#that middle painting is my phone wallpaper

[wish-i-were-heather]

"icarus imagined himself to be the stick of a candle, the wings to be the wick, and the sun to be the flame. for a small time, the wick would burn. the candle would be alight, shining brilliantly, lighting up the space for as long as the wick could last. until inevitably, the wick reached its end, the candle burning out. until the wick finally died, reaching the stick of the candle and engulfing that, too, in flames."

[mrchiipchrome]

The Museum

W.C. - 5.2 k

this is so the 'pookie looks absolutely fire' tiktok couple coded

thank you to the anon that requested this, much love to you:)

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The skittles made a crunching sound as your molars bit down on them, it was an every day snack for you, tasting the rainbow more often than not. It was a relatively new habit, but when your ex had broken up with you, you promised yourself to become a better person.

It obviously had to be you who had something wrong with them, otherwise she wouldn’t have fallen in love with someone else and out of love with you. Quitting smoking was the first thing on your agenda, hence the skittles.

The next thing was to get away from the small southern town in Texas, move so far away that you left the country entirely. The only thing you’d taken with you on the plane was a carryon with 2 changes of clothes, your cowboy hat and a dream of bettering your life.

The third thing you bettered was your health, going out for a run every morning through the streets of London, going to the gym after work, doing push-ups before bed. It worked wonders, the tips you got from the ladies at the bar where you worked were simply incredible.

The fourth thing you wanted to improve was your cultural knowledge, the exact reason why you were standing in the middle of a museum, old renaissance paintings in every corner of the large room. It was something you appreciated, none of that modern bullshit where people just taped a banana to a canvas and called it art, it was back from when people actually painted.

Your hand slipped down your body into your jacket pocket, fetching another piece of candy, although a voice speaking up from your right startled you nearly enough for you to drop it back into the bag.

“You’re not supposed to eat in museums, you know?” The woman had a foreign dialect, just like you. You guessed it was from somewhere in the middle of Europe, maybe Germany or any of the neighboring countries.

“It’s not a problem if you don’t tell on me, no one has to know.” She seems just as startled by your accent as you were by her speaking to you, her cheeks dusted with a light pink at the wink you sent her.

“What are you going to do if I tell them? Take me back to your ranch on your horse?” The mystery woman teases, obviously making fun of the accent and the cowboy hat sitting perched on your head. In response you laugh under your breath, shaking your head in amusement.

“I’m afraid that I left the ranch back in Texas, Miss. All I have here is a small one bedroom apartment.” She looks up at you through the side of her eye, her half smile distracting you more than you’d like to admit. Her brows knit together when she notices a security guard eying the two of you curiously and her elbow digs into your ribs when you once again reach for the skittles in your pocket.

“Nice hat, my friend would be jealous.” You nod in agreement, plucking the stetson off your head and turning it around in your hand. In a brief moment of stupidity, you place the cowboy hat on the pretty stranger’s head, it falling down the front of her face to cover her eyes. It’s frankly adorable, the way she brings her hand up to push it back to the crown of her head.

The reassuring smile on her face tells you that she approves of your action, a relief to your entire being. She takes her phone out of her back pocket, turning it on and snapping a picture of you both, the cowboy hat still perched on top of her head.

In response, you snap a picture of her alone, the woman posing like a cowboy would for you. She was going to be the wallpaper of your phone for a while, even though you didn’t even know her name.

“So, do you have a name or am I just going to have to call you mine?” The cheesy pickup line just slips out, not at all consciously, it was like instinct took over, a pretty girl was to be flirted with.

“I wouldn’t mind being called yours, but for now you can call me Lia.” The woman doesn’t seem uncomfortable by your advances, in fact she embraces them, teasing smile telling you that she found it amusing how worried you got over a simple pickup line.

“Lia, a beautiful name for an even more gorgeous girl.” She gains her pink tint back, the compliment likely the cause of her blush. It wasn’t like she never got complimented, it was just the attractive zing your accent put over the words that made them feel more sincere.

“And how about you? A name attached to that pretty face?” Now it was your turn to blush at the other woman’s words, her lips splitting into a full toothed smile.

“Y/n. Y/n Y/l/n.” You imitate Bond to introduce yourself, sticking your hand out for her to take, a firm handshake and the tip of an imaginary hat letting her know who exactly it is you are. 

“Good to know my future last name.” She winks at you and the blush that’s already covering your face deepens significantly. The insinuation that you were to marry the girl beside you too much for your poor little heart to take. 

She starts to walk away from you and towards another section of the room, looking back over her shoulder when she realizes that you weren’t right beside her, walking. Waving her hand in a “come here” motion, you quickly catch up with the older woman. 

“So, why skittles? Is there not any other sweet you’d rather have?” She asks as you match her slow rhythm of steps, your hands shoved in the pockets of your coat with your arms forming loops. Lia threads one of her arms through yours, leaning her head on your shoulder, standing still all of a sudden to look at a painting. It didn’t feel like you’d just met, like you’d just introduced yourselves to one another, it felt like you’d known each other for decades, easily slipping into being comfortable with each other.

You gaze at her as she looks at the painting, making sure to map out all her gorgeous features and commit them to memory. She was like a breath of fresh air in a world of polluted oxygen.

“First of all it’s called candy, not sweets, candy. Secondly, they’re amazing for when you want to stop smoking.” Her cheek smushes against your shoulder as she turns her head to look up at you, her eyebrows scrunched together adorably.

“You were a smoker?” You feel the strong urge to place a peck atop her lips, soft and warm against your own. But in the end you resist, you’d only just met the woman for god’s sake, you don’t want to make her uncomfortable. Her eyes hold so many emotions that you just can’t read.

“Yeah, only for about a year. My ex stressed me out so much that I felt it was the easiest way to deal with it. But when she broke up with me, I decided to get my life back together, moved here, got a job at a bar and that’s it. That’s why I’m here.” Lia listens intensively at the story you’re telling her, the way she looks at you suggests that she’s hanging off your every last syllable.

“So no more smoking at all for you?” You puff your chest up, proudly displaying the grin on your face and your now discolored tongue. Lia looks on in amusement at your actions, a grin that could light up an opera house on her face. 

“Nope, I’m never picking up a cigarette again.” The amusement turns into a sort of profound proud feeling, a feeling that she definitely shouldn’t be feeling for what is practically a stranger. A stranger that in the matter of a mere hour had worked their way into her heart and made themselves home.

“Good, I’m really happy for you.” The softened look on Lia’s face makes you blush, it was the way most people looked at their loved ones. You couldn’t help but imagine what it would feel like to be one of her loved ones, how it would feel to see her first thing in the morning, to gaze into her tentative eyes and try to read her like a book just because you know exactly how it is she acts, how she feels at that exact moment, what she thinks.

At your faraway look Lia nudges you in the ribs, giggling at the embarrassed expression that occupies your face. Her giggle could only be described as a ray of sunlight, lighting the glum room up in seconds, giving it a golden glow.

The older woman doesn’t miss the fondness in your gaze as you watch her laugh, your own lips splitting into a smile and soon after a loud belly laugh bubbles up in your chest, welling out of your mouth like water out a dam. 

Only moments later the both of you are doubled over in laughter, tears slipping down your cheeks and arms crossed over your stomachs. Some scattered guests give you two dirty looks, as if you were peasants in a house full of royals, but they are counter effective because it only makes you and Lia laugh harder.

The security guard from earlier approaches you both as you drop down to the floor with a loud thump, Lia bursting out into an entire new fit of laughter as you try to catch your breath.

“Y/n, I’ve already let you get away with a lot today but this is your last strike. Up you get, I’ll escort you and your lady companion to the exit.” He speaks through his thick mustache, his round beer gut bobbing up and down with every word like he needed every fat covered muscle of his stomach to get the words out.

Small giggles escape you both as Lia and you are led out of the building by a firm grip around both of your arms. You both watch in amusement as the fat man gets winded walking back up the stairs he just led you down, bending over for a brief second at the top before disappearing back behind the door.

“So, I take it you know the security guard then?” She sounds a little out of breath as she speaks to you, flyaways sticking out of her bun, your hand itches to reach up and smooth them out, undo her bun and run your fingers through her hair. But you don’t. 

“Yeah, he’s my regular. Comes in every day and buys a pint after work, a good friend of mine he is. He lets me get away with eatin’ in there every time I come.” You stand right in front of the brunette, hands again in your pockets as you smile at her tentatively. Her hand comes up to rub at your arm, and you feel as though you were going to pass out at any moment, the electric feeling of her ring covered fingers touching your arm overwhelming in a good way.

“Ah, a museum nepo baby then.” You can tell that she’s joking by the way her eyebrows raise all the way up to her hairline, and you imitate her by doing the same thing. Another fit of giggles ensues, Lia looking directly into your eyes, holding eye contact for a prolonged amount of time.

It makes you nervous, her somewhat challenging gaze locking on your face for a moment longer than necessary. When she grasps your hands in hers you finally look back at her, meeting her tender gaze with your own.

“I really enjoyed today, I was hoping we could do it again sometime.” The older woman looks at you sheepishly, nearly nervously. You’re mesmerized by her gorgeous simplicity, simple smile grazing her lips as you nod, a recognisable warmth behind the hug she gives you, the quick kiss she places on your cheek haphazardly before walking away, not looking back to see your rose tinted cheeks.

It’s only when Lia has disappeared far behind the horizon that you realize that you have no way to contact her AND that she essentially got away with your favorite cowboy hat. You aren’t as distraught about your hat as you are about not getting her number, it was a dumbass move from you.

You drag your feet all the way back to your apartment, not knowing that only moments after you left the museum, the girl of your dreams ran back all the way to get your number. And like you, she dragged her feet all the way back to her apartment, sulking and questioning her own intelligence.

Arriving at the bar that evening was strange, you felt almost empty without the girl you’d met earlier that day, no light brown cowboy hat perched atop your head nor a beaming smile. It was weird to everyone around you, you always had that damned hat on, but now it was a completely different one, black with a few white accents.

“What happened to you? It looks like someone ran over your dog.” Your co-worker and best friend Marla asks, placing her hand on your shoulder softly as if you were to break if she did it any harder. Shaking your head, your other friend and co-bartender Jason comes up to rub your back softly, the comfort from both of your best friends loosening you up significantly and soon after you spill everything that had happened up to that point.

They were both smirking at you when you finished up the story, knowing that despite only just meeting the woman in the museum you were already in love. 

“So do you have a picture of this goddess who’s making you drop to your knees?” Marla asks you, looking knowingly at your other best friend, who in return wiggles his eyebrows at her. You knew something would happen between them soon, and you’d rather be in hell than to watch it.

“Yeah, just give me a quick sec.” Pulling out your phone, you quickly unlock it and enter the photo app, not needing to scroll as the most recent photo was of her, Lia.

“Girl, are you fucking with me?” You look at the dark skinned girl in confusion, her eyes widening as she realizes that you had no fucking clue who it was you had met. She looks to her ‘boyfriend’ quickly in shock, who looks back at her equally appalled.

“Are you telling me you don’t recognise her?” The moment you shake your head is when the green eyed boy facepalms, not believing your stupidity. “Not at all? You haven’t seen her before.” When you once again shake your head the man sighs in disappointment, all faith in your intelligence practically gone.

“Girl. That is Lia Wälti, you know one of the best midfielders in the country? Arsenal Women’s player.” Now it’s your turn to look shocked, not at all knowing that she was a footballer. All the times you’d gone over to Marla’s house to watch footy, she’d probably been injured.

“Are you fucking kidding me? I didn’t even recognise her.” You lean against the door, sliding your body down until you’re sitting flush on the floor, head in your hands. Jason places his hand on your shoulder, smiling softly at you as he tries to reassure your overwhelmed mind.

“Hey, man, it was probably a good thing that you didn’t recognise her. She knows that you’re not some crazed fan trying to kill her, eh?” Marla’s hand plucks your cowboy hat from your head and runs her fingers through your hair, your shared shift started in mere minutes and yet they were there, comforting you.

“I’m okay, just a bit shell shocked.” They both laugh, pulling you up by your hands and bringing you into a group hug, patting your back before Marla gives you your hat back, smacking both you and Jason’s asses before disappearing out to her office.

“You know, we have an extra ticket to the Arsenal game on Sunday, so I mean if you want to see her again then you’re welcome to join.” You smile at the man’s kindness, telling him that you’ll definitely take him up on his offer. You didn’t have a shift at the bar either way that day so spending it looking for your … well you didn’t really know what it was she is to you. All you know is that you wanted to see her again.

Two days later you find yourself sitting as close to the pitch as you possibly can, waiting for the North London derby to start. 

Lia is in the starting lineup, looking determined as she waits for the whistle signaling the start of the game to sound. The shrill noise cuts through the air and the game starts.

It’s physical right from the start, loads of pushing and shoving coming from both sides, red and white. There are a few times where you nearly jump to your feet as Lia gets pushed but the fact that your friends sat there right beside you made you choose not to.

At half time the score is the same as the beginning, nil-nil. Despite not knowing much about football you join in on analyzing the first half of the game, mentioning all the times Lia went down. Marla makes some ‘innocent’ comments about how you’d much rather have her ‘go down’ somewhere else. The blush that overtakes your face is enough for you to blend in with your jersey, the red of the Arsenal shirt the same shade as your face.

