#the fact that he's popular makes it even worse in her eyes. but she's young and scared and not ready to be herself

[the-lark-ascending69]

We talk a lot about comphet Nancy but what about comphet Robin. 15yo comphet Robin who somehow ends up dating Steve and suffering through every second of it because she's not ready to admit she's in love with Nancy Wheeler.

[moriitis]

What would Toby do with a person with Lyra's exact appearance? Let's say they also have a similar personality. (Of course there would be no comparison)

I don't know how Toby would take it or what he would do and I'm really curious, seriously, I'm crazy.

WHY DO YOU GIVE ME ALL THESE SAD ASS ASKS OH MY GOD MY SHAYYYLAAA

Alright, I seriously fucking love this ask though, like so, so, so much. Thank you Anon for breaking my heart. I, too, am crazy about Toby and Lyra's relationship.

Content/Warnings; car accidents, mentions of abuse, alcohol, death, detailed descriptions of corpses, blood, brain matter, globe luxation (eyes popping out of sockets), vomit, bruises, stuttering, murder.

I guess to start this shit off, we better go back in time a little to talk about their relationship as siblings during the time Lyra was alive.

Their parents were deadbeat. I'll say it over and over again. Now don't get me wrong, Connie hated seeing her children living in poverty and being abused by their father, but you gotta remember Connie was a victim too. Abusive relationships SUCK and it's even worse when there are children involved because it makes it so much harder leaving. Did Connie allow the abuse to happen? On some times, yes, she did - because a part of her really believed that she loved this man, she wanted things to work and kids were.. well, they deserve a little slap here and again, right? I see a bitterness between Lyra and Connie because Lyra gets so angry at the fact that Connie sits and allows this to happen. Now when big fights did break out, like punching, screaming, things smashing and the cops being called, Connie did step in and try to calm her husband. Unfortunately, her husband was a heavy drinker and his father abused him, so drinking is his coping method to deal with his own abuse and trauma.

Due to having such an absent and useless mother, Lyra stood up and took the role to care for Toby at the young age. In fact, when Connie announced she were pregnant with Toby, Lyra cried so much because she knew how shit their family life was and it was unfair to bring a baby up in a situation they get no say in.

Lyra would dress Toby for school, make breakfast and ensured they both got the school bus on time. (During the time he still attended public schooling.)

She would 100% defend him in situations at school the best she could. Lyra wasn't particularly popular either, so really she took most the verbal abuse directed toward her brother.

After Toby got pulled for home schooling, she'd always feel so disgustingly anxious being on that school bus alone - without him.

She'd call the home phone almost every hour making sure he was okay.

Thankfully their father worked at a factory during the day, so she knew Toby was okay with their Mom who was a stay at home.

Despite everything, she was a bubbly and happy character, mostly because as she got older she got more freedom to stay away from home.

Lyra was a bit of a party animal, very social and had a nice group of friends.

She would not come back home for times on end, preferring to sleep on the couch at a friends just to avoid home.

But then she felt too guilty leaving Toby alone and would come back.

On the weekends, Lyra would take Toby with her to hang out with her friends! Her friends loved Toby, despite his tics.

They'd hang out at the mall a lot, which actually secured Lyra her first little job working in a clothing store her friend also worked at.

Which meant she earnt money to spoil Toby.

Like taking him to the arcades, bowling.

They went to the cinema once, which was a bad mistake because they came home too late and their father was still awake.

"Lyra.. are yo-oo..u awake?" Called a soft voice, a voice that lingered by the frame of her door. The light from the hallway illuminated the figure, casting shadows over her body that was outstretched on her bed. It was a familiar voice, a voice that made her turn almost instantly to glance over at the little brunette who was lingering by the door, his fingers hooked around the wood. Her door was only open a fraction but softly it pushed open a little, allowing more light to enter her dark room. She sat up, her fingers caressing the bare mattress below her as she forced a welcoming smile. It wasn't that she was unhappy or annoyed by Toby's presence, of course not - it was just the ache in her head that almost pulsated around her skull as she sat up.

"Hey you, no, I'm actually asleep," she teased softly, stifling her chuckle as she pulled her knees up close to her chest. It was always so cold in this house.

"Oh, should I go?" Toby replied much softer than before, already pulling away from the doorframe and descending back into the hallway.

Lyra rolled her eyes and scrunched up her brows. "Go?" she repeated, tilting her head to the side a little. The pain vibrated around her head, squeezing her skull and holding her brain captive. The pain was only temporary. "What's wrong?" she asked after a beat, wanting to capture his attention before he disappeared quietly down the creaky hall. Silence loomed over the two of them as Toby glanced back at Lyra, his brows twisted in concern as his fingers fiddled with the hem of his shirt anxiously.

"Did he-he-h... he hh-hurt you bad?" Toby finally spoke, those words so harsh despite the innocence in his voice. His words weighed heavy, so heavy even that her shoulders dropped a little at the question. Toby shouldn't have seen that, admittedly it was her fault for bringing them home so late.

So, with a little scoff, she shook her head softly although instinctively, her hand raised against the little bump on her head. It had stopped bleeding, thankfully, but the cut and bruise still felt fresh and raw. "No," she sounded convincing. "See? I'm fine." Lyra lied through her teeth, no, she wasn't fine.

Toby wasn't convinced and before he spoke, a grunt coming from their parents room frightened him closer toward Lyra's bed. She outstretched her arms out toward him a little, accepting him and acting as a barrier for any of his worries and fears. "He's asleep," Lyra reassured him and herself, her voice nothing but a whisper and Toby quietly climbed onto her bed. When did Toby get so big? A lump in her throat formed just looking at him.

His brown eyes darted toward her outstretched arms and he hesitated before slowly leaning his body against her own. It wasn't a proper hug, oh dear, no, Toby was too big for those now apparently but Lyra was satisfied to have him close to her regardless. Only if it were nothing but a shoulder.

-

Now, obviously we are aware that Lyra died in a car crash and I just HC that she reason she swerved and crashed into that tree was because she saw Slender on the road and it startled her so much. Toby always thought that it were a deer or something she tried to avoid - he knew how much she loved her animals.

-

"So, anyway, I told Abby that Jason was obviously just going after her because its Jason, he goes after everyone in school! But Abby didn't believe me and now she's all upset and mad at everyone but not Jason for breaking her heart?" Lyra groaned, hands gripped securely around the steering wheel as she vented away to her younger brother who sat behind her in the passenger seat. He was always a good listener and Lyra secretly knew he loved hearing all this gossip. For a brief moment, she glanced at the rear view mirror to Toby. He was exceptionally quiet today, arms crossed over his chest as he gazed aimlessly out the window. Her lips pursed at the sight, curiosity at what could possibly be plaguing her brother's mind? "Hey, you listening?" she asked, shooting occasional glances between the road and the brunette in the back.

Toby's brows furrowed for a moment, almost in irritation before his gaze softened upon connecting with Lyra. It wasn't often her looked at her in such a way and she raised a brow slightly, watching as closely as she could while also focusing on the road ahead.

The road ahead was quiet, no traffic, just them and the forest that surrounded them. The faint mumble of the radio, Lyra's music of course - Paramore more notably playing.

"Yeah," Toby choked out slowly, clearing his throat and shuffling in his seat as he tried to rearrange his thoughts and remember what Lyra was even blabbering about prior. She knew he were lying though and narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, although she were just teasing.

"Liar," she pointed an index finger up at him before chuckling a short chuckle. Toby's lip curled a little at the corner but other than that, he remained quiet. Lyra knew Toby wasn't himself, not anymore, sure he was getting older and moodier - but his mental health played a lot into that too.

"I'm ssorry, j-just thinking about th-"

"What the fuck?!"

The smell of gas burned within his nostrils as he awoke to nothing but a fuzzy haze. Whatever the fuck happened, he wasn't sure, but now the car was flipped upside down. He blinked once, twice, trying to make sense of things as he glanced up. His blood coated the interior roof of the car, shit he must've cut his head up pretty bad - thankfully he couldn't feel shit though. The radio was still playing, filling the silence as the indicators ticked and the car groaned with each move Toby made.

"You are the only exception, you are the only exception~" the radio continued to play Paramore and sat atop the roof was Lyra's IPod that was still connected.

"Lyra-" Toby grumbled groggily as he went to reach out to the tuffs of blonde that poked out from beside the airbag. His seatbelt, still secured, restricted him and he fought against it for a moment as his main focus was on his sister. "Lyra, speak to me-" he grumbled through gritted teeth as his hands helplessly began to find the buckle of his belt, clicking it out and dropping him down onto the roof of the car with a loud thud. He could feel the air thickening around him as he tried to navigate around the carnage, upside down to help his sister. His heart was beating a million beats per second as he army crawled as close as he could to Lyra, the whole bonnet of the car practically enveloping a tree in a cold, metallic hug.

"Lyra," he repeated through gritted teeth, holding his breath at the thought of being alone out here in a wrecked car, his anxiety clawing at his very skin as he slowly craned his head around to the drivers seat. "Please talk to me, please-" he begged softly, hand reaching out slowly to brush a tuff of her blonde hair away from her face.

Lyra remained motionless, unresponsive and Toby hoped and begged and prayed to any God that perhaps she was just unconscious. "Wake up, Lyra, come on- you have to wake up now-" he began, his shaky hand making its way to her shoulder to shake her softly. The sister was limp and only moved softly from his violent shaking.

Her head was pressed against the airbag, her blood crimson red compared to the white of the bag. He could hear the insane amount of blood gushing from her and onto the pedals below her which made him almost heave. With one final push on her shoulder, her head fell toward his direction and her blonde hair fell down from her face, exposing the horror before him.

Her face, her beautiful face, untouched one side and her skull caved in on the other. The brain matter that ran down her face, her eye that was almost bulging out from her socket. The inside of her skull was empty, the rest of her brain had slipped out and fallen down her shoulder and torso. Her mouth hung agape, her other intact eye half lidded but her iris still enlarged in the shock she endured before the crash. Her torso was also caved in but her ribs poked out through her skin, exposing her vital organs through her blood soaked, cotton tank top.

Toby could only scream as he scrambled back into the passenger seat, desperately trying to get away from his sister. His hands grabbed helplessly at anything that could push him further away from Lyra, his fingers grazing the glass beneath him and slicing his skin open. His screaming was interrupted by the sudden urge to vomit as he clamped a hand over his mouth in a desperate attempt to stop the flow of acid, although it were already spewing past his blood fingertips. Choking and spluttering on the warmth of his vomit, he hacked up and spat out the rest of the taste that remained in his mouth before clutching a handful of his clothing within the fist of his hand.

"No, no, no, please, Lyra, no-" he sobbed helplessly against hitched breaths, trying to make sense of this nightmare. That perhaps this wasn't real, it couldn't be because how could he live without her? So, slowly, plucking up any courage he could find, he crept back toward Lyra and gently caressed her cheek. She was still warm. "Stop messing, Lyra, you can- you can- can- can get up now! Wake up! Wake the fuck up!" he was yelling at the corpse, shaking her violently before collapsing onto her lap. He didn't care about the blood nor brain, he wanted her to hug him again.

Toby cried into her lap, taking her arm and forcing it around him as he cuddled her corpse. Laying there for hours until a passer-by came across them.

-

Alright, you guys have the feels?! Now, back to the ask. After this traumatic event, how would Toby feeling seeing someone that looked like Lyra? And, oof, punch in the gut, this person also having the exact same personality? Yikes.

At first, he wouldn't believe it. He would either think its an hallucination or that he's dreaming because he knows that she is dead, shit, he saw it himself. Honestly, at first I think he'd be a little angry because it's like all that grief and trauma came and just slapped him right there and then.

He'd accuse this person and lash out, saying things like. "You think this is funny?!" "What are you doing?!" Just really bitter and mean, mostly a mechanism to try and cope really. He'll think this is a whole ploy to try and trick him or something.

There'd also be a part of him that really craves being embraced by this person too, like he wants to caress their cheek and touch their hair. Like he genuinely cannot believe that this is real.

Then once that anger has simmered down, he'd bite back the tears. Stepping away and going nonverbal, disappearing for a couple months to try and 'forget.' He'd cry like a little bitch too, calling himself stupid for leaving in the first place.

Then he'd come back, either really dissociated or really attached to this person. He'd crave their attention, despite it being so bittersweet and he'll be angry if this person says something that Lyra wouldn't say, you know?

NOW

If we are talking about a VICTIM HE WAS SUPPOSED TO KILL LOOKING LIKE LYRA- shit, that's a different story.

At first he'd hesitated, the hatchet motionless above his head, mid-swing as she stares down at the girl before him. Crying, sobbing and he would literally stop working. He wouldn't know what to do, he would freeze and just stand there staring at her in disbelief. Then he'd drop the hatchet with a loud clutter and fall to his knees before the girl, his shoulders and body shaking as muffled sobs begin to emerge from him.

This girl, who nearly just fucking died, could do two things. Knock him the fuck out or comfort him thinking that maybe it would spare her life. I think depending on what she does, if she were to comfort him, Toby would probably either push her away or embrace her touch and cry into her lap. If she were to attempt to knock him out, I think it would stir him a little back to life and he'd quickly just jump into action in an attempt to control himself and the situation.

Now obviously, he will NOT murder her. No, he couldn't - so he grabs his things and leave. Which is so, so, so bad and could get him into so much shit with Slender but I think in that moment, he doesn't care.

[backtothefanfiction]

The Miller Boys | The Last of Us Imagine

Summary: What a tangled web life weaves.

Warnings: angst, mentions of past sexual relations, lying, mentions of pregnancy scare

A/N- this started as a quick one shot before bed but as I began to write, quickly became a follow on from Insecure which I know some people wanted a sequel too, so here it is. Enjoy.

It hadn’t been what he was expecting when he thought about finding his brother again. It was one thing that Tommy seemed to be living in a commune, it was another that he was with you.

You were equally as shocked when Joel came riding into town, a young girl in tow. You were even more so when he began to shout out for Tommy when he locked eyes with him. You thought Miller was a popular name. They were on different sides of the country. Both of them had spoken about having a brother but they never mentioned their first name to you. It was always “my brother” this; and “my brother” that. Now they were both here in front of you- and you didn’t know what to do.

It had been the hardest decision to leave Joel. So hard in fact that you had left the QZ entirely, trekking across the country in search of other refuge. It was pure luck that you came across Jackson and that they let you in. You had been introduced to Tommy that first night at the bar. Your thoughts were still struggling with the fact you had finally decided to leave Joel. You just couldn’t take it anymore. After that night and dinner with Tess, you carried on with Joel the way things were for another four months. You had thought after your talk he’d at least open up more about his feelings in private. Even if he didn’t want a label, you still thought from the way he spoke that night that he would be more open with his feelings in private. But he didn’t- and the silence became deafening.

You had thought that maybe if you threatened to actually leave he would say something, at least beg you to stay- but he didn’t. He just said “If you want to go, then go.”

You knew you were just playing into his own thoughts then. You remembered what he said about Sarah and her Mom leaving him. Even mentioned once his brother leaving him. So when you said you were leaving him, he didn’t put up a fight. He had already kept you at a far enough distance that it wouldn’t matter if he let you go. Or at least, that’s what you thought when you left.

It hurt to leave. He might not have been attached to you, but for you, cutting that cord hurt. You thought the trek across country might help make you forget, the threat to your life out there needing to make you move carefully. But in the end, being alone with your thoughts just made it worse. At first you had cried, but then you were just angry; and with no way of letting that out, it simmered and festered in you to the point you didn’t know how to talk about it. So when you got to Jackson- you drank.

