#telling future wife to be nicer

[inthiskingdomwewillendure]

Lee Pacein Foundation 2x07

[foldingfittedsheets]

When I was working at the sex shop I was pulling poverty wages. I loved my job but I was on food stamps and still barely getting by. When they hired the stores first male employee and he started at my pay rate after I’d been there for three years I quit.

I was initially really nervous when I saw the post for the mattress job. It listed a pay scale that I couldn’t even conceptualize and I appeared qualified. When I got an interview I was over the moon but also petrified. Reactions to my line of work often varied but most people were very embarrassed or skeptical. I worried about how I’d address it in the actual interview.

I lived far to the north of their headquarters and drove almost two hours to get there. When I finally arrived it was in the nicest thrift store clothes I could find, but I shrank inside to see a room full of older white men in nice suits waiting to be interviewed for the same job.

Why did I bother? I was decades younger than anyone else in the room, shabbily dressed, and I suspected I was the only afab person in the entire building. I stewed in my insecurities until I was called in.

The second I met my interviewer I was instantly put at ease. The man had the energy of a therapy dog, he was abound with positive, good natured energy. He was also incredibly beautiful. I grinned back at his welcoming smile as we said our pleasantries. But still. This very beautiful polished man seemed very innocent. How would the sex shop question go?

“I see here you worked at STORE?”

“Yes,” I said hesitantly.

“And that was sales? Or you just rang people up.”

“No, it was sales. I’d help people find products, we were encouraged to upsell, there was sales spiffs, and most importantly we educated customers on products to help them find what they liked best.”

He grinned approvingly and asked, “Can you give me an example of a time you successfully upsold a customer?”

I paused, wringing my hands before I asked, “How vague would you like me to be…?”

“Not at all!” He assured me. “Go for it!”

“Well. A man came in looking for something to make his fingers vibrate so when he was touching his wife it would enhance that sensation. We had cheap $10 cockrings that I showed him first. But we had a rechargeable waterproof one made of nicer material, and after I showed him a demo he bought that one.”

“How much was that one?”

“$110”

“Wow! You had an upsell of 100% from what he came in looking for! That’s incredible!”

He was so truly genuinely stoked and not at all embarrassed that for the first time I saw a tiny glimmer of a future where I didn’t have ramen and peanut butter tiding me over between paychecks.

He asked me to wait then came back to tell me he liked me so much that he wanted to send me right into another interview, if that was okay. He didn’t want me to have to drive back later, it was terribly considerate and exciting. I beamed and told him it would be lovely.

I then had the second worst interview I’ve ever had. The worst goes to the time I applied to be a store manager for a pet food place years later. The district and store manager interviewing me passed notes and texted while I was speaking. When the district manager called to inform me I didn’t get the job I told him I’d never have accepted anyway because I’d never had such a disrespectful interview.

The new man sitting behind the desk radiated an aura of a brick wall. As someone with anxiety I’m highly keyed into the emotional states of people I’m talking to. To receive no feedback at all was my personal hell. After a perfunctory greeting he asked me with no inflection to sell him a pen.

I gathered the shreds of my courage and attempted the Herculean task he’d set me. Through my whole improvised spiel he resisted all attempts at engaging him, regarding me with a cold apathy as I touted the benefits of my fictitious pen.

Halfway through I broke into a cold sweat. My smile didn’t waver but it grew strained as I projected friendliness and warmth into the black hole of his heart. My thoughts scattered and my sales pitch grew redundant in the face of his nothingness. I finally concluded with a hard close and he simply nodded.

He glanced at my resume and commented, “You didn’t ask me to touch or hold it. Though I suppose I can understand from your previous line of work why you wouldn’t.” I shriveled and died inside knowing that I encouraged people to touch dildos all day long and had been too frazzled to offer him the pen.

He bid me a cool farewell. I made it to my car before I started sobbing. I had never been so rattled. I couldn’t understand what I’d done to make him so unfriendly or if my threadbare clothes were what had made him treat me like dirt. I drove an hour and a half to get home, weeping intermittently.

I was therefore taken by complete surprise to receive a call the next day inviting me on board for their five week training program. The first man who’d interviewed me gushed on the phone about how the second guy had loved me and that I was going to be fantastic.

I was in shock. When I showed up to training the second interviewer was charming my new classmates, beaming and laughing. He was an utterly different person. To my dismay I learned he was the trainer for my district and would be my point of contact if I made it through training.

He joked with me later that his interview facade was just a tactic to see how people held up under pressure and I filed him into a category of my deepest enmity. I never forgave him for how small he made me feel that day, but I never showed him the depths of my fury.

I aced every test and went on to be valedictorian of the eight people who had survived the rigorous training process to earn a sales position. When I got my first paycheck I bought myself new clothes, the first non-thrifted things I’d owned in years.

[heartfullofleeches]

Fletcher and his snake male wife walking around town while Darling is in their more human form. The rabbit townfolk are off rambling about that scary snake again and Naga Darling is just standing there like 👁️👁️

-

"What a frightening creature. I'm so glad it's gone now."

"Did you see its fangs?? Snakes are some of the most awful predators out there-"

Naga Reader: :)

"O-oh... We weren't including you in that conversation, Y/n."

"Please don't tell Fetch about this..."

Fletcher, standing behind the rabbits: If you ask me I think he already knows. Couldn't I call myself a good husband by letting my wife wonder off by themselves, now could I? I'll just be saving any slices of pie I make in the near future meant for the two of you to give that nasty, mean snake if they ever show up again. I'm sure they're a whole lot nicer once they're fed properly.

Naga Reader: While I can't speak for this other snake..... I cannot deny his claims either.

Fletcher, kissing the scales on their shoulder: Guess I better warm up the oven when we get home then.

[meowmeowmeowmeow4x]

Supersons +1 prompt answer

If you asked Danny, 12 year old half-ghost hero of Amity Park, how half-life was going, he'd tell you things were mixed.

On the one hand, he had just spent the last three or four months in family/scientist/'this house is a death trap waiting to happen' therapy with Jazz, and by some miracle, it worked. He wasn't sure if this was some kind of dream as his parents poured over years upon years of research, crossing out lines, rewriting equations, and reevaulating everything they thought they knew about ghosts.

Was the shudders family therapy worth not going over how they'd like to dissect him? he's still not sure. The horror.

Not to mention the attention. Danny was sure he was going to throw up if his parents drag him away for more bonding time, only for a ghost to attack and for him to run off to transform. What made it worse was when the Fentons came barrelling out, guns blazing, alternating between getting mad that he'd interrupted their family time, and asking him questions about "Your suspicious spook culture, if you even have one you dangerous delusional delinquent!"

At least they were trying, but Danny was very much comfortable not spilling the beans on the whole half-ghost situation, thank you very much.

And that's why, when Dad proposed to take him to Gotham to show off their latest invention, he jumped at the chance. The home city of the Batman, one of the greatest heroes known to man (except for Martian Manhunter and Superman of course) and Dad promised to take him to Gotham Observatory too. Not to mention how much he wanted to get away from Jazz's smug looks of superiority. Gotham here he comes!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Damian Wayne scowled as he scanned the crowed of scientists with more smarts than sense. Really, a flying toilet seat. For what deviant?

"Maybe they're for people who can fly." Kent piped up beside him. Father had let the two of them run off together, and his company was mildly more appealing than being alone with his thoughts.

"Why would Superman ever need to relieve himself mid-air. I do not believe you would appreciate your father's rear end being on display for all the world to see."

"True." Jon hummed. His voice lowered to a whisper. "You think indecent exposure is what your dad meant by "scoping out any potential future villains?"

Damian gave Jon a flat look. The sooner this convention ended, the better.

The crowded shifted, and the mass of visitors pushed toward a certain corner, where a man large enough to rival Superman's build stood upon a podium, with a boy their age off to the side.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you the latest in FentonWorks' innovations, the Fenton Ghost Zone Radar, soon to revolutionise the study of ghosts!"

"I thought ghosts were a magic thing." Jon said. "You know, stuff Constantine and JLD deal with."

"They are."

"Mixing magic and science is like, like, oil and water. No way this guy's serious, is he?"

"His name is Jack Fenton. That's Daniel Fenton, his son." Damian pointed to the boy in question, looking like he'd seen this scene a hundred times before, but with that knowing glint that promised something deeper. "They're normally spotted alongside Jack's wife, Madeline. Widely regarded as quacks by the larger scientific community for chasing paper-thin theories about ghosts, they've nonetheless gained funding from the government. This is the first time they've left their base of operations in Amity Park for years."

"Woah, you know your stuff, Dami!"

