#so yeah until i figure out what to do I'll just be miserable for now i guess

[flowers-and-literature]

My life would have been soooo much easier as a cis guy I'm actually so mad

[mariasont]

EEEEK your post prison fic for spencer is fREAking me out!!! could you maybe do one where spencer is now teasing the reader a bit? maybe he's giving her extra praise and she freaks (what would i do if he called me a good girl? 😩) (this is very indulgent to my praise kink i'm so so sorry 🧎🏻‍♀️‍➡️) tytyty!! i adore love and cherish you and your work 💕

I Aim To Please - S.R

a/n: shewwwwww to be complimented by post prison spencer fucking reid. im drooling!!!! but anyway babes i adore & love YOU!!!! so thank u so so sooo much for requesting 💖💖

masterlist

pairings: spencer reid x shy!media-liaison!reader

warnings: spencer being hot, reader being shy girl, spencer being a little shit who loves to tease

wc: 1.5k

There were a few basic rules you had established from working at BAU. First, avoid Rossi at all costs until he’s had at least two cups of coffee. Second, never attempt to outwit Emily; she’ll see right through you and crush your argument every single time. And third—perhaps the most crucial—do everything in your power to maintain your freaking composure around Dr. Reid.

That last one, however, was proving to be a monumental challenge. It wasn’t just the way he spoke, his brain firing off at a speed only he could keep up with. It wasn’t even the way he seemed oblivious to how endearing those very quirks were. No, it was the fact that the simple act of him breathing in your direction had you scrambling to hold yourself together. And honestly you were failing miserably.

Which is why you spent most of your time holed up in your office. It wasn’t much—just a desk, a slightly uncomfortable chair, and a perpetually growing stack of case files that seemed determined to bury you. But it offered privacy, and that was enough. Here you could breathe, decompress, and occasionally allow yourself to daydream about a certain genius profiler without the risk of public humiliation.

The bullpen was proving to be too chaotic, too close to him. Your office gave you distance, a buffer. But, as you had come to learn, hiding only worked when he didn’t decide to seek you out. And Spencer Reid had a knack for finding you when you least expected it.

"Hey."

You jumped slightly, nearly fumbling the stack of press notes you’d been carefully organizing.

Turning toward the door, you found Spencer leaning casually against the frame, a file tucked under one arm and a distracted sort of smile on his face. His tie was slightly loosened, his sleeves rolled up just enough to expose his forearms, and—just like that—your brain completely short-circuited.

"Hi," you said, trying not to sound too startled. "Do you, um, need something?"

"Yeah." He further into the room, lifting the file in explanation. "I was looking at the local coverage of our case, and I noticed a couple discrepancies in the timeline published."

"Oh,” you said softly, quickly shuffling the press notes into a messy pile and pushing them to the side. "Well, um, sometimes reporters try to fill gaps when they don't the facts. It's... frustrating, but it happens."

You glanced up at him briefly, but that look of his made your cheeks warm. Your fingers twisted together in your lap as you tried to focus on anything other than how ridiculously self-conscious you suddenly felt.

"That makes sense. I figured you'd know."

Instead of lingering in the doorway or leaving like you assumed he would, Spencer, casually grabbed the chair across from your desk. He spun it around in one fluid motion and sat it backwards, draping his arms on the backrest with an ease that felt strangely familiar—like you had been friends or colleagues for years instead of just a few months.

"I'll reach out to them about fixing the timeline," you said, your hand instinctively moving a stray strand of hair behind your ear. You clasped your hands together to still them, offering a small, nervous smile. "It shouldn't be too hard to correct."

"Thanks," he said. "That'll probably save from giving another long-winded lecture on factual reporting."

You gave a quiet laugh, grateful for the distraction from your tasks, though you weren’t entirely sure how you felt about the company. Not that you didn’t enjoy his company—there was plenty to enjoy, more than you cared to admit. If you could manage to function like a normal human being around him, you might even look forward to moments like this.

But then he tilted his head slightly, his eyes studying you as if he were unraveling some kind of puzzle and for one terrifying second, you were convinced he could hear every single thought racing through your mind.

"So," he began, "how are you liking it here so far? The job, I mean. Is it what you expected?"

You blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in conversation. "Oh, um... yeah. It's been great so far. Busy, but... I like it."

"That's good," he said, nodding. "I know it’s not exactly the most predictable job. Some people don't expect it to be so... chaotic."

"Well," you said, fidgeting slightly with your pen. "I knew what I was signing up for. Or, at least I thought I did. It's a lot, but it's rewarding."

"That's a good attitude to have," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Honestly, you're doing a great job. I don't know how you manage to keep everything straight."

Your heart leaped, thudding in your chest as warmth flooded your face. You weren’t used to hearing compliments, especially from someone like him. You wanted to savor the moment, to bottle up the way his words made you feel, but your nerves refused to let you fully enjoy it.

"I'm just, um, organized I guess,” you stammered, your hand flying up to rub at the back of your neck.

"More than just organized," he replied easily, completely unaware of how his words were affecting you. "You've got half the team wrapped around your finger already. Even Rossi listen when you talk. That's impressive."

Your face burned. "I think that's more about respect for the job than me."

Spencer shrugged lightly, as he was watching you, like he didn't quite believe you. "Maybe. Or maybe you're just better at this than you give yourself credit for."

You let out a nervous chuckle, fingers twitching as you fiddled with the corner of the paper in front of you.

"I don't... I don't know about that."

He tilted his head, again, his brow quirking. "Do you know how to take a compliment?"

"Of course I do." You were sure your voice lacked the conviction needed.

He smirked, leaning forward over the chair. "Doesn't seem like it."

You opened your mouth to respond, but the words stuck in your throat, tangled in the frantic web that was your thoughts around this infuriating man.

"Well, uh, you’ve only done it twice, so I don’t think that’s enough for you to judge."

His grin widened. "Oh? So you’re saying I should try again? For research purposes?"

Your eyes widened, and you blinked rapidly as if to process his words, your hands shooting up as if to physically block the implication. "I—uh—no, that's not what I meant.”

"No, no," he said, sitting up straighter and waiving off your flustered attempt to deflect. "I aim to please. If more compliments are what you’re after, I’ve got plenty.”

"Please, no."

"You're incredibly efficient. Seriously, I think you've managed to anticipate what the team needs before we even know we need it. And your ability to keep your cool under pressure? That's impressive. I mean, do you even get stressed? Because if you do, you hide it really well."

"Dr. Reid—," you squeaked, covering your face with your hands as if that could somehow shield you from the onslaught of praise.

"And," he continued, clearly now enjoying himself. "You're probably the most patient person, I've ever met. Which is something, considering you work with people who constantly interrupt and derail your perfectly planned press briefings."

Your stomach flipped, and you felt a flush of heat that had nothing to do with embarrassment pooling in your chest. As much as you wanted to sink to the floor, the way he looked at you sent every nerve in your body spiraling. Each word felt like it was tailored to you, peeling back the very thin veneer of control you’d desperately tried to maintain over the massive crush you found yourself drowning in.

Your head dropped to the desk with a soft thunk, muffling your groan. "Okay, okay, I get it."

He leaned forward just slightly, resting his chin on his arms atop the chair. "Now what do you say?"

"Thank you."

He smirked widened. "See? That wasn't so hard was it?"

Your cheeks burned even hotter, and you averted your eyes, trying to hide the nervous smile tugging at your lips. "You didn't have to go on and on..."

"Oh, but I did." He was still grinning. "You deserved it."

You risked a glance back at him, losing your cool by the second. That only made your face heat up more. "You're impossible."

"And yet, you haven't kicked me out of your office."

"That's only because I didn’t think it would work."

"Well," he said, turning towards the door. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't mind the compliments."

You opened your mouth to protest but no words came out. Instead, you watched helplessly as he shot you one last smile before disappearing into the hallway.

When the door finally clicked shut behind him, you let out a shaky breath and drop your head back onto the desk.

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[cheesecakeluver]

AT FIRST GLANCE

hamzahthefantastic x reader

ᶻ𐰁 ࣪ °⋆ when you arrive in Toronto, after three years from home, you meet with your close friend Mandy, who has a visitor that you know, at first glance, is bound to be yours.

———————-

As the taxi slows, i find that my stomach turns and churns in excitement. The idea that now, after three years, ill see Mandy again, after being apart for so, so long, enthralls me. We constantly facetimed and messaged after i had to move, for work purposes. Los Angeles was a great city, but once you really got settled and started to understand life there.. it made you miserable. Thankfully, my work as a journalist had moved me back to Toronto, and i could finally see my friends and family.

I retrieve my heavy suitcases from the boot of the car, thanking the driver and sending him away with a twenty dollar bill. I don't think i'll ever get over the price differences between Canada and the USA. I stand outside Mandy's place, which she shared with her boyfriend, Martin. Of course, i'd heard all about him, because as soon as i moved away, they met. She updated me on every date, every exciting occasion, and every detail of their lives together, including his youtube channel, whom he shared with a friend unknown to me, though Mandy constantly called him clingy and annoying, which left me laughing.

I knock on the door, one, twice, and then thrice. I see a figure moving towards the door, and i get excited, recording the whole moment with an old camera. I'd recently started youtube myself, and had had a good amount of luck, my first two videos not exactly blowing up, but doing pretty well for my first time. I see the figure head towards the door, and i shove the camera in front of me, my smile wide, grinning even.

The figure opens the door, and i'm stunned. It was in fact, not Mandy i was met with, who stood at 5,4. No, this was a nearly six foot tall, dark curly haired man, who looked like he'd just gotten out of bed.

"Uh.. who are you?" he mumbled, wiping his dark curls out of his face, pushing his rectangular glasses up on the bridge of his nose, his chocolate brown eyes widening as he stared deadpan at me.

i pull the camera down to my side, revealing my face as my smile drops. i stutter a little, taking a step back. Had i went to the wrong address?

"Does Mandy live here?" i asked nervously, my concern become increasingly evident on my face. I was never good at hiding my emotions.

"Oh, yeah. She said something about someone coming over today. Just didn't mention who." The man said, his eyebrows unfurling as the confusion fled his face, allowing me to view him more. He was attractive, and even i couldn't deny that, as i stared into his dark eyes. The worry wiped off my face as he opened the door wider, allowing me to step into the home, where Mandy was snuggled into Martin's side, a blanket over them on the couch, as i heard the nostalgic theme of 'Gilmore Girls' playing on the tv.

I smile, leaving my bags by the door as i hear Mandy ask whose at the door, until her eyes land across me. She screams, ditching Martins arms and she runs to me, hugging me and jumping with glee spread across her face. I hold her in my arms, happily.

"I've been waiting for you to arrive!" she says, pulling away from the embrace, still smiling so hard i believe it must hurt. "That's Hamzah, by the way, the one who answered the door. He's the one who does the podcast, and youtube with Martin" She explains, babbling on about what the boys did. I listened eagerly, intrigued, as she told me about this podcast, which i'd never known of before. She asks me how i am, knowing how hard Los Angeles hit me, leaving me emotionally drained.

"I'm excited to be back in Toronto, really. I've been wanting to come back ever since i left. Los Angeles was.. alright at first, but god, once you really get settled, and begin actually connecting.." i sigh, drifting off. The people that inhabited Los Angeles, were just not the people i was made for, and oh how glad i was to be back in Toronto. Back home. I look around, impressed at the new house they'd just moved in to, which now looked like a home due to the decorum, as i see dinner bowls lying around.

Martin cleans them up, putting them in the sink and introducing himself. "Sorry, we just ate.. probably should've cleaned that up earlier." he jokes, wrapping an arm around Mandy.

The whole time, the boy i know now as Hamzah had just been by the door, his keys in hand. i came to the conclusion he must have just been heading out when i arrived.

He jingles the keys in his hand, grabbing my attention. He looks a little nervous, his eyes darting around. "I'm gonna head out, it was good meeting you.." he says, finally looking at me, smiling, his hands in his pockets. He lingers on, and i catch the hint he wanted my name.

"Oh, y/n" i smiled, a little flustered as his eyes remained steady on me, a glint in them. I found myself drawn to him, even though this was our first meeting.

Mandy turns to me, Martins arm still wrapped around her. "We were just going out, for ice cream, if you wanted to join us?" she smiles at me, Martins arm rubbing hers and he stared at her, entranced.