When the second half starts, you’re basically on your feet all the way through, cheering loudly when Alessia scores, meaning that the gunners were up one-nil.

It’s particularly hilarious when Lia finally notices you, a pause in the game meaning that she had the time to look around at the fully packed Emirates Stadium. When those eyes you love to gaze into meet yours for the first time since Friday, her face split open in a smile, a smile reaching all the way up to her eyes.

It looks like she has to physically restrain herself so that she doesn’t run over to you, her body shaking slightly as she calmly inches her way towards you, the cheers of the fans around you becoming louder as the player comes closer. Lia tunes them all out though as she looks at you, the only thing cutting through her trance being the whistle signaling the freekick being awarded. 

Lia looks back towards you as she walks in the direction of the group of players and you wink at her, even though she’s far away it seems like she saw it, the deep tint of red dusting her face definitely more than exertion from the game. 

When the three loud whistles sound throughout the arena, it explodes in cheers as Arsenal manage to keep their one-nil lead and in doing so make London red again. But you don’t even acknowledge the win when there’s a speeding Lia Wälti heading straight in your direction.

She only starts to slow down as she reaches the barrier which separates the fans from the pitch and players, with you standing up behind it to watch her come closer and closer with every quick step she takes.

Lia throws her arms around your torso when she comes close enough, the way that she had been longing for your touch had been driving her crazy in the days since you first met. She also knew that it wasn’t smart to do it all out in the open, fans and professionals alike were probably going to know everything about you within a few days. You didn’t seem to mind though, content with having her in your arms again.

Pulling away from her, you quickly take her face in your hands, looking her over to see if her face was scratched up from all the times she’d met the ground in the game. 

“Shit, darling, I think you spent more time on the ground in this game than on your feet. You ought to be more careful.” Your southern drawl is especially thick when you speak to her, the worry you’d experienced the entire game bubbling to the surface.

“I’m perfectly fine, I think you’re forgetting that I do this for a living.” She smiles at you reassuringly and you calm down fully, her hand placed on your arm a sure factor of it. Lia’s head turns to your side, looking directly at your friends who both send her starstruck looks. 

“Hi, I’m Lia.” The footballer smiles in their direction and they both remain in their seats, completely unmoving. She looks back to you concerned and in response you just laugh, they were apparently not expecting her to actually greet them. “Are they okay?” 

“I think they’re just a bit starstruck.” Gesturing towards their gaping mouths, Marla quickly slaps your hand away from her face, biting at the air to show you that she wasn’t afraid to bite.

“Oh okay, well do you think they want anything signed? I can ask the team, or maybe if you want we can go meet them?” Lia sounds unsure of herself, apparently doubting that her first impression on your friends was good.

“I think that they’d love that sweetheart. But judging from all the looks we’re getting from that same team, I do think they want you back.” You glance towards the women gathered in a clung in the middle of the pitch, all of them staring at you and Lia interacting. She sighs at their slightly invasive culture, but alas there wasn’t anything that she could do about it. When you smile and wave at them, you’re thoroughly amused when every single one of them repeats your actions back to you, some in confusion and some in amusement.

“A guard is going to tell you to follow him, just do as he says and we’ll meet again soon.” By that point the stadium was almost empty, everyone wanting to go home and brag about their team’s win over the archrival. So as Lia walks away from you, you’re totally free to stare at her ass, only stopping when Marla slaps your arm harshly.

“Did that just happen?” Jason asks shakily, running his hand down his face in embarrassment.

“You’re damn right it did.” You laugh at their stupid expressions, their embarrassment clear on their faces. “Well look on the bright side, y’all are going to meet the team.” With that their embarrassment turned into excitement, meeting their favourite athletes quickly turning their mood around.

“Y/n Y/l/n? Come with me and take your friends with you.” Walking around the labyrinth of slinging hallways and narrow paths, you appear in front of the locker room in no time, the loud music escaping the door a clear indicator of the Gunners good match.

“Now just wait out here until they come out, they’ll probably be out in a few.” The guard tells you unbothered, not caring at all that he’s leaving people he doesn’t know outside of the locker room.

“Yes sir.” You speak up clearly, mock saluting him as he disappears down the hallway with a sigh.

“I can’t believe that you’re 28, you act like a 12 year old.” Marla tells you jokingly, leading to you pushing her away from you. In the span of a few seconds both you and Marla find yourselves on the floor, engaging in a wrestling match. It only gets broken up when the sound of the door opening echoes through the hallway, both you and your best friend quickly getting on your feet.

“Nah what’s going on here?” A very amused Irish accented voice escapes the player exiting the locker room, one Katie McCabe staring at you and Marla.

“It was her fault.” You point at Marla so as to gesture that it was her who started it, the woman vehemently denying it.

“So I’m guessing you’re Lia’s cowboy then?” Katie completely ignores the blame game currently going on in front of her as she talks to you. Blushing at being called Lia’s, you quickly start to stutter out an answer.

“I- uhm yeah, I think so?” Laughter coming from behind the Irish woman makes you glance in the direction of the sound. Seeing Leah Williamson of all people is not what you expect, a bit starstruck yourself.

“Of course it’s the cowboy you buffoon, who else would wear a cowboy hat in London? You have to tell me where you bought the one Lia brought home, I need a new one. Mylie-moo chewed mine to filth a couple days ago.” Leah throws her arm around your shoulder as if you’d known each other for years, the woman clearly having heard a thing or two about you.

“Oh well I’ll be sure to bring you one next time I go back to Texas, my buddy Carl, he’s 72 and he makes the most gorgeous hats you can imagine. Last time I visited him I made him an instagram page, I’ll send you the link if you want?” You speak enthusiastically with the England captain, her arm still resting around your shoulders casually. Both Marla and Jason are in a conversation with Katie and Lotte, who just got out of the locker room.

“Important question, so answer me truthfully now, do you like country music?” She looks at you skeptically, trying to deduce if you’re being truthful or not. The question itself makes you roll your eyes playfully, but alas it didn’t surprise you. It was widely known that Leah was quite the country fan.

“Ma’am I grew up in Texas, yeah I’m a country fan. I’d be disowned if I wasn’t.” Leah looks at you like you’re her hero, it was clear to you that she accepted you. The hinges of the door squeak as a few other players exit, namely Lia.

“Lia please let me steal her, she’s perfect.” Leah says jokingly, holding onto your arm softly like she was a little kid. Lia looks at her weirdly, but quickly catches on to the joke, walking over to the two of you.

“I know, that’s why I want to keep her.” Lia wraps her arms around your waist tightly, her newly washed hair curling up into adorable curls, head placed on your shoulder. 

“Sharing is caring.” Leah is on the verge of laughter as she talks, the statement a shocking one for sure. It was hilarious though so you also had to keep from laughing.

“I mean I wouldn’t mind-” Lia shoots you a mean glare at your half serious words, and even though it was like being glared at by an adorable kitten, Lia already had you wrapped around her finger. “Actually I’m taken so I don’t think that would work.” 

All it takes for you all to break character is a shouted ‘WHIPPED’ coming from one of the players watching the interaction like it was a soap opera, the three of you laughing like it was the last thing you’d do.

“Alright, anyone want a drink? Not to brag but I can make a mean cocktail.” The women all cheer as you ask them, everyone rushing out to get into their cars and get to the bar. Just as you’re about to follow them, someone takes hold of your collar, making it so that you can’t go. 

Lia looks back when you don’t follow her but you just wave her off, telling her to go on without you. Turning back, you’re met with all the ‘scariest’ Arsenal players, looking like they’re about to beat you up.

“Listen carefully now, because this will only be said once, if you hurt a hair on her head, do anything to hurt her emotionally, if you do anything wrong that makes her sad, we will not hesitate to take your knees.” It’s Katie that speaks, all the others just nodding intimidatingly, glaring at you. 

“I’m going to try my best to make her happy, I know that she deserves the world.” They let up the facade of intimidation at your words, patting your back and pushing you in the direction of the car park. The conversation as you all are walking out of the building is pleasant, when you arrive at the parking lot there are just a couple of cars left.

Both of your best friends had left you to carpool with one of the remaining players, Lia called dibs though the second she looked at you, so it was with her you went.

“They weren’t too scary with you right? I know how they can be.” Lia says over the soft music being played from the radio, some Tyler, the Creator song. You look at her face, she was in deep thought and absolutely adorable. 

“Nah, it’s like being threatened by a pair of teddy bears. Let’s just say that I’ve had worse shovel talks.” She giggles as you start to tell her about all the weird shovel talks you’d gotten back in Texas, everything from being threatened with Chinese water torture to being hung upside down from a tree for simply speaking to a girl that wasn’t her.

When the bar comes into sight you see that multiple people have parked their cars right in front of it, telling Lia to just park on the curb.

“Y’all are such dickheads.” You laugh, slapping both Marla and Jason’s heads hard, they left you stranded. 

“Well you’ve got a girlfriend now who can drive your broke ass.” Marla shoots back, rubbing her head in pain. You roll your eyes at her dramatic actions, the slap wasn’t that hard.

“One-nil to me then, at least I have someone.” The sibling like banter was normal between you two by now, she was your best friend after all.

“C’mon cowboy, let’s sit down for a little.” Lia’s hand rests on your stomach as you both sit down on the booth, the place to sit being suspiciously small, to the point in which Lia had to throw her legs over your lap to get enough space.

It was nice to sit and talk with the team, they were regular people just like anyone else and it made you glad to see them just relax after a match. The atmosphere was calm, so calm in fact that Lia managed to fall asleep on your shoulder, quiet snores escaping her mouth.

Only moments later you fall asleep too, after having fought sleep for as long as possible. Your head rests on top of Lia’s and the girls think it’s absolutely adorable, some of them taking pictures of you both to send to their group chat.

“I knew being friends with her would pay off.” Jason jokes, thinking naïvely that you were fully asleep, getting a few laughs from the girls in the room. They get startled though as you utter a quick;

“Hey!” In protest, everyone soon laughed at your dramatic reaction to his joke.

Who knew that going to the museum would result in you getting a date?

[sunarots]

so high school ━━━ atsumu miya

23. first day ♡

“Come on.”

You take in a deep breath, looking up at Atsumu from your spot in his passenger seat. He leans against the open door of the car, a hand outstretched towards you. Your eyes drift to the building behind him, the blinds drawn and blocking the view inside of the restaurant.

Now, not only have you got to pretend to be Atsumu’s boyfriend to the public, you have to pretend in front of his brother. And your boss. Despite your anxiety, you accept Atsumu’s hand and let him lead the way into the restaurant. He drapes an arm around your neck, pulling you in closer to him whilst using his other hand to open the door.

The lights are up full to compensate for the lack of sunlight, so you can see every detail. The walls are painted a dark grey, decorated with pictures taken from the twins’ childhoods, the restaurant opening. You approach the closest collage of photos, scanning over each one.

There’s one of them as young kids in a volleyball club, wide smiles on their faces. The two of them in high school, black uniforms in a large gymnasium, the entire team surrounding them. Another at their graduation with their mother between them. One of them at the grand opening, Osamu in the middle with his friends surrounding him.

You point to one of the faces in the picture. “Who’s this? I recognise him.” You look back, Atsumu leaning in closer to see who you were pointing at.

“Oh, that’s Sunarin. He was in the Japan team the year I was there.” Atsumu smiles, directing your attention to a larger framed photo. “Here’s us at the Olympics. Me, Sunarin, and ‘Samu.”

You gesture to the first picture that caught your eye, smiling softly. “I like this one. You were cute kids. What happened?”

Atsumu laughs, gently swatting your arm. “Oi, don’t make me regret getting ya this job.”

“Well, too late for ya to take it back.”

The two of you turn to face Osamu, walking out from the kitchen. He sits his towel over his shoulder and approaches you, reaching out a hand to shake. “How are ya both?” He pats Atsumu’s arm before crossing his over his chest.

“We’re good. Y/n’s glad to get out the house, aren’t ya?” Atsumu sets his hand on your shoulder with a soft smile.

“Yeah, I’m going fully insane. I even started watching Atsumu play against Argentina. And I was there for that game. I’ve been so bored.”

“When you’ve stooped that low, that’s how you know time’s come.”

Atsumu slaps his brother’s arm, shaking his head. “Ya better not turn her against me, ‘Samu, I swear.”

Osamu shrugs his shoulders, laughing softly and saying, “Hey, if she turns against ya, that’s not on me.” He claps his hands together and turns around to direct you to the far wall. “This is where we’ll display your art. I will take anythin’, I’m desperate. Sunarin and Kita have been up my ass about it ever since the repairs.”

You furrow your eyebrows, looking between the brothers. “Repairs?”

“The pipes burst and the entire wall got wrecked, almost collapsed. Took a while to fix it back up, but here we are. New wallpaper, too. Do ya think you could do something with it?”

You nod your head, taking your phone out of your pocket and taking a few quick pictures. It’s the same shade of grey as the rest of the walls, the only difference being the gold embellishment of fish covering it. “Yeah, I can see why they’ve been bugging you. It’s very bare. I can definitely do something. Um, do you have any ideas? I can do a lot, so if you have any references I could put something together. Maybe a black canvas with gold on it, or the other way around?”