Damian glared at the young Superboy in disguise. "I read the briefing files. Didn't you?"

Kent looked uncomfortable and looked away. "Uhh, maybe?"

"Typical."

"Well, if he's so crazy, then why'd your dad even let him in." Upon another scathing glare, Kent relented. "Oh right, the whole supervillain thing."

"Enough chatter. We'll zero in on the younger Fenton. I intend to squeeze him like a grape, and make Father proud."

"Dami maybe you should be a little nicer-" Only for Damian to march off without him.

Honestly, inane niceties were above someone of his status. Those things were Superboy's job, and if Daniel Fenton wouldn't crack, then Damian was itching to try a new torture technique.

@impyssadobsessions

[mozzaicynth]

one thought everyday and its just the amazing world of gumball especially these three freaks (doodles + some headcanons below :3)

mr small -

my interpretation of small becoming more mellowed out in the future seasons as opposed to season 1 is him managing his anger in a more healthier way (meditation, etc) (plus i think all those herbal infusions are incredibly effective on the nerves) . that being said i think he still has underlying anger issues and lashes out if prompted too much . another reason hes nicer and more of a pushover in the later seasons is because i like to think hes guilty of his plethora of outbursts earlier on, especially towards students (unwarranted shouting which as a school counsellor he should know is pretty harmful on younger kids) . the fact that he tries to offer his help when its absolutely not needed so many times later on in the show further makes me like to think he’s making up for it all

hes also so autistic to me hes on the spectrum you cant tell me otherwise and i think hes pretty awkward and considered strange by the whole town (which is saying a lot for elmore standards) . still super friendly and approachable but he also cant take hints and he definitely stims (and has special interests, alternative medicine are you kidding)

his music taste i love to think is all over the place … i get the general consensus is he listens to mystic chants and sitar music but he definitely listens to more, ranging from pop to indie to rock to metal (this may or may not have become an idea when i was listening to ‘darts by soad and associated it with him,) . also what with his stupid little self funded album that is such a jarring listen ‘cause of all the ridiculous genre changes

i think he crochets/macrames as a hobby along with other diy stuff (most of the decorative items in his home crafted by him) making him, surprisingly considering how incompetent he is sometimes, super crafty/handy .

larry -

larry is a great person: incredibly intelligent, he’s very knowledgable on a plethora of subjects and he has a big heart, holding little to no virtriol against the people of elmore (except the wattersons but that is SO warranted) . thus i like to imagine he did great in school, moved on to do so wonderfully in uni whilst juggling jobs and his studies but after graduation was left stuck (alike so many people nowadays) . neither small or larry came from well off families but i think for larry he didn’t have much of a support system anyway so currently he overworks and works and works just to catch up on the student debt whilst simultaneously paying his taxes (i still think about that episode all the time fuck the police . big pink son of a bitch), loans and not to mention the bare minimum to keep himself alive

he’s a very sweet and kind person but anyone under the immense stress that he’s under would be irritable and temperate (he deserves to be more angry imo) and i whilst he has so many jobs he always aims to excel at all of them, having an incredibly particular way that tasks must be done and having them organised . because of this, he can be a lot more temperate when interacting with coworkers, especially those who don’t do their job as well, having to take matters into his own hands . as he and karen (his girlfriend throughout the series) share some jobs it puts a strain on their relationship (which was built off of the mutual ‘having several jobs’) and they break up .

even so, though larry consistently tries to propose to her in the show, in “the laziest” he doesn’t seem to be happy nor comfortable at all with the prospects of marrying her . in fact, even when he’s achieved the ‘american dream’ (properties like a house and car and a family (his girlfriend soon to be wife)) he’s unhappy . personally i don’t think he knows what he wants to do with himself ; he works all day and night and has little to no time for himself to even think in peace that the only purpose he knows is work .

i like to think he used to be an artist; self taught, it was a hobby and an enjoyment but his studies and his work took over so his one form of self expression was squeezed out of his life .. (i like making their lives as bleak as possible soz ! 🙏) he still admires the arts and i think that’s another reason he likes steve so much; his handcrafts and mini projects .

steve and larry are two opposites that are similar in ways .. but i love their dynamic so much . my interpretation of them is that steve will help larry balance out his life slightly better to leave room for himself instead of working 24/7 . steve has his head in the clouds and larry grounds him, and larry is so stuck in his ways with work that steve pulls him out of it slightly, lifting him up a little higher (AUGHHHGHH I HATE THEM I HATE THEM

as for their relationship with rob, im very much a stevelmeyer adoption truther !! both larry and steve coming from dysfunctional families, they aim to help rob and take care of him to the best of their abilities . further, larry taking on taking care of rob gives him direction in his life again . 😁😁😁😁😁😁

this isnt gonna be the last post headcanon/idea wise i still think of them 24/7 but heres jus SOME things .. (im such a yapper sprry not sorry !) :3c

[loveshotzz]

All I Really Want Is You

older!neighbor!widower! steve x fem!reader chap six/ten - a slow burn series of blurbs - updated every wednesday

I Don’t Know You, But I Want To

summary: Sometimes curiosity has consequences.

wc: 2.8k

warnings: 18+ series for future chapters, mentions of death, hints on how Steve’s wife died, bouts of self consciousnesses.

authors note: sorry guys, you knew this chapter had to happen. i promise i’ll make up for it! enjoy a few more easter eggs from @carolmunson ‘s orange colored sky in here. I’ve had so much fun talking about these two old men’s friendship with you!

🌇 <- chapter five -> chapter seven

The Masterlist / The Playlist / The Tune:

End of June

You didn’t realize when Steve asked you to water his plants, that he meant in just three short days after the almost kiss in his kitchen. The opposite schedules the two of you seem to always work made it so you hardly got a glimpse of him before he and Bandit disappeared to Starved Rock for what you learned was their annual camping trip.

The Good Morning Tough Girl texts started the next day after your number exchange, waking you up with a kaleidoscope of butterflies twisting and turning in your stomach and a smile so big it made your cheeks hurt. It helped you get over only getting to physically see him one time through your living room window before he left. Your phone had vibrated at your feet while you watered your now flourishing Ivy thanks to the new curtains you were proud to say were installed by yourself. You chanced a glance down at your lit up screen, his name flashing with a text that said: How’d I never realize how pretty my view is from the front yard?

The corners of your mouth twitched, flames licking underneath your cheeks when your eyes caught his out your window. The big dopey smile that took over his face made you giggle as he waved eagerly, dressed nice like he had been the morning you ran into him last week. You wiggled your fingers, biting your bottom lip at the way his dark navy button up looked tucked into the waist of his black slacks. The leather belt looked nicer than the last one, the silver of the buckle blinding in the setting sun. His hair was freshly done, free of any signs of those big hands of his. The stubble on his jaw was gone again, but you learned that was never for very long. 

Another buzz: Going to dinner with a client, wish it was fish tacos with you instead.

Steve feels like he won the lottery when he can see the way your face lights up from his spot in his front yard. Eddie’s voice rings loudly inside his head, sticking to every single one of his negative thoughts like glue telling him it’s okay and he finally starts to believe it, especially when he gets a text back from you.

Maybe next time 😉

It’s thunderstorming the day you go over, the key tucked away in a lockbox by his door. He gave you access by texting the code the night before with a promise to take you to dinner as a thank you when he got back. The nerves that dance inside you feel like they did the first time you came here when you stand in front of the stained glass of his front door even though he’s five hours away. 

It’s quiet, the lively energy from a few nights ago gone with the man. The cedar of his candle still lingers thick in the air and you can’t help but inhale deeply. It smells like him. You leave your shoes and umbrella on his front porch, closing the door gently like you were scared to wake someone up. The pattering of the rain on his windows fills the silence, your shoulders dropping in the serenity. Pulling your phone from your back pocket you look through your texts with the list of the rooms the plants were in. 

Only three — his office and living room on the first floor and his bedroom on the second.  

The coffee white oak floors creak under your socked feet as you take your first apprehensive steps past the entryway. He left the watering can on the kitchen island just like he said he would, your skin pebbles when you’re brought back to the last time you were in here. The sun fights to shine through the thick storm clouds outside, making the lighting that bleeds through his windows soften everything up. The water from the sink hits the metal of the can, mixing perfectly with the rain. 

You wish he was here.

The can is heavy in your hands when you stop at the doorway of the living room, the contents inside sloshing around and daring to spill onto his floor. You curse under your breath with a pause to take in the room you only got a glimpse of before. There’s an electric fireplace, tall black steel that takes up most of the wall next to the sliding glass door that leads to his small backyard. 

