#so if i accidentally copied someone else my apologies.

[coleomegilla-maculata]

Textpost Time B)

[kayewrite]

Accidentally in Love

Bangchan x reader!!! chan x reader!! word count: 10.1k

genre: fluff and a little bit of angst. strangers to lovers!!

Summary: You were so careless. You always caught accidents!-- but then you met chan-- accidentally, was is still because of your carelessness? then.. you should do it again.

an: i know today was our midterms week but then why i cannot help but to post TT. anyways. please read it <3

What’s an accident?

Well, an accident is when you’re crossing the street, minding your own business, and suddenly a biker flips over because you may have accidentally stepped into the bike lane without noticing. “Sorry!” you call out, but honestly, how do you apologize for something so awkward?

Or maybe an accident is when you try to send a selfie to your best friend to show off your new hair, but you mistype the number and end up sending it to your mom’s boss. Now they have a picture of your duck face saved on their phone, and your mom will never let you live it down.

Oh, and don’t forget that one time you were playing catch, and somehow the ball decided to fly out of your hand in the completely wrong direction and smack someone in the face. “Oops!” isn’t going to make that less embarrassing.

These were all accidents, but honestly, you’ve started to notice a pattern here: you’re a little careless. Scratch that—you’re very careless. So careless, in fact, that even the simplest things seem to go wrong.

And now, thanks to all these accidental mess-ups, you’ve become so self-conscious that you’re a little too shy to even attempt anything without worrying you’ll mess it up.

“Ms. Kim, I swear it was an accident!” you practically begged, standing in front of your English teacher with wide, apologetic eyes. You had no assignment to present because, well… your homework somehow ended up floating in the school fountain. It had looked so promising this morning. Until it went for a swim.

Ms. Kim raised an eyebrow, but after a long sigh, she gave you a sympathetic look. “Alright, I’ll forgive you this time. But try to be more careful.”

“Yes, Ms. Kim! I promise! Thank you, and I’m so sorry again!” You rushed back to your seat, hoping to avoid further embarrassment, but of course, your best friend Chae was waiting with a grin that told you she’d witnessed the entire thing.

“I’m never going to let you live this down, you know,” she teased, leaning over with a wicked smirk.

You rolled your eyes dramatically. “Haha, very funny.”

Chae laughed. “You know, you could’ve just copied my assignment if you’d told me earlier.”

You let out a huff. “It was supposed to be an original poem, Chae. I’m reminding you for the hundredth time!”

“Oh, right.” She waved it off with a laugh, clearly enjoying your misfortune.

The class finally ended, and you and Chae headed to the cafeteria, where the usual chaos of students trying to grab food filled the air. Trays clattered, voices overlapped, and the smell of fried food lingered as you navigated through the bustling crowd. You had your tray of food in hand, carefully balancing it as if it were the most delicate thing in the world.

“Please, not today,” you whispered to yourself, praying that for once, nothing would go wrong.

But of course, in classic "you" fashion, the universe wasn’t going to let you off that easily.

Just as you turned a corner, completely zoned out, you collided with someone walking in the opposite direction. BAM. The impact sent your tray flying. You could only watch in horror as your drink splashed all over the guy’s shirt. Food scattered everywhere, some of it landing on his shoes.

“Oh my gosh!” you shrieked, nearly dropping everything else in your hands. Napkins, where are the napkins? You grabbed a bunch from your tray, your hands trembling as you tried to wipe the stain off his uniform. “I’m so, so sorry! I didn’t mean to—I swear I wasn’t looking! Oh no, look what I did…”

The guy looked down at his soaked shirt, momentarily surprised. His hair had a few strands out of place, but despite the mess, his face softened. He didn’t seem angry at all, which only made you feel worse.

“It’s okay,” he said gently, offering you a small, reassuring smile. His voice was calm, like he was trying to stop a nervous kitten from freaking out. “Really. It was just an accident.”

But you were beyond saving at this point. Your heart was hammering, and your hands wouldn’t stop shaking as you dabbed at his shirt, which now looked worse with the blotchy wet patches.

“No, no! This is my fault. I’m so sorry! I’ll fix it, I promise. I’ll wash it for you! Let me make it right!” Your voice came out in a frantic rush as you looked up at him, your eyes wide and pleading.

The guy chuckled softly, shaking his head. “You don’t have to do that. I have an extra shirt in my locker.”

“But it’s my fault!” you insisted, still dabbing uselessly at his uniform. Your eyes welled up with frustration—how could you be so careless? Again?! This was just like all the other times where accidents seemed to follow you, and this time it wasn’t just a ruined poem or a floating homework assignment. You had ruined someone’s day.

He noticed your teary eyes and sighed, his smile turning a little softer. “Look, I promise, it’s fine. I can handle a little spill.”

But your guilt wouldn’t let you accept that. “No! I—I can’t let it go like this. You don’t understand! I’ll feel terrible all day.” Without waiting for him to protest further, you grabbed his arm and gently tugged him in the direction of the nearest comfort room. “Please, let me fix this.”

His eyes widened in surprise at how determined you were. “Wait, what? Where are we going?”

“To fix your shirt!” you declared, leading him away as if it was a life-or-death mission. You handed him your jacket to cover the stain, holding it up like a shield in front of him. “You can’t walk around like this! It’s—ugh, I feel so bad. What’s your locker number?”

He laughed at how serious you were. “Arts department. But really, this is too much.”

Your head whipped around to look at him. “Arts department? No way! Mine too!” Your eyes widened in realization.

How had you never noticed him before? How could someone like him, with that gentle smile and calm voice, be so… handsome? You couldn’t stop staring at him, and suddenly, you felt even more flustered.

When you reached his locker, he pulled out a clean shirt. “See? I’m all set now. You can go back and eat,” he said, trying to brush it off, but you were having none of it.

“Absolutely not!” you said, crossing your arms in defiance. “I’m not leaving until I make sure everything is fixed.”

He let out another laugh, shaking his head at your stubbornness. “You’re really not going to let this go, huh?”

“Nope,” you replied firmly, standing your ground. He seemed amused by your persistence, but also a little impressed.

As you walked toward the comfort room, he glanced at you. “You know you left your food behind, right?”

“It’s fine,” you muttered, though your stomach betrayed you by grumbling at that exact moment. You cringed, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

He chuckled, his voice light and teasing. “Sounds like your stomach disagrees.”

You couldn’t help but smile a little despite your guilt. His laughter was contagious, and even though you were still panicking inside, something about his calmness was starting to settle your nerves.

By the time you reached the comfort room, you had relaxed enough to have a normal conversation. “Why are you so calm about this?” you asked as he went inside to change. “If someone did this to me, I’d be freaking out.”

“I’ve had worse accidents happen,” he called from inside, his voice echoing slightly. “This is nothing.”

You paced outside, tapping your foot nervously. Worse accidents? What could possibly be worse than having your entire lunch dumped on you? You shook your head, trying to calm yourself down.

When he finally came out, you froze. Time seemed to slow down as he ran a hand through his wet hair, his clean shirt clinging to his frame. The droplets of water sliding down his neck caught the light, making him look… well, really good. Your heart skipped a beat, and before you knew it, it was racing like it was trying to tell you something you weren’t quite ready to hear.

“See? All fixed,” he said, flashing that same comforting smile.

You nodded, but your thoughts were far from calm. Why is my heart doing this? It was as if everything about this moment was trying to make you notice something you’d never felt before. Something fluttery and confusing, but undeniably there.

You got quiet for a moment, staring up at him, completely lost in thought. His wet hair, the way his shirt clung to him, that easy smile—it was like everything else around you blurred, and for just a second, you forgot where you were.

“Hello? Earth to you?” he teased, snapping his fingers in front of your face.

You blinked, snapping out of your daze. “Oh! Uh, right, yes. It’s done,” you mumbled awkwardly, stepping back and fumbling with the sleeves of your jacket. Your face felt like it was on fire, and you wished you could disappear right then and there.

He laughed, a soft, easy sound that made your heart skip a beat again. “You sure? You look a little lost.”

“No, no! I’m totally fine!” you said, waving your hands in front of you. “I can go now.”

Before you could make your great escape, he stepped closer, extending his hand toward you with that same amused smile.

“I’m Chan, by the way,” he said, his hand hanging in the air between you two.

For a moment, you just stared at his outstretched hand, your brain working overtime to process what was happening. Chan. His name is Chan. You reached out slowly, feeling the warmth of his hand as your fingers met his.

Your voice barely came out, still a little shaken from the chaos of the last few minutes. “I—I’m…”

He raised an eyebrow, waiting patiently.

“I’m… just really sorry again,” you blurted out, completely missing the introduction moment, but he only laughed more, shaking your hand.

“Nice to meet you, really sorry,” he joked, his smile growing wider.

You felt your cheeks heat up even more. “No, no! I mean, I’m—” You cleared your throat, trying to gather your thoughts. “I’m y/n.”

His eyes sparkled with amusement. “Well, y/n , it’s nice to meet you too. Even under… interesting circumstances.”

You couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, the tension starting to lift. “Yeah… sorry about the whole… you know.”

He waved it off like it was nothing. “Trust me, this is one of the more entertaining things that’s happened to me this week.”

You smiled, feeling a little more at ease. He was so easygoing, so calm, and it made the situation feel less like a disaster and more like a… funny mishap. You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding, feeling the weight of your guilt finally easing up.

But as you looked at him again, standing there, smiling at you like this was the most natural thing in the world, that flutter in your chest returned. Why am I still nervous?

“Hey,” Chan said, breaking your train of thought. “If it makes you feel better, I’m glad we bumped into each other.” He winked playfully, and before you could respond, he added, “I mean, now I know there’s someone who cares enough to make sure my shirt’s spotless.”

You bit your lip, trying not to smile too widely. “Yeah, well… I couldn’t just leave you like that.”

Chan grinned, giving you a quick nod. “I appreciate it. Anyway, I’ll see you around, y/n.”

And just like that, he turned to leave, but something inside you wanted to stop him. You stood there for a moment, watching as he walked away, your mind still reeling from everything that had just happened.

What just happened? You thought as you absently touched your hand where his had been moments ago.

Days passed, and you went back to your usual routine as the good student you were—well, the good student who occasionally made accidents. You submitted your assignments on time, participated in class, and did everything as you should. But no matter how busy you were, there was always a lingering thought in the back of your mind. A name that kept coming back to you: Chan.

After that incident in the cafeteria, you hadn’t seen him again. It was as if he’d vanished into thin air, leaving you with nothing but the memory of his laugh and that smile. You weren’t sure why you kept thinking about him. It wasn’t like anything major had happened, right? Just an accident. And yet…

“Your drawing is really nice,” Jeongin’s voice snapped you back to reality. He leaned over, studying your work on the easel with an approving nod.

You blinked, looking at your painting. It was your class in the arts department, and you’d been lost in thought, working quietly. But now that you looked at what you’d painted, your eyes widened.

It was a man. A man with soft features, standing against a background of delicate flowers. The detail in his face, the way his eyes seemed to hold a quiet kindness… it hit you like a ton of bricks. Chan. You painted Chan.

“What—” you muttered, staring in disbelief. “Did I just…?”

You turned to Jeongin, who was giving you a confused look. “What’s wrong? Did you paint that by accident or something?” he teased, not realizing how spot on he was.

Your face flushed. “I—uh—no, it’s just…”

“Come on, it looks really good,” Jeongin said with a grin. “You should be proud of it.”

You laughed nervously. How did I not realize I was painting him? You thought, staring at the canvas. The flowers around him gave the whole thing an almost dreamlike quality, and the expression on his face was so familiar it made your stomach flip. What is wrong with me?

Before you could process it, the teacher walked around the room, acknowledging everyone’s work. “Alright, class, it’s time for everyone to explain their paintings,” she announced, clapping her hands to gather everyone’s attention.

Oh no. You glanced at your painting again, heart racing. How were you going to explain this?

As each student took their turn, you grew more and more anxious. And when it was finally your turn, you stood in front of the class, staring at the painting as if it might offer you some kind of excuse for what you’d done.

“So,” the teacher prompted, “tell us about your work.”

You swallowed hard, gripping your hands together. “Uh, well… this is a… um…” You stuttered, completely lost for words. What do I say?!

Jeongin, sitting in the back, raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by your nervousness.

“I—uh, I painted a man,” you started lamely, feeling the heat rising in your cheeks. “With, um… flowers.” Great. Very insightful.

The class waited, but you had no idea how to continue. “The flowers are, um… a representation of…” Oh no, why did I paint flowers? You stared at them, desperately trying to come up with something meaningful to say.

“…of how fragile and… fleeting moments can be?” you mumbled, hoping it sounded deep. You heard a few murmurs of approval from your classmates, and you exhaled in relief. Okay, not bad so far.

“And the man?” the teacher asked, her head tilted as she studied your work.

You froze. The man. Oh no.

“I, uh, I didn’t really plan on… painting him. He just… kind of happened?” You winced at your own explanation. The teacher raised an eyebrow, but thankfully, she didn’t press further.

“Well,” she said after a pause, “it’s beautifully done. Accidental or not, you’ve captured a lot of emotion here.”

You nodded stiffly, trying to suppress the rising panic inside you. Emotion? I didn’t even realize I was painting Chan!

As you sat back down, Jeongin leaned over with a smirk. “So… did the flowers represent how ‘fleeting’ your accidental crush is?” he teased, wiggling his eyebrows at you.

You groaned, burying your face in your hands. “I don’t have a crush!”

“Uh-huh. Sure,” he said with a knowing grin. “You keep telling yourself that.”

One day, as you were walking down the hallway, your arms full of books and your mind racing, you couldn’t stop mumbling to yourself. The upcoming oral examination was consuming your thoughts, and you found yourself counting the names of famous artists on your fingers, trying to memorize them.

“Okay, Picasso… Monet… Van Gogh… oh, and Da Vinci…” you muttered, completely focused on your mental checklist.

Just as you rounded a corner, you collided with someone. Your books flew out of your hands, scattering across the floor with a loud thud. “Oh no! I’m so sorry!” you blurted out, dropping to your knees to gather your belongings.

“Hey, it’s fine!” a familiar voice replied. You glanced up, and your heart skipped a beat. It was Chan.

