#that would be a completely different story

[thedemonsurfer]

It's really not all that surprising that the Daycare Attendant ended up being so popular, to the point that there's a whole subsection of FNAF fandom that's p much just the DCA.

For starters, there's Security Breach itself. Security Breach is a vastly different FNAF game from its predecessors. Instead of being a jumpscare-driven task management simulator, it is a free-roam exploration and puzzle game, also with jumpscares. Instead of a security guard with their butt glued to their office chair, you're playing as a kid trapped in the mall. That difference in format and story setup attracted a whole new crowd of players to FNAF.

Next is character design. Unlike the majority of animatronics in the killer robot furry franchise, the DCA is a lanky, vaguely human shaped jester with a dinnerplate head and a creepy fixed smile. That appeals to folks who might not be as much into the robot furries, but like lanky creepy jesters (I am one of those people).

Security Breach also FINALLY develops the animatronics into actual characters, rather than interchangeable jumpscares. It's not a coincidence that prior to SB, the most popular animatronic was Springtrap-- an animatronic outright possessed by the defacto main antagonist of the series. I still remember the sheer fuzzy excitement upon hearing the first teaser trailer where we found out that we would be playing as a kid and that Freddy was our friend. That's still so cool! Freddy is our friend!

But character is where the Daycare Attendant really blows everyone else out of the water.

Sun is, after Freddy and Vanessa, the NPC with the most lines of dialogue (ten). Sun and Vanessa are the only antagonists that speak directly to Gregory, rather than just having vague hunting lines. For comparison, of the Glamrocks only Roxy has a single line of interaction with another animatronic ("Get out of my room, Freddy!") and her pep talk in the mirror at the start of the game. Monty and Chica might as well be interchangeable, both only having hunting lines.

Hell, out of Moon's nineteen voice lines, eight of them are laughs, blowing away Vanny's whopping two lines in the entire game.

Sun is the only* FNAF antagonist that does not have a jumpscare sting when he grabs Gregory, and is one of the few antagonists that does not kill the player upon jumpscaring them. Sun is outright non-hostile towards Gregory, coming off as overbearing but genuinely friendly. In a FNAF game.

Kellen Goff's phenomenal voice acting further fleshes out the DCA's character, giving us solid foundations for their personalities. Sun is anxious, friendly, and bossy. Moon is a downright giggle gremlin, sadistic and playful. Both of them are childish, and the contrast between their personalities and their job as child caretakers makes them stand out even more.

It's also worth mentioning that the Daycare is one of the earliest sections of the game, easily reached within the first thirty minutes of playtime. This makes it very likely to have been seen by people who either ended up not finishing the game itself, or any let's play series they were watching. It's also one of the most complete sections of the game, with clear, easy to understand mechanics and a decent challenge, making it more enjoyable to play than some of the later puzzles.

So, yeah. Why wouldn't there be a whole subsection of fandom built around some of the most well developed and interesting characters in the entire franchise, from an installment that attracted a new crowd of people who were probably already looking for something different from the traditional FNAF experience?

*As far as I know there are no other FNAF animatronics that perform a jumpscare animation without an accompanying sound, but it's not impossible that there's someone in UCN that I've overlooked.

[purplesaline]

So, I've noticed when this complaint is often issued tends to be when the lack of communication requires suspension of disbelief. When something is written/portrayed really well that lack of communication makes complete sense because the character's motivations and thinking process have been well established. So let's say we know thr main characte is afraid of conflict, for example, and we get to a point where communicating with the love interest would mean risking potential conflict. If we don't understand WHY the MC is afraid of conflict, or if we don't understand how that fear of conflict impacts their life, if we don't see if happening between the MC and characters other than thr love interest for similar stakes we're probably going to struggle with why the MC isn't just communicating because it will clearly prevent conflict while not communicating will actually cause it.

And the thing is, very few romances/romcoms ever properly develop this aspect of the character because miscommunication has become an easy trope to move the plot forward. Or it could be because the author intrinsically understands why the character would act that way because it's how they'd act and it seems so natural to them they assume it's universal (and they likely don't fully understand why they do it either).

So, in response to the person above, no. They probably didn't consider that because for lots of people communicating with someone they love and value and don't want to hurt isn't actually scary and that being vulnerable comes naturally to them. So maybe it would be helpful if the story showed them that the main character feels like that, and why they feel that way. What evidence supports the character's belief that communication is scary and bring vulnerable is hard?

If you can show your audience that you'll never hear the "why don't they just communicate?! Are they stupid?" complaint again.

But also, not all conflict in a story needs to arise from a lack of communication. Maybe it's time to branch out and brainstorm some different complications. I've seen other authors do it, and do it well (even in romance novels!), and I believe in you!

"Why didn't they just communicate?? They're so stupid!" Have you considered that communicating with someone you love and value and don't want to hurt is scary and that vulnerability takes practice and that perfect characters with perfect words make the most boring stories of all

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Are the means of computation even seizable?

I'm on a 20+ city book tour for my new novel PICKS AND SHOVELS. Catch me in PITTSBURGH in TOMORROW (May 15) at WHITE WHALE BOOKS, and in PDX on Jun 20 at BARNES AND NOBLE with BUNNIE HUANG. More tour dates (London, Manchester) here.

Something's very different in tech. Once upon a time, every bad choice by tech companies – taking away features, locking out mods or plugins, nerfing the API – was countered, nearly instantaneously, by someone writing a program that overrode that choice.

Bad clients would be muscled aside by third-party clients. Locked bootloaders would be hacked and replaced. Code that confirmed you were using OEM parts, consumables or adapters would be found and nuked from orbit. Weak APIs would be replaced with muscular, unofficial APIs built out of unstoppable scrapers running on headless machines in some data-center. Every time some tech company erected a 10-foot enshittifying fence, someone would show up with an 11-foot disenshittifying ladder.

Those 11-foot ladders represented the power of interoperability, the inescapable bounty of the Turing-complete, universal von Neumann machine, which, by definition, is capable of running every valid program. Specifically, they represented the power of adversarial interoperability – when someone modifies a technology against its manufacturer's wishes. Adversarial interoperability is the origin story of today's tech giants, from Microsoft to Apple to Google:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/10/adversarial-interoperability

But adversarial interop has been in steady decline for the past quarter-century. These big companies moved fast and broke things, but no one is returning the favor. If you ask the companies what changed, they'll just smirk and say that they're better at security than the incumbents they disrupted. The reason no one's hacked up a third-party iOS App Store is that Apple's security team is just so fucking 1337 that no one can break their shit.

I think this is nonsense. I think that what's really going on is that we've made it possible for companies to design their technologies in such a way that any attempt at adversarial interop is illegal.

"Anticircumvention" laws like Section 1201 of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act make bypassing any kind of digital lock (AKA "Digital Rights Management" or "DRM") very illegal. Under DMCA, just talking about how to remove a digital lock can land you in prison for 5 years. I tell the story of this law's passage in "Understood: Who Broke the Internet," my new podcast series for the CBC:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/05/08/who-broke-the-internet/#bruce-lehman

For a quarter century, tech companies have aggressively lobbied and litigated to expand the scope of anticircumvention laws. At the same time, companies have come up with a million ways to wrap their products in digital locks that are a crime to break.

Digital locks let Chamberlain, a garage-door opener monopolist block all third-party garage-door apps. Then, Chamberlain stuck ads in its app, so you have to watch an ad to open your garage-door:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/09/lead-me-not-into-temptation/#chamberlain

Digital locks let John Deere block third-party repair of its tractors:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/05/08/about-those-kill-switched-ukrainian-tractors/

And they let Apple block third-party repair of iPhones:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/05/22/apples-cement-overshoes/

These companies built 11-foot ladders to get over their competitors' 10-foot walls, and then they kicked the ladder away. Once they were secure atop their walls, they committed enshittifying sins their fallen adversaries could only dream of.

I've been campaigning to abolish anticircumvention laws for the past quarter-century, and I've noticed a curious pattern. Whenever these companies stand to lose their legal protections, they freak out and spend vast fortunes to keep those protections intact. That's weird, because it strongly implies that their locks don't work. A lock that works works, whether or not it's illegal to break that lock. The reason Signal encryption works is that it's working encryption. The legal status of breaking Signal's encryption has nothing to do with whether it works. If Signal's encryption was full of technical flaws but it was illegal to point those flaws out, you'd be crazy to trust Signal.

Signal does get involved in legal fights, of course, but the fights it gets into are ones that require Signal to introduce defects in its encryption – not fights over whether it is legal to disclose flaws in Signal or exploit them:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/03/05/theyre-still-trying-to-ban-cryptography/

But tech companies that rely on digital locks manifestly act like their locks don't work and they know it. When the tech and content giants bullied the W3C into building DRM into 2 billion users' browsers, they categorically rejected any proposal to limit their ability to destroy the lives of people who broke that DRM, even if it was only to add accessibility or privacy to video:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/09/open-letter-w3c-director-ceo-team-and-membership

The thing is, if the lock works, you don't need the legal right to destroy the lives of people who find its flaws, because it works.

Do digital locks work? Can they work? I think the answer to both questions is a resounding no. The design theory of a digital lock is that I can provide you with an encrypted file that your computer has the keys to. Your computer will access those keys to decrypt or sign a file, but only under the circumstances that I have specified. Like, you can install an app when it comes from my app store, but not when it comes from a third party. Or you can play back a video in one kind of browser window, but not in another one. For this to work, your computer has to hide a cryptographic key from you, inside a device you own and control. As I pointed out more than a decade ago, this is a fool's errand:

https://memex.craphound.com/2012/01/10/lockdown-the-coming-war-on-general-purpose-computing/

After all, you or I might not have the knowledge and resources to uncover the keys' hiding place, but someone does. Maybe that someone is a person looking to go into business selling your customers the disenshittifying plugin that unfucks the thing you deliberately broke. Maybe it's a hacker-tinkerer, pursuing an intellectual challenge. Maybe it's a bored grad student with a free weekend, an electron-tunneling microscope, and a seminar full of undergrads looking for a project.

The point is that hiding secrets in devices that belong to your adversaries is very bad security practice. No matter how good a bank safe is, the bank keeps it in its vault – not in the bank-robber's basement workshop.

For a hiding-secrets-in-your-adversaries'-device plan to work, the manufacturer has to make zero mistakes. The adversary – a competitor, a tinkerer, a grad student – only has to find one mistake and exploit it. This is a bedrock of security theory: attackers have an inescapable advantage.

So I think that DRM doesn't work. I think DRM is a legal construct, not a technical one. I think DRM is a kind of magic Saran Wrap that manufacturers can wrap around their products, and, in so doing, make it a literal jailable offense to use those products in otherwise legal ways that their shareholders don't like. As Jay Freeman put it, using DRM creates a new law called "Felony Contempt of Business Model." It's a law that has never been passed by any legislature, but is nevertheless enforceable.

In the 25 years I've been fighting anticircumvention laws, I've spoken to many government officials from all over the world about the opportunity that repealing their anticircumvention laws represents. After all, Apple makes $100b/year by gouging app makers for 30 cents on ever dollar. Allow your domestic tech sector to sell the tools to jailbreak iPhones and install third party app stores, and you can convert Apple's $100b/year to a $100m/year business for one of your own companies, and the other $999,900,000,000 will be returned to the world's iPhone owners as a consumer surplus.

But every time I pitched this, I got the same answer: "The US Trade Representative forced us to pass this law, and threatened us with tariffs if we didn't pass it." Happy Liberation Day, people – every country in the world is now liberated from the only reason to keep this stupid-ass law on their books:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/01/15/beauty-eh/#its-the-only-war-the-yankees-lost-except-for-vietnam-and-also-the-alamo-and-the-bay-of-ham

In light of the Trump tariffs, I've been making the global rounds again, making the case for an anticircumvention repeal:

https://www.ft.com/content/b882f3a7-f8c9-4247-9662-3494eb37c30b

One of the questions I've been getting repeatedly from policy wonks, activists and officials is, "Is it even possible to jailbreak modern devices?" They want to know if companies like Apple, Tesla, Google, Microsoft, and John Deere have created unbreakable digital locks. Obviously, this is an important question, because if these locks are impregnable, then getting rid of the law won't deliver the promised benefits.

