#so i mean to gently correct; the idea of confrontation of these two- or more like Moon attacking Tarrows without proper reason- is tasty-

[spotsupstuff]

Anon from the moon argument ask, wasn't intending to phrase it like sparrow deserved it, was trying to highlight how unfair moon was being considering sparrows is just as much a victim as she is, and moon crying was her realizing that, but ur probably right in moon probably not being the only one in the room with sparrows

wording is one hell of a thing, huh jglksdmckldskl yea ya good 👍

i wanna keep the actual happenings of the meeting to myself till i'll be able to illustrate it properly, with enough of context from past happenings, but what i really imagine is that Moon would be rather cold about all of it. i've been playing a little with my take on Moon's characterization and was inspired by an interpretation of the moon in specific belief of being a cold dead rocky thing, yet alive and brimming with life not her own. another inspiration source is Neglected Space by Imogen Heap

the same ideas applies to Looks to the Moon, as a result: tragically putting her in a similar place as Seven Red Suns, almost. emotionally cold and detached from emotion, yet unlike Suns, Moon puts care in still being kind, considerate and loving to her fellow Iterators. these two are supposed to be sort of a commentary on empathy, compassion and sympathy. both end up lacking the ability to be empathic, but that doesn't mean they cannot extend compassion and sympathy if they just put in the effort. Suns does not truly try. Moon again does her best

in the Children of Eo and Wish for Tomorrow groups meeting, Moon wouldn't yell. there wouldn't really be an Argument between her and Tarrows. Tarrows is there to offer her services, falling to her knees- reducing herself into a position of someone lesser, tapping into being perceived as a slave again, all because of guilt that isn't hers- until Boreas picks her up by the arm, that is because he won't stand for one of his family being anything less than himself and he will Never fall to his knees in front of anyone unless physically shoved into the position. Sparrows is equal to him whether she likes it or not basically jdslklkmcklsd

something hot and explosive wouldn't happen, specifically because Tarrows would refuse to put up any fight. Moon's sharp words would be shaped like a lecture. they'd be calm, merciless, because this is a parasite in front of her and she needs to know her place. this isn't a Moon that is an empitome of kindness and sweetness and the mom friend or however is she often viewed, this is a flawed person with bitterness that's been slowly growing and growing over thousands of years. she wouldn't cry, she couldn't. she has to learn before the realization of her faults would be able to hit at all

[romchat]

Story of Kunning Palace Ep. 18: Observing you observing me

When you've always seen yourself as the villain, is it harder to accept kindness or accept that others see kindness within you?

Hands down my favorite parts of Episode 18 were these two back-to-back scenes with You Fangyin, Jiang Xuening, and Xie Wei. For our two deeply scarred leads, the ability to find someone who truly sees them for who they are and what they could be feels unattainable, and yet in this episode they both find that.

The day after being attacked by a delirious Xie Wei, Xuening goes to visit You Fangyin in prison. Feeling guilty about not being able to stop Yan Lin from being exiled, Xuening also expresses guilt about keeping Fangyin in "another prison" to protect her from her family. Like Xie Wei with Yan Lin, she believes her scheming has shackled Fangyin to an even worse fate.

But Fangyin just smiles and gently corrects her, arguing that Xuening has actually made her life better. She also notes that while "death is the end of everyone's life, the process could have thousands of possibilities." The conversation is a good reminder for Xuening that not only is Yan Lin's disastrous fate not locked into place, but also that perhaps Xie Wei's actions, like her own towards Fangyin, might not be as nefarious as she had originally assumed.

I think that's why when Xie Wei confronts her outside the prison, she's angry but it's more from feeling betrayed than anything else.

Side Note #1: This woman though. Xuening literally saw Xie Wei murder a man and almost gets stabbed/strangled herself, but she's more upset that he kept his plan to protect Yan Lin a secret from her. She might idolize and be attracted to Zhang Zhe's virtuousness but she and Xie Wei are two peas in a pod when it comes to embracing the idea that sometimes the ends justify the (bloody) means.

Side Note #2: I love how Xie Wei is wary enough of Xuening's reaction that he keeps his distance but the moment his guard, Qing Feng, starts criticizing her he moves to her side.

Side Note #3: Zhang Linghe's profile is magnificent. That jawline is sharper than the dagger Xie Wei used to kill Gongyi Cheng.

Xie Wei is an excellent people reader, and when she accepts his invitation back to his home, he knows she's angry. So it takes him aback when she extends a bit of kindness despite that.

The beginning of this scene has such lovely subtle acting by Zhang Linghe. Xuening sees Xie Wei struggle with setting down the qin because of his injured hand so she reaches over and gently places it on the table for him. That cautious lift of Xie Wei's head and the wonderous look on his face like he can't believe she'd offer care after witnessing his violence...that broke me. It says so much about his character and the low expectations he has for the people around him to care.

But when it comes to Xuening, Xie Wei doesn't want her to have those same low expectations of him. He tells her not to trust him, that he's not a good person, and yet he

Risked his life to take pills that would treat his delirium enough that he could approach her the morning after he attacked her;

Is willing to risk his revenge plan by explaining parts of his strategy to someone with links to the Ministry of Justice just so that she doesn't turn away from him;

Gets visibly frustrated when she assumes he just wants to shut her up about the murder rather than explain about Yan Li.

And he tucks it away in his heart that she admits to observing him like he observes her. Although his identity is an illusion, it is enough for him that he is an illusion she truly sees and can be kind to.

Look at that boyish smile.

How she is so oblivious about his feelings at this point is beyond me but Minister of Justice and Cheekbones is pretty distracting so I guess I get it.

[obae-me]

I have a suggestion! Simeon and Diavolo talk about Lucifer and how his personality has changed over the millenia.

That’s a cute idea! We don’t see Diavolo and Simeon just on their own much! Let’s go for it! 

_______________

“Have a seat.” Diavolo gestured, waving his hand over the little table Barbatos had set up for them for their casual meeting. Two cups of tea specifically chosen by the butler, some freshly baked sweets and handmade sandwiches. Not usually normal necessities for a meeting, but nothing was ever less than perfect when regards to Barbatos and the Prince. 

With a simple thank you, Simeon bowed his head and seated himself in the empty spot across from Diavolo. Amazing how times had changed. If you would’ve asked the angel eons ago if he could’ve imagined himself sitting and having tea with the enemy, he would’ve assumed it was a joke. Now he could just smile and consider Diavolo a friend. “I appreciate you making time for me to talk.” 

“Of course,” Diavolo beamed, but then his smile waned just a bit. “I hope there are no concerns about the program.” 

Simeon gently shook his head, his brown curls bouncing in front of his eyes. “Nothing of the sort,” he assured. Before he went on to explain why he did want to meet, he picked up his tea cup and took a sip. Delicious as always. Somehow Barbatos knew precisely what he liked. The teacup left his lips and settled into it’s saucer with a soft clink. “Actually, I want to first start off with an apology.” 

Surprised, Diavolo raised an eyebrow. “Why, whatever for?” 

The angel took a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. While his mouth remained a mellow smile, his eyebrows lifted in guilt. “I wanted to apologize for not thanking you sooner and for harboring some reservations towards you and yours.” 

“I see.” Diavolo folded his arms but kept his gaze trained onto the angel. However there was no disappointment or hostility coming from him. “I would honestly be a bit more nervous if you had no skepticism at all. The wounds of war don’t fade. But I have the sense you mean more than just the war.” He was right. The wisdom of the prince was not to be doubted. All Simeon needed was to nod once more for Diavolo to figure him out. “This is about Lucifer, isn’t it?” 

“Correct on both accounts.” Simeon leaned back in his seat and crossed his legs, his hands settling over his lap. “While I am considered under Michael’s order, I did volunteer to attend. I had concerns. The Lucifer I used to know and the Lucifer that I’ve gotten to know are very different people.” 

“And you believed I had a hand in that?” 

Simeon’s gaze wandered a bit across the table before meeting the prince’s again. “Yes.” While not wanting to jump to conclusions, when you’ve been raised in a certain ideology, it’s hard to ignore. He didn’t want to believe that Lucifer was unhappy, changed against his own will, which is why he came down to ascertain the situation himself. “Although I know now that I was blinded by my own personal biases,” he stated honestly, thinking over old memories with a look to the starry Devildom sky. “I used to remember him to be a bit more careful and curious. So when confronted by this stern sarcastic personality, I was--like I mentioned--concerned, and for that I apologize. Yes, he has changed, but it is clear to me now that he has simply grown. He speaks his mind for now because he is free too and doesn’t have to fear for it. He finds his own dark humor in his sarcasm. And he perhaps simply isn’t as curious anymore because while being here he has learned so much. So for that, I thank you...and I thank you for caring for him and watching over him where we could not.” 

While clever, the prince did seem a bit shocked to hear such grateful words so suddenly. He quickly glowed with pride. “He has turned into quite the amazing demon, hasn’t he?” 

Simeon chuckled. “Precisely.” Despite the Demon of Pride’s scowling and seriousness, Simeon knows that underneath it all, down here he is truly happy. “I’m glad to get the chance to know him all over again.” 

[sablesoulfoolery]

Thanks to @pinkniz for the idea, enjoy :3

It was odd, this tiny sweet smell in their home. Y/n wasn't a full on baker but yet...everything around them had that hint of sweetness, beyond any treats he could accurately pinpoint. It has been happening for three days now, and Drew was convinced maybe it was just some extra visits to the nearby café.

He was a little shy to ask you upfront, since he was afraid you'd find it creepy or possessive that he'd want to know so much about where you've been. Not really knowing how to confront that subject, he put it aside; maybe it was just a mere café visit.

A few more days has passed and the scent was a little stronger, remaining just as sweet and always intertwined with Y/N's scent. His ears twitched and wiggled in thought as this wasn't some mere café scent. So what could it really be? He sighed in mild frustration as his mind drew a blank before a thought came up in his head, causing him to murmur out a single word.

"Pregnant?..."

"What was that, love?"

Drew jolted in his seat before turning to look at you, who just arrived back home with two little pastry boxes in your hand. Noticing your mildly confused expression he smiled softly and eased back against the couch, looking at you still.

"Y/n... Do you think there is a chance you could be pregnant?"

"What- No... I mean-I don't think I would be. I mean I have yet to get my monthly and I still take birth control... I-Why are you asking?"

"You don't smell it?"

"Smell what?"

"There's a sweet scent mixed with you no matter what you're wearing."

"Well you're an esper with a literal canine head. I'm not. Maybe you're just smelling the new lotion I have on."

"Ah...I see."

He definitely knew it wasn't the lotion; But since you were sure you weren't pregnant, he didn't question it any further. Turning his head back to look at the coffee table his ears were twitching again as these thoughts boggled his mind. His thoughts were then cut off as one small pastry box was slid in front of him, with you sitting down next to him while holding another box in your hand. Drew couldn't help the smile on his face when he caught the scent of mousse cake inside his box, looking over at you as you spoke.

"We'll find out if I'm pregnant in a week or so, that's usually when it comes around."

You leaned against Drew while enjoying your own favorite treat, a gentle smile on your face as your voice remained tender and loving.

"Until then, don't worry about it. Okay?"

He sighed softly, the mild tension in his shoulders easing as he gently leaned his head on you and simply enjoyed the moment; the warmth of your presence being enough to wipe away the thoughts for now.

"Alright, I will."

Almost a full week has passed since then and while at work in the Union headquarters he caught the scent again- this time mixed in with a scent of a different woman as it was a citizen chatting with Brynn, the citizen's stomach being bulged out by pregnancy and in that moment Drew settled down on the lounge sofa with full pride; his eyes bright and his ears wiggling a little jig as he was sure he was correct.

Once he was home, he was quick to embrace you in a warm hug; smiling happily as you were confused for a few moments, looking up at him in mild curiosity as to why he was a little overly affectionate.

"Drew???"

"You're pregnant. I know it."

"I thought we were over that- there's no way."

"Visit a doctor and prove me wrong."

Seeing his smugly determined look you huffed lightly before laughing a little and kissing his cheek. It was impossible to be upset, he was being really cute when he was this happy.

"Alright! I'll see a doctor."

His theory was proven correct days later as you were handed a pamphlet with loads of information relating to pregnancy by the doctor, who went on about the risks and extra measures of it. But none of that compared to the elated wiggling of Drew's ears as he couldn't help the smug smile on his muzzle.

As you both came out from the clinic he didn't hesitate to hold you in an embrace, kissing your head softly. Moments of silence followed as you settled in his embrace, afterwards broken by one sentence.

"Told you so."

[vriah]

It’s interesting that the three errant dreams Morpheus needs to track down in the second half of the season are identified as part of the Major Arcana, a title that is heavily associated with tarot. The Major Arcana is often meant to represent our journeys throughout life, to tell a story. And the way that Morpheus interacts with these three dreams, and what they represent to him, also mirrors the most basic tarot spread - three cards: what was, what is, and what will be. The past, the present, and the future.

