#so who the hell would she talk to about them especially when they’re so easy to dismiss as not actually prophetic or just coincidences

[snailvibes]

I feel like people don’t talk about Chloe’s prophetic dream stuff enough (I know why it’s because half this fan base hates bts)

[janeyseymour]

Two Roads Diverged In A Wood

summary: a great valentines day prompt for @jeridandridge

WC: ~2.25

When Melissa broke up with Gary, you couldn’t necessarily state that you were shocked. Were you happy this might mean that you could have your shot with the gorgeous redhead? Perhaps. Did you enjoy seeing the shift in her attitude since very publicly rejecting his proposal of marriage? No. It was quite clear to you that the second grade teacher was miserable. Did she regret her decision? Not in the slightest. Did that make it any easier on her heart? No.

“For what it’s worth,” you lean in and tell her softly. “I think you did the right thing following your heart.”

“Thanks,” Melissa sighs, lips quirked to one side. “Doesn’t make it any easier.”

“I know,” you pat her arm affectionately.

“I gotta pay for the vending machine now too,” the second grade teacher grumbles. “You know how much I was saving not having to pay?”

You can’t help but laugh at that question. Melissa Schemmenti could quite possibly be the only person who would think about something as trivial as paying for her snacks and iced tea after going through a breakup.

“Probably a lot,” you chuckle.

“My body is used to having at least two iced teas a day now,” the redhead rolls her eyes. “I can’t afford that.”

When there’s an iced tea sitting on her desk for the next two weeks when she gets in, she just smiles softly to herself and thanks you quietly once she enters the staff lounge. 

As it would be, breaking up with somebody you’ve been in a relationship with for a few years sucks. It sucks even more when Melissa remembers that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. The redhead is only reminded of this when everyone is talking about what they’re doing for the holiday.

“Melissa, you’re always more than welcome to join Gerald and me,” Barbara offers kindly, although she knows Melissa won’t take her up on it.

“I ain’t crashin’ your Valentines,” the second grade teacher quips. “I’ll do a lot of things, but I ain’t doin’ that.”

“You always know that you’re able to,” Barb tells her best friend. 

“I… uh, I don’t have any plans other than to paint and watch television if you just wanted to come over and veg out with me,” you offer quietly. 

“That’d be really nice,” Melissa says softly, and she nudges you gently as a thank you.

Once lunch is over, Barbara practically swarms her work wife. “You’re really going to go over to Y/N’s?”

The redhead shrugs. “I think it’ll be a nice reprieve from all of the hectic-ness of Valentine’s Day, especially this year.”

“You think that’s a smart idea? To go over to her house when she’s part of the reason you broke it off with Gary in the first place?”

Melissa bites her lip nervously, but she doesn’t say anything. Again, she just looks to her friend and gives half a shrug in response. 

Valentine’s Day, as it always is, is chaotic as ever. The Abbott crew just barely manages to avoid another Halloween candy fiasco again. You send the sugar-high children off to reign hell on the streets or with their parents with a relieved sigh. Over lunch, you had told your redheaded guest she could head over anytime after 5. And now that you’re leaving, you figure that maybe you should stop by the store to make this significantly more difficult holiday easier to bear for the second grade teacher.

It’s not the most difficult thing in the world to shop for Melissa. You know she prefers red wine, so you grab a bottle of that. Flowers are easy- she likes anything pink, red, or white. You grab a bouquet of roses dotted with a few baby’s breath and hope that she likes them. Chocolate is always a hit with anyone. You do opt for some of the nicer chocolate and grab a pack of strawberries. Maybe the two of you can decorate some together. With a sigh, you throw a bag of white chocolate chips into the basket. If that doesn’t seem like the right move though, you do place a container of tiramisu in your cart as well. As for dinner, you had told her that you were planning on just ordering takeout, and you stick to your word.

By the time you get home and haul your groceries into the house, the clock is reading 4:50. Ready to be out of your work attire, you tell yourself you’ll put everything away while you’re waiting for the redhead. A few moments later, you’re descending back down the steps and into the kitchen with your pink sweatpants on and a comfortable hoodie. Sliding your slippers on as you go, you go about putting everything away. You’re interrupted a few minutes later to the doorbell ringing, and your phone going off with a text to let you know that Melissa had arrived. 

“It’s open!” you call as you finish putting everything away. No sooner do you hear the front door open, and your colleague is kicking off her shoes at the front door. “Kitchen!”

Footsteps approach, and when you turn with the flowers that you had bought for the woman, Melissa smiles softly.

“Those are gorgeous. Who got you those?”

“They’re for you, dumb ass,” you smirk as you hand them over. “Happy Valentine’s Day.” 5She instinctively smells them, the smile on her face only getting sweeter.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Melissa whispers, although you can tell the small act practically made her day.

“I didn’t,” you chuckle. “Now, what do you want to order for dinner?”

Once the two of you have finally decided on dinner (it ends up just being Chinese takeout), you reach for the wine glasses and the bottle of wine that you picked up for the occasion.

“You don’t like this wine,” Melissa notes softly as she watches you expertly open her preferred drink and pour her a serving.

“I don’t,” you chuckle. Then you reach for the cabinet again and pull out your own glass of wine. “But you do, so…”

“Did you pick up this bottle specifically for me?”

You shrug with a smile and lead the redhead to the couch. On the table, there are a few different canvases for the two of you to pick from, different brushes, paints, and old takeout containers filled with water.

“You paint?” the second grade teacher raises a brow.

A bit shy, you point to the elegant landscape above your television. “I painted that.”

Green eyes widen and turn to you with shock. “So what the hell are you doing being a teacher?”

“It’s just a hobby of mine,” you chuckle. “All for fun.”

“Well, I sure as hell can’t paint like that,” the redhead looks to you.

And as supportive as ever, you just give her an encouraging smile. “That’s the great thing about art and painting. It doesn’t have to look like that. As long as you, or someone who is lucky enough to see it, feels something when they look at it, it’s art.”

“You would say something like that,” Melissa rolls her eyes playfully. “And mean it so earnestly too.”

You just continue to smile as you pick up a brush. You silently push your coworker to pick up her own brush, which she does.

“What are you planning on painting?” Melissa asks you.

“I don’t have much in my kitchen, so I’m thinking just some little canvases to hang… think silly home goods sayings,” you chuckle. And with that, you reach for a canvas, reach for a bottle of paint, and get to work.

You only work for a few minutes on one canvas, painting cow-like spots in pinks and browns on it, before moving to another and doing the same to another canvas. And while you’re waiting for your work to dry, you see that Melissa is simply watching you.

“I thought we were doing this together,” you note as you reach for your wine glass and take a sip.

Red hair swishes from one side to the other. “I- the way you work is… wow. I could never do that.”

Your brow furrows. “What do you mean?”

“So freely… in silence.”

If silence is the issue, you can sure as hell fix that. “I’ll be right back.”

You miss the way those striking green eyes are trained on your ass. But you’re back in a  few seconds with a guitar in one hand and a ukulele in another. Perfectly drawn on brows lift.

You don’t give her a verbal answer, only sit down, silently instruct her to pick up her brush again, and begin to play a soft tune on the guitar. Your voice begins to lay over the instruments beautifully, and after a few minutes, Melissa’s canvas is covered in beauty- that’s the only way you can describe it. You set your instrument down with a satisfied smile.

“See? You just needed some inspiration. That’s beautiful,” you compliment quietly.

Your colleague rolls her eyes. “It’s a bunch of colors.”

“But you felt something while I was singing, right?” you ask. “You were moved and let it all flow through you?”

The redhead glances down at her canvas. And it looks… she’s somewhat impressed with how nicely she blended the colors. “Yeah. But now I don’t know what to do.”

It’s then that the doorbell rings, and your dinner has arrived. The meal is pleasant, conversation flowing easily between the two of you. It also gives you a chance to let your partially finished painting dry.

Once you’re finished cleaning up your takeout containers, you smile at the redhead and pour her a bit more wine. Then you pick up your paint brush.

“You’re adding more?” she asks.

“Just the last few details,” you chuckle softly. On one canvas, you paint a few vines before pulling out your sharpie and writing “Love Grows Here” in your loopy script. On the other, you paint a simple line art espresso cup before writing “I like you a latte” underneath of it. You set the two pieces of art down with a satisfied look on your face.

“How?” Melissa asks simply. “How do you just… know how to do that?”

You shrug before looking at her canvas. “What are you going to add to yours?”

“I- I don’t really know,” she admits.

You give it another glance before suggesting softly, “Maybe you could add a few little vines and flowers and write a quote on that underneath.”

Those full lips quirk to the side in thought before it’s clear that an idea strikes her. The woman picks up a brush and gestures for you to pick up your guitar again. You oblige her request, although you’re a bit confused. And then you begin.

By the time you’re finished the first song, Melissa’s tongue is poking out of the side of her mouth in concentration as she paints… two paths?

“I’m just going to start getting dessert ready,” you promise her as you set your instrument down.

You’re able to heat up the chocolates that you bought earlier, bring out the strawberries, and carry them on a tray out to the coffee table when you see that Melissa has now picked up the sharpie and is writing a quote in the middle of her canvas. 

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference.-Robert Frost

“Frost?” you ask softly as she finishes crossing the ’t’.

Two shoulders shrug up and down. “I always liked that poem.” Then her eyes catch a glance at what you’ve brought into the room. “Chocolate covered strawberries?”

“They are,” you laugh. “But I figured it might be fun to be able to decorate them, or at least dip them in ourselves while we watch a movie or something.”

Green eyes light up as you settle in next to her.

The both of you end up eating your fair share of dessert before relaxing into the couch together. The way that the cushions lay, you’re sitting quite close to each other. Your hip is practically on the edge of her thigh. The blush creeps into your cheeks quickly.

You sit there quietly, as does she. The movie plays softly until you feel a soft cheek rest itself on your shoulder. When you look down, you expect the redhead to be asleep, or at least dozing. But she isn’t. She’s fully coherent and watching the movie with full attention. You can’t help but smile to yourself, your cheeks feeling ever so slightly warm.

“You good?”

“Just… relaxing,” Melissa mumbles into your shoulder. “And you’re warm.”

You can’t help the soft chuckle that falls off your lips as you wrap an arm around her and pull her closer. After a few minutes, you feel an arm delicate drape itself over your waist.

Melissa would never admit it, but this is the first time she’s been held in a long time- longer than she would’ve expected, with the feeling of being safe. Her guard is down, and she has not a care in the world as the movie quietly drones on around the two of you.

At some point, the two of you must fall asleep because the next thing you remember is glancing at the clock and it being two in the morning.

“Lis,” you mumble as you shake her shoulder gently.

Her eyes peel open, and she looks enraged at being woken up before she realizes she’s still with you- she’s still in your arms. “Hey. Sorry I fell asleep.”

You smile. “Nothing to apologize for,” you whisper. “I fell asleep too.”

“Well, I guess I should get out of your hair,” Melissa mutters as she tries to disentangle herself from you. But you keep your hold on her.

“Just stay the night. It’s two in the morning, and I don’t want you out there this late.” Yeah… that’s why you want her to stay the night; it definitely isn’t because she’s warm and loving and…

“Okay.”

And so, the two of you stumble your way up the steps for the night, falling onto the bed unceremoniously as the exhaustion truly seeps its way into your bones. Her head rests in the crook of you neck as the two of you fall asleep tangled together for the first time. You can only hope that it won’t be the last time. Maybe, by next Valentine’s Day, you’ll actually be a couple- not just two coworkers with lonely souls longing for each other. 

[rose24207]

May I request a George Weasley x Slytherin reader where after being dating in secret for a while they decide to stop hiding but George's friends are mean to her when he's not around and she doesn't want to say anything because she knows how important they are for him but George eventually finds out and defends his girlfriend? a bit angsty with a fluff ending please

What they’re like

Summary: George confronts his friends after overhearing hurtful comments about his Slytherin girlfriend, defending her fiercely and making it clear that their behavior won’t be tolerated.

Genre: angst, fluff

TW: bullying

A/N: love the idea! English is not my first language. I hope you enjoy it though! Requests are open and welcome!

Masterlist

You’d always known dating George Weasley wouldn’t be easy, especially not when the two of you came from different houses. A Slytherin dating a Gryffindor was bound to raise eyebrows, but you thought the worst of it would come from your own housemates. You hadn’t expected his friends—people George trusted and cared about—to be the ones who made it so hard.

It started small. A muttered joke in the common room when George wasn’t there. A pointed glance or a scoff when you passed by. At first, you told yourself it didn’t matter. They didn’t know you, not really. George did. That should’ve been enough.

But then the comments grew sharper, more direct.

“Wonder how long this one’s going to last,” one of them said after you’d walked by.

“She’s probably using him,” another replied. “That’s what Slytherins do, right?”

It stung, but you kept your head high, pretending not to hear. You didn’t want to burden George with it. You knew how much his friends meant to him. If you said something, it might make things awkward for him, and that was the last thing you wanted.

Still, you couldn’t hide how it was affecting you—not entirely. You started avoiding Gryffindor Tower unless George was with you. You lingered at the edge of conversations when his friends were around, smiling tightly and letting their barbs roll off your back. Or at least, trying to.

Fred noticed first.

It was during a free period when Fred overheard it. He’d been on his way to the courtyard when he spotted you in the library. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but a familiar voice caught his attention.

“Poor George,” one of the Gryffindor girls said, her voice dripping with mock pity. “He has no idea what he’s gotten himself into.”

“Do you think she’s told him yet? That she’s just using him to make her parents angry?”

Fred frowned, stepping closer.

You were sitting just a few tables away, your back straight, your shoulders tense. It was clear you’d heard them, but you didn’t turn around. You didn’t say a word. Instead, you buried your nose in your book and pretended they didn’t exist.

