#so i don't have to spend 10 minutes figuring out what a ship is

[gaiaxygang]

i love observing the different ship naming conventions in fandoms of media from different countries. jp using first 2 syllables of their names and putting them together (ena and mafuyu = enamafu). th just putting their names together normally (kanghan and sailom = kanghansailom). anything in english the fans just do whatever they want i guess (mashing their names together or naming them after something that represents them)

[bosbas]

Chapter 1: I said, "dancin' is a dangerous game"

series masterlist previous part || next part

pairing: anthony bridgerton x fem!reader WC: 2.5k words

Warnings: period-typical gender roles, lowkey why do i ship daphne and y/n....

Summary: At her wit's end after Anthony's multiple attempts to scare away her suitors, Daphne employs her best friend's help to keep her brother distracted while she tries to find a husband. It's a foolproof plan, except it ends up working a little too well. (or, a Bridgerton version of The Taming of the Shrew/10 things I hate about you)

May 13, 1812 - You were in Hyde Park less than ten minutes before you saw Daphne Bridgerton's figure out of the corner of your eye. Delighted that she'd joined you earlier than expected, you waved her over.

"Hello, Daph," you greeted cheerfully, scooting over so your best friend could sit beside you on the bench. "I didn't think I'd see you for a few hours, given how many gentlemen asked you to dance last night. Did none of them call?"

Daphne groaned, a scowl set deep on her face, as she took a piece of bread from your basket and broke it into chunks to feed the ducks.

"Don't remind me. Most of them called, actually," she responded. "If only Anthony had let me have three seconds with them I might have been able to discern whether or not I was actually interested. He barged into the sunroom and promptly kicked everyone out. There was not a single suitor left in the room by the time he'd finished!"

You snorted. "Ah, so the overbearing eldest brother is once again to blame."

"Isn't he always?" she responded, too annoyed to match the lightness in your tone.

You just smiled to yourself and fed the ducks silently, knowing Daphne well enough to hide your smile from her, given that she was more than likely fuming at Anthony's constant meddling. You knew he meant well, but he was known to go a bit overboard at times. Well, most times. Especially when it came to Daphne's courtships.

"Anthony's the biggest rake in Mayfair, anyway. I don't know exactly what moral high ground he thinks he's standing on but it's certainly not as sturdy as he assumes," continued Daphne, still upset over that morning's happenings.

"Is it really that bad, Daph?" you said in an attempt to console her. "At least you're not getting hordes of unpleasant men at your doorstep every day. And you know the kinds of men that frequent the ton aren't always the kind you'd want to spend your afternoons with."

"I'm not getting any men at my doorstep! That's the problem!" exclaimed Daphne, exasperated. "I know you might not share the same desires as me, but I would eventually like to get married and have a family."

"I want to find a husband, too," you insisted, your tone bordering on defensive. "I just don't particularly feel bothered to look for one during my first season."

Daphne sobered immediately, coming out of her annoyance toward her brother as she could sense you were upset. "I didn't mean it like that, I swear," she insisted, placing a hand on your shoulder and looking into your eyes. "It was just-"

"I understand," you smiled at her, placing your hand over hers. "I just don't have the same urgency as you do, on account of my father having absolutely no stake in my marital status. No stake in anything about me at all, actually."

It would be a sad sentiment if you weren't used to it. You were an only child, and your mother had died after getting ill when you were only five years old. Your father, of course, was quite busy with the land he managed, and thus most of your upbringing had just been you and your governess. And the Bridgertons, of course.

You had met Daphne when she was eight and you were seven, and the two of you had gotten along splendidly since then. Since you had no real family of your own, bar your absent father, you spent copious amounts of time at the Bridgerton residence at Daphne's insistence. You now found yourself to be a semi-permanent fixture in their house, feeling just as home there as you did at your father's home.

This proximity to the Bridgertons had made you intimately familiar with Anthony's overprotective demeanor. Ever since you and Daphne were young, Anthony had gone out of his way to make sure that his siblings were cared for. Sometimes that included you, too. But unfortunately, he could take it too far sometimes.

"Did you like anyone last night, at least? Your dress was quite magnificent and I know I'm not the only one who noticed," you winked at Daphne.

She hummed thoughtfully. "I don't entirely know. I don't think one dance is enough to know whether I truly like someone," she responded, slumping down on the bench.

"Especially not when Anthony cuts the dance short halfway through," you laughed, recalling the eldest Bridgerton's attempts to thwart Daphne's search for a husband.

But your comment did nothing to lighten the mood. Instead, it seemed to make your friend even more irritated.

"It's my second year out in society! I still don't have a husband. Not even close to it, apparently," continued Daphne, aggressively tossing bits of bread into the pond.

"Well, you have to marry eventually. Anthony can't keep you away from every man for the rest of your life!" you argued.

But this did little to quell Daphne's annoyance. "He's certainly trying," she muttered.

"We can ship him off to the West Indies for the season," you joked. "Surely he won't be able to interrupt your suitors from halfway across the globe."

Suddenly, Daphne raised her eyebrows, looking at you with a devious smile.

"I was only joking! We can't actually ship him away," you laughed. "Besides, how would the ladies of the ton ever survive without the most desirable bachelor who is always just out of reach?"

Daphne snorted, amused at your dig at Anthony. "No, no, we don't have to ship him away," she said. "But you are correct in saying that I need time away from him to fully explore potential matches."

You hummed in agreement, imagining how much easier life would be for Daphne if her older brother simply... let her be. "Is he going on a hunting trip soon?" you said hopefully.

Your best friend shook her head, still smiling at you like she was plotting something.

"What is it?" you pressed, laughing at her expression.

"Can I ask you a favor?" she said, an expectant look in her eyes.

“Yes, I’ll kill Anthony for you. I’ve only been waiting for you to ask,” you joked.

“No,” Daphne laughed. “I’m serious.”

“Go on then,” you nodded.

“Could you ask him to dance at tomorrow’s ball?”

“Me? Ask him? Are you out of your mind?” you sputtered. You had never danced with Anthony at a ball, and you couldn't fathom the first time you did so being after you were the one to ask him.

“Y/N, please. I can’t just rely on forlorn glances across the ballroom to secure suitors. I need to actually speak with them, and I won’t be able to if Anthony keeps... hovering.”

Granted, hovering was a very generous word for what Anthony was really doing. But still, you looked at her, uncertainty in your eyes. You weren’t particularly keen on asking Anthony to dance, knowing he was famously opposed to marriage at this point in his life. Yes, you had grown up around him, but that didn’t mean he was interested in you at all, and you didn’t want to face that rejection if you could avoid it.

“Don’t give me that look! I promise it’ll work,” cried Daphne, desperate. “Just tell him you feel like dancing but don’t want to give another man the wrong impression since it’s only your first season and you’re still biding your time. Most of which is true.”

She made a good point. You didn’t want the hordes of men that seemed to flock to Daphne just yet. And would one dance really hurt that much?

---

The music in the ballroom pleasantly surrounded you as you stood next to Violet. Daphne had left to dance with Lord Wilson, a bachelor of very distinguished background who seemed to be hanging onto every word your best friend said.

Just as you turned to Violet to comment on how well-suited the pair looked, Anthony stormed over to where you were standing.

"It's unbelievable that she's even giving him the time of day," he said lowly, looking wholly unimpressed by the dance happening a few feet in front of him.

You could feel Anthony growing tense beside you as the seconds ticked by, and you bit the inside of your cheek to keep from laughing. Three seconds of his sister speaking with a man and he was ready to explode already? He was worse than you thought.

You saw Daphne lean back as she laughed at something the gentleman said, and you knew you had to act fast before Anthony intervened.

“Oh, the music is wonderful tonight! Anthony, would you care for a dance?”

He tore his gaze away from his sister and looked at you, perplexed.

“Are you asking me to dance?”

“I believe I am, Anthony,” you said.

He scoffed, not quite believing you. “That is not very proper of you, Lady L/N.”

“And you are a great authority on propriety, I presume?" you said, a playful edge to your voice. "Given your… adventures as a rake, surely you have a better idea of what is proper than I do.”

Anthony choked at your bold choice of words, not used to people calling him out so publicly. “Y/N! Why do you want to dance with me then, if I'm such a rake?”

You rolled your eyes. “I just enjoy the music and want to dance. And I don’t want to give any other men the wrong impression,” you recited exactly what Daphne had told you to say.

He nodded reluctantly and took your hand. “Very well. One dance, then. I don’t want anyone getting the wrong impression of me either.”

This was the last time you ever did anything for Daphne. God, how difficult could one man be?

But all of your annoyance faded away once he placed his hand on your hip and spun you around. This was rather nice, you found yourself thinking. You hadn't properly danced at a ball yet, and you couldn't help but think that you'd missed out on a rather enjoyable activity.

The dance was going along quite smoothly, and you and Anthony seemed to be melting together, no longer two individuals but instead moving more like one entity. You were especially enjoying whenever his grip shifted slightly and his hand ran across the small of your back. To be truthful, you were simply having fun.

That is until you felt Anthony shifting you across the dance floor so you could get nearer to Daphne and the gentleman she was dancing with. Feeling Anthony's shoulders tense underneath your gingerly placed hands, you looked up at him.

Looking into his eyes, you raised your eyebrows. "She's fine, you know. You don't have to watch over her every second of every ball."

Anthony rolled his eyes, dismissing your comment. "Of course I do. She's my sister! I have to take care of her. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to her or if she ended up betrothed to a dolt."

"Anthony," you softened your tone. "It's quite alright. It's not all up to you. You've got an entire family to keep her safe. And me, of course."

You could feel his muscles relax under your hands. "Thank you," he breathed out. "I know all of that to be true. I just worry about her. And about you! But luckily there aren't many suitors of yours to scare off."

"Oh," you said, your voice squeakier than you intended. "Thank you?" you questioned. You weren't quite sure how to take his comment.

"No!" he rushed out, immediately realizing what his words sounded like. "I didn't mean it like that. Daphne had just mentioned that you're not as interested in finding someone right now since it's your first season. And I hadn't really seen you dance with anyone at one of these balls before. And-"

"It's no trouble, Anthony," you smiled, giggling at how flustered he'd gotten. "I appreciate the concern nonetheless."

He shook his head, still not believing that he'd been so rude toward you. As much as you were a familiar face around his home, he couldn't quite tease you the way he did Daphne or any of his other sisters, and he was dreadfully embarrassed that he had made you upset, even if just for a moment.

"If you ever want to dance again, just come to me, understood?" he said, his voice turning serious. "I don't need another one of you to worry about."

You could barely contain your laughter as the music came to an end. "Yes, Anthony," you said dutifully, smiling at how silly he was being.

Looking over at Daphne, you were pleased to see that everything had gone to plan and she'd had the chance to talk to Lord Wilson the entire time you'd been with her brother. It was a relief that she'd finally gotten a normal courting experience.

Before Anthony could reach her and wrench her away from her suitor, Daphne rushed over to you, grabbing your arm excitedly.

"Shall we take a turn about the ballroom?" she suggested, leaving you no room to protest as she led you away from her mother and brother.

You laughed at her excitement, glad that your best friend was finally enjoying herself.

"Thank you so much, Y/N, truly," she gushed, squeezing your arm affectionately. "That was absolutely incredible. It's the longest time I've been able to spend with a potential match without Anthony hanging over my shoulder."

"I'm happy to do it," you said amusedly. "He was that lovely, then?"

"Oh, absolutely not," she shook her head. "Lord Wilson was dreadfully boring. But at least now I know! And I don't have to pine over him or wonder what he would be like. I know for certain I'm not interested, and I can focus on finding my true love match."

"That's wonderful, Daph," you laughed. You truly held so much affection for her. It was endearing to see her so excited over spending time with a man she didn't even like.

Suddenly, Daphne slowed her pace. Turning you around, she held both of your hands and took a deep breath. "Yes, it was. Which is why I must ask you to dance with Anthony tomorrow night as well."

"What do you mean? Ask him to dance again? I thought this was only for tonight," you sounded unconvinced. Asking her brother to dance one time had already been enough of a hassle, but having to pretend to need him to dance with you once more was looking like an insurmountable challenge.

"Please, Y/N," she begged. "It's the only way I'll find a husband that isn't someone like Nigel Berbrooke," she added, whispering the last part.

It was true, Anthony seemed to have impossibly high standards that only the most unpleasant bachelor in Mayfair seemed to be able to meet. If you could do anything to protect Daphne from that unpleasant fate, you would do it.

"I suppose I could try tomorrow night. Though I can't promise he'll want to dance with me again. Anthony seemed quite reluctant tonight," you conceded.

"Nonsense," said Daphne, rolling her eyes. "Anthony loves you dearly, I can't imagine he'd ever turn you down."

"Whatever you say," you responded, unconvinced but unwilling to dampen your best friend's chipper mood. Besides, you had a wonderful time with Anthony tonight. How could another dance possibly go wrong?

—

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[freesia-writes]

I don't have it in me to write full scenes, so here are some fun little drabbles of what it might be like to party with some of the boys on New Year's Eve! PLEASE feel free to add your own and use the tag #2024cloneNYE

Shoutout to @lornaka for the sweet helmet art. Find other dividers like these here.

Tup - Tries to take you somewhere neat to see fireworks, holding your hand and glancing at you sheepishly every now and then, but gets lost along the way. Is simultaneously frustrated at himself and nervous at what you’ll think of him until you pull him into a side alleyway to show him some fireworks of your own. 😎

Jesse - Is so delighted to be spending the evening with you that he nearly gets into three different fights with troopers at the bar because he's just so dang excited. Dances your ass off then takes you out for street food, where he does get in a fight with a handsy vendor. Gives you the best kiss of your life at midnight. 🥴

Fives - Tells you to wear a disguise. Dies laughing when you show up and he is wearing a simple poncho while you have donned a huge fake mustache. Sneaks you both onto a large cargo freighter that is scheduled to depart from Coruscant a bit before 00:00, so that as it’s slowly lifting into the sky, you get a bird’s eye view of the fireworks all around you. Of course, he now needs to figure out how to get you both off the ship without being caught. 🥸

-=-=-=-=-=[SORRY BABES, no Corrie dividers!!]=-=-=-=-=-

Fox - Shows up at your apartment in sweatpants and cracks up at the side of you as you open the door, as you are in sweatpants as well, even though you both had said you were going to “go celebrate” together. But you both knew exactly what you meant by “celebrate”, and you watch crappy holofilms while snuggling on the couch, dozing off until the sound of fireworks rouses you. You gaze blearily out the window, watching the flashing colors as you’re nestled into his arms, then you both drift back to sleep after a feeble “whoo!” 😴

Howzer - Dresses to the nines to take you out to dinner but feels awkwardly self-conscious about it until you distract him by coaxing him into sharing stories about his squad, which light him up immediately. Then he’s got nothing but soft admiration for you, insists on two desserts, and walks you to your front door to finish the evening with a tender kiss. Comes running back to knock on your door about 10 minutes later when he realizes it’s just now midnight and “he kissed you too soon.” The oversight is quickly remedied. 🤭

Hardcase - Finds out where they're setting the fireworks off from and sneaks you in. You both tuck in a tiny little corner between a huge metal structure that holds the firework launchers, and when they start going off, it's so loud that you can't help but squeal. Hardcase also yells in delight, catching the attention of nearby employees, and suddenly pretends he's escorting you off the premises after you'd been discovered sneaking into the area. 😂

Gregor - Grabs some wraps at a food truck and takes you to some random little park where a galactic Mariachi band (they exist, ok?) is playing sweet beats. Dances with zero shame, with and without you. Drags you up a nearby hill to see fireworks and produces a bottle of champagne seemingly out of nowhere. Forgot glasses though, so you take swigs out of the bottle and choke on the bubbles and foam. Spins and dips you at midnight and finishes with the sweetest kiss.

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[peanutbubba]

This one might make me a freak but "I'm cringe but I AM FREE" is like my slogan at this point so popping off I will be again.

I am half awake

Younger Law, 20-22, finally loosing his virginity after trying since he turned 17. He'd gotten close with plenty of people before, it's just that he'd either get cold feet and leave his partner confused and with a leaf in their bed or he his expectations weren't met so he pushed them away. Personally I don't label Law's sexuality, don't care much for labeling sexuality in my headcanons much, so he has tried attempted with both sexs but because I want to (I don't think I could type what I wanna so I'll let you figure out what I was gonna say) I'm thinking of a scenario where he looses his virginity to a dude, maybe just amab, I feel like virgin Law would be scared of a strap.