The Past

Gault’s representation as the Past is conveyed through both Gault's desire to change and Morpheus’ rejection to it. She wants to be a dream instead of a nightmare. But it’s not a narrative accident that she is a nightmare. “A Nightmare’s purpose is to reveal a dreamer’s fears, that they may face them.” Morpheus is being forced to face both his fear of change and his fear of abandonment in this conversation. It hurts that nearly everyone left the Dreaming. It hurts to acknowledge that his own actions in the past have inspired fear rather than loyalty. He rejects his own capacity to change, and he reacts to Gault’s dreams in the same way that he reacts to Hob’s friendship - with fear and anger.

He rejects, and punishes (though obviously to much different degrees), both Hob and Gault for their desires because to accept them would be to admit to his own desires.

(As an aside, I haven’t read the comics yet, but I have stumbled into some spoilers - knowing the very little I know about major events at the end of the comic series, I wonder how much Gault’s words, “I had no wish to rule. I merely wished to be a Dream and not a Nightmare,” are also a reflection of Morpheus’ desires.)

The Present

Fiddler’s Green is a reflection of Morpheus’ desire to experience humanity, and it’s interesting the little tidbits we get throughout the arc that tells us what that means. 

The first is, of course, Hob: the only thing Morpheus wants from Hob is to know about his experiences, what kind of life he chooses to live when there’s no longer the limitation of death.

The library in the Dreaming has every story ever written or that will be written, Dream is the Prince of Stories. How are we introduced to Gilbert? He got caught up in a book.

Gilbert is the embodiment of compassion and a sense of adventure - Morpheus calls him the heart of the Dreaming, and Gilbert gently corrects him. He has the braincell self-awareness to understand that Morpheus himself is the heart of the Dreaming, that all of the Dreams and Nightmares are a reflection of some part of him.

“When a human is at the center of the Dreaming, is it not to remind us that we exist because humans dream? Not the other way around? The miracle of humanity itself should always be more vivid to us than any marvels of power.” How soon was Unity born after Dream walked out on Hob? I’m sure it was a decade or two later, but still. Your repression is literally causing cosmic natural disasters, Dream.

The way this arc starts with Death sharing the love she has for humanity with Dream and pushing him towards Hob bookended with Gilbert’s compassion for Rose and humanity in general and his theory about the Vortex. Dream: “I have no idea what you’re trying to tell me.”

The Future

The confrontation between Morpheus and the Corinthian - *chef's kiss*. There were so many double meanings in EVERYTHING they said to each other.

“You were my masterpiece. A dark mirror made to reflect everything humanity will not confront.” A dark mirror of everything YOU won’t confront either, MORPHEUS.

“I contain the entire collective unconscious. Without my rules, it would consume me. Humanity would be consumed.” You made this guy with THREE MOUTHS, Dream. The dichotomy of both wanting a taste of what humanity has to offer vs. your fear of being consumed by it. Will you please go to therapy.

“Next time I make you, you will not be so flawed, and petty, little Dream.” I see you, foreshadowing! I see you.

Renew the show so Tom Sturridge can make me ugly cry, Netflix.

Also, going through Dream’s confrontations with his own creations made it blindingly obvious why Desire is the Greater Scope Villain of this arc. Dream heavily rejects pretty much every single thing he could possibly want in these episodes - and gets real petty when he’s actually confronted about it. I can’t imagine how violently repressing your own wants and needs might affect your relationship with your sibling who is literally Desire. It couldn’t possibly have any negative repercussions at all, I’m sure.

[missnight0wl]

I recently finished the chapter with Burke and MC's confrontation and it's so odd in a way that makes me think. 🤔

Healer Burke: If you... if you'd only try to understand. MC: Understand what? What are you talking about? Healer Burke: Understand 'R'. You'd see what we're trying to do, and you'd come home to us.

What did he mean by 'come home to us'? Why specitically make it italic and not bold?

We find out MC's father is a part of R later, but quotes make it clear he wasn't active in MC's upbringing. Memories are far and few between. So if Burke is trying to say Peregrine is MC's 'home', well, that's just not correct based on what we are told.

But what if, once upon a time, it was the case?

This is where this becomes a cross of fiction and speculation:

Both of MC's parents were in R. Peregrine wasn't the leader yet, but still a high-ranking member. Both MC and Jacob were born into R, and grew up within its headquarters, among its members. At some point, the leadership noticed the kids' immense power and decided to groom them into becoming the future leaders. MC was especially favoured because they were the stronger of two.

MC's mother, by that point, had grown jaded to the group's goals, but them trying to use her children and Peregrine letting them was the last straw. Around this time, the First Wizarding War was in full swing, so she took advantage of the chaos to take her children and run away, deciding to raise them in utter secrecy (thus explaining the strict rules MC talked about and why they were ignorant of many daily aspects of wizard life).

She decided to erase some parts of MC's memories since they were young enough that their mind was more mallable (they would be : she created the currect narrative of memories MC talks to Peregrine about. Jacob was too old for his memories to be tampered with safely, but he agreed to keeping their past a secret from MC.

At this point, I don't know how to continue because of Jacob's character.

His pre-appearance history makes me think he was completely blackmailed into helping R and at some point, they kidnapped him and replaced him with Fauxcob.

His post-appearance history makes me think he was a willing accomplice from the start and he is working with Peregrine to lure MC into their folds, however successful their efforts are.

Anyway, this is what I imagine Healer Burke to mean. That once upon a time, R was MC's home, their family, and they should realize it and come back to them. If only they would stop and think why they are so adamant on trying to lure MC toward them willingly, when they could have kidnapped and brainwashed them from the start! Why they are being treated so gently and preciously (by their scales) compared to the horrors they could have been subjected to! But MC is adamant on not using their braincells, much to their despair.

This is a very interesting idea and I really like it. I do have some remarks, but I definitely feel you might be onto something.

Alright, so, first and foremost, I believe that Burke meant rather a metaphorical home. I actually discussed this scene in the past, for example here (much shorter version) or here (much longer version). And while I still think that it’d make more sense if Burke didn’t belong to R but to a different group, I assume it is all about the siblings’ connection to the Cursed Vaults.

(Also, just to be clear: I don’t hope that JC will explain the Cursed Vaults properly, but I imagine they’re still taking from the original source.)

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to dismiss your idea entirely. In fact, I think your proposition could totally coexist with my take on it. But I do believe that this connection has to be included. I mean, it’d make a lot of sense from the storytelling point of view, in my opinion. And on top of that, we actually have some clues for this claim within the game. The Vault of Fear showed it the best, probably. Like, notice that MC entered the vault with their companions, yet it was just them who was influenced by the boss Boggart.

Why? Maybe because the vault recognised that MC is the only one who matters. Then, there’s also Snape’s mysterious line from the scene before we learnt about our Legilimency:

Of course, Rakepick might’ve chosen them simply because they’re both born Legilimenses, but I don’t know… I always felt there’s more to that.

Moreover, if there is indeed some magical aspect to all of that (like a prophecy or something), it’d explain nicely why R insists that MC will be their leader, and Verucca even straight up talks about “destiny”:

Another thing: I mentioned in one of my fairly recent posts  a possibility that Peregrine chose the Mother based on a prophecy or something like that. And we learnt in Y7Ch43 that he was apparently always interested in legends and whatnot:

So… who’s to say that that’s not how he discovered the Mother and her lineage? That he chose her indeed because of that? And maybe then, he convinced her that they both should join R? Of course, she wouldn’t know what’s really going on at first. The rest could go pretty much as you described it.

Honestly, I was never too bothered by the Mother being strict with magic outside the school etc. Because technically, it is not allowed, and I actually can imagine people like Percy Weasley, for example, being serious about it. I also read once the suggestion that the siblings might simply live in a Muggle neighbourhood, so being strict about not using magic would be pretty understandable here. But if it was actually about hiding, and from someone from the wizarding world… I could totally get behind this idea.

By the way, I just had a very random thought, which is not really related to all of this, but also kinda is, so I can’t ignore it now: what if the Mother is unable to use magic for some reason? At first, I wanted to say that she might be a Squib, but it wouldn’t work because Peregrine revealed that she was in the same House as him. But what if there was some kind of an accident later on? Possibly involving Peregrine and/or R? 

Why I’m thinking about it? Because it could be an additional explanation for her strict rules. I mean, if Jacob or MC destroyed something and they wouldn’t be able to repair it yet (because they’re still children), that’s it: they have a broken thing. She would be restricted in helping them if they were in a dangerous situation related to magic. It could even give more meaning to her decision of leaving MC at Hogwarts, even though she was worried that they might end up missing like Jacob. She knew that her children are potentially very powerful, and she knew that she literally couldn’t teach them to control their power at home. As I said, it’s a spontaneous idea, but I think it’s quite interesting.

Finally, let’s address MC’s memories. I think it’s possible that the Mother modified MC’s memory, however, I don’t think she created memories of Peregrine we see recently. I suspect that it’s Peregrine who’s actively filling those blank spaces.

All of it happens in one scene. I don’t know… Maybe JC repeated these lines simply to fill the screen time. Or maybe it’s not a coincidence at all.

ANYWAY… Yeah. It kind of starts to add up, or at least it could if you put some thought into it. However, I just don’t feel that R in general would be this sentimental about it to talk about “home”. I suppose it’s more about destiny and whatnot. That being said, some members might view it in a more… romanticised way? And Burke might be one of them.

[babyyweebbitch]

Can you make a GC for the RE Boys + Piers and Jake where they try to calm down an angry reader but ended up getting a bloody nose by accident?

😀 yes. I’m so sorry this took a few days. I couldn’t get creative enough in one day for this. I’m so so sorry!

Genre // I have no idea what to call it ; fluff (towards the ends)

TW // angy/stressed reader ; blood ; arguing ; Leon being adorable af

Characters // Leon, Carlos, Jake, Piers

Leon Kennedy

You weren’t really having the best day today. You woke up late which made you late for work, you had so much work to do, two meetings and your boss ended getting mad at you because you didn’t do everything you had to that day

Everything was so shitty you felt like punching a brick wall. On top of that you had to fix the tire on your truck since it popped. Today wasn’t really the day to be fucked with

You got home and threw your bag on the floor, took off your shoes and went to the dining room to sit at the table. You felt so pissed off and tired. You heard the footsteps of your boyfriend coming from you bedroom

“You okay…? You usually never come in like this…” Leon spoke as he placed a hand on your back, you quickly moved his hand away

“Don’t touch me right now…” you responded and Leon looked almost offended. He sat next to you and Leon being Leon he still continued to get you to talk to him about your day

“Honey please… I’ll get you a glass of water maybe some food so you can talk… did you eat your lunch I packed for you?” Pls protect this man at all costs 🥺

“Leon please…. I don’t want to talk about it I’m too tired, im stressed the hell out, Please just go away!” the stress from that day was too much for you to handle and you started to cry from it

Leon hated seeing you this stressed. He knew you didn’t mean any of that it was just the emotions were too much for you to handle right now. He knows exactly how you feel because he gets the same way too. The difference between you and him is you don’t tell him you’re stressed and he hates that “baby….”

Leon went over to you to hug you but you put your hand up thinking it was his shoulder, you pushed him away “Leon please! I-“ you looked up at him and realised it wasn’t his shoulder it was his face you pushed

Leon stood back and wiped his nose before looking at it — He was bleeding… Seeing the blood and knowing you did that made you feel like shit… you started to cry more “I-I’m sorry!”

Leon went to get some tissue and wipe the blood before getting more to plug that nostril. He surprisingly wasn’t mad “don’t be.. I get you’re upset” he washed his hands and went over to hug you. You hugged back

“You’re not mad at me…?”

“I get your upset and I know you didn’t mean it. Look Let’s go get you changed and cleaned up then we can watch a movie” he suggested as he helped you up. This man never got mad with you even if you accidentally hurt him like now. Especially when your emotions explode like that

😡 —————————————— 😡

Carlos Oliveira

It’s been a long and stressful month for you. Umbrella was working you like a dog, making you do all these papers, tasks, one stressful mission

Ontop of all this you weren’t getting as much sleep as you would like. When you got home Carlos was already home since he wasn’t worked as much as you were so he got to go home earlier

You put all your stuff on the floor by the door and stormed to your bedroom, you looked like you were crying the entire drive home mainly cause you were

“Well hello to you to…” Carlos said under his breath as he dried his hands off and turned off the sink water. He was washing the dishes since he was about to make dinner “hey! What’s up with you?” Carlos walked into the room to see you crying on the bed

“Carlos I can’t deal with this job anymore… I honestly fucking can’t anymore. They’ve been working me like a dog, no brakes, nothing!” You said as Carlos went over to you and sighed

“I’m sorry…. I-“

“No you aren’t being if you were you would have noticed by now and said something! Tried to at least help me once” you got up and grabbed a fresh pair of clothes

“Whoa what the hell? I asked you if you needed help like two weeks ago with papers and you said no. I tried to help you but you said you can handle it”

“Carlos…. Please just go away and let me be… I don’t need this right now”

“I — Talk to me please. I wanna help I’m sorry I didn’t…” Carlos walked over and placed his hands on your shoulders as if trying to comfort you

You snapped and pushed him away “Carlos please! I said — oh no…” you finally realised how hard you pushed him because now his nose was bleeding, two drops fell on the floor

Carlos was more shocked that you managed to push him THAT hard he put his hand to his nose and started at you. You just stood there expecting him to be mad at you and like storm out the room or something but he just chuckled “well damn…”

You stood there and stared at him, you felt so bad you looked at your hands as if they were weapons “I-I hurt you…. I’m so sorry please, Carlos!” Your voice shook as you started to cry again

Carlos held his hand on his nose then grabbed yours with his free hand, you flinched at his touch since you were afraid you were gonna hurt him again “I know you didn’t mean it honey… don’t beat yourself up over it. You were pissed and exploded. You see how I get when I’m like that — I just never hit you because I’m not like that. Accidents happen”

Let’s just say you didn’t touch him for like three weeks after that

😡 —————————————— 😡

Jake Muller

Jake was always able to tell when something was wrong with you from a mile away. He knew everything mainly because he was very observant. So when you were pissed he knew.