It's true that there aren't as many jailbreaks as we used to see. When a big project like Nextcloud – which is staffed up with extremely accomplished and skilled engineers – gets screwed over by Google's app store, they issue a press-release, not a patch:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/05/nextcloud-accuses-google-of-big-tech-gatekeeping-over-android-app-permissions/

Perhaps that's because the tech staff at Nextcloud are no match for Google, not even with the attacker's advantage on their side.

But I don't think so. Here's why: we do still get jailbreaks and mods, but these almost exclusively come from anonymous tinkerers and hobbyists:

https://consumerrights.wiki/Mazda_DMCA_takedown_of_Open_Source_Home_Assistant_App

Or from pissed off teenagers:

https://www.theverge.com/2022/9/29/23378541/the-og-app-instagram-clone-pulled-from-app-store

These hacks are incredibly ambitious! How ambitious? How about a class break for every version of iOS as well as an unpatchable hardware attack on 8 years' worth of Apple bootloaders?

https://pluralistic.net/2020/05/25/mafia-logic/#sosumi

Now, maybe it's the case at all the world's best hackers are posting free code under pseudonyms. Maybe all the code wizards working for venture backed tech companies that stand to make millions through clever reverse engineering are just not as mad skilled as teenagers who want an ad-free Insta and that's why they've never replicated the feat.

Or maybe it's because teenagers and anonymous hackers are just about the only people willing to risk a $500,000 fine and 5-year prison sentence. In other words, maybe the thing that protects DRM is law, not code. After all, when Polish security researchers revealed the existence of secret digital locks that the train manufacturer Newag used to rip off train operators for millions of euros, Newag dragged them into court:

https://fsfe.org/news/2025/news-20250407-01.en.html

Tech companies are the most self-mythologizing industry on the planet, beating out even the pharma sector in boasting about their prowess and good corporate citizenship. They swear that they've made a functional digital lock…but they sure act like the only thing those locks do is let them sue people who reveal their workings.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2025/05/14/pregnable/#checkm8

[nakidoriii]

Smutty Drabble/Head Cannons

Prompt: how they initiate sex with you for the first time.

Characters: Isagi Yoichi, Shidou Ryusei, Oliver Aiku, Bachira Meguru, and Kunigami Rensuke

Warnings: MDNI!!! breeding kink, rough sex, dirty talk, and casual sex

All characters have been aged up! 21+

🅸🆂🅰🅶🅸 🆈🅾🅸🅲🅷🅸

You and Isagi have been dating for a month.

Has contemplated bringing it up to you for 24 business days.

Thinks about you when you aren’t with him.

Definitely has masterbated to the thought you. Especially when you wear his jersey. He LOVES when you wear his jersey.

Decides to take you out on a date somewhere nice before your first time with him.

But once you get home….. his demeanor is completely different.

Kisses you like it’s the last time he’ll ever see you.

He’s a munch!!!! Be so forreal..

He wants you to sit on his face and he’s so happy to be in between those thighs.

“You taste so fucking good. I can’t get enough of you.”

Praises you as you ride his dick.

“You’ve been waiting for that dick huh?”

After care king!!

🆂🅷🅸🅳🅾🆄 🆁🆈🆄🆂🅴🅸

You and Shidou have been texting for 2 weeks and he’s finally in your city.

Brutally honest about his intentions so of course..Y’all fuck on sight.

“The only dinner I want is in between your legs and I’m fucking starving.”

He will rip your clothes off of you if you aren’t fast enough.

Eats you out from the back because he’s an ass man (let’s be real.)

Loves when you deep throat him.

“You’re such a slut for me. Taking my dick allll the way down your throat. What a good girl.”

Fucks you in a head lock. (i'm not elaborating)

“You want my load, pretty girl. Don't worry, I’ll fill you up to the fucking brim.”

Lasts for a lonnnggg asss timmmeee.

Groans in your ear when he’s drilling into you.

“Fuuccckk, I love this shit. Let me fuck you all the time, kay?”

Makes you squirt.

He does exactly as he says and fills you to the brim with his cum.

Does after care but he has a breeding kink so he’s very slow to clean up his mess.

“Wanna go again, pretty girl?”

🅾🅻🅸🆅🅴🆁 🅰🅸🅺🆄

“What’s a pretty girl like you sitting here by yourself? I’d be happy to give you some company.”

Such a sweet talker.

He can’t help but to stare at your breasts halfway into the conversation. You don’t give a fuck because you know he’s not shit. You’re not looking for a boyfriend, just a good fuck.

“You wanna get out of here? I can show you a better time in my hotel room.”

Next thing you know, your panties are pushed to the side as he devours you.

HE'S A REAL EATER…( I stand by this)

Makes you squirt on his face and then kisses you after.

Suggest you ride him because he’s got a waist fetish and wants to see those gorgeous tits bounce.

“What a good lil cowgirl you are.”

After a while, he puts you in doggy style to get a another angle of your waist as he fucks you into the mattress.

Cums all over your ass.

Will clean up his mess and thanks you for the great pussy.

Leaves the minute you fall asleep.

🅱🅰🅲🅷🅸🆁🅰 🅼🅴🅶🆄🆁🆄

You and Bachira have been mutuals on social media for a few months. He comments on your stories, answers every poll you post in close friends and often flirts with you.

𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚊_𝟾: 𝙵𝚄𝙲𝙺

𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚊_𝟾: 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗… 𝚒’𝚖 𝚝𝚛𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏𝚒𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞

𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚊_𝟾: 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕!!! 𝚜𝚘 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚢!!

His next game was in your city and he was so quick to invite you. You agreed of course.

After the game, texts you to come down to the tunnel so he could see you.

“You’re telling me I can’t take you back to Japan with me? Guess you’ll have to come over tonight so we can have a proper goodbye.”

It was a proper goodbye alright….

He greeted you at the door with a passionate kiss. It wasn’t long until his tongue was on your other set of lips.

He loves eating pussy too!! (Who would have thought :0

He teases you in many different ways but his favorite way is edging. (Standing ten toes down on this)

“I know you wanna cum but I love seeing you when you're all worked up like this.”

Fucks you on your side so he can get a good look at your face and ass.

Showers you in compliments and super vocal!

“Yea baby, just like that. You look so pretty when you take my cock.”

After care LEGEND. Cuddles with you after taking care of you. Rubs your back while talking about god knows what.

🅺🆄🅽🅸🅶🅰🅼🅸 🆁🅴🆂🆄🅺🅴

Kunigami sees you at the gym quite a bit. So often that you two started working out with each other.

“I’m trying to get like you. Your core strength is unmatched.”

Compliments after compliments! He’s a simp for you really.

He constantly spots you during every workout, touching you respectfully whenever he can.

Watching you work out is so difficult for him because all he can think about is how badly he wants to fuck you. He’s a gentleman so he controls himself but it’s getting harder.

“Do you want to go back to my place for dinner? As a thank you for all the core training.”

You both know what you’re coming over for and it’s not fucking dinner….

Once you get to his place, you complain about your back hurting.

He offers to massage it out for you (he thinks he’s slick….)

You pull your hair up, revealing the nape of your neck (His favorite spot) before he starts the massage.

Before you know it, you’re sitting on his kitchen counter getting your pussy ate.

He’s gentle when he eats pussy, savoring every moment of it.

Holds your legs open as you cum so he can continue as you orgasm.

Fucks you while holding you just because he can.

Isn’t very vocal but I have a feeling he grunts and WHIMPERS (Kunigami, the man you are)

Puts you in a mating press.

“Uhh, fuck. You’re gonna make me cum, pretty girl.”

Lowkey a gooner… he definitely makes the hottest faces during sex and when he’s cumming.

After care is his middle name!! Continues giving you the massage after he helps you shower. Goes into great detail about how long he’s wanted to do this as you fall asleep on him.

Wakes you up with head and cooks you breakfast. (I’m trying to be normal about him…)

These head cannons are a mix of true head cannons and my opinion!

Hiii Bluelock babes✨ I’m new to writing for this fandom so I thought I post some Drabble/personal head cannons! You can definitely tell who my favorites are Oop! Lol!

If you like the Bachira and Oliver head cannons you should read my mini series “Let the Games Begin".

Requests are open :)

Masterlist

Please do not alter or steal my writing ©️

[screamlet]

fic recs: so you survived season 8(b) of 9-1-1

credits rolled on 8×18 and i decided to make myself feel better with some fic recs. these have tons of recency bias since i wanted to focus on stories set primarily during 8b - there have been a lot of good ones on this fucking section of the rollercoaster!!

if you're looking for more recs, check out my 911 fic rec or 911 fic tag (which includes my own stuff). there's also my ao3 bookmarks. fandoms include: 911, hockey rpf, bts, annnnnnnd whatever else i've got in there. (so much check please. what a time that was.) anyway.

--- all bucktommy unless noted otherwise, all complete (no wip's) most of them are locked to ao3 users

You as you were @geddyqueer 10k, rated M, complete notes: yes i know this was posted today but it needs to Be Here

"Evan," Tommy says, and the brittle look on his face makes Buck stop laughing right then and there. "What's going on?" "Oh, you know," Buck says. "I'm being evicted."

---

the only way out is through @ambernotember 10k, rated T, complete notes: yes i know this was posted yesterday but it needs to Be Here

Bobby’s old apartment building. He knew how it would look to the others so he just… hadn’t mentioned it. He met them at their houses or took Jee to neutral places, like the park or the aquarium. No one questioned it. He doubted they’d even noticed.

---

called out from the mouth of oblivion @r-o-s-e-f-i-r-e bucktommy/bathena, 4k, rated E, complete notes: 8×15 au (bobby lives)

It was good, overall, that no one had ever managed to break Buck of his impulsive, hothead ways completely. Bucking the lead, Bobby thinks fondly. It’s the thing that’ll save all of their lives again before the end finally comes, he's sure of it, and one day it'll make Buck the best kind of captain, the kind his team will follow to hell and back.

---

half a page of scribbled lines @liminalmemories21, @cecilyv 25k, rated N/A, complete notes: kid fic aka THE ONE WITH ROBBY!!!!

They get married before they move in together. Tommy's pretty sure that if someone had told him a year ago that he'd be married and finding a place in his garage for the bike he's never seen Evan actually use, and watching Evan survey his — their — kitchen like he’s determining the best position to station his troops, he'd have given them a free ride to the hospital.

flag-bearers @liminalmemories21, @cecilyv tumblr fic, 8×15 coda

The bubble of hope pops abruptly when Evan says, "What are you doing here?" "Your sister called,” a voice he doesn't recognize says. And well, fuck. There's just no way this ends well.

---

wind finding @rcmclachlan 3k, rated T, complete notes: sunset helicopter drama, were we ever so young??

Tommy's in the cockpit of his favorite AW139 with a gun pressed to the base of his skull.

---

if there's solid ground below @stars-inthe-sky 1k, rated G, complete

This summer was shaping up differently.

---

inhale 'til your lungs get sore @apollabarnes 5k, rated T, complete

Bobby Nash dies. Bobby Nash... sticks around.

---

I Never Really Had a Friend @firewasabeast 5k, rated M, complete

Buck is standing in the middle of Eddie’s living room. No. His living room. At least for one more week. It’s almost empty... But it’s in this space, this room filled with memories and ghosts, that Buck decides he’s never really had a friend.

---

what I covet, I keep @firehose118 9k, rated E, complete

Eddie is back for the weekend and Tommy stakes a claim.

---

you take the love, i'll take the fall @postmodernau 4k, rated E, complete

Buck gets more than he bargains for from a Grindr hookup.