Osamu nods, waving for you to follow him towards the counter. He pauses when Atsumu doesn’t follow. “Ya good?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna head to work. Need to get a coffee first. I’ll be back to pick you up after practice, darlin’. Stay in touch, yeah?” He awkwardly pats you on the back before doing the same to his brother, tucking his hands in his pockets and heading towards the door.

“Bye, Atsumu!”

He gives you a smile and a wave in response when he leaves the restaurant. You turn your full attention to Osamu, following him behind the bar and towards his office. The walls are painted a navy blue, coat hooks and lockers lining the way to the staff room.

Inside his office, the walls are still the floral print from the last owners, certificates and awards hung on the walls. More personal photos, one of him and Sunarin with their arms around one another on his desk.

You take a seat in the cushioned chair, tucking your hair behind your ears and watching him rummage through the papers on his desk.

“So, I started looking at work that you’ve posted to get an idea and I had some help putting this together, but these are some images I’ve found that I think would suit your style.” He hands over a stack of ten loose sheets of paper, each with one or two pictures on them.

You flick through them, folding corners on the ones you thought you could use. Leaning back in your seat, you cross one leg over the other and smile at him. “I can definitely work with these, thank you. I also saw that you had a lot of pictures of you and friends and people close to you hung on the walls. I do portraits and, um… I can do a portrait of you and one or two other people, if that’s something you’d be interested in?”

Osamu smiles, eyes flickering to the picture frames on his desk. "Yeah, that would be nice. I can send you a picture? We don’t have much spare time to pose.”

“Of course. Could you send a few? Fully confidential, and I’ll delete them once I’ve finished the painting. I, um… I’ll also need a deposit from you, just in case you pull out.” Your eyes widen when the words leave your mouth, regretting your choice of phrasing. “Not that I don’t trust you or anything! I do, I just take a deposit from everyone to secure and just so I don’t, um… Waste my time.”

Osamu waits for you to finish, nodding along to everything you say. “That’s no problem. I expected that, anyway. If you give me a quote on the deposit whenever you can, and I’ll transfer that straight over to you so you can make a start. I’d also like to fund whatever materials it is you use. Paints, canvases, everything that you don’t already have. If you buy anything for this, give me a receipt and I’ll refund you for your purchases.”

“Oh, Osamu, I can’t let you do that, it’s too much.” You fix the papers into a neat pile. “The deposit is enough.”

He shakes his head, eyes flickering past you to something in the hallway. He nods his head before turning his full attention back onto you. “It’s not, I’ll be paying you for this. Now, are you ready to start your training?”

masterlist. previous | next

summary. after your best friend reveals he’s moving out of your shared flat, you’re presented with a tough choice: let one of the creeps who are begging you to let them move in with you, or find a cheaper flat in another area of town. a do-over couldn’t have come at a better time for you, but your only option for a place to stay is with someone your best friend knew from high school, and his two teammates.

taglist (open!). @reignsaway @yuminako @thiisisntlovely @diorzs @aboutkiyoomi @spicana @bakingcuriosity @kr1nqu @savemebrazilhinata @dazqa @sereniteav @beckxisxinxlovexwithxjin @sleezzsister @hermaeusmorax @giocriedpower @sophosphorescent @gigiiiiislife @zazathezaer @rrosiitas @iaminyourfloors @writing-for-the-hell-of-it @sillygooseymood @ellouisa17 @wakashudou @punkhazardlaw @arminswife12 @libbymeows @thomatri @nanamis-right-tiddie

[fandomnerd9602]

Closing a Book

Fem!Peter Parker x Stark!Reader

They say when one door closes, another opens. For you, the door closed on one Wanda Maximoff and another opened on a miss Petra Parker - the spectacular Spider Girl.

You loved every minute of every day you could spend with your spider monkey. She was incredible in every sense of the word. You loved spending time with her Aunt May and Petra loved spending time with your family.

But something always bothered you. When Wanda decided to dump you for Vision, it left you with many questions. And those questions pounded on your mind daily.

You needed to find the answers. So one day you took a little jaunt up to the town of Westview. Despite how they had hurt you, you bought a small suburban house for the happy couple. They were still Avengers and a Stark always looks after their teammates.

You walk up to the front door of the nondescript house in the middle of a suburb in Westview. Was this a good idea? Was Wanda gonna catapult you off her porch with a blast of magic.

You ready yourself to knock the door but Vision opens the door and gives you a gentle smile, “(Y/N), it’s wonderful to see you.”

“Hey Vis” you give him a little hug. In truth, before this whole Wanda thing, Vision was the closest thing you had to a brother. You kind of missed these little interactions.

“Come on in. Wanda’s in the guest room.” He guides you into the living room.

Wanda comes down the stairs a few seconds later, covered in a little bit of paint and caulk. “Detka I can’t find the screwdriver” she tries to tell Vision but she gasps when she sees you, “(Y/N) hey”

“Hey Wanda”

“What brings you by?”

“I-I can come back later. Remodeling? Or are you trying a new style. Cause it works for you”

She gives you a smile, your jokes were never that good but she loved it, “no no I’m…I’m decorating the nursery”

“Nursery? You and Vision?”

“Yeah we’re adopting. Two little boys from Salem.” She explains.

“C-congrats. You’ll make a great mother.” Your mind briefly races, “so uhh…the reason I’m here is…well that is to say…I-I…”

Wanda’s eyes quickly flash red. She gives you a sad smile, “you want closure”

“Y-yeah I guess so?” You find yourself a little confused that she was able to word in such-

“I read your mind, Stark” she gives a little sad laugh.

“So…” you try to formulate what you need to say, “what happened to us?”

“Let answer with another question. Did you love me?” She looks you in the eyes, no anger only compassion.

“Yes” you answer, “but it seemed like you and Vision were…were…”

Wanda takes your hand, “I know. That was my mistake. It was never you.” A few tears make their way down her face, “You were amazing and thoughtful but you were never mine”

The words cut you a little deep. “Oh”

“Vision and I we just…click. What’s it like when you’re with Petra? When she holds your hand.”

“I feel every problem melts away,” your mind wanders to Petra. “I love her smile. The way she looks at me and her family. The way she upstages me and corrects my math or fixes a design”

Wanda lets out a little laugh, “see? I tried to comprehend what you were saying most of the time but I couldn’t.”

“Really? I’m sorry” you try to hide your face a little.

“No it’s great. You’ve found your other half (Y/N) Stark. Don’t let her go.”

You look to your phone, its wallpaper being an image of you and Petra together. Your heart flutters. “I won’t. Not now, not ever.”

You give Wanda and Vision hugs and depart back to New York. You drive straight to Petra’s apartment.

You knock on her door. Aunt May answers, smiles and lets you in. You walk right over to Petra who’s currently sitting on the couch.

“Baby?” She asks, getting to her feet. “Where have you been? Are you alright?”

You simply hug her tight, you bury your face in the crook of her neck and breathe in her scent.

“You’re my other half” you whisper in her ear.

“And you’re mine.”

Tags @supercorpdanbeau @scarletquake-n7 @jacenradio7 @texaswolf23 @russianredassassin @revanshand @pinklawyerwinnerzonk

[ducktoo]

Syncing Dream [Aespa x M!Reader]

33. Renov-log

Note: Jeez, we’re close to the end now…

Masterlist here

After months of touring, recording, and relentless promotion, the girls of aespa finally had some downtime. Considering that Whiplash would be their last release of this year and their world tour success, they managed to snag a good break.

To be exact, 2 weeks.

Naturally, they decided it was time for a major change:

Renovating their dorm.

Of course, Y/n, who had barely recovered from the last leg of their tour, suddenly found himself roped into this mess once again. Because despite having muscles on their own, they just want to hang out with him more.

-

It all started innocently enough. The girls were gathered in the living room, flipping through catalogs, each with vastly different ideas on what their “new space” should look like. Y/n sat at the head of the table, already feeling a headache forming.

“Are we seriously doing this?” Y/n asked, glancing from one girl to the next, noting their determined expressions.

“Yup,” Karina said, not even looking up as she circled a bright red couch in a magazine. “We’re over this old setup. It’s time for something new.”

Winter chimed in with a deadpan tone, her face buried behind her phone. “I’ve been staring at that peeling wallpaper for two years. It’s haunting my dreams at this point.”

“Ok, you should’ve told me that earlier, Jeong.” Y/n sighed.

Ningning grinned, bouncing in her seat. “We need more colour. And a karaoke machine!”

Y/n blinked at that last part. “A karaoke machine? Why?”

“Yep,” Giselle said, casually pointing at the list in front of him. “Right next to the beanbags and mini-fridge. Oh, and let’s not forget, we want a cozy reading nook by the window.”

Y/n rubbed his temples. “This is getting out of hand…I don’t study architecture here.”

Winter strolled in, looking like she’d just had the most brilliant idea. “We should film a vlog about the whole renovation process. You know, a ‘Day in the Life’ kind of thing. It’ll be hilarious watching Y/n try to maintain some level of sanity.”

Y/n’s head snapped up. “Wait, what now?”

Karina and Ningning shared a glance, their mischievous grins widening.

“We’re doing it,” Winter declared. “Vlog day tomorrow.”

-

The next day, the real madness began. Furniture deliveries were scheduled, paint samples were splattered across walls, and half the dorm was covered in dust as the renovation began. But to make things worse, Giselle, true to her word, pulled out her camera, ready to document the entire thing for their channel.

“Alright guys, welcome to today's 'Reno-vlog'!’” Giselle announced with far too much enthusiasm. “We’re going to make this place look brand new, with the help of our lovely manager, Y/n!”

Y/n appeared in the background, balancing a stack of paint cans. “I didn’t sign up for this,” he grumbled, before nearly tripping over an extension cord.

“Are you okay, Y/n?” Karina laughed, zooming the camera in on his frazzled expression.

“I’m fine,” Y/n muttered, but the slight panic in his eyes said otherwise. “Just… someone please move the cables.”

As the girls split up into teams, the dorm turned into a scene straight out of a comedy show. Giselle and Ningning took charge of painting the living room, while Karina and Winter were busy assembling furniture. Y/n? Well, he was stuck in the middle of it all, trying his best to keep everything under control.

“Giselle! That’s not the right shade of blue!” Y/n yelled from across the room as he glanced at the paint sample. “You picked ‘Ocean Breeze,’ but that looks like ‘Misty Sky!’”

Giselle shrugged, completely unfazed. “Eh, blue is blue. It’ll look fine once it dries.”

“Right… because drying magically changes the colour.” Y/n sighed, shaking his head.

Meanwhile, Karina and Winter struggled with an IKEA bookshelf in the corner.

“I’m telling you, this part goes here,” Winter said, holding a screw in one hand and a wooden panel in the other.

Karina looked equally as confused. “Are you sure? It looks upside down.”

“It’s not upside down,” Winter huffed, trying to force the pieces together. “I’ve done this before.”

Y/n watched from the doorway, shaking his head. “I give it five minutes before that thing collapses.”

Sure enough, the bookshelf stood triumphantly for about three minutes before one of the sides gave out, sending the entire structure crashing to the floor. Karina and Winter just stared at it, shocked into silence.

“Told you so.” Y/n deadpanned.

Ningning, however, was quick to pounce. “I got that on camera!” she cackled, pointing her phone at the wreckage.

“Thanks for the moral support, idiot,” Winter grumbled, crossing her arms.

Y/n raised his hands defensively. “Ya, you’re the ones who refused to look at the manual.”

Karina smirked, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “He’s right, Minjeong. We should’ve listened to the professional.”

Winter rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a smile. “Fine, fine. Y/n wins this round.”

“Of course, one of my various W” The victorious manager patted his shoulder.

-

The painting was no better. The girls had chosen a variety of bright colors, each with a specific vision in mind. But when Ningning knocked over an entire can of ocean-blue paint onto the living room floor, Y/n nearly lost it.

“Yizhuo!” Y/n yelled, staring at the growing puddle of paint. “That was oil-based!”

Ningning winced, backing away. “Oops?”

Y/n sighed, already calculating how many hours it would take to clean that up. “I’m going to need a mop... and therapy after this.”

Giselle, ever the opportunist, swung the camera towards him. “And here we have Y/n, reaching the breaking point of this renovation project.”

The girls snickered, their laughter only growing louder as Y/n tried—and failed—to clean the paint with a completely inadequate rag.

“You know,” Winter teased as she filmed the scene with her phone, “this would make for some quality blackmail footage.”

"Another one?!" Y/n looked up from the floor, narrowing his eyes. “If that video ever sees the light of day, I’m throwing all of your new furniture out the window.”

Winter just shrugged, a sly grin on her face. “Tsk, whatever. But I’m still keeping the footage.”

-

Despite the setbacks, the renovation eventually started to come together. The walls were painted (after several attempts), the furniture was somewhat assembled, and the dorm slowly began to resemble a place they could all live in. It wasn’t perfect, but it was theirs.

Karina gestured to the new couches proudly. “See, Y/n? I told you it would look good.”

Y/n nodded, admiring the final product. “It actually does. You guys did well.”

Ningning, of course, couldn’t let him off the hook that easily. “Don’t forget, we captured your meltdown on camera for the vlog.”

“Yeah, Y/n, you were like this close to pulling your hair out,” Giselle added, laughing.

Y/n rolled his eyes but smiled despite himself. “Great. I’m sure that’ll be the highlight AND the thumbnail of the video.”