You made new friends. And you drank.

Tommy already had a girlfriend when you met him. He even introduced you to her and she was lovely. However one day she went out on rotation to patrol the area and she didn’t come back. Tommy didn’t know how to deal with it. So he drank.

It didn’t take long with you both getting drunk of a night to start going home together and sharing each others beds. He was a good looking guy after all- and it turned out, you were just his type.

After a while the two of you began to drink less and less, finding more comfort in one another than the bottle. A little while after that you had a pregnancy scare. You were terrified. You didn’t want to bring a kid into this world, but you feared even more telling Tommy and him leaving you. But he didn’t. Unlike the last man you caught feelings for, who couldn’t seem to reciprocate those feelings, Tommy did. He had no shame in wanting to make things official between the two of you. And even when it turned out you weren’t pregnant, he still stayed with you.

“Kid, no kid, I love you, okay? And I’m not going anywhere.” He had said. And that was when you knew that you had finally found the right person, the right place. You felt safe and loved and for the first time in a long time, things started to look right in the world.

That was until Joel came to Jackson.

You knew his voice the moment you heard him shout Tommy’s name. It made your stomach twist and you were sure you were going to actually be sick.

“Hey, you okay?” An older lady named Helen asked as you stopped shovelling snow and clutched at your stomach as you watched Tommy and Joel embrace. You felt as pale as the snow you were shovelling as the blood drained from your face and your brow grew clammy.

“I’ll be fine.” You said and swallowed deeply, waving her off with one hand, as you rested your body weight onto the shovel stuck in the snow with the other. “Just over did it a little bit there.” You said and pulled at the neck of your coat and jumper, trying to play off you were just working too hard, but as you heard your boyfriend call your name from across the way, it was hard to play off that second wave of nausea that washed over you.

You took a deep breath, moving your shovel off to the side, before you turned towards their small group, a fake tight lipped welcoming smile across your face.

“Uh Joel, this is my girlfriend-“

Before Tommy could get your name out of his mouth, or Joel could say anything to Tommy about the two of you already knowing each other, you made the split decision to hold out your hand and pretend to introduce yourself to Joel. His eyes flicker with suspicion as he takes your hand and shakes it, but with one look to his brother and back to you and your pleading eyes, he decides to play along.

“Joel.” He says and it takes all your strength to not let his voice affect you, but you feel your knees wobble all the same.

“Hi, I’m Ellie.” The young girl beside him introduces herself.

“Hi.” You greet back. “You guys must be freezing.” You say.

“And hungry.” Ellie adds.

“Come on, let’s go see if we can’t find you something to eat and get you warm.” You say, beginning to lead them towards the mess hall.

“This place is so cool.” You hear Ellie gush to Tommy as he begins to lead the way, however Joel’s fingers reach for your wrist and you reluctantly hang at the back of your little group with him.

“So how’s this gonna go?” He asks you, “You gonna pretend like we never met?” You don’t know how to respond. “Pretend we didn’t live together or travel together for nearly a year? Pretend you never came on my cock?”

“Oh so now all that matters.” You hiss beneath your breath.

“Of course it fucking mattered.” He hisses back. “And now I find you here shacking up with my brother of all people.”

“Yeah, well at least he’s not afraid to tell me he loves me.” You spit back, bring you both to a complete stop.

When you look at him, you can see the hurt in his eyes. “Don’t.” He says. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” You ask, that anger you thought had long past, now beginning to simmer again, because just seeing him- hearing his voice- you know you’ll never truly be over Joel. And you knew exactly why. Because he could never say he loved you… until now.

“You know I loved you.”

His words fry your senses. All feeling- all rational thought- falling away like you just stepped off a really tall diving board. But instead of being met with that cool cocoon of water, your emotions finally being reciprocated and allowed to flow free, the pool is empty. It’s like landing on concrete. There’s only pain. Pain for what was. Pain for what is.

That pain suddenly turns to rage and it only makes you spiteful. “Then why didn’t you say anything. Why didn’t you make me stay?” But he doesn’t have an answer. He just stares at you blankly.

You hear the door to the mess hall open back up behind you. “Hey, you two coming?” Tommy shouts towards you.

“Yeah.” You respond, but you aren’t able to look at him straight away as you wipe a stray tear from your cheek. “Yeah.” You say again, turning towards him with the largest fake smile you can muster and begin to step towards him, Joel slowly following behind. “I love you.” You say to Tommy as you reach up on your toes to kiss him in the door way.

“I love you too.” He smiles before giving you another kiss and a pat on the bum for good measure, ushering you inside. And when you finally sit down at the table altogether and you see Joel’s face- you know your little show had its desired effect. You only wish it felt more satisfying.

[cameronspecial]

The Story Of Them

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warnings:  Swearing, Drug Use, and Unhealthy/Toxic Relationship

Pronouns: She/Her

Word Count: 5.5K

Summary: They thought that their story was supposed to be a fairytale, but what happens when the universe is showing them signs that it isn't because of their vices. Should they keep fighting for them or should they let their story come to an end?

Masterlist

It’s like their relationship has bipolar disorder. One minute, they are in an argument worse than any world war. The next, they are manic in trying to be consumed by each other, not caring if they are reckless. They are each other’s first loves and hope to be their last, so they ignore the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship that they probably shouldn’t have. They both have their faults. Hers is her lack of communication and his being reliant on his addiction. If any of her friends are in a similar relationship as her, then she would be the first to warn them about the red flags. But for some reason, she is blinded from seeing those flags with Rafe. When they first started dating, everything was amazing. They were young and believed that it was them against the world. Their dates were full of laughter and innocent love. They thought that they could have that feeling forever; however, reality has a funny way of creeping in and crushing rose-coloured glasses under its boots. Even though Y/N and Rafe fall victim to this realization, they still hold onto each other because they are all that they know. Their story doesn’t have a happy ending, but at least they can say they had one to begin with. At least they can say they loved each other with a fiery passion that went out with a bang. 

———

Even before they started dating, they weren’t allowed to have a sense of calm between them. Rafe didn’t know what it was about her. He’s never seen any other girl as more than someone to warm his bed; however, Y/N could never escape his thoughts, not through his dreams either. Could it be the way her fingertips graze the bottom of her dresses as she fiddles with it? Could it be because it doesn’t take just anything to elicit a laugh out of her? He really had to put thought into the jokes he told her to hear those delicious giggles. Or could it be that she wasn’t afraid to stand up to him or back down? No matter what it was, Rafe knew he wanted her to be a permanent fixture in his life. He approached her with jagged fingernails that he had to remember to file when he got home. She sat on a bench in front of the school, waiting as always for her brother to pick her up. He cleared his throat to catch her attention and she looked up from her phone with a small pout to her lips. 

She was surprised to see him. They ran in the same social groups, yet interactions between the two were not very common. She had to admit he found a way to take the breath from her lungs, whether that be through making her laugh or a sweet action that surprised her. She didn’t think she could ever catch his eye. He was the most popular boy in school and she just hung out with the most popular girls. She was timid; not confident. She was quiet; not loud. She was stubborn; not docile. She was nothing like the popular girls and that was why she stood out to Rafe. It didn’t mean she thought she wasn’t like the other girls. She embraced her femininity and knew that in this large world, nothing she did could be unique from another human. It meant she recognized the fact of being different from the types of girls Rafe normally frequented, so she didn’t think she had a chance. She believed he hated her for those qualities. He wasn’t used to people disagreeing with him and this made her think he wouldn’t like her. She preferred to keep to herself during their group's social outings, so why would he notice her? Similar to the rest of the man-loving population of the school, Y/N had fallen for Rafe’s charm. Who didn’t love a man with a dazzling smile and who knew how to please a woman sexually? Fuckboy or not, the world couldn’t deny the fact that Rafe was the fixation of its attention. 

“Hey,” he greeted with a soft smile. She got butterflies solely by the way he was looking at her, “Hi, can I help you with anything?” She didn’t meet his gaze as she pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. He gestured to the seat beside her. “Can I sit?” She nodded, “Yeah, I’m just waiting for my brother.” “I know,” he admitted without any thought that he could be seen as a stalker because of his statement. Her head tilted to the side, “You do?”

“Uhhh, yep. I noticed because I see you getting into his car every day when I leave football practice.” 

“Right, I guess it doesn’t take rocket science to figure that out.”

“No, it does not. I’m going to cut right to the chase before I lose my confidence. Y/N, will you go out on a date with me?” 

Her lips parted slightly. “Date?” She knew he didn’t do dates and she wasn’t opposed to having a fling with him, except calling it a date gave her a promise of something else and she wanted to make sure they were on the same page. Nerves racked through him at her reaction. His diminishing nails came between his teeth to soothe him. “Uh, yeah. It could be dinner or a movie or go axe-throwing. Anything you want really,” he presented, lifting a finger at each activity. “I know what a date is. I was just wondering if the activities would be done so you can end up in my pants. It’s okay if you only want to have sex, just don’t pretend you want more,” she clarified. Her vision dropped to the floor and she observed a ladybug crawling in front of her. Ladybugs were a sign of good luck, so it tricked her into thinking this had a favourable ending. Rafe’s smile fell, “Wow, I can’t believe you think so lowly of me.” She tried to backtrack to explain herself. He pushed her shoulder, “I’m just kidding. I know I’m not known for wanting to commit to a woman. I think you are different. I can see myself getting married to you, Love.” “You aren’t lying because going on a date means you are open to the idea of devoting yourself to me. Are you sure you are ready for that?” she verified, meeting his eyes. 

He agreed, “I am fully prepared to be yours.” She couldn’t be happier. The man she liked wanted to be with her. “Then I would happily go on a date with you.” It was a dream come true.

This feeling quickly changed the next day. She was at her locker when she heard the rumour. “I heard Rafe had sex with Y/N yesterday,” a freshman muttered to her friend behind her hand. It was still loud enough for her to hear. Fury devoured her. He said he wanted a relationship with her and he lied. Why else would he go around telling people they slept together? She knew that rumours have a way of snowballing, yet she decided not to go to Rafe to discuss this issue. Instead, she did what she did best and iced him out of her life. 

Rafe didn’t understand why she wasn’t answering his texts until he heard the whispers himself. “Crap. Crap. Crap,” he swore, leaving football practice. She probably thought the words were his truth and that is why she was angry with him. He didn’t take the time to take a shower and get his stuff. He could do that tomorrow. What was important was that he cleared the air with Y/N. She wasn’t on her normal bench in front of the school, so he assumed she must have gone home already. He drove as fast as he could without breaking any laws to verify his conclusion. She sat on the porch swing, swinging with the wind. Her gaze was fixed out towards the street. At the sight of him, she got up from her seat and headed inside. “Love, wait,” he pleaded, jogging up the porch to catch up with her. His foot wedges between the closing door and the door frame. He followed her into the house. She continued to ignore him and went up to her room. Once enclosed in the privacy of her room, she turned toward him with annoyance in her eyes. “I could call the police on you for trespassing,” she warned. Her arms crossed over each other. Rafe’s jaw clenched, “Go ahead. See if I care. I need to talk to you.” “You don’t get to barge in here and order me around,” she complained.

“I can if you aren’t listening to me. I assume you’ve heard the gossip about us and we need to talk about it.”

“Well, I don’t want to talk to you. You lied and I’m not naive enough to give you a chance.”

“WE NEED TO TALK. WHAT THEY SAID DIDN’T COME FROM ME!” 

She leaned back at his yell, “I don’t like it when you talk to me like that. It goes to show that you aren’t mature enough to be in a relationship. His head moved from side to side as he let out a low chuckle. “You seriously are calling me immature when you are the one who doesn’t even want to talk. That’s childish,” he responded. She pointed at the door, “If I’m so immature, then we don’t have to go on that date anymore. I don’t want to date someone who is a liar and a juvenile.” Rafe stormed out of the room with a slam of the door, not before snarking. “Gladly. I don’t want anything to do with you either.” 

———

Y/N remembered the first time she realized she was in love with Rafe. They went on a date eventually and it had been the beginning of their story as a couple. Flowers. Giggling. Kisses. Hand Holding. It all made them feel as though they were on cloud nine. So far, there had only been small fights in between since their argument about the hearsay about menial things, such as where to eat or who has to pay. The first notion of her being in love with him popped into her mind while he was on the football team. They had been playing against their rivals of Kildare County and the students of Kildare Academy were cheering in hopes of encouraging the team to get a lead on the other team. Per his request, Y/N was in the front row, wearing his jersey. Her voice attempted to be louder than anyone else in the crowd. Rafe was thrown the ball and as the clock got closer to zero, he dashed toward the endzone. He masterfully dodged every opposing player who tried to tackle him, making it to his destination. He slammed the ball into the ground and cheered in victory. The air horn singalling the end of the game blasted through the air. Rafe secured the win. 

It wasn’t the win that guaranteed her heart; it was being the first person he wanted to celebrate it with that gave him her heart. Whilst the rest of his team ran to congratulate him, he had his path set on someone in the stands. He began his jog, throwing off his helmet onto the grass. Y/N ran to the fence separating the benches from the field and Rafe climbed up it to meet her. His hand cupped her cheek to pull her into a kiss. She moved her lips against his and her fingers ran through his hair. The roar of the people dulled to the buzzing of a bee. All she smelt was the sweat that had started to accumulate on his skin. The world ceased to exist when his lips were on hers. “I love you,” she mumbled against his petals. “I love you too.”

The euphoric feeling died that night as well. That same night was when she also realized whatever she had with Rafe didn’t have a chance at forever. No matter how much they both wanted it to. They had gone to the after-party to celebrate their triumph and Rafe had promised her he wouldn’t drink that much. He was supposed to drive them home at the end of the night. In all honesty, since the party was at Topper’s, she didn’t mind if he drank because they could stay in one of the guest bedrooms as a last resort. The discovery of their ending being bound came with what an inebriated Rafe executed thanks to the drink. Y/N’s front pressed against Rafe’s side. She was swaying her hips and his head bopped, pressing the lip of his solo cup between his. Robin bumped into Y/N and his drink poured all over her back. She flew into Rafe’s hold to escape the fizzy drink. The man repeated his apologies, ripping off a piece of paper towel from the counter behind him. Y/N reassured him that it was okay and took the towels he offered to dry herself off. Rafe wasn’t forgiving like his girlfriend and the alcohol in his veins meant his hot-tempered personality was even easier to trigger. He yanked himself away from Y/N. His feet lead him so his chest is pressed against the other male’s. “Watch where you are going, asshole,” he growled.

Y/N placed a hand on Rafe’s chest to separate the two. “Honey, leave it. It was an accident.” Rafe disregarded her words, cocking his face at the blank face on the boy’s face. His fist collides with that face. Robin stumbled back from the force and his nose started bleeding profusely. Rafe provided no time for the bleeding man to recuperate. 

Rafe dove onto Robin and knocked them both onto the ground. Robin’s head banged again and again against the floor. The party-goers fled the area to give the fight space. Y/N jumped onto Rafe’s back and tried to peel him off of the smaller boy. “Honey! Get off of him. Please, you are going to kill him. Look how much he is hurt already,” she shrieked. Tears ran down her face. His drunken state focused his attention on the source of his rage. Not his girlfriend’s pleas. The attack was ended only with the help of Topper and Kelce; they dragged their friend away from the injured boy. Y/N rushed to check on Robin with concerns. Not solely because he was a victim of her boyfriend’s anger, but because if he died it would be bad for Rafe. This made Rafe see red and he sped to his girlfriend. His hand circled her bicep in a vice, wrenching her to her feet. She was jerked toward the stairs leading upstairs. He threw her into one of the empty bedrooms before slamming the door shut. His eyes bore into her, “Why the fuck were you so worried about him? Are you cheating on me with him?” “How can you say that? You beat him like he was dough, so I had to make sure he didn’t die,” she yelled back. Her face was now streaming with drops of frustration. His accusation was ironic considering he was the one known as the ladies' man before they started dating. 