Two large beige area rugs cover most of the wood floors in here, a cream frayed trim lining them. Bandit’s bed sits big, fluffy and dark brown nestled by the fireplace, giving him a perfect view out the window. Strands of his lighter hairs leave behind evidence that this might be his favorite spot in the house. A woven basket filled with various chew toys that look freshly tossed in isn’t very far from it. The rain comes down harder but you can still see the spots of lime green littering the grass where the rambunctious German shepherd left his tennis balls. Spoiled.

The cognac color of his leather couch set is rich, and it shines even in the dim lighting like it was freshly lotioned. It looks like the kind of comfortable where the cushions mold against the weight of your body - soft, inviting, the one in the middle looking a little more worn in than the rest. This must be Steve’s favorite spot. 

Your eyes meet the 65” TV mounted to the wall in front of it and realize why. The coffee table matches the dark color of the floors. The candle that was the culprit for the smell of his house sitting in the middle next to three remotes lined perfectly next to each other.

There’s a long, taller companion table that sits at the other doorway that leads back out to the landing of his staircase. Framed pictures, bottles of various liquors of all shades and crystal cocktail glasses cover the top of it. 

What does he think of your place?

You try to push the intrusive thought down as you make your way to the lush Monstera plant that sits in a white pot on top of wooden legs next to the sliding glass door. Its leaves hang heavy, clearly taken care of. The deep emerald of it reminds you of what Steve’s eyes look like sometimes. The soil takes what you give it greedily, barely leaving enough for the few smaller plants that rest on shadow shelves along his gray walls. A few of them make you stand on your tiptoes to reach.

Curiosity wins on your way to refill the can, crossing the room to look at the framed pictures. You aren’t surprised when you see one of Eddie and Bandit as a puppy, it looks like the first day they brought him home. Eddie’s dimples show in a bright smile as he looks at the camera with Bandit’s big bubble gum pink tongue pressed sloppily against a clean shaven cheek.

The other is of Steve and a curly haired boy at a college graduation, they both look like they were caught in the middle of laughing at something. You can’t help your own smile when you look at it. Steve looks a little younger, a little less gray in his hair like it had only just started. He’s wearing wire rim glasses, and that crisp white dress shirt you like him in so much. He looks happy.

The last one is of Steve and Bandit. A selfie taken at sunrise, Bandits tongue sticks out and you swear he’s smiling just like his handsome owner that has him pulled against his side. A part of a tent peaks over his shoulder and you wonder if this is where they’re at right now.

You’re hit with the smell of his cologne when you open his office door, your thighs pressing together when you imagine him sitting in the big black leather chair behind an even bigger, matching colored desk. Glass cased baseball memorabilia takes space on one of his walls, along with plaques of achievements from his job. There’s framed pictures of him shaking hands of baseball players you couldn’t name, but you’re sure a normal person who liked sports could. There’s a tall bookshelf on the other side of the room. The spines all glossed, bright bold wording of sports memoir’s, marketing guides, and what looks like college course advertising books.

The floor of this room is carpeted with the same color as the area rugs in his living room. Your footsteps are a little more careful as you try not to spill any water on it as you make your way to the three hanging spider plants in the window that overlooks his front yard. 

Your nose catches a hint of the cigars you know he smokes as you get closer to his desk. He must keep them in here. A silver closed MacBook sits on top of it, another baseball — only this one is signed and kept safe in a glass case. There's a Polaroid of Bandit with a cubs hat on his head with a laughing Peach barely visible behind him. The obvious closeness of the three of them makes you realize how much he let you into his world the other night. 

A world where he wanted to kiss you.

You curse under your breath when you almost spill water on the carpet, too lost in realization of what this could be.

When you reach your final destination on the second floor, you stop at his closed door. Your hand hovers over the knob, heart hammering so hard in your chest like he was waiting for you on the other side. Taking a deep breath through your nose, you exhale through your lips - willing your nerves to give you mercy. There’s a soft click when you turn the knob and the quietest noise from the hinges when you push it open.

The crisp white of his fluffy duvet that covers his king size bed, mutes the gray of his walls. The olive green throw at the end of it that matches the area rug under the bed, the warmth of the color relaxes your senses. Your breathing evens out, your heart rate slows down. 

There’s another dog bed at the foot of his that matches the one downstairs and you wonder how often Bandit really sleeps in this one at night. The lack of hair on it compared to the other one tells you not very often. Your cheeks tingle fiercely when you see the mirror you got a glimpse of his bare chest through, your eyes quickly finding the bathroom he had come out of. 

“Jesus Christ,” you grumble to yourself, trying to push back the memory while standing alone in his bedroom. 

There’s another Monstera by his window that you can see your bedroom out of. The last one on the list. You have to pass by another large dresser on your way, even more pictures sit on top of it, taking up the space that was left next to a cherry wood watch box. Another cedar candle sits behind the framed pictures, the scent lingering in the air despite not being lit.

The plants take what’s left in the watering can, and you peek out the window just to see what he sees. The navy curtains you’d hung up are half open giving you a perfect glimpse into your room, the pile of dirty laundry you plan to do after this perfectly visible. You gulp audibly.

The can swings loosely in your hand when you walk to the dresser, a smirk already forming on your lips at the thought of what these ones will tell you about him. Your eyes land on one of him in between Eddie and Peach on what seems to be their wedding day, both of them placing sloppy kisses on either cheek. The big dopey grin face doesn’t hide the tear stains. The White Chapel sign behind them tells you it’s Vegas, and the way Steve is dressed as a much sexier Elvis only confirms your suspicions. 

Next to that one is a picture of Steve, only he looks really young- fresh out of high school young. Biting your lip into a smile at the volume of his hair, he’s leaning against a maroon BMW with pants so tight you're sure they made all the girls flustered. You shake your head with a roll of your eyes before taking in the brown curly haired girl sticking her head out of the back seat window. Another girl with honey waves pushing her head out in the small space next to her, you swear you can hear the giggles that are so evident on their faces.

Thunder cracks loudly outside, bringing you back with a jump. You’re dreading the short walk home. You glance out the window wearily before bringing your attention back to the little bit of Steve scattered over the top of his dresser. Then you see it. You see her.

The frame that holds the picture is silver, the words ‘always and forever’ etched across the bottom. It’s taken somewhere tropical and Steve looks like he’s your age in it, his jaw somehow sharper, his hair blonder. His smile is so big it shows all of his teeth, a bright yellow short sleeve button up that makes his skin look golden. The top two buttons undone revealing the chest hair you’d gotten a few glimpses of. He’s glowing. 

She’s just as beautiful, big bright green eyes and dark chestnut hair that falls in effortless curls down to her chest. They look natural, like she didn’t have to do it herself. She’s tucked into his side in what looks like seats in the back of a boat, the coral dress that flows over the curves of her body makes your stomach turn. The big rock on her hand rested purposefully on his chest tells you exactly what this picture is.  

Jealousy twists green in a tight knot inside of you, guilt you weren’t expecting makes you feel nauseous when you see what’s hanging off the corner of the frame. A dark teal rubber bracelet with the words Team ALS Chicago 2022 in white font.

Lightning flashes white hot, making something gleam and catch in the corner of your eye from his watch box. Taking a closer look, the tightening of your chest at what you find makes the air leave your lungs all at once when you see their wedding rings tucked in between the soft white cushions inside the box. 

The reality of the situation hits you like a ton of bricks. Steve had a whole life before he met you. A life with someone beautiful, someone he didn’t fall out of love with, someone who didn’t break his heart, someone who, if things were different he’d still be with.

If you moved next door in that reality, you’d just be someone he’d maybe wave to from time to time, not paying any mind to the thirty year old girl already suffering through a midlife crisis next door. The girl who moved to the city with no friends and no plan. The college drop out. The opposite of the well put together woman that belonged hanging off his chest like that, with a ring on her finger that could pay off your credit card debt and then some.

How can you compete with a ghost? The nagging feeling that you’ll always be second best already stings and he hasn’t even picked you yet.

You try to blink away the tears that threaten to spill out, feeling stupid for being this upset over what started off as a silly crush, it really shouldn’t hurt this much. The cedar that comforted you feels like it's suffocating now. Like he’s here. The thought of bringing the watering can down doesn’t even cross your mind when you leave it on the dresser to make your escape.

The breath that comes out through trembling lips is shaky, still, you're proud of the fact that you haven’t cried yet. 

Tough girl. 

When you open the front door, it's windier than when you first got here, the sun starting its disappearing act for the moon. It makes the summer storm match the one brewing inside of you. You shove your feet into your shoes before pulling the door shut behind you. You lock the key back into the box, before grabbing your umbrella. Your vision goes blurry but you don’t give into it, telling yourself it’s stupid to be so upset. The buzz of your phone in your back pocket is what stops you from taking the first step off his porch. 