-

Later that evening, after the chaos had died down and the renovation halted for the day, Y/n found himself in the kitchen, trying to salvage a snack from the fridge. As he fumbled around, Winter quietly walked in, leaning against the counter with a playful smile.

"Whatcha doing?" she asked, her voice soft but teasing.

"Just... trying to find something edible," Y/n replied, pulling out a carton of milk and sniffing it cautiously. "I'm about to get triggered out there."

Winter chuckled, watching him with an amused expression. "You know, you didn’t do too bad today. Kept your cool, mostly."

Y/n grinned, shaking his head. "Mostly, huh?"

There was a beat of silence between them, and Y/n couldn’t help but feel a little awkward. Ever since the "smooch prank," and his permission approved by the other girls, his feelings toward Winter had been... complicated.

He wasn’t sure where they stood or if it even meant anything to her. But he found himself increasingly flustered whenever she was around, her presence lingering in his thoughts.

Winter seemed to pick up on his awkwardness, her eyes narrowing as she leaned in slightly. “What’s with that look? You’re not still mad about the prank, are you?”

Y/n stammered, suddenly unable to find his words. “Uh, no. Not mad. Just... thinking.”

"Thinking about what?" Winter asked, tilting her head with curiosity.

Y/n nearly choked on his words. “Uh... nothing important.”

Winter smirked knowingly. “Sure, nothing important. You’re such a bad liar, Y/n. Just say that you like my kiss.”

…"I-I"

Before Y/n could respond, Karina popped into the kitchen, breaking the tension. “What’s going on in here? Are you two conspiring without us?”

“You want me to?,” Y/n said quickly, though his voice cracked slightly, betraying his nerves.

Karina raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. “Uh-huh. Well, just make sure we don’t find out you’re plotting a new prank on us, Minjeong.”

Winter flashed an innocent smile. “Who, me? Never.”

Y/n cleared his throat, desperately trying to change the subject. “So, uh, how’s the vlog going?”

Ningning entered the kitchen just in time to answer that. “It’s gold. The fans are going to love it. Especially the part where you nearly passed out from stress.”

-

As the night wore on, and the chaos of the day finally began to settle, Y/n found himself back in the living room, alone for a moment of peace. He sat on one of the new couches, admiring the final result of their hard work.

The dorm wasn’t perfect—far from it—but it had character. And despite the hiccups, it had been fun, even if he wouldn’t admit it to the girls.

Winter suddenly appeared in the doorway, her hair slightly tousled from the day’s work. “Mind if I sit?”

“Of course,” Y/n said, scooting over to make room for her on the couch.

She plopped down beside him, pulling her legs up underneath her. “You look deep in thought.”

Y/n chuckled. “Just thinking about how close I was to explode in front of you all.”

“Aish, your exaggerated too much,” Winter groaned, but with a soft smile on her lips. “But it was fun. I mean, look at what we did.”

Y/n glanced around the room, nodding. “It does look great…surprisingly.”

There was a brief moment of silence before Winter spoke again, her voice quieter this time. “You know, you’ve been pretty amazing through all this, idiot. I don’t think we say it enough.”

Y/n blinked, caught off guard by the compliment. “Mhm…I’m just doing my job.”

“Still,” Winter said, her eyes meeting his. “We’re lucky to have you.”

Y/n felt his heart skip a beat, unsure of how to respond. Before he could muster a response, Winter flashed him a soft, genuine smile that made his heart skip another beat. Her sincerity was something he wasn’t used to handling, especially after all the teasing and chaos the group usually stirred up.

“..Since when you look so womanly…,” he finally said, scratching the back of his neck nervously before ruffling her hair.

"Yaaaa" Winter groaned.

“I’m lucky to have you guys too. Especially you, Jeong."

Winter’s smile grew, but the moment quickly turned awkward when Ningning’s voice echoed from down the hallway. “Hey, Y/n-oppa! Jeong-unnie! You better not be do some funny behaviour in there!”

Y/n groaned inwardly, thankful for the interruption but also wishing for just a little more time to figure out how he was feeling. Winter, on the other hand, chuckled softly, standing up from the couch.

“I guess that’s my cue,” she said with a light laugh, giving Y/n one last glance before heading toward the hallway.

“Goodnight, idiot.”

“Goodnight, crybaby” Y/n replied, his mind still whirling with the events of the day.

-

The next morning, the group wasted no time getting back into their usual antics. After the emotional (and slightly awkward) moment between Y/n and Winter, everything seemed to return to normal — well, as normal as life with aespa could be.

Ningning had already started editing the footage from the day before, giggling every time she came across a particularly chaotic scene.

“Y/n, you look like you’re about to combust,” she teased, playing a clip where Y/n was holding a mop, surrounded by spilled paint and half-assembled furniture.

“I WAS about to combust,” Y/n grumbled, sipping his coffee while trying to avoid looking at the screen. “That paint was everywhere.”

Giselle leaned over Ningning’s shoulder, pointing at the screen. “Oh man, this part’s gold. The bookshelf disaster. I still can’t believe Winter and Karina thought they could build that thing without instructions.”

Karina, who had just walked into the room, waved them off. “It was a learning experience.”

Winter, following behind Karina, raised an eyebrow. “A learning experience in failure, maybe.”

The banter continued as they all sat down for breakfast, but Y/n couldn’t help but steal glances at Winter. There was something about the way she carried herself, so casual yet so sincere, that kept him thinking about the night before. And the prank. And the way she had told him they were lucky to have him.

It wasn’t the first time Winter had caught him off guard with her softer side, but it was the first time he’d felt… different about it.

-

After breakfast, they got back to work on the final touches of the dorm renovation. Y/n found himself in the corner of the living room, trying to assemble a coffee table that had more screws than should be legally allowed.

Winter joined him, kneeling beside him as she attempted to help with the assembly. “Need some backup?”

Y/n chuckled. “As long as you’re reading the instruction, sure.”

Winter gave him a playful nudge, grinning. “Ya, I’m a quick learner, trust me.”

They worked in relative silence, but every now and then, their hands brushed as they both reached for the same tool. Y/n could feel the tension building, the air between them thick with the unsaid.

“So,” Winter said suddenly, breaking the silence, “you’ve been a little quiet lately. What’s going on in that brain of yours?”

Y/n hesitated. He wasn’t ready to lay everything on the table, not yet. “Just...wondering what’s after Whiplash and stuff.”

Winter didn’t seem satisfied with his answer but didn’t push further. “Well, we will be alright, but everything is fun now that you’re with us.”

“You said it all the time now.”

“Aish, can’t a lady show her appreciation?” Winter glared, but a giggle followed after.

Y/n’s stomach flipped again. There it was, that sincerity that always caught him off guard. “Thanks, Jeong.”

-

With the renovations nearly complete, the group decided it was time to finish up their “day in the life” vlog. Ningning, as always, took charge of the camera, while the rest of the girls threw themselves into creating as much chaos as possible.

Karina and Giselle staged a fake argument over who got the better new bedroom setup, complete with exaggerated yelling and finger-pointing. Ningning, cackling behind the camera, zoomed in on Y/n’s exasperated face as he tried to mediate the “fight.”

“I’m not a therapist,” Y/n groaned, rubbing his temples. “Can’t we just focus on finishing this?”

Karina crossed her arms, playing up the drama. “No, Y/n! Giselle needs to know I deserve the bigger closet!”

Giselle gasped in mock offense. “Oh, please! I have way more shoes than you do!”

Y/n sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Why do I feel like this is going to be the entire vlog?”

Winter, who had been standing off to the side, caught his eye and gave him a small, knowing smile. Despite the chaos, she seemed to find the situation just as amusing as he did.

-

Later that day, after the cameras were off and the renovation was finally—mostly—done, Y/n found himself back in the kitchen, once again trying to find something to eat. Winter quietly entered the room, as she often did, leaning against the counter.

“You're stealing my snack zone at this point” she teased lightly.

Y/n chuckled, pulling out a box of cereal. “Damn right. This is my domain.”

Winter smiled softly, watching him for a moment before speaking. “You’ve been handling everything really well, you know. The renovations, the vlog, the constant chaos.”

Y/n shrugged, trying to play it off. “I’m surprised my hair is still here.”

Winter’s eyes lingered on him for a moment longer before she pushed off the counter and stood a little closer to him. “Ya, You’re doing great, Y/n. You’re... important to us.”

Y/n froze, his heart doing somersaults in his chest. He wasn’t sure how to respond, so he just nodded, suddenly very interested in pouring cereal into his bowl.

Winter didn’t push further, but as she walked past him to leave the kitchen, her hand brushed his arm, sending a spark of warmth through him. He couldn’t help but watch her retreating figure, his mind racing with thoughts he wasn’t quite ready to confront.

-

That evening, the girls gathered in the living room, excitedly presenting Y/n with a small box wrapped in colorful paper. They had been out earlier that day, under the guise of running errands, but it seemed they had been plotting something else entirely.

“…What’s this?” Y/n asked, holding the box carefully as the girls watched him with expectant smiles.

“A gift,” Karina said, grinning. “For all the hard work you’ve done. Also it’s a bit over 1 year anniversary since you became our manager.”

“Oh.” Y/n widened his eyes. With all the tour planning and nonsense, it slipped his mind that it would’ve been a bit over a year since he first started as Aespa’s manager. Or maybe it was because it wasn’t work but rather just reuniting with his childhood friend and have a fun and inseparable (yet annoying) group.

“I didn’t even realise it has been a year already.” Y/n was awestruck.

“I mean…you did went through a lot. It makes sense you didn’t notice, oppa” Ningning chimed in.

"…I'm not getting fired, am I?"

"Of course not, open it!" Giselle groaned.

Y/n glanced around at them, suspicious but touched. He carefully unwrapped the box, revealing a sleek new watch. It was simple, elegant, and exactly his style.

“Oh sht damn,” Y/n breathed, genuinely surprised. “This is... amazing. Thank you, guys.”

Ningning grinned. “We figured you needed something fancy after all the chaos we put you through this year.”

Winter, who had been standing quietly to the side, stepped forward, her eyes locking onto Y/n’s. “And just so you know, this wasn’t a prank,” she said softly, her voice laced with sincerity. “You really deserve it.”

Y/n’s heart fluttered at her words, and for a moment, he forgot all about the chaos of the day. He was just... happy.

"Just gonna say it…" Giselle smirked. "Minjeong suggested it."

"Aeri-unnie!!!!"

[kaolovess]

NAMJOON DATING HEADCANNONS

AUTHORS NOTE: Thank you so much for the support I've gotten over the last few days!! today I got 2 requests??? I quickly whipped this up, (partly because it's been sitting in my docs for a day now ) so I could post it for you guys! if the link doesn't work in this post I'm going to be so embarrassed... Love you! <3

WORD COUNT: 457

He tries to be a romantic. But his clumsiness gets in the way.

He tries to make you dinner ( he burnt the water :( ) but you do everything.

So whipped for you, he would do anything you tell him to do.

100% brings you to art museums

Only has eyes for you 🤭

Trust me he fell HARD for you. 

He tried to get his driver's license when you guys first got together but had to stop because of his busy schedule.

Randomly buys you paintings, that he thinks you may like.

Honestly, I think he has quite a bit of dating experience.

If you ever struggle to sleep, he will read to you :(( ( even though he doesn’t sleep till 1 in the morning )

I feel like he somehow remembers every single thing you like, Like. buying something for your birthday when you mentioned it once.

He’s a very understanding and attentive person, so he can tell how you are feeling based on your expression.

Like in my jealousy headcanons, ( link here ) he doesn’t really get jealous, he just has no reason to.

Dates would probably be simple, instead of just cafes, like I said for Jimin, I feel like Namjoon is more of a stay-at-home guy, the only place you guys have dates ( not including home ) is art museums.

He wouldn't mind taking you to restaurants if you wanted though :)

As I said, Namjoon is clumsy. Army probably found out because he happened to have a “girlfriend” and your name slipped out of his mouth during a live. ( he quickly ended it 😭 )

Gives you spoilers on upcoming comebacks

I'm pretty unsure about nicknames for him, maybe “Love” or “Darling”?

He likes to bring you to the gym for company.

Pretty protective, just enough to know you're safe around him.

Definitely has his phone wallpaper as you ( it’s one of the thousands of pictures he has of you) 

He probably has an album on his phone that is just his favorite photos of you.

Bought a spinning chair just to put in his studio for you. 

Calls you when he gets bored at practice. (90% of the time he’s asking you to get food for him and the boys)

Admires you with his gorgeous dimple smile. :(

Wants kids so badly

Writes songs about you.

Randomly stops in the middle of your guy's house to admire the expensive paintings he bought.

Unfortunately, he doesn’t vent to you till he reaches his breaking point :(

But he DEFINITELY gives the best comfort, his comfort makes others seem like they are barely trying.

Would be excited to meet your parents ( he bought them gifts and everything :( )

Tries to spend as much time with you as possible because of his busy schedule.

[uhdrienne]

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

03. broadcast?

🌼 warnings: awkward situations!

🌼 word count: 2,297 words

"So you're moving in?" Wonwoo asks as you finish up your fifth phone call of the day.

"Guess so," you shrug as you tuck your phone back into your pocket. "I got a moving company to help me with my stuff. Not everything, since I'll be going back in a few months."