“We meet again,” he said, a playful smile lighting up his face as he helped you collect your scattered books.

“Wow, what are the odds?” you replied, still a bit in shock. “It seems we have a knack for bumping into each other… literally.” You couldn’t help but laugh, a bit embarrassed by the situation.

He chuckled, his laughter warm and inviting. “Yeah, at this rate, we might as well call it fate,” he joked, handing you the last of your books.

You stood up, brushing off your pants and trying to regain your composure. “This time, I was so focused on artists that I completely forgot to look where I was going,” you admitted, a sheepish grin on your face. “What about you? Are you just wandering the hallways, waiting for your next accidental encounter?”

Chan raised an eyebrow, pretending to think. “Maybe I’m just here to collect the most interesting stories,” he replied, a teasing glint in his eyes. “And you, my friend, seem to be a goldmine.”

You felt a rush of warmth at his words, a playful banter sparking between you. “Well, if that’s the case, I should probably start charging you for my accidental stories,” you shot back, enjoying the lightness of the moment.

“I’m all for it,” he said, crossing his arms and leaning slightly against the wall, making himself comfortable. “So, what else do you have planned for today, besides running into me?”

You hesitated, your nerves creeping back as you remembered your oral exam. “Just… trying to survive this exam,” you admitted, biting your lip. “I have to present on famous artists, and I keep mixing up their names.”

Chan’s expression softened, and he nodded in understanding. “You’ll be great, I’m sure. If you want, I can help you practice later. I mean, I have some free time in the arts department.”

Your heart skipped a beat. Did he just offer to help me? “Really? That would be amazing! I could definitely use some backup,” you replied, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves.

“Perfect! Just let me know when you’re ready,” he said, flashing that signature smile that made your heart race. “And try not to bump into anyone else on your way to the exam, okay?”

You laughed again, feeling lighter than you had all day. “No promises! I might have a talent for accidents.”

With a final wave, he turned to leave, and you couldn’t shake the feeling that this encounter was different—something more than just another accident. Your thoughts raced as you watched him walk away, the hallway buzzing with energy. You had a lot to prepare for, but suddenly, the day felt a little brighter.

As the days passed, you found yourself wishing for those unexpected encounters with Chan every time you walked through the hallways. Maybe if I just keep my eyes peeled… But it seemed like the universe had a sense of humor; you only ever bumped into him when you least expected it—just like the last time.

Today, you were on a mission. You needed a specific art book for your upcoming project, and, of course, it was stored on the highest shelf in the library. Determined to get your hands on it, you made your way to the stairs, your heart racing with the hope that maybe, just maybe, you’d see him again.

You climbed the stairs, reaching for the book that was tantalizingly out of reach. Just as you stretched your arm up, your foot slipped slightly on the step, and in a split second, you stumbled backward, teetering precariously.

“Whoa!” a familiar voice called out, and before you could process it, Chan was right there, steadying you with a firm grip on your arm. “Careful there! Looks like you’re trying to give gravity a run for its money.”

You blinked in surprise, your heart pounding—not just from the near mishap but from his unexpected presence. “Chan! I didn’t see you there!” you exclaimed, feeling your cheeks heat up.

“Clearly,” he replied, his lips curving into that teasing smile that always made your heart skip. “What’s the goal here? Trying to become a librarian superhero?”

You laughed, shaking your head. “No, I was just trying to get this book.” You gestured to the high shelf, and he raised an eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes.

“Do you need a hand?” he offered, glancing up at the shelf. “I’m pretty sure I can reach that without turning it into a circus act.”

You nodded, grateful for his help. “That would be amazing! I think I’d break the library record for most accidents in one visit if I tried again.”

As he stepped closer to the shelf, you couldn’t help but admire the way he moved with ease. He reached up, effortlessly grabbing the book and handing it to you. “Here you go, the hero of the day.”

You took the book from him, your fingers brushing against his for just a moment. “Thank you! You’ve saved my day.”

He shrugged, playfully nonchalant. “Just doing my part to help a fellow artist avoid disaster.” There was a pause, and you both shared a laugh, the air between you crackling with an easy connection.

“So, what’s this one about?” he asked, glancing at the cover.

“It’s about different art movements throughout history,” you said, opening the book to show him some of the illustrations. “I thought it would help with my project, but I got sidetracked with all the high shelves.”

“Maybe we should have a study session later,” he suggested, leaning casually against the shelf, making it seem like the most natural thing in the world. “I can help you brainstorm some ideas, and we can avoid any more… accidents.”

You felt a flutter of excitement in your chest. “That sounds great! I’d love the company.”

“Perfect! Just let me know when you’re free,” he replied, flashing that charming smile again. “And try not to climb any more shelves in the meantime.”

As you watched him leave, you couldn’t help but smile to yourself. Each accidental encounter felt like a step closer to something more, and you found yourself wishing that every day could be filled with these little moments.

You were placing your things in your locker one day when you noticed him—Chan—just a few lockers down. Your heart fluttered at the sight of him, and you couldn’t help but smile as you organized your books.

This time, it felt different. You weren’t colliding into him by chance; you were actually seeing him on purpose. “Hi!” you greeted, your voice brighter than you intended.

“Hello,” he replied, his eyes lighting up at the sight of you.

You hesitated for a moment, a thousand thoughts racing through your mind. Finally, you took a breath and said, “Do you have time today? I’m going to brainstorm some ideas for my project at a café.”

He paused, considering it for a moment. “I have lots of time,” he said, a grin spreading across his face. “What café are you thinking of?”

You felt a rush of excitement at his eagerness. “There’s that little one down the street, the one with the comfy chairs and those amazing pastries,” you said, your enthusiasm bubbling over. “I could really use a fresh perspective.”

“Sounds perfect. I’m in,” he said, closing his locker and leaning against it casually. “When do you want to head over?”

“Right now?” you suggested, feeling a little nervous but also thrilled at the idea of spending more time with him. “I have my books, and I could really use some caffeine to kickstart my creativity.”

“Let’s do it!” he replied, his enthusiasm contagious. He gestured for you to lead the way, and as you walked side by side down the hallway, you couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness.

As you exited the school, the warm sunlight enveloped you, and the hustle and bustle of the outside world filled your ears. You glanced at Chan, who walked with an easy confidence. “So, what do you want to brainstorm about?” he asked, looking over at you with genuine interest.

“Well, I’m thinking about how to blend different art movements for my project. I want to create something that reflects both modern and classical styles,” you explained, your thoughts starting to flow.

“I love that idea!” he said, nodding enthusiastically. “You could play with color palettes and textures from different eras. That could really bring your piece to life.”

As you talked, you found yourself more at ease with each passing moment. The café came into view, and you felt a rush of anticipation. “Here it is! I hope they still have those pastries,” you said, glancing up at the sign.

“Oh, they do. Trust me, I’ve been here enough to know their secret menu,” he said with a mischievous grin. “You’re in for a treat.”

Once inside, you ordered your drinks and pastries, and found a cozy table by the window. The atmosphere buzzed with the sound of chatter and clinking cups, adding to the warmth of the moment.

You both settled in, and as you opened your notebook to jot down ideas, you felt a thrill of inspiration rush through you. “Okay, let’s brainstorm!” you said, eager to dive into your project with Chan by your side.

His presence made everything feel easier, and as you exchanged ideas, laughter, and stories, you couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the start of something wonderful—something that wasn’t just an accident.

Ever since that day, meeting Chan had become the most exciting part of your routine. Each moment spent with him made your heart race, and the days felt brighter.

“Thank you so much! My project received a nice grade,” you said, your eyes sparkling with gratitude.

“You deserve it,” Chan replied, his smile warm and encouraging. “Your hard work really paid off.”

Feeling a rush of happiness, you mustered the courage to ask, “Are you free today? I want to treat you to something nice to say thanks.”

Chan tilted his head, considering. “I have something to do, but who would let a free meal pass by?” He chuckled, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

“Perfect! Let’s go to that new restaurant that just opened downtown. I’ve heard they have amazing food,” you suggested, unable to contain your excitement.

“Lead the way!” he said, his enthusiasm matching yours.

As you made your way to the restaurant, the atmosphere buzzed with energy. The sun was shining brightly, and the warm breeze wrapped around you, making everything feel perfect.

Once you arrived, the tantalizing aroma of delicious dishes greeted you at the door. You both stepped inside, and after being seated at a cozy table, you glanced over the menu.

“Everything looks so good! I don’t even know where to start,” you said, biting your lip in indecision.

“Let’s order a bunch of things to share. It’s more fun that way!” Chan suggested, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

You both decided on a variety of dishes, and as you waited for the food, the conversation flowed effortlessly. You talked about everything—your favorite movies, music, and even your childhood dreams.

“I wanted to be an astronaut for the longest time,” Chan admitted with a laugh. “But then I realized I get dizzy just from spinning around in circles. So much for that dream!”

You laughed, picturing him in a space suit, and then replied, “At least you’re realistic! I wanted to be an artist, but then I discovered I’m more of a ‘creative disaster’ than anything else.”

“Hey, you’re an amazing artist! Look at that project of yours,” he said, gesturing to your notebook resting on the table. “It shows how creative you really are.”

You felt your cheeks warm at his compliment. “Thanks, Chan. That means a lot coming from you.”

Just then, the server arrived with a feast of colorful dishes, and the two of you dove in, sharing bites and savoring each flavor. Laughter filled the air as you both shared stories and friendly banter, each moment deepening your connection.

“This is the best meal I’ve had in ages,” you said between bites, a satisfied grin on your face.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it! I have to admit, I was a little worried you wouldn’t want to hang out with me again after our first ‘accidental’ meeting,” Chan said, a teasing tone in his voice.

“Are you kidding? Those accidents turned out to be the best thing that’s happened to me!” you replied, your heart racing at the thought of how lucky you felt.

As you continued to eat, you realized that these moments with Chan were becoming something you looked forward to every day. The laughter, the food, and the warmth of his presence made you feel alive. And you couldn’t help but wonder where this unexpected journey with him might lead.

One day, as you were walking down the hallway, your heart raced at the thought of bumping into Chan again—not literally bumping, of course. You kept glancing around the corners, hoping to catch a glimpse of him, and your smile widened when you finally spotted him at the end of the hall.

He was really handsome, and the way he brushed his hair back only added to his charm. Without thinking, you picked up your pace, practically running to him.

“Hi!” you exclaimed, trying to catch your breath.

“Hey there!” Chan replied, his face lighting up at your enthusiasm.

“What are you up to?” you asked, trying to sound casual even though you were bursting with excitement at seeing him again.

“I’m working on a project for my photography class,” he explained, adjusting the camera strap slung over his shoulder. “Just trying to find some inspiration.”

“Do you need help?” you offered, eager to spend more time with him.

“Yeah, that would be awesome! Thank you!” he said, visibly relieved.

You both decided to head to the nearest park, where Chan could take pictures of the vibrant scenery. As you arrived, the sun peeked through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The air was fresh and filled with the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves.

You watched as he captured shots of the flowers blooming, the trees swaying in the gentle breeze, and the ducks swimming lazily in the pond. Every now and then, you noticed his brows furrowing in concentration as he reviewed the images.

“Are you happy with those?” you asked, stepping closer to him.

“Not quite,” he admitted, letting out a sigh. “It just feels like something is missing.”

“Maybe try capturing something more candid,” you suggested, trying to help. “Like when someone is laughing or playing in the park. Those moments can tell a story.”

Chan looked at you with a spark of inspiration in his eyes. “That’s a great idea! Let’s wait for some people to come by and see what happens.”

As you both waited, you continued to chat and joke around, enjoying each other’s company. Finally, a group of children ran past, laughing and chasing each other. Chan’s camera clicked rapidly as he captured their joyful energy.

“See? That’s the kind of moment I was talking about!” you said, beaming at him.

“I see it now! Thank you for your help!” Chan said, his eyes shining with excitement. “You really have a good eye for this.”

You felt a warm rush of pride at his compliment, and as you watched him work, you couldn’t help but admire how passionate he was about photography.

After taking several more pictures, Chan turned to you, a grin spreading across his face. “Let’s get a picture of us together! It’ll be a fun memory.”

“Oh, I don’t know…” you said, feeling a mix of excitement and shyness.

“Come on! It’ll be great. Plus, I need to document our collaboration,” he insisted, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

You relented, and he set the timer on his camera before rushing back to stand beside you. As the camera clicked, you both laughed, and you felt a warmth in your heart that made you forget your nerves.

“Perfect!” Chan said, reviewing the picture. “We look awesome together.”

You felt your cheeks flush at the compliment, and for a moment, everything around you faded away, leaving just the two of you and the budding connection that was blossoming. You couldn’t shake the feeling that this day was just another beautiful accident that led you closer to Chan.

It was midterms day, and the library buzzed with the nervous energy of students cramming for their exams. You sat at a table piled high with notes, textbooks, and a half-empty coffee cup, trying to absorb as much information as possible.

Suddenly, you felt a presence beside you. You looked up to see Chan sliding into the chair next to yours, his backpack slung over one shoulder. “Hey, ready for this?” he asked, a playful glint in his eyes.

“Not even close,” you admitted, running a hand through your hair in frustration. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around all this material.”

“Need a study buddy?” he offered, pulling out his own notes. “I could use a break from memorizing everything too. We can help each other out!”

“Sure, that sounds great!” you replied, relieved to have his company.

As the two of you delved into your notes, discussing concepts and quizzing each other, the atmosphere shifted from one of stress to camaraderie. With every question Chan asked, your confidence grew, and soon you found yourself explaining things more clearly.

“Wow, you really know your stuff!” Chan remarked, his expression genuinely impressed.

You felt a blush creeping up your cheeks at the compliment. “Thanks! I guess all the late nights are finally paying off,” you said, trying to play it cool.

After a couple of hours of intense studying, you both took a break, stretching and grabbing a quick snack from the café. As you were chatting and laughing, a group of your friends passed by and stopped to gawk at the scene.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” one of your friends asked, raising an eyebrow. “Are you two… studying together?”

“Yeah, just helping each other out,” you said, trying to sound casual, but your heart raced at their teasing tone.