“I had to defend your honour. I did this for you.” 

“You didn’t do this for me. You did this because you were drunk. If you did it for me, you would’ve stopped as soon as I begged you to leave him. It was an accident.”

“Why are you so angry about it? You shouldn’t care about him? You wouldn’t unless you were sleeping with him.

“For god’s sake, Rafe. Stop bringing that up like it’s a fact. I have never touched Robin in that way nor will I ever. You know what? I’m done talking about this. I’m going to sleep. I’m taking the bed, so you better sleep on the floor.” 

Rafe wasn’t surprised that she shut down during their argument. She had a good way of wanting to escape any type of true communication. Just like she did after hearing the rumours and during every other minor argument they had. The drinks in him began to make him drowsy, so he didn’t argue. They both got settled in their perspective sleeping arrangements, facing away from each other. Sleep didn’t find them though. Y/N was too busy thinking over the fact that the night started with so much hope. She sensed merely adoration for him and now, it wrapped up with outrage. She doubted the possibility of a happy ending for them because he may love her, but she would never be able to fill the holes his addictions were able to. Her fears caught up to her and released themselves with a sob. Rafe’s heart clenched at the sound of her sniffles. He hated being the reason for her unhappiness and had to make it better. The blanket fell off of him as he got up from the ground and encroached toward the bed. He carefully lifted the blanket from her body, sliding in beside her. His arms found her waist to bring her closer to his chest. His head dropped to her neck and he pressed a kiss on her soft spot. “I’m so sorry, Love. Of course, I don’t think you are cheating on me. It was because I was drunk. I’ll never drink again. I love you,” he promised. Her breath hitched at his words, letting it slap a bandaid on her aching heart. “I love you too.” She let this dissolve her belief of their destined un-fairytale ending and fell asleep with this lie.  

———

Y/N let things ruminate inside of her. Problems she had with people were kept locked up inside of her, locked away forever. This stemmed from her hatred for talking through her issues, which was ironic because she was known to have a voice when her stubbornness came into play. However, if her unwillingness to do something wasn’t in her mindset, then she let it stew inside of her. It drove Rafe mad because he never knew what was wrong with her. That was till she found snide ways to express her frustration. Rafe returned home from class, leaving his shoes in the middle of the hallway. Y/N approached the front entrance of their off-campus house to greet her boyfriend. She spotted the shoes he left and sighed, not surprised by his carelessness. “Of course, leave your shoes there, in the middle of the room, like a child. Let me pick up after you like your mother,” she grunted under her breath. She leaned down to grab the shoes and placed them on the shoe rack. Rafe paused from walking further into the house, turning toward Y/N. “What was that?” he paused with his head cocked. She gave her attention to him, “Nothing, Honey. How was your day?” 

Rafe’s head shook and his hand lifted. “You murmured something, Love. I heard it. So tell me,” he ordered. She huffed, “I was talking to myself.” “Yeah, about me. If you can say it to yourself, then you can say it to me,” he noted, bringing his finger to point at his chest. Y/N’s arms crossed over her chest, “I don’t want to talk about this, Honey.” She tried to remove herself from the room, except Rafe held onto her wrist. “Tell me,” he instructed. “No.” She yanked her arm away from him and stormed upstairs with Rafe in tow. “You don’t get to do this, Love. You don’t get to just ignore the problem when I confront you and then be snarky about it later on,” he insisted. She froze in the centre of the upstairs hallway and looked at him. “I am not talking about this,” she gritted through her teeth. She entered their bedroom with a slam and a lock of the door. Leaving Rafe to feel exasperated by her constant avoidance. 

———

The clock showed eight and she didn’t know why she was staying at the restaurant. He left her waiting there for an hour. She had one idea where he was and she was going to confirm this suspicion. Her car sputtered on the unpaved road, coming to a halt in front of the trailer. Rafe heard her door slam shut from inside. He checked his watch. “Shit,” he groaned, trying to tidy up the evidence of the drugs he was using. Barry laughed, “What has your panties in a twist? Where are you going? I still have so much stuff for us to use.” Rafe’s head moved from side to side. “I can’t. I’m late from dinner and Y/N is here,” he informed. He checked the mirror to wipe away the residue of coke on it. He was too late. Y/N opened the door to catch Rafe dusting off the white powder from under his nose. Wrath filled her, “YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU QUIT.” “Love, I promise that I’m not doing it as often. It’s only to blow off some steam sometimes,” Rafe pledged, rushing to her side with blown pupils. Her eyes cut into slivers, “This is the fourth time this week that you’ve been late to something. That doesn’t count as sometimes.” Rafe gapped at her like a fish, opening and closing his mouth. 

“I’m sorry that I was late, Love. How about we go back to the restaurant and you can order whatever you want. Order the whole menu for all I care,” he proposed. He tried to make the mess go away with a flash of his teeth. Her arms shuddered at her sides, “You don’t get to pretend everything is alright. You deceived me by saying you were getting clean when it was a lie.” He tracked her outside and held the driver’s side door of her car closed. He fell to his knees with his hands held together. His folded hands quaked, “I will quit. I will never touch another speck of cocaine or a drop of alcohol again. Please, just let me take you out to dinner.” She towered him from her standing position. She saw the tears bearming his eyelids and she felt her own about to make an appearance. She didn’t understand why the universe was constantly pushing them apart. She didn’t know why their sweet relationship always had to have a bitter aftertaste.“Don’t make a vow that we both know you aren’t going to keep.”

———

Ultimately, the bitter overpowers the sweet and she can’t ignore it anymore, toppling the last dominion of their relationship. Barry finds her when she is returning home from the grocery store. “Country Club owes me money,” he utters, causing her a fright. She drops the paper bags she is holding and the items inside litter the floor. Y/N twists to look at him with a frown, leaning over to pick up her fallen purchases. Once she straightens up from her actions, Barry slams her against her car. “Did you hear me, Bitch? Rafe owns me money,” he restates. Y/N glares at him, “And last time I checked, I’m not Rafe. Go bother him with your problems.” “See, he knows that he does and he doesn’t care, so I’m bringing the problem to you because I know you’ll listen to me,” he warns, griping her jar tightly. “Get me my money or else.” His eyes burn into her and she meekly nods her head. Satisfied with the response, he pushes off the car and gets onto his bike, leaving the girl behind. She almost wants to laugh at the idea that Barry thinks she would talk to Rafe about this. No, this encounter would be taken to her grave. 

A week later, Barry returns to their house in a fury. He pushes through the semi-open door, almost causing a tried Rafe to nearly fall on his butt. “It’s been a week. Where is my money, Country Club?” Rafe rubs the sleep from his eyes to give the dealer a crossed look, “We talked about this. I don’t owe you anything.” “Yeah and then I had another conversation with that bitch of yours. I made it clear that I had a different opinion,” Barry explains, laughing. The creak of the steps reveals the arrival of the now-awake female. Her palms dig into her eyes as she slots herself in Rafe’s arms in just his t-shirt barely hiding her pastel green underwear. “What’s going on?” she croaks. Barry jeers, “There is the woman of the hour. I hear you didn’t tell your little boy toy about my visit.” Rafe pulls away from her to give her a confused look, “What is he talking about?” Freezing at the mention of her confidentiality, she pads over to the side table by the door. Her hands dig through the drawer to pull out a wad of cash Rafe keeps there in case of an emergency. She presses it into the brunette’s chest and shoves him out the door. “There is your money. Now, leave us alone, asshole,” she commands, slamming the door in his face. This is going to lead to a fight and she doesn’t need for there to be an audience when it breaks out. “He threatened you?” Rafe confirms with his fingers pointing at the door Barry left from. 

She exhales, “Yes, last week.” “Why didn’t you tell me? Did you hurt me?” he wonders how he didn’t notice. She exposes her unharmed body to him, “No, he wanted to scare me with dramatics. That’s it.” “That is beside the point. He could’ve hurt you. You know, this is exactly like you. You never tell me anything that is going on in that vault of a brain of yours,” he accuses, crossing his arms. Her head whips toward him, “Oh, no. You do not get to bring this back to my problems. Your problem is the reason why he came to me in the first place. If you had gotten clean in the first place like you promised, he wouldn’t have come to me in the first place.”

“That is not fair! I’ve been trying to get sober. I’ve been trying to get sober for you.”

“Maybe… maybe that’s the problem. Honey, I don’t want you to get sober for me. I want you to get sober for you. Because you realize just how much this is hurting you. How much it is changing you as a person.”

“Why can’t I want it for the both of us?” 

“Because I think sometimes you want to do it just to spite me and that’s what stopping you. You want to prove me wrong, which means you are doing it for the wrong reasons so it won’t stick. I think… I think that maybe that is what our whole relationship has been.”

This breaks a damn in Rafe. The broken look of realization on her face calls forth tears in his eyes, “What do you mean, Love? Our whole relationship has been about our love for each other.” “Has it though? Honey, all we ever do is fight. How is that love?” she poses, enclosing her small hands around his bigger ones. His blurry vision finds her, “We fight because we are fighting for our relationship. Because we care.” “Honey,” she whispers with agony. “We both know that even before we started dating, our vices made us like fire and ice.” “And we overcame those problems. Together. Please don’t talk about us like this we are over. We can work together. We can get through this,” he argues, gripping onto her like a life vest. “Until the next fight comes along. Then we are at each other’s throats, getting in as many digs as we can to hurt each other. How is that love, Rafe?” He doesn’t have an answer for her. All he wants is to give her a thousand reasons why they are meant to be together, except he gets completely overwhelmed by the situation. “Please don’t say we are over,” he begs.

“Don’t think of us as over, Honey. Think of this as us completing our story, giving us the chance to go on to make a new one.”

“You don’t mean that. I know you don’t, mean it. You just need some time to think it over. I know it. So I’m going to go to give you some space. And when I come back, we can talk it out.” His words aren’t an order; they are a plea. He leaves her with the hope that the distance from their emotions will help them settle the argument because he doesn’t know what he will do if it doesn’t work. 

———

Rafe didn’t think she was serious about breaking up. They’ve tried to separate so many times since they started dating, except it doesn’t mean that either of them actually went through it. She thought it would be the end after she got rid of his stash one time. His anger burnt hotter than the sun and she thought she would wake up in her bed alone. That morning, she woke up to whisper apologies and kisses to her stomach. He thought it was done when she found out that he was the reason she didn’t get a spot in the study abroad program. The thought of being away from her for a semester terrified him. She came back two days later with tears streaming down her face, saying she understood why he did it. She wouldn’t have been able to be gone for that long either. 

He is wrong about this time. As he walks into their home, it is like he walked into the wrong universe. What made this house his home feels different and yet he chooses to ignore it. The first thing he notices is that her shoes are gone. No neighbour for the pair of shoes he is abandoning at the door. The first clue should’ve been the lack of Y/N, but the fight they had would’ve been the explanation for that. He tries to tell himself she is going through her shoes and that is why they are missing. He goes to the kitchen to fix himself something to eat and get a beer. She won’t like it if she comes back home to find him drinking, so he’ll have to finish it before she does. He gobbles the peanuts and alcohol down in record time. With his snack completely, he heads to their bedroom to get changed out of his suit into something more comfortable. He neglects the absence of her personal items in the room, too preoccupied with thinking about what to make for dinner. He’ll make smothered pork chops; it’s one of her favourites. When he is about to go to cook, he realizes he should buy her flowers first. He slips on his shoes and walks to the grocery store. It will give him time to go over what he wants to say to her once she is home. He doubts she will be home until dinner, so why rush? He has time. 

Jasmine spots Rafe’s nearing figure and her lips tighten into a straight line. This isn’t his first visit to her. He is here at least once a week to buy Y/N flowers because of an argument. “How bad is it this time?” He scratches the back of her neck and gives her an awkward smile, “It was disastrous. Blue hyacinths and baby’s-breath, please. Oh, and that vase.” He points to a tear-dropped-shaped vase. The opening is smaller than the base and it is circled in ridges. Jasmine bobs her head, filling the glass with water prior to placing the bouquet into them. Rafe pays for the items and walks back home. He sits the vase in the middle of the dining room table and begins to make dinner. He plates the food, setting it on the made table. Everything is in place. The cutlery. The food. The drinks. Rafe. Now, all he needs is for Y/N to come home so they can make up. The hours of the night creep up on him and he eventually eats alone because if she isn’t home by now, then she probably won’t be coming home tonight. He uses Saran wrap to cover her room, placing it in the fridge with a sigh. He hopes she is safe wherever she is. 

Day after day the flowers go unadmired by the person they are meant for. Soft petals shrivell up like aging skin. The vibrant blue turns brown, which signifies death. Rafe keeps them in the vase even if they are long gone, hoping she will see the effort of his action. As the flowers progress in the later stage of decomposition, Rafe recognizes that Y/N will never see them. Because it genuinely is over. Their story is complete. 

Taglist: @winterrrnight @loves0phelia @thelomlisrafecameron @wickedlovely121 @victory-in-the-llama

[daandyli0n]

more Rewrite Refs, y'all!! this time: MCI edition!

it is going to become apparent that my favorite Ghost Trope is the "whatever caused your death shows up on you as a ghost" thing

(warnings: child murder/death, blood/gore, bruises, somewhat obvious broken bones (in Felix's ref), eye injury (again, Felix), eye contact, bright colors/eyestrain, disturbing imagery)

this isn't in order of their deaths, but like. animatronic order, i guess

(click on the images to zoom)

design details!! yippee!!

Gabrielle/"Gabi"

the second of the murders.

soul inside of Freddy

transfem, fun fact!

shy and anxious; pretty much the reason Freddy sticks to the shadows.

biracial! mother is from Mexico and her father is black.

family wasn't too wealthy; her clothes were from her older sister.

was one of Elizabeth's friends, and was a kid that Cassidy was close to in the aftermath of Liz's death.

a "popular girl," mostly due to being friends with Naomi and Liz.

died on June 24, 1982; her birthday :(

Baker

the third of the murders.

soul inside of Bonnie.

the youngest; thought he was being taken to see Bonnie :(

AuDHD. no i will not elaborate.

one of Kelsey and Cassidy's closest friends.

one of the calmer spirits, surprisingly.

he thinks the fact that he became Bonnie is one of the coolest things that could've happened (Charlie thinks that it's either a coping mechanism or due to the fact that Baker was too young to really comprehend what happened).

died on June 25, 1982.

Naomi

like Susie, she was The First.

she wasn't the first to die; she was still alive when Gabi was murdered. she was the first victim of the MCI.

soul inside of Chica.

"popular girl," but not...mean. she Does complain about people who annoy her, though. but it's not too often.

like Gabi; best friends with Liz and close to Cassidy.

died on June 24, 1982; tried to warn Gabi, but was stuck inside of Chica and hardly able to even speak. the most she could do were raspy breaths; think along the lines of the noises Chica and Bonnie make when they enter the office in Fnaf 1.

