he isn’t! I had to egg him on so he would confess before me.”
“Wait, what? What happened?”
You recounted the beginning of your relationship, without all the raunchy details, and realized Izumi was quietly echoing everything you said. “Are you writing things down?”
“I have a duty to know. There’s a massive betting pool on you two.”
“See?! Ridiculous! That’s so obnoxious!”
“Don’t worry, it’s a community pot. You said he confessed first, so that’s some points for just about everyone in Winter Troupe, Sakyo, Kazunari and Sakuya.”
“Even Sakuya’s in on this?”
“Spring wants to see their boy winning,” Izumi said matter-of-factly. “Hey, did you offer him any Takis? Chikage was certain you’d offer him Takis right before you became an item.”
“Nope, Cheetos. The hot lime kind.”
“They’re basically the same thing.”
“No, they aren’t. He says Takis are too spicy.”
“But the hot lime Cheetos are spicier than Takis.”
“No, they aren’t.”
“I’ll just say they were Takis. If Chikage got that one right, Itaru has to pay him in gift cards from his whaling stash, and I’m kind of miffed at him for eating a whole jar of guacamole in one night.”
“In one night? But he’s built like a curtain rod, how can he physically do that? Better question, what’s Chikage going to do with a bunch of iTunes cards?”
“I heard he was going to get Minecraft, but if you ask me, I think it’s about the principle of the matter.”
“It has to be. Pocket Edition sucks.”
A knock on the door interrupted your conversation. “Speak of the devil, he’s here. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Noooo, Reader! I need to know if there was a love letter involved! My salary versus Homare’s pocket change is at stake here!”
“It can wait until tomorrow!” You abandoned the phone on the counter and opened the door. “Hey, babe.” He pecked you on the cheek in greeting.
Meanwhile, Izumi was still yelling on the phone. “Is that Masumi? Give him the phone, I need to do a shovel talk.”
You hung up without a care in the world, and turned to your boyfriend. “Sorry about that, Izu called. Did you know Mankai has a betting ring about us?”
He sniffed. “I overheard Tenma talking about it the other day. I thought it was a joke.”
“You thought wrong. Itaru’s in for a world of pain.” You locked the door behind you, adjusted your T-shirt, and brushed Masumi’s knuckles with your own. “Ready to go?”
“Always.” He held your hand as you began to walk together. 🎧
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Laurel Wreaths & Animal Teeth (9)
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(c!technoblade x fem!reader)
(so people showed they liked chapter 8 well enough so I wrote chapter 9! also how miffed would everyone be if... this was also maybe a dreamxd x reader fic? like idk i’m just having some persuasive thoughts. also don’t forget to show this chapter some love or I won’t have the motivation to do chapter 10! reblogs and comments are the best! <3)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wilbur did not like this ‘Reader’ person. God she was just as bad as Quackity, coming into L’manberg and making demands and acting like they even HAD a say in HIS country. Now more than ever he wished he’d have just exiled Quackity instead of humoring him with this ridiculous election. There shouldn’t BE an election. HE was the rightful president of this country! He fought and died for this country. Put his blood, sweat, and tears into it! HIM! Not them! 
“-ur?”
This whole election thing was a mistake. He should have just listened to his gut.
“ilbur?”
But he’d been pressured by everyone to ‘be fair’ or whatever. Nobody knew what was best for L’manberg but HIM. 
“Wilbur!”
The curly brunet jolted a bit at the sudden shout to his left, he blinked and felt himself unfurrow his eyebrows before looking over at his vice president. Said teenager was looking at him curiously, eyebrows raised in a questioning way. No doubt wondering what his friend was doing just standing there silently and chewing on his thumbnail like a madman. He was still tense but gave a quick ‘sorry’ before saying he was just lost in thought.
Tommy gave a semi awkward laugh and joked that it looked like he was trying to catch the wall he was staring at on fire just by staring at it. Wilbur gave a polite chuckle at the younger man’s attempt at mood lightening humor before sobering instantly and saying in a deadly serious tone that had the blond stiffening up anxiously,
“I don’t like this ‘Reader’ person you’ve been hanging out with Tommy. She seems really judgmental and arrogant. Not to mention her attitude. She’s argumentative and childish. She very clearly doesn’t care about you or L’manberg.”
That last part hit Tommy right in the chest like the blow from a size 12 boot. How could Wibur say that? You did care! You did! You wouldn’t have-.. People who don’t care wouldn’t-.. 
Tommy’s hurt showed on his face, making Wilbur sigh in sympathy before clapping the younger boy on the shoulder and saying that it would be best for him to just focus on the L’manberg election. This Reader person was just serving as a distraction from Tommy’s job as vice president anyways. And Tommy didn’t want that, right? Wilbur had entrusted him to be his VP over everyone else. He couldn’t slack on that, right? Tommy just gave a mumbled ‘yeah, s’pose not’ but it was clear he didn’t have his heart in it, though that was all the affirmation Wilbur needed to think the conversation was over..
-0-
You sat in the audience with Tubbo and Fundy for a bit while the candidates talked to each other up on the stage. Fundy seemed sweet, if not a bit mischievous. Though you supposed that should be expected from a fox hybrid. You smiled when his ears went back after you asked why his uniform was a lighter color than the others, unable to not think he looked adorable. But when he huffed, pretty obviously upset but trying not to show it, you frowned. And you pursed your lips when he explained that it was in ‘baby colors’ because Wilbur thought it would be cute for his ‘little champion’ to have a different uniform compared to everyone else.
You couldn’t help but awkwardly ask, “Aren’t you an adult though?” To which Fundy gave a slightly loud and exasperated, “YES!” that made you feel sorry for the poor hybrid. You gave him a reassuring look and said that well if he didn’t like the uniform then he didn’t have to wear it. Or if he liked it save for the color then just dye it darker to match the others. Fundy looked a bit put out and replied that he’d thought about dying it or just not wearing it but then his dad would be all depressed and hurt. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes and say that he shouldn’t set himself on fire to keep others warm.
“You don’t have to do whatever your dad wants you to just because he’s your dad or cuz he’ll be sad. You’re an adult now Fundy. It’s time you make decisions for yourself in mind, not your dad.”
Fundy started up at you with wide eyes, like he’d never heard anyone tell him that before. Which was worrying but you put it out of your mind before continuing,
“Caring about others is important, yes. But you can’t let yourself be miserable just to avoid maybe making your dad sorta bummed out. That doesn’t seem fair to you.”
Tubbo chimed in from his spot to your left and said that the uniform was a symbol of their independence from the Dream Smp, they wore it to show they were loyal to L’manberg. He didn’t say it accusingly or even angrily, just in a factual matter-of-fact way. You said that might be true but then asked why Fundy’s uniform was different? Shouldn’t they all look the same if they supposedly stood for the same thing? If they’re meant to have a deeper meaning then they shouldn’t be altered for a joke. You said he had to see how that would make Fundy feel left out. You asked how Tubbo would feel if he were the only one with a different uniform and stood out. The brunet boy’s goatish ears drooped and he mumbled that he’d be sad. You ruffled his hair and turned back to Fundy.
“Look Fundy, if you wanna keep wearing the uniform as it is, that’s fine. If you wanna wear it but only after altering the color, that’s also fine. But if you wanna drop the uniform altogether then that’s fine too. It’s up to you, Fundy.”
Fundy looked contemplative, like he’d never thought he’d had a choice in the matter. But here he was with three whole options thanks to you. He honestly wasn’t sure which one he’d end up choosing, he had a lot to think about. But he gave you a grateful little smile and soft ‘thanks’ that made the corners of your lips quirk up. Though your chat soon came to an end when Fundy saw Niki approaching. He and Tubbo waved happily to her and gestured for her to come over. She stared up at you with mostly hidden surprise and said hello before Fundy introduced you both. Niki looked almost shy as she gave a short wave up to you. You chuckled and greeted her warmly and said you liked her uniform, pointing out hers was a different color than the others, like Fundy’s. She looked down at her blue version of the L’manberg uniform and flashed a grin and said,
“Yeah, I just liked the lighter blues better than the bright red and navy.”
You brightened and gently tapped Fundy’s shoulder with the back of your hand and cheerfully pointed out that if Niki could choose to alter her uniform from the original she was given then he should be able to do the same no problem. His ears twitched happily and he grinned, showing off his canines and nodding. This led Niki to asking him what you meant and him explaining he wasn’t happy with how his uniform was dyed. She agreed with you, if he wasn’t happy then he should change the color. But she joked that he should avoid any bright greens… Fundy let out a bark of laughter before Niki gasped and pointed out they, as in she and Fundy, had to go get ready. Tubbo raised an eyebrow and asked if they were still planning on running in the election. Fundy sighed and said yes, like he’d been giving that same answer repeatedly. He probably had been, sadly.. 
“Oh, you’re both running for president and vice president?” You asked good naturedly. 
Fundy nodded, waiting for you to give some kind of remark about him running, or how it was against his dad, or something else. But instead you just flashed him an encouraging smile and wished him and Niki good luck. You glanced at the fox hybrid and the blonde next to him before nodding and commenting that they both looked smart, with good heads on their shoulders. You thought they’d do just fine. Fundy’s tail was wagging from the genuine encouragement, making Niki giggle a little. The two did actually have to go get ready, so you and Tubbo said good luck and waved them off before chatting about this and that. The election speeches would be starting soon..
-0-
He was watching her again. 
He couldn’t help it. He’d started watching her just to ensure she wasn’t going to pose a threat to the server, but the more he watched her the more he started to actually enjoy it. She was like him and Drista, maybe not exactly, but more than anyone else on the server. But at the same time she was so incredibly different. Seeing her interact with villagers and mobs and now players was intriguing. She was so much more powerful than all of them combined, but she had no trouble blending in like she was just another player. End sake, most of them even seemed to gravitate towards her!
The only other time he’d seen a deity blend in so well with mortals was… Dream. But he tried not to think about that too much.
His currently invisible form phased through the building he’d been lurking beside, going up until he had a better view of the seats in the audience by the stage. He watched her and the small hybrid boy she’d endeared herself to bid a fox hybrid and blonde girl goodbye before taking their seats. He watched her sit and talk happily with the brown haired boy so easily. He wanted to learn to do that. It may be foolish but he wants to be like her. Happy, open, accepted, loved. He’s powerful, yes. He’s the most powerful being on this server without a doubt. But… it gets lonely. Sure Drista is around sometimes but she sleeps so often, preferring her dream world more than the waking one. And Dream… well that’s complicated. 
His brother and him have a… tense relationship after the whole ‘falling from grace’ debacle that happened so long ago. Dream barely speaks to him anymore. Actually the last time they’d spoken face to face was after that silly little war Dream had been in not too long ago. He’d told him that he just wanted to sleep afterwards. At the time he didn’t bother to involve himself in the daily lives of the server’s players like Dream did so he wasn’t exactly sure of the intricacies of the whole ‘disagreement’ that led to the fighting. But according to Dream some players wanted to govern themselves because drugs? It all sounded utterly stupid to him so he just sort of didn’t absorb any of the details Dream was complaining about. To him it seemed like the more involved with the players Dream got the more stressed out and tired he became. Though he hadn’t spoken to Dream since their last talk when Dream had vented about all of this. 
‘Perhaps I should visit my brother soon,’ the floating entity thought with a hum before he faded from the realm, drifting back to the End.
-0-
Some time had passed and during it you chatted with Tubbo casually, idly noting all the people who started to trickle into the seats around you. You recognized most in one way or another. Some more than others. Like you’d watched a good deal of the ‘main characters’ on the dsmp. And while you knew the names and skins of the lesser involved players you didn’t watch their videos much. Like Callahan, Punz, and Ponk. You knew the bare bones info about them. In fact most of what you knew was from clips and animatics you’d seen on youtube..
You tuned back into the election, watched from the front row as the rally began. It looked like Quackity was going first, alone too it seemed since George was nowhere to be found. Apparently he was ‘too busy being gorgeous’ to bother showing up. You pursed your lips when you noticed Quackity was sounding a touch nervous at first. Which you could understand, speaking in front of a crowd was always tough. Especially if you’re not really used to it, which even then you’d heard that public speakers said they never truly got rid of the jitters going out in front of a crowd causes. So you sent some good vibes to Quackity, he may not be the one you necessarily want winning this election but.. well you don’t want him to embarrass himself either. But it turns out he.. didn’t do great but didn’t bomb either. It didn’t help that the others running were making little comments through his speech. 
He spoke about caring about the people of L’manberg and how his endorsement was KSI, despite the fact KSI hadn’t replied back to him. Not a great start. Also Jesus Christ himself apparently. That had actually made you laugh a little. And you laughed louder when you heard the chime to signify you’d gotten a message, only in multiple around you. Turns out everyone had gotten a message from Dream on the main channel. 