Fred’s jaw tightened. He wasn’t one to get involved in George’s personal life—it wasn’t his style—but seeing you sit there, clearly hurt and refusing to show it, struck a nerve.

Fred cornered George that evening after dinner.

“Oi,” he said, grabbing his twin by the arm. “We need to talk.”

George raised an eyebrow. “What’s up?”

Fred didn’t answer right away, pulling him into an empty classroom instead. He shut the door behind them, crossing his arms as he turned to face his brother.

“It’s about Y/n,” Fred said.

George frowned. “What about her?”

“She’s dealing with a load of crap from our so-called friends, and I don’t think you’ve noticed.”

“What?” George asked, his confusion quickly shifting to concern.

“I heard some of them in the library earlier,” Fred said, his tone sharp. “They were saying awful things about her—calling her a user, a manipulator. And she just sat there, George. She didn’t say anything, didn’t react. She just took it.”

George’s face darkened, his fists clenching at his sides. “Why the hell didn’t she tell me?”

Fred sighed, his anger softening into something more understanding. “Because she doesn’t want to cause trouble for you. She probably thinks you’ll feel torn between her and them.”

“That’s not—” George started, then stopped, running a hand through his hair. “That’s not fair to her.”

“No, it’s not,” Fred agreed. “So what are you going to do about it?”

The next day, George waited for you outside the library, leaning casually against the wall as if nothing was wrong. You smiled when you saw him, your heart lifting at the sight of him.

“Hey,” you said softly, stopping in front of him.

“Hey,” he replied, reaching out to take your hand. “Walk with me?”

You nodded, letting him lead you down the corridor. It wasn’t until he steered you toward an empty classroom that you started to feel uneasy.

“George?” you asked, your voice hesitant.

He closed the door behind you, his expression unusually serious. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?” you asked, though you already knew what he meant.

“About my friends,” he said. “About the things they’ve been saying.”

You looked away, your throat tightening. “It’s not a big deal,” you said quietly.

“The hell it’s not,” George said, his voice rising slightly before he softened it. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because they’re your friends, George,” you said, finally meeting his eyes. “They’ve been there for you forever. I didn’t want to ruin that.”

“They’re not my friends if they’re treating you like this,” he said firmly. “And they don’t get to insult you and act like it’s okay. None of this is okay.”

Tears prickled at the corners of your eyes, but you blinked them away. “I didn’t want to cause problems for you.”

George stepped closer, cupping your face in his hands. “You’re not causing problems,” he said softly. “They are. And I’m going to set them straight.”

“George, you don’t have to—”

“Yes, I do,” he interrupted. “Because I love you, and I’m not going to let anyone make you feel like you’re anything less than amazing.”

Your breath caught at his words. “You... what?”

“I love you,” he repeated, his voice steady. “And I don’t care what anyone else thinks. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

The tears you’d been holding back finally spilled over, and you threw your arms around him, burying your face in his chest. “I love you too,” you whispered, your voice muffled.

George held you tightly, his warmth and reassurance wrapping around you like a shield.

The Gryffindor common room buzzed with its usual energy, students chatting and laughing as they settled into the evening. George stood just inside the entrance, his eyes scanning the room for the familiar faces of the people he once considered his closest friends. His jaw tightened when he spotted them clustered near the fireplace, laughing over something one of them had said.

Fred had offered to back him up, but George insisted on handling it alone. This was personal.

He strode across the room, the crackling firelight casting long shadows as the group fell quiet at the sight of him. The easygoing George they were used to was gone, replaced by someone far more serious.

“Alright,” he said sharply, planting himself in front of them. “We need to talk.”

The group exchanged uneasy glances, but no one spoke.

“I know what you’ve been saying about her,” George continued, his voice low and dangerous. “About my girlfriend. Do you think I wouldn’t find out?”

One of them, a lanky boy named Callum, had the nerve to shrug. “We were just joking, mate. No harm meant.”

“No harm?” George repeated, his voice rising. “You’ve been insulting her behind her back—making her feel like she’s not good enough. How the bloody hell is that ‘no harm’?”

“She’s a Slytherin,” another boy muttered, avoiding George’s fiery gaze. “You know what they’re like.”

George’s fists clenched at his sides. “Don’t you dare generalize her like that,” he snapped. “You don’t know her. She’s smart, she’s kind, and she’s been nothing but patient with you lot while you treat her like dirt.”

“George, calm down,” Callum said nervously.

“No,” George said firmly. “I won’t calm down. She’s my girlfriend, and I love her. If you can’t accept that—if you can’t respect her—you’re not my friends.”

The group fell silent, the weight of his words sinking in. Some looked ashamed, while others refused to meet his gaze.

“She didn’t even tell me,” George continued, his voice thick with frustration. “She didn’t want to make things harder for me. She sat there and took your crap because she knew how much you all mean to me. And you used that to make her feel unwelcome.”

“George, we didn’t mean—” one of the girls began, but he cut her off with a glare.

“You did,” he said coldly. “And you can take your half-arsed apologies somewhere else because I’m done. If you can’t show her the respect she deserves, then you’ve lost me too.”

He turned on his heel, leaving them in stunned silence as he made his way back to the portrait hole.

Fred was waiting for him just outside, leaning casually against the wall.

“How’d it go?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“They won’t be bothering her again,” George replied, his voice still simmering with anger.

Fred smirked. “Good. About time they got knocked down a peg.”

George shook his head, his expression softening as he thought of you. “I just hate that she felt like she couldn’t tell me.”

“She loves you,” Fred said simply. “She didn’t want to hurt you.”

George nodded, determination settling in his chest. “Well, she doesn’t have to worry about that anymore.”

Thank you for reading!

[morganbritton132]

I love the newer teachers not knowing who Eddie is and visiting Steve at his house and wondering how they can afford such a nice house. I can imagine that they live in a house way above a teachers salary, much less a teacher with presumably, a lot of medical bills. They see gold records hanging on the walls and all of Eddie’s awards on a bookshelf and they are trying to connect the dots to who Eddie is.

David’s first impression of Steve is, admittedly, not great.

He was hired as a long-term substitute halfway through the school year and technically, Mr. Harrington was the only teacher on their floor not to introduce himself to him. They’re supposed to cover the eighth grade lunch period together, but Steve hasn’t shown up once since David was started three days ago.

Instead, the principal covered for him.

Cindy McCullen, the gossipy history teacher across the hall from him, says that it’s because of favoritism. She says that Principal Moreno always lets her favorites run rampant around the school and lets them do whatever they want, especially if they’re tenured. Steve Harrington is the most egregious example of blatant favoritism.

David starts to form an opinion about Mr. Harrington in his mind that only gets worse with every story he hears from Cindy. So, it’s a bit of a shock when Steve shows up for lunch duty the next day with a whole ass service dog.

He feels like an asshole.

Especially because Steve is so apologetic about missing the last three days and leaving David to ‘the wolves’ during his first week, “Is this your first teaching job? I’ve heard from the kids that you’re doing great!”  

He makes a conscious effort after that to get to know Steve and to stop letting other people form his opinions for him. Though, admittedly. He kinda fucks that up too.

The first time David meets Eddie, he thinks that he’s Steve’s brother.

It’s not that Steve doesn’t talk about his life outside of work. It’s just that he doesn’t go into a lot a detail. David knows that he’s married to a man, that he’s from Indiana originally, and he might have a kid. Maybe? A girl name Erica that tells him what a brony is and how they ruin everything.

Hell, David’s not even entirely sure he knows what Ozzy is in service of. Steve just said that he bumped his head one too many times and now he has a dog so his husband stops worrying so much.

The only surefire thing that David knows is that Steve has a brother that’s a bit of a dork. He has great hair and is really smart, but lacks tact. Steve loves him. You can tell by the way that he talks about the guy.

So one day, David is in the teacher’s lounge heating up a cup of Easy Mac while Steve is sitting with his head down at one of the tables. He’s about to suggest that Steve go home and sleep off whatever cold he has when a guy with long hair and a leather jacket sticks his head in the room and declares, “You look like shit.”

Steve doesn’t even lift his head when he flips him off which is – whoa, not something that David would expect from Mr. Harrington. He makes himself busy with stirring his mac and cheese while the two bicker with each other which is, admittedly, childish.

Leather Jacket’s main argument for why Steve has to listen to him and go home is because he’s older. Steve croaks out that that is bullshit and Leather Jacket threatens to call their Uncle Wayne if Steve doesn’t listen. He eventually agrees.

Before they leave, Leather Jacket sticks his hand out to David and introduces himself as the cooler Mr. Harrington (that gets a laugh out of Steve).

So, color him shocked when Steve invites their event committee over to his house.

David hasn’t even fully gotten over how nice of a neighborhood Steve lives in on a teacher and retiree’s salary when Leather Jacket gets introduced as Eddie, the husband Steve has mentioned. Then he just casually mentions a red carpet like, what?

And the craziest part is that he’s asked about his husband before!

Steve mentioned once that his husband was out of town and when David asked what he did for work, Steve said that he was retired. He said that his husband can play guitar and that one of their friends (James Hetfield) needed a last minute guitarist for some kind of fair (Coachella) so Eddie went to help out.

He definitely worded it like playing guitar was just a hobby that his husband has, not like. Not like platinum records lining the hallway to their bathroom or the picture of Steve and Eddie in Vegas with KISS stuck to the fridge. He swears the note on the dry erase board by the garage entrance signed ‘Dave’ is in Dave Grohl’s handwriting.

There’s an Grammy on the bookshelf by the fireplace.

Who the hell is Steve Harrington?

Better question: Who the hell is Eddie Munson?

Kathy laughs the entire drive to her house and she is still laughing when he drops her off. The only thing she says that could even be considered an answer is, “I think he’s on Tiktok. Start there.” 

[steddieas-shegoes]

Request: Hop & Joyce don't really like or trust Steve & he knows it. He can tell by their behavior towards him. Post spring break from Hell, Steve tears into them both after they insinuate that it's his fault for the kids being hurt. Steve YELLING at them in front of the party bc he is injured more grievously than the kids & he once again protected them, to the detriment of himself.

Joyce & Hop are forced to acknowledge that their behavior was cruel. And they have to apologize but Steve doesn't accept their apology straight away.

I am usually such a sucker for Hopper adopting Steve and treating him as his own that this was really difficult. Like, maybe top 5 most difficult things I have ever written. It's kind of short, but I wanted more of the focus to be on people standing up for Steve and Steve standing up for himself than the actual angsty part. My darling, I hope it lives up to expectations! -Mickala ❤️

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

“I guess I just don’t understand how Max ended up like this if Steve was supposed to be protecting them all.”

Joyce’s words echoed in Steve’s head.

She was whispering to Hopper in the waiting room, but it was surprisingly quiet, and easy to hear just about anything.

The kids were asleep on the couches, waiting for any news on Max or Eddie, but the nurses told them it could be hours. Hours were a long time to wait when someone was bleeding out and the other someone had multiple broken bones and was unconscious.

Steve felt untethered, his connection to the earth cut the moment he saw what happened to Eddie, pushed into a dangerous orbit when he saw what happened to Max.

“He’s never really let me down like this. Did you hear Dustin say he thinks he was distracted by Eddie?” Hopper asked quietly.

“What did he mean by that?” Joyce paused. “Oh. Do you think so?” Steve couldn’t see their faces, couldn’t see the way they were having a silent conversation within a conversation. “It wouldn’t be the first time Steve let his romantic feelings get in the way of their safety.”

And that really wasn’t fair.

It wasn’t fair because he always put these kids who weren’t even his first whenever he could. It wasn’t fair because it wasn’t his job to be perfect. It wasn’t fair because they were the adults who should have been here to help and they weren’t.

He could feel tears building up, his vision getting just blurry enough that he knew he needed to walk away or he would start actually crying, and he couldn’t let anyone see that.

Especially not Joyce and Hopper.

Apparently, they already thought so little of him, he couldn’t possibly show them that he was struggling now.

“I think we’ll have to have a talk with the kids about trusted adults. They seem to rely on him for a lot and maybe if we just explain to them that Steve can’t handle it-”

“Excuse me, Mr. Hopper?” A nurse, thankfully, interrupted them.

Steve turned to see a young nurse, probably barely older than him, standing in the entranceway to the waiting room.

Hopper walked over to her, actually whispering this time, as if what was being said right now was a secret, but not the way he felt about Steve.

He glanced over at Steve, then nodded to the nurse. He called Joyce over to them, whispered something, then they both looked at Steve.

He hated what was happening. He was used to being a disappointment to adults, but in a silent way. His parents weren’t really ever around long enough to show their disappointment for long. Seeing it now, on the faces of people he respected and wanted to impress, hurt.

Hopper started walking over to him, his face serious.

“They have Max stable. She may not wake up from the coma, but they’re hoping she makes a turn for the better soon. Eddie woke up a few minutes ago while they were trying to stitch him up and he kept yelling for you. He isn’t quite stable yet. He passed back out as they were trying to put him on oxygen.”

“But they’re both alive?”

“For now.”

“Can I see Max?”

“I don’t think that’s a great idea right now. They’re trying to reach her mom, but the phone lines keep going down. I’m standing in as the adult responsible until she can be contacted.”

“So now you want to be the adult responsible? Not any other time when we needed you?” Erica said from behind them.

She’d been asleep with Lucas and El only a minute ago.

“Erica, it’s fine. I’ll just wait with you guys.”

“No, Steve, it’s not fine.” Erica put her hands on her hips, scowled up at Hopper and Joyce, who had just joined them. “Steve looks out for us every day. Even when the world isn’t trying to end. He drives us to school or from school or to the arcade, he pays for our food at the diner all the time, probably spends all his paychecks on us. And where are the parents? They don’t even know where we are most of the time.”