Your friend nudged you playfully. “Helping each other out? Is that all?” They smirked knowingly.

“Uh, he’s just a friend,” you stammered, suddenly unsure of how to explain your connection to Chan. The truth was, he felt like more than just a friend, but you didn’t know how to articulate that.

“Sure, a friend,” your friend teased, winking at you. “It looks like there’s something more going on!”

Chan chuckled, clearly amused by the situation, and you felt a rush of embarrassment at the attention. “We really are just studying,” he assured them, his tone light and playful.

“Okay, okay,” your friend said, holding up their hands in mock surrender. “We’ll let you two get back to it. But don’t forget to let us know when you finally admit it!”

As they walked away, you couldn’t help but glance at Chan, who was still smiling at the exchange. “Sorry about that,” you said, feeling a mix of embarrassment and nervousness. “I didn’t mean to make it seem like… well, you know.”

Chan shook his head, still grinning. “Don’t worry about it. I mean, it is nice to spend time with you. We make a good team.”

You felt a warmth spread through your chest at his words. “Yeah, we really do,” you agreed, a soft smile creeping onto your face.

As you settled back into your study session, the moment hung in the air between you—a promise of something more than just friendship, waiting to be explored.

The midterms had drained you completely. The lack of sleep and the stress from weeks of studying had finally taken their toll. You promised yourself that after the last exam, you would treat yourself to a good night’s sleep and a juicy steak—something to celebrate the end of your academic agony.

When the final exam wrapped up, a rush of exhilaration surged through you. You couldn’t help but throw your papers into the air, your laughter mingling with that of your friends. It was a celebration—freedom at last!

“Who’s ready to party?” one of your friends shouted, and the group erupted into cheers.

“I’m calling Chan!” you exclaimed, feeling a burst of happiness. You pulled out your phone, dialing his number, but after a few rings, it went to voicemail. You frowned, thinking he must be busy with his own post-exam plans. Shrugging it off, you put your phone away and joined your friends, who were already dancing to the music blasting from the speakers.

That night, you found yourself at the nearest bar, the energy around you vibrant and electric. You ordered a drink, savoring the coolness as it slid down your throat, and soon the dance floor called to you. You let loose, dancing and laughing, feeling all the stress melt away with each beat of the music.

After a few drinks, you felt invincible. You spun around, arms wide open, embracing the joy of the moment. That was when you noticed him.

Not too far away, standing at the bar with a drink in hand, was Chan. He looked relaxed in a casual outfit, chatting and laughing with a couple of friends. Your heart skipped a beat. It was the first time you’d seen him for first day of midterms, and somehow, he looked even more handsome in the dim light of the bar.

You felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. Should you approach him? The thought made your stomach flutter. But as you watched him, you noticed he hadn’t seen you yet.

Deciding to make your move, you grabbed your drink and wove your way through the crowd, the music thumping in your ears. When you finally reached him, he turned, and his eyes lit up with surprise.

“Hey! Fancy seeing you here!” Chan exclaimed, his smile wide and genuine.

“Hey! I just finished my exams, so I thought I’d celebrate,” you said, trying to keep your tone light despite the fluttering in your chest. “What about you?”

“Same here! I needed a break after all that studying,” he replied, leaning slightly closer, making it easier to hear each other over the music. “Looks like you’re having a good time.”

“I am! I thought I’d treat myself, you know?” You took a sip of your drink, feeling a bit more confident. “How about you? Are you enjoying your night?”

“Definitely! It’s nice to unwind,” he said, glancing around the bar. “You should come join us. We’re about to play some pool.”

You felt a surge of excitement at the invitation. “Sounds fun! Let’s go!”

As you walked toward the pool table together, the noise of the bar faded away, leaving just the two of you in your own little bubble. Your heart raced at the thought of spending time with him, and you couldn’t shake the feeling that this night might be the beginning of something special.

Chan led you to the pool table, where a group of his friends was gathered. The atmosphere was lively, laughter and playful banter filling the air.

“This is Han,” he said, pointing to a tall guy with a warm smile. “He’s the best pool player here—don’t let him fool you with that innocent face.”

Han grinned, nudging Chan playfully. “Yeah, right. You’re just scared I’ll beat you again!”

“And this,” Chan continued, gesturing to a guy who was sprawled over the table, “is Seungmin. Don’t mind him; he’s just being dramatic.”

Seungmin lifted his head slightly, a smirk on his face. “Hey! I’m just conserving my energy for my inevitable victory,” he quipped before flopping back down, causing everyone to chuckle.

“..over there is Yuni,” Chan said, nodding toward a girl with vibrant hair and an infectious smile who was chatting animatedly with another friend. However, as she caught sight of you standing next to Chan, her expression shifted slightly. There was something in her gaze, a hint of judgment that made you feel self-conscious, as if she was silently questioning why you were with him.

You smiled at the lively introductions, trying to shake off the unease. “It’s great to meet you all! Chan’s been telling me a bit about you,” you said, glancing at Chan, who was trying to look innocent.

“Only good things, right?” Chan interjected with a playful grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Of course!” you laughed, enjoying the banter, but you couldn’t shake off Yuni’s penetrating look.

“So, what’s the plan?” Han asked, leaning against the table. “Are we playing a round of pool, or is it too easy for you guys?”

Chan glanced at you, raising an eyebrow. “How about a little wager? Loser buys the next round of drinks.”

“Deal!” you replied, excitement bubbling up inside you, determined to prove yourself. “But I’m going to win.”

Seungmin raised his head just enough to give you a mock salute. “Good luck with that!”

As Chan set up the game, you could feel Yuni’s eyes on you, scrutinizing your every move. It made you slightly anxious, but you tried to focus on the game instead. The atmosphere felt more relaxed among Chan's friends, and it made you feel like you were part of something special. Chan’s presence was comforting, and you found yourself stealing glances at him, your heart racing every time your eyes met.

“Alright, let’s see what you’ve got!” Chan challenged, holding the cue stick with a confident grin. You couldn’t help but smile back, ready to take on the challenge, even if Yuni’s judgment lingered at the back of your mind.

The game began, and you focused intently on the table. Chan broke first, sending the balls scattering across the green felt. His movements were fluid and confident, and you admired the way he handled the cue stick.

“Nice shot!” Han cheered, clapping him on the back as the solid balls spread across the table. Chan beamed, clearly enjoying the attention.

“Your turn,” Chan said, stepping aside and motioning for you to take your shot. You felt a rush of excitement mixed with nerves as you approached the table, trying to shake off Yuni's scrutinizing gaze.

You lined up your shot, taking a deep breath to steady your nerves. “Here goes nothing,” you mumbled to yourself. With a swift motion, you struck the cue ball, watching it collide with the colored balls. You sunk a solid, and a rush of exhilaration washed over you.

“Wow, not bad!” Chan said, genuine admiration in his voice.

“You’re going to have to do better than that!” you replied playfully, trying to channel the confidence you felt.

As the game continued, laughter and friendly banter filled the air. You found yourself lost in the moment, enjoying the thrill of competition and the company of Chan and his friends. You occasionally caught Yuni’s gaze again, but this time, you shrugged it off.

You and Chan worked well together, each of you strategizing and laughing through the ups and downs of the game. “I think we make a pretty good team,” Chan said, grinning at you after you executed a tricky shot.

“Team? I thought we were opponents!” you teased back, leaning on the table with a playful smile.

“Fine, but I’m going to crush you next round,” he shot back, feigning a fierce glare.

The game was intense, with each of you sinking balls and trying to outsmart the other. After a particularly close shot where you barely missed sinking the eight ball, you groaned dramatically, drawing laughter from the group.

“Come on, you can do better than that!” Seungmin teased, lifting his head for a moment to join in the laughter.

“Hey, I’m still getting used to the pressure of having such talented players around me!” you shot back, winking at him.

Eventually, the game came down to the last ball, and the tension in the air was palpable. You took a moment to breathe, steadying your hands as you lined up your shot.

“Just focus,” Chan whispered, stepping close enough that you could feel his warmth. “You got this.”

You nodded, feeling a rush of determination. As you took your shot, the cue ball sailed smoothly into the eight ball, sending it into the pocket with a satisfying clack. Cheers erupted from your friends, and you jumped up in excitement, unable to contain your joy.

“Did I just win?” you exclaimed, wide-eyed with disbelief.

“Looks like it!” Han said, clapping you on the back. “Great job!”

Yuni, however, crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, still watching you closely. You tried not to let her expression dampen your mood. “So, who’s buying the next round?” you asked, turning your attention back to the group, hoping to shift the atmosphere.

“Loser buys,” Chan declared, pretending to pout. “But I guess that means I owe you one!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll let you treat me later,” you said with a teasing grin.

As the group moved toward the karaoke area, you felt an electric energy between you and Chan. With each passing moment, you were more grateful for the accidental encounters that had brought you to this point. Who knew a series of mishaps would lead to a night full of laughter, friendship, and possibly something more?

And even if Yuni still looked at you like a puzzle she needed to solve, you were too busy enjoying the moment to let it bother you. After all, you were finally having fun, and it felt good.

As the night deepened, the lively chatter and laughter of the group created a warm atmosphere. You found a cozy seat at the edge of the karaoke stage, sipping on your drink and watching Chan as he jokingly sang off-key. Everything felt perfect until you noticed Yuni making her way toward you, her expression a mix of confidence and something more sinister.

Her confident stride and sharp smile cutting through the laughter and music. She leaned closer, her voice low and dripping with a condescending sweetness. “Hey there, just wanted to have a little chat.”

“Sure,” you said cautiously, bracing yourself for whatever she had to say.

“Listen,” she said, crossing her arms, “Chan is mine. You need to back off. He’s not interested in you.” Her tone had that classic mean girl edge, and your heart raced as you absorbed her words.

“No,” you replied firmly, trying to match her intensity. “I like Chan, and I think he likes me too. I’m not going to just walk away because you say so.”

Her laughter was sharp, almost mocking. “Oh, really? You think he’s into you? That’s adorable.” She leaned in, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Let me show you some proof.”

Before you could respond, Yuni stood up, her heels clicking against the floor as she strode confidently towards Chan. You felt your heart drop, your gut twisting in anticipation and dread. The entire bar seemed to fade into the background as you watched her approach him.

She whispered something in his ear, and for a moment, Chan turned to look at you, confusion crossing his features. Then, without any hesitation, Yuni leaned in and kissed him. The moment felt like a punch to the gut, and time seemed to freeze as you watched Chan’s reaction.

He didn’t push her away.

That was your sign. Your breath caught in your throat, a mixture of disbelief and disappointment washing over you. You stood up abruptly, the weight of the moment crashing down on you. You couldn’t bear to watch anymore.

Ignoring the sounds of laughter and music, you turned and made your way toward the exit, the laughter of your friends fading behind you. Each step felt heavier as the reality settled in. You thought you had something special with Chan, but seeing him with Yuni shattered that illusion in an instant.

You stepped out into the cool night air, taking a deep breath to calm the storm brewing inside you. You needed to collect your thoughts. This wasn’t the end, you reminded yourself. It was a moment, not a conclusion. You wouldn’t let Yuni or this situation define how you felt about Chan or yourself.

As you walked away from the bar, your resolve strengthened. You would figure this out—whatever it took.

You stumbled out of the bar, the cool night air hitting your flushed cheeks like a splash of reality. Once outside, you leaned against the cool brick wall, the laughter and music fading into the background as the tears you’d been holding back spilled over.

You cried silently, each sob echoing the turmoil inside you. You knew it; deep down, you had always known. All those moments—each little accident that had brought you to Chan—had turned out to be just that: accidents. The awkward encounters, the clumsy run-ins, the way you had been drawn together—it was all a series of mishaps that had somehow made you believe there was something more.

Meeting Chan had felt like fate at first, like a spark that ignited something inside you. But now, standing alone in the dark, you couldn’t shake the feeling that it had all been a fluke, a twist of the universe that had no real purpose.

“An accident is an accident,” you murmured through your tears, repeating the words like a mantra. Every encounter had been a result of your own clumsiness, your carelessness leading you into a whirlwind of emotions you weren’t prepared to handle.

You thought about how carefree you had felt with him, the way he made you laugh and the comfort of his presence. But now, that joy felt tainted, overshadowed by the image of him kissing Yuni, the girl who had made it clear she wanted him. It felt like a cruel joke, and you were the punchline.

As the tears flowed, you took deep breaths, trying to calm the storm inside. It was time to let go of the fantasy you had built around Chan, to accept that maybe what you felt wasn’t meant to be.

Wiping your eyes, you stood up straighter, determined not to let this moment define you. It hurt, but you wouldn’t let it break you. “You deserve better,” you whispered to yourself.

With one last deep breath, you turned away from the bar and started to walk. It was time to reclaim your night, even if it meant facing the reality of the situation head-on. No more accidents; you needed to be more careful, not just with your surroundings but with your heart.

As you walked home, you made a promise to yourself. You would move on, even if it took time. You would find a way to let go of the ‘what-ifs’ and embrace whatever came next, accidents or not.

Days turned into a blur, and despite Chan's constant messages lighting up your phone, you chose to ignore them. Why would he contact you after what happened? You found yourself lost in thought as you folded clothes, the fabric slipping through your fingers. A sudden craving for coffee hit you, breaking through your distracted haze.

With a determined sigh, you made your way to the coffee shop. As you approached, doubt crept in. What if you ran into Chan? You paused, took a deep breath, and reassured yourself, If it’s meant to happen, then let it be.

Stepping inside, you felt a wave of relief wash over you when you didn’t see him. You took your sweet time, savoring the aroma of freshly brewed coffee as you glanced at the menu, letting the moment distract you.

Just as you were about to leave, you caught sight of him standing at the entrance. He looked surprised to see you, his eyes widening slightly.

“Can we talk?” he asked, stepping closer.

You hesitated for a moment before nodding, your curiosity outweighing your apprehension. You found a small table in the corner, and he sat down across from you, his demeanor shifting to one of earnestness.

He glanced down, his brow furrowed in thought. “What do you want to drink? I can get you something.”

You shook your head, a small smile tugging at your lips. “I’m okay; I already have some.”

His gaze softened as he leaned in slightly, studying your face. “Why have you been ignoring my messages?”