I think about it, but ultimately decide against it, as i had ate the shitty food served on the airplane, and felt as though my stomach deserved a break after. That, and i wasn't in the mood to become a third wheel, especially as jet lagged as i was.

"I need to sort through the boxes as well, get my apartment into living conditons, but thank you guys, i appreciate it." i say, thanking the couple in front of me.

"Call me tomorrow though, we'll meet up then?" i ask, and Mandy nods, smiling. "Of course! Im so, so happy your home. Atleast now i've got someone to hang out with when these two are filming. Ooh, and maybe even double dates, and-"

Hamzah coughs loudly, interrupting her, and their eyes land on each other, and something, almost like realisation, hits Mandy.

I look between the pair, an awkward silence filling the room, as the four of us just looked at our feet.

I knew Hamzah had been there a couple of times when i had been facetiming Mandy, as i heard him and Martin in the background, but i never thought anything of it.

I pull my phone out, prepared to call another taxi, and head out of here, as i gather my bags and suitcase by the door.

"Anybody know how much a taxi from here to Parkson street costs?" i ask, breaking the silence

Martin speaks up immediately, as if snapping out of a trance.

"Hamzah, don't you live near Parkson street?" he asks the boy, who averts his gaze from mine, eyes focused now on Martin, as a pink blush cascades over his caramel skin, slightly covered by the messy curls strewn on top of his head.

"Yeah, i live on Parkson street" He replies, and i see Martin wink at him, before he speaks again.

"Oh, okay yeah, do you need a ride?" Hamzah says, eyes on mine as i see his hands fiddle inside of his pockets, causing me to smile.

"Yeah.. thank you. Really, your helping me out a a lot here." i blush slightly as he helps me with a couple of my bags, and our hands brush together, my face heating up, as does his.

"Really, you don't have to-" i say, prepared to take the bag, as he shakes his head in defiance, which leaves me to sigh, smiling as i do.

"I could see you struggling when you first arrived, let me help you" He says, picking the bags i struggled with up easily, impressing me as his biceps bulged whilst doing the action, causing me to stare.

Martin interrupts us, as he begins saying his farewells to Hamzah. I make my way over to Mandy, one last time, knowing ill meet her tomorrow.

"Call me tonight, and tell me everything" she says, with that knowing look in her eye, causing me to softly chuckle as i embrace her again.

We part ways with Mandy and Martin, saying goodbye to the pair as they began to get ready to get dessert. I smile at the couple as i leave with Hamzah, wishing i had the type of relationship they had, watching them laugh and cuddle and kiss. In my dreams i guess.

As Hamzah walks me to his car, we begin small talk. He asks about my life back in Los Angeles, and i tell him about my journalism and my small channel, as he told me of his podcast. He seemed passionate about it, using his hands as he spoke, and all i could do was become entranced by him. I had met this boy less than twenty minutes ago, yet already he had caught me attention, and by the looks of it, i had caught his.

"I originally started the podcast by myself, and did around.. i think thirty or so episodes before Martin joined. Honestly, its much better when your not just speaking by yourself, to a camera." He explained, hooking me in with every word he uttered.

"I guess i can kind of understand. When i film, so far, its always been by myself. My job as well, it gets lonely, because journalism isn't a very.. i don't know.. social type of job. Sure, I sit and write about all the things i love, but sometimes i just wish i had someone to talk to about my interests, instead of people just reading my words via a news outlet, or magazine."

i let out my thoughts, feeling slightly vulnerable when doing so. Hamzah watches me talk, allowing me to explain what's on my mind, and for the first time in a long time, i feel seen.

"Listen, i know we just met, but honestly, i feel like i know you already. I'm here if you ever need someone to talk to, even if its just about the stupid stuff." He says, a little shyly, rubbing the back of his neck as he speaks. I find myself walking close beside him, and we continue talking back and forth, all the way to his car.

Once we reach his car, he opens the door for me, and just when i'm strapped in, does he make his way to the drivers side, causing a feeling of warmth to erupt in my stomach.

Getting in, he sets his phone on my lap, smiling. "Since your a guest, i'll trust you to pick something good" he says, as i notice spotify opened infront of me.

It nearly made me melt, as i saw his recent listens. "Men i trust, Freddie Dredd, The maria's.. you have good taste" i smile, seeing some artist that we have in common.

I see him smile warmly, staring at the phone as i type my favourite song in, hoping, no, praying he would like it.

"Bags by Clairo.. you have good taste" He replies, copying me, as the song begins to filter through the car, and i hum lightly to it.

entranced by the music, and the feeling of content flowing through me, i rest my head against the window, taking in autumnal Toronto in all its beauty, realising just how much i had missed this place.

I feel Hamzah's eyes on me, and i turn to him, a grin erupting from me without my consent, as his curls fall into his eyes, and his hands mark the wheel.

We continue the rest of the ride in silence, the only thing heard is Clairo's majestic voice through the speakers, and both of us are okay with that. Upon arriving at Parkson street, i feel a little disappointed, missing Hamzah's banter and voice already, even though we hadn't parted from each other yet. I needed to get a grip on myself.

We get out, still walking close to each other, our arms brushing against one anothers, and begin walking back to our apartments, noticing we both strode in the same direction.

"Hamzah, what apartment number is yours? Not to be a creep or anything.." i joke, seeing his eyes light up.

"I'm 112.. what about you?"

I feel myself smile, pink flushing my cheeks, and not just due to the autumn chill in the air. We stop outside of his apartment, and he sees where my gaze lies, his cheeks flushing as well.

"I'm apartment 113” i say, grinning, our proximity exciting me like nothing before. maybe, just maybe this meant i did have a chance. endless excuses we’re running through my mind, thinking of ways i could interact with him on the daily.

He smiles, walking me to my door and setting the suitcases and bags in my doorstep, his cheeks tinted pink, and his eyes on me the entire time, looking me up and down with ease.

He smiles at me, one last time. "I'll see you around, y/n" he says, walking the two paces to his apartment, next door. My heart fluttered, and the minute i go inside of my new apartment, i jumped on the bare mattress, not caring about the unboxed suitcases and bags, picking up my phone and dialing my best friend.

"Mandy, i think i’m starting to like him."

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

[call-me-ninaaa]

On A Different Night - Matt Sturniolo

Matt sturniolo x fem!reader

heyy.

i'm back again with another imagine cause why not.

not proofread!

also pretend like matt can drive a motorcycle for the sake of this story.

____________

you recently moved to a new town and the only one you knew there was your brother nathan, along with his best friend matthew ofc.

after hanging out with them for a couple weeks already, the best decision was to finally put yourself out there and download some dating apps.

meeting a hot guy, y'all hit it off immediately and he asked you out on a date.

which leads you to now, in the restaurant with the guy named jason.

you're kind of having a good time and he's being a gentleman until jason started saying really crude things, telling you he'll go home with you rather you like it or not.

so that's when you excused yourself to the bathroom, going there rather quickly.

after calling nate to ask him if he can pick you up, he didn't answer so the only other number you have of someone in the area was his best friend matt.

deciding to text him that you feel unsave and asked if he can pick you up, he didn't reply for a few minutes.

'screw it, i'm gonna have to think of like a plan b, i'll just think of something.' u thought.

so walking back to the table while trying to figure out how to get home safely was the only option in ur head.

5 minutes in, the restaurant door slams open and there stands the one and only matthew sturniolo.

he walks over to your table and places the helmet he had in his hand on ur head saying 'we are leaving, let's go.'

jason tried to stop u from standing up but failed miserably when matt turned to him.

"if you get one inch closer to her, or one inch closer to me, i will END you, got that understood?" he rolled his eyes walking away with you behind him.

'why was that so.....attractive?' was the first thing that came to your mind.

you get on his bike and he drives you home, comforting you by rubbing ur legs the whole ride.

arriving to your place, you invite him in and you both start talking.

when all of a sudden you said

"yk what? i'm- i'm so sorry, like, it's a friday night and i just, took you away from whatever you were doing,like i'm just so sorry and like i should have just waited and i could have called my brother again-"

"shut up" he interrupted you.

"excuse me?"

"shut up... so do you wanna know what i was doing?"

"yeah." you answered his question.

"i had a bunch of friends over."

"oh my god i'm so s-"

"shut up!" matt interrupts you once again.

"...i saw your text, i saw you felt unsafe, i saw you needed me, i grabbed my helmet, i grabbed my keys and i left, i didn't say anything i just left, i just got on my bike and i got to you... because i will choose you over everyone else, every time!"

"...what?" was the only thing that came out of your mouth due to how speechless you were.

he began stepping towards you and leaning in.

"what are you- what are you saying?" you asked.

" i will choose you."

"okay, but what about my brother?" you thought he was going to say your brother was more worth it than u.

"over your brother every time."

"what does this mean?" you stupidly asked.

"i'll show you what it means." matt leans in, giving you the slightest peck ever.

"but we'll talk about it, on a different night when you didn't just come back from a shit date." he winks saying 'goodnight' before walking out the house leaving you standing there against the wall speechless as hell, thinking about what just happend when nate came into the house.

"what the fuck just happend?"

______________

OKAYY HOW WAS IT?

sorry if there are spelling mistakes, not proofread as i said at the start!

make sure to eat and drink enough today!!

thank you for reading and i hope you have/had a good day!

byeee!<3

word count: 704

[rocksibblingsau]

okay, I’ve been wondering how band together happens with Bergan branch for awhile, I want to know how much his brothers freak out

I imagine Branch has befriended the Pop Trolls by then and similarly bergens and trolls are at peace. The main change is there is no wedding crash because Bridget and Gristle are already married.

Honestly it's a little cursed but... I like to think instead he cut off Bridget from telling Bridget they were expecting because instead of the Broppy kiss on camera it's Bridget telling Gristle she's 'eating for two'.

So JD didn't seem bothered by the Bergens in the least which was... very odd? So John Dory doesn't freak out about Gristle just existing, but he's very confused by the fact that Bridget refers to Gristle and Branch as brothers. He assumes she means they're 'good bros'.

Bruce I like to imagine that Bergens have ended up on the island so while he used to freak out, he now knows how to handle perpetually miserable customers. Though Brandy always handles them, just in case. Lately though his Bergen clients have been in a cheerful mood, Brandy insists it's the tropical vibes and that everyone can be happy, but he doesn't know what to make of it.

I think he's a little put off by Branch constantly sitting on Gristle's shoulder, which Branch does by default as it's 1. A great mode of transportation in a place as big as Bergentown and 2. How he stayed under Gristle's watch before the true Last Trollstice so he didn't get snatched up.

The real issue comes with Clay and Viva. When they arrive to the golf course, Bridget and Gristle are attacked like normal, with Branch and Poppy working to fight off the attacking Trolls. Mostly Branch but Poppy will defend her bestie if she's gotta.

It's a lot harder to come to a peaceful discussion between them and the putt putt trolls, with Viva accusing them of being Bergen spies. Bridget and Gristle get freed by Branch and they agree to wait outside (but Gristle insists on taking the fries with them).

Clay and Viva are pretty horrified about the whole ordeal, but even more so to learn Branch was raised by Bergens. That's the moment where JD and Bruce are clued in a bit because none of them really bothered to think on it too much. Viva asks how Branch could do that knowing how many trolls fell victim to Bergens, which has Branch lashing out that he knows better than anyone about losing someone to Bergens because of what happened to his grandma.

Viva goes with them this time because she believes if they're wrong and Bridget and Gristle aren't changed that she's the only one who can protect her sister.

They have the fight they have post practicing and Branch leaves with Poppy, Bridget and Gristle. Viva demands to come too again. Branch says they'll figure out how to do a family harmony on their own to which Gristle gives his normal 'voice of reason' commentary.

Gristle: WE'RE going to figure it out? It took us until a year ago to all come to the conclusion we can be happy without eating trolls, now you want us to perform a super magical troll thing that not even the most talented trolls could do? Branch: Yeah. Gristle: *sigh* I'll get my keyboard.

It would be silly, but I like the idea that with the help of Bridget and Gristle they actually don't even need the family harmony because they both have the size and grip strength to open the diamonds themselves. So they yoink Floyd and he gets let out early. Yippieeee.

[roosterforme]

A Love You Don't Find Everyday Part 2 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley just wants a little reassurance from you, and no matter what he does, he's not getting it. 

Warnings: Fluff, angst, swearing and smut

Length: 3800 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

This was written to accompany my series Is It Working For You? along with a bunch of my one-shots! Check my masterlist in my profile for the reading order!