“But-” Joyce started to interrupt until Erica held up her hand.

“You left your kids to fly to Russia when you knew something weird was going on. You could have died, and then what? You know who would have stepped in? Steve. Because that’s what he does for us. Do you know one of his worst concussions was because he was protecting Lucas and Max from Billy? You know he drove Max everywhere she needed to go all year because she didn’t wanna be around anyone else? How about the fact that without him, we wouldn’t have even been able to get Eddie back here? But sure, blame him for this. It totally makes sense to point the finger at the one person who has protected us over and over again.”

Steve was crying.

The other kids were starting to wake up from her voice getting louder as she spoke, and it didn’t take long for them to realize what was happening.

El and Dustin surrounded Steve, cuddling into his sides to comfort him. He needed it, and he was always willing to accept love from the kids. They so rarely gave it, not because they didn’t love him, but because they were at that age where they didn’t want to.

These kids were his in almost every way that mattered, and he was just grateful that they weren’t hesitating when he needed them most.

“You kids could have died. Steve should have never allowed most of this to happen. He’s the adult, and he let you all go into this without even considering you could die.”

“You think we were just gonna sit around and wait for the adults to handle it? When have we ever done that?” Dustin asked incredulously.

“It’s what you should have done. Steve knows that.”

“Mr. Harrington?” A different nurse was standing in the doorway now, older, definitely less nervous.

“Yes?” Steve responded, wiping his tears away quickly.

“Mr. Munson is in a recovery room. He’s woken up a few times for a minute and each time he’s asked for you. Are you family?”

He was pretty certain hospital policy meant only family could go back, especially during natural disasters, so he lied.

“Yes, he’s my cousin. I can’t reach anyone else yet.”

The nurse smiled, though she probably didn’t quite believe him.

“Right this way, then.”

Dustin tugged on his arm.

“Can I come with you?”

“Sorry,” Steve shook his head. “Not yet. Let me check on him, and I’ll come right back out for you.”

“See? This is what I meant about letting his feelings get in the way! What if we weren’t here? Would you just leave the kids to sit out here alone?”

This time, El spoke up.

“Steve is always putting us first. He can put himself first sometimes. That is allowed.”

Steve wanted to hug her again, but the nurse looked like she was going to walk away, and if he didn’t follow her, he wouldn’t see Eddie.

“Go see him, we’ll be here,” Lucas said from next to Erica.

He nodded at them all, giving them a smile before he followed the nurse without looking back at Hopper or Joyce.

Eddie was asleep when they entered the room, so the nurse whispered to him at the door.

“He’s on a lot of morphine, and he’s still receiving a blood transfusion. He may wake up off and on, but he probably won’t make much sense until they lower the dose. Just be here for him,” she smiled before leaving the room.

Steve turned to Eddie and couldn’t hold back more tears.

He’d let him down. He’d let all of them down.

He was supposed to be the hero, despite the jokes about it all, they all knew he was.

But not this time.

Eddie almost died. Max almost died.

He could feel the bat bite on his stomach burning and itching, like it was already getting infected, but he ignored it.

He could wait.

He sat down on the side of the bed, slowly so he wouldn’t wake Eddie up.

But Eddie’s eyes fluttered open once, then twice, then a third time before they managed to stay open enough to see Steve.

“Stevie?” His voice rasped out, a small smile hidden under his oxygen mask. “You’re here.”

“I’m here, Eds.”

He had to be strong, but his brain was so focused on everything he’d done wrong and if he’d just been faster or got out of the vines quicker, Eddie probably wouldn’t be here and Max would be awake and-

“Stop.”

“Hm? Stop what?”

“Bein’ mean.”

Steve’s brows furrowed. He hadn’t even said anything else, had he? Was he so exhausted that he was actually talking without realizing it now?

“I’m not even saying anything.”

Maybe it was Eddie hearing things. He knew morphine was pretty intense.

“To yourself.”

“What?”

“Bein’ mean to yourself. In your head.”

“I-”

“‘S okay. Me too sometimes. Just gotta stop.”

Steve couldn’t help but smile at the way Eddie’s eyes kept drooping closed as he spoke. He would probably fall back asleep any second.

“I’ll be nice. You get some sleep.”

“You rest?”

“Not yet. Maybe later.”

Steve couldn’t really rest until he knew everyone was home, safe, and sleeping off some of the worst of their injuries.

“Yes yet.”

Steve snorted. Eddie was so high. He knew it was better than whatever pain he would feel when they eased him off of everything, but hopefully he wouldn’t remember all this.

“Sleep,” Eddie said, his hand managing to find Steve’s and tugging weakly on it.

“I can’t sleep here, Eds. This is your bed.”

“Our bed.”

Steve’s cheeks were hot, he knew if he touched them, they’d feel like fire. Eddie just had that way of completely rendering Steve speechless. He’d done it so many times over the last couple of days, Steve lost count.

“I’ll stay right here until your uncle gets here, okay?”

“And after?”

It probably wasn’t smart. It would look weird for him to stay in general, but he also had to get the kids home, try to patch himself up at home, maybe shower before he did some rounds and made sure everyone was taken care of.

“I have to take care of the kids.”

“But they have parents.”

“Yeah, well.”

They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Hopper walked in, face as serious as Steve had ever seen it.

“I was able to contact your uncle, Eddie. You can go now, Steve.”

But Eddie gripped his hand harder, frowning at Hopper. He seemed more awake all of a sudden, but with the way his eyes kept trying to close, Steve could see it was a challenge.

“I want him here.”

“Eds, it’s fine. He’s not too happy with me right now, so-”

“What? Why? You helped save the world.”

Eddie was looking between Steve and Hopper like an answer would suddenly make itself known, but Hopper was just staring at Eddie, and Steve was just staring at his feet.

He didn’t want to get Eddie involved in this. He just wanted to pretend it never happened, maybe try to look Hopper in the eye again someday, and apologize to Joyce for not keeping the kids as safe as he could have.

But Eddie apparently took the “no running” thing very seriously now.

“Steve? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just. I kinda let them down, didn’t keep everyone safe.”

Steve shrugged it off, but he knew he wasn’t very convincing, or really even shrugging it off. He still felt the ache of disappointing people in his chest.

“Hold the fuck up. You’re serious?”

Eddie sounded as outraged as someone high on morphine could. His voice was barely distorted by the oxygen mask on his face, and his eyes were nearly at their normal size.

Steve couldn’t look at either of them.

“Steve is trusted by all these parents to keep their kids out of danger, and he brought them headfirst into it. It just made Joyce and I wonder how often they were doing stupid things,” Hopper explained, though he didn’t even sound convinced he believed his own words.

Joyce was walking in just as Eddie was about to speak.

“Steve, I think you should bring Dustin home. Claudia is going to get worried.”

He didn’t need to look up to know that Eddie was glaring at Joyce and Hopper.

“Let me get this straight. Steve provides free rides, and babysitting services, and meals, and fun for your kids damn near every day. He protects them during this shit every time it happens, literally puts his body on the line to keep them alive. Tried to somehow keep them as safe as possible when it seemed like the world was ending this time, did keep them alive, and you’re still finding reasons to blame him?”

They both had the decency to at least look like they regretted it.

But they still didn’t say anything.

“Fuck this. I’m not gonna pretend to know everything about your little Upside Down Club, but I’m in it now. None of us wanna be here, but we are. Steve’s been doing his best for years, since he was a kid, and all you can do is complain that your sweet angels aren’t completely unscathed? This is a team effort, you know that. They volunteered. Steve would have had to lock them in a prison cell for them not to help.”

Steve looked up at Eddie, watched as he started to lose the fire that had overtaken him temporarily, his eyes dulling as the morphine dripped into his veins and flushed through his system.

“Best damn babysitter…” Eddie mumbled as his eyes fell closed.

Steve watched him for a moment, waiting to see if he suddenly woke up again. When he didn’t, he stood up slowly, didn’t want to risk him feeling the bed move, and made his way to the door.

But something hurt in his chest, something he knew wouldn’t go away unless he said something.

He turned to see Hopper and Joyce staring at each other, having a silent conversation.

“I’m used to disappointing people. I’ve been disappointing my parents my whole life. Disappointed friends, Nancy, bosses. But I have never let those kids down. I do my best with them. I try to be there for them the way I wish someone had been there for me. I make sure they’re kids because life handed them a shitty card or whatever and they deserve to still be kids. You can be mad at me if you want, but I know I did my best. They know I did my best.”

He didn’t wait for a response, didn’t want to hear them say anything else about how wrong his decisions were.

But Joyce stopped him from leaving the room, hand on his arm.

“Steve, wait. Honey, I’m sorry. I think…I think we got caught up in the moment and just needed someone to blame.”

“You do the best you can. We know you do a lot for them.”

It was nice to hear, but he couldn’t get over the uncomfortable itch in the back of his head that he deserved more than that.

“Thanks, but I don’t think I can accept the apology right now.” And then the anger really set in. It came over him so fast, he could feel his hands shaking. “A lot of things are out of our control. We all wanna blame someone for this stuff, but it just boils down to the same people over and over. Max is in a coma because of Henry Creel, not me. Eddie is in the hospital because of demon bats, not me. Eleven and Will are connected to the Upside Down because of the government, not me. I’m just trying to be whatever they need, and that’s better than I can say for either of you at this point.” Steve left this time, Joyce dropping her hand from his arm halfway through his loud speech.

Okay, he was yelling.

But Eddie slept through it, and it felt good to get all of that out.

He made his way to the waiting room, hoping everyone would still be there so he could check in.

Everything felt too fresh, too much like Vecna could show back up and take any of them at any moment.

But the waiting room was empty, not even Dustin remained.

Steve did his best not to panic. Their parents had all been contacted, so they most likely had just been picked up and brought home.

“They’ve all been picked up, sugar,” an older nurse said from the front desk.

“Oh. Thanks.”

“They left you a note, though.”

He recognized her as the woman who had been here the whole night, handling phone calls and people walking in like she’d been doing this for decades. Maybe she had been.

He walked over and grabbed it from her, giving her a small smile in thanks.

He walked outside before he opened it, not sure why he was suddenly nervous.

But as he read, he felt tears in his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

Steve- Go home and sleep. We’ll be okay for a day while you rest. You don’t ever do that. We don’t agree with Joyce and Hopper, and we hope you know you’re the best damn babysitter ever. Love, Dustin, Lucas, Erica, El, Will, Mike, and Max (if she could)

He folded up the note, put it in his pocket, and walked to his car.

He ignored the blood in the backseat, rolled his windows down to ignore the stench of iron.

Knew he would be spending most of his day tomorrow trying to clean the stains out, but figured it would be a good mindless task.

He thought about Eddie, about how quick he was to defend him. About how he’d gripped his hand like it was a lifeline.

It felt that way to Steve.

He hadn’t let Eddie down. He’d saved Eddie.

If he didn’t do anything else right, he’d done that, and nothing Joyce or Hopper said could take that away.

[admirationandromantics]

Josh and reader first time meeting 🥹, maybe its kind of a love at first sight thing? but none of them are brave enough to act on it.

I love the idea, they’re both so incredibly shy, none of them daring to take the first step. Chris would definitely make fun of both of them, especially Josh, because of his insistence of getting him with Ashley, and now they’re finally in his shoes. Anyways… 

Meeting and Yearning

You first met at a college party. You were invited by your good friend Ashley, and got to meet her friend group. Everyone seemed great, so kind and nice. There was one though, Chris’s friend Josh, also the brother of two of the girls. He caught your eye immediately. 

He was so pretty, his hair, his eyes, everything. How could you stop yourself from feeling flushed? Spoiler, you couldn’t. He was too pretty, too funny. Every time he talked, your head turned to look at him. Seeing how his soft lips moved, how he occasionally locked eyes with you. It was mesmerizing, he was stunning. 

You didn’t know, but he was in complete fascination with you, ever since he met you. As you were introduced by Ashley, he scanned your features. About to make a flirty remark, he stopped by your face immediately in trance. You reached out your hand to him, and he hesitantly took it, sparks flying as you touched. Even telling you his own name was difficult. “Um, I-I’m Josh” 

Ashley and Chris understood what happened as soon as they saw it. There was a sort of cosmic connection, an attraction that went beyond looks. They got together, plotting on how to get you closer. 

That’s when it started, Ashley making snide remarks everytime you got together. “Isn’t Josh looking kinda good today?” “I guess” “Go and tell him” “I should tell him that you think he looks good?” you smile, and she faceplants in her hands. This wasn’t going to be easy. 

Chris did the same with Josh, making comments here and there. “So… you and her?” “What?” “There’s something going on” “No, nothing’s going on” “If you say so” “No, really, nothing’s going on” “Mhm” 

They weren’t getting any way, and now had to make a new plan. The occasional drinking game never worked. You both got flustered and quiet, refusing to break the tension-filled silence. That is, before Ashely got the idea of the century. She was going to introduce you to someone else. 

“Okay, just to get it straight, you’re not into Josh?” “No, I’m not. Stop asking” “So, can I set you up with someone?” “What? No” “Come on, you need to get out there” You sighed as you complied, taking up her offer. Maybe this would get you over him. After all, having a crush since the first time you met him was not ideal. 

The date didn’t go well, the guy being boring and not caring about you at all. At the next party, he was there, but luckily, you didn’t talk. Until Chris brought him over, basically forcing you to. You put on a fake smile, asking him the basic things. 

You didn’t know, but Chris went to the other side of the room, conversing with Josh. “Who’s that?” “A friend of Ashley, she tried setting them up” “Wait, right now?” “Yeah, got a problem with it?” “What the hell man, of course I do!” “Then you should do something about it” Chris smiles as Josh gets more aggravated, unsure about how to approach the situation. At the end, he takes a shot, collecting his thoughts before walking over. 