Guy's probably older by maybe 3 years, and it makes a difference, first person to get Law to calm down enough to not instantly ghost them once more than a shirt comes off, first person to make Law want to be heard by the neighbors, first person to fuck Law so sweet and good he almost considers offering them a place on his crew cause god all mighty the dick is that persuasive. Also, as a treat, they switch at some point or a few, still a lot of his partner talking Law through it and giving him special attention for doing so good at fucking them. I feel like Law is a default soft top/sub top, he can lay pipe when asked but bro just wanna be praised for doing a good job fr. Jesus christ if you've seen some of the other shit I say in people inboxes I love the aftercare scene like the most. Law is doing nothing after he cums!! Doesn't matter, carry him or push him off if you must but he is not participating in the movement of his body unless you're injured. Image you get done plowing Trafalgar D. Water Law and he pouts when you expect him to help clean up or he lies on you chest (BOOBY ENJOYER LAW TRUTHERS RISE) after plowing you and is pouting when you mention you guys need to get up.

This is not nearly as freaky as I had first thought it to be. Another day then I will bring you something that make Deadpool and Wolverine fans blush.

- ✨️💀✨️

Virgin Law being afraid of a strap is the funniest thing to me, like I can just imagine him making that face he usually does when he’s in complete shock, except now it’s also mixed with a touch of terrified because this colorful piece of silicone is threatening to destroy his hole. It also probably freaks him out that it isn’t real.

Anyways, as for my input, imagine marine hunter, or solo pirate reader actually being the one that helps him get over his fear. He already doesn’t have a good rep with either, but you’re able to smooth talk him enough to get him in a hotel room with you (bonus points if reader has an accent, or is just really fucking good with their words.), only to see how tense and awkward this man is.

You spend like a good 10-15 minutes just calming him down and setting up some boundaries with him, and he’s surprised as fuck because A.) you’re this super dangerous person but you’re actually super sweet?? And B.) you’re one of the first people to take the time to check in constantly with him.

Except at some point it pisses him off how nice you are, you’re balls deep in him and have already checked in with him 3 fucking times! If you don’t just make him scream your god damn name!

And now the fun part is that because you’re a marine hunter/solo pirate you’re usually just wandering from island to island with your own agenda, sometimes you just stop by wherever the fuck Law is now because you’re both in this unlabeled relationship with each other.

Sometimes you get him coins, medical books, more coins, just any gift you’d think he’d appreciate because you like seeing that stupid grin he gets when something he likes is in his hands.

As a thanks he always takes you to his captain quarter, the next morning you’re stumbling out completely dazed and fumbling with your ship as you mumble sweet flustered goodbyes, mean while he looks perfectly fine like you two didn’t spend the entire day exerting yourselves in his bed.

It’s always something new with him too, for a once virgin he can get down and freaky!

But one particular day you guys decided to switch roles, instead he’s on top now and good golly is this man so gentle. It can’t even be considered fucking anymore, this man is practically making genuine love to you.

Not that you’re mad about it, especially when you spew whispered praises about how he’s doing so good, or how he’s filling you up so well, and you can see his skin prickling with goosebumps in a good way.

Whimpering as he melts under your soft words, the soft sex somehow becoming even softer?! It’s great.

And when both of you are satisfied and done he’s laying his head on top of your chest and just resting, burying himself as far as he can between your tits. If you even try to protest this 6 foot almost 200 pound man just gets grumpy, plus all it gets him to do is close his arms around your waist and pull you even closer to him, burrowing himself even further in your chest like he’s trying to fuse with you.

It’s kind of cute, but also nasty because you’re both so sweaty, plus your legs are dripping with drying lube and cum and you terribly badly want to shower.

The only way you’re getting him off of you is if you physically pull him off and carry him to the bathtub. Yes you have to fill it with water, yes you have to wash him, and yes he is once more all up on your fucking boobs again.

It doesn’t matter if you’re on his lap or he’s on yours, either way you’re dealing with this until you have to clean your chest, or his face.

Best believe afterwards all he’s doing is putting some boxers on, you have to change the bedsheets and after that his cozying himself all up on you, he is the little spoon no objections.

On a side note, this idea get even 10x funnier if instead reader is already apart of a crew. He knows that you’re loyal to your captain and all but like… c’mon, he’s so much better!

It’s even WORSE if your captain is Luffy or Kidd, this man is not accepting it. What do they have that he can’t literally do 100x better 😒.

Join him instead… pretty please… with a cherry on top??

—

I love this freak, please never stop talking about him with me 🙏.

Also as a Deadpool and Wolverine fan I take this as a challenge, hit me with the freakiest shot you got.

[docholligay]

For HLF : Any advice for cooking on a crummy electric stove top? My apartment has one, and it takes 5000 years to get hot enough, I swear it takes 20 minutes to boil water. I mostly just want to not have to spend forever cooking shit.

You know, we as a global community have figured out the best way to do things cooking-wise, broadly, and I gotta tell you it blows my mind that electric coil cooktops are still being fucking MADE. They suck so much. They take forever to heat up or cool down, there's no responsiveness whatsoever, and they stay hot even when they do not LOOK hot, making it easy for someone to get hurt or melt a bowl.

The only thing worse than an all electric range is that of the "I hate you actively and hope everything you make turns to shit" combo of a coil cooktop and a gas oven. What sort of bullshit is that about?

Anyhow, when we bought our house it had an electric coil cooktop and i told my lovely bride that if we bought the house we were either paying to run gas, or paying for induction, and we have an induction cooktop right now that I mostly love. (my issues with it are not related to it being induction, and also, I have never met a perfect cooktop. I'm me)

So this is easy, actually! Buy one of these:

This is a portable induction burner. This is an Avantco, sold through webstaurant, for 130 bucks with free shipping.

This is better than anything you can get on Amazon. This is a fucking workhorse. if you are only going to have one burner that responds and kicks ass, let it be this one. I recall that you rent, so don't offer to buy a nicer range for your fucking landlord. You can take this with you when you go! Frankly I would love to have one of these, and I have a full range, I can just always use a spot for another pot. Actually it looks like the double is available for only ten bucks more.

They say this is for light duty, but remember this is a restaurant supply store that just happens to be open to the public--they mean light RESTAURANT LEVEL duty. Your daily cooking will be fine. It only takes a pan up to about 10 inches, and I would only use a nine inch if you want true edge to edge, but I don't recall you being a stockpot cook, so it's likely not an issue for you.

This is the solution to your problem. Even I, magic and very talented and also wise as I am, cannot make an electric coil cooktop suck less.

[vay99]

Ace x reader

His hat

Anime/Manga: One Piece

"GIVE ME MY HAT BACK!!!" screams Ace running towards the deck. You remain laying on your bed with the arms under your head and Aces hat laying on your face. A smirk is crawling onto your lips as Aces voice gets quiter what means he ran of towards the wrong direction. 

After 10 minutes of not hearing the freckle boy running around screaming you make your way towards the deck, still wearing his hat. 

Ace is talking to Marco, the back towards you.

"You really haven't seen her?" Ace asks the older one who just spottet you cursing a smirk on his face. 

"No why are you asking?" 

Ace points at his head which makes the phoenix laugh. "My hat is gone that's not funny!!" he pouts. 

"What makes you think she has stolen it?" the Phoenix tries not to laugh as you tip toe close to them. 

"Who else would do that? She's been stealing my things for the last couple of days." Ace groans,.that's when you step next to him. 

"What's up?" you ask casually, and Marco is finally able to laugh. 

"Y/N!" Ace jumps in confusion. One he spots his hat though he tries to snatch it from your head.

"You've gotta catch me if you want it back~" you winks before running off. 

At first Ace doesn't move. "Catch her huh? You're so done when I catch you." 

"Ah, young love. They really are blind." Marco says to himself, watching Ace run after where you've ran. 

"y/n where are you?!" Ace has been running around for ten minutes now is growing impatient. 

"I've seen her run down that way a few seconds ago." Thatch tells Ace, who runs off towards you immediately. 

"Awww no place to escape to now?" Ace doesn't hide his sarcasm. But you don't quite react like he predicted. "W-why are you laughing?"

"It's just funny that, after a whole week, you have finally been able to catch me." you laugh, leaning onto the wall behind you. 

"Why would you want me to catch you?" Ace tries to figure out what's going on but you remain silent. "Tell me why you stole my head." 

"Make me." you smirk, hoping he'll finally gets the hint. 

"How? Trap you in my fire until you speak?" the clueless men in front of you asks. 

"Oh ace..." you sigh. "You won't ever get it." 

Throwing his hat back to his owner you close your eyes, head resting against the wall. /It didn't work. It never works. Why would he give me attention anyways. We're only crewmates/

"Get what?" he asks, his anger washed away once his hat is back on its place. 

"Forget it. It's stupid, not important." you force a smile. 

"You're the smartest person on this ship, it can't be dumb." Ace points out, stepping closer to you until he's half a meter away. One arm supporting himself above you. 

"Wow, congrats that you noticed that." the sarcasm in your voice making him frown. 

"How couldn't I? You're spending most of your time in the library. Marco even said that your knowledge for medicine is on the same level as his. You're even able to read the stars and navigate us and-" 

"So you did notice me?" you ask, eyes staring at your feet. "Why do you always run away when I talk to you then?" 

"Cause I'm dumb, all I do is sleep, eat and fight. I neve thought you'd enjoy talking to me." 

"You really are dumb." you laugh, leaving ace dumbfounded. 

"Hey!" 

"The reason why I stole your stuff the past week was... because you always ignored me and I, for once, wanted your attention." you confess honestly. 

His attitude changes with the split of a second, his free hand lifts your chin. 

"Oh baby, you could've just asked. Which part of your body should I start with~" Ace lowers his lips towards your neck, placing soft kisses on your skin. 

"Huh?" you let out a short yelp. /Wait, did he just act dumb?/

"I knew what you wanted earlier, it finally made sense. But until then I really thought you'd never wanted to spend time with, someone-" 

"Hot, kind and cute?" you finish his sentence before he can talk bad about himself again. 

"Let me show you how hot I can really be then." he whispers into your ear before you grab him by his neck and slam your lips into his. Pressing his, indeed hit, body against yours makes you lose your mind. Using his flames to heat up the situation and even burn your top. So your left with your bra in front of him. 

"Ace!" you scold him. 

"Sorry it was an accident~" he chuckles, placing his hat on your head again. 

"Sorry my assaaaa!" you yelp, as he throws you over his shoulder and carries you towards his room.

"Maybe I should've burned you'd pants then? Oh wait, I can do that in a minute~"

"As long as you buy me new ones."

[st-just]

hi I like your blog. I have a question that may be too personal so no hard feelings if you don't answer but could you talk a little bit about more about what you like/don't like about Halifax? im considering Dalhousie for grad school but have never been! and would like to have as much information about where I might spend the next 2 years of my life. thank you!

Oh sure! Though like, it depends on where you're coming from? Everything here is very relative. And also I'm absolutely certain I will forget numemrous vital things, do ask followup questions.

Most important thing is that the housing market is horrifying - the city's population started booming during COVID and the zoning and construction is only really starting to catch up now. Especially within walking distance of Dal getting a place to live at anything approaching affordable is going to be vicious. (This has unsurprisingly coincided with a large uptick in homelessness. Unremarkable to walk by a tent in a corner of some public park now).

Relatedly, the bus system is like - okay I'm not sure it's notably bad for a mid-sized-ish north american city, but it's damn sure not any better. You can get by bussing around on the peninsula, anywhere beyond 20 minute drives turn into 40-60 minute rides.

You will not have a family doctor, figure out the nearest walk-in clinic you can use for anything non-emergency.

The city's economy runs on some combination of students, tourists, sailors and soldiers. There are as many bars as you might expect (had the most per capita in the country for a while, don't know if we still do). Some of them are actually very good!

Relatedly, weed and liquor are both only legally sold by the crown corporation monopoly and a few weird specialty places.

None of them are massive, but there is a very nice amount of parkland and green space scattered throughout the city. The public (botanical) gardens are really beautiful in the spring-summer, and most are well-maintained (they just renovated and expanded the outdoor pool on the city Commons last year, even).

The waterfront has been thoroughly gentrified for the cruise ships over the course of my lifetime, but it's all still open to the public and grabbing one of the armchairs or hammocks to read in during the summer is lovely.

Provincially the government is the most thoroughly domesticated/red tory party in the country (they fairly literally ran to the left of the liberals). Full of corrupt backslapping, constantly getting into pissing matches with the municipal government, will probably govern for the next decade.

For reasons that I assume are downstream of all the students and having the closest thing to a regional theater scene east of Quebec, the whole city is IME very queer-friendly. For reasons I absolutely not understand, pride is in August here.

The public library system is basically the only part of the municipal government I think anyone involved should be unequivocally proud of, but it is great.

I don't really know the crime stats offhand but like, I left my apartment door unlocked probably 7 times in 10 through all of undergrad and it never bit me in the ass?

[allkordelia]

Keep Me in Your Thoughts (10)

A/N: here's we go, i'm writing the next chapter right now which means i'm getting close to writing rhaelle and daemon reuniting. ☺️

Word Count: 8.5k

❧

My eyes moved boredly between my hand and the master of law as they talk about the stonewall problem back home, I shouldn't even be thinking about this shit right now. I finally don't have a war up my ass and here are these two ruining my trip talking about time delays and restructuring on the wall surrounding the serpent islands, the stonewall was what kept men from Westeros from continuing beyond the mountain of the wall. No one knows how long it has been there or who created it but what they do know is it is hard as shit to knock down and it helps a lot during the war.

"Can you both take a beat, please? Their no need to talk about this now, we're on vacation, so enjoy yourself. Drink. Gamble. Get your cocks wet..." My eyes go over to Banneth making the middle age white man go pink, "I didn't bring two big ass tents for you to just stand and talk about things that are being handled already back home, so please enjoy yourself. Have some fun." My hand hit both their arms before I walked over to the table of food and took some cut-up strawberries to my comfy little blanket pallet that I had the servants make up before I could go and relax and get in some reading, marrio, and valaena walked in.

I look at her and notice something wasn't right, even though she had a smile on her face as she look at baby adrielle, it didn't reach her eyes like it usually does. There was something off about her. I smiled when she caught me staring at her, and she came over with the sweet smile that I haven't seen in a well, note to self when I get back home valaena and I require some mother/daughter bonding.

"Hello, my little water nymph. How did the queen like the blanket." I asked before scrunching up my face so my nose would move as I made sounds making the baby giggle.

"It was a shawl and she liked it very much, even though it was hard to get a proper answer from her since I was bombarded with questions about the stepstones situation." I turn to her with a look of pity knowing that it was hard for her to talk...for anyone for that matter, even though I sent ships with supplies and men to help out. We have yet to hear about the war ending.

"Those old hags can never learn to keep their mouth shut, I swear...but don't let what they say get to you. They are just jealous." I grin when she giggled and shook her head, I move some of the white out of her face before resting my hand on her cheek. As I look at her I grow a little sad, she looks exactly like me when I was her age, and the thought of her getting married makes me want to hide her away from the world.

She looks at me with a puzzled look and asked me what I was thinking about, "Oh, nothing, just trying to figure out, how tall I should make your tower when men start asking for your hand." Valaena rolled her eyes with a smile before slapping my arm, I removed my hand from her face and smiled.

"You sound like thoros." She said making me smirk.

" That should tell you all you need to know, his fatherly intuition is never wrong and neither are mine." I look at the toddler and moved to feed adrielle a small slice of strawberries.

"Unrelated topic of fathers, otto wanted me to tell you the king wishes an audience." I let out a groan not wanting to talk or even see anyone, I spent three years in exile spending my time fighting a war and tending boring meetings. All I want is to be left alone with my family and relax. Is that too much to ask?

"I can never get a minute for myself, " I said under my breath walking away after I kissed my daughter's head. I looked over at Vogero and Banneth and motioned to them to follow me, I walked out of the tent first before being followed by my guards and my advisors.

As we walk I could sense people staring, I snap my eyes around the camp making some of the men look away and go back to work. I shook my head continuing with my business, I finally make it inside the king's tent and looked around. The people inside stopped and got out of the way as I and my men walkthrough, we find viserys in his chair with *surprise* *surprise* otto whispering in his ear.

"King Viserys," I called out catching both man attention, they looked surprised and probably thought I wasn't going to show up.

"Queen Rhaelle." He acknowledged making me nod my head to him, "I am surprised to see you finally presented yourself, we were worried you were going to miss out on the hunt."

"Oh, no no no, I don't do hunting. I more skin and gut the beast rather than hunt, I leave that to the brawns." I smirked as I cross my arms, viserys had a polite smile as he nod.

Otto reminded viserys of the reason they brought me here, making viserys give a look of grimace before lacing his fingers together and resting them on his stomach.

"Well, Rhaelle, the reason we called you to join us to celebrate Aegon's second nameday is–"

"Is it for baelor to spend time with his siblings and you?" I asked, I truly hoped he didn't take me out of exile and bring my son here to talk about me delaying the trade.

"O-of course that and also...." I watched impatiently as he tries to me the other reason.

"We want to know why your exports have been getting delayed and our goods have been getting cut down, while the rest are still getting their full share of stocks," Otto said, I stared at him blankly trying to figure out how he became hand to the king, I mean you have to be either stupid or have no common sense to ask me that.