He nods thoughtfully. "And you'll need a place to stay, I'm guessing."

You look at him. "I'm not staying with you. Don't try that."

"Calm down, Miss Doctor. I'm not ever offering my place up. You'll need to pay rent for that anyway. I can arrange a meeting with a landlord for you if you need it."

"How do I know I can trust you?" You narrow your eyes.

"I know everyone in this town." Wonwoo replies without missing a beat, in the tone that grates on your nerves. "What's it going to be? I'm a busy man."

Miss Kim is nice. Probably the nicest person in the town ever.

She drafts up a contract swiftly right in the local bookshop after your discussion about your housing arrangement with the help of Wonwoo, who serves as your middleman. She also starts talking about a small clinic space for you.

"So just pay the stipulated monthly rent in the duration of the last week of every month and you're good." Miss Kim summarises after you've both signed the handwritten contract.

"Alright," you say.

Miss Kim smiles. "It's been a while since we've had any newcomers in the town. You're going to have a good time."

"I doubt that," you reply quietly, but Miss Kim waves you off.

"Wonwoo," she turns to the man sitting next to you. "I'll leave the renovating to you and the boys? Not sure about the plumbing situation, but-"

You raise your eyebrows in surprise.

"No worries," Wonwoo reassures the middle-aged woman, a warm smile on his face. "Shua and Kwan are pretty free around this time. We'll handle it. And it's for a clinic, that's important. We'll sort that out too."

"Oh, you angel," the woman sighs happily. "Well, that's one load off. Y/N, dear, I'll see you soon when you move in. No need to worry about anything. Wonwoo, Joshua, and Seungkwan will handle it for you. Goodness, I've never seen boys who work better with wrenches than they do!"

She gets to her feet, and by default both you and Wonwoo stand up too. "I have to head off," she adds ruefully. "My- Mr Woo, I mean, needs someone to collect the trash bags again."

You bow as she leaves, and spin towards Wonwoo. "You do renovation?"

"Reno, plumbing, painting, wallpaper installation, carpenting, whatever makes up a house." He smirks. "Do you need my services, Miss Doctor?"

"I'm not trusting you with my house."

He rolls his eyes and groans. "Not this again."

"It's serious!" You retort. "I want to stay in a nice place for the 3 months I'm here-"

The flap of a booklet cuts you off.

Wonwoo has opened a whole damn book of certifications. Encased in transparent pockets, they tumble down, showcasing their sheer number in all its glory. And they reflect exactly what he says, you note as you scan down the list. He has government-issued licenses for renovation, as an estate agent, plumbing, wallpaper, carpenting, and no way... he's a licensed barista? A certified mechanic??

"Not so anxious anymore?" Wonwoo chuckles as he looks at your dumbfounded expression. "You-"

"Come on," he says, slinging his backpack across his shoulder. "You should go home, it's getting late. Come back soon so you can take a look at the house and the clinic plot."

He fishes out his phone. "What's your number?" After you give it to him reluctantly, he lifts a hand in goodbye as he strides out of the shop, leaving you.

"You're moving?!"

"Why ae you so surprised?"

"You're a city girl through and through, YN LN," your friend announces. "You whine when you have to take the stairs instead of a lift in the mall. There is no way you're upping and leaving to a place where they don't even take cards."

"I asked this guy to get them fixed," you shrug. "And it's just for three months, I'm not staying forever."

"I know you just have to do something rash when you see kids in need, YN," your friend sighs. "The time when you decided to donate half your first paycheck to feed underprivileged kids? Or the time when you organised a sale in twelve hours during college to fund medicine supply for-"

"Okay, shut up!" You turn to your friend, flustered, who's laughing unabashedly now. "The kids in that town don't have a clinic. The adults and grandparents don't either. And t's a private establishment, so I'll earn a lot of money while I'm there. There's a Louis Vuitton bag I've been eyeing."

Your friend laughs again, eyes sparkling with mirth. "Sure. Whatever you say."

"Hi. I'm Joshua, everyone calls me Shua. And that's Seungkwan over there."

The two good natured men smile at you and you bow back stiffly. Beside them, Wonwoo is pacing the area that is soon to be your house, tape measure in hand.

"Hello."

"So, our newest addition!" Seungkwan smiles. "We're trying to plan your interior deco, what are you thinking of?"

"Fabric wallpaper," you reply immediately. "In taupe or grey. I'm thinking beige furniture, gives it a minimalist vibe?"

Seungkwan opens his mouth, presumably to suggest something else, but Joshua cuts in smoothly, smiling at you. "No problem. It's great that you know what you want."

At last, finally someone who gets you. "Thanks," you say stiffly, letting out a tight smile.

Wonwoo seems to be done with the measurements, as he keeps his tape measure. "Shua, Kwan, I'll take Miss Doctor to see the clinic plot. Be back soon."

"Okay!"

Wonwoo beckons to you. "Come on then."

A swift ten minutes later, you're standing in the middle of the clinic space.

"This could be the observation room," you mutter to yourself. "Or the office."

You deem the place good enough to move into. Plenty of natural light, a spacious front room, and a few more rooms at the back for observation rooms and your own office.

"Send me what you want for the wallpaper and all that," Wonwoo says, as you both leave the place and he gets ready to head back to your future house. "And it's minimum wage per hour for all three of us. We take bank transfers."

"What?"

Wonwoo smirks. "This isn't the city, but we don't work for free. I'll send you the details, you can just pay us when we're finished."

You gape at him. "I- of course I'm going to pay you! Who do you think I am, a leech?"

He shrugs. "Whatever you say. Anyway, I'll contact you when we're done, but the office might take a while more. Bye."

Dear Miss YN LN,

Thank you for your letter regarding your placement at the pediatrics unit here at Seoul University Hospital. Unfortunately, we cannot make the necessary re-arrangements as the other doctor mentioned has already started his five-year term with us. As we are in the process of preparing for the start of your contract, you were given the three months delay before you begin work.

Do advise us on what we can do to improve the situation as we hope to provide you with a positive working experience. We look forward to your reply.

Warmest Regards

Seoul University Hospital

Three Weeks Later

"Looks okay."

"Just 'okay'?" Wonwoo scoffs. "Shua spent all weekend putting up that fancy wallpaper you wanted."

"I thought you could deliver whatever your clients wanted," You hiss. Delia's eyes flick between both of you, seemingly in amusement.

"Thanks, Chief Jeon. YN's a little picky, but the place looks great!" She interrupts, and you shoot her a glare.

"No worries, Miss..?" Wonwoo smiles at her.

"Just call me Delia! YN, you stay here. I'm going to check the town out, yeah?" And before you can respond, she's out of the newly renovated house.

"She knows you," Wonwoo points out, reaching down to pick his haversack up. "You're prickly and bad-tempered, and-"

"Don't finish that."

He chuckles, fixing his belt. "Anyway, Seungkwan wanted me to pass you a message. The villagers heard we have a doctor staying here for a while, so they want to invite you to a village dinner tonight. Come if you're free, and take the chance to know them better, would you?"

"I'm not interested."

"Oh, come on! You can promote your clinic at the same time, no? Those things are usually pretty fun."

You perk up slightly and he notices. He lets out a laugh. "See you there. Bring your friend if you want to so you're not alone."

Unfortunately, Delia isn't free, what with her taking the night shift at her nursing job in a Seoul hospital. She leaves with the promise to call you when she's free to chat, and you head to the location on your own.

You bow stiffly to the three grandmas who taught you how to handle squid as they pass you, and they chuckle and pat your hand. Cringing at the feeling of old, wrinkled hands on you but saying nothing, you head towards a familiar face.

"Oh YN! Didn't think I'd see you here!" Joshua remarks cheerfully, holding tongs and standing over a portable grill sizzling with seafood. "Here, I'll grab you a plate. These prawns came in fresh, so you get first dibs off the grill!"

"YN! Over here!" Seungkwan's voice catches your attention, and you turn to see him waving you in the direction of his table. Next to him, playing with a young girl, is the chief you least want to see.

Joshua lets out a hearty laugh as he passes you a plate, laden with seafood and meat and rice. "Eat up. Stay with Seungkwan if you're a little awkward, he'll keep the conversation flowing."

You thank him a little quietly before making your way to the table. As you settle, a middle-aged man reaches to shake your hand.

"Mr Woo," He says, a little gruffly but still pleasantly. "I work in the village bank."

"Bank...?" You ask. "I didn't see one when I-" You stop yourself before the embarrassing story of you trying to retrieve your pride pours out.

"Oh! It's a small one, near the convenience store. It's quite secluded so you probably didn't catch it." Mr Woo doesn't seem fazed as he explains. Seungkwan throws his head back and laughs, "I had a hell of a time trying to find it when it was first built!"

The conversation starts and you try to listen, but it's just not the same. You're only used to chats about tough medical cases and patients, never about the day's currents, the catches from the sea, and the trash collection on Saturday mornings. You only pretend to be distracted when you see the chatterbox Miss Hwang arrive. You don't really want another debate with her.

Luckily, Delia's call when the clock approaches 9 gives you a mild reprieve. You excuse yourself and close the door to the small room at the back. It looks like the broadcast room, with a small mic there. You swipe accept on Delia's call.

"Hey, girl!" her voice rings across the line. "How's the dinner?"

"Awful," You sigh as you ean against the mic shelf. "I haven't mentioned my clinic once, and all they talk about is the day's fish!"

"Don't be such a grump," Delia teases. "That's a nice topic, you know. Life there seems so idyllic, I'd so take that over this any day."

"No you don't," You reply tiredly. "They're all so simple -- too simple it's aggravating. The chatterbox lady insisted on playing the strangest music earlier, and I wish I hadn't said I was staying here, now I have to put up and pretend I'm interested in their way of life!"

"You might like it there. The people seem pretty nice," Delia persists. Fortunately, her nagging is cut short by a call of her name, presumably from another nurse. "Shoot. I gotta go."

"Go on," you mutter. "I'll find an excuse to leave soon or something."

With a goodbye the call ends, and you mentally prep yourself to head out again.

But when you leave, you don't hear the excited hum of chatter among the villagers. Not the weird trot music Miss Hwang insisted on playing. Save for the sizzle of the grill, the whole space is silent. Every single villager's eyes follow you. Even Miss Hwang has fallen silent for once, pupils dilated in seemingly shock.

You swallow. "What?"

You turn in Seungkwan's direction. Joshua's. And Wonwoo's. The other two men aren't meeting your gaze at all, but Wonwoo is looking up and directly at you. His eyes don't have the same spark they did when you saw him earlier. They've hardened in anger and disappointment, and his jaw has tightened considerably. Joshua's deliberately looking everywhere else except for in your direction, and Mr Woo's pretending to pick at nonexistent fuzz on his clothes. Seungkwan can't even meet your eye.

You're stuck in momentary confusion until it hits you in a wave of shock and panic. The mic. The mic in the room must have been turned on the whole damn time. Your words had been broadcasted for everyone there to hear.

Your face and ears burn red, and you stride over to the table, as quickly as your shaky legs can handle, grab your bag and leave. No one follows you or tries to stop you to explain yourself.

You've stunned the whole town into silence.

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 ˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥

🌼 summary: going back to the countryside where you grew up was at the bottom of your list. unexpectedly, your life changes course, and you eventually find your home in weekly village cleaning, the sound of the waves, and with the local jack-of-all-trades, jeon wonwoo.

🌼pairing: wonwoo x reader (written and smau), fluff, angst, hometown chachacha!inspired

🌼 genre(s): fluff, mild angst, yn can be mean sometimes at the start (this is inspired by the kdrama hometown cha-cha-cha, so some parts of the plot and characters are similar), wonwoo is an overall sweetheart

ch.03: broadcast?

prev. masterlist. next.

🌼 taglist: @gaslysainz @lev1hei1chou

writer's note: oh noooooo

[welcome-to-puppet-hell]

Ring! Ring! (Part 2) - Wally Darling x Puppet!OC (Character Study)

Content Warning: Paranoia, Wally's ambiguous motivations, Disturbing Imagery, Mind Control (HEAVILY implied), Mind Reading, Creepiness in general

[Direct sequel to this]

I’m still screaming as my eyes snap open, my body jolting up in my bed. My eyes dart around desperately, seeing the brightly painted wallpaper that has slowly become familiar and then the ceiling that had been painted like a night sky full of glowing green stars. Sobs then began to wrack through me, almost drowning out the patter of the heart that still managed to beat beneath felt and fabric. My hands press to the place where it must be, a weak attempt to repress it.

When my breathing and sobs begin to calm, that’s when I become aware of the sound blaring through my bedroom. The sound of a phone ringing.

I blink, my tears blotting to drip down my cheeks. A phone call in the middle of the night? That never happens, not in the Neighborhood. 

Despite my anxiety, I slowly get up and walk to the stand. Then I pick it up, once again blanketing the room in silence.

“H-hello?” I say with a swallow. When there’s only quiet, I clear my throat. “Who is this?”

“Sorry, I…I’m just so happy you finally picked up the phone.”

My eyes blink, then I turn to give my phone an odd look. What…? Hang on, I know this voice.

“…Wally?” 

Why would he be calling me? He never speaks to me, hasn’t said one word since I walked into this neighborhood weeks ago. For the most part, whenever he’s shadowing Barnaby or any of the other neighbors, he only stares at me with his big eyes and even bigger smile. It’s pretty unnerving, honestly.