Bradley was kissing along your neck, rubbing his nose against your hair and inhaling your sweet scent. 

"Roo, I'm working." 

Of course you were working. It was the only thing you have been doing lately. You were sitting at the dining room table, eating a room temperature hot pocket and answering emails.

"I think you should take a break...with me."

Instead of responding, you just hummed and continued typing away on your computer. It was actually cruel, the way you had come home late from work, undressed right in front of him, taken a quick shower, and changed into his UVA shirt. All without acknowledging him at all.

"Sweetheart, come on, it's late. Let's go to bed."

"Bradley. I have a lot to get done," you mumbled, refreshing your browser and revealing a bunch of new emails. 

"You can pick up again tomorrow," he whispered, squeezing your waist through the cotton fabric. "I've been thinking about you sitting on my face all day. Let me make you cum on my mustache, Baby Girl."

You sighed and looked up at him. "Not tonight, okay?"

He swallowed hard. "Sure." He turned and went to the bathroom to get himself ready for bed, trying to keep the hurt expression from his face. 

If you didn't want to spend time with him in bed, there was no way he was going to get you to have a conversation about the wedding either. Bradley leaned against the bathroom vanity and examined his face in the mirror. He looked older than his thirty-six years at the moment. He also looked miserable. He brushed his teeth and fell asleep alone in the king sized bed. 

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

You were trying your best to keep yourself organized, but the wall in your office was starting to look solid yellow from all of the post-it notes you had hanging there. And now you couldn't locate the one you needed. "Shit," you muttered, trying to determine whether or not it had fallen behind your file cabinet. 

The sound of your growling stomach was distracting you, so you started eating your lunch while you searched for the note. You groaned at the sound of knocking on your door. If your team scheduled one more surprise meeting for this week, you were going to scream. 

"Come in!" you called, still trying to pull your file cabinet away from the wall.

"What are you doing, Baby Girl?"

"Roo!" you gasped, rushing around your deck to give him a hug. 

He squeezed you tight, and you buried your nose in his uniform shirt. He smelled good, and now you just wanted to go home and snuggle with him.

"You okay?" he asked you, kissing the top of your head. 

"Mmhmm. Just tired. And I have a meeting that doesn't even start until five, so I have no idea when I'll be home later."

He sighed deeply. "So you want to go to the movies a different night?"

Shit, shit, shit. That was probably listed in your personal calendar somewhere, but you hadn't checked. "I can skip the meeting," you told him, looking up into his brown eyes. "I can skip it."

He just shook his head. "No, we can go another night. It's fine." 

But he sounded annoyed. You needed to figure out a way to make this better. "Listen. I'm almost maxed out with my days off. I really need to start using some of them so I don't lose them before the end of the year. We can both take a day off and do something fun."

His lips twitched as he looked at you before he said, "Won't you need the days off for the honeymoon?" Then he cautiously added, "You said we could get married this year."

Your mind was overworked enough already without adding wedding planning to the agenda. "Yeah, I mean, as long as we can find a venue that can accommodate us and everything else."

"You ready to start looking at venues, then?" he asked hopefully.

"Roo, the next couple weeks are not going to be a good time for me to do that."

He pressed his lips together. "It's already mid-September. I was hoping to get a jump on this last month."

You squeezed him and said, "We'll figure it out." 

He rubbed your back and placed a gentle kiss to your forehead. "Yeah... we'll figure it out. I love you," he told you before he left. And as soon as he was gone, you realized he could have helped you move the file cabinet.

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

Bradley was so lonely with you constantly working late. He took Tramp on so many long walks, the poor dog was exhausted. He also helped the elderly neighbors with their yard work, and he played piano by himself. And he barely ever saw you before seven o'clock. 

The worst part for him was that he was the only one initiating intimacy. Not just sex, but anything. You were either tired or working or thinking about working. Last night when he started kissing you in bed and running his fingers along your neck, you moaned, so he thought that was a green light. But then you literally yawned against his mouth, and told him you were too tired. The night before that, you were sitting up in the kitchen on your computer until who knows what time. You told him you would be in to say goodnight, but you weren't.

It was short-term. He knew that. And he knew your work was important. It was literally paramount to his own safety whenever he flew his F/A-18. But he fucking missed you. He missed you whining about how you needed him to get you off during the cookout. He missed shower sex. He'd give anything for you to call him Daddy right now. 

Fuck. Just thinking about it was making him hard, but you probably wouldn't be home for hours. So he ran his own hand along his cock. Again. He jerked off like he did before you and he were dating: to the mental image of your legs in a short skirt, to the thought of him sliding his hands underneath said skirt. 

He came easily, but he didn't actually feel any relief.

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

Bradley was trying to be patient, but it was supposed to be Hard Deck night, and you were currently pacing around the kitchen on the phone with Sonya from your lab.

"Did you try saving it first and then opening it in a different format?" you asked, walking back around the island. "Hmmm. I'm not sure. Email it to me, and I'll try to open it."

Bradley watched you open your laptop as you put your phone on speaker. You glanced over at him when he twirled his keys around his finger, and you winced. Then you held up one finger in his direction, and he took Tramp out back.

You'd been like this for the past two weeks, and his patience was starting to wear thin. Every day you came home exhausted, and unfortunately he had been making dinner most nights. Which meant it never tasted very good. He was craving one of your fancy homemade meals, but he didn't want to ask you to make one for him. You were so busy at work as it was. 

Bradley knew how you were. Work was important to you. And you were important to him. So he would just have to wait it out.

"Sorry!" you said, poking your head out through the sliding glass door. "Sonya and I got it sorted, so we can go out now, Roo."

"Yeah, okay," he replied, tossing the ball one more time for Tramp. 

When he was alone with you in the Bronco, everything was perfect. You queued up one of his favorite playlists and laced your fingers through his. You sang along badly to the song which always made him smile, and he played with your ring. 

"Did you have a chance to look at any of the wedding vendors on that list I gave you?" he asked softly as he pulled into the parking lot. 

You shot him an apologetic look. "Not yet, but I'll look at all of them tomorrow. I promise."

Bradley just grunted as he shifted into park. He climbed out and helped you out of your door. "Please look at them," he said, grasping your chin and guiding your face up until you would meet his eyes. "It's important to me."

"I will," you whispered as you leaned up to kiss him. "It's important to me too. I just have got to get past all of this shit at work."

Bradley kissed you harder and you wound your arms around his neck. He let you soothe his nerves with your soft lips and your little noises. It would be okay.

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

As soon as you and Bradley were inside the bar, Phoenix had a beer in your hand. "Unless you're pregnant. Are you pregnant?" she asked, about to pull the drink back out of your grasp. Bradley was already on his way over to the pool table.

"No!" you said, surprised. "What the hell, Phoenix? Do I look fatter or something?" you asked, looking down the front of your body. If anything, you thought you might have lost a little weight, because you kept forgetting to eat when you were at work. You really needed to start setting reminder alarms in your phone. 

"No, but we haven't seen you in like two and a half weeks," she replied, pushing the beer in your hand closer to your lips. "We started making up conspiracy theories for fun. I thought maybe you were home with morning sickness. Bagman said you probably moved out, and Bradley was just pretending to hold it together. Fanboy assumed you went to the Comics convention in Philadelphia without inviting him, and that's why we haven't heard from you."

You pressed your lips together, simultaneously trying not to laugh or cry. "I'm sorry. I have been so busy with work. My boss is up for a promotion and I really want one by next year as well."

Phoenix eyed you closely before asking, "How are the wedding plans coming along?"

You glanced past her to see your fiancé taking a shot at the pool table. As much as you promised him you would start looking at venues and photographers and florists, you found you just didn't really want the added stress. You knew Bradley would be okay with just doing something simple in Maryland, if you told him that's what you wanted. You also thought you could get him to agree to an elopement if you really pushed him. But you just didn't know what you wanted, and you didn't have the energy or time to sit and think about any of it right now.

"Um, we haven't really started," you told Phoenix while you played with the label on your beer. 

She leaned in a little closer until you met her eyes. "Well, you should start," she told you, all hints of joking gone. It felt like a warning. 

"Yeah," you agreed. "I know that."

"He will do whatever you tell him you want to do, but please, tell him something." You had never heard her use this tone of voice before. 

You swallowed down a sip of your beer. "Did he say something to you?" you asked softly. 

"Yes."

"What did he say?" you asked, chewing on your lip.

But Phoenix just shook her head. "I don't want to tell you." Then she walked away, leaving you alone and upset.  

You tried your best to blend in with everyone. You had missed them. It wasn't like you hadn't. But now you felt like you were letting Bradley down, and you still had almost two weeks left of deadlines for work. But if he was talking to his best friend about you, and Phoenix wouldn't tell you what was said, that was bad.

You wrapped your arms around Bradley from behind and he chuckled. "Come here," he told you, pulling you into a hug. You pulled him down for a kiss before agreeing to play some pool. You saw Nat eyeing both of you quietly as she sipped her drink. You would do better. You would make time to talk about wedding stuff.

And you'd give Bradley a blowjob later. That would probably make both of you feel better. It had been a few days.

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

Bradley liked this a lot. It felt really good to be enjoying your mouth instead of his own hand. As soon as you both got home, you started undoing his jeans. 

"Right here?" he asked you softly, in the dark entryway. 

"Right here," you confirmed, dropping down to your knees. He had honestly been hoping to have sex with you, but this felt so good, he didn't want to stop you now. 

You sucked on him so well, and when you released his dick in favor of gently teasing his balls with your mouth, he groaned. "You know I love that."

"Mmm," you hummed, and he wrapped his fingers in your hair. "I know what else you like," you whispered, before taking his cock in your mouth again and getting sloppy. 

Yep. You knew exactly what he liked. 

Once he was sated and you were standing and kissing his neck, he said, "Why don't you go lay in bed? I'll get you off with my mouth and fingers, Sweetheart."

You ran your nose across his Adam's apple but shook your head. "I'm going to get a little work done before bed, okay?"

Bradley felt like he had been slapped in the face. You just got him off, and then turned him down. He felt like something cheap. Or like a chore you had to do. Like something less desirable than work. He felt like nothing more than an obligation as he watched you flip on the light and sit at the kitchen island with your computer. 

"I'm going to bed," he told you and headed down the hallway. He never thought you could possibly make him feel badly about himself. You. You were the one who always made him feel wanted and important. He had never imagined he could be so happy with someone. You stood up for him. You nursed him back to health. You were his teammate.

But right now he felt like he was going to cry. And it's not like he could talk to anyone about this. That would be mortifying. His wife-to-be would rather work at midnight than let him go down on her. He'd already talked Nat's ear off about the fact that you wouldn't commit to any wedding plans. You wouldn't even tell him where you wanted to get married. He couldn't get one detail out of you. He named three songs he thought you could use for a first dance together, and you just told him you would think about it. 

You kept telling him you would think about things, but you weren't getting back to him with any information. He was starting to get terrified that he would end up getting deployed again and have to leave you for months without even a wedding date to look forward to. 

He sat on the edge of the bed with his face in his hands. The urge to talk to his mom was so strong right now, he actually did start to cry. 

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

You joined Bradley in bed after he was already asleep, and you were awake before he was the next morning. You dressed in your last clean uniform and drank a mug of coffee. You really needed to make sure you did laundry tonight. You scowled at the coffee and drank it as quickly as you could. Somehow Bradley had become better than you at making your coffee the way you liked it. You smiled for a minute as you remembered how weird he thought your french press was when you first moved in with him. 

It was still early, and you didn't want to wake him, so you left him a note on the counter. 

Roo, I love you. Fly safely. 

Then you grabbed your bag and left. Today you would find out if you had to go to Annapolis at the beginning of October with your team to help present your research. You were practically vibrating with excitement. 

You had promised Bradley you would look at wedding stuff today. And you would. Probably while you ate lunch. But you just didn't see how the two of you would possibly have enough time to plan everything and get married this year. September was almost done now, and you didn't know how hard it would be to find a date that was available somewhere. 

If you had to talk him into next year, you would. It would be fine. 

So you got to work right away, and everyone ended up working through lunch. You were planning on taking a break soon, and then you'd text Bradley and see how his day was going. And during your break, you would scroll through some wedding venues and see if any of the locations appealed to you. 

"We're going to Annapolis," Bickel announced from the lab doorway. 

"Are you serious?" you asked him, slowly standing and trying to see if he was joking. 