You let out a soft sigh, your heart racing at the vulnerability in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I was busy.”

He nodded, his expression filled with understanding. “But why did you leave the party without saying goodbye? I was looking for you.”

“I’m sorry,” you replied, your voice barely above a whisper. “I just had to go home. That’s all.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “Yuni… she tells me everything.”

You fell silent, unsure of how to respond.

“The truth is, after that party, I’m ignoring Yuni. I’m never talking to her again.”

“Why would you do that?” you asked, concern creeping into your tone. The thought of him standing up to her made your heart flutter.

“Because she hurt you,” he said, his voice steady yet filled with emotion.

You felt a pang in your chest. I’m not hurt because of her… I’m hurt because I was careless, you thought to yourself, grappling with your conflicting emotions.

“Look, I was drunk,” he continued, his eyes filled with regret. “I only realized she kissed me after I pushed her away... and then I saw you running.”

You could see the weight of his words pressing down on him. “You don’t need to explain,” you murmured, trying to keep your composure.

“I need to explain,” he insisted, leaning forward, his intensity palpable. “I don’t want you away from me.”

“Chan…” you called softly, feeling your heart race.

“You know,” he began, his voice dropping to a whisper, “after that accident of meeting you… my life changed.”

His confession hung in the air between you, heavy with meaning. You felt your breath hitch, caught off guard by the raw honesty in his words. Your heart pounded in your chest as you processed what he was saying. Could it be true?

Chan’s words lingered in the air, his eyes searching yours for a reaction. You could feel the weight of the moment, the vulnerability in his voice pulling at your heart.

"Meeting you..." he hesitated, his gaze falling to the table for a second before lifting back to you. "It felt like one of those accidents that just... changed everything. And at first, I thought it was just that—a coincidence, a bump in the hallway. But then... it wasn’t."

You stayed silent, your pulse quickening as he continued.

"I wasn’t expecting it. To feel this way. But… I think I’ve been falling for you. Accidentally in love, if you want to call it that."

His confession took your breath away, the rawness of it catching you off guard. You tried to respond, but the words got stuck in your throat. He smiled softly at your reaction, the kind of smile that carried relief but also nervousness, as if he wasn’t sure what you’d say next.

"I know everything between us started with these random moments," Chan continued, his voice low and sincere. "But those ‘accidents’ became the best part of my day. Seeing you in the hallway, at the coffee shop… it’s like you became my favorite surprise."

You swallowed hard, the emotions swirling in your chest almost too much to bear. "Chan... I..." you started, unsure of how to put your feelings into words. The truth was, you’d felt it too—that strange sense of anticipation every time you thought you might see him, the way your heart raced whenever your paths crossed.

His hand gently reached across the table, brushing against yours, and you felt warmth spread through you. "I don’t want to lose you," he said softly. "I don’t care about the circumstances. I just want to be with you, whether it's an accident or fate."

Your heart ached at the sincerity in his voice. It wasn’t just an accident anymore. Maybe it never was. The two of you were brought together by chance, but now, it felt like something deeper.

You took a deep breath and met his gaze. "Maybe accidents aren’t so bad after all," you said with a shy smile.

His eyes lit up at your words, and a smile slowly formed on his face. "Yeah?" he asked, his tone hopeful.

"Yeah," you nodded, feeling a sense of peace settle over you. "I think I’ve been falling for you too, Chan."

He let out a soft laugh, a sound filled with both relief and joy. "I’m so glad you said that," he murmured, his hand closing around yours. "Because I really don’t want to go through another day pretending I don’t feel this way."

You squeezed his hand, a smile tugging at your lips. Maybe the best things really do happen by accident.

Chan’s hand, warm and steady, held yours like an anchor, and for the first time in days, the weight on your chest seemed to lift. What started as random, fleeting moments had turned into something real, something neither of you could deny any longer.

"Maybe," you said softly, meeting his eyes, "we were supposed to find each other like this—through all these accidents."

He smiled at that, his thumb gently brushing over your knuckles. "Then I guess I'm grateful for every one of them," he said, his voice tender. "Because they brought me to you."

The tension that had been hanging over you for so long melted away, replaced with a quiet sense of happiness. What you thought were accidents, moments of carelessness, were really the universe pushing you toward each other, piece by piece.

You realized that sometimes, the best things in life don’t come with planning or expectations. Sometimes, they come when you're not looking—an accidental meeting that turns into something much more. And now, sitting across from Chan, his hand in yours, you knew that this wasn’t just an accident anymore. It was the start of something real.

And just like that, the uncertainty faded away. You had no idea what the future held, but you didn’t need to know. Right here, right now, was enough.

Because in the end, maybe the best kind of love really is the one you stumble into, accidentally.

--

an: a heart, reblog, and comment is very much appreciated. thankyou

[tellafairy]

Hi, can you please explain in detail how you changed your marks + got into your dream uni and how you always stay lean? This would change my life.

i have already answered this but i will re answer it more in depth !

when i was 16, i really wanted to attend a university quite far away. it was a dream i had for a while, but i was scared things wouldn't work out — especially when my counsiler told me over and over again that my grades "weren't good enough" and i "didn't meet the requirements". i was also scared about finances and the uni being to far away.

with this, when my senior year came and i turned 17 — i had saw a sucess story on tiktok of a girl who manifested her dream university experience simply through LOA. this prompted me to do the same, and i began to completely ignored everything my counsiler said. i told myself over and over again that i am attending the university, no ifs ands or buts. i repeated simple things like "i literally got into the university, is he crazy?" "my dorm room at university is so cute i love it" over and over again inside of my head whenever the topic of university was brought up or came to mind. whenever someone asked me where i'm going for uni, i told them this university. spoke about the uni as their student would. and when filling out my application, i was laughing to myself. "why am i even doing this? i'm already a student at __.. i guess it'll be fun to show other students what an application should look like if they wanna get into __ like me!"

id also saturate! sometimes i'd spend 1-2 hours just sitting there thinking of life at that university in my head as if i was already there. id go into detail about the financial aid id get, how my dorm would look, meal plans, etc etc — everything i wanted my uni life to be like. (this part is quite important to me, i made sure to incorporate the fact i wouldn't struggle with paying for uni or finding housing). id ignore any thoughts or worries whenever they came to mind, i always made it my priority to remind myself that i already attend the university — nothing else matters.

as for changing my marks; in my home country, your highschool submits all of your grades to the universities for you. and after graduation, they send you one final copy of your transcript. so when i was applying to university, i only saw my transcript once before graduation through my guidence counsiler, and it didn't even have all of my final grades because i was still taking classes, it only had my midterm marks (which are basically ur final marks before the final exams which would usually bring ur mark up by 5-10%)

anyways, after seeing it and realizing how bad my midterms were, i just affirmed that the transcript was wrong and that my final marks would be 10x better. i told myself that i'd ace my fianl exams so well that it would bring my marks up by more than 10%. despite this — after graduation, i received a transcript with my exact same mid term marks.

but, i didn't let this discourage me. i simply disregarded the email and deleted it, i didn't even save the transcript because i knew it wasn't right. i kept affirming and affirming and saturating and telling myself that they accidentally sent the wrong transcript. and i think you know what i'm gonna say next; that's exactly what they did. my principal had emailed me alongside my counsiler, both emails had a copy of my real transcript where my grades met the standard i had created in my mind — and they also apologized for giving me the wrong transcript, informing me that the universities i applied to all received the correct one.

i had already gotten my acceptance letter into the university before i had received my final transcript, so i think that's what made it easier for me to accept and know that the first transcript they sent me was wrong.

i'm not sure what anon means by staying lean.. so i'm sorry i can't answer that part 😅 but i hope the rest makes sense!

[bots-and-cons]

I hope I'm doing it right this time 😅 FYI I just copied my ask from earlier cause I'm lazy. Thanks for helping me 🙏.

So, I wanted to request Soundwave, Shockwave, and Ratchet with a GN s/o who struggles with talking sometimes and messes up words by accidentally saying nonsense instead or speaking the words out of order, and gets very frustrated at themself and is very self conscious about it but they laugh it off around others and don't act like it. They're also a very sweet and patient person who loves to give random compliments to others but never themself as their love language.

A/N: Yeah you did it right this time, the askbox is the place for requests. Since the character limit for HCs is two characters, I dropped Shockwave

~Ratchet~

•When you met Ratchet for the first time and at the beginning when you were just getting to know each other, he was sometimes confused when you mixed up what you were saying

•When you’re nervous, you get things mixed up more often and sometimes it just ends up being plain nonsense

•So when you first met the autobots, you were of course nervous, who wouldn’t be in that situation honestly?

•You often get the same things mixed up in a very similar way each time, so Ratchet has sort of become able to decipher what you’re talking about, even if you do mess up

•Of course if it’s complete nonsense, he’s not going to be able to figure it out, but he’s always very patient with you

•Ratchet knows you’re self-conscious about the way you sometimes talk, because people have made fun of you

•When Smokescreen was new to the team, he thought you were messing up your words on purpose, so he laughed at you

•You just laughed it off, but Ratchet could see you were upset, he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it in front of everyone else, since he knows you don’t like drawing attention to it

•So he took Smokescreen aside and told him about how he shouldn’t laugh at you and all that

•Smokescreen later apologized to you when it was just you, him and Ratchet around

•He was really apologetic, and while you appreciated it, you still tried to just laugh it off and act like it didn’t bother you

•Smokescreen didn’t really notice this, but Ratchet did

•Ratchet finds your way of talking endearing, and he tries to remind you of that when he remembers to

•You always make sure Ratchet knows how much he means to you, and you compliment him when you feel it’s appropriate

•You’re bad at complimenting yourself, and you never really make a big deal about your accomplishments, so Ratchet makes sure to let you know he’s proud of you

~Soundwave~

•Soundwave doesn’t talk much, but he’s a very good listener and good at deciphering what you say, even if it is total nonsense, because he picks up on context clues really well

•He’s of course sometimes wrong with his guesses, but it’s rather rare

•The words being out of order never really bothers him either, because he just understands what you’re saying anyway

•It honestly makes you feel a bit better about the mess-ups, since it never seems to bother Soundwave

•You of course get frustrated sometimes, especially if someone else doesn’t understand you, but Soundwave is always recording, so he just rearranges the recorded words and repeats it in the “correct” order, at least when he happens to be there

•He also often talks to you with recordings of your voice, which you find kind of funny

•Soundwave makes sure you’re always credited for your accomplishments, especially by him

•He compliments you a lot actually, and you do the same to him, but you have a bit of trouble accepting the compliments

•His compliments can be a bit weirdly worded sometimes though, but he always means well, even if it sounds odd

[sebscore]

MONZA MANICURE

pairing: daniel ricciardo x driver!reader

warnings: swearing. broken nail. being taken out on track. middle finger.

author's note: I don't even know how I came up with this idea, it came to mind and I couldn't get it out of my head. maybe because of the lack of danny ric on my page.

masterlist

• • • • • • •

''SCREW THAT FUCKING CARROT ON WHEELS! OH MY GOD!'' Were the words that Y/N's team heard through their headphones as Daniel took her out of the race.

She let out a big sigh as her car came to a halt, disappointed that no points would be earned this racing weekend. Y/N felt a throbbing pain on her nail that caused her to hiss, she took off her gloves and saw blood around the nail of her ring finger.

''The idiot broke my nail!'' She exclaimed, garnering laughter from her engineer and commentators as her radio message was replayed on television.

She disconnected her steering wheel and stepped out of the cockpit, too much damage to continue her race. A bit further from where she was, Daniel also got out of his car.

The Australian noticed the young woman and did a thumbs up, asking her if she's alright.

Instead of copying his action to let him know she's okay, she held up her middle finger. Daniel simply laughed, no taking offense as he knew she was joking around with him.

He waited for her by his car, ready to apologize. ''Danny! You broke my nail!'' Y/N latched onto her throbbing nail, trying to reduce the pain even if it was just a little bit. She held up her hand to his face, giving him a close-up.

He grabbed her wrist, inspecting the bloody nail. ''I'm so sorry, does it hurt a lot?'' Daniel felt guilty. He hadn't meant to take her out of the race, he dodged out of the way for someone else and accidentally touched her car from behind.

''It hurts like a bitch! Oh, I just got them done this week.'' She groaned, trying to put more pressure on her fingernail.

The McLaren driver put his hand on the side of her helmet as if it was her cheek. ''I'm really sorry, love. Kevin was gonna hit me and I got out of the way.'' He explained his action.

''I'm honestly more concerned about my nail than the race, Danny.'' Y/N laughed it off, she wouldn't have ended up on the podium anyway. The two walked back to the paddock, being scurried off by the marshals.

Daniel offered her a smile, one that wasn't visible because of his helmet. ''If there's anything I can do to help with your nail, I'll do it.'' He easily took the helmet off of his head, figuring that being able to see his face would make his words more personal.

Meanwhile, Y/N had more trouble taking hers off as her nail was still hurting and she couldn't use her full strength. ''Can you help take off my helmet? It's hard with my nail.'' She asked him, tapping his arm.

''Of course.'' Daniel moved in front of her and used both of his hands to grab the sides of her helmet. Instead of gliding off easily like usual, her head seemed stuck and Daniel was almost lifting her from the ground. ''Oh my god, my helmet! Not my head!'' She exclaimed, grabbing Daniel's arms to stop him from helping.

The Australian looked down and noticed her standing on her tippy toes, making him giggle and he pulled his hands back. ''I think your head's too big, Y/N.'' He teased her, patting the top of the helmet.

''And your ego's too big, but you don't see me complaining, Ricciardo.''

''Alright, missy.''

''I don't know how I even ended up here.''

After the race, Heidi, Daniel's girlfriend, had suggested to Y/N that she and her would get their nails re-done together, sponsored by the Honey Badger himself. The female driver had found it a great idea, looking forward to spending time with Heidi as they had never really hung out with just the two of them.

However, Heidi fell sick and wasn't able to make it anymore to their little manicure date. At first they texted back and forth, planning to reschedule it, but Heidi had a proposal: that Daniel joins Y/N at the salon.