Steve

Found a spot with some service on our hike, just wanted to check in. Hope you got into the house okay. Bandit says he misses you.

The dam that you’d worked so hard to build breaks, tears falling down your face like the rain falling from the sky. You sniffle, wiping your cheeks with the back of your hand before you reply to him for what you tell yourself is the last time. It’ll hurt less like this, it’s better for both of you this way. At least that’s what you try to tell yourself before you hit send.

Plants are watered 👍

beta’d by: @superblysubpar

dividers by @newlips

chapter seven

[prologue-ae]

| Possesive?? |

Masterlist//Previous//Next

Yoo Jimin x fem reader

Sakura said in a dry tone “why do you care yoo?” while Karina just gave her a dirty look while saying “because she’s mine.” and you look at her with shock and try to speak but end up cut off as Sakura says “says who? You have no right to claim her” while Karina simply says “Well I did she’s. Mine.”

Quickly trying to defuse the situation you speak up and say “Everyone calm down me and Sakura are just friends and Karina we aren’t together or anything..” while Karina just mumbles a “we will soon” and Sakura sighs in defeat glaring Karina as she walks away.

Soon after you ask her “Unnie are you alright?” and her look softens turning to you smiling responding with “I’m fine let’s just carry on talking” mid conversation you glance over to the mean girls table catching Karina staring at you while you spoke to Sakura. You lightly blush turning away and continuing your conversation with Sakura also hearing Chaewon and Yunjin run towards your table.

You look up and see them while they scream “JEON Y/N WE FOUND YOU!” you lightly giggle and quickly hug onto Sakura knowing they wouldn’t hit you while Sakura was there incase they hit her by accident and believe me. She’s scary when angry. You act cute and innocent mumbling into Sakura’s shoulder smiling watching them both slowly loose sanity waiting for you to let go of her.

Karina’s perspective:

I was watching Y/N from a far when suddenly her annoying loud friends came in and harrased her more specifically Yunjin and Chaewon. I saw her hug onto Sakura again and it made my heart pang I was jealous. There’s no way me the schools popular girl yoo Jimin was jealous right? Trying to make myself believe it isn’t helping at all.

I need that girl she’s adorable and so sweet. I have to get her no matter what it takes I’ll do my best to woo her as my girlfriend.

Earlier she caught me staring again and blushed slightly looking away afterwards. It’s cute when she’s flustered. I quickly snapped out of my trance when the maknae NingNing called my name “Jimin why aren’t you eating Unnie?” I smiled lightly at her concern while saying “Thanks for checking on me Yizhou I’m just a bit tired that’s all” the girl nods understandably and goes back to her conversation with winter.

I suddenly had an idea it was probably the best thing I’ve ever thought of “Text Y/N” smart right? I can tell her to get off of that blue haired witch finally. I sighed of content while I opened my phone and quickly found her contact “wife 💗” texting her “hey baby can you get off of that witch for a sec?” while watching you open your phone still hugging her.

You responded with “pardon? Sorry but who are you?” Karina quickly types “Darling it’s your future girlfriend Karina”.

Back to you:

You gasp in shock staring at the message while Sakura cuts her conversation off and asks “Y/N-ssi what happened?” you simply shake your head and say “nothing don’t worry unnie” while she nods going to talk to Yunjin again. You type “sorry but Karina we aren’t a couple and Sakura isn’t a witch” getting a response of “oh but we are going to be” followed by a “oh and she is” you type “if you even want to get close to dating me you must be nicer it doesn’t matter who it is”.

You turn to look at her smiling at her phone and typing quickly. You turn back to your screen seeing her response of “Fine just for you” while smiling and typing back “ok well for now just relax and stop being possesive if you change I’ll be yours soon” she responds with “Possesive??”

A/N: SORRY SHORT CHAPTER AND ALSO FOR LATE UPDATE SCHOOL HAS BEEN HECTIC.

Taglist: @love4kahei, @xen248, @aliceiwk

[shinyhappysims]

Saturday, 1:36 PM, ZoSul Taman Botani, Tomarang

Lauryn: This has been a nice date, Honor-Luke. It definitely makes up for embarrassing me at my birthday party. Speaking of which, are you proposing soon?

Honor-Luke: About that… I’ve been thinking and… I think we should call off our courtship. I see the way CJ and Kimber are and I don’t think we have the same spark. You deserve to have someone who loves you that much.

Lauryn: You’re joking right?

Honor-Luke: Um, no?

Lauryn: Do you know what happens to girls with failed courtships in our community? We get seen as used goods. No one will court me if you break up with me. Everyone’s going to think I’m your sloppy seconds.

Honor-Luke: I’m sure that’s not true. I’ve done nothing to harm your purity.

Lauryn: THAT DOESN’T MATTER! All the guys are going to wonder why I wasn’t good enough for you!

Honor-Luke: All I have to do is tell them that God didn’t call me to you. Which is the truth. There’s nothing wrong with you at all, Lauryn, I just don’t think I love you.

Lauryn: Well, you better figure out how to fall in love with me in six months. Because our entire lives my twin and I planned to have a joint wedding and wear matching dresses and to marry brothers so we could continue to have the same last name. And let’s face it, you’re not that good looking. Your brother is way cuter and way nicer. I probably wouldn’t love you either, but I’m willing to submit to you and be a good wife. Not many women do that nowadays. Be grateful. You better not be the one to screw up me and Kimber’s dreams.

Honor-Luke: …Are you joking?

Lauryn: Serious as hell.

Honor-Luke: You’re crazy! I was trying to be nice about it but you want to know the real reason I’m not into you? I don’t like you because you’re a big, fat, messy, clumsy oaf and you and your sister are way to dependent on each other. I definitely don’t want to marry you now. This is over!

Lauryn: Oh wow! Wild for you to say I’m too dependent on my sister when this is the first time you’ve done something without your brother. But if you call off the relationship now, I’m going to call my dad and tell him you tried to have sex with me, and I turned you down, and that’s why you don’t want to see me anymore.

Honor-Luke: What the— fine! Fine! I’ll get a ring for you within the week.

Lauryn: Pleasure doing business, future hubby.

[angelasscribbles]

Behind Closed Doors Chapter 2: Arrival

Series: Behind Closed Doors

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: None yet

Word Count: 524

Rating: PG

Warnings for this chapter: None

A/N: I don't know what happened. I started writing Riley, and Bertrand shoved his way to the front of the line! 🤣 I blame @harleybeaumont for this nicer, softer version of the older Beaumont brother. (If you haven't read Never Have I Ever, you're missing out!)

My other stuff: Master List.

Riley’s head felt like it was on a swivel as the Beaumont limousine snaked its way down the long, twisting drive of the Cordonian National Palace.

She was bouncing in her seat and squealing as she took in the sights.

“She’s not going to act like this in front of people, is she?” Maxwell’s older brother Bertrand eyed the commoner skeptically.

“Be nice!” Max admonished him.

Riley Brooks had been a staple in the Beaumont household since Max’s kindergarten years, but never had they taken her to a royal event. He was simply worried about her manners; it wasn’t personal. Bertrand liked the girl just fine. She was good for his brother and that’s all that mattered to him.

Well, it wasn’t all that mattered.

This was a big year for him. He was turning thirty soon and his father was making noises about retirement. His parents had broached the subject of marriage a couple of times. They were trying not to push, but he could tell they were getting anxious about it.

In addition to heading the government of Ramsford and taking the reins of Beaumont Enterprises, he was expected to marry and produce heirs for the future of both the duchy and the business.

His eyes slid sidewise at Max and Riley, envying their carefree chatter and exuberance for what they saw as an adventure.

For him, the upcoming social season was a source of great anxiety. This was the first year that his parents weren’t attending. He was the representative of his house. His father had been clear on his expectations for the summer. Bertrand was to expand on his business contacts, take more of a prominent role in governance, and hopefully find a wife.

It was that last part that had him losing sleep at night.

The car rolled to a stop in front of the main entrance and the trio exited as servants appeared from nowhere to retrieve their luggage.

A gathering on the front lawn drew his attention. Scattered around the ornamental fountain across from the front door were several groups of nobility. The sound of multiple conversations interspersed with laughter drifted through the slight chill of the early afternoon air.

The most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on in his life caught his gaze and gave him a little wave. The smile that blossomed across her face sent butterflies exploding through his stomach. He returned the wave and then quickly dropped his eyes.

He felt an elbow in his ribs. “Want me to find out her name for you?”

His face flushed crimson as panic shot through him at Riley’s offer. “No!”