---

8×15 codas from @leashybebes

part one

It doesn't matter what they are. What they were in the past. What they might be in the future. Evan is breaking apart on the screen in front of him, and Tommy feels like there's a hook in his gut, hollowing him out even as it pulls him closer.

part two

Evan pushes away from him, sits up, scrubs his hands over his face. His shoulders straighten, his back stiffens, his jaw tightens. He clears his throat and a different person looks at him out of Evan's eyes, made dull by the low light and the things that have happened. They've never knowingly worked a sanctioned scene together before, but he thinks this is what Evan must look like when he takes charge in the field.

---

these episode codas from @alchemistc

favors

Tommy's the kind of asshole who checks his phone at the table in the middle of a first date, now.

ivory limbed and brown-eyed

Buck wakes with the sun streaking across his face and a finger tracing the lines around his eyes, feather light touch and a shadow across his brow like Tommy's tilted his head just to make sure he doesn't take a direct hit from the early morning rays.

---

and there's more every day because yay fandom! we made it!

[sealsshitpostden]

Get into other fandoms, we will welcome you happily, Your feelings of attachment to the franchise ARE valid...but you HAVE to face them, and learn to move on.

I am very sure that if you ask anyone in a fandom ¨hey, i wanna get int something new, i want to get away from hp ¨ they WILL help you out, and i know i myself would too! Its always fun to get into a new hobbie...But as it stands, hp is a cancer that needs to be extirpated, please, please see it as it is...i beg of you...Others can make it easier for you, but...you have to make the choice to move on yourself. Fuck it, literally DM me if you are interested! I will get you into 7 different things that will completely take over you if you let them, i am into so many fandoms. Play limbus company if you want something gritty, yet wonderfully written, and with a fair share of silly! I have 1300 hours on that game, and its a gacha game so you WONT have time to even think about hp, or if you dont want that, try out library of ruina! it is an amazing story with a greatly designed ¨beat enemy, get to use enemy's power¨ that i think you guys might like! Lobotomy corporation also exists, if you like the thrill of overcoming impossible odds, and SCP...AND the fanbase is welcoming to an almost fanatic degree! Join us, we are totally not a cult. Get into retroachievements, play games from before you were born, or from when you were a kid but never played, some games can take months and months Play VRchat if you want to meet people or, fuck it even get into ERP, i do not care and noone else will in the slightest Balatro exists, You probably know of it. Read Percy jackson, its a classic for a reason...and fuck it, if you wanna keep at it with ¨magic school¨ you can play a minecraft modpack with some friends that is focused on magic! theres a ton of them HELL, get into writing! make your own, legally distinct magical world with your friends and enjoy yourself! Writing is great And if that sounds appealing, but too much work, Try out Dnd! TTRPGs have never, ever been more accesible, and 5e is super easy to pick up with the help of literally anyone who knows how it works, you can make your OWN magical story, where you do not even NEED to be the main character, you can perfectly play the role of a side character watching/helping the protagonists do their thing, while being equally as important if you so choose! the possibilities are endless! I have had to discard my childhood completely, I am transgender, and it was miserable...But you can do it, i believe in you! AND i do mean it, Harry potter's actor, Daniel Radcliff (Who is quite *rad*) whose entire thing was being known AS ¨guy who played harry potter¨ has manage to overcome that completely, and just does his own thing now! i love his acting even if im not a big movie gal. You can do it, you do not need your past, even if it may be a comfort, to be a worthwhile person today, to be happy. I feel like this is what people, angrily, think when they say ¨READ A NEW BOOK¨ but its veiled in so much exhaustion due to JK's horrible, horrible actions that...I feel like some people could do with this post! Anyways, have a nice day, i do mean it, thanks for reading this far.

Let me make this clear. If I see you reblogging Harry Potter, if I see you doing that "Hogwarts house" in bio bullshit, if I see you writing hp fanfic or whatever I assume you are a transphobe. "But it's my special interest!" Don't care. "But it's just fanfic!" Didn't ask. "But I'm trans!" You should know better.

Don't like it? Stop putting the works of the world's worst terf on your blog. I don't care if you pirate it, you're still giving the series continued relevance and you're publicly making yourself look unsafe for trans women to be around.

[iluvbuckets]

❤︎ paige bueckers x fem!reader ❤︎

summary: you and paige are best friends. one night you come over to hang out, expecting paige to either be on her ipad or sat in front of her tv on the playstation. instead, you find her hiding in the bathroom, overthinking about hateful comments. you try to reassure her–if sticking a hand down her pants counts as reassurance.

warnings: fluffy smut, standing in front of a mirror, praise, dirty talk, whimpering, the tiniest amount of begging, a little teasing, maybe even a little possession, bottom!paige (not sorry about it), mutual pining, lowkey clothed sex, paige is a little whiny, there's not really a height difference

word count: 3.1k

notes: i haven't written on tumblr since 2018 so please be gentle ❤️‍🩹 i've had this draft for a while for a longer story and i was gonna add more but this ending felt right

✷✷✷

going to paige’s apartment after a long day was an everyday routine at this point. it seemed like neither of you could go a day without seeing each other. the very few times you didn’t see each other, she was out of town for an away game or an event, but that usually resulted in a facetime call anyway. paige’s team joked that you were attached at the hip and you would be lucky if you saw one without the other, but you didn’t mind the jokes. you stayed at paige’s so often you should probably contribute to the rent and you attended anything that paige could snag you an invitation too including team dinners. 

as usual, you walked down through the living room and hallway to paige’s room, giving jana and allie quick hellos on the way. they were sitting on the couch doing homework, completely unfazed by the way you had just walked into their apartment without knocking, and gave you a hey in return.

when you pushed open the door, you had expected paige to be laying in her bed with her eyes trained on her ipad watching a game, or maybe even with a playstation controller in her hand, but she was nowhere to be found. her bed was slightly messy like she had been laying in it, but it was empty along with her desk chair. the only hint to where she was being the half-open bathroom door that allowed the light to shine into the room. 

you hesitantly walked to the ajar door, expecting her to be on the toilet or in the shower. even though you had sat in the bathroom while she showered many times, being around her like that had been feeling different lately. your gaze lingered on her body a bit too long when she wore a tight shirt. your mouth went dry when the skin of her stomach was exposed when she reached above her head. you had always known paige was very attractive, but she was gaining muscle and holding herself with a different type of confidence lately. it was making you question if what you felt for paige was really just platonic.

paige wasn’t in the shower or on the toilet, though. she was leaning against the counter, phone in one hand, gaze fixed on whatever she was reading. as you approached, you noticed that she was chewing on the thumbnail of the unoccupied hand anxiously. her hair was down and slightly damp, dressed in one of your old high school shirts and a pair of aeropostale sweats that she’s probably had for years.

“paige?” you called softly, leaning against the doorframe.

she whipped her head over to you like she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t have been, immediately locking her phone and setting it on the counter behind her. she sniffled, looking away to hide that she had clearly been crying or was about to cry.

“hey,” she greeted you sheepishly, still not meeting your gaze. 

“what were you looking at?” you asked. 

“nothing.” she chewed on her bottom lip, clearly trying to distract herself so she wouldn’t get emotional again. 

you moved forward so you were standing in front of her, closing the door behind you and crossing your arms. “it obviously wasn’t nothing,” you replied in a soft, yet stern, tone. “tell me.”

you had only seen paige like this a handful of times. she was usually put-together, smooth, and confident about everything, even with some things you wish she would drop her guard down for. she tried not to let anything get to her, but today seemed to be an exception. 

“okay,” she nodded, still staring at her feet on the ground. you knew something was really bothering her if she was struggling to make eye contact–that has always been something she was great at. “i was reading some comments,” she hesitated, “mean comments. about me.”

“why–” you sighed, slightly disappointed that she was letting some miserable people on the internet get under her skin like that. people who were probably only saying those things because they could never compare to someone as charming, funny, kind, and gorgeous as paige bueckers.

“i didn’t mean to, i swear. i just–” she paused, taking a deep breath. “they’re just saying stuff about how i look like a man and i’m not very feminine or whatever. i don’t know. i usually don’t care, but–” she cut herself off as you stepped forward, cupping her face in your hands, forcing her to look at you. 

her eyes were glassy, but luckily, you didn’t see any tear streaks on her cheeks. you caressed her cheeks with your thumbs comfortingly, nonetheless, knowing that she needed the comfort. she leaned into your touch like it grounded her.

“paige,” you started, contemplating if you should say the words that were urging their way to the front of your brain. ultimately, you decided to. “you are the prettiest girl i have ever seen.”

you could feel the heat rise to her cheeks beneath your thumbs as she looked away again.

“no, i’m–”

“paige,” you interrupted her attempt to protest.

paige didn’t reply. her eyes shifted to your lips for just a second before they met your eyes again, but you did your best to ignore it. it was probably an accident–a mistake caused by the proximity. which brought how close you had gotten to your attention. you tried to disguise the way your breath caught in your throat, hoping she didn’t notice. if she did, she didn’t make it obvious.

“you’re just saying that because you have to be nice to me,” she mumbled.

“i don’t have to do anything.” you moved your hands to brush her hair behind her shoulders and tuck it behind her ears, then allowed them to rest on her upper arms. “i’m saying it because i mean it. seriously, i’m not sure there’s anyone more beautiful than you.”

“besides yourself?” she asked boldly, slightly tilting her head with an intense stare into your eyes to gauge your reaction. 

you managed to keep yourself pretty steady, though. it wasn’t abnormal for you two to compliment each other anyway, about anything and everything. you were always the first person to tell paige if she looked good and vice versa, but this time it felt different. with your evolving emotions and the way she had glanced at your lips a few moments ago–it felt far more loaded than it had ever been before. 

“p, i don’t want these comments to get to your head,” you replied, ignoring her. she probably wanted you to address it to take the intense attention off herself, but you refused. “they will never understand that you are feminine because they have a false sense of what being a woman really is. you’re confident in what you say, strong on and off the court, and you’re not afraid to be vulnerable with your emotions. they don’t like a successful woman, especially one more successful than them.”

“yeah, but–” 

“but nothing. don’t argue with me about this,” you said sternly.

she parted her lips like she wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure how to reply without it sounding like she was arguing. your gaze was soft as you looked at her, wishing she could see herself through your eyes. this was new for you, though. paige had never really expressed insecurity in herself whether it was her basketball, her looks, her energy–she was always confident and maybe even sometimes a little cocky. she held herself like she was the best person in the room at all times, yet was still so humble when you spoke to her. she was a clip farmer, too, knowing that she was attractive and milking it to get edits from her fans (which you definitely didn’t have a folder of).

“i never look at stuff like that,” she shook her head like she was ridiculous. maybe she was, she knew better than to indulge in those kinds of comments. no matter what she did, she couldn’t please everyone and someone would have something to say.

suddenly, you place your hands on her waist and turn her so that she was facing the mirror. there wasn’t much of a height difference, so you were able to hold eye contact with her over her shoulder. she kept her eyes trained on you, trying to figure out what you were doing.

“look at you, paige. they’re just jealous they can’t have you,” you say playfully with a small smile then quickly add, “anyone would be lucky to have a girl like you.”

“anyone?” paige asks with a raised eyebrow. she is obviously baiting, and you debate whether or not you should give her the answer she’s searching for. you’re usually one to beat around the bush and make people say what they want, for sure.