So…why?

I’ve gotta know.

“I—”

“Don’t speak,” he says, voice suddenly cold. “Go to the bed, right under the covers. Don’t move until I tell you.”

My frown deepens. I open my mouth to speak again, but then I hear a sound outside that chills me to the bone. The sound of feet dragging against the ground. Huge feet. Right near my window.

“Jamie, now.”

Wally’s voice—like ice and full of…anger?—springs me to action. Dropping the phone to the floor, I run back to my bed and throw the covers over me, turning to look at the wall. My hands tremble as they clench around my blanket, my breathing becoming shallow the closer the feet outside become. Despite the phone not being in my hand, I still hear his voice whispering in my ear. As if he’s curled around me. 

“Stay quiet. Don’t even breathe.”

Shaking, I place my hand over my mouth and nose, leaving just enough give so I wouldn’t suffocate.

Suddenly, a light blares through the window, much like a spotlight. I freeze when I sense the light behind me, see the hint of it on the wall. Then, as it starts to shift from side to side, I realize what it is. 

An eye. Just how giant is this thing?

…Actually, I never want to find out.

My eyes squeeze closed, all sound becoming this low yet piercing hum to my ears. It hurts, but I dare not move, do anything. Except maybe pray. Just let this end, soon. Please.

I don’t know how long I remain there. Part of me worries that I’ve fallen asleep, considering how closed my eyes are, how deafening the silence is.

Then, finally, spoken from the dropped phone:

“Okay…it’s all okay now, Jamie. You’re safe.”

The breath I’m holding finally leaves me in a rough exhale. My hand goes to my chest as I try to calm my breathing, but I still feel so dizzy. What was that? What’s going on? And Wally—

Wally. How did he know…?

My eyes dart to the phone still on the floor. He’s still there. I don’t exactly know how I know—he’s not breathing or making sounds like it—but he is. Would he answer if I asked?

Only one way to find out.

I get up slowly from the bed and walk back over to the phone. Once it’s to my ear, I drop down to crouch away from the window. Then I clear my throat, but my voice stutters out anyway.

“Wally, w-what was that…that thing?”

Pause.

“A nightmare,” he replies, his tone dim. “One I hope you never meet.”

…That’s not really an answer. 

Then again, I should know better. From the few conversations I’ve had with him, Wally has never been really direct when it comes to certain things about the neighborhood. He can say anything about the other Neighbors…but questions like, “What state are we in? Why does Home sometimes stare at me for so long? Who owned my house and my shop before me?” Usually, at those questions, Wally’s eyes cloud over as he stares at me with his frozen smile. And then, he shrugs.

Still. He’s telling me more than I expected. And maybe…I don’t want to know the answer to this question.

I’ll just…add this to my list of newly discovered mysteries in the Neighborhood. A list that has been growing and growing. Not sure what kind of sign that is.

But still, something is bothering me. And while I have him on the phone—well. Can’t hurt to ask, right?

“How did you know I’d be awake?”

“Oh! I didn’t.”

My eyebrows draw downward as my mouth twists. Yeah, that sounds like an absolute lie, straight from a goddamn liar. No matter how neutral he keeps his tone, I’m just not—

“It’s the truth!”

…the fuck? I pull the phone away and stare at it, my heart thudding like a drum inside my chest.

“To be fair, Neighbor, I’ve been trying to call you for a long time. I didn’t think you’d ever pick up the phone.”

My throat goes dry. Ever since moving here, I’ve been having these—weird dreams. Dreams of not only you, but also dreams of this ringing. Ringing from a phone, from within the depths of my mind. Like a memory I kept at the back of my mind, one I can’t seem to remember. Images from those dreams keep flashing through my mind’s eye, particularly of a phone surrounded by dark. A plastic toy phone with dials, much like the one in my house. A phone that always seems to ring.

“What the hell does that mean?” 

“I couldn’t sleep,” he says, still sounding too innocent. “And you happened to be the first neighbor I called!”

I lean back against the wall near my window. “Did you know it’d be there? When I woke up?”

“No,” he says, his voice hinting at a tremble. “It doesn’t always show up. But I know it doesn’t like when we’re awake.”

“…W-what does it do when we’re awake?”

“You don’t want to know.”

Suddenly, I feel so cold all over. I wrap the blanket around my shoulders and squeeze it, trying to get the warmth of the wool to bleed into me. God, this neighborhood just keeps getting weirder and weirder. My only mistake was thinking all the weirdness was coming from the neighbors alone, and that the weirdness couldn’t really hurt me.

It all makes me so tired. How am I supposed to do this…? I just wanna go home. I wanna go back to you, to the life we had. Are you even looking for me? Is anyone…?

I don’t realize that I’ve started crying until Wally speaks again. 

“…Jamie?” His tone is shaky. Scared? But why? “Are you okay?”

“No. I’m so tired, Wally. I can’t do this anymore, I can’t be here,” I croak out, leaning forward with my hand on my forehead. “I just wanna go home. Please, let me go home!”

“But Jamie…you are at Home.”

My hands go to my nose, pinching the bridge with my pointer and thumb. I can’t do it anymore. I’ve never been good with mind games. And I hate being toyed with. And I get the feeling that Wally, he doesn’t want to hurt me. Not really.

“You know what I mean. I know you do. Please, Wally, don’t lie to me…”

“…”

I wait for his response, my eyes sliding closed. Doing this is risky, I know. I still don’t even know what to make of Wally. Is he a friend? An enemy? Part of me wants to believe he doesn’t want to hurt me, based on how he’s behaved since I got here. But I know for certain now, that he isn’t as oblivious as the other neighbors, no matter how monotone or innocent he sounds.

Whatever is going on here, he isn’t just on the level or in the know. He’s not even caught in the middle. He’s neck deep in it.

“…That doesn’t mean I can give you what you want,” he interjects, not unkindly. “It doesn’t mean that I’m in charge.”

I swallow. Who is, then? Or, perhaps, what?

Wally doesn’t answer that question, but he does continue to speak.

“I think that’s enough excitement for you tonight, dear Neighbor. It’s time for you to sleep.”

Something about his voice freezes me in place, making my mind feel all fuzzy. Suddenly, the exhaustion I feel isn’t just emotional. It’s a weight on my eyes, on my shoulders—on my whole body. I’m filled with an intense desire to go to bed, one that I acknowledge in a floaty sort of way.

“Yeah, you’re…you’re right,” I say, my voice sounding so foreign to my ears. So empty, vacant. Is that really what I sound like? I feel my body start to sway in place, almost weightless. “I’m so tired…”

“Get into the bed, Neighbor. Things will be better in the morning.”

(Will it?)

“Promise?” comes out of my mouth instead, my voice almost childish.

“I promise,” Wally says, his voice soft but emphatic.

…Yeah, that feels enough for me. I’m too exhausted to fight anyway. 

So, finally giving in, my body sways to one side and I end up falling back into my bed. A giddiness bubbles from me the second I land. How did I get here so fast? It was at least a few feet away, no? 

Oh, well. It doesn’t matter. The pillow below my head is so soft and the bed is so warm. What even happened? Did I actually see something? Why was I so worried? Why did I even have that nightmare? I’m safe here. 

(Am I?)

Yes. Yes, I am.

My eyes flutter a bit before finally shutting. And as my breathing slows, darkness takes over once more—but this time, as a comfort.

Not long after, my blanket lands back on my body, engulfing me in warmth. Then someone whispers in my ear.

“Sleep well, neighbor.”

==

Wally lingers at the window, his eyes glued to your house. Staring straight into the window of your bedroom. His hand is lifted in the air, lingering with all his fingers spread and bent, like a puppeteer handling strings. He stares and he waits, his expression like stone and his eyes never blinking.

Finally, with a hum of satisfaction, he curls his fingers back into his palm and lowers his hand to his side. Then he folds both hands behind his back.

“Good,” he says. “That was a close one, no?”

Frantic creaks of doors and cabinets echo through the walls of Home. Wally turns slightly from the window to look behind him, wearing a blithe smile.

“Don’t worry, Home, I know what I’m doing. When they wake up tomorrow, they won’t even remember what their nightmare was about. Or our conversation.”

More creaks. Some clashing of dishes from the kitchen. Wally isn’t offended though, instead he only nods in understanding.

“If you must tell him, just report that I’m only doing what I’m told. Keeping an eye on the neighbor, making sure they follow the rules and that they’re following the script given to them. That’s all.”

Another creak, this time in warning.

Wally turns entirely and stares up at Home, his expression stoic. And then, with a squeeze of his eyes being closed—only for a moment—he starts to laugh, the sound hollow as it reverberates through the house.

“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…”

When his eyes open, Wally’s gaze remains sharp as he regards Home’s ceiling. His hands unfold behind him and rest against the window sill as he leans back, keeping his body right in front of the view towards your house—towards you. 

“Home, please. I’ve been doing this for long enough. You don’t have to remind me,” he says, his voice cold in its shrewdness. “I know where my loyalties lie.”

[anjaelle]

The Consequence of Pride

Pairing: Tangerine x Black!Reader

Warnings: Guns, Gore, Glass injury, Attempted murder

Word Count: 1.3K (a shorty)

A/N: Something I threw together on my phone in the middle of the night because I couldn't sleep. Tried to check for errors and such.

(gif source)

The humor of the situation wasn't lost on him.

Two men lay in a puddle of their own blood just a few feet away, with their brains painting the vibrant blue wallpaper behind them. When you told him that you shot the assailants and then tripped and fell into the glass shards of the broken coffee table, he laughed. He couldn't help it. It just slipped out. He apologized until you let out a tiny affronted gasp which made him guffaw even harder.

"I hate you." "Uh huh."

"I'm going to shave your mustache off in your sleep."

"Bit dramatic, innit?"

You let out a low grunt as he pulled a few smaller shards of glass out of your hand with a tweezer and tossed them aside. "That noise sounds familiar."

"Shut up, Tangerine."

You watched him furrow his brows as he sprayed the antiseptic on your hand and you whined at the sting. He was never surprised at how easily you were able to hold your own. But you also had a surprisingly low pain tolerance and an even lower tolerance for bullshit.

"I know, sweetness, I'm almost done."

As usual, he could see right through you. Despite the fact that you stood in the remains of your once beloved housewarming gift, all he could focus on was the way your lower lip jutted out pitifully and the way you clenched your good fist in anger. He wrapped your leg up in a gauze to cover up the bleeding cuts after pulling glass out of your thigh.

You were dressed in a red satin pajama set that Tangerine bought you from Dubai that you were excited to finally show him after not seeing him for over a month. Luckily, the blood stains weren't obvious, but the shorts didn't protect you from the glass. And your first night with him was definitely ruined.

"I still can't believe you laughed at me." You mumbled as he kissed the palm of your hand through the bandage. You couldn't let that go. You were injured and in distress, and your boyfriend had the audacity to let out a little giggle...a little "tee-hee" over your clumsiness.

"C'mon, it's a little funny. It's kinda funny, baby. Admit it." He raised his brows at you.

"No."

He clicked his teeth and shook his head, "Gotta work on getting a better sense of humor."

You pretended to bristle at him when he kissed your forehead, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing you liked the attentiveness.

He ignored your antics, gently lifting your head up to inspect your face. He tilted your head to the left and then the right, looking for any surprise injuries. He’d taken the time to clean the dried blood from your face.

“It’s not mine,” you clarified, glancing at the bloodied wall, “It’s asshole number 2’s.”

You couldn’t really tell what was going on in his head. His eyes expressed a mix of anger and concern about the situation at large. They’d come here with the intention to hurt or take you. He knew that much.

The question was why and how they knew where you were. You hadn’t worked a job in ages. They clearly thought you’d be off your game, but they were quickly proven wrong. He glanced over at the bodies in the apartment foyer.

“How long did that take?”

Time seemed to slow down during the struggle. It could’ve been 2 minutes or 2 hours between the time they barged in and the time you were plucking glass shards from your elbow. You told him as much.

“So…what the hell happened?” He questioned casually. He took step back to look you over in full.

“They pretended to be delivery men. I know, don’t give me that face. I ordered dinner for us and they showed up. I took out asshole number one first. Asshole number two tried to fight me. Me! You know I’m not that great at fighting.” You fidgeted with your anxious hands as you spoke, remembering the adrenaline you felt as you and the assailant struggled to take each other out, “He lunged at me, but missed and crashed into the coffee table. I tried to get to the gun, but he got back up and grabbed me by my hair.”

Your gun was kicked under the couch in the scuffle, so you had to improvise. “We were fighting again. Next thing I knew, I had his gun and—bam.” You mimed a headshot with your hand.

As you spoke, Tangerine looked around the apartment as if following the story in his head. He hummed, “Taking out two men on your own in little Jim-Jams. You’re kinda scary sometimes.”

“Don’t try to flatter me after you laughed at me.”

He rolled his eyes.

“You know who did it?” Once he was sure that everything was calm and you were okay, he took off his suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to move the frame of the coffee table out of the way.

You watched him from your plush purple couch, perpetually pleased that you didn’t really have to lift a finger while he was around. Even as you crossed your legs to get comfortable, you ignored the sting of pain in your thigh where the glass dug into your skin, “I dunno. They didn’t have any IDs or easily identifiable tattoos on their arms. I wasn’t really interested in examining them.”