“No?” She arched an eyebrow.

Even though he tried not to, he couldn’t stop his eyes from finding her again. She had returned to her conversation, but as he watched, her head turned and caught him staring. Once again, she gave him a heart stopping smile.

Returning his attention to Riley, he amended his answer. “Okay, yes, but don’t be obvious about it.”

“I know how to be subtle!”

“Do you?”

“Of course!” She assured him as they followed the servants into the palace.

[deadgit]

I don't think I'm ever going to have the time to write it, but I've been thinking about a Rimster Overboard (1987) AU story for like two years, tentatively called "Shipwrecked".

For background: Lister, at his 23rd birthday party, gets so drunk that he spends all of his money on a one-way ticket to Fiji. He wakes up with no resources, friends, or any semblance of a plan except "make enough money to buy some land and start a farm."

Land, however, is hard to come by in Fiji. It's mostly underwater in the dismal future of Red Dwarf, and what land there is is mostly owned by big hotel companies operating from richer countries like Australia or Indonesia. Most of the indigenous population, as well as other less affluent locals, live in houseboats or, in some cases, make their own land by collecting patches of plastic from the ocean on top of some of the polluted, muddy shallows left after the volcanic eruption, and filling in the holes with sediment and rocks to keep the plastic from getting back into the ecosystem. Some start building homes and businesses on this reclaimed land, since it's all they can build on.

Eventually, Lister makes friends with a local who runs a bar and restaurant on one of these artificial land masses, and makes some money on occasion by stepping in as a temporary cook when the usual chef, his friend's wife, isn't able to come in. Other than that, he makes the rest of his cash by ferrying tourists around in a cab boat that he found half-sunk near one of the run-down mega-resorts on the remaining islands. (These resorts are mostly run by mechanoids, since they don't really draw enough tourists to pay the salaries of human employees.)

And now, the story begins.

A big shuttlecraft lands in Fiji, full of extremely grumpy astros. They'd all been told they were going to "Fuji," and had been looking forward to a night in Japan. Lister picks up one of them on his ferry boat, a deeply unpleasant man claiming to be an officer named "Christopher Todhunter". After a bombastic encounter that ends with Lister's boat springing a leak and not even getting paid for his trouble, he calls the night a wash and goes to his friend's bar.

There, he meets another astro, Kristine Kochanski. They hit it off, have a great time together, spend the night, and when she needs to leave the next morning, exchange contact information and promise to send letters.

After she leaves, Lister immediately writes a letter about how he thinks it was love at first sight, and he's going to get his life together so that the next time her ship, Red Dwarf, is near Earth, they'll be able to start a life together. Brimming over with hope and optimism, he takes his letter to the interplanetary customs station in Fiji on the biggest remaining island.

There, the unpleasant officer from the night before is arguing with a computer, an outdated AI named "Dolly."

He'd apparently fallen out of a shuttle and knocked his head, and can't remember anything about his life or identity. After he storms off, Lister tells the computer everything he knows: the guy is called "Christopher Todhunter," and he's an officer on some big ship. The computer insists that nobody by that name was reported missing. Lister asks what will happen to the guy while his identity is being sorted out. Dolly says he'll be stuck at the government offices for the whole time, even if it takes days and days, since they can't let random astros loose on Earth with no screening.

Lister offers him a place to stay, and Dolly insists that she can only release him to family. Lister asks if he could pretend to be his husband, just until they figure out where he needs to go. He thinks it's a good opportunity to mess with the guy for wrecking his boat, but also give him somewhere nicer to stay than the customs office. Dolly agrees, mostly because she's bored.

"Chris" is deeply concerned about Lister's sudden declaration, but doesn't have anywhere else to go so he reluctantly leaves with Lister. On the way he insists that there must be some mistake because he's absolutely certain that he isn't gay, but Lister assures him that, no, they're both straight, but love each other so much that they got married anyway. Chris is not particularly convinced by this, but Lister assures him that it was extremely romantic, especially when Chris gave up his high-flying officer career for him.

They get back to Lister's place: basically a small houseboat with a broken motor. There's only one bedroom, but Lister says that he'll sleep on the couch for as long as Chris can't remember anything, letting him have the room.

Chris asks where all of his things are, and Lister tells him that they share everything. He says that Chris gave up everything except his officer's uniform for him, again insisting on how romantic that is.

Chris doesn't really believe him, until that night. He can't sleep, and leaves the room to get some water, only to hear Lister talking in his sleep, muttering something about "Krissie".

The next morning, he's resigned to his life as the straight, gay-married husband of a part time boat cabbie.

Everything after that is a bit vague. I know there'd be a climactic pictionary game with Lister's friends, for example. And Chris would eventually, awkwardly, admit that he might have been lying about being straight, and Lister starts to feel very guilty about putting him in this situation that was supposed to be temporary, but seems to be dragging on longer and longer. Lister would receive a Dear John letter from Kochanski leading to a correspondence about possible missing people from her ship ("No, I don't know about anyone going missing, certainly no officers... I don't know a Chris Todhunter, but I do know a Frank Todhunter" "My brother! I have a brother Frank, I remember that!"), and eventually Rimmer is picked up by his family, who had already reported him dead and were annoyed about how much paperwork it was going to take to reverse that.

I think that Lister, who thinks that Chris is quite a bit wealthier than he is, eventually indulges in thoughts of how, maybe, Chris will remember who he is, and still love Lister. And maybe they can really do something good together with Chris' resources. I think he has a dream of helping out his friend by somehow, nebulously, replacing the awful mega-resorts with something his friend owns, but eventually figures out that that isn't even something that the guy WANTS, that he's just happy to have something he built, where he can make people feel comfortable and rebuild some sense of community amid all the wreckage.

Anyway, I doubt I'll ever have the time to write this story, but it's definitely one that's stuck in my mind. I think the setup lends itself to some phenomenal character interactions, some of the name-related coincidences make me giggle, and most of all, I find the setting extremely evocative. (One of the reasons I'm hesitant to write it, really, is that I don't think I could do the setting justice.) Hopefully the bones of the story are still fun to read about!

[heich0e]

BACKGROUNDER - the one that got away!kuroo

note: hello!! if you're seeing this post, you probably clicked through from this fic, and if not... well that's ur own journey <3 this is a collection of posts from my #the one that got away!kuroo universe, which offer context to the main story but aren't strictly necessary—like... further readings, i guess. i contemplated how best to direct people here, and in order for you to most easily access this info, i settled for this post!! under the cut are all of the asks/text posts that ultimately culminated in the full fic, arranged in chronological order for your viewing convenience:

original text post: not to kill the vibe but kuroo tetsuro does give me big 'guy who isn't ready for marriage but then gets married to the first girlfriend he has after the two of you break up' energy for reasons i cannot quite put my finger on

> n to rub salt into the wound, you thought for sure you and kuroo would marry

you didn't think the breakup would stick. you always thought—or hoped, maybe—that the two of you would find your way back to each other when the time was right. but not even two years later (which feels so SOON, even though it isn't really) you see that he's engaged to a girl—a perfectly nice, normal girl, that you can't even bring yourself to hate because you know all too well what it's like to be in love with tetsuro. know what it's like to want a future with him. and you can't blame her for it, even if you resent her for being the one who gets it.

> after the wedding who do you go with? are you drunk out of your mind

you aren't invited. that stings. but you think it might have been worse if you did end up getting one of those beautiful, unnecessarily elaborate invitations in the mail. 

you run into kuroo a few months before the ceremony at a mutual friend's birthday party. end up talking. the wedding comes up accidentally more than anything—maybe someone else mentions it, maybe you ask, maybe he tells you like he's repenting for a sin he didn't commit—and he stumbles through an unbearably awkward explanation (that he doesn't even owe you) as to why you weren't invited. but you know even if he says it in nicer, easier to swallow words, gilded with white lies: it would be weird. it would be wrong. it wouldn't be fair to anyone. not to him, or to you, or to her.

you get drunk the night of the wedding and hook up with the guy you've been fucking for the past few months, who you're pretty sure doesn't even know what you do for work even though you've told him multiple times. all your friends are dressed up and celebrating, and you're throwing up in the hotel bathroom by 2am while the guy sleeps in the bed a room away—completely, blissfully unaware of what's happening on the other side of the wall, let alone at a glittering venue across town.

you envy him for it.

> does kuroo still love reader? does he love her?

he does still love reader AND love his fiance too. maybe in different ways. maybe his love for reader is like guilt. maybe his love for his soon-to-be wife is more like atonement. i don't think it took kuroo very long to realize what he did to you was, well, sort of cruel. i think he regrets it deeply and thinks about it often. in a fucked up sort of way it makes him better to his new partner, because he doesn't want to hurt someone like that again because of his own immaturity. it's unfortunate, but it's like she gets to reap all the benefits of the growth he experiences at your expense.