“anyone.” 

your eyes stared into hers, hoping she could feel the intent behind your words. she swallowed like she was nervous, or maybe like she was trying to read the situation, you couldn’t really tell. you had never really seen paige nervous, and definitely not because of you. you hate to admit it, but the more nervous she seemed, the more your confidence grew. it definitely helped that someone so sure of themselves lost the confident exterior because of your doing.

her eyes flickered to her own reflection, lips parting in hesitation like she was working up the courage, then darted back to you, “even you?”

you slid your hands from her waist to her hips, using them as leverage to pull your bodies together. this caused a quiet gasp to leave her lips as your front pressed against your back. you hooked your chin on her shoulder like you were just trying to give her a hug, like you always do. your hands moved under paige’s shirt, tracing over the bare skin of her abs with your fingertips.

your thoughts were running wild, thinking about how easy it would be to dip your hands into her pants and feel her–to touch her like all the times you had imagined when you were alone in your bed late at night. wetness pooled in your underwear as your hands became dangerously close to the waistband of her pants, then close to the bottom of her tits. you continued tracing her skin like it was an innocent mistake, still not answering her question.

paige’s pulse was racing so fast you could feel it, her skin warm beneath your fingertips. you didn’t even realize you had shifted your gaze to watch your hands until you looked back her face to see her staring at you with an intensity you had never seen. it was expectant, maybe even a little lustful, but you couldn’t tell. she had never looked at you like that before.

you smiled, loving the control you had over her right now. you moved your head so your lips were pressed against the shell of her ear, pressing the tips of your fingers under the waistband of her sweatpants. “especially me,” you whispered. 

it was so soft paige wasn’t even sure if she actually heard that or if she was imagining it, and the placement of your hands wasn’t helping. her head was swirling with a combination of her feelings that she had been suppressing for you and a need for you to touch her–to make her feel good, to prove something. the contrast of your cold fingers against her warm skin didn’t help either. she knew that your statement could mean nothing, it could be friendly, but the way your hands were on her told a different story.

she swallowed nervously again, feeling like she was dreaming in this moment. this was a complete shift from this morning when you two were eating breakfast in the kitchen at the gym with paige’s teammates. technically, you weren’t supposed to be there as a non-athlete, but no one ever said anything to you as long as you were with paige. she had been stealing glances at you with a fond smile that morning while you joked around with the team, not really having conversations with paige. 

which was fine because it gave her the opportunity to admire you. 

the way you spoke. the way you laughed and the way your eyes crinkled as you snorted. the way you were able to keep banter going so smoothly. the way you were able to insert yourself into her life so easily like you had always known each other–like you were the piece of her that she had been missing until the day you met. she would never get over how damn easy it is to love you.

without even thinking about the repercussions, she blurted out, “you already have me.” 

butterflies erupt in your stomach at her words, and a smirk rose to your lips. you take it as a green light to press a kiss to the shell of her ear, then behind it, then trail down her neck. your hand moves up under her shirt to move the collar to the side so you can kiss her shoulder, and paige whines when your palm lightly grazes her nipple. you kiss down to her shoulder with light, closed-mouth kisses, but they quickly turn into slow, open-mouthed ones as you go back up to her neck. she breathes out of her nose at the feeling, craning her neck to the side to give you a better angle. 

“yeah?” you say, but it comes out as more of a moan unintentionally. you let go of her shirt collar, slowly moving your hand back down her body. your fingers slowly trace back and forth under her sweatpants, over the waistband of her underwear. her abdomen flexes at the contact. you ached to dip your hand, but as much as you wanted that, you wanted to tease her more because paige wasn’t a very patient person.

“yes,” she breathes out. “all yours.” 

you bite back a moan. she wasn’t even touching you, but you always had a thing for possession. this was the girl that you had been silently pining over, waiting to hear her say those words for so long. and finally hearing her say them felt like christmas day as a kid when you got the gift you had been begging for all year, the one your parents had been saying they weren’t sure if you were going to get it.

without hesitating, you move one of your hands down lower, carefully tracing her over her underwear. you could feel her warmth–the way her clit pulsed and the wet spot growing near her entrance. paige moaned quietly, her eyes closing and head falling to the side to rest against yours at the feeling. after that, you didn’t waste any time pushing her underwear to the side and circling two fingers on her clit. she gasped, hips bucking into your hand without permission–like she had been waiting for this for forever. 

“you like when i touch you like this?” you asked, allowing your fingers to increase their speed. she only moaned in response. “paige,” you say her name, trying to get her to respond. again, she doesn’t verbally respond, but she does nod her head. “tell me.”

“yes,” she moans. “been waiting so long.”

as a reward for finally answering, you dip your fingers further and waste no time before pushing them inside her. she was soaking, so it wasn’t difficult at all. you pumped them out shallowly a few times before shoving them deep, curling your fingers. her head fell forward, so you quickly removed your unoccupied hand from her sweats. you grasped at the hair on the back of her head, pulling back to force her to look forward. she opens her eyes in surprise, clearly not expecting that, your fingers working relentlessly inside her to bring her to the edge.

“look at how pretty you are getting fucked by my fingers,” you start, pressing your lips to her ear again and used your thumb to circle her clit. “my pretty girl.” 

she whimpered. you couldn’t help the way your hips bucked up into her at the unexpected sound. her hands scramble for purchase, one grabbing your arm and the other flying up to grab a fistful of your hair on the back of your head. 

“just for you. all for you, no one else,” she replied mindlessly.

“all mine,” you agreed. 

with all the years you had known paige, you would have never guessed this was the way it would be playing out. you figured with the way she normally carries herself, she would be a cocky dominant top. yet here she is, putty in your arms, taking your fingers and whining, moaning, whimpering. it made you want more and had your mind swirling with all kinds of things you could do to her. the things you could make her say, make her do.

“feels s’good,” she moaned, her thighs clenching as she felt the release building in her stomach. she was almost embarrassed at how fast it was approaching, but the overwhelming sensation of your fingers inside her and your thumb circling your clit was almost too much. maybe it was the feeling or maybe it was the person making her feel like this, or both. she even doesn’t know the last time she was touched like this, or if she ever really was. not only that, but how easily she was able to fall into submission. she had never been in this role before, but she had also never been so turned on in her life. “just like that, fuck, don’t stop!”

you had the urge to pull away, to deny her, make her beg for it, but the way her mouth dropped open, her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and her hips bucked forward made you think twice. you kept going as she wished, watching her in the mirror as she cried out and came undone on your fingers. you slowed your pace and untangled the hand that was in her hair, but kept moving to work her through it. 

“that’s it, you’re so good for me, baby. look so good while you come for me like that,” you spoke softly into her ear, talking her through her orgasm. 

you placed a soft kiss to her cheek as you pulled your fingers out, causing her to wince from the sudden emptiness. she immediately turned to face you, an unreadable expression on her face that made a sudden nervousness wash over you.

“paige–” you begin to say, but she cuts you off by grabbing the collar of your shirt and pulling you in for a kiss. you make a strangled noise of surprise, but quickly recover and place your hands on either side of her face. she drops her grip on your shirt so she can grab your hips, gripping them like you might float away.

“that was crazy,” she mumbled against your lips. you couldn’t help but laugh.

[ballsandbabes]

Bleed through love: Geum Seong-jae x Reader

Authors Note: I normally dont write about other things than Sports, BUT...I started with Weak Hero and find the story really exciting. While reading, I found Geum Seong-ja's character very exciting. Y/n = your name// not proof read// GIF not mine // Have fun <3

Summary: Love is never easy, but it is difficult when you fall in love with Seongje. But what happens if he's interested in you too?

Genre: Universe of Weak Hero, slow-burn romance, character drama, fluff with grit, slightly toxic depiciton of a relationship.

Life wasn't fair. Not for you. Your parents were once respected doctors at a good clinic. But even there, corruption flowed through every vein of the institution. That is, until Kim De-Uhn, the director of the clinic, died. And therefore the only person who had protected this secret. As soon as the new director was in office, all employees were fired, including your parents. They had done nothing wrong, but the director wanted to get rid of all old employees in order to be able to completely rebuild and improve the clinic's reputation. With everything that came to light afterward, it made it difficult for your parents to find work again.

And that's how you ended up at Eunjang High School. A cruel, brutal and unrelenting chaos of a school life. You had once had dreams. Dreams of a good, carefree life as a graphic designer. But now it was about surviving this cruel and terrible place.

If you didn't belong to one of the thug squads or knew a member, you could actually get through everyday school life just fine. And that's exactly what you did. You were quiet, reserved and didn't attract attention. Which doesn't mean that you didn't have your reputation at school. The classmates who knew you knew how good you were. Smart, well-read, intelligent, one or two boys would also say that you were very beautiful.

“Omg, I heard Yeon Sieun got into a fight with someone again,” said Daehyun, your best friend. "Oh come on, let's not interfere. That happens every day," you said as you prepared for the next lesson.

You first met Geum Seong-jae after a math test.

You were sitting alone in the hallway, reading glasses slipping down your nose, notebook open across your lap as you reviewed formulas for fun — because yes, that’s the kind of person you were. You liked rules. You liked logic to a degree. You liked knowing that hard work, in school at least, led to clear answers.

He walked by bleeding from the lip.

And you didn’t look away.

“You....you okay?” you asked, calm and straightforward. At that moment you didn't even know why you had spoken to him. Actually, it was against all your rules, but you did it anyway. How reckless.

He slowed. Stared. He was used to flinches, whispers, or forced politeness. Not concern. Especially not from a girl in a sporty zip-up Hoodie with ink on her fingers. He scoffed. “Do I look okay?”

“You look like you got your face slammed into a locker. Twice,” You said while adjusting your glasses. Why did you say that?

That pulled a sharp laugh from him—surprised and short. Then he turned to leave, but not before shooting you a sideways glance.

“Don’t get involved,, stupid girl” he muttered.

But you were involved, in the way that people like you always were — because you believed people and their actions could be understood, even when they didn’t believe it themselves. You would know what he was like. He had shown this often enough when his bloody knuckles had slammed into his opponent's jawline until it was brimming with blood. That's why you knew you couldn't change him. You didn't want that either, but you wanted to be able to understand him, understand why he did what he did.

___ _ _ _

You saw each other every now and then, especially on the way home. When you had to move, the neighborhood you lived in, was different, more unsafe.

It had started with the conversation in the hallway of the school, that Seongje found himself thinking about you. What was the point of this stupid girl to just babble at him like that? Was she crazy?

You hadn't cared who he was, you had just wanted to make sure he was okay and he couldn't quite understand that. He had told himself he was here purely by chance as he waited outside the shabby little art room. Movement. He looked into the room through the tiny, dusty window. You helped a classmate with her picture. Your eyes focused and full of helpfulness. Your body language inviting and sisterly.

Another time you stopped at the sports field on your way from the entrance hall across the courtyard. You had actually never seen him play sports before, that was more Hoo-min Park's thing. Also a bully at your school. It was where you realized how strong and athletic Seongje actually was.

So it went back and forth. You noticed each other. However, without anyone else noticing.

The next time, he found you.

A kid from another class had tried to cheat off your quiz, and when you refused, he pushed you against a locker and called you a stuck-up nobody. You didn’t cry. You stared him down and told the teacher. He got detention.

You got called names. By lunch, your books had been tossed in the hallway. Again.

And Seongje saw it happen.

You didn’t saw him, therefor thinking he wouldnt bat an eye — he didn’t exactly have a reputation for defending nerdy girls with moral backbones. But then, at the end of the day, the kid who shoved you left school with a bloody nose and a limp. What had happened?

You and your friends sat on the wall of the schoolyard as you discussed in whispers what had happened to the guy who had been so mean to you. "Maybe this is all just a stupid coincidence," Mia said, her voice low and wavering. "I don't think so, the boys may be brutal, but that doesn't mean they can't think," Jiun said.

And then you would have seen him. Just early enough to see him put his bloody hand in his pocket. While you were still running, you said goodbye to your friends as you ran after him.

“Don’t thank me,” Seongje told you when you caught up to him later. “I didn’t do it for you.”

“Then why?” you challenged him to answer you, arms crossed, refusing to let him brush it off.

His eyes lingered on your face. "...Because you didn’t flinch. You even have the guts to talk to me like that."

___ _ _ _

He started showing up more after that. Not obviously. Just… nearby. Lingering. He'd stand outside the library and pretend to scroll through his phone. Sit behind you during lunch and pretend to sleep. Glance your way in class and immediately look away when you noticed.

You first didnt notice, but when you did, you never called him out. You just let him hover — because you knew that for someone like him, proximity was connection.

He asked you once, late in the hallway after everyone had left: “Why are you always trying to do the right thing? Even when it sucks for you?”

You closed your locker and smiled at him. “Because someone has to. I don't know, but maybe it will help someone. Maybe it will help someone if I point out to the teacher that we cannot move the date forward. And maybe if I do it enough, someone else will too.”