The young woman wasn't too sure about it, not because she didn't want to spend alone time with Daniel, but because she didn't want it to come across that she wanted to have something romantic with the older driver. Fortunately, Heidi was able to assure her that she didn't mind and that she wouldn't suggest it if she didn't have full trust in either of them. So, here the two Formula One drivers were in a beauty salon in Monza.

''You broke my nail, that's what happened.'' She replied in a sarcastic tone.

While Y/N got her nails re-done, Daniel opted for a facial as he claimed his nails were ''decent for a 33 year-old man''. They had charmed the specialists into putting them into the same room, so they could talk with one another.

Daniel wanted to laugh, but the woman spreading all kinds of creams on his face prevented him from doing that. ''Hey, I'm making it up to you, aren't I?''

''Yeah, you are,'' Y/N smiled, watching him getting his facial treatment, ''anyway, now that it's just the two of us- I have a question for you.''

Daniel raised his eyebrows, intrigued by her words. ''Go on…''

''So, what do you really think of Lando?''

''What the fuck, Y/N.''

[nezuscribe]

I have a lot to say but I don’t know how to phrase any of it so I hope that this will make some semblance of sense.

Firstly, I want to apologize if I ended up spam liking with arranged!Gojo. I came across this universe earlier today and I’ve read as much as I could within the scraps of free time I have today. I think I’m fully caught up and I can’t wait to read more of this in the future! (Assuming that you want to or have interest in continuing to post this universe)

For some reason, your reader deeply resonates with me. She’s someone that I’ve tried to outgrow, (sorry again if this gets too personal) out of fear that I could never have a friend, let alone a group of people that I’ve discovered and be honored to have met them. It pains me to say this, but I think a part deep down inside me has given up on finding the person, a person that I click with and will love more than anyone else — platonic, romantic, or whatever flavor of love it’ll come in. However, after years of trying to shake off (although at times it feels more like hiding) things that I coincidentally have in common with your reader, I think I have the hesitant, terrified hope that maybe something like this could happen to me- that I’m not destined to be alone as cheesy as that sounds… So seeing reader get their person is incredibly inspiring for me and I’m beyond ecstatic that they got their happy ending!!

Your writing with arranged!Gojo is everything and more. I’m afraid that it will haunt me for the rest of my life (in a good way I promise!). It’s so melodic, so realistic and raw and… human?

(If that’s not weird to say, that is if it was and I’ve offended you I apologize again, I’ve- never did something like this before so it’s all unfamiliar to me. Forgive me as I stumble through a forest in the middle of the night with a blizzard with only a thin cloak, a faint lantern to keep me company, and hope that this will be well received.)

I guess I’m trying to say that as I’ve read more and more of your works, I feel… something now and I doubt that I could ever absolutely leave behind. A sense of yearning? Hope? Feeling seen maybe? I’m not- quite sure and I doubt I could ever figure it out, nor do I ever want to.

Man, this is probably a mess to read through and understand so I’ll try to wrap things up to prevent torturing you any further with this nonsensical rambling.

Thank you. Thank you, for sharing your ideas and headcannons with arranged!Gojo. Thank you, for sharing your unique writing, that has happened to resonate with me (I’ll spend eons trying to untangle bits of myself from it and I’ll never be done), and probably others so intensely. Thank you, for providing hope and some confidence that someone (I couldn’t dare hope for many people), could like me for me (shy, scared me instead of the more outgoing personality I act like), for being a moment of calm in a storm I never realized I was drowning in. Thank you for so, so much. It might be a bit too early to say, but I think you might’ve changed my life in a small way, if not a large way. Sincerely, thank you.

- a new supporter

And again, if any of this made you uncomfortable or was too personal or too anything, feel free to ignore and delete this ask! I just- wanted… no needed to try and convey a fraction of what I felt and thought today.

Also, I don’t want to rush you or make you uncomfortable or anything but I would love to have the opportunity to bind everything arranged!Gojo in the future if you’re comfortable with it? I’m happy to talk more details in a private chat, if you would like? (Is that the correct term? I’m not too terribly sure.) I’m also planning on giving you your own personal copy too, if you would like it that is I don’t want to accidentally force you to do anything.

omg thank you so much for sending this in it really made my day <3

and i totally get you nonnie don't apologize. the reason why i write my reader the way i do is because i've lived my entire life believing that something is inherently wrong with me, and that i have to fix myself in order to make somebody like me. and so i get what you're saying and feeling.

i'm so happy that my fics changed your mind, however. i write in hopes that other people can relate and maybe be able to know that they're not alone. and don't apologize for spamming, i get happy knowing people actually read the stuff i write !

and at the end of the day i really hope people take away the simple idea that they'll be loved no matter what. if not with my fics, then with all the other wonderful authors tumblr has. i think we all hope to be loved like that one day, and to know that it's possible and deserving too!

and i would love to see what you have to offer with binding! i've never considered it before but that sounds really cool:)

[ink-n-shadow]

So i just googled what a meet cute is and i was like what if we change it to meat cute. Like reader accidentally seeing König's pp. As startled as they were, reader thinks his pp nice. Then that's how they met each other and eventually hit it off

This is what sleep deprivation gets ya, kids

this idea? iconic. sleep deprivation? not iconic. make sure to get some sleep love <3 thanks for the request ;)

LATE NIGHT SHOWERS

𝜗𝜚 the one where you accidentally walk in on König in the shower

𝜗𝜚 pairing: könig x medic!reader 𝜗𝜚 warning: embarrassment, seeing König naked, just overall awkwardness

after a long day of stitching up soldiers and running concussion tests for some of the guys, you just wanted to take a hot shower. that's why as soon as the clock struck eleven at night, you gathered up your toiletries and a towel, making your way down the hall toward the communal showers.

no one ever really showered that late at night, most of them too tired to drag themselves from their barracks. that's why you took advantage of it. you'd get complete privacy, and no one would be there to tell you that you were hogging all the hot water.

but as soon as you rounded the corner into the showers, your jaw dropped open slightly at the hulking man standing before you, his back to you as he toweled off the water droplets from his broad shoulders. your eyes immediately drifted lower, a hot blush flushing your skin as you adverted your gaze to some dark corner of the room. "jesus christ—i'm sorry, i..."

the man in front of you visibly flinched at your words, hand immediately going from his brow curls to pick up a piece of black fabric from the bench in front of him, tossing it over his head and obscuring it from your view. "scheiße—i'm sorry, i wasn't...expecting someone else here this late."

"it's fine, it's fine—just fix your towel, please." you squeaked out, eyes darting around the room in an attempt to look anywhere else but the behemoth of a man standing before you. there was a hot blush on your cheeks, fingers tightening around your towel and toiletry bag still hanging in your grip. despite him standing with his back to you, you could see everything.

with a nervous chuckle, the man before you wrapped the white cotton towel around his waist and secured it with one hand, turning over his shoulder. his eyes widened in the dark shadows the mask was casting over him, his voice sudden much more meek and quiet now that he could see you. "uh—wow, i..." he cleared his throat and quickly began packing up his own things, the muscles of his back and shoulders tensing as he moved. "apologies again. i'm...not used to seeing someone here this late."

you just nodded wordlessly as you walked towards the bench, standing next to the man and spreading your items out on it quickly. "it's...fine—i didn't mind. i-i mean i didn't see anything." you lied through your teeth flawlessly, your tongue tripping up in the beginning and laying bare that you had definitely seen something. your freudian slip made the man let out another nervous laugh.

and that was how you met könig for the first time.

©️ ink-n-shadow 2024

do not copy, plagiarize, steal, borrow, or repost any of my work without my expressed permission

[devildom-moss]

"Why don't you hate me...?"

(Mephistopheles x gn!MC)

(NSFW) (slight sub!Mephisto) (lots of plot) (slight angst) (NSFW tags: open relationship, caught/semi-public, oral on Mephisto, mentions of enemies to lovers, the tiniest hint of foot fetish Mephisto for one second?, one single "babygirl" for Mephisto)

Word count: +2,500

“Lord Diavolo,” Mephisto entered the council room where you and Diavolo were chatting – well it was less like a conversation and more like Diavolo chatting you up while his butler was briefly attending to something else outside of the room. Mephisto arrived just in time to catch Diavolo pulling you onto his lap. This wasn’t the first time he had accidentally walked in on Diavolo’s shameless flirting: once with you last week, another time with you a few months back, and well over a dozen times with Lucifer periodically in the last few centuries. He used to be envious of anyone who attracted special attention from Diavolo, but something else had been stirring in him recently.

Mephisto cleared his throat and set the initial copy of next week’s newspaper on the desk. You frantically scrambled up from Diavolo’s lap and stood next to him. Mephisto averted his gaze from you. “I’m sorry to intrude, but I thought you might wish to see the first print. Your full interview is published on page three, and your photo made the front page – of course it would. You look exquisite in that outfit, My Lord. I’m certain just having your radiant image will cause this issue to be in high demand.”

“You’re done already? That’s impressive, Mephi,” you smiled at him through your embarrassment.

“Thank you, Mephisto.” Diavolo grabbed the paper and smoothed the cover. “MC and Asmo picked that outfit for me – with Barbatos’s approval, that is. He doesn’t trust any of us after that one time you almost printed that picture of me in a miniskirt.”

“A what?” you asked.

“It was a very flattering outfit then, too, My Lord.”

“Someone is showing me that picture later,” you insisted. Correctly making the assumption that one or both of them maintained a copy of that photo. It was both.

“Certainly. I looked quite adorable in that picture,” Diavolo mused. “I’ll find it when I get back to the castle.”

“Oh. MC,” Mephisto piped up, “I reserved a copy for you as well. Would you like to come with me to the newspaper room to retrieve it? If you don’t mind, My Lord.”

“Of course not – if that’s what you want, MC.” Diavolo waved you both off – the embarrassment of being walked in on finally hitting him. “We can continue our discussion at a later date.”

Mephisto waited until you had exited the room to grab your hand and lead the way. He didn’t need to lead you. You had been there many times – often at Mephisto’s request. Still, you let him take your hand, even though he could scarcely look at you after what he had just seen.

“I’m sorry you saw that,” you apologized. Mephisto didn’t respond. Silence engulfed the air, and you both felt as if the tension of that silence had suffocated you – stifling your breath and anything worth saying.

When you were safely behind the doors of RAD’s newspaper room, Mephisto lost his composure. His lips found yours before you could register his desire to kiss you. He placed his hands on your face – a shy, insecure gesture that was filled with desperation and need. Even as you kissed him back, he wouldn’t dare explore your body with his hands. It was so easy for Diavolo to touch you, but Mephisto faltered in his confidence – especially after seeing how easy it was for another demon to put his hands on you. There was a tinge of frantic affection, his tongue briefly teasing you. He wanted more, and he didn’t know if he could take it. Mephisto pulled back, panting, and pressing his forehead against yours.

“I’m sorry.” Mephisto turned his gaze to the floor. “I can’t stand to watch you with him.”

Ashamed by his own confession, Mephisto attempted to distract you from his brief admission of jealousy by pressing his lips against yours again. He was terrified to let you speak; more accurately, he was afraid that whatever you would say would solidify his insecurity – give it some foundation to stand on and build upon. If he could just kiss you until you were breathless or make you want him, he could at least delay what felt like the inevitable breaking of his heart. But you couldn’t read that clustered mess of anxiety. Tasting only the smallest hint of it on his lips, you pushed him away gently.

“I wish you hadn’t seen that. I know how you feel about me, and I know how you feel about Diavolo. I’m sorry,” you repeated the apology. You all seemed to have an understanding about how things worked – a semblance of freedom and ease that covered the intricate entanglement you had with your loved ones in the Devildom. That openness you had earned entailed these difficult-to-navigate moments. It was especially difficult to unravel and understand Mephisto’s entranced feelings towards Diavolo and his affections for you. When the two clashed, it was hard to know who he was jealous of, and all you wanted to do was comfort him.

He looked at you, his eyes wavering briefly before he resolved himself. “It’s fine. This isn’t the first time. Besides, I used to see Diavolo and Lucifer all the time.”

There was that name on his lips again. Mephisto’s grudge against Lucifer resurfaced: a fixation he had held onto for centuries. If you were honest, you and Lucifer weren’t that different when it came to the potential to vex Mephisto: you both had stolen Diavolo’s attention and affection. Yet, you had been spared his constant irritation and annoyance. Somehow, you had been elevated to a recipient of Mephisto’s affection. What made you so special?

“About that,” you started nervously. You had never had the courage to ask him, but his insecurity gave you an in. “I’ve been thinking about it. I get why you hold a grudge against Lucifer. But, I’m a lot like him, you know? I take so much of Diavolo’s time and attention. Maybe things were different after Lucifer, but I wouldn’t blame you if you resented me like you do him. And I think you did for a long time after we met. What changed? Why don’t you hate me like you hate Lucifer?”

Mephisto reverted back to his shame, refusing to look in your direction, and yet he replied as if it were the most natural and obvious answer in all three realms: “you were nice.”

The realization flooded over Mephisto. All he had ever craved was affection – for his own affection to be reciprocated. When he first met you, you were a lot like Lucifer in his eyes: some shiny, new creature for Diavolo to fawn over who consumed his thoughts with time. But then, there you were, being nice to him even when he didn’t really deserve it. At times, he knew his treatment of you was crude – to say the least. He wasn’t sure how you managed to show him consistent kindness in the face of his bitterness. Even your teasing was not malicious, and he knew that. Mephisto’s eyes began to water.

“I tried so hard to be a good companion to Lord Diavolo. I adore him, but I think I’ve always bored him. I felt bad about that for a long time,” he admitted, “I still do – if I’m honest. He’s a good ruler, and he’ll be a great king. I don’t know how to say this.”

“Just try,” you encouraged him with a gentle touch. Your hand settled on his shoulder, gently rubbing with your thumb.

“I get why he likes you. If you’ve given me just a fraction of the love you give him, I understand. I can’t turn away from you, even if it burns my eyes.” A few stray tears dripped down his cheeks and onto the floor. “You’re so nice to me. I still love Diavolo – I was practically made to love him, but I don’t want to share you with him. I know I can’t compare, but I still want you. Lucifer took him from me and left me tossed aside – like some crumpled up paper that no one would care to read. You extended your grace to me, and I don’t know what I would do if you took it away.”