"I'm serious," he said with a smile as the lab erupted in cheers. It was hard for you to imagine that just a few months ago, you thought you might have to take a leave of absence or switch locations to avoid having to work with Josh. Now you would be presenting your work on a national scale in your home state. 

You took your phone out of your pocket to text Bradley, but Bickel was already loudly telling everyone to join him tomorrow night for dinner and drinks on him. You had rescheduled tomorrow night to be movie night with Bradley. He already bought tickets. You were going to have to cancel on him a second time. And you were going to have to tell him you'd be in Annapolis for a week next month. 

You were also probably going to have to tell him there was no way the two of you were going to be able to get married this year. 

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

"I'm so sorry, Bradley. Can you take Jake or Nat to the movies with you instead?" you asked him.

"Sure," he answered, not even looking at you as he poured himself a bowl of cereal for dinner. 

"Great. And um... well... I'll be gone for a week next month. But it's good! Because I get to present my work in Annapolis."

He turned to look at you and nodded. "I'm really proud of you," he told you quietly. And he was. You had worked hard, and you had earned this. 

"Thanks, Roo," you said, wrapping your arms around his waist. "You've made everything so much easier for me. And in a few weeks, we can really start to get back to normal, you know?"

He swallowed hard, letting his hands come to rest on your hips. He hadn't touched you like this in a few days, and he had missed it so much, it was almost painful now. "That sounds nice."

"I need to do laundry and make sure I have something to wear to dinner tomorrow night," you said, pulling out of his arms and heading to the bedroom.

Bradley just wanted to feel close to you again, so he followed you and sat on the edge of the bed while you perused your dresses. 

"What about this one?" you asked, holding up your black wrap dress. 

"Bronco sex," he said, and you started to laugh. "Reminds me of Bronco sex."

"Yeah... me too," you told him, hanging it up again. "Better not wear it to a work dinner. I'd be thinking about you the whole time."

He rubbed his hand across his face. "Would that be such a bad thing?"

"No. Just hard to focus. How about this dress?" you asked, holding up the blue one you wore when you picked him up at the docks a few deployments ago. 

"Sex against the inside of the front door," he whispered. But you were already pulling out a sweater to wear over it.

"I know you like this one," you said, holding it up in front of your body for him to see. 

"Loved it since the first time you wore it, Baby Girl."

You took a deep breath. "I guess I should start thinking about what kind of wedding dress I want."

Bradley immediately jumped up from the bed. "Yes! Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, but you were already shaking your head.

"I'm not supposed to talk about that with you!"

His heart sank again, but he supposed you were correct about that detail. "You want to call your mom and talk to her about it?" he asked. 

"Roo, it's almost midnight on the east coast. I'll worry about it later."

He didn't want you to worry about your wedding dress. He wanted you to be excited about it.

"Let's go watch a show," you told him, headed for the living room. A few minutes later, Bradley was the big spoon to your little spoon. You put on a show he didn't even like very much, but he was too embarrassed to ask you to switch it to Real Housewives of Atlanta, so he just held you close. 

Then he started to kiss your neck, working his lips and his mustache next to your ear. "Roo," you whispered, and that tone of your voice was like a shot of adrenaline through his body. 

"Sweetheart," he whispered, already growing hard for you. "Can we get in bed?"

You sighed. "I'm too tired tonight." So he stopped kissing you and just held you. Soon your breathing evened out, and he could tell you were asleep. So he watched the end of the show by himself, and then he scooped you up and carried you to bed. He tried to tuck you in gently, but you woke up. Now he was terrified that you were going to go back to the kitchen with your computer instead of at least sleeping next to him.

"I'm sorry I'm so tired," you told him before you yawned. Even the way you were arching your back as you stretched had him aching for you. When you pulled your shirt and bra off and replaced them with his UVA tee, his mouth went dry.

"I hate to say this, but... can we schedule some sex into your calendar?" Bradley asked you.

You laughed. "We can have sex this weekend."

"Last weekend, you worked all weekend. Same as the weekend before that."

"Well, I won't this weekend, okay?"

He just nodded as you headed to the bathroom.

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

Poor Roo! Come on Baby Girl, he just wants you to plan the wedding!

Part 3

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[anangelwhodidntfall]

Request: Heyy bestie thank you for my tarsem story <3. If you don't mind I would like to request something with dad!Quaritch where the reader is sick and just clings to him and he loves it so much and Jake is all jealous because the reader used to cling to him before Quaritch came into the picture.

Sickness: Dad!Quaritch

It had started with a few sneezes here and there and then the coughing started and progressively got worse until one night you woke up coughing so you got up and made your way towards the kitchen to get a drink. Your dad who had been sleeping until he heard one of you, he couldn't quite figure out who it was coughing, had made his way towards the kitchen to see who it was. He was surprised to see you standing there sipping some water and god did you look miserable which made him frown.

"Hey angel, you not feeling good?" He asked. 

"No, the coughing is keeping me awake, my whole body hurts. I thought maybe the water would help but it isn't." You said sadly. 

"Come here, let me feel your forehead." He said as you set your glass down and walked over t him. 

He gently placed his hand against your forehead and felt how hot you were which he thought you probably had a cold. You relish in the relief of your father's cold hand against your forehead that felt nice against your hot skin. 

"Angel I think you have a cold." He said as you backed away from him a bit feeling a sneeze come on. 

"Sorry, I didn't want to sneeze on especially if I am sick. Do we have anything I can take to help me rest?" You asked him. 

"I think we might. Why don't you go sit on the couch while I check, okay?" He asked as you nodded your head. 

Hey angel, we only have enough for tonight, we'll stop by the Sully's in the morning to see what they suggest for you." He said taking a seat next to you. 

"Mo'at will probably make me up some medicine or we'll have to go to the lab to see what the scientist suggests. It really depends." You said breaking out into a coughing fit making your dad frown as he rubbed your back. 

After taking your medicine, you laid your head in your dad's lap making you look at your shock, he for sure thought you might go lay with your twin or your boyfriend or Jake even but not him. Sure you two were in a much better place than you two had ever been, but still having you cling to him made his heart swell. 

"Oh, angel." He said running a hand through your hair as you slept. 

The next morning when you woke up and had some soup which your twin had to help with since your dad's cooking wasn't the best but he was trying, you guys went to Mo'at to see if she could help you. 

"Oh, my yawne." Neteyam said once he saw your state as you guys walked through high camp.

"I know I feel so terrible." You said sneezing which made your throat hurt.

"Here let's get you to grandmother." He said taking your hand which made your dad smile a bit seeing how much the boy cared for you.

Just as your dad suspected, Mo'at did confirm that you had a cold that should be gone in a few days and was most likely from the other night when you and Neteyam got stuck in the rain. She said she would make you up some medicine and Neteyam said that he would have Neytiri make you some of her soup that she always made for you. After getting you home, you instantly fell asleep against your dad. 

"I'll be back later with my mom with her medicine and her soup." Neteyam said as your dad thanked him.

"Y/n is sick?" Jake asked confused as you hadn't come over to him like you normally did when you got sick. 

"Yeah me and her dad took her to grandmother this morning, so grandmother  is making her some medicine and I'm gonna bring it to her." Neteyam said. 

"Where is she right now?" He asked. 

"Sound asleep in her dad's lap." He said making Jake confused as you never slept in your dad's arms before now. 

After Neytiri finished making your soup, him and Neteyam made their way toward ya'lls tent, Jake wanting to see if what his son said about you was true. They gently walked in and sure enough there you were sound asleep in your dad's lap. 

"Hey, we brought her medicine and my mom made her some soup that will help." Neteyam said as your dad gently woke you up. 

"Here's your soup yawne, and then you can take your medicine so you start feeling better." 

"He really cares for her huh?" Your dad asked watching you and Neteyam. 

"He really does. They're good for each other. But since when did she start sleeping in your lap?" Jake asked him. 

"Took me by surprise too, but she started last night. I gave her some medicine and she was out in my lap nearly gave me a heart attack, I half expected her to go to one of them or you even but decided to enjoy it while I could." He said. 

"Yeah, it goes by too fast. Enjoy while you can. If you ever need a break let me know. Neteyam i'm heading home, I want you back by Eclipse." He said before leaving. 

The next few days Jake would frown seeing you sleeping against your dad, which used to be his spot before your dad came back into the picture. At first, your dad found it amusing that you choose him instead of Jake and not gonna lie he did purposefully walk around with you in his arms or sit where he knew Jake would see him just to rub it in his face. But then it hit him how hard this must be for Jake to deal with since he did raise you while he was gone and decided to play nice. 

"Hey, why don't you go lay with Jake while I go see what your brother is up to?" He said as you nodded your head. 

"Hey, Jake do you mind if I lay with you?" You asked him making him smile. 

"Of course, sweetheart thought you forgot about me." He said as you frowned. 

"I could never, I'm sorry I made you feel that way." You said looking up at him. 

"It's alright sweetheart, I know you have your dad now, I don't want to interfere with that." He said. 

"You could never Jake, your just much my dad as he is, I'll just try to divide my time with you two better." You said making him smile. 

"You are just as much my daughter as you are his, get some rest sweetheart." He said placing a kiss on your forehead. 

Your dad came back and smiled seeing you sound asleep against Jake, which made him happy to see because him and Jake don't always get along, but he figured maybe for your sake that they could learn how to co-parent. 

"Thank you for doing that." Jake said. 

"I hate to say this but you and Neytiri did a great job raising them, especially her. So I think we can find a happy medium with sharing them."  Quaritch said looking over at you. 

[beastofburdenxo]

A Familiar Pain

You start your period in Emmett's bed, and he takes care of you. No smut, just a small mention of blood. First fic of the year!! 774 words. @your-nanas-house

You had woken up to familiar stomach pain and cursed yourself for not being more prepared. To make things worse, you weren’t even in your bed; you had spent the night with Emmett. You raised the covers to see the unwelcome blood all over his sheets. You wanted to cry right then and there. Would Emmett be mad? “Well good morning sweetheart.” he says, rolling over to face you and giving you a kiss. “What’s wrong?” he asks, noticing the look on your face. “I’m sorry Emmett, please don’t be mad...” He raises the cover to see what you are apologizing for. “Oh sweetie, it’s okay. Don’t apologize, I'm not mad. Let's get you cleaned up, yeah? Let me take care of it.” Emmett gets out of bed, and you hear him running a warm bath for you. “Come on, in the bath you go.” He scoops you up in his arms and takes you to the bathroom. You want to hide in shame as he helps you undress and sits you in the tub. “There you go sweetie,” he coos, “You’ll feel better once you get clean. The nice warm water should help with your pain too. My poor baby.” Your eyes fill with tears at his gentleness. “Don’t cry.” Emmett sits on the edge of the tub and washes your back for you. “I’m an adult, and I know you can’t always predict these things. I figured it would happen sooner or later. Now sit and relax, I'll take your clothes and the sheets and wash them, okay? Don’t worry about a thing I got it.”  

Emmett strips the bed and puts everything in the washing machine while you soak in the tub. He comes back with a pair of his shorts and a shirt, “Just until everything is good and dry.” You smile at his kindness towards the situation. “Thank you, you didn’t have to do all this. I should know better; I've been at this for years.” Emmett chuckles as he holds up a towel and wraps you up in it. “Being mad and throwing a fit doesn’t help a thing. I know it wasn’t on purpose. Besides, it’s what I'm here for; to take care of you and make things easier.” After fixing yourself up you go to the living room while Emmett checks on the laundry. “You look miserable sweetheart.” he tells you as you're sprawled out on the couch, “Anything I can do for my girl?” You look over at him, not wanting to be any more of a bother than you already are. “No.” you reply with hesitation. Of course, Emmett picks up on it. “Don’t give me that, you are in pain. I can see it. What do you need from me?” With a sigh you answer, “Will you come and rub my belly please? Your hands are always so warm, maybe give a little pressure?”  

Without a second thought, Emmett has you in his lap. You both are leaning back on the couch, your back to his chest. He takes his big hands and gently puts them underneath your shirt, right where you need it. Your eyes close at the warmth. His hands are like your own personal heating pads. “Like that, beautiful? Your tummy is so bloated, bless your little heart. I can’t believe you go through this every month. I'd be crying by now.” You lean over and nuzzle his arm. “Yes Emmett, thank you. You are always so good to me.” He slowly starts to rub your poor tummy, giving the slight pressure you asked for. “You deserve it sweetheart; you are so good to me as well. How about I fix the bed up and we take a little nap? I’ll even let you keep my hands.” You give a smile in response as he gently moves you off him. An unknown amount of time passes, as you almost drift off to sleep on the couch. Emmett picks you back up, “Come on, back to bed for you. We’ll take a little nap, and when we wake, I'll fix us something to eat. You’re choice.”  