> Will it ever get better for you after kuroos wedding

of course it will. that's the really weird thing about heartbreak: life just keeps going. you feel like your heart has been cleaved out of your chest, but then you just... go to work. you do your laundry. you read a new book that becomes an all time favourite. you spend time with your friends and family. you go on dates. you learn all the lyrics to new songs. you celebrate holidays and birthdays. and one day you realize it's been years and you're in a totally different part of your life now, and the boy you thought would one day be holding your hand on your deathbed doesn't even know what the inside of your new apartment looks like. and you don't know what his looks like, either. and it's still sad, and hard sometimes, but all you can do is keep going. keep trying to find new happiness even if it's not the one you wanted. and hope that somewhere out there he has a new favourite book too. 

> think of Kai who was secretly pining for you during your relationship with Kuroo. Yet, he still doesn't have it in him to confess his feelings. So, he does the next best thing: he becomes your booty call. But when you slip during one of your hook-ups--when you moan Kuroo's name--he realizes it would never work out between the two of you. Your heart is so full of Kuroo that there's no room for him.

kuroo is so beloved by the people around him that i don't think there's a friend in his life who would EVER betray him like that—even if they did have feelings for you. even more than that, a lot of the friends that he introduced you to during your relationship (who you got close to) seem to grow distant after the breakup. even though it was his fault, really. even though you were their friend too. they just seem to naturally gravitate back to him, like belongings that are divvied up after a divorce. and there's no hard feelings. they don't dislike you, or even do it consciously, it just... happens.

you do definitely call out tetsuro's name when you're hooking up with other people though. it never ends well.

> sorry if u’ve already answered this but how long did kuroo and reader date?

they met in high school, and always had little crushes on each other but it never went anywhere. kuroo FINALLY confessed at graduation (he tried to be rly smooth like the shoujo protag he isn't and almost botched it) and they started dating at 18. they dated for a little over 5 years. broke up at 23. kuroo stayed single for a while before he started dating his (eventual) wife, and they got married at around 26. reader moved away from Tokyo when she was 28-29. and reader and kuroo are both in their mid-to-late 30s when the fic opens!!

[garbinge]

Charming Life (8/?)

Piney Winston & Jax Teller & OC Joanne ‘Jo’ Teller Opie Winston x OC Joanne Teller 30 Day Fic Challenge (23/30)

Chapter Index 

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: All my fics are 18+ regardless of content. Siblings fighting again, light angst.

Charming Life Taglist: @drabbles-mc​ @livingdeadblondequeen​ @justreblogginfics @chloe-skywalker @kmc1989

Jo knocked on the cabin door and called out to the man inside before knocking again. 

The door swung open and an annoyed man stood with a gun in his hand as he stared down Jo. 

“Guess I should consider myself lucky it wasn’t pointed at me.” She squeezed by him before stepping inside the cabin. 

“What’re you doing here?” He grunted and closed the door before making his way over to the couches. 

“Taking after ma, checking in on those who could use a check in.” She crossed her arms and dropped into one of the dining table chairs and kicked her feet up. 

“The kids?” He questioned. 

“School.” Her eyebrows raised and she spoke to match his attitude. 

“You’re normally nicer.” Another grunt came from Piney as he sat down now. 

“Could say the same.” She answered back quickly. 

“What’s going on?” His voice softened now as he looked to Jo to talk. 

“You were close with Dad. Did he, did he want this?” It was such a broad question but Jo meant it very specifically. 

Piney let out a sigh. “What do you know?” 

“I read part of the book, which I’m assuming you know about. Haven’t been able to really give it a proper look through considering the biker prince of my brother has it and refused to tell me about it.” Jo crossed her arms. 

Piney chuckled, followed by a cough, before he was moving from the couch into a safe that was located in the dining room. 

“Here.” He pulled out what seemed to be an additional copy of the manuscript and handed it to Joanne. “Was saving this one for you.” 

Jo looked down at it, the weight of it feeling more heavy knowing this version would be hers. 

“This wasn’t the life either of you were expecting was it?” Jo followed Piney as he moved back to the couch. 

“We both had families, had different expectations and wants for SOA. For the future. Not everyone shared them.” 

“Not everyone had kids.” Jo nodded, understanding the reasoning behind it all. She sat there silent for a while, staring down at the stack of papers before she nodded. “You think Jax is the only one who can change it?” 

Piney smiled, “You’re a Teller. Arguably, the closest one to ‘him.” 

“But I’m a daughter, Piney. I’m not in the club.” Jo was trying to understand what she could possibly do. 

“Doesn’t mean you don’t have sway. Jax listens to you.” 

“I don’t know about that. We’re fighting.” She crossed her arms. 

Piney chuckled again. “And?” It was spoken like it meant nothing. 

“When Mary left, were you upset?” Jo thought when Piney’s wife left and took Opie with her. 

“No. But Opie came back, pretty sure he ended up at your apartment at the time, too.” Piney was moving to pour a drink for himself.

Jo remembered the memory clearly, Opie knocking on her apartment door, she had only been living there for a week and he said he needed a place to crash before he told Piney he was back. 

“If I knew then what I know now, I think I would have driven him back to Mary’s myself.” 

“And what do you know now, sweetheart?” Piney was curious as to how much the girl knew.

“I know that Donna’s dead because of the club’s affiliates, that Chibs is laying in a hospital bed with a head injury because someone tried to blow ‘em up, Juice got fucked up in county, Tara and Ma had to put up their houses for bail, Clay and Jax are a millisecond away from ripping eachother apart, and the club hasn’t seen the light at the end of the tunnel in months.” 

“So?” Piney was trying to pull the thought out of Joanne. 

“Is it even worth it?” She shook her head looking at Piney almost shocked by what she said. Her mother would have flipped out if she heard those words out of her mouth. 

Piney smiled. “You sound like your old man.” 

Jo laughed and really thought about her statement, maybe getting out was the only way out of this. Maybe there was some hope in Jax, if she could get on the same page as him, but right now that felt impossible. As she continued to think about leaving, she realized what that would mean, how it’d affect everyone. That’s when she realized she should probably tell Piney about her and Opie. 

“Ope will probably tell you, but since I’m here, and we’re talking, you should know, we’re–”

“It’s about damn time.” Piney cut her off. “You two have been tip-toeing around the obvious for years. I know things died out when Donna got pregnant and he got locked up but, I always knew. I think everyone did.” 

“If I leave Piney–” Jo started to say before Jax was knocking on the door and walking into the cabin. 

“What are you doing here?” He made a face and then turned his head to look at Piney. 

“We grew up around the same fuckin’ people Jax. Just becausee I’m not in the club doesn’t mean I don’t check up on them.” 

Piney laughed at their tension. “Don’t fight over this old man, now.” 

“I need to talk to you.” Jax looked at Piney, his face stoic and even a little angry. Piney’s silence was all Jax needed to continue talking. “I’m going Nomad.” 

That got Jo’s attention, she wanted to ask a million questions, put everything aside but she knew it wouldn’t be that easy. 

“On that note, I’ll leave you two to talk.” As she moved to the door, Piney looked at her. 

“Hey, uh, you do what you gotta do, sweetheart. Ain’t no sweat off my back.” He was directly answering her cut off statement from before. Jo was going to say that if she leaves, she was going to do anything and everything in her power to bring Opie with her. And even though Jax and her weren’t on the best terms, she wouldn’t let that stop her from trying with him either. She simply nodded and left the two men inside the cabin. 

Jo had her arms crossed as she leaned against her car, waiting for the door of the cabin to open and for Jax to come outside. 

She didn’t let a second pass when the door opened. “Don’t know how you plan to fix shit if you’re not even here for it.” 

“I don’t need this shit, Jo.” Jax was tossing his hat on his head. 

She shook her head and crossed her arms. “Keep pushing everyone away.” 

“You’re the one who's mad at me.” Jax scoffed. 

Joanne let out a laugh. “You’ll tell yourself anything to make yourself feel right.” 

“You don’t know shit about shit, Joanne.” Jax tossed his helmet and walked closer to his sister. It was a scene similar to one when they were young kids, Jax trying to step to Joanne, they’d push and shove each other until Gemma came and broke it up. The difference now was they weren’t fighting over sharing a bike or who ate the last snack, this was real shit with real consequences. 

“You’re right, I don’t, thanks to you.” She didn’t take a step back, Jax approaching her like this didn’t scare her one bit. 