<Dream> god endorses swag2020
Quackity laughed, cheering loudly while Wilbur rolled his eyes and Tommy sighed. Then it was Pog2020’s turn to show off their endorsements. The first of which being Vikkstar it seemed. You couldn’t help but think it was so surreal to see these… well normal people from real life being canon characters in the Dream SMP universe… apparently. Well that seemed to make the crowd go wild in disbelief and amusement while Tommy pounded his fist on the podium triumphantly while Wilbur cheered. After that Wilbur shoved Tommy aside so he could speak into the podium and said he also brought in an endorsement. And then he introduced…. Schlatt. You wanted to facepalm so bad. You’d actually forgotten this part from the videos. It had totally slipped your mind that Wilbur was the reason Schlatt even knew about the damn election in the first place. 
And to top it off the man was clearly drunk or at least hungover. He didn’t even seem to know where the hell he was. Idly you wondered when he got unbanned by Dream as you watched the messages from Schlatt roll through on the message system. It was mostly him asking where the fuck he was and if the ‘big fuckin’ wall’ he was next to was the Great Wall of China. You facepalmed and heard Tommy say he was going to go fetch him. Quackity was laughing and saying one of their endorsements was ‘some old man’, and you rolled your eyes because little duck boy was gonna be engaged to that ‘old man’ soon.. But you kept that tidbit to yourself. Though when Quackity called the ram hybrid ‘babe’ and he said to not call him that, making Quackity laugh you raised an eyebrow, figuring they were already together! Nonchalantly you wondered how much stuff you’d missed.
And then came the yelling.
Schlatt started rambling about how democracy was overrated and he didn’t ‘need a president’, how he’d be his own president. All while Tommy and Wilbur tried to talk over him and get him off the stage. Then he started shit talking Quackity, asking everyone if they really wanted HIM to be their president. Then he went on a tangent about how Quackity’s vice president ‘stole his woman’, which just caused everyone to laugh, even you. You have to admit, the man was funny if nothing else. Made you wish he wasn’t an alcoholic drug using abusive asshole. Blah Blah Wilbur stole his heart, blah blah Coconut 2020, etc that you were half listening to.
About then is when Tommy, still laughing at this whole debacle, glanced down and noticed you and Tubbo sitting in the front row. He gave a bright grin and waved to you both, to which you both smiled and waved back. This little interaction somehow managed to catch Schlatt’s attention, even through his booze addled ramblings. He just stopped mid sentence and stumbled over to Tommy and asked that the fuck he was even doing. Tommy gave an awkward laugh and said he was just waving hello to his friends. Schlatt gave him a ‘wtf’ look and scanned the crowd for who the blond boy was talking about. His horizontal oval pupils finally landed on Tubbo, making the boy give a slightly stiff wave to the older male. Schlatt stared at the boy for almost a full 20 seconds, making Tubbo sweat nervously. 
You could almost tell yourself that you saw a flash of recognition in the goat hybrid’s eyes, but before you could blink it was gone and he was instead turning to look at you. Your eyebrows lowered as his gaze perked up and a grin you’re not above describing as ‘sleazy’ crossed his features. His eyes raked over your form, making you give him an unamused look. Schlatt leaned over to Tommy, missing how the teen sorta leaned away from him, and asked who ‘the baddie with the fat ass’ was. Tommy grimaced and replied saying for the other man to not say something so gross. 
“That’s Reader, don’t say nasty shit about her man!”
Schlatt laughed and told the younger man to not be such a little bitch, he had to see how hot this woman was! The hair, the horns, the ASS! Before Schlatt could continue to make lewd comments about your person Quackity smacked him with a golden carrot and started cursing him out in Spanish. While the two argued Wilbur went up to the microphone and said that the ACTUAL people running were going to be going into the White House to have a little chat and they’d be right back. Then he and Tommy ran off, Quackity, Schaltt, Niki, and Fundy hot on their heels. Leaving the stage totally empty. Everyone in the audience gave each other side glances before looking up when you stood from your chair and headed to the podium. 
Tubbo blinked in surprise before hopping up and following after you, calling your name and asking where you were going. You ruffled his hair and said you just wanted to say one thing to everyone in attendance. He hummed and followed after you, curious to see what you were up to. You knew the outcome of the election, sadly, and didn’t think there was any way to change it really. But you wanted to impart some wisdom onto the citizens of L’manburg really quick before all those dorks came back after finishing their nonsense. So you sat down on the stage, legs hanging over the side by the podium, and grabbed the mic and sighed before saying to the crowd down below,
“Listen up everyone. I’m not part of the other campaigns or anything, but I wanted to just say something real quick to all of you.”
The crowd watched you with rapt attention, wondering who on the SMP you were. You started off with a light chuckle, saying you’d never been a public speaker so if you started rambling and not making a ton of sense then that was why. Then you took a breath and just said what was on your mind.
“I’m not here to endorse anyone or try to convince you to vote for this or that person. I just wanted to say that despite all the shenanigans going on today that this is actually supposed to be pretty serious. Goofing off aside, you all are going to be voting for the person in charge of your country. The person tasked with ensuring you are all safe and cared for. Being president is a big responsibility. One that shouldn’t be taken lightly.”
You looked at each person in the crowd, lots you knew OF but didn’t know personally. But you made sure to tell them what you thought a president should be.
“Being president shouldn’t be about having glory or power. It should be about working to make sure all your citizens are safe, happy, and above all; THRIVING. If the citizens are miserable or not being heard then the president has failed. So I want you all to think hard about who you want to vote into office. Who do you think will honestly care for your needs as a country? Who will defend you and ensure you’re all living your best lives?”
The crowd seemed to be listening to you, none of them had interrupted you anyways. And Tubbo was smiling, having apparently thought you’d done a good job speaking. But you heard the sound of approaching voices and sighed again. You’ve been sighing a lot today, but that’s not really a surprise is it? Instead of dwelling on it you conclude your speech with a simple,
“Just keep in mind who you’re voting for, because you’re going to be stuck with them for the next few years.”
Then you placed the microphone back on the podium and grabbed Tubbo around the waist, and to the boy’s shock you jumped down from the roughly 8 block high stage. He let out an involuntary high pitched yelp of shock that was abruptly cut off when you both landed on the ground unharmed. He blinked then started laughing, which made you begin to snicker. He shoved your shoulder and called you a bastard for freaking him out. You just teased him for even thinking you’d let him get hurt. He changed the subject when everyone saw Schlatt coming over, though you could tell he was happy to hear you cared. But the moment was over once Schlatt stumbled into the audience, looking more than a little out of it. He hobbled over to the bed Tommy had put down for him before he’d gone on stage and collapsed down onto it, for some reason in mismatched armor and clutching carrots. You had no idea where he got any of that stuff because he’d shown up with nothing but the suit on his back you thought.
But then Wilbur, Tommy, and Schlatt all came back from wherever they’d been while talking. And it didn’t look like they’d come to any peaceful resolution, though you’re not surprised. And you’re even further unsurprised when Quackity announced he was going to be pooling his votes with Schlatt. But that right now the debate was over and they just had to let the voting go on until the next day. So with that Wilbur ended the rally and bid everyone a pleasant rest of their day. And soon everyone had dispersed, leaving Tubbo and you waiting by the stairs that led up to the stage. Tommy walked down with Wilbur, the older of the two looking pensive. But as you all walked down the main path it seemed Wilbur was deep in thought. You watched him while Tommy and Tubbo chatted, but as the cobble path turned to wood the older brunet said he’d see them tomorrow and walked off to who knows where.
Then Tubbo gave you and Tommy a secretive glance and said to follow him, which you both did without complaint. That’s when the brown haired boy started saying he’d been ‘hoping for the best but planning for the worst’. Tommy asked what he was going on about, ‘planning for the worst’?? So Tubbo explained that he’d made a little thing for if things went bad. That’s when you noticed he was leading you both far from the main area and towards the edge of the L’manberg territory by one of the border walls. And there hidden under the water thanks to some craft sign placement was a hidden entrance into a secret tunnel. All of which led to a bunker. Tommy was in disbelief at the sight, frantically asking his best friend when the hell he’d even had time to make this! Tubbo just gave a vaguely cryptic reply of, “I don’t sleep.” Which you scolded him for. You placed a hand on his head and rocked it back and forth a little roughly and said he was a growing boy who needed sleep! 
“Sleep is when your body grows! If you don’t sleep you’ll be short forever!” You huffed.
That made Tommy burst out into borderline hysterical laughter while Tubbo shouted in outrage. You laughed a little and easily blocked the hits Tubbo was weakly trying to land on you. But once they both settled down Tubbo actually showed off the supplies, like potions and such, he’d prepared for Tommy and Wilbur should anything go sour. Tommy, still shocked but appreciative, thanked his friend and said they should go tell Wilbur. They asked if you wanted to come or if you’d like to sleep for the night. You just shrugged and said you weren’t really tired. But you told them THEY needed sleep however. 
They groaned but you shushed them and made them go back to their place and sleep. They said they didn’t have a bed for you but you just pulled out a book and said you’d read by the fire until it was time to read the election results. They complained that they weren’t tired but you hushed them and said you could see how they were more sluggish compared to how they’d been that morning. And after some weak whining they eventually gave in and placed their beds down, took their armor off, and crawled under the blankets. Meanwhile you sat by the furnace, book in hand and hummed to yourself softly as you read. The two boys fell asleep faster than usual, chalking it up to the busy day they had. Not thinking to link it to feeling safe as they laid in bed.
-0-
It felt like barely an hour had passed before the sun was creeping up over the horizon. You’d finished going through the enchantment book forever ago, and it sat on your lap while you stared down at the fire in the furnace. You wondered when the election results would be read out and breathed in slowly, feeling tired but not physically. With nothing else to do you got busy making some breakfast. Just something simple, eggs with toast. But it worked to wake the two boys up, the smell of the fresh food rousing them to the land of the living. They practically devoured the breakfast before slipping their armor on and saying they should go now. It was a decent time to start the day. So they led you along to Wilbur, who had been in the midst of leaving his ball house. The two boys said they had something secret to tell him, and he actually hadn’t wanted to talk ‘government topics’ with you around. You rolled your eyes behind your mask but agreed to go wait by the stage until they were done.
So you sat alone in the audience, watching people slowly arrive as you did. Ponk was the first, his signature fire colored mask and lab coat(?) revealing who he was. Then right after was HBomb, dressed almost like a pirate for some reason? Or maybe he was a referee? He was in black and white stripes with a headband so you’re unsure, could go either way. And then Punz with his stylish white hoodie and gold chain. Then you saw Niki coming down to greet Eret. He was in full netherite and nobody gave her a second glance which sorta surprised you. They’d betrayed everyone hadn’t he? You admit you don’t know much about her. But they seem to be on good terms with Niki at any rate. Regardless he stood to the side, not really sitting with anyone. So maybe things weren’t as gucci as you thought. You were distracted from thinking about it as a man in a L’manberg uniform and headset arrived. Jack Manifold you think. Walking past him was George and Dream. 
You narrowed your eyes at Dream, something about him felt off? Which was weird considering you’d never met the man in person before so you’re not sure how you could tell if he was ‘off’ or not. But something about him was just… weird. Maybe it was the hood and mask obscuring his entire upper body save for some dirty blond hair poking out from said hood. Or maybe how his body moved fluidly like a person but… it also didn’t seem to be in the right proportions. His arms and legs felt a teeny bit too long while his torso seemed shorter than it should be. 
‘Maybe it’s the cut of the hood and pants making it look that way..’ you thought to yourself.
Wilbur speaking suddenly caught your attention, and when you looked up at the stage you saw all the candidates standing there while Tubbo was hurrying over to the seat you’d saved for him next to you. Seemed they were starting now. The little goat hybrid gave you a nervous smile before focusing on the results. Wilbur started reading but paused to ask Tommy why he was standing with his own mic, and then said he should be standing behind him. You watched them bicker a second before Wilbur gave in and let Tommy stand with his own mic. You smiled and shook your head fondly when Tommy gave a silent cheer for himself ‘winning’ that one. Once that was done Wilbur began explaining what was going to happen. They weren’t just reading off the results, they were also going to be inaugurating the winner as president. And then explained how the new president would make a decree and how the first decree was very important.
“My fellow L’manbergians, and by that I mean Ponk, HBomb, and Tubbo. And the others in the crowd as well, including Tommy’s tall friend…” he said while gesturing to you. 