You’ve been in a pissy mood all day and Jake finally decided to say something about “hey. The hell is up with you? You’ve been mad all day and won’t even give me a kiss”

“I’m fine Jake…”

“It’s your dad again isn’t it? I told you to tell me whenever he —“

“Jake — Didn’t I just say I’m fine?” You turn to look at him. There was no convincing Jake you were fine since he knew

“Well you’re obviously not fucking fine — You wouldn’t be using that tone with me if you were” Jake said as you stood up and he stood up after you. You let out a very annoyed sigh and walked away, Jake being Jake followed behind you “please tell me what’s wrong I don’t like arguing with you. That’s my least favourite thing to do”

You shut the door and Jake wasn’t really paying attention so he continued walking and he ran face first into the door. All you hear is “ah fuck!” From the other side of the door, this made you start laughing a bit before opening the door and looking at Jake — Funny how your mood changed 🧍🏾‍♀️

Jake held his nose and looked at you ���you meant that didn’t you?” He asked before walking to the bathroom to see his nose, it was bleeding but not that much

“Your dumbass didn’t pay attention, that’s kinda your fault but mine at the same time” you chuckled, Jake got some toilet paper and plugged his nose with it before washing his hands “will you tell me what’s wrong now without an attitude?”

You agreed and you eventually told him what was wrong on, you did get mad again because of what happened but Jake ended up calming you down without his nose getting half of that anger like last night 😀

(I just wanted to make this one funnier 😭😭)

😡 —————————————— 😡

Piers Nivans

Just like Jake he was able to tell when you were upset and about to explode at any second but he didn’t want almost all day before asking you. He was the type when he sensed something was off with you he’d automatically confront you. It was kinda scary on how fast he did this too

“Babe… is something bothering you? You’re not acting correct….” Piers asked as you stared at him. You shook your head and piers immediately knew it was bullshit, he grabbed you hand gently “you don’t have to hide this from me you know…”

You pull your hand away and stand up “Piers im fine. Please…” you tell him and he’s not falling for it. Piers is stubborn and won’t stop until he gets an answer. He grabbed your hand and you kinda snapped and pushed him away “Piers! I told you I’m fine. Stop” you told him. Not really raising your voice but it was stern. You didn’t think you pushed him hard but Piers also did get hurt in weird ways even though he was in the BSAA

“Babe….” He said, his voice sounded so hurt and he felt something drip from his nose and looked down to see it was blood. You felt so fucking bad you started crying “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to I got mad!” You pleaded as you backed away, Piers immediately hugged you because he knew he probably pushed it this time, using a free hand to cover his nose so he didn’t get blood on you

“Honey I’m sorry…. I pushed you too much I’m sorry. Also I get bloody noses a lot so this is nothing” Piers was lying about the bloody nose part, he didn’t want you to feel bad

You didn’t touch him for a week after that 🥺

[astaroth1357]

Brothers Finding Out a Lesser Demon with a Crush is “Moving In” on MC

You know, I like to show the good sides of our boys a lot… But how about the ugly for today? Let's let them just being mean, nasty, possessive little demons, huh? 

Full disclaimer: I almost didn’t post this because I received an answer post from @diavolosthots that ended up being distressingly similar to this idea about 3/4th of the way through drafting it. I’m posting it anyway because of the time I’ve already sunk into it but in exchange I will absolutely encourage you to read from @diavolosthots if you aren’t already. They’re a big reason why I’m making content to begin with and I love what they’ve done. Warning: their blog is a LOT less fluffy than mine (they probably wouldn't be into my stuff 😅) and has NSFW content so be prepared for that going in. If that’s not your thing then just give them a pass, cool?

Check out the Masterlist for more!

Warnings: Violence, Bullying, Cyberbullying, Cannibalism(?), Murder, Yandere-ish

This is all for the purposes of fantasy and in no way an endorsement for these behaviors in real life. Be nice (and smart) with your lives, my friends.

Lucifer

Is honestly offended for them.

Don’t they know the caliber of demon MC rubs elbows with every day? Do they honestly think they’d stand a chance? Any one of his brothers would be more deserving than some lesser demon suitor and that even INCLUDES Mammon.

But of course, the real reason they’d stand no chance is because he wants the MC too and he’s not planning on sharing with or losing to someone who isn’t even worthy to be stuck under his boot...

He may lay down some… “discreet” hints for the poor demon to look elsewhere.

Things like advising Diavolo to make some emergency changes to the classes at RAD so they no longer share any class together or watching the demon extra closely for any minute slip up he can flag them for. If he could have them expelled for a dress code violation, he’d do it no sweat.

Okay, "discreet hints…" Flagrant misuses of power… Same difference right?

He may never come right out and say they should leave MC alone (why dignify the guy with such a response?) but if looks could kill then his “competition” would be utterly decimated by now. Especially if he ever catches the two in the same room... Yikes.

Mammon

Oooo buddy, he ain’t happy. He doesn’t even like sharing with his brothers and now some rando wants a piece too?? Nuh-uh. No way.

Takes the more direct approach and just confronts the guy when the MC isn’t around. It's good for the demon that Mammon doesn’t like resorting to violence if he doesn’t have to. Heated words and a threat or two will be exchanged then they can go their separate ways.

That can be the end of it if the guy backs off (as anyone with sense should). But if not…

When he makes a threat, and he’s serious about it, Mammon makes good on them.

He’ll come back to the House one night a little beat up, maybe with a few nicks and scratches. Of course he’ll want the MC to play nurse for him and he’ll be delighted if they accept (even if his tsundere ass won’t say it).

The lesser demon apparently dropped out of RAD the next day. No explanation given. He didn’t even step foot back on the school grounds to do it...

Of course, everyone’s sure there’s no relation between the two. I mean, this is the same Mammon we’re talking about… right...?

Leviathan

It’s a miracle he even found out but now that he knows he’s pissed. He’s not the Avatar of Envy for nothing.

Look, he might be a shut-in and not worth all that much but he’s got to be better than some lesser demon guy! He’s the third born and he has a freaking navy for crying out loud!!

Will likely leave his room for the first time in who knows how long to follow the MC to RAD. Once he’s got a face to the name, that’s all he needs for his hatred to really get going...

He will make this dude’s life a living hell with the best tool a shut-in has, the Internet. 

He’ll dedicate a freaking week to digging up dirt on this bozo then start releasing it out to everywhere he frequents. Not a single sock of that dirty laundry is getting left out. All of his most embarrassing secrets are laid bare for the Devildom to see.

He’d cover his tracks, of course, so nothing can be traced back to him. The MC is probably none-the-wiser to who’s spreading all this hot gossip but his brothers know right away.

Once the dude’s social life and pride are in utter ruin, he’ll invite the MC over for a movie marathon to celebrate! He might even get a little more cuddly than usual... His MC is with him and that’s how it ought to be.

Satan

Pffft… That’s cute. Real cute they think they stand a chance. He’d wish them luck but he also kind of wants to stab them so…

On the one hand, he knows he probably shouldn’t waste his time but on the other he just can’t resist the call to absolute devastation that his inner rage is forcing on him...

His new goal is to utterly undermine the new competition in every way, mental and physical, which means he will take every opportunity he can to demonstrate just how much on another level he is. 

Gets nitpicky and corrects the guy’s every move. If he says something wrong in class, he’ll berate him for it. Make a social faux pas? Well now the whole school is going to know about it.

Doesn’t stop there, though. He will do everything in his power short of throwing the first punch to try and instigate a fight with the him. He knows that if he technically starts it then the punishment will be on him, but the other way around he can say, “Hey, he’s the one who punched Wrath incarnate. What was he expecting would happen?”

Any resulting fight between the two would be a very one-sided bloodbath. He will not hold back at all and stop when he damn well feels like. The guy will be in whatever the Devildom equivalent to a hospital is for weeks...

If the MC tries to ask him about his behavior, he’ll gaslight them and change the subject. He doesn’t really like indulging in the more violent side of himself in his day-to-day life but some things just can’t be helped, can they?

Asmodeus

Honestly not as bothered as the others are. He knows they stand zero chance, so why worry? It’s bad for the skin.

But that doesn’t mean he’s going to sit back and do nothing. Oh no, a zero chance could always become a one, even five percent chance if you’re not careful.

Asmo’s preferred method of ridding competition is like a mixture of Satan and Levi, but Oh. So. Much. Worse.

Lesser demons can be astonishingly easy to charm without them noticing and he is the best charmer of the family. He’s pretty popular to start with but suddenly he’s talking to almost everyone he comes across until, well, he’s got the whole school listening.

From there it’s child’s play. Suddenly, the demon’s friends won’t talk to them. People stare and whisper about them in the hallways, is what they’re saying true? Doesn’t matter. Asmo could feed them anything and they’d believe it.

He’ll make sure they feel isolated, alone, and hated by everyone they speak to and they won’t even know why. Going to RAD at all will be like walking into a prison. Ideally, they’ll just stop going, and then tada! Competition no more.

Of course, he could just charm the competitor to look elsewhere, but then who’s going to be the example to the others? Nobody needs any more “Zero-Chancers” popping up around the MC, right? You’re welcome, sweetie~! 😘

Beelzebub

He’s trying not to be that guy, he really is… but since the MC is involved… Really? You actually think you got a shot there, buddy?

Probably going to be the brother most likely to try and let the guy down gently at first, but make no mistake he will make sure he knows it’s a lost cause.

If the other demon still insists on being a competitor though… Alright.

MC pretty much goes under his “protection” from that point on. If they’re at RAD at all, Beel is not far behind. Not exactly looking outright intimidating but always just…. there.

But if the dude so much as enters a room with them he’ll be sure to stare him down and mention that he’s hungry a little louder and a lot more often.

To the MC that may just be typical Beel, but everyone else there knows Beel has swallowed lesser demons whole in the past. And for a lot less reason than this...

When Beel gets territorial he can be a subtle about it, but terrifying nonetheless.

Belphegor

Would laugh in their face and give zero shits about it. 

Like, even as the weakest sibling he could snap them like a toothpick and that’s not even getting to how they probably know jack all about the MC anyway. What even is this idiot??

Starts pulling some casual “pranks” on the guy to grief him at first. Little things like tripping him up with his tail or taking his things and hiding them in inconvenient places.

The lazy part of him hopes he’ll get the message and back off but that sadistic side really hopes he doesn’t so he’ll never talk to him directly...

When, of course, the dude doesn’t back off because he doesn't know he's supposed to, his pranks start escalating. A textbook in the school pool suddenly becomes an explosive curse put on their backpack. A kind of homicidal passive-aggression, if you will.

By some unholy miracle the guy manages to last a couple days after a barrage of progressively lethal murder attempts pranks, Belphie’s inner laziness and frustration will finally get to him and he’ll cut the passive from his aggression.

Much like with Mammon, everyone finds out that the demon dropped out of school quite suddenly. But he’s also seemed to have gone dark from all his socials and his friends can’t seem to find him anywhere... 

Concerns were raised with Lucifer but he doesn’t seem very enthusiastic about starting an investigation... It’s not the first time he’s covered for his brothers after all. 🙄🤷‍♀️

[raspberryranpo]

Hi! I was wondering if you still take requests? If you do, could you maybe do the BL house realising that their s/o is being manipulated by a friend? I’m having a ✨rough time✨ with my friends right now. Thankyou! :)

realising that their s/o is being manipulated by a friend

fire emblem three houses: blue lions

uh oh. i know this ask was from quite some time ago but i know how you feel ,,,,, as long as you realise you’re being manipulated and that your friend is toxic then you’ll end up perfectly fine!!