You see him, signalling with pleading eyes to get you out of there. His aggravated self stops, surprised by your silent request. Luckily, he helps you, telling you that he needs you for something. You both leave the guy, walking deeper into the house and start talking. 

“So, you guys not a thing?” “What? Absolutely not!” “He seemed nice” “Not what I’m looking for” you answer, eyes gracing over his body. 

A realisation suddenly pops into Josh, and he can’t help his next question. “What are you looking for?” You become silent, eyes roaming over him, unsure about what to say. He has a sort of glint in his eyes, his body shifting to face you as your stares lock. Before you can understand what’s happening, he closes the distance between you, capturing your lips in a kiss. 

In the distance, Ash and Chris give each other a high five.

[regretsofaghost]

I Couldn't Give What It Cost Me

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58929406

Who would have thought following Casper High’s lab safety protocols would leave him in the same place as if he followed his parents’, just infinitely more spooky looking?

Hell, Danny had even pulled out the worn piece of paper from their first class, the one that listed all the PPE needed to deal with a high school level of science and beyond! Sure, the tidbits about the different levels of HAZMAT suits were probably just fun facts, but his parents never fought him or Jazz on wearing their HAZMAT suits in the lab, nevermind the gas masks and goggles. If his parents’ research had any chance of radiation or burning them, he was wearing the PPE.

Sam and Tucker complained about the stiff suits, brightly coloured and stiff, all too large as they were back ups for Danny’s mom and dad. When Danny had pulled out his own, he was on some level happy that his white one was nearly the proper size, if still too large. It was always better safe than sorry in his parents’ lab, one too many chemical burns from unknown substances proved that.

“Y’know Danny, we could totally take these and trick or treat in them, they’re just creepy enough that we can pass as Pestilence, a horsemen of the apocalypse,” Sam said, voice muffled as she adjusted her mask.

“Oh, for sure, just after we explain why Pestilence is wearing a bright orange HAZMAT suit,” Danny pulled on his gas mask, breathing slowly as he got used to the odd, wheezing sound. He looked around the lab, huffing, “man, dad must’ve updated my suit without telling me. I think he added a welding shield on it, I can’t see anything.”

“Oh, don’t worry Danny, it makes you look spookier, especially with the white suit!” Sam smiled, though Danny couldn’t see it. “How about you keep your mask off till we get to the portal, then put it on when we get the picture?”

“Wait, we’re getting a picture?”

It was pointless to argue, so after getting to the portal and showing the waste of space off, and after a lot of directing, both Sam and Tucker annoyed at the small steps Danny took inside the portal, he was ready. He didn’t go too far into the tunnel, he kept mostly in the middle, he even smiled for Sam’s picture, decked out in his full suit, completely safe.

It wasn’t enough.

There was an unexpected jolt of electricity, sparks falling from the top of the tunnel that was the portal, and well, Danny couldn’t really see anything, so the sudden light was a surprise. It started him, and no one really ever talked about how hard it was to move gracefully in a full HAZMAT suit, especially one that was a size or two too big. He stumbled back, and wires that littered the floor tripped him. Danny’s hand fell against the wall as he tried to catch himself, tried to not fall onto the floor and embarrass himself, he couldn’t see the bright buttons that said ON and OFF, inside of the portal.

It was just pain after that.

Pain that flooded him so completely, overwhelming every sense until all he knew as pain. Bright, shocking, both burning and freezing, it was overwhelming all his senses, but it wouldn’t stop.

Sam and Tucker said it was a haunting sight when he stepped out of the portal.

Neither told him of how long they stood frozen, just listening to their friend’s death throes.

Being Phantom was easy. It was easier than it should have been.

He struggled yes, he phased through silverware when he was, alive, breathing, human, he wasn’t allowed anywhere near the beakers in chemistry anymore, his parents’ machines all homed in on him when he stepped through the front door. That was all part of his new, life, unlife, death? Not death. Scrodinger’s cat, a box unopened, was he dead or alive?

Fighting ghosts was easy, fun even.

Danny, Phantom, got pummeled often. He threw shitty punches and was hit with thousands of pounds worth of force back, he struggled with his powers, new ones appearing everyday. The Lunch Lady was hard, at first. Skulker, Technus, Plasmius, Box Ghost, Spectra, Ghostwriter, all of them. They were all hard to beat, at first. They all treated Danny, Phantom, like he was an adult, that he should be able to withstand them, should be able to survive their attacks, and he proved that he could. It was the first time in years that it felt like he could try his best, and that he could, and would, succeed. The ghosts pouring through his parents’ portal saw Danny, saw Phantom, and sometimes, it seemed like they were expecting his best too. They saw something more than a Fenton Freak, a boy who dreamed of the starts that were always going to stay out of reach.

People feared him, but they saw him.

They saw his ghostly form, the pitch black HAZMAT suit that he wore to death, the gas mask covering his face completely, the hood that covered his hair. Phantom looked like a harbinger of doom, a horseman of the apocalypse, something solely and completely otherworldly.

The threats got bigger and bigger, the stakes climbing as Danny, as Phantom, was the only person, the only thing, standing between the ghosts of the realm his parents opened, and the small town of Amity Park. As the GIW showed up, as mom and dad became more and more obsessed with Phantom, everything pouring and spilling on top of one another.

Something was bound to break.

Of course they captured him.

Of course they let him go.

Of course, they left the mask on until they had already cut him open, until after they had removed his organs, taken samples of his skin, broken bones and stole them.

Maybe they wanted to save his brain for last.

Maybe they thought if they touched his brain, he would dissolve like the others before him.

The Fentons never did understand cores.

Maybe, the fear in their eyes was more for what they had done than what they had seen under Danny’s mask.

He wouldn’t know, he never looked.

He didn’t want to see what death left under his mask.

Sam, Tucker, Jazz, they all knew. They respected his death enough to not describe it to him.

Maybe what laid underneath would be what sent him over the edge.

Mom and Dad, Maddie and Jack, the Fentons, they let him go, somehow. They helped him hide his trail from the GIW, somehow, and with help from Sam and Tuck, he made it to Gotham. From there it was up to him, with the equipment his parents, the Fentons, shoved into a duffle bag, and cash that Sam had been saving for him. It had to be enough to make a new life.

Now, Danny just had to deal with the ghosts and nightmares.

It was mostly wishful thinking that he could put Phantom in the past.

It was mostly wishful thinking that Gotham was going to be fine with its knights of the night.

It was mostly wishful thinking that he wouldn’t have to deal with the Bats.

A mysterious new meta who seemed to only target ghosts? That same mysterious new meta suddenly, without provocation, killing a new rogue?

What can Danny, what can Phantom, say. He really, really, hated Freakshow. That tended to happen when you mind control someone, especially when you made that person kidnap a Robin and threaten to have him walk a tightrope, one that was bound to break if it was anything like last time.

Danny was struggling. He knew, logically, that he should just go with the Bats, to explain why he did what he did, they were probably used to people blaming mind control for their actions, they had to know when someone wasn’t lying.

Right?

Danny couldn’t take the risk. Couldn’t chance them leading the GIW right to him while his guard was down. They were already sniffing around Gotham, he just.

He couldn’t.

Danny watched in horror as Batman’s gas mask was cracked, as the Dark Knight threw the person off, only in appearances trying to walk off the powerful punch.

Danny knew better.

He could tell Batman was holding his breath as he felt along his utility belt for something, anything, to filter the fear gas that was being pumped onto the street.

He knew he would find nothing.

If you asked Danny afterwards, he didn’t know why he went ghost, why he walked up to Batman, the very person Danny had been dodging for months now, and removed the ghostly gas mask from his face. He tried not to look at Batman’s face when he shoved it over his cowl, unsure how the fear gas will work on him.

Was it best used as an aerosol, breathed in and absorbed through the lungs? It had to work through mucous channels, maybe just less effectively through the eyes and mouth? It didn’t matter, Danny was dead, alive, Scrodinger’s cat, he could stop his breathing for minutes on end but eventually he had to take a breath, and that mattered less if the gas worked through mucus channels.

“Take it, don’t argue,” Danny said, surprised at how, normal, his voice sounded. He hadn’t thought about how he never really spoke when his mask was off, how it betrayed how young he was. Only just under fifteen, so close to his anniversary.

He couldn’t see any part of Batman’s face, the upper half covered further by the cowl and the visor on his gas mask, the lower now covered by the gas mask’s main components.

“Do you know if the gas works through mucous channels?” He asked, trying to maintain eye contact with the older man, unsure if he is even succeeding. Batman has never been known to be chatty, but this is concerning, not even a grunt in response.

“How old are you?” His voice was muffled by the gas mask, maybe it was a good thing, Danny was pretty positive that Batman wasn’t putting on the deeper voice he usually did.

“Doesn’t matter, I’m dead, not dead. Ughhh, think of Scrodinger’s cat, both dead and alive till you open up the box,” he never wanted to open the box, if he is completely honest, “Keep the gas mask on, don’t know how long it took me to get it to stop being in welding mode and don’t want to know,” keep talking, distract, “does fear gas work through mucous membranes? Do I have to keep my mouth shut, eyes closed?”

It was pointless, somehow, he broke Batman. Danny could hear the Scarecrow laughing somewhere in the distance, people screaming in fear, people fighting against things only they could see and understand.

Danny froze as he caught sight of white suits, teal and orange HAZMATs, through the crowd.

He took a deep breath.

Phantom had already lived his worst nightmare.

[whatsk-poppinhomies]

Pairing : Idol!Kim Seungmin x F!Reader TW : assumed cheating ; general angst ; fluff at the end ; Word Count : 5.1k Request : pls pls pls angst/fluff w seungmin 🙏🏼

5… “She’s coming down the hallway right now…” 4… “I don’t think they look good together either…” 3… “Can’t believe he actually invited her to the show tonight looking like that…” 2… “He could do so much better…” 1… “Do it now.” …

You turned the corner to go into the dressing room where he was and there she was, sitting on his lap, his hands on her hips, and neither of them looked particularly uncomfortable… It almost seemed like she had been sitting there for a solid few minutes before you had even walked in. You didn’t like the sight of it, but you also couldn’t seem to look away from it either. Your heart felt like it had dropped into your stomach, the sudden weight making you nauseous. 

You were never the kind to make a scene, you weren’t vocal about anything that upset you, and maybe that’s why your life always seemed to go to shit once things finally went well. That’s why you quickly turned away, your head hung low as you moved in the same direction you had just come from. “Hey… You alright?” Jeongin asked as you ran right into him, but you didn’t even care to respond, side stepping out of his way and walking faster until you were out of the building. 

The makeup artist was always so… touchy… And Seungmin honestly hated it. He hated having to get his makeup and his hair down, he hated the way she’d look at him way too long. It was part of the job though, and he knew that in order to do what he loved to do, he had to endure it, and that’s the only reason he didn’t bring it up to Chan or any of the staff members. 

At least you were coming tonight, that thought alone had him dealing with all the annoying shit that came along with having to go on stage. You had finally been able to get off work to come to one of his shows, and this one was a pretty big deal, it was the third comeback show, sadly you couldn’t make it to the first two, but he told you that making it to even one was good enough for him. Having you in the crowd was important though, he wanted to look good for you, he wanted to do good for you. 

“Your skin is always so clear, you make my job so easy.” The stylist said, her hands running over his cheeks as she looked at him. It was honestly so annoying, but he forced a smile as he looked past her, staring at himself in the mirror. “If it’s so easy, then why do you take so long?” He muttered, and while he didn’t exactly want to sound rude, he was hoping that maybe she’d get the hint and stop touching him and just do her job. 

He absolutely hated when other people touched him, it felt wrong, especially when it was another woman, and the only reason he even allowed this to be done was because it was for work and you, being the amazing, understanding woman that you are, had told him that it was okay since it was job related. 

“Really?” She was talking on her phone, and he tried not to let the loudness get to him, instead closing his eyes and leaning his head back in his chair to just let her do what she had to do so he could get the hell out of there. “I just don’t know how anyone would think they look good together. They’re like… complete opposites.” Was she always this much of a bitch or was he just really intune to her bitchiness today? It seemed like the more he tried to ignore it, the louder she got though. “What’s she wearing tonight? I bet she looks like shit. She doesn’t deserve to even be seen with someone like him.” 

The one thing he hated more than people touching him though… People who thought that they were better than everyone else. He knew that he could be somewhat of an ass sometimes, but hearing the way she was talking about whoever this poor girl was… It made him feel guilty for even being in ear shot of this conversation. He was sure that whoever the guy was that she was talking about would never choose someone like her, especially if he was already with someone else. 

“Now?” She asked, and then before Seungmin even had the chance to question what she was talking about, he felt the weight of her crashing down on his lap, his hands instinctively shooting out to her hips, not to hold her, but to push her off. That’s what he was trying to do, but it was like she was holding herself there, letting gravity take over completely. “Oh gosh… Sorry… I tripped.” She said, trying to sound innocent, which only disgusted Seungmin more. 

“Can you get off of me now?” He said, trying his best to keep his cool, but he was beyond frustrated and he was pissed and he just wanted to take a breather. He knew that you’d be there soon, and all he wanted was to see you at this point and appreciate just how much of a bitch you weren’t. “Seriously, get up.” The composure was slowly starting to slip away, and he finally was able to push her off after what felt like the longest minute of his life. 

“I must have tripped over the cord for the straightener…” She said between giggles. “I wrinkled your pants, let me just-” 

He immediately grabbed her wrists to stop her before she could even get close to him. “Don’t touch me.” He quickly stood up from his chair, letting out a heavy sigh. “Does anyone know if Y/N made it here yet? Did you even let her in? Jesus Christ…” You were the only person at this point who would be able to help calm him down and for some reason you weren’t there yet even though you had texted him more than 15 minutes ago that you’d be there soon. 