Tubbo loudly cheered for Wilbur, making Tommy and Quackity laugh. You giggled a little at his antics but mostly kept silent to hear. Wilbur announced he had the election results in his hands, then held up an envelope and continued by reading off the four competing parties: POG2020, SWAG2020, COCONUT2020, and SCHLATT2020. And there had been a total of 220,000 votes. This of course confused everyone and Quackity pointed out there were barely 10 people in the audience, so how had so many votes been cast. Wilbur let out a tired sigh and elaborated, saying he’d accidentally opened the vote… to all the other servers when he’d broadcasted the election live…
Everyone started kicking up a fuss, some upset strangers from other servers were weighing in on a server they weren’t even a part of while others found this all hysterically hilarious. Wilbur settled the crowd down and explained there’d been some voter fraud as well, but he’d gotten rid of all the votes that had come from the same communicator protocol. But then he pointed out that all the fraud votes were only voting for one party.. then stared directly at Fundy and Niki. They glanced away from everyone else and Quackity said through laughter that they should be disqualified. Tommy agreed and said there was only one coder in the Coconut2020 party.. But Wilbur sighed when Fundy was silent before saying diplomatically that they should count all the votes regardless of their CP address… Everyone started laughing until Wilbur shushed them and started actually reading off the results, finally.
“In last place is Coconut2020 with 5%,” Fundy and Niki cheered for the votes they did get. Tommy gave them a slightly sarcastic congratulations while Quackity cackled. Then Wilbur continued,
“Then in second to last place with 9% is Schlatt2020…” That was actually surprising to everyone since Schlatt was a very charismatic guy on most fronts and usually never had issues with luring people to his side.
The current president turned to look at Quackity and George then glanced at Tommy and said that the two final running parties were Pog2020 and Swag2020, and coming in third place was…. Swag2020 with 22%. And Pog2020 with 31%. Tommy’s eyes went wide and he practically screamed his joy, nearly tripping backwards in his excitement. He rushed up to Wilbur and demanded to know if they’d won, and when Wilbur said they did Tommy missed the rest of the statement telling him to wait. The blond boy was too thrilled to stop and listen and without thinking he yelled down to you,
“MUM I WON THE ELECTION! WE WON!!” practically bouncing off the stage. 
You gave him a grin, mentally cooing over him calling you mom and not even noticing but inside your stomach was churning as you waited for the other boot to drop.. And after Wilbur calmed Tommy he made clear that Quackity and Schlatt had made a deal to pool their votes. Meaning together they had 31% as well. Meaning it’s a tie. This caused an uproar between the parties, everyone seemingly arguing while you puzzled over it being a tie! That hadn’t happened originally… But it was Niki who quieted everyone and pointed out something rather jarring…
“All four of our votes only equal up to be 67%... there’s a chunk of votes missing!”
Everyone was silent before George barked out a ‘what the hell?!’ that made everyone start arguing again. Schlatt was insisting that Wilbur counted them wrong while Quackity demanded they be recounted. Meanwhile Wilbur adamantly said he’d counted right and they were wrong. It took Tommy snatching the slip of paper out of his hand that had the election results typed out on them to get Wilbur to stop shouting. As Tommy read the list of results he mentally counted up the percentages and frowned before saying Niki was right, that was only like 67%! But then Fundy chimed in and asked what was written on the back. Confused Tommy turned the paper over and his eyes went wide. He was in shock and spoke in a normal tone, which just got drowned out by everyone. Seeing he was being ignored he shouted,
“OI! DICKHEADS! You missed the ‘other’ section of the votes!”
That grabbed Wilbur’s attention easily, he’d forgotten all about the ‘other’ voting option. And hadn’t even known anything was written on the back of the slip of paper. He ripped it out of Tommy’s grasp and rushed to read the back, his voice getting more subdued as he spoke…
“With the most votes at 33% is…. Reader..”
---
@salinesoot @lady-bee-fechin @kacchasu @putridjoy @lunawritesstories @galaxypankitty3030 @paradigmax @zachariethememerie @killmewithafanfic @trinity-1002107 @hufflepuff-demigod @truthdaze @exorcisms-with-elmo @redbloodtea @heythereimhaylz @olyink @jackalopedoodles @nikkineeky @artsimatsu @hufflepuff-demigod @corpiet @beepa99 @anxiousnarwhale @bananaaddictmilkshake @realitycanbeajerk @lostandsouciant
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hangovercurse · 4 years ago
Text
Favorites
You work at the preschool next to Casie’s middle school. One day, you catch Colson’s eyes while working, and lucky for him you happen to know his daughter.
Request: “Hi!! Let me start out by saying that you are so so so talented!! I was wondering if you’d write something about colson falling for a preschool teacher? like he just sees her one day while he’s picking up casey from the middle school and he’s all soft seeing her interact with the kids and he makes up excuses to keep coming to see you!?”
Colson X Reader
Warnings: Cursing (maybe?)
A/N: I did that thing where I write too much… again.
Word Count: 2394
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Colson tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, drumming softly to the beat of the music coming from his radio. He pulled into the school parking lot, the line already a million cars long it seemed. But he promised Casie he would pick her up whenever he wasn’t working so she didn’t have to take the bus. If that meant spending thirty minutes in a line of slow-moving cars, so be it.
As he was jamming, he glanced out the passenger window, finding a smaller building with a chain link fence outside, surrounding a child’s playground. The door happened to swing open while he was looking, and from there time seemed to move in slow motion.
Out of the door came a dozen or so toddlers, waddling their way outside, surrounding the most beautiful person he’d ever seen. The sun bounced off of your skin perfectly, making everything around you seem so much brighter.
Your skirt flowed with the slight breeze, making the scene more picturesque. He watched as you reached down, picking up one of the toddlers and holding him in your arms. The small boy seemed to be crying, over what Colson couldn’t tell.
You seemed to be speaking to the boy, bouncing him up and down in your arms to comfort him. Meanwhile, a little girl with pigtails made her way over to you. You spoke to her brightly, reaching the arm that wasn’t holding the boy to hold her hand.
Colson’s eyes followed you as you let her drag you over to the playground. You supported her as she climbed the small rock-climbing wall and reach the landing for the slide. You then smiled as she made her way down the slide, telling her good job when she made it to the bottom.
You then turned your attention back to the boy in your arms, making silly faces at him until he laughed.
All it took was those few moments for Colson to get hooked. If there was one thing he found attractive above all else, it was women who loved children. He refused to date anyone who wasn’t supportive of his relationship with Casie, so you were already ahead of everyone on his list. It also helped that you were breathtakingly beautiful.
Colson just got good vibes from you. From his brief observation of you, he could tell you were compassionate and kind, but also childlike and fun, much like himself.
The blonde man was pulled from his thoughts as the car in front of him started moving, signaling the line was moving.
 The next day, Colson had a plan. Instead of driving into the school parking lot, he pulled into the pre-school. He checked himself out in the mirror, praying he would see you working. He stepped out of the car, putting on his best confused dad face, and walked into the building.
And by some miracle, you happened to be speaking with the woman at the front desk.
You were even prettier up close, eyes meeting his and stopping him dead in his tracks. You smiled kindly, voice ringing out, “can I help you, sir.”
He returned your smile, “I was looking for the middle school but I have a feeling I ended up in the wrong place.”
You giggled slightly, “just a little. The middle school is just next door.” You pointed to your right. “Are you picking up a sibling?” You asked.
Truthfully, the man had caught your eye the moment he stepped into the door. It was rare you saw someone your own age, and he was exponentially more attractive than most men. What would it hurt if you got to know him a little bit?
“My daughter, actually.” He spoke, fiddling with the key in his hand. You tilted your head, his face seeming vaguely familiar.
You hesitated before speaking, “who’s your daughter? I substitute over there sometimes and you look vaguely familiar.”
He bit his lip, hoping he hadn’t blown his cover. “Casie Baker.” But surely, he’d have remembered you if he’d met you.
Your eyes widened at the name, “Casie? She’s my absolute favorite!” You grinned at the man, realizing immediately that their similar features made him feel familiar. “She’s awesome.”
Colson smiled, letting out a nervous chuckle, “thank you. Yeah, she’s great.”
“She tells me about you. Whenever I sub in her classes, she talks about how cool you are.”
Colson blushed lightly, rubbing his neck. “I’m Colson.” He reached out an arm to shake your hand, mentally kicking himself as soon as he did it.
You found it endearing, shaking his hand “Y/N.”
 A few days passed and Colson still couldn’t get over how soft your hands were, or how your touch sent electricity running through his body.
He felt ridiculous, leaving rehearsals and recording sessions to pick Casie up with the hope that he gets a glimpse of you.
After a few days of nothing, he almost loses that hope. Until he happens to arrive at the school a little bit early, windows rolled down to let the cool air in. He hears the sudden sound of children laughing, pulling his attention to the playground next door.
And there you are, in all your beautiful glory. Guiding the kids out, helping them into swings and onto the stairs.
Colson must’ve pleased some God because you looked over your shoulder and found him. Of all the cars in the line, you found his, eyes locking immediately. You smiled softly, reaching a hand over to him and waving. He waved back, trying to keep his cool. But really, he was freaking out.
He thought about saying something, or mouthing something, rather, as you were too far away to hear him, but he was stopped by the beautiful brown hair of his favorite girl in the world. Casie plopped herself down on the seat next to him, her backpack falling to the floor with a frown on her face.
She looked up to her dad, about to complain about her day when she saw his preoccupation. She followed his eyes, finding you in the playground. Immediately her mood was lifted, and she turned back to her dad with a grin on her face.
“Daaad?” She questioned, her voice lifting at the end of her question. The blond man looked down to her a soft smile in his face.
“Hey Case, how was school?”
“You think she’s pretty, right?” Casie ignored his question.
Colson scoffed, rolling his eyes, and shifting his car into gear. “She’s… pretty. I guess.” He mumbled, pressing lightly on the gas.
Casie continued smiling up at him, “that’s Ms. Y/N. She’s the coolest.”
“Put your seatbelt on.” He said, pulling out of the parking lot. “And I know, I met her the other day.”
Casie’s eyes lit up at the thought of her two favorite adults meeting. “Really? How? Did you like her?”
Colson chuckled at his daughter, “I went into the pre-school parking lot by accident and she showed me how to get here.” He blushed, knowing Casie would easily spot his lie.
And that she did, “I’ve been going here for almost two years, how did you accidentally go into the wrong parking lot? You pick me up all the time.”
Colson coughed nervously, “so, how was school?” He tried to change the subject.
Casie gasped, “did you go to the preschool just to see her? You like her!”
“I just met her Casie.”
“You like Ms. Y/N!” she sang, dancing in her seat.
“How was school, loser?” He asked, laughing at her.
She ignored him, again. “Does she know you’re my dad? Did she say anything about me?”
He rolled his eyes, chuckling to himself at her excitement. “Yes, she does, and yes, she did.”
“What did she say?” Casie practically yelled.
“She said you were the worst student she’s ever substituted for.” He smirked, flinching lightly as Casie slapped his arm.
“She did not say that!” The girl pouted, “Ms. Y/N is my favorite teacher in the whole world.”
He couldn’t help but smile at her affection for you. “She’s not even technically your teacher. But she did say that you were her favorite student.”
Her eyes twinkled, “really?”
Colson nodded, “she also told me that you talk about me in class.” He looked at the girl, raising an eyebrow, “any reason why?”
Casie sunk into her seat, a guilty expression on her face. “No.” Colson looked back to the road, but his eyebrow was still raised, “Okay, fine. I just think it’d be really cool if my favorite dad and my favorite teacher were… friends.”
Colson laughed, “I am your only dad, first of all, and second… don’t be weird.”
“But you said you liked her!” Casie pointed out, making the man’s ears turn red.
“I said she was pretty, that’s not the same thing.”
Casie sang again, “whatever you say.”
He rolled his eyes again, letting out a sigh and dropping the conversation, knowing he would lose. “Are you gonna tell me how school was or not?”
Casie sighed, hitting her back against the seat, “Mr. Clemmons was being mean today again. He said he’s not gonna curve our test even though only 2 people got an A on it.” She crossed her arms and huffed.
Colson pouted, bringing a hand to rub her shoulder, “what’d you get on it?”
She mumbled out, “a B.”
His eyes went wide, “dude, what? That’s awesome, that’s above average. You should be proud of that!” He always tried to encourage Casie, knowing the insane amount of pressure people put on their kids nowadays and not wanting her to feel that.
Casie shrugged, “yeah but my guidance counselor says if I want to get into a magnet program in high school, I have to get all A’s. And I have to get in a magnet program high school to get into a good college.”
His eyes went wide as he pulled into his driveway, “woah, woah, woah. You’re 11 years old! You don’t need to worry about that stuff and whoever is telling you that is wrong. Getting a B or even a C isn’t gonna stop you from getting into whatever program you want, I promise.”