“Jesus Christ, I didn’t show you the book, get over it.” He whipped his head back as it shook annoyingly. 

Before Jo could answer, the sound of a bike was interrupting them and they both turned to see Opie pulling up. 

“I should know better,” Jax smiled at his sister as he took a few steps back. “Getting over shit isn’t really your style.” 

It was a cheap shot. It was all Jo needed to know about where her brother was at with making things right with her. Not only did she not even want to respond to him, but he wasn’t going to give her the option since he was walking away to pick up the helmet he tossed earlier and leave the cabin. 

“Everything alright?” Opie’s voice was behind her causing her to snap out of her thoughts. 

“Yea just thinking of ways I can kill my brother and get away with it.” 

Opie let out a laugh. “I mean…” 

Jo knew exactly what he was teasingly insinuating. 

“Oh, I know how, it’s more figuring out what I’d tell mom, Clay and the club.” She turned to look at Opie with a smile. 

“Yea, your mom would be pretty mad.” 

“She’d be pissed just to know I was fighting with him, can’t tick off the prince.” She rolled her eyes and changed the subject as she moved on from the conversation with her brother. “What’re you doing up here?” 

“Same as you. Checkin’ in on the old man.” 

Jo smiled, she loved being reminded of the things she appreciated about Opie, him knowing her heart being one of them. He knew she’d cosntatnly check in on people in the club, because she’d done it with him so many times and he’d seen her do it to other members countless amounts of times. 

“I, uh, might have let it slip about us, to Piney.” Her boice was hesitant, a tad worried about how he’d respond. 

Opie smiled. “So eager.” 

“No, it just–”

Opie cut the girl off immediately by moving to plant a kiss on her lips. She leaned into it immediately and gripped his arms as the two deepended their embrace for a few minutes. “I’m fucking around with you.” Opie spoke against Jo’s lips. 

“I haven’t mentioned it to anyone else. With everything going on with Jax and I, I don’t think I’ll mention it to him anytime soon, and Gemma, well, that’s something I’d like to push off for as long as possible.” Jo explained to Opie as her forehead fell on his. 

“Piney was the easy one to tell.” He teased. “Whatever you want, we can keep it low key in front of everyone for now, got no problem with that.” 

“It’s not you, Gemma just likes to meddle–” 

Opie cut her off again with another kiss before speaking against them again. “I got no problem with whatever you wanna do.” 

“Thanks.” She whispered and pecked him one last time.

[thegoldenavenger]

I wish you would write time travel! Do you prefer time loop? to the future? to the past? reverse transmigration? Any flavor pairing in svsss~

Ahha you're lucky you qualified with svsss bc I have written time travel for a different fandom :3c

i think possibly an interesting take on this would be bingge deciding the point of difference between his universe and the nice shizun universe is that liu qingge is still alive... so like hm. i'll try and keep this shortish.

luo binghe has always gotten exactly what he wanted. perhaps after a trial, a tribulation, pain or minor tragedy, but eventually he always came out on top. so didn't it follow that he would win in his search for that nicer shizun? what, after all, did that other pathetic version of himself have that he did not? did luo binghe, demon emperor of the three realms, not deserve that softer shen qinqiu?

after returning home, to a palace stirred by that inferior him, his harem in a titter, it took too long to find space to go over his memories and the filtered memories he lifted from shen qingqiu. where did the difference lie? was it something he had done, as a child, that softened shen qingqiu from a cold master into a kind man?

he goes through softened memories of warm breakfast, embarrassingly transparent sparring practice, a satisfyingly cruel goodbye into the abyss, and then finally: that attack on cang qiong mountain by sha hauling's forces. instead of backing down after the three matches, instead they are chased off.

even though he had only seen him from a distance, luo binghe cannot mistake him. indeed, he sees almost a reflection every time he looks at his wife, liu mingyan.

this then, must be the difference. liu qingge was not murdered in the caves, and instead lived. perhaps the tumultous rivalry between shen qingqiu and liu qingge allowed the man to excise his crueler tendencies away from his poor students. or shen qingqiu had intended to murder the man and failed, and thusly locked himself into a portrayal of kindness as to divert suspicion that grew into a reality. whatever the case, it seemed to luo binghe that liu qingge's survival was the pin on which shen qingqiu's destiny lay to unfold. just as the man's death was how luo binghe could pry shen qingqiu from his bamboo peak, the man's life seemed to be how luo binghe could set his hands on a kinder shen qingqiu. one he could call shizun without qualm.

then all there was to it was to uncover a way to go back. he did not necessarily seek out a way, as such things had a way of just happening to him, but he kept his long reach open and searching. similarly, he did not equivocate with himself over perhaps leaving his harem and life to go back in time. either he would be rebuilding his empire in the past, or he would manage to bring that shizun back with him. things always worked out for him, when he put his mind to it, so he didn't over worry.

when it happened, it happened almost without fanfare. luo binghe stepped through a portal and walked into the abrasive air of the demon realm, separate and unconquered.

Finding his bearings is easy, though the realms had been merged for decades, his sharp memory recalled exactly where he stood now. Just as easy is journeying the distance north to reclaim his vassal (it does not occur to him that Mobei-jun is decades younger now, that Mobei-jun does not remember his oaths and fealty. It's fine. Luo Binghe reminds him)

From there, it barely needs recounting how he finds himself deep in the Ling Xi caves, except to mention how briefly he indulged the desire to pause by the woodshed. Tempting as it is to set fire to Qing Jing again, he moves on, Xin Mo a heavy weight at his side.

He had never been in the Ling Xi caves, but navigating them is intuitive. The pure natural qi laps against him like the ocean tide. He follows it to a cavern perfect for cultivation. It's the wrong cavern, as sitting calmly, meditating, is Shen Qingqiu. Luo Binghe cannot tell if it is the softer Shizun or not.

It doesn't matter, yet. Luo Binghe turns and treks deeper into the cave system, confident. Soon enough, his ears pick up the sounds of breathing. He quickens his pace; he wants to find Liu Qingge before Shen Qingqiu. He doesn't have a plan yet for how he means to save the man; warning the Bai Zhan War God of his martial brother's duplicitous intent? Just picking him up and manhandling him out of danger as he would one of his wives?

As he draws closer in on his prey, the light breathing he hears turns labored. Perhaps Liu Qingge is on the edge of a breakthrough, perhaps he is working through a heart demon.

He doesnt know why he is not surprised when he enters the next cavern and sees the sculpted brows of Liu Qingge's face twitch into a furrow, when a bead of blood wells like tears in his closed eyes. That the Peerless War God of Bai Zhan is experiencing a qi deviation? Yes, that could be surprising. Luo Binghe briefly decides it must be the lingering influence of one of Shen Qingqiu's plots. What isn't surprising is feeling the white hot flare of Yang energy starting to consume Liu Qingge's spiritual pathways.

The cool Yin of Luo Binghe's demonic qi stirs.

It always comes back to this, he thinks, a distant mix of frustration and interest sparking low in his gut.

Standing at the shadowed alcove watching Liu Mingyan's beloved brother fall into qi deviation, he finds that not even traveling years into his past can allow reprieve from the cycle his life has fallen into. He supposes this is a fair enough trade for saving the man's life, and even a gift for the most aloof of his wives. It is almost funny that the Liu he'll have intimate knowledge of won't be the one he married.

"Quiet now," Luo Binghe calls when the qi deviation rolls over Liu Qingge, paling the man's face and making him snarl. "This Lord will help you."

At his voice, Liu Mingyan's brother opens his eyes, and they seem to flash red. With killing intent or the deviation, it doesn't matter to Luo Binghe. What matters much, much more is Liu Qingge's hand flexing, summoning the shining blade of Cheng Luan.

Luo Binghe feels a smile slip onto his lips. "Well, if you insist, this lord does not mind indulging first."

[himebushou]

Anticipation

It’s hard to get Yuzuko to take things easy: she is pregnant and she is bored.

More than once, Kazuki has woken up in the middle of the night to discover his wife fussing over yarn or rearranging jars in the cupboard. “Don’t they look nicer this way?” she’d asked innocently, as though it were perfectly acceptable to be awake at 4 am lining up sauces, pickles and jams from lightest-to-darkest.  “It’s like a little rainbow.” 

Ignoring her protests, he’d taken Yuzuko’s shoulders and steered her away. 

She takes little trips to the park.  Ambles along to the convenience store.  She almost always returns with plants – another tiddly succulent to stash beside the TV, or a solitary stem to plop in the vase that sits on their dining table.  Kazuki doesn’t mind.  The yellows and purples and blues that Yuzuko fills their home with contrast sharply against the blood on his hands.  He likes the distinction. 