"Because of the war happening in the stepstones." Otto looked callous at me while Viserys gave a look of confusion, it seems I have to dumb it down for them, "Some of your goods are getting split in half to go your brother and his men, so they won't die of starvation." I said before smiling.

"We didn't agree to that when we sign our agreement."

"No, but I couldn't spare men or food for the stepstones, so I had my advisor write a letter to king viserys about his goods getting cut down for a while just until the war is over and he said okay." I smiled wider seeing otto's eye cheek twitch.

"I don't remember–" viserys said slowly as he looks to be trying to remember what he wrote.

"I do. Banneth." I look at the man as he took a scroll from under his arm and gave it to me, viserys and otto look at me speechless, as I opened the scroll and read out what viserys wrote me.

"Dear Rhaelle...how is baelor...that is all fine with the goods anything to help with the war, and will you and your family like to join us on celebrating aegon's secondname day." I scan through the letter before turning the scroll for them to read, viserys squints as otto let out an annoyed sound as he stood straight after reading it.

"Oh, I apologize I must've been drinking while writing it and forgot." He said looking at otto who looked unimpressed.

That and you're slowly becoming senile, I thought.

I gave banneth back the scroll before slapping my hands together and rubbing them, "So if we're done here. I would rather go back to relaxing and enjoying my free time away from my responsibilities." Otto held up his hand as if that was going to shut me up.

"No, you can't go. We still have to work out about our half of the goods–"

"That's not my problem, if you want your fair share back then help out and send food and supplies to the stepstones. I can't do everything on my own I have my people to worry about." I turned on my heels and walked out with my men in tow, we headed back to the tent to find the tent with more people in it.

I sigh going over to my pallet of pillows and flopping down, I leaned back with my arms behind my head and my right leg over my left. Let's see how long I can relax before someone ruins my mood. I closed my eyes trying to block out the sounds around me and try to find some peace in sleep, but it seems my brain is in a foul mood as the images of dead bodies occupied my mind making my eyes open. I hate when it does that, sometimes I wish I can take it out and scrub it clean, and make all the bad thoughts go away.

I look around me and took the book I had left and opened it, maybe reading can give me some peace. I heard the curtain of the tent move and footsteps, I heard the sound of baelor's voice making me look up at him with a sweet smile. I abandoned the book as he tells me about going over to viserys tent to see him, I could see it on his face he didn't want to go, but I know I can't keep viserys and he separated. He is my son's father and I don't want baelor to regret not having a relationship with his father because of what happened to me.

As we let go of each other. I moved to ruffle his hair before giving him one last kiss on the head, I gave him a small smile as he drag his feet and walk away leaving me. I look down at the pallet and the book deciding that it wasn't going to give me some peace, so I called for a servant, and like a drop of a cloak two appeared.

"You called, my queen." I moved to sit crisscross on the floor before turning my gaze back to the man and woman, I noticed a bowl of uncut strawberries in the man's hand.

"Where is everyone." My eyes turned to the honey skin woman with brown, long layered hair with a long, lively face, and lidded hazel eyes.

"In the woods finding more food for dinner, my queen." I quirked a brow asking about my daughter, "....she went along with lady adrielle and marra for some fresh air, it will be a while until they get back." I hummed before I leaned back getting comfortable.

"Hmmm, good that gives you two enough time to make your queen feel relaxed....undress." I look at the girl, and she gave a smile as she slowly peels off the straps of her dress from her shoulders, "I'm feeling a bit famish...come, boy." I turned my eyes to the tanned man with silver, fluffy hair that hangs over his strong, warm face. I can see his clear amber eyes scan over my body with lust and hunger, he took steady steps toward me before taking a seat next to me.

He feeds me a strawberry as the girl moves to sit on her knees in front of me, she pushes my long skirt up my legs to rest on my thighs. I grunt softly feeling her warm tongue against my folds, I move my hand to her head to guide her before turning my face to man. His lips find mine and our tongues swirl together tasting each other, I sat up slightly as the boy removed my black vest and tunic.

His lips went to my beast kissing and sucking leaving love bites in his wake, I let out a moan feeling the woman's fingers pump inside me slowly as her tongue swipe up my clit making me move my hips a bit to grind against her face. My fingers gently scratched at her scalp as she was bringing me close to my release, the man's lips released my nipple and kiss me as my hand rub his cock through his trousers.

My hand gripes his side as the other clenches the woman's hair, my mouth falls open against his mouth and my back arches as I came as the woman kept sucking my achy cunt. I breath heavy watching the girl come from under my skirt to lick her lips and her two fingers, I gulp as I sat up a bit making the man pull back, my feet tingle and since no one from my group made it back yet, why not continue the fun.

"Now, your turn," I said motioning between the two, the man peel off his clothes piece by piece with the help of the girl. I watch as their bodies molded together as they kiss and grope each other. As they moan, my left arm went behind my head and my right hand slid down my stomach to my wet cunt eager to be played with more.

❧

My arms stretch above my head wearing a dark red gown, my head turns slightly at the two servants as they walk out behind me. They gave me sly smiles making me watch them walk away to continue their chorus with a small grin, I know I shouldn't be doing it especially here of all places, but thoros did say I needed to find an outlet for my stress, and besides it not like I'm doing anything wrong. If my husband says it's okay to have a few paramours, who am I to say no?

I glance around before seeing the deer that ser keagan brought from his hunt laying on the bench table still not skinned. I tsk to myself forgetting to take the knives out like valaena told me too, I move towards the chest that was at the end of the table and opened it taking out the knives and an apron. After I put on the apron, I started to sharpen the knives I'm going to use to skin the deer, as I was examining the blade, a man with dirty blonde hair and a scruffy beard walked up to my camp.

"Queen Rhaelle?" I glance at him looking him up and down, I nod my head before I made a long incision along the stomach of the deer.

"I am Janas Mormont. I was the one who sent the raven about House Lash and House Farman." I hmmed as I kept on cutting, I remember them they were two of the eight houses that tried to take the serpent islands from me.

"Yes and thank you for that you saved me and my men some time to prepare for their attack." I stop what I was doing and turn to look at him, he smiled at me before bowing his head.

"Which leads me to ask, how did you know they were going to attack?" I watch him carefully as he moves closer before telling me.

"...against my father's wishes, I sent you the raven, and let's just say he wasn't too pleased with me." I look at him for a minute before looking away from him to rip the furry skin from the deer before laying it on the bench.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but why did you help me? Not to sound cynical but you gain nothing from helping me. We don't know each other." He nods.

"We don't. But, you knew my brother, Liram," My brows shot up at the name, "He fought in the Battle of Aegean, and before he passed he wrote letters telling me about new life in serpent isles." I look away from him, I didn't know liram personally but whenever I visited Aegean with Thoros, he was always the first to greet us with a bright smile. He was sweet. When I was first told about the attack on Aegean, I flew there immediately to find the enemies are gone and the kingdom and town burn to ashes. There were few survivors. The Lord who takes the island was dead along with his entire family and manpower. It was a dark day.

"I remember him, I'm sorry for your lost, he was a good man and a great soldier." Janas gave a sad smile before thanking me, "I know this might come off a bit rude, so you don't have to answer if you don't want to...but even though I didn't know your brother well, we did talk a little about his life before Aegean. I'm surprised someone of your stature would still talk to him since his...you know."

"A bastard?" I nod my head, "This might come as a surprise m'lady, but not all of us think the same. He was my brother, we grew up together, and we shared the same blood even though my father refused to knowledge him. He was still my family." I gave sympathetic look at the pain in his voice.

"I meant no disrespect–" he shook his head.

"I know." He cleared his throat before squeezing his hands to his side, "My father has no use for me, I have four older brothers and two sisters. I refused to go to The Wall and pledge myself to the Night's Watch, so I ask you, my queen. If I can accompany you back to magonsæte and serve you and your husband as a knight." I look at him taken back.

"You do realize what you are asking for lord janas, you could bring dishonor to your family and be painted as a traitor–"

"If serving to protect you and your family makes me a traitor then so be it, I rather die a traitor protecting a ravishing woman like yourself than die in an icy secluded hellhole." My eyes widen and my face heats up a bit at his compliment before glancing away from him when he smiled coyly at me.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, lord Janas." He let out a deep laugh making me look back at him.

"I don't know, my queen. The ladies back home say otherwise." He said hinting at the woman in question, I scoff with an eye roll as gave him a teasing smile.

"Whores would say anything for money, especially to a lord from a high standing." Janas made an "oof" sound as his hand went over to his heart making me shake my head.

"That hurts, my queen." I let out a chuckle before thinking about his request, he could be of use to me since he knows a bit about the man who's been sending others to take magonsæte from me.

"It will be an honor to have you join my royal guard, lord Janas. My people and I will be leaving morrow at dusk," He nods his head before holding his hand out for me to shake, I planted the knife into the wood of the table before wiping my hands on the apron. We shook hands after a second past we let go and he told me he will grab his stuff before coming back, I nodded before watching him walk away.

I look down at the dead animal before calling a servant to preserve it, my head turns after hearing a horse and saw baelor throwing a rock at the princess. I hurriedly took off the apron and made my way over to janas and baelor, I stalk towards him looking at him angrily. I shook my head at his words as he told me what happened, I did not believe his words knowing that the princess would not do such a thing. As he tried to plead his case, janas stepped in telling me what happened, baelor argued otherwise making me shush him and told him to go to the tent. When he tried to argue again I didn't want to hear it and snap at him to go, I watch as he stalk away before looking at Janas.

"Are you sure you're alright, I can have someone look at you." He shook his hand declining saying he was fine, I look at him for a moment before letting go.

I excused myself and went to the tent to see what had gotten into baelor to make him behave like that before I walked into the tent I looked down the pathway towards the king's tent to see viserys stumble out as he look up and down for someone. I narrow my eyes at him.

What the fuck did he do now, I thought.

I walk in to see baelor on the pile of pillows that were in the far back corner, I could see his body shaking slightly making me frown and worried. He finally moved his face from the cushion for me to see his wet face, I walk over to him before taking a seat, we were both quiet for a minute before I ask what happened. After, some pushing he finally told me what occurred between his father and sister.

I am not an angry person and there's already too much darkness in this world to be such a thing, but there have been two occurrences in my life that made me fervent. One was a long time ago with my old handmaid, Magatha, which didn't end well and now. I should have known better than to trust viserys to try to keep level-headedness with my son, that is on me, I had been more worried about not being the reason our family breaks apart knowing that jaehaerys wouldn't have wanted that he would have wanted viserys and baelor to bond to be a father and son.

But, no more I have kept my mouth shut and allowed him to do what he wishes, I allow him to take baelor in while the war was happening and have baelor visit every month. I even told baelor to forgive that little bitch about her comments against me, I can take being called names, fuck I'm used to them by now, but calling my son a bastard to his face and telling him such things you heard from your father is going to fucking far.

My eyes go over to my valyrian bastard sword, Dreamcatcher, maybe a little talk with the king and princess will do them some good. The sound of the party coming brought me out of my thoughts as I turn to them, I look back at my son with a reassuring look as I wipe his fave with my sleeves. I told him I will have a long hard talk with his father and sister to make sure something like this will never happen again. I kissed his head before getting up and walking over to the corner to put on the belt that has the sheath on it before sliding my sword inside.

"I'm going out for a walk," I said walking past the table.

"Don't be late for dinner," Valaena said looking at me and making me nod, I turn my eyes to my son giving him a comforting smile before leaving.

❧

I poked my head out of rhaenyra's tent to find her not there, I was planning on talking to her first since she has so much to say about me and my son why not confront her.

I really wanted to fuck her up, I thought to myself as I walk over to the king's tent. Before I could go in I was stopped by the guards, I told them I needed to see the king. One of the guards shook their head saying the king wasn't seeing anyone due to his "intense headache" making me roll my eyes, I turn my back to them glancing around before looking back.

"Well, once his over his hangover tell him I need to talk to him. It's about our son...." I told them I'll be over at the bonfire before walking away.

❧

The sun finally fell into the trees and the moon was hanging in the sky with all the stars, the wind blew gently against the trees and the fire that stood before me. My fingers twisted with the ring on my left hand as I was in deep thought, it had been standing out here. So long that my anger is subdued for now anyways, I hoped viserys got my message, what am I saying the guards probably didn't tell him anything, no one in these parts listens to me. I'm a joke to them. My neck jerked slightly making me drop my hands to my sides with a sigh.

His not coming, I thought.

I move to walk away from the blazing fire when I see viserys standing there looking at me, I furrow my brows looking at him oddly, he started to come closer making me step back a bit when stood in front of me. I look at him as he looks down at me, sudden a dream I had long months ago came back making me turn my head away from the fire.

"Please, don't say it. I already feel bad as it is." I side-eyed him seeing him see he was looking at the fire with a somber look.

"Imagine how my son feels." Viserys look at me with an exasperated look.

"I had too much to drink. I'm sorry–" I stopped him from continuing.

"Did you know that rhaenyra called baelor a bastard and told him, the only reason you want him around is that you pretend he baelor the younger?" I turn my body to look at him and I saw the guilt all over his face.

"So you knew...about all of it?" I questioned, the anger that I let go moments ago resurfaces as he nods his head.

"For fuck sake, viserys." I hissed looking away from him.

"Rhaenyra is still getting used to not being the only child, it is not her fault." I snap my head at him.

"Like hell it is. She is ten and eight picking on a child that she use to beg to hold not too long ago, and now she despises him." I move my hand to my mouth before taking it off, " How could you let this happen, how you could allow her to keep tormenting him? After, what she said." He looks at her with a look between guilt and anger.

"Do not look at me as if it is my fault if you didn't air out our business to the entire court out of spite. None of this would have happened." I look stare at him staggered, how dare he blame this on you, I thought.

"You think I did that out of spite of you." I walk up close making him look down at me, "I didn't do it because I was angry at you, viserys. I did it for me. I told my truth so everyone would know I wasn't some heartless whore who let some man impregnate me for the fun of it." I spit angrily as I stare up at him.

"I can never forgive you for what you did to me and your sorries won't take away the shame I bear, it won't take away the nightmares, or the touches and erase your smell from my senses." I shudder as my arms around my chest in dismay, viserys looking back at me with a frown.

"....I never meant to cause you so much...pain, rhaelle." he muttered, "I just wanted a son." I scoffed softly looking down at the patch of green grass, I slightly kicked the dirt under my feet.

"Well, you got what you wanted."

We stood there quietly nothing but the sound of the people in the distance, and the crickets and birds that surround us. I look up when he made a sound, he hesitated for a moment before saying what he needed to say.

"His bright our boy, sometimes when we talk I forget I'm talking to a child with how much knowledge he holds." I hummed in agreement while nodding.

"It feels like not too long ago he was babbling and crawling around, ignorant to the world outside the red keep," I stated thinking fondly about those days when everything felt normal.

"I wish I could stop thinking of him as mine and aemma's baelor, my fears of having to let him go so he wouldn't be affected by it. Seems like the only choice for him to be happy." I could tell the revelation that came over viserys pained him to say it, and as much as you want to agree you can't cause you know that baelor and viserys deserve to have a bond.

"When I was little jaehaerys told me the only thing that can tear down the house of the dragon was itself," viserys eyes lift to meet mine as he waits for me to continue, "And I wish not to be the one to do it, I can take the blame for baelor hating you and I'm making it up by forcing him to spend time with you."

"But, I can not do it alone, viserys. If you truly want a relationship with your son you must make some sacrifices, one being stop drinking around him." I emphasize the last sentence making him frown before nodding, "and the second is listening to your children, especially your daughter, if she feels like you're not hearing her, she will act out and baelor will be the one paying for it." Viserys sighs as he nods.

"I know and I will speak to her about her behavior as of late towards her brother, I promise." I nod, I was still going to have a small talk with the young girl but her father didn't need to know that.

"Good, so we agree no more drinking while baelor is visiting, right?" He nods making you give a satisfied look, "...alright, it is getting late and you must be getting some rest for the hunt tomorrow, so I wish you a goodnight, king viserys." I walk back slowly before turning away to walk away. I stop when he called my name making me turn back to him as he walk up close to me.

"I found something in your old chambers, and I hope to this as a truce between us..." I furrowed my brows as I watch him take something from his pocket, my heart crack a bit when I saw the little knitted bonnet I made for my child.

"It was stuffed in the corner behind the wardrobe, it still smells like her..." My eyes begin to water as I took the bonnet from his hand and held it between my fingers feeling the fabric, "I wanted to give it to you when you first came back, but..." He trailed off making me give a sad smile as I look at the bonnet in my hand.

"Thank you," I look up, and he nodded as he too stars at the bonnet, I could see his misty eyes cloud with sadness making me realize this was probably the only thing he had left of her too, "but I already have a token of her." I reach to my neck and pulled out a silver locket, I opened it to show a drawing of my daughter and a piece of dark hair stuck inside.