Casie sighed, opening the door, and sliding out. “I don’t wanna talk about this anymore. Can we go back to talking about how you like Ms. Y/N?” She asked, her shoulders slumped.
Colson rolled his eyes, climbing out of the car and following her inside. “I don’t like Ms. Y/N.” He groaned.
“Whatever, but next time she substitutes my class, I’m texting you and you’re gonna bring me lunch and talk to her.” Casie said, going to her room and throwing her backpack onto her bed.
��A week and a half later, Colson was sitting in his car in the school parking lot, staring at himself through his rearview mirror. He looked at the bag of chick-fil-a in the passenger side seat and sighed. His phone buzzed, a text from Casie coming through.
Lunch is starting, where are you???
He chuckled and texted back.
Going to the office now, calm down
He grabbed the bags and drinks, opening his door and stepping out. He made his way through the office, getting his visitor’s badge, and moving towards the cafeteria. He opened the door, searching through the sea of children for his daughter, only to find your eyes instead.
You smiled brightly, head tilting as if to ask why he’s here. He returned the smile, holding up the bags to answer your question. Casie appeared next to you, waving her hand. Colson made his way through the pre-teens, trying not to crush any of them.
Casie and you giggled at his struggle, joking with each other. Eventually he reached you two, setting the food on the table that Casie had reserved just for you three. The girl took her place across from him, motioning you to sit down next to him. You laughed but followed her directions.
Colson took the food out of the bag, passing Casie her sandwich and fries and pulling his food out of the bag. He turned to you, a smile on his face. “Woah, they must’ve given me an extra sandwich.” He held it out for you to take.
You obliged, giggling lightly. “How strange.” You commented, your smile never leaving.
“Oh, right. Ms. Y/N, this is my dad, Colson. Dad, this is Ms. Y/N, the best substitute ever.” Casie said, pointing between the two.
Colson chuckled, “yes, Casie. We’ve met.” He looked over to you, hiding his laugh behind his sandwich.
“Yep. Someone got lost and found me at the preschool.” You said, your voice exaggerating. Shit, Colson thought, you were onto him. “Speaking of, Casie. I know you’ve been talking about needing volunteer hours. If you want you can come by after school some days and help me with the aftercare program? I can take you home afterwards if your dad can’t pick you up.”
Casie smiled brightly, nodding her head. “Yes! Yes, yes, yes!”
Colson watched the interaction, fondness in his eyes. If he wasn’t sure before, he was now. He was falling hard.
You turned to him, kindness in your eyes, “if it’s okay with your dad.” You said and he nodded.
“Yeah, if you don’t mind having her around. I’m cool with it.” He tried to hide the blush on his cheeks as you continued to look at him, taking in his features.
Casie squealed, “thank you!”
You simply smiled and shrugged, “it’s not a big deal. I get some extra help and I get to spend some more time with my favorite 11-year-old. Maybe her dad can even stop by and help sometime.”
You turned to the man next to you, who was sure he’d turned very red. He was never this nervous around women, but something about you made him incredibly self-conscious, like he had to impress you.
He mumbled out a quick “huh?” before registering your question. ���Uh, yeah, sure. If you want me to come help. I’d be cool with that.” He turned to meet your eyes.
You giggled, holding the eye contact, “I do want you to. I’d like it a lot if you did.”
Casie looked between you two, suddenly regretting what she’d done, “are you two done? I’m trying to eat my sandwich.”
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dumdumsun · 4 years ago
Text
Of Starlight
A/N: Hey, hey, we’re nearing the end
Warnings: none that I’m aware of
Word Count: 2163
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Chapter 15: I Heard A Rumor
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Five hadn’t expected to see (Y/N) asleep beside him the next morning. His eyes were still heavy with sleep, but he tried his best to let them focus on her peaceful face. His side ached as he reached forward and brushed his thumb lightly across her cheekbone and he thought, he’d like to be able to wake up like this everyday. Minus the shrapnel wound, of course. In fact, the stinging pain reminded him of just why he couldn’t think of fantasies like that right now. He still needed to find Harold Jenkins, and he’d be able to effectively do so now that his wound had been taken care of. Leaning forward, he kissed (Y/N) on the cheek and moved to get out of bed, but she began to stir in her sleep. Freezing, he watched as her (e/c) eyes cracked open. When they rested on him, a sleepy smile spread across her face. “Morning.” She rasped.
“Morning.” He laid back down and let her stare at him. In all forms, in all angles, she was breathtaking. He almost couldn’t believe it. The way her eyes squinted when a new thought passed through her mind, the way they blinked twice when she snapped herself back into reality, it was all her. He wanted to comment on it, but he saw the flash of pain on her face and her smile turned bittersweet. “Stop doing that.” He whispered.
“Doing what?”
“Stop looking at me like this is the last time you’ll see me.”
She went silent for a second, her fingers tracing his features. “I can’t help it…”
Not another thing was said before she got out of bed and assisted Five out of the room. From down the hall, they heard a bell ringing and Klaus’s cheerful voice. Turning, they saw him approaching the two with a smile. “Good morning, lovebirds!”
“Good morning, Klaus. What is it?” (Y/N) asked as she shifted her arm that was around Five.
“Important family business downstairs. Breakfast will be provided.” He grinned.
“You get more insufferable everyday…” Five groaned, only encouraging his brother’s antics.
���Come on, let’s go! I already got the big guy waiting on me!” He began ringing the bell as he danced down the stairs. With a sigh, the pair followed him down into the kitchen, where Luther was sitting at the table. The man clearly had one hell of a night, seemingly hungover. As they entered the kitchen, Klaus immediately began pouring cups of coffee for everyone. Five and (Y/N) sat beside Luther, the girl handing the boy one of the cups. He took a sip and grimaced.
“Jesus. Who do I gotta kill to get a decent cup of coffee?” He hissed up at Klaus as he set the cup back down. (Y/N) sighed and reached over, gently taking his hand in hers. Klaus handed her a plate of eggs and she gratefully took it, setting it down in front of Five. “No, I don’t want to eat.”
“Five, you need to eat something.”
“(Y/N), I just said no.”
“And I say eat your food. Now.” She sternly demanded, as a mother would to her child. Five exhaled through his nose before picking up the fork, grumpily eating his eggs. She proudly smiled and rubbed circles on his back. Luther groaned and drank his coffee.
“Can we get started, please?”
“Anyone seen any of the others? Diego? Allison? No?” He looked to his sister, who only glanced around the table, wordlessly asking her usual question. Klaus motioned towards the seat across from her. Good, Ben is here. “Alright, then, this is the closest thing to a quorum...,” He banged his spatula on the table, only causing Luther more irritation. “...that we’re gonna get. Now, listening up. There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just gonna spit it out. Yeah...” He trailed off and the three frowned in confusion when he didn’t continue.
“Klaus.”
“I conjured Dad last night.” This was met with silence. Five and Luther glanced at each other in disbelief as (Y/N) stared at her brother in shock.
“Wait, seriously? I thought you hadn’t been able to.” She leaned forward.
“Ah, yes, but I’m sober. Ta-da!” He gave lazy jazz hands. “I got clean, yesterday, to talk to… well… you know, and then ended up having this… conversation with dear old Daddy himself.” He explained, (Y/N) slowly sitting back with a hum. Luther dropped his hand from his face and began to stand.
“Has anyone got some aspirin?”
“Top shelf, next to the crackers.” Five answered, now finished with his eggs and drinking more of his coffee.
“Hey, hey, hey. This is serious, guys, alright?” Klaus tried to get everyone back on track, Luther sighing and sitting back down in his seat. “This really happened, I swear.”
“So, what did he say?” (Y/N) raised her brow.
“Well, he gave me the usual lecture about my appearance and my failures in life. Yada, yada, yada. No surprise there. Even the afterlife couldn’t soften a hardass like Dad, right? But he did mention something about his murder, or lack thereof, because… he killed himself.” Klaus’s voice quieted as he looked down at his spatula. His siblings only stared, Luther the least convinced.
“I don’t have time for your games, Klaus.” This time, he actually stood from his chair as if to leave, but Klaus stopped him.
“No, I’m telling you the truth, Luther. I’m telling you the truth.”
“Why’d he do it, then?” Five asked, narrowing his eyes.
“He said it was the only way to get us home again.”
“No. Dad wouldn’t just kill himself.” Luther shook his head.
“Ah, you said it yourself. He was depressed.” Five pointed out, (Y/N) nodding in agreement. “Holed up in his office and room all day and night.”
“No. There weren’t any signs. Suicidal people exhibit certain tendencies, strange behaviors.”
“Like sending someone to the moon for no reason?” Klaus tilted his head and (Y/N) frowned quizzically. Luther only stared him down.
“I swear to god, Klaus, if you’re lying-”
“I’m not. I’m not.”
“Master Klaus is correct.”
Everyone in the room turned to see Pogo enter, limping with his cane. He stopped a little ways away from the table. Placing both hands on his cane, he sighed. “Regretfully… I helped Master Hargreeves enact his plan. So did Grace. It was a difficult choice for both of us… More difficult than you could ever know…”
(Y/N) shook her head as she stared down at the floor. “But… But Mom’s programming, i-it wouldn’t have allowed her-”
“I know, Miss (Y/N). Prior to your father’s death, Grace’s programming was adjusted so that she was incapable of administering first aid on that fateful night.”
“Jesus Christ…”
“Sick bastard.” Five muttered. Luther stared down at the table with somber eyes.
“So the security tape we saw?”
“It was meant to further the murder mystery.” Pogo clarified, Luther scoffing. “Your father hoped that being back here, solving it together… would reignite your desire to be a team again.”
“And to what end?” Five questioned.
“To save the world, of course.”
“Oh, alright.” Klaus sarcastically giggled. Luther’s glare was then directed to their chimp butler.
“First the moon mission and now this. You watched me search for answers and said nothing,” As he spoke, Pogo’s head bowed in shame. “Anything else you want to share, Pogo? Any other damn secrets?” His siblings tried to calm him as his voice increased volume. “No, I won’t calm down! We’ve been lied to by the one person in this family we all trusted.”
“It was your father’s dying wish, Master Luther. I…,” Pogo sighed. “I had no choice.”
Luther stalked closer to him, eyes never leaving his form. “There’s always choice.” He muttered before walking out of the kitchen. (Y/N) stared ahead, trying to make sense of this fucked up situation. Beside her, Five ran his hands through his hair in frustration.
“I gotta think.” He sighed and grabbed the girl by the arm before blinking into his room. The two didn’t speak as they stood on opposite sides of the room, trying to make sense of everything. (Y/N), for one, was a bit pissed off. The man she had been trying to get away from for so long was the very one who had planned to bring her right back. Only it was to deal with something he clearly must have known about. Pogo said it himself, they were brought back to save the world. And while that does sound like a job for the Umbrella Academy, it’s not like any of them would have answered a call from Reginald and accepted such a mission. They had parted ways, planned on never seeing him again. So, viewed from some angles, it was the perfect plan. Jesus, he couldn’t have pretended to be deathly sick?! (Y/N)’s thoughts were put on hold when she heard Five approach her. He opened the wardrobe beside her and pulled out another uniform, wincing a bit when he raised his right arm. She wordlessly stood before him and helped him change his clothing. The entire interaction was intimate, but of course not sexual in any way. It was simply familiar. When she buttoned his dress shirt for him, it felt as if this was the right thing to do. As if being this close to him and doing something as casual as fixing his shirt was what she was meant to do, as silly as she thought it sounded. The silence between them was comfortable and they only interrupted it when (Y/N) asked if she was hurting his side and he would reply with no.
Once they were finished, Five gently grabbed her hand and kissed her cheek. When he pulled away, they stared at one another with wide eyes. Five had kissed her cheeks, her forehead and her hands before, yes, but he had never initiated affection like that out of the blue before. He almost regretted it, but (Y/N) gave him a giddy smile that instantly relaxed him. “Well, I suppose we should… go save the world, Starlight.”
“If we must.” She lightly joked and gently swung their joined hands as they walked out of the room. Klaus’s bedroom door was wide open when they reached it, so they both walked right in. He was currently shirtless, shoeless, and playing with yarn on his bed. Five uselessly knocked on the door as he passed it to get inside.
“Hey. Get up. We’re going.”
“Where?”
“To save the world, duh.” (Y/N) furrowed her brows.
“Oh, is that all? Great.” Klaus moved the yarn away and started to put his clothes back on as Five paced the room.
“So, Pogo said Dad killed himself to get us all back together, right?”
“Yeah, so?”
“So it got me thinking. I had to jump to the future to figure out when it happened, but Dad, he can’t time travel. So how’d the crazy bastard actually know to kill himself a week before the end of the world?”
“I was thinking the same thing.” (Y/N) nodded as Klaus tried to answer the question, but Five cut him off.