You grimaced at the thought of touching their cold, dead bodies.

“You seem pretty fuckin’ calm about all of this shit.” He said, kneeling down to sweep up the broken glass, “I need to report it, y’know. Someone’s gotta be looking for them.”

“It’s not the first attack. Probably won’t be the last. I’m a hot commodity, babe.”

He shot you a tired look and you grinned proudly at his annoyance with you.

“I called the cleanup crew to come.” You added in a mocking tone, throwing your voice and putting on his accent, “So, yes, I was responsible, bruv.”

“I don’t sound like that, you dick.”

“Mhm, you do.”

He swept up the last of the glass and raised his brows at you, then threw his voice to match yours, “Shut up Tangerine, stop laughing at me. I’m overly sensitive and hot with a princess complex.”

You matched his expression and he grinned at you.

“Whose fault is that? Hmm.” You asked, motioning at him. He let out a loud laugh, tossing his head back and leaving to dump the glass.

“Fair enough.”

You sat curled up next to him on the couch while the cleanup crew moved the bodies and tried their best to get the blood out of your wood and wallpaper. You already knew it was a lost cause. Despite the actual gore being washed off, there was still a tinge of pink visible on it. He’d finally showered and changed into joggers and a t-shirt, tying his hair up. His hand rested lazily on your upper thigh, gently rubbing circles into your skin. You’d showered too, forgoing the cutesy pajamas he bought you and choosing just a plain concert tee and shorts. The plushie he bought you from Seoul sat tucked between your knees, and you felt fully comfortable for the first time in hours.

“Sweetness…” he mumbled tiredly.

You stopped scrolling through your phone, “Hmm?”

“Be honest,” he gave your thigh a light squeeze and a small smack, “did you break the coffee table?”

“No…yes.”

You couldn’t see his face, but you heard the rumble of another giggle in his chest.

“How’d you do that?”

You let out a long sigh, knowing you were gonna regret this for the rest of your life. “I was doing a victory dance. And I tripped over the couch leg and fell. In my defense, it was already cracked from when the other guy fell into it.”

The giggle turned into a full blown laugh and you couldn’t even be mad about it. It was a stupid way to get injured. An embarrassing way to get injured, even. He leaned down and pressed a few kisses to your forehead.

“Thank God. I fuckin’ hated that table.”

[logarhythm-bees]

The Carousel Kingdom 🏰 CH1 Junkyard Gold

Masterlist

Next

---

21-violets: hey patton

kitty-pat: hi virgil!

21-violets: u want to come help me find stuff for my apartment later? On the corner of Foley and Mian?

21-violets: mian*

21-violets: main*

kitty-pat: uhh hold on let me check it out

kitty-pat: virgil this looks like a junkyard

21-violets: yea

kitty-pat: r u sure that’s the right place?

21-violets: yeah i saw some cool stuff drivin by earlier. But tbh i am kinda nervous which is why i asked u to come 

kitty-pat: aw virge!

kitty-pat: ok, I’ll come!

21-violets: thanks pat : )

“Woah.”

“Yeah,” Virgil says, whistling. “Glad you brought your truck, ‘cause this stuff isn’t fitting in my car.”

“Why do we even go shopping if people are just throwing out purr-fectly usable stuff anyways?” Patton says, picking up a little vase with a cat on it, and frowning when it comes into two pieces in his hands. “Well, maybe not perfectly.”

“If you want that, we can glue it back together.” Virgil replies, looking over a relatively unscathed dining chair. “And the answer is probably somewhere between ‘capitalism,’ and ‘I don’t know how often this happens, I saw a guy dump a bunch of stuff here earlier so I thought I’d come by.”

Patton nods. 

“Whoa, Patton, look at this.” Virgil says, beckoning him over to a weathered section of scrap, where, piled underneath some old car parts and lumber, is the little faded head of a children’s carousel horse.

“C’mon, help me get it out.”

Patton obliges, and together they manage to gradually remove the scrap, bits of metal and wood coming away, slowly revealing not just one carousel horse, but the whole carousel, an antique little thing clearly meant for little kids but still pretty big compared to the rest of the broken-down things surrounding it.

“I wonder who dumped this here, this is sick,” Virgil says, hovering around it and brushing off the accumulated dust. ‘“I mean, I don’t think we could get it back to my apartment, and even then I don’t know where I’d fit it, but this is rad. We gotta take pictures, at least.”

Patton nods enthusiastically, clearly in favor of Virgil taking an entire children’s carousel home so he can ride it whenever he wants, but he curbs his excitement in favor of practicality, knowing they can’t put a carousel inside a studio apartment. 

“My phone’s got a better camera,” Patton says, taking it out of his pocket and handing it to Virgil. “Are you ever going to update yours?”

Virgil grimaces as he sticks his own phone into his pocket, riddled with cracks and chips, but…

“It’s still functional,” he says. “And I dunno, maybe I can get the screen fixed soon. It’s not at the top of my list, y’know? Anyways, smile!”

“Wha- Oh!” Patton laughs as Virgil pulls him into a selfie, flashing bunny ears behind Patton’s head. “Send that one to yourself!” Patton shout as Virgil jumps into motion taking angled shots of the worn carousel.

“Look at this paint here, it’s worn a lot but the pattern is gorgeous.” Virgil says, snapping a photo of one of the horses. “It’s like, gothic wallpaper. That’s so cool.”

“Look at this part, Virge,” Patton says, stepping closer to the carousel to inspect the middle column. “There’s a whole landscape painted on here.”

Virgil’s jaw nearly drops, immediately scuttling closer to take a peek and a photo. “You’re right! It’s so detailed. Man, I wish I knew why it was dropped here. This all looks like it was done by hand.”

“Mhm,” Patton replies, a little distracted by the streetlights flickering on and the sky starting to show little pinpricks of light. “Buuut, I think we should get going soon. Those chairs aren’t going to chair-y themselves!”

Virgil groans good-naturedly, looking back and forth between Patton and the carousel. Patton sighs quietly.

“C’mon Virge, we can’t keep horsing around all night!”

“I know, I know, just a few more photos,” Virgil says, and Patton relents, giving him space and a couple more minutes. Virgil is as cautious as he as eager, touching the faded paint and metal furnishings with a carefulness that Patton has always admired about his friend.

“Okay, I think I’m- just about done,” Virgil says, stumbling back off the carousel, and curiously, over a little wooden crown. “Oh dang, this must have fallen off.”

“Mhm, mhm,” Patton says, looking up at the nearly-nighttime sky with nervousness. “Are we leaving now?”

“Yeah, just one more photo,” Virgil says, picking the crown up gingerly and inspecting, carefully, the heads of the little horses until he sees one with a ring of missing paint.

Virgil holds one thumb over the photograph button and places the crown on its head, adjusting it with one hand, and just before he can take the photo, there is a bright flash of light.

And very abruptly, one horse missing from the carousel, is a person standing dizzily in its stead.

— 

Patton and Virgil don’t dare say a word as the person stumbles, groaning with one hand to their head, until the person collapses, and they both rush forward at once to assist.

“Owwie.” The person says, in a loud voice that immediately breaks the peace, and makes both of them flinch “Must’ve…had a dizzy spell. It’ll wear off, I’m sure.”

“Are you good, dude?” Virgil exclaims before he can stop himself, and Patton looks at him in alarm. Virgil doesn’t blame him- if he could look at himself talking unquestioningly to a stranger, he’d be staring at the scene too.

“I’ll be fine,” this mysterious person says, sitting up to better reveal two white protrusions- antlers? They must be antlers- they had better not be bones, good gravy- sticking out of their head. Their eyes, scrunched closed, finally blink open, looking around for a moment before quickly locking on Virgil and Patton sitting beside them. “Wait, who are you? Where are we?”

“Uhm. I’m Patton?” Patton says, motioning to himself, and then to Virgil. “And that’s Virgil. You’re in, uh, Gainesville, Florida?”

The person snaps to their feet, tail- tail?- swishing agitatedly behind them as they look around. “Did you bring me here? To this- this dump you call Flor Ida?” their antlers begin to glow, complex inlays becoming a soft red. “Tell me the truth! How did I get here? How far are we from Innova?”

“We don’t know!” Virgil starts, nervous energy overtaking him. “We just found a carousel here, and then one of the horses, it turned into you- and I don’t even know where Innova is- hey-!”

Before he can protest, Virgil is being lifted by his collar and looking straight into the eyes of a very angry stranger- odd, white- edged eyes with similarly white pupils, seemingly gazing straight into Virgil’s soul in a way that Virgil really is not liking.

“You’re right,” they say, seemingly finding what they were looking for, as they release Virgil and begin to pace. “You’re not of my world. But that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook yet- !”

Before they can finish, however, they sway again, tail waving behind them for balance. “I- this conversation is not over!”

And then, the anger leaving in a huff, they faint.

[kaiser1ns]

What is your favorite holiday together? And how do you spend it?

hello foxx, thank you for the question!

i dont actually have a favorite holiday, and he couldn't care less as long im with him, but i'd like to say halloween (even if it is not celebrated in my country) so we can match costumes ! again im biased on lion king, just lion customs or pajamas fit and chika would even need a wig his hair does the trick ! ghostface but im the one with mask and chika just has red paint on his shirt imitating blood because let's kill this love ! or him as ariel and me as eric because he is my pretty princess ♡ the basic angel&devil because we just fit into that category! i will force him to be akura ou while i am nanami or tomoe, we will look so cute because kamisama kiss is one of my favorites and it will be his too ! no matter the costume we will look pretty hot, we gonna eat this up ! one way to spend the days is trick or treat bit is just having a party with my friends as they drink and its 3am i don't know how they keep up while me and chika are cuddling on the couch, for your information i don't like drinking alcohol aside beer so there has to a sober friend so im taking the role... but we got tired more like i was getting sleepy and decided for better to go home as we then go directly to sleep with the costumes on while he hugs me tight.

second option is just staying home with the costumes and taking photos while eating ton of candy because i have sweet tooth and he knows that very well, so he bought me different chocolates. i beg him to repost a story and surprisingly he did and even put it in his highlight (i totally didn't took his phone to do it) but the photos we took are so good, he looks so good didn't even have to pose ! having pretty boyfriend sucks because why does he looks so good, he doesn't even have to do anything...so now we are just taking a walk in the middle of the night, hand in hand, to feel the spirit of halloween but i can only feel the warmth of his hand.

overall we can either go out or stay home, it depends on what we want and feel on the moment and he will go with whatever i want because he doesn't care where are we, he cares if im with him ... to add i saw him changing his wallpaper to a photo of us dressed in the lion matching onesie.

"is that us? chika i didnt know you could do such things wait i need to send that pho—" i scream and giggle because this is the cutest thing he has done, the bare minimum. "i am your homescreen wallpaper too, baby where did you learned that?"

"you said i should change my wallpaper." did i said that? i don't know but i am so happy that someone cares enough for me to do that that i actually start crying "why are you... crying?"

"nothing, i just love you." then hug him tight, my head on his chest as he too wraps his arms around me. he may not say the same thing every time, but he shows it, and that's enough. "also we are binge watching lion king again, put on the lion onesies."

[hestia4321]

Rationality

The estate was apparently quite smart when it was first built in the late 1960s but it rapidly declined. A once pristine exterior now stands in an overgrown garden littered with shattered glass and rotting wood. A ‘For Sale’ sign is lying in the grass, a jagged poll stands as evidence of its origin. No one’s willing to buy this place. Yellowed paint peeling off of the building while wooden boards hide broken windows. Leading to the entrance was water damaged stairs, splintered and hazardous, I’m careful to watch my footing as I climb the mangled steps. The front door held thin indents, like it had been used as a cat scratcher. I flip through a ring full of keys, looking for the right one to open the rusted lock.

Pushing open the door I’m hit with the stale scent of damp and a cold breeze. It’s dark in the hallway, I flick the light switch, there’s a spark of light then nothing. Great. I pull out a torch from my bag, allowing a beam of light to illuminate the narrow space. The floor was a dark red carpet, while lining the wall was wallpaper that had a pattern of four circles with three circles inside them, of which are various shades of orange, looking as if there trying to meet in the middle. On the left side of the passage was a small table with a vase of long dead flowers, a deep blue rotary dial phone and a phone book. On the right was an ottoman covered in a burnt orange fabric. A little further down there are five doors, four across from each other in pairs, and one near the end of the hall on the left. Oddly, a tall mirror stood at the very end of the hall, the image slightly distorted. Probably the lighting.

I choose the door closest to me on the left to enter, the hinges creaked and groaned. Scanning the room I don’t spot anything interesting. The same deep red carpet and patterned wallpaper encased the medium sized room, housing a floral sofa and armchair with a long hardwood coffee table in the centre. A large box sat on a small table pushed to the wall, a TV, it’s small screen no longer able to play beloved shows. Everything masked in a thick layer of dust. Hanging on the wall above the TV was a framed photo of the family that once lived here. A mother, father and young girl. All dead. A shiver suddenly ran through me, I snap a picture of the dust covered room with my camera before turning hastily to leave the room.