"You can hang on to it...if you like." Viserys looks up from the locket as I put the bonnet back in his hand, he gave me a grateful smile and held it tightly in his fist.

"The gods give just as the gods take away," I pause for a second at what viserys said, before closing my locket and putting it back inside my dress.

The gods had nothing to do with taking away my baby girl, I thought, but vengeful hands who underestimated my love for my children did.

❧

The next morning, I waited in rhaenyra's tent for her return, I sat on a chair as I flip through the pages of a book that was laying on the table across from her mirror. My eyes drifted up as the curtains to the tent were thrown aside by rhaenyra, I look at her with a raised eyebrow seeing her neck and chest covered in blood.

"What are doing in my tent? Who let you in." She asked as I abandoned the book on the table in front of me, I move out of the chair to stand.

"You said something to baelor to make him upset, I want you to apologize." Rhaenyra scoffed as she stepped further in with an indifferent look.

"Whatever he says is a lie. Now leave before I call my guards in here to have you removed." She moves making me move to block her way, she glances at me taking back at my movements.

"It seems you have a death wish, cousin." Rhaenyra snap.

"I can say the same for you, you little bitch." Rhaenyra's jaw dropped at my words.

"I have you completely gone mad? Have you forgotten who your talking to–" My hand went to her throat backing her into the table, she looked wide-eyed at me as her mouth gaped open.

"You call my son a bastard and I want you to apologize before that blood on you will become your own," Rhaenyra's small hand grasps my wrist as she tries to get my hand from around her neck.

"M-my father will have your head, whore." She struggles under my grip making her nails dig into my skin.

"You're not listening to me, so let me say it slower..." My hand tightens causing rhaenyra to grunt as she tried her best to pull my hand off of her, "I want you to get on your knees and beg for my son's forgiveness, and hopes he accepts because if he doesn't..." I took out my dagger and held it in the corner of rhaenyra's eye gently pressing the blade against her pale skin.

"I'll give you something truly to mourn and be pissed about, " rhaenyra watches me and the blade carefully, "So, now that I got your attention. What are you going to do."

Her face was twisted in a frown as she glare at me, I move the blade under her eyes and down her cheek.

"I wonder if the men of the seven kingdoms would still want you if you were missing a tongue and an eye, hmmm, " The sharp blade pressed against the flesh breaking the skin and causing a sprinkle of blood on her cheekbone, she tensed and clench her jaw.

"You will kill me over a word." I leaned my face close to her.

"I'll kill you for just looking at him funny, you have no idea what length I would go for my children, princess." I could see the uneasiness in her eyes making me smirk a bit, "Tick Tock, princess." She let out a disgruntled sound before opening her mouth.

"I'm sorry for calling baelor a bastard," she grits out, I loosen my hand off her throat and pulled her off the table.

"That wasn't so hard now was it, princess." The blade was put away making rhaenyra snarl at me after she pulled her hand away from her cheek to have her finger have a bit of blood on them.

"I leave at dusk so you will have until then to come up with a sincere apology for my son. Okay?" Rhaenyra just stared at me as I walk back to the spot that I crawled from to get in there.

"How about I just tell my father what you did to me," I turn to look at her.

"I won't stop you. I can't stop you. But, know this if you don't apologize to baelor before we leave, I'll tell your father about you and daemon's inappropriate alone time on the throne all those years ago." A mixture of shock and confusion appeared on rhaenyra's face.

"We did nothing–".

"Sure you didn't. But, he doesn't know that and your uncle does have a habit of taking things that don't belong to him, and besides who can ignore the looks you two give one another." That leaves rhaenyra dumbfounded and speechless, I smirk before bidding her goodbye and leaving from where I came.

❧

Rhaelle watches from her seat on the bench as rhaenyra and baelor talk from a distance, baelor looks reluctant while rhaenyra stood awkwardly as she talks to the boy. Rhaelle tilts her head to the side as she watches her son starts talking and something shifts between them, rhaenyra looks taken back at the young boy before baelor moves to wrap his arms around her waist making rhaenyra slowly do the same. Rhaelle hummed to herself happy, viserys soon walk out going over to the two siblings causing them to break apart.

Viserys looks to his daughter before looking at baelor, he said something before moving his arm out for baelor to walk ahead inside the tent. Rhaelle caught viserys eye giving him a small bow of her making the older man give a small smile before going inside to talk to baelor, rhaelle's eyes shifted over to rhaenyra to catch the young woman looking at her. Rhaelle raised her hand wiggling her fingers making rhaenyra scoff and turn on her heel to walk away, rhaelle smiled to herself as she make her hand fall to her lap. She soon got up and went inside to help pack up to head home, even though she didn't get the needed peace she wanted.

An hour or two passed, the tent was empty and everything was packed for travel, rhaelle was talking to banneth and vogero when baelor ran up to her clinging to her side. The two men walked away giving some time with the queen and her son, rhaelle smiled down at baelor and asked about the conversation with his father and sister.

"It went well, I'm still upset with the king, but rhaenyra and I found some common ground together." Rhaelle look down at him with a proud smile happy to hear such things, four huge carriages with engravings of house velfrey sigil on them came making the servants and knights start gathering up their stuff.

Rhaelle walked with her son still clinging to her hip when she was stopped in her tracks by baelor who looked into the opening of the woods.

"What is it, sweetie." She asked looking at him, he looks at her before looking at the woods again. She look where he was looking and saw a white stag standing there in the sunlight, she furrow her brows in awe at the beautiful creature.

"It's real," Baelor whispered making him look up at his mother with a grin as she look down at him with a puzzled look. They heard a crack and look back to where the stag was and it was gone as if it was never there.

Odd, rhaelle thought.

She pulled baelor along to the carriages where her people were waiting with viserys, alicent, rhaenyra, and otto.

"Thank you, again. King Viserys for the invitation I hope to have many more in the future," she said standing with her family and friends behind her.

"Of course and I hope you will do the same, I am curious to see the serpent islands. Maybe we can celebrate baelor's nameday there." He smiled looking down at his son before looking back at her, she nods with a kind smile.

"That's a great idea, my king."

Viserys and Rhaelle sensed the many eyes on them as they stood across from each other, viserys look at rhaelle as her eyes were looking at the servants putting things in the carriage.

"Safe travels, queen rhaelle." Rhaelle look back at viserys, she was shocked to hear him address her as queen but held it in.

"Thank you, cousin." Viserys held out his hand for rhaelle to shake, and she grasp his hand before shaking it.

Rhaelle moves to wish the queen and the other two goodbyes before removing her hand from viserys grip, rhaelle and her family bowed to the royal family making viserys and the others do the same. Rhaelle and her people piled into the carriages, as the door shut baelor and valaena waved out the window as the carriage moved to take them back to king's landing.

❧

I yawned rubbing my eyes as I finish the rest of my painting, after visiting King's Landing and Diftmark, I still had a ball of energy in me. I blew out the candles and walked out of my art room to wander down the halls of Stonehold, sometimes it baffles me how I, valaena velaryon, became a princess. I shook my head lightly as I traveled down a corridor with huge portraits of old kings and queens with their children on the wall, I stop for a moment to admire a portrait of thoros and his sister-wife, they look so youthful and happy, something you never imagine seeing in a married couple.

I continue down the hall, my mind shifting to my brothers, urging how I could kill those two, I know in my heart that they're still alive but my faith in them coming back soon is decaying and I wonder if he is still mad at me. I never told my mother this or anyone for that matter the reason me and Aeron stopped writing to each other, when I told Aeron of my marriage to boremund, he was livid and wrote me bunches of the letter telling me how bad the idea it just like my mother did.

But, I was stupid then I changed now that I understand, why my mother was against it. But, back then I was adamant about my decision, and some harsh words were exchanged as a result. I leaned against the wall, and the large windows that sat on the other side bathed me in the moonlight, I closed my eyes feeling my chest tighten. What if that was the last thing he read and his now on the beach covered in sand and crabs, and the last thing thought was that I hated him?

"...valaena?" I got off the wall and look up to see my mother in the distance, I sniff and realized I was in her part of the wing.

"My sweet girl, are you alright." She asked walking up to me in her nightgown, her hair was long passed her shoulders and she held a candlestick in her hand.

"I-I'm sorry, I must have got lost in my head and led me here, silly me." I watch as she gave me a worried look as she reach her warm hand to wipe at my cheek.

"Have you been crying, my dear?" I didn't have the strength to lie to her, so I nodded before glancing down at my bare feet.

"Come on, sweetie." She takes me by the hand and pulls me to her room, I look around at the decor in the room before being pulled to the fireplace where it looks like she has been sitting with a packet of letters and a ball of yarn.

"You couldn't sleep either." I look over at my mother as she took a seat in the armchair where her yarn was laying before she grabbed her wooden needles.

"Knitting gives me peace of mind before I go to bed, how about you why aren't you asleep yet? I know you have a busy day tomorrow?" She asked starting back knitting as I took a seat by her side before putting my left leg over my right.

"I couldn't sleep so I stood up to finish my painting, I have a lot on my mind," I whispered the last part making my mother glance at me before stopping what she was doing.

"You want to talk about it." I turn my head to her look at her, I could tell my mother had the world on her shoulders with threats of more wars to come for our new home, and the familiar feeling of not wanting to be a burden burn in my chest.

"It's nothing, mama. I just worry about the boys." A look of realization made it to my mother's face before she started knitting again.

"From what my letters say, the boys are fine still fighting that damn war, but fine." My eyes glance at the multiple letters on top of each other on the small table between the chairs, I move to pick up an envelope and saw the targaryen sigil, this was from daemon.

"When did you and daemon start writing to each other," I asked looking at my mother, she gave an annoyed look probably thinking about him.

"He writes to me." I raised my brow.

"And you don't write back?" She shook her head.

"Nope. Most of those letters in there are him telling me sweet nothings, while the others are updates on the war." I nod my head moving to get another envelope and opening it.

"How do you know which ones are love letters and which ones are not," I asked with a small smile making my mother kick my foot.

"The targaryen sigil in black is for an update, while the one is red ones are for 'my eyes only' " She made finger air quotes making me giggle, before taking a red sigil envelope and opening it.

My eyes scan the page expecting crude words spread across the letter but were met with sweet words that I never expect could come from the prince known as the rogue prince.

"By the gods, mother, these are beautiful," I look at her, but she didn't look at me as she shook her head slightly, she didn't look impressed.

"I never knew daemon to be such a poet," I say as I move to open a new letter to read, another heartfelt letter that speaks of memories on the beach with each other back at king's landing. I move to pick up another and another and another, before dropping my hands in my lap as I look at my mother.

"I don't understand how your not fawning over these...these are amazing, look what he wrote here...." My mother looks at me as I read out the words of her once-former lover, I look over at her when I finish seeing her staring at the fire, an air of melancholy surrounded her. My mother didn't tell me much of her and daemon's relationship only that they were friends who ended up in the most unforeseen affair.

"Why are you sad, mother? Do these make you miss him," I asked without thinking, my mother look at me with a mixture of emotions in her lilac eyes.

"These letters...make me angry and confused, because I do not know what his purpose in writing these is."

"It sounds like he declaring his love for you," I said looking down at the letter.

"If he wanted to declare his love for me, he would have ended this war a long time ago, he knows I know he can, I feel there is something else at foot." I shook my head at her and her paranoia, but I'm used to it when you have people trying to kill you and your family, and you begin to expect everyone to be out to get you.

"You're being paranoid, mother. For all you know, this is daemon's way of saying he wants to be with you again and..." she looks at me with furrowed brows, "I think you give him a chance." Her furrowed brows shot up near her hairline.

"Valaena, I am a married woman–"

"With multiple paramours, I know what you do in your free time when everyone else is busy. I have eyes." A look of guilt and fear wash over her making me put my hand over her own, "I'm not angry with you, thoros already told me the situation between you two before I started noticing." A faint look of relief passed through her eyes before it was replaced by worry.

"No, I can't. I made a promise long ago that I leave what we had in the past, and I will stick to that til the day that I die, the only important to me is my family and my kingdom." She stated I could tell that she was done talking about and meant what she said, but the thought of your mother not getting the love she deserves didn't feel right to you.

I moved to grab another letter, this one is a bit older than the other and longer, as we sat in silence and read over the letter. My eyes sparkle with an idea after reading what daemon wrote and from what mother said earlier, I glance at her from the corner of my eyes to see her yawning.

"Mama, can I sleep with you tonight, I don't feel like walking back to my chambers." My mother gave a bright smile before nodding.

"Of course, my love. I'm about to head to bed now, you coming." I shook my head making up an excuse and making her nod again, she picked up her yarn and needles putting them away before coming back over and kissing my hairline.

"Goodnight, my love."

"Night, mama," I said back watching her walk to her bed and get under the covers.

I waited a bit and when the sounds of her soft snoring came I got up and went over to her to double-check check, she was out before leaving the room. I headed to her mother's studies that were just down the hall from her chambers, I slipped in before lighting a candle to see. I went over to her desk pulled out a parchment from her bottom drawer and dip the quell into the ink in front of me. I look down at the blank parchment thinking, what would her mother say to daemon, my hand moved as I wrote on the paper. When I was finished I reread my work back to me, after I thought it was convincing enough I found it and put it in an envelope. I used the sigil for our house to stamp it to keep the envelope close.

I quickly walk out to tie it to a raven before sending it off, I made it back to my mother's chambers quietly before gently getting into bed next to her. Now, all I have to do is hope that daemon takes the bait and ends this war.

@beggarsnotchoosey @cleverzonkwombatsludge @green-lxght @stormgirlfriendd @supermassiveblackhope

[rorywritesjunk]

Down in the dark where the waves won't go, I'm bound to find my way.

Sunny and Buggy disagree over the next steps of their life together leading to them spending time apart.

Rating: PG-13 to be safe for swearing and arguing. Warning: Each chapter will have a specific warning. Buggy and Sunny have a talk. There's tears, coping, things like that. Mentions again of child loss. Buggy is a very upset adult. Word Count: 2,575 A/N: The direct sequel to "No locked upon land...", the fic that started it all. I do not use "You" in this as now that Sunny is an established OC I decided not to go that route. This will be several chapters. Originally (lol) it was just two parts but... but I had to expand but I don't expect it to go much longer than the original fic. It's a few chapters longer than the original fic.

Title comes from "Sailing Song" by S.J. Tucker

Chapter 1 + Chapter 2 + Chapter 3 + Chapter 4 + Chapter 5 + Chapter 6 + Chapter 7 + Chapter 8 + Chapter 9 + Chapter 10 + Epilogue Taglist: @hey-august @lostfirefly @ane5e

Chapter 8

Sunny rubbed her eyes, grumbling about bright lights as she remained standing outside the shop. The sign above her changed, familiar to her once more, and the person who stepped out of the shop was someone unfamiliar. It wasn’t any of her companions that she walked up with. She was back in her own time.

She hoped the boy would be okay, and part of her knew he would but it was hard to leave him. A small part of her wondered if she’d regret not staying back, but what good would it do except make the boy happy to have her around?

Once the spots in her vision disappeared, she stepped away from the shop. She wondered how long she was gone for, maybe only twenty minutes like it was for the kid when she first met him. Her husband was no doubt waiting for her at the lake and she figured she needed to go find him before they got into another argument. 

She made sure her dress looked as good as it could after living in it for a few days. It didn’t look too bad, and they had given her sleep clothes for a few nights. She took a few calming breaths, needing to center herself before she went to see Buggy. It would be fine to see him even if she was upset by how he spoke to her a week ago.

It took her a little longer to get to the lake with her foot still hurting, but when she came down the path and saw him sitting on the shore, tossing feed into the water for some lingering ducks, she paused. Had he been waiting long? Wasn’t there supposed to be a picnic lunch or did he think she was supposed to bring that? She had to take another calming breath. He probably expected that from her, just like he expected her to come on a date with him.

“Buggy?” She took a few steps closer. “Sorry I’m late, something, uh, happened.”

His head whipped around so fast it detached from his body for a moment before snapping back to it. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Sunny was standing there. She was here. She didn’t leave him. He scrambled to his feet and stood up, eyes wide as he took in the sight of her. 

“Buggy-”

He didn’t say anything and rushed over to her, throwing himself at her and tightly wrapping his arms around her. The momentum spun them both around as she wrapped her arms around him as well, holding him to her as he started sobbing loudly against her. She didn’t understand why he was acting this way. She wasn’t that late, was she?

“I thought you left me!” He shrieked as his makeup started to run, leaving streaks of color on his face and on her dress as pressed his face into her shoulder. “I th-thought you weren’t coming at all and it’s been days, Sunny!”

Sunny didn’t understand what he was talking about. Days? For her it was, but for him? How was that possible?

“Okay, let’s… let’s go back to the ship to talk, Buggy.”