Just as he was about to start looking for you, Jeongin walked into the room, his eyes narrowed as he stared at Seungmin. “Did you and Y/N get into a fight or something?” He asked, and Seungmins eyes lowered to match the look on the maknaes face. “She walked by, she didn’t even say anything when she ran into me. She looked really upset… or really sick… Is she okay?” 

Were you okay? Fuck if he knew, he hadn’t even seen you, the only person that he even liked seeing and he finds out that you were already gone? What the fuck happened? As if he weren’t already agitated enough today, now this? “She left left? Like… Where was she going?” Seungmin asked, his fingers raking through his hair as he tried to keep his cool, but his patience was slowly dwindling as the youngest shrugged his shoulders. “Cool, thanks.” He snapped, making a mental note to apologize for it later as he walked out of the room. 

“Seungmin~” The stylist called out behind him, and even though he tried to quicken his steps, he felt her fingers grasp at the back of his jacket, tugging him back and keeping him from going forward any further. “I’m not done with your makeup yet! You go on in like… 30 minutes! Where are you going?” 

30 minutes. It wasn’t that long when counting how much time he had before he could go on stage, but it felt like too long when it came down to leaving you on your own and not knowing what was going on. Seungmin had priorities, and of course his job was one of them, but you were his top priority. “Let Chan and the rest of the staff know that I won’t be at this show.” He said, and it had been his first choice, his only choice in this matter. He wasn’t going to leave you alone, no matter what the problem was, he was your boyfriend and he was going to be there for you. 

“What?!” She gripped onto his jacket tighter, and he truly was on the verge of completely snapping. She had been getting on his nerves all day, and he was finally at his last, and she seemed to be finding a way to get on that one as well. “Why? You can’t miss a comeback stage… This is ridiculous. Chan will be pissed. Do you know how hard I worked on your-” 

He shrugged out of the jacket before whipping around, his eyes like daggers as he glared at her. “I don’t care. There’s more important things for me to worry about than the third show. They’ve seen me twice, I’m sure they’ll get by without me this time.” He stormed off, leaving her absolutely stunned, but he couldn’t care less. He didn’t care about anything but you right now. 

You sat in your apartment, sipping on an hours old cup of coffee that was colder than the drinks that you had in the fridge. You hadn’t even been able to finish it this morning, you had been so excited to just get to the studio and see Seungmin. Your hair hadn’t been done, you didn’t wear anything fancy, Seungmin had said many times that he loved the way you looked when you weren’t even trying to dress up for him, when you weren’t even trying to look good… That’s when you looked your best. 

Walking down that long hallway to get to his dressing room, it felt like it took forever, and all the words that were whispered amongst the staff members felt like they were being directed towards you. Maybe it was the fact that they weren’t saying any names, and it just seemed like they were all staring at you… You tried not to think too much about it, thinking only of the fact that you were about to see Seungmin and that in itself made you happy, it allowed you to completely ignore the offhanded insults that were being thrown around you. 

That happiness that had pushed you forward was immediately gone when you saw the girl sitting on Seungmins lap. He didn’t even let you sit on his lap in public, not even around the other guys… And then came the barely muffled snickers from the female staff behind you, the soft murmurs of how cute the two of them were together. How were you even supposed to process what was going on in that moment? You could barely even begin to process it now. 

The pouring in of texts had your phone vibrating non-stop, that mixed with the random calls that were thrown in, and soon enough your lock screen was completely filled with notifications. All of them were from Seungmin, but you didn’t know what to say to him. Was he cheating on you? You weren’t sure if it had gone that far… yet… But clearly they were closer than any of the other guys with their staff members. 

“Y/N?!” Your name was shouted from the other side of the door, you heard the doorknob jiggle. You had locked it, but he had the keys to your apartment, it was just one of the signs that you trusted him… Maybe you shouldn’t have. “Where… Fuck… Y/N! I left my keys back at the studio… Can you open the door?�� 

You were shocked that he had even noticed that you were gone, that you hadn’t come in to see him considering he seemed so invested in the stylist. How could he be so open with it when he knew that you were on your way. You had just talked to him to tell him that you were not even five minutes away. Did he really think that you were going to be okay with that? Was it because he was an idol? He had never striked you as that kind of person, but maybe you had read him all wrong. 

“Jeongin said that you looked sick… Are you okay?” You heard a loud thump against the door and you questioned whether it was his fist or his head, but judging by the loud groan that followed soon after, you felt like you were right to assume that it was his forehead. “You’re really scaring me right now… You haven’t answered my texts or my calls, and I don’t want to have to do it, but I’ll break through the door.” 

Would he actually break through the door? You weren’t sure… But the uncertainty had you quickly getting up and undoing the lock. Not because you wanted to let him in, but if your door ended up damaged at all, you’d be the one paying for a new one. “I’m fine. You can go back now.” You mumbled, turning away just as fast and heading back to your spot on the couch. 

“Clearly you’re not fine. You haven’t responded to me at all.” He walked over to where you sat and dropped down onto the couch beside you, grabbing your phone off the coffee table and turning it on to see all of his unanswered notifications. “Are you sick? Did something happen on your way in?” His hand reached out to touch your forehead and you jerked your head away, turning in the complete opposite direction of him, not wanting to be touched by the hand that had just been holding onto another woman. “Hey… Are you mad at me?” 

“I don’t know what I feel toward you just yet… I just know that I’m upset.” Was truly the only reason that you wanted to give him, that you could give him, but then he let out a little “huh?” and it was even more upsetting that he’d try to play stupid. “Maybe you’d understand how I feel if I just sat on Felixs lap and he had his hands on me. Or maybe you wouldn’t… Clearly you don’t care enough.” 

“Excuse me?” He practically shrieked, grabbing your chin and turning your head so you’d look at him. “You’re not sitting on anyone else’s lap… You’re not being touched by anyone that isn’t me. The hell are you talking about?” You could feel his body shaking ever so slightly with anger at the thought of one of his members being disrespectful enough to touch you in any way knowing that you were his, but again, his complete lack of understanding, or the false act of not understanding had you rolling your eyes. 

“Seriously Seungmin, just get out.” The words were breathed out in an exasperated sigh. You tried to get him to get it, but he just didn’t, he refused to, and that in itself was tiring. You were just emotionally drained, you couldn’t put up with this, you didn’t want to. 

His head shook fast before his eyes were set on yours once more. “No because now I’m really fucking confused and I’m even more scared than I was before… Is there something going on between you and Felix?” His voice was laced with panic and frustration, but your jaw dropped at the assumption. How could he even think that? It’s like he completely brushed over the fact that it was a hypothetical, that you were trying to make an example. 

“No!” You almost shouted, tears of anger stinging your eyes. “Don’t you get it?! I’m talking about you!” His head cocked to the side, like a confused puppy as he pointed at himself, questioning you once more. “Just go be with your fucking stylist, Seungmin. I’m sure she misses you and your lap is getting really fucking cold.”  

His mind had been so fogged with worrying about you that he had almost, although he would rather it have been fully, forgotten about the incident. You had already gotten up off the couch, motioning rather sternly toward the door for him to leave, and that’s when it finally clicked. “Wait… No, Y/N. I didn’t… That… I didn’t want that. She did that!” The words rolled off his tongue faster than any rap that the older guys had done before. “Mmhm” Was all you said in response, but his eyes were like saucers, wide and dark brown, but so glassy as his own tears began to well. “I’m serious! I was trying to push her off and she wouldn’t move! I swear!” His hands were clasped together in front of his chest, like he was praying for you to listen to him, to believe him. 

“Seriously Seungmin… just… just go.” You huffed, your thumb and pointer finger coming up to pinch the bridge of your nose. Everything that had happened, you just felt weak, you were tired, and truth be told, you just wanted to be alone. You motioned towards the door once more, breathing heavily through your nose as you tried to fight back your tears. “Leave. Please.” 

It hurt, it was devastating to walk out the front door, to leave you behind knowing that once that door closed behind him you’d be crying by yourself. You didn’t want to see him though, and he knew that if he had seen something like that, if you had been sitting on Felixs lap like you had said, he would feel the same way. 

You wouldn’t do something like that though, he knew you wouldn’t, and he wouldn’t do something like that either. Of course right now your mind was too frazzled to even think straight, and it was so early in your relationship too. The two of you had only been together for 8 months, he was well prepared for small bumps in the road, but he wasn’t prepared for this. He loved you, and while he knew he didn’t say it enough, he hoped that you’d know that he loved you enough, he loved you too much to do something like this to you. 

It took a couple minutes for him to get himself together as he stood outside of your door, and by getting himself together, it was just him switching from being devastated about being kicked out to pissed at the stylist. She did this, she caused this. As he walked out of your building his mind replayed the moments that lead up to the stylist landing in his lap, the call that she was on, who she was talking to. It was all clicking now. 

The phone call, the way she talked so disrespectfully, the way it seemed like whoever they were talking about was right there… She was talking about you… People were talking about you like that… and now his blood was boiling as he climbed into his car and slammed the door shut, whipping out of the parking spot and speeding down the road back towards the studio. 

“You’re back for the performance?” One of the male staff members asked and Seungmin walked up to the building, his head only shaking in response to the man's question, making a b-line straight to the room where everything had happened. “Is everything okay? Did you for-“ 

Seungmin turned to look at the man, violence burning bright in his eyes, and once again, he’d have to make a mental note to apologize to the man who hadn’t truly done anything to him, he was just mad. The man’s mouth snapped shut as he backed away, his hands up in front of him as he continued backing up until he went around the corner and was out of sight. 

As he got to the room, he could hear the stylist and a couple other people talking, all of them females, and he stood just off to the side of the door to listen. “He just ran off, can you believe that?” “Because fucking Jeongin came in and told him that his girlfriend looked upset.” “I’d be upset if I looked like that too.” “Can’t believe he’d actually chase after her. Is he even worried about his reputation? His image?” “He’d look so much better with you noona, just give him time.” 

Blood boiling wasn’t even close anymore, it had all but evaporated now as he listened to them talk about you, about himself… As if she ever had a chance in hell. Of course, violence couldn’t be used, but god, he wished it could be. He wanted her gone, he wanted all of them, every single one that had spoken wrongly about you, he wanted them jobless, out on the streets, he wanted them to suffer. 

He pulled his phone out, knowing that they were too stupid to stop talking, too deep in their disgusting conversation to just let it end. He started recording, doing his best to keep from plowing through the cracked door and going off on each and every one of them. This was the evidence he needed, not just to show management, but to show you that he was being honest, that he didn’t want any part of what had happened. 

“What did he do when you fell on his lap? I thought the two of you looked adorable when I saw you through the mirror.” “He got really fucking mad. Can you believe that? He told me to get off? Like… hello? Has he even taken the time to look at me? I’m way better.” “Did he… you know…?” “Pfft… no! It’s like… he has a thing for ugly girls.” “Don’t worry, if you keep doing it enough, she’ll just dump him and then you and Seungmin will be together. Yay!” “Shut up! Don’t say his name… What if someone hears?” “No one is going to hear, there isn’t even anyone around right now.”

That was enough, and while he was sure they’d keep talking until someone walked in, he couldn’t stomach hearing anyone talking about you like that. You were such an amazing person, the best girlfriend, the sweetest and kindest person he had ever met. You were his perfect match, completing him in a way that no one else ever could. 

They wouldn’t keep working there, they wouldn’t be there to upset you anymore, and he surely would make sure they’d never try to ruin your relationship ever again. Just as he was about to walk away, the woman filed out of the room, a shriek of excitement leaving the stylist. “Seungminnie! You came back!” She squealed, running over to him and hooking her arm around his. “I knew you would. You still have time to be on before the show starts.” 

She was walking along beside him, and he was gritting his teeth the entire time, breathing deeply through his nose, but then her hand lowered and he felt her fingers brush against his thigh and he couldn’t stay quiet anymore, stopping to look at her but all he saw was red. 

“Stop.” He said flatly, grabbing her hand and pushing it away from him. “I know what you’re doing, I know what you’re trying and it’s not going to work.” He moved closer and closer to her until she was backed up against the wall, her eyes wide as he got in her face. “I don’t like you, I will never like you. You’re disgusting and you’re ugly, no amount of makeup will ever fix your personality. Also, you’re fired.” 

“You can’t fire me.” She whispered, her hands folded in front of her as she tried to look as innocent as possible just in case anyone walked past. “I didn’t do anything… you’ve got it all wrong.” She really thought she was smart, and that had Seungmin scoffing as he pulled his phone out and started playing the recording, watching as her eyes went wide. “Wait…” 

“I don’t want you near me, I don’t want you in the same building as me, I don’t want you touching me even if it’s for work. I want you gone. You’re not worth the destruction of my relationship, and if it makes my girlfriend happy, I’ll make them fire you right this minute.” He slipped his phone back into his pocket, taking a step back and crossing his arms over his chest. “Today is your last day, so pack your shit up. I’m being nice enough to give you the time to do that.” Her mouth fell open and she quickly ducked away from him, running down the hall in the opposite direction, her overly dramatic sobs slowly getting more and more quiet until everything was silent. The other staff members stood around, their eyes wavering as they looked everywhere but at Seungmin. “Don’t think you’re all off the hook… I heard each and every one of you.” 

He didn’t have the time or the patience to get into it with them though, leaving it at that, leaving them to worry just as he had, just like he still is right now about the looming outcome of his relationship. They can worry about their job, and he can hopefully fix what they had messed up. “Hey Seungmin!” Bangchan called, and he could hear the heavy footsteps of the boot clad leader running down the hall to catch up. “Jeongin told us you had to leave… Is everything alright? Are you still gonna be able to make it now?” 