“…That’s so stupid,” he said quietly, laughing at you.

But the next week, he returned a lost wallet to a first-year without taking the cash inside. Even if he had thought about taking it.

Geum Seong-jae wasn’t gentle. Not in the slightest. To be honest, he was brutal, crazy and arrogant. Despising people who are or act weak, people like you. He wasn’t patient. His anger lived just under his skin, hot and volatile.

But with you?

He showed a very strange side of his, in ways you couldnt really describe. And explain even less.

He "walked" you home but never admitted it, basically he followed you from a few meters away. He "asked", more like teased or bullied you with questions about your favorite books and pretended to be bored....then he would steal them from you. He tried to fix your broken calculator once. Failed. Replaced it in your bag without saying a word. Which got you into massive trouble. Because the guy sitting next to you had lost his calculator, which was also new, and simply accused you of stealing his calculator. What was that about? Did Seungje want to bully you?

And when you asked him, one day, why he hung around you at all, he shrugged and said,“Because you entertain me with you "good morals".” “What do you mean,” you asked him, confused. He explained to you that you weren't an angel either. You lent your study materials to a classmate so that she could copy and not fail. Actually, you weren't allowed to do that. And unfortunately he is right. In an attempt to do something good, you had done something forbidden. An interesting thought came to you during this conversation…maybe it was the same with him?

___ _ _ _

It started like any other day — quiet, normal, deceptive. But you could tell something was off the moment Seongje stepped into school. His eyes were darker, shoulders tense, fists already curled like he’d been in a fight before first period even began. You didn’t ask — not yet — but you stayed close.

When the news spread through the halls that some guys from a nearby school had jumped one of Seongje’s friends outside the gates, everything unraveled fast. By the time you found him, he was already throwing punches. It wasn’t a fight — it was an explosion. Raw, furious, unstoppable. One of the boys lay curled on the concrete, bleeding from the mouth, teeth lose, while Seong-jae slammed the other into a wall, again and again, knuckles cracking with every hit.

“Seongje!” you shouted, running toward him. He didn’t hear you.

“Omg...Stop—please!” You grabbed his arm, your voice trembling but strong. “He understood, but if you continue you could kill him.”

He shoved you back without looking. Not hard — just to get you out of the way. But your foot caught the curb. And you fell. Hard. The third boy gripping you by your wrist, twisting it. You let out a cry of pain. The sound of your body crying for help, in pain, was louder than his fists.

That’s when everything stopped.

His fist hovered mid-air. His head turned. And when he saw you — clutching your wrist, eyes wide in stunned silence — his entire body locked. He let go of the boy he’d been pummeling, who collapsed with a groan. Then Seongje stumbled toward you, color draining from his face. Freeing you from the clutches of the third boy, while hitting him with his fist.

“Y/N…”

You sat up slowly, wincing. Your wrist throbbed, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the look on his face — pure devastation, like he was watching everything he built crumble in real time.

“I didn’t—” His voice cracked. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know it was you, I just—”

You looked at him, really looked. Tears in your eyes, caused by through pain inflicted by him. His hands were shaking. Blood was on his knuckles, and you didn’t know whose. His breath came fast and shallow. But his eyes — his eyes were breaking.

“I told you,” you whispered, “you’re more than your anger.” He sank to the ground beside you, knees drawn up, hands buried in his hair like he wanted to tear it out.

“I’m not,” he muttered. “I hurt you. I did hurt you.”

You reached out gently, laying your uninjured hand on his.

“I’m still here,” you said. “That has to mean something, doesn’t it?”

He looked at you like he didn’t deserve to. Like he’d already accepted that you’d walk away. Like they always did. But you, for what ever reason, didn’t. So if you wouldnt walk away, he had to. He didn't want to see you, being hurt by him ever again.

And so time passed. Time when it felt as if all the moments of stares, anger, closeness and acquaintance had never existed. You became strangers.

___ _ _ _

Time passed. Like it always did. Slow, awkward, cruel.

You and Geum Seongje drifted, the way people do, when things go unsaid — not out of hate, but out of history too heavy to carry. After the fight, after your wrist healed, after he stopped meeting your eyes in the hallway... things just broke.

Now, you were strangers again. You started dating someone a few months later — a boy from the year above, pretty handsome, tall and smart. He was kind, on paper. Well-dressed. Smiled when teachers looked. And most importantly, he wasn't complicated. He didn’t throw punches. He didn’t carry the weight of anger behind his eyes.

But Seongje noticed the difference right away. You didn’t light up when you talked about him. Your smile didn’t quite reach your eyes. And when Seongje saw you walking with the guy, hand-in-hand but looking at the ground — he knew.

And then, some afternoon that week, he saw him. Behind the convenience store, Seong-jae caught him — your perfect boyfriend — with his arm wrapped around girl. A girl that wasnt you. The boy was grinning like he hadn’t just lied to you with every kiss.

That was the moment he snapped. No hesitation. No warning. Fist met jaw. Shoulder hit wall. The guy screamed, fought back, but Seong-jae was fire — wild and wordless. His only thoughts were: How dare you. How dare you touch her, lie to her, ruin her happy smile like that.

By the time it ended, Seongje stood panting over the guy’s crumpled body, fists bloodied, eyes burning. He didn’t even run.

He wanted you to know. You did find out. And you were furious.

You showed up at the nurse’s office where they were patching up his busted lip.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” you snapped, your voice shaking — not from fear, but something deeper. “You can’t just fight everyone who looks at you the wrong way, Seongje!” There it was. At such times, you showed a fire equal to his. Anger, disappointment and the urge to fight. It fascinated him how you could be so loving, caring and so spirited at the same time.

He stared up at you, eyes shadowed, like he’d already accepted your rage before you even arrived.

“I saw him,” he said quietly. “Cheating on you...with that dumb blonde from the second year. I couldn’t… I couldn’t let it slide.”

Your anger deflated. You blinked, stunned.“…What?”

He looked away. “He doesn’t deserve you. No one like that does.”

Silence hung heavy between you. And in it, something softened.

“I’m not....yours.... to protect anymore. I never needed that kind of protection...so whats up with this shit of yours??,” you whispered. Not cold. Just… honest.

“I know,” he murmured. “But I still want to.”

After that, things began to shift. Slow. Careful. You started saying hi again in the halls. He started waiting just a little longer near your classroom. One day, he handed you a drink — your favorite, the one you hadn’t told him you still liked. You took it without a word.

One night, you caught him waiting for you outside the library.

“Thought I’d walk you home,” he said. “Old habits die hard.”

You smiled. “Maybe they don’t have to die. and maybe you walk home with me, instead of behind me?”

From then on, it was the little things. Your hand brushing his on the bus, neither of you pulling away. Him walking on the outside of the sidewalk. You fixing the cut on his knuckle or cheek after another scuffle — gently, like touching something sacred. Him pretending not to look at you or care about it. You pretending not to notice.

You waited. Because if there was one thing you learned about Geum Seongje, it’s that he didn’t need someone to rescue him — he needed someone to stay.

___ _ _ _

It started on a late spring afternoon, the sky grey and heavy. You were leaving school when the downpour hit. You didn’t have an umbrella.

Of course, he found you just at the right time (he had probably followed you again) — running, hair soaked, backpack clutched to your chest. He didn’t say anything. Just walked up and stood in the rain beside you.

Soaked. Still. Silent.

You looked at him, laughter bubbling from your chest.

“This is stupid,” you said, smiling. “We’re going to get sick.”

“Probably,” he replied. You shook your head. “Why do you always show up?”

His voice was low, sincere. “Because you make me want to be someone who doesn’t run away.”

Your breath hitched. Rain clung to your lashes, little droplets haning on for their dear life. His hair stuck to his forehead., soaked and wet He looked at you like you were the only solid thing left in a world that never gave him a place to rest. This time his eyes only show the madness of letting you into his life. The madness of believing that a stupid girl couldn't hurt him. But you could. Whenever you weren't there, he couldn't see you. The fear that something would happen to you cut through him like a sharp knife.

You stepped closer. He didn’t move. “You’re not a bad person, Seong-jae,” you said, voice barely louder than the rain. “You’re just scared someone might understand you... believe that even you have good intentions...sometimes.”

“…You believe that?”

“I do,” you said quietly. Unsure if these words wouldn't make him angry. And then, he leaned in — slowly, softly — and you met him there, in the middle of the storm.

The kiss was everything it shouldn’t have been. Wet. Clumsy. Honest. Madness.

His hands gripped the sides of your face like he was terrified you'd disappear. Yours found his chest, feeling the heartbeat under bruises and bandages and broken pasts.

When you pulled away, breathless, you smiled.

He did too. Not wide. Not perfect. But real.

BONUS:

The boxing hall was dimly lit, smelling faintly of sweat, leather, and something weirdly nostalgic. The rain had stopped hours ago, leaving the city hushed outside, the world tucked into sleep. It had been a few weeks now since you two shared that rainy kiss.

Inside, you were wrapping your hands with practiced slowness — or, at least, trying to. You had no idea what you were doing. You had never been in a place like this before and to be honest it scared you a little. On the other hand, you were happy that Seongje took you into his world with him. A sign of his affection towards you.

“You’re doing it backwards,” Seongje muttered, walking up behind you. His fingers brushed yours, fixing the tape with the kind of care that didn’t match his bruised knuckles or the way he usually handled the world. You glanced up at him, teasing. “I didn’t know Mr. Punch-Everything-In-Sight was a hand-wrapping expert.”

He gave you a sharp look, a fire flickering behind his eyes. “If you're gonna fight, you're gonna do it right.”

“Who says I want to fight?,” confusion rose in your voice. Shouldn't this be something like a date? Sure, it had been weird when he asked you to tag along, but when has it ever been normal with him?

His voice dropped. “You're with me now.” That shut you up — not because it was possessive, but because it was protective. His way of saying I won’t always be able to catch them first. The gym was empty but alive with silence. A single bulb flickered above the ring.

“You're not gonna hurt me....,” you asked, better demanded gently, stepping up into the ring.

He hesitated. “I might.”

You smiled, pulling him by the hand. “Then....Then teach me how to hit back.”

He started with stance — guiding your feet, steadying your shoulders. He circled you slowly, correcting posture, nodding when you got it right. But every time his hands touched you — waist, arms, jaw — it lingered just a moment too long.

And you noticed. “Try,” he said, lifting the pads. “Throw one.”

You did. It wasn’t clean. But it had heart.

He smirked. “Again.”

You hit harder. He chuckled lowly, his mad smile starting to appear on his face. “Better. Where’s that fire when you’re doing math equations?”

You dropped your fists and raised a brow. “Well.. its different...wait?You like my fire?”

He stilled — caught off guard for just a second. “...Yeah. A lot.”

Your eyes locked. Then you stepped in — slow, deliberate — sliding your hands up the front of his shirt, fingers curling into the fabric. Dragging him towards you.

His breath hitched. “Y/N…”

You tilted your head. “You gonna stop me?”

“No,” he whispered. “Never.”

And then you kissed him. No hesitation. No buildup this time.

It was all sharp angles and soft mouths, the snap of tension finally breaking. His hands grabbed your waist, pulling you flush against him, teeth clashing in a kiss that tasted like adrenaline and something long overdue. It was wild and demanding.

You tugged at his shirt. He growled — low and real — before lifting you gently and setting you on the edge of the ring.

The contrast between his rough grip and the reverence in his gaze lit every nerve in your body.

“You sure?” he asked, chest heaving.

You nodded, breathless. “I’ve never been more sure.”

And in that old gym, where ghosts of fights past echoed in the walls, you gave yourself to him — not just your body, but every piece of trust he thought he didn’t deserve. And there you saw it, his version of gentleness.

His lips on your neck. Your hands in his hair. The quietest moans swallowed between kisses. Him trying his best, so his strength never bruised you — it only held you steady. And your softness never made him weak — it grounded him.

For once, Seongje had developed a strong respect for will and strength, other than his. His madness faltering, knowing you could understand his being.

For the moment, he just was mad about you.