With tearstains down his cheeks and uncertainty in his eyes, Mephisto looked so exposed and embarrassed. There was no way to fill the vacuum with words in a way that might uplift the hollowed-out demon in front of you. All you could hope for was to offer him some shallow physical comfort as proof of your stable affection. You weren’t just being nice. You wanted him, too.

“Let me be nicer to you.” You gently pushed him up against the nearest table and dropped to your knees for him. “Please?”

“H-here?” The smallest tinge of his haughty attitude slipped through the embarrassment unintentionally. A frantic shock settled on his face.

Softly, as if plucking a fragile flower which threatened to fall apart with any force, you grabbed his calf and raised his foot. You slid your hand down his leg to his stiletto heel and placed a quick kiss on the top of his boots. “Let me take care of you.”

Mephisto’s face burned, his need set aflame in the pit of his stomach, ignited with a sharp gasp. He nodded and placed his hands back on the table behind him. There was a subtle crinkling under his left hand. When he looked down, he realized that he had placed his hands on a copy of next week’s newspapers – the one intended for you. He repositioned his hand to cover Diavolo’s face before returning his gaze to you, expectant and lustful.

You unbuckled his pants and slid them down to his knees. Running your hands up his soft thighs, you came to the hem of his boxers before you had to stifle a smile. “Suck my dick” was written on the band of his boxers. You smirked at him. “Were you expecting this the whole time?”

“What? N-no, of course not!” He looked away indignantly. Even his ears had a faint blush to them.

“You’re so cute.” You pushed his shirt up just enough to place a kiss on his stomach – just over the hem of his boxers. The result was a shaky exhale from Mephisto’s lips.

You pulled his boxers down before moving your hands back up to his ass and dragging your nails down his skin gently. Mephisto couldn’t take his eyes off you as you stared at his dick like that: hungry for him. He was already hard for you. When you ran your fingers over his shaft, he gulped his desire down.

A soft lick and a gentle kiss on the tip of his cock were all the preparation you gave him before you had him half-way into your hot mouth. The muscles in Mephisto’s stomach tightened, and he let out a breathy moan. “F-fuck.”

Your tongue caressed the underside of his shaft and swirled around his head when you pulled back, occasionally earning a whimper from Mephisto. When you took him deeper, his right hand shot up over his mouth to muffle his moaning. His eyes were shut tight, and his head was tilted back. You could tell he was resisting the urge to buck his hips and thrust into your mouth. He would do anything to meet your touch somehow, but you told him you would take care of him, so he leaned back and only took what you gave.

His breathing was increasingly shallow and shaky. Through gentle panting, he said, “your mouth feels so good. I’m close. Please don’t stop.”

You wouldn’t dream of denying him right now. His sweet, stifled moaning filled the room – still louder than the wet noises you made as you sucked him off. He twitched in your mouth as you pushed him closer and closer to climax. Despite his efforts to quiet himself, if anyone walked by, they would know (vaguely) what was happening in that room and who it was happening to; Mephisto would be mortified, but he couldn’t stop himself. He moved his right hand from his mouth to your head. His tender caress was an attempt to signal that you were bringing him over the edge. That adorable gesture was minimized by his loss of restraint over his moaning. He sounded so desperate.

Mephisto came in your mouth, still caressing you with his right hand. When you pulled back, his cum still in your mouth, you stared up at him lovingly. He whimpered and trembled. His knees buckled slightly, so he placed his right hand back on the desk to steady himself. He was still panting when you stood up and kissed him. Mephisto could taste himself on your lips, and, in a daze, he opened his mouth so you could push your tongue and any residual cum into his mouth. A sweet moan left him.

You pulled away to see Mephisto’s blissed-out face. He smiled slightly when he opened his eyes to find you staring at him. That precious look was short-lived. The realization of what he had just done – what you both had just done – hit him.

He bent down, pulled his pants back up, and rose quickly. A wave of vertigo overcame him, and he caught himself on your sleeve. You held him against you.

“Woah. Are you okay, Mephi?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled sheepishly. “I’m just a little unsteady on my feet.”

Mephisto straightened himself, and you noticed his belt was still undone. You pulled him in slightly with both ends of the belt and buckled it for him. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

“Thank you.” Mephisto leaned forward and rested his forehead on your shoulder – in part because he was spent and in part because he was embarrassed. The embarrassment wasn’t so much about what had just happened; it was more about how you made him feel. For a few moments, he felt like the center of your attention. He wanted to savor that feeling a bit longer. “Could you walk me home? After all, it’s your fault my legs are still shaky.”

You laughed at his pompous act. “Of course, babygirl.”

“Shut up.” Mephisto rolled his eyes. “Ah, wait. I almost forgot. Your paper.”

Mehisto grabbed the slightly crumpled newspaper off the table behind him. He smoothed it out in his hands.

“Do you mind if it’s, you know?”

“Not at all.” You took the paper from his hands and offered him your arm. “Now let’s get you home.”

Mephisto leaned against you slightly, relishing your touch. A selfish part of him hoped that you would escort him home and stay the night so he could keep you to himself.

Half-way through the walk he let out a sudden laugh. “See, you’re nothing like Lucifer. He would never suck my dick and walk me back home.”

It was your turn to roll your eyes at him. “If you bring up his name one more time tonight, I’m going to just assume you want to fuck him.”

Mephisto put his free hand – the one that wasn’t holding onto you – up in resignation. A smile lingered on his face and his hope swelled. Something about the way you said “tonight” made him eager.

[gibbearish]

ive seen ppl saying smth in the wider plagiarism discussion to the tune of "don't worry anxious people, it's impossible to accidentally plagiarize!" and i feel like that lacks a lot of nuance that anxious brains like mine latch on to to just dismiss the possibility outright, as well as a lack of life experiences fueling it.

it is possible to "accidentally plagiarize" in that you can read something, forget about it, then a while later have your brain spit the ideas back out without telling where it got them. so of course you just assume they're yours and share them as such, because That's Where Most Of The Thoughts In Your Head Come From! and it both is and isn't plagiarism, you weren't /intending/ to pass someone's else's work off as your own, i'd even say in a way you were just as much a victim of misinformation as your audience. but you very much so did still resuse the work of someone else, even if you don't remember it.

but in my experience, this kind of thing also happens to a lot of people. you tell a friend a joke then wake up in a cold sweat two days later realizing the reason they didnt laugh was because they'd told you that joke a month ago. you reply to a friend's text and after sending you realized you ended it with the same exact phrase as theirs. you're writing edgy poetry and write a line you really like only to see it in a text post two days later saying youve already liked the post. like, it happens. so if it DOES happens and you're just honest and explain, people will understand. something like "oh shit im sorry, i totally have read that, i mustve forgotten and only remembered bits and pieces and just thought they were mine. thank you for letting me know and for the source" works wonders.

people know you can forget things. people won't automatically doubt your apology just because all true plagiarists say it was accidental. HOPEFULLY people can understand the nuance between a genuine remorseful explanation, and a thief who hoped no one would find out scrambling for excuses for why they did it. and those who can't, that's a them problem, not a you problem, you've taken responsibility for your actions as much as you can. they think the answer is simple, that the only thing stopping you from saying "yes i did it on purpose, i knew the whole time and deliberately copied them" is shame/inability to admit to your actions. but sometimes things AREN'T that simple, so imo ppl who are shitty to you for not following the script they made up for you in their head should be ignored

[scoops404]

Taking a break from my Powerpoint Presentation (it's google slides but whatever) preparation to circle back to the thing @jestbee tagged me in - my fic graveyard

Before even looking, I don't think I have many. I can think of one big one, but we'll see if there are more when I open it up.

I organize mine by year, so here is 2022:

"5 times Dream called George baby accidentally + 1 time it was on purpose"

HAHAH i forgot about this. 2,500 words. I think I stopped writing it because it didn't feel like it was going anywhere and I got distracted by something else. I think this was right before I got sucked into writing Curse and Cure so my brain went entirely into that and forgot this one... oops

"Trans GNF fic" 11K - I really liked this one actually but I let a few trans friends read it to do a sensitivity beta and um it didn't really pass? they gave valid criticism and to fix it I would have had to kind of scrap most of it and I didn't really want to do that because my brain thought of another idea so I went and did that instead. This was going to be FWB cunnilingus fic very heavily pwp - so maybe it's for the best. I'd rather scrap it than write anything hurtful or offensive, so maybe in another universe ((also, this is the one I was thinking of that I never finished))

"Secret Santa 2022 Fic" 400 words. It never got off the ground because my giftee left the fandom and I wasn't really feeling it anyway (wrote Deep in Dream instead and won't apologize for that) but it was going to be very we-didn't-know-we-were-dating and closely canon compliant (but then i kinda did that with Just One Touch).

"2022 Halloween Exchange" (35 words lol) this also got canceled because it was around the time of the drituation, BUT -- my giftee was @extrasteps who I didn't know at the time when we were assigned, but is now very dear to me. But this was going to be soulmates, george as a witch/seer vibes gnf flying to orlando. george has visions and can see other people's soulmates but doesn't know he can't see his own so when he doesn't see Dream as his soulmate, he thinks they aren't soulmates until they meet and.... I wasn't quite sure where i was going with it but it would have kicked ass

Okay, I guess I have more than I remember...

"The Whether" 2,500 words - this one was going to be about dream's exploration of his sexuality and using George (with permission) as a safe space to explore that by flirting with him off-stream, etc. But like an explicit conversation is had about it where dream makes sure George is okay with that and then he just fake flirts his way into falling in love with George. Delves into physical -- George is like you keep questioning all this stuff, so just suck my dick if you want to try it. You know, because he's such a good friend. This one is absolutely Scoops bonkers crazy because Dream does a drodcast and like talks it out loud and realizes on the drodcast that he's actively in love with George. Peak comedy. I don't remember why I decided not to finish this one, might have been because someone I'm friends with was writing something similar and I didn't want to inadvertently copy so I put it on the back burner and then just forgot about it. in this era of Scoops, I can see that if I talked about this one, then people would have hyped me up and I would have ended up writing it fully probably.

2023:

"George's Pretty Privilege" 660 words. This was like one of those small things I had to write after finishing a big project i'd been working on for months (in this case, deep in dream) for something to be completely different. The idea was all the times George used and then realized his pretty privilege. I didn't finish this one because it was kinda boring and then something else caught my interest. Oh! We did a Spin The Wheel challenge and that made me write Shine Here To Us and that took all my attention away

That's it for 2023, besides a Merthur fic I've been working on forever so I don't consider that one "dead"

I don't even have 2021 on this laptop, but I know of at least one - Dream surprises George in line at a con while he's still faceless and pretends to be a fan. I almost uploaded that one.

Anyway, those are my dead and gone and not being resurrected fics. I hope you enjoyed. I got pretty good in 2023 of picking projects that I actually wanted to invest my time into and work to finish them. Taking that energy into 2024.

If you're a writer, feel free to do this as well!! And feel free to ask any questions you want about any of these ideas :D

[muffinrecord]

Rambling Thoughts (Negative)

Putting this under the cut and out of the main tag for reasons. Sometimes people will read my opinion here and then say it elsewhere-- to be clear, I just want to say my own feelings without influencing anyone about the state of the game.

(also I accidentally lost and rewrote this post twice so I apologize if it feels all over the place)

So yesterday I responded to a post about Homucifer and EOS, but my feelings are actually a little more complicated than that.

The truth is, I do think that this game has maybe another year left, but maybe not more than that. I'm not actually sure how it could keep going-- not because of Akuma Homura, but actually because of all the power creep. But let's talk about Akuma Homura first.

Everyone and their mom knows the issues that plague her release. First off, she didn't get a new shiny transformation video but a copy+paste of her rebellion one. Hell, even youtube was like "this shit isn't original" and gave me this:

This video is banned in Austria and Germany for its content, not because of music (for once) but because it uses footage from the Rebellion movie. Like jeez.

The game has been having issues with its transformation videos for a while now, so I don't think anyone expected something revolutionary for her video-- but to have it just be reused animation is very disappointing for an anniversary unit and such an anticipated one at that. Additionally her chibi poke animation looks super weird and offputting (which is such a stupid complaint but it really adds into every other problem with the unit). Her Doppel reuses more animation, which is a shame.

I think that's the big deal for me-- this is a massively anticipated unit, and she was an Anniversary unit. I think everyone, not just myself, expected more effort to be put into her. I say this as someone who wasn't hyped for Akuma Homura-- I didn't have massive expectations to meet.

All that said, I still don't think that Akuma Homura herself is an EOS signal at this point. I meant it earlier when I said that I think the game has another year left. The entire reason that Devil Homura was considered an EOS signal in the first place was because that was the "big" unit that could for sure draw in the most money. She was the one "oh shit" button that could draw in a crowd and force people to spend money.

And in a way... she kind of did, through some scummy tactics. We all know very well why they released Historia Yachiyo the way they did-- she looks like an Anniversary unit, she has gameplay like one, and her banner runs throughout Anniversary. I completely believe that they released Historia Yachiyo to drain folks' pockets of magia stones so that people would be forced to spend money to get Devil Homura.

All that said-- to go back to my earlier point, I don't think Devil Homura is an EOS signal. I think that Madoka & Homura and Kyoko & Sayaka would fill a similar role. They are also both very anticipated units.

Additionally, I don't think that Akuma Homura being released in such a state, no matter how pathetic, is an EOS signal. As mentioned above, the game is having issues with its transformation videos. If they're going to budget the game accordingly, I'd rather it affect the henshins than anything else.

Here's the thing that makes me think the game is starting to wrap up in this year: Gameplay.

This game is suffering from powercreep. No, it didn't start now, or even last year-- I think Madoka & Iroha definitely began a bad trend which has become more and more monstrous. But even before then, we had units like Yozuru and Mikage which just completely outclassed units before them (before getting outclasses themselves).

But imo, Madoka & Iroha were still at least fun to use? But then you get to units like Devil Homura and Historia Yachiyo.

These units are straight up not fun to play with. In fact, they're the opposite of fun-- you don't even need to play the game. I did all of the EX-Challenges with my Historia Yachiyo and... jeez, the hardest part about them is that I can't turn off magia/doppel animations or use auto. And maybe the answer is: well don't use Historia Yachiyo then.