Staying to the left I enter the next door. A blue tiled bathroom, black mould growing on the ceiling and cobwebs draped over the shower head. Taking another picture I’m about to leave but catch a shadow in the mirror. Moving side to side. Swinging. You just moved the torch wrong. I keep the torch still in my hand. Still swinging. Shaking my head I leave the bathroom. Heart beating fast. The last door on the left is separated from the bathroom by a cramped corridor. Masking the walls was many printed photos of the same two people. The father and daughter. Their eyes stare at me. A knot of dread settles in by stomach.

I manage to jerk my head away from the lifeless eyes. No picture. I stalk uneasily toward the next door. Pushing it open I quickly glance around already taking a picture. Bright yellow cupboards wrap around two walls in the small room, allowing just enough room for a paltry table with vibrant orange chairs. Suddenly, a high-pitched hissing sounds from behind me. I swing my head to look. Frantically moving my torch, searching the hall.

Nothing.

However the sound cut off instantly. Must have been the wind. I catch sight of the mirror. The glass seemingly rippling. My hand moves before I can think. Reaching out to touch the waves. My reflection growing more distorted with each surge. Fingers stretching. Face drooping. My mouth contorting into a drawn out smile, teeth visible. I feel my lips pressed together. Pale grey fingers climb onto my shoulder. A cold burst of air is blown onto my neck. I blink and the glass is completely still. My reflection normal. It’s nothing. You’re just tired.

As I shift toward the next door I throw glances back at the mirror. Heart thundering. Come on, two more rooms. I open the next door, swiftly taking a photo. Nearly dead. What? I charged it before I left. Sighing I observe the simply decorated room full of dark wood furniture and dull colours, only pale pink flowers on the quilt of a double bed. A few framed photos dotted around, all blurry. I leave the room, stalking to the last door.

The handle is somewhat jammed, so it opens with a jolt. I’m met with the vision of many dolls facing the doorway. They sit stiffly on a shelf, some on a rocking chair, one neatly on the bed. It’s laid on its side, head resting atop a dusty pillow. Pristine plated brown hair. It’s glossy blue eyes looking blankly at me.

The hissing begins again. Louder. I spin a full circle seeing nothing. Yet the hissing grows louder, more insistent. I shakily go to take a picture. You have a job to finish. It’s dead. The light from my torch goes out. It tumbled out of my hand.

Somehow the lights start to flicker. That’s not possible. A cold wind rushes past. In the hallway I step backwards towards the front door. Keeping my gaze on the mirror.

A pale figure with long dark hair creeps over to me. It’s neck broken, snapped to the side.

“OUT!” A mangled voice demanded. Lunging at me.

Hastily I find the handle and stumble out of the house. Its pouring outside. Lightning strikes in the distance. I run as fast as possible down the damaged stairs and through the garden. Tripping I look back. The lights are off and the figures gone. Still I clamber into my car, blood rushing in my ears, heart pounding in my chest. I turn on the car, hit the accelerator and drive off.

[freyjuseggr]

🧿🏛️(or painting, lithography etc) for the ask <3

🧿 - Did you have any other spiritual beliefs before discovering your current practice?

yeah kinda, a lot of my time away from heathenry in the form of starting conversion to Judaism and a bit of time going back to Catholicism are still on this blog. but that was kind of, stuck in the middle more so than the beginning. i was raised very loosely catholic but i dont really consider that a real belief. i spent a few months researching Islam as mentioned in a previous ask today before finding heathenry, but that was a long time ago and did not last terribly long to be honest. but thats really the only thing *before* finding this. i just wandered away for a time, but i did come back to it

🏛️ - Do you have a favorite statue or temple to your deity(ies)? If yes, what is it? (or painting, lithography etc)

this one is my current phone wallpaper/background. theres not many paintings i love very much, and im not certain i *love* this one very much. i have a little necklace/amulet thing based off of this find from Hagebyhöga which i do love

i also have a statue saved on etsy that im going to be ordering in the next day or so. which i will probably be posting when i do that lol

[tikiki05]

Wrote an Aaron Davis oc x canon angst one shot inspired by this think piece by @incognito-duo that’s about him and Jeff seeing the other in Miles. I loved it so much and it inspired me so much too!

If you like this piece and are interested in how my character and Aarons relationship comes to be, you can read their full story here!

Below is artwork of my OC Vinex Devi which was done by dee_from_webtoon on instagram and webtoon

Earth 42-B, middle of the night. Cuddled up to him with Aarons arm draped around them, Vinex began to stir awake as they heard something; a voice softly murmuring. As they came to and looked up, they realized it was Aarons voice. Through the darkness, they could see his lips barely moving. They lifted their head and gently rubbed their hand on his chest.

“Aaron? Darling?”

They asked quietly. His head moved from side to side as his eyelids slowly fluttered open.

“Babe?”

He muttered with a hoarse voice.

“Were you dreaming? You were talking in your sleep just now,”

They clarified for him. Aaron removed his arm from Vinex’s shoulders to sit up and rub his eyes.

“Wait, wait, wait, what…?”

He mumbled in confusion. Vinex sat up and watched him reach for his phone on the bedside table. He planted his feet on the floor and looked at the time that read the late hour displayed on top of his screens wallpaper, an old picture of him and Jeff. He stared at it, and Vinex watched with concern as a realization started to paint his screen-illuminated face.

“Aaron, is something wrong?”

They questioned as they put a hand on his back. He began tearing up, and set his phone down to cover his face with both hands, leaning over and resting his elbows on his lap.

“Goddammit…”

He sighed shakily. Seeing he was upset, Vinex moved closer and held his shoulders.

“My love, what is it?”

They persisted with worry.

“It’s Jeff, I was having a dream about Jeff…it felt so real, I-I forgot for a second…”

He admitted.

“Oh heavens, no, I’m so sorry,”

Vinex frowned as they patted his back. He started to sniffle and held back his sobs in his hands. They moved to sit beside him on the edge of the bed, holding him close and kissing his temple.

“I’m so messed up right now…Can you promise me that this right now is real?”

“Absolutely, this is real life, I promise you,”

They reassured. Aaron reached for their hand and held it tight, pressing it to his forehead.

“God…I don’t even realize how much I miss him sometimes…”

“Do you want to talk about it? I’m here to listen to you, always.”

They offered. He let out a sigh.

“…sometimes…I see him. I look at Miles, and I see a little version of him…an’ I know that’s obvious, he’s his son, but…it shakes me up sometimes…and, other times I wonder, if before he was gone, he ever looked at Miles and saw me? I kinda hope he did, but…I get why he wouldn’t want that…I hate how things was between us. I really, really do. And I hate how complicated it was, I wish I could say that it all didn’t matter, but it’s just not that easy,”

He let out a small sob at the end of his sentence. Vinex frowned and tightened their hold on him with their free arm.

“It doesn’t sound like it was easy at all. I’m so sorry Aaron,”

They consoled him. He turned towards them and hid his face in the crook of their neck and continued to cry softly, very clearly trying to resist fully letting go. Vinex continued and encouraged,

“Please my love, cry as much as you need to, let it out.”

With this, Aaron allowed himself to cry a little louder, a little more unrestrained, though was still overall quiet and tame. Vinex let him do so, rubbing his back and staying silent for a little bit before speaking again.

“Do you want any input from me, or did you just want me to listen?”

They asked him. After thinking on the question, Aaron raised his head and laid it on their shoulder.

“Did you have any input to give?”

He inquired.

“Well, it’s not very relevant to what you’ve just talked about, but, it’s what I like to think about whenever I find myself missing Jeff, or when I think about his and yours complicated relationship,”

They explained. Aaron listened curiously.

“What is it?”

“I, I like to imagine that in whatever afterlife hopefully exists, he’s watching you take such good care of Miles, and be so supportive to him, and helping him and Rio get by, and he’s proud of you. And, maybe he realizes some of the things he thought about you were wrong,”

They told him. Aaron gave a small scoff.

“I doubt it. His ass was so stubborn…and god, he’d hate that I taught Miles how to prowl…”

He sighed shakily with self-disappointment. Vinex frowned and gently rubbed his shoulders.

“You did have your reasons. You told me it was because Miles wanted to be able to protect himself and others, right?”

“Yeah…”

“So, you taught him just that, in the way you knew best. I’m sure Jeff would understand it from that perspective.”

Aaron slowly nodded his head.

“You gotta point…thanks, I…I feel better now I think.”

“I’m so happy to hear. How can I make you feel even better?”

They asked with a smile. He shrugged.

“I dunno…maybe something to drink, I guess?”

“You’ve got it. Maybe we could steal some of Jordans sodas,”

They suggested with a mischievous smile. Aaron snickered softly.

“Would they be cool with that?”

“They would. In all seriousness, he buys them for the house,”

They told him.

“Aight, sounds good then,”

Aaron smiled.

They both got out of bed, and Vinex slipped on one of their extravagant robes before they went to the kitchen together and each got a can of soda. Vinex opened their can, utilizing their spider abilities as to not harm their manicure, and raised it up.

“To Jefferson?”

They suggested. Aaron gave a little smirk and raised his can as well.

“To Jefferson.”

The couple clinked cans and took a sip.

[evr1thing]

Creating a Bumbleby-inspired wallpaper with Midjourney

tl;dr - Here are the 3 final images. If you like them, feel free to use these images as your phone wallpaper. Let me know if you do, I’ll be happy to hear from you!

If you’re interested in how to generate such images, I wrote a simple step-by-step tutorial below these images.

Image generation via Midjourney - tutorial

I’ve been a bumbleby shipper for the past 10 years and the recent bumbleby kiss got me screaming (literally!!!). Hence, I was inspired to generate a wallpaper to commemorate how beautiful the scene was.

Cue Midjourney.

Quick background: Midjourney is a generative AI tool, and its main feature is generating images from text prompts. It is accessible via discord.

Too lazy to think of specific prompts? No problem, just ask Midjourney to generate prompts based on the bumbleby kiss concept art with the /describe command.

/describe <upload bumbleby concept art image>

From Midjourney’s documentation: 

The /describe command allows you to upload an image and generate four possible prompts based on that image. Use the /describe command to explore new vocabulary and aesthetic movements.

/describe generates prompts that are inspirational and suggestive, it cannot be used to recreate an uploaded image exactly. /describe returns the aspect ratio for uploaded images.

This produces 4 possible prompts to generate images of a similar vibe/style.  Note: --ar is the aspect ratio of the image.

Next, use the /imagine command with each of the 4 prompts (with small tweaks) to see the types of images generated.

1st prompt:

2nd prompt:

3rd prompt:

(I did not try the 4th prompt.)

After some trial and error, I decided that I liked the images generated from the 1st prompt the most. I also added "white lilies blooming in the background" to the prompt since lilies were blooming during the bumbleby kiss (so romantic omg).

However, I didn’t like the tower in the middle. Hence, I decided to just focus on the blooming lilies in the foreground.

Here’s the final prompt I used (I also tweaked the aspect ratio so that it is suitable to be used as a phone wallpaper: --ar 18:39):

/imagine a painting of white lilies blooming in the foreground, with violet and gold sky, in the style of magical girl, sunrays shine upon it, i can't believe how beautiful this is, colorful animation stills, love and romance --ar 18:39

I like the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th image.

Note: I was able to do the above in Midjourney with the basic $10/month subscription. If you prefer using an open-source/free tool, you can try experimenting on other tools such as Stable Diffusion.

Post-generation

The generated images look good, but after setting it as my phone wallpaper, I noticed that they were a little blurry.

Hence, I used Let’s Enhance to upscale the image. This service is free for the first 10 images.

The enhanced images are much clearer now. 

Success!

[hauntedtrait]

show your wallpaper:

cabanel’s fallen angel is my favoritest painting in the whole wide world. my regular phone wallpaper is a painting of saint sebastian. i believe in homoerotic depictions of religious figures only!!

last song you listened to:

Just Like You Imagined - Nine Inch Nails

currently reading:

other peoples legacies on simblr dot com bc books are hard tho technically im like in the middle of 7 different books but fuck me if i remember anything going on in them

last movie you watched:

the d&d movie!!! it was so fucking good

last show you watched:

florida man lmao its on netflix its a crime drama its legit SO GOOD and so fun its a quick miniseries and i loved it

currently craving:

i wish my nose didnt smell like blood lol im sureeee thats fine

how tall are you?

5'5 😭

piercings?

lobe piercings, septum and eyebrow (the bitchest of all piercings to deal with)

tattoos?

7: my left arm features my dead cat, a mollymauk inspired triangle with a bleeding eye in it, zero the dog, dracula drinking out of a blood juice box, and the cutest clown you ever did see. on my right leg i have a key to room 217 in the overlook hotel, and mcr lyrics (i know) around a switchblade and some flowers.

glasses/contacts?

my vision SUCKS i have to wear glasses which i HATE

last thing you ate:

some reese’s cups

favorite color?

HOT PINK BABEYYYY

any pets?

i have 2 black cats who are siblings! bathory and wednesday bc theyre goths, duh

favorite fictional character?

mollymauk tealeaf!!

last place you traveled?

went to visit my dad and go to a concert with him in NC last april. havent rlly gone anywhere else since. BUT next weekend my boyfriend is taking me to a bird sanctuary 2 hours away, im very excited!!

tagging:

@aoifae @bibliosims @gothoffspring @rainymoodlet @mangosimoothie @crippledtrait & YOU! YOU READING THIS