Emmett gently places you in the bed, sheets nice and cozy warm from the dryer. “Come here, lovely, let me squeeze you some more.” You fall into his arms as his hands go back to their previous location. “I’ve got you; get some rest. I’ll be right here when you wake.” Between his lovely massage and the clean sheets, your eyes can’t help but close. The pain a faint memory as you wonder what you did to deserve a man like Emmett.  

[desultory-novice]

Suggested Listening: Re_Birthday (lyrics)

-

I don't really mind the quiet...

Especially in my head. It's been...kind busy there for a while. 

I never bothered to count how many there were. More numbers were good. That was all. Or so we believed. But looking back, it was pretty miserable. Like on bad blizzard days, when they'd pack everyone into one room? It was that, only they never let you back out.

If there's one thing I'm tired of, it's how dark it is. See, we don't "see" things the way other species do. Yeah, I know: giant eyeball. But that was like...our brain. What we saw was the form of things. Their composition. But we didn't see light. We didn't see color. 

I think...that was on purpose.

Because, and I know this from experience, when you're trapped in complete darkness for long enough, you'll listen to anyone who provides you with even the faintest hope of things changing.

I spent way too long listening, unaware or more likely, uncaring that I was only dragging more voices into the same morass I was mired in.

But that's all over.

Someone stopped it. Came in like a star on the spring breeze and brought light and hope and dreams back to the world. And the voices have all faded. The others, they've been freed, I think. 

I don't know for sure because, well, I'm still here.

...But I think I might be the only one here now. I don't know if it's because I was their "favorite," or because my sins were worse than most, or if there's some other reason I'm still around.

I can guess what you're thinking about now, but it's okay.

I don't want you to cry over me, because I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not getting out. I thought it was that damn collar that started it. But, now that I've got all this time to myself to think, I'm pretty sure...I've been trapped for way longer than that.

Maybe the darkness is just who I am? 

You see, sometime back, I learned that a long time ago, when Earth still used a bunch of different languages, my name had a slightly different meaning that the one it has now.

One guess what that was.

...So, yeah...

That's why it's okay that I'm still here. And I'll be fine, even with the things I said. Listen, if me taking in all the darkness means that you're left with nothing but light, then I've done my job right.

Miss you, though.

And sorry I scared you last time we met. I kinda hope you never figured out that was me, but I think you probably did, after a while.

I won't be upset if you're mad at me for that. Or for lying to you about, well, a lot of stuff. For hiding what was going on with me.

I've got some other stuff I should apologize for too, but...I'd feel better if you never had to hear about those... Heh. Guess I'm taking more than a few secrets with me to my "grave." 

...Sorry if calling it that sounds depressing.

It's a pretty poor excuse for a grave too. It's got the "laying still in the dark" part down, but come on. I know I wasn't THAT great of a guy, but aren't graves supposed to come with fl...

"Pfffpht!"

...Suddenly... ...Miraculously... ...It wasn't all darkness anymore.

There were bright blues and purples and yellows and whites. Raining down on me where I slept from what had to have been heaven. They fell and they fell and they fell until I was practically drowning in them.

...Forget-me-nots.

"Okay, now you're overdoing it, silly girl."

-

Thank you for the inspiration, @driftwoodmfb

[mikaya07]

À little teaser of my Karma x Reader x Asano x Nagisa fantasy au fanfic

Thus, you both found yourselves in a completely new world—a fresh start, a new chapter. You couldn't contain your excitement. No longer would you live as an introverted shut-in, drowning in monotony and hiding from the world. This was your rebirth—a chance to become the hero of your own story.

But of course, there was him.

That insufferable redheaded god sat squatting nearby, clutching his head dramatically as if the world was about to end. Karma Akabane—that god—was mumbling incoherent curses under his breath while random buckets kept falling on his head out of nowhere. He was probably cursing you under his breath but you decided to ignore him and focus on the dazzling world around you.

Everywhere you turned, there was something extraordinary—humanoid creatures of all sizes, semi-crowded streets filled with adventurers, and a sense of magic that made the air feel alive. Your animated expressions and reactions spoke volumes for how amazed you were. "Woah! An elf!" you squealed, pointing at a tall, pointy-eared figure in the distance. "Oh wow, is that a witch? This feels exactly like a video game, a fantasy world!" Your wide, sparkling eyes darted around with childlike wonder, taking in every detail of the world.

Then came the obnoxiously loud groan.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrghhhhhhhhhh!"

It was Karma, naturally. You turned to find him throwing yet another tantrum. His expression was equal parts frustration and despair as he glared daggers at you.

"Stop being so loud!" you scolded. "We're in public, and people are staring. Do you want them to think you're crazy?"

He froze for a second but quickly grabbed your shoulders, shaking you back and forth like a madman. "YOU WITCH! LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! I'M STUCK IN THIS STUPID, INSIGNIFICANT WORLD BECAUSE OF YOU!" he shouted, comical tears streaming down his face. "YOU—YOU LITTLE—" a bucket dropped down on his head.

You rolled your eyes and pried his hands off your shoulders. "Chill out. You can go home if it's such a big deal." you said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Karma's face darkened as he stared at you, deadpan. "That's the problem, you idiot. I can't go home until you beat the Demon King. Thanks to your brilliant idea, I'm trapped here," he muttered, crossing his arms and sulking.

"Oh well, I guess you're stuck with me!" you said cheerfully, clapping your hands together like it was the best news ever.

Karma's golden eyes narrowed at you. "Yeah, yeah. But don't forget—If I'm miserable, I'll make sure you're twice as miserable." His tone was calm, but had a menacing edge to it that made you shiver.

"Whatever." You dismissed, brushing him off. "Come on, let's find the adventurers guild or something. That's how all these king of things start, right?"

With an exaggerated sigh, Karma dragged himself behind you. "Sure. Lead the way oh fearless leader," He said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

❤️

Several minutes later....

Karma had stopped walking and was staring at you with a look of smug amusement. His arms were crossed, and a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"You're lost, aren't you?" he asked, his voice annoyingly smug.

You froze, lowering your head in embarrassment. "...Maybe."

Suddenly, you brightened up with an idea. "Hey God," you said, spinning on your heel to face him. "Do you know the whereabouts of the adventurers guild?" 

"First of all, call me Karma. We don't wanna attract unwanted attention now," He said, raising an eyebrow. "And second, no, I don't magically know the layout of this place. This world is just one out of millions, and honestly, it's not even worth memorizing." he stretched his arms behind his back. As if on cue, another bucket dropped out of nowhere and landed squarely on his head. He sighed, pushing it off without flinching.

Damn he's useless.

With no other choice, you approached a shopkeeper and asked for directions to the adventurers guild. After convincing him that you were hopelessly lost, he gave you clear directions.

Feeling confident now, you turned to Karma with a smug grin. "See? I got it. Follow me."

Karma raised an eyebrow, trailing behind you as you led the way. "Congratulations. You can ask for directions. Truly a hero in the making," he said dryly, though there was a faint glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

❤️

The lively buzz of the adventurers' tavern hit you as soon as you stepped inside. Warriors, mages and rogues filled the room, boasting of their exploits or nursing tankards of ale. You couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement. This was it, the start of your new journey. You felt like you had finally fit in.

Karma trailed behind you, looking distinctly unimpressed as his amber orbs scanned the room. He noticed many staring towards his direction, mainly at him and most were women, admiring his appearance. You had noticed it too. Couldn't blame them though. After all he was really handsome. Well when his mouth was shut.

Ignoring the stares, your gaze landed on a beautiful young women with deep chestnut brown hair that was tied up in a ponytail with her red coloured scrunchie. She had a professional smile and an air of grace that immediately caught your attention. Her figure further emphasised her matured look. You marched towards her.

"Excuse me! We'd like to sign up as adventurers please!" you said, practically bouncing on your heels.

The woman, who's name tag read as Toka Yada offered you a friendly smile. "Of course! Welcome to the Adventures' Guild. You'll need to pay a small registration fee to get started."

Your enthusiasm dimmed. "Oh we need money?" You asked, sheepishly, glancing at Karma, who was now leaning casually against the counter with his usual smirk.

"Don't worry, I've got this." Karma said, pushing himself off the counter and sauntering toward a random table. You had no idea what he was planning, but knowing him, it couldn't be good.

He had stepped in front of an elderly man dressed in priestly robes and cleared his throat. "Greetings, mortal," Karma said, his voice taking on a pompous tone. "Behold, for you are in the presence of a god." He struck a dramatic pose, one hand raised as if he were blessing the room.

You slapped a hand on your face.

Oh no.

The old man blinked, then gave Karma a warm smile. "A god, you say? Well then, tell me what deity you serve?"

"Heh, I am the God Of Chaos, Karma Akabane!" he replies, confidently. The priest's eyes narrow slightly. "I see. As it happens, I am a devoted follower of Yuuma Isogai. The God Of Preservasion and Abundance." he raises a necklace showing him the symbolic pendant. "And while I respect all divine beings, I find it quite improper to boast blatantly about your supposed status."

Karma's cheeks turned faintly pink, a rare sight that immediately committed to your memory. Before he could dig himself deeper, the old man sighed and handed over a small pouch of coins.

"Here, take this and use it wisely. I wish you the best, Follower of the God of Chaos." He flashes him a close-eyed smile. Karma snatches the pouch, muttering something under his breath, and stalked back to you.

"Here." He shoved the coins in your hands. "Go pay before I change my mind." you stared at him. Half shocked, half trying not to laugh. You then turned towards Yada who was carefully avoiding both of your gaze, her polite smile strained. It seemed she felt second-hand embarrassement as her cheeks were tainted of a pink hue. That suddenly made you blush, feeling embarrassed. However you handed the registration fee anyway.

"Thank you." Yada said, handing you both shiny new cards that looked like IDs. Your name, age and stats were displayed neatly on the surface. "Please fill in these forms and I'll analyse your stats to determine your recommended class."

You eagerly filled in the form and handed it back. The brunette placed it in the Crystal device and a holographic projection of your stats appeared in mid air. She scanned it briefly before her smile faltered.

"Ah..." she began hesitantly. "Your luck stat is quite high..."

"Awesome!" you grinned. "Soo, what kind of adventurer does that make me?" you asked.

Yada hesitated, her eyes darted toward Karma, who wore a knowing smirk, seeing right threw her. She then looked back at you. "Well high luck is um not particularly useful in combat. I would recommend perhaps a merchant? Luck is quite handy for bargaining and trade."

You froze. "A merchant? You're saying I'm not good enough to be an adventurer?"

"N-Not at all!" Yada said quickly, waving her hands. "It's just that—"

"A merchant, huh?" Karma interrupted, chuckling under his breath. "Yeah that suits you perfectly. You can sell healing potions while I take out the Demon King." A bin cap drops on his head.

You shot him a glare, your face burning with embarrassment and indignation. "Oh, shut up!"

Yada coughed, awkwardly, trying to maintain her composure. "You can still choose any class you want of course," Yada said. "It's just a suggestion based on your stats."

You huffed and crossed your arms. "Fine. I'll show you. I'll be the greatest adventurer this world has ever seen—even with luck as my highest stat!"

Karma snickered. "Sure. Let's see how far 'luck' takes you." Another bin cap drops on his head but he barely flinches anymore as he's used to it.

It took all your power not to smack that annoying, obnoxious asshole.

"Alright, your turn," Yada said, turning to Karma with a polite smile as she handed him a form.

He filled it out lazily, clearly disinterested by the whole process. "Do I really need to do this? I'm already perfect in every way that matters," he muttered, handing the form back.

Yada placed his form on the glowing crystal and the holographic projection of Karma's stats materialized.

"W-What the..." Yada's eyes widened as she leaned in for a closer look. "These stats are... incredible!"

She stares at his stats in awe "Your strength and intelligence are off the charts! However your luck is 'quite' abysmal." She says.

The murmurs started immediately, rippling through the room like wildfire.

Karma smirked, basking in the attention. He casually flipped his red hair out of his eyes, his cocky demeanor dialed up to eleven."Well, of course. I am amazing, after all. Did you expect anything less from me?" he said, his voice dripping with self-satisfaction while a bin cap dropped on his head.