DIMITRI

doesn’t pick up on it straight away since he’s not the best at detecting social cues and the like

but when he finally realises that this friend is slowly trying to gain control over your life…. he definitely has something to say about it

gently tries to tell you that you should drop them - if you listen, then he’s happy. if not, then he’s going to have to do something

obviously he doesn’t want you to lose friends, but no true friend would ever act like that around you, and no true friend would ever treat you like you’re lesser than they are. he knows this better than most

DEDUE

realises pretty quickly that this new friend of yours isn’t quite what they make themselves out to be & makes sure to tell you straight away when it’s just the two of you

hopefully you’ll listen to what he has to say because dedue is always very observant, and often when he says something, it always turns out to be correct

if you don’t listen, he’ll very discretely tell your friend to quit their nonsense & be a proper friend

if they don’t listen, then they’ll just have to face the consequences of a very angry boyfriend :)

SYLVAIN

thinks it’s funny that your friend is acting like that when they know that your boyfriend is literally sylvain jose gautier

not that that’s a big flex but he can be scary if he really puts his mind to it

doesn’t even ask you about it first - immediately goes to the friend and makes sure to give them a stern talking to

if they want to hurt his s/o, they’ll have to go through him first

FELIX

overhears ingrid talking about her toxic father when he suddenly realises that your friend is acting somewhat similar, minus the forced marriage part

marches right up to you and your friends there and then and pushes them away from you, standing in front of you like a protective wall

silences any complaints you have with a wave of a hand and threatens to behead the manipulative friends if they continue their behaviour

god help them if they laugh or don’t take him seriously. god help them

ASHE

won’t confront your friends, but will try very desperately to talk you out of being with them

eventually resorts to literally pulling you away from them, making sure to drag you elsewhere whenever you mention going out with them

at some point, if his actions don’t work, and he sees you being practically backed into a corner by them, he’ll have to step in, even if he’s shaking like a chihuahua

tells them in the angriest voice he can muster that they need to leave you alone and realise that what they’re doing is very bad

ashe might not be the most terrifying person, but he’s got scary friends to back him up

MERCEDES

picks up on it surprisingly fast when you start talking about things that you don’t normally talk about, and when she sees you do things you’re not normally comfortable with

she knows immediately that it’s those horrid friends you hang around with, and makes a mental note to have a “nice” conversation with said friends

and you never want to have a “nice” conversation with mercie. ever.

you have no idea how scary she can be, and it seems that neither did they - the next thing you see is them running with their tails in between their legs and a proud looking mercedes

ANNETTE

also makes sure to keep you busy during the times when they come running to you for whatever it is they need - she can’t have you being treated like that

never actually says anything but always sends them a mean glare from across the room, and she also tells dedue and dimitri to do so as well, seeing as though they’re both like 6’5”

but annette can also be very intimidating when she puts her mind to it. the way she threatens to bash them over their head with a barrel makes them laugh but also makes them shiver

she won’t stop talking about her accomplishments if her threats actually manage to make them shove off though

INGRID

isn’t childish enough to outright threaten them, but isn’t petty enough to just stare them out

instead, she calmly and sophisticatedly tells them about what they’re doing wrong, and advises them not to continue

even though she never actually says anything remotely scary, they all end up crying and apologising hurriedly, vowing never to come near you again

she’s utterly confused, but is happy that you’re not being mistreated any more

[pennyserenade]

tags: nameless female oc x javier peña, nameless female oc x javier pena, angst. rating: t ( teen ) warnings: pregnancy, mentions of birth.  word count: 2.5k+ summary: something beautiful happens in colombia   notes: i recommend listening to this while you read because this is the vibe of the chapter, i think. you’re more than welcome to listen to the english version too, but i just think the spanish one hits a little different. oh and maybe this  original gif by: @pedrc-pascal 

como flores que florecen 

scene eleven, scenes from a marriage

As the feeling of joy expands in chest and meets his eyes, Javi comes to the conclusion that it has been a very long time since he has felt happy in a momental way. It wasn’t something he was very good at measuring in the first place, after all, his happiness. Somewhere along the way though, Javier had begun to mistake being alive and feeling alive as the same thing--two sides of the same coin he tossed every day--but now as he looks at this kid of his, he gets it. He understands. It’s different, feels different.

He peels back the blanket she’s wrapped the baby in to see him better, and he squirms in her arms, displeased. He begins to whimper and she rocks him gently, smiling up at Javier. He smiles back at her, and he sees it in her eyes, how happy she is too. It’s been a long time for them both, he knows, and he wants to apologize because he knows all of it has to do with him. He has been unmistakably stupid, on top of cruel and selfish, and she’s had to endure it all-- unflinching--for the most part. She’ll never know how sorry he is for that. 

Javi holds his arms together and she hands the baby to him carefully. He lets out a soft chuckle when the baby squirms against him, in disbelief that this could be his, and he watches as his little mouth opens to let out a silent cry. Javi shushes him and mimics the same rocking motion his wife had done just moments before, and miraculously, it works. The baby stops looking so thoroughly displeased and rests against him, undisturbed once more. 

After many months of startling himself to death over the notion of being someone’s father, Javi had started to try his best to block it out completely. He had thought that if didn’t think about it, if he pushed it aside, then he could prolong it a little longer somehow. Sometimes he did a good job at it, forgetting, but he could never block it out for long, and not at all after she had confronted him about it. It was all he had thought about for the past few months. 

He was right about one thing: Nothing could have prepared him for this moment. But it wasn’t like he had thought; Javi doesn’t want to let him go. He’s so little and he has his nose, and he feels so, so light. It still feels surreal, sure, as if this is a dream, but the very fact that it feels like a dream and not the nightmare is beyond what Javi had imagined completely.  

He wishes he could’ve been there when she had him, but he’d been in Medellín and she hadn’t told him until after, when the baby was already about four hours old. She knew Javi couldn’t have made it, and she didn’t want to make him feel as though he should try, so she did it alone, as she did most things. She doesn’t hold it against him either--doesn’t even act like it hurts her. She just smiles and smiles and tells him how perfect the baby is. Doesn’t even tell him how much it had hurt, or what it felt like, or anything other than he’s everything she’s ever wanted. When Javi’s eyes meet hers, he knows that she’s being completely sincere too. He’s never loved her so much, and he’s never felt so completely unworthy of her. 

She stands close to him as he holds the baby, watchful that he props his neck up and that nothing is wrong with him, and Javi can’t help but smile at her overprotectiveness already. 

“I’m not going to drop him,” he assures, laughing lightly. “He’s okay, baby.”

“He’s so little,” she says. Her eyebrows furrow with concern, but she takes a step back from him nevertheless. “I’m sorry, it’s just been him and me for the past couple of days and I’m already so scared.”

Javi nods, and tries his best not to feel bad about that. “I know.” 

She grimaces. “Oh, Jav, I didn’t mean it like that.”

He puts on a warm smile. “Let’s forget about that, okay?” he whispers. “I know you didn’t mean it like that and I’m not going to be sad about it. I just don’t want...” he searches for words. “I just don’t want right now to go away so fast.”

She understands. “Me tampoco.” 

She returns his smile back, and they stare at each other for a moment, taking this in. 

Between them blooms once more what had brought them together in the first place: a sense of hope, and a place of respite. It’s been so long--too long--since either of them had that much, and they acknowledge this silently. 

Years have aged them; he’s got wrinkles forming around his eyes and sometimes he looks as though the youthful person in him has left completely. She’s lost some of that twinkle in her eyes, too, and subtle as they are, there’s wrinkles that form between her brows. They’ve become different people in this country. They wear time on them psychically and they show it emotionally. In this country they had started young and alone, and they will leave it together, with a new person. Even if it is all for shit, and everything he did here counts for nothing, Javier will always have this: the family he had created in this country. The person he had found here. 

They continue to smile at each other.

“We’re going to be okay,” she tells him, just to say it because she feels she must. 

Javi nods his head in agreement, before looking away and back at the baby in his arms. “Yeah, we will be,” he says, hushed. He takes him in again, and smiles softly as he yawns. 

Javi’s father had once told him that he’d never understand how much he cared about him until he had a kid of his own. He had told that to him many moons ago, before Javi had even left to train for the DEA, when it was just all pipe dreams and big words. As much as Javi doesn’t like to admit his father is right even now, holding this little boy--Julián, his name is, after an uncle his wife loved--Javi cannot deny it. Javi would do anything to keep him safe. Anything. He’d move mountains for this little boy, and he already can’t wait to see the person he will become, even though he’s just meet him as he is, four days old. All he can see is the future, which is so much more than what he can say about the past few months, when every moment felt borrowed and all he could do was stay in the present because thinking about the future made him so damn depressed. 

It’s still going to be hard, especially when he’s going to have to leave them, but at least this is something to keep him going. He’s got himself into quite the mess at work, way over his head than he ever intended to be and without the tools to correct such faulty mistakes, but here, it’s okay, just like she had assured. It’s all okay. He’ll make sure of it, make sure that nothing will ever harm this child and his wife, because they are all that matter. 

It’s taken a little over thirteen years and a plethora of errors, but as Javi stands in the living room looking at this child, he’s finally come to understand it. He just wishes he had understood it sooner, but he knows now, and all he can do is be better. 

Despite not really wanting to, Javi lays the baby down in the bassinet to his right, mindful of his neck as she had warned. Javi lingers, ensuring Julián won’t fuss or wake in his new position, and his wife goes to insist that she’ll hold him if he doesn’t want to. Javi cuts her off though, meeting her halfway. 

He cups her face in her hands and presses his lips onto hers, kissing her so softly, so gently, that every inch of her melts into him without an ounce of resistance. She gives him everything and he gives it back, just like before. It’s balanced. It’s honest. 

He rests his forehead on hers, not taking his hands away from her face just yet. She puts her own on top of his, securing them. They breathe each other in, with no rush to move on from the moment they’re sharing. They remain quiet, just being, just taking it slow. Slow, slow, slow, so unlike the fast pace of their lives usually. Colombia seems to still itself outside, as if it knows what’s happening and wants them to have this moment too. Everything is so goddamn perfect. 

“Thank you,” he tells her. “For everything. For him and marrying me and staying by me even when I don’t deserve it. I would be very little without you.” 

“That’s not true,” she whispers. “I know we’ve struggled magnificently the past year, but I have never stopped thinking of you as a good man, Jav. When I first had him, and I looked down at him, all I could think was: ‘I’m so happy this little thing is half of Javier.’ All I have ever wanted for you is to get how good I think you are, and now we have this perfect little boy who already looks so much like you, and for all the love you give him, I hope you can give yourself some of it too. I know he will inherit so much of your good—or at least I can only hope.”

He kisses her again. “Te amo,” he tells her against her lips. “I’m sorry I’ve made this past year so hard for us. For you.”

She pats his hand. “It’s going to get better,” she says, voice certain. “We’ve made it through so much already, and we’re almost there, mi amor. Just a little longer, I can feel it.” 

He hopes she’s right. He doesn’t know what life will look like after Colombia—can’t even really comprehend that—but this has made him more comfortable with the idea of something more. 

“What do you want to do, after?” he asks. “When this is all over, I’ll take you wherever.” 

She loosens herself from his embrace, taking his hands off her face, and instead wrapping herself around his torso. She rests her chin against his chest. “I don’t know,” she shrugs. “Home for a little, I suppose. Yours and then mine in California, and after, maybe México? You said your dad lives close, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, on the border. All that separates him from it is some water.”

“Yeah, then Mexico. I never got to go because my mom couldn’t and I want to meet more of my family, and yours too, if they’re down there.” 

He smiles. “I’d like that. I haven’t been since I was a kid.”

“Maybe we’ll come back here someday too, if you think you can stomach it.” 

“This place is home,” he tells her, “But I think moving away from it and resituating for a long time will do me good. Maybe we can come back when we’re old, and retire in the jungles.” 

“The jungles?” she raises an eyebrow, grinning. “I’ve always been more of a hill person myself. Do you think that Pablo's prison will still be vacant by then? From what I saw it looked nice.” 

He chuckles. “I think so. I know he’ll never be there again, at least, that’s for sure. We’ll have to remodel, though. Lots of bullet holes and narco memorabilia right now—or at least, that’s how I remember it.”

She curls her nose. “Maybe we can build something of our own by then.” 

He nods his head. “Maybe.” 

Behind him on the wall, the phone begins to ring. He looks over his shoulder and then back at her. 

“Expecting someone to call?” he asks her. She shakes her head no. “Should I answer it?” 

“Yeah,” she says. “It could be your dad or something.” 

Javi lets out a sigh. He lets go of her and picks the phone off the hook, turning around to face her as he answers with an “Hello?”

A smile tugs at the ends of his lips as he listens. He mouths to her, “It’s your mother” before he begins to speak to her in Spanish. He tells her how beautiful the baby is, and that yes, they’ll send pictures and yes, they got her package with all the baby clothes. He tells her something about her daughter still being beautiful and she can’t help but grin to herself as she peeks into the bassinet Julián rests in now. He finishes up by asking if she wants to speak to her, and then he stands by the phone, extending it in her direction. 

She climbs up the stairs and takes it from him, and they switch positions, with him by the bassinet and her turned to watch him. He’s saying something to him, the baby, but she can’t make it out as her mom speaks. 

She turns back around towards the wall and finishes up the conversation, promising all Javi had before telling her mother that she loves her. When she finishes, she sits the phone back on the hook again and she turns to watch Javi once more. 

Without saying anything, she disappears into the other room. 

Javi is too enchanted to really notice her short absence and is only drawn back down to earth when he hears the stutter of a camera lens in front of him. He smiles at her. 

“Your mom is inspiring for you, isn't she?” he jokes. 

She takes the camera away from her face. “Pick him up again,” she instructs. She ignores his comment verbally, but there’s a hint of a grin reserved for his comment pressed onto her lips, and that’s good enough for him. 

He takes him out of the bassinet again but this time, Javi finds he’s a whole let less forgiving. Julián lets him hear for the first time one of those healthy cries he had heard in the background when she had called him from the hospital. The shutter clicks and he looks up, eyebrows furrowed. 

“That’s going to be an awful photo,” he tells her. “He’s crying.”