“Don’t answer. That was purely rhetorical. Truth is, our whole lives, he’s been telling us we’d save the world from an impending apocalypse.”
“Yeah, but I also thought he just said that to scare us into doing the dishes.” Klaus added as he struggled to shove his foot into his shoe. Five turned to him with raised brows.
“Me, too. But what if the old man really knew it was going to happen?”
“Exactly, but how the hell would he?” (Y/N) turned to her love, avoiding Klaus’s elbow as he raised his arms to put his shirt back on.
“No idea. But the fact remains, his fakakta plan worked. We all came home.”
“The perfect, fucked up plan for his perfectly fucked up family…”
“Well, since we’re here, we might as well save the world.”
Klaus finished dressing himself and wore a smile. “Oh, yeah? What, like, the three of us?”
“Uh, well, ideally, no, but… gotta work with what I’ve got. No offense to you, Starlight, you’ve been a wonderful help.”
“Awe, shucks.” She deadpanned. As they walked down the hall, Diego’s figure sprinted towards them, but turned into his bedroom, no longer in a sling. “Diego?”
“Where have you been?” Five stopped, the other two doing the same.
“Jail,” Diego quickly answered as he threw off his jacket. “Long story. Where’s Luther?”
“Haven’t seen him since breakfast.”
“Yeah,” Klaus stretched. “Two days until the world ends, he picks a great time to drop off the grid.” He commented as Diego walked back out, now in his leather gear. He cursed and adjusted his clothing before tilting his head up to his siblings.
“Allison is in danger.”
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Taglist: @nate-isnt-great @43sparrows @sapphicsyn @m00n-sh @starcurrent @alexander-hamilhoe @youcandalekmyballs @wonderlandfandomkingdom @yrdadjstcallsmekatya @narikyuwu @sm0kingcrack @a-t-h-r-e-e-n-a @moatsnow @bubblegumflamingos @call-me-starstorm @rev-enviadhell @meowiemari @magicalgothpandamaker @simping-4-fictional-men @hehehehannahthings @harrystylescherrie
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morizoras-cave · 4 years ago
Text
Alley (Request)
James Mcavoy x gn!teen!co-star!reader
Genre: angst, fluff
Request Description: hello! alternatively, could you please write a James McAvoy x teen!costar!reader where after an interview, the reader leaves backstage to an alley to receive a call. before she can enter the building, she is stopped by a an older man who are being super creepy and whatnot. James, wondering where the reader is, goes to the alley and seeing what is happening, becomes really mad and protective over the reader. thank you!
Warnings: pedophilia, sexual assault, attempted r*pe, creepy dude, creepy remarks, language, violence
(A/N): this is a very heavy and sad fic. if you have experienced something in the realm of r*pe, i highly encourage you to reach out and talk about it
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“Stop laughing, you idiot!” James wheezed, the two of you clucking with laughter. Whoever had put the two of you together for the press tour had made an embarrassingly large mistake. You were pretty sure you hadn’t answered a single question. 
“I-I can’t!” you were crying now, falling back in your seat and clutching your stomach. Even the people behind the cameras couldn’t hold back their smiles and light chuckles.
“Alright, lunch break!” Your publicist called rather bitterly. She was horribly overworked, trying desperately to get you and James to get a hold of yourselves. 
You and James stilled your laughs, finally, for fuck’s sake. 
“Ready for lunch?” he asked. Just then, your phone buzzed in your pocket. You took it out and sighed, seeing your sister’s name displayed on screen. 
“In a moment,” you responded and James nodded, disappearing into the break room. Meanwhile you clicked to pick up your phone.
“Y/n!” your sister hissed.
“Yeah?” you asked, bemused. 
“You’ll never guess what- Wait, are you alone right now?” 
You looked around. There were at least 8 people still in the room. “No,” you mumbled.
“Find somewhere empty!”
“Why?”
“Because this is embarrassing, and I cannot have some randos listening in!” Your sister urged and you pinched the bridge of your nose, considering just hanging up and dealing with repercussions. Finally you gathered enough will to go ‘okay, fine’, and then you left the interview room. 
You entered a hallway, that, sadly, contained more people. You poked your head in through several doors, but none were empty. 
“Are you alone yet?” 
“No!” 
You finally gave up on the building itself and exited, pleased to see a dark and shadowy, but empty alley. You sighed in relief. 
“Alright, I’m alone.” 
“Great, alright, so-” 
Your sister told her story with much enthusiasm, and you had to admit it was both pretty funny and embarrassing for your sister. It was worth it to have entered the alley, you decided, when she was finished. 
“Alright, I’ll see you later, Y/n. Have fun!” 
“Thanks, bye!” 
You hung up. Your stomach growled and you groaned, realizing the extent of your hunger. Taking a few steps forward to leave the alley, you suddenly bumped into someone. You looked up in shock.
An old man, maybe 50 or so, was standing there, smiling at you knowingly. Just as you were about to apologize, he spoke: “You’re a pretty little one, aren’t you?” 
You were stunned. “Uh-” 
“What do you say you and I have some fun?” his voice was low and wet and raspy. He licked his lips. You gulped and shook your head, not trusting yourself to speak confidently. 
You ducked your head, trying to simply walk past him and avoid an uncomfortable situation. The man reached out and grabbed your arm, swinging you back to face him, angrily. You yelped. 
“You don’t get to just walk away, now, baby,” you were so scared, you were shaking, your eyes were rimming with tears, and your heart was pounding. Alarms were blaring in your head. You were revolted by him and his hand on your arm. 
“I said, let’s have some fun,” he spat and reached his hand up to touch your cheek. He chuckled dryly when a tear escaped your eye. You shook your head, whispering a ‘no’. 
The man pushed you up against the brick wall. A switch flipped inside you, and you did the only thing you could think of: Scream.
Meanwhile, James was starting to wonder where you were. He was sitting alone at lunch, chewing sadly on his salad. 
He decided to find you, knowing you were always the most excited about lunch (or any meal for that matter), and that it was highly unlikely you would let a phone call keep you away from your precious calories.
“Y/N?” he called, walking through the interviewing room and into the hallway. “Y/n?” 
“Oh, Y/n L/n? They went outside,” a man with a clipboard said, pointing to a heavy, grey door. James nodded a thank you, pushing through the door. 
He came out, sun shining on his face, and birds chirping sweetly, just in time to hear your ear-piercing scream. 
Admittedly, it was a very scary sound. James’ first thought was not that it was you, just a poor woman in a bad situation (and of course he would help). You and James had a mostly silly and funny friendship. There were very few moments of sincerity and seriousness between you, so the thought that it could be you, your petrified scream, was impossible. Because you were you. Y/n.
But it was you. James was frozen for a moment. You were pressed between the old man and the brick wall, thrashing and crying, but the man was much stronger than you. He brought a wrinkly, disgusting hand over your mouth and whispered breathlessly: “Shut up, you stupid whore.”
James didn’t think, like he so rarely did when upset, rather strolled up to the man and, mutely, sucker-punched the creep right in the mug. 
The old man stumbled back, grasping his face and groaning. James was seeing red. His entire body was tensed, and then he took two quick steps, and the hit him again. The old man’s body jerked and he fell to the ground. 
James lifted his fist to hit him again, when he felt a hand on his arm. Your hand. He turned to look at you, eyes softening when he saw your red, wetted eyes, and your features twisted into anguish.
No words were spoken between the two of you, you just simultaneously fell into a hug. You wanted to stay there, but you were shaking. You couldn’t feel safe when the man was on the ground right next to you, curled up like a shrimp. 
You pulled back, glancing at the man. “C-Can we go?”
James nodded. He turned back to man once more, elegantly kicked him in the dick (another scream sounded, this time the man’s response to having his balls crushed), and the grabbed your hand and marched out of there. 
You sniffled and, though entirely and irreversibly distraught, giggled at the action. James pulled open the grey door and pushed you both inside. The man with the clipboard was still there, clipboarding.
“Hey, call security, there’s a fucking rapist out there, he needs to be arrested,” James said and the clipboard man was not ready for this, eyes widening, looking at James, then you, then his clipboard and then the door. Then he nodded, like he was given a great and burdening task.
James pushed you further along, past all the questioning eyes (you were rather disheveled), and into the break room. His salad sat lonesomely on the dining table. 
When you two were alone in the break room, he turned towards you and hugged you again, You hugged him back and allowed yourself fall apart. You cried and shook.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, N/n,” he whispered. It was only then he felt the severity of the situation dawn on him. “It’ll be alright. He’ll be arrested. You’re safe. Nothing like that will ever happen to you again.”
You nodded into his chest, sobbing. “T-Thank you, James.”
“It’s nothing. It’s nothing at all. I would do that a million times if it meant keeping you safe.” 
You nodded again. 
He held you for a few minutes. You felt safe there, but something inside you still felt so wrong. 
“I’m sorry you have to see me like this,” you whispered when you stopped crying. James looked at you like you were crazy. 
“Y/n? Are you kidding me? That man just- He just- You have every right to cry. Every right to ‘be like this’, whatever that means. If you weren’t crying, I’d be more concerned!” He looked in your eyes as he spoke, hands gently on your shoulders. 
“Alright.”
“Alright?”
“Yeah.” 
“Well, how about I bring you back to the hotel, so you can relax a bit,” James suggested gently. You nodded shyly, but then:
“Don’t I need to speak to the police?” 
“You’ll speak to them, when you’re ready to. They can come find you at the hotel, alright?” 
“Alright.”
James drove you back to the hotel and stayed with you while you dozed off. The police came during your slumber, and James asked them, quietly, if they could come back later, and that you really needed rest. They reluctantly agreed to wait outside. 
It turned out the man was a serial rapist, finding young teens out alone at night and having his way with them. He’d apparently slipped through the law’s cracks by moving from state to state. 
You could care less who he was and what he did. It was impossible to tell how you’d deal with it and how you’d move forward, you were just happy James had been there that day, and happy he stayed with you as you moved forward.
You knew that the road to being happy and healthy would be much tougher without him there. Luckily, James cared for you endlessly, and he’d search every alley in the world to make sure you were okay. :)
___________________________
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partywithgyu · 4 years ago
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It's Nice To Have A Friend.
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☁Member: Choi Beomgyu.
☁About: One shot. Friends to Lovers. gn!reader.
☁Genre: Fluff. A little angst too.
☁W/C: 1970.
‹•.•›
 
"I don't want to," whined baby Beomgyu as he hid behind his mother.
Encouraging Beomgyu to make friends was a task. He would want to play all the time just not with others. The little kid didn't feel the need to have a friend. His mother knew better. "Why not? Go make a friend. It's nice to have a friend." "No. I-" "Then no playing. Let's go home and study."
Studying was the worst, to him. So, a few glances, to and fro from his mother to you, later he sighed. He made up his mind. Making a friend was way better than going home and studying. 
He made his way to your little self, building a sand castle. Around you were your toys, colorful. He really liked the idea of playing with you now that he had seen the toys. Kids are simple minded after all. He just stood there, waiting for you to look over. You were too busy, filling up the bucket with wet sand. He watched the way you turned it upside down, then lifted it. There was a beautiful sand castle. "Wow. That's awesome." You looked at him, smiling. "I know." You seemed nice enough to let him play with your toys. He smiled. "Hello. I'm Beomgyu."
"Hello. I am y/n. Nice to meet you," you introduced yourself on your first day at the new elementary school. The students replied to the greeting. The teacher said a few kind words. Then, you thanked the class before heading to the bench your friend had saved for you. The one you had spent your evenings, building castles with. 
The stories of fighting, dragons and mythical creatures you two could act out sometimes. Once they seemed silly, you two turned to other games. Mostly, you guys would play hide and seek. To him it was great to have your fun company during the breaks. "We'll have a great time," whispered your friend, Beomgyu. "Yes," you said excitedly. It was always fun to play with you. You just made him so happy. He would even walk past your hiding spot, pretending to not know you're hiding there, just to watch you smile proudly later. 
Proudly you smiled, when you managed to get yourself to speak to another classmate. He was a cool kid. So, approaching him seemed rather difficult. To Beomgyu, it was unnecessary. He didn't like the way you looked at the other boy so fondly as you spoke to him. You held onto your bag, nervously fidgeting. "Goodbye," said the boy. "Bye. See you tomorrow," you waved. As if taking your attention away from Beomgyu wasn't enough, he had to wink at you before showing a peace sign. Gosh. Beomgyu wished he was as cool. If he was cool, you would be crushing on him, he thought. Then he questioned to himself the reason. It was easy to jump to the conclusion that he perhaps had a crush on you. It didn't seem like a big deal to him. It was normal to have crushes, he had been told. Waving your hand before his face, you spoke to him. "Earth to Beomgyu." 