You crossed your arms, glaring daggers at him. "Oh, give me a break," you muttered under your breath.

Karma noticed your sour expression and leaned closer, his smirk widening. "Jealous, are we?"

"Jealous? Of you? Please," you scoffed, even though the truth was written all over your face.

"Don't worry," he said, patting your head condescendingly. "With my stats and your... uh, Luck, we'll balance each other out. Teamwork makes the dream work, right?"

You slapped his hand away. "I don't need you to carry me!"

Meanwhile, Yada cleared her throat, clearly trying to remain professional despite the chaos. "Your stats are remarkable, Karma. With numbers like these, you're qualified to choose nearly any class you like."

"Hear that?" Karma said smugly, glancing around the room as if expecting a standing ovation. "I'm what they call a natural-born legend." A bin cap falls on his head.

"Don't let it go to your head," you muttered, trying to shrink under the weight of everyone's stares.

Despite your best efforts to ignore him, Karma's smug aura was impossible to escape. The tavern continued to buzz with murmurs, and you couldn't help but feel like your thunder had been thoroughly stolen.

"Let's go," you snapped, grabbing his arm and dragging him away from the counter.

"Aw, don't be so grumpy," Karma teased, leaning down to whisper in your ear. "I'll make sure to save you a spot in my shadow when I become the greatest hero in this world." a bin cap drops on his head.

"You're insufferable," you muttered.

This dick stole my thunder.

With that, Karma had decided to be an Advanced Arch-priest while you were a lower class adventurer.

❤️

Work

The days had blended into a monotonous cycle of hard labor. Both of you had taken up jobs as day laborers—menial work, but it kept you afloat. Dressed in white loose tank tops and scruffy trousers, Karma painted buildings with a nonchalant ease while you stacked bricks in the scorching sun. His exposed arms were well toned along with parts of his semi-exposed skin. The tank top he wore further accentuated his toned body, which you couldn't help but admire.

You worked alongside large, muscular men whose skin glistened with sweat. Their loud laughs echoed through the site, but they barely noticed you, too busy with their own tasks. Karma, however, seemed to revel in the absurdity of it all, humming obnoxiously as he painted, occasionally flicking paint at you when he thought you weren't looking.

Cleansing

After grueling work, the public hot tub was a luxury you couldn't resist. Despite the expense, soaking in the steaming water felt like heaven. You relished the warmth enveloping your sore muscles, letting the day's grime melt away.

Karma had finished his bath earlier and was waiting for you, outside, grumbling about the cost and how he'd rather spend the money on food. Meanwhile, you stayed a little longer, savoring the rare moment of peace.

Tavern

Evenings were for indulgence. You both splurged on hearty meals: steak, roasted chicken, fresh bread, and savory sides you couldn't name but devoured anyway. The highlight, however, was the tavern's famous drink, Bubbly.

Karma, ever the connoisseur of trouble, developed a dangerous obsession with the fizzy, intoxicating brew. "This is the nectar of the gods," he declared, slamming his mug down as the room erupted into laughter.

The night often ended with both of you tipsy, surrounded by other adventurers swapping exaggerated tales of glory and danger. For a brief moment, you felt like you belonged—until the reality of your situation hit again.

Nighttime

The harsh truth was waiting for you in the cold stable you called home. With only two thin blankets—one to shield the hay beneath you, the other to keep you warm—you tried to find comfort in a place that reeked of manure. Every so often, you'd wake to find it disturbingly close to your face, reminding you just how far from luxury you were.

This cycle continued for days until one night, you woke up in the middle of the night, groaning in frustration.

"Ughhhhhh, this sucks," you whined, sitting up and rubbing your temples.

Karma stirred beside you, his voice groggy. "What? Do you need to pee?"

You shot him a glare in the dim light. "There's no toilet, Karma. Or did you forget we're dirt poor and sleeping in a stable?"

He chuckled, resting his head on his hand, staring at you with his half lidded eyes and his signature smirk. "Just pee outside. What, you scared of the dark? Need me to come with?"

"I'm not scared of the dark! And I don't need to pee!" You screamed, drawing a muffled groan from one of the other stables.

Karma smirked. "Then what's the problem?"

You clenched your fists. "The problem is, I didn't come here to stack bricks and make pennies. I came here to be an adventurer. I want to be rich!"

"Right." Karma yawned and stretched. "Well, sweetheart, that involves fighting monsters, and with my crappy Luck and your incredibly low stats, we'd get annihilated in five minutes. You're dreaming if you think we're surviving that."

"THATS BECAUSE WE'RE STUCK IN THE SAFEST PART OF THE TOWN!" you shot back. "WE CANT JUDT SIT HERE FOREVER. I REFUSE TO WASTE ANOTHER DAY WAKING UP TO LITERAL SHIT NEAR MY FACE! AND ARENT YOU LIKE A GOD? YOU'RE LIKE INSANELY POWERFUL!! YOU CAN FIGHT ALL THE MONSTERS THAT COME OUR WAY?"

One of your neighbors shouted, "WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP?!"

"Sorry!" you yelled back, shrinking under the blanket.

Karma sighed and lay back down, facing you. "If you're dead set on it, fine. Tomorrow, we'll try this adventuring thing. Just don't get yourself killed."

You locked eyes with him in the dark. "We're not just going to try. We're going to do it. I'm not living like this anymore."

Karma rolled his eyes but smirked. "Alright, boss. Let's see what you've got."

And with that, the two of you drifted back to sleep, ready to face the next chapter of your journey.

❤️

You and Karma had ventured into the open fields for your first-ever quest as adventurers. The task was simple or so you thought: kill five toads. Completing it would earn you 20 experience points, level you up, and reward you with 300 Yuumas. (Yuumas was the currency of this world.)

Killing toads was considered the easiest quest for experienced adventurers. After all, they had low health points, were too focused on eating their prey to notice much else, and actively avoided armored adventurers since they were too heavy to carry.

But that was for experienced adventurers. For you and Karma, it was pure hell.

Armed with nothing but a tiny dagger, you had little hope of surviving. And Karma? Forget him. He had arrogantly refused a weapon, claiming, "A god as powerful as me doesn't need such mortal trinkets."

Yeah, useless.

The disaster began almost immediately.

"AHHHHHHH! KARMA, SAVE ME!" you screeched, sprinting across the field as a gigantic toad bounded after you, its slimy tongue flicking inches from your back.

Behind you, Karma was doubled over, clutching his stomach as he laughed hysterically.

"Pfft—HAHAHA! Look at you! A red-faced, desperate, screaming mess! This is priceless!" he cackled, his voice dripping with sadistic glee.

"KARMA! HELP ME!" you wailed, tears streaming down your cheeks as you ran for your life.

He smirked, clearly savoring your misery. "Well, that depends. Are you ready to grovel? Say, 'Oh, my handsome, righteous god—'"

"OH, MY HANDSOME, RIGHTEOUS GOD, PLEASE HELP ME!" you interrupted, desperation overriding your pride.

I'm going to BURY him after this.

Karma grinned. "Good start. Now, promise to worship me, pray to me three times a day, think about me constantly, sing my praises—"

Before he could finish, a slimy tongue whipped around his torso and yanked him backward.

"What the—?" His smugness evaporated as the toad opened its massive jaws and gulped him whole.

The toad that had been chasing you suddenly forgot about you, now busy with its new meal. You froze, screaming, "KARMA! DON'T YOU DARE GET SWALLOWED!"

Fueled by a mix of terror and fury, you lunged at the frog, dagger in hand. With one swift slice, you tore through its slimy flesh.

❤️

Karma sat on the grass, coughing and spitting out mucus. After that, he puked. It wasn't normal puke, it had a rainbow like colour and it didn't smell of anything. From head to toe, he was drenched in the toad's white, gooey slime. The stench was so unbearable that even the air around him seemed offended.

He wiped his face, avoiding your gaze. "Thanks," he muttered, humiliated.

"No problem," you replied.

Silence stretched between you as Karma simmered in his embarrassment. But his anger soon bubbled over.

"That's IT!" he snarled, leaping to his feet. He charged at another toad with reckless abandon, his fist glowing faintly with a yellow aura.

"KARMA, WAIT—DON'T GO!" you shouted, panic rising.

He ignored you, yelling like a lunatic. "THIS is what happens when you defile a god!" His fist connected with the frog, sending a powerful shockwave that stripped its slimy skin clean off.

You stared, stunned. "What the—how did you—?"

Karma smirked smugly, basking in his own glory. "Told you I didn't need a weapon. Who's the useless one now, huh?"

But before he could continue gloating, a chorus of ribbits sounded around him. Four massive toads emerged from the shadows, their tongues lashing out mercilessly, wrapping him up like a mummy.

"W-WAIT! NOT AGAIN!" Karma yelped, flailing as he was tossed around like a rag doll.

Groaning, you charged in with your dagger, slicing through the swarm of frogs to rescue him—again.

"Forget the stupid mission. Let's head back to the tavern. We'll figure things out." you say. He nods in agreement but first things first, he needs to take a shower.

❤️

Back at the tavern, you slumped at the table while Karma devoured yet another serving of roasted frog legs, a smug grin plastered across his face.

"We need allies if we want any chance at defeating the Demon King," you said, frustration lacing your tone.

Karma nodded between bites. "Exactly. That’s why we’ll form a party. Don’t worry—I know just what to do."

You didn’t like the confidence in his voice.

🕒

Hours later, Karma triumphantly pinned up a freshly written poster on the town’s central board.

🕛

Four days passed, and the two of you were back in the tavern, staring at the same untouched poster.

"Ugh, why isn’t anyone joining?" Karma groaned, slouching over the table.

You crossed your arms, glaring at him. "Gee, I don’t know, maybe because YOU MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANYONE TO QUALIFY?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.

You pointed to the poster. "'Only the ELITE of each individual class need apply—no mediocres or low-class adventurers allowed.' Karma, this town is literally full of beginner and low-class adventurers!"

Karma scoffed. "Well, excuse me for wanting quality over quantity. We need the best if we’re going to take down the Demon King. A bunch of amateurs won’t do."

You rolled your eyes. "Look, with you already being an advanced Arch Priest, we don’t need a team full of elites. Besides, being surrounded by overpowered adventurers would just make me feel like a loser."

Karma replied with a straight face. "But you are a loser."

Kill yourself

Before you could retort, the sound of approaching footsteps cut through the air. They grew louder, stopping just behind Karma. He immediately stiffened and turned around. You followed his gaze.

Standing there was a blue-haired boy with a soft but confident presence. His cloak was modest, and his staff had a practical design—clearly well-used but carefully maintained. He wore a black wizard hat.

"Excuse me," he said politely, his voice calm and measured, "are you still looking for party members?"

Both you and Karma stared, blinking in surprise, before nodding slowly.

The boy cleared his throat, preparing himself for a dramatic introduction. "I am Nagisa Shiota, an advanced upper class mage and I want to join your team!"

--------

If you want to read the full story, find it on Quotev. It's called Eternal

Link:

[kangshxrtie]

ch. 6 ⤍ teamwork

"so kazuha what game did you want to play?" you asked.

"i found this 2 player game yesterday, it looked fun so i really wanted to try it"

"yeah i'm down. just send me the link"

"so i don't know much about this game. i think you just roll around trying to get a carrot?" kazuha said once the game started.

you two rolled around until you made it to the portal and went in, "i got sucked"

"eh?"

"the portal sucked me in"

you both went to the next level still rolling around not knowing any of the other key binds until kazuha randomly jumped.

"how'd you jump?" as you tried to figure it out kazuha jumped over you and you clicked the kick button, kicking her into a hole and making her die.

"y/n!" kazuha exclaimed.

as you two were finally getting the hang of the game a new difficulty came up, spikes. "you'll jump and i'll kick you over it" kazuha devised a plan.

as you two were spinning you accidentally kicked her directly into the spikes.

"i'm so sorry" you apologized while laughing.

once you two made it back to that point you sat as to be a stool and she jumped over you directly into the spikes.

"now that was your fault" you said.

once you got two got over the spikes there was another difficulty, grabbing the carrot.

"grab the carrot and i'll help you when you get to the other side" kazuha jumped on the spring bouncing to the other side.

"you're the npc side character on games that is always there but never helps me kill anybody" you said.

"i am helping. i'm making sure you don't fall onto the spikes" kazuha replied.

you tried to grab the carrot and accidentally touched the spring making you fly up to the other side.