“No, no, no, please, I’m sorry, don’t leave me, I don’t deserve you but I don’t want you to leave me!” He cried, his makeup making a mess on her dress. She washed enough of his clothes to know it would come out but why was he acting like this anyway? “I’m sorry, please don’t leave me!”

“I feel like I just heard all of this from you.” She chuckled softly. “But let’s get back to the ship first, okay? We need to talk.”

“Please don’t leave me.” He whimpered softly. “I can’t lose you.”

The way he said that broke her heart. Was she really gone for days? Did he think she would have left without talking to him? She felt some guilt to how she had been feeling the last few nights as she tried to sleep, the thought of maybe leaving him and moving on to something else, but she didn’t know what she would even do. She loved him, they had a bump in their marriage, and clearly he loved her enough to be upset at the possibility of losing her.

“You’re not going to lose me, honey.” She assured him. “But my foot hurts and I really want to go back to the ship, okay?”

He sniffled loudly and looked up at her. His face was smudged with makeup, tears, and snot. She sighed softly and hugged him once again. What happened?

~

They changed into comfier clothes and Sunny helped Buggy wash his face. She said nothing about the little flower hair clips he had but he helped her take them out. He sat on the edge of the bed as she grabbed a brush, He was quieter than she expected which was worrisome. Once she started to run the brush through his hair, she decided to speak.

“I… saw you as a kid again, Buggy.” She told him as he looked back at her. “I met Roger, Rayleigh, and Shanks.”

“You did?” He asked quietly. She nodded and smiled a bit.

“You were such a sweet boy.” She chuckled. “You kept an eye out for me while I was on the ship.”

Buggy rubbed his face. “Yea, was sweet. Not so much now.”

“Honey-”

“Somehow you as a kid showed up here, Sunny.” He told her as he slumped forward, rubbing his face with his hands. “I was not sweet. I’m terrible with kids, it wouldn’t work out for me to be a dad. I threw myself into the water as a kid when I first met him and I was horrible to you as a kid. I screamed at you for staining my shirt and called you a crybaby.”

“Oh.” 

“Yea.” He hated that he felt like crying again. This was it. She was going to leave him for sure because of what he was about to say next. He had to brace himself for her to throw her wedding ring at him and leave the ship for good. “I can’t be a parent, Sunny. It wouldn’t work out.”

Sunny went quiet but she continued to brush his hair. Buggy didn’t have to look at her to know she was crying, he could hear the hitches in her breath and the little sniffles. He was breaking her heart just by saying that but it wouldn’t work out. He would be a terrible parent. He stood up and stepped away from her, suddenly kicking his boots out of the way in anger. She jumped, wiping at the tears rolling down her face as she cleared her throat.

“Well, fine, okay. I’ll… I’ll stop bringing it up.” She told him, her voice tight as she went to put the brush away. “I’m sorry for asking.”

“Why are you apologizing?!” He snapped, startling her. “I’m the asshole here, okay, I don’t get why you want to even be married to someone like me! There were so many better guys out there for you, I don’t understand why it was me you wanted to be with!”

Sunny frowned at him as she wiped the tears from her eyes. How he was acting was similar to how it was when they first started dating, when he was insistent she could do better. Why was this coming up after all this time? 

“I felt safe with you, Buggy.” She told him as she stood up. “That’s why I wanted to be with you.”

“Yea, well, who cares?! I can’t give you what you want, so you should probably leave me! I-I bet Kuro would take you or any of those other people, maybe that scary guy who wanted to marry you! He’d probably be better for you than me!”

No, no, she wasn’t going to let him talk like this. She sniffled and fixed him with a glare as she approached him. He took a step back, wondering what she was going to do, but she grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him to her. She kissed him to shut him up, putting her arms around his neck and holding him to her. He went rigid, not expecting that, but he slowly wrapped his arms back around her as she broke the kiss.

“I chose you, dummy.” She reminded him. “I didn’t want anyone else, okay, because you were the one I felt safe with and fell in love with.” She pulled one hand back and patted his cheek gently. “I’m… I’m not leaving you. I’m upset but I’m not leaving because I love your goofy ass, got it?”

“But-”

“I thought about it, you know, the last few nights when I was trying to sleep.” She told him. “I thought maybe staying there or going elsewhere would be better, but I saw how much you were hurting even as a child to not be alone and I just… didn’t want to do that to you as an adult. I saw you at the lake, you looked crushed, Buggy, and I don’t want to be the person who makes you feel that way.”

He sniffed and slumped against her, letting his head drop onto her shoulder. He didn't want to lose her at all but he was still afraid he would. He clung to her, letting out a heavy sigh as he tried to get himself to stop crying. It was difficult, the last few days were harder for him than he expected, but there was relief to hear that she wasn't going to leave him.

“Can we go eat something? I'm hungry, Buggy.” Sunny said as she kissed his temple. “I'll make us something easy.”

~

It was a welcome sight having her back in the kitchen. Normally Buggy would have sat at the table to wait but he instead chose to stand beside her at the counter. He wanted to keep talking to her, ask about what it was like as a child, but he already knew from the little girl, except one thing.

“How come you never told me you had a baby brother, Sunny?” He asked as she assembled a sandwich for him. She paused for a moment, butter knife in hand as she prepared to cut the sandwich in half. She glanced over at him and set the knife down.

“I didn’t… want to think about him.” She replied as she looked down at the sandwich. “My mom went into early labor and almost didn’t make it. Onyx… he didn’t make it, the doctor and midwife tried to save him but he was too early.”

Buggy scratched the back of his head, unsure what to say. The kid spoke so calmly about it without issue but he could see his wife getting upset thinking about it. He didn’t know if he should ask more questions or just keep quiet. 

“Dad made him a little coffin to bury him in. I was so excited to be a big sister but it didn’t happen.” She picked the knife back up and cut the sandwich in half before putting it on a plate and handing it to Buggy. “Maybe the trauma of losing my brother and being lonely as a kid is what makes me want my own, who knows, but it’s not happening now so don’t… don’t mention him again, Buggy.” She cleared her throat and started on her own sandwich. “And don’t mention him to my mom or dad if you ever see them, okay? We reburied him when we moved. He’s under the plum tree in the garden.”

“Babe-”

“Eat. I haven’t been able to cook for you for a few days. I’m surprised you haven’t choked it down yet.” She wouldn’t look at him as she assembled her own sandwich and cut it in half, setting it on her plate. She walked past him to sit at the table, setting it down and looking at it. Buggy watched her for a moment, wondering if there were any comforting words he should say to her, but he had nothing. He was too raw and drained from the last few days to think of anything, so he joined her at the table, reaching for her hand to hold. She let him.

~

Buggy was relieved to be in her arms again. She held him close as his head rested on her chest and she stroked his hair gently. He wanted to talk, to fill the silence of the bedroom, but she had said very little after they had their sandwiches. She insisted Buggy go check on the ship and his crew while she made sure Cabaji got everything she needed, but he hadn’t wanted to leave her. It took her having to straight up tell him she needed a few minutes alone to think in order for him to leave.

He listened to her, wondering what he did now, and he heard her choke back a sob when he left the kitchen.

Sunny came and found him twenty minutes later, face washed, eyes red, and a smile on her face as she slipped her hand into his. He decided to head to bed right then and there.

He rubbed his nose and lifted his head to look at her. She had her eyes closed, not asleep yet, but looking relaxed. He took the chance and kissed her; she opened her eyes and looked at him which had him pulling back.

“Babe-”

“What?” She stroked his cheek gently with the back of her fingers. He leaned into her touch and closed his eyes, sighing heavily. “Honey, you okay?”

“I just don’t want you to leave me.” He confessed. “I know I said you… you should find Kuro or something but I don’t want you to, I want you to stay with me, and I’m sorry we won’t have kids, I’m sorry I’m such an awful husband and I screamed at you when you were a kid and that I hurt you when I was a kid and that I made you cry in the kitchen and-”

Sunny listened to him ramble out his apologies, letting him get it out of his system. It made her feel a little better, but when he started apologizing for things from ten years ago, she finally had enough and covered his mouth with her hand. 

“I was crying in the kitchen because I was… I was just sad how lonely you were as a kid and how lonely you were without me for a few days, Buggy.” She told him. “That’s… that’s all. You cried so much around me, not wanting me to be mad at you or afraid I was going to never be with you, and my heart hurts for you.” She pulled him close once more and kissed him on the forehead. “I’m sorry you were hurting so much, but I love you, and… and I’ll be okay.” She tightened her arms around him and sighed softly. “Really, I’ll be okay.”

He wasn’t sure if he believed her, but she was smiling at him and it was the smile he knew and loved, it made him feel safe and loved and maybe everything would be okay for them. He just wanted to be in her arms every night and never go a day without seeing her smile again.

[morningstargirl666]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

thank you @garglyswoof and @stars-and-darkness for tagging me!

How many works do you have on ao3?

12, though 2 of those are moodboards so don't really count.

2. What's your total ao3 word count?

553,036. Huh. Lower than I expected. No doubt that will shoot up when the tbbw rewrite is done [fake laughter, hiding real pain]

3. What fandoms do you write for?

TVD, TO a.k.a Klaroline

4. Top five fics by kudos:

The Big Bad Wolf, Into Eternity, The Little Wolf, The Red Wedding and Falling For You.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! I try to respond to every one as I love talking with readers. I figure if someone spends time to write a comment, I'll return the favour and reply. In fact when I'm updating fics regularly, if my reply to your comment turns up in your inbox it's often a pre-warning that a new chapter is about to drop, as I read over comments I've missed before updating.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Does Damon murder count? [I don't really do angsty endings, I need my happily ever after]

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably Into Eternity. It's really sappy and makes me feel all warm and gooey inside. What can I say - I'm a romantic at heart.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Yes, kinda. Is it hate if it's just wild interpretations of the characters or plot? Some people leave comments that just make you blink repeatedly and think...are they reading the same fic I'm writing? I remember one time someone left a comment calling Caroline a pushover (honestly had some kind of vendetta against her showing ANY kind of emotion like okaaaaay mate) even though in that very same chapter...she literally kicked Klaus is the balls. Man, that was a weird day.

9. Do you write smut?

No. Not yet. In the future? There may or may not be scenes planned. 😏 I'm picky with smut, I need feelings and the eMoTiOnS, I need to be INVESTED. Porn with plot, rather than just smut for smut's sake.

10. Craziest crossover:

Haven't written a crossover - unless intending to drop Dracula into tbbw at some point coints. There's some great ones in the fandom though, just not really my thing.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of [narrows eyes]

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No! But I'd be flattered if one ever was, as long as its translated on ao3 and given credit to me.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, I haven't. I might be open to it though, if it was a round-robin kind of thing where the writers take in turns to write the scenes.

14. All time favorite ship?

KLAROLINE!!! NOW LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK!!!

15. What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I really want to finish Divided We Fall, Falling For You and Songs of the Sea. I wouldn't say I doubt I'll ever finish them, just that I doubt I'll finish them while I'm still writing the tbbw series. Too much of the klaroline brain rot is invested in that fic alone.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've been told it's shifting between moods? So I can give readers whiplash in the emotions department - one minute you're crying, the next you're laughing. I like to think my strength is dialogue though. Even the way I write is focused around it.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Historical accuracy. I'll fall down a rabbit hole researching stuff like any writer, but the researching is more out of obligation and crippling writer guilt rather than actual enjoyment. Which is why I often take creative licence and go fuck it, history has its own au now bitches (sorry ella).

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

If its little words here and there - even a sentence or two - yes. Full conversations though unless you're fluent yourself are not fun to sift through.

19. First fandom you wrote in?

Star Wars? I want to say Star Wars. Idk those fanfics are over on my ffnet account which I will not be going back to anytime soon. I dare not go where the light doesn't touch, Mufasa speaks wisely.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

It used to be The Red Wedding but I actually love The Little Wolf more now. That one's a true labour of love, fueled on rage and spite, curtesy of Julie Plec.

I will tag @galvanizedfriend @kirythestitchwitch @marxandangels @bellemorte180 @impossiblekryptonitecolor @the-road-betwixt @purplesigebert @that-sarcastic-optimist

[evanpitars]

Hi!! I saw you were taking in requests about the ship thing with Evan Peters so,,, I decided to try (p.s If you're not taking in rqs anymore, just ignore ty!!) I am 5'1 with shoulder length very very black hair and light brown eyes. I'm on the bigger side so I am plus-sized, I have light freckles on my face and I get really red easily, like if I step a foot outside in the sun for even just 10 minutes my cheeks and face will turn red... My style is usually cargo pants with a turtle neck and a flannel over, and I always wear this very specific necklace that has my initial on it (hehe) My personality, from what my friends would describe, I'm a very empathetic person. It's kinda funny but there's a running joke with almost everyone I know that I'm like a mother figure to everyone because I'm quite nurturing and I'm not really a risk-taker, I'm more of the type of person who'd tell you to off for doing risky things but not so much to get involved. I'm a pretty sensitive person, so I cry easily... and I tend to take things personally but not too personally if you know what I'm saying, I think an important note to make is that I am sensitive but I do stick up for myself, I'm still very opinionated and I don't like when people do things that are wrong or pick on me for no reason; Honestly I think that's the reason why I feel like I'm sort of an introverted extrovert, I'm quite out-going with my friends and people I know but outside of that I'm pretty reserved, not to say I don't crack jokes or socialize (although, I have really bad anxiety) I still do but I have a select few friends that I talk to every day. My love language would have to be acts of service and physical touch, I just love doing things for people. I will literally go out of my way to do something for someone I love even if I wouldn't do that normally and for physical touch, I'm very touchy and clingy, if we were walking around the mall, I would definitely have a hand somewhere on them; whether it's on their shoulder or just on a bag, I have to hold onto them. Other than my qualities, I also really love to read and write!! and I love slasher films, I am a huge fan of the Scream franchise. I also love to draw and have a huge interest in zoology!! So um, thank you!! I hope this isn't too much <33

Hello sweety! Thank you very much!

Everything you guys send isn't too much! Dom't worry! I will read your bibles hahaha

Some may not agree but I felt that your love story would be with....

Drums sound * 🥁🥁🥁

JIMMY DARLING‼️‼️‼️

You mentioned your role in the group of friends. Almost like we were the mom of the group and I think Jimmy would be attracted to someone like that. Someone who knows how to care for others and nurture others, since he spent part of his life without a father, being excluded from society and having only his mother by his side.

He would feel a need to protect you because you are sensitive and how he is always looking to resolve situations and do justice, if there was something he didn't like about a situation in which people were pointing the finger at you. , he would be the first to argue with these same people!

You being very clingy would be amazing for Jimmy. Because he received little love, your caring side would be something he would admire and also give back to. He would spend his days hugging you, watching television and seeing what you wrote!

Hope you like it!!!