"Earth to y/n," he said as he waved in hand in front of your face. It was during middle school, that you had been asked out on a date only to get stood up. The guy was an ass, your bestie had warned you. Like a fool, you ignored the warning. No wonder you were sitting by yourself in the café, zoned out. 
"I told you," said Beomgyu. You sighed. "I know you did. I just didn't expect him to not even show up. He asked me out himself," you started saying to the boy who took a seat before you. "I showed up," he stated. He did show up. He always did. You thought about it, while he went through the menu. Beomgyu always showed up whenever you needed him. He was there for you all the time. On days when anxious thoughts took over you minds, you would text him. He wouldn't reply to them immediately if he was busy but he would always take his time to read them. He would reply to everything so well. That's because he cared. He never failed to show how much he cared. "Do you want the regular?," he asked, gaining your attention. "Yes." 
He knew you so well. That's the reason, a week later, he could tell that something was on your mind. He didn't know the reason but he knew that he didn't like seeing you like that. When you went over to the arcade with him, he could tell you weren't as excited to play the games. He didn't want to force you to speak up. So, he waited. As expected, you did speak up, once you two were out of the arcade. "Beomgyu," you said slowly. "You'll be my friend even if someone I don't get along with asks you out, right?," you asked nervously. 
It was during break time that you learned about a rather popular classmate's crush on your bestie. It was weird for you because you never really thought of Beomgyu not being your friend at some point. He was always there when you thought of the future. "Who likes me?," he asked you, curiously. "Why? You'll ditch me for a hot person?," you asked him. He stopped walking when he saw your face. This was the first time you had acted even a little possessive. He liked this. "Never," he said with a huge smile. "You're stuck with me forever." A big grin could be seen on your face too. "As annoying as you are, that sounds good." 
"Told you you're stuck with me forever," stated Beomgyu with a smile. He recalled the statement he made, on this day as the two of you received your college acceptance. "Wow. I can't believe you both are going to the same college too," said his mother as she kept a plate of snacks on the table before you. You were seated on the couch. "Thank you for the snacks," you said to her. The churros looked delicious as always. Often, she'd make them for you. She smiled at you. "I should thank you. He studied hard because of you. I thought he was joking when he said he wanted to go to the same college as you," she said, making blood rush to Beomgyu's cheeks. Well, that was a plan. It was something you had told him during a late night text chat. He really put efforts to be with you. 
It took efforts to gather the courage to hold your hand while walking past the group of cool kids from your class. There were many amazing people in the college he had gotten to know about. Often, he found himself wondering why you would still spend time with him. Not like he would have it any other way. You looked at your hand in his, confused. He never really held your hand while walking. The expression on his face was so casual. "What happened?," you asked him. "What?" "We never hold hands while walking," you stated a little awkwardly. "Right. It's very cold nowadays. I think we should hold hands," he reasoned shyly. You noticed the way his ears turned pink. Taking it as a sign he developed feelings, just like you had for him, you smiled. "We should. I like it." 
 He refused to hold your hand on the night he got into a fight. It wasn't you he fought with. It was an annoying classmate, who always picked on him. Still, he was a little annoyed at you for some other reason. "I just didn't know what to say," you explained to the boy who didn't even seem to feel bad about ignoring your hand. You were speaking the truth though. 
The two of you were at a karaoke party with your friends. It was something you guys enjoyed doing. Since there were many of you, you were bound to get carried away in conversations with other people. That's what was happening, when a girl came in to let you and your talking buddies know that there was a fight outside. You rushed out to see Beomgyu being held back. The situation really was a little overwhelming. 
"You didn't even stand up for me," he retorted as you two continued walking to his car. "I didn't need to. The fight had been diffused," you explained. "You didn't hear his comment when you came there?," he questioned. The two of you stopped before his car. You had indeed heard the other guy's comment. "God knows how y/n even deals with you," he had commented. You ignored it. Well, another friend had told him to shut up before dragging him away. So, you didn't even have to. "I didn't sit and argue with him but I came to you, right?," you explained. "Why would I care about that clown when I had you to care about?" 
He didn't say anything as he got into the driver's seat. Once seated in the seat beside his, you turned to him to talk. "Seat belt," he reminded, cutting you off. You sighed as you put in on and then turned to him. "Listen. I know he's a jerk. That's why I didn't care to respond to his comment. All I care about is that you know that you're precious to me," you explained to him softly. He turned to you on hearing you call him that. He liked it. He liked the idea of being precious to you. "I am precious to you?," he asked, as warmth collected on his cheeks. "Yeah. I idiots like you are rare. I meant that. You're like a unique breed of an idiot," you explained with clear panic in your tone. You were trying to cover up the feelings you had expressed. He frowned. "Dummy," he commented in response. 
"You're precious to me too," he added. "That's why I didn't like it when he said that. I don't want you to get tired of me." He looked straight ahead as he let you know about the fear. "Beomgyu, I won't. You matter so much to me. Can't you tell I am in love with you?" The confession made him gulp before turning his head to face you. You bit your lips nervously. "You love me?," he asked in disbelief. You nodded. "I understand if---" "I love you too." You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding. It took a few seconds to let the confessions sink in. Then, there were the biggest smiles on both your faces. "Wow. I mean, that was scary. I was like what do I do if he doesn't like me," you went on. 
He leaned forward to place a kiss on your cheek only to be held back by the seat belt. "Ah. Damn it," he muttered. You could only laugh at that all thanks to the adrenaline. "Why are you laughing?," he pouted. You just shook your head as you pressed your lips together. "I--. Let's just go home," he muttered as he started the engine of his car. Soon the two of you were on the road. That moment was beautiful. There were people still on the street. The city was awake. The lights around were pretty. Prettiest to him was you. You, the person he had been falling for, loved him back. It was magical how happy you made him.
"Mom was right. It's nice to have a friend."
‹•.•›
To head to my masterlist click here.
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danddymaro · 4 years ago
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Afraid | Loki x Reader
She didn’t think he was afraid of anything, but of course she was wrong.
Fluff 
Flashbacks are in italics : Example
Thoughts are italics  in quotes : ‘Example’
word count: 1172
Afraid
It’d taken him far too long to open up, even moreso to speak on matters that dealt with his heart, but eventually, he found the ease needed to reveal more about himself, so long as the other person at the end of the conversion was the (h/c) haired young woman now sitting beside him.
It’d happened by chance, where a single lonesome night from a distant memory marked their first meeting, 
“It’s you...” She said with wide eyes, gazing at him with obvious surprise. 
‘Of all people,’ She thought to herself, wondering if somehow, it had been fated.
‘Is this some sort of sign?’ She mindlessly wondered.
“Oh, were you expecting anyone else?” He asked her, moving to stand beside her, basking under the same moonlight she did, soon being gracefully touched by the same chilly breeze. 
“No,” She admitted, shaking her head with a little airy giggle of amusement, 
‘And that’s what’s so funny about it,’ She inwardly mused, ‘You’re just the person I wanted to see...’ She went on.
“ It’s just that, I was just thinking of you,” she revealed to him, and the sudden, daring admittance made him chuckle, “Oh really?” He questioned her, doubting her, because he was no one to her, and vise versa. 
They were just strangers, strangers who inhabited the same space and occasionally said a word or two to each other.
 “Yeah,” She muttered, noticing the dismissive way he brushed her comment aside, obviously not believing her. 
‘Is it that so strange?’ She wondered, ‘Do you really think that no one here worries?’ She wondered, knowing that of course it’d all been a rocky start, but it was understandable given the circumstances he was introduced with.
It wasn’t an immediate welcome, but a gradual one, one she’d hoped he took notice of, but apparently, wasn’t so clear in the long run.
“ Honestly, I’ve been wondering about how you’re feeling,” She confessed, and as she said that, he looked down at her with narrowed eyes, trying to see if she had any aim, anything that was a giveaway to an ulterior motive, but he found none. 
Instead, he found honest (e/c) colored eyes staring back at him, the woman that possessed them waiting with a friendly expression that had welcome written all over it.
“- Well enough,” He answered back, soon taking his eyes off of her, instead, occupying himself with gazing up at the starless sky, and she would have followed up, but somehow, she felt it fitting to fall into silence. relaxing aside him, silently admiring his beauty and calm.
He didn’t seem to mind, and she took it as a loose invitation to stay.
‘No reason to leave right?’ She asked herself, enjoying the moment instead, not wanting to go back just yet.
There hadn’t been any words in exchange at first, only long quiet moments filled with company that later on turned into mindless idle talk that finally evolved into true conversations.
Little jokes and musings turned into childhood memories, and long days were relieved by those simple, simplistic talks, all to a point that eventually, the meaninglessness had gained importance in both thier minds.
He knew he could trust her, confide in her all of the little things that, until then, he’d kept silent, and the very idea was lovely to him because, before her, he felt that he was alone.
“- When I discovered my parentage, I was afraid.” The dark-haired male admitted with a soft, forlorn smile gracing him, his eyes touched with a mist of sadness that dimmed the glowing emeralds.
The sudden topic stunned her, and slowly, as she took in his words and let them saturate, she found herself wondering, 
“Afraid?” (f/n) breathed softly, her (e/c) colored eyes drawing up to his lovely face, eyeing him attentively, capturing the vulnerable look that tenderized her heart furthermore.
‘You?’ She mused, not having thought it possible.
“ - Deeply frightened, “ he breathed, his smile still touched with sorrow that still remained.
“Of what?” she asked him, soon, inching her hand closer to his, before overlapping it, the action causing his entire face to grow warmer.
‘You can tell me,’ She silently encouraged him, attentively listening, though having one thing to admit, 
“ I didn't think you'd be afraid of anything, “ she said while smiling, truthfully admitting to him that all in all, she’d always thought of him as fearless.
‘ What could you be afraid of?’ She wondered. 
And at that, he brought his eyes down to hers, the (e/c) colored eyes connected with his before his other hand moved to caress her cheek, the touch both light and sweet as it was executed.
“ You Think the world of me... don't you?” he asked her with realization, looking down at her as though she were a newly discovered treasure.
Not answering, she blushed, both the touch and realization affecting her.
‘I think so,’ She accepted. 
‘I mean, you’re not perfect,’ She reasoned. ‘ I know you aren’t. I’ve caught enough of the real you to know that. But even then, I can’t help but think so highly of you,’ She thought with featherlight amusement.
'I don't really know why,' She then added.
“Silly girl….” He said while beginning to lean down, stopping himself just a hair strand away from her lips,
‘Wait, what am I-’
Mid-way though he stopped, the sudden instinct to lean into her broken by his better senses and reasoning that slowly flooded in after the instinct.
He felt foolish before he realized that she had taken it upon herself to meet him the rest of the way, and at that, he instantly melted, the doubt that had settled over him slowly dying out.
“Loki..” She said softly, worriedly peering up at him, “Just what are you so afraid of?” She then asked him, her heart aching at his hesitance.
‘It was unexpected...but doesn't it fill you with the same excitement?’ She wondered while a sleeping part of her was roused out of it’s slumber.
He then took a moment to reflect upon the question, racking his mind on what was most important, and what much more, had haunted him throughout their time together, 
‘If I come and find this spot empty,‘ He started, not wanting to share a night with anyone else. ‘I know I wouldn’t find rest,’ he continued, all while looking down at her.
‘I know you could never be replaced,’ he then added, ‘So, of course, I’m afraid,’ He mused.  
‘ was this bound to happen?’ He wondered, letting the little, magnetic draw finally overwhelm him, and letting what needed to happen, just happen. 
"Certainly not this,” He murmured, his eyes slowly coming close before he lay a soft press to her awaiting lips. 
“- Loki,” She then said, “You can tell me anything, I’ll stay and listen,” She assured him. 
‘I’ll hold your hand throughout all of it...and yet, still think the world of you.
After all...It’s been you that I’ve been waiting for.’ 