She shakes her head. “No,” she tells him, “That’s a photo with two of my favorite people in the entire world.” She takes the baby from Javi’s arms and hands him the camera.“Nothing about that photo could ever be awful to me.” 

Nothing about this moment will ever be ugly to me, she thinks. Nothing. Even the imperfect moment when he began to cry and Javi had looked down at him, concerned, would be perfect when reflected on, she was sure. She would always remember this day fondly. 

Maybe this isn’t the marriage she had envisioned for herself thirteen years ago when they had first gotten married, but it’s the one she wants now. Time has aged them and changed so much about the trajectory of their lives, but preserved is the love she feels for Javi, and now for their child.  

This is scene eleven from a marriage, one that has a little more hope than it did before.

JAVI :  @wyn-n-tonic , @rosiefridayrogersunday , @disgruntledspacedad , @melaniermblt , @theorganasolo , @amneris21 , @hb8301 , @penajavier , @darnitdraco , @over300books , @dobbyjen , @paperbag33 , @rebel-fanfare​

EVERYTHING : @astroboots​ , @frannyzooey​ , @wyn-n-tonic​ , @rosiefridayrogersunday​ , @melaniermblt​ , @theorganasolo​​ , @amneris21​ , @honestly-shite​ , @over300books​ , @elegantduckturtle​, @pbeatriz​ 

SCENES : @gravegoth​​ , @sarahjkl82-blog​​ , @cmonkeepmoving​​

[moldisgoodforyou]

the screenplay

hello i am splitting these up tried to put them together but wasn't working

one scene wonder !!

wordcount: 2k short n sweet

________

Sophie had been begging for months now to see the project Rafe had been working on for one of his classes, especially with how often he added to it. He was constantly jotting down notes in his phone when he thought of something to add - at dinner, when they were hanging out, or the second he’d wake up. He’d always shift to the side whenever she tried to peer over and see the screen, nudging her aside.

All she knew was that it was for his screenwriting class in his minor that he took in the spring, and she swore she’d never seen him so invested in school before. He kept editing it after the class finished, working on it a little throughout the summer, but finished it before he went out to see Sophie in Spain.

When they were back to school in mid-August, she’d mainly forgotten about it - until the end of the month, when he strolled into her room and dropped a bound stack of papers on her desk.

She glanced up from her planner, confused. “Hello to you too, Rafe Cameron. Did I know you were coming over?”

“No, I invited myself. It’s done.”

“It?” She picked up the papers and read the first page. It read “UNTITLED,” BY RAFE CAMERON. Once she realized, she lit up, grinning at him. “Is this what I think it is?”

He flopped onto her bed and locked his fingers behind his head, glancing over with a grin. “Dunno, what do you think it is?”

“Your screenplay? Can I read it?”

“Yeah. Go ahead. It’s only twenty minutes or so, just a short film, so don’t expect too much, but.” He shrugged. “You can read it.”

She beamed and moved to the bed to read, facing the opposite of him. As she read, he was buzzing with nervous anticipation, trying to look over when she laughed or grinned at the page, or when she bit her lip - she’d just nudge him away to finish it. When she finished, setting the papers down, she raised her eyebrows at him.

“Do you like it? Is it okay?” He asked eagerly.

Sophie beamed, nodding slowly. “It’s familiar.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed at being caught. “Is it?”

“I mean -” She laughed, running her finger over the main girl’s name, Sloane. “If you were trying to be more subtle, you probably wouldn’t have used my middle name here. Where’d the guy’s name come from?” She cocked her head curiously, hoping to make him blush yet again.

“Uh.” He scratched his head, giving her a sheepish smile. “My middle name’s Asher, actually.”

A grin spread across her face, slowly. “You told me you had no middle name.”

“No, you asked if I had a middle name, and I said no. I have two. Asher and Clifford. Clifford’s my mom’s maiden name.” He corrected, fishing out his driver’s license and handing it to her, with Rafe A. C. Cameron on it.

She glanced it over, then glanced back at him with a teasing smirk. “Rafe Asher Clifford Cameron. That is the most pretentious name I’ve ever heard -”

“Hey!” He nudged her shoulder. “Watch it, that’s your boyfriend you’re talking to.”

“My boyfriend, who wrote our love story into a screenplay.” She beamed as he blushed even harder. His character had confessed his crush on the girl to his friends much sooner than she began to give way, something she’d always suspected for a while, but never confronted him about it.

He tapped the bound pages again. “Did you make it to the end? You missed my favorite part.”

“Yeah, I finished reading…” She furrowed her brow and flipped back through to what she thought was the end, then one page further. There was a dedication inscribed to her in the middle of the page: “inspired by a true story. for my favorite.” She bit her bottom lip hard, tearing up a little.

“Oh. Rafe.”

“Is that okay?” He took the screenplay out of her hands, gently setting it aside, and rolled on top of her to kiss her, slow. “I know it’s kind of cheesy, and you don’t really do cheesy. But I figured you played a part in this just as much as I did, so I wanted to give you some credit.”

“It’s perfect.” She reached up and threaded her fingers through his hair, smiling as she kissed him back. “My sweet boy.”

“Keep your voice down, you’ll ruin my rep.” He joked, laughing when she scowled and bit his lip gently in retaliation. “Hey! Hey, play nice.”

“Did you get an A?” She asked, kissing him again with a little more heat behind it. “Can I keep it?”

“Not sure yet. Yeah, I bound that copy for you, it’s all yours.”

“It’s really good, Rafe. I’m serious. I know I don’t know about movies like you do, but the writing, the directions - I’m really impressed.” She complimented, loving the way he looked away out of embarrassment and blushed red. “You only started this in April or something, right?”

“Uh...yeah.” He lied, rolling off of her to look up at the ceiling when she narrowed her eyes to catch him. “Okay, fine. Um, you know that navy journal I carry around? I’ve been writing notes in there.”

“But I’ve seen you with that since last December.” She furrowed her brow, confused. “We didn’t say I love you for months after that.”

He shrugged, casting her a grin as she climbed onto him and pressed her head to his chest, snuggling close. He wrapped his arms tight around her, tracing patterns on her back lightly. “When you know, you know, I guess.”

“You sap.” She accused, poking her finger against her chest. “My character’s a bitch for the whole first quarter of the screenplay, I can’t believe you wrote that in.”

He laughed, tugging gently on the ends of her hair. “Asher argues right back, I guess it’s how you look at it. The character growth is important, though, they can’t just fall in love like that without conflict. Rule number one of storytelling.”

“Are you gonna produce it?”

“The screenplay? Nah. Well, I don’t know, my professor picks two out of the ten and then we produce them in the spring semester. He did, um, encourage me to enter it in some contest for students, so I submitted it recently, but yeah. Doubt he’ll pick it though.” He dismissed himself easily.

“Hey.” She flicked his chest. “Be more confident. I want someone really hot to play me. Like Megan Fox-caliber.”

He snorted, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, okay. I’m sure she’s in the film department’s tiny budget.”

“You have money.” She pointed out, smirking, and leaned up to kiss him.

“Not hire-Megan-Fox money. Besides, you’re hotter.” He met her lips first, shifting so his leg fell in between hers.

“We both know that’s not true, baby.” She raised her eyebrows, skeptical.

“It is true. You’re fucking gorgeous.” He kissed her again, hard, smiling against her lips. “Prettiest girl I’ve ever seen. 10/10, would bang.”

“Thanks for the Yelp review.” She giggled and rolled her eyes simultaneously. “For the record, I always thought you were hot, even if you were arrogant and annoying when we were growing up.”

“I’m glad we waited, both of us.” He threaded his fingers through hers and kissed the tip of her nose. “If we had just one hate fuck and then you got over me I think I’d be so sad.”

“You wouldn’t get over me?”

“I haven’t been over you since junior year of high school, sweetheart.” He pointed out, making her blush bright red.

“What happened with Brooklyn then?” She asked point-blank, feeling bold.

He scowled, pressing his hips against hers. “Do we have to talk about her? Because I have other ideas for topics of conversation. Literally anything else.”

“We don’t have to, no. I’m just curious.”

“I dunno. Good timing, I guess. It kind of started out of convenience, knowing both our families would get along, then turned into a little more.” He shrugged, teasing his thumbs over her hip bones and along the hem of her shirt. “Longest mistake of my life.”

“Hey. You didn’t know she was going to end up that way.” Sophie frowned, then her frown gave way to a smug smirk. “It’s fine, I was sleeping around back then anyways -”

“You’ve slept with one other person, Sophie -” He started with an exasperated sigh, laughing when her jaw dropped in indignation. “Technically, your body count is just two.”

“So’s yours!” She retorted, sitting up on top of him and crossing her arms.

“No. Still four.” He corrected. “And I’d like both of ours to stay that way.”

“So that’s a no to a threesome?” She teased, punctuating her question with a roll of her hips.

“If you think I’m letting another person touch you like I get to, you’re delusional.” He scowled, gripping her hips a little tighter to keep her firmly in place. “I don’t even like other guys looking at you at the bar.”

“You’re too jealous.” She chastised with a flip of her hair. “People are gonna look at me. I’m hot. Bangable, in your words.”

“First off, I was joking, and I’m pretty sure I did not say bangable -”

“You absolutely did! Might as well have called me a slut -”

He raised his eyebrows at her teasing tone, unamused. “Why, do you want that? ‘Cause if you do you can just ask.”

“No.” She pouted, moving off of him.

“Where are you going?” He reached out for her, tugging at the hem of her shirt. “C’mere, I want to snuggle.”

She smiled, endeared by the 6’3” boy in her bed asking to cuddle. “Okay. Just that though, we have that dinner reservation soon, the one downtown.”

He grinned when she crawled back into bed. She looped her arm around his waist, spooning him, and he sighed contentedly. “I’m so excited for those fancy drinks.”

“We can make fancy drinks at home, y’know. Just buy the alcohol and we can try it.” She nudged her nose against his neck, making him flinch and wiggle away for a moment.

“Not the same. $18 cocktails in the fancy glasses just hit different.” He flipped over so he was face to face with her and rested his arm over her waist, scratching little circles on her back.

“Mm.” She closed her eyes but gave him a nod. “Are you gonna order a dumb whiskey drink again then drink half my fruity drink?”

“You like whiskey.” He protested. “We were sharing.”

“Free alcohol is free alcohol.” She replied, her voice taking on a sleepy tone. “How fancy do I have to be for this place?”

“You can just throw on a dress.” He continued to scratch her back, loving her little hums of contentment. “We can take a nap before we go. Twenty minutes. You can do eyeliner and lipstick and whatever in the car.”

“Ideal.” She murmured. “Rafe?”

“Yeah, angel?”

“I really love that screenplay. You’re very talented. I mean it.” She squinted one eye open just so she could see his blush and shy smile.

“Yeah, well. I had good inspiration. Thank you, Soph, that means a lot.” He reached out and stroked his thumb over her cheek as he reminded himself how lucky he was to be with her.

“Always my favorite.” She whispered, leaning forward to peck his lips and cuddle closer into him. “I’m gonna sleep.”

“I love you too.” He murmured back. “Sweet dreams.”

taglist: @drewstarkey @lemur46 @jjmaybanksbaby @edgeofgr8 @quxxnxfhxll @obxtess @hoodpankow @vtgirl802 @outerbankies @messagesinthesky @nicolecarsley @svechnikolan @ilovejjmaybank @obxtess @abbyj1822 @oopsiedoopsie23 @g4bster @jjmaybankzz @freddymaybank @dontjinx-it @illbesafeforyou @moniamaybank @tovvaa @jailcalledlife @sunshineitsfine44 @randomficsandshit @outerbankspreferences @outerbanksbro @karsinner @kkmaybank @whoeveniskendall @lemur46

[thebiscuiteternal]

What about post canon!WWX or LWJ confronting NHS about his crimes and LXC and having to hear some very unpleasant truths.

This is not the ultra mean idea I posted here, but it's still a pretty mean one I had over on twitter some months ago. Might end up being a multiparter, 'cause I got stuck on where to go after a point.

___________

"-and so you asked for my help."

"That's a funny way of saying you invited yourself into this," Nie Hengbai rumbled, arms folded over his chest and a look of barely concealed disdain on his face.

Lan Xichen wasn't sure if it was actually for Wei Wuxian, or for him. Nie Hengbai had never approved of him pushing so hard for swearing brotherhood so soon after the war ended.

And the ensuing years had only proven him correct it seemed.

"Details!" Wei Wuxian said with a flippant wave of his hand. "Let's see the patient."

Nie Hengbai glanced over to the sect's head healer, Liu Feng, who rubbed his forehead and sighed.

"It's not like anything else we've tried so far has done any good," the old man grudgingly admitted. "And he's already lost the last three years so far."

"...Fine," Nie Hengbai finally muttered. "But you may only conduct a cursory examination for now, and only with Liu Feng present. Approach him without permission at any point, and we will throw you both out on your asses."

"That's fair," Lan Xichen said quickly before Wei Wuxian could open his mouth.

Liu Feng eyed them both, clearly as unhappy about acquiescing to this as his interim sect leader, then curtly motioned for them to follow him.