Felix

the fourth of the murders.

soul inside of Foxy.

big fan of Foxy and pirates in general.

the oldest of the original MCI. (Charlie is 12, and three kids in the '87 Murders were 15-16).

genderqueer; "Idgaf what ye call me tbh. Call me whatever ye like, Matey, I don't care-"

was one of the more skeptical kids being lured; wondered why "O'Hare" was leading him to a back room to see Foxy...

was the only kid who really fought back; led to some...worse injuries (bruised, several smaller cuts, hand got broken, missing an eye).

Angry™

died June 25, 1982.

Kelsey

the final murder

one of the souls in Fredbear.

liked to draw! still does, tbh.

shy and anxious (cough autistic) kid.

close friend of Baker and Cassidy.

doesn't...come from a good home.

was at Fredbear's the day he died.

wandered to the Parts & Service room...where William was. got springlocked.

odd, cut-like wounds are from where he was y'know. a young kid in a springlock suit.

William cleaned the suit up and dumped Kel's body in a lake since he couldn't hide him in the suit.

him and Cassidy have a sort of "Comedy/Tragedy" thing with their masks. Kelsey's is much paler, is frowning, and leaks blood instead of the Black Liquid.

fun fact: Kelsey is technically transfem! didn't get to figure it out, unfortunately...but y'know.

anyway!! @that-darn-clown and @hello-there-world if y'all wanna see this :D

[spdrvyn]

Hello, dear. I hope you are doing well. Might I make a Miguel x fem!reader request?

So, for context.

I had this idea today when I was sketching out someone's spidersona to practice anatomy and I couldn't find any good references for the poses I wanted to do. I just so happen to also be an aerialist so I immediately changed into some work out clothes and hung up my aerial silks onto my rig.

I was able to film myself doing the exact poses I wanted to draw on the silks to use as a reference.

This all kinda made me realize how similar aerial silks is to web swinging. And it gave me this juicy idea.

Scenario where the reader is the charismatic, flirtatious, and quippy owner of a popular, high-class nightclub in universe 2099. She is a bit more hands on than normal owners because she actually performs at her own club. The theme for the night is "superhero nite". She is the final performer of the night and is in a skin tight feminized outfit of Miguel's spiderman costume. She gives a sultry aerial silks performance on stage that includes both aerial silks and interacting with the audience (think Jessica Rabbit). Taking photos, walking across tables, giving men a run for their money. Paired with displays of extreme strength and flexibility as she weaves between the fabric silks effortlessly and gracefully.

It also just so happens that Miguel himself is there for that performance either scouting out the location or tracing a lead on a series of crimes that seem to center around this night club. So he gets to personally witness this hedonistic performance in his image. Idk I just think his reaction to it all would be juicy 🤣. Especially if the reader spots him in the crowd mid performance or after the fact and decides to approach and make a spectacle out of it.

Thank you for your time! You're really good at keeping Miguel in character and I really appreciate it.

sacred silk — MIGUEL O'HARA

☆ you're a quaint little owner on your own little stage, unfortunately your club has drawn some attention from nueva york's #1 vigilante.

tension packed. romantic. miguel is miguel. i loved this request sm! i added my own little spin to it so i hope that's okay ^_^ dividers by @/cafekitsune

Kingpin's lackeys have been scattered all around the city, not much of a problem for Miguel. The only issue being that they're planted in the most densely packed areas, markets, malls, sometimes churches when you thought he couldn't get any worse. It caused Miguel's frustrations to deepen with every single case.

At least, there was some sort of pattern in the locations of these agents. All up until this very night where Miguel found himself crouching over the glass roof of a tranquil night club.

His sharp eyes wandered over what he could find. The crowd looked young, nobody over the age of 27 in sight, there was a bartender hastily serving drinks, but the most eyecatching of them all was a rather suspicious looking old man enjoying himself a martini.

It looked... almost pathetic at this rate, however his suspicioums grew higher. This was too easy for a catch, there had to be something that he was missing in this.

"Lyla," Miguel muttered, holding his watch up close to his mouth. "What is this place exactly?"

"Can't find any records on it, I don't think that it's a registered establishment. How fun!"

Not fun. Not fun at all! The small crowd, the shady guy sitting alone at that table, the fact that this building wasn't even registered in the first place?! Crime bells were ringing in Miguel's ears.

He skittered along the edges of the roof, making sure that he isn't noticeable despite the dim lights. Soon enough, he's able to find an open panel to slip into. He digs his talons into one of the ceiling beams, which what even is the point of having a glass roof if the view is going to be obscured by these things anyway.

Miguel keeps his weight steady atop the structure, his gaze locks onto the creepy gentleman before he's blinded by the sudden flicker of the stage lights. What in the world?

When he thought that events couldn't get any weirder, you come flying down from a secret compartment in the ceiling, silk stringing your body up as you manuever and fly across the stage and club. The crowd cheers and livens up, raising their hands to which you respond by high fiving as many people as you can.

That's when he noticed something familiar about what you were wearing. The sharp geometric shapes carefully stitched into your suit, that recognizable navy blue, that straining bright red. You were wearing his colors, designed in his suit.

It's only when your feet hit the floor of stage with a resounding thud does Miguel remember why he's here in the first place, he's gotten used to seeing his face (well, his masked one) on all different kinds of merchandise. From regular to disgusting, but he's never seen something of this caliber before. He couldn't deny that he wasn't at all intrigued by your display of talent and costume.

"Thank you all for coming tonight," the breathlessness in your voice is prominent, a sign of your draining yet enamoring performance. "Do any of you want to guess who I'm dressed as?"

The crowd rallies and cheers.

"Spider-Man! Obviously!"

"Is there anyone stupid enough to not get it?"

"It's Spider-Man!"

Miguel rolls his eyes, don't get him wrong, he does want to appreciate the praise but everyone sounds like an overenthusiatic toddler. Depsite that, you feed into their firey spirits. Not before shushing them with a slight raise of your hand.

"I know you're all thinking why I decided to dress up as our beloved spider tonight," you reach for one of the silks hanging from the ceiling, resting your body atop it as you're slowly lifted from the stage again.

"Well, it's simple really. He's the hero of our city, the face of crime fighting, the face of justice." the crowd's heads follow your hanging body, your arm droops down to brush against the many hands that wish to touch yours. "He's made so many sacrifices for us, the least we could do is put on a show. All for him."

Miguel freezes for the nearly the entire duration of your heartfelt speech, he's overheard a lot of those whether it's a drunkard's rambling as he's swinging back home or on a podium and recited by a government official.

From the corner of his eye, the man that he was slowly inching towards rises from his seat and begins to slyly move through the crowd, bumping and slipping past people. When he enters through the backstage doors, all kinds of red flags are waving through the air.

The sudden blast of music nearly deafens him, but gives him a good distraction as he crawls with more fervor across the ceiling beam. He notices the small crevice to an entrance in the ceiling, presumably the one that you entered through.

It's dark and a little dusty, Miguel has to fight back a sneeze before finding yet another latch to enter through and behold, he's successfully infiltrated the backstage area!

"Lyla," he huffs. "Scan."

Bright yellow lights emerge in his vision, behind each room there's a bountiful amount of props and some people chatting with a drink in hand, it seemed like you weren't the only performer in this establishment. The thermal energy spikes when he catches sight of a man hunched behind one of the doors, supposedly with a crowbar in hand. Miguel rolls his eyes, "How dumb does he think I am?"

"Want me to run an IQ test?"

"I was being— ugh, nevermind."

Miguel shies over right next to the door, the blades hidden in his suit release with an audible shing. It cuts into the drywall without a struggle, Miguel can hear the man fall back onto the floor with a thud and a scream. He kicks his way into the room, before pouncing onto him and knocking him out cold.

"That was fast," Lyla chimes, illuminating the darkness. Miguel digs through the pockets of his coat, there's no sign of an ID, but he was carrying a shiv and a small revolver. How was this guy let in?

Miguel ties him up and makes a swift exit, before anyone could notice. This mission felt a little too easy for his liking, like a twist was going to sneak up on him at any minute now, but he wasn't going to complain about having an easy target this time.

His never ending train of thought brings him towards a building's edge later on, even deeper into the night. Waiting, thinking, contemplating. Miguel had no such thing as a spider sense, but he did have a gut and it was practically screaming at him that something was wrong.

He doesn't get any more time to let that thought marinate any further when his ears pick up on the latch of the door to the roof clicking, his head turns immediately he thinks he might strain it until he sees—

You.

Just you.

Though, you weren't wearing the same get-up when you had your show. No, you were in simply nightwear along with a flimsy pair of slippers and fuzzy socks to complete the look. That nonchalant attitude that you held during the show faded for a split second, before a small smile creeps onto your features as you raise a brow.

"Spider-Man? On my roofdeck?"

"I'll leave–"

"No!" you say it a little too loudly, reaching a hand out to him but never actually touching. You scold yourself internally for being too abrupt, before clearing your throat. "No, it's okay. Please stay."

Miguel sighs, as usual, he's going to make a decision that's going to kick him in the ass later. He gives in and decides to indulge your need for company, but the look on his face tells you to keep a distance.

You slowly walk over to the ledge that he's sitting on, leaning your body on the railing but still far enough to be comfortable.

Silence stretches out the distance between the two of you, that for once Miguel feels compelled to say something.

"There was someone suspicious at your club," he explains bluntly. "I took them out. You're welcome."

"Ah, yeah, I could tell from the webs and you know..."

"Oh."

Now, it's back to silence.

Miguel normally isn't disturbed by it, but this just made him uncomfortable. He thought that maybe you'd carry some bravado even outside your profession as a stage performer, he couldn't imagine that he'd end up talking that was so timid.

"I liked your performance," it's soft-spoken, his words fast and deliberate. "Your costume, too. It was... nice."

Even if the praise sounds like a 5th grader complimenting a painting, you found your face red and heart beating fast. Your grin returned with a "thank you". It's hard to tell exactly what Miguel's thinking under that mask, you can't even read his facial expression, but you hope that now it's less awkward.

It falls to silence again, the only difference being that there's no obligation for conversation. You and Miguel stare at the overhead view of the city from your penthouse, it gets so quiet that you swear you can hear him breathing.

He has to leave soon enough, he wished he could've stayed with you for longer because believe it or not, that's the only taste of peace he's had in a while. Your goodbyes are bittersweet, you don't know if you'll ever see him again.

When you're back on the stage again a few days later, hopping off of the platform and holding onto your silks, you're more than happy to that faint red glow coming from the glass panes on your roof.

[omarera]

Breaking down the Aftonbladet article putting into Swedish context, at least my perspective. Markus is viewing the award as a music award and he has strong opinions on what his music taste is. People should vote as he wants lol. So a positive thing g here is that Omar seems to have a lot of votes. He is always very sarcastic and often have one line slaps sticks liners in his articles and is always straight forward. Markus wants it to be a his taste of “best music “ award but in reality fans are voting based on their own taste and dedication to vote. He needs to change his view of what Rockbjörnen is and why people vote.

Long post ahead…

Some nominations are the joke of the year. Doesn't just stand out. It sticks the eyes.

Ok, I have a few questions. La Gunilla? Fröken Snusk? Where did the musical taste go, dear audience? Is it out drunkenly riding a valley horse?

Since Rockbjörnen is Aftonbladet's prize, I should probably hold back.

It will be such a bad atmosphere otherwise.

The taste is different. After rain comes sun. It's always worse in Gällivare. Take pastors in Knutby with a grain of salt, and so on.

But one of the nominations doesn't just stand out. It sticks out the eyes of sensitive people.

Gunilla Persson? What is she doing here? Her contribution in the Melodifestivalen, "I won't shake (la la Gunilla)", was quite a lot. But "Breakthrough of the year"? What to say about it? Hawk tuah?

Nominating her is like watching the pole vault final at the Olympics, watching Armand Duplantis break a new world record and then giving the Gold of Achievement to a falcon.

I interpret everything as Aftonbladet's dear readers trolling us. If La Gunilla is the breakthrough of the year, you might as well give the bear to Babsan's chorizo ​​hit "Give me a Spaniard", even though the song was released in 2011.

That would be about as reasonable.

For context: Babsan you all know 🫠 but Gunilla Persson is known for being a “Hollywood wife reality star” and she is just loved or hated and just a strong character. She is not a music artist and the actual new breakthrough music artists gets in her shadow.

Another nomination makes me demand that Sweden should introduce a driver's license test before people can express themselves about music. Otherwise, there is a great risk that many people will accelerate backwards towards a red light on the left side of the traffic. That is, cogs in the run-up by voting for Fröken Snusk.Her mix of knight fun and epadunk in a pink robber's hat would only have been a given winner if Rockbjörnen introduced the category "Joke of the Year".

Then so. Now it feels easier to breathe.

For context: Fröken Snusk performes in a pink mask and have songs like “Ride me like a Dalahorse” and “the Gynecological”. Fröken Snusk kind of translates into Miss Naughty. She is though very popular among kids and teens mostly. A guy behind her pulls all the strings and she basically sings the songs. She wants to take a bigger role and is starting to change her image. The song she did in Mello she was a co-author on and she was also the winner of this year’s “The mask” showing off she has great voice. Taking of the mask having her pink mask on. Some songs were also taken down from Spotify due allegations of manipulation of streams. But many love her. Others hate her.

Otherwise, this year's gala seems to be a classic duel at dawn between two relatively young men: Omar Rudberg and Benjamin Ingrosso.Omar can win four Rockbears and Benjamin three, which is due, among other things, to the fact that "Benji" has not performed at Gröna Lund this year and therefore cannot be nominated in the category "Grönan live act of the year".

There is nothing wrong with Rudberg, but if the prize is still about music, Ingrosso should sweep home everything. This summer he took on a new giant leap as a stage performer.

For context: I won’t riot against Markus, so if that’s what you want to read, move on. He acknowledges that it is a duel between them and he has probably seen the numbers of votes. That is positive news for me. There are not just Omar and Beji nominated and Omar and Benji seems to be close in voter numbers (if that’s the reason he writes the article and want to prime Benji winning)

Stating “there is nothing wrong with Omar, but if the prize is still about music, Ingrosso should sweep home everything”.

Music is subjective, and Markus saying there is nothing wrong with Omar is like a compliment coming from him. I prefer Omar’s music and we all know he is not recognized is Sweden as any of us thinks he deserves. I fully agree with that. I also agree that Benji is the biggest artist this year and he has taken leaps both performance wise and with his music. He has done an outsold European tour ( similar to the one Omar will do) and he has had several hits dominating the charts with a little bit of, for him, music style and quality. He has also had a very successful summer tour ( designed by the same person who designed Beyonces stage performance). He has had arena show in Sweden, very few Swedish artists pull that off. He IS the biggest Swedish male artist atm. So I understand Markus viewpoints. Omar is still in the beginning of his career, he has just started performing on stages and has his first tour announced. It’s not possible to compare them. Benji has so much more experience and has released so much more music. Omar is already great but he will have more music coming out with better producers and he will ofc evolve even more on stage. I see many compare Benji with Harry Styles and that’s where my references goes as well. He kind of has similar stage clothes and also the reading signs and having people proposing on his stage. So he interacts with the audience in a similar way.

The trolling part when it comes to Benji is that Benji has been/is by some hated just bc he is a nepo kid and his family. He had a FB group with 9000 members called “we who hate Benjamin” when he was 9yo. And yes he has benefited a lot from his family background and the benefits that comes with that but he also gets hate. And he still has that feeling with him it seems and seem to consider himself as a kind of an underdog needing to prove himself. So him being the biggest artist atm, and if he doesn’t win some will see it as people voted on other artist to make him not win and build on the narrative that it is bc he is a Wahlgren/Ingrosso. He also gets votes for that reason ofc, people loving him and his family, rather than people loving his music.