I hope you liked this special piece. Love Becca <3

[tehnakki]

OK ridiculous story about Heather and Alec.

So I was a HUGE Heather Alexander fan. I went to multiple ren faires up and down the west coast in high school when I'd hear she was going to be there. I met her multiple times. Was a ridiculous teenage faire groupie that would show up for every single set throughout the day and sigh over how pretty she was. And then she disappeared. I didn't hear of any events of hers for a season so I started trying to figure out what was going on. I think she posted a blog about going on an adventure or something. So I kinda shrugged, and then headed off to college. A couple months later I looked at her blog and saw the post linked above and was heart broken. I had ADORED Heather and I was so upset/frustrated that she was just passing on her mantel to some dude.

Yes, you read that right. I 100% did not realise that he had transitioned. I fully bought into the faerie story. It seemed reasonable. Yes, I was 19/20ish at this point.

Anyways, a couple years go by and I'm back in Vegas during the ren faire and I heard a familiar fiddle line. And there was Alec, fiddling just like Heather had, and singing her songs and it was like being sent back in time to a slightly different past. I danced and sang and hung out for a couple of his sets and towards the end of the faire that day I walked up to say hi! And he said hi back and "Haven't seen you in a bit, how you been?"

And now I'm fucking confused as hell. So I fall back on "faking it" (my normal response to social situations where I don't know what the fuck to do) and mention I've been at uni and am just back for the next month and he asked all the things you do of young college students and I answered them becoming more and more bemused about the whole thing and eventually convinced myself he must of confused me with someone else.

It was a sweet interaction and I think a friend snapped a photo of us and then dragged me off to whatever shenanigans we were getting up to.

And a couple years passed and I wasn't really able to make it to faires frequently, and I was now living in Scotland and wanted to go see the Uffington horse on a weekend trip with coworkers, so I looked up Uffington Horse cd on my ipod, and then though "huh, I wonder what Alec has been doing with Heather's music." So I look him up and it FINALLY FUCKING OCCURed TO ME that Alec WAS Heather. It was 20 fucking 16. It had been almost 10 years of me just believing that Heather gave her discography to some guy. Holy shit.

I still remember sitting there staring blankly at the wall while Pirate Bill and Squiddly played on repeat desperately trying to understand how I had so completely misunderstood the events of 2006.

Hey, fellow fantasy nerds, I invite you to vibe along to this lesser known early 2000s fantasy banger 

[dailymothanon]

Was way too busy today to draw anything but this is how it feels to get my millionth Soundwave plot that is either cassette harm or something maybe a little interesting just for it to never actually be explored and end up tossed aside 😔(of course, I’m just over exaggerating for fun;) warning for a rant btw—

I think most if not all Soundwaves have been handled pretty solidly? Kinda? I guess 90% of the stuff he does as a character is just be an asset to keep the overall plot moving which is fair, but also mostly him just aura farming all the time lmao like girl we get it 😭 but also go off… but also I do heavily wish his character was explored more, different dynamics, change the formula! As mostly Megatron and maybe Starscream and to an extent Shockwave are often changed story and personality wise much more prominently or noticeably. Part of me also feels like 🤔 maybe the lack of change in Soundwaves (design wise? He certainly Does Change a lot) is partially because it’s hard to explore a character that tends to not be really expressive or talk much, so I don’t blame anyone… just wish that he has more juice yaknow 😌 something more filling than just stoic mech who practically carries the whole faction on his back, known to be loyal, and also has cassettes that he seems to care for a ton.. sure, you can say these are essentials to his character, but I guess like, isn’t that the point of different continuities? Endless possibilities that are all technically canon in their own regards (for example the folks who don’t like TfOne Shockwave cuz he’s very expressive and emotional, who think “he doesn’t have emotions why is he like this�� well, yea, he doesn’t have emotions in THAT continuity, but in THIS continuity, he does! It’s a fun new way of seeing him!). Maybe TFA Soundwave is a good example to me of like, this is an interesting new idea of a story for him! But then it’s not really explored ever 😭 but don’t get me wrong, this does Not mean I don’t like other Soundwaves from the lack of story, I love them all very dearly!! Tfp was also an interesting and cool concept of him! Most Soundwaves have had great aspects about them to me which is why I cannot pick a definitive favorite! But one thing I think they all collectively lack a little in is exploration of character that’s past him just being a tool to keep things moving, which to me, even that within itself is something that may be explored, him being seen more as a tool than an individual, but I still completely understand why he isn’t touched on cuz obviously he won’t be the main character or anything 😛 important character Sure, but he’s almost treated like a side character at times which again, is also fine and valid, I don’t have expectations that the story would consider him cuz there’s usually not really reason to; though in comparison to the rest of the high command getting many new analyzations and different directions to go, it is a little disappointing to me when I think about it too much 📼 but I still love him a lot regardless!

[vespidclan]

Mother’s Return

To be mended you must be condemned.

After many weeks of tinkering and drawing and editing, I did it! It’s finished!!! I’m so thrilled to finally see the finished outcome :)

The story and explanation will be under the cut

Way back then in Pineclan, Moththorn had a young kit, Snakekit, who she loved deeply. But around this time, horrible thoughts and visions festered in her head that put her down, so she’d often isolate herself from the clan. Snakekit spent the rest of her kithood with her mother absent and wondering why she no longer smiles at her or plays with her. Even in Vespidclan she wonders why her mom ‘left’ her family so abruptly… It is why Snakevalley decided to become the mother she wished for. She fostered an abandoned kit, Fallenkit. (now grown and named Fallenfox) And has now taken two more under her care, Vinekit and Stonekit.

Something terrible would happen to her sister, Heartflicker, the only Vespidclan healer, which left her injured and unable to work. In need of a cat to quickly take over her duties, Heartflicker picks Stonekit as her apprentice to take her role. This was fine, Stonekit had been taught about some herbs and remedies prior… but Stonekit was only 4 moons old. It made Snakevalley furious, and much more on the next moon, she’d have to see her young daughter become so stressed with her new duties. She tried to reason with Heartflicker. And she’d argue with the leader, Iciclestar, her other sister, to put a stop to it. But neither of them agreed to follow through. Snakevalley ran off in a fit of anger.

She was still crossed, but she realized that she can’t do anything to stop it. The only thing she can do was to be there for Stonepaw through and through. After all, she can’t abandon Stonepaw on this. Not like Moththorn did. Before she returned to camp, she heard a loud crash, coming from the thunderpath. A cat had been crushed by a monster, and he was still breathing! She rushed over to rescue him- and was stopped by some force. Suddenly, the world changed around her. Like she was in a completely different area.

And then she saw it. A strange, flat version of… herself. It didn’t move. It wasn’t alive. But it was definitely her. It felt like she shouldn’t have seen this, and she really shouldn’t have. But she made sure that she did. And she made sure that Snakevalley will not recover from the things she learned and saw from that experience.

Snakevalley awoke back in her clan… Broken. After everything she’s worked for, everything she’s put her faith in, doing what she can to have the best life she always wanted… It didn’t matter. It wasn’t real. She wasn’t real. She was just a flat object. All these thoughts made her go into isolation, and no one understood why. Even though they wanted to, it felt too awkward and tense for her family to check on her. They thought leaving her alone would give her some peace.

It gave her the exact opposite.

404 wanted her mentality to dwindle to no return, just like hers did. It wasn’t just because Snakevalley was an obstacle- Snakevalley had everything she wanted. She was blessed with kits. She was blessed with a clan who respected her. Blessed with love. It was everything she wanted to have. And seeing a cat so close to her have all of these things, seeing her dazzle and shine, it was a disgrace to everything she went through. It was indignation. She hated Snakevalley. It was hatred. And she was plagued by these malicious voices of hate, she gave into them. 404 made her decision and she was keen on fulfilling it.

And fulfilled it she did. 404 was relentless to her. She made sure the negative thoughts never ceased. And once the time arrived, when she saw that Snakevalley was at her most vulnerability… she gave Snakevalley death berries. She wanted her to eat them. But watching Snakevalley gaze upon her dark predicament made 404 feel… remorseful. A ‘human’ feeling, finally, after all this agony of anger. But not a good one. She saw herself in Snakevalley, yes. How she hated seeing that memory. But behind that reflection, from the cracked mirror, there was the daughter she left behind. The one who believed she hated her in kithood. The one who was put into the same anguish she experienced. In the same situation, as the two both held the same plant in their paw… But 404 made her decision and Snakevalley made hers.

Neither can undo what’s been done.

Snakevalley believed that her family hated her. She thought that she didn’t deserve to live alongside them, knowing what their true existence is. Snakevalley… believed that she was better off dying with this knowledge. She didn’t want to die. And yet, 404’s influence had done enough.

Snakevalley ate the death berries. 404 hoped that perhaps a part of Snakevalley recognized her during her final moments… That was wishful thinking. Nonetheless, Snakevalley died. Her plan worked. And she would have to join her in Out Of Bounds just like the others.

…But this time, 404 has other intentions for her.

She needed to fix her.

And 404 remembered… why mercy was not worth pursuing.

The corruption festers.

I had such a blast working on this. I’m very happy to draw my beloved Snakevalley again. Maybe I could do something like this again in the future, but for now I’ll resume the comics! Once again I hope you all liked what the video offered and the thorough explanation I gave for the events :’)

[mukuroom]

Okay final Yuno thoughts before I shut up about this. Or more specifically fandom thoughts I suppose;; right now we only have 3 lyrics from Life and people are immediately jumping to conclusions about her story and the writers. We have people going "I can't believe the writers are pro-life", people going "her story was always pro-life, you're stupid if you didn't realise that the second they grouped abortion with other murders", and people going "If you think her story is in any way pro-life, you're an idiot". I think it's important to remember that while Yuno isn't a real person, the topics discussed in her story and the people you're speaking to about her story very much are.

Abortion for some people can be lifesaving in more ways than one, something to celebrate or be nonchalant about, and for others it can be something traumatic and tormenting. It's a complicated topic, and while I believe 100% in abortion rights, that doesn't mean everyone who gets an abortion will be happy about it. Yuno's reaction doesn't just exist in a pro-life vacuum. On the other hand, it's completely reasonable for people to question the intentions of someone writing a character this way. Especially in today's world where abortion is a sensitive topic for many people, it's understandable that people would be wary of a character like this. Rather than jumping to conclusions and insulting everyone who has a different opinions, it's probably better to wait until her VD and song actually come out. If we're freaking out this much over a trailer, I'm really not looking forward to what it'll be like when Life is actually released.

[elden-12]

I don't post much about the MCU but loving Captain America and Steve as a character and hating that awfully written out of character nonsense that they did for his ending is perfectly reasonable.

I do love the Steve/Bucky dynamic but I also love Steve/Peggy. The problem with him going back isn't who he's doing it for or what their gender is. Cap's whole storyline of learning to adapt to the modern world and to be an icon not for the government of America but for the ideals he believes and the country is supposed to hold and (supposedly) used to.

Having him abandon his friends and fellow heroes when they need him most to literally live in the past because all he apparently cares about now is his own happiness over doing the right thing was a complete betrayal.

The one decent thing was handing the shield on and giving Sam the chance to take over as a new Captain America for the new age and the stories that have resulted from it. But the writers could've had him retire or die and pass the shield on in a different way and allowed for those new stories without ruining the original one with an OOC ending.

Plus in plot logic terms what actually happens? Are him and Peggy living together in hiding and not worrying about Hydra having taken over SHIELD and keeping Bucky as a brainwashed slave to keep the time line intact? That would be so evil and OOC of them.

Or are we meant to assume they've created an alternate time line and their scene together wasn't them retired but just a night off and they're dealing with all those problems? That could be an interesting AU but then you'd have the question of how old Steve got back to the main timeline to pass down the mantle and why the TVA didn't come after their new timeline.

All in all it was just such a let down and a poor end to a great character and storyline.