The family quarters were even more sparse than Lan Xichen remembered, what decoration Nie Huaisang had added after his brother's death having been removed.

Had even that been part of the act?

Nie Huaisang was sitting up in bed when they entered and one of the female disciples, one he didn't recognize, was sitting facing him.

"How much more has he lost?" Liu Feng asked as she switched out the filled piece of paper on the tablet in their sect leader's lap with a fresh sheet.

"It's hard to tell," she said. "The effect has slowed, at least to the point that he only writes in response to questions now instead of just... everything. I think if you tally the answers together... maybe around two months."

"That's an improvement. Perhaps it's a sign that the curse will pass on its own," Liu Feng said, shooting them another glare.

Wei Wuxian smiled, all teeth. "But you don't know if his memories will come back when it does," he said brightly.

Lan Xichen let them argue, turning his attention to Nie Huaisang instead.

He'd heard once, that one of the Emperors outside their territories had a ceramic doll that could write via the moment of a complicated series of mechanics inside.

Pale and unmoving, his expression blank and his eyes even more so, he thought that Nie Huaisang might very much resemble it.

His gaze trailed down to the brush held in the other man's hand, grip stiff and unnatural, and a thought -a very unkind thought, one that he should have been ashamed of himself for having- took root in the back of his mind.

"Did he move?" he asked, the words tumbling from his mouth before he could stop them.

The room went silent, all three gazes turning to him and Nie Huaisang.

"Xichen-ge," Wei Wuxian said, a gentle warning -and wasn't it hilarious that Wei Wuxian was warning him against acting out of turn- in his voice, but it was too late.

Nie Huaisang wrote a single character.

No.

Grief and anger flooded him. He vaguely felt a hand take hold of his arm, but he shook it off. "Why did you say he did?!" he snapped.

There was no response.

"Xichen-ge," Wei Wuxian said again, tone sharper as he pulled him away from the bed.

The disciple had moved between him and Nie Huaisang, saber drawn. Liu Feng had needles in hand and was positively glowering at him.

They thought he was going to harm their sect leader.

They... they might not have been wrong, he realized, anger deflating as quickly as it had risen.

Still... still... "Answer me," he rasped past the knot that had formed in his throat. "Why did you say he moved?"

"He loses the memory after he writes it down, isn't that how you described it?" Wei Wuxian asked Liu Feng, who was still standing with needles at the ready.

"As best as we can tell," Liu Feng replied warily.

"I've been monitoring him since the switch to questions," the disciple said, lowering her saber just enough that it was still visible as a warning. "Each response costs him the day it happened."

Which meant that one word would have erased the entire confrontation at the temple.

And all the answers he was seeking for the things that had happened there.

Lan Xichen suddenly felt sick.

Wei Wuxian glanced in his direction, expression softening in worry, then gently pushed him to sit in a chair. "Well, then. We'll have to be more careful how we word things, won't we?" he asked.

The disciple snorted. "And why would we let you ask anything else after that little stunt? Get out."

Wei Wuxian's eyebrows raised. "Oh? And who are you to give an order like that?"

"Don't," Lan Xichen said quietly. "She's right, I..." He took a deep shaking breath, then bowed as low as the chair would allow. "Taking advantage of his condition to satisfy my curiosity was wrong. I offer my humblest apologies."

He couldn't see what silent conversation might have taken place between Liu Feng and the disciple, but after a long, uncomfortable moment, he heard a soft "Hmph," and the sound of a saber being returned to its sheath.

[elleonmybeloved]

“It’s a wishing fountain,” Anna explains to her. “You throw a coin or two in the water and then make your wish. The spirit of the fountain carries your wish on the wind to Lord Barbatos.”

“Kind of a strange custom.” Lumine remarks, but she gets the gist of it. “What does Mondstadt do with the money afterwards?”

“The money? It just stays there.” Anna breaks off to cough a couple times.

Lumine stares at her. “No way. Wouldn’t people take it?”

“Uhh no.” Anna brings a finger to her lip thoughtfully. “How do I explain this... it’s kind of taboo to take the money from the wishing fountain. It’s just bad luck. You’d have to be desperate to take the money and risk getting cursed by Lord Barbatos for your greed.”

“...Oh.” She gives the shimmering coins a wistful glance. So much for taking the treasure for herself. “That makes sense.” What a shame, she adds, internally.

Later, Lumine finds herself in the square again, a freshly concocted satchel of potions cradled in her arms. She didn’t end up using as much of the ingredients as she thought, thanks to Lisa’s advice, so she still has some mora left.

The fountain is beautiful in the light of the fading sun, like a thousand diamonds sparkling on the churning surface of the water. There’s no way that a wish granting fairy lives there, but for a moment it seems ethereal enough that she walks up to it anyways.

Casting a furtive glance around, she takes out a coin when she thinks no one is looking at her.

“I wish to see Aether again.” She whispers quietly, and tosses in the coin.

Nothing answers her but the wind. Of course, she grimaces, the fairy of the fountain is just a superstition. Would have been nice though.

It’s a waste of mora, but there is something cathartic about telling the fountain about her struggles and hopes, tossing in just one mora coin each time. Lumine doesn’t notice anything awry until the third time it happens. Something was granting her wishes.

“I wish I could see the stars up close again, like I used to.” She had said the previous night, confessing with a coin.

This morning there was a drawing of a map at the feet of her tent, innocuously resting rumpled by the wooden post holding down the cloth as if it had been blown there naturally, by the wind. Following it to the place marked on the map, she comes upon a ruin with an ancient circular device in the middle. To her delight, looking into the circle was like a window to the heavens. She wasn’t really sure how, since her elemental sight revealed no magic, but she could see the moon and the stars as if she was up there with them.

The two other wishes, she hadn’t even noticed being granted in the moment it occurred.

A wish to find the anemo crystalflies she needed, for a defensive potion that would allow her to safely battle the hypostasis that had shown up in the northern ruins and claim the bounty the Adventurers guild had placed on it. It was no sum to sneeze at, and the more mora she had the more chances she had to compensate people for information about Aether’s whereabouts.

The last had been a simple one. She had wished to smile, at least once that day. A trail she had been hopefully following regarding her lost twin had gone cold the day prior and she had been lost in despair. After making her wish, she had found a pair of foxes sharing a bunch of fallen sunsettias while curled up together in the sun, snuggling happily and making cute chittering noises. The sight made her smile. Along her path she did not encounter a single slime or wayward hilichurl. Wind blew and lifted up her hair in a gentle caress.

That had been when she’d realized it. A memory tickles at the back of her mind: “Perfect timing traveler! I was just about to ask you... what is your greatest wish?”

How could this be a coincidence? It would be embarrassing to confront the perpetrator if wrong though, so she was hesitant to seek him out.

But Lumine was no little bitch, and the next night she went to the statue of the anemo archon instead of the fountain, courageous as anything. A green clad figure sits in the hands of the statue, swinging his legs back and forth and humming a pretty tune.

“It’s you, isn’t it?” She says.

Venti peers down at her. “The statue of Barbatos? Me? Why, traveler, you already know the answer to that query.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Why does he sound so innocent? Suspicious. Very suspicious indeed.

“Oh. Then what did you mean?” His voice is light and innocuously curious, and there’s no tell in his voice nor his lyre strumming that gives anything away.

But she remembers, after every wish, including the first, the wind answered her. She can still feel the way it caressed her gently.

“I just wanted to say that I’m very thankful.” She gazes at the statue instead of up at him. “I know you probably have other important things to do than grant my selfish wishes.”

“They aren’t selfish.” Venti has abandoned his clueless pretense, and his perch. He floats down to a feather light landing beside her. “They made you happy.”

“Well... yes... but aren’t there hundreds of wishes made in that fountain every day? Why do I get special treatment?”

“Hmm... well Lumine, the answer to that would beee... because yours is the only mora I don’t have to feel guilty about using, ehe!”

She gapes. “But I thought it wasn’t allowed to take the money from the fountain?”

“I, Barbatos, archon of this fine land of song and wine, do declare that exceptions can be made in the case of a fine vintage dandelion wine resting in the balance.” He places a hand over his chest with a self satisfied expression.

“You really used my wishing mora to buy wine?” She asks incredulously.

“Will use.” He corrects, wagging a finger. “Four mora isn’t anywhere near enough to buy a vintage. Heheh. I’ll be able to purchase it when I’ve granted enough of your wishes to do so~.”

He’s so silly. “I would’ve just bought you a drink.” She says. “I’m not rich but I can easily afford something like that.”

“I know.” He quips. “But this way is more fun!”

“You have a strange idea of fun.” Lumine shakes her head, but she’s smiling now.

“Really? Well you have a strange idea of taking the stairs.”

She blushes in reference to her climbing habit. Why does everybody make fun of her for this, it’s just a faster and more direct route upward!!

“Touché.”

[awhmilkywey]

burgers and fries | t. carrick |

pairing & genre: tobias carrick x f!mc (ava dahl) — fluffy as hell

warnings: one curse word | english is not my first language

word count: 2.4k

request | prompt | neither | challenge

tags: @usuallyamazinglyaverage ; @perriewinklenerdie ; @cyb3r-kat ; @moonsoltice ; @romewritingshop ; @tsrookie ; @hedwigsbixch

a/n: a special thank you to @usuallyamazinglyaverage @perriewinklenerdie and @cyb3r-kat for allowing me the use of their characters (anna dawson, claire herondale and bianca hemgrove, respectivel) and a bonus to perrie for being generally awesome and helping me out with this fic. You can thank her for the Romeo line!

Ava has a history of flouting protocol to assist her patients.

The machine whirred to life, shooting a steady stream of murky liquid into the small paper cup. Ava skimmed her medical chart while she waited. Her patient was a young adult who came in with severe chest pain and discoloured skin around her calves. The primary doctor wrote down that earlier scans ruled out heartburn as well as pericarditis. She reached for her coffee and took a cautious sip. The blemishes could point towards a blood clot—deep vein thrombosis, perhaps? It could quickly develop into a pulmonary embolism if left untreated.

The nurses' station was relatively quiet when she approached.

“Could you order a lung scan and a chest X-ray for my patient, please?”

Marlene took the chart with a professional nod. Her exhaustion matched her own.

Ava murmured a quiet thank you and tossed her cup in the bin. The results wouldn't be back for a couple hours. If her hunch was correct then she would most likely need to page the surgical department. For now, however, her rounds were finished and she could take a breather.

Her face twisted into a frown as she remembered her bag was still in the conference room. Her confrontation with Harper ensured she had been too uncomfortable to remain there. Ava decided to take the stairs one at a time. Saying she was dreading their next meeting was an understatement. They would need to have a serious conversation with Bloom. Ethan breaching protocol was on him alone. A conversation with Harper was in order as well; earlier she had been caught by surprise but she wouldn't let that kind of treatment stand. Barging in, wrongfully accusing her without any evidence whatsoever, yelling and refusing to believe her even when the culprit was standing right there—Ava wondered when the cool renowned surgeon became an unruly child.

The revelation that Harper still saw her as a reckless intern made her incredibly angry. Her one mistake happened over two years ago and she came forward to shoulder the blame. Ava had grown since then, both as a doctor and as a person. Her near-death experience also served to put things into perspective, to say the least. She would always have the best interest of her patients at heart but she would never again jeopardize her career so foolishly.

That thought brought her back to Ethan. Frankly she didn't recognise him any more. He came back from the Amazon a different man—one she wasn't sure she liked all that much. Their tentative relationship hadn't stood a chance. Him being her attending was difficult enough, then she was facing the possibility of being suspended, and just as she thought they could make it work after all, Naveen promoted her and Ethan was her superior once more. He maintained a painfully professional demeanour around her from there on out. Ava wasn't doing too great during that time.

And when her intern year came to an end, he disappeared. He wasn't answering her calls nor her texts and her trips to his apartment were fruitless. She found out he was out of the country through WHO's Instagram account. She stopped bothering afterwards.

Ava shook her head, red curls bouncing over her shoulders. Dwelling on the past wasn't helpful. Especially when the Ethan from her memories didn't correlate with the Ethan she was currently working with. Her most recent conversations with him left a sour taste in her mouth.

The conference room wasn't as empty as she expected.

“Heading out?” Tobias sent her a warm smile.

“I've some free time to kill.”

He nodded in understanding. “Holding up okay?”

Ava hesitated. It occurred to her that he was the only person she was truly comfortable with on the team. The only one who'd never underestimated her or made her feel lesser.Tobias was the person who either supported her suggestions or countered them with his own logical arguments and used both as teaching opportunities.

“I've been through worse,” she replied, shrugging non-committally.

He scowled. “What Harper did was uncalled for.”

Ava offered him a wry smile. “I have a history, don't you see?”

“Oh you mean the history of being civil to Bloom even though you want to punch his face in?” he asked innocently.

A laugh bubbled up in her chest and he soon followed with his own deep chuckle.

“There's this place downtown.” He sobered up but was still grinning. “One of my favourites, if you want to check it out.”

“What's in it for me?” Ava raised a playful eyebrow.

His eyes darkened, tongue briefly flickering out. “Good music, good books. We could get dinner after.”

Ava swallowed. “Sounds fantastic.”

Tobias' intense look softened. “It's a date,” he said cheekily.