But all together, La Gunilla and Fröken Snusk might win, loved by the people but maybe not the best music. Omar is loved and have dedicated fans even though Benji is the biggest artist this year. And has the music that has been recognized. Markus seem to prefer his music, I prefer Omar’s music.

Regarding the trolling history for Rockbjörnen, last year Hooja won four categories, they are also liked and loved by kids and people all ages I guess, they wear masks and do fun songs with kind of silly lyrics. Listen below. But they were also “outed” and their names and life’s were written about by Aftonbladet last year which was quite controversial since they wanted to be anonymous for their sake and also their families. They live north in Sweden and lead somewhat just normal family life. So, that was also probably one reason people voted for them. A way of trolling as well.

[graphite-grey]

I know this site is better for fandoms, but I'll use it to dump my character info too

I quite enjoyed making this as a rough sketch. Just to get the individuals down.

All of this info (excluding Anwen and her associations) hold true to the Box Maker setting with some changes. Anwen and her connections are only true for the original ghost hunter setting with Magda the ghost girl.

Lothos

A man of not insubstantial means, he did make his name in war, but after the general peace was left to occupy himself with building a home and name, ingratiating himself in commerce.

Lothos married three times (and was unfortunate enough to have son after son, which wasn't ideal considering they couldn't all inherit, and could not provide decent marriage matches bringing wealth into the family through dowry), also the name wasn't well known enough to ward out sons, so he was lumped with them all. The goal was daughters, he only had one, and she was the apple of everyone's eye.

Serren, Orros, and Thaddeus

Serren - the first wife, of good sense and decent standing. It was perhaps not a love match, but it produced Orros and Thaddeus. Serren died in childbed with a child I clearly forgot to name, when they were still young. At this point they were still very much the family of a lower bannerman so both were trained up to go to war as it was largely still the family business.

Orros - the dutiful heir following his father's example closely and even taking part in many of the more influential battles in the Succession Wars

Thaddeus - the spare who took up tradecraft as a metal artificer. That being, adding rudimentary artifices to metal craft or base objects. Nothing too fancy, but extremely useful if it can be done, and he was clever enough to think about use and not fancy. He retains the skill and is a proficient metal worker. Note that he never imbued his own spear just because he’s arrogant in his own weapon handling prowess and doesn’t need an artifice to help. This was his trade and craft for a long time and he did petty well with it. He was drafted to the second wave of the Succession Wars (King Ainsel and his half sister, the sorceress Medes)

Eleanore, Julius, Darrion, and Euron

Eleanore - was actually a younger mistress on the side when Lothos was still married to Serren. This did create something of a point of contention between Orros, Thaddeus, and their father. The brothers were never happy that their mother was being treated that way while she was still alive, and even as young boys they were aware of the friction. Thus this wife was never really accepted despite her kindness. It was also at this point that the distance between them and their father grew. Orros was firmer in his stance, Thaddeus did eventually warm to Eleanore as a mother figure, and forgave their father slightly. Eleanore died of a respratory infection quite suddenly. Lothor took this worse than he did with Serren, and that just reopened the rift again between him and Orros. Eleanore came from a substantially higher standing of family than Serren, bringing some wealth and open doors with her.

Julius - he is in fact of similar age to Thaddeus, give or take a few months, and was not seen as legitimate until Lothos and Eleanore wed. He’s carefree and pretty much something of a loser and womaniser whom their father tried to reign in but failed. It's no surprise he ended up killed - it's unclear by whom, but given his lifestyle, he angered the wrong person. He and Thaddeus did get along pretty well - Orros however, disliked him, largely for his behaviour, but he held a bit of prejudice against his bastard birth too and saw it as a further insult toward his mother.

Darrion - Clever and entitled, Darrion did view himself as something of a more worthy heir, and acted as such. This did not make him popular with Thaddeus - who could accept Julius but not Darrion. While Orros may have disapproved of Julius, Thaddeus hated Darrion and his attitude, and they often came to blows. It was during a fight between them that Orros stepped in and injured Thaddeus to stop him killing Darrion - that's the scar on his arm - also the incident which prompted Thaddeus to wash his hands of his brothers. Darrion is also an artificer, but with gold and finer materials, which also fuels his superiority. Their father devoted more time to refining this set of children as he now had the means, which was somewhat emphasised when it came to Darrion, who had the privilege of being taught, instead of having to figure it out himself and find someone to apprentice him as Thaddeus did. This gave him the notion of grandeur and better birth.

Euron - jovial of nature, Euron was quite a bit younger than the other brothers and disliked all the fighting between them, trying when he could to keep the peace in something of a naive way. He was the closest in nature to his mother, and perhaps was coddled a little too much by her, to the ire of Lothos who viewed his sensetivies as far too soft - though after Eleanore's death, he accepted his son a lot more, and even took some pride in the compliments that perhaps he had a gift in musical artificing with a fine voice, taking steps to arrange the boy be sent to an academy for training in musical artificery - which sadly never came to pass.

Isla and Aurellie

Isla - much younger that Lothos by decades, this match was indeed a political one as by that stage the family had a little more standing. Meek and frail, Isla had very little personality to speak of, but was forced into the marriage by her family so endured with reserve. This further soured the relationship between Orros and Lothos, to the point where Orros was just going to army skirmishes to vent his spite rather than do anything his father demanded. His personality changed to vindictiveness and aggression in rebellion against Lothos.

When Isla produced Aurellie, the relationship between her and Lothos softened and became closer, and she in turn gained more confidence in herself, though she never fell into the same pattern of entitlement as Darrion.

When Lothos died in the epidemic, Isla was left with the household, emerging from her shell to take on the role better than anyone could have thought. Behind her dull exterior was always an astute learning mind, holding her own against Darrion's attempts to wrest control. (By this stage Orros was dead and Thaddeus had nothing to do with any of them, so Darrion was the heir in need of tempering).

Aurellie - universally accepted by all her siblings, there's not much to say about Aurellie aside from the fact that she was the most anticipated child of the lot and thus wants for nothing from her father, who adored her. It’s up to Darrion now to find her a suitable match when the time comes.

Lyria

Of similar standing, this was a love match. Since Orros was off fighting and defying Lothos' wishes to wed and produce a grandchild, this was the next best thing, and linked them to a well-standing mercantile family. Lothos had always trusted Thaddeus’ judgements and sense, so accepted it with the same indifference he accepted everything his second son did.

The union produced one child who did not long survive after a premature birth.

Thaddues then went to war when the king was raising arms against Medes. Orros had been killed some time before. Once Medes was defeated, he returned home to pick up where they'd left off - but it just wasn't the same despite efforts to reclaim it.

The epidemic hit then, wiping out over half the population of the city - including Lothos and Euron. Thaddeus was pronounced dead too, but he reviveved on the pyre - which wasn't ideal considering the burning. This is also how he aquired the aspect of flame and this is where the two storylines diverge.

What remains the same is that he was pronounced dead, thus his widow inherited everything and was free to remarry - which she did a little too quickly - to Royce. The pair had been together while Thaddeus was away anyway, so it wasn't a surprise - what stung most was that deep down she was disappointed he hadn't died in battle (it's complicated, and don't view her as malicious, there was extreme guilt in feeling that way, but they married feeling one way, and ended up....different). Anyway, by the time Thaddeus had recovered enough to kick up a stink, he didn't have the bother - the rage was all spent (or consumed to feed the fire - respective of storyline)

In the original setting, this is about the time he can see ghosts, having died shortly, - which doesn't make anyone more likely to stay with you. Royce allowed him his workshop and offered him a partnership of sorts, but he Thaddeus said “thanks, but you can shove it”, sold the workshop, and just left, there was nothing there anymore. Darrion was set up and managing everything with Isla and Aurellia - he was just a loose end with no desire to start from scratch. So he took to accepting his new ability and dealt with the ghosts and their issues partly out of a disconnect with the living and an effort to disassociate with everything. There was of course rage and bad days, but it became a sort of self healing, and it did change him into a better more mellow person. He even came to terms with Lyria's remarriage and subsequent happiness, knowing that she’s well and has a bunch of kids, though he never returned home. That life belonged to someone who died on the pyre. He has devised a means of collecting and selling the spectral energy to those who use it for spells and artifices and does pretty well out of it. Everything he carries he made. Also he's not genetically bald, he just chooses it because his hair now grows back very poorly and patchy. Eventually it just never bothered trying again.

In the Box Maker this would be when he accepted the Cleansing Flame that revived him and became a Psalmer - and explains the rage fed to the flame inside - despite being able to birth a cleansing flame, the aspect inside was always feeding on the resentment of losing it all - this in turn is amplified when the village faces starvation and he's faced with the prospect of his helplessness all over again. Thus he cannot create a new flame when his goes out, but must allow the one inside to become something

Anwen

A 'ghost hunter only' character - Anwen is a tree maiden now turned mortal after her tree was cut down to prevent her from returning to her world. She too has known what it's like to think something was true, only to realise you just make do with a lie.

Her tree was once a wild chestnut, and she fell in love with a woodsman Errit. She consented to be his wife, and for a while they were happy, alas Errit couldn't help but listen to tales spun by the others of similar couples - and he believed the stories wheedled to him that she would one day return to her world and leave him. Thus, afraid to lose her, he cut down her tree to prevent it, trapping her and slowly turning her mortal.

Despite this, she still loved him and they did live relatively happily (I'll say that he did feel guilt and shame for his actions when he knew what it had done). Though a voice inside her just didn’t feel the same as she had when they’d loved one another in the wood before the stories had driven him to what he did.

They didn't have any children, despite desires for them, and Errit died, as mortals do, of an illness (unsure what yet, I'm thinking some kind of sepsis)

Anwen remained living her life alone until she met Thaddeus, Mews, and Magda, when she realised what she’d had before wasn’t what she thought. I connected them as unmarried, because they never do, ceremonially. I have yet to decide if Magda stays once they have a master Artificer craft her a body (as mentioned, Thaddeus is an artificer, but not with advanced materials of intricate workings, so the best functioning body could do would be...not good). Or if Magda finally decides she's ready to cross over and leave the living. I love Magda, so that would be sad, but would bring closure to a lot of them with regard to accepting the past.

Anyway, thanks for reading if you did, I know it's a lot, and not an interesting image, but I needed a place to dump it for reference - but it might all change anyway.

[quotergirl19]

Penelope meets a young lady who is new to society this season, the girl is very beautiful and kind and Pen takes an instant liking to her. She asks if Penelope has any advice for her since she’s not new to society so Pen warns her to be cautious of certain gentlemen because many see courtship as sport and don’t actually care about whether or not they are toying with a young lady’s affections or distracting her from more sincere and serious suitors.

The girl thanks Penelope and mentions that she has her eye on two particularly handsome gentlemen, one of whom is Colin and Penelope tells her that she has excellent taste because she has known Mr. Bridgerton for years. That he is undeniably handsome and charming and his family is wonderful but she warns that Colin has sworn off women and only sees fit to flirt and dance but he mocks the idea of actual courtship and is unlikely to marry for years.

Turns out the young lady has heard about what Colin said about Penelope and was surprised that Penelope was so honest about her experience with Mr. Bridgerton. The girl turns out to be quite sharp and popular and she spreads the word about Mr. Bridgerton so rapidly that it was overheard multiple times even by Penelope’s own sister and mother. So many times in fact that Pen simply had to make note of it in her latest Whistledown column. Just like that the word is out that Colin Bridgerton has sworn off women and only flirts to entertain himself but pursuing him for a husband is a waste of time and a risk because he will disparage a lady to make clear that he does not wish to wed.

Later when Colin tries to flirt with a number of pretty young things, they seem wary and uninterested, and knowing how he disparaged Miss Penelope Featherington, a longtime friend of the Bridgerton family, most mamas have warned their daughters to stays far away from the 3rd Bridgerton son. Colin is determined not to let anything undermine his confidence so he steps up his game, earning himself quite the reputation as the most dangerously charming man in London. Colin is annoyed by this, because where he once found flirting to be light hearted and fun, it has become a bit of a chore now and what he really wanted was to have some genuine conversations with someone who he could just be normal with. But the one person who he could always turn to for a bit of actual conversation was Penelope and she was avoiding him like the plague.

Even worse, when Colin did manage to get a moment alone with Penelope, she appeared just as wary of him as women who didn’t know him at all. She even expressed fear that if they were discovered they might be forced to marry as if she could think of no worse fate than being tied to such a known flirt. When Colin is insulted because Penelope of all people should know that he would never disrespect his wife, she tells him that what she knows is that he would likely never be satisfied with the attention of only one woman and being his wife would guarantee she’d be subject to constant mockery while he charmed every beauty he encountered. Because all he really cares about is himself.

Insulted, Colin reminds Penelope that he cares for her enough that he stepped in to save her family from her cousin Jack’s ruby scheme and maybe she should be a little more grateful to him. Penelope silences him instantly by telling him that he probably only got Jack to leave town because he didn’t want the ton to know he’d been fooled once again because the last time he tucked tail and fled to Greece for months only to return and still be exactly what Marina said he was, an eager boy. Then Penelope leaves but not before telling him not to corner her alone again, because when she does marry, she wants a man who values her, not the fickle sort of person who claims she’s special to him only to make her look ridiculous because men who don’t know her worth, don’t envy his choice.

[superstar027]

“She’s so smart! It’s like she’s the descendant of Einstein or something!”

“She’s so pretty. I swear every guy in our school has had a crush on her at some point.”

“She’s so nice! She helped me finish my schoolwork yesterday!”

The halls were filled with the usual ruckus about me and my charming good deeds. I mean, who could blame them? It’s not every day that they encounter someone as perfect and as kind as me! Beautiful inside, and out!

“Hey, Tsukki!”

“Tsukishima!”

I clench my teeth as I hear the irritating shrieks of my classmates towards Tsukishima Kei. Me and Tsukishima have a rivalry although some might say it’s completely one-sided, I beg to differ. He has been meddling in every little thing or project I do in such subtle ways that others may not even be able to recognize it! For example, at the last school festival I took charge of the banner for the class along with Tsukishima. On the very last day of making it, there was this tiny paint speck on the corner that threw me off and irritated me the whole day! What’s worse is that he’s acting like nothing is happening! He’s not even that good if I’m being honest. He ignores almost everyone and doesn’t even help people! Yet, he’s still more popular and recognized than me. Shit’s unfair. He struts right in front of me, domineering over me with his height. He shot a glance at me and for a moment I saw his smug smirk. My eyebrows furrowed before I started smiling again. I can’t let my reputation be ruined by him.

It’s a relief that me and Tsukishima are in different classes. That way I can only see his irritating face in the halls. Enough about him, let’s talk about my new club! Since I am now a senior, I have the opportunity to establish my very own literature club! Books have always been a passion for me. My mother introduced books to me when I was very young. We were never rich so we never had the luxury of TV or cable stuff like that. My mother used to steal books from the family she cleaned for and would give them to me for entertainment. That basically jump started me towards my first love, literature; and that's also why I hold this club very near and dear to my heart. God, I can already imagine all the people nervously anticipating my entrance! I walk slowly towards the door and opened it to be met with... Silence? This doesn't make sense! There's supposed to be a lot of people here... Do people nowadays really don't care about literature? At the corner of my eyes I spot the familiar blond locks I hate to see. There, in between the book shelfs was Tsukishima Kei, reading silently before looking up at me and then rolling his eyes back to his book.