Seungmin shook his head, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. “No… I just forgot my keys to the apartment back here in my rush over…” He quickly patted his pockets, rolling his eyes and sighing loudly. “Almost forgot them again, thanks for making me remember.” He patted Bangchan on the shoulder as he sprinted past him to grab his bag from the dressing room and then running back out, just barely brushing past Chan. “I promise I’ll tell you about it later! I’ll tell you all of it!” 

The audio clip came to an end… for the third time. The first had been when Seungmin promptly came back to your apartment, tears in his eyes as he let it all play out, and then begged you to believe him. The first listen had ended in you both hugging and crying as you apologized profusely for doubting him even for a second, and he apologized for making you feel that way. Many kisses were given to make up for the almost 2 and a half hours of worrying that you both put each other through. 

The second listen was when he had sent the clip to his managers and then decided that he wanted to listen once more just to try to imagine how they’d react when they heard it. It didn’t take long for Seungmin to get a message back, more apologies for him having to put up with staff members like that, and then apologies to you for being put through something like that. The girls involved were in the process of being reprimanded and fired for their behavior. 

The third listen, the one you had just gone done with, was when Seungmin had gone to the dorms and decided to take you with him. He had promised to tell the guys about what had happened and why he didn’t perform today and the little recording served as the perfect explanation. “I knew something was wrong!” Jeongin exclaimed, his hands clapping together loudly as he motioned to you. “If you would have told me I could have told you all about how much Seungmin hated his stylist. The amount of times he’d come home ranting about how annoying she is… Ugh. So glad she’s gone.” 

You nodded in agreement to Jeongins words as Seungmin draped his arm over your shoulder, pulling you closer to him. “This wasn’t about me… It’s about Y/N.” He said firmly, although his touch was soft as he ran his hand up and down your arm. “I’m just glad that she’s so understanding…” 

“Did you cry?” Minho asked, and Seungmin was thrown off by the question, looking around the room at all the guys that were now staring at him awaiting his answer. “I bet you did. You cry when you have to spend late nights at the dorms instead of at her apartment with her.” 

“No I don’t!” Seungmin quickly tried to defend himself. “It’s just that the dorms are kind of dusty and they make my eyes water and my nose runny.” 

“But your eyes aren’t watering and your nose isn’t runny now…” You quizzed, holding back your giggles, and he let out a groan before burying his face in your hair. “You’re so cute… If you want to move into my apartment all you have to do is ask.” You pressed a quick kiss to the top of his head and Minho made a sound of disgust. 

“You two are disgusting, get a room.” Minho grumbled, jokingly tossing a pillow at Seungmin, making sure to completely miss you, before getting up off the couch and heading to the kitchen to help Felix with dinner. 

Jeongin snickered mischievously before calling out to Minho. “Remember! The dust makes him all sniffly! That must be why he’s got five boxes of tissues and the mega bottle of lotion. He must be really dry!” All the men cracked up and you could feel Seungmins body rise about 20 degrees with embarrassment. 

Instead of continuing to hide in your hair, he jumped up, practically diving across the living room to tackle Jeongin who was still laughing hysterically. “It’s not funny! Shut up!” But even you were laughing now, watching as Jeongin pushed Seungmin off of him and the two started to chase each other around the room. 

“I’m glad he’s found someone like you.” Bangchan said once he had walked over to sit beside you, taking the time that he had to really talk to you. “He loves you a lot, I’ve never seen him more panicked than he was earlier today when he thought he was going to lose you. I just hope you’ll stay… That you love him just as much…” 

You took a moment to look around at the chaos unfolding around you, Seungmin and Jeongin fighting each other with the decorative throw pillows as Changbin recorded and Jisung narrated it. Hyunjin sat off to the side, watching with amusement and clapping whenever one of them landed a hit with their pillows. Things were absolutely crazy right now, but you loved it, you loved all of them. You had started with Seungmin, your amazing boyfriend who would do anything for you, and in the span of 8 months you had gained 7 brothers who protect you like their own sibling. “I don’t plan on going anywhere…” You murmured, a smile on your face as you sunk into the couch. There was nothing that anyone could do to split you and Seungmin apart. You were staying as long as he wanted you to, and you hoped that it would be forever. 

[frozenartscapes]

I think the thing I’m most excited for (and what I hope actually gets explored) in Spy x Family isn’t so much the drama of the secrets being revealed - I’m excited for what comes after.

Imagine that sort of awkward transition stage where everyone is getting used to this new normal. Loid and Yor are tiptoeing around each other, not really sure what to make of their partner who has been lying their ass off the whole time. They’re both kinda mad about it, but also can’t really find too much fault because they’ve been doing the same thing themselves. Imagine a montage of all the Not Normal things both of them are guilty of and the both of them having a “ooooohhh that makes more sense now” moment.

But then treading into angsty territory: say their missions align or something and they have to work through the fact that their partner is not a civilian. Loid constantly ordering Yor to get back and take cover, throwing his arm up to shield her, but then Yor ducks around him and takes down, like, ten armed guys before he can even blink. Yor having a mini war in her head between Yor Forger and the Thorn Princess, because the Thorn Princess has a damn job to do but Yor Forger is constantly fretting about Loid and what he must think of her and if she’s still a good mom for Anya when she just skewered a grunt’s head so hard his skull exploded. It results in neither of them being on top of their game and eventually having to work through their issues before succeeding (maybe whilst tied up back to back in a holding cell or something).

But then there’s this sort of relief? For Loid especially, because suddenly it’s not just him protecting this family. He knew Yor was good at keeping Anya safe, but before it was as an insanely lucky civilian who’s very good at “yoga”. Now… He knows that it would take something monumental to take Yor down. Anything less than that and she’s walking away covered in blood that’s not hers. There’s this sense of safety that starts to bubble up, which is strange, because it should be the opposite. Yor’s one of the most dangerous assassins in the country - hell in both countries - and yet Agent “I don’t trust anyone” Twilight has complete faith in her.

Meanwhile, Yor’s feeling more validated in months because even after learning Loid/Twilight’s biggest secret…he’s still here. He didn’t just pack up and leave in the middle of the night the way spies do whenever they are compromised. And he learned about her and yet he stayed. He included her in on his schemes. And suddenly living together is just…so much easier. She doesn’t have to sneak out in the middle of the night or hide her injuries. She doesn’t feel ashamed any time her incredible strength slips through. She doesn’t feel like she has to lie to everyone - she has Loid to talk to now. She’s never had someone who knows but who also isn’t a Garden agent themselves. And with him being a spy there’s a level of understanding of the job that makes it really easy to be open about it. Probably to a worrying degree, but Yor trusts Loid with her life despite him being a foreign spy.

And then there’s the question of the degree at which the secret’s out. Do they know about Anya? Does Anya know? (Or more specifically, do they know that Anya knows?) (Anya comes home one day and overhears them talking about spy/assassin stuff and after months of being exhausted trying to help them keep both secrets she just sighs really loudly, “FINALLY!” Only to then be questioned on how she knew.) Would Yuri or Franky find out? Garden or WISE? But it would be fun in there’s a little while where the family knows about each other, the three (four including Bond) having a wonderful little stretch of time where the first true test of their trust for each other is passed with flying colours. (Enough for a Stella Star, even!)

[mazzystar24]

actually the hospital wing joke is starting to bother me a lot more because buck actually fucking died 😭and he didnt even change clothes from being at the hospital all day why would you say that to someone. ik it was a fakeout but bobby looked like he was fr coding on the table. and like just a couple weeks before chimney almost died?? like im sorry i only accept those kinda jokes from people who have known me for years and even then they can be a little upsetting.

thats the thing though!!!! id be perfectly fine with buck and tommy if they gave us more than actual crumbs. 709 felt like buck had more chemistry with ravi in the same scene that tommy was in! they’re supposed to be dating so why do they feel like colleagues? and why are the more emotional and vulnerable scenes getting given to EDDIE if they want me to support buck and tommy as a couple? why wasnt tommy at the hospital with them considering he’s said multiple times he wishes he had a family like the 118 does? why are the only times hes on screen now only establishing his jealousy and that gerrard exists? is that the only reason why hes still here?

actually i wanna get back to 706. it wouldve been so easy to keep tommy there but they wrote him out of most of the episode 😭 he couldve said for the bachelor party! he couldve helped them find chimney! he couldve done literally ANYTHING. chimney was confused as hell as to why he even showed up at the wedding at all 😭 but no!!! they had him show up, ignore what buck wanted, then leave so we could have buck and eddie performing their drunk mating rituals or whatever 🤸‍♂️ but yeah buddie who?

also im never letting go of the wedding singer comment btw because what was that. why did they make tommy reference a movie where the two leads in the ROMANTIC COMEDY start the story dating the wrong people. i feel insane about it actually. also him calling buck evan will forever confuse me until we get an actual acknowledgement in canon because literally why

and the humor falls so flat but eddie has the same type of humor and it never does. he was making fun of buck in 706 (the making chimneys wedding about him line) but it never actually felt serious to me?

anyway sorry for yelling in your inbox i have a lot of mixed emotions about this season -birthmark anon

Yes totally get that like I’m the same like me and my best friend will be saying downright horrendous trauma jokes to eachother that make people around us clutch their pearls but I feel like it takes a certain level of rapport to get to trauma joke level - ig not everyone is the same when it comes to that but I think that again the writers absolutely failed to give us enough bucktommy scenes that justify having this kinda line

AGHSKF NOT THE BUCK /RAVI AHJDKFKF 😭😭😭 THIS IS ESPECIALLY FUNNY WHEN YOU SEE THE BUCKTOMMY SCENE AT THE CEREMONY VS THOSE BUCKLEY DIAZ FAMILY STILLS (still bitter the scene got cut) like someone explain to me why the actual couple is coming across less couple-y

ALSO FR THO THE SARDONIC ENERGY IS JUST NOT BEING BALANCED RIGHT like it’s coming across more 🧍

Like i can’t remember who I was talking to the other day but I was saying like this 🧍emoji just embodies Tommy to me

EXACTLYYYYY LIKE PURELY UNHINGED TO HAVE SUCH AN EMOTIONAL EPISODE AND MAKE NO EFFORT TO USE THOSE EMOTIONAL BEATS TO DEVELOP THEIR DYNAMIC BUT INSTEAD CONTRAST THAT WITH THE VULNERABILITY BETWEEN BUCK AND EDDIE THIS EPISODE

AHSJKF we going back to 7x06 and that’s so valid of us AGSJKF DRUNK MATING RITUALS AHJDKFKF STOP IM CACKLING

THE WEDDING SINGER COMMENT HAUNTS ME ISTG BECAUSE EVERY NOW AND THEN ILL REMEMBER THIS COSTUME DETAIL AND WAKE UP IN A COLD SWEAT:

THE CALLING HIM EVAN THING I LEGIT MADE LIKE THREE THEORIES ON RANGING FROM POSITIVITY TO NEGATIVITY

YES ABOUT THE HUMOUR like there just isn’t that balance or lightness to even the joke out, like I’m a big dry humour and sarcastic girlie but it’s just not being delivered right in a way idk if it’s the writing or the acting or just the fact its most his very small screentime but it’s just falling flat to me

Never apologise for yelling in my inbox babe and same for the mixed emotions

Love ya birthmark anon byee 🫶🫶

[knullanon]

Could you possibly write Headcannons for queen bee as a yanmom..? If that makes sense lmao

dw, I totally got you!!