[the-firebird69]

So Trump started his s*** with us this morning and hasn't stopped and he is getting hit and he's getting taken down and his are doing some sort of asinine dance and he refuses to shut his mouth would go somewhere else. He lost interest in the Washington group and he is going down that group is the one that runs the mall then he is out of there shortly he only has like 5% and then he's a dead man no but he's out of the mall and he is an a****** sitting there screwing around with our son he does it every morning and it sits there in his truck with a damn door open threatening say he's going to try and get his weapon out and we're going to take care of that. And we're going to make him pay now he is a big huge a****** and he is issuing threats right now and we're going to take care of him for what he's saying sitting there threatening his balls off now we're like 10 minutes he does it every morning every single morning that's this twitch routine this should have routine and finally he leaves and we're going to make him pay for it. There's a huge loser and spends his time tying people up so he can sit there and harass our son with a 5 year old child would. We're going to eradicate him in his permanently

And Garth is now asking for it and further we do not appreciate your appearance in the first place and your mouth is going to get you killed and his as I don't care for it says who gives a s*** what you care for adhere to some simple rules or die pig in our son said that to him it looks over and says I can take you said let's f****** wrong with you deaf boy and he's in pain he says he tell you that and stuff and then you suffer damage so he's sitting there going out ouch ouch let me hit and he says waiting to make it up to me since we start hitting you again today and we are and his got wiped out never pulling his computers out. Guys are freaking moron my son says he's going to blow through all the stop signs so we're going to blow through his ass and we're going to take him down along with the staring freaking moron Trump and he is such a free and idiot said we tell you not to do something you go ahead and do it and you get hit every time you're just going to continue to get hit and our son and daughter say we can have to and now Dan is doing it so we're going to start hitting that stupid phone so we're killing people using assassins and your mouth is open again. And it starts saying I'm not accustomed to it I said you'll get accustomed to it in a few weeks they'll be just you left you'll still be the same a****** but it'll be your turn so he started saying this we don't have any hope at all and say that I hope so I hope not and screaming it and I'm saying I hope not so they don't really get what they're doing and how stupid they look they will shortly cuz everybody wants their stuff and their money and all that stuff they took and an adjusted doing very badly this morning as hell and these two won't shut up no matter how many times they die so they're going to have to continue to until it's over and they demand it. I'll tell you what we're going to start debating I don't want them taking stuff through the islands or ships

Thor Freya

I'm remembering something trying to be careful what you look like what we look like are a bunch of ninis having him do the job. Come to think of it Cassandra and her brother and he does not have any intimacy with her and says she is a heinous heinous fat ass s*** ass b**** and gross and you can't talk to her and she is that way and would not shut up in the Dollar general for any math or purpose. I looked at her after he was in there I said you're dead for this s*** such a f****** a****** and I figured out what's going on and yeah from movies no they're taking people augmented them and putting them against each other the code began with augmentin and Ernest and can be traced and we're going to do that and to Max back in westborough and these guys don't have a presence of mine to fight it and it's terrible it is very hokey we're doing here is probably wrong a lot of people don't care and don't come back any means you stupid idiots Garth at this time she's mulatto and then she wants to be Melissa and we don't want her around or you your Hondo and your friend him then Sarah was her the whole time and then you threatened him on the mountain and he said this on the way home I know you're up there for and you're not going to see me for quite a while and I don't like your kind and stay away from me or I'll kill you by hand and he was astounded and told him to shut up whenever he tried to talk so is in the car give me a ride he's trying to do it back and the two are telling him to shut the f****** because he's an idiot and he was an idiot the first time and he says I'm making an attempt Hawaiian island an idiot to attempt at what stupid and that opened it up and these people have to go and Tommy f is the biggest offender and everyone wants him gone but they're too stupid to figure it out it's a rickety crappy system to begin with this guy Tommy have threw it into high gear nobody can pull out most of the garbage is pure s*** now and I did out of this and Tommy enough you got to go get shot at him and gothamar is you're a total f****** idiot with Garth Myers you're a f****** moron all of you are but boy do you take the cake you couldn't figure it out and if you do you start turning on everybody an instance you're just a terrible person you're a horrendous liar and a massive boob you have to practically break your bones to get you to do something I could not stand you in westborough I can't stand you here and he's right you're so stupid you're a turd and you're in there in the hospital and it's an act and I said I'd rather sit next to him at least he knows what he's doing and doesn't harm me on purpose because he'd get hurt or his people and it's smart and you're so damn dumb you try it all the time and you're an animal I'm going to write this up to get rid of

Mac daddy

Olympus permission to print granted

I am so happy that guy is such a dunce and an a****** he comments about everything and is a spewing f****** loser and boy what an example cuz they're the same they just don't say it all all the time they have him say it like the mouth of sauron and stuff

Hera

[troidatoi]

Day 5 - 9/6/2023

Hello!

I went on a water fast because it was so painful for me to eat and I just didn't want my body to be in pain anymore and I lost 12 pounds. lmao. I cancelled my appointment with my holistic doctor and went to a gastro doctor today and cried before he even came in. He saw that I was crying and immediately asked me what's wrong and gave me tissues. The way I cry over everything should be studied. lol. I guess I was really tired and scared and I have major health anxiety. He was so nice and patient with me. He said he doesn't think I have leaky gut but something else and gave me medication to lessen the symptoms until we can figure out what's wrong. He looked at the test I've taken previously and doesn't think it's accurate so he wants to take it from there. He checked my abdominal area and asked if it hurt when he pushed down on it and I said no and he was like so that's not concerning! That's a good thing. I told him I haven't been eating because I didn't want to deal with the pain and he was like I need you to eat! The holistic doctor was telling me to not eat gluten and all this shit and the gastro was like you can eat whatever you want. lmfao. I like that he was just straight forward and didn't push me to do anything I didn't want to do and was even like we can test you for this and that but it's so expensive and I love doctors who are like we don't want you to spend this much. Healthcare in America is so atrocious. But it was nice that he was so reassuring because I want to fix whatever is going on in my digestive system and be able to eat without pain and not bloat so much. I'm spending so much time and money right now for my health and I hope it's worth the investment so I'm not in so much pain in the future. I just want to eat all the goods things again and I know I will. Thank you to the gastro doctor and I hope he can fix me. Wait, I know he will fix me.

I went to UPS after to return something and it took awhile because someone brought a bunch of boxes to ship out so I was there for a minute but I know there's a shortage of UPS workers so I was patient. I went home after and cried again and took a fat ass nap before going to Erewhon to see one of my besties and trade Dodgers' bobbleheads with him because he's moving to Australia for work. I gave him a Cody Bellinger one and he gave me the new Chris Taylor one that they gave out this year. I think it's times like these where life isn't as terrible because as much I spent a lot of my life resisting the urge to end it, I have to remember that so many people love and care about me. I was there for like 3 fucking hours because we were talking and I wanted a tuna sandwich but they ran out so he asked someone from the deli to make it for me and I also got a slice of pizza. I was lowkey scared to eat it cause gluten! I took the pills the doctor gave me and I feel fine right now. It was nice to eat after not eating for 10 days. The upstairs neighbors also gave us pasta. It kind of reminds you that people are nice to you, you know? Food is definitely a love language of mine. I can't wait until I fix my digestive issues and can eat without pain and have my clothes fit again and not have so much bloat and inflammation. I had a field day today with all the food I ate but I don't regret it and I hope my body was okay with it. Things seem to be looking up. I've been in limbo as of late with the job hunt, with the debt and my health issues but I know that one by one, everything's going to work out. Just one of those phases where you're kind of stuck in this gray area but you know at the end of the day it's going to be okay because you're putting in the work to make sure it's going to be okay. Someone is going to hire me this month, I'm going to fix my digestive system this year, I'll pay off all my debt. There's nothing to worry about and this isn't something I necessarily want to stress over because that doesn't help me at all. Manifesting and claiming with so much love and gratitude. <3

[starks-hero]

Right a Wrong

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Summary: You, Sam and Bucky get to work repairing Sam’s family boat. Turns out the boat isn’t the only thing in need of fixing. But with help from you and Sam, Bucky figures some stuff out.

Word Count: 3,745

Warnings: a bit of a make-out session but not enough to be classed as smut, tfatws spoilers! 1x05

a/n: This is a direct result of watching episode 5 too many times. Spoilers below!

|| Part Two ||

Small waves lapped gently against the dock and the afternoon sun warmed your back as you worked on the old boat.

You were standing side by side with Bucky, crowbar in hand as you attempted to pry off the old metal cleats from the boats side, whilst he expertly pulled rusted pipes apart and threw them into a pile. As if on queue, one of the pipes on the opposite side of the ship burst, hissing and spurting out white clouds of steam. You marvelled at how quickly Bucky reacted, quickly crossing the deck and sealing the leak with an abrupt upward turn of the pipe with his metal arm.

"Where did you learn so much about fixing boats?" You teased, motioning to the now fixed pipe with your crowbar. Bucky dusted off his hands.

"I used to work on the docks in Brooklyn before the war." He shrugged, rolling up his sleeves to the elbow and taking a seat on a crate next to you. "I picked up a few things."

He furthered his point by leaning over and pulling at the cleat you'd been grappling with. It came away from where it was attached to the boat's side with ease in Buckys iron grip. He smirked as he tossed the scrap aside and you rolled your eyes.

"Show off."

Bucky chuckled, sitting back as Sam stepped onto the boat. He was carrying a crate in one hand and shook his head when he noticed Bucky's smirk and your dismissive smile.

"Alright, you two." He placed the crate down and pulled out two green bottles, throwing one to Bucky and handing you the other. "Beer break."

Sam took a seat across from you both and you sighed as you opened your beer, raising it up to Bucky.

His annoyance was discredited by the fond smile that broke through his expression as he begrudgingly clinked his bottle with yours. You reached over and did the same with Sam as the three of you relaxed under the heat of the Louisiana sun.

"It's starting to look good," you noted as you glanced around the boat and Sam smiled.

"Yeah, it's coming together." He took a swig of his beer. "You know, Sarah and I were talking." He started and both you and Bucky glanced up at him. "And we could use the help. Don't suppose you two would consider staying around a while? Just till we get a lead on Karli."

The offer caused a noticeable smile to pull at your lips whilst Bucky shifted beside you at Sam's words. His agitation grew and he stood.

"I've got my plane to catch tomorrow, a hotel room for the night," he said, raising his bottle to his lips to hide his doubt. He really didn't have that much of a plan beyond that.

"You're just gonna set me up like that, huh?" Sam asked and Bucky shrugged.

"Well, I don't want to make it weird for your family."

"Just stay here," Sam said and you couldn't help but nod subconsciously. The truth was you really didn't really want to leave. There was something about staying with the Wilson's and spending the day fixing up an old run-down family boat that made everything seem so normal. It gave you a sense of home, a sense of normality that you hadn't had in a long time. For a while, it even made you forget about the flag smashers, Walker, all of it. It was a much-needed break.

"The people in this town are the most welcoming in the world. They don't care if you wear small t-shirts or if you've got six toes or if your mom is your aunt-"

You laughed and Bucky barely hid a chuckle behind a huff of breath and a bright smile.

"Okay, I get it. The people are nice."

You placed your bottle aside and turned to Sam.

"You're sure Sarah doesn't mind?" you asked and Sam's smile only widened.

"She's the one that offered."

Grinning, you sat back and nodded. "Then I don't see why not."

"See?" Sam pointed to you and then Bucky. "Just stay, man."

Bucky shuffled his feet for a moment before finally answering with a begrudging, "Okay. Alright." He didn't say anything else as he turned and walked down the boat.

"He'll come around. He probably just wants his space." You said, picking up your beer. Sam nodded, taking a swig of his own drink.

"I hope you're right."

You woke up feeling more refreshed than you had in a while. Your hands and back hurt slightly from the tiring work on the boat, but it was a dull ache compared to the constant throbbing that came after a mission. Your cheeks were warm, surely as a result of the hours spent out in the sun the day before.

Both you and Bucky stayed the night. Sarah had offered you the spare room and after a solid fifteen minutes of bickering, you finally conceded to Bucky and agreed to sleep in the guest bed. He took the couch.

The sun was just beginning to rise up over the water when you and Bucky both headed back out to the boat. Sam joined you not long after. You worked until mid-afternoon, reluctantly taking short breaks. You fell into a quick rhythm as you worked around the boat. Surprisingly, the three of you seemed to make a pretty decent team off of the battlefield.

"Hey, can you pass me a 12-300?" Sam asked from under the boat's control panel. Bucky reached into the toolbox and placed the wrench in Sam's outstretched hand. A few seconds later Sam was rolling out from under the controls and glaring disapprovingly at Bucky.

"What?"

"I asked for a 12-300," Sam stated plainly. "This is a 10-250."

"No, it's not." Bucky bit back.

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not!"

"Hey, geniuses." You cut their bickering short as both men turned to look at you. You held up the grease-slick wrench that had been misplaced and tossed it to Sam. "You left it below deck when you were working on the engine."

Sam muttered a quiet 'thanks' as he got back to work. Silence settled over the three of you for a few minutes until Sam decided it was getting awkward.

"So, are you still planning on leaving tonight?" He asked from under the station and Bucky nodded, before realising Sam couldn't see him.

"Yeah," he said loud enough for Sam to hear. "I'll be out of your way soon."

You could hear Sam's sigh from beneath you as he clambered back to his feet and stood between you and the super-soldier leaning against the wall of the cabin.

"Well, there's no hurry."

Sam didn't say anything else as he cleaned the oil and grease from his hands with a cloth and stepped off the boat. Bucky sighed and let his head fall back behind him.

"Go," you ordered plainly and he looked up at you.

"What?"

"Go," you said again, nodding your head towards where Sam was walking away. "You both need to talk. Bucky, whatever you're not saying, it's getting to you. So go talk to him."

Bucky hesitated, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He glared at nothing in particular but his gaze softened when it found you and he muttered a quiet, 'fine.' You stepped aside as he made his way past you and stepped up onto the dock, heading after Sam.

"And don't be a smart ass!" You called after him. He didn't reply, but you could only hope that Sam and Bucky's conversation would be somewhat constructive.

"Nice shot!" You retrieved the football from the back of the goal as Cass, Sam's eldest nephew, celebrated his score.

Once Sam and Bucky had left the boat, you had headed back to the house, helping Sarah with any errands or chores, doing anything you could to help out. Sam and Bucky had been gone a little over an hour and you didn't know if that meant their talk was going very well or very not. You'd been sitting rather uselessly on the couch, waiting in anticipation, when Sam's nephews had invited you to play a game of football. And how could you refuse?

You tossed the ball back to the boys who eagerly pounced at it. You were stood in the small goal, allowing both boys to take as many shots as they wanted. AJ stepped forward and kicked the ball, groaning when it flew off to the left, a few meters away from where you were standing and missed the net entirely. He glanced down at the ground, disheartened.

“Hey, it's alright, AJ.” You smiled as you ran to grab the ball and passed it back to him. “Come on, try again.”

With encouragement from his brother, he took the shot and this time the ball planted itself in the top corner of the goal. Both boys cheered as they celebrated and you smiled. You dusted yourself off, your knees and hands covered in dust from the football game as you turned to head back inside the house. Both boys protested as you left but you promised them you'd be back. The more time you spent with AJ, Cass, Sam and Sarah, the more you didn't want to leave. There was something about staying with the Wilson's that made you feel content. It was homely and offered a sense of normality that the last few weeks had caused you to miss.

You entered the kitchen and poured yourself a glass of water. Sarah had told you over and over again to help yourself to anything in the kitchen. You leaned against the counter, glass in hand and just basked in the feeling of not having to worry about donning a suit and risking your life at a moments notice. It was something you could get used to.

“That was adorable.”

Your head snapped up at the sound of a voice and you found Bucky joining you in the kitchen. He was smirking fondly.

“You and the boys.”

You chuckled softly and shrugged. “They're sweet kids.”

Bucky nodded, pulling a glass of his own from the shelf and filling it with water from the tap. It furthered the sense of domesticity that you were really starting to love. He took a seat at the table across from you.

“So,” you started as you placed your own glass aside. “How did it go? You and Sam.”

Bucky chuckled and you couldn't tell if it was sarcastic or genuine, but something about the grin that lingered on his lips had you banking on the latter.

‘‘Not bad,” he admitted eventually with a shrug. He hesitated for a moment before continuing. “We talked. He said if I'm going to fix anything, if I'm going to get what's left of him out of my mind.” Bucky subconsciously ran his hand across his temple. “I'm going to have to put in the work. Help the people I wronged instead of just saying sorry.”

You nodded, silently making a note to thank Sam later on. He always had a way with words, he could always get through to people. That's why he was given the shield.

“He's got a point.”

Bucky scoffed and hung his head at your words. “I should have known you'd be on his side.” There was no hostility in his words. He just sounded amused, and maybe a little tired.

“I don't think this comes down to whose side I'm on, Bucky. We both want what's best for you.” You answered honestly and Bucky glimpsed up at you. He anxiously toyed with his hands as you spoke, looking vulnerable, and slightly lost despite how hard he tried to hide it. You knew Sam had already spoken to him, but it couldn't hurt for you to say something as well.

“Look Bucky, telling yourself that you're okay and that everything that happened doesn't matter anymore because you've made 'amends' isn't going to help.”

He sighed, shuffling his feet against the tiles of the kitchen floor. “I know,” he admitted quietly.

“And I know you're probably tired of hearing this but, you're not him anymore, Bucky. You're not the winter soldier. Everything you did whilst you were him wasn't your choice. Just because you remember it doesn't mean that it was your fault. It's not your responsibility to fix it.”

Bucky sighed but didn't interrupt. He was listening. This wasn't like the therapist that he was forced to sit in front of and lie to every other week. This was someone he trusted, someone whose words he valued. Someone he honestly believed could help. He sighed but nodded to show that he was still listening.

“I think Sam’s right,” you said. “It might not be your responsibility to fix everything that went wrong but trying could help. It could give you that closure that you keep chasing after. You need to let go, Bucky. You need to forgive yourself. Maybe you just need the people who are hurting to forgive you first. Then you can learn how to do the same.”

Bucky's expression was unreadable. So many emotions flashed across his eyes you found it difficult to pinpoint just one.

“How do I start?” he asked quietly. It just seemed impossible. There were so many people he'd hurt, so many people he'd wronged. He'd left children as orphans, wives as widows and parents childless. How could he possibly start trying to fix or make all those people feel in any way better?

You smiled softly at his question. “Small. One at a time,” you said simply. “Then just keep putting one in front of the other.”

Bucky considered your words, glancing down at his hands as he thought. Before long, a small smirk pulled at his lips.

“I can't decide who'd make a better therapist. You or Sam,” he joked and you laughed, shaking your head dismissively.

“Well, Sam did council veterans so I think he takes that title.”

“I'd say it's pretty tied,” Bucky said, walking across the kitchen and standing next to you as he washed his glass, drying it off and placing it back on the shelf. The room fell into a comfortable silence.

“Thank you, Y/N.” He said after a moment, his tone sincere and his expression genuine as he looked at you. You nodded, gently placing your hand against his shoulder.