What the hell?! As if people not joining my club was bad enough! Now I have to deal with this fucker?! I could feel myself slowly exploding but I defused it before it could grow any bigger. What good would it cause if I drove away the only member of my club? In fact... I could even use him to revive it!

Operation: Endure the Enemy starts NOW!

A trailer for what's to comee!! I hope you guys are all excited as much as I am!! I swearrr I'll update more often from now on!! Another thing, I have a tiktok now! Go check out @superstar00027 for updates and stuff!

[rebelspykatie]

Now it seems life's passed me by

@steddie-week Day Four - Familiar 

Link to AO3 | 2.2k | Rated G

Steve has always been a bit slow on the uptake.

When he was little, before schoolwork turned from finger paints and ABCs to complicated geometry and biology labs, he started out on the same level as his peers. It was easy to keep up with simplistic things like writing a short story about his mom, or doing simple math problems counting in twos. As time went on, and classes advanced as he got older, it took him entirely too long to realize he was falling behind everyone in his classes.

His grades were on a gradual decline, the kind of decline you don’t notice until you’re halfway down the slope and it’s too steep to make a rescue attempt and pull yourself out of it before hitting rock bottom. Reading was always a challenge. He dreaded being called on in class to read a passage, stumbling his way through a paragraph and begging everyone to keep their eyes down and not outright laugh at his attempts to pronounce the words swimming on the page.

It wasn’t until fifth grade that he started to catch onto the fact that he couldn’t keep up with his classmates. They stopped inviting him over to do homework together. No one ever asked him what he got for number four after a test, like they instinctively knew he didn’t know the correct answers for any of the problems. Sometimes, he thought he heard whispering and snickering laughter behind his back in the library.

That was when it clicked that he was going to have to work harder to keep up. His mother clucked at his report cards, but it never seemed to cross her mind that her son might be stupid, or that he might need help, or that something was wrong. Maybe that’s why it took him so long to realize, from his perch atop the mountain of privilege afforded to him by his parents, no one ever questioned his intelligence.

Surely the son of Richard Harrington the third would grow up to be just like his father, smart and cunning. Devious enough to work his way to the top of the corporate ladder. Popular enough to snag the prettiest girl in school and marry her young, starting his empire fresh out of college and setting an unrelenting pace for himself. Never slowing down to make time for his family. For his son. If he had, he would’ve realized that his son was soft in all the places he was sharp. That being cunning was an unfamiliar concept to him, outside of figuring out how to sneak a cookie out the jar without the nanny of the week noticing.

Perhaps that’s why no one realized Steve was struggling, because no one was really around to see it happening. Betty Harrington was a socialite with a packed schedule, often leaving Steve at home with nannies. She questioned his grades, but was quick to assume they were slipping because he wasn’t trying, or because puberty was creating distractions that had his mind filled with things besides schoolwork. She had no idea how hard he was working.

It wasn’t until high school that he cottoned on to those survival skills his father tried to instill in him from birth. He hated using his father’s name or his mother’s connections to get ahead in life. He knew they were powerful people in Hawkins, but an unpleasant feeling would settle in his stomach when he used their names to get what he wanted. He wanted to earn what he got in life, he wanted his merits to be his own, not something handed to him because of who birthed him.

But Steve was still struggling, barely maintaining grades that moved him to the next level. He even had to take remedial courses over the summer to be able to move on to high school with the rest of his class. Later in life, he’ll realize that neglect was detrimental to him, in ways far beyond his emotional wellbeing. His parents' lack of attention kept them from seeing the underlying issues, the dyslexia that had always been there and the blurry eyesight that just got worse with each head injury.

It didn’t help that it all changed when he joined the basketball team. For the first time in his life, he discovered a natural talent. Basketball was the first step to hiding himself in plain sight. Popularity was at the tip of his fingers, gaining traction with each game, until they won the championship because of his three-pointer. Suddenly, everyone wanted to be his friend. King Steve emerged and protected him until monsters started crawling out of the ground and Billy Hargrove showed up to knock him off his throne.

Teachers suddenly looked the other way when his essays didn’t make sense. He went from barely skating by on a C and D average, to a modest B- in almost every subject. The red marks on his papers dwindled and careful explanations on how to solve math problems were written out beside where he was unable to complete his work, no longer losing marks for not answering, but gaining points for even attempting to answer. It was the first time he heard his father say he was proud of him. It itched under his skin, knowing that he was acting just like his father would, getting ahead on merit he didn’t earn.

Then the upside down had to ruin his carefully constructed facade. His fall from grace was harder than he expected. Losing that favor that he hadn’t really earned with anything besides a natural prowess for sports. It happened both in slow motion, and all at once. He kept trying to hold onto the lie he had built for himself, like he could pretend that monsters aren't real and some girl didn’t die in his backyard, and he was just another dumb jock trying to graduate and go on to have his 2.5 kids and a white picket fence.

But reality always caught up to him, even when Steve was ten steps behind. The familiarity of his throne was almost enough to keep him there, safely at the top of the food chain. But the crown never really fit. The lie was easy. He wanted to believe it. He wanted to be popular, and looked upon with favor, and someone who made people proud.

What goes around, comes around, though. The empty seat left when Nancy and Jonathan and monsters from another world knocked him off his throne didn’t sit vacant for long. It takes him too long to realize he doesn’t even want it anymore. It takes a toothless, curly-haired little menace to make him realize that none of that was real. With how quickly they all turned their back on him, he realized that he didn’t have any real friends to begin with. He’s not even sure if Nancy and Jonathan count, given their rocky relationship.

What he does know, is that this kid, who started off thinking he was an asshole ex of his friend’s older sister, looks at him with wonder, sees him for who he really is, and doesn’t care whether he can solve an algebraic equation or compose a coherent five page essay. Even that takes him too long to realize.

It’s not until they’re staring down death in the upside down, with Eddie Munson at his side, that he understands how important he is to the kids, especially Dustin, as Eddie rambles on about him, praising him and confirming that he’s no longer King Steve. He wants to weep. He wants to sigh in relief. He wants to erase that version of himself from existence, if only he could go back in time.

Loneliness had become so familiar to him, that he didn’t comprehend how much genuine connection would mean to him, or even what it would feel like. Some instinctual part of him knew that the kids, and Robin, and Eddie, and even Nancy, were all worth protecting, that he could depend on them. Something was different in how they looked at him, even if they sometimes found his lack of understanding annoying, or thought he cared more about his hair than anything real. They trusted him, knew he would show up, knew he would throw himself into danger to protect all of them.

So perhaps, the unfamiliarity of love, which he’d mistakenly thought he felt before and got wrong time and time again, is what makes him almost miss when it’s really happening. His relationship with Nancy was short lived, but he spent so long clinging to the idea of Nancy and Steve, that he thought that blind devotion was something real. He was wrong. He thought that warm, comforting feeling that crept up on him around Robin, even when she was calling him a dingus or making fun of his abysmal flirting skills, was romantic love. But he was wrong. It wasn’t in quite the same way as with Nancy, but it was still wrong.

It’s practically staring him in the face before he’s cognizant of it. He’s been at Eddie’s side for months now, helping with Eddie’s recovery, letting Eddie help with his own recovery. They’ve grown impossibly close, almost as close as him and Robin. He spends most of his time with Eddie, or thinking about Eddie, learning everything about him and committing it to memory.

He knows that Eddie is terrible at feeding himself, will go days without eating something more than a few slices of bread, if someone isn’t forcing him to eat. Somehow, he takes over this responsibility from Wayne, luring Eddie out of his room with the prospect of a grilled cheese and homemade soup. It’s always met with an appreciative, reserved smile.

He knows that Eddie misses his friends. That he wants to see them and reassure them that he’s not a satan worshiping murderer, not that Eddie truly thinks they believe that nonsense, since Lucas made it clear they wouldn’t give him up to Jason and his goons except under duress. So Steve quietly arranges for them to stop by the trailer, disappearing for a few hours to Robin’s, letting them talk it out and work through their shit. The smile that he gets when he returns to the trailer is blinding.

He knows that Eddie’s wounds ache in the same way his do, that they feel foreign and like his skin is no longer his own. They tingle when it rains, and burn like hell when the wrong fabric scratches the delicate ridges of the inflamed tissue. It takes months of physical therapy for Eddie to recover, and the open wounds turn to ugly scars that make him self conscious. Steve traces his fingertips along them when they lie beside each other in Eddie’s bed, hoping that Eddie knows they’re just as beautiful as the rest of him.

It takes a gentle nudge from Robin for him to realize what’s happened. That he’s become so familiar with Eddie and all his eccentricities, that they’ve entwined their lives together so intricately that you can no longer separate them into two entities. His affection for Eddie sits so deep in his soul that it’s like a tattoo on his heart. He couldn’t remove it, even if he wanted to, and he doesn’t.

The thing that takes him too long to realize, is that he’s found home, and it’s not a place. It’s the way Eddie never makes him feel stupid, never explains things in that condescending tone that Dustin sometimes gets when Steve’s being particularly slow. It’s in the way he wants to tell Eddie everything and learn everything about Eddie in return. It’s the way he doesn’t have to tell Eddie when he’s having a bad day, he instinctively knows and does everything in his power to comfort him without Steve saying a word.

But once he realizes, he sinks into the feeling, that reassuring embrace of familiarity. He doesn’t ever want to go back to the days of uncertainty, or doubting himself or his relationships with others. He wants to come home everyday to this feeling. And it doesn’t really blind side him, because it’s been there, creeping up on him day after day, in the way he seeks Eddie’s touch and the way he stares at his curls in the sunlight.

And when he finally works up the courage to tell Eddie, it doesn’t change anything, but it also changes everything. They’re still themselves, but more. They become Eddie and Steve. And they grow together from that, becoming all the more familiar with each other, and build a home and a future together. And it’s everything little Steve never could have imagined for himself, when his peers outsmarted him and left him behind. He wanted desperately, for so long, to find a place where he felt like he was on even footing, and Eddie always meets him right there, eye-to-eye. He couldn’t ask for anything more.

[prettymingz]

The beauty and the beast

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¡Explicit content for 18+ !

©Prettymingz 2023

Unbothered Mingi x (Shy Simp) with big glasses Reader

Reader is a Simp for Mingi. I'm going to call reader Chérie because it's less awkward and it's cute.

Plot:

He was everything you was not. Assurance, authority, and his special beauty. You've never seen a man like him. He is everything you desire. Him on the other hand, was hiding behind his indifference and happen to love your warmth. Both for you deserve more than you could ask.

Words: 4k3~

Genre : Angst, fluff, mature, romance, slice of life

Warning: bullying, Violence, swearing, Mingi is depicted as unattractive (for fictional purpose, which is absolutely not the case if you ask me),Food, suggestive

Mingi is a new student. He kinda get along with anyone but doesn't bother to make deep friendships. More of a loner who is just going along his life.

He was quite popular among everyone, boys wanted to be his friendship and respect, girls on the other hand, founded him as the forbidden and unspeakable desire.

The intimidating young man with mysterious aura. Even if he was very honestly brutal, Mingi was kind.

The rumor was saying, he was probably fired from his old school because he fought against the group of rich kids ( and knock them out).

You on the other hand... Was the total opposite. Zero authority, big glasses, shy and not that good at school, even if it was the only thing you could do.

While thinking about it, you actually had a few common things. Like being quiet ( at school at least), not being drawn to a lot of people. And he seems to be as bad as you in class.

Speaking of authority, you try your best to stay strong and stand for yourself in front of the mean girls group. Especially in front of Hilary, she was trying to get on your nerves for her own entertainment.

She once trapped you alone trying to intimidate you and to mock your cute outfit. Or calling your name like a child all along of the class. It was happening every time she had the occasion.

But the worst was the fact she had an ugly boyfriend to stand for her like a guard dog when your you was standing up for yourself.

The situation got worse when your eyesight got so bad that you had to wear glasses

Like today. The day you snapped. It was definitely not your day. Starting your day by being late for the first period because of your phone which had no battery and so does not woke you up on time. The traffic blocked by an accident, making sure you would be late. The rain started when you had to walk to the building where you had your second period, making you hair look like bushes (at least you had a hair band).

So now waiting for the class to start, you saw this bunch of mean girls with Hilary and her dog boyfriend walks in. They sat at the group table next to yours, which was still empty

"That's so funny! It looks absolutely the same as her ugly as glasses!" Said a girl in their group.

You did not give a reaction, getting ready for the class. The class now full, the teacher started to explain the work you had to do with your group.

After that you had to exchange with the people at your table. Not an easy task. Among those classmates, a bored dude not wiling to work, an opportunist girl on her phone and Song Mingi who is not easy to approach.

But it was him who started the discussion. Surprised you looked up and met his eye above your glasses. You did not hold his intense eyes contact and looked everywhere but his eyes. He successfully grabbed the others two's attention.

"Like we have to give our paperwork back at the end of the class, I propose to work on the structure of this organization, and how they found the solution of the recycling problem."

"Yes, this is a good idea." You answered while you started to write down the ideas.

After an hour, a paper was thrown to you and you pushed it away. A minute later an other one was throw and you looked up in the direction from where it comes from. Of course it was Hilary's group. Starting to laugh when they saw you turn. The only response they get, was you pushing this one too.

They continued but seeing no reaction from you they called your name, which started to annoyed your team mates.

"Can you not tell them stop? I can barely think because of you." says the girl in your group.

The fact is, it was annoying you more than anyone, for obvious reasons, but mostly because they where doing that in front of your ultimate crush. The unbothered Song Mingi, the most respected student. Therefore, creating a bigger gap between the two of you, making him even more unreachable.

So when they called you one more time, you turned in their direction and dryly answered: "What?"

And they dumbly laughed. Your annoyance tripled. Today was not the day, you had no patience left in your body even if it still was your first class of the day (almost 2 pm). And your eyes was telling everything you was not saying with your mouth: I'm gonna end you.

But they still continued, creating a high level of noise in the room.

"Look at the way she look at you! Aha"

"Like... This?" She tried to recreate your facial expression. It only make your blood boil more. You could hear your heart beating in your ear, not noticing the girl in your group laughing along and the rest of the class enjoying the drama. Even the teacher doesn't pay attention to scenes presents in front of him.

"Wait, something is missing!"

So when Hilary put on those ugly round fake glasses on, You snapped. Forgetting your usual timid and polite behavior, you walk in her direction and tear up the glasses from her face.

"Ouch!"

You broke the pair in three pieces and threw them in her direction.

"You're just a fucking, annoying cunt! Get yourself a life and stop your obsession with me. What are you, a middle school student who need to bring the other down to feel better?"

As you get back to collect your affairs, her boyfriend stood up.

"Watch your mouth bitch." He grabbed you forearm.

"Leave me alone." And you freed your arm from his grip.

"We've not finished yet with you. Watch your back, next time gonna hurt you ass"

"Yeah, whatever you say dog."

And You get out.

You directly get back to your place. The travel back was quicker than the first ride.

"Oh no! What I have done!" You cringe at yourself.

"Just in front of Mingi! What he is going to think of me? A violent woman who swear and easily get ridiculed. My glamorous and soft aura, gone."

"All that because of them! They could not wait another moment? But wait, he had no reaction. He doesn't care. Then why would I care? Because he's perfect!"

That is how you skipped all of the rest of your classes for the day, by over thinking.