She laughed again and swatted at his arm. “Lead the way, Romeo, before I change my mind.”

Bantering with him was easier than it should've been. Knowing how laid-back he could be when comfortable made her notice more about how he carried himself around the rest of the team. It gave her a small thrill to be able to witness that side of him.

Tobias drove her to a time-worn shop tucked away between a colourful diner and a boarded-up building. An old sign hung over the entrance reading The Starlight Den. The outer walls were covered in messy chalky drawings and splashes of peeling paint, broken crayons and plastic buckets sitting to one side. He laid a hand on her lower back, gently guiding her through the battered wooden door.

“I used to come here all the time as a kid,” he commented, glancing fondly around the shop.

Neutral colours predominated with the occasional vibrant hue flashing here and there. Bookshelves lined the left side, brimming with works from classics to comic books. Customers could settle down on various armchairs and sofas, reading under the light of several dimmed lamps. Ava slid her eyes from the makeshift coffee bar to the vintage posters on the opposite wall. A soft tune drifted from the gramophone in the corner. Neat stacks of vinyl records were arranged in polished boxes in the centre. A counter held several players for general use nearby.

“This is a dream come true,” Ava marvelled, running her fingertips across the book spines.

Tobias hummed, reaching to pluck a comic from the shelf. He presented it to her with a flourish. Spider-Man was holding a man clad in green on the cover.

“First introduction to Spidey. Also the first comic I ever read,” he disclosed, absently thumbing through the pages.

“I didn't know you read comics.”

Tobias cocked his head. “Haven't read them in a long while but they were a big part of my childhood.”

Ava cast a look about. “I can see why you'd like to come here.”

Two teenagers were hanging around a record player, giggling quietly to each other, while a sharply dressed man made small talk with the handsome man behind the register. The overall atmosphere was quite cosy. It felt a bit like home. When she returned her wandering gaze to Tobias, he offered her a knowing smile.

“I have an idea,” he announced with a quick clap of his hands. “We each pick a book and a record for the other. I have a player back at my apartment.”

Ava crossed her arms. “Is this a ploy to get me into your bed, Carrick?”

He raised his palms up in mock surrender. “Absolutely not. Just a ploy to get a pretty woman eating take-out on my couch.”

“From that diner next door?”

“Rosa makes the best burgers and milkshakes in Boston.” He gave a solemn nod, cracking up in the following beat.

Ava contemplated him. “It's a date.”

He lit up with a boyish smile.

She didn't know much about his likes and dislikes given that all their interactions revolved around their work. Browsing the bookcases, she opted to get him a copy of The Little Prince. She remembered her papa reading it to her when she was sick or when grief was heavier than most days. She picked up A Day at the Raceson her way to the counter.

“Don't peek,” Tobias warned after their purchases were done. “I'm going to get our food and then we can head back.”

“I want nuggets.” Ava blushed when her stomach growled.

He patted her head. “As you wish, m'lady.”

Ava watched him walk away, unable to remember the last time she was this happy. Tobias was so carefree. He didn't allow their work to burden him, always trying to finding the silver lining in each case, and refused to let it interfere with his life outside the hospital. It was a breath of fresh air, compared to her previous relationship with Ethan. Tobias was light where Ethan was dark.

The ride back to his flat was mostly quiet. He tapped on the wheel along with the song playing on the radio—she vaguely recognised it as being a new Ariana Grande single. She, on the other hand, was more occupied with staring out the window and trying to control her nerves. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, making her almost want to throw up. Tobias was undeniably attractive, charming and witty. And they were going to be alone at his place.

Ava choked on air.

He was quick to lay a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, hey, I got you.” At her lack of response, he slid his hand further and began to rub her back, eyes briefly leaving the road to look her over.

“I'm good,” she gasped.

His touch continued to burn her skin until the car was parked in his garage.

Tobias' flat was messier than she expected but not in the dirty sense of the word. It was a sort of organised chaos that breathed life into the walls. The coffee table peeked from beneath a mountain of medical journals, two blankets were thrown haphazardly on the couch with a pillow half-fallen on the carpet, like he had dozed off while reading. The telly was still on as well and she paused to watch Jessica Aniston and Matt LeBlanc acting on the screen.

He steered her towards the kitchen.

“I forgot to clean, sorry.” He seemed unusually sheepish.

“Mine's not much better, believe me,” she reassured him, squeezing his arm. She took the food bags from him and set them on the table. “Kitchen or living room?”

“Living room!” he called out from the pantry, coming out with a package of napkins and a container of assorted candy.

He had stored away the blankets and the pillow by the time she brought the food to the coffee table, journals stashed away in the corner bookcase. Ava noticed that he also changed into a looser tee, his biceps highlighted underneath the artificial lighting. He grabbed their purchases from the shop and turned to her with a bright smile.

“I realised we don't actually know each other that well,” he said, grabbing the book from the bag, “and I would like to remedy that.”

Ava accepted the gift, lips quirking up at the sight of the blue cover. “I've never read The Great Gatsby,” she informed.

His smile widened. “Let me know what you think when you're done, yeah?”

“I got you this one.” God she was nervous. “I, uh—I didn't know what you liked so I figured I'd give you one of my favourites. After my mum died... my dad used to read it to me as a kid.”

Tobias met her gaze and she was surprised to see him so serious. “I—Thank you, Ava. It means a lot that you would share that with me.”

She needed to look away. Was he getting closer?

Her stomach growled again.

“Eat,” he murmured, slowly leaning back. “I'll put the records on.”

He returned to the couch as the beginnings of Dancing Queenfilled the room. Ava beamed.

“How did you know?”

He popped a fry in his mouth. “I may have cheated on this one. Claire told me you were a fan.”

The mention of her friend warmed her heart. “I didn't know you and C were buddies.”

Tobias rubbed the back of his neck. “We're not, not really. I, um, went to ask her how you were after what happened. Anna and Hemgrove were gone already, so...”

His concern sent the butterflies into a frenzy. Ava focused on her burger so he wouldn't see the deep red staining her cheeks.

It was only two episodes into Friends that she noticed the missing fries in her plate. An indignant yelp was muffled by the food in her mouth. Tobias blindly reached for another one but she slapped his hand away, earning her a surprised squawk from the man. Ava made a move for his plate and was stopped when he put his arm between them, lifting the other up so she wouldn't touch his food.

“Oi! That's not fair!” she protested, not realising she was half-sitting on his lap as she tried to get her fries back.

“All's fair when you're hungry, sweetheart,” he retorted, laughing at her worthless attempts.

The loud sound of porcelain breaking was unmistakable. In an effort to get closer, she had pressed against his chest, their bodies practically glued together, and the twist of his wrist weakened his grip on the plate. Ava sunk into him in defeat and promptly peeped as her groin made contact with his.

“Shit, sorry Av—nghh...” He cut off with a strangled moan.

Ava hurried to relieve the pressure of her thigh on his crotch, feeling mortified.

“I'm sorry—” “Wait—” they spoke at the same time, both floundering.

“Just—wait.” Tobias held onto her hips, heaving out a frustrated sigh.

She would never admit to anyone that no, she very much did not want to move.

Except maybe to the girls, who would most definitely grill her tomorrow.

They remained in that exact position for a couple silent moments. Neither sure what to say nor how to act upon the revelation that they were entirely too comfortable physically for two people who were supposed to be just work acquaintances.

Up close, his eyes looked more green than brown. Ava told herself that she had bigger things to worry about.

But it was a pretty colour.

“I really want to kiss you right now,” he quietly confessed. “I have to know, though. Is—is there anything between you and Ethan?”

She let out a shaky breath, touching her forehead to his. “Not since last year.”

He gave a short nod, raising a hand to cup her face. “Could there be anything between us?”

“Why don't you kiss me and find out?” she whispered against his lips.

She felt his smile before he did.

[bestworstcase]

tired of ‘it doesn’t make sense for cass to trust zhan tiri’ takes 

cass is a cautious person with a good instinct for danger which yes means that for most of the show she is indeed the ignored voice of reason saying ‘hey this OBVIOUSLY SKETCHY situation is sketch’ YES

but

in the latter half of 2 she is mutilated by her friend, blamed for it, made to apologize for her own injury, denied any space to feel hurt or upset or angry about this, and literally told ‘you should know we never listen to you!’ when she gets mad about yet another instance of her saying ‘this seems sus’ only for them to literally walk out on her mid-sentence without even acknowledging that she’s speaking. 

cass tries again and again to communicate her feelings and every single time she’s brushed off or scolded or belittled by her friends. her friends have so little respect for her that by the time they hit the hoyt the aren’t even pretending anymore. this hurts her, terribly

then - ok listen. take off the ‘zhan tiri is a horrible evil monster’ goggles put aside your entrenched preconceived biases against this character for a minute. 

what is the first thing zhan tiri does when cassandra meets her?

cassandra hears a voice calling her name. following it leads her here, to a disembodied (disemwalled?) door in some sort of enchanted forest. this is one of those obviously sketchy situations that instantly puts cassandra on her guard: she draws her sword while getting her bearings. 

[sidebar: those light-and-dark green swirls on the forest floor look an awful lot like the clouds in the lost realm, don’t they?]

then: 

ZHAN TIRI: There you are, Cassandra!

[Cassandra looks around, sees Blue, and lowers her sword slightly in confusion. Blue approaches her.]

ZHAN TIRI: I’d nearly given up on you.

CASSANDRA: [shaken] Who- who are you?

ZHAN TIRI: A friend. Or, at least—I’d like to be.

cass at this point is baffled but still on her guard - she holds her sword in a low guard and she’s physically leaning away from the unsettling ghost child. 

more important here is zhan tiri’s opening gambit. ‘a friend, or at least i’d like to be.’ she’s dodging the question of what her name is, yes. but also the second part of that statement implies a correction of the first, an acknowledgement that they are not friends and becoming friends is contingent on whether cassandra accepts her overtures of friendship; there is, in saying ‘at least i’d like to be,’ an implication of acknowledgement of and respect for cassandra’s personal boundaries. this is not something cassandra has ever experienced before. contrast it with rapunzel’s aggressive, domineering pursuit of cassandra’s friendship in beginnings.

continuing: 

ZHAN TIRI: Come.

[She leads Cassandra away from the door, deeper into the enchanted forest. Though hesitant, Cassandra sheathes her sword and follows.]

CASSANDRA: Wherever you’re taking me had better have a blonde princess.

note how the blank confusion on cassandra’s face hardens into a glare the instant zhan tiri says something that could be construed as a command. cassandra has two years worth of experience in the minefield that is friendship with someone in a position of authority and power over her so of course she bristles at this. i think it is also not coincidental that she refers to rapunzel in response.

but there is also a second dynamic at work here. for two years cassandra’s whole life has been locked into orbit around the blinding sun of rapunzel, and even before then by nature of her existence in the palace as a young girl only a little older than the lost princess she would have spent her childhood in the shadow of a child who wasn’t even present. zhan tiri is the first person cassandra has ever met who is flat out indifferent to rapunzel’s existence. even in vardaros, where cass was better liked by the populace than rapunzel, the people still focused on rapunzel - they disliked her, and they cared enough to make sure she knew it. 

but zhan tiri does not give a single fuck about rapunzel. she ignores cassandra’s attempt to make rapunzel relevant to this conversation. she called out for cassandra. she has been waiting for cassandra. she has something she wants to show cassandra. she wants to be cassandra’s friend. rapunzel just...doesn’t matter to her, but cassandra does. and that is disarming, both in the figurative and literal sense. so cass puts her sword away and goes to see whatever it is that this strange child wants to share with her. 

[They reach the forest’s edge and enter the memory. Cassandra is startled, struck by the familiarity of this new setting.]

CASSANDRA: This place... feels familiar?

[Blue takes her by the hand and leads her into the cottage. She remains silent, allowing Cassandra to take it all in, until Baby Cass enters with her music box.]

ZHAN TIRI: Do you recognize that child?

[Her prompting makes it click for Cass that she’s watching herself as a child.]

again, set aside your knowledge that zhan tiri is an evil villain and your instinctive distrust of everything she says and just... take a look at this screenshot. what does it look like if you take what zhan tiri says in this sequence at face value? 

this is a horrible memory. zhan tiri knows precisely what it entails, because she is the one who dredged it out of cassandra’s mind and set it up for her to experience again. cassandra, however, has only just recognized her younger self and has no idea what’s coming. it’s going to hurt her so badly when she remembers everything—but this is an experience she needs to confront in order to heal from the damage it did to her. so much of her suffering can be traced back to this defining, forgotten moment of her childhood.

we the audience know that zhan tiri doesn’t care, doesn’t have any real interest in genuinely helping cassandra, isn’t revealing this memory to her out of the goodness of her heart - but all cassandra knows is that this is a strange ghost who expressed a desire to be friends and has brought her here to, apparently, show her a childhood memory she forgot. so erase your audience knowledge from your brain for a second and look at zhan tiri’s expression here.

she looks weary. sad, even. she looks like someone who truly values cassandra’s wellbeing, who knows that reliving this memory is going to hurt, who’s showing it to cassandra anyway because she thinks cassandra deserves to know and she understands that this is the root cause of cassandra’s pain and that in order to grow and heal it must be seen, it must be acknowledged, it must be examined.

and that is the impression of zhan tiri’s character that cassandra walks away from this experience with. someone who saw her, and saw her pain, and saw the deep festering forgotten wound of this memory buried under layers of repression and denial, and gently unpeeled those layers and brought that wound to light, because she knew cass couldn’t heal from it if she didn’t know it was there.

moving on: 

[Baby Cass approaches Gothel with the music box, only to be coldly brushed off.]