But what did I roll her for? I want to play with this character. I got her four-slotted. I like her aesthetic. I liked Puella Historia and I want to use a character that encapsulates that.

It's just, it feels like lots and lots of parts of the game that used to be important simply aren't anymore. Remember when the poison used by that one uwasa boss was a murderer for teams? Or the curse inflicted by the little uwasa mail familiars? You don't really need to worry about things like that anymore.

I'm not just speaking as a whale either... I do have alt accounts that don't spend money that I play a whole lot of.

At a certain point, the gameplay gets really really stale, but investing in your characters isn't fruitful anymore either, because they're already maxed in episode levels, magia, doppels... The only reason that Spirit Enhancement isn't maxed is 'cause the middle to large fragments are artificially capped and you can't grind them out.

But how do you give players more ways to invest in their girls without increasing further power creep? Attribute Enhancement was introduced and god, the numbers are fun but also jesus christ. Like, in what possible way can you make the girls have new ways to be new?

....

This really is a ramble.

I don't think the game is going to eos in the next six months or so. I base this on all the promo this anniversary put out (that costs money to make money), all the new quality of life things put in place by anni, the announcement of Magia Day + Scene Zero, and the upcoming movie. These are all signs that the game is gonna keep going for a bit.

But man, it also just kinda sucks that this game I love is actively becoming less fun for me.

[thesweetnessofspring]

hiiii,

i just wanted to say that i recently-ish finished the first book from the chaos walking series, and it completely blew me away!!! it was SO gripping!! the amount of times I almost felt too stressed to read on is a little embarrassing honestly 🙉

but beyond it being incredibly fast-paced it is soooo thematically rich and emotionally harrowing at times (u were right I did cry - rip Manchee 😔). also, idk why but todd really gave me finnick vibes... (more on that when I figure out a way to explain myself, but i'm leaning heavily on the exploration on what it means to be a "Man" that is very prevalent in this book...)

anyway... i'm going on holiday for a few weeks and I've already got the second book locked and loaded!!! thanks for the recommendation 🫶, i'd love to hear some of your thoughts on the books :))))

First I want to apologize for how long it's taken me to get to this. 😭But yay I'm so glad you enjoyed the first book!!!! It's one of those edge-of-your seat reads that also says a lot and draws really interesting and layered characters and the next two in the series only get deeper with characterizations as you get to know the other characters (which you might already know as you might have read the other two by now).

I wouldn't have really connected Todd to Finnick before! I'm interested to hear your thoughts on it.

Part of the reason I delayed answering this is because I wanted to read the 2nd and 3rd books again before giving my thoughts, only my copies of those are buried in my parents' garage and they're renovating so things are a mess but I wanted to respond sooner than I'll get around to digging them out and rereading. It's been on my mind especially with the week we've had. Spoilers and long rambling below

So of TKONLG, what really stood out to me this past read was initiation into being a man by Mayor Prentiss, what Todd discovers. That they take a 13-year-old boy and make him kill a man trying to escape their hellhole of a town, or else pick someone they simply don't like, and make everyone else watch. How Ben and Cillian had to be so careful with their Noise to try and save Todd and set him loose with only a dog and a knife (and perhaps getting Manchee when Todd was 12 wasn't so accidental).

I've especially thought about it this week with the election. That boys are told to be a "man" by putting their pride in front of the lives of others, to the point they were the ones doing the killing. Psychologically, that's an intense ritual bonding them into a cult and letting it change them, especially as trying to leave puts them in the position to be the one who gets killed. And that's not to include the way they'd murdered all of the women in town before that. Prentisstown created scapegoat after scapegoat.

I think most of the boys must have been told that it was they kill or be killed to get them to comply. A few like Davy were probably happy to prove themselves a "man". Todd fought the most, and it was only Viola being threatened that gave him enough anger that he could have killed Aaron. Aaron, whom he never liked and didn't have family or anyone that would ask for justice for his death and wanted to be the sacrifice. Todd still fought it, even though in the end, Aaron had to be killed.

Would killing Aaron have made Todd a man? Did Todd become a "man" when he killed the Spackle before? Did Viola spare him, or are they both "guilty"? Is there an exception for the kind of ruthlessness in which Todd was pursued to complete this mission? I like that these are questions Ness poses instead of telling us. And the plot only gets juicier from here!

[youtappedout]

y'all wanna read something crazy?

my company's finance team accidentally sent me an excel file copy of everyone's salaries. wild shit. like I can't believe it happened to me lol.

so we have this compliance test thing that we do annually and I'm one of the employees that hasn't answered it and since I wfh, I always try to set aside 30 mins to exercise and head straight to shower. that happened today. when I got back to my desk I saw this email that said 'compliance' on the file name, and so I downloaded it without fully opening it thinking it's a thorough reminder about answering the test. I clicked on the file preview (we use Outlook) without opening a new tab, and there I saw.. everything....

it had our CEO's salary, the VPs, software engineers, my team (I'm in marketing), and all shit like gov't contributions as well. I was sooo fucking taken aback by what I was seeing. the team member who sent it called me IMMEDIATELY and asked if I saw it and urged me to delete while showing my screen. she also tried to recall the email.

I felt soo bad for her because I can hear her voice in fear, cc'd in the email is our CEO too btw!! LIKE I'M THE ONLY NON-LEGAL AND FINANCE TEAM MEMBER IN THAT MAIL I JUST 😭😭😭 after that call I deleted the copy I downloaded earlier, even in my device. she called the second time to check my onedrive - to make sure nothing's been saved or whatever, she kept apologizing about having to call and ask me to show my screen which I'm totally fine with. I asked what happened and how'd she end up including my name, turns out there's someone else with the same first 3 letters as mine 😵‍💫

so yeah. it's fucking bonkers to see the amount discrepancies among people's salaries, no matter the job title, tenure, skillset and stuff. also in my country it's not really ideal to discuss salaries... hence why this is such a big deal to us and them. I'm still in shock and let me tell you, I think I can do better with what I'm making now to be honest!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS WAS SUCH AN EPIC END TO MY WEEK BYE!!!!!!!!!! ;-;

[red-rover-au]

Listen. I hold your face-- listen. I have been following so many separated au's. that the details I'd used to analyze the fighting styles of your friends in particular have been completely muddle-mixed with every other draxum dad-ed turtle. I think to myself "Leo has the weapon that's most likely to kill/maim" but is that a rr Leo trait? no! I think to myself "yet donnie is the one who murders most often" but do I remember examples of that? no!! My head is Empty my good writer.

The fact that 2 out of 3 responses to the fights have been "no thoughts head empty" lmaoo

Interesting that the family truama is the thing that stands out about my au! Yeah, my history with domestic abuse isn't a secret, and the fact that I always make Slightly Flawed parents 10xs worse in every fandom I touch is one of the funnier symptoms djskdjd

I could write a full essay on the complicated nature of having abusive parents who DO love you.

The rest under the read more cuz i accidentally did oops. Content warning for child abuse, obviously

I see a lot of depictions of abusive parents that feel extremely text book based, like someone read about the cycle of abuse and copied it down step by step, when in my experience and the experience of almost all of my friends who were hit as kids- its really not like that at all

I think I project onto Leo the most in terms of responding to an abusive parent. Cuz like, when your parent abuses you but you KNOW that they love you, it creates this unstable dynamic where you're never sure how much you can get away with. But when you're a stubborn and prideful kid like I was, you just try getting away with everything cuz fuck it, you know the storm is gonna pass eventually, they won't be mad at you forever, they'll probably even (poorly) apologize later

The most personal example was in the latest chapter- chapter 18. While Leo is getting whipped the only thing on his mind is how annoying it is that Draxum didn't even start with an explanation this time. He doesn't actually care why tho; anything could've set Draxum off, really. But he also has to carefully craft a mask that isnt too stuck up/neutral, else the beating will go on longer and that would be annoying- but he also has his Pride so he doesn't want to look super shaken from the whole thing. That might've been the autism in me, idk.

I dont know how to end this i got carried away lmao

Point is, ur right and Im glad the nuance comes through (I also have three siblings who's reactions to the exact same abusive behavior I could draw from, so that helps) and yis Leo keeps his snark because of course he does, he's Leo

[natedogx15]

Miraculous Decendent Chapter 55: Chapter Step Your Game Up

Previous Chapter

With a tired yawn, a fully dressed-for-school Nate is knocking on Marinette's door for what feels like the third time this morning.

"Come on, Marinette. I'm usually the one that hates being woken up between us." Nate sighs as he continues knocking until finally, Marinette opens the door... with baggy eyes while still in her pajamas.

"Woah. You look terrible. What were you doing all night? I thought your mom took away all your sowing stuff?" Nate asks as he steps back in shock at Marinette's appearance.

"I-I was thinking about something last night, and it kept me up." Marinette still has enough energy to blush in embarrassment.

Nate raises an eyebrow before deciding to put it off until they walk to school.

"Alright. I'll be waiting downstairs for when you're ready." Nate tells her before walking off.

Marinette nods before closing the door and yawning as she heads to her closet. She soon walks out in her ladybug-themed jacket, a short-sleeve white shirt with a pink flower branch, light blue jeans, and pink flats.

As she's getting her stuff for school, she's thinking back to last night and Canine's suggestion. She then thinks about last night and how the question kept her up.

"Maybe I should stop trying to learn more about my ancestor until Hawkmoth is defeated. After all, we have an extra person now. It might make defeating him easier. And protecting Paris is the most important thing right now." Marinette thinks as she checks her bag to make sure everything is inside.

She's afraid to go too far into her family's past with everything going on. They were lucky Barkk chose someone who would help them. But there's no telling what could happen next time they try to open the box or what she might find while investigating her family. She's worried she might accidentally make the situation worse somehow.

"I might talk to the others about this later," Marinette tells herself before going to her bathroom to finish getting ready.

After a short while, she walks into the lobby to see a waiting Nate tapping his foot on the ground impatiently.

"Sorry, it took me so long." Marinette apologizes while Nate shrugs.

The two head to school, and as they walk, Nate asks.

"So, what kept you up last night? Have you figured out how to tell our parents we're working for Ladybug?" Nate asks her.

"Maybe. I'm worried they'll ask me and Ladybug to be in the same place. I think I can make a convincing copy of myself using my powers. But that's not what's on my mind now." Marinette tells him truthfully.

"What else has happened while I've been locked in my room?" Nate asks her, though, not wanting the answer.

"Well, Barkk chose someone our age, and she's helping us fight against Hawkmoth. So, that's good. But." Marinette then explains to Nate about last night's meeting and Canine's suggestion.

"Why didn't we ever think of that?" Nate questions while facepalming.

"I'm worried, though. I'm not sure I want to pry into my family's history anymore. What if we find something that could cause things to get worse?" Marinette asks him.

Nate winches when he hears that and can see Marinette's point.

"I do not know how to answer you. I honestly am not sure at this point. Maybe you can test your luck after getting everything else handled. I'd rather you focus on getting us out of trouble with our parents." Nate tells her honestly.

This time, it's Marinette's turn to winch at the reminder that Nate is in as much trouble as she is.

"Sorry. I promise I'm trying. I just need to figure out the best way to introduce them to Ladybug." Marinette immediately apologizes to him while explaining what she's waiting for.

"I am going crazy from not being able to play anything." Nate sighs as his shoulders slump slightly.

Marinette winches again and sends him another apologetic glance as they arrive at a crosswalk and can see the school.

"Have you touched the Miracle Box, by the way?" Nate suddenly asks her with a raised eyebrow, causing Marinette to jolt slightly in surprise.

"No. I don't want to mess with it anymore. For a while, at least." Marinette tells him, causing Nate to nod in slight understanding.

"I guess that makes sense. Hopefully, Hawkmoth doesn't use this as a chance to reveal he can make three Akumas at once, and we have to risk opening the box again." Nate decides to lighten the mood with a bad joke.

Marinette cringes at the prospect and playfully smacks his shoulder while saying.

"Please, never make that joke again. I don't want to imagine fighting three Akumas, even if we have the numbers to match them." She tells him with a slight shudder at the idea.

"Sorry. I'll let you enjoy having the numbers advantage over Hawkmoth again." Nate apologizes while raising his hands in surrender.

After that, the two quickly find themselves in the school and are about to head up the stairs for class before Nate suddenly stops while looking at a poster.

"Nate? What's wrong?" Marinette asks him in confusion before walking back over to him.

When she looks toward where he's looking, she sees a tryout poster for a gaming tournament with her favorite game, Ultimate Mecha Strike III.

"Ugh. This is so tempting right now." Nate emphasizes the so as he looks at the poster desperately and excitedly.

"Wouldn't your dad kill you if you tried even trying out for the tournament?" Marinette asks him with a raised eyebrow.

Nate slumps and releases a dramatic groan at the reminder before staring back at the poster with puppy dog eyes.

"I know. But I'm going crazy." Nate tells her as she slowly pulls him away from the poster.

"Come on. I promise I'll get everything done soon. Just give me a little more time." Marinette promises her cousin.

With a deep sigh, Nate is willingly pulled away from the poster, and the two head to class.

Upon arriving in class, the group sees Alix's group of her, Max, and Kim happily chatting on the other side of the room. Well, it's mostly Max.

"I've been waiting for this tournament all year. I've spent so much time practicing the game to lose." Max proudly tells his friends.

"Well. This will be entertaining to watch, then." Alix tells her friend with a smile.

"Yeah, Max. You're going to crush the competition like all the best athletes in their sports!" Kim shouts at Max as he puts an arm over Max's shoulders with a grin.

"Indubitably." Max nods to Kim's excitement.

Hearing their excitement for the competition causes Nate to groan again and Marinette to pat his back comfortingly.

"There, there. Maybe we can do something." Marinette can't stand to see her friend acting like this.

"If our parents find out either of us skipped being grounded before you have them talk to 'Ladybug,' we are dead. And they will. You know how important rules and order are to Mr. Damocles. Trust me, you won't like Dad's punishment when I disobey his groundings." Nate bluntly reminds her while making finger quotes at Ladybug, causing Marinette to winch.

"If they're anything like my mom's," Marinette doesn't even finish her sentence as she imagines different punishments Samuel and Sabine can do to them.