I’m seeing so many ppl openly hate on steve rogers endgame ending which is genuinely bringing me out of hibernation but I’m afraid if u r a new fan u will never understand the trenches we (steve loyalists) went thru in 2019. like we’re talking I was put on steve roger anti lists and called a misogynist 20 times over just for saying steve retiring in the 50s was out of character

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

a beautiful little lie. [chapter 6] l Harry Castillo

Summary:  you are the personal assistant of Harry Castillo, a wealthy entrepreneur who asks you to go with him to his friend's wedding. there you meet your ex-boyfriend and things get out of hand

Warnings: fluff, friends to lovers (maybe?), some kissing, ex-boyfriend, Mrs. Kruger, some tears, an unpleasant situation, some romance, some nerves

A/N: I wish I could write better to show what I have in my head when I plan this story. I'm not completely happy with it, but I hope it's just my mood and being overwhelmed. Thank you for every heart and reblog and comment. I don't want to demand or put pressure on you, but if you wrote a few words, I would be glad that I could read what you think about it all. Thank you for being here!

your feedback is very important to me and I want to thank you for all the reblogs, comments and likes. I secretly hope you like this story.🖤 sorry for all the mistakes

[my masterlist] [Harry Castillo masterlist] [a beautiful little lie- series masterlist]

When you woke up in the morning, you felt a strange anxiety in your chest. Even though the previous evening had been really pleasant, nothing more had happened between you and Harry except for that kiss, you had the impression that you had crossed a certain line that you shouldn't have crossed. You wanted to blame it on the alcohol or the influence of the stars, but you couldn't hide one thing - you really liked that kiss.

"But he's your boss..." you groaned, rinsing your face with cold water. You repeated the same words later while taking a shower and getting dressed, as well as in the elevator and on your way to the dining room for breakfast.

But as soon as you saw Harry sitting at a table covered with a snow-white tablecloth, the thought that had been occupying your head quickly disappeared.

He noticed you as you entered the room. Your simple, casual dress nicely emphasized your shapes as you headed to his table.

"Good morning." he greeted, rising slightly.

"Hi." you replied with a smile, sitting down next to him "Have you been waiting long?"

"I just got here." Harry nodded to the waiter and he immediately appeared next to you "Would you like some coffee?"

After a moment, coffee and your breakfast appeared on the table. All the worries you had were blurred in the casual and pleasant conversation, and Harry didn't once refer to yesterday evening, for which you were grateful. If Harry had different impressions than you, you didn't want it to cast a shadow over such a promising day.

"Do you have any meetings today?" you asked, putting a piece of croissant in your mouth and reaching for your phone "I could work in the meantime. I'm sure I have a backlog of emails and..."

The phone slipped out of your hand and Harry without hesitation pressed the side button, turning it off. The screen went black. "We're not working today." he said, a mischievous smile appearing on his face "Neither you nor I. Tomorrow we go back to New York, we should use this day."

"What do you mean?" you asked surprised "Harry, your clients won't be happy if..."

"They can handle it." he interrupted you, took a sip of coffee, and then smiled again "We can spend this day however we want. Do whatever we want, eat whatever we want."

You watched him carefully as if you wanted to catch him in some trick. Maybe he was joking and just checking your reaction? You guessed that there must have been a few unread emails in your inbox, not to mention other messages. But your switched off phone was still resting on the table next to Harry, and his brown eyes were staring at you with audacity.

"Are you serious?" you asked finally.

He nodded. “Of course. You haven’t seen much yet, but if you just want to go to the beach, that’s fine with me.”

He noticed right away how you frowned and looked at him suspiciously. However, when you spoke, the corners of your mouth turned up slightly. "You just want to see me in a swimsuit again."

Harry raised both hands. "Guilty. But can you blame me?"

You chuckled, shaking your head. "I feel like I'm going to regret this, but... Damn it. Let's do this."

When Harry said you could do whatever you wanted, he really meant it. In the rented car, you set off through the streets of the city, visiting all the most popular places. You couldn't take your eyes off what the city had to offer, you admired the beautiful people, buildings, iconic places. Even though Harry had been to LA many times, he never once let you feel that he was bored. On the contrary, he accompanied you everywhere and was present one hundred percent.

Hidden behind his black glasses, he watched the delight in your eyes and the smile that never left your lips. Those small details and gestures that he knew so well about you, now seemed even more expressive to him.

He was afraid that after what had happened between you, some tension would appear, but you were so free with him that Harry felt relief. He didn't want to ruin your friendship, but he didn't think that what had happened was bad either.

"Harry! Come, you have to see this."

"But you wanted coffee." he was surprised, but you had already grabbed his hand and pulled him in front of a shop window with some trinkets to show him something. His brain didn't even understand what you were saying to him, he was only focused on how your hand fit perfectly in his.

You ate lunch in a nice little restaurant, and then ice cream in some booth by the beach. When in the evening you found yourself in a crowd of people and Harry, so as not to lose you, grabbed your hand again, you didn't let go of it even when your steps headed towards the beach.

“I’m gonna miss this sun,” you said as the waves lazily lapped at your feet.

“It’s only a few hours of flying. We can fly back anytime you want.”

You looked at him. He was standing with his hands in his pockets, his pants pulled up so the waves wouldn't get them wet, and his face was directed straight at the setting sun. He looked really handsome. The wind gently played with the strands of his curly hair, and his skin glowed as if Harry himself was the sun.

"You probably say that to all your assistants." you said, and he burst out laughing.

"Only to you, darling, I assure you." he replied.

"Such cheesy." you shook your head, but you couldn't hide your smile. "Oh, any woman would fall in love with you, Mr. Castillo."

He watched with interest as you lowered your head and lifted your foot slightly, playing with the waves that were steadily hitting the shore. This moment seemed to him cut out of life, where there was nothing more than you. Maybe that's why he decided to ask.

"And you?" you looked up at him. "Could you fall in love with someone like that?"

"Not with someone. That's not what you want to ask, is it?"

You were right. That wasn't what he was asking you. He wanted to know if you could fall in love with him. Was that even possible? You had crossed the line between boss and assistant a long time ago. The long evenings that you theoretically spent together at work, but in reality you just talked, the dinners, the occasional movie together, and many other things when you were just two friends.

“I think we make a good duo,” he finally said. “In and out of work. You know what I mean?”

You nodded.

“I would get first prize for Assistant Of The Year?”

“Definitely.” He frowned suddenly. “Does such a thing exist?”

You shrugged. “I have no idea. But I like working for you, Harry. I really do.”

“And I like spending time with you.” You smiled. “You’re smart, funny, beautiful…”

“Oh God, don’t do that…” you mumbled, feeling the heat rise to your neck.

Harry took a step toward you. “What shouldn’t I be doing?”

“That! You make me feel… embarrassed.”

One more step. “Is it bad? Tell me, when I kissed you last night, was it embarrassing?”

You took a deep breath, your chest heaving, and your eyes briefly darted away from the people walking in the distance. When you looked back at Harry, he had already taken off his glasses, his eyes looking at you softly, as if waiting for that one answer.

“No.” You answered quietly. “It was nice. Very nice, even.”

“I liked it too.” He replied. You didn’t even flinch as he gently brushed away a strand of hair that the playful wind had been playing with in your face. “And you know what? I still want more.”

His fingers gently trailed over your jaw, then down your neck to your shoulder. A warm shiver ran down your spine. You were almost certain Harry could hear your heart beating, he was so close. He waited for just one signal and he got it a moment later when a quiet, "So take what you want, Harry..." left your lips. And so he did.

His lips captured yours in a sweet and gentle kiss. Carefully, as if you were both exploring the area, testing how much you could allow yourself. His hand slid into your hair, pulling your face closer, the other rested on your hip, as if he was afraid you would run away. But you didn't have that in mind.

The scent of his cologne mixed with the scent of the sea, and you felt completely intoxicated by Harry. You gave yourself over to this moment completely, against all arguments of logic. Parted lips were an invitation to him. Without hesitation, Harry deepened the kiss, his soft tongue slipped in and you moaned quietly. The bastard smiled, you felt it.

"What?" you whispered. He stroked your cheek with his thumb, still smiling.

"Nothing." he rubbed his nose against yours, still smiling, until you finally patted his chest and pulled away.

"You're unbearable, you know that?"

Even though you stepped back, Harry's fingers slid down your arm and then tightened around your wrist. He tugged lightly, pulling you back to him. "And you're cute."

You rolled your eyes. This guy was taking you apart with childish ease.

"Tell me..." you looked at Harry with interest, "When we get back to New York, will you go out with me? On a real date?"

You watched him carefully, analyzing his words. There was nothing but sincerity in Harry's eyes.

"Do you really want this?" you asked.

He tilted his head, smiling. "Of course I do. I wanted to ask you out two weeks after you showed up at my office."

You shook your head in disbelief and giggled. “Okay. I can’t keep Harry Castillo waiting for me any longer.” He pulled you in again, kissing you lightly. You gladly let him.

Your suitcase was almost packed when you closed the door behind you and went to breakfast. You had a few hours before you were supposed to be at the airport, so you and Harry didn't have to rush. The elevator stopped on the ground floor, and you entered the lobby. You hadn't even taken a few steps when someone said your name.

"Daniel?" You frowned in surprise, not really knowing what was going on. "What... What are you doing here?"

The man smiled, walking up to you. It looked like he had to wait here. "We flew in at night. Nice to see you."

"Is Beth with you?" You looked around the lobby, but didn't see a familiar face.

"It's a business trip."

He didn't need to say anything more. A heavy stone fell into your stomach as you looked towards the dining room door. You already knew who you would meet there.

"And you?" he asked.

"W-what?"

Daniel smiled, then lightly placed his hand on your elbow and led you towards the dining room door. "I think you could use some coffee. Still drinking the same one?"

You noticed them immediately as you entered the sunlit hotel dining room. Many of the tables were occupied by guests, but where you usually sat, Mrs. Kruger-Waltz was now sitting with Harry. Her blonde hair fell smoothly over her shoulders, and her lips stretched into a dazzling smile. She rested her chin on her hand, completely engrossed in her conversation with Harry.

A cup of coffee was pressed into your hand, and Daniel led you straight to the table you had been eyeing.

“Mrs. Kruger, Mr. Castillo.” Daniel greeted politely, and Diane looked at you.

“Oh! It’s good to see you.” She said. “I was just telling Harry how hard it is to find you here. Could you answer the phone or at least answer your emails, darling? I thought you were responsible for that.”

Harry cleared his throat. “We’ve been busy.” He replied. “Sorry, Diane. I’m to blame too.”

Yes, he was. The phone he had turned off was still at the bottom of your bag. You hadn’t had time to check your emails. Cold sweat ran down your back at the thought of what you would find when you turned those devices on.

“Harry…” Diane placed a tender hand on Castillo’s shoulder. “That’s what we have assistants for. I think she should face the consequences of her negligence. But never mind!” she smiled happily. “I have some really good friends in Los Angeles that you should meet. Working with them could really benefit you.”

You noticed the quick glance Harry gave you. You must have looked like an idiot, standing at the table with a cup of coffee in your hand and complete surprise in your eyes.

“I have to apologize again, Diane, but we’re leaving today. In a few hours…”

“That’s no problem. I have my own private jet.” The woman took a sip of her coffee and winked. “Your assistant can fly back to New York on her own, right? Will you be okay?”

"Y-yes." You stuttered in surprise. "Of course."

"You see! Brave girl." Diane beamed. "She'll have a lot of work to catch up on, and we'll have a nice time here."

You didn't know what to say. You didn't have the courage to look at Harry, because Diane was watching you carefully. Finally, someone gently squeezed your elbow, said goodbye to them for you, and led you out of the dining room.

"You look really good, you know that?"

Daniel's words tore you out of your stupor. You looked at him in surprise and carelessly tilted your mug, spilling coffee on yourself.

"Fuck!" you hissed louder than you intended. You put the mug down on the small table by the wall and saw a stain on your shirt. "Ugh! Not that."

Daniel watched you carefully, a smile never leaving his lips. "Hey, don't worry. It's just a shirt." he said. “You’ll have time to change before the flight.”