"y/n you forgot the carrot" kazuha laughed.

"you try and grab it. this shits hard"

"it looks easy"

"easy my ass" you mumbled.

as you tried to go back for it you accidentally fell onto the spikes. "ahh shit"

you grabbed the carrot and the spring made you fly up but not much. you made it to where kazuha was waiting and almost fell into the hole. "kazuha! help!" she grabbed onto your character flipping you over.

you two began to flip to the end but before you made it you saw a sign indicating there was a hole coming up, "there's another dead zone" you told kazuha.

"it's probably a trick" she said before going right into it, "ahh!"

"really?" you laughed.

"it really did seem like a prank" kazuha said.

once you got back to that point flipped some more when kazuha accidentally dropped the carrot, "carrot! my baby!"

the both of you were trying to grab the carrot and as your character ended up behind hers you sensed something bad about to happen. "please don't kick me" you said right before it happened.

you flew almost to the beginning as kazuha busted out laughing, "kazuha what the fuck"

she was still laughing as she began to talk, "just get back i have the carrot"

"this is all your fault"

when you made it back you two proceeded to finish the level.

"grab me" kazuha told you.

"yeah i'm doing it, yep grabbing you, i'm gonna grab you" you kept repeating as you failed to do so.

when you finally did you both flew up because you both kicked making enough momentum, "we're literally flying"

"kick! kazuha! kick! kick! kick!" you yelled out as you saw the portal.

"stop kicking! no kick! stop! kazuha!" you yelled as you two flew over to the portal.

"you're throwing for content!" you finally concluded.

"we're not even streaming" she laughed.

"that's why it's even worse, you're just throwing to make us miserable"

kazuha only laughed as you malded, taking the chance while you were down she kicked you in the face multiple times, "how you like that?" even when you flew off the screen she kept going once the round restarted since you weren't moving, "this is payback for earlier"

you stared at the screen in complete disbelief at the japanese woman you met a couple of hours ago.

"if i knew you were like this i would've never called you pretty"

you two played a couple more rounds before stopping to talk about random stuff.

"i didn't even realize it was already 3" you said, "time flew by so fast"

"kazuha i enjoyed tonight with you, we should do it again sometime" you told the japanese girl.

"if you ever feel lonely or just wanna talk" kazuha spoke, "you can call or text me whenever"

"really?"

"yeah even if you just wanna sit in silence, i'll answer" kazuha told you.

"damn you really know how to make my heart beat fast" you chuckled.

"i just want you to be comfortable around me" she said softly.

"kazuha stop i'll actually have a heart attack at this rate" you said as you held your hand over your heart.

she just laughed in response, "please don't die on me. we still have a video to film"

"so you really are all about the content. i'm glad we actually weren't streaming i can't even imagine how hard you would've thrown if we were"

"i actually was trying, there were just some moments where i thought it would be really funny to kick you"

"messed up" you shook your head.

"but the game was fun though. even though i think i lost some years of my life over it"

"i screamed so much tonight, i think my voice will be raspy tomorrow" you said.

"the members kept texting the group chat telling me to shut up while we were playing" kazuha told you.

"that's why i have noise-canceling pads on my walls. nobody can complain" you said.

"oh that could be multi-purposeful" she mumbled.

"heh?" you were caught off guard by what she said.

"nothing. guess i'll see you to film the video in a couple of days. bye y/n!" kazuha quickly said her goodbyes.

"bye bye kazuha" you chuckled as you hung up the call with a smile on your face.

ALL CHAPTERS !!! | NEXT CH !!

[loquaciousquark]

One thing that I really appreciate about your fic is that you always have the whole thing prewritten and then you post on a regular schedule until the whole thing is out there. What made you decide to do it that way rather than post as you write? I'm currently once again waffling on just posting as I write or finishing my whole thing and then posting and it's driving me nuts!

Ahh, I'm still reeling from your lovely art! Let me try to compose myself and also try to get through the haze of cough syrup. There are four (and a half) main reasons I always finish my stuff before I start posting. I keep trying to qualify this post by saying they're personal reasons developed over many years and I don't know if they'll mean anything for anyone else, but I'm just dithering at this point, so let's get to it.

The biggest reason by far is that the pressure of knowing someone is waiting for me to write the next part is AWFUL. It's petrifying, honestly. I've only ever posted two fics as I wrote them, River Stone on the kinkmeme way back in whenever (like 2013 I think?), and Metamorphose for Thanzag last year (a three-parter with over a year between parts 2 and 3). I tried it again with Metamorphose because I thought, oh, it's been ten years since I last did this, surely I can now handle posting before finishing--NOPE. AWFUL. Every comment looking for the next part was like a little inquisitive set of eyes peering over my shoulder, and any free hobby time I spent doing other things I felt guilty about for months. Plus, I'm not quite satisfied with that last chapter even now, but the pressure of needing to get it done was stronger than my desire to hone. I hate having that pressure compromise my standards, and I won't be doing it again anytime soon. Plus, I get so much joy out of comments when I do it the other way--writing everything first and knowing that pressure to finish is gone--that the tradeoff of no comments during the writing process is beyond worth it to me. That's the selfish aspect of how I post; I want to be able to just marinate in the reactions without the pressure of trying to figure out what comes next. Yeah, this sometimes means I spend a metric ton of time writing stuff that then doesn't get a lot of feedback once I finally start posting. Ah, well, them's the breaks. I'm familiar enough by now with my creative juices that I know the next fic is just around the corner. .

I'm such a constructionist in my fics, heavily leaning on my outlines for the overall structure and framework, that I spend a lot of time after the first completed draft trying to really polish up themes, characterization, and plot from start to finish. On I think almost every major longfic I've ever written, @jadesabre301 has pointed out a serious gaping hole that needed immediate revision (occasionally very major revision) in order to get the fic to the quality I wanted it to be. I can't go back and add early scenes and theme/imagery reinforcement in chapters already posted, and if I want to make the piece as polished as possible, I need that editing freedom and flexibility. (And she needs to be able to see the whole structure of the piece to find those flaws.) Plus, if I don't force myself to write the interstitial or difficult scenes, I could very easily see myself stalling out after hitting the highlight scenes I'm excited about, and then that'd be the end of the progress. I got stuck in one place in Spire for like eight months before Jade pushed me through it, and if I'd been posting concurrently with that writing stall, I think I would have been miserable. .

I have a high tolerance for sitting down and really focusing on one project for hours at a time, and I have a job and lifestyle that allow that every now and then. I don't have kids, I have a career I'm very well established in (giving me some clear work/life boundaries and seasons when I know I'll be busy and when I know I'll have time to be creative), and I structure my free time in those periods in ways where I can write without interruption. I don't really need external impetus or praise to keep me going (in fact, as mentioned, it often makes me feel worse), so having that dedicated time lets me really sink my teeth into my projects, which makes it so much easier to reach my target goals. I also find completing and closing projects immensely personally satisfying, which helps drive that momentum during the more difficult parts of the process. .

It's important to me to finish my projects so that the stories are complete for the readers. Not just because I grew up on abandoned WIPs in the fandoms I cut my teeth on (Sailor Moon, Inuyasha, Harry Potter), either. I remember a particular author in the Inuyasha fandom named Rozefire who wrote what felt like dozens of incredible AUs that I followed religiously for years. However, she never finished more than...memory says a handful of them? And every header at the top of the new fic would talk about how she was still working on the previous one, but after several months I realized that as soon as that new fic went up, the previous one would never see another chapter. I still loved everything she wrote and I still devoured every word, but there were several things I desperately wanted to see completed, and I have so many dusty memories of sifting through those fics for updates every few weeks, pining for any little crumb, haha. I'm able to complete my projects and it's important to me to do so for the sake of any readers, so it's something I make a priority when I write. .

(really 4.5) Not finishing my projects makes me mentally unhappy. It doesn't destroy my mood or anything, but it becomes a persistent itch that poisons all my other hobbies, even if there aren't any comments looking forward to the next chapter. In some ways the ending of that de-aging Fenris/Hawke fic I wrote a million years ago where the story demands a conclusion was a veritable autobiography. There's a reason that of my, uh...63 works on AO3, the only ones not fully completed are the two WIPs I'm currently posting (which are completely written) and the two oneshot/ficlet collections. Those collections have been lifesavers as well in that they are homes for my little orphan ficlets, which also pleases the ruthless organizer part of my brain. I don't like clutter; I don't like tangled wires; I don't like untucked sheets or piles of abandoned craft projects or rooms of untamed chaos. I look at a lot of those cozy little cottagecore aesthetic posts and I honestly just want to straighten everything to right angles and buy them coasters and set up bookshelves so they can clean up the space. I used to organize my parents' VHS collection every summer--we had a spreadsheet with titles and reference numbers that went into the 500s. Finishing fics fits into the same space in my head; when they're finally done I can at last put the lid on the box and put it labelled neatly on the rack with all the rest of the boxes and I can mentally release it from my list of things to think about on the daily. (Which is, incidentally, the main reason I only work on one project at a time; too many open and cluttered boxes = a very unhappy me.)

Anyway! This was a very long answer about a very personal process, and I hope there's some part of it useful to you in some way! <3 At the end of the day, you'll have to decide your posting schedule for yourself based on the things that are important to you. There's no wrong way to do it--it's only whatever makes you happy and keeps you writing! <3<3<3

[tobiasdrake]

One last task to take care of before we infiltrate Fort Fleshy.

I was twiddling them earlier when I was flying around the map just to see what I could find. This place is definitely an intricate combination lock.

Could be the key to releasing Duke Aventry. Might just be Roro's porn stash. Either way, we won't know until we've cracked it. Personally, I think we should forego the lock and just bring Yolande in to blow this support column to hell.

Sure, we can also do that. Yoyo knows everything and is loyal to no one, so there's no reason she wouldn't assist us but no guarantee that she would either. Worth a shot.

Your swamp is a maze and I hate it. Give me useful information or I'll make your other eye look like the one I'm wearing on this necklace.

...

I mean. Good afternoon, Yoyo. What a pleasant day we're having. Could you possibly help me break into your sister's porn stash?

Yep. Got it. Just like the Watchmaker. Not motivated enough to directly assist us but also not motivated enough to put up with the violence that's going to ensue if you don't. One whole "Not My Fucking Problem", served and delivered.

I've seen these runes before. I remember wondering what they were about. But the Roro Heist was so long ago, I'd forgotten.

Thanks, Yoyo. This was a fairly neutral level of non-assistance. Your cauldron didn't even tell me anything new; Just reminded me of answers I've already witnessed.

Here we go. The most closely-held secrets of the embodiment of evil incarnate....

...are a backdoor into this vault we've already been in. Okay but why tho.

What is even the point of this? The combination to the lock is written on the wall, and if you take that combination to an island off the coast and enter it into a secret crypt, it will open a passage to bring you right back here but now the treasure's unlocked.

This is the most roundabout key I've ever seen. Only a truly despicable mind would come up with something so needlesly convo-

...

Oh.

That's what the convoluted circuit loop lock is guarding? Roro makes this whole trip every single time she wants to write a new entry?

Well. We did not find her porn stash. Instead, we found her daily workout regimen. An awkward way to get your steps in but credit where it's due, it means she can't skip out on the routine.

Hold up, she repurposed your journal into her own? That is a whole new layer of domineering.

You need to get out of this relationship, my dude. Like. I think it's pretty clear at this point that she does not respect your personal space at all.

There is a vacancy. We butchered the creature that was occupying it, so if you want to go back, you can.

Oh cool, new Ferry ticket.

Honestly, not 100% sure why Aventry wanted us to come here. Unless this is the place he has fond memories of or something.

I dunno. We'll smash and grab first, then sift through the loot and figure out what we're supposed to do with it later.

Oh shit, it's Roro's private residence. That's what he gave us. I guess that other place was just her work office.

...do you think she'll be happy to see us? I guess there's really only one way to find out. *clears throat* HEY BESTIE--

How have you been? Raised any cool horrors lately? I saw your sister the other day, she seemed to be doing... adequately.

Anyway, we gotta talk about your boy. You're keeping the leash wound a little too tight and--

Okay, but was it really your journal? He had it first. How does that saying go? Two wrongs balance each other out and make everything ultimately fine.

But also that's lame and I prefer it when things are unbalanced in my favor, so now I need to rob you even more.