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incorrect-ikevamp-quotes · 4 years ago
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hi I'm back again. Anyways; as always you don't have to answer if you don't wish! How do you think the residents would react to a young Pureblood MC? (I'm talking about young like a minor.) With that Gen Z in a nutshell personality. Obviously no romantic feelings, just in your opinion how do you think they'd react? all of my questions are just "coincidentally" oddly specific aren't they, totally
Oh shit whaddup I love the idea of Gen Z MC!!! Young pureblood it is, here we go! I’m going to be moving from the assumption that they’re like Comte/Leo; very sympathetic to humanity and sometimes have existential crises (trauma babeyyyyyyyyy). As such, I’ll also be assuming she’s not super close to her family given she rejects the larger vampiric hierarchy/superiority paradigm, memes and modernity, all that jazz
I hope this fits the bill! c:
Under a cut bc is a lonnnnnnng boi~ Click after Napo to see everyone else’s! No explicit triggers that I’m aware of, but if anybody sees anything I missed feel free to let me know
Comte’s reaction:
Absolute baby, he has decided this is his grandchild--no he will not change his mind or take constructive criticism. Get’s ESPECIALLY concerned when he starts to see signs of that “nothing in life matters 😎” nihilism, but doesn’t pester them about it or becomes naggy. Growing up he had similar issues with the prospect of eternal life surrounded by creatures with a mortal lifespan, so he doesn’t judge. He’s more like nah we all hit that vibe, let’s see if we can get their mind off it c: I feel like Gen Z really understand and appreciate the importance of culture and art, so I feel like they would bond a ton over trips to museums/plays/concerts! Invites them to tea time if he ever sees them particularly silent (ah yes, repression) or particularly tired, and does his best to ensure their safety without being intrusive (has briefed the men to escort/accompany her as needed, though Sebas usually does it).
If he sees fangs out around baby he will thrash the shit out of the perpetrator--unless it’s an accident. No excuses. That’s a child. Doesn’t give a FUCK if they’re another pureblood even with all the arranged marriage bullshit. He said what he said. (Remember that biting between vampires or vampire + human relations is considered something that’s only done between intimate partners, so he is having none of that for a minor)
Leonardo’s reaction:
Also certified granddad, but he’s the one that enables shenanigans and is just like “oh worm” when it comes to the existential dread (it’s a Tuesday). At first though Leo is basically that meme like: (Stupidman = Leo, Maddie = MC)
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Not all purebloods are necessarily dangerous, but most are either incredibly indifferent to the plight of others (especially humans) or actively range from like playing social mind games to being sociopathic murderers/etc. the list goes on. As such, Leonardo is suspicious to no end until he sees that the kid really doesn’t have any ill will in her. She jokes with Sebas (they quote vines on the daily) and works with him normally; even when Leo asks Sebas he’s just “????? bro she’s just my kouhai, thanks for worrying tho”. One day he’s tasked with escorting her to grab groceries and assorted things for the mansion, and she freezes in place before bolting across the street. Turns out she saw a kid trip in the road and fall, and a carriage was moving fast from the other side--it likely wasn’t going to be able to stop. She scoops up the kid and holds them close, and when the parents try to thank her profusely she just seems more uncomfortable with the praise than triumphant. She didn’t want the kid to get hurt. If she could do something about it, it was as simple as that.
From that point on they’re hella chill and hang out together, usually just bonding in silence. If they’re an artist, he’ll offer them pointers and technique manuals--will help however he can. If not, they’ll just be reading together in the library now and again. If she falls asleep, he’ll tuck her in and watch over her (cue red eye meme when the door opens, but then it’s just Vincent so he c:). He’ll often pay close attention to her eating habits to make sure nothing’s amiss with her health since she’s still a growing pureblood. If she struggles with what she is a lot (given she’s sympathetic to human beings) he’ll synchronize his Rouge drinking with hers to make sure she doesn’t starve herself ;-;. Even if she’s just forgetful about drinking/eating, he’ll do what he can to make her life easier (that’s how he shows his affection uwu)
He will, of course, also tease her about being a baby until she kicks him in the shin while Comte sighs and tells him to knock it off with a smack upside the head
Napoleon’s reaction:
Not granddad energy, but you better believe he’s in a weird territory between sheer admiration and “I am your older brother now, eat your vegetables” “But I don’t even need vegetables” “Eat your vegetables and I’ll take you to a crepe shop” “............deal” 
Basically it’s unlikely MC is super close to her siblings or even has any (pureblood children are a rare feat) so she’s like......wary, but then she just ???? this is.....kinda nice? Just having somebody that cares in a chill way, but still fully encourages her to throw men across the street if they’re hurting women/children (high fives her every time). He’ll often invite her to the swordplay lessons with the kids alongside Isaac’s teaching; she’s free to join in the learning, or honestly just hang out with people closer to her age (he’s v concerned about her having friends that she can relate to and talk to freely). 
Protective in a subtle way, like Leonardo. Escorts her places and helps her carry groceries without fail when Sebas is running other errands. She becomes his crepe shop cover buddy whenever he has an intense hankering for sweets: “wanna go to that crepe shop around the corner” “you’re just too chicken to go alone, fool” “do you want crepes or not nunuche” “............BOKBOKBOK” “aight that’s it **gives her a noogie**” (they go anyway and have a marvelous time rating the crepes from best to worst, they got a whole list goin’) 
Glares Arthur down if he so much as LOOKS in her direction
Mozart’s reaction:
Mozart is just the “what is with this sassy, lost child?” meme. Doesn’t dislike them, but they are just not remotely threatened by his haughty disdain by any extension. And he HATES IT. The MC is always just “Okay, boomer” and he just ?????? He doesn’t know what it means but it’s openly dismissive, so he mad.
Like idk if y’all know this meme, but it’s the same energy as:
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It’s only when he notices she’s always punctual and careful with his requests that he starts to warm up. For example, she makes him a mocha by combining the way he likes his coffee and hot cocoa to perfection when he falls asleep at his piano. (She feels bad for him after Comte explains because--though he’s got a stick up his butt--he’s clearly distressed in his new surroundings ;-; Plus, the kind of perfectionism Mozart exudes is an extension of internalized shame, and when she begins to see that she really shifts her approach.) As such, he begins to soften to her presence. He begins to see that she isn’t indifferent to his existence, it’s more that she sees no need for intimidation and believes admiration is earned (basic respect isn’t a privilege, it’s a right). When he figures that out, he stops being so barbed and terse--starts to relax. Offers to let her stay and listen to his pieces if she wants, and she’s honestly touched given his clear struggle with vulnerability. Cuddles with Schelm at the window as he plays, and they become good friends. 
As a result, Mozart becomes fiercely protective despite her sturdier nature as a pureblood and has hissed venom at Arthur about the fact that she is off fucking limits. Doesn’t leave her alone in the same room as the other men unless it’s with Jeanne or Comte; he don’t trust like that.
Arthur’s reaction:
Sweating a lot at the sudden collection of baleful eyes sticking to his back everywhere he goes, but figures he brought it on himself to an extent. That being said, he can’t really get a word in edgewise given she just walks away when he tries to engage in conversation or compliment her.
Tough nut to crack this one, but he doesn’t let it discourage him. The only way she’ll give him the time of day is to play chess--and she kicks his ass soundly every single time. He’s fascinated by her extensive analytic ability, but she keeps silent about her strategies and thinking. Dazai and Theo always love to watch him get his ass handed to him, but he considers it a really interesting experience; it gives him insight into her mind, no matter how much she tries to hide. Patient, efficient, brutal--this kid has seen some shit, probably.
It’s after that point he just concedes she probably won’t let him in, though it doesn’t diminish his curiosity about the future; and perhaps traces of dread. What does the future look like for both her and Sebastian to be that stoic and aloof? It worries him...
Vincent’s reaction:
Vincent is v v impressed by her sense of self, and honestly sees a lot of Theo in her. She’s a little more reticent than Theo, but she has this same commitment to protecting the vulnerable and penetrating through the lies/shitty convictions of others. She is not a person who bends easily, but even so there’s a quiet kind of gentleness to her: she always chats to him v calmly, asks if he needs anything and is doing okay, doesn’t get impatient when he drops things or forgets his apron for the laundry. I think he would respond very positively to her presence, even if it wasn’t intentional. He just brightens up like a little sun and asks her out to picnics for fun; he has no greater intention than enjoying her smile and silly antics (he doesn’t always understand the references, but the way she executes it with so much dry wit--like Theo--makes him laugh). He just feels the warmth of family/familiarity around her ;~;
Ironically, they’re both exceedingly concerned for the other because they’re too self-sacrificing jkashlgdks like this is 100% a case of “I can’t let a young lady risk getting hurt” “Vincent I’m literally indestructible please just let me do this” “But it still hurts” “But I don���t want you to scar--” (This conversation extends so long that the author felt it would be more beneficial to add an etc. here). 
He admires her and trusts in her abilities more due to the nature of her maturity, treats her like a cherished friend and sometimes younger sibling (not condescending but very indulgent; gives her the last of his sweets for example, or pats her on the head when she’s feeling gloomy--more of a wholesome puts her first). But make no mistake, he will throw hands in milliseconds if she gets ganged up on or can’t handle a threat--he just lets her handle most things bc she’s capable~
Isaac’s reaction:
Torn. Because on the one hand, she’s very serious and conscientious about her work--doesn’t want to inconvenience or trouble anyone--and he relates to that heavy.
HOWEVER.
She’s also got insanely chaotic energy when the mood strikes, so when Dazai starts doing his random shitfuckery you better believe MC is upping the ante. (I’m talking AH. ENSLAVED MOISTURE. levels). So Isaac essentially oscillates between thankful for her fortitude to bashing his head against a table for every second he knows her.
In all seriousness though, I would see Isaac as being pretty concerned. Like Vincent, they’re both self-sacrificing to a fault--and he doesn’t want that for her, especially given how young she is. Often tells her not to overdo it or to ask for help if she looks overwhelmed, though it’s not condemning; he says it softly with a neutral look on his face. (He considers it a Certified Mood^TM). He just wants to give back all the care she puts into helping around the house. He doesn’t feel right watching a kid work so hard without reminding her that she should find time to have fun and live for herself too. There will be plenty of time when she’s older to get serious.
He has a fairly easy time interacting with her because of his experience with kids; he takes her seriously (when she’s not clowning) and treats her autonomy with respect. If anything, she’s probably the protective one. She knows he’s an aberrant so she pays laser attention to when he’s suffering and brings him Rouge (not scared because she’s stronger than him and not human lmao, and she sees no need to put Sebastian at risk). When that uni pres pesters him, she goes cold and angry and asks the man to step off when she sees him start to downspiral. They’re essentially on equal footing (he has more life experience, she has more bodily strength/confidence). They're just chill and kind with each other (babies of the mansion, beloved by all).
Theodorus' reaction:
Because he is a manchild, he will be chill/generally indifferent until Vincent starts being indulgent with her (bro-con). He won't be violent or anything like that, but he will pout a storm and try to verbally shoo her away. Because she's a woman, intelligent, and likely a feminist--this will become hilarious because she will not remotely take him seriously. She will just ignore him or roast him in seconds before moving on with her day. Otherwise he doesn't care much because he doesn't have time to play babysitter (unless there's no one else to help).
At the most, he'll make sure she's safe and use the excuse that Vincent would be upset if he did anything less. If she likes/loves dogs and plays with King while she's there, he'll soften up and thank her for taking care of him. If she makes hella pancakes, he'll be the proudest about it--ruffling her hair. If she protects Vincent in any capacity, he'll be torn between jealous, grateful and impressed; he likes a kid that can hold their own and take responsibility within their abilities.
So their relationship is v much like a chill uncle with their niece; fond, but not necessarily super close or spend a ton of time together. He has his priorities, but he won't be an asshat (mostly).
Jeanne's reaction:
Jeanne is confused on so many levels. He doesn't dislike her spunk he's just staggered by her level of sheer reckless, righteous rage. (And he's a bit wary in the face of another pureblood as a potential enemy) but after a bit more time around her he relaxes. She's fairly simple to understand when you get to know her; cares about others to a fault, existential dread, overworks herself. Stays watchful, but he just treats her like the younger kids that Napoleon brings by the weapons shop when they need armor for practice. It can get a little funny because he’ll just be like “uhhhh uh kids like sweet stuff right? Here have some of the macaroons somebody brought by earlier, I don’t like ‘em that much anyway.” And she just “??? Thanks???” He doesn’t mind being around her, just doesn’t really know what to say so they often fall into comfortable silence after exchanging small talk. She likes that he isn’t complicated; what you see is what you get with Jeanne. It’s nice not to have to keep her guard up every second of the day,
When he sees her feeling particularly down, he’ll take her to that little field of white lilies behind the mansion during a full moon night. The silver light seems to make the petals emit an ethereal glow, and she makes him a flower crown in thanks. He listens kindly if she wants to talk, and if she doesn’t--that’s okay too; he’ll just give her a head pat.
Honestly he finds a lot of relief in the fact that she's a pureblood, because he feels less nervous about her being fragile or her getting fatally hurt when he’s not around. Will still be very gentle with her and protect her when she’s in proximity
Mission Status: Fucking Wholesome
Dazai’s reaction:
Big brother time? It’s big brother time!!!! He instantly makes it his subtle mission to look after her, though he’s v lowkey abt it. She takes one look at this depressed mofo climbing in through the window and just goes “aw yeah, this guy FUCKS” and they become besties at a glance. They basically make a game out of who can be the most absurd whenever they’re in the same room. Comte and Leo find it utterly hilarious, Napoleon is digging a grave for Isaac in the backyard (we all know his heart won’t be able to take it. Mozart is probably next. A moment of silence for our fallen.)