“Don't mention it. You know I'm always here if you need to talk.”

The sound of a football colliding with the wall dangerously close to the window followed by two voice's loudly shouting, 'sorry!' in unison drew a quaint laugh from you both.

“Duty calls.” You grinned, patting Bucky on the back as you passed him. “Team Wilson is missing its goalkeeper.”

Bucky chuckled, watching you go. You crossed the kitchen but his voice stopped you just as your hand reached the doors handle.

“Y/N?”

You turned back around to face him and couldn't help but notice that he seemed a little more apprehensive than he had before.

“Yeah?”

He exhaled slowly, willing himself to tell you what was on his mind.

“I was just thinking things over and you know, I’m leaving today,” he hesitated slightly before glancing up at you. “And I guess I was wondering if you’d come with me?”

Your hand slipped from where it was still holding the brass handle of the door. You tilted your head as your mind fully processed his question. The shock must have been evident in your expression as Bucky rushed to continue.

“I know you're planning on staying here and I get why.” He pulled a tattered red book from his pocket which you immediately recognized as Steve’s. He began absentmindedly turning the pages, running his fingers over the paper. “I want to try and start fixing things, making things right. But truth is I have no idea where to start. I thought that maybe you could help me with that?”

“I thought you wanted your space," you admitted after a moment.

“No.” He shook his head. “That's the last thing I want.”

You thought it over, resting your back against the door. Bucky trusted you, evidently a lot more than you thought he did. Not only was he comfortable enough telling you how he felt and admitting he didn't know what to do next. But he also wanted you with him. It was clear he was holding back, not wanting to overwhelm you by admitting just how badly he wanted you to go with him. But the way he eagerly watched you as he waited patiently for your answer was a dead give away.

You wanted to help Bucky, you wanted to be there for him. If that meant helping him right his wrongs and staying with him during that trying time, at least until Sam got a lead on Karli and the Flag Smashers, then you were more than happy to comply.

“You're sure about this?” you asked and Bucky pushed off the counter and crossed the room, stopping just in front of you.

“Absolutely.” His voice dropped down to a hushed whisper. “Come with me.” His hand gently caught your wrist, his fingers running up your arm. His face was inches from yours now, your breaths mingling. “Please?”

His lips pressed to yours before you could answer and you immediately kissed back. Your hand fell against his shoulder, the other laying gently against the nape of his neck. He groaned quietly against you, his arms finding your waist as he gently guided you backwards till your back met the wall. He pressed into you, his hands roaming up your body and you moaned as he deepened the kiss.

“Yes.” You answered when he pulled away slightly and he smiled against you, relieved. Neither of you said anything else as Bucky sighed and pulled you closer, his thigh slipping between your legs as he pinned you to the wall.

God, he'd wanted to do this for so long. Wanted to kiss you, to feel you against him. He wanted you. Your hand slipped into his hair and you pulled him closer, smirking against him. You'd wanted this just as bad. And you both only had your own stubbornness to blame for taking so damn long. It didn't matter now though. Not as he gently bit down on your lower lip and you slipped your hand under his shirt and felt up his chest. It all felt so natural, so right.

“Ten minutes.”

Both your eyes flew open at the all too familiar voice, Bucky pulling away from you so quickly he only barely avoided falling over a nearby chair.

“I left you two alone to talk for ten minutes,” Sam repeated from where he was standing on the other side of the room, his arms crossed. You tried to subtly smoothen out your clothes whilst Bucky ran his hand through his tangled hair.

“We were,” Bucky said, clearing his throat. “We were talking. We...talked.”

Sam nodded, entirely unconvinced, and smirked. He reclined against the counter, showing no sign of leaving anytime soon. A painfully awkward silence settled over the kitchen as Sam continued to shift his knowing stare from you to Bucky.

The humiliation of the entire situation seemed to get to Bucky first as he clasped his hands together after less than a minute.

“You know, what? I'm leaving in a few hours and I've got to pack so I better just go-” Bucky rambled as he shot you a subtle apologetic look before turning to Sam, who was nodding along in faux agreement to his pathetic attempt of an excuse.

Bucky quickly crossed the kitchen, Sam harshly patting him on the back as he passed him and left the room. Leaving just you and Sam alone. You turned to your friend and found that he was still grinning at you with that same mischievous look in his eyes. You felt like a deer in headlights. In an attempt to act as though Sam hadn't just walked in on you and Bucky making out, you tried making normal conversation.

“Sam, there was actually something I wanted to tell you. I know I said I was going to stay for a while but I guess there's been a change of plan. I-”

“I know.” He cut you off and his smile only widened when you looked at him in utter confusion. “You honestly think he would have asked you to go with him if I didn't tell him to get his shit together first?”

Your confusion slowly melted away and was replaced with a look of disbelief. You laughed despite yourself. You should have known Sam had something to do with it. ‘‘How long have you been playing cupid?” you asked jokingly and Sam chuckled.

“He needs you, Y/N. More than he wants to admit,” Sam said, tone now more serious than before. “Things will be fine here, I'll call you as soon as Torres finds us something to work with. But right now, he needs your help before that hole he's stuck in gets too deep for him to climb out of.”

You sighed as the weight of Sam's words set in. He was right, Bucky really did need you. That wasn't a responsibility you could afford to take lightly. Not that you planned to.

“Thanks, Sam,” you said genuinely and Sam smirked as he crossed the room and pulled you into a hug. He could tell you needed it.

“Anytime.” He pulled away and offered you a warning glare. “But I swear, if you two making out the minute I turn my back becomes a regular thing I'm going to kick both your asses.”

“Got it,” you nodded, barely stifling a laugh.

Sam's scowl melted into a smile and he motioned towards the stairs. “Go on, get your things together. You've got a plane to catch in a few hours.”

You smiled and headed upstairs after Bucky. Sam leaned against the counter with his arms crossed and a satisfied smile. Getting you two together had taken more work than he'd thought. But he knew it would be worth it, you both needed each other. Whether you were willing to admit it or not. And Sam was confident that if there was anyone that could help Bucky and offer him that sense of home and peace that he was so desperately craving, it was you.

tag list: @bakerstreethound​ @miraclesoflove​ @doozywoozy​ @kealohilani-tepise

[let-them-read-fics]

Blackpink HC / One Shots: Enemies to Lovers, College AU (2/2)

Requested: Yes

Warnings / Misc. -- Bickering, Rivalry, Fluff

A/N: Hey everyone! This is the second half of the request, featuring Rosé and Lisa. If you want to see the first part, with Jisoo and Jennie, click the link below. I hope you enjoy!

Click for Jisoo and Jennie

♡ Happy Reading ♡

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Rosé

Park Chaeyoung: The girl who hung with the wrong crowd.

Your problem lied more so with the people she associated with than her herself. You couldn't wrap your head around why such a kind person like her would spend time with the class clowns and bullies, and to make matters worse, she would stick up for them as well.

She spent most of her days in either the art or music room, creating the masterpieces that her brain came up with.

But as soon as school was over, she'd be hanging out with them again and getting into trouble. For instance, because of her talents, they would invite her to go with them and graffiti various hot spots around town. She never vandalized any monuments or landmarks of importance -- she typically stuck to bridges or abandoned buildings -- but after getting caught with them multiple times, it was inevitable for her to be held accountable.

She was given a week's detention to make up for her actions

You, coincidentally, had a teacher that absolutely loathed you for no reason at all. No matter how good of a student you were for him, he didn't care; he had a vendetta against you for some reason, and he patiently waited for the opportunity to ruin your day.

You came in literally 10 seconds after the bell rang, putting the breakfast sandwich you stopped to get on the way into your mouth so you could open the door. He was standing at the front with a smug grin on his face, and you already knew what was coming.

You were also given an ungodly sentence of a week's detention.

Turning Point

"If I see you on your phones, I'm taking them." The monitor informs before sitting at the desk, reclining in the chair and putting his feet up soon after. You sigh and lean back in your seat, attempting to find a way to pass the next two hours without getting in trouble. Your eyes scan across the room, eventually landing on Rosé, where she sits a couple rows away from you. Sunlight is streaming in through the window next to her, its golden rays peeking through the breaks in the clouds above to shine on her. She looks gorgeous as she doodles away in her notebook, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear when it falls in front of her face.

After waiting on the monitor to fall asleep and sending one last glance to double check, you quietly stand from your seat and go sit next to her.

You barely know each other, but she's your only hope of remaining sane and occupied.

"Hi," you greet, looking into her eyes.

"Hi," she copies, a tiny smile forming on her lips when she notices your impressed expression upon gazing down at her paper. You have to hand it to her -- she's really talented.

"You're really good," you compliment, still admiring the artistry. Seeing as how you're looking down, you fail to notice the blush that works its way to her cheeks. Coming from you, the simple remark meant a lot to her.

You spend the rest of the day making small talk and getting used to one another, leaving detention later with the hopes of sitting together again.

----

The Next Day

"Hi again," you whisper, glancing over your shoulder to ensure that the coast is clear. The monitor is out like a light, with his mouth hanging open and an obnoxiously loud snore coming out.

"Hi," she giggles, watching as you dive into the floor for cover when the man shifts in his sleep. You thought he was waking up, and if he finds out you moved seats, he'll definitely have something to say about it.

"The coast is clear, cadet," she nods like a soldier, assuring you that it's okay to move back after a minute.

"That was close," you breathe out in relief, glad to live to see another day.

You share a laugh, though it has to be hidden behind your hands and kept a minimum. It's cute though -- like a little secret between the two of you, only for you to know.

"What're you drawing today?" You ask later, laying your chin in your palm as you gaze down at her work. Her reply comes out stuttered at first when she feels your leg innocently brush against hers under the table.

"D-dalgom. My friend's dog." She manages out, mentally smacking herself for looking like a fool.

You smile, thinking she's adorable. "I bet it'll be great," you encourage. She grins back as her eyes scan over your face, committing the memory of you to heart. She's always had a thing for you, ever since the time you were paired up in Biology last semester, so she's been enjoying detention more than she thought she would. Seeing you makes the time go by faster, though ironically, she wishes it would slow down a bit.

You make her feel appreciated for more than just what she's capable of producing, and the divide between you and her friend group is blaringly obvious. They like her because of the rush she can help them achieve; you like her because of her.

That thought persists in her mind for the rest of detention, and before she knows it, the monitor is releasing you again. She bends down to put her notebook in her bag when a thought pops into her mind: she wants to ask if you want to go to the park with her. When she's done zipping her bag up, she looks back up at you, only to find you on your phone, talking to someone.

"Yeah, mom. I'll stop by on the way home. So milk, cereal, ramen, and paper towels, right?"

She watches as you wait for a reply, tucking the phone into the crook of your neck as you move to write the list down on a spare piece of paper.

"Alright, love you, too. See you later." You hang up before looking back at Rosie. She looks a little down, and you have no idea why.

You pause for a moment, silently psyching yourself up for what you're about to ask. "This is gonna sound really strange, but do you want to come with me to the store?"

Her heart's pace increases at that, happy to know that you want to spend more time with her, just as she does with you.

"Actually, yeah. That sounds like fun."

You grin at her before spinning around and doing a little celebratory dance, which wins you a strange look from the monitor. You stick your tongue out at him before grabbing her hand and rushing out of the room, hearing his disapproval shouted after you.

--

"Milk?"

"Check."

"Ramen?"

"Check."

"Cereal?"

"Nope."

You nod at her words, now reminded of what you were forgetting. You push the buggy towards the aisle of cereals, gazing around in wonder at the huge selection. Rosé is just the same, eyeing all of the options like a kid in a candy store. After grabbing your mom's favorite kind, you decide on one for yourself and bring it back to the cart. Rosie scoots her leg over, making room for them beside where she sits, reclined in the cart.

You grin when you see her eyeing a box of fruit loops. Huh; fruity. Go figure.

You wordlessly grab the box and hand it to her, feeling your heart melt when she looks up at you like you hold the key to the universe.

"Thank you, Y/N."

"No problem, Rosie." You say, putting your hands on the bar as you begin pushing the buggy again. "Now, I say we see how long it takes to get to the paper towel aisle. My last record was 30 seconds."

She looks at you, clearly impressed, with her eyebrows raised. Without question, she pulls her phone out and gets the stop watch feature ready to go.

"3...2...1... GO!" She shouts, commanding your legs to start pumping as you race down the long strip of store before you. A couple kids dart out of the way just before getting smacked into, quickly turning around and cheering you on as you charge forward.

Her giggles fill the air as you drift around a corner, shouting apologies to the lady you almost bumped into.

"Sorry ma'am!"

A few seconds later, chest heaving and legs sore, you come to a stop in the aisle, dramatically collapsing in a heap next to the buggy. Rosé checks her phone as she reaches down to poke you.

"22.18 seconds, champ," she declares victoriously, smiling when you magically regain enough energy to stand up and celebrate.

"Woohoo! Team Y/S/N (Your Ship Name) for the win!"

She laughs along at that, joining in on your celebration, but she's blushing like crazy on the inside.

-----

The Last Day Of Detention

Ever since your trip to the store, you and Rosé have grown closer and closer. You traded numbers and text occasionally, though nothing beats having her all to yourself for 2 hours straight with no distractions. She feels the same; when she's in class, she can't wait for the bell to ring and signal your reunion. Part of her wants to get in trouble again, just to see you more often.

So, as you'd expect, it's really no surprise that you're sat right in front of her again, telling jokes and asking about her day. You've grown a bit more bold with every step closer you've taken towards her heart, and now you reach down to intertwine your fingers with hers.

She happily accepts, even bringing your hand up to her lips to press a kiss to the back of it. She smiles against your skin after it, making butterflies take flight in your stomach. She's got you wrapped around her finger, and you don't even try to fight it anymore.

The sound of the classroom door opening alerts you, making her lower your hand. She doesn't let go of you, though, and that fact warms your heart for some reason. The squeaky hinges groan out again as the door opens wider, revealing about 4 or 5 people from the friend group that she hangs out with. They motion for her to sneak out with them, but she just shakes her head.

"Come on, Rosé!" They whisper-scream, offering her a way to freedom. Little do they know that she'd take this imprisonment over freedom any day, so long as you're by her side.

"No! Get out before he wakes up!" She whisper-shouts back, eventually convincing them to leave.

"Why didn't you go?" You ask once they're gone, toying with her fingers as your hands rest on the desk.

"Because I like spending time with you." She admits, letting her defenses down.

"I was hoping you'd say that," you smile, letting her know that you feel the same.

The Fallout

After detention, the two of you walked out of the school, hand in hand

"Would you maybe, I don't know... wanna go to the park with me?" She asks nervously, glancing up at you.

"You read my mind, Rosie." You smile at each other and head towards the parking lot.

You started hanging out more, and she distanced herself from her old crowd

You encouraged her to enroll in your school's art program and show her work that way

"You're really talented; it deserves to be seen."

Your support meant the world to her, and she never failed to let you know

"Thank you, Y/N. Having you behind me means the world to me."

At one of her art shows, where she was tasked with unveiling a new piece that she'd been working on for months, you got the biggest surprise of your life.

She created a mural of you, all decked out with every color of the rainbow, utterly gorgeous

She lit up when she saw your reaction

"This piece is titled 'Mine', which I hope the girl in it will soon be." She says into the microphone, looking at you with hope shining in her eyes.

You nod your head with a smile and walk up to her, pressing your lips to hers in a kiss that was long-overdue. She wraps her arms around your waist, pulling you in closer with her sweater-padded hands and kissing you again and again.

The crowd claps for you, happy to see such an ending.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Lisa

I couldn't choose between these two gifs so enjoy both for the price of one ^^^

Lisa Manoban: Cocky, smug, and self-assured. The dancer knew she was hot shit, and she wasn't afraid to show off.

You're all for people being confident and happy with themselves, especially when they're talented, but something about Lisa always seemed to rub you the wrong way.

Whether it be her lack of a filter or the arrogant swagger that she naturally exuded, you weren't sure. People wanted to either be her or be with her, but you fell into neither of those categories.

She always left you frustrated in one way or another, whether it be from her teasing or her witty comebacks

The teachers loved her, as did the students. She was the class clown, so her position was pretty sacred in the grand scheme of things

You, on the other hand, irritated her for other reasons. You were the only person she couldn't get to crack; you never gave into her charms, and it infuriated her to no end. She wasn't used to not getting what she wanted (as childish as that may seem) and having you, one of the most attractive girls at school, turn her down? Well that was a massive blow to her ego.

You weren't afraid to say your piece, and that both pleasantly surprised and upset her.

She constantly tried to flirt with you in class, but you knew it was all for the attention. She just wanted to make her friends laugh, which they always did.

"Y/N, come here babe. There's an empty seat next to me," she coos, batting her eyelashes as you walk in the door. It's a free day, so everyone is sitting with their friends, wherever they like.