words: 700 ish

warnings: possesivness, mainpulation, lmk if I missed any!

~~~

She’s very possessive and strict with you, and she’s in control of everything surrounding you, and when I mean everything, I mean EVERYTHING.

It doesn’t matter what it may be, the people who are around you, the things you do, your location, everything has been approved by her and set up in a way that she knows exactly whats going to happen in your day.

I would think she would have a routine schedule for her darling, because she’s needs to make sure they’re getting food, they’re being entertained, and, maybe as an extra way to keep you busy, she gives you your own education course tailored directly for your learning habits.

She really doesn’t like it when this schedule is interrupted, for any reason. If someone else disrupted it, whether by accident or on purpose, she gets pissed. If it was you who disrupted it (woke up late, didn’t finish an activity on the time she thought it would take, you weren’t hungry etc) she is usually OK with changing it.

Whenever she can, she likes to be with you. She loves just talking with you, and she loves hearing you talking about whatever you did that day (even if she already knows), but she ESPECIALLY loves it when you let her talk about what she did in her day, or even just asking you questions on what you think about random topics.

She hates it when you have to meet new people. Because of the fact that you rarely talk to literally anyone (besides her of course), you always seem to want to get to know these new people since you never get to talk to anyone. This causes her to get irritated, and she lets you know by essentially glaring at whoever you just met.

If you weren't taken or if you don't rebel against her, she likes to take you on trips sometimes. It’s very rare, but if she has the time and she knows that you’re getting bored just sitting in the mansion she has you placed in, she’ll bring you to another mansion or house that she knows there’s going to be no one to bother the two of you. She might even show you a list to choose from.

If she’s extremely busy for a few weeks at a time, she has you being watched by her minions and sometimes she doesn’t even need updates from them (just because shes looking at the cameras, watching you).

The more rebellious you become, the more pissed she gets. She may love you very much, but she can be the biggest bitch to you as well if you start acting like one to her.

Hell, if you make her too mad, she might get really petty and make things ‘personal’, like keeping your bedroom cold, but taking away your blankets, or taking away all your activities/entertainment and make you study your worst subject

Actually, the more she feels that you don’t love her, the more she will try to be in your presence. When you’re having your little spats about whatever you’re both arguing about, sometimes she’ll just sit in your room with you, waiting until you say something so she can continue arguing with you

Overall, she’s a very easy to please person with her darling, but her patience is thin, and when it breaks, things can go South very, very quickly.

She loves making you feel like you can’t do anything on your own. In fact, she’ll give you wrong information and then when you repeat it to someone else or her, when they correct you, and you try to tell her that she was the one who told you that, she’ll deflect your argument by saying, “It’s OK that you didn’t remember that, ______.”

Does not care if you want to have other friends or whatnot, because she's the only one you need. Don't you remember how badly you were treated? (Even if you weren't)

[mehoymalloy]

What attracts you to Imotohan? Idk if I get it yet….

One day I should make, like, a ship manifesto...

Today is not that day; instead, you get a collection of references to other posts that I found when I couldn't sleep last night.

Reason Number 1: I really like enemies to lovers as a trope.

I always have, ever since I started reading fanfic way back in the day with Kim/Shego lol. But I especially love when two characters allow me to totally buck the more traditional power dynamics of one party having all the power while the other has none, which I find boring and not at all fun to explore.

At first glance, Otohan does have the upper hand a lot of the time in their dynamic (I mean, hell, they start out by slaughtering half of Imogen's friends and the love of her life). But it’s pretty easy (and very fun) to give Imogen opportunities to be on equal footing with Otohan or even surpass them entirely. And the Tension that comes with exploring two characters who hate each other but can’t help but be attracted to each other is just what I find the most interesting and fun to explore in my own writing in particular.

Sources (lol):

Cool Art that really HITS with the Enemies aspect.

Would also be remiss if I didn't plug Shamie’s art, who has created So Much art because I throw money at her every chance I get. Just scroll her whole otohan thull tag, you won't regret it.

Good Thoughts with my own tiny addition about shipping culture in general.

A nice little ask about characterization and violence.

Reason Number 2: They’re obsessed with each other.

To the point that the cast themself see it and take advantage of it in-game (see here, when Sam pulled 'the one you're so keen to meet with' out of his ass, assumedly failed a deception check, and yet Otohan still either humored them or just zeroed in on 'Imogen? Where's Imogen? Tell me where Imogen is' anyway like a fucking simp.)

Otohan in particular also displays a frankly terrifying amount of ‘care’ and effort in getting Imogen to exalt in the battle at Bassuras, which I talk more about here. It’s what kicked off my intrigue with this ship and got me to try my hand and writing them (and then never stopped, as you can see).

Imogen, for her part, is just understandably terrified of but also constantly infuriated with Otohan (shitpost that shows that well). She says Otohan’s name with such vitriol and I adore her for it. Very ‘I’m gonna punch you in the mouth with my own mouth’ energy.

Here’s some video clips that show off their actual in-game dynamic really well, this one brilliantly set to My Kink is Karma (thank you @corkulous) and another to Death of Me (a million thanks to @lavendertheys).

Reason Number 3: They push each other’s buttons really damn well.

Arguably the most important thing in a ship for me after Tension.

We saw Otohan lose their patience exactly once, in my opinion, during the final battle when they called Imogen a ‘bitch,’ and as I said in this post, I think Imogen deserved so many more opportunities to rile Otohan up like that, especially in actual conversation as opposed to combat. She’s just so good at it, by golly, and if I can't see it in canon I can at least write about it.

And I mean, Otohan got Imogen to exalt (the only time she has done so, to my knowledge) and blow up a whole city block; I think it's safe to say they can get under her skin if they work at it, and I wish they had even more horrible opportunities to do so in canon before they kicked the bucket.

Anyways, that's the gist of what attracts me to Imotohan. If you don't get it, then the ship might just not be for you, which is totally fine—to each their own! Thanks for giving me an excuse to yap about themb~

[misshoneyimhome]

Idk why but I love the idea of Willy with someone who works for the NHL at the Toronto HQ like maybe not in the media team but part of their global marketing division, and they have a great connection because she works with the Swedish office so often and they’ve created a great friendship outside of hockey but as she’s such a high power human and that would be an HR disaster they keep it at a distance. But everyone knows they need to bang so at a holiday party they get caught under the mistletoe together (caught meaning Auston following them around holding it above their heads like an idiot wingman, but also they’re glued to each others sides so they don’t make it easy on themselves) and the Maple Leaf lads aren’t going to let them get away without finally making a move, mostly because they’re tired of Willy’s pining!

Alrighty babe, I mist admit that I wasn't entirely sure where I was going with this 😅 But, I do hope that it caught just parts of what you'd imagined ❤️ otherwise, as always just hit me up 😉

➼｡ﾟ

Don't mix business with pleasure I William Nylander ✿❄︎

"Come on, Willy, just sleep with her already," Mitch's voice rang out in the locker room as the team prepped for practice. “I mean, you've only been into her for like six months already…”

William couldn't help but chuckle at his teammate's blunt comment, even though there was perhaps some truth in it.

"I can't just sleep with her... you know where she works, right?" William responded; a bit hesitant as he adjusted his hockey gear.

"Yeah, she's got a high-up job, but seriously, you two have been ogling each other since she first talked to you about Sweden," Mitch explained, letting it be known that the whole team was aware of the chemistry between you and their teammate.

Working at the Toronto HQ had been a huge achievement in your career, especially at your age in your mid-twenties. The promotion was a result of hard work and dedication, a significant step forward that you had relentlessly pursued.

And it was only a few weeks into your new position when you’d first encountered the Swedish forward, William Nylander. You and your team had invited all the Swedish players in for a meeting, as you were preparing for the up for the upcoming global series event set to happen in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden.

Being part of the global marketing team, you were tasked with managing the event schedule for this huge event, knowing that the Swedes, especially William, would be very much under the spotlight. He wasn't just a star player for the Leafs but also a familiar face in what he considered his home country -Sweden. And right from that moment, an immediate connection sparked between the two of you.

Sure, your professional responsibilities demanded commitment, but amid the discussions in the meeting rooms and event arrangements, there was an unspoken bond in the air - a mutual understanding that went beyond regular work interactions.

William's gaze was fixed on you from the start, as he quickly noticed your voice, gentle and warm, filling the room, a comforting tune to his ears, and your captivating smile and evident passion for your work were magnetic.

You were incredibly smart, and the way you weren’t afraid of speaking your mind, and man-handle those around you who gave you nothing but hell, merely because you were younger than them, had him all intrigued.

And he knew he had to at least try and be around you for more than just a few meetings.

So, days slowly turned into shared moments – casual coffees during breaks, filled with laughter, genuine talks about life beyond the sports arena, and a mutual admiration for each other's dedication to your careers. Yet, underneath this professional facade, there lingered an undeniable tension; an unexpressed longing held back by the responsibilities of professionalism.

You tried to keep things innocent, staying at arm's length and keeping a cool, business-like attitude. But his charm, laughter, and jokes easily cut through the formal work setup, reaching a deeper part of you.

Especially during the Global tour, when you, alongside all the coordinators and Swedes across the NHL-teams, Red Wings, Wilds, and Senators, spent endless hours together sorting schedules, doing interviews, signing autographs, and handling whatever else cropped up.

It became increasingly harder to stay far away from the lad from Stockholm. Yet, both of you knew you had to deal with this undeniable chemistry, sidestepping unspoken feelings that came up whenever you were together.

And perhaps you were a little bit better at it than William.

"Planning to root for us?" he teased during a discussion about the team’s marketing plans.

"Willy, you know I can’t take sides like that; I'm part of the NHL, remember," you replied with a sweet smile.

"Fair enough, but I wouldn't mind hearing you cheering my name one day... supporting the Leafs," he almost whispered, making sure not to make it too obvious to everyone around that your relationship was slowly becoming more than just colleagues. Perhaps even closer than just friends.

But you brushed it off, keeping your attention on your tasks at hand.

Meanwhile, the Maple Leaf lads, always keeping an eye out, couldn't resist teasing and joking around, fully aware of the growing attraction between you and William.

"Looks like someone's aiming high up there," Auston teased William as soon as he’d returned to the group. "So, that's why you're always hanging around, 'assisting' whenever the big boys are here."

"She's not involved in any of that," William defended with a chuckle.

And it did hold some truth to it.

However, he couldn't deny the way you looked in your stylish vintage suit-pants, your hair nearly flawlessly styled, and your makeup enhancing your natural beauty. It occupied too much space in his hockey-focused mind.

Thoughts of your figure lingered in his thoughts, and every time there was a game either at the Scotiabank Arena or elsewhere, he'd search for you in the crowd.

_

As the holiday season drew near, the team's cheerful vibe set the stage for playful banter and, not to forget, the big company Christmas party in Toronto, where the entire headquarters received invites, including the Toronto Maple Leafs players and management.

And amid the festive ambience, the players were casually dressed in their best business casual attire, chatting and mingling, across management levels and occupations.

However, it was Auston's smug look that caught William's attention, prompting him to swiftly turn his head, when you entered the venue.

Your semi-long red dress hugged your figure snugly, and your legs looked elongated by your tall heels, as a blazer draped over your shoulders, and you held a clutch close to your side.

"Hey, Willy, I think you dropped something," Morgan teased as the blonde Swede couldn't take his eyes off you from a distance.

"What?" William questioned.

"Your jaw," the defenseman jested, prompting chuckles from the rest of the guys.

William did his best to shrug off his teammates' playful remarks with laughter, but his gaze remained fixed on you.

And a few moments later, as you picked up a delightful glass of champagne, your eyes met his as well.

It was a tender moment as your eyes locked from across the room, and the atmosphere seemed to grow a bit more intense. You almost sensed his presence, feeling as if his breath was upon you, as the two of you stood almost motionless, the background noise gently fading away.

But then you shook your head, needing to break the intense moment and return to reality as Shannon Hosford's lively storytelling filled the room.

"I swear you have to make a move tonight," Auston chuckled, noticing the not-so-subtle shared moment.

"I wish…" William murmured softly, a faint smirk touching his lips. "Maybe there'll be a Christmas miracle," he chuckled lightly before turning his focus back to his friends.

And that idea sparked something in Auston's mind.

A Christmas miracle—or perhaps just a gentle nudge in the right direction.

As the night progressed, Cynthia Devine delivered a heartfelt speech, followed by Brendan Shanahan, and then a delightful three-course meal. You found yourself engrossed in amusing conversations with the Toronto Maple Leafs' staff. Given your recent close work with them, striking up casual chats felt almost second nature.

Then during the pivotal speech delivered by the NHL Toronto HQ president, William decided to make a move, as he sensed your efforts to keep a distance from him throughout the evening, yet he also felt that it wasn't truly what you desired.

So, as everyone stood, their attention fixed on the stage in the beautiful venue, William moved closer to you, positioning himself right by your side, his shoulder gently brushing against yours. You glanced slightly in his direction, catching a glimpse of his handsome features, before turning back to face the stage, a faint smile playing on your lips.

Just his close presence alone made you feel a sense of warmth.

Then something more tangible occurred.

William delicately and slowly nudged his right hand against your left, which hung by your side, and he lightly traced his fingers against yours, attempting to interlace two of his fingers with your palm, gently wrapping them around your little and ring finger.

Initially, your heart skipped a beat. You knew his touch was almost innocent, yet if anyone from the headquarters spotted you intertwining fingers with an NHL hockey player, HR would undoubtedly raise concerns. It would be deemed a violation of regulations and considered highly unprofessional.

But you found it hard to resist.

Gradually, you relaxed your tensed posture, allowing your arm to hang freely, permitting William's fingers to intertwine further with yours.

However, your actions didn’t go unnoticed.

As Auston saw the subtle finger play between you and William, he was quick to make his move. However, just as he was about to execute his plan, the speech concluded, prompting both you and William to swiftly pull your hands apart and join in the applause with the rest of the crowd.

The room filled with loud sounds as the clapping continued for what seemed like minutes, but it was minutes you relished simply standing next to the tall Swede. Then, as the applause gradually faded and the crowd dispersed from the floor, you took the chance to steal another glance at William. But you weren't alone.

Auston was nearby, and with a smooth move, he produced a small green plant from behind his back. Looking innocent, he whistled and casually raised his hand, looking in a different direction as he held the mistletoe just above your heads.

Both you and William couldn't help but chuckle at Auston's not-so-subtle attempt at matchmaking. Yet, there was an understanding that perhaps engaging in intimate contact with William under the guise of mistletoe tradition might make it more acceptable. Your eyes met his once more.

William immediately caught on and subtly moved a bit closer to you, if that was even possible.

It felt like an unspoken agreement. Both of you knew what you desired most in that very moment. However, the moment was interrupted naturally by a colleague calling you over, and once again, you had to separate.

Both Auston and William let out deep sighs, feeling the missed opportunity keenly. So close, yet so far.