He’ll have to stop, when the baby gets here.  Lying to Yuzuko is getting harder.  Every morning, he leaves the house wearing a suit.  He returns at an appropriate time.  Over dinner, he makes excuses about how he’s spent so long wilting in the office that he can’t possibly bear to recount his day.  However, Yuzuko’s desperate for entertainment and wheedles the occasional story out of him.  Kazuki goes into overdrive, inventing colleagues – there’s Kyuusuke, his desk-mate who wears glasses and Yatarou, a guy who used to run a café before he moved into corporate management.  Every so often, Kazuki loses track of which of the pair said what.  Yuzuko scratches her ear and says that Kazuki’s clearly overworked. Why else wouldn’t he be able to keep his stories straight? 

He’ll have to stop. 

For sure.

Yuzuko’s changing.  She hates the taste and texture of her own cooking; she sighs dreamily when they pass fancy restaurants and then catches herself with a jolt.  Patting Kazuki’s arm, she murmurs that she wasn’t trying to drop hints: she knows that they couldn’t afford to eat in establishments like that. 

Dutifully, Kazuki pats his wife in return, thinking about the envelope of money stashed in a secret drawer.  He has no choice but to ration out his earnings.  Yuzuko would have too many questions if they could suddenly afford everything they need, like a cot and a pram and a steriliser. Better for Yuzuko to think that they’re getting by with a little left over.  Safer for her to believe that he needs a promotion to make a real difference. 

There are… things that he can do. 

He watches online tutorials, between jobs.  Spends a week practising in the kitchen when Karin whisks her sister away for a much-needed trip to their parents’ house. There are all sorts of tips.  Crack eggs on a flat surface.   Crush garlic cloves instead of chopping them.  Turn bell peppers upside-down to slice them with ease.  Press tofu for at least thirty minutes so that the marinade can soak in. 

When Yuzuko returns, she swears that she’ll never cook again. 

So Kazuki devotes himself to perfection.  He prompts Yuzuko to stretch out on the sofa while he wipes, scrubs, dusts, vacuums.  Yuzuko has the temerity to point to a fleck of dirt and sing, “You missed a spot!” Kazuki flings a damp sponge at her and they both laugh. 

He’ll have to stop.  He already had hundreds of skills and he’s constantly learning more and more.  He can work as a cleaner (as a chef, at this rate).  Become a chauffeur.  Live life as an ethical hacker.  He and Yuzuko will be there for their baby forever and the only blood in the little one’s future will be the odd papercut or scraped knee. 

It’s June.  Rainy season.  Hydrangea season.  Kazuki’s favourite time of year.  He places his ear against Yuzuko body and listens closely, swearing that he can hear a heartbeat – hear it knocking against his own.  Yuzuko says softly that the baby can’t wait to meet him. 

Kazuki doesn’t tell her that Yuzuko’s words make him want to cry.  Imagine someone… imagine someone wanting to meet him. 

He’ll stop by Yadorigi later and let Kyuu-chan know that it’s time to get out. 

One last job.  

[arthurian-aita]

AITA for offering money to the fair maiden in love with me instead of agreeing to marry her?

I (1547M) am in love with my boss’s wife, “Jen” (1543F), who happens to be the queen. It sounds bad, but she’s also in love with me. My coworkers were getting suspicious, so I’ve been pulling away to avoid being found out. She was not happy about this and accused me of flirting with other damosels. I haven’t been, but she kicked me out anyway, and things have been tense ever since. 

My boss/sovereign lord, “Anthony” (1545M), was getting ready to head out for a big joust, and I was supposed to go, but I was still pretty hurt from the last one, so I was going to stay behind. Jen was also staying behind, and she said it looked too much like I was staying to spend time with her. (Mixed messages?) I left for the joust the next day because… what else was I supposed to do. 

When I got to the castle where everyone was staying, I asked to borrow a shield with a less obvious symbol on the front so no one would know who I was during the fight. I met the host’s daughter, “Ellen” (1536F), and she very sweetly offered me a token of her affection (red sleeve with pearls) for the joust. Now, I’m pretty well known for never wearing any lady’s token, and I told her as much. I thought this would make my disguise even better. I asked her to hang on to my branded shield until I got back, but I didn’t tell her my name to avoid word getting out by accident. 

Long story short, I won the joust anonymously, but my old wound started acting up, so I left early. At this point, I was a little delirious. Ellen found me, and, okay, I did kiss her. Just this once, though. I’m not proud of it, but you try being in pain and seeing a fair maiden who’s come to take care of you. 

She told me one of my coworkers, “Wayne” (1538M), dropped by her house and that she had shown him my shield, which is how she learned my name. I immediately realized he would’ve taken this back to the team huddle, and Jen would definitely find out about the red sleeve and think I was in love with Ellen. 

After a while, one of my other coworkers, “Boris” (1559M), shows up and tells me about another joust I should probably attend, and I’m just itching to get out of bed. Being waited on hand and foot and nursed to recovery is great, but I’m a guy who needs to be out in the world. So I sent Ellen out to gather herbs while I got my buddy to help me get my armor on and saddle my noble steed. Unfortunately, I may not have been fully healed because riding reopened my wound, and the maiden heard me shout and came running. She absolutely caught me sneaking out, but luckily blamed the hermit we were staying with and my coworker for letting me out of bed. Love makes people blind and all that.

I missed the joust, and Boris returned and told me all about it. I realized I really needed to get back to my life, but when I went to leave, the fair maid was all: “Have mercy upon me,” and I was like, “What would ye that I did?” And then she proposed. I mean, I was flattered, but I can’t be tied down. I said no. And then she asked if I would be her lover instead, which would ruin both her honor and mine, so again, I said no, and she threatened to die of her love for me. 

As a compromise, because I couldn’t marry her, I offered her and her future husband and heirs a thousand pounds a year. I think that’s more than fair, considering we were never even together. She passed out, and then her father got involved, basically asking what his daughter was supposed to do now. I argued that I never gave her any reason to fall in love with me and that I was sure she could find a nice man to marry her. 

When I finally made it back to work, Anthony and Jen summoned me because, apparently, a dead woman showed up in a barge with a letter in her hand explaining her love for me and how that caused her death. Not a great look. Jen asked if I could’ve been nicer to Ellen to save her life, but I think I handled it pretty well by countering, “love must arise of the heart, and not by no constraint.” I explained that Ellen only wanted to marry me or be my lover, so I offered her money. Anthony was on my side, and Jen ended up apologizing for misjudging me. So:

AITA for offering the fair maiden money instead of marrying her so I could remain loyal to my relationship with my boss’s wife?

EDIT: I guess the names were too close because one of you snitched on me to “Anthony.” Watch your back at the next tournament.

[misanthropiczombie]

Word of Honor Live reaction, pt. 2

Okay so in an effort to not have stupid long posts even with every episode under a readmore, we're onto a new thread starting with Episode 17.

Episodes 1-16 ⪻⨀⪼[future third post link]

He's too earnest. i know its silly but i have such a hard time feeling anything for him. too pure not interested

I guess beauty is just like out and out with him for now? no questions asked. does he know she's also a ghost? or does he know and just not give a shit because of ~love~

couldn't keep it in his pants or break it off X years ago for a wife he disliked, but fuck the sects man

too pink and avocado for how much of an assholw both of theseguys are

look at her ears theyre so cute

;lksajfd "I wasn't hot but once you started speaking I did feel annoyed"

lmao BABY

j;hklas;dlkfj ZZS being a hardass as a teacher but also he loves that boy and keeps putting himself in The Situations to save him and smile at him and WKX being like "well this is a character shift be nicer~" the back and forth is so good

"he acts like a wife" i mean, buddy.

wooooaaah ALL THE GHOSTS?

wkx trying to sneak his child out of practice for ice cream but daddy said no

"how did you survive all of these years without someone strangling you?" "i'm good at martial arts" everyone is bratz or over-earnest those are the archetypes

zzs's resting bitch face is great

Ye Baiye is suuuuch a brat

there is ome 4d chess going on here and i am a 2d child

Man the mental hold he's got on scorpion king is something else. that relationship is the furthest from healthy

this is SUCH MARRIED COUPLE SHIT

god i cannot get over this a;lsdkfja;skldfj

THEYRE NOT FAKE IM GOING TO FUCKING DEVIATE MYSELF

lsitensltieslkjntesilsadkjlfha anyways im very normal about this

tell him how fucked up u are DO IT

RALEJHlk:JDS;flkj lsiten listen the man is ride or die you know.

also its not like he's not been a Bad Person just tell him and kiss and make mroe babies