"I'm good," you decline, deciding to sit against the wall beneath the large window of the classroom.

"Oooo, denied," Lisa's friends laugh at her this time, chuckling harder when she sticks her middle finger up at them.

"Yah, shut up," she says, nursing her bruised ego as she turns around and opens her phone.

You smile as you continue working on the homework you cracked open, scribbling an answer down onto the notebook paper in front of you. Your fingers glide over your textbook in search of the definition of the term you're on, and Lisa secretly watches from afar. Without realizing it, she grins when you light up upon spotting the answer.

Sometimes her flirting does work, though, and you turn into a blushing mess

*whistle* "Damn, Y/N. You're looking fine today," she exclaims, fanning herself. You worry that she doesn't really mean it, but when her eyes remain on you a second too long to just be friendly, you blush. She's taking in all of you, looking impressed all the while.

"Right back at you, Manoban." You wink, sitting down in your seat across the room. She lightly blushes back, though she does a good job of concealing it.

Considering you share a couple classes and the class sizes are relatively small, it was pretty likely that you'd end up paired together eventually

You weren't happy about it, especially not after the way she had acted that week. Her cockiness had been at an all time high as of late, leaving you frustrated and upset. She was so full of herself; all you wanted to do was wipe that stupid smirk off her face.

"Y/N, you'll be paired with Lisa," your photography teacher informs, pushing her glasses up higher on the bridge of her nose.

"But Mrs. Ta--"

"Pairings are final," she cocks her head at you, persuading you to give in. With a sigh, you respond, "Yes ma'am," and attempt to ignore the sound of Lisa's friends high fiving each other in celebration.

The Turning Point

"My parents are gone for the rest of the week..." she says, holding the door open for you as you carry in your equipment. A hint of suggestiveness lies in it; she's alluding to exactly what you think she is, and you push her shoulder upon realizing it.

"Knock it off, Manoban."

"Okay, okay," she chuckles, listening to you for once. The surprise is clear on your face.

She leads you towards the backyard, where you set up one of your highest power cameras and turn it on. You have to create a gallery of different photos, all under the same theme. You both agreed to do a time-lapse of the sunset, and take pictures of the stars after.

Once she makes sure that the timer is set correctly and that the auto shut-off feature is enabled, she motions for you to follow her back into the house. You do, and she leads you into the kitchen.

"Do you want a snack?"

"Sure, do you have any ramen?"

She nods, quickly busying herself by bending down and searching through the cabinets. After she finds it, exclaiming a pleased, "Aha!", she tells you to go get comfortable in the living room.

Three minutes later, from your place on the couch, you begin to smell something burning. You scramble up and rush to the kitchen, only to find Lisa running around like a headless chicken, attempting to put out the small fire she started.

"HOW THE HELL DID YOU MANAGE TO BURN RAMEN?" You shout, though your tone isn't angry. You're just very shocked, and loud about it. You push her away from the pot, albeit gently, and get the flames to go down relatively quickly. You turn the burners off and put the pot in the sink, leaning against the counter to recover from the adrenaline rush.

"Oops?" She asks more so that says, with a growing smile evident in her voice.

You shake your head and chuckle despite yourself, turning around to face her. "You can order a pizza now to make up for that." You point a finger at her, grinning stupidly when she presses the tip of hers to it.

"Your wish is my command, princess."

Thankfully you're already walking away as she says that, so she doesn't get the satisfaction of seeing you blush.

---

"Lisa, I can't keep going." You groan out, sweat dripping down your face. The pizza you ate earlier is giving you a stomache ache, paired with the physical activity you're doing.

"Y/N, just a little longer, we're almost there," she huffs out, keeping her movements steady somehow. You're a mess by now, so you don't understand how she's still going.

A couple minutes later, the TV in front of you lights up, saying, "Awesome moves! You win!" as you collapse to the ground in a heap.

Why you agreed to play Just Dance with her after eating is beyond you.

"Good job," she compliments, grabbing your hand to high five herself with it.

"Yeah, yeah," you roll over, catching your breath.

She lays down beside you as you recover, telling jokes to hear that laugh that she loves so much. She prefers yours over anyone elses, so it's always such a reward when she gets you to crack up.

"We should probably head up now," she notes, realizing that the stars will be coming out soon. You agree, and she carefully helps you up.

"Here, I'll carry you," she turns, bending down so you can get on her back.

"Lisa, you can't carry me," you brush off, feeling insecurity bubble up again like it always does when you're offered a piggyback ride.

"Y/N, I promise that I can. Trust me," she reassures, looking into your eyes sincerely.

"Alright," you sigh, standing onto the couch to get on easier.

"See?" She asks, sliding her warm hands up your thighs to keep you secured against her. "I've got you, babe."

You tuck your head into the space between her shoulder and neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume.

"I'm gonna punch you if you drop me," you whisper, feeling her laugh against you.

"Fair enough."

-----

Later, On The Rooftop

"Careful," she instructs, outstretching a hand to help you climb out the window. Her camera hangs around her neck, and she takes the cap off of the lense once you're both safely sitting on the roof.

"Wow," you sigh, gazing up at the sky in wonder. Her house is far enough away from the city that you're rewarded with a gorgeous view of the stars, unburdened by the industrial fog that hangs over the cosmopolis.

"It's beautiful out here," you say, looking back at her. You tense up a bit, not expecting her to already be looking at you.

"Sorry," she laughs at herself, looking away once she gets caught admiring you.

"It's okay," you reach down and gently squeeze her hand, making her blush lightly.

"Let's get started," you conclude, pointing at the camera. She nods, knowing that she'd never get the assignment done if you didn't step in to tell her to (considering she'd rather admire you), and she points the device to the sky.

After snapping a few pictures, she lays back in order to get a better vantage point of one of the star systems. She hands it to you after she's satisfied with her work, and you take your turn with it.

She notices that you keep brushing your hair out of the way when it falls in your face, so she decides to help you.

"Here," she says, saddling up behind you. She gathers your hair up, running her fingers through it to neatly pull it up for you. Thankfully she always keeps a spare tie on her wrist.

"Thanks," you smile, snapping another picture. The simple act warms your heart; she's being selfless for once, and helping you without even being asked. It's a refreshing change of pace.

"You're welcome." She chirps, sitting back down beside you.

-----

Later, In Her Bedroom

"Oh, I really like that one!" She says excitedly, pointing at the TV. Her phone, which is connected via Bluetooth and automatically receives pictures of her choosing from the camera, is displaying some of your best shots.

"Yeah, you did really well with that. I think we might beat everyone else if we use that as our cover piece."

Your compliment makes her momentarily shy, and she quickly realizes how much she loves your praise.

The two of you continue like that, reviewing the different pictures and choosing your favorites. She always finds ways to compliment yours, noting your technique or the filter you used, and it always makes you smile. She's different than you're used to, and it's throwing you for a loop, pleasantly surprising.

---

Lisa steps out of the room to go to the bathroom a few minutes later, leaving her phone connected to the TV. A ding sounds out across the space, pulling your attention away from the stack of notes laid out before you. Your eyes dart up to the screen, reading the text message that appeared at the top of it.

Austin ⛓: "Dude, did you get into her pants yet? We're literally betting over here 😂"

You blink a few times as their words sink in, making your chest hurt. You were really beginning to believe that you had been wrong about Lisa; clearly, though, your instincts were right.

Feeling betrayed, you shove your folders back into your bag and stand from the chair, willing yourself not to cry. The sound of the sink turning on lets you know that she's almost done, so you hurry your movements and make your way towards the door. She steps out into the hall just as you exit her room, looking at you with wide eyes.

"Woah, woah, woah, what's going on?" She asks with furrowed brows, approaching you. One of her hands lands on your arm, and you shrug it off as you brush past her without another word.

"Y/N, did I do something wrong?" She asks from the top of her staircase, watching as you walk towards her foyer.

"Why don't you ask Austin?" You bitterly call over your shoulder as you turn the knob, slipping out the front door. She hangs her head upon registering your words, realizing what must've happened. She makes a mental note to give him hell when she sees him again.

Tears sting your eyes as you exit the house, wrapping your jacket tighter around yourself. You should've known something like this would happen. The chilly night air bites at your skin, stealing more of its warmth away with every step you take. The temperature doesn't change your mind, though; you're upset, and you'd rather freeze out here than be face to face with her right now.

"Y/N, wait!" She calls after you, blasting out the front foor. Her footfalls sound off behind you, announcing her rapid approach, but you don't turn around. Realizing this, she darts in front of you, keeping you from walking any further.

"Please, don't go. He's an idiot, Y/N."

"He might he an idiot, but that doesn't take away what he said," you scowl, clenching your jaw. "Betting? Really, Lisa?" You ask quietly, hurt evident in your voice.

"It was a stupid thing they tried to convince me to do. I didn't want to, but I couldn't stop them from talking once you and I were paired up. That's not what I want, though. I'm not just in it for that."

"How am I supposed to believe that? This is your M.O., Lisa."

"It's different with you, I don't know why." That's a lie; she knows exactly why you're different than anyone else she's flirted with in the past.

You stand there before her, silently weighing your options. After seeing the pleading look in her eye, her dark orbs full of sincerity, you relent. "Just take me home. We'll work on it another day," you compromise, allowing her in just enough to take you home, but not enough to stay at her place any longer. You're still weary after a text like that, and you will be for a while.

"Thank you," she breaths a sigh of relief, clasping her hands behind herself as you begin walking back to her house. She notices you shiver on the way, and she slips her jacket off without hesitation to cover you. Neither of you have to say anything; one glance from you is enough for her, and she's content knowing you're warm.

The Fallout

From there on out she was always honest with you and actually spoke out when her friends tried to do something stupid

She still remained the charming class clown that she naturally is, just getting rid of the not-so-nice parts of herself

You slowly let her regain your trust, little by little

She did nice things for you on the daily, whether it be holding the door, carrying your books, or offering to buy you some lunch

"Morning, Y/N. Wanna grab some breakfast?" She asks, moving her head to the side towards the café at the center of campus.

"Sure," you smile, laughing when she celebrates.

She invites you to her dance perfomances

When she goes to championships, you're always first on her list of invites

"I want you there." She declares, handing you the flyer.

"You've got it," you decide, knowing there's no where you'd rather be. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

At said championship, she won the highest title and claimed victory for your school

You joined the rest of the team on the stage to celebrate, congratulating the solo dancer on her achievement.

"I'm so proud of you, Lis--"

She suddenly kisses you, clearly high off her win. She pulls back when she realizes what she just did, a worried look on her face.

"Shit, I'm sorry." She looks between your eyes, attempting to gauge your reaction.

"Get your ass back here," you order, feeling butterflies take flight when she eagerly presses her lips to yours again, wrapping her arms around you to spin you.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" She mumbles against your lips.

You squint, pretending to think about it. "Maybe... or maybe not."

Her subsequent gasp is quickly muffled by your kiss, which she can't seem to get enough of.

[rainplaysswtor]

SWTOR: New Player Combat/Survival Tips

If you're familiar with SWTOR, these are things you probably know backward and forward. Think back, though: when you first downloaded and started playing, were they all so obvious - particularly if you didn't play similar games/MMOs before? Here are ten things I wish I'd known when I started playing SWTOR. If you're a newbie, hopefully they will help you too. 1. Take a picture of your abilities bar. 

There are several bugs in various areas that will inadvertently unlock your abilities bar, sending your carefully arranged abilities scattering in all directions. You may accidentally unlock the bar yourself, or forget to lock it again after adjusting something. 

Take a photo of your characters' abilty bars. Use the screenshot function in the game. Use CTRL+Print Screen on a PC. Take a photo of the screen with your phone. Whatever works. That way, if a character's abilities go floating, you will have a reference guide to put everything back in its proper place. 

2. Kill the healers first. 

In a lot of fights, there will be medics or other NPCs who heal their colleagues as you're fighting. Needless to say this can complicate your fights. 

Sometimes the medics really will have nameplates that say 'medic.' Other times they won't. You have to learn to pick them out of the crowd. They usually hang toward the back of the mob, as opposed to the other NPCs who will charge at you. They are also often weaker and don't have gold or silver tags. You may spot them fiddling with a scanner device in their hand or casting Force healing toward whoever you're fighting. Look at what your own healer companions do, and learn to recognize it - and then take out the healers first. 

3. Learn what your interrupts are. 

Every character is given at least one 'interrupt.' This is an ability that, as the name would suggest, can interrupt a cast or an action being taken by an enemy NPC. If you use this skill, you stop the enemy from doing whatever it is trying to do to you. 

How do you find out what your interrupt skill is? Click P. Now click on the first entry, and scroll down the list to browse your abilities. Click the second and do the same. If you mouse over each ability, you will get a text box that tells you what they do. 

Every class and advanced class has their own interrupt(s), and the icons often have different meanings with different classes - so do read the descriptions.

Once you have found your interrupt, make sure it's on your ability bar. How? Unlock your ability bar with the small padlock on the left. Put your cursor over the skill you want (you can only do this with abilities that are NOT marked as "passive"). Put the skill on the ability bar. Lock it by clicking the padlock again. 

I tend to keep my interrupts and stun breakers on the far right side of the bar so I always know where they are immediately. 

4. Learn what your stun breakers/cleanses are. 

Every character also has at least one 'stun breaker.' This is an ability that will break a hold that an enemy NPC has on you or cleanse a negative effect they've given you. you want to know what this is and have it on your abilities bar ready to go. 

How do you find your stun breaker (s)? See above. 

5. Learn what your stuns are. 

As the name would suggest, these are skills that momentarily stun or incapacitate an enemy so they stop fighting you. If you're having trouble in a fight, stunning them for a second can help you take a breather. 

Find them and put them on your ability bar by following the instructions above. 

6. Know if your character has heals, and what they are. 

Some advanced classes, notably Marauders, really don't have any good ways to heal themselves in battle. Others, like Sage and Mercenaries, have a lot of heals for themselves and others. Find them. Add them to your abilities bar. 

For the characters that have a lot of heals, like Sorcerers, Scoundrels and Operatives, I find that it helps to keep them all in one place - in my case, on the left hand abilities side bar. 

7. Use your Heroic Moment. 

Heroic Moment is a special set of abilities you can call upon. You can get eight of them in total. They are awarded when you finish each class story for the first time. They include an orbital strike, a kick, Force lightning, and more. You will also be slowly healed for the entire two minutes the Heroic Moment is active. The abilities will appear in a special bar above your regular abilities bar - use them as you will. 

If you're having trouble in a fight or fighting a boss, do not feel shy about calling on your Heroic Moment. You can only use it once every five minutes. If you have a boss fight coming up, don't feel bad about hanging back for a moment to let it cool down. 

8. Repair your gear whenever you can. 

Your weapons and other gear get damaged as you fight. As it wears down, it's less effective at both offense and defense, and your fights will become more difficult and longer. Repair it whenever you can. You will know if you need to repair your gear if the "repair all" button is lit up when you are interacting with a vendor. Invest in the Legacy repair perks, which allow you to summon a field repair droid. Buy the Legacy perk which places a repair droid on your ship. As you are out and about, remember just about any vendor can repair your gear, not just the ones marked as medical droids.

8. Make friends with at least one companion. 

Your companions can be set to heal, tank or go on the offense (damage). The higher your influence is, the more effective they will be at any role. IMHO it's really worth it to work on getting at least one favored companion to influence level 50. Or as high as you can. 

You can raise your companions' influence by giving them gifts they like, getting approval (or even disapproval) from them in conversations and cut scene choices, and sending them on crew skills missions. There are two Legacy perks - Legacy of Altruism and Legacy of Persuasion - that will raise the amount of influence you get from conversations and gifts. IMHO they are worth buying. 

8. a. Use Presence stims

Let's say you have a required companion for some content - something that annoyingly happens more and more. Let's say your influence with that companion is low. Buy a Command/Presence stim from the nearest medical droid. They're usually pink. These stims raise your presence level so your companion(s) will temporarily be more effective. 

9. Get some datacrons

Datacrons are little magical cubes that you can find here and there on SWTOR's many planets, moons, and even the Fleets. Each datacron will permanently bump up your Mastery, Endurance or Presence stats slightly for all your characters and give you some XP and a lore entry, and those things are always helpful.

If you've read the guides for the datacrons you might be intimidated. It's true that some of them are so hard to get that you may spend hours trying. When I started playing SWTOR I didn't even try to get the datacrons because I was intimidated.

However, some of them are so easy to get that you literally just walk up to them. No jumping, no grouping up, no fancy tricks. Thus even if you do not have the desire to go on an ambitious datacron hunt, do try to get the ones that you can stroll over to or access easily.

10. Change your camera angle. 

If you look at videos of SWTOR gameplay you will notice that people play from a variety of angles. Some are close to their characters, some are not. Different fights and area of the game may call for different angles. Play around and figure out what works best for you. Sometimes the right camera angle can help you see something that's making a fight tough and show you how to resolve it.