The next day, you try to avoid them by all cost. Even taking longer path to each class and skipping the only common class with them.

" C'mmon Chérie, you're not going to skip every single class you have with them."

"You do not understand friend. I went totally crazy yesterday plus, Mingi was there. What am I suppose to do? Coming back and act like nothing happens, like the lunatic I am?"

"First, you just defend yourself, which is cool! Secondly Mingi... Like Song Mingi?"

"Yeah..."

You look up from your lunch.

" He's... I don't know ugly? But I can admit he have this gangsta charms. But still! He can be good for a one night stand, but not for what you are looking for!"

She throws her hands up.

"I know, I know!"

"Unless, your objective have change?"

She has a glint of mischief in her eyes.

"What?! No. I still want a strong relationship and find the good one. And maybe you are wrong and it's not his type? Who knows but him?"

"True. Maybe you should try speak to him even if it can cost your life."

She jokes while checking the time on her phone.

"Okay girl, this lunch we had in this serial killer place was good, but I have to be in time for my presentation."

And she packed her stuffs.

"This is a sure place! It's not because we are in the back of a building where nobody goes, it means a serial killer would choose to act here."

"It exactly where one of them would act. So don't stay there alone for to long, we never know. And it's going to rain again so you would have no other choice. See you! "

And she left in hurry.

You took your time to finish and pack up your lunch box in your bag. Just at this moment the rain started to pour. You had not time to cross the small are to come back inside, that a group of people came out.

The Hilary's group obviously. So you try to avoid them and pass next to them to take the path to the build's front. But you had no time for that because the boyfriend grabbed your left arm. His grip was so tight, it started to hurt. You couldn't freed your arm.

"Brad, take her to me" Hilary was still under the small shelter to protect her from the heavy rain.

He harshly dragged you to face her, still in the rain.

"Do you think avoiding us could work? You can skip as much classes as you want but I will always found you. And today you will learn your place."

The rain has already soaked your clothes and your hair. You could barely see through your glasses, full of rain drops.

Knowing there's no way out, you took your courage because you got nothing to lose .

" When I was saying you are obsessed with me, you just proved it right by finding me. And what? How are you going to learn me my place? By ordering your dog around? Th-"

You have been cut by Brad who easily pushed you to the floor.

"Don't talk to her like that!"

"What? She can't even fight me by her own? She have to send her boyfriend and have a public to feel strong?"

Even if your elbows and hands hurt, you was determined to prove your point.

"Okay, the piglet, I'm gonna make you spit blood. Hold my bag Brad."

You stood up and she violently slapped your face and your glasses flew away.

"I'm better than you!" She pushed you a second time. You trip over your bag and fell.

When she was over you, you push your foot in her stomach and you took the advantage.

Now standing up you grabbed you bag but you had no time to move because Brad grabbed the back of your tee-shirt, cutting your breath. Hillary punched you in the stomach, making harder for you to catch your breath.

So you planted your nails in the skin of Brad.

"Fucking slut !"

He lets go your clothes but blocked your hands in your back instead.

Hilary slapped your face a few times, making your ears ring.

You try your best and kick your feet and making you heavy for Brad but as it was not working, you just gave him a header with the back of your heard.

It was your ultimate attack. You was so dizzy, you didn't notice Brad letting you go before you fell on the ground.

You didn't pay attention to your surroundings until the silence. You probably stayed down under the rain for a good 10 minutes.

When you looked around you, you could see a silhouette. It was a man, smoking under the shelter, where Hilary was standing a moment ago.

You hardly turned to your side looking for your glasses.

"There. They were next to the door."

He got closer after crushing the rest of the cigarette under his foot.

You took your glasses. Sitting down, you put them on.

"Are you going to continue your nap under the rain or are you coming?"

"Mingi?"

You struggled to stand up.

"What are you doing here?"

You stumble and promptly, he delicately catch you by the waist by one hand and your shoulder by the other.

"Smoking until you got knocked out."

He grabbed your bag and helped you walking.

"I'll take you home."

He said when you get in his car.

"No!"

"C'mon you can't even walk stray. You think you can drive or take the bus back, by your own? Give me your address."

He started the motor.

"No, I just can't go home like this. Will have to explain the full story to my family. They are going to freak out and make it worst but I have the situation in hand."

You try to explain.

"You sure are." He snorted.

Instead, he drove stray to his place.

It was close to the school. He stopped just in front of a carpenter workshop. He stepped out of the car and You followed his steps. He entered the workshop.

"Yunho! I'm back"

He stopped next to a table with a shear on it.

"What, already? You said you have classes all day"

The voice came from an other room of the workshop.

"Yeah but something happened. I had to come back."

And without answering the other man's questions, he took the stairs in front of us.

"Wait on the sofa, I'll be back."

You sat on the sofa like he asked, with a bit of hesitation, scared to wet the tissue with your clothes.

The decoration was basic. A gray sofa under the window, a TV facing it with a low wooden table in between and a big bookshelf against the wall to the left of the television.

"Hum, You probably want to take a shower, get dry before taking care of your wounds"

You nod.

"I already put changing clothes in the bathroom. It's the last door, in the corridor"

"Thank you" You followed his indication.

The bathroom was like the living room, the bare minimum. The clothes were on the vanity unit of the sink.

He gave you one of his large black tee-shirt with a jacket as large and a pair of sweat pants.

After the shower and you put the clothes on, you noticed how the pants were too large to stay on. Thankfully the tee-shirt, which was usually already large on Mingi, was totally reaching your knees.

"And I'm not even that small."

You do your best to dry your hair and attach them in a bun.

You took the pants in your hands and came back to the living room.

"Mingi?"

He make you sign to sit next to him.

"Sorry... I think, the pants you gave me are too large for me" You put the pair down on the sofa and sit.

"It's okay. Don't be sorry"

He took the disinfectant and started with your hands and elbows. He was very gentle in his touch. After applying bandage, he come closer to your face, with the applicator, taking you by surprise.

"Wait!" You grabbed his hand.

He looked at you curiously, waiting for you to explain.

"I- It's going to hurt? I mean more than the rest?"

"Why? You scared it will sting while earlier, you literally receive a punch in the stomach?" He sneered.

"Well... Yes? Okay okay, you can do it." Taking a deep breath, you didn't know if you was talking to him or to yourself.

" Ok than, can you let my hand go so I can do it?"

"Yes,sorry" You let his warm hand apply the treatment next to your lips.

His eyes concentrated and his face close to yours. You could admire him closer than usually. His sharp eyes were softer than usual looking rounder even, his high nose bridge could almost touch yours. You just noticed the mole on his cheek. Acting without thinking for the umpteenth time lately, you bring your hand to touch the emplacement of his mole on his face with the tips of your fingers.

The rain was still pouring outside, combined with his slow respiration, it creat a calm atmosphere.

He stopped his movements and looked back to your eyes. He seems surprised of your action.

Your heart started to beat faster and you boldly continued your exploration. Going from his cheek to his lips.

The pace of the warm breath coming from his lips increased.

The tip of your nose touched.

Your fingers sliding from his lush lower lip to his Adam's apple.

The small gap between your lips became smaller, until they brush.

His left hand traveled to the top of your thigh while he apply more pressure on you lips. A whimper came from your parted lips.

"Mingi! I'm leaving! I have a delivery to do!"

The sound of Yunho from downstairs make you jump apart.

He doesn't wait for Mingi's answers and leave.

Mingi stand up,

"I'm going to change, my clothes are still wet. Make yourself at home."

"Ok..." You say still dazed by the kiss.

When he left, you got up from the couch and went to the bookshelf, curious about Mingi's readings.

The books on his bookshelf were various. But mostly about social sciences and humanities.

When you hear him walking in you said

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I left the group before we could finish the work."

But when you turn in his direction, you notice glasses on his face. He had the same pair but instead of the copper color they were iron.

"It's okay, we almost finished and the others two had to work as much as us, so... It's pretty fair."

"Wait. You wear glasses?"

Seeing your surprised expression makes him laugh.

"Yeah, I just wear lenses out, it more practical."

"You want to eat something?"

"Oh no, you don't need to-"

Your stomach interrupted, of course it had to.

"Ok, I have my answer"

He snort.

He stopped when he arrived at the kitchen's door-frame.

"Did you apply the ointment on your skin? I didn't had time to help you before..."

"Oh! No I should probably do it before I get marks on my skin. My parents would probably freak out because of it."

You awkwardly say, standing in the middle of the living room, not knowing what to do or how to do next.

Noticing your small uncomfort he said.

" The ointment is the white tube"

And you managed to pick the wrong one.

"No, not this one. Let me show you"

He get next to you and put the right tube in your hand.

"The white with a little bit of yellow. I should have been more precise, sorry."

"It's fine!"

You managed to give him a bright smile even if it hurt.

"You seems to be expert in term of injurie s healing. I didn't know we could put so many things on a wound."

"I'm not, but I had to learn how to treat wound over the time?"

He do not wait for an answer, already left for the kitchen.

"Take your time. Omelette is good for you?"

"Yeah whatever you make. You need help, maybe?" you started apply the ointment on your stomach.

"No need"

You heard his voice from afar.

When you finished applying the cream on you stomach and the side of your face, you also have to apply it on your back. The problem was how inaccessible it is. So you approached the kitchen and wait a few minutes, until you catch his attention.

"Hum... Sorry to bother you but... Can-Can you?" You tried to build courage to ask for his help.

"What is it?" He turn off the fire.

"Why are you suddenly shy?" Tilting his head with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm always shy" You looked down.

"It's not what I witnessed." He got a grin on his lips.

"I'm actually pretty comfortable around you. You, make me comfortable. Like a bed full of pillows" You looked at him serving the food.

He did not answer.

"What did you wanted to ask?" He turned to face you.

"Can you help me... With the ointment? Applying it on my back? Please" You was self-conscious about having to be exposed if he had to apply the cream on your back.

"Is that all of it? Sure." He raised an eyebrow surprise of the simplicity of the request and your uncomfort about it.

You nodded as a reply.

"Okay, let me wash my hands before"

He walked to the sink.

" You can take of the jacket" He said while washing his hands.

So you do as he said. When he was done, he took the jacket, then grabbed each sleeves extremities and makes a node around your waist. You gave him a lost look at his actions but he gives it no mind.

"You can sit. You'll be more comfortable." He pull a chair from the table and he sat on another one.

Before you sit, he pulled up on the large tee-shirt, to untucked it from the jacket and have a good access to your back.

"I kinda found it curious how you don't even question any of my actions and just follow along."

You felt the cold cream entering in contact with your skin. It was slightly colder than you skin. Than you felt his warm fingers. They are rough but he doesn't apply too much pressure to be painful. It was a soothing sensation.

" I don't know myself. You are just making me comfortable? I already had an image of you from rumors, even before you get transferred in this school. But... From what I saw, you are a bit different."

"And what are the differences, from your point of view?" He put your tee-shirt back down and stood up to wash his hands once again.

"You were depicted as very violent, always ready to pick a fight. A bit like an enraged dog? But you look to be very laid back and chill? A bit like a cat?"

" You seem to be very... Observant ? " He raised an eyebrow, a grin on the lips.

He brought the plates on the table. And he sat in front of you.

" Like I said, I'm very shy. So I'm much more in the observation than in the action. " You stopped yourself from adding:" especially if it concern you."

And started to eat.

"You should probably avoid jumping on conclusions. Maybe I'm actually violent or worst and you didn't witness it?"

"If you was as violent as we say, you would already had a fight with this group of annoying people in our common classes. Or even earlier today. "

"Maybe I just like to mind my own business?"

You didn't know what to reply so you just ate in silence.

"It's getting darker outside. Do you count on staying or you want me to drive you back? “

You both finished your plate, he stand up and take you plates to the sink.

“I should probably get home before my parents. I don't think my clothes are dry yet." You followed after him.

" It's okay. Stay in those clothes and I bring your dry clothes back tomorrow. "

" Okay" You put the jacket back on and both of you goes down stairs.

Once in the car, he asks for your address and started the motor. Both stayed silent for a while but then he ask you a question.

"Does it happen often?" His eyes still on the road.

Surprised of his question you blink a few times before answering.

"What happen today? The fight or my outburst from yesterday?"

"I guess they are linked. So both?"

You cleared you throat.

"No, not really. It usually doesn't goes that far. To be honest, I'm very embarrassed. The fact I've lost my cold in the middle of a class and then you see me getting beaten up." You hide your face behind your hands.

"No need to feel embarrassed." He gently pulled your hands away from your face.

"You just stood up for yourself. Very brave, for a shy girl."

"Thanks" You looked up from under your eyelashes.

"Its been a long time since it stated?" He parked in front of your house.

" I don't know since high school? Hiley had a thing for me I guess. Perhaps I'm an easy target, as when I get too nice, people start to think I'm dumb and easy to trick. "

He turn his face in your direction. You could detect a hint of concern in his eyes.

" Normally they lose their interests when you seem less weak. "

" Have you ever been in this kind of situation before? " You broke your eyes contact to look at your hands.

"I have." You look up surprised but he already look away.

"All along of my schooling, others kids had to makes me understand how ugly I was."

"They were so wrong. You are very beautiful Mingi." Taken aback he finally makes an eyes contact.

"Thank you but they are right. Compared to your beauty."

You looked away now shy and blushing.

"They are probably going to let you be now."

"How did you make it stopped?" You undo your belt.

"I had to fight the other kids every day. Until I get to break a few noses. They were probably too scared to fight with me." He snort, making you smile.

"Thank you for all of your help Mingi." You got closer to him and gently placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Anytime, Chérie."

That night all could think of was Mingi. His voice, his words, his sent, his warmth but mostly, his touch and lips.

I finally chosen to make 2 part of it because I wasn't sure if my phone a laptop could handle a looooot of words.

Anyway, sorry for my awkward English.

Have a good day or night <3

[272011]

The first meeting: Dr.Mei

Before Dr.Mei closed her eyes for the last time she remembered the moment with her best friend, [Name]

In high school, the day Dr.Mei met [Name], when Dr.Mei wanted to fall from the school roof because she almost fainted because of the bullying she received, Dr.Mei [Name] saved Dr.Mei with a sincere heart

After saving Dr. Mei [Name] took him to the infirmary to make sure Dr. Mei was okay

After Dr.Mei woke up, [Name] was no longer there, she went back to class, but when she took a break, she would come back, that's what the doctor said

During Break [Name] actually came back for Dr.Mei but Dr.Mei had disappeared, the Doctor said Dr.Mei had gone to class after she woke up

A few days later Dr.Mei couldn't stop thinking about [Name] she wondered whether he really helped her with good intentions or not. Of course Dr.Mei knew that [Name] was a popular child because of her good heart and she was also beautiful but was it true? the girl who helped Dr. Mei

Not long after, [Name] appeared in front of Dr. Mei and smiled gently at him. Dr. Mei was surprised by [Name]'s appearance. After staring at each other for a long time, they finally decided to talk on the school roof

"Hey, do you remember you almost fell from here?" said [Name] who was trying to talk to Dr.Mei, Dr.Mei was just silent of course she remembered that, that was the incident that almost made her die

"Yeah and why are you helping me!? It's not like everyone hates me and maybe you're just pretending to be nice to me like the others!" Dr.Mei is very fed up with [Name]'s behavior of pretending to be nice to her but that's not true. [Name] is indeed very kind to everyone no matter what their status is, not because Dr.Mei is a nerd but it's from a sincere heart [Name]

"I'm not pretending to you Mei, I've always watched you from afar from the first day we entered this school until now. I'm sorry I didn't help you in the first place. If you hadn't avoided me in the first place, maybe I could have helped" [Name] said really Honestly, the fact that he doesn't hate Dr. Mei has been placed in Dr. Mei's heart

Dr.Mei doesn't know what this feeling is, she's not sure whether it's happy or sad or angry, she doesn't, the point is, she really wants to cry for the first time in front of other people, finally someone is good to her, that's all, she's grateful because someone loves her, but on the other hand On the other hand, he was annoyed why he avoided a child as good as [Name] who had always wanted to help him

After that day Dr.Mei and [Name] became close friends for the first time. Dr.Mei felt what friendship meant. She hoped that this could continue forever without any problems.