I just imagine them like that one post (@/acoolguy):
Dazai: You ever have to shake your leg because there’s a rock in it? MC: That’s your bones Dazai: Every day I learn some more
He’ll always share treats with her and brings her along for walks if she’s feeling wanderlust; he knows how hard it can be, how restless the heart becomes so far from home. He does his best to distract her with their ongoing jokes, but one day it starts raining very suddenly while they’re out. He rushes her under the nearest tree with broad, broad leaves and settles his haori/overcoat over her head. He looks incredibly serious as he looks to the sky--almost glowering at the dark clouds gathering, He doesn’t look at all like his usual fun-loving self in that split second, even though he’s back to his good-natured chirping “Guess we’ll just have to wait out the downpour. MC, are you cold? I should have been more careful.” She shakes her head and shares the coat with him, holding it out insistently until he relents. Their hands brush and she notices they’re freezing, but she doesn’t say anything. She seems to sense he has a lot on his mind, and leans her shoulder against his. The silence feels fragile; she doesn’t want to risk shattering it--shattering him. It is often said that it is an act of great courage to wipe away someone’s tears. But it can also be an act of great gentleness to turn away, to pretend one cannot see them fall (whether visible or not).
One day, after MC returns to her own time, Dazai returns to his room to find two shadows hanging from his window. Though a little crude--they’ve obviously been made by a beginner--it’s clear what they are. Rain ghosts. (Sebastian later explains it was MC’s wish that he have them, and Dazai only smiles very, very gently in response.)
Shakespeare’s reaction:
MC gets one look at him and knows something’s off. She can’t quite tell what it is, but he doesn’t feel like the rest of the family. She can sense something behind him, something lurking; but she can’t quite place it. (Comte has mentioned before that purebloods can sense each other, so I imagine MC knows right off the bat he isn’t a normal sired vampire--she just doesn’t know enough to identify exactly what it is.)
That being said, she is sus. He keeps talking like some kind of weird ass court jester/fae, and she hated his work when she had to do it for school (only enjoyed the Hamlet memes because, let’s be real, that shit is uproarious). When he tries to coax her to see Vlad with him, she says “'Sblood, do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me.” And he just freezes in place before he starts laughing. Considers their battle of wills well-played, and warns her not to go out alone--doesn’t bother her again. Though sometimes enjoys listening to her conversations with others for good roast material. (No he is not taking notes, no this new chara is just fire and feral for no good reason--nothing to do with MC)
Sebastian’s reaction:
The l o r e, MC. Give him the forbidden pureblood lore. Will be incredibly curious and ask about what vampires are like outside of the mansion, for science of course. If he senses discomfort though his questions will die down completely--it’s not his intention to make her uncomfortable. He’s just curious! 
Despite his stoicism he’s actually a very, very understanding and warm person.  Will listen to any teenage jadedness or hopelessness with fond patience, recalling the days he was similar. He’ll offer what advice he can. He’s not one to be preachy, but if he sees someone at a loss, he’ll offer what he thinks might be a productive direction for them. Given her removal from her home and parents--even though she’s already well into high school--he’ll sympathize deeply with her position. Will be a firm but gentle guardian (hello Mansion Mom #2), offers her candy every time she does a chore exceptionally well or offers assistance without prompting. She’s sus and takes it reluctantly at first, but after she tries one in private secretly loves them. Sebas is just silently “you like krabby patties don’t you, squidward”. If she’s honest, she’s comforted by the sense of normalcy and care he gives, the harmless joking and easy respect for others (unless otherwise provoked).
When she finds out about his hobby considers him to be a Fucking Nerd^TM and wants to shove him into a locker, but in reality is endeared by how much he genuinely cares about the men. She thinks it’s a harmless fascination, and she senses the oddest...ephemerality about him. Because of this, she becomes pretty protective; he’s a human and he’s too nice for his own good. While she identifies in one sense, she worries in another. Pureblood are sturdy, but humans can’t necessarily sustain that kind of constant self-giving for long...
Also bc my tag game too strong adding it here: #i love the prospect of pureblood MC trying to bring Sebas and Napo together #MC: bruh i got this #Sebas, full of gay panic: wait, MC nO--
Meme tl;dr in the tags also for your enjoyment! I’m sorry this one took a little longer than most to finish!
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ilovefandoms102 · 4 years ago
Text
Part 4-Shape of My Heart
Pairing: Rudy Pankow x Plus Size Reader
Summary: Falling in love with someone you can never have is the worst feeling in the world...
Taglist:
@jeyramarie​ @drewswannabegirl​ @teamnick​ @jiaraendgame​ @agirlwholovescoffee​ @outerbongs​ @jaxxandcomet​ @velyssaraptor​ @baby-pogue​ @they-write-once-in-a-blue-moon @must-be-a-weasley-92​ @kaitieskidmore1​ @ma10427​ @ifilwtmfc​ @lasnaro​ @justcallmesams​ @judayyyw​ @lonely-kermit​ @gviosca​ @iamaunicorn4704​ @jellyfishbeansontoast​ @fernweh-fangirl​ @runway-to-my-aid @eb15​ @hurricane-abigail​ @tangledinsparkles​ @fandom-phaser​ @sunwardsss​ @http-cherries​ @bibliophilewednesday​ @evaporatedrosepetals​ @thetomatosaucee​ @tomatosauceagent​​
Part 3 Part 5
Note: Thank you guys so much for all the positive feedback on everything! I feel so inspired to write and I have SO many ideas I can’t wait to put out!! Hope you guys enjoy and as always let me know what you think!
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LA clubs were no joke....
The lights were so bright, it almost looked like it was still daytime. People were wrapped around the building waiting to get in. Our group took a special entrance in, Maddie B and C dancing while walking in. They drug me with them, and I couldn’t help but dance along with them. As we were waiting to get our ID’s checked, Rudy wrapped his arms around me. He rocked me back and forth to the beat, both of us singing loudly. 
It might have been my imagination, but I swear I heard Elaine scoff in disgust. I paid no mind to it, Rudy and I were just good friends. She could have him, it’s not like he’d ever want someone that looked like me anyways. 
A round of shots was ordered for all of us, cheering before slugging it back. I felt the effects immediately, the warm feeling shooting through my entire body. While the boys argued over who was going to be put on the tab, I walked further down the bar to order another shot. After I ordered myself a drink, handing the bar tender the cash before walking back to my friends. Rudy whipped his head in my direction, a quizzical look on his handsome face.
“Where did you go?” he asked, eyeing the drink in my hand.
“You all were taking too long,” I shrugged, sipping my drink.
“You’re so impatient.” he rolled his eyes. 
“Y/n come on! Let’s bust a move!” Maddie C shouted while doing an over exaggerated version of the Charleston. 
I downed the rest of my drink, handing my glass to Rudy as I followed the girls out to the dance floor. We had danced to a few songs before the guys eventually joining us, Rudy and Drew making a show of their sweet moves(note the sarcasm). A more provocative song started playing, the girls and I getting more into it. I felt arms around my hips, whipping my head around to see an attractive dude smiling at me. I decided to go with it, the girls nodding at me.
 I normally wouldn’t dance with guys since it made me a tad uncomfortable, but with the drinks I had it blurred those emotions. I felt eyes burning into me as I moved to the music. I looked around to find Rudy with a very unhappy look on his face. I played it off as his protectiveness over a random dude grabbing on to me, not thinking it could be what I wanted it to be. Elaine tried dragging his attention to her, but he paid it no mind as he stared daggers at where the mans hands sat on my waist. 
Maddie B and C were both trying to encourage me to dance on this man, obviously trying to rile up Rudy. I shook my head at them, Maddie C nodding intently. Drew busted into our circle, handing everyone another shot, I downed it the second he handed it to me. My brain became hazier as I felt my anxiety of dancing with a complete stranger fade away. I started to get more into the song, dancing without a care in the world. Cheers erupted as the song ended, giggles coming from the girls and I. 
The next song came on, the guy pulling me further into him. I felt the guys hand’s leave me suddenly, I turned to see Rudy giving him a death stare. I looked confusedly at Rudy who grabbed a hold of me, hearing Maddie B and C cackle in the background. The guy scurried off, Rudy pulling my back to his front. I turned my head to raise a brow at him, he leaned down towards my ear.
“He looked funny,” he said, shouting over the music.
“You’re ridiculous.” I laughed, nevertheless still continuing to dance with him. 
The girls gave me a thumbs up when Rudy wasn’t looking, I flipped them off in return. Rudy twirled me around on the dance floor, taking me into his arms with an enormous grin on his face. We danced to a few more songs before he dragged me back with him to the bar, ordering us more drinks.
“So, how do you feel about your first LA club?” he grinned, clanking our glasses together before taking a sip.
“It’s pretty intense, they definitely don’t go this hard back home.” I giggled, feeling a presence behind me. 
“Rudy, you promised me a dance!” Elaine pouted, grabbing on to his bicep.
“I think I’m danced out El,” he admitted.
“Don’t be such an old man, y/n will be fine right?” she eyed me, obviously wanting some quality time with the man.
“Yeah go on, I’m just going to stay right here.” I shrugged, Rudy looking like he really didn’t want to go with her. 
“Alright,” he sighed, Elaine tugging him with her. 
He glanced back at me, worry in his eyes. I held my drink up, a promise that I wasn’t going anywhere. I sat alone, sometimes one of the Maddie’s or Drew would come check on me. I drank way more than I should have, a feeling of dread taking over me. I started feeling sick, my stomach feeling queasy. I rubbed my forehead, the air around me becoming way too hot. Thankfully, Rudy came back. He noticed my discomfort immediately.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, coming closer to me.
“Sick,” I slurred, his form blurry.
“Do you want to go?” he questioned, a nod coming from me. 
He held on to me as I stumbled out of the club, leading me to his car. He opened the door for me, I sat down my legs still hanging on the outside. I put my head down, nausea creeping up the back of my throat. Rudy crouched in front of me, moving my hair out of my face.
“Queasy?” he guessed.
“I think I drank way too much.” I chuckled, my speech still slightly slurred.
“Now I feel bad for leaving you alone.” he pouted.
“Don’t be silly Ru,” I said. 
“You gonna be alright for the ride home baby?” he asked, a warm feeling traveling through me at the name. 
“I think so,” I sighed, sitting back in the passenger seat.
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We made it back to Chase’s house, thankfully there was no vomiting on the way there. I trekked up the stairs, stumbling my way to my room. Rudy sat on the bed as he watched me gather my stuff to take a shower. He quirked a brow, eyeing me as I made my way to the bathroom.
“Why don’t you just wait to take a shower when you wake up. I don’t want you to fall.” he suggested, getting up to follow me. 
“I can’t sleep unless I feel clean, not even when I’m drunk.” I admitted, setting up everything.
“If you’re not out in 30 minutes, I’m coming in here to sit with you.” he declared.
“Um,” I mumbled, not sure how to respond.
He walked out before I could however, leaving me to my thoughts. I stripped quickly, or as quick as I could. I managed to not fall getting in, holding on the wall when everything started turning upside down. I had to take my time washing my hair since when I would lean my head back, my whole body wanted to follow. I scrubbed my face and body clean, waiting for my conditioner to rinse out. 
“It’s been 30 minutes babe,” Rudy barked, startling me.
“Jesus Rudy! You scared to shit out of me.” I exclaimed, raking my hands through my hair.
“Are you about done?” he questioned, taking a seat on the toilet lid. 
“Yes, can you go away now? I need to get changed.” I huffed, turning the water off.
I grabbed the towel from the hook, drying myself off. I wrapped my hair up in another towel, waiting for Rudy to leave.
“I’ll turn around.” he grumbled.
“Ru,” I groaned.
“I’m not leaving and that’s final.” he griped.
“You irritate me,” I growled, poking my head out from behind the curtain. 
He turned around so I could get out, crossing his arms over his chest. I changed quickly, giving him the ok to turn back. He watched me intently as I did my nightly routine, occasionally asking me why I used what and what it was for. I laughed when he would inspect something intently, reading everything on the product. I made my way back to my room, collapsing on the bed. Rudy laid down beside me, watching as I got comfy.
“Can I stay here with you?” he whispered, a hopeful gleam in his blue eyes.
“I don’t care,” I yawned, closing my eyes. 
He cheered, stripping his shirt before getting under the blankets with me. I felt him scoot closer to me, I cracked one eye open to look at him. He smiled as he laid his head on the pillow next to mine. 
“Night Ru,” I said softly.
“Sweet dreams baby,” he yawned, closing his eyes.
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