“Yeah, I know.” You mumbled. “I just… didn’t expect you’d be here. If I checked my email or something…”

You felt a familiar touch on your shoulder, and Daniel placed a hand on it, trying to calm you down.

“Nothing happened. We all make mistakes sometimes, right? You’ll go home and make up for it.”

You quickly glanced at the door where you had left Harry and Diana. An unpleasant feeling of disappointment washed over you. You felt like you had let down not only Harry, but Kruger-Waltz as well, even though she wasn’t your boss. If you weren’t standing in the middle of the hall, you probably would have burst into tears.

“Listen…” Daniel caught your attention again. He pulled a white business card and a pen out of the inside pocket of his jacket. “If you need any help or… want to talk.” He scribbled something on the back of the card and handed it to you. “Call anytime. You know, I always liked talking to you.”

You looked at the card and then at Daniel, completely confused by the whole situation. In the meantime, he led you to the elevator, pressed the button, and the doors opened.

The next few hours passed at an alarming rate. Checking out of the hotel, taking a taxi to the airport, checking in and heading to the terminal. Your brain was on autopilot and you weren't entirely sure what to think.

In the morning, when you woke up, you felt like you had touched the sky, and at this point you were already down. You hadn't had a chance to talk to Harry and honestly, you wouldn't even know what to say. You felt like you had let him down, that your resignation letter was already on his desk. You shouldn't have let him turn off your phone, or at least you should have done your chores when you weren't with him or kissing him.

When you got on the plane, you felt even worse, if that was even possible. You sank into your seat and stared out the window. You exploded. Tears streamed down your cheeks as you hastily pressed your hand to your mouth to hold back a sob.

You hadn't felt this humiliated in a long time.

"Is this seat free?"

Shit. You wiped your tears with your sleeve and nodded. "Y-yes, go ahead." You waved your hand, trying to hide your face from the passenger sitting next to you. From the quiet sounds, you guessed he had taken the seat that was supposed to be Harry's.

"Did you enjoy LA?" the voice next to you said again.

You took a deep breath to calm yourself down and not sound desperate. "I really had a good time here."

"I'm glad to hear that. Are you free this week?"

"You know, I'm really not..." you turned to the other person and froze. Harry sat down right next to you, a gentle smile on his lips. He was clearly pleased with the effect of surprise and your expression.

"What are you doing here?" you asked. "Diane... She's waiting for you, Harry."

"I had to decline her offer. I hope she takes it well, although she didn't seem thrilled." he replied.

You looked at him, completely speechless. A few moments passed before you spoke again.

"You shouldn't have done that. You were supposed to sign a contract... Your company could have lost a lot of money." You spoke so quickly that even if Harry wanted to interrupt you, he wouldn't have succeeded. "You should have stayed in Los Angeles. I've already caused so much trouble. Of course, I understand that my resignation is just a formality..."

"Hey! Stop it." Harry grabbed your hand and that made you fall silent. "I won't accept any resignation, not from you."

“But Kruger…”

“Mrs. Kruger-Waltz is not someone my company would want to work with. Her attitude towards people in lower positions goes against my principles. As my assistant, you should know that.”

Your eyes widened even more, but you didn’t say anything. You stared at Harry with a mixture of awe and fear. Had he really rejected Diane and appeared on that plane?

“You should stay.” You finally said quietly.

He looked at you, then smiled gently. “One woman promised me a date. She’s worth coming back for.”

You shook your head in disbelief, but you smiled back. This was crazy. But it was Harry.

☆☆☆☆

Thank you for your time.

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[flythesail]

I'm just saying if I was the one making andor, I would have gone through rogue one scene by scene with a fine tooth comb

[lemonlover1110]

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲

Zayne

[Chapter 3] Questions

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Pairing: Zayne x f!Reader

Discord +18 - Twitter - Ko-Fi - Bluesky

Time sits still. There’s deafening silence in the room as his gaze lingers on you. Zayne is at a complete loss for words. How exactly is he supposed to react when he finds out the love of his life has moved on? Not only moved on, but done so with one of his closest colleagues.

“Papa, I wanna stay.” His ears ring, and he realizes that not only have you moved on, but you have a child. A child that’s almost the same age as the end of your relationship. It stings. To think that he spent many sleepless nights thinking of you, wondering how you were doing… And now he realizes that you were just fine in the arms of someone else.

“It is lovely to see you again.” Zayne ends up putting up a facade, an action that takes every fiber of his being. He studies your face for a reaction, but you manage to remain stoic. You don’t seem to be affected whatsoever.

“It’s been a while.” You sheepishly smile, finally giving into the handshake. His thumb caresses the soft hand, touch lasting more than it should. “How have you been?”

“I should ask you that question.” He means the statement in the best manner, but his tone of voice makes it sound underhanded. The situation makes it sound underhanded.

“Life has been… Nice.” You respond, and he gives you a subtle nod. He still holds on to your hand, unable to let go so quickly. It’s an old habit. Eventually, you let go, a subtle yet harsh reminder for Zayne.

“I have to get going.” Zayne ends up announcing, leaving before he even fulfills the purpose of his visit. He had a couple of questions for Greyson, but they left his mind as soon as he saw you. 

Zayne turns to leave, but Greyson stops him. 

“Won’t you like to meet Jade?” Greyson stands up and walks over to Zayne. Zayne furrows his eyebrows at the name. Jade… The name you two had chosen during one of your many late night talks. Turns out it wasn’t that special.

“Of course.” Zayne turns around to meet Greyson, eyes landing on the little girl who holds on like a koala bear. Jade’s back is turned to him, and Zayne has a feeling that he won’t be seeing her face this time around. That doesn’t stop Zayne from greeting her.

“Hi, Jade. I’m Dr. Zayne.” Zayne’s voice softens as he attempts to communicate with the little girl. It’ll take a bit more than that to get her attention, and while he is particularly good with kids, he doesn’t have the energy to deal with this right now.

“Jade, won’t you say hello to Dr. Zayne?” Greyson asks, prompting his daughter to speak. Jade is a little reluctant to strangers, that’s what Zayne gathers at the very least. She turns her little head, takes a good look at the stranger in front of her, and then buries her face in her daddy’s chest. “Jade–”

“It’s alright, Greyson. Don’t push her.” Zayne reassures the man. “Maybe some other time she’ll feel less shy. I’m just a stranger after all.”

“Right. Thank you, Zayne.” Greyson responds. He’s about to ask the reason for Zayne's visit, but before Greyson can open his mouth again, Zayne is gone. 

The moment the door shuts, you breathe a sigh of relief. Then the room is silent once again. Neither of you nor Greyson have the dignity to speak up. It’s alright, neither of you have to speak.

You take Jade from his arms, and though she protests, it’s time to go. No amount of screaming or crying will change your mind, especially not now.

“I’ll see you at home.” You murmur before exiting the office.

Zayne clicks his pen over and over again. He can’t focus, no matter how hard he tries. Today started off great. His morning was productive, and he knew his afternoon would be productive as well. Fate had different plans for him it seems.

When Zayne stepped foot back in Linkon City he knew that there was always the possibility that he’d see you again. He knew you didn’t have plans on moving any time soon so it shouldn’t be a shock that he bumped into you. In Zayne’s ideal plan, he’d bump into you at a grocery store or at a café. The last thing that Zayne expected was to see you at the hospital– With a husband and a child.

“Jade…” He mutters, repeating the name to himself over and over again. Zayne isn’t the type of person to talk to himself, but the name is so… Odd. He suggested that name to you forever ago while you mindlessly spoke of the future. During that conversation a separation seemed impossible; the future was bright back then.

He’ll admit that it stings. It’s something trivial, truly, but you stole his baby name. You made your bed with somebody else but you stole the one thing that was for the two of you. And to think that you were still in communication while you started going out with Greyson.

Zayne isn’t the jealous type, but the thought of everything that’s going on leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. To think that while he was dwelling on you, you were with someone else. 

Zayne is knocked out of his trance by the ring of his phone. He looks down at it, and sees a notification from Greyson nonetheless. The man doesn’t even bother reading the text. He turns off his phone before standing up and walking to the window to admire Linkon City.

Perhaps if he had chosen to stay, he’d be in Greyson’s shoes. He’d have you as his wife, and a lovely daughter who’d hang onto him as a koala. But he shouldn’t dwell on foolish fantasies, because that’s not how things are. Zayne isn’t fault free therefore he has to live with the reality he created.

“She’s knocked out.” Greyson whispers as he closes the door behind him. He walks over to you, laying down beside you as you attempt to read something before bed. A weak attempt since every word leads back to Zayne. 

You knew the day would come. Zayne wasn’t going to stay away forever. It was only a temporary arrangement, you just didn’t have an idea of how long it’d take. You didn’t expect to meet him again so soon. 

“Everything okay?” Greyson asks, watching as you mindlessly stare at the book in your hands. Your eyes aren’t moving, it’s clear that you aren’t reading.

“Uh… Yeah.” You respond, putting up a fake smile as you look up at him. There’s no use in lying when you know that Greyson can see right through you. You’re still going to try. You breathe in, putting a bookmark between the pages and turning your attention to Greyson.

There’s no better time to talk to him than now. Jade is asleep, and you get that blissful hour of complete silence before going to bed. Greyson won’t be home tomorrow either, it’s not like you have a flexible schedule to speak on this.

“When were you going to tell me that Zayne was back?” You question, prompting yourself up on the bed to speak. 

“Eventually… I just had to find the right timing.” He admits, and you frown.

“And when was this timing? When I was facing him?” You can’t help but sound upset. It’s hard to keep your composure after being thrown to the wolves. “If you had told me I would have prepared myself, and figured out a way to do deal with this but–”

“I’m sorry.” He cuts you off, and your eyes narrow as you stare him down. He says he’s sorry but there’s not an ounce of guilt in his heart.

“Greyson, is this some sort of game to you?” You cross your arms, and Greyson’s eyes soften.

“Huh? What do you mean?” He responds. “I was just looking for the right moment, and it didn’t happen–”

“There is no right moment! You just break the news before I miraculously bump into him!” You raise your voice, your anger getting the best of you. “Or what? Did you think I would never find out when I go to the hospital every other month?”

“Is it hard to believe that I was–”

“Or what is it? Were you scared that I’d up and leave the moment I found out Zayne was back, or what?” You watch as he clenches his jaw, clearly hurt by your words.

“Can’t you just believe that I was waiting on an opening?” He argues, his tone of voice matching your own. 

“I know you, Greyson, believe it or not. You don’t care about waiting for the right moment to break down news.” You remind him, and he sighs. Perhaps he shouldn’t have even asked if you were okay. He should’ve known better, tonight you will give him hell.

“Will it kill you to believe me?” Greyson replies, and you feel the anger get to your head. You take a deep breath, trying to calm yourself down. 

“Yes. Yes it would.” You answer, opening your book again. You’re not going to keep going back and forth. He won’t admit that he had an ulterior motive when he hid Zayne’s comeback. It’s fine. It doesn’t matter anyway.

“Okay, fine. You know I tried to message Zayne about taking Jade as a patient. If I were so bothered by him, I wouldn’t contact him.” He reveals, making your ears perk up. 

“Huh? When?” You ask, shutting the book again. He’s piqued your curiosity

“This afternoon.” He tells you, letting you know that this wasn’t something that he’s kept under wraps again.

“What did he say?” 

“He hasn’t answered. Not sure he will.” He says, making you bite down your lip. You end up giving a subtle nod before turning your attention to your book again. You have no idea why you keep trying with the book tonight, you’re not in the mood for it. “I think we should invite him for dinner.”

“I think…” You begin before you take a second to think about it. There’s a part of you that wants to hide Jade from Zayne forever; switching over to him wouldn’t help with hiding your little secret. But the greater part of you, the maternal side, knows that it’s the best for her. Even though you know there’s possible consequences for it, you know it’s the best for your daughter. “Yeah, we should invite him for dinner.”

“Great.” Greyson responds. “If I bump into him tomorrow, I’ll tell him.”

“Right. Thank you.” You reply.

“No need to thank me, Jade’s my daughter too.”