You heard her, team. We're looking for a locket. Fan out and--

Oh, yeah. We're old pals. It's just too bad she keeps her place in such a miserable state. Look at this place. Bones and flesh just lying strewn about.

I'd offer to help clean up but honestly, that sounds like too much work. Zale, you're pretty good with clutter, why don't you sweep the place.

There we go. Nice and spotless.

Ah, this brings back memories. There's something nostalgic about it. You never really forget your first armed robbery.

Pleasure doing business with you.

You know, we have to stop meeting like this. You going about your day. Me, beating the shit out of you and taking your things. It's getting stale. Why don't we do lunch sometime or something, just for a change of pace?

I think we hurt her feelings. Do... do you want to talk about it?

Uh, Roro says you're fired, by the way. Can't say I've ever been given a gift-with-purchase for a robbery before but she handed me the pink slip right along with the locket.

Yeah, I thought it was weird too.

Better luck in the next life, man. Hope the person waiting for you will treat you better.

[mentallyshattered]

Everyday Freak of Science: part 3

(I, the author of this work, do not consent to this work being crossposted/translated without my knowledge or used to train an AI, ever.)

Masterlist

Work at the lounge? Well... potentially? It depends. I can't really see a downside, but that's because I don't know anything about this place, really.

Jade's voice interrupts my train of thought. "You don't happen to have a cell phone, do you?"

What the hell is a cell phone? I know I don't have one- the only thing I'm carrying is the "magic pen" I got after the entrance ceremony- but still, what the heel does that mean?

My confusion must show on my face, because Jade asks, "Ah, do you not know?"

"Not one bit."

"Do you have money? Clothes? You need uniforms to attend, you know."

"Oh. So... am I going to have to leave?" What happens if I can't attend? Will I be shipped back to the lab, or will I just be tossed out on the streets?

"Well," Azul jumps in, "I could arrange for you to work at the lounge year-round in exchange for uniforms, a cell phone, and other necessities."

I don't need to think about this. That lab was boring and miserable; this place is new and facinating.

"Deal."

Azul's face lights up, figuratively. "Wonderful! Now, if you could just sign this..."

He places a glowing piece of what looks to be a scroll on the desk in front of me. I can read it, of course, but there's just one problem:

"How do I sign it?"

"Ah, like this." Jade places a pen in my hand before he positions his own over mine, tracing my name in loopy letters onto a piece of paper he just grabbed.

Although it takes a few minutes, I can soon sign my name. The instant I do so on the scroll, Azul pipes up again.

"Wonderful! Give me until tomorrow and I'll have a phone for you. Oh, and here." With a wave of his staff, some fabric is floating in the air and onto my lap. "Those are your uniforms. The white one is for potionology, the lavender one is a dorm uniform, the dark grey ones are for P.E. and general classes, respectively, and the teal ones are pajamas. Let me know if any of them are the wrong size."

All this... for me? Incredible. Even back in the lab, I only got nice things as tests- experiments, meant to learn more about me without cutting me open. All of this- what's the word- hospitality is new to me, entirely. Maybe it's not kindness, but it's benevolent- how fitting.

"Requiem? Are you there?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Um... thanks for asking, Jade."

"Fufu. Perhaps it is best you be off to bed. I shall escort you."

He walks me down the now-quiet hallways, left hand on my right shoulder. When he opens the door, there's someone in the right bed- guess that's to be expected- and, with a wave of his wand, Jade has swapped the ceremonial robes I was wearing with the pajamas in the stack of fabric in my arms.

"Thanks, Jade." I'm so lucky to have him around. What would I do without him? Get sent back, probably. Just when I think I'm safe, though, he leans down and whispers:

"I noticed you did not eat dinner. Do not worry, I will bring you some fresh meat in the morning."

Crap.

[originemesis]

@kugel-bitch from xxx

Close. But no. As if propelled by some no-longer-dormant predatory drive, Lute has vanished out of Adam's immediate vicinity to chase a hapless red squirrel through the underbrush swaddling the roots of the surrounding trees (which she is also very much tempted to climb make no mistake about that). Dipping and ducking through flowering bushes and ticklish reeds, she looses sight of the frazzled rodent when she gets her boot tangled up in a tendrilous vine creeping through the foliage and she takes an unceremonious tumble right into a patch of yellow flowers.

"Eden..." Rolling onto her back, she lets that reality sink in for a moment. "It's...—" The wellspring of all life on earth. The high seraphim's magnum opus. The place where he drew his first breath, took his first steps, where he first experienced love and loss and everything in between. And he still comes here, after all these years? Does it not hurt? To be reminded of all the wonderful things that were taken from him? "—upside down." Lute stares at the clouds, which she's used to bolstering the ground that she walks on, floating aaaaall the way up there in the all encompassing blue of the sky, just barely veiling the big, shiny ball of light from her view. It speaks for itself, the way she's miserably failing to conjure up an answer to his query. Being here with him, it feels...intimate, on a level she's not sure she's ever experienced before and it's got her feeling a little bit sheepish to be quite honest. Like she's encroaching on something deeply sacred. "...I've never seen anything like it..." She cants her head and transfixes him with a gaze that is all pupils, brimming with nothing but pure, innocent wonderment, which is an expression that almost looks out of place on her delicate but typically dour features. "...I don't think I'll ever see anything like it again..." Slowly, she eases herself up onto her elbows, drawing a deep breath of the aromatic air. It feels notably heavier in her lungs than the air in heaven, but not in an unpleasant way. Just...different. very different. All of it. "How does it feel...for you, I mean? Being here? Do you miss it?"

Oh. That's what she was doing. Whelp-...unsurprising, really. "Careful with the wildlife, Danger Tits- they don't make rabies shots for angels last I checked." He called over in his typical flavor of commander's reproach when it came to his lieutenant- which was mostly just him egging her on under the guise that he actually did his job. With his talon still curling and teasing the air with subtle adjustments to the area- a shifted bough here and there to let the moonlight through, he watched her chase down the terrorized tree rat with the same dogged determination of an exorcist trailing after a scuttling demon, amusement edging along the uneasy smile from his question before until it split into it's usual jagged grin. What an actual psycho...he loved that for her.

He figured it was only a matter of time til she discovered roots- things that seemed extra foreign to those with wings, and when she took her faceplant and subsequent roll through the goldenrods, the tips of his grin twitched and he hunkered down briefly in order to spring up and slowly walk down a winding staircase of fog patches that appeared under each foot until he took the final one back onto the ground at her side. "Oh yeah - and roots. Those are fun, huhhh?"

With an endearing cluck or two, he waited for her to collect her thoughts (and her bearings for that matter) while he took to stretching his wings, the gold in his feathers causing the yellow flowers to look almost sickly in comparison when the silver light of the moon gilded their edges. He'd seen a pair kind of like his now when he'd crashed here originally - belonging to the so called bouncers of the place, and he knew they'd bump into them eventually the longer they lingered. Best way to light a fire under the ass of indecision, he supposed.

"...you can roll over, y'now? Just a suggestion- probably the best one-" A 'pfft' escaped him the way she seemed both so eager to take in all the details around them and yet they only weighed her down more in her wonderment. So dopey... a brief twinge o cringe rose in his chest briefly recalling how much he'd felt the same way once all at once there was him among all this and no one just yet nearby to explain the intricacies of shit and why shit was the best. Of course, on her it's kind of cute in a way. Maybe someone had thought that about him once.

Her admittance shivers his feathers out like a chill wind passing through and he gives them a beat, knocking yellow blooms off stems at her and into her hair. His gaze fell to study the side of her face and the way the moonlight caught it and cast a gilded edge along the sight of pure, unblemished wonder. That was something he never expected to see again, but angels were...lucky like that. "Neither did I. But..." He paused, the thought hammering around in his helmet like a sinner trying to escape hell's pot. He lets it boil for now.

A shake of his head later frees his gaze from her marveling and he settles it on what little of the horizon can be seen, sprinkled with stars like the fragments found in halos. The boiled thought might be quiet, but it's definitely causing the temperature change in his visor which sports the faintest cross hatching of yellow lines indicating extra heat beneath. "I mean...kinda not so mind-blowing after the first playthrough? But I guess it's something more than just mid since you're here too." An awkward feather flutter followed along with a few explanatory coughs. "I get to see you fall on your ass chasing rats and shit- what's not based about that?" His shoulders hunched in frustration and he drew his gaze down as he hunkered over her, studying her face again from his position on high.

"Hey-"

Talons emerged from the scalloped edges of robe as he offered her a hand up. "Everything here is... kinda private? Weird- most people have skeletons in their closets, and I got a garden in mine. Not so metal of me- right?" Another shake of his head, and he was fanning his wings out and slightly curling them in around her with a softer chirp to share in the safe space of a golden cage with her inside it with him. "I didn't think I'd see something like Eden again, Lute-" But.

"...but then you came along."

And unlike Eden and what it had been to him and never could be again, she was still there. Would she always be? "So I had to show you that- what it really means to have you here...with me." He'd leaned in, just enough to ghost a preen along the edge of one of her wings, something in the atmosphere shifting like radio frequencies colliding until the very acoustics of the garden seemed tuned in and targeting the two strange creatures within its boughs. "There's something else I've been meaning to tell you...if you'll hear me out?"

[swagtastic-bougie-pompadour]

Several days late, but eventually, the Clive has Arrived!

Just like the annual Naranja-Uva Summer Sandwich Squabble, or NUSSS! Tune in this weekend to watch your favorite students, staff, and even celebs?!?! attempt to make sandwiches in a variety of wacky and comedic scenarios, such as:

Balancing the sandwich on a yoga ball!

Using ingredients requested in MewTube MegaChats!

Battling for possession of key ingredients!

Three-Legged Race style teamwork!

Being sung at by a Jigglypuff!

Whatever unexpected weirdness comes up and gives Director Clavell a migraine at the last minute!

This year, all proceeds from the NUSSS go to speeding our current accessibility renovations of the school, with all excess being donated to the Open World Project--a charity dedicated to bridging the challenges that make it difficult for disabled young people starting out on journeys! We hope you tune in or show up this Saturday and Sunday!

Now, without further ado, it is time for the next installment of:

Clive Update!

Today we have a guest from behind the scenes who needs little to no introduction: the girl, the myth, the one who saves me from many an episode of cringe: Miss Penny!

...Did you have to look so... disappointed in this photo?

It's my personal form of protest. Also, for the record, right before you took this photo you had just asked me what AO3 is. I don't know what face you were expecting.

...Clive, what the fuck are these colors?

It's your red and blue hair! I figured your text had to match your stylin', snazzy 'do... No? No.

Pink. I just want pink. Thank you.

Anyways, did you really run out of guests this fast? What, did Rika drop you or something because you were going to ruin her brand? Shit, I bet that's exactly what happened.

Language! And she just... needed to reschedule. Very busy woman.

Mhm. Yeah. That's what they all say. That's like saying you went to a hotel with a friend and the only available room had one bed...

What?

AO3 things. I'll explain later.

Anyways, Pride? Obviously it's pretty important to me. I mean... really. I don't think anybody's guessing the programmer girl with a big hoodie and two-tone hair is super cishet.

My experience of being free to be myself is something built off of generations of work and protest by LGBT+ people. The first Pride was a riot spearheaded by trans women of color, and it's important to remember our roots to see how far we've come, and how far we have left to go. So Pride, to me, is a continued, "We're here and we're weird! And we're not stopping anytime soon!"

...Shit, that's just Team Star, isn't it.

Penny... I... I think that's the most comprehensive, educational answer we've had here! And I didn't even have to ask you...

Y-yeah, of course it is. You're welcome.

...Anyways, uhh, what's your follow up question? You do have one, right?

...Hm. How are you liking it here on campus, now that Team Star has re-integrated into classes?

W-wha... I wasn't expecting that one, dude! I'm... getting along okay! I've got... my greatest treasure... here, after all.

And Nemona... annoyingly loud as she is... has been really nice to me too. Plus, I've got my Veevees! And of course, how could I forget my best. Pal. Clive. Who's definitely not just cringe incarnate tormenting me until the end of my short, miserable little life.

That's a JOKE, before you start getting all emotional on me, by the way!

I forgot how wounding teenagers can be... Ah! My heart! It has been pierced! And it is all Miss Penny's fault!

Geez. You're not half bad... sometimes. Come on. In return for this, you're proofreading my new My Palafin Academia hero/rival hurt-comfort slow burn fic.

I don't understand the meaning of half of those words, but I am terrified nonetheless!