When you were in second year of high school, you met a kind-hearted young man named Su, he didn't look at anyone's status and also became a new friend for you. Su was really good to everyone, he knew you because [Name] was almost kidnapped by a stranger but luckily There was Su who saved him. The next day they met in front of the school gate. They didn't realize that they were at the same school and in the end they became good friends

And you also know Kevin who likes Dr.Mei since he entered this school and Kevin became Su's friend and became our friend too even though Kevin had to try to convince Dr.Mei and [Name] first.

Many years have passed, we 4 friends entered Month and became the best among others and Dr.Mei was treated well, you also met many new friends

But everything was destroyed because Honkai you were rarely together because of our work

During the war against the Herrscher of End, Dr.Mei, who had been infected with the deadly Honkai Disease, lied to her friend that the disease had subsided, but actually it was getting worse. Dr.Mei was able to survive because of Su's medicine, when both of her friends were about to return to Earth, Dr.Mei had already stated that died, Su explained everything but Dr.Mei left a letter for you and a baby made from Kevin's blood and Dr.Mei who made him their child, for [Name] Dr.Mei made beautiful flower accessories made from Cecilia flowers very flowers [Name] liked and for Su only messages, requests and support were not many but Su received, messages for his project, requests to always be by Kevin and [Name]'s side and support for Su's relationship with [Name]

After Dr. Mei died everything really changed

End~

[nyasialiveshere]

Movie review/recap 1.0

MIDNIGHT

The 2021 sleeper hit psychological thriller horror of my dreams.

it reminds me of that old movie with the Korean psychopath and the innocent young woman trying to avenge her sister monster.

but it feels like both an evolution and a rehash of the old Japanese dramas that purposely put disabled characters in shows to show more diversity. It works in midnight in a way I don't think many modern-day movies do.

Firstly we have a sympathetic character targeted by a ruthless predator.

in recent years, protagonists in horror films known as the final girls have purposely become the opposite of the old tropes. They are loud, bossy, annoying, and extremely modern. Which, to be honest, makes the audience less sympathetic when a terrifying sociopath is after them. In recent years, people not only don't care if characters get whacked in horror movies; they wait for it and enjoy it. Characters usually purposely embody one of the seven deadly sins in order for the audience, usually endowed with subtle Christian Judea values, to deep down believe the characters deserve to be punished. This is very apparent in modern horror films. In Midnight it takes you back to when horror movies had innocent characters you didn't want anything bad to happen to, like in the 1980s.

When villains punish evil people, the villains become more like anti-heroes. This bad becomes good trope has been popularized through movies like suicide squad

and Deadpool.

Where bad guys are not only cooler but more relatable than the goody two-shoes heroes. Yet in a world like the Avengers and Batman v Superman. The heroes aren't just saviors; they are people who cause millions of dollars of damages, cause people to be injured in the crosshairs and become a nuisance to the general public.

So a movie like this is refreshing because the bad guy is actually bad. End of story. No tragic backstory, no he-had-to-do-it, no revenge plotline. There is no reason for him to go after innocent women; he just does.

Not only does he go after innocent women, he goes after the most innocent woman he possibly can. A disabled woman who cannot hear and relies mainly on reading lips and sign language. Many people would definitely draw the line when it comes to robbing or victimizing someone who cannot properly defend himself but in this movie it becomes an afterthought to the villain, who goes after anyone who catches his eye. The easier the prey, the better.

Kyeong-mi is a nice change from the sassy, independent heroine people are used to, not because her personality is not tenacious but because she is pure, a quality the movie hammers down quite nicely.

It's an incredibly energetic movie. The chase just hits differently when a character has not got to live life yet. Kyeong-mi was not a party girl, nor did she have tons of friends or even family. She lived a nice, quiet life with her mother and she couldn't hear. It is the equivalent of a lion hunting a lamb.

This is in juxtaposition to the other women kidnapped in the movie by the stalker, who were either on their way to a date or were living their busy metropolitan life.

Thematically, it is just a more impactful story when a character who has done nothing to deserve it gets hunted. People feel bad when a gazelle is hunted but even worse when it's a baby animal. It's just necessary to pull on people's heartstrings; even animals hesitate to hunt young defenseless animals.

In this movie, Kyeong-mi is very resourceful, quick-witted and strangely athletic

though that could of been because she was running for her life

the most interesting part of the movie is when the story and the villain weaponize the fact that overemotional women are unlikely to be believed when compared to a smooth-talking, good-looking male.

Multiple times the villain simply pretended to be a regular guy trying to help the same women he was preying on. I believe it was a smart move to switch up the casting for a villain. I believe whenever movies portray all male predators as ugly, scary, or creepy, it paints a picture that men who are attractive can do no wrong and they should be who women seek out. But in reality, most predators are the nice, charming person that everyone likes. They are incredibly social, talkative, and have a great smile.

That's the most annoying part about when people have discussions about male predators: women always make sure to leave out their favorite sweet, charming, handsome guy, which is a very off thing to do. Always making sure to talk about how unattractive guys who caught abusing are and how they have to go after women because they are unattractive. This is not only completely ignorant but also incredibly wrong. The most successful predators are usually attractive, charming people because most of them are able to gaslight their victims. Most only slip up when they get sloppy due to their high ego. There are many real-life examples of very attractive men being predators; for some sad reason, women delude themselves into thinking it's only guys they do not find good looking but that couldn't be further from the truth. What women call predator behavior, any anthropologist would call natural male behavior. Males with higher testosterone, better looks, and greater pheromones get away with things lesser males cannot due to social hierarchy.

I think nature shows us the best that the more visually striking a male animal, the more testosterone they have and the more dangerous they are, but oddly enough in the media it is usually completely the opposite.

In the movies it's the dorky beta males that seek to prey on women while the alpha males are almost always portrayed as the hero.

though I guess to some degree that is displayed in this movie as well. It's definitely a hybrid of typical tropes, which I think keeps the movie interesting.

The best part of the film was definitely how the women stuck together to take down a man even though they just ran and saved only themselves.

I also appreciate the happy ending. Too many horror films feel the need to end with trauma or anguish. This ending showed strength and resilience, and I loved it.

I think it's a nice continuation of the disadvantaged woman vs. the handsome psychopath. Sadly, these are the only Korean movies I can really sit through now. I cannot stand Korean movies when they make commentary on classism when the movie is funded by a chaebol group. The cops being useless to the point of literally letting the killer walk out freely seems unrealistic unless you look up actual cases in Korea of the cops being very useless to the public and victims. So actually it is very accurate. But to be fair, they don't have that much funding, proper tools, or training, so it's a bit complex, but that's the only real issue I have with the film.

8/10

It's a nice watch alone or with a group. I somehow got my family to watch it years ago and it's fun. It has a high rewatch value as well.

[eofoc]

🌿﹕ANGE LAZARUS

──── You gave me a sweet lie that “it’s ok to be a coward”, have I been able to escape?

Full name : Ange Ignate Lazarus

Name notes : means “angel” in french, got his second name after his mothers late first husband

Pronouns : he / him

Gender : male

Species : half-vampire

Age : 19

Birthday : December 1st, 793

Height : 178 cm

Often referred to as the “other Lazarus sibling”. He certainly isn’t as popular with the public as his sister is, and he chooses to isolate himself by staying in his lab most of the days. Most people think he’s unfit to be the head of the family, and show his sister favorable treatment. It doesn’t seem like that phases him much. After all, he’s very well aware of the poor reputation his father has. Moreover, people are aware that he’s a half-vampire, and often suspect him of being an actual vampire instead.

PERSONALITY

Ange is a charming person who loves being the center of attention. He knows how to capture everyone’s attention, often using exaggerated mannerisms and interjecting himself into the conversation without any shame.

People often dislike him, viewing him as arrogant and unlikable. He has a competitive nature and often uses backhanded compliments or irony to jab at people he doesn’t like. His humor often masks deeper insecurities and the constant need for validation.

He finds it very hard to drop the facade, even in the company of people he cares about, which often leaves them feeling hurt and not worth his trust. Despite all that, he’s very empathetic and can be caring, albeit in an inexperienced way.

BACKSTORY

Unlike his sister, Ange was the result of a political marriage. This made his mother resent him from the moment he was born, especially since he got his father’s piercing green eyes. His mother treated him like a stranger, while his father only used him as a tool to gain more power in the Lazarus family. He had very high expectations for him, but quickly gave up on showing his son any affection when Ange hadn’t lived up to them. 

While Juliet and Ange were very close as children, they slowly started drifting away because of their parents. Ange clung to the only friend he had at the time - Yuze. Since the young boy was the only person who understood him and didn’t shun him, he became very attached to him. However, the revolution happened, leaving Yuze resenting him for something he didn’t do. It also had bigger consequences for him - since his father was the leading force behind the revolt, his position and treatment only got worse. Suspected of being a vampire, he got locked in a dark room for days on end until it was proven that he’s indeed human.

He grew up isolating himself from everyone, spending most of his time in his lab, where he focused on botany and biology. It quickly became his passion and a specialty of his. Perhaps due to his experiences in his childhood and his father, he also became obsessed with vampirism and started researching it very intensely. During those years, the loneliness made him experience more and more suicidal thoughts. 

When Juliet entered high society, he once again started feeling intense jealousy for everyone favoring her over him. He also found out that she was the one who told their mother about Yuze being a vampire, and hasn’t really spoken to her since, feeling betrayed and upset about the fact. While he makes a lot of surface connections, he still fails to get closer to anyone, his thoughts often returning to his childhood friend.

[rainbow-sunshine-unicorn]

Wrote a little something because I felt ✨inspired✨

Edmund Bridgerton II learns an unfathomable fact about his father (aka Anthony’s dad lore is crazy)

Edmund Bridgerton II had earned himself a bit of a reputation. If you asked Eddy, he would swear up and down that it wasn’t his fault. It was just that Eddy had grown up surrounded by women he loved and admired, starting with his Amma. Since the very day he was born, he had been his Amma’s boy. He loved toddling around after her and being allowed to pick out lunch menus or to go to the stable with her to brush his pony. His Amma was the one who taught him numbers and letters and even today, after having been to Oxford and having learnt from world renowned scholars, he still believed that the most knowledgeable person in the world was his Amma.

Then there was Char his little sister. He was too young to remember her birth but since the day Charlotte had become a little person instead of a squealing baby, she was determined to make him proud, by being brave when she scraped her knee, by learning to make a jump on horseback just like him, by finding the best spot at hide and seek to impress him. So when she’d cried to him about being terrible at embroidery after having gifted him a handkerchief with crooked stitching, he hadn’t thought twice about promising to practice her stitches with her, so she wouldn’t be stuck inside while he ran around playing with Miles. Turns out embroidery was rather relaxing and he liked adding an occasional rose to the corner of his kerchief and on one memorable occasion pranking his cousin Augie with something rather rude embroidered on his neck cloth.

Then there was Mary, his baby. Well, she hadn’t been a baby in many years but he swore that sometimes when he looked at her, she still looked like the palm sized infant she used to be. Was it any wonder then that he was willing to sit down and listen to the baby he swore had gone from infant to little girl in the blink of an eye, chatter about bows and colours and hat pins. He had accompanied his baby to many a modiste, enough to learn about the different kinds of tulle and lace.

Which brings him to his current predicament. By the time he was old enough to be a commodity on the marriage mart, Eddy found himself at a great advantage compared to many of his peers. He could talk to debutantes about the things that interested them, like laces and bows and hand embroidery. He knew enough on how to run a household that many girls found it easy to keep up a conversation with him for the length of a waltz. He was popular with women. And truth be told, he enjoyed it. It was never more than a light flirtation but seeing shoulders relax and smiles widen in his presence? Damn it all, it felt good. And so he did nothing to discourage his reputation. His reputation as a rake.

Which is what Lady Danbury was currently telling his bemused mother while Edmund tried to stare very hard at the ballroom floor. Lady Danbury was like a hundred years old and attended about four balls a year. How had she even learnt of this talk about him being a rake?

Having completed her humiliation ritual, Lady Danbury tapped her cane, patted Edmund on the shoulder and moved on. Leaving him to face his mother, who was giving him a bemused smile and a raised eyebrow.

Unable to resist that eyebrow, he began spluttering out an explanation when it got worse. His father clapped him on the back and then looked at him quizzically when he gulped dramatically.

“What’s the matter?” his father asked. And now Eddy had a worse problem. Not only did he have to explain to his mother that he liked flirting with women, he also had to tell his father, his hero. The man who didn’t even know women other than his wife existed. Eddy felt his shoulders slump miserably. His father thought the sun rose and set at his mother’s feet. His father never spent more than hour at his gentleman’s club because he said he got bored without Amma and his children. Eddy loved his father and often went to him for his insight but in this, he didn’t believe his father would have anything to say. His misery was interrupted by a giggle from his Amma.

While he’d been wallowing in his misfortune, Appa had now moved to Amma’s side and was getting his lapels straightened while beaming down at Amma. Eddy stifled a groan. This was not going well.

“He’s your son after all”, Amma was saying. “Rake with a capital R”, and then she winked.

Father inexplicably went bright red and then brought his hands to rest over his Amma’s on his lapels. “Thoroughly reformed now and that’s reformed with a capital R, I’ll have you know, Kathani Bridgerton”. He leaned forward to rest his forehead against Amma’s.

Well used to this by now, Eddy simply cleared his throat. His mother turned to him and laughed with soft delight and his father winked at him playfully.

Feeling something settle in him at the sight, Edmund asked, “Rake with a Capital R? What is that about?”

And this time, it was Anthony’s turn to splutter as Kate chortled once again.

A few minutes later after his father had made a hasty departure with Amma in tow, in the wake of his halting explanation about his reputation before marriage, Edmund felt dazed. His mind felt sluggish, like a cart wheel caught in mud.

His father? A rake? Surely, it was a jest. His gaze drifted to where his parents were waltzing together, standing far closer to each other than was appropriate. He watched as his father pressed a tender kiss to his mother’s forehead, eliciting gasps of disapproval from some of the stricter dowagers. This whole Capital R Rake business was probably his parents idea of a joke, he decided.

I think a lot about the fact that Kate and Anthony’s kids grow up with parents that are so devoted to one another they can’t even fathom their father as anyone other than the doting family man.

Imagine Edmund, 20 and sending all the debs into a flutter when he walks past them with a wink.

“Edmund, you shouldn’t-”

And Edmund just groans “Father, some of us weren’t born romantics.”

And Kate’s behind them snorting into her glass of lemonade.

“I was… certainly not a romantic.”

“Of course you weren’t.” Edmund scoffed skeptically.

“I wasn’t! I was horrible to your mother!”

“Oh I’m sure.”

“It’s true unfortunately,” Kate sighed. “I really was just taken in by a smile. Embarrassing for us both.”