CASSANDRA: ...That’s my...

ZHAN TIRI: Mother, yes. It is.

[Skipping transcription of the remainder of the flashback; what matters is that Blue exists the scene at this point. She isn’t just standing quietly in the corner; she is fully gone, leaving Cassandra by herself to experience the rest of the memory.]

again - obviously zhan tiri knows what happens in this memory, but that isn’t the point. by staying just long enough to help cassandra put this memory into context and then leaving, she gives cassandra complete privacy to process what she is seeing and feel whatever emotional reactions she has to it and express those feelings openly, without any of the reservations she might have about having a breakdown in front of a ghost she met a few minutes ago.

again, contrast this to the way rapunzel treats cass. in under raps, when cassandra tells rapunzel that she’s dealing with ‘some stuff’ and asks rapunzel to wait until she’s ready to share, rapunzel’s response is to stalk her. in RATGT, cass tells rapunzel that she feels disrespected and unwanted and rapunzel brushes her off. in RDO, when cass is mad because rapunzel’s reckless choices resulted in cassandra’s hand being mutilated, rapunzel is furious and backs cassandra into a corner in an attempt to force her to share her feelings and then get over it so things can go back to normal.

how soothing, then, must zhan tiri’s quiet departure must be for cass? how comforting, how much of a relief must it be to have this new person recognize by herself that cassandra needs a moment alone and give that to her without cass even needing to ask?  

there is, i think, a direct line of causation between zhan tiri exiting this scene and cassandra crying for the first time in the entire series afterwards while zhan tiri comforts her. cass doesn’t cry, right? even when she thinks rapunzel is going to be trapped as a bird forever, she stops herself from crying. she doesn’t cry when her hand is burnt in the great tree, not even from physical pain. she doesn’t cry in RDO. 

but zhan tiri is the only person in the whole series who shows consideration for cassandra’s emotional boundaries, so when cassandra is upset after reliving this memory, she freely allows herself to cry, and she lets zhan tiri comfort her. 

because it’s safe. so much blame is heaped upon cass for not being more open with rapunzel, but the thing is - a) cassandra is a lot more open with rapunzel than most of the fandom gives her credit for, and b) rapunzel is not a safe person for cassandra to be emotionally open with because she tramples boundaries, doesn’t listen, routinely chooses to hear only what she wants to hear, and never acknowledges or apologizes for any of the hurt this causes cass. 

which segues us into this:

ZHAN TIRI: I’m sorry that happened to you, Cassandra. Sometimes the most painful truths are the most difficult to remember. You’ve always felt outshined by Rapunzel, haven’t you? And you always will, unless...

in this statement, zhan tiri: 

1 - expresses sympathy for the trauma cass suffered

2 - empathizes with the pain she feels right now

3 - connects the dots between her past trauma and present angst

4 - verbalizes her fear that this pattern will never change

and

5 - offers to help.

zhan tiri is, once again, the only character in the whole series who does these things. in s1, rapunzel does occasionally try to be emotionally supportive of cassandra - under raps and big brothers of corona are the big examples here - but the way she goes about it tends to do more harm than good. in UR she runs roughshod over cassandra’s clearly stated boundaries and continually escalates to the point of actual literal stalking; in BBoC she utterly disregards cassandra’s statements vis a vis how rapunzel can help in favor of doing a bunch of other things that rapunzel thinks cass should want, and in the process she actively interferes with cassandra’s rest and makes her recovery experience worse.

in contrast, zhan tiri gets it. she is absolutely correct in her perception of the situation: cassandra has been trapped in this pattern of inferiority to rapunzel her whole life. her mother abandoned her for rapunzel, and everyone in her life now is willing to sacrifice cassandra’s needs, her feelings, her physical health on the altar of Rapunzel’s Destiny, and that will never change if she continues on as she has been. and... if cass tried to simply leave, by herself, do you really, truly, honestly think rapunzel would let her go?

she feels trapped because she is trapped, and she’s desperate for a way out, and zhan tiri sees that, understands that, and most important of all, shows her a way out.

so like

when she walked through that door in the house of yesterday’s tomorrow cassandra was a heap of emotional pain and unfulfilled emotional needs—for respect, for compassion, for basic consideration of her boundaries, for someone to see how much she’s hurting, for space to feel things without being asked to sacrifice more of herself for somebody else, for someone to care about her and what she needs and thinks and feels and wants, for an escape from the toxic inescapable dumpster fire of her life—and in the space of maybe a couple hours zhan tiri answered every. single. one. 

cassandra entered this situation expecting trouble, and instead she got someone treating her with dignity and compassion for the first time ever sO OF COURSE CASSANDRA TRUSTS HER!!

it beggars belief that the show expects me to believe she never bothered to ask what her new friend’s name was between this point and OAH, and yes, if cass were in a healthier place or surrounded by less toxic people then i’m sure she’d be more inclined to be suspicious of the weird little ghost child who reached into her head and pulled out a suppressed memory. but nevertheless it does, in fact, make sense for cass to conclude after this experience that blue is trustworthy and really does care about her and is a better friend to her than rapunzel. 

tts was allergic to acknowledging the legitimacy of cassandra’s grievances in any way after s2 and refused to allow zhan tiri even a modicum of depth as a character so the vast majority of their relationship exists off-screen, which is, yes, deeply frustrating and does a huge disservice to both characters and to the overarching plot of the season. but “why would cass trust her?” is a question the series answers, on screen, in spades. 

[mishasminion360]

Here Comes the Boom

Pairing: Javier Peña x Fem!Reader

Warning: Language

Notes: This is a sequel to my fic “This Feeling Has a Name”. That fic was supposed to be a one shot, but I received some very positive feedback inquiring about more, so I figured ‘what the heck!’ I hope you enjoy this installment as much as the first. Thank you for all your likes, love, and support. Also, stay tuned because I have a major Mandalorian fic in the works.

Since the night you ended your relationship (such as it was) you’d avoided Javier Peña like the plague. Not an easy thing to do considering you worked in the same building. Anytime the two of you made eye contact, you’d quickly duck out of the room or strike up a conversation with some poor, unsuspecting co-worker before Javi could corner you.

You’d gone as far as to request a transfer, but the powers that be were dragging their feet through the sea of paperwork. For now you’d just have to grin and bare it to the best of your ability.

You reassured yourself over and over again that putting some much needed distance between you and Peña was the wisest move; you repeated it like a mantra in your head. You practically meditated on the thought, like the fucking Buddha.

Your brain was firmly planted in reality, but your heart, God damn it, still needed a little more convincing. It was still nestled comfortably in Javier’s hands.

When you were certain he wasn’t looking, your eyes would lock onto him across the room. They would gaze. They would linger. And you would yearn. You’d walk past his empty desk and your fingers would unconsciously reach out to graze the smooth leather of his jacket draped over the back of his chair. The same jacket he’d once wrapped around your shoulders.

It was undeniable: you’d been bitten by the proverbial love bug and were sick as hell, and there was no cure. You worked in the same room as some of the most brilliant, tactful minds on the planet, so you knew there was no hiding your condition for long. And, of course, Steve Murphy was the first to figure it out.

“What the hell did Javi do now?” he asked you point blank, cornering you at the water cooler.

“What do you mean?” you asked, trying to feign ignorance and failing miserably.

“Well, he’s been more of a bastard than usual and I figured it had something to do with you. And if something did happen between you two, because it’s always the safe bet, I could only imagine that Javi fucked up royally. So, I ask again: what did he do?”

You gulped down your water, wishing it was something stronger, and tossed the cup.

“Why do you assume his bullshit has anything to do with me?”

A ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of Murphy’s mouth.

“Because nothing gets him more worked up than you.”

You knew it was meant as a compliment, but you tried desperately not to see it that way.

“We’re hunting Pablo fucking Escobar, darlin’. One of the most dangerous criminal, dare I say masterminds, in all of Colombia, potentially the world. But not even this motherfucker has been able to get under Javi’s skin the way you have. And don’t think I haven’t noticed.”

Of course Steve noticed. Because you were so damn obvious. You were ashamed and embarrassed of your unprofessionalism, but you couldn’t blame that on Javier Peña. Your feelings and the resulting behaviors of said feelings were your own.

“The relationship had run its course, Steve, so I ended it. That’s it. We’re adults, adults break up. If Javi is insisting on taking it like a child, that’s on him.”

You return to your desk and attempt to lose yourself in paperwork. You know Steve wants to say more; the silence that follows is pregnant with his unvoiced questions, thoughts and opinions. Fortunately for you he’s wise enough to keep them all to himself.

“Hang in there,” he mumbles, patting your shoulder in a brief gesture of support before striding off.

***

You finish drying your hands and you’re about to exit the ladies room when suddenly the door flies open and in storms Javier.

“Shit!” you exclaim, both startled and a bit disgusted at the lengths he would go to just to confront you.

“We need to talk,” he grumbles, standing between you and the door.

“We have nothing to talk about, Javier, and certainly not here of all places!”

Just then one of the receptionists attempts to enter the restroom, doing a double take when she notices Javier.

“Go find another bathroom,” he barks at the wide eyed young woman.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Peña?” she snaps.

“OUT!” he roars. She doesn’t need to be told twice.

For good measure he locks the door behind her, and the two of you are officially alone. Even in the enclosed space, you try to put as much distance between the two of you as physically possible.

Javier let’s out a frustrated breath as he runs a hand over his face and through his hair.

“I know it’s the last thing you want to do, but I need you to listen to me. Just listen to me. Okay?”

Your heart is thudding in your ears but you attempt to play it cool by crossing your arms and leaning back against the sink.

“I’m listening.”

Javi took a deep breath then began again.

“You know I’m not the best at showing emotion-“

You cut him off with a laugh.

“You just screamed a poor woman out of this bathroom and you say you’re no good at showing emotion?”

You could see the anger boiling up inside him once again, but he closed his eyes, took a breath, tamped it down, and continued.

“I don’t typically get close to people, alright? I don’t usually do relationships, friendly or otherwise. What you and I have...”

You shot him a pointed look at the same instant he caught his mistake.

“Had ,” he corrected. “That’s usually the extent of my emotional attachment.”

You snickered a bit. “I sure as hell hope Steve is enjoying it while it lasts, then.”

“God dammit, I’m trying to be serious here!”

“Now you want to get serious?”

That may have been a poor choice of words. Actually, goading him on while he was obviously upset may have been one big bad idea on your part, because in a flash Javier was crushing his body to yours and shackling your wrists in his hands. He was so close that you could feel the heat from his skin burning your own. Or maybe that was your own.

He took a second to recollect himself, but he didn’t release his grip on you. In that moment you didn’t mind.

“Just who the hell said I didn’t love you, huh?”

His entire body was like an angry storm: his pounding heart was thunder, and his words struck you like lightening. But his eyes, just like that of any other tempest, were calm. And as you gazed into them your fear was washed away, as if by rain.

“You did,” you whispered. “You told me, Javi, that love wasn’t your thing. You warned me when we first started seeing each other, and you just said it again now. Don’t you even hear yourself when you talk?”

He didn’t say anything, only swallowed painfully over the lump in his throat.

“I get it, Javier, okay? This is not my first time being with someone like you. I know there are people out there who just can’t stand the idea of love and relationships, and there’s nothing wrong with that. To each their own right?”

He seemed frozen so you took the opportunity to release yourself from his grasp and lower his arms to his sides.

“That doesn’t make you a bad guy, Javier. You don’t have to apologize for being who you are. You don’t ever have to apologize for that.”

You looked away as angry, self conscious tears filled your eyes.

“I’m the one who should be sorry, Javier. I’m sorry that I wasn’t more careful. I’m sorry I didn’t take your warning to heart.”

Before you even realized what you were doing, you brought your hand gently to his face. This could, would, be the last time you ever touched him, and because he probably understood that all too well he reached up and placed his hand atop yours, pressing it harder against his cheek.

“I’m sorry I fell in love with you, Javi.”

You saw his eyes go painfully wide as you slipped from his hold and made your way around him, not sparing a single look back as you left the restroom. You didn’t see him punch the mirror, but you heard the glass shatter from the other side of the door.

Wiping angrily at your eyes, you hastily retrieved your jacket and purse from your desk and tapped Steve on the shoulder on your way out.

“Tell the boss I’m leaving early,” you said, and if Steve was going to protest you didn’t give him the chance. You were as good as gone.

***

The next day you called in sick. For one day, just one lousy fucking day, you wanted to be alone to drown your thoughts under a stack of paperwork a mile high. You told the boss not to call and bother you unless your transfer request had gone through.

But as luck would have it, you picked the wrong fucking day to stay home.

One second you were skimming page after page of Escobar’s dossier, the next the pages were fluttering in the air like confidential snowflakes, launched skyward by the force of the explosion that rocked your apartment and the shops below.

@mamacitapascal @obsessivelysearching