The two sit silently as others begin filing into the room until class starts. Before class begins, Miss Bustier makes an announcement.

"Students, after the events from career day, Mr. Damocles has taken some time off to work from home. So, if any of you have anything to ask him, you may have to send an email to him." Miss Bustier explains to her class as she writes Mr. Damocles' email address for her students in case they need him.

A couple of the more studious students write the address down. But one is distracted by something else they talked about last night.

After talking with the heroes, Sabrina told her father everything, including how the heroes aren't any closer to figuring out who Hawkmoth is than the police. It did disappoint Roger slightly, but he didn't look that surprised, given that the heroes looked young.

"That's fine. It makes me somewhat happy. It means we police have something important to do against Hawkmoth that we are good at." She remembers him telling her with a smile on his face.

Remembering that smile makes Sabrina happy. But she can't help but focus and worry about how no one knows who Hawkmoth is or even has an idea. The shock and excitement of becoming a hero have already subsided. Now she's worried about losing her Miraculous before they can figure out who Hawkmoth is and her father being put in danger.

"Everything should be okay. While Ladybug and Cat Noir aren't good investigators, they've proven to be amazing heroes and will be helping me keep my Miraculous." Sabrina mind chants to calm her nerves, not noticing that someone can see her worry.

Chloe raises an eyebrow as she sees Sabrina get distracted sometimes before smiling.

"Looks like something is on Little Miss Justice's mind. It's been a while since I've seen her react like this. This could be fun." Chloe silently thinks to herself as she decides to wait and watch Sabrina to see if she can figure out what's wrong with the girl.

Class continues as usual, and the school day ends quickly for the class. After class, Marinette and Nate head back to the hotel while Adrien stays at school. Nathalie told him he could spend some time with his friends after school and decided to spend it in the library to compete in the gaming competition.

"This is going to be awesome. This is my first time trying out for a school competition, and I love Ultimate Mecha Strike III." Adrien tells Nino with an excited grin as the two head toward the library.

"That's cool, dude. It's nice to get to hang out with you a bit after school. I play, too. So maybe we can be the ones to take on the other schools and bring home a trophy." Nino tells his friend with a grin.

The two enter the library to see a rather large group of students waiting for the tryouts to start. The one leading the competition in place of Mr. Damocles is Mylène's father and an assistant educator at the school, Fred Haprèle.

Adrien and Nino look around to see who's here. Among the students are Max, his friends, Mireille with Thèo, and the person who turned into Magician of Misfortune, Jean Duparc. However, the most shocking person there causes Adrien and Nino's jaws to drop when they see her.

"Dude, why is Chloe here of all places?" Nino questions his friend as the two stare at a scowling Chloe, waiting with crossed arms.

"...I guess she likes gaming," Adrien says after taking a few seconds to process that she's there and it's not someone else.

"That's surprising. She never came off as the type to enjoy games. I thought she only cared about studying, baking, and torturing us." Nino whispers so Chloe doesn't hear him.

However, he doesn't do a good enough job as Chloe sees them staring at her in surprise, and it causes her scowl to grow.

"They're probably surprised to see me here and talking smack. Just wait. I'll crush you two if we have to play against each other. I am so taking the gold here and when I represent our school." Chloe thinks as she pulls out her phone while waiting for Fred to make his announcement.

While messing with her phone, Chloe adds another thought.

"I'll show everyone here how much better I am by getting our school a trophy. I'm exceptional like the rest of my family."

After a little bit more waiting to let others who want to join the tournament arrive, Fred finally begins his announcement.

"Welcome everyone to the tryouts for the school district's Ultimate Mecha Strike III tournament. I'm Fred Haprèle, and I'll be taking Mr. Damocle's place in charge of these tryouts while he takes some time to recover from being turned into a villain." Fred introduces himself in a friendly manner with a slight wave.

After giving the students a second to process this information, Fred continues.

"This tournament will be our school's way of finding the two best players to represent our school in the actual tournament. We will have a few fights among the participants while keeping track of points. Whichever two players have the most points by the end will represent us." Fred explains as he pulls out a bracket board and marker to write down names.

After that, everyone playing in the tournament has their names written down, and it begins. It was entertaining for those who came to cheer for one of the competitors and fun for the participants. Max, Adrien, and, surprisingly, Chloe are the ones that specifically stand out. Every match they played in, they crushed the opposition. Until it finally reaches a point where two of them have to face each other, those being Adrien and Max.

"Come on, Max. You've got this." Alix cheers for her friend while Kim throws his hands up.

"Yeah, kick his rich butt!"

"Hey!" Adrien shouts toward Kim in hurt.

"Don't let him psyche you out, dude! You've got this!" Nino cheers for his friend while Chloe hmphs.

"Hurry up and play already so I can crush the other." She orders while impatiently tapping her foot on the ground.

"I hope you're ready to lose, Adrien because I've been practicing for this tournament as soon as I heard about it. Beating you will be as easy as our last math test." Max warns Adrien with a confident smile as he chooses a black and green mech with a devil-like appearance named UFO.GR.

"Well, good luck then, Max." Adrien is uncertain what to say and can only wish the other player luck while choosing a black cat-like mech named NAD03.

The match begins, and everyone there can easily say it was the most intense one they've seen today. Combo, reversals, and special moves are used on both sides, and they seemed to be on equal footing for most of it. Everyone cheers for Adrien or Max to win as they watch the intense game. Finally, Adrien comes out on top with an excellent combo into a finisher. The points he gets from that match put him at the top of the leaderboard, with Max behind him in second place and Chloe third.

"And with that, we have only one more match before we decide who's qualified to represent us. It will be between Chloe and Max for second place." Fred announces as Adrien swaps place with Chloe, but not before she can give him a snide comment.

"Better not get in my way during the tournament. Otherwise, you can expect life here to get a whole lot worse." She growls at him, causing Adrien to gulp nervously as he takes his spot next to Nino.

"Crush her, Max! Crush her and shatter her pride!" Alix is especially loud with her cheering as she glares at Chloe from behind.

"Avenge me for Happy Heart's Day!" Kim cheers with her with everyone else in the room. 

Nobody is on Chloe's side, but it doesn't look like the dislike surrounding her affects her. She just confidently smirks as she takes her seat.

Fueled by the cheers around him, his own dislike for Chloe, and his wish to compete in the tournament, Max glares at the screen as he picks the same avatar as he did in his match against Adrien.

Ignoring everything and fueled by her desire to prove her superiority to everyone, Chloe chooses the pink and black one-eyed robot R2D3. With both bots picked, the match begins.

However, to everyone's shock, unlike the last match, this is a one-sided slaughter in favor of Chloe. Max can barely get any hits back before he ultimately loses to Chloe.

"Ha. In your faces, losers! Your grand champion couldn't do anything against me!" Chloe shouts at everyone as her accumulated points put her ahead of Max and Adrien.

Max sits in shock as he tries to understand how he lost to Chloe so one-sidedly while Chloe continues to taunt everyone who cheered for him.

"Alright, alright. That's enough, everyone. The ones representing us will be Chloe and Adrien. Thank you all for coming out to try and represent the school or to support your friends." Fred thanks everyone while clapping his hands to get them to stop.

Chloe has a proud expression while Max finally accepts the results. With his head hung low, he looks toward Chloe while holding his hand out.

"Good game. You've proven more worthy than me to be in this tournament. I wish you and Adrien luck." He tells her in a forced, cheerful tone.

"Ha, like I need luck. I'm a Bourgeois. We don't need luck. We're all talent and skill." Chloe confidently brushes the hand aside and prepares to leave the library.

Before she does, though. She sends one last glare at Adrien.

"I'll tell you again. You better not get in my way during the tournament. I don't need to be wasting my time picking up your slack. If you cause me to lose, I'll give you problems." Chloe warns before leaving.

Adrien gulps while Max stands up and quietly heads to the library exit.

"Max." Kim starts worriedly as he and Alix look at their sad friend.

"Can you guys leave me alone? Sorry, I want to be by myself. I have some homework I was planning to finish after winning the competition anyway." Max laughs to his friends before walking off as Alix and Kim give him worried and sad looks.

Later, during his walk, Max's feelings catch up with the rest of him, and tears of frustration build in his eyes.

"It's not possible. I was conscious of school announcements and saw the notification for the tournament an hour after it went up online. I practiced for it repeatedly. It was my destiny to play in that tournament. Not only did I train. Public opinion was always on my side. Several studies have proven how important the audience is due to how they can manipulate a person's morale. Chloe was clearly the enemy, and yet she still played perfectly." Max rambles as he tries to figure out how he lost so one-sidedly.

As he rambles, someone takes notice of his growing feelings of frustration, jealousy, and anger.

"Poor young man. Faced with the reality that the effort you put in and a favorable environment isn't always enough to give you a win. I know that feeling all too well." Hawkmoth says with a sorrowful expression before smiling.

"I'll help you gain some semblance of peace by giving you the power to live out something better than your dream," Hawkmoth says as he creates a butterfly and sends it after Max.

It soon gets close to Max while he's sitting on a bench, looking over his glasses. The glasses seem to have a line of coding on them that looks like game combos. Max is so engrossed in inspecting this that he doesn't notice the butterfly until it's too late.

"I'm glad you could join the party, Gamer. I have a far more interesting quest for you than simply being in a gaming tournament. It's simple. Take the powers I have given you and grow stronger to bring me the Miraculous of Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Canine. Will you accept?" Hawkmoth asks in a soothing and welcoming tone.

"Game on." Max grins as he accepts the butterfly under its corruptive influence.

The black smoke then envelops him.

With Adrien and Nino, they're heading back to Agreste Mansion while talking about the tournament.

"I can't believe Chloe crushed Max like that. I thought for sure it'd be you and him representing us. Sorry, you've got to deal with her as a partner now, dude." Nino tells his friend with a sympathetic expression.

"I know. I'm freaking out because I don't know how I won't get in her way. You saw how she destroyed Max. She's literally on another level." Adrien tells him in an anxious tone.

"You'll figure something out. Besides, I'm sure she's joking with the threat. I mean, I doubt your dad would put up with you getting bullied if he's so protective of you." Nino tries to calm him.

Adrien pauses when he hears that and seems to calm down slightly. However, new thoughts of Andrè's bakery shutting down because of his daughter caused him to winch.

"Please don't let Father do that. I really don't want any more problems while dealing with Hawkmoth." He begs the world in his mind.

In response, the two hear people screaming and turn toward it to see a floating black pyramid with a singular green eye hovering down the street while firing a green beam at anyone or anything it can. The people or objects hit turn into green orbs before getting absorbed into the pyramid.

"Oh, come on!" Adrien complains when he sees the pyramid coming toward them.

Next Chapter

[enbyleighlines]

Leigh plays Tellius prt 11

It's time to push around some priests!

I absolutely adore how Tellius has so many cartoonishly evil villains. Schaeffer especially is so much fun to hate.

Regrettably, I underestimated the boss, and wound up losing Boyd to a crit from his killer bow, so I had to do this map twice. Whoops...

On my second go, I hatched a plan that would allow me to take down Schaeffer without any risk of getting one-shot by a critical hit. I first left an unarmed Soren in Schaeffer's killer bow range, knowing that he's immune to critical hits so long as Ike is adjacent to him. Then on my next turn, I had Ike deal the finishing blow, with Reyson hovering nearby in case I needed someone to make a hasty retreat.

Schaeffer's defeat lines are so funny. You don't get more cartoonishly evil than this.

Here's a visual of what everything looked like. I actually had to use Reyson to give Ike a second turn, because he wasn't able to kill Schaeffer in one round. I also had to put that priest in the lower left corner to sleep at one point, because I accidentally left Boyd in his range with a two-handed weapon.

Now it's time for this scene! I wonder if the writing on the wall actually translates to anything, or if it's just random gibberish that's been copy and pasted.

Do we ever find out just how many siblings Reyson has? Is having a ton of siblings a heron-only thing? Or was Lorazieh and his wife just overambitious? I feel like, with how canonically frail herons are, that childbirth would be difficult for them.

How does one translate a name into a different language?

Ranulf has returned!!!

I think this may be my favorite thing Ranulf has ever said. He is such a fucking charmer. Ugh, my heart.

I snorted at Ranulf calling Soren a "nervous little staff officer". Most people consider Soren moody and detached, but I think this is the first time someone has described him as "nervous". But I think it makes sense if Soren always seems nervous around the laguz.

And now we finally get Ike and Soren's relationship to A rank! Huzzah!

I also got Mist and Boyd to B rank at long last. And it looks like Boyd is the one who started crushing first. Unsurprising, really. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Boyd's love language is dunking on people and being dunked on. It's only natural he would fall in love with Mist, who dunks on Boyd like she's getting paid for it.

Yay! The infamous Aimee and Soren scene! I always wondered about this bit, though. What do you mean, there's only one of these in all the world? Then how does one also exist in Radiant Dawn? Is this a mistranslation?

Next was the bridge map! I could have looked up a map about which squares to avoid, but I was too lazy to do that, and instead relied on my memory. Which turns out was a bad idea, because I still fell into a bunch of holes! Even so, I didn't have any problems with this map.

Lucia! Behold, a true bicon.

I had to get Petrine and Soren's dialogue. I am a little sad we never get to learn more about Petrine being Branded. How does she feel about it? Has she experienced discrimination before? Surely her experiences have influenced her fanatic hatred of the laguz. And perhaps her overconfident personality is her overcompensating for a secret self-loathing? Idk, I think it would be interesting if they explored that.

I decided to give the killing blow to Boyd, as a bit of an apology, both for letting him die to Schaeffer, but also for putting provoke on him so he would take all the hits from the ballistae.

Ike and Ranulf's C-rank conversation was immediately available after this map, so yay! And man, maybe it's just my shipper goggles blinding me from the obvious, but um, how else am I supposed to interpret this line other than Ranulf hitting on Ike?

Ike being so unbelievably tickled by Ranulf's stupid puns gives me so much life.

And that's part 11! We are getting into the endgame, and I'm starting to get nervous. Will I defeat the Black Knight? If I don't, does it count as letting Nasir die? Does that go against my "no deaths" rule?

Ahhhhh, let's hope all goes well.