Fortunately, no more than an hour passed before another opportunity arose. And this time, Auston was determined to have your lips connected with William's.

The dance floor was packed with guests, music blaring through the speakers, as you had just grabbed another drink from the bar when William approached you gently.

"Not sure if it's appropriate," he softly chuckled. "But you look absolutely amazing tonight."

His attempt to remain polite and professional, while also being charming and flirtatious, amused you. And you couldn’t deny that there was a part of you that simply wanted to give in to the temptation.

Glancing around and spotting none of your managers or colleagues, you leaned in with a confident, teasing expression.

"Only tonight?" you teased back, earning a light chuckle from William.

"I think we both know I think you always look amazing," he corrected himself with a laugh.

And once again, you both felt the tender moment burgeoning between you, as Auston slowly made his way closer.

And again, he took out the little green plant, holding it just above your heads casually, prompting more light chuckles. But this time, you and William silently agreed that it was happening.

As you took a deep breath, fully aware of the countless regulations about to be crossed, you leaned in towards him, meeting his touch halfway as he slowly inclined to let his lips meet yours.

His hands found the curves of your hips as you placed yours on his muscular upper arms, softly leaning into the kiss.

The moment was absolutely perfect.

William's lips felt just right against yours, his closeness feeling wonderful, and the shared breaths creating a heartfelt connection. Your heart quickened, and excitement surged through you with the intensity of the kiss.

But as much as both of you desired for it to last longer, you knew you had to pull away to avoid drawing too much attention.

So, reluctantly, you let out a breath, took a small step back, and willed your heart to calm down, mentally processing the rush the kiss had brought.

Even after parting, amid exclamations and chuckles from the players, the sensation of William's lips lingering on yours remained.

But you knew it couldn't continue, and so you made a painful decision and began to walk away. Heading straight towards the ladies’ room, conflicting emotions clashed with rational thoughts in your head.

And just as you were about to reach for the door handle, William's hand grabbed yours and turned you around, pulling you close to him.

"Willy," you exhaled, slightly bewildered by his sudden action. "Please, we can't…"

"I know, but..." His voice softened as he pondered how to articulate his thoughts. "I know we can't be together, not now and maybe not ever... but I need you to know, no matter what happens, my heart belongs to you."

His words were tender and filled with emotion, conveying a depth of sincerity that struck a chord within you.

And attempting to respond while standing close together in the hallway, grateful that no one interrupted your private moment, you began, "Willy..."

"You don't have to explain - I understand it's your career, and I don't want to jeopardize it - but I just needed you to know how I feel; otherwise, I'd regret it for the rest of my life."

Slowly untangling himself from your proximity, he then started to walk away. However, you couldn't let him leave like this.

After his heartfelt confession, even though circumstances seemed against you, you couldn't let him go without a response. Determinedly, you strode towards him.

"Willy," you called out loudly, causing him to turn around and face you again, just as you leaned in to connect your lips briefly once more.

"Just so you know, I'm not saying never."

A small smile graced the hockey player's face as he let out a relieved sigh, your words simply reassuring him that what was happening between you wasn't entirely off the table for the future.

[anxiousnerdwritings]

Unexpected (kinda) pure thought: Aemma and sicklybrother!reader get to hang out cuz they’re both bedridden all the time and support each other through their shit health. I also love the idea of them talking shit about everybody at court together and nobody suspecting anything cuz they have such spotless reputations. Also Rhaenyra doing the same thing w Aemma in episode one where she’s like ‘all these people are fussing over your health, who’s fussing over you?’ and spends time with him chatting and laughing.

When Aemma/baby Baelon dies and they all have the funeral on those windy-ass hills Reader being like “I’ve lost my friend, my brother and king has to burn his wife and child today, my niece has lost her mother and the realm has lost their queen, I’m going to be out there if it fucking kills me,” even if he has to be carried he’s not skipping it.

Rhaenyra curling up in her uncles bed the way she did as a little girl for comfort when Daemon is exiled and Viserys is distant 😢.

When the ‘heir for a day’ thing happens he gently confronts Daemon ‘did you really say it? I don’t want to hear it from Otto, I want to hear it from you. I’m not angry, I just want you to be honest with me’ (according to BTS stuff they filmed the scene w Daemon saying it but he genuinely said it in a honouring kinda way, not mocking)

Reader biting his lip til it bleeds to stop from crying/expressing his own grief cuz he’s trying to be strong for everyone and providing genuine advice even though he’s so sad and stressed. Emotional support animal vibes. Which makes him easy for Alicent to swoop in and ‘save’.

- 🦇

When I tell you I fucking love this idea so much, I mean it! Aemma and Sickly!Younger!Brother!Reader being the bestest besties in all the realm is just too wholesome for my heart to handle. Also, I absolutely adore that scene of Rhaenyra visiting Aemma and her mother nudges her with her foot. No doubt that exact same action and the mention of ‘all these people fussing over your health, who’s fussing over you?’ would happen more often then not when regarding Rhaenyra, the Reader and Aemma together. I also totally can see Rhaenyra having heard that exact sentence be uttered by either her mother or her uncle directed towards the other which in turn is why she used it. It’s like their own little thing they say to each other that Rhaenyra no doubt picked up given how much time she spent around them together.

I have no doubt in my mind that Aemma would spend most of her time by Sickly!Reader’s side, both being tended to simultaneously. They both share their annoyance at being so fret over by everyone else and just wanting some peace away from the maesters and servants hovering over them. I love the idea of the two having their own little get away place just for the two of them, and maybe Rhaenyra. Just somewhere the two could get some peace and serenity without anyone breathing down their necks about their health. I especially love the thought of this secret place having been founded and used by Sickly!brother!Reader way before he shared it with Aemma. Daemon is probably the only other person who knows about this spot, mainly because he went to visit the Reader one late night and found his bedchambers completely empty and nearly had a heart attack because of it but eventually found his sibling safe and sound in said secret place.

I definitely see Aemma and Sickly!Brother!Reader not only being the best of friends but also being more akin to brother and sister (and not in the Targaryen way). So when Aemma dies he not only lost his best friend but a sister too and it only adds all the more to the hurt. And he sure as hell is going to be in attendance at her and his nephew’s funeral. He’s not going to let anything keep him from being there for his brother and niece. He’s not going to let anything stop him from being there to send off his beloved best friend, his sister and her child to the gods. I can’t help but imagine Daemon being the one to come across the Reader trying to make his way out of the castle to where the funeral pyre, having trouble due to his health but still stubbornly trying to get back to his feet to get to where he needs to be. The Reader thinks Daemon is just there to stop him and is already in the midst of shutting down any attempts to prevent him from going through with his endeavors, but instead he’s met with Daemon holding his arm out for him to lean on and help aid him while he tries to walk again.

The sight of the Reader making his feeble yet determined way in support of Viserys and Rhaenyra in their time of need is something they both had desperately hoped to have happen but never imagined it coming to be. Viserys would be incredibly appreciative and thankful that his youngest brother was there, a part of him had wanted to bring the Reader out himself but he didn’t want to compromise his health more than it already was and end up having another funeral because of it. But seeing his brother, having him there was something Viserys would never forget. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra is absolutely brimming with relief and gratitude upon her beloved uncle making his way to stand among her and her father in mourning.

After Aemma’s death, Sickly!brother!Reader wouldn’t do too well. His bedchambers alone was a bittersweet reminder of her constantly, every single day, given how much she spent her time by his side laughing, chainring, gossiping, and everything else. Even with the bustling maesters and servants or even Alicent’s presence isn’t enough to take away from the quiet he now felt surrounded him without Aemma there. If anything Alicent’s constant presence would only be yet another reminder of Aemma, the way she now sits by his side the way Aemma once did or how she tried to talk to him in a similar fashion that Aemma did. For a good while, Sickly!Brother!Reader would try and avoid his room as much as possible, slipping away whenever he had the strength too. Hell, even when he didn’t have it in him he would still try to get away from the one place that reminded him most of his late friend. Even Viserys wouldn’t be able to bring himself to visit his brother for awhile, not after the many times he’d come across both his most treasured loved ones keeping each other company throughout their ordeals in the same said room.

On the other hand, Rhaenyra would depend even more on her uncle after her mother and baby brother’s deaths. She finds his company being the most comforting, getting to be in a space where her mother often was too made Rhaenyra feel even closer to her all over again. Not only that but she was often reminded of the fond memories of her, her mother, and her beloved uncle all being together and laughing away even given the weakened state her uncle was especially in. Rhaenyra would be glued to the Reader’s side once Viserys pulls away and Daemon is exiled. Her Sickly!Uncle was always the one she could consistently depend on no matter what and even now he continued to be there for her when she needed someone most.

Alicent would be jealous of the attention and overall closeness of the Reader and Rhaenyra. She’s understanding that both are going through something grievous, everyone affected by Aemma’s death is but she still can’t help but envy Rhaenyra getting to be so close to the Reader all she wants. Getting the Reader’s undivided time and attention, his comfort and assurance, all of it. Alicent understands the loss of a mother, she lost her own some time ago after all and she desperately wished she had someone like the Reader back then to do the same for her as he was doing for Rhaenyra. Not only that but Alicent also wished, hoped, prayed for more than anything that she could be someone the Reader could lean on, someone who could give him comfort and reassurance. She wanted to be the one to hold him, to soothe away his pain and anguish, she wanted to be the one he could depend on. Meanwhile her farther was forcing her to be exactly that for Viserys instead. Now that doesn’t mean she wasn’t also using the same methods with the Reader as she was with Viserys, trying to get him to just give into her even just a little bit. But out of the two Viserys was much weaker to it then his youngest brother.

If Sickly!Brother!Reader ever found out that Aemma’s cause of death was mainly due to the caesarean section that Viserys had the maesters do to save baby Baelon he wouldn’t be able to look at his brother again. He understands his brother’s position in the moment but he can’t help but hold quite a lot of blame and resentment towards Viserys for the choice he made. Eventually the Reader could come to accept it but knowing that it was his brothers choice that killed Aemma would be a hard hit to the Reader.

Regarding the ‘heir for a day’ comment, the Reader definitely wants to hear it himself from Daemon and only Daemon. He isn’t going to take anyone else’s word for it. And as calm and gentle as the Reader is coming off in the moment, he’s really seething with an overwhelming intensity of emotion. Daemon better explain himself right and clearly to his younger brother otherwise he’s getting a well deserved punch to the face, one that takes everything out of the Reader and leads to him collapsing onto the floor resulting in Daemon rushing to his side. It’s only then that the Reader fully allows himself to finally let out all the emotions he’s been bottling up in favor of being the one everyone else can depend on. Breaking down, sobbing so aggressively that Daemon can’t help but look on worriedly as his brother crumbles. All he can do is hold his baby brother and comfort him as much as he can until he calms himself down enough to be placed back into his bed and down some much needed water.

[davekat-sucks]

I read your ideas for your yt channel vids and I gotta say feferi is SUCH a wasted opportunity. Like the fact her mom is a horror terror alone is so cool- why couldn’t one of the beyond cannon episodes focus on how she convinced them to make the dream bubbles? Why can’t we have her and rose have a chat about them the way she got to have a chat with Jade earlier in hs? Even plot and major lore connections aside she has such a funny, weird relationship history with the rest of the cast, if they’re gonna go for mellodrama why not go for her weird sollux eridan dream bubble love triangle thing. And all of this would have been easy bc apparently ghosts were just showing up in candy/meat (iirc that’s how jade’s corpse got possessed by Alt calliope but I don’t keep up w the epilogues much). It’s just idk, super disappointing. Especially since fandom loves to water her down to fish puns, if they remember her at all.

Feferi should have talked to Rose when it comes to Horrorterrors too. Maybe have a payoff on why Feferi had come to Jade's dream and tell her she was DEAD. Feferi also DID create the Dream Bubbles, as her wish was to have an afterlife for her friends. Gl'bgolyb granted her wish because she was nice enough to feed her (unlike the Condesce). However, the guide for the Dream Bubbles was taken by Aradia for one reason or another. Aradia would seem to be hanging with Horror Terrors too in Pesterquest, despite that the close connection should have been with Feferi. And by Epilogues/HS2/Beyond Canon, the Dream Bubbles is said to be destroyed by the black holes. Which means Feferi's place for her friends after they died, both doomed and the actual timeline, was for naught. Sure the ghosts seem to have arrived on Earth C in Epilogues, but we don't know what they do on that planet. Like do they live a regular life as ghosts just hanging around? Could they interact with the real world and do things like get a job? Could they be destroyed from exorcism or other means? Would they even take part of the current war between Karkat and Jane? Maybe Feferi could do something like facing against Alt Calliope since she was the one who made said black holes. She could go be friendly with Roxy and also be suspicious of the Calliope with her. She doesn't even get to say anything as Fefetasprite^2 even in the Vriska hell visual novel because people love her for being just a JOKE CHARCTER of only saying 3833 < 383 because being a cute silly girl is the only known trait for Feferi and Nepeta.

[shit-people-probably-didnt-say]

Every umbrella's favourite/least favourite crow?

Luther would relate to Matthias, both have that loyal to something that actually turned out to be terrible background. They also are displeased by some behaviours of those around them. Least favourite would be Kaz, he is too ruthless and personally motivated. Kaz isnt about the “greater good”

Diego Ive got to say Inej for obvious knife related reasons and having a code they live by. He’d probably butt heads with Matthias because hes so similar to Luther

Allison would also love Inej, a resilient strong woman who doesnt take shit is right up her street. I can see her struggling to find common ground with Kaz and Wylan. She wouldnt dislike Wylan but she doesnt have much in common with him and as for Kaz? She doesnt trust him as far as she can throw him. His secret motives have alternate secret motives and Allison needs some control over a situation or she loses it

Klaus is of course going to vibe with Jesper. If you gave Klaus guns they’re basically the same person with different addictions 😅. As for least favourite Im going with Matthias. Matthias duty and honour nature is just polar opposite to Klaus’ hedonistic lifestyle

Five is a cut up between Kaz and Wylan. He would like Wylan as they are both science brained and happily talk back to authority figures despite being physically smaller. And I can also see Five respecting Kaz for his ability to be 3 steps ahead of the enemy and figuring out impossible tasks whilst not shying away from using violence when necessary. Fives least favourite would be Nina. Shes too loud and lacks finesse and a history of going rogue which he would consider a liability on missions.

Ben 1.0 I feel would like Nina especially after her grisha powers are changed into something that feels monstrous and that she doesnt know how to control. Much like how Ben 1.0 felt about his powers. He also came across as shy so Ninas confidence and ability to get people out of their shell would work well with him. Ben 1.0 would probably not dislike any of the Crows, but Kaz would unnerve the hell out of him. I cant imagine them having easy chit chat

Viktor’s favourite is also going to be Wylan, fond of music and having especially harsh treatment from their fathers? Trauma bonding buddies 💖 as for least favourite? I dont think he’d have one. Theres parts of each Crow that Viktor would like or at least understand or empathise with